gravity extras

library

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"Harry, this doesn't even make sense. Why do we have to go over this if this wasn't even on the review sheet for the exam?"

(Y/N) couldn't help the frustration that seeped into her tone as she let her textbook fall flat against the surface of the table. Study materials were scattered all over, highlighters and pens with open notebooks filling the space and only adding to the chaos (Y/N) felt in her head.

"Because, love," Harry started, patience clear in his voice as he settled his hand on her own where it plucked at the creased pages of her textbook, "you know Stanfill always puts those essay questions at the end. It's always a formula or some kind of explanation needed on why a law works the way it does. You need to know these things for those questions, so y'can explain properly and get full credit. 'M only doing this to help you, flower."

"It just feels pointless," (Y/N) sighed, sitting back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest.

They'd been going at this for hours at this point, and she was very quickly approaching the end of her rope. Their lunch break from hours ago consisted of Harry toddling down to the vending machines on the first floor of the library, returning with a pair of those prepackaged sandwiches that came from one of the refrigerated carousels, full of wilted lettuce and soggy bread. The endless studying had been enough to put (Y/N) in a bad mood, but now her lack of caffeine and edible food was nudging her closer and closer to the edge. Then, as soon as Harry threw away the remains of their 'lunch', they got right back to work, pounding formulas and equations into (Y/N)'s head over and over.

Of course, this was all made easier by the fact she was going through it with Harry at her side, but she didn't know how much more she could take before she snapped. She had to do all of this—memorizing formulas, take into account Stanfill's strategically complicated questions, and buy useless textbooks—for a class she wasn't even required to be taking! Just that reminder had (Y/N) souring even further. Her only saving grace for the afternoon had been the quiet corner of the library they had all but taken over in the months since they started huddling back here regularly; at least no one else was around to see her have her tantrum.

"(Y/N), flower," Harry murmured to her, twisting in his seat to face her directly, knees knocking into her chair as he lent close to her, "you've got to calm down, yeah? Tell me how I can help you, love. I don't like seeing you so stressed."

"I just want to go home, Harry," she pouted, feeling just as petulant and childish as she knew she looked. "Let's just do this tomorrow instead or something."

"We don't have time tomorrow, remember?" Harry spoke to her gently, knowing just how much of a time bomb she was at the moment, "I've got a couple of things to take care of for work, and you promised Naomi you would help with her art history project. We need to finish this today."

"But, I don't want to."

"Hey," Harry said sharply, catching her attention though his voice was quiet, "Y'don't need to be pouting over this, (Y/N). We have one more section to go over, then I'll get y'some dinner and we'll go home."

There was something about seeing him in his cozy sweaters—today's selection consisted of a green, paisley crocheted piece that slouched over his arms—and glasses, the hallmarks of the Harry she fell in love with during her physics course, speaking in the same tone she remembers discovering through her headphones late at night. The two opposite worlds colliding was still something she had to wrap her head around whenever she was faced with it.

"Fine," she relented, uncrossing her arms and hunching over her textbook once more.

A quiet sigh sounded from beside her. "We'll be fast, flower, I promise," he murmured to her, a careful hand reaching out to brush her hair from her face before his lips were pressed to her cheek in a sweet kiss.