Baby it's Cold Outisde

Chapter 6 | What could be more important?

A week later

"So how about it?"

Terrance stares at Y/n, sort of concerned as she suddenly picked up more confidence, asking if he'd like to go on a date with her.

He doesn't think of it as something romantic, he thinks it's just another plan to get him out in public more often on weekends instead of staying in. Raising a brow, he thinks for a moment, feeling that he's caught on to what Y/n was doing.

"I'm busy, sorry." He sighs, rearranging his supplies on the table. He was simply trying to study in the library down in the city but it seemed Y/n had other plans. She wanted to go out? When she could be getting work done?

"Wha- uhhh doing what?" She sits next to him, leaning in like she usually does.

He nudges his head, mumbling nonsense.

"Watching over my siblings and getting work done."

Terrance can feel the atmosphere lower, and Y/n's confidence lowering as well. She slumps over, deflating like some popped balloon. "Ok... how about next weekend?" She tries to pursue but Terrance doesn't take the hint, glancing over as she perks up again, her eyes big and pleading. For a moment he sympathized with her.

He knew very well how she liked to have company on days she felt bored. Seemed to keep her preoccupied with whatever she found was so depressing that she had to avoid.

Sometimes he believed Y/n couldn't stand a moment alone. Quiet for just a second and she's suddenly on her feet and complaining. But he doesn't know for sure if it was true. Just assuming based on knowing her for quite some time.

"Busy then too."

"How about whenever you're free?"

"Y/n-"

She stops. Staring as Terrance glared daggers at her, his eyes piercing into her skull.

"I am not the person to ask out. I like to be alone." Terrance speaks sternly, his hands clenched a little as it was difficult to be so strict with Y/n. Usually, he had no problems telling people off. But for some reason, he couldn't help but hesitate when he sees the way her eyes sparkled with negative emotion. He watches as she looks down at her hands and laughs nervously.

"I was being a little pressuring, I'm sorry. I should probably work on considering how you feel, huh?"

As if paralyzed, Terrance freezes in his state of guilt as she smiles at him, her eyes sad.

"Um..." he mutters, trying to get a word in before she leaves, but she stands, slamming her hands on the table and picking herself back up again. "I won't give up though. Let me know if I'm crossing any boundaries of course- but I'm still gonna pursue this." She points at the two of them.

Terrance is still confused, watching as she walks away with some kind of purpose.

He looks around, searching for what she meant. What is she pursuing?
____
Three weeks later

Days pass by and Terrance has been spending his time teaching all he could to his little sister. He hasn't seen much of his two friends but he's heard around campus that they've been hanging out quite a lot recently.

Often he'd pass by a classroom to see them writing out some plan on the board or acting some kind of scenario out but he just left them be. Must be some kind of extrovert thing they had going on.

Though, if he could remember, a few rumours were going around saying they were interested in one another. He didn't find it hard to imagine it, but for some reason, it left a bad aftertaste on his tongue each time he did. He disliked even thinking about it.
Surely though, it was just his dedication to his work in schooling.