Something Worth Living For {Ryden AU}

7a

The central dogma does not apply to some viruses. Select a specific virus or type of virus and explain how it deviates from the central dogma.

What? I stare down at the paper, uncomprehending. Fuck, okay, next question.

Explain the role of spliceosomes in protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells.

I groan in exasperation, throwing my pen down and banging my head on the table, earning a few glares from other students trying to study. Why the fuck did I decide it would be a good idea to take AP Biology? Biology is my worst subject; therefore I am obviously an idiot.

I thought I'd have better luck at studying if I retreated to the library, but I'm getting nowhere. I have a huge test tomorrow and I'm probably going to fail. Maybe I should just give up school and join the circus. I like elephants well enough.

I'm contemplating in my head when the next time the circus will be in town when I see my pen coming into view in front of my face, along with the hand that's holding it.

"Studying not going so well?" Ryan smiles sympathetically. I sigh a one-hundred percent dramatic sigh of despair, flopping over on the table with my head to the side and looking up at him pitifully.

"Do you think it'd be hard to tame lions?" I ask hopefully. He sits down next to me, huffing out a laugh and looking down at my paper.

"I'm pretty good at Biology," he offers.

"Well then can you please tell me what the fuck a spiceosome is?" I ask. Ryan laughs, ignoring the glares he gets from other people.

"Spliceosome," he corrects with a teasing smile.

"Yeah, that."

He rolls his eyes fondly and starts explaining to me about spliceosomes, something or other about protein subunits - I think I hear the word 'splicing' in there somewhere, I don't know. I'm too busy watching the way his lips form around his words, pursing around his 'w's and stretching wide when he smiles. I feel like a person in a movie, when the other person's voice is being blocked out while you stare at them, lost in your own thoughts.

"You get that?"

"Huh?" I mumble, jerking out of my daze and looking at him attentively. "Sorry, yeah, splicing. Awesome," I nod. He seems to know I wasn't paying attention because he grins crookedly and starts explaining it again.

And, well, I don't think tutoring is gonna help very much if my tutor is distractingly hot.

"It's no use," I mutter miserably. "Just leave me in my misery."

"Stop being so dramatic," he laughs, elbowing my side. I take a moment to appraise his appearance today; he's only wearing his normal tight jeans and a t-shirt, which is kind of odd because he always dresses pretty elaborately. It's interesting to see what outfit he comes up with every day. I kind of look forward to it. His hair is styled today though, giving it that faux-hawk look. It always looks so soft. I wonder if it feels as soft as it looks. He really does have rather pretty hair. It probably takes a while to get it to look so perfect.

"Um, Brendon?" Ryan laughs, and I blink, staring at my hand that apparently unconsciously made its way into his hair. I can feel my face getting hot, and I retract my hand with a nervous laugh. It is soft.

"Sorry," I mumble, trying to come up with a plausible excuse for touching his hair. "I just, um... like your hair... a lot?"

He just laughs softly, though, smiling at me so wide his teeth are showing. "Thanks. I like yours too," he says, reaching up and running a hand through my hair. I get goose bumps on my arms just from him touching me, and my head might lean into his hand a little bit.