STICKY NOTES // JSchlatt X Reader

27

It was just like when you had gone to visit Schlatt the first time. You spent the days filming yourselves as you played various games (there was a lot of Mario Kart and Minecraft, but once or twice you spiced it up with some PUBG) and the evenings exploring the city - you and Maddy took Schlatt bowling on night, and another was spent at a local band's mini concert in the park. 

You had missed hanging out with him, and it was a comfort to know that he would still be there the next morning, grumbling as he got out of bed and walked to the kitchen to help make breakfast - he had stubbed his toe on the same edge of the wall every day since he had flown in and it didn't fail to amuse you every time.

As time went on though, the days crept closer and closer to Schlatt's flight back home and a pool of dread began to fill your stomach - you didn't want him to leave, and go another two months or longer without seeing him. Not again.

It hurt to think about - so you didn't. Instead, you took him out to a nice restaurant in repayment for when he had taken you out to eat that first time. 

The waiter had just taken your order and your menus away when Schlatt leaned back in his seat, looking around the place. The dim lighting made his facial features stand out all the more - the shadows were like a natural contour, highlighting the best parts of him. You were having a hard time looking away without the menu in front of you now.

"This place is nice." He said finally, looking back to you from across the table. 

"Well, I thought it was only fair since you took me to that one place when I came to visit you." You said. "Plus, this is one of my favorite spots in the city, so I thought you might like to see it."

"I can see why." Schlatt said. "It's very moody."

You supposed he was right - what had originally drawn you to this place when you had first stumbled upon it was the general air of it. Between the decorations and the music, the feel of the place was somewhere on the border of romantic and depressing - but it worked. It felt like the sort of sentimental place you could fall in love. 

Looking across the table from you, you supposed that even if you hadn't fallen for him here, that you had brought him here was enough. It had been on the top of the list of places you wanted to bring him to see before he left. Because even though you hated thinking about it, he was going to. 

Sooner, rather than later. 

Schlatt idly took a sip of his drink, watching the other patrons of the place. "You know, I might have to come visit more often." He said. "It's a lot less crowded and noisy here; it's nice."

"You should." You said. 

He glanced over at you as he sat his glass back down. "Yeah?" He asked - testing. 

"Yeah." You said easily. 

He hummed, and there was a slight pause in the conversation then before he spoke again. "You know, I picked you to win the love or host early." 

Your heart fluttered at that, though you tried your best not to show it. "Really?" You asked, taking a sip from your drink. "What made you decide that you were going to pick me?"

"Well, I went in to it thinking I was going to end up picking Minx again." He said. "You know, we already had a thing and the content would get lots of views, so it would have been the easy option. But you were funny, and you didn't make blows and any of the other contestants and you were hot, so I changed my mind."

You smiled - you had known that he liked you enough. He wouldn't just shave off the chops for anyone. But you hadn't known the full extent of it - and yes, he had called you hot on the Austin show, but that he brought it back up when you weren't being watched by forty thousand people? It was making your face heat up.

"And then you hosted me, so-"

"Will you stop?" You laughed. "You've brought that up every time someone even mentions the love or host. Its like you want me to feel bad-"

Schlatt grinned. "You're too easy to make squirm." He said. "All I have to do is mention that you hosted me and you make this face like you want to jump off the nearest bridge." It was obvious that he was amused by your reaction by the way his eyes tracked your face. "See, you're doing it again."

You forced your face back to a flat state. "You're so mean to me." You said, turning away from him slightly. "You know I still feel a little bad about that, and what do you do? Bring it up every five seconds-"

"C'mon." Schlatt said. "You know I'm just teasing."

You just huffed, determined to sit.

Across the table Schlatt rolled his eyes, leaning forward to reach across and take one of your hands that had been sitting near your glass. He rolled your fingers between his and squeezed until you turned back to look at him properly. When your eyes connected, he smiled and you couldn't help but smile as well - it had only been good natured ribbing, you knew that. 

Soon enough though, Schlatt was retreating back across the table, and you only had the warmth of his hand left in yours. Your food came, and dinner progressed, but you could still feel the ghost of his hand in yours, and in the back of your mind it only added to the pool of dread surrounding his inevitable departure. 

When he left, you would think about his hand in yours, and that would be all you had.