#hancock just really enjoys good jazz okay | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

danses-with-dogmeat · 3 years

Text

What Instruments would the Companions play?

Fallout 4 --

Cait: Uilleann Pipes (or Elbow Bagpipes)

- Okay, it's not just because it’s an Irish instrument (I mean, I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of it), but also it's the way the unique pipes are played. The player is seated with the instrument strapped to their waist and dominant hand, using their opposite elbow to control the flow of air in the bag (rather than blowing into it like with normal bagpipes). It's a complicated instrument that requires an immense amount of physical control and discipline to play, which meshes well with Cait's physicality and athleticism. She's had the instrument as long as she can remember, finding it lying around in her childhood home. She managed to grab it before her parents sold her, and though it does sometimes remind her of them, all of the hours she spent learning to play it practically forces her to hold onto the instrument. She is wildly adept at playing it, and will sometimes do so in front of Sole, as long as they keep quiet about this ability of hers.

Curie: Violin

- A delicate instrument that requires dexterity and control, Curie would love the challenges that playing the violin would present. She found the string instrument in the depths of the vault before she became a synth, but held onto it thinking one day she would find someone who could make it sound beautiful. When she made the change to her synth body, she was incredibly excited to finally be able to play it, and though it took a while, she managed to become quite skilled. As a medical professional, she already has incredible coordination, so not only does the violin provide a creative outlet for Curie, but also it allows her to practice her control, since she still is getting used to just having the two hands, and all of her fingers. Once well-practiced, she loves to play softly to recovering patients in her ward.

Danse: Baritone

- When he first found the large horn, he didn’t really know what to think of it, he certainly didn’t consider playing it. However, once Sole explained it to him and told him how the instrument is played, he decided to pick it up one day when he was alone. He might have a hard time at first, since learning to play a new instrument can be especially frustrating for someone as hard on themselves as Danse is, but once he gets the hang of it, he's a big fan of the rich, loud sound it creates. He still rarely plays in front of anyone else (Sole and Haylen being the only exceptions), but he likes to practice in the little amount of downtime that he does have. Plus he enjoys caring for it by constantly cleaning and polishing the different pieces of the larger brass instrument.

Deacon: Kazoo

- It started out as a joke, he found a little metal kazoo, discovered the manner in which to play it, and decided to have a field day with Carrington back at HQ. Later though, after practicing a number of the most obnoxious songs he could find, he found he was quite good at it and quickly he grew fond of the plucky little instrument. Now he carries it around with him almost everywhere, telling everyone that he plays it ironically, but deep down he knows that he truly enjoys it.

Hancock: Saxophone

- Hancock has quite the reputation of being good with his lips and hands, and his adept ability to play the saxophone would only support this. He's had a lot of time to perfect his playing and will sometimes go up on stage with Magnolia to the delight of nearly everyone in Goodneighbor. He loves the instrument's smooth, jazzy sound and always revels in showing off his skills with a good solo.

MacCready: Harmonica

- An easy instrument to carry with you on the road, MacCready picked it up in his travels and messed with it whenever he knew the sound wouldn't endanger him. After a couple years, he became quite skilled with the wind instrument and would play it both for Lucy and Duncan as often as he could. He always keeps it with him, almost as a crutch at this point, even if he can't find the right place to play it, just having it with him reminds him of his travels with his son and his late wife.

Nick: Piano

- Always the classic gentleman type, it's no surprise that the old detective knows how to manipulate piano keys in such a way that he seems to transport you back in time to a dark and hazy pre-war bar. The old Nick is where the original skill came from, but the synth's fingers are much more nimble than the human Nick's were. He enjoys playing whenever he can find a piano; however, be warned, if it isn't tuned, you can bet your ass he'll do his best to rectify that, which could take a couple hours at best, and a few days at worst.

Piper: Tambourine

- The percussion instrument was a gift from her father, so she's held onto it since she was young and always takes extra care in looking after her tambourine (she considers it the most important item she owns, after her printing press of course.) Besides the fact it was a gift from a loved one, she likes the instrument because of its simplicity and the way she can easily come up with and control her own rhythm. She fondly remembers many an evening prattling away at the tambourine while her and Nat danced the night away in a rare moment of true childish fun. Sometimes Nat will pick up the instrument while Piper is busy at the typewriter and try to create a beat to her sister's typing.

Preston: Banjo

- Does this one need an explanation? Preston just gives me mad banjo vibes. Imagine the joy he feels sitting around a campfire, striking up a tune that everyone knows, encouraging all the people around him to join in on the song. He tells himself that he does it for the benefit of those around him, to distract them from their troubles and the cruelty of the wasteland, but the truth is, he does it just as much to distract himself. It makes him happy to see others happy around him, and if the banjo provides a way to do that, then Preston will do his best to stay practiced in as many feel-good songs as he can.

X6-88: Upright/Double Bass

- This instrument is an absolute beast, coming in at about 6 feet tall and weighing about 45 lbs, but X6 would welcome the challenge of playing such an instrument; his own height and the large size of his hands providing a distinct advantage in learning how to play the bass properly. Not being of the faint of heart, X6 practices until his playing ability is nearly flawless, reveling in the deep, rich sound that emanates from his intimidating instrument. He prefers to read music and follow chord structure rather than improvise when he is playing, and he works to try and perfect every technique that he can, ranging from using a bow (arco), to striking with his fingers (pizzicato), to slapping the strings against the fingerboard.

Fallout 3 --

Butch: Clarinet

- The poor 14 year-old was horrified when he was handed the old reed instrument when inducted into the vault 101 school band. But as Butch grew older, and his playing abilities increased, he realized he could make some pretty cool sounds with this thing. Jazz was always one of his favourite genres of music, and the clarinet allowed him to play along to many of his favourite songs. He doesn't bring the instrument with him while traveling, but he will play it when at home and sometimes will be bold enough to play for audiences at bars.

Charon: Bass Guitar

- He had never touched a bass before coming across one while traveling with Lone, but as soon as he picked it up, he found he had an affinity for it. Charon was patient with himself as he learned how to play, his scarred fingers both a blessing and a curse. Though it was sometimes difficult to get the chords right, he didn't have to worry about bloody fingers from long hours practicing plucking the rough strings. He comes up with a few bass lines on his own, then tries replicating songs that he hears. Charon actually really enjoys the creative outlet, and it's the perfect activity to focus on when Lone is gone.

Clover: Flute

- Clover treasures her flute, as the instrument was a gift from Eulogy that only reinforces the idea that she's his favourite. After all, he never gave Crimson a flute, or any other instrument for that matter. She finds it difficult at first, as she works to master her finger position and airflow, and occasionally she gets frustrated to the point of being completely unable to play; but once she gets the basics down, Clover uses the little woodwind instrument as a way to distract herself from her jealousy and tends to play it as aggressively as one can play a flute when Eulogy insists on spending time alone with Crimson. Otherwise, she will sometimes play it with Eulogy as her only audience member, but her favourite is when she can sit on her own and play the flute for herself, it makes her happy and it let's her see how far she's come since she was first gifted the instrument. When she begins traveling with Lone, she holds onto the flute and continues to play it for her own benefit, and of course, she wouldn’t be opposed to playing for Lone, if they were to ask...

Cross: Trumpet

- She discovered the small brass instrument in her travels to pre-war military locations, and was interested in the history of the horn in regards to the old U.S. military. When she first picked it up, she wasn't a huge fan of the brash noise that comes from it, but as she grew more adept at playing it, she found she liked the sound. Cross takes inspiration from the bugle music that was played before the war, and replicates it for the members of the brotherhood of steel.

Fawkes: Bongos

- He's been a fan of percussion ever since he was locked in isolation in the vault. Throughout his time there, he would often find different surfaces to drum his hands on to pass the time. Lone began noticing this little habit of his, and when they surprised him with a pair of bongo drums, Fawkes was elated. He plays them as often as he can, but usually waits until they are at home, after all, he couldn't risk losing or damaging them out in the wastes. But it's his favorite way to relax and unwind after Lone and him return from the hostile wasteland to the security of their home. He did once bring them to Underworld to play for the residents there, but he was anxious about harming the instrument the whole way there and the whole way home.

Jericho: Maracas

- Jericho wouldn't have the patience to sit down and learn a complex musical instrument, so maracas are a good fit for him. He found a single one when he and Lone were traveling and didn't think much of it, but thought it was interesting enough to hold onto. Once Lone explained what they believed it was, Jericho began to experiment with the instrument when he was alone (he couldn't risk Lone seeing him acting like such an idiot, with this glorified baby rattle.) But once he discovered another one, he decided he liked the sound of them together. Even though the maracas are all mismatched, he keeps any that he can find and tries them all paired with one another. He still tries to keep it on the down low, but every once in a while he'll know that Lone is listening in, he'll utter some rude comment, but continue playing as though Lone weren't there.

Fallout New Vegas --

Arcade: Ukulele

- Arcade doesn't know how it happened, how he found the little guitar-like instrument, honestly, it was left in his tent at the fort, and he doesn't know where it came from. For the longest time, he just left it where it sat near his bed, unsure what to do with it, but after a couple weeks passed, he felt like he had to do something with it. So he started to pluck at the nylon strings, and he couldn't keep from uttering a small yelp of surprise at the sweet sound of the instrument. He doesn't play often, and he still needs to practice, but when he's alone, Arcade loves to strum the strings and come up with little tunes that end up getting way too stuck in his head.

Boone: Cajón

- The little, wooden, box-shaped drum is a practical instrument that isn't complicated to play and is easy to transport, making it a nice fit for the 1st recon sniper. Boone has had restless hands for as long as he can remember, and the problem has only gotten worse since the incident at bitter springs, so originally, when he found the cajón and brought it back to his room at the NCR barracks, he would tap at the different sides just as a little habit. However, when he discovered the way each side differed in pitch, he found he could manipulate the tapping of his hands in such a way to create some interesting beats. He brought it with him when he left the NCR and keeps it at his place in Novac to play with whenever he's there. Now it's not only an entertaining pastime, but it's ended up being very therapeutic for him.

Cass: Acoustic Guitar

- As a caravaner, you tend to pick up some of the habits of other caravan members that you meet in your travels. Originally, Cass found the guitar and made the decision to sell it, but that was before the guard of another caravan sat himself down by the fire one night, grabbing the instrument from beside Cass's pack, and began to play. When he first picked up the guitar, Cass was ready to deck him for touching one of her wares, but after hearing him play it, she couldn't help but ask him to teach her. She tends to bring the instrument with her when she can, but usually she'll keep it in a safe place so she can practice in her down time.

Raul: Flamenco/Spanish Guitar

- Raul's nimble fingers are good for more than just making repairs, despite their ghoulified appearance, they still possess the muscle memory of when he learned to play the Flamenco guitar before the bombs fell. His family down in Mexico really appreciated the importance of music, and Raul still believes that it helped him get through some of the toughest times after the bombs fell. He makes it a priority to find guitar strings for when his end up breaking, and he tries to keep his original guitar in pristine condition. He doesn't play too often, but when he does, Six can hardly believe the skill in which he plucks the strings of the pre-war instrument.

Veronica: Drums

- Every time Veronica was sent out on recon, she would keep her eyes peeled for another drum or symbol to add to the developing set she had hidden away at Helios One. It started with a simple snare, then a symbol she had found, and when she discovered a bass drum, she hid it outside the building before she was assigned guard duty, and she snuck the large drum down to her set. She loves the outlet that playing the drums provides, and though she sometimes worries someone will hear her, the risk is worth the thrill of going all out when she takes a seat in front of her drum set. After the events at Helios One that eventually led to her leaving the brotherhood facility, she makes plans to one day return to retrieve the instrument she left hidden away.

92 notes · View notes

fallout-drabbles-n-stuff · 4 years

Note

Eyy,, how about a babysitter!AU in which sole babysits the companions or how they act as babies (assuming our synth friends can be babies uwu) and oooh!! Puppy dogmeat with sole UwU💞

(This was so much fun, enjoy!)

Cait:

She’s not entirely the worst child to watch but...you better keep a close eye on her. She’s real good at getting into trouble when you least expect it and has some anger issues from hell itself..so please, don’t upset this poor child.

Curie:

She’s a really good kid! She’ll talk to you all day about the plants and how they get their food from the sun and all that jazz. Also is super enthusiastic about playing hospital and expects you to play the part of a patient perfectly.

Danse:

Honestly? He’s kind of annoying. Like come on little dude, your parents aren’t home..it’s alright to stay up a minute later than bedtime. For fuck’s sake, eat some candy and lighten up a little.

Deacon:

He tries to act so cool around you, but let’s just face it..he’s kind of creepy. Sure, he’s charming when go goes on and on about his super cool spy stuff but the first time you catch him lurking the corners of the house after bedtime- that’s it.

Dogmeat:

Who doesn’t love a puppy? Okay, he might be really bad about digging holes and tearing clothes up but in your eyes he could do absolutely no harm.

Hancock:

Watch. Him. Like. A. Hawk.

Gage:

Depending on how old he is, he’d be the kind to try to awkwardly flirt with his babysitter- following it up by demanding a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Also it would be wise to take account of all your personal belongings before and after you babysit him.

Macready:

He’s a little fucker. I know that isn’t right to say about some kid but come on. He has the mouth that would make a sailor blush and the second you screw up, guess who’s getting shot with a BB gun in the ass cheek? It certainly isn’t him.

Maxson:

He really tries hard to impress you, thinking that he needs to do it in order for you to like him. As such, he’ll write these cute little stories and draw you pictures....and make you read a million bed time stories.

Nick:

Really good kid....but he has a tendency to watch scary movies if you leave him unsupervised with the television for too long.

Old Longfellow:

Bad child. Very bad child. Little shit has on multiple occasions, stripped himself of all clothes and proceeded to try to jump in the pool.

Piper:

Gets into some serious trouble because of her curiosity. She likes snooping, so make sure that your phone has a password needed to get in. Also she’s a master bullshitter.

Preston:

Best little baby ever. He’s super respectful and listens to each and every one of your orders like a good boy. Just please, let him watch Lone Ranger and play cowboys for a little while? Please? Pretty please?

Sturges:

Master of sweet talking you, so be sure to keep him under a watchful eye as well. He usually isn’t up to anything too bad but one incident with the computer was enough to scare you silly.

X6-88:

Hope you don’t piss him off. He has once woke you up with a complete cold, dead stare to inform you that he threw up- just to go right back to bed and leave you confused and terrified.

98 notes · View notes

amazinglyegg · 3 years

Note

I don't know if you're into it or know anything about it, but I'd love to know the Fallout 4 companions reactions to Hamilton (the musical)

This was surprisingly difficult because I’ve only listened to, like, seven songs out of the entire musical, but to be fair I have the entirety of Aaron Burr, Sir memorized. Here it is (a bit delayed)!

Fallout 4 companions (+ faction leaders) react: Hamilton Musical

Cait: I can’t imagine Cait listening to it in her free time, but she’d listen if it were on. It’s a nice change to the songs on the radio. As for Hamilton itself, she’d probably feel extremely awkward about the first song, given her not so good past, and she wouldn’t want to listen to it in front of others, but she’s silently rooting for Alex the entire time

Codsworth: He likes whatever the sole survivor likes, if Sole puts the song on he’d listen to it happily, perhaps commenting on some of the more vulgar lines (”Lock up your daughters AND horses? Oh dear...”). Finds the alteration of history... interesting... and hopes that people don’t actually start to believe the 1700s were a big musical, but he generally likes it

Curie: I don’t think she’d like the music or the historical inaccuracies, but she’s so fascinated by everything she would still politely listen to it, and ask questions about every part, which parts are accurate and why the writer decided to do things the way they did... She’d be talking over most of the lines.

Danse: Oh man he’s so into pre-war things and history. Quickly learns to listen to it with headphones on while he’s on the Pryden, probably talks about showing it to someone like Maxson until he really listens to some of the lyrics. Let’s be honest, he probably thinks it’s accurate to a T for a while, to the point where he genuinely questions if history was one big musical

Deacon: Sings it constantly. Annoys everyone in HQ. Poor Carrington. He’s secretly into pre-war stuff, maybe not history as big as some other people, but he’s also into the music and culture, so he’s down for Hamilton. Listens to the entire thing and then finds someone who’s listening for the first time and acts as if he was actually there, mentions things that happens several songs up and goes like, “Can’t believe they forgot to mention that Hamilton eloped with Laurens, damn...” to throw them off

Hancock: Likes it, it’s pretty good. He’s more of a jazz person and really likes Magnolias music more than anything, but he’ll listen to it. Doesn’t care too much for the second act and all the sad shit. I... actually can’t find anything about John Hancock in the musical. Did they really just skip him!? Poor Hancock :(

Maccready: He’d listen to it, it’s a nice change from the radio. Probably cries when Phillip dies. Totally cries when Phillip dies. Probably stops listening for a while. Reminds him too much of his own son, and how either of them could die at any moment. I don’t think Maccready’s too into history in general, but I feel like he’d probably just enjoy the music itself

Nick: Nick doesn’t seem like the type of guy to be into hip-hop/rap/etc, and he probably doesn’t appreciate the inaccuracies that much. That being said, he’d still give it a listen to appreciate some of the pre-war musical art, and because it does actually tell the story of Hamilton quite well. He’s also happy people will understand history better, especially after having to deal with Moe (The baseball guy in Diamond City) for so long

Piper: Write a paper on it? obviously. She finds the idea of telling such an intricate story fascinating, and how they use repeated lines and tunes to tie parts together and make it emotional. Type of person to start hyperventilating when she hears someone counting (One, two, three, for, five, six, seven, eight, nine...)

Preston: Oh man this boy is so into history! He’d listen to it and ask Sole so many questions as if they were actually there, and generally be super into it. I feel like you may have to explain how the founding fathers were slave owners before he starts getting too into it, just so he doesn’t start glorifying them too much.

X6-88: He finds it strange and a “waste of time”, just like he finds basically anything that isn’t about the institute. Secretly, though, he finds it fascinating. Not to the point of Preston or Danse, but he would listen to it and get mildly annoyed when others didn’t catch onto the deeper meanings and connections behind the lyrics

Maxson: Okay, hear me out. He’s twenty. He likes pretending he’s all cool and mature, but he’ll secretly love it. Agrees with Danse that this probably shouldn’t be used as a way to tell the past, but unlike Danse he finds the vulgar humor funny. As Elder he’ll be all like “The squires shouldn’t listen to this it’s inappropriate” “You have more important things to be doing, soldier”, blah blah, but when he’s by himself he’ll listen to it every night.

Father: It’s... interesting. He wants to learn more about the pre-war life he was born in but only listens for a few songs before deciding he’s too old for this shit. Unlike Maxson he lets the scientists listen to it to learn more about pre-war music and history. That being said, I think X6 says something about scientists finding television a waste of time (?), so it’s probably not listened to too much outside of a professional reading.

Desdemona: She never really has the time to listen to the entire thing; It’s not the type of music you can listen to while working since it tells a story, and I have literally never seen that girl sleep, or do anything other than stand at the table and chain-smoke. Despite only hearing a few songs, she has several memorized because of Deacon and his need to quote it constantly. Poor Des :(

75 notes · View notes

hyucksong · 5 years

Text

anthropology.| jung jaehyun

summary: jazz music leads you to an unfamiliar room with a familiar face -- but a few things get in the way.

warnings: nothing really, cursing maybe, possible inaccurate portrayal of many college majors -- but cut me some slack, man :/

word count: 3.8 k

The jazz flowed in notes all around you as you swung to the beat. The college parties of the mid-seventies weren’t blasting rock music, well, at least not the ones you went to. The music playing consisted of Grover Washington Jr., Joe Henderson, and Herbie Hancock; you liked The Rolling Stones, sure, but you’d prefer to smoke a cigarette surrounded by smooth notes rather than intense guitar solos.

In the midst of your dancing, a wave of drunken college students clad in Letterman's busted in and requested rock instead, much to your dismay. You sighed and the person running the giant speakers huffed and nodded, beginning to turn on The Rolling Stones, ironically. You burned out your cig before continuing on.

You exchanged a few words and laughs with some friends before searching for an unoccupied room to smoke in. You passed doors that were had moans coming from behind them, and even a few that had some concerning sobs, but you ignored them and pushed forward deeper into the Fraternity house. The loud music grew quieter and quieter before completely being emitted from the environment.

The Sooman Fraternity, or The S(e)oul Music House as it was commonly called by outsiders, consisted of twenty-one cute boys that, every week, would host a party based on a certain genre of music. This week had been Jazz, but the arrival of the drunken students ended the night early. You thought that finding an unoccupied room that had a stereo would be sufficient, you could listen alone.

Finally, after passing the darkly painted hallways walls, you passed by a familiar face who was resting on the wall a few feet away from you, drinking from a clear glass. “Hello there, Johnny.” His eyes snapped towards you, his generic flirty smirk adorning his features, “Hello there, Beautiful.” He purred, draining the rest of his glass before setting it back down on the table.

He was clad in a beige button down long-sleeved shirt, the collar neatly folded over a darker brown sweater vest. His shirts were tucked into pants that were a dark-roast coffee color, that tapered down his long legs into a narrow cuff. A belt kept the slacks in place, a lighter brown. His feet were covered by long black socks that disappeared into his pants, and his shoes’ edges were polished coffee-colored leather with a lighter tan cloth in the middle. A monochromatic theme, you thought. His hair was messy compared to his clothes, and he grinned down at you, looking at you like you were his prey. You mentally noted that all the members in the fraternity were filthy rich, and that you probably looked like a bug to him.

Although he looked good and the attention was enjoyable, you wrote him off. “I’m not here to flirt Johnny,” He smile deflated and he immediately leaned back on the wall, which made you laugh, “I’m just looking for a room with a radio in it. Where’s the nearest one?”

Johnny looked up in thought for a moment, before jerking his head over to his right. “At the end of the hall. It’s the last room. I don’t know if there’s anyone in there though --”

“Okay, thanks!” You yelled, speeding down the dimly lit hallway before he could finish his sentence. He just chuckled and watched at your figure ran off down the hallway. He didn’t know if he was in his room. He didn’t like anyone going into his room, but Johnny didn’t have the heart to tell you. Shrugging his shoulders, Johnny grabbed his glass and made his way to the front of the house to get another drink. He was too sober to be having any fun.

You finally made your way to the last room, and to your surprise, there was soft music coming from within. You smiled as you recognized Grover Washing Jr.’s Mister Magic, and opened the door quickly, wanting to see who had the same taste in music as you.

You halted suddenly, however, as the familiar face of an extremely studious student came into view. Jung Jaehyun, a pretty boy with Daddy’s money from your Anthropology class was sitting at his desk, Anthropology and The Colonial Encounter sitting open in front of him. An annoyed groan escaped the boys mouth, as he quickly looked up and glared at whoever was at the door, ready to scold them.

His eyes widened, surprised. “Oh. It’s you.” Was all he said, he paid no mind and turned back to his book after making a movement for you to shut the door behind you. You scrambled to do so, before hearing it click shut. Afterwards, you stood dumbly in his room, not sure of what to do.

He looked back, curious towards your actions. “What’re you doing? Sit somewhere, I guess.” Again, you nodded dumbly, sitting on the edge of his bed. You noticed his baby blue silk pajamas and how they stood out against his pale white skin. The white stripes decorated on them directed your eyes up and down his hunched over figure, that was already continuing to highlight the book.

Without much thinking, you said, “You’re just now starting on that?” His gaze flickered to you as you internally berated yourself for saying something out loud in the silent atmosphere. He rose his brow and laughed, “Have you already done this? It’s due in two weeks.” He rolled his eyes before turning towards you to focus all his attention on you. “You’re that girl from class, right? The one who’s always being a teacher’s pet?” You couldn’t help the scowl from spreading on your face.

“Getting work done early doesn’t make you a teacher’s pet. Aren’t you that boy from class? The one with Mommy and Daddy’s money?” You mocked, your arms crossing over your chest defensively. Jaehyun playfully put his hands up in surrender, and you cursed yourself for focusing on how long and slender his fingers were. “You’re a witty one, aren’t you? I guess that makes sense for a Debate Captain, huh.” You hummed, before adding, “A debate captain that won against Harvard’s renowned debate team, yeah.” Jaehyun scoffed, resting his head on his hand while facing you. “Yeah, whatever.”

After a few seconds of silence and of his eye trailing you, he continued, “So what do you want, anyway?” You pinched yourself for forgetting your reason for stepping out of the party in the first place.

“To listen to some jazz. Some annoying college kids came in and interrupted jazz night. So here I am.” Jaehyun hummed in response and eyed you for a few seconds again before turning up the jazz station’s volume, Lover Man by Grover Washing Jr. coming out of the radio’s speakers. You smiled and leaned back on your arms in amusement, closing your eyes to enjoy the sound. Jaehyun found himself staring again. He almost laughed at the way he ogled over you, not only here but in class as well. He was doubtful you noticed, sense he sat diagonally behind you, but every Anthro class he would sit in the same spot to watch you as you took notes.

He marveled the way your eyes shone and how you always answered the professor’s boring questions with passion, an action that some students would groan at. He marveled at the way your notes were written messily with excitement, and at the happiness on your face when you got a perfect score on your essays. He loved it all.

Sure, he was popular and girls were always inviting him over to eat with their parents, but he could only see you as you scurried off to class with your skirt flowing in the wind. He admired how openly you loved your major; if he was to break out and talk about Linguistic Anthropology in front of his friends at the weekly fraternity lunch on Sunday’s, Donghyuck would never let him live it down.

“I didn’t know you liked jazz.” He muttered before getting up from his seat to sit down next to you on the satin sheets of his bed. You eyes bugged out, and you flinched away from him. He quirked his brow at you before scooting closer despite the distance you put between you both. His long pinkie touched yours, and you shivered as you felt the cold of his gold fraternity ring.

“I, uh...I’ve always liked jazz. It’s...soothing.” He nodded, but his mind seemed somewhere else. Your eyes toured the room, wanting to leave the awkward atmosphere. Suddenly, he opened his mouth to speak, his eyes squinting in front of him. His gaze seemed to go through the wall, to a whole other dimension.

“How...How do you do it?” He muttered, you scrunched your face and looked up at him, not surprised when his eyes were still trained elsewhere. “How do you love things so openly?” You shook your head, confused. Since when did the local heartthrob think so deeply? This made you realize that Jung Jaehyun was more than a Mommy’s boy, perhaps he had cogs turning behind that thick skull of his.

“Uh? I don’t know. I guess I’m not afraid of how other people see me. I mean, what’s the point? Either you’re honest with yourself and content with who you are, or you lie to yourself and live a life filled with thoughts of what could’ve been. I don’t think its a very hard choice.” You answered anyway, enjoying the inquisitive aura he had radiating off of him. “Why?” You started, “Are you not able to be yourself, or something?” You said the question because it was the first thing to come to mind, but you frowned as you saw his features twist into sadness.

“Yeah. But I guess it’s more like,” He paused, moving his focus to you, “Like I’m too afraid to talk about what I love. Too afraid that people will make fun of me. Or something like that.” He looked down at his hands, wondering why he was telling all this to his love interest. He tightly shut his eyes and waited for you to make fun of him, for being a guy who supposedly had everything who was too terrified to be himself. He must’ve looked like a child to you.

“Well then, start with me. I don’t mind talking. I won’t hate you, you can be yourself around me, well --” You gestured with your hands towards the door, motioning to the party still raving downstairs. “You can also be honest with your friends, you know. I doubt that they’ll hate you because you like Anthropology or because you like jazz instead of some over-rated rock band. Look Jaehyun,” You softly rested your hand on his, forcing him to flinch up at you. It was his turn to shiver at the cool metal of your silver bracket that laid against the back of his hand.

“I understand that you have this ‘reputation’ to keep up, and that you probably don’t want to look like some nerd,” You gestured to yourself, “Like me, but if someone decides that they don’t want to hang out with you because you’re interested in your major, or because some other idiotic reason, then they aren’t worth your time. You deserve to be surrounded by people who care. Besides, if they stop being friends with you, then they are totally missing out.” You huffed at the end of the sentence, your speech taking a lot out of you.

You wondered if you said too much, but judging from the look on his face, you suspected you had said just the right thing. However, his next question nearly made you shit yourself from being startled.

“Do...do you like me?” You mentally freaked; you didn’t know! You never asked yourself the question, I mean, sure -- he was attractive and got good grades, and he had a wonderful laugh and a smile that lit up the lecture hall...and damn those dimples. But, you had’t even known the guy personally for more than one hour -- so liking him was out of the question. This guy was way more of a space-case than you initially thought -- did he always voice out thoughts that made girls heart flutter? Or was it just for you? You groaned, settling with telling yourself that you couldn’t like a guy like him.

But why did your heart do tumbles and splits when he looked at you with such expectant eyes, when you never took a single damn gymnastics class in your life?

“Uh...I don’t know? I mean, you’re a great guy and everything, Jaehyun, it’s just that, uh...I don’t really know you and...um...” You felt your chest getting tighter and tighter at the close proximity of his luscious plump lips, how his eyes were shining, waiting for an answer. And in a split second decision, you decided that it was all too bad for your health, and you stood up abruptly, patting down your dress.

“I, have...to go. Yeah, um. I’ve gotta...do that.” You stuttered out, throwing open the door before he could stop you. You ignored the figure in front of the door, and zoomed past him, ready to leave the party in your beige beetle that was parked out front.

Jaehyun only stared at the open door, paying no mind to Donghyuck, who made a face at your leaving silhouette. “They hell you do to her?” He laughed, taking a sip from his glass.

Jaehyun could only stare blankly at his half-highlighted book, confused and pensive.

“I wonder...”

The next two weeks were easy -- you turned in your paper on Anthropology and The Colonial Encounter as well as successfully start a research paper on the start of religion. You tried not to think about Jaehyun or his long eyelashes and piercing gaze, but honestly, you were struggling.

Ignoring Jaehyun when you were only thinking about him was simple; just doubt yourself and your feelings until you convince yourself that you don’t actually like him. But with him deciding to take the seat right next to yours, well, it was hard to ignore the hammering of your heart.

He was wearing a casual suit today, his moleskin notebook and expensive metal pen being held in his slim hands. His hair wasn’t styled, instead it hung freely down his forehead. His eyebrows creased as the teacher began to call out questions. When his eyes finally met yours, you went red with guilt. You were caught staring. That was until, he motioned to the teacher who was standing at the front of the room, ears perked for your answer.

That was when you realized that you weren’t paying attention. “U-Um, can you repeat that question again, sir?” You sputtered, frantically tucking your hair behind your ear. The professor smiled and shook his head, repeating the question. It was times like these when you were glad to be the teacher’s pet. “I asked you to summarize the book I asked you all to read over the last few weeks.” You let out a noise of realization and began to summarize it.

For the rest of the class, you made yourself stare at the professor and ignore the dumb grin resting on Jaehyun’s perfect face.

“All right students, class dismissed. Don’t forget about the seminar on Monday. It’ll contain some very useful information that can be used to the next project.” You didn’t listen to the teacher as you hastily gathered your things into your messenger bag and began to waltz out of the classroom, nearly tripping on the folds of the carpet several times.

“Wait, Y/N --” A baritone voice called out to you. You cringed and slowly turned around, greeted by the panting brown-haired boy that you didn’t want to talk to. “Yes, Jung Jaehyun?” You answered through clenched teeth. He smiled and ran a hand through his messy hair, something you thought had ought to be forbidden.

“Um, well, I was going to ask if you wanted to get lunch with some of my friends.” His hesitant voice went unnoticed by you, you simply quirked a brow.

“Aren’t the weekly lunches on Sundays?”

“W-Well, yeah, but I wanted to eat with them today, and I wanted you to go with.” You puckered your lips for a second, not too sure as to why he’d ask you to eat lunch with his friends. But you let out a shaky breath and nodded your head, agreeing to his proposal. A giant smile graced your presence as he proceeded to give you the details to eat with his friends on the cold Friday.

Walking into the restaurant, you regretted it. The place was decorated with low hanging chandeliers and white-clothed hickory wood table, the scent reminded you of an upscale boutique -- one you could never afford. A sigh escaped your lips as you realized that your poor savings account would be taking a blow for over-rated, but finely plated, caviar.

You smoothed down your dress, a habit you practiced whenever you were nervous, and walked to the table Jaehyun told you they’d be at. You dodged a couple hostesses and an oddly prying manager that kept asking you if you needed any help, to which you’d continuously reply that you were fine.

You didn’t even have time to catch your breath, before a familiar smooth voice rang out. “Hey Y/N!” Johnny called, waving childishly. The patron’s eyes that were now focused on you made you want to rush back home, but seeing the shy grin on Jaehyun’s pretty pink lips made your grin and bear it.

“Hey, Johnny.” You greeted, waving subtly at him. He quickly rushed you to sit down and introduced you to the large party that was already sitting in front of you. The whole fraternity was there, and it made you want to shrink back into yourself.

“Hello, I’m Y/N. I’m an Anthropology major.” You whispered out. An obnoxious laugh made its way to your ears, and you trained your attention onto an unnatural blonde who was shrieking with laughter, ignoring your introduction. You sighed, already feeling a migraine coming on.

“That’s Chenle. He’s a Journalism major, surprisingly. The guy next to him is Jisung, he’s a Dance Major.” Jaehyun whispered in your ear, making you jump.

“O-Oh, thanks.”

“No problem.” He smiled back.

Honestly, the dinner wasn’t really uncomfortable. Sure, the appetizer was coated in silence, but when the actual meal came out, the good food seemed to turn everyone talkative and happy. You found yourself having an intellectual conversation with Renjun, an Art History major, about how art influenced culture and vice versa.

“Isn’t that fascinating? The way we perceived the world --” Donghyuck cut your conversation short with a snarky remark, something you learned that you just had to deal with if you wanted to be his friend. “No one cares about that boring stuff, let’s talk about something -- anything, else.” You automatically shut your mouth, forgetting that you were at a table in an upscale restaurant. He was right, you thought, no one wants to listen to me geek about culture.

“Actually, I find it really interesting.” Everyone’s attention snapped to Jaehyun’s unexpected comment, who was merely folding his napkin back into his lap despite being done with his dish. “If you’ve read any of Fred S. Kleiner’s Gardener’s Art Through the Ages , I think you can learn a lot through inferring.” To say that Donghyuck’s eyes burst out of his head would’ve barely been an exaggeration.

“Oh, but aren’t those Art History books? Then wouldn’t it just be speculating instead of actual interring?” You questioned, tilting your head to the side. Jaehyun lightly laughed, “I just recommend you read them. They are...fascinating, nonetheless.” His eyes glinted with an unfamiliar playfulness. You blushed, tucking your hair behind your ear.

The moment was interrupted by the young-ens making gagging noises and getting up to leave. You gasped and hurried to get out your wallet, but Jaehyun gently grabbed your wrist, stopping you. You opened your mouth to protest, but he had already gotten out his card. With a polite smile, he moved in front of you to take your hand and help you out of the table. You looked away bashfully, but accepted his hand nonetheless.

The train of attractive boys filed out the restaurant, all going their separate ways, either to go to a bar, to go home, or somewhere else. The only people left in front of the store were you and Jaehyun, much to your dismay.

“Uh, thank you for paying.” He shook his head, “No problem. I didn’t mind, it was a date after all.” He said nonchalantly, as if he expected that you knew.

“Wh -- what? That was a date? There were twenty other people!” You yelled, amused. You couldn’t help it, who goes on a date with their whole fraternity?

“Well -- I didn’t know how else to invite you out since you were obviously avoiding me...” He mumbled, making you feel a twinge of regret for your actions, “But I didn’t think you didn’t think it was a date, I thought you knew, that was until you started to talk so naturally with Renjun.” He pouted, looking away. “I was...a little jealous.” You couldn’t help but laugh. The rich boy didn’t look right with a little kid pout, but instead of it being annoying, you found it endearing.

“So, this was out first date?” You mused, in a much better mood now. “Y-Yes.” Jaehyun replied, his ears blushing along with his face.

“Hmm...I don’t know.” Jaehyun interally screamed at not telling you it was a date, how could he be so dumb? Of course going out with a small army of hormonal boys didn’t seem like a date -- it wasn’t!

“But, I’d like to go on another one --” You finished, before rushing your last part, “Without all the boys of course.” You laughed at Jaehyun’s shocked face. “I- I thought you didn’t like me.” He muttered.

“W-Well, I do. It’s just that I didn’t know what to say when an abnormally handsome boy outright asks me if I like him or not within the first hour of formally meeting him, so.” You shrugged, scratching the nape of your neck. Jaehyun wanted to say that he had liked you long before that night, but he saw you shiver from the sudden onset coldness of night and decided that that was a conversation for another time. He instead wrapped his hand around yours before stuffing it in his pocket. You looked down at your now warm hand and chuckled.

“What?” He whined, embarrassed. You meekly shook your head, not saying anything. In that moment, when you looked up at his blushing profile, you found yourself wanting to tell Jaehyun how hard he made your heart pound, or how feeling the cool metal of his jewelry against your hand sent shivers down your spine. You wanted to say so much to him, find out so much about him; but you shut your mouth for the night, telling yourself to tell him about all the emotions he caused you later.

“Nothing.” You managed, a warm feeling growing deep in the depths of your soul. “Nothing at all.” And all it took was a sweet grin from Jaehyun to reassure you that yes -- you’d have plenty of time later to tell him.

161 notes · View notes