Tjyrus prompt: TJ runs off from Buffy when having a tutoring session and runs into Cyrus at the park again. He then confides in him, leading to TJ telling Cyrus about his dyslexia. Cyrus then comforts him and starts to tutor him instead of Buffy doing it, and it works and it's really cute and gay.
She thinks she’s so smart, TJ mentally snarls to himself, quickening his pace. Well, she is smart. He makes a sharp left, the autumn leaves underfoot crunching in agitation. It’s me. He turns right, walks, turns left, walks. I’m the stupid one. He turns left, walks, turns right–
Turns right into a park bench, and stumbles before reaching down to soothe the pain spiking in his stomach from where it had hit the metal armrest.
After blinking through the pain, TJ grimaces for a whole new reason: chocolate-chocolate-chip muffin is sitting on the park bench that TJ had just run into, like an idiot.
“Yep,” the boy nods, then shoots the taller one a smile. “TJ.”
It isn’t a question. TJ’s stomach is suddenly less sore and more bubbly. That is, until Cyrus asks, “Aren’t you supposed to be in a tutoring session?”
TJ almost kicks the bench in frustration. “Does everyone know?”
“Know what?” asks Cyrus with a frown, scooting over in an offering to TJ. “That you’re being tutored? Buffy’s my best friend, so I know her schedule.”
“She thinks I’m stupid,” is all he says in reply, hunkering down on the bench, and keeping a reasonable distance between himself and Cyrus as he does so.
“She thinks you’re mean,” Cyrus reasons, then pokes the boy’s shoulder. “Which you can be. But she doesn’t think you’re stupid.”
“I don’t think you’re stupid.”
But TJ stops himself, because even if he is stupid, he’s sure not that stupid. Not stupid enough to ruin his…friendship…with the only person that keeps him calm and content. Cyrus, sensing his hesitation, simply places a hand on the other boy’s shoulder, and says, “So, tell me.”
That’s all that it takes for that warm feeling to come flooding back into TJ’s stomach, and he’s kind of starting to like it. So, he tells him.
“Lots of people have dyslexia!” is Cyrus’ immediate response.
“Yeah, lots of people have reading dyslexia.”
“TJ, lots of people have trouble with math, okay? But that’s why they get assigned tutors!”
“She doesn’t,” Cyrus says firmly, brown eyes piercing into blue. “But I’m pretty good at math, so I’ll see if your teacher is cool with me tutoring you, instead. How about that?”
TJ breaks into a smile, an actual smile, so Cyrus counts it as a win.
Two weeks pass, and TJ’s smile does not fade. How could it? His math teacher had given Cyrus permission to be his tutor, and they meet at The Spoon every Wednesday after school, and Cyrus does tater theater equations, and TJ is actually getting math, and–
“So, one tater minus two taters is?”
TJ frowns at the taters, then at Cyrus, then at the taters, again. “Why are you giving me a first-grade equation? We were literally working on exponents last week!”
Cyrus sips his milkshake in a poor attempt to cover up his amusement, but TJ sees the smile anyway. The basketball captain blinks away what are definitely not the beginnings of tears.
“You,” TJ bites his lips when his voice comes out wobbly, but powers through anyway. “You really do think I’m stupid.”
And immediately the smile disappears from Cyrus’ face, as he reaches out, grasping TJ’s hands with his own. “I was asking you a question.”
“No,” huffs Cyrus, squeezing TJ’s hands apologetically. “I was asking if I could eat one of your taters. One minus two? Because I wanted to take one away from you?”
TJ closes his eyes. “Oh my god.”
“Oh my god,” TJ groans, and despite his eyes being closed, he can hear Cyrus’ giggles. “Shut up. Your puns are lame. I hate them.”
TJ opens them and is greeted by a bashfully smiling Cyrus, still holding his hands. TJ feels his cheeks growing warm, and it must be showing, because Cyrus’ cheeks grow pink in response.
“Number one,” says Cyrus, a bit breathlessly. “You love my puns.”
“Number two,” continues Cyrus, leaning closer, brown blending into blue. “You. Are not. Stupid.”
“Okay, I’m not stupid! Now, please, stop yelling!”
They’re both laughing hysterically now, as the occupants of The Spoon titter around them. They’re laughter is only slightly dying down, as Buffy and Andi walk toward them.
“I didn’t even here you two come in!” says Cyrus, letting out the last of his giggles.
“Probably not with all the noise you two were making,” replies Buffy, glancing between them in suspicion.
Andi frowns at the two boys, and hums, “Oh, Cyrus took over the tutoring?”
TJ bristles at that, all feeling of mirth washing away. All he feels now is dumb, because of course someone would have taken over tutoring him. Of couse, he’s too stupid to excel with only one tutor. The atmosphere crackles around him, and Cyrus squeezes his hands in both confusion and concern. He looks toward the boy and is flooded with warm, flooded with “You. Aren’t. Stupid.”
“It’s not a tutoring session,” TJ declares, squeezing Cyrus’ hands back, before grinning up at the frowning girls. “It’s a date.”
Andi’s eyes widen, but Buffy simply deepens her frown and snaps, “You would seriously use a lie like that to defend your fragile honor? Without putting Cyrus’ feelings into account? I told him this was a bad idea!”
Cyrus snatches his hands out fo TJ’s loose grasp, visibly recoiling, and with hurt written all over his face. TJ aches at the thought of hurting the other boy.
“I mean, no, sorry, I lied. This…this isn’t a date, but…”, TJ fumbles out, desperately reaching out and reclaiming Cyrus’ hands, “But can it be?”
“Are you asking me to lie?” Cyrus hisses.
“No,” TJ insists. “No, I’m asking you…”
The basketball captain coughs awkwardly, then flushes. “I’m asking you out.”
“Oh.” And now Cyrus is flushing.
“Oh no, it really is a date,” Buffy groans.
“A date,” Andi agrees, pulling a reluctant Buffy toward the exit. “That we’re interrupting. Details later, Cyrus. All of them!”
It turns out that dating someone who’s good at math, and becoming frienemies with someone who’s amazing at math, actually helped a lot with, well, math. Cyrus’ latest studying strategy was a flashcard game, in which Buffy was allotted the “checker.” Despite her role, the competitive girl still insisted on solving problems, as well.
“Three plus five? Are you kidding me?” groans Buffy, flinging the flashcard away from herself in disgust. “Why do I keep getting the easy ones? Ugh!”
“Why don’t you solve it while you whine, this time, Buffy?” teases TJ, and Buffy responds with a shove.
“Eight. Obviously.” sighs Buffy, before pulling a card for TJ and immediately smirking at its contents. “Ha! Two over seven x, plus one over seven x, equals negative three over seven. Solve for x! Good luck solving–”
“Done!” cries TJ triumphantly, holding up his worn notebook paper.
“There’s no way you solved it that fast!” Buffy accuses, glaring down at the paper, eyes skimming over the work.
“Right when you started, I recognized the equation needed, and then I just plugged in numbers as you talked.”
“Okay, but you’ve never worked that hard at solving–”
“I have an incentive, now, okay?” snaps TJ, his cheeks going pink as he glares the girl down. “So, is it right, or what?”
“It’s…right?” Buffy decides, still thoroughly confused. “But what–”
TJ eagerly turns to Cyrus like a proud puppy. The other boy lets out a laugh, congratulates TJ (Good job! I’m super proud of you!), then leans forward to sweetly kiss his boyfriend.
“That’s your incentive?!” Buffy screeches. “You know Cyrus won’t be able to just stop taking his test in the middle of class to give you kisses! How are you going to take tests, now, huh? In fact, you’ll probably be too busy thinking about kissing Cyrus to focus! And I don’t want to third-wheel everytime we’re studying!”
But Cyrus is only giggling further, and TJ is sticking his tongue out at her, so Buffy just huffs and lets the game continue. At least, she thinks, her mouth twitching upward ever-so-slightly in a hidden smile, TJ is learning how to do math.
She watches TJ try to sneak another kiss, then pout when Cyrus refuses and hands him another problem to do. Buffy grins. And he’s learning how to love, too.
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