After the last update of Procreate, all my brushes disappeared and the pressure sensitivity became so terrible that I couldn't draw a line. This was the last drawing I made on my iPad before it broke D:
Dan Heng X Reader High School (or College) AU where they're both top students and they have some kind of healthy rivalry (like sharing notes, encouraging each other etc) and it slowly develops into crushing on each other
Both are kinda in denial until one day Dan Heng just gives in and decides to confess (not before being teased by friends)
If you'd do that pretty pls AND THANK YOU ^^
Thank you for the request, anon! ❤️
C is for Confession (Dan Heng x Reader)
(Highschool AU) No TW! you two are both clueless yearners in this one.
In a certain classroom..
The bell rings obnoxiously- BRRING! BRRING!- proudly announcing to everyone in room that class is now over. You stretch, feeling stiff from staying hunched over taking notes all period. Sitting right next to you, was both your friend and (friendly) competitor, Dan Heng.
You regarded him with a tilt of your head. “Ho- someone’s slacking off today! Barely one page worth of notes?” You grin, staring down at his notebook which was far more organized than yours by a mile.
He shook his head, getting up and gathering his things. “Quality over quantity, [Name]. Your notes are wordy. Mine are simple.”
“Whoa- hey. Whats that supposed to mean..?”
Before you could actually muster up a creative retort, Dan Heng was already walking towards the doorway, waving you goodbye. The two of you were often like that- playing a game of push and pull. You’d never admit it out loud to anyone, but he’s a nice kid. Not that you two were close- Dan Heng has his own small circle of friends consisting of a gray haired, golden-eyed Trailblazer and a cheery girl with pink hair nicknamed March. You? You were much more outgoing than him, thus you had a lot more people to pick and choose to be buddies with. You were pretty sure a whole lot of them simply coveted your grades and not your actual person, but you didn’t care much for it (or tried not to take it personally) as long as you wouldn’t be caught sitting alone during lunch.
Case in point, you feel as if you and Dan Heng were in a limbo of sorts relationship-wise. Not exactly mere acquaintances, no, but also not close as a friend would be. You’d LIKE to know him better though.. you’ve seen how gentle he’s like with his friends, and you weren’t quite sure when you started envying them. It made you feel like a creep every time you thought about it excessively, so you had kept the whole thing to yourself.
As you now traverse the halls to your locker that felt miles away, your gaze landed on the bulletin board which had a million papers on it advertising things you could care less for. One did catch your eye, however- Prom Night was actively approaching, and you’ve yet to find a partner to go with. You sigh, debating if it was even worth attending.
“Focus on it later..” You mumble to yourself, suddenly feeling a little lonely without any true company despite the crowded halls.
———
Dan Heng quietly approached two figures by one of the school’s many windows. The pink haired girl was pointing at something outside.
“March?” Dan Heng tilted his head, peering over her shoulder.
Wide-eyed, she whips her head around at startling speed. “UAHH! Dan Heng!! Dont scare a girl like that-!” March huffs, placing her hands on her hips.
“Dan Heng? Bruh, what took you so long?” Trailblazer raised a brow, directing their focus away from the window.
“..Sorry. I had to drop something off at my locker.” He shuffles into the room the pair made for him at the window. “Something happen?”
“Me and Trailblazer were just talking about Prom Night!” March declares happily.
Prom Night was one of the school events March wouldnt miss for the world- she liked it, and when Dan Heng asked what was so great about it, she had told him it was a time she could show off all her dazzling dresses.
“So..” Trailblazer rubbed their hands together mischievously. Dan Heng shot them a warning glare. “Did anyone manage to bag the great and elusive Dan Heng? Cmon, tell us who you’re going with.”
“Me?” Dan Heng asks, startled. Now that he was reminded about it- he hadn’t really thought this one through. “I think I’ll sit this one out.” He concludes.
“Aww whattt..?” March slumps, frowning. “But I thought you said you’d consider going! Like- really, really consider- are you super-duper sure you dont wanna come? Me and Trailblazer will both be there you know!”
March immediately follows her question with big puppy eyes. Trailblazer snorts, joining in. There had never been a time where Dan Heng wasnt weak to the two of them- even with all of the time the three spent around one another. You’d think by now he’d grown at least a bit of immunity to such a silly thing, but clearly he hasnt.
He sighs. “Alright, alright. I’ll.. figure something out.”
“Want us to set you up with someone?” March offers kindly. “Its the least we could do if we’re dragging you along with us-”
“Ah, no- theres no need-”
“Ooh, I betcha we could ask that [Name] fellow to go with you.” Trailblazer interrupts, their face says they’ve obtained a rare eureka moment. “Remember the time you took notes for them when they were absent? Time to cash in on the favor, heh heh heh..”
“Stop sounding so creepy about it!” March slaps Trailblazer’s shoulder. “Butttt they do have a point- [Name] is pretty nice- they work real hard. Dont you two hang out?”
“You know them?” Dan Heng raised a brow. “I thought you didnt have any classes with them.”
“That was first semester silly! We share the same Argument and Debate class- the one Cyrene begged me to take with her.” March chides.
“I.. dont think thats a good idea, March- to set us up, I mean.” Dan Heng shook his head, frowning. Its not that he doesn’t want to go with you- he just hardly interacts with you outside of classes, and now he wasnt sure how to act around you.
In the end, you two were really just good classmates. Nothing close. At least thats what Dan Heng tells himself.
“Uhh- what do you mean? You talk about [Name] ALL the TIME. Like. Every day.” Trailblazer leans back against the wall. “I thought you two were besties or something.”
“No, I dont talk about them all the time.”
“Err, I think you do.”
“Trailblazer.”
“Guys! The next class is starting in one minute!” March points to the clock before swiftly taking off. “Wahh- Im gonna be late for real this time!! Talk to you two later!”
March’s mad dash down the hall made the other two straighten up. It was time to report to the next class.
“We’re so settling the score at lunch Dan Heng. Im gonna make sure you bag someone this year- be warned!”
“Get to class already.”
———
You check the time on your phone. Its almost time to go home. Physics as your last class was painful- you’ve had enough of math throughout the day, but the finish line was right there. You were pretty sure you’ve been tuning out your teacher for who knows how long already, which will surely come back and bite you later on. For now, this was a problem for future you.
Your cousin, who was seated beside you jabs your elbow as the teacher finishes the lesson, reminding everyone of the test next Friday.
You turn to her. “Ow- what??”
“Say.. people say you’re one of the top students of this class, right?”
“Let me guess, you want me to do your homework-” You rub the back of your neck- physics wasnt your strongest suit. “Well, too bad. I cant. I have enough on my plate today.”
“Hey. I didnt even say anything yet! Quit being a stingy bum already. Im not gonna ask you to slave away for free.” Your cousin huffs with offense, rolling her eyes.
“You only glaze me when you need something.”
“Im not that evil [Name]. Im just confused.” She dangles her paper. “Ugh. Seriously- this stuff is dumb. I should’ve taken dumb people physics.”
“So you want tutoring.” You finish for her flatly. “Go on.. say it..”
“What? No way.” Your cousin makes a face. “Just give me the answers for this thing when you’re done.”
“OR you could actually learn how to do it so you wont have to beg me every single time.”
“Alright, alright. Have it your way, little nerd- I just want this thing done.”
You chose to not comment on the nerd part and steal a glance at the clock. “We have two minutes before we leave- we could walk and talk in the hall if you want.”
“Sure.” She shrugs. “Fine by me.”
You help your cousin at your locker, doing a few of her practice problems with her. She thanks you with a overly enthusiastic hug and a shit eating grin, making you swat her arm.
“I.. cant breathe..-”
“Yeah, thats the point. I’ll see you tomorrow! I still have work today soo..”
“He he, still got work today? Loser.”
“Oh, shush it.”
You watch as she waltz away, she had always been more carefree than you.
“All sunshines and rainbows- I wish I had that kind of energy.” You shook your head, feeling the infectious power of your cousin’s enthusiasm.
You were just about to put your comically thick binder away before you felt eyes on you. Frowning, you turned and looked around the now mostly empty hall- nothing. Nobody was staring at you dead in the eyes from some obscure corner like you expected.
Your previous smile promptly leaves your face.
“Strange..”
———
“So- did you ask them?” March probes, tilting her head while attempting to put cucumber slices on Trailblazer’s eyes. “Stop eating them! These are for your eyes!” March huffs, slapping Trailblazer’s hand away as they reached for another slice.
There was silence.
“Dan Heng?”
Dan Heng looks up at the mention of his name. “They have a date already.”
“What?” Trailblazer props themself up from where they lay. “When?? I thought they were single-”
“For sure, me too!” March nods along.
“They were with someone else in the hall after classes were over.” Dan Heng explains. “The two hugged- they looked..” He debated on the word to use- friendly? Well-acquainted? “Close.” Closer than he was with you, anyway.
“Oh.. poor Dan Heng..” She furrows her brows in worry.
“It doesn’t have to be them, you know that right?” Although it was common sense, Dan Heng felt as if it was a little too hard to admit.
Because we’re barely friends, just friendly classmates, He wanted to say, but he held his tongue. He knew couldn’t compete with that bubbly girl he saw with you in the hall- compared to her, he was surely boring. Too quiet, too dull. Perhaps you enjoyed the company of someone livelier.
The last thing he wanted was for you to not enjoy your time with him outside of class- and here was the dilemma; would you even want to hang out with him if you two aren’t actually doing anything school-work related?
March did say he should be a bit more outgoing, and at the time he didnt think much of it. Now how he wish he’d heeded her advice long ago and made himself a bit more reputable. He didnt think much of a lot of things, actually- including making his move while he could, only understanding the gravity of his situation until it was too late and you were off with someone else.
Dan Heng’s swirling thoughts were interrupted by Trailblazer’s rebellious spirit. “Not possible. They cant be taken. Im going to see for myself tomorrow.”
“What-? No, dont-” Dan Heng began, but he knew it was useless. He turns to March, hoping she could at least say something about how this was essentially kind of invading someone’s privacy.
Instead, March grins. “Yeah!” She sounded even more determined than Trailblazer. “I bet we still have a chance- I’ll help too! In fact- Im kind of totally formulating a plan as we speak!!”
“Yeah, yeah. What March said, but I still wanna enjoy this sleepover.” Trailblazer flops back down onto the carpeted floor yawning, perhaps attempting to graciously change the mood dampening subject. “So. Anyone wanna hear about what happened in the school library today?”
Dan Heng mentally thanked his gray-haired friend, pouncing on the opportunity. “Please dont tell me you got in a fight with Skott again.”
“Whoa whoa whoa. How did you-”
———
Your cousin texted you a while back, and you’ve yet to respond. Well, she had offered to set you up with someone for Prom since you agreed to drive her there as thanks.
She asked you if there was anyone you wanted to go with in particular, but answering that felt way too embarrassing- you should be in good hands though theoretically, your cousin was the cupid of the school- setting up her best friend with someone they liked, and resolved a breakup between two sophomores (both ended up getting together again). It wasnt that you didnt trust her- no, not at all- its just that you’ve barely had any prior dating experience and you knew you couldn’t lean on her forever over this kind of stuff.
You take a deep breath to calm yourself, your finger hovering over the send button. You’ve re-typed your message over three times now, and you were reminded why you didnt bother dating people in the first place; it was such a hassle. Maybe you were just too much of a coward, but you couldnt solve emotions like you could a problem on a worksheet. No amount of studying could prepare you for it. There was no true ‘right answer’. You were book smart, yeah, and way too emotionally underdeveloped for all of this.
After much overthinking thought, you settled for a simple message;
YOU: Do you know Dan Heng?
Your phone positively blows up with unread texts from your cousin, startling your poor soul.
“Geez-!”
idiot #1 [Cousin]: OOOOO HIM!!! I KNOW HIM!!
idiot #1 [Cousin]: so HE’S that mystery guy u have like a bajillion classes with righttt
idiot #1 [Cousin]: So u rlly wanna go with him?? Hes the one???
idiot #1 [Cousin]: omg i finally know who you have a crush on LMAOO 💀
idiot #1 [Cousin]: actually wait i lowkey kinda saw it coming
YOU: please stop
idiot #1 [Cousin]: u want help or not 😐
YOU: Yes ma’am.
You close your messages the moment your cousin starts spamming you creative pick up lines and questions on Dan Heng’s tastes.
“What did I just get myself into..” You throw a pillow over your head, it’s softness engulfing you. One final text message lingers in your head as you close your eyes;
idiot #1 [Cousin]: you gotta confess tomorrow girl. Prom is like rightttt around the corner 😭😭
———
The moment the bell of dismissal rang for the last class of the day, Dan Heng is running to his locker. March and Trailblazer follows him, bickering.
Now it was a good time to bring up the fact that March had mentioned she had a plan that one night. A really, really bad one; “Become a homewrecker, Dan Heng!!”
“What the hell, March.”
It was insane. But the two really did it this time- not only did March tell Dan Heng she already asked you to meet up with him at your locker after school, but Trailblazer even brought in flowers and stuffed it in Dan Heng’s locker. It was clear saying no to the plan wasnt an option. This was more than peer pressure- the two goobers behind Dan Heng had already set the plan in motion behind his back.
“Come on! Dont keep them waiting! Remember the lines you’re supposed to say?” March asks in between breaths.
“I bet he forgot,” Trailblazer makes a face. “I mean, look at him.”
As if Dan Heng could remember right now.
Soon as the flowers were acquired, it was straight to your locker (March had gracefully leaked your locker’s location).
“Cmon, lets take our position behind the wall-” March yanks Trailblazer back to the agreed eavesdropping spot.
Trailblazer gives Dan Heng a double thumbs up of encouragement. “You’ve totally got this in the bag, Dan Heng! Dan Heng can do anything!”
Dan Heng looks back only once before walking towards you, nerves at an all time high. He nearly falters when he sees you with another girl- the same girl that hugged you in the hall that one day. Was he too late? If you truly wanted to go to prom with someone else, he wouldn’t intervene no matter how much he wanted to ask you to go with-
“Dan Heng? Oh- hey- uh. March said you wanted to see me.” You gave him a small, almost shy wave.
Well. Too late to abandon the plan now. Dan Heng could feel his grip tighten on the flowers behind his back as he steps forward.
“I-..” He began, paused, and swallows. “I know you’re seeing someone right now, but please- please hear me out-” Was his face red? Probably. Was it from embarrassment or the shame to try and snatch you right from your prom date? Both maybe. I must sound so desperate right now, he thinks.
“Huh- what? Seeing someone?” You look over to the girl beside you with confusion. “Her??? Oh hell no-”
“Hey!” She crossed her arms. “Plenty of people want to date me.” She huffs, offended before waving at Dan Heng. “Hello! Im this ugly person over here’s cousin.” She elbows you. “And no, we arent seeing one another. Thats just weird.”
“Wait- she’s your COUSIN?” Dan Heng suddenly felt dumb and at a loss for words. No wonder you two were so close- it wasnt because the two of you were dating, but rather it was because of your family relations.
“So yeah. We arent dating.” Your cousin states once more as she shoves you towards Dan Heng. “Go on. Seems like you didnt need my help after all, he he!” She whispers to you, proud of the outcome before her.
Your cousin frowns when you and Dan Heng just stare at each other blankly, both unsure of what to say at the moment, completely overwhelmed by all thats occurring.
“..Oh boy.” Your cousin makes a point to facepalm dramatically. “You two are idiot for idiot huh? Okay, okay I’ll leave- you two need your personal space I get it-”
Dan Heng snaps out of his stupor as your cousin walks away, remembering the flowers behind his back. “Oh, uh..” He presents the humble bouquet to you with unsteady hands. “Ah, um- will you accompany me to this Prom Night?”
You turn away and he visibly deflates even though he tries to hide it, only to be all wide eyed when you pulled the heart-shaped box of chocolate from your locker and presented it to him.
“Ha ha.. looks like you, um, beat me to it.” You tried to keep your cool, but your heart was pounding. You looked more tomato than human right now, but that was to be expected. “If you’ll have me for prom..”
Dan Heng’s gaze softens. You take the chance, summoning your bravery and finally fall into his embrace- he was warm, just like you had imagined. He hugs back. At that moment, a silent understanding permeated the hall you two were standing in.
Meanwhile, behind a certain wall, March and Trailblazer were silently jumping for joy. Finally- they were sure Dan Heng wouldn’t graduate single. Mission? Accomplished.
And here was the thing- you couldnt solve emotions like you could a problem on a worksheet. No amount of studying could prepare you for it. There was no true ‘right answer’. But starting from today, perhaps you wont have to navigate the dangerous thing called ‘love’ alone anymore. And maybe, just maybe- you’ll find your own answer on the meaning of such a complex emotion- a problem unable to be solved on paper.
this one feels so fucking chopped holy- ts lowkey underwhelming asf and theres like no buildup whatsoever but i didnt wanna make the requester wait any longer im sorryyy 🥲
