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I'm Yours - Ch. 5 Somewhere Only We Know

Y/N's POV

I went right to bed when Toto sent me a message that he got back safely. My alarm went off at 7:30 in the morning, feeling well-rested and hugging a pillow. My sleeping self wished it was in Toto's embrace, just wanting to lie beside him in his hold - the thought just made me smile. Rubbing my eyes and turning to grab my phone from the nightstand, I saw a notification from Toto. I clicked it, and my smile instantly grew wider.

Good Morning Schazti! I hope you slept well!

He is charming, something I never experienced in my life, someone who doesn't think I'm invisible, sees me, and, I hope, cares. I instantly replied I didn't want to keep him waiting. When I'd text back and forth with other guys, I would purposefully delay my response; it was the dating culture, but Toto was different. I didn't want to keep him waiting. I only think about him and just want to be around him. Finally, thinking of a response.

Good Morning Toto! I did, but I wish it was your embrace while I sleep instead of hugging my pillow.

I hadn't realized I was biting my lip from the response. Yes, it was suggestive, hoping I was in bed with him, and that text made it really clear, but that was all I wanted. To be in his embrace, cuddle into his body that engulfs mine. He is a hands-on person. After all, that was all I noticed yesterday: the small touches here and there. And don't get me wrong, I liked it too. The stolen and accidental touches are all I crave. Deciding on finally getting out of bed and getting ready for the day. I don't have to be as quiet as before since everyone in my family is mostly up. I head to the washroom to brush my teeth and relieve myself of the ungodly water I drink throughout the night. After doing so, I wash my face and assess the appearance of my hair. It doesn't need to be drenched in the water this time; the curls are looser than yesterday and look much more bouncy. Happy with it, I head back to my room and pick an outfit for the day.

Since I am not people-facing and will be in the library, my look will be far more toned down today. I head to my dresser and pick out a nude bra so it doesn't show as much with the white tank top and seamless underwear to wear with a black pair of leggings. Slipping those on, you pick out a couple of grey wool socks and decide on a black baggy sweater with the NASA logo and some other features. It was simple and relaxed, but I also put it together and paired it with black Doc Martins and my black puffer vest from yesterday. It was a monochromatic look but a tad more stylish than plain black. After getting dressed and grabbing my bag from yesterday, I head out the door to the train station. I didn't unpack my bag yesterday, so I kept everything in it, making it one less thing to worry about.

The commute into the city was typical as usual: taping the card on the entry and exiting the train, then transferring to the subway once I got into the city. On the subway, I decided to work in the library today to complete course readings and work on small assignments. I wanted a change in scenery and wasn't required to be in my small office. It was customary for me to do so, plus the library I will be heading to is typically dead. The Medieval department has a small library, but it was my favourite to study in. The aesthetic of wooden bookshelves and tables, the winding stairs to the upper balcony of books and the stained glass windows and wooden arches on the inside made me feel like I wasn't in a metropolitan area in the middle of the busy city. It was my quiet oasis in the city to get work done. I didn't like the modern libraries on campus because they were all mono-coloured and industrial, plus the ventilation system was loud, making it hard to think. And the amount of reading and annotating I needed to get done required peace and quiet with minimal people. Getting out on the subway spot close to your department, you walked further to reach the Medieval department.

Entering the building was eerie, but it brought you a sense of comfort. Not a single sound meant no one was in there but the staff. Taking your rightful spot on the library's second floor close to an outlet and stained glass window, you set your bag on the seat next to the one you will be sitting in. Pulling out the chair and taking a seat, you start to unpack your laptop and tablet with its stand so you can have a dual monitor set up to read and make notes. You started looking in the course site on which readings to get done. Taking the chance to download everything, you turn your phone to silent and place it in your bag to minimize the number of distractions. Once everything was set up, you started with the first of 4 articles. It could have been better, depending on the week; sometimes it was heavy or light on the required reading, and for 2 courses, this was typical, so it should take just a little over 1pm to finish. The first glance at the articles was to read the summary and/or the introduction, then the last few paragraphs to grasp the topic and make notes on the argument presented. The second read-through of the article consisted of finding argument points and quotes that can help on future assignments or anything that brought a question to mind or something to comment on during your discussion in the lecture. You repeated this process for the remaining three articles, occasionally looking at your school email for any critical updates or inquiries from your other commitments that needed your attention. Since there wasn't much to check, you went back to reading. By the time you were done reading all the material and making the required annotations, it put you at 2pm and decided this was the point where you well deserved a break. Taking this as an opportunity to look at your phone before packing up to grab something to eat, you turn on the device and see a notification from Toto. Biting your lip, eager to see his response, you unlock the device and chat with him; his response tells you to turn crimson.

Is that so ….. I couldn't stop thinking about you, too. What are you doing today?

Your heart melted; he was thinking about me!! It was an understatement that I wasn't thinking about him, but I had other things to focus on. Noticing that he sent the last message not too long ago, you decide to reply to his inquiry on your day.

I just finished reading some articles and was about to grab lunch! Why, what's up?

Sending the message only seconds ago, and before you could even exit the app, you saw that he was typing. Eager to see how he would respond, you waited until you saw the little typing bubble disappear. Anxiously, you started biting your bottom lip. We all know that waiting for any response from someone you are currently crushing on can feel like an eternity. However, with Toto, it was as if time stood still, and before you knew it, there was a response.

Would you like to grab lunch together?

A smile pulled onto your lips, but you slightly started to panic. Sure, you did, but you wanted to avoid going to a restaurant like last night. In the middle of your overthinking brain, another message pops up.

We can grab lunch and bring it back to my hotel room to eat.

As if the first offer wasn't enough, but he wanted to be alone in his hotel room while we ate, now you definitely weren't sure what direction this thing was going. You knew you needed to respond but needed to learn how. Taking a few breaths and not getting too far ahead, you decide it may be just a friendly lunch of ordering food and eating together. Mustering up the courage to respond, you finally reply.

Sure, I would like that!

The text gives too much indication that I'm a little speechless, but I could care less at this moment. I started packing my things, waiting to see how Toto would respond to agreeing to have lunch with him. As I put all my stuff in my bag, I took hold of my phone and saw that he responded.

Sounds great! Is there anything you were craving or specifically wanted to get?

Taken back by the response, he was letting me decide on what we get to eat. From the events that happened last night, all he did was get to pick the options and not get me wrong. If I add that he did that yesterday, it was a lovely and grand gesture. But I like the option of picking as well. I responded that I didn't want to keep him waiting because he would order or we would go together to pick up lunch.

Is sushi okay? Are you not up to eating raw fish?

I was telling him my food choice but also wanted to give him an option. I know raw fish isn't for everyone, so I was okay with checking to see if that was okay with him. As I was getting up from my seat and putting my backpack on my shoulders, I saw a message from Toto.

Perfect! Here is the address to the Hotel, and my room number is 562. You can drop off your bag while we pick up lunch nearby and bring it back to eat. I will let the front desk know that you are coming up so they won't give you too much trouble. See you soon!

You smiled at the response; he knew your bag was heavy and wanted to make you comfortable. Copying the address into Google Maps, you saw that the Hotel was only a 15-minute walk from where you were. It was okay, and odd that the hotel was close to here. You were in the middle of the downtown core, so tourists wanted to visit your university. Study the directions closely so you don't have to keep looking down at your phone as you approach him. You put on your sunglasses and headphones to play music and exit the library. The weather was nice out, which made the short walk pleasant; following the directions you saw, you made it to the hotel Toto was staying at in no time. You entered the front doors and told the front desk that you were there to see a guest at the room number he had given you. They just got off the phone with Toto since the gentleman nodded, said he was waiting, and gave you a slight direction to find his room. You thanked the man and took the elevator up. You were eager to see Toto again and more relaxed than yesterday, but you weren't expecting this. Pulling you from your thoughts as the elevator dings, meaning it is on the floor you need, you search from the room. Once finding it, you knocked on the door softly. Yes, you were a little nervous, but you double-checked to ensure it was the room. A few seconds too long later, you saw a smiling Toto. "Hi," "Hi," "Why don't you come on in." All you could do was nod as Toto turned slightly to allow you to enter the room, which you did. You walked in, entering the space, in which you heard the door close and heard him make his way to you. "You can place your bag on the couch. I just need to get my jacket, wallet and phone, and we will be good to go, okay?" "Sure, take your time; I'm in no rush."

You smiled warmly at him to ensure he didn't need to rush and waited a few minutes until he was ready. Looking out the window, admiring the view from his hotel room, you hear Toto speak. "Ready to go?" "Yes, lead the way." You approach him so you both can exit the room to grab lunch. He opens the door to allow you to leave first so he can shut the door behind us. He ensured it was closed, as it now had your belongings. You silently waited for him, not wanting to rush the man. He then turns to you, smiles and leads the way to the elevator. He presses the button to take us down until you hear him speak. "I hope you don't mind walking. It's a nice day, and the place is not too far away to require driving?" "No, not at all, I don't mind! ….. Yes, it is nice out."

You blushed a little; it was nice that he was considering your comfort around him. Both of you stepped into the elevator when it came to the floor you were on. The silence wasn't awkward; it felt comfortable not to speak for a bit, and I was still thinking about some of the things I needed to work on, so I am still trying to shift my mindset to relax. Arrived at the hotel lobby and walked past the front desk towards the doors and onto the city streets. You slipped your sunglasses back on since it was still sunny out, and you didn't want to strain your eyes from squinting so much, having the same thought. Toto also did the same with his sunglasses. You glanced up at him, just admiring his facial features and the way his sunglasses sat on his face. You wouldn't tell him you liked his particular pair, but it was a nice, rounded frame that suited his face well. He led most of the way to the sushi shop. It was close to your side of campus, and you passed this shop quite often but have yet to bother to try the place out. As you got to the place's entrance, you saw Toto a few steps ahead to grab the door and hold it open while you stepped in first, with him following behind you.

You both stand side by side, glancing up at the menu; you have an idea of what you want just by glancing at the options. You also wanted to get a little because you saw the prices and wanted to be sure it was enough for Toto to pay. You felt guilty that he was paying for everything these past few days. He wouldn't let you pay for any of your stuff. Pulling you from your thought, "Have you decided what you want, or did you want me to order for the both of us?" Now that thought was intriguing again, to let him decide on food again. It would be nice for someone to choose from your option, which consisted of an assortment of sashimi and a few pieces of a salmon roll. Finally deciding on what you want to do, you reply to Toto's inquiry, "Sure, you can pick; the only request is that there is sashimi; I'm not picky about what you get, tho," you said, turning to him, and he just looked at you. He smiled and nodded at your little request. You just stood there silent again. It honestly felt nice not to make every decision. It was a long day for you, even though it was roughly 3pm. You hadn't eaten today, so you were running low on energy to think. You watched as Toto made his way to the front of the counter and placed the order with the employee. He glanced back at you to ensure what he was ordering was okay with you, but you didn't catch a single thing he said until he finally said your name. "Y/N…… Y/N….. is there something you'd like to drink?" "No, I was going to grab a sparking water from the convenience store on the way back…." "Fine by me!"

From that, he placed the final bits of the order with the employee. I am assuming he also paid since I zoned out after that, just thinking about the contents of the article and reflecting on my day thus far, until I saw Toto walk towards me, pulling me from my trance of thought. He could tell I was off because I proceeded to catch a concerned look on his face. "You okay, Y/N…. you seem a little distracted today?" You can hear his concern in his voice as he speaks gently. Being tired was an understatement, and you wouldn't say that Toto was mostly to blame because he was all you were thinking. So you blame school and your work today and have not eaten all day. So it just shows that you forgot to eat, and the lack of food leads you to need more energy to fuel you more. You don't usually forget to eat, but sometimes, when you are focused, your hunger instinct doesn't kick in. For someone who does workout often, you honestly weren't sure how you could forget that food is fuel for the body. Not wanting to concern Toto with the long pause before responding, you tell him the truth, hoping that little chuckle you add makes it seem like a silly mistake."Hahaha… I forgot to eat today, and when I'm too zoned in on doing work, I lose all appetite. So I can't wait to eat since I'm starving!"

You exaggerated that last bit, hoping he understood it was just a slip-up. Judging by the little smile creeping on his face, he bought it, but you can still sense the concern in his eyes. From that point, he kept a careful eye on you, so he was alert and ensured you wouldn't pass out on him because you hadn't eaten yet. Then you see him turn, ready to say, "Why don't you take my card and gtab two sparkling waters from the convenience store, and I'll meet you there? Food will be done in a few minutes, so I can meet you there and head back to the Hotel together. How does that sound?" "Sure, any preference in sparkling water, or do you want the same one I'm, which is a Sanpellegrino?" "That's fine by me, preferably a glass bottle." "Got it, I'll see you soon!"

He handed me his credit card, and I smiled at him and headed out the door. I put the card in my pocket to ensure I wouldn't lose it, But I couldn't believe he had given me his card. I kept rubbing my fingertips along the card; it was heavy, but from metal, I'm assuming it had to be a different card because this man had money. You just smiled. He had this must trust in you to take his card and yourselves water. Never in a million years would I think this happened to me, but you were flipping for joy on the inside. The convenience store was close and in the same direction back to the Hotel. Pulling on the store handle and entering, you greet the employee behind the counter and head to the fridges for sparkling water. You knew exactly where they kept them since you frequent this convenience often to grab sparkling water when craving pops some days. Open the fridge door, grab two bottles and start to make your way to the employee to pay for the two drinks. He scans the drinks, and you tap Toto's card on the machine and ask for the receipt. You were curious to know if Toto needed it after all. This could be a business card, which is business expenses since you are technically his research fellow, so you take hold of the receipt, put both the card and paper in your pocket and see a waiting Toto outside the store. You push the door open. Toto is smiling at you; this man could kill with his smile. "Ready to head back?" He says with the two bags of food in hand. "Yes!" You nodded up at him and turned to walk back to the Hotel.

You kept your eyes on the bags of food. You were petite and knew you were probably not going to eat much, but still, it was a lot of food, and who knows what he got, but you were looking forward to digging in. You eventually entered the lobby of the Hotel and made your way back to his room. He shifted the bag to carry all in one hand and opened the door. Once doing so, you allowed him to enter first, and he followed behind you. You returned to the couch, where your bag was, and it had a little table in front of it. You placed the two water bottles on the table, and Toto brought the desk chair over so he could be his seat facing you, making a little dinner table. He started to unpack the food, and you looked up at him, "Do you mind if I use the washroom before we eat?" "Of course, it's the door on the left close to the door exiting the room." "Thank you." He glanced up at you with a slight smile as you moved past him to make your way to the washroom. Turning on the lights and entering the bathroom, you close the door behind you for some privacy to relieve yourself.

Doing so, you take the chance to glance around; it was clean, and you tell housekeeping did come to make it look presentable. Still, you get to smell Toto's cologne, and the thought of his signature scent just had a smile creeping up on your face. You flushed the toilet and washed your hands. You head back into the main space to see all the food set up, and Toto smiles as he sees you walk in. He had his jacket off and his sleeves rolled up, not wanting to make a mess. His veiny forearms are on full display, and he gets up from his chair to all of you to sit first in your seat. Before you sit, you realize that your sweater might also get dirty. Having to reach across the table for food, you slip it off, leaving you in the tank top. Toto smiles up at you, and you sit across from him. Feeling self-conscious, you keep the sweater on your lap, covering your stomach.

Sure, you worked out, but you weren't lean and always felt self-conscious, especially when food was around. Toto sits back in the chair and starts explaining what he got; everything is by appearance since he opened all the containers. "In this container, closest to you and per your request, is sashimi. I got you an assortment of Tuna, Salmon, Eel and Butterfish. In the container between us, I got a roll platter, which was a dynamite roll, spicy salmon and tuna, some tempura, some veggies, and a California roll. I also got some edamame if you want to snack on it, and there are also salads if you would like them. I hope this is okay; you said you haven't eaten, so please eat and don't hesitate. I can get you something more afterwards." "No, this is more than enough. This is a great selection, and honestly, this could feed double the amount of just us two!" "Well, there are containers; you decide to eat later, you can have some later, but now take some sashimi, and please eat."

You blushed a little from his forcefulness in getting you to eat. With that, you took hold of your chopsticks and started placing some of the sashimi into your plate to eat. You put a total of 6 pieces and want to pace yourself, not wanting to feel like you haven't eaten in days. Once you started to eat, you could see Toto relax a little and start putting some rolls and sashimi onto his plate. The food before you was finished, and you were deciding what to put next. Still, you took a moment to think, so in your ideal mind, you took some edamame to eat and, deciding to initiate conversation, asked Toto, "Which of the rolls do you recommend I try?" You allow him to swallow the contents in his mouth, and he wipes his lips with a napkin before responding to you. "I would go with one of the tempura. I like different textures as I'm eating, and so far, you have just had sashimi, and after that, maybe some of the rolls; I think you will like the dynamite one the most!" "Great then, the tempura is next!"

He smiled at you as you took hold of your chopsticks and placed a few pieces of shrimp and yam tempura onto your place. You were pleased with his recommendation; the texture difference helped to down a pit more food. You now decide you need a bit of acidity to cleanse your palette, so you take ahold of the salad and put a bit on your plate. Downing that as well, you felt it was time for the rolls. Taking Toto's recommendation, you put some dynamite rolls in your place, a few veggie pieces, spicy salmon, and tuna. Finally finishing your plate, you felt you couldn't possibly down more food. Surprisingly, that was enough food for the both of you. You neglected the idea that Toto is much taller than you and can eat twice to possibly three times the amount you can. You tell him you finished eating and couldn't take more food and thank him.

"Okay, I can't eat anymore; the selection was amazing. Thank you again, Toto, for lunch. It was perfect." You had the biggest smile on your face, and Toto was reciprocating the same as well. You were satisfied and leisurely picked at the edamame, not wanting to make it awkward while Toto continued to eat. Though he did take a chance to respond to your comment, thank him."I'm glad you enjoyed lunch. I appreciate you taking the time to eat with me; you were great company instead of eating alone!" You still kept smiling; you could relate to his comment because you would have done the same if he hadn't sent you that message. Before you could respond to his comment, "If you still have work that needs to get done, you can work here if you want; you already look comfortable on the couch." You took a second to ponder on his comment. You were sitting on the couch as the two of you ate with your cross legs like a kid would do while sitting on the floor. It was reflexive; you were honestly just making yourself comfortable and didn't even notice that you did that, and the idea of having to go walk back to the library set your things up and make yourself comfortable again. You just didn't feel like doing that again. And it would be nice to have someone who makes me accountable to get more done, so you decide to take Toto up on his offer, but you make sure with him if it's okay.

"Sure!….. But are you sure? I don't want to intrude if you have something else to work on and need privacy to do so?" He huffed a little at your response; he gets a sense that I always like to double-check on offers I get."Why would I offer if I wasn't sure you couldn't work in this space with me… You know that at some point, we will have to work in the same room if you will be the research fellow." Giggling at this comment, "That is true; fine, I will work here then!" His smile grew wider once he accepted his invitation to work in the same space as him. You were kinda nervous because he was someone that you were absolutely falling head over heels for. Still, now you actually have to concentrate around him. This would be hard, especially if he kept his sleeves rolled up. Deciding on working in here, Toto helps you clean up the table that you two just finished eating at, which would be your makeshift workspace while he was at his desk. Once you finally cleaned the table, you rested on the couch. It was now 3:30pm, and you wanted to pick up studying at 4. You just wanted to ease into it. You slip off your boots to make yourself more comfortable, put your feet up, and just lean on the back of the couch while scrolling your phone with your sweater on your lap. Toto returns and decides to lift your feet up and take a seat, now placing your feet on his lap.

"Did you want me to move so you can sit comfortably?" "No, I'm wonderful, but I love to see you making yourself comfortable." He smiled at me, and now I started to feel bad, so I shifted up a bit more, and he mentioned again. "You don't have to move; stay like this. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable; I just see that you always have something on your mind, and to see you do nothing and relax is a nice change." He says this, looking up at me; I can tell he is sincere when he tells me this. It was true, but he is also catching me at a time in my life when I am at peak stress, so I'm not in the right mentality either. "Ya, I know, just a transition I am getting used to, but it will pass, you know…" "Ya, I understand… but you will get through it; I know you can."

He looks me in the eyes as he tells me this. It's a relief that someone believes in me. I wish I could say to him, but I don't want to make it seem like I am messed up. Having someone other than friends or family to encourage you was lovely, and Toto looks genuine. Feeling too comfortable and bold, I decided to see how Toto would react by sitting next to him and having his arm around me. I was never needy or affectionate, but he is hands-on, and I just wanted to be close again. Toto was about to protest when he saw you get up from your place on the couch and walk toward where he was sitting. He has his right arm on the sofa's armrest, and his left is on the back of the couch. You sit where the left is resting on the back of the sofa. He just has a look of astonishment as you sit, tucking yourself to the left. And you place your hands in your lap and just rest your hand slightly on his side. Toto looks down at you, and his look of astonishing fades into a warm smile, and he proceeds to ask, "Are you comfortable yet?" Responding a little too cocky, "Would you be comfortable if your arm was around me?" You don't know what was washing over you, but you looked up at him as you asked him that. He looks down and responds softly, "Your wish is my command."

He wraps his left arm around you, and he pulls you in closer to him. Your head rests on his chest, and you can hear his heart racing, but his breath is steady. You smile into his chest that he must be nervous, and honestly, you were too, but this felt right; he makes everything feel right. You managed to focus a little too much on his breathing, and just having his scent engulf you made you start to get a little sleepy, and your eyes fluttered shut. You hear Toto speak to you, not wanting to disturb the peace washing over you, "Schatzi, are you tired? Did you want to take a little nap on the bed?" You respond a little too quickly in your tired mind, "No… I'm very comfortable like this, just don't let me sleep, or I won't sleep at night." "Okay, I won't let you sleep." He spoke softly and placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head.

I hadn't even noticed that I let out a hum of approval, to which Toto just pulled me in a little closer. We stayed like this for a bit longer; he was so warm that I didn't have to wear my sweater, and I'm not going to lie. He is a walking radiator for someone relatively smaller than him. Knowing I had to get up to start working, I did it gradually. "Toto, what time is it?" He lifts his left hand to check the time and places it back down. "It's 3:56, why?" "I have 4 more minutes like this; okay, then I start doing work." "Okay, schatzi, 4 more minutes," He says softly, allowing me to be this peaceful for the rest of the time. You weren't tired anymore, but now you were mentally preparing yourself to start doing work. You decided to break the silence this time again."Thank you for this." "For what?" You can tell he is confused, so you clarify for him. "The embrace or whatever this is cozying up to you if you call this." Attempting to gesture in the sitting situation without moving because you are comfortable. You hear him reply. "You're welcome. I am always happy to see you comfortable." You smiled that he knew how happy you were and attempted to see how far you could push this again. "Toto, can you drive me home once I'm done studying? I still want to spend time with you." He almost didn't finish your thought before he could reply. "Of course, anything to spend more time with you." He was excited, and you could tell.

You took this as an opportunity to lift your head from his chest and look up at him. He had the goofiest of smiles, and you couldn't help but smile. You couldn't help but shift your gaze from his eyes to his lips. I am guessing Toto took this as a queue in which he took his right hand to cup your cheek, and you leaned slightly into his touch, your eyes fluttering close because of his gentleness. With that, he pulled your face up to meet his lips for a gentle kiss. It was soft and slow, and you could forget time. He pulled away, and you returned to rest your head against his chest with this chin on the top of your head. You could feel his arm shift to look at this watch, and he sighed a little to get your attention. "Y/N" "Yes…" your response just barely above a whisper. "It's 4pm." "Ooookaaay." You whined softly in his embrace. Toto let out a huff. He sensed you were comfortable and enjoyed you in his arms, so to help prepare you to let go, he rubbed your back a bit before you peeled yourself off him to sit in front of your laptop.

You take this chance to slip your sweater back on because you shivered at the heat loss. You hear Toto softly chuckle from your loss of contact. Still, it makes you smile, knowing he finds your reaction to him humorous. Toto gets up from the couch and walks towards his desk to continue work. He turns to you one final time. "Let me know what time you were thinking of leaving or when you think you will be done, and I'll pack up as well." "Is like 8:30 okay?"" More than perfect; since that is quite a bit of time, I will head out to get some snacks. Is there anything in particular you want?" He startled you with this comment, but it made you blush. You took a second to think and finally came up with a cheeky answer. "Ummmm… Strawberry Twizzlers, if not those, then cherry is fine; a bag of chips, you can pick… Oh…. and a Redbull if they have any." You know the Redbull comment would make him smirk, and right on queue, he did. "I will get you everything else but the Red Bull. Is a monster okay then?" He could tell you were joking, but he still wanted to ensure. "Yes, that's fine, or any energy drink. I was only teasing, you know." You couldn't help but giggle, making Toto shake his head disapprovingly. He grabs this coat and wallet. "I will be back soon, okay?" "Okay!" Just like that, he turned to you, smiled, and went to get snacks for your extended work time, to which you opened your laptop to start working on your assignment.

You put your noise-cancelling headphones on and proceed to open up the Onenote. Had all the notes for the assignment you wanted to start. In the section, it was the assignment instructions. You took a chance to review the parameters and the requirements needed to complete the assignment and figure out how to approach it. It was just another essay, so you looked back at the syllabus. You saw which weeks interest you and topics you could consider writing roughly 15-20 pages about. With a brief skim of the syllabus, readings and notes, you figured out a week and topic on which you could write. With that, you gathered the necessary articles and lecture notes. You opened a new page on OneNote in which you could dump information and thoughts that came to mind on how to focus the subject matter. At this point, you look like a madman, switching from different types, and your eyes darting really fast, attempting to absorb so much of the content and sort out the coming thoughts. You hadn't realized how much time had passed, nor did you notice that Toto returned because of the noise-cancelling headphones; he was at the desk with his back towards you, working on his laptop.

Deciding this was an excellent time to take a snack break, you take off your headphones and silently approach Toto, hoping you can sneak up on him. Biting your bottom lip, attempting to contain your giggles, you came close to his ear and whispered, "What you working on?" Toto jumps a little in his seat and then turns his chair towards you with a smile, reciprocating the one on your face, "Someone is a little minx?" "Well, it seemed like a funny thought to scare you a little." You couldn't help but giggle even more, and with that, you asked him, "Wanna take a snack break with me? I'm a little peckish." "Ahh, peckish… needing some sugary brain food to focus?" He inquired sarcastically because of your selection. "Yes, using the sugar high to elaborate on an outline I'm drafting before I type the essay out." "Well, in that case, we take a screen break too and rest your eyes; we don't want to strain them if you have a few more hours of staring closely at the screen." "Sure, why not? We can chat then!" You said that with too much excitement, in which you heard Toto chuckle deeply; you couldn't help that you made this man react this way.

He turns towards the snack and pulls them closer to the both of you on his desk. You take the chance to look and find somewhere to sit, feeling awkward to still stand beside him while he sits. Toto notices your little search, in which he chimes up, almost reading your mind, "You can sit on my thigh while we take our snack break; I don't mind." You blush deeply at this suggestion, and a little lost for words, he just turns to you with a little smirk. Inhaling a little, attempting to take a second to breathe and think about what you want to do next, you finally ask him, "Are you sure? Aren't I too heavy for you? Like, are you really sure?" You had a bad habit of doubling-checking, especially when it was an offer like this, but you wanted to ensure Toto was okay with it. "Of course, you aren't heavy; I got you." He tries reassuring you, and you reluctantly take up his offer. Nodding at him to show that you are okay with it, Toto opens up his legs more so you can sit on his thigh, facing him as well. You sit gently, not making sure he is comfortable or in pain, and he just looks up and smiles warmly at you. You are at eye level with him, and he says, "Can I put my arm around your waist to keep you steady? I just want to ensure you don't fall backwards or anything?" It was thoughtful that he cared for your safety, so you nodded, agreeing to his suggestion.

At this point, you somehow became mute, too, and he nudged the bag of snacks toward you. Peering into the bag, you take ahold of the Twizzlers and open up the package. Taking a few of the cherry licorice pieces and biting into them, Toto opened his snack and did the same before placing his arm back around your waist to steady you. Deciding to break the silence, "Thank you for the snacks. I know you didn't have to, but thank you again." "No need to thank me, schatzi. Your presence has been more than enough, and I just want to make sure you're enjoying yourself while with me." You couldn't help but offer a warm smile; he says the damnedest things that make you melt. He asks you a question to change the subject and understand what you were so concentrated on that you don't notice him entering the room again, "How is your work coming along? What is that you are exactly working on again?"

Happy at the subject change; you delve into the details of your paper. You felt that it was okay to ramble on a little bit just by the intent look Toto was giving you as you were trying to explain the topic you intended to research and how to possibly connect it with the discussions in the course and things you were dealing with on the subject matter. You also became over-invested in any research project, but that was the point, right? The end objective of any course is walking away and learning something new, which I always did. In this case, you were rambling on the subject you researched, so new ideas came to mind, even as you explained to Toto. Attempting to not make your mind go a million miles a minute on your research, you wrap up the topic. You take this chance to make eye contact with Toto since you hadn't done that for a bit, attempting to explain the jist of your subject; you take in that he has his head slightly tilted, quizzically trying to absorb your every work, nodding several times like he understands the topic. Feeling like you have finally spoken enough and wrapped up your thought on the last point, you take the chance to bite into some more licorice, silently giving Toto a chance to interject or say something as you fish into the bag for those energy drinks because you felt a little thirst from talking too much. You took them out of the bag and placed them on the table. You wanted to open one of them to drink, but before you could do so, you wanted to double-check the time; you were a caffeine addict, sure, but you value sleep, so you didn't want to consume the drink at the expense of being wired the entire night.

"Toto, do you have the time?" He gave you another puzzled look but looked down at his watch, "It's 6:30. Is everything okay?" Still had concern laced on his face as you went silent. You took a minute to ponder if it was too late to consume the drink. At 6pm would have been fine, but it's closer to 7pm, and you were already eating sugar, so the crash could be harmful. Finally deciding to break the silence, you speak up, telling Toto your thought process. "Ya, I was just thinking if it's too late to drink it, I don't want to be wired the entire night, and I am already eating sugary snacks, so I might pass. Can I keep it for tomorrow, if that's okay?" You glanced up at him as you explained whether to consume more caffeine, and his expression softened at your little concern. "Yes, Schatzi, I bought the drinks for you. And I think that is best, too, if sleeping is your concern." He rubbed the small of your back, supporting your decision and easing the tense poster you hadn't realized you were holding.

With that, you kept picking at your snack in silence. I'm not going to lie; I want to talk, especially with him, but I am not used to switching between a student and wanting to know him more than just a crush. It wasn't that you were awkward; it was far from it. It happened to be in the moment; you were in your own head and wanted to complete this task, and it would be a hard day of work. You were looking forward to finishing and just wanting to sit and chat, but you were somehow mute. Pulling yourself from your thoughts to take one last piece of licorice, you glance up, almost having to do a double take because you see Toto studying you, but his expression is soft. Immediately, a blush washes over your face, and Toto smiles back at you. "You must have a million thoughts since you zone out for so long." He wasn't wrong; this comment only made you turn a deeper shade of red. Smiling through the embarrassment and wanting to hide more of your facial expressions from him, you just shove your face into his shoulder. At this point, Toto could genuinely tell you were embarrassed and wrapped his other arm around you, pulling you closer to comfort you. "ohh, common schatzi cat got your tongue?" He was still teasing you for zoning out, but at this point, you giggled, attempting to make it a little light-hearted. Not wanting to leave his embrace, you shake your head and respond to his comment, not wanting to lift your head so he can hear you clearly, "I can't help it if my mind goes a million miles a minute, it jumps from one thought to the next." Toto just sighs at your response as if understanding the depth of what that meant. To still comfort you, he leans his head into yours and whispers, "Just making sure you are alright; I know you don't do it on purpose. Don't worry, Y/N, I'm just teasing." "I know, Toto, don't worry, I'm good, I just needed a new hiding place." You heard that deep chuckle again coming out of him, and he just pulled his embrace tight, wanting to tease him back, "Ouch Toto, you're hurting me," he instantly pulled you off of him and started to franticly glance up and down to see if you were okay. You couldn't help but burst into laughter and choose to use his exact words, "Ohh, Toto cat got your tongue!" And the both of you were just laughing like idiots.

Calming down from your laughing fit, you stretch your back a little and get up from Toto's lap, "Alright, time to get the last bit of work done…. with a few more pieces of licorice in hand!" You say that with too much enthusiasm, and Toto just smiles at you; he must like seeing you more cheery than stressed. Taking a few pieces in hand, still facing him, you hear him comment sarcastically, "Yes, because sugar fuels the will to work." "hhhmmm…..Indeed it does; you should see me on candy, coffee and energy drinks when I'm writing or studying; I'm truly magnificent to watch." The response was a little too nonchalant for my liking, but I quickly glanced at Toto, and his expression was a mix of concern and shock. The combination of food groups, mostly candy, caffeine, and the liquid version of the two combined, helps me focus. Still, I tend to look like a madman who furiously types at a computer screen. I go back to the couch, where my laptop is and give a once over at the work I was doing before taking a break. Letting my thoughts return to me on how I was linking things together, I continued my work.

At this point, understanding the direction in which this paper is heading, you start finding the appropriate sources to write. This was usually the hard part of writing a research paper and was tedious. You take to the internet and open up Google Scholar and your university library website. You start using the library website and type in key terms related to the topic. You filter out by the year since you want to use the most relevant sources, ensuring the source is an article or book, and you sort out if the articles are peer-reviewed. You do this process several times with different terms until you have a solid folder of sources on your computer to look through another day. You repeat this process, but using Google Scholar this time helps to get different search engines involved. It allows you to cover your bases before you start creating your outline. As you do so, some promising articles need access. You turn to your library website and enter the article name, allowing access through your university sign-in. Completing this process now a few more times and sifting through the folder of downloaded PDFs of articles and books, you make a preliminary list of how the source could be used, along with some of the course material and lecture notes. You click back onto Onenote and start putting messages on our outline page on how the paper could come together. Group the ideas in case you need to make headings in the essay and their correlation to the topic. Completing this sift through roughly 20 documents and feeling that your eyes can no longer look at a computer screen, you saved everything you were working on before completely shutting down your laptop for the day. You packed it into your bag with your headphones and took your phone to look at the time; it was a little past 8pm. Glad you finished a lot of work in one sitting; you get up and go over to Toto to bug him until he finishes his work.

"Toto…." "Yes, Y/N." "Are you done yet? I'm bored." With that comment, all you see is Toto turning to you, and he sees the stupid smile plastered all over your face and gives you a similar one back. "Okay, give me a second to save the items I'm working on." "Okay." Allowing him to do so, you walked until you stood next to him, in which you just turned to face him, leaning against the desk he was working on. Once he had finished saving all his documents and shut off his laptop, he turned to you, "Did you want me to take you home now, and I grab my things and be ready to go?" "Actually was wondering if you want to sit for a bit, before we go? You have my complete and undivided attention to actually talk this time." You looked him in the eyes, wondering if we would accept the offer; I mean, regardless, he would still have to drive me home, but not sure if he still wanted to sit and actually talk because the snack break was a clear indication that I can't hold an honest conversation with my mind elsewhere.