Teen Wolf Imagines

Lab Partner - Malia Tate / Hale

Pairing: Malia Tate x Gender Neutral Reader

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: Smooching, but that's it lol

You sat at your usual lab table in the far corner of the room, watching the rest of the class shuffle in. You had study hall before biology, so you could usually get into the room before everyone else. As the start of class grew near more and more of your classmates began to take their seats. As usual, the last seat to be taken was the one next to you. It wasn't like you were a bad partner or anything like that, you carried your weight in the labs and were genuinely polite to everyone you talked to. You're just a bit reserved is all. Your classmates all interpreted that as a sign that you were weird, but you liked to think of it as a kind of emotional intelligence. You watched and listened. You empathized without words. You would actually make a great friend to many of them...if you decided to speak to them.

Each class it was a different person who unknowingly drew the short straw when they came in late. You looked around the room, trying to figure out who was late to class. Oh no. Like clockwork, the bell rang, revealing the one person you absolutely dreaded being partners with: Malia Tate. There's just something about her that just pissed you off. Maybe it was the fact that she was so cavalier about her schoolwork, or maybe it's the way she caused trouble for the teachers, but something about her just set you off.

You pulled your folders to your side of the table as she found her way to you and sat down. She gave you a slight smile and a small "hi", getting a polite nod from you in return. The teacher began to drone on about the next lab. You were monitoring the growth of four plants with different soil compositions, nothing too crazy. As the teacher spoke, you looked to Malia, watching how her expression seemed to turn from relaxed to panic in almost an instant. You almost tried to give her reassuring words, but you decided against it.

Then, the teacher said something that made your ears perk up, "due to the nature of these projects you will be with your partners until the end of the semester." Crap. You were stuck with someone who didn't care for two more months. The teacher's voice drifted into your ears again, "I suggest you make a schedule with your partner of when to meet. You'll need to meet once a week, if not more, to collect enough data. I will be checking in with you to make sure you are meeting." Bigger crap. It would almost be better for you if you were stuck doing the project alone. You were grumbling so loudly in your head that you almost didn't hear the bell ring. You stood up to leave, but Malia caught your arm, "Hey, Y/N! When do you wanna start our project?"

You had to hold yourself back from sighing. "Can you do the library after school?" you asked.

"Sounds good," she said with a smile. Watching as Malia left the room, you decided to keep an open mind today, maybe she would surprise you.

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You quickly scanned the library, finding Malia at a table near the large window. She, again, greeted you with a smile and a hello, to which you actually returned this time. Much to your surprise, Malia launched into a list of ideas about the project as soon as you settled in. The puzzled look on your face definitely didn't go unnoticed.

"What? Are my ideas bad?" she asked apprehensively.

"No, actually. They're pretty good," you replied, a little too slow for her liking.

"Then why the face?" she demanded.

"I was just under the impression that I would be doing most of this on my own," you admitted.

"Oh." The two of you sat in silence for a minute, Malia looking at her papers and you looking at her. "I'm not stupid, you know," she finally said.

"I never said you were."

"You were thinking it."

You sighed, "I'm sorry, that was rude. Clean slate?"

Your admission and apology seemed to be enough for her as she nodded eagerly and got back to sharing her notes. After about an hour or so, the two of you got into a good rhythm and actually made some good progress on your projects. You both decided that the plants would live at your house, since Malia is never at hers.

"I think I have most of the materials we need at my house. If you want, you can come over the same time the week after next and help me plant the seeds," you offered.

"Yeah, sounds good," she replied.

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Two weeks later Malia had appeared at your doorstep. You two had gotten to know each other a bit better since you were still sitting next to each other in class. Her outfit made you laugh a little. She wore a pair of distressed overalls, with a flannel shirt underneath.

"You know we're planting 10 little seeds, not a whole farm's worth, right?"

She laughed at your comment. 'God, she had a beautiful laugh. Wait. No. That was weird, cut it out brain!' You thought to yourself. Trying not to let your thought throw you too much, you led her to your back patio where you were to do the planting.

"So I guess we should start by mixing our different soils," you began. The two of you, once again, fell into a rhythm, with your measuring components and Malia tilling the soil.

"Y/N?" Malia asked.

"Hm?" you mumbled, focusing most of your attention on the measuring.

"Why don't you talk in school?" she prodded.

You looked up, "I don't know. I guess I just don't have much to say."

She laughed again. 'There it is.' you smiled to yourself.

"I know that's not true, Y/N. We haven't been friends for long, but I already know that you have an opinion about everything. What's the real reason?"

"I guess I just don't think anyone cares what I have to say," your voice drifted off.

"I care," she said tenderly, looking you dead in the eyes.

As you stared back into her eyes, your idiocy hit you. You tried to convince yourself that you were so wise and observant, but yet you couldn't put together how you were really feeling. In a leap of faith, you did something that you would never imagine yourself doing. You leaned forward, closing the space between the two of you, kissing her the way that you would want to be kissed.

"Wow," Malia began after pulling away. "You have a crush on me. That's kind of embarrassing," she teased, pulling you in for another kiss as you laughed at her.

Somehow those two months that you were dreaded turned into two months that you couldn't wait to experience.