Laurence (Aphmau) x Reader

Chapter 1: Physical Education

It was hot. Terribly, scorchingly, hot. Summer had just ended and the leaves on the trees began to turn different shades, but the roasting sun still rose high above the heads of the students of Phoenix Drop High. Seemingly unaffected was Laurence, making goal after goal against his opposing team. It felt like only you and a few other players would make an attempt to end his reign of terror. Many of your teammates had already given up, drenched in sweat. This wasn't to say you weren't sweaty, the pit stains after this game would be gruesome. Why on earth would the counselor make physical education my third period?!  You wondered, thinking maybe he was secretly plotting your downfall when it came to appearing put-together. With your mind far away from the current game, you don't notice Laurence charging at you, getting ready to kick the soccer ball into the goal behind you. You realize all too late what was about to happen, and before you could put out your arms in an attempt to grab the ball, your face catches it instead. 

For a few moments, all you could feel was the pounding in your skull and the prickly grass underneath you. You try to sit up, but a hand gently but firmly holds you down by your shoulder.

"I'm really sorry for hitting you in the face! I wouldn't sit up; you might get blood all over your gym shirt. Your nose is kind of... bleeding." He sheepishly grins.

 "Oh, alright. Thank you," you mumble, dazed. 

He turns away from you for a moment, asking someone to fetch you a tissue for your nose. As he was turned away from you, you took in his closeness. Somehow the sweat on his body didn't look as gross as yours. Where you had pit stains, he had muscles gleaming under the hot sun, and the sweat glimmering on his body didn't do anything to help you avert your gaze. The tissue comes sooner than you had expected, probably because you were too busy admiring Laurence's build. He hands the tissue to you gingerly. As you sit up with the tissue now stuck up your nose, you finally grasp the embarrassment of your situation. There was a hot guy less than three feet away from you, and here you were, sweaty and bleeding. 

"Haha, nice...shot," you laugh nervously. Laurence glances at you once again, a slight smile adorning his features. Did you just see dimples?  

"I've never seen someone catch with their face before. It's a new technique I've got to try, seemed to work pretty well for you." Laurence crumbled immediately, seeing the look on your face. To him, you looked like a deer in front of headlights. "Oh, uh, well that's to say - look I'm really sorry. I totally didn't mean to hit you. But just so you know, I think it's totally admirable that you tried your best." 

A few seconds of awkward eye contact passed between you two, before he finally looked away. You couldn't tell if the redness of his cheeks was due to the temperature or the stale conversation you both were having. 

"Thanks, but I feel like most people would think that you're the admirable one, not me." 

You get up from the grass, wobbling slightly. Laurence instantly grabs onto your shoulder once again, steadying you. You hear the gym teacher's whistle from across the field, "Class is over! Laurence's team won... again." Mr. Arnold tried his best to avoid laughing, but you could see it out of the corner of your eye. Laurence was most definitely Mr. Arnold's favorite student, and it was easy to see why. The young soccer team's captain who always tried his best in PE and always kept up the energy. In a way, you were envious of Laurence and how he could attract so many people with just a few words. You were happy with your small group of friends, but with so many different classes offered it was hard to keep up with them at times. As you were zoning out once again, you made your way to the locker rooms where you changed out of your gym uniform. 

Getting ready for your next class, you checked to see that your nose was no longer bleeding. Walking out of the locker room, you throw away the bloody tissue. Laurence is standing near the bin, seeming to have been waiting for you to exit from the locker rooms. "Hey, good to see you're not bleeding. I hope that next time we play, we're on the same team." 

You were about to reply, but his fan club quickly sweeps the hallway. You're swiftly pushed out by his many fans. Trying to ignore the (accidental?) elbow one of them gave you, you hurriedly made your way to fourth period. Hopefully, you'll be able to have a memorable interaction with him next time you meet.