Hand in Hand || Stanford x Reader

Chapter 4 • You

"Looking good!"

I nearly fell out of my seat at the sound of his voice.  "Stanford! You scared me!"

"Sorry," he said, grinning impishly, showing he wasn't sorry at all.  He glanced at my half-built prototype, surrounded by spare metal parts and rainbow wires.  It looked like a robot had thrown up all over my desk.  "How far are you with this?"

I pushed up my glasses.  Note to self: fix glasses. "Not too far, actually.  Just the basic wiring and metalwork are done.  What about you?"

He gave his own machine a sour look.  "I've got the motor done, but it's a bit unstable.  I'm not sure it can stay in place if someone shakes it."

I looked at him quizzically.  "Why would anyone shake that?"

"Good point. I'm thinking about this way too hard."

I shoved him playfully.  "That's what you're best at."  Reluctantly, I turned back to my experiment.  Science fair was only two weeks away, and I needed to get some serious work done if I wanted to complete it on time.  I poked one of the wires hesitantly, praying it wouldn't shock me.

"Hey, nerds," a gravelly voice said.  Great.

"Go away, Stanley," I muttered, not looking up from my project.

"Hey, I don't want to cause any trouble." He paused and reconsidered. "Mostly."

"At least you're being honest. What do you want?"

He scratched his chin. "Well, it just occurred to me that after your date-"

"That you forced us into," Stanford mumbled angrily.

"The details are unimportant.  The point is, you two went on a date and never officially broke up. So, what's the word? Are you two a couple or what?"

I blushed furiously.  "It's none of your business, that's what."

He put his hands in the air in mock surrender. "If you say so." He sauntered back to his seat up front, grinning wildly.

Stanford grunted. "I hate him sometimes."

"I can see why." Suddenly, the wires in my prototype started sparking ominously and sending smoke into the air.  "Screwdriver!"

Stanford quickly tossed me a Philip's head without question.  I hurriedly dismantled the outer part and stopped the sparking before it could start a fire. 

I wiped my forehead with my grimy hand and let it a sigh of relief. "That was too close."

"You can say that again." He smiled then got back to work.  It was only a few minutes later when he started talking again.  "So, Y/N?"

"Yeah?" I replied, still working on the outside frame, my tongue sticking out the slightest bit.

"I've been meaning to ask you," he hesitated for a moment, like he was gathering his courage, "would you like to go to the Spring Formal with me?"

I dropped my screwdriver in shock.  This was not what I was expecting at all.

"As an actual date this time, not one my brother set us up on. What do you say?"

My stomach filled with butterflies again.  Why did it keep on doing that when Stanford was around?  It's not like I was interested in his warm chocolate brown eyes, adorably messy hair, and-

Shoot.

I liked Stanford.

That made my choice a heck of a lot easier. 

I hesitantly smiled.  "Yeah, that sounds great."

Stanford's face positively lit up.  "Does this mean we're an actual couple now?"

I laughed.  "I guess it does, you dork."

Stanley suddenly stood up and waltzed back to where I was standing. "What did I miss?"

"Everything." I said sarcastically, not looking up from my machinery.  Stanley ignored me.

Stanford's face went red. "I may or may not have asked her to the spring formal..."

"What'd she say?"

"I'm right here," I deadpanned, raising my eyebrows.

Stanley jumped, just then remembering I was there. "Oh. Correction: what did you say?"

"I said yes, thank you very much. Would it kill you to mind your own business?"

"Yes," he said honestly.  "Ford's life is my soap opera."

I could only shake my head to that odd comment.  "Wow.  Just... wow, Stanley."

He shrugged and made his way back to his seat with an "I-told-you-so" look on his obnoxious face.

"I will never understand your twin," I said, taking off my glasses and cleaning them with the edge of my shirt.

"Neither will I, and I've lived with him for eighteen years."

I chuckled under my breath.  "Fair enough."

The bell rang sharply, making me jump and knock some of the metal into the ground.  "Why does it always ring when I don't expect it?!"

"I don't know, but it's funny seeing you jump every time it rings."

I blushed a bit and crammed my leftover materials into my backpack. Stanford waited for me and held the door open into the hallway. "So, see you next week at the dance?"

"Of course, you dork." Impulsively, I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. I walked into the hallway, leaving Stanford standing statue-still, not fully understanding what just happened.