Heartbreaker (Mileven AU)

special nickname

Mike's eyes widened in surprise when Jane tapped him on the shoulder again after class. He thought that it was a one time only thing, like maybe she was ill or had been brainwashed into thinking he was someone else. But there she was again, giving him that same soft smile that made him wonder what the hell she was doing talking to someone like him. 

"You again" he pointed out then his eyes widened, "I-I didn't mean it like that-"

Jane interrupted him with a small sigh. "Mr Clarke said you do tutoring for Earth and Biology...are you free tomorrow after school?"

Mike frowned in confusion, his face scrunching up making several freckles disappear. Jane tired not to roll her eyes and tap her foot impatiently. "Y-Yeah...I do, you want tutoring?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I did just kind of ask, didn't I?"

He stumbled over his words nervously, rubbing a hand across the back of his sweaty neck. "Sorry...uh-yeah. That's cool..."

She tapped his freckled cheek playfully and he turned bright red. "Great. See you then!"

When Mike saw her sit down in the library with her books, he stared for a few moments from a distance. He scanned her, trying to find out what her motive was and why she needed help when she had never asked for it before. He had always thought that people were cruel to Jane, always spreading rumors about her but he couldn't help but wonder if some of them were true. If they were, it would explain why everyone seemed to watch her like she was an animal.

Underneath the frown, Mike had always seen her as pretty. He had never paid much attention to girls at the school that were all annoying or cruel, but despite her being both of those things, he wasn't blind. Her curly brown shoulder-length hair had flecks of gold in which reminded him of sunlight on a clear day, and her caramel eyes were very soft and warm despite always seeming to glare at everyone. Whenever he had given her a spare pencil, he only got to look at her eyes for a split second before she would turn back to her desk, but it always took his breath away despite the short time span. 

He walked up to her cautiously. "You still want me to tutor you?" 

Jane smiled back at him and he lost his train of thought, realizing how bright her smile really was when she let it show. "If that is okay."

"It's f-fine" he stuttered, his cheeks heating up. "Let me get my books."

After a few awkward moments, they had settled into a comfortable routine of Mike asking what questions she struggled with and asking about her previous grades. Jane really did find Biology confusing which helped as she didn't need to pretend, it got tiring after a while having to pretend everything. Jane watched him explain the topics with enthusiastic eyes and resisted scoffing at what a nerd he was, not understanding how he could find such a thing so interesting. Mike found himself trying extra hard, hating how he seemed to stumble over every sentence with her pretty eyes on his flushed face. 

"That's right!" he told her with an excited smile. "You got it...the brain is my favorite topic, it is so interesting to think about how it works, it is inside us and powers almost everything-"

Jane cut him off with a small laugh, fluttering her eyelashes. "I don't get how you find it so interesting, Mike. It is...so....complicated."

Mike shrugged. "I guess I like complicated."

She watched him for a few moments, his hair falling into his dark eyes as he scanned the page for the next topic. She found herself counting his freckles curiously, snapped out of her daze by him looking back up at her. She shook her head with a small frown and asked him to repeat the question.