The Monster in the Sky. Klance AU

Chapter 38: Panic at the Picnic

Hello, sorry for such a delay between updates!! I hope you enjoy this regardless :)

The day of James's exam rolled around much quicker than anyone could have anticipated and, before James knew it, he was heading towards Iverson's office where he was going to sit the paper. His hands were dancing around his clear pencil case and graphics calculator, fidgeting with them as much as humanly possible, though somehow not tiring himself out in the process. Once he reached the door with Keith by his side, the fact that he was taking an exam that would determine the future of his scholarship kicked in and he found a lump was rising in the back of his throat. He leant the hand that wasn't holding Keith's stationary against the wall to keep himself steady, closing his eyes as he tried his best to control his own breaths. Keith wrapped his arms around James and pulled him closer, murmuring a tiny, "You're going to do amazingly."

James just shuddered and attempted to shove Keith away and create distance between them. "No, no, I can't do it. I can't take the exam." He started to pace up and down the corridor whilst rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. His breathing was uneven and on the verge of hyperventilation but Keith was at a loss as to what to do.

"Yes, you can. If you don't do it, you'll fail regardless. If you take the exam, you can prove yourself. You can show everyone that you're capable and intelligent. You aren't defined by your mental health."

"I think I'm going to be sick."

James did seem to be growing all the more pale by the minute so Keith forced a smile and attempted to make his voice calmer. "Breathe with me, okay?" James frantically nodded as he stopped in his tracks and pressed his hand against Keith's chest. He closed his eyes so he could focus on the soft beating of Keith's heart. He attempted to imitate Keith's own breathing patterns until they were inhaling and exhaling at the same pace. Once that was the case, Keith leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against James's lips. "You're going to do well; I know you are. If you find yourself panicking at any point, take a deep breath, okay? You can do it. I'll wait for you outside and I won't move until you're done."

James nodded as Iverson pulled the door of his office open, met eyes with James and said, "Ah, Griffin. You're here."

-

The hour and a half that James was in the exam seemed to last forever but, once James rushed out of the room, Keith couldn't have been happier that he had waited. James brought him into a bone-crushing hug, snuggling his head right into Keith's chest. For a long moment, they didn't part.

Once they separated, Keith questioned the events of the exam. James looked down at his feet with glossed over eyes, fiddling with his hands. The passive, anxious behaviour was enough to deflate all of the optimism that Keith had built up upon seeing James leave Iverson's office. "I don't think it went horrendously but it could have gone better. I'm really tired so I probably made a lot of mistakes which could cost me the top-"

"I'm sure you did fine," Keith reassured. "You get your results in a few weeks time, yeah?"

"Yeah..."

"Let's not worry about those too much for now. We need to celebrate you finishing the exam first," Keith intertwined their hands with the sole purpose of preventing James from fiddling so much. He moved his hands enough to make Keith feel nervous and restless. "How does a picnic sound?"

If James was being entirely honest with Keith, he would have said that a picnic sounded like the worst possible thing at that moment. The adrenaline rush caused by taking an important exam had made James feel nauseated, meaning food was definitely not a good idea. Despite that, James lied to protect Keith's feelings and to not be an inconvenience when Keith had set something up nice for him. "It sounds good."