Fire Emblem: High School Years (High School AU) - Junior Year

Chapter 36: The End

Chrom

I watched my girlfriend check her phone for what must have been the hundredth time, her leg bouncing faster than a cheetah. After a quick glance, a high pitched groan left her lips -- once again, for the hundredth time. She slapped the device back on her lap and folded her hands in her hair, leg somehow picking up in speed. 

My dearest Anna, bless her big brain, found out as soon as school ended that her exams were still being graded. What's a better way to end junior year than to hold grades back from a straight-A student! And said student was an anxiety-ridden mess (whom I loved dearly). 

Cafe patrons came and went around us, a silent roar rolling throughout the building; Anna managed to blot out the extra noise. Under any other circumstance, I would have recommended we take my anxious girlfriend somewhere where she was less likely to have a sensory overload, but she and Gaius insisted we go out for bubble tea.

"It's a last day treat!" He said. "I need something to distract me!" She said.

As, technically, the only adult there, I should have put my foot down and taken us somewhere quieter; the VP said it could be a few hours until she got her scores.

School has been out for hardly one hour.

With a sigh, I looked up at Gaius, who was sitting on the opposite side of Anna. The girl's snacks had gone untouched along with her tea (Gaius would more than likely fix that). "What do we do?" I whispered to him.

He shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. "She's your girlfriend."

My face pinched into a frown. "She's your future sister!"

"What if I failed..." Anna suddenly spoke, pulling our attention straight to her. "This year's exams were really hard and I don't know if I studied enough..."

"Babe..." I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "You studied plenty! And I'm sure you passed with flying colors!"

She shook her head, brown and blue strands falling into her eyes. "You're only saying that because you love me."

"I say lots of things because I love you, but I truly mean this." That came out wrong.

"Speaking as your blunt, absolutely no filter future-step-bro, I can indeed confirm love makes you stupid." He patted Anna on the head. "But I can also confirm you're like the smartest person I know and you 100% passed. No cap."

I gave Gaius the most unamused look I could manage. Not helping, I mouthed.

Before another retort, Anna's phone chimed. She shot up, quickly reading that it was an email from the school. Her breath hitched, unlocking her phone at record speed and opening the email. We waited with bated breath as she read through her scores; my arm around her tightened by the second.

My girlfriend let out a sigh, her phone dropping unceremoniously. Oh no. I brought up my free hand to her other arm, rubbing soothing patterns onto it. "W-well?"

She swallowed thickly, eyes growing heavy with tears. "I-I..."

Gaius's flippant attitude disappeared as he settled in closer; he said nothing as he wrapped her up in a hug, resting his head on hers. "It's okay, Bubbles. We're right here."

Her body began to shake -- not from incoming cries but with mirth, mouth pulling into a smile. "I passed - with flying colors, in fact."

I coughed out a laugh, playfully punching her shoulder. "Of course you did!"