Having ducked her head to avoid spraying her germs anywhere, Petra was pleasantly surprised when a hand thrust a handkerchief towards her. "Thank you." She accepted it, taking a moment to appreciate the soft fabric, warm from being carried in his pocket, then pressed it to her nose. While he hesitated, trying to find the words, she discreetly blew her nose, then - with no pockets of her own to carry it in - she folded it up again, holding it behind her back. She would return it later when she'd had the chance to clean it.
"Aye uh... Had a question for ya. O' course, if ya don wanna, aye completely understand. There's no pressure 'er anythin'." She couldn't help noticing how his hands tried to busy themselves, clasping together and then releasing, tugging at his shirt. He was clearly nervous about whatever he wanted to say, and being patient might help him calm down. So she waited quietly, settling a shoulder against the doorframe. She would never admit it out loud, but to see the usually confident Ross at a loss for words was an oddly endearing sight. His rumpled hair only served to complement the image, presenting a side of him she wasn't familiar with. She thought she liked this a lot better than the old Ross she'd never bothered to get to know, the one that was known for getting into scrapes and fights more often than he changed his socks.
"Aye was wonderin' if ya'd like ta go out with me... Like on a date?"
The offer hit Petra like a ton of bricks. Her brain shorted out for a moment, trying to process the question. A... date. No wonder he'd been so nervous. She'd been asked on a number of first dates before, but usually by boys she had little interest in, and which she'd only agreed to to get them off her back. Those boys never called back a second time, put off by her cold demeanour and general lack of response to any inane conversation topic they brought up just to fill the silence. After coming to the Academy her social life became worse - it wasn't long before the moniker "Scarlet Bitch" was whispered after her in hallways, no doubt started by one of the various students who thought her coldness a personal affront. It didn't matter, she shrugged it all off. They meant nothing to her.
But Ross was different. Ever since the simulation she'd realised how warm he was, goofy yet sincere - it set him aside from all the other boys before. None of them had ever been so nice to her before, and none had ever actually made her want to go on the date with them. She took a deep breath, and reached out with her free hand to touch his, just a gentle brush of her fingers against the back of his hand really. "Ross?" She waited until he was looking at her. "I would love to go on a date with you. How does tomorrow evening sound?"
"Aye uh... Had a question for ya. O' course, if ya don wanna, aye completely understand. There's no pressure 'er anythin'." She couldn't help noticing how his hands tried to busy themselves, clasping together and then releasing, tugging at his shirt. He was clearly nervous about whatever he wanted to say, and being patient might help him calm down. So she waited quietly, settling a shoulder against the doorframe. She would never admit it out loud, but to see the usually confident Ross at a loss for words was an oddly endearing sight. His rumpled hair only served to complement the image, presenting a side of him she wasn't familiar with. She thought she liked this a lot better than the old Ross she'd never bothered to get to know, the one that was known for getting into scrapes and fights more often than he changed his socks.
"Aye was wonderin' if ya'd like ta go out with me... Like on a date?"
The offer hit Petra like a ton of bricks. Her brain shorted out for a moment, trying to process the question. A... date. No wonder he'd been so nervous. She'd been asked on a number of first dates before, but usually by boys she had little interest in, and which she'd only agreed to to get them off her back. Those boys never called back a second time, put off by her cold demeanour and general lack of response to any inane conversation topic they brought up just to fill the silence. After coming to the Academy her social life became worse - it wasn't long before the moniker "Scarlet Bitch" was whispered after her in hallways, no doubt started by one of the various students who thought her coldness a personal affront. It didn't matter, she shrugged it all off. They meant nothing to her.
But Ross was different. Ever since the simulation she'd realised how warm he was, goofy yet sincere - it set him aside from all the other boys before. None of them had ever been so nice to her before, and none had ever actually made her want to go on the date with them. She took a deep breath, and reached out with her free hand to touch his, just a gentle brush of her fingers against the back of his hand really. "Ross?" She waited until he was looking at her. "I would love to go on a date with you. How does tomorrow evening sound?"