WHO:Blossom & Derek WHEN: 24th Sep; today WHERE: UCI campus WHAT: Blossom and Derek meet in line for coffee; chivalry, coffee and tutoring plans WARNINGS: N/A STATUS: Complete
It was Derekâs favorite time of year. School was starting back up again. Which meant he would have more of an excuse for his lack of social life. Studying was certainly a reason to not go out. Med school wasnât easy after all. Before class though he needed some coffee. Best way to start a new semester if you asked him.
Derek stood in line at his favorite coffee cart waiting for his turn to order. There was a particularly long line today, clearly others had the the same idea as Derek. Wait was true that Derek wasnât the most social person and he was usually fine with that, but with the encouragement of his therapist he was trying to branch out a bit. âI canât remember the last time the line was this long,â Derek commented to the person behind him.
Blossom was definitely getting into the swing of classes again, not that sheâd really stopped since sheâd had two elective classes that had started mid-way through the summer that sheâd been dying to take during her freshman year and ended up having to voluntarily wait for. It was worth it really, since she knew now she absolutely wanted to keep up with Professor Constantineâs class and had dropped her Still Life class to fit it in.
Juggling a couple of books sheâd grabbed that morning to get in her book-bag and getting her purse out of her rucksack, Blossom was a little bit startled when the person in front of her, waiting for the blessed, blessed coffee mentioned the line. âHuh? Oh! Right? I mean, I guess people havenât gotten used to waking up before noon yet,â that was a thing some students did through the summer, right? âStill the Walking Dead around here, huh?â
Probably not a great joke. Given Orange County and itâs nonsense.
Derek couldnât help but notice the girl seemed to have a lot to carry, and was struggling with it. âDo you need some help?â he couldnât help but ask. Derek was more graceful than he looked, good at balancing probably due to his werewolf reflexes. He could easily help with her books.
âYeah,â he agreed finally answering her question. âIt should settle down soon. Once people get used to summer being over. Hopefully theyâll get less grumpy too.â
âThat would be fantastic, if you could just--â Blossom didnât exactly shove her books into him, but she wasnât too far off it. âIâm really hating my time frame between classes if Iâm painfully honest, because it doesnât leave enough time to do things the way I want, so I gotta get the books before the coffee or Iâm doubling back on myself.â And that just took too much time. Finding her purse, shoving that in her back pocket and then picking the books back one at a time to slot into her bag easier, Blossom beamed happily at the helpful stranger.
âThanks so much, Iâm Blossom, by the way.â Names of helpful strangers was a good thing to get. âBut I wouldnât hold my breath on the lack of grumpy people, theyâll just get more and more grumpy with the passing of time until Christmas break.â There were so many people who didnât like classes, and Blossom just didnât understand them at all.
Derek accepted the books with ease. Really, it was the least he could do to help the girl. She was clearly taking her fair share of classes and had prepared for the day instead of rushing all over campus between classes. It was something Derek admired. And like Blossom, Derek didnât understand people who didnât enjoy their classes. It was the best part of the year for Derek. He really should take some summer classes next year. Work didnât take up nearly enough of his time.
âAlways better to be prepared,â Derek said with a nod as the line slowly moved forward. âDerek,â he added in response to her introduction. He wasnât much of a talker but he was trying. He glanced down at the books she handed to him. âBiology, huh?â That was something Derek could talk about. Well he was more interested in genetics, but he had minored in biology when he was an undergrad.
âYes, molecular biology is my major, itâs super interesting.â Even if she was filling up all of her available slots too. Some people seemed to take the minimum to get their required credits. But she figured she was here and paying for it, she was going to enjoy what she could. Her Dad was all for her learning everything she wanted to.
âIâm going into my second year, so I need to pick something for my dissertation too, which is why so many additional books.â Because Blossom was nothing if not thorough. âWhatâre you studying?â
âI thought about majoring in that,â Derek replied. âIt was actually my minor. Itâs fascinating to see the interactions between DNA, RNA, and proteins.â Derek really could talk about science all day. Most people would be bored by that though. Maybe he actually got lucky and met the one person that wouldnât be.
âIâm studying genetics. In med school right now.â Since she asked. Now that he had started dreaming though, he couldnât help but notice the irony. Considering his dreamselfâs genes had been messed with.
âExactly!â Honestly, people who didnât find biology interesting were strange to Blossom, they didnât have to love it the way she did, but they were just so strange to not find a single interest in the way cells were shaped, the science that literally pieced together the world! There was biology to everything around them, that was spectacular.
âOh, that is so awesome.â And it was great to meet another biologist too. âGenetics seems like a super interesting subject, and with all the advancements going on and the studies that people need, Iâm sure it must really suck you in?â
Look at Derek, being all social and actually talking to someone who found what he said interesting. Dr. Trevelyan would be proud. âYeah,â Derek agreed enthusiastically, well as enthusiastic as Derek got anyway. âI'm mostly interested in human genetics, but itâs fascinating the advancements weâve made with plants and animals.â Although he didn't exactly agree with altering their genetics, the fact that it was possible was amazing to him.
âAre you hoping to go into botany? Or more animal genetics? I mean, itâd be really great to learn more about their properties. Iâm planning to take the parasitology and the organismal genetics units this semester, both of them are sort of heavily involved in the genetics side of biology.â And because Blossom was an overachiever. Tell her she needed 120 credits and sheâd make a point of getting 170 at least.
She wasnât even all that bothered about the movement in the line for coffee right then either. âApparently by now weâre supposed to know what it is weâre planning to do with these qualifications,â Blossom just laughed because yeah, she still had no idea what she was going to do.
âIf you need any help,â Derek offered. He knew a lot about genetics and had always been a straight A student although he didnât brag. Hell he didnât even look like he would be one if you went be stereotypes. âI could tutor for free,â he made enough money as a lab assistant to support himself. Plus heâd be moving in with another werewolf soon enough which would help with the rent. And he honestly didnât mind helping out a fellow science lover.
âI was thinking more of going into healthcare. Working with and treating genetic diseases.â That was the plan at least. âIt took me awhile to figure it out though. I just knew I wanted to study genetics going into college, so I wouldnât be too worried.â
âOh my gosh, I would totally pay you.â Blossom didnât have a job, the Professor was fully willing to pay for anything Blossom needed while she was putting all her attention into her studies, and she was willing to bet that would include a tutor if she needed one. âAnd if I need a tutor, you will be my first call.â Because it was always good to know someone that knew more about the subject.
âThat sounds like a great idea,â and a very worthwhile profession. Blossom could only imagine the work that was still needed to battle genetic illness and disease and how much it must take. âI like learning, biology wasnât always my first pick, I did a lot with chemistry with my dad and I almost chose biochemical engineering, but in the end molecular biology sort of grabbed my attention during the open day lectures.â They were probably third in line now, which was great, since Blossom was officially dying for her coffee and ready haul ass across campus for class. Once she got her flying powers sheâd probably worry a lot less about being late.
âYour dadâs a chemist?â Derek asked assuming that was what she meant. Or well had some sort of interest in chemistry at least because why else would she be doing chemistry with her dad? âAre you happy with your choice?â he questioned as they moved up in the line once again.
As for the tutoring. âIâll give you my number,â Derek said. âBut youâll have to put it in your phone yourself,â considering his hands were full with her books at the moment. âAnd donât worry about paying me. Iâm happy to help out a fellow scientist.â
âHeâs a⌠chemist for some big company to manufacture something.â Honestly, she wasnât entirely sure what it was her dad did, but he was so heavily involved in science and the chemistry and all that Blossom wouldnât be surprised if he was working on test tube super children here like he accidentally made in the dreams. âI really am, I just love learning stuff.â Sheâd be a professional student if she could.
âDefinitely,â grabbing her phone from her back pocket, where she put it to keep it from getting crushed among her books, Blossom waited for Derek to tell her the digits and put him in her contacts. âOkay, smile!â She didnât even give him a chance to say anything as she snapped a picture to go with his contact information, âI use the pictures so I donât accidentally send the wrong stuff to wrong person.â Her sisters werenât an issue, they had unusual enough names, but some of her class mates were double ups.
âSounds like an interesting man. Maybe I could meet him some time?â Look at that Derek was being even more social. But he wouldnât mind meeting a fellow scientist, even if he wasnât in Derekâs area of study. Chemistry was interesting too.
Derek was about to protest, opened his mouth to and everything. But she snapped the picture before he could get any words out. She probably had a picture with his mouth open and eyes closed. Oh well, not like Derek cared much about those things. âAh, well I guess that makes sense,â because he really didnât know what else to say. Just then the line moved up again and it was his turn. He placed his order still holding on to Blossomâs books, waiting for her to place hers. âI still have some time before my next class, if you need someone to bring your books for you.â
âTotally!â If the tutoring happened, then the Professor would undoubtedly want to meet Derek, and if they got talking science, then it would probably all go well. Her dad loved talking science, any science. It was something she shared with him that just strengthened their bond.
âOh gosh, are you sure?â Blossom knew that she had a ton of books, she probably didnât need them all, but she liked to be prepared just in case. Giving her order along side Derekâs, Blossom wasnât going to turn it down -she didnât have her super strength, it was taking itâs own sweet time in coming to her, âIf you are Iâm totally buying your coffee and youâre not arguing with me.â She could at least put one or two back into her bag, at least let Derek free up some hands to drink his coffee too.
Blossom was right, Derek was about to protest her buying his coffee but clearly she wasnât having it. âDeal,â he said with a bit of a sigh. âBut Iâm not carrying them for the free coffee,â he added because well he wasnât like that. âItâd probably be best if you arenât dropping them all over campus.â Most people that would be said as a joke. But Derek was just being Derek, honest and blunt. Not to be rude, it was just how he was.
âWe can put some back in my bag now, I got to my purse.â She didnât want him to have to let his coffee get cold. âBut youâre sweet, I really appreciate it.â Because there were loads of people who werenât that nice about helping out other people. âBesides, knowing my luck, I would drop them on my feet, so youâre saving me from hopping around injured.â Potentially spilling coffee all over herself or passersby.
It would just be a catastrophe.
âYou can just call me âDerek saver of feet.ââ That came out a lot weirder than he was expecting but oh well. He put a few books in her bag, the rest tucked under his arm. Just in time to because their names were called. Looks like their coffees were ready. Beverage and books in tow he turned his attention to Blossom. âLead the way.â