College Discoveries

01/21/2016

Definitely Short 'n' Sweet by Zhs2

Codewords: romance (mild), M/H, first, straight, peg

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Foreword: I suppose this may be a bit of a standard tale from me, but my brain wanted a heartwarmer, something with a sense of build-up and intrigue with a pull in any direction possible. I guess I got one.

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What do most people want out of life? That was a question Gregory Landser seemed to stumble over time and time again, especially now in his four year race to a bachelor's for a degree he wasn't entirely sure if he wanted, but nonetheless knew he could use. Most people want a future, right? A happy, healthy home, a loving wife, a bunch of kids, a mortgage or two, a handful of home loans, his cumulative college loans, bills for just about everything you needed and some things you didn't, the works - but all of that thinking was still some ways off, though Greg knew he couldn't put it off forever. There was something distinctly depressing about that viewpoint, though, to him personally, and he could rattle that reason off like it was nobody's business - to what end, though, he frowned in thought? It wasn't something that could be fixed so easily, or if it could, it would cost quite a lot, and even then it just wouldn't be the same as being... well, normal.

Cue Lana. Lana Elsbeth, a somewhat misfitting girl who seemed outgoing and friendly enough once you got to know her, had this pervasive shell of reservation that seemed to stretch out to several layers and pushed most anyone and everyone away. Oddly enough, in the small renter's house Greg and Lana both leased space in, with the top floor all to themselves (other renters came and went, but most used the space temporarily because the other rooms were less bedrooms and more studio spaces, per se - Greg was rather happy he picked up this small space on the cheap), Greg and Lana hit off a fantastic friendship with one another, each of them laughing about their awkwardness and apparent seriousness about education! Greg was actually surprised to learn that Lana didn't feel the same way about most people that she did her flatmate, and that she rarely, if ever, went out for anything but groceries or classes - especially because Greg was sure that Lana could be a knockout if she tried! At 5'3", with long brown hair that might sweep guys away and a figure Greg was certain only appeared dumpy, under conservative stretch jeans and sweaters if it was cold, pleated skirts and loose t-shirts if hot (Greg always found reasons in the warmer months to idly glance towards her rack, a pair of healthy breasts Greg might discover, if he were naughty enough to sneak into Lana's room and pick up a bra, were 32Cs), Greg couldn't help himself but to admire her sweet cheeks, her little lips, her just-big-enough nose, and somewhat oceanic eyes he might have sworn he could take a dive into for centuries and never return - but he never pushed anything at all. Not one single desire of his made the trip from point A, his male brain, to point B, Lana's ears, because Greg didn't want to ruin anything they had by trying to push, or, worse, force their relationship towards the next level. Even if Lana didn't seem like she would run screaming if Greg happened to stumble into her shell and shatter the fragile thing, Greg didn't really feel either like ruining something good or like saddling her with his problems - and Greg seemed to receive a distinct impression that she felt similarly, for some reason or another! Regardless of all that, Greg and Lana were comfortable enough with each other to study together, eat together, watch a movie together (without any hanky-panky, although Lana sometimes acceded to an arm about the shoulders), and maybe even play a few rounds of a MOBA together if they had the time - on the same team, of course! Greg couldn't have asked for a better antisocial flatmate to socialize with, and sometimes he felt the same in return from the normally shy and apathetic Lana - he was simply glad his presence made her happy in some way or form, and her presence helped him to forget anything was ever bad. One day, however, he made a mistake; that mistake changed his life forever.

Greg pulled the brown paper-wrapped bottles close to his body, unlocking the front door to the renter's house to bring his treasured cargo with him. Greg's birthday had been about a month ago, but only now did he feel,

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