Sixteen ✨

Third Person ❤️

It had been two weeks since Alex and Nicole had officially become boyfriend and girlfriend, and life had never felt more exciting for the both of them. Every morning, they would meet up before school, sharing small, intimate moments that were filled with whispered promises and soft kisses. After school, they would spend their afternoons together, either catching up on their individual projects or sneaking in moments just for them. By night, they were inseparable, talking until the early hours, sharing every detail of their lives with each other. On weekends, they would retreat into their own little world, away from everyone else, just the two of them.

But despite their new relationship status, life didn’t slow down for either of them. Alex had his final college project to work on—something that demanded hours of focus and research. Nicole, on the other hand, was preparing for her finals. The pressure was mounting for both of them, but they somehow managed to carve out time for each other every single day.

That Friday morning, Alex was up earlier than usual, his mind already on the project he needed to finish. His eyes scanned the blueprints he had spread out on the dining table, frowning slightly as he mentally made notes of what still needed to be done. Nicole’s soft footsteps echoed down the hall, and he smiled to himself, knowing she was about to come into the room.

When she appeared, dressed up for school comfortably with her hair loosely tied back, Alex couldn’t help but feel his heart swell with affection. Even in the midst of everything, seeing her first thing in the morning always brightened his day.

“Good morning, princess,” he said, looking up from his work to greet her with a warm smile.

Nicole smiled back, though the bags under her eyes told him she hadn’t gotten much sleep. She crossed the room to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind, resting her chin on his head.

“Morning, daddy,” she murmured sleepily. “You’ve been up for a while.”

Alex sighed, leaning back into her embrace. “Yeah, this project is driving me crazy. I just need to get this section finished before class today.”

Nicole pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head, her fingers gently stroking his hair. “You’re going to ace it, Alex. I know you will.”

He smiled, turning his head slightly to kiss her hand. “Thanks, baby girl. What about you? Ready for your finals?”

Nicole groaned, pulling away to pour herself a cup of coffee. “Not even close. I stayed up late studying last night, but there’s still so much to do. I don’t know how I’m going to remember everything.”

Alex stood up and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. “You’ll be fine. You’re the smartest person I know. Just take it one step at a time.”

Nicole leaned back into him, sighing. “I know, but it’s just a lot. I feel like I’m drowning in all this work.”

He kissed the side of her neck, his lips warm and soft against her skin. “We’ll get through it together. You have me, and I have you. We’ll make time for each other no matter what.”

That was their promise to each other, unspoken but always understood. No matter how busy things got, they would always find time to be together. After all, what was the point of all the hard work if they couldn’t share their lives?

Later that day, after school, they were back home. Nicole had brought over her textbooks, and Alex had his laptop open, typing away as he worked on his project. They sat on the couch together, legs tangled, as they each focused on their own tasks. But even in the midst of their work, there was a quiet intimacy between them—a sense of belonging that came from simply being in each other’s presence.

“I hate chemistry,” Nicole muttered, flipping through her textbook with an exasperated sigh. “It’s like they want to make it as confusing as possible.”

Alex chuckled, glancing over at her. “You’re going to nail it, Nic. You always do. Don't stress too much so as to remember everything. "

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but this is different. I swear they’re trying to make us fail.”

Alex grinned and reached over to squeeze her hand. “You’ve got this. And if you need help, I’m always here.”

Nicole smiled, squeezing his hand back. “Thanks. I’m just so tired.”

“I know,” Alex said softly. “How about we take a break later? Maybe watch a movie after dinner?”

She perked up at that, her tiredness fading for a moment. “Can we? I’d really like that.”

“Of course,” he said, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead. “We’ll take a break and just relax. You deserve it.”

Nicole leaned into his kiss, feeling the warmth of his affection seep into her tired bones. Despite the long days and the heavy workload, Alex always knew how to make her feel better. With him, everything felt a little more manageable, even when it seemed like the world was spinning too fast.

That evening, after they had finished their work for the day, Alex cooked them a simple dinner—pasta with garlic bread. They sat at the kitchen table, talking about their day, sharing little stories about what had happened in school and at Alex’s university. Nicole told him about a particularly annoying classmate who wouldn’t stop asking for her notes, and she did not want to give her notes out to avoid losing them,and Alex complained about one of his professors who kept changing the project guidelines at the last minute.

After dinner, true to his word, Alex set up a movie for them. They curled up on Nicole's bed, with Nicole nestled under his arm, her head resting against his chest. The movie played softly in the background, but neither of them was really paying attention. They were too caught up in each other’s warmth, in the quiet comfort of simply being together.

“This is nice,” Nicole murmured after a while, her voice drowsy with contentment.

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “It really is.”

She looked up at him, her eyes soft and filled with affection. “Thanks for always making time for me, Alex. Even when you’re busy.”

He smiled, his heart swelling with love for her. “Of course, baby girl. You’re the most important thing in my life. I’d never be too busy for you.”

Nicole’s lips curled into a small smile, and she closed her eyes, letting his words wrap around her like a warm blanket. Even though their schedules were packed, even though there were days when it felt like they were both drowning in work, moments like this made everything worth it. They had each other, and that was all they really needed.

As the weeks passed, the pressure of their respective workloads only seemed to grow. Alex was constantly buried in his final project, spending long hours at his desk, scribbling down notes and working on designs. Nicole, meanwhile, spent most of her time either in the library or hunched over her textbooks at home, in Alex's room. But even in the chaos, they made sure to carve out time for each other.

In the mornings, they would make sure to have breakfast before school, sharing coffee and soft kisses before they went their separate ways. In the afternoons, they would sit together, sometimes in comfortable silence as they worked on their assignments, other times talking and laughing, helping each other de-stress. And at night, no matter how tired they were, they always made sure to talk—about their day, their worries, their dreams.

One evening, after a particularly grueling day of studying, Nicole slumped onto the couch next to Alex with a frustrated groan. “I can’t do this anymore,” she muttered, throwing her textbook onto the coffee table. “My brain is fried.”

Alex glanced over at her, concern flickering in his eyes. “You’ve been at it all day, Nic. Maybe you should take a break.”

She shook her head, rubbing her temples. “I can’t. Finals are next week, and I still have so much to cover. I just… I don’t know how I’m going to get through it all.”

Alex shifted closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his chest. “You’re going to get through it because you’re amazing, and you always do. But you also need to take care of yourself, okay? You’re no good to anyone if you burn yourself out.”

Nicole sighed, resting her head against his chest. “I know, but it’s hard. I feel like I’m constantly running out of time.”

Alex pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his hand gently rubbing her back. “You’re not alone in this, baby girl. I’m right here with you, every step of the way.”

She closed her eyes, letting his warmth and words soothe her frazzled nerves. Being with Alex always made everything feel a little more bearable. No matter how busy or stressed she got, he was her constant, her rock.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Alex smiled softly, resting his chin on top of her head. “You’ll never have to find out, because I’m not going anywhere.”

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in each other’s embrace, the weight of their responsibilities momentarily forgotten. Despite the craziness of their lives, despite the endless workload and the looming deadlines, this was what kept them grounded—their love for each other.

And no matter how busy things got, they would always find their way back to moments like this, where it was just the two of them, and nothing else mattered.

Alex 🖤

I had finally submitted my final project. It was a relief to have it off my shoulders. Now, all that was left were the exams, and soon I’d be a college graduate. The weight of it all was slowly starting to lift, but my mind wasn’t on my own tasks right now. I couldn’t stop thinking about Nicole.

Her finals started yesterday, and for the next two weeks, she would be drowning in exams. Today was her hardest one—chemistry, the subject she struggled with most. I could tell from the moment she woke up that she was on edge. Nicole always worked herself up, but today, it was worse.

I remembered how the morning had gone down.

---

Nicole shuffled into the kitchen, still in her pajamas, with her hair a mess and a look of anxiety etched across her face. I could see the tension in her posture, the way she wrung her hands and avoided eye contact as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

“Good morning, princess,” I greeted her, trying to keep my tone light. I knew she needed some comfort right now, something to take her mind off the pressure.

“Morning, daddy,” she mumbled back, her voice small and shaky. She didn’t move to sit down, just stood there sipping her juice, no matter what is going on with her, she does not take coffee because it is not a favourite.

I could feel the anxiety radiating off her, so I set down the project I was reviewing and walked over to her. Gently, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re going to ace it today, Nic. I know chemistry’s been kicking your ass, but you’ve got this.”

Nicole leaned into me, sighing heavily as she rested her head against my chest. “I don’t know, Alex. I studied all night, but nothing’s sticking. I feel like I’m going to fail.”

I tightened my grip around her waist, kissing her forehead. “You’re not going to fail. You’ve worked hard for this. And even if it feels like nothing’s sticking, it’s there. Trust yourself, okay?”

She nodded slightly but didn’t seem convinced. I could tell it was going to take more than a pep talk to get her through the morning.

“Let’s eat breakfast,” I said, steering her gently toward the table.

Nicole shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

“You’ve got to eat something,” I insisted. “You’ll feel worse if you go into that exam on an empty stomach.”

With a reluctant sigh, she sat down, and I quickly put together some scrambled eggs and toast. Nothing fancy, but it was something to get her through the morning.

She picked at her food, not really eating much, but I could tell she was at least trying for my sake. As she nibbled on the toast, I sat beside her, rubbing her back in slow circles. “You’re going to be just fine,” I murmured. “I believe in you.”

After breakfast, we got ready for the day. Nicole was moving slower than usual, like every step was weighed down by the anxiety clinging to her. I made sure she had everything she needed—her notes, her calculator, her lucky pen.

When we finally got into the car, I could see her leg bouncing nervously, her hands clutching her backpack tightly. I reached over and placed a hand on her knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Deep breaths, princess. It’s going to be okay.”

She nodded but didn’t say anything, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. I could feel the nerves eating away at her, but I wasn’t going to let her go into that exam feeling like this.

We pulled into the parking lot of her school, and before she could get out of the car, I leaned over and cupped her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. “Nic, you’re going to do great today. You’ve worked so hard, and you know this stuff. Trust yourself, okay?”

Her eyes were wide, filled with a mix of fear and gratitude as she looked back at me. “I’m so scared, Alex,” she whispered.

I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, soft but firm, wanting her to feel how much I believed in her. When I pulled back, I gave her a small smile. “You’ve got this. And when it’s all over, I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

She exhaled slowly, some of the tension leaving her body. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

I kissed her one more time, then watched as she got out of the car and walked toward the school entrance. There was still some nervousness in her posture, but she held her head a little higher after our talk.

As she disappeared into the building, I sat back in the driver’s seat, my mind already going over what I could do to make her feel better after the exam. She might not know it yet, but she was going to crush that test.

And I’d be right here, waiting for her, like I promised.