STICKY NOTES // JSchlatt X Reader

9

If Schlatt hadn't already been cemented in who he was going to choose, Alex pressing a kiss to Tessa's forehead and flipping him off as she left the room would have solidified it. In any other circumstance, you would have laughed, but your stomach was slowly filling with dread of what was to come.

"Schlatt, if you would send me your final choice," Austin prompted. 

You watched as Schlatt typed something and then sat back in his seat, flat faced and unbothered as he had been for most of the show. You took another sticky note off the top of the stack, nervously folding it into a heart, fingers following the motions you had done so many times before. 

Why had you thought choosing host was a good idea again?

Right, because there was no way you would get to the end. Minx and Botez were playing, so you weren't going to even get close. You would be out in the first few rounds for sure, and no one would care if it was revealed you chose host there. 

Except now, you were in the final round, and you were pretty sure that Schlatt was going to choose you.

"Alright!" Austin said, sounding way too gleeful for someone who knew what was going to happen. Or maybe that was why he sounded so excited - this would be all over Twitter in a matter of minutes. "The results are in!"

You watched as Tessa took a bite of the food Alex had brought her, blissfully unaware of what was coming.

You could hear Austin rustling papers around, building suspense. You took another sticky note off the stack, anxiously folding it into a cat this time. Hopefully you wouldn't get absolutely mauled by thirteen year old girls for choosing host. 

"Tessa!" Austin said, finally breaking the drawn out silence. "I'm so sorry, but it looks like the end of the road for you."

Tessa frowned slightly. "Ah, damn." She said. "Well, it was nice getting to know you Schlatt."

Schlatt nodded. "You too."

"Before we let Tessa go, I'm sure you're all curious," Austin paused, and your nerves twinged under your skin. "She chose love!" He said finally. "Tessa chose love."

On screen, Tessa smiled thinly. 

"Tessa, shout out your channel."

"You can follow me at tesstings on Twitch, YouTube and Instagram." She said, waving sweetly at the camera. "Bye guys!"

"Have fun on your date." Schlatt snarked.

Tessa's camera went dark leaving you and Schlatt. The only ones left. 

"Well, well, well." Austin said. "And then there were two." 

Schlatt smiled, and you quickly folded an origami pig, needing something to do with your hands. Thank god you kept your sticky notes nearby - your fingernails would be completely gone by now if not. This show was supposed to be fun for christ's sake, but this was maybe the most stressed you had ever felt in your life.

"Schlatt, I'm sure you're curious to know what Y/N chose." Austin said, sounding far too devious for someone that was supposed to be neutral. 

"I'm dying of curiosity." Schlatt said, still more or less deadpan. You wished he would emote more, so you would know what he was thinking - was he under the impression that you had chosen love? Or was he prepared to get hosted?

As much as you hated it, you hoped he was prepared.

You peeled another sticky note off the stack and folded it into a heart. The anticipation was killing you - you wished Austin would just say it, but he was too crafty for that, letting the silence sit and build up, making everyone anxious. You wanted this to be over already - Schlatt would frown and say something mean and you would take it because it was ten times meaner that you had hosted him and then you would go sit in a stream by yourself (you know, since you fucking hosted him) and rethink all your decisions.

"Schlatt, I hate to say it to you, but you've just been hosted."

The words were out of Austin's mouth in a flurry and hung in the air for a second - just hovering, seeping into everything. You couldn't tear your eyes away from the screen as you watched the corner of Schlatt's mouth twitch down into a fraction of a frown. 

It was worse than anything he could have said.

"I'm sorry!" You pleaded. "I tried to tell you at the end of our five minute date but we ran out of time-"

"Damn." Schlatt sighed, taking off his hand for a second to run a hand through his hair. "You don't look like you would have chosen host, but I guess that's on me."

"It's nothing against you, really." You tried. "I just-"

"No, I get it." Schlatt said, laughing a little. "Well played."

"Congratulations Y/N!" Austin crowed. "The stream is yours!" 

He said a few more things, but the words slipped in one ear and right out the other. You couldn't stop looking at Schlatt - he didn't seem that upset, outwardly, but he had to care a little, right? Just the slight frown that you had seen when Austin had first announced that you had essentially played him was enough to cue you in - it had to sting.

You picked up one of the origami hearts, pressing it between your fingers. And just when he had been growing on you too. 

It wasn't too long before Schlatt said his goodbyes and disappeared. The stream was transferred over to your channel and you forced a smile for the forty five thousand people watching, answering donations and laughing and expressing again and again and again that you really hated that you had chosen host, but you had been invited last minute and you hadn't really known Schlatt. 

You told yourself that you kept saying it so that the thirteen year old's watching would take mercy on you, but you knew there was another reason too. Maybe, Schlatt would see that you hadn't meant to pull one over him like that.

God, who knew a stupid dating show could make you feel like the worst person on the planet?