The next week [or so] dragged on with more of the same thing day after day. At the end each week, the class was assigned with more interaction time with their partners. With Iida's persistence, she kept up with her work, partially to avoid his nagging - Even starting to ask for help when it came to confusing homework. The two of them started to get closer, becoming reliable friends by the time January ended. Y/n started to trust him with below surface level information, and he always listened with his full attention and understanding - Making her feel comforted, and view him as a true friend. Although he didn't have much to hide, Iida did the same, and the trusting feelings were reciprocated.
By the end of the first full week of February, about a third of the project log was completed in full for their class - Even for Cam and Quinn, who were finally opening up and talking. That weekend, they were assigned interactions, plus some throughout the week, an easy task for Y/n and Iida at this point. This time around, they met at his estate once more - switching between talking and working in the study connected to his room.
"Have you given a thought to prom at all, l/n?"
She perked up in curiosity, "Prom?"
"Yes...?"
Instead of sugarcoating it, y/n answered honestly, "Haven't even considered going. Never had anybody to go with in the past, and I'm not expecting anything to change this year."
"Not even with Cameron? I know you're close with them."
"They always asked somebody last minute and third wheeling sucks."
"Understandable."
She agreed, "Have you given it thought?"
"My plan is to go with my group of friends, but there is still time to change accordingly."
"Oh? Iida switching up a set plan? Unheard of!"
"Well, people change I guess."
She didn't completely grasp what he meant by that, but went with it without question. "I'm bored of homework..."
"We should really get this done."
"We can get it done close to the due date!"
"Better to get it out of the way," He was determined to stick to his routine.
"Iida, it's Saturday, we can rest."
He gave it some thought then finally put down his pencil, "Alright. There is a part of the house that I introduced you to, but never showed you."
"Adventure!" She stood up in excitement, ready to follow after him.
Iida laughed at her antics and cruised through the winding hallways. He finally landed on a set of double doors and opened them, displaying a magnificent screening room.
"Holy shit... This is sick!"
"Language, but thank you. We have a plethora of movies and short-films to choose from, so it's your call."
"Do you have (favorite movie)?"
"I believe we do, I'll go and check. Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable." Y/n smiled and chose from the many comfortable seats in front of her, taking a seat and reclining with ease. A few short minutes passed, and the light of the title scene lit up the room - The sound of Iida taking a seat next to y/n coming shortly after. Within the time she waited, he got both popcorn and drinks for the two of them.
"These are for you," He handed her items to her.
"Thanks Iida... you didn't have to, I'm not really hungry." Although he knows some things about her, she still refuses to eat an "excess" of food around him - She hated the stereotype of those who were bigger. She knew he wasn't the type to classify people in those ways, y/n didn't want to enforce it by eating around him.
"But isn't that the fun of the movie?"
"I guess, but I'm just not that hungry right now."
He wanted her to enjoy herself, but didn't want to force things, "Alright, but feel free."
Y/n let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in, and was relieved of the stress of explaining herself. Very much indulged in her favorite movie, y/n enjoyed herself either way - much to Iida's delight. Every now and then he would glance over at her to make sure she was alright, and each time he did, he noticed a bright smile on her face that made the projector light seem dim. He smiled at her in return until he noticed he was paying more attention to her, rather than the movie.
After an entertaining while, the movie was over and the screen went dark. Luckily knowing his way around with the help of stair lights, Iida took out the movie and turned the lights on. He came back out of the control room to see Y/n putting her seat back into its original position. "Did you enjoy the movie?"
"I did, thank you," She smiled.
He couldn't resist smiling back at her, "I'm glad you did." Iida condensed and grab what was left of his snacks, and her full ones, tossing and saving things accordingly. Iida exited the room and let her follow him back to the study. Making it back, he then checked the time on his watch, "L/n, would you like to stay for dinner tonight?"
"Oh! I uh, wouldn't want to wear out my welcome..."
"Nonsense, we would love to have you stay."
His simple confirmation was easy to convince her, "Alright, I'll just let my mom know before she cooks too much."
"Perfect, I'll notify the chefs. Do you have any requests for the meal?"
She shook her head, "I'm good with anything."
"Alright. You stay here, and I will let them know. I should be back shortly." She nodded in return, and he left the room, leaving her with her thoughts.
"I'm so stupid for saying yes. I should have just gone home and eaten with my family, they already know how much I eat. Now his whole family will know I'm just a fucking food vacuum."
The thoughts of eating around new people swirled around her head, slowly driving her towards insanity. Not being able to stop herself, her emotions started to bubble and her breaths got shallow and tight. Quickly, her body took over and let itself spiral out of control. Times like these weren't often like they used to be, but every now and then, her repressed feelings bursted - Sometimes in inconvenient moments like the current one.
Without noticing due to her escalated attack, the door opened, "L/n I-" Almost panicking himself, Iida observed her heavy breathing and slow-falling tears, formulating a plan of action. Hesitantly, he touched her shoulder, "L/n, you need to slow your breathing. I know it seems tough, but just follow my direction..."
She looked up at him and embarrassment was immediately added to the situation. She didn't like the sound of his idea, but cooperated the best she could anyway.
He kneeled down to her level, "Okay, breathe in, " He set an example with slow and calming breaths, "And out," Her first attempt wasn't very good, but he could tell she tried, "Good, now again." He repeated his direction until her breathing slowed significantly, with her emotions and tears following. "Are you alright, l/n?"
She sat in silence and gave a look of guilt and embarrassment, "I'm sorry," she uttered in a shaky voice.
"For what?"
"For freaking out out of nowhere, then making you help me because of it..."
"You didn't make me, I chose to... But what person wouldn't help somebody in need?"She continued to sit in silence. "Did you want to talk about it?" She gave it some thought, but kept in mind the many times he was there for her when she explained something in the past - She eventually nodded. "Please, take your time. And don't feel forced to say anything you don't want to."
"It's alright... This happened already, so there isn't much else I could do to lessen my dignity."
"Even in this state, she continues to stay true to her normal behaviors... Admirable, but at a cost."
"The reason this happened is because I realized I would be eating in front of new people. It's not the most comfortable for me..."
He listened carefully, "Is there a reason for this?"
She nodded and continued to give him the TLDR version, "I've always been a bigger girl, so naturally, social standards and shitty people got to me even if I tried to shake them off. Over time, I started to fear the idea of eating in front of new people because I didn't know I could trust them to not resort to the "fat person" stereotype. Even people I thought I could trust wound up being like everybody else - Judgy and backstabbing." She paused, "I thought I let that go, but since this project started, I realized that I didn't, and I guess it kind of exploded when I realized I'd be eating here tonight."
"People can be truly disgusting, and I understand where you're coming from. It's a very unruly way to grow up and live. I had no idea you went through so much, and I sincerely apologize if there was anything I did to cause anything towards this sudden outburst. I'll make sure not to touch on it in the future."
She sighed and shakily smiled at him, "You didn't do anything, and you don't have to give me any special treatment because of it. I know you and your family are very polite and open people, so I'm not sure what I was so worried about, but I need to learn to overcome it - it's log overdue."
"That's very admirable of you, l/n," he smiled back to confirm his support.
"Thank you, but it's just a part of life. There's no way to go forward if you're facing the opposite way."
"That's absolutely correct. And knowing this is a step in the right direction."
His supportive words calmed her down immensely, leading her to do something she never could imagine herself doing just a month ago. She smiled, thanked him again, and wrapped her arms around him - allowing herself to show true vulnerability. He was surprised at first, but relaxed and reciprocated the embrace. To avoid the feeling of it being too long, y/n detached herself.
"L/n, please do not hesitate to talk to me if there's anything on your mind. I promise I'll listen and support your words."
"You're so proper dude..." She sighed, "But thank you. And the same goes to you."
Disrupting the moment, a knock was heard at the study door, opening soon after, "Dinner's ready lovebirds."
Both Iida and Y/n jerked their heads up at the door, giving the man at the door a flustered and slightly anger-filled look.
"Tensei! Miss. L/n and I are not a... couple-" the last word was a struggle for Iida to get out.
"I'm just messing with you, dude. Slow your roll... But seriously, dinner's ready."
Y/n spoke up, "Be there in a sec." Tensei nodded and left, closing the door behind him. "Do you have a mirror somewhere?"
"Yes, just in the bathroom across the hall, follow me," She did so and thanked him. Y/n glanced at herself in the mirror, making sure no makeup was running down her face and her eyes weren't too puffy to the point of being unpresentable. Luckily, there was only a slight cast of mascara under her eyes and she quickly fixed herself up, meeting up with Iida outside the door afterward. "Ready to head down?"
Y/n took a deep breath, "Yeah, I'm ready," She was determined to stay calm, and her gaze was set forward.
Iida noticed her shift in energy, and smiled at her quick switch, quite proud of her recovery. "Alright then... onwards!"
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