I’m enjoying my internship in London. It’s been helping me avoid overthinking about the future as a recent graduate.
I recently turned down a PhD opportunity, and I really hope I’m not making a mistake. I simply cannot imagine spending another four years in the same city, doing physics over and over again. I’m seriously considering pursuing a career in the field of my internship, but I’m scared I’ll be stuck in it for the rest of my life.
I have dreams unrelated to my physics degree, but having a stable job and gaining financial independence is the first fundamental step, right? How do people approach these things.
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heart-shaped locket
ship: oc x canon (Rook x Lysander)
summary: Lysander, anxious about their imminent separation, has an idea.
a/n: so. uh. this is something i briefly mentioned in their ship intro but i wanted to kind of expand on it so i wrote a small ficlet. enjoy, i guess
“Whatever’s the matter, mon coeur? You look uncharacteristically serious.”
Most people would have called Lysander serious, no matter the situation ― it was sweet that Rook could tell the difference between his usual lack of expression and an actual grave matter. It only made Lysander’s heart felt heavier.
“Oh― I―” Lysander was sure in his ideas when inviting Rook over, but now, seated on the old couch in the Ramshackle lounge, so close that their knees were touching, all the earlier confidence seemed to have fled his body.
He felt Rook’s hand on his cheek, warm and secure. He leaned into the familiar touch, more on instinct than anything else, but still refused to meet Rook's gaze.
“I so always want to hear what you have in mind.” Rook smiled. “So?”
Well. In that case, Lysander had no other choice. And besides, he knew well all of his doubts were unfounded. If anyone would like the idea, it was Rook.
“It's nothing bad or anything—” Lysander said, digging around in the pockets of his thick woolen cardigan. “It's just that… The summer holidays are almost here. And then you'll go on your internship afterwards and I'll stay here and…”
Finally, somewhere between a stray embroidery needle, some loose change, a button that he was meant to sew back to one of his blouses for forever and a crumpled note that Ace had passed him during class (a stickman drawing of Deuce half asleep on his desk), Lysander had fished out the exact thing that he was looking for.
“I just thought it would be nice to have something more, uh, physical to remember each other.”
On Lysander’s open, outstretched palm lay two identical heart-shaped necklaces. They were plain, silver in color, and clearly not bought first hand. Time had dulled the color, making it lose its shine. It was all Lysander could afford, yes, but truth be told, he liked the vintage, time-bitten aesthetic of it better. More romantic, he thought.
Rook had picked one of them up, already clearly delighted.
“Ah!” With a soft “click”, the heart locket popped open. “Now we can carry photographs of each other close to our chests. Marvellous! What a romantic idea, mon fleur!”
Lysander’s cheeks flushed pink. “Uh. Well. I mean. You can do that too if you want to but, uh, actually I had something different in mind.”
Suddenly, the dirty-gray fabric of the couch was the most interesting thing in the world to look at.
“Now you have me intrigued.”
Still not looking at Rook, from his other pocket Lysander took out his belowed pair of sewing scissors. They felt cold and heavy in his hand.
“I actually thought we could put there, uh, you know, our hair. I thought it would be sweet, to carry a part of you over my heart, no matter where I go. And… and to think that you're doing the same. That way, it's almost like we're not separated at all.”
Before Lysander ever had a chance to felt embarrassed by his words, Rook's lips were on his, kissing him breathless.
“Yes!” Rook said with all the enthusiasm only he could master. “Truly a beautiful idea, mon cheri! You really must share a part of my heart, to think of such things.”
Lysander smiled faintly. His heart was still beating like it was trying to escape his ribcage, but a sense of giddy happiness came over him. Of course his anxiety was all for nothing.
He put the scissors in Rook's hands. “Well then… you could cut mine and I could cut yours?”
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