Research On You

Chapter 4: The All Nighter

"So let me get this straight," Sera said, pointing at the whiteboard in our study room. "We have 48 hours until the draft is due. We have 30 pages to write. And we have zero motivation."

"Correct," I said, uncapping my highlighter. Pink. "Which is why we are doing an all-nighter."

Theodore, sprawled across two chairs, groaned. "An all-nighter? Reyes, it’s Tuesday."

"It’s Tuesday and Friday is the deadline," I said. "Math."

"I hate math," he said. "And I hate all-nighters."

"You love all-nighters," Cass said from the corner. "You just love complaining more."

"I love sleep," Theodore corrected. "Sleep is my love language."

"Your love language is coffee," I said without looking up.

"That too," he said. "Speaking of coffee—"

The door opened.

Rel walked in with a tray. "Emergency delivery. For my favorite thesis pair."

"Rel," I said. "You didn’t have to—"

"I did," she said. "Black, no sugar. Caramel for the clown."

She set the coffees down. "Don’t die. Text me if you do. I’ll come yell at you."

She left.

Theodore picked up the caramel coffee. "See? Even Rel knows I need sugar to function."

"Rel knows you need supervision," Sera said. "Which is why I’m staying too."

"I’m staying," Cass said.

Eli popped his head in. "I’m staying. For documentation purposes."

"Everyone’s staying," Theodore said. "Great. A party."

"A work party," I corrected. "Phones away. Laptops open. Timer starts now."

---

Hour 1: 9 PM. Productive.

We divided the work. I took literature review. Theodore took data analysis. Sera was supposed to be formatting. Cass was checking citations. Eli was taking photos "for the memories."

"This is going great," Theodore said at 9:45 PM.

"We’ve written two paragraphs," I said.

"Two very good paragraphs," he said.

Hour 3: 11 PM. The crash.

"Reyes," Theodore said.

"What."

"I’m hungry."

"We ate an hour ago."

"I’m hungry again," he said. "Research burns calories."

"Fine," I said. "Break."

We went to the vending machine. Theodore bought chips, chocolate, and two energy drinks.

"Brain food," he said.

"That’s not brain food."

"It is now," he said. "I’m redefining it."

We sat on the floor of the study room. Backs against the wall.

"You ever think about what happens after graduation?" he asked suddenly.

"What?"

"After," he said. "Jobs. Real life. No more color-coded notes."

"I think about it every day," I said. "I’m terrified."

"Why?"

"Because if I’m not in school, what am I?" I said. "I’ve been a student for so long."

Theodore nodded. "I get that. It’s like... who are you without the deadlines?"

"Exactly," I said. "Who are you?"

He shrugged. "Someone who drinks too much coffee and makes bad jokes."

"That’s not an answer."

"It’s the only one I have right now," he said. Then he smiled. "But I’m figuring it out. With you."

My heart did that stupid thing again.

"With me?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "You keep me on track. Otherwise I’d still be in bed."

"That’s not my job."

"It is now," he said. "Research spouse duties."

I threw a chip at him. "Stop calling me that."

"Never," he said. "It’s official now."

Hour 5: 1 AM. Delirious.

Sera was asleep on Cass’s shoulder. Eli was asleep on his camera.

Theodore and I were the only ones awake.

"Okay," I said, rubbing my eyes. "Final section. Discussion."

"Discussion," Theodore repeated. "The part where we pretend we know what we’re talking about."

"We do know," I said.

"Barely," he said. "But okay. Let’s do this."

We worked side by side. Shoulders touching.

Every time I typed something, he’d lean over to read it.

"Good sentence," he’d say.

"Thank you," I’d say.

At 1:45 AM, he said, "Reyes."

"Hmm?"

"You’re really smart."

"I know."

"And really pretty when you’re focused."

I stopped typing. "Did you just—"

"What?" he said, looking at his laptop. "Say smart? You are smart."

"That’s not what you said."

"Is it not?" he asked, too innocent.

"Theodore."

"Theo," he corrected. "Call me Theo."

"Theo," I said. "You said pretty."

"Did I?" he asked. "Must be the sleep deprivation. It makes me honest."

"Is that so."

"Yeah," he said. "Sleep deprivation and you. Dangerous combo."

I didn’t answer. I just kept typing. My ears were burning.

Hour 7: 3 AM. The low point.

"I can’t do this," I said, dropping my head on the table. "I’m tired."

"Me too," Theodore said. "But we’re almost done."

"We’re not almost—"

"We are," he said. "Look." He turned his laptop to me. He’d finished his section. 8 pages.

"You did that?"

"I did that," he said. "For you. And for our grade."

I stared at him. "Thank you."

"Don’t mention it," he said. "That’s what research spouses do."

He reached over and pushed my hair behind my ear. His fingers barely brushed my cheek.

I froze.

He froze.

"Sorry," he said quickly, pulling back. "You had... pen ink."

"I did not," I said.

"Right," he said. "My bad."

The room was quiet. Too quiet.

Sera snorted in her sleep.

The moment broke.

"Okay," I said. "Back to work."

"Back to work," he agreed.

But his hand was still tingling. And so was my cheek.

Hour 9: 5 AM. The finish line.

"Done," I said, hitting save. "Draft. Complete."

Theodore cheered. Too loud. Sera woke up.

"What? What happened?" she asked.

"We finished," I said.

Sera looked at the time. "At 5 AM? You maniacs."

"We’re maniacs," Theodore said, leaning back. "But we’re done maniacs."

Cass was already packing. Eli was taking one last photo.

"Group photo," Eli said. "To commemorate the crime."

We all squeezed into the frame. Me, Theodore, Sera, Cass. All tired. All messy. All smiling.

"Say research," Eli said.

"Research," we said.

The flash went off.

---

The sun was coming up when we walked out of the building.

"Now what?" Sera asked.

"Now we sleep," I said.

"Now we get breakfast," Theodore said. "Celebratory breakfast."

"It’s 5 AM," I said.

"Perfect breakfast time," he said. "Come on. My treat."

We ended up at a 24-hour diner off campus.

Pancakes. Coffee. More coffee.

"You did good," Theodore said to me across the table.

"You did good too," I said.

"We did good," he said. "Team."

"Team," I agreed.

Sera was already asleep in the booth. Cass was watching her. Eli was editing photos.

My phone buzzed.

Rel: You alive?

Me: Alive. And done.

Rel: Proud of you, kid. Come home and sleep.

Me: Will do.

Theodore saw the text. "Rel’s worried about you."

"Rel worries about everyone," I said.

"She likes you," he said. "A lot."

"She likes you too," I said.

"She does?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah," I said. "She told me. Said you have a good heart. Under all the jokes."

Theodore went quiet. "She said that?"

"She did," I said.

He looked down at his coffee. "Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing," he said. "Just... thanks for telling me."

We walked back to campus together. The others went their separate ways.

At the gate to my dorm, I stopped.

"Thanks," I said. "For tonight."

"Thanks for not letting me sleep through it," he said.

I laughed. "You would have."

"Probably," he said. "But you didn’t let me."

He was standing really close. Close enough that I could smell his coffee and his shampoo.

"So," he said. "Draft is done. What now?"

"Now we revise," I said. "And then we present. And then we graduate."

"And then?" he asked.

"And then... I don’t know," I said honestly.

"Me neither," he said. "But maybe we figure it out together."

"As research spouses?" I asked, teasing.

"As whatever we want," he said.

He reached out and bumped my shoulder with his. "Get some sleep, Reyes."

"You too, Alistair."

He turned and walked away.

I watched him until he was gone.

Back in my room, I opened my notebook.

Pink: Introduction.

Blue: Literature Review.

Yellow: Methodology.

Green: Results.

Purple: Unexpected.

Under purple:

3 AM. "You’re pretty."

Finger on my cheek.

"Figure it out together."

Breakfast at 5 AM.

All-nighter that didn’t feel like work.

I closed the notebook.

My phone buzzed.

From: Theodore Alistair

Subject: All-Nighter Report

Hours survived: 9

Pages written: 30

Times I almost fell asleep: 12

Times you saved me: 3

Times I wanted to kiss you: ...

Drafting error. Ignored.

Sleep now.

- T

I read it three times.

Then I deleted the email.

But I remembered every word.

---

Two days later. Presentation of the draft.

We were ready. Tired, but ready.

Professor Celes looked over our paper. "This is excellent work. Both of you."

"Thank you, ma'am," we said.

After class, Sera tackled me in a hug. "YOU DID IT"

"We did it," I said.

Theodore was talking to Cass. Laughing.

Eli showed me the photo from the all-nighter. All of us, exhausted, but happy.

"This is the one," Eli said. "This is the thesis photo."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because," Eli said. "You can see it. That you care. About the work. About each other."

I didn’t know what to say.

That night, I got a text.

Theo: Hey.

Theo: Just checking. Did you sleep?

Me: Yes. Did you?

Theo: Eventually.

Theo: Hey, Reyes?

Me: What?

Theo: Nothing. Just wanted to say your name.

Theo: Good night.*

I didn’t sleep for a long time after that.

END OF CHAPTER 4