Your eyes are locked on them as they walk towards you both giggling. They slide into the seats in front of you. āSurprise!ā Sally chirped. āAxlās joining us.ā
your mouth hangs open eyes darting between the two, "When did this" you gesture between the two. "happen?!" Sally sends you a warning look.
"This morning, but we've been talking for a while" she turns to axl a flirty smile on her face as they share a kiss.
"Really?"you quickly correct yourself, "I mean, really I had no idea."
"Yeah, Sally wanted to keep in on the down low" Axl answers. You feel the smart remark clawing its way up your throat, something about secrets, or how ādown lowā isnāt exactly Sallyās specialty but you bite it back. Hard. Instead, you nod. Smile. Pretend your brain isnāt short-circuiting. Because apparently, this is happening.
From that moment on, Axl was everywhere. At your locker. At your lunch table. At Sallyās house when you came over to study. And every time, he found a way to annoy you.
You drop your tray onto the lunch table and glance around, confused.
Sallyās usually here first, claiming the good seat, unpacking her snacks like sheās hosting a picnic. But today? Nothing. No texts. No dramatic entrance. Before you text her, Axl plops down right next to you. Thigh touching yours as he leans over to steal a fry from your plate.
You glare, āWhat are you doing?ā
"Sallys got an impromptu tutoring session" he grabs another fry dodging your hand as you try to take it back.
"Would you stop eating my fries, and give me a little air to breathe" You scoot half an inch away. He scoots half an inch closer.
"Sally said I should keep you company"
"By company i don't think she meant you sitting in my lap eating my food." he laughs a large smile on his face as he leans in elbow on the table, chin in hand.
āYouāre dramatic.ā
āYouāre invasive.ā
"I'll grow on you"
"Doubt it", grabbing a handful of fries to keep him from eating anymore. He was still watching you, too close grinning like he's winning.
You were just getting used to Axl being around when Sally broke up with him. It was simple no drama at least that was she said. you didn't ask for details, just relieved.
Until the sleepover, you were curled up on her bed, face mask on, popcorn in hand, when she dropped the bomb.
āSo you and Axlā¦ā
You choked on a kernel. āWhat.ā
She grinned. āCome on. The two of you are just burning with sexual tension.ā
You grimaced. āWhat on earth are you insinuating.ā
She laughed. āEw, relax. Iām not saying youāre in love or anything. Iām just saying⦠maybe you should jump on that.ā
You stared at her like she had a third head. āSally. Thatās your ex.ā you explain slowly, as if she forgot.
She waved a hand. āBarely. Axlās more of a rite of passage than a real relationship. Everyone dates him once. Itās like a school tradition.ā You threw a pillow at her, she just laughs. You just hope she doesn't notice your red face.
You thought that with him and Sally broken up you'd see him less. Yet here he is leaning against your locker. āHey, sunshine.ā
You didnāt look up, hiding your smile. āGo away.ā
"I'm sure you already know about me and Sally" you turn to him books in hand. You did feel a little bad for him, though he didn't seem all that bent out of shape
"Yeah she told me, guess that means you'll be leaving me alone now" he laughs leaning in closer towards you.
"In your dreams, you're way too much fun to play with" you shut your locker turning away from Axl. He followed you much to your delight. You head toward class, pretending not to notice the way his footsteps match yours.
The tension continued to grow between the two of you. Till eventually it all boiled over one random tuesday. Axl was waiting for you by your locker a new habit of his.
āYou coming to the game this Friday?ā he asked, trying to sound casual. His heart was pounding.
You stuffed books into your locker, not looking at him. āYeah. Sally loves to dress up for the themes.ā He nodded, face turning a little red as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
āCool. So youāll be there.ā You finally looked at him, noticing just how nervous he was acting.
āWhatās up with you?ā
āNothing,ā he said quickly. āI just thought⦠if youāre going to be there, maybe we could meet up after the game. Get some food or something?ā
His eyes were downcast.
āAre you asking me on a date?ā You couldnāt help the teasing lilt in your voice.
āDepends on your answer,ā he said, trying to sound smooth but failing.
āIād love to,ā you said.
Then you leaned in and kissed himāquick, sure, like youād been waiting for the moment to arrive. His eyes widened. Then he smiled. And for once, he didnāt say anything clever.
It was perfect weather to stay inside. The blizzard had started only an hour ago, but already a foot of snow blanketed the streets like a thick, suffocating quilt. You had no intention of going outānone. Yet here you were, slipping on a third coat, and a pair of gloves, as you muttered curses under your breath. All because your dork of a boyfriend texted you: āHeaterās broken. Iām freezing to death. If I die, know that I love you.ā
āso dramatic.ā you had thought. Yet, being the loving girlfriend you were, you grabbed every blanket you could carryāplus a few extra sweaters and headed toward the Heck house. The usual five-minute walk turned into ten, your boots disappearing into the snow, your nose turning a cartoonish shade of red. By the time you reached their porch, you were shivering so hard your teeth practically rattled.
Mrs. Heck opened the door with a gasp, immediately ushering you inside. āWhat on earth are you doing walking out in that?ā she exclaimed, eyes wide with concern.
You just chuckled, lifting your armful of blankets and sweaters in explanation. āEmergency blanket delivery. ā She thanked you, already shouting for Axl as she took the pile from your arms. The rest of the Hecks descended like vultures, grabbing blankets with greedy hands, wrapping themselves in layers like it was the end of days.
Axl came trotting from the back, his comforter wrapped tightly around him like a burrito. āWhat?ā he groaned, clearly annoyed at being dragged from the warmth of his bed. But the moment he saw you, his expression softened. That sweet, sleepy smileāreserved just for youāspread across his face.
āHey, baby,ā he murmured, stepping forward and enveloping you in his cocoon. You melted into him, pressing a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw, your fingers slipping beneath the edge of his blanket to find the warmth of his skin.
Frankie, the only one paying attention, smiled knowingly at the two of you. āYou guys are so cute,ā she gushed.
āMom,ā Axl groaned, face flushing. āLetās go back to my bed.ā Axl whispered, lips brushing your ear. The two of you waddled awkwardly down the hallway, still wrapped in his blanket cocoon, bumping into walls and each other. You collapsed onto his bed in a heap, bouncing off the mattress as giggles spilled from your lips.
You position yourself on top of him, your bright red nose grazing his. His arms tighten around your waist. āYouāre insane,ā he murmured, brushing snowflakes from your hair. āComing out in that storm for me.ā
You shrugged, fingers tracing the edge of his jaw. āYou said you were freezing to death. I figured Iād save your life.ā
He grinned, leaning in until his lips brushed yours. āGuess I should repay you then.ā His lips found yoursāwarm, slow, and lazy at first. But then he deepened the kiss, pulling you closer until the blankets tightened around you both. His hand slipped beneath your layers, palm flat against your back, fingers splaying despertate to touch as much of you as he could.
āYou still cold?,ā you question against his mouth.
āFreezing,ā he breathed, voice low and teasing. You smile, pressing into him, your hands sliding beneath his shirt. His skin was warm despite his words, and he shivered not from the cold, but from your touch. You kissed down his neck, slow and deliberate, leaving a trail of heat in your wake.
Axl groaned, tugging you closer until you were pinned against him, the blankets forming a makeshift tent around your bodies. āThis is the best kind of rescue,ā he muttered, eyes half-lidded, hands roaming beneath your sweaters. You laughed softly, breath hitching as his fingers found bare skin. āIām lucky to have such a sweet girl,ā he says, pulling you down for another kissāthis one deeper, hungrier, like he was trying to chase away every ounce of cold between the two of you.
Outside, the blizzard raged. Inside, it was all heat, tangled limbs, and whispered promises.His hand slid lower, teasing the waistband of your sweats, and you gasped, fingers curling into his curls. āAxl,ā you moaned, your voice barely audible over the pounding of your heart.
āHmm?ā he hummed, lips trailing down your throat.
āWere going to get caughtā, honestly you're surprised you've gotten this much time alone. In the heck house someone was always barging in on the two of you. Whether it be brick looking for a bookāsue wanting advice or Frankie telling you and Axl she's not ready to be a grandmother. The last one was a particularly embarrassing moment.
He paused, blinking up at you. āNah. Everyoneās too busy fighting over blankets.ā You opened your mouth to respondāonly to be interrupted by the creak of the door.
āHey, do you guys wantāOH MY GOD.ā
It was Sue. Her eyes went wide, her voice pitching into a squeak as she slammed the door shut with a panicked yelp.You froze, face buried in Axlās chest, mortified. He just laughed, muffled against your hair. āWell, thatās one way to warm up.ā
You groaned. āEverytime.ā when will the two of you learn?
āEh,ā he shrugged, pulling you closer. āWorth it.ā
A beat passed. Then the door creaked open againājust a crack. āMoms making coco if you want some.ā Sueās voice was strained, like she was trying not to cry or laugh.
āGot it,ā Axl called back, completely unfazed. āThanks, Sue!ā
You buried your face deeper into his chest. āI do want coca.ā you voice into his chest. He just smiles the two of you waddling out of the room to get your coco ready to face the looks of the family. The two of you really have no shame.
Your eyes are locked on them as they walk towards you both giggling. They slide into the seats in front of you. āSurprise!ā Sally chirped. āAxlās joining us.ā
your mouth hangs open eyes darting between the two, "When did this" you gesture between the two. "happen?!" Sally sends you a warning look.
"This morning, but we've been talking for a while" she turns to axl a flirty smile on her face as they share a kiss.
"Really?"you quickly correct yourself, "I mean, really I had no idea."
"Yeah, Sally wanted to keep in on the down low" Axl answers. You feel the smart remark clawing its way up your throat, something about secrets, or how ādown lowā isnāt exactly Sallyās specialty but you bite it back. Hard. Instead, you nod. Smile. Pretend your brain isnāt short-circuiting. Because apparently, this is happening.
From that moment on, Axl was everywhere. At your locker. At your lunch table. At Sallyās house when you came over to study. And every time, he found a way to annoy you.
You drop your tray onto the lunch table and glance around, confused.
Sallyās usually here first, claiming the good seat, unpacking her snacks like sheās hosting a picnic. But today? Nothing. No texts. No dramatic entrance. Before you text her, Axl plops down right next to you. Thigh touching yours as he leans over to steal a fry from your plate.
You glare, āWhat are you doing?ā
"Sallys got an impromptu tutoring session" he grabs another fry dodging your hand as you try to take it back.
"Would you stop eating my fries, and give me a little air to breathe" You scoot half an inch away. He scoots half an inch closer.
"Sally said I should keep you company"
"By company i don't think she meant you sitting in my lap eating my food." he laughs a large smile on his face as he leans in elbow on the table, chin in hand.
āYouāre dramatic.ā
āYouāre invasive.ā
"I'll grow on you"
"Doubt it", grabbing a handful of fries to keep him from eating anymore. He was still watching you, too close grinning like he's winning.
You were just getting used to Axl being around when Sally broke up with him. It was simple no drama at least that was she said. you didn't ask for details, just relieved.
Until the sleepover, you were curled up on her bed, face mask on, popcorn in hand, when she dropped the bomb.
āSo you and Axlā¦ā
You choked on a kernel. āWhat.ā
She grinned. āCome on. The two of you are just burning with sexual tension.ā
You grimaced. āWhat on earth are you insinuating.ā
She laughed. āEw, relax. Iām not saying youāre in love or anything. Iām just saying⦠maybe you should jump on that.ā
You stared at her like she had a third head. āSally. Thatās your ex.ā you explain slowly, as if she forgot.
She waved a hand. āBarely. Axlās more of a rite of passage than a real relationship. Everyone dates him once. Itās like a school tradition.ā You threw a pillow at her, she just laughs. You just hope she doesn't notice your red face.
You thought that with him and Sally broken up you'd see him less. Yet here he is leaning against your locker. āHey, sunshine.ā
You didnāt look up, hiding your smile. āGo away.ā
"I'm sure you already know about me and Sally" you turn to him books in hand. You did feel a little bad for him, though he didn't seem all that bent out of shape
"Yeah she told me, guess that means you'll be leaving me alone now" he laughs leaning in closer towards you.
"In your dreams, you're way too much fun to play with" you shut your locker turning away from Axl. He followed you much to your delight. You head toward class, pretending not to notice the way his footsteps match yours.
The tension continued to grow between the two of you. Till eventually it all boiled over one random tuesday. Axl was waiting for you by your locker a new habit of his.
āYou coming to the game this Friday?ā he asked, trying to sound casual. His heart was pounding.
You stuffed books into your locker, not looking at him. āYeah. Sally loves to dress up for the themes.ā He nodded, face turning a little red as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
āCool. So youāll be there.ā You finally looked at him, noticing just how nervous he was acting.
āWhatās up with you?ā
āNothing,ā he said quickly. āI just thought⦠if youāre going to be there, maybe we could meet up after the game. Get some food or something?ā
His eyes were downcast.
āAre you asking me on a date?ā You couldnāt help the teasing lilt in your voice.
āDepends on your answer,ā he said, trying to sound smooth but failing.
āIād love to,ā you said.
Then you leaned in and kissed himāquick, sure, like youād been waiting for the moment to arrive. His eyes widened. Then he smiled. And for once, he didnāt say anything clever.
Prompt: my favourite (and only) axl heck writer!! i've been dying for more fics from u. may we get an axl heck fic where the reader isn't the usual popular blonde he goes for? but they have greattt banter š please and thank you!!! - anon
~ā ~ā¤ļø~ā¦~
āLeft foot red,ā
āSo all your friends,ā Axl snickered, mouth full of halfāchewed burger.
Sue immediately whined, and just like that, the bickering begun again. āAxl, be nice to Sue,ā Frankie lectured, her eyes returning to Sue with that soothing smile sheād perfected over the years. āSure, Sue. You know I never mind Carly spending the night.ā
āItās not Carly. Youāve never met her, sheās in my music class.ā
Axl started laughing again. āBet sheās imaginary.ā This time Frankie smacked Mike to deal with the boy, which led Mike to smack Axl over the head.
āLeave your sister alone,ā Mike muttered, eyes drifting back to the TV in the other room.
Axl rubbed the back of his head. āHey, you know Iām right,ā he grumbled, stuffing more food into his mouth.
āSo⦠can I?ā Sue asked again, eyes wide and pleading.
āOf course. I canāt wait to meet this new friend of yours.ā Frankie shared a tiny look with Mike ā the kind that said please let this one be normal, because Sueās friends tended to be⦠unique.
---
Sue was buzzing as she opened the door. She couldnāt wait to rub it in Axlās face that you were, in fact, real. You trailed behind her, chuckling as she presented you to her mom as though you were a novelty. āThis is my friend!ā she cheered, jazz hands shaking in your direction to emphasize how real you truly were to Axl. You gave them both a little wave.
āThank you for letting me stay over,ā you said to Mrs. Heck, and she smiled brightly you seemed normal.
āOf course, dear. You girls just let me know if thereās anything you need.ā Sue nodded, grabbing your arm and pulling you toward her room. She shut the door behind her and hopped onto her bed with a squeal. You followed, dropping your bag to the floor.
āSooo, what do you want to do first?ā you asked, an amused smile crossing your face as Sue pulled out a piece of paper. You barely caught a glimpse of the glittery words scribbled across it.
āI made a list of mustādos,ā she beamed. You chuckled, scooting closer so you could read it.
One: Makeovers
Two: Snacks
Three: Movie
The list went on, and the more you read, the more excited you got.
āI hope you left room for the best sleepover game ever!ā you said, reaching into your bag and pulling out a yellowing box, the bright red letters giving away the surprise. āTwister!ā you added, glancing down at the game fondly.
āI can add that between eight and nine,ā she said quickly, scribbling it in before setting the paper aside.
Two hours passed. Youād curled Sueās hair with a curling iron most likely older than both of you. You covered her eyelids in bright blue from a makeup palette sheād gotten last Christmas.
When you finished her she began your makeover.Instead of curling your hair, Sue braided it and pinned it back into a neat halfāup, halfādown style. Your eyes were surrounded by bright pink. The two of you giggled as you admired yourselves in the mirror. āNow that weāve made each other over, want to make brownies?ā
āThat sounds amazing,ā Sue said, leading you out of her room and straight to the kitchen. Passing the boys on the sofa, none of them looked up. Mrs. Heck was the complete opposite, she perked up immediately, dropping her magazine to join you in the kitchen.
āWell, donāt you girls look nice.ā Sue smiled as she dug through the pantry, pulling out a box of brownie mix.
āYou two making brownies?ā Mrs. Heck asked.
āYep! Worked up an appetite giving each other makeovers,ā you said, reading the back of the box while Sue gathered ingredients. Mrs. Heck nodded, a smile much like Sueās on her face, before returning to her magazine.
Just as you and Sue started mixing the ingredients, Mrs. Heck called out hurriedly, āDonāt forget the blankets in the oven!ā Sue nodded quickly, removing them while you watched in amusement.
āMy mom keeps our pans in ours,ā you told her, pouring the mixture into the pan. With the brownies in the oven, you and Sue returned to her room, laughter filling the space as you painted each otherās nails ā the perfect finishing touch to your makeover.
Just as the polish set, the oven dinged. You both hurried back to the kitchen. With oven mitts on, you gently set the brownies on the counter. They were still steaming when Axl strolled in shirtless, wearing only his boxers, scratching his stomach and stretching like a cat waking from a nap.
āAxl, where are your clothes?ā Mrs. Heck gasped, both scandalized and exasperated.
āIām at home. Why do I need to be dressed?ā he called back, not looking at her, eyes locked on the brownies. His hand reached out to grab one, but before he could, you smacked it away. His eyes widened,āhey!ā he yelped, making Sue chuckle and even earning a small smile from Mrs. Heck.
āDo you not see the steam? Youāll burn yourself,ā you scolded.
Axl pouted, plopping down on the barstool across from you. āIāve had hotter,ā he grumbled.You rolled your eyes and cut the brownies into even squares. You placed two on a paper towel and slid them across the counter.
āHere. But donāt blame me if you burn your tongue.ā
He perked up, surprised, grabbing the paper towel. Taking a large bite, he whimpered slightly as the heat hit his tongue. He schooled his expression, refusing to let you win ; though the smile on your face told him you knew the truth.
āHow is it?ā you asked, leaning across the counter.
āGood. Really good,ā he muttered between mouthfuls. You chuckle, your attention shifted back to the brownies, plating the rest so Sue could distribute them to the family.
āMovie time!ā Sue cheered, catching Axlās attention.
āHey! Weāre already watching something. You canāt just swoop in and steal the TV,ā Axl complained though he definitely meant to sound tougher than he did.
āDonāt worry, I brought my DVD player, so you wonāt be forced to watch Twilight,ā you called out, grabbing your brownies.
Hours later, after finishing Twilight and New Moon, you and Sue decided it was time for Twister. You grabbed the box, and the two of you moved to the living room; Sueās room was too small. Mr. and Mrs. Heck had gone to bed, leaving only Brick and Axl on the couch. Axl didnāt pay you any mind until you were spreading the mat on the floor.
He sat up. āDo you guys mind?ā
āHere,ā you said, pushing the spinner wheel into his hands. He took it purely out of surprise.
āHey, Iām not playing.ā
āI know. Youāre in charge of spinning the wheel.ā You could see him about to protest, so you cut him off. āHey, me and Sue shared our brownies with you.ā Usually Axl would argue more, but for some reason he just grumbled, laying the spinner flat against his stomach.
āLeft foot red,ā he announced and when you smiled at him while stepping onto the dot, he smiled back, his attention no longer on the TV.
CW/TW: reader has hair, embarrassing situations, bantering/fighting, mentions of food, mentions of drowning, Axl being Axl, Axl being a freak (just for a lil moment), s3 Axl, angst, English is not my first language, no use of Y/N, lmk if Iām missing anything š
A/N: Part three is finally outtt!! Iām so sorry if this took too long, I had terrible writerās block and I had no idea what to write š I got carried away with the Axl angst so lmk if you like it or if it was too much (or out of character because thatās literally my biggest fear). Also, Iād love feedback on my writing in general, I feel like Iām too descriptive at times with things that arenāt really important and idk if you guys like that, last thing I wanna do is bore you!! Tysm to everyone who voted in the poll I published, the two winners were cheerleading and theater, in this chapter I only mention cheerleading, but dw, weāll get to theater soon (Iām a theater kid, you guys made me so happy š„¹). As always, follows, likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated š
WC: 5.8k
Your eyes scanned the bleachers, already filled with students and parents settling into their places, most dressed in the schoolās characteristic baby blue color. Some others wore orange and black. The rival team, you guessed.
Finally, your eyes landed on an empty space somewhere between the third and fifth row, big enough for you to not be too close to a stranger but small enough that your lack of company wasn't particularly noticeable.
Muttering a few sheepish apologies to the people you accidentally bumped into while trying to get through the crowded space, you made your way to where youād decided youād be watching the game.
It was especially embarrassing to apologize after you accidentally touched an old ladyās butt with your elbow.
Just another thing to add to the list of not-so-great things thatād happened on your not-so-great day.
For some reason, today, your movements were notably clumsy, resulting in things like knocking over your breakfast plate, crushing your pinkie finger when you slammed your lockerās door, and burning your ear with the hair straightener when you were doing your hair.
Worst one was when you dropped your brand new, straight out of the package, Blackberry Bold 9900 onto the sidewalk.
Luckily, it only got a small scratch on the upper right corner.
All those tragedies and add the frizziness of your hair you couldnāt manage to get rid off no matter how hard you tried, consequence of the unusually humid weather.
It was still summer, and although the past days had been quite hot, today, the soft blue of the sky was hidden under gray, puffy clouds.
It was as if you were the main character of a movie where the atmosphere is set to reflect your moods and feelings.
Maybe you were something like Truman Burbank.
You were startled out of your conspiranoid thoughts when you felt someone abruptly sitting down on the empty space to your right, not close enough for their skin to be touching yours but close enough that you felt a few strands of hair tingling your shoulder.
Your head was turning to look at the person on your side before you could actually think about it. It was an automatic reaction.
Safe to say, you were met with a really pretty sight.
Sitting beside you, was a girl with gorgeous auburn hair ādefinitely styledā, hazel eyes enhanced by a very dark mascara, golden hoops adorned her ears, and lips so shiny you were sure that gloss was uncomfortably sticky.
The brunette seemed to sense your staring, so she turned her head to look at you, legs crossed, left palm flat against the bench, and chin resting on her shoulder.
She didnāt smile, didnāt say āhiā, didnāt give any other sign of acknowledgment other than holding your gaze.
It was impossible to deny that her actions made you feel a little bit intimidated, or more like embarrassed from being caught staring, but you knew you couldnāt afford to look away. Doing so would only make the situation worse for you, youād probably come off as a socially awkward loser.
So, you held her gaze back.
Though you tried to appear confident, inside, your mind was scrambling for something to say, anything to break the silence. Although, surprisingly, said silence wasnāt as uncomfortable as you would expect it to be.
Before your brain could come up with anything, the girl spoke.
āYouāre new.ā
Straight to the point, you appreciated that.
āI am,ā you shrugged, trying to seem as casual as possible, āmoved into town with my family this summer.ā
āThatās weird,ā her brows furrowed, āwhy would anyone want to move into this boring ass town?ā
That made you snort. Orson wasnāt the worst place in the world, but it would be a shameless lie to say it was even slightly interesting.
āRude,ā you huffed, finally tearing your gaze away from hers and directing it back to the field, āitās been my dream since I was a little girl.ā
It wasnāt. Your tone made that very clear.
That pulled a laugh out of her, and it made you smile. The slight tension that was there just a few seconds ago dissipated into the air and drifted away with the wind.
āIām Hannah,ā she finally said, and you gave her your name in return.
She seemed to notice your eyes searching the field in which the players from both teams were already scattered around, and you didnāt have to see her face as she spoke to know that she was smirking.
āWho did you come to see?ā she teased.
You quickly caught on to what she was implying, and with the most serious tone you could manage, you responded āThe referee.ā
Her eyes landed on the absurdly short, bald man in the middle of the field, and you were sure she could break a record with the amount of emotions that flashed through her expression in a matter of milliseconds.
God, you tried, you really tried, but you couldnāt help the loud laugh that left your body at her expression of pure disgust, āYou really thought I was serious?!ā you said, almost offended that sheād believe that.
āYou scared the shit outta me,ā she huffed with an eyeroll.
āWho did you come to see?ā you decided to tease back.
āNo one in particular,ā she shrugged, unbothered, āI never really get to actually watch the games.ā
That made your eyes furrow in curiosity, āWhy not?ā
āIām on the cheerleading team,ā she started to explain, āweāre usually down there on the field⦠well, cheering, obviously. But, for some reason, the football season started earlier than usual this year, and since weāre short on members because of all the girls that graduated last semester and the fact that tryouts arenāt until next week, we get to sit on the benches this time.ā
You nodded in understanding, but before you could respond to anything sheād said, Hannah spoke again.
āYou should try out for the cheer team.ā
That caught you by surprise, you knew cheerleading was an option for an extracurricular, but you hadnāt actually considered it. You hadnāt considered any option, youād been too lazy these days. It didnāt seem like a bad idea, though.
āHm, you think?ā you questioned curiously.
Hannah simply nodded, āWeāre trying to expand our members this year, something about making more complex and fun cheers⦠or whatever the captain said,ā she scoffed.
You just let out a small laugh at her tone. Hannah was a bit grumpy, it wasnāt hard to notice, but she was also really honest, and she had that sarcastic humor that you found really funny. She seemed awfully cool, too.
āThatās actually a good idea, I really am in a time crunch to choose both an elective and an extracurricularāā you didnāt get to finish what you were saying, words abruptly cut off by the loud cheering of the people around you.
Thatās when you realized youād been so immersed in the conversation that you didnāt even notice when the gameād started.
Hannah stood up to cheer along everyone else, and even though you didnāt know what had happened, you mimicked her actions.
Peer pressure is a strong force, you thought.
āWaitā what happened?ā you asked, raising your voice so she could hear you through the sounds of clapping and whistling.
Hannah continued clapping, leaning closer to your ear to answer, āNumber 32.ā
Your eyes automatically searched for the player sheād referred to, trying to focus on the numbers on each of the playersā white and blue jerseys.
Finally, you caught sight of who youād been looking for; he was holding the ovoid to his chest with both arms, body laying against the grass of the end zone, legs sprawled in a way that indicated that heād thrown himself directly into the ground to achieve the touchdown.
The name above the number on the back of his jersey read āHeckā.
Before you had time to process if that was the Heck boy you were familiar with āthe one in your class, the one who lived in the same neighborhood youād moved intoā, he was already standing up.
The boy took off his helmet to celebrate as his teammates surrounded him, and you got a clear view of his appearance.
His dark brown, wavy hair was messy from the helmet, youāre not entirely sure if thatās important to note since itās always kinda messy, the ends of the front strands clinged to his forehead and temples due to the sheet of sweat that was covering his face, his cheeks were flushed, and even through the heavy pants he took as he tried to steady his breathing, he wore a proud smile.
Axl had a really pretty smile, probably the prettiest youād ever seen.
You would never say that out loud, though. You werenāt even sure how or why youād noticed.
āI didnāt know he played football,ā you said without really thinking about it, taking your seat again as the cheers began to die down.
āHeck?ā Hanna sat next to you, āHeās the best player of the team, you know him?ā
You simply shrugged.
āWe share most of our classes, but weāve never actually talked.ā
āReally?ā she sounded almost amused, āIām surprised he hasnāt tried flirting with you, youāre a pretty girl.ā
You couldnāt help but feel flustered at her compliment, but you played it off as smoothly as you could.
āIs he really that much of a flirt?ā you asked. Although, you kinda already knew the answer to that.
Among the many things youād noticed about Axl Heck in the short time youād known him ālike his dramatic nature and his weird answers in class that had you wondering if he should be applauded for creativity or mocked for stupidityā, was that he was a ladies man.
Or at least he attempted to be.
Surprisingly, or maybe not that much, girls at school seemed to dig his superb intelligence. You had to hear him flirt back and forth with the girls in your class, shooting winks and sly smirks. Youād also seen him in the hallways, the lockers, or practically anywhere in school, each time with a different girl.
Hannah scoffed, āI think even Darrin in a bikini would do it for him,ā she rolled her eyes.
āEw,ā you winced, āget that image out of my mind!ā
āIām serious,ā Hannah defended, although her smile hinted she was not that serious, āHim, Darrin, and Sean once sent this girl a picture of them hugging. Naked.ā
āWHAT,ā you almost yelled, āWhy would they do that?!ā you broke into a fit of laughter, the mental image was too ridiculous.
You werenāt sure if it was because the mere memory of it was too funny or maybe your laughter was just contagious, but Hannah started laughing with you.
āAnd it was Valentineās day!ā she added through a cackle.
The audience watched with concentration and anticipation as the offensive players positioned themselves for their next play, and then there was you and Hannah, two girls in the middle of the bleachers laughing loudly about something the rest of the people around had no idea about.
You were sure the both of you were getting some judgy looks, maybe a few glares, but you couldnāt bring yourself to care. Because, weirdly enough, the sun began to shine.
In a day that had been all dark clouds and cold breezes, somewhere between 6 and 7 p.m., the clouds parted, and sun rays made their way through the space theyād left cleared.
And you, after weeks of spending your days alone, had finally found a friend.
Or a potential friend, at least. Donāt want to rush things.
āI actually know Sean,ā you started, trying to regain your breath after laughing so hard, āHe invited me to this like start-of-the-season party. I figured that if I was gonna attend that, I should also watch the game. Thatās why Iām here,ā you finally explained.
Hannah nodded, also coming back from her own fit of giggles, āYeah, the Donahues do that every year,ā she breathed, ātheyāre like super nice. Overly nice. I donāt know how they do it, I could never,ā she frowned from just imagining it.
āAre you going to that too?ā you asked her.
āYeah, want me to drive you?ā
ā¦
You stepped out of the car, thanking the universe and all the gods above because youād made it to your destination live.
For a girl so sophisticated, Hannah drove like a psycho.
The dents on her silver Mercedes shouldāve been a warning.
The both of you walked up to the front door. Hannahās hands were busy holding her car keys and the two iced lattes youād gotten on the way to the Donahueās, yours were occupied by a quite large box of baked goods.
Seanās invitation had been really kind, and you were taught to never arrive somewhere with empty hands.
So, you did what you know best: baking.
This time youād made cherry turnovers and packed them in a rectangular, brown box adorned with a bow tied with two ribbons āone blue and one whiteā.
You were really feeling the schoolās spirit.
They were easy to bake and the decoration wasnāt elaborate, so you figured it was the better option. You could make a ton of them for everyone whoād be at the party to enjoy, and to show your gratitude to the Donahues.
Hannah didnāt bother with knocking on the door, she just turned the handle with her elbow āthe door was already unlockedā and walked right in without a care in the world, like this was her own home. You simply followed her in.
Nancy Donahue was in the kitchen, preparing what you were pretty sure was homemade lemonade. As soon as her eyes landed on you and the brunette beside you, a beaming smile popped into her expression.
āHi, my girls!ā she made her way towards you with open arms, Hannah was the first to return her hug, āOh, Hannah, I feel like I havenāt seen you in so long,ā she fake-pouted, āYou look a little different,ā her eyes squinting to inspect whatād changed.
āHey, Nancy,ā Hannah greeted back, āYeah, I dyed it a little bit darker last timeā
āOh, I can see,ā Nancy nodded, āYou look amazing, beautiful as always!ā she beamed.
Then she turned to you, and you had to hold back a laugh at the way she pretended not to notice the box in your hands.
āOh, and you, itās so nice that youāre here,ā she pulled you in for a tight hug and you tried your best to hold the box with just one hand to return her hug and avoid the cherry-filled pastries to crush between your bodies, āSean told me he was inviting you, Iām really glad you came.ā
āWell, of course I did,ā you smiled as she finally let you free from the tight embrace she had you in, āThank you so much for the invitation, I brought these,ā you held out the box in your hands for her to take.
You were 100% sure that Hannah was fighting as hard as you were to bite back a laugh when Nancy pretended to be surprised as she took the box from you.
āOh God, you didnāt have to,ā she placed a hand over her heart, like this was the most thoughtful gift sheād ever gotten, āThis is so sweet of you, I didnāt even notice youād brought something.ā
Lie. That was an absolute lie, but you let her have it. It was a funny lie. Maybe she really enjoyed the cupcakes youād made weeks ago and she was just excited for another sweet treat.
āYou girls go outside, everyone your age is in the backyard,ā she offered, āthereās food if youāre feeling hungry, and Iām almost done with the lemonade,ā she smiled proudly, āGo have funā Oh, and donāt forget to congratulate the boys on their win, it was amazing!ā
With a final wave to Nancy, Hannah and you made your way to the back door, walking past a bunch of adults who you assumed were the parents of the football team players.
As you stepped into the backyard, you took the view in. White fairy lights hanging from one tree to another sparkled against the now darker sky, a rectangular pool in the middle of the green, freshly mown grass, a large table covered with a gray and white checkered tablecloth, and on top of it: paper plates, red plastic cups, and snacks like chips, dips and some fruit.
You saw a couple of familiar faces scattered around the place. There were many boys with their hair slightly damp, you figured they were the players after showering and changing into more casual clothes.
āSo, youāve already met Nancy,ā Hannah spoke beside you.
āYeah, weāre neighbors, I guess it was inevitable,ā you said, not feeling like explaining the hand out of cupcakes youād done when youād just gotten here.
āIt is,ā she confirmed, āOrson is such a small town,ā Hannah huffed, āand, well, the Donahues are⦠the Donahues.ā
āIāve known them since we were little kids āeveryone knows everyone around hereā, our parents are good friends and they would like host barbecues on Sundays. Iāve spent a lot of time in this backyard.ā
āThat sounds nice, like a core childhood memory.ā
Hannah opened her mouth to respond āsomething sarcastic, youād betā but she held back whatever she was going to say when she spotted someone a few steps away from where you were both standing.
You followed her gaze to land on a boy leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. He was tall, dark skinned and quite muscular.
A teasing smile made its way to your face.
āIs that who you went to see?ā you nudged her with your shoulder.
āShut up,ā she whisper-yelled but the smile she tried to hold back didnāt go unnoticed by you. āYes,ā she admitted with a sigh.
āGo talk to him,ā you encouraged her, nodding your head towards him.
She seemed to consider it for a moment before answering, āI donāt want to leave you alone.ā
Excuses, excuses.
āOh, cāmon,ā you rolled your eyes, āIāll manage, just go talk to him for a bit, Iāll wait.ā
āAre you sure?ā
āYeah, I can entertain myself,ā you assured her.
With that, she finally looked convinced, nodding to herself as if she was preparing for battle.
āHow do I look?ā she asked, turning to face you.
āYour hair flattened out,ā you winced.
āWHAT?ā she panicked.
āIām kidding, Iām kidding! Sorry,ā you giggled, āYou look good, just go, go, go.ā
āYou keep scaring me!ā and with that, she finally walked away, heading towards the boy that had her heart skipping beats.
From your spot, you watched as she approached him, and when he caught sight of her, his eyes lightened up and a flirty smirk made itself present on its lips. As they started chatting, Hannah twirled her hair with her finger and you saved that sight to tease her later.
Assuming itād be a while until Hannah decided to end the conversation with her loverboy and come back to keep you company, you started considering ways to pass the time.
You scanned the field searching for Sean; you needed to say hi and maybe you could talk to him while Hannah came back. He was nowhere to be found, though.
He was the host after all, maybe he was busy helping Nancy or greeting people inside.
In the end, you simply decided to get a snack.
Grabbing a white paper plate, you stared at the different options that sat on the table in front of you. Ultimately deciding on some classic salt chips and some freshly cut strawberries with chocolate drizzled on top.
Once youād placed what you wanted on your plate, you turned around to look for a spot where you could sit while you ate, but instead of that, your eyes found the boy you were looking for just five minutes ago.
Without paying attention to your surroundings, you started walking towards him.
Bad, bad decision.
Remember the clumsiness youād been a victim of all day? And remember all those unfortunate accidents thatād happened because of it?
Apparently, in the last hours, youād gotten too confident in your luck, and the universe decided to put you back in your place.
You didnāt have time to react to or even notice the boy running full speed in the same direction you were walking in. You, obviously, didnāt have time to move your feet away from the edge of the pool either.
The impact happened too fast, you stumbled and tried to regain your balance but your attempt was futile.
You looked around to see if there was someone who could help you, but everyone was too busy with their own thing to notice what was happening.
Except for a certain boy, who only stared at you with wide eyes and āwhat you assumed wasā a shocked expression.
He was what was closest to you, so you stretched out your arm to reach him and gripped his shirt so that you could hold on to him and stay on land, nice and dry.
That didnāt happen, of course.
He fell into the pool with you.
You felt the shivering sensation of cold water against your skin as you fell deeper into the pool, your eyes closed and holding your breath so that the chlorine-filled liquid didnāt get inside your nose.
Once you couldnāt go any deeper and the laws of physics started pushing you towards the surface again, you couldnāt help but worry about the boy youād accidentally pulled into this embarrassing mess with you.
He would never let this go.
You contemplated drowning.
The both of you resurfaced at the same time, heads popping out of the water, you were pushing your hair back and rubbing your eyes so that you could open them while Axl was gasping for air. He looked like a fish out of the water.
When you opened your eyes, Axl was already looking at you with a glare.
See? He would never let this go.
You gave him a tight, awkward smile that said āIām sorryā. Or at least thatās what you attempted to communicate.
It took you a moment to notice the deafening silence that surrounded you, and when you finally did, you teared your eyes away from him to take in your surroundings.
Now everyone was staring.
And almost as if the universe wanted to mock you a little more, you saw that the only thing that hadnāt fallen down with you into the pool was the white paper plate with chips and chocolate drizzled strawberries that was now on the edge of the pool, sitting perfectly, not a single strawberry or chip scattered around the floor.
Unbelievable.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of fabric rustling, and when you turned to look at the direction of the sound, you saw that it was Sean taking off his shirt.
And before you had time to process it, he was cannonballing into the pool.
At that, everyone around exploded into laughs and cheers, and in just a matter of seconds, the rest of the boys of the team were taking off their shirts and diving into the pool, yelling whatever weird things came to their minds.
Finally, you allowed yourself to let out a sigh of relief, the attention had drifted away from Axl and you, and Sean had saved you from a really embarrassing moment.
You didnāt even want to imagine what wouldāve happened if he hadnāt jumped into the pool. Maybe something like turtle girl situation? Just the thought made you shiver.
āAhem,ā Axl cleared his throat in front of you, āAn apology would be nice, you know.ā
His words made your relief disappear and, instead, your chest filled with anger.
Of course you would apologize! If heād given you just five seconds to regain your breath, you wouldāve already gotten the apology out!
And his passive-aggressive attitude was definitely not appreciated.
Now you didnāt feel like apologizing.
āExcuse you,ā you huffed, āit was an accident and I was just trying to hold on to something.ā
āYeah, people with manners usually apologize for accidentsā
āYouāre ridiculous demanding an apology ā
āYouāre ridiculous for not giving itā
āYou couldāve helped me and you didnāt even try to!ā
āHow was I supposed to know you were going to fall into the pool?ā he threw his hands up.
āYou saw me!ā
āNo, I didnāt!ā
āYes, you did! And you just stared like a dumbass!ā you threw your arms up too.
From your peripheral vision, you noticed that something on your wrist was missing. Axl said something else, but your mind didnāt process his words, it was now only focused on what youād lost.
āOh, no,ā you blurted out, your tone somewhere between sadness and disappointment.
āWhat? Whatās wrong?ā Axlās eyebrows furrowed in confusion, completely forgetting about the previous argument.
āI lost my bracelet,ā you pouted without looking at him, your eyes trying to find the object at the bottom of the pool but the water made it impossible to.
Maybe you were being a little dramatic, but you couldnāt help it. You'd bought that bracelet with your hard-earned money from selling cookies at your last school. It was delicate, thin, made of white gold, and it had an elegant hibiscus-shaped charm in the center of it.
Axl didnāt say anything, that made your mind drift once again to the situation at hand.
āSorry,ā your gaze was back on him, trying to ignore how pretty his blue eyes looked when his lashes were wet, āfor pulling you into the pool with me, I really didnāt mean to.ā
Your apology seemed to catch him off guard, his snarky remarks stuck in his throat.
āDonāt worry about it.ā
It was a weird sight, Axl Heck, always loud and sarcastic, didnāt have much to say this time.
Maybe you just had the luck of finding him or putting him in these embarrassing situations, like when youād run into him and his sister at Frugal Hoosier looking for the ingredients to make the cherry turnovers youād brought.
āI can help you look forāā
He didnāt get to finish his sentence because it was interrupted by someone calling your name behind you.
You turned around to acknowledge said person. It was Hannah.
She was holding her white Converse in one hand as she sat at the edge of the pool, dipping her feet into the now warmer water and looking at you with an amused smirk.
āHuh, you did entertain yourself.ā
ā¦
āAxl, now youāre going to have to throw out that shirt!ā Frankie scolded as the family walked into their house, Mike flicked the light switch on. āThe chlorine will fade the fabric!ā
Axl groaned dramatically, kicking his shoes off, āWhatever, I can wear it to sleep or something,ā he suggested, annoyed.
He knew he was lying, he never wore a shirt to sleep, or at home in general, but he just wanted his mom to let it go.
āOh, and your shoes! These were supposed to last you at least another year!ā Frankie whined.
āOh my God, Mom, would you please let it go!?ā he yelled, startling his sister with the volume of his voice, āMy team literally won a game today and I was MVP, and all youā he pointed to both of his parents accusingly ācan talk about is a drenched shirt!ā
He saw the expressions of his parents, how Frankie was taken by surprise by his outburst āeven if it wasnāt something uncommonā and how Mike got even angrier at his attitude. Still, he couldnāt help but speak again, the words spilling out from his mouth like a reflex, not even giving his parents three seconds to speak.
āAnd itās not my fault weāre too poor to buy a stupid shirt!ā
And there it was. His angered expression didnāt falter, his tongue didnāt stutter.
On the outside, he was typical, moody, always-complaining, mad-at-the-world Axl. But inside, that bitter guilty feeling creeped into his chest. The one he was all too familiar with. It ran like blood on his veins. Like it was what made his body function, through his veins to his heart, from his heart through his arteries to his organs. Like it was what kept him alive.
He didnāt know why he was like this, always angry, always defensive. He tried to convince himself it was the adrenaline that came from anger what made him like this. Because it was what he was used to. Being angry.
But was it really adrenaline if all he did was have his guard up all the time?
What a coward, he told himself.
Besides, what is he even angry about? What made him so angry at his parents, at his family, at the people he loved the most?
Why did he resent them so much?
It was a question that was always in the back of his mind, stubborn in its place when he tried to ignore it.
Heād never tried to answer it. Didnāt want to. He was too afraid.
Coward, his mind repeated.
He looked at his parents in front of him. He knew they loved him, and he loved them right back. More than he liked to show. He knew they worked hard to maintain the family, and he appreciated that. More than heād ever admit.
He didnāt know why he was like this with them.
He looked at his little brother who āno matter how much he readā was still too innocent for this world. Books canāt give all knowledge, thereās some things you have to learn by living.
He hoped he didnāt grow up to be like him. As angry and fearful and lost as him.
He looked at his younger sister. She was always so bright, like a ray of sunshine. No matter what the world threw at her, she continued being herself. Her real and authentic self.
Something Axl had never been able to do.
Some would call it admiration. Axl knew the feeling was too bitter to be that, too venomous. It was more like resentment. Jealousy. Envy.
Oh, and he hated himself for that. For feeling that way. For being that way.
Because he loved her too much. But he hated her too much. Because he could never be like her. Sue was brave enough to be stubborn in a world that kept rejecting her. Axl wasnāt.
Coward.
āGo to your room,ā Mike said sternly, his voice deep and determined.
Axl didnāt answer, he simply groaned āloud and dramatic and lazy as alwaysā, throwing his head back.
He walked or more like stomped into his room, slamming the door with unnecessary strength.
Even he flinched because of the sound.
He started taking off his clothes with harsh tugs, stripping off his shirt, his pants, his socks, and his boxers. He grabbed a clean āor he hoped it was clean, at least it was dryā pair of boxers from the floor and put it on. It was white with bright yellow lemons and grass-green limes as a pattern. Too ridiculous for how he felt at the moment.
He threw himself onto his unmade bed and laid on his stomach.
He tried to push those too-stubborn thoughts out of his mind, and those too-complicated feelings out of his chest, attempting to think of literally anything else.
And for some reason that he didnāt bother himself with trying to understand, his mind drifted to you.
First, to the memory of your encounter at the Frugal Hoosier, he winced from embarrassment just from remembering it.
He was afraid that youād make fun of him, that youād tell people at school that youād seen him shopping at the store that sold way-too-cheap expired food with his weirdo sister.
But you didnāt, you were too kind for that.
Axl wondered if that idea would even cross your mind, if you even saw that as something embarrassing.
Still, he found himself wondering if maybe youād pitied him, or felt embarrassed for him. He found himself caring about what you thought of him.
Then, his mind went to the pool.
He thought of how you looked. You look pretty with your hair wet, he wondered how itād look sweatyā
Woah, he was not going to Horny Land right now.
It didnāt seem like it, but he did have some self-control.
He wondered what you would say if you found out he had that thought about you. Maybe youād keep quiet and pretend you didnāt know to save him from further embarrassment, like you did that day at the store. Or maybe youād snap at him, like you did today at the pool.
He allowed himself to smile at the memory, he was all alone after all, no one would see him smiling at his thoughts like a schizophrenic.
He enjoyed fighting with you, even if it was just for a small amount of time, he liked seeing a more defiant side of you.
Heād only seen you quiet, sweet, and composed. Seeing you mad at him was a nice surprise, it showed that you had a strong personality hidden underneath.
Although, he was certain that making you laugh would be even better.
He reached into the front left pocket of the jeans that heād thrown onto the floor beside his bed when he was changing out of his wet clothes, feeling the cold metal against his right palm as he grabbed the delicate object.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Axl snapped his fist shut to hide what he was holding.
He relaxed when he heard little steps and knew it was Brick.
āHi, Axl,ā Brick said politely, and Axlās heart tugged at how cute it sounded āwhat do you have there?ā he asked with a curious tilt of his head.
āNone of your business, geekā
Brick simply nodded, unfazed by his brotherās tone, and then he pressed his chin to his chest and whispered to himself āGeekā.
Axl rolled his eyes, āTurn off the lights, Iām trying to sleep,ā he whined.
āOkay,ā Brick shrugged and did as told, āGoodnight, Axlā he said, way too sweetly.
The oldest brother sighed, āGānight, Brickā he said softly as he heard the youngest getting under the sheets of his own small bed.
He opened his palm again, the soft light that the moon reflected entered through the window, illuminating the delicate bracelet on his hand.
Axl knew he wouldnāt be able to sleep tonight, not while he was too busy wondering why he didnāt give it back.
I had to give us a girl bestie bc girl friendship is so dear to me. Inspired by my irl friends, those girls are the sunshine of my life āļøšŗ
indiana winters were cruel and yet somehow your history professor was still crueler.
setting 100 barely-still-functioning young adults almost a month's worth of essays to write over thanksgiving was a futile and pointless action as you and every other student in that class knew damn well it was going to get done, and almost every one of you would be found in his office on the first day of the winter term grovelling for an extended deadline on the paper.
still, you slouched your way back to your apartment, paper briefing in hand, and set it on the side cabinet by the door as you walk in like you're actually going to do something about it. college had a funny way of making you feel like you were being productive while in reality, doing the same thing you could've been doing back home had you chosen not to attend. it was still worth the lack of guilt and shame that came from being one of the only people in your small town that didn't apply anywhere after high school, you suppose.
your shoes are discarded somewhere by the door mat your parents bought you upon moving in that you're sure hasn't been used once, and you decide to forego the kitchen under the knowing that you would only find yourself opening the refrigerator door at least a hundred times before making your way back to bed.
"jesus christ!" your bag hits the floor with a thud and possibly a crack of your cheap, plastic water bottle.
"nope, just axl, baby."
"when are you going to start using the door like a normal person?" you huff, marching toward the window and pulling it closed, sliding your hands impossibly further into your sweater at the chill that now runs through this part of the house.
he doesn't move, one arm tucked behind his head and your laptop nestled comfortably on his lap. the hand behind his head shifts each time he talks and causes his shirt to ride up, revealing the holy planes of his tummy and dark tufts of hair there.
"window was open." he explains, casually, eyes still on whatever sitcom was playing in his lap.
"right." you head toward your bag, hanging it on the hooks behind the door and closing it behind you.
"you really should start locking that, you know? who knows what creeps could climb in and have free rein over you and your whole place."
you grimace at the picture he's painting. "i'm sure I'll be just fine considering." one of your sweater clad hands gestures to his splayed position across the bed as you take a seat by his feet. he shuffles a little to accommodate you and you place a cold hand on the warm skin of his belly.
"considering what?" he gives you a genuine furrow of his brows, legs spreading slightly in the hopes of you crawling between them and the show is long forgotten as he's already making moves to pull you closer.
"never mind." you sigh, brushing the laptop aside and crawling into his hold, burying your cheek against the soft cotton of his shirt and inhaling him with a content smile. "how was your day, baby?"
"it was okay." he grunts, one hand coming up to mindlessly rake through your hair. "didn't do a lot."
"you didn't speak to your parents about thanksgiving?" your head shoots up and his head throws back against the pillow before you even get a chance to fully look at him. "axl!" you whine, realising the inevitable.
"i didn't get the chance, they're pretty busy around this time of year!"
"what are you planning on doing? just showing up with me in the passenger seat of your car!?"
"there's still like, 3 more days of school left! i'll get to it, woman! god!"
that had been almost a week ago.
now, you're laying awake, hopelessly trying to muffle the bed shaking level snores coming from his sister's mouth with a pillow around your head and heavily regretting your decisions.
his dad had made a point of the two of you staying in separate rooms with axl only a wall over in his childhood bed, probably sleeping soundly while you tossed and turned for the last 3 hours in your grossly uncomfortable position on sue's floor.
it's dark, dingy and downright miserable. that and the gaping hole in her wall right next to your head doesn't help, what with it constantly spewing random spouts of dust that crowds your lungs and makes you sit up and fight back the urge to scream, or cry, or both every ten minutes.
your eyes follow the door, picturing the peace and quiet of being able to stuff your face into your boyfriend's deliciously sweaty armpit just a few steps away. it would be wrong, and a massive breach of trust with his parents. they had made it clear they wanted the two of you in separate rooms under the pretense that 'the two of you could do whatever you wanted while you weren't staying under their roof and at the possibility of scarring brick for life', which to be fair you couldn't exactly argue with.
another choked gargle of spit leaves sue's mouth and it's enough to make you abandon all caution you were holding onto, darting your way around the door and taking slow, unsure steps along the hallway to axl's room.
the door is already ajar and leaves just about enough room to see the familiar twitch of axl's foot hanging from the end of the bed and you bite back a smile as you slip inside. to your surprise, he's awake. drifting in and out of that restless sleep you'd known all too well the last couple of nights and he props himself up on his elbows when he sees you rounding the bed, hopping over a pile of books as you pass brick's sleeping body.
"what're you doing?" he grins, knowing all too well and you fight the urge to roll your eyes at him as you perch haphazardly beside him.
"sue snores like a smoker. i had to get out of there."
he laughs and you shush him, shooting a look toward brick who fails to give any sign of life.
"he won't wake up. pretty sure my parents named him just cause of the fact he could sleep through this entire house collapsing." he waves you off and you visibly relax a little with an amused smile.
"makes sense you manage to sleep through all your lectures now."
he scoffs, "that's by choice, sweetie. what's your excuse for sleeping like a log whenever i stay the night?"
"i do that regardless of whether you're there or not."
"sure, that's why you're always texting me at 2 in the morning."
this time you actually roll your eyes. "so why can't you sleep? seems like you've got a pretty decent roommate." you nudge your chin toward brick who still hasn't moved, or maybe even breathed.
his lips pull into that stupid, boyish smile and his eyes avert to the way his fingers pick at the sheets before sliding their way back up your face. "it's hard to knowin' you're only a wall knock away."
"cornball." you snort and he kicks the bottom of your back with one of his stretched legs. "ow! i'm kidding, you're adorable." he smiles. "adorably corny." another kick. you hold your hands up, "okay, i deserved that one. i'll quit ruining your poetic confession, oh axe-man, the great womaniser."
"y'know the doors that way?" he huffs, shuffling further under the covers and you whine as the skin of his torso starts to disappear, hands pawing at the skin and making him halt as you crawl further toward him.
"nooo! i didn't mean it! you're so hot!"
the corner of his mouth quirks up. "so you came in here to berate me and then expect to have your way with me after?"
you scoff, cheeks flaring but your hands stay splayed against his body. "i came in here to sleep."
"seems like neither of us can get any of that." he grunts, already making moves to haul you into his lap and you gasp as the air is knocked from your lungs while he positions you over his lap with two hands on your ass and a shit eating grin. "i have something much better we can do, though."
you whisper a sharp warning of his name, darting forward so your hair brushes his face and he only inhales the smell of that expensive hair perfume you use deeply with a groan.
"what about brick? he's right there!"
he barely shoots his younger brother a look over your shoulder, pretending to be moving your hair to get a better look when really he's just exposing enough skin to reach up and pepper kisses along the space where the hem of the greatly oversized t-shirt you were wearing had begun to slip.
"told you. he could sleep through anything."
you sigh, both out of annoyance and the feel of his tongue darting out to suck a wet patch into the side of your neck. you try to speak and he shushes you, hand coming up to hold the back of your head steady as he kisses you, tongue lapping over yours with certainty.
his mouth is hot and heavy, the way it always is. ridden with the kind of horny desperation that never seems to go away no matter how long the two of you were together. he's always just as hungry for you.
you bite back another gasp when he hoists you up higher, kisses trailing to the way your shirt slips lower over your shoulder, revealing just enough cleavage for him to run his tongue there and groan at the salt that coats your skin. his spare hands trails the inside of your thigh, knuckles teasingly brushing the hem of your thin night shorts and your palms grip the headboard until the wood creaks under your hold.
nimble fingers slip under the loose leg of your shorts, the two of you sharing a broken moan as he discovers your lack of underwear, blue eyes darting up to study your face with a crazed smirk.
"you're supposed to let it breathe." you defend, but his smirk only widens with an amused raise of his eyebrows as he goes back to his previous work, saying nothing.
his fingers slide through your slick, feeling out just how wet you are and you can see him taking mental notes to tease you for it later before he wordlessly pushes one inside of you, curling around your walls in one swift motion and making one of your hands drop down in favour of his hair.
"axl.." it's more of a sigh than anything, hidden beneath the awareness of where you were, eyes screwed shut as if it might block out the fear, but it's enough incentive for him to push another finger inside of you, eventually working the two in a synchronised rhythm as they scissor you open with practice.
his chins rests against your chest in favour of watching you as you start to grind down into his palm, lips parted in awe of the way you ride his fingers in his parents house. not that he would have to admit it, but the forbidden nature of it is only all the more erotic to him, and by the way your eyebrows pull together and your entire body shudders more than usual he can tell you feel the same way.
his name tumbles from your lips against as you thread your fingers further through his air, hips rocking against him with fervour and he coos at you from below. "that's it baby, fuck yourself on my fingers. such a good girl."
the praise makes you keen, body falling limp to the pleasure as you allow him to have his way with you. kisses are pressed to the hard peek of your nipples through your shirt and your back arches, chasing the warmth of his mouth. his thumb juts over to slide over your sloppy clit, just barely swiping against it enough times to have you grinding your teeth before giving you pressurised circles against the wet bundle of nerves.
"don't even have to spit on you." he snorts, pressing his thumb particularly hard against the bud just to watch you squirm. "so wet for me all on your own, huh?"
all you can do is nod, dragging yourself up against his shoulders just to drop yourself back down on his fingers against, moaning at the stretch of his knuckles as you sink down further than before. his thumb against your clit speeds up in light of your desperation, prepared to have you take what you need from him.
heat coils and your spine straightens, "axl, i'm- fuck."
"i know, pretty." he coos into a kiss against your collarbone, "keep going. almost there."
his fingers don't stop their movement inside of you, allowing you the space to rock against them as you hurl yourself toward your own orgasm that leaves you a twitching and trembling mess against him as his hand is carefully retracted from your cunt.
his hand rubs at your back as you sigh into his hair, limbs like jelly as you curl up like a cat in his lap and he only grins against your jaw. "feel better now?"
you give a weak nod, allowing him to position you until you're tucked into his body flat against the bed, eyes floated shut and steady breaths leaving you. his fingers rake your hair and you smile at the familiarity, preening to the touch as he laughs at you.
"maybe i should put you back in sue's room now you're all fucked out and sleepy."
you groan a reply that he registers as no and bury your face further into his skin, inhaling deeply and exhaling with a snore. he pulls you further into his chest with a satisfied hum, content with the idea that you're definitely not going anywhere now.
this is for that anon that requested axl stuff even tho this isn't a full fic, i love u & i wish i could tag u!!
Summary; You, being sues friend, and neighbour to the heckās, were almost like part of their family. Axl was always like a brother to you, until he wasnāt, thatās when he really saw you.
You were sat in the Heckās sitting room, doing homework with Sue. You were both sat on the floor on the carpet, sheets of paper surrounding the both of you like a storm.
āSophmore year is so hardā You sighed to your best friend.
āReally?! Oh God donāt tell me that?ā Sue said, as she was a freshman.
āYouāll be fine Sue, you always do well in schoolā You reassured her and she smiled calming down.
āThanksā¦but I donāt know what Iād do if I didnāt have you in schoolā Sue admitted.
Sue was more shy than you, she only had one or two friends, and she was very out there. But you had grown up together, and she was your best friend, you would never turn your back on her.
āOf course! And youāve settled in really well Sue, youāre gonna be just fineā You said making her smile.
Just then you felt a pull on your head. Axl walked past, pulling your ponytail making you roll your eyes.
āWhat are you dorks doing?ā He asked, leaning against the wall.
āHomework Axl, go away?ā Sue complained.
You only laughed āAxl people doesnāt even get it. Do you know the concept?ā
āWhat are they, a band?ā Axl said making you nod in disbelief.
āWellā¦Darrin and Sean are coming over soon, you dorks better not be hereā Axl said, glancing at you one last time.
You caught his look and blushed, looking away. He left to go back on his room, when he was gone Sue looked back to you. āAre you excited for the first game of the season?ā
You nodded āI hope they winā
Sue laughed āIām more excited to see you cheer, itās far more entertaining than footballā
You smiled āI think Axl would disagree with thatā
āAs if I careā Sue rolled her eyes.
You went back to your homework.
__
That Friday, the first game of the season was on. Axl was playing, he had been part of the team since he was a freshman. He was their best player.
You had been a cheer leader since last year, when you joined high school. You loved it, and youād made lots of friends through it.
Thankfully, the team had won, in fact they had destroyed the other school. You and your friends had nailed all of the cheers you had been practicing since the start of the year.
At the end of the night, you were waiting for Sue, as she was going back to your house for a sleepover. Suddenly someone approached you.
Greg Montgomery, a boy in the year ahead, a junior.
Like Axl
āHeyā He said, a smooth smile on his face.
āOh..Heyā You smiled back softly.
āYou looked really good out there, I was watchingā He said, nodding.
āOhā¦Thank you Gregā you smiled up to him.
āIt was a good game, wasnāt it? I was surprised they did so well, usually the basketball team is the one to wipe out other teams, weāre good.ā Greg boasted.
āYesā¦the basketball team is goodā You nodded, not knowing what else to say.
āMhmā¦Wellā¦I guess Iāll see you around?ā He asked, with a hint of hope in his eyes.
You nodded āSureā you said quietly.
He nodded āGoodnightā giving you one last smile.
āNightā You waved back.
Once he disappeared from sight, you let out a breath you didnāt know you had been holding. Just then you felt a hand on his arm. You let out a small yell.
You turned to see Axl, you slapped his chest āWhat the hell!ā
āHey! Jeez!ā He said, taking a step back after you slapped him. He was still in his football gear, muck on his face from the game.
You sighed āSorryā¦you scared meā
āSorryā he said with attitude.
āWhat are you doing here?ā You asked him.
āForgot my helmetā He said, picking it up.
āOhā You said.
Axl nodded, looking around before saying āSo you were talking to Greg, huh?ā
āUhā¦yeah I was, why?ā You asked him.
āNothingā¦Nothing..ā Axl said.
You shivered slightly in the cold. It was a crisp late September evening, when the evenings starting to cool down.
āHereā Axl said, handing you use varsity jacket he had been holding.
You smiled shyly āThanks Axlā
Just then Sue yelled for you a few metres away. āI better goā You said.
āYeahā¦..Wait!ā Axl said suddenly.
You turned, looking at him āYes?ā¦ā
He paused, swallowing, as if finding what he was even trying to say āIā¦..Nevermindā
You sighed, as if wishing he would say what you both knew he wanted too. āAlrightā¦see you later?ā
āYeahā He nodded, a longing look in his eyes.
__
Greg had asked you to Homecoming, you had said yes. You werenāt really sure why you did. Maybe itās because all of your friends told you too, that he was a junior, that you were lucky.
Or maybe itās because you wanted to forget about someone else.
One evening, you were walking home from the library, at around 9pm. Your winter exams were coming up and you wanted some peace and quiet to study.
āHey!ā A voice yelled from a car beside you.
You looked over to see Greg āOhā¦Hey, whatās up?ā
āGet in, Iāll give you a ride homeāHe said with a smile that seemed too nice to reject.
āOhā¦.wellā¦Okayā You agreed. You had a nervous feeling in your stomach, but it was late and you were tired.
When you were in the car, he put his arm around you, you tensed, but didnāt push him off.
When you realised he was driving the opposite way of your house you swallowed. āW-Where are you goingā
Greg didnāt reply, only pulling in to a Cul De Sac and turning the car. He turned to you, leaning in to kiss you.
At first you froze, and then you pulled away āGregā¦I want to go home pleaseā
āOh come on, have a little funā He said, sliding his hand up your leg.
You swallowed, opening the car door and getting out. There were tears in your eyes āHey! Come back!ā Greg said.
You swallowed nervously, he was following you, but before he reached you there was a yell āHey! What the hell do you think youāre doing?ā
You both turned to see Axl. You wiped your tears, sighing in relief. Greg swallowed āNothing Heck..beat itā
Axl only walked closer, straight up to Greg who swallowed āYou beat it asshole, nowā
Greg scoffed, glaring at you one last time before getting in his car and driving away.
Axl turned to you, watching nervously as tears fell down your cheeks āHeyā¦itās okay heās goneā
You sniffled, wiping your tears āYeah..ā
Axl froze for a moment before taking a step forward and hugging you. You felt yourself melting into his hold.
āHeās an assholeā He said, holding you against his chest.
āYeahā You sighed, your tears finally stopping.
āCome on, Iāll walk you homeā Axl offered.
You nodded, and you both began walking in the direction of your house. After a minute or too, he took your hand in his, and you let him.
_
On the day of the dance, you felt awful. Obviously you werenāt going with Greg anymore, so you felt like an idoit, everyone knew about what happened.
When you opened your door to go to the dance, your eyes widened, there he stood.
Axl.
You swallowed āIā¦I thought you were going with Jessica.ā Jessica was a girl in Axls year. She was head of the cheerleaders.
āI wasā¦.but then I realised I wanted to spend the dance with someone I actually likeā Axl admitted, staring at you.
āYouā¦You like me?ā You asked, surprised.
āYeahā¦I guess I doā¦just donāt tell people I said thatā¦Iād sound like a dorkā He said, you laughed.
At the dance, you spent the whole night together. You both saw Greg and Jessica together. Jessica knew what he had done and she still went with him, that was the kind of person she was.
You didnāt care though, because you were with exactly who you wanted to be with. The final song was a slow song, one that made Axl hold you even closer.
Your arms were around his neck, his around your waist. āI wanted to really thank youā¦for what happened last weekā
āYou donāt have to thank me for thatā He said, and you could tell he meant it.
āNoā¦I want toā you said.
He nodded āalrightā¦.but you should know I did it because I careā
āYou care?ā You asked.
āYeahā¦I care about youā He admitted
You blushed smiling slightly, and before you knew it, heād leant down, and kiss you. Your arms tightened around his neck, and he pulled you closer. The kiss deepened, your heads tilting.
When you pulled away Axl sighed āYou donāt know how long Iāve wanted to do thatā
It was perfect weather to stay inside. The blizzard had started only an hour ago, but already a foot of snow blanketed the streets like a thick, suffocating quilt. You had no intention of going outānone. Yet here you were, slipping on a third coat, and a pair of gloves, as you muttered curses under your breath. All because your dork of a boyfriend texted you: āHeaterās broken. Iām freezing to death. If I die, know that I love you.ā
āso dramatic.ā you had thought. Yet, being the loving girlfriend you were, you grabbed every blanket you could carryāplus a few extra sweaters and headed toward the Heck house. The usual five-minute walk turned into ten, your boots disappearing into the snow, your nose turning a cartoonish shade of red. By the time you reached their porch, you were shivering so hard your teeth practically rattled.
Mrs. Heck opened the door with a gasp, immediately ushering you inside. āWhat on earth are you doing walking out in that?ā she exclaimed, eyes wide with concern.
You just chuckled, lifting your armful of blankets and sweaters in explanation. āEmergency blanket delivery. ā She thanked you, already shouting for Axl as she took the pile from your arms. The rest of the Hecks descended like vultures, grabbing blankets with greedy hands, wrapping themselves in layers like it was the end of days.
Axl came trotting from the back, his comforter wrapped tightly around him like a burrito. āWhat?ā he groaned, clearly annoyed at being dragged from the warmth of his bed. But the moment he saw you, his expression softened. That sweet, sleepy smileāreserved just for youāspread across his face.
āHey, baby,ā he murmured, stepping forward and enveloping you in his cocoon. You melted into him, pressing a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw, your fingers slipping beneath the edge of his blanket to find the warmth of his skin.
Frankie, the only one paying attention, smiled knowingly at the two of you. āYou guys are so cute,ā she gushed.
āMom,ā Axl groaned, face flushing. āLetās go back to my bed.ā Axl whispered, lips brushing your ear. The two of you waddled awkwardly down the hallway, still wrapped in his blanket cocoon, bumping into walls and each other. You collapsed onto his bed in a heap, bouncing off the mattress as giggles spilled from your lips.
You position yourself on top of him, your bright red nose grazing his. His arms tighten around your waist. āYouāre insane,ā he murmured, brushing snowflakes from your hair. āComing out in that storm for me.ā
You shrugged, fingers tracing the edge of his jaw. āYou said you were freezing to death. I figured Iād save your life.ā
He grinned, leaning in until his lips brushed yours. āGuess I should repay you then.ā His lips found yoursāwarm, slow, and lazy at first. But then he deepened the kiss, pulling you closer until the blankets tightened around you both. His hand slipped beneath your layers, palm flat against your back, fingers splaying despertate to touch as much of you as he could.
āYou still cold?,ā you question against his mouth.
āFreezing,ā he breathed, voice low and teasing. You smile, pressing into him, your hands sliding beneath his shirt. His skin was warm despite his words, and he shivered not from the cold, but from your touch. You kissed down his neck, slow and deliberate, leaving a trail of heat in your wake.
Axl groaned, tugging you closer until you were pinned against him, the blankets forming a makeshift tent around your bodies. āThis is the best kind of rescue,ā he muttered, eyes half-lidded, hands roaming beneath your sweaters. You laughed softly, breath hitching as his fingers found bare skin. āIām lucky to have such a sweet girl,ā he says, pulling you down for another kissāthis one deeper, hungrier, like he was trying to chase away every ounce of cold between the two of you.
Outside, the blizzard raged. Inside, it was all heat, tangled limbs, and whispered promises.His hand slid lower, teasing the waistband of your sweats, and you gasped, fingers curling into his curls. āAxl,ā you moaned, your voice barely audible over the pounding of your heart.
āHmm?ā he hummed, lips trailing down your throat.
āWere going to get caughtā, honestly you're surprised you've gotten this much time alone. In the heck house someone was always barging in on the two of you. Whether it be brick looking for a bookāsue wanting advice or Frankie telling you and Axl she's not ready to be a grandmother. The last one was a particularly embarrassing moment.
He paused, blinking up at you. āNah. Everyoneās too busy fighting over blankets.ā You opened your mouth to respondāonly to be interrupted by the creak of the door.
āHey, do you guys wantāOH MY GOD.ā
It was Sue. Her eyes went wide, her voice pitching into a squeak as she slammed the door shut with a panicked yelp.You froze, face buried in Axlās chest, mortified. He just laughed, muffled against your hair. āWell, thatās one way to warm up.ā
You groaned. āEverytime.ā when will the two of you learn?
āEh,ā he shrugged, pulling you closer. āWorth it.ā
A beat passed. Then the door creaked open againājust a crack. āMoms making coco if you want some.ā Sueās voice was strained, like she was trying not to cry or laugh.
āGot it,ā Axl called back, completely unfazed. āThanks, Sue!ā
You buried your face deeper into his chest. āI do want coca.ā you voice into his chest. He just smiles the two of you waddling out of the room to get your coco ready to face the looks of the family. The two of you really have no shame.
I hated double Defence Against the Dark Arts on Fridays.
The classroom felt colder than any other room in the castle, even though the torches along the stone walls burned as brightly as always. Shadows pooled in the corners, flickering over shelves of pickled creatures and jars of something dark and tar-like that I didnāt really want to identify. The smell of old parchment, dust, and faint potions residue clung to the air, so thick it almost made me cough.
Snapeās presence never helped.
āSilence,ā Snape breathed as he swept into the classroom, though no one had been foolish enough to be talking. His black robes billowed behind him, and the hush in the room seemed to harden, tight and brittle, under his cold, assessing gaze.
I straightened up in my seat, my quill already in my hand. Snapeās black eyes drifted over us, assessing, lingering on anyone who looked even remotely relaxed. My stomach clenched when his gaze passed over me, then moved on.
The seating chart was still as cruel as it had been at the beginning of the term. Theo was across the aisle, one row ahead, trapped between Parkinson and Zabini, quill spinning slowly between his fingers. From this angle, I could only see his profile and the dark mess of his hair, but I knew that if he turned, his eyes would find mine like they always did.
He didnāt, not yet. Probably because Snape was still walking between the rows like a bat surveying its cavern.
Snape reached the front and flicked his wand at the blackboard. Chalk leapt up and scraped across it, scribbling out a neat, cramped title.
DEFENCE AGAINST PRACTICAL DARK ARTS: NON-VERBAL COUNTER-CURSES
āToday,ā said Snape, his silky voice cutting icily across the room, āwe shall see whether any of you have managed to grasp even the simplest point of the assigned reading. Textbooks. Page two hundred and nineteen.ā
Students rustled, flipping pages, quills scratching as a few overachievers took notes already. I opened my copy of Defensive Magical Theory and tried to ignore how the pages felt almost greasy from overuse. The text was dense and theoretical and about as exciting as watching ink dry.
Beside me, Seamus sighed loudly. āMerlin, this bloke could make a dragon fall asleep,ā he muttered under his breath.
Snapeās head turned, very slightly. āMr Finnigan,ā he said in his soft, dangerous drawl, āperhaps you would care to enlighten the class as to the fundamental difference between a successful non-verbal counter-curse and a merely silent spellcasting attempt⦠that fails.ā
Seamus went scarlet. āErā¦ā
I kept my eyes firmly on the textbook, even as I felt the corner of my mouth twitch. It wasnāt funny, not really, not when anyone could be next.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Theoās shoulders shift. He leaned back just slightly, enough that I could see his hand move, casual and precise. A corner of parchment appeared under his fingers as if heād had it ready for this exact moment.
I tried not to look.
āNon-verbal magic,ā Snape began silkily, having clearly decided he would rather hear himself than listen to Finnigan blunder through an answer, ārequires rather more than waving your wand about like a muggle and hoping for the best. It demands focus, intent, and most inconveniently for some of you... A functioning brain. Qualities which, it would appear, are in lamentably short supply in this room.āA few nervous laughs died as soon as they appeared.
My eyes flicked up, unable to help it. Theoās head was bent like he was taking notes. His hand moved with easy, loose confidence across the parchment, his quill a faint blur. I watched the way his fingers held it, how he paused twice, the tip hovering like he was choosing a word carefully.
He didnāt look at me, which was exactly why I knew he was writing to me.
āMiss Y/L/N,ā Snapeās voice sliced cleanly through my thoughts. My stomach lurched.
I snapped my gaze to him. āYes, sir?ā
His lips curled, not quite a smile. āPerhaps,ā he murmured, āyou can explain why so many soācalled wizards fail at non-verbal defensive magic, despite managing the simplest of spells.ā
I swallowed. The answer was on the page. My fingers tightened around my quill. āThey, um⦠they lose focus on the intent when theyāre under pressure, sir,ā I said, forcing the words to come out steady. āEspecially with defensive spells. Fear interferes with the clarity of the spellās purpose, so the magic doesnāt obey as precisely.ā
Snape regarded me for a moment longer than was necessary, as though dissecting the answer rather than hearing it.
āAcceptable,ā he said at last, making the word sound very much like an insult. āIt appears at least one of you has troubled to open the book.ā
I let out a slow breath through my nose as he moved on.
When I glanced sideways again, there it was.
A folded scrap of parchment had appeared by my ink bottle, nestled between my hand and the edge of my textbook. I hadnāt seen it travel. No one had reached over. Still, it sat there innocently, not even a tremor from the faint draft that always seemed to whisper through the room.
Theo still hadnāt turned around. His shoulders were set in that deceptively lazy slouch he used when he wanted to look like he didnāt care about anything. I knew better. His quill was upright in the ink bottle now, untouched.
My heart kicked up, just a little.
I shifted in my seat, letting my left arm fall in front of the parchment. With my right hand, I slid it toward me, fingers brushing the slightly rough edge.
The parchment was warm.
Not hot, not in any alarming way, but warmer than it shouldāve been, like it had just been near a cup of tea or in someoneās pocket for ages. Or like it had been touched by a spell that hadnāt fully faded. The sensation sent a tiny thrill up my arm.
Snapeās voice droned on at the front of the class. āYou will now spend the remainder of this lesson practising the wand movement and concentration exercise on page two hundred and twenty. If any of you manages to produce something even vaguely resembling a real counter-curseā¦ā His black eyes swept over us again. āI shall be⦠astonished.ā
Chairs scraped back as people reached for their wands. I took the distraction and unfolded the parchment carefully under the desk.
The ink appeared as if summoned by my eyes, dark lines blooming across the blank surface like someone was writing at that very moment.
You know you just impressed him, right?
I bit back a smile. The letters were unmistakablyĀ Theoās: sharp, a little slanted, like they were holding in laughter.
I dipped my quill into the ink, my hand shielding the parchment from anyone nearby. The text faded slightly, not disappearing, but going faint enough that it looked like old notes.
Youāre delusional, I wrote.Ā
He hates all of us equally.
The moment my quill lifted, the words sank into the parchment, absorbed. A second later, my response brightened, readable. Then Theoās letters shimmered into existence below mine.
He hates Potter more.
I almost snorted. Across the room, Harry, oblivious, was trying to copy the precise wand movement from the diagram in the book.
Focus on your own wand work, Nott. Ā Or are you planning to charm your way out of the exam too?
There was the tiniest pause this time, like the parchment itself was thinking. Then the ink crawled back across it.
Depends. Are you offering to tutor me, amore?Ā
My face warmed. Ridiculous. Weād been together long enough that heād seen me in way worse states than āslightly flustered in DADAā, but there was still something about flirting under Snapeās nose that made my pulse trip.
I nudged my own wand out of the way and spared a half second to wave it in the precise pattern from the book, muttering the counter curse in my head. Nothing happened, which was probably for the best. I didnāt trust myself to focus with the parchment glowing faintly against my knee.
Maybe, I wrote.Ā But I charge in chocolate frogs.
His reply came quicker this time, like heād been waiting.
Done. Entire crate. Iām very bad at nonverbal magic, you see. Tragic, really.
I rolled my eyes, but the smile tugging at my lips refused to leave.
āPair up,ā Snape snapped suddenly. āIf you canāt manage a counter curse alone, perhaps another idiot waving their wand about will help.ā
The room shifted into motion. Books closed, chairs scraped, and wands were drawn fully now.
Seamus turned to me. āWannaā¦?ā
āIāll work with Dean,ā I said quickly, nodding toward the next desk where Dean was already getting up. It was a harmless lie, and Seamus shrugged and turned to Neville instead.
We rearranged a little, enough to satisfy Snapeās demand for pairs, but not enough that the seating actually changed. I angled my body so that my left shoulder blocked most of Snapeās view of my desk.
Dean practised the wand movement across from me, muttering under his breath. I raised my wand half-heartedly, but my focus slid back down to the parchment, which had warmed a touch more, like it approved of the cover the chaos gave us.
Is this really the best time to be doing this?Ā
Thatās exactly why it is the best time. Adrenaline improves recall. Itās scientific.
I stared at the words and giggled under my breath.Ā You literally failed that Charms quiz on magical theory last week.
Ouch, he wrote.Ā
Cold. I thought you were supposed to be nice to yourĀ boyfriend.
I shouldnāt have let the word make my chest feel lighter, but it did.Ā Boyfriend. It still felt new enough to savour.
I glanced up.
Theo finally looked over his shoulder.
Our eyes met.
For a second, the rest of the room faded: Deanās quiet cursing over a failed flick, Hermioneās focused whisper from three rows ahead, Snapeās robes sweeping ominously near the front. Theoās eyes were a deep, steady green, expression calm in a way that didnāt match the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
He raised one eyebrow the smallest fraction, like a question and a dare wrapped into one.
I looked back down abruptly before Snape could notice and pretended to fix my grip on my wand.
Fine, I wrote.Ā Consider this your first lesson: stop distracting me or Iāll let Snape feed you to a Grindylow.
A line appeared almost instantly beneath my words.
ā¦Is that a threat or a promise?
I bit my lower lip.
āMiss Y/L/N,ā Snapeās voice cut through the hum of whispers and wand swishes again. āIf you are quite finished daydreaming, perhaps you would care to attempt the exercise with your partner.ā
My spine snapped straight. āYes, sir.ā
His gaze lingered, suspicious, then shifted to Dean. āTry not to let her hex you into the hospital wing.ā
A few people tittered. I hoped my face wasnāt as hot as it felt.
Snape moved on, terrorising the next pair. I exhaled slowly.
Dean gave me an apologetic shrug. āDāyou want to try once? I promise I wonāt hold it against you if you accidentally curse my eyebrows off.ā
āOnce,ā I said.
We raised our wands, muttered the incantation in our heads, and tried to imagine a hex dissolving harmlessly in front of us. My spell fizzled like static, more a tingle in my palm than anything visible.
āBetter than mine,ā Dean said dryly, lowering his wand.
I managed a weak smile and glanced down.
The parchment had grown impatient.
I saw that Theo had written.Ā Not bad. But youāre a lot better when youāre yelling at me for leaving my tie on the floor.
I felt the laugh rise before I could stop it. I pressed my lips together.
Youāre infuriating. Also, youāre the one who keeps leaving your tie everywhere.
A new line of ink formed, and this time, little decorative loops appeared at the ends of the letters, almost like the parchment itself was amused.
You donāt seem to mind when itās on your bed.
My heart tripped.
I glared at the parchment as if that would make it behave. It didnāt.
Theoās handwriting kept forming.
For scholarly purposes, of course. Studying the properties of pure blood Slytherin silk. Very serious academic work.
I could almost hear his voice in my head, that lazy, teasing drawl that sounded bored to anyone who didnāt know him, but always softened when he was talking to me.
Youāre going to get us killed, I scrawled, shaking my head before writing again.Ā
Or worse, detention.
The word āusā glowed a fraction brighter before settling like normal ink.
Sounds like a worthy cause...
Around us, spells misfired. A faint pop sounded from somewhere to my left, followed by a squeak and someone swearing. The air tasted faintly of ozone and something burnt.
Snapeās patience was wearing thinner by the second. āIf any of you explode your wands,ā he said icily from the front, ādo not expect me to feel sorry for you.ā
I swallowed, looking up briefly. His back was turned, cloak falling in straight, heavy lines, but I knew better than to trust that he wasnāt watching.
My hand itched to write again.
Fine, I gave in. If weāre doing this properly, lesson two: donāt be obvious when youāre cheating.
I waited.
Not like you, then.Ā More of his writing appeared.
You practically glow when youāre lying.
I bristled.Ā I do not.
I could feel his eyes on me even without looking up.
You do, he replied.Ā Anyway, itās cute.
I ducked my head, pretending to check the textbook for something.Ā Your idea of flirting is very flawed, I wrote.
There was a pause.
Then:Ā You donāt like it?
The shift in tone was tiny, just a fraction less joking, but I felt it.
I hesitated the briefest moment, fingers hovering. Around us, the noise of exasperated students and half hearted spellwork went on.
I like it...Ā
Unfortunately.
The word darkened again in a way that had nothing to do with ink.
Good, came the answer.Ā
Because I canāt stop.
My chest tightened pleasantly. I risked a tiny glance up, but Theoās head was turned forward again, jaw set in a controlled line, expression neutral. I knew that if I could see his eyes from here, theyād be laughing.
āAll of you, wands down,ā Snape snapped suddenly. The room fell silent. āSince none of you can manage even the simplest aspect of nonverbal defence, you will instead spend the last ten minutes writing an essay paragraph describing why you are so incompetent.ā His lip curled. āPerhaps the act of putting quill to parchment will remind your brains how to function.ā
Around me, people sighed, but quills came out obediently.
I exhaled, half annoyed, half relieved. Essays I could handle.
I shifted the enchanted parchment slightly under my textbook so that only the top edge peeked out. On the blank piece in front of me, I started writing.
The difficulty in non-verbal defensive magic lies primarily in the casterās mental disciplineā¦
Words flowed easily enough. I barely had to think about it. My hand moved on its own while my attention drifted downwards again.
Essay time,Ā I wrote in the margin of the enchanted parchment. Snapeās favourite.
If you write mine, Iāll give you half the crate of chocolate frogs.Ā
I smirked.Ā
Three quarters.
Greedy, came the answer.Ā Thatās my job.
I paused.
You can be greedy about other things, I wrote before I could overthink it.
Ink spread, then paused like it had stumbled over its own step.
Like what?Ā he wrote.
You, I thought. My time, my attention, the way you hold my hand under the table in the library when no oneās looking, the way you smirk when youāre trying not to smile.
I didnāt write any of that.
Instead I delayed, scribbling another neat sentence about fear interfering with precise spellwork. A faint ache had started in my fingers from writing so quickly.
Youāre supposed to be working,Ā I deflected finally.
So are you...Ā
His response came again, words appearing lower this time, like heād shifted the parchment on his own desk and the magic was compensating:
Fine. Weāll call this a study break. What are you doing after dinner?
My heart kicked.
No plans, I wrote before I really thought about it.
Good, came quickly.Ā
Then...
Because Iām stealing you.
Stealing me where?
Youāll see.
I pressed the tip of my quill down a little harder than necessary, leaving a tiny dark blot.Ā Thatās not helpful.
Itās not supposed to be. Itās supposed to be intriguing.
Youāre so stupid, Nott.
And, youāre still reading this instead of finishing your essay.
I frowned, glancing at my actual work. I was, annoyingly, nearly done. The paragraph looked solid enough, neat lines of ink marching steadily across the page.
Almost finished, I wrote.
Good girl,Ā appeared before the ink had even fully dried.
Heat shot through me so fast I almost dropped my quill. I dug my nails into the underside of the desk instead.
Merlin, Theo.
I forced my hand to form letters that didnāt look shaken.
Youāre going to get hexed.
Worth it, he wrote.
I stared at the parchment for a beat too long, feeling my pulse in my throat, in my wrists, everywhere.
āTime,ā Snape announced. āQuills down.ā
The room obeyed reluctantly.
āPass your work to the front,ā he said. āI will read these when I have nothing better to do and need entertainment.ā
Chairs scraped again. I slid my actual essay page to the front as requested, then turned my attention to the enchanted parchment to fold it up and hide it properly before anyone noticed.
I was a second too slow.
A flicker of shadow crossed my desk, and a pale hand, long fingered and precise, descended on the parchment.
I froze.
Snapeās fingers closed around it before I could react. He drew it out from under my textbook with infuriating ease, the enchanted paper fluttering lightly between his grip.
My heart stopped.
Across the room, I felt rather than saw Theo tense, like the air between us had gone tight.
Snapeās eyes, dark and glittering with something that was not kindness, dropped to the parchment.
āMiss Y/L/N,ā he said quietly. The quiet was worse than any shout. āI was unaware that instructions to write an essay left space for⦠personal correspondence.ā
Blood roared in my ears. My mouth went dry.
I opened it, but no sound came out.
He looked down at the parchment. I donāt know what he saw. The letters sat innocently there, dark and mocking.
Good girl.
Worth it.
I wanted the floor to open and swallow me.
His lip curled. āHow touching.ā
āItās mine.ā
The words cut across the silence, sharp and immediate.
Dozens of heads turned.
Theo had stoodĀ up.
He hadnāt raised his hand. He didnāt look nervous. He looked⦠steady. His chin lifted just a fraction, Slytherin tie perfectly knotted, expression blank in a way that wasnāt empty at all.
Snapeās head turned toward him, very slowly. āMr Nott,ā he said. āYou are under the impression that believing the entire class wishes to hear you is not, in fact, a delusion?ā
Theo didnāt flinch. āThe note,ā he said. āItās mine.ā
I stared at him, throat tight.
āIs it.ā Snapeās voice couldāve sliced stone. āSo you are admitting to disrupting my lesson and wasting time that should have been spent compensating for your classmatesā lack of talent?ā
āYes, sir.ā Theoās voice didnāt waver.
Snape stepped away from my desk, the parchment crumpling faintly between his fingers. He regarded Theo like something under glass.
āAnd Miss Y/L/N?ā Snape asked. āShe was merely a bystander in this⦠literary endeavor?ā
Theo didnāt look at me. He kept his eyes on Snape, shoulders back. āYes, sir.ā
I wanted to say something. The words lodged behind my teeth. If I argued, Iād only make it worse. Snape would relish the chance to punish both of us.
āAnd is there a particular reason,ā Snape continued, āthat I should not assign you enough detentions to occupy what remains of your miserable school year?ā
Theoās jaw tightened once, a brief tick. āNo, sir.ā
For a heartbeat, something flickered across Snapeās face. Recognition, maybe. Or annoyance that Theo wasnāt giving him anything more to tear apart.
Then his expression smoothed into cool disdain.
āDetention, Mr Nott,ā he said. āTonight. My office. You will assist me in sorting and labelling certain⦠ingredients. I imagine their company will be preferable to that of your friends.ā
A few Slytherins shifted uncomfortably.
āYes, sir,ā Theo said quietly.
Snape let the parchment fall.
It drifted down, weightless, landing on the stone floor between the rows. For a second, I swore the ink bled at the edges, like the spell tying it together had frayed under Snapeās touch.
He didnāt bother to pick it up.
āClass dismissed,ā he said curtly. āGet out of my sight.ā
The spell on the room broke at once. Chairs scraped, bags rustled, voices rose in relieved, nervous chatter. No one lingered near Snape. They knew better.
I stayed seated a second longer, my legs not quite ready to work.
Dean shot me a sympathetic look. āRough luck,ā he murmured, then hurried off after Seamus.
I stood finally, my hands shaking more than I liked, and bent quickly to pick up the parchment before anyone could notice it.
It was warm again.
The ink on the last line swam for a second, then settled.
Still worth it, it now read.
I swallowed, glancing up.
Theo was moving down the aisle toward the door, his bag slung over one shoulder. A small gap had formed around him, like the other students had unconsciously given him space. He looked unfazed.
I slipped the parchment into my pocket, grabbed my bag, and followed.
Outside the classroom, the corridor was cooler. The chatter of students bounced off the stone walls, fading as people peeled off toward different staircases. Torches flickered, painting the floor in stripes of gold and shadow.
Theo leaned against the wall a few steps from the classroom door, like heād been waiting. His posture was loose again, that familiar, lazy slouch back in place, but his eyes sharpened when he saw me.
āYouāre insane,ā I said quietly as I walked up to him.
His mouth curved. āAccurate.ā
āYou didnāt have to do that.ā My fingers curled in my pocket around the parchment.
āDidnāt I?ā His gaze dropped briefly to my hand, then back to my face. āHe already had your name on his tongue.ā
āHe has everyoneās name on his tongue,ā I muttered. āItās Snape.ā
āExactly,ā Theo said. āHe doesnāt need encouragement.ā
I huffed out a breath, somewhere between exasperated and fond. āYou got detention.ā
He shrugged one shoulder, like it was nothing. āItās not my first.ā
āThatās not reassuring.ā
He watched me for a moment, his expression softening just enough for me to see it. āYou alright?ā he asked.
The honest concern in his voice untied something tight in my chest.
āYeah,ā I said, and this time, it was mostly true. āJust⦠didnāt fancy Snape reading my private conversations aloud to the entire room.ā
Theoās lips quirked. āCanāt blame you. Though Iām sure heād deliver your lines with great⦠feeling.ā
I groaned. āShut up.ā
He took a half step closer, close enough that I could smell his cologne under the faint lingering scent of potions, something clean and sharp and familiar. His hand brushed mine, a soft, deliberate touch that sent a warm jolt up my arm.
āLet me see,ā he said.
I hesitated, then pulled the parchment from my pocket and unfolded it. The writing had settled completely now, all our teasing preserved in gleaming black strokes.
Theo looked down at it, reading quickly, lips twitching at certain lines.
āVery incriminating,ā he murmured. āHighly academic. Ten points from Gryffindor for corrupting a poor Slytherin.ā
I snorted. āI did nothing. You started it.ā
He tilted his head. āI seem to recall you negotiating chocolate frog rates.ā
āBecause you offered first,ā I said. āIām not turning down free chocolate.ā
āSmart girl,ā he said softly.
The words settled warm between us.
I swallowed. āYou really didnāt have to take the blame,ā I said again, quieter. āHe couldāve given you a month of detentions.ā
āHe still might,ā Theo said lightly. āBut Iād rather spend my evenings sorting flobberworms than watch him humiliate you over a bloody piece of parchment.ā
Heat crawled up my neck.
āThatās not exactly a grand romantic gesture,ā I muttered.
He smiled, a small, genuine thing that didnāt quite reach his eyes but came close. āYou set the bar too high if you think Iām capable of grand.ā He paused. āI can, however, manage moderately idiotic.ā
āSuccessfully,ā I said.
āThank you,ā he replied gravely. āI work hard at it.ā
I shook my head, but I couldnāt stop the smile that finally broke through fully.
He watched it appear, and something eased in his shoulders.
āSo,ā I said, slipping the parchment back into my pocket like something precious. āDetention tonight?ā
āApparently,ā he said. āSnapeās office, after dinner. Iām thrilled.ā
I wrinkled my nose. āThat place smells like pickled nightmares.ā
He huffed a laugh. āYouāve been in there?ā
āOnce,ā I said. āWrong place, wrong time. Donāt ask.ā
His eyes gleamed, curiosity obvious, but he didnāt push. āIāll survive,ā he said instead. āHe canāt murder me. Too much paperwork.ā
āLow bar for comfort,ā I said.
Theo shifted, the corridorās dim torchlight catching on the silver serpent pin on his tie. He looked at me for a heartbeat, then leaned in, voice dropping just a fraction.
āWalk you to the common room?ā he asked.
āYouāre not allowed in my tower,ā I pointed out. āRemember the last time you tried?ā
āI recall certain portraits having very strong opinions about Slytherins,ā he said dryly. āTraumatic experience. Iām still in therapy.ā
I laughed, the sound bouncing softly off the stone.
He nudged my shoulder with his. āThen Iāll walk you until the stairs go traitorous,ā he amended. āThen you can abandon me to my tragic fate alone in the corridor.ā
āVery dramatic,ā I said.
āIāve been told,ā he replied.
We fell into step together, heading toward the staircase. Our hands brushed once, twice, then finally tangled, his fingers lacing through mine like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The enchanted parchment sat warm in my pocket, pressing lightly against my hip with each step, a quiet reminder of the way heād said, Itās mine.
I squeezed his hand.
āYou know,ā I said, glancing sideways at him, āif youāre going to keep getting detentions for me, Iām going to actually have to tutor you so you donāt fail everything.ā
His mouth curved. āSo you admit youāre offering tutoring now.ā
I groaned. āThatās what you took from that?ā
āItās the most important part,ā he said.
āAnd the chocolate frogs?ā
āObviously,ā he replied. āIām not suffering Snapeās company without snacks.ā
I shook my head, but my hand didnāt leave his.
āFine,ā I said. āIāll tutor you.ā
He looked satisfied in that infuriating, endearing way of his.
āGood,ā he said. āThen after detention, Iāll come find you. Weāll start with non verbal counter curses.ā
āIn the common room?ā I asked, amused. āI donāt think McGonagall wants spells misfiring near the armchairs.ā
He hesitated, then that secretive glint slipped back into his eyes.
āNot the common room,ā he said. āSomewhere else.ā
I raised an eyebrow. āMysterious.ā
āStill not helpful?ā he asked.
āNot even a little.ā
He squeezed my hand back.
āGood,ā he murmured. āItās not supposed to be.ā
And despite the detention, despite the lingering echo of Snapeās cold voice in my head, the warmth of his fingers in mine and the soft weight of the enchanted parchment at my side made the castle feel a little less cold as we climbed the stairs together.
You and Theo Nott have always been the kind of best friends who blur boundaries ā late-night talks, too-long touches, and the comfort of always ending up in each other's space. When a casual curiosity about "weird searches" spirals into watching porn together, the teasing turns into something you both can't ignore anymore.
Warnings: MDNI! smut, unprotected p in v, watching porn, explicit language, best friends to lovers trope, mutual pining, teasing
Word count: ~2,5k
You didn't think the night was going to get weird. Not in the beginning, anyway.
It was supposed to be just another Friday in Theo's place, sprawled on his bed while he sorted through a deck of Exploding Snap cards and you picked at the seam of his pillowcase. You always ended up here. His mattress was softer than yours, his bedroom always smelled faintly of cedarwood and parchment, and he had that knack for never kicking you out, no matter how late or absurd it got.
"Your shuffling is absolute shit," you said, watching him fumble the deck with amusement.
Theo flicked you a look, lips twitching. "Your commentary is absolute shit. But that doesn't stop you from opening that pretty mouth of yours."
You kicked him lightly in the thigh, socked foot bouncing off his lean muscle. "Ow," he deadpanned, and flicked one card at you like a weapon. It smacked your forehead before fluttering uselessly to the sheets.
You laughed, grabbing it. "Terrifying."
"You should be," he said with a nod, but he was already smirking. That was who Theo was ā he always looked a little too unbothered, a little too pretty sitting there with his collar loose, hair falling in his eyes, like the world could collapse and he'd still be dryly amused.
The problem with having Theo Nott as your best friend was exactly this: he was utterly dangerous without trying.
Which is maybe why, when you both got bored of the cards and you scrolled absently on the tablet you gifted him on his birthday, you didn't think before pulling up the browser and saying, "So what's the weirdest shit you've watched on here?"
Theo arched a brow from where he was sprawled against the headboard. "Define weird."
"Don't act like you don't know what I mean," you shot back, grinning up at him. "Come on. Everyone's searched something at least once that they'd never admit."
He hummed thoughtfully, eyes narrowing like he was amused at your boldness. "You mean porn."
You shrugged, pretending not to care though your cheeks went warmer. "Yeah. Porn. Unless you're about to tell me you've neverā"
His scoff cut off your teasing. "Obviously I have."
"Well?" you pushed curiously with an arched eyebrow.
Theo tilted his head, studying you for a moment. His voice dropped just a fraction, that playful teasing he reserved only for you. "What do I get if I tell you?"
You froze for half a second. You hated when he did that ā turned a simple conversation into something that made your stomach twist warmly. "Bragging rights?"
Theo's mouth curved into a smirk. "Shit prize." But he took the tablet from your hands, long fingers brushing yours, and typed something into the search bar. He didn't show you right away, just smirked at the screen, then angled it toward you.
Your jaw dropped the second your eyes landed on the screen. "Oh my god."
Theo chuckled in amusement, low and warm. "Too much?"
You slapped his arm, laughing. "That'sā what even is that position? Is he trying to break her spine?"
"Flexibility training," he deadpanned with a nonchalant shrug.
You snorted so hard you nearly dropped the tablet off the bed. "You're sick."
"Please. You asked yourself." He looked far too smug, lounging like a cat while you tried to recover from the scene. Then, without asking, he tapped the next video down the list. Something tamer, but still porn.
You should have told him to shut it off. Instead, you found yourself watching curiously.
At first, it was funny. The over-exaggerated moans, the cheesy dirty talk. You mocked the way the guy kept saying "yeah baby" and "fuck" like he'd been programmed with only two phrases. Theo snorted every time the camera zoomed in unnecessarily close to the girl's face. It was the kind of thing best friends could laugh at without thinking twice.
Except... you were thinking twice.
Because you noticed how close you'd ended up sitting, your knees almost brushing his. How his shoulder shifted against yours when he leaned back at the headboard. How he absentmindedly spun the ring on his finger while watching, and how his expression wasn't as detached as you expected. Relaxed sure, but now with more intent.
When the girl on-screen gasped, Theo's tongue darted briefly over his lower lip, and your stomach flipped, dangerous and warm.
Nope. Absolutely not. This was Theo. Your Theo. You were just imagining it.
But then he glanced sideways and caught you watching him instead of the screen, he smirked.
"What?" you demanded, arching your brow in a defensive gesture.
"You're quiet," he pinpointed lightly with a slight hum. "Unusual."
"I'm just... processing."
He chuckled, tilting his head slightly, but didn't push. "Sure." His eyes flicked back to the tablet, then to you again. "And you're blushing."
"I am not."
"You are," he said with a smirk, far too pleased with himself. "Cute."
Your heart jumped. Cute? Theo called you a million names ā idiot, menace, brat ā but cute? That was reserved only for special occasions. And worse, he looked like he meant it.
The video kept playing. You tried to laugh at it again, but your voice came out thin. Theo leaned just a little closer, close enough that you caught the faint cologne at his collar. Close enough that when the man on screen groaned, you felt heat curl in your stomach in a way that had nothing to do with the actor.
It was all about Theo.
And suddenly you realized: best friends didn't actually sit this close watching porn together. Not without meaning something else.
Your pulse hammered. You glanced at him again, and this time, you swore his gaze dipped to your mouth before he caught himself and looked away.
Shit.
The room felt smaller by the second, the air warmer and thicker.
Theo hadn't moved much, but it was the awareness that had changed. His thigh brushed yours like it always did, only this time it wasn't casual. His arm rested behind you on the headboard, his fingers grazing your shoulder, and you felt every nerve in your body trip over itself because suddenly, it mattered.
The video kept playing, but neither of you was really watching it anymore.
"You can turn it off," Theo said finally, voice lower than usual. "If it's too much."
You forced a laugh, though your throat was dry. "It's not. Don't worry."
He looked at you, sharp eyes steady, like he was testing that. Then his mouth curved slowly, that teasing edge softening into something heavier. "Alright, then. Don't get shy on me now."
Shy? You wanted to smack him as usual when he teased you. But your body betrayed you ā pulse raced, legs shifted subconsciously, and you couldn't meet his gaze for long without feeling like you'd combust.
The silence stretched, broken only by the obscene wet sounds from the tablet. And then, like the universe couldn't handle the tension between you two anymore ā you both reached for it at once, fingers colliding.
You startled, jerking your hand back quickly, but Theo caught your wrist before you could move away. His grip was firm, warm, familiar but all new in a strange intimate way. "Jumpier than usual," he murmured.
Your breath hitched. "Well, it's because you're beingā"
"What?" He tilted his head, studying you, thumb dragging lazily against the inside of your wrist. "Honest?"
The word sank into you, heavy and dangerous. Because yeah, that was exactly what this all was. Too honest. Terrifying in its novelty, but exhilarating all at once. Unavoidable.
And then he kissed you.
It wasn't hesitant, wasn't careful. Theo kissed like he'd thought a lot about it before, like he already knew the shape of your mouth, like your lips were destined to end up against his. His hand slid to your jaw, tilting your face to his, while your fingers bunched in his shirt. He tasted faintly of menthol cigarettes and something darker, and when you gasped, he swallowed the sound like he owned it. His tongue slid against yours, slow and deliberate, making you shudder at the sheer heat of it.
The tablet slipped forgotten onto the sheets.
"Fuck," you breathed out against his mouth.
Theo smirked, breath warm on your skin as he pressed his forehead to yours. "That's the idea."
You laughed shakily, but it broke into a gasp when his hand skimmed down your side, slipping under your shirt to trace warm and bare skin. Your whole body shivered at the contact, heat sparking everywhere his fingers touched.
"Theoā"
"Tell me to stop," he said, voice strained now, though his mouth was still curved. "And you know I will."
But you didn't. Couldn't. Didn't want to. Instead, you dragged him closer, kissing him again, more desperate this time.
The shift was immediate. Theo groaned low in his chest, the sound vibrating through you as he pulled you into his lap, your thighs straddling him like it was the most natural thing in the world. Inevitable. Blissful. Amazing. His hands gripped your hips, grounding you as you rocked instinctively against him. The friction made your head spin, and his breath hitched against your throat.
"Still just friends?" he tried to tease, but his voice was a bit too breathless.
"Do friends get hard like this?" you shot back, grinding just enough to feel him under you. The twitch of his cock against you made you both hiss.
"Point taken," he muttered, before kissing you again, rougher, more intentional this time.
Clothes blurred after that. Tugging, pulling, laughter breaking through between kisses when your shirt got stuck over your head, his muttered "bloody hell" as your fingers fumbled with his belt. The kind of chaos only two people too comfortable with each other could create.
But when you finally got his trousers shoved down and felt him, hot and hard against you, everything stilled.
Theo's forehead pressed to yours, his breath warm and shaky against your skin. "We shouldā fuck, we should slow down."
"Do you want to?" you asked as you looked at him, voice barely more than a whisper.
His eyes locked on yours, heavy and dark. "No."
Your body reacted before your mind did. You ground against him again, and Theo groaned, head dropping to your shoulder. His hands dug into your hips like he was fighting himself.
"Just the tip," he rasped suddenly, voice breaking on the words. "Let me, fuckā I want to feel you. Just the tip."
You shuddered, heat pooling low and heavy in your stomach. The way he said it ā pleading, wrecked ā undid you more than his hot and solid body against you. "Theo..."
"Please," he whispered, lips brushing your ear. "I just need to feel you."
Your chest heaved, words spilling out of your mouth before you think twice. "Just the tip."
It was a lie, and you both knew it.
Theo lined himself up, slow and careful, and pressed forward until the head of his cock slid into your soaked entrance.
The world tilted.
You gasped. The stretch was sharp, overwhelming, delicious, your walls clenching around him instinctively. Theo swore under his breath, clutching your waist like a lifeline. "Fuck. Fuck, so tightā"
Your nails dug into his shoulders. Every nerve ending in your body lit up, the feel of him, even just like this, was dizzying, stunning. "Theo, oh myā"
"I know," he whispered, voice shaking. He kissed your throat, your jaw, your cheek, everywhere he could reach. "I know, love. Just a little... justā"
He tried to stay still, but your hips shifted on instinct, sucking him deeper inch by inch until he was halfway inside. Your eyes fluttered shut, overwhelmed by the delicious burn, the feeling of fullness.
"Not just the tip," you whimpered softly.
His laugh was broken, wrecked and warm against your skin. "Yeah, no chance of stopping now."
And then he rocked the rest of the way in, slow but steady until he was seated fully, your walls stretching around every inch of him. You moaned at the delicious sensations, thighs trembling, body shivering on top of his.
Theo's forehead dropped to yours, sweat beading at his temple. "You feel, fuck, you feel unreal."
He gave you a second to adjust, his thumbs stroking your hip soothingly. But when you clenched around him so amazingly, he groaned and pulled almost all the way out before thrusting back in. The movement sent sparkles of pleasure down your back, dragging another helpless sound from your throat.
Every tiny movement made you jolt, your body alive and burning with shivers. You could feel every vein, every throb of him. Theo fucked you slow but deep, savoring each sound you made, each tremor of your body on his. Every time your walls fluttered around him, his rhythm faltered, breath catching, like he couldn't believe it either.
Each time he bottomed out, you moaned without thinking, legs tightening around him to pull him even closer. Your nails dug crescents into his back, cries growing louder with every deliberate and delicious push. Theo's usual composure was completely gone now, his groans raw in your ear, his restraint unraveling with every twitch of your pussy.
"Taking me so good," he panted hoarsly, his pace picking up. "My perfect girl. My best fucking friend." His lips found your ear, hot breath making you shiver. "Never gonna look at you the same after this."
You shattered around him then, the orgasm crashing through you so hard that your vision blurred. Your body convulsed, walls clamping down around him. Theo cursed loudly, hips stuttering at the sensations.
He fucked you through it, every thrust dragging out the pleasure until you were sobbing his name in his shoulder. The twitch of his cock, the hitch in his breath, told you he was close too.
"Where?" he gasped.
"Inside," you begged without thinking. "Please, want to feel it all."
His groan was guttural, broken, as he slammed deep one last time, spilling inside you with a shudder that shook his whole frame. You felt the warmth flood you, felt the twitch of him as he pulsed, and that feeling dragged another aftershock from your already wrecked body.
For a long moment, neither of you moved, the only sound your ragged breathing and the faint, forgotten moans still coming from the tablet on the floor.
Finally, Theo shifted slightly. He looked at you, hair damp, lips curved into a lazy and sated smile.
"You're fucked," he murmured warmly, eyes still dark. "We're fucked."
You laughed weakly, tugging him closer for another kiss. "Best friends, huh?" you managed breathlessly.
Theo laughed, shaky and soft, lips finding yours again. "Yeah, about that..."
i want to read a āthe traitorsā fic where the reader is hesitant to trust anyone and immediately clocks rob r as a traitor but no one will believe her because theyāre all absolutely charmed by him and heās so smug about it and flirts with her the entire time theyāre at the castle because he knows it enrages her but he genuinely thinks itās the hottest thing in the world and slowly her resolve starts to crack as she realizes oh no i think i like him - but no, heās an asshole so i canāt.
sometimes the loneliest place is in a crowded room
traitor rob rausch x shy faithful reader
loosely based on next episode with the fancy party, i'm turning it into a masquerade ball. i envision reader as a streamer who spends most of their time in their room and in comfy clothes. hope yall enjoyyy i just write for fun directly off my phone and don't proofread oops
It's the night of the masquerade ball. You're in your room getting ready, skimming through the provided options for what to wear. "It couldn't have been a cozy night in? Or a glow stick party or something? Just haaad to be a big fancy thing" you think to yourself. You're used to sweatpants and a crop top or spandex and an oversized tee or sweatshirt. Maybe a skirt and sweater if you're feeling fancy. Certainly not an elegant ballgown. The choices are all stunning though. You settle upon a glittery black dress. It's long but has a high slit on both sides so you figure it will be comfy enough, comparatively. Thankfully Alan is over the top and has multiple shawls to go with the gowns so you can cover your arms. You settle on a fuzzy black one. "My god...." you gasp as you see all the jewelry they've provided as well. I mean it's gotta be costume jewelry but still, there's so many options. You smile as you see a pretty gold snake necklace, as it reminds you of Rob. You put that on, and get your black mask on and decide to head downstairs. You're a bit nervous heading downstairs in heels as you seriously never wear them but you're taking it slow.
You reach the last step and wobble just a bit as you feel big warm hands steady you from behind. "Woahh, easy now. You okay?" He smirks as you realize it's him. He knew it was you the entire time walking down the stairs. You nod and thank him. Then you get a good look at him, in his own mask and attire. He's wearing a deep emerald suit with a black tie. It suits him... really suits him. "Shall we...?" he gestures for you both to go as you're kinda blocking the steps currently. You nod once again as you both head into the dinner hall.
The dinner party itself is... overwhelming to say the least. Your mind is racing. Everyone is on edge tonight and chatting up storms. While everyone is recognizable in their masks, they've certainly added a layer of tension to the evening. It's more difficult to tell if people are lying or being sincere now. On top of that, you're wondering if people can tell that you're uncomfortable in tonight's attire and if that discomfort is coming across as suspicious. I mean you know you're a faithful, but does everyone else? Plus, look at how Donna being more introverted got used against her and ended up being correct since she actually was a traitor. Now you're forced to be on 100 at all times and it's genuinely exhausting. You thought coming here would be a fun opportunity but it's been so much more stressful than you imagined.
ā¢ā¢
After dinner officially ends, you step outside to take a breather. You exhale slowly as the cool night air hits you and you clutch at your shawl. You rest against the railing, almost like sitting on it but more upright. You take off your mask.
"2 high slits should be illegal."
You turn towards the door and he's barely even made it outside.
"Can you even see me from there? How'd you notice the slits?"
"I noticed them earlier." He steps fully outside now and leans against the rail next to you. He also takes off his mask and adjusts his hair.
"You did?"
"Mhm."
You roll your eyes as a faint smile creeps in but then you bite your lip and then exhale, realizing if he was looking at you then likely other people were too and what if they thought you looked bad or suspicious or fat or oh god this is on tv as well, how did you look on cam-
"Y/n?"
You turn your head and gaze up at him. The way he's looking at you isn't one of judgement or unkindness, not even a hint of it. It relaxes you just a bit so you breathe out again and respond.
"Sorry. I just- tonight is..."
"A lot?"
"YES. A lot."
"Can I speak candidly?"
You nod softly.
"People look at me and think I'm a big social guy. I'm not. Sure I'm more social now than growing up but not by much. I can post a thirst trap from the comfort of my own home but that doesn't mean I don't get nervous around people."
"You? Nervous? I find that hard to believe."
"Oh come on. You of all people should relate. I just fake it til I make it, and yeah I've mostly made it at this point... but not always, like tonight."
"Tonight?"
"Yeah. This is so not my scene, and I know it isn't yours either. Not because you make it obvious, to be clear. Instead, I knew what was running through my mind and as I was looking around, I realized you were experiencing the same feelings."
"What gave me away?"
"The constant fidgeting your fingers, smoothing your dress, fixing your hair."
"Wow you were really studying me huh?"
"You caught me."
"Is it because you think I'm a traitor?"
He laughs. "No. It's because I think you're cute."
You immediately blush. "Robbbbb I'm too exhausted to refrain from flirting."
"Even better. You'd be a really cute traitor."
"I'd be a horrible traitor."
"You think? I don't know, you could certainly fool me. I'm practically wrapped around your finger."
You laugh. "You are nooot. Plus, I think you'd be the better traitor between us both. Though, I really hope you're not."
Rob chuckles. "Oh yeah? And why is that?"
"Because" you almost let that just be your answer, as if it should be obvious but you decide to elaborate anyway. "Because I appreciate the bond we've formed, and I'd hate to second guess the intent behind it."
"Wow." Rob is taken aback by that. "You really don't know how beautiful you are, do you?"
"What does that have to-"
He leans closer and gently places his hand on your cheek. "I like you. Don't question that. Question if I'm faithful or a traitor, I don't care. But stop questioning how I feel about you and the legitimacy of it. Please."
You release a breath you hadn't realized you were holding since his hand touched your cheek. "Okayy, fine."
"Good." He keeps his hand on your cheek and slowly brings his other hand to your neck, finding your gold snake necklace. "Cute. Is this for me?"
You smile as you roll your eyes. "Maybe."
He inches closer and waits for your eyes to land back on him. When they do, they go to his eyes then quickly avert to the ground.
"Mm no. Stop that." He takes the hand that was on your necklace and gently tilts your chin and effectively your gaze back up to him.
You breathe out and gulp. "Rob..." your eyes reluctantly stay locked on his and you fidget with the slit in your dress. You look down slightly, not to the ground but to his lips this time.
He notices, of course he notices. He's been dying to kiss your dumb ass since he got outside. He swallows and leans closer, whispering "Come here." He waits for you to close the distance, wanting to ensure you want this just as much as he does. You do... so you lean in and crash your lips onto his effectively melting into him as your cheeks burn against the cool air.
request: hi!! would it be okay if you did r21 + f20 for theodore nott?? would love a sweet fluff story where theo and the f!reader are just in love and in a lovely relationship, where theo gives her a necklace/ring which ever? not anything crazy or super tooth rottingly sweet <3
r21 - I want to wear his initial on a chain 'round my neck. Not because he owns me, but cause he really knows me.
f20 - You know damn well for you I would ruin myself
"y/n, what is that?!"
pansy's hands paw at your neck, yanking the chain closer to her face for a better look.
astoria, who's interest had been piqued by pansy's screeching, leans in as well, eyes widening in realization. you know exactly what they're referring to.
hanging from the chain that rests just below your collarbone is a pair of letters, simple but effective in rippling fear across any and all of the hogwarts boys that attempt to approach you: T.N.
"you're dating theo?!" astoria's jaw drops and her voice reaches an octave that you're sure would send any and all nearby animals in the opposite direction. "excuse me, since when is that a thing?!"
"you guys are dating?! I thought you were just screwing each other's brains out!"
you shoot pansy an exasperated look, hands thrown outwards in what you hope she understands as a 'what the fuck' gesture.
"what? you knew they had something between them?" astoria has now turned on pansy, who looks a bit like a deer in headlights. like a hurricane, she whips back towards you with an accusatory glare. "you little-- why didn't you tell me?!"
before you can answer, she's stalking towards the stairs leading up to the boys dormitory.
"mattheo!! get your ass down here right now!"
a crash sounds, followed by a string of curses and a few other unseemly noises before finally, mattheo riddle stumbles to the bottom of the steps, eyes darting wildly as he searches for what could have possibly set his girlfriend off.
when his eyes settle on you and pansy on one of the common room couches, necklace still caught in pansy's grip, understanding dawns on his face.
"oh c'mon guys!"
"you knew too?!" her voice has morphed into an angry whine. the kind that tells all of you that she's might actually explode if she doesn't get an explanation in the next thirty seconds. "why did nobody tell me that two of my best friends were dating?!"
you plead with whatever higher power there might be that this can't possibly get any worse.
however, your prayers go blatantly unanswered when the italian devil himself strides into the common room, eyes already fixed on yours.
"what's going on?"
the deep tones of theo's voice immediately sooth the part of you that has been on edge for the past ten minutes or so. your face splits into a wide, unconscious grin at the sight of your boyfriend, fresh from a study session in the library.
out the corner of your eye, you can see astoria swinging around wildly as an obvious call for someone, anyone, to say something.
"are you two always this obvious?!"
theo seems to connect the pieces in his mind. pansy still gripping your necklace like it insulted her mother. astoria looking like she might start yanking on the roots of her hair at any moment. mattheo now seated on the bottom stair, staring at the scene like heās walked into a fever dream.
"so the girls know now." theo's tone is teasing as he crosses the room, dropping his bag on an empty armchair.
"yep. the girls know." your voice in turn is soft, attention completely captured by theo's every movement as he turns towards pansy.
he carefully pries the necklace from her grasp and drops it back into place, his palm sliding up to cradle the side of your neck before pressing a brief kiss there.
"she's not a secret," theo says casually, gaze flicking towards the others before settling back on you. "she never was."
"look at them," pansy mutters, astounded. "they're completely ruined for each other."
astoria has calmed now and is staring pensively at the two of you.
"i don't see how it took you guys this long to figure it out. have you not noticed the way that he's always watching her?"
mattheo sprawls into an armchair, manspreading like itās his god-given right.
"okay, fine," astoria sighs. "but the next time two of our best friends start dating, I wanna be the first to know!"
I thought that it was important for everyone to see this gif I made of Newt checking out Tina and smirking slightly because it really shook me to my core.
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