no rules after midnight (2)
⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢 all chapters : chapter 1, chapter 2
⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢 pairings : fratboy!neteyam x fem human! reader, fratboy!lo'ak x fem human!reader, big brother/fratboy!ao'nung x fem human!reader
⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢 synopsis : the sully brothers are living legends on campus : lo’ak, always at the center of it all, crazed party animal in all his glory, and neteyam, honor roll student by day, shadow of the party by night. when you step into your first frat party, you have no idea how quickly getting to know the sully brothers would turn your life upside down.
⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢 word count : 4.2k
⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢 note : this is gonna be such a long series i can feel it,,anyways credits to the person who requested to add ao'nung to this series, you're actually a genius for that omg.
⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢 warnings/tags : all characters are aged up, slow burn, modern au, best friend's brother(s) trope, mentions of drug use, a LOT of cussing, sexual themes implied, overprotective!ao'nung
neteyam sits with his elbows resting on the wooden desk, laptop open, absentmindedly skimming through notes and lecture slides that he's supposed to be reading. the library is packed at this time of day, almost every chair and table filled, the low murmur of voices blending with the constant shuffle of backpacks and pages turning. normally the white noise helps him calm himself, makes getting what needs to be done nearly effortless.
it seems god has other plans for him, cause today it really isn't going to be effortless at all.
his eyes keep flicking up from his laptop, against his better judgement, to you. he notices you as soon as you step through the doors, hair slightly messy and backpack slung over your shoulder. for a moment you just stand there by the entrance, eyes scanning the room, a small frown forming on your features when you realize the lack of available seats.
it's been weeks since neteyam first met you at the frat party, yet you seem to appear everywhere he goes. when he gets his morning coffee from the cafe nearby, you're there, sipping on your iced drink, looking stupidly cute when you smile at him and tell him good morning. when he ends his school day at the campus gym, trying to get a good workout in before his late night study sessions, you’re there, sweat clinging to your skin clad in your annoyingly form fitting sports bra and tiny shorts. it's honestly kind of baffling how often he sees you, considering he's in his fourth year and you're in your first. how your schedules manage to align so perfectly, he has no idea.
neteyam swears he's not following you, swears he doesn’t mean to stare whenever he finds himself in the same room as you, but he can't help it. new faces always draw attention, he tells himself. and just as he's about to return his gaze to the work he came here to do, you turn your head slightly, eyes meeting his. a small smile tugs at the corners of your lips, the corners of your eyes crinkling slightly as you wave in his direction. before he can think to look away, you’re already walking towards him.
"hi," you greet him, keeping your voice low as to not disturb the students around you. by the time you stop in front of him, he's already slightly panicked, frozen to his seat. he prays you didn't notice just how long he was staring. "mind if i sit with you? i swear i won't be a bother."
"uhm-" his brain short-circuits, and for someone who prides himself on composure, on thinking before he speaks, neteyam is embarrassingly caught off guard. he can feel his heart rate going up, the faint scent of your perfume and your sweet voice being all he can focus on. "no, i mean, yeah. i mean," he exhales through his nose, jaw tightening as he forces himself to steady his voice. "yeah sure, you won't be a bother."
real fucking smooth, neteyam. get caught staring like a fucking creep, then stutter like speaking to women terrifies you. super casual, just like you intended, right?
you light up at his answer, muttering a quick "thanks" under your breath before sliding into the seat right across from him. you place your backpack against the leg of the chair, and when you pull out your notebook, your knee brushes against his under the table. the touch is brief, accidental, but neteyam can physically feel the shiver it sends down his spine at the contact.
neteyam tries to look back at his screen, but the words on his lecture notes blur into a jumbled mess. just out of the corner of his eye, he spots the way you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, the faint crease between your brows as you skim your notes, how fucking cute you look in your oversized sweater.
cute little freshie, he recalls lo'ak saying, and as much as he loathes to admit it, neteyam has no choice but to agree with his little brother for once. god, you're cute, probably the cutest thing that's shown up to their forsaken frat house in these past few years. cute enough to make his brain activity stop for a second when he sees you in passing, the same way it did when he first laid eyes on you and the same way it is right now.
cute enough that neteyam is starting to think he's going crazy.
his eyes scan past the same slide for the third time without absorbing a single word., you’re just sitting next to him, sharing tables like normal people do. he’s shared tables like this thousands of times over the past three years, and yet never once has his heart threatened to give out and jump right out of his chest. this is ridiculous, he thinks to himself. it doesn't mean anything, the way his heart is pounding and his palms grow sweaty just because you're near him. no, he just got caught off guard, it's normal to be this nervous when you get caught off guard, right? and he wasn't really staring, no, this is all just one big coincidence.
then he glances sideways, just for a moment, just for long enough to notice the way you're resting your chin against the palm of your hand, how glossy your lips are, how you're so close he can hear the soft rhythm of your breathing, and he feels his previous attempt at rationalizing his feelings crumble a little. he leans back in his chair, desperately trying again to focus his attention to the work in front of him.
a few hours later, by the time the library clears and you stand to leave, whispering a hushed "bye-bye" as you gather your things, neteyam realizes he doesn't remember a single thing he's read today. and when you finally step away, he runs a hand through his hair, mind scrambling to figure out what the hell is going on with him.
yeah, definitely going crazy, he thinks to himself.
like every good older brother does, ao'nung never forgets to check in on you at least once a week, showing up at your dorm with snacks and questions you don't really want to answer.
today is that 'once a week', apparently.
"open up, baby sis." his voice is followed immediately by a sharp knock against the door, loud enough to wake you from your much needed afternoon nap. you groan, begrudgingly rising from your bed and groggily fumbling with the door handle for far longer than necessary before you manage to pull it open.
"you ever heard of texting?" you huff. ao'nung is standing in the hallway with a small plastic bag looped around his wrist, broad shoulders filling the doorframe as he steps into your room. he's wearing the usual sweatpants and white t-shirt, slightly damp hair tied into a messy bun. "it wouldn't kill you to let me know in advance before you barge in here, you know."
"wow," he replies easily, already setting the bag down on your desk and unpacking its contents. "that's a weird way to say 'thank you so much for checking in on me, big bro', but i guess i'll take it." you roll your eyes, but can't fight the smile that forms when you glance over at the spread on your desk. there's a box of takeout sushi from that place you frequent, a bag of chips and a small square of chocolate. of course, ao'nung always brings your favorites.
"come, sit." he gestures towards your desk chair, beckoning you to sit. "i need to make sure you're eating well." you do as you're told, and dropping into the chair while he leans against the edge of your desk, arms crossed as he watches you crack the lid of the sushi container open.
"what makes you think i'm incapable of feeding myself?" you retort, already moving to grab a piece with your chopsticks, humming in satisfaction as you savor the taste.
ao'nung scoffs, unimpressed. "big brother instincts." he says flatly. "and the fact that it's already dinnertime and you've just woken up."
"i need my beauty sleep," you mutter, still chewing. ao'nung glances around your room like he's mentally checking boxes : bed messy, laundry stacked neatly, nothing out of the ordinary. still, you can feel the questions lining up ready to spill from his lips at any moments. "you wouldn't understand." you add.
"so," he says after a moment, trying to be casual. "first month in college, you make any new friends?"
"yeah, i mean, just a few." you say, nudging a piece of sushi in his direction with your chopsticks. he shakes his head, insisting you eat your fill, and you're more than happy to oblige.
"anyone i should know about?" he cocks an eyebrow at you.
your mind drifts back to the party — the flashing lights, countless rounds of drinks, music blasting just a little too loud. you remember the sully brothers, finding neteyam handsome in a quiet, almost mysterious way, the kind that makes you feel nervous under his gaze. lo'ak, though? he'd been impossible to ignore from the start, laughing and nudging you to dance like he’d known you for years instead of minutes.
"not really." you push the thought to the back of your mind, deciding not to tell your older brother about your endeavors at the frat house. ao’nung doesn’t need to know any of that, not now, at least. him knowing would only lead to more questioning, more parenting you don't need. "it's been pretty boring, actually." a white lie, but you try not to let it sit on your conscience for too long.
"if college feels boring, you're definitely doing something wrong." he laughs, though part of him is glad to hear your answer. boring is safe, after all. "you haven't been to any parties?"
you shrug, deliberately popping another piece of sushi into your mouth to buy yourself some time to think of an appropriate response. "not unless orientation counts." you say, still chewing. "why, you looking to fix that?"
"actually, i am." he shugs. "my frat's throwing a little get together next weekend, you should definitely come. it's better if you experience your first college party with me keeping watch anyways."
you hum, considering your options. on one hand, the idea of your brother hovering nearby sounds like a guaranteed way to kill the vibe. on the other hand, the thought of stepping into that world again, all flashing lights and music thumping in your ears, it's far too tempting to deny.
"can i bring a few friends?" you ask, already knowing who exactly these 'few friends' are, though you don't care to specify. your overprotective big brother probably wouldn't appreciate you hanging around the sully brothers, but that's a problem for future you.
"i don't see why not." ao'nung replies.
you glance down at the half-empty sushi container, then back up at him. "yeah, i'll be there."
neteyam sully can't remember the last time he logged into his instagram account.
he isn't really one to dwell on social media, not when his days are already packed with lectures and assignments and trying(mostly failing) to keep his crazed little brother in check. kiri had forced him to set up the account years ago, back when they were still in high school, mouthing something along the lines of "one day you're going to need this account and you'll thank me for doing this".
today is one of those days.
he opens his home page, absent mindedly skimming through posts he never asked to be tagged in, stories detailing the previous night's events, stupid reels lo'ak filled his direct messages with, when his eyes finally land on one notification in particular.
k1ri.btw added to their story.
he hesitates, cursor hovering just over the notification for a second before he clicks into it.
it’s not anything dramatic, just a poorly-lit selfie of you and kiri from the party that day. your cheeks are flushed, most likely from the drinks lo'ak had insisted on shoving into your hands one after the other, drunken grin plastered to your face as you stare into the camera lens, throwing up a peace sign. in all honesty it's not even a good picture, grainy under the flashing lights, yet neteyam can't peel his eyes away.
in the corner of the picture, right under the glaring #throwback, he spots your username, and before neteyam can think to stop himself his hand is already moving is cursor towards it. just curiosity, he thinks to himself as he scrolls through your page.
of course, you just so happened to wander into their frat house weeks ago and lo'ak has already put himself on your radar. lo'ak talks to almost everyone, tries to make friends with every new person he meets, follows half the campus like he's collecting the pokemon card equivalent of acquaintances. he tries to ignore the strange tightness that grows in his chest as he lets his mind wander. just how well does his little brother know you? when did he even get your instagram? neteyam doesn't recall his little brother asking outright for it, not in the shitfaced-drunk state he fell into that night at the party. he doesn't even recall lo'ak coming back to their dorm after the party ended, probably passed out half naked somewhere by the poolside or in the common area.
it doesn't mean anything, neteyam tells himself. even if it does, what does it matter to him? you're a freshman, kiri's friend, just another new face on campus. yet, he doesn't click away.
out of all the pictures posted to your page, his eyes are drawn to one in particular : another picture from that night. you're turned slightly away from the camera, shoulders bare in contrast to that awfully sheer black camisole that clings to your chest, the glitter on your eyelids catching the light from the camera flash, an innocent smile adorning your features. it's a smile he's seen countless times by now, the same one he sees at the cafe and at the gym and at the library, the same one he hopes to see every time he steps out of his dorm room, no matter how much he hates to admit it.
his cursor hovers over the follow button, thinking if he should click down on it, before finally lifting his hand from his mouse as he realizes what he's been doing. why the fuck is he stalking your instagram page?
as if on cue, his bedroom door slams open.
"holy fuck," lo'ak barges, still reeking of alcohol and smoke. he doesn’t knock, neteyam doesn't think he's ever knocked actually, just kicks the door shut behind him and belly flops onto neteyam’s bed as if his own isn't a few steps away. neteyam winces, knowing his fresh sheets would soon be smelling like an unwashed hungover frat boy, his own brother of all people. "bro, i had the craziest fucking dream last night, like, we had blue skin? and we were living in the forest and shit, and get this-"
"where the hell even were you last night?" neteyam cuts him off, crossing his arms over his chest as he turns in his chair to face lo'ak. "i'm guessing you didn't make it to your lecture? i didn't even hear you come back."
"woah, way to assume the worst." lo'ak doesn't even bother to try and sound offended, propping himself up on his arms to meet his older brother's gaze. "i did make it to class, actually. and as for last night, spider asked me to hit the club with him. normal sunday-night stuff, you know." he glances over to the desk behind his older brother.
neteyam has always been infuriatingly perfect. perfect grades, perfect son, even his desk is perfect. his textbooks are stacked neatly in a far corner of his desk, sticky-notes pinned up on a poster board on his wall, it looks straight out of an IKEA catalog. lo'ak has spent his entire life trying to live up to him, tried so desperately hard to be perfect, but he's never even come close. mere feet away, his own desk is messy, notes scribbled with messy handwriting strewn across the wooden surface, backpack tossed onto the floor somewhere nearby. lo'ak is no dropout, turns in his assignments on time (mostly, but who's keeping track anyways?), somehow manages to get grades that are more than respectable, but it never seems to be enough. when people look at the lo'ak, all they see is the troublemaker, the feral party animal, just a living reminder of how much better his older brother is.
then his gaze shifts to the laptop on neteyam's desk, screen is still open, your post staring right back at him. when neteyam realizes just what his little brother is looking at, it's already too late.
"hold up, is that...?" lo'ak asks, grin already tugging at the corners of his lips as he springs upright. in an instant he closes the distance between neteyam's bed and his desk, hand hovering over the mouse. "no fucking way bro, it really is her."
"wait, don't touch that—" neteyam's chair creaks as he stands, just a second too late.
"shit." lo'ak curses, eyes widening. the screen refreshes, and the tiny pop up confirms neteyam's fears : the follow he hesitated on clicking just moments before? it went through, thanks to lo'ak. "fuck, okay, don't panic yet..."
"oh my fucking god, lo'ak." neteyam hisses, plopping back down onto his chair as he buries his face in his palms, a poor attempt to hide the flush that now paints his cheeks. "what the fuck, man? you just-"
"how was i supposed to know you left your cursor hovering over that? like seriously who the fuck uses instagram web anyways?" lo'ak runs a hand through his hair, trying to find the right words to say. "ok, let’s just relax for a moment, yeah? it's really not that big of a deal, i mean i'm following her instagram too!"
neteyam drags his hands down his face slowly, exhaling through his nose. "dude she's a freshman." he huffs. "i barely even know her, what the fuck."
"and yet you're stalking her instagram at 10am on a monday?" lo'ak teases, bracing himself against the edge of the desk. "i barely know her either. it's just something normal people do, bro."
"i was not stalking her." neteyam swivels his chair back towards his desk, wincing as he stares at your profile on display. "i just saw her tagged on kiri's story and got curious."
"mhm, sure." lo'ak hums, unimpressed with the excuse his older brother comes up with. "sounds like someone has a crush, big bro."
"i do not have a crush on her." neteyam insists, though his eyes flick back to your profile once more before he snaps the laptop shut, as if that might cancel out his brother's misclick.
"not very convincing." lo'ak laughs, earning a scowl from neteyam, and as if the universe is trying to play a cruel joke on him, his phone buzzes in his pocket.
y/n requested to follow you.
neteyam stares at the notification on his screen, heart nearly thumping out of his chest. of course you've seen it, of course you'd want to follow him back, polite little thing you are. before he can move his fingers to click on it, lo'ak grins, snatching the phone right out of his hands.
"lo'ak what the fuck-" again, neteyam is just a second too slow. lo'ak's thumb hovers over the accept button, just long enough to make neteyam dread what's coming, before he presses down on it.
"no need to thank me," lo'ak says, satisfied, tossing the phone back into his brother's lap. "see? that wasn't so bad, first move made."
"i'm not trying to- you know what? forget it." neteyam drags his fingers through his hair, not wanting to pick up the hunk of metal resting on his thighs. a small part of him is relieved it’s done, that the whole situation was technically and literally out of his hands. another part of him wants to punch lo'ak's shit eating grin right off his face. "fuck you, man."
"yikes, cold much?" lo'ak pushes himself up, already making a beeline for the door. just before he leaves, he pauses, hand resting on the door handle while glancing over his shoulder. "for what it's worth, i think she's cute too. great taste, big bro."
before neteyam can process the words, formulate a response, lo'ak is already gone. he stares at the empty doorway, confusion painting his features, maybe a tinge of annoyance at the fact that his brother had just stormed in, meddled with his life, and didn't even have the courtesy to close the door behind him as he left.
lo'ak's words stay with him, only for a moment, but enough to get him thinking about the meaning behind them. he hates it, hates the gnawing feeling in his chest, hates that a part of him is already thinking about you in ways he probably shouldn't, thoughts that lo'ak might just share.
he tries to ignore them, telling himself that this is nothing, that now that his curiosity has been quelled and the instagram situation resolved, he can finally concentrate on his assignments like he originally intended when he sat down at his desk this morning.
definitely not a crush, he thinks to himself.
the walk to the cafeteria feels way longer than usual today.
lo'ak shoves his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, warmth of the early morning sun doing nothing to soothe the ringing in his head. hungover and hungry, not the most optimal way to start junior year. he fishes around in his pockets, fingers sifting through crinkled receipts and spare change until he finds his earbuds. not even bothering to untangle the wires properly, he jams them into his ears and cranks the volume up, hoping the to let the bass drown out the thoughts running through his head.
'i do not have a crush on her', his older brother's voice echoes in his head. lo’ak scoffs under his breath, smiling to himself as he recalls the way neteyam had frozen when he clicked on that follow button. it was an accident, truly. lo'ak figured he'd scroll through your page on netyam's laptop (the same way he did the night before after he'd first met you), tease the older male a little before he clicked the follow button. picture perfect neteyam sully, almost on the edge of losing his mind cause he had clicked follow on some freshie's instagram page? it's pure gold, absolutely peak cinema to lo'ak.
still, something unwelcome stirs in him. it should be funny, and it was funny, at first at least. but now, alone with nothing but his thoughts and music blasting in his ears, he can't really bring himself to laugh. neteyam taking interest in the new girl? that alone is rare enough to be noteworthy. neteyam doesn’t do distractions, swore off hookups and meaningless flings since freshman year in fact. girls come and go around their frat all the time, and his older brother has barely spared them a glance. this whole nervous instagram stalking thing really isn't like him.
exactly why lo'ak can’t stop thinking about it.
you're new, freshman year, starry-eyed and innocent in a way most people on campus have long grown past. it doesn't help that you just so happen to be effortlessly pretty, like you don’t even realize how many heads turn to stare when you walk into the room. lo'ak noticed immediately, as soon as you stepped into the frat house clinging to kiri's arm.
what he didn't anticipate was that his older brother would too.
in the back of his mind, an idea brews. he knows his older brother far too well, knows that neteyam is far too careful, too responsible to actually make the first move, evident in the way he hesitated before even doing something as simple as clicking follow on your instagram. neteyam sully never rushes. he hesitates, always waiting for the perfect moment that might never even come. lo'ak on the other hand? he's impulsive, too eager to jump head first into almost everything he does. and now, with you in the picture, completely unaware of the effect you've already had on his older brother, lo'ak can’t help but feel a spark of competition light in his chest.
if neteyam won't act, maybe it's time someone else does. lo'ak wants to see just how far he can push neteyam, how entertaining it would be to see his brother flustered and seething with jealousy. of course, lo'ak is no idiot, he'd pull back before things get messy, before someone gets hurt.
at least, that's what he tells himself for now.
