Late-Night Drives & Mixtapes
Rodrick Heffley x Fem!Reader | Fluff | 1.2K words
The low rumble of Rodrickâs van was the only sound in the stillness of the night. The neon glow from passing streetlights cast fleeting shadows over his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw and the way his fingers tapped restlessly against the steering wheel. You sat beside him, your legs tucked under you, basking in the comfortable silence that only came with being around him.
It was past midnight, and the world felt softer, slower, as Rodrick drove with no real destination in mind. The cool night air seeped through the cracked windows, carrying the scent of asphalt and pine. Your town always felt different at nightâquieter, almost like it belonged to just the two of you.
Rodrick exhaled through his nose, tapping the dashboard with his palm. âAlright, Y/N, serious question,â he said, his voice scratchy from a mix of exhaustion and whatever energy drink heâd chugged before picking you up. âIf you had to listen to only one band for the rest of your lifeâlike, no skips, no varietyâwho would it be?â
You hummed, pretending to give it deep thought. âLöded Diper, obviously.â
Rodrick groaned, dragging a hand down his face. âThat doesnât count. Youâre just saying that âcause you feel bad for us.â
âMaybe.â You grinned. âBut also, I like your music, okay? So sue me.â
He side-eyed you, lips twitching like he wanted to argue, but he didnât. Instead, he flicked on the stereo, and the van filled with the opening chords of a song you didnât recognize.
âWhatâs this?â you asked, shifting in your seat as the steady drumbeat kicked in.
Rodrick shrugged, gripping the wheel tighter. âJust a mix. Youâll like it.â
You didnât miss the way his knuckles flexed, how his knee bounced as if he was waiting for you to say something. His usual cocky attitude was nowhere to be foundâjust nerves, poorly hidden under the dim glow of the dashboard.
You leaned closer, letting the song wash over you. It was a mix of classic rock and some heavier alternative stuff, but then, a song that was unmistakably different played through the speakersâsomething softer, melodic, almost sweet.
You turned your head slowly. âRodrick⊠did you make this?â
He snorted. âWhat? A playlist? Yeah, Y/N, thatâs not exactly rocket science.â
âNo, I mean⊠for me?â
Rodrick drummed his fingers against the wheel, gaze fixed on the road ahead. âI dunno,â he muttered. âMaybe.â
A warmth spread through your chest, something soft and fluttery. You had known Rodrick for years, and despite his general âI donât careâ attitude, there were always these moments where heâd surprise youâwhere heâd let that tough exterior slip just enough to show the messy, endearing boy underneath.
âRodrick,â you pressed, smiling despite yourself. âDid you just make me a mixtape?â
âI didnât put it on a tape, did I?â He groaned, but you saw the tips of his ears go pink. âJustâugh, donât make it weird, okay?â
You let out a small laugh, watching as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was so bad at thisâat being soft, at admitting when he did something thoughtfulâbut that just made it all the more endearing.
âI love it,â you said simply, because you did.
Rodrick peeked at you, and the tension in his shoulders eased, just a little. âYeah?â
For a moment, there was nothing but the hum of the engine and the music filling the space between you. The city lights faded as Rodrick turned onto an empty backroad, the kind lined with trees where the only illumination came from the headlights slicing through the dark.
He ran a hand through his already-messy hair. âAlright, your turn. One band for lifeânot Löded Diper.â
You tapped your chin dramatically. âHmm⊠Nickelback.â
Rodrick gasped, swerving the van slightly. âTake that back.â
You cackled, throwing your head back. âMake me.â
Rodrick shot you a glare, but there was no real heat behind it. âYouâre lucky I donât pull over and leave your ass on the side of the road.â
âYou wouldnât dare,â you challenged, poking his arm. âYouâd miss me too much.â
Rodrick rolled his eyes. âWhatever.â But his grip on the wheel tightened, and there was something softer in the way he glanced at you, in the way his lips parted like he wanted to say something else but couldnât quite figure out how.
The mixtapeâhis mixtape for youâkept playing, the tracks bleeding into each other, each one carefully picked by him. It was so painfully obvious now, what this was. He hadnât just thrown together a bunch of songs he liked.
Heâd picked songs with meaning. Songs that told you things he didnât know how to say.
The van rolled to a stop at the edge of a hill that overlooked the town. It was a spot the two of you had come to before, but tonight, it felt different. The lights below twinkled like tiny stars, and for the first time in a while, everything felt⊠easy.
Rodrick leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms before resting one over the back of yours. He was pretending to be casual about it, but you could feel the warmth of his fingers, just barely brushing your shoulder.
âYou wanna know something?â he asked suddenly.
You turned to him, resting your cheek against the seat. âAlways.â
Rodrick licked his lips, drumming his fingers absentmindedly against the dashboard. âI, uh⊠I donât really do this. Like, the whole, yâknowâŠâ He waved a hand vaguely. âFeelings thing.â
âI never wouldâve guessed,â you teased.
He shot you a look. âIâm being serious.â
âI know,â you said, a little softer this time. âGo on.â
Rodrick exhaled sharply, like he was bracing himself. âI justâlook, I like having you around, okay?â He squirmed, like the words physically pained him. âAnd not in, like, a âyouâre cool to hang out withâ way, but in a âshit, I think about you all the time and itâs annoyingâ way.â
Your heart stuttered, heat creeping up your neck. âRodrickââ
âWait, Iâm not done,â he interrupted, squeezing his eyes shut for a second before forcing himself to look at you. âI made the dumb mixtape because every time I hear a song I like, I wonder if youâd like it. And I wanna know what you think about it, andâugh, this is so lame.â
You laughed, but it wasnât mockingâit was light, breathless, because God, he was a mess, and it was adorable.
âRodrick.â You reached over, slipping your fingers through his. His breath hitched, and he tensed, but he didnât pull away.
You squeezed his hand. âI think about you all the time, too.â
Rodrick blinked. âWait, seriously?â
You grinned. âYeah, idiot.â
For a second, all he did was stare at you like he couldnât quite believe what he was hearing. Then, with a sudden burst of confidence, he leaned in.
The kiss was quickâjust a hesitant brush of lips, warm and a little clumsyâbut it made your stomach flip all the same. When he pulled back, his cheeks were red, and he was trying so hard to act cool about it.
âWell,â he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. âThat wasnât terrible.â
You rolled your eyes and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him back in.
This time, he kissed you properly.
And if the mixtape continued playing softly in the background, with lyrics about love and late-night drives and stupid teenage feelingsâwell, neither of you were complaining.