Discover Top Posts Tagged with #jordan li

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synopsis: your ex cheats on you and then flaunts his new relationship in front of the whole school, leaving you hurt, embarrassed, and more than a little pissed off. jordan li comes to you with a solution — pretend to date them to piss him off. what could possibly go wrong? author’s note: another self-indulgent tropey fic with jordan li, the character of all time. i love writing for them, but i am literally incapable of writing anything shorter than 4k words it seems! reader has a male ex, but there are no real descriptions of gender. i also didn't describe jordan switching much, but in my mind they alternate gender from scene to scene, sometimes more. this isn't set during the events of gen v, so no spoilers or anything! enjoy <3 wordcount: 4,098

Jordan Li x Reader

“You’re staring.” The voice startles you out of your skin and you almost drop your books as you wheel around, eyes wide.

“No I’m not.” You counter defensively, and Jordan Li raises a single dark eyebrow, glancing between you and where you’d been looking before intentionally.

“Sure you’re not,” they shrug, turning back to their locker. “But if it counts for anything, he’s being a dick.”

You blink in shock, looking back over at where your ex is draped over his new girlfriend, engaging in some truly bile-inducing acts of PDA, before shuddering and facing Jordan again.

“Yeah, well, I’ve had more time than the rest of you to get used to it.” You scoff, mostly to yourself, but Jordan just frowns at you in confusion. You sigh deeply, your cheeks heating up before you even get the words out. “He got with her before we even broke up, so…”

“Cody cheated on you?” Their outraged response seems to echo down the hallway and you shush them almost involuntarily, glancing around to see if anyone else heard. “What the fuck?” Jordan blinks at your response, and you roll your eyes.

“It’s humiliating, alright? I don’t want people to know I got cheated on and then dumped for her, that’s so embarrassing.”

“It’s more embarrassing to be the dickhead who cheated on someone and dumped them.” There’s a flare of anger in Jordan’s eyes, and to be honest, it’s very satisfying.

“Yeah, well, not to the rest of the student body. He’s still Number Three, big man on campus with a hot new girlfriend, and I’m just last week’s fucking news.”

“Woah, that’s not–” Jordan starts, but is cut off as students begin to flood the halls, one of their friends jogging over to say hi. You offer them a small smile, embarrassed at your oversharing, and turn to head to your next class.

You’d be lying if you said you don’t spend the rest of the week absolutely wallowing. Your social media is filled with photos of your ex and his new girlfriend, his face is on the big screens at school, advertising his rank as one of the top superheroes at Godolkin (stupid show-off fire powers), and you still get side-eyes and whispers following you down the hallway. It’s miserable.

And then Jordan starts showing up.

Subtly, at first. They pass you in the quad, mid-conversation with someone else, but toss you a wave and a greeting loud enough for people to hear. They sit with you in the dining hall, setting their tray down like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and you can feel the curious eyes on you afterwards.

It’s not like you and Jordan weren’t friends before, but… Casually. Sitting next to them in class, hanging out with them and their friend group at parties, sharing notes with them when they asked. Since your breakup (and, if you’re being honest with yourself, even while you were in the relationship) you’d been pretty isolated.

This sudden attention feels intentional, and you’re immensely grateful for it. It escalates over the next week, with Jordan waiting at your locker between classes, bringing you coffee before a lecture and giving you one of their bright smiles with it that makes your heart flutter.

You play along, initially mortified by the sudden attention it brings you, but somewhere between the smiles and time spent together, your name stops being whispered linked with the words ‘cheated on’ and ‘dumped’, and more mentioned in the same breath as ‘Jordan Li’.

You’re glowering across the quad at Cody when Jordan plants themselves down on the bench in front of you, immediately in your field of vision and blocking your view.

“I have a solution for your problem.” They stretch into a casual lean, resting one arm on the table, and you look at their biceps for a moment too long before responding.

“I didn’t realize I had a problem in the first place.” You bite back.

“Sure you do – you don’t want to be seen as the person who got cheated on and dumped.” Jordan rolls their eyes when you make a face at them. “Relax, I’m just quoting you. Anyway, don’t you want to know my solution?”

“I should kill him?” You smile innocently, biting into a fry, and Jordan blinks.

“Well– I mean, yeah, but I was thinking something that wouldn’t get you expelled.”

You frown, waiting for their magic answer, but they’re clearly enjoying the suspense too much. “Spit it out, Li.”

“You should move on. Date someone else. Preferably in the spotlight right now. Maybe–”

You sigh. “Yeah, well, that’s easier said than done, and I’m not in the mood to throw myself to the sharks right now–”

“Maybe…” Jordan reiterates, eyebrows raised to silently tell you to shut the fuck up. “Maybe someone who’s currently ranked Number 3?”

“That’s you, Jordan.” You roll your eyes, and then freeze. “Oh. Oh. That’s you.”

“Relax, I’m not propositioning you,” they huff, clearly noticing your wide eyes and flushed cheeks. “I’m killing two assholes with one stone. Well. One asshole with two stones…?”

At your raised eyebrow and lack of response, they groan, readjusting in their seat to face you fully and planting their hands on the table.

“He passed me in the ranking, alright? I’m not gonna let that shit slide, and I’ve been gently reminded that to get my spot back, I need to keep up… Popularity. Or public appearances. Or whatever the fuck Brink said.”

Another beat of silence ensues, where you just blink at them in confusion, which prompts a dramatic eye roll from them.

“My point is, this could help the both of us. I’d get my spot back, and get to wipe that smug smile off his fucking face, and you’d get to show everyone that you’re doing better than ever without him.”

Jordan steals a fry off your plate, chewing while they watch you take in the idea. “Plus, I think it would really piss him the fuck off, seeing us together.”

You’re instantly reminded of an argument you’d had in your dorm a few months back – it started off as a joke about Jordan being ranked above him, and ended with a screaming match about where your loyalties lay, Cody storming out of the room in a rage and slamming your door shut behind him.

“Okay. Fuck him,” you decide, watching a victorious glint appear in Jordan’s eyes. “Let’s burn him to the fucking ground.”

By the time Friday rolls around, the campus seems to have accepted the new narrative. You and Jordan, hand in hand walking across the quad, their laugh echoing against yours. They hold doors open for you, rest their hand on your waist, post photos of you just enough for the rumour mill to explode.

In the cafeteria, you slide into the seat next to them and they sling their arm around your shoulders, tugging you close. In the gym, they help you correct your stance with a palm pressed low on your back, far too close to be friendly. You peck them on the cheek as they drop you off at your dorm, inviting them into your room with a coy smile – only to sit side by side on your bed and watch a movie on your laptop.

It’s a performance, but it's a good one – so good you almost forget that’s all it really is.

“A fake relationship? Really?” Cate’s voice startles you and you nearly drop your coffee, cursing as the liquid splashes over your fingers and threatens to stain your shirt.

“Fuck, Cate.” You hiss, rolling your eyes as she comes to stand in front of where you sit on a bench outside, sweeping blonde hair off her shoulder before folding her arms elegantly.

“You know I could just make you forget him, right?” She narrows her eyes at you, and you curse yourself for not thinking harder about your friend’s telepathic powers before agreeing to the whole idea.

“Yes, Cate, obviously I know that. But that’s not the point.” Your eyes dart around, but thankfully it seems the two of you are alone.

She huffs loudly as she perches on the wall beside you. “I know. Offer still stands. But seriously – a publicity stunt with Jordan? You think that’s a good idea? With…?” She gestures vaguely at you, and you raise your eyebrows.

“With what?”

A dramatic roll of icy blue eyes. “Don’t act stupid, it doesn’t suit you. With your fat fucking crush. On Jordan.”

“I– That’s not– I don’t–” You stutter.

“Please. It’s obvious. And not just because I can hear your thoughts,” Cate cocks her head as she studies you, obviously following your train of thought before you have a chance to speak it out loud. “Okay, fine, your choice. Whatever.” She stands, dusts off her skirt, and shrugs. “In that case, the two of you should come to the party tonight at Dusty’s. Cody and Tessa will be there for sure."

You frown at her, still reeling and trying to formulate a succinct response, but she’s stalked off before you manage to even reply to her accusation about your interest in Jordan, which is so totally not true and obviously based on nothing and– Oh, who the hell are you kidding.

Jordan is, unfortunately, very down for a party with the added bonus of pissing off Cody. You pause for a moment just outside the frathouse, the pounding bass and strobe lights visible from outside while you shift awkwardly on your feet.

“I hate these things.” You groan, adjusting your outfit for the umpteenth time.

“Yeah, well, the whole point of this was being seen by Dickface and to piss him off, remember? Plus, you look fucking hot. He’s gonna go crazy.” There’s a hunger in Jordan’s dark eyes when you glance at them that causes you to flush all over.

They give you a half-smile as you enter the house, threading their fingers with yours gently and giving a little squeeze – they’ve got you. You can feel eyes turning towards you, the whispers, the glances – some approving, some curious.

The two of you find Cate and stand with her, and you pointedly ignore the smirk she gives you as she sees your hand entwined with Jordan’s. “You look fucking hot!” She yells over the pounding music, handing you a solo cup full of something, and you pull your lips into a smile that feels like a grimace.

After a while, your eyes drift across the room and fall on Cody in the corner, leaning over Tessa with his hand on her waist, and you stiffen – it still hurts, even after all this time, even knowing how much of an asshole he is.

Jordan feels your shift in attitude immediately. Their hand settles on the small of your back and you physically fucking shiver at the contact, blinking in embarrassment at the reaction. Dark eyes sweep over to meet yours, a slight frown tugging in silent confusion, and you give them a tiny shake of your head as you turn back to the conversation and try to focus, goddamn it.

Later, when the noise and heat get too much, and Jordan is preoccupied playing beer pong, you slip out the back door for air. The night is cool, the air almost too quiet after the pounding bass inside. You lean against the railing, take a slow breath – whatever was in that solo cup is sitting awfully high in your throat, your head swimming from it already.

“Didn’t think I’d find you here.” A familiar voice drawls. Cody. You close your eyes for a beat before turning, already dreading the interaction. He’s half-drunk, half-smirking, hands in the pockets of his chino shorts like he owns the place.

“Go away, Cody.” You grit out.

He ignores you, sauntering closer. “Li, huh? No, no, I guess it makes sense. It just feels a little obvious.”

“Obvious?” You take the bait, you can’t help it.

“Getting with him — or is it her? I never know. Well, whatever’s in those pants… Using it to get back at me feels a little desperate.”

Your jaw drops, cheeks flushing in anger. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Cody doesn’t reply, just presses his lips together in a smirk, and your blood boils.

“Are you actually fucking kidding me right now? You cheated on me!”

He rolls his eyes dramatically, raising his eyebrows with a shit-eating grin. “Here we go again– are you ever gonna get over that?”

“I actually can’t believe this.” You almost laugh at the absurdity of this conversation, disbelief cloying in your throat.

“No, no, I get it. You went for the next one down the line, that’s all.”

“Jordan was above you, dickhead.”

“Was. As in, no longer is. Because I’m Number Two now.” Cody steps even closer now, but you’re too angry to notice him inching closer.

“Yeah, because you’ve shacked up with Tessa, and somehow she’s convinced her army of followers to give a shit about you.”

He leans closer, voice low, and it’s just now that you realize how close he’s gotten, his beer breath wafting over your face as he talks. “Careful, jealousy doesn’t suit you. But if Jordan’s leaving you lonely and wanting…” He tilts his head, smile oily. “You could always come back for old times’ sake.”

“You’re a fucking prick–” Your eyes flash, powers surging in anger.

“Back off.” Jordan’s voice cuts through the night like a blade, striding out of the shadows with a tight jaw and cold rage in their eyes.

“He fucking bothering you?” They ask, their masculine form towering over Cody, and you don’t even try to hide the satisfaction on your face at the way he steps back instinctively.

The tension crackles palpably in the air between the three of you under the dull porch light for a moment before Cody scoffs and mutters something under his breath, turning back toward the house and disappearing inside.

You exhale, adrenaline still singing in your blood, but so is the alcohol, and embarrassment rises high in your chest at having been talked down to all over again, at having needed to be saved.

“What the hell was that?” You demand, rounding on Jordan as soon as Cody’s gone.

Jordan blinks, still brimming with leftover fury. “What do you mean ‘what was that’? He was harassing you–”

“I had it handled!”

“Yeah, clearly,” they snap, voice sharp enough to draw blood. “He’s been walking all over you since the breakup and you just stand there letting him talk to you like that!”

You laugh – brittle, embarrassed, defensive. “And what, you swooping in to play bodyguard fixes that?”

Jordan exhales hard, running a hand through their hair. “You don’t get it. You–”

“No, you don’t get it,” you cut them off, stepping closer. “I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for you to decide what I need or how I should act or who I should pretend to be with just to get back at him.”

They pause, frown creasing their features. “That’s not fair.”

“Oh, it’s not?”

Jordan’s eyes flash, the warmth that’s been simmering between you all week turning volatile. “You were the one who agreed to this, remember? You said, ‘let’s burn him to the fucking ground’, and now, what, you were gonna go back to him?”

“That’s not what was happening and you know it.”

They take a step forward, and the distance between you collapses. “Then what was happening, huh? Because to me, it looked like you caved the moment he pretended to want you again.”

You gape, hurt registering low in your stomach at their words. Your shame sharpens, mixing with the alcohol in your system and turning mean.

“There’s no one around, Jordan, you don’t have to pretend to give a shit.” You blindly feel for the low stone wall behind you, lowering yourself down onto it to help your head stop spinning.

“Excuse me?”

“You got what you wanted, okay? You’re obviously about to be Number Two again, you’ve got the whole school kissing your ass, so just–” Something burns at the back of your throat for a moment, and you press your lips together, closing your eyes for a moment.

“Why are you twisting shit to make it seem like I’m the only one benefitting? Last time I checked, you got exactly what you wanted.” Their voice is quieter now, less angry and more hurt, and it just makes your stomach turn even more.

“I guess I did! And now I feel like shit! So let’s just– let’s just call it a win, and move on.”

They wait a beat before replying. “Fine.”

“Fine.” You echo.

For a moment, neither of you moves. The music from inside is a muffled pulse, and all that’s left between you is anger and static. Jordan exhales, mutters something that sounds suspiciously like “forget it,” and stalks off into the dark.

You drop your head into your hands and try desperately not to cry.

You don’t see them for days after the fight. At first, it seems like just a breather – both of you licking your wounds, too stubborn to apologize. But as the silence stretches on, it begins to ache.

The campus feels lonelier without Jordan’s constant presence, and you start to realize how comfortable you’d gotten around them, how much you enjoyed having them in your life.

The charade of your relationship fades, and the whispers start up again.

You try not to care. You tell yourself you’re better off without them, that the whole thing was fake anyway. But every time you see their name on the leaderboard, inching their way back up to Number Two, it feels like a punch in the gut.

You run into Cate in the library a few days later – she’s got that calm, knowing expression on her face, like she’s already read your mind before you even open your mouth, but you appreciate that she acts like she hasn’t.

“Hey,” she greets softly. “Haven’t seen you around much.”

“Yep,” you mumble, popping the ‘p’ as you adjust your bag strap. “Guess you were right about the fake relationship idea.”

“You still think it was fake?” Cate raises an eyebrow, and you blink at her.

“What?”

“You really think Jordan would go through all that just for optics?”

“No, no, they wanted their rank back.” You frown.

“Sure,” Cate shrugs, watching your expression steadily. “But I think they wanted you, too.”

You look away, unsure what to do with that, your mind reeling with the possibility that maybe– No. She only thinks that, she doesn’t know. So she’s probably wrong.

Cate obviously hears you and sighs dramatically. “You should just talk to them. You’re both walking around like someone died, it’s depressing.”

When she walks away, you pause. Could she be right? Hope tugs in your chest at the idea, and before you know what you’re doing, your feet are carrying you towards Jordan’s dorm.

Of course, the universe loves irony.

“Wow, if it isn’t our campus power couple. Or. Well. Half of it.”

You freeze. That voice could sour milk.

When you look over your shoulder, Cody stands there, smirking, one hand stuffed into the pocket of his perfectly pressed chinos. Beside him, Tessa clings to his arm, her glossy hair framing a face that looks far too polished for a college campus. Her phone’s up, angled just so, the soft halo of her portable ring light making her glow.

“Cody. Tessa.” You don’t even bother to force a polite smile. “What do you want?”

Tessa beams, tilting her phone slightly toward you. “We were just talking about you. Thought we’d say hi, let everyone know there’s no bad blood, right?”

Your eyes flick to her phone, at the telltale red dot blinking in the corner of the screen, the comments scrolling across the screen.

“You’re livestreaming this.” It comes out flat, but your stomach twists.

“Oh, don’t worry!” Tessa says, fake concern painted across her pouty lips. “It’s just for my followers. They love positive energy. Journeys toward healing, you know?”

“Yeah,” Cody adds, stepping closer with a mean smirk, “Shows a lot of growth. Moving on and all that. Not everyone can handle it.”

Your pulse spikes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He gives a mock-sympathetic shrug. “I mean, it’s a shame about you and Li. Guess it wasn’t built to last. Happens when one of you’s–” He gestures vaguely. “Trying too hard. Clinging to the past.”

Tessa giggles and cuts him off, turning the camera back to herself, then to you. “Cody! Don’t be mean. We just want everyone to see we’re all good now. No grudges, right?”

Every word drips with practiced sweetness, and you catch your own reflection in her phone screen – tired eyes, clenched jaw. They want you to break. They want to turn it into content.

Something inside you snaps.

You meet the lens head-on, your voice calm, steady, even. “You’re right,” you say softly, forcing a smile. “No grudges.”

A blinding flare of light erupts from both your hands, swallowing the scene before you in searing white. Tessa screams, dropping her phone to the pavement with a crack. Cody staggers back, swearing, a hand flying up to shield his eyes.

You step forward, pick up the phone from where it’s fallen, and feel the faint warmth of it against your skin. You let that warmth grow – higher, hotter – until the screen warps, the casing melts, and it dies in your palm with a sharp electronic hiss.

You drop it, and then you walk away – before you can see if they’re still recording, before you can see the looks on their faces, before your anger gives way to something that feels a lot like grief.

The dispute is enough to distract you from going to seek out Jordan, your feelings hurt enough to send you back to your own dorm, to curl up and wallow in being alone.

Well, not for long.

It isn’t much later when pounding on your door startles you, and when you answer it, Jordan stands there, chest heaving, eyes narrowed.

“What the–”

“What did you mean, you ‘feel like shit’?”

They push into your dorm room, and you gape, spinning to face them as the door swings shut.

“I– you can’t– what?” You stumble over your words, watching them plant themselves firmly in the centre of your room.

“Because you were drunk, and you said a lot, and part of what you said was that you felt like shit. So. What did you mean?”

“I…” You watch their face, the shame in your chest turning into anger again. You take a breath, your voice low. “You can’t just disappear for a week, then show up acting like you care.”

“I do care,” they say, and there’s no hesitation this time. “I cared when he hurt you. I cared when all I was to you was just a tool to use against him. I cared when I walked away from you because it felt easier than admitting what this actually is.”

You shake your head, trying to keep your voice steady. “What is it, Jordan?”

“Real. That’s what it is,” they step closer, watching your expression closely. “At least… It’s real to me. Am I wrong?”

You want to tell them they’re wrong. You want to stay angry. But when they’re standing this close, eyes soft despite everything, the words fall apart in your throat.

“Yes. No. Fuck, I don’t–” You bite your lip, running your options through your mind for all of two seconds before you turn and launch yourself at Jordan, sealing your lips against theirs.

They startle, hard, shifting from female to male and then back to female again, all in the first few seconds, before they melt.

It’s not a gentle kiss – it’s all the pent up pride and pain and want, crashing into one impossible second. You push them back against the door, fingers twisting in their shirt, and they pull you closer like they’ve been holding their breath for weeks.

When you finally break apart, you’re both breathless, both furious, both smiling.

“There’s no one here.” They mutter conspiratorially against your ear, and you bite your lip to stifle your grin.

“Nope.” You shake your head, leaning back just enough to look into their eyes.

That smile – the one that convinced the whole campus they were in love with you – flickers to life. And this time, it’s only for you.