maybe that’s the real punk rock

If he were anything like Dean, he would've approached you already and figured out your deal.

Why did you smile politely when partygoers pushed past you?

He watched as a dude fully grabbed your hip. Your body jolted at his touch, and he could read your lips as the word sorry left them.

Sorry.

To the guy who'd touched you.

Your eyes lit up when a tall redheaded girl in an impossibly short black dress approached you. She stood in stark contrast to your mom jeans and light pink tube top.

Your friend, Garrett assumed.

She leaned down to whisper something into your ear. Your face fell for only a moment before you nodded.

He was almost sure your response was:

"Okay, that's fine."

He understood your disappointment moments later when Dean made his appearance, shirtless and drunk off his ass. He swept up your redheaded friend and started carrying her toward the back hallway.

Garrett had no excuse for not approaching you now.

If you were waiting for your friend to finish hooking up with Dean, you'd be waiting a long while.

Garrett took a swig from the one beer he was allowing himself on a night before a game.

Unfortunately, someone else had the same idea.

He recognized the guy immediately. Tall. Lanky. One of Beau's fraternity brothers. A senior on the swim team.

Mark.

Or Mateo.

Probably not Michael.

Whatever his name was, he wanted to fuck you.

Curious, Garrett decided to keep his distance. He watched from across the room as he approached the speaker blasting '80s rock music. He grabbed Logan's phone from the table and changed the song, all while keeping one eye on you.

It was almost offensive how forward the guy was being.

He had a hand on your shoulder, and he was standing so close that you were forced to tilt your head back to look at him.

"Yeah... we talked upstairs. Remember?"

You politely shook your head.

"I don't think it was me."

Your voice was sweet.

Garrett could tell that much.

Wanting to hear more of the conversation, he lowered the volume of the music.

"I know I'm so fucking drunk right now, but we ran into each other outside the bathroom. I remember. You're so hot I know I'd remember you. You don't want to kiss me again?"

He grabbed your hand.

"Uhm, no, thank you. B-but... I really don't... uhm—"

The guy started pulling.

And your feet followed.

Your eyes were panicked, but your body moved anyway.

Jesus Christ.

He wasn't getting the hint.

It didn't help that you still had that polite smile on your face.

Fuck.

Were you seriously so polite that you were going to let this idiot drag you away even though you'd clearly never met him before?

Absolutely fucking not.

Garrett's feet moved before his brain really registered what he was doing.

He shoved himself between you and Swim Team Whatever-His-Name-Was and forced your hands apart.

He wasn't trying to embarrass the guy.

He shoved his shoulder just hard enough to make him stumble.

"She said no."

"What the fuck?"

Bold and clearly running on liquid courage, the guy took a step toward Garrett.

The standoff lasted all of three seconds.

Then recognition dawned.

Because Garrett Graham was standing in front of him.

"Are you dumb?" Garrett asked. "Can't you tell she doesn't want to talk to you?"

The guy gritted his teeth.

"I was just..." He looked at you. Then back at Garrett. "She's all yours, man."

And just like that, he stumbled away in search of another vulnerable girl.

Your eyes looked just as panicked when Garrett turned back toward you.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause a scene."

Garrett savored the chance to finally look at you up close.

Your makeup was soft. A light dusting of blush colored your cheeks. Your lips were glossy and glittered faintly under the kitchen lights.

Your hair was pulled back with a floral headband.

Worst of all, you smelled like lavender and vanilla.

Garrett stepped closer.

Shielding you from the crowd.

Blocking you in until your back met the kitchen counter.

He wasn't sure how subtle it was when he leaned closer just to breathe you in.

"I know it's your party..." you whispered.

Your voice trailed off.

You stared up at him as if he were a wolf and you were prey.

Honestly?

The comparison wasn't far off.

If Garrett had to compare you to an animal, it would be a baby deer.

Wide-eyed, nervous and completely unaware of how vulnerable you were.

"You're..."

"Garrett," he finished for you. "What's your name?"

"Y/N."

The answer came out almost too quickly.

Too trusting.

Y/N.

It bounced around inside his head while his imagination immediately started building a picture of who you were.

A picture he already suspected he'd be thinking about later tonight.

"You're not really sorry, right?" he asked. "Because that asshole was the one trying to trick you into hooking up with him."

"I don't think he was..."

Garrett stared.

You genuinely seemed to be considering it.

As if you'd only just realized the guy had been hitting on you.

"I think he was just confused."

All Garrett really knew about you was your name.

But he'd already decided you were perfect.

Seriously lacking in street smarts.

But perfect nonetheless.

His jaw ticked.

He regretted not putting the guy through the floor.

"I think he's lucky I'm a nice guy."

You completely missed the meaning behind that statement.

He could tell because you immediately replied:

"Your house is really nice too. Thank you for having me. I mean, you didn't really invite me. Dean invited my roommate, but—"

You stopped yourself.

Realizing you were rambling.

"I mean, it's a good party."

Garrett grinned.

"Thank you. Your roommate is the redhead?"

You nodded.

"She just disappeared with Dean."

"Is she your ride?"

Garrett planted a hand on either side of you.

Close enough to feel your breathing change.

Close enough to know he was overwhelming your senses.

"Yeah. I was just gonna wait for her to... you know. Get done."

"You might be waiting a while."

Your mouth parted.

Then closed.

Had that possibility genuinely not occurred to you?

"Well, that's okay." Your smile was small. "If it gets too late, I can call someone. There's this guy in my Instructional Tech class who said he'd give me a ride if I ever needed one."

Garrett's brows immediately knitted together.

"A random guy in your class?"

"He's not random. We have class together."

"Have you ever hung out with him outside of class?"

"Well, no. But he's nice. And I can't really afford an Uber all the way back to my apartment."

Another guy who wanted to fuck you.

And you had absolutely no idea.

Garrett was beginning to notice a pattern.

He was already starting to hate the idea of letting you leave this house and return to your own devices.

"Your friend kinda sucks for bringing you here and then abandoning you."

The words came out before he could stop them.

Instantly, he regretted it.

Your face fell.

"I-I wanted to come."

"You like parties?"

"I like parties."

You practically struggled to force the words out.

A terrible lie.

Your discomfort was written all over your face.

"And she's a good friend."

"Hmm."

Garrett pushed away from the counter, finally giving you room to breathe.

"There's a good chance they're going to fuck all night, Y/N. If you want to crash here, there's a spare bedroom. If not, I can drive you home. I've only had one beer."

"You don't have to do that, Garrett. It's so out of the way. I'll find a ride."

Say my name again.

Please.

"You're adorable, you know that?"

You smiled immediately.

Embarrassed.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Never," Garrett replied sincerely. "Let me drive you home."

Because an adorable little bunny like you wasn't getting into a car with some random loser from class.

"I..."

You pressed your lips together under the weight of his stare.

Had you ever told anyone no before?

"I should check in with my friend first—"

Garrett's hand found the small of your back.

"Sure."

He guided you toward the hallway.

"If my predictions are correct, they're probably in the laundry room."

Not a single word of protest left your mouth.

The irony of the situation dawned on him. He didn’t want someone else to take advantage of you, and yet he was practically doing the same, but Garrett was nothing like the guys who only wanted to fuck you. He actually had substance that backed up his bravado. Everyone at Briar knew that, and Garrett was watching as you came to the same revelation. Hockey captain. Six-foot-whatever. He was someone not to be fucked with. Maybe that’s why your body relaxed under his touch, and you let him lead you to the end of the downstairs hallway. 

Garrett would bet a million dollars that his best friend Dean was fucking your red-headed friend with the door wide open. He pushed you ahead of him, his other hand finding the other side of your hip, holding you as you peeked into the doorway. As if you’d seen a ghost, Garrett watches as your hands slap against your own eyes. 

Garrett couldn’t hold back the deep rumbling in his throat as he laughed. He took his own peek and found your red-headed friend bent over the running dryer as Dean pounded into her from behind. You turned around quickly, practically pressing your face into his chest, “Oh my goodness. Why did they leave the door open?”

“As you can see, your friend is occupied. Are you ready to go now, princess?” Garrett grabbed you by your chin, forcing your frightened eyes to look up at his. 

You nodded, long eyelashes batting up at him. He takes another mental picture for later. He imagined his cock down your throat, that same look of fear and wonder in your eyes. He clears his throat, pushing the lewd thought out of his mind, “Then let’s get you home.” 

Your apartment building might as well have been condemned.

It was a rude thought born from privilege, but Garrett couldn't suppress the uneasy feeling creeping up the back of his neck.

Of course you lived on the worst side of town.

During the twenty-minute drive, he'd learned how you'd ended up at Briar and, subsequently, at the hockey house.

You'd transferred in January and had been forced to find housing at the last minute.

That's how you'd met Paige, the redheaded puck bunny.

Apparently, she was renting out her couch and charging you half the rent.

“It pulls out.”

“What?”

“The couch.” You glanced over at him. “I'm not just sleeping on her couch. It pulls out and turns into a bed.”

Garrett shot you an incredulous look, taking his eyes off the road for a second.

“Where do you keep all your shit?”

“We turned the coat closet into my personal closet.” You smiled proudly. “It's actually more convenient than you'd think. And I don't have that much stuff anyway.”

You paused before adding softly,

“The important thing is that I'm here. You have no idea how long I've wanted to go to school here.”

Your eyes were bright and hopeful, standing in sharp contrast to the darkness outside the Jeep.

“And you're an education major?”

“Yeah.” You answered quickly, pleased that he'd remembered. “Elementary education.”

“That's cool.”

Garrett pulled into a parking space in front of your building and shifted the Jeep into park. The engine died and silence crept inside the vehicle. 

He tucked his keys into the pocket of his sweatpants before leaning across the center console and unclipping your seatbelt.

His face ended up a little closer to yours than necessary.

“I'll walk you up.”

“You don't have to, really.” You offered him a small smile. “This is already too much.”

Too much.

The phrase irritated him more than it should have.

Was basic kindness really that foreign to you?

“I'm a gentleman, princess. Of course I have to.”

You laughed softly.

“Paige talks all the time about how hockey players are the exact opposite of gentlemen.”

Your roommate is an idiot, princess.

“Then let me prove her wrong.”

The words came out low and certain.

Garrett realized, as he climbed out of the Jeep and rounded the front of the vehicle to open your door, that he'd never meant anything more.

“Oh, I get it now. This is the same girl from the party.”

Garrett watched as Dean dug into the huge pile of food on his plate. The dining hall was bustling at lunchtime, and the conversation his friends were having was almost loud enough to cloud his thoughts of you.

Almost.

Until Dean brought up Garrett's new favorite subject.

You.

“Maybe you can invite her friend over again tomorrow since Tuck has people coming over?”

“Who’s her friend?” Dean asked, and Garrett stared back at him, forcing his gaze to remain steady to prevent his eyes from rolling.

“The redhead? Kinda moans like a goat?”

Dean’s lips pulled into a mischievous smile.

“Ah, I see. Freaky Paige. She said her roommate was, like, a super religious virgin and then something else about her growing up in a cult. Which kinda tracks. She just stood there alone smiling at everyone the whole night.”

“What the fuck? Y/N did not. And Paige is full of shit.”

Dean chuckled.

“It doesn’t matter. Paige said that was the last time we were hooking up because she’s getting back with her boyfriend.”

Your roommate really sucks, Bunny.

“Here’s your opportunity, G,” Logan spoke up, abandoning whatever conversation he'd been having with Tucker. He jerked his head toward one of the double doors.

You walked through alone, your hair thrown up in a high ponytail and a pink backpack slung over your shoulder. Although you weren’t smiling, you looked happy, and Garrett could only assume you’d just gotten out of class.

You headed toward the salad bar.

Garrett stood immediately.

He patted Logan on the back in gratitude before making his way over to you.

Your eyes widened in surprise before quickly brightening with unmistakable joy.

You were happy to see him.

“Hey,” he said, even though there was so much more on his mind.

You almost forgot you were filling your tray.

“Hi. How are you?”

“Good.”

Amazing, actually. More like it, now that you’re here.

“What about you?”

“I’m really good. I love Mondays. No afternoon classes.”

“So you’re free the rest of the day?”

Your lips parted in surprise.

You glanced down nervously as you added more toppings to your salad. Garrett followed alongside you.

“Well, yeah. I was gonna do some homework and then... start a new book.”

Jesus.

He even found the idea of you reading alone in your apartment adorable.

“I, uh, wanted to get your number. Totally forgot to ask when I dropped you off the other night.”

“My number?”

“For chauffeuring reasons, of course. Don’t want you getting stranded and having to call Instructional Tech Guy.”

That made you giggle.

“Really?”

“Really.”

You reached the end of the salad bar and started toward the register.

Garrett grabbed the tray from your hands.

“Let me get this.”

“I-I have dining dollars, Garrett. You don’t have to—”

“Save ’em.”

He’d do any small thing he could to take care of you.

At least until he figured out how to have all of you.

Garrett could practically feel his friends’ stares as he carried your tray away and abandoned them completely.

They knew this was more than him trying to score.

Girls threw themselves at Garrett.

In all his years at Briar, he’d never had to chase one.

“Let me see your phone.”

Garrett was already reaching for it before it was halfway out of your pocket.

Your lock screen was a collage of pink aesthetic photos and an orange cat.

“You have a cat?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s Mouse. I’ve had him since middle school, but it didn’t feel right bringing him here. Taking him away from his home.”

“He’s cute,” Garrett commented as he held the phone in front of your face and unlocked it. “Hey, are you religious?”

You blinked up at him.

Up.

Because Garrett was sitting beside you and was still massive even while seated.

“No. Uhm, not really. Wh-why do you ask?”

Stupid, freaky Paige.

“I was, uh, just wondering where you’re from.”

Garrett quickly learned you were from a small town in upstate New York.

From what he gathered, your home life was far from cultish. Nothing toxic.

You just seemed sheltered.

An only child.

He took the opportunity to enter his number into your phone and send himself a text.

“I’m serious about calling me if you need a ride somewhere.”

“You make it seem like Briar is a scary place. Everyone I’ve met is very nice. Including you.”

“I’m flattered, princess. And I agree that most people are nice. But this place has freaks and weirdos, and I’d prefer it if you weren’t anywhere near them.”

He was entitled.

What did it matter what he wanted for you?

He didn’t own you.

He’d met you two nights ago.

And yet you didn’t argue.

Almost as if you already trusted him.

“I’m working to save up enough money for a car, so hopefully I won’t have to bother you or Paige.”

“Where do you work?”

The question came out a little too quickly.

Garrett reminded himself he might scare you off if he didn’t pace himself.

And you did look a little nervous.

But you were an open book.

“I always work game days at the campus bookstore, so I’ve never gone to a game. And then I nanny during the week.”

“Well, if you’re free tonight, let me take you out.”

“Take me out?”

“To dinner.”

“Oh.”

You stared at him, eyes wide and beautiful.

“Why?”

“Why dinner?”

“A dinner date?”

“Yeah.”

“As friends?”

“The opposite, actually.”

Your lips parted, then closed again.

Garrett watched as you intentionally took a deep breath.

In through your nose.

Out through your mouth.

“I’m really trying to keep up here, Garrett.”

Too much.

Too fast.

He was pretty sure that’s what you wanted to say.

You just didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

“Hey. Relax, okay?”

His tone softened immediately.

The deep quality of his voice remained, but there was something undeniably gentle underneath it.

“It’s not a big deal. Just dinner. If you want, you could come over to my place and we could order something. Watch a movie.”

Another deep breath.

“Uhm... and then what?”

And then he’d probably kiss you. And touch you as much as he could before you became a bundle of nerves. So you weren’t completely innocent. Part of you, deep down, knew what dinner and a movie often lead to. 

“There’s nothing to be nervous about. I like you, Y/N.”

“I like you too. I mean, I think you’re nice and...”

“And...?” Garrett prompted.

“Handsome.”

You winced as soon as the word left your mouth.

Not because you didn’t mean it.

Because you were worried it was the wrong thing to say.

“I’m sorry. If I’m being honest, I haven’t really been on a date since high school. And I’m a little confused that, out of all the boys at Briar, you—”

Garrett immediately shook his head.

“Are you questioning my taste?”

“Of course not!” you whisper-shouted.

“You’re pretty. You’re sweet. And I haven’t met anyone like you.”

His gaze settled on yours.

“I’d like to keep seeing you. So, I’m gonna drop you off at your apartment. You can read your book and do your homework. Then I’ll come back tonight and pick you up for our date.”

“Are you sure?”

Garrett gave you a look that was just stern enough to make you squirm.

“Okay, okay. That sounds... good.”

You waited until his expression softened before taking another breath.

“Now finish your lunch, baby.”

You nodded quickly and picked up your fork, finally beginning to eat.

dividers by @/strangergraphics

pls reblog with your thoughts to be added to my off campus taglist :)

Laughter came from just outside your dorm window.

You got up off your bed to peak past the blinds, watching a group of girls walk past in gorgeous skirts and dresses. They were the kind of girls that had legs for days, hair that just sat right with no amount of effort and the best skin you’d ever seen. The kind of girls with no blemishes.

You stepped away from the blinds and walked to stand in front of your mirror.

You’d gotten dressed in your nicest pair of jeans, a plain top and a cardigan over the top.

The anxiety in your chest built up when you really looked at yourself.

You thought back to the girls outside and compared yourself to them.

This was ridiculous. You weren’t dressed to go on a first date with Garrett Graham, and yet this was the nicest outfit in your wardrobe that you felt comfortable wearing.

You stepped closer to the mirror, taking note of all the small blemishes - the most obvious to you being the small hairs that lined your chin and your upper lip. Cursed PMOS.

Your gaze dropped down to the cropped top, noticing the gap between your jeans and top showing a small slither of skin. You pulled the top a little bit up to reveal the dark, coarse, hair that travelled down from your belly button, before sharply pulling the top back down.

What were you doing?

You couldn’t go on a date with Garrett Graham. You couldn’t go on a date, full stop.

You pulled up your phone and sent the text that you’d been drafting and re-drafting all night.

To Garrett: hey! so sorry this is on such short notice, but i don’t think i’m going to be able to make it tonight. hope that it doesn’t cause you any inconvenience?

The second after you sent it you threw your phone to the bed and immediately started undressing, all the while thinking about how excited you’d been when Garrett had asked you out.

You and Garrett were walking through campus after class.

“But if you really think about it, I should still be able to still pass the class—.” You stopped talking when you realised Garrett was no longer walking next to you.

He stood only a couple feet away, hands tucked into his pockets looking… Shy?

“You okay?” You walked up to him, looking up at him with worry in your eyes.

He smiled and nodded his head slightly. His movements were slow and soft.

“You sure?”

“I’m just thinking.” He pulled his hands out of his pockets to lock his arms across his chest.

“Oh nooo… That’s never good.”

Garrett smiled, looking away from you to try and compose himself.

He looked back at you with a nervous smile, “I have a question.”

“Okay.” You nodded encouragingly.

“I..” He let out a nervous laugh, “Would… Fuck.”

“Hey. You don’t have to ask or tell me anything you’re not ready to.” You put your hand on his arm so you could give it a reassuring squeeze.

You could see the nerves disappear from Garrett then. In fact, his whole body relaxed. He caught your hand with his before you could remove yours, holding it tight like an anchor.

“I wanted to know whether I could ask you out?”

His nervous smile returned briefly, before softening again when he watched your entire disposition light up.

There was no way this was happening.

“On a date?” You asked quietly.

“Yeah.” He chuckled.

“You’d like to take me out on a date?”

Garrett found it endearing that you felt the need to check again, but in your defence the question had literally appeared out of nowhere.

“Yes. Please.”

“Okay.”

It had been such an easy decision in agreeing to go on a date with him.

Now it just felt like the most stupid thing.

You stood in front of the mirror again, this time in only your underwear, trying not to cry.

Your hands smoothed over your stomach and your hips.

You looked over every inch of your body, from your thighs to your hips, belly to your chest, and all the way up to your face.

It was only when you got to looking at your face that you noticed the tears beginning to fall.

“Fuck.” You swore to yourself, feeling both insecure and pathetic.

Enough was enough.

You didn’t want to be that girl that stared in the mirror and hated what you saw, but some days it was just all too much.

Your mind was such a frustrating place to be.

The wardrobe door rattled as you roughly opened it, pulling out a large Briar U shirt that you knew would hide everything you were too ashamed to look at today.

The next time you looked in the mirror your body was now shapeless - hidden by all the oversized clothing you’d thrown on.

You took a deep breath.

You were okay. It was just a bad day.

Half an hour later, sitting in bed and twenty minutes into your comfort movie, there was an urgent knock at your door.

You hesitated at first, considering no one ever came knocking, but when the knocking continued you padded out of bed to see the commotion.

“Garrett…” Your face probably was probably showing the same level of shock as your voice.

“Are you okay?” He asked urgently.

“Am… Are you panting?”

Garrett’s hair looked wet and tousled no doubt from a shower. Don’t think about Garrett Graham in the shower.

He was slightly out of breath and had a crazed look to his eyes, like he was a man on the run.

“I tried calling and texting.”

“My phone was off.”

Garrett stepped forwards, his hands reaching out to maybe cup your cheeks but stopped when you stepped back. You looked down at the distance between your feet, having lost all bravery to look at him directly.

“Y/N…”

“Please don’t,” You sniffled and held up your hand, “I’m going to cry if you come any closer.”

Garrett quietly crossed the threshold of your dorm and shut the door behind him. Clearly this was a conversation meant for just the two of you, and he knew there were a bunch of busybodies in your dorm corridor.

“Garrett, please.” You walked away, blowing out a deep breath through your mouth.

“If I’ve done anything…”

“You haven’t.” You quickly shut that thought down for him.

Garrett wasn’t an insecure guy, but he did have a more tender heart than people realised. You were lucky enough to know that his compassion for others stemmed from his dad, which is why you were so eager to shut down any bad thoughts he had about himself.

Even with your back turned, you could tell he hadn’t moved from the spot in front of your door.

That was Garrett all over.

He was always respectful with you. Always letting you lead and giving you anything you needed first.

“Garrett… I-I can’t do this.” Your voice didn’t sound confident.

“Do what?”

“This. Us. I…” Your breathing started getting heavier and out of sync as you tried to find a reason. Your mind felt like soup and nothing was processing like you wanted it to. “Sorry.”

“Hey, no. C’mon.” His shoes were heavy on the floor as he closed the distance between you, “Can I give you a hug?”

You nodded and his arms were instantly around you.

He spun you around in the hug so your face could bury itself into his chest. His arms were strong, like pillars holding you up.

The comfort of being held by him was enough for you to break down. Your body wracked with sobs as he held you close, your hands fisting his sweatshirt like a lifeline.

“I’ve got you.” He whispered.

Your body felt heavy. The emotional weight of the evening had taken its toll on you, and if Garrett weren’t here you didn’t know how you’d keep yourself afloat.

“I-I c-an’t…”

“Just breathe.”

Garrett continued to speak in soft tones to you as he tried to calm you down.

His hand rubbed small circles over your back. The motion was calming enough, alongside his talking, to bring your breathing back to normal. A few hiccup tears slipped out, but after a few minutes of letting it all out you felt like you had nothing left to give.

Your head wriggled out of the depths of Garrett’s chest. Garrett moved his head so you could, already looking down to check on you.

“God, this is so embarrassing.” You laughed through an empty sob.

Garrett shook his head, “No it’s not.”

“You have snot on your sweatshirt.”

“Thank you.” He said proudly, earning a smile from you. That felt like the biggest achievement of Garrett’s day. Now the job was to keep you smiling.

You moved completely out of Garrett’s hold so you could slip down onto the floor back against your bed. Your legs bunched close to your chest and your arms wrapped around them to contain yourself.

Garrett didn’t hesitate in sinking down next to you.

He kept his hands to himself, even though you could tell he was twitching to hold onto some part of you.

Garrett felt like he won the moment you tilted your head onto his shoulder. His head tilted down to lean on top of yours.

“Is that a picture of Dean dressed as a ballerina?” Garrett asked, staring at the corkboard hanging over your desk.

You laughed, your throat still a little broken from crying, “Yeah.”

“When was that? And why wasn’t I there?”

“I don’t even know. He gifted it to me once and told me I had to hang in pride of place.”

“He’s so weird.” Garrett laughed and you laughed with him.

The next couple of minutes were quiet.

Garrett was no doubt looking at your endless amounts of trinkets and photos in your room, that had probably all changed since the last time he’d been here.

“You’re not pushing me to talk.” You said.

“No.”

“Why?”

“You’ll talk to me when you’re ready.”

You bit your lip to contain a new round of tears. “Thank you.”

A loud ping echoed through the room. “Excuse me.”

Garrett took out his phone, not hiding it from you. You watched on as his phone lit up.

The photo on his lockscreen was one he had taken of you skating away from him in his ice hockey jersey. It was taken moments before your legs decided to stop working, and Garrett had to quickly skate over to you to keep you upright. You smiled at the memory.

There was a notification on his screen from Logan.

Logan: Is Y/N okay?

“I might have panicked.” Garrett said before you could ask what Logan meant.

“How so?”

“When you texted saying we weren’t doing our date, I thought the worst. I was worried that you might’ve been sick and then I started thinking about you maybe getting cold feet. Logan caught be pacing about it. Instead of panicking with me, he hit me over the head with a tea towel and told me to get over here.”

You laughed, unwrapping your arms from around your legs to wrap around Garrett’s closest arm to you. Your head stayed resting on his shoulder.

“A tea towel?”

“It fucking hurt.” Garrett laughed.

“It’s sweet how you guys have got each other’s backs.”

“Yeah. I’m lucky to have them.”

Garrett closed the notification after responding with a quick ‘yes’. Even though both of you weren’t sure if that were true, at least it wouldn’t keep Logan guessing.

He switched his phone off and put it on the floor, his hand then coming up to settle on top of yours.

You couldn’t help the small smile slip onto your face when his skin touched yours. It felt stupid to say there was a spark when his fingers wrapped over yours, but that’s genuinely how it felt.

“Me cancelling this evening had nothing to do with you. I just freaked myself out, because I don’t really understand why you asked me out.”

“Because I like you.” Garrett said without hesitation.

“No, but…”

“There’s no buts, Y/N. None.” Garrett sat up, your head losing the cushion of his shoulder. His hands stayed enclosed on yours, but he made sure that he could see you.

“Garrett, just… Listen a minute, please?”

“Okay.” He nodded.

You twisted your body to sit facing him.

This conversation was best to have like ripping off a bandaid. There was nothing good about leaving it to sit and fester. It wouldn’t do you any good to shoulder this alone forever, and if there was one person you trusted enough to let in it was Garrett.

“I don’t really like the way I look.” Garrett shifted, his entire body readying to launch. Before he could say anything you shook your head, “Just listen.”

“Okay.”

“I.. I have PMOS. It’s a reproductive health condition which impacts my entire metabolic system and it sucks. It means irregular periods. It means weight gain that I can’t control. And,” You blew out a shaky breath, “It means I get an increase in hair growth across my body. So, my face, my stomach, my legs and inner thighs… You get it. Every time I look at myself I hate myself a little more. A-and this evening, I looked in the mirror and couldn’t see myself as someone worthy of dating you.”

You expected Garrett to not know what to say - maybe even say nothing. It was a lot to dump on someone and expect them to know exactly what to say.

So he surprised you when he spoke immediately after letting you finish, like he’d been waiting for the opportunity all.

“You know what I was worried about tonight?” He moved closer to you, closing the already small space between you.

“What?”

“That you’d realise dating me was a mistake.” He let out a self-deprecating laugh, “And yet here you are thinking exactly the same thing.”

“How could you possibly think—.”

“Well exactly, baby. I don’t understand how you could possibly not realise how much I like you. I’m constantly thinking about the next time I get to see you. In my head you’re already my girlfriend! Not one thing you just told me makes me like you less. I look at you and get nervous, because I’m so scared of screwing something up and fumbling the best person in my life.”

Your breathing laboured as you took in everything he had just said.

Garrett hadn't laughed. He hadn't looked uncomfortable. He hadn't tried to tell you that you were being ridiculous. He had listened and looked at you like nothing you’d said had changed the way he felt about you.

Sometimes it felt like you were being far too superficial about your appearance and then other times looking at yourself was the worst thing in the world. So hearing Garrett tell you he likes you regardless of everything was overwhelming.

You scrambled to detach yourself from him, moving to cup his cheeks instead.

Somehow you found the bravery to pull him close enough for a kiss, all for that to stop the moment his lips came within an inch of yours. You hesitated.

Were you allowed to kiss him? Is that something he wanted?

You got your answer seconds later when Garrett closed the rest of the distance between you, kissing you like he’d been waiting a long time to do it.

His hands rested on the back of your neck, keeping you close to him.

Your belly was uncontrollable with nerves as he continued to kiss you. And fuck was he a good kisser. His lips were wet and warm against yours.

The room had gotten hotter and your world had gotten smaller - the only thing worth focusing on being Garrett.

He pulled back to give you a chance to breathe, your lips making a soft smacking noise as he did. You didn’t like the distance he created, so you pulled him back again for another soft kiss. Garrett quickly took control, tilting his head to kiss you deeper.

The feeling in your belly changed to something hot and buzzing instead. The more he kissed you, the more confident you became and the nerves disappeared.

When he pulled back again, you didn’t immediately kiss him again. Garrett licked his lips, looking between yours and your eyes like he couldn’t decide what was more important to focus on.

“I like you a lot, in case that wasn’t clear.” Garrett said.

You let out a small laugh, “I like you too.”

“Good.” He kissed you once more, “Okay.”

“Okay what?”

You watched as Garrett stood up, holding out a hand for you to follow him up. You took his hand, holding back any swooning as he pulled you up easily.

“Date night.”

“Garrett…” You sighed.

“We’re not cancelling. We’re just moving it.”

“Where?”

A little while later, you were sitting on a blanket on your bedroom floor, a large pizza and cans of soda between you both.

Garrett had ordered the pizzas online and then had grabbed a bunch of rubbish chocolate from a nearby vending machine for dessert. It was kind of perfect.

It reminded you of your favourite scene from High School Musical 3 with Troy and Gabriella.

Garrett was reclined horizontally, propped up on his bicep, whilst you sat cross legged opposite him.

“You want the last slice?” Garrett asked.

You shook your head, “No thank you. Plus, I’ve seen the amount you eat daily… You need it more than me.”

“Agreed. I was just being a gentleman.”

“How noble of you.”

He grabbed the last slice of pizza and devoured it so fast it actually made your stomach hurt. Athletes and their food. You took a sip of your soda whilst he finished eating.

“So…”

“So…”

“Next date.” He raised an eyebrow, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“Mhm.” You brought your legs up to rest your chin on your knees.

“Tell me what you’d like it to be.”

“Not ice skating, that’s for sure.” You tried to bury your face in your knees as you watched the offence slide across Garrett’s expression. “I’m just not good! I’ll end up in A&E.”

“Not if I hold your hand.” Garrett protested.

“Maybe five dates down the line, then.”

“Okay, deal.” Garrett smirked, no doubt excited by the prospect of getting to go on four more dates with you before then. “Next date though?”

“I don’t know. This one is pretty perfect.” You shrugged.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. All it’s missing is a sunset.”

“Okay, I can work with that.” He sat up and dusted the last of the crumbs off his fingers. “Sunset and pizzas.”

“And chocolate coated strawberries.”