For Bejo this was a job. A means to an end. The only thing he deserved was suffering. He can be emotionless for the greater good. At least that's what he told himself.
Being Peyton's handler challenges that. Even if he wouldn't dare act out on it there was something resilent. Something beautiful in a way that she believed in better- even if said better was his demise. Part of him wanted to let her go but part of him knew he had to at least watch from a distance. There was a sigh as he leaned against the wall arching his eyebrow at Peyton.
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[INJURY]: sender gently tends to receiver's wounds, which leads to them kissing + reverse (peyton to bejo [lets goooo lol])
Bejo was applying the peroxide on the wounds. The werewolf was baffled the psychic would do that for him. Noticing her wince he decided to talk.
"You didn't have to take the fall for me." Bejo said sincerly. "You've already been through enough.Those assholes were going to tackle me regardless." He said gently brushing the hair back.
"Beautiful." Bejo said. The werewolf knew his time was limited. He knew sooner or later that he would be found out. And the OEA would punish him or worse kill him.
But he couldn't think about that. Right now he had to tend to Peyton. And as he saw the tears, Bejo leaned in closer. Closing the space.
"Thank you for being there for me." He whispered. He gently cupped her cheeks before pressing his lips against her. There was a gentleness despite his aggressive demeanor. He wanted to show her that he cared. Even with everything going on he wanted to be with her.
Bejo had a determination in his step as he walked towards Peyton. The probably former OEA agent was probably in deep shit to say the least. Between helping Rory with the vervain and killing the man followed by having to team up with Brooks to save Rory. Verything was a blur.
Still he couldn't help think about her. Peyton Morgrave, a woman that confuses him to no damn end. Maybe dare he says care for her. To never have to worry about any damn thing and get her loved ones as far away from here as possible. Could he be that person.
"No." Bejo whispered to himself. "She deserves better than me." He said under his breath. He hated the fact pertaining to going to her trailer. There was an unfornate reason, as he was covered in the blood of his coworkers and his place is too far. He knocked on the door, not aware how terrifying he could look.
Bejo was watching the interaction intently between Peyton and the stranger. If it was any other night at the viper, Bejo would have just called the manager over. Keyword being any-as his anger rose with each move the stranger did. The untriggered werewolf didn't know why he felt so angry anyway.
To the OEA Peyton was a tool, an asset to predict things. He just started to step in when he noticed the bad condition Peyton was in after, not of any sincere care. Instead out of the need to get information out of her easier.
Thats what he told himself anyway.
Bejo finally snapped when the stranger was tried to reach out to Peyton. Having enough he approached the man.
"Of all the people you hit on, you chose the one who is forced to talk to your sorry ass-" Bejo seethed. Before the stranger answered he punched him straight in the throat. Bejo looked back at Peyton intently only the slightest bit calm on his visage.
the first thing tess had done when she arrived at the hospital was look for peyton. she didn’t have the time to wait for monty to show up. all she could think about was that peyton was alone. even if he was with people, if it wasn’t her or her brother, he wasn’t really.
she ran ahead of grizz but with one look into the room she spun around, stopping him before the door. she couldn’t prepare peyton, couldn’t protect him, but she could help grizz. she told him it looked really bad and that he needed to stay calm and breathe. she walked him in and realized peyton hadn’t even been in there. she waited until grizz was ready to go see keiran, making sure he was okay to do that on his own, and then went looking for peyton. she found him outside at the exit closest to cassandra’s room.
his phone was only inches from his face at this point and she had to literally pull the phone out of his hands to get his attention. she clicked it into lock and put it into her pocket before pulling him into a tight hug. she was afraid to look at his face because she knew it would break her heart. what could she say? she wasn’t going to tell him it was all going to be okay, that cassandra would be okay, because she didn’t want to tell him something that ended up not being true so she said what she knew was. “i’m here. monty’s coming. we’ve got you, whatever you need, okay?”
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peyton commandeers his dad's cadillac ct6 for the night: it's the vehicles first out-of-garage debut since last fall. the senior pellegrino has always preferred his official fire department dodge to the sleeker, luxurious cadi. but peyton knows his longboard just won't cut it for tonight, so he sifted through his father's desk until he found the proper keys.
he parks in the street by the pressman house and sits for several minutes. checks his hair in the mirror. straightens and re-straightens his bow tie. he'd been so nervous getting ready that monty had to do the honors for him. his outfit is simple and sleek: a black tux with a gold vest and tie ensemble. his fingers fumble with the corsage's plastic container as he exits the car and tries to calm his racing mind.
soon, he reaches the front step ( and nearly trips over himself on the way ). breathe. then he's ringing the bell and rocking back and forth on his heels, deep eyes scanning the front façade of the house, its numbers, its siding, before landing on his feet. are his shoes too black? too leather? too plain? peyton gulps and resets his stance, holding the corsage behind his back and squaring his shoulders. that door will open soon. any second, it'll swing on its hinges –– and cassandra will be on the other side. his date. peyton holds his breath and waits.
cassandra was having a fight with the mirror, attempting to justify this dress. it was not a dress she would normally even look at but when she’d bought it in the first place, she also hadn’t really been expecting to go. things tended to go wrong for cassandra whenever she looked forward to things. her twelfth birthday party, her middle school graduation, the midnight premiere of harry potter and the deathly hallows part two, and of course her favorite, the school trip into the mountains that landed them here. but here she is, in the dress she bought to make her mother feel better, that she hadn’t really looked at before buying. she was just thrilled it fit. “fine, i’ll wear it. but i hope you feel really dumb if he doesn’t show,” she argued to the mirror. as if the mirror were arguing back, the doorbell rang. she squinted at the mirror angrily.
“allie! allie, can you get that?” she got a loud and angry ‘i’m busy’ in response. with a huff she practically jumped down the steps and ran to the door throwing it open and grabbing it to keep it from hitting the wall. her eyes moved from the door to him, a beaming grin replacing whatever negative energy she’d previously been exuding. “hi,” she practically cooed.
the door whips open and peyton feels all the wind knock out of his chest in one fell swoop. cassandra stands in front of him and he has to blink a few times to ensure he isn't dreaming. when she speaks, his mind finally snaps back into gear –– his lips, which had previously fallen agape, warmed into a bright smile.
" hi, " he greets back, breathlessly. peyton drinks it all in: she practically puts the sun out of business. " you look... " he trails off, searching for a word that can possibly do her justice. " you look amazing. " stunning, he thinks, after it's too late. breathtaking. beautiful. it takes nearly dropping the corsage behind his back for peyton to remember he's holding it. he brings it out into view, casting cassandra a hopeful grin.
" i... i got you this. " white flowers. gold ribbon. the corsage is simple, understated –– he spent half a day mulling over different combinations to find the proper size and arrangement. the result? a subtle piece strung together onto a white pearl bracelet. it wouldn't take away from cassandra's ensemble: not that anything ever could. " it's... uh, white roses, " he says, and kicks himself for it. as if she can't already see that. he recalls what kelly said about the flowers' meaning and peppers it in with a timid smile and a gentle nod toward the arrangement.
" they symbolize um... dignity. nobility. beauty. " honey-hazel eyes lift. his next thought goes unsaid, but it's written all over his face. all things i see in you.
her lips pressed themselves under her teeth when he looked at her. it was too much, it wasn't her. she should change. but then he said she looked amazing and she felt her cheeks warm, betraying her once again. "thanks. so do you! and look-" she gestures between them, "we match." her brain was doing that thing where it forgot how to work in his presence.
her eyes dropped to the corsage and widened. "oh- you didn't have to-" she took it, admiring it in it's original glory before it inevitably got destroyed. "it's beautiful." she ran her finger along the bottom to pop it open and gently removed it from the box. "it's supposed to go on the left hand but i'm left handed so i'm going to put it on the right. hopefully it'll be less damaged that way," she rambled, slipping it on. she admired some more, before looking up. she sucked up all of her courage, leaned forward, and pressed her lips to his cheek. "thank you."
" thank you! i... yeah, we do." peyton dips his head with a light laugh as she points out their matching. without monty and tess's help, he would've surely botched that bit. he's always had a knack for smart dressing, but something about gold had him stumped. tess convinced him to go for this bolder black-and-gold print instead of a standard prom ensemble, and the way cassandra smiles at him? confirms this was the right move.
he watches as cassandra gingerly dons the corsage and it's like the breath gets knocked out of him for the second time. you're beautiful, he thinks in response, and doesn't even realize he's also managed to say it, too. and then she's leaning up and kissing his cheeks and holy shit, it's like... it's like his heart's about to leap out into her hands. peyton's lips pull into a bright smile and his cheeks warm. " i –– of course, thank you, i–– " he allows himself to drink her in again, eyes alight with admiration. someone pinch him. this is real. " should we... " he gestures over his shoulder, toward the car. " should we head over ? "
cassandra looks past him at the car. part of her wants to say screw it and ask him if he wants to just stay here and hang out, not that she would use those specific words of course. she doesn't want to share him tonight, as selfish as that sounds, but she also knows their friends are there, expecting them. she nods, reaching over to grab her bag off the table where she'd left it before changing. she doesn't even bother to lock the door as she pulls it shut behind herself, closing the space between them far more than she's used to. but she is definitely not disappointed at it. "i really dig this bow tie," she grins, as she moves toward the car. "when i was little, i used to put all of the bow ties on the dog. my dad did not appreciate that." it's when they get to the car that she realizes she's not sure she's ever seen peyton drive. "no board tonight?" she teases.
she is... everything. and honestly? if prom wasn’t such a big deal? peyton might suggest they just chill out here, or at his, or just... anywhere, alone. the thought of her being whisked off by friends and other townspeople — it’s part of their reality now, but peyton can’t help but want to resist that social responsibility. as they make their way to the car, he relishes in their proximity.
“ yeah? “ well i dig you, he thinks, and lets it remain unspoken. “ thanks. “ at her story, he can’t help but laugh. “ you’re kidding. that dog must’ve been the best looking in all of town. “ he doesn’t know why, but that little anecdote finds a home in his heart and nests there. it’s a piece of cassandra pressman not many get to see.
“ no, i... i figured you might want to roll up in something a little more stylin’. “ he gestures to his dad’s car with a shrug. “ but hey, if you— if you ever want to hitch a ride sometime, you— you know who to call. “ an easy smile takes hold of his features but his heart hammers fast. peyton reaches out to open the passenger side door for his date — his date! — and steps aside.
“ your chariot awaits, “ he teases. “ a close second to the good old arbor zeppelin, but it’ll do. “ cue a playful wink as he meets cassandra’s gaze. slowly, slowly, he can feel the nerves melt away and roll off his shoulders.
this night was already better than anything she could dream up and she’d spent a lot of time dreaming about it. he was better than a dream as cliche as that sounded. in all the time she’d known him, she’d had a crush on him and there had never been the question of why. to her, it was obvious. and to force herself to keep him at arms length all this time had proved to be far more work than she’d planned. even now, there was a tinge of remorse. she wasn’t permanent, far from it in fact. and he deserved better. but she could have tonight. and for all she knew, he didn’t feel the same way she did. that would make this all a lot easier. her cheeks already hurt from smiling and they haven’t even left yet.
“yes, the bow tie is definitely an a+. definitely ties the look together.” as if she knows anything about fashion. “he was the snazziest dog around, if i say so myself.” as cool as he looked on his board, she was glad he’d gone with car instead. “i don’t know if my first board experience would be very successful in these shoes,” she chuckles.
she places a hand to her chest with a, “why thank you kind sir,” and then slips into the car.
she's a dreamboat. and she doesn't even know it. as they walk to peyton's car, cassandra glows beneath the setting sun, and all peyton can do is stare and hope, hope, hope she doesn't notice. he laughs at her pun: she's clever, and it's one of the many reasons he's coveted this crush for so long.
" you'd be surprised. i bet you'd look bad ass boarding in those heels. the x games wouldn't even know what hit 'em. " peyton bows like an eighteenth century butler meets concierge, and the move's a bit goofy on him–– but it fits their hollywood throwback car scene. once she's inside, he gingerly shuts the passenger door and crosses over to let himself in. ( he's not blushing. he's not blushing. he's not–– ) nimble fingers turn the key in the ignition and he glances over before putting the car into gear, hand hovering over the console.
" all buckled up ? " his face is going to split apart, he's grinning so hard. never mind the fact that he just sounded like an overprotective mom: he's too overjoyed to care.
was it hot or was it just him? her cheeks were in a permanent state of blush and it wouldn't go away. "you'll have to teach me one of these days." she was so distracted by him that she hadn't put her seatbelt on. it reminded her of the only time she didn't put a seatbelt on. it had been after a stint in the hospital and it had put her in a bit of a depression. her mother had told her to put her seat belt on and she'd mumbled ‘what's the point?’ she thought about that now as he checked on her. he was the point.
her hand reached up and pulled her seat belt down. "yup." she got quiet for a minute or two. she'd managed to get this far without saying something completely ridiculous and hoped to keep it up. can't say something stupid if you don't speak, right? but she wanted him to speak, she loved hearing him speak. so she leaned her elbow on the middle armrest and leaned her chin in her palm. "tell me something."
at her confirmation, they begin the drive: and oh jeez, does peyton have to fight not to tear his eyes off the road to look at her instead. it's stupid, but he wants to make sure she thinks he's a good driver–– that he's a good, well, everything. he wants to make her feel comfortable. safe. and part of that is, like... not totaling his dad's nice car. so he uses his blinkers like he's taking the license test again, and abides by the speed limit, even though no one's around to be the wiser.
peyton spares cassandra a glance as they roll up to a stop sign and wishes retina-cameras weren't just things talked about in sci-fi movies. because if he could snap a picture of this moment... he'd cherish it forever. with her arm on the console and her chin propped in her hand, cassandra looks like... cassandra. for peyton, there's... there's no suitable comparison. he's no poet. but he knows when beauty defies description.
" something, " he calls back with a playful wink, lips already forming a wide, cheesy grin as he returns his eyes to the road. a beat passes before he actually latches on to something remotely interesting to talk about: maybe some boarding stats? a cool history fact?
" you've got a beautiful smile, " he murmurs. he doesn't even register the slip-up for a moment, but then he's opening his mouth and clamping it shut like he's just... like he's just divulged federal secrets, and she might kick him out of his own car. but monty schooled him on this before. if you say something stupid, just commit to it. don't do your stupid fish out of water thing. so he doesn't. he just... runs with it.
" like... even right there. right now. that's... that's awesome. " eloquently done. nice. idiot. peyton times his breathing and re-situates his grip on the wheel. now is not the time to start spinning out.
she nearly chokes at the statement and starts to cough instead. she covers her mouth and mumbles a "thank you" from behind it. when she finally stops choking, she uncovers her mouth and is grinning again. "that's not what i meant but i'll take it." they were very close to prom and soon she was going to have to share him. there were a lot of things she wanted to say to him but all that came out was, "so do you."
she bites her cheek. it wasn't a compliment, and after that comment, he deserved one. it was a bold statement and he deserved as much. "i- like you.... a lot." she covered her face. "i'm sorry."
peyton stops breathing. " oh. " so do you. he's thankful nobody else is on the road, because his vision nearly shorts for a second. cassandra... thinks his smile is... beautiful ? jesus. it takes absolute will-power to keep from pulling over and asking if they can just... skip the dance and throw their own prom themselves.
he takes the final right turn onto the venue's street. he's about to say thank you, when the compliment finally processes, but then–– oh! peyton's cheeks flush bright, only rivaled by his grin. " holy shit, " he breathes, barely audible. " no, don't, i–– " they finally reach the parking lot, and peyton's never done a speedier parking job in his life. once the car's tossed into the correct gear, he turns to cassandra, only to find her face covered.
" hey, " he prods, unclicking his seatbelt and leaning against the center armrest. " don't be sorry. " a beat. he's saying this. " i really like you, too. "
cassandra uncovers her face very slowly when he tells her not to be sorry. and then he says he likes her too. the thought... the idea... it's baffling. she can feel her mouth hanging open like a goldfish and quickly closes it. she fears he wouldn't if he knew the truth but she decides she can't think like that, she likes him too much to worry about that right now. she needs to push the thought out of her head, she needs to focus on him. so she takes a deep breath and leans forward, pressing her lips against his for a moment before pulling away.
her lips meet his and peyton might as well have been stuck by a stun gun. his eyes widen and before he can even internalize the moment she's pulling away, and he's following, chasing her lips again once he finally gets it. the secondary kiss is quick, too, and light, and after a few seconds he pulls back. his eyebrows lift and he's about to apologize for taking more than what he's given, but what comes out is a breathless chuckle. " i... "
thisisreallife. this. is. REAL. LIFE.
" i–– " he gushes, face alight with wonder. " i had no idea. "
he comes in for another kiss and she's ecstatic. it means he wanted it too and she is relieved to say the least. "no idea?! and here i thought i was extremely obvious." now that she's done it once, it feels like a drug. she wants, no needs to do it again. this time she puts her hands on his cheeks first and adds a little more umpf into the next kiss.
" wh- extremely obvious? " before peyton can launch into an explanation of how extremely not obvious she's been, she swoops in for another kiss and boy, he's not about to complain. his eyes close and he meets her force with equal enthusiasm. his hands migrate to her shoulders, and one trails up to rest just below her jawline. he wants the world to stop. their lips only part when his lungs can't stretch longer without air –– but they scream to breathe her in, instead. peyton rests his forehead against cassandra's, speechless. " ...holy crap, " he breathes. dark lashes flutter open and deep brown eyes drink her in: he couldn't look away if he tried. feather light fingertips brush a strand of blonde out of her eyes. and then his lips bloom into a dazed smile. " hi. "
she is beaming. there is no other word for it. she has been waiting years for this. “hi,” she hums back. time feels like it’s crawling and she is one hundred percent okay with that. “we should really... go inside,” but she makes no effort whatsoever to move from this spot. as if moving would ruin it, as if they weren’t about to spend the night together at prom. and after too if she had any say in it. “we can... pick this up after? maybe? if you want.”
peyton nods. yeah. they should. is she even aware of how beautiful she is? peyton's hand finds cassandra's jaw and a tender smile warms his lips. " yeah, " he murmurs. " i'd like that. " he dips his head to snatch another gentle kiss, just because he can. his middle school self is singing.
all cassandra can think about is how much better this is in real life than what she'd imagined and how she spent years assuming this feeling was unrequited. she still hasn't moved, as if leaving his touch might cause a natural disaster. as if her life depended on it. if this feeling could fix her heart, she'd be set for life just from these few minutes. "me too." only after he's pulled away again does she take a deep sigh.
"okay, we should probably go in." it's then that she realizes his mouth is now the same shade as hers and she bites her lip to stifle the laugh. "do you- do you have a napkin or something?"
peyton's cheeks ache from smiling but he keeps on grinning, because he can't help it. all of this? it's better than he could have ever dreamed. it makes all those years spent pining totally more than worth it. and to see her feel the same? it's crazy. it's wild. he's gonna need someone to pinch him, hard.
" napkin? " peyton's brow furrows a bit but he pays the item some thought. his dad's always prepared for everything –– disaster kit in the back, some kind of fire retardant in every possible place. " uh... " peyton sifts around the center console before coming up empty. " maybe try that glove compartment ? " it doesn't even dawn on him to ask what it's for. it doesn't matter. if a napkin's what cassandra wants, he'll give her twenty. she's got him wrapped around her finger. then he notices the look she's giving him, and he can't help but smile wider. " what ? "
she opens the glove compartment and finds a stack of paper towels. she only takes the one and closes it back up, turning back to him. "i think you're-" she takes his chin between her fingers, "wearing more lipstick than i am now." she wipes his lips gently with the paper towel. "in a smeared, demented clown kind of way." she manages to get most of it off before turning the paper towel inside out. she reaches up to pull down the sun flap and uses the mirror to remove the remainder of her own smeared mess. "there we go."
peyton's eyebrows lift as cassandra holds his chin, and then he can't help but laugh. " demented clown. how'd you know that's always been my dream? " he's shocked by how easy this is. being with her. after years of nearly panicking just meeting her eye, it... feels amazing. like they didn't just link up. like they've been doing this for a while. " thanks, " he adds as he pockets the car keys and watches her perfect the lipstick they both had a hand in smudging. it brings forth a sense of giddy pride. " so we know we're really good at making messes, huh ? " cue a lopsided smile.
cassandra chucklees when he says that's been his dream, making sure the thought that he's her dream stays in her head. her cheeks warm at the comment about messes. she wasn't very good at those. she wasn't supposed to make messes. but she would rather make messes with him than continue living her boring, non-messy life. you need to tell him her head insisted, but she fought it away. they could have one nice night before she dropped the bombshell that was her fate. she'd only held off this long because she never thought he could like her back but now he did, and it was too late to tell him before that happened. yeah, she'd tell him after prom. or maybe tomorrow. but not now. she grinned over at him. "the faster we go in, the faster we can leave, right?"
she looks amazing, with or without lipstick smudges. and peyton wants so badly to tell her that, but... he's too busy throwing her not-so-subtle heart eyes to compose the message. he beams and nods at her question. " i think that's how it works. or... we dip our toe in and go make a blanket fort instead. " he chuckles but... he's semi-serious. with a definitive nod, he exits his side of the vehicle and crosses over to open cassandra's door for her. " ready for some space travel ? " stupid theme-related joke. moron. peyton extends his hand and a charming smile anyway.
all she wants is to tell him to turn the car around so they can go make that blanket fort. but if she doesn't show up, people will talk, and they were doing that enough already. instead she pulls herself out of the car. "it's gonna be out of this world," she teased back. his hand comes out toward her and her breath hitches . this was happening. she was going to prom... with the boy she'd had a crush on for years and there were feelings. real, whole, mutual feelings. with all of these wonderful thoughts bouncing around in her head, she took his hand with a grin.
it's gonna be out of this world. peyton lets out one of those exhale laughs, through his nose. he shouldn't find that funny but he really, really does. she takes his hand and he gives hers a gentle squeeze. " oh, for sure. think aliens like to party ? " they begin the walk to the venue's front door, but every bone in his body aches to get back in that car and just... go for a ride. chill somewhere quiet. talk and talk and talk until the sun rises. but they've got tomorrow; they've got plenty more days for that. now, he reaches forward with his free hand and pulls open the door to new ham's prom with a hopeful smile. he takes a moment to revel in it, her smile, just for him. as they step through the threshold though, arm in arm, it's time for the whole town to see cassandra pressman shine.
tess, peyton, and monty were walking back from what most would call work but with the three of them together, there wasn't much work going on. fnally they were free and they made their way back to the house. as they walked they passed a playground. tess grinned mischievously. "mon i bet you the next round of laundry that i can beat you to the top of that jungle gym."
monty was covered in tomato paste, and if that gave any inclination of how much work they'd done, he didn't know what would. nevertheless, he walked home, his best friends by his side and the fading scent of spaghetti fading behind him. his eyes snapped up, mischief glowing. " you're on, t. " instantly, he was off, daunting to the jungle gym.
six uncooked spaghetti rods made their home behind peyton’s right ear, like a cigarette, but way cooler. bunched together and bound with a bit of cooking string, they promoted a kitchen bad boy aesthetic: something his two best friends bagged him about for a solid half-hour at the close of their kitchen shift. “ you two are children! “ peyton called as monty and tess careened toward the playground. but his legs screeched into motion, too, and soon he hoisted himself up on top of the monkey bars. he was sure to steady his pasta accessory upon landing. “ it’s the de luca showdown of the century, and monty’s in the lead — but oh heck! tess is coming up strong behind him! “ peyton cupped his hands on either side of his lips, emulating a big league announcer. he swung his feet as he watched. “ who’s it gonna be, folks? who’s gonna take the cake ?! “
“listen you cheating sack of shit!” tess yelled, speeding after him. he was a fair fight against her abilities. she debated tackling him but then she pulled ahead and stuck her tongue out as she went. “me! i want cake!” she called to peyton.
the one thing monty could say about his sister was that in everything but charm, she was his equal. same routines, same workouts. it was hard to believe they shared no genetics. “ hey!” he groaned, kicking his legs faster, but he was only barely behind her. “ that’s my cake!” he screeches, jumping and lifting himself over the side of the jungle gym.
peyton watched his favorite morons with pure admiration. only the de luca siblings could spin a day spent cooking vats of spaghetti into one so amusing, his sides now ached with each laugh. " they're beginning the climb –– who's it gonna be?! it's the final countdown !!" peyton raised his hands in a trumpet mockery, humming the melody to the sporting world's most overplayed-yet-equally-as-badass tune.
monty could’ve had her beat if this was just a race on two legs, but climbing? climbing was tess’ specialty. she used to rock climb, she still hiked, and she had a lot of experience climbing in and out of second story windows. getting up a jungle gym was nothing. she reached the top in seconds, throwing her hands up in victory. “sucks to suck, sucker!” she teased, offering her hand down to pull monty the rest of the way up.
he knew his chance at winning was gone once tess hiked up her leg and got to work. she was always a better climber, monty's noodle arms being no help in keeping himself safe. that, and his fear of heights kept him from ever getting into it. nevertheless, he stuck it out til the end. de lucas don't quit. " ah, shove it. " and yet, he still took her hand. " y’know if we were on flat land i would've smoked your ass. "
" if i were involved in this race i would've smoked both your asses, " peyton amended with a grin. he hopped down from his spot on the monkey bars and trotted over to the jungle gym. " facts. " it was almost like this wasn't new ham any more, and they weren't on the cusp of no longer being kids. peyton hoisted himself up onto the jungle gym with ease, swinging his legs over to dangle off the silly rooftop covering the entrance to the slide. " think we'd make it onto the next season of american ninja warrior? "
“sure you would,” tess snorted as peyton climbed to join them. american ninja warrior was intriguing, maybe she’d have them try something like that next, if only to keep their minds off the shit show that was now their lives. “monty would be automatically disqualified for being too ugly,” she teased, ruffling his hair. it was then that tess saw her. cassandra pressman looking cute. even if she had a stick up her ass, there was no denying she was beautiful. it took her all of 3 seconds to hatch a plan. she gave monty a discrete nod and made a few hand gestures to relay the plan. she’d yell, he’d shove. simple yet effective. “hey cassandra!” tess yelled from atop the jungle gym, moving around so monty could sneak past her and shove peyton down toward her. “peyton has a question for you about prom!”
monty swatted at his sister, elbowing her in the side. “ you’re just mean, you know that ? people think we’re twins and you’re calling me ugly. “ monty couldn’t say it out loud, but he knew his best friends were gorgeous, like super model type, but he knew he had his own charm himself. the puppy dog eyes were his trade mark. immediately, monty caught on to his sisters plan, a smirk growing on his lips as they set it in motion. once she called out, monty’s hands flew to send peyton flying down the slide, a chuckle falling from his lips as he moved to offer a high five to his partner in crime.
peyton laughed at tess's dig. " aw, c'mon, this guy's adorable: he'd be a fan fave for sure. " he nudged monty with the toe of his sneaker and turned back to look at tess, but her entire disposition had shifted. " what're you–– " his focus swiveled to hone in on what she'd been looking at, but he was already slipping down the slide, accelerating toward: cassandra. ohshitohshitohshitohshit. wide-eyed, peyton reached the bottom of the slide and stuck the landing. if the definition of stuck was officially changed to nearly tripping over his own feet. " oh, hey! hey, cassandra uh –– " he rubbed the back of his neck and cast her a sheepish smile. his heart was gonna friggin' implode. " what's good? " smooth.
cassandra was confused to say the least but she couldn’t help but grin at the sight of peyton tumbling toward her. what’s good? that was some slang she hadn’t heard in awhile and realized his friends had caught him off guard so she figured she’d help him out. “i’m doing well, thanks for asking. i heard tess mention prom, did you want to sign up for something?” she happened to already know he was signed up for decorating committee, but kept that bit of information to herself.
did he want to sign up for something? peyton's breath caught in his throat. his expression blanked for a moment as his mind screeched to a halt. " uh..." you idiot. he offered a near-apologetic chuckle, eyes darting to his feet. her feet. the mulch. the swingset. " yeah, actually, i– " fuck, did she know he was already signed up? he couldn't do this. he could feel her eyes burning into him, and his hands felt buzzy, like they might start shaking. he pushed them into the back pockets of his jeans and did the only thing he could do: he smiled through it. " i... was wondering." breathe " if there was still a slot open. for prom. " jesus christ. " for like... your date? " oh, god. ohgodhe'sdoingthis. ohgodhe'sdonethis. " could i... sign up... for that? " peyton dared to catch her eye again with a hopeful smile, and fought to keep his nerves from tacking on more words.
this was a side of peyton cassandra had never seen before. he was usually so chill, something she wasn't very good at. but now it felt like they switched roles or at the very least like they were sharing one. a slot open for prom. her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. your date. the scrunched eyebrows raised. she pressed her lips together to hide her smile and pulled out her phone. "hmm, let me see." she pretended to check the list. "no one's signed up for that yet so-" she looked up at him, " you can definitely have that spot if you want."
peyton forgot how to breathe. his lungs nearly collapsed in on themselves as his lips fell agape. she said yes. she said yes. " wh- are you- " a bright grin lit his entire face, practically ear to ear, and if it weren't for the fluttering in his chest, he might have found time to be embarrassed. " really? " cassandra pressman. said yes. to going to prom. to being his date. " wow, that's, i. wow. thanks. " thanks? peyton brushed a hand through his hair and shifted his weight, attempting to reinstate his natural state of chill. maybe she'd ignore that stupid response. not likely. " so like. i could... i could pick you up. before? before prom, yeah. if you want? maybe around... i don't know, what time works for you? " holy shit. this was happening. holy. fucking. shit.
cassandra could no longer contain her grin, especially as he rambled. it made her feel better because this was usually how their conversations went, but usually the rambling came from her. she nodded and pretended not to notice the thanks tacked on at the end. “i was hoping before prom, after might be a little... inconvenient?” she did her best not to look straight at him for too long in fear that she’d get distracted and say something stupid. “prom starts at eight, so any time around then is fine. we don’t need to be early or anything.”
peyton ducked his head and laughed. " after's inconvenient, noted. " when he looked up at cassandra again, his eyes sparkled. this was real. he was going to prom with cassandra pressman. albeit, this prom was... not what west ham high typically put on. but it'd still be awesome. he'd have to recruit tess and monty to find something to wear. " okay, cool. 8ish. you're p– " peyton stopped himself and let out a light chuckle. get it together, man. " that's perfect. "
"perfect," she repeated. she'd managed to get this entire conversation without sounding like an absolute moron and she was trying to keep it that way lest he change his mind. "i'm um- wearing gold if, if that helps?" she semi shrugged. "we don't have to match or anything, i just thought i'd let you know in case you... needed to know that."
“ gold, “ peyton echoed with a nod. “ that’s cool. “ cool? eugh, dude. really? his eyes darted across her features as she rambled on, smile only growing as the words accrued. yeah, he thought, gold’s a good fit. “ i like knowing that. knowledge is always appreciated. “ jeez. “ is it chill if i match my tie? or, like — is that too much? not enough? “ he’s never taken a real date to a prom before. let alone cassandra. and he’d be damned if he fucked this one up.
"you're welcome to match... that's what people usually do for prom, right? match their date?" date. was she his date or had he asked her as a friend? did he just need someone to go with? she thought about tess. if he needed someone to go with he could've asked tess? did that mean he wanted to go with her or was tess already snagged up by someone?
" oh, they do? " peyton's hands dipped into his pockets before surfacing less than a second later. his fingers intermingled and broke apart before he finally, finally managed to get them to rest at his sides. " ha. yeah, right, they do. " did she want this to be a date? he'd asked with that intent, but–– " i mean, that would make sense, right? for us to match? as dates? " he cursed his mouth for running miles ahead of his mind. " i-i... if you... if that's what you... " he trailed off, hands opening and closing at his sides. god, he's bad at this. " ...envisioned. " a beat. peyton thought he was done speaking, but more words spilled out anyway. " because, that's–– that's what i envisioned. the date. the, uh... date thing. "
she grinned and nodded afraid of what would stumble out of her mouth if she opened it, especially since what he'd said was very much what she wanted. she tried to gather her thoughts and weave them into a coherent sentence but it ended up as more of a list. "prom, eight pm, gold, dates."
peyton beamed. " prom, eight pm, gold, " he echoed back with a definitive nod and a snap. " dates. " his fingertips buzzed. he wondered if she could hear his pulse from just a few inches away. and then realized, hell, he didn't care –– he'd do a fricken happy dance right now, if he could. " i'm looking forward to it. "
"great," she beamed. "i'll see you then. unless i see you before then, which is possible. i'm basically everywhere." stop talking cassandra. "okay i'm going to go make sure grizz hasn't already broken everything." she gave him one last smile before rushing off.
" okay. okay, yeah. " peyton chuckled. did she even know how amazing she was? cassandra was the only person who could manage to run this whole entire town and still find time to be adorable. " i'll see you. " peyton raised a hand in a tiny wave. as soon as cassandra turned her back, his hands rose to his head and he all but gaped, spinning on his heels. holy shit, he mouthed to himself. holy shit.
his grin was sinfully bright as he turned toward the jungle gym, where his two best friends still sat, overlooking the whole scene. ten minutes ago, he'd wanted to kill them. now? he wanted to practically kiss their feet. ( except not literally; that'd be... gross. ) with a look of elated disbelief, he spun around once more, as if trying to get re-oriented to real friggin life. " holy shit, " he said aloud this time, smile growing even wider.
monty sat in wonder as he watched the whole thing go down. he couldn't help the grin stretching across his face as his best friend finally turned back towards the de lucas. monty shoved his sister's arm, rattling her in a wave of shock. " tess, he got it. he got it! " he sprung off the jungle gym, arms already wide open. " my man! "
"yes i can see that, i have eyes you lunatic," she huffed, shoving him. she jumped down after him, watching monty practically tackle peyton. "he probably can't breathe yet monty, try not to strangle him before his date."
peyton met monty in a colossal hug, smiling so hard his cheeks ached. “ dude! dude!! “ he jumped in their embrace and patted monty’s back before breaking away. he felt like he could leap to the freaking moon. tess teased monty about strangling him before his date and the word drew a breath from his lips. peyton let out a loud laugh in disbelief. “ she said yes — how — how the heck did she say yes ?! “
monty ignored his sisters comments, instead continuing to crush the life out of the boy— he just achieved his fucking dream. and he was so proud. “dude!!!” he yelled back, a smile wide on his lips as he relished in the excitement of his friend. “i told you, man. you just had to ask.”
Peyton could feel his eyes rolling out the back of his head. “I might not be a billionaire or whatever but I know how to tie a tie.” He had no idea why Will even invited him to some kind of public event, but he was equal parts annoyed and charmed by the other’s constant fidgeting with his looks. First Will had been critical of how his hair was done, then his shirt, and now his tie. Reaching down and placing his hands on Will’s, the ginger grinned. “If I didn’t know you were a sociopath, I might think you were nervous.”
