#five seconds flat

He nodded. You could ask Reese to run naked through every street in town while professing his love for you, and he’d probably say yes. The boy was utterly whipped.

After some final kisses, you finally went inside. Reese stood at your closed door for a few seconds, mentally preparing himself to leave and go back to the annoying chaos of his own house. But eventually, he turned around and went down your walkway.

“Man, I love that girl.” He mumbled before stopping dead in his tracks. He didn’t even think it; the words just tumbled out of his mouth. Reese was shocked at the statement, but soon shook himself out of his thoughts and kept walking.

But as he kept going, he kept thinking. Which wasn’t always a good thing to come from Reese. But instead of the usual thoughts of evil schemes and how to torment his brothers, he was thinking about you and what he just said to himself.

Love? He loved you? How could he be so sure? Reese had never been in this situation before; he had never gotten far enough with a girl for it to happen. But then suddenly, Reese recalled something his father had said to him many years ago, back when he had his first major crush on a girl. 

“All I know is your mother must carry some internal antidote, because through some fluke, I was lucky enough to get her.”

It was meant to be a warning for Reese and his brothers. Unless by some incredibly rare, once-in-a-blue-moon miracle, every relationship that they tried to pursue would end up crashing and burning because the Wilkerson boys were obsessive and insatiable.

As much as he wanted you to have nothing in common with his mother, Reese started to wonder if you also had that antidote. 

***

Reese’s discovery was at the front of his mind for the next few days. He quickly realized that, yes, he did love you. He also realized that the thought of telling you so made him scared shitless. Reese was so used to being the tough guy, the brooding bully that everyone feared. How would you react to him being soft?

“You okay?” You had been poking Reese’s shoulder, trying to get his attention. The question took him out of his thoughts, forcing him to look at you.

He stared at you for a moment, lips parted but nothing coming out. Then he cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

It was one of those days when you didn’t have school, but your parents were working, so you jumped on the opportunity to have Reese over. You were both settled down on the couch, watching some random movie after finishing the lunch your boyfriend graciously made for you. Perks of dating a culinary prodigy.

You noticed that there was something off about Reese lately. Well, he was more off than he usually was. But you’ve learned not to push him, and that if he really needed to get something off his chest, he’d do it when he was ready.

What you didn’t know was that he was psyching himself up to tell you the thing on his mind. Part of him wished that he had something prepared, but knowing him, he’d probably forget what he had in mind and fumble through his words. So Reese took a deep breath and bit the bullet.

“Not to be lame or anything, but I think I love you.”

Reese immediately cringed at his words. You’re so stupid, he told himself. Reese couldn’t decide what was worse: the obvious nervous quiver in his voice or the fact that he said he thought he loved you when, after the past week of contemplation, he knew that he did.

It felt like forever before he decided to glance to the side and gauge your reaction. To his surprise, instead of looking disgusted or weirded out, you were smiling at him. That small smile he loved so much, because it was always used for him.

You patted Reese’s thigh, holding back a giggle when he jumped at the unexpected contact. He was clearly still picking apart his confession in his head. 

“I love you too, you goof.”

It sounded so natural and casual coming from you. Like you had already known for a long time, instead of dealing with these sudden new intense feelings like Reese had. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in.

“Is there anything else?” You looked at him curiously, and it was clear you had whatever antidote Hal had been babbling about. In an instant, Reese was calmer than he had been all week, and he nodded at you. Deciding he was telling the truth, you went back to watching the movie.

But Reese looked at you for a little longer, wondering how he got so lucky.

***

Malcolm in the Middle Taglist: @rattilol @satans-bitch

your laptop screen aluminates the glow of blue light directly in your face.

how do you know when you lik-

no. that’s stupid.

how do you know if your best-

still no.

how do you know you are falling in love?

bingo.

you read article after article, page after page. different sappy poems, stupid scripts about finding the one. but was he actually the one? or did you just think he was?

maybe you just weren’t used to guys being so..friendly without them wanting something in return.

you don’t really trust the internet, but maybe this one time, maybe it’s worth trying. you hate to admit to yourself that you’re desperately in love with your best friend, it’s truly embarrassing, but you can’t help it, the feeling of longing..it’s always on the tip of your tounge. in the back of your mind.

“it’s gonna change everything.” you breath out while shaking your head, “it’s not.” chris says blunt, “it is.” you argued.

chris scratches the stubble on his jaw, “so do you wanna do it or not?” his patience running thin, not with you. never with you. just with the situation.

“yeah..yeah just. just do it.” you spoke moving your legs from under you to crossing them in front of you. you can feel chris’ tender hand graze your jaw as he pulls you closer, your breathes mix together. before you can pull away, before you can say it’s not the right time or something dumb he presses his lips against yours. it’s the most gentle thing you have ever felt in your life. it was over quicker than it happened.

your lips swollen, his eyes meeting yours. “so?” he whispers, you lick your lips, the faint taste of his caramel chapstick lingers on your tongue. “no um..no i didn’t feel anything.” you muttered as you fiddled with you shirt. you’re such a god damn liar. you felt every little thing those stupid websites described falling in love as. you felt every little butterfly swarm in your stomach. and you hate to admit it but you think he knows it to. he knows that you love him, that you need him. but is that enough to make him stay? is it enough to make him feel the same way? absolutely not.

so now you guys are right back to where you started from.

if you could rewind time back to last week when your lips collided with chris’ and you told him the truth, the real truth. would that really change everything? would there be some butterfly effect? would the stars genuinely align.

maybe.

but it’s too late for that now. because now, you’re sitting in the passenger seat of his car, your feet on the dash board as you two sat and shared an orange. the smell of the peel filled his car, “you fond of oranges?” he questioned popping another piece in his mouth, “i’m fond of the way you say the word” you spoke simply, chris lets out a dry chuckle, “what? orange” he repeats furrowing his eyebrows, his thick boston accent coming out clear as day, making you chuckle and shake your head, “you don’t even realize how you’re saying it!” chris’ head falls back against his head rest. “you’re a fuckin’ dork, you know that?”

a grin plasters onto your face, “no. but you love to remind me” you spoke taking the piece of orange he was offering from between his fingers.

chris let’s out a soft chuckle and smiles to himself. silence fills the car for a moment, chris’ attention is out his window, staring at the street lights that brighten up the almost empty parking lot. “i know you’re in love with me” he spoke gently.

you could’ve thrown up onto your lap right then and there. “you what?” you whisper, you heard him. you heard him clear as day. “don’t make me repeat myself, you know i hate that shit” he muttered as he takes a sip of his drink, he glances at you, seeing your well nervous expression. “i know you’re in love with me.”

all you can do is slowly nod, chris places his hand on your knee, his thumb going back and forth, he’s trying to comfort you but it only makes your mind race more and your heart beat faster.

“you know how i feel..about relationships and shit” chris chokes out, his throat clearing. “but fuck.”

a sliver of hope cuts through you like a knife, the simple word but opens up flood gates to a whole new world, a whole new relationship between the two of you.

“i mean, i hate to be lame but..i love you too” chris shrugs.

you lick your lips, “yeah?” you breath out, “yeah.” he echos.

“so kiss me.” you blurt out. chris smiles and leans over the center console, his lips melting into yours, the sweet yet sour taste of orange seeps between the two of you.

orange is your new favorite flavor. chris is still your favorite person.

yall does this fic make sense SAY YES OR NO 🫵🏼😖

divider creds: @bernardsbendystraws