#keyframes fanfic

ps: ive posted this in ao3 earlier today to get some feedback. so this is a slightly polished version. enjoy and see u in 2 weeks!

*pps: 助けて means help

Who would have thought that you would be spending the weekday night outside campus again?

Dropping by Extra Fries for takeout and then hanging out at Halfpoint was a recurring thing in your circle (or triangle?), but this time, three new faces made the whole thing feel different.

Cameron always had spontaneous ideas. So as usual, you went over tomorrow’s to-do list in your head, reshuffling everything to make this detour fit. Certain you’d oversleep, you drilled one thing into your brain — 8:30 a.m. exam.

Huddled together at the back of the Cammobile with the rear door open, everyone remained seated around the space that had just been cleared of fast food, which you were 100% sure was enough to feed at least twenty people.

You were near the right edge, with Percy, Elio, and Jamie to your left, and Deja and Cameron to your right.

It had only been a few minutes after you had conquered the Big One, albeit unofficial and unrecorded, but that didn’t matter to Cameron.

After the icebreakers and small talk, all of you sat in quiet triumph, satisfied it was done yet painfully aware of the consequences: your stomachs slowly digesting an ungodly amount of food meant for five days, not ten minutes.

You glanced at Jamie, who you thought couldn’t get any paler, yet here he was, trying hard not to puke. Was it bad that, despite all this, he still looked handsome?

How unfair.

You immediately shook your head at the naïve thought, though. You knew Jamie was more than just a pretty face. He might resemble a scared rabbit, but in the right company, he had no qualms showing who he truly was.

And you were grateful that he considered you part of that.

Elio, on the other hand, pressed a firm hand to Jamie’s back, slowly rubbing small circles as if it could ease the stomachache.

That was cute, you mentally admitted.

Since the day you met him, Elio had always been like this. Gentle, attentive, and effortlessly kind.

A walking bundle of sunshine.

And you couldn’t help thinking how lucky you were to have spent these past few weeks with him.

On the other side of the Cammobile, Cameron and Deja rummaged through the storage, searching for indigestion medicine. Though not without muffled laughter directed at the sorry state of the boys beside you.

You cracked a smile.

After two years together, the three of you had weathered nearly everything college life had thrown so far.

And now that your group had expanded, you found yourself looking forward to whatever came next with this bunch.

Your mind wandered to the remaining member of your group, Perseus Tozaki… wait, where did he go?

You only realised he was missing when the cold started seeping in despite the blankets.

Stretching your neck, you peered out the Cammobile and spotted the missing walking heater leaning against the fence, gazing at the city lights.

You turned to Deja and Cameron. “I think I need fresh air. If I breathe in any more of this greasy air, I might end up like that gentleman. You’re still looking for the meds, right? I can help before I head out.”

Without looking back, Deja responded, “It’s all good, Sage. We have two pairs of eyes here; we’ll find it soon. Right, Cam?”

“Uh-uh. You’re dismissed, Private Aubade.” Cameron saluted you with a smirk.

Elio, still rubbing Jamie’s back, chimed in, “We’ll be fine, Sage. I mean, Jamie will be fine. He’s a tough cookie despite how soft he looks."

He gave you a small reassuring smile before adding.

"And this isn’t his first rodeo at food challenges. I’ll have you know the three of us have done tons of stupid shit so, he’ll manage. Somehow.”

Jamie, still visibly distressed, only shook his head in protest. Though a small smile betrayed him.

You were grateful that despite the differences between your group and theirs, everyone knew how to adjust and respect one another. You were all on the same wavelength, and it felt easy and natural to spend time together.

It had only been two weeks, but you could no longer imagine a hangout without these guys.

Finally accepting that you had nothing to contribute, you waved goodbye, hopping off the Cammobile with a light bounce as you stealthily made your way to your target.

Each careful step drained so much of your energy, but you didn’t care. You wanted to scare that man out of his wits. A small price to pay for all the flirty jokes he’d thrown your way.

If Cameron could see you now, they’d probably shiver at how crazy your eyes looked as the corners of your mouth curled upward.

Step, step, step.

You’re now an arm’s length away from his back. Recalling all the lessons you’d taken over the years along with the unhealthy amount of anime and manga you had consumed, you felt quite confident in your Japanese.

Preparing your throat to deliver the creepiest 「助けて*」 you could manage, you leaned toward his left ear, breath ready to whisper –

“Penis.”

Your body froze.

Like time actually stopped.

Your brows furrowed as disbelief sank in. You could not believe what this man in his twenties had just said.

Sure, the group had shouted variations of “penis” at the cliff earlier, but that was collective stupidity.

Right now, he was alone, murmuring as if it were the only thought left in his head.

And that was scary.

You were still rooted to the spot when Percy’s back hitched with suppressed laughter, a noticeable “pffft” escaping his mouth.

He finally turned around, cheeks red as he tried his hardest not to explode in laughter.

You had promised your RAs that you wouldn’t be rowdy, so the fact that he remembered that even now was mildly impressive.

“Did you really think you could outmatch me in stealth? For your information, our family descends from a long and prestigious line of ninjas.”

You could only shake your head in disbelief. “The heck, since when did you know?”

“From the very start? Ninjas are required to have excellent hearing. But that was a good attempt. You have more to learn, young Padawan.”

“…You are mixing franchises now.”

“Eh, Jedi are just… alien ninjas, aren’t they? We don’t discriminate so they are welcome to our ranks.”

“Jedis are more like space monks than ninjas, though?”

“Meh, same difference.”

You just could not win against Percy, huh? It seemed like he had infinite rebuttals for everything.

With a scoff, you instead decided to join him at the fence as he resumed gazing at the city lights.

“So, why are you out here? Jamie's dying back there you know. It's just Elio with him, plus Dee and Cam."

“Hey, can’t a grown man have his ‘me time’ away from his baby chicks? I just wanted to take in the scenery. I mean, WeeMee is definitely top tier when it comes to aesthetics and shit, but we don’t get this kind of view there."

"Point taken. I feel bad for Jamie, though. I heard this challenge wasn't a first for you guys."

"Elio told you? No way. Now we can't make up an excuse for him. But, yeah. To be fair, what we tried before doesn't even compare to the Big One - that thing was huuuuuge."

Percy suddenly turned to you, eyes lighting up.

"Okay for context, do you know League of Legends? If I had to compare what we tried before to the Big One, it was like Gold going up against Challenger. The gap's insane!"

You chuckled at the comparison. Percy was really a gamer through and through.

“I’m ashamed to admit that I was addicted to League in high school, so no worries there, I get you."

“Whaaaat? I can’t imagine you raging, Sage. You’re like an epitome of inner peace.”

“That’s why I quit. Any longer and I would've become a walking embodiment of toxicity. I probably wouldn’t have become friends with Dee and Cam either. So... butterfly effect, we would’ve never met.”

“We're not sure about that." Percy said lightly. "Butterfly effect, huh? Then, what if, on my end, I'd gotten addicted to League too? We would’ve probably met online, cursing each other in some ranked match. That kind of interaction.”

You smiled at the thought. Percy on the opposite team, same lane, both of you fighting to break the other’s nexus, spamming profanities back and forth.

It was an amusing alternate timeline.

You glanced up at the stars before answering.

“That would’ve been interesting. But I’m glad it didn’t turn out that way. I like the me today… and I like you.”

Silence. And more silence.

You tilted your head at Percy, wondering why he had suddenly stopped yapping.

His expression had gone blank and you couldn’t tell what was going on in his head. Had you said something wrong?

You quickly replayed your words in your head.

Oh shit.

“Ah! Sorry, I meant I like you as a friend. Please don’t take it the wrong way. It’s only been two weeks, I’m not that desperate.”

Percy slowly blinked a few times, then let out a scoff as the smuggest smile spread across his face. What the heck?

“Hey, all good. I got your point... Too bad for me, though. I missed the chance to gloat about that confession to everyone.”

Wha- confession?!

“What! I didn’t confess! I just said I like you as a person. As a friend!”

“Yeah, for now maybe. I agree that two weeks isn’t enough to really know someone. So, will that change in a year? Or maybe sooner?” His smirk deepened.

“Helloooo? Earth to Percy. It’s getting in your head, please come back down. I might just revoke my fondness.”

“Aw, man. Okay, I’ll stop.”

You closed your eyes, sighing in relief.

“But not before saying that I also like you, Sage.”

Eyes still closed and your forehead now creased again, you were so ready to call out his bullshit. You opened your eyes…

And stopped.

Percy was intently looking at you, no smirk nor teasing edge. Just steady. Serious.

This might have been the first time you truly noticed how warm his brown eyes were.

Then silence.

Again.

He didn’t say anything as if waiting for you.

In response, your face felt hot and your heartbeat picked up its pace. But at least you were self-aware that this was only because of the situation you were in. Anyone would react the same if they were in the same position.

Then, just as the moment stretched too thin, Percy broke. A laugh burst out of him, loud and unrestrained, no longer caring whether Rory would scold him later.

It took a while before he could breathe again. He wiped at the tears in his eyes, still grinning like he'd just won something.

“I’m so sorry, Sage. I was just fucking with you. Your facial expressions were the best. One word wouldn’t suffice to describe it. It was like a looping transition of shock, confusion, disbelief… and maybe a tiny hint of shyness?”

Thinking he would be done teasing was a mistake.

You took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, shoulders relaxing as you gathered all the inner peace in the world you can muster.

“From today onwards, I, Sage Aubade, do solemnly swear I will not give in to Perseus Tozaki’s rage baiting.”

Percy’s grin returned in full force. So, he retaliated.

“And I, Perseus Tozaki, vow that I will do my best to elicit a wide range of emotions from Sage Aubade.”

Realizing that you would lose this game of rebuttals, you bowed your head down as you waved an imaginary white flag to declare your surrender.

As Percy relished this, nose all pointy and shoulders perked (based on your imagination, since you were not really looking at him), Deja’s voice cut through the air.

“You guys! It’s time to go!”

Turning your head in Deja’s direction, you could see that everything had already been packed and cleaned. They were simply waiting for you and Percy to hop back in.

Rushing back while Percy was trailing behind, you climbed inside the Cammobile and spotted Elio and Jamie in the last row, covered in blankets and already knocked out.

Percy got in next, eyebrows raised when he saw the two sprawled across their seats, but his expression eventually softened. A subtle smile tugged at his lips as he adjusted their blankets without saying a word.

Badump.

You looked away immediately, ignoring whatever that was as you turned to Deja, who was sitting diagonally across from you.

In a hushed voice to avoid waking the others, you whispered, “Sorry, Dee, I should have helped.”

Deja smiled gently.

“Silly, there were four adults here who could handle the cleanup. And honestly, we might have overdone it, just look at those two. Anyway, I’m saying this because I know that if it were the other way around, you’d do the same.”

She really hit the nail on the head. Knowing each other for two years now, she definitely knew you inside and out.

You mumbled a silent “thank you”, and she nodded in return.

You looked at the driver’s seat, but it would be impossible to see Cam’s face without invading Percy’s personal space.

So you reached out to tap Cam’s shoulder instead, to which they responded with a thumbs up to your direction. You could totally imagine Cameron winking while smirking on the other side.

“Thanks, Cam... I really appreciate you two… I’m glad that you are my best friends.”

Caught off guard, Cameron retracted their thumb.

And suddenly, they scrambled at the space between the front seats, turning fully toward you. They grabbed your hands as if you were a divine figure, voice shaking dramatically.

“Okay, Sage, who’s chopping onions? I might just burst into tears.”

Deja covered her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh at this turn of events.

“Cam, please don’t. You still have to drive us home.”

They took a dramatic pause, as if genuinely contemplating whether they should actually take everyone home.

“Damn it. Fine. When we get back, y’all need to comfort me, okay?”

You wholeheartedly nodded to Cameron. They lingered quite a bit though, waiting expectantly until you ruffled their hair. Once. Twice.

Satisfied at last, they returned to their seat.

The engine started, and the group began the ride home.

Conversation continued to flow in hushed tones so as not to disturb Elio and Jamie’s drift into dreamland.

Deja was chatting to Cameron when you glanced to your right and noticed Percy listening intently. It was surprising seeing him quiet. He always had something to say so this was new.

Was it because his baby chicks were asleep?

As you pondered, your eyes were fixated on him a little too long, and he caught you looking at him.

Badump.

Not this again. The moment at the cliff had already run its course, so why was your heart acting up now?

“What’s up, Padawan? If looks could kill, I’d be laying cold right here.”

“Uh… Can’t I look at you without any reason?”

“Nope, not really. Go ahead and look, it’s free estate.”

This guy!!!

“No, thank you, I shall close my eyes and get some sleep. These two are making me jealous.”

“Then off to dreamland you go. Good night.”

Percy said so as he reached out and gently ruffled your hair.

Was that your first skinship with him?

The thought alone made your pulse jump again. But annoyingly, it was… nice. Relaxing even.

Leaning back to your seat, your closed eyes. The exhaustion from studying came crashing in all at once. And before you knew it, you were knocked out.

.

.

.

“… lift… couch…”

“… carry…”

“…sleep well… honest… like…”

.

.

.

It felt like you were in and out of consciousness and could not really figure out the voices you were hearing.

When you finally woke up, it was already morning. And it sucked because you realised that you hadn’t brushed your teeth nor washed your face last night.

Looking at your surroundings, you figured that:

1) you had slept on the couch and

2) no one was around

The only relief you had was the smell of freshly brewed coffee, which meant Deja’s somewhere in the apartment.

You heard shuffling noise inside her room and, as expected, she stepped out with a towel wrapped around her hair. Trailing behind her was Cameron, yawning with an undeniable bed head, their eyes barely open.

Deja glanced at you, then cleared her throat like she was about to deliver an SGB report.

“Good morning, sleepy head. Short explanation: Elio carried you to the couch. With Percy as moral support."

She gave you a pointed look.

"And you're in the couch for the same reason you're thinking."

Right.

You told Deja and Cameron before that you hated bringing outside clothes onto your bed. How lucky that they actually remembered the little things you said.

Deja continued, "The guys also slept in the living room but woke up early due to an earlier exam sched. As for you… that's in about an hour? So, no time to waste, princess. Brush your teeth and take a bath.”

Holy shit.

You glanced at the digital clock mounted on the wall: 7:25 AM.

You scampered off the couch, running to your room to get ready.

Unfortunately, there was no time for extra review so you prayed to the gods that whatever showed up in the exam, you could hopefully answer.

As soon as you were done, you rushed out the door, catching a glimpse of Cameron lying face-down against the piled-up cushions on the floor.

You lightly smiled at the sight. They had always been difficult to wake up, so this was nothing new.

The warmth of the moment lingered until reality snapped back in. Time was ticking, so you waved goodbye to Deja, who lifted her mug of coffee in response.

As you walked through the campus to your assigned building, you realised that you hadn’t checked your phone.

Grabbing it out of your pocket, you checked each notification until you saw the latest one – a message from Percy.

hey, hope u don’t miss your exam lol

in case u missed breakfast tho, we can get brunch later after ur exam?

with the gang of course

cuz I know you’ll be shy if it’s just me lmao

anyway, let me knowww

btw

i carried u to the couch (it was me i swear, not elio)

and i might have slept beside u too

don't get too shy later ok

You sucked a sharp breath as you somehow tried to stop the natural function of your face’s skin from getting red.

And you gulped so hard, it would have been obvious to anyone watching.

This was not good.

Percy was someone you had met two weeks ago.

Your brain, though caffeine-deprived, tried to assess this situation logically.

One thing's for sure: whatever you were feeling right now would definitely disrupt the balance of your friend group.

Despite the time running, you consciously decided to stop and forced yourself to think, afraid that letting it linger would distract you later.

It took you some time, just standing there at the side of the hallway, mulling over the situation.

After running through every possible what-ifs, you finally confirmed: this was just a fleeting feeling.

Once Percy went back to normal a.k.a. once he was done teasing you, everything would go back to normal too. And anyway, he’d always thrown around flirty jokes, right? That was how you two met in the first place.

You concluded that what your body's going through was a natural response.

Satisfied that you finally sorted it out, you responded to Percy:

g for brunch see ya 10 am @ green

Before you could pocket your phone, you heard a loud notification ping.

He reacted a heart to your message and sent a GIF:

Well, that was fast.

You smiled and reminded yourself not to read too much into it.

Perseus Tozaki was your friend.

And always would be.

Percy loved you. How couldn’t he? As much as he wouldn’t admit it, you changed his life. You were perfect, his other half. The thing was that you were too perfect, so perfect he didn’t even deserve to be next to you. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, you were meant to just be someone he dated. Falling in love with you was never the plan. When the two of you officially started going out he felt like the heavens had sent an angel to love him. You were his dream come true, someone who genuinely loved him for himself. He could’ve been the same dork he was when he was younger and you could’ve loved him. Before Percy could realize he had fallen madly in love with you. The more he started to realize this the more he felt unworthy of you. He had to do something.

The bright light from his phone stared back at him showing an ungodly hour. As much as Percy twisted and turned in his bed he couldn’t stay put. The more he was kept up by his thoughts the more he started to think, thinking alone in a dark room. His thoughts were killing him. He sat up on his bed looking into the darkness of his room. He had to distract himself somehow, grabbing his phone. The lock screen made his heart ache. As cheesy as it was, the picture he saved on his phone was a picture of you. The sight of you made his heart race just as much as it made his heart sink.

As he unlocked his phone and opened his messages he saw a message from you. He hesitated. He stared at the message you sent, shakingly clicking it. A goodnight message, wishing him sweet dreams. You ended the message with a heart and saying that you loved him. It was sent a few hours ago. Look at you, caring for him. He couldn’t do it anymore. He loved you, he truly did. You were the part of his heart that made him feel happy. He loved you so much he knew you deserved better. He didn’t deserve you. He didn’t know what he was going to do with his life. You did, you were studying to become a lawyer for the sake of helping, he was studying to be a doctor because he was good at it. He was dragging you down. If he stayed with you he would just continue to keep dragging you down. 

You were made for great things, but Percy Tozaki? What was he made for? A pretty face with a brain that was put to waste. Standing up he put on his shoes, not bothering to change from his nightwear. He needed to clear his mind. He had to before he went insane. Quietly he made his way out of his room, grabbing his house keys and his wallet as he entered the living room. He checked his phone before leaving the shared dorm.

The night was dark. There was a slight chill in the air but he didn’t mind it. He barely registered that he was cold. His mind was so caught up with different things he had no time to focus on what he was feeling. He exited the building and started wandering around the campus. Percy knew better than to be out this late. His legs didn’t stop though, nor did his thoughts. He stopped suddenly. His whole body had taken him to the place that changed everything. The place that in the light is seen crowded with people, but on nights like these it was empty, not a person to be seen. It was only Percy and his thoughts alone, back at the place he first met you, a pure coincidence that turned into something greater.

Sliding his phone out of his pocket he clicked on his messages. He stared blankly at his phone. Was he really going to do this? Yes, yes he was. You didn’t deserve to put up with him. You weren’t supposed to be someone special. He wasn’t supposed to be this in love with you. He would just ruin your life if you stayed with him. Still he hesitated. How could he tell you everything he was thinking without sounding like a complete idiot? How does one send a text that would ruin everything he had wanted in life? He stared at the screen for a few more moments, recalling every moment he spent with you. He could feel his heart start to race as he grew closer to making his final decision. Without even realizing it his eyes began to slightly water. His movements were wary and slow as he started typing out his words. He decided to leave it short and simple. A quick message that hopefully wouldn’t do much damage. 

“i think we should break up. you didn’t do anything wrong, i just don’t think we should stay together anymore. it’s the best for the both of us.”

He wanted to put more, to say everything he had been feeling, but if he did you’d make him feel better again. Just like you always did, fixing any problem he had without even realizing how much of a burden he was, like loving him was the easiest thing. He stared at the screen harder, almost as if he was waiting for something to tell him not to do it, but even if the biggest sign was showing him not to. He couldn’t turn back now, his tears started to overflow. From gathering in his eyes to rolling down on his cheek at an alarming rate. Was he making the right decision? Would you even care if the two of you broke up? Would you want this?

He didn’t allow himself to even finish the thought, because he knew what the answer would be, no. He knows this because he knows you, because he loves you, which is why he needs to do this. To set you free, so with a quick gesture and a pang of regret without looking back he sent his text message. Once he did he made sure to power off his phone and put it away. The damage was done. Now he stood in the middle of the night standing where the two of you first interacted, regret started to sink in. There was no returning though, he just wanted what was best for you. The cold snapped him out of his thoughts. It was late he should return before anyone woke up.

It felt like a long walk. He'd drag his feet with every movement he made. It felt like he was carrying a burden of weight on his shoulders, a weight that seemed so familiar he almost welcomed it home. Once he finally made it back to his room everything seemed off, but he was so tired he hardly cared. He put his phone to charge and remembered what he had just done not even thirty minutes ago, leaving one of the best things that had happened to him in a long while. His body was shutting down though, he’d have to deal with the consequences once the morning sun came. But just before his eyes closed and he would drift into a slumber, he regretted what he’d done.

-

SCOOTER HAZARD: Yea havent been out of bed all day

PERCE: its 3 pm??

PERCE: dont u usually get up at.. idk 7 am??

SCOOTER HAZARD: I can barely stay awake more than an hour. And my entire body hurts

PERCE: have you at least eaten something?

SCOOTER HAZARD: Um. Crackers?

SCOOTER HAZARD: Idk just havent ben hungry

PERCE: ok but you need food to get better

Frowning, Percy set his phone aside to rummage through the refrigerator. Ah, perfect! The leftover soup he made the other day was still there. Maybe Emery would eat some if he offered…? Pulling it out, he set the container on the counter and checked his phone. No reply from Emery.

That was fine. He’d pour out a couple portions in microwavable bowls while he waited. Deja might like some too.

When he had finished that task, he opened his message history with Emery. Maybe she was just taking a while to answer.

[Message sent, unread]

Percy tapped his knuckles on the counter, thinking. He didn’t want to show up uninvited, but Emery’s lack of reply after telling him she hadn’t eaten made him worry. It wasn’t like her to ignore messages, especially concerned ones.

Finally deciding on a plan of action, Percy swiped to a different contact.

PERCE: hey deja im gonna stop by in a bit

QUEEN DEE: Oh? I’m sorry, usually we would be happy to have you but Emery’s been under the weather the past couple days

PERCE: yea that’s what im stopping for

PERCE: i have soup

QUEEN DEE: For both of us? 👀

PERCE: wow deja steals food from sick ppl smh

PERCE: i mean yeah sure its leftovers but it is vegetarian

QUEEN DEE: 😎

QUEEN DEE: Still that’s kind of you to think of Emery, Percy

PERCE: hey what are friends for

PERCE: at ur door in 5

Tacit permission secured, Percy bagged up the containers of soup and headed for the door. At the last second he paused, thought for a moment, then ran back to grab one more thing before leaving.

True to his word, nearly five minutes later Percy was knocking on the door to Emery and Deja’s apartment. Two bags dangled from his arm as he waited for an answer.

He didn’t have to wait long. Deja opened the door with a smile and a greeting, ushering him into the kitchen.

“Thanks for stopping by, Percy. I haven’t been able to get her to eat all day. But I know she won’t refuse your cooking.”

Percy chuckled a bit as he handed over the bag with the soup. “She better not! It’s got a pretty light broth, so it should be good for her even if she’s not that hungry.”

As Deja made room in their fridge, Percy glanced toward the hallway that led to Emery and Deja’s bedrooms. He had visited several times before, so he knew which was Emery’s door. It was open slightly. Emery only closed the door completely when she didn’t want to be disturbed.

“I’ve got something else to give her, though. I’ll be right back.”

A minute later, Percy was crouching in front of a bed so he was eye level with its occupant. Barely visible from under a mountain of blankets, Emery lay with eyes screwed shut. A slight flush betrayed her elevated temperature.

“Psst. Hey, sleepyhead!” Percy whispered loudly.

Emery’s facial features twitched and contorted as she was dragged into wakefulness. Her bleary eyes blinked open and after a moment, settled on Percy in confusion.

“…. Percy? What…?” A yawn. “Why’re you here?”

With a flourish, Percy plopped the ugly fish plush in front of Emery’s sleep-hazy eyes. Her reaction was slow, but her mouth soon widened into a grin.

“Hmm…? You brought me Blubs?”

“Yup.” Percy stated proudly. “And soup for when you’re feeling up to eating something.” Emery reached out and pulled the plush close to squeeze against her chest.

“Mm… ありがとう…”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “Oh? I didn’t know you spoke Japanese.”

Another mumble. “Solo un poco…”

“Haha. Nice try, but that’s Spanish.”

Emery grumbled incoherently, already slipping back into dreamland. Before she drifted off completely though, she raised a hand and gently poked Percy between his eyebrows. She giggled as he gave a dramatic squawk, then yawned again.

“‘m gonna go back to sleep now.”

Percy smiled fondly. “Okay. Feel better.”

As Emery’s breathing evened out, Percy rose to his feet and quietly left the room. As he reemerged into the kitchen, Deja gave him a smile that seemed to edge on a smirk.

“How’s the patient?”

“Stable and adorable,” he joked. Deja’s eyes crinkled at that, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she held his gaze thoughtfully. The extra attention made Percy curious.

“What? Is there something on my face?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

Percy blinked in confusion. “She didn’t sneeze on me or anything…”

Deja sighed, finally breaking eye contact to shake her head with a chuckle. “Not that kind of something. I was just wondering if those kinds of comments are always jokes.”

Put on the spot, Percy fell silent. Deja couldn’t have figured it out already, could she? Percy had only recently noticed himself how different he felt around Emery now. Self-conscious, he rubbed his neck and laughed.

“Nah, I always mean my compliments.”

“Hmm… Alright. I know Emery likes joking with you, but she’s also a very sincere person. I worry about her. If she starts to think words you say in jest are hinting at something else when they’re not…” Deja trailed off. Percy tried to stifle his rising alarm. Was she giving him a shovel talk right now?

Before he could reply, Deja continued. “I’m just saying I remember how she was after you first met. Fuming and hurt because the stranger she had been worried over didn’t seem to take that worry seriously.”

Percy averted his eyes. “Yeah… I really do regret that.”

Deja stepped forward to place a hand on his arm. “Hey, I know. Obviously Emery knows too. It’s water under the bridge. But,” and here she waited for Percy to look up at her again. “I know Emery. And I know how much she appreciates honesty. It doesn’t hurt to break up the jokes with genuine affirmations or clarifications. Cam and I do that for her all the time. It really helps.”

“I’ll… keep that in mind.”

“Hm, good.”

“While we’re on the topic though…” Damn, how was he supposed to word this? “Does Emery ever… I don’t know, say anything about me?” He winced. Super obvious, way to go, Percy. “I mean, I’ve tried not to put my foot in my mouth lately. But she’s such a nice person, I don’t know if she would tell me if I fucked up, you know? Not the way she’d tell her favorite roommate that I fucked up.”

Deja’s eyes glinted and a grin slowly spread across her face. Percy wasn’t sure he liked how smug she looked.

“Oh, don’t worry. Emery only ever says good things about you. The best, in fact.”

And damn his heart, Percy felt it speed up just hearing that. Deja didn’t even say what kind of good things Emery said about him! This was dangerous. If he wasn’t careful, his feelings were going to be obvious. Not just to Deja, but heaven forbid, to Emery too. He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t let himself mess everything up again.

Percy cleared his throat. “Oh. Well, that’s good. I’ll just, uh… get out of your hair then. Make sure Emery finds the soup.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she knows where it is as soon as she wakes up.”

With an indulgent smile and a tiny wave, Deja saw him out the door. After it closed behind him, Percy let out the deep breath he’d been holding. It did nothing to slow the frantic beating of his heart.

"Citrus and Wood" 🍋🌲

With stress piling up, what could be better than sneaking out your organized study session? Luckily, Elio and Percy seemed to have the same unspoken idea.

It started with your simple sugar craving, so the three of you decided to check the vending machine. But as “great minds think alike”, you eventually found yourselves out at the Green, collectively deciding to do a quick stopover at the “coop” before going to the cafeteria. Coop with connotations, as you weren’t really sure what it was.

Both promised it would be very quick, though you didn’t really mind - getting fresh air was your priority and, well, who could resist the sudden spark of excitement on their faces, anyway?

It was just a short walk, and, once there, Percy didn’t even have to do his sales talk to convince you. You were very much locked in with whatever he wanted to do. After giving you the whole coop lore, then finally tying your wishes, it finally sunk in that all three of you had been in uni at the same time, yet you’d never heard of such ritual before. And you were literally living with the SGB vice-president. Shame.

You had no time to lament the missed years of wishing at the coop before Percy finally introduced the last step: an offering. He emphasized that it should be something that you’re attached to, so you scanned to see whatever you brought and settled at the hair tie on your wrist. Without hesitation, you took it off and stretched it to the statue’s hand. Farewell, hair tie (that you’ve lost a thousand times, you’re not even sure if it’s still the same hair tie you originally bought).

As your group debated on what the next victim, ehem, you meant Elio, should offer, Percy walked up to the statue and…

Wait.

Was he planning to get naked?!

You froze – brain struggling to process because, honestly, nothing was impossible to Perseus Tozaki, and you braced yourself for the worst when he took off his pink striped flannel and- oh, thank God. He stopped at that as he stepped in front of the statue, putting his freshly worn clothing on it.

As he turned back toward you and Elio, you weren’t prepared for the view. He was… surprisingly toned. The sight immediately brought you back to the Spring Festival, when you challenged him at the hanging bars. What did he say then? That his oversized fits were just an “aesthetic choice”? You hadn’t taken it seriously then, especially since you won (out of passion and sheer competitiveness). But now you were starting to see he wasn’t kidding.

His baggy clothes really were just for fashion.

Suddenly, your face began to heat up.

Sure. Natural reaction to… whatever that was.

Badump

Now that wasn’t natural - why was your heart suddenly racing?

Objectively speaking, when it came to muscles, Elio would win by a mile, and he didn’t even bother hiding it and flexed whenever he had the opportunity to do so. A defined male physique wasn’t new to you and shouldn’t fluster you.

…So why now? And why Percy, of all people?

Despite your mental protests, your mind kept replaying that exact moment Percy pulled off his flannel, like a broken TikTok clip stuck on loop. And as expected, you didn’t (or weren’t able to?) pay attention to whatever happened after that – you were basically like a ragdoll being dragged around.

“Hello? Earth to Sage?”

Percy’s voice, laced with concern, finally snapped you out of your thoughts. You slowly blinked as you looked around, the cafeteria blurring back into focus as you realized you were standing near the scribbled boards. And Elio was… right, he was still off returning that lost bag.

“Ah, sorry – I guess it’s the hunger taking over. I didn’t realise I was spacing out.”

“Oh no! Our baby bird is starving. Come now, let’s head to the tables.”

This guy… he never really ran out of anything to say, did he? You let out a soft laugh as you gave his arm a light slap.

Oops, you definitely didn’t mean to do that. And you definitely had no intention of feeling his bare skin and toned bicep. Nope.

Completely oblivious of your inner thoughts, your response made him grin, and as payback, he hooked an arm around your shoulders to pull you close, squeezing you tightly, with your head now touching his as he led you to the empty nook.

He was heavy… but his weight was the last thing on your mind. Due to your involuntary proximity, you could faintly smell a whiff of citrusy and woody notes, something you didn’t expect. All the times you were hanging out with Percy, you never noticed any particular scent coming from him - he just smelled... clean. Just… Percy? You curiously wondered if he wore a perfume today before the reality of what you were doing hit you.

Oh shit.

Your mind went to a halt as you shook your head, then mentally begged every deity in existence to make your brain cease from noticing everything about him.

You didn’t even realize that you’d already reached the table until he guided you down into a seat. You sat absent-mindedly, head still busy negotiating with non-existent beings.

“Anything you want?” Percy asked, unaware of your internal turmoil. “I can get ‘em for you, just sit there and relax.”

You didn’t even look at him as you answered, your heart hammering against your chest. “Just chilly fries” you managed to answer, voice sounding thin even to your own ears.

Maintaining a sullen expression while waiting for Percy’s response, you were desperate to muffle the betraying rhythm of your heart. But as the silence between you grew heavy, you realized that you were being rude.

Embarrassed by your action, you cautiously lifted your head, moving toward the earlier direction of his voice… and you didn’t expect to find him so close, his face mere inches from yours. It was only then that the reality of his presence finally set in; he was right there, silently tracing your features with a look of quiet concern.

So close that a tiny nudge was all it would take for your lips to meet.

You held your breath. Mind actually blown.

You were convinced he could hear the pounding of your heart with how near he was, so you tried to think of something – anything - to add, but your mind was unfortunately still stuck on citrus, wood, and the fact that he was an absolutely eye candy… that you accidently said “candy”.

Percy finally broke his solemn expression and gave you a confused but amused look. “Candy? Uh, sure. What kind?”

Stupid, stupid mouth! You scrambled for an excuse before he could read your mind.

“Um! Uh… chocolate! Chocolate candy please – Twix is best, but anything works.” You laughed awkwardly, trying hard to mask your embarrassment.

“Aye, aye-” He stood then paused for half a second, like he was about to say something else, before his grin widened. “-anything for you.” With a wink and a two-finger salute, he scampered off toward the counter.

Yup, a regular Percy on a regular day. So why were you suddenly noticing everything about him?

Let’s look at the facts: Pretty face. Smart. Chaotic personality. Impromptu shenanigans. Endless fun… Graaah - you were supposed to be building a case against him, not justifying the attraction!

Wait. Attraction? Shit.

No, no, no. Hold on. There are levels to this, right?

This was definitely just a light, harmless crush. You convinced yourself that the more you’d learn about him, it would eventually fade just like all the other attractions you had in the past.

Satisfied with your brilliant logic, you actually let out small ‘heh’s of pure self-congratulatory pride. You were so deep in your own what-ifs that you didn’t notice the shift in the air until you felt a heavy gaze fixed right on you.

Terrified of what was waiting, you cautiously peeled one eye open… only to find both boys in front of you, clearly amused with the one-man performance you were putting on.

“Mind sharing to us what you were thinking, Sage?” Elio brightly asked with genuine curiosity.

Your eyes were now wide open - mortified that they saw what you were doing. Your face was definitely beet red at this point.

“My, my, I’m also curious what our coop neophyte was thinking. Please – we’re dying to know what you have in that cute head of yours.” Percy added, not wanting to miss whatever thoughts you had.

Cute? Dear lord, if only he knew then he’d probably stay 17 meters away from you.

“Jeez, some privacy please! I was just getting at the best part.” You said with an intentional squeaky pitch, trying to save face as you passed off whatever you were thinking as a joke.

“Oh man, you definitely have to share it to us next time. Maybe we can pitch more ideas, make it more creative.” Percy said with a devious grin as he glanced at Elio, who only shook his head.

Uh-oh. What exactly did they think you were imagining? You tried to think of what Percy was pertaining to, when you finally got to a specific and highly incriminating topic that your ears probably went from beet-red to neon.

Elio, ever the saint, caught sight of your panic and stirred the conversation away. “Alright, come on, let’s go – we got all the goodies now. Time to get back and hope we don’t get an earful from Deja for, uh, escaping our study session.” He grabbed all the food and drinks, leaving none for you to carry – wha? A reassuring smile was the only thing he spared you.

Yup. No words needed… thank you, universe, for gifting humanity with Elio Kealoha.

Relieved with his save, you finally stood up, and the three of you made your way back to the library. You tried your best to keep that man out of your head as you walked, chanting some random Buddhist mantra to keep your mind blank, until you reached the elevator.

When the doors slid open, your group stepped inside, with you involuntarily sandwiched between Elio and Percy as you all shuffled yourselves to the very back, when a flood of students squeezed their way in after you.

It seemed like a lot of people had also taken a break and were now returning to resume dying - ahem, studying, judging by their empty-eyed expressions.

Seriously, they kept cramming in until the overload signal beeped, and to save the cafeteria food from getting squished, Elio shielded it with his arms as he slowly got separated from you and Percy.

Sigh. There were other elevators and the wait wasn’t that long, were people really that desperate to get back to the grind?

The chatter slowly died down once the elevator doors closed, as if everyone silently accepted their impending doom. And that’s when you realized how you close you were to Percy.

Pressed to his right arm, his citrus and wood scent slowly creeping its way back to your nose. Against your own judgement, you tried to sneak a peek at him, but it obviously failed as he immediately caught you. But interestingly, there was no teasing or any witty comeback. Just… a look.

And it felt like long, quiet impasse – neither of you looked away. Well, not immediately at least, until Percy finally shook his head, reacting quite late as if showing disappointment at your fellow students. You could hear in your head his tongue clicking.

You mirrored the same energy, pointing vaguely at Elio’s direction as you tried to see where he was, but it was impossible from your position thanks to the unknown tall guy now blocking your view.

As you glanced back to Percy, his warm smile caught you off-guard. Wha? What was he smiling for? Damn it. Your face went nuclear, and no longer able to maintain eye contact, you diverted your eyes to the floor, as little as you can see of it.

The elevator, unfortunately, had to stop at every floor, but no one was getting off. Mother f- this kind of prank should really be a reportable offense – like who actually went out of their way to press the buttons at every floor? Jerks.

As you further pondered in this sardine-packed compartment, the air started getting heavy, so you stretched your head upward, trying to breath fresher air, that your eyes unintentionally went to Percy’s direction, and you saw him staring straight at you.

An involuntary visual connection clicked. Were his eyes always this brown? Or was it just because of the elevator lights covering this small compartment? Your sight then wandered lower, settling on the sharp line of his throat. Was his Adam’s apple… always that noticeable?

Returning your gaze to his, you both stared at each other as reality hit when the elevator freaking opened again, and you snapped your head back forward, physically stopping yourself from looking. But this human ability called “peripheral vision” betrayed you, and you’re 100% sure that Percy was still looking.

Okay, play it cool. You did the same thing at the hanging bars – you mentally went to your happy place.

Wow! Hi, Dee! Hi, Cam! Hi, cozy apartment! Hello, lovely family! And hi… Percy?

Wait. No. Get out of this place.

Finally, the elevator doors slid open, and you shot a look at the screen to confirm the floor level.

Perfect, we’re finally here. You’d never been more grateful picking a lower-level study room.

“Excuse me, sorry, coming through.” You tried, but as your voice was swallowed by the crowd, no one heard you. As in nobody budged an inch.

Great.

“Hey guys, coming through. Y’all want to study so badly, right? Let us out, please~” Percy called out playfully, placing his left hand firmly on your shoulder, a protective anchor to make sure he wouldn’t lose you in the crowd. As you both tried to move, he gave you a gentle squeeze, like an offering of safety that he wouldn’t let go until you were out of that hell hole.

“Two big guys and one passenger princess coming through!” Elio’s bright voice boomed from somewhere to your left. You couldn’t even see him, but you’re sure he was probably being his usual sunny self despite the tight crowd.

And that was it - majority of the students that were at the front stepped out of the elevator, while those remaining parted down the middle, like a Noah’s Ark moment.

You sent another “thank you” to the universe - this time for having these two giants as your friends – though you couldn't help but wonder if Jamie were here too, maybe the crowd would have parted without a single word.

But enough of that, you shook off the elevator tension and focused on the real threat: Deja’s wrath. So, you quickened your pace to your reserved study room, tapped the card reader, and braced for impact as you opened the door.

“Dee! I’m so-" You paused as you looked around. "Uhhh, no one’s here.”

The three of you exchanged baffled looks, but with no other choice, you settled into your designated seats and placed the (thankfully intact) food and drinks at the table.

“Thanks, Elio, I would have probably spilled everything back there. We were squished to the bone.”

“Hey, no worries. And honestly, I had a feeling that there’ll be a crowd with how packed the cafeteria was, so it was a good call.” Elio said with a reassuring smile.

Ah, it always felt like a breath of fresh air talking to Elio. He had that effortless “reliable brother” energy. Well, probably because he was. Five siblings (six if Percy counts as honorary)… you couldn’t even imagine having one.

“That’s big bro Elio for you.” Percy chirped, as he picked out a soggy fry that was losing its structural integrity.

“Dude, you’re only younger by a few days.”

“Yep, which proves my point – you’re literally older than me! Am I right? Am I right? Back me up here, Sage!”

Ah, a normal occurrence between these two as they continued to bicker. And honestly, you were on Percy’s side since technically Elio was indeed older. And you personally thought of Elio like a big brother too.

Their “debate” raged on, but your eyes kept drifting back to Percy. His expression had softened into that same, devastating smile from the the elevator, and – yep, there it was again – that traitorous heat rising in your cheeks.

It was inevitable. You had to scrub his face, muscles, and scent out of your mind. And honestly, it wasn’t in you to do this, but it was time for drastic measures.

“Hey, uh, guys? Sorry to interrupt, but… Elio, can you flex your arm?”

Silence. Absolutely, pin-drop silence.

They both froze, mouths agape. You didn’t expect that reaction so you immediately tried to clear the air.

“Wait! To explain, it’s just to confirm that Elio is more muscle-y than Percy, okay? That’s all. Purely scientific.”

You might as well have poked a hornet’s nest.

“Hey, I admit that Elio is “toned” but come on, I still pack some guns, okay? Come here, feel it.” Percy said with a pout as he moved closer to you, his arms flexed.

“Ah-ah, hold it right there.” Elio said as he cut in. “Sage wanted me to flex first, right? So why are you doing it? Look here, Sage, I’ll show you what true muscles mean.” He then slipped of his jacket.

What the hell is going on? You mentally face palmed – this was not supposed to happen.

The two of them were back to bickering, naked arms on full display, and it somehow escalated into an aggressive arm wrestling of all things just as the door beeped open.

Cameron, Deja, and Jamie walked in just in time to see Elio slam Percy's arm down in a landslide victory.

“What the hell are you guys doing???” Cameron asked, their face a perfect mix of confusion and concern.

You were just as baffled as they were, so when Cameron and Deja shot you a look that demanded an explanation, you could only offer a helpless shrug as you lowered your head, trying to maintain a plea of innocence.

Then there was Jamie. Instead of playing peacemaker, he walked straight into the fray… and made it ten times worse. Instead of diffusing whatever was going on, he ignited it and turned the room into a three-way wrestling ring.

Great. So this was what they were up to the last time they got separated to the adjacent study room.

Thankfully, the brawl proved to be a perfect smokescreen as Cameron and Deja didn’t question the soggy fries nor warm drinks – instead, you all gathered at one corner of the room, watching three grown men fight like gladiators as you ate your snacks. If only you had popcorn, right? A more fitting treat.

Wait. Popcorn. Treat… Where's the chocolate-

Right on cue, Percy broke free from the pile and ran toward you, face distressed as he dropped on one knee, presenting you a misshapen, pocket-warmed bar of Twix.

“I’m so sorry, Sage! I said I’d get you one, so I kept it safe in my pocket! Here you g----AAAAH!”

You managed to grab the gold-wrapped bar just before Jamie and Elio dragged him back into the mess. Poor thing didn’t even get to finish what he was saying.

Deja only sighed, and you were actually surprised she wasn't doing anything. That's when you thought you mistakenly saw a hint of a sly smile as she checked her watch... she wasn’t stopping them; she was simply counting down the seconds until these three get kicked out by the librarian instead.

Cameron, on the other hand, took out their phone and started recording as they cheered with woo’s and waa’s. Yup, that was totally going in the group chat – if for entertainment or incriminating evidence, that’s the million dollar question.

The moment was cut short when, finally, the librarian stormed in, clearly fed up, and told the three of them to leave. As the “gladiators” gathered their things (with Jamie just getting his book), they started to exit the room. Jamie went out first, then Elio who lightly mouthed sorry and that they would keep in touch via group chat.

Percy was the last to leave, though he paused midway as he looked back to your group. You didn’t want to feel special or anything, but it felt like he was specifically looking at you. He caught your eye and offered a small, private smile as he waved goodbye.

Badump.

You immediately fought the urge to be delusional, forcing a casual smile as the three of you waved him out.

Once the door clicked shut, the chaos gone, the room was replaced by a heavy, studious silence. You, Deja, and Cameron exchanged a final, exhausted look before reluctantly turning to your study materials.

Back to reality, you thought to yourself as you carefully tucked the misshapen Twix bar in your bag before burrowing your head on your law books.

But even then, you couldn’t help but feel a little excited. Because somehow, your university life had just gotten a lot more interesting.

🛹

It had been a long day playing in the rain, and the sound of droplets splattering outside your apartment balcony gave the whole group a sense of peace as everyone sprawled across the living room.

You, Deja, and Cameron, being the residents (yes, including Cam), had taken couch privileges to yourselves while the boys had free rein over the wide carpeted floor. But not before moving the coffee table out of the way.

Once it was out of sight, they all collapsed like a house of cards, as if the cold wind had somehow sneaked into the apartment.

Percy lay on the floor like a starfish, eyes closed, and not caring whether his legs were on top of Jamie's chest.

"Ahhh, now this is the best way to end the day."

"It'd be better if we maintained personal space, please."

Jamie responded as he shifted his upper body so his back leaned against the bottom of the couch, not bothering to move Percy's legs.

The third member of the trio, Elio, was sitting next to Jamie and right in front (and below?) of you when he proposed an idea.

"I know we have hot soup ready, and we also brought snacks, but do you guys want to order pizza? Our treat. Payment for getting y'all covered with mud."

He said so with a sheepish grin, feeling bad for dragging your group to their impromptu, and not exactly hygienic, water fun.

Percy and Jamie gave a thumbs up to Elio's direction, showing no objection to his collective financial decision.

You felt the couch jiggle as Cameron excitedly pumped one hand into the air as they exclaimed.

"No way! Hooray for pizza! If it's okay, can we get BBQ Chicken?"

If this happened a few days ago, you were convinced that they wouldn't be this forward. But thankfully, the boys were easy to get along with.

Elio scrolled through his phone, looking for BBQ Chicken and letting out a small "aha" after finally finding it.

"Got it! How about you, Deja and Sage? I already know what these two want so let me know your preference."

Turning your head to Deja, you nodded to signal that she could choose first.

She raised her eyebrows as a response as she asked for Elio's phone to check the menu, searching for a good vegetarian option.

"Hmm. They don't have much, but I think Margherita would be good for everyone's taste buds."

As she passed back his phone, Elio gave her an approving nod.

"Perfect! How about you, Sage?"

As soon as Elio asked, Cameron and Deja simultaneously looked away with their lips curled inward, trying hard to stifle a laugh.

Their faces were now facing Percy and Jamie, who then glanced at each other, both confused by their reaction.

Elio tilted his head, also confused though not without a hint of curiosity. He couldn't help as the corners of his mouth lifted despite not knowing where this was going.

Aware of what those two were attempting to do, you awkwardly smiled at Elio as you gave him your long-awaited answer.

"Uhhhh. So... I might make enemies today but... if it's really okay... can we get Hawaiian?"

As if a pin dropped, the whole room went quiet (though you could clearly hear the held-back laugh from Deja and Cameron, who were now fanning themselves with their hands, chasing the heat off their faces).

Elio, Jamie, and Percy stared at you with shared dumbfounded looks, like you said the worst abomination they could ever hear in their whole lives.

Was Hawaiian really worse than that Swedish pizza they mentioned last time? All you could do was shrink smaller into your current fetal position, as your face slowly tinged with red.

No longer able to hold it, your best friends finally burst out laughing.

Cameron tried to spit the words out of their mouth as they clung onto Deja who was equally, figuratively, dying.

"I can't... I can't... this is killing me... I love you, Sage, but this reaction you get from others whenever you say you like Hawaiian pizza is just... so adorbs."

Physically unable to smile anymore, Deja massaged her jaw as she added.

"I can no longer count on both hands the number of victims Sage has accumulated the past two years."

It was embarrassing that they were excitedly waiting for the trio's reaction. But you knew your friends had good fun intentions, so you lifted your face, grinning bashfully as you glanced at their direction.

Finally connecting the dots, all three boys burst into laughter in unison, slapping their knees and holding their stomachs as it went on for a while.Thankfully for them, you were gracious enough to let them have their moment.

Wiping tears from the corner of his eyes, Percy was the first to recover.

"I can't believe we're now part of Sage's growing hit list. When will your murder spree end?"

He acted disappointed, though not without a grin growing across his face, like he couldn't believe he's now a collateral in this imaginary rampage.

Jamie only shook his head, though it was evident he was entertained by this turn of events with how he was covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Hey, Sage, don't worry! We can eat anything and I promise we, ahem, will no longer judge your food choices starting today."

Elio said optimistically, convincing you of his vow. You gave him a pat on his back, as if assuring him that you believe him.

He lifted his pinky, wordlessly confirming it was a promise. He then cleared his throat, signaling that it was time to move on from the Hawaiian fiasco.

"Anyway! Let me just ring these up... Hey Jamie, Perce, the usual right?"

They responded with a collective "Uhuh."

"Cool. Okay, all done! While waiting, do you guys want to play a game?"

"Oh, me, me, me. What game?!"

Cameron and Percy said the exact same thing in sync as they stood up with their hands raised. It was pure comedic timing, and it seemed like they were proud of this coincidence as they looked at Elio with sparkly eyes.

"Whoa there, children! Settle down."

Elio reprimanded them like how an older sibling scolds their younger siblings, and funnily enough, both obediently lowered themselves. Raising his index finger, he explained.

"We can play charades, super easy and fun. I'll let a random generator pick the pairings."

Again, no objection whatsoever, so with phone still in hand, Elio searched for "wheelofnames.com" then swiftly typed the whole crew's names into the list.

Once the wheel's ready, he cast his phone to the television, with Deja's assistance, so everyone can easily see the results real-time. Proud of his work, Elio flashed a bright smile as he turned to the crowd.

"Alright, everyone, ready to know who your ride or die will be?" 

Impressed with how he made things lively, you mentally noted that Elio Kealoha is now your collegiate role model. Though your thoughts were immediately shattered by the loud responses from your group's official gremlins.

"Woop, woop!!!" Percy and Cameron shouted in sync again,causing a round of laughter from everyone.

Chuckling, Elio finally spun the wheel.

And...  the first name to be picked was Deja.

With another spin... the wheel hand stopped at Cameron's name.

"Ahhhh! My forever ride or die!"

Cameron exclaimed as they hugged Deja.

"I mean, of course, you, too, Sage, but we're enemies for now!"

They added, intensely holding a 'V' sign as they pointed it from their eyes to yours.

"Well, my partner here is very eager so I guess we have no choice but to bring y'all down."

Deja said as she ruffled Cameron's hair, which they wholeheartedly accepted as they closed their eyes. They looked just like a puppy.

But you didn't let sappy feelings get into you, as you acted pouty while crossing your arms. You snapped your head's direction away from your best friends.

"You guys are making me jealous, you better make it up with me after."

Cameron immediately stopped the petting session then dramatically took your hands, looking aghast.

"Noooooooooo! My baby Sage! Momma will make it up to you later..."

They said as they caressed your hands. But all of a sudden, their face conjured the most diabolical face they could do.

"But for now... you're going down. Mwahaha!"

Yup. They definitely got you on the first half. Deja facepalmed to this, but her smile was obvious, leaking through her cover.

"Alright, guys, we're getting too carried away here. Let's spin for the next pair!"

Elio jumped in, ending Cameron's terror campaign over you.

Spin, spin, spin, the wheel went.

And finally, the wheel's pointer hovered on your name. Heads nodded in unison. Elio spun the wheel again.

A mix of anxiety and curiosity filled your mind as it went on, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. As you tried to imagine who you would be paired with, Percy's face popped into your mind without any warning. And as it did, your heart started pacing faster than usual.

Not again.

It had been a while since you started catching yourself thinking of him. And you convinced yourself that this would pass eventually. He's a looker, no doubt, so this was not entirely unexpected, so, it would die down in time, just like the passing attractions you had before. 

And on and on the wheel went...

When its hand finally landed on Percy's name.

You shot a look in his direction just as he was about to look at you, instantly creating eye contact. He gave you a big smile as he maintained your mutual gaze.

Badump

"Why, hello there, pineapple lover! My fated partner!"

Percy exclaimed as he stood up. He then walked to where you were seated, and once in front, he made a shooing gesture with his hand as though to say, "please scoot," so you did. There, he plopped between you and Cameron.

"Jesus, please have mercy on our couch. There were only three people sitting here for a reason."

Cameron jokingly complained as Percy sunk deeper into the object in question. He clicked his tongue as he wagged his right index finger at them.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Cam... I am here to save Sage from loneliness. Just look at her eyes! It's like I'm witnessing real life NTR!"

Taking hold of your left hand, he showed to everyone your partnership through linked hands.

"Allow me to be your knight in shining armour today, Sage Aubade."

He beamed at you with expecting eyes. This was a Percy Classic™, nothing new, but you were confused as to why this was making your heart go crazy.

You tried to compose yourself, but you couldn't stop the natural course of your ears turning red. In the end, all you could muster as a response was a small "hm" and a nod.

You thought Percy would push more reaction out of you like usual, but surprisingly, he showed a satisfied look as a warm smile tugged at his lips as he gently squeezed your hand.

Badump

Uhoh.

That wasn't helpful. At all.

Your chest started to actually hurt when, thankfully, Elio loudly clapped his hands.

"That makes Jamie and I the last pair then. Let's go, partner!"

With a confident grin, he lifted his right knuckle for a fist bump to Jamie which the latter gladly returned. He then continued.

"Alright! Now that we're done with the pairings, anyone wants to go first? If not, Jamie and I will."

Jamie's ears perked up to this declaration and decided he had to interject. He was unwilling to be a guinea pig for today's game.

"I disagree. Wouldn't it be better to let others do it first so we can strategise?"

Elio puffed out his chest, pumping his fist into it as he channeled positivity into the conversation.

"Nah, we have the power of friendship on our side. And if we aced this, the next pairs will be pressured to do better while we sit and laugh at their miserable attempts."

It took a few more minutes of convincing (honestly, it looked more like begging), but Jamie eventually conceded, smiling defeatedly as he nodded to Elio's plan.

Satisfied, Elio closed the wheel webpage then opened a countdown timer showing 3 minutes. He then asked for Percy's phone where he searched for play-charades.com, selecting the "moderate" category.

"I guess moderate is the best - not too hard, not too easy. Only rule is to guess as much as you can in 3 minutes. All g?"

And again, no objection. Elio's really good at making everyone agree.

"We'll probably block the timer on the TV but that's fine, we'll hear the alarm. What matters is the word. Everyone's the judge so anyone can call out anything."

To avoid Jamie from peeking, Elio handed both phones to Cameron then walked to the front. As expected, his body blocked a large chunk of the screen but it was all good. He then flashed a thumbs up to them as a signal.

Cameron gave a thumbs up back, preparing the timer and the charades. Once ready, they responded with a loud "Game time!" as they pressed the timer.

The game finally started.

It was super fun - and by that, you meant for the audience.

Deja and Cameron were cracking up the whole time while you and Percy were half laughing-half cringing.

Despite the positivity projected by Elio, it wasn't working its magic. Majority of the assigned words were too difficult to act out that you couldn't remember how many times Elio said "pass".

In the end, the two had racked up... 1 point. It was that bad.

"Damn it, the universe did us so bad. Who would have thought we'd get "mischievous", "gingerbread man", and "paternity". Those were in no way moderate difficulty."

Elio complained as he returned to his seat, fuming.

"It was unfortunate, but I did have a good time watching you try."

Jamie responded, seemingly content with the result.

There was a collective nod and laugh, as everyone gave a pitiful pat to Elio's back.

"Man, I swear to my life, I will never forget how you acted "flamingo". That one-legged pose was just..."

Cameron said as they gestured a chef's kiss.

Deja casually gave her suggestion, though you definitely didn't miss the mischief oozing from her tone.

"Best revenge is to have Jamie do the acting next time. An eye for an eye."

Elio guffawed at this, temporarily forgetting his failed "ace it and watch the others squirm" mission.

"That is if there's a next time."

Jamie said as a matter of fact. And not wanting to explore that possibility, he changed the topic.

"Who's next? Any contender for Elio's mime act?"

"ME!"

Cameron yelled as they stood up, handing the phones to Jamie. As they vacated their seat, there's now considerable space between Percy and Deja and you patiently waited for him to move. But he didn't budge and stayed close next to you.

Damn it.

To distract yourself, you glanced at Cameron who's now in front of the TV, stretching as though preparing for a marathon. Once they were done prepping, they did a thumbs up to Jamie. Seems like it's the official signal for this game to say ready?

"Alrighty, give it to me!"

"Second round... start."

Jamie gently commenced.

Now this pair showed you what real charades was. Cameron did the best acting they could do, though it sometimes felt farfetched from the word they're describing. But somehow, Deja was getting it right most of the time.

It was so absurd and unbelievable, that Percy had to ask you if those two had chips lodged in their brains connecting them. The answer's obviously no but this game was making you question what you knew.

When the timer ended, they earned a whopping 8 points that you and the guys couldn't help but give them a round of applause. Basking in glory, Cameron did a curtsy while Deja waved, acting like a royal unveiling her presence to undeserving peasants.

As they went back to their seat, it was now your and Percy's inevitable turn.

"I can do the acting, no worries."

Percy whispered to you reassuringly with a smile. Genuinely touched with how he knew you weren't comfortable acting, you answered with a small "thanks" as he left your side. It was so hushed, but he surprisingly caught it, giving you a two-finger salute.

With the space occupied by Percy now available, Cameron and Deja took over, intently squishing you.

"You can do it, Sage! You only need two points to get second place!"

Cameron giggly exclaimed.

"I have full trust my roommate will do well."

Deja plainly stated as she reached out her right arm to give you a warm pat to the shoulder.

Their moral support somehow gave you a confidence boost. You finally glanced to the front as Percy did the traditional thumbs up to Jamie.

As you heard "start", he did a five-pointed-star posture.

"Star?"

He nodded then clasped his hands together, making a wiggling gesture, as he slightly bent down while walking around.

"Fish...? Ah, starfish!"

Percy mouthed "nice!"

Lucky, that was easy. Your team now had 1 point.

Unfortunately, that was it - your luck suddenly dried up like the Sahara. The next words were impossible to guess, and you had no idea what his actions meant so you answered anything that came to mind.

Having no choice, Percy had to pass plenty of times. But for every pass, you felt your anxiety sky rocket, worried that your performance was annoying him. He was probably a mind reader as he gave you a reassuring look.

There were around 30 seconds left when his face finally lightened up, hinting that it was an easy word. On the end, you saw Elio's defeated face, like he was heading toward impending doom. Bracing yourself, you waited for Percy.

He pointed to his lips.

Um, okay... yeah. You nodded and suddenly found yourself fixated on it...

It had a tint of warm pink, and it looked moisturised with no hint of chapping. Does he religiously apply lip balm? As you caught yourself in this line of thought, you literally shook your head, like it would erase whatever you were imagining.

Percy cocked his head, confused with what you were doing, so you frantically waved your hands, as if telling him to proceed with what he was doing.

He gave you a small smile as he slightly angled himself. Then, he brought his right hand to his lips. As it touched, he threw the kiss to you, followed with a wink.

But that wasn't enough for Mr. Perseus Tozaki, as he threw a barrage of aggressive kisses to your direction, as though saying, "There's no way you'll get this wrong."

Badump

Badump

Badump

You had to scrunch your nose to act grossed out, as if it can cover the drumming beat of your heart into your ears. This was probably similar to when Frieren did the same to Himmel, right? You always thought that was unrealistic, but you finally understood why he fainted.

Composing yourself, you eventually said your guess.

"Flying kiss."

Cameron and Deja cheered with their "Woo!"s and "Ah!"s then hugged you while chanting, "Second place!". You glanced at Elio as he acted all gloomy while Percy and Jamie went and sat next to him, jokingly consoling him.

In the middle of this chaos, Percy looked up to you, giving you a thumbs up as he gently smiled. All of a sudden, you felt like time and space slowed down, as though there were only the two of you in the room.

Your gaze lingered on his face as you studied his dark brown eyes, and, not entirely sure, but for a moment, you believed his pupils dilated.

And that's when you were brought back to present as Cameron shook you back and forth.

"Pizza's here, Sage!"

Literally snapping you back to reality, you frantically looked around as a response. You could hear Elio talking to someone on the phone, ending their call with a "Yes, thank you, we'll be down in a minute."

Absent mindedly, you volunteered yourself to get the spoils of war.

"Let me do it, you guys can chill."

Percy interjected though.

"I'll help. Pretty sure someone ordered a lot; it'll be difficult to bring everything yourself." 

"Hey, there's no limit when it comes to pizza. The more, the merrier!"

Elio naturally responded like ordering several boxes of pizza was normal.

"Suuuuuure, merry it'll be as we stuff ourselves with pineapple pizza. Let's go, Sage."

Percy said as he offered his hand. Then you saw his face transitioned from confident to puzzled, probably because of the gesture he extended.

You were also confused why he did it, but to not leave him hanging, you shook it instead, like you were congratulating him.

"Yep, let us go get my pineapple pizza."

Like recovering from shock, he blinked a few times before offering you a silly smile as you both exited the unit.

The elevator was quite a walk from your unit, so it took some time to get there. Fortunately, no one was really using it at this time, so you didn't have to wait for long.

As the elevator doors opened, both of you quietly entered and it was Percy who pressed the "G" button. Once inside, you sneakily tried to take a peek at your side but saw Percy already looking at you.

...Okay, act natural. You hurriedly tried to think of something to talk about.

"Uh, thanks for earlier. We were lucky with our first and last words."

He responded with a grin as he recalled your somehow-victory.

"Yep. But it sucks - we didn't get anything else. The words were just torture, we were doomed by the RNG gods - though not as bad as Elio's heh. Fortunately, we lucked out on the last one."

This line of conversation reminded you of how disappointing you did; you felt the need to apologise.

"I'm really sorry I wasn't able to guess the rest of the words."

Taken aback, he glanced at you with a concerned look - no trace of annoyance on his face that you were so scared to see.

"Sage, you don't have to say sorry, okay? We both did the best that we could. I want you to know that I appreciate you."

His sincere words tugged at your heart... and you found yourself gazing at his eyes... again. Curiously, he was doing the same as silence stretched between you two.

Ding!

The doors opened and you hurriedly looked ahead. Robotically walking out of the elevator, you turned to a jog to meet the delivery man at the entrance.

As they handed you the boxes of pizza, Percy effortlessly scooped up the majority of it, leaving you with just one box.

"Wha- are you sure?"

"Don't worry about it. That's what the hero Himmel would do."

He smugly smiled, proud with his anime reference. You couldn't believe that you'd think of Frieren twice today. You had to ask him.

"Hey, when you did the flying kiss, did you perhaps copy Frieren?"

Percy's eyes lit up, obviously delighted that you were able to pick up the reference.

"No way, you know it too?! I thought only Cam watches anime. If you got the reference, you should have swooned and fainted."

Who would have thought that you two were thinking the same thing at that exact moment. Elated by this coincidence, you divulged to him a fact about you.

"I mean, yeah, I watch anime too. There was no opportunity to share it before, but here we are. Now you know one more thing about me compared to Elio and Jamie."

Percy's eyes gleamed, touched that you let him in on something so personal.

You nodded your head to the direction of the elevator, so you both headed back and, luckily, it was still on the ground floor. Considering how much Percy was carrying, you handled the elevator buttons as you pressed "5".

"Do you also read manga? How about listening to Japanese music? Ah wait, don't tell me you're also studying Japanese?"

Eyes eager, Percy asked you questions in quick succession, which, instead of overwhelming you, actually made you happy, as your heart danced to the lilt of his voice.

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Huh?

You immediately banished the thought, turning to him as you answered.

"That's a triple yes. And FYI, for the last one, I took the recent N3 exam and passed, so that's something."

You tried not to sound smug, but you were proud of this accomplishment and felt comfortable sharing it to someone else aside from Cameron and Deja.

Percy's eyes softened, clearly honored again that you were sharing more of yourself with him, his mouth curling into a tender smile.

"That's amazing, Sage. Now I know, uh, a total of four more things about you. You bet I'll gloat this to Jamie and Elio. But seriously, if you need any help, hit me up anytime."

You were speechless over this offer as you remembered all the expensive/failed classes you had in the past. Overflowing with happiness, you beamed at him and inadvertently locked your eyes with his... again. Is this the third time today?

Ding!

Flustered, you turned your head to the elevator door as it opened and saw Cameron and Deja waiting for you.

"My baby! Let momma hold that."

Cameron said as they extended their hands to you.

"Hand over the boxes, Tozaki, we can manage from here."

Deja said as she did the exact same gesture.

You realized this was their way of making it up with you, so you nudged Percy with your elbow, signalling to do as they instructed. He immediately understood, distributing the boxes equally to them.

You finally handed your only box to Cameron. As you placed it above the existing ones, their eyes glittered excitedly.

"Cowabunga, it's pizza time!"

Cameron exclaimed as they tried to copy a certain turtle's voice, causing Deja to accidentally snort. You all collectively looked at her, trying your best to maintain your poker face. But it was unbearable, and Percy was the first to break followed by you and Cameron.

Loud laughter echoed throughout the hallway as you all walked back to your apartment unit. Though you silently prayed no one would report you to your RA.

Cameron excitedly quickened their pace as Deja followed so both of them were now walking slightly ahead, while Percy maintained his pace to your left. And slowly, you saw how he drifted closer to you, tapping your shoulder. Curious, you looked up to him, consciously trying not to stare too much.

" じゃあ、明日図書館で勉強しようか？”

You were stunned. Seems your lesson has already started. With a deep inhale, you shyly responded.

"うん、よろしくお願いします。”

You wanted to say more but your nervousness barred you from doing so.

"Woah, woah, is that a secret conversation between you two? You finally let the cat out of the bag, huh, Sage."

Cameron asked with a play of amusement in their voice. They didn't expect you'd actually tell anyone aside from them and Deja.

"Well, the opportunity presented itself. And Percy will be of great help. Like a personal tutor."

He was caught off guard at this announcement, suddenly being thrust into the role of a private educator. But with full confidence, he responded.

"Mhm, I'll whip Sage up, and I promise that in no time, she'll speak like a native to a T."

"Hey, don't be too hard on her. I'm watching you."

Deja piped up, like issuing a warning to your new teacher. You smiled at her, grateful for her concern though you're 100% sure she was just kidding... right?

Percy drew a cross against his heart then vertically raised his right palm, silently promising to Deja that he would be the greatest Japanese teacher you'd ever have. Smiling approvingly, Deja turned and sped-walked, towing Cameron with her as you could hear her complain how heavy the boxes were.

You were left again with Percy, walking with pace awfully slow, as if trying to stretch time, and now, there was a considerable distance between you and your best friends.

The silence between you two hung, and you eventually saw Cameron and Deja enter the unit. As the door closed, you estimated that you were still a considerable number of steps away when Percy went slightly ahead of you.

Then turning around, he stopped and extended his right hand to you. This prompted you to stop as well.

This took you back to what happened earlier, but he no longer showed the same confused face as he did. Instead, he had a warm look as he expressed his intention this time.

"Let's go, Sage. We better hurry."

Staring at him with bated breath, you were stunned with this gesture. Does he want you two to hold hands? Well, Percy was not averse to physical touch, so you were convinced that this was probably a friendly gesture.

You were reluctant at first. But slowly, you extended your hand to him. He smiled at your chosen response, as he delicately entwined his fingers to yours.

Badump

No, Sage. This is strictly platonic.

Don't overthink.

You and Percy continued to walk though him slightly ahead, yet hands still solidly knit together. All you could think about was that this was literally straight out of a shojo manga. And you couldn't stop staring at the back of his head, his hair flawlessly flowing against the icy cold air.

"The party's about to start, you wouldn't want to miss it."

"Mhm."

That was all you could answer.

Your chest actually felt painful with how your heart was violently beating, but the thrill of holding hands with Percy on this rainy night was too hard to pass, it was borderline euphoric.

In a Sage Classic™ move aka suddenly looking at things logically, you were reminded with a quote your ROTC officer kept on drilling into your head in high school.

"Expect everything, assuming nothing."

Yes, this quote's confusing as fuck, but it's the best phrase to explain what your game plan was regarding... this. Whatever it is. Obviously you couldn't assume, but what else were you supposed to think?

Thoughts muddled, you finally woke up to your senses when his warmth left your hand. He gazed at you as he opened his mouth.

"Aight, we're here. Ready to party?"

Those dark brown eyes... How pretty. As if you were emboldened by this, you maintained your visual connection as you responded.

"Yep, I'll be feeding you plenty of pineapple pizza slices so brace yourself." 

Your response seemed to have triggered something in him, so, in retaliation, his lips showed a sly grin.

"You, dear Sage, are interesting as hell. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes." 

Now this caught you off-guard.

Unable to stop the blush from creeping up to your cheeks, you could only look away. But you felt that wasn't enough, so you tried to double-down and covered your mouth with the back of your hand, hiding how flustered you were.

"Alright, Mr. Tozaki. Enough with currying brownie points. Come on, let's go inside."

Smugly satisfied, he opened the door and confidently entered, resuming his usual persona.

"Okay, who missed us? Pass me the Hawaiian pizza, please. I'm ready to face this pineapple abomination."

Laughter erupted across the room.

You lingered by the doorway for a second, watching him as he grabbed a slice and took a bite. Then he immediately winced, causing you to worry slightly.

"Okay, wait... why is this actually good?"

Jamie gasped. Elio dropped onto the couch in betrayal.

"You were supposed to hate it!"

Deja and Cameron collectively laughed as they watched this melodrama unfold. Percy lightly laughed, glancing at you across the room.

For a second, his expression softened, like he was remembering something the others didn’t know about. Your face warmed instantly.

Just moments ago, he had been holding your hand in the hallway like it was the most natural thing in the world. And now he was back to being Percy Tozaki - loud, ridiculous, and somehow still making your heart race.

You quietly slipped back into the room.

Yeah... This was going to be a problem.

🛹

NOTES:

hellaur!

this is another "different take" on one of Keyframe's events - this time, it's Rainy Day!

i guess i'll be doing this like a series now... Late Night check, Rainy Day check. I have three more events I can tweak nyehehe.

it's unfortunate that we can't do all events in one playthrough (but understandable!) so i'll be indulging myself with being able to do it through fanfiction hehe :D

the existing events have so much potential to be expanded without getting too far from the main plot, it's such a joy to write~

anyways, appreciate those who provided feedback last time - i tried my best to implement your tips and hopefully i can consistently do it moving forward!

the MC throughout will be Sage (for my sanity pls, it'll be too difficult to have different MCs) and the LI is Percy cos i luv me some problematic boi ^^;

hope you enjoy reading until the end and let me know ur thoughts!

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okay you horny mutts - before i lay it all here, let me yap just a little bit!!!

it's really taking me a lot of time to write XD you'll understand once you see what i wrote HEHEHE and my attention span sucks, that there'd be times im writing then end up drawing and animating stuff on my tablet lmao (the curse of elio's bababooeey haunting me every now and then!!!!)

but i wanted to feel some sort of accomplishment, you know? so!!! i'm posting this portion of the fic that is smut heavy. and when i say heavy, IT IS HEAVY. HIGHLY PHYSICAL. SENSUAL. and what other -sual adjectives there are. so honestly you can still chicken out and go on with your day hahaha.

BUT if you're really craving for it then today's ur lucky day :D as usual, there a (WIP) art for this scene mehehee (im hoping to finish this one today >.<) ive put it below~

okay, i know, you're raring to go.

a small context before you proceed: there'll be four erotic scenes in succession in the fic. this is the last leg :) again, this is an AU 5 years after their graduation. Sage and Percy are full adults and are free to be frisky! this has 1700 words!!!! (see, that's just one smut scene when the story has three MORE. god im killing myself with this self-torture). honestly im still not satisfied with it but blahhhhh enjoyyyyyy!

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At this point, you were beyond exhausted and felt like passing out - the culmination of today's endless paperwork, more-than-necessary drinks, and, well, your earlier excursions. But with his stiff length still inside you, and the residual warmth of his fingers haunting your skin as he drew circles on your nub, your core inevitably twitched. Your fatigue was replaced with an overwhelming desire to get on top of him.

No words were exchanged; there was only the sensation of your lips crashing into his as you positioned yourself to ride him. Tonight was the first time you kissed, so his lips still felt like a new domain. Yet you were desperate to explore every nook of his mouth, as if to compensate for all the years wasted. You slipped your tongue inside, and it didn't even take half a second for him to entwine it with his own, tips clashing as you both drowned in each other's spit.

Your walls felt his cock throb as a response, and your overwhelming lust finally burst as you moved your hips rhythmically. 

His lips parted from yours momentarily as he let out a breathy moan against your neck, only to latch back onto your mouth, your tongues reuniting. The sudden warmth made you reflexively clamp around him, eliciting another reaction as he dug his fingers deeper into your thighs. His nails weren't long, but his grip was desperate. You were sure it would leave marks, but the euphoria of being marked by Percy Tozaki only made your aching depths quiver more.

This made his grip tighten; a dull pain gradually across your thighs, but you didn't protest. It only amplified your senses, leaving your insides desperate to feel every inch of him as you rocked your hips harder.

You had no idea how long you’d been at it. Your mouths only separated when you were forced to breathe. This was the only time you finally got a quick look at your joined bodies, peeking through the small gap between you.

Sweat dampened his toned torso, and your eyes trailed down… though you could barely see what you were looking for. Driven with curiosity, you lifted your hip just a tiny bit, careful not to break the connection, and saw a mixture of white and transparent slickness stretching from your entrance to his length.

"Is it that interesting? Weren't you all over it a few minutes ago?" his voice vibrated an octave lower as he whispered into your ear, clearly intended to make you blush.

Your eyes darted back to him but immediately shifted away, settling on the crumpled bed sheet, your face flushing warmer than it already was.

You were on top of him in the most incriminating position, yet his question still elicited some form of embarrassment from you. Your mind was screaming "because I like looking at it" but you would never admit that aloud.

Instead, you did the only thing you could do: you slammed your hips back down, your lips crashing against his to shut his lovely mouth.

Driven by the desperate heat of your core, you ground yourself against him, forward and back, over and over. The sensation swallowed you whole, leaving you quivering with every thrust. It was quite different when he was on top; this made you feel in control, your movement dictating exactly how deep he plunged.

It had never truly crossed your mind - or rather you’d never been greedy enough to hope - that you and Percy would ever cross the line of friendship. He had always been at the back of your mind, a fixture in your daydreamed what-ifs, but you had been too afraid that the truth would only push him away.

But here you were, straddling him as your fluids mixed into a wet, intimate mess. Your rhythm was disrupted by a sudden shift below, sending his shaft plunging deeper into you. An involuntary, unfamiliar gasp escaped your lips.

Without a word, Percy bent his knees and arched his hips upward. Once he was satisfied with his new position, you felt him slowly slide out of your tight depths.

Confusion was evident in your face, but he didn't even let you speak when he thrust back into you sharply.

The sudden feeling of your chasm being filled made you whimper. His arms slid behind your legs, propping you into a position that allowed him to set a pace you couldn’t escape.

Ravenously plunging his shaft into your cunt, your arms felt weak, no longer able to support your body as you collapsed against him like a ragdoll. You could only gasp as you tried to muffle your voice with your hand, afraid to spill your voice thick with desire.

Percy didn’t stop pounding, changing his position and rhythm with a deliberate purpose, as his length probed different angles like he was looking for something. And there were some moments when it felt exceptionally good when his tip scraped a particular spot. But your embarrassment only concealed this, so he continued to sway his hips in various directions until- 

"Ah-" an involuntary squeak finally escaped your mouth when he unknowingly brushed your sweet spot.

He stopped momentarily to look deeply into your eyes, as if asking for confirmation.

Desperate for the same sensation, you meekly responded a small “yes”. Your response seemed to fan the flames within him; without warning, he began voraciously pumping into you, elated to have finally found what he was looking for.

The tingling was too much; you could no longer hold yourself back. The sensation of him pulsing inside you, hammering his thick member in as if it was the last thing he would ever do, was a situation you never imagined you’d be tangled in with him. If only you had been honest, then this bliss would have been a staple in your life way earlier than it was.

Inhibitions had been thrown out the window – you were feral for him, and nothing was stopping you. Tapping his torso, you silently signaled for him to stop. His eyebrows arched in confusion, but you didn’t respond. You sat back up, arching your spine as you rolled your hips in search for the same pleasure.

Finally understanding your intent, he stared up at you hungrily while you buckled against him. His hands glided from your legs to your torso, finally settling on your breasts. He massaged them gently at first, until his warm fingers began rolling over your nipples.

You gasped as the immediate pleasure enveloped your chest. The sensation was overwhelming, being assaulted from both above and below. You wanted him to lick it, but the position made it physically impossible, so you let go of the idea. Instead, you were desperate for the similar sensation you felt earlier. So, you rocked your body continually, searching for that knot.

It didn’t take you long to find it. Once it was grazed by his thick tip, your moan filled the dimly lit room, and no longer cared if the neighbours could hear you. Your movement grew erratic as you swung your pelvis unrelentingly, thirsty for that same feeling as you repeatedly ground yourself againsthis pulsing head.

"Ah--I-- that felt too good." It sounded like he was whining, but the leaking tremble of ecstasy was impossible to miss.

His comment didn’t make you stop; it only made you more desperate. The sensation was fogging your head, and as much as you wanted this to last, the thrumming in your core made you ache for that sweet release.

“Sage, if you keep that up, I’ll—”

“Let’s cum together, Percy.” You interrupted breathily. You were certain that was the first complete sentence you’d spoken in this four-cornered space, and you knew your face was filled with a lust you would only ever show to him.

He seemed to surrender to whatever you had planned. His mouth snapped shut as his deft fingers began rolling and tweaking your erect points with the precision of the surgeon he was.

The pulsating sensation in your core was almost insufferable. You hadn’t thought it was even possible, but he grew even harder inside you, multiplying the pleasure a hundredfold.

Your erratic rhythm became even more frenetic as your walls squeezed tightly around him, straining toward the peak you desperately craved.

The mounting pressure forced even more vocalizations of pleasure from your throat. Your breath hitched as you finally surrendered your body to the addictive sensation.

“Percy, I’m—”

“Me, too. Let’s do it - together”

A hitch in his voice at the end only increased the desperation to reach that shared moment of release.

With hips weaving uncontrollably, your core spasmed the faster you ground yourself against his thick length. Your let go of his torso as your fingers found his erect nipples. You did the most sensible thing of pinching them between your thumb and index finger. This only made him harden further against your walls as he moaned breathily, the throbbing expansion so noticeable to your sensitive core that your eyes rolled back in your head.

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. No longer able to hold it, you glanced down at Percy to relay your impending finish. Like a violent collision, your walls clamped around him, convulsing in ripples as he spent his essence into the rubber. You both squeezed each other’s nipples hard, straddling him even tighter as the spasming sensations gradually faded.

With no more adrenaline in your system, you succumbed to leaden slump against Percy’s chest. Both of you were chasing your ragged breathes when he brought his long, tapered fingers to your cheek.

“I love you, Sage,” he said, gently tucking a stray hair behind your ear.

It was a scenario that you had played endlessly in your head, now happening in real time. To say you were happy was an understatement. It may have taken you a long time to get there, but the sight of him made it all worth it.