Falling For Him ✔️

Chapter IV. DINNER & STORIES

Axel stepped into the small cafeteria, a few basketball players and his own teammates trailing after him. As he stepped into the room, no eyes turned and stared, similar to how they would if he would to be at school. For this, he was thankful, letting out a sigh of relief, smiling as Jack patted him on the shoulder, appearing out of thin air.

"You get to eat first, huh?" He was smiling. "Lucky bastard."

"I'm not going to sneak you a plate, Jack. Nice try," Axel said, the corners of his lips tugging upwards. "Gonna have to get in the back of the line with the rest of the losers."

"Is that any way to treat your best friend?"

"Of course it is," Nathan, one of the member's on Axel's human knot team, said as he slid past the two baseball players. He focused his attention to Axel, a huge grin on his face. "Time to eat."

"Time to eat," Axel agreed.

Together they marched to the empty buffet line, the rest of his teammates, Jack especially, as well as the other basketball players, glared at him as he placed food on his plate.

Benji, Axel's teammate, was staring at the vegetables at the end of the buffet, his eyebrows furrowed.

Axel heard Nathan speak to him as he was placing spoonfuls of mashed potatoes on his plate.

"The food isn't going to jump out and hurt you, shorty."

Benji glared, raising his eyes from the food below, glancing at Axel for his help.

"You could always get both," Axel suggested, purposely avoiding Will, slipping past Benji and in between Nathan.

"But both is too much," Benji said, frowning once more at the vegetables.

"Someone will finish them for you if you don't," Nathan said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, you're holding up the line."

"We're the only ones in line."

Axel grinned. "He has a point."

"Oh whatever," Nathan grumbled, grabbing at a fork rather harshly.

A few moments later, after his group had sat down, Nathan, Benji, Jack, and his other teammates at the table, as well as Will and a few of his friends, those who hadn't eaten yet sprang from their seats, the cafeteria filling with the sound of chattering and clanging silverware.

Axel did not waste any time in digging in, and soon enough, Jack had somehow managed to be the first of anyone else to return with food, his plate filled to the brim. They ate it silence, well as much silence as there could be in the loud room, as more and more people returned to their table.

"I thought they'd be worse."

Axel raised his head in surprise. "Who?" he asked Jack.

"The basketball team," he said. "They're actually pretty chill, you know when they're not bullying our team and destroying our gear."

"Yeah," Axel said after a moment. "Some of them are okay."

And then the rest of them arrived. Axel still didn't know why some of the basketball players were sitting at the table.

"Coach said we have curfew," Danny said, one of Will's friends, Axel assumed. He thought he had seen him with Will before, not that he had been looking for him, or paying attention to him. No, that would be ridiculous.

"What!"

Protests sounded and the conversation carried, loud laughs mixing in with the other table's conversations as well. Axel mostly kept to himself, picking at the scraps of food left. He had finished.

"Axel definitely has the most embarrassing childhood story," Jack said after awhile, punching Axel in the shoulder, a large grin on his face.

"No I don't," Axel argued almost immediately. He could feel his cheeks start to heat up.

"Oh I think I've heard about it before," Nathan was saying, a smirk plastered on his face. "It's the rock story right?"

"We are not having this conversation," Axel pleaded.

Jack laughed. "Oh come on, dude. It's literally the funniest story I've ever heard."

"Absolutely not."

"A rock story?" Danny questioned. He sounded doubtful.

"I want to know now," another said, Jack and Nathan cracking up in the background as they recalled Axel's most embarrassing story. He regretted telling them that story more than anything else.

"Come on, batboy," Will said, eyes bright with humor, his chin resting along his hand. "Tell us."

"I'm good thanks."

"Pretty please."

Axel shook his head, glaring at Will, who, rather unfortunately, sat directly across from him. He probably sat there on purpose. What a dick, Axel thought grumbly.

"You've got to," Jack was saying, still holding his side from laughing so hard. "I know we're supposed to hate each other and all, but come on. Everyone deserves to hear this story."

"Jack," Axel pleaded, eyes wide, face red.

"Axel," he mimicked.

"Oh fine, fine," Will exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air rather dramatically. "If batboy won't tell his most embarrassing childhood story, I'll tell mine."

Axel looked at him in surprise, meeting Will's gaze. He had already been looking at him. He was smiling at him, his lips pulled up into his infamous smirk. Dark strands of his hair fell over his face, eyes bright as he looked away and began telling his story.

By the time he was done, the whole table was laughing and Axel's childhood story was long forgotten.

- - -

The hallway was empty as Axel trudged to his room, well aside from Will, having to stay and clean up. Captains' duties apparently. Axel didn't see how that was fair.

That was how he managed to be stuck cleaning and wiping tables with Will Anderson in silence for about twenty or so minutes. He still hadn't uttered a single word on their way back to their shared room, and Axel was on high alert.

Will being quiet? Something was definitely up.

"I think I deserve to hear your childhood story," Will said after a moment, looking up at Axel through his eyelashes before glancing back ahead. "It's only fair."

"Nice try, Anderson."

"Why thank you, bat boy, but I believe I was the one who actually saved you from telling the whole cafeteria your embarrassing story."

"Your point?"

WIll chuckled, the sound low. "My point is that I should get to hear it."

"I don't think so," Axel said sighing as they reached their door. He pulled his key card out of his pocket, swiping it and pushing the door forward.

Will pushed past him and into the room first with a crooked grin, his shoulder bumping into his slightly. "I won't tell anyone," he said.

"I don't care. I don't want you to hear it."

"You're so stubborn," was his reply as he fell onto the bed in one dramatic fall, the springs creaking beneath him.

"And you're a hypocrite," Axel replied, rolling his eyes, and grabbing his bag and towel, before marching towards the small bathroom they shared.

He was going to take a shower and he was going to pretend that he was home and that everything was fine and that he wouldn't be having to share a bed with Will Anderson for the next two weeks. That his heart wasn't pounding in his chest as if it were trying to escape.

He was going to die.

Will Anderson and his stupid grin and stupid flirty remarks were going to kill him. He knew it.