· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
PAST
"Happy birthday, Kaveh!" your parents and party guests exclaim, crowding around the dining table as your brother blows out the seventeen candles on his cake. Your dad takes the large chocolate cake, cuts it up, and hands each of the guests a slice.
As you eat your cake, you smile at your brother as he talks with Alhaitham, Tighnari, Cyno, and a few other guests. You couldn't wait until after the party to tease Kaveh about being old.
"Hey, Y/N," your brother calls. "We're gonna hang out in the backyard. Wanna come with?"
"Okay!" you beam.
"Bring Nilou and Collei, too," Kaveh says before leaving. You nod as you wolf down the rest of the cake before running off to your brother with Nilou and Collei in tow.
"Wanna play truth or dare for old times sake?" Tighnari asks with a mischievous grin. Kaveh shrugs.
"Sure," your brother agrees. You all sit in the grass forming a circle. "Alright, Collei, truth or dare?"
You zone out during the game. Absent-mindedly, you smile and enjoy the moment with your friends. Times where all seven of you were together seemed rare these days.
"Y/N," Cyno calls, causing you to be pulled out of your thoughts. "Truth or dare?"
"Well, since I almost got ran over last time," you start, glaring at Tighnari. "Truth."
"You're one of the only people that laughs at my jokes. Do you actually think they're funny?" the white-haired boy asks.
"Not really," you say. "I understand what you mean, but they're not that funny. I just laugh because no one else laughs, and I don't want you to feel bad." Cyno smiles at you.
"You don't have to laugh at them if you don't find them funny, you know?"
'I know," you say. "Hey, maybe if you don't try to over explain your joke, more people might laugh," you suggest. Cyno nods his head.
"I'll try it. Your turn."
"Alhaitham, truth or dare?" You ask.
"Dare." You take a moment to think since you didn't expect him to make that choice. A fond memory of you and Alhaitham as kids comes to mind, and you smile, hoping to recreate it with him.
"I dare you to kiss me," you blurt out. Kaveh's and Alhaitham's eyes widened in shock.
"What?" Alhaitham asks, trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach.
"I dare you to kiss me," you repeat while staring at his captivating viridian orbs and his orange pupils as he contemplates his next course of action.
Alhaitham summons the courage and brings his face close to yours. Before he can plant a kiss on your face, you stand up and run. Your gray-haired friend looks at you in confusion before chasing after you. Your laughter fills the air as you run away from Alhaitham. He easily catches up to you and hugs you from behind, making you stop.
"Wait," you say as you turn around. You glance up at him, noting how much taller he is, before looking at the ground. "Remember when I forced you and Kaveh to play princess and knights with me?"
"I do," Alhaitham says with a fond expression. "I can kiss your cheek, like I used to at the end of that game, if you'd like?" he asks. You look up at him again, seeing nothing but care in his eyes.
"Yes please. I'm sure Kaveh wouldn't want to see one of his oldest friends kiss his sister on the lips," you joke, earning a chuckle from Alhaitham.
He nervously pushes some stray strands of hair away from your face before gently pressing his lips to your cheek. You two laugh and walk back to your friends, very aware of the stare coming from Kaveh.
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
PRESENT
"Y/N, Ayaka! Come in!" the red-headed girl squealed. You give her a smile as you and Ayaka enter her dorm.
"Thanks, Nilou," you smile. You notice Collei and Amber chatting on the couch as Mona pulls something out of the refrigerator. Deciding not to interrupt Mona, you sit with Amber and Collei. Ayaka soon joins you three.
"About time you guys got here," Amber jokes.
"We would've been here earlier if someone didn't take forever in the bathroom," Ayaka teases as she throws a look in your direction.
"Hey!" you exclaim, causing the other girls to laugh. Nilou and Mona join the rest of you on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. They pass the bowl around, letting everyone take some.
"Thank you guys for coming," Mona says. "I know this was a bit irresponsible, considering we have exams next week, but I thought we could all use a little break."
"For sure," your frost-haired roommate agrees. "Even if it's just for a few hours, we all deserve to relax."
"So," Amber starts. "What do you guys want to do? I'm just trying to avoid homework for as long as I can."
Collei shrugs. "Truth or dare?" she asks with a laugh.
"Okay," Nilou says. An echo of agreement sounds.
"Let's add a twist. Whoever backs out from a dare has to treat the rest of us to lunch after exams," Amber suggests.
"I like it," Mona says. "Let's get started!"
After some time, Nilou calls your name. "Y/N, truth or dare?"
You smirk, "Dare."
"I dare you to call Alhaitham," she responds, matching your smugness. Your eyes widened at her dare.
"You're so lucky I don't have money," you sigh as you pull out your phone.
"Put it on speaker," Collei says.
You press Alhaitham's contact and put the phone on speaker. The dial tones pierce the dorm's silence. After two rings, you hear Alhaitham's voice.
"Y/N? Are you alright?" he asks.
"I'm fine, Haitham," you reply. "I just wanted to check up on you and your paper." A soft sigh is heard through the phone.
"I'm almost done with it, thanks to you. All I have left to do is edit and refine it."
Your friends notice how your face changes, a bright smile plants itself on your face as you forget about your surroundings.
"That's good to know. Hey, if it's not too much to ask, could I read it when you're finished?"
"Of course you can," Alhaitham says, his voice sounding gentler than it was a moment before. "It is about you, after all." The heat on your face grew.
"How long is your paper anyways?"
"Well, the unedited version is about six pages, but I need to cut it down to four for the assignment." Your jaw drops. Alhaitham wrote six pages about you? Before you let your thoughts spiral, his voice sounds again. "Do you want the unedited or edited version?"
"Uh, unedited please," you respond. A hum is heard.
"Okay. If you want, after exams, I can give it to you," Alhaitham suggested. "But you'd have to wait a week," he jokes. He couldn't see it, but he imagined you rolling your eyes at his words.
"Ouch, Alhaitham," you say, feigning hurt, earning a chuckle from your friend.
"I need to go now, Y/N, but I'll give you the paper soon."
"Awh, bye." A quick 'goodbye' is heard on the other line before you hang up. You look to your friends as they stare at you.
"I'm sorry, did he say six pages?" Collei asks bewildered.
"Yeah," you answer, dragging out the word. "When he came to me for essay help last night, I didn't think it would be a six-page paper."
"Me and who?" Amber blurts out, causing everyone to laugh. You laugh along with them, to fight the red appearing on your face as well as the numerous thoughts swirling through your head. Once the laughter dies down, Mona turns to you.
"Y/N, it's your turn to pick."
"Okay," you reply.