So...I definitely disappeared. What happened was that I got sucked into an alternate dimension and only just made it back :(
All jokes aside, I'm glad to be back! This is a request for nayasweetstar ! I really apologize for the delay, and I hope that you like it!
y/n: your name
l/n: your last name
c/n: crush's name
c/l/n: crush's last name
h/c: your hair color
e/c: your eye color
s/c: your skin color
c/h/c: crush's hair color
c/e/c: crush's eye color
c/s/c: crush's skin color
b/f/n: best friend's name
b/f/l/n: best friend's last name
"Hello? Earth to y/n," a voice calls, snapping you out of your reverie. C/n smiles at you, his c/e/c eyes twinkling.
"Sorry. What were you saying?" you ask, trying not to get distracted again. But how could you not, when the biggest crush you had ever had was sitting right in front of you?
"I was saying that we should start studying for the math test," he says.
"Yeah!" you exclaim, then cringe. "I mean, yeah. When do you want to meet up?" you ask, your heart beating like a drum.
"I'm not sure yet. I'll need to ask Xavier when he can come," c/n says, taking another sip of his milkshake.
You deflate. "Oh. Okay."
C/n peers at you curiously. "Is something wrong?"
"No." You sigh, then drain the last of your milkshake. And then c/n says something that makes your heart shatter.
"I've been thinking about Amanda (I'm really sorry if your name is Amanda. Just substitute this girl's name for another one) again." He grins and blushes slightly, and you almost liquefy and drip to the ground. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but still.
"Amanda Richards?" you ask.
He nods. "Yeah. What other Amandas do you know?" He laughs. "And what other Amandas have I dated before?"
You swallow. C/n and Amanda had dated for an entire year before they broke up. C/n had claimed that the two of them had simply drifted apart, so you had thought that that was the end of that. But clearly, it wasn't.
"Oh. Um..." You didn't know what to say.
"Y/n?" c/n prompts, eyeing you.
"You should tell her," you say. The words are painful to get out. "I'm sure she misses you, too."
"Maybe..." c/n trails off, biting his lip. Then he looks at you. "Ready to go? I'll drop you off back home."
✿
Back at home, you feel miserable. No matter how you try to distract yourself-books, movies, and ice cream-you can't stop thinking about c/n, and the way that his eyes lit up when he talked about Amanda. You know that as his friend, you should be happy for him, and should be enthusiastically encouraging him to win her back. But as the girl that's basically in love with him, you just...can't. You can't muster any ounce of joy or enthusiasm for him. The only thing you can muster is a feeling of deep sadness.
You decide to call b/f/n and explain the whole situation to her. She's silent on the other end of the line when you finish.
Finally, she says, "I'm sorry, y/n. But there are other guys out there. You'll find someone, trust me."
You appreciate her trying to make you feel better, but her words honestly make you feel worse. You don't want any other guys. You want c/n.
✿
At school the next day, you give c/n a feeble smile as you drop into your seat next to him. You're both in Biology together, and are lab partners. And, unfortunately, your class has been working on a lab for the past week, which means that you have no choice but to speak to him.
"Have a good morning so far?" c/n asks as he helps you set up the lab.
"Wonderful," you mutter, unable to help the bitterness that seeps into your tone.
C/n flashes you a concerned look. "I feel like that was at least a little bit sarcastic," he says. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just..." you trail off, knowing that you can't tell him the real reason you're upset. You can't confess your feelings to him when you know that he doesn't feel the same way. "I'm just tired."
"Oh. Okay." C/n starts the lab, and you assist him, quiet as a mouse. It almost feels as if your tongue just won't work anymore, not around him.
Suddenly, c/n turns to you and says, "Y/n, I think that we should go on a date."
Your heart stops. His words replay in your mind again and again, and joy fills you to the brim. He wants to go on a date with you? Maybe the whole Amanda thing was to throw you off, to make you jealous. Well, it worked, but now...
You smile at c/n. "C/n, I-"
"I mean, maybe the key to winning Amanda back is to make her jealous. If she thinks that we're dating, then..." A dreamy look crosses c/n's face, illuminating it.
Your heart shatters. You feel like you can barely breathe, like someone is wrapping their arms around your chest as hard as they can, refusing to let you go. Tears prick your eyes, but you refuse to let them fall. Not in front of c/n.
"I don't know..." you say, unsure. Truthfully, fake dating c/n is at the bottom of your to-do list, but he's looking at you with such hope in his eyes, that you can't bear to say no. "I mean, I guess a couple dates can't hurt..."
C/n grins. You hate that grin, hate how it makes you feel, when you know that you'll never be able to call it yours. "Thank you so much, y/n. How can I ever repay you?"
"Just..." You force a smile. "Just be happy. With Amanda."
C/n gives you one last smile, and then the two of you turn back to your lab. A small smile stays on his lips, while your lips are turned down in a slight frown.
✿
"Ha!" c/n cheers. "Another strike!"
You and c/n were on your first fake date, at a local bowling alley. C/n seems pretty into the game, while you can barely muster the energy to roll the ball.
C/n raises his eyebrows at you. "I'm beating you."
"I guess so," you murmur. When you notice that c/n's brows are furrowed as he watches you, you force yourself to perk up. "But not for long!" You bowl your turn and smirk at c/n when you get a strike. "Don't get all cozy in first place. You're going to be moving out soon."
He smirks right back at you. "You talk a lot of shit for someone who called a bowling ball a pin ball like two minutes ago."
"It was an accident," you say. You can't help but laugh. C/n joins you, and soon, you're both clutching your stomachs in the middle of a bowling alley.
You both stop and look at each other. The plan is for c/n to strategically put you on his social media, bowling. "Are you going to-" You're cut off by c/n's eyes widening.
"Shit! It's her," he says. You follow his gaze to see Amanda with a group of her friends. Her long, brown hair is in a high ponytail, and she's wearing a ribbed t-shirt and jean shorts. C/n's eyes are glued on her.
Suddenly, she looks over. C/n immediately turns his gaze to you, and before you can ask what he's doing, he pulls you to him and places a gentle kiss on your forehead. Your forehead burns where his lips touched it, in an infuriatingly good way.
You both turn to look at Amanda again. You notice the way that her brows are furrowed, her mouth set in a slight scowl. She wants him, you realize, the truth hitting you like a sledgehammer.
"I'm sorry," c/n apologizes once you've both looked away from her. "I shouldn't have touched you without your permission."
"It's fine," you lie. In reality, it isn't fine. It isn't fine because you want him to do it again. You want him to do more, like hold your hand and kiss you properly. But you know that that won't happen. Suddenly, you say, establishing a rule, "Just don't kiss me on the lips." You don't want him to kiss you properly knowing that it's fake.
He nods. "Okay. Now bowl!" he says, smiling.
You oblige, trying to paint a joyous expression on your face, but you know that you're probably failing miserably. The rest of the evening passes with c/n sneaking glances Amanda's way, and you hurting.
✿
You place your lunch tray next to c/n's. He looks up from his food and smiles. You notice that his c/h/c hair looks slightly messier than usual. You hate to admit this, but it's attractive.
"Hey," he greets. And then he places an arm around your shoulders, leaning in to kiss your cheek. Without having to check, you know that Amanda must be watching.
"Hey," you say back. You pull away from his touch and start to eat your food. You can barely taste it (which might be a blessing), your heart sinking deeper in your chest with every passing moment. Why had you agreed to this? You were just torturing yourself. Maybe it was time that you ended it. "C/n-" you begin.
He cuts you off. "What do you say we go to the mall this weekend?"
You can't bear the thought of being alone with him again, of going on another long, excruciating fake date with him. "Can I ask if Xavier can come?"
C/n frowns. "Why?"
You shrug.
"Y/n, the whole point of all this is to make it look like we're dating. If Xavier comes, then..."
"I get it." You decide to just get this over with. Go to the mall, spend a couple hours with c/n, take a few pictures that he can use, and then leave and cry into your pillow at home. "I'll go."
C/n brightens. He leans in and kisses your cheek. "I'll never forget what you're doing for me," he says.
You turn to look behind you, at the table where Amanda sits. She isn't watching. Your eyebrows pull together. Did c/n just kiss you when Amanda wasn't watching?
✿
You and c/n stroll around the mall, sipping smoothies. Your hands brush slightly against each other as you walk, and you want nothing more than to grab his hand, but, of course, you don't. Why would you, when you know that he wants to be with Amanda?
"Hey," c/n says, stopping suddenly. He points to a men's clothing store. "I'm going to head in there real quick. Do you want to come or stand outside?"
"I'll stand outside," you tell him, realizing that you need a bit of a break from the whole fake-relationship thing. He nods and walks inside, leaving you standing in front with your strawberry smoothie in your hand.
A couple minutes later, a guy walks up to you. He smiles at you and holds out his hand. You hesitantly shake it, not sure what's going on.
"What's your name?" he asks, giving you another smile.
Oh, you think, suddenly nervous. He's hitting on me. "Y/n," you tell him.
"That's a pretty name," he says, and you smile at him politely. This guy is cute, but he's no c/n. "I'm Thomas." He looks down at your shirt, and his eyes widen slightly. "No way! Is that y/f/a (your favorite musical artist) shirt?"
"Yeah! Do you like them?"
"I love them!" He goes on a two-minute ramble about how he got to see them in person, telling you about his experience. "They were amazing," he finishes. He looks at you for a second, then asks, "Can I have your number?" He fishes out his phone from his pocket and holds it out to you. You stare at it, unsure what to do. Should you give it to him, even though you're still stuck on c/n? Maybe this could help you move on. Or should you-
You feel a hand slip into yours. "Hey," c/n greets. "I'm back."
Thomas looks taken aback. "Oh, I didn't realize that you had a boyfriend," he says. "I'm sorry."
You glance between c/n and Thomas. C/n's eyes are slightly narrowed, while Thomas just looks embarrassed. "It's okay," you tell him. I didn't realize I had a boyfriend, either, you think, a little surprised.
"Well, it was nice to meet you. I hope you get to see y/f/a in person sometime soon!" Thomas says before walking away.
"Nice to meet you, too," you say back, although he's already too far away to hear you. The moment he's out of earshot, you whirl on c/n. "What the hell was that? Amanda isn't even here! Why did you do that?"
C/n doesn't meet your gaze. "I just...I think we should be as careful as possible."
"Oh, what? You think she's hiding behind this plant or something?" you ask, glaring at a fake potted plant nearby. "Or maybe she's hiding in a clothing rack somewhere?"
C/n finally looks at you. "Why are you so mad? Did you want his number or something?"
"And what if I did?" you retort. "Then what?"
"Fine. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry that I didn't like some random guy you don't even know coming up to you and asking you out." He drops your hand, which you didn't realize he was still holding. "Now come on. Let's go get a pretzel or something."
You sigh. You can't say 'no' to a pretzel. The two of you grab pretzels and spend a couple more hours wandering around, barely saying a word to each other. You can't understand why he was so mad about Thomas asking you out. And you still can't understand why he had kissed your cheek back in the school cafeteria, when Amanda wasn't even watching.
Later, after the mall, the two of you decide to grab some dinner, as you're both starving. You head to the local diner and grab a booth, ordering your food.
"Hey," you say, grabbing c/n's attention. The moment he looks at you, you blow the straw wrapper off the straw and towards him. It hits his cheek, and you laugh.
"Very funny, y/n," he says, rolling his eyes. But you can see the smile stretching across his face. He kicks you lightly under the table. You kick him back, and soon you're both giggling like a couple of children, maybe a little too loudly-a woman from the booth behind you peers at you two curiously.
The waitress brings you two your food. One look at c/n's stricken face has you looking up at her. And guess who it is?
"I didn't know you worked here," c/n says, eyebrows furrowed.
"Just got the job," Amanda says, giving him a smile. Her eyes fall on you. "Hey, y/n. How are you?"
"Good," you lie. Amanda's appearance has just put a damper on your spirits. Realistically, you knew that c/n wasn't really into you, but, as pathetic as it sounds, it was nice to pretend for a while.
Amanda smiles at you. "I'm glad." God, you wish she wasn't so nice. She turns her attention back to c/n and puts the plates down. "Well, here's your food." She turns to leave, then turns back. "How long have you two been dating?" she asks.
"Not for too long," c/n tells her.
"Is it serious?" Amanda asks, laughing, seemingly trying to play the question off as a joke. But all three of you know that she isn't joking in the slightest.
You brace yourself, prepare for c/n to joke back that the two of you aren't serious, but the joke never comes. You look at him and find him watching you intently. Then he turns to Amanda and says, "Yeah, we're serious."
Your heart stops. What? C/n had just effectively ruined his chances at getting with Amanda. God, he really was bad at this.
"Well, I mean, we haven't been dating that long," you say, trying to salvage the situation and help him. That's what a good friend would do, right?
"It's been long enough to know," c/n interjects.
You stare at him, sending him a message with your eyes. Are you stupid? Do you want her or not?
He stares back at you, an indecipherable look in his eyes.
Amanda backs away slowly, clearly not knowing what to do. "Well, enjoy your food, you two," she says, then walks away.
"What was that?" you ask c/n the moment she's gone. "You had the perfect opportunity to show her that you're interested."
C/n looks away from you. "Am I, though?" he asks, almost to himself.
"Are you what?"
"Interested in her."
You stare at him, dumbfounded. "I mean, you basically devised a whole ploy to get her back," you remind him. "That pretty much screams interest to me."
C/n doesn't say anything back, just starts to eat his food. You follow suit, also not sure what to say. The two of you eat in silence.
"Are you guys ready for the bill?" Amanda asks, materializing out of nowhere.
"Yes," c/n says, pulling out his credit card.
"Together or separate?"
"Together." He hands over the card.
"C/n-" you start.
"Shut it, y/n, or I'll torch your bookshelves," he jokes. (Sorry if you don't like to read).
You smirk. "Are you sure you'll be able to find them? Do you even know what a book looks like, c/n?"
He smiles back at you. Amanda hands back his credit card, and the two of you get up and walk back outside. The air is the perfect temperature, a nice breeze ruffling your hair.
"You do realize that you may just have ruined your chances with Amanda, right?" you ask as the two of you start to walk back towards your house.
"Yeah," he says, tucking his hands in his jeans pockets.
"Then why did you do it?"
C/n doesn't answer for a little while, but then he says, "I just don't think I feel the same about her anymore."
"What? Why?"
"Because..." He looks troubled.
You bump him with your shoulder. "Because what?"
"Because I'm interested in someone else."
You do your best to hold in your sigh. You rack your mind for who it could be. That one girl in his history class? Or the one in his favorite club?
"Who is it?" you ask, trying to keep your voice light. "Who do we need to fake date for now?"
C/n suddenly stops. The evening is a deep blue. The two of you stand underneath a street lamp, c/n with his hands in his pockets, you with yours hanging by your sides. You raise an eyebrow at him.
"Y/n..." he says, meeting your gaze.
"Yes?" For some reason, your heart has started to race. It could be because of how close you are to c/n, or maybe it's the way he's looking at you. For whatever reason, you're suddenly filled with nerves.
"I don't like fake dating you," he says.
Your heart plummets. "Oh." So you can't even be a good fake girlfriend. How nice.
C/n takes a step closer to you. He takes his hands out of his pockets and grabs yours. And then, without warning, he pulls you close to him and kisses you.
You're frozen. You're not sure what to do, or what is even happing. C/n pulls away. "I'm sorry," he says. "I shouldn't have assumed-"
Finally, you snap back to reality. You let go of his hands and place your hands behind his neck, pulling his lips back to yours. His hands find your waist, and the two of you stand, lips locked, under the street lamp for what feels like a long, blissful time. But eventually, you both need to breathe, so you pull away.
"Wait," you say. "So I'm the girl you're interested in?"
C/n rolls his eyes. "Yes, detective. You are."
You slap his shoulder playfully. "Shut it. I'm just...surprised, is all."
"In a good way or a bad way?"
"Well, if it was in a bad way, I wouldn't have just kissed you, you idiot," you say, grinning.
He grins back at you. "I just wanted to make sure." He tugs you to him again, wrapping his arms around your waist. You hug him back, hoping that this isn't some dream you'll wake up from soon.
He pulls away to look at you, then asks, "Do you want to watch a movie at your place?"
You nod. "I'd like nothing more."
There you are, another oneshot! I'm sorry if it's not the best. If there's anything you'd like to see, please request it!