Ian was definitely very much pissed at Bryce.
He's been avoiding the guy for four days now and he's doing his best just so their paths wouldn't cross on campus. Whenever he sees or hears Bryce's voice in the hallways, he'd deliberately walk the other way. The boys were starting to notice, and even though it's best that the two have minimal interaction, they couldn't help but feel like this little cold war between them is more than just the usual Norris-Occonor fiasco.
They don't have to know more than that.
"Captain's been extra moody lately," Ian listened as Emery laughed. "Blake said it maybe because he's sexually frustrated 'cause last time he was like that was when his sex fling ghosted him."
"I don't care."
Confused, Emery paused the game and looked at Ian with concern. "Are you okay?"
"I am," the brunet replied, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"I don't think so," Emery insisted. "Is it your dad?"
Ian sighed and dropped the controller on the couch to look at his best friend. "No, Em," he started slowly. "and frankly, I don't really wanna talk about it."
Em let out a dismissive sigh and decided to let it go. "Fine but if you do you tell me first, yeah?" he said, pointing a finger. Ian nodded in silent relief. He didn't really need his best friend of all people to make things more confusing for him.
Bryce of course hasn't been exactly making it easy either. Ian had to skip a class he shared with him just because he didn't want the burden of having to interact with a jerk like him. Yes. He is that petty.
He figured he shouldn't talk to someone who willingly left him half-naked in a dumpster. After Bryce dropped him at his house that day, Ian practically ran straight to his door without looking back even when Bryce numerously called out his name. He fucks him and pisses him off? Nuh-uh, he only gets to do one.
Fast forward to four days later, a last-minute announcement of a half-day class was declared. Everyone but Ian unanimously decided to go to the mall or do futile stuff to waste a perfectly good free time. He just wanted to pass out in his room and pretend to be dead for a few hours, but those plans were ruined when Coach texted just as he arrived home, telling the boys that they can either stay for practice or do ten-minute crunches on the next one. Ian groaned and thought about bailing, but between a few hours of laze and the risk of losing his ability to bend over for a week, he chose to keep his muscles, so he went.
A faint voice of someone screaming and a couple of others making sounds of complaint greeted Ian when he arrived at the pool. Bryce stood on the edge, barking orders to get his teammates' shit together.
"You morons are really trying to get under my skin, huh?" Bryce fumed, clearly pissed.
"Literally just standing here," Blake deadpanned.
Bryce continued lecturing them with things that didn't make sense after that. Ian shook his head and was about to head to the showers and ignore everyone for the rest of the day when he was stopped by a voice.
"He's been like that for days," Cameron disclosed, obviously talking about the blaring mad cow a few meters away from them. "You've been hanging out with him lately, any idea why he's acting a lot Brycer than normal?"
Ian squinted at the man and crossed his arms. "Who says I'm hanging out with that idiot?"
"He drove you home four days ago, Ian. Or do you have a twin we don't know about somewhere?"
His arms loosened and dropped down as he gulped, blinking twice. Thrice. Did he-? No he couldn't have. They were being discreet. Or at least Bryce was.
"He just owed me a favor. We're not friends."
Cameron stared for a couple of seconds before nodding. "Okay," then he began walking away.
"What?" sounded Ian's accusing voice, stopping Cameron.
The boy turned around and raised a brow at him. "What? I said okay."
"You don't believe me," Ian said.
"Do I look like I have trust issues to you?"
"Look I don't wanna argue with you, Cam. You're like my second favorite guy in here just-" Ian shrugged. "Just mind your business."
"Alright," Cameron finished before silently turning his heels. Ian frowned as he watched him walk away.
Quiet people can be really annoying.
"Hey! Stop slacking! Did I tell you to stop?"
"S-sorry I just needed to catch my- my breath," one of the younger students panted as he resurfaced the water. Ian watched as Bryce continued to grill the poor kid.
"No one'll allow you to stop in the middle of the competition to fucking breathe, dumbass. Or do I have to teach you the basics of swimming?"
"Is he serious?" Ian asked Emery who stood beside him. He shrugged in response. "I told you, he's been moody."
"I- I'm sorry," the student stammered.
"Stop talking and move!" Bryce ordered to which the boy quickly complied. He caught Blake climbing up the steel steps and scowled. "Blake, don't even get me started-"
"Oh fuck you my legs are dead I'm taking a break," he snapped and walked mindlessly to the showers.
Asher appeared from behind him, goggles hanging around his neck. "Bryce, I think you need to take it easy, you're scaring them."
"They're not children, Asher. Stop telling me how to do my job," Bryce countered with a fixed glare. "I'm trying to prepare you stupid dumbheads for a fucking competition but if you're not interested then you can leave for all I c-"
"You're being unreasonable."
Ian's voice echoed, silencing both Bryce and the rest of the team. He calmly set down his bag on one of the benches without looking at any of them as he fished his goggles out of a compartment.
Bryce gave him an icy stare. "What did you just say?" he spoke, voice sharp.
"I said you're being stupid," Ian snapped and Asher began shifting awkwardly on his foot. "This is not how you handle your teammates, Bryce-"
The blond cut him off with a loud scoff. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Norris."
"I know but you could use some since you clearly don't know how to do your fucking job."
Bryce laughed mockingly and walked towards him. "Bryce, c'mon-" Asher attempted to block him but he just shoved past his way. Ian made no move to step back until they were standing face to face. "Who died and made you captain?"
Ian held his gaze. "No one but there sure as hell will be if you keep acting like an amateur."
"Shut up! I wouldn't take criticisms from a suck-ass like you of all people!"
Ian could practically hear his eyeballs rolling to the back of his head as he stared at the grown-up throwing tantrums in front of him. He didn't come back here all the way from the comfort of his bed just so Bryce can yell at him, let alone humiliate him in front of his teammates.
"Oh man," Blake sighed once he emerged out of the showers. "there they go again."
"Should we call the coach?" Asher asked, worried.
"Nah, nah," he waved him away and watch his best friend fight with anticipation. "they've been dormant for days, let's see who explodes first."
"Shut up or I swear to God I'll drown you myself," Ian was gritting his teeth and looked like he was really about to do that so Emery took the initiative to pull him away.
"Ian, calm down-"
"No!" Ian snatched his arm off his grip. "Somebody has to teach this motherfucker a lesson."
Bryce snickered. "And you think you should do that?" he took another step forward until their flaring chests were pressed together. "You? Stop making me laugh, Norris."
"You son of a bitch-"
That's when hell broke loose.
Ian lunged first, which Bryce failed to see coming. He barely dodged the fist coming at his face and as he tried to punch back, Ian was thrown off balance, sending them both to the pool with a loud splash. Even then they refused to stop, wrestling underwater like a pair of dumbheads.
The boys tried to get in between them, but it's either they get splashed with water or get accidentally hit in the head. "Ow!" Emery screamed as Bryce's foot came in touch with his temple. Cameron arrived minutes later, and when he saw what was going on, he rolled his eyes and went back outside.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Break that off! Break that off right now!"
The coach went in and forcefully pulled the two out of the water. The fight was automatically put to an end as the duo hissed in pain, strings of curses leaving their mouths. Blake laughed from the benches while the others sighed in relief. Emery pulled Ian to the side, Asher did his best to keep Bryce away.
The two boys continued to do a battle of endless glaring while Coach Garr stood in between them as he alternated his gaze from one to the other, looking like a mother so done with her sons' bullshit.
"Do you hate me this much?" Coach exasperated, "Why can't you just keep your goddamn hands off each other's necks?! Is that so hard?!"
The pool went silent as they looked away.
"That's it. I'm not having any more of this petty feud. I'm tired, I'm done so here's what you're gonna do," he gripped them both on one shoulder. "you're gonna stop fighting."
"Literally have never thought of that before!" Blake echoed over the silence.
"I'm not done," he growled. "Because you two love pissing me off so much, you're in charge of cleaning the shed this week and I want it all done before practice next Saturday."
Sure, that'd solve everything, Ian wanted to say.
Bryce and Ian stared at the 50-meter pool with horror. Next Saturday? This was a five-man job and even then it's gonna have to take days!
"Just you two. No help."
Ian opened his mouth to complain. "Co-"
"One peep and you're getting something much worse," Bryce groaned and glared at Ian, who was of course, scowling back at him.
"All of you, go home. I'll see you next Saturday," he turned to the rest of the team. "Don't be late and yes, Yeun I'm talking to you."
Blake pouted. "Why is it always me?"
"Because it is. Now go and head straight home, I don't want your parents mooching off me again and yes, Yeun I'm talking to you."
"Should've tried out for soccer," Blake huffed as he joined his friends to the exit.
. . . . .
"This is all your fault!"
"Don't you dare pin this on me, you attacked me first!"
"Because you were being a stupidhead, you fucking stupidhead!"
Ian paused when Bryce stopped walking and turned to him. They were in the underground parking lot of the school where Bryce parked his car. Not many people used this spot since the outdoor space was enough to accommodate all vehicles, so it was basically just the two of them there and their loud angered voices bouncing off the concrete walls.
Ian doesn't have a car so what the hell was he doing there? He didn't know honestly, his feet brought themselves to the damn lot. Maybe he just felt like pushing Bryce off even further over the brink of blame.
"I'm still your captain, Norris," he pointed his finger at him. "And I won't take you disrespecting me like a proper bitch that you are."
Ian scoffed when he started walking away again. "If there's anyone here that's acting like a bitch, it's you! You're a petty little bitch who doesn't know how to treat people with even the littlest amount of human decency-"
He was taken aback by the sudden movement, but the next thing he heard was a bang and a thud and then there he was, being pinned against the hood of Bryce's car.
"Don't talk like you know me, Norris because you don't," he growled into his ear.
"Sure I do," Ian growled back. "You're a coward and you don't know the first thing about being a captain-"
That was what ticked Bryce to do what he did next. He pulled him by the collar, opened the door to the back seat and shoved the boy inside. Ian tried to get up but Bryce grabbed him again and pushed him against the window, the car moving due to impact.
Then he was kissing him.
And Ian was kissing back.
Ian would groan out of self-deprecation if he could. This is like watching a dog chase its own tail. It's exhausting, yet somehow, Bryce always manages to pull him back to his own version of madness every single time.
"I hate you," he grumbled as he unbuttoned Bryce's shirt, their lips making noises that only they could hear. "You annoy me so much," he pulled away to press a kiss on his jaw, his neck, his bare chest. "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you-"
Bryce smirked and sucked into the skin where his shoulder and neck met, and Ian let out a shudder. "I know," he whispered. "And I hate you, too."
"Yeah?" Ian challenged, completely throwing away his plans of being mad at this boy for the rest of the year. He gripped onto Bryce's nape tightly as he whispered next to his reddened ear.
"Prove it."
This should be okay, Ian thought as Bryce pulled his shirt over his head, hands making their way to his waist, squeezing them as he deepened the kiss, painting hickeys on Ian's chest. High school was nearing its end. what more than screwing around with your enemy would make an iconic year-end experience?
Right?
No, Ian.