#and it's using the wrong color scheme | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

imaginespazzi · 1 month ago

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nivi alr here me out, if you want to, plssss a pazzi one shot of paige jelly over azzi in georgias jersey…plus 😈

Y'all know the drill. This was written in very little time and is definitely not edited and is extremely silly but y'all said Nivi rescue us from this fic drought, and I figured I'd give you a little droplet tee hee :)

Everything wrong with the color red and the number 8

Pairing: Paige Bueckers X Azzi Fudd

Paige Bueckers deserves a pat on the back.

Actually, she deserves a goddamn trophy.

Because Azzi Fudd (pretty, sexy, beautiful, gorgeous, literally a goddess and also most importantly, her girlfriend as is proudly displayed on her phonecase) is sitting courtside.

Right where Paige can see her.

And Paige hasn't gotten distracted once (okay well that's not entirely true because she may or may not have frozen the second she'd come out for warmups and seen said ethereal girlfriend on the sidelines and she may or may not have stopped breathing even though she'd already known Azzi was going to be here, and Nalyssa may or may not have ran straight into her from behind because Paige quite literally could not move and Dijonai may or may not have called her a simp for that because oh my god Paige you literally had brunch with her this morning but all of that is just semantics!)

But in the grand scheme of things Paige is pretty proud of herself and her self-control (and no the little glances she's been sneaking throughout warmups do not count as a strike against any of that because if she didn't take the liberty of occasionally checking out her girlfriend who she hasn't seen in years weeks, that would just be blasphemy and Paige Bueckers is a devout Christian who does not engage in blasphemy)

That is until Georgia Amoore enters the scene.

Paige doesn't know Georgia particularly well beyond when she'd met the girl during draft weekend (which if she's honest, she'd mainly spent most of that weekend tucked into a corner with Shyanne, the two of them going back and forth about how much they missed and adored their girlfriends) but she knows that her and Azzi had bonded over DAWG camp and anyone that gets the Azzi Fudd seal of approval, pretty automatically gets the Paige seal of approval too.

There's a ruby red Mystics jersey slung casually across Georgia's shoulder that Paige doesn't really pay much attention. She grins at the shorter girl when she makes her rounds past the Dallas team, dapping up all of her teammates before reaching Paige. There's a twinkle in Georgia's eyes as she smirks at the blonde, something a little cocky about it that almost reminds her of herself. Neither of them say anything beyond their casual smiles and Paige pencils that interaction into her memory to be thrown out in a couple of seconds.

Or so she thinks.

She continues going about her drills, a slight pep in her step that's been present since Friday night when she'd come home, (not to Connecticut, but to Azzi) as she goes through her routine. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spots Georgia walking over to her girlfriend, her grin widening (which like fair, she thinks everyone should in fact smile their biggest smile when in the presence of literal best person ever Azzi Fudd, but does she really need to show all thirty-two teeth like that?) as she reaches the brunette.

Naturally, Azzi hugs the Australian (and Paige isn't upset about that of course because Azzi is allowed to hug people and because she knows without a doubt that the way Azzi hugs other people is nothing compared to the way she hugs Paige, with her arms wrapped tightly around the blonde's body and her head tucked right into the crevice of her neck like it's where she feels the safest) who beams a little too bright for Paige's liking but she lets it slide, especially because Arike's just come over to join her to go through passing drills and Paige is not about to give her teammates more ammunition to tease their "baby gay" (which by the way Paige thinks is ridiculous because she's been gay for a hot minute now -and she definitely been gay longer than Nai- so really in her opinion she's a "grown gay") about how atrociously down bad she is for Azzi (which she is, proudly so, just in case anyone was wondering!).

Paige can't quite make out the conversation they're having as they break apart, but she hears Georgia giggle (a little too loud if you ask her) and then Azzi laughs (a beautiful sound that echoes warmly against Paige's ears but not nearly as perfect as the one she makes when it's Paige who elicits that lovely bout of laughter from her lips).

It happens in the flash of a second, between the ball leaving Paige's hands and finding it's way to Arike's (the universal sign for incoming disaster as Paige is quickly learning but will never say out loud). There's a blur of red in her peripheral and Paige swears she's not being dramatic, but it feels like the arena goes a little cold when her gaze drifts back to the courtside seats.

Georgia Amoore has disappeared.

But her presences still lingers, short and chaotic.

Because Azzi, her Azzi, who had previously been wearing a cute little white UConn top that defined her oh-so-lovely biceps and had been cropped just enough for that bellybutton piercing (the bane of fifteen year old Paige's existence and the object of all of post-sixteen year old Paige's desires) to peek out right underneath it, is now wearing a Mystics jersey.

Not just any Mystics jersey.

Georgia fucking Amoore's #8 Mystics jersey.

And Paige quite literally and figuratively sees red.

She blinks a couple of times, waiting for her own vision to be proven wrong. But nothing changes. Azzi's still right there.

Still in red.

Still in a Mystics Jersey.

Still in fucking #8.

Paige doesn't hate a lot of things (except for anyone who has the audacity to even blink in Azzi's direction with the wrong intentions that is) but in that moment she hates the color red (god who had let her wear red in her pregame outfit? that must have been some cursed foreshadowing) and she really hates the #8 (no seriously, she's going to have to text Jana and threaten to disown her from her will if the Egyptian doesn't immediately change her jersey number)

Azzi for her part, is the picture of innocence as she settles back into her seat, as if she hasn't done anything, as if she hasn't just thrown the cosmic balance of Paige's life off-kilter by wearing that offending item.

God, Paige is going to ruin her (when, she's not really sure, considering they're going straight back to Dallas after the game and Azzi has to fly in the opposite direction of that -a thought Paige is suppressing as far to the back of her mind as it will go- but it's going to happen; besides Paige is known for her efficiency for a reason, she doesn't need particularly long, just the two of them alone in the semi-secrecy of a locked bathroom somewhere in this wretched building)

And if the smirk dancing but never quite settling on Azzi's lips is anything to go by, the brunette knows it too (welcomes it even, as if both of them aren't currently running on about two hours of sleep and unspeakable amounts of caffeine to keep them functioning right now after getting reacquainted with each other's souls last night).

Arike can barely hold in a laugh when she spots Azzi and her jersey (Paige briefly wonders if there's a fine for burning opposing player's jersey and then consoles herself with the fact that if there is, it's nothing she can't pay out of pocket considering the length of the zeroes in her bank account is definitely larger than Georgia Amoore's fucking vertical) as she's walking over to greet another familiar face, before dapping up the brunette and then promptly returning back to Paige with a shit-eating grin.

"You gonna let that slide?" the vet asks coyly, the laughter palpable in her tone.

Paige doesn't respond, her focus solely on her girlfriend (and it's a sin that said girlfriend still look to entirely perfect even dressed in enemy attire that Paige wants to rip off her body for partially non-sexual reasons) who continues to smile cavalierly in her direction.

"Are you seriously wearing that?" Paige mouths, pointing at the jersey adorning her girlfrien'd perfect body (what she really wants to scream, is take it the fuck off)

Azzi raises her eyebrows as she shrugs, blinking almost naively (as if there isn't a hidden challenge of make me spelled out in the dark brown of her irises)

Paige purses her lips, narrowing her eyes, not quite a glare (because she's jealous and posessive but not stupid and she would never glare at the princess) but enough that it makes Azzi bite her lip, (which should be illegal because now Paige really wants march over and kiss her until that perfect lip routine of hers becomes a distant memory) not in fear, never that, but something else.

Something far more carnal that makes Azzi fidget in her seat and clench her thighs together.

It's subtle, something nobody else would notice but Paige. Because it's only for Paige, has only been for her since they were teenagers and just beginning to understand what that feeling was.

And Paige doesn't smirk, doesn't let anything show as she gets back into the rhythm of the passing drill with Arike, but something flares inside of her. (and no it isn't just pure horniness jesus fuck she has a game to play okay?)

Satisfaction.

And that innate feeling of knowing what is hers, will always be hers.

Because Georgia Amoore could win these harmless battles, but Paige doesn't even have to step into the battlefield to win the war.

Azzi could wear any jersey, any number, any color.

But fate itself had carved Bueckers into her heart, and even an Australian can't fight destiny.

#pazzi #paige bueckers #azzi fudd #genuinely so unserious #never say i never gave y'all anything (it's only true sometimes)#pazzi fics

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ckret2 · 16 days ago

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Chapter 98 of human Bill Cipher hanging out in the Mystery Shack because frankly he likes Mabel better than his own cultists: Bill does drugs, watches cartoons, and schemes against poor Melody who never did anything to him. Or did she?

"Here are those apples you needed, Sunny Cat," Love Bunny said, holding out a basket nearly overflowing with bright yellow apples the same color as Sunny's fur.

"Purrfect! Now I have just enough to finish the pie for today's picnic," Sunny said, taking the basket. "Thanks for bringing them, Love Bunny! You're always such a good friend!" The daffodils in the planter by Sunny's front door bloomed brighter and taller in response to this display of friendship.

"Of course! I'm always happy to help!" The green bunny waved goodbye over her shoulder as she left, then mused to herself, "Now, who was I going to help next?"

Her stroll took her down a ravine; a river flowed along one side of the path and a steep cliff face lined the other; and unbeknownst to her, at the top of the cliff, in the shade of the multicolor trees arched over the ravine, was a grey snake and an even darker gray tarantula the size of a grizzly bear.

Serpent Grey was watching her with a pair of binoculars he was holding with his tail.

Serpent said "Perfect! She's pinned in by the river on one side and the cliff on the other. We can easily surround her!" He hiss-chuckled evilly, then snapped, "Harry! Is that net ready yet?!"

Harry was wrestling with a spiderweb net he'd tangled his legs in. "Just a second!" He rocked back and forth with a grunt. "Almooost! ... Whoa—" He rolled over—in the process, steamrolling Serpent with his abdomen. Serpent's distressed squawk was muffled under a mass of spider fuzz.

"Hey, I got the net free!"

"Wonderful," Serpent wheezed. He painfully peeled himself off the ground, winced, and said, "You'll block her from the front and serve as a distraction—(it's about the only thing you're good for, web-for-brains)—and meanwhile, I'll sssneak up from behind with the net and ssscoop her up! Then we'll easily drag her back to the Duke of Smog's castle—"

Harry gasped in delight. "She's coming to the castle with us?!"

"She—yes, bug breath, that's the entire plan!"

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy!" He bounced in delight back and forth between his left and right legs. "We never get guests, I'm so excited! We can have a sleepover and make popcorn and watch movies and paint each other's nails pretty colors—" He stopped suddenly, looked at Serpent Grey, and said sadly, "But you don't have nails."

"And I don't want your hideouss colorsss!" Serpent snapped.

"Aww, but I like colors."

"No you don't!"

"Oh."

"Anyway!" Serpent huffed irritably. "She's not coming over as our guest, she'll be our prisoner—"

Whatever he'd been about to say next was cut off in a pained gurgle as Harry trampled over him to reach the edge of the cliff and look down at Love Bunny below. Dismayed, Harry said, "She's going the wrong way! Say, does she know she's coming to our castle?"

Tail thrashing uselessly, Serpent struggled to squeeze his head out from under Harry's feet. "Nooo! Of course not! That's the whole point, you nincompoop!"

Harry gasped in horror. "Oh, no! I'd better go tell her, she's going to miss it!"

"Wait, don—!" Serpent's protests were cut off again as one of Harry's many legs stamped on his head.

"Hey, Love Bunny!" Harry lumbered down the cliffside, his spider web net tangled around a couple of his left legs.

She looked up at the shout. "Oh no—Harry?! What's he doing here?"

"Me and Serpent wanted to ask if you wanna come to our castle for a, a—" As Harry reached level ground, he stumbled, tripped over his own net—"Whoa!"—and tumbled across the narrow path into the river. Love Bunny gasped as he plunged underwater with a splash.

It was several seconds before he bobbed to the surface, legs flailing in a panic, already swept ten feet downstream, "He—heeelp! Somebody heeelp!"

Atop the cliff, Serpent's whole back rippled in a jolt of panic. "Oh no, oh no, what do I do?" He looked left, looked right, and when he didn't see anyone else he could order to rescue Harry for him, he scooted back from the edge of the cliff, whistling innocently.

Love Bunny muttered, "Even if he's a bad guy, I can't just let him drown!" She looked around, spotted the spider web net discarded in the middle of the path, and flung her flower basket's handle over her arm so she could snatch up the net with both hands. She ran after the panicked tarantula. "Harryyy! Grab on to this!" She flung the net out over the river.

Harry latched on to it with all his legs and held on tight as Love Bunny laboriously heaved him to shore. He lay on his back, four eyes blinking dazedly.

"Whew." Love Bunny wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, panting. "Are you okay?"

Harry flipped himself upright, shook himself dry like a dog, and scuttled up to Love Bunny. "I am now! Gee, you—you saved my life!"

"I guess I did. You should be more careful running around next to rivers! It's easy to slip and fall in."

"Oh, I will," he said earnestly. "Thank you! I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."

Love Bunny laughed nervously. "Well, you're welcome, Harr—whoa!"

Harry had scooped her up in a crushing four-legged hug. "From now on, you're my best friend! Just say the word, bestest pal, and I'll do anything you want! I'll be right by your side... forever!"

Watching from the top of the cliff, Serpent slapped the end of his tail over his eyes and whined, "Oh, nooo!"

Love Bunny cringed, unsuccessfully trying to wiggle out of Harry's embrace. "Oh, no."

The screen panned down from her face to the basket still slung over arm, just in time to catch how the budding flowers all bloomed and a curtain of vines crept out of the basket and hung down the sides.

Laying on his back on the couch, legs kicked up over the backrest, watching the TV upside-down, Bill said to nobody, "I was right. This show is amazing on psychedelics." The vines twisted around into infinite emerald fractal spirals, filling the TV screen and spilling out the edges to begin taking over the pattern of the wallpaper behind it. He should have done this on an episode with less focus on the Duke's minions, though. The multicolor pyrotechnics were wasted on a couple characters that looked like they'd crawled out of the Valley of Ashes.

Mabel dragged her gaze from Color Critters. "What psychedelics? You don't have anything." She squinted at him. Which was probably for her own safety, since her eyes were obviously beginning to liquefy, and were now big wobbly orbs like floating balls of molten metal in zero gravity, threatening to goop out of her skull. (Bill wondered if she was aware of this.) "Do you?"

"Uh." He did, in fact, have something. During one of his recent excursions outside at night, he'd managed to harvest some hallucinogenic moss from the forest and leave it out on the roof to dry. He'd collected his first batch in the wee hours of the morning and was testing it right now. But the adult humans probably didn't want him talking about the fun substances in front of the half-grown humans. "You mean you didn't know that if you turn your head upside-down long enough, the whole world starts to look like a kaleidoscope?"

Her wobbly blob eyes looked skeptical. "Really? Because I've tried standing on my head until all the blood rushes to it, and I just passed out."

"Yeah, because you were doing it wrong! You've gotta keep your heart level with your head," he gestured at his torso laid out on the couch, "so that not all the blood goes to your head! What you want is to just get your brain upside-down, so that the uh... the chemical juices pooled at the bottom of your skull drain back up to the top. It's the same thing that causes dreams. Because your head is on its side." Oh, that was inspired. Bill was on a roll. He was so creative, everyone loved him. The butterflies made out of sunlight that were beginning to float out of the TV and circle the room agreed. "Turning your head totally upside-down just enhances the effect!"

Mabel considered that; then she set aside the crayon masterpiece she'd been working on, climbed up on the couch next to Bill, and positioned herself like Bill with her head upside-down.

Leo Proud bounded to his garden gate at the sight of Love Bunny coming up the road. "Hey, Love Bunny! Good timing! All of Prisma's glitterflies escaped, we could use help catching—" He flinched in shock. "Rowr! Watch out, Harry Legs is right behind you!"

Love Bunny tried to wave him back. "Wait! He's not here to hurt us, he—" Her protests were lost as Leo dove past her and slammed into Harry. "Oh... drat."

Bill would have cracked a joke about how Love Bunny oughta watch her goddamn language, if he hadn't been distracted by the whirling kaleidoscope of a thousand spider legs as Leo and Harry rolled downhill. Oh, this was amazing on psychedelics, even with Harry's drab fashion sense. He had to bring copies of this show back to the Quadrangle of Qonfusion to play on party nights. He'd hand them off to Amorphous Shape to stitch together some kind of greatest hits video out of the trippiest sequences, she was good at that kind of thing. And that was when Prisma came on screen with an army of rainbow-colored flecks of moving sunlight in the shape of butterflies. "Wow."

"Those are Prisma's pet glitterflies!" Mabel explained. "They only show up in like, three episodes. I dunno why."

"Let's watch the other two next."

"We're watching them in order," Mabel said firmly. "Or as close to in order as we can get with the tapes at the local video rental store!" The Budget Baby Cartoon block on the Gravity Falls Bargain Movie channel had started rerunning Color Critter episodes that Mabel had already showed Bill, so she'd started renting tapes from the place that was miraculously still in business even though its selection of video tapes outnumbered the DVDs 10 to 1. Bill wondered how long it would last once the streaming era picked up steam.

Bill groaned. What was the point of switching to tapes if they weren't taking advantage of their freedom to watch the episodes in any order they wanted? But fine, he didn't know if he could handle more glitterflies anyway. The blue of the sky was beginning to seep out of the TV screen and, in defiance of gravity, drip upward toward the ceiling, and Bill was losing track of the plot. Somebody must have said something about catching the glitterflies, because Leo and Love Bunny were running around with nets trying to catch them and add them to a jar Prisma was holding, and Harry was ineptly jumping around trying to catch the individual glitterflies with his paws. "No," Bill whispered, hand stretched toward the fluttering lights. "Be free."

Mabel elbowed his side. "I never understood why Harry tries to grab them. He made a spider web net to catch Love Bunny like five minutes ago. He can make another!"

"Dream logic," Bill sad confidently. "The web net's out of sight, it doesn't exist anymore and it never will again."

Mabel considered that. "But wouldn't that mean the other characters don't exist when they aren't on screen?"

"They don't exis—" The screen briefly filled with horizontal stripes of static violently flashing pleas for help and Bill flinched. "Jeesh!" Static was even worse when he was high.

"Sorry, this tape's kinda damaged," Mabel said. "It still plays the whole episode, though! I think."

"Ugh, warn me the next time there's gonna be one of those."

Mabel gave him an odd look.

Soos ducked into the living room doorway. "Hey, dudes. Me and Melody are going to—whoa, what's going on here? Did gravity reverse?" He waved his hand in the room, as though checking the gravity.

"Bill says if you sit upside-down long enough, everything looks like a kaleidoscope! It isn't working yet, though. How long does it take?"

Bill tried to remember the lie he'd made up. "Uh... It might take longer for you, you're younger. Got less brain goop."

"Good luck with that," Soos said solemnly. "Anyway, we're going to the grocery store, you dudes need anything?"

"More Kool-Joos powder!" Mabel said. "Any flavor! Except white grape. Or banana. Or kiwi mango. But any others! And cereal. And more sprinkles, we're almost out—there's only, like, five bottles left. And—"

"Hold on, I should be writing this down."

"I've got it," Melody said, typing on her phone.

"You already have my list," Bill said, making a languid gesture with one hand like a regal, upside-down king. "Just follow that. I also put down sprinkles, but Mabel's got a point. Double my order."

"Yeeah, about your list," Melody said. "There's fifty-five condiments on here."

"Right," Bill agreed.

"And that's not counting the four kinds of pepper."

"Right."

"And six kinds of peppers."

Bill counted in his head. "I think you're short one! What's on the list?"

"Serranos, habaneros, ghost chilis, jalapeños, pickled jalapeños, sliced nacho jalapeños..."

Bill squinted as he tried to remember what was missing. The light butterflies' bodies morphed into peppers. "Didja get the poblanos?"

"Uh..." Melody scanned the list.

Soos leaned over to help. "Oh." He pointed, "Yeah, you listed it as an alternate purchase in case..." In case the store didn't have heated lube. Soos curled his lips into his mouth and raised his brows. "Mm."

"Great." Bill gestured regally toward the door. "Get shopping."

Melody rolled her eyes—and caught sight of the TV. Her face lit up and she leaned into the living room. "Oh, hey, are you watching Color Critters?"

"Yes!" Mabel sat bolt upright, her eyes bright with excitement. "I found it a few months ago! I'm going on a retro cartoon appreciation tour! Do you know it?!"

"Yeah, I used to love it when I was a kid! I'm pretty sure it's what got me into unicorns."

"You're into unicorns?! Shut up, I'm into unicorns! I'm—I'm making peace with unicorns, anyway! Fictional unicorns are okay." Somberly, Mabel asked, "You know the real ones are jerks, right?"

Melody laughed. "Oh yeah, don't worry. Wendy's told me all about them. My interest is more academic. I was researching unicorn mythology in college."

"Really? You can do that?" With a faint air of awe, Mabel asked, "Can I read your research?"

"Oh, gosh, it's all at my parents' house in Portland. But if I ever dig it out, I promise I'll show you."

"You should watch Color Critters with us! You're a unicorn expert, you can probably tell us loads of stuff!"

"Ooh, maybe. I barely remember anything about it, I stopped watching it when I was like, five? It started creeping me out for some dumb reason."

"Whaaat! What's creepy about it, it's the most adorable show I've ever seen!"

"Literally I don't even remember. I was way younger than you when I saw it, though. Who knows what was going through my head."

"I bet you're old enough to handle it now!"

Melody laughed. "God, I hope I am!" She glanced at Bill on the couch—watching the show upside-down with his inhuman pupils dilated—grimaced, and said, "But, maybe another time. Soos and I still need to go shopping," she said. "Speaking of which—we're not getting fifty-five condiments. You can ask for, like... ten."

"What?!" Bill tried to sit upright, lost his balance, and slid backwards off the couch to land on his back with a grunt. He quickly sat up again. "Ten?! You're crazy, what am I supposed to do with ten condiments?!"

"Season your food like a normal person?"

"—have you met me—"

"Babe," Soos said. "Maybe a few more wouldn't hurt—"

"There's no way you'll use all fifty-five! Most of them will just sit on a shelf until they go bad!"

Bill glared daggers at Melody. The hallucinatory glitterflies started circling in a ring behind her head, forming into angry red arrows pointing at her. Ohhh, Bill knew. He didn't need them to tell him that. "How would you know what I'll eat, you've never seen my eating habits before. You've seen my foraging like a starving rat habits!"

"If you're so worried about starving, a bunch of condiments won't fix that—"

"What, you think all those fruit and vegetables magically lose their nutrients if you chop 'em up and call 'em salsa?!"

"It's fine," Soos said, just a little too forcefully to be natural. He put a hand on Melody's shoulder. "Babe, it's cool. I'm paying, it's not a big deal."

"That's why it's a big—" Melody huffed as Soos tried to gently tug her from the living room; but she let him turn her away and lowered her voice. "Soos, you don't have to just do anything he asks! You know this list is ridiculous."

"Yeah but like—he basically had to survive on peanut butter and tortillas for a month? If he wants to experiment with some condiments, I say we let him."

"But that many? And I know we have some of these in the fridge already."

"He can't get in the fridge by himself, I think he just wants his own..." Their voices faded as the back door opened and shut.

"Didn't ask for a white knight," Bill muttered. He didn't realize how tightly his teeth had clenched until his jaw muscles started to ache.

He faked a disinterested yawn to force the muscles to stretch, climbed upside-down back onto the couch, and looked at the TV again—although he wasn't really paying attention to Leo scolding Harry for smashing Prisma's glass jar and letting the glitterflies escape again.

Melody. What was Bill going to do about her.

She was still one of his top three suspects for the person who'd reported his presence to the Bureau of Covert Investigations—and maybe it was in his head, but he could swear that she'd gotten even more hostile toward him in the last few days. Bitter her plan to get rid of him had backfired, maybe? He could just picture it: Melody the outsider to this little happy family, unimpressed with the Pines family's insistence that they were the only ones capable of handling Bill Cipher, thinking about her upcoming wedding and her fears about having to move into the same house as Bill... It was a pretty good motive for betraying the family's trust.

But how did he find out whether it was true? There was no guarantee Powers would be able to find any info on the original caller who'd placed the tip.

The easiest way to find out would be just peeking inside Melody's head to see. At least, under normal circumstances it'd be easy. He'd attempted the Magister Mentium spell the last time he'd caught Abuelita snoozing in the living room; and nothing had happened, just like the last time he'd tried it. For all the magic tricks he'd picked back up, he still wasn't any closer to tugging his soul out of this body and into the mindscape, much less inserting it into anyone else's dreamscape.

But then, if Bill could do that, he wouldn't need to worry about petty concerns like who'd snitched to the feeble local government.

He sighed. Ugh, he was too high to think of anything useful but not quite high enough to stop worrying about it. He tried to focus on the cartoon again.

Harry was sitting dejectedly on a downed tree; behind him, a stone water fountain was half demolished and spraying out its water sideways, a lush green lawn had had random stripes shaved through it down to the mud, a picnic blanket was trampled into the dirt, and a rose bush was on fire. Aw, man, Bill had missed a really good sequence.

"No matter what I do, I just seem to mess everything up," Harry sighed. "Maybe I'm just no good as a friend."

"You can say that again," Teddy Tender grumbled, glaring out at the wreck of his lawn.

Love Bunny shushed the bear, then gingerly walked up to Harry and sat beside him. "Maybe you're not a good gardener, but that doesn't mean you can't be a good friend. Everyone has different strengths—and sometimes, we have different strengths from our friends! Being a good friend doesn't just mean offering help; it also means knowing you can ask your friends for help with the things you can't do very well yourself."

Harry's face lit up. "Yeah—yeah! I don't have to garden! I can help at the picnic with the other things I'm good at! Uhh... what am I good at?"

Love Bunny looked over the gigantic tarantula, took just a little too long to think of something to say, and finally, dubiously, offered, "Being tall...?"

"You're lucky he's dumb as a rock, bunny," Bill said. He was high enough that for a second he was sure Love Bunny turned to give him an exasperated glare. He stuck his tongue out at her.

There was a thought, though. Why did Bill have to uncover the snitch all by himself? By now, it was abundantly clear that the reincarnation process had done something to glue his soul into his body unnaturally tightly, even by human standards—which meant that everybody except him would have an easier time getting inside Melody's head. And as the kindergartener show so helpfully pointed out, a good friend knows when to ask other friends for help—

Another burst of static disrupted his train of thoughts. He flinched and shut his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, the other Color Critters had apparently had enough of Harry, because he was cowering against the fence around Teddy's yard (which only came up to his waist) while half a dozen critters shouted at him to go away. Love Bunny looked helplessly between her friends and Harry.

"Come on, Love Bunny," Sunny said, paws on her hips. "You don't need to be nice to him! Come over here with us!"

Love Bunny's expression hardened inasmuch as the world's fuzziest bunny face could harden, and she stepped protectively between her friends and Harry. "No! He's not doing anything wrong." She continued over the other critters' gasps of surprise: "He's only been trying to help out! It's not nice to exclude him for making mistakes! And it's not nice to try to tell your friends who they can be friends with just because you don't like their friends!"

As Love Bunny's impassioned speech continued, the ruined garden around her started to grow again: the muddy strips of dirt filled with tiny shoots, and then flower buds; the charred-black rose bush un-wilted as the leaves grew fresh and green again; the dull brown mud drained out of the picnic blanket, leaving it a vibrant checkered red and white; vines even twisted and climbed around the broken water fountain to put it back into its normal shape. And then the whole scene started radiating pulsing golden lights that were trying to send Bill coded messages. That might have been the hallucinogenic moss talking.

"That's basically us," Mabel said, perhaps too optimistically.

Bill said, "Then you're not defending my honor hard enough. The shack's lawn looks completely dead."

"That's not my fault, your honor needs waaay more defending than Harry's."

Leo angrily retorted, "But he's been trying to destroy our colors and make the forest gloomy for as long as we've known him! And he's never felt bad about it before, so why wouldn't he do it again?"

Everyone turned toward Harry. Love Bunny asked, "Do you feel bad about destroying our colors?"

Harry kicked a rock awkwardly with one of his many feet. "Yeeeah, I do. I'm sorry guys. I really like colors! I just wanted to make my old friends happy. But I won't do it again!"

As he spoke, the camera angle switched to frame him from behind—and reveal Serpent Grey slithering along near the ground on the other side of the fence. He shot a dirty look toward Harry and grumble/hissed something under his breath. Bill tried to remember if Serpent had been around the rest of the episode trying to drag Harry back to the dull side. It seemed likely. He couldn't remember, though.

Love Bunny turned toward Leo and Tender. Grudgingly, Leo said, "Well... I guess, as long as he's sorry."

Teddy nodded encouragingly. "I think it's great that he wants to be nicer."

"Love Bunny, that was a very brave thing you did," Prisma said. "Sometimes, it can be scary to disagree with our friends. And sometimes it seems easier to go along with what our friends want to do, even when we know they're wrong—like when Harry was mean to us because his friends wanted him to be." (Harry looked properly abashed.) "But you thought your friends weren't being nice, and instead of staying quiet or going along with them, you stood your ground and told them what you thought!"

"Wow, it really wasn't that hard," Love Bunny said. "I just imagined how bad it would feel if my friend's friends didn't like me, and my friend wasn't willing to defend me!"

Bill made a gagging noise. "Ugh, empathy." Mabel shushed him.

"So, I can stay for the picnic?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Sure you can!" Teddy said, all past grudges immediately forgotten. He gestured toward their picnic blanket and basket. "Take a seat!"

"And try a slice of my pie," Sunny said.

"Oh boy oh boy!" Harry hopped in place excitedly. So excitedly, in fact, that he tripped over the fence behind him and tumbled backward with a yelp, squashing Serpent, tangling with him, and rolling down a slope toward—

"How many cliffs does this place have?" Bill asked. "Is this the same one?"

"Nooo, the first one had more trees."

This new cliff had only one tree, a scraggly thing tilted off the edge of the cliff that Serpent just barely managed to wrap his tail around as they tumbled over the edge. Harry wrapped several paws around Serpent's neck, squeezing it down to the width of a straw as his eyes bugged out like balloons. But Serpent's tail held, and the two of them dangled off the edge of the cliff.

"Wow," Harry said. "You saved my life!"

"hrk," Serpent squeaked.

"You do care! Oh, thank you, Serpent, thank you thank you thank you!"

"hhhg," Serpent wheezed. In defiance of his name and common snake anatomy, his face had turned bright red.

"You're my bestest-estest friend ever!" Harry switched from death-gripping Serpent's neck to hugging it. Serpent's face turned blue. "I'll never leave you again! Come on, let's go home! We can finger paint together!" He climbed Serpent back up to the tree and safe ground, half ripping the tree's roots from the dirt as he did.

With a desperate gasp of air, Serpent climbed up to the tree and flopped limply on the trunk. After a moment to catch his breath, he lifted his head to snarl, "I don't have fingers!" (A few more of the tree's roots tore loose.) "And I hate paintiEEEEK!" The tree lost its grip on the cliff, bringing Serpent down with it.

Harry gasped. "Oh no! Wait for me, best friend!" He dove off the cliff. "Wait for MEEEeee!"

"And then they died," Bill said.

"And then they died!" Mabel agreed. "BOOM, splat!"

"And colors are safe forever! Hooray for colors!"

"Naaah, then the Duke of Smog would have to do his own dirty work instead of sending his minions," Mabel said. "He's ten times worse than them."

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting about him."

Love Bunny had jumped the fence and hopped up to the point where Harry and Serpent had fallen, but they were long gone by then. "Oh, no. Did he really go back with Serpent Grey?"

Prisma gave Love Bunny a compassionate smile and that little head tilt that the animators used to signal that she was still youthful and cute in spite of being wise beyond her years. The sunshine bounced off her hair in a shimmery iridescent flash of rainbow light.

Bill squinted at it. "Wow, sparkly. Did they save this episodes entire animation budget just to highlight her highlights?" A moment too late he realized that might have been the moss again.

To his relief, Mabel didn't ask what he was talking about. "I think they recycled that shot from the movie about Prisma's history! They start doing that in the second half of season one. You can always tell because the special effects have a little extra pizzazz."

"They made a movie about this thing?"

"Yeah! Well—made-for-TV movie. More of a special, really. It's two episodes."

"Oh-ho-ho! A full 42 minutes!"

Prisma put a hand on Love Bunny's shoulder. "It's like you said: you can't tell your friend who he can be friends with. All you can do is be the best friend to him you can be. And if Harry Legs has friends that are bad for him, that means he needs a good friend more than ever."

Love Bunny nodded wistfully. Looking in the direction of the Duke of Smog's cloud-wreathed castle, she said wistfully, "I just hope someday Harry realizes how bad Serpent and the Duke are for him."

"Well, if he ever does... we'll have a home waiting for him here."

The somber moment was cut off by the raucous ending music as the episode's credits began to play.

"And then they never talked again, did they," Bill said.

"Nnnope! The rest of the show acted like this episode never happened! And in season 2 Bugsy Bee joined the good guys instead."

"I've seen sandwiches that lasted longer than the sense of continuity in an 80's kid show."

"I think it's part of their charm," Mabel said. "Old shows leave so many plot holes that you can fill in with your own imagination. Liiike this!" Mabel held up the drawn she'd been working on. Harry Legs was tenderly holding Love Bunny's paw in four of his own while Love Bunny turned away, the back of her other paw pressed to her forehead in a romantic swoon. "I imagine they've been meeting at night to carry on a secret friendship that blooms into forbidden love. That's why they have to act like they aren't friends anymore when the others are around." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Prisma figured it out, though. She secretly supports them."

"Do you think Harry's clever enough to carry on that ruse?"

"Anything's possible through the power of love!" Mabel flipped to a second drawing. "Liiike this!" She'd drawn Harry, Love Bunny, and six eight-legged bunny-eared green babies. "Taranturabbits!"

Bill stared at them in wonder. "These are the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen. When I take over the world, you get to redesign the fauna."

"Thanks! Don't take over the world, though." She put down the papers and straightened up in that way she did when she was in moral teacher mode. "So, Bill! What did we learn today?"

"Don't hang out next to rivers if you can't swim, never hire a tarantula as a gardener, and if you wanna make more friends, just put somebody in mortal peril and then save their life."

"Well, one of those lessons is valid."

"Wait wait, I left out an important detail: put them in mortal peril, but don't let them know you're the one who did it."

"I mean... it would probably work, but it would be bad," Mabel said. "Let's try to take a moral from this that won't make your friends hate you if they find out the truth."

"There's still the river thing."

"A moral lesson."

"Uhhh..." Bill squinted at the rolling credits. He was too high for this. "I'm too tired for this." Sleepover night.

"This is an unusually ethically complicated one for a Color Critters episode," Mabel said compassionately. "It might be beyond your level."

"Yeah," Bill said. He processed that. "Wait."

She stopped the tape. "Maybe you need some time to process it."

"Hey! What about watching the next episode!"

"Oh, no! You're still figuring out this one!" She ejected the tape before Bill could reach the VCR, and dodged his attempts to snatch it from her. "We'll move on once you understand this episode's lesson."

"Aw, come on!" Bill tried to catch up with her before she could get up the stairs, but he was paralyzed in the entryway by a halo of fire around the window in the door, shooting beams of staticky rainbow messages into the room. They ricocheted between the walls like a flurry of pinballs, hiding the stairs in an impenetrable obstacle course.

He stared at the bouncing beams in dismay, sat on the bottom step, and grumbled, "I'm really too high for this."

"You should have had less moss," said Prisma the Fairy.

Bill shrugged at the hallucination. "Yeah. Probably."

####

(TBOB changes: Bill picking up screams and messages in TV static was based on TBOB, and the hallucinogenic moss is also thanks to TBOB, but that's about it. If it hadn't been moss it would've been shrooms, and Bill's TV static phobia got incorporated because I already had other plans for Bill and TV static from before TBOB—but we'll get to that in a few chapters!

Okay, no more forcing y'all to watch Color Critters. For now. But trust me, this is gonna pay off in like 8,000 chapters.

Nobody asked to see Bill's shopping list, but I actually DID come up with it, so by god I'm putting it in here. It's optional you don't actually have to read it. But it amuses me:

SILLY STRAWS

A teapot.

Five kinds of tea. Dealer's choice. None of that cheap crap.

at least 18 condiments. 37 55, see below

Ribbed condoms

Tingly lube — if tingly lube unavailable: poblano pepper

Two electric toothbrushes, different styles

those pads with the yellow lightning & sun pattern

eggs

dates

avocados

salmon

Potatoes

Kale

Seaweed

garlic

Liver

Corn chips (triangular ONLY!!!)

Four kinds of sprinkles: – rainbow nonpareils – Yellow sugar sprinkles – Summer fun sprinkle medley – Gold pearls

Serrano peppers

Habanero peppers

Ghost chili peppers

Jalapeños

Pickled jalapeños

Sliced nacho jalapeños

Lemon pepper

Cayenne pepper seasoning

Black pepper

Crushed red pepper

Tabasco sauce

Black pepper ketchup

Buffalo sauce

A1 steak sauce

Tabasco sauce

Mole

Garlic Alfredo sauce

Basil pesto

Pineapple habanero sauce

Soy sauce

Balsamic vinegar

Vodka sauce

Brown sugar bbq sauce

Chamoy

Spicy brown mustard

Apple cider vinegar

Raspberry vinaigrette

Extra virgin olive oil

Popcorn butter

Jalapeño lime ranch

Thousand island dressing

Mint jelly

Apple butter

Pineapple preserves

Strawberry jalapeño jam

Bacon jam

Orange marmalade

Lemon curd

Marionberry preserves

Quince spread

Dulce de leche

Serrano jelly

Chocolate hazelnut spread

Plum preserves

Crunchy peanut butter

Bean dip

Peach salsa

Cilantro lime salsa

Find the hottest salsa in the store. Buy three jars.

Guacamole

Ranch dip

Salsa con queso (two jars)

100% maple syrup

Raw wildflower honey

Clover honey

Cinnamon honey

Purple icing

Lemon cake frosting

Fudge sauce

Hot pink confetti frosting

Cherry pie filling

Diced nuts

Strawberry syrup

Marshmallow fluff

Salted caramel sauce

— If you get low sodium low fat low sugar anything I'll kill you

bread or something

Spam

Canned tuna salad

Chicken salad

You can tell he's got his priorities in order, but god only knows what that order is.

Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed, and next chapter: new character! Well not new, they're technically canon and we've met them once before. But this is their PROPER introduction. Looking forward to hearing y'all's thoughts on this chapter!)

#bill cipher #human bill cipher #mabel pines #(soos & melody show up too but like I'm p sure the rainbow brite care bears knock offs get more dialogue than them so I'm not tagging them)#gravity falls #gravity falls fic #gravity falls fanart #fanart #my art #my writing #bill goldilocks cipher

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jburrgf · 6 months ago

Text

Friends; The Love Trope Series

You Belong With Me, Part. 1

◦pairing: ¡bestfriend! joe burrow x ¡bestfriend! reader

◦summary: friends to lovers, childhood friendship. slow burn, soulmates.

◦description: you and joe are best friends since day one. both of you are on yours last year of high school. being part of the graduation committee means a lot to you, and you are all 100% with prom preparations. on the other side, joe is there, helping you like always. but now, things hit different when you realize he’s not just a high school sweetheart: joe burrow is the love of your whole life.

° playlist: Friends, Ed Sheeran From Eden, Hoozier 21, Gracie Abramns You Belong With Me, Taylor Swift I Couldn’t Be More In Love, The 1975

◦From the Love Trope Series. Part II / Part III / Part IV

THE PLAINS, OHIO — SPRING 2015

JOE BURROW.

The cafeteria buzzed with the usual hum of overlapping conversations, laughter, and the occasional clatter of a dropped tray. I leaned back in my chair, balancing it precariously on two legs as I half-listened to my teammates debating the best dunk from last night's school game.

My attention, though, was elsewhere. It always was these days.

“Bro, you’re staring again.”

I turned, scowling at Sam, one of my teammates. He was grinning like he’d just caught me red-handed, which, to be fair, he had.

“I’m not staring,” I muttered, grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder.

“Sure you’re not,” Sam said, dragging out the words. “Just like you weren’t staring yesterday when she was hanging up those prom posters.”

I rolled my eyes, trying to brush him off, but the heat creeping up my neck gave me away. He wasn’t wrong. I had been staring.

It wasn’t like I could help it. Y/N had been my best friend since we were five years old, but somewhere along the line, things changed. It was subtle at first—a skipped heartbeat here, a lingering glance there. By sophomore year, I’d gone from thinking she was cute in that “best friend” way to realizing I was completely, hopelessly in love with her.

And now? Now I was just the idiot who couldn’t tell her.

Y/N was sitting at the table near the windows, her head bent over a clipboard, her pen scribbling furiously. Her lips moved as she mouthed whatever notes she was jotting down, and her brows furrowed in that way they always did when she was focused. It was one of those little things about her that I couldn’t help but find endearing—like the way she’d unconsciously tap her pen against her cheek when she was thinking or how her voice would rise just a bit when she got excited about something. Watching her now, so completely absorbed, I couldn’t help but smile to myself, even if the ache in my chest reminded me why I kept these thoughts to myself. She had been like this for weeks—wrapped up in her role on the prom committee. She’d tell me about it every chance she got, her voice lighting up as she described color schemes, playlists, and centerpieces. It was cute, really, how excited she was.

But then there was him.

Brian Harris, the shooting guard from our basketball team, sauntered over to Y/N’s table. He was the type who thrived on attention, always quick with a joke or a flashy move to keep the spotlight on him. Brian and I didn’t exactly get along—Brian’s cocky demeanor had rubbed me the wrong way since freshman year, and our clashes during practice, when I used to play basketball, were almost legendary. I stiffened. He leaned on the edge of her table, his stupid, cocky grin plastered across his face as he said something that made her laugh. My stomach twisted at the sound.

He always wanted everything that I had, My talent, my position, my girl. And after I left basketball for good and he became captain, he’s on the run of the other things that he misses.

“Dude, you’re gonna snap that chair if you keep leaning back like that,” Josh, one of my friends, said, smirking.

“Shut up,” I muttered, letting the chair drop back onto all four legs with a thud.

“Oh, someone’s grumpy,” Sam teased, following my gaze. “Ah, I see. Miller’s making a move on Y/N, huh?”

“He’s not making a move,” I snapped, even though the words felt hollow. Of course he was making a move. The guy was a known flirt, and Y/N was...well, Y/N. Beautiful, smart, funny. She had this way of making everyone feel like they mattered, and apparently, Brian Harris wasn’t immune to her charm.

“Relax, man. She’s your best friend. It’s not like she’d go for him,” Josh said, but there was a knowing glint in his eye. “Unless...”

“Unless what?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Unless you’re finally ready to admit you’re into her,” Sam said, grinning from a distance.

“I’m not—” I started, but the words died in my throat. What was the point? Josh wasn’t going to believe me, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I believed myself anymore.

Y/N

Prom committee meetings were the highlight of my week lately. Sure, they were hectic, and half the time I felt like I was herding cats trying to get everyone to agree on something, but it was worth it. This was *our* prom, and I wanted it to be perfect.

Today, I was finalizing the seating chart when Brian Harris’s shadow fell over my table. I looked up, surprised to see him smiling down at me.

“Hey, Y/N,” he said, his voice smooth. “You’re working hard over here. Need a break?”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Not really. There’s too much to do.”

“Come on,” he said, leaning closer. “Even superheroes need a break.”

I laughed, though it felt more polite than genuine. The truth was, Brian’s attention did nothing on me. Sure, it was nice to be noticed, but his charm felt too practiced, too rehearsed. Deep down, I knew the only person whose approval I wanted was Joe’s. Brian was nice and all, but he wasn’t exactly the kind of guy I’d go out of my way to talk to. Still, it was flattering that he was paying attention to me. It wasn’t like I had guys lining up to flirt with me.

“Maybe later,” I said, hoping he’d take the hint.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Joe watching us from across the cafeteria. His jaw was clenched, and he was gripping his water bottle so tightly I thought it might burst. I fought the urge to smile. Joe could be so obvious sometimes.

“Alright, but don’t work too hard,” Brian said, winking as he walked away.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Joe appeared at my side, dropping into the seat across from me.

“What did Harris want?” he asked, his tone sharper than usual.

“Nothing,” I said, shrugging. “He was just being nice.”

“Nice? That guy doesn’t do nice, Y/N. He was hitting on you.” He hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “I just… I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about,” he said, his voice low. “He’s into you.”

I stared at him, trying to process his words. Was he… jealous?

“And what if he is?” I asked, testing the waters.

Joe’s expression darkened, and for a moment, I thought he was going to argue. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “You can do better than him,” he muttered, his fingers drumming against the table as his gaze shifted away, like he couldn’t bear to watch me react.

I opened my mouth to answer, but the words caught in my throat. How could I tell him the truth? That I didn’t care about Brian or any other guy because the only one I wanted was standing right in front of me?

Instead, I shrugged. “He’s nice.”

Joe’s expression darkened, and he took a step back. “Right. Well, I’ve got practice. See you later.”

My heart skipped a beat. Was it just my imagination, or did he sound...jealous? I bit my lip, unsure of how to respond. I’d been in love with Joe for as long as I could remember, but he’d never given me any reason to think he felt the same way. Still, moments like this made me wonder.

JOE BURROW.

I couldn’t focus during practice that afternoon. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Brian Harris leaning over Y/N’s table, making her laugh. It shouldn’t have bothered me so much. She was her own person, and she could talk to whoever she wanted. But the thought of her with someone else — especially someone like Miller — made my blood boil.

“Earth to Joe,” Coach called, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Are you planning on joining us today, or are you just here for the view?”

“Sorry, Coach,” I mumbled, jogging back to my spot on the field.

After practice, I found myself walking toward Y/N’s locker without even thinking about it. She was standing there, talking to Tracy, one of her friends from the prom committee. When she saw me, her face lit up, and for a moment, the tightness in my chest eased.

“Hey,” I said, my voice soft but warm. “Long day?”

“Exhausting,” Y/n replied with a laugh. “But worth it. The decorations are coming together, thanks to you.”

“Just doing my part. Are you sure you don’t need a ride home? My truck’s right outside.” As the words left my mouth, I couldn’t help but hope she’d say yes, imagining the quiet moments we could share on the drive back. My mind flickered to the idea of her sitting beside me, her laughter filling the cab, but I pushed the thought aside, afraid of reading too much into the moment.

Y/n hesitated, her gaze dropping for a moment. “Actually, I’ve got a ride with a friend. We’re going to the party store, me and Tracy.”

“Right. Prom,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment.

“You’re still going, right?” she asked, her tone almost...hopeful.

Of course.

With you, I thought.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I said, forcing a smile. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

Before the moment could grow awkward, Y/n stepped closer and leaned up to press a quick kiss to my cheek. I froze, the warmth of her lips lingering on my skin like a brand. My heart thundered in my chest, my mind scrambling to process what had just happened. I raised a hand instinctively to touch the spot, a faint blush creeping up my neck as I tried to fight back a grin. It was such a simple gesture, yet it sent a surge of hope through I that he couldn’t ignore. “Thanks for always looking out for me, Joe.”

I froze again, my heart pounding as her words echoed in my mind. But when I tried to talk again, she was already gone, leaving me standing in the middle of the hallway with my heart in my hands.

Y/N

As Tracy and I drove to the party supply store, I couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Joe’s face when I told him I didn’t need a ride. He’d seemed...off. Almost sad. Or maybe I was just imagining things.

“So,” Tracy said, breaking the silence. “When are you finally going to tell Joe how you feel?”

I nearly choked on my soda. “What? I don’t—”

“Please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Everyone knows you’re into him. Well, everyone except Joe, apparently.”

I sighed, sinking lower in my seat. “It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t feel the same way.”

“Are you sure about that?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, her tone teasing yet firm, as if daring me to challenge her judgment. My heart stuttered at her certainty, and for a moment, I wondered if Tracy knew something I didn’t. Was I missing signs? Or was I just too afraid to believe she might be right? The idea was both exhilarating and terrifying, a dangerous hope I wasn’t ready to fully embrace. “Because from where I’m standing, he’s just as into you as you are into him.”

Could she be right? The thought sent a flicker of hope through me, but I quickly pushed it down. Joe and I were best friends, and I couldn’t risk losing that. Even if it meant keeping my feelings to myself.

For now.

JOE BURROW

I watched her walk to her car, her hair catching the golden light of the setting sun, and I wanted to scream.

Why couldn’t I just say it? Why couldn’t I tell her that seeing Brian flirt with her had made me feel like I was losing my mind? That the thought of anyone else being close to her made my chest ache?

Because you’re a coward, Burrow.

I climbed into my truck and gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. Sam’s voice echoed in my head: You should just ask her to prom.

Easier said than done.

I’d known Y/N my whole life. She was my best friend, my partner in crime, the person who knew me better than anyone. But she was also the girl I was in love with, and the thought of risking everything—our friendship, the way she looked at me, the way she laughed at my stupid jokes—was enough to keep my mouth shut.

Still, as I drove home, I couldn’t shake the image of her and Brian at the booth. Her smile, her laugh—it should’ve been me making her laugh like that.

It should’ve been me.

By the time I pulled into my driveway, I’d made up my mind.

I was going to ask her to prom.

Y/N’s POV

I got home super tired from the afternoon that I had with Tracy. After the store supplies, we went to grab some food on our way home. Now, I was sitting at my desk, trying—and failing—to focus on my calculus homework. My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the screen, my heart skipping a beat when I saw Joe’s name.

Joey: Can I come over?

I stared at the message for a moment, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. We texted all the time, but something about this felt… different.

Me: Yeah, sure.

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on my window.

I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips as I got up to let him in. Joe had been climbing through my window since we were kids, and even though he was way too big for it now, he still insisted on doing it.

“You know,” I said as he swung his legs over the sill, “we have a perfectly good front door.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” he said, flashing me a grin.

But the grin didn’t quite reach his eyes, and I felt a pang of concern.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, sitting back on my bed.

He hesitated, standing awkwardly in the middle of my room. “I, uh… I wanted to ask you something.”

“Okay…”

He took a deep breath, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. “Do you have a date for prom?”

I blinked, caught off guard by the question. “No. Why?”

His cheeks turned pink, and he looked down at the floor. “I was wondering if you’d want to go with me. You know, as friends.”

My heart sank at the word friends, but I forced a smile.

“Yeah,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’d love to.”

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes—relief, maybe? Or was it disappointment? I couldn’t tell.

“Cool,” he said, his voice softer now. “Thanks.”

He stayed for a while after that, talking about everything and nothing, just like we always did. But when he left, climbing back out the window with a quiet “Goodnight,” I knew something was different, I could feel in the air. But I couldn't tell what.

The next morning, I walked into school with a strange mix of excitement and nerves buzzing in my chest. I was going to prom with Joe. My best friend. The guy I’d been hopelessly in love with for years.

Sure, he’d asked me “as friends,” but that didn’t stop the part of me that clung to the idea that maybe—just maybe—prom night would change things.

I was lost in thought as I made my way to the gym, where the prom committee was meeting to finalize decorations. I’d barely set my bag down at the table when a familiar voice interrupted me.

“Morning, Y/N.”

I looked up to see Brian Harris standing there, his easy smile firmly in place.

“Oh, hey, Brian,” I said, offering him a polite smile.

“Got a minute?” he asked, leaning casually against the table.

“Uh, sure,” I said, setting down my clipboard.

Brian glanced around, as if making sure no one was listening, then turned back to me. “So, I was thinking… you’ve been working really hard on all this prom stuff, and you deserve to have a great night. How about going with me?”

The question caught me completely off guard. I blinked, my brain scrambling to catch up. “You… want to take me to prom?”

“Yeah,” he said, his grin widening. “I mean, who wouldn’t? You’re smart, funny, hot… the whole package.”

Heat rushed to my face, but not in the way it did when Joe said something sweet. This was different—flattering, sure, but not the kind of butterflies that made your stomach flip.

“Brian, that’s really nice of you, but…” I hesitated, searching for the right words.

“Let me guess,” he said, cutting me off. “You already have a date?”

I nodded, feeling a little guilty for turning him down. “Yeah, I do.”

Brian raised an eyebrow. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Joe,” I said simply, and for a split second, I thought I saw something flicker in his expression—surprise, maybe? Or disbelief?

“Joe Burrow?” he asked, his tone laced with skepticism.

“Yes, Joe Burrow,” I said, crossing my arms defensively.

Brian chuckled, shaking his head. “Didn’t think he had it in him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Nothing,” he said quickly, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Just… didn’t peg him as the prom type. But hey, good for him. And for you.”

“He's my best friend. Thanks.” I said, though his words left a sour taste in my mouth.

As he walked away, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of annoyance. Why did everyone act like Joe and I couldn’t be more than friends?

JOE BURROW

I was halfway through practice when I got the text from Sam.

Sam: Dude, Brian just tried to ask Y/N to prom.

My grip tightened on the football, my jaw clenching so hard it hurt. I couldn't believe it. I kinda figured it out he was about to do something like that, he spent too much time quiet with me, it was weird. And now, he found a way.

“Burrow! Pay attention!” Coach barked.

I nodded, forcing myself to focus on the play, but my mind was somewhere else entirely.

Brian Harris. I should’ve known he wouldn’t give up that easily.

By the time practice ended, I was practically sprinting to the parking lot. I spotted Y/N by her car, her head bent over her phone, and I spent the whole time hoping it wasn’t Brian.

“Y/N!” I called, jogging over.

She looked up, her face lighting up in a way that made my heart skip a beat. “Hey, Joe. What’s up?”

“I heard about Brian,” I said, trying to keep my voice casual. The truth was, I wasn’t casual at all.

Her smile faded slightly. “Who told you?”

“Sam,” I admitted, leaning against her car.

She sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, he asked me this morning.”

“And what did you say?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

She gave me a look. “I told him I already had a date. You.”

The tight knot in my chest loosened a fraction. “Good.”

“Good?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” I said, trying to play it cool. “I mean, we already have plans, right?”

“Right,” she said, her expression softening.

For a moment, we just stood there, the afternoon sun casting a golden glow over everything.

“So,” I said, breaking the silence, “do you need help with any of the prom stuff? Decorations or whatever?”

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. “You’re offering to help?”

“Why not?” I said, shrugging. “I could use the extra credit.”

She laughed, and the sound was like music to my ears. “Alright, Burrow. Let’s see if you can survive an afternoon with the prom committee.”

Y/N

I didn’t know what had gotten into Joe, but I wasn’t about to question it. If he wanted to spend more time with me—even if it was just to help with prom decorations—I wasn’t going to say no. We spent the next few hours in the gym, stringing up fairy lights and setting up tables. Joe grumbled about the glitter (“It’s going to be stuck to me for weeks”), but he didn’t complain when I handed him another box of decorations.

At one point, I climbed a ladder to hang a banner, and when I wobbled slightly, Joe was there in an instant, his hands steadying the ladder.

“Careful,” he said, his voice low.

I glanced down at him, my heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with the height. “Thanks.”

He held my gaze for a moment, his hands still gripping the ladder, and I felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of us.

“Anytime,” he said softly.

By the time we finished, the gym was starting to look like the prom of my dreams.

The next day, the buzz about prom was everywhere. People were swapping dress ideas, talking about their dates, and sharing excitement about the night that was quickly approaching.

By lunchtime, I was sitting at our usual table in the cafeteria, flipping through a prom checklist on my phone. Joe was sitting across from me, picking at his fries, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“Are you seriously still doing prom stuff?” Tracy, my best friend, asked as she slid into the seat next to me.

“Somebody has to,” I said, not looking up.

“Somebody who isn’t you,” she shot back. “You’re already doing, like, ten other things. Delegation, Y/N. Learn it.”

“She’s too much of a control freak,” Joe chimed in, smirking at me.

I narrowed my eyes on him. “I’m organized, not a control freak.”

“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” he said, popping a fry into his mouth.

“Speaking of prom,” Tracy said, leaning forward conspiratorially, “have you told Joe what color your dress is yet? Or are you going to make him show up looking like a colorblind disaster?”

I froze, suddenly aware of Joe’s eyes on me. “I—uh—I hadn’t thought about it.”

“Seriously?” Tracy said, looking between us. “You two are going together, and you haven’t talked about coordinating?”

“We’re going as friends,” I said quickly, feeling my cheeks heat up.

Tracy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure. Friends.”

Joe shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and I couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or embarrassed. Maybe both.

“Anyway,” I said, trying to change the subject, “what about you? Who are you going with?”

Tracy grinned. “Brian Harris asked me this morning.”

My stomach dropped. “He did?”

“Yep,” she said, clearly oblivious to the way my hands tightened around my phone. “Apparently, you turned him down, so he went with his second choice. And that’s exactly why I don't go out too much, I Said no, I’m going with Sam.”

“Second choice?” I repeated, the words stinging more than they should have.

“Oh, don’t get all weird about it,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “You’re going with Joe, so who cares what Brian does?”

She had a point. I was going with Joe. But why did it feel like I was still losing somehow? I wasn't surprised about what happened. Couldn't get me, it’s not going to get my best friend either.

JOE BURROW

Sam and Josh , my two closest friends from the football team, were waiting for me by the vending machines after lunch.

“So,” Sam said as soon as I walked up, following me into the hallway “you’re really going to prom with Y/N, huh?”

I rolled my eyes, shoving a dollar into the machine. “Yeah. Why?”

“Because it’s about damn time,” Josh said, leaning against the wall.

I turned to glare at him, while I took my Kit-kat from the machine. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sam snorted. “Come on, Burrow. Everyone knows you’re crazy about her. You’ve been in love with her since, like, the fifth grade.”

“That’s not true,” I said automatically, but even I could hear how unconvincing I sounded.

Josh raised an eyebrow. “Really? Then why did you almost rip Brian Harris’s head off at practice yesterday when Sam told you he asked her to prom?”

“That’s different,” I muttered, punching the button for a soda.

“Sure it is,” Sam said, smirking. “You’re totally not jealous or anything.”

“I’m not,” I insisted, but the words felt hollow.

The truth was, I had been jealous. Seeing Brian talk to her, flirt with her, try to take her to prom—it had made me feel like I was seconds away from losing something I hadn’t even realized I was holding onto.

And that scared the hell out of me.

“She’s my best friend,” I said finally, throwing the paper on the trash. “Exactly,” Carter said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Which is why you need to stop screwing around and tell her how you feel.”

I didn’t respond, because what was the point? Even if I did tell her how I felt, there was no guarantee she’d feel the same way.

And if she didn’t?

I couldn’t risk losing her.

Y/N

By the time the final bell rang, I was ready to go home and collapse. But as I was walking to the parking lot, Tracy caught up with me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. I know she was planing something I could feel in tHE air.

“Guess what,” she said, falling into step beside me.

“What?” I asked, too tired to play along.

“There’s a group going to that new dress shop downtown tomorrow, and you’re coming with me.”

I groaned. “Tracy, I already have a dress.”

“Yeah, but I don’t,” she said, grinning. “And I need moral support. Plus, we need to make sure your dress doesn’t clash with Joe’s suit.”

I rolled my eyes. “Joe doesn’t care about that stuff.” And It was true. It didn’t matter if I was going with a red dress or blue.

“Maybe not,” she said, “but you do.”

I hated that she was right.

“Fine,” I said with a sigh. “I’ll go.”

The next afternoon, Tracy picked me up for the trip to the new dress shop downtown. The store was buzzing with excited chatter, racks of shimmering gowns lining the walls, and mirrors reflecting endless possibilities.

Tracy dragged me to the section with bright, glittery dresses that screamed “look at me.” I could tell she was in her element, flipping through racks like a woman on a mission.

“What about this one?” she asked, holding up a strapless red gown with a thigh-high slit.

“For you or for me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. It was too much.

“For you,” she said with a grin. “You’d kill in this.”

I shook my head. “It’s too much.”

“Y/N, you’re going to prom with Joe Burrow. You have to make an impression.”

“I’m already going with him,” I said. “Why do I need to impress him?”

Tracy shot me a look. “You’re kidding, right? You’re hopelessly in love with the guy, and you don’t think this is your chance to finally make him see it?”

My heart skipped a beat, and I froze mid-reach for a more modest gown. I didn’t even know what to say. “I—what? I’m not—”

“Save it,” she said, cutting me off. “You might be able to fool everyone else, but not me. So pick something that’ll make his jaw drop.”

I sighed, knowing there was no point arguing. Tracy wasn’t going to let this go.

After what felt like hours of trying on dresses, I finally stepped out of the dressing room in a floor-length navy gown with a sweetheart neckline and delicate lace detailing.

Tracy’s jaw dropped. “That’s the one.”

I turned to look at myself in the mirror, and for a moment, I didn’t recognize the girl staring back at me. The dress hugged my figure in all the right places, and the navy color made my skin glow. It was that one, I know that.

“Wow,” I whispered.

“Joe’s going to lose his mind,” Tracy said with a satisfied grin.

I didn’t know about that, but for the first time, I felt like I might actually look like someone worth noticing.

JOE BURROW.

Later that evening, I was sitting in my room, staring at my phone. Sam and Josh's words from earlier in the week were still playing in my head.

“Tell her how you feel.”

I sighed, tossing my phone onto the bed. It wasn’t that simple.

Or maybe it was, and I was just a coward.

My phone buzzed, and I picked it up to see a text from Y/N.

Y/N:Just finished dress shopping with Tracy. I think I found the one.

Me: Cool. Send me a pic.

There was a long pause before she responded.

Y/N: Nope. You’ll have to wait until prom.

I frowned at the screen, my thumbs hovering over the keyboard.

Me: Not even a sneak peek?

Y/N: Nope.

I sighed, but a small smile tugged at my lips. She always knew how to keep me on my toes.

The next morning, Sam and Josh cornered me in the locker room after practice.

“You figure out your prom look yet?” Josh asked, tossing a towel onto the bench.

“I’m wearing a suit,” I said flatly.

Sam snorted. “Wow, groundbreaking.”

“Do you even know what color she’s wearing?” Josh asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” I lied.

“Bullshit,” Sam said. “You didn’t even ask her, did you?”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “No, but I’m sure whatever I pick will be fine.”

Carter shook his head. “You’re hopeless, man.”

I’m in Love. It 's different.

Y/N

The week of prom flew by in a whirlwind of final preparations. The committee was meeting every day after school, and by Friday afternoon, the gym was completely transformed.

I stood in the middle of the room, surveying the decorations with a mix of pride and exhaustion. The fairy lights twinkled above, casting a soft glow over the tables, and the dance floor was ready to go.

“It looks amazing,” Joe said, walking up behind me.

“Yeah,” I said, smiling up at him. “I think we pulled it off.”

“You think?” he teased. “You’ve been running this show since day one.”

I rolled my eyes. “It wasn’t just me.”

“Sure,” he said, smirking.

For a moment, we just stood there, the hum of the committee members packing up around us fading into the background.

“You’re going to look great tomorrow,” Joe said suddenly, his voice soft.

I looked up at him, my heart skipping a beat. “You think so?”

“Yeah,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “I know so.”

I gave him a smile, and he opened his arms, asking for a hug. I got on my tiptoes, hugging Joe tight while his arms went around my waist.

[...]

The air was electric that morning. The last day of high school had arrived, and it felt like every hallway, every classroom, every moment was buzzing with a mix of nostalgia and excitement. People were signing yearbooks, taking pictures, and talking about their plans for the summer and beyond.

Even I couldn’t help but smile as I walked to my locker. It was bittersweet, knowing this chapter of our lives was coming to an end.

“Y/N!” Tracy called out, jogging to catch up with me. She had her camera slung around her neck, determined to document every second of the day.

“Ready for the waterworks?” I teased.

“Please, you’re the emotional one,” she shot back, grinning. “Anyway, don’t forget we’re doing a group photo at lunch. You and Joe better be there.”

“Of course,” I said. “Speaking of Joe, have you seen him?”

“Probably at his locker, brooding like usual,” Tracy said with a laugh. “Anyway, any big plans for tonight?” she asked, nudging me playfully.

“Just the prom committee meeting,” I said with a laugh. “And then maybe collapsing from exhaustion.”

She rolled her eyes. “You need to have more fun, Y/N. Let loose. Do something crazy for once.”

I shook my head. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

And I heard a voice.

“Y/N!” Joe was striding toward me, his long legs making quick work of the crowded hallway.

“Your shadow approaches,” Tracy whispered with a smirk before disappearing into the crowd.

“Hey,” I said as he reached me.

“Are you ready for the pep rally?” he asked, leaning casually against the lockers.

“Always,” I said, trying not to smile too hard at the way his hair was slightly tousled from football practice. “Are you ready for this?” I asked, gesturing around us.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he said with a shrug.

“You don’t sound excited.”

“It’s just a day,” he said, closing his locker.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s the day, Joe. Our last day of high school. Try to act like it’s a big deal.”

We walked to the gym together, the noise and chaos of the hallways swirling around us. Everything felt heightened—like we were living in slow motion, with every moment stretched out and glowing.

JOE BURROW.

The pep rally was loud, chaotic, and exactly what it needed to be. Seniors were on fire, shouting chants and tossing confetti in the air like it was the Super Bowl.

I couldn’t stop glancing at Y/N, though. She was sitting with Tracy and a few other committee members, laughing as they worked on last-minute plans for tomorrow’s prom.

She looked happy—really happy—and it hit me like a punch to the gut.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed her, either.

Brian Harris, the basketball player who’d been hovering around her all week, kept glancing in her direction.

“Man, you have to do something.” Sam said to me, loud enough for me to hear him on top of the school band chant’s. I looked over at him, still seeing Brian smiling to Y/N, and I don’t know, I’m almost sure that she’s not comfortable.

JOE: you good?

I said in my message. Saw her opening her phone, but she didn’t text me back.

“He invited her that day, as soon as you steped back to class.” Josh said as well, looking at Brian ans Y/N.

“She is independent, can be with anyone she wants.”

“And you want that, Burrow?”

Sam asked me, and before I could respond to him, he was running back to our friends. By the time the rally ended, my mood had gone from celebratory to sour.

By the time lunch rolled around, my patience was wearing thin. The day was supposed to be perfect—our last day as seniors, with Y/N by my side—but Brian Harris was determined to ruin it.

I saw him hanging around her at the pep rally, throwing those cocky smiles her way like he thought she’d actually fall for it.

And the worst part? She’d smiled back.

It wasn’t the same smile she gave me, though. Hers was polite, almost distracted, but it still made my chest tighten.

I knew Brian wasn’t going to back off, and the thought of him getting even one step closer to her made my blood boil.

Y/N

The last day of high school felt magical in a way that I couldn’t quite put into words. The hallways were alive with laughter, and the air was thick with excitement and nostalgia. Everything about the day seemed to shimmer—the sunlight streaming through the windows, the fresh breeze that wafted through open doors, the sound of sneakers squeaking against the polished floors.

It was hard to believe this chapter of our lives was ending. Every smile, every hug, every glance at the crowded hallways felt like a snapshot I wanted to hold onto forever.

But beneath the sparkle of it all, I couldn’t shake the tension I’d felt since the pep rally. Joe had been quieter than usual. He was there, walking me to class and teasing me like always, but something was… off.

“See you at lunch?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice softer now.

But there was something in his eyes that made me pause.

“Joe—”

“Go,” he said, forcing a small smile. “You’ll be late.”

I didn’t push him, though. Joe wasn’t the kind of person you were forced to talk to. He’d tell me what was on his mind when he was ready.

Or so I thought.

I was walking with Tracy to the cafeteria when I heard someone call my name.

“Y/N!”

I turned to see Brian Harris jogging toward me, that signature smug grin plastered across his face.

“Hey,” he said, stopping a little too close.

“Uh, hey,” I replied, glancing at Tracy, who raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet.

“I was wondering if you’d thought about the prom thing.” he said, leaning against the lockers like he owned the place.

I blinked. “Oh, um… I’m going with Joe. I told you that already.”

Brian’s grin faltered for a second before he recovered. “Right, the football star. But, you know, if you want a real man to take you, I’m available. Joe’s it’s just a football player like every single other one, He’s going to fuck you and forget your name right after.”

I froze, my stomach twisting in discomfort. “Excuse me?”

“You’re too pretty to waste your time on a guy like that,” Brian said, his voice dripping with arrogance. “I’d show you a better time, Y/N. You deserve someone who can actually keep up with you, ‘ya know? Not that bullshit.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, a familiar voice cut through the tension like a blade.

“What the hell did you just say?”

JOE BURROW.

The second I saw Brian cornering her, my body moved before I even realized what I was doing.

I knew that look on his face. It was the same one he used to intimidate guys on the court, and it made my blood run hot. When I heard what he’d said to her—when I saw the way her face twisted in discomfort—I saw red.

“You got something to say about me, Harris?” I said, stepping between him and Y/N.

Brian smirked, crossing his arms. “Relax, Burrow. I’m just saying the truth. She deserves better than some meathead quarterback.”

“Back off,” I said, my voice low and dangerous.

“Or what?” Brian challenged, his grin widening.

I glanced at Y/N out of the corner of my eye. She looked uncomfortable, like she wanted to disappear.

“You’re pathetic,” I snapped at Brian. “You don’t even know her.”

“And you do?” he shot back, laughing. “What are you, her guard dog? Or just her backup plan when no one else asks her out? You afraid cause I can fuck her better dan you do?”

That was it.

Before I even thought about it, my fist collided with his jaw.

I barely felt Brian’s punch. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and all I could think about was wiping that smug grin off his face.

The hallway erupted into chaos as people gathered around, shouting and gasping.

Y/N

“Joe!” I shouted, shoving my way through the crowd.

Brian staggered back, clutching his face, and then lunged at Joe.

Teachers swarmed the hallway, pulling them apart before Brian could land a punch.

“You’re insane!” Brian yelled, glaring at Joe as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

“Better insane than a creep,” Joe shot back, his chest heaving.

The teachers dragged them off in opposite directions, and I stood frozen, my heart racing as I tried to process what had just happened.

I burst into the principal’s office, my heart racing.

When I pushed open the door to the office, Joe was sitting in one of the chairs, a bag of frozen peas pressed to his eye. He looked up when I walked in, his expression a mix of embarrassment and defiance. His lip was cut, and his knuckles were red, but he didn’t look the least bit sorry.

“What were you thinking?” I demanded, walking over to him.

He shrugged. “Brian deserved it.”

I crossed my arms, glaring at him. “You know you’re going to have a black eye at prom, right?”

He smirked, the corner of his mouth pulling up in a way that made my heart stutter. “You think it’ll match my suit?”

I rolled my eyes, but my expression softened as I crouched beside him.

“Let me see,” I said, gently pulling the bag of peas away.

His eye was already starting to swell, the skin around it an angry shade of red.

I reached out, gently brushing my fingers against his cheek. “You didn’t have to do that, Joe.”

“Yes, I did,” he said quietly, his eyes meeting mine.

For a moment, we just sat there, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife. Then, impulsively, I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the uninjured part of his cheek.

“For good luck,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Joe froze, his gaze locked on mine. My heart raced like a roller coaster.

“You’re unbelievable,” he said, but his tone was soft, almost affectionate.

“You’re an idiot,” I shot back, standing up.

He grabbed my wrist before I could step away, his fingers warm against my skin.

“Thanks,” he said, his voice low.

“For what?”

“For being you,” he said simply.

I didn’t know what to say, so I just nodded.

“Come here,” he said, pulling me into a hug.

I hesitated for a moment before wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He buried his face against my side, his grip firm but not overwhelming. I felt my skiing getting hotter and hotter, and I just could smile. My hands went to his hair, my fingers went through his dirty blonde hair. We stayed like that until the principal walked in, but by then, I wasn’t sure I cared about anything else.

It was just me and him against the world, and nothing else.

[...]

And that was it, it was prom night.

The house smelled like hairspray and perfume, and my room was a disaster zone. Dresses were scattered across the bed, shoes piled in a corner, and makeup brushes lay abandoned on the vanity. Tracy, as usual, was in full control, directing the chaos like she was the queen of prom night.

“Hold still, Y/N!” she barked, holding up a curling iron dangerously close to my face.

“I am holding still!” I protested, wincing as she tugged on another section of my hair.

Tracy sighed dramatically, stepping back to examine her work. “Okay, that’s better. You’re going to look so good tonight. Joe’s going to lose his mind.”

I rolled my eyes, pretending the mention of his name didn’t send my stomach into a flutter. “It’s just prom, Tracy. Not a wedding.”

She smirked. “Sure, keep telling yourself that. One day you’re going to marry him.”

Those words echoed in my mind, like a prophecy. Marriage, Joe, his last name. I felt like a little girl dreaming big.

Deep down, I knew she was half right. Prom wasn’t just another night. It was the last big event of high school, the last chance for everything unsaid to finally come to the surface. And with Joe… there was a lot to say.

JOE BURROW.

I couldn’t stop pacing.

The suit felt too stiff, the tie too tight, and my reflection in the mirror wasn’t doing much to calm my nerves. The bruise under my eye had turned a deep shade of purple overnight, standing out against my pale skin like a neon sign.

“You look ridiculous,” Sam said, lounging on my bed with his arms behind his head. “Like someone punched you in the face or something.”

I glared at him. “Shut up.”

“Relax, man,” he said, grinning. “Y/N doesn’t care what you look like. She’s already obsessed with you.”

“Y/N’s not obsessed with me,” I muttered, adjusting my tie for the tenth time.

“Right,” Sam said, dragging out the word. “And you’re not obsessed with her either.”

“I’m not.”

“Then why’d you deck Brian Harris yesterday?”

My jaw tightened, but I didn’t answer.

“That’s what I thought,” Sam said, sitting up. “Look, just tell her how you feel tonight. It’s prom. You’re supposed to be a little dramatic.”

I groaned, rubbing the back of my neck. “You make it sound so easy.”

My mom’s voice got into my ears, from downstairs, screaming at us saying that Josh got there with his mom’s eight places SUV.

“Because it is,” Sam said, standing up and clapping me on the shoulder. “Now come on. Let’s go pick her up.”

Y/N

The knock on the door sent a ripple of nerves through me.

“Y/N, they’re here!” my mom called from downstairs.

Tracy gave me a final once-over, her eyes narrowing in approval. “You look perfect. Now go knock him dead.”

I smoothed down the front of my dress, took a deep breath, and made my way downstairs.

When I saw Joe standing in the entryway, my breath caught. He looked… incredible. The black suit fit him perfectly, and even with the bruise under his eye, he somehow managed to look like he’d stepped out of a movie.

He looked up as I descended the stairs, his mouth parting slightly as his eyes locked on me.

“Wow,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I blushed, smiling nervously. “Hi.”

“You look…” He shook his head, searching for the right words. “You look beautiful, Y/N.”

“Thanks,” I said softly, my heart pounding. “You look pretty good yourself.”

He grinned, and for a moment, everything else faded away. My heart was beating so fast… It was crazy.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked, holding out his arm.

“Yeah,” I said, slipping my hand into the crook of his elbow. “Let’s do this.”

JOE BURROW.

The ride to prom was a blur of nerves and stolen glances. Y/N was sitting beside me, her dress shimmering under the streetlights, and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to tell her the truth.

That I’d been in love with her for as long as I could remember.

That seeing her with anyone else felt like a punch to the gut.

That she was the only reason high school had meant anything to me at all.

But every time I opened my mouth, the words got stuck in my throat.

When we arrived at the venue, the place was already packed. Lights twinkle from every corner of the ballroom, and music echoed through the open doors.

“Come on,” Y/N said, tugging on my arm. “Let’s go find Tracy before she starts texting me a thousand times.”

I followed her inside, my chest tightening as I watched her weave through the crowd with that familiar confidence. She belonged here, in the center of it all, surrounded by laughter and light. And I couldn’t help but feel like I was just lucky to be standing next to her.

We walked through a crowd of teenagers, everyone stopping Y/N to say that the place was awesome. I was holding her hand, walking behind her and letting her set the pace.

“I’m not finding Brian.” She said, the happiness palpable in her voice.

I gave her a smile. “Cause tonight is your night.”

Y/N

Prom was everything I’d hoped it would be. The decorations, the music, the energy—it all felt like a dream, but even as I danced with my friends and laughed at Tracy’s terrible attempts at doing the cha-cha slide, my attention kept drifting back to Joe.

He was standing by the punch table, talking to Sam and a couple of his football buddies, but every so often, his eyes would find mine across the room.

And every time they did, my heart skipped a beat.

“You should just go for it,” Tracy said, nudging me.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, pretending not to know exactly what she meant.

“Joe,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’re practically glowing every time you look at him.”

I glanced at him again, my stomach doing flips.

“What if he doesn’t feel the same way?” I asked quietly.

Tracy gave me a knowing smile. “Trust me, Y/N. He does.”

“How–”

“Babe, he walks you to your car everyday, even when he has practice. He’s your pair in chemistry cause he found out you're not that good. He just use his cologne cause you like it. That guy has been in love with you for ages. Go.

But as I walked to meet me, he came down my direction.

JOE BURROW.

By the time the slow songs started playing, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Do you want to dance?” I asked, walking up to her before I could lose my nerve.

She looked up at me, surprised, and then nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

I led her to the dance floor, my heart pounding as I rested my hands on her waist. She placed hers on my shoulders, and for a moment, we just stood there, swaying to the music.

“You having fun?” I asked, my voice quiet.

She nodded, smiling up at me. “Yeah. Are you?”

I hesitated, my eyes searching hers. “I think this might be the best night of my life.”

Her smile faltered slightly, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Y/N,” I said, my voice shaky. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Her grip on my shoulders tightened, and I could see the fear and hope mingling in her eyes.

“What is it?” she asked softly, looking over my eyes, and my mouth. I almost fainted.

I took a deep breath, summoning every ounce of courage I had.

“I—”

The words sat heavy on my tongue, burning to be said, but no matter how much I wanted to just tell her, my chest felt too tight. Y/N looked at me expectantly, her hands light on my shoulders as we swayed to the music. Her eyes searched mine, and I could feel the weight of her gaze, like she was daring me to break the silence between us.

But I didn’t.

“Never mind,” I said, forcing a small smile. “It’s nothing.”

Her expression faltered for a split second, a flicker of disappointment flashing across her face before she recovered. She gave me a soft smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“You’re acting weird tonight,” she said, her voice teasing but gentle.

“I’m fine,” I lied.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me, but she let it go. “Okay. If you say so.”

The song ended, and the crowd around us erupted into cheers and applause. Y/N stepped back, her hands falling from my shoulders, and I immediately missed the warmth of her touch.

“Let’s get some punch,” she said, her tone light as if she hadn’t noticed the tension that had been building between us all night.

I nodded, following her off the dance floor, kicking myself for chickening out again.

Y/N

Joe was acting so strange, and I couldn’t figure out why. He was quieter than usual, and there was something in the way he looked at me that made my stomach twist in knots.

For a moment on the dance floor, I thought he was going to say something—something important. But then he didn’t, and the moment passed, leaving me feeling more confused than ever.

I tried to shake it off as we made our way to the refreshment table, but it was hard to ignore the nagging feeling in my chest.

Before I could dwell on it too much, the DJ’s voice boomed over the speakers, announcing that it was time to crown the prom king and queen.

“Oh my god, here we go!” Tracy squealed, bouncing on her heels next to me. “This is my favorite part!”

The crowd gathered around the stage as the principal took the microphone, holding two glittering crowns in his hands.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his voice echoing through the ballroom. “The moment you’ve all been waiting for—the announcement of your prom king and queen!”

The room buzzed with excitement, and I couldn’t help but smile at the energy in the air.

The principal unfolded a piece of paper and cleared his throat dramatically. “Your 2015 prom king is…” He paused for effect, dragging out the suspense.

“Joe Burrow!”

My heart stopped.

The room erupted into cheers and applause as Joe’s friends pushed him toward the stage. He looked completely shocked, his face turning red as he stumbled forward.

“Go, Joe!” Sam yelled, clapping him on the back.

Joe climbed onto the stage, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as the principal placed the crown on his head. He looked out at the crowd, his eyes wide and uncertain, and when his gaze landed on me, I couldn’t help but laugh.

He looked like he wanted to bolt.

“And now,” the principal continued, holding up the second crown, “your 2015 prom queen is…”

I barely had time to register the words before they hit me.

“Y/N Y/L/N!”

My jaw dropped.

Tracy shrieked, grabbing my arm and shaking me. “Oh my god, Y/N! You won!”

The crowd cheered again, and I felt my cheeks flush as everyone turned to look at me.

“Go,” Tracy urged, pushing me toward the stage. “Go get your crown!”

I stumbled forward, my heart racing as I climbed onto the stage. Joe was standing there, still looking like he couldn’t believe what was happening, and when I reached him, he gave me a lopsided smile.

“Guess it’s our night,” he said softly.

I laughed nervously, and before I could respond, the principal placed the crown on my head. The crowd roared, and for a moment, I couldn’t think about anything except how surreal this all felt.

“I voted for you, actually.” He said to me. “Everyone else felt wrong.”

“And now, for the king and queen’s first dance!” the DJ announced, cueing up a slow song.

My stomach flipped.

Joe held out his hand, his eyes meeting mine. “Shall we?”

I hesitated for half a second before taking his hand. “Let’s do it.”

JOE BURROW.

I couldn’t believe it.

Of all the people to win prom king and queen, it had to be us.

The crowd parted as we stepped onto the dance floor, the music soft and slow. I held her close, my hands resting on her waist, and for the first time all night, everything else faded away.

She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling under the dim lights. “This is… unexpected,” she said, her voice light and teasing.

I chuckled, feeling a little more at ease. “Yeah. I guess it is.”

We swayed to the music, and for a moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the room.

“You’re a good dancer,” she said, surprising me.

“Don’t sound so shocked,” I replied, grinning. “My mom uses me as a pair for her dance classes every wednesday.”

She laughed, and the sound sent a warm rush through me.

I wanted to say something—anything—that would let her know how I felt. But every time I opened my mouth, the words got stuck. So instead, I just held her a little closer, hoping she could feel everything I couldn’t say.

Y/N

Dancing with Joe felt like a dream.

The music, the lights, the way his hands fit so perfectly on my waist—it was all too perfect, too much.

And yet, it wasn’t enough.

I wanted to say something to him, to break the tension that had been building between us all night. But I didn’t know how to start, or what to say.

So I just smiled, letting myself get lost in the moment.

As the song came to an end, the crowd erupted into applause, and Joe stepped back, his hands lingering on my waist for just a second longer than necessary.

“You’re amazing, Y/N,” he said, his voice barely audible over the noise.

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Tracy grabbed my arm, pulling me back into the chaos of the crowd.

I glanced back at Joe, my heart aching with everything I didn’t say.

But the night wasn’t over yet.

It was hard to believe that prom had ended. We had just been crowned king and queen, dancing beneath the dim lights, and now here I was, stumbling out of the ballroom with Joe, our friends trailing behind us like a pack of wild animals, laughing and shouting.

“I can’t believe you’re the prom queen,” Tracy yelled, her voice echoing in the parking lot. “You deserve it, though. No one shines like you.”

I laughed, the night air cool on my flushed cheeks. “I don’t know about that,” I said, glancing over at Joe who was walking beside me, his hand brushing against mine. My stomach fluttered at the contact, but I didn’t say anything.

The parking lot was chaotic as everyone piled into cars. Tracy, Sam, and the others crammed into one, while Joe and I ended up in another with a few other friends, laughing and joking like it was just another night. But it didn’t feel like just another night. This felt different. This felt like the last time we’d all be together in this way.

“You guys are gonna miss each other so much,” Tracy said, her words a bit slurred. “This is the last time we’re all gonna be together.”

I looked around at everyone—Sam and his crew, Tracy with her beaming smile, and Joe, sitting across from me, his eyes twinkling in the dim light. I didn’t want this night to end. It felt like the end of something—something big.

JOE BURROW.

The night ended up going by in a blur. The prom was exactly what I expected and nothing like I imagined. My crown, which had been placed atop my head in a daze, felt heavier with every passing second. But as I glanced over at Y/N, standing beside me, I realized that tonight wasn't about the crown or the glittering dance floor—it was about the fact that we had both made it here together.

As soon as the prom ended, everyone piled into cars, the laughter and chaos of the night spilling out into the streets. Tracy and Sam were in the front seats, and the rest of us packed into two cars heading for our usual spot: the 24/7 fast food joint down the street.

“Best night ever!” Tracy yelled from the front seat, her voice full of excitement and maybe a little too much sugar.

Y/N, sitting next to me, leaned her head back against the seat and sighed. “Honestly, this is the only place I wanted to end up tonight.”

I glanced at her, a grin tugging at my lips. “It’s perfect, huh?”

The group of us shuffled into the fast food place, everyone high on adrenaline, and suddenly, the night felt endless. I grabbed a large soda and some fries, and we all sat around, teasing each other, making fun of the awkward moments at prom. It didn’t take long before someone—probably Sam—suggested spiking the punch.

Y/N was sipping her soda innocently, but I could tell the punch had begun to work its magic. Her eyes were a little glassy, and her giggles were more frequent than usual. I could feel it too. The alcohol had taken over, making everything feel lighter, blurrier.

After a few more rounds of punch and laughing over ridiculous prom photos, our group decided to walk. No one really wanted the night to end just yet. Y/N and I stumbled a bit, weaving through the streets as we made our way toward my house. It was a warm night, and we walked slowly, the stars twinkling above us, as if everything in the universe had aligned for this very moment.

By the time we made it to the end of the place, I was barely able to keep my eyes open. But I didn’t want to go home yet. Not like this.

“Joe, we’re walking,” Sam said, slurring his words as he jumped out of the car and started heading toward the neighborhood. “Come on! We’re taking the long way back!”

I looked at Y/N, and she just shrugged, smiling. “I’m in,” she said, laughing.

And just like that, we all piled out of the cars and started walking through the dark streets, the cool night air refreshing against our skin as we stumbled down familiar roads.

We walked past houses, the sidewalks empty, the only sounds coming from our group and the occasional rustling of trees. We didn’t have any particular destination in mind. We just walked and talked, our laughter echoing through the empty streets. It was so easy, so natural, like we had all the time in the world.

At some point, we ended up on my street. My house loomed ahead, warm lights spilling out from the windows. We’d spent so many nights here before, just talking and watching the stars, and tonight felt like no different.

I led Y/N to my backyard, where a small patch of grass sat beneath a canopy of trees, almost tripping on our feet. The stars were clear in the sky, shining brighter than I had ever seen them before. It was like everything was glowing, alive, and the world was just right.

We laid down on the grass, our arms touching, but not quite close enough for me to feel her warmth completely. The alcohol from the punch made everything fuzzy, the stars spinning above us. My thoughts were scattered, my words slow, but somehow it all felt peaceful.

She was lying beside me, her hand resting on her stomach, her eyes on the sky. I could feel her breath in the air, feel her presence beside me. And in that moment, I realized how much I didn’t want this night to end.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she said, her voice quiet as I stared at the stars.

“Yeah,” I replied, my voice a little deeper than usual, probably from the alcohol. “It’s crazy how small we are, you know? It’s like everything else fades away.”

My body felt heavy with the weight of everything I had left unsaid. The way I felt about her. The way she made me feel every time she was near.

“I’m glad you’re here with me tonight, Joe,” She whispered.

“I’m glad you’re here too, Y/N.” There was a slight hesitation in my voice. A flicker of something I couldn’t place.

The alcohol had taken over, and everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. The way her voice sounded, the way the world felt too big and too small at the same time—it was all a blur, but one thing was crystal clear: I didn’t want this night to end. I didn’t want her to leave.

I turned my head slightly, catching a glimpse of her face in the dim light of the stars. She looked like she was deep in thought, her lips slightly parted. There was something about the way she looked at me, something that made my heart race and my stomach twist.

I didn’t think. I didn’t even hesitate. I just leaned toward her, closing the distance between us. The moment our lips met, everything else melted away. The world stopped spinning, and all that mattered was her. Her taste, the way her lips felt against mine, the way she kissed me back as if she’d been waiting for this moment too.

It was like time didn’t exist. Like it was just the two of us, under the stars, finally doing what we had both wanted to do for so long.

When we pulled away, breathless and dizzy from the kiss, neither of us said anything. We just laid there, looking up at the sky, the stars blurring into streaks of light as our minds swirled.

The night ended with a haze, the kiss lingering in my mind but slowly fading as the alcohol wore off. The stars were still shining, but everything felt a little more distant now.

I couldn’t remember exactly how we got back to the house, how we ended up on my couch, or how we fell asleep, side by side. But when I woke up the next morning, my mind was foggy, my lips still tingling, and the memory of the stars felt far away.

I could remember nothing about last night.

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