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brookediamonds · 3 days ago

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could you do a cute oneshot where reader and axel have a crush on each other but both are oblivious. HOWEVERRR the whole dojo knows so they team up and make a bet on who’s gonna realize first, team axel or team reader? so we get these cute scenes of the friends trying to drop hints without fully stating it so it’s not cheating. i love the oblivious trope 🤌🤌

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they see right through me | Axel Kovačević x Fem!Reader

Summary: Tired of your endless flirting and bantering, your friends decide to help you and Axel realize the truth about your feelings for one another. You're in love.

Word Count: 3.1k Warnings: None, fluff, oblivious friends to lovers

gif is not mine

You don't notice the way Axel stares at you when you're laughing. You don't notice the way he shifts closer, like even the sound of you is something he wants to be near.

And he doesn't notice the way your heart hammers every time he flashes that rare smile at you.

Or the way you always find some excuse to nudge his arm, like touching him could somehow ground you in all the chaos he brings just by existing.

It's pathetic. At least, that's what your friends think.

"You know what?" Hawk says one day at lunch, flicking a crouton at Demetri, "I'm putting twenty bucks on Y/n realizing it first."

Demetri scoffs. "Axel's gonna cave. He's like, biologically incapable of hiding anything for longer than a week."

Sam grins over her sandwich, setting it back down on the lunch tray.

"We should make this interesting," she proposes.

"Bet," Miguel says instantly, and somehow, even Tory and Robby are in, smirking like they've seen this exact kind of slow-burn stupidity before.

The rules are simple: No direct confessions. No sabotaging. Just a few well-placed nudges.

After all, you and Axel are already halfway in love, you just need a little help.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

You're sitting on the bench, lacing your shoes, when Sam flops down next to you, and Tory leans casually against the wall.

Sam grins mischievously. "So, Y/n."

You narrow your eyes at her immediately sitting up straight. "What?"

"We're curious," Tory spoke. "What's your type?"

You snort glancing between both girls. "Why?"

Sam bumps your shoulder playfully. "C'mon, just tell us."

You roll your eyes but smile, letting out a dramatic sigh as you toss your hands up. "I don't know, tall, I guess."

Tory nods with a smirks etched on her face. "How tall we talkin'?"

"Mmm," you grin without thinking. "Like... six feet?"

Sam chokes on her water as Tory pats her back. You shrug, oblivious to their approach.

"Someone who's protective. Like, really protective, even if they pretend not to care," you continue.

Tory crosses her arms, hiding a knowing grin.

You, still clueless, swing your leg over the bench and add, "And strong. Like... built strong. So if I'm being annoying and clinging to him, he can still pick me up and toss me around if he wants."

Both girls are silently freaking out now.

Tory tilts her head. "Anyone specific in mind?" she asks innocently.

You rose your brows, confused. "Huh? No, not really."

The blonde coughs loudly to cover her snort. "Subtle."

"What?" You frown.

They don't answer, they just cackle while you sit there, dumbfounded, unknowingly describing Axel like you were reading his damn bio page.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

Axel’s leaning against the side of the dojo after training, drinking water, shirt sticking to him from sparring.

Miguel and Robby approach him, way too casually.

"Yo, Axel," Miguel says, twirling his water bottle. "Serious question. You into anyone?"

Axel raises an eyebrow, suspicious. "Why?"

Robby shrugs, smirking. "Just curious, man. What's your type?"

Axel wipes sweat off his brow with the hem of his shirt, thinking for a long moment. You can tell he's not used to talking about this.

Finally, he shrugs, tone low and careless. "I don't know. Someone who doesn't take my shit."

Miguel bites back a grin. "Oh, yeah?"

Axel nods, staring somewhere over their shoulders, like he's seeing someone in his head without realizing it. "Someone who's... stubborn. Mouthy. Gets under your skin but you don't even mind."

Robby smirks as he see's you walks past the group of boys with a small smile. "Sounds familiar."

Axel ignores him, his eyes lingering on you as you pass them but not before sticking your tongue out at him. Axel rolls his eyes at your gesture, ignoring the sudden rate of his heart.

He's still talking, almost absentminded: "Someone who's always right there. Annoying as hell but... it's not annoying. Not really."

Miguel's eyebrows shoot up.

Axel shrugs again, face unreadable. "Someone who makes me feel like I'm not alone even when I don’t say anything."

There's a heavy beat of silence.

Miguel and Robby share a look of smugness with each other as Axel's gaze breaks away from you.

"Good to know," Robby smirks before him and Miguel saunter away from the boy. Axel grunts in response, oblivious to their motive, and goes back to drinking his water.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

You and Axel are the last to leave practice one evening, walking slowly under the fading sky.

You're carrying your gear bag over your shoulder; he's slinging his jacket on, every movement easy, natural, familiar.

"You're quieter than usual," he says.

You bump his arm with your elbow, pretending your face isn't burning. "Maybe you're just louder."

He laughs, low and warm, and it does something weird to your chest. That's been happening for a few months now.

You both stand there for a second too long at the curb.

Not moving. Not talking. Not realizing you're each thinking the same thing.

Say something. Anything.

Instead, Axel clears his throat and kicks a rock into the street. "Later, brat."

"Later, loser," you mutter back, but your smile lingers longer than it should.

From across the parking lot, Robby and Tory watch in agony as another day goes by without a confession.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

Your friends are practically foaming at the mouth the following day when you're caught up in one of your normal behaviors that feels normal, but shouldn't be between two friends.

You don't really notice you're doing it anymore. A hand tugging at Axe'’s sleeve when you're walking together. A bump of your shoulder into his when you're standing in line.

Leaning against his side when you're sitting too close on the couch, legs swinging off the edge like a kid. To be fair, you're a naturally touchy person.

Your love language is physical touch. You like hugs. You like bumping arms. You like being close to the people you care about.

Normally, Axel hates that kind of thing.

Miguel tried to throw an arm around him once, Axel shoved him off so fast Miguel almost face planted into the sidewalk.

Hawk gave him a "bro hug" one time after a tournament win and got a dead-eyed glare so chilling he immediately backed off.

And yet.

When it's you clinging to his sleeve, tugging on his jacket, leaning into his side, he doesn't say a word. He doesn't even flinch.

Sometimes he scowls, but it's not real. Not the real scowl he gives everyone else. And everyone notices.

"Is she hanging off him again?" Tory mutters one afternoon, watching you drape yourself lazily against Axel's side while he scrolls through something on his phone, totally unbothered.

"She's basically a backpack at this point," Robby deadpans.

Hawk whistles under his breath. "Dude, if I touched him like that, I'd be in the ER."

Demetri scoffs adjusting his stance, voice full of wonder. "It's like observing a real-life exception to natural laws."

"He's so gone for her it's so cute," Sam just shakes her head, grinning.

As you get up to go use the restroom, your friends decide to test their theory.

"Watch this," Hawk whispers to Demetri and Robby, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Axel stays sitting on the couch in the Cobra Kai break room, arms crossed, continuing to scroll through his phone.

Hawk saunters over casually, pretending to yawn, and then oh-so-casually leans against Axel's shoulder.

You could hear a pin drop. Axel's entire body stiffens. Slowly, very slowly, he lowers his phone and turns his head.

His death glare could probably set the building on fire.

Hawk immediately peels off, hands up in surrender. "Chill, bro! It was a joke!"

Axel just rolls his eyes and goes back to his phone, shoulders visibly tense.

Across the room, Tory and Sam are trying not to bust out laughing, both of them nudging each other with their elbows.

Two minutes later, you come wandering back over. Without even thinking, you plop down next to Axel, way closer than necessary, your thigh pressed against his, your head tipping lazily against his shoulder like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Axel doesn’t move. He doesn’t glare. He doesn’t flinch. You sigh contentedly.

They all watch as Axel, who supposedly "hates" being touched, shifts slightly, just enough to let you rest your head against his shoulder.

No protest. No annoyed grumble. Nothing.

Just a small glance down at you, so brief you almost miss it, and the slightest, barest tug of a smile at the corner of his mouth. Like he's not just tolerating it. Like he likes it. A lot.

"You're comfy," you mumble, half-asleep against him after a long practice.

Axel snorts. "You're heavy."

"Rude," you grumble without moving an inch.

He doesn't push you off. Doesn’t even roll his eyes.

He just sits there, letting you soak up his warmth, one arm lazily slung along the back of the couch, hovering, like he's thinking about pulling you in properly but doesn't quite dare.

Your friends shake their heads in disbelief at the sight in front of them.

If this was how Axel acted when he "wasn't dating" you... everyone could already guess exactly how bad it was going to be once he finally admitted it.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

You're placing your notebook into your backpack at your school locker when suddenly two of your friends presented themselves.

"Hey," Sam and Tory grin mischievously, one on either side of you. You sigh zipping up your bag before giving them your undivided attention.

They had been acting strange lately, and you didn't know why.

"What now?" You ask with a slight chuckle.

"Oh, nothing," Tory shrugs. "Just wondering if you ever get, you know, tired."

You tilt your head at her question, looking back at Sam. "...Tired?"

Sam nods her head, fake-innocent. "Yeah. From chasing after certain people all the time."

You flush instantly, a redness creeping up your face. "I am NOT—"

Sam cuts you off, laughing, patting your shoulder gently. "We’re just saying. If I had a giant, protective Croatian following me around all day, I wouldn't exactly be complaining."

"I'm not complaining!" You splutter. "I'm— we're just friends!"

"Yeah?" Tory smirks even wider. "So if he asked you out right now, you'd say no?"

You open your mouth to snap back, then immediately shut it when you realize you don’t have a good answer.

Your face gives you away. Sam and Tory howl with laughter, exchanging a knowing high-five as you bury your burning face in your hands.

"Friends, huh," Sam teases, nudging you. "Sure, Y/n. Sure."

"You guys suck," you pout covering your face with your hands from embarrassment. They sling their arms around you as they guide towards the exit of the school.

Earlier that same day, Axel sat in study hall, finishing up a reading he was supposed to do last night when Miguel and Hawk approach him.

"Yo," Hawk says casually. "Random question."

Axel glances up from his textbook, seeing both boys sit across from him.

"If you had to describe your ideal girlfriend," Hawk continues, a shit-eating grin on his face, "what would she be like?"

Axel snorts. If he had known better, he would think his friends are trying to set him with all the questions they've been asking him lately.

"Don’t have one," he responds plainly.

Miguel raises an eyebrow. "Really? No preferences at all? Like, not even someone who's… I don’t know…"

He trails off, smirking. "...shorter than you by, like, a foot? Little bit mouthy? Can kick your ass if she wanted to?"

Axel side-eyes him suspiciously. His mind immediately forms an image of you in his mind, but they can't know that.

"Yeah," Hawk jumps in. "And maybe she's super clingy and always hanging off you even though you pretend you hate it."

Axel stiffens slightly at the mention of clingy, because that was definitely something you were. And he loved it.

Miguel leans closer, grinning. "Maybe she's got this bratty little smirk you pretend not to notice but you're obsessed with it—"

"Shut up," Axel mutters catching on to their description of you.

Both of them die laughing. Axel crosses his arms, jaw tight, but his ears are a little red.

"Bro," Miguel claps him on the shoulder. "Just admit it. You’re doomed."

Axel scowls at the two boys, but doesn't deny it.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

You stop hovering next to Axel after practice. You don't sit half in his lap on the couch anymore. You stop tugging on his sleeve when you want his attention.

At first, Axel thinks maybe you're just tired. But then it keeps happening.

You sit on the other side of the room during movie night. You spar with Demetri instead of volunteering to team up with Axel. You barely even glance at him when you laugh at a joke.

Axel sits there, arms crossed, scowling darkly, his brain screaming what the fuck did I do???

Everyone notices. They're all exchanging wildly amused looks while Axel broods harder than ever.

Axel hates it. Hates the distance. Hates how much colder the world feels without you constantly in his space.

The dojo door clicks shut behind you with a soft thud, leaving you standing in the thick, humid air of the parking lot.

It's quiet. Most of the cars are gone. Everyone else already peeled off to go home or out to eat, leaving you and your heavy thoughts behind.

You're fumbling with your phone when you notice him. Sitting alone. Axel.

Perched on the curb, elbows resting on his knees, head tilted back slightly like he's watching the sky darken. The faint orange glow of the streetlights kisses his skin, painting him in gold and shadow.

Your heart lurches in your chest at the sight. He has his car. You know he has his car. Which means… he's waiting.

For you.

You bite your lip, nerves bubbling under your skin. Slowly, cautiously, you walk toward him.

"Hey," you murmur, voice almost shy.

Axel lifts his head, and the moment his dark blue eyes find yours, something softens in them. Something eases.

He doesn't say anything. Just shifts slightly to the side, making room. You hesitate for half a second before dropping down next to him, your knees brushing his.

The concrete is warm against your jeans. The air hums with the sounds of crickets and distant traffic. You stare at your shoes, heart hammering.

Neither of you speaks at first. Just sitting there, breathing the same air, close enough to touch but not quite brave enough yet.

Then, quietly, Axel asks:

"You okay?"

You glance up, startled. His voice is rough around the edges, careful, like he's afraid of saying the wrong thing and pushing you farther away.

He’s fidgeting slightly, thumb picking at the fraying hem of his sleeve. You realize he's been worrying. Worrying about you.

Before you can answer, he adds, even quieter:

"Did I... do something?"

The look on his face shatters you. Wide open. Uncertain. Desperate to fix it if he hurt you without knowing.

"No—no," you rush out, shaking your head. "You didn't do anything, Axel. I swear."

Relief flashes across his face, so quick and raw it makes your chest ache. You shift closer, almost without thinking, until your thigh brushes his.

You reach out, hesitating only a second before curling your hand lightly around his wrist making him freeze. Not because he doesn't want it, but because he's still so goddamn gentle with you.

Like you're something he doesn't dare break. You take a deep breath, gathering your courage.

"I've just... been kind of a mess," you admit, voice trembling a little. "I thought if I kept my distance, it would help. But it didn't. It just made me miserable."

Axel’s brows knit together, confused. You exhale shakily.

"I... I have feelings for someone," you say, so soft it’s almost a whisper.

His whole body goes still. You force yourself to keep going, even though every nerve ending is screaming at you to run.

"And being around them— you—" you don't miss his twitch at the word 'you.' "— just made it harder to hide. I thought if I pulled away, maybe the feelings would go away too. But they didn't. They just got worse."

You squeeze his wrist gently, grounding yourself. Finally, finally, you lift your eyes to meet his.

"I like you, Axel. A lot."

The world tilts. You feel it. The exact second he stops breathing.

For one heartbeat, maybe two, he just stares at you, eyes wide and stunned, like he can't quite process what he's hearing.

Then, slowly, like he's afraid he'll scare you off, he turns his hand under yours and laces your fingers together.

"You're serious?" he asks, voice barely a rasp.

You nod, throat too tight to speak. Axel exhales shakily, a broken, grateful sound, and tugs you a little closer by your joined hands.

"So fucking serious," you manage to whisper.

And in the next breath, Axel does something he's never done before. He leans in, forehead bumping yours, clumsy and desperate, and just holds you there, breathing you in.

Not a kiss. Not yet. Just the kind of closeness he's been craving for so long it hurts. You close your eyes, fingers tightening around his, heart thudding wildly.

"I thought I was imagining it," he says, voice low and rough. "Thought you were just... being you. All those times you touched me. Thought you’d never want someone like me."

You squeeze his hand, smiling shakily. "Well... too bad. You're stuck with me now."

His mouth curves into the softest, rarest smile, a real one, the kind nobody else ever gets to see.

"Wouldn't want anyone else," he murmurs.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

The halls buzz with the low hum of early morning, lockers slamming, sneakers squeaking on polished floors, friends greeting each other with tired yawns and laughter.

None of it matters.

Not when you're walking in hand-in-hand with Axel, your fingers laced so tightly together it's like you're daring anyone to even try to separate you.

He towers beside you, backpack slung lazily over one shoulder, and a rare, barely-there smile playing on his lips. He's trying to act casual about it.

You on the other hand, are not.

Still buzzing from last night’s confession, you tug his hand closer to your chest, and lean up on your toes to press a quick, adoring kiss to his cheek.

Axel stiffens in surprise for half a second, then practically melts, his grip tightening on your hand like he never wants to let go.

"ABOUT DAMN TIME!" Hawk crows, fist-pumping the air from down the hall.

You laugh into Axel's shoulder as you approach your group of friends already gathered by the lockers, all grinning like idiots.

Sam practically glows with excitement, bouncing on her toes. Tory smirks knowingly, arms crossed. Miguel and Robby exchange looks like "we knew it."

Demetri claps his hands together, mock-serious. "I would like to personally thank the Academy, and my unwavering faith in dumb, lovesick teenagers."

Hawk points dramatically at Axel. "I KNEW you were whipped, bro!"

Axel just raises a brow coolly, not bothering to argue, and pulls you closer by the hand he's still fiercely holding. You beam up at him, absolutely unbothered.

Sam nudges your side, grinning. "So? Who caved first? Who made the first move?"

All eyes turn expectantly to Axel. He opens his mouth, and you beat him to it, giggling.

"I did," you announce proudly. "I confessed first."

There's a stunned beat of silence.

"YES!" Tory crows, spinning to high-five Sam.

Miguel groans, pulling a crumpled ten-dollar bill from his pocket and slapping it into Sam's outstretched hand. Robby follows suit with a muttered curse. Demetri just sighs dramatically, digging into his backpack for his wallet.

The girls are smirking like they just won the Super Bowl.

"You bet on me?" You chuckle. "How sweet!"

Sam winks at you. "Never bet against a girl who knows what she wants."

"You're all terrible," Demetri grumbles, handing over his money.

"Correction," Tory says, counting the bills. "We're rich."

You snicker, hiding your face against Axel’s arm as the boys bicker and complain around you.

Axel leans down, voice low and rough against your ear.

"Took you long enough, brat," he murmurs, quiet and sure.

You feel your whole face heat up, partly from his words, mostly from how fond he sounds when he says it. Like teasing you is his favorite thing in the world.

You smack his arm lightly, grinning. "Shut up."

He just huffs a soft laugh under his breath. Pleased, smug, yours, and without thinking, he presses a soft kiss to your temple.

Right there in the middle of the hallway. Like he doesn’t care who sees. Like he’s been waiting forever to do it.

And you, grinning like an idiot, press into his side even closer. Because it's him, it's always been him.

And now? It always will be.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

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(a/n: this was so damn cute to write. btw requests are back open 😉)