dunk shot | z.cl

e i g h t

"IT WAS AMAZING MOM, CHENLE SCORED 58 POINTS JUST BY HIMSELF, THEY KEPT FOULING HIM AND THEY KEPT GETTING SO MAD BECAUSE HE WAS SCORING BUT SINCE THEY WERE MAD THEY FOULED MORE AND- IT WAS SO GOOD!!! WE'RE GOING TO NATIONALS!!!!!"

Kaili was currently on the phone with her mother, although it was hooked up to Chenle's aux so he could clearly hear the squeals that came from the other line.

"Hold up is my mom there too?"

"Oh is that him? Yeah, she's here"

"I knew you weren't going to tell me what happened, but sweet Kaili actually does update after games"

"Oops, sorry mom"

"I'll let it slide, only because of your 58 points"

Chenle laughed and Kaili continued talking to their parents.

"Yeah we're on our way to the restaurant now, we should be home before midnight"

"Okay, keep me updated and we'll bring Chenle clothes so he can just stay over after"

"You're the best mom" he yelled towards the direction of Kaili's phone, and based on the laughs from the other side he could tell it worked.

The call ended shortly after, the music from Kaili's phone once again filling the car. The headlights of Chenle's car shined towards the road of the same restaurant they had gone to last time, but at the last minute he switched his turn signal on, heading in a different direction.

"You were supposed to go straight up there" Kaili pointed out after they had made the left, she was awful with directions but even she knew the way to the weekly celebration spot.

"I know" was all he said, continuing down the road and making a song request when the current one stopped playing.

"Should I text the girls that we aren't coming?"

"I already told the team before we left"

She fake gasped and looked towards him in time to see his smile, "you planned this and didn't tell me, your bestest friend in the world? How rude."

"Because my bestest friend in the world is a little social butterfly and would end up inviting the entire team when the point of the plan was to be alone" he teased, keeping one hand on the wheel as he reached out and ruffled Kaili's hair, accidentally getting caught in her hair tie and causing a fit of laughter to overcome to two as she slowly untangled her strands from his fingers.

"That was instant karma"

"Probably" he acknowledged, pulling into a small gravel parking lot by the town's walking trail.

It was a spot Kaili knew well, it had become the designated late night crying spot whenever one of them was feeling stressed or something was going on.

She followed him as he got a blanket out of his trunk, spreading it out on a flat spot at the top of a hill and laying down.

She watched him as he stared up at the sky before joining.

"Stressed out?"

At first he only hummed, putting out his arm and pulling her closer to his body, enjoying the peace and quiet for a few moments.

"Just overwhelmed I guess"

Kaili nodded slightly, and Chenle felt it against his chest.

"I get that, it's a lot of pressure now that it's on such a large scale, but you're still the same you as usual. You're Chenle, my weird best friend who has a really loud laugh and loses my gifts the second I give them to you. And you're still the boys team captain who is an amazing leader and player, regardless of the game. And everyone will still love you the same no matter what happens"

Her voice was quiet, and he found reassurance in her just as he always did.

"You always know exactly what to say"

This time he felt her smile against him, and he subconsciously wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer.

"Can we just stay here like this"

"For how long"

"Forever"

"My curfew is midnight"

The silence was broken by their breathy giggles, and chenle rolled over to smack his best friend.

This time they did make it home before Kaili's curfew, and as promised, there was a drawstring bag with Chenle's overnight things in it laying on her bed when they entered.