Insomniacs (#1)

51. spitfire

Vanilla had always been my favourite ice cream flavour. But I wasn't sure how I'd ever go back now having tried cookies and cream. The only reason I wasn't displaying my awe at how fucking heavenly it tasted was so I could avoid Luca's I told you so's.

"You don't like it?" He raised an eyebrow. He so could see through my bullshit.

"It's okay." I shrugged.

"So give it back to me-" He reached for it and without thinking, I slapped his hand away and shielded the ice cream.

Lu chuckled victoriously, "Awful fucking liar."

"Lu, you swear worser than Ria and Evvy. You should probably work on that." Benji inputted from opposite side of the booth where him and Ev sat, sharing a sundae.

"Sorry, kid." Luca bit back his smile at the parental tone.

"Why were you two so late? Ria, did you fall? You weren't walking properly."

I choked on my ice cream.

Luca also choked on his ice cream. Ev's jaw dropped slightly, struggling to swallow his ice cream.

Ev quickly recovered however, swallowing down his ice cream and proceeding to look up at the two of us with a devious smile, "Yeah, Ria. Do tell."

"There was traffic." I smiled at Benj, hoping my stupid cheeks weren't stupidly blushing.

"And you fell in said traffic? That explain the limping?" Ev perused, holding his face in his hands. I slowly turned to glare at him and kicked him hard under the table. He jolted, pressing his lips together to contain his wince.

"She fell when we were getting out." Lu said and I watched Everest jolt a second time, glaring at Luca now. I smiled realising Luca had just kicked him under the table too.

"Are you hurt?" Benji asked, his eyes filled with genuine concern.

"No, darling. I'm okay." I assured.

"Clearly." Ev smirked.

"Can you shut the fuck up for once?" Luca said through his teeth, quietly and with a bitter smile. Like that would soften the blow if Benji were to be listening.

"Nope. Just like you can't keep it in your pan-"

Both me and Luca kicked him under the table. Hard. He let out a grunt of pain, tilting his head back and breathing out sharp exhales. Me and Luca shared a glance, stifling our smiles.

"Saw a couple videos of Reed sparring. Motherfuckers good." Everest said to Luca, looking up to him with a raised eyebrow. Luca tilted his head back on the booth.

"I know. I've watched those videos more times than I can count. I need this win, scouts from Apollo's will be there." He said, jaw ticking a few times.

"So you think you wanna pursue boxing? Like after graduation?" I asked and he turned to look at me, absently kissed my cheek.

"Think so. The academy is up in New York so if you go for Lana's scheme, we'll be close. When you're not travelling." He said with a smile but I swallowed, looking away.

I had been avoiding thoughts of after-graduation for a while now. My application for Lana's scheme was still incomplete, waiting to be filled out on my laptop. Every time I'd go to start on it, Benji would flood my mind.

I couldn't go to New York without somehow buying myself an apartment for me and Benji to live in, which I've already looked into and blanched once realising the expenses that'd require. Obviously, I couldn't live in the dorms and there was no way I was ever gonna leave Benji with my mum.