Bound by freckles (Sebastian Sallow x Garreth Weasley x f!MC modern AU)

1st chapter - Feelings

"Hey Caels, do you fancy a round of Super Smash Bros?", Garreth asked me as we were walking home after school one Friday.

I messaged my mum that I would be home late, if at all. This was nothing unusual, after all Garreth and I had been hanging out together most afternoons for years.

He turned around, looking to see if his little brother was anywhere in sight, and lit a cigarette before handing me one too, "Weren't we going to stop?", I asked laughing as I lit my cigarette. "You're lucky I didn't light this one," he said laughing as he showed me a very special cigarette.

"Well I'd totally be into it.", I said laughing as Garreth put out his cigarette without hesitation and lit the small joint.

We sat down on a bench in a park and smoked it together. Completely high, we sat for a while, laughing our heads off at each other's bullshit, before buying snacks and going home to Garreth.

There we pulled ourselves together for a moment, just said a quick hello to Mrs. Weasley before we went to Garreth's room. There Garreth took off his black beanie, and shook out his hair.

We sat down on his bed, ate our snacks while Garreth updated his Nintendo Switch so we could start gaming soon.

"And you really want to do this?" he asked me with his mouth half full. "Yep. I want to get out of here. And that way neither of us has to be alone," I replied, grinning at him.

"You got an acceptance already?" "Yep. Happened unexpectedly fast. Didn't think I'd get the place, but all the better," I said proudly. I walked slowly to my bag and took out the letter.

"University of Highlands and Islands Inverness. I'm very curious to see how that is going to be. I still need a job. The fees are quite expensive, but somehow I'll manage," I said and dropped back onto Garreth's bed.

"At least you don't have to worry about the rent," Garreth said quietly. "Why?" "I'll pay it, but you'll have to clean in return." "Seriously?" "Yep." "You're not just saying that because you're high?" "Nope. I don't want you to have to worry so much when you're already taking all this on yourself." "You're the best, but this is way too much. I can't take it," I said, leaning my head against his shoulder.

"You can pay it off some other way," he laughed, grinning at me. I rolled my eyes, boxed him and grabbed a controller.

He turned on music in the room, and so we began to play with the sound of twenty-year-old punk rock.

He wiped me out, but that was okay. I just enjoyed spending my time with him. After all, we only had each other at school.

We were complete misfits, and were pretty much beaten up by our classmates. Garreth, because of his red hair and countless freckles, and me, because I always looked a bit gloomy.

I actually wanted several piercings on my face, but I would have to take them out every day, so I stuck with my many ear piercings. But this stupid rule at our school frustrated me so much that three days ago I pierced my own nipples at home, because at least I could keep them in. But they hurt quite a bit and I suspected they were about to get infected.

After a while I got up, grabbed a pair of sweatpants and an old washed-out Green Day shirt from Garreth's closet, and changed behind his closet door. Taking off my bra was an instant improvement in my quality of life.

"Do you have any disinfectant?", I asked. Since he had pierced most of my ear piercings for me, I was sure he still had some.

"Sure, but no idea where. Why?" "I think I've got something infected." "Where?" he asked, sounding a little irritated as he got up and started looking.