Love me like this (Supernatural Re-up)

Chapter 31: hangout buzz

Xander was lounging in their shared dorm room, trying to concentrate on a book, though his mind kept drifting back to Leo. Over the past few days, the bond between them had grown, and Xander found himself increasingly drawn to Leo's energy. Just as he was about to turn another page, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Leo.

“Hey, Xander, I’m bored. Wanna hang out?”

Xander's heart gave a small leap. Without even thinking, his fingers flew over the screen as he typed out his response.

“Of course! Where are we going?”

A few seconds later, the message icon popped up again.

“I was thinking the arcade downtown. Carlos and Mia wanna come too.”

Xander’s excitement dimmed just a little. He had been hoping for some alone time with Leo—some time where he could focus on the growing feelings he had for him without the extra company. But he couldn’t say no to Leo, and besides, he didn’t mind Carlos or Mia. They were Leo’s best friends, after all. He just wished it could be *only* them for once.

“Sounds good, let’s meet up in 20?” Xander replied, masking his disappointment.

When Xander got to the meeting spot, Leo was already there with Carlos and Mia, both laughing and chatting with him. Leo’s eyes brightened when he spotted Xander approaching, and Xander couldn’t help but feel a rush of warmth seeing that smile directed at him. Even with the others around, it felt like Leo’s attention was centered on him.

“You’re late!” Leo teased, giving Xander a playful nudge on the shoulder.

“Blame traffic,” Xander shrugged, smirking. He wasn’t late at all, but if Leo wanted to mess with him, he would play along.

The group made their way to the arcade, chatting and joking along the way. Mia was telling some funny story about her last class, and Carlos was egging her on, making exaggerated expressions that had everyone laughing. Xander smiled, but his focus was mostly on Leo. He watched the way Leo’s eyes lit up, the sound of his laugh filling the air. It was infectious, and despite wanting this to be a one-on-one hangout, Xander felt content just being there with him.

At the arcade, they split into teams, with Leo and Xander pairing up for a few rounds of games. It felt like the universe was giving Xander a bit of a break, as he found himself alone with Leo at one of the shooting game stations. They competed with each other, their playful rivalry bringing out the competitive side in both of them.

“Hey, you’re cheating!” Leo laughed as Xander scored another headshot in the game.

“Not my fault I’m better than you,” Xander teased, nudging Leo with his shoulder.

Leo stuck his tongue out at him, grinning ear to ear. For a moment, Xander was completely lost in that smile, his heart racing. He wanted to reach out, maybe even say something about the way he’d been feeling lately, but he couldn’t. Not here. Not with Carlos and Mia just a few feet away.

They continued playing for a while until Mia and Carlos called them over to join in on a group game. Xander sighed inwardly, wanting to hold on to that moment of just him and Leo, but he went along. Throughout the rest of the day, Xander couldn’t help but steal glances at Leo—watching the way he interacted with their friends, the way he moved, and the way his laughter made everything feel lighter.

As the evening drew to a close and they made their way back to campus, Xander felt a strange mix of emotions. He was grateful for the time spent together, but he couldn’t shake the growing feeling that he wanted more. He wanted more than just these casual hangouts with their friends. He wanted something real, something private—just the two of them.

Once they got back to the dorm, Carlos and Mia said their goodbyes and headed to their own rooms. Finally, it was just Leo and Xander again.

“Thanks for today,” Leo said, looking up at Xander with that familiar warm smile. “I had fun.”

“Yeah,” Xander replied, his voice a little softer than usual. “I did too.”

Leo yawned, stretching his arms as he kicked off his shoes. “I’m beat. Guess we should turn in, huh?”

Xander nodded, watching as Leo disappeared into the bathroom to get ready for bed. As he sat there, alone in the dimly lit room, he couldn’t help but wonder how long he could keep these feelings to himself. Leo had no idea how much Xander cared for him—how much these little moments together meant to him.

Tomorrow, maybe he would tell him. Or maybe the next day. Xander wasn’t sure, but he knew one thing: this couldn’t stay a secret forever.