Juliana Woodland and Nate Jacobs have been best friends for as long as they can remember.
They are now in their junior year at East Highland High School and things are starting to get complicated.
*Had this story up on my old account and it got dele...
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Nate stood leaning against the counter in Juliana's kitchen, staring into his half-empty glass of water, while Juliana sat at the table. The quiet hum of the fridge and the distant sound of the TV in the living room filled the silence between them.
She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms as she searched for the right words. She had always been the more rational one in their relationship- as friends and as a couple- and she wasn't sure if what she was about to suggest was going go over well or not. As well as she knew Nate, he could still be hard to read.
"Nate," she began, her voice steady yet laced with an unmistakable vulnerability. "We both know that we obviously have something... really good when it comes to the physical side of things."
His eyes snapped up to meet hers, a flicker of hope igniting within him. He nodded slowly, his grip on the glass tightening.
"Like, really good." She chuckled then hesitated before continuing. "But I think we also both know that we're not good for each other as a couple. The fights... the violence."
He winced at the last word, like he always did when he was reminded of how he hurt her when they were together.
She took a deep breath, bracing herself for his reaction. "I know this might sound kind of crazy, but what if we were like, friends with benefits?"
He felt his heart pounding in his chest, the echo resonating through his body. He had never expected this from her, not after everything they had been through, and all the times he hoped for another chance.
But here she was, laying out an offer that was both tantalizing and terrifying. "You mean... just sex?" He asked with a tone of disbelief.
"But it's not just sex," she clarified. "We're still best friends, Natey. We're always going to be there for each other. And I don't want to get with anyone else at all. It's so right with you." She paused, looking at him intently. "Do you want to be with anyone else?"
He took a moment to process her words, his mind racing with conflicting emotions. He didn't want to lose her again, not after the pain of their breakup still lingered like a ghost between them.
"No." He finally replied, barely above a whisper. "I don't want to be with anyone else either."
She stood up and walked over to him, closing the gap between them. Her hand reached out, her fingertips brushing lightly against his forearm.
"Then it's perfect. We can hook up and still do all the things we always do as friends, without all the trouble we had when we were together."
He pulled back from her, his movements sudden and abrupt. "I need to think about it." He mumbled.
He grabbed his sweater from the back of one of the chairs and quickly headed for the front door, not giving her a chance to respond.
She watched him go, her stomach in knots and her thoughts in a whirl. She knew that suggesting a friends with benefits arrangement was risky, but she hoped it would be the solution to their constant push and pull.
Ever since they had sex again, she felt like she couldn't go without it, but she only wanted to do it with him. She had no interest in any other guys. She knew that she wouldn't be able to contain herself around him anymore, now that they had gotten physical again, and she really thought what she suggested could work.
Now, as she heard the front door close, she felt a pang of doubt. Had she just blown up their friendship apart for good?
The house felt eerily quiet once he was gone. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She wanted to call him, to apologize, to explain herself more. But she thought maybe he needed space. He had always been the type to process things on his own.
So she clutched her phone tightly, willing herself not to dial his number. Instead, she paced the floor, replaying their conversation in her mind, hoping she didn't scare him off for good with her stupid idea.
She tried to keep herself busy. She FaceTimed Maddy, organized her closet and attempted to watch a movie. The clock ticked away the hours, each one heavier than the last, as she wondered if she was just setting herself up for more heartache.
As the moon rose high in the sky, Nate found himself unable to shake the feeling that gnawed at him. He was genuinely upset that she would suggest they be friends with benefits, as if them having sex meant nothing to her, while it meant absolutely everything to him.
But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he couldn't ignore the raw desire that he had for her, or the hope that maybe this could be the way back to her.
There was a reason she asked him. She didn't want to sleep with anyone else, she only wanted him. He made her feel like no one else could. If he didn't do it, it was inevitable that she would eventually end up being interested in doing it with someone else.
With a renewed sense of determination, he made his decision. Friends with benefits was the stepping stone he needed to win her back; they would be back together in no time. He felt stupid for walking out on her earlier and not realizing that it was a good idea.
He slipped out of his house and cut through the yard going back to her house from his own, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement as he climbed the stairs to her bedroom. He found her asleep in bed, her hair sprawled across the pillow, her breathing steady and peaceful.
He took a moment to appreciate her, the curves of her body in a lacy pink camisole outlined by the faint glow of the moonlight. He could watch her all night but more than anything, he wanted to touch her.
He carefully slid into bed beside her and she stirred as she felt the warmth of his body next to hers. Her eyes fluttered open to meet his intense gaze. He leaned in, his breath warm against her neck.
"Sorry I took off earlier, but I had to think about what you said."
Her heart skipped a beat as his hand trailed up down her stomach, his touch sending shivers down her spine. "I'm sorry if I was out of line, I just-"
"I want to do it." He cut off, planting kisses along her collar bone, making her instantly hot.
He moved to kiss her but she moved her head back, searching his face for any hint of doubt. She didn't want him to agree to it just to make her happy, if it wasn't what he really wanted. But all she could see was desire.
"Are you sure? I want you to know it's because I love being with you, and you make me feel so good. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since we did it again, and I can't imagine being with anyone else like that."
"I'm sure, and I love being with you too, Angel. You do the same for me, you're the only one I want to do this with, ever."
He didn't waste another moment, his hands moving to grip her chest through her sheer top, his mouth finding hers in a kiss that was urgent and familiar. The sensation of his tongue exploring her mouth sent a rush of heat through her body as she moaned into his mouth.
She felt the weight of his body pressing against her, his arousal evident through the fabric of his sweatpants. She reached down slipped her hand into his boxers, her hand wrapping around his hardness. He groaned and grabbed a handful of her long hair, his hips jerking forward involuntarily.
She broke the kiss to smile up at him, a mischievous glint in her eye. "See, this isn't so bad, is it?" She asked, her voice teasing.
He laughed and moved his hands to her thighs, gently massaging his way up them. "No, it definitely isn't." He murmured before kissing her again.
The intimacy of the moment was overwhelming, a silent acknowledgment of the trust and love that remained between them despite everything.
