Reed & Roden

9 / last

thank you all for your lovely comments on the last chapter, i appreciate you guys sharing your thoughts!!

if you didn't drop a comment, that's okay, thank you so so so much for reading. i appreciate the support nonetheless.

this one's a bit long once again, but enjoy the chapter x

*

The first and only time Reed kissed Roden was back in twelfth grade.

Roden was taking Reed home after celebrating the end of their finals week and their graduation nearing with some of their friends. Having had a little too much to drink, Reed was well past the tipsy state, unable to walk in a straight line, her face flushed, eyes lost and glossy. Roden knew Reed couldn't handle her liquor well, but when Reed's already taken a few shots, she gets a little bolder, a little braver, a little more addicted to the alcohol.

Being sober himself (one of them has to be, plus, he was too busy watching over Reed to drink), he carried her around his back. Her face was tilted towards his neck, and Roden could feel her breath ghosting against his skin. He swallowed hard and said, "You shouldn't have drank so much. I should've stopped you."

"It was fun," Reed complained quietly. "I'd have smacked you if you took the drinks..."

Roden laughed and tightened his arms around her legs. She wrapped her own around his neck more securely and nuzzled against his face. "You would've done that to me? You sure?"

"No," she said, drawing the word out. "I...would never hurt you."

Roden, at that time, seriously doubted it. At one point or another, they're going to hurt (not in a physical sense, of course) each other—whether it's intentional or not. He nodded instead. "I would never hurt you too."

"I know."

The rest of the walk was spent in silence. Once in front of Reed's house, Roden gently set her on the ground and held her hands in case she wobbled on her feet. "Your mom's gonna kill me."

"I won't let her," Reed assured him with a sleepy smile, eyes closed. 

Roden interlaced his fingers with hers.

"Roden."

"Yes?"

"I'll call you if I remember."

He raised an eyebrow. "Remember what?"

Instead of answering, Reed pulled him towards her with one tug, and without time to react, she leaned up on her tiptoes, took his face in her hands, and kissed him slow and sweet.

"Goodnight," she said when she pulled away from him, eyes still closed. There's a wider smile on her lips. "Thank you for taking me home."

Roden was just there, frozen to his spot, eyes wide with surprise. His heartbeat was so loud that he could actually hear it, and he was pretty sure his legs were shaking. "Uh, yeah, goodnight."

He waited until she was safely inside before leaving.

The next day, she didn't call.

*

Day 1 after the Fight:

Roden's been replaying the conversation he had with Reed yesterday, but his head is a mess and all of it's a confusing blur, like it never really happened in the first place. The only indication that it did is Knox assuring him that they are, indeed, in a Fight. Capital F to emphasize the seriousness of Roden's fuck-up.