IMAGINES ▹ ROSS BUTLER

↳ midnight reminiscing

( MIDNIGHT REMINISCING ) 
by arch1eandrews

I sat on the step of the back porch, red solo cup in hand. The air had a slight chill, though I could barely feel it with the buzz of alcohol running through my veins. The atmosphere was thick with the drone of bassline and the hum of lots of voices. A typical high school house party to kick-start the senior year. I was only here because my friends had dragged me to this stupid thing. I shifted to the side as a group of teenagers sidled by, barely able to walk in a straight line due to their intoxication. Taking a swig out of my cup, I looked up at them as they made their way into the garden.

"Oh, hey (Y/N)!" A slurred voice called out.

My eyes adjusted and I recognised Valerie Brown, standing on the expanse of grass in front of me.

"Hey Val." I responded, raising my cup in recognition.

"Why are you out here alone?" She asked, hand on her hip, head cocked to the side in confusion.

"Erm...I'm...just...y'know..." I shrugged.

She laughed at my response, pivoting on her dainty feet and heading back across the lawn to her friends.

I sat there for a long time, contemplating everything. My cup was completely empty, but I still held it firmly in my hand. The party was slowly dying down now and I looked around to see a few people were passed out on lawn chairs. I knew that I should probably get home, but something was keeping me rooted to this back porch step. I looked down into my empty cup, and listened intently as a set of loud footsteps from behind me came closer. Slowly, a tall body lowered itself to sit next to me on the step, and I glanced sideways, shocked at who was settled beside me.

"Uh, hey, (Y/N)."

"Hey...Reggie." I answered, looking up at the dark-haired boy.

He smiled sheepishly, and I sucked in a deep breath. He was so damn beautiful, and I gazed up at him, appreciating every inch of his face.

"So, how have you been? It's been a while." He asked, his deep brown eyes looking intently into my own.

We had dated for a while during sophomore year, though the difference in our reputation's had cut the relationship short. Reggie had gone on to be an all-star football player and typical jock, whilst I had just cruised through, not particularly popular or unpopular. Just average.

"Yeah, I'm good. You?" I said, unable to break his smouldering gaze.

He nodded, smiling at me.

"So why are you sat outside alone?" He asked, before taking a sip of the amber liquid from his plastic cup.

I looked back to the house, before glancing back at Reggie.

"I just wanted to get away from it all. Just for a little while." I mumbled, crunching the empty solo cup in my hand and dropping it on the floor.

"You always were independent." He smirked.

"You were always prying." I retorted.

He chuckled, shaking his head lightly, and I watched as a few strands fell from his perfectly styled hair and delicately grazed his forehead.

"Hey, do you remember when we went camping by Sweetwater River? We were sat on the bank and we were..." He hesitated, biting his lip and gazing at me.

"We were kissing?" I replied, finishing his sentence for him.

"W-well yeah, and then it started raining pretty heavy and the bank got all muddy, and as I tried to stand up..."