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"I'm gonna do it." You knew it was mean, but you really wanted to see how your explosive boyfriend would react.
"Okay, yeah that's great," Kylie says, "but you know he's gonna spontaneously combust, right?" You click your tongue.
"Oh c'mon, it won't be that bad." Crossing your arms, you relax deeper into your seat while Kylie shakes her head frantically, her palms slamming against the surface of your desk.
"You've met Josh, right?"
"Yes, I've met my own boyfriend," you scoff, jaw twitching.
"Then you know how stupid of an idea this is."You wave your hand dismissively.
"I won't let it go that far, I promise." Kylie raises her brows at you.
"I don't believe you. This is gonna be a nightmare," she mutters with wide, anxious eyes.
"He's not gonna hurt me!" She nods.
"Oh, I know that. What'll happen is he'll take it out on the rest of us" She nervously rubs the back of her neck.
"Quit being a wuss." She grows offended at your words, holding a hand to her chest.
"I'm not being a wuss, I'm being logical," she corrects you with a confident head nod. You roll your eyes at the act. Ever so discreetly, you cough out a loud "Wuss!" while mockingly covering your mouth. Kylie hurls a withering glare at you.
"I am not-"
"Shush!" You cover your lips with a finger. The girl huffs out a breath and walks away.
The house is empty aside from you, waiting anxiously in a chair for your boyfriend. You had texted him that you wanted to talk after his classes were over, and you got a "K" in response. It was enough for you. The doors behind your chair slam open loudly and you take a deep breath before popping up and taking on a solemn face.
"What did you want to talk about?"Josh asks with pursed lips. His tone is sharp and impatient, but you've never heard it any differently. Sighing, you slowly approach him and bite your bottom lip, softening your eyes.
"I want to break up."
Silence.
Josh's face doesn't change. Not a single twitch in his body, or a widening of his eyes. He seems... unaffected.
"No."
No? No?! He just rejected your breakup, tackled it and slammed it down like a pro-wrestler before suffocating it with a pillow using one word. 'No.'
"Josh," you lick your lips and he tenses at the action, "I just don't think we're working out-"
"We exercise all the time, Jess, I think we're fine." His voice is rough and guttural, and you notice his hands curling into fists.
"You know that's not what I meant." You drag your gaze back up to his face, giving him a pleading look and desperately trying to sell your prank.
"I don't care," his jaw clenches and he narrows his eyes at you, "we're fine." The hiss makes you flinch as he stares you down threateningly. Oh shit, he's fucking sexy.
You were conflicted; you wanted to be agitated at the fact that he wouldn't let you break up with him, even though you didn't really want to end things with him, but you were also touched at the way he wasn't willing to let you go. However, when his feet stomp loudly against the floor as he approaches you with dilated pupils, fear takes the lead in the race of your emotions even though you know he won't hurt you. You stumble back at his sudden advancement.
"Yeah, no, you're totally right," you hurriedly agree with him, nodding your head frantically, "I'm good, you're good, it's all good." You give him finger guns and a cheesy smile but his expression never changes. You want to crawl into a hole and die just to avoid his intimidating gaze.
"So, um, I'm gonna go to our room now."
"Okay." With his approval of your release, you bolted. You Barged into the bedroom you guys shared and slammed the door behind you before deflating against it. Hands pressed against your flushed cheeks, you trudge into the bathroom and stare at yourself in the mirror.
"What the fuck was that?" you whisper to your reflection. It doesn't respond, thankfully. The rinse pours cold water that you splash onto your burning face. The beating in your chest is racing so fast it hurts, and you press a hand harshly against it, feeling the swift buh-bumps under your fingertips. That, what had just happened down there, was indeed a failed prank. Nope. Never again. No more pranks on Josh.
That night, as you lie in bed beside him, he slowly rolls over to face you, gently dropping an arm over your waist.
"Did you really mean it?" he whispers. The room is too dark to spot any emotions on his face, but his words are hesitant. Gulping loudly, you rest a hand on his cheek and throw a leg over his hips.
"No, it was just supposed to be a dumb prank." At your confession, he purses his lips and you start to trace random patterns on his face to ignore your growing blush, ashamed at your actions.
"You could've just dumped water on me or something," he gruffly responds, hand pressing into the skin of your back firmly.
"Y-yeah, maybe I'll try that next time." You look away with a nod and cleared your throat.
"Just," he continued, eyes intently focused on the wall to avoid your gaze as well, "don't ever do that again. I don't think I could handle it." Josh leans his head into your grip but doesn't say another word.
If you didn't know any better, or perhaps if you didn't love him, you would have smirked or snickered, or maybe even pointed out how abnormally gentle he was in that moment. But you weren't cruel, and you didn't want to lose the warmth by your side at night. Or the grip around your body during the day. Or his comforting presence every living moment. He was it for you, and you seemed to be it for him.
A smile grows on your face at this realization and you run your thumb over his cheek adoringly. The corner of his mouth twitches before you press a kiss against his lips and tuck your face into his chest.
"I won't leave you. Ever." He smiles into your hair.
"Good, 'cause I'm not letting you go."
Yeah, your prank kind of backfired. But hearing him say that made it all worth it.
