the one rule

3.1K 69 19
                                    

spoilers for scream 6. slightly canon-divergent (timeline-wise). gender neutral reader.


Ethan Landry was on thin ice.

This was apparent when Chad slammed him against a car, throwing accusations his way. The suspicion of Ethan did not cease when they got home, the image of Anika's body hitting the floor burned into Chad's mind.

Chad's demands were absurd; Ethan knew this but he also knew that noncompliance would make him complicit with any crimes Chad thought he committed. Ethan had no choice.

All doors inside the dorm must be kept open. At all times.

It wasn't an easy rule to follow, and the force of Chad's angry fist pounding on Ethan's door made Ethan jump a handful of times before he finally got used to leaving his doors wide open.

The measure, while extreme, was not unprompted; Quinn and Anika were dead. Mindy grieved, but Chad... Chad was on the verge of madness. Every move he made was filled with paranoia, his fear for the safety of his friends outweighing any rational thinking. Ethan Landry got the brunt of the outrageous behavior — he was at the top of the suspect list.

Even as the loss of your friends put a halt to your world, the one that existed outside your bubble did not stop spinning.

The deaths of Jason Carvey, Greg Buckner, Quinn Bailey, and Anika Kayoko were all off-campus; their occupations as Blackmore students were just a coincidence.

The world went on. You could either move on with it or get left behind.

You had an econ test on Friday because, of course, you did. But you would rather do something other than sit around and wait for the killer to attack again. You knew it would happen eventually; your days were most likely numbered, but if you were to die tomorrow you wanted to go without regrets.

You tried not to seem insensitive when asking Ethan if he'd like to study together for your upcoming test, but he was quick to accept and you wondered if he was living like you.

You arrived at Ethan and Chad's shared dorm with a rigid back and sweaty palms, waiting for Chad to verify your identity through the peephole before you were allowed to enter. You could not blame him for his method of dealing with things. If it was someone you really loved, you would do the same.

Chad opened the door slowly. His trust in you was limited, and you knew how your presence at their dorm seemed, but he let you in - as long as you followed the rule.

Ethan met you in the small living room, Chad sending a wary glance before he retreated into his own room, across the hall from Ethan's. The door stayed open.

Ethan led you to his small room, cozy and lived-in with posters of all kinds decorating the limited walls. There was only space for a twin-sized bed and a shelf opposite of it, so you made do on the ground.

You set your bag down and looked around, although there was not much to see. You soaked in each detail of his room, from the faded posters to the books and CDs decorating his self, stickers plastered and peeling of the sides of the furniture. One book in particular caught your eye.

It was a piece of literature you hadn't heard of before, but it was well-loved - many of the pages were dog eared and you were sure you'd see annotations if you were to open it. You picked up the book, glancing curiously at Ethan. He responded with a questioning glance. Weren't you here for econ?

You took a seat on Ethan's floor, leaning up against his bed. Before he could protest, you patted the space next to you. Ethan obliged and you tried your hardest not to lean into him.

Your fingers graced the cover of the book, searching the surface for any answers.

"What's it about?" You asked Ethan with a smile.

You could've opened the book, just a little, to read the summary but the way Ethan's hands were on his knees, nervously balling the fabric of his jeans was much more fun.

"Well," Ethan stammered out, caught a little off-guard from your sudden curiosity. It made you smile.

"It's about this guy and this girl who end up together through the weirdest circumstances - and they didn't really plan on it, but it happened, and the guy kind of goes crazy doing anything he can to protect this girl, even though they just met... he didn't realize it but he fell in love with her..."

Ethan trailed off, shakily breathing as he realized how close you had gotten. He was not used to this. You weren't paying attention to the book anymore, your entire focus was on him — his lips.

"And she'd do the same for him... because she loves him?"

Ethan forgot all about the book, barely understanding what you were saying. You were so close he could see the highlights in your eyes.

"Y..yeah! The point is that they'd do.... they'd do almost anything for each other because she's so... in love with..."

Ethan's words were swallowed by you as your lips were placed on his, gently and softly. His body tensed as his brain panicked, an unexpected situation thrust suddenly into his lap.

You pulled back, eyes wide in fear that you'd misread the situation. Your body went still as you leaned back, mouth gaping open to apologize—

And then Ethan leaned in, hand on your cheek and he kissed you.

It was awkward and it was soft, reflective of the boy pressed up against you. Ethan fumbled around as he tried to adjust to you and your touch that sent electricity through his body.

You broke away and you took a long, shuddering breath, taking a moment to let your eyes take in Ethan and his slightly-parted pink lips, the quick rise and fall of his chest, his eyes—

You couldn't help yourself as your hands flew up to Ethan's face, his own moving to rest on your waist. You guided him, teaching him where to lean and tilt his head as your lips detached and reattached, the sounds of your lips on his driving Ethan crazy. Hands began to wander and a low sound traveled out of Ethan's mouth and to your ears, one that made you place your lips against Ethan's neck in an attempt to retrieve another.

And then, with Ethan's lips on yours again and his eyes shut, Ethan stuck out his leg to push the door closed.

He didn't care what Chad would accuse him of for doing so. He forgot the way Chad slammed him against a car, demanding answers for Ethan's disappearance and the suspicion in his eyes. Ethan did not need Chad's trust. He just needed you. All Ethan could think about was you; all he could feel was your lips on and off his, swelling up as you kissed and Ethan whimpered again, louder now that he was confident the sound was only for you.

The ice cracked; Ethan was sinking now, but at least it was into you.

ethan landry x reader oneshotsWhere stories live. Discover now