No Hard Feelings

one

a / n :

this story has a very, very simple plot. if you came here expecting surprising plot twists and action-packed scenes, you'll probably leave disappointed, but i'd like to think this story offers something of its own. i'd been told this reads a lot like real life. i guess that's the best thing i can say to give you guys an idea of what to expect. enjoy! :)

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O N E

SHE ALWAYS SMELLED A LITTLE bit like caramel.

That was one of the things Dexter liked about Hadley.

Her family owned this little candy shop that used to be his favorite part of their hometown when he was a kid, when Hadley wasn't yet part of his life. The sweet scent that filled the shop had stuck on her. Her hair, her clothes, her skin. It was all over her.

And that morning, it was all over him.

In the past two years of their friendship, Dexter and Hadley had fallen asleep next to each other so many times that he had been used to waking up to Hadley's scent. Often, she had to complain about him nuzzling his nose into her hair to get a whiff of it, pushing him away with a forceful hand without even bothering to open her eyes, mumbling incoherently before falling right back to sleep.

The smell reminded him of his childhood, of days when plastic-wrapped caramel candies and chocolate gold coins left his teeth aching but his thoughts happy. It was intoxicating, at times, and comforting, more often, and sometimes he can't stop himself from scooting closer to Hadley just because.

Under normal circumstances, that's exactly what he would have done that morning when he woke up.

But there's nothing normal about these circumstances, and when he opens his eyes to see that Hadley's are already wide open, he knows that something is wrong.

He always wakes up first.

And there's something hard about her gaze; like it's edged with steel and guarded with a brick wall. It reminds him too much of the way she used to look at him before. Distant. Removed. Unforgiving.

He props himself up on an elbow in alarm, ready to ask her what's up until he realizes something he should have already noticed the moment he woke up.

He was naked under the sheets.

His eyes snap to hers, then at the way she hugs the covers to her body.

The whole setup confuses him for a moment, makes him feel like he hasn't completely woken up from a dream. After all, it certainly wouldn't be the first time for him to have dreamt of something along these lines, but somehow, he knows this is real. His brows furrow, the gears in his head slowly rumbling to life as he scrambles to make sense of the situation

That's when flashbacks of the previous night surge into his thoughts. Hadley, showing up on his doorstep. Breaking down to tears in front of him. Complaining about Josh. Kissing him on the couch. Him kissing her back. The two of them climbing up to the bedroom.

The gravity of the situation hits him like a hard slap in the face.

"Shit," he says, suddenly aware of the dull ache in his head and the hoarseness of his throat. He sinks back down to the pillow, bringing his wrists to his eyes as he breathes in, then out, and sit back up again. "Did we just..."

He can't quite finish the sentence, but Hadley nods anyway.

His heart drops to his stomach.

"Had," he begins, but she immediately cuts him off.