The Rolling Stones' imagines

(Brian) One more for the road

A/N: So this is a school au. It's a bit uneventful but I hope you like it (:

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The afternoon sun casts a warm glow to the side of his face that wasn't hidden under the shadow cast by the oak tree branches above. Forgotten leaves tumble softly down landing over the striped blanket we sat on and I watch as he lazily swats a twig intertwined with his messy blunt chop he calls a freshly trimmed haircut. Impatient hands further spread the damage and it doesn't take long before he's groaning with both hands in his mane. He's annoyed by the stems and remnants remaining.

"You...you still got some-"

"Yes I'm aware of that." He grunts and combs his fingers through his hair.

It's humid for a winter day and I almost regret wearing the thick white turtleneck if it wasn't for the welcoming breath of air the wind exhales every so often. It too is hot but under the promising shade the tree provides it's bearable. I'm also grateful my blouse doesn't have any sleeves.

My eyes quickly scan our surroundings and it doesn't surprise me to see we're farther than anyone is supposed to be. Frankly that's due to most kids lingering under the buildings' narrow shade but even then we've passed the football setup meant to draw a line to prohibit anyone to go further. It would take us at least a good jog 10 minutes before the lunch hour ended to make it back on time. Not that the next class was important. I was a student tutor and unsurprisingly was supposed to study with Brian— not that he needed it. He was very smart and his exam scores proved it. Classwork and attendance? Not so much. It didn't help that he also had a foul attitude and liked to bicker with the teacher(s) whenever he got bored in class. So study sessions were spent throwing bits of pencil shavings at each other or doing just this— conversing a forgotten dream as we munched on crisps and apple slices.

At the sound of coughing I turn back to whatever conversation we were having before. The rosy cheeks burning his face concerns me and I sit up on my elbows. His eyes squint as he hides his face in the corner of his elbow and he continues to wheeze. I almost think to pull out his inhaler but with a quick shake of his head he coughs some more before it settles down to a pant.

"You okay?"

"Swallowed that apple slice..." he coughs, "like I would a pill." I nod and nibble on the slice I had in my hand. It doesn't take long for him to break the second of silence. He picks at long grass blades and talks about wanting to visit the record store after school. It's when he slightly bites his bottom lip does my attention waver. I know I should be listening but I can't help it as my eyes trail down and observe the rapid motion of his lips that widen and narrow with each syllable his mouth makes.

Plump and... chapped.

In fact, really chapped and I frown wondering how that isn't bothering him. Subconsciously I touch my lips and am relieved to find them soft. His bottom lip is slightly bleeding but he pays no attention and simply swipes at it and continues to ramble on with his hands in the dirt.

Penny once told me that kissing Brian was like kissing a fish out of sea— slippery and just overall unpleasant as you would imagine kissing a fish in the first place.

"I almost laughed, Y/N! He was so persistent to learn how to French that I felt bad telling him otherwise." Her soft airy voice whispered as bright blue eyes widened in a mixture of amusement and horror. But Brian was 14 then and really what 14 year old knows anything about kissing? Still, after a week of his gloating having kissed the "prettiest girl in school" it felt nice to break his bubble. Was I jealous? Considering I had never been kissed in the first place— yes. Was it possible I had a slight (slight) crush on my best friend? Absolutely not. No way... though I will admit it was kind of cute watching his glasses fog with embarrassment. I swear his ears were red for a month. But they had dated for a year after the confession so it couldn't have been that bad.