Khrysopos ✔

TWENTY ONE

- Alex's POV -

He was sitting next to Juliet. She was dressed in Nyssa's clothes. Her pants were too tight and so was the shirt. He was definitely not complaining, but when they all ran into one of his cousins, who ogled Juliet, he had scowled.

Not that he was even interested in Juliet. She was fine. Meh.

Everyone was squished on top of his bed. Juliet, Alex, and Adam got to rest their backs on the headrest of the bed, Nyssa and Marie were lying on their backs, and Cain and Nathan were on the floor.

Nyssa was lying down on Juliet's laps, and Marie on Adam's.

Cain didn't look pleased.

The movie was a comedy called The Other Woman. Juliet picked out the movie. "Comedies are the best," she had sighed happily fifteen minutes into the movie.

Halfway, her head had gently fallen against Alex's shoulder. He didn't move an inch.

When the movie was nearly done, she had basically curled up against him, watching the movie intently. "I knew watching this movie for the hundredth time was a good idea," she had said loudly.

Someone switched off the television and the lights, making his room completely dark.

It was quiet for a while.

And then, there was a sound.

Toot.

Someone farted.

"OH MY GOD WHO UNLEASHED THAT?" Juliet roared.

Alex was chuckling along with the rest of them. Until he smelled it too.

Nathan said, "Cain. You're a disgusting pig."

"I didn't mean to!" He blurted.

And then laughter bubbled out of Juliet. "Why are we even friends with you?"

"I was the best you could do," he retorted.

Juliet rolled her eyes.

Someone made another comment, which caused laughter to ripple among them.

Alex lived in this moment. Completely dark, Cain farting, everyone giving him shit for it, Juliet gently curled up against him, her head on his shoulder.

He wanted this all the time.

It was much better than homework and papers and the tormenting silence he always had.

***

- The following Wednesday -

Everyone was studying. Their exams were approaching, and there were books and papers everywhere.

Juliet was explaining Nazism to Cain and Nyssa; Marie and Adam were discussing something related to the Silk Route; Nathan was texting someone while looking at his study material every few minutes; and Alex was calmly reading through his history textbook as though he knew every single detail.

Later that evening, they all grouped up in Juliet's living room. She was firing questions at them, preparing all of them and then herself. They all finally left when it was nearly eleven at night.

They were supposed to be in their rooms by ten, but because the staff was aware everyone clubbed their studies during exams, they let the students off for now.

As Juliet went to bed that night, she couldn't help but recall Alex's concentrated face on the textbook. She had drifted off for a moment and just stared at him.

At his neatly cut black hair, at his dark brown eyes, his tall, lean, muscular build. And, weirdly, she noticed that he had clean nails. Good. He also had clean, white teeth. Another plus.

He also had kind eyes.

Yes, they were always glaring and scowling at her, looking at her like even domesticated turkeys were more intelligent than her - but atleast they weren't aggressive eyes. They weren't dangerous, exactly - more like protective. As if he didn't want anyone prying into his life too much and kept the shield around him very very close.

He was obviously a very private person.

And Juliet wanted to rip that shield apart and know all of his secrets and then be loyal and understanding because she'd keep her mouth shut, obviously, and then afterwards she wanted to be the one to finally make him blush because holy goddess did he look adorable when he blushed that one time -

Nyssa smacked her on the head and grinned. "Pay attention to the book, Ashton."

Juliet had smiled sweetly. "Kiss any ice hockey players, recently?"

"It was an accident," Nyssa hissed.

Juliet chuckled at the memory.

And for the first time ever, she felt like she fit in perfectly.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .