𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝘆 (𝗯𝘅𝗯)

Forty

Chantel smiles at Gavin pulls her seat out for her. "Thank you."

Gavin just simply smiles back before sitting himself in the seat across from her. "How long do you have lunch?"

"I have like an hour off. My next class isn't until one-thirty."

"College is confusing. I'm so glad I didn't sign up for it. I feel like I'd just sleep through all my classes."

Chantel smiles and nods her head. "Oh trust me, it happened a few times already."

"Is it hard? I heard it's easier than high school."

"Oh, it definitely is. You're not constantly in a classroom and you get more breaks and stuff...Drama on the other hand.."

"Really? In college?"

"Adulthood is weird. And most people are hella stuck up."

Gavin looks down at his menu. "Ugh. I hate people sometimes."

Chantel shrugs. "I've definitely met my fair share of assholes but...I've also met some pretty cool people. Kirstin and Jax are the most down to earth people I've ever met."

"That's good. It's always good to have that one or more person to you going."

"Who's your go-to person?"

"One hundred percent Shawn. He's like my brother. I could literally consider him my blood brother."

"That's cute. How'd you guys meet?"

"Uhm...I don't know, sometime in sixth grade. We've been hella tight since then. I took him in when a bunch of shit went down with his family."

"Aw. So you do have a soft side?" Chantel tilts her head to the side, smiling.

Gavin chuckles and rolls his eyes. "Oh, whatever."

**
Jaxon walks into the apartment, setting his bag down on the floor, before throwing his keys down on the counter so he'll know where they are.

He sees Shawn in the living room, sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, drawing in his sketchbook. He also had a TV show playing quietly though he wasn't paying attention.

Jaxon skips into the living room, putting his hands behind his back. "Hi."

Shawn looks up at Jaxon and smiles. "Oh, hey, princess. What're you doing home?"

"I'm on lunch. Chantel is out with Gavin and Kirst is with some of the cheerleaders".

Jaxon takes a seat on the couch behind Shawn, leaning forward to peek over his shoulder. "What're you drawing?"

Shawn blushes as he covers the drawing. "Just a picture of my mom."

"Well don't hide it. Why are you so nervous?"

Shawn shrugs and uncovers it. "I feel like my badass stoner kid persona gets wiped away when you see my art."

Jaxon sits up and giggles. "What?"

"I don't know! Don't make fun of me."

"No offense, babe, but I think your 'badass stoner kid persona' is wiped away when you ask to be the little spoon when we're cuddling."

"Hey. I like to be held. And it's...not often that I ask."

Jaxon smiles and looks down at the drawing. "That's beautiful. You did that from memory?"

Shawn nods and gets off the floor to sit on the couch next to Jaxon. "Sounds silly but...Sometimes I'm afraid I'm not gonna remember her face like how I used to."

Jaxon frowns and reaches out to grab Shawn's face. "I'm sorry, babe."

Shawn shakes his head. "I'm not trying to make this all depressing and shit but...I don't know. Seeing her face just makes me happy."

Jaxon smiles and him and leans into his side. "You're so sweet."

Shawn smiles, wrapping his arm around Jaxon's shoulder to take in his embrace. He pulls away slightly though to kiss him once on the lips. "Hey, did you eat yet?"

**
"Lodi, California. I was not raised up here with all the rich kids. Absolutely not."

"Ouch. I wasn't trying to assume," Gavin chuckles, "What's it like?"

"It's a lot different from here. I kinda knew everyone in my town in a family type of way. It was like we were all cousins or something."

"That's gotta be confusing if someone starts dating someone."

Chantel stops to think for a second before nodding. "Mm. Yeah, bad analogy. What about where you from?"

"Eh. It's not much to brag about. I mean...it's home, and that's where I met the group but...Other than that it's not really a sight to see."

"Are they super strict over there?"

Gavin watches as Chantel glances down at the tattoos on Gavin's arms. "I guess not. You're asking about the tats."

"I'm just curious. You and Shawn both have so many but...There's no way you got all of those from eighteen until now."

Gavin chuckles. "Yeah. My mom allowed me, she didn't really care. I'm pretty sure my first one was at sixteen. But, Shawn also knew people...He knows a lot of people, so he'd get us tats and stuff without parent permission."

Chantel raises her eyebrows and lifts the sleeve of her sweater. "This is the best I've got. I got it on my eighteenth."

Gavin reaches out to touch the flower tattoo. "Would you ever get super tatted up?"

Chantel looks down at Gavin's hand and blushes. "M-maybe one day. Not sure."

Gavin sits back and crosses his arms. "You'd look badass."

**
The two had spent the rest of lunch talking before Chantel had to go back to class. They exchange their goodbyes, Gavin hugging her before she went her separate way into her car.

Gavin smiles to himself as he made it back to the apartment.

He opens the front door, looking down to see Jaxon's backpack as well as keys, knowing they were Jaxon's because of the bear charm on his keychain.

He sees two plates in the sink and assumes the couple had lunch together. He looks in the living room, seeing Jaxon asleep on Shawn's lap while he was scrolling in his phone, still ignoring the television.

Shawn turns his head to see Gavin, smiling. "Wassup, man! How was the date?"

Gavin sets his leftovers in the fridge and walks over to sit on the arm of the couch. "It was good."

"Good? Meaning?"

Gavin chuckles and shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know, man. Meaning it was...good. I'm pretty sure there's gonna be a second one."

Shawn flashes a smile and holds his hand out to Gavin. "That's right."

Gavin rolls his eyes, smiling before accepting Shawn's hand into a handshake. "So what's going on over here?"

Shawn looks down at Jaxon. "Oh. His professor canceled class and he fell asleep. Why?"

"Just wondering. That brainiac isn't one for skipping school."

"Don't I know it. Wanna watch this show?"

Gavin gets off of the arm of the chair, actually taking a seat on the couch. "Sure. What's it about?"

"Not sure. Some reality TV show Jax put on."

**