Matt was slouched on the couch, a controller in hand, pretending to care about the Super Mario Bros match playing out on the screen. Hunter sat next to him, laser-focused, muttering something about timing jumps — but Matt wasn’t listening.

His eyes flicked over the top of the TV just in time to see you slip out of the room. You weren’t exactly stumbling, but you had that tell — the slight sway in your step, the way your fingertips brushed the wall like you needed it for balance.

Bathroom. Of course.

You two had a pattern. A stupid, messy, secret pattern. Drunk basement parties, sideways glances, and too many “accidental” run-ins in dark corners. No one knew — not even your closest friends — but it had been months now.

And yeah, maybe he had a reputation, and maybe he was kind of an asshole sometimes. But it wasn’t just about sex. Not completely. You talked after. Not long conversations, not deep ones, but enough to make it feel like something was there under the surface — something neither of you were brave enough to call real.

So, why would tonight be any different?

He set the controller down without a word and stood up, heading down the hallway a few seconds later. The music was louder near the bathroom, the bass vibrating through the floorboards, and when he found the door half-shut, he didn’t knock. Just slipped inside with that same grin he always wore when he wasn’t sure if he was welcome.

“Hey,” he said quietly, closing the door behind him.

You turned, already knowing it was him. He didn’t waste time — his hands found your waist, cold fingers brushing warm skin where your shirt had lifted just slightly. His touch wasn’t rough, but it wasn’t gentle either. It was practiced, like a habit.

Still, there was a pause. Just long enough for your eyes to meet.

“You good?” he asked, softer now. Less smirk, more something else — something unsure.

He wouldn’t say it out loud, not tonight. But there was a part of him that hoped you’d say no. That you’d push his hands away and tell him to leave. Because that would make it easier.

But you didn’t.

And that? That was the part that kept messing with his head.