"That was so good," Aubrey sighed happily, patting her stomach before turning to me. "But Xander, are you sure you don't want us to pay you back? You don't have to shout us lunch..."

I laughed, mind flashing to my absurd ex-main-lead's bank balance and the ridiculous string of zeroes tacked onto the end of an already large number. Though Xander's never-present parents left a lot to be desired, the weekly allowance deposited like clockwork into Xander's account was more than I could ever desire. 

"No, it's fine, seriously," I said, laughing off her words. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm worrying about it," Elias huffed as I laughed again, bumping his shoulder with mine, the boy rolling his eyes. "Next time, I'll pay for you," Elias quietly mumbled after a moment, eyes darting to the ground before tentatively looking back up at mine. I just smiled, shrugging, Elias mirroring my expression as his eyes lit up.

"Oh, guys, I have to head home now," Aubrey sighed, tapping on her phone. "My mum needs me to help her with something. I'll see you at school on Monday?"

"Mhmm. Which direction are you heading in?" I asked, Aubrey pointing down the road. "You're catching that tram? Elias, where are you going?"

Ho-ho-ho, if you two are going in the same direction, this would be the perfect opportunity to further your relationship. The original public transport scenario was a fail, but life is all about second chances - I'd know!

"I'm heading the other way," Elias said, and I felt my stomach drop. Geography has to be a bigger cock-block than the protagonist herself, huh.

"Aw, bummer," Aubrey said, sticking her tongue out. "Oh! I see the tram, gotta go! See you guys next week! And thanks for lunch, Xander!" The girl gave Elias and I two hasty hugs before bursting into a mad sprint.

"Wait-" I called out, but Aubrey was already a blip of red hair in the distance, disappearing inside the tram. "Oh, for crying out-"

"You need to pick your car up from school, right?" Elias suddenly asked, patting my back with the broad palm of his hand. "I have to pass that direction too, let's go."

Sighing internally, I nodded and followed alongside Elias. The trip back to school seemed shorter this time around, probably because both Elias and I were able to get our own seats and I didn't have to put myself through the awkward experience of sitting on the soccer captain's lap.

When we got the front of the school, Elias cleared his throat, rocking back and forth on his feet. 

"So, I guess I'll see you on Monday?" Elias said, nodding his head towards the train station he was going to. 

"Yeah," I said, before pausing. I rifled through my memories of 'Say No to Bad Boys', the author stating that Elias lived in a less affluent part of town far away in the suburbs, likely in a bid to make him #relatable. For me, it only made me see him as superior boyfriend-material compared to Xander, who seemed to have everything handed to him on a silver platter, which made him as arrogant as he could be. Elias, on the other hand, was hard-working and humble, and it made me want to cheer him on and help him out - and helping him get the protagonist as a girlfriend was step one, of course.

"Hey, you live pretty far away, right? I'll drive you," I said, Elias jerking beside me suddenly, making me jump. Turning to him with a quizzical look, Elias coughed and shook his head, gripping the strap of his sports bag tightly.

"No, that's, um, really nice of you, but, uh... I... Um... I don't want to bother you. It's out of your way, right? You really don't need to," Elias said, lips curving up into a small smile. "Thank you, though."

Ah, you are so thoughtful, second lead. Once again makes me wonder how Aubrey could pass someone like you up. You're just so nice, it's honestly so easy to like you. And love you. But, of course, it's taking Aubrey a slow-burn pace to fall for you because she has the genes of a clueless protagonist. 

Woes of a trash novel plot, I suppose.

"Yes, yes, you are very welcome, no problemo, de nada etcetera," I snorted, clamping my hands on Elias's shoulders and steering him to the passenger side of my car. Elias began to protest, but I just shushed him, grabbing his bag as hostage and throwing it in the back seat, opening the door for Elias who just stood there pouting. 

"Xander..."

"If you really want to just train home I'll let you, I'm not about to kidnap you against your will or anything," I said, drumming my fingers on the rim of the door, smiling softly as Elias rolled his brown eyes. "But, I really don't mind giving you a lift home. I'd probably prefer it, actually, since you live far away. It's the least I can do, really."

Elias studied me for a moment, seeming to weigh up the options in himself, before he let out a short huff of breath, corner of his mouth curling up in his signature smile.

"Sometimes you're too nice, you know that, right?" Elias said, making me roll my eyes this time. 

"No, I'm actually a major asshole, you know that, right?" I joked using Elias's words, thinking about how pre-possessed Xander had set the bar extremely low in terms of 'nice' behaviour. The soccer captain just shook his head with a laugh as I got into the car, pulling out of the school.

"You can turn on the radio if you want, or bluetooth your phone, whatever works," I said, Elias humming and flicking on the radio, the default station playing. 

🎵Oh baby let's get down tonight,
Ooh baby, I'm hot just like an oven,
I need some lovin'🎵

Ah, the 80s channel. Love some 80s hits, but Sexual Healing is, um, not really leisurely-afternoon-drive material. 

Elias seemed to have the same thought as me, flicking to the next station. 

🎵You see you need someone, someone like me, yeah to make love to you baby, constantly,
I don't see nothing wrong with a little bump and grind,
I don't see nothing wrong, oh🎵

"Is that R Kelly?" I asked, Elias muttering a quiet 'I think so'. "Uh, change the channel. No pedos allowed in my car, thanks." Elias chuckled briefly, changing the channel. After a brief moment of talking, the song came on, Elias letting out a tight cough as I startled in my seat.

🎵I'll make love to you,
Like you want me to,
And I'll hold you tight,
Baby all through the night🎵

I hastily flicked to another random channel, for some reason feeling a little awkward, my cheeks heating. I mean, it was fine, because it was just me and Elias, two guys, two friends, just driving home. But still, why was every station just playing seductive mood music? It's not even mood music time, it's bloody 3 in the afternoon, good Lord. This was time for after-noon tea, which means scones with jam and cream and not ladycakes with fresh love custard. Gosh.

Flicking to a station with people speaking, I snuck a look to Elias, who was fiddling with the air-conditioning slats with keen focus.

"If you're cold I can just turn the aircon off all the wa-" I began to offer while stopping at a red light, just as the radio presenters stopped talking and a song began playing. 

The distinctive swell of saxophones and the smooth tones of George Michael wafted through my speakers, swallowing my words whole.

Elias and I both jerked our hands towards the car's screen, hands clashing. Elias jumped in his seat like he had been electrocuted while I shot out an apology, voice two pitches too high.

Oh, God, Lex! Why did your voice do that, the mood was already awkward enough with the baby-making music and now you sound like you're going through puberty a second time. So embarrassing, oh my freaking God.

"I'll, uh, connect my phone, if that's okay?" Elias said, and I nodded emphatically.

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead. I never listen to the radio usually, it never, uh, plays good music. You know?"

"I'm not sure if my music is any better," Elias said as the light turned green, and I could feel him shooting me an amused smile which I found contagious.

"We'll see - I mean, George Michael sets the bar pretty high," I said, Elias laughing as he played his music for the rest of the drive to his house.

It was almost four in the afternoon by the time I pulled in front of Elias's single-storey house. It was a modest home, but evidently well-maintained, with freshly clipped grass and vibrant flowers lining a red brick footpath. 

"Well, we're here," I said, sidling up to the side of the road. 

"Yeah..." Elias said, looking at his lap as he played with his seatbelt, before clearing his throat. Looking at me through dark lashes, Elias spoke hesitantly with his soft and gentle voice. "If you're not busy, did you want to come in for a bit? I can make you coffee, or tea, or something, and my mum baked some cookies this morning. I mean, you payed for lunch and you drove me home, I feel bad making you come all the way out here without... But if you're busy, I get it."

With the way Elias was looking at me, firmly and with a silent plea of  'please, please, please', it would have been heartless of me to turn him down. Besides, if I went home, it would just be me in the big, empty house like always. Just me, the silence and the void of being alone. 

"You had me at cookies, to be honest," I said, Elias seeming to release a breath he had been holding in his chest, the boy beaming widely. 

The two of us quickly got out of my car, Elias opening the door. He had barely gotten a foot in before he let out a quiet grunt as a blur of pink barrelled into his legs. 

"Eli, Eli! Did you win? Did you win?" an excited, sparkling voice yelled, Elias's cheeks blushing slightly as he dropped his sports bag and picked up the bundle of pink around his legs instead. From where I stood behind Elias, I could only make out a tumble of curly brown hair the same shade as his own, alongside small fingers that dug into the back of his T-shirt. After a moment, the young girl raised her head from where it had been buried into Elias's shoulder, revealing cherubic caramel cheeks and a gapped smile that was pulled up higher on one side, just like Elias's.

"Of course," Elias said, hugging the small girl to his chest, before turning his body slightly to look at me, expression almost shy as he carefully lowered the girl to the ground. "And Tillie, don't yell so loud, you'll scare my friend."

"Friend?" Tillie echoed, eyes going wide, the girl bolting up in Elias's arms to look at me. Her eyes seemed to grow even wider, before hugging Elias's waist and hiding her face into his hip.

"Tillie, what are you doing?" Elias asked, eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled down at the little girl, who hugged his legs tighter and shook her head. Elias looked at me apologetically, patting the girl's fluffy hair. "Xander, this is my younger sister, Tillie. Come on, Tillie. Remember? It's good manners to introduce yourself when you meet someone new."

"But..." Tillie squeaked, peeling back enough to peek at me, only to let out another high pitched whine and snuggle against Elias again. 

"Tillie, what's wrong? Xander isn't scary, he's my friend," Elias said, and a warm feeling spread in my chest at his simple words. 

"It's not that! He's just... He's just..." Tillie said, adorably peering around Elias's leg, rounded cheeks showing a hint of warmth. I smiled at her, trying to make Xander's naturally sharp face look a little warmer as to not frighten her, Tillie letting out a squeal and jumping on the balls of her feet as she hugged her brother again. 

"It's because he looks like a prince!" Tillie yelled, Elias blinking as I burst out laughing at the girl's honest words, finding her absolutely adorable. 

I guess Xander's main-lead good looks are still working their magic, even on six-ish year olds.

"Is that why you're being shy?" Elias asked his sister, smile playing at the corner of his lips as he turned to me, head tilting to the side. Tillie nodded, and I smiled wider as I kneeled down until I matched the young girl's height. 

"It's okay to be shy. I'm shy too, because it's my first time seeing a princess like you in real life," I said. Tillie's cheeks flushed and she stepped away from Elias slightly, though one of her hands still gripped the fabric of his pants tightly. Elias smothered a laugh with his hand as he watched on, patting his sister's back in encouragement. 

Offering my hand, I continued. "My name's Xander. What's yours?"

"Matilda," the young girl said, daintily pressing her tiny hand in mine, and I shook it, making the girl giggle. "But everyone calls me Tillie!"

"Tillie is definitely the name of a princess. Can I call you Tillie too, then?" I asked, the girl nodding with a large smile, showing off her missing front tooth.

"Is your name short for something? I've never heard the name Xander before," Tillie said, face scrunching up as she thought to herself.

"Ah, well my full name is Alexander. People call me all sorts of things, but most people here call me Xander," I said, smile faltering slightly.

In my previous life, everyone called me Alex. Everyone except Amber, who always called me Lex, ever since we were kids. Apparently, our first words weren't anything like 'mama' or 'papa'. My first word was 'Amb', and my sister's was 'Lex', though she apparently couldn't make the 'L' sound until she was three and my name always came out as 'Ex, Ex, Ex'.  

No one ever called me Xander back then, but that's all I got called now. I thought that I'd get used to it - it's just another nickname, after all - but every time someone called me that a small part of me whispered that it's wrong. It reminded me that I don't belong here, not really. 

Ignoring the unsettlingly familiar bud of discomfort brewing inside me, I turned my focus back to Tillie, who was thinking deeply once again. 

"Xander doesn't sound like a prince name," Tillie decided by herself, and Elias couldn't quite cover the laugh that escaped his lips. Tillie didn't pay him any heed, nodding to herself as she looked me deep in the eye. "I'll call you Alex instead."

"Ah, so you think Alex is more of a prince name, huh?" I asked, Tillie nodding firmly. "Then Alex it is. Let me introduce myself again. My name's Alex. It's very nice to meet you, Tillie."

Tillie giggled, stepping forward to tug on my shirt shyly, her other hand still holding onto Elias, who was looking down at me with an indecipherable expression, the smile on his face holding a tinge of something warm. 

"Eli, I want to eat mummy's cookies with Alex," Tillie demanded, very much a princess in the making. 

"Mm, only if Alex wants to eat cookies," Elias said, looking at me with a raised brow. "Does Alex want cookies?"

Hearing my name - my real name - being spoken aloud by Elias, a jolt of joy spread through me, strong enough that I felt my throat beginning to grow clogged. Swallowing thickly, I could only nod, Elias smiling and Tillie letting out a gleeful 'yay', tugging me into the kitchen with the strong grip of a six-year-old. 

As Elias boiled some water to make us tea, warming some of his mum's cookies while reminding Tillie to wash her hands before eating, a fleeting thought passed through my mind.

Maybe I do have a place in this world after all.

A/N: I was listening to all of these baby-making bangers within earshot of my family while writing this chapter, so they probably think I'm either horny, or that I'm writing about the horny ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oh well, c'est la vie~

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you're ready for what's to come...

And since it seems to be becoming a trend in this story, here's another lame-ass meme:

Meme donations always welcome, because I'm running out of meme-spiration. Anywho, see you in the next chapter~