"Wanna come over later?" Lauren asked as she walked me to class; it was her turn last time too but she'd insisted on walking me again today.

"Mom and I are cooking." She further persuaded as though I wasn't already going to say yes.

"Hmm... I guess I'll have to think about it." I teased and she looked over at me with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

"But you love my cooking!" Then she gasped, "Are you cheating on me?" She asked in a tone just as teasing as mine and I giggled, bumping into her side as she laughed softly too.

"Did you drive?" Lauren nodded and we rounded the corner, "Okay, so I'll meet you outside your class and we can go straight from school. Sound good?"

"Anything with you sounds good, baby." She grinned with a blush and I giggled and kissed her cheek. Interlocking the fingers of our other hand so that she was facing me, I gestured with my head towards the classroom door.

"This is my stop." I told her and she pouted and put on her best puppy dog eyes, making me roll mine.

I slapped her arm gently, "No, I'm not skipping class to hang out under the stairs with you, Laur. We got caught last time and the school literally indirected us on the morning announcements."

"Please." Her pout grew, if possible, and she brought our connected hands up to her lips, but then the warning bell rang and we sighed.

"Go," I told her, "I don't want you to be late."

"Okay." She whined and pulled me into a hug, "I'll see you soon, Y/nn."

A smile and a blush spread over my face at the nickname, and I hugged her a little tighter before pulling away, kissing her hand, and heading into class.

"Later, Jauregui." I called over my shoulder and she started backing away a few steps before she left properly to go to her class.

I couldn't help but smile as I headed into the classroom, only for it to be ripped away as I recalled that this was the classroom that always smelt like a stale hamster cage that'd been left a little too long, the sharpness of the air causing constantly itchy nostrils. Gross.

———

"Hey DJ." I grinned when the Polynesian left Lauren's classroom.

"Hey, what's up?" She smiled back, and we did our handshake. It was cheesy as pizza but we made it up when we were in third grade and we do it almost every time we see each other now.

"Just waiting for my Lolo." I replied and she rolled her eyes.

"I get it, you're not single. No need to rub it in."

I laughed and pushed her shoulder playfully, "Hey, only because you finally got me to talk to her... by literally pushing me into her when we walked by in the hallway."

"Yeah, you're welcome for that by the way." She huffed but I saw that she wasn't really annoyed, "Are you going over hers tonight?"

"Yup, she and Mama J are cooking." I said with a pop of my lips and Dinah smiled sweetly with a bat of her eyelids.

"Room for one more?" She asked with eyelids still batting, almost violently now

"Get your own girlfriend, D." Lauren laughed as she left the room, quickly moving to behind me to wrap her arms over my shoulders and connect them loosely over my chest.

"Whatever." Dinah rolled her eyes again but then smiled, "There's a really hot guy in my calculu-"

"Ew!" Lauren and I said in sync.

Dinah's mouth fell open at our response whilst we found ourselves smiling at the reaction, and then Lauren clarified, "Do we look like we want to hear about the hot boy in calculus?"

Dinah scoffed in false offence but then started laughing.

"Alright, well have fun being single, DJ." I smiled sweetly and she shot daggers with her eyes and started walking away.

"Love you too, Dinah!" I called after her and she flipped me off over her shoulder, earning a telling off by one of the teachers standing outside of their door.

"Ready?" Lauren came around to the front of me and I nodded, making her smile, and she grabbed my hand as we started walking to the parking lot.

———

Once we arrived at Lauren's place, I was starving.

"Hungry?" She giggled after my stomach rumbled.

"Yeah, just a little." I grinned and reached down to play with her hair since she had her head in my lap on the sofa.

"Do you want me to start cooking dinner?" She questioned, and I pouted.

"I do but I still want to cuddle with you."

She laughed softly, green eyes sparkling as her nose scrunched up, and I smiled at the sight. Honestly she's like the cutest person when she laughs, it's not fair.

"I'll make food and then we can cuddle for even longer afterwards." She bargained and I nodded, prompting her to get up and call for her mom so they can get started.

———

I moaned as soon as the flavour hit my tongue.

"How can someone be so gorgeous, intelligent, talented, and be good at cooking!?" I complained around the food and she shot me a wink.

"I'm being serious." I swallowed the bite and took a swig of water before continuing, "I love you..." Oh crap, we haven't said that yet! Is it too soon? Will she freak out? Quick! Make a cover-up! "...r cooking. It's good. Very good. Yup, good food. Good cooking." I rambled and noticed she was just watching me with... wonder? dancing in her eyes.

"What?" I asked nervously.

"Did you just say you love me?" She quirked her brow as she asked me, and I blushed heavily. I guessed that was enough of an answer because she got a glint in her eye that I didn't recognise.

With a smirk, she leaned over to whisper in my ear, her hot breath billowing against it.

"'Cause I think I love you too." She proclaimed with a soft, warm kiss to the shell of my ear.

My blush grew tenfold, and Lauren pulled away with an even bigger smirk, and now I knew what that glint was, I never wanted it to leave. It was love.