John Pov
Alex and I sat on a bus stop bench, smoking and watching cars go by.
I looked at Alex, admiring him.

I've found myself doing that more and more lately. From his looks to personality. I remember doing it all the time in Senior year, and it continued into Freshmen year of college, barely fading but I didn't ever realize that I was admiring him until I was already going..
Damn.

He glanced to me and I looked away, staring down at my cigarette.

Alex sighed, wiping his nose.

"Gotta love that sweet smell of pollution in the city." He said, only half joking.

I snickered, tossing my cig on the ground. See? Who can't love that sense of humor?

"Wouldn't be New York without it."
I added.

"True," Alex hummed.

"Come 'ere tomcat,"
I said, wrapping an arm around Alex's shoulders.

He beamed, scooting closer to me.

"Ay, I can almost smell the ginger hair, I muttered.

"Fuck off," He hissed.

"It's eighty-eight degrees,"
A boy said to his friend, walking past us.

Alex hit my shoulder lightly.

"You heard the man. It's eighty eight degrees," Alex said.

"So?" I asked.

"That means it's too hot to be outside." Alex said, hopping up.

My arm slid off his shoulders and I stood up with him, walking by his side. We walked back to Kings together, me shaking an arm back around his shoulders.

Alex didn't acknowledge nor question it. I wonder what he'd do if I held his hand? He sighed, scanning crowds of people as they walked by.

"Whatcha thinking about?" I asked. "Death."

I sighed.
"Per usual." I muttered.

We walked in a silence for about two seconds before breaking down in laughter.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and whispered,
"You're coming down with me bitch,"

And proceeded to pull me closer to the ground. At this point, Alex and I were laughing so hard, that only wheezes were audible.

I pushed his shoulder, and the both of us let go of each other, catching our breaths.

I pointed at him and breathlessly exclaimed, "Bitch!"

He smiled, rolling his eyes. We continued to walk, talking about whatever came to our minds and making some weird ass inside jokes.

I looked at him talk, sighing softly.

Damn.

I looked at his hand and muttered, "You have really fucking bony hands."

He paused, furrowing his eyebrows and
looking at his hand.

"Eh," He shrugged, continuing to talk.

"And you know how the goblin thot, aka Mr.Leckman was like, if you got pens, share them?" He asked.

"Sounds like communist propaganda," I noted.

Alex snickered, nodding.

We walked by apartments and were stopped when a kid shouted,
"Is that a Hamilton I smell?!"

Alex and I looked up.

Ed was sitting on a balcony edge, kicking his feet back in forth.

"Stevens! What are you doing out in broad daylight?" Alex asked.

Ed shrugged.
"Tom is salty." He called.

"Makes sense."
Alex muttered.

"See you later Stevens!"
Alex shouted up to him.

"Hope not Hamilton!" Ed called, getting off the edge and walking back inside of the apartment.

"That kid sure is somethin'."
Alex muttered.

"Wonder where he got it from,"
I hummed, nudging Alex.

"Shut up,"
He hissed, the tips of his ears tinting pink.

How did I notice that?
I guess I'm..
more observant around him.
I guess.

Once I realized I was staring, I averted my eyes. I glanced to him and saw him looking at me. He quickly looked away, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets.

For fucks sake.

~•~•~•~

I don't need to flirt.
I'll seduce him with my awkwardness.

Why- no, how- did my mind just process that sentence and spit it out like that.

What the fuck happened to me as a child to make me like this? Did I hit my head or something or was my awkward seducing a thing from birth?

Alex and I were sprawled out on our couch, him reading, me pretending to study but actually thinking about awkward seducing.

Did my parents drop me as a baby or..?

"Hey Alex?"
I asked.

"Mhm?"
He hummed, turning a page in his book.

"What's three hundred twenty five multiplied by eighty seven?" I asked.

He looked up from his book, furrowing his eyebrows. He was quiet for a moment, and I could practically smell the smoke.

"Twenty eight thousand, two hundred seventy five." He said after a moment, going back to his book.

"Why do you ask?"
Alex asked.

"Just..checking your maths skill."
I said.

"I'm supposed to be a writing prodigy, not in maths." Alex said, turning the page in his book.

"If you're a prodigy than what does that make me?" I asked.

"Prodigy's friend named 'John.'"
Alex replied without a second thought.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Though you never cease to amaze me Laur. Take that maths question for example. Didn't see it comin'."
Alex said.

Welp.
My awkward seducing was a fail.
I guess.

~•~•~
So guess who drew some awful looking shit?
Me!1!1!
Get ready to bring out the bleach for those eyes-

They're supposed to be Alex and John but..
If you didn't know that, that makes sense.