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“So, this is where you live, huh?”
“Yeah, yeah.. Just don’t overstay your welcome.” Drift moves aside to let AJ into her dorm.
She doesn’t even know why she agreed to this. Ever since she brought up the idea of AJ reading books with her in her dorm, AJ won’t stop mentioning it as a way to tease her. In the heat of the moment, Drift invited her with the hopes that it’d stop, but knowing AJ, it’ll probably just egg her on more.
AJ takes in her surroundings, before going to look at the books on the bedside table. Drift follows to see on her bed and watch AJ obnoxiously tap on the top one with her fingernails, when suddenly she stops.
"Say," AJ glances over to Drift, "Got any books on fairytales?"
“Fairytales?” Drift tilts her head curiously.
“Yeah. You knoww, magic, witches… princesses.” She makes sure to linger on that last word.
Drift almost immediately tenses up. She tries her best to brush it off, but she knows how much AJ likes to have eyes on her.
"They've never been my thing." Drift squints, bitterness ringing in her voice.
“Mm, always so riled up. You didn’t have to invite me, you know.” AJ lazily tilts her head in amusement.
"No, it's fine, it's just- the sooner you're out of my hair, the better." She sighs.
"If you say so, Open Book." AJ turns back to pick out a book and sits beside Drift, crossing one leg over the other.
“Say, this doesn’t have any peas in it, does it?” She pats on the mattress and smirks, glancing at Drift once again to see her reaction. Her eye twitches in response.
“Is that the only reason you ask?” Drift scoffs and folds her arms, "Just to see how I react? You want my attention that badly?? You really are obsessed."
“I just like to see what makes you tick. When the clock strikes midnight, you know.” AJ pokes.
“Ugh- come on, man!! One more reference and I’m seriously considering forcing you out that door.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’d do that real good, huh?”
“Yeah, I would actually!!” Drift huffs.
“Mhm. Try saying it with less longing next time.”
"There is no such longing. I think you're speaking for yourself there."
AJ sighs, Drift's protests falling on deaf ears, “God, you’re so adorable, always running your mouth but can never quite catch up to me.“
“Yeah? Well, you’re looking pretty cute yourself.” Drift rolls her eyes, “You think you’re sooo mysterious and tough, but you’re so attached you just can’t keep me out of your mouth.” She teases with the voice of a primary school bully.
“Is that so?” AJ leans in closer to Drift, raising an eyebrow. “That an invitation?”
“Wh-” Drift looks confused for a second before getting exactly what AJ meant. “Oh my god- see, this is what I mean with you picking apart every little thing I say!”
AJ giggles, “If you wanted to kiss me so bad, Drift, you could’ve just said so. Not like you need to, it’s practically written all over your face.” She moves even closer, staring at her with that same sickening grin as always. Drift doesn’t back away.
“I don't think you know what you're talking about.” She narrows her eyes, trying to ignore the warmth creeping onto her cheeks and the prickling feeling of breath on her neck.
“Yeah. right. I see it in your eyes, you know. You’re so hungry for it you can barely breathe.” Even closer. AJ doesn't comment on Drift's increasingly reddening face. She wants to see how far she'll let this go.
"You must be reading your own book again. You’re the one who's always looking for reasons to be around me."
"And you're the one not backing away, you never do." Even closer, their noses now nearly touching.
AJ was right, she always was. That was the worst part of it all. No matter how many times they claimed to hate each other, AJ would always come back, and Drift would always stay. That was their dance, excuses to share space under the guise of bitter teasing. AJ always comes around to poke at her, and Drift always plays along. It was always weird to her that she never truly found it in herself to walk away, even now.
"Besides, how could I not? You're just.. so.." AJ leans in to whisper in her ear, her cheek brushing against Drift's. "Perfect."
Drift feels a shiver go through her body at the touch. The energy in the room is almost suffocating, tantalizing. Her thoughts swim in AJ's prying eyes, drowning in a feeling she can't place, as if breaking away from her gaze would leave her gasping for air. It's infuriating.
"I can't help being around you when you're this cute, Drift." AJ leans back to face her, still grinning. "You know how most fairytales end, don't you?"
"You want what we have to end?"
"Do you?" Drift can feel AJ's breath on her lips, now mere seconds apart. She doesn't have to think, she knows the answer.
“More than anything.” Drift can't stand hearing another word. Before AJ can react and before she herself can think, Drift closes the distance and presses her face to AJ's. All the tension in the room crashes as their lips meet.
The book on AJ's lap falls to the floor as she moves in closer to kiss Drift back, holding her cheeks and pressing her back against the headboard behind her. All the fighting, all the bitterness, it all melts away.
They both shut their eyes, the only feelings being that of each other's touch and the electric beating in their chests. AJ bites Drift on the lip as their mouths meet over and over, lost in themselves save for occasionally parting for breath.
AJ's hands move up Drift's head and to her scalp, gripping her hair. Drift cups AJ's face in her hands as the two pull each other in deeper, embracing in the desperate warmth of what only lasts a few minutes but feels like forever.
It's not meant to feel this good, it shouldn't. Like some kind of spell she's under. It's annoying the hold AJ has on her, and even more annoying, that Drift can't get enough.
AJ runs her hands through Drift’s hair, when a thorn from her crown pricks her on the finger. She suddenly pulls away and stops to catch her breath.
“Agh, are you serious.?” AJ squints at her index finger, now slowly pooling with blood. She shifts her gaze to Drift with annoyance, like she expected better from her. “Drift?”
Drift is blankly staring off into space, she looks like she's seeing stars. If she wasn't a mess around AJ before, she certainly is now. Her cheeks are burning bright red, and her entire body is stunlocked. It’s hard to tell if she wants to kill AJ or pull her in for another round.
"I can't stand you." Drift, short-circuiting and out of breath, snaps out of her daze just enough to cough out the words.
“Ohoho, quite the mess, aren’t you? Wanna go again?” She raises an eyebrow.
“We are never speaking of this.” She shuts her eyes tight and pulls her head away. AJ puts a hand on Drift's chin and pulls her head back to make eye contact once more.
“Well, I’m not the one who's all talk, Open Book.” She puts her pricked index finger over Drift’s mouth in a shushing motion, slowly swiping it down, letting the blood of the fresh wound stain her lips.
AJ pulls her finger away and heads to the door. “Just promise your thorns won’t put me to sleep, ‘kay princess?” She winks, before slipping away into the hallway and closing the door behind her, leaving Drift alone in her room in her hot, flustered daze.
She just blankly stares at the closed door, stunned, sucking the blood from her lip.
Maybe there is something to fairytales after all.