A/N: You ready for a weeny, meaningful drabble? Here you go.
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Her fingers press his cheek and her other hand locks in his hair.
'Freddie,' she says, and he can sense her eyes rolling. 'We'll be fine.'
He opens his eyes and sees her smile before her mouth collides with his.
-
He worries later, when she's asleep and lying across his body, her breaths slow and deep. Her hair feels like silk on his fingertips and her bare back is hot under the sheets.
Will they be fine? Sam will rat on them for a while, but then give up and grudgingly accept them. His mom will huff and mutter something about no one being good enough for her baby boy. Spencer will frown, and then shrug, and return to whatever wacky sculpture he'll be making.
What about those people who say she's settled for him?
Is he really that? Her backup? Her last choice?
He eventually falls asleep and doesn't dream.
-
They're holding hands under the table at the Groovy Smoothie when the whispers start. Freddie freezes when someone glances at them and mutters in their neighbour's ear. Carly looks at him and follows his wary gaze to the people murmuring to each other and squeezes his hand.
'Come on.'
He follows her out, stuffing a couple of dollars into T-Bo's pocket and keeping his head down. She leads him round the side of the building, where they lean against either side of the gloomy alley.
'Why are they whispering?' Carly asks, stepping forwards and resting her hand tentatively on his chest.
He clutches her hand. 'I wish they wouldn't.'
She forgets her unanswered question and wraps her arms around his neck, staring at him.
'We can deal with this, Freddie. We can.' She assures him, her eyes sincere. 'You're not my backup, I swear. This is real.'
He watches her eyelashes flutter as she blinks and sighs, nodding.
Kissing in an alley is kind of fun, he concurs.