Prompt (from AWinterTypeOfGuy): Jake is secretly Ryder's online love interest that he's been talking to.

This is completely separate to You're My Kryptonite (which if you haven't already, you should totally read it :p ).

If you have any prompts that you're keen for me to fill, send them in (fyi I don't write smut though).

Ryder sighs for a third time. Jake is working on an assignment in the library with him and Marley. But it's getting hard to concentrate with all of Ryder's sighing. After sighing for a fourth time, he begins to speak.

'I still can't get over how amazing Katie is. She's smart, and hot, and we're just so compatible.'

Marley looks up from her notebook, confused by the sudden distraction. 'Who's Katie?'

Jake isn't really inclined to listen to Ryder's answer. Ryder's already told him all about her. And even if he hadn't, he would have already known, in far more detail than Ryder could ever imagine. But he finds himself listening anyway. 'I met her online. She's a – a friend.' Jake notices the way Ryder stumbles over the sentence. 'Actually, I was thinking about asking her out.'

This is news to Jake, and he can't help but feel a thrill of excitement. Soon, he could be dating his best friend. And, ok, sure, maybe it doesn't really count as officially dating, not in the way that he and Marley are. And maybe Ryder wouldn't realise that he was dating his best friend. But at least it would be something. And at least this way, he wouldn't be cheating on Marley. Well, that's what he tells himself.

Marley seems less excited. 'You seriously wanna date someone you've never met before? What if Katie turns out to be some seedy old man?'

And right in that moment, Jake knows he's never been as frustrated with Marley, or maybe anyone, before. With one simple little sentence, she may have just messed up every chance Jake has ever had with Ryder. Everything he's worked so hard towards.

He sees the look of alarm cross Ryder's face. 'Do you really think that could happen? Shit, I'd never thought about that before. What do I do?'

'You need to calm down,' Jake tells him, before Marley can make things any worse. 'You don't know that's the case. I bet it's all legit.'

Ryder thinks about that, drumming his pen against the table in a staccato that quickly becomes annoying. 'Maybe she is too good to be true. Maybe it is all a lie. Shit, I can't believe I was about to date some old dude.'

And shit, could this conversation go any worse? 'Whoa, don't get too ahead of yourself. Just because she might not be real, it doesn't mean it's some creep. It could just be a teenage girl who used a fake photo.' Ok, sure, Ryder thinking that Katie's not real isn't ideal, but that didn't mean Jake couldn't swing it round to his favour.

Ryder seems genuinely hurt by this idea. 'But why would she lie to me?'

'Maybe she's fugly.' Jake shrugs his shoulders, aims for nonchalance. He's not sure that he pulled it off though.

'So? That wouldn't make me like her any less.' And the earnestness with which he says it really is cute. Adorable even. But Jake can't help but wonder if it's really true.

Marley rejoins the conversation now. She'd gone back to her work, but now her pen dangles from her fingers, and her eyes are bright with excitement. 'Maybe she goes to this school.'

Seriously, what was up with Marley putting her foot in everything?

Ryder's brow was furrowed in confusion. 'I don't get it.'

'Maybe someone from this school has a crush on you, but thinks you wouldn't ever be interested in them. So you fall in love with Katie, and you fall in love with them.' Jake can't believe how exact Marley has it. 'I bet that it's Dottie.'

'No I know,' Jake adds, nudging Ryder for emphasis. 'It's secretly you, isn't it Marley?' She splutters for a few moments, shocked, before she notices the way Jake and Ryder are laughing. She soon joins in, until the librarian is shushing them.

Wiping a stray tear from his eye, Jake turns back to Ryder. 'What would you do if Katie was actually some other teenager?'

'I dunno, I mean, if they've been honest about everything else, I think I could still fall for them.' Ryder's quiet for a moment, contemplative. 'Well, unless it was a guy.'

Jake can feel his heart sink, all the hope that had built up now crashing down around him. He tries to ignore it, tries to fight through the thick fog of despondency. Ryder's still trying to speak to him.

'Why are you so caught up on this anyway?'

Jake tries to force some enthusiasm into his voice. 'I don't want you to miss this opportunity, dude. I mean, what if Katie's your one chance at love?'

Ryder watches him for a moment, head tilted to the side as if he's really giving it some thought. Eventually though, he just slams his notebook shut instead. 'Nope, too profound. My brain's done for the day. How about some food? My shout.'

'Only if you buy me French fries.' Jake is too busy packing his things to notice the odd look Ryder is giving him.

Xxx

A week later, when Jake logs in as Katie, he sees Ryder online for the first time since their conversation. He goes to talk to Ryder, but he beats Jake to it, two lines of text popping up on the screen.

I think I could end up falling for you

Jake