Jackson

"Come on!" April yelled, "The movie's starting!"

The microwave beeped. I ran over to it, opening the black door to gather the popcorn. Pinching on the corners of the bag lightly, I pulled them apart from each other to break the seal that kept them together. A puff of steam burst onto my hands, my nerves firing rapidly to alert me of the sudden temperature change.

"Shit!" I hissed, dropping the opened container to the counter, waving my hand in the air in an attempt to cool the throbbing limb. "Oh, crap! That hurts." I paused for a moment to examine the pulsing patch of skin. No burns. I reached for a bowl, a second passing before my best friend called for me again.

"Jackson!" April hollered. "What's taking you so long?" With a swift motion, I dumped the hot contents into a large blue container.

I made a mad dash up the stairs and to my best friend's room, being extra careful that none of the popcorn I had just made fell onto the carpeted floor. As I ran through the doorway, I triumphantly announced my arrival. My arms were outstretched, showing the redhead relaxing on the bed the fruits of my effort. April peeked up over her phone, a quizzical look on her face, but she leaned over to grab a steaming kernel.

"Took you long enough," April wore a small smirk on her face as she taunted me. Her eyes glanced at the tiny screen on her phone as she scrolled through Instagram once more before she turned her attention to the TV for the better part of two hours. She flicked off the lights, my vision adjusting to the loss of light. April grabbed the snack bowl, eating each piece one-by-one.

I rolled my eyes in response, settling in the bed next to her. "Shut up," I murmured, earning myself an elbow in the ribs. When I turned to face my best friend in the dark, she simply stuck her tongue out at me.

My gaze dropped to the shine of lip balm on her lips, the urge to lean forward and kiss them rose in my chest before my impulse control kicked in. My eyes snapped back up to meet her darkened hazel stare. The black and white images from the TV flickered, casting dancing shadows on April's alabaster skin.

My heart raced as time seemed to slow. Succumbing to my desires, I slowly leaned forward. April closed her eyes in anticipation, slowly lifting her chin to give me better access. Our lips touched gently, my body moving on its own accord. As I moved to deepen the kiss, a loud commotion from the TV broke our trance. April leaned back as if she was burned, her fingers tracing the edge of her mouth.

Awkwardness settled between us, unacknowledged feelings desperate for our attention nagged at our conscious, but neither of us was willing to address them.

I cleared my throat, her distracted gaze flicking to me. "Popcorn." She stared at me blankly for a moment, processing what I was saying before it finally registered.

"Oh, okay." April placed the ceramic bowl between us, and I reached in, grabbed a handful, and shoved it into my mouth.

Our hands grazed as we simultaneously reached for the snack. April let out a soft squeak and quickly pulled away. "Sorry," she murmured, her eyes refusing to meet mine.

When the popcorn ran out, and there was nothing left to occupy ourselves with, we sat silently in the dark. Our senses were heightened and incredibly aware of each other's presence. I kept my eyes trained on the movie that we were watching, but I couldn't focus on the vintage film with the feeling of April's gaze bore into my skull. I refused the urge to look at her, knowing what would happen if I did.

The shared passion was nothing new. We had started out as acquaintances, people who barely tolerated each other's presence but did so simply because our friends were dating. Then, after a stroke of misfortune that had left me temporarily homeless, she had been the one to take me in.

We had grown to become friends during our time as roommates. I was there waiting for her after a long day at work, and April was the person who helped me get over my last failed relationship.

Somewhere along the lines of becoming each other's person, the definition of our friendship morphed into something unique. The change was minute at first. A meaningful compliment here, a long hug there. Nothing remarkable or noticeable. Then, instead of a glass of water and a peeled and sliced apple waiting for me after a morning run, lust-filled looks from the redhead greeted me. Her eyes always trailed up and down my sweaty toned body, seeing something she wanted but couldn't have. April's ogling did not go unnoticed, but I was busy doing a version of my own. Though she hid her figure in scrubs, her toned body was flaunted by her barely-there sleepwear. She had caught me a couple of times, but instead of scolding me like I assumed she would, she started wearing tighter clothing leaving nothing to my imagination. The worst part of it all, I could no longer see underwear lines in the skin-tight yoga pants she donned frequently at home.

We weren't subtle about our attraction to one another. Our friends constantly pestered us about the obvious attraction we shared, but we made sure to never act upon our desires as we knew it could ruin our great friendship. We were careful, making sure never to cross that line.

Well, we were until tonight.

Slowly, I was pulled out of my thoughts as the credits began to roll. April was no longer staring a hole into my head but was lost in her own thoughts. Her long, slender fingers repeatedly traced her lips, like she was stuck on a loop.

Gently, I grasped her wrist, pulling her hand from her face. April's hazel orbs immediately shot up to meet my cerulean stare. I slowly situated myself over her, careful to not place pressure on her. April didn't protest my invasion of her personal space, watching entranced as I moved. I took it as a sign to continue.

"What are you doing?" she rasped. My hand cupped the soft curve of her jaw, thumb drawing soft circles on her cheek.

"This." Repeating what I had done earlier, I leaned down, sealing my lips over hers. Her lips parted, a shy tongue slipping between us. I lowered myself onto her, my hips pinning her down. A soft moan escaped her at the sensation, a sound that made my mind cloud and lose all rationale.

My teeth gently grazing the expanse of her neck, my lips worshiping the soft curve of her jaw, the column of her throat, all the places that I somehow knew were her weak spots. Her nails dug into my shoulders, and my name left her mouth in a breathy sigh.

I lifted up to lay her down. April's delicate hands sneaking up the front of my shirt as a cue to remove it. I gladly obliged.

Her fingers traced the hard lines of my abdomen, each nerve firing rapidly as she traversed back lower to the elastic band of my sweats. She grasped the gray drawstrings and pulled lightly. My eyes shot up to meet hers. The weight of the situation settled in the room as she pushed down the gray sweats covering me.

There was no way we were going to be just friends again.

A/N

Hi! Sorry that I disappeared, but school started, and so did water polo. I've had a pretty busy couple of months cuz I've been in an out of illnesses and injuries combined with the workload of school. I've been reading lots of books that have really taken up a lot of my free time (if you ever need a book rec for anything, hit me up), so finding time to write has been a struggle. I've been hooked on romance novels which is why this is way more scandalous than I normally write, but I'm testing it out. I know I've been neglecting my stories, and I'm sorry. I'm struggling a lot in AP Calc AB, and AP Bio, and literally all my classes, so those are my priorities. I also partially tore a ligament in my elbow, so I'm not doing so hot right now. Let me know how you like this.