When Lara Jean had suggested the back-pocket thing, Peter had scoffed. He wrote it off as a holdover from one of those cheesy 80s movies Lara clearly loved, innocent and dated.
Peter might have been wrong.
He's not about to admit it to Lara Jean- or anyone else, really- but putting his hand in her back pocket is- kind of awesome? And hot. And sweet. Yeah. (And he didn't want to be that guy, the creep, but honestly… Lara Jean had a great butt, and that was definitely a factor in this equation.)
Peter really thought the no-kissing rule was going to sink them, tank their credibility as a fake couple, but somehow walking with his hand in Lara Jean's back pocket was even more believable than kissing her whenever. It was such an undeniably couple-y action, tying him to Lara Jean so comfortably and constantly. It wasn't flashy, it was subtle, like it was something just for him and Lara Jean- and isn't that what people in a real relationship would do?
Peter wouldn't know. His and Gen's relationship was as much about everyone else at school as it was about them- image is everything, after all.
But his hand in her pocket- that wasn't trying to prove anything. It wasn't quite PDA, but definitely still frisky. Lara Jean is kind of like, a genius? Which Peter knew, but.
They walked into the cafeteria linked like that, and managed to draw everybody's eyes, and Peter pulled off the smoothest maneuver of his life, hands down no contest. When Lara Jean spun around and nearly fell into his arms, Peter had the strongest urge to lean down and kiss her. It felt nearly criminal not to. But rules were rules, so Peter just delivered the note and whispered in her ear. He watched Gen watch them, and for the first time in a while, he didn't give a damn about what she was thinking.
…
Now, Peter has watched all those cheesy 80s movies Lara Jean, and apparently her entire family, loves. They're pretty good, even though he's clearly way hotter than any dude in them, but he mainly just enjoys watching Lara Jean's expressions while she watches the movie. It's like every passing emotion is broadcast over her face- scrunched nose, furrowed brows, bright eyes, a sigh of contentment. Peter spends hours staring at her, he's not ashamed to admit.
"Do you want me to bring a boombox the next time I come over?" Peter whispers into Lara Jean's ears while John Cusack lifts the huge radio over his head, expression like he would rather be anywhere else in the world.
"Shut up," she laughs, and hits him with a pillow, but her whole face is lit up and it would be criminal not to kiss her- so Peter does.
…
The first time they walk into the cafeteria as a real couple, Peter makes sure to stick his hand in Lara Jean's back pocket. He grins down at her, and this time she's ready for when he spins her around- but Lara Jean letsherself fall totally into his chest this time. Peter pulls out another note, written that morning in precalc about her pretty hair barrettes, and boops her nose with it. Lara scrunches her nose, the most adorable human being ever, and snatches the paper from his hand to tuck it into her back pocket. Everyone's eyes are on them again, and Peter and Lara Jean are laughing, and her hands are still planted on his chest.
And this time, Peter gets to lean down and kiss her.
a/n: yeah, the title is kind of from the movie, but really it's Taylor Swift lyrics. "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" is a masterpiece perfect for these two, and gave me this title. Thanks Taylor. This was posted over a year ago to ao3 on my account there, icouldbuildacastle.