Keith had sworn he was only stopping by for a quick drink. The campus café was buzzing as usual, warm light glowing against the tall windows, the low hum of conversations a steady backdrop.
He spotted Danielle waving him over to a corner booth where Adrien sat, perfectly composed with a book open in front of him.
“Keith! Over here,” Danielle called, his grin wide and annoyingly contagious.
Keith slid into the booth with a theatrical sigh. “I should start charging for my presence, you know. Emotional support isn’t free.”
Danielle rolled his eyes. “You’d make a fortune, considering how dramatic you are.”
Keith opened his mouth for a retort, but then the door swung open and in walked Dan.
Leather jacket. Careless swagger. The kind of smirk that screamed trouble even before he reached the table.
Keith’s stomach did an irritating little flip. He quickly buried it under a roll of his eyes.
“Great,” Keith muttered. “The storm arrives.”
Dan dropped into the booth beside him, far too close, his thigh brushing Keith’s. He smelled faintly of cologne and smoke.
“Miss me?” Dan drawled, leaning back like he owned the entire room.
Keith turned his head slowly, lips curling into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Like I miss food poisoning.”
Adrien’s mouth twitched with restrained amusement. Danielle outright laughed.
But Dan didn’t falter he leaned closer, voice a low murmur by Keith’s ear. “That’s cute. You’ve been thinking about me.”
Keith stiffened, his face heating. Damn him.
“I think about a lot of annoying things,” Keith shot back, flipping his hair with mock grace. “Like mosquitos.”
The group laughed, but beneath the noise, there was a tension thrumming between the two of them, sharp and undeniable.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm56yVdBPYZ
Hours later, the café had bled into night, and somehow Danielle convinced everyone to hit a small arcade bar nearby.
Keith regretted it almost instantly. Dan was everywhere at his shoulder during air hockey, snatching tokens from his hand, leaning too close when Keith tried to aim at a dartboard.
“You’re terrible at this,” Dan murmured, voice warm against Keith’s ear.
Keith jumped, dart slipping from his fingers. “Maybe because you’re breathing down my neck like a creep!”
Dan just smirked. “You like it.”
Keith whirled on him, dramatic as ever, but his voice wavered. “You wish. I have standards.”
Dan’s eyes glinted. “Good. So do I.”
The words landed heavier than Keith expected. He looked away, focusing on Danielle and Adrien laughing over pool. His heart was beating way too fast for someone who was supposedly annoyed.
When he slipped outside for some air, Dan followed.
“Persistent bastard,” Keith muttered as the night air cooled his flushed cheeks.
Dan leaned against the wall, lighting a cigarette with practiced ease. He took a slow drag, then tilted his head toward Keith. “You’re fun to mess with. Most people either bore me or want me.”
Keith scoffed, arms crossed. “Congratulations. You’re insufferable and conceited.”
“Mm.” Dan exhaled smoke, watching him through the haze. “And you’re… hiding.”
That caught Keith off guard. “Excuse me?”
Dan stepped closer, close enough that Keith could feel the heat radiating from his body. “You put on this little show. The drama, the quips. But underneath…” His gaze softened, just for a heartbeat. “You’re quiet. Introverted. Afraid to be seen.”
Keith’s throat went dry. He hated that Dan could see through him. He hated it even more that it felt… good.
“You don’t know me,” Keith whispered, but the words lacked their usual fire.
Dan smirked again, though this time it was sharper. He flicked the cigarette away, caging Keith against the wall with one hand beside his head. “Then let me.”393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOqFWyu3VO
Keith’s heart hammered as Dan leaned in, their faces mere inches apart. His instinct screamed to push him away, to throw out some witty comeback. But his body betrayed him frozen, breath catching, eyes darting to Dan’s lips.
“Y-you’re ridiculous,” Keith stammered, though his voice was shaking now.
Dan’s grin widened. “And you’re blushing.”
Keith snapped not with anger, but with something far more dangerous. He grabbed Dan’s collar and yanked him down, pressing his lips to his in a kiss that was messy, desperate, and hotter than anything he’d ever let himself imagine.
Dan froze for half a second, then responded with equal fire, one hand tangling in Keith’s hair, the other gripping his waist firmly.
Keith gasped as Dan deepened the kiss, their mouths colliding in rough, hungry rhythm. It was a battle and surrender all at once.
When they finally broke apart, Keith’s chest was heaving, his lips swollen, his face flushed.
“I hate you,” he whispered, though it came out breathless, trembling.
Dan chuckled, resting his forehead against Keith’s. “You taste like you don’t.”
Keith swallowed hard, glaring up at him. “Don’t get cocky.”
“Too late.” Dan’s thumb brushed Keith’s lower lip, sending another shiver through him. “You’re mine now, Drama Queen.”
Keith shoved at his chest, though not with much force. “You’re impossible.”
Dan just smirked, eyes glinting. “And you’re addictive.”
The night stretched around them, humming with unresolved tension. Keith knew he should walk away, retreat to the safety of sarcasm and solitude. But instead, he let himself linger in Dan’s hold, caught in the friction burning, dangerous, and undeniably alive.
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and then Add to home screen.