a / n : 

This is a quick and short chapter giving you an idea of what Dexter and Hadley have been up to after the events of No Hard Feelings.

* * *

DEXTER HAS NEVER been good at hiding his excitement.

His giddiness translates into his every movement; from the way he bounces his leg to how often he checks his watch. He looks out the window, trying to figure out where, exactly, he is by now. It's hardly any help--the streets look every bit as unfamiliar as the first time he'd gone for a visit--but he can't help himself.

"First time in the city?"

Dexter tears his gaze from the window, glancing up to catch the cab driver's eyes on the rearview mirror. "Second," he replies with an easy smile. "I love this place."

The driver gives him an amused grunt. "Not much to see around here. I don't know what got you so excited."

"You been here long?"

"For quite some time, yeah. Back then, you wouldn't see any of these buildings yet and..."

Dexter smiles to himself, listening and responding when needed. He has never had trouble talking to most people and the conversation is a welcome distraction from the traffic.

They've been stuck for a while, but not even that could dampen his mood. He expected as much anyway, and at the end of it, it's going to be worth it.

If it means seeing Hadley, it's always worth every while.

***

For Dexter, the perfect relationship involves sharing a cup of hot chocolate at 2 a.m., watching a movie together under an extra thick blanket, sneaking kisses when nobody's looking, and, well, cuddling. Lots and lots (and lots) of cuddling.

Dexter likes to believe that Hadley happens to love these almost as much as he does. These, after all, were things both of them liked doing as boyfriend-girlfriend. Or, now that he thinks about it, even as exes-turned-best-friends. Minus the kissing, of course. Except for that one drunken night...

Point is, they'd taken quite a detour to get to where they are now. Dexter almost thought they'd get lost along the way, but once they navigated through every unnecessary heartbreak (and there had been, like, a lot), it was all just a matter of finding the perfect speed to cruise down the highway.

But for someone who loves long hugs and even longer kisses, long distance relationships can be a bit of a problem. Dexter would be lying if he said he has never thought of transferring to Hadley's college before. It's a thought that always crosses his mind whenever they have to say goodbye again for the semester; when he hears her voice over the phone; and especially when she visits his dreams at night. Dreams that, he has to admit, aren't always so innocent.

If he could, he'd pack his bags and move here, but he can't. So he does the next best thing: Visit to spend the long weekend with her.

"Hope you have a nice time," the driver, whom he now knows as Jose, tells Dexter when they finally arrive.

"Thank you."

He pays extra and gets off the cab with a big smile on his face. When the cab leaves, he turns to look at Hadley's apartment building. Hoisting his duffel bag over his shoulder, he takes out his phone to take a selfie of him in front of her building.

He sends it to her, slides the phone back in his pocket, and looks toward the door.

Any minute now.

***

Hadley had been terrified of going to college. The thought of moving away from her family, her friends, the little beach town where she'd spent all her life--it seemed impossible.

But college has done her good.

At least that's what she likes to think. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't miserable for the first couple of weeks. She was never good at making friends. She's pretty sure the only reason she even had friends back in Rivermount was simply because she happened to sit next to Sadie and Aanya back in grade school; and that the only reason they became her best friends was because they basically grew up together.

Hadley never thought she'd actually make friends in college, but all her worrying had been for naught. Turns out it wasn't that hard. She slowly, gradually, crept out of her shell and found a whole new world for her to live in, and that really changed the way she saw herself.

She was still struggling, of course, but not as much as she expected she would. Baby steps, she'd tell herself, as she slowly found a place to let herself grow.

There was, however, one thing that never really changed, no matter how much she'd grown or how much she'd changed: Missing Dexter.

When Hadley left for college, she wasn't sure where things between them stood. There wasn't a lot of time left for them to really sort it out as the summer came to an end, so she left without letting him know how she truly felt.

It was a good thing though. The Hadley who flew out of Rivermount three years ago still had a lot to learn before she was ready for anything more than the warmth of Dexter's friendship. There were spaces in her heart that needed to be filled, and no amount of love from anyone but herself could have filled those out.

She'd taken a leap of faith when she finally told Dexter how she felt, and she's happy she did.

Her heart still skips a beat whenever she sees him, and as she steps out of her apartment building to find him standing there in the black hoodie she'd given to him on his birthday last year, she can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Their eyes meet and his face breaks into a grin.

"Hi, I'm Dexter," he says when she's near enough. "I got kicked out of college for being too hot so I'm looking for a place to crash this weekend."

Hadley resists the urge to smile. "Oh, sorry. I'm afraid all our rooms are taken," she replies.

He steps closer, dropping his duffel bag on the ground. He reaches out to her, his hands automatically reaching for her waist. He looks down at her, a cheeky smile on his face. "Can I talk to the residents? Some of them might be willing to share a bed with me."

"Well, I could think of one or two people..."

Dexter pulls her closer. "Tell them I'm a cuddler."

"I'm not sure if that's gonna be enough to win them over."

"Tell them I'm a good kisser, too."

She raises an eyebrow. "Are you? I might have to verify that first."

He smiles her favorite smile, but she doesn't see it for very long because her eyes flutter close when their lips touch. It's short, but soft and sweet and it's everything she's ever wanted, and when they pull away, he engulfs her in a hug.

"So? Do you think anyone will take me in?" he asks her.

"You might have to go through a few more tests."

He leans back, just enough to see her face. "More tests? What kind?"

She fights back a smile and steps away, holding a hand out for him. "Bed-specific ones."

***

"This was not what I had in mind for dinner tonight," Hadley tells him as he sets the steaming pot of noodles on the table. "I'm sorry I couldn't find anything else."

"I don't mind." He leans forward to examine their food. Instant noodles have become a staple in his diet when he got into college, but he's never actually had this particular brand before. It's a Korean brand; and Hadley pulled out kimchi from the fridge to go with it.

Hadley had planned for them to eat out at one of her favorite restaurants in the city, but they'd spent too much time in bed, and by the time they got up, they were both too lazy (and too hungry) to go out.

"I haven't gone to the grocer lately," Hadley explains, still apologetic over having nothing but instant noodles in the cupboard.

"I'd let this pass," he says, "as long as I get to have you for dessert."

She narrows her eyes at him. "Is that all you ever think of when we're together?"

"No," he says, but eventually gives in. "Okay. Maybe."

Rolling her eyes, Hadley takes the seat next to him and pulls the pot closer to them both. "Mi-yeon won't be coming home until tomorrow night. She bought that ice cream you liked so much when she heard you were visiting. That's what you're having for dessert."

"I mean, I'm pretty sure there's room for more than just one dessert."

She nudges him with her shoulder. "If you behave until then, I might consider it."

"As if you can actually resist me."

***

Hadley remembers the first time she saw Dexter sleep.

It was when they first started going out, way back in their second year of high school. They were in the school library and Dexter fell asleep next to her, his head resting on his arms. There was sunlight pouring from the window, bathing his face with a golden glow that made him shine even brighter than he already did.

She couldn't help but put down her pen and stare until he eventually woke up, his eyes fluttering open. He had given her a smile as soon as their eyes met and she almost melted at the sight.

Hadley knew, at the back of her mind, that she wasn't yet ready for a relationship then, but Dexter's pull was magnetic.

It was cruel, what she did to him. It was like she hadn't wanted him to let go of her hand, even though she never really tightened her grip on his.

When he did let go, she was almost relieved.

He was so ready to give it his all, but she wasn't--not quite yet--and the pressure to give back had been suffocating.

It had taken years for her to find the courage to open her heart and take down her walls. He could have turned her away when she came knocking, but he'd unlocked the door and welcomed her back.

Now, Dexter sleeps next to her, his face illuminated by the shifting light on her laptop screen. He'd fallen asleep midway through the movie. The angles of his face have become sharper, but he was still the same boy she'd fallen in love with way back when.

She watched him sleep, just like she did four years ago in that old library, unable to believe that he was here, right here, years after she'd first broken his heart along with hers.

She turns her laptop off and places it on the bedside drawer. When she moves to reposition herself, he stirs. She lies still, not wanting to wake him up, but he wraps an arm around her, pulling her closer. Hadley lets him, moving to rest her head on his chest.

He'll be leaving in two days, but they have a whole weekend planned ahead. She doubts they'll stick to it, but that's okay. They've grown, and they're still growing, slowly finding their own way around the world.

There are things they've yet to learn and places they've yet to reach, but every now and then there comes a moment when all the puzzle pieces just fall into place. They've gone through a lot to fit them all together, and she knows they'll pick up more pieces along the way. When they do, they'll have to find a way to fit them into the picture again.

For now, though, she lets his warmth envelop her.

For now, everything's right where it should be.