Calum hadn't really paid much mind to Kezie until he was sixteen and she was fifteen and she asked, after practice one day, if she could shower in his dorm; the dorm he shared with Luke.

"Yeah. Sure," he had shrugged. "Whatever."

Her water was off in her building while they worked on maintenance or something and she was not only was playing soccer at their boarding school, but she really needed to wash her hair.

She'd smiled that genuinely sweet smile, "Thanks, mate."

"No problem."

They had been friends for years.

She was like, ten when she'd started boarding school, and she met Ashton through some cultural exchange thing and he'd introduced her to the rest of them.

Most of her classes were with Calum.

"S'the only reason we're friends," he had always been quick to say--Kezie was much closer with Luke or Ash--until that one day everything changed in Calum's mind and his perceptions of this girl drastically shifted.

He'd let her in.

Luke had been out doing some shit and Calum had been in the room, lounging on his bed, not doing homework, watching tv.

He heard the shower come on and thought nothing of it.

Why should he? It was Kezie.

It was just Kezie.

She was his mate. She was the upbeat, positive girl who played sports and had lots of friends who everyone loved. It was hard not to like Kezie. It was hard not to notice her.

But, like, because of her personality.

Nothing more.

He thought.

But then, the water had shut off and she'd gotten out of the shower and Calum could hear her stumbling around in his bathroom and he was close to asking if she was dying in there with all of the noise he was hearing when she'd finally gotten her shit together and come out at once.

He'd sat up on his bed, smirking. "Killing whales in there...?"

That smirk fell as she rolled her eyes.

"Ha. Ha. Idiot."

And normally, when he would have had some smart quip in response, today, he was speechless.

Calum sat there, silent, eyes on her, gaze raking up and down her skin.

She'd walked out in a small cotton shirt and boy shorts and she wasn't wearing a bra because she'd forgotten to grab one from her room and her hair was wet and pulled into a bun and her face was washed and bright and she was still damp from the water and her legs looked so long and her skin was perfect that Calum was staring, watching her shove things into her backpack to trek across campus, and he couldn't stop staring because the small, skinny Nigerian girl he'd known for five years was seriously curvy and he had never noticed that she was no longer flat and thin and that things had seriously changed.

She'd risen to her feet.

"Thanks, mate," she'd grinned, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. "You're a lifesaver."

"Uh..."

Why wasn't she wearing a bra? When did her boobs get this big? Kezie has boobs???? Boobs he really wanted to touch?????

"Of course, Kez..." He'd turned away, "S'nothing--"

And she had thrown her free arm around him for a hug, and she was pressed against him and he'd awkwardly stumbled out of her embrace because he was getting uncomfortably aroused by a girl he'd known forever.

"I changed my mind. I don't wanna play."

He blinks, arms still wide and open as he stares at her from across the counter in her kitchen.

"Wow," he reels back, "It's not like you haven't kissed me before."

"I know," she reaches for her wine. "But every time I kiss you, I end up fucking you too," she sips. "And I know I told you, I can't do that anymore."

"That bad, huh?" He grunts. Because he'd definitely been joking around and now this was serious and making him feel some type of way.

"Obviously not," she rolls her eyes. "Hey, remember that day you thought you could beat me at footie one-on-one?"

He shakes his head, "You're so random," he says, not quite done with their conversation.

"But...?" She grins, giggling. "You do remember, don't you?"

"Of course I don't," he snorts, "since I've repressed the memory and I'll take it to the grave."

He grins as she laughs aloud.

"I say it's time for a rematch, anyway."

"Okay," her eyes twinkle. "You might want to start practicing, then..."

"For what?" He feigns confusion. "Practice? Ha--! Amateurs need to practice, Kezie."

"Mhm," she hums, her obvious amusement causing him to smile. "That's not you," she raises an eyebrow. "Right?"

"No," and he drinks from his own, much fuller glass, "Stop deflecting, 'cause we're playing a game right now."

She shrugs.

"A game you're losing."

"I--" She laughs, "I'm laughing 'cause I won't kiss you?"

"That's the dare, isn't it?" And she has no response to this. "Do truth, then," he grins. And he shrugs, "Since you're a pussy, anyway."

"Maybe I am."

He laughs.

"Fine, then," she sips some more wine. "What's your truth for me?"

"Biggest turn-on?"

"Ooh," she grins, smiling at that. "That question is actually kind of good."

"Psh, of course."

She smiles over the rim of her glass. "Well...?" And she squints, staring across the room. "Kiss--? No... Nip--? No..."

"What?" He laughs. "What the fuck, Kez?"

"Booty rub!" She exclaims, and her eyes light up and she's giggling and it takes Calum back to school.

"What?" He wrinkles his nose. "Really?"

"Yeah," she nods. "Oh my god--Grab my ass and I'm turned on. If I'm cuddling, if we're out, I don't care," she sighs. "That is a ten."

"Huh..." He nods. "I thought guys were the only ones that liked that."

"No," she shakes her head. "No way, mate. Girls like it, too."

"Girls with big asses, anyway."

"Hey! Little booties need love, too."

He laughs aloud, feeling more of this wine as she pours them up, keeping the glasses full, "What the fuck would you know about little asses, Kezie?"

She chokes.

"Exactly what I thought," And he lifts a brow. "You like getting slapped, too?"

"Um..." She shrugs, "Honestly, if its fitting the mood."

And he can't even lie, he's intrigued as hell.

"Okay, your turn," she says abruptly. "What's yours?"

"The turn-on?"

"Yep."

"Ooh..." He strokes his chin. "Well..."

"Isn't that kind of a hard question?"

"Yes...Nah," he shakes his head. "I--Ever since you got your nipples pierced, that shit has been killing me."

"Really?" She brightens again, laughing. "I'm an influencer?"

He nods, "No, but really."

She giggles. "I almost said, 'when my titties get sucked,' but I changed it."

"Why?"

"'Cause not every guy's been good at it," she shrugs. "So, sometimes it's good but sometimes it sucks."

"Ha--Sucks."

"O-kay, c'mon, bruh--"

"Dude..." He kind of sighs to himself, "I love your fucking nipples."'

"Seriously?"

"Like, your boobs?" He falls dramatically against his chair, "I always have, though."

"What?" She laughs aloud. "What do you mean, 'always have,' Calum?"

"I was sixteen, I think. Seventeen?" He replies, "Sometime then, yeah? When I came to this conclusion."

She smirks, "What conclusion?"

"You've literally got the best body I've ever seen."

She looks away, "Stop it."

"No, but...Seriously."

"You're just gassing me 'cause you know me."

"Gassing? No," he shakes his head again, "I'm not--" He wrinkles his nose, "Why would I give you a compliment if I don't need to? What's there to compliment you about?"

"Haters can hate but it's fine. I can take my wine back."

He chuckles, "I wouldn't..." He shakes his head, sucking his teeth now, "Can I be honest?"

She nods, "It is truth or dare."

He laughs. "Right. Well," he wets his bottom lip, "I think--maybe I should change my turn-on, because girls are always sexier to me when they're like, actually really cool people..."

She snorts. "Okay...? Cool like, you wanna fuck, or cool like--?"

"Like we can have a conversation," he says. "And laugh about nothing and..." He pauses, "Am I making sense?"

She leans against the counter. "Maybe."

"Like, when girls are--when they're comfortable around guys it's so...It's so cool. It's--We can chill and hang out and do dumb shit that's like, almost sexy, y'know? It's...No," he nods, "it's sexy. It is."

She grins, urging him on. "And because I'm the coolest...?"

He laughs. "'Cause you're alright..." He pauses. "...I guess..."

"Ha--Whatever."

"...Because you, Kezie, are the coolest..."

She hums. "Okay. Yes. Carry on."

"I'm," he lets out a short laugh, "I'm a--" He pauses, "I'm honestly so attracted to you."

__

"Yaya," Asmaa laughs, "you're always with Lira."

"I know, I know," Ayat replies, because it seems like right after hanging up with Zayn, here's her sister calling to FaceTime, too. "She like, lives with me now, Asmaa."

"Oh my goodness," Asmaa replies, hearing Lira's laughter in the background.

"Have you talked to Momma?"

Cue record scratch.

"Not, uh..." She fiddles with her blankets. "Not lately."

"I know, because she's complained to me how she never hears from you."

"Oh goodness."

"Right," Ayat replies. "And you know she's got to hear from her baby."

"Spoken like a true jealous older sister."

"Very funny," comes the reply as Asmaa laughs aloud. "I've told her you've been busy--"

"Thank you, thank you..."

"But, you know Momma; there's really only a matter of time before she shows up in London looking for you herself."

__

Luke's eyes are glazing over.

António has won their FIFA match--free kick; luck; whatever--and now they were watching some weird little kiddy cartoon for Gabe that had the rest of them all completely bored.

Looked like António was close to falling asleep.

Romeo was on his phone.

Luke was trying to watch.

Trying, anyway.

He kept nodding off.

In all honesty, he hadn't gone to sleep yet because Desi was in the kitchen cleaning up, and despite his offering to help her, she'd asked him to watch Gabriel instead and "keep him busy" so she could "get some shit done."

Never mind the fact that two people doing dishes would be quicker, but that's what he thought and he didn't feel like arguing with her tonight.

Not when he's gotten to stay for dinner.

"This shit sucks."

Romeo looks up from his phone, snorting. "Don't let Desi hear you cursing."

"But...eh?" António throws both hands towards the tv. "Why? Why're we watching this?"

Romeo points to Gabriel, who is leaned up against Luke, watching ponies play with a dragon or something.

Weird.

António falls back against the couch. "Songs even suck."

Gabriel, of course, hears this.

"No they don't."

"They're singing," he deadpans. "And they're horses."

"Ponies."

"Same difference."

"And one's a dragon."

"And ponies can't talk and dragons don't exist, Gabriel!"

"It's--It's..." He juts out his chin, "Leave them alone!"

"Them?" António laughs. "They're your friends, now?"

"I love them!"

"Okay, okay," Luke interjects--he's laughing at 'I love them,' but it's fine, he's six. "It's a show, so it's okay that they aren't real..."

António smirks. "Told you."

"But, let him watch his show," Luke states. "It's fine. It's his."

The boys are silent.

Gabriel has gotten comfortable again, tucked against his side and António's totally frowned up, arms crossed as he leans back against the pillows.

Awesome.

"Hey," he says softly, tapping António's arm.

He looks up, eyes narrowed and bored.

"You wanna play FIFA?"

He rolls his eyes. "Nah."

"Hey, yeah you do," and Luke's slipped his dying phone from his pocket and tossed it into the ten-year-old's lap. António looks up at him, eyes wide.

"Took the lock off," Luke shrugs. "Game's on the second page."

António grins, and he rattles off some stuff in Spanish Luke doesn't understand before he shakes his head, "Right. You don't understand Spanish," he laughs. "Thanks."

And Luke kind of shrugs, watching as the little boy gets re-engaged in the game, because he had definitely been close to falling asleep.

"Nice."

Luke looks up, eyes on Romeo.

He nods towards António. "Way to keep the little princess from throwing a fit."

António flips him off.

Romeo only laughs.

"I've got brothers," Luke shrugs, "I'm the youngest, so..."

"Yeah?"

"Duh--" António doesn't look up from the phone. "Showed us the one with the kangaroo, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Romeo nods knowingly. "Forgot."

"Stupid."

"Shut up."

Luke grins to himself as they go back and forth in Spanish and he no longer understands what they're saying, although, with bickering, he really didn't need to. It was all the same with boys. He'd done this so many times with his own older brothers.

Maybe that's why he was comfortable with these three boys. He was one of three, anyway.

"How long've you known my sister?"

He looks up.

So much for being comfortable.

It's Romeo, again, and he's staring intently at Luke and he knows now that he can't get out of this.

"A few months now," he says, clearing his throat.

António whistles, laughing.

"And...?" Romeo's eyes are just like Desi's; deep, intense, and scary...until something changes and all of a sudden, they're not. "You like her?"

"I...?" Luke shifts beneath Gabriel. There's really no use lying, he figures, because Romeo would know. He just...He was Desirée's brother. He would just know.

He nods. "I do," he clears his throat softly. "I like her...a lot."

Romeo snorts, his friendliness returning. "Figured."

António groans, "Eew."

Luke laughs, shoving him deeper into the pillows. "Shut up."

"Girls are gross."

"That's your sister."

"That's why I know she's gross."

"Hey," Luke replies. "She's...amazing, I just--"

"I know how amazing she is," Romeo interjects. His eyes narrow again, "We know. So you better not fuck around and fuck up."

And despite the very thick Panamanian accent, Luke understood those words loud and clear.

António laughs, now.

His eyes were like Desi's too; deep and intense and challenging, as he smirks, "Good luck."

__

Poor baby Luke hehe
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