Not a Best Friend Thing

Klay Harren Jules stretched out a hand, fumbling around her bed for something to throw at the window. God, what is that annoying poking sound? She was trying to sleep! Letting out a groggy sigh, she grabbed a spare pillow and flung it in the general direction of the noise. "Go away," she mumbled, already sinking back into her dreams. "CODE A!" The familiar male voice jolted her awake. She shot upright, heart pounding. How many times had Jace called for a Code A this week? She was going to kill him if this wasn’t an actual emergency. Barely conscious and moving on autopilot, she stumbled toward the window, sliding it open as the cool night air fanned her face. Eyes still closed, she called out, "What is it this time?" Silence. She was about to turn back when Jace’s voice finally came through, laced with panic. "I have eczema!" She squinted through the haze of sleep. "...That’s supposed to be an emergency?" Across from her, Jacey Gray stood at his own window, gripping the sill. A towel hung loosely around his waist, and despite the situation, he still looked ridiculously put together—fresh from the shower, his damp hair tousled, droplets of water trailing down his chest. "Klay, this is serious," he pleaded. She sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. He better not be messing with me. Forcing her eyes open and giving her body a second to catch up, she finally looked at him. Jace smiled—the kind of smile he always used when he wanted something from her. "Ugh," she groaned in frustration, but she still stepped onto the windowsill. With a practiced leap, she landed inside his room. The scent of his body wash lingered in the air, clean and familiar. "Alright, where is it?" Jace hesitated. Klay crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Spit it out, Gray." Shifting awkwardly, he scratched the back of his neck. "It’s, uh..." He trailed off, clearing his throat. She narrowed her eyes. "It’s where, Jacey?" He took a deep breath, his voice dropping to a mutter. "It’s on my..." He pointed downward. Klay blinked. "On your what?" Jace’s jaw tensed as he forced himself to say it louder. "It’s on my shit." Her brain processed the words. Then, realization struck like a slap to the face. "You have eczema on your—" She gasped. "How the hell did that even happen?!" "Do I look like I have answers?" he groaned, flopping onto the bed, his towel barely hanging on. "It’s itchy as hell, Klay. I can’t even—ugh." "Don’t worry, it’ll clear up in a week," she said, dropping onto the bed beside him. "A week?" Jace sat up, staring at her like she’d just sentenced him to life in prison. "I have a date with Carrie tonight! I can’t survive one day like this." Klay smirked. "We can get you a cream, you baby. Or..." A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. "I could just take a quick look—" "No way!" Jace practically threw himself off the bed, backing away in horror. She grinned. Oh, she was going to enjoy this. Payback time, Gray. "Come on, Jacey," she teased, stepping toward him. "Just a sneaky-peaky..." Jace grabbed a nearby laundry hanger and held it up like a sword. "Don’t you dare." Klay lunged. Jace yelped, scrambling backward toward his closet. His fingers brushed against a pair of pants, and he seized the opportunity. Dropping the hanger, he hurried to pull them on. "I’d tell all your women about this, Gray," she taunted. He scowled, distracted for just a second—long enough for her to pounce. "Argh!" Jace stumbled, and they both crashed onto the bed in a tangled heap. For a second, neither of them moved. Klay’s body was sprawled over his, and there was something—oh god—something firm pressing against her abdomen. Her eyes widened. Jace turned scarlet. Then— "What in God’s name are you two doing?!" They both snapped their heads toward the doorway. Mrs. Gray stood frozen, staring at the scene before her. Her son was half-naked, Klay was on top of him, and the situation looked very bad. They both scrambled to explain at once. "We were just—" "She was chasing me—" "He wasn’t dressed because—" "p***s!" Silence. Mrs. Gray’s gaze sharpened. "Klay, you tried to see his what?" Klay buried her face in her hands. "Oh god." "Will you please put some pants on, Jacey?!" "Already on it!" he yelped, yanking them up properly. "I was teasing him, Mrs. Gray," Klay defended herself. "He has eczema." "On my p***s," Jace added helpfully. Mrs. Gray pinched the bridge of her nose. "Grow up, both of you!" With that, she spun on her heel and stormed away. For a moment, the room was silent. Then, Klay and Jace turned to each other. And burst into hysterical laughter. — An hour later, a motorbike pulled up outside the Jules’ house. Jace climbed off, stepping into the living room like he owned the place. On the couch, Sonny—Klay’s younger brother—sat watching The Avengers. Jace ruffled the boy’s hair in greeting. "Jacey!" Sonny beamed up at him. "Hey, bud. Where’s everyone?" Jace asked, swiping a leftover pancake from the table. "Mmm, this is good," he mumbled between bites. "They’re in the kitchen," Sonny answered, still focused on the movie. Jace smirked and gave him a playful salute. "See you around, Cap." He made his way to the kitchen, where Klay and her mom sat talking over breakfast. Klay turned at the sound of his footsteps and smiled at him. Jace studied her for a moment, taking in the familiar way she moved, the way she fit so seamlessly into his life. She’d been there for as long as he could remember, and there wasn’t a single thing he wouldn’t do to keep her. The blue-eyed girl next door—the one who used to get lost in books and never cared what anyone thought—had become his best friend. No. His treasure. More than she’d ever know. He let out a breath, pushing the thought away. "Time to go," he said.