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Monty isn’t listening to a word in Physics.
He’s fiddling with the frayed edge of his sleeve and thinking about Jasper. He’s not really sure how he’s worked himself up so much over a favour he did a friend.
Except this isn’t just a friend, it’s Jasper, and he’s still trying to figure out what makes the boy so different in his mind.
Before he has time to ponder it any further, Raven nudges him hard and he’s back in reality.
“Monty, I asked you a question!” Sinclair doesn’t look angry, more a little frustrated with him.
“Protons?” Monty replies uselessly, no idea what the question was. Someone muffles a laugh behind them. Raven turns and mouths something that makes them shut up instantly.
“Come on, Monty.” Sinclair shakes his head. “Can we have a word at the end? Now, who does know the answer?”
Monty groans. He’s in a bit of a spiral today.
After class, Raven ruffles his hair as she leaves and he braces himself for a lecture. “Monty, this isn’t a lecture.”
Well.
Sinclair continues. “Kane told me you didn’t hand in your project this morning. Now you’re zoning out during class. It’s all very unlike you.”
Monty just nods, because his throat feels very dry.
“Is everything okay at home?” The amount of times he’s heard that today is giving him a headache. “I know things can be hard with your mother.”
He winces. “They’re fine, really. I’m getting back on track.” He is fine. Things were a lot better that summer and he had done his project. Everything else was just a knock on effect.
Sinclair must believe him because he lets him go with a warning to pay more attention, and he slips out into the corridor to check his phone.
Chat: jasper
jasper: hey can we talk? I came to find u but forgot u were in physics
jasper: i’m back in our room
jasper: sorry abt earlier
jasper: i’m not mad
jasper: monty??? Ik ur class is over i just heard raven in the halls
monty: sorry sinclair wanted to talk i’m omw
He shoves his phone back in his pocket and walks down the science corridor. Monroe, who is lounging in the doorway, offers him a thumbs up.
“Everything okay?” they ask, hands clasped around a cup of coffee.
“All good,” he smiles in reply. “Jasper doing alright?”
“As far as I know. He ate all my snacks though, so he owes me,” Monroe rolls their eyes. “We left him in his room.”
“I’m headed up there now.”
“Godspeed,” Monroe says, giving him a mock salute. Monty laughs.
His feet are on autopilot, and he heads down the stairs, out of the building and towards the dormitories. He sees Clarke and Bellamy ahead of him, and he gives them a wave.
"Hey," Bellamy says as he approaches. "Jasper's upstairs."
"Okay?" Monty says, confused. "Why does everyone feel the need to tell me?"
"Just. You know. In case you needed him," Clarke says.
"The lack of subtlety you two possess is incredible," Monty deadpans. "I'm going upstairs now."
Clarke grins and tugs at Bellamy's arm. "Come on, Bell."
"Be safe!" Bellamy yells as he's dragged away. "Better than sorry!"
"Sure!" Monty yells back. "Whatever that means!"
Turning back to the dormitories, he takes a deep breath before heading inside. It's Jasper, he's known him forever, and it's nothing he can't face. Jasper knows about his mom, and everything he went through when he came out. Monty, in return, happens to be the expert on Jasper's anxiety and everything he needs when he gets particularly bad.
There's no reason why he should feel scared, and yet for some reason, he does.
The curtains are wide open and all the lava lamps are off, which must have been Clarke’s doing, because Monty knows what Jasper is like when he’s in a mood.
He tries not to be hurt that Clarke had been in here helping instead of him.
Jasper looks up mournfully from where he’s sat on his bed.
“Hi, Monty.” He looks anxious, and Monty immediately forgets any bitterness and surges forward to wrap him in a hug. Jasper grips back tightly, his nose squashed into Monty’s collarbone.
When Jasper pulls away, he’s clearly preparing to say something. Monty gives him a tiny nod to indicate he can take his time.
“I don’t want to make anything weird,” Jasper says hoarsely, and Monty swears he can feel his heart do a little jump. “But I need to tell you this, and I need you to listen.”
Monty bumps his knee against Jasper’s. “You can tell me anything, you know that.”
“Monty,” Jasper says, eyes fixed on the floor. “When you gave me your project and took the fall-”
“Jasper, I told you, it’s nothing-”
“No, listen.” Jasper is looking at him now. “My first thought was that I wanted to kiss you.”
Monty feels his mouth drop open.
“You don’t have to say anything!” Jasper continues. “I know you probably like Miller and-”
“What?” Monty manages. “Miller? What?”
“Okay, maybe not Miller, but definitely not me, and that’s fine, I just needed you to know that-”
Monty rolls his eyes and cuts Jasper off by kissing him.
It’s nice. Well, it’s a bit weird, and Jasper tastes like those rank sour candies he keeps insisting on buying, but Monty feels like this is a long time overdue. He's not sure why he waited so long.
When he pulls away, Jasper's eyes are comically wide and he looks like he can't quite believe any of it is real. His hands reach down to grip Monty's and he traces patterns on them with his thumb, a simple gesture that has Monty smiling fondly.
"Really?" Jasper murmurs. "That just happened? I'm not losing my mind?"
Monty can't help the giggle that escapes him. Jasper's mouth widens into a grin, his eyes crinkling up adorably at the corners.
"I wanna do that again," he says, searching Monty's face for permission. When he nods, Jasper leans in again, first kissing the tip of Monty's nose before kissing him properly.
They manage to waste a few minutes like that, sat on Jasper's bed, too busy with each other to acknowledge anything else. Monty finally has to pull away when his phone buzzes too insistently for him to ignore.
Chat: bellamy
bellamy: ????
bellamy: ????????????????
bellamy: ?????????????????????
monty: fuck off
bellamy: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monty laughs and shows Jasper, who just rolls his eyes.
"We'll indulge them later," he says, pulling on Monty's wrist. "Come on."
"What-" Monty starts, before Jasper's tugging him up and over to the door. "Where are we going?"
"Alcove in the Chemistry section of the library," Jasper grins wickedly. "Where we won't be disturbed."
Ten minutes later, Monty’s back is up against the wall of the alcove and his hands are tangled in Jasper’s hair. “Your goggles are getting in the way,” he gasps out, pushing them off Jasper’s head and kissing him again. “It’s a good thing no one but us gives a shit about chemistry.”
Jasper laughs against his mouth and moves his hands to cup his face. “Damn good thing,” he says, and Monty knows he’s not just talking about the chemistry books anymore.
He’s about to try and move things along a little bit when he he hears a gasp mixed with a laugh. Gently pushing Jasper off, he sees Bellamy frozen in front of them. “Um,” he says. “Sorry. I thought you would be talking and I could check everything was okay."
“Shoo!” Jasper chucks a magazine at him. “Get out! We’re in the middle of something!”
Monty snorts. Bellamy looks between the two of them, then grins and slips off into the history section. “Ugh,” says Monty. “Classic Bellamy.”
“Where were we?” says Jasper, and he’s leaning in again when both their phones go off. They don’t have to check to know exactly who it is, and Jasper rolls his eyes at Monty as they unlock their phones.
Chat: octavia blake and the criminals
bellamy: i may be abt to come into some money
octavia: DID GRANNY MEREDITH DIE
octavia: it’s abt DAMN time
bellamy: what the fuck o no
octavia: i thought she was ill
bellamy: she got better :(
raven: WAIT
raven: IS THIS
lincoln: oh my god seriously??
monty: UM
murphy: do tell nerds
monty: THE BLAKES ARE LITERALLY PRAYING FOR THEIR GRANDMA’S DEATH LET’S TALK ABT THAT
bellamy: not my story to tell!
clarke: probably shouldn’t have started being cryptic in the gc then
bellamy: touche
octavia: WAIT I JUST CLOCKED
octavia: JASPER IM COMING FOR YOU,,,, YOU COULDNT HAVE WAITED THREE DAYS
octavia: BELLAMY WHERE ARE THEY
bellamy: .....
jasper: don't u fucking dare blake
jasper: i wont hesitate bitch
bellamy: did u just quote that vine at me
jasper: maybe
jasper: bellamy,,, i love u but dont say a word
octavia: JASPER
octavia: J A S P E R
murphy: this is so amusing
bellamy: i'm not sure where my loyalties lie tbh
octavia: WHERE HE GO
monty: jasper's busy now right now
monty: with me
monty: all of you fuck off
raven: YAS GET IT BOY
monty: <3
"You made me put mine away," Jasper pouts, and Monty rolls his eyes.
"I'm all yours," he says. "You're much more worth my attention."
Jasper grins, and Monty sees the mischief in his eyes. He barely has time to adjust before Jasper has picked him up and sat him on the window ledge in the alcove.
"Better angle," he explains, and dives in to kiss Monty, who squeaks before getting a hold on the collar of Jasper's shirt.
He could get used to this.
A couple of hours later, they're side by side in their room. Monty is attempting to talk Jasper through some History content when there's a knock at the door.
"I'm not coming in because I'm assuming Jasper is naked, but check your phones," Murphy yells. Monty rolls his eyes and turns on his phone.
Chat: octavia blake and the criminals
bellamy: ok so ik ur all pissed at me cause i won buuuut
bellamy: i'll buy u all ice cream at the dropship cafe. i've managed to convince jaha to let us go even tho its a weekday
bellamy: think he was as done with jonty's shit as we were
bellamy: meet in the lobby?
clarke: see u in a mo
murphy: i will never turn down free ice cream
miller: um yes im omw
raven: BOY GET ME SOME OF THAT
harper: monroe and i are in
octavia: bro this is why i love u,,, lincoln and i will be there in 2
jasper: are monty and i invited to this?
bellamy: yeah as long as u dont make out on the table
jasper: no promises but sure
Monty grins at his phone. "You're insufferable."
Jasper leans over and places a kiss on his forehead. "But I'm cute."
"Obviously," Monty replies. "Why else would I be so willing to kiss you?"
The pillow to his face is answer enough.