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Peter was having trouble settling down. He was jumping up and down doing High Knees to warm up, trying to use up nervous energy. School was over two weeks ago, but the lacrosse team was still winning in the postseason. They won district, then regionals last week and tonight was the semifinals for State title, their record giving them home field advantage. He knew the game was important and there would be recruiters, but being this jittery was unlike him. He wished Lara Jean was there. She always knew how to calm him down. She and Kitty were visiting her aunt and he hadn’t seen her in five days. He was feeling withdrawal. She said she would be at the game and he couldn’t wait to see her. She told him to keep his watch on and make sure it was synced to his phone which he wasn’t allowed to take out. She would get there early and message him.

“Nerves, dude?” Trevor patted his shoulder and Peter stopped jumping. 

“Yeah,” he replied, catching his breath. “It’s weird.”

“Your vibe is usually cucumber,” Trevor agreed. “That’s why you’re captain.”

“I don’t know,” Peter said after taking a swig from his water bottle. “Maybe the reality of needing to be recruited has finally set in.”

Trevor clapped him on the shoulder again. “You got this, friend. You’ve been on fire since the end of regular season.”

Peter nodded in thanks just as his watch buzzed. He looked down at it and grinned widely. 

He looked at Trevor. “Cover for me for a minute.”

Trevor put his hands on his hips and looked at him incredulously.

“Come on, please,” Peter begged. “I’ll be right back.”

Trevor was shaking his head, but he couldn’t help smiling.

“Hurry the fuck up.”

Peter smiled at him gratefully.

“Tell her I said hi,” Trevor added knowingly. 

Peter’s smile turned back into a grin. He made sure the coaches were preoccupied before he snuck away.

The message said to meet her behind the scoreboard. The scoreboard was sandwiched between two bleachers on the school side of the field. It was held up by large wooden slats that created an alcove in the back. Peter rounded the corner of a bleacher at high speed. He practically screeched to a stop in front of the alcove and found it empty. His face fell. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Lara Jean’s happy smile. He gave her his best grin and stepped toward her. He stopped suddenly, his mouth opening in surprise. 

She had on one of his jerseys. It had been cut under the arms and down the sides, fitted to her size, then sewn back together with ruching. She was so tiny his number took up her entire torso. When she spun around for him he saw that the shoulders were left slightly loose to fit his entire name. She had on a dark blue pleated miniskirt trimmed in yellow, yellow knee-high socks trimmed in blue and navy converse hi-tops. Her hair was in a high ponytail held by a blue and yellow striped scrunchie and she had his number and initials on her cheeks. She was bursting with excitement to show him her efforts.

Peter was speechless. Lara Jean went to his games, but hadn’t dressed up for him again since that day they broke up. Of course he understood. That act of support was now tied to something horrible. He never expected her to dress up again and it made him sad that he ruined a loving gesture from her. But here she was elated, dressed up for him in an outfit even better than the first, that had clearly taken time and planning. He couldn’t do anything, but stare at her in astonishment. 

She seemed to sense what he was thinking and walked up to him, putting her hand on his chest.

“Clean slate,” she said, her smile ever present. 

He clasped the back of her neck, his thumb playing along her ear and his face settled back into a grin. He tried to draw her closer, but she backed away shaking her head.

“Wait,” she said shaking her finger at him. “We haven’t gotten to the pièce de résistance.” Peter laughed, loving her so hard. She lifted her skirt to show him matching bloomers the same dark blue as her skirt. She turned around and Kavinsky was emblazoned in yellow across her bottom.

He barked in delighted laughter and Lara Jean squealed jumping up and down. She launched herself at him and he caught her easily. He wrapped her legs around him and backed into the shadows. She cradled his face, her grin still matching his. 

“I wanted you to have a little private encouragement,” she said rubbing her nose against his.

“It’s the hottest thing ever,” he murmured, kissing her softly. He held her up with one of his arms and wrapped the hand of the other behind her neck again. He pulled back enough to see her face.

“I can’t believe you did this,” he said, the gold in his eyes sparking as he looked at her. “You look incredible. I know how hard it was for you to dress up for my game again and you never have to do it if you don’t want to, but I love it. You’re amazing.” He kissed her again and she sighed. “My perfect, perfect girlfriend,” he whispered against her lips. He felt her smile before he deepened the kiss. He couldn’t prevent his moan when her tongue slipped into his mouth. It had been five days since he tasted her and he was ravenous. She met his kiss with the same fervor, tugging at his hair, happy to be back in his arms. 

“Where the hell is Kavinsky??” 

The irate shout from his coach broke them apart. Lara Jean looked at Peter and they laughed. She kissed him once more before sliding off him. They came out of the alcove holding hands and she turned to him.

“I’ll see you after the game,” she said. He nodded, that grin back on his face. 

“Look for me in the stands.”

“I always do.”

“Break a leg or whatever the sport equivalent is because you probably don’t want to tell an athlete to break a limb before a game.” She looked slightly confused and he wanted to kiss her again.

“Good luck is fine, Covey.”

She shook her head. “You don’t need it.” Those few words from her made him feel better than he had all day. He mouthed “I love you” and she gave him her dimples. 

“OK,” she said, like she was getting back to business. “You go that way and I’ll go the other way and give you a few minutes head start.” He nodded vigorously like it was a master plan. She made a face at him and he made it right back. When she turned away, he gave her ass a good smack. She jumped and narrowed her eyes at him over her shoulder. Affronted, she flipped up the back of her skirt at him and he laughed as she rounded the corner. 

Lara Jean scrolled through her phone while she waited to come out of hiding. After it felt like long enough, she creeped out from the side of the bleachers. She could see Peter with his coach who was looking down at a clipboard, talking to him angrily. Coach looked up from the clipboard and she swore he looked right at her. Feeling caught, she kept her head down and hurriedly walked to the bleacher where Lucas and Alex were waiting.

“Are we about to play a semifinal for the State championship or am I just dreaming this shit up?” Coach asked, looking back at the clipboard after catching a glimpse of Lara Jean.

 “We’re about to play a semifinal, Coach.” Peter answered.

“Does that mean my Captain should be preparing his team for an important game or getting frisky with a girl behind the bleachers?” Peter was going to deny it, but thought better of it.

“Preparing the team, Coach.”

“Then get your ass on the field.”

“Yes, Coach,” Peter answered, pretending to be contrite.

“And take off that goddamn watch.”

Peter turned away, heading toward his gear, smiling as he took off his watch. 

Peter got off light. If it had been anyone else, Coach would have torn them a new asshole, but he liked Lara Jean. First, she was always sending him baked goods through Peter and second, and most importantly, his star athlete had turned into a superstar since she started attending his games again. He was playing better than even Coach thought he was capable. Whatever mojo that little girl was passing on to Kavinsky, he wanted Peter to absorb all he could. 

And Peter must have absorbed a shit ton of mojo because he played like a man possessed. He was all over the place, nearly impossible to defend. He seemed faster and more agile than Lara Jean had ever seen. Every time he scored, he ran past her bleacher as the crowd went crazy. He would hold up fingers for the number of the goal and grin at her. She would roll her eyes, but scream even louder. After the second goal, Alex leaned across Lucas.

“He must have really liked the outfit,” Alex said to her as the buzzer indicated halftime. She nodded grinning at him and he smiled back. When Alex leaned back, standing up straight, he gave Lucas the softest look. Lara Jean noticed Alex’s fingers stroking the inside of Lucas’s hand and felt her heart squeeze. She knew Lucas was coming to the game to support Peter, but she was thrilled when Alex said he never passed up the chance to see sweaty boys all over each other. 

She fell in love with Alex the second she met him. He was funny and sweet just like Lucas, but he had a more laid back demeanor having reached a level of comfort with who he is that Lucas was still working on. Alex seemed to understand and was consistently affectionate but discreet for Lucas’s sake. Superficially they were adorable together, cute and pocket-sized, easily geeking out or whispering and laughing together. The melancholy that usually undergirded Lucas’s personality had morphed into a cheerfulness that was so lovely. Lara Jean wanted to hug them both all the time. 

“When the hell did the whole town become lacrosse fanatics? The concession lines are fucking crazy,” Chris said easing next to Lara Jean with a tray full of snacks. She passed popcorn, hot dogs and candy down to Lucas and Alex. 

They were stunned when Chris showed up a few minutes before the starting whistle. Everyone knew school events were not her thing. It spoke to her feelings for Trevor that she broke her golden rule again. Trevor noticed Chris’ arrival before she sat down and gave her a big grin. She nodded at him and his smile slowly faded. Lucas noticed the exchange and it suddenly made him angry.

“Wave to your boy,” he snapped at Chris.

“He’s not my…”

“Wave, dammit.” 

Chris flinched, caught off guard by Lucas’s heat. She rolled her eyes, before looking out onto the field and waving at Trevor. He smiled in return, but it wasn’t as bright as before.

“You’re going to lose him if you keep up with this crap,” Lucas grumbled, obviously annoyed.

“Pipe down and cuddle your boy.” She leaned forward looking past Lucas. “Hi, Alex.”

“Hi, Chris,” he replied good-naturedly.

“He’s right you know,” Lara Jean whispered when Chris sat back.

“I’m here, aren’t I? Jeez.” Chris' face turned stony so Lara Jean left it alone. 

As the game went on Chris seemed to get into it, clapping and cheering discreetly for Trevor. At halftime she volunteered to get food as a peace offering to Lucas who was still annoyed with her. 

“Did you buy out the whole stand?” Lara Jean asked, taking a bag of Sour Patch Kids.

“Pays to have extra.” And right on cue as if summoned by the rustling sound of snacks, Kitty materialized next to them in the girls lacrosse t-shirt Peter bought for her.

“Hey, Kitty Kat,” Chris grinned at her.

“Hey,” she replied, reaching for the tray. Lara Jean smacked her hand away.

“Go get your own.”

“I can’t get my own,” Kitty complained, crossing her arms. “I’m eleven. Do you want me to go into a big crowd and get abducted?” Lucas and Alex looked on, entertained by Kitty’s shenanigans.

Lara Jean gave her an “oh, please” look. “You’re just being lazy. Take Owen with you.”

Lara Jean gestured down to where Owen was sitting with Mrs. Kavinsky and her dad. 

“Oh, so you want us both to get kidnapped and trafficked?”

Chris, Lucas and Alex were trying really hard to keep a straight face for Lara Jean’s sake. Kitty reached for some candy again and Lara Jean slapped her hand before handing her a bag of popcorn. Kitty glared at her, crossing her arms again. Lara Jean sighed, relenting and handed her an additional big bag of fruit snacks, the next healthiest thing on the tray. “Share with Owen.”  Kitty beamed at her and gave them all a little bow before heading back to her seat.

“I love that kid,” Chris said, watching her go.

“Then take her home with you.”

The second half of the game was just as exciting as the first. When Peter scored his hat trick at the end of the 3rd quarter, he ran to Lara Jean’s bleacher holding up three fingers. She took the hem of her skirt and inched it up her thighs winking at him. He caught the reference and raised his eyebrows at her a couple times, biting his bottom lip before heading back to his position on the field. When everyone sat down, Chris, Lucas and Alex were staring at her. 

“What?”

“What the hell was that about,” Chris inquired for all of them. Lara Jean blushed a becoming shade of pink.

“Nothing,” she lied.

“Uh-huh,” Lucas uttered, not believing her. 

When Lara Jean refused to say anything else, Chris sat back with a smirk on her face. 

“OK, phony good girl.”

Lara Jean bumped Chris’s shoulder and Chris bumped her right back.

Even with Peter scoring again in the last quarter the game was still really close, the opposing team having a well-oiled offensive machine themselves. Like all dramatic sporting events, the score was tied with 30 seconds left to play and the opposing team had the ball. At the whistle the other team charged down the field, passing effortlessly. As they neared the Adler goal, the forward with the ball, who was about to pass to his teammate in front of the goal, forgot to check his right side. Darryl barreled into him as he released the ball causing it to go short. Like lightning, Peter jumped in front of the intended recipient and intercepted the ball. The crowd went nuts. Peter stormed down the field, passing the ball to Gabe, who passed it back to Peter once he cleared defenders. 

Lara Jean was beside herself, all her fingers crossed, her hands in front of her mouth. Peter found himself closing in on the goal. He wasn’t at a great angle, but he’d made harder shots before. A defender was rushing toward him and another coming up from behind. He looked over and saw Trevor wide open. He flung the ball to Trevor as he was knocked to the ground. Peter looked up just in time to see Trevor catch the pass and loose it into the goal in one arcing motion. The screams were deafening and Peter rolled over onto his back, fists in the air, as the buzzer sounded.

There was pandemonium. The Adler bench charged the field and joined the other players, first tackling Trevor, then putting him on their shoulders. They started chanting “Pike! Pike! Pike! Pike!” Soon the crowd joined in, Trevor’s name echoing throughout the entire stadium. 

From his perch, Trevor could see Chris jumping up and down and screaming despite herself. He gave her another toothy grin which she returned this time. Lara Jean was hugging Lucas, then Alex, then both of them, so jubilant she could barely contain it. She looked back at the field and saw Peter sitting back on his haunches with the biggest, widest, most exuberant smile on his face as his team celebrated Trevor. He was knocked backwards on the ground again as Gabe and Darryl tackled him. They rolled around on the ground hugging each other.

“That’s really hot,” Alex said watching them. The four of them laughed, but all agreed. When they finally let Peter up and put Trevor down, they made a beeline for one another. They hugged each other tight, Trevor picking Peter up off the ground. They clasped the back of each other’s heads, foreheads pressed together, before hugging again. 

The crowd began rushing the field, family and friends congratulating players, girlfriends giving victory kisses.

“Go get your boy,” Lucas said to Lara Jean.

“But I have to go to the car,” she replied, conflicted, looking down at Peter.

Lucas pushed her gently toward the stairs. “We’ll go to the car.”

“Are you sure?”

“Go,” prompted Alex. Lara Jean smiled at him and handed Lucas her keys, kissing him on the cheek. She moved past Chris, running down the stairs. Chris watched her go, before turning to Lucas whose eyes were flaring again.

“I swear to god Christine, if you don’t go down to that field and congratulate Trevor, I will stop speaking to you.”

Chris made a dismissive noise, but Lucas’s face stayed stern. 

“OK, fine, fine, I’m going.” She headed reluctantly to the field.

“What’s her deal with Trevor,” Alex asked, wrapping his pinkie around Lucas’s. 

“She’s terrified of getting hurt. She has more in common with Lara Jean than she wants to admit.” Alex nodded as they made their way down the stairs and to Lara Jean’s car.

As the crowd on the field thickened, Peter looked all around, distractedly thanking people as they clapped him on the back and congratulated him. Then he saw her racing toward him, her face luminous. She jumped into his arms, legs wrapped around his waist, both of them laughing. He held her, his forearm covering his name on her backside, his hand against her back, pressing her into him and holding her close. She had one hand behind his neck and the other tugged at his hair the way he loved as she kissed him. He smelled like sweat and grass and Peter. His lips tasted like salt and she couldn’t get enough of him. When they took a breath, she pressed her forehead to his, rubbing his cheeks with her hands.

“Congratulations MVP,” she whispered. 

He chuckled. “I think that’s Trevor.”

“You’re my MVP.”

“Good,” he said, pulling back to look at her. “Because you’re the only prize I want.”

“You’re so corny,” she sighed as he kissed her again. Reluctantly, he pulled away realizing their parents could be watching and that they should probably tamp it down. He set her down, but held on to her hand not wanting her to go far. A friend of Peter’s came up to praise him and they did one of those weird handshakes. She looked past them as they chatted and saw Trevor and Chris kissing, semi-hidden behind the goal. When Chris pulled away, he tried to reel her back, but she stepped away from him and headed to the parking lot. The arm that was reaching for her slowly dropped to his side and Trevor sighed, shaking his head, looking down at the ground. Lara Jean’s heart ached for him, and she promised herself to have a long, serious talk with Chris. 

As she watched Chris go, she caught a glimpse of Lucas and Alex near the team gear. They had set the demi-boxes of cupcakes on the team bench and she grinned at them in thanks. They waved at her before moving away to talk to friends. Lara Jean saw Coach already double-fisted with cupcakes, happy as a lark. She giggled. Peter whose friend had just departed, looked at her, his forehead wrinkled and followed her line of sight. He saw Coach face-deep in frosting and the dozens of cupcakes on the bench. He could tell even from a distance they were salted caramel. He looked at Lara Jean in shock.

“Did you do that,” he gestured toward the bench. She nodded, grinning, bouncing on her toes. 

He gawked at her, as she stood there giving him her Peter smile. He pulled her against him and kissed her again forgetting about parents or anyone else watching, overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness. 

“How are you so fucking sensational, Lara Jean Song-Covey,” he asked his lips finally releasing hers.

She looked up at him with that effervescent smile. “I have reason to be.”

He went in for another kiss, but Lara Jean saw someone waving out of the corner of her eye. Peter’s lips went to her ear as she turned her head to see Mrs. Kavinsky standing with two men she didn’t recognize, waving to get their attention. Lara Jean took Peter’s jaw turning his face toward his mom and pointed. Mrs. Kavinsky gave Lara Jean a grateful smile. 

“They must be recruiters,” Peter muttered. He took her hand and started moving toward his mom, but Lara Jean stayed put, releasing his hand. Peter turned to her puzzled.

“You go ahead and I’ll find you later.” She chewed nervously on her bottom lip. 

“Covey,” he said quietly. He ran his thumb across her lip to stop her biting. “It’ll be OK, I promise.” She looked at him with uncertainty.

“Please?” He looked at her with those imploring eyes and she didn’t want to do anything to ruin this moment for him. She nodded. He took her hand again and led her across the field.

As they got closer to Peter’s mom, Lara Jean saw her dad and Kitty also standing there. The sight of them relieved her some. The second they made it to them all, Peter gave his mom a bear hug, lifting her off the ground. She laughed and hugged him back. When he put her down, she put her hand to his cheek and he leaned into her touch. His eyes were tender, thanking her for holding things down and allowing him to focus without worry on being a stellar athlete.

After he released her, he did some elaborate boy handshake with Owen that she could tell was a special one between the brothers. It caused Owen to grin and look like a fairer version of Peter. Peter ruffled his hair and the grin turned into a scowl as Owen pushed Peter away. 

In one fluid motion, Peter picked Kitty up and over his shoulder, holding her with one arm by the ankles. She shrieked, laughing hysterically, beating at his legs.

“Have you guys seen Kitty?” Peter asked casually. “She promised to come to the game.”

“Put me down, you big donut!”

Peter looked under his arm at her. “Ah, there you are.” He pulled her back up and set her down, laughing as he dodged her flailing fists. 

“Katherine.”

At her father’s voice, Kitty stopped attacking Peter. “He started it,” she said petulantly, crossing her arms.

Peter turned to Lara Jean’s dad and put out his hand for a shake. Instead Dan pulled him in for a hug. 

“You were extraordinary,” Dan said, clasping Peter’s shoulder. “Just extraordinary. I’m so proud of you.”

Peter blushed, his eyes falling from Dan’s. “Thanks for coming, Dr. Covey,” he said shyly, eyes up again. 

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” Dan smiled. Lara Jean saw the mix of pain and gratitude in Peter’s face as he looked at her dad. Sensing Peter’s thoughts Dan gave him another quick hug and Lara Jean wanted to squeeze her dad tight for being exactly what the person she loved so much needed at that moment. Peter’s mom looked at them wistfully and quickly dabbed the corner of a watery eye. Lara Jean wanted to squeeze her too, but didn’t think she could and it pricked at her heart. 

“Peter, there are some gentlemen that would like to meet you.”

Peter looked at his mom and then at the two men that were patiently standing by. Dan released him and motioned with his head for Peter to get going. While Peter’s mom introduced him to the recruiters, Lara Jean took the opportunity to give her dad that squeeze. She looked up at him.

“Thanks for being the best dad.” 

Dan smiled down at her. “Gotta be for my best girl.” She smiled back and squeezed him again. 

Mrs. Kavinsky stepped away to give Peter a moment with the recruiters. Dan said goodbye having promised to take Kitty for some ice cream, offering to take Owen with them and drop him off after. Owen gave his mom Peter-like puppy dog eyes causing her to laugh and roll her eyes before agreeing. Lara Jean watched them walk toward the cars, Kitty and Owen chasing each other in circles around Dan. 

Lara Jean looked timidly at Mrs. Kavinsky who smiled and gave her a warm hug. She kindly asked Lara Jean perfunctory questions about her well-being and nodded attentively while she answered. Lara Jean knew that Peter’s mom would be there for her if she ever needed anything, but a quiet had settled between them that Lara Jean didn’t know how to fix and it broke her heart a little. 

“I’ll give you two some time with the recruiters,” Lara Jean said when the silence after the polite questions lengthened. 

Mrs. Kavinsky smiled sweetly at her again, brushing the backs of her fingers against Lara Jean’s cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

Lara Jean nodded before turning away and walking up field, feeling like she wanted to cry. She hadn’t made it 20 yards before she was scooped up and flung over a shoulder. 

“There you are,” Gabe hollered, excitedly. She squealed and started hitting him in the back, laughing. He only clamped his arm across her legs tighter. He turned his head and noticed her bloomers peeking out from under her skirt. He howled with laughter.

“That’s some school spirit!”

“Shut-up,” she hit him again, still laughing. “Put me down!”

He didn’t, but being a good friend, he pulled her skirt down to cover her up. She pushed up on his shoulder and looked over hers to see them nearing the team, huddled near their bench devouring the cupcakes. When they saw Gabe and Lara Jean near, they started shouting, “Large,” faces and hands covered in buttercream. Gabe finally put her down only to have the team scoop her up again. They put her on their shoulders, marching in a circle chanting “Cupcake Queen! Cupcake Queen!” 

She couldn’t stop laughing as she held on for dear life, but knowing they would never let her fall. She looked downfield and saw Peter still with the recruiters watching her and grinning from ear to ear. She waved at him and he started laughing and she forgot about everything else except how happy he looked. 

Steve Bleidel was having another rager after the game, but Peter was adamant that he wanted to hang out with her and maybe a few friends at the Corner Café. With four goals and a buzzer-beating assist, Peter had indeed been made MVP of the game. The party was practically in his honor, but as they drove to the Café every time Lara Jean asked if he was sure he didn’t want to go, he would nod his head, lean over and kiss her. She played with his damp curls as they drove, reveling in his post-shower soapy scent. The face paint was gone and she had taken her hair down. At stoplights, Peter kept kissing her neck and telling her she was like Superman with his glasses - she went from cute to sexy with the removal of a scrunchie.

Lara Jean should have realized even if Peter didn’t go to the party it would find him. It started off quiet enough. Alex and Lucas met them at the Café. Then Trevor showed up and he had told Gabe. Then Darryl surprised them with two more teammates and two girls, one a recently transferred sophomore he’d been flirting with. All the fellow captains followed, having gone to the game to support Peter: Juan and his girlfriend Shelly, captains of the men’s and women’s soccer teams, respectively. JJ, captain of the basketball team was there as was Scotty, captain of the girl’s lacrosse team with her girlfriend Dani. Tariq, captain of the football team arrived with girls the school affectionately called the Ishas - his girlfriend Tanisha and her friends Keisha and Alicia. 

Lara Jean had met most of them before, but it was still a lot. Scotty and Tanisha came over to say hi to her and Dani was talking to Lucas and Alex. Peter greeted his friends, giving Tariq the one-arm hug/handshake combo and elaborate boyshakes to the others. 

As they started pulling tables together, Peter immediately went up to Joan and the other waitresses to apologize for all the people. They shushed him, thrilled the place was crowded for a change. He promised to keep the volume down and mess at a minimum. For his trouble, he got a cheek pinch and a free chocolate shake. He grinned at Lara Jean after setting his acquisition down on the table. She put a hand over his gloating face, shaking her head at the effectiveness of the Kavinsky charm.

“Be nice to your server,” Peter pronounced like he was holding court and Lara Jean mused that he kinda was. “And leave a good tip… JJ.”

“Fuck you, Kavinsky,” he responded as everyone laughed, knowing JJ was notoriously cheap. 

“Don’t laugh too hard, Trev,” Peter directed at his best friend also known to pinch a penny. This time Peter got the finger for his trouble.

People started ordering and starting multiple conversations. Keisha sat across from Gabe who became instantly flummoxed. If Peter was the best looking boy in school, Keisha was the prettiest girl, also sharing Peter’s kind streak and radiant smile. Gabe had a low grade crush on her for years. He tried to play it cool, but kept glancing at her. Keisha pretended not to notice, but Lara Jean could tell by her small smile that she did. 

“I’m sorry about all this,” Peter whispered in Lara Jean’s ear. She turned to him and his face was apologetic. “I didn’t expect it.”

She shook her head running a hand down his cheek. “They just want to celebrate your victory,” she whispered back. “Your friends love you. That’s something I understand.” He drew back enough to look at her and she could see he wanted to kiss her, but they promised fewer PDAs, game-winning celebrations notwithstanding.

“OMG, Coach was PISSED when you disappeared,” Trevor said, pulling their attention away from each other. 

“Yeah, good looking out,” Peter replied sarcastically.

“Hey, I didn’t tell you to go get freaky with your girl right before the game,” Trevor defended himself.

Gabe’s head whipped around to Peter. “Is that where you were??”

Peter didn’t say anything, which only made them assume the worst. He could feel Lara Jean stiffen next to him. 

“Well, that’s a special kind of warm up,” laughed Scotty.

“Kavinsky, that’s supposed to zap your energy, bro,” Juan said. There was a wave of laughter. 

“Depends on the technique. Right, Large?” It came from one of the teammates who arrived with Darryl, a newly graduated senior that had always been jealous Peter was made team captain. They had a special loathing for each other. He winked at Lara Jean and her face flushed. Peter’s jaw tightened and he made a fist under the table.  

“It’s always the quiet ones,” Tariq smiled at Lara Jean good-naturedly. Lara Jean smiled back, but Lucas could tell her plastered smile was covering up how deeply uncomfortable the current conversation was making her. 

“When has Kavinsky ever turned down a hookup?” came from somewhere, as did “Nice girls need corrupting too.”

“Pretty sure that happened during the last ski trip.” It was the jackass senior, his implication clear. Lara Jean’s eyes immediately fell to her lap and anything nice in Peter died at the allusion to the video.

Peter’s face was rigid with anger as he glared at the guy who smirked back unapologetically. The rest of the group piped down feeling the rage radiating off Peter and realizing things had gone too far. Lara Jean looked at Peter, squeezing his hand trying to stem whatever was about to happen.

“Shut the fuck up, Clemons.” It was Gabe, staring at the jerk as hard as Peter. 

“I’m pretty sure you know we don’t bring that up,” Trevor said, his already deep voice even lower with the promise of violence.

Clemons looked between the three of them and at Darryl who also seemed visibly angry. Clemons raised his hands in surrender realizing for the first time that he might actually get jumped by his teammates.

“Yeah, stop being dicks,” Tanisha said flicking Tariq in the head.

“Ow,” he yelped, pushing her hand away, but when he looked at Lara Jean his face was contrite.

Gabe looked over at Lara Jean, his eyes concerned. “You OK,” he mouthed. Lara Jean nodded and he looked at her carefully before nodding back. When his eyes left Lara Jean’s, they fell on Keisha who was giving him the softest smile. Gabe blushed fiercely and her smile grew.

Right on cue, Chris walked in. Surprised by the size of the group, her eyes narrowed as she realized something must have just gone down.

“What the fuck did I miss?”  

The table laughed, happy for the release. Lara Jean looked at her friend, grateful that she unknowingly restored the jovial mood. Chris pulled up a chair between Alex and Keisha directly across from Trevor. She furrowed her brow when Trevor glanced at her, but continued his conversation with Gabe. 

Peter turned to Lara Jean as raucous conversations started up again. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, eyes full of worry. “Do you want to go?”

“Of course not. That was nothing,” she said pretending to be blasé about the whole thing. Peter didn’t buy it. “I'm fine,” she smiled at him, but he noticed the smile didn’t reach her eyes. 

When Peter got up to get another cherry coke and plate of fries for Lara Jean, she watched Darryl whispering irately to Clemons before they both got up and left the restaurant. A few minutes later, Darryl came back alone. He looked at Lara Jean with remorse before going to the counter to talk to Peter. She could see Peter quietly tearing into him for bringing Clemons and Darryl letting him. They both peeked at Lara Jean, who shook her head at Peter to leave Darryl alone. The boys continued their conversation for a few minutes longer before nodding at each other and slapping hands. 

The group had moved past what happened, but Peter could tell that Lara Jean was still a little off. There were few things that unnerved her more than public speculation about her sex life with Peter. He tried to think of something that would change her focus.

“Have you guys been up to Rooster Rock or Bald Peak lately,” he asked the table. “The Perseids start next month and there are some cool preseason meteor showers.”

“No,” said Shelly, “but I’m dying to.” 

“Me too,” said Pammy, the sophomore with Darryl. “It’s one of the things I was looking forward to moving to the West coast.”

“We should have a party at the Peak next month,” said Gabe, always up for planning a party. 

“Or a camping trip,” Keisha offered, looking at him. He blushed again.

“I’d be so down with that,” said Tariq, giving Tanisha a steamy look. She rolled her eyes and pushed him away.

The group started talking excitedly about a party or trip next month. Peter looked at Lara Jean and she was already looking at him with the most loving smile on her face. He sighed internally with relief.

Peter took Lara Jean to Bald Peak for a date a couple of weeks ago. He packed a picnic and they sat under the stars. They laid on a blanket to watch the meteor shower, Peter’s arm behind his head, Lara Jean’s head on his chest. When he turned his head to look at her, she was looking at him with that look like he was everything she wanted.

He’s not sure how they ended up making out in the backseat of the jeep except it was inevitable. She was on his lap and the kisses and touches were slow and delicious. His shirt was on the floor and so was hers when she pulled back, looking him deeply in the eyes. When it seemed like she found what she was looking for she reached behind her with trembling hands and unhooked her bra letting it slide down her arms. He kept his eyes on her face. He caressed her cheek before letting his eyes drop from hers. He looked at her for a long time, perhaps too long. When his eyes finally made it back to hers, she looked like his silence had made her fearful. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her before catching her eyes again, his own fierce.

“I am so fucking lucky,” he whispered, his words as vehement as his eyes. She smiled and melted into him. 

In the aftermath of making out, he lay sprawled on the backseat, an arm behind his head again and she sat on his thighs. He thought she would quickly cover up, but she didn’t. She looked tranquil and content. He watched her as they talked and laughed, bare and sated, beautiful and his.

When he looked at her now, Peter saw those memories reflected in her face. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. 

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered back.

Chris was still unnerved by Trevor’s reception. She wasn’t thinking properly when she asked, “So when did you come out, Alex?”

Lara Jean looked at her, eyes wide. 

“Christine.” Chris looked at her, realizing too late the question was deeply personal. Lucas gave Chris a blistering look, but Alex just laughed, unfazed.

“Well, I guess I was never really ‘in’,” he said turning towards Chris. “I’ve known as far back as I can remember and my parents are these SUPER progressives so when they had an inkling they went overboard with the PC support.” Other conversations were going on, but most of the table was attuned to Alex.

“My mom bought me dolls as well as action figures. They started taking me to musicals and the opera. They bought me homonormative picture books, made sure I knew it was OK to like pink.” There were a few chuckles at that. “I almost didn’t have the heart to tell them that I preferred comic books, watching sports, and hip-hop.” There was laughter. Alex looked at Lucas who returned the soft look he’d been given earlier.

“That’s pretty brave actually,” Keisha said, drawing Alex’s attention. “To be out. High school is still high school no matter how progressive the city. Scotty and Dani nodded as did Alex.

“True, but it doesn’t hurt that my brother is a 6’4”, 250lb. football player. You tend to not get messed with as often.” 

People were looking at Alex and there were quite a few puzzled expressions. Alex was lean and 5’7” at most. Alex understood immediately and smiled. 

“I guess my dad ran out of the good sperm when it was time for me.” Everyone cracked up. Lara Jean saw Lucas take Alex’s hand and hold it in both of his under the table and smiled.

Tariq pointed at Alex from the other end of the table. “Wait. You’re Adam George’s little brother.” Alex smiled and nodded.

“Holy shit,” Tariq smiled back. “He was one of the best left tackles I’ve ever seen. He plays for USC now, right?” Alex nodded proudly. “He was lethal on the blindside,” Tariq continued. “We went to all-conference together. Tell him Tariq said, whassup.”

“I will.”

The conversations moved on to other things, but Lara Jean noticed Lucas visibly relax. He had not been sure about this big group of people he didn’t know well. That everyone was so kind to someone he was beginning to care deeply for seemed to lighten him.

The group thinned out a bit, Juan, Shelly, Scotty and Dani leaving for the party. JJ joined them, but not before Peter made sure he left a generous tip. Lara Jean was chipper again, the earlier events put away. She was calmer now that the group had shrunk a little.

“LJ, so you finally watched the Marvel movies,” Trevor turned to Lara Jean cheerily. She nodded. “What did you think?”

Trevor saw, too late, Peter’s eyes bug and the subtle shake of his head. Trevor looked at him puzzled, but Lucas who knew what was coming was already trying not to laugh.

“OMG, they are so sad,” Lara Jean exclaimed. “How do you guys watch them?”

“Um, they’re not all sad.” Trevor was beginning to understand this was not going to go where he thought. “They won in the end, hence End Game.”

“But the robot guy…”

“Vision.” 

“Yeah, him,” she nodded at Peter. “Well, he professes his love for the girl with the red hair only to be killed later. Then they have this whole slow burn with the… Hulk?” She looked at Peter again who nodded. “Right, the Hulk and the blond assassin have this whole meet cute and flirtation and they just throw her off a cliff. And then the pretty green lady falls in love with the Walk-man guy, which I don’t get, but whatever and then they throw her off the same cliff!” 

Lucas was really struggling now not to laugh and others at the table looked really perplexed, but really amused. 

“And then poor Paprika…”

“Pepper.”

“Pepper, has this amazing relationship across all the movies with Tony Spark…”

“Stark.”

“Right,” she nodded to Peter who was valiantly trying to keep a straight face. “They have this entire developed relationship, they get married and have a child and that glove thing kills him!” 

Gabe had to turn his head, completely unable to keep it together. Darryl, Tariq and others were laughing quietly at Lara Jean trying to romcom the MCU.

“Well, at least Captain of the United States…”

“Captain America,” Peter continued to correct, rubbing his forehead.

“Whatever. At least he goes back in time to the love of his life and they have a happy ending. And the Ant family seemed happy too. And Zendaya is so gorgeous.” She shrugged and sat back. She turned and smiled at Peter who chuckled and kissed the side of her head. 

“You are so right,” Alex whispered to Lucas. “She’s totally sexy Pollyanna. I’m obsessed with her.”

Lucas laughed. “I told you.”

Chris, who had the same bewildered look on her face as Trevor, leaned toward Lara Jean.

“So LJ,” she said. “Big purple bad guy? End of the universe? Epic battles? Nothing?”

Lara Jean shrugged again. “I mean, I guess.”

Chris looked at Lucas and they both burst out laughing. That’s all it took for everyone else to be in stitches.

“Large,” Gabe finally managed. “What the hell kind of review was that??”

“I like what I like!” Lara Jean giggled, having enough self-awareness to know how ridiculous she sounded. She looked at Peter who was laughing and looking at her like she was adorable. 

“Well, I for one like your romantic outlook.” It was the cute sophomore Pammy with the freckles. 

“Me too,” Alicia agreed. 

“Thank you,” Lara Jean responded as if validated. 

Conversations splintered again when Trevor turned to her grinning. “Seriously, never change, LJ.”

“Why does everyone always say that to me?”

“Because you have romance on the brain 24-7,” Chris said like it was obvious. “You’re a junkie.”

“It’s better than acting like you’re above it,” Trevor said looking at Chris. Lucas stilled, both Peter and Gabe looked at Trevor and Lara Jean looked at Chris who seemed startled.

“Or acting like you're embarrassed to be with someone or to show up somewhere with them,” Trevor continued, eyes still on Chris. “Having your feelings considered seems pretty refreshing.”

Conversations continued, but the volume seemed to lower as people sensed there might be drama. Lara Jean glanced over at Lucas with a worried expression. He shook his head at her not to intervene. 

“Not creeping and acknowledging the other person in public - wouldn’t that be fucking utopia.” Trevor pushed back from the table, eyes still on Chris. 

Chris stared back at him, still and silent. Trevor crossed his arms, cocking his head to the side, eyes fixed on hers. The tension was thick and getting thicker the longer they stared at each other. Peter squeezed Lara Jean’s knee sensing she was getting anxious.

Chris stood up suddenly and the table got quiet. Trevor raised an eyebrow, eyes still challenging. Her eyes swept over him as if sizing him up before settling back on his face. She pushed her chair out of the way and moved back from the table. Lara Jean glanced at Trevor and saw a flicker of alarm in his eyes for the first time. Instead of leaving, Chris circled behind Alex and Lucas and around the table until she was standing behind Trevor. She stood there for a moment as if deciding something. He didn’t acknowledge her, but he sat up straighter and uncrossed his arms. Without warning, Chris moved between Trevor and Gabe and swung her leg over Trevor's lap sitting down. She took his face in her hands and kissed him. Trevor was frozen in shock for a moment before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her back. 

The table went wild. Everyone started cheering and clapping and soon there was another round of “Pike! Pike! Pike! Pike!” Lara Jean was ecstatic, bouncing in her chair. She looked at Lucas who grinned back. Peter, excited for his best friend, nevertheless glanced around and saw other customers getting annoyed.

“OK, let’s bring it down,” he shouted over the din. The chanting stopped, the cheers and clapping quieted into a few “get a room.” Peter looked over at Joan who winked at him. 

Chris finally pulled away from Trevor who had a big goofy grin on his face. She looked at him annoyed. “Asshole,” she said under her breath. He chuckled and kissed her nose. She scrunched her face and pulled back. “No,” she shook her head. “There will be no cutsie, nose-kissing, PK and LJ-type bullshit.”

Lara Jean sucked her teeth, but Trevor chuckled again, nodding, knowing when to make concessions.

Chris moved off his lap and stood up holding out her hand. “Let’s go,” she said. “I feel like climbing you.” There were a few whistles as Trevor stood up taking her hand, the goofy grin still on his face. He threw a few bills on the table. Peter squinted his eyes at him and pointed down at the table. Trevor sighed and put down a few more bills. Chris rolled her eyes. “Cheap bastard,” she said, pulling him to the exit. Her eye caught Lara Jean and she tried to look nonchalant, but Lara Jean could tell she was happy. Lucas blew her a kiss as they walked out the door. 

Tariq settled up his part of the bill, he and the girls deciding to head to the party. Before they left he came over to Lara Jean, kneeling down.

“I’m sorry, LJ. We really were just teasing.”

She gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I know.” He smiled at her and she smiled back and she remembered she liked Peter’s friends because they were as kind as he.

Tariq stood up and gave Peter their bro hug again, before slapping him gently across the face. “You better fucking win State.” Peter grinned and nodded. 

Tariq joined the girls who were all standing up except Keisha. She turned to Gabe.

“Are you going to the party?” 

He looked at her dumbfounded before finding his voice. “Uh, yeah. I was going to stop by.” Keisha looked at him expectantly. “Do you, um, need a ride?” 

“That would be great,” she smiled her radiant smile at him. She turned to her friends. “I’ll meet you guys there.” Tanisha and Alicia looked at her with wide-eyes and knowing smiles before leading Tariq to the door.

Gabe settled up while Keisha was in the bathroom. He kissed Lara Jean on the top of her head before hugging Peter. “You OK, bro,” Peter asked. “Not at all,” he replied and Peter laughed. 

After Gabe and Keisha left, Darryl and his group moved down and the eight of them chatted, finishing off the rest of the food. Peter’s fingers caressed the back of Lara Jean’s neck under her hair and her hand massaged circles on the inside of his thigh.

They had become even more tactile after their picnic. Lara Jean had become particularly intrigued by the feel of him through his clothes. Peter was more than fine with being groped by his girl, but her errant hand seemed to have no boundaries when it came to time or place. At least she kept it under tables. He wasn’t even sure she realized she was doing it until she felt him move her hand to a less dangerous place. She would glance over and he would give her a pleading look to stop. She would giggle and nod apologetically, but it wasn’t long before her hand would wander back. Peter excusing himself to the bathroom became common. 

Tonight was no different. Having already moved her hand to his knee for the second time, he covered her hand with his when it had found its way back to his semi-erection. 

He leaned over, whispering in her ear. “Does this mean you’re ready to go?” She turned her head to look at him. She didn’t say anything, but rubbed along his length before giving him a long tight squeeze. Peter jumped up.

“Uh, we’re going to go,” he announced more loudly than necessary. 

Everyone looked at Peter. 

“Um, OK dude,” Darryl said, giving him a strange look.

While Peter gathered up the money and paid the bill, Lara Jean kissed and hugged Lucas and Alex goodbye before they left to watch a movie at Alex’s house. When she sat back down, Darryl came over and knelt down beside her like Tariq had. He didn’t say anything, just gave her puppy dog face. She pet him on the head like a puppy dog and he grinned at her. Lara Jean looked over at Peter who was now getting hugs from the waitresses. She shook her head. Yep, she thought, the Kavinsky charm is deadly.

They parked a few houses down from Lara Jean’s house, out of the lamplight, under a tree. They had talked animatedly about the game, the recruiters and the events at the Café on the drive to her house. The buzz of the evening settled into a quiet happiness to be together.

“I love everything you did for me today,” Peter said, unbuckling his seatbelt and turning toward her, “but when did you have time?”

Lara Jean mirrored him, unbuckling her belt and getting in a better position to look at him. “When I was at my aunt’s house.”

“Cooveey,” he drew out her name, his eyes a soft admonition. “You should have been spending time with your aunt not worrying about me.

“I did spend time with her. The cupcakes and outfit were her idea.” 

Peter raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Kitty was Haven’s sidekick the entire visit, much to Haven’s delight.” Peter smiled when she rolled her eyes. “So I had Aunt Carrie pretty much to myself.”

Peter nodded wanting her to continue. 

“We went shopping together for the clothes except for the bloomers. I ordered those, obviously,” she said with a bashful smile. Peter returned it. 

“She helped me alter the jersey, well, she altered the jersey and we spent hours on the cupcakes together.”

“Hours??” he repeated, his face a lament again.

“But, I loved it,” she soothed, taking his hand. “We talked while we baked and laughed and listened to music and gossiped and danced around the kitchen. It was so much fun.” 

His eyes brightened at her excitement. But her vibrant manner slowly became somber as she looked at him with a rueful smile. “It was almost like having my mom back.”

He nodded again, his face immediately full of sympathy. He kissed her hand and rubbed comforting circles into her palm with his thumb. 

“We talked about so many things.” She glanced away for a second, biting her lip. “We talked about the last time I dressed up and what happened between us.” Peter’s eyes dropped from hers and his shoulders slumped slightly. He felt her fingers on his chin. She lifted so he would look at her. “She doesn’t judge you.” Peter didn’t look convinced. “She doesn’t.” Lara Jean ran calming fingers across his cheek. “She doesn’t judge me either. It wasn’t all you, Peter.” 

She licked her lips and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I guess when I dressed up that day it was like a declaration that you were mine. And then you weren’t. And I guess I didn’t want to make that declaration again in case you didn’t stay mine.” She shrugged, her eyes dropping from his. She felt his hand slip beneath her hair then against her cheek. He tilted her face up to look at him and his eyes were so sad.

“There wasn’t a second we were apart when I wasn’t yours,” Peter said, his voice thick with all the ways he would have done things differently. 

“I know that now. I finally decided to trust that it would stay that way.”

He brought her hand up to his lips again. He kissed her wrist and her palm before pressing it against his cheek.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his eyes a bid for pardon. 

She shook her head and pressed her hand to his other cheek. “You don’t have to be anymore.” She kissed him, seeking to banish the sadness that she hadn’t meant to conjure. 

“It was good talking to her and spending time with her,” she murmured against his lips. “I’m glad,” he whispered before deepening the kiss. 

He kissed her slowly, his tongue waltzing along hers, his fingers tickling at her jaw. When she exhaled that melodic sigh that undid him, he kissed her even more deeply, his hand moving to the back of her head to hold her still. He felt her fingers kneed his thigh before moving up to where she couldn’t stay away. He chuckled.

“I thought we were easing out of a serious moment,” he chastised playfully.

“I know, but it was calling to me.”

“It was calling to you? You have a psychic connection with my penis?”

“Yes, and it likes me.”

“It sure as shit does.” 

She let out one of her cute giggles. “It gets so firm and active. It’s like a magical creature.” Peter laughed as she ran her hand over his ever-growing bulge. “Besides, you grab my butt ALL the time.”

He raised his eyebrows. “If you were just grabbing my ass I’d turn it towards you so you could get two handfuls, but that’s not what you’re grabbing, is it?”

“It’s interesting to me! Scientifically!”

He bit down on another laugh. “Scientifically?”

“Yes. Like the way it goes from zero to 1000 so fast.”

“That’s because your hand is always on it.”

“And sometimes it jumps around in there. It’s all squirmy like it’s trying to run away.”

He laughed again. “It’s trying to get away from your grabby little hands and save Peter from embarrassment.” He turned toward her as much as the car seat would allow. 

“Remember, Covey. Consent is important,” he teased.

Her eyes grew wide and she pulled her hand away like she’d been burned. 

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” she said, her smile changing into a serious expression. 

He cocked his head, his smile soft. “I was kidding, Lara Jean.”

“But it’s true,” she frowned. “It’s a double standard. I mean, what if you were always putting your hands under my skirt?”

“Please don’t put that in my head. I’m hard enough.”

When she didn’t smile, Peter reached over and brushed her cheek with his fingers. He picked her hand up and put it back on his crotch.

“I consent to you touching me anyway, anytime, anywhere you want,” he said, looking at her keenly, but with a twinkle in his eye. “Just know, if you keep doing it in public I’ll have to stand up with my raging hard on and explain to everyone who sees it that for scientific reasons my girlfriend keeps examining it with her hands.”

He smiled with satisfaction when her demeanor softened. Lara Jean bit her lip to keep from smiling.

“I just didn’t know touching you would be so fascinating.” She gave him a light squeeze. “And fun.”

He grinned at her. “What? You thought it would be a chore?”

“I didn’t know what I would think. You make it all so easy and comfortable.” She smirked. “Maybe a little too comfortable.”

He puffed out a breath of laughter. When she drew her legs up to turn more fully toward him, he moved his seat back as far as it could go and reached for her. “Come here.”

She grabbed his shoulder and he lifted her easily to straddle his lap. He loved having her this close even when they weren’t making out. She fit perfectly in his lap. He could touch her and smell her and watch her expressive face while they talked. When there was a pause between subjects, she would cuddle in close during the comfortable silence and rest her head against his shoulder. Peter would wrap his arms around her and wonder how he got lucky enough to have the pit of abandonment in his heart filled with something this beautiful.

She sat back on his thighs, her fingers playing at the buttons on his shirt. He recognized her fixation on his buttons as a nervous tell. He settled his hands at her hips and waited for her to tell him what was on her mind.

“Are you upset that we haven’t had sex yet?” she asked finally, her eyes still on his buttons. 

He had a feeling this was coming. He lifted her chin, to force her eyes to meet his. “Not at all.” His eyebrows knitted together. “Are you still worried about that?”

She shrugged. “I mean, we’ve been together for a while. Don’t you think about it?”

“Do I think about it?” he repeated. He gave her an amused smile. “Do I think about what you would look like completely naked beneath me or on top of me?” His voice was low as his fingers ran through her hair from root to tip. “Do I think about what it would feel like to be inside you? You know I do.” 

Lara Jean leaned in closer as if his voice, his words and his hands in her hair were pulling her to him.

“But I love what we’re doing and how we’re doing it,” he said, a hand coming down to rest again on her hip, the other staying in her hair. “I’ve gotten to know you in a way I wouldn’t if we weren’t taking it slow. It’s been amazing exploring each other step-by-step. I’m learning what you like and things I didn’t know I liked. How else would I know about your misbehaving hands?” 

She smiled and ducked her head. He lifted her chin again and smiled back. He tucked her hair back behind her ear. 

“This is new for me too, Lara Jean. I’ve never experienced anything like this level of closeness and…” he paused searching for a word.

“Intimacy,” she finished. He nodded as his hand left her hair to touch her face. 

“I love every minute of it,” he continued. “It’s exciting and fun and just for us. I love that you trust me to know you this completely. I wouldn’t sacrifice any of this time with you.”

Lara Jean brought both of her hands to his cheeks and lay flush against him. “I love you so much,” she whispered against his lips.

“That was a good speech, right?” She felt his grin and giggled.  

Without warning he cupped the back of her head and covered her mouth with his. He lowered the seat, before slipping his hand up the back of her jersey. He kissed her slowly, deep and wet, mimicking what he would do once she let him have her. The noises of pleasure she made had him painfully hard. It was relief when she began moving against him. 

“How much time before curfew,” he asked, whispering in her ear and running his tongue along the shell.  

“Not enough,” she replied kissing his neck, tugging at the collar of his shirt.

“Are you sure? I can be pretty quick.”

She laughed and kissed him softly. 

“We only have 20 minutes.”

“Piece of cake,” he said, sitting up and  reaching for the hem of her shirt. She laughed again, but raised her arms obediently as he pulled it off. He laid back to get a good look at her. Damn . He ran his fingers along the scalloped edges of her cornflower bra, more blue just for him. When he lifted his eyes back to hers, her smile was so peaceful. He watched her as she looked down to unbutton his shirt. He marveled that this confident wonder was the same girl who not long ago was too anxious to let him undo a couple of buttons. 

His mind wandered back to last Sunday. His afternoon practice was canceled, turning into a two-a-day for Monday. His mom was at her store and Owen was with their cousins. It was a bright, breezy summer day, the kind Peter would usually spend outdoors, but Lara Jean came over and they spent the day on his bed as the breeze wafted in through the window. They laughed and played and talked and made-out and Peter couldn’t remember being so happy. 

During a break, he diagrammed routes to send to his teammates for practice the following day, while she lounged on his bed, in nothing but her underwear and a pair of his socks. She was reading a book she’d pulled from his shelf. Lara Jean was on her back, brows furrowed as she concentrated on the book she was holding above her face. It was only a few weeks ago that she was reluctant to take off her shirt in front of him. He gazed in awe at how perfectly at ease she was laid out in front of him. She would never be this free with someone unless she trusted them profoundly. It touched something in the far corners of him to know she felt so safe.

She must have felt his eyes on her. She turned her head and caught his gaze. Her smile was so pretty.

“Whatcha doing over there,” she chirped sweetly.

“Getting lonely.” 

Her smile widened and she put the book down. She got up and walked towards him, hair streaming across her shoulders, and my god. When she was standing in front of him he pulled her to him instantly, taking a nipple between his lips. She shrieked, then laughed, swatting his arm. “Down boy.”

He let go after a flick of his tongue, looking up at her grinning. 

“You can’t put these in front of my face, Covey and not expect them to go in my mouth.”

She laughed before relenting, letting his mouth have its treat.

“Hey.” He felt her kiss him lightly. “You with me, bud?”

Peter refocused on her face now close to his. Her nails scratched patterns on his now bare chest. 

“Sorry.” He smiled and ran his thumb across her cheek. “I was just thinking about how luscious you are.”

Lara Jean gave him a dimpled grin and sat up. “Well, stop thinking and start doing, Mr. Piece Of Cake,” she said, taking off her bra and casually tossing it aside. “We’re running out of time.”

“How are we always on a timer,” he pondered, his hands going up automatically to her breasts. She stifled a laugh before dissolving against him. 

Keeping his word, he was quick. Between his mouth, his hands and causing friction beneath her, he got her off pretty quickly. When her breathing finally calmed, he raised the seat and grabbed her bra for her. Lara Jean looked at him puzzled.

“Did you…”

He stole a quick kiss. “You have five minutes, babe.”

She looked at her watch. “We have ten minutes.”

“I’ll take care of it at home.”

“But I want to take care of it,” she whispered, her hand going down to her favorite spot.

“Stop it, nasty girl,” he laughed, grabbing her wrist. “Covey, your dad has noticed how close we’re cutting it and you flying in all disheveled. If we’re going to get him to let you go to UofO  for the championship, we have to be good.”

She frowned. “But I got you all riled up with my grabby hands. It doesn’t seem fair.”

He grinned at her. “Believe me, it was my pleasure.”

“Peter,” she pouted. 

He kissed her again and pressed his hand against her back.

“How about we FaceTime when I get home,” he murmured in her ear, “and you can walk me through it.”

Lara Jean smiled, blushing and nodded. He kissed her nose before letting her go to button his shirt. She quickly put back on her bra before clambering back into her seat and pulling on her jersey. They drove the three houses to hers. She held his hand and clutched his arm as they walked up to her porch. She looked up at him.

“Does FaceTime mean you’re not coming back?” Peter looked down at her hopeful expression.

“I can’t,” he said regretfully. “I have to meet with recruiters in the morning. I have to be alert.”

“We’ll go right to sleep.” He raised an eyebrow and scoffed. She pursed her lips looking abashed, stifling a laugh. Ever since she’d fallen asleep in his arms, in her bed for the first time, Lara Jean wanted him to come over and sleep with her whenever he could. He was overjoyed, but it always meant they were both tired the next day. They always promised to go right to sleep, but instead they would talk and kiss and talk and touch and talk some more, falling asleep hours later. 

“Well,” she said, twirling in a circle under his arm, “your loss.”

“Yes, it is,” he agreed.

She turned to him when they stopped in front of her door. They looked at each other and the uncommonly balmy night was nothing compared to the warmth flowing between them. 

“Thank you, for tonight,” he said, taking her hands. “Thank you for dressing up for me and embroidering my name on your ass.” She smiled. “Thank you for coming to my game and cheering and being my good luck charm. Thank you for bringing my team cupcakes and trying with my mom.” She nodded, her smile soft and her eyes tender. “Thank you for putting up with my friends and letting me know yours. Thank you for the movie review and the sexual harassment.” She chuckled, airily. “Thank you for wanting to touch me and letting me touch you.” He slipped his hand under her hair to cradle her face. “Thank you for all of it.” 

Lara Jean wrapped her arms tight around him. “I love making you happy,” she said, looking up at him with those starry eyes. 

Peter gazed at her. He didn’t know what to say, so he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers. It wasn’t long before he felt tiny fingers slide between his legs.

“FaceTime me,” she said, cupping him. He laughed, a common reaction being around her. He took hold of her hand and kissed her fingers. 

“I will, you dirty little monster.” He kissed the back of her hand before letting it go. She winked at him before turning to unlock the door. 

“Hey, Covey,” he said, when the door clicked open. She turned back around and Peter was already down the steps, hands in his pockets.

“I love you more than everything,” he said quietly, eyes on hers. 

She gave him a brilliant smile. “I know,” she said before slipping behind the door.