Work Text:
“Our kids would only be… like medium hairy, at the most. That’s lucky.” Devi said, apropos of nothing.
“Huh?”
Paxton lifted his head from where it had been laying on her chest. He had been half asleep, lulled by the sounds of the Riverdale episode Devi had put on, and the soothing feeling of her fingers carding through his hair. They were chilling in his garage after he’d had a particularly grueling training session. He had been frustrated at the weakness still in his left shoulder. The cast had been off for over three months, but he was still fighting to get back to his old times.
Devi had met up with him after practice, she’d been staying after school for her meeting of the Rainbow Alliance Club. Or was it newspaper? Devi had slowly been getting back into all her clubs and teams. Paxton was happy for her, and it meant she was almost always there after school until his practice let out.
When he saw her he may have let some of his frustration out by kissing her a little more intensely than he was prone to when they were at school. Devi usually looked pretty dazed after these kinds of kisses, but this time she’d taken one look at his face and simply kissed him again, matching his fervor.
They’d pulled apart when Coach came barging out the pool building, and Devi had let Paxton drag her easily to his car. She pulled out a box of Pocky Sticks from her backpack and fed him a few as he drove them to his house.
Initially, Paxton had thought he’d want to make out some more. There was nothing that got him out of his head like kissing Devi. There was nothing like kissing Devi, period. But the second they sat down on his futon he realized that his body was really sore, and he just felt annoyed, and tired.
“Can we cuddle?” Paxton found himself almost whining.
He was moving as he spoke. He wrapped his arms around Devi’s middle and practically pushed her to lay down along the futon so he could spread out over her. Devi made a slightly awkward sound of surprise before she was laughing at the way he nuzzled against her collarbone with over dramatic enthusiasm.
“You smell good,” he said into her shirt.
Devi shifted, pulling a cushion behind her so she could sit up a bit and make room for his body to lie on top of hers more comfortably. She spread her legs and Paxton settled between them. Her hand made its way tentatively into his hair, and he sighed loudly to let her know of his approval. His hair was currently free of gel, and it was almost fully dry after their ride home. It was ripe for being played with.
“You smell like chlorine.” Devi started to dig her fingers into his hair with more pressure. Paxton just pulled her closer.
“You love it,” he mumbled, nuzzling against her some more. Devi’s hand paused for a second before she kept on petting him.
“Yep.” Her voice had gone a little strange.
If Paxton had been more with it, he probably would have examined her tone. But as it was, she felt really good under him, and she was working magic on his stress with the way she way stroking his hair.
Thing is, Paxton was already like 85 percent sure he was in love with Devi. Despite the way she’d lied and cheated and hurt him, he couldn’t help but keep coming back to her. Even when he was mad at her he couldn’t really stay away. He could have asked for another tutor. He could have completely written her off or started hooking up with someone else. He could have.
He couldn’t have. That was the thing. Because he probably, definitely, loved her. He was 85 percent sure.
But they hadn’t been together for real for that long. And he’d never actually said ‘I love you,’ to someone who wasn’t in his family. So Paxton was chill to keep it to himself for a while. Totally chill. Except for when he sometimes slipped up like this and threw the L word around.
But he’d been too tired to examine it and the moment passed. Devi hummed a little as she played with his hair and he finally started to feel like he could breath.
“Practice was shitty.” Paxton offered, and Devi made a sympathetic noise and stroked down his arm with her free hand.
“I’m sorry.” Devi sounded hesitant.
“Not your fault,” Paxton breathed out against her shirt. Devi hand in his hair stopped moving.
“Well…”
Paxton brought his head up to catch her guilty look.
“It’s not your fault.”
Paxton stared at Devi with the most serious expression he could muster. Devi swallowed and then she nodded. Paxton let his head drop back down to her chest. He nudged against her collar.
“Keep petting me.”
Devi laughed. Her hand went back into his hair.
“Paxton Hall-Yoshida, secretly an actual puppy. Who knew?”
“Ruff ruff,” he said, starting to feel sleepy.
Devi laughed again and he could picture her wide smile. This was nice. This was good.
He was beginning to drift into sleep, and when Devi wiggled underneath him to grab the TV remote he just mumbled nonsense, lulled by the sound of her heartbeat.
Paxton dozed on top of Devi for a while. He wasn’t exactly sure how much time had passed when she said the thing about their hairy kids.
“I mean aside from this glorious head of hair, you’re not like…that hairy.” Devi explained, tugging his hair lightly. It felt really good and sent a zip through him that had him waking up more fully.
“I mean, I have more arm hair than you,” Devi said, and she sounded a little self conscious. Paxton looked up at her face. She glanced away from him.
“I used to be really self conscious about my arm hair,” Paxton admitted to her quietly. Devi met his eyes, surprised.
“Really?”
Paxton nodded, “Yeah the guys used to totally make fun of me for it in gym. Said shit like I wasn’t a man and puberty fucked up with me.”
Devi’s brows scrunched in anger.
“What the hell who said that? And have they seen you? Puberty got it totally right with you. Hundo p right. Scratch that, like two hundo. Two hundred percent right!”
She was starting to get heated. Paxton shifted forward and kissed the tip of her nose. It had the desired effect. Devi’s rant stopped in it’s tracks and she blinked in surprise. Then she made a face at him like she had his number.
Maybe they didn’t have much in common, but it was crazy to Paxton how often he felt like he and Devi just read each other really fucking well.
He smiled at her and dropped his head back onto her chest. She started stroking his hair again, clearly thinking.
“Do they still make fun of you for not being hairy?”
“Nah,” Paxton stuttered, trying not to shift guiltily.
“Why not?” Devi’s tone made it clear she picked up on his discomfort.
Paxton sighed and turned up his face to hers. He rested his chin on her sternum.
“They just stopped?” He hadn’t meant to phrase it like a question. Devi gave him a look that said really? He tried not to squirm.
“Paxton…” Devi drawled out.
Paxton glanced around the room and his eyes caught on whatever was happening on Riverdale. Those kids didn’t look like high schoolers at all. Devi pulled at his hair to get his attention.
“Paxton!”
“I don’t wanna tell you!” Paxton said nervously. But a hurt expression flashed across Devi’s face at that and he sighed.
Groaning, Paxton buried his face into Devi's neck.
“Amanda Russo gave me a blowjob at a party in eighth grade and somehow it got out around school.”
He chanced a glance at Devi. Her eyebrows were raised, but other than that she didn’t look too bothered. He wondered briefly if this was a trap.
“The guys stopped making fun of me after that.”
She snorted.
“Wow. Real evolved stuff.” Devi rolled her eyes and Paxton smiled.
He scooted up again, tilting his face towards hers hopefully. She looked at him adoringly. That 85 percent crept steadily upwards.
Their lips met and Paxton sighed through his nose. He reached to stroke the side of Devi’s face. They kissed, and it was gentle and sweet, until the sound of a gunshot rang out from the TV. Paxton turned to see what was happening on screen. It looked like a riot was breaking out between a bunch of kids in leather jackets and what looked like a football team.
“Ok seriously, what the fuck is this show even about?” Paxton demanded.
Devi shook underneath him.
“Drama Paxton! It’s about drama and hot people!” Devi’s voice was filled with laughter. Paxton shook his head and cuddled back into her.
“I mean, yeah they’re all hot, but I really don’t get it.”
“I don’t get how it’s entertaining for you to hit Trent in the dick with stuff but I support you.” Devi snipped at him jokingly.
“That’s fair.” Paxton admitted. He squeezed Devi tightly. “I support you watching Riverdale, Vishwakumar.”
Devi put her hand back into his hair again. He relaxed against her. They watched the show for a few minutes.
“Is there even a river?”
“There is actually! There’s always dead bodies in it.” Devi said triumphantly. Paxton hummed and pressed his cheek against the spot where her heartbeat was easiest to feel. They were silent again.
“…is it gonna get around school that I gave you a blow job?” Devi asked suddenly. Paxton’s head whipped up.
“What? No!”
But Devi didn’t look worried. If anything she looked curious.
“No?” She tilted her head at him.
“No!” Paxton said vehemently. “I mean, I haven’t told anyone! That’s between us!”
Devi suddenly averted her gaze. Paxton narrowed his eyes at her.
“Right?” He asked. Devi bit her lip.
“Devi…”
“So I might have told Fab and Eleanor,” Devi blurted out. Paxton’s eyes widened and he gaped at her. “…also maybe definitely Aneesa. I told her too.” Devi added guiltily.
Paxton closed his eyes.
“Are you mad?” Devi asked nervously. “‘Cuz it’s not like I was bragging or spreading it around school or anything! I just told my friends beacause we had a sleepover and they asked about how far we’ve gone. And- and it’s different for girls ya know? I mean not to be hetero-normative on main but like girls talk to each other about sex and stuff in a totally different way than guys and-"
“Devi, Devi!” Paxton cut her off, lifting onto a forearm so he could hover above her. She stopped talking and pressed her lips together. Her eyes were wide.
“I’m not mad.” Paxton said reassuringly. Devi let out a breath.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Paxton nodded, “I mean I’m not crazy about you sharing that…stuff, but it’s your friends and I get why you’d tell them.”
Devi moved her hand to stroke the hair at the back of his head. It was ridiculously calming.
“I didn’t tell them everything,” she said placatingly. “I mean really, I barely told them anything.”
Her hand moved to squeeze at the back of his neck and Paxton found himself melting into her.
“So they didn’t ask you to describe my dick in detail?”
Devi snorted.
“Well Fab definitely didn’t.”
Paxton laughed, shaking his head at her. Devi’s eyes were twinkling.
“Eleanor wanted me to draw her a diagram.”
Paxton groaned and leaned in to blow a very long raspberry against Devi’s neck. Devi shrieked and they wrestled on the futon as he tickled her. Paxton finally got her fully underneath him and held himself above her. They looked at each other for a moment, breathing heavily and smiling stupidly.
Devi reached up and curled a hand over his jaw, her eyes warm and full of affection. Whenever she initiated touch with him like this, looking like he’d done something to make her really happy, he felt a little light headed.
“I told them that it was something I really wanted to do, and that you made me feel really safe and really wanted.”
“I do really want you,” he said fervently.
Devi’s smile grew.
“And you’re always safe with me,” Paxton added softly.
Devi looked a little overwhelmed by this statement. He kept his eye contact with her steady before he broke into a small smile.
“Except for when I hit you with my car.”
Devi giggled, and Paxton leaned in and kissed her right in the middle of it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her.
They made out for a while before the sound of “Previously on Riverdale…” came through the TV.
Devi jumped and let go of Paxton to twist and reach for the remote.
“I can’t watch the next episode without Kamala, she’ll kill me!” Devi exclaimed.
“Oh no,” Paxton deadpanned. Devi shot him a look but he just raised a brow at her. She managed to stop the episode from playing and turned back to him.
Without missing a beat he leaned back in to keep kissing her.
After a few moments he broke away to look down at her. Devi’s eyes were half lidded and she looked content. It made Paxton’s heart swell. She was so…
“You thought about what our kids would look like?” He asked suddenly, remembering how she’d woken him up from dozing.
“Oh, um,” Devi looked a little embarrassed, so he leaned in and kissed her nose again. She scrunched her face up adorably and suddenly Paxton pictured a kid with her dark skin and his eyes.
“I think they’d be really fucking cute.”
Devi blinked at him, and she started to smile.
“They?”
Paxton nodded.
“Yeah. I always thought if I had kids, I would want more than one. It’s fun having a sister.” He frowned, thinking of how Rebecca took the last of the Poptarts for breakfast this morning. “Most of the time.”
Devi nodded slowly.
“Yeah I never thought I didn’t like being an only child but ever since Kamala and I have been getting along…” she shrugged, “I dunno, I guess I get how it would be nice to have someone on your team against your parents.”
Paxton grinned.
“It’s nice for other reasons too.”
Devi let out a laugh.
“Yeah I know. But how awesome is it that Becca lets us know when your parents are home so they don’t catch you manhandling me in your garage?”
“Wha- manhandle!? Oh, I’ll show you manhandle.”
Paxton dove in to tickle Devi again and she shouted with laughter.
They ended up missing when Rebecca texted to let them know she was on her way home from work with Paxton’s dad. But, luckily, it was her who came to get them for dinner.
“God, get a room.” Rebecca leaned against the door to the house. Paxton got up off the couch and made a face at her.
“We had one,” he said, helping Devi stand up. Devi snorted and gave Rebecca a wave.
“Hey Rebecca.”
“Hey Devi, you should fix your hair before you come to dinner, Pax, you too,” Rebecca said, looking amused and a little grossed out. Devi whipped around to stare at Paxton accusatorially and he held his hands up in surrender.
“I think your hair looks great!”
Devi glared at him, but her disbelief looked amused.
“I think you’re full of shit.” Devi said.
“I think your kids’ll have the biggest hair in all of California.” Rebecca said primly, turning to head back into the house.
Suddenly the way Devi was looking at him was very soft. Paxton stepped closer to her and wound his arms around her waist. Devi’s hands went up to smooth his hair.
“I think so too,” he told her.
Devi gave him that wide smile of hers, and Paxton couldn’t remember why this has been such a bad day earlier.
That 85 percent was getting dangerously closer to 100 every day.