17

Y/N woke up in a bed that smelled like him - faint deodorant, cheap laundry detergent, and faint vanilla cologne.

Rodrick's room.

The light crept through his black-out curtains, catching on the band posters, guitar cables, and scattered socks.She rolled over, wearing his shirt, her fishnets long discarded on the floor like crime scene tape.

Rodrick stirred next to her, hair a mess, voice a lazy growl.

"If this is a dream, I'm gonna scream."

Y/N grinned, snuggling against him. "You're the one who said 'one round and we sleep.'"

"Yeah, well," he smirked. "You changed the rules."

They kissed lazily, hands wandering - until-

"RODRICK!""BREAKFAST!""NOW!"

Both of them froze.

Y/N sat up. "Was that...?"

Rodrick groaned into his pillow. "Greg."

✦ The Sneak Out Plan™ (Fail Edition)

"Stay in here," Rodrick whispered, pulling on his jeans. "I'll go distract him."

Y/N, still half-wrapped in Rodrick's blanket, raised a brow. "With what? A magic trick?"

Rodrick grinned. "Please. I am the magic trick."

Rodrick shuffled into the kitchen like he didn't have a half-naked girl upstairs.

Greg, sitting at the table with cereal, gave him a look.

"You're walking funny."

Rodrick: "I slept weird."

Greg: "You're lying."

Susan Heffley turned from the stove, smiling like the morning sun. "Hi, honey! Want pancakes?"

Rodrick, sweating: "Sure. Cool. Yes. Normal."

Frank Heffley peeked up from the newspaper. "You still grounded?"

Rodrick: "Probably."

Greg, sipping his cereal: "Someone's definitely here."

Rodrick: "Nope."

Meanwhile, upstairs-

Y/N peeked out the door. Coast: clear.She bolted down the hall, barefoot, wearing Rodrick's oversized band tee.

Then-

Greg turned his head and locked eyes with her for a full two seconds before she ducked behind the wall.

Silence.

Greg squinted. "Who. Was. That."

Rodrick panicked. "The ghost of my dignity?"

Greg stood. "I'm telling Mom."

Rodrick grabbed him. "I'll give you $20 to shut up."

Greg: "Make it $50."

Rodrick: "I have $3 and half a Twix bar."

Susan poked her head in. "What's going on, boys?"

Rodrick smiled too wide. "Greg wants Twix for breakfast!"

Susan: "Aww, that's sweet!"

Greg whispered, "I hate you."

Rodrick whispered back, "I know."

Y/N tried to tiptoe down the stairs like a professional spy - until she stepped on a creaky floorboard.

Susan turned. "Oh! Y/N, sweetheart! You stayed over?"

Caught.

Rodrick's soul left his body.

Y/N smiled sheepishly. "Just... helping Rodrick study."

Greg laughed so hard he almost choked on cereal.

Susan beamed. "Well, I'm so glad! You're always welcome here."

Crisis... averted?

Y/N made it out with Rodrick two steps behind her, both of them barely breathing.

Outside, they collapsed on the porch.

Rodrick looked at her. "I'm never letting you go home again."

Y/N smirked. "I'd stay if your little brother wasn't Sherlock Holmes."

He kissed her like they had all the time in the world.

And for once... it felt like they might.