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Living next to her five best friends was both a blessing and a curse, Elise thought. Three of them lived directly next door. None related but all adopted by the wonderful Medda Larkson, Spot Conlon, named for the cigarette burns that dotted his shoulders, Crutchie Morris, named for the crutches he had to use due to a botched surgery on his leg, and Jack Kelly had been brothers for as long as they’d known each other.Those three boys had found each other in the same orphanage, and stuck together. When Medda went to adopt Jack, he made it abundantly clear that he wouldn’t leave without the other two. Medda had been hesitant at first, but after she met the other two boys, fell just as in love with them as she had with Jack, and took all three home. They moved in next to Elise, where she lived with her grandfather, and so started the friendships.Anthony ‘Racetrack’ Higgins moved in across the street about a year later. His nickname came from his ability to run faster than any of them, always beating them at footraces. Albert moved in next to Race just a few months later. None of them really knew why so many houses were all on sale at the same time, but they were, and when they were older, they would all be grateful.As soon as Albert met Elise, his eyes were drawn to hers. They were so blue, that the color rivaled the sky. He started calling her Sky-Eyes, which eventually was shortened to Skye, and the six of them were hardly ever separated. The six usually had different classes from each other, but they always saw each other at recess and lunch. Middle school was much the same way, and was where Specs, JoJo, Kid Blink, and Mush became a part of the group. Katherine, Sarah, and Davey all joined in high school. And so the group became full, a large group now of 13 friends who all sat at the same lunch table, sat next to each other in classes, and eventually started falling in love with each other.Race and Spot were the first to get together. Everyone had seen it coming. Next was Katherine and Jack, and then Kid Blink and Mush. All of them were adorable couples. Race and Spot were that couple that was the funniest. Spot was angry at nearly everything, and Race was this happy-go-lucky guy. The two of them together were like Andy and April from Parks and Recreation. It just worked.The smallest shock was when it started becoming painfully obvious that Albert and Skye had huge crushes on each other. Race actually started a betting pool on when they would get together, and was constantly telling the red-head to ask her out… Only to end up comforting a crying ravenette when he inevitably chickened out. Spot and Jack both offered to beat Albert up the first time they saw her crying because of him… Only to be told after words that Race had told Albert to ask her out, and he just kept chickening out.Almost everyone started to give up on the two of them by the time they got to college. Most of them decided to just go to New York State. It was easy, it was close, and they could all get their desired degrees. Only a few outlanders stood; Katherine and Davey both got into Harvard, easily, and Sarah went all the way to California. Everyone else stayed, although Race was just getting his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics before moving to another college to get his doctorate.Most of them got to room together, as well. Kid Blink and Mush, obviously, as well as Race and Spot. Jack roomed with Crutchie, and JoJo with Albert. Specs roomed with a kid named Romeo, and rightfully so; the kid flirted with everybody. Skye roomed with JoJo’s girlfriend, a nice girl named Mary in the same building. That was the nice thing about co-ed dorms. All of them requested the same building, and it made living away from home a lot easier.It was half way through their junior year that most of them went to a party. Jack, Mush, and Race were staying sober as DD’s, but the rest were free to drink their pains away. This resulted in Blink being all over Mush, who didn’t really try to stop his boyfriend’s ministrations, and Spot being all over Race, who did actually try to push Spot off him, but he was laughing the entire time. It was when he caught sight of Albert and Skye making out in a corner that he paused.“Spot,” he said, hitting his boyfriend on the arm repeatedly. Very, very buzzed, Spot looked up at his slightly taller boyfriend in confusion.“What?” he asked, leaning in to try to kiss Race’s neck again.“Albert and Skye!” that got Spot’s attention. He was one of the only ones still in the betting pool on when they would get together, and he had the entire month down.“Where?”Race bodily turned him around, and Spot easily spotted the two drunk juniors. Albert had her pinned to a wall, and was attacking her neck with his mouth. She didn’t seem to mind, and had her hands tangled in his hair. Both debated if the two would even remember in the morning.This seemed to sober Spot up, who had a very protective streak for the girl he considered his sister. The two watched, wide-eyed, as Albert eventually pulled away from her. Only to grab her hand and lead her upstairs. Skye followed after him happily.“Uh.. Should we stop them?” Spot asked, watching his two friends stumble up the steps.Race thought for a moment, and then nodded, “Yeah, probably. Get Jack and round up the others, we should be getting out of here. I’ll grab them,” he gave his boyfriend a quick kiss, and then left to find his two friends.Albert and Skye were in a similar position as earlier, with Skye pinned against the wall right next to an open door to an empty bedroom, and Albert sucking a hickey onto her jaw. Her legs were wrapped around his waist.“Okay, lovebirds, break it up!” Race exclaimed. Albert dropped Skye to her feet, but kept his hands on her waist as he turned to Race.“Awe, come on, Race!” Albert complained. “We weren’t doing anything!”“Right, and my name isn’t Anthony,” Race replied, putting his hand on Albert’s shoulder. “Come on, we’re headed back,” Race turned, ready to bodily carry his friends out the door if he had to, but Albert and Skye followed him without a word. Upon glancing back at them, he would find them holding hands and giggling at each other drunkenly.Race managed to get the two into his car, along with Spot, and only had to yell at them for making out in the back seat once.“Hey! Stop that!” he had yelled upon seeing them furiously making out in his rear-view mirror. When they didn’t pull away from each other, Spot intervened.“Oye! Albert! That’s my sister you’re making out with! Stop it!” the two broke apart at that, still giggling. Race only rolled his eyes and pulled into the parking lot for their dorm. With Spot’s help, he was able to get the two drunks into their own rooms, so that they wouldn’t do something stupid. Which brings us to today.Skye woke up with a groan. Her head was pounding, her stomach queasy, and her mouth was dry. In all of her 20 years of life, Skye had never been so hungover. As she lay in bed, regretting her decision to ever start drinking, memories from the night before flooded her mind. Oh, no.She had kissed Albert. Not only that, but she had almost slept with him. Skye silently thanked Race for stopping it; she knew that her friendship with Albert was probably already ruined, but having sex with him would bring it to a point of no return. With a groan, she rolled over; 8:30. She had missed her 8AM, but had an hour to get ready for her 9:30AM.Stumbling out of bed, Skye held a hand up to her forehead and groaned, going to her mirror. Mary had an 8AM and was already gone, leaving Skye alone to figure out what to do. What she saw in the mirror made her want to pass out and never wake up.Hickies dotted her neck, and there was one right on her jaw. Albert had really gone to town on her neck, and Skye suddenly wished that she owned more makeup than just eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara. There would be no hiding these.With a sigh, Skye took a shower and dressed for the day, suddenly glad that it was fall. A scarf would beautifully hide the marks on her neck, but no so much the one on her jaw. Damn Albert and damn his lips. She was happy to suddenly remember that she’d left a rather impressive hickey on Albert’s neck, however. She’d see the fruit of that labor in class.Knocking back an aspirin, Skye headed out for class, hoping her headache would leave sooner rather than later. She stopped to get coffee on the way to class, and was clutching the warm to-go cup between her hands when she stepped into the classroom.Spot, Albert, and Skye had all decided that they wanted to be teachers. Spot and Skye had both always bonded for their love for history, while Albert was going for English. However, this meant that the three of them had multiple classes together, this one being one of them. While Spot and Skye were taking the majority of the history classes, Albert still had to take a few, and so the three of them shared this class.Spot was already there, so Skye dropped down in her seat next to him heavily.“Good morning, sunshine,” Spot grinned.“Shut up,” Skye responded, placing her coffee on his desk before sprawling out across her own.Spot frowned at this, and took stock of her; she had bags under her eyes, no doubt a huge headache, and he could clearly see the hickey that Albert had left on her jaw. The ones on her neck were hidden by a scarf.“Hey, are you okay?” the dark haired boy asked, putting his hand on her back as he leaned in a little closer.Skye groaned and then lifted her head, “I kissed Albert, Seán,” she whispered.“Yeah, I know,” he said. When Skye looked at him, blue eyes wide, he clarified, “I’m pretty sure everyone saw the two of you making out last night.”Skye flushed bright red and ducked her head again.“Oh, my God,” she groaned, “I’m gonna have to drop out of college, change my name, and move to Alaska.”“Why Alaska?” Skye turned back to Spot, only to see him raising a dark brow at her.“Albert told me once that he’d never go to Alaska; too cold,” she explained, “It’s perfect, he’ll never find me there, and I can live out the rest of my life with the eskimos!”Spot leaned forward and pulled Skye towards him a little, hands on her shoulders. “Skye, it’ll be fine. You won’t have to drop out of college, change your name, or move to Alaska; take last night as a good sign! We’ve been telling you for years now that Albert likes you, and we’ve been trying for years to get Albert to ask you out! Finally, you two will be together, and I’ll win that damn betting pool!”“Betting pool?”Spot stared at her for a moment, “Not important. My point is, is that you and Albert can use this chance to finally admit your feelings for one another and you’ll be together and you’ll finally be happy!”Skye opened her mouth to respond, only to pause when she saw Albert walk into the room. He noticed his two friends and headed over, sitting down in his normal spot on Skye’s other side.“Morning,” he said.Instead of replying, Skye instead took a long drink of her coffee. Spot rolled his eyes at her.“Morning, Al,” Spot said.Skye avoided Albert’s gaze, unwilling to meet his brown eyes. He stared at her in confusion, but their professor walked in right before he could ask, and started the lecture. Skye took dutiful notes next to him.When class ended, Skye nearly bolted out of the room. Albert stared after her, jaw dropped open, notebook in his hand.“What’d I do?” he asked.Spot glanced over at him, still putting his own stuff away.“You know what you did,” Spot said.Albert stared at him. “No, I really don’t.”“Last night? At the party?” Spot tried.Albert shook his head. “JoJo and I pregamed,” he said. “I don’t even know how I got back to my dorm,” he confessed.Spot’s eyes widened as he stared at his friend. “Oh, my God, you really don’t know.”“No, I do not,” Albert confirmed, “Why is Skye so upset with me?”Spot took a deep breath, “The two of you kissed. Made out, is actually more the proper term. Didn’t you wonder where that hickey on your neck came from? It came from Skye. And you left quite a few on her; that bruise on her jaw? A hickey from you,” the tan boy explained. Albert just stared at him, jaw dropped, and cheeks as red as his hair. “Race had to stop you two from having sex.”“WHAT?!”“Yeah, we saw the two of you start to go up to a room, so Race went and stopped you guys and we all left. I can’t believe you don’t remember, you didn’t seem out of it, at all,” Spot said, finally slinging his backpack over his shoulder.“I… I don’t,” Albert said, confusion in his voice. His eyes suddenly widened. “That’s why Skye wouldn’t even look at me?” He sounded so hurt, and Spot’s heart went out to the guy.Spot clapped a hand on Albert’s shoulder, “Man, just go and talk to her. We all know that the two of you like each other, just man up and finally ask her out!”“I don’t like just like her, Spot,” Albert said, avoiding his friend’s eyes as his cheeks flushed red again. “I’m in love with her. Have been since we were 18.”“Then go! Get your girl!” Spot exclaimed, giving the redhead a shove down the hall. They had since left the classroom and were walking towards the doors to the building. Spot had an 8AM, this class, and then one more three hours from then. He usually used those hours to get a little more sleep.“I… I will! Thanks, Spot!” Albert called, running back down the hall towards the little study nook that Skye and him had found back in Freshman year.'Spot grinned, and that grin stayed on his face until he got to his dorm. Race was still there, laying in their shared bed (which was really just the two dorm beds pushed together) with his laptop propped against his legs, writing an essay.“Hey,” Race said, glancing over to his boyfriend for just a moment before turning back to his essay.“Hi,” Spot replied. He dropped his backpack and kicked off his shoes before climbing onto the bed next to Race. “Albert doesn’t remember kissing Skye.”“He doesn’t?” Race was surprised.“Yeah, apparently he and JoJo pregamed; doesn’t even know how he got back to his dorm. I had to tell him after Skye refused to even look at him,” Spot explained.“Oh, man, poor Skye,” Race said. “What’d he do?”“I told him to talk to her, and he took off down the hall. Said he was in love with her, so I assume he’s finally going to ask her out,” Spot said. He wrapped his arms around Race, happily cuddling into the blonde’s side.“Good,” Race said, threading his fingers through Spot’s dark hair. “It’s about time those two finally got together.”“And I’ll win that betting pool; I had this entire month down, and then I was out,” Spot added as an after-thought.“What’s the total of that, now?” Race asked.Spot shrugged and grabbed his phone. He unlocked it and went to his notes app, scrolling through it for a moment. “Well, when it started, there was $120 in the pot. But that was four years ago. Now, there’s $500 in it,” he said.Race whistled, long and low. “Who’s in charge of holding all of that?” the blonde asked. He had gone back to his essay.“Davey,” Spot answered, “He wanted no part of the betting, and offered to take the money. I have no idea where he has it; could have it at Harvard for all I know.”“Only a four-hour drive,” Race said. Jack had made the drive multiple times to visit Katherine.“Totally worth it.”Race laughed and bent over to kiss Spot’s forehead, allowing the shorter boy to sleep while he finished his essay.Meanwhile, Albert practically ran through the building. He and Skye had found a little study nook in their freshman year, and they both went there if they had a large enough gap between classes. Skye had three hours until her next class; once she and Spot realized that they were doing the same major, and would be taking all the same classes, anyway, they decided to just take them together. That way if one of them happened to miss, the other would have the notes. It also meant they could study together, and had spent many late nights together, studying for tests and writing essays.When he got to their little nook, he found Skye curled up in one of the surprisingly comfy chairs, laptop on her legs and earbuds in her ears. She hadn’t noticed him, and was typing away on her laptop.Albert walked towards her, and the movement caught her attention. She glanced up, saw Albert, and immediately flushed red.“Hey,” Albert said. Skye took out a single earbud. “Can we talk?”Skye sighed, but took out the other earbud and closed her laptop, placing the items on the little table that her backpack was leaning on.“What about?” she asked, nervousness obvious in her voice.“I think you know, what,” Albert said gently. He sat down in the other chair, sitting right on the edge.“Albert, about that kiss-“Albert swiftly cut her off, “I don’t even remember it.”“You… You don’t remember it.”Albert nodded. “JoJo and I pregamed, and I don’t really remember anything from last night. I remember getting to the party, taking a few vodka shots, and that’s it.”“Then how do you know about…?” Skye gestured with her hand between the two of them.“Spot told me. When you rushed out of class, I was really confused, and once Spot realized that I had no idea that we had kissed, he told me,” Albert almost didn’t want to meet her gaze. But he did.“Albert, I should probably tell you… We did more than just kiss,” Skye said, almost undecidedly, like she was unsure on if she should say it. “It was more like… Making out? And we almost… We almost slept together,” she eventually said.“Yeah, Spot told me about that, too. And something about a bunch of hickies?” he eyed the scarf around her neck, and Skye sighed before tugging her off.Purple blotches were all over one side of her neck, and there was even one on her collarbone. Albert whistled. “I did that?”“And this one,” Skye pointed to the one on her jaw, and Albert winced slightly.“Sorry,” he said.“I gave you, one, too,” Skye said quietly. “This one, I assume,” Albert’s fingers went up and prodded at the purple bruise on his own neck. Skye nodded.“So I assume you just want to… Forget that this even happened?” Skye suggested. It hurt her to say it, but if that was what Albert wanted to do, then she would do it. Well, she would try to do it.“Skye, no,” Albert said, eyes wide. “I don’t… God, I wish I remembered it.”“I… What?”“Yes!” Albert exclaimed. “God, Skye! I’ve been in love with you since we were 18! Maybe even longer, I don’t remember any more! Everyone’s been telling me to ask you out for years, and I’ve tried! Lord knows I’ve tried to ask you out so many god damned times! And I chickened out every single time! And now I learn that we kissed, almost slept together, and I can’t even remember it?! What kind of bullshit is that!”The red-head was pacing, hands in his hair as he tugged at the strands. His hat, a snapback that Skye herself had given him, had been knocked to the floor the second he had started his rant.“And Skye, I have no idea if you ever had these kinds of feelings for me, but I can hardly remember NOT having them for you! So here I am, finally laying all my cards on the table, because I don’t know what to fucking do, anymore.” He sounded so defeated, and he collapsed heavily in the second chair. His head went into his hands.“I love you, too.”Skye’s voice was quiet, and Albert wasn’t completely sure he heard her correctly at first.“What?”“I love you, too.” Her voice was louder this time, and she looked at him, bright blue eyes meeting brown.“You… You love me?”“I love you.”The confirmation in Skye’s voice was all Albert needed. Surging forward, and pressed his lips to hers. It was a messy kiss; their lips slid over each other’s awkwardly, and their teeth clacked together because they were both smiling. But it was perfect to them. When they pulled away, Albert held Skye close, unwilling to let her go.“God, I love you, Elise Kloppman,” Albert said.“I love you, too, Albert DaSilva,” Skye responded.Albert smiled a wide, made-his-jaw-hurt-a-little smile, and threw his arms around her in a hug. “Will you be my girlfriend, Skye?” he asked.“Yes.” It was a breathy yes, but Albert heard it, and, if possible, his smile widened and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. They sat like that for a while, wrapped up in each other’s arms and just talking, occasionally pressing kisses to each other’s lips.When Skye’s alarm eventually went off, signaling that she needed to get to class, she reluctantly pulled away from his warm embrace. “Well, I gotta get to class,” she said.Albert stood as well, “Yeah, I do, too,” he replied. He stretched his arms out behind him for a moment until he felt a pop, and then stooped down to grab his backpack and his forgotten snapback. He placed it on his head backwards, as usual, and slung his bag over his shoulder, before grabbing Skye’s hand.Their hands fit together like two puzzle pieces. His was bigger, and wrapped around hers like it was the easiest thing ever, fingers slotting together easily. They walked to Skye’s next class in a comfortable silence, and saw Spot waiting at the door, scrolling through his phone.“I’ll see you later?” Skye asked, looking up at him when they stopped.“Of course,” Albert said. He leaned down and brushed his lips softly over hers before letting go of her hand. “love you.”“Love you, too.” Albert smiled down at her, kissed her one more time, and turned to walk to his own class. Skye smiled and turned to the door, only to find Spot standing there, watching her. “Hey, Spot.”Spot blinked at her, and then walked past her.“Where are you going?” Skye called after him.“Harvard!”Skye just chuckled and walked into the class. She loved her boys, but she would never understand them.