Cooking With The QB ✔️

T H I R T Y S I X - "Yes."

This chapter is dedicated to @rori218 for voting and commenting! Thank you ;)

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After going and getting changed, I come out to see Axel sitting on Drew's bed looking out of place.

The nervous jump of his throat, bouncing leg and wide eyes quickly give away his true emotions to me.

"You finally nervous?" I smirk, amused that I've finally beaten Axel's confidence by simply being alone with him in my dorm room.

"Shut up, I don't want to mess this up." He mutters, running a hand through his hair. But the small smile on his face indicates to me that he's teasing.

"You won't." I shrug, making sure to sound confident, before going and sitting on my bed opposite him.

But I know why he's nervous, I can feel the nerves myself. Finally alone in an enclosed space, it's as though Axel and I don't know how to act around each other.

Trying to diffuse the tension, I put on a confident mask and ask, "What are we watching?"

"I don't know, all Rob's got on his computer is Project Runway." Axel shrugs, shaking his head in amusement.

"That's fine with me, I really want Ari to win." I say out of the blue, which earns a chuckle from Axel.

Axel presses play and reclines back onto Rob's bed. Half way through the first episode, I notice Axel's being unusually quiet - there's no sarcastic remarks or scoffs that usually appear whenever he's watching something that isn't football.

Looking over, his posture seems relaxed. But as soon as I look at his face, I notice his eyes are squinting.

"You can't see the TV, can you?" I ask, confused.

"Huh? No, I just tilted the laptop closer to you so the screen is a bit blurry. It's fine though." He reassures me, trying to wave off my concerns.

"It's not fine, just come and sit here." I say, moving over in my bed so Axel can take a seat beside me.

Okay, the painkillers clearly just took my voice.

Obviously sensing the opening, Axel doesn't question my motives. Standing up to his full six foot two height, he walks over to my bed and sits beside me.

Due to his broad frame, our shoulders touch without even meaning too. The sudden contact seems suffocating to my mind that's just staying above water.

"Thanks." Axel mumbles, his whole posture screaming tense.

He resumes the episode which he previously paused whilst we sit in silence for another ten minutes. Then, almost as if his patience has snapped, Axel lets out an agitated sigh before reaching over and grabbing my hand with his.

Intertwining his fingers with my own and brushing my knuckles with his thumb - the feeling of safety that Axel brings me floods back in like sunlight bursting through the clouds.

"You okay with this?" Axel whispers, turning to look at me. His blue eyes seem dimmer in the light, a sense of brooding being spread over his face by the dull light of my dorm room.

"Yeah, I am." I answer truthfully.

After weeks of patience and proving himself to me, I am genuinely okay with it.

Refocusing our attention to the laptop, we continue watching with my heart melting inside of my chest.

But the painkillers quickly kick in and my eyes begin to droop despite my internal protests.