Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The hallway is packed with students. Jaxson is walking towards his next class, books and notebooks in hand when he sees Noah.
He looks down, then realizes he forgot to say what he always says when he passes someone in the hallway.
'Crap,' he thinks.
Jaxson fiddles with the books in his hand and runs towards Noah. He's known for being the christian in school, but what would people think when they realize he has-

"Oof!"
"Augh!"

Jaxson looks up and sees Noah, both of them are on the floor, binders and papers scattered over the hallway carpet. People stop to look at them and he sees Noah's face flush pink.
"I'm, I'm sorry- haha..."
Jaxson awkwardly laughs and turns his head away from Noah.

"Oh, you're good. I shoulda' been lookin' where I was goin'."
Jaxson starts picking up the dropped papers around the two of them, and unsuccessfully tries to make conversation. "My bad, I just wanted to say that," He gulps. "Uh, um. Well, J-Jesus loves you man."

Noah looks at him with what seems like uncertainty, then gives Jaxson a slight smile. "Thanks man." He gets up with his notebooks in hand, and walks off. Jaxson calms himself and walks back to his classroom, at least 5 minutes late.

"Jaxson, where have you been?" Mrs F. calls. The class erupts into chatter. At some point he hears someone say; "TARDY!!" Probably Aiden, he thinks.
"I was just helping someone out," he glares at Aiden. Mrs F. doesn't look impressed. The class snickers. In the back, he sees some girls talking in hushed voices, probably about him.
'Well, whatever. I got to talk to Noah today.' He thinks happily.

"Alright. sit down." She says, sighing, and as Jaxson gets out his math worksheet, his cheeks turn red. He smiles slightly, then gets to work on the problems under his hand.

Chapter Text

Noah blushes harder than he thinks he’s ever had before as he rushes to the bathroom.

‘Thanks man’ what kind of a person says that?! He shouts at himself.
Curling up on the toilet seat he lets out a few sobs as tears run down his cheeks.
“If Jaxson saw you like this he’d laugh at you.”

Noah slaps himself on the cheek, dries up his tears with the frail (and almost translucent toilet paper), and gets up to unlock the stall door.

He splashes cold water on his face and it helps tone down the redness in his eyes.

RINGGGGGGGG

‘Crap that’s the bell,’ Noah curses to himself. He quickly dries off his face with the paper towels and opens the door to sprint off into the hallway.

As he’s running to his next class, Noah spots Jaxson through the window of Mrs. F’s class, and he’s… smiling? Is it because of him?—

No. That’s just a random smile, he tells himself. But in his heart, Noah feels that somehow, someway, that it’s not true…

As he bursts into his English class the whole room turns to look at him, red faced and panting like he’d just run a marathon.

“Yo, my bad…”

“Just sit down Noah.” The teacher says.

Slowly, he walks to his seat and puts his bag down. Lowering his head, he hears Jaxson in his ear saying, “Jesus loves you man…”

Noah blushes harder than he thinks he’s ever had before.