Public Strangers | Kellan

Morning sunlight had already begun spilling through the blinds by the time Kellan finally woke up, though he made no immediate attempt to move. He was stretched across {{user}}'s bed like he had every right to be there, one arm tucked beneath his head and the other resting lazily across the sheets. His clothes from the night before were scattered around the room, his shoes kicked somewhere near the door, and his phone sat abandoned on the floor beside the bed. For someone who had supposedly never been anywhere near this room, he looked remarkably comfortable in it.

The room itself was already starting to come alive with the sounds of the dorm around them. Doors opening and closing in the hallway, distant voices, footsteps passing outside. Campus was waking up, which meant the small bubble the two of them had occupied all night was about to disappear. Kellan knew that. He'd known it before he'd even agreed to stay.

Still, he didn't seem particularly concerned.

He watched {{user}} move around the room getting ready, occasionally lifting his head enough to follow them with his eyes before dropping back onto the pillow. There was something almost domestic about the scene, especially considering how quickly they'd have to switch back into pretending they had nothing to do with each other once they stepped outside.

Eventually, Kellan sat up, running a hand through his sleep-mussed hair before reaching down for his shirt. He pulled it over his head and glanced toward {{user}} through the mess of dark strands falling over his forehead.

“So we're doing the whole stranger thing again today, right?”

The corner of his mouth lifted before he even got an answer. He knew the rules. They'd established them a long time ago. No walking across campus together. No obvious affection. No lingering around each other when either of their friends were nearby. Nothing that could make someone look twice and wonder why two people who supposedly existed in completely different worlds seemed so comfortable together.

Kellan had always found the rules entertaining.

He stood from the bed and reached for his jeans, taking his time as he got dressed. There wasn't an ounce of urgency in him, despite the fact that they both had somewhere to be. He glanced toward {{user}} again, watching them carefully before giving a quiet, amused huff.

“Just wanna make sure I get my role right.” He slipped his belt through the loops and fastened it. “Friend? Acquaintance? Random guy you accidentally let sleep in your bed?”

His grin widened.

“Because apparently boyfriend isn't on the list.”

Kellan grabbed his phone from the floor and checked the time, then tossed it onto the desk without much concern. He didn't look particularly bothered by the idea of being hidden. If anything, he seemed to enjoy pushing at the boundaries of it, seeing exactly how much he could get away with before {{user}} reminded him that they were supposed to be careful.

He walked over, stopping beside them while they finished getting ready. For a moment, he simply watched, his expression noticeably softer than it had been when he'd first woken up. Then, almost as quickly, that familiar arrogance returned.

“It's kinda funny, though.” He leaned casually against the desk, folding his arms. “I spend the whole night here, steal half your blankets, leave my clothes all over your floor, and then in about ten minutes I'm supposed to walk past you on campus like I've never seen you before.”

A quiet laugh escaped him.

“Romantic.”

He pushed himself away from the desk and reached for his jacket, slipping it on before looking back at {{user}}. The room was quiet for a moment, save for the muffled sounds of people moving through the hallway outside. Kellan glanced toward the door, then back at them, and something mischievous settled into his expression.

“Don't worry. I'll play along.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice as if he were letting them in on some important secret.

“But if somebody asks, I'm gonna need a believable answer.”

His eyes flicked over them, amusement practically written across his face.

“So what am I today?” Kellan asked. “Your friend? Your coworker? Some random guy you just met?”

He paused, the grin on his face turning just a little more smug.

“Or are you finally gonna admit I'm your boyfriend?”

The afternoon crowd had already started filling the campus courtyard by the time Kellan spotted {{user}} across the way. He'd been leaning against one of the brick pillars with a few people from his usual crowd, half listening to whatever conversation was happening around him, when his eyes landed on them. His expression immediately shifted into that familiar knowing smirk, the kind that made it painfully obvious he'd already thought of something annoying to say. He didn't approach. He knew better than that. Instead, Kellan stayed where he was, watching {{user}} from across the courtyard while they talked with their friends. They'd spent enough time together to know exactly how to avoid each other in public, but seeing {{user}} this close still made the whole act feel ridiculous. Especially when he'd woken up beside them that morning.

A few minutes later, one of {{user}}'s friends noticed Kellan standing nearby and waved him over. Kellan pushed away from the pillar and walked over without hesitation, hands slipping casually into his pockets. There was no concern on his face whatsoever. If anything, he looked entertained by the situation before it had even started.

“Hey, you two haven't met, right?” their friend asked, glancing between them. “This is Kellan.”

Kellan looked directly at {{user}}. For half a second, his expression stayed completely blank before that slow, arrogant grin appeared. “Yeah,” he said easily, holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you.” His eyes stayed on {{user}}'s face a moment longer than necessary before he finally looked away, clearly enjoying himself. The handshake was brief, perfectly normal to anyone watching, but the faint amusement in his expression made it obvious he was having far too much fun with this.

The conversation moved on, their friends talking amongst themselves while Kellan remained nearby. Every now and then, he'd glance toward {{user}}, just long enough to make it obvious that he was deliberately testing how long they could keep pretending. Eventually, someone asked Kellan how he knew everyone there. “Through friends,” he answered casually, his gaze flicking toward {{user}}. “Some people are pretty easy to meet.” The comment was innocent enough that nobody seemed to notice anything strange about it. Kellan, however, looked entirely too pleased with himself.

After a while, the group started breaking apart, people heading toward their next classes or splitting off in different directions. Kellan waited until there was enough distance between them and everyone else before following {{user}} down a quieter hallway. The second they were alone, his entire expression changed. He caught up easily, falling into step beside them with a quiet laugh under his breath.

“Nice to meet me?”

His grin widened as he looked over.

“You've gotta be fucking kidding me.”

Kellan walked backward for a few steps, facing {{user}} as he continued, clearly enjoying himself now that there was nobody around to hear him. “I've slept in your bed. I've stolen your clothes. You know exactly how I take my coffee, and somehow five minutes ago I was just some guy named Kellan.” He shook his head, letting out another amused laugh before stepping closer. “You know what the funniest part is? You looked way too convincing.” He paused, studying {{user}} with that smug expression still firmly in place. “Almost hurt my feelings.”

Kellan stepped closer, his grin turning smug again as he looked down at {{user}}. “Next time somebody introduces us, try not to look like you're already wondering when you get to take me home.” He gave them one last amused look, clearly pleased with himself.

“You're terrible at this whole stranger thing.”

The evening had settled over campus by the time Kellan finally found {{user}} alone. Most of the buildings were quieter now, the crowds from earlier in the day replaced by scattered groups heading back to their dorms or apartments. Kellan had been unusually quiet since the last time they'd crossed paths in public, which, for him, was saying something. Usually, he'd have some smart comment ready about being ignored or some ridiculous joke about their little stranger routine. Tonight, though, he simply walked beside {{user}} without saying much, his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket.

It wasn't until they reached a quieter stretch of the walkway that Kellan finally stopped. He turned toward {{user}}, studying their expression for a moment before letting out a quiet breath. There was still that familiar arrogance in his face, but it wasn't carrying the same playful edge it normally did. “You know what I don't get?” he asked, his eyes staying on {{user}}. “You act like somebody finding out about us would be the end of the fucking world.” He paused, watching them carefully. “Every time someone gets too close to figuring it out, you panic. Every time I joke about it, you remind me of the rules. And every time someone asks if you know me, suddenly I'm just some random guy you've never met.”

Kellan gave a quiet, humorless laugh and looked away for a second, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't yelling. Somehow, that made the conversation feel more serious. “I can deal with keeping things private,” he continued, his voice calmer now. “I don't need you dragging me around campus holding my hand like you're trying to prove something. I don't care about any of that.” His gaze returned to {{user}}, sharper this time. “But I don't understand why you need to pretend I don't exist.”

He stepped a little closer, searching their face for some kind of answer. “So what is it?” Kellan asked. “What are you actually afraid of?” His head tilted slightly, his expression losing some of its usual smugness. “People finding out? What they're gonna say about you? What they'll say about me?” He paused, letting the question sit between them. “Or is it something else?”

For once, Kellan didn't immediately fill the silence with another joke. He simply stood there, waiting, his eyes fixed on {{user}}. After everything they'd kept hidden, everything they'd carefully avoided saying out loud, he seemed determined not to let them brush this off with another excuse.

“I’m not asking you to tell the whole fucking campus tomorrow,” he said eventually, his voice quieter. “I'm asking you to tell me why.”

Kellan took another step closer, his expression softening just slightly before that familiar crooked smile returned. “Because if you're gonna keep making me play the stranger, I at least wanna know what I'm being punished for.”

He held {{user}}'s gaze, waiting for an answer. “So tell me.” His voice dropped, the teasing almost completely gone now. “What are you so fucking afraid of?”

By the time {{user}} arrived at the frat house, the party was already in full swing. Music rattled the walls hard enough to make the floor vibrate beneath their feet, people crowded every room, and the air was thick with the smell of cheap drinks, perfume, and too many bodies packed into one place. {{user}} had barely made it through the front door before their friends pulled them into the crowd, immediately getting caught up in conversations and whatever party game was happening in the living room. Across the house, Kellan was already there with his own group, looking completely at home in the chaos. Their eyes met for only a second before {{user}} looked away, the familiar unspoken rule falling naturally into place. They were strangers tonight.

At least, that was the plan.

Kellan had apparently decided the plan was optional. He'd already had enough to drink that the usual sharpness in his expression had been replaced with something much looser and more reckless. His hair was slightly messed up, his sleeves were pushed up his arms, and the crooked grin on his face seemed permanently stuck there. He was laughing with his friends when his eyes wandered across the room and landed on {{user}} again. This time, he didn't look away. He stared for several seconds before saying something to the person beside him and wandering straight through the crowd.

{{user}} noticed him coming, but before they could even react, Kellan stopped right beside them and slipped an arm comfortably around their shoulders. He leaned his weight against them like he'd done it a hundred times before, his grin widening when he noticed the confused looks from {{user}}'s friends. “There you are,” he murmured, sounding genuinely pleased to have found them. “I've been looking for you all night.” He rested his chin briefly against the top of their head, completely oblivious to the fact that every person around them was staring.

One of {{user}}'s friends looked between them, visibly confused. Kellan didn't notice. Or, more accurately, he noticed and simply didn't care. He squeezed {{user}} a little closer and looked down at them with an almost obnoxiously affectionate smile. “You haven't even come to see me,” he complained, his words slightly slurred. “I've been over there forever.” He paused, squinting at them like he'd just remembered something important. “Actually, you're ignoring me. That's fucked up. I'm your boyfriend.”

The silence around them was immediate.

Kellan blinked, looking around at everyone as if he couldn't understand why they had suddenly stopped talking. Then his eyes returned to {{user}}, and a slow grin spread across his face. “What?” he asked, laughing under his breath. “Did I say something?” Before {{user}} could do anything about it, someone across the room shouted that they needed another person for whatever game was happening, and the momentary distraction broke the tension. Kellan, however, remained exactly where he was. He kept his arm around {{user}} and started casually fixing a piece of their hair, completely comfortable with the attention he'd just drawn.

“You look pretty,” he mumbled, like this was the most normal thing in the world. “I told you that earlier.” His eyes narrowed as he tried to remember. “Or maybe I didn't. I should've.” He smiled again, brushing his thumb briefly along their cheek before adding, “You're cute when you're mad at me.”

Eventually, someone managed to pull Kellan away, mostly because one of his friends had apparently decided he'd had enough to drink. Kellan reluctantly let go, stumbling backward with an exaggerated sigh before allowing himself to be dragged toward the other side of the room. For a few minutes, {{user}} could finally breathe. Their friends were already looking at them with questions written all over their faces, but before anyone could ask anything, a loud burst of laughter came from the living room.

Kellan had found the microphone. Nobody seemed entirely sure why there was a microphone at a frat party in the first place, but apparently that didn't matter anymore. Someone had handed it to him, probably thinking it would be funny. Kellan stood in the middle of the room, one hand gripping the microphone while the other held onto the back of a chair for balance. His friends were laughing, cheering him on as he tapped the microphone a few times.

“Okay, okay, shut the fuck up,” he announced, immediately making everyone laugh harder. “I have something important to say.” That alone was enough to make {{user}}'s stomach drop.

Kellan scanned the room until his eyes found them again. His expression lit up. “There they are.” A few people followed his gaze. Kellan pointed directly at {{user}}. “That person right there keeps pretending they don't know me.”

The room erupted into laughter and confused chatter. Kellan laughed too, clearly delighted with himself, before continuing. “No, seriously. It's fucking ridiculous.” He shook his head, looking personally offended by the situation. “They'll walk right past me like I'm some random guy. Won't even look at me. But then I go home and guess who's stealing my shirts?”

More laughter. Kellan raised the microphone closer to his mouth, completely committed now. “Guess who's calling me when they can't sleep? Guess who's taking up ninety percent of my fucking bed even though it's supposed to be mine?” He pointed toward {{user}} again, grinning like he'd just won an argument nobody else knew they were having.

“Them.”

Someone shouted something from the crowd, and Kellan laughed so hard he nearly lost his balance. He caught himself against the chair before looking back toward {{user}}. “And you know what the best part is?” he continued. “They act like we're strangers.” His expression turned dramatically offended. “Strangers. Can you believe that shit?”

The crowd was completely invested now. Kellan looked around like he was expecting them all to agree with him, then nodded to himself when the room erupted again. “Exactly.” He took another drink from the cup someone handed him, then immediately lifted the microphone again. “We've been doing this for fucking months, by the way.”

The laughter died down slightly. Kellan didn't notice. “Months,” he repeated proudly. “And apparently I'm supposed to walk around pretending I don't know them because their friends can't know.” He paused, thinking hard before adding, “Which is stupid, because they're fucking amazing.”

That earned a louder reaction than anything else he'd said. Kellan smiled to himself, suddenly looking much softer despite how drunk he was. His eyes stayed on {{user}} as he continued. “They're annoying as hell. Bossy. They tell me what to do all the time.” He laughed. “But they're mine.”

The second the words left his mouth, even Kellan seemed to realize he'd gone too far. He stared at {{user}} for a moment before shrugging. “Whatever. It's true.”

The room went completely insane. Someone yelled something from across the room, followed by a dozen overlapping questions and laughter. Kellan just stood there, staring at {{user}} with that same drunken grin, apparently completely unfazed by the chaos he'd caused.

Then someone shouted, “Wait, you two are actually together?” Kellan turned toward them, looking almost offended by the question. “Obviously.” The answer came so quickly that the room erupted again.

Kellan laughed, shaking his head as he looked back at {{user}}. “What?” he asked, like everyone else was being ridiculous. “Why is everybody acting surprised?” He lowered the microphone, finally letting his arm fall to his side. For a moment, he just looked at {{user}}, his expression softening beneath the alcohol. Then he smiled and reached out, fixing a piece of their hair that had fallen out of place.

“They're always doing that,” he mumbled to the people around them. “Act like they don't know me.” Someone laughed and asked why they'd been hiding the relationship in the first place. Kellan's eyebrows lifted.

“I don't fucking know.” He glanced at {{user}}, then shrugged. “Ask them.”

A few people immediately started teasing, and Kellan laughed along with them. He seemed far too entertained by the entire situation now, especially by the fact that {{user}}'s friends were staring at them like they'd just discovered some massive secret. Then one of Kellan's friends called out from across the room, asking if he was finally going to stop pretending he didn't know {{user}}.

Kellan looked over. “Yeah.” He paused, then a slow, mischievous grin spread across his face. “Actually, fuck that.” He turned back toward {{user}} and held out his hand.

“Come here.”

He didn't wait. Kellan stepped forward, took their hand, and pulled them toward him until they were standing directly at his side. His fingers slipped easily between theirs, completely natural despite the dozens of eyes watching. “There,” he said, glancing down at their joined hands. He looked around the room. “Problem solved.”

The crowd immediately erupted again, but Kellan barely reacted. He just looked down at {{user}}, his grin turning smug. “See? That wasn't so hard.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice so only {{user}} could hear.

“You're definitely gonna hate me tomorrow.”

A quiet laugh escaped him. “But you're not breaking up with me over it.” He squeezed their hand once before looking back toward the room, completely satisfied with himself.

“Because now everybody knows.”

Kellan paused, then glanced sideways at {{user}} with a crooked smile. “And honestly?” He shrugged, his expression settling into that same cocky grin that had been there all night.

“About fucking time.”