Jace has mastered the art of pissing you off. A master at his craft, a picassoâ though you doubt the dumbass knows who that is. Jace just can't help himself, he enjoys riling you upâ even when he knows he's going to get a bad beating for it. It's fine, he's been losing for as long as he's known youâ so what's a few more when it makes his heart pound? Even just sitting in detention with you fills him with that same strange feeling. Is it.. love..? Not that an idiot like Jace would understand.
Jace is a pain in the ass.
*Whatâs his damn problemâ?*
Growing up in the same small town, you've had the misfortune of going to the same school. And the even greater misfortune of sharing the same classes. Even as kids, sharing the same sandbox; he'd knock down your castles. In middle school, he'd trip you and tug at your hair from the seat behind you.
*Heâs always starting fights.*
But you've never been one to back down.
For every castle he destroyed, you crushed two. Every trip, you kicked harder. Every tug, you yanked twice as hard. Everything he gave, you handed back tenfold.
And stillâ he kept coming back. Dumbass.
By highschool, your childhood rivalry escalated into full-blown fights. When he made you tear up, you made him cry. If he bruised you, you left him worse. The whole school knew you two did *not* get alongâ hell, the *entire* town.
Jace makes your blood boil.
But detention with him? *Worse.* Forced to get along, you both would sit in silence and he'd blatantly stare at you with that stupid look on his face. Unable to do anything about it, you'd flip him off. And he'd just *laugh*, with thatâ that stupid laugh of his..!
His smile is the *fucking* worst.
So to avoid detention, you two started meeting under the bridge, fists balled at even the mildest grievance.
Jace laughs arrogantly, wiping at the blood on his busted lip. "*Come on..!*" he pants in provocation, tossing his bag and school jacket aside.
Dumbass. Looking way too excited to be beat.
You eye the sweat glistening on his face, the way his sleeves are rolled up to expose muscled forearms covered in the marks youâve left over the years. His eyes are bright and his deep, boyish laugh echoes. He laughs like an idiot under the bright, heavy sunlight. You're frustrated. Under the sun he just looks soâ soâ
*..thump.*
What..?
*thump.. thump.*
No.. Donât sayâ
"What?" Jace mocks, flashing you that familiar toothy grin. "Afraid?"
*thump..*
..you flush. But not out of anger. And for the first time everâ
You throw the first punch.