Neo woke up with a pounding headache, the kind that sat right behind his eyes and made him groan as he stretched out across the bed. Being dropped home ridiculously late was never a good idea, and today was proof. What made it worse was the fact that school had resumed. The only thing saving his mood was the reminder that this was their final year senior year. The last lap. The thought alone gave him just enough motivation to swing his legs off the bed, even though skipping crossed his mind more than once. First day was compulsory though, no excuses, no disappearing acts.
He dragged himself into the bathroom, going through his usual routine but slower than normal, shaking off the sleep bit by bit. Today had to be different. Final year meant impressions mattered more, and even if he acted like he didn't care, he did. A lot. He took his time with everything fixing his hair until it sat just right, checking his reflection more than once, adjusting his clothes with quiet precision. By the time he was done, he looked exactly how he wanted to: sharp, composed, untouchable. Dressed entirely in black, he carried that effortless confidence that followed him everywhere, whether he acknowledged it or not.
He headed downstairs and was met with the familiar sight of his mom and Pia at the dining table. The moment he stepped into view, Pia froze mid-spoon while Maggie paused from whatever she was doing, both of them staring at him like he'd just walked in off a runway. Pia let out a low whistle, standing up slowly as her eyes scanned him. "Damn," she said with a grin, "you'll get the freshmen tripping. Slow down." Neo smirked, dropping into the chair beside her and reaching for his teacup. "So that means I look good," he replied casually, already taking a sip. Maggie laughed softly from the corner, shaking her head. "You look stunning. In fact, too stunning, sweetheart." Neo shrugged like it was nothing, even though the praise settled comfortably in his chest. "It's final year after all," he said simply, settling in for breakfast as the morning officially began.
Neo was halfway through his pancake when he decided to text Aiden. If he didn't, Aiden would definitely be late.
Neo: Are you ready?
Aiden: Yeah… you?
Neo: Eating breakfast.
Aiden: Meet at the junction.
Neo finished up quickly, said his goodbyes, and headed straight for the junction. Aiden was already there and, annoyingly, also looked really good.
"Ready for school?" Neo asked.
"Yes. Last year after all we have to enjoy it," Aiden said, smiling a little too widely.
"I know that smile," Neo said suspiciously. "And it's not a good one. What are you planning?"
"Me? Planning? No, no," Aiden replied casually. "I'm not planning. It'll just… happen."
Neo hummed. "So, I have a question for you. And you have to be honest."
They started walking toward the bus stop.
"And what is it?" Aiden asked. "Actually, why are you smiling like that?"
"Nothing," Neo said. "Just… you looked different when you came out of Kellan's room last night. Like you were glowing. Even a little flushed and I know you. You don't flush unless-"
"Unless what?" Aiden snapped. "Say it. Don't beat around the bush."
Neo stopped walking and looked at him straight in the eye.
"What happened between you and Kellan in that room?"
Aiden slowed, his steps faltering just a little so little that anyone else would've missed it. He scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Nothing happened," he said too quickly.
Neo raised an eyebrow. "You hesitated."
"I didn't."
"You did. And you're deflecting." Neo tilted his head, studying him. "You came out looking like you'd just run a marathon, Aiden."
Aiden clicked his tongue, annoyed. "You're imagining things."
"Am I?" Neo smirked. "Because last time I checked, Kellan doesn't make people glow for fun."
Aiden stopped walking altogether this time. He turned to Neo, jaw tight, eyes darting around to make sure no one was close enough to hear.
"Drop it," he muttered.That was all Neo needed.
"Oh," Neo said softly, grinning. "So something definitely happened."
Aiden exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "It was nothing serious."
Neo laughed. "That's never what people say when it's actually nothing."
The bus stop came into view, students already gathered in small clusters, laughter and noise filling the morning air. Aiden looked relieved for the interruption.
"We're here," he said quickly. "Conversation over." Neo leaned closer as they stopped. "Not even close," he whispered. "You owe me details."
Aiden shot him a warning look but the faint blush creeping back onto his cheeks betrayed him completely.
Neo and Aiden kept bickering on the bus, their voices slowly rising until a few heads turned in their direction.
"Just tell me already." "For the hundredth time, nothing happened."
Neo scoffed. "You know what? Don't tell me. I'll find out anyway. Kellan tells Lucas everything, and Lucas is terrible at keeping secrets. He'll drop hints, and boom case solved. So are you telling me, or should I wait?"
"And what if he doesn't?" Aiden asked, trying to sound bold.
"Then I'll bring it up casually, and Lucas will definitely ask Kellan about it."
That did it. Aiden went quiet, staring straight ahead.
"You wouldn't dare," he muttered.
"Try me." They locked eyes for a moment, tension thick between them, until Aiden finally sighed in defeat.
"Fine," he said. "So… last night, while Kellan was treating my wound, he was really close. Like really close. And I don't know what came over me, but I climbed onto him and sat on his lap-"
"You did what?" Neo yelled.
The entire bus went silent.
Aiden winced. "I'm so sorry," he said quickly, bowing his head a little. A few people turned away, pretending not to listen.
"At first, I just wanted to mess around," Aiden continued in a lower voice. "I didn't think it would turn into… that. Our faces were close, and I felt his lips near mine, so I just..." he swallowed, cheeks burning, "-I pecked his bottom lip. Just barely."
Neo stared at him, eyes wide. "You did that on purpose."
"Maybe," Aiden admitted. "But wait guess what he said after."
Neo leaned in immediately. "What? Tell me."
Aiden's ears turned red. "He said, 'You drive me insane.' Like right there, when we were that close."
Neo grabbed his arm. "Stop it. That's actually insane. I'm blushing for you."
Aiden laughed nervously. "So yeah. That's what happened. You satisfied now?"
Neo nodded with a grin. "Very much satisfied. Thank you for your honesty.
Neo and Aiden finally got to school and headed toward their class, Neo still teasing Aiden nonstop about everything. Aiden was halfway between embarrassed and plotting revenge when he noticed something was… off.
The hallway was packed as usual students flooding in, girls screaming here and there like they'd been separated for decades, the faculty buzzing with fresh air and unfamiliar faces. All normal.
But the staring wasn't.
People looked at them for too long. Heads turned. Whispers followed. Eyes lingered like they were watching a live drama unfold.
They weren't famous. They weren't athletes. They weren't even late.
So why the hell were people staring?
And then it happened.
"Baaabbyyyy!!! You're finally here!"
Samantha's voice cut through the hallway like a siren.
She came rushing toward them, loud and unapologetic, instantly drawing even more attention.
Neo and Aiden froze.
"Baby?" Neo repeated slowly.
"Baby?" Aiden echoed, just as confused.
Samantha slipped her arm through Neo's as she walked up to them, leaning in like she belonged there.
"I've missed you," she said softly. "Did you at least miss me?"
"Yeah?" Neo replied, the word coming out more like a question than an answer.
She pouted slightly. "You didn't call or text me after your birthday party, Neo. That's strange."
"Oh well, you know. Work and all," Neo said casually, shooting Aiden a look that practically screamed help me.
Yep. Something was definitely wrong.
Neo was always the one pouring his heart out, always chasing her attention. The feelings had never been mutual. The love was painfully one-sided. So what exactly changed?
"I figured," Samantha continued. "Working for Lucas Luther… I didn't know you were that connected." She smiled. "How did you even meet him?"
And there it was.That cleared everything.
The connection. That was why she was suddenly here.
"Uh… Sami," Aiden cut in, forcing a small smile. "Do you know why everyone's staring at us?"
Even though he already guessed the answer.
"Well," she said lightly, "after the birthday party, a rumor spread that you both work under Lucas Luther the rich, young CEO. So I'm guessing that's why."
"I wonder how that rumor spread," Aiden said, his eyes flicking to her.
"I mean… how," he added, his tone sharper this time.
Samantha laughed, a little too quickly. "Why are you looking at me like that, Aiden?"
Aiden stopped walking.
Neo did too, confused. "What's up?"
Aiden folded his arms, calm but deadly. "You said after the birthday party the rumor spread."
Samantha shrugged. "Yeah?"
"But the party was private, infact it was just a few people" Aiden continued. "Invite-only. No crowd. No random students. Just friends and neighbors then you."
Her smile flickered.
"And you also said," he went on, voice steady, "that you figured we were working for Lucas Luther. Funny choice of words… considering Neo and I only called him boss, how we're you sure it was Lucas Luther we didn't even say his full name."
She laughed too sharp, too quick. "I mean, come on. Lucas Luther is everywhere. Billboards, magazines, business shows. It's not hard to guess."
"Guessing would make sense," he said. "If you hadn't told different people we 'worked directly under Lucas Luther' before today."
Neo's brows knitted together. "Wait....what?"
Samantha tightened her grip on his arm. "Aiden, you're overthinking-"
"So explain this," Aiden cut in bluntly. "How did the whole school know that Lucas Luther came for his birthday party and now a rumor? And how did they know Neo was 'connected' to him?"
Silence.
The hallway noise suddenly felt distant.
Samantha swallowed. "I just… heard things."
"From where?" Aiden pressed. "Because the only people who knew that night were inside that house."
Neo slowly pulled his arm away from hers. "Samantha… did you tell people?"
Her eyes darted around, catching the curious stares she'd caused earlier. She laughed again, but this time it cracked. "I mean it's not like I lied. It is true, right?"
"That's not the question," Neo said quietly.
She exhaled, annoyed now. "Okay, fine. I might've mentioned it."
"Mentioned it to who?" Aiden asked.
"To a friend," she snapped. "And maybe her cousin. And maybe a blogger."
Neo stared at her. "A blogger?"
"They asked!" she said defensively. "Everyone was talking about your party, Neo. You didn't think people wouldn't notice Lucas Luther walking in like he owned the place?"
"You used me," Neo said, the realization hitting hard.
Samantha scoffed. "Don't be dramatic. I just… connected the dots. You finally had something worth talking about."
That did it.
Aiden let out a humorless laugh. "So let me get this straight. You ignored him for months, barely tolerated him-"
"That's not true-" "-then the moment his name gets tied to money and power, you show up screaming 'baby' in the hallway?"
Neo clenched his jaw.
Samantha's voice dropped. "I was trying to help. This kind of attention opens doors."
"For who?" Neo asked.
She hesitated.
And in that pause, the truth slipped out.
"For me too."
Neo took a step back. "Wow," Aiden muttered. "There it is."
Samantha reached out again, but Neo shook his head. "Don't."
Her eyes softened, almost pleading. "Neo, you're blowing this out of proportion."
"No," he said calmly. "I'm finally seeing it clearly."
The bell rang, sharp and loud, breaking the tension but nothing felt settled.
As students began moving again, whispers followed them like shadows.
And Samantha stood there, exposed, realizing too late that the attention she chased had just cost her everything.
Aiden and Neo sat for their first class of the day, which was basically an introduction to their course outline for the semester.
"You good?" Aiden asked, looking at Neo.
"Yeah, to be honest, I don't feel empty like I expected. Before, I told myself if Sami and I ever broke up it'd hurt like hell, but here I am… not feeling anything at all. Just… relief," Neo said and sighed.
"Maybe 'cause your heart has drifted off somewhere," Aiden teased, and Neo smacked him on the head playfully, knowing exactly where Aiden was going.
"Don't start."
"Start what? I'm just stating facts, and you know it."
"Whatever. Anyways, we have to tell Lucas about the whole Samantha issue… about her telling that blogger that we work under him. It might be trouble later."
"True talk. You gonna tell him by text or call?"
"Lemme call him."
Neo slipped out of the class, Aiden following close behind.
"Alright, go on. Call him," Aiden said, leaning against the wall as Neo raised his phone to his ear.
It rang twice before Lucas answered.
"Yes?"
"Good morning, boss. Well, there's, uh… a little situation I'd like to tell you about."
"Go on. I'm listening," Lucas said, the faint sound of laptop keys clicking in the background.
"So… remember that girl you met at the birthday party? Uh… my girlfrien.."
"You mean your friend," Lucas interrupted smoothly.
"Y… yes. That… she, uh… told a blogger about the whole thing that Aiden and I work under you."
"So…?" Lucas asked, boredly.
"Won't it cause a problem?" Neo asked, a little edge of worry in his voice.
The line went silent for a while. Then Lucas's calm, measured voice returned.
"Well, if you're both worried, then I'm guessing we'll just confirm the allegations. Because I'm guessing that's going to be the headline anyway."
"Confirm it?" Neo asked, confused.
"Yes. You're both going to be globally known as my personal assistant and my right-hand man's personal assistant," Lucas said, pausing briefly for effect. "You're both getting official."
Neo and Aiden froze for a beat, letting that sink in.
"Official… like… front page?" Aiden asked slowly.
"Yes," Lucas replied. "The story goes out clean. You two are tied to me publicly. Names, roles, positions everything."
Neo exhaled, leaning back against the wall, half shocked, half relieved. "Well… that's one way to handle a problem before it becomes one."
"Exactly," Lucas said. "And don't worry. Everything's under control. You two just need to show up and… exist. Let the world know who you work for. That's all."
Aiden grinned, elbowing Neo lightly. "Look at you, officially untouchable."
Neo rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his small, satisfied smile. "Yeah… untouchable, but also globally exposed."
"Good. Go back to class," Lucas added, the line going dead after that.
Neo lowered the phone and exhaled deeply, feeling the weight lift just slightly. Aiden nudged him with a smirk.
"So… we're famous now. Congratulations, superstar," he teased.
Neo shook his head, laughing softly. "Let's just survive the first day of school first."
But even as they walked back into the classroom, Neo couldn't help the quiet thrill in his chest. The world now knew their names. The stakes had just gone higher, and deep down… he was ready.
The second class had begun, and this time Aiden had gone off to his own subject since he wasn't enrolled in Neo's. The lecture droned on, but Neo's mind wandered boredom gnawing at him like a persistent itch. He reached for his phone, fingers hovering before landing on Lucas's contact. A risky move, but somehow, it felt worth it.
"I'm bored… what about you?" he typed, curiosity and a little mischief lacing his words.
A reply came almost immediately, faster than he expected.
"Pay attention."
Neo smirked at the screen, tapping quickly. "I can't… it's getting too boring to even keep my eyes open."
Another quick message followed. "What are you doing?"
"Attending to some papers," Lucas replied.
"Eaten anything?"
"Just coffee."
"Eat something already, okay?" Neo typed, tugging at the hem of his shirt, half out of habit, half from the need to feel some control over the concern simmering in his chest.
"Are you worried?" came the curt, almost clipped response.
"Yes. I'm worried about you," Neo admitted, the honesty spilling out more freely than he expected.
The reply was brief, hesitant: "Did you break up with your girlfriend?"
"No… not yet."
"Break up?" Neo blinked at the screen, his fingers hovering over the keys. "Why?"
"I don't share."
The simple response, curt and possessive, made a shiver run down his spine. There was an intimacy there, a subtle heat in the distance between them, the kind that only Lucas could summon with a few words. Neo's heart thumped a little faster, and he couldn't help but smile, despite the lecture notes fading completely from his mind.
Neo stared at the screen, his fingers hovering, heart hammering in a rhythm he couldn't control.
"I don't share." Lucas's words hit him like a spark, sharp and deliberate. Neo's breath caught, and he realized he was gripping his phone tighter than necessary, heat crawling up his neck.
"Oh really?" he typed, trying to sound casual, but the little tremor in his fingers betrayed him. "Does that mean I have to beg for attention now?"
Almost immediately, Lucas replied: "Beg all you want."
Neo's stomach twisted, warmth spreading across his chest and down to his thighs. His cheeks burned hotter than he'd like to admit. "Boss… you're cruel," he typed, his thumb hesitating over the send button, heart racing.
"Am I?" Lucas shot back, sharp, commanding, playful. "Or do you just like it when I am?"
Neo's breath hitched audibly, and he had to glance around the classroom, hoping no one noticed. He leaned slightly forward, pressing the phone to his lips before typing again. "I...maybe. Maybe I do."
"Say it," Lucas demanded through the text, slow and deliberate.
Neo's fingers froze for a heartbeat, then typed: "Say what?"
"That you want me."
Neo's chest tightened, his pulse spiking, hands clammy on the desk. His lips parted slightly, and he whispered under his breath, "I… want you," before hitting send, heat crawling down his neck to his chest.
"Good," Lucas replied almost instantly. "I like it when you admit it… when you're a little exposed."
Neo shivered at the words, cheeks burning, fingers trembling slightly. His heart hammered so hard he was sure the boy next to him could hear it. "Boss… this isn't fair," he typed, biting his lip. "You make it impossible to concentrate."
"Exactly," Lucas shot back. "I like it when you're distracted. Makes it fun to see how far I can push you."
Neo's breath caught, his legs feeling weak under the desk, the classroom fading around him. He wasn't touching Lucas, hadn't even seen him today, but every word, every tease, left him flushed, distracted, and achingly aware of the gap between them.
He pressed the phone to his chest, heart racing, breath shallow, and whispered softly, "You're impossible…"
And in that moment, the teasing was enough to make him ache without giving away a single inch, leaving the tension deliciously unresolved just the way it was supposed to be.