Chapter Text
Duncan was in the library after school, studying? Hell no. He had a cigarette dangling lazily between his lips as her stared into nothing. The library was the best place to smoke, Gothie would nag him about it if he did it at home and the school management was so poor that they didn't even lock the library after hours.
Then he heard it.
Footsteps. Sharp, quick, no-nonsense. He knew that walk.
Then she turned the corner.
Courtney.
Of course.
Duncan’s stomach sank and his grin went automatic all at once, the weird reflex he always got around girls who were out of his league but still nice to look at. Courtney was in that tight blazer thing she always wore, like she thought school was training camp for running a Fortune 500 company. Her hair was perfect. Her scowl? Even more perfect.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” she said, arms crossing instantly.
He kept his grin at her. His eyes leaving her face and peering at her entire body, not trying to hide the fact that he was checking her out. As annoying as she was, she was pretty hot. Didn't mean he liked her though. She didn’t like him. He didn’t like her. Well, okay, he liked looking at her. But that was it.
"Are you seriously smoking in the library?!"
"Gold star, Sherlock. What gave it away?" He asked sarcastically.
“You can’t smoke in here.”
He smirked. “You gonna give me detention, Princess? Or just write me a sternly-worded email?”
Courtney’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t call me that.”
"Oh please, you like when I call you that. Besides, what are you even doing here? Pretty sure you’ve got… I dunno, better things to do. Like polishing your résumé or plotting world domination.”
Her jaw tightened. “I was returning a book. Unlike you, some of us actually care about grades.”
He chuckled, low and lazy. “Cute. But I’m not buying it. You came all the way back here just to see me, huh?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
That stung way more than Duncan cared to admit. He told himself it didn’t — that he only wanted to get a rise out of her, because winding her up was way too easy. But there was something about how fast she shot that down, like she couldn’t even imagine being interested in him, that made his ego twitch.
“You know,” Duncan said, leaning back in his chair, “this whole being alone together situations are happening way more. People might start talking.”
Courtney rolled her eyes so hard he was surprised they didn’t fall out. “Please. The only thing people would say is, ‘Why is Courtney wasting her time on a delinquent who can’t even make it through homeroom without starting drama?’”
“Ouch. Remind me again who dragged your sorry ass out of that party? You looked pretty cozy, begging me to stay.”
Her face went crimson. “I was drunk. And I told you to leave the next morning, didn’t I?”
Duncan grinned, teeth flashing. “You’re welcome for getting you home alive, by the way.”
Courtney huffed. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re uptight.”
For a second, they just stared at each other, the air between them sharp as broken glass. Duncan caught himself glancing at her mouth — yeah, he’d definitely kiss her if she didn’t talk so damn much.
Courtney broke the stare first, yanking the cigarette out of his hand and crushing it out on the table like she owned the place. “You wanna kill your lungs, fine. But not in my library.”
“Your library?” he said, eyebrows raised.
“Someone’s gotta keep it from turning into your personal ashtray.”
Duncan raised an eyebrow at her, his grin widening like a cat spotting a laser pointer. Oh, Princess was feisty today.
He leaned forward, elbows on the table, voice low and teasing. “You know, for someone who claims not to care, you sure act like my probation officer.”
“I’m not--ugh! You’re such a--” She broke off, throwing her hands in the air like the sheer existence of Duncan was offensive to her GPA. “You don’t even like this library. Why are you here? To kill brain cells and books?”
“Nah,” he said, flicking his lighter open with a soft click. Flame danced in the dim light, tiny and dangerous. “Just needed a little peace and quiet. But then you showed up.”
Courtney’s eyes dropped to the lighter, then snapped back to his face. “Put that away.”
“Why?” He let the flame linger longer than necessary, turning it over like it was the most interesting thing in the room. “Afraid I’ll… start something?”
“You’re not funny.”
“Pretty sure I am.” He smirked, then, just because he knew it would get under her skin, reached for a random hardcover on the table, 'Advanced Physics for Honors Students'. He flipped it open casually, still holding the lighter.
Courtney’s eyes widened. “Don’t you dare.”
“Oh, relax.” Duncan held the lighter under the edge of a page, just close enough for the heat to brown the paper. “I’m not gonna burn the whole thing…”
“DUNCAN!” She lunged forward, trying to grab the book, but he pulled it back, laughing like a maniac.
“What?” he said, grinning. “You said you wanted me to stop smoking. I’m multitasking now, quitting cigarettes and starting a bonfire.”
“That’s not... You can’t... Are you insane?!” Her voice climbed an octave as a tiny curl of smoke rose from the paper. “That’s school property!”
"Not my problem."
She smacked the lighter out of his hand so fast it clattered across the floor. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Plenty,” he said, still smirking. “You wanna make a list? Bet it’d be color-coded.”
Courtney glared at him like she was one second from murder. “You think this is funny? Burning books, breaking rules--”
“Pissing you off?” He leaned in, voice dropping to a low drawl. “Yeah, that part’s hilarious.”
For a split second, she just stared at him, breathing hard, eyes sharp enough to cut steel. And maybe it was the adrenaline, or maybe it was just her standing that close, but Duncan felt his grin widen into something sharper. He liked this game. A lot.
Courtney finally grabbed the half-burnt book and slammed it shut, smoke curling from its edges. “You are unbelievable,” she hissed.
“Thanks,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “It’s a gift.”
"You're SO annoying!" Coming from her? Pssh..
“You always this aggressive,” he teased, “or do I just bring it out in you?”
“You’re unbelievable,” she said, voice shaking, not scared, just furious.
“And you,” Duncan said, leaning in until their noses were almost touching, “are way more fun when you’re pissed.”
Then Courtney shoved him hard in the chest. “Grow up, delinquent.”
Duncan caught his balance easily, smirking as she spun on her heel and stalked off, heels clicking like gunfire. He called after her, “What? No ‘thank you’ for saving the library from being too boring?”
She didn’t look back.
Duncan pocketed his lighter, still grinning to himself. “Man,” he muttered, “she’s gonna be fun.”