Six Phases 005 Pt 1
Who knew it nearly took 6 months to win your heart, and 6 phases for Baekhyun to lose his mind.
A/N: Hi, welcome to a 22.6K MONSTER of a chapter. Thank you.
[ contains: romance, fluff, angst, & smut ]
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 P(1) P(2) | Part 4 P(1) P(2) | Part 5 P(1) ✓ P(2) | Part 6
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The club is more alive than ever tonight. Almost everyone has taken to the dance floor and the place is packed everywhere with grinding bodies. It's not hard getting lost in the crowd.
I can barely see over the majority of the crowd in my stilettos. You'd think my current 5'10 height would make it easier to spot Baekhyun in the room, but nope, the flashing of lights and mass of bodies could conceal a damn pink polka dotted elephant from your eyes.
After spinning around to avoid the elbow of a particularly non-coordinated individual, I nearly crashed into the person behind me. "Excuse m-" My eyes widen at the familiar head of silver hair before I smile, "Hey."
Baekhyun chuckles, settling his hands on my hips; a brow raised in amusement, "Hello." He huskily replies; locks of hair attractively dangling in his eyes. He's adoring a red shirt with white scripted words all over it, black leather pants that make his thighs look scrumptious, and black heeled boots to match. Looking like a full course meal as always—and even more so than usual with that alluring look in his kohl outlined eyes.
Quickly reeling in my steadily-rising urges, I keep moving to the tempo of the moderate-paced music; loosely wrapping my arms around his neck, "What took so long? I thought I lost you for a second."
"Minseok hyung went on a tangent over how much business has been booming since he incorporated cheerwine-vodka drinks to the bar." He chuckles again, twirling me around with an adorable smile. "Your southern delicacy is really popular around here."
I grin, "It's the best of the best."
Baekhyun hums, pulling me closer and tilting his head to plant a kiss on my cherry red lips; causing me to giggle. "What?" He looks at me, smiling adorably.
"Nothing." I smile bashfully; cheeks warmed from the gesture.
"Come on," Spinning me around again, he suddenly dips my body; making me gasp as his hand rests securely on my back and lips brush against mine. Warm minty breath caressing my cheek, "Tell me."
"I-I just..." Locking eyes as he pulls me back up, I can't help but flush at his adoring stare. "Being with you, like this." I gesture to the dancefloor; blissfully unbothered by the pleasantly chaotic environment, and the thundering pound of music with him—and his firm body—so close and so warm. His comforting presence brings a smile to my lips, "It's nice."
His smile widens, a look of understanding flashing in his brown eyes. "I knew you had a kink for dancing with me."
Choking on a laugh, I smack his bicep; leaning on him for support as his contagious amusement rings in my ears. Would it be too mushy of me to say how utterly adorable Baekhyun is when he smiles like this? All bright crescent moon eyes, glowy cheeks and a boxy grin that I just want to kiss right off his pouty lips. His smile could light up the whole galaxy, not even the sun can deny that.
"And what if I do?" I murmur lowly, sliding my hand up his arm and down his chest; feeling the lean muscle underneath. "You got quiet," I muse, flickering my eyes up to his; quickly gulping at the pure lust swirling in his brown orbs.
Baekhyun grabs my wrist and slides my hand back up his chest, holding eye contact as he sucks my finger between his lips. The piercing gaze in his dark orbs making me sway out of rhythm—something he catches with a winning smirk. He tightens his grip on my hip, leaning to whisper into my ear, "Then I'm willing to fulfill your needs, baby."
Gulping at his deliberate lick of lips, a new song breaks me out of our little bubble. The familiar 8-count instrumental seems to trigger Baekhyun's memory as well; his hand releasing mine as I kick off my heels before his stable singing voice reaches my surprised ears.
"She got the mmm, brown eyes, caramel thighs. Long hair, no wedding ring," He gives a cute little nod, raising his brow attractively, "hey." He walks closer, causing me to step back to fully admire his confident aura. "I saw you lookin' from across the way. And now I really wanna know your name..."
He continues in that hypnotizing way of his—little sinful body rolls and confident crotch grabs—holding eye contact as if the words are meant for me; mouthing along with a satisfied smirk on his inviting lips.
"I love her hips, curves, lips say the words." He lightly brushes his hands over my thighs and up my waist, walking around to whisper into my individual ears along with the beat. "Te amo, mami, ah, te amo, mami."
"I kiss her, this love is like a dream..."
He brings my hand to his shoulder while grasping my other one, stepping forward as I step back in synchronization; meeting him toe to toe.
"So join me in this bed that I’m in
Push up on me and sweat, darling
So I'm gonna put my time in
And won’t stop until the angels sing-"
He spins me around and brings me back into his arms, swaying to the beat with my back to his chest and our joined hands resting on my hip. Matching smiles on our lips.
"Jump in that water, be free
Come south of the border with me
Jump in that water, be free
Come south of the border with me"
Spinning away, I turn to face Baekhyun, throwing his moves right back at him with a wink, "He got that mmm, green eyes, givin' me signs. That he really wants to know my name—hey. I saw you lookin' from across the way. And suddenly, I'm glad I came, ay-"
Gathering the skirt of my white dress, I dance light on my feet around him as the speakers burst out Spanish lyrics; smiling playfully at the captivated look in his eyes. "Mmm, green eyes, takin' your time. Now we know we'll never be the same."
"I love his lips 'cause he says the words," Putting my back to him, I arch my back, coyly peeking over each shoulder at him and slightly rolling my body against his to the beat, "Te amo, mami, ah, te amo, mami."
"Don’t wake up, this love is like a dream... So join me in this bed-"
Pressing my back to him again, we move in sync; heated skin to skin with only our thin clothes between. Barriers that don't even matter with my hand in his hair and his tight grip on my hips.
"-that I’m in
Push up on me and sweat, darling
So I'm gonna put my time in (Time in)
And won’t stop until the angels sing-"
Being cheeky, I slide my hands up my body while we sway side to side; resting my hand on the back of his neck.
"Jump in that water, be free
Come south of the border with me
Jump in that water, be free
Come south of the border with me."
He spins me around to him once again. Our eyes locked as we let ourselves get lost in the rest of the song.
"Flawless diamonds
In a green field near Buenos Aires
Until the sun's rising
We won't stop until the angels sing..."
The piercing gaze in his dark eyes is almost too much for me to bear; warm, slender fingers digging further into the soft swell of my hips with every twist of my waist.
"Jump in that water, be free
Come south of the border with me
Jump in that water, be free
Come south of the border with me"
The song quickly fades into another, but Baekhyun and I don’t move. Chests pressed together and shared heavy breaths. His freshly dyed grey hair leaving streaks of silver sliding down his cheeks. Long strands of hair messily clinging to his forehead, sweat shining on his prominent collarbones and peek of a firm chest. His lick of lips as he takes the chance to check me out as well pushing me to my limit.
"Take me home." I breathe, pressing my lips to his.
/
"Shit." Baekhyun hisses, pausing to brush his hair back.
I can't help but chuckle, kicking off my heels and bending over to pick up the fallen table, "Told you keeping the lights off was a bad-" I jolt forward with a gasp, bracing myself against the wall with red cheeks. The accusatory look I shoot over my shoulder does nothing to change the hungry expression on his face, "The fuck did you just do, Byun?"
He tilts his head at me, hand resting comfortably on the curve of my ass, "You liked it." He observes, rubbing my throbbing cheek; lifting the corner of his lips, "Didn't you?"
I scoff in opposition to the redness of my cheeks, "That's not-" A moan escapes before I can clasp my hands over my mouth, staring at him with wide eyes.
Baekhyun merely raises a brow as his hand slips from my heated skin and down between my legs, full-on smirking at what he discovers there. He leans close, pressing his chest to my sensitive back. "You're soaked," He murmurs into my ear; gripping my hip when my legs shake at his light exploration.
I part my lips only to whimper at the smack he lands on my left cheek, quickly becoming breathless at his light taps on my clothed clit. "F-Fuck-" My back arches when he suddenly pulls away, flipping the skirt of my dress over my back and yanking my panties down in one go, "Baekhyun-" I nearly yell, knees buckling at the rough intrusion of two fingers into my wet core.
"Shh," He leans forward again, smacking my ass as his fingers pound into me, "Be a good girl for me."
I choke and scramble to find something to hold on to when he twists his wrist, curling his fingers right into my sweet spot. Neat, blunt nails lightly scratching against my clenching walls as my hands slip helplessly on the wall, "B-Baekhyun." I whimper, squeezing my eyes shut. Just when I'm at the edge and slowly lowering to the ground with shaky knees, he fucking pulls his fingers out.
At this point, the only thing keeping me on my feet is the acute annoyance I feel towards him right now.
"Bedroom." He states, slipping wet fingers past his kiss-swollen lips after I stand up and turn around to glare at him. He merely lifts a brow, hand still on my hip as he sucks obscenely loud on the slick digits; wicked tongue peeking out from his smirking lips.
Inwardly cursing him and myself, I walk further into the spacious apartment on wobbly legs. Crossing my arms once I enter the black, white and grey with a dash of red—thanks to me—styled room.
Baekhyun takes his sweet old time joining me. Slipping out of his shoes and socks before pressing me against the wall. Chest pressed to mine as he reconnects our lips, reaching down to pull my leg around his waist.
My nails dig mercilessly into his shoulders when he slides his fingers back inside me; arching my back at the addition of his thumb tapping my poor clit. One well-aimed thrust to my spot makes my knee buckle, gasping for breath and tensing up in preparation only for him to pull his fingers out again.
Baekhyun looks down at me with the darkest eyes; pupils blown wide as his hand rubs over my lower back and down to cup my ass. "You're shaking," He whispers, tightening his grip and hoisting me up into his arms before walking over to the bed. Setting me down gently with a soft kiss pressed to my lips.
I sit up to pull off my dress, "Don't you fucking dare." I hiss at his fingers walking up my thigh, crossing my quivering legs.
Baekhyun chuckles, pulling his shirt over his head, "Don't you want me to make you feel good, baby?"
"I... Yes..." Distracted by his glistening chest, I twitch at the feeling of his sneaky hand slipping between my thighs, fixing him with a glare. "Not stopping when I'm right there." I grumbled, jaw clenching at the persistent ache in my core.
"Does my baby want to come?" He coos, sliding off his leather pants before climbing onto the bed. Gaze locked on mine as he pulls my underwear off my legs.
Gulping at his predator stance, I sit like a deer caught in headlights, panting when his hands softly spread my heated thighs. His lips brushing over my inner thigh makes my back arch. "I'll literally flip if you stop again."
He hums noncommittally, leisurely leaving a trail of wet kisses up to where I need him the most. I close my eyes, trembling a little when his lip brushes over my folds.
Baekhyun hovers, and I can feel his eyes on me.
I know exactly what he wants.
Gulping again I nervously lick my lips, slowly peeling my eyes open to look back at him.
He releases his bottom lip from between his teeth, wordlessly holding up his palm in my direction with twinkling orbs.
The hot blush forming on my cheeks and small trembles in my body do nothing to ease my giddy heart as I gingerly place my shaky hand in his. Baekhyun's soft squeeze and sweet smile melts me further until he's flicking his tongue against my heated core. My grip tightens with every whimper and gasp he pulls from my lips. Barely a few minutes have gone by when my thighs start shaking again.
"Always so sweet for me," He murmurs, pulling away as I catch my breath. His warm skin brushes against my own as he leaves a trail of kisses back up to my lips, "Babe?"
Humming I blink the post-orgasm daze from my eyes, meeting his questioning orbs. Breath hitching at the feel of his cock rubbing along my thigh. "Yes," I breathe, biting my lip at his promising smile.
Baekhyun reaches over to the nightstand drawer, pulling out a condom as my cheeks flush. The way he rips the packet open from between his teeth stirs the fire growing in the pit of my stomach; an unintentional tease to upcoming events—or intentional based off the knowing smirk on his equally flushed face.
I can't help but scoff at his antics, trying my best not to squirm when his cock brushes over my sensitive pussy; growing impossibly redder and wetter at the thought of the word as he insists to tease over my wet folds. I never imagined myself referring to it in that way, let alone while my boyfriend is looking down at me like I'm his last meal.
Seriously, I swear the twinkle in his eye rivals the one he reserves for hawaiian pizza right now. And the groan that escapes his lips while finally sliding his cock into my waiting core making my breath hitch… Fuck me.
I never really saw myself actually enjoying the act of sex or fucking or whatever. Yes—I will admit—I probably think about sex more times than anyone should in a day, but to actually do it? To give someone one of the most precious things to me and enjoy it on the first night? Yeah, not how I saw myself evolving. Then again, who can ever predict how their first time will go? Who can predict a Baekhyun walking into their life? Surely not I, nor how much I appreciate the slight stretch of accommodating his impressive length.
—Okay, maybe I enjoy sex with Baekhyun more than the thought of sex itself—
A noise I never thought I could make escapes my lips when he gathers my body closer to his; hips grinding at a new angle into my core with dark brown eyes watching my every move and swallowing me whole. Fuck it—yes, I definitely enjoy it with him more.
"Are you close?" He murmurs, kissing behind my ear in a way that makes me squeak.
"Y-Yes." I sigh, clutching onto his shoulders and gasping when he increases the tempo, "Fuck."
Baekhyun chuckles huskily into my ear, his breath causing goosebumps to cover my heated skin. I don't even try to stifle my moan when his cock hits my sweet spot just right. A beautiful noise of his own leaving his lips as my walls clench around him. I'm still so sensitive from earlier there is no coaxing needed to make me cum on his cock.
Baekhyun's gasp fans over the sensitive skin of my neck; a sneaky hand slipping between my legs while I'm trying to catch my own breath. My thighs tighten around his waist and hips buck from the prolonged sensations. Somehow he manages to pull one last orgasm from me as he's reaching his own; kiss swollen lips beautifully parted and head thrown back while filling the condom. There's no relaxing myself with the way he stays buried deep inside my clenching walls. If that condom wasn’t on… I quickly shake off that dangerous thought.
The feeling of Baekhyun's chest pressed to mine with our frantic heartbeats and shared breaths combined with his breathless kiss to my lips has a whole new wave of emotion bursting through my being. I love him so much it kinda hurts.
"Happy?" He muses, leaning up to run a hand through his messy hair, looking me over with those mesmerizing brown eyes of his. A soft smile playing at his lips. I don't reply, too busy trying to regulate my breathing while lying completely lax against the sheets. Not at all ashamed to take in the glorious sight of his flushed cheeks and glistening chest amidst the afterglow, and leaning up to press another kiss to his sweet mouth. “Very.” I murmur, lips curling up into a smile that matches his own.
////
There's nothing like waking up to a blarming alarm at 7:30 in the morning after a particularly long night that states “MEETING WITH THE BROS/HOES” in all caps. Especially after partying—and partaking in the “after party”—the previous night. Why did I agree to meet at the coffee shop on a Sunday morning? Oh, right.. Baekhyun was supposed to drive me back to the dorm last night…
:) Well then.
I mean, it wouldn't have been so bad if I had actually managed to get out of bed when my alarm went off this morning.
Now here I stand, hastily fixing my appearance in the reflection of the cafe window. Making sure the collar of my backless crop-top is up and freshly made curls are covering stray blemishes on my skin.
The events of last night fill my mind before I promptly shake my head, clearing my throat as I step through the door.
"Well look who it is!" A warm voice chimes. I look up from checking my outfit again to an amused Jongin, watchful Jenny, and Sehun waving like a madman from our booth. Quickly making my way across the room with red cheeks while avoiding the annoyed looks of onlookers seated around.
"Nice of you to finally join us," Jenny muses, knowing blue eyes following me as I plop down into the remaining seat next to her. "If you didn't call the other night I'd swear Baek put you in a sex-induced coma."
Snorting, I quietly take a sip from the steaming mug seated in front of me; savoring the taste of lemon ginger tea and setting it carefully back on the table. "Nothing of the sort happened."
"Really?" She squints a little, Sehun and Jongin watching on in amusement, "You got that glow about you right now."
Instinctively looking off to the left, my cheeks grow warmer at Jongin's chuckle. I can't even throw Baekhyun under the bus for how he held me up last night, or this morning; trying my best not to bite my lip. Another type of sex added to the favorites list. "I just slept really well."
"Uh, huh," Jenny nods, taking a sip of her own cup with a knowing smile on her face. "I bet you did."
"Anyway," I deflect, looking between the trio. "How are you guys? It’s been awhile."
"I'm convinced that my intern is a complete dumbass," Sehun grumbles, finishing his coffee and sitting back with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Uh, oh," I utter, trying not to smile at the petulant expression on his normally blank features, "What he do this time?"
"I caught him trying to spot check a guy doing 50 reps of bench press with 200 pounds." He tries to explain as a waitress brings over plates full of muffins fresh out the oven. Recalling a brief conversation of this particularly risk-taking kid, I can't help smiling while digging into my strawberry one. "Maybe he's good at it."
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Riley, this kid looks like a twig would be too much for him-"
"Now that's a lie," I immediately interject, pointing my fork at him. "If that was the case you would have turned him away on the spot. Did you ask him how much he lifts?" Sehun begrudgingly nods, lips still childishly pursed. "Good, now give the poor kid more credit. He's probably stronger than you think."
"But-"
"Have a little faith in him," I soothe. "If you're really worried then make sure you are there next time to observe and intervene if needed, but you have to let him do something." I emphasize, "So he can improve."
Sehun sits quietly for a few minutes, thinking it over as the rest of us fuss over the arrangement of identical glasses and sneaky hands (Jongin) stealing food from others' plates. "Damn it, why do you have to be right."
"Comes with the territory." I grin, referring to our matching stickers childishly stuck to the back of our phone cases. It happened during a recent drunken night at the newest bar in town. Donkey and Shrek; some days I'm one of them and oftentimes he's the other.
"Just my luck to befriend an intellectually logical yet empathic person," He mumbles, sipping his coffee with a small smile quirking at his lips.
"That's best friend to you!" I retort, glaring at his mischievous smirk before turning to Jongin. "How bout you man? What's cooking?"
His brow raises, amusement shining in his eyes at my poor attempt to not laugh at my own joke. "The kids got a residual coming up," He utters, thoughtfully chewing on a piece of strawberry muffin I swear he took from the top of mine.
"Oh?" I hum, taking the extra muffin Sehun offers me before blinking in realization. "Oh! Really? When is it?"
"This Saturday," A certain kind of sparkle is in his normally brooding eyes, small smile on display. "It's the last one before school starts."
"Yeah," I wince, staring down into my swirling mug with a frown, "Don't remind me. I still got books to get."
"What year will you be in this year?" Jongin inquires, brow raised when I only give him a deadpan look. "What?"
"Really?"
He shrugs, "How am I supposed to know what year you’re in?"
"Anyway!" Jenny chirps while I take another sip of my drink, judging him over the rim of my mug. "There's a party going on at Jongdae's this Friday." Her eyes are already lighting up at the thought of what she's planning to wear—or at the prospect of having an excuse to be with a certain brunet for the entire evening. "Are you going?"
Humming a bit in thought, I lightly shake my head, setting my drink down. "I think I'll pass."
"But why?" She protests, puppy eyes in full effect while I quickly avert my eyes. I'm not about to fall for that trick again. "...It isn't because of Baekhyun, is it?"
My neck cracks a little as I whip around to face her; temples pulsing with a painful whiplash, "And why would Baekhyun have anything to do with it?"
"Bro, you are like attached at the hip," Jongin states with a raised brow, idly twirling a spoon around his fingertips.
"Has he been to a party since he moved?" Sehun lifts his head from the phone in his hands, slipping it into his back pocket when I give him the side-eye.
"Well-" I pause, thinking back over the past two months. They are kind of right in a way. I spend more time having lunch dates in Baekhyun's office than sleeping in on Saturday mornings. There's more of my clothes neatly stacked on the left side of his closet than my own back at the dorms. And I swear I didn't purposely stash his favorite black hoodie in my backpack...
(I did. I totally did and I don't know when I'll give it back).
"…No," I conclude, stirring my drink.
Sehun makes a ‘mmhm’ noise, leaning back in his seat while Jongin snorts, shooting me a knowing look. "The wild princess changing playboy Baekhyun's ways."
I scowl as Jenny nods, throwing an arm over my shoulders with the cheekiest smile, "Who would have thought, right?"
"You all suck." I groan, hiding within my folded arms on the table. "...I'm going."
"Yes!" Jenny squeals, clapping her hands in glee and outstretching one out to the shell-shocked man across from her, "Pay up, Jongin."
"Riley, I was rooting for you." He protests, handing a 20 over with a disappointed frown.
I merely look over at Sehun, raising a brow when he's quick to hold up his hands. "I wouldn't. You're very 50/50 lately."
"Oh that's very reassuring," I grumble, sipping my warm drink; not fighting the smile curling at the corners of my lips. "Good thing I bought that new dress."
"What!?" Jenny gasps, lightly shoving my shoulder when my smile just widens. "I swear you never wear the same dress."
"Perks of having a CEO boyfriend," Jongin muses, washing down a muffin with some coffee.
"Nah," I set the empty mug back on the table, shaking my head. "I saved up a lot from my part-time job."
"Part-time job?" Jenny inquires, lowering her phone down to her lap while looking at me. "When did you get one of those?"
"She had one before school," Sehun explains, continuing after my agreeing hum; giving him a thumbs up with a mouthful of muffin. "A well-off flower shop, I believe."
"Wow." Jenny blinks, narrowing her eyes at me. "You're just full of surprises."
"It was nice," I mumble, dabbling my lips with a napkin, "Besides the fact I have mild pollen allergy."
Jongin snorts and I grin, enduring Sehun's amusement and Jenny's continuous scoldings as the morning sun rises higher in the sky.
I checked my makeup in the mirror one last time: a fierce copper glitter, smokey eye look to match my sexy black lace sleeveless dress with see-through sides. The form-fitting material complementing my every curve. Even lingerie is out of the question with this daring dress, but I have no fear. Stretch marks can't be easily seen in the dim lighting of a drunken party, and my lips are coated in a glossy pink shade to not kill too many men in the crowd tonight.
Leaning away from the mirror while recapping my gloss, I set it down next to my phone that lights up with a notification.
//
I miss you (>﹏<)♡o(╥﹏╥)o ♥♡
8:28pm
//
Giggling with an adoring smile, I maneuver around my baby pink manicured nails to type a response.
//
I miss you too, baby. Take care at the office, okay?
The day is almost over! 4 more hours to go. You can do it :***
8:30pm
//
A few heart emojis shared later and a knock sounds at the door. I grab my phone, sparkly golden clutch and walk over with even strides; the clinks of my nude high heels against the floor blooming more confidence in my chest. The sight of a familiar head of blue hair greets me on the other side of the doorway.
"Hey," Jenny perks up, spinning around, "You ready?" One look at my outfit and she smirks, raising an eyebrow knowingly as I take in her matching cocktail dress. "Oh honey, we are going to be sharks tonight."
Giggling I loop my arm around hers, our respective heels clicking down the residential apartment complex halls.
"So," She adjusts her hair in the reflection of the elevator, carefully pulling curls from inside of her dangling turquoise earrings. "What are your plans for tonight?"
"Plans?" I raise a brow, briefly meeting her gaze while meticulously evening out my gloss in my handheld mirror.
"Dancing, drinking, going home early," She lists off her turquoise manicured nails with a nod, nonchalantly leaning against the railing on the far wall. "Did you even tell Baekhyun you were going out tonight?"
A chill goes down my spine as I put my things away, and I don't know why. "Tell him?" I chuckle, rubbing my goosebump covered arms.
Jenny continues to nod, long nails tapping rapidly across her phone. "Mhm." She hums, voice filled with a level of concern that has my head tilting in confusion. "He's a worrier, you know?"
My brows furrow at that. "...It'll be fine," I mumble after a minute, trying to convince myself. Based on the look she shoots my way it didn't reassure her either. "Besides, he's working late tonight," My heart sinks a little at the reminder; I shrug it off. "I won't see him til the morning anyway."
She meets my eye over the illuminated screen of her phone; perfectly shaped brow raised. "If you're sure."
"Yes, Jen." I stress in exaggeration, placing my cold hands on my hips. "What's the worst that can happen?"
She says nothing as the double doors open, quietly putting away her phone as we exit side by side. A gust of wind meets us the instant we step outside.
"Maybe he's over it..." I hear her mutter under her breath.
The screeching of tires startles us before I can say anything. A familiar shiny black Mercedes pulls up to the curb; bass booming from the cranked up stereo speakers.
"Ready ladies?" Jongin's smirking face appears through the rolled down window; his arm resting comfortably on the window seal, free hand gesturing to his vehicle. "Your chariot awaits."
Jenny scoffs as I muffle a giggle. Before we can take a step forward, another voice rings out over the music.
"Get in already! You're letting out all the cold air." Sehun complains.
A scoff leaves me at that. "You're not the one navigating stilettos, Oh!" I yell right back, climbing into the backseat as Jenny takes the passenger side; her laughter filling up the spacious car.
Jongdae's party wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. The usual partygoers were there except for talented bartender Minseok, brooding Kyungsoo, enthusiastic Chanyeol, and of course Baekhyun. Such a little difference left a major impact in the handling of drinks, (I had to run down to the convenience store with Sehun to get him to buy us dr pepper and a bottle of cheap vodka to share. Perks of being 21). The selection of music—I honestly never knew that techno dubstep could leave my head pounding harder than any hard liquor. And the state of the dance floor… Between the crushed solo cups and unidentifiable fluids littering the wooden floors, it's a far cry from any event Baekhyun has had.
"Shit." I hiss, clutching my throbbing knee. Struggling to insert the key into the apartment door while balancing on one unsteady foot. The door is yanked open before I can make a third attempt. I blink, slowly lifting my eyes up to a disheveled Baekhyun; his silver hair in a disarray and white dress shirt partially unbuttoned. My heart skips at the sight; a smile soon forming on my lips, "Baekhyunee-"
He steps out the reach of my open arms, swiftly turning to head back inside, leaving the door open.
I hover in the doorway for a moment with a frown, feeling a bit apprehensive while stepping over the threshold. Maybe it was a bad day at the office? His subordinates have been giving him a hard time lately, making decisions without his approval only to leave him to fix their mess in the end. Plus the rumors of a mole trying to catch a peek at his upcoming fashion line designs isn’t ideal. With great power comes great responsibility... I don't know how Baekhyun does it.
I peek inside to find him pacing the wooden floor with heavy footsteps. His neighbors surely won't like that.
"Where were you?" He stops in the middle of the living room, watching me with keen eyes. There's nothing exciting about the darkness I find there.
"Where was I?" I mumble quietly, gently pulling the door closed behind me. Hesitating to even lock it.
"Where were you?" He steps closer and it takes everything in me not to recoil under his predatory stance. Frustration clear in his voice with a sense of poorly concealed panic in his eyes.
What's wrong? I want to ask; worriedly glancing over the obvious exhaustion written all over his face.
"Why haven't you been returning my calls?" His wild gestures towards his device innocently sitting on the arm of the couch remind me of my own tucked away in my clutch; still on airplane mode. His black blazer is even left in a heap on the floor. "How are you going to ask to spend the night yet when I come back you're-"
"I went out," I simply shrug with a twitch of my lips; guilt and slight annoyance bubbling in my chest at the doubtful expression forming on his tired face. "It's a Friday night, Baekhyun."
"Without telling me?" He points to himself. "No call, text or anything?" His eyes trail over my person, hovering over my new dress; brown eyes indifferent instead of the awe I wanted to find there. He scoffs after a moment, shaking his head. "Very responsible of you."
"I'm sorry?" I laugh a little in disbelief fighting the urge to hide away from his scrutinizing gaze. "What are you, my father?"
"Sometimes it feels like it." He grits out, lips curling up into a mocking smile.
My hands drop down to my sides at that. "If you were so worried," I continue despite the bad taste in my mouth; crossing my arms and staring him down, "You could have contacted Jenny."
"How do I know you were with her?" He chuckles bitterly, roughly running a hand through his ruffled hair. A disgusted look crossing his face as he spits out, "How do I know you weren't out fucking Jong-"
"Excuse me?" I breathe, placing a hand to my chest with wide eyes; my heart somewhere between being shattered at my feet and beneath the lump forming in my throat.
He pauses, suddenly at a loss for words before spinning on his heel.
"Oh no." I chuckle at his audacity. "Finish that sentence, Baek. Go ahead." My voice is sugar sweet while following him to the hallway; steadily deepening with my building rage. "Go a fucking head."
He stops, deciding to get in my face then. Looking me over in disdain and hissing venomously. "You were out fucking Jongin."
"Do you have a height complex or something...?" I chuckle in disbelief, hand on my hip while pushing him back with the other. "Don't come accusing me of anything just because of your insecurities." Lifting my chin, I murmur. "You either talk to me like a fucking adult or I let you talk to the wall because I am sick of your shit."
"I'm sick of you too," He shoots back, hurt clear in his glistening brown eyes, swiftly turning to storm off down the end of the hallway.
A tired sigh leaves my lips while shaking my pounding head; feeling a headache coming on. "You promised not to go to bed angry!" I yell after him, leaning against the wall to tug off my annoying heels.
"I'm not angry." He growls, slamming the door to the guest bedroom shut.
I jolt at the startling noise, rubbing the back of my neck; muttering sourly under my breath. "Not angry my ass..."
We barely speak a word to each other for the rest of the weekend. He either leaves a room every time I enter it or downright acts like I'm not even there. Patience wearing thin, I repack my overnight bag shoved deep under the bottom of his bed from months of being unused and start sleeping back at the dorms. Although it is rightfully my room too, I still feel like I'm guiltily crashing there with how much I've been gone lately. Jenny doesn't mind though.
"I've missed the company." She reassures, helping me apply a face mask.
"...Do you think I was being unreasonable?" I mumble, looking down at the container in my hands.
Her sigh is a long one. "Well." She nods, smoothing the cream out on my skin, "The height comment was below the belt. And you could have shot him a text."
"I had my phone on silent..." I mumble in remorse, glancing over the 30 worry-filled messages and 5 calls he sent to me the other night. Not a peep has been heard out of him since, not even when I reminded him where the cute teapot set is for his adorable tuesday tea time…
"You were a bit harsh. But." She continues, raising her clean hand when I begin to object, "He had no right accusing you of cheating." The disgusted look on her face matches the tone in her voice. "Like what the fuck? Who cheats on the best dick in town-"
"Jenny!"
"Kidding!" She laughs, dodging my hand, sporting a serious expression again. "In all seriousness. Baekhyun has trust issues…" She trails off, blinking before I can identify the odd look in her eyes. "And sadly, I'm not surprised."
"Really?" I keep still as she nods, applying more cream across my forehead. "...Do you know what happened?"
She winces, gently taking the container from my hands. "I think it is something you should ask him about yourself." She mumbles, avoiding my gaze.
Sighing, I nod, leaning forward to apply some cream across her nose. The information—or lack thereof—is stuck in my head for days afterwards.
Yeah, nearly a whole damn week goes by before I hear from Baekhyun's stubborn ass again… And I end up being the one to make the first move.
It took ten agonizing minutes of debating with myself before daring to press the first number on my speed dial. Desperate times calls for desperate measures… And I'm this close to losing it.
"Hello?"
I release a shaky breath, heart pounding in my ears. Just that word alone eases a bit of the tight feeling in my chest. I have never, ever been more grateful to hear his voice as I pace the luxurious lobby; anxiously glancing up at the intimidating label of Park's Publishing on the far wall. Trying my hardest not to bite on my freshly white-tipped nails.
"Riley?" He speaks up, bringing me out of my unrelenting thoughts, "...Baby?"
"B-Baekhyun." I whimper, fist clenched by my side; fighting the urge to wrinkle my perfectly ironed pencil skirt, or worse, bolt.
A distant voice says something unidentifiable and a door closes before he speaks again; honey voice closer than before, "What is it? What's wrong?"
A tiny noise barely escapes my shaking lips; I plop myself down on a leather chair. "I don't think I can do this." I gasp out, tears stinging behind my eyes.
"Do what?" He continues a bit frantic, rustling papers sounding over the line, “Tell me what's going on, baby. Where are you?"
My voice barely reaches a whisper. "I-Interview."
The rustling stops and he releases a deep sigh; going quiet. It snaps me out of my panicked daze and riles me up in a fit all over again.
"I-I'm sorry," I blabber, rapidly blinking back tears, "You must be busy and I shouldn't-"
"Baby," He soothes and I pause, listening to his voice. "Listen to me."
I nod wordlessly, taking in his every word.
"You are going to do amazing." He begins. "You're going to go in there, answer their questions and blow them away with your input." He insists, that CEO persona in his voice. "They are going to love you and you are going to get that position. Do you hear me?"
"Y-Yes," I whisper, clutching onto the phone.
"Good. You got this," He softens, smile being heard through his voice, "I believe in you, okay?"
"Okay," I hush, bashfully fiddling with the bottom of my skirt; peeking over at the waving secretary trying to get my attentionand straightening up, "I-I got to go. It's time…"
"They are gonna love you baby," He shushes. "But not more than I do."
A smile makes its way to my lips; my heart racing for a different reason entirely. Even when in the middle of a cold war, he still manages to make my heart flutter. "Thank you, Baekhyun." His reassuring hum resonates in my being; warming me up from my sore feet to my cold fingertips.
With quick partings, I hang up the phone and make my way over to the secretary standing by a door. Taking a deep breath before entering the spacious room. Let the games begin.
Three days later, I get an email in the middle of lunch; damn near sending Sehun's poor ham sandwich flying across the room.
"Sehun!!" I squeal, jumping out my seat; phone in hand.
"Wha—What?!!" He exclaims, trying to stop me from excitedly slapping his arms.
"Sehun!!!! I-" He finally catches my hand making me pause, taking a look around the silent cafe. Onlookers watching us with their brows raised. "Just a job interview. Carry on." Turning back to him with red cheeks, I quietly shout, "I got the job!"
His eyes widen before I'm pulled into a bear hug, my laughter muffled in the soft fabric of his black t-shirt.
Everyone is elated at the news, congratulating me at our next meet up in Minseok's new bar. The atmosphere is homey despite all the new faces.
"Congrats man," Chanyeol claps a hand on my shoulder in passing, smiling over the glass of bourbon in his hand while taking the seat next to Sehun. My best friend fist bumps me from the left side of the table before turning to the grinning man.
"Thanks, bro," I chuckle, watching Minseok work on the countertop in the distance with my chin in my palm. Many regulars chat him up over strong shots and fruity cocktails. "He sure is the favorite here, huh?"
"Oh yeah," Chanyeol nods while Jenny leans in across the other side of the table to whisper in my ear. "Although he doesn't play for any team."
"Really?" I whisper back with wide eyes, smiling at her confirming nod. "Good for him then."
"Excuse me, coming through." Minseok’s cheery voice is easy to hear amongst the lively bar chatter, sporting that signature smile of his; a tray full of drinks clutched firmly in his hands. "Order for table four!" He beams, setting the drinks in front of us. The usual for me, brandy for Sehun, and a Sex on the Beach for Jenny. "What's the special occasion, hmm?" He teases, rubbing his hands on the towel at his waist.
"Don't act like you don't check the group chat," Chanyeol complains, looking over at the chuckling man as he takes the empty seat across from him. Jenny scoots over to give him more room. "Riley got her first major job."
"Really?" He continues to smile, a twinkle in his eye while glancing over at me. "The baby grew huh?"
"She has left the nest." Sehun nods, ruffling my hair despite my protests; arching a brow at Jenny. "Where are Jongin and Baekhyun by the way? I understand Jongdae, but-"
"Oh would you look at that," She looks over her shoulder towards the door behind me with a relieved smile, drawing my attention there as well. "You talked them up."
Two familiar figures step into the bar, each with grim expressions on their faces as a third, shorter one is revealed when they reach the rest of us at the table. —Or well, more like the two tables we pushed together (not the least bit quiet either, might I add. Thanks Chanyeol).
"Kyungsoo?" I inquire, eyes widening at the bouquet of yellow roses, pink Peruvian lilies, purple irises, and red gladiolus flowers. Taking the small bottle of cheerwine he also hands me with a small gasp.
"Hey," He smiles a little, softly patting my hand resting on the back of my chair. "Didn't want to come empty-handed."
“Thank you,” I beam, setting the flowers on the table before opening the bottle carefully; pouring some into a spare shot glass Chanyeol slides across the table.
"Congratulations, Doll." Jongin mumbles, hands stuffed deep inside the pockets of his black slacks. Keeping a fair distance between us.
The smile I send his way is an apologetic one; especially with the pair of eyes watching us like a hawk. "Thanks, bro," I mutter as he walks on to take a seat; that sinking feeling once again filling my chest.
"Hey," An unmistakable voice whispers in my ear.
I turn a bit towards Baekhyun, smiling politely despite the chaste kiss he presses to my forehead. "Hi."
He pulls out the chair next to me while I pretend to focus on the conversation Chanyeol, Jongin, and Sehun are having across the table about the boring subject of weight lifting. Trying hard not to think about how adorable he looks with a black blazer, white dress shirt, and that matching bow-tie around his neck. Gorgeous silver hair styled in a subtle—yet just as knee-weakening—comma hairstyle.
"How have you been?" Baekhyun softly murmurs, his voice nearly drowned out by everything around us.
"I can bench press more than the both of you combined!"
"Shut up, Yeol."
"I've been okay," Smiling lightly, I turn back to my neglected drink to avoid his eye; idly wiping away condensation from the side of the cold glass. My attention instantly snatched away by a familiar hand gently taking mine away from the object.
"Can we talk after this?" His voice is barely above a hush, only loud enough for me to hear. The gleam of sincerity in his tired eyes has my heart aching and soaring at the same time.
I take a swig of my drink, simply nodding despite the burn, "Sure."
He watches me for a moment, seeming to be looking for something beyond my nonchalant expression; probably trying to see past the walls I've put up. A small sigh falls from his lips, the warm pillows shortly pressing a soft kiss to the back of my hand, "Okay."
He doesn't let go of my hand, choosing to tangle our fingers together before setting them on his thigh. The warmth on my cheeks is not coming from the gentle strokes of his thumb on my skin or the sweet tingle that kiss left in its wake. Nope. Not at all.
Gradually, the conversation at the table switches to more lighthearted topics. Everyone pitching in with little tidbits of their daily lives as if sensing the tension between the quietest men among us. Even Kyungsoo goes into detail about the newest dish added to the menu of his restaurant.
Baekhyun's shoulder looks comfier by the second with every sip of cherry soda and bold vodka I take. A particularly hilarious story of Chanyeol's sends me reeling; hiding my face in his gorgeous neck. His little shiver when my lips accidentally brush over his warm skin doesn't go unnoticed by me.
Baekhyun meets my gaze, his brown eyes darker than they were before as his tongue glides over his bottom lip; pink lips curling up into a knowing little smirk at my unwavering stare.
"Hey, guys!" A light voice chimes, a soothing timbre that sails above the bar chatter like an unsuspecting breeze; breaking us out of our little bubble.
Just about everyone at the table turns to the newcomer with wide eyes. Sehun and I share the same confused look before I slightly twist around in my chair to see.
"Yixing?" Baekhyun's eyes are wide, brows soon furrowing at the three unexpected people approaching our table. A tall man with kind eyes and raven hair is accompanied by an equally stunning woman, her black hair falling to her mid-waist. Minseok gets up to make room for the all-too-familiar brunet striding in front with a satisfied smirk on his face. "Sora? Dae? I didn’t know you all were coming…"
"Hi, Baekhyunnie," Sora damn near purrs, red-painted fingertips brushing his shoulder as she walks by with Yixing by her side. The oblivious man envied while I blink slowly, eyes narrowed closely on her smug form; recognition taking longer than I'd like to set in. It's the secretary Baekhyun supposedly fired. But wait… Weren't there two of them?...
"It's about time everyone meets your girlfriend, Baek." Jongdae drawls, smiling innocently enough while taking his seat. Gleefully twinkling eyes glancing over at Jenny when she smacks his arm, giving him a warning glare.
A few more drinks in and everyone seems to relax; easy going inhibitions and loosened mouths. Now we've moved on to telling old college stories. Minseok is currently recalling a time a classmate had mistaken him for being her star quarterback boyfriend.
"He acted as if he'd beat him to a pulp not knowing that Minseok is actually made of steel." Yixing grins lopsidedly in humor, head tilted to inspect the contents swirling within his glass.
"I challenged him to arm wrestling once." Chanyeol reminisces with a shiver, taking a gulp of his second refill. "Never again."
"Bro, this man could toss you over his shoulder and run a mile, I swear." Jongin's tone has a hint of a whine to it, elbows holding his weight upon the table directly across from Baek. Kyungsoo is quick to slide their glasses out the way of his clumsy hand gestures.
"Sure," Sehun mutters, half-lidded eyes rolling in exaggeration.
"I know from experience..." Jongin grumbles, a hilariously offended look on his face.
I laugh quietly, catching Minseok's eye. "Easy as pie," He smirks behind the rim of his glass, lifting it in a playful cheer and winking mischievously.
"Easy for you to say," Chanyeol full-on complains, the large distance kept between him and Sora causes his arm to constantly bump into Sehun. "Remember that time you slipped off the pier? I almost broke my back tryna pull you back up!"
I laugh harder, having to cling onto Baekhyun's arm before I fall out of my chair, a burning stare makes my eyes drift over to Jongdae.
The table seems to settle down, everyone looking at the narrowed eyed man as well.
"Hey Jongdae, you good man?" Minseok jokes, tentatively nudging his side.
The brunet comes out of his trance, throwing his head back in that rambunctious laughter that never leads to anything good. "Oh yeah." He grins, words noticeably slurred. "Please forgive me, I was just struck by deja vu." His eyes drag over to Baekhyun, curled lip smile widening in glee. "Isn't this scenario familiar to you Baek?" His voice dips in emphasis on the word ‘familiar’ as if it's a hint to an inside joke. "Very very familiar."
"O-kay," Jenny steps in hurriedly as I feel Baekhyun stiffen; she reaches for the shot glass clutched in Jongdae's palms. "I think you’d had enough-"
"How is she, by the way?" He brushes her off, sending the glass falling over onto the table; contents spilled while Minseok is quick to catch it before it hits the floor. "Have you heard from her lately? I mean, she sure is pretty active in our old group chat-"
Chanyeol and Jongin stand up, assisting her in hoisting him up before escorting a blabbering Jongdae outside; the brunet practically a dead-weight. Apologizes are directed to everyone they accidentally bump into along the way; Kyungsoo shortly following behind to help. The worried yet knowing look they all share while stepping out the door is imprinted on my mind. Along with the fact both my potential rides are gone unless I plan to catch a cab with Sehun...
"Want me to drive you home?" Baekhyun murmurs quietly after a while, soft lips caressing the shell of my ear.
I try my best not to shiver, turning to him with what I hope is my best pleading eyed expression. An incoming headache and the desire to sleep it off overpowering all other thoughts as I meet his warm brown orbs, "Please?"
Based on the way his eyes soften even more, I think it worked. "Come on." He offers his hand, smiling a little when I stumble trying to get off of my high chair.
A gust of wind blows just as we step out into the busy street. Baekhyun wordlessly places his blazer on my shoulders. A small smile curls my lips at the gesture; widening further when his warm hand searches for mine, tucking our joined hands into his pocket. His secure hold makes my heart race while we walk to his car parked at a meter on the other side of the road.
"Thank you," I mumble as he opens the passenger door, hiding my heated cheeks in the fabric of his blazer. Heart exhilarating at the lingering scent of vanilla, laundry detergent, and him. I take my phone off of airplane mode once settled in the comfortable leather seat.
Just as we pull off the curb, a loud ding! disrupts the quiet atmosphere. I pull my phone from my hoodie pocket, eyes widening at the messages that come streaming in.
"What is it?" Baekhyun asks curiously with a brief glance, noting the look on my face.
"It's...mom," I mumble, blinking sluggishly; squinting a little at the bright screen. "She's asking when I plan to visit."
"Ahh..." He hums, fingers tapping on the steering wheel. We fall quiet once again, nothing heard except the late-night traffic, low radio volume, and my nails tapping away on my phone screen.
"I wouldn't mind meeting your mom," He mumbles after awhile.
My head snaps over to him at that, neck painfully cracking from the sharp movement. "What?"
"I wouldn't mind meeting your mom." He looks over at me at a red light. "What?" His tone is softer, uncertainty filling his eyes. "Do you not want me to-"
"No!" I interject a bit too hurriedly, backtracking at the doubtful expression playing on his handsome features. "I mean, it's not that. I just…"
He tilts his head, slivers locks of hair concealing the emotion in his brown orbs, "Just?"
"I never brought a guy home," I grumble, shifting my eyes to the view of city lights from the passenger window.
"I'd be the first?" His voice is that soft hush again, tip-toeing around questions as if I will snap at him at any moment.
"Not if you keep being an insufferable peacock," I cross my arms, sinking further down into the comfy leather seat as his wide brown eyes flick over to me.
"...I deserve that," He mumbles, lips poked out in the tiniest pout.
Taking a long look at his sulking side profile, I sigh at his slumped shoulders and the now “scolded” child-like expression on his face; turning more towards him. "Can we talk now?” Catching his eye, I elaborate. "Like really talk? This habit of going days without talking to each other cannot continue if we are going to be together, Baekhyun."
I swear I heard him utter a disgruntled, “why not?” under his breath, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.
"We are both adults here, Baek." Tucking my buzzing phone back into my pocket, I gently place my hand on his free one, interlocking our fingers. "We have to talk, listen, and compromise if we want to be healthy and not end up hating each other." Feeling him tense up, I rub my thumb over his knuckles, adding softly, "I really want us to work, but we can't keep going on this way…" I swallow hard, trying to work around the lump in my throat and tightness building up in my chest; directing my blurry eyes down to my hands. "It hurts, Baekhyun."
The car jerks violently just as I finish my sentence. I brace myself against the seat, meeting his brooding eyes with my confused ones. He's cupping my face to pull me into a deep kiss before I can say anything. The way his soft pillows slowly dance with mine causes my heart rate to escalate. Beating so loud I fear he'd hear it or feel it through his warm palms.
I pull away after a while; searching his brown orbs for answers as he caresses my cheek, leaning forward to press a kiss to my nose that leaves my feelings in an even bigger disarray.
"We will." His tone is gentle, yet firm, eyes never straying away from my own. "We will talk, just…" He falters, gaze shifting off to the side, blinking away a foreign look too soon for me to identify it before focusing his tired orbs back onto me. "Trust me, okay?"
Finding determination and a plea within those puppy eyes, I nod, keeping a resigned sigh to myself while placing my hand over his own on my cheek.
"Okay…" He seems to relax, lips brushing over mine before he moves to sit properly in the driver’s seat; starting the car back up. The journey to the dorms is spent in comfortable silence. Fingers intertwined and wild hearts in sync.
•⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 P(1) P(2) | Part 4 P(1) P(2) | Part 5 P(1) ✓ P(2) | Part 6
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3. “It’s always been you.”
3. “It’s always been you.”
billy storms out of the apartment, seething and fighting back tears. because billy hargrove does not cry. ever. he didn’t back when he lived with neil, he didn’t after his mom left, he didn’t when he got arrested for possession and almost lost his scholarship to UCLA.
he’s not about to start now.
not because steve pretty boy harrington has to go around acting like a grade-A asshole, with his soft hair and big eyes and pouty lips, screwing everything with a goddamn pulse. no sir. billy won’t give him that luxury.
the reality is, steve has always had a thing for plowing his way through as many people as humanly possible. or so billy heard all those years ago when he’d first arrived in hawkins and started inquiring about the pretty-faced indiana boy who billy just couldn’t seem to stay away from.
but billy thought all of that was behind them. they live together, for fuck’s sake. they’d moved out to california together so billy could go to school, and so steve could take a position at one of the offices of his father’s company in LA. steve hasn’t been seeing anyone, billy hasn’t been seeing anyone. they’ve been happy. content.
and okay, so maybe they aren’t dating. maybe billy hasn’t exactly told steve how he feels. but, like, steve should know. billy has gone out of his way to make it glaringly obvious. steve may be oblivious, but he’s not dumb. not like everyone thinks.
billy is pretty damn sure there’s no way steve isn’t aware of how he feels.
the worst part is, billy thought steve actually felt the same. at least, he had up until today, when he walked in on steve sitting on the couch with some girl, laughing and smiling and whatever the fuck else. he’d walked out before he could see anything more, despite steve’s desperate pleas for him to come back so they could talk.
there’s nothing to talk about. billy thought steve liked him, steve doesn’t. it’s done. he just needs some time to... process it, or whatever. billy finds himself on the beach soon enough, and he slips off his shoes so he can stick his toes in the sand, plopping down with a sigh.
it’s a private beach tucked a ways away from the pier, but billy knows the owners of this plot. they don’t stay at their beach house until the winter, when they want to escape to somewhere a little warmer during the colder months. he’s pretty sure the rest of their time is spent in aspen. so for now he’s safe to sit here and think, staring out at the water as the sun sinks below the horizon.
billy has brought steve here a lot. they’ve picnicked here several times, and billy even brought steve out a once or twice to teach him how to surf before they knew that steve was irreparably bad at it. the thought makes billy’s heart squeeze, and he has to pinch himself as a reminder to not be such a pussy.
because it’s whatever that steve is into some air-headed cheerleader type with a tiny waist and hair like strands of gold. it doesn’t bother billy one bit. not at all. he Does Not Care in the slightest.
maybe if he keeps telling himself that, it’ll somehow become true.
“thought i might find you out here.”
billy doesn’t turn around at the sound of steve’s voice, keeping his eyes forward even though his stomach sinks. “congratulations, you’ve finally managed to develop critical thinking skills. let’s bust out the champagne.”
“i can go if you want me to,” steve says softly, even though billy feels him sink down onto the sand next to him, close enough that their arms brush.
billy just snorts, shrugging. “i don’t give a shit what you do, harrington.”
steve just sighs, and for a long time he doesn’t speak. out of the corner of his eye, billy can see him staring out at the sunset, looking rather forelorn. billy wishes he could turn that look into something soft, something happy, but steve has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t have that right.
“you know, i remember the first time you took me here,” steve says finally, and billy can’t help but glance over at him. steve’s smile is warm and soft, but tinged with something like sadness. “you tried to teach me how to surf. the first time, i mean. i slipped off the board and busted my ass so hard on it you had to carry me home.”
“you suck at surfing,” billy acknowledges, nodding. “badly.”
steve huffs a soft laugh. “yeah, i do. i just remember thinking that it was still one of the best days i’ve ever had. because that was the day i knew you loved me as much as i love you.”
billy goes completely still, his heart leaping up into his throat and his eyes watering, because what the fuck? where does steve get off making an admission like that just to make billy be less upset with him?
“don’t do that,” billy says, his voice rough. “you don’t get to do that. don’t pretend like you feel the same just because you don’t want me to be pissed at you.”
“billy,” steve starts, sounding distressed. he pauses, meeting billy’s eyes and fuck, they’re filled with tears too and billy doesn’t know how he feels about that. “it’s you. it’s always been you.”
the words break something inside of billy, and he crumples. he can’t pretend to be mad anymore when the truth is that he’s devastated. plain and simple.
“you sure have a funny way of showing it,” billy tells him, sniffling and wiping his nose on the back of his hand. “i saw you two. you were two seconds from playing couch twister. would’ve been if i hadn’t walked in when i did.”
“leanne is gay, billy,” steve groans, burying his face in his hands. “she works with me and she’s gay. has a nice girlfriend named annalise. they have a fucking kid. we were just- jesus, i can’t believe i even have to explain this. to you of all people. i’m the dumb one, remember? fuck. we were just going over some fucking spreadsheets. yeah, riveting stuff. super romantic.”
“i didn’t- are you fucking with me?” billy asks, because he’s starting to feel really fucking stupid and a small part of him is hoping he didn’t just throw a (rather humiliating) tantrum over nothing. “you guys were giggling. and sitting so close, i just... i thought you were making a move.”
“god, you can be more dense than me sometimes, you know that? we were giggling about you, dumbass. i told her that i liked you and she wanted to know more,” steve explains, shaking his head in disbelief. “it was just- i dunno. like two friends at a sleepover giggling about their crushes.”
“would you quit calling yourself an idiot?” billy huffs. primarily because he can’t think of anything else to say - his mind is racing too much. but also because it’s true. “this kinda proves that if anyone’s an idiot here, it’s me. i just- i don’t understand why you never said anything.”
steve is shoving his hands through the sand repeatedly, watching the sand run between his fingers. “you know i’m bi, i told you as much. i figured you were like me, or gay, or- i dunno. i just thought you weren’t ready to talk about it yet. i left the ball in your court, thinking that once you were ready, we’d, y’know. address the fucking elephant in the room.”
“the elephant being... ?” billy trails off. and he knows, but he really just wants to hear steve say it again.
steve rolls his eyes, laughing. “you know what i mean. but fine: the elephant being that i’m in love with you. and that i’m really, really hoping you love me, too.”
“i do,” billy says, his voice soft. “and i’m an idiot. i’m sorry.”
“you’re not an idiot. i probably would’ve thought the same thing if the roles were reversed and i walked in on something like that.” steve glances over at billy, giving him a tender smile. “just... next time, let’s talk to each other, yeah? i think that’ll save both of us a lot of grief.”
billy just hums, nodding his approval. they sit in comfortable silence for a little while, both still too nervous to make a move despite having just confessed their love to each other. at this point billy just finds it endearing, but he really, really wants to be closer to steve, and not just emotionally.
“i am gay, you know,” billy starts, his palms sweating, “and i really want to kiss you.”
“i know. and i think i’d like that.”
steve’s lips are soft and yielding beneath billy’s. his kisses feel exactly the way billy imagined they would - tender and sweet and a little shy, but curious. billy tries to keep it slow, not wanting to shove them into uncharted territory, but it’s only a matter of time before billy has steve’s back hitting the sand, hovering over him, their lips never breaking apart.
steve just sighs into the kiss, embracing the new position without complaint. he relaxes into the sand, one hand threading through billy’s curls, the other curling into the tufts of hair at the base of billy’s neck. it’s a kiss that billy never wants to end. but he knows there’ll be more. so much more.
“i’d say at least now we can get a cheaper apartment, but i think we’ll both still need our space every now and then,” steve says when billy pulls away, staring up a him with big eyes.
“yeah. plus it’s... ” billy trails off, his cheeks flushing bright red.
“it’s what?” steve asks, his brows coming together in confusion. “seriously, what were you going to say?”
“it’s home,” billy says gently, bracing both arms on either side of steve so he can swoop down to capture his lips again whenever he wants to. “home is wherever i’m with you, but- y’know. i like our place. it feels like us.”
“you’re such a fucking sap, oh my god,” steve laughs, but he’s smiling so brightly that billy thinks the whole beach could stay lit up for the rest of the night. “billy hargrove, secretly soft and mushy inside. who would’ve thought.”
“wasn’t, ‘til i met you,” billy tells him honestly.
and it’s true, for a long time billy hardened himself to the world, protecting himself with an armor of indifference until steve came along and melted him to his core. but billy isn’t one to complain, not when it means he gets to go to sleep and wake up to steve’s smile every day now, for the rest of his life. forever, maybe, if steve is up for that.
he wouldn’t have it any other way.
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I loved the animal crossing vs karasuno boys hcs u did!! Do u think u could do another one with a different team? Maybe nekoma but u can choose whatever!! Thank u 😊
AAAAAAHHH This has been sitting in my drafts almost-completely finished for MONTHS and I’m FINALLY GONNA POST IT! Thank you for the request, I love Nekoma so, so, so much! (Fukunaga please call me. I’ll do all the talking)
(( Also also since I did all boy villagers in the Karasuno one, this one has all girl villagers))
LONG POST BELOW!
Kuroo Tetsurou
“Celia is so pretty!~ I love her so much!”
Kuroo’s attention snapped to you, doing his best to keep his face neutral as his brain went rocketing off in the worst direction possible. Pretty? Pretty girl? You like a pretty girl?
He had no room to judge, he also liked pretty girls. But there’s no way you liked this pretty girl more than you liked him, right? Right?
He pulled his attention back to the practice match just in time to avoid getting wailed in the face with a volleyball, able to turn it into a clumsy receive at the last possible second. If his teammates noticed, they were at least kind enough not to call him out.
When he sidled up to you at the end of practice he did his best to sound fake concerned, not legitimately worried.
“You replacing me with some cute girl? I could hear you mooning from all the way on the court, you know?”
You just laughed and shook your head, lifting your phone to show a character from the game you and Kenma had been gushing about. Your phone lockscreen had been set to a picture of an, admittedly adorable, cartoon eagle.
“I finally found someone who had Celia in their town. I wanted her so bad!”
Kuroo snorted, ruffling the top of your head. “Well I’m glad you got her. Next time give me a warning before you start going all mushy for video game birds, alright?”
Kai Nobuyuki
“Oh, Lily! Lily, you’re so beautiful!”
Kai barely gave more than a twitch to indicate that he’d heard what you’d said. He’d heard you gush about celebrities or anime characters you’d liked before, but not to the degree that you’d call them just by their first name.
“New favorite character?” He offered, continuing to pack his practice bag and try not to look too curious about who you were fawning over.
Luckily for him, you were more than happy to supply the answer yourself, squiggling under his arm and holding your Switch up to his face so he could see your colorfully-dressed character sitting at a picnic table with an adorable cartoon frog.
“She’s so cute! I can’t believe I got her in my town.”
“I didn’t know you liked frogs so much.” He breathed a silent sigh of relief, feeling silly for letting himself worry, even the tiniest bit.
“Yeah, well she’s the cutest frog!”
“Cuter than most frogs I’ve seen.”
Kai fought a smile as you began passionately debating the cuteness of real life frogs, tugging you a little bit closer with his arm.
Yaku Morisuke
“Ah, Cleo! How could anyone ever be so cute?”
Yaku didn’t much enjoy it when you called him cute, but hearing you call somebody else cute was somehow a thousand times worse. He could swear he felt his own blood pressure spike with that sentence alone.
“Ooh! Who’s cute?”
And there’s Lev. So much for his blood pressure.
You held up your phone screen to Lev and he began nodding along in agreement with you, which somehow made Yaku feel even more irritated than he already did. A stray volleyball rolled across the floor near him, and he sent it spiralling into Lev’s lower back with a kick.
“Quit talking about cute girls and focus on your receives, shithead!”
“OWWWW!!! Yaku-senpai, so mean! You could’ve missed! Then how would you feel?”
“Get back on the court, Lev.”
“I’m sorry!” You said when you pulled Yaku aside after practice. “I just was just really excited about Animal Crossing, I didn’t mean to distract Lev.”
“Animal….. Crossing?”
“Yeah! I got a really cute villager!” You held up your phone and showed Yaku a picture of the pastel horse that had just moved into your village.
“...Oh. Cleo.”
“Mhm!... Are you okay? You’re turning a little red. Maybe you should drink some more water.”
Kozume Kenma
“Rosie! Oh, Rosie is definitely best girl.”
Despite being very well-versed in Animal Crossing, it still caught Kenma off-guard for a half a second to hear you so openly mooning about your favorite villager. Luckily for him the two of you had been talking about Animal Crossing since the new game was announced, so he’d had plenty of time to get to know your favorites.
“Did you find someone to trade with you?”
“Yep! I just need to get Egbert to leave so she can move in! Get outta here, chicken!”
Resting his chin on your shoulder, Kenma watched with a small smile as you started building cliffs around the perimeter of Egbert’s house, determined to get him to move away. Maybe someday he’d have to deal with the discomfort of hearing you openly moon about someone attractive. Thankfully, today was not that day.
Fukunaga Shouhei
“You’re so perfect, Ellie! Don’t ever leave!”
Fukunaga glanced at you and quirked an eyebrow, but you were far too immersed in your Switch screen to notice. Your expression had dropped into this soft, moony-eyed gaze, one that Fukunaga wasn’t used to seeing directed at anything that wasn’t him when you thought he wasn’t looking.
It felt… weird.
“Oh! Shouhei, do you wanna see?” You finally seemed to notice him glancing in your direction, scooting over to show off your screen. “Ellie was moving out of Kenma’s town and he let me take her! Isn’t she cute?”
While your character ran circles around the little tan elephant all Shouhei could do was watch you smile with a warm, fuzzy feeling blooming in his chest.
“Second cutest here.” He quietly replied.
Yamamoto Taketora
“Molly! She’s so cute I can’t even handle it!”
Normally Yamamoto would find the idea of you fawning over a cute girl to be equally cute. That way the two of you could fawn over cute girls together!
But it was significantly less fun when it meant that one hundred percent of your attention was on your phone and zero percent of your attention was on him. He spent the majority of the day landing awesome spikes only to snap his attention towards you and see you fully immersed in your phone screen.
Finally his not-so-quiet grumbling about your lack of attention got the better of Kuroo and he hollered over to you, asking what you were looking at. Before Yamamoto could shush him you raised your phone, showing off an adorable cartoon duck.
“I finally got Molly in my town!”
Kuroo burst into laughter as a blush crawled its way across Yamamoto’s face and up to the tips of his ears, taking a swing at Kuroo to try and get him to shut up.
Haiba Lev
“She’s so stoic and cool. How can you not be completely in love with Whitney?”
“I can be stoic and cool.” Lev grumbled.
“She’s got such pretty white hair and sharp eyes.”
“I’ve got white hair and sharp eyes.”
“I should get her some flowers.”
“Can’t you get your boyfriend some flowers?”
“Hm? Lev, hun, did you say something?”
He’d been quietly murmuring under his breath since you started gushing about Animal Crossing but honestly, how could you not? Whitney was one of your dreamies and finally, after many a Nook Mile Ticket spent, you finally had her on your island. Maybe you had been going on about it for a bit, though.
“I’m sorry, Lev! I’m just excited. I wanna know what you said though!”
Lev puffed up, jabbing his thumb into his chest. “I’ve got all those things you love about this Whitney girl so much, so you shouldn’t need anyone else!”
You stared at him in disbelief for a long, painfully awkward moment, before snorting hard as you dissolved into laughter.
“H-Hey!”
I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh!” You choke out between giggles, just silently holding up your Switch to Lev’s face to show off your character presenting some roses to a cartoon wolf…
… Named Whitney.
You don’t think you’ve ever seen someone turn that shade of red before.
“W-W-Well she must be your favorite because she’s so much like me! Right? Right?!”
Good save, Lev. Good save.
Inuoka Sou
“Piper’s just so cool and chill! That’s why she’s my absolute favorite.”
Oh. Oh! You liked cool and chill people? Inuoka had no idea. But that’s okay! He can be cool! He can be chill!
“Dude, you okay? You’re like… Vibrating.”
At least, that’s what Inuoka had thought at the beginning of the day. Truthfully he had no skill when it came to containing his energy, especially since every time he saw you it felt like his heart was doing the equivalent of spam texting you a dozen lines of heart emojis. By the time he had gotten to the end of practice he felt jittery and uncomfortable, like he’d been holding a lid down on a boiling pot of water. He just hadn’t been acknowledging it until Yamamoto pointed it out.
“Sou?” You had been waiting for him outside the gym! Waiting! For him! His heart felt like it did a kickflip off the inside of his ribcage as he enveloped you in a hug.
“I tried! I tried to be calm and chill like you like but I just can’t do it! And whenever I see you my heart goes a RAAAAAHHH so it’s basically impossible anyway! I hope you don’t mind!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on.” You cupped his face in your hands and he melted into your hold, smiling like an idiot. “When did I say I like calm, chill guys?”
“This morning, you were talking about some girl named Piper and you said she was so calm and cool and that's why you liked her so I thought if I could be like that you’d like me more too and-”
You pressed a finger to his lips and he couldn’t help but sigh, turning to putty at your merest touch.
“Babe, I was talking about a character from my game! You know, the one with all the animals?”
“Really?”
“Really?”
“So I don’t need to act all calm and cool for you to like me?”
“Of course not! I love you just the way you are.”
“Heehee~… I feel a little silly.”
“You are a little silly, babe.”
Shibayama Yuuki
“I’m in love! Flora is so perfect! I’ve never loved so much in my life!”
Shibayama stumbled over his own two feet when he heard you professing your love of this ‘Flora’ to one of your classmates during lunch. Glancing just around the door to your classroom, you were holding your phone in one hand and wildly gesturing with the other, leaving your friend chuckling at your excited antics.
He felt an uncomfortable sort of chill in the pit of his stomach, making his just-eaten lunch feel more than a bit unwelcome. Did you even like this Flora more than...him?
It was easy to tell that Shibayama was a bit out of it at practice, doing his best to stay focused but still uncharacteristically quiet. It wasn’t until you met him after practice to walk home that everything was cleared up to him.
“S-So, um… Who’s Flora?”
“Huh? Oh! Oh, lemme show you!”
You pulled out your Switch and ran your little character over to a flamingo and began talking to her, and Shibayama felt all the tension in his body rush out in a single breath. He let out a small chuckle as you fawned over the character.
“Yeah, she’s pretty cute!”
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