₊✩‧₊ hiii, I'm SweetPea, I've been reading fanfictions for years and I thought it would be fun to try writing for fun!
✩‧ I will mostly wrote fluff here, I'm not sure if I will be comfortable with writing smut, suggestive is okay! I think a good make out session can be cute lmao
✩‧ My request are open so don't be shy to ask me anything :> or just writing any thoughts are welcome, as long as you're polite, I would be happy to talk about anything
✩‧ I only write for DC comics and sometimes Stranger things' characters! (Only Steve for now)
Gator always having his baby’s smushy cheek against his shoulder :( :(
always always always, in those damn black shirts he wears to work, or his soft flannels that honey loves to steal. that sweet little baby loves the warmth her daddy gives off, the way his big hand covers her entire back. he’s very good at burping, he says he has the best pat method and the best shoulder to burp on. it’s actually precious how easily his whole body relaxes once his baby is in his arms, her little smushy cheek against his shoulder. whether she’s awake, eyes wide in wonderment about whatever everyday thing she’s obsessed with for the hour, or her eyes are fluttering shut as she starts to softly snore after her milk. she loooves daddy’s shoulder, and always will. she knows even as an infant, that his shoulder will always be there for her
summary: after finding out steve has developed a liking to you, you realise you might feel the same way. though, a surprising date gets in the way of both of your feelings
wc: 2.5k
cw: no use of Y/N, swearing (fucking/fuck, piss), set in season 4, suggestive content, kinda cheating?? (sorry sorry sorry)
G: I have about 5 different google docs for this fic that I abandoned half way through because I hated them. This was a long week of trying to figure out how I was gonna write this and yet I still hate it. Enjoy
m.list | part 1
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
You didn’t know if you were being dramatic or not, but you felt like you could rip out all of your hair hearing Steve talk about his date.
He’d been at it all evening. Talking about how great she is.
“She’s pretty cool. And she has perfect movie taste too: Psycho, The Godfather, Taxi Driver. I mean, all ten out of ten movies!” He cheerfully expresses.
“That’s great, Steve, but we’re trying to watch our own movie right now.” Dustin perks up with an annoyed smile.
Steve just nods sheepishly with a tight-lipped smile. “Sorry.” He replies quietly to Dustin’s unusually rude behaviour.
“I’m actually going to bed.” You announce, standing up from your seat next to Steve.
“Already?” Steve questions. Usually, you’re up until midnight, but going to bed at seven p.m. was quite rare for you.
“Yeah, I just had a long day and I’m exhausted from it.” You easily lie, walking to the doorway of the living room.
“Oh, well, night.” He says, followed by everyone else bidding their farewells for the evening.
“Night.”
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
You’d been staring at your ceiling for what felt like three hours now.
Your mind was going a thousand miles per hour, you couldn't tell if you were actually thinking at all.
"I have a date tomorrow."
You didn't know whether to be angry at Steve for bagging a date with some other girl, or be angry at the random girl for having feelings, or to be angry at Robin for her stupid mouth, or to be angry at yourself for not realising your feelings soon enough. You were just angry, and it was killing you that you now had to act fine whenever this girl was mentioned, knowing that jealousy was eating you alive.
So everything that happened meant nothing?
The way he looked at you with the big, baby brown eyes. The way he held your hand whenever you watched a horror movie because he knew you hated jumpscares. The way he’d laugh at your jokes even when no one else was. The way he quit smoking and drinking because you hated that he was destroying himself even more.
Even if it meant nothing to him, it meant something to you.
You'd fallen for him and his stupid face. His stupid puppy dog eyes and his stupid hair. His stupid laugh. His nose. His moles. His lips. His hilarious and sweet personality.
Every part of him, you loved. In fact, you were fascinated by him.
You were so deeply in love with Steve Harrington it hurt.
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
You were dreading for Steve to come home the following evening.
He’d been gone for five hours now. Which, in your mind, meant everything went well and they’re fucking in his car.
The thought of it made your knuckles turn white from how hard you were balling your fists together, your nails piercing into your skin , nearly drawing blood.
“You okay?” Eddie asks, concernedly.
“Peachy.” You reply with feigned calmness.
As if the gods had declined your prayers, the sound of the front door closing in that harsh way Steve usually shuts it behind himself echoes around the house. You hear him slip off his shoes and shrug off his jacket. He quickly makes his way to the living room, where everyone hibernates when they have nothing else to do.
Everyone immediately looks at him with anticipation while he smirks, a small tinge of pink playing with his cheeks.
“I asked her out.”
You didn’t quite know how to react. Maybe strangle him. Maybe pounce on him and tackle him to the ground. Or, your personal favourite, shave his hair while he’s sleeping.
“On the first date?” Eddie asks curiously.
“Well, you know, the sooner, the better.” He shrugs with a gleeful smile.
As though to make this situation a hundred times worse, the couch dips beneath Steve's weight as he sits next to you. The lingering scent of his cologne fills your nostrils almost immediately.
His arm rests atop the couch, the presence of his fingertips grazing your shoulder. Your skin quickly turns pebbly with bumps as a soft chill runs down your spine.
Everything that Steve did simply drove you crazy
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
The next few weeks nearly convinced you you had woken up in a hell you’d personally like to call “Julia”.
The first time you met her was two days after Steve had asked her out. He was weirdly eager for her to meet everyone, so he arranged a dinner that he spent all day cooking. It was okay. I mean, it was Steve’s cooking. He either over seasons or doesn’t season it enough.
Upon Julia entering the house, you thought maybe you’d have a change of heart. She seemed like a sweet girl. Curly blonde hair, gorgeous blue eyes, light freckles dotted over her face, and lips that always held a smile.
She was beautiful, you wouldn’t deny that. But god, did she piss you off.
First of all, her laugh made your skin prick. It was loud and sounded like a mixture between a woodpecker and a gun. Even most people at the dinner table refused to talk in case of triggering someone’s fight or flight with her sudden cackle. Though, in this case, Steve really didn’t help. He wouldn’t stop talking to her, and for some reason, she found everything funny.
“I’m not that great at cooking.” Eddie mentions casually, digging into his food peacefully until Julia whips her head back, full on belly laughing at Eddie's comment.
“Oh my god, that’s hilarious.” She says between laughter.
“Are you making fun of me?”
Second of all, she and Steve were disgustingly close. Like, Julia was practically on his lap, close. Not only that, oh no, but they were whispering in each other’s ears at every possible moment, she was constantly grabbing his knee possessively, and they were frequently pecking kisses onto the other’s face.
It made you tense up increasingly more every time their hands would brush, or when Steve would smile at some sweet nothing she had whispered. Even more so when his lips would find her skin, dotting kisses anywhere he could.
It was unusual, really. Steve was.
You’d seen him with past flings or girlfriends, and never did he act this clingy and embarrassing to the point where you would have to take a deep breath to stop your self from wincing from second hand embarrassment.
To sum up the dinner, it was excruciatingly long. You felt like you were aware during the entirety of it and you might as well of aged twenty years.
You felt your shoulders relax by a mile the second she left, followed by a tired and relieved breath.
But, little did you know, she would be everywhere since at this rate, she might as well move in, too.
You thought maybe you wouldn’t see Julia for a while after the dinner. That Steve would meet her at her house and they would do their own thing there.
But you couldn’t be less wrong.
Every movie night, she was there. Every board game night, she was there. Every time you visited Family Video, she was there. Every damn day, she was there.
Normally, you and Steve sat on the same couch together. It was something you’ve done even since before you moved in. But ever since Julia came along, you’ve been sat on the armchair right next to where she and Steve snuggle up against each other like two cats seeking warmth.
Whenever you all sat down for dinner, you now sat next to Mike. Right opposite from where you used to sit next to Steve. And now, you have to watch the way they can’t take a finger off each other.
What does she want to steal next? Your soul?
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
Robin practically skipped through the front door after her shift at Family Video. She was so excited, she didn’t even take off her shoes or jacket and immediately made her way to where you sat in the kitchen.
“She finally came.” She announces. “Five days late, but I didn’t log that in the computer. I told her she was lucky she was so cute.” She swoons.
You quickly sit up, looking up at her with a big grin. “Tell me all about it.”
“Well, I didn’t say the speech I was hoping to make–“
“I’m glad you didn’t, it was quite bad.”
“But, I did ask her out on a date.” She says, blushing creeping along her face.
“That’s amazing, Robin!” You cheer. “Where to?”
“Meeting at Enzo’s Friday night.” She kisses her teeth and winks.
“Jesus, didn’t know I was living with a millionaire.”
“Family Video paid extra for the late shift the other night. Might as well put it to some good use.” She shrugs, making herself comfortable in the chair opposite you. “So, how was your day?” She casually asks.
“Hell.” You stare blankly at her. “Julia would not stop telling me about how much she misses Steve.” You roll your eyes at the memories from earlier.
“She’s so co-dependent.” Robin groans. “I don’t see why Steve doesn’t just get rid of her. I mean, when he told me he liked you, I told him to tell you not some random girl that keeps renting Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
“‘Oh, I miss my Steve. I miss him so much I just wanna kiss him and cuddle him and be obnoxiously loud whenever I talk.’” You mock, your voice sounding like a kettle whistle as you attempt to sound like Julia.
Robin giggles but quickly notices your unwavering face. “Talk to me.” She rests her hand by yours as if to say “you can trust me.”
“I don’t know, usually I wouldn’t mind people talking about their boyfriends like that, but that fact that it’s Steve makes me wanna curl into a ball and die.” You hide your face in your hands. Robin easily listens, giving you a sympathetic look as she watches you.
“It just feel like my heart it being ripped out every time I see them together and then shoved back in whenever I have to act like I’m okay with it.” You express longingly. “It hurts, Robin. It hurts because I’m just so in love with him and i can’t do anything about it!”
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
It was late when Julia finally left the house. This is the first time in three days she’s actually going home, and you felt relief like you’ve never felt before. The house was actually quiet. Not filled with her booming laugh or her raucous voice. Just the sounds of Steve standing on the other side of the kitchen making some hot chocolate while you sat on the countertop reading a magazine Robin had bought you yesterday.
It’s been a while since you and Steve had been alone together. There was always one of the kids asking for something or Eddie asking to watch some new trick she’d learnt or Nancy and Jonathan putting you in the middle of their argument or recently, Julia being so attached to Steve’s hip, even he can’t piss in peace.
The silence of the room felt loud. It felt like there was something to it, like an unfamiliar tension lingering or something unspoken between the two of you. You wondered if Steve could feel it too. You wondered if he was going to say something.
“You know,” Steve breaks the silence shortly after. “You’ve been really quiet to me recently.” Steve turns to look at you. He wasn’t necessarily angry, just confused and wanted an explanation for your unusual behaviour. “Are you mad at me?”
“No, I’m not mad at you, Steve.” You exhale deeply. “I’m just upset because I can’t bear to watch you fall in love with someone that isn’t me.” You say quietly, your eyes watching him with a deep sense of love.
Steve stands in front of you silently, his eyes darting around your face to find any evidence that you’re lying.
“You– you love me?” He whispers, like if he said it any louder, the words would become untrue.
“I have for a while now. I just can’t hold it in any longer, knowing it shatters my heart with every passing minute.” You say timidly.
“But I have a girlfriend.”
“I know you do.” You nod understandably. “But, I don’t want to break you and Julia up. I don’t want to be the person to cause that. You like her, she’s your girlfriend and I’m your friend who just so happens to fall for you at the wrong time.” You shrug tiredly, hopping off the countertop and making your way to the exit of the kitchen.
“Wait.” Steve tugs on your arm, stopping you from leaving without having spoken to you.
“I love you.” Steve says with full honesty. “I’ve loved you ever since you wouldn’t give up on trying to help me even when I was stubborn.” He sheepishly chuckles.
“You’re still quite stubborn.” You add quietly with a tentative smile.
“Yeah, your right.” He nods shamelessly. “But even now, the love I have for you has never disappeared. Not even one bit.”
“Steve–“
“I know.” He hushes. “I thought getting with Julia would help me get over you. I knew I probably had no chance with one of my best friends so I decided to distract myself with someone else in hopes that my heart wouldn’t hurt whenever I saw you.” He explains, his honey brown eyes gazing into yours.
“I’ve never even watched The Godfather and I didn’t really like Psycho.” He mutters, followed by a snort. “I just said it because she liked them.”
“I know. You told me once when I said that The Godfather was Marlon Brando’s best movie.” Your lips curve into a smile.
“You remember that?”
“Of course I do. You got so defensive.” You giggle at the memory.
“I did, didn’t I?” He laughs bashfully. A moment of silence falls between the two of you as you look into each others eyes. Something unspoken still lingered in air. Something that was easily fixed when Steve leaned in and kissed you. Immediately, like it was second nature, you kissed back.
His lips felt like silk as you pulled him closer. He tasted like a mixture of cotton candy, mint, and coffee, with a hint of peanut butter.
Your hands gripped the fabric of his shirt that rested on his shoulder, and his hand found your cheek while the other fell down to your waist.
You could feel him start to smile against your lips just before he pulls away to look at you, his pupils already blown and his lips holding a fresh tint of pink.
“What are we going to do about this?” You whisper.
“I’m gonna talk to Julia tomorrow, come back home and find you, then I’m gonna ask you to be my girlfriend.” His voice low, not wanting to interrupt the tender moment. “Is that okay?”
“Okay.” You smile shyly before sniffing the weird smell that lingers in the air.
Synopsis: Steve have the habit of rambling late at night about his feelings when he thinks you're asleep. Expect this time you're not.
Pairing: Steve Harrington x reader
Words: 2k
Warnings: angst/comfort (yeah again lol), insecurities, mention of scars, mention of Max bc Steve and her are very dear to me, brief mention of Eddie's death, set somewhere between s4 and s5, lots of feelings, like a very big amount, bit of kissing too.
Thanks to @uzmacchiato for the divider(s) <3
After what happened back in the Creel House, the death of Eddie and the inevitable lockdown when the cracks opened, it was unquestionable for Steve that you needed to live with him. He wanted to be sure you were okay and be ready at any time of the day if something happened to you.
And you couldn't say no to him when he was looking at you with the most puppy eyes ever. And it's not like it would change anything; you were almost at his house every day, needing to have him close to even think about getting a good night of sleep, which was getting rarer and rarer.
So now here you were, standing in his kitchen in your ugliest pyjamas, even if Steve could never find anything you wore ugly, cooking for him. He always said that you didn't need to, but it was a way to thank him for everything he did to you. And let him relax and have time for himself. Because even if he wasn't showing it, the whole situation was making him way more worried than he normally was. Which was a lot.
"Steve, baby, I love you, but go relax on the couch." You sighed but with a smile on your lips when you felt his chest pressed against your back, strong arms wrapping around your waist.
"I'm relaxing right here." He mumbled as he kissed the side of your neck, making you squirm in his hold. He knew you were ticklish there and was using it to his advantages.
"And I'm trying to cook. Go lie down on the couch. Please?" You tried, knowing that it would probably go nowhere. He could be so stubborn when he wanted. Especially when it came to affection.
Steve sighed in defeat and pulled back from you but not without kissing your cheek and jaw one last time. "Since you said please, I can't really say anything back. But I will miss you."
He knew he was kind of pathetic right now, getting all whiny for your affection. And you could have laughed at his face with the way he was being dramatic. But you just gave him the prettiest smile he had ever seen before replying. "I will miss you too."
Steve blinked at you for a second, not expecting such a sweet response from you, indulging in his neediness. A lovesick smile went on his lips while he was heading to the couch, his heart beating faster.
After dinner, once both your tummies were filled and the dishes were done, you both went to cuddle on the couch, Elephant Man playing on his TV even if you were more focused on each other than what was happening on the screen.
Steve's lips were soft on yours, his thumb brushing the side of your jaw while the other was fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. No words were exchanged between kisses, just sleepy smiles and soft sighs before diving back for a kiss.
But eventually, sleep was getting there, and your eyes could barely stay. Steve noticed that immediately and stopped gradually his kissing. "You should go to bed, baby."
You just hummed, too tired to even argue for more cuddle time with him.
Before you knew it, you were in his arms and he was taking you upstairs to his room, settling you comfortably there.
"I'm going to take a quick shower, and I will be there, okay?" He asked, fingers brushing lightly the skin of your cheek. You just nodded at his words.
But even when you felt so sleepy, ready to be asleep the moment your eyes closed, it never came. Not having your boyfriend by your side, even for a few minutes, was making falling asleep way harder than it should. It's like your mind was only at peace when Steve was touching you.
By the time he came back, your eyes were closed, trying your best to force yourself to sleep, fingers twitching involuntarily, like your body something was missing. Steve slides himself inside the sheets and holds you close, one of his hands rubbing your back smoothly.
Your whole body relaxed, and as you were finally in the right mind to fall asleep, it seemed like Steve had another idea in mind.
"I don't know why I keep doing that when you're asleep, but as always, I need to get it off my chest. Maybe one day I would be brave enough to tell you that for real." He laughed, but that wasn't the warm sound he always made when he was genuinely happy. It sounded more like a way to make things lighter than they were. To protect himself from something.
"Just took my shower and saw myself, and I really can't understand why you're still with me. Like, all those scars? That's so ugly, and I'm so far away from when I peaked in high school." His fingers were playing with the hem of your shirt before going inside, needing to feel the way your back, your hips, your stomach or just any part of your body he could feel.
"Like look at you. All pretty and soft for me." His hand squeezed your side. "And I'm here, being wounded and scared and just... worse than before."
Your heart squeezed at each word, and you deeply wanted to open your eyes and tell him that wasn't true. That you loved him as he was and that scars or not, he was still the prettiest and hottest man in the world without a doubt.
But you weren't sure how he would react if he knew you had been listening to his night confession. So you just continued to listen to him like the idiot you were, too scared to do anything else.
"And I feel like you could do so much better than me. Not only physically. I know that I'm not that ugly, but I'm definitely not at my best. And you deserve so much more than some guy who gets wounded by some weird monsters and that still can't protect the people he loves. Such a loser I am, right? I fight and try my best to protect them, and I still lose." He sighed, forehead resting on yours as he closed his eyes, breathing you in like it was the last moment he had with you.
It had never been about the way he looked, even if it still was important for him since he used to build a lot of his personality around that in high school. But it always has been about who he couldn't protect even when he was already throwing himself in danger to save them. He felt like he had failed them, failed his duty to be the bigger person in the group.
And now you knew that he had the habit of letting out all his insecurities when he thought you were asleep, the only moment where you couldn't help him and hold him when he needed it the most.
"I just... I can't stop thinking about what happened back there... how we lost Eddie and Max. Fuck, Max, I still can't believe I couldn't do something." Even without your eyes closed, you could hear how sad he was, his voice shaking like he was fighting the urge to cry.
"I feel like it's my duty to protect her since everything happened. M'not trying to do favouritism, but I consider Max like my little sister, you know? And knowing she's... she's still there but not really, and that I can't do anything about it? That kills me. Because one day it's her, and what? The next it can be you? I can't lose you too. I can't lose someone else." You finally heard him sniffle, knowing that the tears were finally out, and you quickly had the confirmation the moment he buried his face in your neck, tears dampening your skin.
You couldn't help but wrapped your arms around his shoulders, pulling him even closer than he already was, fighting the urge to cry too by how touched and sad you were by his words.
"Baby? You're not asleep?" Steve asked, voice quivering.
"M'sorry... didn't mean to eavesdrop…" You whispered before a sob went out of your mouth, making Steve pull slightly back, completely panicking.
"Hey, woah, don't cry. Baby, why are you crying?" He asked, genuinely concerned as he wiped away your tears, not caring about the one still clinging to his eyelashes.
You were sobbing, shoulders shaking as you tried your best to form any coherent word, but none came; you just clung tighter onto him.
Steve just held you closer, pampering your face with kisses until you were feeling calmer and your breathing was finally steady.
"Can you talk to me now?" He asked, his voice not above a whisper as his forehead came to rest against yours.
You nodded at his words, fingers trembling as they gripped tightly the front of his sleep shirt.
"It's just... it hurts," you mumbled, voice wobbly.
"Hurts? Where does it hurt?" His voice was full of worry, and you could see the panic in his eyes, so full of emotions like always.
"Here." You pointed at your heart, making Steve even more panicked.
"Your heart? Why? Did something happen? We can go to the hospital if you're not feeling good, baby."
"Because you're mean to yourself," you finally sobbed.
"You're talking shit about yourself, and it hurts because... because you're acting like you're doing nothing when you're risking your life when one of us is in danger!"
Steve was just blinking, eyes glossy from your words. Not that he was surprised you were saying that, but because he really needed to hear it.
"You're... you're always there for us, even for the tiniest thing, even when it's not important. The kids love you; they always talk about you with such a smile even when they're being little shits because you're like... their big brother, so that's mandatory to annoy you when they can. "You sniffled, a small smile coming on your lips.
"And...even if Max is not there to tell you that, I know she sees you as her big brother. You were there for her even when she was distancing herself, and she always let you in in a certain way. I'm sure she knows you did the best you could have for her, and... if she wakes up... no, when she wakes up, she will never hold any grudge against you. You're one of her favourite people. "You wiped your tears.
"You're the favourite person of many of us. You're my favourite person. Scars and insecurities and all. Especially for those reasons, because I get to see you vulnerable. And that's the best declaration of love you could do to me, Steve."
It was Steve's turn to sob, tears falling on his cheek, damping his moles. But even crying, he couldn't help but give you the biggest smile ever. He was just happy someone cared for him like he cared for the others.
"I think you're the one that did the best declaration of love between the two of us." He said, arms wrapping even tighter around you, needing to feel you as close as possible.
You just laughed at his words before shaking your head. "I was just trying to... to let you know I was there. It hurts knowing you talk like that about yourself."
"I know. I'm sorry, baby. I will try to voice my feelings more, okay? It's... just new sometimes. To have someone there for me." Steve confessed, hands coming up to cup your cheeks. "But I will always do my best for you." He nodded, a pretty smile coming on his pink lips.
You just nodded at his words before holding him closer until his face was an inch away from yours. "I don't need the best of you. I just need you, okay?"
Steve smiled at your words before pecking lightly your lips. "Okay, sounds good to me. I can do that. Be there, yeah."
Getting better would be hard, especially when things were still being mean on everyone. But having each other was the first step towards healing. And that's all you needed for now. The rest would come once everything was finally over.
Synopsis: Steve have the habit of rambling late at night about his feelings when he thinks you're asleep. Expect this time you're not.
Pairing: Steve Harrington x reader
Words: 2k
Warnings: angst/comfort (yeah again lol), insecurities, mention of scars, mention of Max bc Steve and her are very dear to me, brief mention of Eddie's death, set somewhere between s4 and s5, lots of feelings, like a very big amount, bit of kissing too.
Thanks to @uzmacchiato for the divider(s) <3
After what happened back in the Creel House, the death of Eddie and the inevitable lockdown when the cracks opened, it was unquestionable for Steve that you needed to live with him. He wanted to be sure you were okay and be ready at any time of the day if something happened to you.
And you couldn't say no to him when he was looking at you with the most puppy eyes ever. And it's not like it would change anything; you were almost at his house every day, needing to have him close to even think about getting a good night of sleep, which was getting rarer and rarer.
So now here you were, standing in his kitchen in your ugliest pyjamas, even if Steve could never find anything you wore ugly, cooking for him. He always said that you didn't need to, but it was a way to thank him for everything he did to you. And let him relax and have time for himself. Because even if he wasn't showing it, the whole situation was making him way more worried than he normally was. Which was a lot.
"Steve, baby, I love you, but go relax on the couch." You sighed but with a smile on your lips when you felt his chest pressed against your back, strong arms wrapping around your waist.
"I'm relaxing right here." He mumbled as he kissed the side of your neck, making you squirm in his hold. He knew you were ticklish there and was using it to his advantages.
"And I'm trying to cook. Go lie down on the couch. Please?" You tried, knowing that it would probably go nowhere. He could be so stubborn when he wanted. Especially when it came to affection.
Steve sighed in defeat and pulled back from you but not without kissing your cheek and jaw one last time. "Since you said please, I can't really say anything back. But I will miss you."
He knew he was kind of pathetic right now, getting all whiny for your affection. And you could have laughed at his face with the way he was being dramatic. But you just gave him the prettiest smile he had ever seen before replying. "I will miss you too."
Steve blinked at you for a second, not expecting such a sweet response from you, indulging in his neediness. A lovesick smile went on his lips while he was heading to the couch, his heart beating faster.
After dinner, once both your tummies were filled and the dishes were done, you both went to cuddle on the couch, Elephant Man playing on his TV even if you were more focused on each other than what was happening on the screen.
Steve's lips were soft on yours, his thumb brushing the side of your jaw while the other was fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. No words were exchanged between kisses, just sleepy smiles and soft sighs before diving back for a kiss.
But eventually, sleep was getting there, and your eyes could barely stay. Steve noticed that immediately and stopped gradually his kissing. "You should go to bed, baby."
You just hummed, too tired to even argue for more cuddle time with him.
Before you knew it, you were in his arms and he was taking you upstairs to his room, settling you comfortably there.
"I'm going to take a quick shower, and I will be there, okay?" He asked, fingers brushing lightly the skin of your cheek. You just nodded at his words.
But even when you felt so sleepy, ready to be asleep the moment your eyes closed, it never came. Not having your boyfriend by your side, even for a few minutes, was making falling asleep way harder than it should. It's like your mind was only at peace when Steve was touching you.
By the time he came back, your eyes were closed, trying your best to force yourself to sleep, fingers twitching involuntarily, like your body something was missing. Steve slides himself inside the sheets and holds you close, one of his hands rubbing your back smoothly.
Your whole body relaxed, and as you were finally in the right mind to fall asleep, it seemed like Steve had another idea in mind.
"I don't know why I keep doing that when you're asleep, but as always, I need to get it off my chest. Maybe one day I would be brave enough to tell you that for real." He laughed, but that wasn't the warm sound he always made when he was genuinely happy. It sounded more like a way to make things lighter than they were. To protect himself from something.
"Just took my shower and saw myself, and I really can't understand why you're still with me. Like, all those scars? That's so ugly, and I'm so far away from when I peaked in high school." His fingers were playing with the hem of your shirt before going inside, needing to feel the way your back, your hips, your stomach or just any part of your body he could feel.
"Like look at you. All pretty and soft for me." His hand squeezed your side. "And I'm here, being wounded and scared and just... worse than before."
Your heart squeezed at each word, and you deeply wanted to open your eyes and tell him that wasn't true. That you loved him as he was and that scars or not, he was still the prettiest and hottest man in the world without a doubt.
But you weren't sure how he would react if he knew you had been listening to his night confession. So you just continued to listen to him like the idiot you were, too scared to do anything else.
"And I feel like you could do so much better than me. Not only physically. I know that I'm not that ugly, but I'm definitely not at my best. And you deserve so much more than some guy who gets wounded by some weird monsters and that still can't protect the people he loves. Such a loser I am, right? I fight and try my best to protect them, and I still lose." He sighed, forehead resting on yours as he closed his eyes, breathing you in like it was the last moment he had with you.
It had never been about the way he looked, even if it still was important for him since he used to build a lot of his personality around that in high school. But it always has been about who he couldn't protect even when he was already throwing himself in danger to save them. He felt like he had failed them, failed his duty to be the bigger person in the group.
And now you knew that he had the habit of letting out all his insecurities when he thought you were asleep, the only moment where you couldn't help him and hold him when he needed it the most.
"I just... I can't stop thinking about what happened back there... how we lost Eddie and Max. Fuck, Max, I still can't believe I couldn't do something." Even without your eyes closed, you could hear how sad he was, his voice shaking like he was fighting the urge to cry.
"I feel like it's my duty to protect her since everything happened. M'not trying to do favouritism, but I consider Max like my little sister, you know? And knowing she's... she's still there but not really, and that I can't do anything about it? That kills me. Because one day it's her, and what? The next it can be you? I can't lose you too. I can't lose someone else." You finally heard him sniffle, knowing that the tears were finally out, and you quickly had the confirmation the moment he buried his face in your neck, tears dampening your skin.
You couldn't help but wrapped your arms around his shoulders, pulling him even closer than he already was, fighting the urge to cry too by how touched and sad you were by his words.
"Baby? You're not asleep?" Steve asked, voice quivering.
"M'sorry... didn't mean to eavesdrop…" You whispered before a sob went out of your mouth, making Steve pull slightly back, completely panicking.
"Hey, woah, don't cry. Baby, why are you crying?" He asked, genuinely concerned as he wiped away your tears, not caring about the one still clinging to his eyelashes.
You were sobbing, shoulders shaking as you tried your best to form any coherent word, but none came; you just clung tighter onto him.
Steve just held you closer, pampering your face with kisses until you were feeling calmer and your breathing was finally steady.
"Can you talk to me now?" He asked, his voice not above a whisper as his forehead came to rest against yours.
You nodded at his words, fingers trembling as they gripped tightly the front of his sleep shirt.
"It's just... it hurts," you mumbled, voice wobbly.
"Hurts? Where does it hurt?" His voice was full of worry, and you could see the panic in his eyes, so full of emotions like always.
"Here." You pointed at your heart, making Steve even more panicked.
"Your heart? Why? Did something happen? We can go to the hospital if you're not feeling good, baby."
"Because you're mean to yourself," you finally sobbed.
"You're talking shit about yourself, and it hurts because... because you're acting like you're doing nothing when you're risking your life when one of us is in danger!"
Steve was just blinking, eyes glossy from your words. Not that he was surprised you were saying that, but because he really needed to hear it.
"You're... you're always there for us, even for the tiniest thing, even when it's not important. The kids love you; they always talk about you with such a smile even when they're being little shits because you're like... their big brother, so that's mandatory to annoy you when they can. "You sniffled, a small smile coming on your lips.
"And...even if Max is not there to tell you that, I know she sees you as her big brother. You were there for her even when she was distancing herself, and she always let you in in a certain way. I'm sure she knows you did the best you could have for her, and... if she wakes up... no, when she wakes up, she will never hold any grudge against you. You're one of her favourite people. "You wiped your tears.
"You're the favourite person of many of us. You're my favourite person. Scars and insecurities and all. Especially for those reasons, because I get to see you vulnerable. And that's the best declaration of love you could do to me, Steve."
It was Steve's turn to sob, tears falling on his cheek, damping his moles. But even crying, he couldn't help but give you the biggest smile ever. He was just happy someone cared for him like he cared for the others.
"I think you're the one that did the best declaration of love between the two of us." He said, arms wrapping even tighter around you, needing to feel you as close as possible.
You just laughed at his words before shaking your head. "I was just trying to... to let you know I was there. It hurts knowing you talk like that about yourself."
"I know. I'm sorry, baby. I will try to voice my feelings more, okay? It's... just new sometimes. To have someone there for me." Steve confessed, hands coming up to cup your cheeks. "But I will always do my best for you." He nodded, a pretty smile coming on his pink lips.
You just nodded at his words before holding him closer until his face was an inch away from yours. "I don't need the best of you. I just need you, okay?"
Steve smiled at your words before pecking lightly your lips. "Okay, sounds good to me. I can do that. Be there, yeah."
Getting better would be hard, especially when things were still being mean on everyone. But having each other was the first step towards healing. And that's all you needed for now. The rest would come once everything was finally over.
Summary : When you spot your ex, Josh, at the university fundraising event, you yank Keys - your friend ? rival ? whatever the hell he is - into acting as your fake boyfriend.
This ends up being the worst decision you made in your life, because Keys is a little too good at acting like he's in love with you, which gives way to some very confusing, persistent thoughts and feelings that arise about your frenemy. As this scheme continues, and the lines between fake and real start blurring, you're not sure if you're going to survive the aftermath of this.
Tags : fluff mostly, frenemies to lovers, (f)rivals to lovers as I like to call it, suggestive language (MDNI), fake dating, college!keys, idiots in love, walter mckey is a cuddler and I stand by that, keys kisses like a man starved, reader is a simp, hot chocolate supremacy, pineapple pizza catches strays, snippets of domesticity, reader is slightly oblivious - she's just really dedicated to her studies, ok ? (+ she's oblivious), keys calls reader Ace a few times coz she gets all As, female reader, no use of y/n, she/her pronouns for reader.
Lemme know if I missed any tags!
Author's Note : hi guys !! ok, so this is like my first fic ever <3
I love Keys and I wanted to contribute in my own way to the Djolings fandom, so this was the result! This fic was initially meant to be a cute, fluffy piece... and turned into whatever the hell it is now. No plot, just vibes honestly
Also, I haven't written fiction since middle school, I think ? So go easy on me lol, but I am open to constructive criticism, and hope to improve my writing as I go along.
Hope y'all enjoy <3
"Wrap your arm around me"
"Excuse me?"
"Keys, just wrap your arm around my shoulder or waist or whatever, I don't care" you hiss.
"But I- " you cut him off before he starts protesting and yank his arm towards you, placing it on your waist firmly.
"My ex is here" you whisper in lieu of explanation, plastering on a fake smile, hoping that it comes across as lovesick convincingly. The changing party lights dance across his features, highlighting the constellation of freckles and moles that adorn his face.
His eyes flash with recognition, and his hand flexes for a second before properly settling on your waist. His thumb caresses your side in gentle movements, sending a shiver up your spine that you promptly ignore.
Over the sound of the pounding music, you faintly hear your name being called across the room. You and Keys turn simultaneously, only to be greeted with a sight you'd reckon was barely any better than seeing pigs doing the devil's tango.
"Hey, how've you been?" the body in front of you exclaims, grinning. It would've been a welcome sight - if it weren't for the fact that he cheated on you during freshmen year at a party similar to this, much to your dismay.
"Hi Josh" he grins even wider, and you resist the urge to roll your eyes.
Even though you'd rather not engage in any further conversation with him, preferably ever - you know it's best to respond before he starts asking even more questions, and you just really don't have the energy to entertain him for any longer than you need to. During your repeated mental prayers for the patience to deal with Josh, you don't notice how his eyes finally fall on Key's arm around your body, his grin slightly faltering.
"I'm doing- "
"Who's this guy" he utters, jabbing a fingers in the general direction of Keys whilst still looking at you, as if he couldn't be bothered to acknowledge Keys as a person.
You grit your teeth, rage at being interrupted and seeing Keys be insulted starting to simmer. Honestly, at this point, you would much rather see the pigs have fun than share oxygen with this moron.
Before you could say anything, you hear Keys chuckle, his thumb still gently rubbing up and down your body, and when your eyes meet, you see the familiar mischievous glint he gets when he's about to be a little shit.
Which is often, especially when the both of you debate on the most random topics during your 3am library study sessions, and he keeps bringing up irrelevant points to try to win. Even the librarian is tired of the both of you at this point and just puts on their headphones to drown out your chatter.
You decide not to interrupt, because clearly Keys is plotting something, and clearly it looks like it's going to be entertaining, so why would you get in the way of that.
"Hey man, I'm Keys..." he extends his free arm towards Josh, a slight smile playing on his lips - which most would not even notice is nefarious, unless unfortunately quite familiar with, unlike you.
"I'm her boyfriend" he says, pecking you on the forehead.
At those words, Josh, who was previously ignoring Key's outstretched hand, suddenly looks at your 'boyfriend' in annoyance. Thankfully, before he can mutter something that, no doubt would have contributed to a further increase in global noise pollution, Keys retracts his hand and continues.
"What did you say your name was again ? Jizz ? Sorry, I didn't quite catch it over the music... "
Your eyes widen, a snort escaping you before you have a chance to disguise it as a cough, and Keys looks over to you - his smile entirely too pleased, as if he accomplished his mission. Your cheeks warm at how gentle his expression looks and force yourself to look at Josh - only to nearly laugh again in your ex's face, his expression of pure indignation far too comedic to miss.
"It's Josh" he seethes. "What kind of moronic name is Jizz ?" he glares at Keys, who simply shrugs.
"I mean, I wasn't going to judge man, some people are called Dick, so I just figured it was similar to that and rolled with it." "Plus, I heard that's what people called you during freshmen year when you were found with that one girl since you weren't able to last very long, or at all really - so I figured you were kind of reclaiming the name in your own way... Honestly, more power to you dude."
Keys nodded solemnly, clapping Josh's shoulder, whose face had only grown more red with every passing second, his rage palpable.
Just then, the familiar notes of your favourite song start playing. Your eyes light up in excitement, and you feel Key's hand - which was on your waist all this time and slowly driving you insane with his gentle touches - intertwining around your hand and dragging you towards the dance floor.
He turns back towards Josh, whose fists are clenched, looking like he wants to introduce his knuckles to your fake boyfriend's face.
"Hey man, this is her favourite song so we gotta head to the dance floor, but it was nice meeting you, have fun" and continued ushering you towards the direction of the song, leaving Josh behind in the crowd.
"I don't remember anyone calling him Jizz during feshmen year though, where'd you hear that from ?"
"Oh, no, that was a lie" he grins.
" Keys!" you gasp in faux admonishment, swatting his shoulder lightly.
" What ?" he replies cheekily. " He deserved it.. Actually, no.." Keys cocks his head to the side in thought, body swaying in tandem to the beat of the music - his hand still holding yours, the slight chill of his palms a pleasant feeling. " He deserved a lot worse for how he treated you" he concludes, like this is a math equation and that's the only possible answer.
A small smile fights itself onto your face at his words and you mumble out a small 'thank you', barely audible over the music - but judging from the way his expression mirrors yours, you're pretty sure he heard it.
Honestly, sometimes you like to joke that he has Spidey senses considering how advanced his senses are. Keys, being him, plays into it - saying that the universe had to restrain his vision capacity to make it fair for the rest of the world, otherwise he would just be too perfect.
You always tend to roll your eyes at that last statement, but with the party lights slowly shifting to a soft pink, and highlighting his features - from his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes, to his shaggy hair, and the absolute certainty with which he protected you, in his own way, against Josh - you find yourself agreeing with the sentiment, though you'd never tell him that. Because the last thing Walter McKey needs is an ego boost.
"It's fine though honestly, I guess I just chose the wrong person and suffered the consequences"
"Hey, no." Keys stops dancing, voice cutting through the noise firmly as he brings his hand upto your chin, tilting your face to meet his eyes.
"His choices are not your fault, they never were and they never will be, it sucks that you had to go through that experience, but none of it is your fault, ok ? He chose to do that, and that's on him, not you. Capisce ?" He finishes, cocoa eyes sweeping over your face to ensure you understood, and you give a slight nod.
Satisfied, he lets go of your chin, mumbling "I can't believe he was so idiotic to have let go of someone as incredible as you, the absolute moron" and you laugh heartily at that, the melody going straight through him.
"Yes, yes, thank you for defending my honour, oh valiant knight" you curtsy as best as you can in the throng of sweaty, moving bodies, at which Keys chuckles.
"My pleasure, Your Highness. Thank you for granting me the opportunity to deal with that bastard, even though you very easily would've annihilated that fool to pieces" he bows, eyes twinkling.
As the song comes to an end, you both notice the crowd thickening and decide to head out - such extravagant community events not either of your scene to be honest. If it weren't for yours and Key's supervisors requesting your presence at this fundraiser, the both of you would have probably been studying at the library, throwing Froot Loops into each other's mouth, almost every activity between you two a competition of sorts.
"Hey, you fancy watching a movie ? It's Friday night after all." you say, nudging Key's shoulder, as you both walk back towards your dorm.
"Sure" he agrees, hands shoved in his pocket. A slight breeze surrounds the air around you, making the night seem lighter.
"Ok.. " Keys sighs, "In the interest of total transparency, I've been wanting to say something to that asshole for a while now" he confesses.
"Wait, what?" You laugh, surprised by the sudden declaration.
"Yeah"
" You've been wanting to insult my ex ? My ex of almost two years ?"
" Yup"
"You've been holding a grudge, which even I, said ex-partner, have not, for two years ?"
"Ok, when you say it like that...." He winces, "It's more so along the lines of me wanting to tap his head lightly... with a ten foot pole, but like, only whenever I saw him across campus."
You chortle, "What, do you think you're Wanda Maximoff or something to lift a ten foot pole?"
"Yeah, of course." he flexes his barely-there biceps, "These guns are primed for attack."
"Hmm sure, that's why your attack included running away when Josh got mad."
"Hey, a good knight knows when to retreat, it's called strategy." he quips, glasses catching the moonlight.
" Sure, sure... Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude."
As you both near your dorm, you turn towards him, "Hey, seriously though, thank you helping me out with Josh - I just really didn't want to deal with him, and if he saw me alone, he probably would've been worse", you shudder at the thought of it.
Keys gently nudges you with his elbow "Hey, of course, don't mention it. Besides, what are friends for ? ..Rivals ?" He scrunches his nose.
"Frivals? "
You roll your eyes even as a grin tugs at your mouth. "Oh my god Keys, shut up"
He sticks his tongue out at you, masterfully depicting the nuance of his 165 IQ.
As you reach your door and begin unlocking it, you remember the state of disarray you left your bedroom in while you were hunting for an outfit for the fundraiser. You suddenly halt Keys from trying to enter your place - not looking where your arm shot out, and hear a wrangled 'ack!' sound out from behind you.
Your eyes widen in horror. "Oh my god, Keys, I'm so sorry, fuck-, I didn't mean to hit you in the neck!"
"N- no, it's fine" he rasps, completely red in the face and not at all convincing. "At least, you know you- you've got good re- reflexes" he chokes out, wincing slightly, as he massages his neck.
You grimace apologetically, ushering him towards the kitchen counter and flipping the lights on.
"Hold on, gimme a sec, I'll get some ice" you say, opening the fridge.
"No, it's fine, really, I- ... "
Whatever Keys was about to say cuts out at the fierce glare you give him, and he shuffles away, leaning against the table. You fish out the ice pack, wrapping it in a cloth, and gesture at Keys to sit at the kitchen stool.
As he sits, looking at you expectantly, you step towards him - placing one hand on his shoulder for balance and pressing the clothed ice pack to his throat lightly with the other. The cold seeps through instantly, and he hisses, jerking back reflexively.
"Fuck, that's cold!"
"It's ice, Keys, it's meant to be cold, that's sort of its whole deal"
He rolls his eyes and huffs, crossing his arms. "I'm aware, doesn't mean it doesn't sting, Killer Frost"
You sigh, bringing your hand from his shoulder to the back of his head, lightly grasping the soft strands of his hair and tugging him forward.
"Stop squirming, dumbass" you say, continuing to press the ice against the column of his throat, despite his wincing.
As you keep dabbing, your face eye-level with his neck, you feel slight buzzes of electricity running through your veins at the close proximity. You shift your focus towards the ice pack - watching as the redness begins to diminish, and Keys exhales better, albeit a bit shaky.
As his breathing begins to even out, you step back, examining his face to check if he's still in pain. All at once, you're hit yet again with the thought of how pretty his eyes are. Under the amber glow of the kitchen light, his eyes appear to be swirls of hazel - a mixture of greens, blues, and browns staring back at you.
Keys shifts forward slightly, breaking the trance. "You know, I could've have just kept the ice against my own throat, you really didn't have to do this... Unless of course, you just wanted an excuse to touch me". The bastard smirks, winking at you.
You bundle up and throw the rag, drenched from the ice, at his face.
"Hmm.. refreshing, thanks."
You ignore his comment, cheeks warm, walking over to a nearby drawer and pluck out the takeout menus.
"Stop being so delusional, McKey" you purse your lips in contemplation, not noticing how his face falls.
"Hey Keys, what do you want for dinner ? Pizza ok ?"
"Pizza's great" he stands up, hanging the washcloth to dry in the corner, and walks over to you. "What are our options, Ace ?"
The nickname makes you smile, remembering the first time Keys called you that.
Your semester marks had just released, and you were the only one, apart from Keys of course, to score all As. At the end of class, Keys ran up to you, extending his hand.
"Hey, congrats Ace!" You shake his hand in return, your eyebrows furrowing.
"Ace?" You question.
"Yeah well, you're the only one to get all A's apart from me in this class, so I figured it's a fitting name. Didn't think anyone else would honestly, most of them don't pay attention."
His arrogance would annoy you generally, but you can tell from his eyes that he's sincere in his congratulations.
"Honestly me neither, most of our classmates don't try, so I figured there wouldn't be any competition. At least, I got you to keep on my toes."
He grins. "Hey, whaddya say we study together sometime, to maximize our knowledge and all that?"
You cross your arms. "What do I get from this arrangement ?"
He contemplates, lost in thought for a few seconds, and suddenly snaps his fingers. "Bragging rights. Winner gets bragging rights and the loser needs to buy them a meal."
Unfortunately, nothing is more convincing to a college student than free food. Plus, you were never one to back down from a challenge.
"Hmm, fair enough"
You both shake hands, sealing the deal.
"I'm Keys, by the way"
"Keys ?"
He sighs. " Real name's Walter McKey, but everyone calls me Keys."
You nod in understanding, giving him your name.
He sounds it out on his tongue, sharp but precise.
"Well, I hope you're ready to lose, Ace. I'm gonna wipe the floor with you next semester."
"Oh, you're on, McKey" you challenge.
One study session into three, which turned into seveby, and 2 years later, here you are deciding on pizza flavours together.
You shift your body, giving him more space to look at the menu, and sneak away into your bedroom, muttering that you want to change into comfier clothes.
Once you change into one of your old favourite band tees and pajama shorts, you yell out asking if Keys wants any of your baggy t-shirts to change into. He yells out a 'no, thanks' and you make your way into the kitchen, and if you additionally spent an extra 10 minutes shoving all your clothes into the closet - well, Keys didn't have to know that.
As you go to pour yourself a glass of water, you notice that Key's mop of brown hair is nowhere to be seen and head towards the couch. You find him sitting there, on his phone, the sounds of Subway Surfers echoing across the dimly lit room.
"Hey"
He looks over, straightening up on the couch.
"Hey"
As he shifts forward, you notice that he's not wearing his jacket anymore, instead you're met with the sight of his Project Hail Mary t-shirt he won from a bidding war on E-bay.
The only reason you remember this is because a few months ago, during a library study session, Keys appeared out of nowhere, pumping his fists excitedly, whispering 'I got the t-shirt!'. He then promptly disappeared to get more coffee before he crashed from having stayed up until 3am to acquire the t-shirt.
He surfaced 10 minutes later, still giddy and tired, with an expresso for him and a cup of hot chocolate for you. You looked at him quizzically for the drink, and he shrugged, responding with "it gets cold in here, thought it would help warm you up".
You accept it with thanks, your heart as warm as the beverage.
...Which you regret remembering currently, because now you're hungry as fuck.
"So..." Keys drawls, exiting the game. He crosses his arms, his previously seemingly non-existent biceps definitely looking a lot more solid now. "I was thinking of going a little wild tonight."
You raise your eyes to his, throat a little dry. "Uh, what ?"
"I'm thinking... Pineapple Pizza", he gestures dramatically.
Your eyes instantly narrow, "Walter McKey, so help me, I will throw you out of my dorm, nevermind that it's ... " You glance at your phone, "... 1.12 in the morning, if you dare to get Pineapple Pizza."
Keys laughs, eyes glinting behind his frame, "Relax Ace, I'm joking.. I was thinking of doing half mozzarella and half of whatever you're in the mood for."
You exhale with relief, padding over to the couch and drop down next to him. He hands you his phone, pizza app already open, and you input your preferred pizza flavour. Keys then types in your address. As you go to enter the payment details, Keys holds his phone away from you. Your brows furrow " What the- ? Keys, give it back, I need to pay, I'm hungry, man!"
"I know, I know.. gimme a sec"
He starts pressing a few button, and you realize what he's trying to do and lunge towards him, grabbing fistfuls of his prized t-shirt.
"Keys, don't you dare! You're my guest, I'm not going to let you pay for the food!"
Keys immediately extends his hand behind his head, grinning, and as you move closer to grab the phone, you hear a shrill 'ding!' sound. Keys smiles at you, face smug with victory.
You huff with indignantion, slowly releasing his t-shirt. Only then do you realize how close your face is to Keys, and you find yourself exploring his features - a tiny scar on his upper lip, barely visible, and the plethora of freckles that decorate his face glimmering in the moonlight. Almost absentmindedly, you begin to count the pixelated constellations, and your eyes flit up to his - only to see he's already looking at you, something unbelievably tender and fragile in his gaze.
Your breath hitches. Despite yourself, you lean forward, ever so slightly, and Keys mirrors the motion - a hair's breadth away from your lips, when suddenly, a confirmation notification alert sounds, reminding you of what the man in front of you did, despite the sweetness in his eyes.
You shuffle back, realising that you were essentially perched on his leg - 'nope, don't think about that, do not think about that' - and promptly flick him in the head.
"Ow!"
"Yeah well, you deserve it, you prick - I take having people over to my place seriously."
Keys rubs his head gently, "Is attacking the people coming over a part of your hosting rituals ?"
"Well no." You smile sweetly, "Generally, it's offering them something to drink before they settle in."
"Hmm, well, I don't seem to recall you offering me something to drink.. More so basically yanking me by the head and using any excuse you can to caress my neck and be in my general proximity. Actually, not too different to how you were just a few seconds ago.. on my lap!"
You grab the nearest couch pillow and begin attacking his sides "Oh my god, Keys, shut up!"
He yelps, burrowing into himself for protection from your vicious attacks, his laughter audible and infectious. Before you know it, you're laughing too, and the both of you end up dissolving into a pile of hysterics on the couch.
"Alright, alright" you say, getting up and dusting your knees, "Let me at least get you something to drink then."
Keys nods his assent, still smiling, and you pluck two energy drinks out of your fridge and pass one along to Keys, before sitting down at the foot of the couch and switching on the TV.
Keys furrows his eyebrows. "Ace."
"Hm ?" you respond, taking a sip of your drink, the refreshing taste of it settling in your mouth.
"Why are you sitting on the carpet ?"
"Oh, I just prefer sitting down here, better posture and the table is right next to me in case I want something."
Keys hums, "So, what I'm hearing is that you're just short ..."
You snort.
"That too, I guess."
The sound of limbs shuffling and the couch squeaking inform you of Key's presence next to you.
"You know you don't have to sit on the floor too right ?"
"I know.. I wanted to."
"Pfft, now look who's coming onto me?" you grin, forever unable to not tease Keys. You're only human after all.
The side of his mouth lifts.
"Touche", he concedes, taking a sip from his drink.
Silence settles in the room, only the soft glow of the TV and the faint notes of the fundraiser's music in the distance your companions for the night.
A second passes.
"So... What movie are we watching, Shark Boy?"
Keys rolls his eyes "That was one time" he mumbles into the quiet.
"Yes, but one time too many - I can't believe you wore shark pajamas to class, Keys ! You chuckle, That too, the hour before your presentation !"
"I know, I know... I'm eternally grateful Graham was willing to lend me his freshly laundered extra khakis - I ended up making an excellent impression on the judges."
"You were one lucky bastard, I'll give you that"
He scoffs.
"Hardly, luck favours the prepared as they say."
"Keys.. You literally had 3 different sets of colour-coded notes, that's as prepared as it gets" you teased.
"I- "
'Buzz!'
Your bell rings, signaling the arrival of the pizza.
"Well, would ya look at that ? Pizza's here, I should probably get that" he says, jogging to your front door and covertly trying to excessively tip the delivery person. You smile into your drink, musing what a dork he is - secretly treasuring the small instances you get to see of his kind nature, regardless of how snarky he is generally.
He makes his way back to the coffee table, sorting and setting everything down, before plopping to the floor.
"Wait, what are we watching ?" You ask, grabbing a slice of mozzarella pizza, not noticing the traitorous smile gracing Key's face. You turn towards him, awaiting his response.
"I was thinking of To All The Boys I've Loved Before ?" he suggests, promptly taking a bit of his slice.
"What?"
"Yeah, I figured we could watch the fake dating movie of the 21st century considering the situation we were in today" he grins.
"And this is based on, what - your 40 minutes of being my fake boyfriend ?" you quip.
"Yup" he nods solemnly.
You grab the remote and select the movie, exhaling loudly - attempting to seem very done with Keys, but the smile on his face tells you he's not fooled.
As the movie progresses and the pizza slices disappear one by one, you notice your eyelids growing heavy with exhaustion - the last thing you remember seeing being Lara Jean and Peter talking in the kitchen.
By the next time you're aware of your surroundings, it's dawn.
You squint, feeling a weight surrounding your body, and notice that the couch duvet had been placed upon you - 'Keys' you think, melting at the gesture. As the sounds of birds chirping become clearer, you awaken entirely, eyes finally opening fully.
The immediate sight that greets you is Key's neck, which thankfully seems to be significantly less red than last night. Realising that you and Keys must've fallen asleep halfway through the movie, you move to get up from where your head was on his shoulder, or rather you intend to. Because when you try moving, you realize that Key's head is resting on top of yours, his breathing calm and even - with the slightest currents of air being directed towards your crown.
The sun starts to glint harshly at your face through the windows, so you lightly nudge Keys from the side to wake him up. " Keys.. Keyssss" you whisper, trying to get his attention.
"Hmm?" He drowsily responds.
"You gotta get up, sun's shining and everything"
"Hmm" he mumbles, slightly shifting upright... only to shuffle closer to you - his head resting on your shoulder blade, close to your neck, as his hand weakly clasps the side of your waist. His thumb strokes your skin, as if it were muscle memory - immediately reminding you of last night. His voice, hoarse and rough with sleep, mutters in a deeper tone "5 more minutes, baby", face snuggling even further into the crook of your neck, glasses firm against your pulse.
Huh, you thought, Walter McKey is a cuddler. Walter McKey... Is a cuddler.
Walter McKey is a cuddler, who is currently imposing his entire body weight on you, with his hand around your waist.
This is fine, obviously. It's completely fine. It's not like you can smell the faint mix of sandalwood and jasmine emanating from him, or feel the softness of his brown locks against your cheek - instigating you with a sudden urge to run your hand through the waves on his head. Or the fact that he called you baby has your pulse hammering so fast that you feel like a hummingbird.
'Baby' ? That's fine, people call each other baby all the time - sure, usually it's towards kids or their partners, but like he definitely meant it platonically, right ?
After all, this is Keys you're talking about, your biggest rival... And probably your bestest friend on campus if you let yourself think about it - the one who drives you mad but also stays by your side. The one who's one of the most consistent academic motivators, and also the one who brings you hot chocolate because you might get cold. Who remembers your favourite song and drapes a duvet over you when you fall asleep. The one who's responsible for your heart currently trying to claw it's way out of your throat.
Pshh yeah, you totally got this situation handled.
A deep groan sounds out from under you, and you immediately still.
'Ok, ok, so ... You do not have this situation handled, you do not- '
You push Keys off to the side slightly, and his body slumps against the couch, still asleep. As you stand up, you notice his glasses are still on his face, which can't be comfortable - you crouch slightly, gently extracting his glasses and placing it on the coffee table.
Somehow he looks softer like this, face bare and devoid of the sharp frames, which only makes you want run your fingers through his hair even more. Shaking your head, you turn on your heel, walking back to the kitchen - looking for things to do to occupy your hands and thoughts.
The smell of toast and eggs begin permeating the air - the fizz, crackle, and pop from the oil dancing lively throughout the room.
A few minutes later, Keys shuffles into the kitchen, barely stifling a yawn and his glasses vaguely lopsided from sleep.
"Morning" he offers, stretching his arms up to work out the stiffness in his muscles. You turn to greet him, only to notice his happy trail and the soft planes of his stomach. You move back to the pan, scrambling the eggs and offer a feeble 'morning', willing yourself to get a grip.
Keys walks towards you, leaning against the counter, sleep still evident across his face.
"So, what's on the menu, Chef ?"
"Who said you're getting any of this mind-blowing food ?" you smirk, turning to look at him.
He raises his hands in surrender, eyes alight with mischief.
"My sincerest apologies, your Highness. I should not have assumed that a peasant like myself would receive a bite of your treasured eggs and toast"
You shift, moving the eggs and toast onto the plates you set.
"Yes, I'm glad you finally know your place"
Keys snorts, bumping his hip against yours slightly, "Seriously though, what can I do to help ?"
"There should be some oranges in the middle compartment of the fridge, and the blender's there," you gesture, tilting your head.
"You up to make some out-of-this-world orange juice, Peter Parker ?"
"Which version? " he asks, as he meanders towards the fridge.
"What? "
"Which version of Peter Parker? Because that might seriously hinder my ability to make incredible orange juice."
You blink in disbelief. "I'm seriously considering throwing this spatula at you."
"I'd catch it. Spidey senses, remember?"
You groan, running a hand across your face. Keys chuckles, busying himself with peeling the oranges.
A little while later, once the toast and eggs were devoured, and the admittedly refreshing orange juice was drained, Keys helps you clean the dishes. After drying your hands, you both return to the coffee table with steaming hot mugs in your hands, the routine resembling a bubble of domesticity.
"Also, I meant to ask you last night.. " Keys begins, running a hand through his hair as you take a sip of your coffee.
"How long are we going to fake date for ? "
You choke on your coffee, drops of it spraying over the table and on Key's arm. Your eyes widen. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry - wait, lemme go grab some tissues." You walk towards the kitchen fast, finding the tissues and running them under the tap, making your way back to a grinning Keys.
"You know, I didn't think you'd hate the idea of fake dating me that much" he puts his hand on his heart, feigning hurt. "Ouch, Ace."
You dab at the droplets on his arm, grateful that miraculously none of it reached his beloved t-shirt. "Sorry, you just caught me off-guard, I wasn't expecting that question... At all."
You squint. "Wait, why would we even need to fake date ? Josh seemed convinced enough last night."
Keys sucks in a breath.
"Oof, come on, Ace. Did you not catch the lesson last night?" He says, gesturing to the TV. You stare back at him, face puzzled.
Keys tilts his head to the side "We can't have just been "together", he says making air quotes with his fingers " - for only one day. No one would buy that, and once that information reaches Josh, do you think he's going to stay put considering his behaviour last night ?"
You sigh, hating that he makes such a valid point. Josh never did really know how to mind his own business.
You take another sip of your coffee - its taste a faint comfort against the nerves rising at the thought of being Key's fake girlfriend, and the definite close proximity it would involve.
"Ok" you say, nodding your head. "Let's say 8 weeks."
"8?"
"Mm"
"Why 8 ?"
"People who saw us "together" yesterday" you say, emphasizing the word " - would probably assume we've been together for a few weeks at least. So, if we fake date for another 8 weeks and then "break up", they'll assume it was because we hit the make-or-break 3 month stage of modern relationships" you end, setting the mug down.
You see Keys nodding out of your peripheral view, and a "Oh wait, hey" is all the warning you get before you suddenly feel a calloused thumb gently wipe a bead of coffee from the corner of your lips - you hadn't even felt it. Your eyes follow Key's finger to see him suck the drop into his mouth.
Your face instantly feels like it's on fire, and you resign to your new favourite hobby: staring at the floor in hopes he doesn't notice how flustered you feel.
Keys continues rambling on about the logistics of how you both should act in public, including several notes from last night's movie.
But you're barely listening, heart still pounding from his little stunt moments ago. He has to know what he's doing, right ? Surely, he cannot be this oblivious to his own actions - but this is Keys you're talking about.
The same guy who once had the library receptionist ask him if he would tutor her in Discrete Structures whilst batting her eyes at him, regardless of the fact that she wasn't even in your division and didn't study anything comp-sci related. Keys just apologized, saying that he's not very good at it himself and pointed to you saying that you'd be much better at helping her out. The girl seemed disappointed but he didn't even notice, thanking her for scanning the textbooks he borrowed and walked out with you towards your next class. Flabbergasted, you asked him why he didn't agree to tutor her, she seemed sweet, and Keys just seem befuddled. He then repeated his words about you being much better at that course than him.
"I mean, you got all As for the assignment last semester, how did you forget about that ? It's literally the entire reason I call you 'Ace', Ace" he says, nudging your elbow.
You halt - this man cannot be serious.
" Keys, I- , you know that she was flirting with you, right ?"
His eyebrows furrowed. " What ? No, she wasn't - she was asking to be tutored, how is that flirting ?"
You place a hand on his shoulder, "Walter... She doesn't even study in the comp-sci department! Why would she ask you to tutor her in Discrete Structures, when she doesn't even study what we do - for fuck's sake, she batted her eyes at you, dude!"
"Oh."
Keys then proceeds to shrug and continue walking forward towards the lecture hall.
"Aren't you going to go back and ask her out ?"
His eyes find yours, "Nah, I'm not interested in her - plus, we got exams coming up, Ace, I've got to beat your ass and become Professor Ramon's favourite."
You roll your eyes, "As if, McKey, dream on."
Ok, so maybe he is just this oblivious, you think.
Keys taps your knee gently, "Hey, you got all that ?"
"Uh -, sorry, I spaced out a bit, I think."
His face softens. "No worries, I was just saying that - "
Your phone suddenly rings, "Sorry" you whisper.
"Hey Luce,.. Oh yeah no, I'll be there, definitely. Around 2 ? ... Yeah, ok, see you then !"
You end the call, turning back to Keys, tone apologetic.
"Hey, sorry about that - I promised Lucy that I'd go thrift shopping with her today and I'll need to go in a bit, so I have to get ready soon - do you, like, mind if we pick this up on Monday ?"
"I caught the part where you said we need to be seen together publicly - so that word spreads and people know, and I think we got that covered already honestly. I mean, we hang around each other all the time anyways, we're basically "dating" at this point, right ?", you jest.
Keys nods in understanding, but something changes in his expression at what you say - a look you can't really decipher.
"Yeah, yeah, no worries - I should probably get out of your hair anyways. Definitely overstayed my welcome, especially on a Saturday morning" he chuckles, beginning to stand up.
You mirror him, catching his wrist, "Hey no, I really enjoyed spending time with you, I always do, even when you drive me crazy" you grin.
"It's just that the outing with Lucy completely skipped my mind... Thank you though, for yesterday and today" you reach up, pressing the lightest kiss into his cheek as thanks. Your forehead knocks against the frames of his glasses lightly.
Keys freezes, the warmth from your body seeping from the close proximity, willing himself to calm down. 'It's just a kiss, not even a kiss, it's just a peck on the cheek - which you probably don't even mean anything by it, so stop reading into things, goddamn it', he tells himself.
"Y- Yeah, no worries" he stutters, voice slightly pitched higher than usual. 'Great', he thinks - mentally smacking himself in the head, 'that was as smooth as seal gliding in the desert.'
You smile at him - the soft, shy one you get when professors compliment you or when you're really proud of software designs you made but are nervous to show means a lot to you. Lest the feedback be negative. 'God', he thinks, 'The things he would do to have you smile at him like that'
Outside, the sounds of the campus starting to wake up emerge, clinking of cutlery and the scuffing of footwear creating its unique tune.
He pushes his glasses up a bit, nodding, mostly to himself and gathers his jacket from where it was draped on the couch. As he passes by the kitchen, he notices an extra orange on the counter and picks it up.
"I'm taking this one as payment for the mind-blowing orange juice I made earlier"
"Dude, you literally made the orange juice as thanks for breakfast"
Keys takes a bite of it, the juice slightly dripping down his bottom lip. "Potato, Potatoe" he mumbles, walking backwards to the door.
You raise an eyebrow, "You're holding an orange."
Keys waves his hand in dismissal, "The point still stands".
You scoff - unfortunately endeared - trying to hide your smile. A very weak attempt, if you do say so yourself, one which Keys sees right through, seeing as how he winks in victory. He reaches the door, giving you a two-fingered salute, before closing the door after him.
You wave, bidding him adieu.
So, 2 weeks into the whole fake dating scheme, and you were regretting going through with this entire plan, and frankly, your entire existence.
Because everything was so much more worse. Better ?
You didn't even know, and the worst part is Key's behaviour hadn't even changed drastically.
In fact, he was behaving pretty normally, save for the occasional hand on your waist, walking together holding hands, or tracing patterns on your knuckles. He didn't even cross any boundaries, going so far as to being the one to suggest no kissing, except maybe a peck on the cheek or forehead whenever the situation deemed it in public. But otherwise, everything was perfectly and utterly normal.
It was terrifying.
He still booped your nose randomly, brought you your coffee the way you liked it whenever he stopped by the cafe, stuck his tongue out at you whenever you got an answer right that he didn't. And yet, it didn't feel like usual, rather, you didn't feel like usual around him anymore, and that was starting to become a problem.
Even when your friends got to know that you were dating Keys, none of them weren't surprised - on the contrary, they all seem relieved, saying that it was "about time" you two got together.
"I mean, seriously.." Rye said, taking a sip of their coffee, "I'm surprised it took y'all this long to get together considering how that boy looks at you". Jace and Lucy nodded in tandem. Your brows furrowed, confusion etched on your features "Wait, what do you mean ?"
Riya pursued her lips, "I mean, girl, come on, surely you've noticed the way his eyes follow you wherever - it's like watching a puppy."
You scoff, "Ok, I feel like that's a bit dramatic-,
"It's really not" Jace cuts in, "I've seen him in class, and except for you, he does not look at anyone with such softness in his eyes. Honestly, it's really sweet. Most people are actually slightly intimated by Keys, coz he's kind of difficult to figure out sometimes... Even that guy, Mooser, Mouser, or whatever his best friend's name is, doesn't really receive the puppy dog eyes you do, no one does."
Warmth spreads throughout your body, something unfurling in your chest.
"And not to mention, how joined you two are at the hip, constantly bantering - I feel like I'm watching a sitcom of sorts, it's very old married couple coded honestly" Lucy adds, winking at you.
Later that evening, once you're back in your dorm, making yourself a cup of hot chocolate - you find your mind drifting back to Keys, as does appear to be the norm these days. And as much as what your friends said stir up hope, you know you're probably being delusional. Yes, him and you have good banter and he's sweet to you, well sometimes, but that's just the kind of bond you two have. And maybe fake dating him and getting to see him in a new light has just shown you a glimpse of what you could have.
And that's the issue, isn't it ?
Because you like it. You like feeling like this and being around Keys like this. You actually like it - maybe a bit too much, if you're being honest. You like the feeling of his calloused hand in yours, his touch so gentle and secure. You like it when he brushes a few wisps of your hair behind your ear, that you don't even notice it yourself has fallen when you're in the zone during assignments. You like the cadence of his laugh and how he runs his hands through his hair when he's trying to make hard decisions. How his tongue pokes out when he's concentrating, and how witty he is, matching you bar for bar, every time.
You like all of it, you... like him. Plainly, simply, and wholeheartedly.
And that's what sucks because Keys doesn't like you like that - how could he if he's the one who imposed the 'no kissing rule'. He's just genuinely such a good friend and a sweet guy that he's doing all this to help you out with Josh, who thankfully hasn't looked your way since, only seemingly pissed at Keys rather than even acknowledging your presence at this point. And he doesn't like you, and that's ok, he's not expected to - but god, does it suck. Not to mention, it's only going to hurt more once this fake dating jig is up, and you go back to being friends, except you'll carry this immense weight in your heart - your soul fracturing every time you hear his laughter and remember that in the future, you're not going to be the one he shares all his laughs with, his sorrow, his joy, and his goddamn stupidly endearing nerdy facts.
So, you double down on your efforts, you figure if it's going to end, might as well make the best of it. Even if it hurts your heart in the future, at least you won't regret not knowing what it was like to date Walter McKey.
You lean into his side more often, ruffle his hair, and intertwine your pinkies when you walk to lectures. Not knowing how much this was worsening the torture Keys himself was experiencing.
It happens on a Tuesday, as all seemingly unexpected yet significant events do. It's been pouring outside for about an hour now, and thankfully your professor cancelled class because of the weather conditions.
! Knock, knock, knock !
There's a sudden banging on the door, and you startle. You quickly check your phone to see if any of your friends mentioned dropping by, but upon seeing the lack of notifications, you shuffle closer to the door, checking the peephole - only to see the idiot that has been plaguing your thoughts over the past 3 weeks, the literal bane of your existence. He's soaked, water dripping from his head to toe, forming little puddles outside your door. You immediately unlock the door, "Keys?"
"Hey" he responds, chest heaving like he ran here, and smiles at you, as if he's not just standing outside your door like a wet dog with no prior notice.
"What are- ? You know what, just- just come in" you usher him into your living room, running off to grab a spare towel from the bathroom. You hand it to him, and he takes it, his fingers connecting with yours and you hate how a little bolt of electricity runs up your hand from the slightest touch.
For the next few minutes, all that's audible is the pitter patter of the rain, the movement from the towel drying his hair, and his heavy breathing beginning to even out steadily.
"Keys, are- are you ok ? You look like you ran here in the rain... You know class is cancelled, right ?"
He stops drying his hair, holding the towel in his hand. "Yeah, I know.. I just- I just had to tell you something and it couldn't wait, and the next thing I know, I was here."
Your eyes widen. "Yeah, yeah of course, what's wrong ?"
"I can't do this anymore, Ace - I can't be your fake boyfriend anymore."
In that moment, you swear you feel your heart drop. You thought you had more time with him, more time to be his in a way you'd never be again once the remaining weeks were up.
'Did -, oh god, did you make him feel uncomfortable?' "Keys, I'm so sor -,"
He cuts you, voice pleading. "Please, just -, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I just need to get this off my chest now, okay? "
You nod gently.
Keys runs his other hand through his hair, the ends of his dried brown locks sticking up slightly.
"I'm sorry, ok ? I tried, I really, really tried but I don't think I can do this anymore."
Your eyes start to sting slightly, the hurt seeping through even more at his words.
"I just- , I just can't pretend anymore. Each time you- you smile at me, or lean your head on my shoulder, or do literally anything, my heart twists - because all it does is remind me that I'm not yours."
Your breath hitches, pulse beginning to race.
"- that these moments I get to see of you aren't mine to cherish... I've been trying so so hard to rein it in, but I just- I just can't, Ace - I can't stop wanting you, I don't think I ever could."
He finally looks at you, nervousness evident across his face.
"And I'm sorry, I know that this messes things up, this messes our friendship up, and I never wanted to put you in this position. But I just don't think it'd be right for me to date you, even if for pretense, without you knowing how I actually feel about you. Because the fact of the matter is that I like you, a lot, and you mean so much to me."
Your heart soars, beyond touched that even despite liking you, his priority was not wanting to deceive you by being dishonest about his feelings. You can't help it, a smile breaks out on your face, because holy shit: Keys likes you. Keys likes you. Keys likes you.
Seeing your smile, Keys shuts his eyes, mentally preparing for your rejection - which would probably be polite and sweet, because at your core, you're always thinking of others.
"Don't look at me like that" he whispers, eyes still closed and his fists clenched.
"Like what ?" you say, tilting your head, your smiling only widening with each passing moment.
"You know what" he mutters, "You don't know how hard it is for me to not give in and kiss you when you look at me like that, with your eyes all soft, and your smile like honey."
You take a step closer to him, air thrumming with a certain tension as you feel the heat emanating from his body.
"What's stopping you ?" you challenge, a smirk playing on your face. Key's eyes open instantly, finding yours, his gaze dark and hopeful at once.
You take another step forward - eyes still on his, the usual chocolate brown now drowning in pools of ink - calmly extracting the towel from his hand, and tossing it to the side.
Keys swallows thickly, before stepping closer to you - both of your chests nearly touching - and brings his hand to your waist, pulling you in gently. His thumb rubs little circles on your skin, and you sigh inadvertently, eyes fluttering shut. You feel his lips barely a hair's width away from yours, your breaths mingling.
"Is this okay?" he asks, utmost vulnerability etched in his eyes. You nod, eyes opening slightly, as your hands make its way around the back of his neck.
"Please" you utter, and that's all that Keys needs before he dips his head down. Your lips meet, and you find yourself melting at the tenderness of it, your eyes fluttering close automatically.
His lips feel like pillows of velvet, caressing yours.... and it's soft and it's sweet and it's nice, but you want more.
Maybe it's the emotional distress you've caused yourself over the past few weeks, but you're greedy for more. You've always been ambitious and had a thirst for knowledge, so you suppose it's only natural that this extends to Keys - wanting to know what he sounds like, what kind of reactions you can draw out of him, wanting to see how good of a kisser he is.
So you let your hands fall slowly towards the collar of his t-shirt, though thoroughly damp, you find that you can't bring yourself to care, and fist it tightly - drawing him further into you.
Keys makes a sound of surprise and immediately groans, the sound travelling directly through you. His other hand comes up to your jaw, cradling it reverently, just before he essentially steals the breath out of your lungs - kissing you harder now, tugging and biting your lower lip. You gasp, lips parting on instinct, and he uses the opening to slide his tongue in, smoothly exploring your mouth. You detect a hint of blueberry, probably from his favourite flavour of Red Bull. You feel yourself running out of oxygen, and detach your lips for a second, inhaling deeply - only for Keys to immediately follow your mouth, capturing your lips in another bruising kiss, focusing on your upper lip.
Not one to be bested, because after all, you were still rivals in every sense of the word, you grasp some of his brown locks at the back of his head and pull back - only to see molten pools of brown staring back at you. Tugging him back to you, you lick into his lips ferociously, the hard press of his glasses against you only spurring you on.
Keys groans deeply, the sound vibrating throughout your body, and begins peppering kisses over your jaw and your neck. You feel him still at the moan you let out, before suddenly moving back, breathing heavily - his forehead resting against yours.
"Sorry, was that too much ? I- I didn't mean to get carried away... Fuck, I'm so sorry."
You burst out laughing.
"Calm down, you dork, you act as if I wasn't actively trying to suck the soul out of you" you smirk, hands reaching out to fix his glasses that had definitely gone a tad astray during your little 'information gathering' endeavour. The tips of Key's ears redden instantly, and he awkwardly clears his throat.
"Right - well yes, I guess you do have a point there."
'Plick, plick, plick'
The sound of water dripping from Key's clothes gathers both of your attention, presumably because neither of you are currently distracted by exploring each other's mouths. You see the realization hit Keys at the exact same type, and the blush that rapidly spreads across his face is a sight to behold. Not that you aren't affected yourself, your cheeks are hot enough to cook pasta on it at this point.
"I could give you one of my baggy t-shirts, and a pair of sweatpants that my friend Jace had put in the wash the other night but forgot to take back, I think it'll fit - is that ok ?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's fine, thank you" Keys mumbles, still clearly flustered. It's honestly unfair how endearing he is in moments like this. You take his hand, guiding him to your room and dump the clothes in his hand.
20 minutes later, Keys emerges from the bathroom, the towel slung around his neck, the sweatpants slightly loose and hanging low on his waist. Your t-shirt looks quite snug on him, which is unfortunately quite unfair, because he looks even better now - all sharp points of his physique quite defined now. Plus, seeing him in your clothing feels vaguely domestic and you bite down on the smile making it's way on your face, and will the butterflies in your stomach to settle.
"The t-shirt fit you okay ? Is it uncomfortable?"
" No, it's a little tight, but the material feels very comfy, so I'm okay. Thank you for the clothes"
"No problem" you smile, setting down two steaming mugs on the counter, "I made us some hot chocolate to help warm up" you wink.
"Thanks." he smiles, boyish and fond.
Silence settled between the two of you, just the hum of the fridge and the sounds of rain slowly dying down your only company. You and Keys took a sip from your mugs at the same time. "So, when did you start liking me?" you ask abruptly, feigning calmness.
Keys chokes on his hot cocoa slightly, coughing and sputtering. "I-, you can't just ask something like that out of nowhere !"
You roll your eyes, "Come on, McKey, I wanna know.. or are you worried that your feelings couldn't possibly match up to mine" you gesture dramatically.
Keys smirks, "Oh, I can assure you, sweetheart, it's no contest." Heat rushes through you at once, the nickname uttered so casually and devastingly making you want to kiss him all over again.
You scoff, in a bid to seem unaffected, but it doesn't land strongly, "Psh, you don't know that, I could've liked y- "
"I've liked you since junior year, Ace" he utters calmly, as if he didn't just upend your entire perception of reality.
"Oh" you whisper.
"Yeah, oh" he replies, winking at you over the rim of his mug.
Suddenly, your limbs feel like jelly.
"I, uh, I guess you beat me at something for once" you state.
He shrugs, a cocky smile plastered on his face. His very handsome, freckled, gorgeous face.
"I think the more interesting topic here is how long you've liked me for - I mean, I wasn't sure if you did to be honest, but after taking today's data into consideration, well the results speak for itself, I think" he quips, reaching across the table to wipe off a drop of hot chocolate from your lip, dragging his thumb slowly and sucking the bits of foam into his mouth.
What the hell is happening ?
How did the tables flip just like that ?
Since when is Walter McKey such a flirt, and why is he so good at it ?
"Uh.." you utter dumbly. Great, he's wrecked you with a few words. Fantastic.
"A couple weeks now ? I mean, I was very much aware of how good looking you are, and often found you cute, but I didn't really think much of it, until the party that night, and you kept.." you trail off, unsure if you should give Keys such precious ammunition.
"I kept..? " he asks, tilting his head to the side.
Your throat is dry, "Uh, well you know, you kept doing that thing with your thumb.."
"The thing with my thumb ?" he asks in faux confusion, very clearly aware of what you're talking about.
"Ugh, are you gonna make me say it ?"
"Well, you know the rules, Ace. You gotta show your work to get full marks, that means spelling out the details." He responds condescendingly. The bastard grins widely, the dimples on his face showing.
"Ugh, fine, I liked that you kept rubbing circles with your thumb on my skin, ok ? It was hot - and then you came over and fell asleep, basically cuddling me and nuzzled your face into the side of my neck, and I froze. I liked it, more than I probably should've, and it scared me. And then the first 2 weeks that we were fake dating were hell for me, because you would stare at me with your puppy dog eyes, hold my hand, kiss my forehead, and I liked all of it. I liked being your girl." you sigh.
"I like the banter we have with each other and that we get each other's stupid references, and that you like olives and I hate them so I can just give them to you, and you'll eat them. And I liked it all so much that you just would not leave my thoughts, like at all - do you know how annoying it is to have someone stuck in your mind ? And you can't get them out of your head, and when you see them, all you want to do is kiss them silly ?" you round on Keys, all your feelings pouring out of you like a dam breaking.
Keys looks at you, a smile so tender etched on his features, and he takes your hand gently. "I might have a clue... Two years, remember? But I'm glad you told me all this, really.. you have no idea how happy I am that you like me too, like genuinely."
You duck your head, shy and flustered, at both his words and your deranged confession.
He kisses the top of your head. "Hey, um...," suddenly, he's back to your Keys, the shy, sweet self.
"If it's not raining tomorrow, would you maybe wanna go on a date ? Like for real, this time.. There's a new laser tag place that opened up recently and I figured we'd both enjoy it, if you're up for it ?" He glances at you briefly.
"Yeah, yeah I'd like that" you say, kissing his cheek lightly, the both of you smiling and giggling like children.
A few months later, the both of you are very much not smiling and giggling.
"I cannot believe you just said that." you say, rounding on him, as you look for the textbook you're trying to locate.
"What ?" He scoffs. "Princess Diaries 1 is way superior to Princess Diaries 2, ok ? It's all about accepting herself and believing in her capabilities."
"Princess Diaries 2 has Chris Pine in it, Keys."
"That doesn't feel like a very objective measure."
"It also has her dealing with those problems she never thought herself capable of, and doing it in a way that aligns with her and Genovia's interests." you counter, turning towards him, only to be greeted with the usual chaotic gleam in his eyes.
"What?" you sigh. You prepare yourself to defend against any unrelated information he's about to bring in, when suddenly he cups your face and kisses you softly.
"Keys!" you hiss, drawing back even as your lips are very much protesting. "We're in the library! What if someone walks in on us?"
He raises his eyebrow. "We're near the bookshelves, Ace. What person comes to check out physical textbooks nowadays?"
He does have a point. "But still -"
He kisses you again. This time, you can't really find it in yourself to draw away. Not that you're not aware that this is one of his new dirty tricks to win an argument, you very much are. But as he pulls your body flush against his, his mouth gliding against yours, you think that maybe you don't mind this strategy as much.
That is until you hear someone's throat clearing, and you reel back from Keys in an instant, your face feeling like it's on fire.
"Oh hey, Kai" Keys casually greets the glowering librarian. "How's it going?"
"It'd be going a lot better if people weren't making out in front of me" they respond, scanning some of the books. "Why is it always you two being upto something?"
You shut your eyes in absolute mortification. "Oh my god, Kai, I'm so sorry. We-"
"Don't worry, we'll get out of your hair. Catch you later!" Keys winks, grabbing your hand, intertwining your fingers as always, and dragging you back to your desk.
"That has to be one of the most embarrassing moments of my life" you mutter.
"Hmm, I dunno. I quite enjoyed it" Keys teases, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles in soothing motions. He sneaks you a peck, grinning, looking utterly too pleased with himself.
And you can't help grinning back, after all, shared moments like these were probably your favourite.
Thank you so so much if you made it all the way to the end! It means a lot, especially because I sacrificed my blood, tears, sweat, and sleep schedule for this lol.
hiiii i adore guilty as sin - could you do a drabble before they got together in which they have a close moment & steve nearly confesses to her? thank you :)
an almost confession | s.h
𑣲 guilty as sin drabbles
When Steve found out from Nancy that James had cancelled on you last minute, that you were going to be ice skating by yourself at the winter fair, he of course offered to go with you instead.
"Are you sure?" You had asked him, a hopeful expression on your face that made Steve's heart nearly double in size. "I mean—it’s okay if you have plans or—"
"—I'm sure," Steve interjects with a smile that he hopes didn't appear too eager, "I'd love to go ice skating with you, it'll be fun!"
Of course, he doesn't tell you that he did in fact have plans to go to Eddie's tonight and he certainly doesn't tell you that he had never been ice skating before.
And so, because Steve Harrington was so stupidly in love with you, he followed you right onto the ice rink without much care about anything other than putting a smile on your face.
"Fucking hell!" Steve mutters under his breath as he slips on the ice again. He grabs onto the railing—which he had yet to part with—just in time to stop himself from falling, which had happened more than five times already.
"Steve," you giggle beside him, skating closer and making him feel incredibly warm all of a sudden, despite how cold it was out on the ice. “C’mon, take my hand. I’ll help you.”
Steve couldn’t think of anything worse. Not because he didn’t trust or believe you but because the thought of holding your hand already made his knees feel weak.
But before he could come up with some reasonable excuse, you were gently taking your gloved hand in his and pulling him away from his trusted railing. And because he loved you, because he would do almost anything for you (including embarrassing himself in front of about fifty people on an ice rink), he let you lead.
And he trips—almost instantly.
He tries to let go of your hand, tries to stop you from falling too but your hand clings to his, refusing to let go and all Steve can think to do is wrap an arm around your waist as gravity wins, pulling you towards him so when you fall together—his body cushions yours, making sure he takes the most, if not all, the impact from the fall.
Steve’s back smacks against the ice and it hurts like a bitch but all Steve cares about is whether or not you were okay. And the fact you were currently on top of him. He cared a lot about that too.
“Oh my god,” you gasp, looking down at him with such concern that Steve feels his throat tighten. “Did you hit your head? Are you okay?!”
Did he hit his head? He wasn’t sure. He did feel a little fussy but maybe that was just because the girl he was desperately in love with was laying on top of him—
“M’brill,” Steve murmurs, lifting the hand that had been resting on your waist to brush back the hair that had fallen in front of your face gently. “Cause you’re here.”
He had definitely hit his head. He felt so dazed that he had the sudden urge to tell you that James didn’t deserve you, that he loved you the way that you deserved, that being so close to you was making him feel things he hadn’t felt in years.
You smile down at him gently, the sort of smile he would remember for years to come.
“I think you might be concussed,” you say, slowly easing yourself off of Steve’s body and leaving him feeling cold and a little empty inside.
“Yeah,” Steve grins back at you wearily, something inside him breaking a little as he wondered—not for the first time—if he was ever going to move on from you, if he was doomed to watch you love a man who didn’t deserve it. “Probably am.”
He takes your outstretched hand, allowing you to pull him up to his feet. And then, he lets you drag him towards the medical tent, shoving the sinking feeling he had in his gut aside—the feeling that you would never seen as more than just a friend, more than just a roommate.
summary: being robin's friend means you need to be careful with the things you say to her. a little drama can go a long way in a crowded house with a mouth like hers. so, when robin finds out steve may have a thing for you, it doesn't go long before you hear about it
wc: 2.9k
cw: loosely based off that one episode where rachel finds out about ross (don’t have to have watched friends to understand the fic), no use of Y/N, use of she/her, mentions of steve's trauma, suggestive content, set in season 4, swearing (fuck, dick)
G: i've been watching an unhealthy amount of friends recently and thought of this. no spoilers!! this is my first time watching 🫢
m.list
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
You'd lived with Steve for nearly a year now, ever since the mall "fire" in 1985. After it, he was bruised and hard of hearing in his left ear. You'd offered him help every day, even if it was over the phone, hearing his voice that was still raspy weeks after because of the screams pulled from his throat.
Though approximately nine days of you checking up on him every day, he reluctantly caved.
Well, kind of. He knew he needed someone there for him when he couldn't lift his arms past his head to wash his hair. And of course, that was the biggest deal to him.
Soon enough, you moved in.
There was no conversation about it. In fact, it was never even mentioned. It just happened. All there was was just a day where you started to bring clothes and perfumes and body wash and leave it at his house. Then eventually you'd go weeks without returning home, sleeping in the bedroom next to his every night.
And you loved it.
He never said it out loud, and never will, but he undeniably fell for you. Somewhere between the nights you would hold his hand until he fell asleep and the days you'd bake his favourite for him on a sunny morning. He didn't know if it was because you were the only person who'd ever understood him in a way that made him feel somewhat lovable, or because you were the only constant female in his life. Or even because you were so gorgeous that he had to force down his hard on every time you attended to his wounds. Maybe it was all three.
But after Steve finally somewhat recovered from his trauma, he and Robin eventually landed a new job at Family Video. And of course, Robin had to move in too. Apparently it was "easier to get to work on time." So, Robin took the bedroom down the hall from yours.
However, three people in Steve's mansion wasn't enough. After Dustin and the gang hunted down Eddie, he needed somewhere to hide for a while.
Somewhere that wasn't too obvious for people to find him, and the perfect place is obviously some guy who hates your guts' house.
Soon, the house began filling up incredibly fast.
Nancy and Jonathan took the bedroom next to Robins, which she hated since allegedly she can hear sounds from them every night. El would occasionally stay for a few nights per month when Hopper was on night patrol and couldn't trust her enough to leave her at the cabin alone. He trusted you to look after her and not Steve, which caused problems when Hopper would barge in and see El hanging out with Steve, Eddie, and Mike while you were out with everyone else. Dustin would stay for sleepovers, and of course if Dustin was having the time of his life with Steve and Eddie, Mike and Will had to tag along. If Mike was going then Lucas had to come too, and if Lucas was going, clearly max was going to have to join too.
Ultimately, it became jam-packed within a week of nancy and Jonathan moving in all because they were the ones who wanted a space without Joyce's worry filling the entire house, and without Karen arguing with Ted every night. But instead, they got kids arguing over what movie they should pick that night and worrying that there wouldn't be enough pancake mix in the kitchen for the morning.
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
"Steve, please can you drive us to the movies?" Dustin whines. He's been following Steve around the house for an hour now. Even with people yelling at him to shut up, he's still at his knees, pleading with the high pitched tone that makes everyone cringe when his voice cracks multiple times in a sentence.
"Will you give it a rest, Henderson?" Steve grumbles, his hands that he uses to frustratedly hide his face in. "I told you, I'm not going out at eight p.m. and have to wait up just for you to be finished so I can go back out and pick you up." Steve looks at him tiredly. "I've got work in the morning. Something that you kids wouldn't understand since you live off my dimes."
Dustin scoffs. "We don't live off your money!" he defends his friends and himself. "We collectively paid for Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal last week."
"Cinnamon Toast Crunch costs two dollars." Steve stands in the middle of the kitchen, his gaze hard on Dustin. "You all contributed forty cents and ate it before you even made it back here."
Dustin points at him factually. "Actually, Lucas was three cents low, so Max had to pay forty three cents."
"ah, yes." Steve's face sarcastically lights up.
"Suddenly I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders hearing that information."
"Haha." Dustin replied dryly. "Personally, I don't think it'll be that difficult for you to drive us to the movies if it gives us a chance to see Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink." Dustin shrugs.
"What about Molly Ringwald?" Eddie excitedly asks as he slides into the kitchen.
"She's in a new movie that me and everyone else want to go see." Dustin's face lights up as he notices Eddie, his demeanour copying his excited one.
"Oh, really? Didn't realise you wanted to go see a movie." Eddie answers back sarcastically.
"That's only if Steve will take us." Dustin's glares at Steve.
"That's a thousand percent chance that I am not taking you because who calls a movie Pretty in Pink?" Steve frowns. "What if she also looks pretty in orange? What about that?"
"You know, if you don't want to take them, I can." Eddie says with a reserved smile. "Though, I don't have my van right now, so you'll have to let me take your car." He says confidently.
"You know, Eddie, you're so funny you could be the next Joker." Steve says bluntly, his face still holding a stern expression.
"Thanks, I get told I have the looks for him." Eddie dramatically pushes his hair out of the way.
"You're still hung up about not taking them to the movies, huh?" You ask from the doorway, leaning against the frame with your arms crossed and a skeptical look pointed to Steve.
"Well, yeah." Steve huffs, still standing his ground.
"I've got work in the morning and I'm not staying up any later than I need to."
"Grandpa." Eddie mutters between a deliberate cough.
"Why don't I take them? That way you can have a few hours in a quiet house without the kids." You question softly.
Steve sighs, scratching the side of his face in thought. He studies you for a moment. The way your eyes sparkle and the sincerity of them. The way your freckles glimmer under the light of the kitchen. The way your lips look so plump and soft and so kissable. The way heat starts pooling at his dick. Fuck.
"You'd do that?" leaning against the counter in attempting to hide his growing boner, the corner of his lip creeps into a small smile.
"Steve, l've done bigger favours for you. Driving the kids somewhere is nothing compared to it." You nod.
"Uh, hello." Eddie interrupts the moment between the two of you with a wave. "Did I not also say I'd drive them down?"
"Unless you want to end up on the front page of the New York Times." You giggle.
"Family dead on their way to the movies because punk payed more attention to metallica's guitar solo than the road."' steve joins in, turning his tone formal.
"Seriously, I know how to drive a car!" Eddie defends himself.
“Maybe a toy car." You snort, finally leaving the room.
“To be honest, I feel like I need at least three seatbelts when you’re driving.” Dustin pats Eddie on the back as he follows you out the kitchen.
“Sorry, didn’t realise being self taught was a problem.” Eddie mutters frustratedly under his breath, making his way the fridge to take a swig of milk.
Steve grips the edge of the countertop with his hand, forcing it white when he hears a chuckle bubble up in eddies throat.
“She didn’t even touch you. You’re gone, man.”
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
Seven thirty came sooner than expected.
The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, and there was a slight chill to the air.
You were by the front door after successfully managing to get your shoes on without untying them. You slipped on a jacket that rested on the coat stand and smoothed out your jeans before announcing your departure.
“I’m leaving now. I’ll see you guys later.” You shout. Just before you could step outside, Steve appears behind you, leaning against the wall closest to him.
"See you later." Steve appears from the living room, already having put on a baggy shirt and an old pair of basketball shorts. He looked comfortable like this. Relaxed. In a way, it relieved you. Knowing the change between now and a year ago. A year ago, he could never settle down, he could never get comfortable or relax fully. But now, he does it without second thought. Goes to sleep without fearing the Russians and actually wants to go to bed.
"Thank you, again." He shoves his hands in his pockets. "For taking them." He nods his head in the direction of the car.
"Don't worry. I've told you a million times it's not a big deal." You murmur with a smile. “You need the rest anyway.”
"I know, I know. Just wanted to thank you." He puts his hands up in defence. "And thank you for all the things you do for me." He mumbles.
“You’re my best friend, Steve. Of course I’m going to help you and be by your side.” A soft smile finding your lips.
Friend zoned. Ouch.
Steve just huffs a laugh. “Yeah, course.” He nods. “Appreciate it.” He says quietly.
“Get some sleep.” Once the door closes gently behind you, Steve lets out a breath he didn't realise he was holding, wiping the sweat that was starting to pool in his hands on his shirt.
He makes his way back into the living room where Robin sat comfortably on the love seat that rested in the corner. He groans as he sits down, tilting his head against the soft pillow behind him.
“What’s going on with you two?” Robin asks suspiciously.
“Nothings going on between us.” He grumbles, his hand finding the remote and turning on a show he doesn’t have to pay much attention to.
“There is.” She says confidently. “You never get that awkward and sappy around anyone apart from her.” She states. “I may not be a genius, but I know sexual tension when I see it.” Her brows knitting together as she watches him intensely.
Steve scoffs. “There is no sexual tension. What are you talking about?”
Robins crumbled face eventually softens out into wide grin. “You like her.” She gasps like she’s found a secret formula.
“You need to stop taking so many late nights. It messes with your head.” He points at his head.
“Okay, but will late nights be able to notice the way you get all fiddly whenever she’s around. The minute she glances in your direction you look like you’re about to melt.”
“Wow, Robin, thanks. Not only do I feel like I’m being heavily judged, but I also feel like I should start be aware of where you are in the house at all times.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s obvious now that I think of it. She’s one more conversation from finding out you have a thing for her.” She points at him. “You better say something before she starts thinking you’re a man who pretends he likes her when he actually doesn’t.”
“You think she notices I have a thing for her?” He asks anxiously.
“You’re more obvious than Dustin thinking he can get away with stealing your hairspray.” She bluntly says.
“He steals my hairspray?”
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
The following morning, you wake up to the glimmer of sunshine peaking through your curtains, leaving it long enough to rest gently on your face as the soothing warmth of it made your skin tingle.
You were wrapped comfortably around your blankets, your hair spewing down your pillow and off your shoulder.
You could already hear the kids rattling around in the kitchen, arguing over who's getting the last slice of toast. Something you've gotten used to hearing quite quickly.
There's a knock on your door before you can fully open your eyes and adjust the sunlight spilling through your window.
"Thank god you're up." Robin groans stressfully, sitting on the side of your bed.
"I mean, I am up, but I'm not ready to be up." You yawn, rolling over to the other side of the bed so you can look at her.
"I'm stressed-"
"I can tell."
"Vickie came into Family Video five days ago, and we have a seven day rent policy. So you can only have the movie for a week before having to give it back, by law of course–"
"I assumed so."
"So that means I have at least two days to prepare a speech for when she comes back in. I have to confess to her. It's killing me that I don’t know if she likes me, and it’s killing me even more that she’s not my girlfriend." She moans.
"Rob, I'm sure she likes you. I've seen the way you speak to each other and the way you look at each other." You sit up, resting your hand on her shoulder. "And remember, no one pauses fast times at fifty three minutes, five seconds, other than the people who like boobies." You add quietly.
She huffs. "Easy for you to say. At least you have someone who makes it obvious they like you." She spits out before her body stills.
"Uh, what did you say?" You say with feigned calmness.
"I said nothing, that's what I said." She stands, her hands clamped down by her side.
"Who likes me, Robin?-"
"Okay, fine, I'll tell you as long as you won't tell anyone." She easily caves. "It's Steve." She squeezes her eyes closed and winces as she awaits your reaction.
"Steve?" Your eyebrows shoot up as you dive back into your memory for any truth behind this. You were aware of how close you two were. I mean, how couldn't you after you moved in with him. You just assumed that it was a strong bond of friendship between you two. Nothing else.
“How many people know about this?” You were quick to question.”
She swallows. “Everyone.” She whispers. And honestly, you weren’t surprised in the slightest.
You chew your lip in thought. Maybe you wouldn't mind being an item with Steve. He was the whole package, really. Hot, funny, caring, good with kids.
Anyone would be lucky to have guy like steve. And with thought, you hoped that you'd be that lucky person who gets to call him yours one day.
You’d never really noticed it before but whenever he was close you felt happy. You felt free and safe. He was like a blanket you never wanted to get free from.
"Where is he?" You ask.
"In the car waiting for me, actually. I better be off." She rushes out of your room, the door slamming behind her as she stomps down the stairs and slides out the front door.
There were a whirlwind of emotions spinning in your head. Confusion, happiness, excitement, worry, and even a little horny.
You'd been single for over a year now, not noticing anyone really taking interest in you other than the drunk guy at the bar who just wants sex. But the fact that the person showing an ounce of interest in you was Steve? You’ve never felt so happy.
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
Robin was first to arrive home.
The door swung open, the same way it has for the past few months. Tiredly and annoyingly.
She kicked off her shoes at the front door and slipped off her jacket, throwing it somewhere on the floor for future Robin to deal with.
You’d barely moved off the couch since this morning. You felt as if anticipation had glued you to the seat until you and Steve talked about it.
She easily made herself comfortable on the couch, spreading out her arms and legs with a few cracks of her joints.
“She didn’t come in today.” she mentions.
“I guess tomorrow’s the big day.” you teasingly smile at her. “You got your speech ready?”
“All I have is, ‘I can’t help but notice you every time you walk into a room. You light it up like a firework, and I like fireworks even if they make me jump. They’re pretty cool, and I think you’re pretty cool, so do you want to go out sometime?’”
You bite down on a smile. “Maybe scratch that idea.”
───── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ─────
Everyone had gravitated to the living room by the time Steve made it home a few hours later.
You heard the door squeal open, followed by the sound of shoes being kicked off.
You felt chills float down your spine as he made his way into the living room. A smile intoxicating his face that you quickly grew suspicious of.
Tags: just pure fluff, gator struggles to express his emotions, sex references
Notes: apart from blurbs this is my first gator fic! One thing about me is that I love to knit and as soon as I started watching Fargo I was like ‘I need to knit this man a scarf’. So this one is for me and all my gator loving lovelies who knit <3
Masterlist
An offensively loud honk blasts through your window from the street out front. You’ve never gotten used to how the sound pounds at your ear drums, no matter how many times you’ve heard it. But Gator needs to announce himself, not just to you but to the whole damn neighbourhood.
When you emerge from your front door he’s leaning against the side of his truck, one hand holding his vape to his lips, the other shoved in the pocket of his cargo pants.
He puffs out a plume of sweet vapour. As you get closer, the scent hits you – watermelon.
“Hey there, sugar,” Gator says, the smirk on his face evident in his voice.
“Hi,” you say before pecking his lips.
You slither your hands around his waist, over the soft leather of his jacket. Gator’s hands come up to cradle your face and keep you close, stealing another taste of your lips.
“Ya ready to go?” he asks.
You nod and reluctantly pull away from his warm grasp.
Gator opens the passenger side door for you and gives your ass a firm smack as you climb in – what a gentleman.
As he rounds the front of the car he winks at you through the windshield before getting in the driver’s side and starting up the engine.
“Oh!” you exclaim suddenly. “Before we go, I wanna give you this…”
You rummage briefly in your bag and pull out a soft package. It’s wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper, held together with a piece of twine that you neatly tied into a bow.
Gator gawks at it as if you were handing him bomb.
You thrust it more into his space to encourage him to take it.
“What’s this?” His fingers brush yours as he hesitantly takes it from you.
“Just a little something for you.”
“Don’t tell me I forgot our anniversary or some shit?”
“No,” you chuckle.
“You want me to eat your pussy later, that it?”
“Gator!” You give his arm a scolding slap. “No, I don’t want anything in return. But I won’t say no if you want to,” you joke, rubbing the spot on his arm that you hit. “Just open it.”
Gator struggles a little with trying to untie the bow before deciding to rip the whole thing open.
A neatly folded pile of fabric falls to his lap and again he just stares at it.
“It’s a scarf,” you say, feeling the need to state the obvious.
Gator’s silence hangs heavy in the front seats of his truck. He picks up the fabric between his thumb and pointer finger like he’s scared it will fall apart under his touch.
It’s a dark, mossy green knitted scarf. Not too chunky as to feel overwhelming but thick enough to keep him warm on those night patrols when the heater in his cruiser ‘never fuckin’ works’.
You picked out the colour to go well with his other clothing but mostly with the hope that it would bring out that hint of hazel that hid in his eyes.
Because Gator knows you, he knows you spend a lot of your free time knitting. It’s something that annoys him when he’s trying to get in your pants in bed but you keep insisting on ‘one more row’. So when he sees the long line of the fabric hanging down in front of him, he knows that you made it – you made it for him.
Gator has so much to say but feels so incapable of articulating any of it. He’s never been one to express himself with words, even when it comes to you. Usually he lets his hands do the talking, which you’ve never complained about.
But now there’s so much he wants to say.
He wants to tell you how much it means to him that you spent your days off creating something just for him.
He wants to tell you that you really didn’t have to spend your hard earned money on the softest freakin’ yarn he’s ever felt, just for him.
He wants to tell you that no one has even done something like this for him, and he never thought that anyone ever would.
Most of all he wants to tell you that he loves you and he’d do anything for you.
While Galtor is processing the rush of emotions he feels at the gesture, you drone on about the material and how you made it, even though you think he probably couldn’t give less of a fuck.
“It’s a cashmere, silk blend so it’s warm but won’t be scratchy on your skin. I know you get sensitive sometimes. And I–“
“You made this?” he interrupts, even though he already knows the answer.
You nod, dipping your head forward to try to catch his eye but he refuses to meet your gaze.
“For me?”
“Yeah, for you Gator.”
“This must have taken ya fuckin’ ages.”
You shrug. “I mean yeah, but I wanted to do it. I like making things for the people I love.”
That’s what makes Gator finally turn to look at you and when he does you see his eyes are slightly glazed over and you smile to yourself because you were right – it does bring out his eyes.
“I dunno what to say… No one’s ever–“
“–You don’t have to say anything.” You place your hand on his knee to reassure him. “I know.”
Gator feels a tightness in his chest that he’s come to recognise as a good thing. It’s the same feeling he gets when you kiss him, when you tell him you love him, even when you hold his hand.
“But I am going to insist that you try it on.”
You delicately take the fabric from him and drape it around his neck, tossing one side over his shoulder so it’s wrapped around him.
“There, looks good on you.”
“Ya think?”
You offer him a small, reassuring smile as you lean over to press your lips to his.
Gator responds instantly, finally using a language he’s fluent in to show you how much the gift means to him. He holds the back of your head with one hand, the other resting on your hip as you both lean into each other over the centre console.
The kiss says everything he can’t say with words.
His lips moving over yours, slotting together as if to say, we belong together.
His hand on your hip squeezes you twice as if to say, thank you.
And you hum against his lips as if to say, you’re welcome.
“It’s real soft,” Gator commented, pulling back just enough to speak but still close enough to keep your lips touching.
“The kiss?”
“No,” he picked up the end of the scarf and waved it around to show what he was talking about.
He almost hit you in the face with it and you giggle in such a way that Gator feels that tightness in his chest again.
“Smells just like ya too.” He brought the end to his nose and gave it a deep sniff.
“I washed it with my shampoo.”
“You thought‘a everything, didn’t ya.”
“I was just thinking of you mostly.”
Gator laughs, ducking his head trying to hide the blush spreading on his cheeks.
You don’t push him to say whatever sappy thing he’s thinking, well aware that he struggles to reveal those parts of himself.
Which is why you’re caught off guard when he lifts his head again, brushes his thumb over your cheek and whispers softly, “I love you, baby.”
It’s your turn to blush and you’re sure Gator can feel your cheeks heat up under his touch.
“I love you too,” you whisper back.
Gator clears his throat like he’s decided his time to be vulnerable is up. “We got a reservation to get ta.”
He quickly moves his hands from you to the steering wheel and peels out onto the road.
The entire evening Gator never takes the scarf off. Even in the restaurant, he leaves it loosely hanging around his neck and he fiddles with the end of it whenever he gets nervous just from the way you look at him.
When you arrive back to your place, you pull Gator in the front door by tugging him by the scarf.
That night, he makes sure you know just how thankful he is.
Taglist: @ribeiroteresa97 @purpleeyeswithgoldensparkles @delightfuldreamer09 @br4ndnewbabygirl (you guys are on my taglist for Steve so let me know if you do not want to be tagged in Gator fics)
steve would be such a good boyfriend. so domestic too. obviously he loves anything his gf would wear, but sleepy mornings when she’s in one of his shirts that too big and comfy undies? he’s literally attached at her fucking hip.
he makes breakfast and she stands behind him, cheek resting between his shoulder blades, and he’s trying to somehow cook the eggs and sausages faster cuz he needs to hold onto his girl.
maybe one of the kids shows up, talking about their plans for the day. maybe it’s dustin, asking for a ride or some help with a sciencey thing he built. steve’s just standing in the doorway, hand rubbing down his face tiredly. he finally tells dustin to come back in a few hours, saying he was busy cuz gf didn’t feel good. lie. he really just ushers the boy out before someone who’s not steve sees her half dressed, still in a sleep haze of domestic fluff.
he would sit on the couch, gently catching her hips before she walked past him, coaxing her into his lap. his hand would rest on her thigh, right below the side of her ass. he’d smile, sweet talking in such a soft voice until her head finds purchase on his shoulder, curling up in his arms.
somehow, the mundane things sounded romantic with steve. chores became dates, doing laundry and making a game of trying on each others clothes. what was once a daunting futuristic concept of kids and family, soon became a dream, a baby girl with curly hair who would have steve wrapped around her itty bitty finger.
summary: attending a wedding in a pretty dress gets gator all worked up to the point where he makes you go back to the hotel early
cw: smut, piv, oral (f receiving), spanking, spitting, hair pulling, rough & soft sex, soft ending, they’re so obsessed with each other it almost seems toxic
wc: 2.7k
the sun was still shining bright even as it got lower in the sky. golden light flooded the small garden where your cousins wedding reception was being held.
the ceremony was like something out of a dream, surrounded by multicoloured flowers and a green screen like backdrop.
however the whole time, sat in the second row of the crowd, gators eyes did not leave you once.
all day his eyes had been burning holes through the fabric of your dress that clung to all your curve in just the right way.
it took you ages to get out the hotel room in the first place, gator clinging to you, kissing your face so much you had to re do your make up three times.
"either you change or we're not going"
"no can do gate, only got the one dress"
"well then get naked and we'll stay here" his arms were wrapped around your waist, his face in your neck as you attempted to wiggle out of his grasp.
eventually you got gator out the hotel, being around a load of your family putting him off dry humping you for the length of your ceremony.
now, as the sun set on the outdoor venue, the orange rays bouncing off the shiny string lights and glass ornaments, gator was back on you.
"mama yer killin me"
"hmm?" you pretended not to hear him properly, avoiding his gaze from beside you as you refilled your champagne glass.
"you heard me"
your eyes flick over to him for a second as you let the bottle stopper slip from your hands and roll across the table.
you waited until it reached the edge, watching in your peripheral, before bending over and leaning across the table to catch the stopper, pushing out your hips right in-front of gator.
he didn't even pretend to look elsewhere, shamelessly staring right at your ass, hands lifting up instinctively to grab it.
"gator!" you jumped, spinning around.
"don't do that"
"don't do what?"
"act like ya don't know what ya doin" he stepped forward, causing you to strain your neck looking up at him.
"not acting"
"yer-"
"jessica!" you cut gator off, spinning around at the sight of your newly wed cousin, turning your back on gator.
you held your arm out for a hug, brushing your hair over your shoulder, giving gator a full view of the low back on your dress.
as you embrace your cousin, twisting your body slightly to show off the curve of your waist, gator's jaw tightens, his hands twitching by his sides.
after an agonising long 4 minutes of watching you converse with jess in high pitched voices over a whole lot of nothing, you turn back slowly, bringing your glass up to your mouth.
wrapping your lips around the edge as you find gators eyes, they're dark, slightly squinted with pure frustration and unadulterated lust.
"quite done?"
"with what?" you say into the glass, using it almost as a shield as gator shakes his head slowly, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek.
as much it was taking you just as much willpower not to jump his bones, you knew he was worse at hiding his temptation so teasing him was high on your priories for entertainment.
"yer playing a dangerous game young lady"
"maybe i like the game"
"i think you like the consequences"
you raise your eyebrows, stepping forward and brushing past gator towards a small circle of your closest family.
"cmon, just a bit longer" you subtly reached out to take his hand.
he groaned loudly and aggressively even though he closed his large fingers around your smaller ones with a stark contrast of gentleness.
joining the group, gator draped himself over you from behind, his head on your shoulder, looking completely innocent as he took advantage of the noise to whisper into your ear.
"gonna fuckin ruin ya when we're outa here"
you nodded and smiled politely along with your families conversations, trying to ignore the heat rushing south to your core.
"yer blushin doll"
"youre hard"
jaw clenching again, gators fingers dug into your sides, pulling you a step away from the group, not amused by your attitude one bit.
"i've had enough"
"wh- what?" you turned around slightly, finding gators face to be a lot closer to you own than you were expecting.
"we're leaving"
"now?"
"yes"
"sure" you scoffed.
"i don't like this fuckin attitude"
"why? you're the reason f'it"
he takes a step back, exhaling slowly as he did, eyes flicking over you, your family, the venue.
"what's that my darlin?" he starts up, loudly and put on.
"gate?" you whisper, cheeks already flushing with incoming attention.
"got a headache? might be a migraine ya know"
he reaches out and takes your whole face in his large palms, brushing away stray baby hairs with that same contrasting gentleness, furrowing his brows with faux sympathy.
in an instant, all the women in your family found and surrounded you, sharing sympathetic 'awhs' and 'ohs' until you found yourself being told-
"sweetheart you should really go, you do look awfully unwell"
you stare back at your aunt blankly, offence simmering dangerously close to showing on your apparently 'sickly looking' face.
gator stood behind you, not even bothering to conceal the smug smile that had his lips in a chokehold.
"yeah cmon sweets, let's get you back"
his hands guided you away from the crowds, at least letting you find your cousin to say goodbye first before he swooped you off your feet and carried you towards the hotel entrance, ironically bridal style.
you reach the lifts where gator kindly sets you on the ground not letting you go far out of his hold.
as you get in the lift, his lips finally meet yours for the first time all night. his tongue forces past your lips, tasting the champagne you never got to finish.
he presses you up against the cold metal wall of the list, causing you to gasp against his mouth which he took to his advantage, deepening the kiss.
the ping of the lift stopping pulls you out of each others mouths too soon for your liking, gator grabbing your upper arm to hastily pull you out of the small box.
quickly checking down the halls, gator takes your hips, hauling you up and over his shoulder without hesitation.
"gator!" you squeal.
"quiet ma- don't wanna disturb anyone do ya?"
he smacks your ass through your dress, rubbing the side of his face into your hip as he makes the short walk down the hall towards your room.
"ah fuck- the card" he groaned, setting you back down on the floor once again. "gimme"
"ask nicely"
"don't do-"
"gator" speaking in a singsong tone, you clutched your bag, turning it away slightly as he reached out to snatch it.
"please gimme the card"
without breaking eye contact, or the thick tension between you, you reach into your bag, fiddling around and pulling out the keycard.
"pain in my ass you are" he snatched the card out of your fingers.
"you love the pain"
he flashed you a playful smile as he opened the door, his hand finding your lower back to push you past the threshold.
he kicks the door shut behind him, lips already back on yours, both your hands pulling at each others expensive evening attire as he toes off his shoes clumsily.
you rid him of his blazer, pulling frantically at his tie and shirt buttons beneath it. he fumbled over the zipper on the side of your dress after spending far too long trying to unzip fabric across your back that had no zip.
"fuckin- stupid- size- zip" he mumbled against your lips, pulling it down with a harsh sound that you swore was the seams ripping.
you shimmied out of the silky fabric, leaving you in just a delicate pair of lace panties and stiletto heels. gator pulled back to look at you, taking you all in like a prize he worked so hard for.
"hey cmon- we're not even" you gesture to your bodies.
"such a bossy thing arent we"
instead of answering, you undo his belt, pulling it smoothly off his waist, letting it drop to the floor along with his shirt and tie.
as your both working on his dress trousers, the backs of your knees hit the big king bed in the middle of the room.
wobbling on your feet, one of gators hands shot out to grab your wait as you steady yourself with his larger frame.
"steady on mama" he laughs, kicking his trousers off all the way. "cmere"
he lifts you by your hips, stepping back to throw you into the middle of the bed from the foot of it.
"been waiting f'this all fuckin night"
gator pulled your knees, leaning down onto the bed between your legs as he forced them apart.
after slowly taking off your heels, he licked up the insides of your thighs, messily kissing over the fabric of your panties, groaning into them at the taste of your arousal that had seeped through.
"gate" your breathing was erratic with anticipation, catching when you saw him spit onto the fabric.
his lips latched onto your covered clit, sucking it through the lace. your hips bucked up into his face, despite his hands trying to hold you still.
heat bubbled low in your belly, the friction of the lacy fabric adding to the already overwhelming pleasure from gator, making your body jerk and legs tremble around his head.
your fingers found his hair, pulling it out of the gel cast frantically as your back arched with the sudden wave of your orgasm washing through.
with a loud cry of his name he pulled off you, just long enough to peel away your wet, sticky panties, watching as they clung to your puffy lips.
"hadn't even got these off and yet fallin apart" gator groaned as he dipped his head back down between your thighs.
chocking out a moan, you felt gators tongue push through your slick folds and flick over your sensitive clit, still throbbing with the aftershocks of your climax.
"gate- too much"
instead of listening to you, he dragged two rough fingertips up your slit, teasing your dripping entrance to make you shiver before plunging them inside.
wrapping his lips around your bare clit, he curled his fingers up against your spongey walls, bringing you close to another high.
"aah- mffh- gator"
"i can feel ya squeezing, baby- cum all over my fingers"
his words vibrating into your core sent you over the edge, pulling another devastating orgasm out of you, your eyes tightly shut and jaw slack in a broken cry.
he rode out your high until you'd stopped shaking quite as violently, climbing up your body to lock his lips onto yours. you kissed him back with desperation, teeth clashing, tasting yourself on his tongue.
finding the strength in your weak joints, you sit up and push gator to the side. he fell onto the mattress beside you, your body settling half on his in an attempt to keep him down.
with his mouth still on yours, you palmed him through his tented underwear, making him groan against you. you dipped your fingers under the band, immediately finding a small slick patch on his skin.
you let your fingers gently dance over the velvety skin of his cock, swiping pre cum from his slit until gator had had enough.
"yer fuckin-" he pushed you off him, back down onto the mattress. "always such a tease"
kneeling up, he took your hip, rolling you roughly onto your stomach before settling between your legs. he grabbed your hips with no longer gentle hands and pulled your ass back, forcefully arching your back.
"think it's funny to drive me insane all night- then keep up that little attitude back here?"
his palm connected with your ass with a sharp sound from the contact, and from your throat.
"when i said you like the consequences" another smack, making you whine. "i think i was right ya know"
you knew better than to talk back, especially when gator was right. each smack to your ass had your pussy clenching around nothing, and he could see it.
before you could whine anymore, gator was bullying the fat head of his cock into your tight cunt. not before he spat down on where you connected a couple times, pulling his tip out to smear his saliva all over your already dripping wet core.
he didn't stop for a second once he slid all the way in, stop to feel you around him, stop you let you adjust. he set a brutal pace immediately, tearing broken cries from your chest, making the headboard slam against the wall.
"this what ya wanted sugar? huh?"
"yeaaah"
"what was that?" his hand fisted in your hair, pulling your head out of the pillow that was muffling your moans.
"this- i wanted"
"fuckin knew ya did- dirty girl" he let your hair go, hands returning to press bruises into your hips.
you were a mess underneath him, teetering on the edge of another orgasm, so worked up and over sensitive from gators tongue.
"fuck- you gonna cum again- gonna cum all over my cock this time?" his hand slipped around your front to find your clit as he could tell you were close.
"please" you chocked out at the sudden attention to your overworked nerves.
"go on mama- let go f'me"
you did. your orgasm hit you like a ton of bricks, white hot pleasure soaring though your veins, your legs giving out from underneath you, dropping flat onto the mattress. gator fell over you, his face pressing into yours, slowing his pace.
"cmon sweets, turn over f'me- you're okay" his nose nudges against yours, his lips pressing kisses to any part of your cheek that he can.
still shaking, he pulls out slowly, helping you turn onto your back and your head to find a pillow. your legs unconsciously open back up for him, in which gator smirks proudly.
with softer hands, he pushes back in, watching himself disappear into your slick heat, transfixed at the creamy ring that has formed around his base.
"jesus- look at that- she's just sucking me right back in"
when he reached the hilt, he leant back over you, taking your legs up to wrap over his back. your arms locked around his neck as he braced himself on his forearms right by your head.
the only way that you two would be closer is if you literally got inside his skin, even though you were pretty sure somewhere along the line you already were.
"squeezing me so good mama- 'm so close"
"i- mffh"
gator buried his head in your neck, kissing and biting the skin as his hips rolled in a steady rhythm, each thrust felt like he was rearranging your insides.
"stay with me yeah? i want one more from ya"
"yeah- close-" you mewled, finding his lips with your own in a lazy, messy kiss.
your nails scratched down his back as gators hips rolled quicker, frantically chasing his own, desperately sort after release.
"fuck- sugar- i'm gonna- aah"
with a deep, chesty groan gator came, filling you up with a heavy load, rope after rope of hot cum until it was dripping out from around his length.
the sensation of gator painting your soft walls pulled one final, softer, orgasm out of you, leaving you feeling all fuzzy and warm and boneless.
"fuck mama- ya alright?"
"so good" you smiled, fucked out and blissful.
gator rolled over, keeping you tight to his chest, and his dick plugged in your cunt. you sprawled out over his chest listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat settling down.
his hands traced soft patterns over your back as his smiling lips pressed little kissed into your hair.
"could be us one day mama" he croaked out after a beat of quiet, his words vibrating against your cheek.
"huh?"
"a wedding"
you peeled your eyes open, using all your energy to lean on your forearm and look up at gator.
"you saying ya wanna marry me gator tillman?" you teased.
"don't do that-" he goes to dismiss you automatically looking away but only for a second when he sees your little blush that he knows isn't just from the way he fucked you.
"course i wanna marry ya sweets- im gonna marry ya"
Jason Todd, who secretly loves that you love his family. Never in a million years will you get him to admit that though, no sir. He would deny until the day he died (again) that his eyes soften whenever he catches sight of you draping a blanket over Damian on your couch whenever the young boy crashes there after a long night of patrol. And his heart does not nearly melt in his chest when he watches Alfred lovingly scoop you into an embrace after the monthly family dinners that you always drag your boyfriend to. There’s no way he begins to smile when nobody is looking as he sees you and Dick teasingly throwing popcorn at one another from across the couch as you argue about your opinions on whatever movie you’re watching. He never notices when you go out of your way to buy the tea that you know Cass likes and always just happen to have it ready in her favorite mug the moment she gets to your apartment. No, you and Tim bonding over whatever nerdy hacker stuff you guys are both into has nothing to do with the way his brain momentarily short circuited. And don’t even get him started on the time he watched Bruce squeeze your hand and gently thank you for looking after his son, he did not hear that conversation and he was not teary eyed afterwards.
