Chapter Text
Going shopping with Skeppy was… interesting, to say the least. There was a reason why his boyfriend packed light whenever he came to visit, and that was because he didn’t possess much clothing to begin with. The only bright colours he owned seemed to be his merch.
“Absolutely not,” Bad says immediately when he sees Skeppy reach for something black on the rack.
“Why not?” Skeppy holds the jacket up and waves it from side to side.
“You own at least three of those.
“I like black. It’s simple and sophisticated,” Skeppy pouts, and Bad eyes the black long-sleeved shirt that he was wearing in disdain.
“Yes, you look very sophisticated right now,” he tells Skeppy, earning a shove from the other. He catches himself before he could crash into the wall. His withering glare was returned with another cheeky grin.
Skeppy sticks out his tongue at Bad but places the jacket back on the rack anyway. His expression makes him look just like his Minecraft skin, Bad thinks. He follows Skeppy to the next section of the store, keeping an eye out for any clothing pieces that wouldn’t make Skeppy look like the grayscale version of his Minecraft character.
Bad didn’t go shopping very often, and being in an actual store instead of the clothing section at Walmart was a little out of his comfort zone. Skeppy, however, walked up and down with ease. He scans the racks as he walks by them, while Bad pauses every now and then inspect the clothing more closely.
“You seem to know exactly what you are looking for,” Bad comments.
Skeppy shrugs. “I normally go for the same things when I shop. Even if I wanted to go for something new, I would stick to some of the basic requirements I created.”
“And what are those requirements?” Bad asks as they stop in front of a line of knitted sweaters. He spots a couple of other colours other than black and white, much to his relief.
“For shirts, I always try them on to see how the fabric drapes over my shoulders,” Skeppy explains as he fishes through the rack. “And for jeans, I check the tag to make sure they aren’t made out of over five per cent spandex. Sure, they will be more comfortable and stretchy, but they also wear out faster.”
Indeed, Bad has noticed that while Skeppy tends to dress simply, his clothes always looked flattering on him. He understands now that the younger prioritised comfort and form over style, but it suited him. Bad couldn’t help but envy how Skeppy pulls off the most simple outfits and still make them look good.
A while later, Skeppy emerges from the rack and hands Bad a fluffy pink sweater on a hanger. The fabric feels soft in Bad’s fingers as if the entire thing had been constructed out of the same material as the scarfs he wore during colder seasons. He raises a brow questioningly.
“Get this,” Skeppy tells him.
“It’s pink.” Sure, the colour was something he wouldn’t normally wear, but the chunky knit detail on the sweater made it look far from plain. At the very least, it was fluffy and looked comfortable to wear. He holds it closer to his chest, fingers curling around the material.
“I think it would look good on you,” Skeppy shrugs, the movement a little too tense to be casual. It was a small indicator of the awkwardness they had felt in the morning. “You don’t have to,” Skeppy adds.
“No, I think I will.” Bad looks directly at Skeppy, cracking a small smile. “Thank you for picking this out for me, but we still haven’t gotten you anything.”
Another shrug. Silence resumes after, and Bad heads to the cashier to make his purchase. The younger hovers behind him closely with his hands in his pockets in a casual stance. He makes no move to take Bad’s hand in his even as they left the shop.
Bad bits his lips as he clenches his grip on the begs. He tries to focus on the next item on their shopping list, but all he felt was his heart clench whenever he looked at Skeppy.
~~~
Skeppy taps his foot impatiently as he stands at the mall entrance, mindlessly watching cars drive by and listening to the clatter of people around him. Bad had gone back to purchase something that he had forgotten to buy and had told Skeppy to wait outside for him.
He had done so because he would be much faster on his own. Still, Skeppy couldn’t help but wonder if he was being punished for taking things a little too far last night.
He wanted to kick himself over was for being so stupid. Ever since they woke up together that morning, one look at Bad’s sleeping face sends the memory of him sliding his hand up Bad’s chest sent him jolting out of bed.
The sudden movement had woke his boyfriend up, the shocked expression on Bad’s face mirroring his own. They only stared at each other for a few seconds before finally greeting each other good morning before slipping into their morning routine. Skeppy’s movements had been tense, causing him to stiffen slightly whenever Bad spoke directly to him.
Skeppy had thought that things would be a little more awkward than this, but Bad showed no signs of anger as he fixed Skeppy breakfast. The easy smile he wore was his way of offering forgiveness, but it did little to ease the guilt in Skeppy’s gut.
Heat rushes into his cheeks, and he buries his face into his hands in embarrassment at the memory. God, why did he have to ruin things between them? Everything had been going so smoothly, until now.
It had been done on impulse, sure, but Skeppy hadn’t counted on himself to be such a poor judge of things. He thought he had read the situation correctly. After months of being apart and finally being together, he thought that just maybe, Bad wanted to take things a step further.
Turns out, he was the one who was foolish to try to rush things between them. Hence, this awkwardness between them. He wasn’t sure how long more this awkwardness between them would last.
“Skeppy!” He looks up to see Bad waving at him from across the parking lot, bags in hand containing groceries as well as the pink sweater from earlier. Skeppy immediately tries to take some of the load from him, earning a grateful smile from the other.
Their hands brush for a brief second, and Skeppy wishes he could hold them together as he did so naturally before. Judging from the longing look Bad shoots him as they load their things into the car, he knows that the older was yearning for him as much as he was.
Yet he makes no move to touch Bad, doesn’t take his cheeks in his hands to kiss away the sudden chill in the weather. He doesn’t even tease Bad or make a remark about Bad’s age, making him forget things more easily.
They drive in silence. When they arrived home, Bad goes straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner, all without uttering a word to Skeppy.
~~~
Skeppy doesn’t come to bed that night.
Bad knows this as he jolts awake all sweaty from a nightmare, his arm instinctively reaching up across him to seek the warmth of the person lying next to him. The bed was empty.
The discovery causes him to sit up in shock, reaching for his glasses on the bedside drawer. Even before slipping them onto his face, he could tell that he had been left alone for a long time. The pillow next to him had been tucked neatly without any creases.
He glanced across the room quickly, relieved that the younger’s belongings were still stored in the cupboard next to the closet. For a brief moment, cold, hard fear that Skeppy had packed his things and left had sliced through him like a blade. He couldn’t have gone far. He had to be still in the house if he was still in his pyjamas. Besides, it was still nearing four in the morning at most. Skeppy wouldn’t walk on him at this hour.
Bad slips off the bed and lowers his feet onto the ground. His slippers had been taken, so he finds a pair of socks to put on instead. The hallways were empty, and he checks all the rooms to find them unoccupied as well. Finally, he goes to the front porch, and sure enough, Skeppy was sitting on one of the lounge chairs, staring out into nothing.
Bad slowly slides open the glass doors leading to the porch. Skeppy turns his head ever so slightly, his face illuminated by moonlight. He offers no reaction whatsoever as Bad asks softly, “Can I join you?”
Skeppy jerks his head towards the empty chair beside him but doesn’t reply. It wasn’t a glowing invitation, but Bad accepts it anyway. Hesitantly, he steps onto the porch, shivering slightly in the crisp cool air of the night. Just as he was about to slip into his chair, Skeppy’s arm shoots out and grabs his waist. He freezes in his tracks.
Skeppy slowly encircles his arm around Bad’s waist, tugging on him in a silent request for Bad to sit on his lap. He obliges, wrapping his legs around the other’s hips while his hands find their way around Skeppy’s neck.
They don’t speak, allowing silence to fall over them again. Bad traces the lines of Skeppy’s face carefully with his fingers, memorising the perfect slope of his nose and the perfectly arched eyebrows that framed that beautiful pair of eyes. Bad wondered what Skeppy was thinking of, what caused him to get out of bed for the second time that night.
It hadn’t been a fight, but it certainly felt like the aftermath of one as they sat there in silence for minutes too long for Bad’s liking. He wasn’t mad, and Skeppy hadn’t meant to do… what he did. He knew Skeppy wasn’t angry either. He could sense the guilt riding off the younger more than anger.
“Bad?” He turned to face his boyfriend, who was now looking at him with guilt in his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be,” Bad reassures him, squeezing the back of his neck gently. “I know you didn’t mean it.” He places his lips on Skeppy’s forehead in which he hopes was a comforting manner.
“It was in the heat of the moment, and I wasn’t thinking straight.” Bad nods in understanding.
“That’s alright. I’m sorry, too, for reacting the way I did. I just wasn’t sure what to make of it at that time.” Skeppy laughs weakly, “I thought you were angry.”
“What?” Bad stares at him, puzzled. “You were the one ignoring me today.”
“Huh?” It was Skeppy’s turn to sit up, the sadness in his eyes replaced with confusion. “I only did that because I thought you didn’t want to speak to me.”
“How?” Bad questions back. “If I wanted to ignore you first, I wouldn’t have made you breakfast.”
“How was I to know?” Came the indignant reply. “Maybe you only did it because I’m still a guest in this house. Not that you actually care.”
“Skeppy, you are being a real muffinhead right now.”
“Muffinhead? Is that all you think of me?” Skeppy lets out a small noise of frustration before muttering, “I hate you so much.”
The words hit Bad like someone had slapped him in the face.
“I’m going to leave now,” he says quietly, sliding off Skeppy’s lap before starting to walk away.
“No wait, Bad.” The younger grabs his arm, and he pauses in his tracks. “I didn’t mean that.” Bad sighs and doesn’t move any further, standing at his spot as Skeppy hugs him tightly.
He couldn’t bring himself to be mad at Skeppy, even as his words stung him harder than they should. Yes, the younger loved him very much. It had been partially his own fault for not clarifying his feelings about the matter earlier today that they were in this position right now.
“Let’s just… let’s just move past this,” he sighs, feeling too tired to continue pursuing this matter. Skeppy nods in agreement, and they fall into silence again.
Long minutes stretch between them as Bad continued to rub circles into Skeppy’s back. At the same time, the other wraps his arms around his waist with one cheek pressed against his stomach. This… this was forgiveness. There was still more to be said, but Bad guesses that they would have to leave them for another time.
“Skeppy,” he speaks out, and the younger peers up at him through his eyelashes, and Bad couldn’t help but admire how pretty he was again. “Let’s go back.”
It takes a bit of coaxing to get Skeppy to untangle himself from Bad, and he only pulls Bad into another embrace they walk past the front door. They kiss softly and hungrily as they allowed their tongues to dance over each other because they had missed this, missed each other.
There was a whole lot of practical things Skeppy could have done at that moment, like remind Bad that he had a flight at ten in the morning and he needed to catch some rest before he left. But all he could focus on was how sweet Bad tasted on his tongue, like strawberry muffins and home and love. His hair knots loosely in the older’s hair, earning small whimpers whenever he tugs on them gently.
And then Bad was leading them back towards the couch, pushing Skeppy down to sit on it as he moves to straddle him. Skeppy’s hands find themselves roaming freely over Bad’s body, fingers digging softly into his curves and the soft sweep of his hips. Bad shivers but doesn’t pull away, doesn’t stop Skeppy’s hands from settling on his ass to give it a slight squeeze.
A gasp escapes past Bad’s lips as he presses himself even closer to the younger. Skeppy is nipping at his lips, stroking the insides of his mouth with his tongue. It’s only when he realises that his fingers were dancing dangerously close to the hem of Bad’s sweatpants when he pulls away.
Bad immediately tries to pull him back into the kiss, tugging on Skeppy’s head, but Skeppy keeps their faces a firm distance away from each other. “Bad, we should stop now.”
“No.” He resists further as Bad tries to kiss him again.
“Bad, I don’t want this to be a repeat of last night.” Bad stares at him.
“How is this like last night?”
“I tried to undress you yesterday, and you flinched!” They look at each other for a second, both red in the face and utterly wrecked from pulling and each other’s hair and clothes.
“You were trying to undress me?” The older looks genuinely shocked as Skeppy nods, and he runs his hands up to massage his temples.
“So that’s why things were so weird between us,” he sighs. “Gosh darn it, Skeppy.” Skeppy doesn’t know what to say. He just remains silent as Bad tries to process the new information.
“I’m sorry,” Skeppy repeated, looking at Bad with pleading eyes. “I just don’t want to make the same mistake again.”
“What? Making me uncomfortable?” Bad places a hand to Skeppy’s cheek, brushing a stray tear that had escaped his eye. “Skeppy, you could never make me uncomfortable.” Skeppy exhales shakily, turning to look straight into Bad’s eyes.
“Would you be okay with it, though?” Bad blushed at Skeppy’s words, at what he was asking.
“You mean… like having sex?” He blushes furiously at the use of the naughty word. Skeppy nods, his face equally red as a tomato. Bad struggled to find the words to form a response to the question, so he just answers honestly, “I don’t know. I’ve never done this with anybody at all.”
“I don’t know if that’s what I want either,” Skeppy admits, threading his fingers through his hair to give it its natural poofy look. “I guess I’ve thought about it? But I don’t know, really.” Unsure of what to say, Bad eyed him for a long moment before the tension in his gut eased.
“I guess I’ll be fine if you want to do it.”
Skeppy shook his head. “I don’t want you to feel pressured into it or anything.”
“I’m not,” Bad whispers. “I’m serious, Skeppy. I’m open to trying new things with you, even if I’ve never been comfortable with this stuff.” He swallows. “If you want to… and only if you want to… we can give it a go.”
“What? Right now? At one in the morning?” He yelps as Bad smacks his arm gently.
“Not now, you muffinhead. Whenever the time is right. Whenever we both feel ready,” Bad sensed that Skeppy was pondering over the thought, and he leans in to capture their lips together. Skeppy only hesitates for a fraction of a second before kissing back, causing Bad to whimper as he pulls on Skeppy’s dark locks to deepen the kiss.
Bad’s legs locked tighter around Skeppy in anticipation of what is to come. Still, the younger only pulls his lips away from him, giving him one last soft peck before saying, “Let’s go back.” Bad shook his head and hugged Skeppy tighter, afraid that he would slip out of his arms by morning if they let go right now. Skeppy let out a slight hum of amusement.
Gripping Bad’s thighs, he carefully pulled his boyfriend upwards so that he was still carrying him as he stood up. “You seem to really like this position a lot, huh?” He asks as they slowly make their way back to the bedroom.
“Of course I do.”
“Clingyboyhalo,” he grumbles, causing Bad to giggle as Skeppy presses a fond kiss to his cheek. The hallways were dark and illuminated faintly only by the moonlight filtering through the windows. There was only a couple of hours till morning, and they would only be able to catch a little more rest.
Skeppy carries Bad over to the bed, peppering kisses on his neck and shoulders, causing Bad to turn red and giggle shyly. He loops his arms around Skeppy’s neck and pulls him down as they both fall onto the mattress together.
“Do you have to leave tomorrow?” Bad whispers, reaching his arms around his lover as he hugs him tightly.
“I’ll be back soon,” Skeppy said, pressing a kiss to Bad’s temple. “Promise that the next time, we talk to each other if we ever feel uncomfortable or if we want certain boundaries to be laid.” Bad raises his pinky to Skeppy’s in the space between them, locking them together in a new promise. “Then next time, if you ever want to…” A brush to his cheekbones.
Bad tilts his head up to meet Skeppy’s lips one more time. A smile curls from the corners of his lips as he presses his body closer to his lover’s.
“Promise.”