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Bad's eyes were burning. He had been staring at his computer screen for hours, the thumbnail he had been tweaking was starting to look like a mess of colors. Muddled reds and blues taking over his vision until he felt like that was all he could see. The darkness of his room only helped so much, giving him refuge when his eyes started to burn so much they watered a bit. He knew it was in his best interest to head to bed. Rat was fast asleep already, her small form practically blending in with his pillow in the pitch black room. The only sign that she was there being her little snores and huffs.
Before he could get back to work, his laptop pinged. Bad sifted through his tabs, deleting the ones he wasn't using before landing on Telegram.
[3:10 AM] Skeppy: hey badboy
[3:10 AM] Skeppy: hey
[3:10 AM] Skeppy: badddddd
[3:10 AM] BadBoy: What? owo
[3:13 AM] Skeppy: [one link attached]
[3:13 AM] Skeppy: i made u a playlist
[3:13 AM] Skeppy: go listen
[3:14 AM] Skeppy: now pls
[3:14 AM] BadBoy: Uh okay ಠ_ಠ
[3:14 AM] BadBoy: Why are you even up this late?
[3:14 AM] Skeppy: cant sleep
[3:14 AM] Skeppy: and thxs
[3:16 AM] Skeppy: ily bad <3
[3:16 AM] BadBoy: Aw, I love you too Skeppy! Sleep well!
Bad stared down at his phone screen with furrowed brows. Skeppy made him a playlist? That's definitely a first.
A part of Bad wanted to put his phone down and listen to the playlist in the morning. He was tired, his eyes drooping and heavy; getting under the covers sounded really nice right now.
But then, there was curiosity gnawing away at him. Why did Skeppy make him a playlist? Why was he so adamant that Bad listen to it right now?
Bad bit his lip, mentally debating for a few moments before clicking the link, his eyes fixed on the playlist cover photo. To his surprise and slight delight, it wasn't a stupid photo of Bad when he shaved his head. Instead, it was some random screenie of their Minecraft skins, surrounded by cornflowers and poppies. His heart fluttered at the stupid title.
'for badboy owo'
His thumb hovered over the play button, a small pit of nervousness forming in his stomach for a reason he couldn't pinpoint. Bad quickly pressed it before he could overthink anymore, raising his volume a bit and laying back on his bed, phone resting on his chest.
now playing:
To you, From me - Naethan Apollo
0:00 ───────── 3:20
“Even when we're miles apart
I have your voice but feel no touch
You are so close to my heart,
but we're far from flesh and blood”
Skeppy was, for the most part, one of the loudest people Bad knew. So it was weird that he seemed to love so quietly, at least in the beginning of their friendship. Skeppy seemed to sneak up on him, with his random compliments and willingness to give Bad money at any moment. It was something Bad cherished so deeply, the way he felt so loved by his best friend.
Bad tried to think back to the moment he realized he saw Skeppy as more than a friend. There wasn't exactly one 'Aha!' moment, no alarm going off in his head, or anything like that. There was a moment that stood out, though.
The moment he realized he was in love with Skeppy.
Totally infatuated, head over heels, in love.
Bad tried to ignore the snoring ringing through his headphones as he put on Rat's leash, he really did.
He and Skeppy had fallen asleep on call last night and Bad didn't have the heart to hang up just yet, instead, deciding to take Rat on an early walk. The sun was barely peeking through the trees as he opened the door, hues of pink and orange making up the bright sky.
Bad angled his phone towards the sky, snapping a quick picture and sending it to Skeppy with a 'Good morning! ^_^'
He heard Skeppy's phone go off, followed by a low groan through the other end of the phone. He had almost forgotten they were still on a call, having grown accustomed to Skeppy's loud snoring.
There was a quick moment of shuffling, an annoyed huff before Skeppy called out, "Bad...?" his voice husky and laced with sleep. "You there?"
"I'm here, Skeppy." Bad said, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips when he realized Rat had stopped walking in favor of staring at a dog that lounged in a neighbor's front window, her small tail wagging crazily.
"Are you laughing at me?" Skeppy's staticky grumble was quiet in Bad's ears.
"No, no, no!" He immediately assured. "I'm laughing at Rat, I'm taking her on a walk right now."
"Yeah?" Skeppy asked, suddenly sounding awake. "What's it like? How's the weather?"
"I sent you a picture of the sunrise." Bad said, glancing around lazily. "It's a bit cold but I have a sweatshirt on so it's okay!"
"Mm, tell me more."
"Like what?"
"Anything."
"Okay." Bad said. "It's nice outside, it's a little windy but the sun is coming through the trees so it's not too cold. The grass is all dewy and Rat keeps rolling around on other people's lawns. It's cute."
"That sounds nice. I wish I was there with you."
Skeppy said it so softly Bad almost thought he misheard him.
"What?"
"I said I wish I was there with you. Or, I wish you were here with me, in bed."
"Skeppy!" Bad stops dead in his tracks, his face quickly heating up despite the brisk breeze.
"Not like that!" Skeppy "I just mean.. it'd be nice to have you here, with me.. I just wanna.."
"You wanna what?"
"I'd love to cuddle with you. Cuddles are nice.."
"Mm, Skeppy, sounds like you're sleep deprived."
"I am not!" Skeppy argued.
"Okay, sure." Bad believed him, he just wasn't gonna let Skeppy know that. It would make everything too real. It'd bring up things Bad had been pushing down for so long. It'd be too much, too soon, just like meeting up would be. "Bring up cuddled again when you're fully awake."
"Okay. I will."
"Okay, Skeppy." Bad said simply, because he knew Skeppy would. He was stubborn in that way, often fueled by spite. It was admirable and annoying. So annoying.
"Bad?"
"Yes?"
"Will you cuddle with me? When we meet up?"
Bad could tell Skeppy was in the verge of falling asleep again. "Sure, Skeppy. If that's what you really want."
"I do, I do want that." Skeppy slurred, a loud yawn contorting his words. "I can't wait to meet you."
Deep down, Bad knew he wanted that, too. Sleep calls with Skeppy were great but they only reminded him of what could be. They reminded him of what he'd never have. Skeppy didn't mean what he said, tired or not, it was always a joke, a bit meant solely for entertainment. It was nothing Bad could take to heart, which was part of the reason Bad could never bring himself to meet up with Skeppy. It'd just confirm what he had been avoiding all along.
He was in love with his best friend.
“You're perfect cause
you always skip the BS
I really hope you smile
when you see this
Write me back soon
I love you”
Oh. The song had finished and Bad had been so wrapped up in his own head that he had barely listened past the first few lines. It didn't matter. He'd probably listen to it again soon.
now playing:
IKEA date - SWMRS
0:00 ───────── 3:43
“I woke up in the middle of the night
Had a dream that I was still sleeping
But you were there holding me tight”
Bad had been sitting in silence, typing away to the sound of soft static and rustling coming from the other end of his phone. Before he could ask Skeppy what he was doing, the other man blurted out, "Do you ever hug your pillow when you're going to sleep, Bad?"
"What? What kind of question is that?" Bad asked, letting out a confused chuckle. "Do you hug your pillow when you sleep?"
"Sometimes."
"What?" Bad sat up straight, his cheeks flushing. "Why would you do that?"
"I like pretending I'm cuddling with someone." Skeppy said, his tone making Bad wonder if he was serious or not.
"Who do you pretend to cuddle with?"
"What?"
"You know what I'm asking, Skeppy! Who do you pretend to cuddle with at night?" Bad asked, his playful words contrasting greatly with the awful knot in his stomach.
Skeppy didn't answer.
"Skeppy? You there?"
"Yeah Bad, I'm here." Skeppy said slowly.
"Okay then, who is it?"
"Bad?" Skeppy sighed. "Can you turn on your camera?"
"What?"
"I'll turn on mine too, if you want. I just wanna see you. Please." The words, the fondness in his friend's voice sent a familiar chill down Bad's spine. How could he possibly deny Skeppy or anything when he asked so sweetly.
With an annoyed hum—that Skeppy immediately mocked—Bad turned his camera on, shifting around in his chair and frantically trying to fix his messy hair.
"Bad, Bad, stop." Skeppy said when he turned his camera on, eyes bleary with sleep. He flashed a fond smile at the camera, propping his chin up on his palm. "You already look pretty, Bad. It's okay."
"Thanks Skeppy, you look.. pretty too." Bad squeaked out. "Now, why did you wanna see me?"
"Is it a crime to want to see my best friend's face?" Skeppy asked, slapping his free hand to his chest in feigned offense. "Especially when he never shows it to anyone else ever?"
"That's not true! And it's not a crime , I'm just confused."
Skeppy sighed, sitting up straight in his chair with his knees up by his chest. He stared straight at the camera with a piercing gaze, making Bad squirm in place.
"Skeppy?"
"When are we gonna meet up, Bad?"
"I..."
"Bad," The other man pleaded desperately.
"I don't know, Skeppy. I just really don't feel ready."
"Is that the real reason you won't meet up with me?"
Bad's eyes went wide. "Wha— Skeppy! How could you even— Why would—" He spluttered, waving his hands around frantically as he tried to search for the right words.
"Come on, Bad! You can't blame me for thinking there's another reason you don't wanna meet up. I've been trying so hard to get you here. I want to have you in my arms. I want to know you're real!" Skeppy said, strangely serious. Bad couldn't look him in the eye. "...Just tell me if you don't want to meet up with me..."
"I do, I do!" Bad promised, looking up to meet Skeppy's gaze again. He tried to ignore what Skeppy had just said. He was in no place to process that Skeppy wanted him in his arms. The other man's hurt and tired expression pierced Bad right in the heart.
He wanted so badly to get in his car right then and there, to drive to Skeppy without a second thought so he could wipe that frown away. He knew he could never bring himself to do such a thing though, not without a plan of some sort. "I'm just not ready yet."
"Okay.." Skeppy said simply. "I won't push you, okay? As long as you're serious—"
"I am! I'm a hundred percent serious about meeting up!"
"Okay. Then, it's okay. We don't have to talk about it again."
"Thank you, Skeppy."
Skeppy just hummed in response. "..I'm gonna head to bed. Do you think you could stay on?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Goodnight, Bad."
"Night, Skeppy."
“Where are you? Where are you?
Find me please
I can't go back to sleep without you”
now playing:
Every Little Thing - CyberGirlfriend
0:00 ───────── 4:08
“Write your words in cursive
You make me so nervous
You've got my heart pulsing
Wish you were more repulsive”
Bad watched with a smile as Skeppy's avatar jumped around, punching at the air. They had been streaming for a couple hours, answering some donos here and there while messing around on the Dream SMP. The only other person on was Ranboo, which didn't surprise Bad considering the fact it was like four in the morning.
It was nice. He'd almost consider it calm if the sound of Skeppy's stupid barking didn't go off every few minutes. He really needed to change that donation sound. Even then, he knew he'd probably never get around to it.
"Oh! What's your favorite thing about Skeppy?" He read off with a small smile. "Hm, let's see. I like his hair? Or that he gives me money." Bad grinned, giggling maniacally as Skeppy's avatar went still on his screen, it's pixelated eyes staring straight at Bad. The chat was filled with things like 'bad is a gold digger' or 'skeppy's his sugar daddy??'. He just rolled his eyes. "I am not a gold digger, chat! I like Skeppy for more than his money, I promise."
"Of course you like the fact that I give you fuckin—"
"Hey, language!" Bad yelped. "And I said I liked your hair, too! Don't be a muffin just cause you weren't listening."
"Yeah, whatever." Skeppy grumbled, the sound of furious typing coming from the other end of the call.
"What about you, Skeppy? What's your favorite thing about me?"
The sound of typing stilled, and if Bad thought hard enough, he could see Skeppy thinking to himself. It brought a fond smile to his face.
"I mean, I like everything about you, Bad." Skeppy said, running around the screen once again. "You have nice eyes, uh.. You're really kind and thoughtful. You're always there for me no matter what.. You're just a really good person."
Bad just sat there, face flushed as he watched the chat explode. "Aw, Skeppy!" He cooed. "Now I feel bad for giving a silly answer, you muffin!"
"Pfft, that was the plan!" Skeppy laughed, hitting Bad's avatar with a piece of wheat.
"Ay!" Bad said, running after him with his netherite sword in hand. "Come back here!"
Skeppy just cackled, his loud laughter almost causing Bad to miss the sound of his computer pinging. He paused his stream, tabbing out of the game to see a text from Skeppy, wanting to end the stream so he could get something to eat.
"Okay guys," Bad said when he went back to the game. "I think it's time for me to end the stream! Skeppy's getting a bit grumpy so he probably needs to take a nap or something."
"Hey!" Skeppy called. "I am not grumpy!"
"Mm, you sound grumpy to me."
"Whatever!"
"See guys? He's definitely grumpy!" Bad chuckled. "If I stay on stream any longer, I think he'll throw a fit! So, thank you guys for coming, I hope you have a wonderful day! Bye!" He ended the stream, letting out a tired but content huff.
"Thanks, Bad." Skeppy said, his gentle tone contrasting greatly with the way he was just whining. It was always funny to see Skeppy end a bit so abruptly. "I'm so hungry!" He whined. Then again, sometimes it was just Skeppy being Skeppy.
"Of course, Skeppy. Now go eat."
"Okay, okay!"
"Actually, wait— uh, Skeppy?"
"Yeah?" The other man's voice seemed far away, like he had already started to make his way out of the room.
"Did you mean what you said? About, um.. liking everything.. about me?" Bad asked, eyes fixed on his hands resting in his lap.
"Of course I did." Skeppy said without a moment's hesitation. "I love everything about you, Bad!"
"Oh, thank you!"
"Mhm! Now, I'm gonna go get some food. Don't go anywhere, okay?"
"Okay, Skeppy." Bad said, his mind racing. Skeppy loved everything about him. He loved his eyes? He thought he had nice eyes? Bad knew Skeppy had said similar things on more than one occasion but this, for some reason, felt different. It made Bad's cheeks flush and his heart flutter. He didn't even think Skeppy meant it how Bad wanted him to mean it. He was stuck in his head now, the other's words repeating in his head over and over. Despite it all, Bad couldn't stop smiling.
“You make me wanna question
Every little thing
Every little thing
Every little thing”
now playing:
Heatwaves - Glass Animals
0:00 ───────── 3:20
“Sometimes, all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
Heat waves been faking me out
Can't make you happier now”
Bad hated when he got like this, trapped in his own head to the point that he felt like he needed to avoid the person he loved most.
He couldn't help it though, not when Skeppy was always being so kind to him, calling him pretty and saying he loved him. Bad didn't blame him, of course. It wasn't Skeppy's fault that he couldn't control his own feelings. It wasn't Skeppy's fault that Bad was destined to overthink every little thing Skeppy threw his way.
He had over twenty unread messages from Skeppy and more than a few missed calls. Puffy and Quackity had also reached out, acting as some sort of messenger for Skeppy. It made Bad feel so guilty.
He wanted so badly to keep ignoring the other man, ignore him until Skeppy just gave up and left him alone.
Until Skeppy found someone better.
He knew Skeppy would never do such a thing, and he loved and hated him for that. The other man was never one to back down from a challenge, especially if it involved those he cared for.
With a shaky sigh, Bad picked up his phone and quickly pressed on Skeppy's contact, his thumb hovering over the 'call' button for a moment. Before he could really think it through, he pressed it and raised the phone to his ear, the quiet ringing making a knot form in his stomach.
Skeppy picked up after only three rings, making Bad's breath hitch. "Hey, Skeppy."
"Hey? You ignore me for almost two days and all I get is a measly, little hey?" Skeppy's angry voice came through. "I was so worried! I thought you were mad at me or something! I had to fucking ask Puffy and Quackity to talk to you for me! Do you know how weird that was? They asked me why I couldn't talk to you myself and I had to make up some bullshit excuse!" He ranted. A beat of silence, and then he quietly added, "Why did you ignore me? Did I do something wrong..?"
"No, no, no! Skeppy, I’m so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, okay? I was just going through a lot and—"
"And you couldn't come to me? I'm your best friend! You know you can come to me for anything!"
"I know, I know I can! It's just.. this time was.. a little different, okay?"
"How?"
"I was just overthinking about my feelings for someone. It's really nothing, okay? I'm okay now, so.."
"Oh." Skeppy said simply.
Bad rose a brow, bringing the phone away from his face to see if the call had ended somehow. "Skeppy? You there? Is the call cutting out or something?"
"Yeah, I’m here."
"Oh, uh.. Okay. So, as I was saying, it was just something I didn't want to bother you with."
"Okay." Silence. Then, "Bad?"
"Yeah?"
Skeppy sighed softly, "I had a dream about you last night."
"You did?" Bad asked, immediately perking up.
"Mhm." Skeppy said. "It was.. interesting, to say the least."
"Tell me more?"
Reluctantly, Skeppy went into telling his dream. With the way he spoke about it, Bad could envision it as if he had been there beside him through it all. It had been him and Skeppy in a room—one similar to Skeppy's own bedroom—supposedly. The other man talked fondly about the way the two of them laid lazily together, bathed in hues of pinks, purples, and blues from neon lights that hung above them.
Bad felt warm and fuzzy over the events of the dream; Skeppy spoke softly about how close they were, limbs tangled together as the two of them just enjoyed each other's presence.
"We cuddled?" Bad squeaked out, not even realizing he interrupted Skeppy mid-sentence.
"Yeah, and then we..."
"We?"
"Um, and then we.." Skeppy croaked out. "I gotta go, Bad."
"Oh, uh okay! Bye, Skeppy!"
"Bye, Bad."
“Road shimmer
Wiggling the vision
Heat heat waves
I'm swimming in a mirror”
Silence.
It took Bad a moment to realize the playlist had ended. There had only been five songs. Five songs that seemed to say so much.
That is, if he wasn't misreading the signs.
There was no way, right? The songs in this playlist were clearly romantic, there was no denying that. But the question was, did Skeppy mean for it to come across that way? Bad thought back on the time when the two of them were streaming. Someone had asked Skeppy if there was a song that reminded him of Bad.
Skeppy had said, 'Tongue Tied'.
Bad didn't know the song himself, but by the way the chat was reacting, he knew he needed to look it up later.
It was a love song. Skeppy had said a love song reminded him of Bad; something he'd take back later, defending himself by saying he had focused on the part about best friends and not the part about kissing.
So honestly, Bad didn't know what to make of this playlist, even if his mind was supplying him with an obvious answer.
He needed to call Skeppy.
With shaking hands, Bad dialed his friend's number, something he knew by heart now. He couldn't even muster up the courage to bring the phone to his ear. Instead, just listening to the ringing that was so soft it was almost like it wasn't there.
Skeppy picked up on the first ring, causing Bad to clumsily raise the phone to his ear, almost dropping it in the process. Bad wondered, in the back of his head, if Skeppy had been sitting there, waiting for him to call or text back.
"Hey, Bad." Skeppy said, tone unreadable.
"Hi, Skeppy."
"You listened to the playlist?"
"Yeah."
"The whole thing?"
"Mhm." Bad hummed, picking some of Rat's stray hair off his sweatshirt. "It wasn't that long." He pointed out.
"I know." Skeppy said. "Did you like it, though?"
"Uh, yeah. Yeah. It was really good. There was some really catchy songs.."
"I'm glad you liked it."
"Was there a reason you made that playlist? Like, obviously I appreciate it but I’m just a bit—"
"Bad, come on. I thought it was obvious."
"Wh.. What are you talking about?"
"It was a playlist full of love songs." Skeppy said, a teasing but nervous edge to his voice.
"Well, yeah! I.. I know that! It's just— I didn't want to assume!" Bad spluttered, the warmth in his cheeks spreading to his ears and down his neck.
"Assume what?" Skeppy asked, sounding much more confident. Bad could hear the smirk in his voice. "That I’m—"
"Don't say it." Bad warned.
"Why not?"
"Because that's not okay to joke about."
"Bad.." Skeppy's tone softened immensely at the sternness in his friend's voice. "Can you turn on your camera? Can we like, facetime? I need to.. see your face when I say this and I need you to see mine, too."
"Uh, yeah.. Okay, sure.."
"Thank you."
"Yeah, of course, just.. give me a second.."
"Ok—"
Bad ended the call before Skeppy could even finish his sentence, bolting up from his chair and clambering to the bathroom, almost face planting twice on the way there.
Bad tried to focus on the soft pitter-patter of Rat's paws as she hurriedly followed him down the hall. The jingle of her collar sounding so quiet compared to his heart pounding in his ears.
He didn't even turn on the light, ignoring the way Rat pawed at his feet. It was as if he was on autopilot, turning on the faucet with shaky hands and just standing there. His mind was racing. Skeppy was about to confess to him. Skeppy was about to—
Rat yapped, looking up at Bad with a tilted head, bringing him out of his frenzied thoughts.
"Sorry Lucy.. Did I wake you, pretty girl?"
She just stared back at him, gaze as steely as it could be.
A soft sigh left Bad's lips as he turned back to the sink, just listening to the water run in an attempt to ground himself. His puts his hands under the water, wincing at just how cold it was. He stared at himself in the mirror, gaze fixing on his deep set frown and dark eye bags. He needed to calm down. He needed to take a few breaths.
Bad took off his glasses, running at his face with his cold hands. It helped a bit, his hands were no longer shaking, his heartbeat was no longer in his ears.
He dried his face and put on his glasses, squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath. He could do this. It would be fine. It's not like things had to change, no matter what happened. He and Skeppy had been through so much together, and they were fine. That wasn't gonna change because of some feelings!
...Right...?
Bad scooped Rat up in his arms, petting her as he made his way back to his room. The slight calm he had felt just moments ago was quickly leaving him as he neared his bedroom door.
Maybe he could just ignore Skeppy for the night, pretend he had to take Rat for a walk and fell asleep as soon as he came back.
No.
The two of them had been dancing around each other for so long; flirtatious remarks passed as jokes, requests of cuddles softened with laughter. Bad never let himself see past that, though. He pushed away the voice in his head that told him there had to be some truth in those statements. It had been long since said remarks had remained on stream or in videos. Skeppy would ask him to cuddle or call him pretty and Bad would just take and take and take without much regard for what it meant for their relationship.
It was time to face it.
He plopped Rat onto the bed and went straight to his phone, taking a deep breath as he clicked on Skeppy's contact to FaceTime him.
Unlike before, Skeppy didn't answer on the first ring. That alone was enough to make Bad want to hang up. He wanted to throw his phone and pretend this never happened, ignore it until it just simply went away.
And then, Skeppy picked up.
"Hey, Bad." Skeppy was in his room, hair mused and eyes tired. Bad almost forgot it was so late until he saw the other man.
"Hi." He squeaked out, cheeks already flushing. He was lucky his room was a bit dark, the only light coming from a small lamp on his desk.
"You okay? You were gone for quite awhile."
"Yeah, yeah.. I'm fine. I just needed a minute."
"A minute? You were gone for like ten!"
"Ten minutes? A minute? Same thing." Bad dismissed feebly, waving his hand off screen. "I mean, I'm here now, right? What did you wanna tell me?"
"Oh, right." Skeppy seemed to straighten up immediately, eyes widening and tired smile contorting into a nervous frown. "Well, uh.. I.. Obviously, I had something to tell you, right?"
"Yeah.."
"And, well I mean.. We're best friends, right Bad?"
"Of course we are." Bad said without a moment's hesitation. "Skeppy, are you okay?"
Skeppy scoffed, rolling his eyes in a way Bad figured was supposed to be playful. "Of course I am! What, do you like, have a crush on me or something, Bad?"
"Skeppy."
"Sorry, sorry!" He exclaimed. "I'm just nervous, okay? I just—"
"Skeppy, I'm in love with you." Bad blurted out, eyes screwed tightly shut and hands clenched into fists. He hated the moments of silence that followed, focusing on the sound of Rat shifting around on the bed, her collar jingling as she scratched her ear. He focused on the soft static coming through Skeppy's end of the phone, refusing to open his eyes, even when they felt strained.
"What?"
"You heard me, I'm not repeating it."
"No, Bad please. Just, say it again."
"What? Why? Skeppy, if this is for some stup—"
"Bad, please." Skeppy croaked, the quiet plea holding the most emotion he had in his voice all night.
"I'm in love with you, Skeppy. Like, crazy in love with you. I think I have been for awhile but I never let myself even imagine a situation where you might..."
"Feel the same?"
Bad nodded wordlessly, his hands relaxing and his eyes fluttering open. "Do you?"
"I think so."
"You don't sound too convinced." Bad attempted to tease, only for it to fall flat when his eyes met Skeppy's. "You don't have to lie, okay? It's fine if you don't—"
"But, I do! It's just hard to.. say out loud."
"That's okay." The sour feeling in his stomach told another story, though.
"It's not okay, though. I told you I loved you after we knew each other for like a month, dude. I should be able to tell you that I'm in love with you right now, because I am. I'm so in love with you, Bad. I love how kind you are and how you always go out of your way to check on your friends. I love how you never let me push you away no matter how hard I tried. I love how much you care for Rat and I love your stupid jokes. I love how you don't curse and I even love that it's started to rub off on me a bit. I love your pretty eyes and your nice smile. I love seeing your face, being able to see your nose scrunch when you laugh, or the way you try to hide your smile when you pretend you're mad at me. I love everything about you so much."
Bad just stared in awe at Skeppy's blurry form on his screen, blinking away tears he hadn't realized formed. He was quick to take off his glasses and wipe at his eyes, letting out a shaky laugh as he tried to process the other man's words.
"Bad? Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you upset, oh my gosh! Please don't cr—"
"Did you mean that, Skeppy?" Bad asked, sniffling quietly.
"Of course, I do! I would never mess with your feelings like that! I'm so in love with you! Honestly, the whole playlist thing was just me trying to buy myself time so I could calm down before telling you.." He admitted with a sheepish smile. "I was so scared when you said you needed a minute that I spammed Lya and told her to come over."
"Aw, Skeppy!" Bad cooed. "That's kind of adorable."
"You're kind of adorable." Skeppy fired back, though there was no joking or malicious in his tone, just pure adoration.
"Shush!"
"Make me!"
"Skeppy!"
"I'm just saying, if you met up with me, you could shut me up whenever—"
"Skeppy!"
"I meant with a hug or a kiss, gosh Bad! Get your mind out of the gutter, dude!"
"You can't call me dude, after saying you're in love with me!" Bad pouted, his cheeks heating up at the stupid grin Skeppy shot at him.
"I think I can."
"Mm, no." Bad huffed, turning up his nose in feigned annoyance.
"Fine, fine. Can I call you other pet names then?"
Bad smiled, feeling as if a heavy weight was lifted off his chest. "Like what?"
Skeppy pursed his lips and furrowed his brows. "Babe?"
"You can't call me babe, Skeppy! We aren't dating yet."
"We aren't?"
"Mm, I don't remember you asking me out on a date."
Skeppy rolled his eyes and scoffed, forcing the most annoyed face he could. With a loud, dramatic sigh he asked, "Bad, Badboyhalo, Badboy, my bestest friend in the whole universe, will you go on a date with me whenever we decide to meet up?"
"Mm.. Let me think.." Bad said, trying to stifle his laughter when Skeppy gasped in response.
The other man could barely wait three seconds of silence. "Come on, I already know you're gonna say yes!" He whined, flopping down on his bed and pretending to fall asleep.
"Mm, okay Skeppy. I'll go out on a date with you."
"Really?"
"Of course! There's one condition though?"
"What is it?" Skeppy asked, cautiously opening one eye but not bothering to move from his spot on the bed. Bad could tell he was beyond himself though, the way he hid his smile with his hand gave it away immediately.
"You have to meet up with me tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? You mean that?" Skeppy asked, shooting straight up with wide eyes. "Like, no joke? You're not kidding?"
"I'm not kidding." Bad nodded with a dopey smile. "I want you here, in my arms as soon as possible."
"I could buy a plane ticket right now and be there in the morning."
"Okay, well don't do that. I want to give you time to like, prepare and stuff—"
"No, no I'm seriously I could buy a ticket right now for the soonest flight, Bad! Hell, I could like, drive over there right now if I wanted to!"
"Skeppy, oh my gosh no! We both need time to prepare, okay? Just, calm down a bit." Bad said, unable to stop smiling despite it all.
"Fine, fine." Skeppy took a couple breaths, staring at his phone screen with a bright grin. "I can't believe you're finally letting me meet you."
"I'm sorry I didn't let you before, and that I made so many excuses I just— I knew how I felt about you and it was so scary. I didn't know how to handle it so I just tried to.. ignore it, which didn't go well."
"It's okay, Bad. I honestly would've done the same if I was in your position. We can let that go, though. 'Cause in a few hours, I'm gonna see you, and I can hug you— oh my god wait, we're gonna see who's taller!" Skeppy rambled.
"It's gonna be me, obviously."
“I don’t know about that.”
“Well, I do! I'm definitely taller.”
“Whatever, whatever! There's no use in arguing when we're gonna see each other in a few hours!” Skeppy said, as if he still couldn't believe it was happening. Bad couldn't blame him one bit though, not when he was going through the same thing.
And just because he could, Bad simply replied, “I love you, Skeppy.”