Archive of Our Own

When the car door from Skeppy’s side closed, Lya immediately started the engine. Skeppy was still intrigued; he didn’t know why Lya wanted to hang out with him so much tonight. She usually tells him days in advance because of how much work they have to do. She really had something planned and she refused to say where they were going. Even after all the questions Skeppy asked, all the hints he begged for, all the teasing, Lya would say that he “just needs it” with a smile on her face. 

What did Skeppy need? 

That’s something he was struggling with lately. Bad hasn’t talked with him in more than a few syllables since...that night, since he didn’t get hosted in that love show, since Skeppy almost fucked up everything, and since he promised Bad, while they were both sobbing, that they needed to figure out what was happening between them. But Skeppy was avoiding that talk with anyone at all costs. Not yet, he was busy, he had a lot of work, that’s what he would say while voluntarily starting three projects at the same time and ending up working every day until five in the morning.

So, yeah, he was busy, but because he wanted to be .

Lya, before picking him up with her car, she told him to get well dressed, but casual. He never received clothing specifications from her when hanging out. He found it strange, but he followed her instructions anyway just in case. He was wearing a sweater from Spifey’s merch, some shorts, his Vans, and his gold chain, a very comfy outfit. Lya was wearing a very well-done make up, long eyeliner, purple and bright yellow eyeshadow that reflected in the light because it had glitter, a black short dress with a jacket that paired with it and platforms that Skeppy didn’t like because they made her look taller than him.

Lya had to turn on the radio only a minute later when they started to go to where she wanted to take him. Even though Lya was excited and full of energy, Skeppy was pensive. He was constantly looking through his window; every few minutes he would check his phone, and then he would look back to see the palm trees and the rest of the cars that passed by them with an uneasy expression.

-How is it going with the merch ideas?- Lya tried to start a conversation, she wanted to ease the tension a bit before arriving.

-Umm...good. I found the artists and we already have some designs.-Skeppy gave a fast response, still looking through the window and playing with his chain.

-That's good! I’m excited to see how it turns out, you have to show me the designs.-Skeppy’s expression lightened up a bit, a very small smile appeared on his face.

-Of course I will. You’re always one of the first ones to see the merch before it releases.-His tone was reassuring; it seemed a bit silly to him that she thought she would not see it when they work together and she’s one of her closest friends.

Lya ended the conversation with a satisfied smile, then turned off the radio. She needed to be focused now; Skeppy could tell she was driving in a place that she wasn’t very familiar with by the way she had to have the GPS on and listen to it carefully.

Skeppy’s serious expression changed to a confused one when he noticed they were entering a neighbourhood.

-Wait, who’s neighbourhood is this?-Skeppy raised his back from his seat to observe the block of houses which were able to be seen thanks to the streetlights.

-Just wait a bit more...-Lya had her eyes glued to the street, her tongue sticking out of her mouth.-Okay, it’s this one! Woooh!- She was relieved that they didn’t get lost.

They parked in front of one of the hundreds of white wooden houses that made up this block. They weren't very big, but they had two floors and each one had its own decorations that at least differentiated them from each other a bit. This one had neon lights in all the windows that changed of color constantly. Behind the fences, there was a small yard with some flowers in pots and a small, graffitied brown table with three chairs of different colors. Skeppy noticed an ashtray filled with cigarette butts a few moments after he started to smell the fresh smoke left behind and started to cough, doing his best to get far away from it.

Lya went to the door first and rang the bell, while Skeppy was still observing this unfamiliar environment. A few moments later, they started to hear some footsteps coming near the entrance; then the person behind it unlocked some locks and opened the door.

-LYA, YOU’RE FINALLY HERE!-A man welcomed Lya with excitement and a tight hug. He then noticed Skeppy at the back, looking directly at him with a surprised face. -Oh, is he the boy you talked to us about? 

-Yeah! This is Zak, well, most people call him by his nickname, Skeppy; you can call him either.-Lya looked back at him, inviting him with her eyes to come near the door.-He’s a childhood friend and the guy I’m working for, so I guess I can’t say I hate my boss, he’s a great one.

-Hi, a pleasure to meet you.-Skeppy’s always formal and friendly when meeting someone for the first time, he’s always been open to meeting new people, but this time he was just impressed by how Lya’s friend looked. His style was like going back to Skeppy’s teenage years; he resembled a 2007 rock band member. His hair was the most noticeable thing, it was like a flame: red, orange and yellow, a bit long and parted in half. His clothes were all black except for his ripped short jeans with scribbles drawn on with a black marker and he had a lot of chains around his waist. The only “regular” piece of clothing the man wore were his shoes, some Vans like the ones Skeppy was wearing. The only difference was that Skeppy’s shoes were totally clean, in comparison to the other man’s dirty ones.-What's your name?-Skeppy asked, offering his hand for a handshake.

-Oh, right, I almost forgot. My name’s Max.-Skeppy wanted to giggle, not because he didn’t like his name or wanted to make fun of him, but because it suited his whole style so much that he found it ironic.-Well, Skeppy and Lya, come on in; everyone’s upstairs getting ready for toniiiight.-Max laughed with Lya, closing the door behind them and then guiding them to the stairs briskly.

Skeppy was still processing what was happening. Why had Lya taken him to a friend’s house, full of even more people that he probably didn't know either? Sure, he hasn’t been hanging out with anyone lately, even virtually now that he’s in a weird state with Bad, the person who he spent most of his daily life with. He now mostly interacted with Lya, and a big part of their conversations were about work or just daily life stuff. He has been keeping the deeper thoughts for himself when he tries to sleep every night. So Lya just wanted him to meet new people and socialize? Is his worry, loneliness and sadness really so obvious? Or does she know him so well that she noticed there was something wrong with the small details he couldn't hide from her? 

Skeppy was already upstairs by the time he came back from his thoughts. Multiple neon  lights were shining in every part of the bedroom, making a colorful paradise with bright objects, posters and a big CD player that was playing music from an artist he had never heard before. Skeppy didn’t have time to prepare himself for all the new faces he was going to meet there, but he quickly realized that this time this wasn’t going to be the case when he saw Spifey already running directly to him with his arms open for a hug.

-SKEPPYYYY, SURPRISEEEE!-Spifey shook Skeppy with happiness, there was a big smile on both of their faces.-OH MY GOD, I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! YOU’RE WEARING MY MERCH?!

-Spi-Spifey?! What are you doing in Florida?! When did you get here?!-Skeppy never expected to see Spifey again after such a long time, especially not in the house of someone he just met minutes ago. He was shocked.

-Heeeey, Zak, I’m here too, you know?-A playful and familiar voice reached Skeppy’s ears, and he instantly raised his head from Spifey’s shoulder.

-TAPL?! NO FUCKING WAY. WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?!-Skeppy ran to hug him this time.-Why are you two here? I didn’t expected this, fuck .-Skeppy was tearing up a bit.

-We just missed you and wanted to have a good time together again.-Tapl’s hug was warm and soft. 

-C’mon, Tapl! I was hugging him first!-Spifey pouted.

-Okaaay! Enough hugging, I was getting my makeup done by this wonderful and talented woman, and you interrupted us. Look at my face, Zak!- Both of them let out a small laugh. Tapl touched Skeppy’s shoulder with affection before letting himself drop in the bean bag he was sitting in before Skeppy came so he could go back to getting his eyeliner done by a black girl with blonde braids. 

Skeppy was left in the middle of the bedroom with a big smile on his mouth and watery eyes. He then noticed there were more people in the room that he still didn’t know, all with great and different fashion styles getting their makeup or hair done by another person, there was a feeling of friendship and understanding between them. 

-Do you like my plan now?-Lya asked behind Skeppy with a smile, hoping everything was going well.

-Of course, I didn’t expect to see them and, and...-Then something clicked on Skeppy’s mind.-Wait, you were the one that contacted them to come?-Lya giggled, closing her eyes.

-Yeah, it was me. You deserve this, Zak.-Lya’s voice was soft and Skeppy had to give Lya a hug.-But now I want you to enjoy this, okay? Go out there and be yourself, they will like you. Now I have to go greet some friends. I’ll talk to you later, okay?

Skeppy’s first and most obvious choice was to go sit with Tapl and Spifey. He started to catch up with some of their personal life stuff, with how Lya came into their DMs asking them to come, how their plane flights went...but even with them, Skeppy didn’t want to open up about that yet.

-Your makeup is done, sweetie, look.-The girl who just finished doing Tapl’s makeup gave him a mirror.

-WOAH, THIS IS SO FUCKING WELL DONE, ANNE, OH MY GOD! LOOK AT THE COLORS, THE SHADE, THE EYELINER!-Tapl was loving every part of his face at that moment, observing every detail of the makeup and wanting to let everyone know in the room that she was great at it.

Skeppy and Spifey agreed while giggling because of Tapl’s exaggerated reaction.

-Hey, do you want me to do your makeup?-Anne suggested while looking at Skeppy, already thinking of what colors she would use for him.

Skeppy’s first response was to say no nervously.

-Oh, c’mon Skeppy, you know how good you’d look with makeup, and more if it’s from her.-Spifey protested. It seemed unfair how much potential Skeppy was wasting by not trying makeup, his face features were perfect for it.

-If he doesn’t want to, that’s fine.-Anne was biting the inside of her cheek, she really wanted to apply makeup on that face, she already had so many great ideas for him, but she didn’t want to force him to do it, she just met him and she didn’t want to bother anyone.

It wasn’t the first time someone told him he would look great with makeup. Many girls wanted to do it for him; the last time it happened was recently, on that night. One of the contestants asked him if his eyebrows were like that naturally and everyone started to agree when she said that he would look great with eyeliner and he answered he had considered doing it.

So why wasn't he considering doing it now? 

-Well, if he doesn’t want to, I volunteer.-Spifey offered himself to try to compensate for the deception Anne was experiencing at that moment. Spifey also had a very pretty face and makeup looked great on him too, so it wasn't really a losing situation for her.

Go there and be yourself; they will like you.

-No!-Skeppy stopped Spifey before he was already laying down to get his makeup done.-Umm, actually, I don’t mind..You can put makeup on me, but don’t use too much. Something...simple?-Skeppy wanted to start slow, to test; he didn’t want to go with something very noticeable or that covered a lot of his face.

-OH?-Spifey and Tapl celebrated like two excited teenagers whose crushes accepted to go to prom with them, and Anne’s face lit up.

-Perfect. I am at your command, Skeppy!- she did a military salute and smiled happily. She was excited to be the person that would apply makeup on him for the first time in his life, she always loved helping try something so beautiful and expressive as makeup was.-Do you prefer to sit or lay down?

-Um...which is better?

-I don’t mind. Both ways I work well, so whatever one makes you feel more relaxed is fine by me.-Anne was already searching through her makeup supplies.

-Okay…-Skeppy pressed his hands against the mattress she was sitting on. It was very soft and comfortable.- I think I’ll lay down on the bed.

-Perfect. Because it’s your first time, I know you’re nervous, but trust me, I will do what you told me to do, just wait until I finish.-Anne had a wipe on her hand to clean his face in preparation.-Ooookay, let's start!

Skeppy had his eyes closed. He felt the cold and wet wipe touch his eyelids. He was tense, and his mouth was totally closed. Skeppy is usually the one that talks the most, the one that asks questions and wants to know about the new person he’s meeting, but this time his mind was only focused on refusing the urge to get up from the bed and prevent the makeup from touching his eyelids. 

-Skeppy?.

-Mhm?-Skeppy opened one of his eyes and looked at Anne’s concerned face.

-I need you to not squeeze your eyes shut; I won’t be able to apply the makeup well if your eyelids are tense.-Anne tried to sound as lighthearted as possible; she understood his nervousness, but she needed to be able to do her work.

-Oh, s-sorry.-Skeppy didn’t know how to relax his face, he needed more privacy.-Spi-Spifey? Tapl?-He didn’t want to be  observed by familiar faces that already had an idea of who he was; He finally had the opportunity to show a new part of himself without having to explain why he was trying something that wasn’t no longer part of that Skeppy.

-Yeah?-Spifey turned his head to him.

-Could you go and come back when the makeup is done?-Skeppy wanted to be direct. He knew they would understand.

-Oh...um, yeah, that’s fine!-Tapl instantly knew what his friend wanted.

-Nooooo, but I wanted to see how she was going to do your makeup!-Spifey sobbed exaggeratedly, a disappointed expression painted across his face.

-But Spifey, didn’t you want to get a drink downstairs?-Tapl looked dead in Spifey’s eyes, hoping he would get what he was trying to imply.

-Wh-.-Spifey then instantly understood everything.-OH, yeah, you’re right. Let’s go for a drink. That way, I’ll also make time for when she can do my makeup.

Spifey and Tapl got up from the carpet, holding each other’s hands.

-We’ll come back later, then, so it'll be a surprise! She'll do your makeup great and YOU will look great.-Tapl directed his words to both of them with a serious face and said goodbye, closing his sparkling eyes with a smile.

-Byeee, we’ll see you lateeeer.-Spifey waved his hand as Tapl dragged him to the stairs.

-See ya later!-Anne waved back with energy.

-Bye, guuuuys.-Skeppy closed his eyes again and sighed. His instincts didn’t need to be regulated anymore as he let himself sink further into the bed.

Skeppy’s eyelids were finally the perfect canvas for Anne.

-Now we can really start.-Anne covered a blending brush in a turquoise eyeshadow and went for his right eye first.

Skeppy instantly felt the brush touching his eyelid. He didn’t expect to feel the way it did. It was uncomfortable at first, but he couldn’t help but let out a small giggle as the brush started to tickle.

-So...you’re one of Lya’s closest friends.-Anne said, trying to start a conversation. She was intrigued to know more about him. She had heard some things from Lya in the past, but when she’d heard about her friend’s boss, she hadn’t expected him to be the way he was at all. 

-Yes, we’re childhood friends.-Skeppy had expected a conversation to start. Anne already gave him good vibes, she seemed to understand him instantly.

Be you.

-Woah, I’ve only known Lya for like, a year!-Anne added more eyeshadow onto the blending brush and continued applying it on his right eye.-She told me you’re basically her boss. More than once, she hasn’t been able to make plans because of work and I end up missing her so much.-She laughed quietly.

-Oh no, I’m so sorry about that.-Skeppy felt a bit bad, even though Anne wasn’t really mad at him, but after all, that’s just how work is, they aren’t kids anymore.-I also have to cancel a lot of plans because of work. Honestly, though, without Lya, I would end up dying with all I have to do; she really helps me a lot.

-I totally get it, Lya really is a ray of sunshine. She also helps me sometimes with promoting my makeup account.-Anne was retouching the turquoise eyeshadow she applied on the first eye she started to work with.-She helps everyone a lot, so we always make sure to help her too and try to give her what she deserves, y’know? 

-I understand; I always try to do that for her too.-A smile appeared on Skeppy’s face.

-And you’re a... content creator , right?-It was usual for Skeppy to be asked about what he does for a living, it was a common question for any regular person, but with that question, he always had to talk about Bad no matter what. Bad’s a big part of Skeppy’s career, he’s a big part of everything, and Skeppy can’t talk about his job without mentioning him at least one time.

Skeppy got a bit nervous again, but he still had to try, though he knew facing this wasn’t going to be easy nor comfortable.

-Yeah, I mainly post videos on YouTube. Minecraft videos. Maybe you already know how popular that game has gotten again? It’s always trending on social media.- Skeppy was used to having to explain what he exactly did to the companies he wanted to work with, and because he didn’t usually hang out with people his age that weren’t content creators or that didn’t play Minecraft too, conversations like the one he was having were very uncommon.

-Oh, yeah, Lya told me she had planned to start streaming Minecraft. I watch some streamers on Twitch; do you stream?-It was a bit of a funny question. Before that night he didn’t have much motivation to stream again for a time.

-Sooometimes, but not too much. I prefer to record videos because if something goes wrong a lot of people won’t see it. Streaming is honestly really stressful because unexpected things can happen at any moment.-Skeppy rambled. He thought he was saying too much when it was only a yes or no question.

-That’s interesting, and what are your Minecraft videos about?-That was the question that froze Skeppy for a few seconds. He had to finally say his name, to remember how happy he makes him, to talk about how important he is.

-I...I mostly pull pranks on my... best friend. -Skeppy’s words were heavy. He knew what question was coming next.

- Who’s your best friend? -Anne said it so innocently, starting to apply eyeshadow on his left eyelid as if what she’d just said wasn’t the biggest and most confusing question you could ask him.

Skeppy’s mind was racing. Millions of words to describe him came and went, memories replayed, his green eyes looked directly at Skeppy and he could hear the sound of his tears the last time they’d spoken.

-His nickname is BadBoyHalo.-He gulped.-He’s also a content creator that plays Minecraft, usually with me.-Skeppy remembered the last time they played together and tried to push it out of his head.-He streams more than posting videos, though.

-Mhm.-Anne was focussed blending the eyeshadow the same way as she did with the other eye, she was listening, she knew he hadn’t finished talking.

-He’s my best friend because...he makes me very happy, and he’s helped me a lot. He’s so patient, too. I’ve been pranking him for years, and for some reason, he keeps coming back to record more videos, he keeps hanging out with me and being there for me, and he likes the pranks, even if he, y’know, likes to act up for the recording.-Skeppy’s voice was fast,and he felt his heart beating quickly in his chest.-We just...understand each other.-Skeppy’s voice became softer but it was still shaky. There wasn’t turning back now, he was being asked to talk about his favourite person.-He doesn’t curse, he always says Language, language! -Skeppy impersonated Bad and made a small giggle.- And he uses the word “muffin” as a replacement for swear words and even for regular words. I found it so weird at first, but now I even do that too sometimes...It’s cute, honestly.-Skeppy’s cheeks were heating up, he wasn’t able to stop smiling.-And he knows so much stuff, he’s always making me learn something new, like interesting facts and OH, he throws competitive knives and even knows how to shoot a gun, I never expected that from him.-He felt so proud when talking about him.-He’s just so cool and a good person, but like, seriously, he’s so kind, and wise, he gives the best advice.-Skeppy noticed how much time he has been talking about him without hearing any sound from Anne.-But, um, yeah, those are some things about him…-He played with his fingers a bit embarrassed.  

-Open your eyes.-

Skeppy’s eyes sparkled.

-He’s special, right?-

Anne knew.

-... Yes. -Skeppy was lost in his emotions. He knew, she knew, everyone knew. It would be stupid to say he wasn’t.

Anne changed to a small brush and covered it with yellow eyeshadow.

-Close your eyes again . -Anne seemed like a hypnotist, controlling Skeppy’s body and mind.- Do you love him?

Skeppy’s heart stopped for a moment, and immediately started to beat again, as if he was running for his life.

-Y-yeah, of course I do. He’s my best friend.- He laughed nervously. Skeppy’s body was shaking. Did she really mean what he thought she meant?

-No, I’m asking you if you love him. If you feel something for him. If he’s the one you, y’know, want to be with.-Anne started to apply the yellow eyeshadow on his right eyelid.

Why had no one asked him that seriously before? 

Why did he have to be the one to start this conversation with any of his friends, or even with Bad himself? How had someone who he’d just met realized everything already and had the guts to ask about it? 

-Anne.-Skeppy’s tone was serious, and as level as he could get it, but he was trembling, and his hands were clutching at the sheets.- Does it mean I’m in love if...if I was so jealous and angry when I thought he found another person that I went on a dating show to see if he’d get jealous too and come back to me?

Anne's eyes were wide open. She stopped applying the makeup.

-That really happened?-

-Y-Yeah, it happened.-Skeppy gulped, still shaking.

-I’d tell you right now the answer, but I think it’s better if you figure it out by yourself, so, we’ll make a story, you’ll help me complete it and you will tell me what it means when we finish it, okay?

Skeppy nodded, and Anne started to apply eyeshadow on him again.

-This is the story of two people who met each other on the internet, one of them loved to prank the other one, but surprisingly, the pranked one still hung out with them even though they knew they would be pranked again by the other person he was meeting because it seems he liked it.-Anne started the story with the small information she had about them.

-Um, it’s my turn, okay...-Skeppy was still nervous, he had to think for a moment about what he was going to say.-Since the start, the one who was always pranked was more affectionate than the other, and the one who always pranked them even noticed it themselves, but they were still too young and immature to understand and value it completely. They even kinda hated the idea of the two of them being seen as something closer than friends.

-Then, as the years passed, they became best friends, and grew closer.-Anne wanted Skeppy to be the one who revealed the details, she knew he was trusting her and she wasn’t in the place to be prepotent if she tried to assume his exact feelings during their whole friendship.

-Over time, they both started to express more affection. They loved to spend time with each other, they texted constantly, and they were always there for each other, even when one of them was in relationship with other people and ended up breaking up with them and the other consoled them.-Skeppy sounded a bit hurt when saying that, he was remembering some things he didn’t think about again after a long time.-Their ingame characters even wore matching duck onesies for a bit and they always fought like a married couple.-Skeppy giggled in disbelief.- And when they played with other people, they’d all joke about how close the two of them were and how much they loved each other.-Skeppy’s mind was completely open to Anne at this point.

-But...there was still something that they didn’t know. Or, at least, something that one of them hadn't realized yet.

-About...himself.-Skeppy could feel his breath seeping out of his lungs. 

-So, when one of them met someone new, someone who joked about being their “new best friend,” the other was hurt and applied to go on a dating show to make their best friend jealous.-Anne said as she stuck two little small jewels near his eyes.

-And when he discovered they were both jealous, and that his best friend had just hung out with that person because he was always busy and they were left alone, he desperately wanted their best friend to go on the dating show as a contestant. He even threatened to cancel everything otherwise, but...it was too late. -Skeppy didn’t believe what he was doing, yet he wasn’t able to stop.-But he promised him that he’d reject everyone, because he wasn’t really serious about it. And then, on the day of the show, he ended up picking anyway because the pressure made him act stupid, and the contestant chose love when he expected that she would host him, and the promise was broken, and his best friend was heartbroken, and they both felt like shit.

Skeppy didn’t want to ruin the makeup that she’d taken the effort to do, so he held his tears. For a few seconds, a silence sat between them, causing the muffled noise of others’ conversations to penetrate the space theirs had been occupying before.

-I think you know the answer now.-Anne’s voice was soft and understanding as she applied a spray to seal in the makeup.-Well, I’ve finished. You can open your eyes. 

At first, Skeppy’s eyes stung. Their sensitivity to the light combined with the dizzy feeling the conversation had given him made his body feel empty, with the exception of his pounding heartbeat. His face was cold, but the rest of his body was warm, and he felt breathless.

-Skeppy, are you okay?

-I...I need a moment.-Skeppy looked directly at the ceiling, totally paralyzed.

-Okay...tell me when you’re ready to see your makeup.-Anne held a mirror in her hand, ready to give it to him. She was a little worried, and thought about calling his friends, but she didn’t know if he wanted them to see him like this.

God, he was in love.

And he’d finally discussed what he promised to Bad.

-Thank you.-Skeppy muttered to Anne.

-No problem. I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to open up about it.-Anne smiled.

Skeppy noticed the mirror in her hands. It was facing towards her, so he wasn’t able to see his face yet.

-Can you show me how the makeup turned out?-Skeppy recovered enough energy to be able to get up by himself.

-Of course! Ready?.-Anne turned the mirror towards him. 

Skeppy’s eyelids were covered in a sparkling turquoise eyeshadow with a bit of yellow on their inner corners. At the end of both of his eyes, there was one small jewel. He observed it in awe, he hadn’t known that his eyes could look this beautiful.

-I wanted to do a more...conceptual makeup,- Anne explained, -Something that could pass as more artistic and not as cosmetic as the regular makeup most people wear. This is a bit simple if you compare it to your friend’s makeup, but I still think it looks great on you.-Anne rambled nervously as she waited for Skeppy’s response. She had tried to reflect what Skeppy inspired in her, but his dumb founded face made mer more than a bit anxious.-Is it too much?

-No...no! It’s...it’s really fucking cool, actually. I...like it.-Skeppy looked at Anne with a big smile.-You did a great job...can I pay you?

-Oh, thank you so much! But, I mean, you don’t need to.-Anne felt very complimented, people didn’t usually pay her for the makeup she did when she went to parties; more than one time she had thought about charging money, but she’d just assumed that people wouldn't want to pay, and besides, doing side work like this gave her practice for when she actually got paid work.

-You deserve it; After all, I mean, you didn’t just do my makeup. You were also a great person to talk to.-Skeppy sifted through his wallet and pulled out a wad of bills.-Mmm...is $50 okay?

-FIFTY DOLLARS?! Skeppy, that’s- oh my GOD , that’s so much for makeup like that!-Anne grabbed Skeppy and shouted so loud that everyone turned their heads towards the two of them, intrigued by what was happening.-No wonder you’re Lya’s friend, you two are so fucking good. Thank you so much…

-Take a photo,-Skeppy was already posing,-and post it on your Instagram tagging me.

-Oh my god, um, of course.-She was shaking as she took out her phone, trying not to drop it, and opened the camera app. She took some photos as steadily as possible so they would not be blurry.

-Do I look good in the photos?-Skeppy came near Anne’s phone screen to see them.

-Y-yeah, you’re so photogenic. You look great.-Anne was editing the photos like she did with the rest of the photos already posted on her Instagram.

-So, that’s your account.-The username annegelical along with a profile pic of Anne wearing makeup coupled with a colorful feed of different people with makeup on their faces formed her Instagram profile.-It looks so good. I wish mine had a theme, but I’m not very active there.

- Thank you!-Anne was already selecting the photos for the post.-What’s your username?

-Put both of them. I have two accounts.-Skeppy told Anne his main and alt Instagram accounts. He wanted to give her as much support as he could.

Anne wrote the description of the post and posted it. A close-up photo of Skeppy’s face with makeup with a soft purple neon lighting and some lit candles in the background was the cover of the rest of the pictures in the same post. The rest of them were taken from different angles and eye close-ups except the last one, where he posed lying on the bed with a dazed expression. Skeppy had taken that last photo intending for Bad to see it, and oh, god, if he was going to see it.

-And one last thing.-Skeppy liked the post, bookmarked it, and posted it on his main story captioned with go support annegelical, she does sick makeups .

-I-I don't know what to say, oh my god, thank you again. I’m so happy you liked it so much.-Anne’s smile couldn’t get any bigger. She started to see how many notifications she was getting all of the sudden because of the hundreds of followers Skeppy had.

-It’s the least I can do.-Skeppy smirked, then Anne gave him a quick hug.

-I think you should search for your friends, they wanted to see how it turned out, right?

-Yeah, you’re right.-Skeppy got up from the bed.-Let's go search for them downstairs.

Skeppy and Anne went downstairs. They saw a lot of people that had been in the bedroom with them were now in the hallway taking photos, talking, and doing final touches on their hair or makeup. Between everyone, they were able to spot Tapl, Spifey and Lya by the kitchen counter talking with Max, the person they’d met at the door to the house. 

-Hey!-Skeppy hugged Spifey from the back, surprising him.

Everyone noticed Skeppy and Anne instantly, except Spifey, who had them on his back.

-Oh my god, Zak! Your face!-Lya covered her mouth with her hands. She couldn't believe he was finally wearing makeup. Fans had suggested the idea many times, and she’d always agreed to it, but Skeppy had been more hesitant in the past.

-I knew Anne would do a great job, you look so good. I hope you two had a good time, Zak.-Tapl winked at Skeppy with a smile.

-Damn, Anne, I didn’t think he could look more pretty, but you did it somehow.-Max laughed and squeezed Anne’s shoulder with affection.

Skeppy had a weak spot for the word pretty, but hearing it from men always took him even more out of guard, Bad was the one that called him that the most, even though he only did it sparingly, Skeppy loved it every time. This time, he giggled, and tried to hide his face in Spifey’s back. Max had said it without knowing how weak he was to that compliment, which made it even better.

-Guys, I haven't seen him yet.- Spifey was the only one that hadn’t seen his makeup yet, and he was getting desperate.-Skeppy, let me look! Get off my back!

He then turned back to finally look at Skeppy and both of them were surprised. Spifey’s eyes were covered in black and garnet eyeshadow with eyeliner.

-OH, Spifey, you ended up getting your makeup done by another person?-Skeppy remembered that he wanted to get his makeup done by Anne after she finished with him.

-Yeah I had to because we have to go in a few minutes and I wasn’t going to be able to get it done on the street or in the club. But next time!-Spifey put his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders.- Lya does a great job with makeup too.

-Wait, are we actually going out?-Skeppy didn’t know they were going to party outside. He didn’t expect to go out with makeup the first time he was wearing it, but seeing everyone and even his own friends with it made him feel less worried and scared. He wasn’t the one only one; he wasn’t going to be alone.

-We’re going to go to a club Lya and her friends usually go to. They told me it’s cool. Plus, the prices of the drinks are worth it, if you know what I meannnn.-Spifey softly kicked Skeppy with his elbow. 

Max stopped talking to Lya and Anne and tried to maneuver his way through the sea of  people trying to go to the hallway.

-ATTENTION, QUEERS! IT’S TIME TO GO! I HOPE Y’ALL ARE READY FOR TONIGHT!-Max shouted to everyone and opened the front door, letting everyone go outside.-MAKE SURE THERE’S NO ONE LEFT. I DON’T WANT THE BATHROOM INCIDENT TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

-The bathroom incident?-Skeppy questioned. 

-It happened a time ago.-Anne sighed.-Someone was in the bathroom and they didn’t hear Max when he told everyone to leave for the club. He locked up the house, and four minutes later, they called one of their friends asking where everyone was.They almost ended up spending the whole night trapped in his house.

-I was there too when it happened, poor thing. Max had to come back to get them.-Lya added.

Skeppy let out a small laugh with Spifey in response to the story.

Max revisited all the rooms just in case, then came back to the group to finally leave and lock his house.

-It’s all clear, c’mon!-Max waited for everyone to get out. Skeppy took out his phone for a moment and used the camera as a mirror. He wanted to see his face again, to remember how he was going to look that night, how everyone was going to see him. He messed up his hair a bit and took some selfies making different facial expressions. When he was outside, he placed his phone in his pocket, and looked at everyone in the front walking together, laughing, smoking, all close and already having a great time. So much had happened already, and the night was just starting.

-Are you ready?-Lya asked Skeppy, putting her arm around his shoulder.

-You better be.-Max closed the door behind him.

-Yeah, I think I am.