Chapter Text
Natalie wiggled deeper in the covers as he felt a kiss on his cheek. He felt another soft press on his forehead, neck, then his cheek again.
“Nat,” a voice rang through their ears.
He groaned in response.
“Nat you gotta wake up,”
He heard the curtains draw and light beamed on his face.
Natalie rolled over to the sound of his girlfriend’s voice.
Lottie was now standing over him, a small smile on her lips.
“Ugh, what time is it,” Natalie dared to open his eyes. Sunlight covered them causing him to squint.
“Uhhh 12:20-ish,” Lottie took Natalie’s hand and helped him sit up. “Laura and Shauna are supposed to be here at 1,” Lottie continued.
“Oh shittt,”
“Yup,” Lottie popped the p and ran her fingers down Natalie’s arm.
Natalie shifted off of the bed and Lottie lowered her head closer to her boyfriend’s face. God sometimes her height really was annoying. Natalie reached up and gave Lottie a quick kiss on the cheek before shuffling into the bathroom.
He checked the time again, fully registering how late it was.
“Fuck, Lottie, why didn’t you wake me earlier?”
“Mm you looked so peaceful sleeping I couldn’t,” Lottie folded her arms and pressed her back against the bathroom's door frame.
__________
If you told Natalie 5 months ago that he would be spending so much time with Lottie fucking Mathews to the point where he leaves his fucking makeup, his fucking shirts or his fucking music (on accident) at Lottie’s house, he’d probably tell you to get out of his face or something worse.
Thought now that he’s spending so much time with Lottie it’s almost second nature to pack a bag near the end of the month when Lottie’s parents go on their much needed vacations. It’s not like his mom would care if he was gone for a couple weeks, Natalie bet she hardly even noticed anymore.
Along with Lottie he’s been spending time with Laura lee. Natalie always thought the church girl was kinda cute. Those flowery dresses she would always wear looked cute, the way she seemed to believe so truly about religion was, in a way, kinda cute. Natalie wished he could believe in something so strong, something that could bring him so much hope but when the world fucks with you since the day you were born it’s a little hard to have much faith in anything.
Then there’s Shauna. Natalie was actually a little surprised to see her without Jackie, living a life outside of her inseparable best friend. The browned haired girl turned out to be full of surprises and way more fun when she wasn’t worrying about what Jackie would say. Turns out just like her alcohol, the girl can’t handle her smoke either. It also turns out that Natalie is more affected by shuana’s puppy dog eyes then he’d like to believe.
————-
“Hello Mr. Goodkind," Shauna bounced on her feet and had her hands behind her back, “Is Laura Lee ready?”
Shauna could tell the blond man hated her from his, obviously, fake, polite smile.
One day, Laura Lee was talking a little too loud on the phone. She had been calling her parents to pick her up from Shauna’s house at night and Shauna could feel the disapproval from a mile away.
Shauna tried to smile through her grimace.
“Laura Lee, honey, your friend is here,” the man turned to call his second oldest daughter down to the entrance of the house. He shifted out of the way when he heard his daughter's excited footsteps come down the stairs.
Laura Lee's smile was practically sunshine to Shauna. Shauna couldn’t believe how Laura and her father were related considering the differences of the atmosphere they bring.
“Hey,” Shauna gave the sunshine girl a true smile.
“Hi,” Laura Lee said breathlessly. Shauna assumed her panting must have been caused by her running down the stairs and nothing else.
—
Shauna knew Laura Lee wasn’t enjoying this car ride, or she knew there was definitely something wrong considering the girl that was so full of smiles hasn’t said a word since seating in her car.
She exhaled.
“Hey are you….okay?” Her eyes shifted when she hit a red light, but just as soon as she stopped the car she had to start it again. She swears this was the only time she would actually pray for traffic.
“Shauna can you um,” Laura Lee was fiddling with her fingers and staring at her lap.
“Mmm?” Shauna perked up. She was happy that the blonde was actually talking.
“Can you…pull over?”
“What, like right now?”
“Yes, if you wouldn’t mind.”
Wordlessly, Shauna found the closest place where she was sure they wouldn’t get hit by some idiots and parked the car off the side of the road.
Shauna exhaled and relaxed her shoulders.
“Do you not want to go? I can take you back home if you aren’t feeling good. I know this might be a little bit much right now and I’m sure Lottie and Nat would-”
Shauna didn’t get to finish her words. Instead her thoughts began to fill with the feeling of bliss as she felt soft lips on top of hers. Laura lee had reached over the seat to kiss her.
Shauna forgot how gentle this was. She would have been embarrassed if she had seen how fast her eyes flicked shut at the sensation. Shauna caressed Laura Lee’s cheek and rubbed her thumb against the other’s hand.
They both ended up smiling like fools and parted from their clumsy kiss.
“Thank you for driving me,” Laura Lee was now looking into Shauna's brown eyes.
Embarrassment appeared on the blonde's face as a light shade of pink. “And for being patient with me, I know I can be…..” she trailed off folding her hands neatly in her lap.
Shauna blinked rapidly to get herself back to earth. Kissing Laura lee was heavenly.
“O-of course Laura lee, no problem, just know that I don’t expect anything from you, you can take your time and tell me if you don’t want to do anything,” Shauna chose her words carefully.
Laura Lee nodded her head as a comfortable silence washed between them.
“So uh, are you up for Lottie’s surprise.”
Laura lee smiled.
————————
“NAT THEY’RE HERE,”
Lottie heard a groan and a thud in response to her announcement.
She parted her hair out of her face and opened the door. There were her other halfs.
Laura lee was looking as cute as ever, With her long flowery dress and a yellow jean jacket to go with it. She always looked so cute and soft, and gave off this pure, innocent, and genuine energy, like she really cared about what she was saying and who was near her.
Shauna had on her red flannel. Lottie always thought Shauna looked extra pretty in those flannels. Which was good for Lottie because Shauna just so happened to wear those flannels all the time.
Maybe it was because of a comment Lottie made months ago about how Shauna looked nice in them or because Shauna felt the most herself when she wasn’t in some uncomfortable dress to impress a man.
It wasn’t her girlfriend’s excited greetings that got her out of her loving gaze, but the feeling of Laura lee pulling her into a tight hug definitely did. She sighed into the hug and rubbed her thumb on Laura’s back.
“Hi my loves,” she gave Laura lee a quick kiss on the cheek and then did the same with Shauna “I’m so happy you are here.”
—-
“So, Lot,” Shauna patted her hands on her thighs.
“Where are we going,”
“Shauna it’s a surprise,”
“Such a surprise that the driver doesn’t even know?”
“Yep, plus we can’t go anywhere when the drama king is still putting on his makeup.”
Laura Lee snickered at the nickname and although that jab wasn’t serious it didn’t stop Lottie from worrying a little bit. Sure Natalie’s routine could take a while, but it wasn’t that long, only like only 15 to 20 mins.
That was only because Nattie loves getting everything just right for her and the girls. Oh, he was so sweet like that Lottie thought.
“I’ll go check on him again-“ Lottie said with a sigh.
“No, it’s fine Lottie I’ll go get him.”
“What really are you sure, Shauna,”
“Yeah I’m already standing,” Shauna jets towards the stairs. “Plus you’ve had him all morning it’s my turn,” Shauna jokes.
“Pfft- be my guest,” Lottie plopped down on the couch right up against Laura lee.
Shauna went upstairs and her weight made the stairs creak.
“Lottie, I know I’m sorry I’m almost done I promise,”
“Actually it’s me,” Shauna made her way to the bathroom door.
A beat of silence passed as Shauna heard Natalie fumbling with their makeup.
“Heyyy Shipman,”
“Hi um-“ Shauna cut herself off as she heard Nat wince in pain.
“Do you,” Shauna shifted uncomfortably at the silence. “Do you want some help?”
—
Shauna was holding Natalie’s face. She had done this before. Well, not on Nat but, she had helped girls with their makeup. Most of the time it was Jackie or some freshman that didn’t find her intimidating, unlike the rest of varsity. This time felt different, maybe it was the way Nat was looking at her.
The way Natalie's eyes stuck onto her. Ugh it made her heart want to explode. Why was Natalie looking at her like that? She wanted to groan his eyes were so deep and pretty? Shauna couldn’t place the word.
“Stop moving,” Shauna murmured as she set down the pencil.
“Oh shit sorry,” Nat repositioned himself on the toilet seat.
Shauna placed the tools down, stood up straight and cracked her back. She was about to revisit her uncomfortable position of slightly bent knees and leaning forward when she caught a glimpse of Natalie’s smirk.
“What?”
Shauna watched Nat’s eyes do a quick shift up and down. A smile grew on Natalie’s face. He shook his head like he was getting rid of a thought.
“Nothing,” Natalie shrugged it off.
Shauna picked up the eyeliner and bent down to hold Nat’s face in place.
After a few strokes Shauna spoke up.
“You know it’s fine, or it’s okay if you’re not wearing makeup all the time. It’s okay if it’s not perfect,” She lifted the liner off Nat’s eye.
“I know, I just,” Natalie started. Their eyes met and Shauna waited attentively for Nat to finish.
“I just want to look good,” Natalie swallows. “For you guys, for you,” he cleaned his throat.
“Mm, what was that,” Shauna tilted her ear towards the embarrassed punk blonde in front of her.
“I said I want to look good for you, fuck” Shauna noticed a small blush form on Nat’s cheeks at the silent swear.
“Awww is Natalie Scatorccio going soft,” she cooed.
“Pfft, you wish,” and just like that the smirk that raised Shauna’s heart rate up is back.
“Alright you’re done,” she slapped his black leather covered shoulder.
Nat stood up, and Shauna had forgotten to move. Their faces were so close. Shauna took a small step back so she could breathe.
Nat could see her whole face. His eyes traced every feature. From Shauna's brown flowy hair to her pleading brown eyes.
Natalie took a deep breath, closed his eyes. Searching for something to say.
“Thank you,”
“No problem,” Shauna answered a bit too quickly.
“Can I?” The question lingered through the air.
Shauna’s words caught in her throat. All she could do was nod.
Wasting no time Natalie had already closed the space between them. In a beat, Shauna felt a hand on the back of her neck, trying to push her closer than they already were. After a few seconds of pure bliss they parted to breathe.
Shuana saw herself in the mirror and flushed at the sight of a new color on her lips.
“Man and I had just finished putting that on your lips,”
“Oops,” Nat raises his hands in fake surrender.
Shuana wipes the color off with a nearby tissue.
“Come on, let’s go downstairs,” she slaps Natalie’s cheek lightly and he follows her wordlessly down the stairs.
—-
“Woah, are we interrupting something here?”
Lottie and Laura Lee separated at the sound of their boyfriend’s voice.
“Nope, but look who’s finally done with his makeup,” Lottie teased.
“Yeah, so can we go now?” Nat’s voice was eager.
“Yes we can go now. Shauna?”
“Yep, I’ll drive,” Shauna jingled her keys and stepped out the door, Laura lee followed.
Natalie caught Lottie by the wrist.
Lottie brown curls danced as she turned her head.
“Uhh I’m sorry for being late….and uh, you look pretty. I didn’t get to say that earlier,”
Nat’s hand falls off Lottie’s wrist and into his leather jacket pocket.
“Thank you Nat,” Lottie sighed. “And It’s fine we aren’t gonna be late, I scheduled in your oversleeping,”
“What!”
Lottie giggled and that was a sound Nat loved to get used to.
“You bitch you had me worried,”
“Sorry, now come on or we really will be later because of you.”