Work Text:
It was a Friday night, and the lights of the city of Los Angeles glowed outside the window of a cozy apartment. The smell of pizza filled the air as Skeppy and BadBoyHalo sat on the couch, each holding a slice. They’d just finished another long recording session for their latest video, and the exhaustion was starting to set in.
Skeppy leaned back, taking a bite of his pizza. “You know, I don’t understand how you can be so calm about all this,” he said, his voice light but teasing.
BadBoyHalo glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“You’re always so... collected,” Skeppy replied, grinning. “You know, like the responsible one of the group.”
BadBoyHalo laughed softly, shaking his head. “I think you’re giving me too much credit. I just prefer to keep things under control, that’s all.”
Skeppy smirked. “Under control? You mean like how you try to keep me from doing something chaotic every two seconds?”
“Exactly,” BadBoyHalo said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Someone has to be the voice of reason around here.”
Skeppy shrugged nonchalantly, his grin never fading. “Well, someone has to be the one who makes things interesting.”
They both laughed, the comfortable banter between them something they had grown accustomed to over time. Despite their differences—Skeppy’s chaotic energy and BadBoyHalo’s level-headedness—they’d developed a strange, almost unspoken connection that went beyond just making videos together. Skeppy couldn’t quite explain it, but he knew he appreciated having BadBoyHalo around in ways he didn’t fully understand.
There was a pause as Skeppy stared at BadBoyHalo, noticing the way the light from the window caught in his eyes, how his expression was softer when he wasn’t caught up in the chaos of streaming or making content. He’d always admired that about BadBoyHalo, even if he didn’t always show it.
BadBoyHalo caught Skeppy staring and smirked, a little teasing glint in his eye. “What’s up with you? You’ve been looking at me like that for the past few minutes.”
Skeppy immediately snapped out of his thoughts, a flush creeping onto his face. “What? No—I wasn’t staring at you! I was... thinking about something else.”
BadBoyHalo raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Uh-huh. Sure. So, what was it then?”
Skeppy scratched the back of his neck, his usual confidence suddenly faltering a little. “Just... you know. You’re, uh, pretty chill for someone who hangs out with me.”
BadBoyHalo’s expression softened, a quiet smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “I think I’ve said it before, but I like hanging out with you, Skeppy. You make things fun, even when they’re a bit crazy.”
Skeppy’s heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in BadBoyHalo’s voice. He wasn’t sure why, but it made something stir in him—a feeling that was a little more than just appreciation for his friend.
Before Skeppy could say anything else, BadBoyHalo turned slightly toward him, his face serious for a moment. “Skeppy, you know... I care about you, right?”
Skeppy blinked, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest. “What do you mean?”
BadBoyHalo hesitated, as though unsure of how to continue. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, the playful glint in his eyes replaced by something softer. “I mean, I’ve always cared about you—more than just as a friend, y’know?”
Skeppy’s mind raced. Had he heard that right? Was BadBoyHalo saying what he thought he was saying?
“I—” Skeppy started, his voice shaking a little. “You mean, like... you care about me?” His throat felt dry, and his usual witty banter felt completely absent.
BadBoyHalo nodded slowly, his gaze soft and unwavering. “Yeah, Skeppy. I do. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and... I just wanted to make sure you knew.”
There was a moment of silence between them, the weight of BadBoyHalo’s words hanging in the air. Skeppy couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. BadBoyHalo, the person who had always been the calm and responsible one, was opening up to him in a way he hadn’t expected.
Skeppy didn’t know how to respond at first. He’d never thought of BadBoyHalo in that way, but now that the idea was out there, it made his chest tighten in an unfamiliar way. He couldn’t help but feel a rush of warmth flood over him.
After what felt like an eternity, Skeppy let out a nervous laugh, trying to hide the fluttering in his chest. “Well, if you’re gonna keep saying stuff like that, I might start thinking you like me or something.” He forced a grin, trying to ease the tension.
BadBoyHalo chuckled softly, his expression not entirely teasing. “Well, maybe I do.”
Skeppy’s breath caught, his face flushing. “Wait, seriously?”
BadBoyHalo’s smile softened, and he leaned back against the couch, eyes looking directly into Skeppy’s. “Yeah. I’ve been trying to figure out how to say it. But now it just feels right.”
Skeppy’s mind was racing, and for once, he didn’t have a clever comeback. Instead, he found himself drawn to BadBoyHalo, the quiet honesty in his eyes speaking volumes. He felt something deep stir inside him—something that had been building for a while but that he hadn’t recognized until now.
Without thinking, Skeppy moved a little closer, his voice quieter than usual. “Bad... I didn’t know you felt that way. But, I don’t know... maybe I feel the same way?”
BadBoyHalo’s eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The world outside their apartment seemed to fade away, and all that mattered in that moment was the unspoken connection between them.
Then, to Skeppy’s surprise, BadBoyHalo reached out, gently brushing his hand against Skeppy’s. The touch was small, almost hesitant, but it sent a shock of warmth through Skeppy’s chest.
“I’m glad,” BadBoyHalo said softly, his voice steady but full of meaning.
Skeppy, still reeling from the sudden shift in the air between them, nodded slowly. “Yeah... me too.”
They sat there for a while, the space between them now filled with a new kind of energy—one that neither of them had expected but both had been quietly longing for.