𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐬 | pete davidson

twenty eight: the second half of the surprise

Pete ran his hands swiftly through his hair, Dahlia knitted her fingers together tightly, as the ball teeter-tottered on the rim.

As if the ball were holding its breath too.

*

"I have to take you here during the summer, you'd love it even more."

Dahlia walked alongside the weather-battered railing of the boardwalk, one hand holding Pete and the other wrapped around her bat plushie.

"How do you feel having survived Coney?" Pete teased, nudging her playfully.

"I had this big squishy to comfort me after the ride was over, sooo pretty peaceful if I'm being honest." Dahlia exhaled, blowing a raspberry through her lips, trying her best to play it off as nonchalant as best she could.

"You know," Pete stepped in front of her, looking down at her tiny frame to pout with puppy eyes and an extended lip. "I can be your big squishy, if you want me to..."

Dahlia laughed, "You've got competition now, buster. I just hope that video of us on the Slingshot doesn't get out. It's-- it's humiliating."

"It's fucking hilarious." He smiled cheekily to himself before craning his head down to look her in her eyes. "But no, yeah, I-I also hope it doesn't get out."

That thought, that worrying thought of their day out getting publicized, brought up that reminder Dahlia had set for herself to bring up. "Oh," she perked. "Pete?"

"Yes?" Pete snapped away from his phone, the photo he took of her happily hugging her bat open on his screen just before he clicked his phone closed and tucked it into the pocket of his hoodie. He had been smiling to himself when he was admiring that photo of her, the smile was still on his face when he turned to Dahlia. Pete kept thinking about how hilariously small she looked in comparison to the plushie.

"That kiss you gave me while we were in line..." She mumbled, nervously throwing her hair back over her shoulder as she hugged her prize closer. "Yeah...?" Pete's left eyebrow raised in curious anticipation.

"You did that because you knew there were cameras, right?"

His eyes rested on hers for a moment before darting them away, looking to his right and fidgeting with his hands before stuffing them away in his pocket.

"Well," Pete cleared his throat before speaking. "Yeah. I mean, I kinda had to, right?"

Dahlia felt herself slump, like she had just swallowed a dumbbell. "Oh."

"I think it was worth it, though." Pete spoke up, reaching out to her. "Seeing you smile all cute. You really weren't expecting me to do that." Pete smiled weakly.

"I-I'm sorry," Pete stuttered, rubbing his eye with his thumb. "I should have asked you first if that was ok."

"Oh, I..." Dahlia stopped herself, fully processing what Pete had just said and fighting back the hot blushing sensation on her cheeks from protruding. She hid her face in her plush, only for a moment to regain her solemnity, returning to the surface only to come face to face with Pete who had stepped much closer to her.

This surprise made her blush even harder.

Pete chuckled to himself, smiling an adorable grin with tight lips. He couldn't look away from Dahlia's eyes, like a chocolate sky full of shy, glittering stars.

"Pete,"

"Hmm?"

"I think we should establish some boundaries. You know, just as long as we're doing the whole dating thing for the show." Dahlia whispered that last part so as to not draw attention to the two of them.