𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬

THIRTY-SEVEN: make it weird.

THEIR LITTLE MOVIE date after their shift had Steve so jittery, talking about Jane Foster being Mighty Thor the whole way there, even mentioning about King Valkyrie and about the Guardians of the Galaxy, James just listened intently with a small smile because Steve seems so passionate about something so simple as superhero movies.

During the movie however, he'd catch himself glancing over at Steve a lot and not even paying attention, though, the Harrington was right about there being hot people. Mostly Thor, Jane and Valkyrie, even the scenes with the Gods in Omnipotence City. He keeps staring at Steve however, and then half way through it, he kinda just leaned over and kissed his temple. The Harrington quickly turns his head, taken back a bit as James smiled softly.

"Sorry. You're just too cute." He chuckled quietly and Steve blushed, smiling widely. "Oh." He says, pursing his lips and then James glanced down. "Can I kiss you on the lips this time?" He whispers and Steve glanced down as well. "Yeah..." He mumbled and James was about to lean in and kiss him when the theatre erupted into claps, so they both glance over at the tv screen, it was simply just the post credits scene with Zeus and Hercules.

James cleared his throat a bit as everyone started getting up so he followed after Steve who had reached out and took the taller's hand, in the other hand was his garbage, an empty soda cup and an empty popcorn bag he practically devoured through the first fifty minutes of the film, with James' help, grabbed handfuls every ten minutes.

They didn't talk or do anything until they got into James' car, watching multiple cars pull out from their parking spots and drive off as the theatre was closed for the night, the last showings ending as the time nears midnight. James had felt tired when they finished their shift, but he felt so wide awake at the moment, and jittery, nervous, but also felt adrenaline coursing through his veins. Steve felt the same, one of his legs bouncing as he stared out the window, unsure of what to say.

Maybe James hadn't meant to say that, maybe he was just joking around to see what Steve would say, maybe he would-- "Steve?" James glanced over, interrupting Steve's anxious train of thoughts running through his mind as he glanced over quickly at the Hopper. "Did I make it weird? You--you seem tense and I don't wanna ruin our friendship, I just... was so sure, that, um, you--you--" James paused and let out a sigh, looking away quickly.

"Who am I kidding?" He mumbled and Steve's brows furrow. "I like you." He says quickly and James looks back again. "What?" He says, not to tease Steve or anything, but to make sure he heard him correctly and wasn't... delusional. "I. Like. You." Steve emphasized each word then let out a deep breath. "I--I was nervous when you said you wanted to kiss me. I thought you were pranking me. Or something." He says and James just softly sighed.

"I--I like you too." He said then smiled before the two of them are in a fit of giggles. "I'm 21 and you're 22, yet we're acting like little middle schoolers." The Hopper laughed even more, leaning closer to the middle as the Harrington did the same, giggling quietly as their faces near one another. "We're such dorks." He says and James just smiled softly.

"You're a dork." He says and Steve raised a finger. "Dork means whale penis." He says and James raised his hand. "Hot," he whispers as his hand rested against the back of Steve's neck before bringing their lips together for a small kiss. Steve hums, "totally." He says before he went in for another kiss.

This kiss deepens as Steve's hands are on both sides of James' shoulders as the taller ran his fingers through his hair, humming into their kiss. It immediately got so sloppy, both needy and hungry as they clutched onto one another, the Hopper's fingers still in his hair, one hand holding the back of his neck as the Harrington's hands are holding James' shirt in balled up fists. The kiss nearly feels... rewarding.

After all this time. All the constant bickering, the fact they "didn't like each other", the stares, the jealousy, the emotions Steve would feel for James, the way James felt stupid for thinking it was one-sided the whole time, leading up to this moment. And neither ever wanted it to end. So it didn't, instead they crawled into the back and continued kissing, holding each other close until eventually, Steve laughed as he broke off their kiss, leaning his forehead to James' shoulder as the Hopper chuckles.

"What's so funny?" He asked and Steve just softly rubs his arm. "The fact I thought you didn't have a thing for me. I was such an oblivious idiot." He said when he pulls back and James chuckles, rubbing his waist affectionately. "I mean, I was too... enough to even be driven back into my ex's arms, like, I was legit convinced you didn't feel the same way back." He says and Steve frowns.

"Not even when I was so obviously jealous of that little waiter at Benny's?" He asked and James laughs softly, tilting his head to the side. "Or you not realizing I was using your own love language against you?" He asked and Steve chuckles softly, remembering all the times James offered to pay. "Oh, and we can't forget the fact you show only me your book, no one else." Steve held both hands to each side of James' face as he smiled widely.

"Okay, no, that's not fair, that is strictly business," James says and Steve hums, leaning closer. "Okay, fine, the kissing was also strictly business." He says and James raised his brows. "What kind of business?" He asked and Steve giggles. "You caught me, it isn't." He says and James laughs, kissing him once more before pulling away but keeping their foreheads close together, sighing.

"What?" Steve whispers and James just smiles. "You're like... very undeniably pretty." He whispers and the Harrington blushed. "Shut up. You are." He says quietly in response as the Hopper chuckled softly, pulling him closer. "I love your green eyes." Steve mumbled as he leans in, pecking his lips before pulling back. "Can... we, like, stay here forever?" He sighed exasperatedly, leaning his head against the passenger seat chair with his gaze on James who smiled widely.

"Well... quite frankly, my mom wanted me home tonight." He says and Steve giggled. "Mommy Joyce wants his baby Jamie home?" He asked and James rolls his eyes. "Don't be weird about it." He says and Steve chuckles, moving to sit closer to James now. "Can... I come?" He asked and the taller glanced at him with a small smirk on his face that made him roll his eyes. "Like, stay the night." The shorter quickly explains and James chuckles.

"Of course, Stevie..."

"Okay. Yay." Steve said with a wide smile on his face before he gets up to crawl back into the front but James grabbed his waist gently. "Can we stay here for a while longer though?" He asked and Steve slowly sits back down, onto James' lap this time. "Yeah." He says quietly, smiling before leaning in.

The two made out some more there in the back seat of James' vehicle, holding one another close and not taking it too far, but rather letting it be something to just indulge in and cherish for the time being because of how long it had taken them to get together.

At some point, they just held onto one another, Steve's arms tightly around James' neck, his legs on either sides of his hips as he sat on his thighs while the younger's arms were around his waist and closing his eyes as he kept his face in Steve's neck. "I never want this to end," he sighs and the Harrington chuckles, reaching up to the back of the Hopper's head, his fingers softly running through his hair, "me neither..." He whispers back, smiling.

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

  

 

authors note
there it is, ya'll. hoppington centric chapter where they get together 😻