The Devils Bargain | stuilly | billyxstu | stuxbilly

Chapter 22

Nancy took off not long after, leaving the boys to stew in their thoughts. The tension was thick enough to cut with a butter knife, what with the close call and the brewing conflict between Stu and Nancy. It was like a game of Russian roulette with their tempers, and Billy knew he needed to take the bullets out.

Billy, content with his newfound pillow setup, hopped off his bed, straightened out his clothes, and sauntered over to Stu, shooting him a glance without lifting his head. "Hey, Stu, ease up with my mom, would you?"

Stu played innocent, sporting a cheesy grin and striking a comical pose, glancing towards the door before turning back to Billy with a shrug. "I have no clue what you're blabbering about. Me? I'm the book's definition of calm. But you? You seemed to be wrestling with something over there, man." Stu winked, and Billy flicked Stu's forehead before he could get smug, far from content with Stu's deflecting.

Stu winced after letting out a melodramatic yelp, rubbing the spot. "Oh, come on, you know exactly what I mean. Whatever's going on between me and Mom is none of your business. I don't need a knight in shining armour, so quit acting dumb." Billy jabbed his finger into Stu's chest, lifting it to his chin, his thumb brushing over Stu's still-flushed lips. "Got it, slothbrain?"

As Billy's thumb brushed against Stu's lower lip, Stu's mouth fell open, his expression caught between surprise and anticipation. Billy's gaze, heavy-lidded, held his attention captive. Stu felt a surge of electricity course through him, his thoughts momentarily scattered.

A sly smile played on Billy's lips as he traced the contours of Stu's mouth with his thumb, a teasing glint in his eyes. With a raised eyebrow, he continued the playful gesture, his thumb coming to rest against the edge of Stu's teeth.

Suddenly jolted back to the present moment, Stu blinked rapidly, his heart pounding in his chest. The desire to lean in and kiss Billy was almost overwhelming, but he resisted the impulse, opting instead to lightly nip, wrap his lips around, and lick the tip of his thumb. A smirk tugged at Stu's lips as he watched Billy fall into the trap he set for Stu.

Billy's eye twitched. He held a gaze for a moment, licking his bottom lip mindlessly as they both felt as if they were the opposite sides of a magnet for a moment, his thoughts written all over his face, and they called Stu the perverted one. The tension was like a fizz, waiting to reach the surface. Billy blinked and withdrew his hand, wiping it on Stu's sleeve, his eyebrows scrunching together as he tried to rein in his thoughts. "So, are we clear?" he asked slowly, his eyes sliding off to the side before coming back to Stu, his thumb rubbing against his fingers.

Stu groaned, shoulders slumping, arms flailing, and mumbling before straightening up, a goofy, lopsided grin on his face. "I forgot what you said."

Billy gaped, rolling his eyes, and punched Stu in the gut, causing him to gasp and keel over, clutching his stomach and putting up a hand to ward off another blow. "I was kidding! Yeah, yeah, got it—get off your mom's back or whatever, man!" He wheezed, rubbing circles on his stomach. The pain faded quickly, but the nausea clung for a little while longer.

Billy nodded, about to walk off, but decided impulsively that he wasn't happy with how their little get-together ended. Words fell out of his mouth before he could ever think to stop himself. "If you behave today, maybe we can pick up where we left off later," he quipped with a mischievous glint in his eye. Stu's reaction was immediate—a sharp intake of breath betraying his surprise. With a self-satisfied smirk, Billy turned away, masking his satisfaction with a facade of nonchalance. Yet beneath the surface, his thoughts churned with more pressing matters, demanding his attention.

Something else nagged at his mind—not that he had to think about it, but he knew he couldn't ignore the problem either; the whole 'killing Stu' plan didn't sit right with him anymore if it ever did.