A/N - This chapter was inspired by the song New Perspective by Panic! At The Disco. This is set a few years after the series, so the characters are in their early 20s and firmly out of high school. I hope you all enjoy it.
Sometimes you had to stop and wonder what had made you enjoy your time with Steve so much. I mean, sure, he was a real giver. Hell, you'd never been left even close to unsatisfied. And yeah, the little comments he made from time to time were pretty entertaining. And, of course, he was easy on the eyes.
But in High School, he'd been a total douchebag. You were pretty certain that back then, he wouldn't have looked at you twice, and now, he was turning up at your apartment in the middle of the night to sleep with you at least three times a week. Shit, your old school friends would have a fit if they ever found out.
And sure, you knew not to read too deep into it all. What you had was casual; it was disconnected. You weren't in it for the affectionate pet names and compliments, not that that ever stopped Steve from supplying them.
But when Steve knocked on your door, you'd get that giddy feeling deep in your chest, no matter how many times you told yourself it was stupid. And when you thought about him, on the nights that he hadn't turned up, you couldn't stop the smile that came so naturally to your lips.
You'd been stretched out on the couch just thinking about him again when you'd heard his telltale knock at the front door, summoning you through the apartment far quicker than you wanted to admit.
"Hey," he hummed softly, that gentle smile pulling at the corners of his lips when he looked down at you, admiring the cosy outfit you'd clearly changed into after you'd gotten home from work. "Is now a good time?"
Your tongue darted out, wetting your bottom lip before you nodded, stepping back to let him inside. "I thought you had plans tonight," you told him, watching as he immediately made himself comfortable on your couch, a place he knew all too well from the last three months of regular house visits.
"I did," he murmured, sitting back more comfortably, his arms stretched over the back of the couch. "But the night at a bar catching up with old friends turned into them all competing over who could pick up the hottest girl, and I realised-" his words trailed off as you settled yourself in his lap.
You stifled a small chuckle when his hands lifted hesitantly, even after all this time, shifting to rest on your hips. "You don't have to explain yourself to me," you reminded him softly, leaning down to press your lips to his gently.
"Sweetheart," he hummed softly, shifting away from your kiss slightly, and causing a heavy weight to settle in your chest. "I think-"
You swallowed down the lump in your throat, sitting back slightly, and in that moment, Steve could've sworn he saw a flash of pain in your eyes. "Oh," you uttered, climbing out of his lap, sitting yourself on the couch beside him. "Right," you added.
"Hey, it's not-"
"I don't need an it's not you, it's me line, Steve. It's fine," you bit out. "It's not like we're dating, right?" you added, watching as his eyebrows furrowed slightly, confusion painted across his features. "It's not a big deal-"
"What are you talking about?" Steve interrupted you, looking so damn lost that it was almost cute. "Catch me up on what's going on in that head of yours, would you?"
You let out a soft sigh. "Look, if you don't want to keep seeing each other, that's fine, Steve-"
"When did I say I wanted to stop seeing you?" he yelped, mouth hanging open in horror at the comment.
"Well, you've just made me stop kissing you and we're not actually dating, so why don't you shine some light on the situation for me?" you bit, your wounded ego fighting its way to the surface and filling your voice with a venomous edge.
"Sweetheart, I came over tonight because I was sitting in that damn bar watching the idiots I used to play basketball with hitting on whatever pretty girl stumbled close enough, and I realised I would much rather be here, sitting on your couch, talking to you." He hesitated for a moment. "And I know this wasn't exactly part of the deal, but I was coming over to ask you to go on a date with me. A proper date, not just us hanging out here."
You watched him carefully, half expecting him to suddenly burst into laughter and tell you that he was messing with you. But all you found was pure, unabashed honesty, pouring out of him and into you.
"Oh," you murmured, swallowing down the lump in your throat. "Okay, well, you didn't say that-"
"You didn't really give me a chance, Baby. You were pretty intent on getting your tongue down my throat," he teased lightly, drawing a soft snort out of you. "But I've said it now, haven't I?" You nodded slightly. "Well, what do you think? You going to let me take you out?"
"Yeah," you agreed lightly, shuffling closer to him on the couch to tuck yourself into his side, your head resting on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for snapping at you," you added.
He chuckled slightly. "Don't worry about it, Sweetheart," he hummed, letting his fingers brush lightly over your hip. "I get it; I'm just so irresistible, and I was telling you no-"
"Idiot," you chuckled, leaning forward to capture his lips with yours, a grin pulling at your lips when he lifted his hand to your jaw, keeping you close to him as he drew you deep into the kiss.
"Was that what you wanted, Baby? Just needed me to give you a little attention?" he murmured, his thumb still brushing your cheek, his breath fanning over your lips. You nodded slightly, your eyes a little hazy as you tried to chase his lips with yours. "Well, don't you worry, Sweetheart. There's plenty more where that came from," he hummed, before leaning in to connect himself to you again.
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