As soon as I saw Grayson turn the camera off, I threw my arms around Ethan's neck. He made a surprised sound and awkwardly hugged me back.
"Wha-" he muttered.
"Thank you so much for the espresso machine." I interrupted him. "I really, really, love it. Seriously."
"Well, I'm just pissed that my shirt isn't here," Ethan replied. I scoffed, softly hitting the center of his chest.
"Okay, about that..." I began before he pulled my head into his chest.
"I'm just kidding!" he insisted. "I'm stoked about the Fortnite pajamas, honestly."
"I'm glad." I giggled back at him.
"You guys are gross," Grayson's voice called from the living room.
"Stop eavesdropping and maybe you wouldn't think so, jackass," Ethan called back to Grayson, who was in the kitchen.
"Well, I think they're adorable." James voiced. He had really come around to the idea of Ethan and I together after I told him the details. His first reaction had not been ideal. "But the way you act on camera is sickly. You're hug just now? Awful."
"Dude, we're just trying to be casual," I said quietly.
"Then hug Ethan the way you hug me or Grayson!" James exclaimed.
"Like this?" Ethan teased, pulling me into him from behind, my back pressed into his chest. He crouched down and kissed my cheek.
"Yes, but make it look less like you're fucking," James suggested. I felt my face go red instantly.
"James." Grayson reprimanded, rubbing his eyes. He had been especially turned off to James' sexual innuendos lately. There was an awkward pairing situation in our friend group for sure. And the viewers noticed.
"It was better in my video. My editor told me you guys were cute." James continued. I didn't say anything after looking at Ethan's blank face. "And what was that thing you did near the end of the video? You looked at each other and both walked off?" I thought you were getting more powdered sugar but your eye contact says otherwise..."
Ethan tensed behind me. I knew exactly what he was talking about. I told Grayson I was looking for a grocery bag I forgot, but in reality, Ethan and I just hadn't made out in about 4 hours. He was nudging at my sides and groping me behind the whole table. I couldn't help it.
"I don't know what you're talking about, James." Ethan sighed, nervously playing with the hair at the base of my neck. "We're going to grab dinner if we're not filming anymore tonight."
"I'm going to bed. Don't wait up." Grayson said, yawning and leaving the kitchen.
"I'll go home then, I guess," James said. "But rest assure I know all about your little excursions."
"Goodbye, James," I said loudly, pulling Ethan along towards the driveway. We went out to dinner for the zillionth time that week, and when we got back to Ethan's house, it was dead quiet.
"Grayson goes to sleep at 8 every night, I swear," Ethan muttered. We stumbled into his room, grabbing wine glasses as we went. He opened one and poured us each a bubbling white drink.
"White wine for my girl," he announced, carefully giving me one. I sat on his bed, head resting on a pillow.
"Why, thank you," I said, sipping the wine.
"I'm going to shower. Don't go anywhere." Ethan informed me, setting his glass down. I stayed on his bed, eventually finishing the wine, pouring myself another, and curling up under his single gray blanket. My eyes were beginning to close when I felt the bed lower next to me. I opened my eyes, and Ethan was hovering over me.
"Do you like my shirt?" he whispered, gesturing to the god-awful fortnite pajamas. I began cackling, holding my chest as I laughed.
"Shhh, shhh, Gray is asleep!" Ethan hissed but laughing nevertheless. He pressed his lips against mine, to silence me. I think the wine made me do it, but I pressed back furiously into him. He tasted dizzyingly sweet, and my head was cloudy from the alcohol. I crawled on top of his lap, running my hands through his coarse hair.
"I think you look better with it off." I huffed, peeling it off his wide chest.
"Then take off yours." he panted back, peeling away my sweater and Calvin bra, he gripped my torso tightly and flipped us around. I was beneath him, smothered by his fresh smell for a moment.
"You're so beautiful," he mumbled into my sternum.
"Shut up and kiss me." I insisted, lifting his chin to meet my eyes.
"Okay."
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