A/N: This is the second part. This is more along the lines of what I had in my head when I started writing the story. I wasn't sure how realistic it was for Blue to react the way he did, so this is kind of a "what if" scenario where Blue doesn't freak out. I like both versions too much to let one sit and collect cyber-dust on my hard drive, so here you go. Let me know which one you like better!
Because this is a re-telling of the previous chapter, the set-up and beginning portion is the same. The part in italics is exactly the same stuff you read in chapter 1. To skip all that jazz and go directly to the new stuff, you can either scroll until you get to not-italicized story, or you can hit Ctrl and F on your keyboard and search for "Nobody says anything" and that'll take you right there.
The Morning After
Take Two - Blue Doesn't Freak Out
You wake up slowly to the smell of honey, cigarette smoke, and basil. The scent is intoxicating, inviting you to nuzzle your face closer to the source and suck in a deep breath. The pillow beneath your head is soft and the blankets warm. Despite the ache in your head, you had never felt more comfortable in all your life.
You take in another breath and your lips spread in a soft smile. You really didn't want to admit you were awake. You would highly prefer to stay snuggled up in warm blankets that smelled like the skeleton you'd been crushing on for the past two years.
Suddenly, your eyes spring open. Why, you wonder, were you enveloped by his scent? You take a moment to look around you. Although you'd been in Stretch's room before, you'd never been in his bed. Not even for a quick nap, regardless of how many times he'd invited you there. His invitations had never been sexual; he had merely insisted that you could sleep in his bed if you'd stayed too long playing video games or watching movies with him and his brother. Blue had offered his bed as well, and you likened Stretch's invitation to Blue's: friendly and polite. You'd never taken Blue up on his offer, either, worried you might cause tension between you and Stretch if he thought you were deliberately avoiding his offer.
So why were you now waking up in Stretch's bed? As you look around his room for the fifth time, trying to come to terms with the fact that you were actually where you thought you were, you thought over the events of the night before.
You had come to the summer party Blue had thrown for whatever occasion—the small-statured and energetic skeleton could turn almost anything into a reason for a party—and had indulged perhaps a little too much in the alcohol that had been brought. You remembered dancing with people you barely knew, human and monster alike, before finally dancing with Stretch. You may have let your inhibitions go a little too far. You remembered flirting with him. Stars be damned, you actually flirted with him. You'd even tried to kiss him.
You sigh and bring a hand up to your forehead. What had you done? You and the skeleton brothers had an easy friendship. You could drop by at any time to hang out, watch movies, vent your frustrations over your shitty job and careless friends, or anything you felt you needed. Blue was always quick to lend a metaphorical ear, and he had some of the best advice anyone had ever given you. Stretch never judged you, even when you broke down one night and confessed to thoughts of hurting yourself. He'd held you on the couch and listed off reasons you should love yourself instead.
That night had been the first time you realized you liked the skeleton more than as a friend. At first, you thought it was simply because of how vulnerable you'd been and how calmly he'd reacted, not taking advantage of your state or telling you that you were somehow broken. You'd had other friends who had done just that, and it never ended well.
So you never said anything to him. You didn't want to risk playing with his emotions if your feelings were going to fade back into friendship.
But they never did. Even after you fought about the stupidest of shit and you'd seen firsthand just how low his lows could be, you only felt more attracted to him. By the time you'd convinced yourself that maybe you wouldn't end up breaking his heart, he was already involved in a relationship. You refused to bring it up at that point. You would not be the one to put any strain on his happiness.
His relationship had lasted a full year before the girl cheated on him. It had torn him apart so fully that he swore he'd never commit to another relationship. You wanted to try to help him, but you weren't sure how. After that, you noticed his interest in women changed from steady partners to one-night stands. As badly as you wanted to be with him, you knew you wouldn't be able to handle being something fleeting to him. You wanted commitment, and he wasn't into that anymore.
You sit up and carefully drag a hand through your tousled hair. As you shifted to swing your legs over the edge of the bed, your body stilled. You look down at yourself and realize that you're wearing a tight blank tank top—no bra—and stringy thong underwear. On the floor next to bed were your far-too-short jean shorts, flip-flops, and lacy bra from the night before.
You feel your stomach churn as your mind plays over the only thing this could mean. You'd slept with Stretch. In your drunken haze, you had come on to him and he'd reciprocated. He had likely been drunk as well.
Gingerly, you pick up your shorts and begin to slide them up your legs. Your whole body feels cold, but you can't really say if it's because of the loss of the warmth from his bed or the realization that you may have ruined your friendship with Stretch. And, by association, Blue. As much as you adored the younger, smaller skeleton, you couldn't hang out with him and ask him to separate himself from his brother. Not only was that unfair and cruel, you knew he'd never go for it. He'd cut you out of his life before he'd ask his brother to stay away during your friendly dinner and movie nights.
You strip your tank top only long enough to put on your bra, then dress again. Your feet slip into your flip-flops, and you notice your phone sitting on the table beside the bed. You pick it up and realize that Stretch had plugged it into his charger. Your heart felt heavy as you unplugged it. He was too sweet.
You sat back down on the edge of the bed as you looked through your phone. Some of the pictures from the night before had you smiling, some had you grimacing, but one had you nearly in tears. Stretch held the phone out, the bright orange sleeve of his sweatshirt taking up nearly a third of the picture. The smile on your lips was lopsided and so very drunk, and your eyes were hazy. His bony eyelids were low, and he had a soft tangerine glow on his cheekbones as he held you close to him with an arm around your shoulders. Your face was beet red, probably blushing at some flirt you'd said to him. You could practically see yourself holding out the phone to him and declaring the need for a selfie with him. His arms were so much longer and so he was far more capable of yielding a decent photo.
With a sigh, you stand back up and slip the phone into your pocket. It's nearly ten in the morning; far past time you should be up. You were honestly a little surprised Blue hadn't come in to wake you up. Then again, maybe he was afraid he'd find you indecent. You felt your face flush again—you were loud when you were sober; how much had Blue heard the night before?
Curiosity urged your forward to find out exactly how messed up things were, but at the same time, fear held you back.
Before you can make up your mind, a soft knock on the door makes you jump. The door opens to reveal Stretch dressed in a long black tank top and khaki cargo shorts that went to his knees. He starts at the sight of you up and dressed.
"oh. hey, honey. you're up?"
His deep voice was usually so soothing to you. You loved the nickname he'd given you, even if he was the one that smelled like honey.
You shove your hands into your pockets and look down at your feet. "Um, yeah. I was just gonna come down."
He nodded and held out a bony hand. "breakfast is ready. how you feelin'?"
A part of you wonders if breakfast is usually a thing he does with his girls as you take his hand. Another part of you realizes that's probably not the case. He was the king of lazy and never expended any kind of effort he didn't need to. What was this about then? Maybe Blue had convinced him to invite you to eat with them?
"I'm okay, I think. My head hurts."
He pulls you out the door and shuts it behind him before leading you down the hall. "i'll accept the fact that you're not hunched over the toilet puking or writhing in hungover agony as a thank you for making you drink water."
You didn't remember that. Still, knowing how sloshed you'd been the night before, it really was a miracle you weren't more hungover. "Thanks, Stretch." You squeezed his fingers.
At the table, he pulls out a chair for you. Ever the gentleman. You smile at him, then at Blue who was happily munching away at a small mountain of pancakes on his plate.
"GOOD MORNING!" he shouts happily. It was almost too loud for your headache to handle. "DID YOU SLEEP WELL, Y/N?"
You give him a small smile as Stretch loads your plate with two medium-sized pancakes, two slices of bacon, and a small pile of eggs. "I think so?" You glance at Stretch out of the corner of your eye, nervous to say much. "I, um…can't really remember much." Stars, did you wish you could. There was no doubt in your mind that Stretch was an incredible lover. It only hurt worse to know that you'd finally had him and couldn't even remember it.
But Stretch didn't seem affected by that. He sat down coolly after pouring syrup on your pancakes and honey on his own and started eating.
Blue gave you a disapproving look. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ALCOHOL ALWAYS HAS TO BE INVOLVED! I NEVER SAID IT WAS OKAY, BUT SOMEONE BROUGHT IT AND I COULDN'T CONTROL IT AFTER THAT." He huffs and gives his pancakes a frown.
You feel bad for a moment; you knew he didn't approve of alcohol use, especially yours. You were his friend, though, and so he worried about you more than other people.
"I'm sorry, Blue," you say sincerely.
He perks up, giving you his blinding grin. "IT'S OKAY, Y/N. AT LEAST YOU'RE OKAY. STRETCH AND I WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOU LAST NIGHT. THAT'S WHY STRETCH HAD YOU SLEEP WITH HIM!"
You nearly choke on a bite of eggs. Why was Blue so approving of this? You knew all about how much he hated his brother's flings. He wanted his brother to stop using women and get to a mental place where he felt he could have a relationship again. Your sleeping with him last night wasn't exactly conducive to that plan. You cast a tentative glance at Stretch who was just watching you with his usual patient gleam in his sockets. You caught the slightest hint of tangerine on his cheekbones and the way his sockets flitted to his brother for a half a second, though.
"in my bed, he means," Stretch says, the color on his face darkening slightly.
Nobody says anything else for a few long minutes. Stretch clears his throat and takes a sip of his water before finally breaking the silence.
"whatcha got goin' on today, honey?" he asked.
You shrug. "Not much. I was thinkin' about taking a shower and then binge watching that show you told me about."
He smirks. "yeah? care for some company?"
You were about to ask for which part when you thought better of it. Although you really wouldn't mind his company in the shower, you weren't sure where you stood with him. It might be a good idea to hash that out before you go and sleep with him again. On the other hand, a part of you argues, you didn't remember the sex and talking about things before showering with him might destroy your chances of getting a reprisal.
You suck in a deep breath and nod. "Yeah, that would be great."
"STRETCH, YOU HAVE CHORES TO DO TODAY; YOU CAN'T GO OFF BOONDOGGLING WITH THE HUMAN BEFORE YOU'VE COMPLETED YOUR HOUSEWORK."
You were pretty sure you'd woken up to some kind of alternate reality. Blue was actually okay with this? He hadn't said anything against your being intimate with his brother, merely that Stretch had to do meaningful work first. You take a drink of your water, hoping to quell the headache that was only starting to get worse.
Stretch chuckles. "sure, bro." He turns to you. "wanna help a guy scrub the kitchen floor?"
You nearly spit out your water. Goddamn, how far in the gutter could you get? He was talking about cleaning, not screwing you in the kitchen!
He laughed out loud then, amused by your overly shocked response.
"jeez, honey, i was only joking. i know you're allergic to cleaning and all, so it's okay."
The three of you finished breakfast in relative peace after that. You help Stretch with the dishes, amazed at how normal he was acting. Once they're done, he invites you out onto the porch for a smoke. You wrinkle your nose but follow him anyway, not willing to let him out of your sight for fear that you'll wake up again. Naturally, this has to be a dream.
Stretch leans against the side of the house and pulls a new pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket. He smacks the pack against his palm a few times before unwrapping the cellophane and stuffing it in a small trash can sitting beside a small bench. You often wonder why he never chooses to sit on the bench, but you stand with him anyway. Your eyes follow his hands as they pull the tinfoil away from the neatly packed cigarettes and tosses it as well. He then pulls one out and puts it between his teeth before lighting it and sucking in.
His movements have you mesmerized, like they do every time you watch him. He puts the pack and the lighter back in his pocket before taking the cigarette between his fore and middle fingers. His exhale is long and easy, smoke billowing from between his teeth and his nasal cavity.
"you okay?" he asks, his voice a little tight.
You meet the lights in his sockets and realize that you're tense. While your conscious mind has been transfixed on what he's been doing, something inside you has been coiling up at the idea of those hands roaming your body. You wish there was an easy way to ask him to do it again.
Instead, you nod and force your body to relax. "I'm good."
"what do you remember from last night?" He takes another long drag and turns his head to blow the smoke away from you.
You lick your lips and shift your weight. You want to lie, but there was no use. What if he didn't remember it, though? What if that was why he was acting so normal? He might not know how to act around you if he…but if he did remember, then he'd catch your lie and you'd be screwed in a decidedly unpleasant way.
"Not much," you confess. You look down as you ask your question. "What about you?"
"i remember everything. i really wasn't that drunk." He takes another drag and shifts his weight to his other foot, still leaning against the side of the house.
You look up then, worried. There was something strange in his tone; something you weren't sure how to place. Not sad or regretful, but…longing, maybe? You suck in a deep breath, certain you were overthinking things. But, if he wasn't that drunk, then either he'd already wanted to sleep with you or you had to push hard to get what you wanted. The thought of convincing him to sleep with you made your gut churn.
"Was I pushy?" you managed.
He chuckled, but you caught the faint tint of tangerine on his cheekbones. "oh, honey, you wouldn't stop for nothin'."
You cringed. That meant he'd pushed back. "I'm sorry."
"it's okay, really. i just didn't realize you felt that way."
He stared at you then, his eye lights boring into you in a way you hadn't felt in a long time. It was as if he was trying to decipher your true motives. You crossed your arms over your chest, more a gesture to hide yourself than to block him out.
"how long have you felt that way, honey?"
You really didn't want to answer that. Mostly because you didn't want him to think you were pathetic, or that you only spent time with him because you wanted to sleep with him. You truly valued his friendship. That was the whole reason you'd kept it from him to begin with, and now you couldn't help but feel that you'd ruined everything.
"honey?"
He drops the spent cig and stomps it out with his sandaled toes. Your eyes travel up his legs, stopping briefly at his arms extending from his pockets—or were you staring at his crotch? You weren't entirely sure—before moving on to his chest. You admired his broad shoulders and how you could see so much bone with the tank top he was wearing. You'd often found yourself appreciating his bones, wondering silently what they would feel like under your lips and how they might taste. Had you done that last night?
Before you could really comprehend what was going on, he pushed away from the wall and pulled you into a tight hug. The top of your head barely met his shoulder, so you found your face pressed tightly against his ribs. Your arms wrapped around him almost entirely reflexively. Before he could pull away, you pressed your nose to his shirt and inhaled deeply. He smelled so good! His scent was the perfect mixture of sweet honey, cigarette smoke, and the mint he would sometimes chew on to quell his smoke cravings.
"A long time," you finally manage to say. "I'm so sorry, Stretch. All I can say in my defense is that I was drunk, but I know that's no excuse. I can't even blame you if you…" Your voice caught, too scared to finish that sentence.
"shh, it's okay." His arms tighten almost painfully for a brief moment before he lets you go entirely. He doesn't push you away, not fully, but he does inch back far enough to look down at you. One hand rests on your shoulder while the other cups your cheek. "you don't remember what happened, so i'm going to enlighten you."
Your whole face burst into flame at that, and you pull away from him as if he'd just burned you. "I, um…" Stars, you want this. You want this more than you can even say, but something doesn't feel right. "I'm pretty sure my attire this morning told me everything I need to know," you mumble. Why are you trying to talk him out of this? Didn't you want to be able to recall every single movement he made against you?
He coughs and pulls back then, actively pushing you away. You have no choice but to let go of him.
"i'm not sure if i should be offended."
You look up then, not sure what he means. His face is bright orange, and for some reason it catches you off guard. Before you can ask, he elaborates.
"you were drunk, honey. despite your…obvious intentions, your consent was compromised. we didn't have sex." He pulls out his pack of cigarettes and lighter again, his hands shaking lightly as he lights another one. "you were damn convincing, but i'm not an idiot. there were too many ways it could have gone wrong for both of us this morning."
You feel a massive weight lift from your shoulders. You hadn't even realized it then, but the idea of him accepting your advances while you were drunk had sat really wrong with you. You should have known the moment you woke up that he wouldn't have done that. Despite the cigarette hanging from his teeth, you push forward and hug him tightly around the ribs.
"I'm sorry I didn't realize that," you murmur. "I should have known."
A gruff laugh reverberates in his chest against your ear as one of his arms wraps around you. It feels nice. Neither of you say anything for a moment while he finishes his smoke. Once he's done with it, however, he pushes you away and leads you back inside. You help him do a few things around the kitchen, passing time and enjoying spending it with him. He jokes with you while at the same time telling you about the night before.
You'd had a group of unwanted suitors, all intent on convincing you to go home with them as if they were at a bar instead of a house party. Stretch had kept an eye out for you, taking your flirting in stride and trying not to think too much of it since you were clearly plastered. When you started returning one of the guys' advances, however, he had stepped in. He'd danced with you and put up with your nearly overbearing flirting because he couldn't let you get taken advantage of that way. He'd replaced your cup of alcohol with water and made sure you drank more than a few cups worth before he noticed your eyes drooping and your moves becoming less coordinated.
Blue had been the one to suggest that the brothers keep you at their house instead of taking you home. He was worried about you, and reasoned that if you were with them, they could keep an eye on you and make sure you were okay in the morning. So, Stretch had taken you up to his room and valiantly ignored the way you removed your bra and your shorts—you blush furiously when he talks about that part—and got you settled into his bed.
With the kitchen clean, he takes your hand and leads you to his room where you can finish your discussion in private. You have a feeling you're both going to need to say things you'd rather keep from the other, but you also know that these things need to be said.
"can't say i didn't admire your ass a little, though," he says, a wistful sigh on his breath as he sits on the edge of his mattress. "among other parts of you. but i didn't touch." He shakes his head. "kept my hands to myself." He's obviously proud of himself.
You sit beside him and smile. "Were you really tempted? I mean, it's me." You grimace a little while gesturing to your body.
The look he gives you is bordering on exasperated, but there's a hint of something else there. "yeah, i was tempted. i mean, it's you." His arm snakes around your waist, his hand resting on your hip. "honey, i…you don't know what you mean to me." He keeps looking at you, holding your gaze with a strange ferocity that you'd never seen in his sockets before. "i haven't exactly been forthcoming about my feelings, mostly because i was scared. i need to ask you something, and i need you to be honest with me."
You nod, your whole body warming up nicely at the idea that he might actually want you the way you want him.
"was it just because you were drunk? maybe a bit lonely? or was it me?"
You understand his questions even if his wording is a little awkward. You keep eye contact with him as you answer, ensuring he'll see the honesty in your face. "It's you. Stretch, I'm nervous about this. I am, but we've come too far today for me to back down from this. I feel like I might not get another opportunity, so I have to tell you that I love you. I've loved you as a friend for a long time, but I've been in love with you for two years." You finally break eye contact, your sudden courage faltering. "Stars, I hope I don't regret this."
"i love you, too. not as just a friend; i mean i'm in love with you. i didn't realize it until last night when i got so jealous. it's been there a while though." He leans in and presses a toothy kiss to the side of your head.
He's done that before. The action itself wasn't foreign to you. But the intent behind it? Well, that was new. You feel your face blush as you turn your head to look at him. You stare at each other silently for a few short seconds before he leans in again and kisses your lips. You suck in a breath through your nose, your senses filling with the smell of him, as you kiss back. Your eyes slip closed, and you reach out to grasp his shoulder as his arm around you tightens and his fingers grip your hip a little harder. You open your mouth first, but he instantly follows. His tongue tastes like smoke and basil with a hint of sweetness that brings a soft moan to your throat. His other hand lodges in your hair, holding you close to him as your tongues dance together. In his kiss, you can feel his love for you and his intent to keep you as more than a quick release. You try to show him your own feelings in return.
You aren't sure who pulls back first, but as you stare at each other you imagine stars in your eyes like you've often seen in Blue's sockets. Stretch's eye lights briefly take on the shape of small hearts, and it makes you smile.
"we're gonna give this a try?" he asks softly.
You nod, eager to finally have this opportunity. "Yes, please."
The two of you share lazy kisses for a while, talking about silly things that you'd like to do together. He wants to take you to the observatory. You've gone with him before, but he wants to take you there on a date. You accept wholeheartedly; it sounds amazing. You want to take him ice skating; another thing you've done before but want to experience under a new light. Together, you establish that you are officially a couple, and you couldn't be happier.
You startle at a hard knock on Stretch's door.
"YOU BETTER NOT BE SLEEPING IN THERE!" Blue hollers, even though he could probably hear his brother talking. "WE'VE TALKED ABOUT YOUR EXCESSIVE NEED FOR NAPS, BROTHER!"
He snickers. "guess i should probably get back to work. it really is my day to clean the house."
You smile and lean into him. "I'll help."
He stands and offers a hand to help you up. "you don't hafta do that, honey."
"I know, but I want to spend my day with you."
His answering smile is so bright it nearly outshines his brother's grins. "i'd like that."
Blue is standing in the hallway when Stretch opens the door. He seems shocked to find you standing next to his brother. "OH! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE STILL HERE." He glances at his brother, then his eye lights land on your hand still in Stretch's. You make a point to lace your fingers together. Blue's eye lights nearly burst into stars as he realizes what that means, and his megawatt smile is contagious. "I KNEW YOU'D GET TOGETHER! I KNEW IT! ALPHYS OWES ME 20G!" He bounces down the hall, giggling the whole way.
"wait, what?"
You look up at Stretch as he sighs and shrugs his shoulders. "Guess the little guy knew something was up." Then you remember that morning, and your brow furrows. "Was that why he was so cool about letting me sleep in your bed last night?"
Stretch waves you off as he leads the way downstairs. "nah. he really was worried about you. he wanted one of us to stay with you, but he had to play host. he knew nothing would happen because you were drunk and i'm not the kind of guy to take advantage of that."
You nod your understanding and smile when you hear Blue's voice drifting down the stairs as he shrieks his victory over the phone. Stretch chuckles and pulls you close for another kiss before you both get to work cleaning the house.
