[A/N: This one's gonna be more skippy than other fics bc i don't know how dates work and also i want to get into fluffy stuff. I think this one might be my most anxious story yet, idk. I'm still pissed that i'm doing not-original stuff, but whatevs. Part 6 of 6 Junior X Pud'n AU where they're college-aged.

TW/CW: anxiety, dizziness, embarrassment, panic attack]

It felt really really good to be wanted around. It had been so long for one person to feel that way about him that Junior almost forgot that it was possible for him. What was best about it was that it was with his best friend, with whom he had recently reunited after being apart for a few very long years. He was beyond words how happy he was that Pud'n hadn't forgotten about him, and he was even more excited to be able to spend time with him again.

Today the duo had decided to meet at the beach. Luckily they had chosen a time where they could spend extra hours with each other, and that it was such a sunny warm day. They agreed on an uneventful destination, more interested in going with the flow than making any concrete plans.

Most of the early hours were spent just there. Junior had made specifically certain that he adjusted his outward appearance this time: making his face as symmetrical as possible, defining muscles and bones that fit on the frame he had been using, ensuring that not even a hair be out of place. While he still had no faith that he'd have any romantic chance with Pud'n, it didn't mean that it wasn't a complete impossibility, or that he should let himself get sloppy.

And it was a good thing that he had gone through the trouble. Pud'n looked good in the shirt and trunks that he showed up in, but looked even better after going swimming and building up a little sweat on his beautifully toned body. Junior thought he might faint just from the heat coming off of his companion (but was wildly relieved that he hadn't actually). He gobbled up the delicious eye candy nonetheless.

The sun was low in the sky when they paced the boardwalk. They took a moment to just watch the vastness of the water as they decided what to do next.

"Hey Junior, can i ask you somethin'? Without you gettin' mad???"

That seemed to come out of nowhere, and surely made him a bit nervous. "Sure, Pud'n." Junior turned his head, and Pud'n met his gaze.

"Why do i always hafta' be the one asking you out???"

Junior was-- nope, he was definitely full tomato-red right now. He couldn't believe what he just heard. He sputtered and stuttered and tripped over everything that came out of his mouth. Did Pud'n seriously just ask him that? Did he genuinely think that they had been dating this whole time??? "WHADDA YA MEAN?!" Yes it came out higher-pitched than he wanted.

"Ya know, like why do i always ask you out? Why dontcha ever ask me out instead???" Pud'n looked genuinely confused about what he was asking about.

He was still red and sputtering. He didn't know what to say to that. "You-- we-- i-- ah--"

It didn't seem like his reaction was getting through Pud'n's skull. "Are you just nervous? You don't hafta' be nervous around me, Junior."

Junior swallowed hard. "Are--are we d-da-d-dating?!" His sweat was threatening to drown him at this point.

Pud'n cocked his head to the side cutely (which super didn't help!!!). "Yeah. Why???" Apparently he really did think that they were dating this whole time.

Junior really felt like he was going to faint. He could swear up and down that the center of the Earth never got this hot, even when it flooded with magma. "I-- i tho-- i didn-- i-- i-- didn't know we were d-dating!!!"

Pud'n blinked. He didn't understand. "Well, yeah. I asked you out for coffee and to lunch and the park and the movies and for ice cream and to dinner, and here to the beach." Junior was shaking. "You haven't asked me out to do anything that you thought of."

Junior didn't know what to say first. One of those thought broke through out of his head. "You--you like me?!?!"

"Yeah! Of course i like you!"

"You--you like boys, too?!" He phrased it so that it was himself he was including; not boys in addition to girls.

Pud'n's eyes darted to the side, then back to Junior. "Yes? I thought everyone knew that about me." In retrospect, one had to admit that Pud'n had never really hid his 'effeminate' qualities. "You like me too, right?" He seemed a little nervous there.

Junior couldn't help his honesty. "Yes!! I mean, yeah-- i mean, yes i-- i mean" he breathed in after what might have actually been a few minutes. "Y-yes, i really like you…" He hoped he didn't put too much emphasis on 'really.'

"Right! So why haven't you asked me out yet?" How was that the only thing that he was confused about after all this?

"I-i--" Junior shrank back. "I don't know."

"Oh." What? "Okay then. Well, don't be afraid to if you think a' somethin'." Junior was woozy. "Hey, do you wanna go back to my house for dinner???"

He was sure that he was going to faint. "S-s-sure~" He put a hand on his forehead. "C-can i get some water first???"

oooooooo

The a/c in the car felt amazing. Junior had guzzled down at least two full gallons of water to calm down, but the cold air on his face now finally started to fully put him at ease; which was something that the cold never really seemed to do otherwise.

"Are ya feelin' any better yet, pal?" Pud'n was driving them back to his house.

"Heheh, y-yeah, much." The sound of Pud'n's voice was still colored by all of the things that he said earlier, by what had made Junior overheat so badly. It was hard for him to believe it, but he knew that Pud'n wouldn't lie to him.

"Ah, that's good to hear." He placed a hand on Junior's shoulder and only glanced over to him. The sentiment and the concern made Junior blush again, but he had a little more confidence with where they stood. Still, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to be around Pud'n without all of those butterflies in his stomach.

Junior's heart beat fast under the touch. His head almost leaned against it, but he willed it not to. In fact, he had to will almost all of himself to not reach for Pud'n's hand. He might be further along in being able to get close like that to Pud'n, but he didn't want to overwhelm him or drive him away by being too clingy.

He was looking at the passing scenery to try and distract himself. He didn't dislike driving in cars, but he was happy enough by being able to teleport to places these days. It was easier, saved on gas and time, and allowed him to get accustomed to using magic instead of just his natural powers.

Pud'n had saved asking something until they got further to their destination. He figured that having something to change the environment would be able to help Junior if he had another panic attack (or whatever it was). "Um, Junior??"

He looked over. "Y-yeah Pud'n???" He really hoped it would be a little lighter this time.

Pud'n seemed to be nervous, which was unsettling right now. "Are...are we… b-boyfriends???" He tried to keep his eyes on the road.

Junior really really wanted to be. He wanted this more than almost anything else in his life. But he couldn't just say that. "I-- uuuhhh…" He fidgeted his fingers. "Y-y-yes???" He should have maybe thought about why he asked that before he answered.

Pud'n sighed. "Oh, good…" It looked like he had been underwater and finally came up for air. But Junior didn't understand why he was so tense to begin with.

"W-why??"

"Oh," Pud'n breathed out. "Because i've brought people home before with me and introduced them wrong. It was embarrassing for the both of us. I just wanted to know so i didn't say something wrong."

That made sense. Junior would have felt the same way if he introduced somebody as his partner when they didn't feel the same way. It would be far worse if it had been to his parents.

He wasn't sure if he was just projecting, but he thought that the answer sounded kind of sad. He didn't want to bring Pud'n down any more by asking about it. He decided to go in another direction. "Uh, h-hey Pud'n?"

There was a pause. "Yes, Junior?"

He needed to phrase it correctly. It would make the request about either him, or Pud'n; and while he wasn't the best at being able to comfort others, he did know how he would want to be handled when he was feeling down. "D-do y-you want to hold hands???"

It was something that he wanted to do anyway. He figured that it's an innocent enough gesture even between friends, and that all off the confirmations that were made in the past hour made them something more than that already. It was something that Pud'n could decide to do, if he wanted. He really hoped that he did.

He could see Pud'n smile. "Sure, buddy." Junior had his hand between them, and Pud'n placed it in his own. He laced their fingers together, going for the more intimate version himself. It wouldn't be unappreciated.

Pud'n's skin sliding against his made Junior's heart skip. The beating returned hard less than a moment later when so many more tiny centimeters of such a sensitive organ connected with one another. It felt electric, almost as if he had shocked something made of metal with one of his tentacles; but oh so so much more invigorating. It was light: so much so that it tried to carry Junior's breath away with it. The warmth that formed between their palms tied it back down, but neglected his heart that was also on its way to a dreamland.

Pud'n's hand was an anomaly. It was definite in itself, more than asserting itself as the hand of such a strongly built fellow. Its hold was firm and secure, letting the other person know that they were safe if they still had a hold of it. At the same time, it was so warm and tender. It was clear that Pud'n's self-care went farther than just looking so gorgeous: his skin's softness was akin to something like silk, or maybe the fur of a delicate little animal. It felt… beautiful. There wasn't a better word to describe it. The combination of such extremes would have seemed so impossible to Junior if it weren't right there in his own hand. It was amazing.

Junior mustn't have noticed the sigh that left him. It almost took him by surprise when Pud'n giggled in response. He would have blushed, but the tingling in his arm was using up all of the feeling that he had in him, and he wouldn't have preferred anything different.

ooooooooooo

He was shaking in this familiar place. It hadn't changed much since the last time he had been here, a few years ago. His eyes bounced from wall to wall, hoping that what it took in would make him feel the kind of welcome that he needed, rather than the one that he got. The motion was the thing that wound up working.

"You can sit on the bed, if you want. I'm gonna go change real quick." Junior had known it was probably a bad idea to follow Pud'n to his room. So much had just happened; so much that shook him to his core already: he should have stayed back in the living room, lest he find himself in yet another emotional predicament. There was probably some glutton for punishment in him that convinced him to stay where he was left; or he had hoped that was all it was, anyway.

Pud'n returned with some fresh clothes on. He didn't look any more attractive than he did in any other outfit, but his presence alone made Junior feel like he actually needed to take a seat now before he fell over. "Do you want a different shirt or somethin'? You can return it later."

"N-no no, i'm okay. Thank you." This really was a bad idea. He should really go and sit in the living room instead.

"Okie dokke!" Pud'n sat next to him on the edge of the bed, father away from the door, which he left only a couple of inches ajar. It was comforting that it was open: so much easier for Junior to run away under a rock and never come back. He stared at it.

Pud'n kicked his legs brainlessly. "I had lotsa fun today! Thank you for going to the beach with me!!" There was so much innocent happiness in his being.

At times it felt so different to the darkness that Junior was born with. He was sinful from birth, moreso merely moments after. The wickedness he had hidden in him turned his very soul pitch black, and it was something that he lamented, usually becoming such torment that all light was lost to it. But, there were a few things that showed it to be glossy, like oil: this boy beside him being most of that radiance. He will never forget how he shone.

"I had fun too, Pud'n!" For a moment, he forgot all of his woes. But in a second they came crashing back, reminding him of the position he was in on his boyfriend's bed. His heart was assaulting him from the inside.

Apparently it was plastered on his face. "Are you okay, Junior??? You should relax. It's all gonna be okay." He smiled and hoped that he could relieve some of his anxiety.

Junior flinched. That smile only did so much for him presently. He was so scared of what it could do that what it had just done only glinted of help.

Pud'n grew concerned, the movement having sent a tremor through the mattress. "Do you wanna talk about it???"

Junior was so stressed out. He had just learned that his best friend liked him, told him that they'd been dating for weeks, and became his boyfriend in such a short time. He didn't know if it would have been better if it were only just a dream. He knew there was more that could happen that could cement that it was all unreal, but the idea of such things made him feel as if he would vomit.

Pud'n stayed quiet. He wasn't smart, but he knew that Junior wasn't in a good place. He had an idea of what to do; and it wouldn't be a strange thing to do; but he definitely wanted to be comforting and didn't know how comforting it would actually be. He knew it always made him feel better…

He could feel Junior's tension in the air around them. It seemed like giant shards of broken glass encased them: so threatening and sharp while simultaneously being so fragile, and even beautiful in a way. It scared him, and he knew that Junior must be terrified.

He knew he had to do it. He needed to take it slowly, carefully. He leaned in a bit, quietly asking, "Junior?"

Junior breathed in and locked eyes.

He wasn't flinching away. Pud'n continued with caution, not wanting to stress him out any further. He whispered, "woulja' mind if… if i kissed you?"

Junior wasn't sure if he even heard anything. His mind was so stormy that he thought he'd be stuck in this horrible whirlwind for the rest of his life. His chest ached, and it felt like his brain was leaking from his skull. He was hurting so much, so intensely, that his body acted on instinct. His head tilted forward.

Pud'n gently closed the gap between them. He lifted his hand to Junior's chin, perching it delicately on his fingers. He tilted his own head so that he wouldn't have to jostle his partner any further.

The gentle touch sent a shockwave of love from his lips into the rest of his skin. It tickled Junior all over, and reset his heart to a normal pace. Breathing in the close skin restored his breath and helped him feel whole again.

A great wind swept away everything that had been plaguing his mind. The sun was bright, and Junior was free of the torment. The lips that he felt on his own warmed his heart, surging an emotion he had never known throughout his being. It paved a clear way, something that renewed all hope in him.

When the kiss ended, Junior opened his eyes and sighed. Pud'n looked at him innocently and almost expectantly, waiting for Junior to act again so he would know what he needed to do next. Pink lightly dusted his cheeks, and his voice came out small: "thank you, Pud'n."

He breathed out a relieved smile. He was overjoyed that it helped him. Junior reflected the smile, somewhat embarrassed for having been so absorbed in his anxiety, but the kindness and genuine care for him that Pud'n expressed allowed him to accept it and even grin, if with a bit more blush. "It's… all gonna be okay." Pud'n agreed that it really would.