steven was your best friend, belly’s, older brother.

just that.

just belly’s older brother.

recently, you two had been getting, well, closer. like, a lot closer. maybe you had hooked up, maybe you hadnt.

now, per belly’s invite, you were in cousins that summer at susannah’s beach house, sharing a room with belly- in the room next to his.

it was all he thought about, really. how close you were, but how far away you felt.

today, it was the night of belly’s deb ball. the stupid deb ball that susannah had managed to rope both you and his sister into.

and somehow, susannah had somehow convinced him to be your escort for the deb, standing next to you in a suit and tie under a leaf and flower arch with his arm around your waist, feeling like his face was on fire.

christ, he prayed to all the gods his face wasnt red.

he also prayed it wasnt obvious that he’d had the fattest fucking crush on you for years. it was pathetic.

following after you like a lovesick puppy as you went to stand in your designated spot, giving the roses you had been holding over to laurel, he let his arm snake back around your waist ‘inconspicuously’ when you came back to stand beside him.