Chapter 1: tutoring sesh
Chapter Text
“..Okay. What’s the answer to question 3?”
“Umm…like. C?”
“Idiot. We just went over how to do this question.”
“You’re tutoring me for a reason , dickwad.”
God, he was insufferable. Why Aurora has bothered sticking around with him as her tutor for this long, she had no idea. She supposed that it was just a deep feeling inside of her that forced her to stay. So, almost every fucking day after school, she was stuck in this guys house - going over everything under the sun. Mainly chemistry. What a way to waste a perfectly good Friday...she could have been shopping for something she doesn't need.
She shot a harsh glare at the boy next to her, rolling her eyes at him before looking back down at her reference table. “Bases are high on the pH scale, so..ummm…” she trailed off, furrowing her brows as she stared at the acid-base indicators.
Bill’s eyes were firmly planted on Aurora, watching her tap her nails on the table in thought. Her fake nails. Everything about her was totally fake - her hair is dyed a horrific color (pink) (she did it as a dare, apparently, and just never went back to her original color) (weirdo), her eyelashes were coated in mascara, her lips were glossy and shiny. He wouldn’t be surprised if her chest was also-
“...D?” She asked, rather than stated. Bill blinked back into reality and murmured out a small “Huh?” to signify such. Aurora scoffed, rolling her eyes and pointing at the answer. “NaOH is a base, so its pH level has to be greater than 7. It’ll turn blue.”
He glanced down at the answer absent-mindedly, before nodding and looking back up at her. He just wanted to get this stupid session over with so he could go back to watching Star Trek. “..Yeah. That’s right.”
A happy expression washed over her face as she let out a small whoop and fist pumped the air. His eyes softened - she wasn’t as awful as she normally is when she was happy…or, at least genuinely happy.
He was well aware of the fact that she hated him - but in all honesty he hated her first. She's a total copycat. Bimbos like her are always bad news; they’re stupid, they’re whores, they only care for things that personally benefit them. Her stupid boyfriend pushes him around like dirt in school, so why should she expect him to be nice? In all honesty, he couldn't even name something that he could like about her. Besides her looks, of course.
She was annoying and fake; she compliments people in the halls and then turns to her dumb friends to laugh. If she wasn’t being tutored by him he’s sure that she’d just use him for her own entertainment if they ever crossed paths naturally. Because why would a stupid broad like her genuinely want to be around someone like him???
…Her smile was pretty, though. For a whores standards. He could understand why she worked as a party princess; she has very princess-like features. Perfect teeth, soft and clear skin, wide eyes. He’s seen her without makeup, too. Sometimes she gets ready for parties while she’s over. Most of the time he’s with the club, so he doesn’t pay much mind to her unless she says something, but…
A small sigh snapped him out of whatever trance he was in, eying her once happy expression twist into a frown. Her eyes were glued to her phone. “What?” he asked, “Is something wrong??”
Aurora swallowed, a hurt expression on her face before shaking her head. “..No. Everything's fine.”
The room went silent as Bill thought of what to say, an unfamiliar feeling bubbling inside of his stomach. What was it? Sympathy???
“I mean, It’s not like I’m gonna tell anyone or anything. I don’t care about your stupid relationship drama enough if you’re worried about that.” he spoke before thinking, “No pressure.”
He watched the pink-haired girl ponder anxiously. Why does he even care? Why does he want to know more? He was just calling her a whore in his mind a few seconds before this.
Aurora bit her lip awkwardly, looking back at the text she was sent. What was with this sudden outlet for her to actually speak?? Bill has never acted this way before; usually he just told her that he doesn’t care and moved on with his life whenever she gets a text. He's never pried into it before. Her gaze met his, green eyes piercing into brown ones. She watched him heat up in surprise and awkwardly attempt to maintain eye contact.
“Well- I just. I dunno. You don’t know the full situation.” she started, crossing her legs and visibly getting more comfortable. He unconsciously followed her moves, slightly turning his body to face hers. “For context: Tanner, my boyfriend,”
He scoffed.
“He’s, like, cheated on me before.”
Bill furrowed his eyes, disbelief crossing his features. “... Huh? ”
“Yeah.”
They both went silent.
“...Did you just find this out, or something??”
“Oh, no.” she said bluntly, “This happened a while ago. On Halloween. I’ve known about this.”
“And you’re still with him?”
“Yeah, I forgave him. He was drunk, it was an accident.”
…
…Is she fucking stupid?
Maybe the copious amounts of hair dye she's applied on her scalp managed to seep into her brain, or something. Bill knew nothing about relationships; his parents are divorced, so there’s never been any positive example of a relationship in his life he could really base anything off of. Besides ships in TV shows or his comics, of course. But even so- at least he was aware that cheating is not good. It’s breakup worthy. Public shunning worthy.
He was honestly at a loss for words; he expected Aurora of all people to know better.
Pushing up his glasses, he slowly nodded while silently judging her. “..Okay. Where is this going.”
Aurora holds her head in her hand, staring at her phone. “Like- you know my friend Mallory, right??” once she saw him nod she continued, “She just saw him hanging out with the girl he cheated on me with. She’s hanging out with...I dunno. I think she’s with some guy at the mall, or something. They saw them in the food court together.”
Bill hummed. Pete was also at the mall; maybe they’d bump into each other. “..I dunno. I think you should break up with him.”
“But- he said it was a mistake!! He was drunk…when you’re drunk you don’t think straight. He thought she was me.” Aurora’s leg started bouncing up and down. “He’s…he’s good to me. I’m good to him. And he’s really hot.” her body faced towards his, placing her phone down over her work. She leaned in closer.
“You don’t think he’s cheating, right?? I-I mean, the girl he’s with right now is known for sleeping around. She’s a total skank, I don’t even know why he bothers.” her words shot out like venom, furrowing her brows in anger. “At least I’m loyal. I’d never do that. She’s slept with, like, the entire football team at this point. I’m surprised she doesn’t have a fucking STD by now.”
..Yeesh. A cringe slowly started to form on Bill’s face, blushing awkwardly at the info she’s providing. He coughed awkwardly, causing her to snap out of it.
An apologetic look forms on Aurora. “Oh- I’m sorry. You probably don’t need to know all of that.” she put a hand on his shoulder, causing Bill to tense up.
But he doesn’t pull away. “Uuh..I think he’s cheating on you, Aurora. Like- for real cheating. Not just having sex cheating, I mean double relationship cheating.” he looks away, “I’m not good with relationship stuff, so I don’t know why the fuck you’re coming to me for any of this, but from what I do know is that he’s treating you like shit. You're just too fucking braindead to see it.”
She bit the inside of her cheek, looking away.
“I’d never pull what he’s doing if I had a hot chick clinging to me like you do to him.” Bill murmured, rolling his eyes. “..He’s such a douchebag. He’s always been a douchebag, I dunno how nobody can see it. Pushin’ me and the club around like we’re just sacks of meat...”
Aurora blinked. “He bullies you?”
Well- I wouldn’t say bully…that makes us sound like wimps…” he cringed, looking to the side while his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, “But- I dunno. He pushes us out of the way a lot. Says we’re faggy. Not that I care; I’m not the one pouring gatorade on my shirtless friends after football games. Double fuckin' standard.”
She went silent for a moment, before bursting out into a hysterical fit of laughter. Bill blinked at her in confusion. “What? What did I say?” he asked, before immediately narrowing his eyes at her and forcefully pushing her hand away. A scowl appeared on his face whilst negative thoughts immediately ran through his brain. She’s laughing at him for getting picked on - fuckin’ bitch. He should have known better than to think she could have been secretly nice this whole time. Did he want to believe that?? Why did he even open up to her like that??? Why would he think she’d even care-
“God- I didn’t know you were funny!! He does do that with his friends…it’s really homoerotic.” she snickered in between giggles, cutting his train of thought off. “They wrestle shirtless, too. Maybe they’re all secretly gay for each other, or something. I’ll tell him to quit treating you like that, though. You are my tutor, and all.”
He looked at her, a fluttering feeling running around in his stomach.
Aurora let out a small gasp once she looked outside, frantically packing her stuff up. “Ah- shit. I’m supposed to see Mal and Viv!! I totally lost track of time. I told Vivvy to come pick me up with Mal after she got back from whatever hangout she went to.” she stood up, pulling down her pants slightly so her foldovers showed the large ‘PINK’ printed on the back. He looked outside to see a black convertible pulled up in his driveway with two familiar girls sitting in it, flinching when the driver (who he assumed was Vivian) beeped the horn.
He should probably get his license soon. Not that he’d even have a car to drive..
Bill made his way to the front door and opened it for her, which was typically something he only did when his mom was around. His eyes lit up once she gave him the money he earned from tutoring her, before his body tensed as she suddenly dove in to give him a tight hug. “Thanks soooo much for listening to me ramble!!! You helped, like, a lot. Surprisingly. You aren’t as bad as I thought you were.” her hands slide down his arms and linger on his, looking into his brown eyes for a few moments as if time stopped.
“See ya.”
She pulled away and shot him a smile, before waving goodbye and running out to her friends who were yelling in excitement once they saw her.
..Huh. Maybe she wasn’t as bad as he thought she was either.
Vivian cruised on the highway, blasting some pop song on the radio. “Yeesh, Aurora. You spent, like, forever with that guy. I didn’t wanna be seen for too long in his driveway.” she shivered, looking at the girl in her backseat. “I hope you weren’t making out with him while we were waiting or anything.”
Aurora scoffs, rolling her eyes with a giggle. “Oh, I’d never. I’m loyal, anyway.”
“Too loyal.” Mallory pipes up, eyes glued to her phone as she texted someone. “What were you even talking about???”
She shuffled in her seat, “Well, uuh. Tanner.” she admitted awkwardly, which caused Vivian to lower the music. “He gave me advice.”
Vivan let out a laugh. “ Bill Dickey gave you love advice? Funny. I don’t think he’s ever had a girl at his house before you. He doesn’t seem like he would..” she murmured, giggling to herself softly. “I could probably get a girl to come over in that way.”
…
“..Not that I would. Because I’m not gay. Yeah.”
Aurora just looked at her. "...Uh huh. Anyway- He told me to break up with him, as literally everyone’s been doing lately…” she bit her lip, bouncing her leg up and down anxiously. “It’s kinda getting to me.”
Mallory turns her body to look back at her, the wind blowing her hair. “I love you and everything, ‘Rora, but if everyone’s telling you to break up with a guy you should probably listen. Especially if Bill of all people can see that he’s not treating you right.”
She went silent for a moment.
“...Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
Vivian yelled out in excitement. “Fuck men!! Let’s go to an open house party.” she pressed down on the gas pedal, turning the music up high again as they all screamed out in ecstasy; speeding down the highway into the night.
Chapter 2: dreaming sesh
Summary:
bill finds our he likes someone irl?!!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?! 😱😱 (NOT CLICKBAIT) (WE ALMOST DIED) (3AM CHALLENGE)
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
Turmoil has engulfed the Interstellar Medium. There has been rumor of a special alien space-siren hijacking ships and feeding off of the love of others.
Hoping to resolve the matter, the powerful and oh-so handsome space captain, Bill Dickey, has sworn to put a stop to it.
☆ ☆ ☆
“Ensign Buffy!!!” Bill called out, his deep sultry voice causing a few of the women on his ship to squeal and faint because they loved him so much. Oh yes. This is totally realistic.
The blonde turned to him, letting out a small hum of acknowledgement. “Fetch me another drink. Leading a crew filled with you lovely ladies can leave a man parched.” he waved, flashing her a blinding bright smile. She smiled, giggling at his compliment as she walked away. “Of course, Captain Dickey! Anything for you!!”
With a content smile plastered on his face, he got comfortable in his chair and watched his beloved crew members work. What a life this was; being surrounded by hot babes who not only are completely obsessed with him, but also do whatever he says...free from all nuisances…how enjoyable.
Bill loved being in control, being important. Nothing could ever go wrong here. It was his perfect dream world.
When Ensign Buffy rushed back empty handed, though, a small frown fell onto his lips. Why was she back so soon? Where was his drink???
“Oh- by the way!” she exclaimed, pointing to the teleporter-elevator-thing in the middle of the room. “I forgot to mention that we got a new recruit; hand picked from the universe itself. Would you like to meet her?”
He was confused. A new recruit..? That he didn’t interview? How peculiar. But if the universe picked her out specifically for him, then who is he to complain? She’s probably a reallllll looker. Maybe blonde, like Emma Frost? Or maybe brunette? Now that he thought about it, he doesn’t have too many redheads on board..
Bill thought for a moment, before waving her off. “Fine, bring her to me.” he watched Buffy sing out an “Okay!!” and skip off, a suspicious feeling creeping up on him.
He had a bad feeling about this.
“This BETTER be worth my time,” he thought to himself haughtily, visibly impatient. “I want my drink…”
The sound of girlish giggles started bubbling up behind him, signaling that she was here. Bill sat up in his seat, putting on a charming smile.
Was she like Emma Frost? Oh, he really hoped she was—
“WHAT THE FUCK.”
The girl the ‘Universe Hand Picked for Him’ was literally Aurora. His jaw dropped, disbelief written all over his face. She fit right in with his other girls, uniform and everything. A wolf in sheep's clothing.
Shock quickly turned into anger as he pointed an accusatory finger in her face. “YOU. What are you doing here, infiltrating my base?!” he shot at her, his face heating up into a bright red. “Get out!!”
Aurora blinked innocently, looking at Bill with a confused expression. “Huh? I don’t know what you mean?” she asked. Her voice was soft; angelic. Surely the voice she uses when working.
His anger doesn’t falter, however, jabbing his finger into her chest. “You’re always in my life, and I’m sick of it. First you infiltrate the club, then my free time, now my ship!!” Bill's voice cracked in anger, seething at her. “Fuck, at this point just take over my whole goddamn mind-”
She quickly cut him off with a curt snicker, her concerned frown twisting into a callous smile. Aurora’s eyes roll, a laugh leaving her mouth as she put a hand on her hip. “Hah- ‘take over your mind’..I’m already in it, nerd.”
The siren. She was the siren.
Bill’s confidence slowly started crumbling, a pathetic expression plastered onto his face. “I..I. Uum.” he stuttered, “You’re just- a stupid broad..! Your siren songs won't affect me, I'm immune..!”
“Oh really, now? If I’m such a stupid broad, why am I not acting like the other girls on your dumb ship?” Aurora cut him off again, looking down at him with an eyebrow raised. “What, do you like me or something??”
…
Huh?
Once she spoke those words Bill’s mind completely went blank; all negative thoughts and insults he was conjuring up in his brain to spew back out at her ceased to exist, being replaced with a white void.
Then, her.
A memory of the two studying. Another memory of her in his basement, doing her makeup in the corner of the room while he held a club meeting because neither of them wanted to do stoichiometry so late at night. The memory of her giving him a hug after she rambled about her waste-of-space boyfriend, a genuine hug.
She must hug Tanner like that, too. Not that he even deserved it.
His mind wandered, but he couldn't help it. Her smiling, her hanging out with him. Willingly. He’s never been one for music, but he’d listen to her horribly sing along to her trashy pop music all day. Maybe he’d even join in, she could teach him the lyrics. He’d go to her dance competitions - anything to prove that he could be something. Be important. Be better.
Why did he care so much??? As his mind wandered his face heated up, partially from embarrassment. Aurora stared down at him, her face unchanging.
No, no, no, no, not her. Not her. Please not her. Anyone but her.
He should be the one in control, not a stupid girl who he knows hates him. This was so sappy. And faggy.
Aurora went to take his chin in her hands, tilting his head up slightly. She leaned in ever so slightly, and as much as Bill wanted to pull away he couldn't bring himself to. He refused. His heart was racing, he was hot. She was hot, actually (probably not the kind he is, but his point still stands). But he’s known this, everyone’s known this. They inched closer, and closer, and closer-
GASP.
Bill woke up in a cold sweat, moonlight beaming into his room through his limited edition Major Violence curtains. Catching his breath, he gripped his sheets tightly. He swallowed hard, trying to make sense of whatever the fuck kind of dream that was.
He thought for a long, hard moment; which was something he didn't do too often.
…
…Shit.
Notes:
hi this looked way longer in google docs it was literally like 4 + a half pgs..BUT regardless i hope u enjoyed!! next chapter i'm gonna focus more on aurora's pov rather than bills i hope i'm doing him justice 3
if anyone has any questions on aurora don't be afraid to ask!! i'll be happy to answer <3 thank you so much for reading!!!
Chapter 3: hangout sesh
Summary:
aurora plays dnd with The Club™️ and silly shenanigans happen!!!!!!! her bf totally DOESN'T crash the party!!!!!! why does bill care about any of this??? he doesn't even know lol!!! ig he's discovering what emotions are for the first time!!!!
Notes:
AGH SORRY THIS TOOK LIKE 56 YRS school has been on my ASS lately. this chapters pretty juicy tho so i hope that makes up for it
tw; toxic relationship. tanner grips aurora's wrist rlly hard
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Okay- the effect of a catalyst on a chemical reaction is to provide a new reaction pathway which results in…what.” Bill read off, pushing up his glasses before looking at the girl in front of him.
Aurora held her head in her hands, biting the inside of her cheek as she thought. Her eyes narrowed at the choices. “Uum..” she started, before pointing at one of them. “..D? A faster reaction rate?”
Bill nodded, which caused a smile to creep up on her face. She was getting it. As much as she’d hate to admit it, he wasn’t that bad of a tutor - when he wasn’t being a total bitch that is. He was surprisingly very good at explaining things.
As a matter of fact, she’s been coming to a very brutal realization that he might not be that bad..period. Yeah, he’s annoying. Yeah, he’s said some crazy stuff to her before. Yeah, he’s weird. And should be more hygienic. And he should go on accutane. But- pushing past all of those flaws he at least had some positives. He can make her laugh; at least there was something going for him.
Speaking of Bill, he let out a small sigh. “Listen- I don’t really have the time to do this anymore; I have a club meeting. If you don’t have a ride you’re gonna have to sit with us for a bit so my mom won’t yell at me for kicking you out.”
Yeah, no. Her defense for Bill quickly scrapped itself once she remembered the club. That stupid club is the bane of her existence.
They were so loud, so cringy. Every time she was forced to be in that damn basement with them they act so weird; Bill said it was because “no girls are allowed in the club” so “seeing her there makes them mad” because she’s “intruding on super-secret-club-activities” or whatever, but she knew the real reason.
It was just because she’s her. She’s Aurora.
Aurora wasn’t delusional, she could admit her popularity. But that’s not saying she isn’t humble about it - she climbed and clawed her way to the top, chipping her nails in the process. She fought tooth and nail to get to the spot she’s at on the popularity latter now, if she wanted to flaunt it then obviously she’s going to. Maybe it was a bit narcissistic, maybe it was a bit bitchy, but she doesn’t care. She never did.
An annoyed grunt left her mouth as she rolled her eyes at him. “Ugh, whatever. Just don’t beat each other up again.” she crossed her arms, looking to the side. “Even though I know you’ll do it anyway…”
It was Bill’s turn to roll his eyes. “You don’t get to dictate what the club does. You’re only in that sacred room because you’re waiting for your ride. Once it comes you’re out.”
“It’s not like I wanna stay.” she got up with a small grunt, grabbing her bag and letting Bill lead her downstairs. “I’ll be occupied anyway, you and your little posse of nerds won’t be bothered. I have to do my makeup for a party.”
“Real one? Or for your job?” he nonchalantly asked without looking at her, setting up for the club meeting. Aurora nestled herself in her little nook of the room she hangs at whenever a meeting goes on - the far end of the couch. She looked at him, blinking.
“..Real. Why?”
“Just wondering.”
The two went silent as she texted Tanner to pick her up, furrowing her brows. This was a new development. He never questioned her about anything.
Her eyes lingered on her phone, watching her boyfriend text her a dry “okay”, annoyance washing over her as he texted that it'll be a while until he can come before looking back at Bill. She silently watched him work for a while before he felt his eyes on her, causing the two to make eye contact.
Aurora flinched and looked away, which made Bill scrunch his face up in confusion. “..What??”
She looked back at him, shrugging aimlessly. “I dunno. I was just wondering what you were, like, doing.”
“..I’m setting up.”
“Well, duh. For what??”
“The club???”
An annoyed grunt left her mouth. “Ugh- no. Like, what are you gonna do? What are you setting up for???”
Once Bill realized she was attempting to strike up conversation, he gestured to the board. “We’re gonna play DND. It’s Jerry’s whole thing.” he shrugged, even though it totally wasn’t just Jerry’s thing. He loved DND..it made him feel special every time he saved a cute girl from a bad guy, or whatever.
She hummed in acknowledgement, her eyes lingering on the board. “Cool. Hope it won’t get too heated.”
Bill stopped to stare at her, furrowing his brows. “...You know DND??”
“Yeah?? Everyone knows what that is.” she shrugged, “Not everyone plays it.”
—
As their conversation continued Bill failed to notice the obnoxious knocking (or banging, considering Pete was the one doing it) at his doorstep, his friends all equally annoyed at his ignorance.
Josh groaned. “Is he gonna open the stupid door or what?! I know he doesn’t have anything better to do.”
“Well- maybe nobody’s home except him. I don’t see anyone inside..” Jerry peered through the window of the house, scanning the books left on the dining room counter. “...we could always try his basement door. He’s probably in there.”
Pete snapped his fingers, aggressively patting Jerry on the back and saying something along the lines of “attaboy” before zooming down the steps and running towards the back of Bill’s house. Jerry and Josh followed.
—
“Do you play it??” Bill questioned, rolling his eyes. “I would assume not, considering you–”
“No, I have.”
The three unlocked the door (the spare key was under the doormat – very easily found. He should probably change the hiding spot.) just as Aurora said that, completely stopping dead in their tracks once they heard her voice.
“I play DND with my cousins sometimes, they like a lot of that stuff.”
All four of them stare at her in complete, utter shock, their mouths slightly agape.
She plays DND??? But she’s a girl??????
Aurora plays DND????
Bill looks at her, then up to his friends. They can wait– this is more important than them. “..You play??”
She gave him an exasperated expression. “Like, yeah. I don’t get why that’s such a big deal.”
Jerry piped up from behind the two. “Uum-” he cringed once Aurora flinched at his words and whipped her head back to see who spoke. “We’ve never had a girl player before. Not to pressure you, or anything.”
Bill snapped his head towards Jerry as if he just admitted to cursing his entire family bloodline, sputtering out noises from his mouth. “Wh- Jerry, are you insane?! Have you forgotten that no girls are allowed?!? ” he yelled, storming over to the blond. He gripped the collar of his shirt angrily, causing him to squeak. “I could shun you from this damn club.”
“Heyyy, now… Chill out.” Aurora stepped forward to try diffusing the situation, but ultimately failed once Pete decided that now would be a good time to open his mouth. He shrugged, putting a hand on Jerry’s shoulder. “I’on know, prezzy. I think the princess would have a good time playing with us, yeah?” he looked over at Aurora with a devious smirk before fixing his gaze back on Bill’s fuming expression. “You’re just being sensitive.”
Josh just stared at the three, awkwardly moving to the side once Bill’s pupils constricted. “Sensitive?! ” he roared, before tackling him to the ground and promptly him up. Jerry was thrown to the side.
Unlike Bill and Pete, Josh and Jerry actually cared about how they're seen by others – a bit, at least. Saying they “cared” was honestly an overstatement, but their parents put their reputations into their heads more than the other two. Both attempted to pull the boys off of each other, before eventually getting sucked into the fight once hits were thrown at them.
“I bet she doesn’t even know anything about DND!! Just like every other clueless normie. You’re so fucking stupid.” Bill snapped, venom lacing his words—right before he let out a sharp grunt as Pete yanked on his hair.
“C’mooon!! It’ll be fun!!! Why’re you so pissed off at me, huh? Do you like her or somethin’?” he taunted, only to instantly be caught in a chokehold.
Josh laughed at Bill, watching Pete gasp for air. “Ohh?? Struck a nerve???”
Aurora was also still there just watching the whole thing. They seemed to have forgotten about her standing just a few feet from them.
A wave of annoyance surged through her mind and her head suddenly got hot, her tongue running over the front of her teeth. She breathed out, running a hand through her hair. “Can you guys stop?? ” she snapped, causing the four to snap out of their anger to look at her.
“I never said I’d play, so I don’t know why you’re so mad.” she pointed to Bill, “This is just so- ugh . Carry on with your dumb meeting.”
She stomped her way towards the couch as the club awkwardly crawled off of each other, making their way to the table. Bill’s eyes stayed on her, however, watching her angrily text someone on her phone.
Ah, fuck. It seemed like they were getting along, too. At least, getting along a little bit. She did say she didn’t want to see them fighting..
Bill just supposed that he was one to fuck everything up. As per usual. A strange, unfamiliar feeling settled over him as he began the meeting, Jerry launching into his list of findings.
Aurora looked up from her phone to watch the four of them, raising a brow as her eyes landed on Bill, who was soullessly staring down at the table in front of him. His shoulders were tense, hands clasped tightly together like he was holding something in, and the usual spark in his eyes had been replaced by a vacant look. It was unsettling – like he was there, but not really present. Aurora bit the inside of her mouth as she quietly observed the silence swallowing him whole.
Bill was never silent. Usually at all of these club meetings he was bursting with excitement, or anger, or maybe both. He was eccentric, loud. His presence could fill a room and yet it was like someone had pulled the plug on everything that made Bill… Bill.
Once it was his turn to present, he said a few words before clearing his throat. “If..um. Aurora,” he called, causing her to perk up. “If you wanna join us, you, like. Can. I guess.”
Josh’s jaw dropped, as did the others. “..But you said—”
“Shut up before I change my mind.”
Aurora shifted in her seat awkwardly. Was this really that much of a big deal for them?? It’s only a girl playing DND…were they that far gone? Yikes.
“I mean..I guess I can play.” She got up and stretched before walking to grab a spare folding chair by the stairs. “I don’t really care. It's not like I have anything better to do...”
Jerry’s face lit up. “Oh- sick!! That’s awesome!!!” he beamed. A real girl playing? And she was cute, Total score. “Do you need help making a character?? I can always h-”
She smiled at him, sitting directly in between him and Bill. “Thanks for the offer, but I have one. Her name is Aubrie,” she cracked her knuckles and scooted her chair in. “She’s an elven princess.”
Josh laughed with a small scoff. How girly. “We could save you from a warlock. To cue you in.”
“Oh- that won’t be necessary. She’s a runaway.” Aurora fiddled with the bracelets decorating her wrists, “She’s being forced into marrying a prince that she doesn’t really like. So she ran away from home to escape the relationship.”
Pete nodded slowly, catching the unintentional subtext. “..How creative.”
The session began, and ran smoothly. Shockingly so, considering what usually happens when the club plays DND. Jerry got a little too into narrating every side character's oh-so-tragic backstory, which caused people to yell at him to move on. Josh kept making passive-aggressive remarks at Pete’s poor dice rolls, and Pete retaliated by intentionally derailing every attempt Josh made at moving forward. It was, somehow, the most coherent campaign they’d ever had.
And Aurora, much to her own surprise, was actually having fun with them.
Despite how weird these guys were and how messy the basement was she couldn’t help but find herself smiling throughout the whole thing. The unnecessary drama between the four of them was stupidly entertaining now that she was actually paying attention to it. They treated her character like she was a damsel in distress at the beginning (much to her annoyance), but as the campaign went on she slowly started to integrate herself in the game. Jerry’s sheer excitement every time something went well was kind of... endearing, she supposed. In an annoying puppy sort of way.
Bill came back to life, too. It seemed as if someone plugged him back in, because he very quickly returned to his usual bossy self. Every now and then he’d glance at Aurora, and sometimes she’d even glance back — he always had this look in his eyes that she couldn’t quite pinpoint.
For a few hours, none of it mattered. Not how weird they were. Not how out of place she was walking in. Not even the fact that she was sitting between the two most socially inept guys she'd ever encountered. Aurora was just having fun.
As Jerry was attempting to recite some ancient Elven prayer in his character's native tongue, banging erupted from the basement door. Everyone flinched and turned to look.
“Aurora??? I’ve been texting you for, like, 30 fuckin’ minutes!” a deep voice yelled out, clearly agitated.
She froze, slowly putting down her pencil. Whoops.
Tanner.
The air shifted, tension rose. “S-Sorry, sorry!! Coming..” she called to him, getting up and making her way to the door. Just as she pushed the door handle it swung open; her boyfriend standing outside with an annoyed expression.
He was everything you’d expect him to be; tall, buff, brawny. His hair was coated with frosted tips, which were remnants of when he bleached it earlier that year for football. Tanner was everything the club wasn’t.
He grabbed her wrist, a bit too tightly. She squeaked in pain. “What have you been doing in here?! We have a party to get to!! And I know for a fact you’re gonna take 40 fuckin’ years to get ready.” he scolded, his eyes falling to stare at the table she was once sitting at. They ran over the chair squished in between Jerry and Bill, and his eyebrows furrowed. “You weren’t hanging out with them, were you??? You know how I feel about these freaks.”
Freaks.
An uncomfortable feeling ran through her body as he spoke, biting her lip when she heard his voice lower. Aurora swallowed. Hard. “No, I wasn’t. I was just- occupied.” she murmured, looking away. “I was practicing my, um. Solo. For dance.”
Tanner went silent for a few moments, looking at the four sitting at the table again. They all looked like kicked puppies; ears drooping, tails in between their legs. He let go of his girlfriend to go grab her things in the corner of the room, causing her to hiss in pain.
He handed Aurora her bag, gesturing outside with a head jerk. “I’m heading to the car, babe. Love you.” Tanner planted a long kiss on her lips, which caused most members of the club to cringe in uncomfortability.
(Mainly Bill, for unspecified reasons.)
She watched him walk out of the house, before turning to the group behind her with an apologetic look. Her hand ran across her wrist, rubbing it unconsciously. “Uh..sorry. You can go ahead and, like, kill Aubrie off. Say she got taken by that prince, or something.”
Without waiting for a response, Aurora quickly walked out of the basement, leaving the four to stare at the door in silence.
— — —
Jerry played with the dice in his hands awkwardly. Josh looked anywhere but at the others. Pete reached for his almost-empty soda can, drinking the last few drops as a way to distract himself from whatever the fuck just happened.
But Bill didn’t move.
He sat there, perfectly still in his chair, just as he did before. He stared at the empty space where Aurora was sitting just a few moments ago; laughing, smiling, acting as if they weren’t complete outcasts. His jaw clenched tight, and his fingernails dug into his palms. Then, Bill let out a breath. A bitter, humorless one.
“Figures,” he muttered, voice low and tense. “Of course that guy’s her boyfriend. He's nothing like us.” He leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. “..Weird little freaks, right? S’that what he said??” he spat out, paraphrasing Tanner’s words. “That’s all we’ll ever be to those normies.”
Bill’s gaze fell back down, but this time it wasn’t vacant. It burned.
The worst part was that he almost forgot.
Notes:
HI I REALLY LIKE HOW THIS CAME OUT i hope everyone hates tanner as much as i do 😁😁😁 i also hope i did the rest of the club justice bc this is my first time writing for them EEK if they're ooc sorry
next chapters gonna b kinda long. i alluded to what it might be about in the chapter sooo ya!!! tysm for reading <3
Chapter 4: drinking sesh
Summary:
pictured: bill feels the touch of a woman for the first time (2025) (in color) (4k)
Notes:
HIIIIIII i'm vv proud at how this turned out!!! this is a vv juicy one (more than the last chapter) (i made sure of it mwahaha)
THINGS HAPPEN THIS CHAPTER. MANY THINGS OCCUR
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It was a very quiet night. The soft sound of crickets chirping could be heard in the background as Bill peacefully rearranged his comics. Being alone on a Saturday night was not a common occurrence for him — typically he was hanging out with the club and terrorizing some movie theater or something.
He breathed out, a content smile on his face. It was nice to catch a break.
Maybe after this he can binge the Marvel movies, or maybe TMNT? Kick back, eat some kind of snack, rela-
“Ugh- Bill!!! Open up!!!”
The sound of the door banging caused him to aggressively jump, goosebumps running down his arms as his head snapped to where the noise was coming from. Fuck, he knew that voice all too well.
Aurora.
What does she want now??? It’s almost 12, he already tutored her today. She should be hanging out with her jock normies or her bimbo best friends tonight. Not pestering him about God knows what.
Bill cautiously opened the door to find a very disheveled Aurora, wearing a tight black party dress and mascara running down her face. Before he could even register what was going on she went inside and grabbed his hand, ready to yank him outside.
“Wh- hey!!” he managed to croak out, breaking free from her grasp and running back inside to put on slippers. “What are you doing?”
Aurora stayed put, sniffles occasionally coming out of her. “I-I just- I can’t right now.”
“Can’t what??”
“He cheated. Again!!! And he wasn’t drunk!!! I-I just need a..I dunno.” she trailed off, attempting to find the correct words. “..Distraction.”
Ohhhhhh. Yeah, that checks out. Bill stared at her, slowly nodding his head. Once again, he was pulled out of his house, this time without protesting.
Being led to a white car with obnoxious eyelashes on the lights and pink dice hanging from the mirror, he got into the front seat with Aurora following him to plop herself in the driver's seat. The car was still on and smelled like Victoria’s Secret perfume; evident from the half filled bottle of…Pure Seduction. Or was it Tease?? Love Spell??? Why did she have so many perfume bottles in this damn car??????
Some party song started blasting from her radio as she immediately took off from his driveway. The windows were rolled down completely and both of their hairs were flying everywhere.
Aurora was not the safest driver in the world, and Bill could evidently see that. Maybe it was just her, or maybe it was the erratic mood she was in, but either way they were going fast. He was holding onto the handle on the top of her car for dear life as she zoomed down the highway, wind blowing through his hair so aggressively that it made him make a subtle note to himself that he needed to cut it. He awkwardly looked back over to Aurora, and she looked very pissed off.
Whatever happened tonight was not good.
“… WHERE ARE WE GOING?” He yelled to her over Pitbull’s voice on the radio and the noise of the wind.
“MY PLACE.” she yelled back without looking at him, her eyes narrowing as she pressed the gas further. Bill slowly nodded at her, swallowing heavily and taking in the sweet sultry voice of Pitbull for the time being.
Once she got to her house she pulled into her driveway, stomping out of her car with tears streaming down her face. Bill followed her, unsure of what she really wanted.
What was her motive?? Why is she coming to him for this??? It’s not like she has ever cared about him before, so why she’s bothering to pick him up like this he had no clue. Ugh…wsa this for senior scav?? Was she looking to get laid by a 'freak', or something? How annoying-
He froze up once she went through her parents liquor cabinet, pulling out two shot glasses.
“Uuh..what are you doing?”
“I want you to-” she sniffled, “I want you to drink with me, if you’re up for it. If not that’s fine, I just can’t explain this while sober.”
Bill swallowed.
He’s never done such a thing.
“I didn’t wanna drink at your place, nor use any of your mom’s alcohol. That’s just mean.” Aurora explained, wiping away a black tear. “So I brought you here.”
He slowly made his way to her kitchen island, sitting down at it. “Uh huh..thanks, I guess.”
Aurora poured him a shot, which caused him to stare at the glass awkwardly. It was so menacing; so scary. So new. He watched her down hers like it was nothing, heating up a bit from embarrassment and picking it up with sweaty hands. (not that that was new or anything – his hands were always sweaty. Yuck.)
“Oh, have you never done this before??” she tilted her head, which caused him to scoff.
“Um- of course I have. I’m totally experienced. Obviously you wouldn’t know because I don’t spend my time at parties all the time.” he rolled his eyes, totally bluffing.
The pink haired girl just stared at him. “..It’s okay if you haven’t. I don’t care.”
He went silent.
“..I might’ve forgotten how to take one, though. If you wanna tell me how, or whatever.”
The first smile he’s seen of hers for the night crossed her face right then and there, rolling her eyes sheepishly. She took her empty glass and reenacted drinking from it. “Just- take it as quickly as possible. It’ll burn a bit, especially considering it’s your first time, but it won’t be bad. I promise. The effects’ll kick in soon.”
Bill slowly nodded, rolling his eyes at the fact that she saw past his lie, before taking the shot. He squeezed his eyes shut as the liquid ran down his throat, letting out a pathetic mewl once it went fully down and coughing. “God.. that tastes horrible.” he gagged, wiping his mouth.
Aurora giggled at his reaction, taking a can of Dr. Pepper out from her fridge. “I know. That’s why I usually mix it. You like Dr. Pepper??”
“Uuuh..yeah.”
She nodded, the clacking of her heels on the tiled floor following her footsteps as she went to go grab another. She opened it and took a gulp before pouring alcohol into both of the cans and sliding him one. “Here. If you want — no pressure.”
Bill hesitantly took it, nodding. “..Thanks.”
This was so fun. He’s never done anything this… high school before. His days were usually spent arguing with the club, rewatching every Batman movie to exist, wasting his mothers money on pointless junk…but this was different. This is more normal.
Well, kind of. As normal as underage drinking could be.
The two went silent as Bill inspected the girl in front of him. Aurora took a swing of her Dr. Pepper-and-alcohol concoction before going to put the big bottle away, running a hand through her hair with a tired expression. She looked really good in black…
Her hair was typed up in some half-up-half-down style (he only knows what that is because of Jane) and her makeup was smudged. Mascara and eyeliner coated her eyes and cheeks, her lipstick was smudged down her lip and faded out from the corner of her mouth. Her dress was incredibly tight and looked unimaginably comfortable, and one of the straps fell down to lay across the side of her arm. Aurora looked horrible and disheveled, and yet all Bill could think was how pretty she looked.
Now feeling the buzz, Bill leaned forward on the island, tapping his fingers on the cool granite. “Are you ready to tell me why you dragged me here??”
Aurora’s eyes went from the drink in her hands to Bill’s face, staring for a moment before nodding aimlessly. “..Yeah.” she replied, before moving to sit next to him.
She turned her chair to face him. “Okay. So, like, I was at my friend's birthday party. I went with Tanner and he ended up going off to, like, take body shots off of his guy friend from football,” her eyes rolled while Bill’s narrowed, “So I went off to talk to my other friends. It was, like, fine for a while..”
Her voice cracked and her face twisted into an expression that very obviously painted her as visibly upset.
“I dunno what happened. I went to go use the bathroom and I guess I went to the wrong place, because I opened the door to the guest room instead and–” Aurora’s voice cracked, “I just saw them. There.”
A girlish grunt roared out of her vocal chords as she wiped away falling tears, getting more pissed off as she saw her hand go gray from the makeup. “That backstabbing, two faced cunt.” Aurora took two large gulps of her drink, wiping her mouth. “A-And Tanner looked so, like, helpless. Like he’d never been caught before. Like he’s been doing it. Once a cheater, always a cheater, because low and behold.”
The pink haired girl turned her chair to face the island, resting her head in her hands. “I just feel so- so stupid. It was literally right in front of me.” she choked out, sniffling, “Mal said so, Viv said so, fuck. Even you said so.” her head turned to Bill the moment she said ‘you’. “But I held hope anyway. I tried acting like everything was normal.”
She looked down again. “But it wasn’t, and never was. He was horrible to me. I hate him.”
Okay. Wow. That was a lot of information.
“...Y’know, I told you so. You should have just listened to me. You’re so fucking delusional.”
Aurora didn’t respond, she just sat there. Lifeless.
Bill stared at her after speaking, absolutely gobsmacked that a real-life girl was giving him this much information on his personal life. Not to mention the girl confiding in him was not just pretty, but also really fucking popular. He could use all of this against her; say how she hates Tanner with all her heart and soul. How she called the girl he’s been sleeping with a ‘two faced bitch’; it’d totally ruin her reputation. It’d boost his.
He’d have something to hold over the guys’ heads. How he had a social standing (somewhat, at the very least) and they didn’t. How Miss. Aurora Lovdhal of all people has decided to talk about her issues with him, not them. Hell, that she decided to confide in him and not her friends.
Speaking of which, he asked that. “..Why are you telling me all of this? You know I don’t care. I really don’t.”
Oh, but Bill cared. Bill cared a lot.
She just stared at him, a defeated look sprawled across her face. “Because you’d give me the cold, hard, ugly truth. No sugar coating. All raw and real.”
The room went silent, apart from the quiet fizzing sounds from the soda and cars passing by on the highway. Both of them looked away from one another, opting to stare at the granite as if it was the most interesting thing in the room.
“I just…” Bill started to speak, before hesitating. His words caught in his throat, and yet he let them bubble back up. “You don’t deserve that. Him. That kind of bullshit.”
Aurora looked up then, and really looked at him. Vulnerability coated her glossy eyes, which was something she didn’t let happen often. She wasn’t trying to perform for anyone – not tonight. Once he realized, that’s what hit Bill the hardest. How she was letting the walls she built fall in front of him, even if it was just a little. That she trusted him enough to see the cracks. That he managed to get her to trust him enough.
In all honesty, it kind of scared him. He disliked how badly he wanted to reach and pull her into his arms; not to necessarily fix anything, just to be there. Emotions were weird, and he hated them. He hated feeling sappy and mushy, he hated the feeling of butterflies running a marathon in his stomach every time he saw her smile. And with the slim chance of her feeling the same, he didn’t doubt that she would also hate it.
She stared at him, confused. “Why do you say that like you mean it?”
He blinked, taken aback for a split second at her sudden words, before scoffing. “Because I do.”
Another beat of silence. Another car speeding by outside.
Aurora swallowed, shifting in her seat. Her cheeks lit up a deep maroon; whether it was from the alcohol or her being flustered, she didn’t know. “..Why? ”
Bill sighed. “..I don’t know. I just do.”
Both of them went silent again while Aurora contemplated what she was going to do next, before taking a swing of her alcohol-soda. She breathed in.
“I.. I don’t think you’re too bad. ” she blurted out, “Like- at all. And I don’t know why.”
Bill’s breath caught in his throat, heating up as those annoying butterflies started going crazy again. “You don’t mean that,” he said quietly. Cautiously. “You’re upset.”
“No, like, I do mean it. You’re not that bad at all- and I feel… so horrible.” she held her head in her hand, leaning it on the counter. “Like, my stupid boyfriend literally makes fun of you. I’ve made fun of you. N-Not so much anymore, but I did. I'm not denying that.” her eyes burned while a few tears welled up in her eyes. “You’re really funny. You may suck at talking to people, and the stuff you like is weird, and you're kind of misogynistic sometimes and you need to invest in Proactiv,”
Bill blankly stared, ready to fire back at her.
“But you aren’t that bad... you just have to learn to hold your tongue. I’d dare say I like you.”
His heart stopped. He wanted to say something clever – something sharp, witty. Teasing. But all he could do was look at her; slouched over the counter, cheeks flushed, and feel every sarcastic defense he built in his mind start to quietly collapse. All he could muster out was a pathetic little: “I..um. I thought you hated me.”
Stunned by how soft his voice got, she blinked. “Oh, no. I did.” Aurora leaned back in her chair, before pointing at him. “But you hated me, too.”
Another wave of silence washed over the two, but it wasn’t awkward. More so comfortable.
Bill locked eyes, the buzz in his mind causing him to feel a bit bubbly. “..This is so faggy.”
A giggle left Aurora’s mouth, “Whatever you say.” she took another sip of her drink, the corner of her mouth quirking up into a smirk. “You’re so bad at this.”
“At what?” he asked, attempting to sound annoyed (but his voice kinda quivered from awkwardness so it didn’t really have the desired effect </3). Bill opted to chug the entire soda can to distract himself – something that you shouldn’t do with an alcoholic drink.
“Feelings. Talking. Not sounding like a bitch when someone says they can tolerate you,” she teased, nudging his leg with her foot under the counter. Bubbles of laughter left her mouth as she spoke.
Bill huffed, cheeks red. He looked away. “Well, sorry I’m not Mr. Fucking Suave. I don’t have anything planned for when a girl I like suddenly stops hating me and tells me I’m not a complete piece of shit.”
“..You like me?”
His face paled at her words, going completely white. “I.. Um. What.” he stuttered, opting to look at the granite again.
In all honesty, he really didn’t out himself with his words. His reaction definitely gave it away. After she spoke his face bursted into a dark, dark red. Darker than Pete’s stupid baseball hat, darker than Starfire's hair. ‘Aurora would make a pretty good Starfire,’ he thought. Maybe he could be Robin.
Aurora tilted her head, smiling at him. It wasn’t sarcastic, just very disarming. Teasing, but soft. It was very unlike her. (Aurora’s kinda menacing. Why is she smiling at him like that. This is freaking him out.)
Bill couldn’t take it anymore. This whole situation was way too much for him to handle. The buzz in his head, the heat in his chest, the fizzy heat crawling up his neck, the way her eyes locked on him made him squirm in his seat. God, he hated eye contact.
His palms started to sweat as he tried staring back at her, which only ended up in his face feeling hotter than it was before. Something snapped inside him and his body moved on its own; he leaned forward on instinct, and before either of them could think about what was happening–
He kissed her.
It wasn’t graceful. It was anything but graceful, actually. His chair scraped the floor and he almost tumbled onto her because he severely underestimated how much space was in between them. Their noses bumped, but none of it mattered, because her lips met his. And she kissed him back. For some reason.
The kiss didn’t last very long. Before Bill could tangle his hands in her hair (because that’s what they did in the movies) he realized what he just did and immediately pulled away. At first he wanted to yell at her – for making him fall for her manipulative siren song. Why was he so enthralled by a stupid girl??? Then he wanted to apologize; as shitty of a person he may be he was no homewrecker. He saw how his parents' relationship went down and he never wanted to go through that again, especially if he’d be in their shoes.
But nothing came out of his mouth. He just stared at her, mouth agape as if she was the one to kiss him.
Aurora also stared back at him, and she had extremely conflicting feelings.
On one hand, she didn’t know if she should hate every moment of this. Was Bill trying to take advantage of her right now??? Considering she just dumped all of her relationship drama with Tanner out to him and he responded by kissing her and everything. She could call him a pervert, maybe slap him across the face and tell him to get the fuck out of her house.
But then again. YOLO. Right??
“I–” Bill started to speak after he formulated a very thoroughly planned ramble to her in his mind, but he was quickly cut off by Aurora grabbing the collar of his stupid X-Men shirt and yanking him closer to her.
She smiled at him. “You’re so much cuter when you shut up.”
Without giving Bill any time to think about what that means and get offended by it, she kissed him again. His whole body tensed up once he registered that she kissed him , letting out a small squeak of surprise. He smelled the perfume on her neck; maybe it was from one of the three bottles in her car, maybe she put it on before coming to his house. Feeling her hands run through his hair, he shakily brought his hands to her waist, kinda just following along with what she was doing. Aurora was the expert, after all.
This was deeper than the last one. It wasn’t careful or sweet, it was like she was mad about it. Mad about how she felt right now. She’s supposed to hate him, not kiss him in the middle of her stupid kitchen. So much was going on in Aurora’s mind. Tanner’s supposed to be her prince charming, not Bill. Bill was so far from that.
Bill was shorter than her and his face was coated in acne. He had dorky glasses and wore stupid superhero merch every day with his dumb flannels. He hung out with equally fucked up, sometimes-misogynistic friends in a basement that smelled like Mountain Dew and testosterone.
And yet, right now he smelled like laundry detergent and deodorant and something warm that was just...him. And she hated it.
Tanner was so tall, so buff, so handsome. His jawline was sharp and his skin had this natural golden tan that made the girls that go to their school swoon. He’s captain of the school's football team, and she’s captain of the cheer team. It was a match made in the most cliché heaven you could possibly think of, and she was well aware of that fact. She was quite literally living the dream, so why would he cheat on her? Again?? How could he fuck her over like that???
She loved Tanner.
Realizing how long that they’ve been kind-of-making-out for, she pulled away to stare at Bill. She scanned his face for something, maybe an answer to why she did that, but all she saw was his baffled expression and her lipstick smeared all over his lips. He looked wrecked. Not in the hot way Tanner always did, but just genuinely stunned. Stiff. Like she’d short-circuited his entire brain.
Her lips still tingled, and it pissed her off. She was supposed to be crying about Tanner. Screaming. Throwing things. Breaking dishes, as Rhianna once said. “This is so stupid,” she whispered to herself, placing her cool hands over her hot face.
Bill shrunk, looking off to the side. “Right. Definitely stupid. I shouldn’t’ve- I mean, you kissed me, but, like…”
She closed her eyes, furrowing her brows. “Don’t.”
He shut up, which was something he didn’t do often.
Another car passed by outside. The soda fizzed beside them. Aurora glanced toward the doorway like she might bolt, but her legs wouldn’t move. This was her house, her kitchen. She couldn’t run away even if she wanted to. “You just don’t get it,” she mumbled. “You’re not supposed to matter. Not like this.”
When her voice cracked at the end of it, Bill didn’t tease her. Didn’t roll his eyes or joke or say something sarcastic like he normally would. He just looked at her and didn’t know if he should be sorry for her, flattered she felt that way, or heartbroken that she said that.
Why would she say that??
Aurora suddenly stood, cutting off his train of thought as her chair scraped loudly against the ground. “I need some water or something.” she blurted out, storming to the sink as an attempt to ignore the situation and ignoring how her heart was still thudding like a bass drum.
Behind her, Bill was still sitting there, stunned into silence. His brows furrowed while he watched her. “..You can’t just do this, y’know.”
“Do what??”
Anger bubbled up inside him. “Mess with me like that?? Are you serious???” his voice got louder as he stood up from the chair, staring at her in disbelief. “You can’t just kiss me and then say that I ‘shouldn’t matter’. That’s unfair, Aurora.”
Aurora didn’t answer, which just made him more pissed off.
“I fucking hate girls like you. All they do is mess up my flow and distract me what what really matters in life - fandom. I thought you were different.” Bill spat, laughing in frustration. His eyes started to burn, and he rubbed them before tears managed to fall. “Fuck this. I’m leaving.”
He hates girls like her?? Was he trying to pick a fight, or something?? Aurora turned to him, her face showing how she was equally as pissed off. “You think I’m messing with you?” she finally snapped, spinning around, voice sharp and incredulous. “You kissed me too, Bill! Don’t make it sound like I forced you or something and run away to cower in your stupid basement like you always do.”
“That’s not the point..!” He objected, his chest rising and falling with each frantic breath. “You don’t get it – do you even know what this means to me?!” He gestured between them, eyes glassy and wild. “I’ve been trying to not like you ever since you spilled all of your stupid relationship drama for the first time, Aurora. Because I knew you had a stupid, fuckboy boyfriend that everyone knew was cheating on you from the get-go.”
She just stared at him.
“And the second you act like maybe, just maybe, you don’t hate my guts, I fall for it. I always do.” he continued, the anger in his voice falling down to a defeated tone. “And then you go and say I shouldn’t matter. Like I’m just some stupid mistake. Someone to feel ashamed about.”
A guilty feeling welled in Aurora’s stomach. “I didn’t mean-”
“You did, though.” he cut in bitterly. “I’m just some freak who sits next to you in chem, tutors you because our parents force me to, and says shit that makes you roll your eyes and giggle every now and then. Your boyfriend said so before, yeah??” he huffed, “And I’m done with it all. I’m not a stupid brawny football player that you fuck with for the fun of it.”
The silence that fell next was heavier than before. Bill stepped back, his head pounding in anger as he reached for his can of soda-vodka and chucked the remains of it in the trash can. He couldn’t meet her eyes anymore. He texted Pete to meet him on her street; he’d pick him up after he left. “I’m leaving now. I can’t look at your stupid face anymore.”
“Bill, wait-”
“No. Just..” He raised his voice again, about to yell at her before catching her expression. Her eyes shimmered with guilt while she blinked back tears that were threatening to fall. And that made him stop. Biting his tongue, he turned away. “..Don’t. ”
And with that, he walked out. Aurora didn’t stop him.
She just stood there in the dim glow of the kitchen light, alone now with the sound of water still rushing into the sink with her hands trembling, her eyes blurry, her heartbeat still stuck on his lips, and the sound of the door slamming shut.
---
Bill and Pete silently drove, motion sickness pooling in Bill’s stomach. He emotionlessly stared out the window of the car, swallowing saliva every few seconds to keep the nausea in his stomach from coming up.
Pete looked at him as they hit a red light, furrowing his brows (or. brow </3) at his current state. He could smell the alcohol on him, so he knew he was drinking, but c’mon. He couldn’t have had that much...Pete’s stolen his father’s alcohol every now and then, but he’s known Bill long enough to the point that he knew he’s never done anything like that before. He’s too wimpy and his mother's too strict for her own good.
His eyes travelled to his lipstick-stained lips, and a smile crept up onto his face. “...Got busy, hm?”
Bill lifelessly grunted in response, turning to him with a dead look in his eyes. “Huh??”
Pete pointed to his face. “Lipstick.”
The brunette slowly went up to touch his lips, wiping them gently to find a pinkish-red pigment on his hand. He felt his cheeks get warm at the memory; he could still feel her lips on his. He could still taste the alcohol on her tongue, still hear the way her voice cracked when she said he wasn’t supposed to matter. His chest started to ache, worse than it ever had with anything before.
Bill didn’t say anything to him. He just wiped at his mouth a little harder, like if he rubbed it hard enough the kiss would go away too. Maybe the sinking, awful feeling in his chest would stop weighing him down.
Pete waited for a beat, then snorted. “Was it her?”
Bill didn’t respond, which was basically a yes.
“Damn,” Pete muttered, leaning back in his seat as the car started moving again. “Didn’t think that’d actually happen. Thought you two were at each other's throats..”
“It wasn’t like that,” Bill muttered.
Pete snickered, rolling his eyes. “You got her lipstick on your mouth, dude.”
Bill sighed, dragging a hand down his face, the embarrassment and frustration of being vulnerable mixing into a bitter tone. “It just happened. We were drinking, and…” he trailed off, eyes staring down at his lipstick-stained hands. “I don’t even know if she meant it.”
Pete glanced over. “..How??”
Uncomfortable at the idea of revealing everything she just spilled to him, he shuffled in his seat. “Her boyfriend, like, cheated on her again. This time was a dealbreaker for her, I guess. I dunno how it wasn't the last time, but..” Bill sighed, “I think she was just using me as a distraction. She said she needed one before she took me to her stupid house, so.”
After a beat of silence, Pete let out a low whistle. “..So she kissed you, vented about her shitty boyfriend, then pushed you away?”
Bill clenched his jaw. “She didn’t push me. She just-” he stopped, shaking his head. “I dunno, man. One second she’s into it, and the next she’s looking at me like I ruined her life.”
A long pause stretched between them.
“..And for the record, Pete, I kissed her first.”
“..You what??”
Bill didn’t answer. He was too busy replaying the moment in his head for what felt like the thousandth time. The way she didn't pull away. The way she melted into it like she’d wanted it all along - like maybe, for just one second, she had felt something too. And then she looked at him like he was the problem. Like he was the mistake.
The nausea that almost left in his stomach started to rise again as he kept thinking. Maybe he could dox her online or ramble about how women should be nothing but toys for men when he gets home, or something. To make himself feel better.
Feeling the awkward tension between the both of them, Pete’s eyes flickered to look at Bill. He’s never seen him this sad before. Hell- he hasn’t seen him genuinely sad, like, ever. Unless you count the times where he’s thrown temper tantrums at Joe’s when someone buys something he’s been eyeing.
“..But she did kiss you back, though.”
Bill stayed silent, he memory of her lips pressing back against his and her flashed through his brain like a slap. “…Yeah.”
They both sat in the thick quiet that followed. The sound of some heavy metal music softly played in the background.
After a moment, Pete shrugged. “Sounds like she’s more messed up about you than she wants to admit.”
Bill shook his head. “Or she’s just messed up in general..”
“Maybe. She seems kinda fucked up. But in, like, a hot way.” Pete stifled a laugh, “But people don’t kiss people they hate, man. No matter how messed up they are. Maybe a stick is too far up her ass to realize you aren't that bad.”
He furrowed his brows at Pete, slowly nodding at his words. “That’s…not even bad advice.”
Pete just shrugged. “I’on know. I’m not really into this sappy, heartbroken Romeo n’ Juliet shit.” he mused, “I’d rather have a girl screaming my name in horror; not whatever this is.” his friend furrowed his brows at him, which caused him to laugh. “Fear keeps ‘em loyal!! What can I say..”
Bill didn’t say anything back. Instead, his eyes went to go stare out of the window again and let the cool glass press against his hot face. Staten Island’s lights passed by his eyes in a blur, all smeared together like someone had taken a rag to a painting – bright, meaningless. He swallowed hard, not because he was going to cry, but because he was sick of feeling like he might. This whole thing was such a disaster.
Pete said something to him again, offhanded and probably inappropriate, but Bill barely heard it. He let it wash over him, tuning it out in favor of the thoughts running rampant in his mind.
He didn’t have the energy to talk anymore.
Notes:
HI TY FOR READING !!! srry for making bill suffer like the entire time he'll get a break next chapter i prommy
Chapter 5: daydreaming sesh
Summary:
aurora feels guilt for once in her life!!! so crazy. she also maybe kinda realizes she likes someone more than she initially thought she did. told through a fairy tale ofc (bc she's delusional)
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, lived a princess.
She was angelic; her eyes green as the soft grass blanketed under the warm sun, hair as smooth as silk, with rosy cheeks and a soft smile. She was to be married to a prince from a neighboring kingdom, for political reasons.
The prince was as charming as he could possibly be. He was daring, reckless, and knew all the right things to say at the right time. He always stood tall when eyes were on him and wore his pride like a crown heavier than gold. But despite the way he smiled and promised her the world, there was something hollow about it - something that never quite reached his eyes.
The princess tried, of course. She held his hand in public and laughed at all of his jokes, even if they weren’t funny. She learned his favorite songs on the harp, elegantly danced with him at every ball they were to attend, and practiced speaking about things he cared about.
However, even through this, she still felt as if something was missing. How their relationship was too shallow.
It didn’t matter to her too much, though. Besides, she had her knight.
He was no prince, that was certain. He didn’t come from gold or glory or noble lineage; he was simply her personal knight. He was steady, quiet, and sharp-eyed, always standing just a few spaces behind her like a shadow sworn to silence. She noticed the way his gaze lingered through his helmet when she smiled, his piercing brown eyes sometimes making contact with hers. She noticed how he tensed when her father raised his voice to give him orders, how he seemed to know when she needed a moment to breathe and would wordlessly guide her away.
They never spoke much – at first, that is. But sometimes, late at night, after the court had gone to sleep and the halls were still, she would sneak out of her chambers and find him training alone in the courtyard under moonlight. He’d pause when he saw her, before setting his sword down and bowing low. “Your Highness,” he’d murmur, voice low and gravelly.
She found herself laughing in his presence, even if he didn’t speak too much. It was never out of obligation, but just because she couldn’t help it. His voice always dipped into something softer when they spoke. She noticed everything.
And she simply couldn’t help herself by being enthralled.
She constantly wondered what was under the mask, who was under the mask. Was he handsome? Was he secretly a prince all along? Maybe they could marry instead.
…But, she could not. It would go against her royal duties, and she’d hate to disobey.
‘Twas the night of their engagement party when everything changed.
The princess politely sat next to the prince as he boasted about something she didn’t quite care about in the banquet hall, causing those speaking to him to erupt in superficial laughter. She nodded along with a soft smile, keeping her hands folded delicately in her lap. Her mind drifted far from the conversation.
“..I’d like some air,” She murmured to the prince, quietly getting out of her seat. He barely heard her, too busy accepting compliments from a passing lord. She stepped away, unnoticed.
Alone beneath the stars, she wandered through the royal garden, her royal garden. She let the sounds of celebration blur in the back of her mind as she wandered deeper; the further she walked, the quieter the world became.
Then- she felt a presence behind her.
She stopped walking and tensed up, before turning around to see the knight. His armor glistened under the pale moonlight, with his sword tucked neatly on his side.
She giggled, her hand going to cover up her smile. “My- you scared me half to death!! You follow closely, I see.” her hands clasped together neatly in front of her, awaiting his response.
But he didn’t respond; he barely did such a thing.
“..I suppose that is your job.” She looked at him, eyes searching the dark slits of his mask. “Do you ever grow tired of it?”
Still nothing, as per usual. She never expected an answer out of him, but something flickered – barely. A shift in posture.
Her eyes lit up in amusement, a ghost of a smile crossing her lips. “You always protect me. Thank you.”
He nodded, once.
She stepped forward, and for a second, she swore she saw him tense. Her hand reached up to touch his mask. “I can’t help but wonder who you are underneath that armor...”
His head tilted slightly, like he was about to answer, but then a voice suddenly appeared.
“Princess!! Princess- where are you?!” the prince called out, running to where the two stood. His eyes narrowed in annoyance, looking at the knight. “There you are..! I was looking everywhere for you. We have a party to throw, why are you here?”
“I told you I was going outside. I suppose you didn’t hear me,” she mused, “we can go back, though.”
He didn’t notice. He never did. “Come on, then.” he held out his arm, to which she took almost robotically. As they walked back to the castle the music got louder, the laughter got more coherent. Reality set back in.
The two got back to usual party business—smiling, nodding, exchanging pleasantries with nobility whose names she barely remembered. The music swelled again, the air thick with wine and perfume, and the prince basked in the attention like it was his birthright. The princess stood at his side, her expression soft but distant and her thoughts elsewhere, still lingering on a pair of familiar eyes behind a knight’s mask.
She just barely noticed the servant who passed behind her, or the second one who lingered too long at her side. A firm grip latched onto her arm, which caused her to completely stiffen. Expecting a tray of sweets, a glass of wine, or literally anything else, she instead met the cold stare of a complete stranger. “But- you aren’t one of my..” the princess trailed off, causing the prince to perk up at the sound of her voice before gasping. Another "servant" flanked her quickly, every smile fading as they went to go grab her.
“..Hey!” the prince barked, causing heads to turn to the scene unfolding. “Unhand her!” he reached for the hilt of his sword – too fast, too clumsy – and ended up fumbling with the scabbard. One of the disguised men shoved him back with ease, punching his temple which caused the prince to let out a grunt in pain on the ground.
Gasps rippled through the room. Courtiers scrambled.
Before the princess could actually register what was going on, a shine of silver ran through the room. The crowd recoiled as the knight, her knight, surged between the princess and the attackers. The first would-be kidnapper barely raised his arm before the knight slammed the flat of his blade against it, knocking him back into a table with a crash of goblets and broken glass.
The second lunged, reaching for the princess again which caused her to let out a squeal of terror, but the knight caught him mid-stride and twisted his arm behind his back to drive him onto the ground with a heavy thud. Cries rang out across the banquet hall; some of alarm, some of awe.
The princess staggered back, her breath caught in her throat, heart racing as everything blurred into panic and motion. What was happening.
The remaining attacker made one last attempt, darting toward her with something small and glinting in his hand, but the knight raised his sword and struck him down with such force that the wind was completely knocked out of him. The man groaned on the floor, unmoving.
For a beat, everything was silent.
The princess stood completely frozen, still winded from the jab to her side. Her gaze locked with the knights, his chest heaving beneath his armor, blade still raised. She took a shaky step toward him and he lowered it.
And then the prince, finally upright, stumbled forward. “Guards! GUARDS! Get these men out of here!”
“I…” she began, but before she could say anything else one of the attackers (who was promptly being hauled away by the prince) shoved the knights shoulder, causing him to lose his balance. His helmet shifted slightly, loosening on his head. He straightened, trying to secure it again, but it was too late.
The damaged clasp gave way, and the mask fell – clattering against the marble floor.
The princess watched the mask spin a few times, before warily looking up to see the knight's identity. Once she saw his face her skin paled, letting out a horrified gasp once she saw who it was.
Those oh-so familiar eyes. Tousled, semi-greasy hair. That same, stupid look on his face she saw every day.
“ ...Bill?!” she screamed out, her breath quickening as she watched him get on one knee in front of her.
He lowered his head to her, deeply bowing. “...Princess Aurora. Your Highness.”
Aurora…
Miss. Aurora……
— — —
“Miss. Aurora Lovdhal!!!”
Aurora let out a gasp as she woke up, her chest heaving as she tried to assess her surroundings. She blinked a few times, before looking up to see her chemistry teacher staring right at her.
She huffed. “What did I tell you about sleeping in class?? If you think you’re so capable of doing this by yourself, why don’t you answer this question for us. Hm?”
A few students snickered at the teacher scolding her, to which they were promptly shushed. She squinted her eyes at the board. “Euuuuh..” Aurora started, rubbing her eyes. “..C? 4 moles???”
The teacher let out a small hum. “..Well! I guess you do know what you’re talking about after all. It seems your tutor has been teaching you well.”
As the teacher went back to explaining why the answer was C, Aurora looked next to her to see Bill; eyebrows furrowed, doodling something on his notebook. A guilty feeling washed over her as she remembered what happened over the weekend, causing her to bite her lip and straighten her back. She wrote on the corner of her paper, ripped it, and then passed it to him.
Hey. Can we talk?
Her heart dropped once he passed it back to her.
Pay attention in class. I already told you I’m not teaching you this shit anymore.
Notes:
hihi!! quick chapter :)) i simply couldn't help myself,,,, bill got a dream so i thought aurora should too!! i rlly wanna show ug how she like. looks but i dunno if you can add images on here whoops i gotta learn how to do that
ALSO!!! TY FOR 500 READS!!! i didn't think my silly lil oc fanfic would peak the interest of approximately 500 people but low and behold :) tysm for the support + ty for reading! <3
Chapter 6: crashout sesh
Summary:
aurora and tanner publicly humiliate each other + aurora suffers the consequences + she becomes a hermit in the process oh no!!!
ft my friends ocs, vivian and mallory
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It happened once school ended, the Monday after the party.
Aurora had effectively ignored Tanner all day, keeping a straight face and biting back any insults she had prepared for him. If he wanted to cheat on her and leave her in the dust, fine. So be it. If he actually gave two shits about her he’d say sorry.
But so far, he was playing dumb. He’d been trying to talk to her all day, walking beside her like some sort of lost puppy and hovering by her locker with a stupid fake-concerned look on his face even though she made it obvious that she wasn’t interested. Not in hearing him talk and ask what’s wrong, not in pretending like he hadn’t completely shattered her the night before.
Leaving the school with furrowed brows, she spedwalked to her car as an attempt to dodge him, to no avail. Tanner put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop and turn around. “Why are you ignoring me??" he asked, his voice low and annoyed as if she was the problem.
Aurora scoffed, crossing her arms. “Are you seriously asking me that right now?? I never knew you were so dense, Tanner.” She rolled her eyes sarcastically, going to turn around again.
Tanner raised an eyebrow at her taunt, his jaw clenched. “Yeah. I am asking you that. Because you won’t talk to me, you won’t answer my texts – what, I don’t even get a chance to explain myself?”
“Explain what, Tanner?!” she snapped back, pupils constricted. People’s heads went to stare at the two of them after they heard her yell. “How you had some girl’s tongue down your throat while I was upstairs looking for you? Or do you want to spin it and say it didn’t mean anything? That it was a ‘mistake’, just like last time??”
The club chatted their way outside as they got ready to walk home from school, strolling through the parking lot while they pettily argued about something regarding Batman. Their argument came to a quick halt, though, once they heard the other one going on. They made their way towards the few people watching.
Tanner blinked, not expecting Aurora to actually say what he did out loud. A light pink dusted his cheeks at the attention they were receiving. “..I was drunk,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. He regained his confidence and shot her an annoyed glare. “You’re just blowing this out of proportion. You know I love you.”
Aurora spat out a disbelieving laugh, rolling her eyes. “Oh, right! I tooootally forgot, alcohol just totally erases the fact that I caught you cheating again. This has happened twice, Tanner..! I’m done dealing with this!!”
He stepped forward, getting more defensive. A small crowd of people began to form around them. “Oh, so that’s it?” he shot back, his voice rising. “You see two things and suddenly everything I’ve done for you means nothing? You’re just gonna throw me out like that?!”
“Throw you out?" she repeated back, disbelief coating her voice. “You were all over her!”
Tanner stepped forward, his voice getting louder. His fists clenched. “I didn’t mean for that to happen! God, Aurora- you’ve always had this thing where you make everything so dramatic. I make a mistake and all of a sudden I’m-”
“One mistake? Are you fucking serious?!” She spat, getting closer to him. “I’m so sorry I don’t wanna play happy couple after I saw you balls deep in someone you know I hate on Friday. It’s over.”
His hands suddenly jerked up in front of her, making a sharp, tense motion before he stared at her for a moment. Her gaze stayed fixed and unflinching. Tanner then relaxed his muscles, pulled his arms back, cracked his neck, and walked off. His shoulder bumped against hers, murmuring a small “Whatever,” as he headed to his car.
Aurora stood there for a few seconds after Tanner bumped shoulders, heart racing, eyes unfocused. Her face was hot, from both embarrassment and anger. She could feel the eyes staring at her, she could hear the faint whispers. Tanner’s friends exchanged awkward glances with her own. She breathed in, blinking back tears, and continued walking to her car.
“...Yikes.” Jerry started, his eyes still planted on Aurora. “That was brutal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a public breakup before.”
Josh shrugged. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a real-life breakup before.” he hummed, staring at the area they argued in moments before. “..Have you tutored her at all recently, Bill?”
Bill was dead silent as the club stared at him, awaiting his response. “...No.” he murmured under his breath, rolling his eyes. “I don’t really care.”
Josh brushed him off. “Whatever. I’m gonna keep talking about Batman, now.” he started, before Jerry and Pete groaned in protest.
Pete looked at Bill once the club started walking again, furrowing his brows (or. brow).
But Bill didn’t notice. He was watching the way Aurora finally got into her car – the way her hands fumbled with the keys, how she took a moment to run a hand through her hair in a stressed motion and presumably cry, before starting the engine and taking off. Something about it made his stomach twist.
He wanted to hate her, he really did, but he couldn’t help but just feel bad. She didn’t deserve to get cheated on, as annoying as she may be. What was this feeling?? Sympathy??????
Yuck.
— — —
The days following the breakup of Aurora and Tanner, their high school's most well-known couple, were rough. Very rough.
At first, Aurora tried acting like everything was fine. How it didn’t bother her, that the breakup was something not worth mentioning. He was a cheater, of course. He didn’t deserve to have his name in her royal mouth, but it was obvious she was lying through her teeth. She did care — too much, actually — and considering what happened with Bill and how she couldn’t tell anyone or it’d practically be social suicide (how she coped by making out with the bottom of the barrel in terms of status), she had to keep her mouth shut. It was hard, she needed advice.
Slowly but surely she started to unravel. The tight, expensive outfits she wore every day despite how cold it may have been was quickly replaced with pajamas she wore to school. She looked visibly upset and drained, and her grades started dropping again. It’s not like anyone blamed her, though. People found out that he was cheating on her for quite some time, and word travels fast. It was a few months to be precise.
Tanner still played dumb, because he was dumb. Everyone could see him walking around with the girl he cheated with, flaunting her just like he did with Aurora. Even his friends could see how fucked up that was…it was like a modern day Reynolds Pamphlet. And Aurora wasn’t just heartbroken, she was humiliated.
Her coping methods weren’t the best, either. Guys started saying she was ‘free game’ because she started hooking up with randos to get her mind off of Tanner and Bill. It helped, albeit for the few minutes it took - it made the ache in her chest blur, but never leave.
Aurora was quite literally the personification of a car crash you couldn’t look away from. </3
Speaking of Aurora, when she wasn’t at school (not that she really went anymore anyway), dance, or work, she was curled up in her bed. Which is where she was when her friends knocked on her door.
“Rose- Rose!” Jack shouted from the TV. He just caught Rose after she threw herself off of the safety boat. He kissed her face over and over, cradling it in his hands. “Rose- God, you’re so stupid, Rose..! Never do that again!!”
Aurora let out an emotional grunt, throwing an empty ice cream carton (formerly mint chocolate chip) at the TV. “He’s not worth it!! They never are..!” her voice cracked, digging her spoon into the new carton (now rocky road) harshly. Was watching Titanic helping her at all? No. In fact, it was making her feel worse. But was she doing it anyway?? Yeah, of course she was. She didn’t go downstairs once she heard the doorbell ring, and rolled her eyes once furious banging followed it.
“God- Aurora!! Open up!!!” her friend Vivian shouted, letting out a small huff. She shifted the drink she was holding to her opposite hand. “You’ve skipped school three days in a row!! You can’t hide in your stupid room forever!” she got down on the floor, shooing Mallory, who was also there, to get off the doormat. “She’s gotta have a spare key somewhere.”
Mallory hummed, looking around Aurora’s porch. She took the hat off of a garden gnome, and waved the key in Viv’s face smugly. “Got ittt..”
The shorter female just rolled her eyes in response. “Ugh- whatever. Just open the damn door.”
After letting both of themselves in, they looked around to see if anyone was home besides Aurora - which wasn’t exactly hard to guess the answer to, considering neither of her parents were ever home. They were always away on business trips, which left the house to their daughter all to herself most of the time. And low and behold, who would’ve known they would have come face to face with a perfectly quiet household.
Well. If you ignored the obnoxiously loud noise of the TV coming from her room.
The two slowly crept up her stairs and swung the door to her room open, both of them gasping at her state. Her usually clean room was a disaster, with wrappers and empty cans of whatever everywhere, her hair was tied up into a really bad messy bun, and her face was puffy – evident from her crying. TDLR; she was a mess, even more than she was the night she kissed Bill.
Bill…
Aurora thinks about him for a split second, before registering that Mallory and Vivian were literally standing outside her door. “Ugh- fuck!! Get out..!” her attention turned back to the TV.
“I’ll never let go, Jack..” Rose sobbed, watching Jack die clinging to the door.
Aurora sobbed out in response, burying her face into the pillow next to her.
Her friends just stared at her, before exchanging concerned glances at one another. Yeesh. They’ve seen her emotional, sure, but it’s never gotten this bad. Usually she would have shaken it off by now.
Mallory opened her tote bag and dug around for a few moments, pulling out a CD. “Listen- we knew you were down so we brought you some stuff to cheer you up!! Look- Britney Spears came out with a new single. ‘Womanizer’. She’s your fav, right?” she smiled, handing it to her. She watched Aurora eye the CD, a ghost of a smile on her face. But she barely budged – after muttering a small thank you she put it down next to her and glued her eyes back to the TV.
Vivian was next, sitting on the edge of the bed. “And- we have crazy gossip for you. I know you like that stuff.” she smiled, leaning in. “Apparently, Rachel found out Marcus was texting Ava behind her back. Can you believe–?”
“I don’t care.” Aurora buried her face back into her pillow, which caused Vivian to furrow her brows.
“Okay, wow. Ouch.” she huffed, rolling her eyes.
Aurora slowly sat up, squinting at them through red eyes. “I just- don’t care. About Marcus, or Ava, or any of them. Everyone cheats. Everyone lies. It’s like… inevitable.” Her lip trembled for a second. “They don’t even pretend to mean it anymore.”
Mallory’s smile faded completely. Vivian looked at her with an awkward expression.
“I tried so fucking hard to do everything right with him. I thought if I just… was enough, it’d work. But Tanner still—” she caught herself, and swallowed hard. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter.”
There was a beat of silence, the sound of Titanic playing from her TV occupying the room.
“Life is just- ugh. It’s so hard.” Aurora ran a hand through her hair. “I keep fucking everything up.”
Vivian scooted closer to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “What are you talking about.? It’s not your fault Tanner cheated on you. He was always kinda ugly, anyway. Bleached hair was not a good look for him.” she cringed at the memory. “Soooo bad..”
Aurora pulled her knees into her chest, holding onto her legs as she shook her head. “It isn’t that. Bill isn’t tutoring me anymore, I messed up.”
Mallory tilted her head. “..Why?? You were his only source of income. Pete said so, at least.” she shrugged. Both girls slowly turned her heads to her, which caused the black haired girl to heat up in embarrassment and wave her hands in defense. “N-Not like I was talking to him or anything!! Aha!!! Why would I do that?! I, like- overheard.” she stuttered, crossing her arms. “..Mhm.”
The other two were silent, before Vivian slowly nodded her head. “..Uh huh. We’re talking about this later.” she pointed at her, which caused Mallory to look away awkwardly. “But- anyway. What could you have possibly done, ‘Rora? I thought it was going okay.”
“It was, before I. Um.” Aurora mumbled, burying her face into her knees in embarrassment. “..I kissed him.”
There was another pause as her friends stared at her in shock.
Vivian blinked. “...Kissed? Like- actually kissed? On the mouth?”
Aurora slowly nodded, her head remaining down.
“...You kissed Bill Dickey?!” she screamed out, gripping Aurora’s shoulders and shaking her. “Aurora, literally what the fuck. Why would you do that to yourself?! Why did you rebound with him, out of literally all people—”
“I-I don’t know, okay..! I just- I needed someone to talk to after I caught Tanner, a-and he was available so I drove him to my house to drink–”
“YOU DRANK WITH HIM???” Vivian shouted, before Mallory cut her off by pulling her off of Aurora.
“And- like. I was drunk and he was drunk, and he didn’t look horrible, and he was being, like, really nice to me, y’know? So. Uuh.” Aurora stuttered out quickly, stumbling over her words. She awkwardly played with her hair. “Yeah.”
Mallory furrowed her brows. “Okay, pause. Why is he mad about this??”
She bit the inside of her cheek. “I said that it was a mistake, and he stormed off. He hasn’t spoken to me since.”
Both girls took everything she said in, and nodded.
Vivian pulled Aurora off her bed, which caused her to groan in protest. “Okay- here’s the deal. We can ignore that whole situation for now, and focus on bettering yourself first. You can focus on dealing with whatever situation you have with…him…later.” Mallory led Aurora to the bathroom, pushing her in.
“Take a shower!! After you get out we’ll do stuff.” Mallory smiled, before slamming the door shut. She dusted her hands off, and high fived Vivian. “We’re too good.” the two girls said as their hands slapped together, walking downstairs to wait in her living room.
Aurora stared at the door for a few moments after she got pushed into the bathroom, before gratefully smiling to herself.
— — —
Aurora laughed with her friends as they walked out of PINK, shopping bags coating her arms as they strolled around the mall. She forgot how fun this place was. Or, more specifically, how fun it was to blow money on things she didn’t need… “God - whoever thought of putting animal print on clothes was a genius.” she smiled, something she hasn’t done in days.
The three stopped as they heard a group of loud, familiar voices, and their heads turned to look at the other side of the mall.
“I'm telling you, the new arc completely ruins the lore!” Pete shouted, crossing his arms in protest.
“No way, it adds layers! You just don’t get the meta,” Josh argued back, waving a hand for emphasis.
Jerry rolled his eyes at the two, “You guys are missing the bigger picture.. what about the coding in the new game? It’s all messed up.”
Bill’s head was slightly down, adding quietly but firmly, “The whole franchise is way overrated now, anyway. It got taken over by fakers.”
Aurora sucked in air as she watched them walk out of GameStop, the other two staring at the group with a tense expression.
“..I’m gonna go talk to him.” she murmured, and before either of her friends could protest she began speeding to an area where she could cross to their side. They ran after her, rambling about who knows what, but she didn’t care. She simply ignored them, her eyes set on that stupid flannel she knew all too well.
Bill wasn’t really listening to what his friends were saying. His jaw was tight, and his eyes were fixed on the tiled floor like it had done something to personally offend him. He didn’t know why he came out with them today – everything they said was louder, dumber, and so much more irritating than it usually was. Something was eating at him that he didn’t want to admit. It wasn't about the game his friends were complaining about, it wasn’t even about the fake fans. But deep down he could admit it.
It was Aurora. Because why wouldn't it be.
He hated that he still thought about her. He hated that the moment her smile flashed through his mind when she walked into their chem class. Or- used to walk into chem, considering she barely went anymore. He hadn’t told the guys (besides Pete, who surprisingly kept his mouth shut about it all) what happened, but it had been gnawing at him ever since. He pulled at the sleeve of his flannel absentmindedly, still staring at the ground. What was he even supposed to do about it?
His body tensed as he felt eyes on him.
“Bill.” An oh-so familiar voice said tensely from behind. Without even turning around he knew who it was, how could he not?
He stared at the pink haired girl in front of him, the rest of the club turning around to look at the scene that was going to play out. “..Aurora.”
Mallory and Vivian caught up to her. “'Rora-! Ugh, God, what are you doiiiiing…” Vivian scolded, before trailing off once she saw the group in all of their (horrific) glory. She cringed and hid behind Mallory, who excitedly waved at Pete. He waved back at her with a smile.
Aurora inhaled, swallowing. “...Can I speak to you? Alone?”
Bill stared at her, his eyes flickering away for a second. “...I guess.” he replied curtly, following her lead as she began to walk away to who knows where.
Pete shot Bill a look as they walked, which caused him to flush a light pink and speed up. Josh and Jerry just stared at the two with a mildly concerned look, before going to look at Pete.
Josh narrowed his brows. “Pete what the fuck. Do you know something we don’t??” he asked, his face tensing more as he watched Pete shrug absentmindedly.
Vivian stared at the three, and then turned to Mallory. “..Do we have to stay with them this whole time??”
Yes, yes they did. And it'd be for a pretty long time, too.
Notes:
hihi!! ik it ends on a really awkward note BUT the next chapter'll go straight into bill + roras convo so!! ya!!! sorry this wasn't rlly romance based i wanted to give a little more info on aurora herself + focus on her character :)) i'll probs draw out the scene where they make up or smth to provide a lil visual! if ur reading this as an x reader eek srry pls ignore it then
once again! tysm for reading + sticking with me!! i'm soso grateful for all of the kind comments they srsly make my day <3
Chapter 7: make up sesh
Summary:
bill and aurora finally speak after like 56 yrs. this is revolutionary.
Notes:
hihi!!! srry this is kinda short but i hope them talking about everything makes up for it :))
ft my friends ocs mallory and vivian!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Bill barely had time to register what was happening before Aurora had grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him out of earshot. She didn’t even look back at the stunned expressions from both their groups. The moment they rounded the corner to rest in a small hallway with a vending machine next to a shuttered perfume kiosk, she stopped.
The smell of crappy incense filled their nostrils as Bill abruptly pulled his hand back, memories of when she did the exact same thing the night to the party clouding his mind. He shot her a small glare. “If you’re here to reject me I’m not interested. I’d rather stay away from your stupid normie 'feeling' stuff.”
Aurora winced. “No- no.! I’m not… I’m not here to yell at you.” She played with the bottom of her tank top, looking down. “I just- I need to say something. Please don’t walk away.” He didn’t respond, but he didn’t leave either. Taking it as an invitation to start speaking, Aurora inhaled. “..I’m sorry.”
Bill just stared at her, attempting to translate her words. Hearing her genuinely apologize was something he never thought he’d get to experience; she didn’t hand them out lightly. But he still said nothing, only shifting his weight from one foot to the other in an antsy manner like he was physically holding back whatever sharp thing he wanted to snap at her.
She continued. “I used you when it was convenient to me, I kissed you when I wasn’t ready, and then I ran because I didn’t know what to do with how I felt about it. I never meant to make you feel like some rebound, I swear I didn’t, and I'm sorry for making you feel like one.”
He wanted to cut her off, pretend like he didn’t care and call her a whore. A skank, a broad – maybe taunt or make fun of her for pulling something like this on him. The Secretary of Comics, the president of the Eltingville Club. She didn’t get to just apologize and act like everything was okay, oh no. Oh no, no, no.
She was just like all the other bimbo, smooth brained girls in their stupid school. A dumb, pretty little parasite who fed off attention like it was oxygen, sucking it out of everyone she spoke to. The type of girl who couldn’t survive a day without someone telling her she was hot, like that was the only thing she had going for her (and it probably was). It was so fucking stupid how he fell into her trap, flinging herself from one guy to the next, crying about heartbreak with her lip gloss still fresh from the last guy she latched onto. He wanted to make her cry and run away, be scared. Make her never want to speak to him again, because she's infested his life for too long.
But for some otherworldly reason, he kept all of the venom down. He hated how it never came up. “..Do you think just saying that makes it better?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
“...No,” she whispered, looking down. “But I just wanted to say it anyway.”
Seeing her like this made his stomach turn. Bill didn’t like seeing her so human, not as some siren luring him on, because it made it easier to forgive. He knew she wasn’t faking it to keep up with her reputation or her own personal benefit, and that just pissed him off even more.
Because it would've been easier to hate her if she had been.
And deep down some awful, honest part of him had wanted to hear her say that. Say that he mattered, that she’d give him the time of day to apologize. This whole thing was making him realize he was really bad with emotions. It was embarrassing; humbling. Bill kept his mouth shut as he looked to the side, crossing his arms.
“Don’t think I forgive that easily.” he rolled his eyes, a light pink dusting his cheeks. “..But. I guess I shouldn’t have shut you out, or whatever.” he spoke through his teeth, forcing the very subtle apology out. It looked like it physically hurt him to say it. “I guess we can let bygones be bygones, or something. I dunno.”
Picking up what Bill was putting down, Aurora smiled at him. She slowly maneuvered her way closer to him (which caused bill’s face to scrunch up in confusion. why is she moving closer. help. he’s scared.), before wrapping her arms around him into a tight hug.
For a few moments Bill stood there, stiff as a board, before forcing his arms around her waist. Once he registered that a girl was willingly hugging him, he relaxed a bit. “Um.” he started, “..About that kiss,”
Aurora’s face tensed.
“Uh. Why did you, y’know. Do that? Besides the fact that I was available.” he murmured into her shoulder, his face heating up into a deep red. “Did it mean anything?”
She pulled away. “Well…I wouldn’t have just kissed you for no reason, so. Yeah.” not noticing the slight glimmer that shone in his eyes once she said yes, she wrapped her arms around her body while sighing. “It’s complicated.”
He furrowed his brows. “...How?”
“Well- I just got out of a long term relationship.” she put a hand on her hip. “I don’t wanna rush things.”
Bill stood there for a few seconds, digesting what she said. A metaphorical lightbulb clicked in his mind, his eyebrows raising. “..Rush things? As in. A relationship??”
Watching her face turn red, butterflies soared through his stomach. There’s no way...
Aurora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking away. “..Like, yeah. I guess.”
SCORE. ABSOLUTE FUCKING SCORE.
Oh, Bill is SO going to brag about this to the club after this. Aurora likes him??? How did he manage to even do that??? Even Bill knows that this is literally insane; seeing them next to each other’ll look like charity work. But, he wasn’t complaining. He'd never complain about that.
He slowly nodded, trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing. A hand ran to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. “Got it, got it.” Clearing his throat, he looked away. “Anyway…um. I can still tutor you, if you want.”
Aurora's eyes fell back onto him, smiling. “Sweet. When can we start?”
Bill looked past her, his gaze drifting over to the bustling mall crowd in front of him. He thought for a moment before looking back. “..Now, if you want. I can tutor you in other things, too.. other than chem...”
Watching his eyes flicker away from her in a bashful manner, she slyly smirked at him. “Oh yeah? Like what??”
– – –
“And then I went- KWABAM!! Total score!!” Mallory imitated shooting a hockey puck into a net, yelling out a small battle cry. “And I made us win!! The crowd went wiiiiiild!!! Everyone was chanting my number and everything!!”
Pete smiled. “ Awesome. I love watchin’ hockey. The Islanders are my favorite te-”
“They’re my favorite team too!! Well- besides the Jersey Devils. I like them both equally.” she beamed, sitting back down next to Pete. Vivian yawned as she scrolled through her phone, with Josh and Jerry making conversation about what was going on next to her.
Ignoring Pete and Mallory’s weird friendship-thing going on, Josh was hunched over next to Jerry. Both of their voices were barely above a whisper. “...I mean, did you see the look Pete gave him?? There has to be something going on that we don’t know.” he narrowed his eyes, an annoyed frown crossing his lips. “That Nerf Herder. Why would he tell Pete, of all people??”
Jerry shrugged. “I’m just surprised Pete hasn’t cracked yet. He doesn’t strike me as the ‘secret keeping’ type…” he leaned forward to look at Pete, squinting at him. “...Bill blushed, too. Do you think it means something?”
“Uh, yeah. Bill never shows any emotion besides anger.” Josh rolled his eyes hypocritically, as if he wasn’t basically the same. “I think somethings going on between them.”
A laugh of disbelief left Jerry’s mouth as he heard those words, turning his head to Josh. “With Aurora?? Josh that’s insane. She’s like…really popular. I don’t think Bill would want someone who knows nothing about fandom, as pretty as she may be.” he leaned back, shrugging, “Plus- I don’t think she’d settle for a guy like Bill, no offense. Not after Tanner.”
At this point Vivian was listening in on their conversation, totally eavesdropping.
Josh pointed at him, snapping his fingers. “Exactly. Which is why this is weird. Do you think he likes her??”
Jerry is quiet for a few seconds, thinking. “..Maybe. What if they hooked up?”
Vivian sucked in air through her nose as she heard him say that, tensing up. The two went to go look at her.
“..You know something, don’t you?” Josh asked, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
Vivian opened her mouth, already scrambling for some kind of denial, but she got cut off by an all-too familiar voice.
“Heyyy!! Hope you guys didn’t miss me too much.” Aurora beamed, waving at the group with Bill walking next to her.
Josh and Jerry both whipped their heads around. Bill was noticeably less hunched than usual — still awkward, obviously, but there was something almost neutral in his posture, like he wasn’t bracing to be spoken to. A hand was shoved into the pocket of his jeans while the other occupied the shopping bags she was holding before. He wasn’t exactly up against her or anything, but the distance between them was minimal. Too minimal.
Both Josh and Jerry narrowed their eyes at the two, and then each other.
Aurora, on the other hand, looked practically radiant, as if she didn’t just drag Bill away all seriously. “Sorry girls, but I gotta bounce. Bill is gonna tutor me.” she gestured towards him, before turning to the rest of the club. “..Also, sorry I’m dragging him away from you guys. This is suuuuper urgent business.”
“...What could he possibly be tutoring you for right now?? You’re in the middle of a mall.” Pete looked at the two, a fake sense of confusion plastered on his face.
Bill looked at the group in a matter-of-fact way. He cleared his throat, “...Movies. Don’t bother us.” he swiftly turned his head to look at Aurora, who just finished hugging both Vivian and Mallory goodbye. She smiled at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Okay- so, like, I kind of know what Star Wars is but I never bothered to sit down and watch a movie, y’know? We should watch one after a tutoring sesh.” she started walking, Bill following next to her. She looked up, putting a hand on her hip. “I know that Luke is, like, a good guy..”
As the two walked away towards the Blockbuster that was a couple of stores down, everyone except Pete stared at them in shock. “..Huh???” a muddled expression crossed Jerrys face while he ran a hand through his hair, watching Aurora wrap her arm around Bill's free one in horror.
And Bill, as if he sensed the attention behind him, looked over his shoulder to look right back at them. He met their eyes — and flashed the most smug, insufferable grin they had ever seen.
Notes:
ty for reading!! sorry it was kinda short but i think i got everything down pretty well...BUT i have only one more chapter to go!!! or at least i'm aiming for that. it feels like yesterday when i started this sniffle sniffle... where does the time go..... we're almost at 1,000 reads too which i think is CRAZY work
tysm for all of the support! <3
Chapter 8: kissing sesh
Summary:
fucking FINALLY.
Notes:
the song is everlong by foo fighters in case u were wondering (subtle foreshadowing)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It had been a week or so since the ‘mall incident’, as Vivian had dubbed it, and significant progress was made between the two. Well- maybe not significant, that might be an overexaggeration…
But Bill was in a girls room. Aurora’s room.
Honestly, nobody thought he could manage to do such a thing. Not even Bill himself thought so, as much as he’d hate to admit it. But the moment she invited him inside his heart soared — maybe he’d even get laid! (he was not getting laid)
He was currently perched on a leopard-printed chair shaped like a high heel that vaguely smelled like her, while Aurora was sprawled on her bed. He’d been trying to explain covalent bonds to her for the past thirty minutes, as he usually did in their typical routine, but this time she wasn’t even bothering to listen to him. Her chem notebook was out, but it was very obvious that she was flipping through some Cosmopolitan magazine planted behind it. Every so often, she’d hum in agreement or nod when he paused for breath, but if he asked her to repeat whatever he said she couldn’t do it.
“Are you even listening to me???” Bill eventually huffed, placing his own notebook down on his lap.
“Like…kinda. Sorta.” she hummed, before adding afterwards, “..No, not really. Sorry.”
A wave of annoyance washed over him while he watched her kick her legs in the air aimlessly. He ran a hand through his hair. “Why even bother inviting me over if you’re just gonna–”
“You’re kinda cute when you’re serious...”
He nearly choked on his own spit. “Oh my God- shut up. Focus. You literally asked me to come here and help you so I-”
Aurora suddenly swung her legs to dangle off of her bed as she sat up, cracking her back with a small grunt. “Do you, like, wanna do something else? I’m soooo bored.”
Bill stared at her.
No girl has ever asked him such a thing before.
He suspiciously narrowed his eyes. “...Like what.” he spoke, coming out way more defensive than he meant it to.
Aurora lifted her head slightly, a small grin appearing on her lips at the tone. “I dunno. Something fun, not tutoring. We never actually hang out, y’know?”
Well, that was true. Nothing was official, as Aurora told him in the middle of that Blockbuster they went to after they ditched their friends. That was technically their only ‘hang out’ that they’ve had, now that he was really thinking about it.
“..Fun,” he repeated dryly. He shifted in the stupid shoe-shaped chair, averting his eyes away from her own. “You mean, like, mainstream fun? What does that even mean for you?”
Aurora shrugged, getting up. “I dunno. We could watch something, make something, talk about something…just do something…”
Bill’s eyes twitched. This was torture. But, alas, he didn’t want to ruin it; whatever this was. Not when she was finally letting him fully exist in her orbit. But some bitter little voice in the back of his head was still screaming about how he wanted to do things his way, how he wanted to stay on schedule and keep up their routine so he wouldn’t slip up on accident and have everything crumble down again.
He was so close to having full bragging rights… he can’t mess up now…
Eventually, Bill’s eyes drifted across the room again, staring at the pink CD player faintly playing trashy pop music. They lingered on the CD currently playing, which seemed to be some kind of mixtape, before drifting away to the wall behind it. Specifically, the part of it plastered in polaroids, glittery posterboards, dumb photobooth strips, and printed out digital camera pictures of her and her friends. A collage of life, right in the corner of her room.
He squinted at it in confusion. “Is that a shrine?”
Aurora looked up, furrowing her brows at the question. “Hm?”
He gestured toward the wall with a lift of his chin. “The pictures.”
Once she noticed what he was talking about she laughed softly, tossing her magazine aside as she stood up. “Oh! It’s just my photo wall. I like taking pictures when I go out, so I stick ‘em on my wall once I get them printed.”
Bill got up, his eyes locking on a picture of her. She seemed to be at some kind of houseparty, and her lipstick was smudged in a way that suggested it had been very recently used. Her hand was pressed against the chest of whoever was behind her; a faceless guy cropped out by the camera angle. Her head was thrown back in laughter, legs crossed, hair tousled, and eyes half-lidded.
He blinked at the image, then squinted like that would somehow make it less suggestive. “..You go out a lot, it seems.” he murmured as he realized there were a lot of pictures of her like that. A surge of jealousy ran through his veins.
Whore.
“I’m a people person!” she shrugged, nudging his arm. “ You wouldn’t get it.”
He didn’t reply. His eyes just scanned the photos - some crystal clear, some blurry, some with her in glittery makeup or laughing with a red Solo cup in hand. It was so different from his life, where acquaintanceship came with arguments at Joe’s and yelling about continuity errors in media.
He spoke without thinking. “I don’t think I’ve smiled like that in a photo. Ever.”
Aurora stopped to look at him and think. Was this even a good idea? Bill was an annoying, haughty asshole. In all honesty, she didn’t really think he could care about anything other than his own little world filled with comics and superheroes..
And he was weird. Really weird. This would be detrimental to her reputation.
The thought of that made her squirm in her seat.
But having him so close to her, asking questions about herself rather than bragging about his own ‘accomplishments’ (if you could even call them that </3), which was something he did very often, felt nice. She never really believed in the whole ‘I can fix him’ fad, but…
Her head turned to a drawer on her dresser. “That’s, like… really sad,” Aurora replied, “We should change that.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “We?”
“Mhmm!” She was already digging through the drawers next to her bed, before pulling out her digital camera. “Smile for the camera, Billy.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Ugh- you’re actually no fun..!” Aurora huffed, crossing her arms. “Just one? Please??”
He was deadset on his answer, until he realized it wasn’t every day a girl begged Bill to do something for them. Besides, like, for him to go away, but that was irrelevant. He thought for a moment, before grumpily looking away. “..One.” he echoed flatly.
She lifted the camera and looked through the lens. “Yayyy!! Okay, say chee-” the camera fell slightly so she could stop and look at him, “..No, actually, you look like you’re about to be arrested. Loosen up before I take it.”
Bill rolled his eyes. “This is as loose as I get. You’re so difficult...just take the picture…” he murmured, arms crossed tightly across his chest.
“You’re such a grump,” she muttered, sitting down next to him on the chair pulling him in. “It’s not like I’m gonna bite you. Unless you want me to..”
“ What? ! No–! I-I mean…uum. Like, if you- uuh–”
“Kidding!” she giggled, lifting the camera with one hand, wrapping her free one around his shoulder to pull him in.
His whole body went rigid as her perfume hit his nose like a baseball bat. Something tropical.. maybe coconut. She did mention she changed perfumes based on season; maybe she was phasing into her summer one. Coconut was a summery scent, yeah?
“Say, ‘I looooove Aurora!’”
Click!
Before Bill could think, a bright flash blinded him for a few seconds which caused a groan to leave his lips after the picture was taken while he rubbed his eyes. Aurora looked at the photo once it showed up on her camera’s screen and grinned. “Awwwh, look at you!! You don’t look totally miserable. That’s progress.”
Leaning over to stare at the picture, he cringed at it. His face was a bright pink, almost like her hair, and he looked crazy flustered. Nothing like the guys on her wall…
“I’ll put it on my wall.”
The two fell into a comfortable silence as Aurora opened her laptop to develop the picture. He quietly watched her while the hum of music from the CD player slowly faded into the next track. The opening guitar strums drifted in, slow and familiar, hazy with warmth.
“Oh- I love this song,” Aurora muttered under her breath, more to herself than to him. Her voice softened as she hummed along mindlessly. “Helloooo.. I’ve waited here for you3….”
Bill was never one for music; it quite annoyed him, actually. He never went out of his way to listen to a certain band or artist, the most exposure he really had to a specific genre was game soundtracks (which he found as equally annoying) and music his father used to play in the car before the divorce. But the melody slowly drifted to the air as he watched her hum along and tape the polaroid to her wall in a way that he enjoyed.
“You don’t strike me as the type to enjoy this, um. Genre of music.” he murmured, looking at the floor once she turned her head his way.
“I’m really not, I like pop wayyy more.” she mused, getting closer to him to grab another piece of tape. “But I like this one at least. I think it’s nice.”
Something inside of him snapped, similar to how he reacted all those weeks ago. Without thinking he grabbed her wrist, softly, which caused her to let out a small yelp. He yanked her down to sit next to him and wrapped his arms around her neck before smashing his lips against hers once the chorus of the song swelled.
Aurora let out a muffled squeak once she registered what was going on. With tape still stuck to her finger she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him in closer. His lips pressed firmly against hers, pretty desperately actually, and she found herself melting into it before she could even think about resisting. She suddenly pulled away to catch her breath.
Bill barely had time to compose himself, only getting a glimpse of her, because she went right back in. She tilted her head slightly, deepening the kiss, and the warmth of his hand against her jaw sent shivers crawling down her spine. He inhaled sharply through his nose as he felt her fingers curling against the fabric of his shirt.
If it wasn’t obvious, he had no clue what the fuck he was doing. Was this how it felt to make out with someone?? He assumed so, considering her hands were sliding up and down his back and they were basically eating their faces off of one another. His heartbeat was hammering in his brain as he tried to follow along, but the lack of oxygen from the both of them caused it to be cut short.
Neither of them said anything, both of their arms unmoving. Aurora’s eyes darted around his face, her cheeks flushed.
Realizing how feminine his position was, he took his hands off of her face and awkwardly placed them on his legs. His hands balled into tight fists, like he thought she might shove him away. His eyes flickered down. “I’m sorry- I just..”
Hearing Aurora snicker, he looked back up at her. Her hand left his waist to swipe at his upper lip. “You have lip gloss all over you.”
Bill’s brows furrowed together as he quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, glaring at her through his embarrassment. “What? You think that’s funny?” he muttered, though the corners of his mouth twitched upwards despite his tone.
Aurora just grinned, clearly unfazed by his sulking. “A little.” She let out a few more giggles while he tried getting rid of the stickiness of the gloss on his hand. Tilting her head, her gaze softened. “..You don’t have to apologize, you know. I wanted it, too.”
Bill blinked, his hand frozen mid-wipe as his mind completely ran blank. “..Oh.”
She snorted, leaning in closer to plant a kiss on his cheek. “You’re cute when you’re nervous,” she murmured, causing Bill to groan out in protest.
“Take your lipgloss off..! I don’t wanna break out more than I already am..” he groaned, wiping the residue off of his (very red) cheek in a flustered manner.
Aurora’s laugh bubbled out of her, making his chest tighten. “I think you’re perfect just like that.” She watched his expression contort as he tried to think of a comeback in an amused way before drawing in a breath.
“Sooo…” she dragged the word out, tapping her finger against her knee. “What are we?”
Bill blinked, his hand slipping off of his cheek. “What. Um. What do you mean?”
“I want to date you, Bill.”
…
FUCK YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH
Metaphorical fireworks went off in the distance. Victory music started playing, Bill screaming out a war cry as he swooped up his fair maiden. He could practically see the both of them riding off into the sunset on dolphins already…
Snapping back into reality, his face lit up a bright red. Time seemed to slow as his brain scrambled to spit out a yes. “I..yeah.” he stuttered out, playing with the collar of his shirt. “I wanna date you too.”
“Cool. So we’re dating?”
“..Yeah.”
Both of them fell into silence as they stared at each other.
Bill cleared his throat. “Does that mean we can make out again?”
Aurora scoffed lightheartedly, rolling her eyes with a smile. “Sure.”
“Cool…”
♡♡♡♡
Notes:
peep the scott pilgrim vs the world reference at the end 😛 BUT OMG. IT'S FINALLY DONE. i'm so sorry this chapter literally took like 2 whole months for me to write i totally lost ALL motivation bc of my job + my hyperfixation over the eltingville club fizzled out. but they so deserved this. i'm glad they're bf + gf now i can finally rest. but i might add an epilogue!! idk!!!! depends on how i feel. art in the next chapter btw (all drawn by me). if u ever wanna know more abt aurora beyond this lil fic i will GLADLY tell 😁 i'll give u my disc + everything
tysm for reading !! i'm sososo grateful for everyone who's stuck around and this deffo inspired me to make more fanfics in the future, most likely x readers <3 if ur feeling extra generous and awesome u should totally drop a kudos :)
Chapter 9: fin.
Summary:
ART MADE BY ME AAAH AAAAAH 😛
disclaimer: i'm not that good pls don't judge 3 i drew all of ts on my phone with my pointer finger i'm not da vinci.
merci !!! 😋
Chapter Text
♡♡♡
aww look at how cute !!!!! i sure hope they had a very stable relationship prior to them getting together !!!!!!
♡♡♡
fun fact i actually drew out all of chapter 2 before i wrote it. turning it into a chapter was a complete afterthought. it was SOOO rushed but here r two panels i rlly enjoyed
as u can tell. i cannot draw hands 4 the life of me.
♡♡♡
this was that. like. art trend that was going around on tikok. it's from the archie comics iirc
♡♡♡
idk i think smth is wrong w this one i think it looks atrocious. maybe it's bc bill is so ugly he ruins the whole thing
♡♡♡
ya that's it 😛 idk why i'm providing visuals at the very end of the fic i feel like this should have been smth i did at the start but whatevs TY FOR READING <3333 LOVE UUUUUU
♡♡♡
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