𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐈𝐗: 𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒

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chapter twenty-six: kisses

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚

Adora barely registered the sound of the door clicking shut behind her as she stepped outside, the cool night air hitting her like a slap to the face. Her breath came in quick, shallow bursts, her chest tightening with something she couldn't quite name.

This wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

She pressed a hand against her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut, but the conversation replayed in her head like a broken record. Their words, their voices, the way they had looked at her—calm, certain, like they had already decided, like they had just been waiting for her to catch up.

Her stomach twisted.

How had she not seen this before? Had she really been that blind?

Adora sucked in a deep breath, willing her heartbeat to slow. This was insane. Completely, totally, undeniably insane. And yet—

Yet, a part of her couldn't shake the way her pulse had jumped when Billy had leaned in, the way her skin had prickled under Stu's easy, amused gaze.

She hated that.

A sharp laugh bubbled up in her throat, but it sounded strangled, almost hysterical. "Jesus," she muttered under her breath, running a hand through her hair.

"Talking to yourself already?"

She jumped, spinning around so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet. Billy leaned against the porch railing, arms crossed, watching her with that same unreadable expression.

Her pulse pounded against her ribs. "Seriously?" she snapped. "Do you just follow people when they leave the room now?"

Billy didn't flinch. "Only when they look like they might not come back."

Adora clenched her jaw, glaring at him. "Well, maybe I needed some time to think."

Billy tilted his head, considering her. "And?"

"And," she bit out, "I still think this is insane."

A ghost of a smirk played at the corner of his mouth. "You said that already."

She scowled. "Because it is."

Billy took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them just enough to make her breath hitch. "That's never stopped you before."

Her throat went dry.

She hated the way he did that—how he could take a simple statement, twist it just enough to make her question herself, make her second-guess everything.

She exhaled sharply, taking a step back, needing space, needing air, but Billy just watched her with that same steady patience, like he had all the time in the world.

Like he knew.

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. "Why now?" she asked, her voice quieter this time. "Why not before? Why not—" She swallowed hard. "Why not when it would've made sense?"

Billy's smirk faded, and for the first time since this whole conversation started, something flickered in his expression—something real.

"Because you weren't ready," he said simply.

Adora's breath caught.

Billy took another step closer, slow and deliberate, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You weren't ready to see it. To see us." His voice dropped lower, softer. "But you see it now, don't you?"

Her heart slammed against her ribs, and she hated—hated—that he was right.

She didn't answer. Couldn't.

Billy's lips twitched, like he could hear every unspoken thought in her head, and that scared her more than anything else.

He reached out then, slow enough that she could stop him if she wanted to, but she didn't move. His fingers brushed against hers, barely a touch, just enough to send a shiver up her spine.

Just enough to make her want to run.

Adora inhaled sharply, willing herself to pull away—to do something, anything, other than just stand there like an idiot. But her fingers twitched against his, betraying her, and Billy's eyes darkened just slightly, like he noticed. Of course, he noticed.

She could still hear Stu's voice in her head, playful and smug: It's always been about you.

Her throat felt tight. She needed to get out of here before she did something she couldn't take back.

And yet—

She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to move, but instead of bolting, she turned and walked back inside.

Billy didn't stop her. Didn't say anything. But she felt him follow.

Stu was still sprawled on the couch when they stepped in, tossing a popcorn kernel in the air and catching it in his mouth. He grinned the moment he saw her, like he had been expecting this outcome all along.

"Took you long enough," he drawled, patting the empty space beside him.

Adora rolled her eyes but sat down anyway, ignoring the way her body felt like it was vibrating. Billy settled next to her, close but not touching, and she pretended not to notice the way her pulse jumped at the warmth of him.

Stu slung an arm over the back of the couch, tilting his head as he studied her. "So?"

Adora shot him a glare. "So what?"

His grin widened. "So... what's the verdict, babe? Are we still insane?"

She let out a breath, pressing her fingers into her temples. "Yes," she muttered. "You're both completely, certifiably insane."

Stu chuckled, pleased. "Good. Just checking."

Billy leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "But you're still here."

Adora's fingers curled into her jeans again, grounding herself. "Yeah," she admitted. "I'm still here."

Stu let out a dramatic sigh. "Finally. Do you know how exhausting it is waiting for you to catch up?"

Billy shot him a look, but Adora just huffed out a laugh. "Oh, I'm so sorry for making you wait," she deadpanned.

Stu's grin turned downright wicked. "You should be."

Before she could react, he reached out, fingers catching hers in an easy, thoughtless motion—like he had always done, like he had a hundred times before. But this time, it was different. Because now, Adora was hyper-aware of it.

Billy's eyes flicked to their joined hands, unreadable.

Adora swallowed hard, trying to ignore the heat curling in her stomach. She should pull away. She should.

She didn't.

Stu squeezed her fingers, his voice teasing, but there was something real beneath it. "Relax, babe. You act like we're about to eat you."

Adora scoffed, ignoring the shiver running down her spine. "That's the problem. I don't know what you're about to do."

Billy's lips twitched. "You could always find out."

Her breath caught.

And before she could think better of it, she turned toward him—toward them—and let herself do something she had never dared before.

She let herself feel it.

The weight of Billy's gaze, the warmth of Stu's touch, the way the air between them seemed to hum with something electric.

She didn't know what was going to happen next. Didn't know if she was making the worst decision of her life.

But she was tired of pretending.

So she stopped.

Stu was the first to move.

His fingers, still curled lightly around hers, tightened just a fraction before he tugged—gentle, teasing, but insistent. Adora barely had time to react before his lips brushed against hers, the touch featherlight, almost testing.

Her breath hitched.

For a split second, her entire body went rigid. Every instinct screamed at her to pull away, to shove him back, to stop this before it could go any further.

But then—

Then, she felt the warmth of his mouth, the playful way he lingered, not pushing, not demanding—just waiting. Waiting for her.

And god help her, she wanted this.

A soft, shuddering exhale escaped her lips as she let herself melt into it, her fingers tightening around his without thinking.

Stu made a sound—half amused, half satisfied—before he deepened the kiss, his free hand coming up to cup her jaw, tilting her face just right.

Somewhere in the background, she heard Billy shift, felt his gaze burning into her, but she couldn't focus on anything except the way her pulse pounded in her ears, the way her stomach flipped as Stu's lips moved against hers, coaxing, teasing, taking.

Adora pulled back from Stu, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her heart pounding in her chest. Her head was spinning, the taste of him still lingering on her lips, and she was just starting to regain some semblance of control when she felt it.

Billy's presence, looming just behind her, his eyes locked on hers with an intensity that stole her breath away. He didn't say a word. He didn't need to. His gaze was enough—dark, hungry, possessive.

Stu shifted slightly, giving Billy the space he needed, though his hand remained on hers, a subtle reminder of what had just happened.

Billy moves closer, his movements slow, deliberate. He reached up, his fingers brushing against her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine. His touch was different than Stu's—harder, more urgent, like he couldn't wait another second.

And then he kissed her.

It wasn't the tentative, playful kiss that Stu had given her. This was raw, fierce, demanding, and everything inside her rebelled for just a heartbeat. But as his lips pressed against hers, she felt something inside of her snap. Something that had been tightly wound for so long, a feeling she couldn't ignore anymore.

Adora didn't pull away. She didn't want to. Instead, she met his kiss, her body responding to the heat of him, the way he claimed her mouth with a hunger that was almost savage. His hand moved to her neck, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss until she was completely lost in him.

She couldn't think. She didn't want to think.

Stu's presence behind her felt like a constant, like he was always there, watching, waiting for his turn. But this—this was Billy. And he was taking her in a way that left no room for doubt. No space for hesitation.

Adora pulled away just enough to catch her breath, her chest heaving as she looked up at Billy, her eyes clouded with a mix of confusion and desire. But there was something darker now, something that had shifted between them, something she couldn't quite put into words.

Billy didn't look away. His eyes, still burning with that intense need, searched hers for a moment, like he was looking for something—an answer, perhaps. But before either of them could speak, a soft, familiar chuckle echoed from behind her.

Stu's voice, low and teasing, broke the tension. "So, you're not as immune as you thought, huh, babe?"

Adora's heart skipped, and she spun around, her eyes locking on Stu's smirk. The weight of the situation crashed down on her, a moment of clarity that made her blood run cold. She had kissed them both. And she had no idea, no inkling of just how dangerous her decision was.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ