MEENA SAT in her chair, the makeup she'd borrowed from Tina falling onto the floor as her chat talked amongst themselves. Her starting soon screen still sat comfortably on her monitor.

She spread everything out as she started soon screen left and saw waved towards her chat once more.

She knew she would look like a fool, but this would not be the most embarrassing thing she'd do today.

She would soon start though, her doing her part with Foolish in the VC along with Tina and Ellum as she painted her face white and zooming in on the photos on her phone with clown makeup inspiration.

It was all Foolish's idea. With the bet that she lost a couple of weeks ago. If it weren't for him she wouldn't be sitting here with her face covered in white paint and other things that Foolish suggested she add.

Meena had been streaming for hours, the perfectly done clown makeup a result of a lost bet. She managed to get a couple of games in, including a short-ish GTA stream and several games of Valo... which she would practically die in each time, but she hit pause on her game with Foolish, Ellum, Tina, and Chatterbox.

"Alright, chat," she said, standing up and brushing her hands off. "I need a snack. I'll be right back."

She pulled off her headphones and smoothed down her shirt before heading downstairs, her face still painted but makeup somehow elegant despite its theme.

She was halfway to the fridge when a sudden knock at the door made her pause. Her brows furrowed.

Then it hit her—Blau.

Her heart gave a little leap. She'd texted him yesterday to meet up after her stream to talk about... things. But she hadn't expected him to show up early. Especially not when she was still wearing the clown makeup that her chat had bullied her into perfecting.

She ran a hand through her hair, took a deep breath, and opened the door. Sure enough, there he was, standing on her porch with his hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie. His gaze landed on her, and for a moment, his usual smirk faltered, replaced by something softer.

"You're early," she said, her voice tinged with surprise.

"Yeah." Blau gave a small shrug, his lips curving into a sheepish smile. "I, uh, figured I'd come now. Thought it'd be better than waiting and overthinking."

Meena stepped aside, gesturing for him to come in. "Well, I wasn't expecting you yet, but come on in."

Blau walked in, glancing around the kitchen. The faint glow from the living room cast warm shadows across the space, and for a moment, the silence between them was filled only by the soft hum of the fridge.

Blau exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I texted Rae and Ellum earlier. I needed a little... push, I guess. Because I've been holding this in for a while, and I don't want to keep pretending like it's not there."

Meena's heart pounded, her fingers gripping the edge of the counter for support. She didn't say anything, unsure of where this was going but already feeling like the ground was shifting beneath her.

"I like you," he said, his voice steady but quiet, like he was afraid the words might break something. "More than like you, actually. I've tried to ignore it, to convince myself it's just in my head, but... I can't anymore."

Meena blinked, her chest tightening as his words sunk in. Blau stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. "If I'm wrong, if you don't feel the same way, just tell me. I'll back off, no hard feelings. But I needed you to know."

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Instead, an instinct she didn't even realize she had took over. She closed the gap between them, reaching up and pulling him down into a kiss.

It was sudden, bold, and left no room for hesitation. Blau froze for a split second before his hands found her waist, pulling her closer as he kissed her back.

All Meena could focus on was the warmth of his lips, the way he held her like she was something fragile and precious. His fingers pressed gently into her sides as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss.

Meena's hands slid up to his face, cupping his cheeks as her thumbs brushed against the slight stubble that had begun to grow there. Her fingers instinctively curled against his jawline, holding him in place as if she feared he might pull away.

Blau, however, had no intention of doing so. His hands tightened on her waist, pulling her even closer until there was no space left between them. The warmth of his body radiated against hers, his steady, deliberate movements showing her exactly how long he'd been holding back.

When they finally broke apart,
their foreheads rested against each other. Meena's eyes fluttered open, her lips tingling from the intensity of the kiss. She blinked up at him, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath.

Blau's gaze searched hers, his expression a mix of wonder and disbelief. "I... wasn't expecting that," he murmured, his voice low and hoarse.

Meena smiled, a breathy laugh escaping her as she reached up to brush the edge of his lips with her thumb. "You've got my makeup all over you now," she teased, her voice soft but lighthearted.

"Good." He smiled. "I like it that way."

Blau's gaze searched hers for a moment before he leaned in, brushing his lips against hers once more in a kiss that was softer, quieter, but no less consuming. It was like they were sealing something unspoken, something that had been building between them for far too long.

When Blau finally pulled back from the kiss, his hands lingered on her waist, his thumbs brushing against her sides. His gaze softened, and he let out a nervous laugh that was almost shy.

"Meena," he began, his voice steady but carrying a hint of vulnerability, "I don't want this to just be... I mean, I don't want it to stop here. Will you—" He paused, his brows furrowing slightly as he searched for the right words. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Meena blinked, the weight of his words hitting her in waves. Her chest tightened, and the corner of her lips lifted into a soft, almost disbelieving smile. "You're really asking me that after all of that?"

Blau chuckled, his smile widening. "Am I not supposed to?"

Meena laughed softly, her hands still resting on his chest. "I mean, after that kiss, you'd think it'd be obvious."

Blau tilted his head, his grin turning playful. "Hey, I'm all about clarity. Besides, I needed to hear you say it."

She rolled her eyes, but her smile remained, warm and steady. "Yes, Nathan. I'll be your girlfriend."

As the moment lingered, Meena suddenly remembered something important. Her eyes widened, and she gasped. "Oh my God. I'm still streaming!"

Blau's face mirrored her shock for a moment before he burst out laughing. "Wait, are you serious? Right now?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, gently pushing him back as she hurried toward the stairs. "I left to get a snack, and it's been—oh no, they're going to kill me."

Meena practically sprinted back up the stairs, her heart still pounding from what had just happened. Her clown makeup was slightly smudged, her lips tingling from the kiss, but she didn't care. As she entered her room, the familiar sounds of her friends bickering on Discord filtered through her headphones.

"Finally!" Tina's voice burst through her headphones, loud and exasperated. "What took you so long? Did you have to grow the wheat for your snack?"

Ellum's voice followed with a teasing edge. "Chat's already theorizing. Someone said you fell asleep in the pantry."

"Or," Tina cut in, "maybe she was taking a long, dramatic moment to stare at her clown makeup and question her life choices."

Meena rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help the small laugh that escaped. "I was getting a snack, okay?" she said, trying to sound normal. "You guys are so dramatic."

"Snack? You were gone for twenty minutes," Chatterbox said incredulously.

Chat didn't know, her friends didn't know, but she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips every time she thought about Blau's words—or his kiss.

For now, it was their secret. And she kind of liked it that way.

ALT text: man oh man

— lucy has something to say !!

guys do not vote this fic for the fanfic awards im serious

also im so sorry that this may seem short 😭 the thought of counting the 2000+ nominations for the fanfic awards ate at my ass and i literally slept and dreamt about it 😭 SICKENING !!! anyway i hope blau post some pictures of the streamer awards (he won't) (he did it as soon i finished typing this sentence and opened twitter)

they kissed slay

bye :))))