I remember I wrote this one in like half an hour at one in the morning

I believe it was a beetho request? but I again don't remember lol

(also if you squint there's hinted scardubs)

WC: 1k

"C'mon, Etho! It'll be fun!"

Etho shook his head, sighing. "'Fun' is the last thing I expect it to be," he grumbled, giving Beef a tired look.

It was ten at night, right around when Etho would start to study. But instead of letting him study, Beef had dragged him out of their dorm to a party. Which, for the record, Etho did not want to attend to.

They both tensed as a shriek rose over the muffed sound of the music blaring through the door, thus solidifying Etho's intent not to go into the party room. "I'm not a party person, and you know that," Etho insisted, shaking his head and starting to back away from the door. He suppressed a shiver as he felt Beef grab his hand, holding him in a frozen state of motion. "Please, Etho? For me?" Beef asked softly, and Etho nearly melted. Beef was so hard to say no to.

Etho had been...seeing Beef through a seemingly different lens lately. One that made Beef seem just that much more lovable. To say it was a crush was too minor, and to say it was love was too major...but it was something. It was a feeling that was different, but the same.

And it made Beef annoyingly hard to object to.

The ninja let out a long sigh through his nose, and finally nodded. "Fine, but only for a little while," he said, and he felt it was almost worth going into the party to see the look on Beef's face after he said he'd go. He let a small smile slip onto his face as Beef opened the door, his eyes brimming with excitement. And without a moment to think, he was pulled inside.

Blaring music threatened to turn his brain inside out as it blasted from the speakers, and Etho almost dashed right back out the door. But he was still being pulled around by Beef, who'd spotted some of their friends and was now hauling the ninja over to them.

Etho saw that it was Scar and Bdubs who Beef had stopped to talk to, but he couldn't hear anything from their conversation over the music and talking of the other people. So he took a moment to look around. There were probably around twenty people in there, but more were steadily filing in. Etho recognized a few of his friends, but everyone else was unfamiliar to him. This is awful...

And then it got more awful, particularly because someone shouted over the din, "SPIN THE BOTTLE!"

Everyone ran to the center of the room like flies to honey, buzzing with excitement. Etho inhaled sharply and tried to back away, but Beef was already pulling him towards the quickly forming circle. "Come on, Etho! This is your chance to get a girlfriend!" he hissed excitedly, his voice low. Etho winced, but forced out a smile. If only he knew...

He reluctantly took a seat beside Beef, trying to even out his breathing as rules were established. He didn't really listen to many of them, but one caught his attention, and seemingly the attention of several others; 'If the bottle lands on someone of the same gender, spin again.'

An annoyed grumble slipped past Etho's lips. Well, that's not homophobic. He looked over at Beef, and was surprised to find a similarly fussed expression on his friend's face, as well as on a few others. The ninja didn't have time to think about it, because the bottle was already being spun by the first person.

Oddly, luck was on Etho's side tonight, which didn't normally happen. The bottle didn't land on him a single time, throughout the whole game. He was riding on a high, until he realized too late as his name was called.

...I have to spin the bottle.

His stomach flipped nervously, and he gulped. He realized that everyone's eyes were on him, expecting him to spin, expecting entertainment that he was supposed to provide. He placed a hand in the bottle, took a deep breath, and twisted his hand. The bottle spun several times, crawling to a halt with the neck pointing to...

Etho's breath hitched.

It stopped on Beef. Of course it had to stop on Beef...

He looked over at Beef numbly, who stared back. No one seemed to talk, until someone said, "C'mon, re-spin!"

Something clicked, and Etho's heart and his head seemed to switch places.

"No."

Eyes widened all around the room, and several people gasped. The same person who had urged him to re-spin stammered, "W-what?"

Etho fixed his gaze on the boy, glaring slightly. "I said no. I didn't come to this party just to have my actions limited because of what is considered 'normal'. So what if I'm not straight?" The boy gaped at him, but Etho didn't care. He turned to Beef, who was blushing slightly. Without thinking, without hoping that his feelings were reciprocated, without taking into account that he was being watched, he pulled his mask down and cupped Beef's face with his hands, pressing their lips together.

There was a slight hesitation from Beef, supposedly out of shock, but soon he was kissing back, his hands resting feather-light on Etho's waist. For a moment it was almost like it was just the two of them, alone, with no one watching. Etho felt like he was underwater, drowning in a sea of feelings he'd never felt before in his life. But the thing about being underwater is that you can't stay under forever. You need to breathe.

Etho pulled back, out of breath. His heart pounded in his ears, and he felt a little shaky. He looked at Beef, who was red as a tomato, but smiling.

And then someone started clapping.

Etho looked around to see who'd done it, startled, and realized that it was Scar. He had a beaming smile on his face, much different than his trademark smirk. Beside him, Bdubs started clapping as well. Then another person, and another, and soon the whole circle was clapping and cheering. Etho laughed breathlessly, smiling. Beef smirked and gave a little bow, which sparked a round of laughter. Etho felt Beef slip his hand into his, and the ninja smiled. It felt different than when Beef had grabbed Etho's hand before the party. But Etho still felt that same spark of admiration for Beef. It felt perfect.

They'd walk away from that party, different but the same. Different in their relationship, but same in their care for each other.