For Thursday and Friday, Leah went to work as normal, and both days involved Steven making her late by iron grip hugs dragging her back into bed, and him swooping by on her lunch break to say hello.

Gossip of Steven's fame had delighted her colleagues, and with his lavished presence in the building, there was much swooning. Leah wasn't jealous, but god did she get an earful of how lucky she was when Steven was gone and she was back on shift.

The leaver's do came round quickly on that Friday; Tina was already waiting at the flat with Steven after work, and Leah gave him the offer to join, but he politely declined and told her not to go too heavy on the alcohol because of parent-gate tomorrow.

She was not best pleased to be reminded that she was not only introducing Steven to them, but she was moving to America with him the next day, so it wasn't the most fun message to construct on such short notice.

Aside from leaving her confessions to be awkwardly stammered out in person, Leah promised she wouldn't get drunk, but two and a half hours of food, laughter, and an obscene number of wine bottles and spirits later, she wasn't looking good.

Saying goodbye to her friends involved a lot of clingy hugs, mumbling nonsense, and someone rudely telling her to let go and leave the restaurant.

"Don't wanna go'wuh!" Leah whined, tugging away from the arm around her waist.

It was a lot colder and darker outside, though the alcohol that buzzed through her system helped take away the chill her jacket couldn't provide.

"Yeah, you do. Dreamy Steven is at home."

Leah gasped.

"Stevenz here? Oh god, I love Steven so much."

"As you keep saying," Tina chuckled, staying close to her side. "You should really tell him that."

Concentration was plastered on Leah's face as she watched her feet move one in front of the other, and she was grateful for the boots she wore rather than stumbling around in heels. Still, they began to fuzz if she looked at the ground for too long, and the cobbles that glistened in the street lights made it uncomfortable to walk in a straight line.

"Can't," she replied, rolling her head to her right. "Iz too hard."

Tina sympathised, returned to look ahead, but with a shocking widening of her eyes, took a lunge closer.

"Woahh." Leah was dragged away with an arm around her waist, and fell into a human side. "Wha'the-"

"You almost walked into a lamppost," Tina finished, helping her stand straight again. They had slowed right down, considering she had been forced to step into the, luckily, empty road.

"Huh!?" Leah jarred her head over her shoulder, and by the squint of her eyes, something her drunk brain didn't appreciate. "Well why would someone put it there if...I'm walking?"

There was a drag of laughter, and this time, the arm around her waist switched to loop a protective hold of her arm.

"You are so far gone, I genuinely don't think I've ever seen you this drunk."

Leah begged to differ.

"Naaur I'm fine." A lazy smile partnered her droopy eyes, and when the side of her head rested on Tina's shoulder, she couldn't tell if she was floating or walking. "I'm happy."

They made it to the car, but with a drunk person, it took ten times longer with meanderings and distractions, such as avoiding further lamppost encounters, or people for that matter.

"C'mon, in you get."

Leah was helped into the passenger side despite insisting she was fine, and didn't need help with such a simple task. On the contrary, it took her the same amount of time to get her seatbelt clipped in as it did for Tina to get in the driver's side, start up the engine, and fiddle with a few things for some heat in the car.

"Do not be sick," she proceeded to warn, reversing out.

Leah scrunched up her face in distaste.

"Don't drive like a twat then."

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After dozing the entire journey back, Leah was surprised when she was being unclipped and helped out of her seat. It meant she fell right into a hug, hands clutching to the back of a coat to keep herself balanced.

"You good?"

Leah nodded her chin against the coat, mumbling something incoherently.

"You are going to regret this tomorrow," Tina muttered, patting her back.

Walking to the flat and dealing with a lot of steps was one big blur. It involved a lot of 'Steven this, Steven that' and being told to 'shut the fuck up' which was plain funny to Leah. And because giggling was apparently classed as too much noise late at night, 'shut the fuck up' became a hiss.

"Steven!"

"Shhh!" Leah scowled, but blocked her own ears with her fists. "You're being too loud!"

Door opening to reveal the man of the hour, Leah swayed into her best friend's shoulder, and bit her lip when she looked down.

"Is she-"

"Drunk? Yeah, a little."

"Not drunk," Leah inputted, deeply offended.

"Oh, I- shall I...take her?"

"Please, be my guest."

Wrist secured, Leah felt Steven's other hand sneak down to her hip, and she had to grasp onto his top tightly so she didn't stumble backwards.

"I know you're unlikely to remember this, but it means I won't cry when you leave."

It took Leah a while to concentrate on Tina, because now that she was nestled into Steven's side, she had a hand resting low on his back and it was making its way downward to clutch the elasticated waistband and pull it back.

"I love you, Devvy. Always."

Realisation was returning, slowly, but the sad-stricken tone was overpowered by the feeling of Steven holding her steady.

"Uh...bye?"

Tina looked away, blinking hard.

"Look after her?"

"I will. I promise."

That was Steven's voice. So honest, and so sexy.

"You better," Tina chuckled, choking up with a sob. She wagged a finger that had her keys looped on. "Cos I'll knock your fucking balls in otherwise."

The move, the life change- Leah stumbled forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her best friend.

"I love you too," she said, concentrating so she didn't slur her words. If only it was as easy to say it to the man behind her.

They parted ways before it became impossible, and although Steven had politely stayed out of the goodbye conversation and promises, he walked Tina down the stairs to see her out.

Leah was too drunk to fully understand what had happened, but she whirled around from her attempt to tug her jacket from her elbow, when the door closed behind her.

"You promised you wouldn't drink very much," Steven admonished on approach, and kindly relieved the jacket from her arms.

"I didn't!" Leah exclaimed, offended by his tone.

Once it was hung up on the hook, he stood in front of her.

"Touch your nose."

"Huh?"

"Touch your nose," he repeated, loosening up with a smile.

Stupid request acting as a challenge, Leah lifted a finger and plonked it on her face.

"Happy?"

Sighing, Steven pinched her finger gently and moved it.

"That's your nose."

"Thas what I touched!"

"No, you didn't. You were about an inch off."

Grumbling a noise of displeasure, Leah decided to slide her hands under his t-shirt, warm skin and bumps of his ribs under her palms, and tug him into the living room.

It meant she walked backwards, but it was a grand total of about five off-balanced steps, and with any luck, she would be grinding in his lap soon.

"Hello drunk Leah," Steven chuckled, placing his hands on her forearms when they stood still. It didn't seem to bother him that half of his torso was exposed and being drooled over. "What are you up to?"

Ignoring him, and the alcohol spurring her on, Leah pulled him into her, experimenting with how her hands trailed up his back. Even the ridges of his spine were sexy as she applied pressure to the surrounding muscles.

"I want you," she mumbled, kissing the neckline of his top.

Steven groaned softly, accepting a second of attention, but pushed her away.

"Leah, no."

This confidence she had- Leah liked it- and she held his neck instead. She swayed into him, bumping his knees, forcing him to step back, and wanted to moan when he touched her waist.

It made her mission to get his cock hard, a lot easier.

"But your hair is so soft and you smell-" She had already bunched up the back of his hair, and took a deep inhale in the crook of his neck, "-so good."

"Tell me," Steven started stiffly, pushing her away once more. "When you're sober."

"But it's true! And- ooh, I need to pee."

Steven seemed glad for the subject change.

"Yeah? Well, you go to the bathroom then, wash your face, brush your teeth, all that jazz."

Her bladder urged her decision making significantly, though Leah made sure to turn to him one final time so he could see the tap of her temple because she was genuinely impressed by all the tasks he had given her to save her multiple trips.

"Smart man," she said, backing into a wall. "Oww."

"Are you- can you manage?" Steven asked, making his way over.

Leah stopped rubbing the back of her head. Her elbow slackened, and she jabbed the centre of his chest when he was close enough, bending her fingertip in all directions.

"Imma big girl, Steevvv-" Focusing on his eyes, she drunkenly realised she was saying the shortened version of his name, and dragged out the 'v' in amusement to correct herself. "-vvennn."

"Okay," he muttered, giving her space. "I'm just checking."

Leah swung herself into the bathroom, unassisted, and didn't quite catch the rest of what Steven was saying. Things were knocked over, but in the end she did everything she could think of whilst reading boring lists of products on soap and shampoo, because really all she wanted to do was throw herself on Steven and try again.

If she was wearing a dress, she'd unzip it in front of him, but she had black jeans and a sparkly, off shoulder top instead, so she would settle for his hands on her body, preferably to deal with the gentle throbbing between her legs.

Biting her lip, Leah ended up in the kitchen because the lights were still on, and with a plan to wrap her arms around Steven's waist and kiss his shoulder blades in a hope that sex would evolve from there.

None of it happened, either because she was too loud, or because Steven had been waiting to shove a glass of water in her face.

"Drink this."

Leah blinked, disappointed.

"No."

"Yes."

"No-wuh!"

"Yes. No, no's. Yes yes."

"Wha-" Her frown deepened. "Huh??"

"Drink. The. Water."

It was not the translation she was hoping for. She flounced.

"Ughh, fiyynee."

She took it from his outstretched hand, and gulped down a few sips with her eyes on her prize the entire time.

It wasn't her fault- Steven just naturally had an outline down there- and because he was unlikely to be wearing any boxers, her imagination was running wild.

Leah had about half of the liquid, and decided she'd had enough. She put the glass down on the side, next to Steven's left elbow of his folded arms, held the water in her cheeks, and swallowed it.

Just being so close to him was turning her on more. She could hear her heartbeat, feel it, and she knew he could cure it.

"Can I tell you a secret?" There was no space for him to answer because Leah was already venturing a hand to cup his masculine glory. "I love feeling you get hard coz then I know we can have sex."

"No, no-" Steven grasped onto her wrist, but his effort to remove it was futile.

"But you're so big! And I want to feeeel you."

"You can't-" He took a deep breath, desperately trying to free her lazily moving wrist, but spidering his fingers over her own just encouraged the movement. "Don't say these things."

"Why? You like it." A bit of tugging and rubbing later, Leah felt the hard response in her hand. She lifted her head triumphantly. "You do!"

"I do." Steven was straining himself not to react further. "I do, but not now."

It was something she didn't quite believe, and the playful lean so she could catch his lips into a kiss, provided the distraction to move her fingers up his cock.

"I'll give you a blowjob?"

"No!" Steven laughed, painfully so, and reinstated the space between them. He covered his crotch with a protectively scrunched hand on top of the plaid style. "No blowjob, no sex. We're just going to go to bed."

Gathering her denial, Leah scoffed her disappointment.

"You're so boring."

Trouble was, when she managed to make it to her bedroom, she already missed Steven's smell and body, and was getting herself in a right state at the thought he might have left.

"Stevennn," Leah whined, tugging off her top. She'd already fallen into furniture in her battle to undress. "Stevie, m'sorry."

Next came the task of unbuttoning her jeans with her eyes screwed closed, or maybe they were open, and it was too dark to tell.

"Steeeveenn."

The main light switched on.

"Yeah?"

Leah swivelled, fingers fumbling with the annoying button that wouldn't budge, and squinted with the bright light.

"Um...help?" she requested feebly, realising how hard it was to stand up on her own. "Pl-"

Steven caught her before she fell, and as much as she would have loved having his hands on her bare sides earlier, she just wanted to put her jammies on and go to sleep.

"Please?" she asked absently, mouth squashed into his shoulder.

"What do you think I'm doin'?"

Leah could hear the smile in his voice, feel the work of his hands, and it made her slide her arms around his back to hug him. Steven didn't want to at first, but when she clung onto him tighter by curling her fingers to bunch up his t-shirt, his arms wrapped around her too.

He stopped, just to hug her back.

"Where are your pjs? Under your pillow?"

Leah nodded, wanting to stay in his warmth, but ended up doing everything this angel of a man told her to do, including being guided to the bed.

"Can you do it? Or do you want me to?"

Lying on her back because sitting up took too much energy, Leah cast her eyes down over her chest, to the hands on her knees.

"Jsst take my jeans off."

It would have been a simple request, if Steven didn't muffle a quiet laugh and prevent her from lifting up her hips.

"Whaat?"

"Hm?" She knew he was smiling. "Nothing. C'mon lift your butt."

"Why'dya laugh?"

Steven made his fingers busy, curling underneath denim at the waist.

"Because I always seem to be asking permission to take off your jeans."

Leah frowned at the response, opening her mouth to speak, but not quite knowing what to say.

"Doesn't matter," he dismissed, encouraging the undressing process with a tug of his fingers. "Lift."

The situation wasn't sexualised in the slightest, not that Leah's intoxicated state would allow her to fully acknowledge herself being naked in front of her man, but after everything, she couldn't quite believe Steven was climbing into bed with her.

"Ping pong ballz."

"Ping pong balls?"

Sprawled on her side, Leah splodged a finger to his lips.

"Your mouth," she elaborated, pushing into the soft corner.

"Thank you."

"Y'welcome."

Conversation drawn to a close, Steven may have kissed her forehead and whispered goodnight, but Leah was fast asleep like the consumption of alcohol had finally caught up to her.

Judging by her lack of movement once her eyes were closed, she might just have passed out with no idea of what joys the morning would bring.

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