When the boys got to Stephen's house after an incredibly awkward car ride, neither one knew what to say.

"So I guess we just watch Dipshit and hang?" Stephen offered.

"Works for me." Rain said, and unbuckled his seatbelt.

They got out of the car and Stephen lead them through the front door.

"You're not allergic to dogs, are you?" Stephen checked.

Rain shook his head. "No, but-"

"Okay, good." Stephen said. He opened the door and a big dog jumped up, putting his paws on Stephen's shoulders and licking his face. "Hey Vegas." He said with a laugh. The dog got down and looked over at Rain. He started to sniff his feet.

"What's he doing?" Rain asked nervously.

"He's just smelling you." Stephen said.

"Okay, can you tell him to stop, please?" He shrieked.

"Why? Are you scared of dogs?" Stephen asked, amused.

"Just the big ones that look like they could easily tear every limb from my body." He admitted.

Stephen laughed.

"Cmon, Vegas. Leave Rain alone." The dog got down and retreated to the kitchen.

"Let's go to my room." Stephen offered.

Stephen's room was plain, mainly colored blue with some black. It was very neat, because if it wasn't Stephen would go insane.

"Alright, I'm just gonna do my homework." Rain said, sitting on the ground next to Stephen's bed.

Stephen sat down next to him.

"Okay, me too."

After about 15 minutes of silence, Vegas came trotting in and leaped onto the bed where the boys' backpacks were.

Maybe Vegas thought it was a toy. Maybe he just wanted to play. But to Rain, it would always just be sabotage.

Because Vegas took the doll in his jaw, biting into the soft stomach and shaking his head, tearing it up.

"Vegas, no!" Stephen cried.

"God, why do you hate me?" Rain shouted at the ceiling.

Stephen rushed towards to dog, ripping the baby from him, only for the head to pop off and roll across the room.

"Stephen I didn't get to say hello to you bo-" His mother started saying as she walked into the room. Maybe the baby head rolling across the floor discouraged her from coming in. "Have fun, Stephen." She said nervously and slammed the door shut.

"Think we'll get extra credit for how many dolls we've killed? It's kind of impressive." Rain joked.

"This is not funny!" Stephen yelled.

"Hey, calm down. So we don't get the credit, we'll live." Rain reasoned.

"Maybe you have all A's, but I don't! I needed it." Stephen said angrily. "But we're not out yet." He said, standing up. "I stole the last one, now it's your turn."

"What?" Rain yelped. "I'm not stealing a doll from someone."

"It's time for you to step up. Just take it from Keith and Lance. They're always fighting. They won't notice." Stephen tried.

"I don't want to steal it!" Rain yelled.

He didn't know why the fuck this thought popped into his head, but Stephen thought Rain was cute when he was mad.

"Sometimes we do things we don't want to do! Suck it up. If I go down, I'm taking you with me anyway. May as well pitch in."

"You know what? Fine. I'm doing it for my own extra credit, not cause you're making me.

"Sure." Stephen said with an eye roll.

********* •the next night•
(Scene might only be truly funny to people who watch Voltron)

"Just walk by, take the baby, then walk away. Or are you too scared?" Stephen challenged.

The two boys were currently squatting behind a park bench, spying on Keith and Lance at 9:00 at night. Something about the way Rain was gripping Stephen's arm made him feel warm.

"Do you have Matt?" Lance asked. Keith handed him the baby.

"I think we have a shot at winning the extra-credit. Don't you?" Lance said as he put the baby down beside him.

"Sure." Keith muttered.

"Hey, Mullet, did you hear that someone stole Ethan and Maren's doll?"

Keith shook his head.

"Yeah. But they're not gonna steal ours." He grinned.

"Go. Now!" Stephen ordered, pushing Rain.

"Does it have to be now?" He asked desperately.

"Yes! They're getting comfortable. Catch them off guard." He whisper-yelled. "You got this!" He encouraged.

"Fine." Rain whispered under his breath. He walked as quietly as possible, getting closer and closer to their bench.

"You know what Keith?" Lance asked.

Rain crouched down behind their bench.

"What?" Keith asked, looking Lance in the eye for the first time that night (as far as Stephen and Rain were concerned).

Rain snaked his hand around the side of the bench, slowly sliding the doll away from the boys and into his own bag.

"We are a good team." Lance said.

Rain slowly backed up from the bench and ran back to Stephen.

"Good job." Stephen said and pulled Rain in for a hug. "That wasn't too hard, was it?" He said, pulling away.

Rain gave him a weird look. "Are you okay?"

"I think Matt speaks for it. We haven't even killed him yet." Lance said happily.

"Then where'd he go?" Keith asked.

"Maybe now would be a good time to leave." Stephen said. The two boys jogged all the way back to Stephen's house.

"Keep that one away from Satan, okay?" Rain grunted.

"Who hurt you?" Stephen asked jokingly.

"I'll hurt you." Rain grunted, hitting Stephen repeatedly with the doll.

"Ow! Ouch! Okay, lay off Rain." Stephen said, laughing. "The doll has a really hard head."

Rain backed up with a small smile on in face, staring at Stephen with a weird expression.

"Fuckface." Rain said.

"Is that the baby's new name?" Stephen asked.

"Nah, I was calling you a fuckface. But it can be." Rain said with a laugh. "What time is it?"

"12:33." Stephen said, wincing.

"Where have you two boys been?" Stephen's mom asked, walking into into the kitchen and flicking the lights on and seeing the baby in Stephen's hands. "I want to ask about those fucking dolls but I don't think I want to know." She said, exasperated, before walking out of the room with her hands up.

"Do you need to sleep over?" Stephen offered. He found himself praying that Rain would say yes.

"Sure." Rain accepted.

They walked up to his room and took their coats off.

"I'm sleeping in my bed. You can take the floor." Stephen said. Why was Stephen nervous?

"Thanks." Rain said, rolling his eyes.

So they got set up and went to bed.

But time passed and Stephen couldn't sleep.

"Are you awake?" He asked.

"No." Rain grunted.

"You can...." Stephen trailed off. "You can come sleep in the bed with me if you want."

"I said I was asleep." Rain muttered.

But several more minutes passed and Rain still lay awake.

"I'm awake now." He grunted, sliding under the covers with Stephen.

Stephen smiled to himself, happy that Rain was there next to him. In a purely platonic way.

"Did you tell Aaron what I did?" Stephen asked.

"Aaron?" Rain asked.

"The old barista." Stephen said.

"Oh. Yes I did. I thought I was funny. I was still pissed, though." He said with a laugh. "Why did you even do it?"

"Cause I hate you." Stephen said with a light laugh.

"Oh, you hate me?" Rain said, laughing too.

"Yeah." Stephen. "You also told Aaron I was a smoke." He laughed.

Rain put both his hands over his face, and laughed harder. "I did, didn't I?"

"Apparently." Stephen choked out. Something about the way Rain was blushing cut off his air supply.

"I must've had coffee in my eyes."

"Maybe you did." Stephen sat up. "Maybe not."

"No, no, you definitely got coffee in my eyes." Rain chuckled as he sat up next to Stephen.

Their eyes locked and Stephen's heart beat faster than it ever had. Maybe it was because he was hot, or because Rain slept without a shirt on, same as Stephen. He took a deep breath and stopped lying to himself. Because Stephen liked Rain. Don't act so surprised, you all saw it coming.

So Stephen broke the silence by saying something he never thought he'd say but was really glad he did.

"Kiss me."

Rain's eyes popped out of his head.

"Do you have coffee in your brain?" He asked.

"Maybe." He said, before pulling Rain's lips to his.

So the boy who spilled coffee on strangers was kissing the boy who was scared of big dogs.

It was soft and gentle, and everything you would want your first kiss with someone to be.

But Rain pulled away after what felt like hours but was really only seven seconds, with a sad look in his eyes.

"Goodnight Stephen." He said before he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes.

Stephen sat like an idiot in the dark for a bit longer, before finally going to sleep.