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Stu's house was as chaotic as ever, but in a way that felt oddly comforting. The place smelled like buttered popcorn and whatever cologne Stu had decided to drown himself in that morning. The living room was dimly lit, the only real source of light coming from the glow of the TV as the opening credits of Ferris Bueller's Day Off rolled across the screen.

Adora sat on the couch, curled up comfortably with a bowl of popcorn resting on her lap. Billy was on one side of her, leaning back against the armrest with his legs stretched out, while Stu had all but draped himself over the other side of the couch, his shoulder brushing against hers every time he moved.

She didn't think much of it at first. Stu had always been the type to ignore the concept of personal space, and Billy had a habit of sitting close without making a big deal out of it. But as the movie played on, she started to notice things.

The way Billy's knee pressed lightly against hers, unmoving. The way Stu would glance at her out of the corner of his eye whenever she laughed at something. The way both of them seemed more focused on her than the movie.

She pretended not to notice.

For a while, anyway.

About halfway through the movie, Stu stretched his arms dramatically, letting one settle behind her on the couch. "Man, Ferris really has it figured out, huh?" he mused, tapping his fingers lightly against her shoulder.

Adora snorted. "What, you wanna fake being sick and steal a car too?"

Stu smirked. "I wouldn't get caught."

Billy scoffed. "Please. You'd make it five minutes before bragging to the wrong person."

Stu gasped, placing a hand over his chest like Billy had just mortally wounded him. "Wow, no faith in me at all. Adora, back me up here."

Adora shook her head, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth. "I love you, Stu, but Billy's got a point. You're too much of a show-off."

Stu let out an exaggerated sigh, flopping even closer into her side. "Et tu, Brute?" He muttered dramatically, making her giggle.

Billy, who had been quiet for a moment, suddenly reached over and plucked a piece of popcorn from the bowl on her lap, his fingers briefly grazing hers in the process. "He's right about one thing, though." He murmured.

Adora arched a brow. "Oh?"

Billy smirked, chewing on the popcorn as he turned his gaze back to the screen. "Ferris does have it figured out."

Something about the way he said it made her stomach flip, but she quickly pushed the feeling aside.

A few minutes later, she felt Stu shift beside her again. This time, instead of just resting his arm behind her, he let his fingers lightly play with the ends of her hair. It was such a casual movement, like he wasn't even aware he was doing it, but it sent a weird little thrill up her spine.

Billy, as if sensing something, tilted his head slightly and glanced at them. His eyes flickered to where Stu's fingers were absentmindedly twirling a strand of her hair, and something in his expression shifted.

Then, before she could even process it, Billy's hand came up and gently brushed a stray piece of her hair away from her face.

Adora's breath hitched.

Okay. Now she couldn't pretend not to notice.

Her heart pounded as she looked between them, searching for some kind of clue as to what the hell was going on. Stu's usual cocky grin was still in place, but there was something softer in his eyes, something teasing but not entirely unserious. Billy, on the other hand, was harder to read—his expression unreadable, but his actions saying enough.

She swallowed. "Okay, what is going on with you two?"

Stu blinked, tilting his head. "What do you mean?"

Adora gave him a flat look. "Don't play dumb. You're both acting weird."

Billy hummed, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Define weird."

She threw her hands up. "This!" She gestured between them. "The staring. The hovering. The hair-touching. What's your deal?"

Stu grinned. "Oh, sweetheart, if you have to ask..."

Billy shot him a look, and Stu just chuckled, but neither of them denied anything.

Adora's stomach twisted in a way that was both thrilling and terrifying.

She had always known they were close. The three of them had been inseparable for a while, always finding an excuse to skip class together, to get into trouble together, to just be together. But she had never really considered that their closeness might be... something more. It couldn't be, right? They were together with Sidney and Tatum?

And now, sitting there between them, with Stu practically wrapped around one side of her and Billy as solid and steady as ever on the other, she realized she might've been blind not to.

She took a slow breath, forcing herself to meet their gazes. "So what, you guys are just gonna flirt with me all night and pretend like that's normal?"

Billy's smirk deepened. "Would you rather we stop?"

Adora opened her mouth, then promptly closed it. Because, honestly?

She wasn't sure she wanted them to.

Stu grinned, leaning in just a little closer, his voice dripping with amusement. "That's what I thought."

Adora rolled her eyes, but her face felt warm, her pulse a little too quick.

Billy, ever the observer, studied her reaction before speaking. "You thinking too much again, Adora?"

She frowned. "I am not thinking too much."

Stu chuckled. "You kinda are." His fingers traced lazy circles against her shoulder, like he was testing just how much she'd let him get away with. "Relax, sweetheart. We're just having fun."

Fun. Right.

Then why did it feel like something more?

She exhaled, trying to steady herself, but Billy reached out again—slow, deliberate—tucking another strand of hair behind her ear. His touch barely lingered, but it sent a shiver down her spine.

Adora rolled her eyes, but her face was warm. "You're impossible."

Billy leaned in slightly, just enough that she could feel the warmth of him beside her. "And yet, you're still here."

She had no response to that.

Stu smirked, giving her hair one last playful tug before finally sitting up properly. "Alright, alright. We'll behave. For now."

Billy chuckled. "No promises."

Adora groaned, but she couldn't stop the small smile from creeping onto her lips.

Yeah. She was in trouble.

And the worst part?

She didn't really mind as much as she should've.

Maybe she hadn't realized it before, but all the little moments started clicking into place. The way Billy always seemed to notice when she was cold and offered her his jacket before she even had the chance to shiver. The way Stu always found an excuse to touch her—playful nudges, casual arm slinging, fingers tracing absentminded patterns against her skin.

It had never felt unusual.

Now, every glance, every brush of their hands, every shared smirk felt... different. Charged.

And maybe—just maybe—it had always been this way. She'd just been too blind to see it.

The movie played on, but Adora barely paid attention. Her mind was stuck on the way Billy's arm had shifted just a little closer, resting against hers like it belonged there. On the way Stu's knee pressed into her leg like he wasn't willing to give up even an inch of space.

She could have moved.

Should have.

But she didn't.

Instead, she let herself sink into it, into them.

Because even if it was dangerous, even if it was messy, there was no denying it now—

She liked the way they looked at her and it made her feel horrible.

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Words: 1307

Posted: Saturday March 22, 2025

Written: Saturday March 22, 2025

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Mwah Katherine