𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲 • 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

chapter ten

    vance wakes up several hours later. he wasn't sure what time it was, but knew it wasnt morning yet, it was still pretty dark outside. it didn't take him long to register the fact that he snuggled up against bruce. he couldn't exactly move away either, not without waking the other up, atleast. he wasn't exactly complaining, though. he would gladly stay in the other's arms for hours. although, when he started to move, he managed to wake up bruce — who was a very light sleeper. bruce yawns and opens his eyes, bringing his gaze to vance. "oh, hello, sleepyhead." he says, a small smile making its way onto his face. vance smiles back. "hey- sorry for falling asleep on you."
    bruce waves his hand dismissively. "no worries. did you atleast sleep well?" vance nods. "i think that was the best sleep i've had, like, ever-" he chuckles, earning a small laugh from bruce. vance watches him carefully. he couldn't help but admire everything about the boy. "what time is it?" bruce speaks up. "uhh.. vance reaches over his phone and grabs it. "ah- three in the morning—" bruce groans. "i'm not gonna be able to get back to sleep." vance nods in agreement. "i probably wont either. wanna sneak out?" he pipes up.
    bruce looks at him, raising a brow. he wanted to say no, he really did, but vance looked like an excited puppy — he physically couldn't say no. he sighs. "alright, fine."
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"seeeee? icees taste so much better at 3am." they'd argued the whole way to the gas station, and they were currently still arguing. "okay, first of all, the time does not change the taste, vance. second of all, who the hell calls them icees? they're slushies." bruce rolls his eyes and vance glares. "it's the same thing, dickhead!" he crosses his arms, huffing. "dont judge me for how i say things!" all he got from bruce was a laugh. "alright, alright, i'm sorry." despite his apology, he was still giggling nonstop.
     "i'm gonna dump my slushy on you." vance threatens. bruce looks at him, raising a brow. "you wouldn't dare." vance narrows his eyes, before crossing his arms again. "only because i spent my money on this-!" that earned him more giggles from bruce. "oh- just- shut up. he huffs. you're being too loud, they're gonna catch us trying to sneak back in." vance glares. bruce rolls his eyes. "we arent even at the door yet-"
    "you're so loud they can hear you from inside."
      "oh for fucks sake—" bruce lightly elbows vance in the side — the side that wasn't bruised, of course. now, it was vance's turn to have a giggle fit, and thag made bruce start giggling again. so, here they were, three in the morning, giggling like little girls at a sleepover and trying to get back to the third floor without getting caught. luckily, they were successful. "you probably woke up half the damn floor!" vance says as he flops down on the bed, although he was still laughing. bruce flops down beside him.
    "if anything you probably woke up the entire floor!" he rolls over to face vance, a big smile on his face. vance rolls over to face him as well, the same smile on his face. "you're smiling like an idiot." bruce says quietly, his smile not wavering. "so are you, dummy." their faces with inches apart, noses almost touching. vance's cheeks hurt, he didn't think he had ever smiled this much. he didn't think he'd every felt this happy. he only felt this way with bruce. maybe it was just the lack of sleep and the slushy he just had, he wasn't sure, but he felt happier than ever. he wanted to be with bruce forever.
     "vanceeeee? vanceyyyy?" bruce pokes his cheek, and vance snaps out of his trance. "huh? what?" bruce frowns, a fake, overdramatic frown. "did you hear anything i said?" vance pauses. "honestly? no.." bruce glares, flicking his forehead gently — earning a chuckle from vance. "i'm sorry- i was distracted." bruce sighs. "i know, i'm just too beautiful." he giggles. vance rolls his eyes. "hey, don't get too full of yourself there." he says. "but, you are really beautiful, bruce. you're probably, the most beautiful boy that i have ever seen, if i'm being entirely honest."
    blush spread bruce's face. "wh- what?" he chuckled awkwardly. "you must not have seen a lot of boys, then- i'm not that pretty." vance shakes his head, sitting up. "you really are." bruce sits up as well. "you're absolutely stunning, everything about you. you're perfect, bruce. absolutely fucking perfect. human embodiment of perfect." vance continues. he had so much admiration for bruce, he couldn't even put it into words. he cups bruce's cheeks. "i don't know what it will take for you to believe that, but i'll do whatever it is."
      "it wont take anything, vance. because it's not true. how could i be the human embodiment of perfection when it's obviously you?" he leans into vance's touching, resting his head against his hand. "you're the perfect one, vance. you're absolutely perfect, angel." angel? vance felt like his heart just stopped — and he looked like it too. his cheeks immediately flushed a dark red at the petname. angel. he repeated the word to himself over and over in his head. "i'm not an angel- i'm the farthest thing from it." he shakes his head, his eye brows furrowing. "that's not true." bruce shakes his head. "it is! ask anyone."
    "why would i need to ask anyone when i already know the answer. i dont care what they have to say, they don't know you like i do, vance. they know what they think they know. they know some kid with anger issues who gets into fights, sure, but that's not you." he shakes his head again, looking at vance. "you know that's not you. they just don't know, so it's not up to them. you're my angel. you're an angel to me."
    vance didnt know how to feel. no one had ever been like this to him. of course he'd always had finney and griffin, but this was different. this was weird. no, not weird. well — it was weird, but a good weird. he really liked this weird. it made him feel all happy and giddy on the inside, unlike most other weirds. he smiles to himself. "okay. your angel." he gives in, earning a smile from bruce. bruce leans in, resting his forehead against vance's. "i love you." vance murmurs quietly. "i love you too, angel." bruce murmurs back. he pulls away, but just enough so that he could connect their lips.
    vance closes his eyes, and bruce did the same, he practically melted into this kiss. he wraps his arms around bruce. bruce brings his hands up to cup vance's cheeks now. vance could feel bruce smile, and that caused him to smile, he wanted this moment to last forever. it felt so nice, and he felt so happy. he loved this feeling. he never wanted it to end. surely, it wouldn't end anytime soon. right?
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word count: 1,207
the happiness definitely couldn't end soon, right? that would be so cruel of me.