GENRE: fake dating au, fluff
WARNINGS: none
NOTES: CatThePinguin dontbegrossbro justheretoreadso mximmcff snugglyducklingbrews -MEL4NCH0LY 0ncergirl kattyp05 all asked for a part 2 i love you and hope u like this mwah! also i can turn this into a series with more shenanigans, or leave it at this. depends on what you guys want! thanks for all the feedback on these chapters - idk if you can tell but i've been more productive lately <33
- b
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If you thought being around Hank's friends made you anxious, it was likely ten times worse when you got to his families home.
His family was incredibly kind, and open, and immediately made you feel comfortable and respected. They were, however, a lot louder than you expected them to be. Hank had always been so reserved; and you didn't know that that made him an outlier within his family. Over the evening, they divulged a lot more than he was probably anticipating (just like at the diner). And they teased the both of you an awful lot. You couldn't blame them though, with how easy you made it for them.
The night was partially just that, and you were sure that was planned some way or another. They told you that Hank didn't tend to bring anyone home (and you were beginning to understand why - with how utterly stressed he looked the entire time), and that it was exciting to meet you to say the least. His sister also couldn't help but bring up the fact that he had mentioned you before whenever he spoke about school, and that whenever she brought you up, he'd blush like crazy. And then his parents seemed to recall how he mentioned your name over the phone all the time. And so it went on; spiraling until you and Hank could barely talk with how overwhelmed you were.
By the time you got to the guest room of his mom's house, the two of you were mildly exhausted - to say the least. She'd insisted that the two of you could share a bedroom (since you were functioning adults after all), and when you finally pulled the door open, you became acutely aware that you'd have to sleep with Hank all week.
Of course you'd thought of every possible thing that could happen on the trip, but you hadn't thought about something as simple as that. It made total sense for you two to sleep together like any other couple, but you didn't know how you'd handle it now that it was a situation right in front of you.
Hank dumped your bags on the end of the queen-sized bed as you made your way across the room, to where there were double doors. You pulled them open, revealing a small patio that you crept out onto. The night air was cool, and you couldn't help but admire the stars from where you were, fingers curling along the iron banister.
"Hey," You heard his gentle, tired voice behind you, instinctively turning around to see his face.
He looked like he wanted to say 'sorry' in a million ways, his eyebrows furrowed with slight worry - scared that he'd messed up your relationship without even thinking about it. He guessed he didn't remember just how much he used to go on about you. And how much his friends and family wouldn't let him live it down.
"Hey, Hank," You replied softly, offering him a kind smile as you rubbed at your arms, bracing from the slight, cold breeze.
He couldn't help but sigh, grateful at how patient you seemed to be with him - you always were. No matter his stutters, or is unsure nature, or his fuck ups; you were always there to help him out in any way you allowed him. You always wanted to give; and it was something he admired more than anything.
"You look cold," Hank observed, offering out his hand instinctively for you to take. All day, he'd been touching you just like he would a girlfriend, and it was setting all of your nerves on fire. He was so subconsciously caring, reaching out to hold your hand, brace the small of your back, put a comforting hand on your knee. Ordinarily, Hank wouldn't dare to make contact with you like that. He barely could get a sentence out in front of you without devolving into a stuttering mess. But the pretenses of faking it made it so much easier for him to express what he really felt.
You couldn't help but accept his grasp, his hands wrapping around yours as he tugged you closer to the doorway - drawing you inside with him. The curtains flapped gently beside you, and Hank belatedly couldn't help but think that you looked lovely in the lighting; you face illuminated dimly from the lamps in the room.
"I'm sor-"
"Hank," You cut him off with a slight chuckle, eyes meeting his with a kind gaze, "Don't even apologize . . . it's okay," You assured, and his shoulders couldn't help but fall slightly at your words.
He was blushing all over again, but this time you got to enjoy it up close, fondly taking in how he looked, "I didn't mean for you to be overwhelmed like this."
You shook your head, smiling, "They were always going to do this . . . but they'll get used to me and find something else to focus on." He didn't know why, but you had the very particular ability of calming him down when he began to panic. It was like that at work, and it felt like it right then. You always knew what to say to get him out of his head.
You noticed how his thumb began to run back and forth against your skin, and suddenly, you felt your face becoming just as warm as his.
"Did you . . . really like me?" You couldn't help but ask, curiosity getting the better of you as soon as you had the opportunity to ask. The entire day, you were squirming in your seat trying to figure out if his family was misunderstanding him talking about you casually, or if he really was gushing. After all, you were probably one of the only people he had in his life to mention.
Hank immediately flustered, gaze flickering away from yours without taking his hands away from you just yet. He was mildly speechless, lips parted because he didn't know how he was going to tell you that he still did. "Um . . . yeah," He finally decided on, laughing nervously as he glanced to see your reaction from the corner of his vision.
You were bright pink, your eyes filled with curiosity, "Well, why don't you anymore?" He was weak at the knees, not sure how he was courageous enough to get this far with the way you were looking at him.
Hank was pinned down - and he should've seen it coming from the moment he asked you. To be fair, he was starting to realize that maybe he did it on purpose. Just a little bit, knowing that maybe it would end in him finally admitting whatever all of this was, to you. And he just hoped to God that you weren't going to leave before his family woke up in the morning.
"I-I . . ." Hank stumbled slightly over how he wanted to say it, finally looking back at you so that he could do it properly. "Well . . . I still kind of do," He said plainly, and he fought back the urge to preemptively flinch at your response. Honestly, he knew he was holding back. He didn't really know what it was like to be in love - but being around you kind of gave him an idea of what it was like. And if he wasn't in love with you; he didn't know what it meant at all.
Your lips parted, but you didn't say anything, hands retracting from him in shock as you remained red, "Hank, I-"
"I'm sorry," He interjected, shaking his head as he took a half step back, "I shouldn't have overstepped, I'm-"
"Hank, shut up," You laughed slightly, bracing your one hand to his chest to indicate for him to stop. He seemed surprised (he'd always had a certain deer-in-headlights look to him), but kept quiet, allowing for you to carry on. "I like you too," You told him honestly, fingers curling in the lapel of his jacket so that you could reassure him with your presence.
"Oh," Hank breathed slightly, face filling with a blush as he noticed the way your hand was pressed to him. His heart was thumping in his ears, and he wouldn't be surprised if you could feel it. He never thought in a million years that you'd like him back. To him, you were beautiful, and so much smarter than him, and completely untouchable. If anything, he was a nuisance. But here you were in front of him, being just as honest as he was despite the circumstances.
His eyes were twinkling in the low light, and you couldn't help but admire him for a moment, a small smile building on his lips as looked down at you. He was sure this was the closest you'd ever been, and was taking everything in him not to look away from you out of embarrassment. He couldn't bare to not watch you right then.
"Hank?" You asked softly, hands drifting up so that they were on his shoulders, steadying him in front of you, "Could I ask you something?"
In that moment, he'd admit anything to you, nodding as he cherished your slight touch on him. He'd do anything to keep you exactly where you were.
"What would you do if I kissed you right now?"
He stuttered under your gaze at the blatantness of your question, fixing the frame of his glasses as his vision moved between you, and anywhere else. He could feel how hot he was, and suddenly, he was thankful for the coolness of the air, "I mean . . . I," Hank couldn't help the small grin that formed on his face, chuckling nervously when his blue eyes finally connected with yours again, "Honestly . . . I think I'd quite like that."
He suddenly found himself much more aware of your lips, watching them faintly as he seemed to realize for the first time that he could just reach out and capture them in his own. God . . . never in all his time spent with you in the lab, did he think he would be in that moment; right there with you.
It wasn't long before you were closing the distance between the two of you yourself, however - pulling him in by your grip on his jacket. He seemed slightly surprised, but soon fell into it with a sigh. His shoulders relaxed as your arms wrapped around his neck, your mouth moving in synch with his, gentle and slow. Despite the butterflies bursting from his stomach, he gained the courage to finally hold you back, arms hesitantly wrapped around your hips so that he could hold you close.
When you pulled apart for the first time, your breaths and faces were hot, and Hank couldn't help but smile like an idiot, looking down at you like he was the luckiest guy in the world. Because that's how he felt.
"I really didn't think this would happen today," He admitted breathlessly, and you couldn't help the grin that formed in return to his words, your fingers running through the hair at the nape of his neck longingly.
"Oh, but you thought it'd happen, though?" You queried, looking up at him with amused eyes, eyelashes fluttering without much intention. Hank had seemingly gained more confidence with you since the beginning of your trip, and you were definitely enjoying every inch of the lee-way. His arms felt right around you, keeping you pressed close to him in a way that made you feel warm, and loved.
Hank chuckled, rolling his eyes despite the fact that there was no hiding anything from you anymore, "I mean . . . I didn't expect for it to end like this - is all . . ." He commented tenderly, his gaze as soft as ever as he watched you, "But I'm glad it did."
"Me too. I expected to have to hide it this whole time," You told him honestly, and he couldn't help but look amused in return.
"It funny to know that we were worrying about the same thing this whole time," Hank commented, shaking his head because, looking back, that seemed like just the situation the two of you would get yourselves into. Both of you were too shy for your own good. But now, that seemed to be slipping away in front of each other.
"We're idiots."
"True."