[ Hey guys! Author here, sorry it's been a while since I last published but here's an extra long chapter to make up for it! Be warned; this chapter gets a little steamy! ❌❌❌ Art used for this chapter cover by "Junvii" ]]
"O-oh, um, that's really sweet of you, and I'm sure you're a really nice guy but...I don't feel comfortable going to a dance with someone I don't know that well, I'm so sorry!", you spoke, awkwardly smiling at the disappointed but understanding boy in front of you, "Y-yeah, I figured, sorry for being sudden. You can still keep the flower, though. Thanks for letting me down easy, Y/N. See you in class!", and with that the boy waved goodbye and walked down the hall.
With a sigh, you leaned against your locker that was decorated with Halloween stickers, holding the bright red rose within your hand, "The gesture was sweet but, how can someone ask a stranger to a dance? If you're going to ask someone, it has to be someone who means a lot to you, not someone you've never even gotten to know...", you looked down at the flower, admiring it's beauty.
"Yo, Y/N! Let's get to lunch already, what're you doing just standing there?", Larry called out to you with Sal walking besides him, the red rose within your grasp immediately catching his attention, "Huh? Where'd you get that from...?", he asked in a curious tone once the two boys had reached you. Blush returning to your face, you embarrassedly began to explain the situation to them, "U-uh, Larry, you know Holden from English class, right? He uh, asked me to the Fall Homecoming Dance just now before you guys-", cutting you off, Larry couldn't help but laugh, "W-what? Seriously? He doesn't even know you, that's gutsy! So, did ya say yes?", he asked with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow, his blue haired companion holding his breath to hear your response.
"Holden...", Sal took note of that name, he'd make sure to remember it in case they tried anything with you again. Giving Larry a shove, you responded, "What? Of course not! I hardly even know the guy! And plus, me at a school dance? That's hilarious. I went to one once and I swore, never again. Those things are so lame.", laughing at the mere suggestion of you accepting the invitation.
"Phew.", Sallyface could finally breathe again knowing you had declined the other boys offer, Larry now speaking up again, "Geez, talk about a heartbreaker. Aye, Sal?", he asked, giving his shoulder a jab. Looking up at Larry and then you, he simply shrugged in an attempt to act causal, "Well, she didn't know him well so of course she said no. I mean, if you're gonna ask someone to a dance you've got to at least know them well, right?", he replied, which you quickly agreed with.
"Yes! Exactly, Sallyface. Couldn't have said it better myself. Plus, we're too busy hanging out tonight for me to worry about going dress shopping! It's Hallo-fucking-ween! I'm so excited to see your guy's costumes. Let's go to lunch so we can talk with the rest of the gang about our plans for tonight!", and with that you were off, your two friends walking besides you, chuckling to themselves as they saw how eager you were about tonight's festivities.
Making your way throughout the crowded lunch hall, the three of you finally managed to reach your usual table, you taking the corner seat with Sal sitting besides you, and Larry across from you. Ash sat next to Larry, Maple and Chug besides her, chatting amongst themselves as they usually did. "Hey guys, you going to the Pumpkin Patch later today? Maple and I are gonna go together.", Chug announced, Maple nodding in agreement, "Yeah, they're gonna have free candied apples there and Chug loves those, so of course we have to go.", she added.
Looking over at the adorable pair, Ash smiled, "That sounds like fun guys! But we're going to have to skip the pumpkin patch this year, we're hanging out at Larry's treehouse tonight. That's why we didn't get lunch today, we're saving our appetites for after school.", she explained. Sallyface and Larry both nodded, "Yeah, we're sticking with something casual for this year. Of course though, we've still got costumes , but they're surprises. More fun that way, yknow?", Larry commented, Sallyface adding, "Yeah, with all the crazy shit that's happened so far, we just want something laidback for me and Y/N's first Halloween in Nockfell."
That was true, even though Sal had only been there for three months, and you for about two, a lot of things had happened that completely rocked your world. I mean, the stress of moving to a completely new place, dealing with people like Travis, combined with the absurd fact that seeing and talking to ghosts is pretty much normal within the doors of your apartment building? Yeah, laidback is definitely what was needed.
Placing your elbows upon the table, you perched your chin in one hand, enjoying the simplicity of sitting besides Sal and listening in on Ash and Larry discuss a meeting time for tonight. "I'm so glad to finally be spending a Halloween with friends, I never thought I'd have such a unique bond with such unique people, especially Sal...I wonder if we'll maybe find some alone time tonight? I like spending time as a group...but being alone together is just so-", you felt a tap on your shoulder, and a bit surprised you turned around to face whoever was trying to get your attention.
"H-huh? Oh, hey, um, Alex right...? What's up? Do you need today's notes from science or something?", the whole group now had their heads turned towards the boy, some with puzzled looks upon their faces, wondering what was going on. The only person without a puzzled look on his face, was of course Sallyface. Underneath his mask, he was rolling his eyes at the sight of yet another boy approaching you, quite irritated by now.
However, knowing yet another boy was going after you did intimidate him slightly, how many of them could there be? He couldn't let someone else get to you before he did. After clearing his throat, the boy they now knew as Alex began to speak, "Hey, Y/N. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you and your, uh, friends but, I've been meaning to ask you about something.", Larry began to snicker quietly as he knew what was going to be asked, Ash giving his side a jab, Sallyface simply blankly staring at the boy, clearly unamused.
Raising an eyebrow, you gave Alex a polite, but forced smile, "Yeah? What is it...?", you asked, despite knowing just what he was going to ask you, already thinking of ways to let him down gently. "You know the dance in a couple weeks? Well, I wanted to ask if you'd want to go with me. I don't have a date yet, and I figured you don't either.", he asked, hands in his pockets, awaiting a response.
Struggling to hide your annoyance of yet another meaningless dance proposal, you let out a sigh and began to think up what to say, "O-oh, Alex, that's really nice of you to offer but-", your voice was suddenly cut off by a strong arm being placed around your shoulder, pulling you in closer to them, "Buuuut she's already going with me. Sorry man, no hard feelings, right?", Sallyface asked the boy in a stern tone, looking up at him with a look of discontent in his eyes as he held you close to him, doing this took all his courage to do but once he did it, he knew he made the right choice.
You felt like your heart was about to jump out of your throat from how bold and protective Sal was being in the moment. You knew he was only doing this to save you the trouble of dealing with this guy, but you couldn't help but blush like a fool. His arm protectively placed around you was such an amazing sensation, bodies together as he held you close, feeling one of his pigtails brush against your cheek. Talk about swoon.
Alex looked first at Sallyface, then back to you, seemingly in disbelief, waiting for you to say something on the matter. You didn't hesitate whatsoever, playing the role of Sal's date came naturally to you, you were crushing on him pretty hard after all so now was your chance to get a small glimpse into what it would feel like if the two of you actually were a thing, "Y-yeah! Sorry dude, Sal and I have been planning on going together for a good while now, and there's no one else I'd rather be going with.", you rested your head upon Sal's shoulder. Man, the act you were putting on was impeccable. Most likely because real feelings were actually present within the act.
Alex, the same look of disbelief still upon his face, nodded slowly with a slightly embarrassed look after being rejected by you and practically shooed away by Sallyface, "E-er, right, don't worry about it. Sorry to bother you. You two make...an interesting couple.", judging by his tone and the funny way he was looking at the two of you, he was definitely more than irritated, "Have fun at the dance, maybe wear matching pigtails or something.", he sarcastically mumbled before turning back around and shambling off back to his table.
Once that rude attempted suitor was out of earshot, everyone at the table exchanged surprised looks, Larry being the first to snicker, Ashley following, and in an instant the entire table erupted into laughter. In between breaths, Sal spoke up, "J-jeez, I said no hard feelings! He didn't have to get so bent out of shape about it.", Larry adding on, "No kidding man, that guy had a massive stick up his ass. Couldn't handle rejection well, aye?", he said before continuing to laugh.
Ash stopped laughing first out of the group, calmly collecting herself but unable to remove the grin off her face, "O-oh man, I don't mean to laugh at him getting rejected but god, he definitely took it personally. She said no, and no means no, end of story. No need to be a dick.", you couldn't have said it better yourself. "Exactly, Ash. Like cmon man, you pretty much asked a stranger to a dance, and then get upset when they turn you down? Holden was nice about me saying no, but Alex is the one who wanted to be a jerk and leave on a sour note.", you said while wiping away a few tears of laughter from the corner of your eyes, you could hardly believe this whole damn situation.
"Wait, someone else asked you to the dance? Wow Y/N, you sure are popular around Nockfell.", Chug stated, Maple nodding her head in agreement, "Yeah, didn't Travis try his shot with you, too? You've definitely caught the eye of lots of people, Y/N. Not that I blame them, you're super pretty.".
Sallyface thought to himself "No kidding.", within his head after Maple stated those very true words. Letting out a sigh, you couldn't help but feel a bit down. Sure, a few boys showed interest in you but you had no idea exactly why, it had to be out of pity or meant as a joke or something, right? These negative thoughts flooded your mind quite often whenever people showed interest in you, you've never really been the super confident type, so hearing these sort of compliments and remarks just made you feel confused and unsure of how to react to them.
You had absolutely no reason to be self conscious, but no one ever does, acknowledging your own beauty and self worth is difficult. "Thanks, Maple, you're sweet, but these things are really putting me off...", you began to explain your feelings to the table, knowing they'd listen, "I mean, why does it happen? They don't know me, I don't go out of my way to know them, and it's not like I'm pretty enough or intriguing enough to be getting all this fucking attention! I don't need their pity, they don't have to poke fun at-" before you could finish your little rant, Larry couldn't help but reach over and give your forehead a flick.
"Hey! What was that for?", you annoyedly asked, rubbing the spot upon your face. Sitting back down, he looked over at you with a small chuckle, "Y/N, I'm sorry to say this but, you're being kind of a moron right now-agh! Hey! I'm trying to explain this to her!.", Ashley gave his side yet another firm jab, taking the lead in talking to you, "What Larry is trying to say, Y/N, is that those guys aren't trying to take pity on you or play a joke, because why would they? You're an amazing person, Y/N. I think you just have a little bit of trouble seeing it, don't you?", her friendly, sincere way with words never seemed to fail. Ash was just that kind of person to always uplift her friends, especially her fellow girls.
Sal now took the opportunity to share his input, "Ash is right, Y/N, you definitely are an amazing girl, and I can kind of relate to you when it comes to not really believing people when they're being nice to you, it does sometimes feel like it's out of pity. In my case though, it's more understandable, I mean, pity is expected when you're a person who wears a prosthetic mask after a traumatic accident.", he laughed softly, these sort of jokes were normal to the majority of group by now, but to someone like you who hadn't yet heard the full extent of what had actually happened to Sal, it made your heart ache slightly.
Nevertheless, you still continued to listen to what he had to say with a look of pure admiration on your face, "And I'm not trying to say your feelings aren't valid, but you, you have absolutely no reason to think people are trying to take pity on you. You're a smart, beautiful, and a totally badass girl, Y/N. I hope you're able to shake away these negative thoughts whenever they come to you, and if you can't, you've always got us to cheer you up.", gesturing to the table who all had reassuring smiles upon their faces, Ashley's smile being particularly wide. "Sal,", Ash thought to herself, "You're so damn close to telling her how you feel, just do it! Ahh, you two are so cute it's killing me to have to wait so long to see it play out.". That girls support for the pair was never ending.
A lump had formed in your throat after Sal had just poured out so much sincere support and kindness from within his heart towards you, but you resisted the urge to tear up, not wanting to cry in front of the entire table and possibly have other students see. "Sal, you're an angel. You know what, all of you guys are. I can't believe how much you guys care about me, a-and you guys better know I care just as much!", you smiled at everyone as they did the same, Larry of course making a joke about how he was too cool to be an angel, he'd rather be a kick ass demon.
You made sure to give Sallyface an especially grateful and loving look, the lunch bell however began to ring throughout the cafeteria, interrupting the little eye contact session. Larry was the first to stand up from the table, and for some unknown reason he had this shit eating grin on his face, but it suddenly became clear to you why exactly he looked so amused when he spoke up, "Hey, Sallyface, did you notice you still have your arm around Y/N, and that it's been there for the entire lunch period as a matter of fact, or did you just forget to let go of her?", the rest of the gang couldn't help but giggle as you and Sal hurriedly both shot up from where you sat, fumbling and stuttering with words.
"Shit, my bad! It's just-um-", Sal was trying to apologize for being too comfortable with you and you attempted to reassure him it wasn't a problem at all, "It's o-okay! Really, I didn't mind at all!". Neither you or Sallyface realized that his arm was placed around you for the entire lunch period because, well, it felt completely natural and just...like it was meant to be there. At this point, Larry, Maple, and Chug were beginning to take notice of something happening between the two of you. Ashley would soon no longer be the only one who was aware of the budding romance.
* * *
Slam! "Mom! I'm home, are you?", you asked, throwing your backpack onto the couch before running in to peak inside your mother's bedroom, seeing her folding some laundry. Lifting her head up from the heap of jumbled clothing, your mother smiled at you, glad to see you home, "Oh, Y/N, home so early? I thought you were spending Halloween with your friends?", she asked as she neatly tucked clothing away.
Leaning against the door frame, you couldn't help but begin to excitedly ramble on about tonight's game plan, "I am! We're going to kick back at Larry's treehouse tonight, 5PM, we just all came home for now to finish any school work we have and to get our costumes ready.", you explained. "Oh, alright dear. I hope you kids have fun, I'll be at the company Halloween party later today, I'll probably be back a bit late though because of course I'm the one in charge of making sure everyone has a safe ride home afterwards. Perks of being the only non-drinker, huh?", she joked.
"I still can't believe your boss is letting you guys drink at a company party, but at least I know you won't be home wasted later tonight. Anyways, I'm going to start doing my makeup and hair for my costume, so I'll be cooped up in my room for now. Love ya, mom!", you said, your mother returning the sentiment. Now inside your room, you closed your door behind you and walked over to your desk which had your small silver desktop vanity mirror placed atop of it, sitting down in your chair comfortably knowing you'd be there for a while.
"Alright...", you said with a sigh as you opened up one of the drawers to your desk, revealing the small stash of brand new makeup you had bought a few days in advance, "Let's hope this goes well...", and so began your costume process.
* * *
Standing underneath the treehouse about fifteen minutes earlier than the designated time, Sallyface adjusted the mask upon his face, however, it wasn't his usual prosthetic. He wore a blood spattered hockey mask upon his face, along with dark baggy clothing, a classic character from a movie you and him both loved; Jason Vorhees.
He was proud of his costume, knowing that his friends, especially you, would appreciate the effort he put into it. Holding a fake store bought machete in one hand, he slashed at the air, the other hand adjusting his loose blue locks as he awaited for the arrival of his friends. "This mask is way different from my usual one, not as comfortable but it's only for one night. Are the straps going to get stuck in my hair? I should-", a voice interrupted his thought process.
"Sal!", you called out, approaching him from behind. Startled, he quickly turned around to face you, and when his eyes fell upon you, he was at a loss for words. Illuminated by the October sunset, you timidly walked towards him, hair gently swaying in the gentle breeze, eyes delicately adorned with subtle black eyeshadow and a soft winged eyeliner, looking down at the ground before shifting your gaze up towards him, offering him a shy smile with your supple lips that were tinted a dark shade of red. That wasn't the end of the beauty of your costume however, you had styled your hair so gracefully for it to frame your face, and the velvet black dress upon your body was absolutely stunning. It hugged your body in all the right places, outlining your figure perfectly while still being comfortable to move around in.
Now standing right in front of him, you broke the silence, "If you can't tell, I'm supposed to be Morticia Addams. Only difference is that I'm wearing sneakers underneath my dress.", you joked with a small chuckle, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, now focusing your attention on his costume, "Dude, your costume is fucking gold. That mask is good quality too! It's not some dollar store crap, the details are amazing.", you couldn't help but gush over his costume.
While you rambled on about the Friday the 13th franchise, Sal was simply starting at you, he hadn't ever seen you so dolled up before. He knew you were naturally beautiful but the makeup you were wearing made you look so...intriguing, and pretty damn hot. Not to mention that hugging dress allowed him to see your figure in it's entirety, causing his face to feel hot and his heart to beat rapidly, a nervous sweat breaking out underneath his mask.
Finally, he spoke up, "Y-you look really nice! M-Morticia, uh, suits you and your personality a lot, you really nailed her look...", embarrassed at how he had stumbled slightly with his words, he quickly changed the subject, "G-guess we both showed up early, huh? I didn't want to be late, especially since it's our first Halloween here.", he shifted the bulky jacket over his shoulders, "And I'm glad you like my costume, I knew you'd appreciate it. Oh, did you bring the movies like we planned?", he asked.
He hadn't noticed the small black leather satchel slung over your shoulder, which you quickly opened to reveal the five VHS tapes of the horror entertainment for the night, "Definitely. Todd's coming to fix the old TV up in the treehouse right? So we can use it without worrying about extension cables?", you asked, taking a step towards the ladder of the treehouse. Sallyface replied with a nod, "Yeah, and he's bringing Neil along too. Neil said he'd bring some wine or something.", he explained. You giggled, "Wine? Heh, what are we, middle aged moms? That's nice of him to bring something though, to be honest, I've never had anything of the sort before. My mom doesn't drink so I guess I was just never interested in it either. I'm a complete goody two shoes when it comes to that stuff.", you told Sal, knowing he wouldn't make fun of you for it.
What you didn't know though was that he was just an inexperienced as you were, despite his father usually keeping some beer in the fridge on occasion. "Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you. I guess it just never occurred to me. Larry,Ash, and Todd only drink on special occasions from what they've told me. Guess that's why they're bringing some stuff for this year's celebration. I don't plan on drinking really, addiction runs in my family. Hopefully the rest of the gang doesn't end up blowing chunks by the end of the night.", he joked as he also began to approach the treehouse ladder, gesturing for you to climb up, "Ladies first.", he said with a chuckle.
Wanting to mess with him, you gave him a smirk and raised one of your eyebrows, "What, so you can look up my dress while I go up?". Instantly Sal began to sputter out an explanation, "W-what? N-no! That's not what I was trying to-", you stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder, laughing loudly as you ran a hand through your nicely styled hair, "I'm kidding dude! Lighten up, don't take everything I say too seriously. Plus, I've got shorts underneath my dress anyways. You're too cute, Sal.", you said, smiling at the boy in front of you, still not completely used to the hockey mask instead of the regular prosthetic mask, "Cmon! Let's head up!", and with that you began to ascend the ladder, Sal shyly following behind you, "R-right, heh. Alright, let's go.". And yes, he did look up only once; he now knew for sure you were wearing shorts under the black dress.
The both of you now inside the treehouse, being alone together felt a lot more intimidating now than it ever had before. Was it the somewhat cramped space? The fact that you were so dolled up? Neither of you knew exactly why the air suddenly felt so tense but, it might've had something to do with the fact that the cozy atmosphere of the treehouse; dim lighting due to the lack of windows, a small yet somehow cozy looking cot in the corner, and overall organized clutter of the place just made the two of you feel oddly at home despite you having ever entered the treehouse before.
"Oh wow...", you walked along, looking at the photos and posters upon the wall, gently grazing your fingers against the array of trinkets, "...this place is really...nice. But...", your voice trailed off. Confused, Sal walked behind you, wondering why you had stopped mid sentence, "Y/N? Something the matter?", he asked, placing his hand on your shoulder as you turned your head to face him, your eyes glimmering as you were in the process of tearing up but holding it in, not wanting to ruin your makeup or ruin the mood, "O-oh, heh, it's nothing Sal! Really, I'm okay! Just got a little, uh, dust in my eye.", that was the lame excuse that you used, walking over towards the small cot and sitting upon it, placing your satchel onto the ground as you looked upon Sallyface, who was now sitting besides you on the small cot.
He obviously knew you weren't being truthful about the reason you suddenly became distraught. Placing the plastic machete besides him, he turned to face you as you carefully wiped away the tears from your eyes, offering him a small smile that hid sadness behind it, "I'm okay Sal, really. I just...the picture of little Larry with his mom and dad got to me. I have pictures just like that. Seeing that picture just made me remember that empty feeling of...my dad not being there. I hate the fact that Larry, and you, share the same kind of pain. Yet, it's also one of the things that brought us closer together. I guess the fact that we both don't have a father figure anymore...", you paused, looking at the ground, "...we just have this bond, yknow?".
Ouch, that lump in Sal's throat was killing him after hearing you explain your feelings. Hearing you say you had a bond with Larry made him feel nothing but empty inside, it made him feel pretty fucking crappy. Thinking he had just lost his chance with you, Sal let out a defeated sigh and composed himself before speaking, "Y-yeah, I know. You know, Y/N, I'm sure he feels the same way. You guys should be together. It's only right the two of you end up together. You're perfect for each other...", despite being secretly heart broken, he was determined to support you and watch you be happy no matter what; even if it wasn't with him.
Confused, you looked at him with a look of surprise, "Huh? What're you-Oh! No, dude! Not like that! It's not like that at all!", letting oh a small laugh you began to further go into detail about that bond you and Larry had, "You misunderstood me, I meant bond as in like, I see him as an older brother figure. He knows I know what it feels like to not have my dad around, so he's always looking out for me and making sure I'm okay. I don't see him in a romantic way at all, despite all the jokey flirting and teasing shit he does. It's all harmless fun, at the end of the day we're both just two good friends who knows the pain of not having your dad around. That's the kind of bond I meant, sorry if I phrased it weird!", you assured him, "...I'm actually, not good with dudes romantically. Like at all. So you guys don't have to worry about me ever being involved with anyone...not yet anyways.", without even realizing it, you were dropping hints at the crush that was completely eating you up inside.
It was almost as if your feelings could no longer be contained, being alone with Sal upon a small cot inside the now barely illuminated inside treehouse was just so overwhelming; it felt like the perfect place for something to happen, and Sal felt it too.
Incredibly relived that he had in fact not just lost you to his best friend, he cleared his throat and found himself scooting closer towards you, finally being able to speak once again now that the painful lump from within his throat and icky feeling inside his stomach was gone, "I feel you on that one, Y/N. I've never really even thought about having a romantic life. Mainly because, of my whole fucked up face situation, yknow?", he joked, though meaning every word he said, "It's easier to understand that someone like me doesn't have a love life, but you Y/N, you're beautiful. Anyone would be lucky to have you, nothing's holding you back from loving someone. I wish I could say the same for myself, I'd give anything to be a normal person and not have to hide my fucked up face behind a stupid mask.", he spoke so sincerely, allowing himself to vent and be vulnerable, knowing that you wouldn't judge him or disregard his feelings.
However, hearing him say those things about himself, those awful self deprecating words...you weren't going to let him get away with saying that about himself. Suddenly you stood up off the cot, catching Sal off guard before you muttered, "Y-you're...ridiculous.". Eyebrows furrowed in confusion behind his mask, he replied, "What...?", before you spoke up again, voice now louder and with a twinge of anger within it, "Take it back. Take back all that shit you said about yourself, Sal, because it isn't true. You're stupid for even thinking like that...", you felt yourself want to cry but you held it in, wanting him to know how upset you were with what he said about himself.
Feeling like you were pittying him, he also began to feel a slight hint of anger, thinking you were just lying to him and wanting to spare his feelings, "N-no. I'm not taking it back, Y/N. Because it's fucking true. No one can love someone like me, I've never had someone have a crush on me, I've never had a girlfriend, I've never even had my first kiss for fucks sake! And it's for a reason, Y/N. My. Fucked. Up. Face. Stop lying to me just to save my feelings, you know no one would ever want to kiss someone who looks like me.", his fists were clenching the thin blanket upon the cot, tears already forming within his eyes. But he didn't care, he had his mask to shield his pained face, however not the pain in his voice.
Your fists were now clenched too, utterly and completely frustrated with how dense your blue haired friend was being, however you knew he meant everything he said, and that completely broke your heart. In the haze of emotions of your first argument ever, you knew what had to be done, and without hesitation you spoke, back turned to Sal, "I would kiss you.".
Silence. Complete and utter silence enveloped the two of you. It felt like his heart just stopped and brain malfunctioned, "W-what did she just say?", was the phrase repeating throughout his head, and your head was repeating the phrase, "No turning back now, no turning back now. Make him eat his words, show him you mean it.".
Slowly turning around to face him, you looked down at the masked blue haired boy sat upon the cot with a look that was a mix of bashfulness, anger, and determination, "I would kiss you, Sal. I don't even know what you look like underneath your mask but I don't care. I don't give a shit what you look like, because I know what you're like as a person. You're an amazing, incredible, fucking perfect human, who no one, including me, would have a problem with kissing.".
Your boldness must've rubbed off on Sal, because despite how much his lips were trembling out of nervousness underneath that costume mask, he replied back, "Th-then do it.". Within the small timeframe of your argument, the sun had completely sunk behind the horizon, leaving you and Sal in nearly complete darkness besides hardly being able to make out the silhouettes of one another and the objects within the room; no clear details could be made out, an advantage for Sal who was still not completely ready for you to see him in his entirety.
Heart racing, you stepped towards the barely visible figure that was before you, sitting besides him as you heard some shifting; the sound of him removing his mask. Thank goodness the room was so dark, the amount of blush and the incredibly nervous look upon your face was not something you wanted Sal to see. "Y-you know this already but I'm just reminding you, I-I've never kissed anyone before so I'm sorry if this isn't great.", you defensively explained, feeling him place the mask he wore between the two of you.
Clearing his throat, he nodded, "D-don't worry about it, you know I'm new to this too.", he paused, "...you can't see my face at all, right?", he softly asked. Your voice trembled but you replied promptly replied in a confident tone, "No, Sal, I can't see anything besides our shadows. But like I said, even if I could see you, I wouldn't care. What you look like isn't going to change my mind.".
The cold air of the room did nothing to soothe the intense warm feeling that was radiating within your bodies out of total and complete nervousness from the two of you. This was it, the two of you were about to share your first kiss together.
Sitting besides one another in silence for a minute, you were the first to do something; you placed your hand upon Sal's knee. After a second, you suddenly felt the warmth of his hand cup your face, startling you slightly before you did the same. Slowly and gently, your hand extended out towards the shadow of Sal's face, ever so gently placing it upon his left cheek. Instantly your hand was greeted by the feeling of rough, textured skin, but it did not detour you whatsoever from what you were about to do.
Shutting your eyes and allowing your body to relax, your hand gently guided Sal's face towards yours while he leaned in at the same time, you felt the warmth of his breath and heard his soft breathing for only a brief second before it happened, your lips met.
It finally happened. Your lips were softly pressed against each other in a shy, delicate kiss, both of your hearts rapidly beating and hands upon one another's faces shaking. Sal's lips...the sensation of his lips against yours was nothing like you had ever felt before. Like his skin, his lips were slightly rough and textured, yet somehow it felt like the softest surface you had ever felt. The warmth of his mouth, the gentle and caring way his lips pressed against yours without being pushy, god it was enough to make you want more.
Within Sal's mind, he was thinking the exact same thing, he wanted more of your lips. The lips he had always taken the chance to admire whenever you weren't looking, the lips that always seemed to give him the most genuine smiles, the lips that the kindest words always came out of, they were finally all his. So soft, so supple, the faint taste of cherry flavored lip tint lingering within his mouth, he couldn't have asked for a better feeling than the feeling the two of you were sharing right now.
After the initial clumsiness and shakiness, the two of you were now slowly, steadily, and lovingly enjoying one another's lips, neither one of you pulling away just yet because honestly, neither of you wanted to. Gently caressing his face with your hand as the two of you continued on, your body began to seemingly act on its own, and your hand slowly made its way to the collar of his shirt, giving it a slight tug forward, a sign that meant you desperately wanted more of him.
Something came over Sal when he felt you tug on the collar of his shirt, whatever it was seemed to have flicked on a switch within his mind, and in an instant you were suddenly met with his body closer than ever to yours, his hands now upon your waist as he began to deepen the kiss, surprising you at first but not something that you denied whatsoever, in fact, you did the same thing.
Matching his eagerness, you wrapped your arms around his neck as the two of you now began to full on makeout with one another within the darkness of the treehouse. It felt like the two of you were the only ones left on earth, both of your minds were blank besides thinking of how absolutely amazing and wonderful this feeling was, the feeling of finally being able to express how strongly you felt about one another, even if it wasn't with your words just yet.
The two of you were so caught up within your little moment in heaven, that Sal failed to realize how strongly he was gripping onto your waist, one of his thumbs in particular accidentally digging into your abdomen a little too hard, causing you to let out a small started cry, but in the moment, it sounded more like a soft moan, "N-ngh, ah!".
That was his cue to stop, he absolutely had to fucking stop after hearing that slip out of your mouth, knowing that if you made anymore noises like that, he wouldn't be able to contain himself, "Sh-shit! Did I accidently touch you somewhere I shouldn't have?! I didn't mean to-to go that far, Y/N, I'm so sorry, please don't be upset-", you cut him off, realizing he confused your discomforted whimper for a moan, "W-wha? N-no, Sal, I-it's not that! I, I um-, your thumb just-"- THUD!
The two of you stopped talking after hearing the loud noise, it being followed by a familiar masculine voice, "Jesus, I gotta fix this damn hatch, it's getting harder to open each day.", followed by a familiar feminine voice, "Maybe it just needs some oil or something.". Both of your heads turned to face one another within the darkness of the room, both of you whispering at the same time, "Larry and Ash!".
Quickly composing yourselves, Sal put his mask back on while you adjusted your messy hair and fixed the crooked sheet upon the cot, not wanting your other two friends to know what you were up to within the treehouse. Hatch abruptly opened, someone within a white sheet poked their head in, tossing a bag of candy within the treehouse, "Hey, you guys are up here already? Why's it so dark? The lamp acting up again?", the person asked Sallyface, it was a completely oblivious Larry within a homemade sheet ghost outfit.
"Y-yeah, the lamp! It's acting up man, uh, I'll check it out again. Y/N, want to help me find some batteries?", he asked you in a nervous tone, which you quickly agreed to, "Y-yeah! Let's find those god damn batteries.". Watching the two of you walk over towards the other side of the treehouse, Larry raised an eyebrow underneath his half assed ghost costume, sensing a weird vibe. However, he was quickly snapped out of it once Ash called out to him, "Hey! Help me bring the pizzas up! I can't hold them all.", she explained. "Coming!", Larry yelled back, descending the ladder.
After getting the lamp turned on, Sal suddenly let out a chuckle when he looked at you, confusing you, "What?", you asked. "Your lipstick...it's all over your face. Here, there's some tissues over here.", and with that, you embarrassedly wiped away the mess of lipstick off your face, looking at Sal, the two of you bursting into laughter.
Despite having completely indulged yourselves in one another's lips just moments before, the two of you resumed the night as normally, however, neither of you could help but constantly stare and steal glances of one another's lips. The yearn for more of each other was present throughout the night's festivities.