#chasing

Now this was a cute side effect you didn't anticipate on having after Billy's upgrade: being permanently flustered by him in his presence. You were already an excited mess around him before, but now you couldn't seem to stop your heart from thrumming just a bit harder when you were around him. His dorky charm had multiplied by ten and you loved it all, comfortable enough to just be that flustered fool in front of him without shame. He loved the attention as much as he loved teasing you about it.

Even now as you woke from your deep sleep, upon realizing that you had fallen asleep atop Billy in your bed, your cheeks shifted that familiar tint of red when you realized you were trapped in his arms. Now that wasn't a horrible fate to have at all, especially considering he was still in a partial sleep mode, fully relaxed and easy for you to peacefully admire without interruption. As much as you loved his banter, getting a quiet moment like this to admire your construct lover was rare to come by. You took your chances when they were given to you. It felt nice to have someone so precious to you that you could just sit gush about them without shame, welcoming the warmth you felt when you were with him.

"Still sleeping… heh, you look so peaceful and sweet like this, my Silly Billy." You mumbled as you looked over his dimmed external lighting.

He had his head propped up and wedged by your many pillows to avoid putting those horns of his from poking you or the wall, tilted slightly to the side in between pillows so any movement you made wouldn't cause him to shift as well. His neck was open to you in this position, your fingers having curiously made their way up to gently touch the exposed ribbon cables, tracing them down to his chest. He had all new plated metal on his beautifully designed chest, every inch of him clearly worked on with the utmost of care. You rather enjoyed his sleek new look, tracing your fingers along the red indents on his chest that would glow subtly when he was awake. Lost in thought, you couldn't help yourself and pulled yourself up a little closer to him to kiss his neck, simply because you wanted to. In that moment, you heard the sound of fans gently whirring to life, the lighting on his body slowly brightening from a dim glow to mildly luminous. He had seriously just awoken from sleep mode with a kiss from you.

"Mmm, good morning~" He hummed with soft, tired breaths as he roused himself.

"Is kissing you like an activation sequence or something?" You chuckled, turning away a bit to calm your beating heart. "You were still very asleep."

"When it's you, yes it is." He nodded. "It's the best way of knowing you're awake so I can ask for a kiss I can participate in."

"Ah, so you want another?" You asked with a cheeky smile.

"Please, my love? Right here~" He nodded, pointing to the place you kissed him the most on his face.

"You're such a sap in the morning." You huffed, crawling up to hover over him. "But yes, you can have a good morning kiss, silly."

You gave him the sweet kiss he requested, earning a gentle spark to your lips in response. His kisses were quite literally electric, and he clearly loved giving them as much as he loved receiving them. When you pulled back, he looked positively pleased, a giggly hum spilling from him.

"A good morning indeed."

"You are impossibly adorable. How?" You huffed.

"Hey! That's my line, cutie." He pouted. "Oh! How did you sleep, by the way? You feeling alright?"

"Mmhmm. I slept real good. You are… surprisingly comfy. I don't know how that works but I will not question this blessing." You told him, feeling him squeeze you a little tighter in response.

"Is it cuz you were dreaming of me~?" He hummed, then let out a soft gasp. "Is that why you're such a cute shade of pink so early in the morning?"

"Tsk, maybe I do dream of you." You said, pressing your forehead to his. "You look so peaceful and adorable in sleep mode by the way. Just like before…"

"Ooooh, you were staring at me again. You can't hide that from me~" He teased, poking his fingers into your waist a bit.

"H-hey, I'm just not used to waking up in your gorgeous arms— stahap!" You laughed, trying to wiggle free.

"You are too cute." He sighed, only stopping to hug you tightly. "Hey, we should go on a date today. I haven't gone out with you since my upgrade; maybe that can help you get used to seeing your amazing boyfriend in such a cool new form~. Totally not complaining about getting to see you all flustered more often though…"

He mumbled the last part of his suggestion, which earned himself a playful smack to his chest from you. Oh how you loved that he loved you so shamelessly. A date might simply make you burst with joy.

"Yeah, I'd love to go on a date. Did you have somewhere in mind?" You nodded, already filled with excitement.

"A date at Godfinger, just like our first one~" He told you, little hearts flickering in his eyes.

"Hell yeah, that sounds amazing." You said with a smile.

"Good! I've been waiting for my chance to show you how much better at gaming I've gotten~" He hummed, bringing a hand up to cup your cheek. "You'll be the distracted one this time I think."

"Oh… shush." You huffed, pressing your cheek into his palm.

"Seee? So cute~" He laughed, so very in love with how receptive you were to him.

"Let me up you sap, so I can go clean myself up and get ready then, hey?" You said, kissing his palm while you had the chance.

"Alright, alright~" He laughed, finally letting you get up.

You gave yourself a much needed stretch after you stood up, jumping a bit when Billy reached over and gave your waist a little poke mid-stretch. Even if you gave him a pouty look, it didn't last for long with how adorable he looked laying on his side, blowing a kiss at you like the cute little shit that he was. You caught his 'kiss' playfully before you headed into the bathroom to shower and clean up after such a long week. You needed it.

Billy went ahead and made himself at home after you had gone, getting up once he heart the water start running. While you showered, he took it upon himself to help clean up and put away your sniper rifle and ammunition bag that you had tossed onto the floor the previous day. He was as careful and caring as he was with his own guns, storing everything away accordingly in your safe before he turned his attention to your kitchen, deciding he wanted to make you a snack for when you finished showering. Dialing up his affectionate boyfriend mode he prepared a simple morning snack for you, leaving it out on the counter for when you were done. Not long after he made your snack, you emerged from the bathroom, dried out and dressed except for your hair. You smelled the food and turned to see Billy and his creation, an airy chuckle slipping out of you as you came over.

"Spoiling me already, hey?" You commented, walking over to dig in.

"Gotta make sure you've got the energy to stand a day of gaming with me after all." He hummed, sliding an arm around you and sneaking a hand into your pocket.

"You're still butthurt about losing that one time, aren't you?" You teased, finishing your morning snack.

"Don't be mean, starlight." He halfheartedly whined, pinching your hip with the hand he had in your pocket.

"Eep! B-Billy you handsy fiend!" You yelped.

"I can't help it, sorry~"

"You menace. I'll go dry my hair, then we can head out." You told him, pulling his wandering hand out of your pocket.

"Sounds good! Wanna walk there and enjoy some fresh air instead of riding over?" He asked you before you disappeared back into the bathroom.

"Yeah, I'd like that." You nodded.

You spent a few extra minutes drying your hair so you didn;'t look a mess, returning to Billy feeling fresh. He held out his hand for you to take; and you did, letting him lead you out of your apartment, only stopping to let you ensure your door was locked behind you. He held tight to your left hand with his wrapped right hand, fingers laced between yours and humming a happy tune as you hit ground level. You swore he seemed even more in love today, joy oozing from him as he walked proudly with you by his side. He was definitely feeling himself a little extra today, gassed up by your cute reactions to him; a major confidence boost in his opinion.

As you walked through the dense city blocks hand in hand, you took a moment to look up at him, admiring how attractive his happiness truly made him. He could feel your eyes on him though, and looked down at you affectionately. The moment you locked eyes, a blush swept across your cheeks and made you look straight ahead once more, trying not to seem like such a stranger. He only squeezed your hand in response, a chuckle slipping out of him.

"You can gaze up at me all you want, I don't mind~" He told you.

"W-well you're not supposed to notice that quickly." You huffed, leaning into his shoulder with a gentle shove. "You damn handsome fool."

"Sorry, sorry~"

He enjoyed the closeness of the moment as you walked out from a side street and out onto Sixth Street, the early afternoon having filled the street with life. Even Belle was outside her shop enjoying the afternoon air, but once she saw you hand-in-hand with Billy, she stopped everything to run over and greet you right outside of Howl's news stand.

"Hey! I haven't seen you in a while, how have ya been?" She asked. "I see you're finally back by your Starlight Knight's side~. How do you like the upgrades he had done?"

"Hah, I've been great; better now that I'm next to him again. I missed him so much and… I love the upgrades." You answered, half whispering the last bit to be cheeky.

I can tell. Your face is as red as his scarf." She laughed, covering her mouth a bit. "You don't seem very accustomed to the changes; holding his hand has you turning scarlet."

"Honestly… I don't think I'll get used to it very quickly." You admitted, looking up at Billy with a lovesick smile.

"I hope you never do. At least, not for a while. You are too cute, and it has gotten sooo easy to fluster you now~" Billy teased.

"Yeah? You might just get your wish with howe my heart keeps pounding. I really like this giddy feeling you give me. Hell, I may never get used to your charm." You huffed, leaning into his side again.

"Oh!! You really loke those upgrades then." Belle smirked. "Man, you two really are perfect for each other."

"Hey, I know what I like."

"And that would be me, your Starlight Knight with unmatched charm and swagger." Billy chimed in, pulling you even closer against him.

"B-babe!" You chided, Belle's growing smirk aiding in how quickly you became flustered.

"Get a roooom!" She teased.

"We will. We came for a date here at Godfinger, actually." He said. "Though I've gotta say, I'm not sure if my little cutie is gonna survive with how flustered they get."

"You guys are so mean oh my godddd." You whined, covering your face with your hands.

"Sorry about that, I know I'm encouraging his behaviour~" Belle apologized. "I'll leave you to your date then, so have fun!"

Waving goodbye, Belle left you and Billy to return to her shop and carry on with business for the day. Now a silly scarlet mess, you sighed, finally dropping your hands and looking up at your love. He still beamed at you, mostly unaffected by the teasing since it was primarily directed at you.

"You really are as red as my scarf." He noted, rubbing his thumb gently along your hip. "It suits you."

"You may as well start calling me the Scarlet Knight at this point." You groaned.

"Mmm, cute, but not as cute as just calling you the cutie that you are." He hummed.

"Let's go oh my god. Belle is peeking out her front door at us." You encouraged, grabbing his arm and giving him a tug towards Godfinger.

"Heheh, coming~!"

Letting you drag him inside, Billy noted how the tips of your ears were red now too, keeping his comment to himself, lest you end up giving him another smack to his chest. He let you guide him past Asha who complimented his new look, taking him straight to the back corner where less patrons were playing. There you let go of his arm and sighed, pulling your membership card out of your pocket.

"I can't tell who's a bigger fan of us being together; us, or Belle." You huffed, rubbing your cheeks a bit.

"She does love to mess with you." He chuckled, pulling out his own membership card. "Buuuut I don't think anyone loves teasing you as much as me, heheh."

"That much is abundantly clear." You said, stepping up next to the Dueling Snakes game. "I think if I kick your ass a couple times at some games though, that'll make up for all the flustering you do to me."

"Heh, we'll see if you win."

Standing shoulder to shoulder, you swiped your cards and started to play, not fully focused on how confident he sounded in your defeat. One minute passed, two minutes passed; almost a full ten minutes passed in one round without either of you winning, only maintaining your status with hopes and dreams. You didn't even know how you had gone on this long, the gems no longer spawning as you chased each other around the small map. Eventually, it all came to an end when you got frustrated and tried to cut him off unsuccessfully, running right into the side of his snake and disintegrated. You stood there with your mouth open in shock, turning to Billy to see him looking back at you with a mischievous confidence about him.

"Since when did you get so good at this game??" You questioned with a raised brow.

"I told you I've been practicing~" He chuckled.

"How could you?" You gasped in mock offense. "C'mon, another round. I need to prove I'm still the god gamer in this relationship."

"You are so on."

You gave your cards another swipe and locked back into another round, determined to win against him no matter what. Things did not end up going your way though, losing to him sooner each time you played a round. Saying that you were flustered would be an understatement, looking more at his hands than at your own moves. He flexed his fingers at the start of the next round in a way that made you stare far too long at his hands, resulting in you letting your snake run clear into the wall, losing yet again without him even needing to intervene. You heard him start to laugh, making you look up into his eyes and come face to face with a cheeky look from him.

"You seem a bit distracted, starlight~" He teased.

"And who's fault is that??" You huffed, letting go of the joystick, "Mr. Hot and Sexy Starlight Knight." mumbling the last bit under your breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" He asked, having heard you, but wanting you to repeat it anyway.

"N-Nevermind."

"No no, I wanna hear you say it again!" He insisted, reaching around to trap you between him and the arcade machine.

"You just wanna hear me call you a hot and sexy Starlight Knight again." You pouted.

"Yeah, I do~" He hummed, leaning in close to give you a staticky kiss to your forehead, then to your lips.

His gesture flustered you beyond belief, more shy than frustrated now as you hid your face in your hands again, his laughter making your heart flutter. You adored this closeness with him, peeking through your fingers to look up at him and admire how he was illuminated by the neon glow of the arcade cabinets surrounding you both. He just looked so damn good in any lighting, especially with that cute blush of his projecting across his face as he gave you the most adorably loving look he had ever given you.

"I simply can't with you." You sighed, leaning forwards to hide yourself in the fluff of his jacket.

Just as he shifted his hands from the game to your waist to hold you close, Asha shamelessly walked over to you two, interrupting the moment. What she held in her hand had you curious though, stopping you from whining about her interruption— at least for now.

"So sorry to intrude on you two cuties, but I have a reward for your Starlight Knight." Asha spoke up, earning both your attention and his.

"For me?? For what?" Billy asked, quite confused.

"Yeah, what happened? And what's with that card reader thing in your hand?" You chimed in.

"Portable membership modifier." She said casually, grabbing Billy's arcade card off the side of the machine he left it on and swiping it through the reader before pushing a few buttons and hanging it back. "He has earned himself two months of unlimited plays."

"What for??" You both asked in unison, shocked by the gesture.

"He finally defeated you." She said quite matter-of-factly. "You top the scoreboards for most games here, so he gets one month of unlimited plays for that."

"Wow. Then what's the other free month for?" You pressed.

"For making you blush so bright I can see it from my front counter." She revealed, suppressing a chuckle.

"ASHA!" You hollered, even more embarrassed by how she pointed out your state, earning a few glances from other patrons.

Both her and Billy had a good laugh while you stuck your tongue out at both of them before you suddenly ducked out of Billy's arms and out into the open, briskly leaving the arcade with a visible pout on your face. Asha gave him an apologetic smile, but he thanked her for the freebies, saying that all would be well and you were just really overwhelmed in the moment. He needed to catch up with you before you found a hiding spot somewhere, waving goodbye as he too exited Godfinger to get to you and comfort your poor flustered heart.

Luckily you hadn't gone far at all, easily visible at the vending machines next to 141 Convenience. You fed some dennies into one of the machines, dropping a few thanks to your fumbly fingers. Still you managed to get enough in to dispense some canned coffee to curb the craving that had come over you so suddenly. He sighed softly before walking over, picking up the dropped dennies that had rolled behind you before gently tapping your shoulder, making you jump.

"You dropped something, cutie." He spoke with such a gentle tone; he swore you almost melted on the spot.

"R-right! Thanks." You nodded as he dropped the coins back into your hand. "Did you wanna go back in and take advantage of your free plays, Mr. Winner?"

"Nope. I have two months to do that. I came out here for you, my little runaway star."

"Ah, yeah. The conditions for your prize were kinda funny, I just didn't love ten sets of eyes on me in the moment." You chuckled, still sipping on your canned coffee.

"Aw, I thought you loved attention~" He teased.

"Yeah, your attention." You mumbled, bumping your forehead into his chest before letting him envelop you in a warm hug.

"Aaah, so my attention is special then." He hummed, slowly stepping to the side of the vending machines with you to lean against the wall.

"Well yeah." You told him, only following his steps to remain close to his warm body. "Plus I'm still not quite accustomed to you in this new form. You're so vibrant and incredible I feel like I'm gonna overload all the time."

"You are just so damn adorable." He chuckled., tracing circles on your sides. "I don't know about you but I am loving this date so far."

"B-Billy, mind your fingers! You're tickling me!" You scolded, needing to put your half finished can down on a ledge to swat him.

"You really are a lot more affected by my teases lately." He hummed before getting a sudden idea. "Mmm, it must be so easy to get you into a fit of giggles now. I wonder if I just-"

"H-hey! Not in the street you fiend!" You stammered, trying to wiggle away from his fingers that poked playfully into your sides.

"… How about I give you a ten second head start to run home; I am fueled by your giggles, and my tank is very low. If you lock me out of your apartment, you win." He offered, knowing full well you would play along.

You looked at him with wide eyes as he lifted his arms away from you, then glanced at the alley briefly before you gave him a cheeky grin and ran off as fast as you could. You heard Billy laugh again before starting a countdown, sending a shot of adrenaline through your body as his voice got quieter the further away you got. For as much as you scolded him, you truthfully loved it when you ended up in silly situations playing silly games with him like this. The way he made you feel was truly something special, the sensation of his hands on your sides still lingering as you ran down the street, knowing he'd catch up to you in no time.

Mere seconds after you had that thought, you could hear him gaining on you from behind, nervous but excited laughter spilling out of you as you picked up the pace. You heard him say something about if you were even trying to get away from him, prompting you to playfully flip him off before you darted down a side road that led to your complex. He yelled that you would pay for that, hot on your heels as you both ran up the stairs to your apartment, turning the usual ten to fifteen minute walk into a five minute sprint. You tripped on a couple stairs on your way up, allowing Billy to get closer and closer to you. By the time you had your door unlocked and gotten yourself inside, his foot was in your doorframe, stopping you from closing it behind you.

"You lose~" He sang.

"Shit!"

You gave up on your door and bolted for your room, intending to hide yourself in your closet as a last ditch effort. The chase had been lost though, feeling Billy grab you by your hips and toss you onto your bed, quickly climbing on after you and pinning you to your sheets.

"You lost, remember~?" He repeated, straddling your hips to keep you in place while he loomed over you with wiggly fingers. "You did that on purpose though, didn't you?"

"C-c'mon Billy be forgiving I- eahahaha! Stahahap!"

You could hardly protest before his fingers found their way to your hips and waist once more, poking and prodding you with deliberate intent to draw forth your laughter. His slim mechanical digits danced up your sides while you covered your face and squirmed, knowing you wouldn't be able to throw him off of you even if you wanted to.

"You really are a cute little flustered mess~" He hummed, sneaking his fingers into your armpits when you gave him an opening.

"S-shut uhuhup- eep! B-Billy stahap! Oh my gohohod!" You tried to protest, your words restricted by your giggles.

"Whaaaat? You told me to be forgiving, so I am! See? Feather light touches, just for you~" He teased, slowly dragging his fingers over your hips in circles.

"Y-you know I'm weak to thahahat!"

"Yup~. I also know you love it, you cute little scarlet bundle of starlight and laughter." He said, leaning down to nuzzle the crook of your neck, giving you tickly static shocks; his own form of love bites. "If you admit that, maybe I'll stop~"

You couldn't deny anything he said, accepting your fate for the moment and becoming an adorable puddle of laughter beneath him. Only when those methodical fingers of his started to dig into your hip bones did you buck your hips up with a shriek of laughter, finally uncovering your face to swat at him and grab his wrists, revealing your hot and flustered complexion to him.

"Okay, okay! I like it cuz it's you! Stahahap Billy I'm running outta breath!" You admitted through your laughter.

"Aw, your hips are my favourite spot though." He half whined, digging his thumbs in one last time for good measure before he lifted his hands. "But, you did what I asked and admitted it~. I can let my poor babe breathe again."

You laid there panting for a moment, gazing up at Billy who looked down at you affectionately. His lighting was bright pink again, nearly matching the pink tint your skin had taken on. That cute look he gave you made every moment with him worth it, even if he tickled you pink. His touch was the kind you constantly craved; ironic, considering his hands were originally crafted to kill.

"Hey cutie."

"Hey." You finally spoke, having caught your breath.

"You really are so damn cute, you know that right? I really mean it when I say I hope you never grow accustomed to these changes of mine if you're gonna be so frickin' adorable every time we're close like this." He admitted, cupping your cheek with one hand again.

"Heh, well, if you never stop being yourself, I'll never stop being so flustered by you. Even before, I found it hard to contain myself; my heart is both excited and put at ease by you. You're just… you really are just that special to me." You told him. "Hell, I'd argue you're even more human than I am. You're so authentically you. I love you as your silly self, who is unapologetically in love with me."

You could hear his fans speed up, his logic core filling with boundless joy because of your words. Carefully, he leaned down again to leave a trail of static kisses along your neck and cheeks before hovering over your lips, waiting for you to kiss him back. When you put your arms around his neck and dragged him down into one, he let slip a glee filled chuckle while he let his sensors overload with your affection. When you had your fill of smooches, you pressed your forehead to his, an airy chuckle being shared between the two of you. Billy shifted his position slightly, turning to his side to lay down next to you without causing harm, his arm sneaking around your waist to pull you closer still.

"I love you so much." He said, watching your expression soften. "No one else's praise measures up to yours. My core is gonna overload because of you; something I wouldn't mind at all simply because it's you."

"Ha, likewise. My heart… whether it be calm or fluttering, it is so happy that if I had a logic core in it's place I would be doomed. You are worth every feeling I feel in all it's intensity." You confessed to him, playing with the fabric of his scarf. "As if I haven't told you things like this before but… It feels right to always say how much I love you when it's on my mind."

"Aaaah, stop being so sweet or I'm gonna have to tickle you breathless again! You're too good with words, my love. My starlight… my everything. I adore you." He said playfully, a bright blush projecting across his face.

"I adore you too." You sighed, cuddling up close to him. "Let's stay here a while, hey? Then continue our date with dinner…"

"That sounds like a perfect plan." He agreed, squeezing you tighter.