#elc

i still feel his warmth, his air, surrounding me.

this is so ridiculous.

i don't even know how i would've reacted if the kiss was any longer.

i take a breath before heading back toward the actual party.

the second i walk back into the main room, the bass hits me again, the speakers blasting some of gunner's older songs.

people are still packed shoulder to shoulder across the floor, though gunner finished his performance a little while ago. the colorful lights flash across the faces in the crowd.

and then i see him.

gunner is standing near the stage again, talking to a few people around him. the second i appear from the hallway, his eyes find me almost immediately.

i stare back, the butterflies in my stomach going wild.

his gaze lingers for half a second before he looks back toward whoever's talking to him.

i make my way toward the side of the room again, trying to act normal despite the fact my brain can't get past what happened only moments earlier.

it doesn't work.

every time i catch gunner's eye from across the room, i feel my heart skip a beat.

some people come up to me and attempt to make conversation, but it doesn't last too long as my weak responses show i'm not giving them my full attention.

after a while, i'm standing near one of the side walls checking something on my phone when i feel someone step beside me.

i already know it's him before i even look up.

"having fun?"

his voice is low enough that it barely reaches over the music.

i glance up at him, nodding. "mhm."

he squints his eyes as he looks at me.

"you sure? i don't want you lying to me, girl," he says.

i laugh softly, locking my phone before dropping my hand down to my side. "why would i lie about that?"

gunner shrugs. "don't know. you act too chill sometimes."

"maybe i just am chill," i grin.

"nah," he retaliates, grinning back. "i don't buy it."

i look down at the floor before looking back up at him. "you're very opinionated tonight."

"only about you."

he says it so casually that it takes me a second to process it.

i look at him, but his focus is already away towards the crowd. he takes a sip from his drink, acting too normal despite his choice of words.

"c'mon," he leans in close to me, pushing off the wall. "too many people over here."

i nod, slightly chewing on my lower lip, not sure what to anticipate next.

gunner's hand settles against my lower back, his touch soft, but evidently intentional. he begins to guide me through the crowd. his hand stays there the entire time. and i don't want him to move it.

we stop near one of the side sections, away from most of the people. the lights aren't as bright. it's also a bit quieter here - as "quiet" as it could get for a party.

gunner leans against the wall beside me, taking a sip form his cup before glancing down at me.

"you nervous?" he asks.

i smile. "i feel like you've asked me that so many times tonight."

"well are you?" he asks again.

i scoff softly, my tone playful. "what would i be nervous about?"

his mouth twitches slightly.

"me."

i look at him. "you wish."

he laughs under his breath.

"you get all quiet every time i get close to you. thought you'd be a little bit more comfortable around me, girl," he points out, teasing me with a grin.

i shake my head, smiling as my gaze points towards the ground. "maybe you talk too much," i defend myself, playing along.

he sucks the air against his teeth. "nah, i don't believe that. you usually always got something to say back."

can't say he's wrong.

"you've been looking at me different since the hallway," he continues.

my stomach instantly tightens. i push through it.

"you're imagining things," i try to play off with a scoff.

gunner smiles. "nah. i don't think i am."

i shake my head, looking away for a second. "you really think everything's about you."

"not everything," he starts. "but this is," he borderline mocks me, grinning.

i can't help the smile that forces it's way on my lips.

"you're so unbelievable," i mutter.

"but you're still over here talking to me."

i glance at him. "maybe i'm just being nice."

gunner laughs quietly under his breath.

"nah," he says. "we past nice now. definitely after that kiss."

heat rushes straight to my face.

"oh my gosh," i laugh nervously, immediately looking away. "you're annoying."

he grins at me, teasingly placing his hand over his heart. "you're hurting my feelings, girl."

i shake my head, trying to hold back a smile. i fail.

gunner notices, his grin growing.

"stop looking so happy with yourself,” i say.

"can't help it," he shrugs, his voice laced with fake innocence.

his hand brushes lightly against mine for a quick moment where it hangs beside me.

whether it was accidental or not, i really can't tell.

i glance at him, but he's already looking at me.

"you gonna leave me after this?" i ask.

he looks at me, like he's trying to figure out if i'm serious or not.

"what does that mean?" he asks me.

i shrug, keeping my tone casual. "i don't know, you just seem very busy tonight," i tease. "big famous artist. you keep leaving me after our conversations."

gunner laughs at that. "you making fun of me?"

i smirk lightly. "maybe a little."

he shakes his head, still smiling. "you gonna leave me?"

my eyes narrow at his question, not sure what to make of it.

"i mean.. eventually."

"obviously," he says. "i’m saying after the party."

i think for a second.

"why?" i ask carefully.

gunner turns his gaze at me like the answer's obvious.

"cause i wanna be around you."

i laugh softy, beginning to feel nervous.

i hate the effect he has on me.

i shake my head. "you're so straightforward."

"only am when i'm tired of waiting."

my eyebrow lifts. "waiting for what?"

he smiles a little.

"for you to stop pretending you don't like me."

i immediately laugh, looking away. "oh my god. your ego is insane."

"see?" he points at me. "you do this every time."

"do what?"

"deflect."

i glance back at him, trying to contain my smile. "maybe it's because of all the crazy things you say."

gunner hums. "but you never deny them."

okay. annoying.

i open my mouth to respond, but nothing actually comes out. i close it, trying to decide what the best response would be.

his grin immediately grows.

"exactly."

i roll my eyes, almost laughing. "you're so irritating," i start, smiling. "if you gave me a second i was gonna say that i actually never said i didn't like you."

he's almost caught off guard.

he raises his eyebrows. "yeah?"

i hate how smug he now looks.

"don't start," i warn.

"i'm not, i'm just listening," he says innocently, even though the grin on his face completely ruins his act. "you can continue."

i laugh under my breath, shaking my head. "you're enjoying this way too much."

"can you blame me?"

i look away for a second, but i can still feel him looking at me.

"you know, that might actually be the nicest thing you've said to me tonight."

my mouth drops open slightly. "that is not true!"

"mhm," he nods. "everything else has basically been you calling me annoying."

"because you are annoying."

"but you like me."

i stare at him.

and he stares right back.

my stomach turns.

"you're way too confident."

he grins, subconsciously inching closer to me.

"mm, well you did kiss me earlier," he says, the grin on his face growing by the second.

i feel my face flush again.

"oh my gosh," i lightly push his arm. "and actually you kissed me."

he catches my wrist before i can pull my hand back from his arm.

"same difference," he says, his grin not leaving.

i playfully roll my eyes, simultaneously trying to ignore the fact that he's still holding onto me.

"you didn't seem very against it," gunner says, his tone cocky.

"oh my gosh, stop," i say, knowing my face is beet red. "you act like you know everything."

his thumb brushes against my wrist before he answers.

"i know enough."

i look away, trying to save myself from the embarrassment that i feel right now, but he takes a step closer by the time i look back.

"you get worked up so easily, girl," he tells me, his voice more quiet and soft now.

i nervously laugh in an attempt to play it off. "i do not."

gunner's grin softens, but he still looks way too entertained with himself.

"mhm," he hums, clearly not believing me.

i shake my head, softly trying to pull my wrist from his grasp, but he only holds it a little tighter.

not enough to actually stop me.

i but don't try again.

"you're literally proving my point right now," i tell him.

"how?"

"look at you," i let out a soft laugh. "you say one thing and suddenly think i'm losing my mind over you."

his eyes flick between mine.

"well i'd say that you are."

my jaw drops. "gunner."

he grins at my reaction, holding back a chuckle.

"what?" he asks innocently.

i can't even come up with a response fast enough, which only seems to amuse him more.

"seems like you're proving my point," he continues.

"shut up," i reply, shaking my head.

my eyes drop briefly to where his hand is still around my wrist before lifting back up to him.

and he notices.

his expression changes just slightly. less teasing and more focused.

his thumb rubs a small circle on my wrist.

"you get like this every time," he says softly.

"like what?" i ask, my voice quieter than i intended.

"all loud in the beginning," he teases. "then you start smiling. then you go quiet."

i narrow my eyes. "whatever."

a wide grin takes over gunner's face. he just stares at me.

"you're staring," i say.

he tilts his head a bit. "you're not helping with that."

my breath catches a little.

"me?' i ask, trying to sound casual. "i'm just standing here."

"yeah," he says, stepping just a tiny bit closer. "and looking like that."

his eyes flick down for a half a second before meeting mine again.

i blink a few times.

he doesn't look away.

"like what?" i ask again, quieter this time.

i see his eyes examine my face once again.

"like that," he says simply.

i swallow. "that's not an answer."

a small smile tugs at his mouth, seemingly amused by my reactions.

"you know what i mean," he says.

i shake my head. "why don't you tell me?"

there's a small pause.

"you're standing there looking pretty and acting like you don't notice the effect you have."

and of course he says it likes it's nothing. like my brain didn't almost short circuit just hearing those words from him.

my heart begins to pound in my chest.

"gunner," i say, but it comes out much weaker than i meant it to.

his thumb brushes my wrist again, slower this time.

"what?" he asks softly.

theres silence between us.

i want to say something, but i don't know what. so i just continue staring back at him.

his voice drops a little lower.

"you gonna keep looking at me like that," he murmurs, "or are you gonna let me kiss you again?"

he's not smiling as he says this. he's being serious instead of teasing me like before.

i suck in a short breath. his eyes dart to my lips at that. his gaze lies there for a few seconds longer than necessary. i find myself also looking down at his lips.

gunner gently squeezes my wrist before sliding his hand up my arm, resting it on my forearm.

this action spreads warmth throughout my entire body.

he moves even closer to me.

his other hand finds its way onto my jaw. his thumb moves back and forth on my jawline.

"you're so pretty," he quietly murmurs, seemingly admiring my face.

i blink a few more times, letting him caress me like this.

i feel him start to lean in - just the smallest bit.

"tell me to stop," he says.

and i don't. i stay silent, waiting for what's to come.

at my silence, the corner of his mouth faintly curls up.

he continues to lean in, his eyes dashing from my eyes to my lips. i unintentionally do the same to him.

his lips hover over mine, his warm breath hitting my face.

he pauses there for a moment.

then he makes up for his wasted time, crashing his lips against mine.

it's gentle enough, but also has a sense of urgency in it, like he doesn't even know why he hesitated.

i kiss him back, moving my lips against his.

his body leans more into mine, our torsos nearly connected.

his hand slides from my forearm to my waist, pulling me in a little.

i let out the softest breath against his lips at the feeling.

his thumb presses lightly against my waist while his other hand stays warm on my jaw, keeping my face titled towards him. my fingers instinctively curl into the front of his shirt before i realize i'm doing it.

i hear a quiet sound of amusement leaving his lips, like he's pleased with himself and the current situation he's in.

i kiss him for a few seconds more before pulling back just barely.

i'm somewhat out of breath.

"gunner, i'm enjoying this and all, but i don't want anyone around us to notice or-"

i'm cut off by another kiss.

but this one is slower.

the tension between us feels ridiculous now. all the back and forth teasing finally snapped.

it doesn't even register in my brain that i'm smiling into the kiss until gunner pulls back.

he looks at me for a second, his breath heavy.

"we'll be fine, girl," he reassures me. "it's dark back here."

i nod, chewing my bottom lip.

he watches me for another second after i nod, like he's taking sure i actually mean it.

"come on," he says.

his hand doesn't leave my body but it snakes back down to my wrist as we start to walk.

he brings us away from the dark corner we were previously in and through the crowd of people.

a few people glance at us as we walk by, but nobody says anything. in my mind i can't help but wonder if they somehow know about the kiss we just shared.

gunner occasionally looks back at me to make sure i'm still behind him, his thumb brushing against my knuckles every time he does.

it's a small gesture that goes a long way.

eventually we reach the group of people he'd kept getting pulled away by earlier.

"finally," one of them says when he sees gunner. "you disappeared for like twenty minutes."

"my bad," gunner says simply, laughing.

then, gunner's friend notices me standing beside him.

what none of them notice is our hands that are still loosely connected.

"wait, y/n right?" he asks.

his face seems familiar but i can't put my finger on it.

"i'm xavier, weren't you in gunner's video a while back?" he asks.

"xavier! i knew you looked familiar," i start, a small smile on my lips. "i think you worked with a few of my friends. and yeah, i was in one of his videos."

xavier nods, humming. "nice, nice. you staying for the rest of the night?" he asks me.

i feel gunner's stare on me.

"uhh," i peek at gunner, knowing he wanted to go somewhere with me after. "i don't think so, but i'm not leaving right this second."

gunner and his friends talk for a little while longer, his friends sometimes inviting me into the conversation. i mostly just stand there and speak when spoken to, xavier being the main one out of all of gunner's friends to talk to me. i don't mind it though, i'm just excited and nervous for what gunner wants to do once we leave.

"alright, i think imma bounce," gunner tells his friends.

one of his friends looks over. "you're seriously leaving early at your own album release party?"

"been here long enough. it's getting pretty late," gunner replies.

one guy laughs. "like you care about what time you're out at."

xavier shakes his head, grinning. "dude was prolly gonna disappear for another thirty minutes away."

gunner ignores that comment.

"yeah, well enjoy yourselves," gunner tells his friends, indicating his exit.

they say their forms of goodbye's, also saying goodbye to me too.

gunner quickly daps up xavier before looking back at me.

"c'mon," he says quietly.

we weave through groups of people as we make our way towards the exit.

his hand finally slips away from mine once we gt closer to the from entrance, most because too many people keep brushing past us.

but weirdly, i already miss it.

gunner pushes open the door leading outside and cool air instantly hits my face.

"damn, i never realized how hot it was in there," i say, exhaling.

gunner smirks. "i know."

there's still people gathered outside. some fans notice him immediately and call out his name, their phones aimed on him.

his pace slows down as he walks over to the fence that separates the entrance to the venue from the main street.

i stand further back, watching him interact with his fans from a distance.

he smiles as his fans, signing a few things and posing for some pictures.

he looks back, checking to make sure i'm still there.

i notice a large black SUV, that, once gunner stepped out the building, had what i'm assuming is a driver step out the car and stand in front of the car door.

gunner then looks back at me again, with a look that signals for me to follow him.

we walk over to the car, the man standing at the door of it opening it for us. gunner let's me go in first.

i sit down, settling myself.

"you still haven't told me where we're going," i point out.

gunner climbs in the car, the driver shutting the door after him.

"you always need to know everything first?"

"yes?" i answer immediately.

he laughs under his breath.

"relax," he says. "we're gonna have fun."

his grin grows.

then his voice lowers just enough that it feels like it's only for me.

"just wanted more time with you."

i try to hide my reddened cheeks by looking away for a second, but it's pointless.

gunner seems to notice everything.

he dips his head slightly, trying to catch my eyes again.

"don't be nervous around me, girl."

i shake my head, smiling.

"i'm trying," i tell him.

the driver begins to drive off, leaving me to wonder where gunner is taking me.

to be continued..

a/n : holy shit over 3k words yall are being feddddd 😋 & xavier mention bc i've been lowkey obsessed w him recently hes so funny 😛😛 anyway lmk what u guys think about this part!! feel free to send me comments, questions, suggestions, or anything thru my inbox/private messages!!! i'm still taking reqs but im focusing on my current fics atm!!! likes/reblogs are greatly appreciated <2 love u guys!!

lmk if you want to be tagged in all future nettspend fics!!