#until dawn fluff

“It’s like watching paint dry!” He exclaims, “I get that I have to understand the rules of film before breaking them, but Dad’s been doing this since before I was even an idea!” Josh drags on.

“Josh, babe. You’re starting really to sound like every nepo baby in Hollywood. I love you!…but shut up.” you peck him on the lips before pulling back to smile at him, a kinder way of telling him to shut his trap about his first world problems. He smiles dumb from the small act of affection and touch love, unable to recall what was bothering him in the first place as you dissolve his worries.”

Upon hearing his complaints, you suggest making it into a movie night, as opposed to a traditional study session where you’re both hunched over your laptops and textbooks.

Your idea sends a colony of butterflies into Josh’s stomach— you want to watch a boring movie with him? The fact that you want to spend time doing mundane things, like studying with him, makes him envision a life of pure domesticity. How could he say no to an opportunity to cuddle and be with his partner?

Before you know it, you’re microwaving popcorn and opening packets of lollies to enjoy (and to pass the time).

“Just about done! The popcorn is extremely fresh so enjoy with caution!” You mention as you pinch the bag from the top to avoid burning yourself.

He stands back up from setting up the projector equipment, looking at you with warm eyes. He questions “Are you saying that because you nearly burnt your mouth trying to eat it?”, his tone underscored with amusement.

“Guilty.” The one word expresses your regret for attempting to snack early. You settle the bags of snacks and popcorn on the coffee table, and sink into the pullout couch, ready to be entertained.

“What is this movie about exactly? The cover looks kinda freaky, I won’t lie” you examine the starting screen projected on the wall. Josh appreciates how you’re eager to demonstrate an interest in his studies despite not knowing too much.

“In the most succinct way I can say it without spoiling things…” he trails off, “A vampire tries his hand at real estate, and rats wipe out a town of people!” Your face morphs from interested to deadpan at the lack of proper context, “I guess I just gotta watch and see, hey?”

“Precisely, princess.” Josh affirms as he sits down next to you. His pet names for you never cease to make your core temperature rise with the influx of butterflies. As he wraps an arm around your frame, he presses play on the film.

Josh adds, “Thankfully for us, there’s English subtitles… because this entire movie is in German. So you’re gonna have to focus just as much as me, and resist the urge to go on Instagram.” He kisses your head to avoid any rebuttal from you.

An hour passes by and at this point both you and Josh become extremely comfortable on the couch. Lying down whilst cuddling, you hold eachother accountable by not scrolling in your phones and actually discussing the plot of the film and the main points Josh needs to remember for his analysis. The movie finishes and you’re both still awake.

Josh breaks the comfortable silence, turning to admire your features “Thanks for watching this boring movie with me, babe. You made this way more fun for me.” he pecks your forehead, followed by the tip of your nose. He gazes at your lips longingly, before looking into your half-lidded eyes and receiving a small nod.

He leans into to kiss you passionately, receiving a mutual signal from your eagerness. He can feel the heat radiating off your cheeks and he’s sure you can hear his pulse rapidly increasing the longer you two occupy the same space.

You place your hands on his broad chest, feeling him gently and slowly. Josh wraps his arms around your waist and places you in his lap, and breaks away from the kiss. You catch your breath simultaneously, staring into eachother’s eyes, as if you’re telepathically communicating your love for each-other.

“Josh, there’s no need to thank me. I’ll do just about anything with you. Because, as long as it’s you, nothing can possibly be boring.” you cut into the hot silence.

Josh revels in your statement, his eyebrows raised “Are you saying you liked the movie?” his amusement is discernible at this point. He looks at you like you contain galaxies in your eyes.

You give him a kiss on the lips again before breaking away again and grinning widely “I actually did, and I like spending time with my boyfriend.. let’s study more often!” You suggest lightly.

Josh picks you up to carry you bridal style, walking down the hall to your shared bedroom, “I can think of a different kind of studying we can do. Don’t you have an anatomy exam soon?” he smirks before laying you down on the bed, wedging a knee between your legs and trapping you in his arms.

"Are you cold?" Josh asked. You shook your head. You were wearing warm clothes and already had a blanket wrapped around you.

"I'm okay," You smiled faintly. "are you?" 

Josh smiled mischievously. "I'm really cold." 

You let out a grin as you scooted closer to him on the big couch. When you were close enough, he wrapped his arm around you. 

"That's better." He smiled.

Most of the time Josh acted like an arrogant dick, but not with you. You guys had been friends since you were nine years old and knew each other better than anyone. You probably knew him better than his sisters did- before they were gone, and he knew you better than your best friend. You even knew that he went to therapy. And you never stopped talking to him after his sisters did, even when the others did. You were always there for him.

You snuggled up against him with a soft sigh. When you were kids, you'd always imagined you would marry him someday.

Josh's hand ran through your hair, gently, and he grabbed one side of the blanket to sit under it too. You curled up against him, which made his face warm up, but due to how dimly lit it was, you couldn't see. 

You grabbed his hand and played with the bracelets on his wrist. He put his head on top of yours when you leaned onto him. 

For some strange reason, his smell was so comforting to him it made you sleepy. His cologne, fresh clothes and just... him. It was a nice scent.

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me, yeah?" 

"No, no..." A lie. You were definitely going to fall asleep on him. 

He wasn't stupid, of course he noticed. "Alright, come on, get up. I'll walk you to your room." You could hear the smile in those words.

You grudgingly got up, taking the hand he offered you as he led you up the stairs. 

When you arrived at your room, you let yourself fall onto the bed instantly. The normally confident Josh stood by the door, not really knowing what to do.

"Come here," You said softly, "join me."

He looked at you, the doubt clear on his face. It only lasted a second before he closer the door and walked up to you. "You sure?"

"Of course." You stretched out on the bed and crawled under the covers. Luckily your clothes were comfortable enough to sleep in. His were too.

Josh sat on the side of the bed and took off his slippers before joining you in bed. 

You almost immediately curled into him. He smiled, but bit his lip so you wouldn't notice, and wrapped his arms around you. 

Josh wasn't the most talkative about how he felt, not even around you. He never told you, but you knew he loved you. Him being in bed with you at that moment was proof enough. 

You woke up the next morning because of how cold it was in the house. You blinked slowly, and noticed Josh had almost pushed you off the bed in his sleep. Of course, he was still sleeping peacefully. You couldn't stifle the soft laugh that escaped you as you curled up against him. As if on instinct, Josh wrapped his arm around your waist as he muttered your name in his sleep. You fell asleep again feeling all warm and fuzzy.

@/burgundyvirgo no plagiarism or ai training/use authorised.

The Washington lodge was alive tonight—pulsing music, red solo cups, and the hum of laughter ricocheting off log walls. Josh stood in the center of it all, his signature smirk in place like armor, greeting guests and making offhanded jokes that bordered on flirtatious.

You caught him watching you more than once. You weren’t new to his parties, but tonight was different. Maybe it was the way his gaze lingered longer. Maybe it was the way he gravitated toward you, that practiced charm of his cracking just a little when you smiled back. “So,” he drawled, leaning casually against the kitchen island like a guy in a teen drama. “You here to flirt with me or steal my liquor?”

You arched a brow. “Can’t it be both?”

He choked on his sip of beer and laughed, “Touché.”

The flirting built like pressure behind a dam—smirks, close whispers, his hand resting just a little too low on your back when he guided you through the crowd. And eventually, predictably, he murmured in your ear, “Wanna ditch this for somewhere quieter?”

You said yes.

His bedroom was dimly lit, warm from the fire crackling low in the fireplace. He kicked the door shut behind you, suddenly unsure of what to do with his hands. Josh tried to play it cool—shrugging off his jacket and tossing it carelessly aside, fingers combing through his hair in that way you were sure he practiced in the mirror. “So, uh… you comfortable? I can put something on. Music. Or, like, Netflix.”

You stepped into his space, toeing off your shoes. “You nervous, Washington?”

His laugh was breathy, nervous. “Pfft. What? No. No way. Just—uh, checking in.”

You took a step closer. “You seem a little stiff.”

“Well, you’re kinda hot and standing real close, so—yeah. I’m doing my best here.”

The kiss came suddenly, both of you leaning in at once. It was heated, a little clumsy, all teeth and lips at first until it settled into something slower. His hands found your waist, your hips, gripping you like he was afraid to pull you too close too fast. When your fingers started tugging at the hem of his shirt, Josh tensed. You pulled back slightly, blinking. “Hey. You okay?”

He licked his lips, looking at you with wide eyes, no smirk in sight. “Yeah. Yeah, I just… okay, full honesty moment?” His hands dropped to his sides. “I’ve never actually done this before. Like. Not all the way.”

You paused, your expression softening. “You mean you’re a virgin?”

Josh winced like you’d said a dirty word. “Kinda ruins the whole ‘smooth party guy’ image, huh?”

You smiled—warm, reassuring—and cupped his face gently. “Josh, that doesn’t ruin anything. You don’t have to pretend with me.”

His eyes flicked to yours, searching, hopeful. “You’re not, like, turned off or weirded out?”

“Not even a little. You’re hot, you’re sweet, and you’re clearly trying your best.” You let your voice drop into something teasing. “I think that’s kind of adorable, actually.”

He groaned softly. “God, don’t say adorable when I’m trying to get laid.”

You leaned in, kissing him again. Slower this time. Deeper. “Let me help you, Josh.”

Clothes were shed with fumbling hands, his nerves showing every time your fingertips brushed his bare skin. He watched you like you were magic, eyes wide and dark with wonder as you guided him to the bed. You settled astride his lap, kissing down his neck, letting your hands wander with purpose. “Tell me if anything feels too fast, okay?”

He nodded, swallowing hard. “Okay. Yeah. I’m good. Just… wow.” Your fingers danced along his chest, your hips grinding slow against the tent in his boxers. His breath hitched, hands gripping your thighs like you were keeping him grounded.

“You feel good, baby,” you whispered into his ear, delighting in the way he shivered under you.

Josh let out a low, unsteady moan. “Holy shit. This is, like, already the best night of my life.”

You laughed against his skin, your fingers sliding beneath his waistband. “You’re so dramatic.”

“I’m serious,” he groaned. “You have no idea how long I’ve thought about this. About you.”

You paused, genuinely surprised. “Me?”

He flushed, avoiding your eyes. “I may have had a thing for you since, like, the first time you came to one of my parties.”

You bit your lip, feeling your heart warm even through the haze of arousal. “Then let’s make it count.”

You guided him slowly, easing him inside you with gentle words and reassuring touches. Josh’s head fell back, a strangled sound escaping his throat, “Oh my God—” You moved carefully, watching every twitch of his brow, every hitch of his breath. He was clearly overwhelmed, trying desperately to hold back, his hands shaking as they gripped your hips. “I-I’m not gonna last,” he gasped, biting down hard on his lip.

“It’s okay,” you whispered, stroking his cheek. “Just feel it. Let go.” And he did—his body going taut beneath you, hips jerking up helplessly as he came with a guttural, needy sound. His arms wrapped tight around you, burying his face in your shoulder as he trembled. You held him through it, pressing soft kisses to his hair. “You did good, Josh.”

He laughed breathlessly. “Jesus. I lasted, like… negative three seconds.”

You grinned. “That just means we’ve got time to practice.”

Josh looked up at you with flushed cheeks and something shy in his smile. “You’d… want to do this again?”

You leaned in close, brushing your nose against his. “I’d be honored to be your sex tutor, Washington.”

Sitting up in your bed, you pull the quilt off your legs, removing the little warmth it provided. There’s a relief, though fleeting, from the pervasive cold when a tingle of excitement shoots down your spine from knowing you’re about to go see Josh, alone, and at night.  

Your hand reaches out into the dark to search the top of the nightstand for your phone, finding and turning it on after a few seconds of fumbling around. You click on the phone's flashlight—there’s no electricity in this place, either—and use it to find your slippers and the guest room door. 

The glow from your phone does little to demystify the dark, empty void staring back at you when you pull the door open. It’s an intimidating task, to navigate the endless twists, turns, and, according to Josh, secret passages of the lodge. Thankfully, the dusty glass of the windows allows the deep blue of the night sky to seep into the cabin and illuminate the general silhouette of things like the main staircase and the circular chandelier hanging above you. 

You make your way through the living room, using your phone to avoid obstacles like couches and tables, and head up the tall staircase. Your footsteps echo through the open air as you climb, but aren’t loud enough to wake anybody up. 

Keeping close to the handrail lining the hallway, you walk down to the last door, Josh’s door, and place a few soft knocks on it.

You hear his voice through the wood. “Yeah?” 

He's awake, perfect. You creak the door open and slip into the room. “Hey, it’s me.” 

“Oh, what a nice surprise,” Josh says, grinning. You return the smile.

You turn off your phone flashlight and walk into his room, having to squint to see where you’re going in the dim light. Josh is sitting on his bed, his back relaxed on a large pillow pressed against the headboard. He’s in pajamas too, a black sweatshirt and flannel pants. The only source of light in the room is a movie projected onto the wall by an old-timey camera set up by his side of the bed. He flicks a button on the top of the camera, pausing the movie, and turns to you. 

“So, what can I do for you?” he asks. 

“Hmm?”

Josh tilts his head, “There must be some reason you’re in my room at,” he glances at his phone, “two in the morning.” 

“Oh, right. I came to see if you had any extra blankets or something? It’s, uh, really cold in my room.”

A mischievous smile. “Y’know, I bet I could help warm you up. No blankets necessary.” 

“I’m serious, Josh,” you respond, rolling your eyes. Though you don’t betray it, his comment, cliché as it may be, sends a tingle similar to earlier up your back. 

“Okay, okay,” he surrenders, throwing his hands up, “I’ll be serious.” 

“Thank you,” you respond. It’s not that you would mind if he kept flirting with you, it’s just that you need to warm up, you're barely able to feel your fingers.

Josh runs his eyes over you. “Well, no matter what I do, you’re still gonna be cold in that,” he says, giving your PJs a disapproving look. 

You shift your weight under his gaze. “Yeah, well, I forgot there’s no heat up here,” you say.

“Rookie mistake,” Josh laughs, standing up from his bed and walking around it to reach the dresser made of dark wood on the other side. He pulls the middle drawer open by its antique handles and takes one of his sweatshirts out, bringing it over to you. “This should help.”

As he hands it to you, your fingers brush his. “Wow, you do feel cold,” he remarks. 

“What, did you think I was lying?” you tease, giving him a light push. “Thanks for the sweatshirt.” 

“Yeah, of course,” he says, watching you pull it over your head.

The extra layer was a good call, you aren’t shaking anymore. You note another benefit of the sweatshirt: it smells just like him.

“That’s so much better,” you say, and a pleased smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “And the extra blankets? Are there any?” you ask. 

He rubs his neck, “Right, about that…”

“Oh, are there none in the lodge?” you say, holding the edges of the hoodie to your face, trying to warm your ears. 

“Well, no…see…” Josh says, “I already gave the extra blankets to Mike.”

You frown. Mike. Your friend group isn’t full of angels, but you have a particular dislike for Mr. Class President.

With a huff, you say, “I don’t see why you did that, I’m sure he and Jess can keep plenty warm together.”

“Mike said he needed all the blankets to make his room a cozy, romantic love den. His words, not mine. My hands were tied, I had to help a bro out.”

Your brows furrow, still baffled by how Mike managed to convince Josh to give him every single blanket there was to spare. That conniving, silver-tongued little-

“But hey,” Josh says, “You can just take some of mine.” He steps back and gestures to the bed with his hand. 

“I’m not taking your blankets, Josh,” you answer, despite how persuasive the chilled air is being.

“C’mon, you’re freezing,” he insists, picking your hand up from your side, “Your fingers are as cold as ice.” 

Unlike yours, his hand is warm. You press your lips together, your heart in your throat from a simple touch that feels nicer than it should.

“I’ll be fine,” you lie, pulling your hand away. “Really. I don’t want to take your blankets from you.” 

He looks at the bed, then you, the bed, and then back at you. “Okay, we can share instead,” he says with a shrug, as if his suggestion were no big deal.

Your eyes widen. “Um…are you serious?” you ask. 

“Didn’t I promise I was going to be serious from now on?” he says. When you don’t move, he continues, “Really, I don’t mind. I’d actually love to have someone to watch this movie with.” He smirks before finishing with, “If it’s not too scary for you.”

You scoff, self-consciousness forgotten. “I’m not scared of some movie.” 

“I don’t believe you,” he teases, sitting down on the bed and moving over to make space.

“Really,” you insist, “I’m not.” 

“Then come join me,” he says, patting the spot next to him.

Your eyes run over the soft bedding with the same caution you’d have for a battlefield. Then, a step forward takes you to the edge of the bed, and you lower yourself down onto the mattress. Josh waits until you kick off your slippers and slide under his comforter before unpausing the movie, a small, victorious smile on his lips. You’d usually be more annoyed, hating to lose, but gratitude takes over as the gentle warmth of the blankets begins to ease the edge of the cold off you.

Josh’s bed is huge, so you’re able to sit a reasonable distance away from him. You doubt a similar thought crosses his mind because, unlike you, he doesn’t seem to think sharing a bed is anything to be worked up about: he’s spread out on his side of the mattress, back against the pillows, hands behind his head.

You steal glances at him, noticing how his broad chest rises and falls with his gentle breaths. He looks so comfortable; it makes you want to close the distance, to have your body pressed to his side and your head resting on his warm chest. Sudden heat singes your ears and you look away from him. As far as you know, this is platonic, just a friend helping a friend keep warm. 

A gargled roar emits from the speaker. Though the volume is down, it’s still enough to draw your eyes to the blob monster displayed on the flickering projection. It’s closing in, bubbling and gurgling towards a damsel whose dress is caught on a tree branch. Even with all that action, the movie does little to distract you from the fact that the guy you have a thing for is tucked under the same sheets as you, only an arm’s reach away. 

“I’m surprised you’re up this late,” you comment, launching yourself out of your thoughts. “And watching a movie that’s not scary at all.”

“Just wait, the worst part hasn’t even happened yet,” he says, leaning over to give you a playful nudge. His eyes remain fixed on the flickering screen as he finishes responding. “And yeah, I couldn’t really fall asleep, so I put something on.” 

“Too cold for you, too?” you ask.

“Nah, temperature’s fine. It’s just, y’know, being up here again…”

Of course. You should have known. 

You look down to your hands in your lap. “It’s probably a lot. I’m sorry, Josh. Really.” 

“I appreciate it,” he says, letting out a deep breath as if he’s trying to exhale the weight on his chest. “I’m glad you’re all with me, it’s easier dealing with what happened.”

“We’re here for you.” You move a hand from your lap to his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. “I’m here for you. Anything, Josh.” 

“Thank you,” he says, his hand covering yours. “It means a lot to me that you’re saying that. I hope you know I’d do the same for you.” You nod, his kind words making your heart melt like candle wax. “Speaking of, are you feeling any warmer? Your hand, it still feels-” 

You drop your hand back down to the blanket, noticing that, though you haven’t shivered since you put on the sweatshirt, your fingertips still feel dull, unable to fully sense the softness of the cloth. “It’s a little better, but I’m still pretty cold,” you admit.

“Well, I can’t have you freezing to death,” he tells you. 

“That might ruin the trip,” you say with a small laugh.

“You’re right. I would get in so much trouble.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t want you getting in trouble because of me.” You tilt your head, a bashful smile spreading across your face. 

He takes a second to drink in everything the faint light of the movie reveals of your expression. “Good thing I have a solution to our problem.”

“Yeah?”

His response is one that diverges from his typical flirty comments as it comes out softer, a little hesitant, even. “You could come closer.”

You eye him, waiting for him to reveal his bluff. But his gaze remains steady, so you repeat his words back to him slowly as if you were trying to figure out which part he isn’t sincere about. “You want me to come closer?”

He chuckles. “Somebody’s nervous.” Josh lets his arms spread atop the row of pillows behind him, opening himself up to you. “C’mon, I don’t bite,” he grins, “hard.” 

“Alright, pack it up, cornball,” you say, lifting up the comforter and scooting closer to him, stopping just an inch or two before your thigh touches his.

“You know you love it,” he says.

“Shut it, I’m trying to watch the movie,” you shoot back, reclining until your back meets his arm and the pillows it lies atop of. The hard muscle of his bicep contrasts with the plushness of the pillows, but it doesn’t make you any less comfortable, in fact, you like this position more than how you were earlier.

Being close to him, nearly in his arms, feels better than you expected. The warmth of his body and the steadiness of his breath conjure up a calm haze that settles over you like a spell. You work hard to stay focused and upright, wanting to finish the movie and talk to him some more. But you're exhausted, so as he's explaining the foreshadowing from the first act of the movie, you end up leaning into him, your head falling onto his shoulder and your hand onto his chest. He doesn’t say anything, but his arm shifts behind your back, and then his hand is on your head, petting your hair. Your eyes flutter shut, everything around you fading out aside from the soothing feeling of his touch. 

“Sleepy?” he whispers down to you.

“Mhmm,” you mumble back. 

“Do you want to sleep in here tonight? It’s much warmer.”

“Can I?” you ask, nuzzling your cheek into his shoulder. He’s just so comfortable, it would be so terrible if you couldn’t stay. 

“Of course you can,” he responds. You can hear the smile in his voice and it sends a small wave of warmth through your body.

You move your head so it rests on his chest, your fingers sprawled out just a bit lower, mindlessly playing with the strings of his hoodie. Staying awake is getting harder and harder as the gentle strokes on your head coax you to sleep, and eventually, you give in.

You were two days into your period, it's never been bad - a bad cramp or nausea here and there, you handled it fine. But this time it was like god himself had something against you, the cramps were nonstop and painful. Making you feel nauseous and overheated in your bed pushing the covers off and on again in waves of feverous heat and coldness. You haven't moved out of bed all day. So when your boyfriend, Josh came over to your apartment to find you not out and about worried him a bit. "Baby, where are you--" He'd walk into your bedroom, finding you curled into yourself on your bed. Noticing the sheer amount of painkillers beside you on your bedside table, he knew immediately. "Are you on your period?"

You were expecting him to be kinda grossed out about it, like all your past boyfriends did. But the look on his face showed actual sincerity and empathy towards your pain. "Yeah-- 't hurts.." You'd mumble out, sitting up a bit. "Hey-- hey, angel. I think it's best you lay down and rest for a bit okay? Do you need anything? Heatpad, snacks, drinks, pads or tampons?" And you definitely were not expecting that. "No-- Josh, its fine.. I'm fine." You'd brush it off, "And you expect me to believe that?" He'd smile a bit, running a hand through your hair. "I would literally do anything in the world for you to feel better."

That's how you ended up, half an hour later with multiple shopping bags on your bed and Josh showing you all the things he bought. "Uh-- I didn't know what size or thickness you wanted the pads to be or if you wanted pads at all so I kinda bought them all? My dad won't mind.. but-- yeah." He said sifting through the shopping bags, "I got you chips, chocolate, gummies, soft drinks, tea-- everything.." He'd look up at you, not expecting the tears in your eyes. "Hey-- hey.. angel, what's wrong? Did I do something?" He'd move to cradle your face in his hands, wiping the tears collecting in your eyes. "No-- no.. I just-- hormones and shit.." You'd laugh a bit, "I'm so grateful for you Josh.." A smug smile was plastered onto his face, "Yeah I know, I'm like-- the perfect boyfriend, dont need to tell me what I already know." "I take everything back." "What-- no... cmon."

Later that night, you fell asleep in each others arms as you watched some cheap horror movie Josh brought over, and you were silently thanking Hannah and Beth for raising him right.

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