Glowing Like Starlight (14.4)

It was a little while after the four teenagers had gone shopping, Val and Nia had decided to go off on their own for a bit. Of course, Owen and Fenix weren't going to stop them, this just meant that this could basically be turned into a date for the two of them. 

"We're gonna go get some other stuff that we need, it might take us a while so feel free to go on and look for other things you like or hang out at the food court!" Val waved, to them smiling.

"Why am I going with you?" Nia sighed, allowing the other girl to link their arms together.

Val grinned, "Because you're going to help me buy new bras. I need a second opinion and as much as I trust them," She tilted her head at Owen and Fenix, "I'd rather have the input of someone who actually had to wear bras as well. Now, come on, let's go!"

"Excuse me, bitch, I didn't agree to this—" Nia didn't even get to disagree before Val practically dragged her off.

Owen and Fenix stood still for a moment, before looking at each other and bursting out laughing, "Well, that was something. Nia definitely has her hands full with her," Fenix said, clutching his stomach.

To his surprise, his boyfriend shook his head, "Really? I think it's the other way around. Val certainly has her hands full with Nia. Not just anyone can deal with her attitude, and yet she's different around Val. I don't really know how to explain it."

"You're right," Fenix nodded, "Something is different about the way Nia is around her. Of course, we're her best friends, all of us, but she's starting to connect to Val in a way that I always felt like she could, but she didn't give it a chance till now. If Nia is rough around the edges, harsh, then Val smoothes her out when needed."

"Do you think…"

Fenix hummed, "Well, I can't exactly pinpoint how it might feel since Nia identifies differently from me, but when I look at them, I think of soulmates. But not romantic? Even though they're so different, they still seem to click so well, in a way that is different from all of us that feel romantic attraction. Nia isn't an open book, but pay enough attention and you can tell that she really cares about Val from the bottom of her heart."

Owen wrapped an arm around his waist, "Sometimes, I become really worried because I start to feel like you're developing brain cells, and if I can't rein you in when you have no brain cells, I only fear what would happen if you had them at your disposal."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Fenix laughed, "When we're in the last store, I put my own clothes on the hanger that the new clothes were on and I would have straight-up hung them back up if Nia hadn't noticed. The fucking gremlin was prepared to let me leave my actual clothes there if it weren't for Val."

"Never mind, I have nothing to worry about."

They headed into the last store on the list that Val had put for Fenix, after asking him a bit more about what kind of clothes he was comfortable with, and Owen let Fenix flit around, looking at the clothes.

"Now that I think about it, wouldn't my hoodies be like cropped hoodies on you?" Owen wondered out loud and Fenix stopped what he was looking at.

"Actually, you're right. I'm much taller than you but you're more built than me—Which by the way, when did you start working out regularly outside of training?" Fenix asked.

Owen raised an eyebrow, "A little while after we got to Sector 2, so a few months ago. Why? You don't like it?"

Fenix spluttered, "If I have done anything to make you feel like I don't like it, please inform me immediately because dear God, I love it. Who wouldn't be happy having a strong boyfriend?" He leaned down, pressing a kiss to the corner of Owen's lips. The other boy blushed and muttered something, "Hm? What was that?"

"I said if you're going to do that, you might as well actually kiss me," Owen muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Fenix to hear.

"Oh, Owen, how forward of you," Fenix teased, smirking slightly, "And here I was, trying to keep the PDA on a low, but if that's what you're saying—"

He was cut off by Owen pulling him down by the collar of his leather jacket and kissing him. Somehow, Fenix managed to hook the hanger back on the rack behind them before placing his hands on Owen's waist. The younger leaned up on his tiptoes, letting his hands drape behind the back of Fenix's neck as the other boy pulled him closer.

"Ahem," They both jumped apart, hearing someone clear their throat, "Sorry," It was a young woman, a brown-haired employee of the store with glasses, "I need to put these away," She held up the shirts the matched the ones on the rack behind the two boys.

"Oh, yes—I…Um, sorry," Owen laughed nervously, scratching his head. He could feel Fenix grasping at his hand, understanding the silent gesture, "We'll get out of your hair, sorry about that," And with that, he pulled his boyfriend out of that aisle and towards the dressing rooms, the rest of the clothes they had already chosen in his hands, "It's alright, don't feel bad about not talking," He said to Fenix.

Fenix looked a bit guilty, "Are you sure? I'm sorry I needed you to talk for me…"

Owen shook his head, "I've known you for years, and I love you. Something like this isn't going to stop me. You've been around people you know for so long, so of course, it'll be a bit harder to talk to new people."

Fenix leaned down and brushed their lips together, "Alright, then. Thank you, I love you, too."

The younger boy waited in the seating area outside the dressing room and Fenix went to try some of the clothes on. Surprisingly, this time, Fenix hadn't let Owen see the clothes he had chosen and had instead just told him that he'd have to wait and see. The boy was excited, but he knew no matter what his boyfriend wore, he'd always find him stunning.

He heard the door unlock and as he turned to look, his jaw dropped as Fenix stepped into view. 

The boy was wearing a sleeveless ripped black shirt with a rock band's logo on it tucked into something that seemed to be black shorts, but the right side was covered by a pleated black miniskirt, so it combined the two. The thin belt with silver hoops, the silver chains, all of it tied together with the half ponytail Fenix had pulled his hair into.

The taller placed one knee next to where Owen had been sitting and leaned into him, practically hovering over his lap as he grinned, "So, how do I look?" He asked.

It took Owen a moment to unfreeze before he stood up abruptly, grabbing Fenix's hand and dragging him into the dressing room where he had just come out. The moment he closed the door and locked it, Fenix's back hit the wall in the small room as Owen's hands caged him in, "You can't be pulling something like that on me, babe, my heart can't take it. You look…You look so hot," Owen breathed out, leaning up and kissing him roughly. Fenix let out a noise of surprise but immediately reciprocated, wrapping his arms around Owen's waist and pulling the smaller boy closer.

"Yeah, I'm taking that as a good reaction—Mph!" Fenix didn't even have the chance to make a smart comment before he was cut off by Owen tugging him down by the choker around his neck, and kissing him again. Fenix followed him, pressing back a little harder and forcing Owen to lean back a bit so Fenix was supporting his weight in a half-dip. It was messy and rushed, but both of them could taste the passion on their lips. Owen pulled away only to push Fenix down on the seat in the small dressing room, climbing onto his lap and tilting the older boy's head up so his neck was bared. Kissing down his jawline and sucking marks and bruises onto his skin against the tattoo on his neck, he heard Fenix let out a breathless laugh, "You really like leaving marks on me, huh?"

"Are you against it?" Owen asked back.

"Absolutely not, keep going," Fenix pressed Owen's head against his skin again, one hand sliding into the mint-colored hair and the other sliding under his shirt, feeling the warm curves of Owen's back against his hand. He pulled the boy closer so they were pressed up against each other, almost feeling the heat radiating from each other. Fenix pulled Owen into another kiss, sucking on the younger's lip, and Owen let out a soft gasp.

There was sudden banging from a stall further away, "Y'all kids have no decency! Anyone in this damn changing room hall can hear you!" Someone yelled and the two of them pulled back, blushing intensely.

"Sorry!" Owen exclaimed, shuffling and getting off of Fenix and the other boy followed, standing up. Owen helped him take the shirt off, "It'll be faster if I help you, then we can get out of here," He whispered, embarrassed. Fenix didn't seem to be in a much better state, nodding along, still half in a daze.

They managed to pay for the clothes and leave the store without any other awkward instances and the moment they stepped out, Fenix turned to Owen, both of them still bright red, "Nia, Val, and neither of our siblings can ever find out about this or we will never hear the end of it."

"Well, Kaedan probably has done enough things that I could find something to get back at him with," Owen grimaced, "Bleh. He and Xander are so in love. I love that for them. But dear God, they need to control themselves."

Fenix rubbed his temples, "Babe, after what happened, I don't think we're in any place to talk."

"Hey, guys!" They heard Val's voice calling to them and turned around to see the girl yelling at them, dragging along a disgruntled Nia as they held a few bags. As both of them looked at the boys, Nia's eyes lit up in mischief as she leaned on the taller girl's shoulder.

"Looks like you two were busy," She grinned, pointing at Fenix's neck. Owen looked over and just as it seemed he had regained his composure, he lost it again, "Damn, Owen really likes to leave marks, huh—"

"Shut up, Nia, or I'm telling Xander that you were the one that stuck a knife through the backseat of his car," Owen hissed.

"You wouldn't!"