The sun was high in the sky, casting warm rays across the backyard where Billie and her friends had gathered to celebrate Mars' album release. It was a laid-back kind of day, the perfect mix of relaxation and fun. A barbecue was in full swing, music played softly in the background, and drinks were passed around. Billie, Quen, Odessa, Zoe, Finneas, and Alex lounged around, enjoying the weather, while Mars, Finneas, and Alex had found their way over to the basketball hoop set up at the far end of the yard.

Mars, always competitive when it came to sports, was currently wiping the floor with Finneas and Alex in their impromptu game of basketball. She moved effortlessly, her body fluid and athletic as she dribbled the ball, outpacing both of them with ease. It was clear from the way she played that she was used to this, her form perfect as she moved across the court, sinking basket after basket.

Billie sat off to the side, sipping on a cold drink, her eyes glued to Mars as she played. There was something mesmerizing about the way she moved, so confident and smooth. Billie's mind wandered as she watched her, especially after Mars had tossed off her shirt in the heat, revealing her sports bra underneath.

Mars' athletic frame was on full display now, her abs and defined muscles catching the sunlight as she dunked the ball effortlessly. Billie found herself unable to look away. She wasn't exactly subtle about it either; her gaze lingered on the sharp lines of Mars' V-line, the way her skin glistened with sweat in the sun, her toned arms, and those ridiculous abs.

Mars landed back on her feet after a particularly impressive dunk, grinning as Finneas and Alex groaned, clearly overmatched. She shot Billie a glance, a playful smirk tugging at her lips as if she knew Billie had been staring.

"Damn," Billie muttered under her breath, biting her lip without even realizing it.

Quen, sitting beside her, noticed Billie's complete lack of subtlety and smirked, nudging her shoulder with a playful bump. "You good?"

Billie snapped out of her trance, cheeks flushing as she quickly tore her eyes away from Mars and turned to face Quen, her expression caught somewhere between embarrassment and amusement. "What? Yeah, I'm fine," she said, trying to play it off cool.

Quen raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. "Sure, you are. You've been staring at her like that for the last twenty minutes, girl."

Billie huffed, rolling her eyes, but she couldn't hide the small smile that crept onto her face. "Okay, fine. She's...distracting," Billie admitted, glancing back at Mars just in time to see her grab the basketball again and dribble toward the hoop.

Quen chuckled, giving Billie another nudge. "Distracting? Babe, I'd say you're full-on drooling. Can't say I blame you though. That's your girl, after all."

Billie's heart fluttered at the words *your girl.* It still felt surreal to her, even after weeks of them being together. Mars had been her constant over the past few months, and the way they had slowly fallen into this relationship felt effortless. Billie had never felt this comfortable around someone before, and she knew, deep down, that her feelings for Mars were only growing stronger.

She bit her lip again, glancing over at Mars as she stole the ball from Alex and went in for another dunk. The sound of the ball swishing through the net was followed by a triumphant laugh from Mars, who flexed her arms jokingly after another easy win. She caught Billie's eye, winking at her before turning back to her game.

Billie felt a rush of warmth spread through her at that small gesture, her heart doing that stupid little flip it always did whenever Mars looked at her like that.

"Yeah...I guess she is *my* girl," Billie said softly, more to herself than to Quen. The thought made her smile.

Quen noticed the lovestruck look on Billie's face and couldn't help but grin. "Oh, you've got it bad."

Before Billie could respond, Mars jogged over, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. She was breathing a little heavier now from the game, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Even in the middle of a friendly basketball game, she managed to look effortlessly cool.

"You guys giving up already?" Mars teased, glancing over at Alex and Finneas, who were both panting and leaning over with their hands on their knees.

"Yeah, no more," Alex groaned, waving his hand. "I'm done. You win, dude. I can't even try to keep up anymore."

Mars chuckled, walking over to the cooler and grabbing a bottle of water. She unscrewed the cap and took a long drink, her throat bobbing as she tilted her head back. Billie couldn't help but stare again.

Mars caught her looking this time and shot her a knowing smile. She walked over to where Billie and Quen were sitting, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before setting her water bottle down. "You enjoying the game, Babygirl?" she asked, her voice low and teasing.

Billie's heart did a flip at the nickname. She loved when Mars called her that, even though she'd never admit it out loud. "You're just showing off," Billie replied with a smirk, trying to play it cool.

Mars raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a smirk. "Maybe a little," she teased, leaning down to press a quick kiss to Billie's forehead.

Quen, watching the whole exchange, shook her head with a smile. "Okay, seriously, you two are too cute. It's ridiculous."

Mars laughed, standing back up and stretching her arms over her head, her abs flexing again in the process. Billie quickly looked away, trying to keep her composure, but she could feel her cheeks heating up again.

"You should've joined us," Mars said to Billie, her voice still teasing. "I could've used you on my team."

Billie laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, no thanks. I'm not about to embarrass myself out there. I'll stick to watching."

Mars chuckled, reaching down to ruffle Billie's hair before heading back over to the basketball hoop, ready to challenge Finneas and Alex to another round.

Quen leaned over, her voice low. "You're really gone for her, aren't you?"

Billie smiled, watching Mars as she effortlessly dribbled the ball. "Yeah," she said softly, her heart full. "I really am."

As the sun dipped below the horizon and the backyard filled with the soft glow of string lights, the energy among the group mellowed. They were all sprawled out on the deck, cozy in blankets or propped up on pillows. Music still played softly in the background, and laughter bubbled up from various conversations as everyone settled in after the excitement of the day.

Billie sat next to Mars, her head resting comfortably on Mars' shoulder as they shared a quiet moment, sipping drinks and watching the others talk. Every now and then, Mars' hand would drift over to Billie's, her fingers brushing lightly against her skin, causing Billie's heart to skip a beat each time. She loved these moments, the peaceful, intimate ones where it felt like they were the only two people in the world, even though they were surrounded by friends.

But the peace wasn't destined to last long.

"Okay, so I've got a bone to pick," Alex said suddenly, breaking through the chatter. He looked around the group, his eyes landing on Mars and Billie with a pointed look. "I'm sitting here with two of the greatest voices of our generation, and I've *never* heard them sing together. What's up with that?"

The others perked up at Alex's comment, nodding in agreement.

"That's so true," Quen chimed in, giving Mars and Billie an expectant look. "You guys need to bless us with a duet."

Zoe, who had been quiet for most of the evening, raised her eyebrows in excitement. "Oh my god, yes! I've literally been waiting for this. I thought it would've happened ages ago."

Billie immediately tensed up, sitting up straighter and glancing over at Mars. She had always been a little hesitant when it came to singing in front of her friends outside of work. It was one thing to be in a studio or on stage, but it felt so different when it was just her and the people she was closest to.

Mars, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. She simply smiled, her green hazel eyes twinkling as she looked down at Billie. "What do you think, Babygirl? You up for it?" she asked, her voice soft, yet full of playful confidence.

Billie bit her lip, feeling her heart rate pick up slightly. She didn't want to disappoint her friends, especially since they had been prodding her and Mars for a duet for weeks now. She glanced around at everyone's eager faces and sighed with a small smile. "I mean, I guess we can..."

The group cheered, clearly excited that they had convinced her.

Mars chuckled, reaching for the guitar that had been sitting beside one of the chairs. She adjusted the strings, strumming lightly as she settled in next to Billie. The sound of the guitar filled the air, a soft, familiar melody that immediately made Billie feel more at ease. Mars' fingers moved effortlessly across the strings, creating a warm, inviting sound that instantly set the mood.

"Let's keep it simple," Mars said, looking at Billie for confirmation. "How about something acoustic? Something chill?"

Billie nodded, her nerves settling as she leaned into the music. "Yeah, that works."

Mars played a few more chords, and Billie recognized the melody of *I Love You*, one of her more emotional songs. It was one of Billie's favorites, and the acoustic arrangement Mars had chosen gave it a different, more intimate feel. Billie smiled softly, letting the familiarity of the song guide her as she prepared to sing.

Mars began humming the first few notes, her deep, rich voice blending beautifully with the soft strumming of the guitar. Billie joined in, her voice gentle and haunting as she harmonized with Mars. Their voices meshed together perfectly, the softness of Billie's vocals weaving seamlessly with Mars' deeper, more grounded tone. It was effortless, as though they had been singing together for years.

The group fell silent, captivated by the impromptu performance. Even Finneas, who had heard Billie sing a thousand times, seemed completely enthralled by the magic of their voices coming together. There was something raw and vulnerable about the way they sang, especially with Mars playing the guitar. It felt intimate, like a window into the connection they shared.

As the song progressed, Billie felt herself getting lost in the music, her nerves completely dissipating as she focused on the sound of Mars' voice and the way it wrapped around her own. Mars glanced at her a couple of times, smiling softly as they sang, and Billie couldn't help but feel a deep sense of warmth and contentment.

They reached the end of the song, their voices trailing off into the quiet night air. The last chord lingered for a moment before Mars gently set the guitar down. A moment of silence passed as everyone processed what they had just witnessed.

Then, the applause erupted.

"Oh my god, that was amazing!" Quen shouted, clapping enthusiastically.

"I have chills," Odessa added, rubbing her arms. "Literal chills. You guys are incredible."

Alex grinned, shaking his head. "I knew you guys would kill it, but that was even better than I imagined."

Finneas smirked, nudging Billie with his elbow. "You should do more duets together. That was insane."

Billie blushed at the praise, feeling a little overwhelmed by the attention, but also incredibly happy. She glanced over at Mars, who had that calm, confident smile on her face again, as if she hadn't just blown everyone away with her performance.

Mars leaned in, her voice low so only Billie could hear. "You were amazing, Babygirl," she whispered.

Billie's heart swelled at the compliment, and without thinking, she leaned over and kissed Mars softly on the cheek. It wasn't a grand gesture, just a small, quiet expression of how much she appreciated her. Mars smiled at the kiss, her hand brushing lightly against Billie's as they sat together, basking in the warmth of the moment.

As the conversation shifted back to other topics and the music in the background resumed, Billie felt an overwhelming sense of contentment. This—being surrounded by her friends, laughing, singing, and sharing moments like this with Mars—was all she had ever wanted.

Quen, catching the affectionate kiss, leaned over and whispered with a grin, "You guys are too cute, I swear."

Billie laughed, nudging her back with a smile. "Shut up."

But she couldn't help but agree. They were pretty cute, after all.