After a grueling week of endless promo, press interviews, and countless appearances, Mars was exhausted. But it wasn't the media circuit that was draining her—it was Billie. Or rather, the lack of Billie. For the past seven days, Billie had been avoiding her, ignoring her texts, and giving her short, distant responses whenever they did communicate. It was enough to drive Mars crazy.

She had given Billie space, hoping that whatever was bothering her would blow over. But by the seventh day, Mars had reached her limit. She cared about Billie—more than she had admitted to herself initially—and the radio silence was slowly eating at her. If they were going to be something, they couldn't keep avoiding tough conversations.

After an early morning interview, Mars canceled the rest of her day. She wasn't going to let this tension between them linger any longer. Billie needed to know how she felt, and they needed to sort this out, no matter how hard the conversation might be.

Mars drove straight to Billie's place, her chest tightening the closer she got. She didn't even bother texting her before showing up—she wasn't going to give Billie the chance to hide from her this time. By the time she pulled up to Billie's house, Mars was determined.

As she stepped out of the car and walked up to Billie's door, she felt the familiar flutter in her stomach she always got when she was about to see her. Even with everything going on, Billie had that effect on her. She took a deep breath and knocked.

It only took a few seconds for the door to open, and there stood Billie, barefoot, in an oversized hoodie and sweatpants, her hair messy and eyes slightly red, as if she hadn't slept well. Her face shifted from surprise to something unreadable when she saw Mars standing there.

"Mars," Billie said softly, her voice low, as if she hadn't expected to see her standing on her doorstep. "What are you doing here?"

Mars, for a brief moment, hesitated. But then she reminded herself why she had come. She wasn't here to dance around the issue anymore.

"You've been ignoring me, Billie," Mars said, her deep voice calm but firm. "And I don't know why. But we're going to talk about it."

Billie shifted, her hand nervously tugging at the sleeve of her hoodie. "It's not...I don't know. It's stupid, okay?"

Mars stepped forward, closing the gap between them. She could feel Billie's nervous energy, and she hated seeing her like this—like she was about to bolt at any moment.

"It's not stupid if it's making you feel like this," Mars said softly, her voice gentler now. "Talk to me. Please."

For a moment, Billie just stood there, her eyes downcast. Then she stepped back, motioning for Mars to come inside. Mars followed her into the living room, where Billie sank down onto the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest.

Mars sat beside her, close enough to feel Billie's warmth but giving her enough space to speak. The silence stretched between them for a moment before Billie finally spoke.

"I just...I know we're not dating," Billie started, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I don't even know if you feel the same way, but seeing you with Jenna during all the promo stuff...I don't know. I guess I got jealous. Stupidly jealous."

Mars blinked, her heart skipping a beat. Of all the things she thought this conversation would be about, this wasn't it. Jealousy? Billie was jealous?

"You're jealous?" Mars asked, her tone soft but surprised. "Billie, there's nothing between me and Jenna. She's just my co-star."

Billie let out a bitter laugh. "I know that. I *know* it's just a movie, but I couldn't help it. It wasn't even about Jenna, really. I just...I got jealous because I realized how much I care about you. How much I—"

She stopped, biting her lip, her eyes darting away from Mars. Her confession hung in the air, heavy and unfinished.

Mars reached out, gently taking Billie's hand in hers. The contact made Billie flinch, but she didn't pull away. Mars could feel her pulse racing through her fingers, and for a moment, they just sat there, both unsure of how to proceed.

"Billie," Mars said softly, her thumb gently stroking the back of Billie's hand. "You're not the only one who's been feeling things."

Billie's eyes snapped up to meet hers, wide and uncertain. "What?"

Mars chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I've been falling for you for months. I just didn't want to push you into anything. I didn't know if you were ready for something like this."

Billie stared at her, her mind racing. She had spent all this time torturing herself, thinking Mars didn't feel the same way, when in reality, Mars had been holding back because of her. A wave of relief mixed with a rush of emotions crashed over her.

"You...you really feel that way?" Billie asked, her voice almost disbelieving.

Mars nodded, her gaze softening as she looked at Billie. "Yeah, I do. I'm crazy about you, Billie. I didn't want to freak you out by saying it, but I guess I should've been more upfront."

Billie felt a tear slip down her cheek, but she wasn't sad. She was overwhelmed—in the best way possible. All the tension, the jealousy, the uncertainty, it all melted away in that moment.

Mars moved closer, gently wiping the tear away with her thumb. "Hey, none of that," she teased softly. "I didn't come here to make you cry."

Billie let out a shaky laugh, her heart swelling in her chest. "I'm not crying. You're just...you're making me emotional, okay?"

Mars smiled, her hand lingering on Billie's cheek. The moment was intimate, more intimate than anything they had ever shared before. For weeks, they had danced around their feelings, neither wanting to push the other too far. But now, everything was out in the open, and the air between them felt charged.

"Can I kiss you?" Mars asked softly, her voice barely a whisper.

Billie's breath hitched, and for a second, all she could do was nod.

Mars didn't need any more confirmation. She leaned in slowly, her hand still resting gently on Billie's cheek as she pressed her lips to hers. The kiss was soft at first, tentative, as if both of them were still processing the reality of it. But then Billie kissed her back, her hand tangling in Mars's braids as she deepened the kiss, all of her pent-up emotions pouring into the moment.

It was their first kiss as a couple, and it felt like the culmination of everything they had been through—the tension, the jealousy, the unspoken feelings. It all melted away in that kiss, leaving nothing but the raw, undeniable connection between them.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathless. Billie's cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen from the kiss. Mars's hand still cupped her face, her thumb gently tracing her cheekbone.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," Mars murmured, her voice low and husky.

Billie smiled, her heart fluttering. "Me too."

They sat there for a moment, just looking at each other, both of them feeling the weight of what had just happened. It wasn't just a kiss—it was the start of something real, something they had both been afraid to admit they wanted.

"I guess we're really doing this, huh?" Billie said softly, a smile tugging at her lips.

Mars chuckled, leaning her forehead against Billie's. "Yeah, I guess we are."

And just like that, all the uncertainty faded away. They had spent weeks dancing around their feelings, but now, sitting together on Billie's couch, everything felt right. They didn't have all the answers, and they knew there would be challenges ahead. But for now, they were exactly where they wanted to be—with each other.

Mars kissed her again, softer this time, and Billie melted into her, finally feeling at peace.