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Post by OLIVER BARTHOLOMEW TRENT on Feb 5, 2013 16:26:29 GMT -5
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Alex was too old for birthday parties. That was what she told herself, anyway. But there was something to be said about feeling special, and her so called sweet sixteen had been followed up by a rush to RWA to avoid her family. To say the least, it had been highly disappointing, and she figured it was high time for some fun. Besides, for the first time in a while, she actually had enough people she wanted to be around to feel okay inviting them.
The trouble with turning seventeen was the stunning lack of incredible places to have a party like this. Kids' places were, of course, too juvenile. She wasn't old enough to rent out space in a club or bar. So Alex finally resolved to rent out a bowling alley with an attached restaurant that offered karaoke on weekends.
She'd spent much longer than usual getting ready, taking care to ensure that every hair was in place and every detail attended to. Alex couldn't guarantee that Oliver would be there, but she had made doubly sure to let him know that he was invited. If he did get to come, she wanted to make sure that she looked her best.
Being the guest of honor, Alex figured it was a good idea to show up on time, so she'd made it a point to arrive at the bowling alley a few minutes before her scheduled time, which was 8:00 pm. Hopefully at least a few of her guests would be on time, as well.
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Melody had shown up early to help get things ready for Alex. The girl was hosting her own birthday party after all, the least Mel could do was set up, get some birthday hats and what not and get their lane(s) ready for action. Melody actually liked bowling quite a bit, even though she'd often been told it was "low class fun" growing up. She'd actually gotten pretty good and had her own shoes--mostly because she could stand the idea of wearing shoes other people had worn.
In any case, she came dressed casually, but added a bit of sparkle with her earrings. She knew Alex would get a kick out of the shirt she'd picked, given she was no longer a mistress, and things were looking up with Connor since New Years even if they hadn't officially decided anything.
She tapped her foot lightly and waited for someone to show up.
She didn't have to wait long it seemed, as a small blonde hesitantly came over and asked politely if this was Alex's party. It took Melody a second to recognize Cam and said, "You're hair is totally awesome." Before patting the plastic seat next to her.
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Cam smiled at Melody as she sat down, playing with a bit of her hair as the other girl's compliment made her think about it more. It seemed they were the first ones here, but then Alex showed up, looking pretty adorable. Cam realized maybe Oliver was coming, that would explain it... well, other than the girl wanting to look good for her own birthday.
"Hey Alex, happy birthday!" Cam said brightly, jumping up to hug her best friend. Cam couldn't remember the last time she'd been bowling and she was pretty excited about having a party here with friends, actual friends. Melody had always been nice enough, and since Alex had grown to like her, Cam had too. So far so good.
"Who else are we waiting on?" Cam asked.
Melody decided to pop up with a follow up question, "Did you invite Oliver?"
------
Alex was delighted to realize that she was not, in fact, the first to arrive. Had she arrived fashionably late, as was her norm, it wouldn't have been surprising. As it was, she was a little shocked to see that both Melody and Cam had already arrived. Of course, they were her two closest friends, which made it logical that they would be the ones who were there. Crossing the room, Alex grinned at them both and greeted each of them with a hug. "Nice," Alex commented, gesturing toward Melody's shirt. "Very classy." She chuckled and shook her head, feeling only slightly bad that Cam was left out of the joke.
Cam was a good sport, though, and Alex couldn't help but marvel at the change in her friend. Even when she was obviously missing out on something, she didn't shy away. "Just a few more people. I kind of invited the whole art department. But they probably won't all come." Of course, that wasn't what either of her friends actually wanted to know, she figured. Melody confirmed her suspicion by following up with a more direct question. Alex smirked at her. "That's a stupid question," she replied. And it was. Anyone who knew Alex would know that she'd invited Oliver. It was just a matter of whether he was actually going to come.
Before either of them could ask anything else, Alex turned her attention toward Melody's bowling shoes, which had been left on a chair near them. "You seriously have your own shoes?! Quite the closet nerd, aren't we!" Laughing, Alex draped an arm around Cam's shoulders. "C'mon. We lowlifes have to rent used shoes. They come with free sweat."
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Melody chuckled and nodded lightly. Maybe it was a stupid question. Alex could invite Mikey as a way to invite Oliver. It was a good move really. Melody laughed again when Alex called her a nerd. "No, I just like shoes, and I'm not wearing ones that other people have worn if I can afford not to." Melody said, sticking her tongue out playfully.
Cam chuckled softly and took Alex by the hand, as she liked to do. "Yup, great." Cam made a little face at Melody and went off with Alex to rent shoes.
After a while, some snacks and drinks were brought over to their area and Alex's other guests came in. Some art students of hers, a couple cool teachers and such. And about a half an hour late or so, Oliver and Mikey showed up.
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Mikey spotted Alex first and took off running through the bowling alley and immediately hugged her around the legs. "Happy Birthday Alex!" He nearly shouted, not caring who was around or what anyone would think. Oliver moved a little slower over to the group, looking at the guests. It looked like a good time and he debated quietly teasing Alex about bringing her young attractive friends there to bother him but he refrained.
As Oliver reached them, Mikey tore off again and pulled at Oliver's sleeve. "Can I give her the present?" He asked impatiently. By this point, Cam, Melody and some others were grinning at the adorable boy and his dad.
Melody gave Alex a wink.
"If she wants it now buddy," Oliver said with a smile. "Hey birthday girl," He said with an easy smile. He didn't want to go too far obviously, though he wanted to kiss her. Oliver figured a small hug was allowed. Oliver gave her a quick squeeze after handing the present to Mikey.
Mikey then tugged at Alex's sleeve. "I picked them out myself, and daddy wrapped them."
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Alex smirked at her roommate's justification of owning her own bowling shoes. "Right," she teased, stretching the word out. People typically only bought bowling shoes if they intended to spend enough time in them for the added sweat and stink of rented shoes to matter. Having bowled very rarely in the last few years, Alex saw no need to buy her own shoes. Besides, she was more amused than anything by the concept of stuffing her feet into a shoe that hundreds or thousands of other people might have worn.
Once she and Cam returned with their shoes, the bowling began. Alex was horrible at the sport, and had bowled almost straight gutters by the time the other guests started to arrive. She was losing interest pretty quickly, but it was her party, so she figured that was well enough. She needed to greet the other guests. Mingling was fun, and she found that she was glad to have an entire event dedicated to her, even if she'd had to plan and host it herself.
She'd just left a group of fellow art students when Alex heard the sound of little feet moving with great speed. She'd only invited one child, so she knew it had to be Mikey. Turning toward him, Alex received his hug warmly, giggling at his enthusiasm. When he stepped back a bit, she glanced from him to his father, noting that they were dressed very similarly. "Did you teach your daddy how to pick his clothes? What a great helper you are!" she enthused. Of course, she knew Oliver was more than capable of dressing himself, but children always appreciated having things like that attributed to their own skills.
Mikey's sudden attention to his father gave Alex a moment to exchange a look with Melody and Cam, who were the only two at the party who knew Oliver was anything more than just her employer. Melody's wink brought a slight and unexpected blush to Alex's cheek, but she decided to ignore it, returning her attention to Mikey and Oliver. Oliver's hug sent a jolt of electricity through her, and Alex found that she was more than a little disappointed by the realization that a hug was all she could get right now. She pointedly glanced at her sweater before arching an eyebrow at Oliver, knowing he would understand her implication. Not that it was an option here in the crowd, but she was going to make sure they had some time alone later.
Before she could say anything to Oliver, though, Mikey was thrusting a package into Alex's hands. She chuckled at him and ruffled his hair. "Your daddy is a very good present wrapper," she commented, offering Oliver a shy smile. Most of the men didn't pay attention to details like that. Because the boy was so keen to see her reaction, Alex gingerly unwrapped the paper. Once she'd managed to get to the box inside, she couldn't help but grin. "These are amazing!" she announced, beaming at Mikey.
Opening the box, she removed two bandaids. "Give me your finger," she instructed. The boy complied, and Alex placed a mustachioed bandaid on his index finger. She quickly repeated the procedure with her own finger before placing it in front of her nose. "Now you have your own mustache! And you don't even have to shave like your daddy does!"
----
As it turned out, Alex wasn't a very good bowler. Melody however, who had been playing the game for a few years, mostly just because she'd never gotten to before, rather liked it and was pretty good. She made a show of teasing Alex, but it was always good fun and always got Cam trying to hide a chuckle. So Melody kept up the game while Cam shyly got to meet some of the art students, some who also had interest in music.
Once Oliver and Mikey showed up however, the girls slowed to watch the exchange.
Mikey beamed as Alex complimented him and he nodded. "Yeah, we match." He announced proudly, making Oliver crack a little smile. Mikey watched with great anticipation as Alex unwrapped her gifts and dutifully presented his finger to her. He then followed her lead and held it up to his face. As the gears clicked and he realized the joke, Mikey grinned widely. "Now we match!" He exclaimed.
Oliver noticed Alex's pointed look and bit back a laugh but he smiled. They weren't exactly a kosher couple. Not illegal of course, but frowned upon, but he really did want to take her up on her offer.
"So, you gonna introduce me to your friends?" Oliver teased lightly.
Mikey stood beside him bobbing his heads. "Friends!"
----
Alex had never been a terribly good hostess, so it shouldn't have been terribly surprising that she neglected the rest of her guests once Mikey and Oliver arrived. She couldn't help it, really. Mikey was so adorably excited, and Oliver was... Well, Oliver. It wasn't until he pointed out the fact that she hadn't actually introduced them to anyone that Alex realized her faux pas. Her cheeks flooded with color, and she let out a nervous laugh. "Sorry. I'm not very good at this," she replied, turning to acknowledge the others.
Cam and Melody were the only people standing nearby at the moment, which was good enough because Alex hardly wanted everyone she knew to meet Oliver. Waving the two girls over, she hastily provided introductions, gesturing to each person as she said their name. Once the introductions were complete, though, she was at a loss for what to do. What she wanted to do was drag Oliver to the nearest dark corner and properly greet him. That wasn't really a viable option, though, so she figured she'd have to settle for bowling. "Did you guys want to rent shoes?" she asked hesitantly. She wasn't entirely sure how long they would be staying, but she hoped it would be for long enough that she'd get the opportunity to steal Oliver away.
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Connor and Alex had never exactly been friends. They weren't on especially good terms most of the time, really. So he had been more than a little surprised when she'd invited him to her birthday party. Truthfully, he hadn't expected her to even know his name. As far as he knew, all she knew him as was the asshole who had called her a dyke in a public chat room. Given their lack of relationship, he'd almost ignored the invitation entirely. But then it occurred to him that she and Melody had been getting closer lately. It was very possible, then, that she'd invited him for Melody's sake, and he figured that was enough reason to at least show up.
It took him a while to decide how to approach the situation, though. He couldn't exactly burst into the party pretending that he and Alex were the best of friends. He'd initiated a bad vibe between them, and he figured he'd have to make an effort to resolve that. His peace offering came in the form of a shirt, which he was determined to wear to the party. Plastered across the front was a blatant statement in support of homosexuality. Or, more accurately, in support of not hating on homosexuals. He completed the outfit with a comfortable pair of jeans and a navy plaid shirt.
Even more surprising than being invited to the party was the realization that he was much later than the other guests. Alex had told him to show up at nine, which seemed reasonable enough to him. It seemed, though, that the party was already quiet underway when he arrived. Feeling a little awkward, he placed the card he'd brought on a table that seemed to be designated for gifts and set out in search of anyone he knew.
When he finally spotted Alex and Melody, they were chatting with a man who looked old enough to be a teacher, but wasn't from RWA, a little boy who, judging by his outfit, was related to the man, and a girl with springy blond curls. Shrugging, Connor made his way toward the group. He didn't especially want to interrupt their conversation, but he couldn't exactly get away without greeting Alex, so he cleared his throat and offered her a polite "Happy Birthday," before turning his attention to Melody. "So how late am I? Because she told me to be here at nine..."
-----
Oliver smiled. Alex was really so very sweet, and while part of him still felt this was a little wrong, he couldn't deny how good it felt to be beside her, and he had to stop himself from reaching for her hand. This was almost like a date... Well, as close as they were going to get anytime soon.
He shook hands with Melody and Cam, who grinned at him knowingly. Melody couldn't help herself but to whisper, "I can see what all the fuss is about." Cam chuckled. But at least they were all on the same page. Oliver laughed too and shook his head lightly after politely telling the girls he was glad to meet them.
"I like your shirt," Cam told him. "Big potter fan myself." Oliver chuckled and they struck up a conversation about what movies and books were their favorite. Mikey occasionally popped up with the name of characters they weren't mentioning.
Melody leaned over to Alex and was about to tell her that she totally approved of Oliver and that he was a hunk when Connor showed up. Melody hadn't been expecting him, and as such had dressed down, not like he hadn't seen her like this, but usually she avoided it. Not to mention things had been a little stranger since her drunken meltdown at his family's party where she basically told him she cared about him.
Then he addressed her without even greeting her and she couldn't help but pout. "At 8. Nice shirt." Melody said to him, throwing Alex a look that plainly said, why didn't you tell me he was coming.
----
Once the introductions were over, things seemed to settle into a much more normal pattern than Alex had expected. As much as she wanted to be a part of the conversation, she had to admit, she loved just watching Oliver mingle with her friends, who clearly approved of him. She was about to chime in that her favorite scene in the movies was the one where Hermione punched Draco in the face (because, seriously, who hasn't wanted to do that??) when Connor headed over to the group.
As it was her party, she had to greet him, but she didn't know Connor well so there wasn't a great deal for them to talk about. Instead, she found herself trying to ignore the glance her roommate sent at her, batting her eyelashes and pretending she hadn't gone behind her friend's back to invite Connor. As it was, she was glad that Connor's presence was distracting Melody.
With a sly grin, she turned to Cam. "Cam! Why don't you give Mikey some bowling lessons!" she insisted, casting her friend a look that begged her to play along. Having been convinced of Cam's character by her thorough knowledge of Harry Potter, Mikey didn't seem at all opposed to the idea, and Alex breathed a sigh of relief as the boy headed off toward one of the lanes with her. Once they were far enough away, she turned back to Oliver. "Follow me," she whispered, quickly walking toward the other end of the building, which featured an arcade with a laser tag area.
----
Melody frowned lightly at Alex and wondered if this was her way of setting her up with Connor. What as she supposed to do now. She gave Connor a half smile.
Cam caught Alex's eyes and chuckled. Mikey seemed okay with the idea and the two of them wandered over to the lanes to bowl. The balls were a bit too heavy for Mikey, but they managed well enough, pausing to admire their neon shoes and play patty cake as well.
Oliver dutifully followed Alex, trying not to rush ahead of her. He could figure out where this was going, but he didn't want to make them obvious. Oliver though briefly of her friends, figuring he should thank them for all that they to allow him time with Alex.
As soon as they reached a darkened corner, Oliver pulled Alex to his chest, winding his fingers in her hair as he kissed her hard and hungry. They never had much chance to be together, between school, work and Mikey. He nearly sighed into her lips as he relaxed into her touch easily, his body wanting so much more but yet so happy to have anything. Oliver's hands wandered over her body, feeling as many curves as he could, imagining a world where he could just have her.
----
For a moment, Alex wondered if inviting Connor was a bad idea. Melody didn't look terribly pleased to see him. But she didn't dwell on it long, as her own needs were much more pressing. Whatever the issue was with Melody and Connor, they were big enough people to take care of it themselves. With Cam's help, Alex was able to ensure Mikey's distraction and find some much needed private time with Oliver. She tried not to peek over her shoulder as they made their way to the dark laser tag course.
The moment they were alone, Oliver pulled Alex against him, and she let herself get lost in the moment, opening her lips to receive his kiss as her fingers locked in his belt loops. When they finally had to break for air, she offered him a sheepish smile. "I've missed you," she murmured, resting her forehead against his chest.
The whole situation was awkward, Connor thought. Melody seemed convinced that the party had actually started at eight, which made him more than fashionably late. Besides that, Alex seemed to be running off with the teacherly guy, which seemed a little off color to him, but Connor was a little biased on that subject. As it was, with their departure and Cam's return to the lane with the little boy in tow, Connor and Melody were left alone in relatively awkward silence.
Connor wasn't at all sure what to do or say. The last time they'd been alone together, Melody had bared her soul to him in, but she'd been drunk, so he wasn't sure whether he was supposed to acknowledge what had happened or not. How much of what she'd said had been true? Alcohol had a way of convincing people to say things they didn't actually mean, and he had no idea whether that had been the case with Melody. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he decided to ignore the subject for now. Instead, he figured he'd address the awkward scene he'd just witnessed. His eyes flickered toward the door labeled "laser tag" through which Alex and the man had just passed. "So, are they..." he began, not entirely sure what to label their situation.
----
Oliver smiled softly, "I missed you too." He admitted. It was hard, having a secret lover. It would have been easier if they were more age appropriate. But as it was... They had to take what they could get. "Your friends seem nice." He said. They obviously knew about them and were being very good and helpful about all of it, which was more than he could have asked for.
He tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. They couldn't stay away forever, it would be too obvious. They probably should come back to the party separately. "You look good, happy birthday babe." He said softly, kissing the tip of her nose.
Melody shifted uncomfortably as she was left alone with Connor. At his question she could only nod. "Yeah, but its real." She said, making an effort to make sure Connor didn't go jumping to conclusions about them using each other or something. She didn't bother to say he didn't teach at RWA because that would give away that he was a teacher.
Melody glanced at the screen, it was her turn to bowl, but she figured she could pass up her hot streak to stare at Connor in the uncomfortable silence. "She didn't tell me she invited you... I'm surprised you came." It wasn't exactly a secret that Connor and Alex didn't really get along.
-----
As good as it felt to be in Oliver's arms, Alex was smart enough to know that they couldn't go missing for long without being noticed. Letting out a contented sigh, she offered Oliver one more kiss. "You going out first or am I?" she asked, figuring she might as well be practical about things.
Connor couldn't help but scoff at Melody's insistence that whatever Alex and this guy had was real. How real could any relationship between a teenager and an adult actually be? Still, he didn't bother arguing with her. He was more interested in figuring out why she seemed so frustrated by his presence. It didn't take him long to figure out, as she quickly offered up the fact that she hadn't known he was invited. "Please, Melody," he muttered, shaking his head. "We both know she didn't invite me because she's my biggest fan." It did seem very clear, particularly now that Alex had left them alone, that he'd been invited for Melody's benefit.
Of course, addressing the odd matter of his being invited at all only told half the story. It did nothing to explain why he'd actually bothered to come. As much as Connor wanted to believe that Melody knew that much, he figured it only made sense to give her something to go on. "And obviously I'm not here for her either. I'm here for you." Usually, he wasn't so blunt about this, but he was beginning to lose his patience, especially since Melody's drunken ramblings had spoken volumes about the way she felt toward him.
----
The idea that Alex invited him for her was not a new one, Melody had already put that much together on her own. She also knew that Connor had come for her, because everything he ever seemed to do was for her benefit, which was frankly a little weird. Melody did most things for herself. Not that she was selfish, but she didn't want to seem to be trailing after anyone, but Connor was a second shadow she couldn't leave behind. Not like she really wanted to.
And she'd told him that much, but they both continued to dance around it like it never happened. Melody crossed her arms lightly, feeling a little defensive and lacking armor usually she dressed up a bit around him, it made her feel in control to be sexy, when everyone was looking at her. But here, dressed like this, only his eyes were on her, and it was much harder to avoid her own feelings.
Melody realized she hadn't said anything and tried to shrug it off. "I would have dressed differently if I knew you'd be here." She said lightly, but he'd probably realize that meant she liked to impress him. Melody didn't like tripping over her words or saying things she didn't want to deal with when she was sober though, but part of her wanted to make him prove it, prove that he was here for her. But he'd already done a grand gesture, at his own party. Drunk or not, Melody knew what she'd said and she'd meant it.
---
Dancing around what they both already knew was driving Connor insane. He was giving Melody all he could at this point, plainly offering her openings to let him know if she even remembered what she'd told him on New Year's Eve. Oliver's eyes locked on hers, and he silently begged her to offer him anything solid, but he could sense her discomfort. Melody wasn't good at being uncomfortable, and he could tell she was shutting down on him. Shaking his head at her comment, Connor let out a frustrated sigh and raked a hand through his hair. This was ridiculous.
"Melody, you. don't. have. to. impress. me," he told her very slowly. "You've had me for the last eight years. You've just been too stubborn and stupid to do anything about it!" Without bothering to offer her the chance to respond, Connor slipped one hand into her hair and pressed a rough kiss to her lips. It was rude to press matters in front of this many people, and he knew it, but he was so damn tired of making things easy for Melody.
----
Connor's temper flared up almost immediately and she responded with just rolling her eyes at him. She took offense at his words, she was stupid, stubborn yes, but not stupid. And frankly, 8 years ago she was 9 and hardly supposed to be infatuated with her slightly older neighbor and best friend. No one was that emotionally astute at 9. Besides, there was so much baggage, so much to lose if things went wrong eventually. At the start, she just didn't want him to get her first try at kissing or sex, and eventually, she was just afraid.
In any case, nothing gave him the right to do what he did next.
The kiss startled her and for a moment she stood stunned as his lips pressed against her, his hand in her hair. She wanted to kiss back, she wanted to enjoy it, but right now she was just mad. Melody gave him a shove. "Eight years does not give you the right to lay one on me without warning," She said loudly. The party goers turned and blushing lightly, Melody brushed by Connor, tugging at his sleeve, they could finish this outside.
Connor seemed to take the hint, and in a moment they were outside the bowling alley, a cool wind wipping around the cement corners of the building. Melody whirled around and jabbed a finger into his chest. "I was 9 eight years ago, asshole. I didn't know love from a hole in the ground." Melody started. "I sure didn't know what to do about the cute older boy who'd seen me in diapers and was going to see me in braces, liking me." She threw up her hands, trying to even figure out where she was going with this. Melody turned away from him for a second and put her hands on her hips before turning around again.
"And everyone wants to impress people they love, I know that's why you took up baseball, I'm not stupid," Melody nearly shouted, realizing she'd just used the word she hadn't even been able to get out drunk. Love. It was really true though. She knew and he knew it.
Melody shook her head and sighed softly. He knew he had her heart, he'd already found out. Why did he have to forcibly kiss her in order to make things different? It was just rude. "Was that kiss for everyone else's benefit, because you're just making me mad, which can't have been your plan." She said finally, almost smiling because their life had always been like this. But no matter how much they fought, they never really left.
----
Connor had expected anger. It was something he was more than able to deal with. At least it was a reaction, in any case. He tried his best not to chuckle. Melody, like most girls, was adorable when she was angry. Besides, her reaction told him most of what he needed to know. She wouldn't be so bothered without reason.
As Melody tugged on his sleeve, Connor followed her outside, figuring it didn't matter where they had this argument so long as they actually had it. Once they were outside, he simply let her rant, trying and failing not to look amused. He was well aware of the fact that she hadn't known what to do about his crush on her when they were nine and ten. He hadn't known what to do about it either. Part of him wanted to bring up the years after that, when she actually did know what to do about it, but he'd done enough antagonizing already that he was afraid to push her any more.
Her ranting eventually got the best of her, and without realizing it, Melody as good as announced that she loved him. He should have been busy feeling guilty about the fact that he really had only taken up baseball to impress her. All he could think about, though, was the fact that the alcohol had obviously not been speaking for her the other night. A silly grin plastered itself across his face, and Connor couldn't tame it even when she announced that he'd made her angry. Letting out a short laugh, he finally told her, "If I'd known kissing you would get the truth out, I'd have done it before now."
---
Melody had to laugh, shaking her head lightly. It was hard to stay mad with that little bemused smirk on his handsome lips, and she almost told him so flat out. "I really am surprised you never tried it before." She admitted. Though she didn't want to suggest that it might have worked earlier, because earlier she might have reacted differently, but the point was, they were here now, an it was happening now.
Melody sighed, biting her lip and looking at him carefully. Then, wordlessly, she crossed the few feet between them, wrapped an arm around his neck, letting her fingers play with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Nothing I said on New Year's Eve was a lie Connor." She said finally, looking up into his eyes.
---
Within moments, Connor's smirk became a full grin, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm not stupid. You might have hit me if there wasn't a crowd," he reasoned. Crowds always added an extra element of pressure. It was precisely the reason men proposed to women in crowded restaurants or onstage at performances by their favorite bands. "Plus I kind of had an idea of what I was getting into this time," he admitted, finally opening the door for a conversation about what she'd said on New Year's Eve. If she hadn't admitted in her drunken state that she cared about him, he might never have actually crossed that boundary. He wasn't going to risk losing her entirely without at least a little evidence that there could be more to their relationship.
Truthfully, he half expected her to shy away from his lead in, to pretend she hadn't practically admitted to loving him as she sat on the cold tiles of his bathroom floor. But maybe Melody was tired of running away from everything. Connor's hands instinctively moved to rest on her hips as Melody draped her arms around his neck. His eyes fixed on hers, which took a great amount of effort considering the adorable way that she was biting her lip. This time, it was her turn to talk. Any girl in this position was usually prepping for a kiss, but he wasn't going to just give her that much, even if she did have fair warning this time. Fortunately, her words were exactly what he needed to hear, and Connor offered her a gentle smile. "I was hoping you'd say that," he murmured, one of his hands moving to gently caress her cheek.
Slowly, deliberately, and with plenty of warning, Connor lowered his lips to hers. Gently, his lips probed hers, his tongue grazing her lower lip in search of permission to deepen the kiss. He was so wrapped up in the moment that he hardly heard Alex cheering from the other side of the glass in the lobby area.
----
Time seemed to slow way down, and Melody could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest, almost dying with the anticipation as Connor slowly leaned in closer for a kiss. Melody let herself melt into it, parting her lips so they could deepen the kiss. His hands were so warm and firm and safe. His mouth sweet and strong. Melody kissed him back with force, letting a hand move lower on his back, keeping him close. She could feel his chest expand with every breath against her.
Then she heard the faint cheering and smiled into the kiss, taking one hand off Connor to flash the culprit, who she assumed was Alex, the finger. But then she started laughing aand the kiss broke. She looked up at the doors and saw Alex-- who was cheering, joined by Cam who looked like she was dying of laughter. Melody smiled softly, realizing that these were her friends and Connor was her man.
Melody looked at Connor, biting her lips to try and hold back a grin. She then kissed him again, grabbing him by the front of the shirt. "You're a really good kisser." Melody chuckled.
"Whats all the hub-ub?" Oliver asked as he returned from the snack bar with Mikey. He glanced outside and chuckled. "You set them up then Alex?" He asked. |
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