December 31st, 2016
She looked pretty banged up.
It had taken Adelaide a long time to fall asleep there in his bed, but when she did it seemed to come to her like an exhausted defeat, mindless of his lap as he pillow and the precarious position it left Romeo in all night. Maybe he didn't mind. It allowed him to while away the hours with her pressed against him, fingers combing through her hair and feathering strokes along her temple, cheek, and neck. She slept and he talked, nearly silent at first, telling her about home and the fiery Hell that had scarred his back, shoulders, and the backs of his thighs so badly. He painted a portrait of an adolescence and eventual trek into adulthood as an unfortunate transplant to the meaner streets of Rhy'din, one that lacked all of the charity of the mainstream parts of the city. She'd heard the stories before but never so candid, so unfiltered. It was raw. Unpleasantly real. The atrocities and victims had names.
Then he told her about the Hollows.
His haven. His home. His responsibility. His pain. He spoke of it with equal parts pride and reservation. Determination and fatigue. To her, he bared his heart and his soul. He told her everything. Or almost. He promised to tell her more. And as the morning sun dragged across the sky, deepening towards a cold afternoon, Ro peppered her slim back with gentle kisses and told her he was going to make coffee. And maybe breakfast, but that perhaps the latter could wait until after they cleaned up.
He abandoned her then with a reluctant drag of fingers over bare flesh and disappeared from the room.
The bruises were bad but none were as ugly as the wounds her pride had taken. Three challenges, three miserable failures. She hadn't wanted Ro there to see it for that very reason because if she failed in front of him, she didn't know what she would do. To him she wanted to be more, to be as close to the ideal that he had in his head (or perhaps in her head) as possible. For all that he had claimed Addie was his break from the bad, Ro was much the same for her even if she seldom had the words to admit it. The aches waxed and waned and sleep came under his watch, likely complete with drool on his thigh due to the swelling in her stitched bottom lip.
Lost to the land of dreams, his stories fell on deaf ears, exacting their subtle influence on the dreamscape she wandered in her sleep. It was vaguely reminiscent of that which had plagued her for so long prior to Nikolai's death but it held none of the danger, not with Ro there. Then just as quickly as he had slipped into her subconscious, he was gone. Morning was dying but the cold that came with his disappearance roused her from the depths of sleep. Her skin was still warm where he had been pressed against her and she wrapped herself up in the sheets that smelled of him, yawning and stretching until his lacking presence stretched just a little bit longer than she would have liked. Securing her sheet-dress with the tuck of an edge against her chest, the white clad specter slipped from his room as well, decorated in black and blue and a spill of tangled purple-black hair as she trailed through the little apartment in search of Ro.
"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?"
It never got old.
"Shall I hear more or shall I speak at this?" It was a little dry for the delivery but when she found him in the kitchen, the platinum haired youth was giving her a lopsided smile. Coffee was fresh and black in the glass pot next to him and while he had yet to start cooking, everything that would go into the endeavor was laid out across the counter.
She was greeted with warm hands and thick arms enveloping her, drawing her in against his bare chest so that he could dip his chin and find an unbruised spot on her neck to kiss. "You could've stayed in bed, mo chroi," he told her. "I was comin' back."
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title." There was a lilting sing song to her delivery, a passage long since committed to memory as if the words were her own. Still wrapped in his sheet in the event his roommate was out and about, she took a lean in the kitchen doorway, a hip cocked to the frame and one hand holding fast to the thin material. It didn't last long, not when her alternative was his careful grasp around her sore body.
"I totally passed out on your lap last night... I didn't seriously make you stay that way for long, right?" Her free hand swept her messy hair away for his incoming mouth, a tired but fond smile living on her lips. "I mean, I can go back just so you can watch me walk away. Or I can hang with you til you're ready to come back. S'up to you."
"I stayed like that for a while." It was the truth, mostly. "If it makes you feel guilty, you can make it up to me later." He kissed her neck again and then her shoulder, before one arm settled around her slim waist, atop the feminine shelf of her hips. "Do you wanna get cleaned up before or after you eat? Wasn't sure if you'd gotten to stand under some nice hot water before coming here last night or not."
"You know me, always guilty." She snickered, teeth raking at her sore lip as his mouth continued its path along her skin. It was a nice feeling, one she didn't want to give up, but his question posed a fair point. Addie groaned, a soft sigh slipping free.
"Probably before. I likely smell like sweat and failure." The Outback's facilities left a bit to be desired and Ro's shower was calling. Carefully she extracted herself from the loop of his arm for a shuffle of a step back. "You gonna join me or is it a solo adventure while you're barefoot in the kitchen?"
"I love you, mo chroi, but you don't look like you're gonna do much in the way of stretchin' when trying to get at those hard to reach places." He wasn't even trying to be cheeky. "Plus I've got some liniment that I want to put on you once you're clean. It'll help with the swelling and pain. I can feed you after, if you'd like. X is gone for a show, so we've got the run of the place today. We can curl up on the couch and watch movies or just go back to sleep."
A kiss landed closer to her mouth this time, without hurting it, before Ro's hands on her hips were steering her back towards the bathroom. "I have all day to be barefoot in the kitchen."
"All day?" She had been trying to be cheeky but his frankness set warmth in her cheeks and odd sort of flutters in her stomach. Turning her head just slightly to catch the kiss on her lips, she shuffled so that she didn't trip over the sheet's edge as he adjusted her course.
"I'll be fine, you know. Just need a little time." The girl had carried worse pain than the physical before. Bumps and bruises and cuts were nothing in the grand scope of things. But if he wanted to dote on her, who was she to say no? "Did you wanna do anything tonight for New Year's?"
"You're the outgoing one," he dropped another kiss to her shoulder, loosening his grip on her to strip her out of the bed sheet, which he balled up and tossed back through his doorway as they passed it. With X gone, modesty was unnecessary. "Is there some hot party we should be going to tonight? Should I worry about findin' something fancy on short notice?"
Into the bathroom and closing the door behind them, Ro sat her on the counter and reached past the shower curtain to turn the hot water on. "What do you want? I'm easy. Give me an arcade, a quiet diner or a bar, or even an archery range. If it's just me I don't care. If not, I wanna be wherever you are."
"I think Misery is having a party at Dockside. Mostly because that lame new club opening up down there doesn't allow under twenty-ones." Addie rolled her eyes. Considering Rhydin had exactly zero drinking laws, such an arbitrary age requirement seemed positively asinine. Spinning a sluggish circle to unwrap from the sheet, she did little to cover up once it was tugged free. After all, the only reason for doing so was off jamming with Gay Queen or something.
"Lemme text them and see? If so would you come hang with us? I've got this cute dress I've been saving for somethin' like that... and you'll obviously have to be my New Year's kiss at midnight." Rambling as steam billowed and rolled from the shower, her heels bounced off the front of the vanity upon which he had deposited her. "It'll be low key, promise."
"I don't mind goin' to these things, so no worries. We can go. It ain't like we don't always find our own fun, right?" He leaned forward and kissed her chin as he slipped out of his sleep pants, letting them pool on the floor before the heavy curtain was pulled aside. He gestured for her to go ahead first. "We'll go and support Miz. And *** that swanky new club."
"Exactly right." The kiss wasn't meant to linger, not when the hot water was running. She dragged a few fingers along his jaw before letting him go to gingerly slide off the counter and climb in to the shower. Every muscle seemed to voice its protest but the moment the heat needled her skin, relief washed over her.
"Oh *** me, that's nice..." Groaning, she bowed her head to let the water beat against her neck and back, soaking her hair until it slid in ink like tendrils over her shoulders. Instantly she was glad she had opted for a shower before eating. "Why didn't I do this earlier?"
"You were unconscious." He joined her beneath the hot cascading water, his broader body pressed to hers in the small(er) confines of the shower. His fingers fell to her hips in a gentle claim, his body molding to hers as she soaked up the moment. "We got a bigger water heater last week so this will last for almost as long as you want it to."
"Hey, I was mostly conscious when I got over here." It was a half hearted protest, one that fell to the wayside as he climbed in. Always a tight squeeze, she didn't mind the proximity and the stability that his hands provided. Her chin lifted so she could look up at him, her smile soft and appreciative.
"Finally got something to outlast you so we don't get doused with ice cold water, huh?" The grope was brief, meant more for punctuating her tease than to genuinely start something.
"Mm, right?" His chuckle was smothered against her neck when he ducked his head, fingertips tracing little patterns on her wet skin. "You had a rough night. You needed rest. I wasn't gonna rob you of that."
"Aren't you a gentleman." She mused. His touch was light enough that it didn't hurt, a fact she was grateful for. It had her reaching for his chin to draw him away from her neck for the sake of a chaste kiss to his lip. Less need and more gratitude, it lingered for a few moments before she sank back into the shower's stream. "I may very well stay here until it goes cold, feel like I got hit by a truck or something. Maybe this *** isn't for me after all."
"Does it make you happy?" He asked her after the kiss, gentle hands turning her around. Soap was liberally applied to his hands and Ro began to slowly work it over her shoulders, half a lathering and half gentle massage. "Is it something you really want? For you?"
"Sometimes?" She answered honestly, careful in how she stepped since slipping would be disastrous in such close quarters. It kept her against him the whole time even as she melted under his touch, the gentle working of his fingers pairing well with the water's heat. A stretch of her arm made her wince but allowed her to turn the temperature up just a little bit more until the spray reddened her flesh with its warmth.
"It's a nice outlet and I worked really hard to get to where I am. I just can't seem to get to the next level. Like... all my life I was surrounded by hyper-accomplished fighters and there was me... just Addie. Couldn't fight, had to have someone protect me all the time because they wouldn't let me learn either." She exhaled, inhaled, then continued. "Then I came here and I had to learn, fast. And I did. But when the moment really matters, it doesn't do me any good. So it's like... what's the point, you know?"
"Bein' accomplished in the ring isn't exactly a qualifier for survivability, mo chroi." Fingertips worked steadily down her spine back back up, clumsy but determined. When they fell again, they were kneading at her hips. "A lotta that *** they do in regulation wouldn't get most of those folks anywhere in a real fight. I mean, I get what you're saying. About self-esteem. I do. But I've noticed that your talent has a lot more to do with makin' things than breakin' them. You're an architect of the heart."
"I know that..." Defiance touched her tone but she didn't have it in her to tense up. Her muscles told her that was a big fat nope in the making. Wincing softly as his touch worked over a tender spot, she eased away as much as she could in the tight confines to turn again, letting the water wash away the suds that had been dripping down her body. "Making things like... cookies and music? It's practice. So if it's practice shouldn't I be able to practice at dueling and get better?"
Adelaide sighed and gave her head a soft shake. "I don't wanna argue it though. It's just annoying, like I should have a more definitive course instead of just drifting through this and that until I find something that clicks. Ya know... at one point all I wanted to do was have my own pizza place? Sling pies, make enough to get by. Simple. Uncomplicated. Buuuuut, here I am. Whomp, whomp."
"What would make you the happiest?" With an arch of his back, he leaned away from her to settled against the back wall of the small shower. He was able to do so with their hips still touching. Keen eyes studied her. "What is it that you do that's the most fulfilling for you? What do you look forward to do more than anything else? What drives you? Maybe considering that is a good place to start."
"Do you count?" She snickered, cutting into the heaviness of the conversation with a bit of teasing levity. Her fingers traced whorls and lines into his chest, smearing remnants of the soapy lather he had worked up for her across his skin. "I dunno. I know I should probably have this figured out by now. Like... I like playing with the band, it's a lot of fun but I think Michi takes it a lot more seriously than I ever could. It's just supposed to be for fun, right?"
Shrugging, she chewed at her aching bottom lip for a moment before continuing. "I like baking... and I'm good at it. It's relaxing and I could do it all day if I could. Bakers are just a dime a dozen around here, you know?"
"I could do you all day," he teased back. "But then neither one of us could pay rent." A gentle touch to her chin tipped it upwards so he could kiss her lightly. "What if you didn't restrict yourself to bakin'? You could open your own restaurant or caterin' business, and it would still let you bake like crazy. But a different spin on an old vocation, you know? You're certainly creative enough."
"Bills are overrated." She flapped a hand, her smile unable to be dimmed even by the touch of his mouth. There she lingered for a few beats longer than necessary, one hand slipping behind her to increase the heat one more time just to keep it even. "Pizza and cookies, totally a thing. Pies and pies. Would that be pies squared?"
Addie was a closet nerd, that moment proved it.
"I'd work for you. You already know I can cook, Pizza Girl." He raked his teeth lightly across her jaw, just below her ear. "And it would mean more time with you."
It was vaguely reminiscent of a moment she had long since forgotten about. Mirrored perhaps but she was still on the receiving end of the inquiry. It dimmed her smile but didn't lessen the affection in the kiss she touched to his cheek with a turn of her head.
"Shouldn't mix business and pleasure, muja. We can figure it out later, yeah?" Sure that the soap had been washed away, she reached back and twisted the taps to kill the shower stream, leaving them with only steam and closeness for warmth.
"We've got time. I just want you to be happy, mo chroi." He turned her around again, pressing his chest into her back and slinging both arms low around her hips. A light caress of his fingertips worked over her hipbones and lower. "No need to rush anything so long as I can still make you smile."
"You do that plenty." She mumbled, her smile returning anew. Chin tipped, she turned just so to peck another kiss to his cheek before relaxing against him. "Now how about breakfast?"
((All of my <3 and thanks to Ro for writing this with me.))
Where Do I Go From Here? [[18+]] (Dec 2016)
Moderators: King, Claire Gallows, Cooper Gallows
Re: Where Do I Go From Here? [[18+]] (Dec 2016)
February 16th, 2017
They had risen before the sun, a seldom seen occurrence even on the best of days. But this was better than the best, this was vacation. Aside from intermittent stays in swanky hotel rooms for a night or two, Addie couldn't remember the last time she'd had a proper vacation. Had it really been before Rhydin? Maybe it had. A bajillion hour bus ride hadn't been the most comfortable of things, especially when she was nearly caught with her head in her boyfriend's lap, but after a quick puddle jumper flight to the islands and a bumpy ride through a quaint seaside town, they finally reached their destination. Though the coast had disappeared in favor of lush trees, the scent of the sea was still detectable when the wind cut through the trees just right. Slinging the strap of a duffel bag over her shoulder, Addie tipped her head to one side to eye their hideaway.
"So... I don't know about you, but if we can, I totally wanna go back to that lil town if we get a chance. How cute was that?" She cut him a Pizza Girl grin, bumped him with a hip, and started up the front steps.
So few occasions had shown to be truly special to the slim beauty who occupied to much of Romeo's time, and thoughts, but the deeper she let him him, the more he wanted to be sure he was worthy of the gift. The upstart youth had reached deep into his pockets for the trip, from the quietly hoarded Talon earnings to some other cash he'd left set aside. The point had been to make Addie the center of the universe for the duration of their excursion outside of Rhy'din city proper and, for all the quaintness of the trip, he felt like he was succeeding. At least, the warm reward of her eager mouth had said as much.
The town they had passed through was half tourist trap and half fishing village, high up on a hilly rise and spilling down towards a small beached cove. The open air market was small but bustling and boast a hoard of little treasures; a single restaurant, three bars, and a modest dance club offered the smallest of modern touches. The walk to their final destination was long, an easy to follow dirt path that wound like a snake through the woods until the foliage opened up into a little clearing. Their home away from home was a modest, open-aired affair, providing precious little security but a whole lot of atmosphere. The fully functioning bathroom was the only room in the place almost fully enclosed, but even that allowed for a fold away wall where the glass shower looked towards the outside and a large porcelain tub sat on a porch. From the house, it was easy to see the ocean a ways off through the trees.
"This is your trip, Pizza Girl. You are Queen of the weekend and I am at your disposal." His own bag hung at the middle of his back, both hands rising to frame her hips as they ascended. "Happy Birthday, mo chroi."
The touch of strong hands to her hips set her into a saucy sway, a grin flashed over her shoulder for his benefit. It said she approved, oh how she approved. One hand slid down to catch his, dragging him along beside her as she stepped up to explore the open air living room. It was warm and temperate and peaceful; everything the city was not right now.
"Queen huh. Does that make you my King?" She waggled her brows at him and let the strap of her duffel slide off, dumping it beside a minimalist couch. "God this is beautiful. It's perfect, thank you, Ro."
"Want me to be your King?" Every time she paused, he was there to touch her. Little touches, reverent and possessive things. When she finally seemed to settle, he slipped his arms around her waist and hugged her against his chest. "You needed to get away. You deserve to be put up on a pedestal no one will try to know you off of. This is it. Here, you're the most important person in the world, with nothing to worry about and everything to make yours."
"If I had a King it'd be you. Or we'll make you Prince Consort and I can do with you whatever I please." Her grin was devious but the peck she planted to the corner of his mouth was sweet, appreciative. This couldn't have been cheap and to do it just for her, well, it was more than anyone had really done for her before. Though she would have loved to stay wrapped up in his arms forever, she was eager to explore and with a lithe spin, unwound herself but kept a hand in his.
"You know I love you, right?" It was getting easier to say out loud, every day proving that it had been the right choice to let go and let her heart dictate her words. "This, even if you hadn't done it, I love you. It's more than I ever expected and you're more than I ever deserved. But look at that shower!"
Idle hands were the Devil's playground, so Romeo tucked his thumbs through the loops of his cargo shorts and followed along after her in a relaxed amble. He had seen plenty of photos of the place before he rented it, so was content to watch her marvel at their little slice of paradise in wonder for as long as she wanted. When she spoke, the smile he gave her was almost abashed.
"Haven't given me a reason to doubt, babe. This is going to be a special weekend. Anything you want, you get. We'll make it happen. And I thought the shower and tub were big selling points. And the open air kitchen. I know you like it when I cook for you."
"I've got what I want." She said softly and turned her mouth to his for another quick kiss. Getting too caught up in him so soon would surely derail her exploration so she squeezed his hand and drew away, making a circuit through the villa to take it all in.
"Cook in just an apron? We can do that here, right?" The lift of her brows was a hopeful thing as she slid out of a jacket that definitely wasn't needed in the warmer weather.
"Highly unlikely anyone's gonna bother us. There's another trail that leads to a little slice o' private beach. Swimsuit optional." See that crooked grin.
Watch her light up right then and there. Addie turned back to him, springing onto her toes with a vibrant bounce of excitement. "Totally private? Like, nobody'll bother us if... Oooo, I'm getting ideas."
Clapping her hands together, she kisses him twice more. "You're in for a weekend, mister."
His hands rose to frame her slim, pretty face, his thumbs stroking along the subtle lines of her jaw. "Yeah?" He teased a third kiss. "Promises like that might mean pretty punk-rock model goddesses won't walk right for a week..."
"Is that such a bad thing?" She did her best to fix him with an innocently mischievous look but failed midway when she bit at her bottom lip. It led into a soft kiss to his lip, slow and teasing more. "But gods, you're sweet."
"It's gonna be a special weekend, Pizza Girl." He reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind the shell of one ear, fingertips stroking featherlight. "There are a lot of things I want to show you. To share with you. It'll be good."
"Show me?" She asked, her curiosity piqued. A glance was thrown over her shoulder to see if maybe she had missed something along the way. Some part of her wanted to get wrapped up with him while the rest of her wanted to see just what he had in store. Another part of her was exhausted after the day they'd had. "It'll be perfect, I know it."
"Show you," he confirmed with a light touch of his nails along her neck and down over her slim shoulder. "Things. Me. Stuff I'm ready to share now because it's you and you deserve all of me."
Addie looked back and up at him, her eyes wide. For all that she had dumped on him over the past nine months, Romeo had shared remarkably little in that time. She hadn't held it against him, all good things come in due time. But was now that time? The sudden hard crush of her mouth to his said she hoped it was.
His hands dropped with the hard press of her mouth to his, a deep, lingering kiss that was punctuated with a hungry clash of tongues. His fingers dug into shapely curves, his feet moving them in a rocking, side-to-side walk that took them through the little villa. It didn't stop until she was unintentionally pinned against the kitchen island.
A soft growl rumbled against the tangle of their tongues, the corners of her mouth curling with pleased amusement. Her fingers tangled up in the front of his shirt, tugging him back as she pushed her along with little shuffling steps to make sure she didn't trip. The sudden bump of the island against the small of her back made her giggle against his mouth, pulling aside with a soft groan.
His grin was smeared across one corner of her mouth with the broken kiss. Slowly, casually, he turned around around in his grip until the front of her hips were pressed to the island and her back was to him. From that vantage, she could see out of the kitchen, off the deck, and across the sparse woods to the beach beyond. The late afternoon sun danced across the sky, waves lapping against the shore.
"Look at that view," he murmured. "The Lady's bounty in root and grain and drop, fed by the sun. It's a special sorta paradise we're in, mo chroi." His hands were planted to either side of her on the counter, keeping her pinned there.
With reluctant grace she turned, the counter catching right at the top of her hips. For the day's travels she had worn a simple pair of grey skinny jeans and a non-descript scoop necked t-shirt. Her studded belt bit into her hip bones as he pressed against her but it bothered her little thanks to the gorgeous view beyond.
"It's... gods, you can't get a view like that in the city. Not even in Seaside." She tipped a look over her shoulder, pulling her gaze away from the crisp pinks and golds that painted the horizon beyond the trees, so that she could look at him instead. "Paradise, I haven't known the meaning of it until now."
"Then we don't worry 'bout tomorrow, mo chroi. Just enjoy the moments as they come." A teasing kiss touched just beneath her ear, then her neck. He bit gently. "We worry too much 'bout tomorrow."
One hand smoothed slowly over the supple, flat plane of her belly, fingers idly toying with her belt. The other hand rose before her palm up, little whorls of or air dancing in his palm. Little threads of elemental magic held them together.
Adelaide took a slow, deep breath, smiled, and gave him a squirming nod as the bite to her neck got her wiggling. "No worries about tomorrow. I'll try my best."
It was as good as a promise. Though the drift of his hand to her belt was distracting, the twisting and turning formation in his cupped palm was what ultimately drew her bright eyed gaze. Teeth pinning the edge of her lip, her hips pressed back against him but only so much for her to lean forward some for a better look at his trick.
"No one ever would've guessed I was a little touched by the Lady," he confessed quietly against her ear. "I wanted to be a warrior, a hero of the MacKenzie Clan's First Levy. I hid the gift because I didn't want it. We're all the spiritual type, I swear by Lion as mine Totem, one of the Wise Ones I never wanted to be. But here it is, plain as day."
The little streams of wind whipped in various patterns, collecting dust and moisture and lifting them into the mix. A lithe body formed in his palm, slim and sensual and writhing.
"Sometimes we're given what we don't want only to find that it's exactly what we need." She murmured softly, unable to pull her eyes from the display. One hand lifted as if to touch it though she didn't dare, her fingers lingering just out of reach though still close enough to feel the shift and change in the air. The Lion suited him, Romeo MacKenzie. The very thought had her mouth curling.
"Maybe. Still tryin' to figure that one out." The words came between kisses, dragged down to the sensitive place her neck and shoulder met before he bit a little harder. In his hand, the sensual fae creation offered Adelaide lewd suggestions that added to the moment. "I just play with it sometimes, is all."
"If you trust in this... Lady, then maybe have a little faith?" She tipped her head to one side. There was more that could have been said, a far deeper conversation that they teetered on the edge of, but his mouth was warm and so distracting. She exhaled a soft sound and curled her hand around the wrist bearing the tiny creation.
"Kinda like you just play with me, hmm?" Her smile quirked wry.
"Playin' with you is serious business," he informed her. The little image in his hand looked more and more like the woman he had pinned to the counter. "It's silly, this thing, but it's part of me. It's past time I shared it with you."
"You're good at it, earning your King title, that's for sure." She sighed the words. "I don't think it's silly, Ro. It's you. I want you, all'a you."
"All o' me is yours." It was a promise, or as good of a promise as he could give, murmured in earnest into the side of her neck. "I see you," he told her quietly. "Not what's on camera or on stage. I see very little imperfection beneath the beauty. I see the glorious, gorgeous nerd and the vulnerable woman full of heart. I saw her the first time I met you, behind those striking blue eyes and that heartmeltin' smile. It was love at first sight. That first pizza you brought to the gym. I saw you. I really saw you. I want that woman. I get to share this view with her. The sunset. The sunrise. The little moments in between. I get to make you mine as much and often as I want."
"The first time?" She asked. It wasn't as though she thought him facetious but the concept was a farfetched one in which she had worked so hard to get someone in the past to notice her only to be cast aside at the first sign of trouble. Is this what real love was? Not having to work to prove your worth, not having to doubt yourself at every turn, actually being told just how someone felt? "You want her, you've got her."
They had risen before the sun, a seldom seen occurrence even on the best of days. But this was better than the best, this was vacation. Aside from intermittent stays in swanky hotel rooms for a night or two, Addie couldn't remember the last time she'd had a proper vacation. Had it really been before Rhydin? Maybe it had. A bajillion hour bus ride hadn't been the most comfortable of things, especially when she was nearly caught with her head in her boyfriend's lap, but after a quick puddle jumper flight to the islands and a bumpy ride through a quaint seaside town, they finally reached their destination. Though the coast had disappeared in favor of lush trees, the scent of the sea was still detectable when the wind cut through the trees just right. Slinging the strap of a duffel bag over her shoulder, Addie tipped her head to one side to eye their hideaway.
"So... I don't know about you, but if we can, I totally wanna go back to that lil town if we get a chance. How cute was that?" She cut him a Pizza Girl grin, bumped him with a hip, and started up the front steps.
So few occasions had shown to be truly special to the slim beauty who occupied to much of Romeo's time, and thoughts, but the deeper she let him him, the more he wanted to be sure he was worthy of the gift. The upstart youth had reached deep into his pockets for the trip, from the quietly hoarded Talon earnings to some other cash he'd left set aside. The point had been to make Addie the center of the universe for the duration of their excursion outside of Rhy'din city proper and, for all the quaintness of the trip, he felt like he was succeeding. At least, the warm reward of her eager mouth had said as much.
The town they had passed through was half tourist trap and half fishing village, high up on a hilly rise and spilling down towards a small beached cove. The open air market was small but bustling and boast a hoard of little treasures; a single restaurant, three bars, and a modest dance club offered the smallest of modern touches. The walk to their final destination was long, an easy to follow dirt path that wound like a snake through the woods until the foliage opened up into a little clearing. Their home away from home was a modest, open-aired affair, providing precious little security but a whole lot of atmosphere. The fully functioning bathroom was the only room in the place almost fully enclosed, but even that allowed for a fold away wall where the glass shower looked towards the outside and a large porcelain tub sat on a porch. From the house, it was easy to see the ocean a ways off through the trees.
"This is your trip, Pizza Girl. You are Queen of the weekend and I am at your disposal." His own bag hung at the middle of his back, both hands rising to frame her hips as they ascended. "Happy Birthday, mo chroi."
The touch of strong hands to her hips set her into a saucy sway, a grin flashed over her shoulder for his benefit. It said she approved, oh how she approved. One hand slid down to catch his, dragging him along beside her as she stepped up to explore the open air living room. It was warm and temperate and peaceful; everything the city was not right now.
"Queen huh. Does that make you my King?" She waggled her brows at him and let the strap of her duffel slide off, dumping it beside a minimalist couch. "God this is beautiful. It's perfect, thank you, Ro."
"Want me to be your King?" Every time she paused, he was there to touch her. Little touches, reverent and possessive things. When she finally seemed to settle, he slipped his arms around her waist and hugged her against his chest. "You needed to get away. You deserve to be put up on a pedestal no one will try to know you off of. This is it. Here, you're the most important person in the world, with nothing to worry about and everything to make yours."
"If I had a King it'd be you. Or we'll make you Prince Consort and I can do with you whatever I please." Her grin was devious but the peck she planted to the corner of his mouth was sweet, appreciative. This couldn't have been cheap and to do it just for her, well, it was more than anyone had really done for her before. Though she would have loved to stay wrapped up in his arms forever, she was eager to explore and with a lithe spin, unwound herself but kept a hand in his.
"You know I love you, right?" It was getting easier to say out loud, every day proving that it had been the right choice to let go and let her heart dictate her words. "This, even if you hadn't done it, I love you. It's more than I ever expected and you're more than I ever deserved. But look at that shower!"
Idle hands were the Devil's playground, so Romeo tucked his thumbs through the loops of his cargo shorts and followed along after her in a relaxed amble. He had seen plenty of photos of the place before he rented it, so was content to watch her marvel at their little slice of paradise in wonder for as long as she wanted. When she spoke, the smile he gave her was almost abashed.
"Haven't given me a reason to doubt, babe. This is going to be a special weekend. Anything you want, you get. We'll make it happen. And I thought the shower and tub were big selling points. And the open air kitchen. I know you like it when I cook for you."
"I've got what I want." She said softly and turned her mouth to his for another quick kiss. Getting too caught up in him so soon would surely derail her exploration so she squeezed his hand and drew away, making a circuit through the villa to take it all in.
"Cook in just an apron? We can do that here, right?" The lift of her brows was a hopeful thing as she slid out of a jacket that definitely wasn't needed in the warmer weather.
"Highly unlikely anyone's gonna bother us. There's another trail that leads to a little slice o' private beach. Swimsuit optional." See that crooked grin.
Watch her light up right then and there. Addie turned back to him, springing onto her toes with a vibrant bounce of excitement. "Totally private? Like, nobody'll bother us if... Oooo, I'm getting ideas."
Clapping her hands together, she kisses him twice more. "You're in for a weekend, mister."
His hands rose to frame her slim, pretty face, his thumbs stroking along the subtle lines of her jaw. "Yeah?" He teased a third kiss. "Promises like that might mean pretty punk-rock model goddesses won't walk right for a week..."
"Is that such a bad thing?" She did her best to fix him with an innocently mischievous look but failed midway when she bit at her bottom lip. It led into a soft kiss to his lip, slow and teasing more. "But gods, you're sweet."
"It's gonna be a special weekend, Pizza Girl." He reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind the shell of one ear, fingertips stroking featherlight. "There are a lot of things I want to show you. To share with you. It'll be good."
"Show me?" She asked, her curiosity piqued. A glance was thrown over her shoulder to see if maybe she had missed something along the way. Some part of her wanted to get wrapped up with him while the rest of her wanted to see just what he had in store. Another part of her was exhausted after the day they'd had. "It'll be perfect, I know it."
"Show you," he confirmed with a light touch of his nails along her neck and down over her slim shoulder. "Things. Me. Stuff I'm ready to share now because it's you and you deserve all of me."
Addie looked back and up at him, her eyes wide. For all that she had dumped on him over the past nine months, Romeo had shared remarkably little in that time. She hadn't held it against him, all good things come in due time. But was now that time? The sudden hard crush of her mouth to his said she hoped it was.
His hands dropped with the hard press of her mouth to his, a deep, lingering kiss that was punctuated with a hungry clash of tongues. His fingers dug into shapely curves, his feet moving them in a rocking, side-to-side walk that took them through the little villa. It didn't stop until she was unintentionally pinned against the kitchen island.
A soft growl rumbled against the tangle of their tongues, the corners of her mouth curling with pleased amusement. Her fingers tangled up in the front of his shirt, tugging him back as she pushed her along with little shuffling steps to make sure she didn't trip. The sudden bump of the island against the small of her back made her giggle against his mouth, pulling aside with a soft groan.
His grin was smeared across one corner of her mouth with the broken kiss. Slowly, casually, he turned around around in his grip until the front of her hips were pressed to the island and her back was to him. From that vantage, she could see out of the kitchen, off the deck, and across the sparse woods to the beach beyond. The late afternoon sun danced across the sky, waves lapping against the shore.
"Look at that view," he murmured. "The Lady's bounty in root and grain and drop, fed by the sun. It's a special sorta paradise we're in, mo chroi." His hands were planted to either side of her on the counter, keeping her pinned there.
With reluctant grace she turned, the counter catching right at the top of her hips. For the day's travels she had worn a simple pair of grey skinny jeans and a non-descript scoop necked t-shirt. Her studded belt bit into her hip bones as he pressed against her but it bothered her little thanks to the gorgeous view beyond.
"It's... gods, you can't get a view like that in the city. Not even in Seaside." She tipped a look over her shoulder, pulling her gaze away from the crisp pinks and golds that painted the horizon beyond the trees, so that she could look at him instead. "Paradise, I haven't known the meaning of it until now."
"Then we don't worry 'bout tomorrow, mo chroi. Just enjoy the moments as they come." A teasing kiss touched just beneath her ear, then her neck. He bit gently. "We worry too much 'bout tomorrow."
One hand smoothed slowly over the supple, flat plane of her belly, fingers idly toying with her belt. The other hand rose before her palm up, little whorls of or air dancing in his palm. Little threads of elemental magic held them together.
Adelaide took a slow, deep breath, smiled, and gave him a squirming nod as the bite to her neck got her wiggling. "No worries about tomorrow. I'll try my best."
It was as good as a promise. Though the drift of his hand to her belt was distracting, the twisting and turning formation in his cupped palm was what ultimately drew her bright eyed gaze. Teeth pinning the edge of her lip, her hips pressed back against him but only so much for her to lean forward some for a better look at his trick.
"No one ever would've guessed I was a little touched by the Lady," he confessed quietly against her ear. "I wanted to be a warrior, a hero of the MacKenzie Clan's First Levy. I hid the gift because I didn't want it. We're all the spiritual type, I swear by Lion as mine Totem, one of the Wise Ones I never wanted to be. But here it is, plain as day."
The little streams of wind whipped in various patterns, collecting dust and moisture and lifting them into the mix. A lithe body formed in his palm, slim and sensual and writhing.
"Sometimes we're given what we don't want only to find that it's exactly what we need." She murmured softly, unable to pull her eyes from the display. One hand lifted as if to touch it though she didn't dare, her fingers lingering just out of reach though still close enough to feel the shift and change in the air. The Lion suited him, Romeo MacKenzie. The very thought had her mouth curling.
"Maybe. Still tryin' to figure that one out." The words came between kisses, dragged down to the sensitive place her neck and shoulder met before he bit a little harder. In his hand, the sensual fae creation offered Adelaide lewd suggestions that added to the moment. "I just play with it sometimes, is all."
"If you trust in this... Lady, then maybe have a little faith?" She tipped her head to one side. There was more that could have been said, a far deeper conversation that they teetered on the edge of, but his mouth was warm and so distracting. She exhaled a soft sound and curled her hand around the wrist bearing the tiny creation.
"Kinda like you just play with me, hmm?" Her smile quirked wry.
"Playin' with you is serious business," he informed her. The little image in his hand looked more and more like the woman he had pinned to the counter. "It's silly, this thing, but it's part of me. It's past time I shared it with you."
"You're good at it, earning your King title, that's for sure." She sighed the words. "I don't think it's silly, Ro. It's you. I want you, all'a you."
"All o' me is yours." It was a promise, or as good of a promise as he could give, murmured in earnest into the side of her neck. "I see you," he told her quietly. "Not what's on camera or on stage. I see very little imperfection beneath the beauty. I see the glorious, gorgeous nerd and the vulnerable woman full of heart. I saw her the first time I met you, behind those striking blue eyes and that heartmeltin' smile. It was love at first sight. That first pizza you brought to the gym. I saw you. I really saw you. I want that woman. I get to share this view with her. The sunset. The sunrise. The little moments in between. I get to make you mine as much and often as I want."
"The first time?" She asked. It wasn't as though she thought him facetious but the concept was a farfetched one in which she had worked so hard to get someone in the past to notice her only to be cast aside at the first sign of trouble. Is this what real love was? Not having to work to prove your worth, not having to doubt yourself at every turn, actually being told just how someone felt? "You want her, you've got her."
Re: Where Do I Go From Here? [[18+]] (Dec 2016)
April 12th, 2017
"Okay, skee-ball fiend, we got enough tickets," Addie said with a laugh, tugging on the delinquent's arm to try and coax him to the prize counter. She wore a crown and looping necklace made of tickets that wrapped down her bare arms to her wrists like she was some sort of arcade royalty.
It was good being Queen.
But the sun was beginning to set and she had plans for her bruiser that didn't involve that sort of putting balls in holes. Michi had given her seven shades of hell over not staying home for last minute prep for the next day's Children's Day show, but Addie had successfully won a reprieve by otherwise threatening Michi with disgusting sex sounds more often heard in hardcore porn or maybe the Discovery Channel. "I think they got new stuff for once too. You know, you could probably get one of everything with all of these."
"What can I say?" Ro cut her a sidelong grin as the last ball was whipped up the inclined ramp and sunk perfectly into the center. Max points! A fresh cascade of tickets were pouring out of the machine, waiting for Addie to add them to her expanding paper wardrobe. "I've had a lot of experience handlin' my balls, mo chroi."
Their bounty collected and ready for trade, the blonde youth put his hands on her hips and steered her towards the counter, enhancing the enjoyment of the trip with bad racecar sounds and light bites to her shoulder. "Well, the punk rock princess gets whatever she wants tonight. Go wild, Pizza Girl. Spend wisely. Or unwisely. Just enjoy it."
"And here I thought I'd started taking care of that for you... tsk, evidently I need to step my game up." She clucked her tongue, bending to rip the new strand off the machine before draping it over her shoulder. He steered and she played the part of the car radio, singing her own rendition of Something Corporate's Punk Rock Princess.
"If I could be your punk rock princess, you would be my garage band kiiiiing and you can tell me why you just don't fit in and how you're gonna be somethiiiiiing," screeching to a stop, she playfully bumped the counter to the chagrin of the bored, underpaid attendant behind it. Ultimately she picked out a light up bubble wand, a voice changer, a handful of candy and stickers, and a miniature pig plush. "I am no longer punk rock princess but rather Punk Rock Queen, bow to me bitches. Also thank you, uh," she paused to check a name tag, "Chad. Yeah. Thanks. Garage Band King, shall we blow this popsicle stand?"
"Can I be Fiddler in the Queen instead?" Her treasures were pushed into his backpack with a softer smile and a lingering look to the contents. It all looked like it would end up with other, littler Addie at some point. Not that he would ask. With a lift of his chin to the attendant, Romeo was pulling Addie towards the door. "Gonna blow more than a popsicle?" He asked her with a crooked grin, leading her down the boardwalk. "The night's yours. You're the one whose gonna be all over the place startin' tomorrow. What do you wanna do?"
"If you play your cards right," she said with a grin, brows bobbing. Likely most of it save for the pig would go to the younger one but the elder had a soft spot for squishy plushies. Case in point was the stuffed lion that was back home, sticking out of her tour bags despite the fact they were staying in the city for the whole thing. She looped an arm around his torso, forcing them to walk side by side close enough their hips bumped with majority of their steps as they hopped from to pool to pool of burgeoning lamplight.
"We're saying *** everyone else tonight. I got us a room somewhere swank. Like, so swank it's got a jacuzzi in the room." She grinned, quite proud of herself. They may not have been strangers to the hotel game but for how often he had treated her to such niceties, it was her turn to do the same. "I may've got you out of work tomorrow... if anyone asks, you're uh, helping with the Children's Day show."
"I don't wanna *** everyone else," he crooned in her ear. "Just you." A teasing kiss touched the shell, they little dance carrying them closer to their final destination steadily. A kiss to her ear, then her neck, with a sweep of her hair to one side. "Wow, no fuss from the Big Boss Lady? The way she hounds me, you'd think I was one of her prospects, not just the hired punching dummy. So, what's my job tomorrow? Vocal fluffer?"
"Good, because I don't like sharing." Donning a smug smirk, she led the way to the towering hotel atop one of Seaside's many cliffs on the north side of the district. Along the boardwalk there had been stares, such things becoming commonplace with her taste of fame, but in the moment there was only Ro and their destination for Addie. He was warmth and teasing and the promise of more than she deserved. Addie shook her head. "She's getting all space cadet now that she's knocked up or whatever but... don't let her do that to you if you don't want it. She does that ***. It's annoying. Anyways, you'll look cute, maybe lift some heavy things, show those muscles, ya know."
The automatic doors of the hotel slide open for them and she stepped inside without hesitation despite the odd look from the sharp dressed doorman. "And I figure tonight you can make sure my vocals are... in range."
"Maybe I'll run out on stage and stick my tongue in your mouth. Shatter a thousand hearts." For a moment, he forgot it was Children's Day. Whoops. Ro ignored the other occupants, twining his fingers in hers and allowing her to take the lead. "Claire's good people. Not as bad as she used to be. Seems a little more tempered. Less intense. Only so much to complain about and the money's good. I like her, most days."
"Ummmmm, let's save that for maybe the show Friday," she said with a laugh. He may have forgotten it was Children's Day but she definitely hadn't. They had altered their entire lineup for it. Addie put a hold on their conversation long enough to check in. At first the concierge didn't quite believe that she had booked the penthouse suite and scrutinized the black credit card she had handed over but when the man's coworker walked by and nearly fanboyed to death over the budding rockstar, he soon realized his mistake. Surprisingly good tempered despite it, Addie took the room key off their hands, waved off the offer to show them up, and headed for the elevator with her blonde beau. "Probably because she's getting laid on the regular. She's far more tolerable then. I like her when she's not butting into my *** on the regular but whatever, if she'll take care of you decently, then I don't care." The elevator doors closed and they were alone.
The fanboying and the subsequent sucking up was met with silence and a wry smile, par for the course when they were out together and it suddenly dawned on someone who she was. Addie was given as much space as the moment would allow without taking him away from that personal bubble they enjoyed together, but once they were inside the elevator, his arms became a possessive coil around her slender frame. "She seems happy. Ain't a bad thing. Happy is good. I like the way it looks on you..."
She had taken to fame with a surprisingly level head. It helped she had solid people like Ro and Michi and Kruger to keep her grounded, not to mention just how fast the adults in her life would put her in her place should she get crazy. Again. Addie leaned into his hold, her ankle winding around the back of his calf. Her hands slid up his arms to rest against his shoulders until she could press a proper kiss to his mouth. "I like the way you look on me too... but the happy's always, or most always at least."
"No smile in the world as beautiful as yours, mo chroi. It's like sunshine in the darkest night. It lights up everything." He murmured the words against her lips, big hands pushed beneath the hem of her t-shirt to let his nails rake along her bare sides. He kissed her over and over, speaking quietly to her in the moments between. "And I'm happy to be here, with you. Like this."
She bit at his bottom lip in a bid to keep from blushing but the burn in her cheeks was undeniable. The elevator ride to the top floor of the tower was a long one, giving them plenty of time to get tangled up, her hands sliding down as his went up beneath her shirt. "You know you bring it out of me... the smile, the happy. I don't always have it in me, I don't think... I get sad a lot, but I've got you and that's... that's more than I deserve."
"I'll kiss every sorry away," he rumbled. "Or fill it with pancakes. Pancakes, kisses, and sex. They make the world go 'round."
They spilled out of the elevator and into the hall, where Romeo promptly pinned her against the wall and kissed her even harder. He let the heat of the moment suffused him and pressed his body to hers, and her lovely mouth to his.
"All the sticky things," she giggled. The ding of doors opening had her pulling back with a groan but she didn't unwind herself fully for him. Regardless of cameras in the lift and in the hall, she never shied away from putting on a show. Half tangled with him, each step to the penthouse was a precarious stumble, almost love drunk in its ungracefulness. Her back caught on the wall just enough to push half her wind from her lungs so his kiss left her lightheaded and breathless as he pinned her. They were so close but so far from the front door but still she reached a hand out, bearing the keycard in hopes of waving it across the door's panel if she could.
Beep!
The door spilled open and left them off balance. Not nearly as graceful as her, his weight carried them through and down to the floor with a thump. His backpack bounced off to one side, forgotten. With only enough presence of mind to kick the door shut behind them, he was all hands. Her laughter rang out in the hallway as they fell, the thumps and thuds sure to draw attention. But she cared little. Spring break had begun.
"Okay, skee-ball fiend, we got enough tickets," Addie said with a laugh, tugging on the delinquent's arm to try and coax him to the prize counter. She wore a crown and looping necklace made of tickets that wrapped down her bare arms to her wrists like she was some sort of arcade royalty.
It was good being Queen.
But the sun was beginning to set and she had plans for her bruiser that didn't involve that sort of putting balls in holes. Michi had given her seven shades of hell over not staying home for last minute prep for the next day's Children's Day show, but Addie had successfully won a reprieve by otherwise threatening Michi with disgusting sex sounds more often heard in hardcore porn or maybe the Discovery Channel. "I think they got new stuff for once too. You know, you could probably get one of everything with all of these."
"What can I say?" Ro cut her a sidelong grin as the last ball was whipped up the inclined ramp and sunk perfectly into the center. Max points! A fresh cascade of tickets were pouring out of the machine, waiting for Addie to add them to her expanding paper wardrobe. "I've had a lot of experience handlin' my balls, mo chroi."
Their bounty collected and ready for trade, the blonde youth put his hands on her hips and steered her towards the counter, enhancing the enjoyment of the trip with bad racecar sounds and light bites to her shoulder. "Well, the punk rock princess gets whatever she wants tonight. Go wild, Pizza Girl. Spend wisely. Or unwisely. Just enjoy it."
"And here I thought I'd started taking care of that for you... tsk, evidently I need to step my game up." She clucked her tongue, bending to rip the new strand off the machine before draping it over her shoulder. He steered and she played the part of the car radio, singing her own rendition of Something Corporate's Punk Rock Princess.
"If I could be your punk rock princess, you would be my garage band kiiiiing and you can tell me why you just don't fit in and how you're gonna be somethiiiiiing," screeching to a stop, she playfully bumped the counter to the chagrin of the bored, underpaid attendant behind it. Ultimately she picked out a light up bubble wand, a voice changer, a handful of candy and stickers, and a miniature pig plush. "I am no longer punk rock princess but rather Punk Rock Queen, bow to me bitches. Also thank you, uh," she paused to check a name tag, "Chad. Yeah. Thanks. Garage Band King, shall we blow this popsicle stand?"
"Can I be Fiddler in the Queen instead?" Her treasures were pushed into his backpack with a softer smile and a lingering look to the contents. It all looked like it would end up with other, littler Addie at some point. Not that he would ask. With a lift of his chin to the attendant, Romeo was pulling Addie towards the door. "Gonna blow more than a popsicle?" He asked her with a crooked grin, leading her down the boardwalk. "The night's yours. You're the one whose gonna be all over the place startin' tomorrow. What do you wanna do?"
"If you play your cards right," she said with a grin, brows bobbing. Likely most of it save for the pig would go to the younger one but the elder had a soft spot for squishy plushies. Case in point was the stuffed lion that was back home, sticking out of her tour bags despite the fact they were staying in the city for the whole thing. She looped an arm around his torso, forcing them to walk side by side close enough their hips bumped with majority of their steps as they hopped from to pool to pool of burgeoning lamplight.
"We're saying *** everyone else tonight. I got us a room somewhere swank. Like, so swank it's got a jacuzzi in the room." She grinned, quite proud of herself. They may not have been strangers to the hotel game but for how often he had treated her to such niceties, it was her turn to do the same. "I may've got you out of work tomorrow... if anyone asks, you're uh, helping with the Children's Day show."
"I don't wanna *** everyone else," he crooned in her ear. "Just you." A teasing kiss touched the shell, they little dance carrying them closer to their final destination steadily. A kiss to her ear, then her neck, with a sweep of her hair to one side. "Wow, no fuss from the Big Boss Lady? The way she hounds me, you'd think I was one of her prospects, not just the hired punching dummy. So, what's my job tomorrow? Vocal fluffer?"
"Good, because I don't like sharing." Donning a smug smirk, she led the way to the towering hotel atop one of Seaside's many cliffs on the north side of the district. Along the boardwalk there had been stares, such things becoming commonplace with her taste of fame, but in the moment there was only Ro and their destination for Addie. He was warmth and teasing and the promise of more than she deserved. Addie shook her head. "She's getting all space cadet now that she's knocked up or whatever but... don't let her do that to you if you don't want it. She does that ***. It's annoying. Anyways, you'll look cute, maybe lift some heavy things, show those muscles, ya know."
The automatic doors of the hotel slide open for them and she stepped inside without hesitation despite the odd look from the sharp dressed doorman. "And I figure tonight you can make sure my vocals are... in range."
"Maybe I'll run out on stage and stick my tongue in your mouth. Shatter a thousand hearts." For a moment, he forgot it was Children's Day. Whoops. Ro ignored the other occupants, twining his fingers in hers and allowing her to take the lead. "Claire's good people. Not as bad as she used to be. Seems a little more tempered. Less intense. Only so much to complain about and the money's good. I like her, most days."
"Ummmmm, let's save that for maybe the show Friday," she said with a laugh. He may have forgotten it was Children's Day but she definitely hadn't. They had altered their entire lineup for it. Addie put a hold on their conversation long enough to check in. At first the concierge didn't quite believe that she had booked the penthouse suite and scrutinized the black credit card she had handed over but when the man's coworker walked by and nearly fanboyed to death over the budding rockstar, he soon realized his mistake. Surprisingly good tempered despite it, Addie took the room key off their hands, waved off the offer to show them up, and headed for the elevator with her blonde beau. "Probably because she's getting laid on the regular. She's far more tolerable then. I like her when she's not butting into my *** on the regular but whatever, if she'll take care of you decently, then I don't care." The elevator doors closed and they were alone.
The fanboying and the subsequent sucking up was met with silence and a wry smile, par for the course when they were out together and it suddenly dawned on someone who she was. Addie was given as much space as the moment would allow without taking him away from that personal bubble they enjoyed together, but once they were inside the elevator, his arms became a possessive coil around her slender frame. "She seems happy. Ain't a bad thing. Happy is good. I like the way it looks on you..."
She had taken to fame with a surprisingly level head. It helped she had solid people like Ro and Michi and Kruger to keep her grounded, not to mention just how fast the adults in her life would put her in her place should she get crazy. Again. Addie leaned into his hold, her ankle winding around the back of his calf. Her hands slid up his arms to rest against his shoulders until she could press a proper kiss to his mouth. "I like the way you look on me too... but the happy's always, or most always at least."
"No smile in the world as beautiful as yours, mo chroi. It's like sunshine in the darkest night. It lights up everything." He murmured the words against her lips, big hands pushed beneath the hem of her t-shirt to let his nails rake along her bare sides. He kissed her over and over, speaking quietly to her in the moments between. "And I'm happy to be here, with you. Like this."
She bit at his bottom lip in a bid to keep from blushing but the burn in her cheeks was undeniable. The elevator ride to the top floor of the tower was a long one, giving them plenty of time to get tangled up, her hands sliding down as his went up beneath her shirt. "You know you bring it out of me... the smile, the happy. I don't always have it in me, I don't think... I get sad a lot, but I've got you and that's... that's more than I deserve."
"I'll kiss every sorry away," he rumbled. "Or fill it with pancakes. Pancakes, kisses, and sex. They make the world go 'round."
They spilled out of the elevator and into the hall, where Romeo promptly pinned her against the wall and kissed her even harder. He let the heat of the moment suffused him and pressed his body to hers, and her lovely mouth to his.
"All the sticky things," she giggled. The ding of doors opening had her pulling back with a groan but she didn't unwind herself fully for him. Regardless of cameras in the lift and in the hall, she never shied away from putting on a show. Half tangled with him, each step to the penthouse was a precarious stumble, almost love drunk in its ungracefulness. Her back caught on the wall just enough to push half her wind from her lungs so his kiss left her lightheaded and breathless as he pinned her. They were so close but so far from the front door but still she reached a hand out, bearing the keycard in hopes of waving it across the door's panel if she could.
Beep!
The door spilled open and left them off balance. Not nearly as graceful as her, his weight carried them through and down to the floor with a thump. His backpack bounced off to one side, forgotten. With only enough presence of mind to kick the door shut behind them, he was all hands. Her laughter rang out in the hallway as they fell, the thumps and thuds sure to draw attention. But she cared little. Spring break had begun.
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