{ And he sits on the floor,
in front of the couch,
by her feet,
asking her to read aloud to him. }
She pets his hair with one hand, holding up the e-reader with the other, and reads aloud to him from Kushiel’s Dart. It happens to be one of the more sexual scenes.
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
She kissed him again, wobbling on her toes, just to prove she could. “I’m perfectly understandable. You, though — seriously, why couldn’t you just say something, instead of lounging around half-dressed?” She wrapped the towel around his shoulders, using it to pull him in for yet another kiss. “You had to provoke me?”
“Maybe that was my way of saying something, Summer,” Ace reasoned with a smile, before leaning down to meet her half way. When he pulled away, he nipped kisses at her bottom lip, forehead pressed against hers.
“No. People are most honest with me when they’re angry, I’ve observed,” he confessed.
She pressed him backwards, back to her couch, a sceptical look on her face. “I have always been honest to you,” she murmured. “But here is a little more.” She kept her forehead pressed to his as he sat, and said solemnly, “I like you quite a lot, Aodhan O’Malley, and I would quite like to go out with you, kiss you, sleep with you, and any other possessive claim you’ll allow me. And I don’t want to see you with anyone else.”
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
Summer’s eyes fluttered open when he kissed her nose, and she offered him a shy smile. Her heart pounded, and she said, “I don’t understand you.” She pressed herself as close as possible, relying on his strength to hold her up, and unwound his towel mischievously.
“One minute you’re wiping down the cat, then you’re off on a wild tangent, and now you decide to act all shy?” Ace teased, bumping his nose against her own in an encouraging manner.
“No, love. I don’t understand you.”
As the towel fell from his hips, one arm dropped from around her waist to cup his manhood. If you caught him in the right light, you’d see the blush splashed across his cheeks.
She kissed him again, wobbling on her toes, just to prove she could. “I’m perfectly understandable. You, though — seriously, why couldn’t you just say something, instead of lounging around half-dressed?” She wrapped the towel around his shoulders, using it to pull him in for yet another kiss. “You had to provoke me?”
Hesitantly, she brushed her lips to his, wobbling against him. The heat of his bare skin felt searing against her chest. “You can have me,” she whispered. “If you want.”
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
One of Ace’s arms slipped around her waist to secure her place pressed flush against his bare chest, a droplet of water from his curly hair falling and landing on his cheek. He was more focused on the latter’s plump lips, and the way they sent jolts of electricity through his veins.
“Mm,” he hummed, reaching down to brush his lips against hers a second time, with a tad more force. “I do.” He pressed his forehead against hers, tilting forward to press a kiss to her nose.
Summer’s eyes fluttered open when he kissed her nose, and she offered him a shy smile. Her heart pounded, and she said, “I don’t understand you.” She pressed herself as close as possible, relying on his strength to hold her up, and unwound his towel mischievously.
“I don’t … ” She trailed off, jerked back to something, hope maybe; the emotional whiplash is painful too. “Can you … ” she tried again, and lost it. Without the driving force of anger, she didn’t know how to respond to him.
Should she, could she kiss him? Ask for more? Walk away — no, that wasn’t an option.
Tense, alert to any motion of rejection, Summer lifted up on her toes, reaching to pull his head down to hers.
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
Ace’s gaze averted to the floor as she spoke, eyebrows quirking as she tried to ask something of him, before drifting off. Does he move away because he’s making her uncomfortable, or does she want him closer?
Nobody has before but Lily. Slowly, his grip loosened on her waist and he shifted his weight from side to side, contemplating whether he should take a single step back for her to collect herself.
But when her hand cupped the back of his neck, and guided his lips down to hers, a single corner of his lips began to quirk and he closed his eyes.
Hesitantly, she brushed her lips to his, wobbling against him. The heat of his bare skin felt searing against her chest. “You can have me,” she whispered. “If you want.”
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
“I — you really think this is a game.” Her voice was much flatter, bewildered and hurt. All the anger vanished, and she searched his blue eyes for a long moment.
“What do you want from me, Ace? Just … just take it and go.” Summer dropped her hand, standing limply in the circle of his arms. “I just wish you’d be honest to me.”
“Nothing about this conversation is fun to me. Having you in my arms is the only expection.” He admitted the last part lowly, sheepishly, almost through bared teeth, but if it would keep her from hurting at his mixed-signals, so be it.
“You want me to be honest?” he asked, venom laden in his tone as he leant in close.
“Fine. I’m not good at this, but I know that all I want is… you.” That’s every ounce of truth he could muster and offer up to her. It’s her choice to take it or leave it.
“I don’t … ” She trailed off, jerked back to something, hope maybe; the emotional whiplash is painful too. “Can you … ” she tried again, and lost it. Without the driving force of anger, she didn’t know how to respond to him.
Should she, could she kiss him? Ask for more? Walk away — no, that wasn’t an option.
Tense, alert to any motion of rejection, Summer lifted up on her toes, reaching to pull his head down to hers.
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
“Someone who /cares/ about you,” she stumbled, unnerved by his reactions. “And I’m not … adorable.” Summer had no choice about looking up at him now, feeling very odd as she looked up at his grin.
He had her totally pinned against him now, unless she struggled. She felt like she couldn’t breathe for how near he was.
“Ace, don’t — don’t play with me,” she whispered. She pressed her hands against his chest, like she was going to push him away, but didn’t push.
“Maybe I don’t want someone who cares.” Ace said, the air surrounding him growing tense. “Once I have it, I don’t know how to not fuck up.”
His cheeks were still slightly tinted pink from the booze and the hostile October air whipping at his bare skin.
The lad’s breath hitched. Though he’s given her a peek into the strangest bits of his mind, he draws her nearer, almost beckoning her to dig deeper.
A part of him wishes she’d push against his chest already— but she doesn’t, and the heat of her fingertips against his bare chest scolds him for thinking so; like there was no better place for her to be, than right at that very spot.
He shivers, shifting his weight from one leg to the other with an awkward cough.
“Then don’t take my toys.” His old way of life; the one he grew accustomed to over the years; she swept it right out from underneath him, like a rug.
“I — you really think this is a game.” Her voice was much flatter, bewildered and hurt. All the anger vanished, and she searched his blue eyes for a long moment.
“What do you want from me, Ace? Just … just take it and go.” Summer dropped her hand, standing limply in the circle of his arms. “I just wish you’d be honest to me.”
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
“You do not tell me to shut up, Aodhan O’Malley,” she snarled, ready to deliver another impassioned speech. And then he was in front of her, fingertips brushing her cheek. She had to tilt her head way back to look at him, and she broke off with a splutter.
“You just make me!” she exclaimed instead, lamely. She resisted the urge to back up a step. Or move forward a step. “What the hell are you smiling about? You think this is funny? When we both know perfectly well I’m not your type, not one of those fly-by-night once-and-done bitches that aren’t good enough for you — !”
It rather took some of the force out of it to be saying all that to his bare chest, or having to look up a solid foot at him. She growled.
“Shut up,” Ace repeated with a grin. He meant no disrespect when he said this; complete amusement and adoration in his eyes as he saw the girl’s train of thought derail right before him.
He couldn’t help but feel flattered at how strongly she felt about him, and his stupid long legs and his stupid skin and his stupid smiles, but also incredulous that she’s found that side of him he doesn’t even bother to show, all on her own.
“I think you’re adorable,” he said, one hand trained at the small of her back as he drew her nearer.
“I have a type, apparently, and those that fit the criteria… aren’t good enough for me. Well, Summer, if they aren’t, then who is?”
“Someone who /cares/ about you,” she stumbled, unnerved by his reactions. “And I’m not … adorable.” Summer had no choice about looking up at him now, feeling very odd as she looked up at his grin.
He had her totally pinned against him now, unless she struggled. She felt like she couldn’t breathe for how near he was.
“Ace, don’t — don’t play with me,” she whispered. She pressed her hands against his chest, like she was going to push him away, but didn’t push.
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
She turned back to Helios, rubbing at the damp fur so fiercely the ragdoll emitted a small ‘meh’ in protest. She muttered grumpily under her breath, something about stupid boys and their stupid long legs and stupid skin and stupid smiles, and then she flung the towel across the room and whirled on Ace. “You think you can just sit there on my couch with practically nothing on and it’s like a game to you, isn’t it, you like toying with me, but you can’t even make a proper move, can’t just, you know, /say/ something, no, you have to fuck around and fucking be nice and sweet and then come in here like, like, like /that/ — I hate you, I hate you so much — !”
She glared at him, fists clenched by her side, chest heaving, and it was clear that she didn’t hate him at all.
Ace liked to play coy, pretending not to notice the effect he had on Summer, because once he did admit that she felt for him what he did her, there was no going back for him.
He couldn’t see her the same way… he just couldn’t. And that scared him. The lad felt strangely content with black and white, but now that she’s here, the faintest of colors were forming right before his eyes and he swore he’d never grow accustomed to the luxury.
When she launched the towel across the room and whipped around to face him, the lad sat up in his seat a little, one hand brushing through his mop of curls.
With her little outburst, he’s been thrusted inside her orbit, and it’s too strong a force to resist.
What to do, what to do.
His final thought on the matter? Fuck it.
“Shut up,” he said, a smile slowly beginning to grace his features as he rose from where he sat and approach her; each step small and deliberate until he stood directly in front of her, and reached out to caress her soft cheek.
“You do not tell me to shut up, Aodhan O’Malley,” she snarled, ready to deliver another impassioned speech. And then he was in front of her, fingertips brushing her cheek. She had to tilt her head way back to look at him, and she broke off with a splutter.
“You just make me!” she exclaimed instead, lamely. She resisted the urge to back up a step. Or move forward a step. “What the hell are you smiling about? You think this is funny? When we both know perfectly well I’m not your type, not one of those fly-by-night once-and-done bitches that aren’t good enough for you — !”
It rather took some of the force out of it to be saying all that to his bare chest, or having to look up a solid foot at him. She growled.
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
She glanced over her shoulder to smile at him and reply, and her hands froze on the cat. Very carefully, eyes sliding up and down his form, she said, “Ace, please tell me you’re doing that on purpose. Because if you aren’t, I really think you’re being very cruel, and I don’t like that.”
Ace relished in the attention Summer gave him. Though he wasn’t properly pining for it, he wasn’t exactly deterring it, so.
“Doing what on purpose, hm?” he asked with a coy grin.
“You don’t like that? Well, maybe I’ve been a bad boy.”
She turned back to Helios, rubbing at the damp fur so fiercely the ragdoll emitted a small ‘meh’ in protest. She muttered grumpily under her breath, something about stupid boys and their stupid long legs and stupid skin and stupid smiles, and then she flung the towel across the room and whirled on Ace. “You think you can just sit there on my couch with practically nothing on and it’s like a game to you, isn’t it, you like toying with me, but you can’t even make a proper move, can’t just, you know, /say/ something, no, you have to fuck around and fucking be nice and sweet and then come in here like, like, like /that/ — I hate you, I hate you so much — !”
She glared at him, fists clenched by her side, chest heaving, and it was clear that she didn’t hate him at all.
