she's a dark dizzy merry go 'round, a (tangoaurora) wrote in paxletalelogs, @ 2017-02-06 08:22:00 |
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Entry tags: | aphrodite, ares |
I did really love you, you were the star of my heart
Who: Aurora and Daniel [Aphrodite and Ares]
What: Flashbacks to first date and The Big Fight
When:Where: University Campus
Rating: PG-13 for language and innuendo
The last night of a show always came with a mix of giddy relief, exhaustion and the high that always came with successfully completing any project. This one was extra special, it was the first show of her college career she had an almost leading role in as Ismene in Antigone.
Apparently it was a long standing tradition in the theater department to go to a beloved local open late artsy coffee shop together after the run of the show--and normally, she would love that sort of thing. Adrenaline rushes of any sort (and alcohol if she were being honest, though she was still underage) made her much more affectionate than normal a little more giggly and flirty at times. Aurora was pretty much always social, but now if she just tried to go back to her shared house she would just paced a hole in the carpet with restless energy.
Tonight though she would not be going to any sort of cast outing. Tonight there was a boy, a delightful thing that gave her goosebumps when he smiled and held himself with a sort of contained confidence that made her want to find out what was behind it. They hadn’t talked for very long, he had stumbled on her half in costume and half out of it but that hadn’t stopped Aurora from leaning against the wall and inviting him out when she had more time and was a little more prepared. She may have been in a state of disarray and caught off guard but luckily for him that would never stop her from trying to indulge in a good thing when she saw it.
So that’s where she found herself, hair and makeup done properly and in a red dress that was easy to move in but still had a fair amount of slink outside the theater, sipping on a bottle of water out of a straw to preserve her lipstick. There was no doubt in her mind that he would show, she had a good sense of these sorts of things.
He did not keep her waiting long. He wound his way through the departing crowd, his hands in the pockets of fitted black jeans, his black boots clicking out a quiet rhythm on the sidewalk. He fixed her with a sharp gaze and an impish, off-kilter grin, sidling up close to her. He was far less formal than she, and yet somehow he wore the grey tee and black blazer well enough to pass. He cast a long, appreciative glance over her.
"Well," Daniel said, "that was some performance, Miss Nasseri. I'm very much lookin' forward to seeing your next act."
Aurora liked to think she didn’t preen like a peacock, not exactly. But she was confident in herself, and she did enjoy attention, both of those showed when she knew someone was watching her. She liked it, but usually kept any sort of posing to a minimum, she wasn’t a desperate teen pageant contestant for god’s sake, but she wanted to be seen and like most people she also appreciated other people like her.
So she cast him the same sort of curious and approving look that he had given her, because while she had already begun developing a love of nice clothes and soft things she knew it was how they wore it. So she grinned in response, reaching out to rest a hand on his upper arm, “Thank you, always moving forward to the next big thing,” She tilted her head with the innuendo, a mischievous glint in her eyes, “Any exciting celebration you have in mind?”
"Well… I'm old fashioned," he said: a lie so blatant as to be amusing. He tightened his arm, squeezing her hand -- and with it, her lithe shape -- close against him. Without prompting, he moved away from the sidewalk, guiding her alongside him as he did. "Might be too late for dinner, but I've always found strong liquor to be an excellent way to celebrate. Maybe a little nighttime walk on the beach after. Or through a park, or over to my place. Or yours." He shrugged, his steps still carrying them both deeper into the city, toward the twinkling lights gleaming like stars. "Y'know. Whatever sounds best to you."
She leaned into his warmth as they walked, falling into step with him and unabashedly running a hand over his shoulder out of curiosity. He was impressive, but muscled men were a dime a dozen, even ones with good looking faces like his. There was something else about him that drew her in that had nothing to do with that. Aurora laughed at that, because old fashioned was definitely not what described her hungry self or what made her curious about him. But they already knew that, didn't they?
“Either way, but you may not like me with alcohol I’m very--” A hand on the back of his neck with well maintained nails gliding across his skin, “Touchy.” More so than she already was at least, she was striding proudly on her own and not clinging to him like some airheaded cheerleader but still more familiar than two people who hardly knew each other would normally be, “I have quite a bit of energy right now though, you sure I won’t get bored?” She challenged with a raised eyebrow as she watched his face.
"Hon," he said, "if you get bored with me, it's your own damn fault." He was grinning as he said it, and squaring his shoulders proudly. "So now I'm thinkin' liquor for sure." He canted his neck to the press of her nails, seeking out that sharp-edged touch. "And after that, maybe a long walk down a particularly secluded part of the beach. If you can manage in those shoes, that is. If you've still got energy after that, I've got some ideas about how to work that out." A challenge colored his tone and the smile on his lips. "If you've got a better suggestion, I'm all ears."
Aurora couldn’t help but laugh at that, “Oh you have no idea what I can do in these heels.” When she saw him tilt into her touch her eyes lit up, she liked responsiveness as opposed to stoic--she was already enjoying this.Timing was on her side as they stopped at a crosswalk for traffic to pass, and without wavering or putting any more weight on him than she already was she lifted her left leg to glide it up his calf slowly to just above his knee. She might have tried for higher but her three inch heels still left quite a bit of height difference between them which caused her a mix of amusement and chagrin, “That sounds delightful Mr. Ciin,” Her facial expression didn’t change when her fingers explored higher to scrape at the base of his skull, “It’s a wonder you’ve escaped my attention thus far, seeing as we share a major.” That wasn’t something he introduced himself with, but Aurora never forgot a face; even a passing in the hall coming from a shared Psychology Academic advisor’s office briefly at the beginning of the semester. It was also a move to rise above; look, I’m already ahead, what are you going to do about it?
"Miss Nasseri," he crooned. "Have you been stalking me?" He laughed aloud.
Unperturbed by his reaction she gave a wave of her hand in dismissal, “As if that would be necessary for me.” For one, people came to her she rarely had to sneak about to get what she wanted, for two Aurora prided herself on her ability to find out things about anyone she wished--and to think, some assumed she was social just for fun.
The light changed, and he quickly set off with her toward the next block. His steps carried them to a little dive bar, a favorite haunt of his since his arrival in the city. The drinks were cheap and strong, the atmosphere heady and aggressive in a way that resonated strongly with him. It was a test for her, as much as it was a pleasure for him. She would keep up, or she would not, and he would better get her measure, either way.
No sign marked the entrance to the club. Only a series of three short steps and a black door marked its opening. Daniel stepped in front of her and held open the door, motioning her inside. The interior was dark, dimly lit by irregularly placed strands of white lights and the stuttering neon of beer advertisements. He raised a hand in greeting to the bartender, who nodded back and promptly reached for a bottle and two glasses.
A few voices spoke up as they passed, murmuring greetings to the tall patron and his well-dressed guest. He claimed two barstools at the far end of the counter, perching himself up atop one. The bartender soon arrived with a bottle of Laphroaig and a glass, and quickly poured a double for their favored guest.
"For you, miss?" the bartender asked.
She followed him without question, but she wasn’t naive or stupid and so took a close look at the surroundings as they stepped into the place and the faces around her. Not that she expected anything to go awry, she had a good instinct with people and her gut told her that if Daniel was any sort of danger it wasn’t the kind that would put her life at risk. It was a low key establishment, but she could fit in there just as well as any other more loud flamboyant place (or so she liked to think, it was a skill she was still honing).
The picture of him being pieced together in her mind grew more solid as she peered around the place, giving a warm at ease smile to anyone whose eyes lingered on her as they walked. She wondered what his goals were, to get her tipsy and persuade her to go straight back to his place for a tumble? The Theater department did have a bit of a reputation she had done nothing to dissuade, admittedly. Or was it to start with impressing her by ordering something she was fairly sure was an expensive brand? Because being a barfly was not overly unique, even a well off one.
“Rum and seven please.” If mixed right it tasted like cream soda, and her favorite alcohol was the kind where it didn’t taste like alcohol, “Interesting choice.” She acknowledged to her companion, though whether she was talking about the bar or his drink she did not specify.
Daniel shrugged, agreeing with the letter of her her assessment, no matter the spirit of it. "Want a sip?" He held out the drink to her, the amber liquid swirling thick within, leaving long, gleaming legs on the sides of the glass. "You'd be surprised how smooth it is. Nice burn, though. It isn't good unless it hurts a little, right?" His sideways grin flashed again.
Aurora gave a quiet but sincere thanks to the bartender when he brought her drink to her and she took a drink of her own before giving the bartender an approving look as she considered his, “I’ll try anything once.” She shrugged and took it in hand, smelling it properly and giving the Scottish drink the respect any finely crafted thing deserved before taking a small sip. It coated her mouth with an almost peaty taste that while she instantly liked she knew it wasn’t something she would seek out often.
“I like it, though I am always a bit curious about people who drink straight whisky, are you trying to prove something?” It was a genuine question but laced with a playful undertone as her heel casually found his calf again, able to tease a little more now that their heights were a bit more balanced and they weren’t mobile. Her mind kept going back to his earlier hint of responsiveness, and she was more than a little curious about testing the limits of that.
His leg shifted toward hers. It stopped just shy of reaching out to her, but both his meaning and intent were clear. "Nothin' to prove," Daniel answered. "It's just damn good. And it gets the job done. Why waste time with watered down shit?" He nodded toward her cocktail, his smile a teasing thing. "You don't strike me as the watered down type, but here we are."
Another drink of her own as she reached out to his hand that was closest to her, pausing after broadcasting her movement in case he didn’t like what she was doing. Some people were tetchy about their wrists, but she was fairly sure that he wasn’t that way as she turned it over and ran a nail along the veins there gently. He glanced down to her touch, hiding another smile behind a long pull from his glass.
“I like things smooth things, and prefer not to have to brace myself just to get drunk faster.” She glanced around the place before looking back to him, pulling her leg from his as she did so, “So what made you pick this place to be a regular at?”
"They're my kinda people," he said. He tipped his chin to indicate the milling crowd. "First time I was here I tried to break up a fist fight. Ended up breakin' a chair instead, but what can you do. Staff actually seemed happy to see me next time I came by. How could I not keep comin' back after that?" He leaned closer. Long fingers turned and curled around her own, catching them as she stroked his skin. Good-natured needling marked his every word. "You're not out of your element, I hope."
Another drink of her own as she watched followed his gaze around the bar, and saw normal working folk who weren’t dressed like something that just crawled off the street but like Daniel also didn’t seem like they were trying to impress anyone.
At the mention of the fight though she looked back at him, giving him a curious and surprised expression. She let him take a hold of her fingers and decided she liked his skin, not too soft but not so rough it snagged her well maintained hands either, “Do you get into fights often then?” He only shrugged. His interference didn’t stop her from running her fingertips over his own with her other hand, carrying the condensation from the glass to glide it over his knuckles, before she laughed “I am never out of my element,” Vanity was ever her sin, or maybe it was gluttony. Perhaps lust, they were all fun, “In fact, are you a betting man Daniel Ciin?” His last name was pronounced correctly, she appreciated him affording her that courtesy so of course she returned it even as she smirked.
"Sometimes," he said. He watched the tracing of her damp hand over his own. "But when bet I like better stakes than money. Why? You got somethin' in mind?"
Aurora took another sip of her drink, enjoying the pleasant warmth she was already feeling and resisting the impulse to do something undignified like nuzzle his shoulder. Instead she caught the bartender's eye and held up her glass before looking back to her companion, “I bet I can beat you at darts.” She motioned to a currently neglected dartboard off to the side, “What say you, good sir?” The motions of her hands stopped but she leaned into him, relishing the closeness she always loved but wanted more because of the show and the alcohol.
The bartender sidled up to their side of the bar, a fresh cocktail in his hand soon passed over to her. Daniel poured himself another double of whisky. "I say there's no way I'm losin' to you," he said. His arm slid smoothly around her shoulders, pulling her closer still. His smiling lips pressed close to her ear. His voice was a low, rumbling growl. "And what stakes are we playin' for?"
Yes; there were goosebumps spreading along her skin, it would be rather silly for her to delight in the responsiveness of others’ and have her own body be mute on the topic of sensation would it not? She thanked the bartender again and closed her eyes to savor Daniel’s closeness, letting a satisfied smile pull at the corners of her lips although she wouldn’t tell him that dropping his voice and growling like that did things to her it was definitely a kink. To be specific, passion was what drove her up the wall, and that took many forms. “Don’t underestimate me now, I have many skills,” She reached out to tap his class with her finger, “And be careful with your drink handsome, I’ve heard too much can impact a man’s performance.” Aurora reached out to his so-close neck, finding his pulse point with ease and drawing her nail up to his jaw, leaving an already fading red line in it’s wake, “At darts of course.”
With that she leaned away just a bit, suddenly casual, “I don’t know, what do you have worth taking?”
"Oh, no." He gave a single quick shake of his head. "That's not how this works and you know it." His fingers traced soft lines across her back as he rose from his seat. He tossed his drink back in its entirety, a look of smug satisfaction on his face when he set the glass down. His tongue swept over his lips. "You named the game, you call the stakes. But I'll meet you halfway, since I'm such a nice man. Here's my suggestion. You lose, you come straight home with me. And leave your panties here." He winked, playful as ever. "You won't be needin' I em.'
Aurora laughed, though not unkindly as she watched him and took a more sedate drink of her own. She stood slowly, testing her steadiness but masking it as if she were just being leisurely and careful with her heels and all, but she reached out and pulled him closer by his shirt, “Honey, first rule; don't ever try and win something you were already on the path to getting in the first place.” The fact that she took a moment after to run a curious and assessing hand over his chest after could definitely be blamed on the alcohol. “If I win, you show me everything that you normally keep hidden to stop from scaring people away.” Him being that sort was a gamble in and of itself but she liked to think she was very good at picking people apart. With that bold declaration and the level of her current ability to balance solidly in hand she pivoted cleanly towards the dart board, letting her hand trail down his body as she did so.
His grin turned positively wolfish. He followed her to the board, suddenly unsure whether he would rather win or lose. He plucked the darts from the board and brought them back to her. Another long look at her and he was sure he did not care either way. "Show me what you got," he said. He held out his hand, his fingers faintly curled, each slim dart a sharp silver line across his palm.
Aurora, much to her parents' dismay, was a poor loser. Too competitive, prideful and stubborn by leaps and bounds so knowing that about herself she tried not to join challenges she was sure she could win, which she was pretty consistent with when she was behaving rationally. Luckily, this was one of the former types, so she plucked a dart from his hand with a smirk to match his before tossing it dead center, “Traditional," she declared, “five to five, normal points system.” No fancy overly drawn out games here as she took another from him to land it just below the other.
It was the first time Daniel could remember playing darts while nearly sober. With only a faint buzz on from the scotch, he could do little more than hope for the best. Given the stakes, he would technically win either way: In the absolute worst case, he would tell her some secret that would send her running for the hills, and be out only his time and the money for a few drinks.
"Well I can already see I'm fucked," he said, laughing quietly. "Maybe figuratively and literally."
It was hard not to grin at his expressions as she took the other three from his hand before leaning back to the bar proper to grab her drink in a way that showed off her leg through the slit in her dress. Already nearly done with it which was a little alarming, when did that happen exactly? It slid down her throat and pooled warm in her belly, making her giggle at absolutely nothing for a brief moment before she forced it down.
“Lucky is the word you are looking for.” The third one hit the green circle just outside the bullseye, the fourth and fifth she threw in quick succession into the narrow wedge like shapes, one black and one white. She sauntered over to the board and pivoted back so she stood against it like an old school corseted carnie girl about to have knives thrown at her head, “That brings me to 142 points, let’s see if you can impress me.” There was an innuendo there that he wouldn’t have to look very hard for of course, as she reached up to pluck the darts out of the board so she could give them back to him.
He scoffed. His fingers brushed her palm -- too close, too much -- as he retrieved the darts from her. "You can't judge me by one game," he said. "Especially one I don't even really like."
Aurora laughed at that, though not unkindly, stepping behind him to sit in a chair that helped balance out their height difference. Before he tossed the first one she reached out to tug him the step or two towards her, so he stood in the space between her legs and she could whisper in his ear, “Step out of your comfort zone, Daniel.”
He grinned in answer, moving gladly where she bid. Daniel stood precisely where she had, studying the board for a moment as though it might reveal some secret that would allow him to win. He mirrored her posture as best he could, then her throw, and the follow-through. The first dart landed just shy of the bullseye. The second was farther away; the third, farther still. "You're distractin' me," he said, looking over one shoulder to her. He laughed. After a brief pause, he threw the fourth and fifth, one quickly after another. Both of these landed in the center, scant millimeters from one another.
As a respectable adult she definitely wasn't staring at his lovely shoulders while he played (lie), but she was listening to the laugh she was quickly growing fond of (truth).
As his last ones landed -- improved, which pleased her -- she finished her drink and waved the barkeep back over, “Two shots of well whiskey and we'll tab out, thank you. ” The man nodded as he swept away their empties and she turned back to total up his score.
“Good show handsome, hopefully not the last of the night but,” She smirked, “Still just shy of mine.”
"Rub it in, why don't ya," he muttered. There was no real bitterness in it, only a light teasing and, if she looked closely, a shadow of real disappointment that he had not done better. She made it easy to forget, though, and he stuck close to her as the bartender returned, cheap whiskey in hand. He raised his shot glass and clinked its rim against hers, a quick motion before tossing it back.
She tossed back her shot with a laugh, shaking her head at the poor taste of the booze but it did it’s job; another warm pleasant feeling as it glided down her throat and goosebumps on her skin that made her head lighter and the world a bit more fuzzy and pleasant.
"So," he said. "What I keep hidden. I don't hide much, so this is harder than it sounds." He slipped an arm around her shoulders and slowly guided them out of the bar. Whatever sordid secret he could dredge up, it would be for her ears alone. He bought himself time as they walked. "What kinds of stuff are you lookin' for?"
Because she was naturally the extroverted sort and merrier than usual tonight she waved happily at the bartender as they left, digging out the cash she had brought with her from her pocket (love this dress for that) to drop a 30% tip on the bar before she followed her..Date? Was this a date? He was paying for her drinks and touching her like it was a date, but sometimes dates got messy as it came with certain presumptions namely that dates with others wouldn’t happen as a result. But that was forgotten with the very distracting presence of his lovely arm around her shoulders. It could be better places though, and she reached up to slid it down so it rested on the curve of her hip as they walked outside, “No no, I already gave you my parameters. Something about you that is normally off putting, can be actions or words.”
Speaking of actions, here comes her touchy side she warned him about, a hand as far up his back as she could reach before she drew a nail almost roughly down the grooves of it without even changing her expression.
He made a soft little sound, all warmth and pleasure and promise. "Well…" He dragged out the word, one syllable turned into a few. "Personally I don't think there's a damn thing off putting about me. Others have disagreed, of course." Grinning, he gave her hip a quick squeeze before his fingers slipped lower still. His fingers counted off each confession on the curve of her backside. "My dad's a preacher. That's usually strike one. I'm bisexual, that's sometimes strike two. Strike three varies based on who's askin'. I get in a lot of fights. One time I punched a girl in the throat, but we were at a concert at this dive bar and she was gettin' shitty with a friend of mine and I had to step in." He shrugged.
"I poisoned some trees at a golf course, burned a Confederate flag while it was still hangin' from a neighbor's porch, fucked a girl cos I knew a guy I hated was into her… is that enough, or you want me to keep goin'?"
The quiet night along the sidewalk towards one of the many beaches in the area helped her barely hear the sound he made and she wanted more of that, and she lowered her hand to grip onto his hip bones. Fingers slipped under his shirt, just a tease, a hint of a caress as if to reward the sound. But she listened to him with a level head, even with the alcohol buzzing through her veins.
“You don’t have to, I think you’ve fulfilled your end.” She nearly said something about showing her more in actions later, but that might be too much so she bit her metaphorical tongue, “I’ll refrain from any terrible lines about the bad boy son of a preacher man and jump right to how very okay I am with you burning a confederate flag.” Very okay with it, Aurora grew up around people who those sorts wouldn’t have in this country if they could so Daniel had just earned himself a few respect points, “The throat though? What an odd target.” She looked contemplatively down at the way before glancing back at him, “Can we get to your place by cutting past the beach, I don’t know how much walking I can do in this, as I am a delicate flower you know.” Her tone took on a terrible helpless southern belle voice as she paused her steps momentarily to lift up her shoes to show him. It was a lie of course, she could walk for hours in these things.
"Hon, we can get to my place a lot of different ways," he teased. He leaned into her touch, letting his shirt ride up against fingertips. His voice dropped to a whisper against her temple as he leaned down to her. "Even if I don't buy that delicate flower act. Not. One. Bit."
His arm tightened around her, clasping tight at her backside as he redirected her toward his apartment. Streets passed more quickly with this destination in mind; there was a spring in his step, a low-level hum of renewed energy he could not quite contain.
~*~
Aurora was tired, finals had passed finally and with having two Majors she had what felt like double the stress. Not that she was planning on changing or anything, she loved her choices and the path she had chosen and by God she was sticking with it. Not only that she had been putting extra hours into their production of The Sound of Music, she herself only had a bit role but instead of only showing up to rehearsal for her scene she had showed up nearly every night to help with anything and everything else they needed her for.
There was always something that needed doing, and she didn’t mind the work. Not only did she enjoy making herself indispensable but it was always good to add more skills to her repertoire in general. Even when the work made her fingers and knees ache she was still around the sort of flamboyant, creative, passionate people she adored, and had a talent for bringing out those sides even in the quiet folks who stuck to things like props.
She and Daniel were supposed to have a date tonight, but she had cancelled fifteen minutes after it was supposed to start and that was...a bit ago? Then had thrown her phone back into her bag and hadn’t touched it since, the thing was probably dead. It’s not that she hadn’t wanted to see him, but there would be other times, and with the atmosphere she had been in it was so hard to walk away from so he had fallen down her priority list (again). There was, of course, a party going on at her house. Her roommates were more into big bashes than she was, preferring smaller more personal get togethers instead of raucous things but she got enough enjoyment out of them usually that she hadn’t tried to stop them ever. Tonight though she wasn’t really dressed for a party, more for working with her hands and getting dirty but since it was taking place where she lived what choice did she have? At least no one was trying to have sex in her room again.
It hadn't taken Daniel long to run out of patience over her non responsiveness. Two unanswered calls and five ignored texts after her abrupt cancellation and he was headed to her house. By the time he arrived he was in a frothing fury. The sight of a party already well underway did nothing to lighten his mood. He burst into the house, leaving the door swinging wide behind him. A red Solo cup skittered across the living room, kicked away by his heavy black boot.
"Aurora," he called, a singsong lilt in his voice that did little to hide his anger. Someone ducked underneath his upraised arm as he turned down the hallway toward her bedroom, seeking her out. "What's up, Aurora?"
“Goddamnit.” She muttered, she had barely taken her hair out of her working top bun and toed out of her shoes when she heard the bang and his voice calling her name which she was somehow still able to hear even over the music outside.
It wasn’t as loud in her room though, but she had a feeling that was going to change. They had been doing this dance for what? Over a year now? Together and not, then sort of together and then not together and she was quite familiar with his angry voice (as he was with hers). She dug her phone out of her bag that was indeed dead and plugged it roughly into the charger before she yanked open the door, “What do you want Ricky?” With undisguised aggravation in her tone, if he was going to find her right after what he knew was an exhausting rehearsal, hot headed and expecting her to be waiting for him like Ricky looking for Lucy he knew what he was going to get called. Unsurprisingly, that had never really helped their fights simmer down, but it didn’t stop her from using it like the smartass she could be.
"Oh fuck off with that." He barged into her room. He shoved the door farther open, banging hard against the wall behind it. "You're ignorin' me again? What's that about?" He threw his arm back to indicate the crowded hallway he had stormed through. "These assholes are more important than our plans, I guess?" He looked around, spotting her cell phone plugged into the wall. "Wow, cool, you let your phone die and everything. Color me shocked."
There was a joke that could be made about her inheriting the infamous latin temper from her temper, but most people who got to see it weren’t stupid enough to make it thankfully. Daniel loomed over her, in both height and frame but she had never let that stop her from getting up in his face and valiantly attempting to shove him like she was doing now.
“First of all, fuck you,” He was just goddamn lucky she had remembered to take the tools out of her pockets this time so she didn’t have any projectiles on her, “Second of all I got here five fucking minutes ago, I’ve been at the theater for three hours which is where I told you I was when I texted you, not like I stood you up.” As alike as they could be it took her a bit to work up to yelling, she started with snide usually; “And yeah, I did have more important things to do than you tonight, so sorry not sorry you couldn’t ‘check in’ with me.” It was a double pronged insult, mocking the fact that he had kept trying to contact her like he did every time her phone died which was yes, often but so what, and reducing their ‘relationship’ (or whatever) to sex. Which it wasn’t. Just that. Anymore, if ever.
His feet stayed planted firmly on the carpet. He did not raise a hand, did not make a single effort to touch her even as she shoved him, but his voice, already shouting, got louder. "It's not checking in when we had plans. It's you standin' me up and then bein' full of shit about it after. You got here five minutes ago? I don't fuckin' believe that for a second."
Rustling in the hall indicated a small audience had gathered. They pushed one another, quietly jockeying for a better view, a better spot at the door. Daniel neither noticed nor cared. "You think I'm just gonna sit around waiting for you all the time," he snapped. "Trailin' after you like a lost dog. I hate to tell you, sweetheart, but your pussy's not that good."
Aurora's hands trembled as her anger spiked, early for one of their fights and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as his voice raised in volume, “It’s not standing up because I told you I wasn’t going to be there, that goes against the fucking definition of standing up, jackass.” She snarled, there was a very clear distinction between the two okay? One meant standing outside of a restaurant for an hour ignorant to the other person’s whereabouts, and one was just a rude cancellation. She could write a thesis on fine lines, “I am at the theater five nights a week, you should know that by now, or maybe you got me mixed up with skanks 3-5 who you seem so fond of.” Two could play that game, asshole.
She scoffed at that, “Your dick don’t vibrate boy, don’t place too much value on yourself, guttersluts are a dime a dozen around here.” She could have a dozen men and women waiting around for her, and he knew that. In a sudden turn she wheeled on the others in the hall, “I will burn you all if you don’t step the fuck off.” She turned to reach for something, anything to throw at them because she loved attention but not this sort and found a snowglobe to check at the crowd and nearly cackled when it worked as a method of dispersal just before it shattered. But instead of a show of glee she turned as if dismissing her off and on lover entirely to start searching through her roo
Their audience had abandoned them, but the rising of their voices and the sound of scattered laughter made it clear they were still being observed. Daniel paid them no mind, stalking deeper into the room.
"Don't fuckin' ignore me," he said. "If this is too much for you, you need to sac up and just say so. Is it suddenly a problem for you that we're not exclusive?" A patronizing wave of his hands made plain his feelings on that particular point; it was not the first time they had argued about their mutual non-monogamy, and he was sure it would not be the last. "Maybe one of your other boys is stupid enough to put up with this shit, but not me. I'm done."
At that she did laugh, although it came out as more of a cackle as she searched through her room still, “ You are the most demanding fuckbuddy I have ever heard of, christ!” There were angry mutters of where the fuck, “Sounds like you're the one who can't pull on their big girl panties and deal with me having a life, who doesn't know me at all apparent--”
She cut herself off with a triumphant sound of glee as she yanked his fancy jacket with the nice cufflinks out of her closet and a few other things of his as well. For someone who didn't have a problem with her bringing others home he sure liked to make sure people knew he had been there. She darted around him, cursing when she wasn't as mindful about the glass in the hall as she should have been while she angrily shoved the crowd away, “I'll show you fucking done.”
It took Daniel a moment to properly register what was happening. Then he was after her, following close at her heels. Glass crunched beneath the soles of his boots. "What the fuck are you doing?" He threw out an elbow, knocking over a partygoer unwisely taking up space in the hall. A second fell when he lunged toward her, quickly closing the distance between them. He put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back around to face him, his free hand reaching out to the bundle of his belongings she held. "Put my shit down, Aurora, I fuckin' mean it."
It was altogether possible her right foot was bleeding, there was a sharp stinging sensation on the curve of her foot and a growing sickness underneath it. But that wasn't important now, she knew Daniel wouldn't physically hurt her because even though he apparently didn't know her very well she knew him.
So she jerked her shoulder back and swatted at his hand even as she slid backwards. Aurora may not be much of a fighter beyond the self defense her father made her take but she knew how to move dance and stage classes ensured that, being shoeless and on homeground didn’t hurt either, “So do I.” She shouted, over the music, over the crowd, over the distance and over her anger before turning back and using her smaller size to move through the crowd, hitting the front door before he could grab her again.
He ran after her, into the yard, still shouting her name along with a litany of curses. They left the crowd inside behind, but found another waiting on the lawn, every one of them all too eager to witness the fight already in progress.
"Put that down, Aurora," he snapped. "Throw it in the street for all I care, but get your fuckin' hands off my stuff!"
Oh, well that was the wrong thing to say baby boy, wrong all the way around because she had just made it to the bonfire that half the stupid campus was gathered at. Her foot was possibly going to get infected but it didn’t stop her from looking rejuvenated with her messy hair scattered everywhere and tan skin glowing in the firelight.
“I aim to please.” The smirk changed to an angelic smile before she dropped the bundle of his clothes in the fire with little preamble but with a far too pleased look on her face as there was mix of ooooh shit! and you get ‘em girl around her.
Daniel threw up his hands, fetching up just at the edges of the bonfire. Already his clothes were ablaze; his suit crackled and popped, casting bright sparks into the air. Even the cufflinks were already warm from the fire, too hot to grab without even worse consequences. He chalked it all up as a loss, wheeling on her with naked fury in his eyes. "God damn it. You fuckin' bitch. What the fuck is wrong with you?" He pulled his hands through his already tousled hair. "You know what? Forget it. Fuck this." He turned on his heel, storming off into the street.