Shelby Thomas (leaven) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2017-02-15 15:25:00 |
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“Sasha, hi!” Shelby threw her front door open with more enthusiasm than strictly necessary. It was the sugar high. Probably. Nobody had said she had to eat all three of the cookies that he’d brought her earlier, but they looked so good. They never even made it outside of the doughnut shop, and she ignored every last suggestive look that Daniel had thrown her way while she munched on them in the office. They were just cookies. And this was just a movie night. Seriously, how had Sasha gotten to nineteen without ever having seen The Princess Bride? Shelby was still perplexed by that as she ushered him inside and shut the door behind him. “We have the place to ourselves, since my grandma had a book club or ladies night thing,” she explained, bouncing a little on her toes, probably still because of the sugar in her system. “Lucky for you, you’ll get to avoid the inquisition.” “Hey Shelbs,” Sasha replied once she had let him get a word in edgewise. By now he was used to the ball of energy that was the blonde standing before him -- the blonde wearing very little besides a pair of shorts and a tank top -- he reminded himself for the millionth time this wasn’t some kind of date, this was just Shelby being horrified that he hadn’t ever seen The Princess Bride. That same mantra continued as the realization that her Gram’s wasn’t around set in. They had the whole place to themselves. A place where he didn’t have parental figures who could -- and sometimes would -- barge in at any moment. This was a rarity in Sasha’s life. Again that mental voice told him it wasn’t a date. “I’ll have you know I do amazingly well with inquisitions. Parents love me,” Sasha added with a wide grin, which garnered raised eyebrows and a laugh from her. Okay, so parents had maybe loved him a little more when he wasn’t all tattooed up -- but that was beside the point. He still had a knack for making a good impression. “I think it’s my honest face and good manners,” he added as he kicked off his boots and held up the shopping bag he had in his hand. “I brought popcorn and candy also.” She smiled impossibly wide and plucked the bag out of his hand before he could protest. “I love you,” she declared, surveying the contents. “We don’t keep anything sugary in the house. It’s a weird thing.” Shelby glanced back up at him and shrugged, then waited a beat to make sure he’d discarded everything he was going to before she grabbed one of his wrists and tugged him into the living room. “We have a microwave though, so this popcorn won’t go to waste.” Setting the bag on the table, she grabbed the popcorn out. “Go ahead and sit, I’ll be right back.” Shelby started the popcorn in the microwave, tapping her fingers while the minutes ticked down. “You want anything to drink? I think there’s a few beers in the back of the fridge. Or I could open a bottle of wine, if you’re fancy like that.” She punctuated with an amused giggle, forgetting (not for the first time) that Sasha wasn’t drinking age. Shelby was a bit like a whirlwind and Sasha had by this point learned how to just go with it. So as she moved into the kitchen to pop the popcorn (and who knew snacks could get an ‘I love you’) he had done as she directed and made himself at home on the couch, long legs stretched out and head resting back against it. Though he sat up a little straighter when the subject of drinks was brought up. Sasha wasn’t drinking age, but he did drink, or, he used to when the drinking laws had been wholly ignored. For a split second he wondered if he should decline, but he and his dad had always had an agreement that as long as he wasn’t stupid about it he could have one drink. So one beer wouldn’t hurt, right? “Will you judge me if I say I’ve never really liked wine?” Sasha called back from his spot on the couch. Shelby giggled, then popped the microwave door just before it buzzed. “What? No! I only drink it when my Gram’s opens a bottle,” she returned as she dumped the popcorn in a bowl. “I’m boring as hell, so a beer’s just fine,” he paused a beat. “Or Bishop’s moonshine, although I think outside of the MC the only other place to get that now is at The Bar.” Sasha took a beat before asking. “Have you ever had it, Bishop’s moonshine that is?” “Nope.” Shelby set two bottles of beer and the popcorn on the coffee table before she dropped down on the couch near Sasha. “I was warned of it pretty early, so I’ve never been brave enough.” She made a face, scrunching her nose up like that conveyed all the stories she’d heard about the moonshine that was made at Dog Park, then she grabbed both of the remotes and made sure everything was on and ready to go. “Who warned you against it?” Sasha asked as he reached forward and popped open one of the beers. “You should try it at least once, I mean it’s strong stuff, but it’s not bad.” Though Sasha had only ever had one glass at a time, so he didn’t know the full effects of it either he supposed. Settling back into the couch, close enough that her arm kept brushing against Sasha’s, Shelby shrugged as her expression melted back into something more upbeat and just a tinge playfully serious. “I don’t remember now, just that they were very serious about it,” she replied. “I don’t mind talking through a movie, but if you fall asleep I’ll use whatever means necessary to wake you back up.” Shelby smiled widely at him. “If that’s not acceptable terms mister, than you can find the door.” Except she’d been the one to invite him over, or command he come over, really, so it felt a little like that wasn’t actually a choice. Sasha let a wicked sort of grin slip onto his features as he began tipping sideways towards Shelby until his head was in her lap. She went with it, barely missing a beat before she slipped her fingers into his hair. “So you mean if I just stayed like this and fell asleep you’d do something drastic to wake me up?” He peered up at her now, his tone teasing though he didn’t make to move in the least bit. “Something very dastardly and devious,” she confirmed somberly, digging her fingernails into his scalp playfully, an action that elicited a quiet groan from Sasha, not quite realizing that she was flirting with him. Or maybe realizing and not caring because he was cute. “I can’t say what though, because then you might be ready for it.” “Dastardly and devious,” Sasha hummed, dark eyes curious as he peered up at Shelby. He stopped himself just short of making a contented noise as her fingers ran through his hair. “I don’t think you have a dastardly or devious bone in your body,” he continued as he reached out and poked her in the ribcage, then let his hand settle at her hip. “And even if you did, I don’t know if I can agree to those terms…” Sasha continued, “Although it is your place so I probably have to, right?” Truthfully he had no intention of falling asleep or continuing to lay in Shelby’s lap like that, but she didn’t know that, and well, he didn’t hate being this close to her either. “Well I wouldn’t kick you out, if that’s what you’re asking. I might just decide not to watch a movie with you instead.” Meanwhile the menu screen had started to play on a loop. “And you’d be missing out because this movie is perfect.” “So what would you do with me instead?” Sasha questioned curiously, a note of something leaning towards flirtation in his tone. He wasn’t going to derail their movie plans, especially not when Shelby had professed this movie to be perfect, but he couldn’t squelch the curiosity, or apparently his desire to flirt with her. Bending forward so her face was much closer to his than it had been, she bit her lip, considering whether or not she should give him an answer. “It’s a secret,” she eventually settled on, mischief in her smile as she straightened back up. “I have some ideas, so maybe I’ll tell you after.” Shelby was trying not to focus on the warm pressure of his palm on her hip, but she thought she might have underestimated Sasha a little bit. “But maybe I won’t,” she added with a shrug. “Why, do you have suggestions?” Most of the air in his body had caught in his lungs as Shelby bent down and brought herself close enough that if Sasha just lifted his head a little they’d have been kissing. Of course he hadn’t done that, but if he were being honest it was only because she straightened up too soon. “You’re wicked,” he declared before he made a humming noise in the back of his throat as he considered his next words. “Oh, I think I have a few things I could suggest….” Sasha purposefully trailed off then, a glint in his brown eyes as he studied Shelby’s face for a reaction. “But you know, it’s a secret,” he tacked on with a smirk. Sasha made no mention for Shelby to start the movie, he couldn’t, not when he was enjoying this back and forth banter so much. ‘Hey! Secret keeping is my thing, mister,” she argued, poking Sasha in the chest, which got an “Ouch, do you sharpen that finger?” from him.“You are an open book. So spill, I want to hear what that brain of yours is cooking up.” Shelby grinned, and still wasn’t hurrying to get her personal space back, although she was starting to get a little tired of looking down. “Does it involve make outs? You can tell me, I won’t judge you.” With an attempt to school his features into something neutral Sasha replied. “Do you think it involves make outs?” Of course that had been one of his ideas, but he wanted to keep Shelby guessing just a little longer, partly because she was cute when she was trying to play detective with his thoughts, and partly because he was just a pain in the ass like that. “Or do you want it to be one of them?” Sasha continued with a bit of a wolfish grin and a twinkle in his eyes, all attempts at remaining neutral killed with just one look. “Hmmmm…” Shelby drew out the sound, scrunching her face up thoughtfully. “It looks like you want it to be,” Shelby said, dissolving into giggles. “Sooooo, I’m going to guess that was your plan, and you can just go ahead and add it in.” There wasn’t any harm in showing her hand a little. A blind person, or someone who had dated even less than Shelby had could have probably figured out that Sasha was interested, so it wasn’t like it was a risk. His gaze was on her as she dissolved into giggles and Sasha found himself joining her with a couple peels of laughter. He couldn’t deny that a make out session had been part of his plan, Sasha had always been shit at lying. “Alright, in that case it’s added,” he said with a smirk, not even trying to hide his cards now. Sasha saw no point in hiding the fact that he was interested, because he really was. It was easy to forget lying in Shelby’s lap like this with her smiling down at him that he had other plans that had been cancelled only hours before. Then she hooked a hand under one of his shoulders to encourage him to sit back up, and once he was, she scooted in closer and made herself comfy. “But I was serious about watching this movie, so you have to make it through at least half of it before you try to put any moves on me,” she told him. “Maybe I’ll wait until the credits roll,” Sasha countered as he settled in also, an arm going around Shelby easily as she tucked in close to him. “I think you’ll be happier with me if I do,” he added as he glanced over at her and smirked. They had come to watch the movie after all and while Shelby was distracting, Sasha kind of did want to see the movie as well. “You’re not wrong,” she replied, just before she hit play. It took most of Shelby’s self-restraint not to quote lines along with the actors on the screen, or watch Sasha the entire movie to try and see if he liked it as much as she did, so when the credits began their crawl up the screen, she breathed a little sigh of relief. “So,” she began, “what did you think?” Somewhere during the last scene she’d gotten antsy, and hadn’t realized that she’d used that nervous energy to worry at the hem of Sasha’s shirt with her fingers, something that hadn’t slipped Sasha’s notice. Once she was aware of it she pulled her hands back to more neutral territory. “It was good, right?” “Ah, I think great is probably more fitting,” Sasha answered as he pulled his gaze away from the rolling credits to look at Shelby, who smiled liked she’d just won the lottery. “Like, I’m literally wondering how in the hell I’ve never seen this movie until now,” he continued, shock evident in his tone. As he spoke Sasha shifted on the couch, an act that caused Shelby to slide in closer to him due to gravity or whatever, he wasn’t going to think too hard as to the why -- he liked her this close to him. “Also I caught you watching me, was my reactions satisfactory?” Sasha asked with a smirked. While he might have been engrossed in the movie, it wasn’t hard to notice her glances towards him out of the corner of his eye as they sat on her couch. “Shut up, I was not!” Shelby tried to defend herself, but backtracked quickly to, “It’s just this is my favorite, so…” She shrugged her shoulders because suddenly she felt very lame and didn’t know what to do with that. “I’m happy you liked it.” She had started fidgeting with his hem again. God, she had to stop doing that. “So you wanted to make sure I recognized just how awesome it was,” Sasha supplied with a grin, his hand moving to cover the one Shelby still had fidgeting at the hem of his shirt. “I’m happy that you’re happy,” he continued honestly. “And I mean you weren’t at all using it as an excuse to check me out or anything, right?” Sasha questioned as he turned just right to catch Shelby’s eye so he could wink at her. She gave him a look, but avoided a confirmation. “Especially because if you didn’t I would have had to kick you out, and it’s dark now, and the…” her sentence broke on a fit of giggles, “yard isn’t super comfortable. No patio furniture to sleep on.” His arm tightened around Shelby and the hand that was covering hers threaded their fingers together. “You wouldn’t really kick me out and make me sleep on the lawn would you?” he asked as he effectively shifted his face into a pout. “I could be eaten by a zombie,” Sasha continued his tone scandalized as he ducked his head to add. “And I really had a different idea in mind for where I’d be sleeping tonight.” It was a bold remark and held a note of assumption in it. Sasha knew he had two options, either he was right and Shelby was into him or by making his assumption he had just gone and made an ass out of himself. He was hoping it was the former and not the latter. “You mean the guest room?” she asked with just a hair of sarcasm, her eyebrows up towards her hairline. She hadn’t disentangled her digits from his though. “I guess if you’re really afraid of being munched on by the undead I could make sure it’s set up for guests.” She let silence fall for a beat or two before she added, “but I can show you my room first.” and leaned over to kiss him. It wasn’t the most confident action, but Shelby wasn’t timid about it either. Whatever Shelby might have lacked with confidence behind her action, Sasha more than made up for in the way his arm easily encircled her waist and pulled her in closer to him. He brought a little more heat to the kiss as well, deepening it, and when it felt like his lungs were screaming for air Sasha finally broke it. Shelby felt a little breathless too, when they separated again. “So about that tour of your room?” Sasha questioned with a smugness that could only belong to a nineteen year old kid who was like ninety five percent convinced he might get lucky. Although even if Shelby ended things right where they were, seated on the couch Sasha would be content with that as well. He wasn’t in the habit of pushing anyone into anything and it had been a good night. Plus, either way Shelby was stuck with him for the night since curfew had passed and Sasha wasn’t idiotic enough to try and make it home this late. “C’mon.” Shelby wiggled free and stood, bouncing on the balls of her feet only a few times before she settled down again. “It’s upstairs,” she added unnecessarily, laughing at herself when she realized that of course he could have figured that one out. She turned the electronics off, then held up a finger for him to wait there while she checked the door to make sure it was locked. A walker probably wouldn’t stumble in, but it was force of habit. “You know I don’t think walkers know how to use doors yet,” Sasha teased gently as he sat and patiently waited for Shelby to finish what was probably a routine she had formed. Humans did use doors though, and Sasha realized it was probably a good thing she was in the routine of locking her door -- creeps still existed after all. “You’re not allowed to judge the decor or there will be consequences,” She warned mock seriously, hands on hips. She waited one more second before Sasha got up from the couch, then grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the staircase. A sly sort of smirk tugged at Sasha’s mouth as he rose up from the couch and laced his fingers with Shelby’s as she took his hand. “Do you really think I’m going to be looking at the decor?” He questioned, voice low as he pulled her in close enough to utter those words just inches from her ear, which made her shiver. “But if you’re concerned, I promise I won’t be judging it,” Sasha added as Shelby pulled away from him and began to tug him up the stairs. Somewhere along the way as they went up the stairs Sasha had passed Shelby, his long legs bringing him up the stairs quickly. As they reached the top landing he felt bold enough to wrap an arm around her waist and loosened his grip on her hand in order to motion towards the closed doors. “So which one is the room I’m not supposed to judge?” “This one,” Shelby replied, leaning into the warmth of Sasha’s side as she reached for the door nearest to them. Cracking it a little, she peeked inside and mentally cringed at the disarray of clothing spilling from her dresser and closet. Hesitating for a quick beat, she opened it further and glanced up at Sasha with a tiny smirk. “Come on in.” |