Who: Ruby and Tom When: Sept 2 Where: Out to a bar, then Tom's place What: A date and a sleepover Rating/Warnings: Skipped over sex stuff, otherwise cuteness and walk of shame Status: Complete
Tom was an amazing breed of gentleman who liked to take girls out for a night on the town. Wine, dinner, dancing, drinks, then off to bed. And eggs in the morning. He made these amazing cheesy, potato eggs that were absolutely delicious. And he pretty much always kept them in supply at his place. For mornings after. That sort of thing.
Ruby was tons of fun, too. Tom always enjoyed going out with her. She was a dancer and a drinker, and she kept up with him. He didn’t have to worry about holding back when he was out with Ruby. She was down-to-Earth, not the kind that he had to present with flowers and fake promises. They made great friends (with benefits) if Tom didn’t say so himself.
So he’d picked her up and had taken her to their first stop of the evening; a classy bar overlooking the beach. There was a patio with heating lamps and a fountain, and after getting them each a fairly strong cocktail (that’s what car services were for, right?) he led the way to the patio so they could sit and talk.
Ruby knew that this was probably a stupid decision. But she also convinced herself it was fine because, well, she knew exactly what she was getting into with Tom. Nothing serious would ever come of it, but there would always be a good time to be had. She might have not realized that the first time they’d gone out, but that was a while ago.
Of course, things had changed and she was trying to keep herself from some of the same mistakes of the past. Not to mention she really didn’t like answering questions. So as far as she was concerned, V-town was closed to the public. That was her plan and she was going to keep to it. Honest. Just two friends. Having fun. That was it.
The first place was nice. One of the places she really could only get into with someone like Tom. She sure as hell didn’t have the money. Either way, the cocktail was good, strong, but good, and the atmosphere was nice. Once on the patio, she looked around in approval.
Tom was never really anyone's ex. Just like he was never really anyone's boyfriend. He was just a guy I'm sleeping with or a guy I used to sleep with... to most of the girls he went out with, anyway. Some of them hadn't realized yet that he was a lover, but not a lover. He had strong, powerful emotions, but they didn't seem to linger. So, enjoy them while they're there. You never knew who he was going to be out with the next day.
Hey, she didn't have to get naked. Later on, after a few drinks, they could go back to his place to fool around, and stay mostly clothed. He wasn't fussed.
"So," he started, moving over to some cozy-looking chairs under one of the heat lamps, "What's a classy gal like you doing in a place like this?" A wink. Playful. Grinning.
While an unwanted realization, Ruby had taken it in stride once she realized just what she had gotten herself into with Tom the first time around. So she focused on the fun of it, mocked him when she got the chance and just… went with it. Maybe one day she’d get that whole romance thing everyone was on about, but she doubted it, so why punish herself for it? Okay. Sometimes (most of the times) it ended poorly but not always.
Ruby followed after Tom, drink in hand and made herself comfortable once at the chairs and smirked with a shrug.
“Oh you know, wanted to see the world and all its finery.” She could play the game. Flirt, smile, laugh. Sipping her drink she just quirked a brow in amusement.
She could absolutely have romance with Tom. They could do champagne in hot tubs, candles and bearskin rugs (faux, of course), and weekend getaways to exotic places. The only thing she couldn't get out of him was commitment. That and the L word.
"Hey, works for me. I get the finery and beautiful company. I'm a lucky guy." He lifted his glass to clink against hers, gently.
It was a good thing Ruby wasn’t looking for commitment from Tom. She was pretty sure she was done with that whole thing, it never worked out for her. Why not just have fun? Though she always fell back into the same old traps, but that wasn’t an issue here and that was the point.
“Extremely lucky.” Glasses clinking, Ruby scanned the patio area again. People watching, really. How many of them had the Dreams, or were they free from that headache? It was interesting but strange how so many people in the Orange County area had them yet not everyone. Could you tell just by people watching?
Tom was watching Ruby. He sipped from his glass and watched her while she people watched. One of his eyebrows gently arched upward. “What are you thinking about?” He asked, gently. Tom had a way of making people feel like he was really interested. He really cared. Because he did, generally speaking. He was curious about what was going on inside Ruby’s head.
“The fact that there is a large portion of the population who seem to have dreams about… well, I don’t know. It seems to be centralized in Orange County. Is it only people who end up on Valarnet though? Or do those not on Valarnet also have them?”
Because she knew Tom knew what she was talking about. Anyone on Valarnet would know about the Dreams, whether or not they’d had them yet or not. Because it was one of the most common things talked about, and he had made the post about how everyone on it were the good kind of crazy.
Tom hadn't had any Dreams. He would have said that his dreams were normal and boring, even though they could be quite good. The ones he remembered, anyway. He didn't always remember his dreams. But the ones she was talking about were the kind they shared on Valarnet--the kind that were too real to be ordinary dreams? Tom liked reading about them, but wasn't sure he believed them.
"I don't know." Tom said, shaking his head. His eyes were still on her. They hadn't left her face. "Does everyone on Valarnet get those dreams? I certainly haven't had any yet." He was actually kind of looking forward to them.
Sometimes Ruby still found it hard to believe in the Dreams, yet she’d had a handful by this point, recognized people from them, had things show up from them. If she had been iffy before, well… the arrival of the red cloak as well as the uniform did lend credit to the fact that there was more to them than simple dreams fueled by talk of others. Still, she was a New Yorker and while she was all about ignoring the labels and remaining upbeat when that should mean she was rushed and rude, there were some things that stuck. Like being skeptical of things like the dreams.
It was probably just one of those things that you couldn’t believe until they happened to you.
The fact Tom hadn’t had them was interesting, then again, she had seen people talk about them in the abstract, or the one kid who said he should just stop talking to people who hadn’t had them.
“I’m not sure. It could just take longer for some than others? Some people act like it’s inevitable, the question being when as opposed to if.” Smirking, she tilted her head to the side, “Though I do wonder what sort of dreams you would have.”
It was hard to believe the Dreams in general. It wasn't surprising that she had a hard time with them. It seemed that a lot of people had a hard time with them. Tom liked hearing about it, even if he wasn't sure it would ever happen to him. He was looking forward to it when finally did.
"I bet I'm the wicked villain in some fantastic tale," Tom teased, leaning over to gently poke Ruby in the side. "A horrible, ridiculous, wonderful madman set to destroy everyone's happiness."
At this point, Ruby would be happy just with a consistent set of them as opposed to the double life that followed a similar path yet not completely. Because the headaches were ridiculous whenever she’d had them.
It was an automatic response to jolt when poke, a straightening of the back as she laughed some at the comment.
“Well better that than you Dreaming and there being no beautiful women. I don’t know how you would handle that!”
Amused, she took a sip of her drink then shrugged.
“Whatever it is, it will be quite the tale, there’s no way out of that with you involved.”
Tom had been aiming for the laugh. The squirm was icing on the cake. It made him want to pin her down and tickle her. ...then while he had her pinned down...
"I don't believe in Dreams without beautiful women. I don't think my subconscious would ever do that to me," Tom argued, still grinning brightly "I'll make sure to let you know as soon as I've started dreaming," Tom added, then gulped down the rest of his drink. 'Another round? Or shall we hit another bar? Or, better yet, I'll just buy a bottle and we can walk along the beach passing it back and forth."
“Yet it is believed that it’s more than subconscious. Then what?” Now Ruby was more interested about what he might Dream than initially, if only because the notion of him possibly being deprived of beautiful women was amusing of itself. It probably wouldn’t be that way, but it was an amusing image none the less. “But you better. It’s only fair if you’ve been spying on the network before saying anything and have already seen me talk about my own.”
And oh, the choices. Another drink. A new bar. Or stereotypical walking the beach and while sharing a bottle of wine. Though beach meant she could forego shoes because if you’re walking in sand, you don’t wear shoes. It was an unwritten rule.
“I think buy a bottle and walk along the beach while passing it back and forth.”
"I'm an optimist, Ruby, I believe that everything's going to turn out perfectly." Tom said, lifting his arm to drape around her shoulders. "You know you're the first I'll tell if I have any bizarre, memory-like dreams about far-off places and daring swordfights. I think I'd look dashing with a cutlass." He said, and gave her shoulders a squeeze.
"Perfect. What would you like to drink? Something strong? Sweet? Girly?" He added, teasing. He was thinking a nice, spiced rum, or if she really wanted sweet, schnapps. Stronger than wine but still drinkable out of the bottle. "How drunk am I allowed to get you, Girly?" He asked, lifting his finger to tap against the tip of her nose.
“Well then, I’m sure your dreams will be fine.” The shoulder squeeze was met with a slight nudge and she shook her head some, still smiling, “Complete with magic spells and a prince in disguise?” Because really, you don’t partially quote Beauty and the Beast. It has to be finished. Or so Ruby felt.
“Strong.”
Because why not? There wasn’t anything she was dreadfully trying to avoid but might as well get something strong. Swatting at the finger, she shrugged. She knew that if she got drunk, she’d likely forget her whole mantra from earlier, but as tended to happen, she pushed that mantra aside.
“Sky’s the limit.”
Just because he didn’t do commitment didn’t mean he was a creep and so, stupid decision or not, she knew that it wasn’t a dangerous decision. Just a stupid one. But you only live once and all of that.
Tom gave a little chuckle. She'd caught him quoting a Disney movie. And not one of the best ones, either. Not the Pixar stuff. Went to show his age--he grew up on Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin... wore through the VHS tapes when he was a kid. "Absolutely. Maybe I'll kidnap a beautiful bookworm and force her to love me in a castle filled with enchanted objects."
His grin grew, he stood and reached for her hand. "C'mon. We'll get something fruity, strong, and go for a walk. Then back to my place, maybe." Or hers. Or wherever. But he knew that neither of them was likely going to be satisfied with drinking while walking on the beach.
Once she was on her feet, he led her by the hand back through the bar. He ordered a bottle of peach schnapps from the bartender, and turned to Ruby with a ridiculous grin. "We can be seventeen again."
Because that's what all seventeen year olds drank, right?
There was just something about the Pixar Disney that didn’t sit right with Ruby. New generation, whatever. But there was just something about the hand drawn ones that were on VHS that reminded her of a simpler time. Oh well. Disney movies would always hold a place in her heart and catching Tom quoting one just made it better. “Just make sure there’s a song and dance number with the diningware. Gets a girl every time.”
Taking the hand, she stood and nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
The obvious plan that they both knew was going to happen. But at least it was fun. Or he could say they were being seventeen again, which just made her laugh once more. “Yes! Let us be seventeen again.”
Who knew what seventeen year olds did. Ruby had been a wild teenager, so who knew what was ‘normal’, but drinking schnapps from a bottle while walking on the beach.. sure, that could totally count as being seventeen.
"Will do." Tom grinned. If he could swing it? Ruby was getting a show. Maybe not tonight, but some time.
They waited a moment while the bartender fetched an unopened bottle. In a supermarket Tom probably would have paid ten or fifteen dollars for the bottle. In the bar it was three times that price. But Tom paid it, easily, his arm snaking around Ruby's waist. He was already warm with alcohol and feeling happy.
Tom gave a "thank you" to the bartender, then led Ruby out the front door, down the sidewalk to the edge of the parking lot where he promptly took off his shoes and socks. He set them on the roof of the hired car they'd arrived in, then opened the bottle, giving her time to get her shoes off.
"...so. Am I going to get you to come skinny dipping with me?" He asked, and held out the bottle for her.
Having been a bartender, Ruby knew exactly how it worked, but the price of convenience, the fact they were already there and it wasn’t like Tom was hurting for money, she just rested against him while they waited.
A smile to the bartender was given and it was off to the car to be rid of shoes. Shoes were dreadful things. Actually they could be quite fun, but when there was walking on a beach to be had, dreadful things. Strappy things but she was able to get out of them easily enough, taking the offered bottle to take a drink from as she put the shoes on top of the car as well.
Skinny dipping.
“Tempting…” But there was the whole lack of clothes involved and the fact she didn’t want to deal with talking about what brought her to Orange County. “Perhaps. Only if you promise no questions.” It was hard to know if he’d question the scars or not. But she’d rather just leave it an air of mystery on lack of questions instead of risk it.
This was one of those places where the beach was actually quite nice. The sand was soft, not too many rocks or big batches of grass or weeds... really nice for a long walk hand in hand down by the water.
Tom raised an eyebrow at her 'no questions' comment and nodded once. "I'm really good at not asking questions." He said, softly. Then he reached for her free hand with his and turned to walk with her onto the sand. There were billions of stars lighting their path, and the moon glistened on the water. It was quite lovely.
"We'll just get far enough that the driver won't see us," Tom said, reaching for the bottle. He took a swig and passed it back. It was sweet, and barely burned. This stuff was dangerous. "Then I'll be a gentleman and turn my back so you can strip." Teasing. Playful. Those were definitely words that would describe Tom.
There was a definite difference between beaches on the east coast and beaches on the west coast. At least, this was Ruby’s decision as they walked along the beach. She hadn’t had much to compare it with before, and while this might be one of the nicer beaches so that not all were like this, there was still something to be said about the differences.
And he agreed to her terms. It was odd, and she knew it, but it was really for her own peace of mind more than anything. And with that one issue resolved, or at least agreed on, it was easy to fall into the lull of peace and just staring up at the sky as they walked. Really, it was a gorgeous night.
The plan was met with a nod.
“Such the gentleman.” But she was smiling and just took another swig of the schnapps.
Tom chuckled. “Well, I have to watch out for my girl.” He said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. He tugged her a little closer to him and released her fingers so he could wrap an arm around her body. “And my driver.”
He took the bottle and gulped, too. “...Not too much farther. It’s pretty amazing here at night. Though, I’m sure the water’s pretty cold. Might sober us up a bit.” He said, then paused to turn back toward the parking lot. He couldn’t make out the car from here, so this was probably good.
“I think you’d better worry more for him. I can take care of myself as you well know.” Some would argue differently, but in the end, she did stand up for herself and could defend herself and others when needed, “Though it’s nice to have someone take the mantle for a bit.”
Time and distance did seem to vanish when one was engaged in conversation because soon enough, it seemed as though the car had vanished and they were in their own little world, no one else to worry about beyond themselves. Plus the risk, since she was pretty certain there weren’t nude beaches in Orange County. It wasn’t like going to Fire Island and coming across the random section of nudity. Always hilarious for people who weren’t expecting it.
“So I can see. As for the water being cold, well, seems more an issue for you than me.”
Tom laughed. “Don’t worry. We can warm up again before that becomes a problem.” He teased, pulling her just a little further up the beach. He took the bottle, gulped again, and set it carefully down in the sand. Then he started stripping.
Tom was glorious. He worked hard to make sure that he was fit, and his skin clear. He was clean shaven, his teeth practically glowed in the night. He was down to his boxers in a matter of moments. then those were gone, too.
He wasn’t ashamed. She’d seen him naked before. He was exhilarated. “Ready?” He asked, holding a hand out to her.
“I should hope so!” Letting herself be pulled a bit further along the beach, Ruby laughed and took note. It seemed as though they had their spot.
Shame was definitely not a thing that was needed that night. And while she had some reservations, she had already had that covered so she followed suit, getting out of her dress and lingerie. And it wasn’t like this was anything new for them.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” With clothing discarded in the sand next to the bottle, Ruby took his hand. Two mature and responsible adults. Only not in that moment.
Two kinda tipsy, fun-loving, mature and responsible adults. Tom took hold of her hand, giving it a little squeeze, then tugged her along with him as they ran down the beach and into the water. He cried out “Cowabunga!” and then laughed in a high-pitched and gasping way at how cold the water was. He turned to Ruby, grabbed hold of her, and then dove into the water, dragging her playfully with him under the waves.
This would be a lot more awkward if she were shorter. As it were, she was able to match his stride, though did stumble along the way as they made their way into the water.
“Holy shit!”
Because, yes, it was cold, a lot colder than she had anticipated. But she was soon pulled under the water and there wasn’t much else to say. It was the fastest way to adapt to the temperature change, though.
And the sexiest. So Tom thought, anyway. They resurfaced a moment later, and Tom was whooping and hollering, laughing in the salty freezingness. He kept one hand on her, just in case there was some sort of weird wave that tried to knock her over. “Oh my God this is cold!” He laughed. But he was acclimating quickly.
This was so not like the movies where people came up slow motion out of the water, though it was probably a sexy way regardless to acclimate to the temperature. Okay, so what if her lungs presently felt ready to explode from the cold, that passed quickly enough. The waves were calm, or at least not choppy where they were. “Yeah. Yeah it is.” Not that it was a bad thing, and it was an easy enough acclimation.
Tom reached over for her hand and tugged her toward him in the water. It was fun. he felt his junk floating about, which was rather freeing. “...Definitely sobering,” he said, breathing a bit harder than normal. “...but I like it. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten your clothes off.”
There was certainly something to be said about being in the ocean completely naked. So long as she didn’t get arrested. That would sort of make the trying to get a job other than bartending a bit more difficult. But it wasn’t one of her immediate concerns. “No kidding.” Laughing some, she shook her head. It was true, it had been a while since they’d been together like this, but life and all that. “Well, we’re making up for that now, aren’t we?”
"If this is what you call making up for lost time?" Tom asked, moving even closer to wrap his arms around her in the water. "I like the way it feels." He moved in even closer, bringing her body all the way up to his, their noses only an inch apart. He leaned in, flickering his eyes down to her lips and back up again. Then his eyelids closed, and he moved ever closer.
Then promptly dunked them both under the water again.
She watched as he came towards her, easily fitting into his arms as if they were an old glove, and just raised a brow to see just what he had planned. It was easy to fall into the trap, to move closer, only to find herself under water.
Okay. That was new. But they were also skinny dipping. It probably came with the territory. Either way, once they were both up, she just kissed him playfully before moving to splash him.
Tom wasn’t going to say no to the kisses. He returned it, with a bit of hunger behind it, then laughed when she pulled back and splashed. He splashed her in return, but not too forcefully. This was fun and playful. He wasn’t trying to win a splashing fight.
Ruby lost time in the ocean between splashing, dunking and kissing. It was certainly a new sensation in the ocean. But that eventually came to an end, but that didn’t mean the evening came to an end. Oh no. It was only the beginning. She remembered getting back to the beach and putting her clothes back on, but by then it was as if the two were completely engulfed in their own world. Again, it wasn’t uncommon. Just like going back to the nearest apartment (his this time), more drinking, pretty damn amazing sex and passing out.
It was the same in the end, but it was always fun.
Because next thing Ruby knew, it was morning and she most certainly was not in her own bed when she woke up.
Tom was already in the kitchen. He was an early riser. Hangover or no, Tom was out of bed at 7:15 at the latest every morning. Without fail. Sometimes he hated himself for it, and other times he was thankful. Because being hungover at work where there was someone to make his coffee was a lot better than being hungover at home where he had to do it himself.
This morning he was surprisingly not hungover. He was already in the kitchen, showered and wearing some pajama pants, fixing breakfast. Tom pretty much always kept eggs, bacon, cheese and potatoes in his fridge for such occasions. He made one hell of a scramble.
It didn’t take a long time of being in bed to know what had happened the night before. And of course she hadn’t planned for it because she had constantly told herself that this wasn’t going to happen. She got up, went to the bathroom and splashed water on her face to wake herself up. Instead Ruby just shook her head at herself. So much for new starts. How was she supposed to do that when she just fell into the same old habits as she had in New York. Sometimes she hated herself for it. Not usually, and there was always fun to be had before. It was just dealing with the realizations later.
No matter. The night had been fun, she had known beforehand this was a possible outcome, and well… it was what it was. Making sure no lingering signs of self hatred was visible, Ruby was dressed and to the dining area, leaning against the counter.
“Morning.”
Tom leaned over to tap a kiss against her cheek, grinning softly. “There’s coffee. And breakfast is almost ready.” He’d been humming something under his breath, but stopped when he spoke to Ruby. Speaking of Coffee, Tom reached over and lifted his mug so he could have a sip from it, then set it back down again.
“Did you sleep well?” He asked, turning his attention back to the eggs. This was just another morning for him. He didn’t consider a night of fun with a good friend--like he’d shared last night with Ruby--to be a bad habit. It was a way of life for him.
“Yay coffee.” Coffee was good. Coffee was life. It was the usual morning routine and need for caffeine that was a common need within society and Ruby was no different. Especially since she was still more acclimated to the night. Being awake early wasn’t her favorite thing in the word, and while she could do it… coffee.
“Mhmm.” It wasn’t much of an answer, but there wasn’t much to say. She had definitely slept well. She did go for a mug of coffee though. She knew that this was normal for him. It played out basically the same regardless of where they were or what was going on in her life at that moment.
Tom moved seamlessly to the fridge and pulled out the creamer. The flavored kind. Vanilla or hazelnut, or whatever his personal shopper had decided he'd like. He offered it up to Ruby. "Good. Glad to hear it. I've been thinking it's time to get a new mattress. What do you think?"
Talk about not-awkwardness on his side. He was talking about a new mattress. And asking her opinion. Tom was about the opposite of awkward.
Creamer was love. If she never had an actual relationship with someone that was more than a fun night before going back to the daily grind, at least she would have creamers for her coffee. That counted, right? Creamer couldn’t let her down. Supposedly. The topic of conversation though? Pure Tom without even thinking about how it would seem.
“Well, it’s nicer than the one I have. But you know.. depends on what you’re looking for in a new mattress?”
"Something more comfortable. I dunno. I've got this cramp in my back. Maybe it's time to see a chiropractor, I dunno." He dished the eggs and potatoes and bacon and stuff onto a couple of plates and tossed the pan into the sink. Then he offered her a plate and took his own over to the table, sipping his coffee again as he went.
"You'll have to come spend the night again," he said, giving her an eyebrow waggle. "You know, for a better second opinion."
Cramp in his back. That could be any number of things, but she shrugged. Who was she to question those who had a seemingly unlimited money source? If Ruby were in such a position, she’d have to deal with it. But hey, it was how the other side lived and all of that. “Well, it’s up to you. But perhaps the chiropractor first, to see if it’s not something else.”
He probably wouldn’t take the advice but it was offered. She simply gave him an amused brow quirk at the comment on spending the night again for a better second opinion. “Perhaps.”
If she fell into old habits again or not, who knew, but it was more amusing this way. The breakfast was always a good incentive though.
He might take that advice. It wasn’t difficult for Tom to get to the doctor. Doctors sort of bent over backward to get Tom under their otoscopes. Probably because of the deep pockets. He’d just have to find the time.
They ate together in mostly silence. Tom liked looking at her. She was beautiful. And he liked having her here.
Time was an interesting thing. So much to fill the days and then the things that were necessary got push to the side for other pursuits. The silence was typical and not uncomfortable. It just was. But spells would always be broken at the chime and that was, in this case, the end of breakfast.
“Well, I suppose I should be off.” Returning the mug and plate to the sink, Ruby kissed Tom on the cheek. “Always a wonderful time.”
Getting back would be easy enough, and once she was by herself, it would be easier to try and focus on starting over again. Tom was just very distracting. With a smile and a wave, she was out the door and on her way back to her much more humble abode.