Daughter of the Sea (lord_admiral) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2018-03-15 04:12:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, chloe price, jaina proudmoore |
Well I have been told I have hot hair
Who: Chloe Price and Jaina Proudmoore
What: Random encounters and dancing and picking up a stray. Kind of.
When: March 11th
Where: Somewhere
Rating: Pg-13
Status: complete
Orange County was completely different from the shit hole in Oregon that she’d run away from. Of course, she still wasn’t technically old enough to legally smoke marijuana, but that never stopped her. Chloe had a fake ID and she didn’t exactly get many questions about her age. And when she did, she tended to always find someone else who’d sell her weed. She’d still had a stash of joints, so she wasn’t in danger of needing to find a new supply.
Chloe was walking along, cigarette hanging from her lips as she eyed a couple clubs. Getting lost on a dance floor sounded great right about then. However, someone bumped into her and she stumbled.
“Hey, watch it!” She quipped, managing to not drop her cigarette.
“You watch it, kid,” the guy retorted. He had the look of a biker. He was bigger than Chloe was, but she gave him a stare down.
“Maybe you just need to learn how to share the sidewalk.”
“You think you’re tough, huh?”
“Try me, asshole.” Chloe taunted. She may have been thin, but the tattoo sleeve on her right arm, her clothing and general demeanor seemed to suggest she was tougher than she might otherwise look.
Jaina still couldn’t teleport. She could do some basic spells, mostly elemental based, and she’d been practicing some of her time magic, but she couldn’t teleport and make portals and it was actually kind of frustrating. She knew she was powerful, it just wasn’t translating very well to the waking world.
So that’s why she was walking instead of taking much more efficient types of travel. She eyed the club dubiously. While she was wearing a very lowcut outfit that could almost pass for clubbing, it wasn’t usually her scene, and she was about to move past it when she witnessed the altercation between that overgrown brute and that punkish girl.
Being one to keep the peace, she approached, pushing her hair out of her face. “Excuse me, maybe you should leave that girl alone.”
“And who the hell are you?” The guy asked when the other woman came into the mix.
Taking advantage of the fact the guy’s attention was diverted, Chloe punched him square in the face, hitting him with a left hook before he even knew what had happened. He cried out in surprise, holding his face. He quickly backed off.
“Yeah that’s right, asshole, run away.” Chloe taunted triumphantly as she flipped him the middle finger. Shaking her head, she then looked over at the woman that had come to step in.
And of course she was hot. Chloe took a breath and straightened the beanie a bit on her head. “Uh, thanks for that.” That was what someone said in that situation, right? Chloe just hoped she wouldn’t trip over herself like she sometimes did when confronted with hot women in particular.
Grimacing, Jaina wondered if they’d really needed to resort to violence so soon. Or at least without him striking first, but then this wasn’t Azeroth and not everyone had the ability to take that first hit to begin with.
This girl seemed to have the ability to dish it out, at least.
“It’s all right. Are you okay?”
This woman was also tall, taller than Chloe at any rate. While Chloe wasn’t a giant, she wasn’t short either. It was weird when she met women that were taller than her. She scratched the back of her head, taking her cigarette out of her mouth with her other hand.
“Yeah, I’ve been involved in worse before.”
“Trouble has a way of finding you,” Jaina observed, a wry note in her voice. She wasn’t judging. Really, she was starting to discover she’d missed out on some things while she’d focused on the peace corps and MIT.
“Like a rebel without a cause?”
Okay Jaina that was stupid and a little flirty. This girl is probably much younger.
“I am definitely a rebel without a cause, at least part of the time.” Chloe retorted proudly. She didn’t care if anyone thought she was a delinquent. Her bleach blonde hair with one blue streak in it would’ve been a wild mess of ‘I don’t give a shit’ if she hadn’t been wearing a beanie.
“Sometimes I do have a cause, though. Like in seeing how many people I can piss off at once.” Again, she was proud of it. Chloe was angry at the world, though it was masking depression.
Definitely unlike anyone Jaina had ever met. Arthas’s anger was controlled, and directed at the undead threat. It was actually a little terrifying, and in her heart she suspected she knew where things were going in Stratholme. She just couldn’t accept it.
“Does that actually get you anywhere?” Jaina was interested in Chloe’s response, and maybe goading her good naturedly.
“It gets me what I want, and I’m still alive.” Not for a lack of trying, she added silently. Chloe took a drag from her cigarette and exhaled the smoke as she eyed the woman. “What’s it to you?”
“It’s interesting,” Jaina replied, genuine interest in her eyes. “Not everyone just barrels through life.” In another life she might have been more affected by her privilege, but in another life she hadn’t spent years in warzones with people who had nothing.
Jaina could recognize the look of someone who’d come from a rough background.
Chloe furrowed her brow a bit, confused by the notion that her approach to life was interesting. She definitely wasn’t going to trust the genuine interest she saw in the woman’s eyes. It wouldn’t last.
Everybody lies. No exceptions.
“That’s why you gotta start young. If you wait too long, you miss your chance to live life on the fly like that.” But Jaina wasn’t wrong. Chloe had had it rough the past five years. She learned younger than most that the only person you could count on was yourself.
If Chloe smoked like that, Jaina was sure she wouldn’t be able to live life on the fly at all eventually. She liked her lung capacity, and folded her arms under her chest. “While I don’t live life on the fly, I do find occasion to enjoy myself.”
Yeah, Chloe’s lung capacity was already beginning to suffer, but she didn’t exactly care. If she ran herself into an early grave it wouldn’t be like anyone would miss her. When the woman folded her arms under her chest, Chloe couldn’t help but to divert her gaze down to her chest for a moment. Oh shit, that shirt was rather low cut, wasn’t it?
“What’s the point of life if you don’t fucking enjoy yourself?” Chloe posed with a smile and a sweep of her arms. “You’re only young once, so why not go for it?”
“That’s true, but I think everyone has different things they enjoy.” Jaina waved her hand. “I’m a mathematician and a physicist, I find puzzles fun.”
Her hand gestured in the direction of a club, “I’ve never been in one of those, so I don’t know if that would be fun.”
“You sound like a nerd.” Chloe said it as a statement of fact. She wasn’t making fun of her. After all, had things in Chloe’s life gone a bit differently, she’d probably still be a science nerd. And, well, she still liked science, she just didn’t have a passion for it like she used to. Chloe was actually hella more intelligent than she looked, she just didn’t give a shit about school or learning anymore.
“Wait, seriously?” Chloe asked, glancing to the club, then back to the woman. “I prefer being in the middle of a mosh pit at a heavy metal show, but the dancefloor of a club is still just as amazing. You haven’t fucking lived until you feel the bass line pulsing through your chest.”
“You haven’t lived until you’ve, uhm…” Jaina rubbed the back of her neck. As long as it wasn’t like mortar fire she’d probably be okay. “I realize anything I say will sound very nerdy and lame.”
“Well then, I think it’s time that you try something different.” She took one final drag from her cigarette before dropping it on the ground and stepping on it to put it out. Chloe didn’t care that this woman was probably way older than her, she still took her by the hand and started pulling her towards the club. “My name’s Chloe, by the way.” She said. Might as well know the other woman’s name if she was dragging her into a club.
“I’m sorry, what?” Jaina started to ask, before she was being pulled towards the club. A little absently, she replied, “Jaina. I’m Jaina.”
It was bad enough she was the ‘hippie’ daughter in her father’s eyes, if he knew she was going into a club, he’d flip a biscuit. It was a pretty good reason to go along with it - Jaina never ignored a chance to stick it to the racist old man.
At the very least, Chloe could just lose herself in the music on the dance floor and let herself go for a little while. She wasn’t certain how long Jaina would even make it considering she’d never been in such a place before. Luckily, it was an 18+ club, so Chloe could use her actual I.D. instead of her fake one.
Sadly she’d need to be careful about getting alcohol if Jaina had caught a good look at her actual I.D. But that was secondary to getting on the dance floor right now. Getting inside, Chloe drew in a deep breath, a grin stretching across her face as she felt the pulse of the music already pounding in her chest.
“Now this is where the fun begins.” Chloe said to Jaina, loud enough to be heard over the music. She then pulled her towards the dance floor.
The music reverberated through her chest. There were people everywhere, and it was much more crowded than any party that Jaina had ever been in.
She tried to be heard over the music, “I haven’t been to any kind of dance since this one party at MIT!”
“Oh my god, you’re such a nerd,” Chloe responded with a grin. “Now come on, let’s get in there and dance like no one’s watching!” Chloe pushed her way to the dance floor, keeping hold of Jaina’s hand as she went. She found a spot and started to move to the music.
“But everyone is watching,”Jaina protested. She glanced around, though, trying to judge how everyone was dancing and decided it was probably a good thing she wasn’t some kind of prude. Mostly.
She turned back to Chloe as she started to dance. This wasn’t so bad, music was like math. It had a pattern and a beat and she could roll with that.
“Watching or not, everyone’s enjoying themselves!” Chloe said. “They’ll only judge you if you don’t dance, so come on!” She moved to the music, also blending into the mass of people on the dance floor. It was easy for her to let go and let loose.
“If I look like an idiot this is your fault,” Jaina warned. But she quickly stopped caring about that, moving her hips in time to the music, lifting her arms over her head.
This was actually fun!
Chloe let out a laugh and watched as Jaina got into the music. “Hey, you’re not so bad!” She threw her own arms up in the air and danced like there was no tomorrow. But Chloe clearly knew how to dance in a club scene. She was careful to not elbow anyone that she didn’t intend to elbow.
Laughing as well, Jaina danced closer to Chloe, a little too uncomfortable with the people around her just yet to want to be too far away from what was probably her lifeline. She didn’t want to get swallowed up in the crowd, so she moved behind Chloe.
She definitely wasn’t above punching people if someone got too up in Jaina’s business. She didn’t like when people did that or came on too strong when it wasn’t wanted. When Jaina moved behind her, Chloe glanced over her shoulder at her and smiled before she danced closer to her. Chloe wasn’t exactly looking for a hook up, but she wasn’t going to pass up dancing with a hot woman like this.
That was probably a good thing. Jaina wasn’t adverse to hookups, but she tended to prefer actual dating. Besides, Chloe was just the right side of forbidden fruit. Very hot forbidden fruit.
She smiled back, dropping her hands to either side of Chloe and not entirely sure where to put them, but enjoying herself too much to worry about it.
At this point, Chloe would prefer hook ups to actual dating, but given her girlfriend of three years had up and left her without a single word, she wasn’t exactly wanting either thing right now. She was angry and hurt and it only reinforced that no one actually gave a damn about her. She was probably on the verge of self-destructing in spectacular fashion, but that’s what she was aiming for.
Grinding up against Jaina, Chloe reached back for her hands and put them on her hips. At least it would stop anyone from trying to get in between them if they gave off the appearance of being together. And anyone trying to make a skeevy threesome out of it was getting a knuckle sandwich from Chloe.
Friendly reminder for Jaina; she was totally not straight. Trying not to think anything of it, she danced closer, letting her hips move with and against Chloe’s. Someone nearby catcalled and she locked eyes with him and gave him such a look that he backed up so quickly he tripped.
Chloe also definitely wasn’t straight. She heard the catcall and was about to flip him the bird when she saw him back off really quickly. She had to laugh a bit, liking the sight of that. She leaned back into Jaina, just enjoying the feel of someone being there with her. She knew it was just temporary, but for now it felt hella awesome.
After another minute, she turned around to face Jaina. Might as well soak it up, right? She set a hand on Jaina’s hip and her other one on her shoulder.
The warmth was nice, and welcome, and Jaina could feel it not just from all the bodies but the closeness of a body against hers. She grinned at Chloe, a hint of the mischievous young mage that had once terrorized Dalaran chasing stories of powerful Guardians, and slid her hand up Chloe’s back to her shoulder. “I figured out the right look to give a man a long time ago!”
She rather liked that hint of mischievousness she saw in Jaina then. “I love it. Some guys just don’t fucking get it.” Chloe had experience with that. Sometimes one had to take matters into their own hands, rather literally, to get guys to get the message.
“My dating experiences with anyone are limited, but most of my peers are men. I’m not sure there’s much of a difference when it comes to their attitudes.” Though she generally preferred men, Jaina had met several women who’d turned her head.
Not something she advertised to family.
“Really? I’d think you’d have a lot of people interested in you. I mean, you’re hot.” Oh god, was that a bad thing to say? “Uh I mean, I’m not trying to make a pass at you or anything, but you are hot.” Did that make it any better? Chloe wasn’t certain so she decided to just leave it there for the moment and continue dancing.
Redness colored Jaina’s cheeks. “Thank you. You’re hot too.”
Then, because she was awkward, she tried to joke, “I guess I’m not hot enough to make a pass at?”
“Fuck no, you’re definitely hot enough to make a pass at. I mean, do you want me to?” Chloe was never good at this kind of thing. She suddenly wished that Max or Rachel were here right now to save her from herself. Except Max would probably just take a picture and quietly laugh while Chloe hung herself and Rachel would probably just jump in head-first and try to flirt.
“No! Yes! I mean..” Jaina reeled herself in, “Only if you want to. I mean I haven’t gotten hit on by someone I wanted to hit on me in ages.”
Oh god she was bad at this.
Well, at least she wasn’t the only one that was bad at this? There was that at least. So, finding some courage, she smiled at Jaina. “Well, allow me to say that you are very hot, and I’m very glad that you joined me for this dance.” Not that she’d given Jaina much of a choice, but the woman could’ve just walked away after getting inside and she didn’t, so Chloe took that as a win.
“I’m learning to let it go a little,” Jaina replied. Someone bumped into her from behind and she ended up pressed against Chloe, which helped no matters what so ever.
“I love the streak in your hair,” she managed to add.
Instinctively, Chloe shifted her arms around Jaina, a reflex in trying to catch her but then she just ended up in her arms and really close to her. But it was okay, she was cool, she could do this.
“Thank you. I’d had it all blue with purple roots, but recently decided on a change of pace and bleached it but left the streak.” Perhaps in time, she’d go back to all blue with purple roots. But for right now, she was trying something that didn’t remind her of Rachel liking it.
While Jaina didn’t think what she was wearing was immodest, she kind of wish she’d worn something a little more modest. But most of her wardrobe was shirts like this, when not counting her more formal shirts.
“It looks good on you. I don’t know if I have the guts to bleach mine.” She reached up, fingering the blue lock.
She liked the touch to her hair. “It was less guts and more I needed a change that led me to it.” Chloe kind of missed the blue, but it still reminded her of Rachel far too much right now to be healthy. “Though I think you’d be able to pull off the bleached look.”
Dropping her hand back to Chloe’s shoulder, Jaina danced them a bit out of the crowd, towards a darker, slightly quieter area. Mostly so they could talk and have room to breathe. Certainly not because it could be more intimate.
Jaina missed intimacy, not even just the romantic kind. “I might need more convincing of that.”
Chloe moved with Jaina as she danced them towards a darker and quieter area. She didn’t mind it. As much as she might be for pushing people away, she was intensely lonely and tended to crave attention. She just wasn’t the type to ask for it, at least not in the whole ‘I’m lonely, keep me company’ kind of way.
“I think you’d look like the sun with bleached hair. In a good way, I mean. You’d be very eye-catching and I don’t think anyone could tear their gaze away from you.”
“If I’m the sun, what does that make you?” Jaina asked, her eyes drilling into Chloe’s as she brushed aside that blue streak again. “The sea. It has its storms, and its tides, and in its depths it has its pearls too.”
The sea seemed to suit Chloe, Jaina thought. Wild and angry untamed, fraught with danger. Yet filled with depth of wonder, too.
“I’d sooner say a black hole, but the sea works too.” Chloe didn’t think she had any pearls or other hidden treasures for people to find. She was just an angry shell of the girl she used to be. But that was okay, it was better this way. She learned the hard way how the world worked, and this was the result.
Jaina had a counter, "A black hole is the center of a tempest, through which energy ebbs and flows and though light can't escape you don't know what wonder can be found on the other side."
“Shoulda known better than to say that to a nerd,” she teased. “Sure there are theories about going through a black hole and ending up in another part of the universe, but it hasn’t been proven yet.” Chloe didn’t know if that theory would even be proven or disproven within her lifetime. “Black holes could just as easily simply be gigantic, star destroying eaters of the universe.”
“If that was the case, the one at the center of our galaxy would have destroyed everything by now.” Jaina lived for this kind of thing, some how still managing to sway with Chloe as she spoke excitedly, “All our known laws and rules break down the closer you get to the event horizon. Some day, we’ll figure out a way to see what happens past it.”
The hand not on Chloe’s shoulder started trailing little circles and patterns in her back.
“That’s assuming that black holes play by the laws of physics as we currently understand them. There could be something completely different at work with the black holes at the center of galaxies as opposed to the ones that just drift through dark space that we can’t see.” Yeah, Chloe was actually smart and knew about science. “I wouldn’t mind being the first to go past the event horizon.” If she died, at least she’d be dead. And if she ended up in another part of the universe? At least it would be hella far away from all the fuckers that had hurt her.
The hand on Jaina’s shoulder moved to trail fingers through the other woman’s hair. It was really soft.
“I did one of my Thesis papers on this,” Jaina murmured. “You’ve got a sexy brain.”
She blinked, “Uh. I mean, I’m obviously not the only nerd here tonight.”
“No, you’re definitely the nerd here. I gave up on learning years ago.” Chloe didn’t have the drive to learn, and she sure as hell didn’t have what it took to apply herself to learning. It took too much effort.
She twirled some of Jaina’s hair around her finger.
"You've retained some knowledge." Jaina's head leaned into the finger in her hair. Despite the pounding bass and the people all around, she could only focus on this conversation and this young woman.
"Maybe you've just been taught the wrong way." They were still talking science weren't they?
“No, I had great teachers. It definitely wasn’t their fault.” Especially not her high school teacher. She’d loved her, she just had stopped applying herself because nothing really mattered. But of course, Chloe wasn’t the type to really talk about the things that bothered her, so instead of trying to ask for help, she bottled things up and acted out. “It’s all on me.”
Noting the way Jaina leaned into her finger, she kept playing with her hair. And she felt like kissing her, even if it wouldn’t lead anywhere.
Maybe if she knew her better, Jaina could push the matter. But not today, and not here. She just thought there was a brilliant brain hidden beneath the punk exterior and paint. Her hand splayed against the small of Chloe’s back. At some point, they’d danced into a space under the stairs. It felt vaguely high school bleachersish. “Your tattoos. Do they mean anything?”
It was definitely high school bleacherish, but Chloe kind of liked it that way. She hadn’t been a typical high school student to begin with. “Not completely? I mean, I like skulls, and I like butterflies, and flowers are pretty. My ex and I got tattoos done together.” Which of course brought Rachel squarely into mind. “I love how it turned out.”
On some level, there was probably a way deeper meaning. Such as the skull representing her father’s death or something. But she wasn’t about to get into that.
“Maybe I’ll get some ink sometime,” Jaina decided. What, exactly, she couldn’t say. In her dreams, she’d been given a mark, a magical one on her wrist. It was an eye that glowed under certain circumstances. Did that count?
She leaned her forehead against Chloe’s, “What do you think would suit me?”
She closed her eyes, more than soaking up being close to someone like this. She really missed snuggling with Rachel. Chloe was actually quite the cuddlebug when given the chance. She took a moment to think about the question. “Maybe something science-related. The perfect ratio or the event horizon, maybe.”
"An inky blackness with light coming out of it," Jaina suggested. Her back bumped into the pillar holding up the stairs. She didn't want to think about anything else, or break the spell. Outside this club was a life with too few friends, and dreams that were both exhilarating and terrifying.
“I think it’d be beautiful,” she responded. Chloe pressed closer to Jaina. Not being one to shy away from things, and being caught up in the moment, she decided to just go all in. She leaned up and kissed Jaina. It could be a mistake, but it wasn’t like she was a stranger to making mistakes.
"I'm glad you - " Chloe was a good kisser and not the only one who was feeling lonely and vulnerable today, so Jaina went with the moment. She wasn't Arthas, or her roommate back in Massachusetts, and that was probably a good thing.
Jaina wasn’t Rachel, and that was definitely a good thing. She slid her hand to the back of Jaina’s head and put everything into the kiss. Chloe was not one to hold back when she committed to something, she went all in.
Jaina groaned. She was supposed to be the mature one, but she'd always led with her heart as much as her head. If Chloe needed this, she reasoned, then who was she to argue?
If Chloe was going to end up being the mature one in this situation, then there would be a lot of bad decisions being made tonight. Course, Chloe could probably use getting laid with no strings attached, but she also wasn’t going to pressure Jaina into it if she didn’t want it. But it was so easy to get lost in the kiss, the feel of Jaina’s lips against hers.
She didn't know Chloe but she'd already believe that any time she was the voice of reason they were fucked.
Jaina flicked her tongue against Chloe's lips.
She opened her mouth, and flicked her tongue against Jaina’s. It was definitely intoxicating in a completely different way than weed or alcohol got her. And she didn’t give a damn if anyone was watching them.
She smelled the man before she heard him make a lewd comment. Jaina broke the kiss, turning a fierce gaze on him, lifting one of her hands while pulling Chloe closer. The word she said wasn't English, and it almost echoed. Red light twirled around her forearm and wrist, then flared in the palm of her hand.
It wasn't a powerful spell - she had the knowledge but the magic wasn't there to be called up and she wasn't inclined to actually get violent - but it was enough to light his shirt on fire.
He flailed, trying to pat it out, before landing on the ground and rolling.
Chloe had only partially heard the lewd comment. She was a little confused when Jaina broke the kiss, but got distracted as she was pulled closer against Jaina. She missed the whole thing with Jaina’s arm, though she did notice the word she spoke that definitely wasn’t English. She turned her head in time to see the man’s shirt catch on fire and him rolling around on the ground.
“Oh shit,” she commented under her breath. “That’s what you get, asshole.” Especially for interrupting that hella amazing kiss.
"Maybe we should go somewhere with less people," Jaina suggested, a little horrified at herself and yet? Not all that upset. It dawned on her she never had to deal with people like that again if it really came down to it.
“Probably a good idea. Less chance of running into assholes like that.” Chloe reluctantly stepped back from Jaina so that they could head out of the club and then go to...wherever they would be going next.
Jaina couldn’t really think of any place right away, but she took Chloe’s hand to guide her back through the crowd. It wasn’t too chilly a day, but after the press of the dancers it felt much colder than it was, and was kind of a relief.
She turned to grin at Chloe. “Got any ideas on where to go?”
Holding Jaina’s hand, she headed out of the club, a little shiver running through her. But it wasn’t that cold or uncomfortable, just a temperature change. Chloe glanced around, then looked back to Jaina. “Nope. I’m new around here, so I don’t really know what’s around.”
It was also her birthday, but she wasn’t quite about to bring it up. The only thing a birthday marked to her was one more year without her dad.
Once again she lamented the fact she couldn't teleport. It would make this easier. She ruled out the library, not wanting to get kicked out, and instead started pulling Chloe towards the park.
“This is okay, right?”
Now if Chloe discovered that Jaina had magic, actual magic, she’d probably find it extremely fucking cool. She’d gone through a stage of being a magician, but actual magic? That would be so badass it wasn’t even funny. And she was good at keeping secrets, too.
“Yeah, it is.” She fell into step with Jaina, and she glanced around. “So….have you lived here long?” She asked, making conversation as they walked.
“A couple of months, I just moved here,” Jaina explained. “I wanted to get as far away from my father as I could and still be in the continental United States, and I heard there were a lot of advanced research companies here. I have degrees in theoretical and applied physics and mathematics.”
She wasn’t even bragging.
“I can relate, in a way.” Chloe wished her father was still here, but she basically had up and left when everyone she’d ever loved had either died or up and left her. Rachel had been the last straw in that matter, especially when step-fucker had started cracking down even harder after Rachel’s disappearance.
“Damn girl, you’ve definitely got some brains there. In a non-zombie way, obviously.”
“My father is the antithesis of everything I believe,” Jaina lamented. She hadn’t let go of Chloe’s hand yet, and had no real intention to. In fact, she slowed down a little so that Chloe could be closer.
Her voice caught just briefly, the mention of zombies a bit too close to home, “I’m sure … my brains are very high calorie for any of the undead.”
“Sounds like someone I know.” Step-fucker, to be precise. Chloe did shift a little closer to Jaina, and she slipped her free hand into the pocket of her torn jeans. “Probably. All that math and science. Gotta flex the brain muscles sometimes.”
“He’s an Admiral, or used to be. Retired. Still wears the title like it matters.” Unwilling to say anything further - she was too ashamed that he was on the cabinet of the resident in the White House - she changed the subject, “So you find brains sexy?”
The Admiral hit a little close for Chloe’s liking. Step-fucker had been in the Army. She hadn’t been a fan of his heavy-handedness towards her or the fact that he was trying to replace her father. “Well yeah, smart is hella sexy. Among other things.”
There was a grove of trees in the park, where one would have to go out of their way to intrude. Jaina pushed branches out of their way, then invited Chloe to sit. She crossed her legs. “Besides drag strange women into clubs, what do you do for fun?”
Chloe sat down, stretching her legs out in front of her and she leaned back on her hands. “I used to do a lot of things. Sneaking into concerts, hanging out in a junkyard, skipping school. Now, dragging strange women into clubs seems to be about it, really.”
“There has to be something. It would get boring the rest of the day,” Jaina pointed out. She wanted to resume kissing, but she also wanted to talk.
She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s kind of hard to enjoy much of anything these days.” Chloe then laid down, folding her hands under her head. “But I guess a constant would be working on my car. Could probably use new parts, but can’t exactly afford it. So I make do with salvaging shit from junkyards to keep it running.”
Jaina smiled, scooting closer to Chloe, “I was in Uganda, as part of a Peace Corps mission. There was this ancient truck that kept falling apart. One of the girls kept it up and I’d help them raid old junkers for parts.”
“Really? That’s pretty cool.” Chloe had been dreaming of getting out of small town Oregon for a while. This was her first excursion out of it and she had no plans on looking back. There was nothing back there for her.
“Yes. My family wanted me to join the Navy, but I didn’t want any part in the whole imperialist scheme.” Jaina’s opinions were strong where that was concerned. “So I metaphorically flipped him off and went to all those countries that some people really hate.”
“You little rebel. Good for you. Fuck what parents want, it’s not their life.” Chloe said. Ever since her dad had died, all she’d done was rebel. Though part of that had been due to an inability to properly express how she was feeling and how she refused to accept David as her stepfather because she felt like he was replacing her dad in every way.
It hadn’t helped that Joyce had taken down all the photos of William in the house, save for the ones in Chloe’s room. That just made her even angrier about it all.
Jaina could never really relate. She loved her father, and her mother, but they’d somehow raised a liberal pacifist. It was some kind of miracle.
“That’s why I’m going to kiss you again,”Jaina decided. “That would piss them off too.”
Chloe looked up at Jaina, internally surprised that she wanted another kiss. But hey, she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to kiss Jaina again. It would at least be one more fleeting good memory to have for a little while. She sat up, grinning a bit. “I’m all for pissing off parents and kissing hot girls.”
Jaina slipped her fingers into Chloe’s hair, pulling her head in and kissing her. Hey, it was the least Chloe deserved for flattering her so much!
She kissed Jaina back, hand moving to Jaina’s hair. It was a rather intoxicating kiss. She hadn’t expected to be kissed on her birthday, but as far as she was concerned, it was a damn good birthday present.
It was a good kiss, better than the one on the dance floor. There were no other people, just the sounds of ducks on the pond and leaves rustling in the wind. Jaina rested her hand on the side of Chloe’s neck.
Chloe would agree that it was a better kiss than the one in the club. And she really needed that sense of warmth right now. Even if lust or whatever was the driving factor behind the kiss, it was what she needed. She wanted to feel wanted, or at the very least needed. As such, her kiss was probably rather a charged one as though she were looking for the breath of life.
Which she kind of was.
Jaina pulled Chloe closer, ending up falling on her back with Chloe on top of her. She didn’t break the kiss, though, letting the heat simmer between their lips.
Chloe rather liked the change of position. She was rather comfortable on top of Jaina, and she didn’t want to break the kiss. She needed to feel something other than the pain. Those thoughts of suicide had been creeping back of late, but Jaina was currently silencing them.
Jaina was too much the bleeding heart to not want to help Chloe, and if they could both burn out this loneliness in each other for at least a few hours, she wasn’t going to complain. Not when Chloe was warm on top of her and … okay wow she had a nice butt.
She groaned a little bit when she felt Jaina’s hands on her butt. Parting her lips, she flicked her tongue against Jaina’s lips. She slid her hands along Jaina’s sides, taking in the feel of her. Yeah, she definitely wasn’t going to be moving from where she currently was anytime soon. Unless, of course, Jaina decided she wanted to be on top.
Jaina lost track of time, and it was actually starting to get a little dark when she broke the kiss. It sounded ridiculous, but she asked, “I know this is forward, but do you want to go back to my place?”
Chloe looked at Jaina and barely held back some laughter. “We’ve been making out hardcore, I don’t think that’s too forward. But yeah, I wouldn’t mind that. Did you drive here? My truck’s parked a little ways away and it has my stuff in it.” That...wasn’t quite admitting that she didn’t have a place to stay, but it was probably close enough to it.
“I walked. Well, I took the bus first, then I walked.” Driving sounded like a much better idea, and Jaina figured she should at some point get a car, but it wasn’t high on her priorities list. She leaned her head back in the grass, reading between the lines. “A bed would be a lot more comfortable than the grass, or the back of a pickup.”
She actually blushed.
“Well then, you can ride shotgun and tell me where to go.” Chloe said with a cool smile. Though at the mention of a bed being better than the grass or the back of a pickup, she blinked. “Are you serious? I mean, it’s not like I haven’t been sleeping in the back of my pickup or anything. I can handle it. But, uh, I wouldn’t say no to an actual bed either.”
Jaina had meant other things, but she was kind enough to roll with it. “If you need a place to stay, I don’t mind. It’s just me and a cat.”
It was then that she realized she had a familiar. Go figure.
“A cat? I love cats. Used to have one until it got run over by car.” She smiled, then leaned her elbow on the ground and propped her chin up in her hand. “Though I have to say, where I’m laying right now is really comfy.” And back to flirting because she didn’t want to dwell on fluffy somewhat emotional things like cats.
“I’m sorry about your cat.” Jaina ran her hand up Chloe’s back, then down again and let her fingers play a little with the hem of Chloe’s shirt and her waistband. “Come find comfort in my bosom.”
She couldn’t believe she’d actually said that.
Chloe’s gaze slid down a bit and a wide, sultry grin crossed her face as she looked back at Jaina’s face. “You have a very ample bosom for that. I think I can find some comfort in there.” It was funny how Chloe could go from gay panic into suave flatterer in no time flat. Her free hand slid up and down Jaina’s side, playing with the fabric a bit.
“You probably have all the girls eating out of the palm of your hand.” Jaina’s voice caught. Chloe was adorable when she was panicking but when she was suave it was incredibly hot.
And then Jaina’s words acted like a pin popping a balloon, except that Chloe didn’t deflate completely or immediately. It was more like a slow leak. “Ha, I wish. Can’t even keep a girlfriend, much less a friend.”
“I hope you can consider me a friend,” Jaina’s hand slid under the back of Chloe’s shirt, tickling at her spine.
She shivered a bit at Jaina’s touch to her skin. “I only make it a habit to kiss the people I consider friends.” She said with a grin. Even as she knew it would only be a matter of time before she ruined it like she always ruined things in her life.
“Lets find your truck before we get arrested.” Jaina’s hand escaped from under Chloe’s shirt and she sat up.
Chloe was a little sad when Jaina’s hand slid out from under her shirt, but she would rather not get arrested. Chloe got up, then held her hand out to help Jaina up. “It’s not far.” She just hoped Jaina wouldn’t turn her nose up at it. The thing was a rust bucket, but Chloe loved it. At least her pickup hadn’t abandoned her.
Taking Chloe's hand, Jaina let herself be pulled up and let her lead the way. She didn't fashion herself much of a leader, though she'd stepped in for group projects ... okay, every time.
It was more of a reluctant leadership thing. But in this case she didn't know where the car was.
"It looks... It's a nice truck?"
Chloe led the way. Her truck was a couple blocks away, but at least no one had tried to steal her shit from the thing. She glanced over at Jaina. “Hey now, don’t judge a book by its cover. Yes I found it in a junkyard, but I got it running again. And it did get me from Tillamook down to here in one piece.”
She wasn’t offended at all, but Chloe loved the hunk of junk. “Let me move my shit so you can get in.” She opened the passenger door and pulled out her suitcase and dufflebag. She put them in the bed of the truck. “Your chariot awaits,” she said, giving a grand gesture to the open door for Jaina to get in.
Jaina slid her hand along Chloe’s shoulder as she got in. “I’ve traveled in worse.” It was the best she could offer Chloe for the hunk of junk. “But it’s really impressive you got it running on your own.”
She liked the touch, shivering a little before she went and got in the driver’s side. “It wasn’t that hard. It needed a different battery, and a few other minor fixes initially. I’ve been tweaking it since. My dad taught me.” She started the truck, then looked over at Jaina. “Alright, GPS, where am I going?”
“Take this street for about two miles, get on the freeway going south. Take the second exit and go right,” Jaina said. It was the quickest way there, and it would be the first time she’d brought anyone to her new apartment. She was nervous.
“Got it.” Chloe followed the directions. And the truck actually ran a lot smoother than it looked. Course Chloe needed to make some updates to the engine in getting new parts, but she didn’t exactly have the money for that yet. “So, do you make a habit of picking up strange women who drag you to clubs and make out with you in the park?” Chloe asked casually, grinning at Jaina.
Jaina tilted her head, looking out the window as they drove. “This would be a first, but I’ve been feeling a little daring lately. Or maybe it’s just the hair.” She reached over and batted at a bang. “I think it’s the hair.”
Chloe laughed as Jaina batted at a bang. “Well I have been told I have hot hair.” Rachel had seemed to like the blue streak, then liked it when Chloe had gone full blue head with purple roots.
“Are you sure that isn’t hot air?” Jaina countered. She pointed at a street as they got close. “Down here, it’s the apartments at the end. Mine is on the west side.”
“Ooo, she’s armed with sass! I dig it.” Chloe responded with a grin. She took the turn and headed towards the apartment building. “So any special place I should or should not park in?” For once she’d actually be courteous of others in the parking lot.
“Spot 15A,” Jaina said. She shifted in the seat, which was actually more comfortable than it looked. “Can just leave it there for now.”
If Chloe stayed longer than a few days Jaina would have to get her a placard. But she wasn’t thinking that far ahead.
Nodding, she pulled into the appropriate spot. She killed the engine, then looked at Jaina. “Are you sure about this? I mean me bringing my stuff up. I kinda just invited myself. You can totally say no if you don’t want me to stay longer than the night, I won’t be offended.”
“I really don’t mind.” Maybe it was dangerous, but Jaina felt like it was the right thing to do. She got out of the truck, grabbing one of Chloe’s bags for her. “Just don’t drink all the milk and we’ll be fine.”
Getting out of the truck, she grabbed her other bag. “I solemnly swear that I will not drink all the milk and that I am up to no good.” Chloe vowed with a smile as she let Jaina take the lead this time. “And thanks.” She wasn’t always good about saying thank you, but in this instance she remembered her seldomly used manners.
“It’s not a problem.” Jaina led the way up the stairs, unlocking the door and holding it open for Chloe to pass her. Her apartment was well cared for and clean, though there were still a few unpacked boxes. There were also a lot of books. A half dozen shelves filled to the brim with books of every kind. As for knick knacks, they tended to be nautical in nature, or souvenirs from her trips abroad.
Following Jaina up to her apartment, then stepped inside. It was certainly a well cared for home, that was for certain. The books stood out to her first and foremost. “Damn, you’ve got your own library in here. Maybe even two libraries.” Uncertain of where to set her stuff, Chloe opted for setting her bag down against a wall that was out of the way so no one would trip over it or run into it.
“Do you have a balcony? Mostly asking for when I need to smoke. Promise I won’t smoke inside. I’ll go outside and do it.”
“Through the kitchen, over there,” Jaina pointed. “Please keep it outside, it’s bad for the books. But we could put a fan out there if it’s a problem.” She thought it could blow the smoke away - eventually she could create a magic barrier that would whisk away Chloe’s smoke entirely. But her power wasn’t there. Not yet.
“Are you thirsty?”
“Don’t worry, I will.” Chloe reiterated. She wouldn’t always stay on the balcony. Sometimes she preferred to go for walks to clear her head. And she would definitely find somewhere else to bake. She really didn’t want to upset this new-found friend by smoking weed anywhere near her apartment.
“Uh yeah. I’ll have-” beer? Oh god that wasn’t a good choice when she was underage. Even though she could definitely go for alcohol, “-water.”
“Okay.” Jaina grabbed a couple glasses, and with her back to Chloe chewed her lip and concentrated until they’d both filled with pure, sparkling water. She might have giggled a little giddily when it actually worked. Knowing Chloe wouldn’t get it, she brought the glass over and kissed her cheek.
She heard the giggle, and her eyebrows raised curiously, but she didn’t say anything about it. She couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face when Jaina kissed her cheek. “Thank you,” she said as she took her glass. “All that kissing made me thirsty.”
“I make amazing pancakes,” Jaina promised, leaning back against her counter and eyeing Chloe up. ...Then she cleared her throat. “Not that you’re obligated. Or anything. I don’t want you feeling like you owe me something, especially something like that, even if things were getting heated earlier…”
She took a long drink of water. “Well, I love pancakes. Especially if bacon is involved.” Chloe was anti-animal products, but she wasn’t a vegan by any stretch of the imagination. She then moved closer to Jaina. “And believe me, I don’t feel that I owe you something. We’re both consenting adults, are we not?” Sure, Chloe only barely cleared that hurdle, but it was still relevant.
“I can do bacon.” Jaina put her glass down, smiling at Chloe and feeling a keen sense of relief at that statement. She didn’t think she could be anything long term more than friends, but a mistake for a night? She could do a mistake for a night.
Likewise, Chloe wasn’t looking for anything long term. She was still hung up on Rachel though she’d accepted they weren’t a thing anymore. And she could definitely use being focused on someone else for a while than wallowing in herself. She set her glass aside and stepped up to Jaina, a sultry smile on her face. “Then how about you show me this comfy bed of yours that you hinted at. Unless the counter would do?” Chloe was definitely open to anywhere.
“Maybe after breakfast.” Jaina took Chloe’s hand to lead her to the bedroom. For now, she wanted to be comfortable while she forgot her worries.
“Mee-ow,” she purred, following Jaina to her bedroom. Chloe definitely needed to get laid, and she needed to get out of her own head for one night. And hey, it was also happening on her birthday, so bonus points all around.