Trivial Pursuit
Summary - A college AU in which Myka is the captain of a trivia team at University of Colorado. She reigns unparalleled and her team is unbeatable until a new student from London arrives and stirs things up.
Usual Disclaimer: I own nothing.
On the surface, Myka Bering seemed just like any other college senior bustling around University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She made her way to classes like anyone else, carrying her textbooks, dropping her textbooks, and cursing at the excessive weight of said textbooks.
She didn't understand why her professors insisted that she buy these terribly expensive books, drag them to class each day, and then fail to utilize them to their greatest potential. She lost track of the number of textbooks she bought that the professors ignored completely in their lesson plans. That, however, didn't keep Myka from taking it upon herself to maximize what she learned from them.
Myka was fortunate to have been born with an eidetic memory. It wasn't perfect; she could not picture every single detail she ever looked at, but it was damn near close enough. Sometimes she felt like she was cheating her way through school. She sat through lectures and read her textbooks, effortlessly recalling the information for exams and acing every one of them. Because of this, Myka pushed herself harder than most students.
Since it came so easily for her to learn any and everything, Myka struggled to choose a major. After completing her general education requirements, she still wasn't content to settle on a single major, so she double majored in Criminal Justice and English. She grew up in her parents' bookstore, nurturing a strong love for literature and the English language, so that was just a no-brainer. As for Criminal Justice, Myka decided it was the best way to put her well aimed moral compass to good use. There were far too many issues in the criminal justice system of the United States and she wanted to be able to do something about it.
In her spare time, Myka kept busy with extracurriculars to sharpen her mind and strengthen her body. She maintained a presence in the fencing club, where she enjoyed exercising precision and control over herself. It was an elegant sport, but sometimes she just liked basking in the feeling of wielding her foil.
Myka's true extracurricular love was the trivia club. It began when a few students went to the nearby pub on Thursdays for trivia night, but they were caught drinking underage and banned from the pub. They started their own trivia nights in their dormitory, complete with alcohol and snack foods. More and more people starting getting interested and there was a lot of buzz around campus. Myka got curious one night and decided to check it out with her friend Pete.
Myka knew he was only interested in the alcohol and snacks, but she was glad that he came along because she wasn't sure what to expect. She was surprised to find that there was an alarming amount of people crammed into the dorm. Fortunately it was one of those four-room dorms with a common room, or else there's no way everyone could even fit.
Myka was hoping to observe quietly without getting involved, but one of her classmates recognized her and convinced her to join his team. He knew she was extremely smart and wasn't going to take no for an answer. Agreeing to give it a shot for the night, Myka joined him and his two other teammates, opening up the can of beer that was passed to her and just enjoying the night.
From that night on, Myka went to these trivia parties every week. There were a number of people who maintained interest, but eventually it became clear that some people only wanted to party. Things sometimes got out of control, so Myka proposed that they start an official trivia club with the university. This way, they could advertise publicly and draw in a more serious crowd of participants.
Things fell into place quickly and Myka even convinced her favorite professor to be the club's faculty advisor. They met in one of the larger unused classrooms every Thursday night and had a great time. The club became rather competitive and Myka took over her own team, developing a formidable reputation because she rarely missed a question.
It was the first week after the Spring semester began and Myka was running late for trivia. She was still trying to get into her new routine and didn't realize she wasn't going to have time for dinner between her last class and trivia. Their trivia tournament was coming up next weekend and Myka needed to help make sure everything would be going as planned.
The line in the cafeteria had been awfully long. Despite all the time they stand there waiting for their turn at the register, too many people were irritatingly incapable of having their money prepared for payment. So now she was late for the first trivia meetup of the new semester and ravenously starving. Walking swiftly through Columbine Hall, Myka held a turkey sandwich in one hand and an apple in the other.
Deciding that she was too hungry to wait any longer, Myka eyed her sandwich. Rounding the corner of the hallway toward her destination, she focused her attention to open the baggie in which the sandwich resided. There was a flash of dark hair coming from the other side of the corner but Myka didn't see her in time and she walked her sandwich right into the front of the unsuspecting girl, apple flying across the hall.
"Oh my god, I am so so sorry," Myka started. "Ugh, I'm such an idiot. I should have been watching where I was walking. Look at this, I've ruined your shirt with mayonnaise. I'm so sorry." The words just kept tumbling from her mouth out of embarrassment.
"Not to worry, darling," the girl said with a smooth English accent, placing her hand gently on Myka's arm. "I'm certain you didn't do it on purpose. This shirt is rather old anyway."
At the sound of this stranger's voice, Myka's eyes shot up. She had never heard an English accent in person. When her eyes met the beautiful, dark brown eyes of the girl, she completely forgot how to talk. Mouth slightly agape, Myka stood there awkwardly.
"Are you well, dear?" the girl worried, raising her well sculpted eyebrows.
Myka cleared her throat and tried to snap out of her stupor. "Ah, yeah, I'm fine. Better than your shirt at least. I really am so sorry about that." She was starting to babble again and cast her eyes down at her sandwich.
The girl still had her hand on Myka's arm and it made her uncomfortable - not uncomfortable because she didn't like it, but rather uncomfortable about how much she enjoyed the contact of this stranger's soft skin on her own.
The girl seemed to sense Myka's discomfort and withdrew her hand slightly before extending it out for a handshake.
"Helena Wells," she greeted with charm and confidence, "and your name?"
"Uhh, Myka. Myka Bering," she managed to say while taking Helena's hand into her own.
"Myka Bering," the girl repeated with consideration, drawing out each syllable. "That's beautiful." She gazed into Myka's eyes and let her hand grip Myka's for a moment longer before withdrawing it completely back to her side. "Might I ask where you were off to in such a hurry?"
"Oh right, I was running late for trivia. I got stuck in the line for this sandwich," Myka said sheepishly as she held the offending item. "Where were you heading?"
"Nowhere in particular, just exploring. I've only just begun classes here this week and thought it might be advantageous to acquaint myself with the grounds." With a flirtatious smile she added, "I could not have possibly hoped to find myself accidentally acquainted with a beautiful girl and her turkey sandwich."
Myka blushed at Helena's compliment.
"Right. Again, sorry about the shirt, I can buy you a new one if you'd like," Myka diverted. "I really ought to be getting on to trivia...you're welcome to join me, if you don't feel like exploring the campus anymore," she added after a pause, not wanting to seem rude. If she was entirely honest with herself, she didn't quite want to let Helena leave yet. She felt an inexplicable pull to this girl and that accent had her swooning a bit. Okay, maybe it was more than just a bit.
"Actually, that sounds quite lovely!"
"Okay, great" Myka smiled and started leading the way to the classroom before stopping suddenly and Helena walked right into the back of her. "Oof, sorry again. I just realized we should probably get the excess of the mayo off your shirt first, maybe?"
"Yes, of course," Helena agreed. "I wouldn't want to embarrass myself in front of new people."
Myka gave her a pointed look and dug into her bag for a tissue. "No, we definitely wouldn't want that. Here you go."
They had only known each other for a matter of minutes, but already, Myka was enjoying this hint of banter growing between them. Who is this girl and what is she doing to me?
They made their way into the classroom and sat down with the rest of Myka's trivia team.
"Sorry I'm so late," she whispered, "ran into Helena here. Helena, this is Pete, Claudia, and Steve."
"Lovely to make your acquaintance," Helena whispered, following Myka's lead to keep her voice down and not disrupt the ongoing trivia game.
All three of her teammates reacted to Helena's accent and Myka couldn't help but smile. Pete looked knowingly at Myka and did that weird insinuating eyebrow wag of his. Myka's friends knew she was bisexual even though she had yet to be in a relationship with another girl, and Pete clearly approved of Helena for shallow reasons.
Myka just kicked him under the table and ignored it beyond that. They could talk about it later, but Myka didn't want him to embarrass her in front of Helena any more than she had already done herself.
"Helena's going to hang with us tonight, assuming no one has any issue with that?" Myka sharpened her tone to convey that no one better have an issue with it. Pete started to give her another look and she kicked him again.
"Sounds great!" Claudia said too excitedly.
The night went on and Helena was a delight to have around. Between trivia questions, Myka's friends grilled Helena about herself and she took it all in stride, replying coolly with that silky accent and manner of speaking that seemed beyond her years.
As it turned out, Helena just transferred from a university in London. She needed a change of scenery and somehow ended up in Colorado. She was studying mechanical engineering and enjoys reading both fiction and nonfiction in her spare time. She was always eager to learn new things and understand just how the world ticked.
Myka's head snapped toward Helena at that and gave her a huge smile. "I love reading, too! I'm an English major. Well, that and a Criminal Justice major, but literature is my biggest passion."
"Double majoring and still making time to play trivia?" Helena questioned. "That's admirable. What else do you like to do?"
"Um. Not much, really. I guess I'm not too bad at fencing."
"She's better than she is letting on," Steve chimed in.
"Perhaps I'll just have to see for myself," Helena smirked.
Myka blushed at the compliment from Steve and the implication that Helena wanted to see her beyond tonight. Trying to return her attention to the current trivia question, Myka was too distracted by her thoughts of where this could lead. Helena announced the answer to the group and they all looked at her.
"What? I am adept in the martial art of Kenpo. This was an easy question for me."
Myka swooned some more. This was a girl after her own heart. Glancing carefully at Helena, she still wasn't entirely convinced that this wasn't a dream.
Trivia came to an end and Myka's team won. Since it was a normal trivia night and not one of their competitions, they didn't win anything more than bragging rights, but it was just fun to play. As they were standing to leave, Myka felt a pang in her chest at the thought of saying goodbye to Helena. She quickly thought up a thin excuse to prolong the evening.
"Do you remember the way back to your dorm?" Myka asked timidly, not wanting to insult Helena's intelligence, but also not wanting to set her off on her own to wander.
"I think so, but everything looks different when it's dark," Helena admitted. "I wouldn't mind having an experienced escort back to my room."
Myka grinned and brushed a stray curl behind her ear. "One experienced escort, at your service!"
Suddenly understanding how that sounded with the altered phrasing, Myka blushed furiously and Helena smirked.
"Which dorm are you in?" Myka inquired, trying to hide her embarrassment again.
"Shavano House."
"Really? I'm in Crestone House, right next to it."
"Splendid, it will be comforting to have a fast friend so near."
Their walk to the dorms passed pleasantly in comfortable silence. Myka wanted to know everything about Helena, but for now she was content to just be near her.
When they arrived near the front door to Helena's building, they both paused for a moment too long and the comfortable silence shifted into tension. Helena appeared to be debating something with herself and Myka didn't know what to do.
"If you want, I can show you around the campus some more tomorrow evening," Myka suggested, suddenly unsure of herself. "My last class ends at 6, so maybe we can grab dinner first."
"That sounds delightful," Helena assured. "Shall we meet where we first bumped into each other? I'm fairly certain that I'll always remember that particular location."
"Yeah, that's good, my class isn't far from there anyway," Myka said, preparing to turn and walk down the path. "I'll see you then."
"I will being looking forward to it all night and day," Helena confirmed with a smile. She placed her hand in the same spot on Myka's arm from earlier and leaned in to place a chaste kiss upon Myka's cheek. "Goodnight, darling."
Myka watched as Helena turned away and walked up the steps to open the door. She brought her hand up to her cheek and just let it linger where Helena's lips were only moments ago. The beautiful girl turned to look at Myka holding her cheek, and winked before turning back and leaving Myka's sight.
When Myka woke up the next morning, she was still convinced that last night was all a dream. There was no way a girl that cultured and beautiful and ethereal could possibly be interested in her. She didn't even know what to expect of their plans for the evening. Was it a date? Myka had no idea, but she wore her nicest jeans and top. She didn't want to look like she was trying too hard, but she also didn't want to look like a slob.
Most of her day was uneventful as she sat through her classes. Too many times, she caught herself with her hand on her cheek, daydreaming about having Helena's lips upon her skin again.
Finally, it was almost the end of her final class for the day. The professor was droning on about that night's homework assignment which Myka already finished halfway through class. It was written up on the board and she needed a way to occupy her time. The professor dismissed his students and Myka zipped out of her seat faster than The Flash.
She was moving entirely too fast to look normal and made sure to slow herself down before rounding the final corner before the meeting place.
There Helena was, facing the other direction. The curtain of silky, raven hair gave her away and Myka drew in a sharp breath at the outfit she was wearing. Dark grey buckled boots reached just beneath her knees over black skinny jeans that hugged her perfectly. A trim waistcoat completed the look over a white button up blouse. The ensemble was ridiculously attractive and Myka had to pause to recompose herself before pressing ahead to address her new friend.
Hoping that Helena put the ensemble together for her benefit, Myka dared to be more forward and placed a hand lightly at the small of Helena's back as she greeted her with an accidentally breathy, "hey you."
Turning closely toward Myka, Helena replied with a smile and pulled her in for a polite hug and another quick kiss on the cheek. "I am famished, shall we go find some food to partake?"
"Let's go, I have a plan," Myka said excitedly. "I hope you don't mind walking a bit."
"Not at all."
"Good."
They exited the building and started walking toward the dorms. Myka asked Helena little things about herself, starting with the easy questions like her favorite color and favorite musical artist, and eventually leading into more dangerous territory about past relationships. Myka had a good feeling that Helena was interested in women, but she still wanted more solid proof if she was going to try making a move. That last thing she wanted to do was embarrass them both and ruin a potential friendship if Helena wasn't interested romantically.
"My last relationship ended over a year ago. It was an amicable parting, at least," Helena reminisced. "She was just in a different place than me. I wanted to focus on my studies, and she understood."
Myka simply nodded. That was the confirmation she needed, but it was also upsetting that Helena ended the relationship because of school. Was Helena still too focused on her studies to try anything now? Myka didn't want to set herself up for disappointment, but still, she felt like Helena was flirting too much to be uninterested.
"And how about your past associations? I'm sure the boys are falling all over you."
Myka actually snorted at that. "No, not really, I think I'm a bit intense for them. Too driven, I guess. I've had a few relationships, but I haven't felt enough of a connection to anyone to make it worthwhile," Myka admitted. Until you, she thought looking intently at Helena, and believed for a moment that Helena could read her mind.
They arrived at Bonefish Grill, the restaurant Myka was aiming for. It wasn't a far walk from campus and it was a more intimate option than the school cafeteria. After a short wait, their table was ready.
Myka let Helena choose a seat first and situated herself across the table. Their dinner was pleasant and they shared an entire bottle of sweet red wine, loosening up with each glass. Helena took a seductive sip and placed the glass back down, leaving her hand to linger toward the center point of the table between them.
Without thinking, Myka reached out, running her fingertips over Helena's soft skin, tracing over the crests of her knuckles. Helena, languidly turning her hand, entwined their fingers together and looked at Myka with fire in her eyes.
Myka gazed back with her own intensity and signaled for the server to bring the check. She wanted to get Helena out of that restaurant and get her alone.
They walked out the front door on slightly unsteady legs and Myka tugged at Helena's hand until they were around the side of the building. Turning quickly, she pulled Helena against her body. Parting her lips slightly, Myka tilted her head as an invitation. She made the first part of the move, but she wanted Helena to finish it.
Not disappointed, Myka was greeted by Helena's lips on hers in a sloppy kiss. It was wet and tasted like the wine that they indulged in. Helena pulled Myka's bottom lip into her mouth and Myka couldn't hold back her whimper when she felt teeth digging in. Wrapping her arms tightly around Helena, Myka appreciated the stability of another body.
A wolf whistle ripped them from their embrace, having a slight sobering effect.
"Bugger off, you git!"
The guy laughed and walked into the restaurant without another word.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have started that," Myka said, "not out here in public."
"Darling, you apologize too much," Helena observed, punctuating it with one more kiss. "I started that just as much as you. Let's get back to campus before it gets too late, yes?"
Myka nodded, grasping her hand and moving in the direction of campus. Walking this distance was less easy while under the influence of alcohol, but they eventually made it back to Helena's building, again hesitant about where to go from here.
"Would...would you like to come up to my room? It's Friday night and I'm not quite ready to let you go just yet. We can watch some telly, maybe cuddle. No pressure."
Myka was surprised by the hesitation in Helena's voice, usually so confident. Myka cupped her cheek and kissed her lips. "I would love to."
As Helena led the way, Myka's eyes clung to the way her body moved with each step. She licked her lips hungrily at the thought of running her hands over that porcelain skin and those sharp angles. Wow, that wine really did a number on me, Myka thought as she still felt the influence of the alcohol.
They finally reached Helena's room on the third floor and Myka barely managed to keep her hands to herself as she noticed a girl watching curiously from down the hallway. All in what felt like the same instant, the door was opened and closed and Myka was shoved harshly up against it.
"Did you think I couldn't feel your eyes burning through my clothes the entire way up here?" Helena growled.
"Honestly, I wasn't thinking about much more than how great they look on you," Myka started, voice dripping with desire and hands making their way to the buttons of Helena's waistcoat, "and how much better they'll look off you."
Myka had the waistcoat off and was making quick work of the blouse when Helena grabbed to still her hands.
"Are you certain?" Helena questioned with sincerity in her eyes.
Myka responded with a kiss. It started slow and grew with passion until she broke away slowly. "I know it's a bit fast, but damn, you make me feel things I've never felt before."
Helena looked into her eyes once more, seeking out any indication that they should stop. Seeing desire, honesty, and not a hint of hesitation, she captured Myka's lips.
Myka felt a sudden rush of a cold air as Helena pulled away and took a few steps backward. Unable to keep the confusion off her face, Myka furrowed her brow. Helena stepped forward enough to grab Myka's hand and tugged her toward the bedroom door and Myka smiled as she understood.
The room was dark, lit only by the screen of a laptop that was left open. Helena guided Myka to the bed and pushed her down with just enough force to convey that she was in charge. Myka, rarely being one to concede control, yanked Helena onto the bed with her, running one hand up a slender thigh and digging in her fingertips as she claimed Helena's lower lip between her teeth.
Despite being on bottom, Myka's fight for dominance was prevailing. Helena moaned at the biting kisses that trailed her jaw and neck and Myka bit hard enough to elicit a whimper. Wanting to feel every inch of Helena's skin, Myka released her from the confines of her shirt and flipped her over to remove her boots and jeans with rough movements, followed by her underwear. Helena sat forward and unclasped her bra.
Not wasting any time, Myka slipped her own shirt and jeans off. Helena's eyes traced their way up her body, pausing at her breasts before finishing the ascent to Myka's own eyes, equally hooded with desire.
"Take those off and come here," Helena ordered, nodding at the last articles of clothing on Myka.
Myka did as instructed and climbed her way toward Helena on the small bed. Her fingers danced up Helena's taut abdomen and barely grazed the sides of her breasts before they came to a rest at the sides of her head.
Myka eased forward, pressing a soft kiss to each corner of Helena's lips and then hungrily taking her lips into her own. She brought a hand up to Helena's breast, tickling and teasing while avoiding her nipple. She did the same to the other soft mound before slowly licking and kissing her way to the space between Helena's breasts and continuing until she reached her belly button, dipping her tongue in, and placing one last kiss below it before making her way back up.
Helena groaned with frustration as Myka teased her way back up to her lips again. Myka spread Helena's legs and settled herself onto Helena's thigh as she ran a finger up Helena's wet center. With a sharp gasp, Helena's body jerked into the contact. Myka smirked and repeated the action again
She ran a hand up Helena's torso to squeeze her breast as she eased a finger inside the sticky warmth of Helena's sex. Myka could feel herself growing more wet at Helena's gasps and moans as she inserted another finger and began moving her hand rhythmically. Myka shifted her weight so that her own slick center rubbed against Helena's thigh with her motions.
Helena reached out to grab Myka's hair and pull her down for a kiss and their movements became more fervent as they got lost in their desire. Helena's hips rose with each stroke from Myka's hand, increasing the pressure of her thigh on Myka's sex.
Myka could feel herself climbing higher as she slid over Helena's smooth skin. She tried to fight the building tension so she could watch Helena come first, but with an involuntary jerk from Helena's leg, Myka tipped over the edge. She cried out as she lost control, grinding herself into the flesh beneath her and gripping Helena's breast hard.
The sounds of Myka's pleasure and the uncontrolled movements of her hands brought Helena to her own explosive orgasm and she screamed out Myka's name as she was taken over by it. Myka came to her senses enough to help Helena ride out the waves of pleasure before they subsided and she collapsed on top of her.
Breathing heavily, Myka buried her face into Helena's neck and brought her hand to rest on Helena's flushed chest as it rose and fell.
"Wow," Myka exhaled.
Not able to speak yet, Helena simply brought her hand to entwine with Myka's. They stayed like that for a while, just breathing each other in until Myka fell asleep. Carefully shifting her pillow, Helena, too, let sleep take hold of her.
Myka yawned and started to roll over when she suddenly realized that she was not in her own bed. Memories of last night flooded her mind and she smiled as she inhaled Helena's scent from the pillow she was hugging. Helena. Where was Helena? Myka's eyes shot open in panic as she realized that Helena was not in the bed with her.
A blush quickly crept up her cheeks as her eyes met Helena's amused gaze from the chair in the corner.
"Good morning, darling," she smirked, shifting slightly in the seat. Her silky black robe slid to the side, exposing more of her thigh.
"How long have you been watching me sleep?" Myka asked with embarrassment, hoping that she hadn't been drooling.
"Long enough," Helena replied vaguely as her eyes wandered down Myka's naked body which was only half covered by the blanket.
Myka groaned, rolling onto her back while pulling the blanket over her body and the pillow over her face. She felt the mattress sink under Helena's delicate weight and then there was a hand pushing the blanket back off and running up her side. Helena pulled the pillow away from her face and tossed it on the floor.
Helena straddled Myka's hips and the robe fell open as she leaned down to cover Myka's mouth with a kiss. Myka raised an eyebrow at the wetness from Helena's sex on her lower abdomen.
"I don't need to look at you for very long before I get all hot and bothered," Helena purred. "You're just lucky I could control myself long enough to let you sleep in."
Myka wasn't accustomed to being so desired and it was a huge turn on. She reached up and hooked her fingers into the robe, slipping it off Helena's shoulders. Myka ran her hands down the front of Helena's body, brushing over her nipples and coming to rest at her hips. She dug her fingers in as she concentrated on the feeling of Helena's wet center.
Loosening her grip, Myka brought one hand to Helena's slick folds. With an encouraging moan, Helena lifted her body to allow Myka entrance. She leaned forward, breasts enticingly close to Myka's face.
Myka took advantage of the position, grasping at Helena's breast and pulling her nipple into her mouth as she thrust her hips upward, pressing her fingers deeper into Helena.
"Oh, fuck," Helena uttered.
The profanity spurred Myka on as she found a rhythm with rocking her hips and sucking hard on Helena's nipple. Helena was panting and Myka could tell that her orgasm wasn't far off. Shifting her hand slightly, Myka's palm pressed harder against the small bundle of nerves and Helena lost it. With more utterances of profanity, Helena convulsed and came hard, gripping Myka's fingers and collapsing on top of her.
Hours later, Myka finally emerged from Helena's room. She desperately food, but first she needed a shower and clean clothes. She peaked her head out the door and made sure no one was there to witness her walk of shame. Thinking that the coast was clear, she stepped into the hallway and quickly started toward the elevator. She pressed the button a few times and waited for its arrival. The light came on and the doors open, revealing the same girl from the hallway last night. She gave Myka's appearance a quick once over and shot her a snide look as she disembarked.
Myka blushed furiously as she stepped into the elevator. Checking her appearance in the shiny surface of the elevator door, Myka could see that she was a perfect example of the walk of shame with her messy hair and the same clothes she wore yesterday.
When she reached the ground floor, Myka quickly dashed back to her own dorm, hoping no one else would notice her disheveled appearance. She almost made it to safety, but ran into Pete as he was walking back from the door of her dorm.
"Oh, there you are!" he said excitedly. "I was just coming to ask how your date with Helena went last night, but you weren't here, so I figured you were already at the library or something."
He looked at her for a beat too long and realization dawned on him. His face changed into a goofy grin.
"Stop! Don't say anything," Myka hushed as she quickly dragged him toward her dorm room. She didn't need to have this conversation out here in the hallway, so she unlocked her door and shoved him inside.
"You did the do!" Pete exclaimed even more excitedly.
Myka sighed, "keep your voice down, I don't need everyone on the floor knowing my business."
"You did the do!" Pete repeated again, but this time at a whisper.
"Yeah, yeah," Myka admitted with an embarrassed sigh, "we did."
"I'm so proud of you, Mykes. How was it?"
Myka swatted him in the arm. "I am so not giving you details!"
Pete looked at her with his best attempt at puppy dog eyes.
"It was good. Great. Really really great," she blurted, "and that's all I'm saying about it."
"Damn, I never knew you had it in you to score a hot British chick!"
Myka smacked him in the arm again.
"Ow! Okay, okay, I'll shut up," he conceded. "But I really am happy for ya, Mykes. You deserve someone like her."
"I don't even know what this is yet. I just met her two days ago. I don't know nearly enough about her."
"Well, you know she's hot and has a hot accent. And she likes to read and knows campo, or whatever it's called."
"Kenpo. It's a Japanese martial art," Myka corrected.
"Same thing," Pete dismissed. "Look, Mykes, you've got plenty of time to learn who she is and what she likes. She obviously likes you, and that's a good enough start."
Myka blushed and smiled as she thought back to the events of last night and this morning. Helena definitely did seem enthusiastic about her.
"That's what I thought," Pete grinned. "Now get yourself cleaned up and get back over there. I don't want to see you again until you've got this thing locked down and you're U-Hauling into her dorm."
"Pete!" Myka said as she swatted at him for the third time.
"I'll let myself out," Pete said as he turned to leave. "You crazy kids have fun."
Myka sat on the edge of her bed, mulling over everything that happened in the last two days. It was so sudden and Helena came out of nowhere, but now Myka could hardly think about anything beyond her.
She went into the bathroom to have a long hot shower. As she shampooed her hair, she thought about the feeling of Helena's hands in her curls. As she ran the washcloth over her body, she thought about the feeling of Helena's hands and lips and tongue all over her body. She quickly turned the knob for the cold water, needing to cool off before her thoughts went any further.
She towelled off and got dressed, putting some product in her hair that would keep it relatively tame as it dried. Realizing just how hungry she was, Myka finished getting herself together and bounced down to the cafe for lunch.
She bought herself a turkey sandwich and an apple, suddenly feeling attached to these food items, and sat down at a table facing the windows. It was beginning to snow and Myka loved watching it drift down to cover the campus.
Halfway through her sandwich, Myka was pulled from her thoughts of Helena by a hand brushing across the back of her shoulders and a body settling itself in the seat next to hers. Smiling before looking over, Myka turned to meet Helena's dark eyes.
"Darling, do you eat anything more than turkey sandwiches and apples?"
"Usually," Myka grinned, "but lately I seem to have a weird attachment to them. Can't imagine why..."
The next week passed like a honeymoon. Sure, Myka went to her classes as usual, but every moment of her free time was spent with Helena, or thinking about Helena while she was in her own classes.
They took turns sneaking in and out of each other's rooms, trying not to raise suspicions of the neighboring students, but they weren't fooling anyone. It was clear to everyone around them that they were an item. Sometimes Myka just couldn't keep from slipping her hand into Helena's when they were sitting in the cafe or studying in the library.
When Thursday came around, they made their way to trivia. Helena wouldn't get away with sitting at Myka's table again, as it was against the rules to have more than four people on a team. Myka didn't want to send off someone from her team, but she didn't want Helena to feel left out.
"Not to worry, darling," Helena assured with a small squeeze to Myka's hand. "I can just try joining another group that only has three and have at the chance to make some new acquaintances."
Myka watched longingly as Helena approached a trio with a smile and sat down a few tables to the left. She was a bit disappointed to spend the evening without Helena at her side, but with the tournament coming up in two days, it was important to keep her team together tonight.
The competition was fierce as Helena's team maintained their score neck and neck with Myka's team.
"Hey Mykes," Pete whispered. "How is she doing that? Does she have a photographic memory like you?"
"Eidetic," Myka corrected, "and no, not that I'm aware. She's just smart. Brilliant, really."
Myka gazed at Helena again, taking her in as she ran her hand through her hair and flipped it behind her shoulder. Beauty and brains, Myka sighed, thinking to herself.
It was time for the final, tie-breaking question and Myka was on edge. No other team has ever been this close to winning against her. The closest answer wins the bonus points and since no other team was close enough to win, Myka just needed to beat Helena's team
The Oxford English Dictionary was first published as a full set of ten volumes in 1928, but in which year was the first volume published?
"Wow, this is easy," Myka whispered as she wrote 1888 on the slip of paper and carried it to the judge with confidence.
She smiled at Helena's teammate as he carried their answer to the front with noticeably less confidence.
"Looks like we've broken our tie," the professor announced, "with a correct answer of 1888!"
Myka and Helena shouted "yes" and "bollocks", respectively.
Myka approached Helena to let her know how great she did and overheard as Helena's teammate placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her an apologetic smile, "no one ever beats Myka, she's like a robot. The fact that you came so close was an achievement in itself. We could really use you on our team for the tournament on Saturday. Second and third place still get prizes, so at least with you, we'd have a shot."
Catching Myka's eyes, Helena nodded to her teammate, "sounds fine, you can count me in. But we'll be leaving that tournament in first place."
Myka smiled to herself at how resolute Helena sounded. She was admittedly a bit nervous about the possibility, but still, she had confidence in herself and wasn't going to back down from a good challenge.
They left trivia and went back to Myka's dorm to watch a movie. Fifteen minutes in and the film was just playing in the background as Myka and Helena couldn't keep their hands off each other and eventually made it into the bedroom. The competitive tension from the evening led up to amazing sex as they fought for dominance over each other.
Saturday arrived and Myka was on the hunt for her teammates. She was more intense than usual as she feared that Helena may actually have a chance at beating her. Entering the cafeteria, Myka finally found Claudia and Steve at a table with bowls of cereal, but still no Pete.
"Any idea where he might be?" she asked, tension filling her voice as she stressed.
"Probably sleeping off all the beer he drank last night...?" Claudia suggested.
"What?" Myka asked, her voice getting higher. "I told him to get rested, not wasted. I am going to beat the hangover out of him. This is important, people."
She stalked off to Pete's dorm, banging loudly on the door. After a minute, Pete finally opened the door with a pained expression. Upon realizing that the loud noise was emitted by Myka, who was fuming, he tried to close the door and escape back inside. Myka was too quick and used her foot to keep the door from shutting.
"Pete," she growled.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I got a little carried away with the drinking games last night. I was really on a roll while playing quarters but it went downhill fast and before I knew it, I was passed out on the floor."
"Pete," she growled more intensely.
"I'll be fine. I'll get some Gatorade and some greasy food and be good to go, just you wait and see," he tried. "It's not like you really need me anyway, you could win this thing single-handedly."
"Pull yourself together, this is a big deal for me."
She made her way out the door and down to the competition to make sure everything else was falling into place. She encountered Helena's team as they were quizzing each other on random trivia.
Helena looked up and smiled as Myka crossed the room.
"Myka, dear, I do hope you are prepared to be a gracious loser," she teased, "but I will promise to make it up to you later." With a wink, she mouthed the words 'in bed'.
Myka was clearly flustered and that wink set her off even more. Helena knew exactly what she was playing at.
"Keep that confidence, you're going to need it when you are the gracious loser," Myka shot back. A little competition was healthy for a budding relationship, right?
Myka went to check on her team's table and was pleased to see that it was set with the bottles of water that she requested. There was still another hour until the competition was to begin, so she made her way back to the cafe for some food.
When she returned to the table, all three of her teammates were ready and waiting. Pete looked a bit rough, but she placed a hand at his shoulder and thanked him for making it there.
As the remaining teams filled their tables, the competition was ready to begin. Myka locked eyes with Helena who was three tables away. Helena simply winked as the first question rang out in through the room and Myka's heart skipped a beat.
Just like any typical night at trivia, Myka reigned over the competition. She was fierce and confident, but again, Helena was holding strong. Finally, it was time for the last question. Just like Thursday night, the fight for first place was between Myka's team and Helena's team. This time, however, the final question was pitting individual members from the top teams against each other.
Myka was the obvious choice for her team, and Helena's team chose her because she was their new-found savior. Walking to the front podium, they each had a buzzer in front of them. The first to buzz in was able to answer. If they were wrong, it went to the other person to answer. If they were also wrong, a new question would be brought forth until someone was correct.
Myka knew that it wouldn't require any more than the first question. She had this win in her pocket. She stared intensely at Helena as the question was asked.
Phoneutria, commonly known as Brazilian Wandering Spiders are considered to be the world's most venomous spider. How many species are contained within the Phoneutria genus?
By the time the word how crossed the announcer's lips, Helena winked seductively at Myka to buy herself time as the question was finished. Myka was caught off guard and when she regained her senses enough to comprehend the question, Helena had already slammed her hand down on the buzzer.
Myka was glaring daggers at Helena as she calmly and confidently answered the question.
"Eight. There are eight species in the genus Phoneutria."
"Correct! We have a winner!"
An awkward silence settled over the entire room for a moment because no one expected Myka to lose. A brave soul started clapping for Helena and everyone else followed suit.
Myka softened her glare and reached across the podium to shake Helena's hand, putting on the face of someone who wasn't a sore loser. "Well played, Miss Wells. You've earned it."
When the ordeal was over and the crowd dispersed, Myka approached Helena from behind.
"You played dirty," she whispered in Helena's ear, nipping at it.
"I can't help that you're thrown so off kilter by the simplest of winks," Helena replied, leaning her body to press against the front of Myka.
"I'm going to get you back for that," Myka threatened in a low, seductive growl.
"I'm counting on it," Helena breathed.