It was around midnight when Emma had finally finished organizing all the files in the Motel's storage closet. She went to the front door to leave before she saw all of Dylan's friends outside on the porch smoking and drinking again. Emma's eyes immediately found Gunner with nothing but a beer in his hand. Emma really didn't want to face him after scolding him the other day for smoking. She was too embarrassed.
Emma took a deep breath and quickly opened the door, turned to lock it then made her way to her car.
Gunner saw her. "Oh, hey! Emma!" he called as he made his way over to walk beside her.
"Hi," she greeted in her usual monotone voice.
"Hey, you should come join the party."
"I can't."
"Why? Is it because we're smoking? Look, Dylan says that crazy lady won't be back for another few hours-"
Emma quickly turned towards him. "Okay, you know what? That crazy lady is my boss and she is really nice to me," she tried her best to sound tough but her flushed face gave away her defensive demeanor.
Gunner put his hands up as if in surrender. "My bad. I just thought that maybe after I gave you the cupcake you would want to-"
"Well, I don't. So can we please just not bring it up anymore?" She got into the driver's seat of her small car, started the engine and drove off leaving Gunner feeling stupid and embarrassed in front of all of his friends.
Emma sat in a coffee shop down the road from the motel in the early morning thinking about everything she still needed to accomplish. Her thoughts all washed away once she saw Norman enter the café with Dylan right behind him. Their eyes met for a slight second. Norman smiled and she turned away with embarrassment. They hadn't spoken since the dance when Emma ditched him for staring at another girl.
Norman told Dylan to not wait up for him before he walked over to Emma. "Hey, Emma."
She stayed quiet with her eyes remaining on her coffee cup.
He sighed. "Look, I'm really…really sorry about the dance."
Emma's eyes glanced over at him for a split second before returning to her beverage.
He continued. "I know I wasn't exactly the perfect gentleman and I know you think I'm not over Bradley but I am. I'm just really confused and I thought-"
Emma's eyes tightened before she lightly shouted "Shut up, Norman!" It wasn't a scream but it caught everyone in the room's attention.
Norman looked around everywhere before lowering his head back to her. "What?" he whispered.
"Just shut up." She told him again in a normal voice this time.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"Oh my god, Norman, will you please just stop apologizing? You don't mean it and I'm sick of how you always turn everything back on yourself. You're selfish and the only person you really care about is your mother because you think no one will ever love you like she does. Well you know what, Norman?" she stood from her chair. "I'm here. I've always been here for you. I care about you but you're too stupid to notice." She stood there with tears now welling in her eyes.
Everyone in the café now had their eyes completely on the two teenagers.
Norman stood there with his stupid innocent eyes that Emma loved and hated all at once.
She took a deep breath to keep from either kissing or slapping him. "Just don't talk to me anymore, okay?"
She grabbed her things and left the restaurant in a hurry.
She got back into her car and began sobbing onto the steering wheel.
Her head shot up with a fright after she heard knocking on her window. She saw that it was Dylan and quickly wiped away her tears before rolling down the window. "Yes?"
"Hey, are you okay?" he looked like he didn't really know what he was doing.
"Yeah."
"Look, just don't be too mad at Norman. He's just got a lot going on right now."
"Okay," Emma refused to make eye contact with him out of complete embarrassment. Drama was never her thing.
Dylan bit his cheek and sighed. "Uh…if it makes you feel any better one of my friends was asking me about you."
Emma quickly turned to face him, now interested. "What?"
"Yeah, uh…his name is Gunner and he asked me what you do at the motel."
"What did you tell him?" she blushed from sounding so eager.
Dylan's lips lifted into a small smile. "You should just go talk to him yourself. I don't think he'll be leaving any time soon." He stood from the car window and walked back into the café.
Gunner was lying on his bed in the motel with a joint in his mouth and the tune to an old reggae song playing in the background.
He heard a knock at his door and cursed to himself. He put out the joint and tried to clear the smoke in the room with little avail. He coughed and finally answered the door to find Emma on the other side. "Hey…" his voice trailed off nervously. "Yeah, uh, I know I'm not supposed to be smoking but there was-"
"Don't worry about it." She told him. "I didn't come here to chastise you again."
"Um…okay?" he was way too high to figure this girl out.
"I came here to know what Dylan told you about me."
He raised a brow. "Huh?"
She shook her head. "Oh god…I knew I shouldn't have come here. I am so stupid-" she scolded herself as she began walking away.
Gunner may have been high as a kite but he wasn't going to let a beautiful girl that came to his motel room willingly just walk away. He caught her wrist and held on.
"Uh do you want to come in?"
Emma blushed. Going into a motel room with some guy she barely knew sounded awful but she put her thoughts aside and let her instincts take over.
Gunner turned off the radio and wiped all the ashes and crumbs from the bed so Emma could sit. He opened a window to let all the smoke out. He seemed very nervous about making a good impression.
Emma sat down on his bed and looked around at the messy room.
"Sorry about the mess."
"It's fine. Can we just talk?"
"Yeah! Yeah, a-absolutely," he sat beside her eagerly.
"Okay, Dylan said that you…asked about me?"
"Yeah, yeah, I just wanted to know your name so I knew what to write on the card I gave you with the cupcake."
Emma nodded slowly as if that wasn't really the answer she wanted to hear.
"I also wanted to know because…I thought maybe after you got high you would maybe want to get more from me. I mean, I wouldn't want you to have the wrong kind of supplier," he laughed.
She gave him a quizzical look. "Thanks…I guess."
"I mean, also if you ever just wanted to go out then maybe-"
"Go out? Like…a date?" Emma immediately wished she could eat her words but they had already been said.
He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Yeah, if you want to. That'd be great!"
Emma blushed and gave him a small smile.
Gunner's wide grin stayed in place as he leaned forward.
Emma's eyes widened as she quickly stood from the bed. "Whoa…"
Gunner looked up. "What? Does my breath smell like weed? I have some mints-"
"No, it's just that…" she tried to think of a good enough excuse to get herself out of this awkward situation. "I'm late for work. Bye." She strode out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Once again, she had left Gunner confused and embarrassed.
Emma spent the night at the Bate's house because she had to work late and Norma didn't want her to drive home so tired.
"You can sleep on the couch, Emma," Norma smiled.
"Thanks, Norma."
Norman walked in. They had a distant staring match with obstacles of tension and frustration that they seemed to never accomplish. Norman finally gave up for her and left to go upstairs.
"What was that all about?" Norma asked Emma. Apparently the tension was strong enough to be felt by everyone in the area.
"Nothing," Emma told her as she sat on the couch.
"Emma…" Norma sat beside her. "You know you could tell me anything, right?" She put her arm around her and rubbed her shoulder motherly. "You're like the daughter I never had."
Emma gave her a small smile that lasted no more than a second before she sighed and came clean. "I kind of…ditched Norman at the dance."
"Well I know that. He came running home in the rain. Why did you? That's not like you. I thought you really liked Norman?"
"I do. I mean…I did. But," she took a deep breath. "He doesn't like me."
"Sure he does. He's never said anything bad about you. I actually think you're one of his only friends."
Emma smiled again. "Thanks, Norma…"
Norma gave her a quick kiss on the head, said her good nights, and went upstairs.
Emma lied down on the couch beneath the quilt Norma had given her and turned out the light on the coffee table.
Oddly enough, the last person she thought of was Gunner.
Emma awoke the next day and walked into the kitchen in her PJ's to make herself some cereal. But she quickly turned back around once she saw Gunner and Dylan talking in the kitchen.
Too bad Gunner noticed her first.
"Emma!"
Dylan shushed him in fear of waking Norma or Norman.
"Sorry," Gunner whispered as he ran for Emma. He caught her in the living room. "Hey, Emma."
She turned around slowly, not wanting to deal with this when she just woke up.
"I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday. I just thought-"
"Look, you seem really nice and everything but…" she turned to see Norman coming down the stairs. He looked back and forth from Emma to Gunner. Emma took this opportunity to get back at him. She swallowed down all her nerves and stepped closer to Gunner until the tips of her feet and his shoes were touching. "Do you maybe want to go back to your room?"
Gunner swallowed. "You mean my motel room?"
Emma nodded slowly.
"Yeah! Yeah, let's go right now," he grabbed her wrist and led her out the door.
As she passed Norman, she looked into his big innocent eyes and still saw no sign of jealousy.
Emma was once again sitting beside Gunner on his bed, both of them staring down at their feet.
"So…" Gunner looked at her. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know…"
"Do you want another cupcake?"
"No… How about we just…talk."
"Oh, okay. What do you want to talk about?"
"Anything."
"Okay…what's your favorite color?"
"Orange. Yours?"
"Green. Now you ask me a question," he suggested.
"Why did you try to kiss me yesterday?"
"I don't know I…I like you," he admitted easily.
"Why?" she wasn't used to anyone liking her.
"I don't know. You're just interesting."
"Please…" she rolled her eyes. "You just feel sorry for me like everyone else."
"No! No, that's not it at all," he held her hand and stared into her eyes. "I really, really want to get to know you. You're really great."
Emma looked up at him in astonishment. A handsome guy like him liked her?
He smiled. "Maybe sometime we could-"
She cut him off like she usually did but not to speak up this time. Just to kiss him. He kissed her back. He put his hand behind her head to pull her closer. The kiss became so passionate he fell on top of her on the bed. He ran his hand through her hair before letting his tongue traced the opening of her mouth. She opened more than willingly as their tongues explored the others mouths.
Their lips parted to stare into each other's eyes. Gunner's hand began to smoothly snake its way up her shirt. He stopped at her belly button.
"…Is this okay?" he whispered.
Emma answered by pulling his lips back down to hers.
Before they knew it, both of their shirts were off, leaving Emma in nothing but a worn out white bra.
Gunner bit her neck earning a soft yelp. His hand ran up and down her body feeling her every curve and dip. He moaned from the feel of her delicate hands dancing up and down his back lightly. "I can't believe this is happening…" he groaned.
Emma found his undying need for her a little more than strange considering the fact they had just met a week ago.
He ran his tongue in between her breasts. "You're perfect…" he fawned.
Emma finally spoke up. "Can we…just not talk?"
He looked shocked. "I thought girls liked sweet talk?"
"We do…but…" giving up on seeking the right words, she sat up and reached for her shirt.
Gunner really didn't want this to end. He may have been sweet talking, but he really meant everything he said. He had only known this girl for a few days, but he genuinely liked her. He wanted her to stay. "Please, don't go."
She rolled her eyes. "Why do you want this so bad? You're…attractive. I'm sure you can find other girls."
"I don't want other girls! I want you!" He let his feelings admit.
"Why?!" she stood. "I mean, I have tubes up my nose and I'm not blonde or-or skinny…Why would you want me when you could have someone like Bradley?!"
He raised a brow. "Who in the hell is Bradley?"
Emma grunted in frustration. "I have to go."
Before she could even put her hand on the doorknob he announced the very thing that was holding her back. "What are you afraid of?"
She turned. "What?"
"Is it because you don't know me and this is your first time? Come on," he walked over to her and took her hand. "We don't have to do anything. Let's just watch TV or do something else."
Emma gave him a quizzical look.
"I promise I won't make a move on you. I just don't want you to go." He begged.
Emma thought for what seemed like an eternity before she finally sighed and sat down. "What kind of channels do they have on these crappy TVs?" she took the remote from the side table.
Gunner exhaled with relief and sat beside her on the bed. Emma looked at him like he had two heads. "What?"
"I don't get you…"
He laughed nervously. "What's there to get? I'm nothing."
She raised a brow. "What?"
He shrugged. "I'm nothing. I'm a burnout who guards pot fields with a bunch of other burnouts."
"Why are you so hard on yourself? You're still young and…not ugly. You can go to community college and meet a cool girl and get away from all this."
He smiled. "Well, besides the finding another girl part, that all sounds really nice but I don't have the drive. What about you?" he lightly pushed her shoulder with his. "Why are you so hard on yourself?"
She held up her oxygen tank as the answer.
"Nah. That can't just be it. Helen Keller was cool with herself. What happened to you?"
"Nothing happened. I just keep to myself a lot."
"Were you bullied?" he guessed.
"No."
"Did someone break your heart?"
She swallowed. "No."
"No! That's it, isn't it? Someone broke your heart!"
"Can we please just drop it and watch TV like you promised?"
"It's Norman, huh?"
She turned to him. "How did you…"
He grinned. "I saw the way your attitude changed towards me as soon as he stepped into the room this morning. You only wanted to come here to make him jealous."
"Well, if you knew that was the only reason, why did you let me come?"
"Because I like being with you. You have a really cool energy. You know, like, chi?"
She sighed. "Well, yes. You're right. It was Norman and I really don't feel like talking about it."
He shrugged. "Okay, we'll just watch more TV… But just so you know, you could do better. Way better than that scrawny mama's boy."
Emma didn't care for the insult towards Norman but she still felt flattered
Emma and Gunner fell asleep on each other. It was still only seven in the morning but the soothing sound of some old game show on TV and of each other's breathing left the two teenagers content. Gunner was a heavy sleeper so his actions whilst he was asleep were completely instinctual. So it was no surprise that once his body caught the fresh conditioner scent of Emma's hair his arms stretched forward and wrapped tightly around her.
Emma was the exact opposite. She was a really light sleeper and as soon as she felt his touch, she awoke. When she tried to escape, he only held on tighter.
"Gunner…" she tried to wake him uselessly. He was a passed out pothead and nothing would wake him up. Emma not only accepted the fact that she may be trapped between his rippling muscles for the next few hours, but embraced it with a small, warm smile.
Hours went by until the door opened and let the light shine right on the teenager's faces.
Norma.
"Emma! What are you doing here?!"
Emma quickly stood and collected her things.
"And why are you with this…this boy that you barely know? And why doesn't he have a shirt on?"
They all turned to stare at Gunner's perfectly toned abs with the two teens quickly realizing he had forgotten to put his shirt back on after their intimacy.
Emma looked back to Norma. "Norma, I swear, nothing happened!"
"I believe you Emma but…" she shot daggers at Gunner. "I don't trust him. He's one of Dylan's pot buddies and this room reeks of-" she looked back to Emma. "Did you get high again?"
"No! We just watched TV!"
Norma ran her hands through her hair. "Emma…what about Norman?" she had a strong tone of disappointment.
"What about him?" Emma frowned.
"Well I thought you liked him."
"Whoa…whoa, Norma," Gunner came up behind Emma still shirtless trying to calm things. "Emma's her own person, you know? She doesn't have to like your son."
Norma's eyebrows rose like he had just completely insulted her. "Excuse me?"
Emma tried to stop the quarrel. "Look, Gunner, just go-"
"No!" Norma stopped her. "I want to know what he means!" she took a step closer to the shirtless boy. "What exactly do you mean she doesn't have to like my son? I never said anything about having to be together!"
"No, but I know a pusher when I see one."
"Get out of my motel!" She left and slammed the door.
Emma turned back to Gunner putting his shirt back on. "Where are you going to stay now?"
"I guess I'll just sleep in my truck."
She rolled her eyes. "Come on, you make all this money and you can't afford another crappy motel?"
He shrugged. "Guess not."
She grit her teeth knowing she would regret this decision. "Go put your stuff in my car, idiot…" she told him before she too left the room.
Gunner looked down at his things with a blank expression before he smiled and gladly obliged her command.
Emma pulled up to her house with Gunner in the passenger's side holding his one duffle bag. "You sure your parents won't mind?"
"They don't care," was her only answer as she shut off the car and went straight for her house, Gunner following pathetically behind her.
She opened the door and ran up the flight a stairs to her bedroom. Gunner put his stuff down and took in her plain bedroom. It definitely didn't fit her personality.
"Uhm, so I guess I'll just-"
"Let's just get one thing straight," she told him firmly. "We're not gonna do anything. This is just temporary, okay? So don't go telling your friends about this."
He smiled. "Got it."
"Good," She turned to her closet and threw a blanket and pillow at him.
Emma put her pajamas on in the bathroom and went back to her room to find Gunner shirtless on the floor.
He noticed Emma blushing and smiled. "Wanna come sit next to me?"
She sneered. "Let's just go to sleep."
He masked his hurt with a shrug and got under his blanket. "Night, Emma."
She replied by turning off the light, leaving them in darkness.
Gunner went to work around five in the morning to get started on whatever anyone needed him to do.
Dylan caught up to him. "Gunner, what happened? Norma said she caught you and Emma having sex or something?"
He frowned. "What?! No! We were just watching TV!"
"Norma does have a tendency to overreact. Where are you staying now?"
"Emma's," he announced proudly.
Dylan rose a brow. "Are you guys…?"
He sighed. "I wish."
Dylan didn't feel like getting into anyone else's love life so he left it there with a nod and went back to work.
Lol like I said, mostly fluff and not a whole lot of plot. I've actually been lazily writing these little drabbles since after the episode Gunner and Emma met. I know, long time. But, hey, they have some new scenes in already this season and I think it may prompt me to write a little more(: