TEASE: Dinner and a Movie
Contents: Mature Rating because of sexual content
Male/Female Relationship
Main Characters: Rude and Cissnei
Author's Note: This is a side story for "Tease".
This story can stand alone and can be enjoyed without reading the other contents.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to ZiggyPasta for being a great Beta and friend.
Disclaimer: Don't own, just using for my own amusement
When she invited him to a movie, he didn't think twice about it. It was better than going alone, and he was positive that she would be better company than Reno was when they went to the movies. The redhead tended to talk through movies, and he was sure that Cissnei didn't do that. Reno was busy escorting Rufus to the fancy dinner with some dancers; an event that he was glad that he didn't have to do. He had planned on going home and having dinner in front of the television. A dinner and a movie sounded better than his original plans.
He was sure he would get all the details about how horrible the evening went from Reno in exaggerated detail on Monday anyway.
A night with popcorn, treats, and a movie interested him, and there was the added bonus of going with someone that wouldn't throw the popcorn at the screen. He was not against going to a movie alone and sitting in the back, but company made it more pleasant.
Cissnei had looked disappointed sitting at her desk as she listened to Gun hacking and coughing on the speaker phone before he was getting ready to leave the office. Her plans had fallen through as Gun was sick and could no longer go to the movies with her. Gun loudly blowing her nose made him cringe and he was glad that he didn't have any stake out missions with her in the near future.
"Do you want to join me then, Rude?" Cissnei asked him after she shut off the speaker phone and pulled her purse out of a drawer.
Shrugging, he decided that he had nothing else better to do. "Sure."
He went home to get changed out of his suit. The dark suit was comfortable, but he was aware that it tended to make everyone around uncomfortable when they went out in public on personal business. People knew what Turks did, and their reputation followed them around. When he didn't want to be noticed, it was much easier to blend in with normal clothing.
He put on a pair of slacks that were more casual than the attire that was required on the job, grabbed a black short sleeve golf shirt, and made sure that his goatee was trimmed. He grabbed a light jacket and folded it over his arm before he went out to the door to meet Cissnei at her apartment.
Knocking on her door, he thought he should have asked her what they were seeing before he agreed to go with her. He hoped that it wasn't a chick-flick.
She opened the door, smiling at Rude in his casual clothes that were still more formal than most. He looked nice in the black shirt, and she was sure this was the first time that she had seen his arms. Even when he was using the gym, he would wear a long-sleeved hooded sweat jacket as he jumped rope or practiced his boxing.
It took her a moment to realize that there was something very different from before, and she couldn't think of a time that she had even seen him in the swimming pool. Rude's arms showed more that there were tattoos hiding on his arms, and that intrigued her. She knew that Reno had a bunch from when he was in the gangs in the slums, but she had only seen them once. He was not proud of the ink on his back, and she wondered if Rude had the same issues with the marks that were peeking out of the sleeves of his shirt.
These thoughts were fleeting as she looked up at his eyes that were hidden behind the sunglasses. "Ready for a movie?" she said as she pulled on her own jacket and closed the door behind her. Rude gave her a nod and started to walk towards the elevator.
She had picked some clothes that were more casual than Rude's. She seldom wore jeans but had an old worn out pair that were her favorite. They were faded and had holes around the knees, and were very comfortable. She had pulled out an old t-shirt from her school days that had seen better days as well. Walking beside Rude in his casual clothes was a little intimidating.
"What are we going to go see?" he asked as he pressed the button on the elevator.
"It's that new superhero movie. I can't wait to see it. It has that hunk of a man, Renny Blink. He is wearing tights and everything," she babbled and smiled up at him. Seeing a subtle change of expression in his face, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You thought I was going to make you watch a chick-flick, huh?"
He returned the smile. "The thought crossed my mind."
"Not in the mood for sappy stuff." Walking into the garage, she took a look around. "Do you want to drive, or shall I?"
Rude held up his keys. "I'll drive."
"Don't trust me?" she asked, but wasn't really surprised. Rude always did like to drive. The only person he didn't look like he was going to grind his teeth into powder while driving with was Tseng.
"Nope."
"You can lie, you know." She followed Rude to the car he always used, and went to the passenger side. It really wasn't his car. Shin-Ra paid for it, but no one else had keys to this black SUV. He took care of it, ensured that it was clean and no one — not even Reno — messed with it. For some reason, Tseng and Veld allowed it, but wouldn't allow anyone else to covet a vehicle like that.
"It's easier to tell the truth," Rude said as he unlocked the passenger door and held it open for her.
"You know, I can open the door for myself," she said, but climbed in. She felt a little awkward with him opening the door for her. She was not used to that with any of the men that she had dated in the past, and while they were on the job, she was one of the guys. This wasn't like a date or anything, either.
It was just a movie. That's all. Not a date.
"I know," he said and closed the door behind her.
Cissnei watched him walk around the front of the SUV and wondered what other tattoos he had on his arms. They were different on each of his arms, and she wondered if they crawled around his shoulders or on his back. One side looked like he had a dragon. The other side looked like he had some sort of bird.
She caught herself wondering what he would look like without a shirt on.
~completely unprofessional~
The movie was good, loud, action-packed, and enjoyable. Cissnei gasped, laughed and ate more popcorn than Reno usually did. Of course, Reno would have thrown out half of the popcorn at the screen because of the cheesy explosions, and would have complained about the guns that never ran out of ammunition.
He noted those discrepancies in movies, but it was a movie and obviously not real life, and it was supposed to be an escape, not part of their job. "Are you hungry?" he asked. He didn't think she would be with all the popcorn and pop that she had consumed, but thought it was appropriate to ask.
"Starving for a burger," she said. "Popcorn is just an appetizer!" She put her arm through his and bounced beside him. He had forgotten that she could out eat most of the men that were in the Turks. He was surprised that she was not larger than she was, but she was more active than any of the Turks. She didn't stop moving, but it wasn't in the fidgety way that Reno would move. She ran on the treadmill for at least an hour in the morning before she started to work, and the cross training she did in the afternoon made most people cringe. She even mastered the Hell camp quicker than most Turks, and even SOLDIERs. The only one that surpassed her speed was Zack.
He had seen her eat enough to put a SOLDIER to shame when she was on a mission.
"I know a place." He decided easily as he tightened his arm to bring her to him as he led her out of the theatre. "My treat."
"Nuh-uh," she said. "You paid for the movie, the popcorn and you drove here. If you keep paying for things, it will turn into a date, and we can't have that."
As they approached the SUV, it was the first time in a long while that he had a thought that it wouldn't be a bad thing for it to turn into a date. He never thought he would even be considering being with anyone else. Reno had always told him that he needed to get back out and go "fishing", and even tried to set him up with some ladies from the secretarial pool, but they were not the type of girls that he wanted to date. He wasn't even sure what type of girl he wanted to date. After his disastrous encounter with Chelsea, he didn't want to open himself up to caring...
~loving~
... another woman like that again.
It had been a year since he found out about her betrayal, and it still stung at times, but that didn't mean he couldn't move on.
But with Cissnei? He pushed the thought aside. It would never be wise to get involved with someone he worked with. "I don't mind paying."
"Do you pay for Reno when you take him out?"
"Hell no," he said as he opened the door for her again and watch her climb in with those impossibly tight jeans. "He pays because he always owes me for something."
She giggled.
And his heart skipped a beat.
Frowning, he walked around the SUV and got into the driver's seat. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardize his work relationship with her. He didn't want to risk hurting her or getting hurt himself. He was sure that Tseng wouldn't like it either, but Tseng was not one to talk, especially after the way he stalked that girl that they were supposed to be protecting in the slums.
"What was your favourite part of the movie, Rude?" Cissnei asked as she buckled her belt and he started the vehicle. He found that he could talk to her easily, and that was another wonderful thing that added to his thought about this not-date.
They went to a burger joint that Rude used to hang out at when he was younger. He knew most of the people working there. Every time he brought Reno to the burger joint he complained that it was too greasy, but Rude still loved the food and the good memories that came back to him when he was in this little hole-in-the-wall. He didn't like bringing Reno anyore, because not only did he complain about the food, but the last time they were there, he ordered a salad. Reno's eating habits were something that was hard to explain.
Cissnei was surprised at how talkative Rude was as they waited for their food to arrive. She liked the sound of his voice as he answered the questions about the movie; who his favorite actress was, and even laughed as she asked him if he was a boob or a butt man.
"Boobs," he said easily as he dipped his fries in some ketchup.
"Not butt, like Reno?" she said as she cut her burger in two.
"No, not like Reno," he stated, wondering if she was asking him if he was gay. "You? Butt or boob?" he asked in return.
"Butt," she said with a smile as she lifted up a fry. "And home cut fries," she said with a wink. He raised an eyebrow and wondered if she was flirting with him. He was not used to being flirted with, but he took it for an indication that she wasn't gay herself and that he had a chance.
~I shouldn't...~
But he was already interested as she started talking about some reports she was working on. He liked her voice. He liked her smile. He liked how she didn't mind that he wasn't all that talkative, and wasn't bothered at all that he didn't take off his sunglasses even though it was dim in the restaurant.
It was bad to have thoughts like this. It was unprofessional and it would be complicated ... almost worse than the complications that happened before.
"Do you have any plans for the weekend?" she asked.
"Read, watch sports," Rude said with a shrug, "nothing much."
"That sounds boring," she said, wrinkling her nose before taking the last bite of her burger. She chewed it like a chipmunk and her cheek puffed out on one side as if she was planning on storing it for the winter. He smiled at the image. She swallowed the image away and asked him, "I was supposed to be going to Kalm with Gun, but since she is sick and all, do want to join me?"
"What's going on in Kalm?"
"Marathon training."
He frowned. "I'm not much of a runner." He could run and did his fair share of cardio workouts, but a marathon was not his idea of fun. He would have liked to go if there was something to do with boxing or cage fighting, but not running.
"You can hold my water for me."
He quirked his eyebrow at her and wondered if she was serious for a moment when he realized that she was joking, thankfully.
"I don't know if I want to go if Gun isn't going. We are supposed to be a team. If she doesn't get better soon, it'll kind of be a waste, and we might as well go into next year's circuit. She won't be ready for next weekend when we are supposed to run in the Midgar annual race. I can do it myself, but it is nice to run with a friend, you know."
Rude nodded. "You shouldn't let her illness slow you down. It's just a cold, after all."
"I know," she sighed and eyed his fries. "Are you going to eat those?"
He chuckled and pushed his plate towards her. He only ate half of the fries that were on his plate. The restaurant overloaded their plates with fries, and he never was able to finish them. "Help yourself."
Smiling, she moved the plate to cover her empty one and then proceeded to pour ketchup all over them. "So, what do you want to do now?"
Rude thought their night was almost over. Even though he was enjoying her company, they had watched a movie, had a nice dinner, and he was prepared to drive her home and go to bed. He was certain that he was going to get a phone call from Reno first thing in the morning, complaining about his escort mission.
"What do you normally do when you go out with Gun?"
She laughed and nearly choked on her fry. "We usually go to The Plant and try to pick up guys. I thought you liked boobs."
He cleared his throat and reached up to where his tie was normally knotted, but the shirt had no tie so he awkwardly adjusted his buttons instead. He felt his face heat up at that statement and the thought of her in the pub with all the drunks there. He was usually the sober one when he went with anyone else, and dragging the drunks home or protecting — mainly Reno — from unwanted advances.
"Do you take anyone else when you go to the bar?"
"Gun and I can take care of ourselves." She didn't seem insulted by his concern as some women did when he talked like this. It was always a sore spot in past relationships. "No need to worry. If they were assholes, we would treat them like assholes. It's not like any one of them would mess with us after we told them what our jobs were."
"Sorry," he said and swallowed. He felt like an idiot for talking like this. He rubbed his hand over his bald head. Cissnei had proven time and time again that she could take care of herself. She was strong and agile, and one of the Turks that he enjoyed working with on a regular basis. He had no need to worry about who she picked up in the bar at night.
~still bugs me~
"I know where we can go," Rude said as he watched her eat the last of her fries. "A nice place for a night cap."
Cissnei smiled, and he had to return it. "Cool."
Cissnei had never been to the club before, but Rude was obviously known. He walked past the line, patted a bouncer on the shoulder, and they were in. It was a high class lounge that looked like a piano bar with fancy lights and a dance floor.
She felt under dressed as she walked beside Rude to a table that was obviously his usual table. The lights were dim and comfortable. There were three pianos in the room and the center was being played by a woman in a startling bright yellow dress, with red hair and outlandish make up.
Her piano playing was astounding, and so was her voice. Rude stood at the entrance to the booth and held out his hand to indicate for her to slide in ahead of him. The darkness thankfully hid the blush that formed on her cheeks as she slid into the seat. Rude had pushed his sunglasses up to his forehead so that she could see his normally hidden dark eyes. She didn't think she had ever seen his eyes before, nor had she ever paid attention before. They were quite expressive.
Maybe that was why he kept them hidden.
"Do you come here often?" she asked as she got herself comfortable in the booth and slid off her jacket.
"From time to time," he said as he placed a drink menu in front of her. "Used to work around here, so I get treated well."
She took the drink menu but didn't open it. "Work? Did you work here before you became a Turk?"
He gave her a crooked smile. "Something like that."
The waiter came and put a beer in front of Rude that she didn't remember him asking for. "And for the lady?" the waiter asked.
"Same," she said. She liked the taste of beer and the one that Rude had was one that she had before and enjoyed.
The song changed on the stage and there was a clarinet that joined the voice at the piano. She looked to the stage and was delighted to see that there were more musicians coming out. "Is there a whole band?"
Rude pushed his beer in front of her. "I'll wait for the next one." Rude looked to the musicians that came out on stage. "It's more of an open mic type situation. A few are on staff, the rest are people from the neighbourhood or slums that come up to play. They live on tips and getting their names out. Some suck, some are good." Rude nodded toward the stage. "These are a good group."
Cissnei smiled as she took the beer. "Thanks. I have never heard of this place before. I like it already."
And it was an enjoyable night. Cissnei had more fun than she ever did when she was at the dancing clubs with Gun. The people that came on stage to show their talent were amazing, and she learned so much about Rude.
Rude knew a lot of the people in the establishment. The lady with the bright yellow dress came over, gave Rude's bald head a kiss, whispered something in his ear, told her that she was a much better looking redhead than Rude's usual guest, and gave them each another set of drinks.
Rude was more talkative as he drank and he only drank two. She was a little ashamed that she was drinking more than she usually did, but it was good beer, good company and a good bar. She doubted that she was going to Kalm to train tomorrow like she originally planned. She was enjoying herself and didn't want the night to end.
Near closing time, a young man was at the piano with shaggy black hair and tight black clothes. "He always plays when they want to close up. He's the head bartender," Rude pointed out as she leaned against him.
"It's sad and a little romantic," Cissnei said and sighed. Piano music always got to her and it was hitting her pretty close to her heart. She never understood the feeling that the music would give to her. She was comforted with the feeling of Rude at her side and didn't stop herself from putting more weight against him. It could have been the music or the beers that she downed, but Rude ... made her feel content.
His hand wrapped around her shoulder and rubbed it as he leaned in to whisper into her ear. "I'll take you home." It caused her to shiver in a way that she wasn't supposed to feel about a co-worker. She didn't pull away and she felt more comfortable than she knew that she would be.
"After he's done playing," she said. Fabric touched her skin as Rude placed his jacket over her shoulders. Blinking up at Rude, she smiled at his chivalry. She knew that she had been drinking too much as she leaned against his firm and hard chest. "I like his music."
He didn't push her away, and he kept holding her. She could smell his faded cologne on his clothes. She wondered for a moment or two as to what type of cologne it was so that she would know what to buy him. She then realized where her thoughts were going.
~This is so wrong~
But she didn't want it to stop. He wasn't pawing at her like the men at the clubs often did. She was at ease and had always been secure with Rude. She had always thought he was a nice guy, and he always treated her with respect as well as all the other women that she saw him encounter.
She knew he was hurt in the past because of a relationship that went bad really fast. She wasn't aware of the details of what went on, but he was super quiet for about a year, and now he seemed to be finally coming out of it in the last couple of months. Putting her hand on his stomach, she twisted closer into him and was pleased to feel his firm muscle under his clothes.
~must be too drunk~
Rude shook her shoulder gently as he leaned down and whispered, "Are you alright, Cissnei?"
"Uh-huh," was all that she was able to say. The piano music and the warmth of Rude made her really comfortable. "Comfy."
He made a scoffing noise. "Let me get you home."
There was no stopping the groan that escaped her as he pulled away. She had been really relaxed and could have stayed like that for another couple of hours, but it was obviously closing time. Rude guided her from the booth and started to escort her out. She noted that he was holding closer than he should have been. It could have been for two reasons. One, because she was drunk; or two, she was reading the signs right and he liked her.
~or both~
Rude waved to a few people and said goodbye to their waitress, leaving her quite a tip that just about caused the woman to start crying. The bar was still too loud and she couldn't hear what he was saying, but she could tell that Rude was well liked amongst the staff of the bar. Cissnei was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, and that was when she realized that she had at least eight beers and there was a hi-ball in there somewhere, too.
"I drank too much," she slurred as they walked out the door.
"Just a little," Rude said, rubbing his hand up and down her arm and kept her pressed against his side.
She had a good buzz on and felt content with Rude. The dark-skinned Turk opened the door for the SUV and helped her into the seat. She took advantage of the moment to admire his eyes again that he often kept hidden from the rest of the world. His eyes were so calm, dark, and slightly amused.
"Don't worry," he said as he clicked in her seatbelt for her. "I'm used to dealing with worse drunks than you."
Her lips twisted into a crooked smile and waited for him to return to the other side of the vehicle. "I'm not like Reno," she said when he opened the door and slid in.
"He would have been out-of-his-mind drunk hours ago. I haven't been able to stay the whole night when I bring Reno there. And he would be hitting on the bartender for most of the night."
"He does that?" She giggled and hiccupped. She covered her mouth and kept on giggling. She knew that she had too much to drink when she started giggling. "Has he ever gone home with him?"
Rude started the engine. "Nope. Bartender is straight, but he likes being flirted with."
Cissnei giggled as she lolled her head to the side. "This was very fun, Rude." She put her hand on his leg for a moment and looked into his eyes. "It was really fun."
Pulling back her hand from his leg, Rude's face set into a frown. She was pushing it and knew it. She let out a sigh and looked out the window as they started to pull out of the parking lot. She folded her hands in her lap so that she wouldn't be tempted to touch him again. The radio was playing some soft music that melded in with the dark. She could smell Rude on the coat that was still wrapped around her shoulders. She couldn't help but take a couple of deep breaths.
Looking over to Rude, she saw more of his arms again. Dark swirls of tattoo on his skin that she wanted to explore drew her attention, and with the addition of alcohol in her system, she didn't stop her hands from touching the marks. "These are neat," she said. She felt his muscles tense under her touch as he looked over to her with a sideways glance. "When did you get them?"
"I was young. I had them modified a bit since then, so they don't look like they were done in the back corner of the slums," Rude said as his attention switched from her to the road.
"Do you have any more?" she asked as she let her hand fall back into her own lap, but she continued to gaze at him. He had a lot of piercings and she was wondered if there were other piercings under those clothes. If his ears were full of earrings and gauges, he was bound to have other body modifications.
She blushed at the thought of what else could be pierced.
"A few," Rude said as they pulled into the garage of the apartment building where all the Turks were housed. "We're here. I help you to your apartment."
She felt a little hazy and tired. The door opened and Rude helped her out of the seat. She could walk, but she allowed his arm around her shoulder as they went to the elevator.
"I had a really good time," she said as he pressed the button for her floor. "I would like to do that again."
Rude gave a non-committal sound. Looking up at him she could see the tension written across his jaw. Having his eyes uncovered, she could see he was a little uncomfortable. His whole body was tense, and it was probably because she was so close to him. She let a sigh out and rested her forehead against his chest again.
It was most likely because of the booze, but she really liked Rude and she didn't want to not be near him. "Thanks for the lovely night, Rude," she said as the elevator door opened and he ushered her out into the hall. It was a shame that such a lovely night had to end.
The place where her hand touched him still burned. He was all too aware of the smell of her perfume, her hair, and how warm she was when she touched him. She looked beyond cute as she was sleepily clinging to him. He didn't think she had that much to drink, but then he was used to drinking around Reno. Reno tended to have a stronger liver than the people around him, or at least a stronger stomach when it came to alcohol.
~except for that little blond cadet~
Rude remembered how Cloud had won that battle with Reno. It was short lived but it was still a win that Reno was not happy about. Reno had pouted all morning after he woke up about losing to someone smaller than he was, and had far less practice.
"What ya smiling about?" Cissnei slurred.
"Thinking about how Reno lost his last drinking contest with Cloud," Rude said.
Cissnei giggled again.
It made his heart skip and his cheeks warm up with a heavy blush. He was grateful, for his dark skin didn't show when he was embarrassed. Usually Reno was the one that got him embarrassed over his antics. This ... this was for a different reason.
Cissnei was concentrating on getting the keys out of her purse as she bit her lip, and had cheeks that were red with a drunken blush and her eyes were sparked. He had never seen her look like that at work.
She pulled out her key card and then it fell to the floor as it slipped from her fingers. "Oops," she said and giggled again.
"I'll get it," he said and reached down to grab it quickly before she could get it, and he opened the door for her. She sauntered in ahead of him, and he almost hated himself for how his eyes went to staring at her bottom moving beneath her tight jeans.
"Coffee?" she asked as she ambled into her kitchen. She stumbled over her own feet but was able to remain standing. It was an endearing little stumble that was far from her normal graceful self. He knew that he should go home and leave the night like this, but he found that he wanted to stay. Closing the door behind him, he then followed her into the kitchen. He was enjoying himself and he didn't want the night to end.
Cissnei fumbled around in the kitchen. "I'll start a pot. I got some vanilla roast decaf. Sound good to you?"
"It does," Rude said as he took up watch at the entrance of the kitchen. She was fumbling with the coffee container now, and having issues with trying to get the coffee filter. It made him smile. "Do you need help?"
"I got it," she said, and promptly dropped the spoon that was in her hand. It sent her into giggles again as she covered her mouth. She was damn adorable when she giggled. "Or maybe not. I think my fingers are numb."
Without much thought, he walked forward and held her hands in his. "Go sit down and I'll make the coffee."
"But it's my kitchen," she whispered and looked up at him. Were her eyes ever that large and bright before?
"I don't mind." He patted her hands and escorted her to the living room. "I've made coffee in your kitchen before." And he had. When preparing for missions and so forth, he had to wait for her to wake up in the morning. She was a slow riser and would grumble and mumble as she got ready in her apartment. Once she had her coffee, she was as good as gold. One sip and she was back to being bubbly and happy Cissnei again.
"I'll turn on the TV."
She felt like a moron, acting like a clumsy fool and being unable to stop giggling. Shaking her head at her silly antics, she went into her living room and turned on the TV. She fell onto the couch and grabbed the remote to find some old comedy show that was in black and white.
She wasn't really paying attention to it, as all she could think about was the fact that she was acting like moron, drank too much, and now was giggling like a school girl. She listened to Rude fumbling around in the kitchen and making them a cup of coffee to wind down the end of the night with. She threw an arm over her eyes and groaned to herself.
She didn't even realize that she was dozing off.
Rude brought the coffee into the living room and smirked at the sight of Cissnei snoring on the couch. He put the cups on the table and started to rearrange her on the couch. He was used to taking care of Reno after a night of drinking, so Cissnei would be much easier to handle.
Her eyes opened as he reached down to move her from the couch to take her to her room. Her lips dipped into a sloppy smile and her arms wrapped around his neck. "Hey," she whispered.
"Want to forget the coffee?" he asked as he easily hoisted her up into his arms.
"What else do you have in mind?" Her hand touched his neck and cupped the back of his head. "I can think of a few things."
He didn't fight as her fingers urged him to lean forward. There were a million thoughts that were rushing through his head about how he shouldn't do this and it would just lead to being hurt again, but he really wanted to kiss her.
Their lips touched and it caused him to pull her to his chest and deepen the action. His mind was racing with thoughts of Cissnei; her taste, touch, kiss and smell. The warmth of a woman in his arms ... a feeling that he hadn't had for such a long time.
"Is that too forward?" Cissnei asked as she pulled out of the kiss. She was smirking at him and there was a glint in her eyes that could either be all the drinks she had, or something else.
~I hope it is something more~
She rested her head against his chest and her hand stroked the back of his neck. He easily lifted her and carried her towards the bedroom. "I want to see the rest of those tattoos," she whispered. It sent a shiver through his spine and a rush through his stomach.
"Later," he said as he laid her on her bed.
Her hooded eyes closed as she hit the pillow, a soft sigh left her lips as her hands grappled for a blanket. He helped her reach for it and covered her up as she curled up on her side, and promptly fell asleep.
He stroked her hair briefly, moving it away from her face before she started to snore and flail. Her arms reached for a pillow that she hugged to her chest. It was charming.
Knowing that he could lose a knee cap for thinking like that, he shut off the light in the room and went into the living room. He went through the motions of cleaning the coffee supplies that he had used, then drinking the cup of coffee that he made for himself.
He knew he should go back home and phone her in the morning to ask her if she needed help with the hangover she surely was going to have. Instead, he sat on the couch and watched the show on the TV, contemplating what he was going to do next; ignore the kiss and pretend that meant nothing, or stay and face her in the morning.
The decisions circled in his head as he sipped the cooling coffee, and he leaned back against the couch, staring at her ceiling. He fell asleep still battling his thoughts.
Cissnei woke up slowly. Her mind was full of thoughts of the wonderful night before that ended ...
How did it end?
She had to think for a moment, and then she remembered everything.
She puther hands over her eyes and flailed uncomfortably, letting out a garbled scream. "I'm such an idiot!"
She could still smell him. It was lingering on her clothes and there was a tingle on her lips that came from her kissing him. She let out another scream at her stupidity. She had kissed Rude: A co-worker and a friend. It wasn't something that she did. She was usually cool-headed about things like that, even when she was drinking.
She lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She would have to deal with him on Monday morning and try not to make it awkward between them, and pretend that it didn't happen and ... move on.
She was about to crawl out of bed, get out of her clothes, have a shower and wallow in self pity for the rest of the day, when there was a soft knock on the door. Sitting up abruptly, she called, "Yes?"
"Are you alright in there?"
It was Rude. Rude was still there. Rude was still there! Rude was in her living room and Rude was knocking at her door.
"Fine."
"Do you want that coffee now?"
She blinked like a fool for a moment before she realized that she had to answer him. "Yes, please."
There was the sound of feet shuffling and eventually the sound of her machine brewing.
He stayed. The simple thought of him staying sent her heart soaring until she remembered that she let out some rather embarrassing screams. Groaning, she sat up, rubbed her face, and decided to go into the kitchen and face the awkward consequences of this embarrassing morning.
Sheepishly she walked into the kitchen. Rude was wearing his shirt and pants from the night before, but he still looked as fresh as ever. It was hardly fair to look so refreshed when she knew that she must look affright. Her hair felt like a mop on her head and her mouth felt like she had swallowed a rag.
A cup was swung in her direction. "I put in a little extra sugar for you."
She couldn't help but smile as he said that. She took the cup from his hands and felt his warm fingers against hers. They stood like that for a little while. He was staring at her and she was glad that he wasn't wearing his glasses. "I remember kissing you goodnight."
"I remember, too."
"Why didn't you join me in bed?" she asked. She realized that she would have loved to have woken up with him beside her.
"It would have been impolite to impose when I wasn't asked," Rude whispered, his finger rubbing against hers.
"I did say that I wanted to see the rest of your tattoos." She had never wanted to rub her hands along the trail of someone's tattoos before. She wanted to see if there was a dragon or an eagle on his arms, and where else he had piercings. Stepping closer by half a step, but with the cup of steaming coffee still between them, she chewed her lip and reached her free hand to his free hand. She was grateful when his fingers entwined with hers.
"You were drunk."
"I'm not anymore."
He smiled. It was a small smile as he lowered his face down to her, and they kissed again. It was better than the previous night. It was longer, sweeter and better than she could have ever imagined.
"Finish your coffee," he said as he pulled away, kissing her forehead. "We can discuss my tattoos after breakfast.
She gripped his arm firmly to keep him from pulling away. "We can multitask." She knew that she saw amusement in his eyes as she stood on her toes to give him a kiss on the chin before pulling the cup close so that she could take a sip. "Take off your shirt."
Rude took a step back, smiled, and obliged.
(— More in Tease Chapter 22 – Punishment art/Tease-22-153048058 , Chapter 58- Crisis, art/Tease-58-207719293 , and Tease - Regrets (an extra epilogue) art/Tease-Epilogue-Regrets-245805473)