Okay, so I had planned to do a Christmas ficlet, but life got in the way. So instead, this is just a three part fluffy (and smutty) ficlet for Valentine's weekend.
You do not need to have read my story Wicked Games to follow this. BUT I'm hoping it will make anyone new to the story curious enough to find out more about how Tig and the OC (Leni) came to be. (Obviously, links to WG are in my profile)
I know that I've sucked at updating Wicked Games, I'm sorry, but I am trying to get back into the swing of editing the mass of chapters I have laready written, so I can post regular updates again.
This is obviously a flash forward which takes place several months after the events in Wicked Games (set just before the events of season two) which you may have read here so far. I hope you enjoy and as always, I'd love to know what you guys think.
Huge thanks to Katryn (thatlassiegotglassed) for being an awesome beta and giving me some great advice and support.
In the way that you state your feelings
No matter the cost
How you separate all the clichés
Still you get so lost
But I wish I was wrong
Wish I was wrong
There has never been anyone like you for me
There has never been anyone like you for me
Way down
Way down in the heat of your love
On my best side
Deep fried in the heat of your love
- Heat Of Your Love by Institute
Wicked Games: Deep Fried || Part One || A Big Ask
"A date?" Tig exclaimed, his brow furrowed deeply. Gemma had come out with some weirdness in all the years he'd known her, but this suggestion was something else.
"Don't give me that face." the queen dismissed, unimpressed but not surprised by the wild-haired biker's reaction. Eyeing him firmly, she stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray on the kitchen table and quickly got serious. "You and Leni have been seeing each other for a few of months now, right?" Tig hesitated for a second, afraid to give an inch for fear of Gemma snatching a mile, but when he expression intensified, demanding an answer he relented with a sheepish nod. "And you've never even taken her out for a burger."
"We go out," he shot back, leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest in a silent show of defense.
"No. You go to Tacenda and spend the weekend at her clubhouse, or she comes down here to hang out with you. You drink beer and eat barbeque, play cards and watch fights. Or you meet at some hotel room for sex. That's not going out, Tiggy. You should take her somewhere nice-spoil her."
He tried not to grimace. He didn't do romance. "She ain't really the type who likes that kinda shit."
"Tig, every girl is the type who likes that kind of shit." Gemma sighed. "You should make her feel special."
The blue eyed biker smirked devilishly. "I do."
Gemma had to fight not to roll her eyes. "That's not what I mean." She insisted, having no doubt that Tig was very attentive in the bedroom department, but a relationship was about more than that. He needed to pull his socks up and show Leni how much she meant to him. "You should ask her on a date Tig. I'm serious. What have you got to lose?"
"My dignity?" Tig offered.
Gemma huffed. "Sack up Tigger!" she demanded, getting to her feet ready to leave. "If you don't treat her good, you might end up losing her..." her words struck hard, like an ice cold tidal wave.
He watched shamefacedly as Gemma left the little clubhouse kitchen and headed to the main door. Even after she was gone, her words echoed in his head. She always had a knack of saying or doing something that really got to him, hit him where it counted. Could he really lose Leni if he didn't take her out on a date? Was she secretly wishing he'd treat her differently? Better? He wasn't sure, but he certainly didn't want to risk it.
He gathered up the two cups of coffee that he'd originally come in for and stalked back out into the common room where the aftermath of last night's party lay scattered. It was only early in the week, but that never stopped the party spirit at SAMCRO. They made their own rules, there was no nine-to-five for them. If they wanted every day to be a Friday, then that's what every day would be.
He paused in his tracks for a moment and looked around, seeing all the croweaters and hang-arounds draped over their patch of choice. Having spent the night making empty promises and gestures in the hope of becoming something more than just a good lay. The sea of unconscious female faces somehow all seemed to look the same; one interchangeable with another. Clones. The only differences were hair colour and differing levels of clothing. Nothing special about any of them, nothing that was worth clinging on to.
He never thought he'd say it, and merely feeling it made him worry he was going soft, but he didn't miss that side of his world. He'd grown tired of the endless disconnect and as fun as it was to take a different woman to bed every night, there was something undeniably special about having someone regular. There was comfort in the familiar. An odd sense of peace with someone who he shared an emotional bond with. Someone to confided in and laugh with. Someone who he actually wanted to have stick around after the sex was over.
Walking back into his small apartment at the back of the clubhouse, he set the two cups of coffee down on the little section of counter that formed a kitchenette and looked to the bathroom door. He'd left Leni in the shower before heading to the kitchen where he'd been accosted by Gemma. He hadn't missed anything in his absence, but knowing their time together was almost over made him wish he hadn't left Leni alone for even a second.
It was rare he got to see her in Charming during the week. She was busy running the show with her own club and didn't often get a chance to sneak away until all her bases were covered.
He liked what they had, she had her life and he had his, but they came together as often as they could. Knowing she wasn't always around stopped him taking her for granted. It made him cherish the time they had together and crave more of it when she was gone.
He'd never let it show as strongly as he felt it, but he loathed saying goodbye to her. It took all his strength to drive away from her clubhouse and it took even more out of him to watch her ride off SAMCRO's lot. Spending the time they were apart worrying about what trouble she was getting into when he wasn't there to protect her himself.
Of course, he didn't wish her to give up the life she lead, knowing it made her who she was -the woman he loved- but he couldn't help but wish he was somehow more involved. The way he was when she first came into his life. He hated the way his mind wondered to dark places when the time between hearing from her stretched on too long.
The bathroom door clicked open and Leni stepped out, towelling off her long dark hair, trying to stop it become a mass of chunky wet curls. Her tall slender figure was dressed in her usual dark uniform of a slim fitting v-neck, jeans, and…bare-foot. No boots meant she was still his for a few more moments.
"What's up with you?" Leni asked, moving over to him. "Looks like you lost twenty bucks and found a dime."
Tig shook his head with a soft dismissal. "It's nothing. Here." he picked up a cup of coffee and handed it to her.
Leni looked him up and down for a beat before taking the cup. He looked undeniably hot with his dark grey jeans barely fastened around his hips and a dark blue shirt held together within only two buttons done up, showing off a large patch of his strong chest.
The simplest gesture of a coffee meant so much to her. She moved in to kiss him softly on the lips with a purr, as a silent but heartfelt thank-you, before easing back to take a sip of her coffee.
"D'you wanna go on a date with me?" Tig blurted out.
Shocked, Leni choked. Putting her hand to her mouth, she coughed up the liquid that had jumped down the wrong side of her throat. Tig's eyes widened with fear; certain he'd fucked up.
"A...a wha?" She spluttered, trying to compose herself.
Tig hesitated, he wasn't sure if he dared to repeat the words but there was no going back now; he had to follow through. "A date. Me and you...Dinner or somethin'..."
Leni started laughing, she couldn't help herself. Her blue eyes twinkling with genuine amusement. Tig Trager. Sergeant-at-Arms for the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club. A man who's name preceded him amongst ninety percent of the one percenter bikers in America. A man who was feared by half of the West coast. A man who had a heinous reputation and did all he could to embrace it, was asking her out on a date like some nervous school boy.
Asking her, a woman who sat behind a gavel, and lived so much like a man. A woman who too had a reputation for so much violence and rage. Who struggled to trust a man with her heart, especially someone like him. A man who lived in a world that inherently treated women so badly.
She was a woman who had fought every day of her life to be respected by the men in their world. She was someone who couldn't remember the last time a man, other than he, had looked at her like she was a real woman, and not just some kind of hybrid that walked the thin line. Or worse - just a conquest for bragging rights.
Her laughter stabbed sharply at Tig. He didn't like being mocked. He knew it was a stupid idea. He should have known she'd think he'd lost his mind. "Forget it," Tig dismissed gruffly and moved away from her.
Instantly Leni snapped out of her giggles and put her cup down on the counter before reaching for his arm. "Tiggy!" she begged and he stopped, his shoulders dropping.
He felt like such an idiot. He was always such an idiot for Gemma, letting her get in his ear and put things in his head.
"I'm not laughing at you." She insisted, moving around in front of him to block his escape. "I just..." she didn't know how to explain what she was thinking or feeling, he'd taken her completely by surprise. "...I can't remember the last time someone asked me out on a date." she said softly, her bright eyes dimming a little with memories of her youth.
Remembering how she never so much as got an invite to her classmate's birthday parties because she was the girl parents warned their offspring to avoid. There was no prom night for a girl like Leni either. Boyfriends had been few and far between her whole life, because no one was brave enough to date a big, bad biker's only daughter. No parents wanted to see their children associating with a girl who lived in the world she did.
Tig warmed to her again, he knew more about her past that anyone. Over the months they'd transitioned from enemies to friends and from friends to lovers, he'd learned so much about her. Her plight had fascinated him, her strength and courage to conquer all the obstacles in her own way, appealed to him on so many levels. She was nothing like anyone he'd known before, and it only served to strengthen his desire to hold onto her as tight as he dared.
"It's a stupid idea," he shrugged off, hoping that would be the last of it.
Leni knew he was feeling hurt by her reaction, and she hadn't intended to wound him. She loved him more than anything, and the fact he'd been brave enough to ask, filled her with a deep warmth that she hadn't felt before.
"No it's not." She shook her head, looking into his incredible, blue eyes that showed the soul inside did not match the dark shell that contained it. "I'd love to go on a date with you."
Tig's felt himself light up inside, but he was outwardly cautious. He knew Leni liked to mess with him from time to time, and his eyebrow instinctively raised, head tilted slightly in question. "Yeah?" he asked, suspicious of her turn into enthusiasm.
"Yeah!" Leni nodded with a smile. Tig felt his chest swell with excitement. He had no idea what constituted a date for someone like her, but since Gemma had caused all this, she could damn well help him make plans.
"How about Friday?" Tig asked, suddenly strangely eager to make plans for what seemed so alien to him only moments earlier.
"Well..." Leni mused. "I'll have to check with my other boyfriends but..." Before she could finish Tig grabbed her and pulled her into him and nuzzled at her neck.
"Tig! Stop! I'm gonna be late!" she begged, trying hard not to let herself slip into the pleasure he was promising her.
"Ah, come on. What's the point of being the boss, if you can't be late sometimes?" he encouraged, kissing her neck softly. His goatee tickling the tender skin and encouraging tingles to blossom at her core.
Leni let out a joyous sigh, there was no fighting it now. She was caught in his tractor beam and there was no escape. Her responsibilities would just have to wait for another hour or so.
•••••••••••••••••••
When Gemma heard the sound of a bike leaving the lot, she looked up from the work on her desk and leaned forward a little to cast her eyes out of the open office door. She could tell by the way Tig was strutting across the lot that he was pleased about something.
"So, you ask her or what?" Gemma pried as soon as Tig stepped into the shade of the office to get his list of jobs for the day.
Tig glanced over to notice Clay was sitting on the couch to the left of the door, reading over some paperwork. "Yeah..." he mumbled, avoidant.
"Ask who, what?" The president chimed in, eyeing Tig, who was suddenly looking a little awkward, over the top of his glasses.
Before the blue eyed biker could open his mouth, Gemma cut in. "He asked Leni on a date."
Tig shot his eyes to Gemma and gave her a sharp look, tinged with both embarrassment and annoyance. He knew Clay was still somewhat concerned about where his head was at after what happened with Donna. He didn't need the president thinking he'd gone even softer than he already thought.
Clay gave a snort of laughter. "Isn't the date supposed to come before you're going at it like rabbits?" He teased. Tig didn't say anything, he knew he'd get shit for it off the guys.
Although Clay wasn't exactly one to mock, he was wrapped around Gemma's little finger most of the time. He took her to dinner and to the movies on occasion. He was always looking to please his wife and she in turn did the same for him.
Tig would never admit it aloud, but he secretly coveted what the two of them had. A deep love and understanding. Something he never thought he'd be lucky enough to experience himself, but then Leni had come along and made him realize that it was actually possible for him to be loved and understood by another human being.
"So, where you takin' her to?" Gemma asked curiously.
"I dunno." Tig shrugged. He knew Charming like the back of his hand, but he wasn't exactly a regular customer at the local respectable eateries.
"The Italian place on Main Street changed ownership a few months back, it's really nice now."
Before answering, Tig glanced over to Clay who was still looking at him like he'd grown two heads. Tig Trager taking a girl out on a date? The whole thing seemed ridiculous.
"You think she'd like that?" Tig muttered, afraid of what impression he was giving Clay.
"Yeah!" Gemma agreed. "Clay took me recently." She announced, deliberately. Knocking her husband off his judgmental perch. Tig glanced back to Clay whose demeanor had changed slightly. He sat up straighter as if ready to defend himself. "The food was really nice." she added.
Tig felt a tickle inside him, encouraging his confrontational side. "Was it?" he asked to Clay directly.
"Yeah," Clay gave, tilting his head to the side a little as if to ask 'what of it?'. "It was great."
Tig almost smiled, but he pulled it back down. As much as Clay and guys would enjoy teasing him about doing meaningful things for a woman, he knew they'd all do it with someone that mattered. None more so than Clay for Gemma.
"I guess we'll try it then." Tig agreed.
"Great!" Gemma cheered. "I'll get you the number."
"Cool. Thanks." Tig said and turned to pick up the clipboard with the list of work that needed doing, before disappearing into the workshop to bury his head under a car hood and enjoy the peace that would soon be shattered once the guys got wind of his plans.
Gemma waited until she was sure Tig was out of earshot and turned her attention to Clay. "Don't give him a hard time about this." she insisted. "It was my idea. I figured he should do something nice for her for once."
Clay understood his wife's motive well enough, but he had a feeling she was barking up the wrong tree. "I don't peg Leni for the type who likes to be wined and dined."
Gemma tutted, recalling how Tig had thought the same. "Maybe she isn't, but I'm sure she'd like to go somewhere with Tig where she wasn't surrounded by beers, bar snacks and skanks."
Clay nodded, she had a fair point. "Never thought I'd see the day when Tig was making this kind of effort. Did he ever do that with Colleen?"
"Not that I know of." She scoffed. "But then, that was all a bit shotgun, wasn't it?"
"Hmmm..." Clay mused. "If this thing goes bad with Leni, it'll wind up being the literal kind of shotgun."
"Will you stop being so cynical?" Gemma ordered. "She's good for him."
Clay thought for a moment, but he knew his wife wasn't wrong. Tig had been out of sorts ever since what happened with Donna and when Leni first showed up on the TM lot, she had spun him on his head too. Now things had worked out between them and she'd seemingly helped him figure himself out and get back on track. Clay couldn't deny that he liked seeing the two of them together. They complimented each other well, and provided some solace for each other. Something that Clay knew everyone in their world needed in order to keep on functioning.
Resolving to let the kids have their date, Clay signed the dotted line on the paperwork he was going through and stood up. Moving over to the desk and handing it his wife, before leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. "You just want to plan a wedding, dontchya?" He teased, knowingly.
Gemma looked up at him and laughed. "Nothing wrong with that!"