A/N: This is for my brain-buddy, Audrey…because she asked :) And Juliard is hot (though not as hot as Suliet). Enjoy!
_
I hadn't been expecting it.
Those are often the best kinds of things; the ones we don't see coming. I guess you could say that it was something of a drunken accident, but that would imply that it was also a mistake, wouldn't it? And it was not a mistake. And we weren't that drunk.
It was my first New Years' Eve on the island, and we were ringing it in as a group, despite Ben's wishes to have a more "intimate" get-together at his house (meaning, probably, that he wanted the opportunity to get me alone. I was grateful for everyone's protests). Ben may have been the leader, but when it came to social event planning, he fell a bit flat. So it was decided that there would be a celebration for everyone outside.
Amelia, Tom, and I volunteered to decorate and take care of refreshments, while Ethan would supply the music. It took us the entire day, but by 7:00, we finally had everything ready. Ben walked around, inspecting every detail and seeming to find it to his liking (not that it mattered). Surprisingly, the party took off quickly, and everyone was having fun – minus Ben, that is, but I'm not sure he really knew what 'fun' was, anyway. He kept looking at me longingly, and I averted my eyes, pretending to be absolutely fascinated by my champagne glass.
Somewhere around 11:45, he asked me to dance. Not Ben (far too much of a chicken), Richard. Yeah, it took me by surprise, too. A pleasant one, though. I agreed, of course. Ethan was playing "Here's to the Night" by Eve 6, a surprisingly tasteful choice, if not a tad depressing. Richard, ever the gentleman, took my right hand in his left, placing his opposite hand respectfully on my waist. I laughed, "You're not gonna break me, Richard." I told him. He was handling me like I was made of porcelain, and while I appreciated the sweet innocence of it, we were adults, after all.
Luckily, he laughed along, pulling me closer. "How's that?" he asked with a kind smile.
"Perfect." I replied, releasing his hand so that I could wrap both arms around his neck, junior high style. His newly freed hand fell to the other side of my waist, and I smiled, swaying in time with him.
All my time is froze in motion. Can't I stay an hour or two or more? Don't let me let you go…
"You're very graceful," I commented with a slight grin, "Haven't stepped on my foot once yet."
Richard laughed yet again, "I'm glad to hear that." he replied. I swear I felt his arms tighten around me just then. There was a pause. "Are you thirsty?"
I nodded in response, my throat suddenly incredibly dry. "Very." The song was ending, anyhow, so Richard released me and led me to the refreshment table, grabbing each of us a glass of champagne.
"Here's to the night," he said with a grin, holding his glass up. Aww.
I smiled, "Cheers," I replied, clinking my glass against his, and we both downed our drinks quickly, each of us reaching for another immediately afterward.
Oh, come and dance with me, my baby. Let's dance till we go crazy. The night is young, and so are we. Let's make love, and dance the night away…
The song had changed, and I had to roll my eyes at Ethan's choice, though it had a good beat.
"Care to go back out there?" Richard asked me after our second champagnes had disappeared.
"Alright," I agreed with a smile, though I was nervous to dance with him to a song like this. Luckily, he took the lead, holding my right hand in his left once again, though this time, he was much less shy about how he gripped my waist. My other arm wrapped around his neck, and though we hadn't really begun to dance yet, my heart was already pounding.
We swayed together, and I was sure he could hear my heartbeat, though if he did, he said nothing. We just danced. I didn't know it, but a jealous Ben looked on from a distance.
As quickly as it had begun, the song was over. I ceased my movements, as did Richard, and we stood there for a moment, both panting lightly, until the next song began playing…
He's irresistible, up close and personal. Now inescapable, I can hardly breathe…
Damn you, Ethan.
Richard hadn't let go of me, and my hand was still on his shoulder. I wasn't making any move to let go anytime soon. "Wanna keep dancing?" I asked him, my breath ragged.
"With you? Absolutely." he replied immediately, causing a grin to spread across my face.
I allowed myself to get closer to him, though I knew this was slightly dangerous. The fact that I'd downed two glasses of champagne in under a minute had escaped me, though I'm sure it was partially to blame for my flushed cheeks. The song went on, and our dancing became more…intimate. My arms were around his neck, his hands explored my sides and roamed my back. I never behaved this way, mind you, especially in public, but everyone else (besides Ben) was too busy to even notice us. "Richard…" I said, not knowing exactly why.
"Juliet…" he replied. Wow. What incredibly fascinating conversationalists we were. Thankfully, nothing more needed to be said.
"Alright, everybody! 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Happy new year!" Ethan announced, and for a moment, I swear time stood still. Richard's lips met mine, innocently at first, and then increasingly passionate, until we were engaged in a full-on make-out session. His tongue probed against mine, eliciting a delicious moan from my throat. My fingers played with his hair, and I gently pulled him closer, deepening the already passionate kiss even more. It was the single hottest kiss I think I'd ever had up to that point, and I didn't want it to end.
Thankfully, it didn't have to.
Before I knew what was happening, Richard and I were falling onto my bed, clothes flying as we hurried to shed them, and then…ohh, and then...heaven.
No, I hadn't been expecting it…but damn, was it good.