Chapter Four: Forever
Disclaimer: I wish….
A/N: sorry wasn't as quick of an update as expected cause I am sick as a dog! I can barely talk and my singing sounds like two cats in a bag being thrown into a wall! Well enough complaining, here you go! Oh before we get started, let's review: Atlanta sat up to be near him and he glared at her, half mad and half amused. She leaned forward and took his face in one hand and…
Flicked him in the forehead.
"Oww, what was that for?" Archie asked rubbing his head, trying to conceal the blush of all blushes. He actually thought he was going to kiss him!
"That was because you didn't take me home right away and I got wet! Now I'm gunna get sick!" She complained.
Archie smirked, "Nah, only wimps get sick. Oh wait! You are-"
And then she kissed him. It wasn't a deep kiss but it left Archie's mind whirling and the almost controlled blush escape. He instinctively kissed back and her strong arms wrapped around his neck. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. She pulled away and flushed, Archie mentally slapped himself!
'Damn, what have I done…Wait! She kissed me!' He thought.
"What was that for?" He asked again, forgetting that he had already asked that question.
"That one was payment for kissing me in front of all the gods." She whispered sheepishly.
"You know about that?!" Archie exclaimed. Atlanta nodded and removed her arms from around his neck.
'At least he isn't mad…' Atlanta thought. Her tanned skin was pale and she was clammy to the touch.
Archie noticed this almost immediately and pulled her closer on instinct. Forgetting that she was already near to him, she ended up on his lap.
"Whoops…" Archie laughed nervously, "Sorry, I thought you looked sick, and you feel feverishly warm." Atlanta laughed as well, not really wanting to move from the warmth his body was radiating. She was freezing.
"I am really chilly. Maybe I am sick?"
"Wimp." Archie teased, worried about her already. She smiled and tweaked his nose.
"You know, I may be a wimp, but technically you haven't done anything to keep your promise yet."
"You mean the promise that I would stay?" Archie asked quietly, suddenly very serious. Atlanta nodded.
Lips connected as Archie kissed her.
'What!! Oh, my, he is kissing me! This is a…mazing…' Atlanta thought deliriously, returning her arms to his neck and kissing him back. He flopped down on the couch with Atlanta still in his arms. She broke the kiss and laid her head on his chest.
"I'm not leaving Atlanta. I can't prove it any other way…I l-love you." Archie whispered nervously. Atlanta froze, and did a deer-in-the-headlights movement.
'He loves me? How could I not know this! I am such a …DORK!' She thought rapidly, cringing at Archie's well known nick name. Archie didn't move, couldn't move, due to the red-head lying on his chest. He wished to escape to his room but apparently Atlanta had different plans.
"You really mean that?"
"Yes." Archie confirmed, feeling sick to his stomach.
"Honestly truly, swear on Odie's life mean that?"
"Yes, Atlanta." Archie was getting annoyed; did she have to make him repeat it over and over again?
"Say it." She commanded. Archie lifted an eyebrow and refrained from tipping her off the couch in annoyance.
"I love you."
Atlanta burrowed under his arm, slipping beside him on the couch. Her hazel eyes stared into his blue ones, trying to decipher what her heart was telling her.
'Ewww, Archie's your best friend! What will Theresa say?' Definitely Atlanta's head/inner girl talking.
'Who cares!? The boy you like is sitting in front of you, declaring his love and you are sitting and worrying about Theresa! What's wrong with you?' Her own inner Theresa, how lovely.
'No, no, no! Atlanta think about the group! What about Cronus?' Jay radio here, Atlanta has a connection. Jeeze, a girl can't catch a break!
'Oh my Good Gracious! Atlanta, even you have to have better taste than that purple haired psycho you call a friend? No, well I suppose we all knew it would happen eventually. But couldn't he try and do something about the hair?' Atlanta attempted smacking her inner Neil on the head but found that it was harder than first thought.
'But what do I want?' She thought… five voices filled her head softly.
'Him, you want Archie…' Her own voice was added to that and Atlanta came back to the present. All that had happened in mere seconds. Atlanta silently wondered at how quickly life altering moments passed.
"I love you to Archie." Atlanta murmured, pressing a chaste kiss onto his lips.
"Really?" He asked, struck dumb that the beautiful red-head beside him would return his feelings. Atlanta nodded and nestled into Archie's neck. He picked her up and tip toed out of the living room and back to her room.
There was a small lamp on in Atlanta's room and Archie stared down at the woman in his arms expectantly, noticing for the first time, she had no pants on.
"Hey Lannie, nice underwear…" He smiled, embarrassed beyond all belief. Atlanta opened her eyes, panic stricken, but decided that if he loved her; he could live with the blueis.
"Deal, and if you can't, feel them and then you'll understand." She commanded, closing her once again placid eyes. Archie's face went even redder (if possible!) but he was curious now. He lightly felt the material. It was possibly the softest thing he had ever felt, maybe excluding Atlanta's hair.
"Wowwie! No wonder you wear them!"
"Only on special occasions. Like earlier on I felt depressed and they cheered me up."
Archie smiled and tucked her in. He kissed her forehead softly, his eyes warm.
"Are you depressed anymore?"
"Not at all. Do you find it strange how no matter how hard I tried to think, I couldn't remember, and when I wasn't trying it all came back to me because you said Lannie?"
"No, sometimes life goes like that. The things you want the most come around when you least expect them too. Kind of like you!" Archie replied.
"What do you mean me?"
"Well when this all first happened, I didn't want this, any of it. And yet here I am and it's the best days of my life! You're here." Archie explained. Atlanta smiled and grabbed his collar, pulling him close for another kiss.
"You have no idea how bad Theresa is going to interrogate me tomorrow." Atlanta sighed. Archie grinned.
"Let's just not tell them. Did you know they are conveniently going to the beach tomorrow, leaving me with you to try and get you to remember? Well, they don't know you already remembered…"
Archie left the sentence hanging and Atlanta gave a self-satisfied smirk.
"You, Archie-kins, are a genius!"
"I know but if you call me that again I might have to shoot myself."
Atlanta laughed; Archie kissed her forehead again and shut the door.
"Good night Atlanta."
She blew him a kiss and the lights were turned off.
The morning of Archie was rudely interrupted by a bouncing Atlanta. She was perched on the edge of his bed, hopping up and down giddily.
"Atlanta go away. What the hell are you doing in my room at this ungodly hour?"
"Archie, it is eleven in the afternoon and everybody is already gone. As for me, I'm waiting for my good morning kiss!"
"Go away-"
A heartbeat of silence.
"What did you just say?" Archie wondered absolutely incredulous.
"I said everyone was gone and I was waiting for my good morning kiss…" Atlanta answered, worried at the smile that appeared on Archie's face.
"You're telling me that wasn't a dream? You remember?"
"Uh….yeah." Atlanta answered.
"Prove it." Archie said.
Atlanta grinned and pulled blue material up from her pajama bottoms. Archie leaned over and felt it. It was softer than he recalled.
"Wow, this is like… bizarre." Archie said, yanking Atlanta out of her balanced crouch. She cried out and fell into a heap at the end of his bed. He laughed softly and picked her up.
"Hey, no fair!" She whined. He laid her beside him and wrapped his arms around her.
"Five more minutes." Archie murmured. Atlanta giggled, fully awake and decided on a plan of action to get out of bed.
Almost asleep, Archie was instantly awake when Atlanta kissed him. He pulled her close, so her body was pressed to his. She deepened the kiss, knowing that Archie had no chance.
She pulled back to see a fully awake, albeit ruffled, Archie staring at her.
"Are you awake now or do I need to turn on again in five minutes?" She asked sarcastically.
"Let me tell you Atlanta, if you wake me up like that every morning, I will never sleep in again. Although I don't think that counts as your morning kiss…so…" And then he kissed her.
Electricity shot up and down her spine and her arms circled his head. The couple stopped making out long enough to breathe.
"I could definitely get used to that."
"You better, I plan to be doing it for a while."
"How long a while?"
Archie looked at her, seeing a softer, gentler side to his Atlanta. "How does forever suit you?"
"Suits me just fine, but I have one condition."
"And what may that be?"
"You have to have a talk with Jay. He's being a blockhead. He can't seem to understand that Theresa is willing to wit forever, but that doesn't mean she has to. She loves him-"
"He loves her too you know."
"Then he should forget Cronus, for once in his entire life, and get what he wants because he deserves it. So you need to talk to him."
"I am at your service."
"Always?" Archie nodded, "Good, now go make me breakfast and bring it up to me when you're done. I want cereal with banana and yogurt in it."
"I don't think this was part of the forever deal." Archie complained. Atlanta smiled.
"It is now!" She snuggled farther down into his pillow and pulled the blankets over her head. Archie got up and walked down the stairs.
'Atlanta, I will get you any breakfast you want, every single day for a lifetime if it means forever.' The purple haired boy smirked, he could almost hear her saying 'Good cause tomorrow I want eggs and bacon!'
A/N: Awe, I was going to continue but I liked the whole breakfast thing. Belle, you have no idea how hard it was for me not to tell Archie to make Banana Pancakes! (If you don't know what we are talking about, read Oblivious, it's amazing) Well hope you enjoyed, please review!