Chapter Seven: Third Ball and a Bonus

Nobody gave them a second look when Claire and Bender strolled into the arcade hand in hand.

There were even worser cases of social suicide here, but it didn't matter because it was the weekend and it wasn't school.

Bender led Claire by the hand to the awaiting pinball machine, still hidden at the back of the arcade behind the police-gun games.

The third ball was still even there and Claire grinned in excitement.

She let go of Bender's hand and stood in front of the game. Placing one hand each on the two buttons that controlled the buffers, Claire released the third ball and the pinball machine roared back into life once more.

Bender watched as Claire went back into gaming mode and he remembered her challenge that she would kick his ass no matter what he tried to do to distract her.

She has no idea what's coming… he though naughtily as he sneaked up behind her and began to breathe down her neck.

Claire's body nearly froze up when she suddenly felt his warm breath hit her neck, but her focus didn't shift from the game.

Goosebumps suddenly rose on her arms and Bender looked over her shoulder with a small triumphal grin when he saw them.

The fun was just beginning for him.

Claire kept her eye on the silver ball as it was flung back and forth under the glass case, but when she felt Bender's hands suddenly wrap themselves around her waist and his face bury itself in the side of her neck.

She felt his nose nuzzle against the sensitive skin on her neck and Claire's focus slowly began to slip from the game. IT was when Bender began to leave small kisses on her neck that she closed her eyes for one brief second as her body became overwhelmed with warm fuzzy feelings she had never felt before.

It was when she suddenly heard a loud sound from the pinball machine hat her eyes snapped open and she suddenly realized the that she had nearly lost to him.

Claire leaned forward away from his face and dangerous kissing mouth and she focused back on the game.

Bender grinned at just how much he was affecting this pristine girl…who was not so pristine thanks to him.

He was so close to making her lose that a part of him suddenly didn't want to make her lose. Then she would be sad and annoyed because of it and he didn't really want to make her sad again…

So he looked over her right shoulder and decided a different angle at her challenge.

Claire was very aware if Bender staring over her shoulder at the game, but she had no idea what he was going to do next.

Keeping her eyes set on the silver ball and its path, she didn't flinch or move as she felt his hands roam up the sides of her upper body to rest on her shoulders, then to slide down her arms to rest on her hands, which were still furiously pressing the two buffer buttons.

Bender leant against her back and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"It's not fun to play alone." He said in her ear with a smile and Claire leant her head to the side against his.

"Join me then." She replied and then they both went into gaming mode, acting as one to ensure that annoying silver ball wouldn't fall post those buffers.

Time passed by in a blur and it wasn't until a deafening happy tune exploded from the machine did they both look up and see that the all-time high record had been broken.

Bender blinked once, twice, three times and his shock was quickly replaced with a bizarre sense of happiness and satisfaction because he was halfway responsible for breaking it again.

But he had helped this time.

"Hey princess we broke my old record." He purred in her ear and Claire grinned from ear to ear.

"Yes we did. Now it's our record." She replied happily.

A message flashed on the small electronic screen saying that they had received a bonus ball.

"And we even get another go." She exclaimed excitedly and Bender just grinned.

"That's my ball."

Claire didn't say anything and Bender thought that he had hurt her feelings again but when she leaned back against him, he knew he hadn't.

"Then it's my turn to distract you." She grumbled slightly but when Bender suddenly gave her a big, fat, sloppy kiss on the cheek, Claire's sanity for self hygiene nearly snapped when she had the irresistible feeling of wanting to wipe her saliva covered cheek.

Bender knew it was only a matter of time before her concentration, and patience would break and she would have to lose her final ball.

To help speed things along, Bender leant over to the other cheek and laid upon it another fat, sloppy kiss.

Claire bit her lip really, really hard to stop herself from whirling around from the pinball machine to face Bender and give him hell…

But it was thought of what she could inflict on him that made Claire's temper stay in check.

Suddenly Bender bit gently on the back of her neck and it sent such unfamiliar sensual sparks rushing through her body that Claire's entire body went into hormone overdrive.

Completely forgetting about pinball, she turned around in his arms and faced an amused Bender.

"Stop it!" she growled, frustration clear in her voice.

He raised an eyebrow at her and Claire suddenly remembered her pinball.

Quickly turning around she saw it fall past the two buffers at the bottom of the machine and disappear forever.

The familiar beeping sound of losing a ball emitted from the game and Claire glared at Bender who still had his arms on both sides of her.

"You're so annoying!" she growled, giving him a slight 'whack' on the shoulder with her fist.

Bender was not unfazed as he gently pushed her out of the way and took position at the pinball machine.

Claire stood to the side and watched him release the bonus ball with a huge playful grin on his face.

Bender was completely ignoring her as she just watched him. Claire knew she would have to physically distract in order to make him lose his ball.

She took a step back and walked behind Bender so he couldn't see her at all. Claire had no idea how she was going to do it because she had no knowledge how to physically do it.

Kissing was too risky; covering his eyes would piss him off…

Suddenly an idea came to her as she gazed down at her two hands and Claire smiled sneakily.

Bender knew she was behind him but that was the only thing he was aware of apart from hitting that silver ball around.

Suddenly he felt two small hands press gently into his lower back. The sudden contact made his whole body freeze for a second and when he felt Claire mover her hands away he relaxed again.

Claire grinned at his reaction and at the knowledge that she know possessed.

She could affect him as much as she affected her.

Taking position behind him again, except standing faraway enough so they weren't touching.

Staring at his back, Claire assessed what was going to have to be done in order to distract him.

Claire stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist and leant her head against his back.

Bender didn't outwardly react but she could feel the muscles tighten and dance under her arms.

This reaction made Claire realize exactly what needed to be done.

Bender could feel her arms around him and it was taking al of his will power to concentrate on the game. Just when he though that he was keeping it all under control, two cold hands slipped under the back of his shirt and pressed themselves against the warm skin on his back.

"SHIT!" he yelled out in shock as he jerked away from Claire's cold hands, but she moved her hands unmercilessly onto his stomach.

Bender let out a noise close to a bellow and he instantly moved his hands away from the pinball machine and wrenched Claire's cold hands off his skin and out from under his shirt.

Claire took a step back with a satisfied grin as she watched the bonus ball fall through the two buffers. Her smile disappeared though when Bender turned around to look at her just as the 'you've lost the final ball' tune began to play on the pinball machine.

He looked pretty pissed off.

"Umm…" Claire started but Bender just glared at her so she shut her mouth.

A horrible silence fell between them and Claire found that she couldn't look at him as his eyes bore into hers. Instead she focused on the diamond earring in his exposed ear.

"You're so fucking annoying!" he said in a harsh tone and Claire looked at him with annoyance at the use of using her words but adding in that little bit extra.

"Just cause you're pissed off that I beat you." She replied before grabbing her bag and swinging it over her shoulder.

Bender blinked at her action.

"You leaving princess?" he asked sarcastically.

Claire breathed in sharply at his tone and she walked past him with a huff, "Yes I am."

"Back off to your broken home too?"

His question made Claire come to a complete halt. She had entirely forgotten about her parents, the divorce and the decision she would have to make.

She turned around to face him. "Yes." She replied quietly.

Bender could see tears in her eyes and it was then he also realized that she had completely forgotten about her troubles at home.

"See you at school." She mumbled, a tear slipping out as she turned and began to walk away.

"Claire." He sighed and she half turned to face him.

"What?"

He walked up to her and drew her into a tight hug before leaning her back and kissing her softly on the lips.

"Thanks for today." He replied and let go of her.

Claire gave him a watery smile, nodded and began walking away, quickly disappearing from view.

Alone once more, Bender gazed at the lifeless pinball machine with a smile.

It seemed now that he had a reason to go to school tomorrow after all.

&&&&

Claire made it home after 5 and went straight to bed, not in the mood to face her parents and the horrible choice she would have to make soon. But while lying tucked up in bed with her eyes shut, Claire could only see him and still feel the kisses that they had shared.

It seemed not that Monday just couldn't come soon enough.

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Author's note: thanks for all of the lovely reviews:D I will reply to them in the next chapter. :)