Disclaimer: I don't own 90210
Pairing: Liam and Annie
Rating: Strong T
Warnings: none
A/N: THANKS for reading, review, adding to alert or favorites. Every single one is precious. Here we go…
Chapter 20
"You look like the cat that ate the canary, is it safe to say that the paper went well?" Liam asked, unable to keep the smile from his face, because hers was contagious.
Sliding an arm around his waist, they walked down the hallway together, "better, can't say the same for Calculus though," unable to resist a tease, as he put an arm round her shoulders.
"Well, Calculus is over rated," he argued, stealing a sideways glance. Sure, he'd tried to distract her more than once during their cramming session, but it's not like she submitted. When the girl was determined she made it virtually impossible to seduce her. Not that he complained, because he kind of liked that she didn't flip flop under his ministration.
"Really," raising an amused eyebrow. "You'll never just admit trying to distract me?"
"Somehow it's my fault you get easily distracted by my undeniable charm?" he feigned outrage. "I take offence, Wilson, you questioning my innocence like this."
Successfully, biting down a laugh, she nodded in her best somber expression. "Liam, you haven't been innocent in a long time, let's not tell lies now." The smirk tugging the corner of his mouth was enough to get her pulse racing. What could she say, that devious smirk of his would always be one of the single sexiest sights she'd seen.
"You're right," he easily agreed, dipping his to whisper the next part in her ear. "How about I push you into one of these class rooms and show you just how far frominnocent I am," lips gently tracing the shell of her ear for effect.
Really walked into that one, Annie cringed internally, knowing full well her face was probably resembling a beetroot right then. Her pulse couldn't help quicken further at the preposition. "So… your step dad still adamant about you staying in New York for the winter break?"
"Actually, it was my mom's idea," his voice losing it's playful quality, instead taking on a monotone unemotional drawl he adapted when he was trying to not show his true feeling about something. It scared her how well she knew it now. "Jeffery is attending some sort of conference or whatever, and she figured we needed some bonding time away from California," and Annie according to his mother at least.
"Time away from Jeffery, you must be syked," purposely not touching on the fact that it will be time away with just him and his mother since the rift between the two had widened. Just looking at him you could tell he was still alienating the woman for choosing to stay with her philandering husband, but it was a sore subject to bring up in public so she chose to let it slide and attempt it later in a much more private setting.
"Can't complain I guess," a non committal shrug accompanying the deceptively nonchalant statement. "About tomorrow night, are you sure you don't mind me going?" It wasn't the most subtle change of subject in history but, he really didn't want to think about not seeing Annie for the Break and having to deal with his slightly estranged mother.
"Do you want to go?"
"No."
"Then, I don't mind." Only skepticism met her statement, prompting her to add, "it's not a secret you don't like anything with the word formal in it, and I won't force you to go with me when you obviously would rather stick needles in your eye –."
"Exaggeration –."
"- so I'll just see later," as much as the Winter Formal was a couple thing, Liam just wasn't the party and formal king of guy and coercing him to go just because she wanted to would be cruel and unusual punishment for him. The only reason he'd survived Prom was because he'd teased and taunted her the whole night, and even so she just couldn't force it down his throat. "And you can make it up to me," wagging cheeky eyebrows at him.
"Oh, I'll make it up to you like you wouldn't believe," he growled in her ear.
0-~*+*~-~*+*~-0
Trouble was the only thing flashing in his mind when Cassidy sauntered toward him in the hallway. Since revealing the 'truth' about Jason, the blonde hadn't bother acknowledging his presence which he was more than grateful for, that was why her approaching him was more than … suspicious.
"Hello Daniel," leaning against the locker beside his, with lazy cat-like grace, blue eyes assessing him from bottom to top slowly before returning to lock with his rich chocolate orbs.
Her gaze was undressing, and it took a lot not to squirm notably under it. "Cassidy, what do you need?" he asked calmly, returning his attention to his locker.
"I'm not sure it will be prudent to say it out loud," the stiffening of his lean frame, and raised eyebrow was enough to entice a slow smirk. "Relax, Danny boy I'm not going to steal your virtue, even though that could be quite fun. I'm here for something else."
"You going to spit it out or what?" not in the mood to deal with her inappropriate remarks; in less than a week she'd turned his world upside down and, if anything, her presence alone told him that she wasn't quite done yet.
"My, my quite the impatient little boy, Danny," this time a drop-dead glare was thrown her way, which just made her smirk widen. As much as his other qualities were appalling – choice in women in particular – Danny was downright gorgeous when angry or unimpressed. Testosterone rolled off his usually pansy form like you wouldn't believe. If only he could take out the stick, they could definitely have all kinds of fun before she got Liam back to normal. "Just wanted to know if you told the happy couple about your friend Insane-a-lot?"
He had the courtesy to look ashamed, meaning Danny boy hadn't opened his pretty mouth and sang to the love birds yet. Why were her pawns so damn predictable?
"Judging from the mommy –I've –done –a –bad – thing expression and the shuffling I'd say you haven't passed on the 411 yet?" Another glare was her reward for her insight. "Oh, don't glare at me for what you didn't do; it's not my fault you want to protect your bromance partner."
"I'll tell them," he told her firmly, determined to spill what she told him the following night.
The determination on him looked rather good, even though it was motivation for something so pathetic. It almost made her like him, almost. But almost doesn't count, "Well clocks a-ticking before, J goes full on Glenn Close. Think about it, you'll be saving a few rabbits from a toasty sauna bath," she couldn't help quip.
"That's not funny," he scowled, closing his locker.
"No," she agreed, her features serious. "It's hilarious."
Rolling his eyes, he stalked down the hall fully intent on getting away from the blonde and fast; Crazy bitch.
"Have a nice day, sugar!" Danny was quite the amusing toy.
Her joy however was short lived, when psycho-in-question, Jason, appeared out of nowhere trapping her against the lockers, arms on either side of her tsk-ing. How much had he heard? "I thought we had an agreement, Cassie. Stay away from Danny or did it get lost in translation?" so he hadn't heard a thing.
"What, wishing him a good day is a crime now?" she asked, telling herself in an internal mantra that Jason was a harmless bunny, and wasn't borderline deranged. It really took a lot to prevent her hear from beating hard, but she managed it, as well as keeping her face nonchalant.
He grinned, which looked more like him just bearing teeth like a dog at it prey, eyes leering at her body casually, "We both know that with you, it more than that," pressing his body against hers to prevent escape. "I don't want to have this conversation again Cass," he whispered hotly in her ear, nuzzling the side of her face.
A cold chill run down her spine at his actions and if she wasn't trying to keep up her unaffected front, Cassidy would have thrown up. God, this bastard made her skin crawl. "Is that a threat?" raising a shaky eyebrow in question.
"No baby, I only make promises," lips hovering over hers, before he walked away. Eyes closed, she let a silent sigh of relief escape her, but had to snap them back open when the sound of his footstep ceased. "I'll pick you up at 8." Was the last comment he threw over his shoulder.
She didn't like threats; it was time to cut Crazy-and-Insane loose. But after the Winter Ball, she needed the lunatic 'til then.
All his hopes had been resting on Jason's infatuation being harmless, but watching him threaten and actually scare Cassidy the Cold hearted bitch made Danny wonder if what the blonde was saying was something close to the truth about his best friend.
0-~*+*~-~*+*~-0
"You know, if you went over right now I'm sure you could convince that Ebenezer Scrooge boyfriend of yours to go tomorrow," Silver commented, at the third dress Annie tried on and was currently assessing in the dressing rooms full length mirror.
If that meant she looked good, then she doubted Liam would be motivated to go. Quite the contrary actually, he put all his willpower into making her stay with him than attend the formal. "Is that Silver-speak for that's the dress you should choose, or do I have it twisted?"
"What I'm I speaking in Swahili?" Silver asked. "You look great, Wilson. Now can we go before all this white gives me a headache?"
"Funny how it wasn't when we were out shopping for your dress," getting a pillow thrown at her for the joke. "Okay, let me just get changed so we can go." Carefully slipping out of the dress, she made quick work of her clothes and was out in no time. "By the way, did Naomi ever sort out the problem with her credit card?"
"Yeah," returning a text, Silver replied. "Turns out big sister Jen cancelled the limit less card, because she feels the need to help Nay handle her money responsibly. Yeah, Responsible enough to max out her little sister's other card for an haute coutour dress."
It wasn't a secret that Silver didn't like Jen, and Annie didn't blame her. "I'm sensing a lot of hostility and sarcasm Sil, is there something you want to share?" she asked, with a laugh as they left the store with her paid purchase in hand.
"You mean other than Jen trying to run Naomi dry?" Annie didn't comment, just leveled her with a look before turning her attention else where. "Oh come on Ann, you your self told me about the outrageous purchases she was making on Nay's card and that weird phone call. You can't tell me something isn't right."
"Evasedropping is hardly concrete proof," Annie countered weakly, not sure they should get involved – rather, not sure she should get involved when Naomi barely trusted her as it is and was deliriously happy to have her older sister back. The signs of Jen's intentions being less than honourable were there, the partterns almost similar to Liam's dad before he conned his son of his savings. "And, I'm not exactly top on Naomi's friend list even though she's being civil these days."
"So we're just going to let Jen ran rampant?"
"All we can do is keep a close eye on Jen and get concrete proof so when we tell her –."
"- Jen can't manipulate the situation? I hear you." Silver didn't like the fact that she would have to wait, but Annie had a point. Naomi hero worshipped her older sister, and if they were going to oust her for being fraudulent then they needed proof. "Have you chosen your Winter Break destination yet?"
"I think I'll go visit my grandma Vegas," Annie retorted, firm with her answer. As much as she missed her dad she just wasn't ready to see him yet, so Dixon would be making that trip to North Carolina alone.
"Sure you don't want to go and see your dad?" Silver asked a bit taken aback by the answer.
"My dad and Dixon probably need father-son bonding time without me hanging around. Besides, I've missed my grandma it will be kind of nice to have her all to myself for a while," forcing a smile on her face and hoping Silver would just drop the subject.
"So… Peach Pit?" taking the hint and letting it go.
0-~*+*~-~*+*~-0
Naomi and Ozzie had chosen to forgo the Winter Formal, and take off to Tuscany early even though she was the one to convince Ade and Annie to attend.
As expected Ade and Navid were practically lost in their own little world most of the night, forgetting that it was suppose to be a group thing, but Annie couldn't exactly fault them.
Ivy and Dixon were off somewhere doing god knows what, in fact as his sister she really, really didn't want to know what those two were up to. The only people that stuck to the group thing with her were Ethan and Silver, who obvious needed sometime to themselves so she'd dismissed them to the dance floor, once the stolen glances over her shoulder got to obvious, with wishes of having fun.
It was how she ended up sitting at their table watching them dance and twirl playfully on the dancefloor. The sight should have stung her, Ethan being her ex and all, but it didn't, not even a dull ache. Silver truly loved him and was happy, because Ethan accepted the things Dixon was never able or willing to. Her best friend's happiness was all she wanted and if she found it in Ethan even better, because he was a truly wonderful guy.
"If this isn't a case of déjà vu I don't know what is," Liam voice floated into her ear, breath tickling her ear deliciously, breaking her way from her musings.
An unconscious smile tugged at her lips, "Just couldn't stay away, could you?" she teased.
"Had to figure out a way to steal you from here early," he smirked, against her pulse point. "What better way than kidnapping you?" with a shrug he slipped onto the chair beside her.
"Is that why you're adhering to the dress code?" raising an eyebrow at his long sleeved white t-shirt that showed off his chiseled chest and arms quite nicely.
"I look good in white," was his defense, not skipping a beat.
"So humble," she commended, her tone dripping in sarcasm, but her smile told him she enjoyed his confidence and that he did look good.
"You know you like it," he mumbled into a glass, giving her a side long glance. "So … ready to get out of here?"
"I don't know," she pretended to think about it, before settling on playing a little game. "I haven't been asked to dance, and since you're here…"
His eyes widened before they quickly switched between the dance floor and her, trying to gauge whether she was serious or just teasing him. Annie never had a good poker face, so he settled on her being … serious? "No. No way, no how, no." there was a lot he was willing to do for his girl, but … dance.
"What are you chicken?" trying her hand at reverse psychology.
"Don't even try that on me, sweetheart. Reverse psychology won't work," he refused to give in on that, no way was he dancing.
"Oh come on, just one dance. Please," a hand placed on his thigh, she attempted to coax him.
"You're trying to kill me aren't you?" He narrowed his eyes at her in accusation, "This is your evil plan to get back at me for not coming in the first place?"
"No one's ever died from dancing, you're exaggerating," standing up to hide her smile, before turning to extend her and to him, "Come on, it will be fun."
"No," remaining firm in his decision, even though he was stealing glances at her form. She really was trying to kill him in that dress, White fabric hugging her slight curves generously to her thigh, before flowing graciously to the floor, a long slit running up her leg to end mid thigh offering up an enticing peak at her leg when she moved.
She finally broke into a smile and slipped onto his lap, arms rounding his neck, "relax, I was only messing with you," kissing him gently to let him know he'd been had.
Oh she was good, or maybe it was just the fact that he was distracted by how good she looked and smelt. "You do realize you're going to pay for that right?" Two can play at that game, and he'd be damned if he lost.
"I hope," she giggled, knowing she was going to enjoy his revenge, "Ready to get out of here?"
"I was ready five minutes ago," not hesitating to lead her toward the exit.
Pushing the door open let in a slightly chilly, breeze that had Annie burrowing further into Liam's over size jacket. A small smile touching her lips, because it smelled completely like him.
"Liam, wait!" Danny's voice rang through the quiet parking lot. He had seen them escape the dance and thought it was a good time as any to let Liam know. After consideration, he'd decided Annie didn't need to know, she was going through enough as it is without dealing with a possible stalker. It was only when they were finally outside that he was able to catch up with them and get their attention. The blue eyed male halted and didn't ignore his call, so he closed the distance not thinking too much about the confused looks he was getting from both of them. "Can I talk to you a second?" He asked before he lost his nerve.
Liam had an idea about the subject matter and it definitely had something to do with the girl by his side. He'd also figured Danny –as much as Cassidy tried to allude otherwise –was a good guy, and was coming to him with the truth about Jason, even if it was late.
Annie's eyes immediately, on instinct, snapped to Liam, wondering how well this was going to turn out, but was stunned when she didn't see her boyfriend's jaw twitching or fists clenching, "Sure."
His reply as well wasn't strained, but rather casual. Even his blue eyes that spared her a quick reassuring glance weren't hard or cold, but rather… knowing? Was she missing something here?
With a small smile tugged at his lips that said he wouldn't cause trouble, he hand over his keys. "I'll meet you at the car."
More soon
A/N: I know Liam and Annie seem light in this chapter, but think about the ferret-Paris Hilton moment. Vivian Troche, I like writing devious… it's so fun! Thanks for the great review
As always…
Reviews would be lovely. Questions will be gladly answered. Constructive Criticisms is welcomed. Flames …"to each his own".