Chapter 2 – Enjoy…
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Esmeralda wandered the cafeteria with a huge basket. She was picking up goodies left and right from the serving area and head out once it was completely full. Belle had called to her as she was just about to head up the stairs. She closed her eyes and called back.
"Yes Belle?" she yelled. Just then the cute girl showed up.
"Well I – what are you doing?" Belle asked, pointing to the large basket of food cradled between Esmeralda's arms.
"Oh, I'm just taking a bunch of food up into my room. I don't plan on coming out anytime soon," she smiled. Belle eyed her funny.
"And…why not?" she asked, cocking her hip to the side to stand more comfortably. Esmeralda looked up to the ceiling as she formed an intelligent answer in her mind.
"Well, you are the one ruling this Palace right now Belle. All you and nothing but you!" she began. "And I never bother Jasmine, so I don't want to bother you," she smiled. "I'm going to let you complete your duties and stay out of your way," Esmeralda finished, smiling proudly at her answer. Belle smiled brightly as well.
"Wow, I feel special," she said. Esmeralda stared at her silently.
"What was it you wanted to ask me?" she said, secretly hoping Belle had forgotten. The blank stare on the brunette's face granted her wish.
"I don't … remember…" she said, scratching her chin. "Oh well!" she said, shrugging her shoulders. Esmeralda turned and head up the steps.
As she opened the door, she saw Aladdin lounging across the entire bed and watching the television. Her mouth opened and she slammed the basket down on the nearby table. The loud sound caught his attention.
"Oh hey!" he said, moving his hand slightly to wave. She walked over to him and grabbed the remote to turn off the TV. He looked at her annoyed.
"What is this?" she said, moving her hands to show frustration. He propped his body up a bit.
"What is what?" he questioned. She put her hand on her hip.
"You're taking up the entire bed!" she yelled. He sat up and slid over to the side nearest the TV.
"How's that?" he asked, angry with her bossiness.
"What if I wanted that side?" she replied, testing his buttons. His mouth opened wide as he narrowed his eyebrows.
"Geez, woman! You-"
But he stopped once he saw her begin to laugh hysterically. She walked over to the basket and laid it on the bed. She sat down on the other end and began to tell him all the treats she brought up.
"We've got everything in here!" she responded. As she took a few things out to name them he couldn't help but stare at her. The casual way her bangs gently hung over her forehead made him want to reach out and touch them and brush them aside off her beautiful face. She looked up at him and her smile disappeared. "You're not really angry are you?" He shook his head quickly and looked at her seriously.
"No I'm fine, I just thought you-"
"That was my intent," she answered. "I'm going to be honest with you," Esmeralda began. "I don't think I'm an easy person to live with," His eyebrows raised slightly as he leaned back against the pillow to listen. She leaned back too, placing her back against the backboard of the bed. "I don't think you're going to like having to share things with me," she laughed. Aladdin pushed the hair off his forehead. As she watched him do this, it seemed to move in slow motion. He had a nice face; chiseled features and a strong chin. She wondered if his skin felt as smooth as it looked.
"Look, I've been thinking about this too," he started, his attention drawn to his fiddling hands. "I've decided that you can have the room if you want. There is a small one that is connected to this one – you can only get to it from entering this door," he replied, pointing to the door she had entered previously. As she looked over at it, she realized it was still open and ran over to shut it. She turned around and giggled as she looked at him. He chuckled lightly and she ran back over to the bed and jumped on it before sitting where she was before. "I have a whole other room over there that I'll be just fine in. I'll only have to stop in here every now and then for a few things here and there," She smiled and slid her body down so she was parallel to him.
"Sounds good to me," she said. He laughed and sat up. Aladdin stretched his arms and then walked over to the next room. As she laid on the bed she felt emotions in her that made her feel a little guilty. She sat up and hugged her knees while staring at the door he exited through. "Aladdin?" she called. His head popped through the door slightly.
"Yea?" he asked with a smile. She smiled back.
"Nothing," she said. "Just wanted to…well," she said, twisting a piece of hair in her fingers. "You can stay in here if you want. We can be like roommates. And then at night you go there, I stay here," He smiled at her idea. "Does that work?" she questioned, hoping he would agree. He smiled and rushed over to the bed, jumping on it when he got there. She laughed as he sat down and turned on the TV.
The first few days were a little awkward. The two were slowly getting to know each other better and enjoy the others company. Whenever they needed something, Esmeralda would use the servant calling system to order it up. No one had noticed he was there and for all she knew, they probably thought she was gone too. The only time she left the room was to take a shower. One day, as the two lounged while watching the TV, she decided to ask him something.
"Um, Aladdin?" she started. He noised, letting her know that he heard her, even though he still looked intently at the television. "Would it be alright if I used the shower here?" she asked. This got his attention and he turned his head to her quickly.
"Well, yea, I don't see why," he answered, a slight smile trying to creep onto his lips. She stood up and walked over to the bureau.
"Well I was just wondering because it's her shower and I thought I might feel weird," The best part of 'living' in Jasmine's room, was definitely the wardrobe. Even though everything fit her snugly, she still felt comfortable and there was a huge variety to wear. "You know what I mean?" she asked. Aladdin was still staring at her as she went through Jasmine's drawers. He nodded his head slightly and wondered just what she'd pick out to wear today. Esmeralda had amazing fashion (even though it was Jasmine's clothing) and to him, the best part of 'living' here was seeing her every muscle through the small clothing she was wearing. She pulled her hair up over her head and walked over to the shower area; He was still watching her. She then cleared her throat loudly and he sat up.
"What?" he asked. Her eyes widened as she looked at him with an obvious face. The shower was nothing more than a large bathtub with a royal purple curtain around it. There was a small changing stand to stand behind but she still felt a little uncomfortable with him looking directly at her. His cheeks flushed slightly and he turned his head the other way. When he heard the shower water running, he slowly twisted his head back to where she was. Though the curtain was dark, it still showed shadows, given the right sunlight. And the sunlight today must have been bright because he saw a gorgeous silhouette of her body from where he sat. He breathed heavily as he watched and was thoroughly pleased that she began to shower here.
The next day she was napping on the bed. He walked through the room and turned on the TV, making sure it was quiet enough not to wake her. Because it was so quiet, he decided to sit on the floor. He leaned his back against the side of the bed. Just then, two tan arms draped around his neck. He swallowed hard.
"Hey you," she groggily said. He turned his head slightly to see her head hanging over the end of the bed.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he responded as he rubbed her arm. She yawned and shook her head.
"Nah," she replied. "I was lightly napping," He then yawned himself.
"Sorry this life is so boring," he apologized. She looked to him strangely.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, we can't go out and do anything. We're always up here trying to be quiet and just bored to death," She frowned.
"I'm not bored!" she stated.
"You're not?"
"No! I'm having fun!" She rolled over on her back. "Uh oh…" she then realized.
"What?" he said turning around to face her. She rolled over once more so she was lying on her stomach.
"You're bored," she recognized. He shook his head.
"Well…a little, yea," he said. "But I've been living this life for a month now," She sat up and tapped her chin.
"Why don't I order us a nice dinner and… we can eat it on the balcony and pretend we're out at some fancy restaurant!" This brought a smile to his face. She stood up and went to the servant call to order a huge meal. He stood up and walked over behind her. When she turned around they were mere inches apart.
"Thanks," he said, his hands longing to wrap around her and give her a hug. She smiled politely and raised her arms over his neck, enveloping them in a hug. He smiled as he felt her press against him. Her firm breasts were on his chest. As she stood there she thought of how strong he felt. When they pulled apart she gave him the once over quickly and then walked over to the closet.
"We're going to have to dress nice!" she began. He watched her butt as she faced the wall of wardrobes. As she moved the clothes from one side to the other, he began to picture Jasmine in each of the outfits. They weren't necessarily 'special', but they all had their memories. He felt a twinge of guilt as he realized just what was going on. Here he was, supposedly happily engaged, lying to everyone that he was bravely commanding a war, and living with one of the hot girls in his fiancé's bedroom. There was certainly something wrong with this picture. Esmeralda turned around holding the gown she wanted to try on a week before up to her body. "What about this one?" she asked. He once again focused on her and a smile crept on his face.
"You're going to look beautiful!" he said. What was the harm? They were just two friends, mere roommates, hanging out and having a good time. Sure, the way he looked at her was lustful but he hadn't touched in any way that could be considered cheating.
The food arrived and Esmeralda answered the door in a lavish gown. The servant girls stared at her strangely, wondering just why she had been living Jasmine's life – except for the ruling part – but delivered the food and placed it on the table she had set up on the balcony. They all exited but not without whispering to one another how strange she was for having such a fancy, large dinner on her own. When everything was complete she called Aladdin. As he exited his room she was taken aback by how sharp he looked. He had on a nice suit and bow tie and his cool walk as he came towards her made her hormones rage. As he head for her he tried to stay calm and collected, even though she looked so hot in that dress. Since it was snug, it pushed her breasts up and made her waist look smaller than ever, not to mention her dangerous curves. A stray hair hung over her ear and as he stood next to her, he gently pushed it behind. She tried not to look at him while he did this, fighting the urge she strongly felt right now to kiss him. She smiled and thanked him and then the two went out onto the balcony to enjoy dinner.
The stars were just appearing and the light breeze made the evening magical. They ate and ate and talked about anything and everything. When she felt full, Esmeralda walked to the end of the balcony and stood there staring at the city. Aladdin watched her for a moment but soon joined her side. The moon played gently on her features. She felt his presence closely behind her.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked. He rubbed his hand up and down her slender arm before turning her to face him.
"You're very beautiful," he whispered pushing that same stray hair behind her ear once more. She swallowed and looked deep into his eyes. He leaned his head forward so that their noses touched. She closed her eyes slightly and reached her hand back to grasp the balcony railing. "Before we end the night…" he started. She could feel his lips brush her own. Her heart began to beat wildly as did his own. He wanted to feel her soft lips right now, forgetting all his past emotions. "One kiss?" he asked gently, his one hand cupping the back of her neck. Esmeralda breathed heavily. Her mind told her to turn her head away and push him back. But his hand was still on her neck, negating that option. She knew that this would make things awkward for their living. But his lips were still near upon hers and she was longing for a kiss as well. Pushing the thought of Jasmine entirely out of her mind she closed her eyes and moved her head forward, locking their lips together. While his one hand remained on her neck to keep them connected, his other reached across her back. She grasped the balcony railing tightly, knowing that she needed to push him away. But as she tried to bring her head back he pushed forward more, causing her mouth to open slightly. Feeling this, he darted his tongue inside her mouth and held her tightly against him. She felt her body tense up and wedged her arm in between their bodies to push him away. She then turned around quickly and wiped her mouth off. Aladdin was still standing right behind her so he moved along the railing and leaned on it. She looked frightened as she stared out into the sky. "What's wrong?" he asked. She dare not look at him for those brown eyes would take her right back to where she was.
"Nothing; you should leave that's all," she quietly said. He stood up and gave her a confused look.
"Esmeralda, why won't you look at me?" he asked. She briefly faced him and then walked inside. He sighed and turned around to see her facing herself in the mirror.
"You see that person there?" she said as he stood behind her, their reflections in the full-length mirror. "She's horrible…" she cried feeling the tears well up in her eyes. Aladdin moved her slightly so that he was fully visible in the mirror as well.
"All I see is a wonderful, beautiful, fun-loving girl who I really like to be around," he soothed. She looked at his reflection. "And a horrible man standing next to her," he ended before turning to walk away. She watched him head over to his door and slam it shut. She closed her eyes at the loud sound and then sagged to the floor. She sobbed quietly and then turned to the bureau. She opened the bottom drawer, looking for something to wear to bed. She then pulled out a large, ragged t-shirt and eyed it strangely. Realizing that it must have been Aladdin's, she put it on. It was incredibly comfortable so she lie down in bed and fell asleep.
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Esmeralda was lying comfortably on the bed watching the television. She hadn't left since she woke up. She hadn't changed, showered, or even eaten for that matter. All she could think about was last night and the kiss they shared. Every now and then she would turn her attention to the door leading to his part of the room. She was dying to see him walk through it. She sighed heavily and looked back to the television. Just then, the door cracked slightly. Her eyes darted to the spot where he would enter and then she quickly looked back to the television – acting as if she didn't care. For a while he just leaned against the door, staring at his feet.
"Hey Esmeralda?" he started. She unhurriedly moved her eyes to his own. "I'm sorry," She blinked slowly. "I just-" As he looked at her, he realized that she was lying on the bed in his shirt. It was smaller fitting on her than Jasmine – coming up farther on her legs. His mouth must have been hanging open wide because she propped herself up.
"What is it?" she asked. He swallowed hard at the gorgeous sight before him. His jaw was on the floor and his eyes continuously ran from her legs up to her face. She then stood up. "What is it Aladdin?" she repeated. He hoped that she didn't notice the effect she was having on him. He tried to speak but his mouth was dry as he looked at how sexy she was in his old shirt.
"I just wanted to apologize for…for last night," he finally spit out. She looked down to the ground and scratched her arm. Esmeralda then turned around and walked over to the bureau. As she bent over to look in the drawer, the shirt raised higher on her. It hung right below the end of her round buttocks. Aladdin's mouth dropped again. But he was upset that she didn't say anything back to him. "You look…" She turned her head to face him, and her hair all loose and rustled, hung in her face. "You look great in my shirt," he finished. She smiled slightly.
"Sorry, I guess I shouldn't be wearing this," she apologized, standing up tall and brushing her hands down the sides of it. He swallowed hard as he continued to look at her with glazed eyes. "I knew it wasn't Jasmine's when I pulled it out – doesn't quite reach her standards of clothing," she laughed. He laughed as well. She took a good long look at him. He only had on an old pair of ragged pants and she couldn't tear her eyes away from his smooth, muscular chest.
"It's okay," he said, stepping closer to her. "Except, I don't remember this hole," He pointed to a rip in the shirt, on her side. He poked it gently, making her bend over slightly and laugh.
"Hey!" she said, giggling. "It was there when I put it on!" she said, lightly poking him back in the stomach. He laughed too. After making a face he poked her again – this time on both her sides. She poked him back and the two continued the poking game, smiling and laughing and soon landing on the bed in the frenzy of tickling each other. She was laughing so hard and telling him to stop. When he did, she was lying flat on the bed and he was hovering over her. They were breathing heavy and still lightly laughing at each other. He flopped down next to her and they both calmed down. Esmeralda turned her head slightly to look over at him and he arched his head to see her face. He reached out as if he was going to poke her again, but instead he stroked her arm gently. Her face grew serious as she stared at him. The playful poking now changed into light touches here and there. Little by little their faces grew closer and now they were only inches apart. They could each feel the others hot breath on their faces and as they stared in to each others eyes, it was clear what they both wanted. In one swift move, Esmeralda latched her lips onto his. He closed his eyes and let her mouth move around his own, venturing her tongue in every now and then. His hands just rested on her shoulders as he let her explore. She reached her hands up to his hair and began to gently sway it around, her fingers tickling his scalp and sending shivers down his spine. It took all his power to pull away from her sweet kisses but Aladdin had to. When they were separated, he stared into her beautiful green eyes.
"Esmeralda we shouldn't be doing this," She just laid there as he rolled over and sat up. She swallowed and hoped her beating heart would calm down. He turned around to face her. "I mean, I want you," he started, standing up and waving his hands as he began to pace. "Allah knows I want you, but we can't," he stated. She slowly propped herself up and gave him a worried pout. "I'm not free," he sadly remarked while seating himself on the end of the bed. Esmeralda sat up and pushed her hair back over her shoulder. She looked down at the comforter for a bit and then got the courage to slide close to him. When she was behind him, she let her one arm seductively trace across his back to his other side. He swiveled his head to face her and she let her other arm cross his chest so that her two hands connected. As he looked intently at her, she brought her head near his neck and began to place gentle kisses along his body. She trailed from his neck down to his upper chest but his hand stopped her before she could go any further. He brought her chin up to face him. "Please don't," he began. But her eyelids lowered and she moved her face towards his, making their lips only millimeters apart. As he stared at her, determined not to let this happen, he tried to fight the urge he had inside to pull her on top of him and down on the bed. As she looked into his eyes, she couldn't understand what they were trying to tell him. She blinked quickly and then pulled away, unlatching her hands and heading back over to the bureau. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh before checking that everything was calm in his pants. He looked back over where she was standing and her head was resting in her hand while the other was leaning on top of the bureau. Her shoulders shook lightly as she sobbed. Unsure of what to do, Aladdin eventually stood up and walked over to her, rubbing his hands on her trembling arms. "What's wrong?" he asked. She wiped the tears from her eyes and turned around to face him.
"I messed everything up," she cried, burying her face into his strong chest. He hugged her tightly and tried to tell her that everything would be okay and nothing was messed up. "I don't understand Aladdin," she said with concern in her voice. "You're sending me mixed signals!" she complained. He continued to rub her back as he let her cry in his chest.
"What do you mean 'sending you signals'?" he asked. She pulled her head out of the crook of his neck to face him. Giving him an angry glare she continued.
"Last night you were begging for a kiss but I made you stop. And now today I tried to return the favor and you wouldn't let me!" she yelled, breaking from his embrace to walk out to the balcony. "I don't know what to think!" she shouted from outside. Aladdin rubbed his forehead, feeling as confused as she was, but eventually followed her outside.
"Hey, I don't know what to think either!" he said, causing her to turn around and look at him through teary eyes. "I mean, here I am hiding out from everyone to escape the dangers of this stupid, pointless war; my fiancé gets shipped off to an undisclosed location and the only person who knows I'm here is you!" he began, throwing his hands about in frustration. "Now I'm living in this room with you and enjoying every minute of it. My head is telling me to stay away but my-" He stopped and looked into her eyes, her brow arching at anticipation of what he'd say next. "My whole body wants you, needs you right now," Her expression changed to a surprised look at this statement.
"Then why don't you let me-"
"I can't!" he shouted, not letting her finish. "My heart still belongs to her," Aladdin placed a fist on his heart. He sat down at the table that was there from the night before. "I'm stuck between a rock and a-" he paused at the irony of the statement and raised his eyebrow. "Well, you know," he finished. She smirked and walked slowly over to his side. He stared at her feet and then let his eyes roam up her legs to her beautiful face. She gently cupped his face and kissed him lightly on the forehead before heading back inside. As he watched her leave, he wondered why he never got to know her earlier. Maybe it was better this way – he got his feelings out in the open and it should keep things friendly between them and nothing more.
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(end of chapter 2)