Characters: George/Mason with a bit of Rube, Roxy, and Daisy
Genre: Romance/Fluff/Etc.
Disclaimer: Dead Like Me and its characters are the creation of Bryan Fuller et al. and copy written under MGM/Showtime/etc. No infringement of their rights is intended. The stories written under the penname Gabigail, however, do belong to me. None are written for profit and are intended for entertainment purposes only. Added to that, is the snippet of Howie Day's Collide, in which case the same philosophy as the above applies.
Abstract: Not too long after Mason moves in with the girls, Daisy finds herself a dashing "single" man, which inevitably leaves George and Mason home alone on Friday nights…
About Last Night
In the beginning, I had to be quick in getting past my initial attraction to Mason, even being able to love or is it appreciate him as a brother. Besides, any and all of our interactions have lead me to believe/conclude/whatever that that's how things are supposed to be between us. But it would appear that since he's moved in with Daisy and I, I have this feeling that the inevitable is going to occur. Especially since Daisy has been spending more and more time with some new guy, I think she said his name was Joe, Johnny, Jason or something, anyways she's always out and about. Tonight, she even has a really late or early reap, whichever way you want to look at it, which once again leaves Mason any I alone on a Friday night. So being that neither Mason nor I have plans or Post-its for the evening, we agree to order pizza and watch old movies.
Everything's pretty much 'normal' between us. You know, the usual banter back and forth, his calling me "Toilet Seat Girl" and I countering by teasing him about Daisy and his latest mess up. It's always in good fun. He's the only one I let get away with calling me "Toilet Seat Girl". Besides, I've grown accustom to his company, eating pizza, drinking beer, and watching the world's worst movies. But at the same time, its kind of comfortable lounging on the sofa under a blanket, his arm wrapped around me, and resting my head against his chest, I sometimes find myself just listening to his heart beating, I hope he never finds out, I cannot help think as the end credits of a film I didn't catch the name of make their way up the blackened screen. I sit up and stretch the kinks out of my body from quasi-reclined in the same position for a couple of hours.
"Come on Georgia Girl. One more?" he asks batting his eyelashes, as if that will work on me.
"No, I've had my fair share of really bad alien movies, alien's taking over the world and taking over human bodies. That's creepy" I reply with a yawn. "Besides, Mason. It's really late." I add as I get up and start cleaning the mess. He quickly springs to his feet and helps me tidy the empty bottles and pizza box, as I put the dishes in the sink and run the hot water and squeeze some dish soap over them.
"Georgie leave those. Go to bed then. I'll take care of them." He says with an impish grin and a different kind of twinkle in his eyes that I've seen him use before, but never on me.
"Good night. I'll see you in the morning." I say with a smile before making my way upstairs.
"Night Georgie Girl." I hear him say softly as I reach the top step.
Preparing for bed, I brush my teeth and quickly run a comb through my hair before going to my room to change, and then climb into bed. I'm sure that I'm sleeping or at the very least close to that zone that one gets into, but it's interrupted by the gentle click of my door being opened, and the moan of protest as someone, or something continues to open it. After watching those horrid movies, I cannot help but wonder if it's an alien coming to take over my body, but as I slowly open my eyes, just enough to see through my eyelashes without whoever it is knowing, I realise that it's Mason. When I had my horrible disgusting apartment, he used to break in all the time, but I always knew it was him. Since he moved in, however, he's never come into my room when I'm awake, forget while I sleep.
"Mason?" I whisper, wondering if Daisy is home yet.
"She's not here." He replies standing in the doorframe.
"What's the matter?"
"I can't sleep." He replies stuck in place, as though waiting for me to invite him in. I suppose this is the moment when you stop yourself, get out of bed, and go downstairs. Well that's what a normal person would do, but not me. Many times of him breaking into my apartment has eventually had us asleep in the same bed and it's never been a big deal before, why would it be now?
"Okay, close the door." I say groggily as I probably have done so many times before. He complies and I hear him shuffle over to the bed, can feel the mattress protest to his weight and sense him lying beside me.
"Thanks Georgie Girl." He says sweetly, but he does something completely unexpected. I feel him press his body against mine and grab a hold of me as though I'm a stuffed bear or something. Then he moves my hair aside and I feel his breath warm against the back of my neck before his lips ever so gently graze my neck and bare shoulder. Its strange how I should stop him, but I don't and I'm not sure why. Except that I've waited for what feels like forever for him to at the very least feel what I had felt for him when we first met. Feelings that I perhaps too easily attributed to the confusion of becoming undead, this situation is a bit different.
"Mason?"
"Georgie Girl?" he says, or asks as I wiggle in his arms so I'm looking at him, being that my eyes have now adjusted to the darkness, he's no longer a grey shape.
"What are you doing?" I ask as he continues in his attempt to distract me, by running his fingers adoringly through my hair. It's funny how the moonlight sneaks in through the only gap between the curtains and kisses his face enough for me to see the affection in his dark eyes. Deciding against logical thought I reach out and cup his cheek, feeling the stubble of the five o'clock shadow. He smiles in response as I continue to stare at him, trying to get some sort of read on him. He leans in and kisses my forehead. Funny thing with that gesture, it creates the strangest reaction. It's almost as though sparks literally fly and my body reacts to him.
"Mason." A quiet moan as if I'm dreaming, his lips cover my own. "Mason." I repeat, although he doesn't seem to hear me. "Mason."
The dawn is breaking,
A light shining through
You're barely waking,
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah.
I feel his warm body still pressed against mine, his arm draped over me, holding me tightly against him. My mind races, only because I still can't wrap my head around the how's and why's or anything that resembles thought at this particular moment in time. What I am I supposed to do or say? If I recall correctly when I awoke from my first experience, I had thought Trip had snuck out, leaving me to deal with the emotions I felt. He had been kind enough to bring me a cup of coffee, which would later be remembered as the bitterest goodbye in the history of one-night stands. Is this what this is? I cannot help but wonder. I suppose my moving has awoken him as I hear his sigh of contentment.
"Morning luv. I've never slept so well." He says nonchalantly, stretching and getting up. "Coffee?" he adds as he fetches his pants.
"Um, yes please." I reply grabbing my housecoat. "I'm just going to grab a quick shower." I add and he smiles brightly, before making his way back to me and kissing my forehead, in the exact same place he had last night and then leans in and captures my lips in with the same passion. A bit light headed, I smile as he leaves, going downstairs to start the coffee. I slip into the shower, let the hot water wash over my body, my hand picks up the strawberry scented shampoo and wash my hair, then run the bar of soap over my body. I grab a towel and wrap my hair up in it and get another fluffy one to pull around my body. Brushing my teeth I rinse my mouth with citrus mouthwash and then head back to my bedroom to dress, which is pretty quick when it's Saturday and I always wear a pair of jeans on a Saturday, but today I pair my jeans with a white, crisp Oxford shirt and tank top.
"Morning Georgia." Daisy says all smiles.
"Morning Daisy. I trust your reap went well, and your date?" I ask showing no signs of what happened last night. She tilts her head and wrinkles her nose.
"Mason you didn't put enough crystals in the coffee this morning." She calls.
"Sorry Daisy." He replies from his bedroom. I roll my eyes and head over to the machine and restart it.
"There, problem solved." I say as I take her mug from her and dump the contents into the sink with running water. "So?" I prompt.
"A lady never kisses and tells." She replies. I know better, Daisy is no lady when it comes to her stories of the, oh so many men she's been with over the years. Married men no less. "But I will say that Jason and I had a lovely evening."
"Really? Did you take him along with you on your reap?" I inquire.
"In a way I suppose I did. He had planned this romantic dinner and we went dancing afterwards, which happened to be where my reap was to take place. It was such a shame really, they were such a lovely couple." She adds as the coffee maker finishes its cycle and I go over and pour the three of us some coffee.
"Ladies." Mason says as he enters the kitchen. He's not dressed in his usual 'bum off the street' look. He wears a pair of khaki slacks and a shirt with a sweater over top.
"Mason, what's gotten into you?" Daisy asks with a sly smile.
"Nothing. That mine?" he asks and I nod holding it out towards him. He smiles his thanks. "So I suppose we hit the waffle house for today's assignments then?" he adds. He seems a bit nervous and I think that Daisy has picked up on this. Uh oh, I cannot help but think.
"You guys want a lift?" I ask as I rinse my mug in the sink.
"Please." Daisy says with a smile and goes to get her purse and jacket.
"Georgie Girl." He says quietly.
"I said nothing." I reply with a wink and we meet Daisy at the car.
Things feel different as I sit beside Rube, Daisy beside me and Mason opposite Daisy beside Roxy and I don't understand why. Our little group is continuing normally, whatever normal is for us. All are on our last cup of coffee, Rube gets out his little agenda and thumbs through as if searching for something other than Post-it notes, but seems to stop on the page with our assignments and without a word un-sticks the appointments and places our Post-its in front of each of us. Then he signals for Daisy and I to move so he can get up and he's off. I cannot help but wonder what's gotten into him.
"Roxy what's with him?" Daisy takes the inquiry out of my mouth.
"It's not for us to know or try and understand." She replies, motioning for Mason to let her get up and going. "I'll catch you guys later." She adds over her shoulder and heads out.
"See you later Georgia. Oh and Mason would you pick up a few things?" Daisy asks holding out a list of groceries.
"Yeah sure Daisy." He replies as she makes her way wherever she's off to, probably meeting Jason, I think as Mason sits and stares at me for feels like eternity. "Georgie Girl."
"I know. We need to talk? Am I right?" I say tilting my head. He nods. Its funny how quickly it feels as though it had all been a dream; that somehow what happened could not have happened. Mason didn't come to my room last night, or climb into bed with me, and therefore there is no possible way that we, but my thought is interrupted.
"Georgie Girl." He reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. Strange, today he wasn't wearing his usual cut off gloves and I like the way his hand feels in mine, reminding me of last night and his tender touch. I watch him struggle as he takes the deepest breath I have ever seen him take. "I really don't know what to say."
"Mason there really isn't anything to say. I mean there isn't unless you regret it?" when I hear the way the words sound, I cringe and hope that he doesn't.
"No, how could I?" he replies as he covers my hand with his other hand tenderly. "You know what? You're so amazingly lovely it kills me. I mean there was a time I never thought I could share so much of myself with you." He pauses and reaches out cupping my cheek. "You're so beautiful. You know that right?" he adds under his breath.
"Mason." I say with a smile and a slight blush I'm sure, for I still lack the confidence that other girls have and I can only dream to posses. Somehow I cannot help but wonder or fear the inevitable change that this will no doubt cause between us. I mean there is no way in hell we can tell the others. Daisy well, I can only imagine how she'll react. Probably the same way when she thought I was going out with Ronnie, or when I was training Brennan, oh and when I made the mistake of sleeping with Trip. She'll be nonchalant about it and add her customary good for you. I know Roxy won't care one way or the other, for she's far too busy trying to get through this life and has her own issues to deal with in the process. Rube will probably kill Mason, or me. I'm not exactly sure why, but he's made it painstakingly clear that I should avoid romantic entanglements, but this is Mason, Mason won't hurt me. Or would he? I wonder as we make our way out of the restaurant.
"So what do we do now?" he asks. I honestly don't have an answer.
"Am I like any other girl you've slept with?"
"Hardly and you know it!" He replies stopping me in my tracks. "I've been crazy about you from the moment we met. I just always knew you were too good for me, so I tried to occupy my mind with other things."
"Like Daisy?"
"Something like that. But you have to understand that nothing happened with Daisy. At the time I just wanted attention and I didn't care how I got it because you sure as hell weren't going to fall for me. So I contented myself with making you smile." He says looking into my eyes. His honesty touches me, and I reach out and stroke his cheek. As we walk to my car, I cannot help wondering how more complex this situation is about to get, but then again, it could be as simple as truly falling in love for the first time. And just like that I've concluded that last night was probably the best thing to happen to either of us, so what was it about last night that I was so afraid of?