A/N: Warning for drug use. There's nothing too explicit so I can't really mark off where it starts and ends, but still be cautious as you read.
10 pm couldn't have gotten there fast enough. Tatiana spent the day anxiously waiting for Charlotte to return from Henry's and probably punch her in the face for lying on her, but when she got home, she told them that he just wouldn't talk to her and that it was over. To say that she was excited would be an over-exaggeration, but she was quite satisfied that he didn't tell her or mention her name to her. In her mind, it meant that she had not only gotten away with it but that she also had a good chance with Henry. Who wouldn't like a guy who could keep his mouth shut?
She watched her reflection as she slowly ran a section of her hair through the straightening tool. As she slowly straightened out her brown curls, she looked over her outfit once more. She donned a red satin two piece, the top a cropped halter top that tied around her neck and the bottom a form fitting mini skirt that stopped above her knees. Her midriff was visible, including a silver waist chain that was connected to her navel piercing. Her makeup was simple, with shimmery eyeshadow that matched her outfit and a neutral lip color, and as she finished straightening her hair, it framed her face perfectly. She looked damn good and she knew it. Henry would forget all about little Charlotte.
After unplugging the straightener and wrapping the cord around it, she slowly opened the bathroom door and poked her head out to make sure no one was there. She could hear the TV going downstairs and knew that Jasmine and Charlotte were downstairs while Miss Bolton was probably still at work. She quickly left the bathroom and slipped into her room, tossing the straightener onto the bed and grabbing her full length white teddy coat, pulling it on and quickly buttoning it to cover her outfit. She wanted to do her best to limit the number of questions she was going to get. She grabbed her purse and scanned her room to make sure she had everything she needed then left the room and quickly jogged down the stairs. Much to her chagrin, Jasmine was the one to notice her first.
"Where the hell are you going?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Charlotte looked over at her friend for a brief moment then turned her attention back to the TV which displayed an old rerun of Doctor Dog.
"She's going out with someone but won't tell me who," Charlotte answered. "I think it's Sidney."
"Sidney? The guy who hosted that party? You're going out with him?" the youngest questioned and Tati shrugged as she went up to the door.
"I'm just going out to the club. Don't wait up," she said with a wink before quickly slipping out the door. Jasmine watched curiously before getting up and going over to the window, pulling the curtains aside to watch her retreating figure. An SUV pulled up and she wasted no time before opening the passenger door and climbing inside. It was dark out and Jasmine squinted her eyes as she tried to make out who the driver was but she couldn't. She watched as the car drove off and she breathed out softly as she returned to the couch.
"Could you make out who it was?" the curly haired woman asked absentmindedly. Jasmine shook her head in response and Charlotte sighed as she rested her head against her fist, watching as the dog on the TV began to perform CPR on a flatlining patient. "Hope she knows what she's doing."
"So, where are we going?" Tati asked as she looked at her makeup in her compact mirror. She did her best to keep her eyes off of Henry, trying to seem nonchalant and uncaring about the attractive man next to her. He was dressed simply in a black jean jacket, a plain white tee, and black jeans to match. His beard was growing in again but less patchy and unkempt like the first time she saw him, and his hair seemed like it was freshly cut again. A masculine woody scent emanated from him and invaded her senses, clearly an attempt to mask the smell of the weed he likely smoked before he drove up to get her. The smell was still there though and she oddly enjoyed it more than the cologne.
"Phantom. It's this club in downtown Swellview, I heard it's pretty hot," he answered as he kept his eyes on the road. She nodded and closed her mirror, placing it back in her purse as the car grew silent. It was odd, almost awkward, and Tati found herself at a loss for words to say. She usually never had to do the talking. Guys would approach her and do all they could to impress her, hoping she'd spare them a second glance or give them the ultimate prize of her phone number or a date. But Henry was different. He seemed to be attracted to her but he was so caught up in Charlotte. She took up all the space in his head and was probably the cause of his silence now. It irritated her because even when Tati was winning, Charlotte was still coming out ahead.
A sudden right turn and a rocky drive into the parking lot pulled Tatiana out of her thoughts. She looked out the window as he slowly trailed around for an available space, the loud music from inside the club blasting well enough to be heard from inside the car. Her eyes scanned over a few girls who stood outside their card in skimpy skin tight outfits, posing for EnvyGram pictures and doing ClikClok dances. She snickered to herself as she watched them, imagining the looks on their faces once she entered the club and removed her jacket. She'd easily show them all up. Once Henry found a space and parked the BMW, she removed her seatbelt and exited the car.
"Do we have to wait in line or do you have the hookup?" she asked as she looked at the blond. He chuckled and walked up to her, placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her towards the entrance.
"I have the hookup," he replied and approached the bouncer. The man looked up from the tablet he was holding and a big smile bloomed on his face at the sight of the blond before him.
"Henry Hart! Hey! I had no idea you were back in town!" he said excitedly. The two men slapped their palms together and pulled each other in for a hug, patting each other on the back before stepping away from each other.
"Hey, Mitch. Yeah, I'm in town for a few weeks. Can we go in?" he asked and the bouncer looked at Tati. His eyes scanned the attractive woman before him and he blew out a long whistle, slapping his palm against Henry's again as he nodded in approval.
"Noice, dude! Go right on in!" Henry patted him on the shoulder and waved Tati along before leading their way inside the club. Almost instantly, the bass of the loud music began to pulsate through their bodies. He reached back to take her hand in his own, leading her through the sea of dancing and drinking bodies. The smell of cigarettes and weed was heavy in the air and it almost made her dizzy. She followed him until he found an available table, a smile spreading on her lips when he pulled out her chair for her.
"Thank you," she said as she unbuttoned her jacket. She slid it off her shoulders and down her arms, revealing her outfit and relishing in the way Henry's eyes ran over her. Her own eyes flicked to his lips as she caught his tongue slipping out to run along them. It only boosted her ego more.
"Damn, you look good," he commented. She offered him a coy grin as she placed her jacket on the chair and sat down.
"Do I?" she asked coyly. Her smile said she was anything but coy and Henry couldn't help but chuckle a little.
"You know you do," he responded and she laughed softly. "Would you like a drink?"
"Yeah, a long island iced tea," she answered. As he left to get their drinks, she exhaled softly and looked around the club. It was a nice place, lit with blue lights that illuminated the entire place in a cyan glow. The DJ played a mix of hip hop music that had the entire club pulsating, the dance floor packed with people who moved their bodies against each other and happily sang and rapped along to the lyrics. It was similar to the clubs in California, it just seemed to be less chaotic and she was sure the night wouldn't end in a shootout or a brawl.
Her attention turned to Henry again as he returned with their drinks. She took hers with a small thanks and took a sip as he sat down across from her. An awkward silence fell over them again as Henry kept his attention on the dancing crowds. She watched him curiously before pursing her lips together tightly in frustration.
"You're thinking about Charlotte, huh?" she inquired and he looked at her, surprise displayed on his face before he chuckled sheepishly.
"You can tell huh? I'm sorry," he apologized. He found it to be almost impossible to stop thinking about her. His mind was filled with what-ifs and questions. He wondered what Charlotte could possibly have to say to him that would fix where they were. He wondered how she could be so cold to play such games with him. And he wondered if he asked her to leave her fiancé for him, whether she would even do it. But all of that distracted him from the beautiful woman in front of him. And that wasn't fair to him or her. He turned to face her fully and took a sip of his drink.
"So, uh, what was Stanford like?" he asked in an attempt to make conversation. She grinned at his attempt but she knew he didn't really care. Guys usually didn't care about stuff like that.
"It was challenging yet fulfilling," she answered with a dismissive eye roll. "Or, that's what I usually say to people. Truthfully, I only went to get my dad off my back about school. I spent most of my time there partying."
"Oh, yeah? And what kind of partying did you do?" A contented grin spread on his face when he saw a devious glint in her eyes. He enjoyed how different she was from Charlotte. She seemed to easily shed her inhibitions and had a carefree attitude, much like he did when he was in Swellview before. A part of him wondered what life would've been like if she was with them in the Man Cave instead of Charlotte. They naturally would've gotten into more trouble and caused more chaos than they did. The idea made his smile grow more and she noticed it. She cocked her head to the side as a playful grin tugged at her lips.
"What?"
"Nothing," he answered with a small chuckle. "I was just thinking about how different things would've been if we knew each other as long as Charlotte and I did. I feel like you would've gotten me into trouble." Soft laughter bubbled out of her as she raised an eyebrow. She set her elbow on the table and rested her chin against her palm, her brown eyes staring him down with a naughty smirk on her face.
"You think I'm trouble, Henry?" she questioned as her voice dipped into a sultry and dangerous tone that made all of the hair on his body stand up. He inhaled deeply and leaned forward as he folded his arms and leaned them against the table, tilting his head to the side as he nodded.
"I think you are. But I like trouble," he answered. Her smirk grew and she hummed in response. As the air grew heavy with an undeniable sexual tension, Henry's eyes flicked away from hers briefly as he remembered the tablets in his jacket pocket. He figured that it would probably be the best time to bring them up and offer them to her. He leaned back in his chair and fished out the pill bottle from his pocket, her eyes watching him curiously. When he withdrew the unlabeled bottle she raised a curious eyebrow and looked at his handsome face again. His long slim fingers unscrewed the top and he dumped two tablets onto his palm before looking at her once again.
"Let's have some fun, hm?" he offered. She quickly realized just what the tablets were and she fought back the urge to laugh. Instead, she gasped and placed her hand on her chest, mimicking demure offense.
"Mr. Hart! You're calling me trouble but offering me drugs?!" His face quickly fell and he closed his fist. He stammered as his brain spat out too many words too rapidly for him to actually form them and say them. As he fought to pull himself together and stammer out an apology, his speeding heart and sweaty palms relaxed when her playful laughter hit his ears. He looked at her and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as she laughed.
"Shit, you got me," he breathed out and she only laughed harder. She reached out to grab his wrist and pulled his hand closer, her soft slim fingers opening his fist and taking the pink tablet.
"Please, you're not the first to offer me ecstasy," she stated dismissively with a push of his hand. He chuckled a little and nodded, his eyes watching the manicured fingers that held the tablet as they brought it up to her delectable looking red lips. They parted briefly before she smirked again and he finally looked at her gorgeous chocolatey brown eyes once more.
"Let's get into some trouble," she said before setting the drug on her tongue. Henry grinned a little and nodded, placing his own purple tablet on his tongue and washing it down with his drink. They kept their eyes connected as she sipped on her drink as well, both of them excited for what the night would bring.
On the other side of Swellview, Jasper nervously watched as Piper messily cooked…something. The two of them went from watching The Walking Orange to the two of them standing in the kitchen after he (stupidly) mentioned he was hungry. She offered to make him something and despite him repeatedly insisting (begging) that she didn't need to, she went into the kitchen anyway and started to make…something. According to her, it was supposed to be her own special kind of gumbo, but the minute she added a can of creamed possum to the mix, he knew it was a lost cause. He watched as she stood at the stove over a large pot, humming happily as she stirred her concoction. If she hadn't been making something that was definitely going to kill him, he would've found the scene endearing and unbelievable. Piper Hart was cooking for him. It was both a terrifying and kind gesture. One that he had to stop as soon as he saw her reach for a can of sardines.
"Uh, hey!" he said as he quickly rushed to her side and grabbed her hands, holding them in his own. "How about I cook for you instead? You had a crazy night tonight, let me do this for you." She raised an eyebrow at the sudden offer. This was something that seemed to always happen whenever she cooked. People either insisted that they cooked instead or that they weren't really hungry. She never understood why, she was an amazing cook. She then became very aware of the fact that Jasper was holding her hands and her cheeks started to heat up. She cleared her throat and pulled her hands away from him and set the can of sardines down.
"I told you, this is my treat! Just sit back and let me cook! It makes me feel all domestic and shit," she stated with a proud smile that made him chuckle a little. She turned to continue to prepare her slop and he scratched the back of his head nervously.
"You know what? I'm actually not hungry at all!" He threw his hands up in the air and shrugged as she looked at him again. With a nervous smile and chuckle on his lips, he stammered out more excuses. "I'm fine, so I don't have to eat your…delicious gumbo." She dropped the wooden spoon (that Jasper swore was starting to melt) and folded her arms as she gave him a pointed look.
"What's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't you want to eat my gumbo? Be honest," she said sternly. He opened his mouth to speak but only closed it again when he couldn't formulate the correct words. Despite cooking poorly for almost her entire life, no one was brave enough to tell her that her cooking sucked. Everyone seemed to think that if they told her, she'd end up hurting them or forcing them to eat her food anyway. Jasper wasn't sure which one would be worse. But she was different now. She was older and more mature. He figured he could tell her now and maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to walk out of there without a broken neck.
"Piper," he started with a sigh, "you're…you…you're not a good cook. I mean…creamed possum in gumbo? Seriously?" Her eyes doubled in size briefly before she scowled.
"I'm a great cook! What the hell!" she snapped, clearly offended. Jasper exhaled softly and brought his hands together, raising them against his lips with his thumbs underneath his chin as he contemplated his next words.
"Pipes…you're not. Haven't you noticed the way people do all they can to avoid eating your food?" he asked slowly. Her crystal blue eyes flicked around quickly as she thought about it. She thought about how her mom insisted she didn't help with the food yesterday, about how Bose almost fainted and Miles cried when she had them taste her zucchini, egg, and squid casserole, and how her roommates would always beg her to do anything but cook for them. And suddenly, it all made sense. None of them liked her cooking. Everyone thought she was an awful cook and no one had the guts to tell her. It was humiliating to realize. She wondered how many people shit talked her behind her back, how many times they spat her food out in the garbage, how many guys she ran off thanks to her "skills". Her face fell slowly and her arms fell to her sides as it all settled.
"Oh," she said softly. She looked off in space and tears started to well in her eyes. Jasper batted his eyes in surprise, expecting more of an explosion and a fight. He expected her to yell and demand he sit down and eat anyway. He expected so much more than…this. Guilt bubbled up inside him and he stammered a little before clearing his throat.
"Hey…hey, I'm sorry, Piper. Listen, you can take classes and watch tutorials online and-" He was cut off when something wet slapped his cheek. His eyebrows shot up into his hairline and his eyes slid shut again as he took a second to try and understand. His eyes opened again and he looked down to see a sardine sticking to his shirt before slowly falling onto the floor. His eyes slowly reached up to her face and he exhaled softly as his eyebrows knitted together.
"Did you just throw a sardine at me?"
"How could you not tell me I was an awful cook?!" she yelled. "I've been going around thinking I'm Paula fucking Dean and the whole time I'm fucking Hottie from Flavor of Love! What the hell!" She grabbed more sardines from the can and raised her hand to throw at him when he quickly grabbed her wrist and gripped it firmly.
"Do not throw anymore at me," he warned her sternly. Usually, a guy grabbing her and speaking to her like that would send her into a fit of rage and things would end up broken, but something about Jasper using what she assumed was just some of his strength on her and not dealing with her mess anymore sent chills down her spine. But she'd be damned if he knew that. Instead, she snatched her arm away and threw the sardines at him anyway. He winced when the smelly little fish hit his face. He nodded his head slowly with his jaw tensing up as he side eyed her.
"So, you wanna play that game huh?" he asked slowly and menacingly. Before she could respond, he quickly grabbed the other can of creamed possum from the counter and moved an arm around her waist, trapping her against him as he held the can over her head. She gasped and tried her best to get out of his hold but he still managed to keep a firm grip on her. With just one arm. Damn, I shouldn't find this so hot. She looked up and quickly came back to her senses when she saw the can over her head.
"Don't you fucking dare, Jasper!" she warned sternly but he didn't budge. Instead, a devious smirk grew on his face and he shrugged nonchalantly.
"You started this," he stated simply before dumping the can of light tan colored creamed possum onto her head. She gasped and cried out as she felt a heavy wet thud on her head, followed by the foul smelling juices running down her head and all over her body. Her mouth hung open in shock despite her urge to close it and keep the gross juices out. Jasper grinned proudly as he shook the can a few times to make sure everything was out, letting out a pleased sigh.
"There we go! That's better," he said with a small chuckle. He finally let go of her waist and stepped back to enjoy his masterpiece. It was then he noticed she was wearing white and he brought his fist to his mouth to muffle his snickering. That top was never going to be perfectly white again. She slowly turned around to face him, wiping her sticky hair away from her face and blinking her eyes open. As she glared at him, he did his hardest to remove the smile from his face.
"I'm gonna kill you," she stated slowly and simply. She smoothed out her soiled top and exhaled softly. "I'm going to take a shower then slowly but surely strangle you." Despite her steady voice and serious threat, the big smile on his face never faded. If he was his younger self, he would've found her terrifying and would be apologizing profusely. But now, he just found her adorable and almost harmless. There wasn't much damage she could do to him now. He simply nodded with an amused expression.
"Yeah, let's see if you even make it to the shower before me," he said before making his way towards the stairs. She gasped and quickly followed him, slipping before him and making her way up the stairs.
"No, you don't even need to shower! I'm the one covered in creamed possum!" she said but he just walked past her and casually strolled up the stairs.
"You threw sardines at me! They're gross and smelly! So, let's see who makes it to the shower first." With that, he booked it up the stairs. Her mouth fell open in shock as she watched his retreating figure. Returning to her senses quickly, she followed him while shouting at him to stop and let her shower first.
Concurrently, Tati and Henry found themselves standing together in the middle of the dance floor. Their bodies were pressed firmly together as the loud bass of the music vibrated through their bodies. The ecstasy had kicked in and their heads swam and they were left dizzy with their skin on fire. Every touch was intensified and they craved more of it. She pressed her body closer to his own as she felt his warm fingers on her soft and smooth skin, his hands roaming over her waist and brushing against her lower back. The rough digits pressed firmly against her flesh and pulled her in closer, the heat of their bodies radiating off of each other and making the hot and sweaty dance floor even hotter. His leg found its way between her thighs and a lazy smile spread across her face as she rolled her hips, grinding against his thigh. Her arms linked around his neck as she leaned her head back, beads of sweat rolling down her throat and illuminated by the blue lighting.
A soft playful gasp left her when she suddenly felt a warm tongue on her skin, slowly traveling up her throat then pressing tender kisses along her jaw that felt electrified on her skin. She raised her head again and their lips connected almost instantly. Henry's arms tightened around her as they kissed, far more passionately and lewdly than should be allowed in public. He was much too high to care though, the drug making everything so much hotter, so much more exciting, so exhilarating. He didn't need to ask for permission to enter her mouth, her tongue meeting his own before he could try to meet hers. He swallowed the soft moans that left her and his hands traveled downwards to firmly grasp the behind that he enjoyed looking at so much. As their lips moved together in a heated manner, Tati's acrylic nails lightly scratched against the back of his neck and he visibly shuddered at the heightened feeling. Another squeeze of her round bottom made her moan a little before she finally broke the kiss to catch her breath, a breathless giggle leaving her before she met his eyes. Those soft puppy dog brown eyes were now glazed over thanks to the drug and darkened with lust. She liked seeing him like this.
"We should go somewhere more private," she offered with a seductive whisper that he shouldn't have been able to hear over the booming music. He heard her loud and clear though and he could only nod in response, his ability to speak trapped in a lump in his throat and gone thanks to all the blood in his body traveling south for the winter. They made their way back to their table to grab her jacket before they left the club, stumbling to the car and climbing inside.
He shouldn't have been driving, Henry knew this. But he was doing a lot of things he shouldn't have been doing. He shouldn't have been high on ecstasy, he shouldn't have been with Tati, he shouldn't have been without Charlotte. But she wasn't his anymore. She hadn't been for years and those years she was gone, drugs and sex became the things that made him feel better. They made him forget about her and numbed his urges for her. He needed that again, he needed someone to make him feel better. Tati was that person. He didn't drive that far anyway, the two of them so eager to touch each other again that he simply pulled into an alleyway for a semblance of privacy and decency.
The minute the car shut off, she straddled his lap in his seat and their lips connected again in a feverish passion. His touch was intense as he ran his hands over her smooth back and the cool air on her bare breasts when he finally removed her top caused goosebumps to develop all over her body. Her slim fingers eagerly unzipped his pants and unbuttoned them, tugging them down slightly. His hands found their way to her thighs and ran up the soft and warm skin gently before they disappeared underneath her skirt. Despite having such a beautiful woman on top of him, his mind traveled to Charlotte again and how different she was from Tati. Tatiana's breasts were bigger and while any guy would appreciate that, and Henry absolutely did, he also found himself missing the way Charlotte's fit so perfectly in the palms of his hands. Tati was a little more aggressive, assertive in what she wanted, and didn't hold back. Charlotte wasn't a pillow princess, but she could let Henry take control when he wanted and let herself be vulnerable with him. It seemed like he and Charlotte just worked together perfectly. They knew each other, they knew what they liked and how to please each other. Tati was a new and exciting experience, but she wasn't Charlotte.
"Henry…" she breathed out against his neck and sent chills up his spine. He grunted when their bodies connected and he felt her closer than ever. He moved an arm around her waist and held her close as she moved against him eagerly, the windows fogging and the car rocking with their movements. He leaned his head back against the headrest and enjoyed the moment. He felt good, she made him feel good. She wasn't Charlotte, but she'd do.
Back at the Hart house, Piper grumbled to herself as she dried her hair with her towel. She finally managed to take a shower after Jasper so rudely got in before her, and she had to use the one downstairs. She finally managed to get the gross creamed possum smell off of her. It was funny though, while she was rather annoyed by him doing that, it was kind of funny in hindsight. Or maybe it was just because she found Jasper hot, so she wasn't as pissed as she'd usually be. She stood in front of her mirror wearing her satin pajama tank top and matching shorts, eagerly rubbing her head with the towel before tossing it aside into the dirty clothes hamper.
As she gathered her blonde locks into a low ponytail, there was a knock at her door. She called out for them to come in and watched through her mirror as the door opened, her breath hitching in her throat at the sight of Jasper. He was shirtless, wearing just a pair of red and black checkered pajama pants that hung low on his hips and revealed the band of his Calvin Klein underwear. She swallowed hard to get rid of the lump in her throat and focused on her own reflection, trying her best to keep her blushing at bay.
"Aw, look at you all clean and possum-free now," he teased and she rolled her eyes in irritation.
"Yeah, luckily we have a shower downstairs. Perfect for use when asshole boys steal the good shower," she said with a pointed toy that made him chuckle. "What do you want?"
"I lost my lighter. Can I borrow yours?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him incredulously.
"You want to borrow something from me after insulting my cooking and dumping creamed possum on me?" she questioned. He chuckled a little and shrugged as he leaned against the doorway.
"Hey, I had to get you back for the sardines. It's only fair. Can I borrow your lighter so I can go outside?" She pursed her lips together in a firm line and rolled her eyes again. She grabbed her lighter from the dresser and walked over to him, doing her best to ignore his shirtless frame. She tried to ignore his full pecs, his sculpted abs, and the scars and tattoos that decorated his skin. She absolutely did not want to touch him and definitely didn't want to feel his body against her own. As she handed him the lighter, she looked at him up through her lashes.
"You don't have to go outside," she said suddenly. "It's cold out there and my parents aren't here. Wanna smoke with me?" At the offer, Jasper raised an eyebrow. It was super cold outside and he didn't really feel like putting on any more clothes for a smoke break. He could just smoke in Henry's room but after setting his bed on fire with the broken super vacuum, he banned him from being in his room with anything that could ignite something.
So he accepted his offer and entered her bedroom, closing the door behind him. The two of them sat on her bed as she rolled a blunt for them. Even though she (allegedly) couldn't cook, she could definitely roll and she still wanted to do something nice for him despite his egregious behavior earlier. Once it was rolled and baked, she handed it to him and watched as he placed it between his lips and took a deep drag of it. It was almost embarrassing how attractive she found it. If someone had ever asked her what kind of guy she'd end up with, she would've definitely said someone rich with a ton of cars and a big house and dressed in Polos and probably never even knew what marijuana smelled like. She wasn't like her friends who actively went after bad boys and stoners because she never really saw the appeal in them. But she saw it in Jasper and she didn't truly understand why. Maybe it was because she knew deep down he was still the dork from five years ago and was just in a more attractive frame now. Maybe it was because, unlike all the other guys she knew, he treated her like a person and didn't want to just sleep with her or saw her as an evil monster (anymore).
The two of them shared the blunt in comfortable silence, passing it back and forth as they smoked. Soon enough, the effect of the drug settled in and Piper found herself laying back against her bed and feeling as if she was sinking into it. It was a cozy feeling as her body was now numb all over, save for some weird tingling in her toes. She didn't know when Jasper laid down next to her but she suddenly became aware of his arm touching hers and how hot his skin felt. She turned onto her side despite the heaviness in her body and propped her head against her hand as she rested against her elbow. Her blue eyes took in his features again which were illuminated by the faint light coming from her table lamp. She looked at the scar on the left side of his face and gently pressed her ring finger against it, tracing along it slowly.
"How'd you get this?" she asked softly. Jasper kept his head facing the ceiling, blinking his eyes slowly as his own body felt quite heavy as well.
"Dystopia. Fighting some bad guys and this guy slashed my face," he answered. She continued to gently stroke the scar as she hummed in response. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again, "My life sucks."
"Why do you say that?"
"I'm lonely. My mother never loved me, I mean, shit, I've been here a week and I haven't even bothered to go see her because I know she won't care to see me. I never had a girlfriend who actually liked me and wasn't insane, I'm bisexual which is worse because that means I can't even land a boyfriend either! No one wants me. And to top it off, I had to lose contact with the only mother I ever really knew because of Henry and Charlotte." He exhaled heavily as he kept his focus on the popcorn ceiling.
"I'm lonely too," Piper confessed. "I want a boyfriend but boys suck. They all just want sex. I want someone who will want me as a person too, you know? Take me on dates, hold my hand, woo me. I want to be taken care of and take care of someone. That's why I always try to cook. I look forward to the day I'll be someone's wife and mother, when I can take care of someone and not have so many walls up." The words poured out of her without much thought. She never told anyone just how much she craved a connection. People knew bits of it, but it went so much deeper than she was willing to reveal. Jasper finally turned his head to look up at the young blonde.
"I want to be taken care of too. I'm always helping Henry out of his bullshit or lending an ear for Charlotte to talk to, but no one takes care of me. I'm just…Jasper. The butt of the joke…" She looked at him, meeting his blue eyes and offering him a small smile.
"I'll take care of you," she offered softly. He smiled at that and felt his heart warm up at the suggestion. The idea was crazy to him. Piper Hart taking care of him. It was a surreal thought but one that he could see himself enjoying.
His thoughts were cut short when she suddenly leaned down and pressed her lips against his own. He froze for a moment but easily relented, responding to the kiss with a soft hum and placing a hand on the back of her neck to keep her close to him. Her lips were soft and the kiss was slow and gentle. It was filled with such sweetness and sincerity that it made his heart skip a couple of beats and comforted him in ways he didn't realize he needed. He lifted his heavy body off of the bed and rolled over so he was on top of her, her legs spreading so he could settle between them. The kiss remained slow but when his tongue brushed against her lip, she opened her mouth slightly to allow him entrance and their tongues met. Piper's head was swimming but she wasn't sure if it was from the drug or from kissing Jasper. Either way, she liked it and didn't want it to stop.
Her slim arms wrapped around his neck and held him close as they kissed, it growing more passionate and heated by the second. A small gasp left her when she felt his warm fingers slip underneath her top and touch her skin as they inched up further and further. It was a new yet exhilarating feeling. His hands felt so strong and she wanted him to touch her however he pleased. She reluctantly broke away from the kiss to remove her top. His hands moved down and removed her shorts before removing his own pants.
As the two of them got lost in each other's bodies that night, they gave each other the comfort and care that they needed so deeply.
A/N: This was my longest chapter yet. It came out to a whopping 15 pages! Thank you so much for reading! For the time being, the update schedule will be changing to once a week on Fridays. This will be until I can write ahead far enough to go back to the twice a week schedule. I hope you can understand! Thank you again and please continue to share your thoughts!