New chapter! Hoozah!
Okay, I'll be honest. It's about 1:30 in the morning. I'm leaving in 3 1/2 hours, then driving 4 to the airport, then flying for 5 more... and I haven't packed yet because I've been working my butt off to get this chapter finished before I went. It's been eating away at me and I wanted to get it up before I left because I thought I wasn't going to have any internet access, but it turns out I will, so... yeah.
For those of you who asked the characters questions, I haven't forgotten. They will be answered soon. For those who didn't, you totally should! (See footnotes of last chapter for details because I'm too lazy to put it here as well. xD)
Enough pointless rambling! On to the chapter! This one was requested by Kristy. I hope this was what you were looking for, or at the very least, I hope you like it.
Enjoy!
"You have got to be kidding me!"
"Graham," Rylee tried to reason. "It isn't that bad."
"Isn't that bad?" Graham replied in annoyance. "Nobody told me this was date night!"
"It wasn't supposed to be," Tabitha explained. "Theodore and August had to cancel."
"You could always just ask a girl - " Jim began.
"Don't even start, Hawkins. I am not asking a girl out, and I'm not going as the fifth wheel."
"What if we promised to not act like couples?" Tabitha suggested. Rylee and Jim both scoffed. "What?"
"I don't think Cason could make it through the night without trying to kiss me," Rylee said.
"I don't think Tabitha could even resist holding hands," Jim laughed.
"Hey!" Tabitha said, jerking her hand out of Jim's grasp.
"It's true!"
Tabitha crossed her arms. "Says the pot to the kettle."
"Yeah, Rylee, you aren't so innocent yourself," Cason said.
"True, but I at least know how to keep the affection in line, unlike some people," she responded.
"I can!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
"So would I," Graham smirked. Both couples turned to look at him questioningly. "Why don't we make it a challenge?"
"What kind of challenge?" Cason inquired.
Graham shrugged. "We could find out who can go the longest without being... ah, affectionate. Girls verses boys."
"I'm in," Tabitha volunteered.
"Wha - Really?" Jim asked.
"Yes. Why? Scared you might lose?"
Jim glared teasingly at her. "Fine. We're in."
"Us too," Rylee agreed.
Cason started to interject, but stopped himself. "Fine. What are the rules?"
"Simple - no touching," Graham explained. "The contest ends when someone finally does, or when Rylee and Cason have to leave in a few weeks. Whichever comes first."
Jim laughed skeptically. "Tabitha and I are married. We share a bed. How are we - "
"I'll move back to my old room," Tabitha told him. "That way you can't "accidentally" touch me in the middle of the night."
His jaw dropped. "What? No, forget it. This is stupid."
"Alright, well, guys lose then," Graham stated smugly.
"Jim!" Cason argued. "We all know you and Tabitha are enjoying being newlyweds, but get over it! You can go without it for a little while."
Tabitha raised her eyebrows in a challenging sort of way, and Jim sighed. "Fine. She won't last that long anyway."
"Don't be so sure about that, Hawkins," Tabitha smirked as she started to walk away.
Jim narrowed his eyes at her back. "You realize that sentence doesn't work anymore now that we're married. Your last name is Hawkins, too!"
"Think you can handle it, babe?" Rylee taunted Cason.
"Worry about yourself. I'll be just fine," he said confidently.
Rylee rolled her eyes and followed after Tabitha.
Graham laughed and was suddenly punched from in both shoulders at the same time. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"
"For laughing," Cason answered as he turned to leave.
"For suggesting we do this in the first place," Jim added as he followed.
Graham gawked at them. "Oh, come on!"
As the night progressed, the couple managed to keep it together. No one would have guessed that they weren't just a big group of friends out for a night on the town. There was plenty of teasing, but none of it led to anything serious.
The next three days passed in much the same manner. Nobody really seemed to be affected by the change, or if they were, they didn't let it show. The routines stayed the same, except that now they all slept in separate beds.
"I'm telling you, he's not going to just give in," Rylee argued in hushed whispers to Tabitha one evening. "I didn't expect him to make it through the first night, let alone three more!"
"So step up your game a bit," Tabitha grinned. "Make him an offer he can't refuse."
"But how? I don't know what I'm supposed to do if I can't even touch him."
"Well... I know something that works on Jim," she began slyly. "It might work on Cason too."
"What? Please tell me!" Rylee begged, grabbing onto her friends arm desperately.
Tabitha eyed her frantic friend. "You just can't keep this up anymore, can you?"
"I could!" Rylee argued. Tabitha cast her a skeptical look and Rylee sighed. "Fine. Okay. I'm not enjoying it, alright? I'd rather Cason just give up now. I know he's going to; it'll just save us both some time."
"Whatever you say. Okay, here's what you have to do. It's simple..."
Rylee surveyed herself in the mirror that night. The shirt she'd stolen from Cason was quite big on her, almost as long as her uniform from the Academy. She rolled her shoulders back, adjusting her posture and the position of the shirt, then frowned. Despite what Tabitha had told her, she didn't think she looked very appealing. She sighed and unbuttoned a couple of buttons.
"There," she said to the mirror.
Adapting a teasing grin, she opened her door and made sure the hallway was deserted before quickly sneaking a couple of doors down to Cason's room. With one more deep breath and a quick tousle of her hair, she knew she was ready. This was going to end tonight.
When Cason answered her knock, his jaw practically dropped to the floor and Rylee telepathically thanked Tabitha.
"Hey, sweetie," she said teasingly as she started to ease her way into his room.
"Oh, no," Cason stopped her by bracing an arm against his doorframe in front of her. "I know what you're doing, and it's not happening."
"Whatever do you mean?" she taunted. "What's the problem? Afraid you're going to lose? Don't think you can last much longer?"
Though Cason's mind was shouting, 'YES!', he simply narrowed his eyes and swung the door open. He'd be damned if he was going to let her know that she was really starting to get to him and that he... Stars above, she looked good in his shirt.
"See something you like?" Rylee continued to mess with him.
"Nothing I haven't had before," he shot back.
Rylee wasn't deterred in the least. She simply upped her tactics to the next level. "You know, I do miss sleeping in here with you," she told him as she sprawled out across his bed.
Cason couldn't stop himself from staring at the bit of thigh she'd exposed in that movement, or the bit of her shoulder and chest that were now in view as the collar of the shirt shifted. He jerked out of his own misleading thoughts and focused on her face. "Yeah, I bet that's not all you miss doing in here with me."
Rylee simply smirked and settled down into the mattress. Choosing to simply ignore this (or pretend like he was ignoring it, at least), Cason doused the lights and climbed in on the other side of the bed, facing away from her. "'Night, babe."
"Oh, Cason, you don't mean that..." she called in her best seductive voice.
"You bet I do."
Rylee leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Just do it."
Her warm breath against his neck made him flip over so that he was facing her. "Do what? I'm not giving up. No way am I... losing this... competition..."
Cason's words began to space themselves out as Rylee unbuttoned a couple of more buttons on his shirt, this time starting at the bottom. Cason gulped and tried to focus on her eyes, but how could he when she was slowly revealing more and more skin...
"But would you really consider this losing?" Rylee questioned.
Cason blinked at the thought. "No." Why again was he doing this to himself?
"So why are you doing this to yourself?" she asked.
"I..." It was a good question. What was he getting out of this again?
'Nothing', his mind told him.
"Come on, baby," she called to him. "Just give in. That's what you want, isn't it?"
Cason had no idea what he wanted. Wasn't he trying to prove something? He didn't know what it was anymore, but he knew there was a point to this. His mind seemed to have suddenly become scrambled by the sight of her unfastening the last couple of buttons. He still couldn't exactly see anything, but he knew if he just moved the shirt a little -
"No! I'm not doing it!" he suddenly blurted out.
"I'll make it worth your while..." Rylee smirked and stretched her legs out - her long, silky soft legs, Cason's mind added. She laid down, stretching her arms above her head and letting the shirt fall open just a little more, but still didn't reveal what he really wanted to see.
After a few minutes of her just lying their, Cason's runaway thoughts had gotten the best of him.
"Oh, damn it to hell," he cursed as he rolled over on top of her and kissed her, pulling her body tightly against his.
"I win," she somehow managed to gasp between kisses.
"Fine. You win." He pulled off her - his - shirt and tossed it to the floor, closely followed by his own, then began kissing her neck, her shoulder.
"Don't be upset," she smirked, running her hands down his chest. "I'll make it up to you."
He stopped and looked down at her, raising his eyebrows. "How?"
Cason never once regretted giving in.
"Jimbo?"
"Yeah?" Jim responded, turning to face his father-in-law.
"Not t'at it's any o' my business," Silver began, anxiously shifting in his chair at the kitchen table. "But... did ya have a fight wit' Tabby?"
Jim's brow furrowed. "No. Why?"
"Well, I can't help but notice t'e two o' ya been actin'... different."
"What do you mean?"
Just then, Tabitha came flouncing into the kitchen. "Morning," she greeted.
"Morning," Jim replied.
Silver watched as Jim served himself breakfast while Tabitha poured herself a glass of juice, hardly acknowledging each other. "That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!"
"What?" Tabitha asked confusedly.
"T'e two o' ya been actin' kinda odd lately..."
"Oh," Tabitha laughed. "You mean we haven't been kissing or anything?"
"Yeah, t'at," Silver agreed. "Course it's none o' my business, so ya don't have t' - "
"It's just a bet," Jim chuckled.
Silver crossed his arms suspiciously, so Tabitha explained. "Graham set up a contest for me and Jim and Cason and Rylee to see who could go the longest without being 'affectionate' - guys verses girls."
"Is that so?" Silver chuckled.
"Yep," Jim said. "And so far, we're all tied."
"Nope," Cason contradicted as he and Rylee walked in through the kitchen door... holding hands. "We lost."
"You lost," Rylee corrected.
"Damn it, Cason!" Jim exclaimed. "Now the males look weaker."
"Nothing new there..." Tabitha teased quietly.
Cason just laughed. "I would say I'm sorry... but I'm not."
"So it worked?" Tabitha asked.
Rylee giggled. "You bet it did."
"What worked?" Jim asked, but neither girl answered. He looked to Cason expectantly.
"Nope," Cason shook his head. "Let Tabitha try it and see if you can resist it."
"She won't have to," he smirked. "The contest is over now."
Jim leaned down to kiss his wife, but she held up a hand and stopped him. "Whoa, easy there. You aren't about to cop out that easily."
"What?" Jim questioned in shock. "But Cason lost! It's over now."
"Oh, no. It maybe over for them, but I personally would like to see which one of us gives in first," Tabitha smirked.
Jim slumped. "But, Tabitha - "
"Nope. If you want to kiss me, go ahead, but it means that you'll lose."
He glared at her. "No way. I'm not about to lose."
"Well maybe not right now," she teased. "But I don't think it will be long..."
Later that night, Jim exited his room at precisely the same time Tabitha exited the washroom... wearing nothing but one of Jim's button-up shirts. It was just barely long enough to cover her decently, and she'd taken the liberty to unbutton the first couple of buttons.
Jim gulped. "This was the idea you gave Rylee, wasn't it?"
"Yes," she said coyly.
"I see what Cason meant..." he mumbled to himself.
Jim knew he was in trouble even before Tabitha started towards him. She'd adopted a mischievous smile that did not bode well for him at all. Sure enough, before he had time to plan anything or even move, he was pinned against his door with Tabitha just inches away. At first, all she did was stare at him with that daring glint in her eye. Then, she moved even closer, until their mouths were only centimeters away, and Jim could feel her warm breath against his lips.
"Is this making it hard for you?" she whispered.
Jim wasn't entirely sure she was referring solely to their competition, but whatever the case, the answer was yes, and there was no way in hell he was going to admit that. Instead, he smiled and ducked around her and headed straight for the washroom.
"Where are you going?" she teased.
"To take a shower." His voice sounded casual and informative, but as he shut the door behind him, he quietly added, "A nice, long, cold shower..."
Three more days and their friends were on the edge of their seats, as if just waiting for the couple to lunge across the table at each other in fiery passion.
"Just call it a tie already!" Graham begged over lunch.
"No way!" Tabitha rebutted.
"Well then you guys have got to step up your game!"
"Why?" Jim questioned.
"Because I am sick of all this tension between the two of you!"
Tabitha and Jim exchanged a look - a look that said while they missed the closeness, they also enjoyed this build-up of desire.
Jim followed Graham's order and got revenge the next night.
Tabitha had only been in her bedroom a few minutes when Jim, now shirtless, arrived outside the door. Praying that her hormones would be on his side tonight, he entered her room.
"Oh, Jim," Tabitha said causally. "I was just about to come visit you."
That explained her choice of attire; she was wearing one of her ridiculously thin nightgowns. Jim allowed himself one glance over her body before shaking away all thoughts of it and focusing on turning on a daring glint in his eye and that signature smirk as he began to approach Tabitha. Either out of instinct or because she recognized that look on his face, Tabitha began to back up until he had her cornered against the wall, just as she had done to him.
"You're going to have to do better than this," she told him.
Jim did just that. Without a word, he seized the sides of her gown and pulled her as close as he possibly could to her. "How's this?" he whispered in her ear.
Tabitha finally faltered. "Y-you're cheating. You c-can't touch me."
"I'm not," he answered slyly. "I'm only touching your gown."
She raised her hands to push him away, then quickly dropped them again. Pushing him would require putting her hands on his chest - his sleek, toned chest, her mind voluntarily added - and she didn't trust herself to be able to move them away if she did.
"Jim..."
Ever the gentleman, he released her, but didn't lose that coy grin or leave the room. Trying her best to feign indifference, she sat down on the edge of the bed, crossing her arms defiantly.
"You're free to leave now."
"Not yet," Jim added mischievously as he once again approached her.
Losing faith in her ability to resist temptation, she began to push herself backwards on the bed. This action did not deter him in the least; he crawled across the bed, closer and closer until Tabitha had nowhere else to go and was forced to lie down to avoid him. As his body loomed over hers, she had to remind herself not to reach out for him, not to grab his neck and pull him to her and kiss him as long and as hard as she desired. Her rapid pulse was quickly beginning to drown out that thought though and she knew she was on the brink of losing herself, and the competition.
"J-Jim..." she stammered nervously. "Please..."
It was a card she didn't want to play, but it was also the only card she had - weak and defenseless. She knew Jim couldn't stand to see her uncomfortable. Typically when this card was played, it was because the situation was moving to fast - this time, that wasn't the case at all. It was only that Tabitha feared she'd be unable to resist him for much longer. However, the nervousness came across the same in her voice, and Jim knew to back off.
Jim paused just long enough to give Tabitha that extra boost of adrenaline. Before he acquiesced, he leaned down and whispered, "Good night," beside her ear.
As pleasant chills erupted down her spine, she watched Jim shift off the bed and leave the room, flashing her a smug grin before leaving her alone with her unstoppable blush.
From that point on, things got really tense. Anyone could pick up the undeniable energy that suddenly appeared between Jim and Tabitha whenever they got within a five foot range of each other. The fact was that they'd been enjoying their life together as newlyweds, they'd adjusted to the intimate freedom of it, and now that there was this odd restraint on them, they were becoming frustrated. They tried to keep up their normal attitudes, and they did a fair job of it, but it was clear what was hovering at the back of both their minds.
"Oh, that's it!" Graham exclaimed as he through his napkin from his lap onto the table. "If I have to watch you guys look at each other like that one more time, I'm going to be sick."
The look Graham was referring to was the one that kept happening as Jim and Tabitha were seated side by side at the table with their friends - each time they caught each other's eye gaze out of the corner of their eye, their was an undeniable look of longing present.
"So don't watch," Jim told him.
"Stars above," Graham sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Okay: new rules."
"What? Why?" Tabitha asked.
"Because the sexual tension between the two of you is so thick I could cut it with a knife. It is literally suffocating me, and as much as I enjoy seeing Jim blush over stupid little things or you try to act like everything's normal, I'm tired of it. So you're getting new rules."
Cason and Rylee both snickered at the other couple's shocked faces.
"Here's how this is going to go: You can touch. Use your hands however and wherever you want to. I don't care," Graham told them. "Games over when one of you kisses the other."
"You mean on the lips?" Jim verified. Everybody turned to look at him and his face flushed, just as Graham had mentioned. "Well, you can kiss people other places as well..." he muttered, looking down at his plate as he used his fork to pick at his food.
"Good question," Graham smirked. "Yes, on the lips. Kiss her wherever else you want."
"That's the stupidest rule I've ever heard," Cason spoke up. "They can go as far as they want as long as their lips don't touch?" Rylee kicked him under the table. "Ow! What?"
"That's personal," she hissed at him and Graham.
Tabitha suddenly sighed. "I'm tired of this."
"You're giving up?" Graham questioned.
"No, not that. I'm tired of you guys discussing mine and Jim's love life."
"Told you so," Rylee said.
"You were the one who wanted to keep the contest going," Graham told her.
"But I didn't think it was going to get so personal," she mumbled.
Jim watched her, though she kept her gaze focused on her plate. She really was uncomfortable with it. "I agree," he added. "You guys, this is fun and all, but we are married, and I want to keep our love life between us."
"Okay. Sorry," Graham said genuinely. "Do you guys want to keep going?"
Tabitha and Jim looked at each other and he smirked. "I want to prove that I can beat her."
"Well then you're going to be let down, because it's not going to happen," she said matter-of-factly.
Graham laughed. "Okay. New rules: no kissing on the lips and... keep it PG-13."
Jim looked up from his solar surfer magazine as Tabitha entered his room later that night.
"Hey," he greeted, though already his heart was racing from the sight of her and the knowledge of the new rules that had been laid out.
"Hey," she smiled. There was a pause and then Jim raised his eyebrows, questioning why she was there. "Oh, I thought it would be okay if I moved back in here, since touching isn't a problem anymore."
"Oh, yeah! Great," he smiled.
"Thanks." She shut the door to their room and gestured towards their en suite bathroom. "Um... I'm going to take a shower."
Jim nodded, but kept his gaze focused on the magazine. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tabitha grab some clothes and make her way to the bathroom, then the door... almost shut. He looked up at the sound the door hitting the lock, then bouncing open just slightly. From his place on the bed, he could see straight into the bathroom. He watched as she cut the water on and began to undress, pulling her shirt over her head, unbuttoning her pants before sliding them down her legs... Jim would have sworn the temperature just jumped up about twenty degrees, but he couldn't bring himself to look away.
There was a 'smack!' as his magazine slipped out of his grasp and fell to the floor, and he jumped. He quickly picked it up and tried to look natural but he could hear Tabitha giggling. He looked back over to her just in time to see her wink and pull the shower curtain closed around her.
"Damn, she's good," he muttered as she shook out his shirt to create a bit of a breeze to cool him off.
He continued to stare at the pages of his magazine, but his thoughts had drifted to Tabitha. Suddenly, it hit him. That wink, just before she'd gotten in the shower. In a second, Jim had thrown the covers off of his legs and made it over to the bathroom door before he skidded to a halt. No, she would be expecting him to join her now, and he'd almost walked straight into that trap. He rolled his eyes at himself and scoffed; she'd excited him enough just by undressing, he didn't need her hands going to work on him as well.
Sighing, Jim sat back down on the bed. He had to think of a way to catch her off guard. That was the only way she was ever going to lose this thing. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then his eyes widened. Smirking at his plan, he quickly stripped off his shirt, picked the magazine back up, and waited for the water to stop.
In the shower, Tabitha was on full alert, just waiting for him to join her... but he never did. She stayed in even after she'd finished washing, just waiting, but he never showed up. Feeling slightly disheartened, she turned off the water and stepped out, wrapping a towel around her as she did. She squeaked when someone suddenly turned her around, seizing onto her hips, but tried to quickly shake off her surprise.
"Jim! What are you doing?" she questioned.
Jim smirked but didn't say anything, which only unnerved her more. Before she caught on to what he was doing, he'd lifted her up and sat her on the ceramic counter, one of her legs on each side of him.
"Jim, what - "
Tabitha's inquiry was cut short by her gasp. He kissed her neck, and she froze. Jim smirked. He had caught her off guard, and he knew it. He placed his hand on her knee and slowly caressed his way up her thigh, past her hip, her side, chuckling when he felt how fast her heart was beating. Tabitha shook her head to clear it; she couldn't let Jim win her over like this. Tucking the corner of the towel under her arm to hold it, she ran her fingers through his bangs, then to his shoulder, pushing him back just slightly.
"Jim," she said coyly. "What are you doing to me?"
"Exactly what you want me to be doing to you," he shot back.
With that, he slid his other hand under the towel as well. Tabitha couldn't even try to act like she was unaffected. After months of marriage plus over 3 years of dating, Jim knew exactly what to do to make her mind cloud over with lust. She gripped the edge of the counter tensely, seriously debating whether she wanted to keep this up. She could give in right now. All she'd have to do is kiss him. He'd kiss her back, then swing her up into his arms, carry her to the bed and -
"Ah!" Tabitha squealed as he skimmed his fingers across the small of her back, making her involuntarily arch forward so far that she would have fallen off were it not for Jim's body still being positioned between her knees.
Jim laughed quietly. He leaned forward, placing his lips close enough to her neck to make her think he was going to kiss her again. Her stomach muscles reflexively tensed when she felt his warm breath against her still wet skin...
As quickly as it had all started, Jim jerked back and walked away. Tabitha impulsively leaned forward as if she was magnetized to him, releasing a shuddering breath in the process. Jim couldn't help but laugh at how completely starstruck she looked. Big mistake. Tabitha snapped out of her daze and hopped off the counter. He had just enough time to regret his amusement before she had pinned him against the wall.
"Jim," Tabitha began quietly, her mouth right next to his ear. "Why'd you stop?"
"I-I..."
Jim gulped. His plan had been to lead Tabitha on just enough so that when he stopped, she wouldn't be able to resist. Truth was, he'd had to stop because she was getting to him at least as much as he was getting to her. He should have known that listening to her say his name like that or emit those sweet sighs and gasps she couldn't hold back would have worked against him.
Tabitha smirked, leaning tantalizingly close to his lips, as if she were going to kiss him, just long enough for him to inhale a shuddering breath, before she pulled away. His heart hammered as he tried to bring back his mischievous smile and disguise how he was feeling, but he couldn't do it. Giggling, her hands reached out for his belt and teasingly began to slide it out of the loops. He froze, losing all hope in his ability to keep up an even remotely calm facade now.
Stars, how did he always end up in at a disadvantage? While Tabitha was slowly pulling off his belt and unzipping his pants in a torturously seductive way, he had no way to return the action. Unless, he pulled her towel off... What was he thinking? Pull the towel off? The last thing he needed right now was to see Tabitha completely undressed...
"T-Tabitha, stop," Jim gasped again when she kissed him right at his jawline, her warm hands running slowly down his chest.
"Why? Are you alright?" she asked smugly.
He groaned when her hands stopped abruptly at the waist band of his boxers. "Th-this is really unfair..."
"How so?" she taunted.
"Because when you say stop, I-I have to stop, but - " He gasped and grabbed her hands as they started to slide further down. "When I say stop, you don't. Why?"
"Because I never claimed to be a gentleman," she smirked.
Jim considered this for a moment, then the thoughtfulness and confusion disappeared from his face, only to be replaced with something that threw Tabitha for a loop. She didn't it recognize at all. It wasn't an expression she'd ever seen him wear before. It wasn't playful, or coy, or even mischievous. It was... dark, almost sinister, and it probably would have scared her if she hadn't found it so... sexy.
Once Tabitha was thoroughly perplexed, Jim grabbed her hands and switched places with her, pinning her arms above her head as he shoved her against the door. "I don't always have to be a gentleman, you know."
Jim was surprised he hadn't thought to do this sooner. He had the advantage of having a hold of her hands while maintaing control over Tabitha. He quickly searched her eyes for some sign that she was frightened, wondering if maybe he should let up a bit, but there was no sign of alarm in them. There was only sheer desire, fueled by the adrenaline rush he'd just given her. Smirking inwardly, he stared deep into her eyes, daring her to make her move.
The idea of being scared never even crossed Tabitha's mind. Though Jim had never done this before, she still had full trust in him. This was all only a game, and stars, was he good at it. Her breath caught in her throat as he continued to stare at her in that bold, seductive way with such ease as if he'd done it a million times before. He pressed against her, roughly kissing her shoulder, her neck... She moaned quietly as he longingly ground his hips into hers. Her knees went weak, and she was fairly certain if he released her, she wouldn't be able to stand on her own.
Finally, Jim let go of her hands. Tabitha let them fall to her sides, clenching them into fists as if trying to hold herself back. He braced his hands against the door, on either side of her, then pressed his forehead against hers. Every muscle in his body was tensed, his breathing hot and labored, as if even that was becoming a struggle now. His gaze was hard and desperate as he stared down into her eyes.
"Tabitha... I need you."
Despite the fact that Tabitha felt like her entire body had just caught fire, she was frozen. She couldn't move or respond to Jim's plea. All she could do was watch as he slowly leaned down and placed his lips as close as he possibly could to hers. All it would take was a slight movement, and their lips would finally touch...
"Jim," she pleaded softly. "Please stop."
"Why should I?" he demanded.
She shut her eyes tightly, preparing herself for whatever else he might do. Contradictory to his question though, he stopped and moved away. Sure enough, Tabitha felt herself slide down the door just a little bit, her knees almost too shaky to support her. The towel, which she now realized had only been held up between their bodies, started to fall, but she grabbed it and wrapped it back around her.
Jim crossed his arms and smirked at her, his playful personality back. "You ready to give in yet?"
"Wh-What..." she panted, unable to keep her voice steady. "What was that?"
He laughed. "Well, you're trembling so much you can hardly stand, your face is bright red, and your chest is heaving because you can't catch your breath... So I'm going to say that it was something you enjoyed immensely."
Tabitha felt her face warm even more. He was right. Jim had never had that much of an affect on her, and she had enjoyed it immensely. She'd been close, very close, to giving in. Even now, she was debating whether she just wanted to give up... but some small part of her mind kept reminding her that she really didn't want to have to listen to Jim be smug about it for the rest of their lives.
"I-I'm not going to give in," she told him.
"Yeah, you look real confident about that," he taunted.
Huffing, she turned around and grabbed her clothes, trying to ignore his bribe attempts.
"Oh, come on..." Jim wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing the back of her neck. She sucked in a tense breath through her teeth and he chuckled. "See? You're enjoying it, aren't you?"
"That... that's beside the point." Tabitha didn't know what point was anymore... but she was pretty sure that wasn't it.
"No it isn't. It's exactly the point. You just have to give in and..." He placed his lips close enough to her ear that they tickled when he spoke again. "I'll make sure you enjoy it."
She bent her neck away from him and pulled herself out of his grasp, grabbing her clothes before walking back into the bedroom.
"Fine," he conceded, never losing his cocky grin. "I'm going to take a shower. You're welcome to join me if you want."
Tabitha narrowed her eyes at him, but he just smirked and closed the door, breathing a sigh of relief. Secretly, he hoped she wouldn't. He knew that Tabitha couldn't take much more of this, but neither could he. He was glad she'd been too dazed to notice the physical effect his own actions had on him.
Shaking his head at how hopeless they both seemed, he leaned over and turned the cold water on full blast.
The next day was a day that could only be described as awkward. It had passed in a strange haze of emotions - Tabitha couldn't look at Jim without remembering the night before, Jim couldn't look at Tabitha without feeling a strange sense of exasperation and longing. The tension between them was no longer raw, intense... it was calm. It was love, not lust.
"Okay, look - "
Tabitha was startled when she entered their bedroom the next night and found Jim standing up, mid-pace. "Yes?" she asked warily.
"Clearly, neither of us are enjoying this. Don't try to lie and say that you're fine. I'm your husband. I can tell it's getting to you," he informed her before she could try to deny it. "Why... Why are we doing this?"
Tabitha blinked. "I don't know... Curiosity?"
"About what?" he laughed. "Look, I've known you 4 years. 3 and a half we spent dating and I've married to you for the rest of it. If there's anything I know, it's that one: you know how to turn me on, and two: you're too stubborn to give in." Tabitha frowned at him, but he just smiled. "Don't be mad. What I'm trying to say is... I'm giving in."
"What?" she gasped. "Just like that?"
"Just like - " he began to repeat in shock. "Tabitha, we've been at this almost two weeks. I miss you. Not just making love with you, but you. Being able to kiss you. I'm admitting it: I'm hopelessly in love with you and... physical affection is just a part of that. A part that I really miss. And I'm tired of trying to - "
Jim's spiel was cut short when Tabitha rushed over and kissed him, placing her hands on the back of the neck to pull him to her. He moaned against her lips and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I love you, too," she panted. "Thank you."
Jim smirked. "I win."
Tabitha's eyes widened. "What? No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don't!"
"Yes, I do!" he laughed. "The rule was the first person to kiss the other. You kissed me, so I win."
"But you forfeited!" she argued. "If you give up, then the game is over!"
"We never set any rules about forfeiting."
"We didn't have to! It went without saying!" She narrowed her eyes at him. "I can't believe you tried to trick me like that."
"I didn't trick you," he chuckled. "It was true."
"I still don't think you won."
"I really don't care any more," he grinned.
She smiled back. "Let Graham be the ref tomorrow?"
Jim laughed. "Deal."
He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her to him, savoring every second of it, chuckling when he lifted her up and she eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist.
"You really couldn't have lasted any longer, could you?" he teased.
"Oh, as if you were doing any better. If I hadn't kissed you, what would you have done?"
Jim thought for a moment. Tabitha raised her eyebrow as if she'd made her point. He laughed and shrugged. "I don't know what I would have done, but it doesn't matter because you did kiss me, and now I know exactly what I'm going to do."
"And what is that?" she asked coyly.
"Well," he began as he laid her out in bed. "I promised you that if you gave in, I'd make sure you'd enjoyed it. So - " He quickly yanked off his shirt before climbing in over her. "That's exactly what I plan to do."
Tabitha smiled and pulled him down to meet her lips.
"It's over," Jim happily greeted his friends as he entered the den the next morning, hand-in-hand with Tabitha.
"We're out," Tabitha added.
"We know," Cason, Rylee, and Graham responded without a second thought.
Tabitha and Jim exchanged a confused glance. "How did you...?" she began.
"It's one in the afternoon," Cason stated.
"Jim's mom mentioned you hadn't slept in this late since you got back from your honeymoon," Rylee added.
"We put two and two together," Graham concluded. "But that doesn't matter. What happened? Who lost?"
"Did Tabitha finally try that t-shirt thing with you, Jim?" Cason questioned. "Not as easy to resist as you would think, huh?"
"Nope," Jim laughed.
"Then how did she finally make you give in?" Rylee asked curiously.
"She didn't."
Everyone looked at Jim for a second, then turned their confused gazes to Tabitha. The couple looked at each other, then Tabitha grinned. "It was a tie."
"Aw, that's so sweet," Rylee sighed.
"A tie?" Graham asked in shock.
"How the hell could you have a tie?" Cason inquired.
"We're married," Jim stated. "We do everything together. Why should this be any different?"
"Don't give me that crap, Hawkins," Graham teased. "What happened?"
"It was a technicality," Tabitha explained. "Did we ever set up rules on forfeiting?"
"Forfeiting?" Rylee repeated. "Wouldn't forfeiting just be when you finally gave in and kissed the other?"
"But what if someone says that they gave in, but doesn't actually kiss the other person?" Jim added.
The three friends thought for a moment. "What exactly happened?" Cason asked.
Tabitha laughed. "Jim said that he gave in, but then I kissed him first. So who would you say won?"
"Um... I think Jim," Rylee answered at the same time that Cason said, "Definitely Tabitha."
Graham shook his head. "Stars, it really is a tie."
"Well, guess I don't owe you anything then," Cason muttered quietly to Graham.
"Owe him anything?" Tabitha's eyes widened. "Did you take bets on us?"
"Sorry," Graham laughed. "If it helps at all, my money was on you."
"Hey!" Jim cried.
Just then, Silver entered the room, took one look at the couple holding hands, and laughed. "Guess you two lovebirds finally lost yer little game, eh?"
"Yep," Tabitha giggled.
"Well, who gave in? Jimbo?"
"Why does everyone assume it was me?" he wondered aloud.
"'Cause Tabby's had a way wit' you since t'e day t'e two of ya met," Silver answered.
"It was a tie," Graham explained for them.
Silver blinked. "How in blue blazes could t'ey have a tie?"
"A technicality," Cason answered. "Jim said that he gave up, but Tabitha was the one to kiss him first."
"T'at means Tabby lost," Silver said. "Pay up, lad!"
"No way!" Graham answered. "Jim said that he gave up. Tabitha won."
Their friends were so distracted by their own argument that no one noticed the couple in question slip away, back up to their room.
Jim laughed and locked the door behind them. "How long do you think that argument will last?"
"Probably until someone sensible, like your mom, intervenes," Tabitha laughed as she fell back into bed.
"Stars above, I hope she doesn't. I'd really prefer my mom not even find out about this contest thing."
Jim smiled at her as he walked over and lay down next to her. She moved closer and lay her head down on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her.
"I'm glad it's over," he admitted. "I really missed waking up to you every morning."
"Hmm, wish I could say the same," Tabitha teased.
He gawked at her, pretending to be offended before he began to tickle her mercilessly.
"Ah! Jim, I was kidding! I was just kidding!" she squealed.
Eventually, she managed to roll over on top of them and keep his hands pinned against the bed. After their peals of laughter finally died down, Jim leaned up and quickly kissed her. Tabitha smiled, then kissed him, longer this time, sweetly, but passionately.
"So, husband," she began amusedly. "What's the ruling? Is it just the thrill of being newlyweds in love, or are we just that hopeless?"
"I think... somewhere in between," he smiled, slipping his hands out of her grasp to pull her down into another gentle kiss. "Hopelessly in love."
It's so fluffy! (I've watched that 'Despicable Me' trailer too many times to count. xD)
So there you have it.
I can't think of anything else to say, surprisingly. It seems like normally I have way more to say right here...
Remember you can still ask the characters questions.
Hope you guys enjoyed! I'll update again as soon as I can!
Thank You!
-Emily
+Responses to Reviews+
Tsukasa-kun: Aw, sorry you were sick. That sucks. :/ Thank you so much and I'm glad you liked it!
S.A.M. Fonecca: They do blush a lot... lol. I'm glad you liked it. An explanation on how Rylee and Tabitha became friends is going to be in one of the other chapters. Not sure how long until it will be posted... but eventually. Glad you liked it! Thanks! :D
anon: Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
23jk: Thanks!
malisa: No worries! Trust me, I understand busy. Thanks! I'm glad you're still reading it, and that you're so in love with it!
NeverTooLate03: Psh, well of course I had to make an amazing chapter. I am me, after all. xD Jk. I told my mom what you said about me working for Disney and she laughed for like five minutes. Yes, there was quite a bit of random stuff in this chapter, like Silver (I definitely think we should add a scene where he remembers her birthday into that chapter thing you're writing. I loved that idea.) and Jim's dad (*coughcough* foreshadowing *coughcough*). Thanks for you reviews, as always! :D
MistressTaco: OMG Thank you for recommending that song! It is so cute! I am obsessed with it now. xD It does fit their relationship really well. I'm glad you like it! Thank you!
Blair Bear Tate Monster: Oh, wow, thank you! And no problem about mentioning your story. It definitely deserves it. It's SO cute! I've already started writing more on Isabelle/Landon and Rylee/Cason, so that will be posted... sometime. Thank you so much! :)
Horseygirl 96: Thank you!
