Welcome back again lovely people! A quick spoiler warning for those of you who haven't played through at least the first year of Story of Seasons!
Chapter 8: It was Only a Kiss
"Thanks so much for coming, you guys!"
Maya stuck her arm out the front door, waving happily to Corona and Gunther as they escorted Fritz back to their place for the night.
It was well into the early hours of morning now, somewhere around 3 o'clock, and the last of the party guests had finally left. Everyone, to Maya's knowledge at least, seemed to have a wonderful time and she was nearly glowing with happiness.
"That was by far the best birthday I've ever had," Raeger sighed, collapsing onto one of the comfier benches by the front door. He dropped his head back against the wooden arm, letting some of the tension out of his shoulders. "You should start your own party-planning business."
"I'll think about it if the whole farming thing doesn't pan out," Maya laughed, sinking onto the same bench. Raeger moved his legs to accommodate her, never opening his eyes.
The silence around them was comfortable, a much-needed solace from the excitement they'd been caught up in all night.
"After we open a restaurant together, you mean," Raeger corrected, thinking back to the delicious food Maya made for the party, as well as her proficiency with counter service.
"Of course," Maya laughed, laying her hand reassuringly on his calf. "After that."
As hectic as everything had been, and as put-off as Maya felt by Klaus and Iris, she'd managed to enjoy herself. Even Marian was far less exhausting than normal, and Maya felt significantly more relaxed now that it was all over.
"You're staying here tonight, right?" Raeger asked suddenly, cracking open an eye to gauge her reaction. Maya nodded, not opening her own eyes in response.
"That was the plan," she yawned, stretching her aching limbs. In fact, the very bench they were sitting on was her intended resting place for the night. "Now get off my bed, I'm tired."
"What do you mean, 'your bed'?" Raeger snorted, scrunching his nose in distaste. "You're sleeping with me."
Maya coughed out a laugh, shifting until she was sitting across from him. "You're demanding, aren't you?"
Raeger laughed too, pushing himself into a sitting position that mirrored Maya's.
"Ladies love a man that can take control," he winked, earning an exaggerated eyeroll. "But seriously, you're not spending the night down here. There's more than enough room in my bed for the two of us."
"And listen to you snoring all night?" Maya raised an eyebrow. "Not a chance."
"You're sleeping in my bed, Deorlo," Raeger insisted, using her last name for emphasis. "Come on, it'll be fun. I'm really cuddly."
Maya laughed again, her head swimming in residual alcohol.
"You know what? I don't have the energy to argue with you," she sighed, receiving a triumphant grin from Raeger. "You'd better not be lying about how cuddly you are. It's probably freezing upstairs."
Raeger's heart thumped, aided by the wonderful dizziness in the rest of his body.
"Come to bed with me," he began, his words quiet and sincere, "and I won't let you go for anything. Not until you tell me to."
Maya's eyes rounded, a blush spreading rapidly across her cheeks. Raeger would likely regret saying that later, but for the moment he couldn't bring himself to care. He reached out and gently traced down Maya's neck with his fingertips, feeling her breathing hitch.
"I-" she stammered, flustered now. "I'll hold you to that."
She wouldn't need to. Raeger meant every word.
"I'll get some more cleaning done before we go to bed," Maya announced quickly, almost tripping as she stood up. "If we leave the rest of the food out it might start to smell, and we can't have that in a restaurant, now can we?"
Without looking back at Raeger, Maya retreated to the kitchen.
Her heart was beating so fast- faster than it ever had before. If she didn't know any better, she would think that Raeger wasn't teasing her. But that was ridiculous, he had to be teasing. There was no way that-
She stumbled, reminding her of how drunk she was.
That was the answer. Maya was intoxicated and misinterpreting Raeger's words and actions. That had to be it. Even still, the thought of falling asleep wrapped tightly in Raeger's embrace, it was almost too much for her.
Dishes were piled throughout the kitchen. Maya couldn't possibly finish them all now, but if she didn't take a moment to calm down before retiring to Raeger's room, she wasn't sure what she might say or do.
A creak in the floorboards told her that Raeger had joined her. Great. Just what she needed.
"You can go get ready," Maya assured him, stacking plates in random, unhelpful piles. "I'll just be a minute."
He didn't say anything right away, simply approached her from behind. Maya kept her eyes firmly on the sink in front of her.
"You've got something there." Raeger swallowed, poking his finger into Maya's neck. She jumped, startled by his unexpected touch. "Looks like icing."
"Oh," Maya reached up with her palm, moving to wipe the smear away. She had no idea how long the icing had been there, but it must've been a while. Maya's fingers had barely brushed her skin when Raeger caught her wrist in his palm.
"Don't worry about it," he whispered, his voice suddenly very low. The sound trickled down Maya's spine. "I'll get it."
Before she could question him, Raeger's lips pressed softly against her skin.
"Raeger-" Maya gasped, her heart hammering in her chest. She was frozen- unsure what she should do. The wind outside slammed against the windows and walls, shaking the house and making her jump, but as Raeger's mouth worked against her skin, she began to relax. Raeger's lips parted gently, his tongue lapping at the icing on Maya's neck. His mouth was hot and soothing against her skin- she gripped the counter for support.
"So good…" Raeger mumbled, his hands encircling her waist. Maya sucked in a breath, leaning into his embrace in spite of herself. Was Raeger truly still this drunk? His breath drifted over her in ragged increments, making her knees quake.
"I think you got it all," Maya murmured, fighting the excitement pumping through her veins. Despite her reservations, the logic in her brain screaming at her to stop, she was glad that everyone else had already retired for the night. When she was alone with Raeger, it was easy to forget everything else.
"I think you're right," Raeger agreed, his voice husky and full of suggestion. Maya's breathing hitched. "That's fine," he continued, spinning her slowly in his arms. She found herself facing him, the counter digging into her lower back, her torso pressed against Raeger's chest. "Your lips are sweeter anyway."
Maya felt her cheeks darken. In the low light, Raeger's emerald eyes sparkled with lust, alcohol, and something else she couldn't place. Maya's stomach fluttered just as Raeger coaxed her into a lingering kiss.
His lips were warm- so warm- against hers, safe and familiar and new and exciting all at the same time. Maya was startled, but a sudden surge of happiness coursed through her. Her heart thumped wildly, so loud she was sure he could hear it. If he could, Raeger gave no indication as he squeezed her waist and lifted her onto his kitchen counter.
They shouldn't be doing this, Maya knew, but she couldn't stop herself. Raeger's fingers tugged on her curls, tilting her head back and opening her mouth to him. She sighed into his kiss, familiar feelings coursing through her as their touches grew more heated.
Maya felt the same excitement, the same ease, and the same happiness that she'd felt the night Raeger kissed her the first time. Only now, their thoughts muddled by the drinks they'd consumed, Maya felt no reservations. Her heart was still torn, but with each passing moment she felt closer to figuring out what she truly wanted.
A quiet moan escaped her throat as Raeger moved to nibble on her ear. His hips pressed into hers as their breathing came in short bursts, Maya's fingers digging into Raeger's shoulders.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Maya panted, gasping as Raeger suckled her neck. Contradictory to her words, she tightened her grip on him. Raeger answered with a gentle groan, choosing to continue to kiss her.
Indecision be damned. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was something else, but Maya didn't care. Raeger's lips felt so good against her skin, she felt so good in his embrace, everything felt so right- they could kiss now and figure the rest out in the morning.
Maya twisted her fingers in the fabric of Raeger's shirt, pulling him as close as he could possibly get.
"Fuck," he whispered against her lips, a lightning bolt of desire ripping through him. "Iris-"
Maya froze, her body going rigid in Raeger's embrace. His voice had sent a shot of ice through her veins, freezing her very soul.
Iris. He'd just said Iris. Not Maya. Iris.
"Hey," Maya mumbled, pressing her palms against Raeger's chest. He didn't respond right away, captured by the feeling of her body in his arms.
"Raeger? I think you need to stop now." Maya tried again, pushing harder. Embarrassment and sadness welled in her throat, threatening her with tears. "Please?"
Hearing the conviction in her voice, Raeger pulled away. His eyes were hooded and out of focus, and he struggled to pull himself together. Maya blinked away the stinging in her nose.
"Is everything okay?" He asked, sweet concern in his voice. The genuine tone only drove a knife further into Maya's heart, and she slipped to the floor to cover up her sudden pain.
"Yeah, of course," she assured him, mustering up the best smile she could. "It's just that you're drunk, and I really need to get home."
"Oh," Raeger frowned, coming back to his senses a bit. His hair was ruffled from their kissing, so he ran his fingers through it. "I thought you were spending the night here?"
Maya bit her lip. She knew if she didn't get out of there as soon as possible, she'd break down in front of him. It was strange, trying so desperately to hide her pain from the one person who always made it go away.
"I just realised I need to do some things for Eda in the morning," Maya lied, brushing her hair back into place. The taste of Raeger's lips lingered in her mouth. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
Raeger seemed to be sobering up a bit, his attention drawn to the howling winds outside.
"I don't like you walking home by yourself in this," he pressed, his brow furrowing. "Especially so late at night. Let me walk you back."
"No," Maya shook her head quickly, "you need some rest. I'll be fine, I promise."
Raeger hesitated. Under normal circumstances, Maya knew this would never fly. Raeger was nothing if not fiercely protective; he would never let her walk home by herself in the middle of a storm, in the middle of the night. She held her breath, hoping he was still influenced enough to lose this argument.
"Maya, I'm really not comfortable letting you leave in this," he insisted, Maya's heart sinking with his words. "I worry about you, you know?"
Raeger's hand found hers and squeezed it, a reassuring gesture that went straight through Maya's heart. She let him hold her hand only long enough to be polite, and then abruptly let go.
"I'll be fine," she reaffirmed, stricter now. "Get some sleep Raeger."
Before he could say anything more, Maya made a B-line for the door and refused to look back.
.
By the time Maya made it back to her farmhouse, she couldn't see through her tears.
"Damnit!" She cursed, hiccupping pitifully. How could she have let herself get so caught up in him like that?
Her house was cold and dark, almost palpably lonely. She hadn't expected to come back here before tomorrow, so nothing was ready for her to just collapse on the bed like she wanted to. There were dishes in the sink, clothes strewn about, and her blankets were sitting untouched in the dryer. Maya ignored all of this, sinking to the floor in the middle of the entryway.
Why was she surprised? Raeger loved Iris, she knew that. Hell, that was the entire reason they'd kissed the first time, sparking this entire mess. It was no shock that Raeger was attracted to her, he'd said so himself on multiple occasions, so of course he would kiss her. Of course he would make a move on her. He was drunk, she was drunk, what more excuse did he need?
Maya let out a pained sob. Her stomach hurt, from drinking or heartache she couldn't quite tell. She was so completely, utterly stupid. She let herself get caught up in the moment when everything in the world screamed at her to stop. She played with fire tonight, it was no wonder that she got burned.
Angrily, she ripped her heels from her feet and threw them across the room.
The house creaked around her, bending to the wild winds outside. Maya had been so preoccupied with everything that she hadn't been paying attention to the skies. A sudden fear struck her as she considered the possibility a thunder storm could break.
If that happened, she didn't want to be anywhere near a door.
Her phone buzzed just as she was standing, no doubt another text from Raeger. He'd messaged, asking her to let him know when she'd made it safely back.
Maya wasn't ready to see his name just yet. She ignored the buzzing, dropping her phone on the table as she scrambled to get her blankets from the laundry room. Work or no work tomorrow, for now Maya was going to curl up in her bed, wrapped in a protective cocoon of fabric, until she felt at least somewhat whole again.
Another buzz, this one lasting longer than the first.
Maya frowned. Raeger wouldn't be calling her unless he was really worried and as much as she didn't want to speak to him, she didn't want to scare him either. The quicker she answered the phone, the quicker she could slip into a drunken slumber until morning.
Her thick duvet draped heavily over her shoulders, Maya reluctantly picked her cellphone off of the table, but it wasn't Raeger's name illuminating her screen.
"Eda?" Maya rasped into the line, "what are you doing up so late? What's wrong?"
Silence met her ears.
Maya waited, listening hard for any signs of distress on the other end, but nothing came. After a few breathless moments, the phone call disconnected from Eda's end.
An accidental dial? Maybe, but the sudden numbness in Maya's legs made her think otherwise. Eda wouldn't be up this late, not for any reason Maya could think of. And if she needed help-
It wouldn't hurt to go check on her.
Maya didn't bother putting her shoes back on. Her heart was inexplicably pounding, a knowing fear clawing its way up her throat as she nearly ran to Eda's farm.
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