Atonement
By Seniya
Heat
Running just as fast as we can
holdin' on to one another's hand
tryin' to get away into the night
and then you put your arms around me
and we tumble to the ground
and then you say
I think we're alone now
there doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
the beating of our hearts is the only sound.
I Think We're Alone Now By Tiffany
It was as hot as hell inside of her apartment…but then again, it was as hot as hell outside of her apartment too. July, blessed July, whose arrival is always much anticipated – until it comes. In the winter months, July smells of ice cream and cake – lemonade and endless days – in the spring, it reeks of freedom and seashores – but in July and August, summer sings only of torture.
"Come on…" Although the heat only seemed unbearable to her…sweat laden and sticky, pink for absolutely no reason, Will lay sprawled across her bed, fanning herself with one of Irma's magazines.
She had long discarded her traditional jeans and t-shirt for a thin camisole and a pair of shorts – again, one of her friend's original belongings, although, that did nothing to help her situation. The AC was out, and the day was spiteful, deciding to hold its breath and as a result, any source of salvation. Presently Will's only source of reprieve came from the small battery operated fan that she'd borrowed from one of the neighbor's kids last week.
And even that…had its kinks…"Work…don't make me have to go look for batteries…" But long gone were the days when the equipment would actually listen, and of course, its slow, low buzz, quickly dulled into nothingness.
…………………………
"What's a liposuction, and why have all these women had them?" Caleb was – in her mind, at least – unfortunately still wearing his shirt, and seated, cross-legged on the floor at the other side of her room.
"It's a surgery where they take a hose and suck the fat out of your belly…" She dropped her hands atop of her stomach for emphasis and then turned to survey him through the barricade of her sweaty bangs, as they had fallen across her eyes. "And stop reading US Weekly…it'll rot your mind."
"What's it doing in your room then if it rots your mind?" But he did toss the magazine away.
"It's my mother's. And it's a very adequate mosquito swatter." Will licked her dry lips before returning her gaze to the ceiling. "I'm bored."
"Because you're lying around doing nothing." He mentioned dryly, neglecting to mention the fact that he thoroughly enjoyed watching her lie around and do nothing.
"You're no better."
"Let's go outside then," he paused there waiting for her reaction, ah, there it was, that adorable pout that he loved to see.
"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving here until the sun goes away. You can go outside and melt if you're suicidal."
"I doubt that anyone has ever died from walking around in the sun."
"Two words: heat stroke." She rolled back onto her side to watch him again – maybe if she could talk him out of the shirt she wouldn't be so bored—
"Fine Will. Stay inside and stare at the walls…" He moved to his feet, she sat up protesting as a result. "Where are you going?"
"Outside. It's hot."
"Don't leave…I'll be more perky…look," she jumped to feet and tugged at his fingers, "Yay! Sun!"
The humidity had made her long cherry red hair thick and wavy – the heat had caused her alabaster skin to look slick and moist. God, a man could go insane with need just by looking at her.
"You'll stay?" She drew closer so that he could smell the soft, flowery aroma that seemed to always cling to her skin, "I'll sweeten the deal for you."
Gods forgive him for where his mind lingered in that instant. "What?" He didn't proceed to tell her that by outside he had meant her apartment's patio.
"Ice cream. Chocolate…" She laughed at his confused eyes. "You don't like ice cream? My mom bought some yesterday."
"Oh…right…yeah, sure." She released his hand with a small smile and sauntered off to the kitchen, leaving him alone in the bedroom, which in his mind had grown several degrees hotter over the last few minutes.
He should leave now he knew, while he still could – before his mounting desire caused him to do something that they'd both regret…
But of course, that wasn't an option. He couldn't simply leave her alone in this apartment. He still, didn't trust those neighbor boys who more than once today alone had found the overwhelming need to borrow ice.
No, he'd stay – and he'd manage. He was used to it by now in any case…
"Here," She returned moments later with two cups in hand and thrust one into his fist, "You may thank me for my servitude with a foot massage."
"I'll do no such thing," He joined her on her bed, and watched, mesmerized and she swallowed a spoonful of the treat. "Actually…in Meridian, it is customary to show gratitude with the exchanging of bodily fluids. It shows a deep, powerful bond."
"You people are disgusting. No offense."
There was a line of syrup that trailed from her bottom lip to her chin, she seemed unaware of it, but it captured every one of his attentions. He did managed to stammer out eventually however, "Er…i-it's actually…"
"I know," Smiling, she leaned forward, "You want a kiss."
He felt himself flush, and then redden when she eased forward to accomplish the task at hand. "A-Actually…" he breathed, "I-I meant that men exchange vials of blood. Women aren't usually…"
His words were swallowed up by the gentle pressure of her warm, full mouth on his – he wasn't fool enough to protest after that, especially not when she began to use her teeth and tongue to barter her way inside.
The ice cream was suddenly on the floor and his hands suddenly knotted in her hair, he sweet, fragrant hair that he'd wanted to bury his face in from the moment he saw it – he felt the upward curve of her lips and then their removal, and afterwards had to suppress a groan when dry air kissed his lips instead of her.
"You're being very serious today." Again she drenched him in her smell, jasmine, he remembered and decided then that he'd never again forget it – now that she leaned close to wipe away trails of the creamed ice that had been left there due to her earlier ministrations.
"Will…" He swallowed, feeling as though his flesh itself was aflame. He could hear the blood in his ears, feel the tightness in his stomach, and slowly all he knew came to center about her.
With a steady hand he took the cup away from her fist and placed it on the bedside table, Will followed the movement with careful eyes, for even she wasn't naïve enough to not know what that heated look in his eyes meant for her.
And she was glad.
He drew her lovingly into his arms then, before kissing her in a way that reduced her to a puddle of shivering limbs and heated blood. His fingers were lost in her hair, and she could feel the warmth from his touch on her scalp, kneading, touching – oh God.
She was whimpering when he pulled away, not from fear or worry, but from frustration…she needed him to do anything but to stop.
His eyes looked tortured, his face – a mask of desire painted with worry. "Don't…" she whispered carefully, touching his cheek with her fingers, and then with her lips. "Don't stop Caleb."
It wasn't enough, for he didn't begin again immediately, instead whispering roughly, in a voice that made her heart ache, "I love you…I love you so very much Will…I can't tell you just how…"
"Then don't." She interjected, feeling her heart and soul melt with each and very sentence, "show me."
And he did, with his lips and his breath; he lavished his wonderful attention onto her neck and face, until she was writhing in his arms.
Her own hands found their way beneath his shirt, he stiffened at the first touch of her trembling fingers against his muscles, but didn't stop her, too far gone in this maze of wants and desires to consider anything but the immense yearning screaming from within his stomach.
"I'll hurt you," He sounded apologetic already, and to her surprise, she felt his broad shoulders shake with the words. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't." And then she kissed him again, intending to relieve his worries, to calm his fears – he was lowering her now, carefully, languidly, as though she were made of something precious – she nearly cried then with the love that she felt from him.
For him?
Yes.
She'd give him this, and she'd take from him what he offered – her own racing heart craved that much, at the very least.
"We should stop," Even as he kissed her shoulders and neck he was offering her reasons as to why this was such a horrible mistake. She knew that he'd regret it later, convinced that he'd dishonored her in some way…really, was there anyway to convince him of anything else?
Slowly, instinctively, she arched her back, raising her hips so that for the first time the heat of his desire touched hers. She sought out his beautiful green gaze in the fading afternoon light just as the sharp hiss of breath escaped his lips, telling him then, in as strong a voice as she could muster: "I want you Caleb. I do, in every way that I can have you. Don't you forget that."
"Will…"
…………………………
The scream of the front door was followed by the heavy sound of keys against mahogany and then heels against linoleum. "Will, honey…I'm home! Are you still in your room? God the traffic was murder."
Oh shit. Desire collided with reality and yes, reality won. Soon Will, wide eyed and frantic, was scrambling from beneath his arms, tumbling onto the floor in an unceremonious heap, one leg covered in ice cream.
"Will? Oh hello Caleb…Will, what are you doing on the floor?" At that very moment, Susan crowded the doorway, sucking out any remaining feelings of tenderness that might have remained.
"Um…Cleaning?" But lies like those don't work on mothers, and Will now felt herself bristling under the woman's heated glare, it didn't take a genius to piece together the scene…"If you'll excuse us Caleb, my daughter and I need to have a little talk."
Could today get any more embarrassing. No, probably not, before, she could successfully stagger to her feet, her mother rushed inside to pull her out, and haul her into the bathroom.
"What were you doing?" She didn't seem angry – afraid, yes, disgusted – definitely, but at least she wasn't angry. And Will used that fact to comfort her raging mind.
"We weren't doing anything…just kissing and stuff…" Thanks for that by the way.
It had taken so long to get him to look at her in that way – and now – well, she'd probably have to wait another two years to get him to do it again.
"Look Wilma…I know that at your age it seems like sex isn't that much of a big deal…but you have to think of the consequences, what if you get pregnant or…"
"Mom, relax. I know, I'm not stupid," Although, there hadn't been a single thought on her mind before about contraceptives, Will felt certain that one of them would have remembered eventually. "And we weren't doing anything anyway."
"Are you though? I'm not signing anything for you to go on birth control…I don't like this one bit."
"No Mom, we aren't. Trust me." She tried to edge past the woman, but Susan held firm.
"I'm not supporting any child that the two of you conceive either, so you think about that…"
"All right fine. I'll stay a virgin for the rest of my life. I get it. Can I go back to my room now?" Had it really been within the hour that she'd experienced such a wild rush of feelings and sensations? Presently the only thing she felt was guilt, rimmed of course, with bitter humiliation.
Now, Susan stepped aside for her only child to slip through the door, and it was only after she'd passed along and gone off to carry on what had to be a very awkward conversation with Caleb that Susan allowed the sigh of relief to pass over her lips. "God, I sound like my mother." She mumbled to the mirror, before she too, exited the room.
…………………………
Author: Oh the last WxC shipper left. I'm all alone in this big CxC world…I know that you guys have lives and stuff, but I'm little and lonely…
I hope that I didn't cause any palpitations and unneeded sweatiness with this. I did get a bit carried away, thinking that this my one last chance to smex this thing up. And I succeeded.
About my karaoke, well of course I was the shizz with my Cher impression, but true to form my Sunny messed me up and I lost to a Kelly Clarkson wannabe. Tactless.
More importantly though, I really, really wanna finish this fic by the end of this week so that I can concentrate on ATP. I would be a lot more finished by now but I kept on having to rewrite this. I swear that I changed the plot three times.
Review please.