A/N: I don't own the Covenant, I only own Ari, Jude, Roger, Liam, any other original characters and the plot. Sorry this took so fricking long; but for some reason I decided to take an AP (college) class and do varsity swimming so I have absolutely no time. But I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner. Reviews motivate me!
Words stuck in Ari's throat, Reid gave her a small smile
"I think this is the first time I've seen you speechless."
"Where are you going with this Reid?" Ari said sitting up, Reid sat up too; he sat knee to knee with Ari for a moment. Her hair was curled over her shoulders and falling in her face. He brushed her hair out of her face, running his fingers over her cheekbone, then moving forward, stopping right in front of her face
"This is where I'm going with this," then he kissed her, her first kiss, her eyelids fluttered shut, her hand instinctively went to Reid's face. She scooted closer to him, Reid took that as approval and wrapped both of his arms around her, pulling her closer, they broke apart and looked at each other for a minute
"What now?" Ari said quietly
"We can take this slow if you want"
"Take what slow! What are we now Reid…you're my best friend…I don't want to lose that…" Ari said pain evident in her voice and eyes
"We'll figure it out in the morning, I promise" Reid kissing her again before laying down and pulling Ari down next to him, she snuggled up against him, letting him wrap his arms around her, one over her collarbone, the other around her stomach, her head tucked under his perfectly. Ari slid her arms over his. Trying to fall asleep.
#
"You know spooning leads to forking" Tyler said when Ari and Reid woke up the next morning, legs tangled together but still in the same basic position. Ari grabbed one of her shoes off of the ground and threw it at Tyler, hitting him in the chest
"No need to get violent, Relly" Tyler said trying to get on her nerves, using her nickname, Ari scowled and threw her other shoe at him
"It's 9:30 on a Saturday, I have every reason to be violent" Ari said rolling away from Reid onto the floor, catching herself at the last minute and pushing herself into a standing position "Did you bring food?" she said rubbing her eyes at Tyler
"I'm not that stupid, of course I brought food, and coffee," Reid said holding up a Starbucks bag and a coffee cup. Reid started out of bed, rubbing his eyes
"Gimme" Ari said reaching one hand out for the bag, still rubbing her eye with the other, Tyler rolled his eyes and handed her the bag and cup. Ari started gulping down the coffee, pausing to sift through the bag pulling out three bagels and strawberry cream cheese. "You know me too well" Ari said biting into a bagel after spreading strawberry cream cheese on it. "So what are we doing today?" Tyler said sitting down on his bed, Ari shrugged and continued eating, Reid walked over to the dresser and pulled out a black t-shirt pulling it on over his head, then going to sit by Ari.
"Gimme a bagel" he said reaching across her, Ari didn't even move. Reid nudged her with his shoulder
"What are we going to do today?" Reid said through a mouthful of bagel, Ari swallowed
"I was going to go to my studio for a couple hours, then Nicky's later on. That cool with you?" she said turning and taking another bite, Reid nodded
"Sure, I haven't been to your studio in a while, Tyler you comin'?" Reid said turning to Tyler
"Sure, you want Pogue and Caleb to come Ari?" Tyler said turning back to Ari whose head shot up showing a guilty look with half a bagel hanging out of her mouth "Ari was that my bagel?" Ari nodded with a hint of guilt but continued to eat the bagel "I'm hungry," she said after she swallowed "Reid just feeds me junk food"
"Don't you usually feed Reid?"
"Yeah, except for when we go to the movies…" Ari said finished her bagel and standing up, grabbing the coffee off of the bedside table. Ari stretched holding the coffee cup high in the air "I've gotta go get changed, you guys ready?" Reid shrugged standing up
"Just let me change into shorts" Reid said stretching, Tyler was already ready in a white t-shirt, zip up jacket, and jeans, Reid pulled on black cargo shorts and was ready
"Okay let's go" he said heading towards the door, Ari looked him over
"Reid you're not wearing any shoes"
"Neither are you"
"Yeah but mine are by the door"
"So are mine"
"You're a pain"
"You're a bigger one"
"Pssh, in your dreams Blondie!"
"Whatever, I didn't eat two bagels!"
"You just earned yourself piggyback duty all day" Reid laughed
"Come on…" Ari smiled and jumped onto his back holding her shoes in one hand. Reid stared down the hallway, getting stares from all the guys on his floor. He opened the door to Ari's room, startling her roommate to fall off the bed onto the floor
"Hey honey" Ari said from Reid's back jumping down "What's crackin'?"
"Where were you last night?" Ari's roommate said agitated
"I was at Reid's Jade, who peed in your coffee?"
"You know how many rumors I'll have to deal with after this? Why can't you just be like everyone else?" Jade said falling down on the bed "Good morning Reid"
"Salutations" Reid said raising a hand
"Jade you're my roommate, not my press agent, if they bother you tell them to fuck off"
"But then they'll think something did happen because I'm being defensive!"
"Oh my god Jade, I don't know girl politics! If anyone bothers you tell whoever it is to talk to me, I'll set them straight. Besides it's not like this is the first time I've slept over at Reid's and he sleeps over here all the time!"
"Listen Jade" Reid said stepping forward while Ari pulled on jean shorts "If you run into any serious problems tell them to come talk to me, okay?" Jade sighed but nodded lying back down on the bed rubbing her temples. Ari rummaged through her clothes finding a blue, white, and black painting flannel. She put it on buttoning up most of the buttons and rolling up her sleeves. Ari put her dark blue painting bandanna on over her left forearm. She pulled out fashionably ragged shorts Lucy had bought her and pulled them on. Sandals went on her feet; her hair was put into a loose side braid. A white bandana going around her forehead and tied in the back, her favorite mirrored cop glasses, then her trademark studded belt pulled the outfit together. All eight of her earrings were little silver hoops. Ari walked over to Reid who was waiting idly
"I going to the studio Jade, I'll definitely be back for school on Monday, maybe sooner." Ari shrugged and headed out holding her coffee and walking. Jade nodded getting used to Ari's sporadic behavior.
Ari opened the door to her studio, a large shed in the back of her parent's property, she'd said hello to them before heading out the back door. Ari flipped on the lights, revealing dark yellow yarn going from one wall to the other, paintings and pastel works hung from them by tiny close pins. Sculpted flowers made of clay sat on worktables alongside wood sculptures, her tools scattered. She slid her shoes off at the door, kicking them off to the side of the door. Reid walked in looking at the new paintings and pastel creations.
"You have been busy, sell anything recently?"
"Nah, but I have been talking to one of my regulars about them buying Sunlight" Ari said brightly, Sunlight was a mostly yellow abstract painting that'd been hanging around the studio for ages. Reid settled in his chair, he had a stack of magazines and a footrest, along with a mini fridge stocked with snacks. Ari went around the large room checking that everything was still there. She set her sunglasses on one of the tables and debated what partially finished painting she was going to work on. Reid watched her twirl on the tips of her toes looking from one painting to another.
"Ari…" Reid started she turned to him with a blank expression
"Yeah…" she said looking at him, Reid took in a breath and was about the start speaking when the old wooden door opened. Pogue walked in cramming his keys back into his pockets
"Hey Air, what's up? I didn't see you all summer, that's the first summer any of us went with out seeing you, even Reid. He probably just about died." Pogue walked over to Ari giving her a bear hug "Caleb and Tyler were pretty close behind me, they should be in soon." He said heading over to his chair and plopping down, picking up his drawing pencil and starting on an old sketch. Caleb walked in after Pogue, giving Ari a half hug and a peck on the cheek
"How are you?" Caleb said looking down at Ari; she gave him a lazy smirk
"Great, I'm with my art." Ari said simply, Caleb nodded at Reid and walked over to his chair
"Hey brother." Reid said standing up and sharing a manly hug with Caleb
"Hey yourself," Caleb said smiling and opening up his telepathic link with Reid. You tell her yet? Reid sat back down acting casual, Caleb went and greeted Pogue in a similar fashion letting Pogue into the conversation.
Kinda. But I don't know where I stand with her right now. Reid replied
Dude, what does 'kinda' mean, did you tell her you love her or not? Pogue said a little irritated. Tyler walked into the studio, put away hi hey and walked over to Ari
What up guys? Tyler said sensing the open telepathic conversation
"Hey Air-Bear how's it goin'?" Tyler said giving her a hug
"It's goin'" Air said selecting a half finished painting of an orchid to work on for the day
Apparently Reid 'kinda' told Ari that he's in love with her. 'kinda'. Caleb said jokingly
How in the hell do you 'kinda' tell someone something like that? Tyler said looking at Reid like he was an idiot.
Let me show you. Reid said bringing up the memory of the night before. The other three watched with interest and asked in one voice
So what in the hell is going on between you two?
