Round Three: Is when we kiss inside his car! Won't go all the way but I'll go pretty far…
"You ready to hit it, darlin'?" Link asks, his face red and sweating.
She nods, feeling winded. They had danced the night away with Seaweed and Lil' Inez – Penny isn't a councilette, so she wasn't invited – and now, they were totally exhausted.
They head for the door, saying their good-byes. Inez hugs her, and Seaweed claps Link on the back, then heads back onto the dance floor. Apparently, Maybelle is having too much fun with Corny to leave just yet.
Corny catches Link's eye as the couple makes it to the door, grinning like he's in on a secret.
Link opens the car door for her, a perfect gentleman. She's too busy looking at him to notice when she smacks her head off of the roof, but manages to reassure him when he checks to make sure she's all right.
He climbs into the drivers seat, positioning his lithe dancer's legs carefully, as not to touch hers.
He starts the car, still sitting stiffly. She burns with the desire to touch him, but continues to sit still, grappling with what to say to fill the silence.
"Corny sure knows how to host a bash, huh?" she says finally, hoping that she doesn't sound too stupid.
Link flashes her a relieved smile and agrees, "Sure does. I ain't danced that much since I was practicin' for my audition,"
She knows that he's talking about Corny's show, and asks curiously, "How long did you practice for?"
Link shrugs. "At least three hours a day. My parents aren't too happy with the dancin' thing, so I'd do it just to feel free."
She grows silent; wondering what her life would be like if her parents didn't support her in everything she did. "I'm sorry they feel that way," she tells him, examining his expression out of the corner of her eyes.
He shrugs again; clearly uncomfortable with the turn their conversation has taken.
"Well, the party was fun though," he says, changing the subject.
She sighs happily. "Yeah,"
Link seems to take a deep breath to steel himself. "It was great to begin with… but it was even better with you." He says in a rush.
She jumps so far that her already bruised head smacks the roof again. Boys don't say stuff like that, do they? Especially not cool boys like Link. He couldn't have meant that they way she took it. He just couldn't have.
"Trace, say somethin' would ya?" he asks, his voice strangled.
The car stops in her driveway, a light in her mother's window signaling that someone was waiting up for her.
"I liked being with you, too," she says quietly, understanding that he felt the same way that she did.
He takes her in, his eyes drinking her in like a man trapped in the desert looking at water. Worried that it will disappear, but happy beyond comprehension.
"Cool," her responds, like he doesn't quite know what to say.
Suddenly, his face is very close. She can feel his breath mingling with hers, and she leans closer instinctively. They stare into each other's eyes for a long moment, but the cliché isn't noticeable to either of them… she's too busy feeling her anticipation build.
Link brushes her now-limp hair away from her face. He brushes her lips with his ever so gently. It has none of the desperation of their earlier kiss, but it's sweet and devoted. Her arms seem to go around his neck of their own accord, pulling him closer. His hand sweeps up and down her shoulders, and her fingers knot in his hair. It pricks her fingers a little – Ultra-Clutch really does work – but she doesn't even notice after he pulls her even closer, until their bodies are practically one.
They pull back to breathe for a second, and are holding each other again in a blink.
This time, his tongue probes her mouth, and they rejoice in the waves of pleasure plummeting through their bodies.
"My mom's waiting up," she gasps out, and wrenches herself out of his grasp with some difficulty.
"Yeah," Link agrees, panting more heavily than he had been while dancing. "I'll see at school on Monday, right?"
She can't believe that he would doubt it, especially after that kiss.
They part, and she goes inside to face her parents, a dreamy smile on her face and extra spring in her step.
A/N: I just wanted to thank all of you who reviewed and added me to your alerts. It makes me so happy to see all the notices in my inbox. If you have any questions, or anything, just leave it in a review or PM me, and I'll do the best I can to answer. Thanks for makin' my first Hairspray fic so much fun!