Writing's been a bit difficult with me lately probably from always being tired, but I'm glad the thoughts in this one flowed in a bit more smoothly.


Teens Next Door Timeline

Genre: Romance

Title: Death of Me


He'd cracked an eye open and peered down at the girl who'd comfortably fallen asleep on his shoulder.

Rachel looked almost identical to a porcelain doll especially in her state of rest.

Not the kind that makes the hair on your arms stand rather, completely picture-perfect with airbrushed looking skin she'd seemed to maintain since childhood. Save for the perpetually dark hue surrounding her eyes and lips almost as pale as the rest of her face, however.

She was still human after all, and the imperfections were but trivial details in the otherwise angelic impression characteristic to the fair-haired teen.

That is, until only before she'd open her eyes however, and would regard you with that piercing and authoritative stare quite contrasting with her age. Chad couldn't help but let a curve of a smile turn up one of the corners of his lips at the thought.

To any ordinary operative, Rachel was that scary no-nonsense leader that usually made them quiver in their shoes at the slightest chastise coming from her lips. But if you asked him, she was simply that ever-passionate girl that caught his eye and seemed to secure a special place in his heart.

Unconsciously, Chad scooted closer on the seat of the light rail train, dispelling any ounce of distance setting them apart.

It was moments like these that made his ego skyrocket and bounce back and forth in his body and wouldn't really mind flaunting it if he could. He was after all, closer to her than anyone else could get whether speaking literally or figuratively—knew of what she was like both in and out of the battlefield. And the understanding that she trusted him in her state of vulnerability made his chest significantly swell in a giddy manner.

Call him territorial, but that was what Chad Dickson was. Laying claim over Rachel was an unspoken given in his book, and he'd gladly demonstrate that when necessary.

Or maybe even when it wasn't.

So, without any mind to his surroundings, he'd leaned over and pressed his lips over her own, pushing firmly yet softly in a way he never thought he could be capable of.

When she'd slowly rose in awakening, the only memento of the intimate action was the ear-to-ear grin lighting up his entire face and the lingering warmth still fresh on her lips.

Yet the small clues were enough to have all the gears in her head turning.

Needless to say, Rachel was absolutely both annoyed and flustered at the realization.

"Yo, had a good slee—"

His deep blue eyes dilated in surprise, having been powerfully yanked downwards by the collar of his shirt. But the tenderness of the succeeding gesture silenced the bafflement in his head, conveying only the most genuine and unrestrained emotions.

She'd returned his kiss rather forcefully, molding her lips in evident assertiveness against the plush softness, that Chad could barely process what has happening and had only began to move his lips against her own right when she'd decided to pull back.

'This little tease.' His thoughts growled in utter dissatisfaction, not caring about the intensity he was certain was transparent in his gaze as he watched her looking greatly irritated whilst attempting to regulate her breathing and ease the redness on her face.

"Rule number 1 in being an undercover agent, 'Finish the job clean and traceless'. If you're going to be stealing kisses, then at least make it discreet else, you're just going to end up making someone entirely frustrated." The last string of words which unwounded from her mouth had him staring at her incredulously upon taking in what she'd meant, differing strikingly with the composed and as-a-matter-of-factly look in her eyes.

In the next instance, the voice coming from the PA system of the train then resounded which indicated their stop.

"Well, here we are." Rachel vacated her seat in the most unruffled way she could possibly pull off, not daring to turn to him with her attention set straight on the door ahead. She'd bitten her bottom lip in total embarrassment, never one for being so bold and scolding herself for what had suddenly come over her.

'Crud, crud, crud, why did I do that? Stupid feelings and hormones.' Her steps slightly hastened in tempo.

There was no way in hell she'd let him have a glimpse of her frantically flushed expression.

Then again, looking back would've shown her Chad in a condition mirroring hers, albeit slack-jawed and frozen still on the spot, with a face ridiculously burning from the ears all the way to the base of the neck.

Rachel he swore, would be the death of him.