Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews! I wasn't expecting positive feedback about the chapter before this, but I'm definitely not complaining. I keep on reading them over and over again to feel better about the chapter. Hopefully you'll enjoy this new chapter, because I really had fun and I loved writing it.
Also, I'm back at school for my second semester. This means updates wouldn't be as frequent as before, when it took only a few days for a new chapter to be up. But I promise I'll try to keep this updated every week.
Disclaimer: What? Me, own anything? Nah. But exactly a week from now will be my birthday! Presents, anyone?
STOLEN
It was funny, in a very odd way. In all those movies, this was supposed to be the part where the scene shifts to the couple finding themselves in a more private place, locked in a kiss while stripping themselves of their clothes. But not one of them ever dealt with this rather awkward transition that Sandy and Kirsten found themselves in as they made their way outside the coffee shop.
Sandy held Kirsten's hand in his much bigger one as the strolled down the streets of lovely Berkeley, something which she found she didn't really mind. There was something in how he held her close to him that made her feel secure. It wasn't restricting, but it felt as if he was almost scared that she would disappear if he let go of her hand.
It amazed her at how little it took for her to be so comfortable around him. Usually, Kirsten was guarded when it came to people, but in the duration of their conversation earlier, he had already knocked some of her walls down. The instant connection and the undeniable chemistry between them scared her. She had never felt anything like it with anyone else before, not even with Jimmy, who was her last, and her only serious boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend, Kirsten, she corrected herself sadly. While she did not regret breaking up with him more than two years ago, she couldn't deny she missed how close they used to be.
She heard Sandy clear his throat, making her look up at him. "I guess 'your-place-or-mine' is out of the question, huh?" He said with a bemused grin that relieved some of the tension that had been accumulating between them ever since they left the café. Kirsten nodded, chuckling. She couldn't exactly take him back to her dormitory unless he wanted to have a contest with Paul on who could make the girl scream the loudest, and they couldn't get into Sandy's, obviously.
Sandy was the kind of person who always looked on the brighter side of things, but at that moment, he couldn't help but think that maybe this… this wasn't meant to happen. The circumstances weren't in their favor and he felt that maybe he had been too hopeful on his part. The most beautiful girl was walking beside him with her hand in his. She was so close that he could almost smell her perfume, an intoxicating fragrance he was sure he would always associate with her. It was almost too good to be true.
However, Kirsten was obviously not thinking along the same lines as Sandy. She wracked up her brains, trying to come up with a place they could go to. A hotel was out of the question. He had already admitted he didn't have money, and while she could afford a room, she knew that Sandy would not want her to pay for one. He had already expressed disapproval when she tried to hand him money earlier for her coffee, stubbornly insisting that it was only right that he pay for her drink. It only took several more moments of thinking before a smile appeared, lighting up the delicately beautiful features on her face.
By now, their walking had led them to a corner, wherein a single lamp post cast light over the two streets that were connected. She paused in her footsteps and waited for him to stop walking as well. She waited until he faced her, before she spoke.
"Sandy, I think I know where we could go." Kirsten spoke so quietly, it was as if she was revealing the world's secret. He had to bend his head down to hear her better, but once he understood what she was saying, he looked hopeful.
"Really?" Sandy asked hesitantly, wondering for the millionth time that night whether he heard her right. This girl was full of surprises.
When she nodded and told him, "Really," in an affirmative tone, he could feel himself immediately brightening up. They exchanged identical smiles, too caught up in the magic of the moment that it took them another moment for them to realize how close they were standing in front of the other. Both took a deep breath, suddenly unsure of what to do. Everything was a whirl. It was all so sudden, but it was new and exciting at the same time. If being with her always felt like this, then he would gladly stay with her for the rest of his life.
Sandy was looking into Kirsten's eyes. Even in the semi-darkness, he could see so much in them that he almost got lost just staring. The feel of soft skin against his free hand, the hand that wasn't holding Kirsten's broke his trance. He looked down to see that she had slipped her other hand beneath his, joining them together by both hands. But before he could ask what that was all about, she had stepped forward, closed the gap between their bodies and pressed her lips to his.
For a moment, Sandy stood still, unable to kiss her back. He was beyond surprised at how forward she was being. Not only did he not expect it, but he didn't think she would make the first move. Bit by bit, his shock wore off and he immediately realized that he wasn't exactly reciprocating to her actions. Slowly, he began to kiss her back. He didn't rush, wanting this to be special not only for her, but for him as well.
As his full lips brushed against her softer ones, he let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist instead, pulling her closer to him, letting her know she didn't make a mistake when she kissed him first. In return, Kirsten ran her hands over his chest before setting at the back of his neck, her fingers lacing together to lock him in that position, making it clear that she didn't want him to stop.
Eventually, they did have to stop, though it took a long time for the both of them to pull away. When they did, both were out of breath and completely exhilarated. Unable to help himself, Sandy leaned forward to give her a kiss on the nose, then one last peck on the lips, two things she definitely wasn't complaining about.
"Wow, Kirsten." Sandy whispered in her ear, and his breath against her skin sent shivers down her back.
"Yeah." He could feel her smile against his skin as she buried her face in his neck.
He continued to hold her close to him. From afar, they looked as if they were slow-dancing. Sandy couldn't help but marvel at how they seemed to fit together so well. He ran a hand down her back, every touch deliberate and thoughtful. For Kirsten, if having him hold her hand made her feel so safe, it was nothing compared to being in his arms. She felt warm and comforted, and she almost didn't want him to let her go. She could spend a long time being held in his arms like that.
Kirsten felt Sandy pull away a little, though he still didn't let go of her. He just leaned backward enough so they could look at each other face to face. "What was that for?" He asked, sounding pleased. He had a goofy grin on his face that charmed her and made her smile back at him, although a bit shyly.
"You're going to laugh at me." She predicted warningly, cocking an eyebrow at him. Nevertheless, even with that threat, Kirsten continued forward. "I don't know how I can explain it well. I just… I just want the first kiss to be special. Not sloppy, rushed and desperate as I'm sure it will be later." She blushed, thankful that at the very least, the semi-darkness prevented Sandy from seeing her cheeks turning pink in embarrassment. It was the first time either of them brought up the topic bluntly, making them fully aware of what they were going to do.
There was that pause between them again, as the weight of her words set in. Slowly, Sandy raised a hand to tenderly stroke the skin on her cheek, feeling in awe of its softness. "Well, what about the second kiss? Think it could be special also?"
"Just in case you forgot, you already kissed me twice." Kirsten pointed out light-heartedly, reminding him of that small peck he gave her just moments earlier. It left a lingering tingle on her lips, so it definitely wasn't easy to forget on her part. "And it was special too."
Sandy looked amused. "Well, okay. What about the third one?" He moved his hands to cup her face, and he slowly leaned towards her.
Just before he met his lips with hers for the third time, he murmured. "I heard third time's the charm?"
Kirsten's eyes fell closed. She could feel her breath intermingling with his, and unconsciously leaning towards his warmth, she nodded slightly at his remark. "I heard that rumor." She said, simply wanting him to kiss her already. As if reading her mind, he closed his eyes and kissed her through her smile. They kept their lips closed, but he kept his on hers for a long time, letting her appreciate the sweetness that came with the gesture.
"What about that?" Sandy asked when they finally broke the kiss. He moved his hand from where it was cupping her face to tuck a stray lock of golden hair behind her ear. "Was that special too?"
"I'm definitely not complaining!" Kirsten answered with a grin. She stepped away from him, leaving her missing the feel of his arms around her. "Shall we go?" She asked innocently, even if both of them knew what was coming next.
"Sure." Sandy agreed, his mind clouded over the kisses that he and Kirsten just shared. He kept his hand covering hers as they began walking again. "So, where is this place? Is it nearby?" He glanced around as they passed through the familiar buildings of the campus they both studied in. "Private? Free?" He asked, making her laugh.
"It's just off-campus, so I hope you don't mind walking a bit. It's really not far." Kirsten reassured him, to which he only nodded and deemed fine. Truthfully, he didn't exactly mind where they were going, as long as he was going to be with her. That was what was important to him. He squeezed her hand gently and let her lead the way to wherever she was taking him.
The couple walked in silence, passing by more lamp posts and even familiar people who were up early to travel. It was Thanksgiving, and some of the students in Berkeley were going to be out of town for a few days, visiting family who lived somewhere else. Neither Sandy nor Kirsten paid attention though, both simply intent on getting to their destination. However, before they could reach the place, Sandy spotted a bright sign that made him stop. Of course, how could he forget?
"I think we need to make a stop." He told Kirsten softly, and she followed his gaze until hers landed on a 24-hour drugstore.
"I didn't exactly… I wasn't exactly planning on meeting you tonight."
She looked puzzled for a moment, before it dawned onto her. She was obviously so far gone that she hadn't thought of protection.
"Okay."
They crossed the street and pushed open the door to the drugstore. Kirsten felt apprehensive as she made her way through the mini-aisles, until both of them found what they were looking for. It was a surreal experience. With Jimmy, he was the one who took care of this stuff, and he didn't ask her to come with him. She had no idea there could be so… many of them. In different colors, flavors, and even textures. She gaped and raised an eyebrow at this, obviously clueless. Hopefully Sandy knew what to get.
While Kirsten couldn't help but feel self-conscious about their purchase as she and Sandy paid at the counter, she surprised herself when she held the gaze of the cashier. She dared the woman to judge her and Sandy. She was going to end up being the luckier one in the long run anyway, knowing she will have more fun than the lady behind the cash register once they left. For once, she didn't care what other people thought of her, and it made her feel good. Smug, even.
"So, where exactly are we going?" Sandy questioned the moment they stepped out of the drugstore. He held a brown doggy bag in his hands, containing the purchase they just made a minute ago. They set off towards the direction that Kirsten led them to.
"You'll see in a little while." A wind blew over them, and Kirsten shivered. She always got so cold easily, more used to the warmer weather in Southern California.
Sandy was quick to notice this. He looked down at what he was wearing, and cursed himself for not wearing a jacket that he could offer to her. "You cold?" It was a stupid question, but he made up for it by drawing her closer to him, wrapping an arm around her bare shoulders. "Sorry I don't have anything with me right now, but I hope this is okay." He offered tentatively.
Kirsten was grateful for the body heat. "This is nice." She answered honestly, snuggling deeper into his embrace. "Besides, we're not too far off. We're almost there."
'There' turned out to be an empty lot of some sort, hidden just behind the campus. It was hard for Sandy to describe what it was like, considering the darkness of the hour. From what he could tell, there were several benches around and several lamp posts similar to ones they passed by earlier, only unlit. The place was beautiful, but it was obvious that no one bothered to maintain the place regularly.
In the middle of the grassy terrain was what Sandy was most curious about. Not only did it look completely out of place, but Kirsten was leading him there. "Kirsten?" He asked, clearly wondering why they were headed in that direction in the first place.
"A mail truck?" It was only when they stopped in front of it that Sandy realized what the thing really was. It didn't look very old, but from how the bonnet of the truck was lifted up, he could tell that this thing was broken beyond repair. "Are you sure this is the place?" He asked her, still looking puzzled.
Kirsten nodded. "It's mine. Well, kind of. I was the one who found it here." She explained, a small smile on her face. She could tell Sandy was hesitant about this, so she decided it was time to show him what was inside. From her purse, she pulled out a set of keys and showed him the one that would open the mail truck.
"I come in here sometimes, when I just want to be alone." She admitted. "You're the first one I told about this." Kirsten said shyly, extracting herself from Sandy's embrace so she could unlock the door at the back of the mail truck. Tentatively, Sandy followed her and simply watched as she single-handedly swung open the heavy door.
She stepped inside, paused, and turned back to look at him. "Come on in. Look what I've done to this place."
Kirsten flicked a switch as Sandy followed her inside the vehicle, bathing them in the dim yellow light that came from a lamp. As his eyes adjusted to the slight brightness, he looked around the homey place that she called her own.
The mail truck wasn't big enough to host a lot of furniture, so there wasn't much inside it. Directly in front of him was a low plastic table with a dark blue piece of cloth draped over it. There were books and magazines laid out on top of the table, as well as several unused candles that gave off a light, feminine fragrance. To his side, there were more magazines stacked neatly alongside some boxes. Across that particular wall, Kirsten had pinned up some more pictures to give the mail truck a personal touch.
Curiously, Sandy walked to that wall and peered at the photographs. He saw a much younger Kirsten, posing with people he concluded was her family in front of a huge mansion; Kirsten with her mother, an older woman who looked so much like her; A black-and-white photograph of baby Kirsten sitting on her father's knee; Kirsten with a toddler he assumed was her sister; Kirsten with this lanky boy, both wearing identical USC sweaters – that was definitely interesting; Kirsten and a bunch of other girls her age, who were probably her friends back in high school…
"Sandy."
He didn't realize that he had become so engrossed looking at all the pictures. Reluctantly tearing his gaze away, Sandy looked around to find Kirsten on the farthest side of the mail truck. She was seated on the floor, on a mattress he didn't even notice was there in the first place. The smile on her face was enough to make him momentarily forget about all those photographs.
"Care to join me?" Kirsten asked, patting the space next to her on the mattress. In the dim light of the vehicle, Sandy had never seen such a breathtakingly alluring sight. He slowly made his way towards her, keeping his eyes locked on hers as he walked. When he got to where she was, he kicked off his loafers and knelt down in front of her.
Her lips curled upward in another smile. "Hey."
"Hey." Sandy's gaze never wavered from her face, looking as if he wanted to memorize every delicate detail, from the faintest freckles on her face, to her clear blue eyes that held the world, her cute button nose which he simply found irresistible, and finally, to the lips he had been missing the feel of ever since their last kiss in that street corner.
Kirsten inclined her head towards the wall of pictures, before she met Sandy's stare. "Saw something interesting?" She questioned with a playful smile.
Sandy decided that it had been far too long since he last kissed her. Once more, his hands found themselves cupping her face before he leaned forward to capture her lips in his. Their lips moved against each other's for several moments longer, before Sandy pulled away to Kirsten's surprise. He waited until she opened her eyes before he smiled warmly down at her.
"I do now."
If reviews are sex, then I'm really, really horny. Not quite the smut yet, but, hey, I brought up the mail truck! I deserve love. You have to admit that was an inspired idea. Heh. :)
Reviews would be greatly appreciated.