He blinked his eyes a few times, the light causing an instant headache. His surroundings were unfamiliar, and it took him a good two minutes to realize that there was even another person in the bed with him.
Oh. Right.
He looked over at the girl, her long black hair fanned out across her bare back, and silently cursed himself. This wasn't normal territory for him. In fact, he'd only done this once before, in college and at Zeke's insistence. He regretted that as much as he was sure he'd regret this too.
She moved ever so slightly and he closed his eyes, pretending to still be asleep. When no more movement came, he took a chance and cracked an eye. Luck was on his side; she simply moved so she was facing even further away from him.
He lifted his head slightly and tried to take inventory of his things: shoes by the door, shirt on the chair, and pants hanging off the edge of the bed somehow. Perfect.
Moving as slow as humanly possible, he slinked out of the foreign bed and quietly gathered his things. The familiar feeling in his dick left no doubt that they'd had sex, and a quick sweep of the room found a condom wrapper on the nightstand. At least he was a semi-smart drunk.
He briefly wondered if he had time to piss away his erection, but thought better of it as the mystery woman stirred again. He even contemplated leaving naked and getting dressed outside in the frigid January air. But a public indecency charge was the last thing he needed, so he carefully pulled his boxers on and snuck out of the room, getting dressed in the very posh living room. He wished he knew what her name was, or even a way to get a hold of her should anything come up in the future, but decided against knowing. It was just one more thing he didn't need to deal with at the moment. He also made a mental note to lay off the drinking for a while.
He patted himself down —making sure he wouldn't have a reason to come back— and grabbed his coat off the couch before turning the bottom lock on the front door and pulling it shut. In the very least he wasn't going to leave her door wide open so anyone could just walk in.
He pulled the collar of his coat up, noting just how insanely cold it was, thankful there wasn't any snow. He wouldn't have felt so out of place if it were a weekday —he could pull off what he was wearing as work attire— but for an early Saturday, he looked out of place amongst the joggers and speed-walkers.
He was polite and nodded to those who acknowledged him as he tried to get his bearings; absolutely nothing looked familiar. He finally pulled out his phone and dropped a pin on the map, promptly realizing he was nowhere near his apartment. Great. A cab was an option, but he didn't know where the closest area with the highest chance of catching one was, so he resorted to finding a bus stop to make the long trek home.
But first he had to find someplace to piss before he burst.
He spun around, taking in his surroundings before spotting a coffee shop with a blinking open sign. Coffee sounded just as good as a bathroom.
He crossed the street, falling in step behind a petite blonde woman. She walked just as fast as he did, and it took him a moment to realize what happened when she suddenly dipped out of view.
"Shit!" she exclaimed from beneath him. He stopped in his tracks, taking in the sight before him — she was on the ground, a broken shoe in her hand.
"Need a hand?" he offered. She looked up at him, and he couldn't help but laugh. He hair was mussed, her mascara was a little smudged, and even though she had on a long trench coat, he could see the fancy dress that matched her fancy shoes peeking out from underneath.
"Not if you're going to laugh at me," she huffed. He had to laugh again at the indignant look on her face that didn't quite seem to match the light tone of her voice.
"I'm sorry," he said. "You look like you could use a cup of coffee. Come on, I'll buy you one." She stared up at him defiantly. He stretched his hand out further, and held it there until she finally took it.
"Tobias," he said as she stood.
"Tris," she said, inspecting the broken heel on her shoe.
"I know the grounds freezing. I can carry you, if you like." Her face contorted, and he immediately regretted the offer. And why the sudden surge of chivalry? "Or, you can take off the other one and we can jog."
"The second one," she said, pulling off her other shoe.
She had no trouble keeping up with him, and he smiled as the thought crossed his mind that she was escaping just like he was. They ran inside the shop and she rubbed one foot quickly, then the other.
"You okay?" he asked, eyebrows raised. She looked over his face quickly, and nodded. "Give me just one second and I'll get you that coffee."
Tobias ran to the bathroom and let out a loud sigh at the relief he felt; both for the clean escape and the leftover alcohol that was surely leaving his system. He half expected her to be gone when he came out, but she was still there, eyeing him up from a table in the corner. He gave her a small smile as he walked over.
"Coffee?" he offered again, and she shook her head.
"Not a fan." He raised an eyebrow and turned to the menu, eyeing what they had that didn't involve coffee.
"Hot chocolate it is, then." The corner of her mouth lifted, just slightly.
He ordered two hot chocolates —with extra whipped cream— and sat back down. She glanced around the shop nervously before finally looking at him. He hated to admit it, but he was mesmerized. He looked back, staring into her dark gray eyes like a childhood game of who can go the longest without blinking. He was pleasantly surprised when it was he who had to break contact first to get their order. As he walked back to their table, he had to keep himself in check as her mouth lifted on one side again.
"So, bad night?" he asked; she nearly choked on her drink. He chuckled and got up, handing her a few napkins when he sat back down. She eyed him again as she patted her mouth. He undid his coat, revealing his attire. She took a long look, and he smiled. "Two peas in a pod, we are." At this she gave a hearty laugh, and he knew he was in trouble.
They made small talk —she was a photographer, he was a loan specialist— and Tobias loved how easy everything came. Talking with her was like taking a much needed breath of fresh air. He would be lying if he said he wasn't taking his time drinking the now cold hot chocolate, but she didn't seem to be in a rush either so he went along with it. Eventually he eyed his empty mug —and hers— and knew their time was coming to an end.
"The Walgreens over there should be open now," Tobias said, lifting his chin towards the shop. "You should be able to buy a pair of slippers or something to tide you over until you get home."
"Or you could just carry me," she said. His stomach did a backflip. She laughed again and Tobias joined in, thinking it was the greatest sound he had ever heard.
"I can walk you over there, if you like," he offered.
She looked at him for a moment and gave a quick nod. "But I'm buying my own shoes."
"Deal," he said, that floppy feeling in his stomach returning.
They crossed the street easily, and Tris rubbed her feet again when they got inside. Tobias kicked himself when he realized he never offered up his own shoes, even though they were easily twice her size. He had a feeling she wouldn't have accepted, but he still should have done it.
They wandered the aisles until they found what they were looking for. She took her time, and Tobias wondered —hoped, really— if she was trying to extend their time together. She picked a black pair with a decent sole, and then they waited silently in line. He wanted to ask her for her number before they parted ways, but his nerves were setting in, and he knew he was going to chicken out. He always chickened out at the last moment unless there was someone or some substance egging him on.
She paid, and he offered up his hand again for her to hold while she pulled them on. Unlike last time, Tobias felt what could only be described as electricity at their touch. She pulled away as soon as she could, and wiped her hand on her coat.
"Well, it was nice to meet you, Tris," he said, smiling.
"Same," she said, tilting her head a little. He tried to muster the courage to at least try and ask for her number. If she said no, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world— the chances of them meeting again were slim, after all. But she started looking around, and he pushed the thought from his mind as his nerves got the best of him.
"I'm this way." He gestured towards the bus stop he was headed to earlier before she dropped —literally— right into his life. She followed his finger, and nodded.
"I'm actually the other way. I got turned around this morning," she muttered.
She looked up at him, almost as if she were daring him to ask the question he so desperately wanted to. But he nodded and gave her a small smile instead. She bit her lip and turned away from him. He watched for just a moment as her legs carried her as fast as they could, before turning around himself.
He pulled out his phone to check the bus schedule as he walked, when a small "Wait!" rang out from behind him. He turned to see her running up to him, and his heart thumped hard in his chest.
"Why didn't you ask me for my number?" she demanded. His mouth fell open as she stood there —all five feet of her— calling him out.
"I…I…" he stammered, trying to come up with a better reason than I'm a chicken shit.
"I what? I thought we had some pretty decent chemistry there, and then you didn't even ask me. Maybe I was wrong about you." She turned to walk away again. He knew he couldn't let this woman, this little firecracker, walk out of his life.
"Why didn't you ask me?" he countered. She stopped dead in her tracks.
His breathing was far too heavy, given the situation, but he didn't do anything to calm it. He wanted her to see the affect she was having on him already. And it was because of her, he was sure of it. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this alive. She turned slowly, her cheeks more flushed than they were a moment ago. He smiled that crooked smile he sometimes got when he didn't know whether to laugh or not.
"Tris," he said softly, "Can I have your number?" He was pretty sure he went deaf as he stood there, even though he could hear his heart thumping loudly in his ears. If she was going to speak, he was going to miss it.
She eyed him up and down, pausing momentarily on his heaving chest, before looking him dead in the eyes again. His own flicked back and forth between hers as he waited. When she reached out and plucked the phone from his hands, he was sure his heart would stop.
He watched as she typed something in, and placed it back in his hands. He knew instantly that she felt that same spark he did, because she wiped her hands on her coat again. She gave him a shy smile as she turned to walk away. He looked down to see the Tris she had entered, followed by a little red heart. A grin broke across his face so wide, he thought it might crack in the cold morning air.
"How do I know this is the right number?" he called out after her.
"I guess you'll just have to trust me," she yelled back. His stomach flipped again, and he thought it was the best feeling in the world.
A/N:
Some of you have expressed that you have ideas for this story. Feel free to shoot me a note or leave a comment on my tumblr (milnerwrites). I plan on always having this open, and just adding to it whenever, so all ideas are welcome! I'll make sure to give you credit. :D