Wincing, Garfield deduced that he had opened the passenger door a little too vigorously as he hastily pulled it back, the sleek silver contraption merely centimeters away from denting the black SUV parked beside them.
"Watch it, man!" a deep voice directly next to him chastised, the owner of said voice sending the blond a sharp glare. "I'm still paying this baby off."
Garfield smiled sheepishly as he directed his sights towards his companion. "Sorry, Vic," he laughed, before stepping onto the pavement and hesitantly squeezing between the two cars. It wasn't his fault that his friend had parked his beloved 'baby' so closely to the SUV, though he decided not to point that out. Shutting the door behind him, the blond idly inspected his teeth in the tinted windows of the vehicle he nearly dinged.
"If you dented that car, you'd have hell to pay," his best friend Victor warned belatedly, as he, too, exited his car. "And not just from me."
Tearing his eyes from his reflection, Garfield gave his friend an innocent shrug. "I didn't dent anything," he insisted cheekily, though his green eyes did dart back to the SUV momentarily - just to make sure. "Almost isn't enough for a lecture, dude."
Still, his friend looked less-than amused. "You and I both know that most of the things you do require a lecture."
Garfield scoffed good-naturedly. "Thanks, Mom."
His response earned him a chuckle from Victor, the man's white teeth blinding in comparison to his ebony skin. "Come on, Grass Stain," he laughed heartily, Garfield unable to help himself from rolling his eyes at his old, no-longer relevant nickname, "My lunch break is basically over."
Following after his friend, the blond sneaked one last look at his reflection in the window of the SUV. A strange, familiar feeling was prodding at his senses, though he came up with no reason for it and quickly shook the thought away.
Vic had his own office.
Sure, it was almost too small for the large man, and smelt faintly of beef, but it was still his own office. It had a door, and its own window, and enough space for a desk, a swivel chair, and a large armchair that was bordering on being an outright couch.
Aaaand it was his own office.
Needless to say, Garfield was kinda jealous as he sunk into said couch-chair, his eyes tracing over the mahogany desk before him. Victor was a moderately successful car-salesman for a very prestigious dealership - earning himself the title of Head of Sales, as well as a swanky office.
And yeah, Garfield was only a waiter, and being a waiter didn't really require his own office space, nor did it require anything more than a small locker, but he couldn't help but be a bit envious as he watched his best friend lean back in the swivel chair and prop his feet onto the desk.
Maybe he shouldn't have taken that gap year after getting his bachelor's degree? Maybe then he'd have an actual job and get his own office.
"Man, you can never go wrong with pizza," Victor surmised, a satisfied smile spreading over his mouth as he reminisced on their lunch, while also derailing the blond's train of thought.
Garfield nodded in agreement, absently licking his lips and savoring the remaining taste of extra cheese and mushrooms. Despite having said food almost every other day, he hadn't yet tired of it. "Especially from Pop's."
Victor grinned. "Oh, yeah - triple meat supreme with peppers and onions," he sighed, earning a huff of annoyance from the blond.
"Please, murder and pizza is a terrible combo," Garfield argued semi-seriously, before feeling his lips tug into a smirk. "But I can't fault you for the peppers and onions."
Though, before they could continue their conversation on why the Italian-esque pie was timeless, a quiet knock sounded from the door.
"Ms. Sims called while you were out," a raspy, oddly-familiar voice announced from behind the blond. "She was inquiring about the - Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were with a..."
Garfield practically gave himself whiplash as he turned to face the woman behind him, and her words effectively died in her throat as her indigo eyes met with his.
Though, only the slightest look of shock passed over her delicate features, before she unsurprisingly regained her composure. "...a client," Raven finished calmly.
Unable to find his voice, Garfield merely blinked at her. Sure, he was hoping to see her again, but he hadn't expected to see her at Victor's work, of all places. Though, as his eyes trailed down her form, memorizing her fitted maroon blouse and sleek black pencil skirt, he realized that it wasn't just Victor's workplace. Man, he really needed to finish his degree.
Luckily, a scoff from his friend broke what had nearly become an awkward silence as Garfield's gaze lingered on Raven's legs. "Psh, please. Gar ain't no client," he corrected cheerfully, entirely oblivious to the sudden tension in the room. "Who called?" he queried instead.
Raven maintained her professionalism, despite the tight line her mouth formed. "Ms. Sims," she repeated, briefly making eye contact with Garfield as he finally tore his eyes from her body, before redirecting her gaze to Vic.
The blond continued to gape at her, his mind unwilling to control the muscles in his face as his jaw hung limply from its hinges.
Raven's answer was met with silence, causing her to roll her eyes in an all-too familiar way. "Sara?" she elaborated, her brow arching. But, when that still wasn't enough to jog Victor's memory, she continued. "Cute blonde, red sedan."
Vic's laughter finally pulled Garfield back into reality, the blond's head whipping towards his friend at the sound of the swivel chair creaking.
"Sara," Victor practically purred, rubbing his hands together deviously as he stood from his desk. "Her number in her file?"
"On Beatrice's desk," Raven answered flatly.
"Guess I'll give her a call," he grinned, before his eyes met Garfield's. "I shouldn't be too long, but feel free to wander," he suggested lightly.
Also standing from his chair, the blond nodded - his voice still absent. The thought of waiting around in Victor's beef-scented office was... unappealing, to say the least. His eyes falling towards Raven once again, he watched as she stepped to the side, allowing Victor to pass through the doorway.
Their gazes locked for a moment, before Raven turned on her heel and hurried in the opposite direction of where her coworker had gone.
His curiosity outweighing his common sense, Garfield impulsively followed after her.
"You work here?" he asked awkwardly, finally finding his voice as he caught up to her. For someone on the smaller side, she was surprisingly quick. Must have been the mile-long legs.
"Observant, aren't you," she deadpanned, staring straight ahead - doing her best to avoid meeting his gaze, he guessed.
Garfield couldn't stop himself from grinning; he knew that they were going to see each other again (thanks to Kori, bless her), but he had neglected to get her number after their quickie in his bed that Sunday. The way she had practically jumped him had prevented him from having any coherent thoughts, and he hadn't even thought of asking for it until later that evening, when it was no longer an option. He had then resigned himself to waiting until Friday. But it was now Wednesday - two days sooner than he had expected to see her again, though he wasn't complaining. Perhaps fate was on his side?
"You're friends with Victor, I take it?" she questioned casually, her pace slowing when it became apparent that she couldn't shake him.
Garfield felt his grin grow. "Observant," he teased, throwing her sarcasm back at her, though she didn't react. Bummer - he kinda liked when she got all snippy. "You his secretary?" he mused instead, his eyes scoping out their surroundings. She was walking further into the building, leading them away from the sales floor.
She scoffed at his question, seemingly offended. "First of all, they're called receptionists here," she corrected briskly, before sharply turning down another hall.
Garfield clumsily followed after her.
"And second," she continued, nodding at a coworker in acknowledgement as they passed each other, "I happened to be taking a late lunch today, and merely offered to have Victor's calls transferred to me until he returned from his own lunch. Administrative assistance is a bit below my pay-grade," she added defensively.
Again, Garfield's eyes wandered over her outfit as they came to a stop; she was certainly dressed for the part of sexy-secretary. Her pale legs were slightly obscured by the nylons she was wearing, though the high-heels on her feet made her limbs look exceptionally long. A part of him absently wondered if he had always been a leg-guy, or if Raven had just brought it out of him.
"Huh," he replied dismissively, somewhat surprised by his lack of nerves. He was usually a bumbling mess when in the presence of a cute girl, but the fact that he had already slept with Raven (twice!) gave him a slight boost of confidence. It wasn't like he needed to impress her or anything.
"When Victor suggested for you to wander, I don't think he meant to do so with just your eyes," she sneered. It seemed she had finally decided to look at him, only to find that he wasn't really focusing on her face.
His gaze snapping up to meet hers, he gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry," he replied, shrugging. "...Kinda."
Raven rolled her eyes at him, a small blush spreading over her cheeks. "You're such a... ugh," she muttered, apparently deciding against insulting him as she gave him another pointed look. "As much fun as this isn't, I'm gonna have to cut our little reunion short," she announced.
Garfield still couldn't find the sense to stop grinning - the fact that his presence alone was riling her up this much was absolutely incredible. He always had a sick fascination with getting under people's skin, and Raven - despite being intimidatingly hot - was no exception.
"Why?" he asked innocently, causing his companion's eyes to widen at the unexpected response.
"Why?" she repeated, obviously taken aback. It took her a moment to collect her thoughts - something that seemed to throw the primarily-stoic girl off even more. "Because I... have stuff to do. Work. I'm at work."
He wondered if he was making her flustered - she was usually more eloquent.
"Don't you need to take a lunch?" he pressed, his eyebrows arching.
Raven regarded him blankly, before narrowing her eyes. "If you're asking me out - " she began, but the blond hurriedly cut her off.
"No, no - I'm not!" he insisted, waving his hands before him as his nerves finally found their way to the surface. It was one thing to flirt with Raven - but to try and ask her out? Yeah, he wasn't crazy. "You literally just said you were taking a late lunch," he continued frantically. "Like, literally just said it."
Still, she continued to observe him warily, the blush on her face glowing brighter.
"Then you implied you needed to work and I was just calling you out on your excuse 'cuz it's obvious you're just trying to get rid of me," Garfield finished all in one breath, before sending her another grin.
The red in her cheeks slowly diminished, though her glare was unwavering. "So... take the hint?" she offered, quirking a brow.
Garfield chuckled in response. "Nah, I'm stubborn - remember?"
That earned him another eye-roll, though he found he was quickly coveting the reaction. "You're also incredibly annoying," she added flatly, before turning towards the door they were standing in front of and twisting the knob.
His eyes scanning over the name-plate bolted on the chestnut surface, he found himself biting back a gasp as he read the inscription.
Raven Roth - Director of Marketing and Advertising
Yeah, administrative assistant was definitely below her pay-grade.
"You got your own office?" he wondered aloud, neglecting to hide his awe as he followed her into the room.
It was about twice the size of Victor's, though much darker, seeing how the floor-to-ceiling windows were covered by thick, navy curtains. A large, black desk sat directly in front of him, with two modest, navy-blue armchairs facing it. Behind the desk was a swivel-chair similar to Victor's. Though, unlike his friend's office and the blank walls surrounding it, Raven's was covered in various paintings and photographs, with several bookshelves spaced throughout. In fact, it was kinda similar to her bedroom - books were everywhere.
At least, he was pretty sure she had had a lot of bookshelves in her room. When he had been in there, he hadn't really been focused on the decor.
"Nothing gets past you," she drawled, seemingly unbothered by his continued presence as he followed her further into her office.
Garfield shook his head fondly, his eyes curiously scanning the room, before focusing in on her form once again.
Why was business-casual so fucking hot?
"This is a pretty neat setup you got here," he mused lightheartedly, referring to the room they were in, despite the way his eyes wandered over her body. In all of the porn - er, ahem, movies - Garfield had watched involving sexy-secretaries, the busty women were always dressed somewhat similarly to Raven, but in clothes that were obviously too small - his companion's attire, on the other hand, was fitted to her perfectly. They also always had their impossibly long hair pulled back, in either a bun or low-ponytail. But Raven's short black locks were unrestrained; her hair brushing her shoulders freely whenever she moved her head.
Somehow the casual, effortless feel to it made her ensemble even hotter.
"It's tight, but temporary," she replied loftily, before leaning over her desk and jotting something down on the notepad atop it.
Garfield shamelessly stared at her ass all the while, before her comment finally filtered through the fog in his brain.
"Temporary?"
Raven glanced at him from over her shoulder. "I'm being promoted," she answered simply, before directing her attention back to her notepad (and apparently choosing to ignore him blatantly checking her out - not that he was complaining).
"Beautiful and smart," he surmised, but as he watched her stiffen at the comment, he felt like smacking himself across the face. "Uh, heh, I m-mean - "
But Raven merely held up her hand, effectively silencing him.
For a moment.
"A promotion, huh?" he repeated, before letting out a low whistle as he began to walk the perimeter of her office. "You must be good at your job," he offered simply.
"Great at it, actually," was her quick reply.
He let out a snort at her confidence, continuing to idly circle around the room. Glancing at the pictures on her walls, he wasn't surprised to find that most were stock-photos of various places. Though, looking closer at the one depicting two girls standing in front of the Eiffle Tower, he realized that he may have jumped to conclusions. "Is this you and your roommate?"
"Mm hmm," she hummed, not even bothering to look up.
Casting her a sideways glance, he suddenly found it hard to swallow. He had successfully made it to the other side of the room - despite his roundabout way - and was now standing behind her desk. Raven was still leaning over, absently brushing her hair behind her ear as it fell into her face. She was scribbling down something in tiny, neat handwriting, entirely oblivious to the blushing blond across from her.
Garfield's eyes darted between the quiet, dutiful woman before him, and the picture that sat on the woman's desk.
It was of Raven - that much was obvious. And it had been professionally taken; the lighting far too perfect to have been a coincidence. She was standing in some ballet pose (en pointe, maybe?), dressed in a black leotard with her much longer hair cascading over her shoulders. Beside her was another girl, her face obscured slightly, but the height and build made it apparent that the girl was none other than Kori (although the black and white photo made her hair color undecipherable). She was also doing some ballet pose, though it didn't come as natural to her as it did to Raven, who looked so utterly serene and elegant.
But that wasn't what caused him to suddenly feel so flustered.
No, the photograph was undeniably beautiful, and the two girls were unquestionably stunning, but what really caught Garfield's eye were the words written beneath them.
Super Twinkle Donkey Gum
...and then something in Japanese.
"I knew you were a model!" Garfield exclaimed, ignoring the way his companion jumped as he snatched the framed photo from off of her desk.
"Excuse me?" Raven retorted, her brows furrowing as she gazed up at him.
Garfield felt a satisfied smirk tug at his lips as he turned the damning photograph towards her. "You. A model," he repeated, using his free hand to point at her and the ad, respectively.
Realization dawned on her slowly, before she shook her head and resumed her note-taking. "I modeled for one stupid bubblegum company in Japan," she explained simply. "It's how I met Kori, in fact. But that doesn't mean I'm a model."
The smallest hint of a blush danced over her cheeks, though Garfield wisely chose not to bring attention to it - he was far too excited to tease her at the moment.
"Stupid..? That gum is the best!" he enthused instead, turning the picture back towards him. "Gelatin-free and long-lasting? God, I swallowed so much of this shit, I probably have a good three pounds of it sitting in my stomach!"
Raven scoffed. "That's a myth, you know."
But Garfield could only wave her off as he gently set the picture frame back onto her desk. "How come I never saw this ad?" he queried, genuinely curious. "I totally would have remembered hot ballerinas."
Again, Raven seemed rather flustered when he complimented her appearance, though she recovered quickly. "It's from years ago, and only really ran in Japan," she answered with a shrug. "There was some stupid pun involved, but it didn't translate well in English."
Garfield frowned at that. "Aw, that sucks. I freaking love puns."
"Figures. I did say it was stupid, didn't I?" she mused nonchalantly.
Half of him wanted to be offended by her slight jab, while the other half fought back an appreciative chuckle. "Careful, Rae. If you keep being this nice to me, I might get the wrong impression."
He hadn't expected her to throw the notepad at his head, though he was mildly impressed by her aim.
"Ow! What the fuck, dude?"
His eyes locked with hers, and despite her seemingly blank expression, he could see the slightest twitch of her lips. "Don't call me Rae," she demanded dryly, before tilting her head to the side in thought. "Or dude."
Garfield rolled his eyes at that, gingerly rubbing his forehead. "I call everyone dude, dude."
This time, she threw her pen, though he had the foresight to shield his face.
"Gah! Why are you so violent?"
A cross between a sigh and a scoff escaped the pale girl before him, causing Garfield's heart to leap in his chest. Had... had she almost laughed?
"I think it's safe to say that you've outstayed your welcome," Raven announced tersely, despite the ghost of a smirk that lingered on her lips. She motioned towards her open door with the nod of her head, before maneuvering around her desk. Squeezing past her, the blond reluctantly made his way towards the exit. Aside from the random objects and insults being hurled at him, he was kind of enjoying her company. A part of him really wanted to stay, even if it annoyed her. Hell, especially if it annoyed her. And yet... although he didn't know her well, he knew he probably shouldn't push her.
But as he reached the door, he was reminded of his earlier regret at not getting her number, and swiftly turned around. "Oh, um, Raven?" he asked semi-awkwardly, unsure of how to go about asking for it without sounding like a total loser.
She glanced towards him curiously, having already retrieved her notepad and pen from the floor. "What?"
He could feel himself beginning to freeze up, having never been any good at this sort of thing. Reaching beside him, he absently fiddled with the knob of the ajar door. "I was just... I was wondering... Um, I thought that maybe, uh..."
Okay, he wasn't just not good - he was fucking terrible.
"Heh, uh, never mind," he relented, before sending her a forced grin. "See ya Friday?"
A look of horror passed over Raven's features, before her eyes narrowed into a glare. "Shut my door and lower your voice," she hissed.
Garfield gulped audibly, and was about to comply, but hesitated when a conflicting thought struck him. "Like, with me in the room or..?"
Raven's glare only intensified. "Just shut my door and come here," she ordered sharply, her voice barely above a whisper.
The blond happily obliged, closing the door behind him as he stepped further into the room. "What'd I do?"
Raven used her fingertips to rub slow circles against her temples, her eyes closed. "Nothing," she admitted, before letting out a huff of frustration. "I just... I would appreciate it if we kept any talk about Friday... to ourselves."
It was Garfield's turn to roll his eyes, though the action wasn't from exasperation. "So you haven't figured out how to weasel your way out of it?" he teased.
This earned him another pointed look. "There's no way in hell Kori will let me talk my way out of it," she confessed begrudgingly, before her face adopted a thoughtful expression. "But... you could always cancel."
Garfield's eyebrows joined his hairline at her suggestion. "I could," he agreed playfully. "Buuuut..."
Raven looked downright pitiful. "Please? I'll owe you," she pleaded, her eyes searching his for something other than amusement.
Still, the blond couldn't hide his mirth. "Maybe I'm looking forward to seeing you again," he mused, shrugging casually while sauntering towards her. "You're kinda cool, when you're not throwing shit at me."
Her lips twitched slightly, though he wasn't sure if she was fighting back a frown or a smirk.
"I'll have sex with you again," she blurted, her face flushing as the words left her mouth. "I-if you cancel."
A moment of silence passed between them, until Garfield could no longer hold in his laughter. "Y-you'll..." he wheezed, practically bending over as he attempted to catch his breath, but only succeeding in laughing harder. "You'll have... Oh my god, oh wow..." He could feel tears threatening to stream down his face, but at the sight of Raven's dejected pout, he attempted to rein himself in. "I'm sorry," he grinned, his eyes dancing between hers, "but did you really just offer sex in exchange for me cancelling?"
His companion sheepishly avoided his gaze while absently chewing on her bottom lip. "...I don't do double dates," she defended weakly.
Garfield couldn't help himself. "Nah, you just do random blond guys," he replied, his hand casually mussing up his already-askew hair.
Raven groaned in exasperation. "You know what - never mind," she decided snappishly, her palms slapping against her desk and causing Garfield to jump. "I'd rather suffer through shitty Italian food than fuck you again."
Garfield held his hand to his heart, feigning offence. "Hey!" he exclaimed, before a wave of actual offense washed over him. "I work there," he protested halfheartedly.
His response apparently took Raven by surprise. "...You do?"
He could feel an embarrassed blush creep its way down his neck. "Uh, yeah," he admitted, his eyes avoiding hers as he glanced around the room. Like he had said - being a waiter never helped him get laid.
"It's not, like, shitty shitty," Raven amended awkwardly, the monotonous sound of her voice unfit for apologizing. "It's just... well, when you've had the real thing..." she trailed off.
Garfield shrugged, hoping to convey indifference as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I can cancel. It's no biggie," he offered, deciding to change the subject.
He met Raven's gaze briefly, before losing his courage and looking away.
"A convenient case of food poisoning is hard to argue with," he continued jokingly.
Though, when she didn't respond, he begrudgingly pushed aside his nerves and looked at her.
She was regarding him thoughtfully, her brow arched. Her arms were crossed over her stomach, making her seem even smaller than usual as she leaned against her desk - Garfield wasn't sure when she had come out from behind it.
"Does that... work for you?" he asked hesitantly.
She cocked her head to the side, ignoring his question. "I'm sure you've probably realized this already, but I'm kind of a bitch," she began randomly.
Garfield bit back his initial response of 'Yep!' as he found himself fighting the urge to agree wholeheartedly. "Whaaa..." he mused instead.
The smirk she sent him lifted a weight off of his shoulders. "I'm used to being a means to an end - and that end either being in my bed or Kori's, obviously - so I tend to be rather... abrasive when I'm being flirted with."
A wry smile formed on Garfield's lips - he was kind of a natural flirt. "I'm not purposely - " he began, but she hurriedly cut him off.
"No, I realize that," she explained. "You're not actively trying to get in my pants or get with my roommate or whatever. You're just genuinely a nice guy."
The blond tried not to cringe - 'nice guy' wasn't really a compliment in this day and age. It was more akin to an insult, actually. Creepy, borderline-stalker dude? Usually a self-proclaimed 'nice-guy'. "I can be a douche-bag, if you want?" he offered, unsure.
Raven laughed at that. It was quiet, and she had done him a great disservice by covering her mouth in an unneeded act of modesty, but it was still a laugh. A pure, genuine, ever-welcomed laugh. "That really won't be necessary, Garfield."
The sound of his name passing through her lips was almost as exhilarating as her timid chuckle - and Garfield had to actively keep his jaw from dropping. The girl standing before him had to have been the most frustrating, stubborn, fucking infuriating person he had ever met, and he felt the oddest sensation come over him as his eyes darted between hers.
He wanted to be her friend.
The thought kind of shocked him, if he were to be completely honest. She was smoking hot and totally willing to sleep with him, and yet, the thing he suddenly craved the most was companionship. Camaraderie. A chance to get to know her on a deeper, more platonic level. Yeah, he would still fuck her at the drop of a hat (if she let him - he was unsure where they stood at the moment), but the idea of actually meaning something to her? Having her see him as more than a pretty face?
Hell yeah - motherfucking friendship.
"You don't need to suffer through any imaginary illness," she continued loftily, her stoic facade returning, albeit slowly. "It's really just dinner. We're there for moral support."
Garfield felt himself nod, though the meaning behind her words hadn't yet connected with him. He was still a little confused by his sudden desire to befriend her. "A friend date," he muttered, mostly to himself.
Raven quirked her brow, obviously having heard him. "Anyway," she continued, her eyes glancing past him and towards her door. "I still haven't taken my lunch..."
Despite her earlier jab, the blond could take a hint. "I should find Vic," he mused quickly. "He has to be done with that phone call by now."
But as he took a step backwards, Raven abruptly reached out to him, her small hand encircling his wrist.
"Sara Sims is a tiny, twenty-something blonde with a fantastic credit score," Raven needlessly informed him. "Victor's no where near done with that phone call."
Garfield attempted to swallow down the lump in his throat, seeing how it was inhibiting his ability to communicate vocally. Though, it proved to be fruitless, since his vocal cords refused to cooperate either way. Despite being smaller than him, Raven had a surprisingly firm grip, and he couldn't tug himself free.
Not that he was actually trying to.
Several conflicting emotions passed over Raven's face, before she settled on something somber and subdued. "I'm sorry I - "
Her attempted apology was just as unexpected as her shy laughter, though neither came close to the complete and utter insanity that suddenly struck Garfield as he leaned forward, clumsily capturing her lips with his own.
Her hand had immediately released his wrist, only for it to snake its way up his arm and around the back of his neck. His own hands found residence on her hips, and he hurriedly pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. Despite always being a bit impulsive, he was shocked by his bold actions - and completely flabbergasted by hers. She was kissing him again; willingly! Not that he was complaining, mind you. As if her allowing him to even touch her wasn't enough of an ego-boost, the way she all but melted into his arms caused his confidence to soar.
Yeah, he wanted to be her friend - but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy a few benefits.
Her tongue tentatively swiped along his bottom lip, and Garfield eagerly invited it to tangle with his own as he parted his mouth. She tasted like cinnamon and vanilla - a delicious combination that did little to quell the twitching of his nether regions.
But the twitching only increased when he felt her other hand tug at his belt. She had the right idea - they were both wearing far too many clothes, and Raven's office was actually kinda stuffy, and it was getting pretty hot (in every sense of the word), and they could totally -
Wait. He never put a new condom in his wallet. The box was still in his drawer at home. They weren't at his home. Aaaaand cue his reality check.
"Uh, whoa there," he protested halfheartedly, his lips ghosting over hers as he attempted to speak. He hadn't yet found the sense to release her.
"What, are you expecting to do this with your pants on?" Raven mused casually, dragging her other hand over his torso before it, too, joined in her quest of undoing his belt.
Garfield readied himself to respond, but found it suddenly hard to talk with his bottom lip caught between her teeth. Instead, he kissed her harder for good measure, his hands wandering up her sides aimlessly.
Sure, he knew he should probably warn her that he didn't have a condom - at least before things got too heated - but his pants were feeling a bit restrictive. And hey, he had a few things in mind that didn't necessarily involve his pants or his little latex friend, and it was quite possible that Raven was riding a similar wavelength.
Though, the way she hiked her leg over his hip as they stumbled towards her desk told him a different story.
Her mouth refused to leave his for longer than a millisecond, and he felt a slight sense of panic begin to pool in the pit of his stomach. What if she just kept kissing him? Was she so lost in passion that she didn't even stop to think about protection? So blinded by lust that the only thing on her mind was getting him inside of her?
Holy hell. He was totally going to knock her up. He was going to get her pregnant. He wasn't ready to be a dad!
The sudden wave of dread that washed over him was enough to separate their lips as he jerked his head backwards, his eyes wide.
"I don't have a condom!" he frantically announced - his exclamation louder than what was probably necessary.
Pretty indigo eyes stared at him blankly. A moment of silence passed between them. And then another. "Inside voice, please," she finally replied.
Though, before he could find the sense to be embarrassed, she continued to speak.
"When was the last time you got tested?"
Okay, now he was ready to be embarrassed.
Garfield blinked at her slowly, unsure of what she meant. "Um, I kinda feel like you're testing me right now," he admitted jokingly.
Those pretty indigo eyes were now glaring at him. "Ha. I'm serious."
Racking his brain, the blond guessed that she was referring to something more akin to blood-work or peeing in a cup; although, it'd be mortifying if he was wrong.
So with that in mind, he continued to play dumb. "I've kinda been taking a gap year, so I haven't had an exam in a while. My finals were... last May?" His hands were still firmly attached to her hips, though he loosened his grip when she made a move to sit on her desk.
"You know what I mean," was her bored reply.
Fairly certain that he did know, Garfield let out a reluctant sigh. "Heh, uh... two or three months ago?" he guessed. He usually got all those tests done during his bi-yearly check-up.
Raven nodded stoically at his reply, and he was suddenly grateful for her unwavering maturity. "And the results?"
The blond could feel himself flush at her implication. "Clean as a whistle, baby," he answered cheekily - as well as honestly.
His companion nodded once more. "And have you slept with anyone since?"
Garfield couldn't help but shamefully avoid her gaze. "Duh," he answered far too quickly, before cringing in embarrassment at how lame he sounded. "Well, uh, because, you know... you," he added shyly. "I've slept with you."
Still, Raven remained neutral, seemingly unfazed by his lack of game. "Oh, right," she responded, a bit too calmly for his liking. "The virgin-thing."
Garfield was suddenly seeing red, and was sure his complexion matched. "I'm not a virgin!" he defended shrilly.
Raven quirked her brow. "Well, not anymore, obviously," came her simple reply. The faintest trace of a smile danced across her lips. And yeah, he loved a good joke, but this was just cruel.
"I lost my virginity at nineteen, thank you very much," he quipped, taking a step away from her as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Despite the blank way she regarded him, he could see a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. It was a good look on her, he decided - albeit begrudgingly. He wasn't thrilled at being the butt of the joke; but if it got her eyes to light up like that, well...
Unfortunately, the twinkle faded rather quickly. "That was very unnecessary of you to share," she deadpanned, before swiftly getting back on topic. "I, too, am STD-free, as well as on birth control, so if you're comfortable with - "
But she didn't have to finish her sentence, for Garfield had made up his mind the moment he heard the words 'birth control' and firmly reattached his lips to hers.
They picked up right where they had left off - their somewhat awkward discussion pushed to the back of Garfield's brain. He could dwell on his mortification later.
No, the buttons on Raven's blouse were much more interesting at the moment; his fingers shakily undoing them as she returned her focus to his belt. He could feel her touch through the fabric of his jeans, his cock jumping in anticipation.
Realizing that getting her completely naked would be rather pointless, Garfield settled for unbuttoning the top four buttons of her blouse, before his hands slid down her body. His mouth left hers, only to ghost over her jaw and trail kisses down her neck. Even though he was far from sober when they first hooked up, he absently remembered that she seemed to have a sweet spot, right above her pulse. He tentatively nipped at it - earning a choked gasp. Smiling against her skin, his hands continued to roam over her body, memorizing the curve of her hips and the firmness of her legs.
His fingers toyed with the hem of her skirt for a moment, before he slid them beneath the fabric and up her thighs. His eyes nearly shot open when he was almost immediately met with the feeling of her bare skin; her nylons were nothing more than thigh-highs.
That was going to make things so much easier.
Pushing her further onto her desk, they both ignored the sound of breaking glass as her picture frames fell to the floor. Raven had successfully undid his belt and his fly, and was now in the process of stroking him through his boxers.
He flinched at the sensation, though his hands continued to travel up her thighs, dragging her skirt up in the process. His mouth returned to hers, seeing how their lips were magnetic or something - why else would they both be incapable of keeping them apart? Yeah, she was an amazing kisser, and he figured he wasn't too shabby himself, but that didn't explain why they couldn't keep themselves off of each other -
His thoughts came to a screeching halt the moment her hand wrapped around his cock.
Deciding that thinking was really just wasted energy at this point, Garfield pushed his musings to the side, along with Raven's panties. She gasped into his kiss as he lightly trailed his finger over her core, marveling at how wet she already was.
The poor girl needed to get laid more often, it seemed.
Pulling his other hand out from underneath her skirt, he slipped it behind her waist and tugged her to the edge of her desk. Her hand continued to expertly stroke his exposed member, causing him to growl against her lips in a mixture of excitement and frustration.
Something that sounded vaguely like a giggle escaped her, though he found he was in no position to appreciate it as she wrapped her legs around him. The space between them was closing drastically, and although he loved the way she squirmed beneath his touch - his fingers teasing at her entrance - he decided that a different part of his anatomy was better suited for the job.
Leaning over her, he deepened their kiss while positioning himself between her legs. She seemed to take the hint as she removed her hands from his member, and instead used her elbows to prop herself up on her desk.
Garfield broke their kiss when he entered her, hissing at the blissful sensation. Raven made a choked noise of her own, before throwing her head back as her legs tightened around him.
Her cleavage was fully exposed to him, along with the cups of her plain black bra. Random spots of moisture glistened along her neck and collarbone, though he wasn't sure if it was from his mouth or her sweat. Still, she looked absolutely radiant beneath him, her pale skin glowing against her darker attire, and her face contorted in a cross between pleasure and impatience.
His thrusts were controlled but hard - anything less didn't get her to bite her lip in the way that made his knees wobble. She was breathing heavily, and he could see her fists clenching and releasing from the corner of his eye. His past two excursions with her had taught him that she liked to dig her nails into him; the crescent-shaped marks on his back being proof of that. Deciding to take pity on her, he used his free hand to brace himself on her desk, before pulling her closer.
Raven happily obliged, her arms eagerly snaking under his as her hands found residence on his shoulder blades. The green shirt he was wearing didn't allow her nails to dig in as deeply, though he wasn't necessarily complaining. In the moment, it was hot and a total turn-on. But after? The little cuts kinda stung.
His thrusts became quicker and wilder, and his breath was coming in short gasps. He could feel the desk beneath them scoot every time he pushed into her, and it wouldn't surprise him if they ended up against the wall by the time they finished. He found himself conflicted as he gazed at her face; her eyes were closed and her brows were furrowed, and she was practically biting a hole through her bottom lip. But the longer he stared at her, the closer he felt to finishing. And so far, he hadn't had the best track-record for lasting. Raven was just so effortlessly sexy and alluring, and he practically came just thinking about her.
Though, despite his lack of endurance, he had successfully gotten her to finish both times they had fucked. Or, at least, he had gotten her breath to hitch and her body to spasm, before a string of impolite words would slip from between her lips in that raspy, sultry voice of hers. But he was pretty sure those were the same thing.
Closing his eyes, he deduced that he would probably last longer if he couldn't see her (although, the little mewls and gasps she was making weren't helping, either).
The desk jolted suddenly beneath them, but when he attempted to re-position himself, Raven let out a cry that he hadn't yet heard from her as her nails dug deeper into his skin. Knowing it was probably a bad idea, but doing it anyway, Garfield reopened his eyes.
Her face was twisted into a look of complete and utter bliss, her brows furrowed in confusion while her mouth hung open helplessly. Her body was doing that spazzy thing against him, though it took him a moment to notice as his thrusts became harder.
Another cry escaped her, before she smothered it by biting into his shoulder, effectively releasing a surprised groan of his own. He could feel himself getting closer, though he no longer felt guilty as she practically seized beneath him.
"Oh shit, oh no, oh god, just like that," came her small voice, only slightly muffled by his shoulder. He couldn't stop himself from grinning as she let out a dignified, "Fuck," and he had to bite his tongue to keep from echoing her sentiment.
He was only seconds away - he could feel it. But as he prepared for the euphoria, he was struck by a sobering thought. Where was, uh... it... going to go? He'd never had sex without a condom; hell, besides Raven, he'd never had sex with the same girl twice. So he had always used protection - in this day and age, it was the sensible thing to do.
And yeah, he knew that he could just come inside of her, but... then what? It wouldn't just... absorb or whatever, right?
Right?
His predicament was almost enough to get him to pull out, but the sudden, breathless gasp that escaped her threw his idea right out the window, and he felt himself release.
Shuddering slightly, he hurriedly let go of her as he used both arms to brace himself on her desk. She was still trapped between the two, but seemed unbothered as she leisurely leaned back onto her elbows, her breathing returning to normal. A light layer of sweat glistened along her forehead, and Garfield was overcome by the strangest sensation to wipe it away.
Thankfully, he resisted.
"Well, that's one way to spend my lunch break," Raven mused flatly.
Garfield snorted despite himself. "Heh, y-yeah," he agreed, albeit somewhat absently. He was still inside of her, and wasn't sure what to expect when he'd pull out. Would it release the floodgates?
"I would like to get up, eventually," she continued in the same bored tone.
The blond nodded in understanding, though he made no move to, well, move.
Raven rolled her eyes at him, before basically reading his mind as she leaned backwards over her desk. Her hand patted down the drawers on the front of it, before awkwardly pulling one open and removing a box of tissues.
Grinning, Garfield hurriedly snatched a few, before hesitantly pulling himself out of her.
"I'm going to... freshen up a bit," Raven announced, her heels landing against the floor gracefully.
Again, Garfield could only nod as he cleaned himself up. Though, another jolt of envy shot through him as he watched Raven toddle across her office and towards a door he hadn't noticed before.
"Dude, you've got your own bathroom?"
His pale companion sent him a glare from over her shoulder. "What did I say about calling me 'dude'?"
Though, before Garfield could apologize, she opened the door and slipped into her private restroom. Shrugging to himself, he tossed the tissues into the waste basket beside her desk, before pulling his pants back up. His attention wandered around the room once again as he re-looped his belt, before focusing in on the mess they had made. Letting out a wistful sigh, Garfield scooted her desk back into place, before picking up the papers they had knocked to the floor.
By the time he gotten to the broken frame, Raven had reemerged from the bathroom looking as put-together as ever. In fact, the only evidence of their quickie was the slight redness at the junction of where her shoulder met her neck.
Garfield felt a satisfied smirk tug at his lips.
"Be mindful of the glass," Raven warned, bending down to assist him. With her so much closer, he was able to see that her hair was a little tangled, too, and that the slightest hint of a flush remained beneath her skin.
Otherwise? She was picture-perfect.
Though, speaking of pictures...
His eyes returning to the broken frame before him, Garfield carefully removed the photograph. Paying it closer attention, he now realized that it was really just a page torn out of a magazine. The strange thing obscuring Kori's face was a bubble, and though he was no advertising-expert, he deduced that Raven was the focal point of the ad. Odd - you would think the legitimate, European-model would be the one on display. His eyes squinting at the text, he mentally cursed himself for not speaking a lick of Japanese.
"Enjoying yourself?" Raven deadpanned, causing the blond to jump at the sound of her voice.
Tearing his eyes from the ad, he gave his companion a sheepish look. "Uh, sorry," he smiled, before glancing between the real Raven and the photo. It was obvious that she was older now; her face was sharper, and her body had filled out in a way that made him blush. He guessed she had been about nineteen or twenty when it was taken; and though they hadn't discussed it, he figured they were the same age - making her about twenty-four now. Maybe twenty-five, if her apparent business-savvy demeanor and future promotion were anything to go by.
But aside from the age-difference between current her and model her, the biggest change was the length of her hair. In the ad, it was long and wavy - spilling over her shoulders and kissing at her hipbones. But now? It was short and straight; barely brushing her collarbone. And though Garfield had always been partial to girls with long blonde hair, he definitely preferred the shorter cut on Raven.
"I like your hair better now," he confessed, unprompted.
He watched as Raven's hand immediately shot towards her hair, before she shyly tucked a few loose strands behind her ear. "Yes, well, it's much more manageable now," she agreed awkwardly.
The urge to follow her movements with his own hand struck him suddenly, and he almost went through with it -
Although Raven's door bursting open was kind of distracting.
Garfield nearly fell into the glass as he whipped his head towards the interruption. Meanwhile, Raven had shot to her feet, her body stiffening.
"Ever heard of knocking," she hissed.
But the intruder (also known as Victor Stone, Garfield's best friend since middle school, and Raven's oblivious coworker), only grinned.
"Sorry, Rae - but I need that portfolio," he explained cheerfully as he stepped into the office and towards her filing cabinet. "I still got Sara on the phone, and she's wanting something..."
But Garfield tuned out the rest of his friend's sentence as he stood upright, feeling slightly perturbed when Raven neglected to reprimand Vic for calling her 'Rae'. How come he was allowed to use the nickname?
"...in here, anyway?"
Garfield frowned at his friend, before realizing that his last question was directed towards him. "Huh?" came his intelligent reply, before he hesitantly placed Raven's photo onto her desk.
"I asked what you were doing in here. Rae's not one to just invite - "
But Raven hurriedly cut him off. "Your friend is very talkative," she mused, both answering and dodging Victor's question at the same time. "And incredibly clumsy," she added, before gesturing to the broken glass on her floor.
A blush worked its way down Garfield's neck as his friend gave him a pointed look.
"Yeah, that's Gar for ya," he agreed loftily, before a taunting smirk crept across his lips. "In fact, he almost whacked your car with mine when we got here."
The strange, familiar feeling Garfield had gotten earlier suddenly made total sense. He must have subconsciously recognized Raven's car - he had been in it barely three days ago, after all.
"Shocking," was Raven's response, before she idly crouched back down. "If you could please take your friend with you, that'd be great. I don't want him breaking anything else."
Garfield resisted the urge to glare at the pale girl beside him, and instead feigned sheepishness as he rubbed the back of his neck. He hoped the action would obscure the slight moisture he felt on his shoulder, where said girl had bit him in the midst of their tryst.
"Come on, Grass Stain," Victor grinned, gesturing towards the exit with an exaggerated wave.
Garfield's eyes narrowed at the large man, before he reluctantly dragged himself across the room. He knew that saying goodbye to Raven would probably be a bad idea, but he couldn't help but send her a timid wave as Victor closed the door behind them.
And he could have sworn she had smirked in reply.
Though, his annoyance at his friend pushed the thought to the back of his mind. "What the fuck, dude!" he exclaimed, before lightly punching him in the shoulder.
But Victor merely laughed as he regarded the blond with confusion. "What?"
"'Grass Stain'," Garfield repeated incredulously. "Seriously?"
Still, Vic wasn't getting it. "I know your hair ain't green anymore, but that name is forever, man," he teased, his smile unwavering. "Along with Green Bean, Lettuce Head, Salad Lad - "
But Garfield cut him off with a growl. "I know, but we had an agreement! An impasse! A blood-oath!" he argued irritably. "No embarrassing nicknames - "
" - in front of cute girls," Victor finished smugly. "Yeah, I know that. But it was only..."
It was then that realization hit him, and Garfield suddenly regretted opening his big mouth as he watched his friend's smile turn more and more devious.
"Aw, man - you got the hots for Rae?" he surmised, before letting out a hearty chuckle as he ushered the blond down the hall.
Garfield's face was unbelievably warm. "W-what? No!" he denied quickly, letting his friend lead him back towards the sales floor. "I'm just saying, like, she's kinda cute or whatever..." But he knew it was pointless.
"Don't even bother, Kiddo," Vic continued, patronizingly. "She's an ice queen. A super smart, no-nonsense kinda gal. Hates to be flirted with." He spared the blond another glance, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "And waaaay outta your league."
Garfield huffed at his friend's deduction, though he knew not to argue. Sure, Raven was definitely all of those things - but that didn't mean Vic could just go around using embarrassing nicknames in front of cute girls. Especially since Garfield was going to being seeing this particular cute girl again.
"If that's the case, then why do I have a date with her this Friday?" he bit back defensively, before slapping his hand against his mouth. Oops.
Victor came to a sudden stop, his brows arching in disbelief. "Don't lie to me, man. You know I can just go back there and ask her, right?"
Garfield swallowed nervously - that's exactly why he shouldn't have said anything. Raven obviously wanted to keep their little double-date on the down-low.
"Well, uh, technically," he continued, earning a knowing smirk from his friend, "Dick's got a date with her roommate, and the two of them are dragging us along - " he attempted to explain, but Victor's amused scoff interrupted him.
"Dick's got a date with Kori?" he exclaimed, before letting out a hearty chuckle. "How the hell did he manage that? She's literally a model!"
Relieved that the focus was off of him and Raven, Garfield laughed along. "I know, right? It's insane."
But Victor didn't even seem to hear him as he instead doubled over, wheezing. "Dick Grayson got himself a date with a model! Oh, what has this world come to? How is that even possible!"
Though at his friend's obvious disbelief, a small, confused smile tugged at the corner of the blond's mouth. Yeah, Dick Grayson had a date with a model, but... well, Garfield Logan kinda did, too.
I like how I said that these chapters would be shorter, and then I go and use almost the exact same amount of words. Ah, I can't be trusted.
But this story, you guys! It's so freaking fun to write! And the support it's getting is so incredible! Thank you so much! I love all of you :D