Sam Route.
As Stacy parted from the group she found herself picking up a glass of white wine, forcing herself not to chug it down in one go. She knew she had to get up early the next day for work… one glass wouldn't hurt though. A smile played on her face as she took one of the seats in the corner, hoping she'd go unnoticed for a least a little while.
Stacy didn't mind going to these kinds of events, she was generally good at keeping conversation and for the most part people got along with her well. It was just that the last two or three months had been a total drain on her; she had continuously been study and working, never having a moment for herself to take a rest. This was the first time in a while that Stacy had the time to just sit down and watch the world go by. People were laughing, dancing and chatting with one another which made joy fill her heart. Her eyes fell onto one male though that sat alone, a frown on his face as he too watched the world go by. He seemed uneasy, tense and Stacy wondered if he was uncomfortable being at such an event with so many people bustling around. Stacy's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to gain more information on her target. His dark hair was messy while his green eyes were questioning yet she could tell he too was worn, each movement he took causing strain on his body. Stacy took another sip of her drink, planning to glance away to observe the dancing but she was frozen.
Those green orbs for eyes had found hers, knowing that he was being watched and the pair couldn't find the strength to pull away. A small blush had graced Stacy's cheeks, hoping the stranger didn't think badly of her staring but surprisingly he seemed smug and amused. To ease the moment Stacy awkwardly smiled his way, giving him a silent greeting and the male seemed to chuckle to himself, nodding his head in return. The pair stared at each other a moment longer before Stacy was the first to look away, her eyes directed to the table she sat at. The blush never left her cheeks though, she could still feel his calculating eyes on her form. She took a breath, preparing herself as she glanced his way again, raising her brow in question.
The male seemed surprised that her eyes had returned to his form yet his gaze soon hardened as they shifted to the side of her, Stacy being quick to glance to her left. A male had approached her, an elder man with a striking beard but she bit back her disgust at the stench radiating from his body. He was beyond drunk, Stacy not wanting to guess how many glasses of booze he had drunk, and unfortunately for her the man had taken an interest in her.
"Well 'ey there be-beaui-iful, wa-wanna have a drink wit' me?" the drunk man slurred, leaning downwards to get a good look at her. Stacy kept her expression blank as he dreamingly gazed down into her eyes.
"No thank you" she politely declined, turning her eyes away from him as she looked at her half-filled glass on the table. She could hear the man next to her gurgle, clearly not taking her answer seriously as he landed one of his hands on the table. She was not threatened by his presence, knowing the table was the only thing keeping him standing, but when the drunkard placed his other hand onto hers that rested on the corner of the table Stacy became stiff.
"Aw c'mon love" he cooed but Stacy kept her expression blank, not wanting to gain the attention of anyone nearby.
"No thank you" she repeated much more clearly this time, her eyes flashing to his in warning. The drunkard sneered, his hand tightening on hers but her expression never changed.
"I suggest you release me" she lowly spoke, her voice darkening in threat but the drunkard daringly grinned.
"What'cha gon-na do if I don't?" he retorted, challenging her as he narrowed his eyes but a voice halted Stacy from answering.
"It's not her you have to worry about" the voice warned.
Both Stacy and the drunkard looked towards the newcomer, Stacy surprised that it was the male from earlier that had caught her staring. The drunkard removed his hand from hers, attempting to square up at the green-eyed male who furiously looked his way.
"A cabs waiting for you… I suggest you take it" the green-eyed male threatening told him, his words taking a moment to register in the drunkards mind. His eyes widened, debating as to refuse his suggestion but the green-eyed male pulled out his wallet, flashing the police badge that proudly glimmered in the dimmed light. Stacy paled at the reveal of his badge, knowing instantly who this person really was.
His name was Sam, the third oldest brother out of Mika's house-mates and she had heard quite some tales about him. He'd been a part of the police force for quite some time now, an article being written about him every few months. Mika had described Sam as athletic, grumpy and hot-tempered yet Stacy was left wondering what else described the man before her.
At the reveal of his badge the drunkard left, the two watching him leave before finally Sam let out a breath, muttering a foul word under his breath.
"He didn't harm you, did he?" Sam asked, his voice completely changed. It remained in its rough state, a trait he would probably never lose but it had become concerned, softer. His eyes were directed onto her hand that still remained rooted to the table, Stacy being quick to settle him.
"No, not at all. Um… thank you" Stacy replied. Sam's eyes returned to hers, silently ensuring that she spoke the truth but he could see no lie to her words. He rubbed the back of his head, looking away from her gaze.
"No problem" he lowly told her under her breath. Sam remained standing in place, as if hesitant to leave and Stacy inwardly smiled.
"I'm Stacy by the way, one of Mika's friends from college" Stacy piped up, offering him the chance of a conversation and his gaze was quick to snap back to her, a smile forming on his face.
"Ah so that's who you are" Sam murmured.
"I thought I recognised you from somewhere" he added on. Stacy raised her brow in question which seemed to make him smirk.
"Mika loves to show us videos from college" Sam informed her making Stacy laugh.
"I'm Sam but I get the feeling you know that already" Sam slowly said as if remembering to introduce himself. Stacy nodded to confirm his statement, taking the moment to hint towards the free seat opposite her.
Sam noticed the motion, sitting opposite her with curiosity in his eyes.
"So which videos did Mika embarrass me with?" Stacy asked him in humour as she continued the conversation. Sam cracked a grin,
"Wouldn't say they're embarrassing" he stated, wiggling his brows as Stacy groaned.
"I hope to god it wasn't the dare I did in the cafeteria" Stacy murmured mostly to herself but Sam's expression showed that it wasn't that.
"Oh?" he hinted, hoping to get more information. Stacy shook her head, not wanting to repeat her display and Sam mentally took a note of it in his mind.
"It was actually videos from the fighting club" he told her, Stacy surprised by his answer. Stacy always took her combat lessons seriously, not that she didn't take any of her lessons seriously but the fighting, swordplay and archery clubs were the ones that kept her full attention. There was only so much you could learn from books, these classes mostly required physical training. Stacy wondered when Mika had watched her class, remembering the last time she watch was when she was training with the tutor.
"I didn't realise she had recorded me" Stacy confessed making Sam shrug his shoulders.
"No shame in it, you hold your own well" he told her. Stacy allowed a smile to fall on her lips, the small praise from him feeling welcoming.
The two fell into small conversation, Stacy noting the small quirks that would appear. Sam was a curious one at heart yet he acted on instinct, not one to truly dwell on his thoughts as his mouth usually took over. He was straight forward and to the point with his replies yet a few times he backtracked, as if he answered things before processing topics and thinking them over. Stacy couldn't help but feel thankful that Sam wasn't as bland as Mika had described him, Sam's personally one Stacy couldn't quite pinpoint yet.
Their topics were limited, Stacy realising that only a few things interested him. She had wondered if there were topics unknown to her that he enjoyed talking about but she didn't try to figure it out, her gut feeling telling her that there was no way she'd figure it out tonight.
"I doubt you can even match me" Sam boasted, leaning forward in his chair as Stacy mocked a glare.
"Are you challenging me?" she replied playfully and Sam tried to play it cool by shrugging off the comment but she knew he was interested.
"You'd be wasting your time" he lowly said in warning but Stacy stubbornly ignored him, leaning forward as she propped her arm on the table.
"I like to know my limits" she smoothly said, not allowing him to dismiss the challenge so easily and Sam smirked, clasping his hand with hers.
The pair knew the rules of arm wrestling, not having to point them out to prevent any dirty fighting during the match. They had started on Stacy's stronger side, her right, but she couldn't help but feel out of her depth. It wasn't surprising that Sam's hand was rough compared to hers yet Sam couldn't hide his surprise at how tight her grip was.
"Ready?" Stacy asked, only receiving a grunt of agreement. The two strengthened the pressure, the motion slow as they tested each other's limits. They were both cautious, holding back to ensure they didn't harm the other.
"You don't have to hold back, I can take it" Stacy quietly told him. Sam understood her request; she wasn't mocking him thinking that he was using his full strength already, instead Stacy knew that he was holding back and asked him to treat her as an equal, someone who can handle the consequences of being beaten and harmed. Stacy could feel him applying more pressure bit by bit, the man halting as their hands slightly moved in his favour. Stacy managed to retaliate and even the odds a few times but they came to a point where Stacy couldn't balance the pressure.
"Seems I'm the one wasting your time" she lowly told him,
"Hmm, this must be my strength's limit" she confessed. She wasn't ashamed nor was she defeated, she was more content on understanding her limits. Sam was watching her closely, refusing to apply more pressure to end the match.
"Many would have given up by now" Sam quietly told her, forgetting that the rest of the world existed as he analysed the woman before him. Stacy forced a smile,
"I like to think my stamina is my greatest strength" she honestly said and she could see Sam taking the moment to process her words. His eyes fell onto their clasped hands, noticing that even though Stacy had hit her limit she wasn't trembling under the pressure. Her pressure to prevent him winning never weakened, it remained strong and true.
"I think you're right" Sam spoke, testing her further as he applied more pressure moment by moment. Each time the match went more in his favour but Stacy refused to let up, her pressure always remaining the same as she held him back. He inwardly smiled as he gently tapped her out. The pair gazed at their hands for a moment before parting them.
"Your strength is pretty good but it seems your grip favours weapons" Sam told her making Stacy nod in agreement. Sam rubbed his hands together, the slight tingle in his hand failing to fade away and Stacy sent him an apologetic glance.
It was clear that the two wanted to continue their conversation, enjoying each other's company but they were disturbed by Mika's voice.
"Oh there you guys are" Mika exclaimed, the pair finally returning their attention to the rest of the world. Most of the quests had already left, the Christmas music lowered immensely and the area they sat at was darker than they first remembered.
"Oh hey Mika" Stacy greeted before frowning at the look Mika threw at them. Mika was questioning why they sat together, as if they weren't meant to match but both Sam and Stacy paid her no heed.
"I thought I'd warn you it's gone two already" Mika spoke, Stacy's eyes widening at the information.
"Ah shit" Stacy cursed, pulling her phone out of her purse. True enough it was twenty past two in the morning.
"Let's hope a cab will still pick me up at this hour" Stacy murmured, punching the numbers on her phone.
"You can stay here for the night if you want" Mika suggested before Stacy called the number.
"I can't" she softly responded, a part of her sad she couldn't accept her offer.
"I've got some stuff at home I need to take in tomorrow… I didn't have time to prepare it either before leaving for the party" Stacy explained and Mika sighed, allowing her to call the number.
The phone call was brief, relief spreading over her features when the call ended and Stacy placed the phone back in her purse.
"Someone's already nearby, they can pick me up in a few minutes" she told the silent two, letting out a yawn. Mike smiled but then her eyes gleamed.
"Hey Stacy, when did you say your tournament begins?" Mika asked and it took Stacy a moment to figure out what she was on about.
"Oh the sword fighting one? Start of January, tenth I think it is… Why?" Stacy responded, confusion on her face. Mika glanced at Sam, the male glancing at her in question before she smirked.
"Don't mind if I come and cheer you on again? Wait, Sam I'm pretty sure you have the day off as well. I'm sure Suzu and Naomi would love to watch you too!" Mika told her making Stacy groan loudly.
"I thought I banned you from coming to my tournaments after the last time you embarrassed me" Stacy replied and Mika pouted.
"But what will you do without my support? You know you fight better when you hear me cheering on" Mika whined and Stacy groaned again.
"Only so I can end the match faster so I don't have to listen to your screeching" Stacy sourly murmured and at her words Sam laughed.
"I'll only agree if you behave this time around" Stacy continued on, her tone warning but Mika paid it no heed as she squealed in excitement. Stacy grinned at her but a toot from a car outside faded it.
"Sounds like your ride is here" Mika noted in thought. Stacy went to give her farewells but Sam was already on his feet.
"I'll walk you out" he lowly said, his lightened cheeks hidden by the darkness of the corner and Stacy nodded in acceptance.
Stacy and Mika gave their farewells, Mika reminding her about meeting up again before Christmas. Sam walked Stacy out to the cab, his walk slightly jerky from unease.
"Thanks for tonight" Stacy gently said as she halted by the cab, turning to face him. Sam shrugged at her words, turning his gaze away from hers.
"I'm sorry that asshole ruined it" he murmured, referring to the drunkard from earlier. Stacy laughed,
"Are you trying to say that I wouldn't be able to beat him up if something happened?" Stacy jokingly said, easing his thoughts as he smirked at her words. Stacy smiled his way, opening the cab door but froze as his hand landed on her arm. She questioningly glanced his way, his blush revealed under the moonlight but he refused to accept its presence.
"Are you meeting Mika here on the twenty-fourth?" he quietly asked and Stacy nodded, making him give a small smile.
"Looks like we'll see each other again soon" he quickly said, removing his hand as it dawned on him what he just said aloud. Stacy gently laughed his way.
"Looks like we will… and you have the chance to witness my sword fighting in its full glory next month" she responded, the mention of the tournament more of a personal offer to come rather than a reminder. Sam grinned, nodding his head as he allowed her to enter the cab. The pair waved each other farewell as the cab pulled away, both of them silently happy with the opportunity to meet and talk again.
Sam re-entered the mansion, a grin plastered on his face but when noticing Mika a question he thought of reappeared.
"Mika" Sam called out, earning her attention.
"What?" she called back refusing to move from her spot. Sam swiftly approached her, his eyes bright.
"You don't happen to still have that video of Stacy doing a dare in the cafeteria?" Sam asked making Mika cattishly smirk.
"Perhaps".