#cam is enjoying her vodka sours

[adismuse]

TAGGING ➝ Cameron Russo, Alex Taylor LOCATION ➝ Bar + Cam’s place TIME FRAME ➝ 7/8, evening/night WARNINGS ➝ a lil bit of making out but that’s literally it NOTES ➝ Alex and Cam go out for dinner and drinks. Alex thinks she’s gonna get some, Cam has a different idea.

ALEX TAYLOR

Alex smirked as they walked into the crowded bar - this is the part she was good at. Buying a girl a drink - or having a guy buy a drink for her, maybe she does stick to some form of gender norms - and flirting and eventually ending up in someone’s bed at the end of the night. Dinner was... different. She’d had people offer to buy her dinner (just because Alex only goes out for drinks and apparently some people want to go out on actual dates), but she’s always refused and offered a drink instead. Cameron was pretty hot (and fucking beautiful, but Alex doesn’t use those kinds of words), so she figured she’d let her buy her dinner if it meant getting a drink afterwards and ending up in Cameron’s bed. She led them to the bar, squeezing in between the people waiting for their drinks and finding a stool. “You can sit, if you want,” Alex leaned closer to the other girl’s ear so she could hear her and leaned against the bar. “What do you drink?”

CAMERON RUSSO

Cameron didn’t know how Alex would react to her asking her out, but she asked anyway, wanting to spend more time with her outside of their small conversations here and there at the gym. The girl quickly caught her attention - her attitude, the way she carried herself, and her short but meaningful contributions to their conversations - and her being a very attractive athlete was just a plus. After Cameron had interviewed her for a piece, she is an up and coming female athlete after all, she’s wanted to get to talk to her on a more personal level. And not to her surprise, dinner went great - Cameron liked talking to Alex (even though she did most of the talking) and she felt like Alex liked talking to her to, even if she didn’t say it. And now they were at the bar, Cameron was looking forward to getting to talk to her more, maybe with less of the dinner-date pressure. She took the stool Alex offered, facing the girl now above her. “I’ll do a vodka soda,” she smiled, raising her voice just a little to be heard over the people surrounding them. “What’s your drink of choice?” Cameron was interested to know even the littlest of details about Alex, since she hasn’t divulged much about herself in the conversations they’ve had so far.

ALEX TAYLOR

Alex nodded at the girl's answer, flagging down a bartender and ordering a vodka soda and a rum and coke for herself. It was crowded, so Alex used that as an excuse to maneuver herself a little bit between Cameron's knees. This was where she was most comfortable: the bar. Alex was very out of her element getting dinner with someone, but now she felt a little more confident - though she'd never admit to feeling less confident at dinner. She shrugged at Cam's question. "Rum and coke, probably." She really drank anything, though, as long as it wasn't a martini. "I like whiskey sours, too." The bar was also the place where she became more talkative (see: flirtatious), though a talkative Alex was probably still less talkative than a normal person. "What about you? Vodka soda?" She rested her hand on Cameron's knee, like she did with every girl she flirted with, though with this one it seemed different. Alex did it reflexively, almost as if she didn't even have to think about  it.

CAMERON RUSSO

Cameron nodded at the first half of her response. “Rum and cokes aren’t bad. Whiskey though...” she trailed off, scrunching up her face, half-joking, half-in actual disgust. Cameron couldn’t drink anything that rough going down. “Sometimes,” she shrugged. “Sometimes I go for something more fruity, a bay breeze or a sunrise, but vodka sodas aren’t bad. They’re more hydrating, and I think healthier, though that doesn’t really matter, it’s just good to be able to say.” Cameron noticed as Alex positioned herself closer to her. Being a table’s width away all night, it was a nice change to be closer to the girl now in front of her. As their drinks were brought over, Cameron passed Alex’s over and held her own in one hand. She looked up at Alex and tilted her glass slightly towards her, an offer to clink their glasses.

ALEX TAYLOR

"Whiskey is something I'd just drink at home," Alex shrugged. "When I go out, it's usually rum and coke." Being completely honest, Alex didn't feel weird sharing this kinda of surface-level information with the other girl. Usually, she hated giving any type of information away, but she had become accustomed to small talk when she was at the bar and knew she was going to leave with someone. For the most part, she had let Cameron do all the talking tonight, only responding with a few words here and there to appease the other girl and not seem like a total fucking weirdo. "Healthier than that fruity stuff, sure." Alex let out a small laugh, shaking her head a bit. When their drinks were brought to them, she was surprised when Cameron raised her glass, but she clinked them nonetheless before bringing hers to her lips. She wasn't one to sip, especially on her first drink, and she was still a little antsy from dinner, so she downed about half of hers right away. She kept her hand on Cameron's knee, subconsciously rubbing small circles with her thumb. Alex definitely was never one to be affectionate, but she knew others were and it was easier once she was drinking to show any small sign of affection so the other person knew they had her interest. "Thanks for dinner, by the way," she told her, struggling to find something else to say. Cameron had been the one talking all night, and Alex had become comfortable being silent in favor of listening to the other girl.

CAMERON RUSSO

"Whiskey's gross," Cameron teased her, scrunching her face once more. She liked joking around with Alex here and there while she was talking to her; any effort to get a smile out of the other girl.  Cameron herself smiled at hearing the small laugh come from Alex - a rare sound to her, but one she was happy to hear. "I just said healthier, you don't have to call me out by specifying what it's healthier than. Besides, fruit's healthy too." She playfully waved her hand. As their glasses clinked, Cameron softly cleared her throat. "To the pretty girl buying me a drink tonight, when she could definitely be out kicking someone's ass right now. I'm glad you're here instead." She gave Alex a smile and took a sip of her drink, knowing her limits. Being so small in stature, she knew it didn't take much until she'd start feeling the alcohol hit her, so she was in no rush to drink fast. "Of course. Thanks for drinks," she responded. "I'll always take the opportunity to talk to you for longer than the minute or two I get at the gym." She took notice to the small circles being traced on her knee and took the opportunity to show her the slightest affection in response. She brought her hand up to just briefly brush her thumb across the other girl's knuckles -  a small sign to show her own interest, but not too much as to overdo it. "I'd love to come to another fight again, too. Not that I ever had any doubt, but you're really good. And they're fun to watch."

ALEX TAYLOR

As Cameron talked, Alex listened intently, despite maybe looking pretty apathetic towards anyone and anything. Although Alex really didn't talk much, Cam just... kept talking, and Alex would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it. Not that she'd ever admit that to anyone--or even herself. The taller girl nodded, but quirked her head just the slightest bit in confusion at Cameron saying she wanted to talk to her for longer than at the gym. She shrugged it off quickly, and kept taking sips of her drink as Cam continued. The touch of the girl's thumb against her knuckles was soothing, and it sent a wave of calm over Alex that she hadn't quite expected. It made her freeze for just a millisecond--nothing noticeable--before she leaned back on the bar and ordered a shot for herself. Clearly, she needed more alcohol to ease her nerves, although she wasn't exactly sure where they were coming from. "They are fun to watch," Alex nodded in agreement, thinking about all the fights she had watched once she finally got into the sport. Cam saying she wanted to come to another fight surprised her once more, but she kept her face stoic. She knew after they fucked and Alex ditched the girl during the night, Cameron wouldn't be so keen on coming back to another one of her fights. But still, with her drink finished and a shot down, and Alex starting to feel a little warm inside, she appeased the girl. "Sure, I fight a few times a week and train the rest of the time. So just let me know."

CAMERON RUSSO

Cameron raised her eyebrows, taking another sip of her drink while watching Alex take a shot by herself. She was intrigued, seeing how fast the girl was downing her alcohol, even though she seemed more comfortable as they walked into the bar than she did at dinner. Cameron hasn't minded carrying the conversation all night, nor did she even take it as a bad sign, she was just more of a talker than Alex was. She knew that if she truly didn't want to go out with Cameron, she easily would've just turned down her offer, so the fact that she came meant something to her. "Do you still get to watch them, or are you too busy fighting and training for your own?" Cameron hasn't asked too many questions tonight, she's mostly stuck to talking since she's gotten the sense that that's easier, but she's been genuinely interested in learning more about Alex since they've met. Every once in awhile, she'll ask her something, even if it's not too deep, and just learning small little details about Alex tends to make her smile every time. She took a few more sips of her drink, not wanting to fall too far behind in case Alex didn't want to stay too much longer. "I definitely will. It's admirable how hard you work, honestly. I mean, I've known you work hard because you're constantly in the gym, but it's pretty amazing how much you put into it. I like your passion, " she smiled, then finished off her drink.

ALEX TAYLOR

"I used to, when my trainer still fought in them," Alex responded, positioning her body so she was further in between the girl's legs. "I don't so much now unless it's someone I'm not sure I can beat." Alex was a pretty confident fighter--which often times got her into some pretty shitty situations--but she knew she wasn't the best of the best. Sometimes, fighters will come along that she wants to study and learn their habits in the ring, so she'll go sit in the back and watch a few of their fights. It's a trick her trainer taught her, and one that she has become slightly obsessed about it. "Especially when someone I know someone fights dirty, I go watch to see if I can pick them up before they get into my ring," she used the term 'my ring' as if it was only hers, which it wasn't, and she probably sounded cocky calling it that, but she didn't care. If it was someone else's ring, she wouldn't have the stats she does right now. Alex felt the alcohol a little more now, so she let a small smile tug at the corners of her lips. No one trying to get into bed with her had gone that deep with a compliment. No one had ever complimented her passion besides other fighters. "Thank you," she responded sincerely, tilting her head a little to look at Cameron. She didn't really know what else to say, mostly because she was shit at taking compliments and a little because Cameron was just so pretty. "Did you want another drink or do you wanna get outta here?"

CAMERON RUSSO

Cameron nodded along to what Alex was saying, always a good active listener, and happy she was sharing with her. She smiled as the girl in front of her, practically having her legs wrapped around her at this point, continued. “Your ring.” It was almost a proud smile - not that Cameron had any claim to Alex, but she liked the girl’s confidence. Watching her fight, and honestly even just seeing how hard she trains, she knew she had reason to be confident. “I like that.” She brought her hand back up to Alex’s, tracing her thumb along the inside of her wrist, and looked up at the girl. The two had certainly never been this close before, but Cameron was far from complaining. She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol bringing the girl closer to her, but she liked the closeness nonetheless. “We can go if you want to. I know I’ve kept you out pretty long already.” Cameron was in no rush to end her time with Alex, but given her ”do you wanna get outta here”, she was assuming leaving here wouldn’t be the end of their night. The particular words she used gave Cameron pause to where exactly Alex thought the rest of their night was heading, but she didn’t put too much thought into it. “Are you ready to go?”

ALEX TAYLOR

Alex was definitely feeling the alcohol now, which is why she was a little more affectionate than she was any other time. She still kept it together, though, and just watched Cameron trace circles on the inside of her wrist. Alex would never—could never—admit how much she liked the other girl’s touch. It was so simple, yet it steadied and calmed her. “We don’t have to.” Alex shrugged, bringing her hand up to run through her fingers through her hair. Usually, Alex would be fine taking her time (unless the person who she figured she’d be sleeping with at the end of the night was particularly annoying), but they had gone to dinner before this, so Alex figured it was an acceptable amount of time and she figured that Cameron would think so as well. “Kinda.” She hummed. “It’s great here and all, but being alone with you sounds—” Alex clicked her tongue, her eyes flicking down to Cam’s lips. “—way better.”

CAMERON RUSSO

Cameron raised her eyebrows at Alex's comment, surprised at how forward the other girl was being. She could brush it off as the alcohol hitting her now, but she had a feeling that wasn't the only factor. This confidence is the most comfortable she's seen Alex all night, especially in comparison to how clearly out of her element the girl was at dinner, so Cameron figured it safe to assume this was more in Alex's comfort zone. Still, she wasn't going to turn down more time with her and she'd be lying if she said her eyes hadn't ever landed (and lingered) on the taller girl's lips as well. "Let's go then," she gave Alex a smile, already getting her phone out to get them a ride. "Mine or yours?" She knew the way their conversation sounded, but Cameron was never one for just hookups, and even if she was, she was hoping for more with Alex. That wasn't what she was looking for when she asked Alex out, even if she was unsure if Alex knew that yet.

ALEX TAYLOR

Alex moved from between the other girl’s legs so she could get up from the stool. “Yours,” she replied easily, knowing that there wasn’t a chance in hell she would be bringing Cameron back to her apartment. She never brought anyone back—it ruined Alex’s escape plan and let whoever it was stay as long as they wanted. Typically, affection was a completely foreign concept to the taller girl, but she could at least do what she figured girls liked when she had some alcohol in her. So, once Cameron ordered the Uber, Alex let her hand slip down to the small of the girl’s back to gently guide her out of the bar. Most people would just grab their date’s hand, but that is a lot more affection than Alex knows how to give and this wasn’t a typical date—just a hook up. Once they were outside, the Uber arrived relatively quickly and Alex opened the door for Cameron, letting her slide in first.

CAMERON RUSSO

It wasn't surprising to Cameron that Alex chose to go to her place, and luckily, it wasn't a long ride to get there. After a few short exchanges with their driver, and with Alex in between, they were already out front of her apartment. She slid out first and waited for Alex, this time closing the door for her, before leading her to her door. "You look really pretty tonight, by the way." Now that Cameron was on her feet, she could feel just a slight buzz from her drink earlier (not that being sober would stop her from complimenting Alex). "I know I keep sticking with the 'pretty girl' thing, but you really look nice tonight. Not that you don't always look great at the gym, but. I like seeing you out tonight, you're pretty." She smiled at her for a moment before pulling out her keys to let them inside. After a second of fumbling, Cameron opened the door, letting Alex go first.

ALEX TAYLOR

Alex was sure she froze when Cameron called her pretty. That wasn't a word hook-ups use, nor a word Alex has ever really been called. It made her hesitate in her steps as her mouth opened and struggled to find a reply. She shrugged it off, though, because Cameron had been referring to her this entire time as 'a pretty girl,' so it had to mean nothing. That's just how Cameron flirted, apparently. "You look hot, too," she settled on saying. Alex was very, very aware that she wasn't completely on her A-game tonight, but she knew it must have been the dinner that threw her off and settled her out of her element very early on in the night. Once they were finally inside, Alex let Cameron close the door before the taller girl closed the distance between them, settling her hands on Cameron's hips. "I've wanted to be alone with you all night." Her words were soft as she leaned in closer so her lips grazed the shell of the other girl's ear. Then, Alex did what she's been (pretty desperately) wanting to do all night and pressed her lips softly against Cameron's.

CAMERON RUSSO

Cameron gave Alex a knowing smile; she was gathering more and more that Alex wasn’t sure how to take her compliments and that she wasn’t too keen of giving compliments of her own. She didn’t mind or take any offense to it - Cameron was a fairly confident person, but she understood that not everyone was, and even from their interactions before tonight, she sort of already got that feeling from Alex anyway. As Alex closed the distance between them and she felt her hands on her hips, Cameron slowly wrapped her own arms around the taller girl’s neck. She held back a shiver as she heard Alex’s voice so close to her ear and she got a small “Me too” out in response. Of course she’s enjoyed talking to her all night, but she was also looking forward to doing more than just talking to her, and she could feel the anticipation of being so close to her in her chest. When she felt Alex’s lips on hers, she automatically brought one hand up to softly cup the girl’s face, as she pressed into Alex. Cameron’s thumb brushed along her cheek as her lips moved softly and slowly - meaningfully - against Alex’s, enjoying finally being this close to her.

ALEX TAYLOR

Alex almost flinched at the gentle touch to her face, being completely caught off guard for the hundredth time tonight. No one had ever been that gentle with her--usually, her hook-ups cupped her face aggressively and passionately as they made their way to the bedroom. But Cameron's thumb was brushing against her cheek and Alex could have melted right then and there. What the fuck? was the only thought going through her head. The touch made  her uncomfortable - solely because she wasn't used to it - so Alex tried to speed up the process a bit, tried to gain a bit more control of the situation. The girl moved her hands under Cameron's shirt, feeling the soft skin of her back and stroking her fingers along her spine as her tongue swiped against Cameron's bottom lip. After a few seconds of heated kissing, Alex pulled back, breathless and, quite honestly, surprised at how much she loved kissing the smaller girl. Her hands on the girl's hips slowly backed her up to the couch, where she gently pushed Cameron down in between heated kisses. Alex climbed on top of the smaller girl, her fingers easily making their way underneath Cameron's shirt to dance right underneath her bra line.

CAMERON RUSSO

Cameron was surprised but delighted at the sudden change of pace. She loved the feeling of Alex’s hands on her - her skin hot under the paths her fingers traced across her body. Cameron’s hand slid down from Alex’s cheek, her fingers resting on the back of her neck. She deepened her kisses to match the other girl’s as she felt herself being backed up into the couch. As Alex climbed on top of her, Cameron’s one hand made her way to Alex’s hip while the other grazed her chin, guiding her back in to kiss her again. Cameron was finding herself getting breathless, but loved every second Alex’s lips were pressed against hers or the spark she felt when Alex’s tongue grazed her bottom lip. She’d snag the girl’s lip between her teeth briefly, smiling into the kisses when she’d get a reaction. She didn’t know that this date would lead to her being under Alex in a heated make out session, but she was far from complaining.

ALEX TAYLOR

Alex had to actively bite back a groan when she felt a nip at her bottom lip, but a small, barely-there whimper still made its way into Cameron's mouth. She hoped the other girl didn't notice, because Alex never made any noises in bed unless it was faked and the noise that just tumbled from her lips was very much real. It made Alex even more uncomfortable, because what the fuck was this girl doing to her - with the soft touches and the compliments and Alex actually feeling things. Yeah, fuck no. Alex's hands immediately made their way to the hem of Cameron's shirt, lifting it up a little and starting to work on actually getting it off. But, since Alex wasn't a complete asshole and did understand consent in bed was very important, she pulled back from the kiss. "Is this cool?" She tugged on the shirt a bit to let Cameron know exactly what she meant.

CAMERON RUSSO

Cameron felt Alex’s hands pulling at her shirt and thought that maybe it was time to slow this down. While she didn’t want to  stop kissing Alex, she was getting the feeling that she might have the wrong idea of the meaning of tonight. She was getting hints all night that Alex might’ve been brushing off what was happening the rate at which things were happening at her apartment seemed to further confirm her suspicions. She paused for a moment trying to figure out how to approach it, her head still rushing from the passion of the moment. “You know this isn’t why I asked you out, right?” She paused, giving her a small smile. “Not that I don’t love this, but. This wasn’t a ploy to sleep with you.” She didn’t want Alex carrying around the wrong idea in her head, she meant more to Cameron than just one night of fun.

ALEX TAYLOR

Alex froze when the other girl wasn't reacting as... positively towards her advances. Her hands immediately moved from their position and instead, she held herself up by pressing one of her hands into the cushion of the couch. "Uh," her eyebrows pulled together in complete confusion, not understanding what else this could be besides a way to sleep with her. "... what?" Her voice sounded smaller than usual, her confusion and frustration with herself at not understanding the situation getting the best of her. She sat up, trying to not make it seem like her ego had been completely punched in the face. "But like, dinner?" It wasn't a very descriptive question, but it's all Alex could manage, trying to piece together the events of the night. "And drinks? You wanted to go out."

CAMERON RUSSO

Cameron nodded, listening along to the girl’s obvious confusion and knowing she’d have to break it down for her. “Yes, I wanted to go out with you.” She looked at Alex’s hand pressed into the cushion and she brought her own hand over, brushing over the other girl’s knuckles with her thumb once again. “I wanted to go out with you and spend time with you because I thought we’d have a good night together. I think you’re an interesting person and I think you’re pretty and I like kissing you and, again, I’m definitely not saying no to this,” she gestured towards the both of them, “but I don’t want you to think that I asked you out just to get you here. I asked you out for you, not for sex.” Cameron stopped there, hoping her explanation had made sense to the other girl. She tried to explain it in a way that didn’t come across from a rejection, because she was far from rejecting her. She also obviously thought there was more to Alex than interesting and pretty, but she kept it short; it was clear that Alex wasn’t accustomed to this and she didn’t want to scare her off by throwing too much at her. Regardless of Alex’s confusion though, she knew the girl was at least a little bit into her as well, even if she didn’t quite know how this worked.

ALEX TAYLOR

Alex had to stop herself from clenching her jaw when the girl’s fingers brushed against her knuckles once more, annoyed that the touch was still soothing to her even as she felt her confusion clouding her brain. She listened carefully to Cameron’s explanation, her face never moving from the confused expression it held. Despite Cameron explaining it quite eloquently, Alex still felt frustration bubbling up in her chest. She doesn’t date. Sure, she’s been asked out for dinner before, but she usually declines in favor of drinks instead and... she wasn’t quite sure what happened with Cam. Her mind replayed the events of the night, piecing it together slowly but surely. Alex sat up a little more, moving her hand from Cameron’s touch and running it through her hair. “Okay,” she said slowly. She was a little irritated, honestly, but that was just because she was so confused about how they got to this point. She would never admit that she somehow let it get to this point because maybe, just maybe she was into Cameron. She had convinced herself the girl was just really hot (which she was) and it would be a good fuck. “I’ll... go then?” Her words came out as a question as she stood up from the couch. Now, she was very uncomfortable, because she didn’t do dates unless it ended with sex - and it was clear this girl wanted to have sex with her, but was going to draw it out. Because everyone always wanted just sex from her, and she was completely okay with that. “Thanks for dinner.”

CAMERON RUSSO

Cameron watched as Alex's face maintained its confused expression. She couldn't help but think it was cute, even with the current situation - she found it endearing. She understood now just how much Alex wasn't understanding the meaning of them going out tonight and how she truly thought it was all just to get in her pants. She let the girl pull her hand out from under hers; Cameron didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she clearly already was. While she didn't want their night to end, especially with Alex seemingly upset and obviously uncomfortable, she was going to respect whatever the girl's wishes were. "You don't have to, but if that's what you want to do, you can, of course." She stood alongside Alex, in case she decided to leave. Cameron was a fairly confident person, so even if Alex was unsure right now and decided to leave, she knew the two had a good night. Even if just from the small signals Alex was (probably unknowingly) giving her, she knew they got along well and they both seemed to be into each other. "Thanks for drinks," she replied, "I had a really good time with you tonight."

ALEX TAYLOR

Alex awkwardly shifted her weight between her feet as she scratched the back of her head. If she thought she was out of her element at dinner, she was absolutely out of her element right now. She’s great at leaving after sex, but leaving when no sex has occurred and it was apparently just some fucking date night? Her confusion was just constantly rising, but she felt this scratching at her chest telling her to stay—that she wanted to stay. Honestly, that just freaked her out more and she found herself moving towards the door. “Yeah, of course. Yep.” Alex nodded. “See ya.” She gave a small, awkward wave as she quickly slipped out the door and shut it behind her. Alex took a second and leaned against it, taking a long breath in and blowing it out to try and control her growing frustration. What the fuck just happened?

[adoeadeer]

Salty and Sweet ch. 5

A/N: Heres the moment we’ve all been waiting for! xo B

Warnings: mild swearing

Jane pulled into her driveway, closely followed by Sweet Pea on his motorcycle. As she got out of her car, she noticed Sweet Pea observing her home. True, it was small and quaint for the Northside, but that’s all she and her mother could ever need and afford.

“I’ll be right back out, I’m going to change.” Jane called to Sweet Pea, and he gave her a nod.

“Make it snappy, shortcake.”

Jane rolled her eyes and ran up the stone steps to her house, noticing her mom was gone from work. She used this moment to run upstairs to her room and pull on a black long sleeved bodysuit with a low-ish neckline and a pair of high waisted ripped jeans. She completed her look with a pair of silver hooped earrings. As a last minute decision, Jane decided on some deep red lipstick. After spritzing herself with her vanilla scented perfume, Jane made her way back outside to Sweet Pea.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” she said, and his eyes flicked up to meet hers, traveling from her lips to her chest, then quickly back to meet her gaze.

“Dont you look spiffy,” Sweet Pea commented, and Jane found herself blushing once again. He handed her his spare helmet and she tugged it on over her curls. “You better hold on, Princess.” he scooted up to give her space to climb on behind him, and she swung a leg over and found herself holding the seat. “Hold onto me, you goon.” Sweet Pea laughed.

Jane let out a nervous chuckle before gripping either side of Sweet Pea’s denim vest.

The pair pulled out of her driveway and sped down the road, across the tracks and into the Southside. Jane loved the feeling of the wind on her face as Sweet Pea cruised along. It was a rush of adrenaline, really. She’d never been on the back of a boy’s bike before.

Eventually, they stopped near a driveway of a house that was already crowded with some bikes and beater cars, there were people out on the lawn, red solo cups and cans in hands. Sweet Pea shut off the engine and pulled his helmet off, which encouraged Jane to do the same, but not before She caught a whiff of a strong scented shampoo. Damn he smelled good.

“Here we are,” Sweet Pea swing himself off the bike and held the handle bars while Jane hobbled off, nearly losing her balance when her food got stuck on the seat, but the tall Serpent was quick to catch her. “Did I leave you weak in the knees, little girl?” he said with a grin, and she gave him a sour look before straightening herself and letting go of his arm. Sweet Pea kicked out the kick-stand and put both of the helmets back on his bike. The house was thrumming with the beat of a song that came from inside.

“Hope you’re ready for a Southside party. Don’t go getting too drunk, it’s my ass that’s watching out for your ass.” Sweet Pea nudged her with his elbow as they made their way past the groups outside, and Jane watched as they all greeted Sweet Pea. She kept herself mostly behind him, trying not to attract much attention. The pair had barely made their way inside before Sweet Pea was engulfed in a hug.

“Pea! Man! There you are, you’re my best friend. Did you know that?” A stocker boy said as he swung his arms around Sweet Pea. Jane recognized him to be boy he was always with, the classier one from the other night at Pop’s. “Who’s this bombshell?” he indicated Jane as he let go of the taller boy.

“Fangs, cool it. She’s my plus one tonight. Meet Jane.” Sweet Pea introduced her, and Jane found herself really enjoying the way her name sounded on his lips.

“Jane, I’m Fangs. Here on the Southside, we hug when we’re drunk.” Fangs then proceeded to give Jane a bear hug. “Here, have a beer new friend Jane!” he pulled a can from the inside of his leather jacket. Jane graciously accepted it, surprised to find it was cold.

“Thanks, new friend Fangs.” Jane cracked the cam and took a sip, earning a raised brow from Sweet Pea. How could he tell she wasn’t a beer drinker?

“There you guys are! We were just about to leave, Fangs hates being at parties without his Sweetie Pie.” a rather short pink haired girl had joined them. “I’m Toni.” she said when she caught Jane’s gaze on her, and extended a hand. Jane shook it, returning the smile.

“Nice to meet you, I love your hair!” Jane exclaimed, then indicated to the purple in her own. That earned a grin from Toni.

“Purple, love it. You fit right in, it’s about time too. Being the only girl in a group of guys gets boring sometime.” Toni laughed and threw an arm around Jane.

Jane had never really be involved with a group of friends before. Just the odd friends and Freda. Shit, she forgot about Freda. Oh well, she’ll love this story on Monday morning. She took a moment to observe the three who were deep in conversation about the goings on of Talon’s party before Jane and Sweet Pea arrived.

After a couple moments, Sweet Pea took her by the sleeve when Toni and Fangs challenged each other to a game of beer pong. He led her into the kitchen where there was numerous bottles of alcohol and different mixes, and a whole cooler full of beer. “Let’s get you something better than beer.”

“Are you joking? I love beer.” Jane joked, taking a final sip, but failed in keeping a straight face and reacted to the bitterness.

Sweet Pea chuckled and pulled the can from her grasp and set it down for a hammered individual to finish. “How about some rum and coke? Vodka cran? Straight whiskey?” he grinned, pulling on the charade as bar tender.

“Vodka cran, kind sir.” Sweet Pea obliged and filled the red solo cup a quarter of the way with vodka, then the rest with cranberry juice. Jane accepted the cup and stuck her pinky in instinctively, like she would at home, mixing the drink before popping her pinky into her mouth to suck the remains off.

“Are you trying to attract me right now?” Sweet Pea asked, leaning against the counter. “Because if so, it’s working.”

Jane grinned up at him. “Not really, I needed to mix.” she shrugged, taking a gulp from her cup. “You do a good vodka to cran ratio.”

Sweet Pea smiled, and suddenly the house was quiet and it was just Sweet Pea and Jane in the house, the two of them caught eye to eye, and Sweet Pea raised an arm to tuck a curl behind Jane’s ear. Butterflies flew around her stomach and she found herself taking another drink from her cup.

“You’re cute when you’re nervous.” He told her, and she was all of a sudden forced to put her drink on the counter before Sweet Pea cupped her cheek in his hand, pressing his lips to hers. Jane felt herself kiss back, half startled but half craving more of him.

“Excuse me?” came a shrill voice from the doorway of the kitchen. Jane and Sweet Pea quickly pulled apart to find Savannah standing in the door way, looking furious. “Pea, I told you about this party and you take a Northsider and kiss her? At the party? Where I told you to come?”

“Fuck off, Savannah. Go fuck Talon or some other sorry idiot.” Sweet Pea shout back over the sound of the music, and Jane pulled back as he pushed back from the counter and towards Savannah. “You can’t keep inserting yourself into my life whenever you damn well please.”

With a scoff, Savannah spun on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen.

“I’m sorry.” Sweet Pea turned back to Jane, eyes apologetic. He extended a hand to her. “Let’s go find Fang’s and Toni.”

Jane took another gulp from her drink and graciously put her hand in Sweet Pea’s, which was big and warm and comforting. She allowed him to guide her through the body-crowded living room and to where Toni and Fangs were sprawled on the couch. Sweet Pea and Jane plopped down on the edge, dangerously close to one another. Instead of inserting herself into the conversation, Jane let the vodka clear her thoughts of Savannah. Soon her head lulled onto Sweet Pea’s shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay?” came his deep voice as his hand gently shook your arm.

Jane lifted her head to meet her gaze and found him swimming around in her vision. “I’m ready for home.” she told him. She should have remembered vodka made her sleepy.

Sweet Pea nodded and the two said their good byes to Toni and Fangs before he slipped her hand back into Jane’s and he guided her back out and onto his bike. He fasted her helmet on before his and gave her head a tap.

“I’m sorry I cut your party short.” Jane told him as they climbed back onto the bike.

“That’s okay, just make sure you hold on to me tightly, Sleepy.” Sweet Pea gave her a reassuring pat on the hand when she fisted her freezing hands into his denim vest pockets.

The two cruised back into the Northside soon enough and back up Jane’s driveway. Jane noticed her mom still wasn’t home from work, which would make it easier for her to go to bed quicker.

“Can I have your number?” Sweet Pea asked Jane as he helped her off his bike. “I think I’d like to take you out again.”

“Yeah, uh, here.” Jane took his phone and plugged her number in under the name ‘Princess’. She handed it back with a wink. “Thank you for taking me tonight. I like your friends. And your lips.” she let the vodka add, earning a chuckle from the raven haired boy.

He quickly dipped his head and caught her lips in his once again, finishing what he started at the party. This time the kiss grew deeper as he wrapped his arms around her waist and her arms twined around his neck.

It seemed as though sparks flew from between the both of them, Jane intoxicated by the taste of him instead of the vodka cran. Then her thoughts got to her. Flashbacks of the blond haired boy who took advantage of her previously. Quickly, she pulled back, and both pairs of arms dropped to their sides. “I’ll see you at school.” Jane gave him a smile, an extra kiss on the cheek and quickly ran into her house, leaving a confused but happy Sweet Pea staring after her.