#lo siento (derogatory) but I just had to see the whole thing play out

[blissfulalchemist]

tying your lover's tie dealers choice? <3

Hi hello! So this....got away from me to say the least....

I decided to use Tia and Conner for this as Conner is about the only one of my kids that wears ties near consistently. I hope you enjoy 8.2k of of these two idiots.

There’s time to just relax, and Tia should just be in her room lying back and trying to name off the stars she’d be able to see this time of year. It’s not like Conner is ever late, especially for these kinds of events, ones where he has to put on his best face. Her stomach still flutters a bit with the memory of him asking her to be his plus one, despite the casual business-like manner of which he did. He still chose her to come with him and at this point she would look for any reason to be close to him….if only she knew how she should dress for it.

The last time she had a dress that wasn’t showing off a lot of skin, and wasn’t a somber event, was her senior prom, and even then she had just managed to skirt past the rules. In all honesty she just wanted to impress him, easier said than done. She’d practically given up when she had heard that the event was formal or well no, someone said it was cocktail….no, no it was definitely semi-formal….oh no, wait, someone else thinks she could actually just come in business casual wear. At least the last one had a defined line for Tia to consider….the others not so much and a google search yielded little else.

Honestly it was a long shot that she’d find Conner in his office still at this hour. He always went home as soon as he could, rarely did he take advantage of the temporary sleeping quarters in the Alchemist hub. The echo of Tia’s boots are dulled by the thin cheap carpet and the fabric covered cubicles as she makes her way to Conner’s office. She’s surprised to see the artificial yellow light pouring out from the near floor length windows of the office. Tia slowed, her steps now whispering against the ground as she moved to sneak a peek into the office to confirm it really was him and not the custodian like last time.

She smirked, catching the show of Conner turning to face a mirror as he pulled on a white button up shirt. Biting her lower lip she took in as many details the angle she watched him from would allow. The faint lines of lean muscle, something that could be accentuated more if he took the time to workout, the hints of black ink along his ribs and upper back, the way his hands moved as they-.

“I think they need to reteach you how to be sneaky, Caro,” she blinked, meeting the small smirk on his lips as he finished the last of the buttons. Tia gave an eye roll moving to sit herself down in the chair of the office, boots finding their usual spot on the corner of the desk. 

“Thought you’d be getting ready at home,” she said, giving a smile, the latest candy in the bowl finding a new home in her hand.

“There was a report I needed to finish,” his grey blue eyes stayed focused on his outfit, “Mostly because I finished up the rest of yours this morning.”

She arched a brow, the candy she tossed in the air brushing her cheek before falling to the floor. “I never asked you to do that,” she leaned over picking up the candy just missing the glare from Conner, “I was gonna finish it later tonight.”

He laughed, pulling the tie off the hanger still holding onto his dark blue silk blend jacket and vest, “Oh were you now?” She nodded, giving him a playful glare, “Do you even know how late this event is going to go?”

“I do not,” she shrugged, watching his hands fumble with the tie, “Like eleven, maybe.”

He shook his head, turning to her, eyes assessing the dark skinny jeans and burgundy off the shoulder top, “Friday and Saturday night events can go well into the morning and this is the biggest one of the year.”

“Oh,” her shoulders fell, feet hitting the ground once more, “What’s the event even for? No one would really tell me.”

Conner grimaced at the knot he had created, “It’s both an auction for charity, celebration of big promotions, and giving out awards.” He sighed, shaking his head, “A little bit too much of fanfare if you ask me.”

“But also efficient if you think about it,” he glanced up at her, raising a brow, “Well why have three separate events that are all pretty formal when you can just have one big one? You’re just going to be inviting the same people anyway.” 

“Huh,” he turned to face the mirror once again, “Guess that makes sense.” Conner let out a low growl as he once again made a mess of the tie.

Tia stood, moving between him and the mirror, “Here, let me help you.”

He took a quick step back, pushing her hands away, “No, I’m fine. I can do it.”

“We’ll be here all night with your progress,” she huffed, hands working to undo the latest mess of the tie, “Just let me help you, Khakis.”

His jaw tightened, “Only if you can promise me that you’re not planning to wear that,” his eyes moved up and down her body, “tonight.”

She looked down, “What you don’t like it?” He gave her a tired look, “It’s formal wear as it has jeans and they aren’t ripped.” She laughed watching him run a hand down his face, “I’m kidding, Mr. Serious Pants.”

“God you better be.”

“I am,” she put her hand out for the tie, Conner it over with reluctance, “I, well it’s why I took a crap shot in seeing if you were here.” Conner simply hummed as she let out a sigh, “I have three dresses because I couldn’t tell or even understand what kind of event this was so I didn’t know what would be the most appropriate.” 

Conner glanced at the wooden clock behind him, “I can help you with that. We got some extra time.”

She smiled, “Thanks. I promise I won’t take long getting ready. I have plans for all the dresses and can do the make up easily in the car.”

“I trust you,” he smiled looking down into her eyes, “You’re not exactly the type of girl to go all out for these kinds of things, Caro,” he chuckled, “always seemed more like the jock type.”

“Why because I can tie a tie?” Tia mocked playfully, Conner giving a frown as she laughed, “Come on lighten up, Khakis. Now, tell me what kind of knot you want.”

Conner’s eyes went wide for a moment, “There’s more than one knot?”

“Yeah,” she laughed, “There’s a good amount, though I can’t do all of them. I can do your standards; windsor, half windsor, and four in hand, but I can also do an eldridge, trinity, and cafe knot.” Conner’s brows furrowed, mouth falling open as he stumbled for words, “Oh! If you want to go really fancy I can even do a rose bud knot.”

“I-. Tia I don’t know what any of those look like,” he shook his head, “Why don’t you just pick for me.” A mischievous smile played at the corner of her lips, “Though maybe not the rose one,” Tia frowned, letting out a huff.

“Fine, eldridge knot it is,” she moved closer, her heart starting to race, “At least you’ll stand out from everyone else.” Conner cleared his throat, as she pulled his collar up putting the tie around his neck. Tia’s hands trembled ever so slightly, fingers brushing against the rising heat in his neck, or maybe it was her own imagination. This game, these feelings, the hot and cold had been going on for almost three years now and she couldn’t take it anymore. She wanted so badly to just have him, to admit freely the way she felt, to have him do the same and try to defy the rules that so far dictated their separation. These same rules that painted her as the bad guy, as evil incarnate, rules that she’d seen Conner follow to an absolute….mostly.

Her hands moved almost deftly as they arranged the fabric, careful to keep her distance from touching him. She wouldn’t want to stop if she did, not while they were alone. “How do you know how to do this?” Conner asked the sound of his voice pulling her focus from the knot as it reverberated through his chest. 

“Tie a tie?” He gave a small nod of his head, Tia fumbling as she reversed some of her steps, eyes narrowing in concentration. “Well, when I was a teenager I had a sort of ‘Avril Lavigne’ phase.”

He smirks, “The singer? ‘He was a boy, she was a girl’ singer?” Tia looked up at his eyes, ears catching on to the slight change in pronunciation of some of the words, “Did she wear a tie? I don’t remember.”

“She did,” Tia gave a shake of her head, hands moving with more confidence, “I got bored of the basic knot and everyone did it that way anyway, so well I-.”

“Wanted to stand out, like you always do,” his breath caught as she finished, her hands hesitating just above his chest. “Thanks, I think I can take it from here,” he said softly, his hands brushing against hers starting to pull them away. 

“And risk you messing it up,” she laughed, swallowing, “No I- I, um, can do it.” She took a deep breath, her fingers sliding up the fabric, gently tightening the tie to his neck. The urge to pull him closer, close the space between them, her lips meeting his, hoping the surprise won’t last long and his arms would wrap around her, hell they could maybe just forget about the whole event at that point. Her hands lingered on his chest, eyes focusing on the way his breathing became more shallow, how his heart raced beneath her palms. One moment….that’s all she needed….just….one….moment.

“It’s a formal event, Caro,” Conner’s voice coming out in a whisper, Tia nodding, heat flooding her cheeks as he took a half step back, “What do your three dresses look like?”

She let her hands slide away, falling back to her sides, “One is short, with a lace up back and a pretty pink and gold print all over.”

Conner’s breathing evened out, shaking his head, “Nothing short, maybe if it was a casual cocktail.”

“Right,” she pressed her lips together with a smirk forming on her lips, “The other one is longer and can wrap around to be different styles,” Conner shook his head once more, “Well it might be that one if you don’t like the last one.”

“Tell me,” he had put some distance between them, near leaning against his desk.

“The last one is long, single color, reminds me of something you would see a spy wear to a party,” she laughed softly, Conner joining her.

“Wear that one,” He faced the mirror once more, adjusting cufflinks that weren’t there, “I just hope you have some heels to go with it.”

Tia gave a nod, making her way out the door back to her room, resting against the wall of the elevator. Her heart still thumped in her chest, stomach floating, turning, fingers tingling, burning with where she had touched him. Tonight, tonight, tonight. They’d be close tonight. She had a free pass for tonight. Maybe….just maybe….

She had each detail planned out in her mind for days which made quick work of the whole routine. Her hair pinned just so, with the right amount of tendrils framing her face, the gold floral hair piece secured just above the pinned braids. Her makeup understated, the colors toned down to golden brown eyeshadow with a touch of plum just at the crease, black eyeliner winged perfectly, and lips a dark red bordering on burgundy. Perfect. All of it….perfection, worth the hours of practice she’d committed to for the last week. The dark wine colored dress slipped on with ease, falling and hugging her curves to rival those female spies Tia had always seen in the movies. The thin strap cold shoulder design didn’t hinder her movement as she moved to put on finishing touches. The dress’ slit reached to the middle of her thigh, showing off the strappy gold heels that provided enough height to almost match Conner. The gold and faux diamond statement necklace hung low enough to accentuate the sweetheart neckline of the dress. Her black leather choker switched out for a gold one with dark amethyst stars and “planets” alternating, something that Conner had pointed out in a thrift shop weeks ago, the whole look finished off with a gold cuff on her left wrist and simple gold star earrings.

She looked at herself once more in the mirror, smiling, a blush coming to her cheeks, Now to see what Conner thinks, not that it really matters. Her hands shook, grabbing the small worn clutch purse making her way back up to the front entrance of the building. Her legs felt wobbly still, even as she walked with confidence and ease over to a waiting Conner. He looked up from his phone, eyes going wide, mumbling something under his breath, Tia beaming, the nerves leaving her in an instant. 

“What do you think, Smallville?” She gave a slow turn for him, laughing away the last of her worries, “You think everyone will be jealous of you?” 

He cleared his throat, “Maybe,” a smirk forming on his lips, “It is still you though, Caro.”

“So that’s a definite yes.”

Conner rolled his eyes, “Whatever you say.” He put an elbow out for her, “Shall we get your night out started?” She nodded, wrapping her arm with his as he led her to his car, checking once more the GPS would get them to the right address. For all the griping she had made in the days leading up to the party, she couldn’t have been more excited, shifting in the passenger seat of the grey Yaris. “You nervous, Caro?” Conner asked with a laugh.

“Me? Nervous?” Tia shook her head, “Never. Just excited.”

He arched his brow, giving her a quick glance, “You didn’t seem so excited the other day.”

“Well, yes and no,” she started, looking out the window, taking in the lights of the upper side of the city, “I’m not the biggest fan of these kinds of things, but I also-. Well it might be one of the last nights I have out of that place.”

“Ah,” Conner frowned, “I see. Are they planning on restricting you more?”

Tia nodded, “Yeah,” she sighed, “It's getting all a bit ridiculous if you ask me. It feels like I’m a part of some secret government program.”

“I think I’ve heard of some kind of field work for you in the future,” he gave a small shrug.

Tia looked to her clasped hands in her lap, “They keep saying that and yet I’m stuck inside doing whatever task they give me. I can’t tell you how many potions and amulets I’ve made in the last month.”

“Seventy five,” Tia narrowed her eyes, Conner glancing over sheepishly, “Sorry. I’m the one that has to keep count of all that.”

“They won’t even let me interact with the other witches like I used to,” she sighed, “Not that I hate your company in the least bit I just feel….”

“Lonely?”

Tia nodded, “Yeah. Lonely. It was nice having more people I could relate to, people in the same position as me.”

Conner’s frown deepened, “I’m sorry. Do you want me to try and talk to them? See if maybe they can transfer one or two over, tell them you could use a little extra help.”

She smiled, “Thanks for the offer Khakis but I don’t think that’ll work. I’ve tried that already.” She gave him a nudge on his arm, “Guess you’ll just have to stay longer at the office, C-Man.”

He shook his head, rolling his eyes with a smile on his face, “I do have plants at home I need to take care of, Caro.”

“Plants? As in more than just the little herb garden you have in your kitchen?”

“Don’t knock down my herb garden. It’s very helpful to me.”

“Uh huh, sure.” Conner gave an exasperated sigh, as Tia laughed. “What other kinds of plants do you have?”

“Some of your standard house plants, three orchids,” his fingers tapped the steering wheel as he listed, “a small rose bush, little pine tree, and I’m attempting an avocado tree now.”

“I thought you hated avocado?”

“I do,” But you don’t, she finished catching the quick glance her way as he said it. “Ah here we are,” he announced, pulling up to a hotel Tia had only ever heard of stars staying in. Her mouth fell open taking in the glamour of the front entrance, the valets in blood red vests standing out against the grey and white marble exterior with it’s silver accents and red carpets leading inside the building. She jumped as Conner opened her door, extending his hand to her, Tia taking it deftly, fingers buzzing. 

The car disappeared by the third step they took towards the pristine white tiled interior. The vaulted ceiling gave focus to the crystal chandelier above them, casting small rainbows along the already glittering floor, their golden tattoos glimmering with them. The front desk gleamed silver with the attendants wearing white shirts with black bow ties. “Wow,” she let out with an exhale.

“You’re telling me,” Conner’s eyes took in the interior with her, before looking down to a short woman dressed in a knee length black boat neck shift dress approaching them. 

“Are you two here for the private party or the wedding,” her voice short, Tia guessed that if she wasn’t holding the clipboard the woman would have her hands on her hips.

“The private party,” Conner answered, pulling out a square piece of cardstock.

“Right this way,” she huffed. 

Tia leaned over as they followed, “Think we can score some cake at the wedding later?”

Conner snickered, holding back a laugh, “If there’s any left,” he nodded to an open door where the two of them could see the cake cutting happening, some of it already being thrown about. 

Tia frowned, “Well I hope the Stiffs don’t skimp on the quality of the dinner.”

“I heard they always have a top shelf open bar, so I don’t think there’s possibility for anything less,” he said, giving a nod of thanks to the woman as she pointed them to a ballroom already filled with people mingling about. Conner swallowed, taking a deep breath, giving her hand a squeeze, “Let’s do this.”

It was easy enough for the first half of the night to pass in a blur, Conner seeming to be the one to silently hover more as Tia made rounds to groups of higher ups and the few socialite supporters in attendance. Her smile and laugh infectious, her look turning a few heads of those that were already indulging in more than they should have. Many times the conversation stopped once people saw the exact placement of her golden tattoo. Even in times where it seemed like they could all be neutral many didn’t even dare be associated with the likes of her kind.

“Why don’t they get upset with you,” she asked Conner as they waited at the bar for another drink, “for bringing me to this event? Isn’t it considered too friendly?”

“Yes,” his nails drummed against the glass in his hand, “However, I know how stir crazy you get and they agreed that it was easier to just let you come out tonight and fight with you another day.”

“You knew they were going to get stricter with my confinement?” She snapped.

Conner shook his head, “No, not until after I asked,” he stared down into the clear liquid of the glass, “I overheard it this morning.” His eyes met her sympathy darkening them, “I didn’t just ask to keep you placated like the rest of them assume, I wanted you to have fun, Tia.” He gave a small smile, “I mean how many times are you going to get to enjoy a fancy party like this in your lifetime?”

She looked over the crowd, some already taking their seats waiting for the dinner and speeches to start. “You have a point there, Khakis, so you get a pass,” she finished off her drink, hailing for another, “Just this once though.” He rolled his eyes as she laughed, “One last thing though.” He hummed for her to continue, “Why are they so lenient with you almost acting like I’m your date? Am I going to find you gone tomorrow?”

Conner stopped himself from trying to be witty in response, seeing the concern cement on her face, “All the better to keep an eye on you, Caro. They know the rapport you have with me,” Tia’s heart sank, looking away from him as he leaned closer to whisper, “I just can’t ever let them know how I see you.” The feel of his warm breath against her skin sent a shiver down her spine, as she straightened out.

Her smile returned, taking the drink brought to her, “Well I’ll keep it one sided then, Smallville,” she smirked, leading them to their assigned table near the back of the room. 

Everyone was given twenty minutes to eat before the speeches started. Despite the round table being able to seat eight, the three seated with them kept their distance, crowding on the far end, conversations hushed and among their hunched bodies. When the first speaker took the stage, they took to practically joining nearby tables. She leaned over to whisper, “You’d think I’d have the plague or something.”

“Might as well with all the hexes you could perform on them,” he whispered, Tia covering her mouth to hide her snickering. The halfway point of the night had Tia swinging between fidgeting and near falling asleep. She leaned back against the chair, arms crossed when the faint thumping of dance music hit her ears. 

She smiled, leaning over to Conner, “I gotta go to the ladies room.” He nodded shifting to follow her, “No,” she hissed, “I’ll be fine. Just give me ten minutes before you come searching for me.” He opened his mouth to protest before thinking it over a moment, waving her off. It was easy enough to slip into the next ballroom, the party in full swing with a full dance floor and a still decently filled dessert table. She made a beeline for it, quickly stopped by the drunk bride who gasped, her eyes going wide as she took in Tia’s outfit.

“Oh my god! Your dress! Hair!” She slurred, hands reaching out to lightly touch her, “You’re so pretty. But I don’t- I don’t think I recognize you. Are you someone my husband, cause I’m married now,” she held up her hand with the diamond encrusted band and engagement ring for emphasis, “invited on the fly? I tol’ him we shouldn’t invite people from the lobby.”

Tia laughed, shaking her head, “Uh no. I’m coming from the party next door.”

“Oh,” she tilted her head, strands from her up do coming free, “OH! You mean the snooze fest!” Tia nodded, the bride put a hand on her shoulder, “I un’erstand. You want a party? Cause you can stay!”

“I actually came for some dessert,” she pointed to the table behind the drunken bride, “if that’s okay with you.”

“Oh, yeah! Yeah! We got plenty! Help yourself!” She stepped to the side, grabbing Tia’s arm gently once she started walking, “You want some cake? I can give you a whole little, tiny tier of it if you want,” the bride attempted to whisper. Tia thought for a moment, the bride holding up her hands showing dimensions of how “small” it was, her pitch getting higher, “It’s like this big and its chocolate and raspberry filling.”

Tia shrugged, “Sure why not! Only if I get two forks too,” the bride nodded enthusiastically, waving Tia off to the dessert table, searching out for a waiter. There were little boxes and bags waiting to be filled with the cupcakes, pastries, donuts, chocolate covered fruit, and assortment of candy that she quickly worked to grab, placing them all in a gift bag carefully. She had just put in a final bag of the candy for Conner and the dish in his office when she was surprised to find a waiter with a plastic covered cake tier in hand. At least it was small like the bride promised it would be, She took it with a smile, gently setting it in the bag before quickly making her way out with the goodies.

She steadied her breathing walking back into the ballroom where the same speaker still droned on about the same subject as when she left, sliding back into her seat, bag slipping under the table with ease. “You’re late,” Conner hissed as she bent over to pull out the cake, “I was just getting ready to-. What is that?”

She smiled, putting the tier on the table handing him a fork, “Chocolate cake.”

He lifted the table cloth looking at the bag, “You stole-,” he hissed, Tia putting a finger to her mouth shushing him as they garnered a few looks from those around them. He let out a slow breath, whispering, “You stole from the wedding next door?”

She put a bite of the cake in her mouth shaking her head, “Nah. The bride gave me permission. Now eat your share before I do.” Conner hesitated a moment before picking up the fork and joining her, “See, I told you fruit tarts weren’t a good dessert.” Conner let out a sigh simply rolling his eyes instead of groaning like he normally would have. The speeches and awards finally started to wrap up by the time they finished the whole tier of cake, much to the jealous glares of some other attendees. “So do we go home now or,” she held onto the last word glancing at Conner’s watch, “cause it’s only midnight you know.”

“Silent auction and what’s a fancy party,” he took her hand spinning her, “without some dancing?”

“You trying to sweep me off my feet, C-Man,” Maybe even take me home?.

“Hardly.” The music started, a few other couples taking to the floor with them. The upbeat tempo feeling foriegn to Tia as she tried to find some way to dance while keeping space between her and Conner. He held a hand over his mouth, hiding the smile as he watched her, shoulders moving with his laughter, eyes glancing around the room. 

She stopped her movements, hands landing on her hips, “What? What’s so funny, Khakis?”

“Oh nothing,” he laughed, waving for her to continue, “Please continue.”

She let out a huff, rolling her eyes, “What am I doing wrong?”

“You sure you want to know?”

“Yes. Cause I’m not here for your entertainment,” she crossed her arms with a smirk, “That’s your job.”

“Okay,” Conner straightened himself out, glancing once more around the room, “Well, firstly, this beat doesn’t lend itself very well to individual dancing.” He stepped closer, “You need a partner,” he held a hand out to her, Tia looking up at him with an arched brow, “It’s mostly socialites at this point, Caro, they won’t care about a quick dance lesson.”

Her eyes scanned the room quickly, watching as many other Alchemists left for the night, the few staying occupied with their own conversations. She nodded, taking his hand, heart starting to race, “Alright, teach me, Smallville.”

Conner pulled her towards him slowly, “Now hand on my shoulder,” his voice a whisper, Tia doing as she was told. His hand hesitated to fall upon her waist, Tia placing it for him. “Right, uhm, now just follow my lead.” She nodded, steps matching his as he pushed and pulled her from him, moving in a circle around the dancefloor, Conner conscious of those around them. As the music continued Tia smiled as he spun her, never pulling her as close as those around them. She laughed, Conner joining in when he started to add small dips in between the twirls and pushing only to pull her back towards him.

“Well, well,” she said, eyes glancing down to match his steps, “it seems I should have known that you’d be able to dance to this. I underestimated you, cause this seems almost professional.”

He barked out a laugh, “Are you challenging me, Caro?”

“Oh?” She smirked, “Are you holding back on me, Khakis?”

“Figured I would go easy on you to start.”

She gasped, eyes going wide, “Going easy on me. I’m offended!”

“Well,” he pulled her closer, twelve inches separating them still as he dipped her towards the ground, “you are having a hard time keeping up as it is.”

She bit her lower lip as he brought her back up, “I can handle it.”

“Are you sure?”

Tia glanced once more around the room, no one seeming to even be glancing in their direction, “Definitely. Show me what you got.” He pulled her closer, her breath hitching, “No holding back or I’ll kill you tomorrow Khakis.” The song changed to one that had a faster beat and one that Tia could recognize, Conner easily leading her through spins and footwork that had them gliding across the dancefloor. He at one point held her out to the side, bending her as she watched the room blur, Conner using the momentum of pulling her back to lift her quickly, placing her in front of him, back facing him, arms wrapped around her. 

She leaned back, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, the way his breath fell against her blushing skin, and the tingling in her skin where their skin came into contact. The moment brief as he quickly had her in another spin from him, the footwork becoming more familiar to Tia, soon matching him. By the third song the two were spending more time trying to outdo the other, Tia soon leading in the twirls bringing a beaming smile to Conner’s face. Each move countering the other and somehow Conner still outpaced her, the dance more his design than hers. 

When the final note hit Tia found herself looking up into Conner’s eyes, hair almost brushing the wood floor, the two out of breath and beaming at the other. He held her close once they righted themselves, their foreheads touching as they caught their breath, his hands on her waist, hers lacing on the back of his neck. Her eyes closed, pulling his face closer to hers, lips a whisper away-.

Conner pulled back quickly, blinking a few times as the music started to slow, Tia looking away from him, “Sorry,” all she could whisper. He ran a hand through his hair, whatever gel he had used, releasing it to it’s more natural state, eyes landing on the door back to the hotel, her eyes following him, “One more?” He hummed in response, slowly looking back at her, “One more dance? Then we can go home. Deal?” He nodded, Tia’s hands moving back into place, one hand in his and the other on his shoulder, Conner’s free hand wrapping around her waist keeping her close.

The song transitioned easily into a new one, neither of them looking into the other’s eyes. It took restraint for Tia to keep those inches between them hoping to bring out the easy going Conner once more, if only to see him smile one more time. Their sway was slow and flowing easily despite the rigidity of Conner’s body. How could she have thought that he’d allow for a kiss from her, it was a stupid move on her part. Still it was one that felt long overdue. This hot and cold nature felt harder to navigate in recent months, her only motivation for keeping up with it was that she knew Conner felt just as strongly for her. The rules, those damn rules, every time the only thing between them. Was it so bad for him to love her? To even just be the friends they were just minutes before?

Seeing the way his eyes moved about the room, she had her answer. 

Damn the rules, She’d risk the dangers of a secret relationship with him, How could I do anything less?. She had thoughts and plans of leaving in the past after it looked like she wasn’t a good fit for the Alchemists. Yet when she brought them up and Conner had asked her why she hadn’t yet, the reasons she’d give were flimsy at best and grasping for straws at worst, when really after the first three times she nearly went through with those plans the reason just became him. Just Conner. That transition of wanting to just protect him to just wanting to be near him was obvious now but it had hit her suddenly when she came to his office one day to find it empty. A simple conference that lasted only two days and she couldn’t help but feel that ache for him, begging for him to come back home as soon as possible. She almost kissed him the day he returned and he’d taken to working late. Home, he was home. 

That was the logic she’d told herself again and again as to why she when really what she had meant to say was that her home was back. He became that feeling of home for her, something she had lost once her mom passed. In many ways he grounded her, anchored her, no matter how high she flew or how far she’d have him to come back too. So why was it so hard to tell him all of this? Just telling him with no care that he’d ever be able to reciprocate, just so long as all these feelings were no longer bottled up inside of her, to just let them out to be free in the world. 

Her chest burned, finding it pressed against his. They had drifted enough to close that gap….and he didn’t pull away. His body had relaxed once more, the flushed cheeks he gained from their earlier dancing were still present even after she felt his racing heart finally slow to the steady rhythm she wished to fall asleep to one day. Now all she just needed was a single smile and the night could go back to how it was. The question came to her easily, “Did you ever take lessons?”

“Lessons?” He didn’t shy away when she repositioned herself to rest her head on his shoulder.

“Yeah. Dance lessons,” she could feel the pull of his smile against her temple, “You don’t just get moves like that overnight.”

“Maybe one back in elementary school,” he chuckled.

“They don’t teach you those moves in elementary school. They do teach you square dancing though.” He didn’t need to say anything, Tia feeling the change of his expression against her cheek, “So where did you learn to dance like that?”

Conner thought for a moment, “Movies.” The arm around her waist wrapped around her further, “My grandmother loved the movies with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astire. She had always told me that they reminded her of the days she had with my grandfather. He was very old fashioned apparently.”

Tia smiled, “Hm, guess you had to get it from somewhere.”

She felt the smile leave him a moment, “I don’t see how I could have, I didn’t know him. I was less than a year old when he passed away.” Tia gave a small eye roll at his misunderstanding, “Grandma loved to talk about him though.”

“She must have really loved him.”

“Yeah….I guess so.”

“Still funny how you picked up old fancy dancing, but not how to tie a tie,” she teased,  “Thought that was some sort of rite of passage for boys to be taught.”

“Typically yes, though mostly when you have a father to teach you.”

“What happened to him? To your father?”

There was a quiet that fell….lingered, Tia readying to apologize, “I don’t know,” he said finally.

“Did you ever get a chance to know him?” He shook his head, “Do you wish you did?”

“Not really,” Conner gave a small shrug, “I tend to think that I saved more pain by not knowing him.”

“Guess that’s a fair point,” slowly she felt the tension leave his body completely, “I didn’t know my father very well either, if it’s any consolation.”

“May I ask what happened to him?”

“Isn’t that in my file? One that I’m sure you’ve probably read so often you have it memorized.”

“There wasn’t anything listed next to father last time I checked.”

She chuckled, “You check it often?”

Conner gave a quick shrug, “Sometimes I have to refer to it for reports. It’s been months since I’ve needed to refer to it.”

“So you do have it committed to memory,” she heard him sigh, his breath passing over her bare shoulder. Tia pressed her lips together thinking, “I don’t have much of an answer to your question though. Based on what mom said I guess he couldn’t leave his old life behind. Or it wouldn’t leave him, she never really confirmed.” She gave a half hearted laugh, “When I was little I used to think he was a spy for some super secret organization, but in the end it didn’t matter to me, he did what was best for him.”

“Even if it didn’t include you?”

She hummed, knitting her brows, “I think, well hope, that he just wanted to protect me from whatever it was his family did for business. I can’t fault him too much for that.”

“What is it that you do fault him for?”

“Mom,” he gave her a small squeeze nodding, “I just thought he’d come back for that. At least to tell her goodbye. She made it sound like they loved each other so much….and….”

“And you needed him,” his words more of a completed statement than a question.

“Yeah,” she admitted, “I did.” Tia frowned, her chest aching faintly realizing that it was the first time she’d ever acknowledged that fact out loud. How easy it was that, even now, Conner had been able to draw out the things she thought she had dealt with, only to offer the comfort she never knew she coveted once they became unearthed, raw and unhealed, once more. The slow song dimmed and she pulled away, eyes sparkling looking at Conner, “One more dance?”

He smiled, “Thought I tired you out with the last set?”

“Oh it’s going to take a lot more than that to tire me out, Smallville,” she bit her lower lip, looking up at him through her lashes, “So what do you say? You got something more to show me?”

Conner chuckled, rolling his eyes, “Nothing that we could do with this many people around,” his eyes flicked behind her, guiding her a half step to the left as another couple spun past them.

She let her fingers trail down his body, “Oh, so you do have more,” Tia looked him over slowly, giving a click of her tongue, “Maybe we should head out of here so you can show me.”

“And just where do you suggest we go, Miss Caro.”

Her heart picked up speed hearing him address her in that manner, “Maybe your place?” She leaned closer, lips brushing along his jawline, “Surely you have more than enough room to show me a few moves of your own design.”

He stiffened with a sharp inhale, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Conner cut her off before she could start arguing, “Just trust me. It’s not a good idea to do that.” She clenched her jaw, Conner guiding her carefully off the dancefloor, “I think it's time we call it a night.” Tia didn’t say anything, grabbing her things and following Conner out to his waiting car. 

It took two songs for the car to no longer be filled with just the soft jazz, her anger finally boiling over, “Do you like stringing me along?”

“What do you mean,” he asked, eyes glancing at her expression.

“What I mean is that you seem to play this game with me where one minute we’re close and I think maybe there might be something more but then….,” she took a steadying breath, “Then you pull away and get so cold. You start to act like you don’t even know me for days each time we seem to be getting close.” His shoulders raised to his ears, making it harder to read his face, “And what’s worse is that I can’t tell where that line is as you keep changing it.”

“I don’t mean to,” he said flatly, “Things are just….” Conner paused, thinking for the span of a stop sign before sighing, “You’re corrupt. Perform in acts that are unnatural, things humans should never have been able to do. It’s tainted your soul, marked you as….well for lack of a better word, evil.”

Tears stung the corners of her eyes, teeth grinding and nails digging into her palms, “I know for a fact that you don’t believe that!”

“I do.” He turned to her, red tinted eyes narrowed, “I don’t know how many times I have to remind you of that.”

“Then why are you always treating me so differently than the others do?”

“You made that rapport with me,” he focused once more on the road, “Everyone agrees that you’re easier to handle when you have someone that’s like a friend.”

She shook her head, “It’s more than that! I’ve seen it! You can’t fake the way you treat me as more than that.”

“I can’t be your friend, Tia. I never will be.”

“Then what can you be?”

“A coworker,” his voice softened, “at best.”

“And what do you want to be?”

He grew silent, keeping his body angled to focus as much as possible on the road. Tia crossed her arms, a quick response holding to the tip of her tongue, until he let out a breath. 

“To be exactly what they say I need to be.” 

Tia gave a slow nod with a tight jaw, her eyes fixated on the road ahead, and arms hugging herself. He slowed to a stop in front of the building, his own arms taut and knuckles white as he avoided her gaze. “You more than anyone should know what our mark means. What it binds us too, Tia.”

“I do,” she ground out, trying to keep her emotions in check, “But, Conner-.”

He shook his head, “There’s no good way for this to end, you need to start seeing that. The minute you do is the minute that this all becomes easier to navigate.”

She let out a sigh, “I can’t live a lie, especially to myself,” her tone softened, “and neither should you.”

“Good night, Caro.” The shortness of that simple sentence left no room for arguing, despite the whisper it came out in, “I’ll see you Monday.”

She nodded, swallowing back all the arguments she could easily throw at him, “You won’t, Endicott,” Tia threw the door open to the chill of the night, “I know you well enough to spot your lies.” Conner didn’t respond or even look her way as she slammed the door making her way back inside the building, wiping away the few tears threatening to fall. How much more frustrating did he have to be? How much longer could he keep up the charade of his that he was some good Alchemist that feared and hated anything different from himself, when he was far from that. 

He just needs an out, that’s all he needs, She thought changing out of the dress. Tia let her hair fall, looking at her reflection, He’d never take it, and she wouldn’t leave him behind, not until she absolutely had too. Might have to just carry him out with you at that point, Tia, she laughed to herself, Khakis doesn’t belong here anyway, never had. She got herself changed and wrapped up in the second hand quilts of her bed, quietly listing off the stars on her current charts hanging above her bed. We’ll escape out to the desert and I can show him what it feels like to live.

Tia couldn’t remember finally drifting off to sleep, simply waking to the hallway above her, dressed and standing among the final rays of the sunset. Her eyes swept over the empty hallway, each detail standing out, not a hint of fog surrounding her like dreams normally did. Her fingers touched the wall, finding it solid when she pushed against it. “Guess it’s just a really vivid dream tonight,” Tia gave a shrug making her way down to the one office she knew had the biggest possibility to be occupied at this hour. 

She smiled at the sight of Conner sitting at his desk, glasses on, shoulders hunched over some paperwork. Tia strolled in, the wood of the door solid and creating a distinct sound as she knocked lightly out of politeness. The chair she sat in felt just like the one Conner had, with the same screw head pushing against her back through it’s cushioning. “You think they’d let you paint the walls of this place? The beige is just so….”

“Boring,” his eyes looked up to her, the detail impeccable and yet she could see the text on the papers in front of him start to blur. 

The corner of her eyes caught the gleam of the dish full of candy sitting on the desk, life-like and once again solid as she reached inside for a handful. “No. Well, yes, but not what I was going to say Khakis,” she watched as Conner gave a small eye roll, Dream him never gives me an eye roll. Never. She glanced down to the candy in her hand, the sugar already starting to make her palm sticky. Surely the desk will feel like air, she thinks as she puts her shoes in their normal corner, hitting more solid wood. Okay, now this is just a bit weird, she glanced back at the clock on the wall, the time unreadable as there were no hands on the clock, Just have to be old fashioned don’t you, Smallville. “What I was going to say was that this beige is just not your style. Honestly white would be better suited for you.” She tossed a candy into the air catching it with ease as the taste of blue raspberry enveloped her tongue, Well that’s one benefit, “Or maybe like a lavender or seafoam green, which really isn’t that pretty of a color to begin with but god it would be so much better than what you have now.”

She laughed to herself looking back up at the clock that had now become a digital one, eyes going wide, No fucking way. This has to be a dream. No doubt about it. “Don’t you have training or something, Caro?”

“Uh,” the clock read five in the afternoon, “that’s already passed,” she blinked staring at the clock, the time changing, “Dude, it’s almost seven thirty at night.” He looked behind him, Come on Khakis you have to know that isn’t your clock, his eyes grew in surprise as he reached to take his glasses off, “How long have you been going at this?”

“I just have to get this done,” Wow, still a workaholic…., “So you just came down here to try and get me to go home?” 

No, wait. This can’t be a dream. Dream Conner is always a lot more fun. She gave a smirk, “I came to see if you’d break me out for dinner,” If he agrees then this all is just a dream and if he doesn’t…., “I promise I’ll pay you back, Smallville.”

He groaned, “You know I can’t. Besides, I have a deadline that I have to meet tomorrow and it’s taking me longer than I anticipated.” Okay just one more test.

Tia stood to stand behind Conner, “Then it’s time that you had a bit of a break,” she placed her hands on his shoulders….and he was….tangible. Heat from his skin pooled around her fingers, the skin on his neck having none of the smoothness of the dreams she could remember. The fabric of his shirt felt just like the one he had worn earlier in the day, his hair just as soft as the days when he forgot to put his styling gel in it. She bit her lower lip, This has to be the most vivid dream I’ve ever had…., Tia gave a smile, heart pounding.

Let’s see where it takes me.