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What if the world dies with the sunrise?
Baby, it’s alright, we’ll be up all night,
What if we’re unmade when the stars fade?
Keep me goin’ until the night turns into the day,
Until the Night Turns by Lord Huron
Everything had started to sink in. Her reckless exit from her father’s party, the packed bag sitting in the back seat of her car, GPS flickering on the dash set to guide her to his current location. The fact that she had absolutely no idea how exactly she should go about this… She supposed just telling him would suffice, right? Just spitting it out right in the open. Kind of like ripping off the bandaid in one fell swoop to get it over with.
Hey, Cowboy, you down for some sex with me tonight?!
Oh God no! She grimaced at her own predicament, with burning cheeks and her sweaty palms tightening around the steering wheel. Well, that would absolutely make her sound downright lame and desperate, and that was definitely not what she was trying to go for here.
The time was slowly trickling away from her, and the bright red neon sign of Antonio’s Dive bar was finally in her immediate line of sight. Just two blocks ahead of her current stop.
Claire gave her a knowing smile from the passenger’s seat; had even stuffed a condom in her coat’s pocket for good measure—much to Julie’s mortification. When did Claire start carrying spare condoms in her purse anyway? Julie wondered, but in natural Claire fashion, she had airily brushed it aside as; “Duh! For this sort of situation of course!”
That was all after the fact that she had urgently quested through the entirety of her purse for it; rummaging every single tiny pocket and crevice of her bag. So desperately she even suggested asking Texas for one if she failed locating the one she claimed having, causing horror to flare on Julie’s face. Fortunately, she was spared of any embarrassment when Claire had victoriously found it compacted in one of her wallet’s pockets, and good, because no one else needed to know about this…
Keeping her dear and trusty friend in the loop wasn’t exactly part of her original plan, but when Claire noticed the weekend bag in her hands as they rushed out of her father’s house… Well, that alone raised all questioning brows and demanded a thorough explanation. The last time Claire had checked, her one-bedroom apartment wasn’t as conveniently equipped to host guests for an overnight stay. So unless Julie didn’t mind sharing a bed with her, or throwing her back on her very gorgeous but oh so uncomfortable couch that its purpose served more as decoration than an actual sofa, then there was absolutely no way that she was eating up the lie of her crashing at her place just fucking because.
So with much reluctance, Julie had no other choice but to spill her rushed and poorly planned-plan with her best friend. And like a high school girl who was in the midst of drinking up the juiciest gossip to ever exist, Claire squealed in mischievous delight. It had drastically changed the course of their night because their impromptu getaway was no longer about Julie racing towards Mike for a surprise midnight kiss. No. It was way more than that, and as her role of Julie’s bestie, Claire suddenly saw this as her uttermost important mission to ensure that her friend’s night ended in triumph.
Girlfriend had her full back and support, and she was not afraid to show it. Despite how awkward and uncomfortable it made Julie feel, Claire wasted no time during the entirety of their 35-minute speedy drive to barrage her with an assortment of random but “helpful” questions. Going over the mental checklist, she had asked the essentials like, if she remembered to pack an extra pair of underwear, and her toothbrush, or makeup remover because God forbid Mike ever saw her with smudged liner and mascara when he woke up the next morning. Everything was overwhelming. Claire was overwhelming , and for the tiniest moment, it made Julie regret ever telling her about any of it altogether. That was until she got to the most crucial part of the checklist; condoms, which naturally had Julie falling under a frenzy of panic, and Claire springing straight to her rescue.
“I only have one, so you better make it count!” Claire said with a sly smirk painted all over her face as she shoved the small silver plastic square into Julie’s coat pocket.
“Thanks,” Julie sighed in relief.
Claire snorted, “Of course! But if you think you’re gonna need more, let me know…”
Julie gulped and shook her head with a nervous laugh, “Nah, that’s okay,”
“You sure?” Claire raised a cunning brow at her, and Julie flicked the lever by the steering wheel to turn her left signal on. They had arrived as the GPS had been so kind enough to inform her.
Julie spared her a glare before pulling up into the parking lot behind the building.
“You know, I was trying to be as discreet as possible with this, but it seems like you want the entire bar to find out,” Julie grumbled sarcastically; eyes scanning her surroundings for an open spot to park.
“Oh don’t be ridiculous,” Claire scoffed in mock shock, “Okay, maybe not the entire bar, but probably those with a need to know…” she shrugged nonchalantly, like it wasn’t a big deal.
“No one needs to know!” Julie retorted exasperatedly before spotting an empty space and maneuvering the car to park in reverse. “Look,” she sighed, pushing her foot on the break and the gear stick to P, “I don’t even know if I’m gonna go through with it, okay?” she admitted sheepishly, suddenly feeling self-conscious about the entire ordeal.
Leaving her father’s party was far more easier than she had anticipated, that in her excitement blossomed another idea. An impulsive idea, really… One she had thought she’d be able to hold off on for a bit longer. One that could easily be considered reckless—formulated straight out of the buzz tingling in her fingertips at the thought of kissing Mike at midnight, when something else flourished within her. That maybe… Maybe she wanted more than just a kiss tonight… And before she could even give herself more time to debate it, she was already packing her bag with her toiletries and a spare change of clothes.
“Hey,” Claire placed a hand on her shoulder, voice soft and caring, making Julie glance up to her, “don’t feel pressured to do this, okay?”
Julie huffed a breath out and nodded. Maybe she was just overthinking everything, “I-I’m not… I’m just a little nervous, that’s all…”
“That’s normal,” Claire grinned with a roll of her eyes, “And I’m sorry if I got a little too carried away with everything. It’s just… I really love you both so much, you know? I can’t help it! Like seriously, you have no idea for how long I’ve been picturing the two of you together, Jules, it’s not even funny!”
Julie smiled, a warm buzz settling into the pit of her stomach, “Yeah well, funny how life works, huh?”
“I rather think that you two were destined to be together, but sure, we could go with that,” Claire chuckled, and Julie finally turned the engine off.
They were immediately met by the muffled shouts. People counting down the year’s last remaining seconds, and Julie’s eyes widened in alarm. Claire exhaled sharply through her nose, fog forming before her as she strode determinedly towards Julie; hand circling around her arm as she began pulling her towards the entrance.
“Come on!” she says with resolution and a wink, “We gotta get you to Mike,”
“5”,
“4”,
Shit, we’re not gonna make it, Julie thinks with dread as Claire guides her around the building; heels clacking erratically on the gravel, like racing horses galloping towards the finish line.
“3”,
“2”,
They’ve finally reached the front entrance, and Claire’s grip on Julie’s arm loosens as she reaches for the handle. Taking a minuscule moment to suck in a breath and control her panting before she’s pulling the door open.
“1”,
They are greeted by a cacophony of overflowing cheers. People shouting “Happy New Year!” at the top of their lungs, thrillingly cheering or blowing party horns as they welcome the beginning of the brand new year. She feels her heart in her throat as she exhales brokenly through her mouth, and her eyes immediately start scanning her surroundings. She’s not familiar with this place; doesn’t even know where she should even begin looking, but tries doing so anyway through the disarray of the bustling crowd.
Thankfully, Claire was already three steps ahead of her, and with a light tug on her arm, she catches her attention. Finger pointing somewhere towards her left, leaving not another second for her to waste as she darts her eyes in that same direction when she spots him by the bar, blinking back at her with a look on his face that equally matches her astonished one. She doesn’t debate it any longer, lurching through the sea of people; arms gently pushing a clear path towards him.
Her mind is spinning, heart pounding so hard it’s all she can hear at the moment, even over the loud uproar from the crowd. It wasn’t just a kiss… She reminds herself as her brain scatters desperately for the proper words to say to him, when she realizes that she’s way more nervous than she had previously anticipated she would be.
Take it one step at a time, Julie… She tells herself, and before she knows it he’s right in front of her. Her train of thought is long gone and lost, entirely loss of words. Just go with the flow… She reminds herself one last time before she closes the gap between them. Lips crashing onto his, the feeling so satisfyingly divine. He kisses her back just as fervent, and she deepens the kiss with a hungry need; parting her lips as she slips her tongue into his mouth. He tastes sweet and sour, reminiscent of the champagne he’d been sipping to probably moments before she had made her grand arrival. He grunts against her mouth, and she feels him move, face shifting, but his lips never leave hers as he stands from the stool, arms wrapping and settling around her waist. She thinks that it’s to bring her closer, but then his hold is tightening around her, and before she knows it her feet are kicking off the ground.
She shrieks, eyes scrunching in surprise with an inevitable smile pressed to his lips. He’s twirling her; hoisting her higher until she feels the hard surface beneath her and she’s settling into the stool with him standing between her legs. He’s kissing her more urgently; harder, and she craves to have him closer with arms clinging onto him like a lifeline, perfectly holding him in place.
She thinks telling him could wait because this moment, for all she cared could last for as long as it needed to. But then he’s leaving her mouth, and his lips are on her face, traveling down her jaw, and God that feels divine... So much that she has to hold in the moan that threatens to escape her, but in its place comes a satisfying sigh instead. She’s settling into the crook of his neck, fingers twisting in his hair, lightly scraping his nape, and that’s when she feels him shiver in her arms…
And oh, screw waiting! She didn’t think it could wait not another second or minute to have him—to have all of him.
“I want to go home with you tonight…” She breathes the confession shakily in his ear, and she feels him freeze on the spot with surprise. Backing away from her, ever so slightly as his hands are slowly sliding down from her waist and onto her thighs, and his touch spreads warmth through her like wildfire.
He’s staring back at her, eyes wide in clear shock, and she’s staring back hot-faced with her lip pulled between her teeth. If he didn’t quite hear it right, then she hopes he can at least see it in her face. He scrunches his eyebrows and blinks as if he’s trying to put two and two together, or as if he can’t believe what she had just asked him, and the anticipation gnaws at her as she waits for his reply.
“N-now?!” Mike manages to stammer through his shock, and Julie feels relief wash over her.
“Well…” she grins, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious for her desperation, “I mean, we can stay for a bit if you-“
She cuts herself short as he’s already digging one of his hand inside of his pocket to fish his wallet out, and hailing the bartender with his other one. Somehow seeing him share the same eagerness ignites a delicious fever inside of her, and it’s intense enough that she feels compelled to cross her legs tight in the stool as she waits for him.
Her stomach is bubbling with anticipation as she sees him sign his receipt and place his card back in his wallet. The moment now feels like it’s within grasp’s reach as he’s turning back to face her with a relieving smile already plastered on his face.
That is, until it gets brutally replaced by a look of distress.
Chuck had come out of nowhere, pulling on his jacket and catching his full attention.
“Dude, we’re leaving?!” Chuck asks skeptically, and Mike’s eyes widen abruptly with unexpected surprise.
“Uh…” Mike is at a loss of words, and his eyes immediately dart to Julie, as if the answer would be conveniently written in her face for him to read out loud, and she would gladly step in and help, except that she was equally astounded as he was.
Shit! She cursed internally. How could she had entirely forgotten about the small but not so tiny fact that Mike had a roommate? The thought hadn’t so much as crossed her that maybe they had set rules on their home about bringing people over, and as much as she tried telling herself to not fall under the negative spell, it was futile not to.
“We never leave so early on New Years!” Chuck states with a heavy tongue, staggering on his feet, so unbalanced that Mike has to even hold him in place by his shoulders to prevent him from falling.
“I know, buddy,” Mike sighs tiredly and glances guiltily at Julie, “but I think it’s time that we get you home,”
“Duuuude, we can’t leave now!” Chuck whines, “Texas said Antonio starts pouring out the remaining champagne out right after midnight!”
Julie is borderline panicking with embarrassment, and she feels extremely tempted to call the entire thing off. To leave it for another time as Chuck was clearly wasted and would most likely wake up with the worst possible hangover to ever consume his entire being, which would probably require Mike’s assistance. She inhales and exhales nervously; desperately darting her eyes around as she quickly goes over her options when suddenly she spots Claire, staring back at her, bewilderment written all over her face. It isn’t until she squints her eyes and shakes her head in question that she notices Chuck slumped between Mike’s arms, and her eyes spread in realization. The traces of shock quickly disappear from her face and are swiftly replaced by determination.
It was as if Claire was wordlessly telling her “Bitch, I got this!” with the curt nod she was giving her, and before she knows it, she was turning to Tennie who was giggling and whispering something into her husband’s ear. Julie bites her lip nervously but watches as Tennie backs away from Dutch with a confused raised brow as Claire cups her hand into her ear and spills out her plan.
Tennie is now fully facing Claire when Julie notices her mouth “What?” with an incredulous look painted on her face. Claire rolls her eyes annoyingly, and Julie doesn’t have to be near her to hear the frustrated grunt that she so obviously just let out, but since Tennie needed it to be more clearer… She’s being pulled by the arm, and this time Claire is anything but discreet when she’s pointing at Mike and Chuck, right out in the open while displeasingly rasping something into her ear.
This is the moment when Tennie finally connects the dots; pupils shrinking before she shoots a look at Julie and a clear and perfect “O” forms on her lips. Julie’s cheeks are probably just as equally stained as her bright red lips at this point, and while she feels mortified, it kind of winds down when she sees Tennie mirror Claire’s nod from earlier, as if Claire herself had passed on the “Bitch, I got this!” baton to her. She wasted no time striding her way to Mike and Chuck, and Julie bit her cheek before begrudgingly jumping from the stool to join in on the conversation.
“Hey!” Tennie chimes with all smiles, placing a hand on Chuck’s shoulder, and both he and Mike glanced down at her curiously. “Why don’t you catch a ride with us, huh, buddy?” she suggests to Chuck.
Everything about Tennie’s offer was completely unexpected, and while Mike blinked back at her confused, Chuck stared back in evident delight, face lighting up like a Christmas tree “Ohh Can I?” he chirps, like a child begging for permission, and Tennie’s lips pull to form a pleased smirk.
“I don’t really think he should be drinking anymore,” Mike frowns worriedly, and Tennie flattens her lips and nods understandingly.
Tennie hums and hooks her arm around Mike’s as she pulls him aside with Julie in tow, “Look, how about this, we’ll let him have some ginger ale and get him something to eat,” Mike opens his mouth as if to protest but Tennie is quick on her toes, raising her hand to stop him from interrupting, “I’m not done,” she informs with a smile, and Mike nods with a defeated roll of his eyes, “We’ll take care of him. He can crash on our couch, and we’ll worry about getting him home tomorrow, okay? But you two should go before he starts making it awkward…” Tennie says, staring amusedly at Chuck who was bopping his head rhythmless to the beat of the music.
Mike’s jaw drops, face burning in his fluster, “Uh-“ and for a second he struggles to find the right words to say and forces a clear of his throat while he tries everything in him to mask the embarrassment, “Awkward?!” he pushes out like he can’t even believe it. “W-who says this is awkward?”
“Oh please!” Tennie scoffs with a light slap on his arm. “You two were all over each other!”
Mike’s mouth shrinks, and Julie shyly scratches at her arm, face downcast as she watches her feet shuffle beneath her.
“But also, Claire told me,” Tennie deadpans, “and besides, there’s nothing wrong with-“
“Hey, everything okay?” Dutch’s worried voice interrupts Tennie, catching her off guard as he places a hand on her shoulder.
Her head immediately whips to face him, and with surprised blinking eyes, she grins at him adoringly, “Honey!” throwing her arms around his neck. The look on Dutch’s face softens, just slightly as he’s wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing her closer.
“Everything’s fine,” Tennie informs him, circling a finger lazily on his chest, “Chuck is going to crash at our place tonight, that’s all.” She says it so casually as if it was nothing, and it causes Mike and Julie to exchange a nervous look.
Dutch raises a brow, but it’s not confusion that reflects on his features, it’s oddness as if he finds the entirety of her sentence strange, face twisting with suspicion.
“Why?” he sputters, and now it’s really hitting Julie that it was definitely time to abort the entire mission.
Unfortunately, or fortunately… Tennie doesn’t give her the chance to, “ Because, Mike would really like to have their place to himself tonight.”
“What?” Dutch chuckles still not quite understanding, but it all comes crashing down on him as soon as he darts his gaze at Mike and Julie, and the confusion melts in an instant, eyes widening and mouth dropping with realization. “Oh! Oh! Oh! Dude! Yeah, yeah, t-thats fine!” his tone is a perfect blend of highly-strung reassurance.
Mike closes his eyes tiredly, but Julie can tell that he’s just trying to mask his frustration as best as he can. And when she thinks that he’s going to deny everything, or dismiss the opportunity, he sighs, and his lips twitch with a smile while a comforting hand falls on the small of her back. She catches herself before the involuntary jolt, and instead, she settles comfortably back into his touch glancing up at him as he looks back at her softly.
“You sure it’s okay?” he asks, eyes darting back at Dutch.
“Yeah, man, it’s fine!” Dutch assures, this time sounding more composed.
“Now go!” Tennie encourages with a half-whisper, “befor-“
“Hey Mike!” Now what? Julie wonders as Texas’s voice booms from Mike’s left, cutting Tennie short of her words as he sluggishly pushes his way into the four of them; hooking an arm around Mike’s shoulders and pressing his weight down on him. Mike’s face twisted with annoyance, feet wobbling as he tried steadying himself from the sudden and intrusive weight.
“Too late,” Tennie grumbles sarcastically, the roll of the eyes audible in her voice.
“Chuck says you’re leaving?!” He says, voice loud and incredulous, and Mike squints and risks a look at him.
“I-I am,” He admits sheepishly with a sigh.
“Dude, what gives…” Texas trails off, eyes falling on Julie and pivoting back to Mike. Face mirroring one of a child trying to solve a math equation inside of his brain, except that the answer, obviously written right before his eyes is not really coming to him. No one dares to point it out either, and thankfully the need to do so isn’t actually required. The realization paints itself on his face in the form of a coy smile.
“Oooohhhh! I get it!” He chuckles, encouragingly patting onto Mike’s shoulder, “Are you and Cindy gonna-“
“That’s enough, Tex!” Dutch interjects him, fingers frustratingly pinching the bridge of his nose.
Julie’s urge to run away this very right second is intense. Her plan wasn’t supposed to play out so intricately offhandedly as it has. No one was supposed to know about this, besides Claire maybe, and that was also something she was quickly beginning to regret altogether.
To make matters worse, Texas kept slurring something into Mike’s ear. Something unintelligible to her, muffled by the loud music and the chit chattering of the rest of bargoers—something that’s causing his face to intensely redden and contort in perturbation. Regrettably, she managed to catch a glimpse of the cause when Texas shoved his hand inside of his jean’s pocket and pulled out a line of condoms, flailing them in front of Mike’s face as if it was shiny tinsel. Mike frowned and grabbed his hand, quickly forcing it down and out of clear sight.
“Thanks, but I’m good,” Mike scowled through gritted teeth.
“If you say so,” Texas snorted, folding the condoms and shoving them back into his pocket. “I’m just trying to make sure I got my buddy covered here…”
The entire group fell silent, and Julie could have sworn that so did the entire bar, but the death glares sent towards Texas were visible and clear as day.
“Get it? Covered?” He elbowed Mike, and in return, Mike forced his eyes shut and nodded, entirely unaffected by the supposed humor in his words.
“Yeah… we all got it…” Mike grumbled unimpressively, shoving a hand deep into his jacket’s pocket and pulling his keys out.
“Now if it’s okay with everyone, I’d like to go home now.” He sounds annoyed, and at this point it’s inevitable, both he and Julie had been humiliated beyond repair. Thankfully, his friends took the hint, and both Dutch and Tennie were rounding Chuck and Texas up like lost cattle; guiding them away from the pair and settling them down on a nearby booth Claire had managed to claim, leaving Mike and Julie in an unavoidable awkward silence.
The mood she had previously established between them was long lost, and just when she thinks there’s absolutely no way he’d want to carry on with the next step, he’s gently settling a hand on her shoulder, catching her attention. The hardness on his face melts the moment he locks eyes with her, and just like that the butterflies are back doing their somersaults in her stomach.
There’s slight concern in his features, brows scrunched, but even so he still manages to smile at her.
“Hey, I’m so sorry about that, are you okay?” he asks softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Uh-yeah… I-I think I am,” she chuckles shyly, “That was-”
“Awful, I know!” he finishes for her with a sheepish laugh and she nods hesitantly in agreement.
“Um…” he hums, scratching the back of his neck timidly, “Are you still okay with…” he doesn’t finish his sentence, but he didn’t need to. Julie instantly knew what he was trying to ask her, and she immediately nods with a flushed face.
“Y-yeah, yeah, I-I still do… If it’s still okay with you…”
He doesn’t reply right away, instead, his soft gaze is on her, as if he’s carefully studying every single thing about her features. A thumb gingerly graces her cheek, and she can’t help but melt into his touch. Eyes closing, lungs exhaling deeply with delight as he leans down and presses a chaste kiss on her lips. He leaves her desperate for more when he parts, and he’s hyperaware of it as a grin pulls on his lips.
“I’m more than okay with taking you home with me tonight,”
They don’t waste another second or minute to leave. With a swift wave goodbye towards their friends, they dash through the door and out towards the street.
The drive to Mike’s place was short and unexpectedly silent. Julie knew Mike lived near the Dive Bar, she just didn’t know that it was roughly a 5-minute drive around the corner, which left little to no time to warm up to the fact that this entire thing was actually happening, and they were on their way to make it happen.
The nerves were starting to set their course, and it felt as if she had a chaotic flock of butterflies jumbling in her stomach. Thankfully, she saw that it wasn’t just her struggling. From the way he fumbled with his keys trying to unlock the front door, it came as no surprise to her that Mike’s braveness from before they left the bar was undoubtedly faltering. She bit the silly smile pulling at the corners of her lips, and she was on the verge of offering her assistance when suddenly she heard the lock click, and his hand finally turn on the knob.
He sighs in relief and he pushes the door open, stepping onto the edge of the frame; hand holding the door in place while his other one motions her to go inside.
“After you,” he says through a crooked smile, and Julie adjusts the weight of her bag in her arms before she walks through the door.
Despite the darkness consuming the vast majority of the place, she’s immediately greeted by warmth. Mike flips a switch by the entrance, and the rest of the place finally comes to life. The loft itself wasn’t too relatively large, but the tall ceilings made it appear like it was. Bricked walls and concrete columns made it look like a chunk had been taken straight out of an old warehouse and relocated directly on top of Mike’s shop to serve as his and Chuck’s home. Yet, it managed to look oddly modern, but that was only because he mentioned that it had been entirely redone when he first bought the shop.
“Please ignore the mess…” he says sheepishly, shrugging his jacket off and hanging it on a hook by the front door. Julie smirks at him, knowing very well that he was just trying to sound modest. Apart from a couple of pairs of shoes scattered by the entrance, there wasn’t a single mess in sight.
She’s only been able to catch small glimpses of his place through video calls, but it wasn’t ever enough to make her appreciate it to its fullest. But now that she was finally here in person, she couldn’t help but feel fascinated by it. Pointing out the touches of Mike and Chuck perfectly dispersed throughout the entire place.
Right in front of her was the living room, with a TV hooked up to the bricked wall, and a couple of vintage movie posters hung up around it. To her left was a bookshelf, adorned with action figures, wooden crates filled with old comic books, even a jar full of multicolored D&D dice—all of it resonating with trickles of Chuck. While Mike’s things were a little more subdued, but she knew him enough to pinpoint the traces of him mingling through Chuck’s colorful collection. Some of them more obvious than others, like the old football trophies with his name engraved on them, and the fully built car models, or the other wooden crate that instead of holding comics gave home to a collection of vinyl records instead. Julie couldn’t help running her fingers along some of the familiar and various titles, and in return learning about Mike’s apparent love for classic rock.
It suits him so well… She thought fondly.
“I can take that for you if you’d like,” Mike’s soft voice interrupts her wandering eyes, and she turns to face him, blinking back at him in confusion. He notices instantly, but delivers her a smile instead, arm reaching for the bag in her hands putting her dubious mind to rest.
“Oh!” she exclaims with jarring realization, “Sorry, yeah, thanks,” she chuckles with a bashful shake of her head, handing the bag to him.
“No problem,” he replies, and Julie shuffles her feet awkwardly on her spot until he speaks again, “Uh… So I’ll just take this to my room then?”
It sounds like a question more than he’s announcing it, as if he’s asking her if it’s okay for him to do that. She felt the blush creep up her neck but willed herself to nod anyway.
“That’s fine,” she agrees, and the tinge of unease dissipates from Mike’s face.
“Okay,” he says laughing breathily, “I’ll be right back, and um…” he pauses, pointing a thumb towards the kitchen behind him, “Would you like me to get you something to drink on my way back?” he asks with a quirked brow.
Julie hums, biting her lip as she debates the offer, “Depends…” she mutters, “What do you have?”
“Hmm… That’s a good question,” Mike mumbles, eyes rolling to the ceiling in thought, “Obviously we have water, beer… Er… I think we also have orange juice?” he says unsurely, and Julie chuckles amusedly.
“Water’s fine,” she finally decides, and Mike nods with a smile.
“Water got it!” he repeats with a wink while he spins on his heels, “I’ll be right back, feel free to make yourself at home, okay?”
“Yeah, thanks!” she replies as her eyes follow him through the small dining room, and climb up a set of stairs to what Julie assumes are his and Chuck’s rooms. When he’s no longer in sight, she turns to resume her tiny self-tour around the living room. A frame catches her attention, hung up on the wall across the bookshelf, and she walks towards it to get a better view of it.
It’s a collage picture frame, filled with a variety of pictures. Each and every one of them, and in no particular chronological order, displays a specific memory of either Mike or Chuck and their friends. One of them was of a younger Mike and Texas holding a winning trophy, completely covered in mud, but still distinctively dressed in their old high school football uniforms. Despite the bulky safety gear that they wore, both boys appeared way leaner compared to how they are now. Mike’s hair was shaggier; just a tad bit longer, while Texas’s was shorter. Julie chuckled, chest shaking as she kept browsing through the pictures.
A preteen Chuck and Tennie, grinning wide and brace-faced, posing proudly in front of what Julie could guess is a science fair project. Younger Mike, squinting an eye shut from the glaring sun, standing next to an older girl donned in an Air Force flight suit and garrison cap. She could barely make out her face through the glare, but her smile mirrored Mike’s without even trying to. Mike’s sister, she thought, eyes flitting around the rest of the frame until they fell onto another photo… One that oddly caught her attention because upon a second glance she found herself recognizing.
It’s familiar as if she’s seen it before, she thinks, and upon further inspecting it, she realizes that she’s correct. It’s definitely crossed her eyes before, at least once, when Claire uploaded it on social media all those years ago. She remembers it because Claire had a cocky made-up quote on it, something along the lines of “We’re totes better than the Breakfast Club…” or something ridiculous like that. It was taken at their prom, and Claire was right at the center wearing a satin lavender dress perched up on a table with a smug look on her face, while Tennie sat next to her in a turquoise glittery gown. The boys were scattered around them, with Dutch not too far from Tennie’s side. All of them dressed in tailored suits, minus Texas who had somehow managed to discard his jacket and was cockily pulling at his suspenders. They were all wearing some sort of color themed light-up sunglasses and glowstick necklace or bracelet. A perfect combination of sophisticated with a splash of neon. Her eyes fell on Mike who had his arm around Chuck, looking lost in a fit of laughter, with a grin so wide and cheeks so red and tight it almost looked like it ached him.
She’s seen him before… It came to her like a bang, so abruptly it felt like an actual punch.
Her eyes kept scanning the rest of the pictures, part of her hoping to find more that she could recognize, but before she could make it to the next one she felt the poke on her shoulder, and she gasped; whirling sharply on her heels until she came face to face with Mike, who was holding two bottles of water in his hands and staring back with wrinkled brows, but somehow still very amusedly back at her.
“Are you okay?” he chuckles, handing one of the bottles to her.
For a second she stares puzzled, blinking at the bottle in his hands as if she didn’t know what he wanted her to do with it. It takes her another second to blink again, and a shake of her head to regain composure before she’s finally making a grab for it.
“Y-yeah… I…” she chuckles bashfully for the reveal, “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,”
“Guess I shouldn’t have taken my shoes off…” he smiles sheepishly.
Julie looked down to see his sock-covered feet in front of her white point heeled covered ones when she chuckled, “Well, it is your home,” she points humorously, gaze traveling back up to face him once again, relieved to see that he hadn’t discarded any other piece of clothing aside from his jacket from when they first arrived.
“Nothing wrong with trying to get comfortable,” she shrugs with a smile.
“I guess I could say the same thing…” he says in a low playful voice, a small smile curling itself on his lips. Julie doesn’t know what he’s referring to for a second, face twisting and tilting ever so slightly in question until he shuffles closer to her. Before he proceeds any further, he takes Julie’s bottle from her hands and places it down with his own on the coffee table adjacent to them. She’s still at a loss, but then his hands are gently pulling at the lapels on her white coat.
“May I?” he asks softly, and Julie hoped her face wasn’t as red as she knew it was.
“Uh…” she blinks a bit taken aback, until she manages to mutter the answer out, “Okay,”
She watches his eyes through his bangs flick down to her chest, gaze hardening as he focuses on his task at hand, and it makes her heart skip a beat.
He’s struggling with the buttons, fingers too thick and clumsy to free them out of their tight confines, and an amused endearing smile forms on her lips, which she quickly tries to bite down but fails terribly to do so. The coat she’s wearing is double-breasted, made out of thick soft white wool. He only manages to free one button when the snort finally escapes her, causing his gaze to close in on hers while she circles her smaller hands over his larger ones to gently push them down.
“Um…” she’s trying not to laugh; trying to bite the wide grin down even if it’s futile, “Maybe I should do it, huh, Cowboy?”
Mike rolls his eyes with a smile and puffs out a defeated breath, “Guess I’m not so great at this, huh?”
Julie smirks at him, and her finger hooks around the looped strap around her waist—loosening it in one swift pull.
“Nah, these buttons are a bitch,” she winks before her hands get to work on the stubborn studs.
One by one she unfastens them as Mike’s eyes eagerly watch her. When she frees the final button, she grabs at the edges and pauses, holding his gaze for a second before she slowly pulls the coat apart, and lets it fall off her shoulders to hang over her elbows.
His mouth parts—slightly ajar, while his eyes devour the gracious view the plunging neckline her slim black and gold sparkly dress provides. Her playful eyes dart to his face, deliciously drinking in his reaction exactly as she hoped it’d be.
“Uh…” he chuckles dryly, hands traveling to the bundled coat on her elbows as he gently pulls it off her arms and finally frees her of it. “Wow?!” he exclaims as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing before him.
“Jules, you look…” he trails off like he didn’t have the proper word to use.
“It’s flashy, I know,” she sighs, shyly scratching at her arm. Suddenly finding that the gold sequin details on her dress felt itchy against her skin.
Mike’s eyes finally dart to hers, “Stunning,” he swallows, “you look stunning,”
Warmth filled her chest, and this time she knew for sure her face was as red as it could be, but she didn’t care; wasn’t one bit bothered. This is how he made her feel, and it was overwhelming, yes, but she also wanted him to see it as well.
“You look pretty handsome yourself, Cowboy,” she drawled, stepping in closer with her hands falling to rest on his chest. A finger toying with the buttons of his dark shirt—devastatingly tempted to undo them on the spot.
Mike’s own arms came to envelop comfortably around her waist, and she could feel his heart pounding hard against her hand, making her own beg to keep up with his pace.
“You think so?” he snorted with a hint of tease in his tone.
“Oh absolutely,” she whispered through a smile, and it caused him to chuckle.
“You know, I was really surprised to see you at the bar...” he commented, and Julie tilted her head slightly when she caught the hint of curiosity in his tone, “I thought you said you couldn’t get out of your dad’s party…”
She bites her lip before answering, “I did,” she nods, “and I wasn’t gonna leave, but I can only take so much when I’m constantly getting probed by nosy aunts,”
“That bad?” Mike couldn’t hold back the amused snicker.
“Oh yeah,” Julie puffed out through a sarcastic laugh and a roll of her eyes, “let’s just say that apparently there’s an expiration date for women to get married and get pregnant…”
“What?!” Mike laughed nervously with a cocked brow, and Julie quickly realized the awkward implication behind her sentence.
“Okay,” she shut her eyes and bit her lip, shaking her head completely abashed, “for the record, that is not why I’m here…”
Mike tilted his head, and his mouth parted as if he wanted to say something, and once again Julie realized the words that came out of her mouth.
“I mean, it is , but, ugh!” she groaned and shook her head a little frustrated before taking in a sharp breath through her nose, “It wasn’t just that…”
The look on Mike’s face soften as he stared back at her with great interest.
“I just,” she shrugged, “I just wanted to make sure that I ended and started my year right, you know?”
Mike’s brows scrunched with evident interest, but there was still softness in his gaze.
Julie sighed before locking eyes with his, a tender smile on her lips, “I wanted it to end, and start with you,”
He blinked as he let her words sink in, and then he was staring back at her like she was everything, and Julie could have sworn she felt him melt against her.
“Really?” he breathed softly.
“Yes,” she nodded, and after a moment, she felt her hands fist on the opened top flaps of his shirt, softly pulling him down towards her.
He took the hint, and with a lick of his lips, he was angling his face down to kiss her. He felt hot against her, and that only made her feel more needy, like kissing him just wasn’t quite enough. Her tingling fingers craved for more of him—touch starved to discover the skin laying beyond the fabric of his shirt. Thankfully, he had priorly undone the first and second buttons, leaving her hands to work the third and fourth one with ease.
Her hands were swift; effortlessly exploring the newly exposed tanned skin of his chest. When that felt like it still wasn’t enough, she forced herself to pull away from his mouth, and with an evident hum of protest, he tried chasing her back. But his complaints were quickly put to rest when her lips trailed hot wet kisses along his jaw and all the way down to his collarbone. His head tilted back, and she heard him suck in a shaky breath through his teeth.
“Fuck!” He choked, feeling his hand press against her lower back to hold her closer.
Her breath hitched in her throat, fanning all over the warm skin on his chest, burning achingly good against her, and it only made her want him even more, like an incessant need or hunger that begged to be satiated.
His knuckles were on her chin, gently guiding and pulling her mouth back into his, all the while she felt his hand on her back drift lower to give her ass a soft squeeze, and fuck , now she was the one choking back the whimper.
“Ah…” she moaned breathily, with his lower lip pulled between her teeth.
His dark eyes meet hers for a brief moment; full of yearning and hunger, and it was all too much, so much that all she could bring herself to do was to close hers. At least this way she could focus on nothing but the feeling of him against her, and how good he felt against her. So good, she couldn’t wait to mold herself onto him.
She wasn’t sure who started moving first, if it was her who was slowly pushing him back, or if it was him pulling her forward, but they moved with an equal pace—slow and painstakingly cautious to not crash into the coffee table by the middle. And before they knew it, they had reached exactly where they both had wordlessly agreed to go.
His calves bumped against the soft edge of the brown leather couch, causing Mike to pull from Julie’s lips, hot breath fanning against hers when his head briefly whipped down to the side, and promptly back to hers. There was a dazed look on his face and a little furrow on his brow. Julie decides that it’s slightly challenging, almost as if he’s trying to provoke her with the small smirk that pulls on his cheek.
And who was she to back down from a challenge…
She barely presses her finger on his chest before his knees buckle, and he falls back into the couch; leather creaking under his weight. She doesn’t follow him right away, instead, she stands there between his legs while his starving eyes are on her. All of her. Drinking in every single thing about her as if his life depended on it.
He flicks his gaze back to hers encouragingly and invitingly but still preserved enough to not seem pushy or forceful. He’s throwing the ball in her court—letting her take the next shot because they both know that once she crosses that line, all bets are off.
Instead of climbing right away, Julie’s arms slide down her sides. Gliding smoothly all the way from her waist and down to her hips were they bunch at the hem of her skirt. His eyes, mesmerized as they follow her, pivoting back and forth to her thighs and her eyes as she starts to slowly lift the skirt. The dress was constrict against her body, after all, stretching it would only risk ripping it. Mike didn’t know that, of course, but she was using that to her full advantage. Watching his chest rising and falling, breath hitching on the back of his throat from his arousal.
Julie smirks and bites her lip, hands pausing just as her underwear was starting to peek through the opening.
“Like what you see, Cowboy?” she teased.
“Very much,” he admitted, voice husky as he swallowed thickly.
It causes her to chuckle, just as she shuffles her feet forward and her knee presses against the seat cushion. Mike scooches just a tad bit back, straightening his legs forward to give her more room to maneuver her way towards him. His arms welcome her, providing stability around her waist as she climbs on the couch and settles on his lap, while her hands wrap tenderly around his neck.
For a moment, they just stare, holding each other’s gaze so tenderly, it caused a hot shiver to run up and down her entire body.
“Hi,” she smiles a little breathless.
“Hi,” he echoes, with his hands smoothing along her spine.
“Are you nervous?” she asks timidly, brushing her fingers through his hair.
“A little,” he admits immediately with a sigh.
She smiles warmly at him, and dips down to plant a soft kiss on his cheek when he breathes in her ear, “You?”
It takes her by surprise. Probably because she wasn’t expecting him to drag the conversation any further, or because she was the one scared to admit that she was. After all, first times with someone were always a little nerve-wracking.
She backs away from him to properly face him. She thought about the question, and the answer rolling itself out of her tongue. Of course she was! What kind of unfair question was that? How could she not? With him sitting beneath her like that, and that dark smoldering handsome gaze of his she swore was trying to eat her up like a dessert, hair tousled from her roaming hands that couldn’t quite get enough of him, while she felt his hands grace her thighs—his touch calloused and rough, and yet, she loved they way they felt on her skin.
No. She supposed the question wasn’t fair at all because nothing could have possibly prepared her for how ridiculously handsome and amazing this boy was.
She swallows, “I am,” suddenly feeling overly self-conscious about everything, “it’s been a while since the last time I… You know…” she finishes with a timid shrug.
“It’s been a while for me too,” Mike supplies, and she’s not sure if it’s meant to sound reassuring or not but it doesn’t actually help.
“N-no, I mean, it’s been a really really long while for me…” she grimaces, like she’s scared that he’ll judge her, when she knows that she shouldn’t, not really because Mike seemed like the type of person who wouldn’t care about that sort of thing.
For a second he’s quiet, but Julie sees the little furrow on his brow that’s hesitant, but undoubtedly curious all at the same time.
“How long?” he pushes through a light chuckle, and Julie knows he’s just trying to downplay it.
She bites her lip in reluctance, eyes flitting around the place with nerves before she pushes the answer out, “Oh, you know… A year… Give or take…”
Mike snorts, “That’s all?” and Julie’s brows crinkle; cheeks pinking in her embarrassment.
Julie doesn’t answer, instead, her lips twist and purse insecurely.
“Jules,” he says, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, leaving her with no other choice but to face him and listen to whatever it is he has to say, “Try two years…”
Julie blinks. Eyes immediately darting to his.
“What?!” she exclaims a little shocked.
“two-“
“No,” Julie interjects him with pinched eyes and a confused shake of her head, “I heard you, it’s just… I thought you said you’ve dated other people…”
Mike nodded, “I have…” he sighs with a soft and patient look on his face, “But dating and having sex are two very different things…”
Her eyes are once again on his, wide and intrigued.
“I’m not really the casual sex type of guy… It has to mean something for me, Jules,” he pauses, biting his lip, almost as if he was shy about what he was gonna say next, “like, you, ”
She feels her entire face heat up, “Me?” she pushes out, “I-I mean something to you?”
A warm smile settles on his face, thumb gingerly brushing on her cheek, and it only ignites the butterflies in her stomach to resume their previous turmoil.
“Jules, you’ve meant something to me since the moment I saw you dancing at that concert,”
She’s speechless, and she doesn’t think her face could get any redder at this point, but she doesn’t care. Following her instincts was all she could do at this point, and she crashes her lips into his. Despite how sudden it was, she moved gently against his mouth; kissing him softly and endearingly, while her fingers caressed his face affectionately.
They’re both left breathless when they part, touching their foreheads lightly and enjoying their closeness.
“You mean something to me too,” Julie says after a moment, eyes flicking to his.
He chuckles breathily in her arms, dipping to plant a chaste kiss on her lips.
“That’s good to hear,” he says, warm breath tickling against her mouth.
“Yeah?” she purrs in her daze.
“Yup! Because I’m gonna take you to my bedroom now,”
“Wha-“
She barely registers his words, when she feels his hands hook under her thighs, and his legs firm onto the ground. Like instinct, her arms fasten around his neck just as he’s scooching them both towards the edge, and he jolts to a full stand while her legs instantly wrap around his torso.
“Mike!” she squeaks, clinging onto him for dear life.
“It’s okay,” he says through an amused soft chuckle, “I won’t let go of you,”
For a second they just stare at each other, before Julie bites her lip, “I hope you never do, Cowboy,” she breathes before his lips are back on hers.
It was a wordless promise, she thinks. He held on to her for the rest of the night and woke up comfortably wrapped around his arms. And Julie couldn’t help thinking that this was without a doubt, the best way to start her new year.