Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Walking Home (Decadence and Candira)

She smiled softly as he spoke. He seemed to have calmed whatever tempest had been raging inside of him just a moment ago. Again, more reasons he liked her. She was starting to think he thought quite a bit more of her than she gave him credit for. That, however, remained to be seen. She sighed and sat down next to him on the floor and leaned against him.

"I don't know," she said with a sigh. "But I have a theory that I have more patience than you do for whatever reason. It's not that I'm unaffected or anything. I just don't think it affects me as much. Or if it does, I'm better at controlling what I feel." She yawned a little and checked his notes, feeling bad about having taken so many that he had to copy. "If you want, I can just scan these for you and email them so you don't have to copy. Unless copying helps.
 
Again, she seemed so calm and nonchalant about it! Granted, it never really bothered him, but it made him wonder again (okay, maybe it did). He wanted to press the matter some more, but decided against it, since he felt that he could pick up on it another time.

"You could make me feel pretty fucking unstable, if you wanted to," he said. "I'm just sayin." He then continued to fill pages of his notes with copies of her own. He realized how long this was taking, and began to wonder if this was interrupting her studying routine when all she was doing was waiting for him to copy her notes. "I think I can remember this better if I actually put in the grunt work," he replied. He then paused to look at her. "You know, you don't have to sit there and wait for me, I know you probably have some studying of your own to do."

Something interesting occurred. He just realized she was leaning in against him. Normally, his hormones would have reacted in the most virulent way possible, but he was feeling more casual about her physical initiative. Not like he was already taking it for granted, but maybe it proved to him that her looks alone weren't enough to satisfy him anymore, and that he was craving her personality more.

After some more silent moments of scribbling, he checked the time. Holy shit, it was getting late. "Sophie, it's starting to get late. I don't mind if you spent the night," he said. "At the rate that we're doing this, by the time we get done, it might be better if you crashed here."
 
Sophie had been going over her notes in her head as he copied them. It was a nice little review for her. Fortunately, she didn't have much to do tonight. When he spoke, however, she checked her watch and saw the reason for his concern. "Hmm, well, I've been reviewing my notes as you copy them, but it's a valid point. I do have some reading to do." She got up and picked a book out of her school bag before coming back to sit next to him. she opened to the page she'd marked for her assignment and started to read, highlighting some things and circling others. After a short while, she stopped when he spoke again. Now she checked her watch and saw that it was, indeed, quite late. She didn't fancy the idea of staying the night here, but she wasn't sure she could just leave him like this.

"Hmm, well I could just go home," she said. "After all, if you're just copying my notes, you can give them back to me tomorrow in class. Unless you think you'll need me to explain something to you." She yawned a little, already tired. "If that's the case, I can just run home quick and get a shower in and grab some stuff so I can stay." She shrugged, leaving it up to him. It wasn't a big deal for her to just leave her things with him since she'd be coming back tomorrow to pick him up anyway. But if he really though she needed to be there...
 
Keith took a moment to think, studying her as though she were one of his notes. Maybe she could just leave her notes here with him. It was a bit harsh to make her go through all of that trouble just to sleep over. It'd be a bitch to make her go home, gather her stuff, and then come back here again. Also, if he made her spend the night here like this, she'd have to endure another day in the same clothes, and she probably wouldn't like that. He took another moment to think until he decided.

"Okay, I like your idea better. I'll just spend tonight copying the rest of your notes, and you can head home right now before it gets too late," he said. It hadn't been too late, anyhow, and she could get a decent night's rest. "I'll see you tomorrow then," he added, staring deep into her eyes as though he were looking for something. Most likely looking for that confirmation that she'd be safe going home. He then hooked an arm around her neck and pulled her head in, giving her a kiss on the forehead before detaching.

He looked into her eyes again, piercing them with his, as though the harder he stared, the safer she'd be.
 
His steady gaze made her feel as though, somehow, he was deciding something far more important than whether or not she should stay the night. After a few moments of thinking, she got the answer she'd been expecting, though she felt a little disappointed for some reason. Still, it was sensible, and she could work with sensible. Something about the way he kept looking at her, though....it made her wonder what was going on behind those emerald spheres of his.

"Okay then. Don't go through all the leftovers by yourself," she said, smiling softly. She was getting a little tired sitting here like this, and perhaps a little too comfortable because she didn't feel a great need to get up. "I'll see you tomorrow," she replied, running a hand through her fiery hair. And then she noticed that he was staring at her again. The look on his face was so intense...she couldn't decide if it was good or bad. But it made her unconsciously start to lean into him a bit more. Her eyes widened as he hooked his arm over her neck and pulled her close, only to kiss her forehead and then let her go.

"Ummm. Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow," she said with a little smile, thoroughly confused. She left him with her book and notes and then took the one she'd been reading and stuffed it into her bag before grabbing her purse and keys. "I'll be here to pick you up in the morning," she said. "I can call before I come if you want me to, but I need your number," she said, twirling her keys at the door. Something had happened tonight...Something significant. But she wasn't sure when or how, or even what it was that had happened.
 
He gave her the number to his cell and walked her off to the car, watching her back out onto the street until she was out of sight before heading back inside. He switched off the camcorder and sat at the coffee table by himself. It was silent in his apartment, and he suddenly felt that huge void caused by her absence. He took a deep breath and sighed, biting his lip. Then he threw his hands up to his face and fell back in the couch. His fingers curled back and clawed at his face in frustration. He groaned.

"Why, you could have kissed her tonight, why didn't you do it? Oh my god, where are your balls. Fuck!"

And he so wanted to do it too, but why did he hold back? He wouldn't have for any other girl, but why her? It was like he was ready to start practicing abstinence with her or something. Safe sex is no sex! What bullshit, he'd kill himself or go gay if he had to do that. But he had found it nearly easy to. Which was the maddening part!

He continued to lay there curled in his couch, thinking about Sophie again, feeling like he was suddenly becoming more co-dependent. Upon realizing this, he coughed to himself and sat up again, looking at his notes. Then he looked at Sophie's handwriting inked over her papers.

He dove back in and continued to study, diligently taking it all in as he wrote. He remained on it for hours, until the side of his right hand became blue with smeared ink and he began to feel sleepy, crashing his head down on the table to sleep.
 
Sophie smiled, feeling very safe as she walked to her car with him. The pretty redhead waved good bye as she drove away and thought of him the entire drive home. She could still feel his lips on her forehead, the lip ring he'd been wearing feeling cool against her skin. Frowning, she drove carefully while she considered his behavior. He had started on a much smarmier note than he had ended the evening on. She wondered if it was because he'd realized it wasn't getting him anywhere, or if she'd actually put him in his place. She remembered his words, "You could make me feel pretty fucking unstable if you wanted to," and wondered what he'd meant. Maybe she already was making him feel that way.

When she pulled into her garage, she locked her car up and took her bags with her as she closed and locked the door of the garage. Oddly, it felt as though she was being watched. Then again, it was fairly late and dark. she didn't like to be out here at that time. She walked quickly into her apartment and locked the door behind her, immediately turning the lights on. Nothing was out of place--everything normal. Heaving a sigh of relief, she set her bag down by the door and carried her purse with her into her bedroom where she stripped out of her clothes and got ready for a shower.

Was he still working without her, she wondered. Or was he just doodling about her more? No, that was a terrible way to think of him. He was better than that. Much better than she was giving him credit for. Still, she wasn't sure why she couldn't quite trust him. Maybe it was because she'd really only been around him for a few days and had seen his personality change at the drop of a hat. Then again, his various mood swings seemed to have been dependent on her actions. Maybe there was more than just lust there...

Groaning, she turned on the shower and stepped in, her mind lost in thought about Keith. His feelings for her were complicated, if she wanted to simplify them. Clearly he liked her a lot. But the appearance alone...it didn't seem to be the only thing he was focusing on anymore. It made her feel much better about their relationship. She was starting to like his quirky personality and being around him in general. And she was finding that she wasn't as impervious to his charms anymore. Not after he'd come so close to her and saved her from Jeff and his cronies.

She went to bed about half an hour later, still feeling confused. When she work up the next morning, she put on a denim pencil skirt and a nice green shirt with her light dusting of make up and some cherry chapstick. A spritz of her perfume and she was ready to go after she slipped on some sandals. On her way to her car, she dialed his number and waited for Keith to pick up.
 
Kevin surveyed her from the shadows. He waited until he saw her enter her apartment until he emerged, clutching a CD. He crept up to her door and left the disc on top of her welcome mat before leaving. He was going to knock, but he could hear her showering inside, so he just left it there. Jeff had said that he found some kind of footage of their friend Keith online that he wanted to share with her, and that he'd make it Kevin's initiation into his fraternity (seemed more like a gang to him, but he didn't mind) if he found out where she lived and dropped off this little keepsake for her enjoyment. Taped over the front of the disc, was the message "Please Watch".

Kevin had wondered why they didn't just post it up online instead, but Jeff didn't know her email address, so he decided on using the CD. Keith was too well-known online for what was on it for it to affect him in some way, but Jeff was confident it might affect his girlfriend's opinion of him enough after she knew who he really was.


* * * *​

His phone rang right when he left the shower. Keith emerged from the steam of his bathroom to answer it, smiling as he noticed who it was. "Good morning, Miss Renard," he answered, grinning at his phone. He managed to finish all of his notes last night, and he was excited about showing that off to her, even though it made him feel like some kind of little kid out to please his mom or something. Either way, he wanted to see her again. One of the reasons why he was able to work so hard to finish those notes was because merely being around her handwriting had made him feel like she was actually there somehow, and it seemed to lessen the sting of her absence.

After realizing he had several minutes before she'd arrive, he immediately dressed. His lip was healing well now, and the wound was nearly non-existent. For a fleeting moment, he wondered how Jeff was doing. He slipped on his lip ring, looping the cold metal through his piercing, feeling it cool his lips. With his comb, he stroked the long fringe of his straight hair to the side after he slipped on a light pink t-shirt and a pair of black, fingerless gloves. He then stepped into a pair of worn-down, blue jeans held up with a thick, white studded belt with a large, noticeable buckle in the center. After applying the eyeliner, he realized how much he was really pushing the emo look today. He shrugged, flicking his sharp bangs away from his eyes with a tilted swipe of his head.

After finishing, he put on a pair of black skater shoes and left the apartment, waiting for Sophie to arrive.
 
Sophie smiled into the phone as she heard him say her name. Pleased that he was awake, she told him she'd be there soon before hanging up. She was just reaching down for her keys when she saw something on her welcome mat. Intrigued at why anyone would put something on a welcome mat when it would probably be stepped on, Sophie stooped down to pick it up. The handwriting was unrecognizable to her. A little unnerved, she closed the door behind her and locked it up tight. Whoever it was that had left the CD was remarkably stupid. If she'd failed to notice it lying there, she would easily have destroyed it with one unsuspecting step. She was tempted to throw it away, but its mere presence bothered her.

Maybe Keith would have an opinion. Not wanting to grab her computer to check it out now, she slipped it into her school bag and then headed toward her car. She put on some Panic! At the Disco and drove over to his apartment. Finally, she stopped in front of his apartment building and smiled when she saw him on the sidewalk. Emo much? Not that she minded. He really was cute like this--something about it was just alluring. With a shrug she stopped in front of him and unlocked her door with a friendly wave.
 
She was really punctual. Keith hadn't waited that long before he noticed Sophie's car pull up to his apartment. A bright smile flashed from him as he rushed over and ripped open her car door, leaping in to slam it after him. His gloves, which were not the same kind of fingerless gloves that 80's thugs liked to wear, kind of resembled soft, roller blade wrist pads. They kind of made him look like he was into knitting or something.

"Hi," he said as he wrapped his arms around her for a soft, morning hug. His eyes then went up and down her as he noticed what she was wearing, nodding appreciatively. "Are you planning on seducing me today?" He asked, taking note of her exposed legs from her pencil skirt. Even though she was merely wearing a green shirt on top, it wasn't an ordinary body beneath what that shirt accentuated.

"Oh, by the way, I finished copying your notes," he continued. "So now you can have them back." He then paused, studying her eyes for a moment. "Thank you," he said.
 
Sophie smiled and greeted him when he practically leaped into her car. "Well, hi to you too," she said, cringing a little as he slammed the door. Loud noises in the morning just weren't for her. She noticed his gloves right off the bat and found something oddly appealing about them. If you'd put them next to each other, she'd look like a receptionist or a librarian and he...looked like a bad-ass. She chuckled at the thought and stopped thinking altogether for the brief moment when he wrapped his arms around her. She still smiled and patted his back before he let go of her to take in what she was wearing.

"Am I planning on...? Who do you think I am, Mrs. Robinson?" she asked, laughing. His next statement caught her in a good mood though. "Really? That was a lot to copy. I'm impressed." She smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Good job, Corbett." And then he was staring at her again, having just thanked her. "It's not a problem. I hope they helped. You can just slip them into my bag now if you want," she said, tilting her head back to show him it was in her back seat.

And then she remembered the CD and frowned. "Hey, that reminds me. This morning when I was on my way to get you, I found this weird CD with a note on it," she said, pulling it out of the bag and handing it to him. "I don't know where it came from, but some idiot put it on my welcome mat. It's a little creepy, actually. What do you think I should do?" she asked, waiting until he was buckled up before she pulled away from the sidewalk and headed toward campus.
 
Keith turned his head around to the back and grabbed Sophie's bag so he could return her notes. "I'm born to impress," he said, cocking a slight grin. As he stashed her notes back, he began to bob his head to the music playing from her radio before realizing it was Panic! At the Disco. "I didn't know you liked them," he said, allowing a large smile to overtake his face. Hearing songs like The Only Difference Between Martydom And Suicide is press coverage reminded him of how he felt like whenever he was around her, for some odd reason. Panic! At the Disco, while pretty mainstream, was one of his favorite bands, along with AFI, Death Cab for Cutie, and a handful of Japanese Metal Groups.

When she handed him the CD, he looked confused as he held it in his hands. "Well, it's a DVD, so it has to be a video of some sort," he said, quickly dropping his cheerful disposition. "You're right, whoever left it on your doorstep seemed like an idiot." Crudely etched over masking tape on the case was the phrase, "Please Watch."

"I don't know," he said, taking a look at the back of it. "Let's wait until you get to my place before you check it out. I don't feel comfortable putting it into your laptop, since it might carry some kind of virus."
 
Sophie grinned at him and let him be cocky for a bit, enjoying his show of confidence. Watching as he tucked her notes back into her bag and bobbed his head to the music, Sophie really found that she was proud of him. His comment only made her grin brighten. "Well, there's a lot you don't know about me," she said, winking. Panic! was one of her favorite bands because of the vocals and the high energy. Plus, how can you go wrong with song titles like theirs? Not to mention the lyrics. For some reason, she felt as though the music fit the two of them pretty well. She was reminded of him when she listened to it now, and it made her wonder if he thought of her too.

As she drove, she listened to him about the DVD and felt glad that she had waited to take a look. "It's weird, isn't it? I'm not so sure if I want to be alone when I come home anymore," she said with a frown. "I got the feeling someone was watching me last night...and now this? Maybe I should talk to security about it..." She agreed with him about the virus and sighed as she came to the parking lot.

"Why do I feel like today is going to be really long?"
 
His smile disappeared. "Come stay at my place for a few days, Sophie. Or, if you're not so comfortable with it, I'll be there at your place. Either way, I'm always going to be there for you. Whoever it is doing all of that probably needs a life, and when I find him, I'll make sure he gets one." Stark, emerald eyes remained on her while he spoke. "I don't like being the overprotective boyfriend, but like I said, your well-being is my well-being." He set his firm gaze to the windshield of her car, staring out at the road ahead of them.

Keith opened the door once she parked in the lot. He appeared in front of her door, waiting for her to gather her stuff to leave. He took her by the hand. Behind that layer of tightly woven wool, Keith could feel her palm as he gripped her, keeping a firm hold as he walked her to Dillinger's class.

"Why do you think it's gonna be a long day?" He asked.
 
His mood about this whole situation changed when she started to show the first sign of stress. Keith really did care about her. It was a possessive kind of care, and despite her feeling a little confused about her own feelings, it was nice to know that he wanted to protect her, even if she wasn't immediately in danger. Already he was threatening her alleged stalker's life. She smiled a little, feeling a bit more at ease. If he was around, she probably would feel better about it...but she wasn't sure if there was a better way to handle this.

She thought about it as she parked the car and sighed. Maybe he was right. If the person who was bothering her kept at it, campus security might not be enough to keep her safe. Oh yes, today would be long...Suddenly he was at her door. Blinking, she grabbed her bag and tucked everything neatly back in, including the DVD. Once she was out of the car, she locked it and felt his hand on hers. She looked up at him and his warm hand in hers felt so familiar. Suddenly, she was just a girl in elementary school, walking along side her friend as he put himself between her and the dog behind the broken fence. She smiled softly and let him lead her into the professor's empty classroom.

"Well, at least it's a Friday," she said, sighing as she sat down with him. "Why do I think it'll be a long day? Because now I have this to worry about, and you'll be worrying about me, and I'll have to figure out what to do about all of it." She groaned and rubbed her forehead a bit as though she were getting a headache. "It's just a pain in the ass to deal with it. I'm getting tired of creepy guys fixating on me like I'm the only girl on the planet." She was actually growling now. "Seriously, who do they think they are?" She realized that he might have taken part of that the wrong way, but she wasn't talking about him. After all, he wasn't a creep: he was the only one who'd really made any sense or any effort to help her over the past few days. So now she put her arms around him and hugged him close.

"Thank you, Keith. Thank you for being on my side," she said. To think, a few short days ago he might not have been. She wasn't sure what she would have done without him. And now she didn't want to think about it. This was starting to be a bit too much. "If you're sure you wouldn't mind it...would you stay with me for a few days at my place?"
 
The proposition was abrupt, and Keith was in no way against it. "I wouldn't mind at all," he said, giving her a tight squeeze. "My only worry would be that your leftovers may go bad. I really wanted to finish it." He'd probably drop by his place first, gather some things before heading to her place anyway, not to mention having that camera with him so they can continue their Art project.

He pressed his lips to her cheekbone, delivering a soft peck. "You're welcome," he said, bringing a hand up to stroke her hair.

He thought about who might be stalking her. "Well, it's most likely our friend Jeff from the club, considering his friend followed you around yesterday. I've never known anyone who was that persistent. I suppose "no" isn't a part of his vocabulary. You must have left quite an impression on him, Sophie."

Keith then let go of her as Dillinger entered the room. "My, you two are early," the drab-sounding teacher said, unpacking his bag. Keith smiled in response.

The lecture went by rather uneventfully, aside from the fact that Keith was actually taking notes. He did doodle a small picture of a couple caught in coitus before a camera, but there was nothing else in sight besides his scribbled notes. While they weren't on par with Sophie's quality, he could understand recall some of the lecture when he read over them.

Just like U.S. History, Art went by just as fast. Professor Layton decided to lecture about various paintings which were straight out of the book, and she made the entire class seem to be more about giving students a chance to ask questions than really learning anything new. Keith fell asleep halfway through the class. His head fell on Sophie's shoulder as he plunged into the trench of deep sleep.
 
Sophie felt undeniable relief as he agreed to stay. She let out a little sigh to prove it. "Thank you," she said as he gave her a little squeeze. Maybe she owed him a lot more than she thought. But maybe she was on the right track to paying him back. His comment about her leftovers surprised her, but made her smile again. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. I can always make more, but if you want them that badly, we can stop by and pick them up."

His lips brushed against her cheek bone--a sweet gesture. One that was almost unlike him. It was still welcome. As was the hand to her hair. She smiled, glad that it was curly again today. For some reason, the fact that he liked her curls came back to her and she smiled again. Listening carefully as he thought aloud about who was stalking her, Sophie considered the fact that Jeff was a dedicated creep. "I have no idea what I could have done to leave that kind of an impression though.."

And then Dillinger was there. The class zoomed by. Sophie had taken excellent notes, despite being somewhat distracted and noticed that Keith was taking notes too. She grinned, proud of her student, when she saw that he'd only doodled once, though she couldn't tell what it was from where she was sitting.

In art class, Sophie asked a few questions, but found the lecture to be quite...boring. It wasn't very surprising when she saw Keith nodding off. It was a little surprising to find him sleeping on her shoulder. She smiled softly, thinking he was cute like that. She decided not to wake him until he started to snore or the class came to an important point. If nothing else, she could bring him up to speed. Once the class was over, she put a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. "Hey, you. Time to wake up."
 
Keith jerked awake, shifting his eyes around. Had he been asleep for that long? He noticed he had been leaning on Sophie's shoulder. He never woke up beside her before, so the feeling was rather...new. He was too used to waking up alone. "Oh, good morning," he said, stretching. People around him were already shuffling out of their seats, rising towards the exit. He promptly grabbed her hand and got up.

This was turning out to be a usual day already, and it was only the third day since they first starting talking again. He could always get accustomed to this. He walked her to the car, where he had her take him to his place to gather his things, including the camcorder. They enjoyed the rest of Sophie's leftovers at his place before going back to her car.

"So, to your place?" Keith asked. He had never been to Sophie's, and he was extremely curious now what her place was like, so much, that he couldn't wait.

((Sorry for the godmodding. I didn't want to linger too long over getting his stuff so let's assume it was done quickly without any conflict. I want to move the story along a little quicker.))
 
Sophie smiled at him and chuckled as he said good morning and started stretching. She gathered her things and then let him take her hand. It was nice to see that he had a sense of direction. She reminded him of her classes, which they both sat through, surprisingly, and then took him to his place to pick up his stuff. When he had his things together, they polished off the leftovers from the night before. She helped him get the dishes out of the way and then they were off.

"Yup. My place. Please take your shoes off upon entry." She smiled, her Panic! CD still going as she drove him to her place. She put her car in the garage again, not anticipating further need for it tonight. She locked it and the garage once they were both out and had all of their things. Finally, she led him into her place, which was primarily students, but also housed older people who had nothing to do with the college. Her apartment building was more like a house that had been quartered. It was apartment C. She unlocked the door and slipped out of her shoes before entering the space before her.

If Keith's apartment was brand new and modern, Sophie's looked cozier and lived-in. The living room was rather large and at the center of the place. The apartment had central air, rather than a wall unit, which she was glad for. There was a large window in the room that let in sunlight when she kept her blinds open. The furniture had all been inherited from her parents, but it was well cared for and looked comfortable. The couch was large and comfortable and noticeably floral, but it seemed to fit Sophie's personality and almost looked understated. She had a large brown recliner that could massage you if she plugged it in, and a nice, big coffee table, where she often ate. It was a rich brown that looked a lovingly worn. Beneath it all was soft carpeting in a soft gold color that she took very good care of. There was an entertainment system on the wall across from the couch that housed a nice flat screen tv, some game systems and a DVD/VCR player. The same wall housed two large bookshelves which were crammed full of her books--mostly fiction, some classics, a few school and reference books, and a few on astrology and zodiac signs. In the corner by the window there was also a rather large table that served as a desk for the pretty young girl where she had a computer, her printer, and more all lined up and ready to go. It was all neat, but cozy. The walls had posters from movies she liked and a few comics she'd read.

The kitchen was just off to the side and big enough for a small table with a little cup of fake flowers to fit in, though she almost never ate there. There were two chairs here as well, though they were really more of a bar stool than anything. Her appliances were new and she had a dishwasher that she'd paid extra for to have installed. The walls were white but one had two large cork boards and a nice poster on it. One cork board was more practical--it had a calender, shopping lists, and appointment cards with a few reminders to herself. The other was adorned with what appeared to be dozens of recipe cards that she'd obtained. Apparently, Sophie was quite the little chef.

There was a nicely sized bathroom in the hall that led back to her bedroom which was also a nice size. Her bed was a perfectly made queen sized bed with a book case head board painted white. As it was still warm outside, she had a soft green quilt with a floral pattern resting on it just now. A large dresser took up a wall and it was topped with pictures of Sophie and her friends and family. The walls had glow in the dark stars all over them and a long banner-like poster off Kanji above the bed.

Sophie smiled and led him in, setting her bag down and putting her keys in the dish on a bookcase. "Well, this is it," she said, watching him with her grey eyes. "Come in."
 
Keith reclined in the passenger side seat, enjoying the song, Lying Is The Most Fun. Most of what Sophie mentioned about Panic! At the Disco was aligned with how he felt about it. They had a catchy, feel-good melody to it, and Keith was all about the melody, which was probably why he wasn't so into hip hop, which was more about the beat and rhyme than anything else. Then there were the quirky titles to their songs, which were usually more like phrases, than actual song titles. You'd think someone who broke into cars in his spare time liked listening to more hip hop, but Keith was always about defying stereotypes.

Sophie's place was remarkably similar to how his place was. That is, until he noticed the number of older people living there. It reminded him of Irvine in California, for some odd reason, since there were apartments near Venice Beach which reminded him of how this place looked. When she parked her car, he was impressed that she even had a garage, which Keith thought it made her place look larger--at least larger than his.

He followed her into her apartment, which she said was designated as the C portion of the divided house. Quietly, he slipped off his shoes as he entered after her, gazing around the living room. It almost felt like her old place. It was certainly different, but the smell, and number of furnishings which had flowery designs made him feel like she lived here a lot longer than he lived at his place. The bright sun breaking through the blinds made him squint a bit. He walked around near her shelf and browsed her books with a set of curious eyes. So she liked to read classics and fiction too? The Astrology books caught his attention. He pulled out a copy and casually flipped through it. Back then, he never really cared about zodiac signs, dismissing them as being bogus or nothing more than gimmicks meant to fool desperate romantics. Lately, he began to pay more attention to them after stumbling upon a reading about himself which made a lot of sense. "So what's your sign?" He asked, smiling. "I'm a Capricorn, myself. I never got yours. I guess it's more because I never cared back then." If he had memorized the months for the signs, he could figure it out, since he did still remember Sophie's birthday, but since he didn't know too much about astrology, he was clueless.

For someone who was just starting college--and community college to boot, she did seem to have a lot of stuff. But then again, her original home was near campus, and she held two jobs. Keith's justification for his habitat was far shadier. He threw himself down over her recliner, resting back against it while wondering how much her family had used it--and Sophie, in particular. Looking around, he was beginning to realize how familiar a lot of this furniture was, until it became clear to him that they were the same ones from her old place. Come to think of it, he did this exact same thing whenever he came over to her place. He liked this recliner, and the way it rocked seemed to greet him like an old friend.

It was all so relaxing and down to earth. Just like Sophie. Keith smiled at her, gesturing her to come by and sit next to him so they could share the seat. "Remember how we would jump on this thing and spin around, and that drove your dad crazy?" The large couch then caught his attention. "Now, I am tempted to sit over there." He then abruptly got up and dove into the couch. He felt like he was that hyper third grader again. His soft hair bounced with his body.

After a while, Keith noticed the bedroom, running into it while holding her hand as though he were an excited significant other with a penchant for furniture shopping and just stumbled upon a perfect demo room to check out. Dragging her with him, his eyes widened at the sight of her room as though it was the first time he's ever laid eyes on a bedroom in his life. It was, in some way. Hidden somewhere in his head, and it was being unearthed that very minute, Keith was living that potential possibility he missed with her in High School. And it was that they could have been sweethearts, sharing kisses in a wondrous place like this. Or it could have been his place.

He looked at her, while squeezing her hand. "I love your place," he said.
 
Sophie smiled at him, watching him curiously as he took in all of her furniture. He was almost like a little kid again. As she suspected, when he browsed her reading materials he immediately took in the astrology books. She grinned and gave him a sly little look when he asked her sign. "Well you should know, silly. I'm a Scorpio." She flipped some hair over her shoulder and stretched a bit as she thought of what he would need while he stayed with her. And then he went for the chair.

The redhead laughed as he patted the recliner, which he obviously had recognized as her father's. She grinned and came over to the chair, nodding as he told the story. "Yeah, dad always liked this chair best. Broke his heart when he gave it to me. Until he got his new one." She thought for a few moments about when they were little and the fun they'd had together. What a shame it was that they'd grown apart. They might have been good friends--maybe even more--if only she'd known how much she'd hurt him. "Funny though, he only got mad when we did it together, never when it was just me."

And then he dove into her couch, making her laugh again. "Well I'm glad you like the couch so much, since it's where you'll be sleeping." She came over to him just as he noticed the little hall leading to her bedroom. Chuckling, she let him take her hand again, practically running into the room with him. His wide eyes, and the way he looked at everything was adorable. When he looked at her again, she felt a little jolt and her heart sped up a bit. As he squeezed her hand she realized that if they had never grown apart, him being in her bedroom would have had an entirely different context.

Immediately hundreds of images of the two of them together in the most intimate of ways flew into her mind and it was all she could do to keep a straight face until his words snapped her out of her daze. "Thanks," she said with a smile. "I try to take care of my stuff, but it's pretty much just what mom and dad were willing to part with...plus my stuff from my room. The only new things are the electronics, really. Oh, and the headboard. It feels like home to me." She shrugged and then tugged on his hand to pull him out of her room.

"Well now that you've seen it and decided you like it, I hope you won't miss your place too much while you're here. I can't really prove that it's Jeff who's bothering me, so going to the police at this point is kind of dumb. It makes me feel a lot better that you're here." And then she remembered the DVD. "Do you think I should even watch that stupid DVD?" she asked, frowning.
 
"Oh," he said, upon learning she was a Scorpio. "Really? Well, I'm not an expert on signs, but based upon what I've read, it doesn't have much to do with your Sun signs anyway. Like, for instance, I'm nothing like what a normal Capricorn should be. I like taking risks, for instance, but the common stereotype would point otherwise." He then shrugged, slipping the book back into the shelf. "We're not a bad match though, in terms of what's expected. At least you're not a Gemini." He then shuddered.

A chilling realization crept into him as she brought up the DVD and Jeff at the same time. Could that be? How did he not make the connection before. Keith's eyes widened as he brought two hands up to his mouth, nearly growing pale as he could feel his heartbeat jacked up several notches.

"Um, maybe we shouldn't," he said, looking visibly distressed all of a sudden.
 
She chuckled. "As far as signs go I'm not really all that much like mine either. I'm supposed to be a sex kitten, apparently. Oozing with sensuality and what not. But that's not really me, ya know? I just think the entire idea of astrology is fascinating. I don't personally hold a lot of faith in the belief system." She shrugged and watched him curiously. All of the sudden, Keith wasn't looking so well. Instantly, she was concerned. "What's wrong?" she asked, coming closer. His hands were over his mouth and he'd gone pale.

She frowned and looked into his eyes. "You can't just stand there like that, Keith. You're starting to freak me out." What was bothering him so much?
 
He continued to stand there, frozen, momentarily blinking until his hands settled down. "I...I just don't feel like it's good for you to watch it, that's all," he said, before realizing that saying what he just said would probably make her even more curious. "But..."

Keith closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Maybe it wasn't what he was thinking, but knowing Jeff, and the fact that he had wanted her to see it, there was no other reason why it couldn't have anything to do with that. He lifted his eyelids, taking her hand. "But somehow I have faith that you'll understand." He gave her another one of those gentle squeezes while staring into her eyes.

He didn't give her a chance to respond. Instead, he was out of her bedroom, bent down beside her bag to rummage through it. He opened the jewel case, peeling the DVD out. Afterward, he went straight to her TV and placed the disc into her hybrid player. The tray whirred into her player, loading it. He pressed play.

It was just as he'd expected. On display over Sophie's flat screen TV, an orange haired, tattooed woman approached a figure wearing a dark cloak over his head. She was scantily clad, wearing nothing but a thong and a tightly-woven, black bra which pressed her incredibly large breasts together, creating an amazing line of cleavage.

"Oh, master," she said. Her acting was atrocious. "I have come to you to worship the cock of infinite heads. Please, give me your dark seed. I want it now...in all of my orifices!"

The figure raised an arm. "Silence!" he cried. His voice sounded eerily like that of Keith's. "The cock of infinite heads must be brought out...slowly."

The woman, who was most likely a Suicide Girl, got down on her knees as the cloaked figure spread his robes open to reveal a long, snake-like proboscis dangling from between his legs. The lady gripped it with one hand, looking up with adoring satisfaction before taking it into her mouth, allowing it to expand, filling her mouth. The man behind the cloak groaned, then he shivered, convulsing uncontrollably.

And then, without warning he lifted his cloak, revealing a face that was unmistakeably Keith's, but his hair had been dyed white to make him look like some kind of albino. Even his lip ring remained on. Despite all of that, it really was him in the video.

The woman began to suck harder, smacking loudly as she went down on him, sliding up and down in a rhythmic motion. The albino screamed, and his body suddenly burst open, violently shaking the camera and creating some kind of disruption in the video signal. It nearly resembled a scene out of the movie Cloverfield. Suddenly, dozens of writhing, black tentacles flooded the screen, swirling and seizing the poor woman like slimy, thick vines. She screamed, then gasped in pleasure as they lifted her up, hooking beneath to stretch her thong out, sliding beneath her bra to soak it in this clear, thick slime. It all looked too real. Cheesy in its execution, but it looked real enough to seem terrifying.

Keith covered his eyes and face throughout the entire ordeal. With a shaking hand, he reached over and hit the stop button. He had enough.
 
Sophie was really worried about him. She'd never seen him be afraid of anything or anyone as long as she'd known him. For a DVD to scare him....She wondered what it could be. But if it bothered him this much, maybe she really shouldn't watch it. Just as she was about to say it, he had her hand in his again, those green eyes of his cutting through her thoughts. His faith in her understanding stunned her. What was this about? Frowning, she let him squeeze her hand and then followed him slowly. She watched him from the entrance to her living room.

The screen came to life and she was forced to watch a woman who didn't look terribly different from herself prance around in some sort of "dark" ritual. She raised her eyebrow when she heard the words "cock of a thousand heads." Dear lord, what was this trash? And then she saw why Keith had been so worried. There he was...as an albino? What the hell? And soon it was made clear to her exactly what she was watching. No wonder he'd turned white.

When he pressed stop, his hands were still over his face. She didn't mean to, but she couldn't help it. Sophie started to laugh. "Oh my God, was that really you?" She asked, still chuckling. She walked back over to him and knelt beside him. A friendly hand was on his shoulder. "Do you mean to tell me that after all of that fuss, someone wanted me to know you're a porn star?" She couldn't help but laugh. Her arms wrapped around him. "I'm sorry--I probably shouldn't laugh. You're obviously embarrassed. It's just, I thought it was going to be something really awful. Not that that wasn't." Obviously relieved, Sophie turned her face to his. "We all make mistakes, right? Do things we regret? I'm pretty sure I can look past this. I hope you at least got paid for it." She smiled at him, still feeling like she could laugh.
 
Back
Top Bottom