Skins & Needles (COMPLETE)

Just Tonight Part 1

Charlotte

"Arsen, what are y—" I was cut off by Arsen roughly pulling me into his arms, and my words were replaced with a sharp inhale. I stood frozen for half a second, before the weight of the day finally hit me, and I melted against him. My groceries dropped to the floor and my arms slid around his waist. I never had any freaking idea what the hell was going on when Arsen and I were together, but I knew I never wanted it to stop.

The problem was, after not seeing him for a month, his presence hit me full force, and my body both sung and ached with the contact. The effect he had on me was like a drug, and I breathed in deeply, trying to commit to memory his clean, outdoorsy smell. God only knew when I would see him again.

Arsen's face pressed into my disheveled hair, and his arms tightened almost painfully. For a long time, neither of us said anything. I'm not sure I'd have been able to come up with anything to say with him this close anyway. I'd missed him terribly, no matter how well I'd been distracting myself from him, yet, I knew this wasn't going to last.

"Are you okay?" Arsen asked finally, his voice rough. I didn't really know how to answer. I wasn't that hurt. A little bruised up from being roughly dragged and slapped around, but nothing serious by any means. I was tired. I hadn't realized just how draining the encounter had been until I was in Arsen's arms, and now, it was catching up to me.

Apparently my silence wasn't a good response, because Arsen pushed away from me to inspect my condition. He took my face in his hands, his thumb brushing over my cheek as his worried gaze traveled over the damaged skin there. My eyes fluttered shut naturally when he leaned forward, and I let out a shaky breath when he pressed his cheek to mine.

"I'm so sorry, Charlotte," he said softly in my ear. I shivered, pressing closer to him almost magnetically, before I remembered something from earlier and took a step back.

"You know," I began, picking up my scattered peaches as I spoke, "I was pretty shocked when I heard I had a boyfriend. Wish someone had told me sooner."

"They just assumed..." Arsen started, before he realized I was teasing and rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Charlotte."

"Really, though. First thing I thought was, wow! What a nice surprise!"

"If only that was the case," Arsen chuckled, and I felt my neck heat.

"But, as you said, we are mere acquaintances," I reminded him. He couldn't see my grin as I walked into the kitchen, but I heard him following closely behind me.

"I had to say that, Charlotte," he told me, more than just a hint of regret in his tone. "You know that's not how I really..." He trailed off when I shot him a smirk over my shoulder.

"Go on?" I prompted, and began washing one of my kidnapping peaches. "That's not how you really what?"

"Charlotte," he warned, his dangerous tone making my abdomen squeeze deliciously. I didn't turn around until I finished cutting up my peach, and when I did, he was directly behind me.

My heart did a cartwheel.

I tried to ignore it.

"Want some?" I asked, and popped a slice into my mouth. Arsen watched my lips as I chewed and ran my tongue over them, before returning his gaze to mine.

"I was so worried," he admitted, ignoring my question. "And I couldn't even do anything. I thought they'd kill you, Char. I thought..." He shook his head, anxiety still clear on his face, and I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat.

God, I wished things were different. I'd never felt like... I didn't know how I felt. Just that this was way too much, and that we couldn't happen because reasons.

"Here," I said, hoping to break my own tension. I held up a slice of peach and wiggled it a little. "Try it."

Arsen raised an eyebrow, and then, to my surprise, ate the peach from between my fingers. His eyes met mine when his lips and tongue brushed my fingertips, and I felt my body react violently. He moved away to chew, and I crossed my ankles and pressed my thighs together.

"Now I see why you went to the shit part of town," Arsen said after a moment. "These are incredible."

"Yeah," was all I said, my throat still thick from the hot asshole's mind-fuckery. I almost wanted to yell at him for his actions, demand more explanation as to why everything was so not allowed with us, but even more so, I just wanted him to stay a little longer. Honestly, I missed him, and even though it was mild torture being around him, I liked it better than never seeing him.

I was a dumbass. I was supposed to be getting over him.

"So, ah, what are you doing here?" I asked, and hopped up onto the counter behind me. I needed that extra bit of distance. Granted, then all I could think of was how he was the perfect height to pull me to the edge of the counter and just... yeah, but at least I could breathe again. I popped another slice of peach in my mouth and leaned back against my cupboards.

"I'm not really sure," he admitted with a hand in his hair. "When they called and said they'd taken you... It was my fault, but I couldn't help you without endangering my own."

"It wasn't your fault," I muttered. "Just a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding that shouldn't have happened," he insisted. "I shouldn't have been seen with..." He caught himself, but it was clear where he was going.

"With me," I finished bitterly. All at once, I was over it. Not over him. I felt a lot for Arsen that would take time to work through, especially with him there. But I was over this little dance with impossible feelings. If it was so bad for him to be seen with me, then we needed to stay apart.

"Charlotte—" Arsen tried, but I shook my head.

"Then I ask again, Arsen. What are you doing here? Isn't this just a little extra suspicious? If it's so bad for us to be seen together, and not even romantically, then maybe you should leave."