Spark in the Dark

Chapter 16

Juice paid the pizza guy and went back to the couch Shawn was on. There was a coffee table in front of them that Juice set the box down on and opened it.

"Dinner's served," Juice told her. Shawn smiled and took a piece. They touched their slices of pizza together as if they were saying cheers with wine glasses and began to eat. "At least now I can tell your dad you ate today. He told me to check when I said I was coming to help you with your laptop."

"He did?" Shawn asked sadly.

"Yea. Is it just me or do all the guys worry about you too much?"

"I guess they have reason to."

Juice swallowed the bite he had in his mouth and looked at her. He noticed she had stopped eating and was instead picking at a piece of sausage on her pizza. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Shawn shook her head, but Juice didn't look convinced. "Nothing now. I used to, ya know, not eat."

"What? Like ever?"

"Yea. I was really skinny and was sick all the time."

Juice thought about her mugshots he had seen when he looked her up on Charming PD's computer system. The dark circles under her eyes and her sunken in cheeks. "Did you have to go to a hospital or something?"

"No. Worse. They made me live with Gemma."

"Why'd you do that?"

Shawn shrugged. "I've been told I don't see myself clearly."

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you're gorgeous."

"Thanks," Shawn smiled and finally took another bite of pizza. "You're pretty good looking yourself."

Juice chuckled and ran a hand over his mohawk. "You sure this doesn't look dumb?"

"It doesn't. At all. It's pretty sexy actually," Shawn admitted to him, relieved for the change in subject.

They continued to eat and talk. Juice ate at least half the pizza and Shawn had to abandon her third piece halfway through. They started wandering around the studio. Shawn let Juice lead the way as he curiously looked over some of the sets. He stopped and raised an eyebrow at one set that looked like a classroom.

"Kind of a hot for teacher thing," Shawn explained.

"Let me guess, Catholic school girls?"

"Plaid skirts and all."

"What's in there?" Juice asked, heading to a door off to the side of the room. Shawn followed.

"That's..." She hesitated.

"What?" Juice hesitated to open the door, his hand on the knob.

"The toy closet."

Juice pulled his hand away from the door. "I suddenly have the urge to go wash my hands."

"What? The big, bad biker has no chill when it comes to dildos?" Shawn teased.

"How many of those have been up some dude's ass?"

"Quite a few."

"No. No chill," Juice admitted, making Shawn laugh. "You, ya know, into all this?"

"Not really. I'm pretty boring, I guess."

Juice shrugged. "I don't know. The other night wasn't boring at all."

Shawn blushed and looked down. Juice reached over and place a finger under her chin, gently raising her face so she was once again looking at him. He then took a step towards her and kissed her. Shawn raised her hands to rest on his chest and leaned into him. Juice wrapped his arms around her to hold her close as they continued to kiss. His fingers traced a line over the zipper of her dress as he considered pulling in down. Before he could make up his mind, his cell began to ring in his pocket. Shawn groaned into his mouth, causing Juice to chuckle.

"Dammit," she complained. Juice pulled out his phone with one hand while keeping the other around her and checked the caller id.

"It's your dad," he answered the phone and brought it to his ear. "Yea?"

Shawn could faintly hear her father's voice. She could make out enough to know he had to go.

"You gotta go?" She asked after he hung up.

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough," Shawn told him. He looked nervous. "You know I know what you guys do right? The gun running?"

"I wasn't sure if you did or not."

"I'll walk you out."

"Why don't you head home, too? It's pretty late."

"I have to clean up and get my stuff together, then I will."

They reached the studio door and Juice opened it. "Lock this behind me, ok? You in there with your headphones on and this door unlocked is asking for trouble."

"Yes, sir."

Juice leaned in to give her one more kiss. "Finish that last slice of pizza while you're at it."

"Don't you start with that, too."

"I just don't want you getting sick, again."

"I won't. I promise. That was a long time ago," She reached up to kiss him, again.

"Good night, Shawn."

"Good night."

Shawn closed the door and locked it like Juice said. She leaned up against it with a big smile on her face. She wasn't sure what they were doing, but she sure as hell liked it.