The Road Less Traveled (Editing)

Chapter 12

Playlist:
Unsteady by X Ambassadors
Came Out Swinging by The Wonder Years
All I Want by A Day To Remember
Carry On by Fun

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   Despite my raging thoughts, I fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the events of the day. When I woke the next morning, it was to the sound of pots and pans banging around the kitchen. I groaned, looking around groggily for my phone before I remembered Hero still had it.
    I drug myself out of the bed, wincing as I realized how grungy I looked and felt. I glanced around, and noticed the t shirt and boxers Hero had given me the night before on the top of his dresser. I shrugged to myself and decided to wear them, as my dress was a crumpled mess and smelled like alcohol and sweat from the night before. I stripped down, and pulled the t shirt on over my head, pulling the boxers on over my own underwear.
   Now somewhat dressed, I turned back to the bed. I decided against stripping it as I didn't see a laundry hamper in Hero's room, so I made it up instead, hoping it was alright. I grabbed my folded up dress and my heels and went in search of breakfast.
   Out in the hallway, I followed the smells of cooking bacon down a flight of stairs around a corner at the end of the hall I hadn't noticed the night before. At the bottom of the stairs, I ended up at the entryway to the house, just before a little door that led me to the kitchen.
   "Good morning!" Iris said brightly. She was sitting at a little table against the wall of the kitchen, a plate stacked with bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast in front of her.
   "Bacon first, talk later." I said, plopping myself down in front of her, grabbing a piece from her plate.
   "Help yourself, plenty more where that came from." Noah's voice came from behind me. In my haste to get food, I had completely missed him.
   "Oh, hi Noah, thanks." I said sheepishly.
   He shrugged it off amicably, "How'd ya sleep?"
   "Like a corpse." I said, taking another bite of my bacon.
   "Nice, want anything for breakfast?" He asked.
   "If you've got anymore eggs, I can cook for myself." I said, making to get up.
   "Nah," Noah said waving a spatula at me, "I'll make em. You're a guest, and I like cooking, so don't sweat it." He said turning back to the burner.
   I looked around. "Hey, have you guys seen Hero? He's still got my phone."
   "Couch. You'll have to be rough, dude can sleep through a hurricane." Noah said, pointing with the spatula again.
   "Thanks." I said, getting up from the table and making my way to the living room.
   Hero was sprawled on the couch. He was still wearing his dark ripped jeans, but he had removed his boots and his shirt. He was lying on his back, one arm resting across his abdomen, one over his head. I glanced around, using the empty room as an opportunity to examine him.
   The skin on his chest and stomach was lightly tanned, and I admired the fine shape of his muscles. He didn't have washboard abs, but he was fit, the muscle toned even at rest. His hips stood out in sharp relief above his belt and he had fine blondish hair from his navel down. He was a gorgeous specimen and I was mentally kicking myself for not appreciating it more last night.
   I stuck my foot out, nudging his thigh with my toes. "Hero?" I said. He didn't move. "Hero." I said with more force, reaching down to shove his shoulder lightly. Nothing. "Hero!" I said for the third time, louder.
   "Mhm." He grumbled, still not moving.
   "Wake up sleepy head, it's morning." I said.
   "No." He grumbled again, rolling over and shoving his face into the couch cushion.
   I rolled my eyes. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
   I leapt up onto the couch, bouncing up and down lightly kneeling on Hero as I did so.
   "WaKe uP YoU LaZY NoOdLe BrAIn! It iS MorNiNG!" I shrieked in his ear.
   "Jesus fucking Christ Virginia!" Hero shouted, launching up from the couch like a rocket, knocking me backwards as I laughed.
   "Can't you wake people up politely?!" He said, now rubbing his face.
   "I tried."
   "Bullshit. You're a sadist."
   "How is waking you up sadistic?"
   "I was having a great dream."
   "Boo-fucking-hoo." I said in a mocking whining voice.
   Hero eyed me, then moving fast as lightning he shot across the couch, grabbing me around the waist, flipping me around and slamming me down onto the couch. "What the hell!" I screeched, shocked. Hero laughed, his hands pinning my wrists to the couch.
   "Say you're sorry for waking me up so rudely." He demanded, his eyes filled with humor.
   "Say you're sorry for sleeping like a water buffalo." I fired back.
   "Say you're sorry, or I'll make you." He threatened, leaning in closer, pinning me further to the couch with his body.
    I squirmed, trying to escape. He was so strong. I knew testosterone was a hell of a hormone but practical application of it was completely different. His lean body pressed against mine, his bare chest and arms rippling as he fought to pin me down. Fought is an exaggeration, Internal Virginia laughed. He had me well and truly pinned. I tried not to think about how close we were together, how good his solid weight felt pressed against me. Jesus Christ you horn dog snap out of it! I thought to myself.
   "Never." I squeaked, hoping I sounded defiant and not out of breath.
   "So be it." Hero said solemnly. He shifted one hand, pinning both my wrists with one hand.
   "What are you-" I began as his hand moved lower. The hand in question suddenly grabbed hold of my side and he squeezed.
   I shrieked, writhing and squirming. He was tickling me!? I bucked my hips as Hero laughed and continued his assault.
   "Say you're sorry!" He cackled.
   I was no longer enjoying being pinned to the couch. Stupid Hero and his stupid testosterone and his stupid muscles and his stupid hands being so strong.
   "Uncle!" I shouted, desperately.
   "That's not sorry." He said in a mocking tone, his hand now squeezing above my knee.
   "Red! Pineapple! Oregon! Beetlejuice!" I yelled, gasping for breath.
   Hero paused, "Are you actually yelling out safewords right now?!" He said, incredulous, as he released my wrists. I scrambled backwards, coming to the arm rest of the couch, chest heaving as I gasped for air.
   "It worked, didn't it?" I said, attempting a haughty demeanor, which is hard to do when you're in an oversized t-shirt, boxers, and gasping after being tickled by a seriously hot guy.
   "How do you even know Beetlejuice is my safeword." He teased.
   "You are such a freak." I said for probably the millionth time since I met him.
   "The freakiest." He said, grinning slowly at me.
   My stomach clenched. Why did he have to be so hot? I averted my eyes, clearing my throat. "Where's my phone?" I asked, hoping he'd drop the subject.
   He gave me a knowing look, but reached for his pocket anyways "Right here," He said patting his pockets, "or it was last night." He said, grimacing.
   "Hero, if you lost my phone-" I began, but he waved a hand at me.
   "Keep your pants on damn, it's here somewhere. What's your number?"
   "What? Why?" I asked suspiciously. I was very protective of my number. I had to be.
   Hero rolled his eyes in exasperation, "So I can call it and we can find it without ripping the house apart, stupid."
   "Oh, okay," I said sheepishly. "503-202-0198" I rattled off, and he typed it into his phone.
   "It's ringing." He said. After a moment, a soft buzz hummed through the living room and he dropped to all fours to look under the furniture, while I pulled at the couch cushions.
   "Got it!" He said, handing my phone to me from the floor.
   "Thank you very much." I said politely, taking a place on the couch to check my messages as Hero heaved himself up off the floor and plopped himself on the couch. I sat watching as he leaned back, rubbing his face.
   He glanced at me, then drew a breath, "Virginia, about last night-" he began, but I cut him off, "It's alright, we can pretend it didn't happen. It was a long night and we were both keyed up." I said, avoiding his eyes. I had been worried he'd come to his senses and tell me it had been a mistake. I wanted to beat him to the punch and save my pride.
   "That's not what I was going to say, so quit interrupting me." He said grumpily. "What I was going to say before you so rudely interrupted, was that I'm sorry." He said fidgeting, clearly uncomfortable.
   "For what?" I asked, dumbstruck.
   "I shouldn't have come on to you like that." He said cheeks flaming, and I was confused, because he had nothing to be embarrassed about, I was the one that had acted like an idiot.
   "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry I freaked out like that. It wasn't anything you did wrong." I said, embarrassed for myself now.
   "Still, I know you're a nice girl, and I'm guessing that wasn't your scene and I shouldn't have pushed for anything so I'm sorry."
   "So let's agree to both be sorry and try to forget how embarrassing this is for both of us." I said, trying to ignore the burning in my cheeks.
   "Deal." Hero said with a grin.
   "Do you have a charger I can use? My battery is at thirty percent and I've got some calls to make." I said, trying to diffuse the awkwardness between us.
   Hero seized on the topic change, "Yeah, there should be one in the kitchen." He said, rising and stretching out. His jeans shifted on his hips and his biceps and abdominal muscles rippled. I swallowed and looked down.
   "Could you please put on a shirt or something?" I asked irritably. It was too early to be getting turned on by him and we had just agreed to forget about the kiss. Hadn't we?
   "Does partial nudity make you uncomfortable? Aren't science people supposed to not give a shit about nudity?"
  "Your nipples make me uncomfortable." I deadpanned.
  Hero laughed as he pulled his shirt from last night over his head, "Free the nipple 2k18."
   "Oh my God, you're so annoying." I groaned, getting up and passing by him into the kitchen. 

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A/N: I love writing these two.
Originally, this was a 7,000 word chapter, but I felt like this was a good place to chop it for now. Comment, share, vote, enjoy!