Could It Be You? |✓

(15) Tangled

Warning: Getting a little PG13 here
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She pulls him towards her, and when his lips meet hers, it is everything she has craved. He kisses her again and again, his fingers firmly holding onto her waist and another drawing up her back. He holds her possessively, as their lips court and dance with each other's.

"So you're my snogging partner," she muses, when they pull apart.

"Your what?" he asks, his breathing quick and uneven.

The rasp in his voice lingers between their noses, as he closes in again. She wraps her arms around his neck and returns every of his gentle attacks with another of hers, and they stayed that way, tangled with each other and revelling in each other, oblivious to the surroundings. She could tell that he wants her like the way she does, and she knows that she could have nothing more perfect than this.

* * *
Emma unlocks the door to her apartment, heart beating at an unprecedented intensity.

"So, you're letting me go in?" Matt asks tentatively, feeling the need to make sure once more.

"Come in," she says, and gestures for him to enter.

He follows her, and she shuts the door behind them. They stare at each other in silence for just a moment, before lunging at each other, unable to keep their hands off any longer. For Emma, of course, this - this - has been quite some time overdue. They stumble inward, fiercely kissing in the dark, clamouring for more and more to satisfy an insatiable appetite for each other.

"Is this a one-time thing?" Emma asks, amidst heavy breathing and gasps for air. She fumbles for the buttons on his shirt, hastily getting to work.

"Is it, for you?" he asks her in return.

When the buttons are off, she reaches for his body, runs her hand along the ridges of his muscles, and up his chest. A thrill runs down her body like never before, and she is so ready.

"No! Never."

"Then it's not a one-time thing." he says, and that is all Emma needs to hear.

He helps her remove her jacket, and moves his hand to the back of her dress, going straight for the zipper. Another hand slides ever so furtively lower down her body. Emma stumbles back more, and falls onto her couch... but lands on a pair of human legs instead.

She bolts up in utter, unfathomable horror, and lets out a shrill scream - and she isn't alone.

Seconds later, the lights flicker on, to reveal a shell shocked trio - Emma with her half-done zipper and slightly slipped off dress that reveals bits of her strapless bra, an inappropriately (un)clad Matt, and a no longer sleepy Ethan at the sight of the questionably tangled duo.

"What the..." the two men exclaim at the sight of each other.

"What the hell are you doing in my house Ethan????!!!!" she shrieks, as she promptly pulls up her dress and holds it in place.

Ethan darts glances at the two of them, then quickly throws Emma the blanket that he has been using, so she can protect her modesty. She snatches it immediately and wraps it around her.

"Why. Are. You. In. My. House." Emma repeats through gritted teeth.

"Let's talk when you guys are dressed." he offers instead.

Ten minutes later, the trio sits in the living room, and the atmosphere is awkward as heck.

Emma tries her utmost to keep herself from going into rage mode.

"So, Ethan. CARE TO EXPLAIN?"

"You left your house keys in my car, and you weren't replying to my messages so I stayed here to leave the door open for you just in case you come home. I didn't want you to be locked out."

He produces the set of keys that she had dropped, and Emma plants a palm on her forehead.

"I have a spare," she says, as calmly as possible.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. Look, I'm sorry. And... You haven't introduced us yet."

By now, Emma looks like she is capable of conjuring fire with her eyes. She restrains herself, however, and does as he requests.

"Ethan, this is Matt, my ... my love interest. Matt, this is Ethan, he's not my boyfriend."

"I'm her close friend," Ethan adds, and gives  one hell of an awkward smile to Matt who greets him with immense civility.

"Look, guys, I am terribly sorry, I really am. I'm so so sorry. And I am going to leave now. I'm sorry. Nice to meet you, pal."

With that, Ethan grabs his jacket and scrambles out.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Matt." Emma finally says.

They have sat in silence reeling from the shock for the past fifteen minutes.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm cool now. Please, cheer up." 

Emma could not even bring herself to face him.  The incident is simply too embarrassing and it sends her into indescribable agony just thinking about it.

"At least you said I'm your love interest," he says, and grins.

Emma looks at him morosely and nods. She isn't even sure what she is upset about now. That Ethan accidentally ruined her first night with Matt, the nail-crawling embarrassment, or maybe just the disaster of it all.

"I'll take my leave first alright, you need some time alone?"

"Yes, please. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I'll see you at work. Cheer up, okay?"

He gently plants a kiss on her forehead and pats her hands assuringly.

Once left alone, Emma runs into her room to seek refuge in her bed. She plunges into her pillows and covers, wishing for herself to just disappear into thin air.