The atrium had a surprisingly hushed quality despite the small knots of people starting to wander off as the night drew to a close. Not many of the vault residents congregated in the upper lounge after a certain time, more content in the down home vibe of the cafeteria after the simulated fall of night. On the positive, the taped version of a night under the stars had worn out a few decades ago, leaving nothing but the hum of the HVAC and murmur of whoever still sat down in the lower garden. On one side, Arianna, Hunter and Chris took turns at the red felted pool table while on the other Jonas and James stood in the near darkness, both with tumblers in hand.
Jonas sipped and indicated the three laughing as Hunter shot the cue ball off under the jukebox. "I'm still puzzled. Your daughter spends half her time studying, training and half her time hanging out with the overseer's top minions and you're okay with it."
Sighing, James watched the threesome with a look that had a wistful edge. "She's out of place Jonas. Amata and her clique tend towards the shallow end, the rest are intellectually stunted in many ways. I don't fully trust those two but in a way she's safer with them." Swirling the liquid and releasing the pungent hit of whiskey, he took a drink that burned all the way down. "Almodovar is on the warpath and she's a target that I can't fully protect. They might be able to do what I can't."
"So it's like she gained a couple of big brothers..." Jonas nodded in understanding but James shook his head in a negative.
"No Jonas, I don't trust their motives that much." His gaze rested on the tallest of the two men with a father's intuition. "But the lesser of two evils is something I can live with. It's not like she can't take care of herself." Even to himself the words sounded hollow.
Arianna had a unique perspective, one that he cultivated deliberately. He'd fostered a need to learn, a thirst for new and innovative ideas to explore and an openness to change. James wanted her to approach life with a limitless vision that ignored boundaries and preconceived judgements to forge her own path based on personal truth and self. He'd just never realized how quickly his daughter would mature or just how much of a cunning and resourceful creature Arianna'd become. Somewhere though he'd lost control and now could only watch and hope his teachings stuck.
You couldn't miss it though, the undercurrent between the big blond Chris and his petite offspring. Arianna leaned in to hear a comment, then with a laugh pushed off on the other man's chest that reminded him of the halcyon days of his courtship with Catherine. His daughter's mannerisms, her honed wit had become an almost daily reminder of his dead wife and a dream left to moulder on the vine. As much as he wanted to shove the vault guard through a glass window, James understood the more he pressured her to leave them alone, the more the contrary child would run the other way.
Draining his glass, James took one last look and turned to nudge Jonas. "Come on, lets run that last set of tests on the flow issue again. I'm sure we're close to a breakthrough." And truthfully, watching Arianna left him with a worried knot in his stomach and him running across the walkway to pull her out of the lounge was out of the question. The time they were both on was borrowed and he needed as many ace in the holes as he could get.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inside the lounge, the lack of occupants save the three under observation from across the upper level made the byplay just a touch more raucous. Hunter waved his free hand, beer sloshing just a touch but not enough to really signal just how drunk he was. "No, no I'm sure she's cheating. It's a trick ball or something."
The chorus of 'I'm not cheating' and 'It's not a trick ball for gods sake' brought another round of merriment as Arianna moved to rack another game. Chris got distracted by that firm ass as she bent over but came back with a quick slam at his friend. "Maybe you just suck at the game."
Arianna snickered and put the cue ball up for the break. "Maybe you both should have paid more attention in Mr. Brotch's classes. This game is all physics and geometry."
Both men stopped ribbing each other and stared. "You just had to go and ruin it didn't you with all that brainy stuff." Hunter did a little side step, righted himself and leaned against the bar, waving his partner forward just a touch unsteadily. "You go. She's gonna kick our ass again anyway."
Chris just stood there, cue in one hand, beer in the other and gave Arianna the once over. "Well if you were teaching maybe I would have paid better attention." Taking a swig out of the bottle he too waved her on. "Break but explain it all."
Eyeing both men for a moment, she moved up and leaned over the table, cue gripped gently in her hands. The crack as the balls scattered and three hit various pockets echoed and Hunter pointed at her, almost accusingly. "Told you." An hour passed, Ari explaining the dots along the felt on the edges, angles and english on the ball. Hunter was too far gone to get most but Chris seemed determined to keep up and it wasn't long before his experiments with all three began to pay off. Now it was down to the two of them, Arianna and Chris with one ball on the table.
He eyed the ball then the shapely female on the other side of the table, a wicked smirk slowly curling the corners of his mouth. "So, what does the winner get?"
An eyebrow shot up but she managed to contain an answering grin as her mind descended into the smutty depths of fantasy without much warning. "Well, I suppose what they want to claim."
Walking around the table and stopping within a foot of her, arms akimbo, their differences in size had never been more obvious. Diminutive but rounded in all the right places, Arianna's head didn't make his shoulder, his muscular bulk all but obscuring her from anyone behind him had they been peering in. "Anything, anywhere....deal?"
Somehow, the playful match game had ended here, light hearted teasing evaporating in a loaded question that Arianna wasn't sure she had the right answer too. Yes or no wasn't hard but just what was she agreeing to? For once, her lack of experience put her at a disadvantage and her smile faded a few degrees while her mind whirred with possible outcomes. Those meltingly warm eyes searched the planes of his face, looking for a clue to what he meant but for once Chris' poker face denied her anything but that one imperative. Choose. It was more than a bet they were talking about, more than a simple wager. Come what may, for this man, this beautiful blonde, blue eyed charmer, she'd risk it all. "Okay, you're on." Taking a step into that substantial wall of muscle and heat, her head tilted back till she stared unflinchingly up at him. "Your shot Casanova."
Chucking her under the chin, Chris walked around her and lined up his shot, taking time and walking the table to get eye lines in a few different directions before settling down for one. "Corner pocket." Indicating the choice, he drew back and sank it.
A peal of laughter erupted, disbelief warring with a touch of illicit anticipation. "You played me didn't you." There was nothing but affection in the tone.
God she never failed to amaze him. From the nerdy recitation of Newton's laws to the fearless stance at her loss of the bet, nothing in her demeanor hinted at any misgivings of what she might face with him in control. That trust unsettled and thrilled him at the same time. It made him wonder if what he planned, all the schemes and scenarios imagined during cold showers and late nights lying awake, so hard it hurt, would be enough to keep her. That's what it boiled down to, the no going back on his part and a fear of her bolting, never looking back.
He opened his mouth to respond but it died in his throat as a figure at the door stepped out of the darkened atrium balcony. "Hey Doc." Chris seemed calm, face schooled into friendly, unassuming lines.
Jumping with a half turn, Arianna turned, heart pounding and a flush starting to creep up her cheekbones. "Daddy! You're up late." She walked over and put her cue back into the wall rack. "Well up late and NOT in the lab."
"Well,I was heading to bed and looked in. I thought you could use the help." A nod in Hunter's direction revealed their companion, sprawled on a booth seat, head back with an open mouthed snore here and there.
Dropping his head, Chris stowed his cue as well and moved to Hunter's left and indicated the doc take the right. "If you don't mind then." The pair lifted the inebriated guard up and on shoulders, Arianna explaining his circumstances while they guided him back to his quarters. "He and Alice broke up. Guess he's having a bit of an issue with it."
It also stopped the collection of the bet, dammit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How's the head?"
Hunter ignored the question.
"Seriously, you're still pissed?" Chris stopped in the middle of the hallway, laughing as he took one last look at their log on his pip-boy. "You shouldn't have had the last eight beers."
Halting as well, the other man turned with an impassive stare. "You're my wing man. You're supposed to stop me."
"You don't stop me." He held up a hand and finished the audio report. Nothing new, nothing interesting except having to escort Ms. DeLoria back to her quarters since she was so drunk she'd spend 10 minutes trying to get into a locked supply closet thinking it was her door.
A look of bafflement was the response he got to the comment. "I've tried. You have a death wish and some fixation on an underage prodigy with killer combat training and a secret stash of goodies." Since they had no privacy, the words were hissed out just below a whisper level. "Next time I'm just going to shoot you."
Chris just rolled his eyes. "Officer Sebastian, end of duty log complete." Pushing a button to end the radio call, he flashed perfect white teeth in a smile. "That I'm fine with. You're supposed to make sure I don't get caught."
A glance up the hallway widened the grin. "Speaking of, I gotta go. Gotta bet to collect on." Breaking into a trot, he half turned and waved at Hunter. "See you at dinner. This won't take too long."
"With your blue balls I'm sure it won't." Muttering under his breath, Hunter backtracked towards Security to ditch his weapons before heading back to his quarters to shower and change.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Earbuds in, Arianna fiddled with the media files on her pipboy till the right song popped on. They never saw us coming 'Til they hit the floor Oblivious to anything, she'd missed the two guards and the exchange between them as well as not seeing Chris peel off and head her direction, still singing along softly. "All dressed up for a hit and run..." Taking a left with all intention of heading to the clinic, there was no warning as hands scooped her up, carrying her a few feet and shoving her into one of Stanley's closets.
Outraged, she got stopped mid-turn and spun, hands rising for a smack down falling to her sides in astonishment as Chris inspected her face for a moment, judging her reaction before the hands at her waist fell down over her pert bottom. He gave those plump globes a squeeze before lifting and parting her legs, settling between them as her back hit the wall with a thump.
Cinnamon shaded eyes narrowed as she hissed at him quietly. "What the hell?" Hip to hip, breasts crushed against his chest and arms looping up around his neck for balance, there was no hiding the ridge nestled against the juncture of her thighs and anger melted into lust before she could draw the next breath to chastise him further. Hot, getting wetter by the second Arianna just stared up at him, that same intoxicating mixture of innocent confusion and wanton carnality in her shocked gaze.
Chris couldn't hide the salacious edge to his smirk, lowering his head to let his mouth play along the tender flesh just under her ear. "I have a wager to collect on." The growl vibrated along the cord in her throat, the answering ache in her midsection soaking the hottest part of her where it rested against the rigid length of his erection.
As soon as they made contact he knew he'd made a mistake. Why in hell he thought this was a good idea just escaped him as her scent, the willingness in lax muscles and the growing heat in skin and sex made his hands tremble. Fingers played along the inner reaches of her perfectly shaped rear, teasing the edges of her crevice through the thin material of her leggings while his mouth pillaged her skin. Finally lips came to hover above hers, blue eyes boring into brown. "A kiss...just a kiss."
She couldn't help it, the laugh that bubbled up carried a smoky, sensual edge. ""And the rest of this?" Arms tightened just enough to lift her mouth closer, changing the angle of contact and hitting the sweet spot in her crease, eliciting a delighted whimper.
"Rain...." The first brush of lips was quick, a fleeting brush, taste of forbidden sweetness that left his knees weak with hunger. "Jesus...." So responsive, like a finely tuned erotic instrument in his hands. With her clinging so close, he could slide his hands up waist and breast to cup Arianna's face in his hands. Nudging till it became an imperative, Chris finally captured that ripe mouth. He tried to take it easy but she tasted like caramel sweetness and with a muffled groan deepened the contact.
Trapped in a feverish heat, Arianna held nothing back. At the first probe of his tongue, hers rose to meet his with an eagerness that astonished them both. The exploration opened up another level of intimacy that staggered him and left her shaking when they finally came up for air. Disoriented and in the grip of extreme need, Chris looked down into her flushed face, kiss swollen lips parted in stunned amazement and wanted to rend clothing till nothing stood between them,all in a janitor's closet on the common level.
That image pulled the seductive pulse of passion back a bit, allowing him to release the grip on her and regain control enough to lower her feet back to the floor. His arms though kept her close still, feel of curves against muscle too delightful to let go of just yet. Instinct told him he'd be her first and Chris would be damned if he'd ravage her in a damned hole, not when her wanton response just begged for an hours long romp in his bed.
"What am I gonna do with you Rain?" The rumble of laughter shook them both, not an amused sound but one of a man resigned to his fate and just realizing even if he had it in him to call a halt there was no desire to stop this headlong rush.
Leaning back, her answer got delivered with a wan smile, still reeling. "You need suggestions?"
Fingers entangled in the ebon waves down her back, his expression going from fierce passion to a resigned affection. "No, I need to slow down. I keep forgetting..."
Before he could finish the sentence, Arianna put a hand over Chris' mouth. "Don't say it." She could tell from the emotion in the depth of his eyes just what final words he'd nearly blurted out. "It doesn't matter." Still hung up on age, on her father, on their place in this cold, sterile environment and how this could possibly blow up in their faces. He still fought the idea that Arianna just didn't care. She wanted one thing with every fiber of her being and damned if like everything else she set her mind to she'd get her way.
Exasperated, he still dipped down for a final brush of her mouth on his before using his security access to make sure they got out clean. She headed to her original destination, panties damp and knees weak with a single glance back. Chris watched her go, ravenous need still in the depths of his gaze then went the opposite way, back towards his quarters and a very cold shower.