Due to January temperatures, you'd think an outdoor party where everyone is wearing thin layers and getting wet would be a bad idea. Maybe it is, but that didn't stop it from happening.
The body heat and closeness of everyone is at least keeping people warm in the back of Gamma Theta Pi. The backyard is filled with foam, several feet of it as people dance. Inside is a little calmer, but the party is still raging on.
Ethan approaches Blake with raised brows, seeing her reach for the tequila. "Sure you should be drinking that?"
"I'm not. You are," she grins, spreading a strip of salt on her neck. "You never got to last time."
He doesn't hesitate, no questions as he leans in. His tongue rakes slowly along her neck, savoring the moment before downing the shot and taking the lime from her lips. He sucks the juice from it before spitting it out, kissing Blake.
She hums at the sour taste on his tongue, kissing at his bottom lip. Ethan's hands slide down, squeezing her ass and pulling her body even closer to his.
"Wanna go upstairs? Or back to Kappa... or your place?" He mumbles, hopeful.
Blake kisses his jaw, trailing all the way down to just below his adams apple. "No, here's good for now."
It's the 'for now' that stops him from feeling disappointment, knowing the night is still young. Though, to be fair, it's hard to feel disappointed at all with her lips on his pulse.
Ethan lets out a deep chuckle as she pulls the collar of his shirt down, leaving a few hidden hickies. She's definitely tipsy already, not even stopping her assault when Lara and Grayson appear beside them. They started dating shortly after Blake got them upstairs alone after winter break. So far, things seem to be going well with them.
"Chérie," he coughs, nudging her. "We have company."
"Hey, Lara, Gray," Blake giggles, pulling away, which has Ethan almost wishing the couple didn't wander over. Blake's more than tipsy, that's evident now. It's actually pretty strange for her to drink this much. "What're you guys up to?"
"Here for drinks," Lara says, snatching the tequila. "You let her drink this again?"
"As far as I know, she didn't," Ethan shrugs. He has an arm around her shoulder now, holding her close. "Blake, you good?"
"I'm fine! I'm having fun!" She reassures, her eyes lighting up when she looks at her phone. "Ooh, he's here!"
"Who's here?"
Blake doesn't answer, waving to someone walking closer. She leaves Ethan's side to hug him, making his jaw clench.
Ethan feels his stupid heart thudding in his chest, his eyebrows falling over his eyes without him even realizing it at first. One of his hands grips the counter as the guy she's hugging plants a kiss on her cheek.
"Guys, this is Evans."
"Todd," he corrects with a snort. "Blake refuses to call me anything except my last name."
"Does she?" Ethan asks, crossing his arms tightly. He can't help the tinge of jealousy in his chest, but he can bury it with annoyance. "Nice to meet you, Todd."
His teeth clench, and it's obvious. Grayson steps forward to shake his hand instead, greeting, "Cool to meet you, man. I'm Grayson, this is, uh, my brother Ethan. And this is Lara, my girlfriend."
"Todd Evans... why does that sound familiar?" Lara hums, turning to Blake with wide eyes when it hits her.
"He's one of my friends from high school. From, y'know, after I switched senior year," Blake smiles, grabbing him by the arm. "We reconnected over break while I was home. Isn't it cool he just transferred here? We're gonna go dance in the foam!"
Ethan doesn't get a chance to protest, watching her waltz away with another guy.
"Did she date him?" He asks, turning to Lara. She bites her lip, refusing eye contact. "Lara."
"Okay, so, like, kinda?" She mutters, pouring herself a shot. "Yeah. Senior year for... a little while? I don't know, they broke up because they went to different schools! They got together at the end of the year, had a summer fling, broke up. I've only heard his name because they had just recently broken up when I met her. It's not like she was torn up about it."
"And he just... goes here now?" Grayson sighs, looking at Ethan. His arms are still crossed, his lips pursed as he tried to look out the back door for Blake.
Lara shrugs, Grayson's arm around her shoulder. "I gotta go tell Ava. Find Ryan, tell him to keep an eye on Blake?"
Grayson nods, first turning to Ethan, who's throwing back a shot. He told himself he just didn't want to share her, but it's obvious that isn't the full truth. Ethan just doesn't understand why else it's bothering him yet.
Ryan gets a text from Grayson, and it doesn't take him long to find Blake. The foam has soaked through her white shirt now, showing off her black bra underneath as she dances with Todd. Nothing too racy is happening, it looks like he might be flirting with her, but they aren't even dancing all that close.
Blake didn't hookup with him over break. They reconnected as friends, truly, and she didn't think his flirting meant anything. She wants to be sure though, so she'll tell him soon. Blake doesn't feel anything for Todd anymore, not for years--she barely had feelings for him in the first place. But honestly? She needs a distraction from Ethan.
Over break, she realized she was getting way too caught up in him. She realized she was catching feelings for him.
Ethan doesn't do feelings though. Blake knows that, so hers are pointless and left her feeling stupid. How could she fall for the frat boy who'd just been wanting to fuck her for months?
Truly, she feels bad about still kissing him. It's been harder than she thought it would be to stay away, hence distractions and trying to move on, and her attitude with him the other night.
Ethan is intoxicating. Blake figured that getting actually intoxicated might help her distract herself from the only growing feelings, and so far, it's working. It's conflicting, because she still wants to stay friends with him. She also really likes indulging herself by seeing him, even if she feels bad about it after.
"Blake!" Ryan shouts, jogging over and interrupting. "You look a little drunk, why don't we go sit down?"
"I'm fine, Ry!" Blake insists, introducing him to Todd. They briefly shake hands.
"Blake, your shirt is see-through."
"It's a party," she whines, jutting her lip out. Ryan knows immediately that something is going on with her, because she's acting different. He'd never guess it's because she doesn't want to like Ethan.
"I'll keep an eye on her, dude," Todd promises, pulling her just a little closer. Blake smiles, shoving Ryan in the other direction to get rid of him.
He doesn't trust that to happen, but he can't stop her from doing what she wants. Ryan instead retreats to find the rest of their friends, minus Ethan (who's getting drunk and doesn't need to hear about this), so they can figure out if Blake is truly okay.
She is. She will be. She's just drunk and stupid right now. But she also likes a boy she promised herself she never would.
--
Shoving a few pencils in her hair, Blake sits down in the corner of the library with her laptop. Classes have started up again, and she's back to stressing herself out.
It isn't too long before she's being approached by Ryan and Ava. About an hour and a half after she'd sat down, they come skipping over, knowing exactly which table is her favorite and where to find her whenever she isn't answering her phone.
"Blake, it's Friday night," Ava snorts.
"Yeah, but if I finish this essay now, I'll have the whole weekend almost worry free."
"Oh, c'mon. Come out with us, have some fun," Ryan whines, slowly closing her laptop. "We're gonna go swim."
Blake raises her eyebrows, and watches the way Ava stares at him. It's February, which means it was way too cold to be swimming. They obviously had something up their sleeves though, which they promise to tell her about if she'll agree to go first.
Half of her essay is already done, so with a sigh, she agrees and starts packing up her stuff. They tell her about it on the way back.
Ava heard from some friends in one of her classes about a hot spring in some caves three hours north. She got the location, was sworn to secrecy, and now is really looking forward to going up there this weekend with all of their friends.
Glad she's been roped into this, Blake walks home hurriedly with them. She has to admit that it sounds pretty cool, and it'll definitely be a well deserved break.
What they didn't tell her was who was coming, but she'd figure that out on her own. Plus, as far as they know, she doesn't have a problem being around Ethan. They do know that they haven't seen each other much as of late--and they've all heard Ethan complain--but Blake has thrown herself into other things so they didn't think she'd been avoiding him.
Her, Ava, and Lara all rush to pack bags to leave, and then start their walk to Kappa. Ryan is driving them all--they don't have cars, so that's kind of the only option. They don't need to drive themselves anywhere on campus, and live in an area where public transportation is accessible, so right now they have no need for their own cars.
It hits Blake who else they might've invited as soon as they start walking, and she can't help but sigh slightly. Her and Ethan haven't been talking much lately for a reason. They aren't on bad terms, but she's just trying to keep her distance while she sorts through her feelings. It's not like they're intense, but they're there. Blake typically has good self-control, but things get harder when it comes to Ethan.
Her theory is confirmed when they see Ethan and Grayson already waiting outside of Kappa, with theirs and Ryan's bags next to them. "You guys ready?" He grins, opening the trunk so everyone can toss their things in.
Ethan huffs at the sight of Blake. He knew she was coming, but didn't think it would be a problem until she got there. Seeing her makes him mad, mostly, even though he doesn't really have a reason to be mad at her. He can't deny the slight skip of his heart when she looks his way.
He climbs in the very back and motions for Blake to join him so they can talk. She doesn't know if spending three hours squished in the backseat of a car with him is a good idea though, so instead, Grayson hops in before she can make a decision. Blake says a silent thanks and climbs in the middle with Ava.
Ryan, of course, drives, while Lara takes shotgun. The seating position is no ones favorite, separate from who they truly want to sit next to, but they don't complain. They're all friends.
The drive is filled with banter and them eating snacks, laughing the entire time. During a louder moment, when no one can hear, Blake turns to Ava. "What's the deal with you and Ryan anyway? You like him? You guys have been... I don't know, closer, flirty."
"...kind of," she mumbles, her cheeks turning crimson. "I don't know when it happened I just... know I do."
Blake grins, playfully shoving her. "What happened with Travis?"
"Just didn't really work out," Ava shrugs, a piece of popcorn landing on her lap from behind. "Alright, which of you annoying ass twins are throwing popcorn?"
"Hey! Ethan's the annoying one," Grayson defends, getting shoved by his brother. Grayson shoves him back, smushing his face up against the glass. "And sorry, I was trying to get it in his mouth."
"Dude! Get off of me!"
"Who let those idiots sit together?" Ryan sighs, his clean window now smudged from Ethan's face. Blake only snorts, her eyes lingering on him as he rubs his already sore and red nose. He catches her looking, and instead of saying something, throws a piece of popcorn that lands in between her eyes.
Blake gasps, letting it fall to her lap as Ethan grins innocently. "Dolan, if you were any closer I'd strangle you."
"That's hot, chérie. But I prefer to be the one strangling you, you know that."
"Ew!" Lara groans from the front seat. "Can't you two behave for 15 more minutes?"
Ethan shrugs, feeling no more anger when he looks at Blake. Now, it wasn't ever anger at her, but at seeing her with Todd or thinking about them together.
He's been around her all the damn time lately. It's obvious he's been flirting with her to anyone with eyes, and Ethan thinks that it's pathetic. She hasn't even shown the tiniest bit of interest back--not even jokingly like she did with him.
Maybe he's biased, because he hates Todd, but Ethan doesn't care enough to change his opinion. Right now, he doesn't wanna think about Todd anymore. He wants to focus on her and why the hell he's missed her so much.
They pull up to a discreet area, and almost don't notice the stairs leading down into the caves. The weather outside is gross and wet, and it looks like it was just them for the evening. It worked out perfectly, the six hurrying down the stairs into a vast cavern with their bags. They brought large, waterproof lanterns and flashlights that they place around to light up the space.
Not too deep in sits a large pool, which was exactly what they were looking for. They all go to separate dark corners to change into bathing suits, excited to jump in.
When Blake walks over, only the boys are in the water already. Ethan's hair is wet and slicked back as he splashes some of the water at Grayson, the lantern light reflecting off of his toned muscles. They flex when he moves to block a splash, but gets distracted when he looks up to see Blake.
She's wearing the tiniest fucking red bikini, clinging to her just right with her hair pulled back to keep it from getting wet. Ethan's selfish thoughts swarm in, thinking maybe she wore it just to tease him, because god she looked good.
Blake slowly steps into the warm water, staying out of the line of fire for the splash fight. She soaks in it near the edge, relaxing, until Ethan comes over.
"Hey, chérie."
"Hey, Dolan," she says, raising a brow. Her arms cross, only making his gaze dart down. "What's up?"
"Haven't seen you much lately," Ethan shrugs, leaning against the edge of the pool next to her. "You're always with Todd."
"He doesn't really have other friends yet."
"Yeah, well you do. He's only hanging out with you so he can flirt with you and get in your pants."
"Sound familiar?"
Ethan pauses, his mouth dropping open. "I'm not like him. Yeah, I flirt with you and shit, but I--it's different, chérie. We're good friends, first of all. And--"
"Ethan, can we just have fun? I don't need your opinion on any of my friends," Blake sighs, standing up and beginning to wade away. "For the record, since you seem so concerned that I might stop fucking you, I'm not interested in Todd and he knows that. He's just joking around. If I don't sleep with you it's not because of him... and guys can like me for more reasons than just wanting to fuck me. I know that might be hard for you to grasp."
"Blake, that's not what I--"
Ethan huffs as she walks toward Ava and Ryan, leaving him to stand behind and wonder how the fuck he ended up here. Blake wasn't even on his radar much before she beat his shotgunning record, now their friend groups have combined and they've hooked up? And for some reason, he cares about her.
On paper, they're so different. Their biggest similarities at first glance are that they go to the same school and both have loud mouths.
No one would look at them if they weren't already friends and think they'd work at all, yet they do. They get along better than they should most of the time, and even when one of them (usually Ethan) does something stupid, they can work through it, often with ease.
Ethan is the kind of guy Blake always thought she couldn't stand. He's cocky, and used to getting what he wants. Things--girls--have always been handed to him on a silver platter.
From the outside it doesn't seem like he cares about much at all, other than partying and getting laid. That irked her, at first, with how he carried himself like the earth revolved around him. He didn't come off like he was any deeper than surface level. Of course, she knows better now. She really likes who he turned out to be and is glad he pushed his way into her life, despite the dull butterflies in her stomach on occasion.
Blake is the kind of girl that Ethan never really found himself paying any mind to. Always busy with something, gets along with everyone but didn't really get along with anyone but her close friends. She's one of those people that seem to fit into every group, but not as a permanent fixture, just whenever she's around.
There was something about her that initially came off as superior, like she thought she was better than everyone. That obviously isn't the case, but she's definitely emotionally closed off at first. The girl can party with anyone, but you have to force your way in to really get to know her.
He's actually pretty glad he did that too, because Blake is nothing like his initial impression of her. Ethan doesn't match up to hers either. They went to the same university for a few years before they let their lives intertwine, despite getting on so well and seeing each other around often enough.
Now though, something's up. Ethan knows for a fact that there was a wall between him and Blake, and he doesn't like it.
With four of their friends around, it's not like he can force it out of her. So they all just talk, soak in the hot spring, and Ethan tries to ignore the thick tension. It's fun, but he can't stop thinking about her. So, as he sits by the towels outside of the water, sipping on his drink, he looks around.
"I think I wanna explore the caves a little," he says, motioning toward the path. "Blake, come with me."
"No, Dolan," she laughs, seeing his eyes roll, a hand on his hip. "Okay, okay, I'm coming. We'll be a little deeper in if you guys need us, I guess."
The four of them have no plans to bother Blake and Ethan. In fact, as soon as the two grab towels and walk far enough away, they're placing bets on what's about to happen between them.
Grayson and Ava are firm that they're going to get together, or that he's at least going to ask her on a date. Lara and Ryan think they're gonna hookup and come back and then probably try and pretend nothing happened.
Ethan carries a lantern and hums, the quiet noises echoing off the cave walls. He holds his phone tightly in case they find something cool, Blake carrying their towels. They can still hear laughter from far behind, but focus instead on their shadows bouncing off of the walls.
"What's on your mind lately, chérie?" Ethan asks after a few minutes of walking in silence.
"What do you mean?"
"You've been quiet. Distant," he presses, glancing at her only to see her eyes roll. "For someone with a huge mouth it's weird to see you so quiet. Something happen?"
"Oh my god, shut up," Blake laughs, her elbow meeting his side. "Nothing happened, I've just been busy since we started class again."
He doesn't believe her, but instead of pushing, clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Sorry about earlier. I don't have to like your friends, but I guess it's not my business."
"Evans really isn't that bad," she informs him. Her calling Todd by his last name still upset Ethan, though he hasn't thought about why. Or maybe, he just doesn't want to acknowledge why. "He was one of the first people to talk to me when I switched schools senior year. I told him I'm not really looking for another guy to be friends with benefits with right now, and he said his flirting was all playful. He offered to back off."
"Another? You mean..?"
"Dolan, even if I were to outright say no, we both know we'd just end up flirting with each other and making out or more again. Might as well accept it."
Ethan grins, the confirmation from Blake making his mood soar. He's so ecstatic he doesn't notice the downcast look on her face as she says it. Friends with benefits isn't something she really does. Especially not when she actually likes a guy--so she's wary about this, but couldn't help herself.
It's not like she's head over heels in love, so spending time with him doesn't hurt. She only notices it when he's unusually affectionate, or says some stupid compliment and makes her heart flutter. Other than that, things are normal, and Blake can work with that.
The tunnel expands into another vast room, a smaller hot spring in the center, with a hole above them to allow sight of the cloudy sky. Steam is traveling off the water and up out of the caves, the cold and warm air mixing and meeting in the middle.
"Let's hop in," he says, gently placing down their things. Ethan sucks in a deep breath, the water even warmer than the last one.
This pool is about the size of a small hot tub, and though they can sit further, they both lean against the edge only inches apart. It isn't that deep, but that doesn't matter. They talk about what she's been so 'busy' with, Blake telling a story from one of her nights bartending where she ended up practically babysitting a group of drunk girls.
He listens, but his mind can't help but to wander. The next lull in the conversation, he pulls Blake close.
"This bathing suit... do you know what you're doing to me?" He chuckles darkly in her ear, toying with the strings. "Water dripping down your skin, tight in all the right places... are you doing this on purpose?"
"Maybe," Blake smirks, reaching her hand out under the water to palm his dick in his swim shorts, noticing that he's already half-hard. "Aw, you get this hard just staring at me?"
"You know," he hums, his teeth grazing her neck, "I haven't been laid in over two months now. Not since the last time I had you. Every fucking girl on campus that I usually go for thinks we're together and refuses to be used to make you jealous or something, even when I tell them we're not. I wouldn't normally care, because really the only girl I wanna fuck lately is you, but you've been busy and distant," he spits, tossing her bikini top to the side. Ethan hoists Blake out of the water so she's now sitting on the edge, flicking one of her nipples with his tongue. "Two fucking months, chérie. It's just been me and my hand thinking about you, looking at that fucking picture you sent me half the time--god, I'm gonna fucking destroy you."
Blake gasps, biting down on her bottom lip as Ethan sucks a hickey on the top of her chest. Her hands go to his wet hair, tugging on the dark locks with a content sigh.
"Nothing to say?" Ethan laughs, taking a step back and crossing his arms. "That's a first. You already giving in? You want me to destroy you?"
"I wanna see you try," she breathes with a smile, gripping the back of his neck. Taunting Ethan always gets her the best results. "You get yourself off thinking about me, hm?"
"All the fucking time," Ethan says, his lips brushing against hers.
Blake tries to ignore her heart pounding in her chest. "What do you think about? What do you wanna do to me?"
"I'll show you," he mutters, pushing her down and flipping her over so she's lying on her stomach, her ass at the very edge and her legs dangling in the water. He rips her bikini bottom off, tossing it to the side and immediately his hand strikes her ass. Blake bites her lip, whimpering and lifting herself up on her elbows, pushing further back toward him for more. "You have a big mouth, but you're really just a slut, huh?"
"Mhm," Blake grins, feeling him press a kiss to the reddening area, immediately granting her another harsh slap after.
Ethan spreads her legs apart, pushing one finger into her dripping pussy to watch her squirm and moan. He could sit like this for hours, just watching her writhe around and crave more of him, listening to the little sounds slip from her lips.
With how hard his cock is straining against his swim shorts he makes an executive decision not to do that today. He slips out of them, Blake whining at the loss of contact when his hand disappears for even a second, his fingers slipping into his mouth to taste her.
"Fuck me," she begs, turning her head to look at him.
"Impatient today?" Ethan smirks, spitting on her and watching it drip down both of her holes. He's torn between teasing her more and just settling inside of her pussy, glistening with her own wetness and from the pool. He runs the tip of his cock through her folds, watching her try and move back against him. "Chérie, fucking quit it."
"Bet Todd would've already made me cum," she spits, just to get on his nerves.
And it works, because seconds later he's pushing into her. Blake cries out, his cock filling her up without warning. There's a slight burn from the stretch, but it feels good. Ethan works in fast strokes, pulling almost all the way out every time, hands roughly gripping her ass.
Ethan groans, her walls stretching out around him. He has to fight to keep his eyes open, because his favorite thing about fucking her is watching his cock disappear inside of her with each thrust and seeing how she looks back at him.
Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he pulls Blake up so his lips are by her ear. "Todd ever fuck you like this, chérie?"
"Y-yeah," she lies with a smirk, cursing under her breath as she feels him deeper. "He's bigger than you."
Another lie, but it gets right under his skin.
Ethan groans as he presses Blake's hips down harshly against the stone, holding her in place so he can ram into her even harder. She moans, unable to properly hold herself up now, his balls slapping against her clit with every hard thrust.
"Oh, f-fuck!" Blake moans, gripping at anything she can. He's going at a relentless pace now, both of them so close to the edge. "Ethan, shit, just like that. Your cock feels s-so good."
"Your pussy feels fucking great wrapped around it," he breathes, bringing his hand down on her ass again. "Shit, Blake, fuck--"
Blake clenches around him, her body shaking with orgasm and her moans bouncing off of the high walls. Her tightening around him, the amplified wetness, and her moans and praise makes Ethan cum too, still deep inside of her when his hip stall.
They both stay put to catch their breath, Ethan pulling out slowly and watching his cum drip out of her into the water. Biting his lip, he quickly reaches for his phone to take a picture of her before she hops back into the pool.
"That's not a comfortable place to lay," she pouts, rubbing red marks on her skin. "Is my ass fucking raw again?"
"Matches your bikini," Ethan smirks, flinging the swimsuit at her before crossing his arms. "Don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing you crumble under me. So fucking needy, chérie."
Her eyes roll, and she turns to have him tie her top back on. His fingers gently brush her skin, completely different from how rough he just was with her, causing goosebumps rising on it and her head to spin. It's almost shockingly intimate.
With a hum, she turns back around. "I only said the stuff about Evans to make you mad, y'know. None of it was true, just wanted you to be rougher."
Ethan raises his eyebrows at her last statement, but it definitely makes him feel better. He pulls her close for a second, muttering in her ear, "Next time, chérie, just fucking ask."
Blake laughs, moving out of his grasp to sink deeper into the water with a sigh. Her eyes close, a soft smile on her face. Ethan gets annoyed looking at her, feeling his stomach do flips when it definitely shouldn't be. That's new.
It's hard for him not to admire her right now. Her hair still pulled back--but messy from him grabbing it--skin still flushed and splotchy, water glistening on her, relaxed after what just happened... she just looks pretty to him. Seeing her like this is a privilege, he's quickly reminded, knowing she doesn't sleep with just anybody. It makes his heart race, feeling his pulse in his fingertips as he stares more.
Telling himself it's nothing, he hops out of the water to grab a towel. "What do you say we go find the others again?"
"Alright, alright. Gimme a sec, Dolan," she sighs, lightly drying herself off before walking ahead of him. Ethan holds the light, walking just behind her. With a crooked grin, he smacks her ass again. "Ow! Not so hard. It's a little sore."
"Yeah, your bathing suit doesn't even cover all the redness. They're definitely gonna know what happened--that you fell apart for me again."
"Hey--" she glares, shoving him into the cave wall, "I let you take control because I like it."
"Sure. Keep telling yourself you're not just weak for me."
They make it most of the way through the tunnel back, bickering the entire time. Blake walks straight into a hard wall, distracted by their arguing. There's now something blocking their way out.
Confused, they both push on it, but it barely budges. Blake turns to him with wide and accusing eyes, as if Ethan knows why they can't get through.
"Chérie, I think we're stuck."
A/N
happy Halloween y'all!!
no spooky fics or anything from me this year but y'all still get updates