Lennon sat on the back of Harvey's motorcycle as they drove up the highway.
"Isn't this unsafe without helmets?!" She screeched, still tightly clutching onto him.
Her heart was beating double time, and she wasn't sure if it was from the danger, or the effect Harvey had on her.
"Yeah, but it's hella fun!" He yelled back against the wind violently whipping past their intertwined bodies.
Lennon couldn't help but feel as if she was in a dream. Harvey Taylor, a Cannibal for Christ's sake was taking her out. On a date.
She was still beyond confused.
With all her thinking, she hadn't realized that the bike had stopped moving, and Harvey was patiently waiting for her to become aware.
"You know, we're here." That sentence jerked her off the motorcycle so fast that Harvey barely had time to catch her before she would've face planted in the earth.
"Sorry," she murmured as he set her upright. "I'm such a klutz, oh my god."
"Don't apologize, it's actually cute," he told her, putting the kickstand up on the bike.
Cute? She repeated inwardly in disbelief. Harvey never went for girls that were just "cute."
Sighing, she forced a smile on her face and asked: "so where are we headed?"
He shrugged his shoulders and smirked. "It's a surprise."
Sure enough, he wasn't kidding. From where his bike was parked, Harvey shielded her eyes while walked about a block down.
She heard some locks being opened and cool air hit her face, before Harvey finally took his hand off her face.
Her hands immediately flew to her mouth in disbelief.
Harvey brought her to UCLA's renowned art gallery and conservatory. In the center of the floor was a picnic blanket and a basket with food.
"Oh my god, Harvey!" She squeaked in excitement. "This is unbelievable!"
Lennon jumped into his arms for a hug, and he openly accepted her embrace. "It was no hassle."
"No hassle?! This is one of the most exclusive galleries in South California, how did you even..." her voice trailed off as she noticed a painting. "No freaking way. Is that an original Monet?"
At this point, Harvey no longer knew what she was rambling about, but as long as she was happy, so was he.
"Do you wanna eat, and then take a tour?" Harvey suggested, looking at her.
"Okay, but as soon as we're done because there are so many things I wanna see!" She said with so much enthusiasm.
Sitting down on the floor, Harvey opened the basket and pulled out some sandwiches his cook made for him and a bottle of red wine.
"Wow, you went all out for the first date, Mister Taylor," she chided, unwrapping the sandwich and taking a bite out of it.
Harvey could feel the blush spreading up his neck and to his cheeks. "It was nothing."
Harvey's heart was pounding with nervousness. Did she like everything? Did she think it was over the top?
"Pour me a glass, Taylor," she teased, picking up a glass.
He popped the bottle open and poured the crimson liquid into her glass. She took a long sip before standing up and titling her head to look at the stars.
"The stars are so beautiful," she said very softly.
"Not nearly as beautiful as you," he responded cheekily, a smile on his face.
"That was so corny, Harvey," she replied with a laugh.
Instead of saying something again, he walked towards the other side of the room to a projector. "Watch this."
He flipped a switch, and it was pitch black for a moment but then the projector flashed and she gasped.
Millions of stars decorated the white walled museum, casting small dots of luminosity against her skin and Harvey's.
"This is, this is-" she didn't even have words for how impressed she was. She was rendered speechless, and for Lennon that usually didn't happen.
"Do you like it?" Harvey asked, a smile on his face as he also took a look around. "The museum had this in storage, so I just dug it out and saw if it worked or not. But clearly it does, and I don't even know if this has to do with art but I thought it would've been nice to have-"
"Harvey, shut up," she murmured, her coffee brown eyes trained on his. "This is the greatest thing someone has done for me. Ever."
Harvey raised an eyebrow as he crossed to the other side of the room where Lennon was. "Ever?"
She nodded her head. "Ever."
He decided to take a chance, because he knew he would never have this opportunity again. He stood in front of her, his fingers looking for a strand of hair to brush back from her face.
When he didn't find one, he took a lock of hair, put it in her face and brushed it back. She giggled with mirth but her laughter was cut short when Harvey pressed his lips against hers.
Sparks.
His lips moved against hers, while her hands wove their way into the hairs at the back of his neck. His lips moved swiftly yet softly as they kept a steady pace, and he pushed her into the stars covered wall.
Warmth.
His tongue swept her bottom lip, and his hands moved up to slid her jacket off her shoulders and down her body. He could feel his own heart beating rapidly and he stared into her deep brown eyes before consuming her mouth in a deep kiss.
Heat.
He grabbed the back of her thighs and hoisted her body upwards while littering kisses down her neck. He suck harshly on her collarbone and she let out a breathy moan of his name. "Harvey..."
Fire.
That moan was enough to have him smirking into her neck, before he tugged her tank top over her head and tossed it to the side. "Do you want me to make you feel good, baby?"
Ice.
Lennon's breathing stopped. Her whole body froze. She couldn't move. "W-what?"
She pushed him off of her and jumped down from the wall. "God, how could I be so dumb!"
Running her hands through her messy hair, she picked up her letterman jacket and zipped it all the way to the top, eager to cover herself up more.
Harvey couldn't be more confused. "What the hell? Is something wrong?" He grabbed her arm to stop her actions.
Lennon snatched her hand away from him, and took steps back. "What were your intentions when you planned this, huh? One look at an original Van Gogh and some stars, and my panties would just drop for you?"
"Lennon-" she cut him off sharply.
"Did you somehow think I was easy because of the things I told about myself?" She spat, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Well, surprise. I'm not."
He could feel the anger radiating off of her, but he still couldn't understand what she was so mad about.
"Can you stop making assumptions and fucking listen to me?" He ordered in a low tone of voice.
She went silent, her eyes boring into his and her skin still dancing with the images of stars from the galaxies.
"We were having such a great night, can you please tell me what I did wrong?" Harvey asked, tugging her by the elbow so he could stand in front of her.
She sighed and bit her lip. "I feel as if you've done the same thing to other girls, yet you claim I'm different. Do you make every girl you're with feel different like this?"
"Lennon, honestly do you think I'd do something like this for just any girl?" He chuckled humorlessly, while shaking his head. "Is it really that hard to tell that I like you?"
Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. A slow blush spread on her cheeks. "I-" she couldn't get any words out.
"Shh," he whispered, before he placed his lips back onto hers.
She closed her eyes and let him take the lead once more.
---
"Stop here," Lennon told him suddenly when she reached a couple blocks away from where she lived.
"Here?" Harvey asked in confusion, since they were in front of a deli and not an actual house. "There's nothing here but a store."
"Yeah, I know, I have to pick up some things before I head home for my mom," she rushed out, jumping from the bike. "My house isn't that far."
"Do you want me to wait for you or...?" He offered, an eyebrow raised.
"No it's fine," she declined his offer. "Thank you for tonight, it was wicked."
He shrugged his shoulders and started up the engine. "Lennon, wait."
She swung around to look at him in confusion but her confusion turned to shock when he tugged her by the lapels of her jacket and kissed her roughly.
"So you like them white boys now, Lenny?" A booming voice made Harvey jump away from her in surprise.
Lennon laughed at the man behind him. "Earnie, you're gonna scare him."
Swiveling around, he almost cowered at the sight of the man behind him.
This man looked to be about seven feet tall, with dark skin and menacing eyes the seemed to pierce through his soul. The only thing that showed his friendliness was the bright smile on his face.
"You're not messing with her head, are you boy?" He teased, clapping his large hand on Harvey's shoulder. Then he looked to Lennon. "This one looks like a heartbreaker, like those fuckboys I see walking around here like they own the goddamn place."
"Earnie!" Lennon said with a surprised gasp. "You kiss your wife with that mouth?"
"She's worse than me!" He replied, his grin only widening.
Harvey never felt so out of place in his life. Typically, in most situations he was in control, but this? Lennon was clearly in her territory.
The two of them chatted for another minute before Lennon said goodnight to Earnie.
When he left, Lennon smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Harvey."
"G'night, Lennon," he said in response before she ran into the store.
Harvey's stomach never felt worse. It was if a reenactment of the Hiroshima bombing happened in his stomach just from that friendly gesture.