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When Lux had first met Carter, she'd though him to be intimidating. It seemed she wasn't the only one either who had felt inferior standing beside him. But in truth, now that she was actually talking to him, it seemed he wasn't nearly as experienced with life as she'd first thought. Instead, his life sounded rather lonely and it made her feel a little bit sad.
"Of course we can," she replied simply. "But keeping each other company doesn't necessarily mean sharing a bed," she added.
Was the concept really so foreign to him, or was he just fooling around? She didn't know him enough to quite tell. All she could do was make assumptions and it wasn't as if she could outright ask him. From the way he hadn't wanted to talk about his parents earlier, she didn't think the subject of loneliness would lighten the mood.
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
The inquisitive nature on Carter's face was half-hidden by the pillow he held so close. Perhaps it was much easier not to directly be able to look at her, though even he couldn't help the way his eyes did so gravitate in her direction. Her answers were simple, but they were well thought out. Plotted in micro-seconds, like she was really that good. Everything he ever said was purely off the cuff; spur of the moment.
"That's all I needed to know." He mused then, and with that he twisted his face so she couldn't see him again. Eyes closed, like he could genuinely sleep in the clothes he'd gotten there in. An inebriated state made just about anything possible. After all, he'd somehow ended up in her bed, she just wasn't in it with him.
Raising a hand, he waved it in the direction he thought she was in; "Enjoy yourself, Luxanna." He offered lazily.
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
It seemed as if Lux had won. She wasn't sure what she'd won, but Carter wasn't putting up a fight. That had never happened before, she realized. Usually, she was the one to cave and give in. She'd never been in this position before and although she knew it should have felt better, it didn't. Instead, the brunette grew hesitant. Now that she was here, what was she supposed to do?
Putting the bag down at the floor next to the bathroom door, Luxanna walked over to her desk. Opening one of the drawers, she pulled out a plastic cup. One of many that she'd never had the heart to thrown out. She'd used them at her 8th birthday party.
Entering the bathroom, she filled the glass with water and returned to the room. Walking over to the bed, she placed it on the night table. "This'll help with the hangover." It made her feel silly, really. She should have known better.
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
Perception to an inebriated person was a difficult thing to control. It went completely out the window and so for all he knew, she was already gone. He was more focused on how hard it was to get comfortable in a strangers bed. Y'know, without the comfort of sex first.
Then something landed on the bedside table, and it had his eyebrows furrowing with a sliver of surprise. A small, barely audible grumble passed his lips until he actually rolled over to look. There she was, and there was a small plastic cup. He looked at it, then at her. "I suppose you want me to drink it now." He reasoned. That was, if she really cared so much.
That or she still had the will to leave everything to his own devices, which was also okay.
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
It was a feeble attempt at best, but the brunette still managed a nod. "Well," she added. "You don't have to, but you should." She didn't have many hangovers placed under her belt, but that didn't mean she hadn't experienced woken up with a headache because she hadn't been smart enough to drink water before falling asleep.
That, and she'd nursed quite a few of Jack's hangovers over the years. They usually followed the same path and had the same things in common. Water helped, so did food. Luxanna wasn't about to go cook him a meal, though.
Instead of leaving, she stared at him expectantly. She had to stop herself from telling him to do it, like she would have with Jack. Carter wasn't Jack. The two shared no similarities whatsoever.
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
It was easy to start feeling like he was being lectured, but Carter had to be thankful his mind didn't immediately sway that way. Predominantly, he just didn't want to have to get up. Comfort rolled in waves and his eyelids were already feeling heavy. He expected her to leave then. After all, she'd done the kind and generous thing for him. She'd been doing it all night. That was just who she was.
But he opened his eyes again and she was still there, waiting on him to act like an adult instead of the child he'd shown himself to be tonight. Groaning overtly, he reeled himself up, a hand still fastened to the pillow she'd already tried to steal once. Slowly, he reached for the cup offered, brought it to his lips, and drank the whole thing.
Placing it down again, he looked at her with the utmost sarcasm in his eyes. On his lips. "Happy, dear?"
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
This time around it did feel like a victory worth celebrating and she couldn't keep the smirk from splaying over her lips.
It was a small victory to most, but to her? It felt like she was repeatedly learning how to stand her ground against someone she'd felt so inferior to before.
A nod and her smirk turned turned into a grin. "Very happy." Lacing her fingers behind her back, Lux looked at the cup.
"Want another?"
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
Carter watched the way he was sure she looked smug at her victory. Fine, he supposed, he had to give it to her. She was looking out for him like he'd never really bothered with her. They were vastly different, and this was just more proof of that.
She even looked happy. At least, he was sure there was some happiness in that grin she wore. That was a rare one.
"Are you going to wait around for me to drink another?" He asked her then, tilting his head to the side, "Your bartending skills are showing."
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
Lux had always found great pleasure in taking care of others. Maybe it was because she was so shit at taking care of herself, or maybe she truly enjoyed it. Maybe it had everything to do with the way she hadn't been able to take care of her mother the way she'd hoped she could have. Maybe it had nothing to do with her mother at all.
His words broke her out of her spell and her cheeks flushed. "Oh, right, erm," she offered sheepishly. She was hovering.
"Oh, no, it's fine." She took a step back, as if suddenly finding the closeness intimidating. "I trust you to do whatever you think's best." A quick smile later and she hurried to collect her bag.
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
Carter couldn't help the way his eyes dropped from hers to the colour that powdered her cheeks. Eyebrows knit together as if he was genuinely confused by the fact. He hadn't said anything that he considered worthy of such a reaction. Sure, he was making fun of her, but he'd done that already tonight and all he got was a mild roasting about the political correctness of furbies.
Her step back had his eyebrows raising, still in obvious curiosity. A hand ran its way through his hair on instinct. There was a smile and suddenly she was flushed out, like the spotlight was right on her. Like it hadn't been all night.
"Sure." He replied, dragging the word out for a spare second or so.
"Won't your father find it suspect that you aren't in your room?"
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
Stopping in her tracks, her back facing the blonde occupying her bed, she realized she hadn't even considered that. Her father would never bother to check the guest room, but hers? He might.
"Oh." The realization slowly dawned upon her. "Oh." Lux did a slow turn. "We're changing rooms again." She moved towards the bed, making a 'shoo' motion using her hands. Leaning over the edge of it, she made another grab for the pillow he'd claimed his own.
"Now", she continued, voice hushed as if that mattered at this point.
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
Realisation seemed to hit her more than once. Carter didn't really care, because he didn't see how it would influence his own choices and movements. He was already considering moving back to be comfortable again when she ordered a change in rooms. He laughed. He literally laughed at her.
With two hands, Carter encircled the pillow she went for, easing back with all his weight and rolling towards the wall. It was his and he absolutely refused to give it back to her. After all, she gave up on this long ago. Did it really make that much of a difference now?
"You gave up this land, Luxanna; you can't change your mind now." He pointed out. It wasn't as if she could physically move him. And now that he was practically up against the wall, she had no chance.
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
Her fingers fell against the mattress and her eyes narrowed at the man moving himself closer to the wall, making it harder for her to reach him without having to climb into the bed.
"You're a child." If she had to pick between fighting him and explaining this to her father, Carter was sailing on a sinking ship.
Climbing into the bed, she balanced on her knees as she made another attempt at the pillow. Had she been smarter, she would have entered from the other side and pushed him off.
"Give. It. Back."
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
A child? Carter scoffed loudly at the offensive accusation. "Older than you." He shot back, unaware that he'd offered the exact same argument the last time she outwardly called him a child.
He barely noticed that she was on the bed with him as much as he just noticed that she was coming to steal his newly acquired property. Give it back? He laughed again.
"Oh, this?" He asked, waving the pillow before her. Seconds later, it left his hand and flew effortlessly towards her face. An arm then hooked around her waist with every intention of knocking her down against the mattress.
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
In no world would Lux expect to be stronger or faster than someone nearly a feet taller than her, but even as he effortlessly managed to get the pillow from her again, she didn't feel like giving up.
"Physically, maybe," she shot back.
What Luxanna hadn't seen coming was the pillow being tossed in her direction. For a split second she actually believed he'd given in. A split second of relief was cut off as the brunette fell down against the mattress with an audible 'oof'.
"H-hey!" She complained, green eyes blinking the surprise away. Wiggling only made it harder to see and orienting herself through the brown locks covering her face and mouth. "That's not what I meant!"
