( two )

[caipirinha]

my character gets into bed with yours, or vice versa;
what happens?
have you crawled under the covers for some friendly
cuddles, or are your intentions not so innocent?
are you planning some form of practical joke, or are
you just plain drunk?
maybe you just have no idea what's going on.

( adapted from the plurk meme! )

Comments

[davidsons]

[She figures that his reaction is predictable, but nevertheless, it's refreshing. How long since the last time she actually flustered someone to the point of red ears? So she just yawns casually, lets her shoulders completely fall on the mat and clasps her hands on her stomach.

She gives him a lazy, one-eyed look after the uncovered yawn. She's just relaxed about his proximity.]

Yeaaah, my bad. I kinda switched rooms, I thought you knew. [Another yawn and she pats the pillow beside her with the back of her hand] Oh, well. C'mon, y'look exhausted.

[disappearing]

[ Giles prepares his mouth to say another apology, but when he opens his mouth, all he does is imitate a goldfish instead, because his brain has already told his tongue to hold up one second. He stares at Riley blankly for a long moment as what she said processes, looking faintly bemused. He wishes he hadn't deposited his jacket on top of some random object in the semi-dark, he wishes he was clutching it to himself like some kind of pathetic fabric shield.

Eventually, he manages, ]

I- what?

[ It's not much of an improvement, though, let's be honest. ]

[davidsons]

[She scoffs, but it's good-natured. She props her weight on her elbows, runs a hand through her hair, only messing it further.] I am not going to let you sleep on the couch nor the floor, you look like a wreck.

[She jerks her head to the other side of the bed.] Go on. I'm not a demon who'll jump at you at night, you know that.

[disappearing]

[ Giles smiles faintly at the remark on how he looks like a wreck. ]

And there I was, hoping no one would notice.

[ Though just as he seems to relax a little, he immediately colours again, shaking his head. ]

That isn't what's worrying me, I mean- [ URK ] -are you... sure? I don't want to be a bother, or, or get in your way, anything like that.

[davidsons]

[She shrugs and gives him a smile.]

Hey, it's a nice looking wreck, at least.

[She rolls her eyes and decides to roll a little to the side, fast reflexes and sleigh of hand from nicking things from a stand or a bar counter or two coming in handy as she grabs his wrist and tugs him to the bed.] Believe me. It's more likely that I'll get in your way.

[disappearing]

[ riley stahp you're going to break the poor man ]

[ With a small, slightly undignified yelp of surprise, Giles jerks forward, feel absurdly helpless in the wake of Riley's tugging. He loses his earlier elegance, falling knees first onto the bed, dangerously close to overbalancing and just collapsing right onto her with a little ungainliness and momentum, but he manages to stop himself. He's fairly sure at this point that you could cook an egg on his face, it's that hot. ]

Okay, okay. [ He laughs, a little nervous and a little defeated. ] If you insist...

[davidsons]

[She smiles and lets go of his wrist, laying on her side again, resting her head on the pillow.

Usually comfortable with proximity, Riley kind of trusts Giles - knows that this awkwardness and shyness is actually honest, which makes her drop her guard even more. She can feel the heat from his cheeks, or maybe it's her own because she's a bit excited about teasing him like this.] I do. I don't bite. I'm also feeling like a wreck.

[disappearing]

[ Moving to sit himself in a more comfortable position, Giles forces his tense shoulders to relax, looking down at Riley with a calmer smile. Something about her disarms him terribly, but at the same time, he feels as though he can trust her too. There's just that something. ]

Well, if it's any consolation, I don't think you look like a wreck at all.

[ He means that, as well. To him, Riley looks as lovely as she ever does. ]

[davidsons]

[Her lips widen just a little, eyes narrowing, lazy and content and she reaches for his arm, making the tips of her fingers walk from his wrist to his elbow.] I usually say that flattery takes you places, but right about now, I'm so lazy I can't be sure.

[She grins] You haven't seen nothing yet. Just wait until we both get our beauty sleep, yeah?

[disappearing]

[ In place of inhaling - softly but noticeably - Giles merely blinks down at Riley's fingers on his arm, following the path they make towards his elbow, too distracted by the movement to respond to her. He swallows a little, tells himself to stop thinking about it, and turns his eyes back to her. ]

I'm afraid my beauty sleep'll probably be a disappoint. [ He sounds more amused than self-deprecating. ] I tend to look like this most of the time.

[davidsons]

[Her eyebrows arch, and she gives his elbow a very light smack, lips still drawing a mischievous, if sleepy, smile. Her hands are always reaching, lightly touching, even without intention behind it. ] Telling me that will only tempt me to keep you awake.


[A sigh, and she shifts, curling her other arm under the pillow, voice lowering into something a little more honest.] I've yet to be disappointed, Giles.

[disappearing]

[ Slowly, Giles finally moves to lie down on the bed properly, eyes turned up to the ceiling, hands neatly resting, one on top of the other, on his stomach. There's a little pause, and he breathes out gently, the first indication of him genuinely relaxing this evening, and his voice is soft. ]

Me neither.

[davidsons]

[She pauses, spends the moment watching his chest rise and fall, now that it's right in her line of vision. He's charming, a downright sweetheart with his shyness and awkwardness that contrasts against her bordering into obnoxious teasing and blatant ease. The urge to corrupt him and make him flush and stutter is like a given whenever they're hanging out, and yet, he's looking completely disarmed, no matter how devious she's feeling.

Sometimes she wonders if she's a bad person, for wanting to abuse that trust he gives her.]

Stop being cute. [She says it nonchalantly, joined by a fingertip pressing on his cheek. But it's more of an admission than anything else.]

[disappearing]

[ Riley is, to Giles, something of an anomaly. She is the kind of girl he used to chase, back when he was younger, a little more adventurous, in college, before Naomi came along. Naomi was stable and conventional, and his parents liked her. It seemed that Naomi was, therefore, the right girl. Even though Giles still doesn't know why it was that their relationship dissolved, part of him already feels as though it had always been inevitable.

But now Giles is the kind of man he has always assumed would repel or disinterest girls like Riley, even on a general level - he wears sweater vests and the occasional cardigan, for god's sake. Yet here she is, still talking to him, occasionally smoking with him. It's strange, but something that Giles is getting used to. Shifts from normality are all the rage, lately. ]

Sorry, [ though he doesn't sound very sorry at all, more like he's trying to crack a slightly uncertain joke, scrunching up his face when Riley pokes him ] I guess I can't help it sometimes.

[davidsons]

[She cracks a smile, shifts a little closer against him, keeps poking down the side of his neck and down his side just light enough so he can feel the tip of her nicotine-stained finger on him, searching maybe for a soft spot or a place where he's ticklish. Her voice is thick with amusement.]

What a shame. I guess I can't help but tease you for it, then.

[disappearing]

[ It won't be hard for Riley to find a sensitive spot; Giles was never very good at keeping a straight face, and near to his waist was always a ruthlessly ticklish spot. He utters a choked noise of surprise, wriggling slightly, turning his head to raise his eyebrows at Riley. He's trying not to laugh, but he can't help it, caught off guard by her audacious poking. ]

[davidsons]

[And she grins when she finds it, bites her lower lip and digs her finger a bit deeper, in a "stop me if you dare" fashion. It's mostly innocent, and at that very moment Riley couldn't come with a stupid "an angel and a demon walk into a bar" joke. Plus, Giles was warm - men were always interesting mobile furnaces, very handy - so if he moved, it was more than welcome.]

[disappearing]

[ He laughs again, feeling ridiculous and childish, squirming and wiggling and trying to bat Riley's hand away. Eventually he rolls onto his side, trying to protect himself, catching Riley by the wrist, tugging her so slightly closer in the process, his mouth curved into a broader smile than he usually allows himself. ]

What part of this, exactly, constitutes as beauty sleep?

[davidsons]

[Her mouth is caught in a wide smile of her own raspy laughter as she is faced with that question. She wriggles her leashed fingers playfully and she tries to figure out a quick answer.

It's not as quick as she wants, so she gives him a sheepish shrug.] It's... uuh... therapy?

[disappearing]

Therapy, right. [ He relaxes a little, eyebrows still a little raised, watching Riley with a sort of playful wariness, lest she attempts to make another ticklish attack. ] Well, if you really did like the idea of keeping me a way, your therapy's doing a good job of it.

[davidsons]

[She knows she's being a little brat. She kind of always is when she finds herself in a situation where she doesn't need to take care of her sister. It's as if she's compensating for the times she had to be a grown-up ahead of time.

She shrugs, as the most innocent of girls, her other hand slipping out from under the pillow, coming up to catch Giles' nose so very lightly.] Well, you're fun when you're awake.

[disappearing]

[ Giles crinkles his nose, huffing with laughter once again. He hasn't been given a chance to act like a boy in a long while - not that he would consider himself that old, drifting around in his early thirties, but he's not at an age when you are afforded many chances to be youthful again. ]

Yeah, I guess you're not too bad yourself.

[davidsons]

[She snorts. Taps her finger against the tip of his nose and tuts.] I bet you say that to all the girls.

[And because playing coy is not really her type, she can't keep that for long. Instead she just drops her trapped hand to her waist, not caring if it brought Giles' with it.] Now, seriously, do y'wanna sleep? Because you did look pretty tired before that grin got in your face.

[disappearing]

Only the ones that keep tapping me on the nose.

[ Giles' hand does indeed follow Riley's down to her waist, where it dumbly lingers for a moment before releasing her and withdrawing to Giles' side. He shakes his head a little, dismissively. ]

Would it be stupid say I don't really care? A little bit of grinning and I feel like I could probably do the whole day over again. [ ... er ] Well, not really, but- you know what I mean.

[davidsons]

[She chuckles, light and easy, and it's her turn to shake her head] Man, you're just way too flattering sometimes to be true. Someone else and I'd say you'd be trying to get into my pants.