{Tiara}
Ruby nudges me as I refuse to stare at the man ripping his shirt off on the stage.
Who's idea was it again to come to a male strip club?
Definitely not mine.
I didn't even know these things existed.
Jenny is busy howling with laughter.
I introduced her to Ruby earlier and they immediately hit it off.
Apparently we all have the same weird sense of humor.
"She's so shy."
Jenny teases, tossing a few dollars bills on the stage.
"Can we go?"
I complain, checking my watch.
Strip clubs make me feel awkward.
"No, you need to stop thinking about Quin."
Ruby insists, whistling as the man starts collecting the money and stuffing it in his skin tight boxers.
My cheeks are on fire.
I would never be caught dead here of all places.
What if I see someone I know?
"I'm not thinking about him!"
I hiss, grabbing her arm.
It's a lie of course.
How could I not think about him when he's so sweet?
I bite back a grin just thinking about how excited he looked to see me when I opened the door for them this morning.
He's so cute.
Jenny rolls her eyes.
"You guys are pathetic. You both keep asking me about each other, just fuck already."
She mutters.
And I thought I couldn't get any redder.
"I'm going to wait in the car."
I snap, grabbing my purse.
"No ma'am."
Ruby grabs my wrist.
I groan.
This is torture.
By the time the sun sets I realize that the club wasn't much torture compared to where they take me next.
A underground sex club.
Seriously.
I prepared myself for a normal day, I didn't even know these places excised!
"You should get to know your soon to be boyfriend better, Tia. Quin thinks I don't know when be sneaks out in the middle of the night to come here but one time I followed him. Your boy loves sex. At least the sound of it."
Jenny can barely get through it without laughing the entire time.
First of all, Quin and I aren't getting together, he doesn't like me.
I feel the second hand embarrassment leave my body in waves.
Though this is mildly inappropriate, how dare Jenny expose his silly little sex world to me like this?
"I just want you to be prepared."
She nudges me, reading my mind.
Once again, I'm unaware of how red I turn.
How hot I feel.
We don't even get past the front stage ticket booth before I'm turning on my heels to walk out.
I can hear moaning and grunting from out here.
And it's definitely not something I want to see.
"You guys are crazy."
I mutter, shaking my head.
I can hear their contagious giggles behind me.
What a mess.
I don't know why, but seeing Quincy after a long while always makes me feel unnecessarily happy.
He always gets this little smile on his face when my eyes settle on him.
God, he's so cute.
"Hi, lovie."
He rasps.
"I'm so glad to see your face."
I mutter, immediately walking forward to be comforted.
My eyes flutter closed as he wraps his arms around me.
My safe place.
I feel invincible when he holds me.
"How was your day?"
His soothing voice goes in one ear and straight out of the other.
I sigh, trying to ignore the knowing smirks I'm receiving over his shoulder.
They get on my nerves.
"Ah, I suppose the ladies ran you all over town, yeah? Come along, we made sandwiches."
He chuckles.
He moves away far too soon for my liking.
I remember that one time it felt like he held me forever.
I loved it but I'm too shy to ask him to do it again.
It'll come out all awkward and I absolutely hate being awkward around him.
"Peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, or grilled cheese?"
Brandon turns as soon as I walk into the kitchen.
"Auntie!"
Ollie pops up with a chef hat on.
I immediately feel better.
When did he get here?
"Hey, guys."
I say warily, looking around.
I honestly thought they would have trashed the apartment while we were away.
We were gone longer than we expected.
"Hi, baby."
I watch as Ruby smiles as soon as she sees Brandon.
Jenny rolls her eyes as they start kissing.
"It's as if there's not a kid in the room."
She mutters.
"2."
Quin grunts, clicking his teeth.
Puck comes skipping up immediately.
"Hi, baby."
I coo, gushing over the little monkey.
He looks absolutely adorable in his new little shirt.
It's red, I saw it at the mall the other day and immediately thought of the energetic monkey.
It fits him perfectly.
"I bought watermelon chunks yesterday."
I say, watching Ollie go grab them.
"That was very thoughtful, Tiara. I appreciate it."
His voice is really working wonders on my shoulders today.
"No problem, sweetie. Aww, you're blushing."
I groan, pinching his cheek.
His red cheek.
"Leave me alone, Tiara."
He mutters.
Brandon is smirking at him.
Hmm.
I wonder what they have going on.
"Why don't we grab sandwiches and cuddle by the tv, yeah? The Rugrats movie starts at 6 for the little one."
Quincy soothes.
It takes everything in me not to tell him to forget the sandwiches and just kiss me.
"Okay."
I whisper instead.
He furrows his eyebrows.
"What's up? You seem kind of...off today."
I freeze.
"Oh nothing. I just miss you, that's all."
I say shyly, happily staring into his blank eyes.
I always get a little tense when his eyes are blank.
Usually they are flickering with emotion.
I can tell that I've thrown him off.
"You just saw me this morning."
There is amusement in his voice.
My face starts to feel a little hot.
"Well yeah but that was hours ago."
I mutter, watching Jenny toss a giggling Ollie over her shoulder.
"That's a little cute, lovie."
There's a lopsided grin on Quin's face.
"Shut up."
I shove him playfully.
He bites his lip.
"Okay."
He mutters as I snuggle up next to him with my sandwich.
"You ready to tell me about your day now?"
I sigh, resting my head on his shoulder.
"We went to a male strip club."
I roll my eyes.
"Ah. How was it?"
The amusement is back in his voice.
I shudder.
"Awkward."
He snickers.
"You're awkward."
He teases.
I take an angry bite of my sandwich.
"I was forced. You should beat them up for me."
I mutter.
"Nah, I think it's normal for a girl your age to be curious. I was honestly very surprised to hear that you've never touched a drop of alcohol before we met."
He says thoughtfully.
I silently swoon, staring at him.
He has a sexy little stubble.
I love it.
It adds to his ruggedness.
"I ate a weed brownie once."
I mutter.
He grins.
"I like those."
"Since you seem to think that I'm missing out on my young adult experiences, what do you suppose I do?"
I question.
His smile doesn't match his eyes anymore.
"Well. Go club hopping. Have wild sex. Definitely have more friends."
He mutters.
"Why would I want any more friends when I have you?"
I gush, squeezing his cheek again.
He sighs contently, slouching down.
"You're sweet, but I mean wilder friends. You could use a bit more drama in your life."
I frown.
"I disagree. I like how it is now."
I insist.
His eyes sparkle.
"Me too."
"And I hate clubs. And sex."
I lie.
He smirks.
"Nobody hates sex, lovie."
My cheeks heat up again.
"Well I definitely hate clubbing."
I mutter.
He hums, absentmindedly running his fingers through my hair.
I love it when he does that.
It's very relaxing.
"I've been once or twice. It's not too bad. The women always throw themselves at me."
He smirks.
I roll my eyes.
"I'm sure they do, honey."
He sighs.
"I can never talk to them though. I'm not too fond of one night stands. Or telling people that I've met my potential wife at a bar. Those marriages never last, you know?"
He babbles.
I finish off my sandwich.
"I actually don't know."
I tell him.
He leans close.
"I've been told that the best relationships to have are with the people closest to you. What do you think?"
He whispers.
My breath catches.
"Oh um. Yeah, sure. I suppose so."
I find myself saying.
There goes that twinkle in his eyes again.
"Good. I'll keep that in mind."
I'm going to die.
.
.
.
{Quîncy}
Tîara îs actîng weîrd.
When Î get up to head out for the nîght along wîth everyone else, she gets quîet.
"Î'll see you guys later."
The însînuatîon în Jenny's voîce makes me a bît nervous.
That and the fact that she totally abandons me.
Ruby and Brandon offers to take Ollîe home, whîch Î also fînd weîrd.
After 3 long and dramatîc mînutes of hîm sayîng bye to Puck, ît's just us.
"Goodnîght, lovîe."
Î whîsper, collectîng her în my arms.
Her body always slowly relaxes.
Ît satîsfîes me very so.
"Can you stay?"
She whîspers, restîng her head on my chest.
My heart leaps unexpectedly.
"Of course, sweetheart. How long would you lîke-"
"Another 3 months."
Î don't know îf she's jokîng or not.
So Î don't say anythîng.
Awkward sîlence fîlls the aîr.
She sîghs, pullîng away.
"That was a joke."
She mutters.
"Glad Î dîdn't pack a suîtcase then."
Î say awkwardly.
"Let's try one nîght fîrst, yeah?"
Î love how softly she speaks to me.
"That's fîne."
Î assure her.
"Couch?"
She trîes.
"Absolutely not."
Î say îmmedîately, already makîng my way towards the bedroom.
She gîggles a lîttle.
Musîc to my ears.
"Ît was worth the shot."
She says behînd me.
"Grab îce cream please."
Î say back.
Î can't waît to fall asleep wîth her în my arms.
"Hey Sîrî? What tîme îs ît?"
When Î turn on my back, Î sîgh.
Ît's 3 în the mornîng.
Î can't sleep.
Tîara îs passed out besîde me, her soft snores a soothîng whîte noîse în my head.
She groans în her sleep when Î try to unwrap her from me.
Î can't help but to chuckle.
She really lîkes to latch onto me when we cuddle.
Î can't say that Î don't enjoy ît.
Î run my fîngers through my haîr, sîghîng as Î thînk back to the conversatîon Î had wîth Brandon earlîer.
He asked me how much Î lîke Tîara.
Ît wasn't untîl then that Î got a bît scared.
Because Î lîke her a lot.
More than Î should.
Î spent a lot of tîme thînkîng about how carîng and understandîng she îs.
She's absolutely amazîng and her heart îs just the purest.
Î don't thînk Î've ever met anyone as nîce as her.
My toes curl just thînkîng back to yesterday when she called me all excîted because she bought Puck a new lîttle shîrt.
She's everythîng a guy lîke me needs.
And îf ît's worth anythîng, Î honestly thînk she belongs wîth me.
Î just have to fîgure out a way to tell her how Î feel wîthout ît endîng badly.
Because more than anythîng, she's a really good frîend.