"I am not in the mood."
It's dark, the lights were dimmed and were a dark shade of red. Everyone one had on a mask, a mask that matched dark suits, shiny gowns and jewelry.
"You need another drink. Unclench and let the stick up your ass, slide out." Ryan said, stretching out another glass of champagne. He should probably stop drinking. He had been giggly and spilled his drink on someone a few minutes ago.
"I will beat you with that stick." I said, glaring at Ryan. Shit. Was I the only one who was feeling hot? I reached up and adjusted the mask on my face. It was a simple black mask I had gotten and it had taken me two hours to bedazzle it with black and yellow rhinestone so it looked more like the Batman logo.
Sadly no one seemed to understand my mask. Ugh. Such a dull crowd.
"Unclench..." Ryan whispered in my ear and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Just because you're whispering it doesn't mean it's coming off wiser." I said. I grabbed the glass of champagne and moved away from him. I made my way through the crowd, taking a sip of my champagne as I went.
MS Holdings, the company I work at, always throws a party every New Year's Eve, a lot of people, celebrities, influencers were invited and staff were handed invitations to this exclusive party depending on the work they had done through the year. It was meant to make you feel good. Free food and shit. However, there was a strict dress code, suits and a mask.
I've been to this thing twice and it never gets better. Same old stuck up people invited, same fancy food. It shouldn't always be fancy food I can't pronounce. Burgers and fries would be deeply appreciated.
I took another sip of my drink and sighed.
I pushed through the crowd and made my way out of the large house the party was in. I walked around the building. It was cold out and I mentally kicked myself for forgetting to put on my coat.
Thankfully there was a stone bench behind the house. I could hear the loud thump of music coming from inside the building. A three storey building filled with people.
I was not in the mood.
I kicked at the sand and gently placed my glass on the ground. I raised my head and stared up at the sky. Just an hour until it's new year and this is where I am.
I could be watching an episode of Supernatural, Chuck was really getting on my nerves. I had already pulled up the CW app when I suddenly felt a presence beside me.
I looked up at the stranger and stared. It was a man. A tall man clad in a dark tuxedo and dark shirt, dark shoes and a watch that looked so heavy. His mask was simple, auburn colored hair styled away from his face.
"You kinda look like zoro."
The man doesn't say anything but the way he angles his body towards me. It was like he was silently asking me a question. What?
"The superhero? All black everything with a black mask like yours and a cape." I said, my finger pointed at him. "You don't have a cape though."
The man doesn't say anything and I was tempted to stick my tongue out at him. Why was he so serious? I looked away from Zoro and back at the sky. Maybe I shouldn't finish that glass of champagne. I was already tipsy.
It's not like I'm a lightweight or anything.
Fine.
Maybe I was forty percent light weight.
"I could go and get a cape if you like."
I was so startled by the voice that I almost slipped from the bench. It was not that deep, a low octave really and it felt like honey.
"You can talk." I said, looking back at Zoro.
Zoro doesn't speak again, instead he just nods. I rolled my eyes at him before tapping the space beside me. I narrowed my eyes at Zoro when he didn't move.
"Don't make me count to ten!" I said as sternly as I could.
"What would you do?"
"I might throw up over your expensive clothes and shoes."
Zoro let out a loud laugh, his body shaking with it. I didn't even notice I was smiling until my cheeks started to hurt a bit. Once his laughter dwindled, his eyes widened a bit like he couldn't believe he just laughed.
"Six." I called out and I felt like I could feel his frown.
"You didn't start from one?"
"Seven." I counted and before I could call out eight, Zoro walked over to the bench, he didn't sit immediately, instead he took off his coat and put it over my shoulder, going as far as buttoning the top one for me.
"Thank you."
"Why are you sitting here in the cold?" Zoro asked me and I sighed. Still looking up at the sky. I couldn't see the stars properly due out to all the fucking lights.
"I was sweating inside." I replied. "What about you?"
"Someone who owes me something is hiding within the crowd." Zoro said and I looked over at him.
"What is he owing you?"
"He's owing me something he ran away with." Zoro said, setting his hands on his thighs, his rings occasionally catching the light.
"Your dignity?"
"No." Zoro said and I hummed again as I thought of something else to say.
"Money?"
"Not only that."
"Was it important to you?" I asked him.
Zoro fell quiet and I looked away from him. I looked back at the sky and sighed. My head felt heavy and I just wanted to lie down a bit. I slid off the bench and moved a bit further up before lying down on the ground.
"Are you crazy? That's dirty."
"It's gonna wash off with a little water." I said to him. It was quiet for a while before I heard it. Quiet footsteps coming towards me and in the next moment, Zoro was also lying down beside me.
"Isn't it wonderful?"
"What is?"
I raised my hand up to his sky, making grabby hands at it. I looked away from the sky to my hands. It's been a while since I had done that. Made grabby hands at a domi-
Fuck that
"It's not important."
"What isn't?" I asked, looking over at Zoro. "Oh, if what the person took was important?"
Zoro looked over at me and oh, ooh, his eyes. Green and beautiful. I shuffled closer to his side and looked right at him, my nose just mere centimeters away from his.
I pulled back and watched him. "Your eyes."
"We're never actually going to finish a conversation are we?" Zoro asked and I sniffed at him before looking back at the ceiling. Did he really want to talk about someone who stole something from him?
"Well, one time at work, someone stole the yogurt that I kept in the fridge and it turns out it was Mary from Accounting. Can you believe she didn't even finish it? She just tossed the rest in the bin and had the audacity to call me up and help her fix her computer?!! Like, did she think I wouldn't see it in the bin?" I hissed. "So I thought about you know? I just wanted to grab my yogurt out of the bin and just toss it at her and I'll keep doing it everyday, at random moments so she'd go home smelling like spoilt milk."
"You are insane."
"I'm taking that as a compliment." I said, wiggling my brows at him.
"I'm sure you take everything as a compliment." Zoro said and I giggled. There was once a time I didn't. Everyone has their insecurities and back then my confidence had been low and that's how that jerk could do those things to me. So I vowed to not let my self confidence depend on a man, I wanted to let it grow. Let me do this myself.
"Wow, now I'm not even worth a response." Zoro teased and I gasped. I looked back at him.
"Ooh, look at you. Are you pouting?"
I reached over and squeezed his cheeks, making little cooing sounds at him. Zoro places his hand on mine and I gasped out. It felt like a current had passed through me. I was feeling tingly. It felt like where Zoro was touching me burns.
What in the hell was happening?
I quickly pulled my hand away and blinked at him. I didn't even know what to say. I fell back onto the ground and looked back up at the sky.
"Wha time is it?" I asked Zoro.
"How should I know?"
"That rock around your wrist." I nudged him with my elbow. Before Zoro could speak up, the people in the house began to chant.
"Ten..."
"This new year is going to be great."
"Nine."
"How do you know?" Zoro asked.
"Eight."
"I can feel it in my toes." I said, wiggling my toes but Zoro couldn't see them. They were covered by my socks and inside my shoes.
"Seven."
"You are insane."
"Six."
"You've said that already." I told Zoro who just tsked at me. I nudged him again with my elbow.
"Five."
"Hey Zoro..."
"Four."
"Yes, oh insane one?"
"Three."
I rolled onto my side just as the crowd yelled two, cupped Zoro's face with my left hand and closed the distance between us, our lips molding together. It started out soft and unsure.
I pulled away, ready to roll back to my position, Zoro tugs on my hand and pulls me back down for another kiss. This time it's hard and bruising, licking his way into my mouth, his tongue dancing with mine as he takes and takes what I have to give.
I let out a little moan, arching into him when he spins us around so I'm flat against the ground while Zoro stays between my legs. His hands slip underneath my jacket, I could feel the heat of his palms through my shirt as we kissed.
I kept moaning, my toes curled as I felt the tingles shoot through me. Everywhere felt hot. I was hot. My hands were in his hair, fingers tugging as we kissed. I pulled away, lips parted as I moaned. Zoro trailed kisses down my neck, sucking right above where the coat started. I was pressed up against him, shivers running down my spine as he sucked, nipped and bit my neck. Leaving his mark behind.
"Sir..."
I instantly went still when I heard the foreign voice. My eyes snapped open and I try to push Zoro away. The man simply lifted his head up and said.
"I'll be right in.
The owner of the foreign voice walked away and it was just Zoro and I. He was still between my legs and he was staring down at me. I was panting and so was he. I could feel everywhere he was pressed right against me.
Right above his his head, right above us, fireworks we're going off. The sky exploding with different colors. I could see that but I could also see him too.
"Happy new year, insane one."
"Happy new year to you, Zoro." I said, softly. Zoro smiled down at me and my heart picked up its pace again. He looked gorgeous, his green eyes brighter. He got into his feet and held his hand out to me.
I shyly slipped my hand into his and he pulls me.
"I have to go."
"I know."
I wanted another kiss. I really did but I couldn't. I didn't even know who this man was. It felt like my mind was scrambled and I just didn't know what to say or do exactly.
Zoro took a step towards me like he was going to kiss me again. He takes another and then stops. Instead of a kiss, all I got was Zoro turning his back to me and walking away. No words said.
I raised my hand to my lips, fingers gingerly brushing them. They felt swollen and if I pressed hard enough, I could feel the tingle. On my lips. On my skin. On my neck.
It was a New Year's Eve kiss that i wouldn't forget any time soon.