HOLY SMOKES

one. science fair partners

Boone wasn't scared of much. He had always been that kid that wasn't afraid to climb to the top of the biggest slide. He wasn't afraid to jump from the big rock at the lake. He wasn't afraid of climbing onto the roof of his best friend's house to get their lost frisbee.

He just wasn't scared, like fear itself was afraid of him.

But that all changed when he was fourteen.

It wasn't the first time he had seen her, she had always been around, they just ran in different circles. But that day at school, they had been partnered together for the freshman science fair.

Which, at first, he had been pissed about because he and Tyler Owens, his best friend, had already spent weeks talking about what project they were gonna do.

But the teacher had other plans, she decided to pick the partners in hopes of getting a few people to do a little better. Maybe even expand some of their horizons a bit.

His anger soon wore off when she smiled at him. Her eyes were bright, and the most perfect shade of blue. Her lips pink and smeared with shiny lip gloss that had his mouth going dry, painfully so. Her hair the color of sunshine. The dress she wore - white and flowy - made her look like an angel and the cross that hung around her neck only drove it home.

"I'm Magnolia."

Even her voice was angelic, soft and sweet with just the hint of an accent that clung to her words.

Boone had never once been speechless, he usually never shut up. But he couldn't seem to find his voice no matter how many times he opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, which Tyler noticed.

"Hey, Boone," he leaned forward over his desk and clapped him on the back, shaking the kid from his daze. "Sorry we ain't partners. But I think you'll do just fine with Maggie, here."

"Y-yeah." He managed to find his voice, then Tyler made a face and nodded towards the girl. And though it took a few seconds, Boone turned back towards Magnolia and smiled, "I'm-I'm Boone."

"Nice to meet you, Boone." And just like that – just his name leaving her shiny lips – Boone had fallen in love. Well, as close to love as a fourteen-year-old boy could get.

From that day on, he spent every moment he had trying to get her attention. She was a cheerleader, so he became the school mascot. She was in choir so he auditioned. He didn't make it but his rendition of Alan Jackson's Chattahoochee had been the highlight of the semester – at least Magnolia thought so. 

She was in several after school clubs, which he joined even though he didn't really care for 4H, drama, or poetry. But he had Tyler, who he had convinced to join with him - until his rodeo schedule conflicted with the clubs.

Pretty much whatever she did, he was there. Which is also why he had convinced his mama that they needed to go to church every Sunday and not just on Easter and Christmas.

And two years later, it all paid off when she kissed him under the bleachers at the rodeo on their second date.

He felt like nothing could touch him, the girl of his dreams was finally his girlfriend. His best friend was a rising star among the local rodeo circuit, making him popular by association. And best of all, he got to hold Magnolia's hand anytime he wanted – he loved holding her hand, especially as they walked through the halls.

He was proud that she was his girlfriend, even if he didn't think he deserved her. And when he so much as breathed a word about how he thought such a thing, she'd silence him with a kiss. 

"You deserve the world, Boone. Don't let anyone tell you any different." She had told him, and he had even started to believe her.

But that all changed, almost a year later, when he finally met her father, Pastor Henry Carrington.

It hadn't really been the first time he had met the man, he had been going to his church for three years. But it was the first time he was meeting him as Magnolia's boyfriend.

Most of the dinner had gone okay, Magnolia's mama, Mary, had made country-fried steak, collard greens and cornbread. Which was good, so good Boone had made sure to tell her before he even swallowed the bite he'd taken. And while Henry glared at the boy, Magnolia just smiled at him, nothing but adoration swimming in her eyes.

The conversation was mostly nice, well, the parts of it that weren't obvious digs at the boy. Like when Henry asked about college, and when Boone told him he wasn't sure school was for him, Henry just had to tell him all about the high hopes he had for Magnolia's future.

Which Boone agreed with wholeheartedly. She was destined for great things and a bright future, and he thought that maybe she could change the world someday.

His favorite part, though, was that Magnolia hadn't once let go of his hand, even when her daddy gave them a disapproving look. The only time they hadn't been holding hands was when he politely excused himself to go to the bathroom.

On his way back, he took a steadying breath and straightened out the button up he wore - which he had borrowed from Tyler because he didn't own any. But he stopped when he heard yelling, more specifically Magnolia yelling... he hadn't even known such a thing was possible.

Sure she shouted out the cheers at football games and pep rallies, but she had never once yelled at anyone in anger.

"No! I don't wanna break up with him! I love him, daddy!"

He didn't even have time to process the fact that she had said she loved him before her daddy had shouted back.

"He ain't good enough for you, Magnolia!"

"Henry," his wife tried to soothe but he simply ignored her.

"No daughter of mine will be dating a hick!"

"Don't call him that!" Tears had started to form, she had never been so angry. Especially not at her daddy. "You don't know anything about him!"

"I know he doesn't have any plans for college."

"So?"

"So, you need someone smart. Someone that's gonna push you to be better, someone-"

"I don't want someone!" She slammed her hands down on the table and stood up, her chair hitting the hard wood floor with a bang. "I want Boone!"

"Magnol-"

"He's sweet a-and so nice, the nicest person I've ever met. He makes me laugh. And he is smart, so smart and just because he has a hard time in math class doesn't mean he ain't. And I can't believe that you're judging him before you even know him. For in passing judgment you condemn yourself. "

Henry was fuming, his hands tight around his silverware. His face nearly beet red and he took deep breaths, his eyes narrowed upon his daughter who had just thrown one of his own sermons in his face.

The house grew quiet, emotions ran high, Mary rested her hand on her husband's in hopes of calming him down.

Then she took a breath and parted her lips, hoping to ease the tension, but before a single word could leave her something hit the ground and shattered, making all three Carringtons jump at the noise. Then they turned to see Boone in the doorway, a vase broken at his feet and his eyes wide.

"Sorry, I was-"

"Just leaving." Henry nearly spat and the boy swallowed, his eyes drifting to Magnolia. Her face was flushed, her cheek wet with tears as new one built in her eyes. Her chest rose and fell with her heavy breaths and for a moment he just watched the way the silver cross shifted with the movement. But the anger in her eyes, something he had never seen before, shook him to his core. Anger didn't belong in her eyes, it just didn't. 

"Yeah," Magnolia mumbled, her voice soft but strong as she glared at her daddy. "-we were." She stepped away from the table, ignoring her parents as they called her name. Once she was close enough, she took Boone's hand, gave him the best smile she could muster, then out the door they went.

>>>>> • <<<<<

"I'm so s-sorry, Boone," Magnolia was still in tears even as he put the truck in park. "I didn't think he was gonna-"

"No, angel, you don't gotta apologize," reached over, his hand on her cheeks as turned her head towards him. "You ain't done nothin' wrong."

"But he said some-"

"I don't care what he said, I just care 'bout you, 'bout what you think of me."

She smiled at him, adoring the way he brushed her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "You know I think the world of you."

He grinned, that wide toothy smile of his, "I know, angel." he leaned towards her and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She let out a breath, shifting on the bench seat so she was curled into his side and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close as he kissed the top of her head.

And suddenly, it hit her and her body tensed up a little, which he noticed, "did you hear everythin'?" She asked softly, her hand toying with the buttons on his shirt.

"Naw, I'm sure I missed somethin'," he rubbed her back a little, not really getting why she had asked.

She sat up, turning to meet his perfect brown eyes that she loved so much, "did you hear... the part when I told him I-I love you?"

He grinned, "oh, yeah, heard that." He watched as a look of worry washed over her, her eyes going wide, her lips parting a couple of times but he couldn't figure out why she looked so scared. So he turned and looked over his shoulder out the window, maybe her daddy had followed them and he was standing right outside the truck. Nope, they were completely alone.

When he met her eyes again, that look was still there, "what? What's wrong?"

"Y-you weren't supposed to hear that." She mumbled, her eyes drifting to her fingers as she picked at her blush pink nail polish.

His brows creased, "why not? That was my favorite part. Woulda stepped out right then and there, said it back, but then your daddy started yelling again."

Her head snapped up, her eyes meeting his again, "you woulda said it back?"

"'Course I would," he nodded, his hands on her waist as he pulled her closer to him. "I love you, Magnolia Beth Carrington. I've loved you since the day we got picked to be science fair partners."

A chuckle let her lips as tears leaked from her eyes, though for the first time that night, they were happy tears. "I love you, too." She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, both smiling, their teeth bumping lightly which only made them laugh. "So much."

It didn't take long at all for the kiss to get a bit heated, especially when she crawled into his lap and buried her hands in his hair. His hands rested on her waist, his fingers pressing into her through the white material of her dress, unknowingly bunching up the fabric and making it ride up her thighs.

She was the first to pull away, needing air. She stayed close, her forehead pressed against his as her fingers toyed with the long strands of hair at the base of his neck. He couldn't help the smile on his lips as he leaned in and kissed her cheek, then her other cheek and he loved how she giggled as he did so.

And though he didn't want to, he knew he had to take her home, it was getting late. Already well past her curfew. "I should take you home."

"No." She wrapped her arms around his neck and shifted against his lap, not really comprehending the groan that let him as she did so. "D-did I hurt you?"

"No, baby," he shook his head. Then he took a breath in hopes of calming himself down but that seemed to be a lose battle. Especially when his perfect girlfriend sat atop his lap with her arms around him, looking as amazing as ever in the white sundress she wore. "But I think we should-" he lifted her up, but she just held on tighter to him. "Maggie..."

"Don't wanna go home. Don't wanna move. I just want you to keep kissin' me."

And he was weak, so very weak when she looked at him like that... or at all. So, he pressed his lips against hers, softly at first and when she let out the softest of moans he kissed her just a little harder. Her hands gripped at his hair, her lips moving in sync with his as she shifted her hips against his. He let out another groan, this time against her lips and then she felt it below her.

She pulled back with wide eyes, and he knew. She was right there, of course she felt it. And though she had never been with anyone in that way, she knew what it meant... at least she thought she did, she'd read a few books that her friends had suggested.

She had felt the bulge in his jeans before, usually when they were making out on the couch in Tyler's basement, which was then interrupted by the cowboy when he returned with snacks for the movie night they were having.

Other times, Boone would pull back, his chest rising and falling with his heavy breaths before he told her that they should slow down. She always nodded, giving him a smile because she loved that he didn't push her into anything she didn't want.

But there in the front seat of his truck, she wanted it. So bad. She shifted against his lap again, and this time when a groan left him, her own soft moan accompanied it.

And damn it if it wasn't the sweetest sound he'd ever heard in his life.

Then she did it again, only for his hands to tighten on her hips, stopping the movement. "Baby-"

"But I-I want to," she nodded quickly. "I want you, Boone." She moved her hips against his again, her eyes fluttering closed as another moan left her parted lips. "Please."

He knew he should tell her no, tell her they should wait and the way the cross that rested against her chest glinted in the streetlight only seemed to prove his point. But how could he turn her down when she was begging so softly, her lips covering every inch in his face in soft kisses. And those sweet, sweet moans had his brain going hazy. It wasn't like he didn't want to. He did, he really did.

He had hated that most of his thoughts were clouded by thoughts of her in less than appropriate situations. He shouldn't think such things, not about the perfect angel before him, but he couldn't help it. He also hated that after every single one of their dates he'd had to take a cold shower just for his brain to function properly again.

"Are you sure?" he asked carefully, because he needed to make sure. He'd hate himself if he had taken her virginity and she regretted it the next day. He couldn't live with himself if that happened. He couldn't live with himself if he hurt her in any way at all.

She smiled softly, pressing her lips against his, "I'm sure, baby. So sure."

That was all he needed. His lips were on hers again, this time he was like a man starved and she moaned into the kiss as he shifted, holding her close as he laid her across the bench seat, one of his legs parting hers as she held onto his shoulders. Then her hands moved down his chest, slowly working to get his shirt unbuttoned.

And they spent the rest of the night in the bed of Boone's truck, wrapped in a picnic blanket. He had her sundress balled up and tucked under his head as a makeshift pillow and she was curled into his side, her finger tracing nonsense lines across his smooth chest. She smiled into his side when he kissed the top of her head and pulled her in closer. And they watched the stars that hung in the sky over the small white building that had a cross sitting right on top of it.

If he was going to hell, he didn't care. It'd be worth it because of the girl curled up against him. The girl that he loved more than anything. The girl that loved him.

His angel.

"I love you," he whispered even though they were alone in the parking lot. 

"I love you," she, too, had whispered before leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

NOVA SPEAKS

ahhh! my love for these two is unmatched!

anyways, enjoy!