"Keep a little fire burning; however small, however hidden."

~ Cormac McCarthy

The clangorous music reverberated throughout the house, manifesting it into a living beast with a perfervid soul. Like a heart, the ground-shaking bass thundered, pumping symphonies through the walls. The stench of alcohol, smoke, and sweat morphed into one, seeping into the cracks and crevices, shaking the very seams from within. Stacks of red and blue cups represented oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, carrying intoxicating beverages.

Mangled, perspiring, and hormonal bodies depicted an abnormal growth of cells, unwanted and fatal like cancer. As hoards of people poured into our home, I made sure to guard my room like a lioness did her cubs, not wanting a one-night stand to materialize on my bed.

Stacy dearest had decided to take advantage of Mom and Dad's prolonged absence to throw a rager. It had been a complete week since Jonah's football incident and she had been home for a total of ten minutes. What riled my nerves was the fact that Stacy gladly offered to play hostess to cater to her friends but was nowhere to be found when Jonah and I needed her.

After the follow-up appointment, Dr. Victor concluded that Jonah could walk again but highly discouraged over-exertion. Of course, that didn't stop baby Yoda. The knee brace and crutches had been his fetters, upon discovering freedom, he bolted. My overprotective mother syndrome subsided the moment Dr. Victor reassured me that there was little to worry about.

Tobias had been training me relentlessly. I had concluded that the man had two temperaments. One was his outward persona, the one which he was known for, his mysterious, antagonized, callous side. The one I had, unfortunately, been acquainted with multiple times. The other side was surprisingly enlightening, perhaps because it was a fractured embodiment of the boy he once was; a satirical sense of humor, strong philosophical views, and a boyish passion for cars.

Lounging on my bed, one leg over the other, I explained, imitating Tobias' voice where needed, "And that's when he went like 'do you want this to be your final destination?' Dude, I started snorting. It was so goddamn embarrassing--"

Emily and Melaine's hysterical giggles interrupted the retelling of my story. Dan rolled his eyes at them but they kept wheezing; slapping their thighs and high-fiving each other. It was contagious enough to make me start snorting, laughter spraying out like water from a pipe. After a mighty effort, Dan caved in, chuckling with the shake of his head.

Once our laughter died down, I said between breaths, "I just...I wish I could've recorded...Creepy Tim's expression...for you."

"At least now we know Tobias has a sense of humor." Emily nodded approvingly.

"Exactly!" Melaine added.

"He's been really nice since the whole Jonah thing..." I trailed off distractedly when my phone chimed. 

"Yeah, I'm sure he has." Dan frowned grumpily.

Speak of the devil.

Tobias: you left your bag in my car 

I typed a quick reply, trying to be discreet in front of my friends.

Me: are you coming to the party?

Tobias: I wasn't planning on it

Me: you can give it to Andy if he hasn't left yet

"I can't wait for Ariel and Tobias to just lock lips already. Then all of us can triple date!" Emily clapped her hands ecstatically.

I stiffened, locking my phone and clearing my throat, "Oh, my God. What? A-Are you crazy? It's not, uh, it's n-not like that. Like, at all." My mouth hung ajar, my features scrunched up in a feeble attempt to camouflage my embarrassment.

"Don't think we can't see how you two stare at each other or the fact that you're face lights up when texts you," Melanie smirked while making an I'm-watching-you hand gesture.

"What? No, it doesn't." I remained persistent. 

At that point, even Dan gave me a stop-bullshitting-us look.  

"He's been teaching me how to fight. That's it. I don't want to daydream about something he won't reciprocate." I think I was trying to convince myself more than them.

Emily said mockingly, "He's just teaching her how to fight."

"Yeah, I'm sure she is." Melaine chuckled.

"Teaching her how to fight her lips with his." Emily winked at me.

I rolled my eyes, my cheeks burning red-hot. I narrowed my eyes at her, surprised by the words that left my mouth, "Dan, can you occupy her mouth or something?"

With enlarged eyes and flushed cheeks, Emily shrieked, "Ariel!"

Payback, bitch.

"What?" I shrugged innocently.

Dan caught on with a smirk, "My pleasure," pulling Emily close to peck her lips.

I quickly claimed the opportunity to escape their teasing. As I emerged into the hallway, I bumped into a stiff chest which caused me to stumble backward. I mentally groaned at the sight of an annoyingly familiar head of hair. 

Davi Silva, one of Stacy's sleaziest friends. On the outside, he was perhaps not half as bad, the whole tall, dark and handsome vibe, but he was rotten from within like Sebastian Valmont before he met Annette Hargrove.

"Ariel, you look ravishing," Davi began, unashamed.

His muscular arms attempted to envelop me but before he could, I ducked, swerving his embrace rather efficiently.

Not bad. See? This training thing is actually paying off.

He smirked, eyeing my bare legs which were on display since I was wearing light blue shorts under my frilly chiffon top.

"Er, Davi." I feigned enthusiasm, "How are you?"

"Better, now that I'm with you." He purred, trying to close the distance between us.

"Wish I could say the same." I gave him a disinterested look, pushing past him.

"Where are you off to? I was just getting started." Davi pouted deliberately, a teasing smirk on his lips.

"Davi, stop." I rolled my eyes.

He continued to follow me, insisting like a three-year-old in a candy shop, "Come on, you know you want this."

"No," I said, disgruntled, "I really don't."

"'kay, 'kay, 'kay, just answer one question." He grabbed my arm but I sneered, yanking it away from him.

"Touch me again and I'll castrate you."

He raised both his hands in surrender. To be honest, Davi was a harmless flirt, he wasn't going to try anything with me, I knew that much, he just always gave me the creeps, kinda like Creepy Tim, but far more relentless.

"Please, just one question," he pleaded.

"Fine," I crossed my arms over my chest, tapping my foot impatiently on the wooden floor.

"I've been wondering..." He started slowly, "Do your lips taste as good as they look?"

With a guttural groan, I scoffed, "Fuck's sake, Davi, don't you get tired of rejection?" I marched away from him, ready to descend the staircase.

He called out from behind me, "Wait, wait, wait, I have a better one. Are you a light switch? 'Cuz flicking you will turn me the hell on."

Giving myself whiplash, I glared at his insolence, "What the honest hell?"

"I know I'm wasted..." He made an innocent face, retrieving something from his pocket, "...but this condom doesn't have to be."

That's it. I'm gonna--

"How 'bout I fucking waste you?"

A thunderous voice reverberated over the booming music. Moon-eyed, I turned over my shoulder to discover a deadly-looking Tobias ascending the stairs, ready to lunge at Davi. His rage came in the form of a hurricane, explosive and wild.

"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Davi sneered.

Oh, fuck.

Breathe.

I rotated, slithering between Tobias and Davi, bringing him to a halt with a firm hand on his chest.

"Tobias," I said breathlessly, shaking my head.

His impenetrable eyes were glassy and bloodshot. That was when I realized that he was higher than the bloody empire state building. And just like that, my heart triumphed over my mind. I raised my hand to his cheek, caressing his light stubble. His furious eyes made contact with mine as I hopped onto my tiptoes to reach his ear, snaking my left arm around his neck for support.

I brought us closer than we already were and softly whispered, my lips lightly grazing his earlobe, "It's okay, just let it go."

I felt his body relax slightly which allowed me to place my heels back on the ground, coming face to face with him once again. The fire that tainted his eyes began slowly began to wither away as he gazed deeply into my eyes with a perplexed visage.

Breathe.

"Dude, what's with the fucking attitude?" Davi arrogantly scoffed, his words rekindling the simmering flame inside Tobias' irises. Within seconds, Tobias was glaring daggers into Davi's skull.

Uh oh.

"Silva, just go," I warned him.

"Why the fuck are you looking at me like that? You got a fucking problem?" Davi sneered and I felt Tobias stiffen.

"Fucking, go!" I yelled at Davi.

"I'm not going anywhere until I teach this macho fuck a lesson," Davi seethed, rolling up his sleeves.

That did it.

Tobias spared me a fleeting glance, his eyes conveying some form of an apology before he vociferated through gritted teeth, "You're fucking dead."

Fuck.

Tobias pushed past me to grab Davi by his collar, shoving him hard against the wall adjacent to my bedroom door. His jaw clenched, his fists balled up. He curled his arm back to unleash a bone-crushing punch that collided with Davi's nose.

"Tobias, stop!" I shrieked, attracting unwanted attention.

Amidst the frenzy, I failed to notice the number of people that had arrived at the scene. Dan attempted to rip Tobias away, but Tobias was too far gone. Davi's bloody nose wasn't even half of it, his right eye socket was swollen and dark purple. Somehow, Dan, Andy, and a few others finally managed to stabilize Tobias. Even though Tobias and Davi were now separated by a crowd, Tobias' ferocious eyes remained glued to him. 

All of a sudden, everything played in slow motion. In the process of taming Tobias, a bystander lost her balance. As the girl tripped, her cup flew upwards; a red blur. A trail of golden splashing out just as the cup crash-landed. Its contents spilling all over Tobias' light gray v-neck. I watched the liquid seep through, his shirt clinging to his skin.

Like a rabbit caught in headlights, she froze. I cursed under my breath when she began apologizing profusely. Before Tobias could react, Dan and Andy shoved him into my room, which was closest to the scene of the crime. They slammed the door shut before Emily, Melaine, and I could enter.

I frowned, hearing them arguing indistinctly. Emily and Melaine mirrored my concerns. Ears to the door, we attempted to listen but the music was too loud for any of us to comprehend what they were saying. When I twisted the knob and barged in, the three of them tensed.

I huffed, shaking my head at Tobias' heaving chest with disapproval. I yanked on his wrist, pulling him into my bathroom so I could give him a piece of my mind. The warm ceiling light illuminated our reflections which were staring back at us through the walnut-framed mirror. I bent down and grabbed a clean white t-shirt from the pile of clothes stacked underneath the marble vanity.

"Here." I handed Tobias the shirt after turning around, he accepted it with a grunt and placed it on the wall rack beside him with an emotionless stare.

"You can't just go around beating people up all the time." I voiced.

"I can do whatever the fuck I want." His voice was shrill. "This is who I am. You can't change that." The veins on his neck popping, his knuckles white.

The intensity of his words left me without a coherent reply. He was right. I had no right to expect him to change or listen.

"Fine," I replied.

"Fine." He repeated, making me roll my eyes.

"I thought you weren't coming..." I dawdled.

"Yeah, well here I am." He snapped.

Before I was presented with the chance to take my leave, Tobias stripped out of his damp shirt in one swift motion.

There goes all my fucking self-control.

Hungrily, my eyes scanned his chiseled abdomen. He wasn't stripped of his manliness, light swirls of chest hair covering him, his happy trail leading my eyes to parts of him I had never imagined. I felt myself release a sharp breath as I gaped at him, feeling overwhelmed by the shockwave of emotions that circled in the pit of my stomach.

Breathe.

"I, uh, take this." I snapped out of my trance as I plucked a fluffy hand towel from the wire rack, averting my gaze from his torso to the tiled floor.

Stay mad at him.

He leaned forward towards the vanity, twisting the knob of the water tap to release an influx of water, allowing it to swirl down the hand basin. He wet the towel slightly before wringing it dry.

I propped myself onto the vanity, feeling its cold surface press against my thighs. I watched him cautiously from the corner of my eyes as he stepped away from the basin and began wiping his chest, where the residue of the alcohol was clearly visible. When he was done, he tossed the towel onto the counter with a blank look.

Don't give in. 

I noticed traces of water trailing down his abdomen, traveling all the way down before being absorbed by the waistband of his sweatpants.

No. Don't.

I unconsciously licked my lips at the sight of him, "Um, you're still a little wet..."

I ushered for him to come closer. He dragged his feet, positioning himself between my legs. I reached for the towel and lightly began dabbing it over his torso. My face contorted into a concentrated stare, my lower lip clamped between my teeth, I tried to remain focused on drying him.

Just breathe.

"All done," I whispered, but he didn't budge. 

I felt my palms get sweaty, my heartbeat escalating.

It's okay.

Deep breaths.

In. Out.

"What are you doing to me?" His voice was a soft murmur, an uncertain expression on his face, his breath fanning my lips as I parted them, letting my lower lip loose.

Fuck.

"I-I, um." I gasped when his fingers slipped beneath my bare thighs. 

His hand on the small of my back jerked me forward, lifting me off the vanity momentarily, pressing my body against his. I found myself latching onto him for support, both hands hooked around his neck. I snaked my legs around him as if it was nothing.

I can't breathe.

"Tobias," I rasped, oxytocin coursing through my veins, "Y-you're making it hard for me to b-breathe."

Our physical proximity caused goosebumps to dot my body. He inched closer to my lips, eyeing them before licking his own. My breathing became rapid as his fingers drew circular patterns on my inner thigh causing me to unconsciously flutter my eyes close in pleasure.

I wanted this.

Fuck.

I shouldn't want this.

"Fuck, you're making me har--"

He was interrupted by a series of rapid knocks resonating through the bathroom.

"Are you two done boning yet? I need to pee." Emily's muffled voice seeped through the door.

Immediately I hopped down, breaking away from Tobias' sizzling touch. Leaving him inside, I pulled the door shut behind me. With a thundering heart and short pants, I glared at Emily, who eyed me suggestively. Rolled my eyes in response, I attempted to conceal my overwhelmed mind, unable to process what had just happened.

Was he about to say what I think he was about to say?

----

Touch me like you mean it, or don't touch me at all.

Please don't forget to vote, comment, and share if you enjoyed this chapter.

Love, Ari