Like Tattoos on This Town

@ paradigm;
Zacky drove them to Taco Bell, blinking as she threw he order out he, quickly repeated it while it was still fresh in his mind. Then he decided what he'd like though it wasn't normally something he'd eat. He wasn't big on greasy fast food. It didn't help with his body weight problem, so cutting it out of his life had been a good idea. Though he had a feeling he'd have to find a gym or work on the farm to keep himself fro gaining to much weight. "I bet they didn't want people stealing it out of the store." He informed her, "I'm just surprised it wasn't behind a counter or somethings." He smiled at her before pulling to the window to pay. The girl that requested payment stared a little too long for his liking, though he knew women loved his eyes. Waiting for her to hand back his card he placed his hand on Hayden's thigh.

---

Laney watched as Matt undressed she was a bit nervous about swimming now. But she knew that it was something she'd have to get used to. They were the only ones around and it was dark so it was hard to make out there skin, but she knew once they were in the water they wouldn't be as shielded from the moon light. Nibbling on her lip she started to slip off her clothing, draping them over a branch on a near by tree. Moving her exposed body down to the waters edge she slowly padded through the water letting it wash up her body. She didn't stop until she was waist deep into the water. She lifted her gaze to Matt watching as he entered the water, she was nervous about her choice in underwear but it was a little too late to care. "Lakes are a bit dirtier than beaches." She told him softly.

"Well shit, they already had it wrapped in that anti-theft wire, how much more difficult did they need to make it?" Hayden huffed. As they pulled up to the window to pay, she noticed the girl in the drive-thru staring a little hard at Zacky and she scooted a little closer to him. She didn't like that some other girl was looking at him. He was her boyfriend now and she thought that gave her the right to act just a little territorial. Thanking Zacky as he handed her the food, she opened the box with the pill in it, popping it in her mouth and washing it down with a swig of Mountain Dew. "Alright, let's get back to the ranch so we can chow down," Hayden said. "And then we can cuddle on the couch and watch movies."

---

Matt tugged off his jeans as well, heading towards the lake alone since Laney was still undressing. The water was a little cold, as he expected, but it was easy enough to get used to. He waded out until the water was about waist-deep and then completely submerged himself, resurfacing and wiping the water from his face. "You gonna join me or not?" Matt teased, seeing Laney standing just ankle-deep in the water. He noticed that her underwear was still dry and already almost completely see-through and it was a bit hard to keep his eyes off of her. But he had to. He couldn't force that on her so quickly.

@ paradigm;
Zacky chuckled at Hayden's ability to over react. Though he smiled brightly when she cuddled closer to him. He knew that she'd also noticed the girl actions. When he took their food he quickly started to drive home, the smell making him hungry. "So is your dream still to own your own land?" He questioned her, opening the door for a discussion on weather he should sell the ranch or not. He knew it was his decision in the end, but he wanted to have answers for when his mom decided to show her face. Nibbling on his lip he wondered if this would always be his home or if she wanted to move somewhere else.

---

Laney noticed Matt's eyes on her feel a blush consume her cheeks. Smiling softly she moved deeper into the water, enjoying the coolness of it against her hot skin. She knew she was threading on thin ice, but she couldn't help but want to push herself. Matt made her want more, she wondered if it was too soon, but her she was in see through underwear and swimming with him. Though they hadn't even shared a kiss yet. She knew Matt was taking it slow with her, though she was glad, it made her wonder if it was going to continue at this slow pace. Matt had said he expected things to turn sexual, she didn't mind it, but she wondered how long it would take him to get that way. Laney let her body slip into the water, her knees hitting the mossy ground. Tilting her head back she let her hair dip down her back and into the water, the coolness on her chest causing her nipples to perk.

Hayden knew it was best to wait to eat her bean burrito until they got back to the house because it was so messy, but she couldn't help but dig into one of her soft tacos as they drove back to the ranch. Zacky's question definitely caught her off-guard and even though she was sure she knew where it was coming from, she knew she had to give him an honest answer. He deserved that. "I mean, yeah, I would love that," Hayden told him. She balled up the wrapper from the one of her soft tacos and shoved it back into the takeout bag. "It would just be really nice, you know? I've always wanted to settle down on my own land one day, get married and start a family. Just, you know, not right now," she added with a laugh, holding up the empty box from the Plan B. "Why do you ask?"

---

Matt noticed that Laney still didn't seem to want to get close to him in the water. Because here he was, treading water that was probably over his head and she was resting on her knees and still only shoulder-deep. Matt moved closer to her until he could touch bottom with his feet, grinning at Laney. "You know, I expected lake water to feel nasty, but it feels kind of nice," he commented, starting to float on his back. He kicked his way over to her, giving her a very obvious once-over with his eyes. "One of these days I'll have to take you to a beach so you can see what the ocean feels like. Not California, necessarily. I think there's a beach in Alabama, right? That's closer. And it's beautiful. Once you go there you'll never want to leave."

@ paradigm;
Zacky nodded before looking at her, before shifting his gazes back to the road. "Well since we are dating now, I figured it would be nice to know what the thoughts of a future would be like." He shrugged, before pulling into his now ranch. "I know it's early to think about these things, but having this place I need to decided what to do with my life now." He looked at her, before getting out of the truck offering her his hand.

---

Laney turned her gaze to Matt, before noticing how close he was. "I'd like that." She nibbled, before pushing herself out into deeper water, and closer to him. "But I've been to Tybee Island Beach, I think I was fifteen." She smiled at him. "But it depends on the lake you go too." She licked over her lips. "They're also private compared to beaches." She places her feet under her standing, the water stopping just below her breasts. It was nice to be able to enjoy the water, alone with him. Letting her feet carry her closer to him, she felt shy but she was trying not to let that affect her. She wanted Matt, but she knew that she wasn't entire ready for sex. But she would stop him if he wanted to let things get physical.

"You mean you need to decide what to do with the ranch," Hayden said. She took Zacky's hand and climbed out of the truck, grabbing the takeout bag and the trash from the Plan B. She followed Zacky inside, kicking off her shoes. She was a little sad to think that Zacky might sell his grandparents' ranch. Even if it hadn't actually been her house, it had always been like a second home to her and a place of comfort for her when things were going wrong at her own house. She had so many good memories with Zacky here and she didn't want to have to give this place up. "Man oh man, it's been so long since I've spent the night here," Hayden said, sitting down on the couch with her food. She looked over at Zacky with a soft smile. "At least this time I won't have to sneak into your bedroom."

---

"Yeah, but lakes always seemed kind of sketchy to me," Matt said. "You know, in horror movies some teenager always gets killed by a lake. Nobody gets murdered at the beach." He noticed Laney moving closer to him and he grinned, getting back onto his feet, the water hitting roughly at his belly button. "So did you have fun tonight, Laney?" Matt asked her, looking her over. "Things definitely turned out differently than I was expecting, but it was a nice turn of events. Especially now," he added, a slight smirk appearing on his face.

@ paradigm;
Zacky nodded hearing her, before unlocking the house for them. He walked into the living room taking a seat. "Well it's not just that." He informed her, "this place makes money, and it's my home." He said before digging in the bag for his food. "If I sell then that means I'm going to have to find a place to stay, also a form of work." He knew that the money he'd gotten from his grand parents death would hold him over for a while, then what ever revenue he got from selling the place. He didn't know if he could part with it or not.

---

Laney splashed him when he said the lake reminded him of horror movies. "I did have fun tonight." She smiled up at him, feeling the water flow around them almost like it was pushing her to move. Thought she was dead set on being in front of him. "Especially now, when there's a possibility of a horror movie happening." She teased him laughing, she shook her head lightly, putting all kidding as side. "You're going to tell me that you had no intention of trying to date me?" She questioned him softly, lifting her gaze from the water to him. She could hear the music from the site as it wafted down to the water.

"You could always come and work for me at the restaurant," Hayden teased. "You looked sexy as hell in your little apron waiting tables." She tore open a packet of sauce and squirted a little onto her bean burrito, taking a bite. She wondered if Zacky wanted her opinion on whether or not he should sell the ranch. No matter how much she loved the place, it had been his grandparents who owned it and it was now his to do with as he so pleased. If he really wanted to sell it, she couldn't stop him. But he'd asked her what her plans for the future were and if she wanted to own her own land, so maybe he wanted her opinion. "I really hope you don't decide to sell the place, though," Hayden said softly.

---

Matt gasped playfully when Laney splashed him as he got back onto his feet. He raised a curious eyebrow at her when she said there was a possibility of a horror movie happening. There were so many things that could mean but one in particular stuck out to him. Did she really want that to happen so soon? He definitely wouldn't mind it happening, but he just wasn't the kind of guy to take things to a physical level on the first date. Unless it was a one-night thing. "I'm not saying I had no intention," Matt said honestly. "I just had no intention of trying before you turned eighteen. But I'm starting to dig the idea of sneaking around. It's very taboo."

@ paradigm;
Zacky let out a laugh, shaking his head. "As much as I love working for you, I'd rather not." He started to eating his food. "I think we both need a place to escape each other." He knew they didn't live together, but if they did get to that point. Zacky nodded listening to her, "I didn't want to. But I got an offer, so I either have to sell, or start in on paying the employee." He shook his head. "I was glad that he had been paid up through the month." He sighed, "if I keep it I'll have to speak to a lawyer or an accountant." He wasn't sure where to even began with running a ranch. But if he planned on keeping it he needed to find out now.

---

Laney nibbled on her lip hearing he'd had no intention of doing anything before she turned eighteen. Trying to shake the embarrassment she chuckled before running her fingers in her hair. "You do know that I don't turn eighteen for another six month?" She questioned him, smirking at him when he said he liked the taboo thought. "Taboo can be fun." She whispered out, wondering if she was giving him enough encouragement.

"What's the matter, you don't think I'd make a good boss?" Hayden asked, pouting playfully. But she knew where Zacky was coming from. If they were constantly around each other, they would get tired of each other. It made Hayden upset to hear that Zacky already had an offer on the ranch. Running a farm was hard work and Zacky knew nothing about it, so she wouldn't be surprised if he was leaning towards selling the ranch. "You know, you could always just sell the farmland and keep the ranch house," Hayden suggested. "Then you could have a place to live and you wouldn't have to worry about the upkeep of the ranch or paying any employees."

---

"Yes, I know this," Matt huffed playfully. He distinctly remembered Laney telling him when her birthday was. "I might not look like it, but I'm pretty damn smart. And I can remember dates." He saw the slight smirk on Laney's face when he brought up the taboo aspect to their relationship, feeling himself start to smirk as well. "You think it could be fun, hmm?" he teased. He moved a little closer to Laney, reaching out to lightly touch her cheek. Even if he wanted to take things at a slower pace, it wouldn't hurt anything for him to kiss her, right? Kissing was pretty innocent, even if they were swimming alone in a lake in their underwear. So Matt leaned down just enough to press his lips lightly to Laney's.

@ paradigm;
"You're a wonderful boss." He smiled before taking a bite of his food. He knew that it wasn't the point but he still felt like she needed to hear it. Zacky listened to her suggestion frowning. "The deal was for every thing." He informed her. "I mean I know I could put it up for sale that way, but I don't want to sale it." He shook his head. "I'd rather figure out how to handle the business aspect and pay someone else to do the work." He shrugged his shoulders, granted her wasn't above working with the animals.

---

Laney smiled when Matt moved closer to her, she felt her heart beat speed up. It was so nerve racking to have him moving like he was stalking prey. Feeling his hand on her cheek she was quickly reminded just how much she really wanted this. Letting her eyes flutter close once his lips touched hers. She couldn't help but kiss him back, her hands moving to his bare chest as she moved closer to him. She knew he was trying to take things slow, since her age. But she didn't want it to be slow, honestly she wasn't ready for sex but that didn't mean he couldn't touch her.

"Why thank you, you make a good little waiter," Hayden teased, smiling. She knew that wasn't really the point, but it still felt nice to hear Zacky compliment her. "If you don't want to sell it, then don't sell it," she told him, her voice soft now. "It wouldn't be that hard to find someone to run the ranch for you. That's what your grandparents did for the last few years before they passed away, when they got too old to do most of the work themselves. I think you'd be better at the business side, anyway. You're smart, Zack." Hayden leaned up, pressing a kiss to Zacky's cheek. "Whatever you want to do, I'll help you. And if you do decide you want to sell the ranch, you can come and stay with me. I know it's small, but I think it would work until you find somewhere else, if that's what you wanted to do."

---

Matt smiled against Laney's lips when he felt her hands on his chest. At least he knew she wasn't going to push him away. Matt just felt like he had to be careful with Laney and he wasn't entirely sure it even had to do with her age. Maybe it was just because she was so innocent and he liked the idea of taking that innocence from her and he just wanted to see how long he could hold out. And he wanted to make sure everything was enjoyable for Laney, not just the sex. "You know, you can tell me what you want," Matt said to her after he pulled away. "If I'm moving too fast for you, or even too slow. Just tell me what you want from this."

@ paradigm;
Zacky smiled hearing her, "thank you baby." He said before leaning in and placing a kiss to her lips. He knew that no matter what she'd still have given him the support he needed. "Did you just ask me to move in with you?" He playfully gasped, "okay now you need to slow you're roll, we just started dating." He smirked at her, loving being able to tease her. He knew that thinking about the future was part of dating, and when you were committed to that person they were part of your plans now no matter how fast or slow things moved. Zacky knew that Hayden wouldn't mind him keeping the place, but he wondered if she could see herself helping run this place. Granted that was future talk, but be real he wasn't going to give her up now that he'd gotten her back.

---

Laney smiled up at him, she knew that she didn't know a damn thing about the progression of a sexually relationship. Though kissing him had been wonderful, she wondered what else he could be offering. "I think we're fine, just seeing how things go." She informed him, she knew she'd stop him before things got to carried away. She didn't want to lose her virginity at the lake, granted there wasn't a place in town she'd be comfortable losing it. It wasn't something that was easily given away either, she wasn't sure if Matt was the person yet. But she knew he very much could be, just having kissed him she craved more. Leaning in she pressed her lips back to his, letting her hands slid up his chest and wrap around his neck.

"I didn't ask you to move in with me, you big doofus," Hayden teased. "I said you could stay with me until you find somewhere else to stay. I don't think I could put up with you long enough to live with you." She stuck her tongue out at him, crumpling up her last wrapper and tossing it onto the coffee table. It felt a little weird to be talking so far into the future with Zacky, but at the same time, it really didn't. She's always fantasized about a relationship with him and what her future might be like with Zacky. Granted, she hadn't imagined everything that had happened between then and now and her vision for the future was different that it had been when she was a teenager. But no matter what, she wanted to help Zacky figure out what was best for him and what would make him happy.

---

"And that's fine with me," Matt said. "I don't want you to feel like things are moving too fast. I know you're a little bit more...unexperienced than me so I want you to be comfortable." Honestly, if this situation were repeating itself with anybody but Laney, Matt's hands would likely be wondering places they shouldn't be, trying to escalate the situation. He wasn't an overly sexual person by any means, but most of the women he found himself with weren't exactly the type he wanted to bring home to his parents. So a quick little fling was usually what it ended up being. But now he was a little older and he was settling down in a new town, so Matt wanted to try and leave that part of his life behind. When Laney kissed him again, Matt rested his hands on her hips, sliding one up her back to press her closer to him as he deepened the kiss just slightly.

@ paradigm;
"Rude." Zacky gasped at her before throwing his wrapper at her. He knew she'd be joking and it was way to earlier to move in together. But he couldn't help but the little bit of hurt that he felt when she said she couldn't put up with him long enough to live with. It wasn't something he wanted to dwell on, but she'd hurt his feeling. "I know I'm a pig." He shook his head, "I guess I'll live out in the barn, maybe the hayloft." He teased her smirking. He'd hold that over her head as long as he could, knowing that as long as he kept this place he'd fuck her up there as much as he could. Maybe he could satisfy her fantasy.

---

Laney smirked into the kiss letting her fingers toy with the hair at the base of his neck. She let out a soft gasp at the contact of his tongue, it quickly weaseling into her mouth and started exploring. She was shocked to say the least unsure what she should be doing but her tongue came alive and started to move against his. She was enjoying the kiss, her mind having a hard time focusing as his hands roamed her body pulling her into him. She could feel his bare skin against hers and it made a blush creep up on her cheeks. But it didn't stop her from gently tugging at his hair, wanting this to never end. But at the same time she wanted to crawl into a hole and reflect on what she'd learned and hide her embarrassment as she didn't know weather she was doing okay or not.

"Aww, did I hurt your feelings?" Hayden teased, poking Zacky's shoulder. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, pulling away slightly before kissing him again. "I'm sorry." She scoffed when he mentioned living in the hayloft, rolling her eyes playfully. She knew she shouldn't have told him her fantasy, because she knew he was never going to let her live it down. But if he was willing to fuck her in the hayloft again, Hayden wasn't going to complain. "I mean, you can go and live in the hayloft if you want," Hayden told Zacky. "But don't expect me to come and visit you."

---

Matt was relieved when he realized that Laney wasn't going to push him away. It almost made him want to see how far he could push things before she stopped him, but he wouldn't do that. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable. He felt her tug on his hair and he groaned softly, suddenly realizing that he needed to stop things before he reached a point where he couldn't stop. Well, until he didn't want to stop. He wouldn't force anything on her. Reluctantly, Matt moved Laney away from him. "I think we should stop for now, yeah?" he suggested, grinning at her.

@ paradigm;
Zacky smirked at her as he heard her threat. "Oh really." He shook his head. "If I lived in that hayloft you'd never leave it." He chuckled, knowing if he did live there her fantasy would come true, yet it wouldn't. She enjoyed the hayloft the way it was. Though he was just teasing about ever living there he still felt that they could still do what ever they wanted up there. "Care to take a shower?" He asked, knowing they had to wash the day off before bed. He was starting to get sleepy anyways. So maybe they could watch a movie after while relaxing in bed.

---

Laney felt a blush take over her cheeks as he pushed her away. She'd never done anything like this so the fact he physically pushed her away had her mind racing. Why, was the big issue, was it because she wasn't good at this, or because e knew she was inexperienced. Then that led to more unpleasant thoughts. But she shook her head knowing Matt would voice his issue's if he had any. Nibbling on her lip she turned and swam into deeper water, maybe giving him the space he needed would make things easier on the both of them. She could make sure she hadn't upset him, while he took the time to cool off.

"Yeah I would, because you'd piss me off eventually," Hayden said, laughing. "Or maybe I'd just shove you off the hayloft." When Zacky suggested a shower, she thought about it for a short second before she nodded, stretching her arms as she got to her feet. She followed Zacky upstairs to the bathroom, grabbing a couple of towels and setting them on the counter. "Oh man, I bet that water is going to feel so nice," Hayden said, tugging her shirt over her head. "And a nice warm shower sounds fantastic before bed."

---

"Hey, nobody said you had to swim away," Matt said, laughing as he watched Laney move into deeper water. He followed after her, catching up to her just before he lost touch with the bottom of the lake. He grabbed her wrist to prevent her from moving further away. "The reason I stopped you is because I want to take a break before I got, well, too excited," Matt exclaimed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It had nothing to do with you, I promise."

@ paradigm;
Zacky laughed at her mention of pushing him out of the loft, he knew if he'd pissed he off enough she wouldn't hesitate. Shaking his head he lead her towards the shower. Quickly turning the water on to allow it to warm up, before he started to undress. He quickly entered the shower once naked, before turning to look at her. She'd changed so much since high school and he missed some of the small things. But she was prefect the way she was now.

---

Laney was shocked when Matt stopped her, and a light blush took over her face as she listened to him talk. Of course she'd never thought about that. But she'd never let him know the things she'd been thinking. "I figured that much." She chuckled softly, wanting to throw the attention off of her. "I just figured we were here to swim." She teased, nibbling on her lip. She felt embarrassed no matter what she did to distract.

Hayden finished undressing before stepping into the shower, sighing as the hot water hit her skin. This would definitely ger her relaxed before bed. "Oh man, you've got the shitty man shampoo and conditioner in one," Hayden said, grabbing the bottle from the shower caddy. "I'll have to bring some of mine over to keep here. A girl's gotta keep her hair looking nice. Especially a redhead. That shit doesn't come easy." Hayden grinned as she moved closer to Zacky, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "You want to wash my hair for me?" she asked, pouting playfully.

---

Matt could tell by the blush on Laney's face that she was a little embarrassed by what he'd said. Honestly, he could've been a lot more blunt about it, but he was too much of a gentleman for that. He laughed at her attempt to change the topic, sucking in a breath and diving underneath the water. He didn't want to open his eyes in this water, so he used his hands to feel around, stopping when he felt his fingers touch Laney's ankle. He didn't want to pull her under, just scare her, so Matt only tugged hard enough to make her stumble.