Deep End

Tonight, she lets Kris pick Die Hard and they order pizza (whole wheat crust, vegetarian for Kris, meat lovers for Skylar, who lords it over his head with an extreme degree of pleasure). Kris gets pretty into the movie, which she finds rather ridiculously adorable, so she leaves all of her talking for the commercial breaks.

“So, we’re pretty close right? To the wedding spot I mean?” She polishes off her crust while she waits for Kris to finish chewing.

“Yes. We should get there tomorrow, probably in the afternoon.” He thinks he hears a hint of something in her voice and he eyes her, trying to figure out what it is.

“And...your whole team is going to be there?” She runs a hand through her hair, pushes it back away from her face and he hears it. Nerves.

“Most of them.” He confirms, “They’re all nice guys, they will love you.”

“Well, that’s reassuring, but just so we’re clear...you’re not going to ditch me right? I mean, leave me at a table with all the other girlfriends while you run off to drink beers with the boys?” she shakes her head. “Tell them I’m needy, I don’t care, but seriously, stick to me like glue.”

He nearly snorts, but manages to stop himself. Right, like he has an issue being stuck to her.

“Like glue.” He promises.

“Super glue.” She tells him with the point of a finger. He laughs.

“Super glue.” He nods. They watch Bruce Willis in silence for a moment.

“I don’t have a dress.” She says suddenly, still nervous. He doesn’t like it. She shouldn’t have to be so nervous about doing him this favour. And that’s all it is, he reminds himself firmly, a favour. Still, he owes it to her to put her mind at ease.

“I’m sure there will be a store in town somewhere. We’ll find time to slip away and go shopping, it will be fine.” He can hear her audible sigh of relief.

“Okay, okay good.” She nods her head, seemingly reassuring herself.

“Have I thanked you lately? For doing this for me?” he says and she shakes her head.

“You don’t have to. I have to admit,” he notices her cheeks are a little flushed, “it’s been kind of fun.” She watches the television intently.

“Yes,” he says, glad to know she feels at least a little bit the same, “it has.”

--

“Glue.” Skylar reminds him sternly the next afternoon when they enter the hotel lobby. She sees Tyler Kennedy immediately and tenses.

“Super glue.” Kris says out of the corner of his mouth, raising an arm in greeting as Tyler heads their way.

Even from across the lobby, he can see the raise in TK’s eyebrows. He can feel the tension radiating from Skylar, so he does something he’s thought about doing practically since he met her, and hopes it won’t be awkward. He switches his duffel from one hand to the other and then reaches across the divide between them, threading his fingers through hers. He can feel the tension leave her and he smiles, especially when she gives his hand a little squeeze and then holds on.

“Hey Tanger!” TK calls enthusiastically, giving Kris a pat on the shoulder, “About time you showed up.” He turns his eyes to the girl standing next to him.

“This is Skylar.” Kris says before TK can say something stupid or vulgar, “She’s my wedding date.”

He skilfully avoids the use of the word ‘girlfriend’, figuring it’s best to save that conversation for another day - or never at all, if he can find a way to avoid it. TK, who has always been one of Kris’ favourite teammates, just nods approvingly, which is why Kris likes him so much. He’s a pretty chill guy, a real go with the flow type. In fact, it’s probably a stroke of luck they saw TK before anyone else. He’ll accept Skylar and this new relationship without question, which should calm her down. Plus, this means he’ll have TK in his corner later when the rest of the guys ask questions. He’ll be able to back Kris up about how great she is.

“Nice to meet you.” Skylar smiles warmly and pulls her hand free of Kris’ to extend it to TK, who gives it a firm shake.

“So,” he says, sidling his way between them and draping an arm over Skylar’s shoulders, “how did this plug manage to rope you into being his date?” Kris smacks him upside the head and he pouts. Skylar watches the exchange with amused eyes.

“It’s the hair.” She reaches around behind TK’s back and ruffles Kris’ hair.

“Told you!” a new voice crows. Skylar looks over to see a girl bounding across the lobby, brown hair, brown eyes, big smile and long legs. “The hair is irresistible.” She gives a laughing Kris a one-armed hug and then grins consolingly at TK.

“Almost irresistible.” She corrects herself, taking hold of TK’s hand, “You know, to girls who don’t know how much better it can be.”

“That’s right.” TK says with a firm nod, wrapping the girl under his arm.

“I’m Lindsay, by the way.” Lindsay smiles, taking Skylar’s hand.

“Skylar.” She smiles warmly and catches Kris grinning at her knowingly out of the corner of her eye. He comes over and puts an arm over her shoulder while TK and Lindsay saunter off to find the rest of the group that has so far arrived.

“Told you they’d love you.” His voice cracks a little bit when she wraps an arm around his waist and gives him a happy squeeze.

“Okay, so maybe super glue was a bit excessive.” She admits, “But still – glue. Maybe not super glue, but still glue. The good kind of glue too – those Oxford School glue sticks, not those cheap yellow no name ones.” Kris laughs and she grins up at him.

He doesn’t get a chance to respond because a group of teammates descends upon them before he can get another word in. He gets slaps on the back from Jordan and Flower and Max and a host of other teammates whose faces sort of blur together because he can feel Skylar’s sweaty palm pressed into his own. He keeps his word and doesn’t let go of her hand through the rounds of introductions to teammates and friends and girlfriends and wives. Everything goes well and Skylar seems to have relaxed, her fingers looser in his and she’s back to doing that thing she does where she says something and everyone gets starry-eyed and falls in some kind of love with her. He’s pretty sure Vero is already wishing she had an extra spot in the bridal party. He sees Sid appear at the edge of the crowd and they exchange a look and Sid nods and mouths the word ‘hot’ at him. Kris shakes his head.

“Marc! Vero!” Bridget calls excitedly from across the lobby and drags Adam over to the group, throwing her arms around Vero, who for her part looks equal parts happy to see her and uncomfortable. “Oh my god, I’m so happy to see you, it’s been so long.” Bridget slides a cool glance Kris’ way. “With everything that’s gone on, I’m just so glad we could be here.” She puts a little extra emphasis on the word ‘we’ and drags Adam up beside her.

“This is Adam.” When she looks over her shoulder at Skylar, Kris gets a cold tingle in his chest and reaches again for her hand. “And I see you’ve met Kris’ new girl Skylar too.” There is a split second of awkward silence, then a lot of hooting and hollering and more claps on the back.

There’s a moment where the girls and guys almost split, but Kris refuses to let go of Skylar’s hand, so instead they sort of split down the middle with Skylar and Kris at the center, facing the two separate groups. It probably looks awkward, but he’s not letting go and even if he tried, he’s pretty sure Skylar wouldn’t let him anyway, she’s holding on so tight the tips of his fingers are starting to get numb.

He laughs a little to himself when Jordan demands to know when, where and how the two of them met. It was definitely a good thing Skylar decided they needed to have that conversation. He can hear her behind him answering the same questions. Everything seems to be settling a little bit and Kris breathes a sigh of relief. Answer a few more questions and then he and Skylar can escape up to their room, take a few deep breaths and regroup. Then Flower has to drop another bomb.

“It is a good thing you got here, mon ami, we are just about to leave for the bachelor party!”

Jordan whoops and grabs Flower in a headlock while Kris chokes on the lump in his throat. He had not taken that into consideration. Skylar can’t exactly be glued to his side at a bachelor party.

“Yes, and Skylar, now that you are here you have to come to my bachelorette party!” Vero crows, looking pleased with herself. Bridget looks ready to shoot flames and Skylar looks ready to vomit. He runs through a list of excuses in his mind. It was a long drive, they are too tired, he is still nauseous from being car sick. In the end, he knows he can’t use any of them. Flower is his teammate, one of his closest friends, he can’t back out on this, no matter how guilty he will feel for leaving Skylar in such a vulnerable position.

“Sure, that sounds fun.” To her credit, Skylar has done a very good job of somehow forcing the colour to return to her face and she even manages to look a little excited. Kris is unequivocally grateful.

Then, because apparently the universe still has it out for him, things take another awkward turn.

He feels like he’s standing in line on death row as all around him guys are stepping forward to bid their girls goodnight before the bachelor and bachelorette party madness begins. TK is standing on his right and has his tongue down Lindsay’s throat and Flower and Vero are all wrapped up in pre-wedding bliss. Adam laid one on Bridget. If he doesn’t want it to look weird, he has to do something. He can’t just give her a high five and send her on her way. But they’ve never really discussed this part of the deal – or if this even is part of the deal – and what’s he supposed to do? Stick his tongue down his fake girlfriend’s throat in front of everyone? He can’t put her on the spot like that, make it awkward between them. He steps forward, still trying to formulate a plan.

By the time he is standing close enough to act, he thinks he has a plan. He puts his big hand on the back of her neck and just holds it there, squeezing a little, probably unnoticeable to anyone else, but hopefully comforting to her. He takes a moment to notice that his hand is so big it almost doesn’t fit on her neck, his pinky finger almost rests on her back. He keeps hold of the back of her neck and holds her steady, leaning down to press his lips against her forehead, resting them like there like they could stand like this for days. He could stand like this for days.

When he steps back, the girls are ‘aww-ing’ and the guys are hiding laughs behind their hands and the word ‘pussy’ behind coughs. He looks down at Skylar and she’s looking back up at him and it doesn’t matter.

Skylar has to admit, she was a little disappointed to feel his lips on her forehead. But also, secretly a little grateful because god lord, if he put his lips on her lips, she’d probably melt and then things would be just awkward. Especially if she melted in front of people, when she was unprepared. He pulls away and he’s looking at her and she can hear his friends chirping behind their hands already and she feels a little bad that he’ll have to spend all night listening to that. That and he’s standing so close that she can smell him – that fresh clean smell of soap and the melon he had with lunch – and it’s kind of making everything cloudy. His fingers loosen on the back of her neck and so she does it. Before he can pull away and before she can think about it too hard, she mirrors him, putting her hand on the back of his neck and leans forward on her toes and then two seconds later her lips are on his and they’re kissing.

She keeps it chaste because she gets the feeling that he’s probably not a PDA kind of guy and because if she tastes too much of him she might want to taste it all and they are in public and they are only fake dating. Still, she’s panting when she pulls away – not because the kiss was long – it lasted three seconds, maybe – but because her heart is swelling, crushing the air from her lungs.

“See you later.” She says in a whisper that says so much more – we’ll talk later, it’s okay.

“Later.” He breaths back as he turns away from her because if he looks at her lips a second longer he’ll want them again. He knows there are stars in his eyes and tries to blink them away before the guys notice and he gets flak for that too. Sid gives him a knowing look. Kris doesn’t care because holy shit – he just kissed Skylar.