Sequel: A Ship in Harbor is Safe ›
Status: complete
Dangerous Light
three.
Lying with his back toward the door of his room, Jordan is halfway passed out.
“Jordan,” Sidney keeps his voice quiet as he gently opens the door to the dark room. “You up, man?”
“Yeah,” Jordan slurs, not making an effort to move.
Sidney walks into the room a bit, “some girl says she’s here to see you… Did you, like, call a hooker or something?”
Jordan’s head is practically turned around faster than Sidney can blink. “Does she look like a hooker?”
Quickly, Sidney shakes his head. It is the second time that day Sidney has been caught off guard by Jordan’s tone. “Do you wanna see her, or…?”
Jordan nods tiredly, snuggling back into his bed.
“Jordan,” Sidney keeps his voice quiet as he gently opens the door to the dark room. “You up, man?”
“Yeah,” Jordan slurs, not making an effort to move.
Sidney walks into the room a bit, “some girl says she’s here to see you… Did you, like, call a hooker or something?”
Jordan’s head is practically turned around faster than Sidney can blink. “Does she look like a hooker?”
Quickly, Sidney shakes his head. It is the second time that day Sidney has been caught off guard by Jordan’s tone. “Do you wanna see her, or…?”
Jordan nods tiredly, snuggling back into his bed.
When Sidney gets back into the main room of the suite, Max has already invited the woman inside and practically has her cornered at the bar. Hearing some of Max’s cheesy, French sweet-nothings and pickup lines makes Sidney roll his eyes. He taps his hand on the bar, getting the attention of at least the young woman.
But she is smiling now, and blushing. She smiles at Sidney, “hey.”
He smiles politely. “Jordan says you can go in there.”
Max is completely ignoring his friend, but not his presence. “This is Sid. Don’t even bother with him. He’ll bore you to tears,” Max slurs, smirking at his friend.
Sidney just stares at his drunken teammate and friend.
“Sid, this is Athena. She’s Jordan’s old friend, remember?”
Blinking, Sidney nods. “Yeah, Jordan told us a little bit about you.”
“All good things, I hope.” She flashes a smile in Sidney’s direction.
He smiles and nods. “Course.”
“He forgot to mention just how attractive you are, though. Seriously…”
“Alright.” Sidney mutters, looking at Max. In return, Max looks back at Sidney.
Smiling uncomfortably, now, Athena looks at both men as she slips off of the barstool.
“Alright, well… it was nice meeting you two. Maybe if Jordan invites me to stick around, I’ll see you guys again.”
“I’ll invite you, if he doesn’t.”
Athena laughs at Max’s slurred words, hoisting the strap of her purse onto her shoulder as she passes the two men.
Both Sidney and Max are watching her hips sway as she walks.
When she arrives at Jordan’s room, she quietly closes the door behind herself. Not once did she look back at the friends of her friend.
Max shakes his head, “those yoga pants are awfully tight. Her ass is almost as big as yours.”
Sidney does not look amused when he looks over at Max.
“What?”
“Don’t be like that, alright?”
“She’s hot, Sid.”
“Obviously. But don’t be an ass… Jordan is…” Sidney shakes his head.
Max squints, “Jordan’s what?”
“He is... strangely possessive of her. Just keep your distance.”
Looking back at the bedroom door, Max shrugs. “I’d be protective of her, too.”
Sidney nods to himself, as well.
But she is smiling now, and blushing. She smiles at Sidney, “hey.”
He smiles politely. “Jordan says you can go in there.”
Max is completely ignoring his friend, but not his presence. “This is Sid. Don’t even bother with him. He’ll bore you to tears,” Max slurs, smirking at his friend.
Sidney just stares at his drunken teammate and friend.
“Sid, this is Athena. She’s Jordan’s old friend, remember?”
Blinking, Sidney nods. “Yeah, Jordan told us a little bit about you.”
“All good things, I hope.” She flashes a smile in Sidney’s direction.
He smiles and nods. “Course.”
“He forgot to mention just how attractive you are, though. Seriously…”
“Alright.” Sidney mutters, looking at Max. In return, Max looks back at Sidney.
Smiling uncomfortably, now, Athena looks at both men as she slips off of the barstool.
“Alright, well… it was nice meeting you two. Maybe if Jordan invites me to stick around, I’ll see you guys again.”
“I’ll invite you, if he doesn’t.”
Athena laughs at Max’s slurred words, hoisting the strap of her purse onto her shoulder as she passes the two men.
Both Sidney and Max are watching her hips sway as she walks.
When she arrives at Jordan’s room, she quietly closes the door behind herself. Not once did she look back at the friends of her friend.
Max shakes his head, “those yoga pants are awfully tight. Her ass is almost as big as yours.”
Sidney does not look amused when he looks over at Max.
“What?”
“Don’t be like that, alright?”
“She’s hot, Sid.”
“Obviously. But don’t be an ass… Jordan is…” Sidney shakes his head.
Max squints, “Jordan’s what?”
“He is... strangely possessive of her. Just keep your distance.”
Looking back at the bedroom door, Max shrugs. “I’d be protective of her, too.”
Sidney nods to himself, as well.
Athena sets her purse down on the ground next to the queen sized bed and leaves her sandals next to it. Shrugging off her jacket, she drops it onto her purse before crawling under the feather light blanket that is covering Jordan’s still silhouette. The bed is a nice contrast to the cold bedroom.
When Jordan does not respond, she slowly moves herself against his back and slips her left arm underneath his head and her right arm under his own right arm, meeting her hands on his chest. Her cheek feels warm against his cool, hard back.
“I swear to God, if this is anybody but Athena…” Jordan mumbles an incoherent threat, slowly moving his hands over Athena’s own. His large paws push her delicate hands into his chest slightly and she can feel his heartbeat.
Smiling against his back, Athena tilts her head up and whispers, “it’s me, Bubba. I’m here to take care o’ your drunk ass. Go back to sleep.”
Jordan grumbles quietly. “What took you so long?”
“I got here as quick as I could,” Athena whispers with her left cheek resting against her friend’s hard back. A smile tugs at her lips as she continues to speak quietly, “would’ve gotten in here quicker if your friend Max hadn’t been such a talker.”
“Ugh,” Jordan attempts to look over his right shoulder, “you talked to him?”
Athena smirks. “Couldn’t get a word in edgewise.”
Silence falls over the pitch black room, but neither of the two fall asleep.
Jordan breaks the silence after what feels like about five minutes. “Did he… say anything to you?”
Athena knows what Jordan means – the question was one he had asked enough times for her to get the message and know what it means without any explanation. She shakes her head, sugarcoating the truth for her best friend. “No.”
“You serious?” Jordan sounds genuinely surprised.
Nodding, Athena shrugs. “D’you guys go out tonight?”
“Just for a couple hours.”
"That sounds fun," Athena says quietly, not bothering to ask where they went. "Did you have fun?"
"You should've been there."
Smiling, Athena sighs. "Wish I could've been."
Jordan keeps his hands on hers. "Missed you, Athena."
She nods. “I missed you, too. Get some rest, Jordan.”
By the time that the green numbers on the bedside alarm clock hit 5:00, Jordan is snoring and Athena is soundly asleep.
When Jordan does not respond, she slowly moves herself against his back and slips her left arm underneath his head and her right arm under his own right arm, meeting her hands on his chest. Her cheek feels warm against his cool, hard back.
“I swear to God, if this is anybody but Athena…” Jordan mumbles an incoherent threat, slowly moving his hands over Athena’s own. His large paws push her delicate hands into his chest slightly and she can feel his heartbeat.
Smiling against his back, Athena tilts her head up and whispers, “it’s me, Bubba. I’m here to take care o’ your drunk ass. Go back to sleep.”
Jordan grumbles quietly. “What took you so long?”
“I got here as quick as I could,” Athena whispers with her left cheek resting against her friend’s hard back. A smile tugs at her lips as she continues to speak quietly, “would’ve gotten in here quicker if your friend Max hadn’t been such a talker.”
“Ugh,” Jordan attempts to look over his right shoulder, “you talked to him?”
Athena smirks. “Couldn’t get a word in edgewise.”
Silence falls over the pitch black room, but neither of the two fall asleep.
Jordan breaks the silence after what feels like about five minutes. “Did he… say anything to you?”
Athena knows what Jordan means – the question was one he had asked enough times for her to get the message and know what it means without any explanation. She shakes her head, sugarcoating the truth for her best friend. “No.”
“You serious?” Jordan sounds genuinely surprised.
Nodding, Athena shrugs. “D’you guys go out tonight?”
“Just for a couple hours.”
"That sounds fun," Athena says quietly, not bothering to ask where they went. "Did you have fun?"
"You should've been there."
Smiling, Athena sighs. "Wish I could've been."
Jordan keeps his hands on hers. "Missed you, Athena."
She nods. “I missed you, too. Get some rest, Jordan.”
By the time that the green numbers on the bedside alarm clock hit 5:00, Jordan is snoring and Athena is soundly asleep.