I'm What Time and Consequence Have Made Me

A week had passed since the fateful game of ‘I Never’ and John and I had not spent a single day apart since. It’s safe to say that although we hadn’t made anything thing official, we were certainly acting like a couple and it was lovely. I felt happy and the idea of knowing that I’d be seeing him every day was comforting. On days that I worked, he would be there waiting for me outside and then we’d either go to mine or his and delve into each other pasts, learning more and more about each other. Since today was a Sunday and I had no work, we took the opportunity of having a whole day to ourselves to go somewhere other than one another’s homes and instead, he’d asked me to take him somewhere in Alaska to spend the day.

“So where and what is this place?” he asked me as I drove through the empty roads. He had his feet propped up on the car’s dashboard whilst he laid his head on the window. It didn’t look the slightest bit comfortable but he seemed content in his odd, twisted position.
“The place that made me fall in love with this state.” I looked over at him and he grinned, making his whole face light up; my answer had intrigued him and he pushed himself into an upright position, gazing out of the window to his right, taking in all the snow covered scenery that the desolate roads had to offer.
Five minutes of silence had passed by before a humming sound filled the air. My eyes quickly flickered form the road to his face, his lips were slightly parted and a more audible sound began to float beautifully out of his mouth. My insides began to flutter and my stomach was tied in knots just listening to the beauty that fell from his lips. How could someone’s voice be so flawless? It amazed me how quickly I was falling for everything about him. A couple of weeks ago, I had no interest in even hanging out with anyone other than Austin but now I didn’t want to be apart from John for even a day. Everything about him was becoming addictive: his smile, his laugh, his arms and the way they tightly wrapped themselves around me and this right now – the way he was absentmindedly singing to no one in particular. I smiled, listening carefully as my eyes readjusted themselves back on the road. His voice gradually got louder as he hit what must’ve been the chorus.
Untangle me, I'm not looking for a sign,
Keep your body next to mine and set me free
Untangle me, from these feelings trapped inside
Way out past the smoke and fire is where I'll be,
I've been waiting such a long time for someone to come along, untangle me
“Wow, John.” I smiled at him once he’d finished and he looked at me, cheeks turning red.
“I didn’t even notice I was singing aloud.” He said as he awkwardly ruffled the back of his hair.
“Well your voice,” I told him, “it’s beautiful.”
He chuckled lightly, “well thanks darlin’.”
Silence filled the car again for a brief moment before he spoke again, impatiently. “Are we nearly there yet?”
“Ten minutes. Twenty tops, but it’s worth it, I promise. Well I think so anyway, you might not like it.”
“Darlin’, anything this important to you, I will like.”
I screwed up my face a little. “John that was so damn cheesy.”
He laughed, “I know but I mean it, I’m sure it’ll be great.” He placed a hand on my thigh for reassurance before leaving me to concentrate on the road for the remainder of the journey.

We pulled up in the empty parking lot surrounded by hundreds of trees. I handed him his car keys and hopped out of the car, leaving the cold air to collide with my skin.
“Please tell me this isn’t the place where you take guys and dump their bodies is it? Because, Hazel, we’re in the middle of nowhere sweetheart.” He laughed as he stepped out of the car and locked it up.
I laughed lightly, “No John, I promise I am not a mass murderer.” I paused before carrying on, “I’ve only killed two people – you’ll be my third.”
“Not funny darlin’.” He said as I pulled on his hand guiding him towards the trail. It was almost three and darkness was already beginning to swarm around us. I was not looking forward to walking back up the trail in the pitch black.
“Hurry up before it gets dark.” I whined, pulling him towards the barely visible path. The trees around us instantly swallowed us up and I wearily guided us along the trail. It’d been a few months since I last visited the place and I usually dragged Austin with me but I hadn’t spoken to him much recently, I’d been too occupied with John to even hang out once.
“I’m kinda confused right now sweetheart, where the hell are you taking me?”
“I’ll admit, it’s a bit of a trek, especially in the winter because of the amount of snow and ice and stuff but it’s not too far.”
He squeezed my hand as we both tried our hardest not to trip over until we finally made our way to a clearing that revealed a lake, covered with ice and a small cabin placed neatly beside it with a luminous sign that read ‘OPEN’. “It’s beautiful.” He said looking and the lake and the mountains towering behind it before his eyes focused on the cabin behind the lake.
A chuckle escaped from his lips and he turned to look at me. “Wait, is the reason we’re here for a bar? Is that the reason you fell in love with Alaska? That is brilliant, that just sums you up so much.” He was shaking his head, still laughing.
“No Johnny.” I said sarcastically and he stopped laughing but his lips crept into and endless smile.
“That was cute.” He said but I shook my head ignoring him. “So what’s the story then?”
“Back home, in my kitchen, my mum,” he smirked at the British pronunciation of ‘mum’ and I laughed slightly before carrying on, “anyway, my mum and dad had a picture of this exact lake on the kitchen wall and when all the crap happened at home and I hated pretty much everything, for some reason that one photo always stuck out, it was so beautiful and I thought that in a place of so much beauty, it must be filled with happiness, right?”
He stood speechless for a moment, just staring at me, shocked at what I had just shared with him. I was honestly kinda shocked with myself too. I never opened up with anyone unless I had a good few beers down me but even then it’s still practically impossible for me to open up. When the silence had drawn on for long enough, I finally spoke again. “The bars just a bonus, y’know.”
He shook his head again, “You make some beautiful speech thing and then you end it with alcohol – that is exactly why I like you.”
I felt my cheeks flush red and he grinned as he noticed before grabbing my hand again and turning in the direction of the cabin. “Come on then, but we are not getting shit faced for once.”
“I can’t make any promises though John. The owners practically pour shots down my throat.” I laughed and we made our way over to the bar. Darkness had managed to cover every inch of the sky by the time we got to the cabin so it was a relief when we pushed the cabin’s door open and the light flooded us.
It was quiet in the bar but then again, it always was. The bar was hidden away from the rest of civilization, tucked away in a corner hidden from tourists. There was a handful of people scattered around different tables whilst the two brothers that owned the place sat behind the bar arguing quietly over something. As the door shut behind us the brothers shot their heads up, grinning as they noticed me.
“Hazel!” said the taller of the two, Brad, before running over to me, open armed. “Long time no see.” He said as wrapped his arms around me, crushing every bone in my body.
“Hey.” I said struggling to breathe, “You’re crushing me.”
Dan, his older brother laughed, “Alright, let her go.” Brad obeyed and stepped back slightly allowing his brother to hug me, slightly less enthusiastic. Once the suffocating embraces were over I watched as both of their eyes looked John up and down, I could almost feel them judging him.
“Who’s your friend?” asked Brad.
“Oh right. Brad, Dan, this is John. John, this is Brad and Dan, they own this place.
“Hey.” John smiled, holding out a hand and they both shook it before the four of us walked over to the bar, John and I sitting on one side whilst the brothers sat on the other. They didn’t look similar at all. Dan was fairly short and skinny with black hair that was slowly growing back after he cut it all off. Whereas Brad was tall and muscular with brown hair that covered a good percentage of his face.
We ordered our first round of drinks and sat talking quietly at a corner table. Brad and Dan left us alone for a while since they still had customers to tend to so we sat, enjoying our drinks and each other’s company.
“So how exactly do you know the owners?” he asked.
“I come here a lot.” I said, sipping on my drink.
“Do you bring all the guys here?” he smirked raising his eyebrows.
I laughed and hit him lightly on his arm, “No, aside for Austin who doesn’t count, you’re the only one I’ve brought here.” I shrugged. “You’re the only guy I’ve been involved with since coming here.”
“I find that hard to believe sweetheart. You’re beautiful, how do you not have the whole city falling over you?”
I blushed and a small giggle escaped my lips, “I just get losers in bands following me around everywhere.”
He glared playfully at me, “I compliment you and that is what I get in return? Oh, I see how it is Hazel.”
I laughed and leant across the table, kissing him lightly on the lips before breaking away to sit back down again but he pulled me in for more, pressing his lips hard against mine. He tasted like whiskey and cigarettes: the perfect combination. When he finally let me go and I sat back down, he looked at me, studying my face, making me feel self-conscious.
“What?” I asked.
“Hazel, what are we?”
“Human.” I stated and he rolled his eyes at me.
“No, I mean are we together or what?”
I sighed and played with my glass, “What do you want us to be?”
“Together.” He said quickly and I smiled.
“Then I guess that is what we are.” He grinned and leaned over to quickly kiss me again before standing up and wondering off to order us another round. Whilst he was gone Dan quickly slipped into his seat and smiled at me. “Y’know, I always thought it’d be you and Gibbs together but this fella seems nice enough.”
I laughed; “Dan.” and he held up his hands, “I’m just saying, kiddo. As long as he treats you well then I condone it.”
“Thanks dad.” I scoffed as John came back carrying two more drinks and placing them on the table. Dan swiftly, got up, whispered something in John’s ear before walking away. As he sat down, John grimaced at whatever Dan had said whilst nudging my drink towards me.
“What did he say to you?” I asked, taking my drink.
“That if I hurt you he will ‘break my face’.” I laughed at Dan’s childish attempt to threaten John.
“Don’t listen to him.” I reassured but John too, was already laughing quietly at his threat. We carried on drinking and talking for a good few hours before John said that it was time to leave before I got too drunk. Amazingly, we made our way back up the trail and too John’s car without falling over once. I did stumble a fair bit but at least I didn’t fall.
“Shit.” John said or rather slurred once we reached his car.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“How the fuck are we meant to get home?” I pointed dumbly at his car, “Hazel, unless you plan on killing yourself then neither of us are driving.”
“I’ll go slow.” I slurred, pulling him by the shirt towards me.
“Nu-uh sweetheart, far too dangerous. If it was just me then I would drive it, but I’m not risky your safety.”
“But I’m a good driver.”
He shrugged, “It’s still a no.”
I pouted, “Then we’re stranded.” Despite the warmth that the liquor had given me, I was still able to feel the harsh wind against my body. I didn’t not want to be stuck out here, in the freezing cold. I had driven Austin and I back from here hundreds of times when we were in a far worse state than this.
He sighed and unlocked the car. Assuming he’d given in and was going to let me drive, I held out my hands for the keys but he just shook his head as I gave him a look of confusion. “You’re not driving, but we’ll sleep in the car for the night.” I looked at the small space inside the car and frowned. There was hardly enough room for one person to sleep on the back seats and if they did, they’d have seat belts digging into their back.
“It reclines back.” He said as if reading my mind and I nodded as we both climbed in and he pushed the back seats down, creating enough space for both of us. I flopped onto it and pulled him by the hand down beside me. He laughed as he collapsed down beside and pulled me close to him. I nuzzled into him and began planting small kisses up and down his neck.
“Hazel.” He groaned tilting his head back slightly. “What are you doing?”
“Kissing you.” I stated as he smirked and he brought my head up so my lips met his. Our lips quickly found a perfect rhythm and his hand slid behind me, placing it on my butt, pulling me closer to him. My hands reached up for his shirt, unbuttoning them as quickly as my drunken self could, dying for the feeling of his bare skin against mine. Once I reached his pants, his hands clasped over mine, stopping me.
“Hazel, what if someone sees us?” he mumbled against my lips.
“Then we’ll give them a show.” He smirked before kissing me hard and helping me discard of my own clothing.