Status: ((hopefully)) regular updates
Secondhand
Chapter 12
I must have fallen asleep during the movie because I awoke to feel my hair being brushed away from my face. I blinked a few times, trying to rid my eyes of sleep, and looked up at Austin. He was smiling down at me.
“I'm guessing you didn't really like the movie?”
“I don't know. I slept through like half of it.”
“That's what I meant, genius.”
“It wasn't because of the movie that I fell asleep.”
“What was it, then?”
“It was the fact that you're so warm and comfy.”
“Oh, so it's my fault? Let me point out who said they had a condition about watching movies. Here's a hint. It was you.”
“It's still your fault.”
“There's no such thing as not arguing with you, is there?”
“Nope. Well, it depends on who you are. You just make it really easy for me to argue.”
“You obviously hate me.”
He was smiling ridiculously at me and I returned the smile.
“Oh yes. Obviously. I'm just out to get you, Austin. You've ruined my master plan. You've sure got me now.”
“I don't like you.”
“I know. You love me. I love you, too,” I smirked and leaned up to kiss his cheek.
I was joking and so was he, but I couldn't help but feel like there was a bit of truth behind both of our words.
“You're terrible.”
“Thanks, I try.”
His arm was still wrapped around me and he pulled me closer.
“Remember when I said you make my life better? I lied.”
“No you didn't. You like having me around. If I wasn't no one would be able to do this.”
I wriggled out of his grasp and straddled his waist, tickling him.
“No! Stop! I h-hate you so much!” He choked out between laughs.
“Never!”
“Ala-Alan, s-stop, stop.”
“And why should I?”
“Please?”
He could barely get words out through his laughter.
“Not until you stop being so mean to me.”
“O-okay! I promise!”
“And you say you love me because we both already know that you do.”
“Fine! Fine! I'm sorry I was so mean and I love you.”
I still didn't stop.
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes!”
“Really?”
“Yes, Alan. Now please stop!”
I finally did as he asked and he struggled to catch his breath. I smiled at him, still sitting in his lap.
“You're evil.”
“Nope. I'm smart. I've found your kink and your weakness. You're in trouble, Mr. Carlile.”
“If I didn't have this stupid sling, you would be so dead.”
“No I wouldn't.”
“Why do you think that?”
“You have already confessed that you loved me, darlin'. You wouldn't kill me.”
“How do you know I didn't lie to you?”
“I don't. I'm hoping that you didn't though. Did you?” I tilted my head to the side a little.
“Depends on how you're asking.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Do I love you? I think so. Am I in love with you? I don't think that was what you were asking.”
“Could go either way, I guess,” I said, quietly.
“What, wait, really?”
I nodded, not looking him in the eye. He raised his free arm and tilted my chin up so I had no choice but to make eye contact. He leaned towards me just a little. Was he really going to do this? I wanted him to. I wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him, to feel his thin lips against my own. I leaned down a little, getting even closer and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.
What would have been the second before our lips met, a key turned in the lock and a tired looking Shayley stood in the doorway. Austin and I flew apart from each other.
“Woah, did I interrupt something?” he asked with a smirk before going into the kitchen.
“God dammit, Shayley,” I heard Austin mumble under his breath. “I thought you were working until 10?”
“I was supposed to, but since I went in early, they didn't make me stay. You don't seem very happy to see me.” His stupid smirk never left his face.
“What was your first clue?”
“Hmm. Probably you and Alan almost making out on my couch.”
I blushed bright red and looked away from him.
“Yeah, that's what I thought was going to happen.”
“Fuck off, Shay.”
“Hey wait. What happened to nice Austin? Alan comes back and he just dies? Why is your arm in a cast?”
“He got shot in the arm because some guy showed up here this morning demanding to see me and Austin wouldn't let him in,” I piped up.
“Are you kidding?”
“No. it really happened. I'm fine though, thanks.”
“Well, shit, you were about to make out with him,” he pointed to me. “ It's obvious that you're fine.”
“Could you not?”
“You make it easy to mess with you. Both of you do. If it helps though, you'd be pretty cute together. I'm gonna go change out of these work clothes.”
He left the room and I looked over at Austin shyly, with what felt like a permanent blush.
“I hate him.”
“I-it's okay.”
“Do you stutter when you're nervous, Alan? Do I make you nervous?”
He grinned at me like a dork, waiting for a reply.
“Yes,” I admitted quietly.
“Really?”
I nodded silently.
“Why do I make you nervous?”
“B-because...” I trailed off.
“Come on. You can tell me.”
“B-b-because I really like you,” I whispered, refusing to look at him.
I felt him pull me into a one armed hug and I rested my head on his chest.
“There's no reason to be nervous, Alan.”
“W-why not?”
I had a pretty good guess why, but I wanted to hear him say it.
“Because I really like you, too.”
“I'm guessing you didn't really like the movie?”
“I don't know. I slept through like half of it.”
“That's what I meant, genius.”
“It wasn't because of the movie that I fell asleep.”
“What was it, then?”
“It was the fact that you're so warm and comfy.”
“Oh, so it's my fault? Let me point out who said they had a condition about watching movies. Here's a hint. It was you.”
“It's still your fault.”
“There's no such thing as not arguing with you, is there?”
“Nope. Well, it depends on who you are. You just make it really easy for me to argue.”
“You obviously hate me.”
He was smiling ridiculously at me and I returned the smile.
“Oh yes. Obviously. I'm just out to get you, Austin. You've ruined my master plan. You've sure got me now.”
“I don't like you.”
“I know. You love me. I love you, too,” I smirked and leaned up to kiss his cheek.
I was joking and so was he, but I couldn't help but feel like there was a bit of truth behind both of our words.
“You're terrible.”
“Thanks, I try.”
His arm was still wrapped around me and he pulled me closer.
“Remember when I said you make my life better? I lied.”
“No you didn't. You like having me around. If I wasn't no one would be able to do this.”
I wriggled out of his grasp and straddled his waist, tickling him.
“No! Stop! I h-hate you so much!” He choked out between laughs.
“Never!”
“Ala-Alan, s-stop, stop.”
“And why should I?”
“Please?”
He could barely get words out through his laughter.
“Not until you stop being so mean to me.”
“O-okay! I promise!”
“And you say you love me because we both already know that you do.”
“Fine! Fine! I'm sorry I was so mean and I love you.”
I still didn't stop.
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes!”
“Really?”
“Yes, Alan. Now please stop!”
I finally did as he asked and he struggled to catch his breath. I smiled at him, still sitting in his lap.
“You're evil.”
“Nope. I'm smart. I've found your kink and your weakness. You're in trouble, Mr. Carlile.”
“If I didn't have this stupid sling, you would be so dead.”
“No I wouldn't.”
“Why do you think that?”
“You have already confessed that you loved me, darlin'. You wouldn't kill me.”
“How do you know I didn't lie to you?”
“I don't. I'm hoping that you didn't though. Did you?” I tilted my head to the side a little.
“Depends on how you're asking.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Do I love you? I think so. Am I in love with you? I don't think that was what you were asking.”
“Could go either way, I guess,” I said, quietly.
“What, wait, really?”
I nodded, not looking him in the eye. He raised his free arm and tilted my chin up so I had no choice but to make eye contact. He leaned towards me just a little. Was he really going to do this? I wanted him to. I wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him, to feel his thin lips against my own. I leaned down a little, getting even closer and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.
What would have been the second before our lips met, a key turned in the lock and a tired looking Shayley stood in the doorway. Austin and I flew apart from each other.
“Woah, did I interrupt something?” he asked with a smirk before going into the kitchen.
“God dammit, Shayley,” I heard Austin mumble under his breath. “I thought you were working until 10?”
“I was supposed to, but since I went in early, they didn't make me stay. You don't seem very happy to see me.” His stupid smirk never left his face.
“What was your first clue?”
“Hmm. Probably you and Alan almost making out on my couch.”
I blushed bright red and looked away from him.
“Yeah, that's what I thought was going to happen.”
“Fuck off, Shay.”
“Hey wait. What happened to nice Austin? Alan comes back and he just dies? Why is your arm in a cast?”
“He got shot in the arm because some guy showed up here this morning demanding to see me and Austin wouldn't let him in,” I piped up.
“Are you kidding?”
“No. it really happened. I'm fine though, thanks.”
“Well, shit, you were about to make out with him,” he pointed to me. “ It's obvious that you're fine.”
“Could you not?”
“You make it easy to mess with you. Both of you do. If it helps though, you'd be pretty cute together. I'm gonna go change out of these work clothes.”
He left the room and I looked over at Austin shyly, with what felt like a permanent blush.
“I hate him.”
“I-it's okay.”
“Do you stutter when you're nervous, Alan? Do I make you nervous?”
He grinned at me like a dork, waiting for a reply.
“Yes,” I admitted quietly.
“Really?”
I nodded silently.
“Why do I make you nervous?”
“B-because...” I trailed off.
“Come on. You can tell me.”
“B-b-because I really like you,” I whispered, refusing to look at him.
I felt him pull me into a one armed hug and I rested my head on his chest.
“There's no reason to be nervous, Alan.”
“W-why not?”
I had a pretty good guess why, but I wanted to hear him say it.
“Because I really like you, too.”