Work Text:
You let out a deep annoyed sigh as you absentmindedly swirled the clear liqour in your glass.
This new years held no hope of being any different than the last. Another one of your extroverted friends dragged you out to another random New years party, assuring you they’d stay by your side the whole night if it made you come out with them but then they’d always end up with some guy and forget you exsisted.
That’s why once again you were leaned over some strangers countertop with a red solo cup of cheap vodka that you had no interest in downing and this heavy bothersome feeling on your chest weighing you down.
Maybe one of your new years resolutions would be to find some new friends.
Or pull the same move of somehow finding a guy that was just so sexy you’d forget about ever needing friends. Maybe fate would be on your side! But from the looks of the deserted kitchen and throngs of couples in the boisterous living room all your hopes of that had quickly fizzled out.
You were tired and honestly too annoyed to stand here any longer. You went to call your mom to see if she’d ditch her own party and pick you up before the ball dropped but when you pulled your phone from your pocket you realized you'd hesitated too long as the time read to be 11:54 P.M. You scoffed knowing for sure now you’d have to hear your obnoxious friends cheering and sloppy makeout sessions from the neighboring room. Anything sounded better than that so you decided to wander away from the noise until the pounding headache you had began to fade.
You found a place the party hardly reached and happened to stumble into a small dining room with a couple trays of finger foods and charcuterie, your eyes landed on the grapes strewn across the table and a small smile found its way onto your face.
It was a stupid little tradition you always found solice in during new years. The one where you’d eat twelve grapes under a table in the hopes of good luck. The superstition gave you that tiny spark of hope you’d find yourself chasing into the encompassing year hoping it’d pay off. You suppose in some ways it did. Even if it would be something simple like finding a lost t-shirt behind your dresser or stumbling upon some loose change on the sidewalk. Unlike your friends or the ludicrous ideals of blissful romance you knew you could count on it for something.
So you found yourself plucking away twelve of the shiniest green pearled fruits to chow down on and crawled under the table criss-cross-applesauce. You pulled out your phone again and saw the time was 11:56 PM. You only had to sit and wait alongside supposed good fortune held inside each of these inconspicuous grapes. You plucked one from your palm and rolled it around, would you sound crazy if you said it felt like it held a little something more than usual? Not that it was heavier but like it meant more than a typical grape would. It felt like something that held a solid promise of hope. Almost like it’d back up your delusions for something spontaneously wonderful to happen to little old you.
Just as fast as you’d made that assumption you lost it when your thumb slipped off a drop of condensation and the grape slipped from your grasp rolling across the hardwood floors.
“Shit, no come back!” You whisper yelled to the little thing as it kept tumbling across the floor, you leaned in towards it stretching your arm out as far as it would but the grape rolled right out from under the table cloth and into the dining room. You groaned and began to crawl out from under the table, tucking a bit of your hair from your face as you crawled towards the misbehaving grape until something caught the corner of your eye. More like someone.
Your entire body jolted in embarrassment at being caught in such a weird situation. Worse enough when you looked up and over to the figure it was a very very cute someone. A tall blonde stranger standing in the archway of the dining room, holding a red solo cup that contrasted his navy button up t-shirt that was a few buttons undone. Not that you were complaining but now you very much wished you had a chance to make a better impression.
“Sorry I uh lost my grape...” You stuttered out awkwardly, and bit the inside of your cheek as soon as your stupid words left your mouth. But it seemed fate was on your side as he just chuckled all soft and warm giving you butterflies as he stepped into the dining room.
“Yeah, are you doing that superstition of eating twelve grapes under a table for good luck?” He asked his voice was gentle and rung sweetly in your ears. You honestly were convinced to just chalk this whole situation up to a dream. You realized you needed to respond and not just stare at him while you were hunched out from this table.
“Yeah, I am.” You chuckled, “I’m so glad you know about that otherwise it’d be really awkward to explain what I’m doing.” You properly swiped the grape off the hardwood floor while you spoke and saw all the dust clinging to it. As if reading your mind he reached over the table and snagged a small bundle of grapes.
“Don’t eat that one now, here I’ll get you another one.” He offered, plucking another one before handing it to you. “Thank you.” You smiled up at him taking it gratefully, the heat on your face burning brighter when your fingertips gently brushed his. He smiled back at you a soft pink dusting his cheeks as he set his solo cup on the table and plucked a handful of grapes himself.
“Would you mind if I joined you under there?” He asked, suddenly it seemed to be his turn to be bashful. You felt your heart skip a beat in your chest at the sight and the request. You were shaking your head before you’d even spoke.
“No, No of course not, there’s plenty of room.” You replied, crawling back under and holding the table cloth up for him. He crawled under the table after you and you both found yourselves chuckling at the goofy situation as you both got as comfortable as you could hunched under the wood.
You were quick to realize your previous statement about plenty of room was less true with two grown adults in the picture. The two of you were sort of squished together your knee’s knocking against one another and your arms close enough you could feel the heat radiating off of eachother. But you didn’t find yourself minding it one bit. He didn’t seem to either as soft blue eyes glanced over to you beneath dusty blonde bangs.
“Do you hide under tables every new years eve or am I just lucky?” He asks, and you love the way his voice sounds while he smiles. You adjust the shirt your wearing in embarrassment while you bashfully respond, “N-no this was just this year I promise I’m normally not a weird table dwelling grape eater.” He laughs again and the loud swelling noises of the party seem very far away.
“Well I’m very grapeful to have found you this new years eve.” He grins all proud of his pun as he holds up a grape between his fingers. You find yourself genuinely giggling at his terrible joke and smiling wider from the flattery.
“Me too, I guess we both got pretty lucky.” You shrug your shoulders and snort softly to yourself as you ready up a pun of your own. “I know we just met but meeting you is definitely raisin my hopes for the new year.” You both burst into a fit of chuckling together and you feel your heart swell.
“Is it too soon to say-...wait shit.” He sighs between soft huffs of laughter and rubs a hand over his face, “Sorry I just realized I don’t even know your name.” You don’t think you’ve ever wanted to kiss somebody you just met more than this in your entire life but despite your distracted mind you manage to give him your name. “And you are?”
“Leon Kennedy.”
Leon.
It’s cute. Charming. It suits him.
“Now, would it be alright to say I’d really like to kiss you for New years? Annddd maybe some more after that too?” Any and all kind of positive emotions and endorphins were running through you, you could feel the thrum of pure bliss and hope in the tips of your fingers.
“It would be more than alright with me, Leon.” Who knew grapes could hold this much power to turn your entire viewpoint of the upcoming 365 days around in a few minutes?
Speaking of minutes you began to register the faint echo of the party growing louder and various voices seeming to chant in unison. You looked back over to powdered blue eyes and down to soft lips curved into such a handsome smile. Your skin seemed to tingle wherever his eyes wandered. Everything about this hushed moment with him seemed electric
10…
9…
8…
7…
“Shit the grapes!” You exclaimed, His eyes snapped wide. “Eat them quick!” He yelped.
7…
6…
5…
4…
The countdown began to swell out as you swallowed half bitten grapes and shuffled closer to eachother still giggling softly. His warm hand cradled the back of your neck as you slipped your hand up to hold his cheek. Admiring the warmth, reminiscent of your own. Your mingled breaths sweetened from the grapes.
The cheering swelled into a sudden excited shrieking and various corks popped loudly off of bottles. Your lidded eyes landed on his as your heads tilted towards eachother.
“Happy New Years.” He whispered against your lips, before they softly met and all your thoughts melted away. He was gentle yet sincere as he kissed you. His lips were soft and smooth and held a natural talent and passion that left you glowing from the inside out. You didn’t dare take the initiative to break away before you had to, softly swaying further into the kiss. Your fingers creeping under his jaw and into the roots of his silky hair. He hummed softly against your lips doing the same with his own fingers to deepen the kiss.
Before you knew it you were parting your lips and with passioned intent desperately trying to taste the grape juice from his tongue. The deep feeling that had weighed on your chest earlier and the shitty situation your friends had left you in felt ages away. If this was what they’d been up to you suddenly understood how they could forget all about you.
He twirled his tongue with your's in a way that made your headspin, you had to pull away from the kiss before you found yourself begging for more. But when your slick lips parted and your hazy eyes locked with his you were pretty sure he could read the desire written all over your face.
You found yourself giggling alongside him as you both collected yourselves, you slid your hand from his cheek to rest on his thigh giving it a soft squeeze. “Happy New Years to you too.”
-`♡´- The End -`♡´-