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“Mike, it’s freezing in here.”
Vanessa’s voice cut through the comfortable silence as she dropped her paint brush into the canister, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering slightly. She’d been at his house for hours now, paint fumes floating in the air, and yet she felt absolutely no signs of comforting warmth. You’d think Mike would know how to keep the heat on in the winter.
He didn’t even turn when she said it, but she could picture the smirk tugging on his mouth.
“It’s not that bad,” he replied with a shrug, clearly unfazed. “You’re just not used to it.”
“I can practically see my breath in here,” she huffed, unable to hide her annoyance with him. That finally got his attention, and he turned around with an eyebrow raised, clearly fighting the grin he was wearing.
“Okay, dramatic, didn’t realize you were on the verge of hypothermia,” he started, tilting his head and pointing accusingly at her. “You’re wearing short sleeves. No wonder you’re cold.”
“I thought I’d get hot while painting,” she shot back. “And I didn’t know you refused to pay your heater bill.”
She was seriously very cold, goosebumps dotting her skin like morning frost. Mike just shrugged again, setting his paint roller down and wiping at his brow, smudging a bit of paint on his temple. Vanessa had to hide her smile. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
“I do pay it,” he said. “My heater just hates me.”
He was so unbothered that she wanted to smack him.
“Can’t blame it,” she mumbled quietly, inhaling shakily as her teeth chattered lightly.
He let out a quiet laugh at that, shaking his head as he brushed past her to walk down the hall.
“Okay, okay, hang on.”
She rolled her eyes, turning to face where he had been painting to see how his wall was coming along. He’d invited her over to help paint while Abby was at school — the only window time he could actually focus with no interruptions. Vanessa’s complaints weren’t exactly helpful, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Here,” Mike said a moment later.
She turned as he came back with something in his hand — a navy blue sweatshirt, one she’d seen many times before.
“Put this on. It’s clean, before you ask.”
She smiled and reached out, taking it from his hands and pulling it to her chest. “Oh, aren’t you the sweetest,” she commented, voice dripping with sarcasm. That earned a small smile from him as he walked over to the couch and plopped down.
“Yeah, yeah, I just don’t want you complaining the rest of the day.” He stretched his arms over his head with a low grunt. “I need a break.”
She giggled as she followed him, tugging his sweatshirt over her head as she sat beside him. She curled up with her newfound warmth, and the faint smell of his cologne lingered on the fabric, warm and familiar. She had to resist the urge to press her nose into the material. Not in a weird way, it just smelled really good. Her eyes found Mike’s as they dropped to the sweatshirt.
“What?” she teased, Mike shaking his head a little too quickly at the question.
“Nothing. It just… looks nice on you.”
Her eyes narrowed at him, warmth creeping up into her cheeks despite the cold.
“You think?” she asked lightly. “Maybe I should keep it. In case I’m cold anywhere else, y’know.”
She shifted to better face him as he sucked in a breath like he was debating the offer.
“I dunno,” he sighed. “That is my favorite sweatshirt. I’d hate to see it go.” His head tilted with that stupid puppy-dog look he did too often.
“Oh,” she smiled, “so you gave me your favorite sweatshirt? Guess that makes me special.”
He hummed at her reply, looking up at the ceiling like his next response was written up there.
“You’re just good help when it comes to painting.” He waved a dismissive hand. She gasped softly, hand coming to her chest in exaggerated offense.
“Oh, that’s how it is? I’ll just leave then, since that’s all I’m good for.” She didn’t even move before he jumped to stop her.
“Woah, hey, nobody asked you to leave,” he countered quickly, shifting closer to her as he said it. She felt her heart just barely stutter.
“Yeah?” she sounded amused, tilting her head with her nose scrunched. “It sounded like you were done with me.”
“You know that’s not what I meant,” he scoffed, pulling the sleeves of his flannel down.
Her eyes softened, propping her arm up on the couch cushion and resting her head in her hand.
“Then what did you mean?”
He hesitated, just barely, noticeable enough that it made Vanessa pull her bottom lip between her teeth. A nervous habit that’s always stuck with her, one that Mike had become quite familiar with.
He reached over and gently pulled her lip down with his finger, murmuring, “Don’t do that.” She hoped he didn’t notice the way her breath caught.
“You know I like having you around, even when you’re annoying.”
She leaned in ever-so slightly, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. “As if you’re never annoying.”
“Name one time.”
She didn’t answer right away, attempting to wrack her brain for all the times he got on nerves. She knew it was a lot, but nothing was coming to her at the moment. She clicked her tongue and sat up.
“You’re annoying right now,” she mumbled, disappointed with herself for not having a better comeback.
“Am I?” he taunted, the corners of his mouth twitching.
“Mhm. Very.”
He sat there nodding like he was genuinely thinking about his actions before shrugging in defeat.
She couldn’t stand him.
“At least I’m not stealing your clothes,” he said, leaning forward to pick a piece of fuzz from the sleeve of the sweatshirt. “Look, you’re already messing it up.”
“You literally gave it to me.”
He nodded as though it was just dawning on him that he was the one who gave her the sweatshirt to wear.
“Do you want me to take it off then?” she offered, knowing he wouldn’t dare subject her to the shivering cold of his living room again.
“No,” he said quickly. “No, it’s fine, I like seeing you in it,” he replied, their eyes meeting for a moment before they both darted away at the same time. Vanessa couldn’t help but smile, tucking one of her legs under her and pulling the sleeves of the sweatshirt over her hands.
“You said that way too fast,” she grinned. “Didn’t even think about it.”
“I thought about it a little,” he huffed.
She let out a soft giggle, brushing some of her hair behind her ear.
“Glad to know you think about me just a little.”
He stared at her, eyes wandering over her face before awkwardly clearing his throat, reaching to pick another fuzz off the sweatshirt, hand lingering on her arm.
“Thank you, by the way,” he started, eyes finding hers again after a brief moment. “For helping me paint.” For once, she didn’t want to retort back with sarcasm.
“It’s my pleasure, even if it’s freezing cold.”
Silence settled between them then, his hand not moving from her wrist. She watched his face without meaning to, focused on the way his jaw tensed and brows were knitted in thought.
Apparently, she looked for too long.
“You’re staring.”
She frowned, lips pursing at the comment. “Fine. I’ll never look at you again.”
She crossed her arms, brows furrowed with attitude, looking away from him now. Her eyes betrayed her only seconds later, flickering back to his before she even realized.
“You could at least try for longer,” he whispered, earning a smack in the arm.
“I literally can’t help it,” she whined, running her fingers through her hair before looking at him fully again. “You suck.”
“Yeah, I’m the worst.” He smiled softly, looking down as his face flushed.
She sighed, trying not to let her lips curl up in response. Her pulse quickened and her hands ever so slightly trembled. She was nervous — not in a bad way, but her body couldn’t tell the difference between good and bad nerves. It definitely couldn’t tell the difference when Mike reached over, resting his hand on hers.
“You okay?”
“I- yeah,” she faltered, unable to form the words she was trying to say. “I mean- no, I’m fine,” her words tumbled out all-too quickly. She pressed a hand to her forehead, shooting him a look that said please ignore me.
“No, of course,” he just smiled. “Totally fine.”
“Very funny,” she mumbled, rolling her eyes as the heat crept back up into her face. There was an awkward pause, like neither of them knew how to continue the moment. She messed with the sleeve of the sweatshirt, looking down to avoid his gaze.
“We aren’t very good at this,” she sighed. Their eyes met again, but something shifted, the air between them growing thicker and the silence louder.
“That’s okay,” he said softly. “We don’t need to be good at anything.”
She could feel herself leaning closer to him, wanting to be nearer, her lip finding its way between her teeth again. Her knee bumped his leg, but neither of them moved.
“Mike…” it came out a lot quieter than she meant, lingering between the two of them with a heavy weight.
“Yeah?”
Her breath hitched and eyes flickered to his lips — only for a moment.
“What are we doing?”
He didn’t answer for a moment, his thumb gently tracing circles over her knuckles in a rhythm that soothed her nerves. “I don’t know,” he admitted, raising his head back up to look at her face. “Do you want to stop?”
She shook her head almost instinctively, sucking in a short breath.
“No.”
The distance between them grew shorter, Mike’s free hand moving to rest on her knee. Neither of them looked down to acknowledge it. Vanessa let out another nervous laugh, this one more shy as she inhaled a deep breath.
“This is weird,” she voiced, and Mike offered her a small chuckle.
“But a good weird… right?” he questioned, almost nervously. He wasn’t one to show his emotions, so the fact she could see the tension all over his face made her pulse thrum harder.
“Yeah. A good weird.”
Neither of them moved for a moment, and she could feel the heat radiating off of him. Her stomach coiled with anxiety as she inhaled again, shaky and unsteady.
“Vanessa, you’re shaking.”
He offered a comforting smile, but his eyes were filled with concern.
“I can’t help it,” she murmured. “It just happens when I’m nervous.”
Their eyes met again, and it felt like time froze. Their faces were inches from each other, and she could hear the way his breathing was just as heavy, just as quick as hers. She didn’t even realize they had gotten that close.
“What’re you nervous for?” he quietly asked, barely leaning in, testing the waters to see if she’d retreat. She didn’t move.
“Nervous I’m going to mess this up.”
His head shook, just barely, their noses nearly grazing with how close they were. It was like some force was pulling them together, and neither of them even tried to resist it.
“You won’t,” he whispered, and the way his eyes dropped to her lips made her inhale sharply.
“Okay,” she barely whispered, leaning in and letting her lips lightly graze his.
She wasn’t even sure it could be called a kiss with how soft it was, and she pulled away with a grimace on her face.
“I’m sorry, that was awful,” she sighed painfully, shaking her head and looking down, unable to help the laugh that escaped from her. Mike only smiled and squeezed her knee.
“Vanessa, you’re fine,” he assured. “I don’t know what I’m doing either.”
She sighed, letting her eyes find his again. She squeezed the hand resting on her knee, looking all over his face for a sign that said leave, get out of my house, I never want to see you again. She only found that same dumb look from earlier.
“We can… try again?” he asked after a moment, and the way his voice cracked made her laugh and lean in closer once again.
“Okay.”
They both leaned in this time, meeting half-way as their lips pressed together again. It was a little unsure — her moving too slow, his head tilting the wrong way so they bumped foreheads, both of them giggling and pulling away.
They both apologized at the same time, only making them laugh even more before they tried again.
She smiled into his lips, and the kiss lingered for a moment. They allowed themselves to settle into it, his hand squeezing her knee reassuringly and hers resting gently on his wrist.
Something finally clicked, and the next kiss was better — it was deeper, longer, more natural. Their lips moved in a rhythm, a soft push and pull that wasn’t rushed but wasn’t too slow. They pulled apart long enough to giggle again, kissing softly a few more times after that.
“Okay, that was much better,” she spoke softly, the both of them just barely out of breath. He hesitated before bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, rubbing his thumb under her eye gently.
“Am I still annoying?” he asked casually, trying to hide a smirk.
“Shut up.”
That was all it took, and his lips were back on hers. His hand stayed on her cheek but curved to cup her jaw more, and her hands wound themselves up in the flannel he was wearing, keeping him close.
She shifted closer without thinking, his hand sliding up from her knee to carefully hold her waist, pulling her towards him. The movements resulted in her being off-balance, and she ended up with one leg on his thigh, the both of them laughing into each other's mouths as it happened.
“Sorry,” he said quickly, clearly worried he’d done something wrong. She smiled before pulling herself up and fully onto his lap, straddling with both legs resting on either side of him. She settled with her arms loosely wrapped around his neck, and his hands subconsciously found her waist.
“Hi,” she giggled, scrunching her nose at the relieved sound he let out. It didn’t take much longer for her to press her lips back to his, and any lingering nerves faded away.
Something about her newfound confidence — the way settled completely into his lap and how she kissed him — made him sigh softly into her mouth, and she couldn’t help but smile.
His hands tightened slightly around her waist, grounding her there like he was afraid she’d disappear. Her hands found their way into his hair, scratching lightly with her nails and tugging weakly, pulling a groan from his throat. She tugged slightly harder, almost like she was testing something. When he groaned again, she was immediately satisfied.
The intensity of the moment crept up on her, and she pulled back to take a deep breath, tugging his sweatshirt up over her head and tossing it somewhere on the floor. When she saw the near-distraught look on his face, her brows furrowed in confusion. “What?”
“I thought you were cold?”
“Well, yeah, but not anymore,” she replied, not understanding what the issue was. “We’ve been… doing stuff, and I got hot.”
Her comment made him smirk for just a brief moment before he shook his head, hands moving to rest on the sides of her thighs. “You looked good in it. I wanted you to keep it on.”
She only smiled, leaning into his lips again.
“Guess I’ll need more.”
He kissed her like he had been waiting for permission, leaning in and capturing her lips so suddenly that she gasped into his mouth before settling into it with a hum.
The energy had shifted now, going from something innocent to something deeper, something more deliberate. They stopped kissing slowly, desperate for more, desperate for each other.
She kissed him again and again, chasing his lips each time he broke apart, their giggles and smiles turning into sighs of contentment and soft moans. His hands didn’t stay still, ever so slightly creeping up her thighs to the curve of her back, like he was memorizing the outline of her body. She felt it in the way he pulled her closer, the way his breathing changed when he moved to kiss her jaw briefly before finding her lips again.
She shifted in his lap, drawing some sort of breathy noise from his mouth. She shifted again and he practically whimpered this time, making her only kiss him harder, hungry for something she didn’t know she needed.
“You’re doing that on purpose,” he mumbled into her lips softly, fingers tracing her sides so lightly that it made her shiver. She only smiled into his mouth as she shifted again, a grunt passing by his lips as he gripped her hips tighter, pulled her impossibly closer.
Their kisses turned messy, breathless, like neither of them knew how to stop. They didn’t want to stop.
They would slow for a moment before crashing in again, like they couldn’t find the balance between savouring and completely devouring. The hands scratching into Mike’s hair trailed downwards until she’d gripped the edges of his flannel, shrugging it off of his arms and gripping his biceps, nails digging in slightly to his skin.
His arms completely wrapped around her, and he shuddered when her tongue traced slightly over his bottom lip, opening his mouth to give her access.
She explored his mouth carefully, smoothing her tongue over his, and she nipped his bottom lip without even thinking.
He pulled back.
Her stomach dropped instantly. She stilled, her hands pulling away from him, retreating with fear that she crossed a line. The warmth in her chest turned to panic and her eyes searched all over his face for any negative emotions.
“Did you bite me?”
He sounded more surprised than anything, like he was still processing what happened. His pupils were blown and his breath was ragged. Vanessa’s face burned.
“I- I’m sorry-” she apologized quickly, the words tumbling out rushed as she leaned back some. “I didn’t mean-”
He didn’t let her finish.
He cut her off by kissing her, hard and fast, her eyes widening and lips trying to catch up to his pace before melting back into his touch.
Oh.
He liked it.
She’d file that away for later.
The tension only seconds before already dissolved, and they kissed each other eagerly. His hands rested on her hips once again, tugging her against him.
The kiss slowed just enough for them to breathe, shaky exhales spilling from their mouths. Their noses brushed, and Mike’s lips drifted away from hers.
“Hey,” she murmured, confused by the pause.
“Just…” he started, then let the words fall away. His lips pressed softly to her jaw, lingering before trailing down – slowly, deliberate, watching for her reaction.
When he kissed right under her ear, her breath hitched instantly. He had obviously found a sensitive spot.
She could feel Mike smile into her skin.
The warmth of his mouth sent a shiver through her as he continued lower, and she tilted her head without thinking. She tightened one arm around his neck, anchoring herself to him, and the other gripped his thigh to keep upright.
“Is this okay?” he asked quietly, voice barely audible against her neck.
She had to physically resist the moan that threatened to slip from her throat.
“Yeah.” The word came out shaky, her eyes fluttering closed as his tongue pressed on the skin between her neck and collarbone, leaving open-mouthed kisses wherever he could reach.
“Mike…” she breathed, unable to hide how desperate it sounded.
He hummed in response, the vibration sending another wave through her as his hands slid to hold her back and waist. She didn’t even register them moving — it was unhurried and slow as he eased her down onto the couch. It creaked quietly beneath them as they settled, Mike making his way to the other side of her neck now as she adjusted herself beneath him. He kept most of his weight off of her, but she wouldn’t have minded anyways.
“Still good?” he asked quietly, pausing so she could answer.
“Yeah.”
His mouth returned to hers, hovering for a moment to look into her eyes. They smiled, an unspoken confirmation that they were both okay – that they both wanted this.
His thumb brushed absently on her side, and a small sound slipped out before she could stop it. She shifted beneath him, hips rocking up just enough to make him inhale sharply, his forehead dropping to hers. It was a genuine accident. She hadn’t meant to brush against him.
His reaction made her want to do it over and over again.
“Vanessa,” he murmured. It was meant to be a warning, but it came out strained. She couldn’t hide the mischievous smile that crossed her face, biting her lip in an attempt to stop.
She slid her hands up his arms, nails scratching, tugging him down until their lips met again. It was slower this time, soft and light before she pushed him back, inhaling deeply.
“I don’t… want to go further than this,” she said quietly. “Not right now.”
He nodded immediately. “Me either. This is good. Right now is good.”
For a second, neither of them moved. The air between them felt hot, their chests still brushing with each breath. His hand lifted her chin gently until their eyes met.
“Is this okay?” he asked, uncertainty flickering beneath his breath. “Do you want to stop?”
She smiled and shook her head, relaxing at the way his thumb gently rubbed at her jaw.
“No… not yet.”
“Okay,” was all she heard before their lips met again, the kiss deepening instantly. Vanessa shifted on purpose this time, her hips brushing his, and the moan he let out was dizzying.
His hand grabbed her hip, sliding down to her thigh and tugging it up to wrap around his waist. The new position made her groan, and his grip tightened to keep her there as he moved closer. Heat curled low in her stomach when she felt him press against her, the unmistakable bulge under layers of fabric making her shudder. The feeling rushed through her as she rolled her hips up, and his body met hers in a quiet rhythm, underlined with a hunger neither of them could control.
“Mike,” she moaned, the friction building where she desperately needed it. Whatever composure he’d been clinging to finally cracked, his lips faltering against hers as he couldn’t keep up anymore.
“Fuck–” he laughed breathlessly, his head dropping to her shoulder as he inhaled shakily. His hand only tightened on her thigh, gripping hard as he audibly swallowed.
“Vanessa, you’re killing me.”
She smiled, cupping his face and pulling up so she could look at him. His eyes were dark and unfocused, lips completely swollen and bruised. She tilted his head slightly in her hands, humming in approval.
“You’re a mess.”
His breath hitched immediately.
“Don’t–” he started, then laughed again under his breath. She smiled sweetly and pulled his lips back to hers, kissing him messily and slowly. Their bodies moved together in a way that ached, every shift pulling a moan or sigh from one of them. She pulled his lip between her teeth again, dragging and pulling it out so that their eyes met, a helpless groan escaping his throat. Her hands ran down his chest slowly, nails scratching as his tongue lazily ran over hers, and his stomach tensed when she teased the skin under the hem of his shirt.
They stayed tangled together, heat building and breaking in slow waves. Sweat gathered on their skin, Vanessa’s hair sticking to her face every time she moved. Her head tipped back when he briefly pressed his face into her neck, inhaling deeply as she shuddered. Their lips met again and again, unrestrained, hands gripping like letting go wasn’t an option.
Eventually, it slowed — not because they wanted it to, but because their bodies were sore and neither one of them could catch their breath. They stayed close, lips grazing with each shaky breath, foreheads pressed together and eyes closed. The air around them settled into a quiet calm.
For a while, neither of them spoke. Vanessa felt lightheaded, lips practically numb, and her body was heavy in that pleasant, floaty way.
Mike eventually shifted, opting to lay next to her so they were both lying on the couch, her nearly on top of him due to the lack of space. Neither of them complained.
Their breathing began to even out, skin cooling from the lack of movement. They must’ve laid that way for a while, long enough that Vanessa was suddenly aware again of the cold in the room, and she shivered.
“Mike?” she whispered.
“Hmm?” He pulled her closer.
“I’m cold again.”
He blinked like he had just woken up, sitting up slightly to look at her.
“There’s no way.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, cuddling closer to him for warmth. He sighed, already reaching to grab the sweatshirt she had tossed to the floor earlier. He shook it out before laying it on top of her like a blanket, shaking his head.
“You’re very high maintenance,” he muttered, but there was no bite behind it — just that fond, tired tone like he’d already accepted this was his new job.
She slipped it on before leaning back into him with a content sigh, his hand resting on her upper back and rubbing lightly. She inhaled the fabric and felt her body immediately relax.
“Better?” he asked, softer now.
“Much.”
The quiet washed over them again, but not for long before Vanessa’s mind finally caught up with her. She sat up to face Mike, the sudden shift catching him a little off guard.
“That was… okay, right?” she questioned, heart thrumming anxiously in her chest now. He laughed gently as he took her hand, squeezing it lightly.
“Vanessa, that was more than okay,” he assured, smiling at the way she immediately sighed. “I’m good. Are you?”
She nodded, leaning her head into his shoulder. “Yeah. I’m good.”
She sighed loudly as she contemplated her next question. She must’ve sighed too loud, because he tapped her shoulder lightly.
“Whatcha thinking about?”
She couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
“What are we?”
He nodded slowly, like he’d been turning the same question over in his head. He rubbed his thumb on her shoulder, pressing harder when he rubbed over a knot.
“I don’t know,” he admitted softly. “But… I know that I like you, and I like this. I like us.” He paused like he was done before adding one more thing. “And I really like what we just did.”
She giggled and shifted closer, suddenly feeling shy.
“I like you too. I just…” she hesitated. “Where do we go from here?”
He hummed thoughtfully, eyes unfocused as he considered it.
“Honestly?” he finally said. “I don’t know. And I think that’s okay. We don’t have to figure it all out right now.”
She smiled, tugging the ends of the sweatshirt over her hands.
“Okay. That sounds nice.” She pursed her lips. “We can just… be this. Whatever this is.”
“Whatever this is,” he echoed.
She let her eyes close for a moment before he cleared his throat awkwardly.
“So… does this mean we can keep doing…” He gestured vaguely. “All the stuff we did earlier?”
She sat up at the question, unable to hide the grin spreading across her face.
“Like… all of it?” he asked again, suddenly very interested in the opposite wall.
She nodded, playing with the hem of his shirt as she leaned closer. “All of it. I liked seeing you like that.”
His ears turned red instantly as he shifted around uncomfortably.
She barely had time to react before he pulled her fully on top of him, her body settling onto his.
“You’re one to talk,” he smirked, poking her sides until she flinched. “Pretty sure we were acting the same way.”
She shrugged, pretending not to notice his fingers now teasing her outer thighs. Instead, she kissed him, slow and teasing until she felt his grip tighten on her legs. It deepened quickly, Vanessa feeling a completely different rush from being on top of him — from having him under her. She pressed her hands into his chest, humming into his mouth as his hips shifted beneath her.
“You’re terrible,” he murmured between kisses.
She smiled against his lips, cupping his jaw as the familiar pull returned, the aching want burning inside.
Then they froze.
Their eyes met at the same time, wide with the same sudden realization.
“Abby’s almost done with school,” he blurted, panic edging into his voice.
“Oh god,” Vanessa laughed, a little breathless. “We uh… we were supposed to be painting.”
Neither of them moved just yet, them smiling like teenagers caught doing something they shouldn’t. He brushed back her hair from her face, kissing her once more.
“Okay,” he sighed with regret, patting her sides as he sat the both of them up. “Painting.”
She echoed the sigh, letting herself rest against him for one last second.
“Painting.”
They set the moment aside, leaving it on the couch as they both stood up and returned to their paint buckets. They settled back into their comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional stolen glance when the other wasn’t looking.
The warmth lingered anyways — quiet, subtle, completely theirs.
It felt nice.
They didn’t need to define anything, not yet anyways. They had each other, a confirmation that they would figure this out together.
And for now, that was enough.