Flame and Leah

It had become routine by now. On Fridays, Callie would come home with Leah from school. They would eat dinner with Leah’s parents and tell them they were spending the night at Callie’s; with her mother working until 2:00 am and then going over to her boyfriend’s apartment, Leah and Callie could easily spend the night at the band’s place without anyone noticing.

Arriving around 8:00 this particular Friday, the people in the house were especially loud and exuberant. As they approached the door, Leah looked at Callie quizzically. “Louder than usual, huh?” she asked. Shrugging her shoulders in disinterest, Callie opened the door and walked in, as they were now used to doing.

“Hey sexy,” Chuck called to Callie from the far end of the room. “Over here. Hey Leah. Flame’s in the kitchen.”

Waving thanks to Chuck, she headed down the now-familiar hallway, past at least two dozen people. A keg was in a tub on the floor with five or six more people around it, including Flame. “Hey baby!” he called out; it was obvious he had been drinking for a while. He wandered over to Leah.

“Hey,” she greeted him warmly. “What’s with the massive amounts of people?” she asked as she leaned up to kiss him gently.

“Great news,” Flame told her, his eyes dancing. “We got signed!” Before Leah could even respond, Flame continued talking, too excited to stop himself. “At that show last night, there was this chick from Flytrap Records – they’re a small label, but respected – and she’d seen us play a few weeks ago, and she asked us to meet with her today, and – wham – she offered us a contract. I mean, we’ll have to fly out to NY to actually sign next week, but it’s actually going to happen!” He wrapped his arms around Leah in a sweet embrace.

Leah couldn’t stop beaming. “That’s incredible!” she said. “I’m so excited for you! So I guess we’re celebrating?” she added, motioning towards the crowd.

“Hell, yeah!” Flame yelled and leaned down to kiss her deeply. Ignoring the friendly hoots from the other people in the kitchen, he wrapped his arms around Leah’s waist and ran his hands across her back, wanting to be able to show her through this kiss how happy he was – about the record deal, about her, about their relationship.

Finally disentangling herself from him, Leah laughed. “Looks like you started celebrating a while ago,” she told him teasingly, referring to the obvious state of intoxication he was in.

“I know a way you can catch up,” Chuck’s voice said from behind. “We’re playing quarters in the living room and we need a few more people. Come on, guys.”

Raising his eyebrows, Flame looked at Leah. “Any interest?” he asked. Leah rarely drank liquor, and he didn’t want her to feel pressured or get sick. “You might not want to; it can get you pretty hammered pretty quick.”

Biting her lip, Leah looked at Flame. “What?” she asked jokingly. “Don’t think I can handle it?”

“Please,” he replied, taking her by the waist and leading her to the living room. “Be my guest.”

-----

Callie, Chuck, and Devon, the guitarist for the band, were sitting around the coffee table. A glass stood in the middle of the table, and everyone had a shot glass in front of them. Flame pulled up an ottoman and sat down, pulling Leah onto his lap and nuzzling her neck affectionately.

“Make me puke,” Callie said, rolling her eyes at them. “Anyway, Leah, since I don’t think you’ve played before, here are the rules, and they are very simple: try to bounce the quarter off the table and into the glass. If it makes it, you get to make someone drink a shot, and it’s that person’s turn. But if you miss, you take the shot and the next person clockwise take’s a turn.” Leah nodded as Callie added, “And since you’re the only one here who has never played, you go first.” She began pouring Jack Daniel’s into each shot glass, and then handed Leah the quarter.

\"I’ve got a beer to chase it with,” Flame whispered in her ear, “in the off chance you don’t make it.” He smiled as she gently elbowed him in the stomach.

“I’ll make it,” she said. Concentrating, she flung the quarter hard, bouncing it almost a foot in the air before it landed on the table with a jingle. “Or not,” she said shyly.

Chuck, always excited with the idea of everyone having a good time, started laughing. “Drink up, girly,” he said to her in a friendly way. Leah had really gotten to like him since she and Flame got together; he treated Callie well and was easy to get along with.
Leah took the shot glass, took a deep breath, and downed the liquid. It tasted awful, and her throat burned. “Here,” Flame said, handing her his beer. She took a long swig to get rid of the taste. “Easy killer,” he told her, pulling the bottle away from her. “We want you having a good time, not throwing up all over yourself.” Leah laughed; she appreciated Flame’s constant concern for her.

“Your turn,” she told him. Flame took the quarter and, not even bothering to move Leah out of the way, bounced it. It landed squarely in the glass. “Like taking candy from a baby,” he said smugly. “You know, Callie, you’re looking kind of sober,” he said.

“Fucker,” she replied with a smile. She shot her drink and picked up the quarter. Landing it in, she looked up. “First times are supposed to be a bitch,” she said. “Leah, take another.”

Leah did as she was told, but by her fourth shot, she stood up. “Enough for now!” she said. “Sorry guys, but I don’t want to hurl.”

Everyone nodded and laughed. Flame followed her outside for a cigarette. “How you feeling?” he asked her. He was drunk himself, having been picked on by Callie and Chuck during the game. They sat on the picnic table, perched up with their feet resting on the seats.

Feeling a little wobbly, Leah lit her cigarette and shivered in the cool autumn night air. “I’m okay,” she said. “But I’m not used to drinking liquor.” She rested her head on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” Flame whispered to her, wrapping his arm tightly around her shoulder. “I’ll take care of you.”

-----

After finishing their cigarettes, they headed inside and mingled for a while. Leah felt self-conscious, though, since she rarely got that drunk. When Flame recommended they go upstairs to be alone for a while, Leah quickly agreed. Ignoring the playful hoots and hollers from friends on their way up the stairs, they headed to his room.

“Feeling any better now?” he asked as he closed his bedroom door. He turned around to see Leah lying across his bed already.

“I think I’m actually drunker now,” she said. “I think all the liquor finally absorbed into my blood stream.” She sat up and looked at Flame as he approached her. She reached out to grab the hem of his shirt and gently drag him towards her. Pulling him close, she looked up towards his face. His expression revealed he was just as inebriated as she was, and she smiled. “Come here,” she demanded, pulling Flame down towards her; in his state, he lost his balance and fell on her.

Laughing an apology as he pushed himself up a little, Flame looked down at Leah and was once again taken aback by how beautiful he thought she was.

“What are you looking at?” Leah asked in a sultry voice. She was flat on her back on the bed, and Flame’s whole body was covering hers, except where he had pushed his torso up a little to study her face.

Flame’s eyelids were a little heavy with alcohol, but his eyes still shone. “I’m looking at you,” he said simply. “Looking at how beautiful you are.” He leaned down to give Leah a long, soft, passionate kiss that she felt through her whole body. Loving the feeling and not wanting it to end, Leah slid her hands under Flames shirt and gently scratched his back the way she had discovered he enjoyed most. He rewarded her actions with a throaty groan, which turned Leah on even more. She began inching his shirt up and lifting it over his head.

“Slow down, killer,” he said softly. “You’re pretty drunk. I don’t want you doing anything you’ll regret.”

Leah only found Flame’s gentle resistance more appealing. “Come on,” she said. “I’ve seen you without your shirt a million times. Besides, I want to feel your skin completely bare up against mine.”

Unsure of what the right thing was to do, Flame pulled himself off Leah and stood in front of her. “Are you sure about this Leah?” he asked as Leah sat up to look at him. He felt like his skin was on fire and he wanted nothing more than to feel Leah naked against him, but he needed to be sure she wanted this. He’d waited too long; he’d gotten too attached. In fact, he was pretty sure he was falling in love with this girl.

Instead of answering him, Leah reached down slowly and began removing her top. Flame couldn’t say anything as he watched the tank top be pulled over her head, revealing her firm breasts. He had seen them before, but Leah had not actually fully taken off her top for him yet; it was a different experience entirely.

“Your turn,” Leah said, her normal shyness lessened by the alcohol. She watched anxiously as Flame silently removed his t-shirt, revealing his tight chest and firm stomach. Leah reached out and ran a finger over the tattoo on his stomach; it was a Sailor Jerry of two sparrows holding a banner that said “Jodi”. Leah knew it was his first tattoo and that Jodi was his first love. She tried not to pay too much attention to it most of the time, but the tattoo was bothering her a little right now. It bothered her that someone had Flame’s affection before her, and that Flame and Jodi had slept together – his first time. He had told Leah that just a few weeks ago. It normally didn’t bother her, but tonight it did. She closed her eyes and leaned forward to kiss his stomach, running her tongue in delicate figure eights. Leah then pulled away and gently slid herself back on the bed, motioning for Flame to join her.

“So you’re not going to hate me for this?” Flame asked nervously as he lay beside Leah. His desire was overtaking him from the vision of Leah lying topless on his bed, but he had to keep asking.

Leah smiled coyly. “Not if you hurry up and get down here,” she told him. Flame decided to give. He lay down on his side, and she faced him.

Before Flame could say anything, Leah leaned forward to kiss him; her hand ran over his chest seductively as her mouth moved from his mouth to his neck. Before he knew what was happening, Leah had climbed on top of Flame and all he could think about was how cool and soft her skin felt against his. He let her kiss his neck and move down his body. As her tongue traced a circle around his nipple, Flame felt himself involuntarily jerk but tried to ignore it. He closed his eyes as tried to focus on how good it felt to have Leah on him: kissing him, licking him, rubbing him. When her hand moved down to his jeans button, though, Flame opened his eyes and spoke up.

“No, no, no,” he said gently. “None of that. Now I know you are definitely too drunk. And I am too drunk to be able to put up much of a fight, so you are going to stop here, okay baby?”

Looking up at him with her bright green eyes wide and hopeful, Flame tried to ignore how sexy Leah looked topless against his skin. Then she smiled and bit her lip. “What?” she said. “I want to feel close to my boyfriend and that means I’m too drunk?”

“Why are you undoing my jeans?” he asked plainly.

Looking a little hurt, Leah pouted. “I told you I wanted to know what it feels like to have your skin against mine.” She moved up until she was eye to eye with him. “I want to be naked with you.”

A million thoughts ran through Flame’s head, but his desire mixed with his alcohol intake wouldn’t let too much thinking occur. Taking a deep breath, Flame decided to give up and take things one step at a time. “Okay,” he said. “But please, Lee, just to feel skin. I… I really care about you and I don’t want to get too into things and do something you’re going to hate me for.” Without realizing the impact of his next words, Flame added, “I love you too much for that.”

Leah immediately felt a lump form in her throat. She wasn’t sure if Flame realized what he had just said, but she sure did. Nodding and not wanting to make him uncomfortable by saying anything, Leah just kissed him gently on the lips. “I want to feel you,” she said. She kept eye contact with him as she reached one hand down and undid his button and zipper. “You should take it from here.”

Flame nodded and began slipping off his pants when he realized that Leah was doing the same. He didn’t look at her until they were both completely undressed.

“God, you’re unbelievable.” The words tumbled out of Flame’s mouth. Leah smiled, unsure what she had gotten herself into but unable to deny how much she wanted to feel Flame naked against her. As he gently pulled the blanket over them, Leah pressed her body right against his and began kissing his neck. She could feel Flame’s chest pressed against hers and his hands sliding up and down her back. Their stomachs were barely touching. Leah slid one hand down Flame’s spine until she reached his ass and gently touched it. Flame’s body responded involuntarily to the touch; his stomach pressed against hers and their thighs intertwined. Leah could feel him hard, pressed up against her leg, and this took her whole attention; she stopped kissing him, opting instead to press against him more, letting him embrace her, and concentrating on how his body felt against hers.

They lay there for several minutes, their only movement being Flame gently rubbing Leah’s neck with one hand. He couldn’t believe how good this felt; of course, he wanted badly to be with her, but the truth was he was okay with just concentrating on this feeling for now. She felt so delicate in his arms, and it was like they belonged to each other.

“This feels so good,” Leah finally said. She looked up at Flame. “I feel so safe, and it feels so… right. Maybe-” she began her next thought, but Flame interrupted.
“Leah, please don’t do this to me,” he pleaded. “I want you so much right now, but if we… if we did anything, I’d hate myself. I know I would.” As Leah began to protest, Flame spoke over her. “Even if you want to, please, for me, not now.”

In awe of the pure concern and caring in Flame’s voice, Leah nodded. “Okay,” she said. “Not when I’m drunk. I understand.” She rested her head on his chest. “Do you realize what you said earlier?” she asked him hesitantly.

“Yes,” he said, completely aware of what she meant. “I said I love you. And I meant it.” He pulled her as close to him as he could.

“I love you, too,” Leah said. “I do. I was afraid to say anything before, but…”

“Sshh,” Flame said. “No explanations.”

Flame held Leah tightly until she fell asleep in his arms. He considered the events of the evening. He couldn’t believe he had actually turned Leah down, but he was glad he had. She deserved the best, and he hoped he could be that for her. Looking at her resting on his chest, he smiled and closed his own eyes.