Log: My heart has been troubled by the speed of love.
Who: Mike and Rowan
When: Wednesday, December 22, 2018
Where: Mike’s apartment
What: A slip of the tongue
Accompanied by laughter was now one of Mike’s favorite ways to make an entrance. Second of course to being accompanied by Rowan. Both of them were laughing.
“Man, I wish we could have gotten a picture of Crisp’s face when you beamed him in the head with that snowball.”
Rowan gave an exaggerated gasp as she walked through the door Michael held open for her. The past few days with him had been pretty surreal. A good kind of surreal. They hadn't really discussed definition since the other night, and instead had some silent agreement to just see where this takes them.
“That was totally your fault though! I didn’t think you’d duck.”
“Not my fault that I have awesome cop reflexes. Ones that Officer Rose has yet to develop. But seriously, how pissed is he going to be? He knows where we live.” Mike’s face was kinda numb. He was sure it had more to do with the weather outside than the fact that he had been cracking up while making their escape.
“Oh, is that what we’re calling them? I thought it was just a cross between flailing and luck.” Rowan flashed him a cheeky grin as she entered his living room. “I don’t know. I think I’m safe, though. He can’t be mad at the cute one.”
“That you are. And I’m the drop dead gorgeous one.” Mike posed as he entered the living room behind her. “We all have our crosses to bare. And with that. I think we are due some nice hot chocolate times.”
Rowan laughed and shook her head, shivering slightly in her damp clothes. She was slowly regaining feeling in her face and fingers. “You’re a dork, you know that?” She smiled fondly as she followed him into the kitchen.
Mike looked over at Rowan as he started making the hot chocolate. He had seen her shiver. “You okay? Because I’m thinking you need some hot coco STAT.”
“I’m fine. Just defrosting.” She pushed a clump of her wet hair away from her face and crossed her arms in an effort to keep warm.
“Hmm. Let’s get you out of those clothes.” Mike balked at what he had just said. “Yeah. That came out wrong. I mean, I can get you a towel and something dry to change into.”
Rowan merely laughed at his awkward slip up and nodded. “Dry clothes would be nice.”
“They are.” Mike led her into his room. As he went over to his dresser, Rowan wandered around his room, taking in his collection of posters and old photographs. While she'd seen them before, she always managed to notice something she hadn't before. She smiled, this time stopping in front of a snapshot of him and Tina as kids. “The Wonder Twins? Really?”
“I can’t believe you figured out our secret identities.” Mike smiled as he handed her a pair of running shorts and a graphic tee.
“I guess I’m just that good.” She smiled back, accepting the clothes. “Thanks. I’ll just...change real quick.”
“Okay. I’ll just check on the hot chocolate.” Mike walked over to the door and slipped out. On his way to the kitchen he passed the hallway closet. He paused and thought about something. Rowan should have a sweater. He opened the closet and took one out.
Mike went back to his bedroom and opened the door. “Hey, if the clothes I gave you aren’t enough, I brought you a sweater.” He looked up at Rowan. “Oh...”
Rowan turned around in surprise. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she stood there under his gaze, wearing just jeans and a bra. “Oh.” They were silent for a moment; she didn’t cover up and he didn’t leave. Before her brain could catch up with her body, she walked over and moved to grab the sweater. “Thanks,” she murmured, trying to remind herself to breathe.
“Uh... You’re welcome.” Mike rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He was embarrassed he walked in on Rowan changing clothes, but still he wasn’t moving. She was standing in front of him now. And he wanted so badly to... to just hold her.
The sweater ended up on the floor. Rowan brought her hands to his sides, her fingers toying with the hem of his shirt. As nervous as she felt, she kept her gaze steady, trying to gauge his reaction to tell her if she should stop.
Mike nodded. With Rowan’s help, his shirt was pulled up and off and joined the sweater on the floor. Taking a deep breath, Rowan smiled as she took in the sight of him. She reached out with tentative hands, eager to touch him but unsure of where to start.
Her fingers were leaving light caresses along his torso when she felt Mike lean down and press kisses to her shoulder. He wondered briefly if that was okay until he was rewarded with the sound of her soft moan. Encouraged by the way her eyes fluttered close and her hands pulled him closer, he led a trail of kisses along her neck and jawline to her lips.
Rowan reveled in the way he took his time. There was no rushing in how his fingers gently traced their way down her back, nor in the way her mouth opened underneath his. His kisses absorbed her moans while his hands wandered to the underside of her thighs to hoist her up against him. She was vaguely aware of her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her to his bed.
Mike gently laid Rowan down, pausing to make sure she was okay and take in the sight of her auburn curls sprawled across the comforter. She smiled up at him. Mike soon joined her in his bed, laying down next to her. He put his hand on her hip and ran his hand up to her waist. He leaned in to kiss her. Eyes closed, he breathed out her name. “Mhmm...Quinn...”
The hand Rowan had tangled in his hair instantly stilled. “What?”
She pulled back, sure her ears were playing tricks on her. The frozen look of horror on his face told her otherwise. As she felt the heavy weight of realization sink to the bottom of her stomach, her stunned expression simply crumbled. They were about to...and he just...Oh, God.
Becoming acutely aware of how exposed she felt, Rowan scrambled away from him and off the bed, her cheeks burning with hurt and humiliation as she blindly darted into the bathroom. Quickly turning the lock and flipping the lights on, Rowan slid down against the door into a sitting position. She stared blankly at the wall and tried to make sense of what just happened.
Mike hopped off the bed and went to the bathroom door. He leaned against the door, using his forearm to prop himself up against it and looked down. He couldn’t believe he just said her name. When he and Rowan...
He didn’t know what to say. What could he say? Everything just seemed so wrong. Sorry just wouldn’t do it.
“Rowan, I...” He put his hand on the doorknob. The bathroom door wasn’t the only barrier between them now.
Rowan could hear him on the other side and closed her eyes for a minute. She pulled her knees up to her chest before tipping her head back against the door. She bit her lip and willed her stomach to stop churning as she tried to find her voice. She turned her head towards the door, glad it was between them since she didn’t think she could bring herself to ask this to his face.
"I...was...was that all this was to you? You pretending I was...?" With the way she felt about him, had he really been picturing her as someone else? Row inhaled a ragged breath, and it took her a moment to realize she was crying. And another for her to realize she’d rather not know the answer to that. Rowan swiped at her tears and staggered to her feet; she didn’t know what to do, but she knew she had to get out of here. Eyeing the second door that led to the hallway, she opened it and hastened to the living room to grab her stuff.
Mike heard the door open, but it wasn’t the one in front of him. Still he tried to open it. Locked. So he went out through his bedroom door to try and catch up with Rowan. To try to explain.
Explain what? Why he had said Quinn’s name instead of hers? She had asked him if that’s all she was to him, a replacement for something he had lost.
He found her in the living room gathering up her stuff. “Rowan, please!”
God, did he sound as desperate as he felt? He had to make her stay. He knew nothing he could say or do would accomplish that. Still, he reached out for her. But he pulled his hand back, knowing that would make everything somehow worse.
Rowan took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second, her back to him as she finished buttoning her coat. Please what? What could either of them say to the other to make this okay? Before she really thought about it, something a little akin to anger bubbled to the surface.
She turned around, but couldn’t get herself to make eye contact. She shook her head. “You know, when we’re together...I just...I don’t picture anyone else. Because you...you’re all I think about. You’re enough.” She ignored the fresh bout of tears and gave a defeated shrug. “It’s obvious I’m not.” Her eyes met his for a second before quickly pulling her boots on and slinging the strap of her bag onto her shoulder.
Mike looked away in guilt. He wanted to know how he could fix everything. Was there anything left to fix? The only thing he could do was let her go. He heard his front door open and close. He didn’t know how long he stood there after Rowan left. All he knew was that he made it to his kitchen sometime later.
There on the counter were two mugs Mike had set out for the hot chocolate. It had long since gotten cold.
When: Wednesday, December 22, 2018
Where: Mike’s apartment
What: A slip of the tongue
Accompanied by laughter was now one of Mike’s favorite ways to make an entrance. Second of course to being accompanied by Rowan. Both of them were laughing.
“Man, I wish we could have gotten a picture of Crisp’s face when you beamed him in the head with that snowball.”
Rowan gave an exaggerated gasp as she walked through the door Michael held open for her. The past few days with him had been pretty surreal. A good kind of surreal. They hadn't really discussed definition since the other night, and instead had some silent agreement to just see where this takes them.
“That was totally your fault though! I didn’t think you’d duck.”
“Not my fault that I have awesome cop reflexes. Ones that Officer Rose has yet to develop. But seriously, how pissed is he going to be? He knows where we live.” Mike’s face was kinda numb. He was sure it had more to do with the weather outside than the fact that he had been cracking up while making their escape.
“Oh, is that what we’re calling them? I thought it was just a cross between flailing and luck.” Rowan flashed him a cheeky grin as she entered his living room. “I don’t know. I think I’m safe, though. He can’t be mad at the cute one.”
“That you are. And I’m the drop dead gorgeous one.” Mike posed as he entered the living room behind her. “We all have our crosses to bare. And with that. I think we are due some nice hot chocolate times.”
Rowan laughed and shook her head, shivering slightly in her damp clothes. She was slowly regaining feeling in her face and fingers. “You’re a dork, you know that?” She smiled fondly as she followed him into the kitchen.
Mike looked over at Rowan as he started making the hot chocolate. He had seen her shiver. “You okay? Because I’m thinking you need some hot coco STAT.”
“I’m fine. Just defrosting.” She pushed a clump of her wet hair away from her face and crossed her arms in an effort to keep warm.
“Hmm. Let’s get you out of those clothes.” Mike balked at what he had just said. “Yeah. That came out wrong. I mean, I can get you a towel and something dry to change into.”
Rowan merely laughed at his awkward slip up and nodded. “Dry clothes would be nice.”
“They are.” Mike led her into his room. As he went over to his dresser, Rowan wandered around his room, taking in his collection of posters and old photographs. While she'd seen them before, she always managed to notice something she hadn't before. She smiled, this time stopping in front of a snapshot of him and Tina as kids. “The Wonder Twins? Really?”
“I can’t believe you figured out our secret identities.” Mike smiled as he handed her a pair of running shorts and a graphic tee.
“I guess I’m just that good.” She smiled back, accepting the clothes. “Thanks. I’ll just...change real quick.”
“Okay. I’ll just check on the hot chocolate.” Mike walked over to the door and slipped out. On his way to the kitchen he passed the hallway closet. He paused and thought about something. Rowan should have a sweater. He opened the closet and took one out.
Mike went back to his bedroom and opened the door. “Hey, if the clothes I gave you aren’t enough, I brought you a sweater.” He looked up at Rowan. “Oh...”
Rowan turned around in surprise. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she stood there under his gaze, wearing just jeans and a bra. “Oh.” They were silent for a moment; she didn’t cover up and he didn’t leave. Before her brain could catch up with her body, she walked over and moved to grab the sweater. “Thanks,” she murmured, trying to remind herself to breathe.
“Uh... You’re welcome.” Mike rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He was embarrassed he walked in on Rowan changing clothes, but still he wasn’t moving. She was standing in front of him now. And he wanted so badly to... to just hold her.
The sweater ended up on the floor. Rowan brought her hands to his sides, her fingers toying with the hem of his shirt. As nervous as she felt, she kept her gaze steady, trying to gauge his reaction to tell her if she should stop.
Mike nodded. With Rowan’s help, his shirt was pulled up and off and joined the sweater on the floor. Taking a deep breath, Rowan smiled as she took in the sight of him. She reached out with tentative hands, eager to touch him but unsure of where to start.
Her fingers were leaving light caresses along his torso when she felt Mike lean down and press kisses to her shoulder. He wondered briefly if that was okay until he was rewarded with the sound of her soft moan. Encouraged by the way her eyes fluttered close and her hands pulled him closer, he led a trail of kisses along her neck and jawline to her lips.
Rowan reveled in the way he took his time. There was no rushing in how his fingers gently traced their way down her back, nor in the way her mouth opened underneath his. His kisses absorbed her moans while his hands wandered to the underside of her thighs to hoist her up against him. She was vaguely aware of her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her to his bed.
Mike gently laid Rowan down, pausing to make sure she was okay and take in the sight of her auburn curls sprawled across the comforter. She smiled up at him. Mike soon joined her in his bed, laying down next to her. He put his hand on her hip and ran his hand up to her waist. He leaned in to kiss her. Eyes closed, he breathed out her name. “Mhmm...Quinn...”
The hand Rowan had tangled in his hair instantly stilled. “What?”
She pulled back, sure her ears were playing tricks on her. The frozen look of horror on his face told her otherwise. As she felt the heavy weight of realization sink to the bottom of her stomach, her stunned expression simply crumbled. They were about to...and he just...Oh, God.
Becoming acutely aware of how exposed she felt, Rowan scrambled away from him and off the bed, her cheeks burning with hurt and humiliation as she blindly darted into the bathroom. Quickly turning the lock and flipping the lights on, Rowan slid down against the door into a sitting position. She stared blankly at the wall and tried to make sense of what just happened.
Mike hopped off the bed and went to the bathroom door. He leaned against the door, using his forearm to prop himself up against it and looked down. He couldn’t believe he just said her name. When he and Rowan...
He didn’t know what to say. What could he say? Everything just seemed so wrong. Sorry just wouldn’t do it.
“Rowan, I...” He put his hand on the doorknob. The bathroom door wasn’t the only barrier between them now.
Rowan could hear him on the other side and closed her eyes for a minute. She pulled her knees up to her chest before tipping her head back against the door. She bit her lip and willed her stomach to stop churning as she tried to find her voice. She turned her head towards the door, glad it was between them since she didn’t think she could bring herself to ask this to his face.
"I...was...was that all this was to you? You pretending I was...?" With the way she felt about him, had he really been picturing her as someone else? Row inhaled a ragged breath, and it took her a moment to realize she was crying. And another for her to realize she’d rather not know the answer to that. Rowan swiped at her tears and staggered to her feet; she didn’t know what to do, but she knew she had to get out of here. Eyeing the second door that led to the hallway, she opened it and hastened to the living room to grab her stuff.
Mike heard the door open, but it wasn’t the one in front of him. Still he tried to open it. Locked. So he went out through his bedroom door to try and catch up with Rowan. To try to explain.
Explain what? Why he had said Quinn’s name instead of hers? She had asked him if that’s all she was to him, a replacement for something he had lost.
He found her in the living room gathering up her stuff. “Rowan, please!”
God, did he sound as desperate as he felt? He had to make her stay. He knew nothing he could say or do would accomplish that. Still, he reached out for her. But he pulled his hand back, knowing that would make everything somehow worse.
Rowan took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second, her back to him as she finished buttoning her coat. Please what? What could either of them say to the other to make this okay? Before she really thought about it, something a little akin to anger bubbled to the surface.
She turned around, but couldn’t get herself to make eye contact. She shook her head. “You know, when we’re together...I just...I don’t picture anyone else. Because you...you’re all I think about. You’re enough.” She ignored the fresh bout of tears and gave a defeated shrug. “It’s obvious I’m not.” Her eyes met his for a second before quickly pulling her boots on and slinging the strap of her bag onto her shoulder.
Mike looked away in guilt. He wanted to know how he could fix everything. Was there anything left to fix? The only thing he could do was let her go. He heard his front door open and close. He didn’t know how long he stood there after Rowan left. All he knew was that he made it to his kitchen sometime later.
There on the counter were two mugs Mike had set out for the hot chocolate. It had long since gotten cold.