chapter three

noah/cmc rose/bobby litg s2 rewrite
status: ongoing
chapter wc: 3,568

She still had plenty of reason to worry — Noah could still have feelings for someone else, the new islander could still steal one of them from each other, the new islander could be someone that one of them fancies. It was probably best never to be comfortable on Love Island, especially not this early in.

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After her conversation with Noah earlier, Rose was feeling as confident as she could possibly be about the new prospect of a new islander. In stark contrast to the worried expressions and shaking hands of the other women in the dressing room, Rose touched up her makeup in a relative state of calm. She thought about her sweet conversation with Noah, about the careful kiss he’d placed on her cheek, his comment about keeping things fair. She’d managed to keep her gushing to a minimum when she ‘debriefed’ with Lottie, mostly focusing on listening to complaints about Rocco — of which there were many. He was a huge flirt and seemed to like all of the girls just as much as the one he was partnered with, which was already making the larger-than-life Lottie feel small.

“You don’t deserve that, babes,” Rose said, smudging her brown eyeliner with a q-tip. She was going with a slightly more natural look for their first party, having already removed the caked makeup from the day and started anew. “You have to have some sort of respect for your partner, even if you’re not set on staying with them.”

Lottie, in stark contrast with Rose’s toned-down makeup look for the night, was sharpening the wing of her eyeliner and applying an even deeper shade of plum to her lips. “Right? Disrespectful, that’s exactly how it is.”

“What’s wrong, Lottie?” Marisol asked, peeking around the mirror that divided them to intrude upon a conversation she was not a part of. “Things going poorly for you too?”

“I’m just hoping it’s a new guy tonight.” Lottie pouted. 

“What about you, Rose?” Marisol asked. “Feeling alright?”

Rose smiled, thankful at least that Marisol had dropped trying to call her nicknames. “I had a nice conversation with Noah earlier, we agreed to stick together for now as long as we have a choice. He’s a good guy.”

“Aww,” Lottie drawled. “Look at Noah being a gentleman.”

Marisol rolled her eyes. “At least one of us is doing well.”

Rose shrugged. She felt as though Marisol was oversimplifying things. She still had plenty of reason to worry — Noah could still have feelings for someone else, the new islander could still steal one of them from each other, the new islander could be someone that one of them fancies. It was probably best never to be comfortable on Love Island, especially not this early in.

“I’m going to get changed,” Rose said. Marisol’s negativity was infectious and negativity was the last thing she needed. “I’m pretty sure the guys are already out on the lawn waiting for us.”

Lottie agreed, “Good call.” And, before Rose had even gathered her clothes to go to the bathroom to change, Lottie had dropped her swim top and started changing in the middle of the dressing room.

Rose tried to hide her blush, looking away and back to her clothes cubby as quickly as possible once she realized what was happening. She grabbed the first dress she saw, a silky green mini dress with spaghetti straps, and all of the necessary undergarments, and ducked into the restroom. The bathrooms were as private as the Villa got, but even then there were a few cameras directed at just the right angles to catch important conversations by the communal sink and cheeky shots of islanders showering. It was a careful geometry looking at the mounted cameras trying to locate possible blind spots. After just one day in the villa, Rose was already tracing sight-lines every time she walked into a room.

She chose a corner by the toilet — undignified but certainly private — and began undressing. Perhaps, by the end of her time in the Villa, Rose would be less of a prude. Perhaps she’ll eventually become used to her body being seen and then blurred in post-production by some poor media intern. But she wasn’t going to press herself too much on the first day.

Rose dressed as quickly as possible, also aware that other girls getting ready may also barge in at any moment — there were no locks on any of the doors in the Villa — and mussed her hair once more in the mirror before returning to the dressing room. Thankfully, all of the girls were clothed once she returned.

“Ready, babes?” Lottie asked, flashing her stiletto nails as she held out a hand. She was dressed in a sleek black dress with mesh sleeves that showed off her tattooed arms. Her hair was pinned back to one side with a vintage-looking silver clip.

“You look nice.” Rose touched the clip on the back of Lottie’s head. “This is gorge.” She took Lottie’s offered hand and gave it a squeeze.

“It was my grandma’s,” Lottie said. “I’m wearing it for luck.” Rose found Lottie’s superstitions charming, especially in a place that felt so outside of reality as the Villa. It made her wish she’d brought something to be made a talisman herself, even if she’d never been the type to believe in that sort of thing before.

“Ready girls?” Hope called. She was standing with her arms crossed in the doorway, looking impatient even though she’d only just put her shoes on. “The boys are waiting.”

Lottie rolled her eyes. “And they can wait a bit longer.”

Marisol trotted out of the bedroom, her shoes in her hands. “I’m ready!” She hopped on one foot to fasten a strap on her heel and then switched, fastening the other just as quickly. “Let’s go.”

Hannah, who had been much quieter in the dressing room than she had been the rest of the day, stood from her dressing bench. She wore a grave face and a simple sundress, looking much the same as before, the same long braid in her hair and the same light makeup on her face. Rose’s chest panged. She hoped Hannah didn’t feel underdressed. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she said.

Hand in hand with Lottie, Rose took the steps down from the dressing room and then to the deck. Relief washed over her at the sight of Bobby and Noah idly chatting, it was heartening to see them getting along. It meant that whatever flirting she’d engaged in — purposeful or not — was not enough to create a rift in the Villa. Early days, she reminded herself, she had done nothing wrong.

“Hey girls!” Gary waved from the lawn. He had a completely different vibe in his evening clothes, looking much less like a typical lad in square glasses and nice jeans. “We waited for you!”

Lottie gave Rose a look and Rose understood her meaning at once: Gary cleans up well…

He wasn’t her cuppa but he could certainly be Lottie’s.

“We had to get our look right, you know!” Hope laughed. “Now the party can get started!”

The islanders whooped along with Hope, doing their best to shake the uneasy feeling left by the bombshell text.

“Thank you for waiting for us,” Rose said as she and Lottie separated, drifting towards their respective partners.

Instead of Noah, whom the thanks was primarily directed at, Bobby responded, “We didn’t mind one bit, lass.” He winked at her.

Rose smiled in kind, but took Noah’s hand and said, “Thank you both.” Being near the two boys at the same time felt like walking into an active war zone.

“Let me get you a drink?” Noah asked, ducking his head closer to hers as he spoke, effectively cutting Bobby out of their circle. “They’ve got all sorts.”

She squeezed Noah’s hand. “Lead the way.”

“So,” Noah said, voice quiet as he spoke only to her. “I heard talk of a girls-only full moon ritual tonight. Are you planning to take part?”

Rose laughed, recalling Lottie’s insistence that the full moon on the first night of filming was an omen and that they should take care to honor it by convening in the moonlight. She’d gone along with it in the moment because she wanted to befriend Lottie and earn her trust. She shrugged. “Might be a laugh,” she said. “Lottie is really something.”

Noah pouted. “I was hoping you’d prefer to get a head start on sleeping with me—“ He cut himself off with a startled expression. “I mean, er, on sharing a bed.” Shaking his head, he started over. “I was hoping you’d like to cuddle instead.”

For his sake, Rose demurely hid her giggle behind a hand. “I knew what you meant,” she reassured him. “But, sorry, I’m all about the girl code.”

“Was afraid you’d say that.”

“I was going to ask how you felt about sharing a bed, but I suppose I’ve got my answer.” From the corner of her peripheral, she saw the rest of the group descending upon the bar, she had to shift gears quickly in case she didn’t have time for this conversation later.

Noah seemed to understand her meaning perfectly, grinning ever-so-slightly and nodding in confirmation. “I’d be up for it as long as you are,” he said. “No funny business, of course.”

She leaned in conspiratorially, easing her nerves with a joking tone. “Do you think any of the couples are going to be up to funny business right off?”

“Lottie and Rocco I could see,” he said with no hesitation. “I feel like Rocco would try it with anyone, though.”

“He hasn’t much flirted with me,” Rose corrected. “I think he knows I’m not the type to try it with.”

“Or that you’re a terrible flirt,” Noah teased. “Can’t be bothered.”

“Hey!” She lightly smacked his arm. “Your manner of flirting isn’t much better, so I don’t want to hear it.”

He shrugged coolly. “Takes one to know one.”

Rose huffed and rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face, she could tell that Noah’s teasing was affectionate.

“What are you two on about?” Gary asked as he shuffled back behind the bar. It was now too late for Noah to make Rose that drink, so she hoped Gary’s bartending skills were up to par.

“Just chatting,” Rose said, sharing a sly grin with her partner. “Where’s Hannah?”

Gary rolled his eyes, not a good sign. “She’s upset about something again. I swear that girl has cried on me twice and we’ve just met.”

“Poor thing…” Rose took a seat at the bar and watched Noah do the same. She turned so that her knees were facing his, doing her best to keep him in the loop while she talked to Gary. Normally, at a pub with her friends, she wouldn’t be concerned with making such clear delineations between platonic and romantic encounters, but things were different within the context of Love Island. She didn’t want to strike up a conversation with a guy that she wasn’t interested in and have her actual crush get the wrong idea. Noah, for his part, seemed to get the message. He laid a hand carefully on her knee, glancing up for permission and gracing her with a smile when she gave it.

“I feel for her,” Rose said. “This is all a touch overwhelming.”

“But you’re not crying all over your lad, are you?” Gary scooped ice into a shaker with an unsteady hand. It was clear that he’d expected to have a much more enjoyable first day, Hannah must really be getting to him. “Do you want a drink?”

“What can you make?” She wanted to humor him while also changing the subject. She hoped he would launch into trying to impress her with his bartending knowledge.

“Not much, I was just going to make some vodka crans,” he said. Then, “Do you think there’s anyone else I can pawn Hannah off onto?” 

As she thought of what to say, Rose felt Noah begin tapping his thumb on her knee. She wondered if the gesture was simply absentminded movement or if he was anxious. It made her wish Gary would leave them alone so that she could find out. She said, “I don’t think that’s a nice way to think about your partner. I mean, it’s fine if you don’t like her but she is a person, no?”

Gary seemed to deflate. “You’re right,” he said. “Sorry.” As he began shaking the cocktail shaker, the other islanders gathered around.

“What are you making?” Lottie asked, shouting over the din of ice rattling against metal.

“Vodka cran.” Gary stopped shaking the drink. “Want one?”

Rose breathed a sigh of relief as the two began a conversation of their own, cutting her and Noah back out and into their own bubble. She leaned in close to his shoulder and waited for him to incline his ear. “You planning on doing any grafting?” She asked in a whisper, shooting a grin to let him know that she was half-teasing. At this intersection, though, she wouldn’t mind either way. There were people they both wanted to get to know better, but she also didn’t want to push Noah away if he happened to want to stay by her side.

He gave her a look. “You trying to get rid of me?”

“Not at all!” She frowned, trying to seem cool had backfired. “I just don’t want you to feel like you have to stay glued to me out of obligation.”

Noah gave her knee a light squeeze. “It might be good to chat with some other people, but only if you’re okay.”

“I can take care of myself,” she assured him, and she expected him to politely reassure her again. What she didn’t expect was for him to immediately excuse himself, leaving her alone with Gary and Lottie. She hadn’t been lying when she said his grafting other girls wouldn’t bother her, but she couldn’t help but feel discarded in the moment.

“Everything alright, love?” Gary slid a pink cocktail toward her. “Where’s laddy off to?”

She took the drink and stirred it dejectedly with the tiny plastic straw he’d garnished it with before taking a sip. “Grafting.” The drink tasted much stronger than she would have liked, which is what she got for letting a crane operator bartend.

“Rose?” A warm hand landed on her shoulder, and she turned to see Bobby smiling wide at her.

She smiled back though her mind reeled, feeling a little like he’d caught her momentarily playing the role of damsel in distress. “Hi,” was all she managed to say to her knight in beachy, floral armor.

“Noah leave you all alone?” Bobby asked. “I thought better of him.”

Rose sighed, seeing no point in hiding what was obvious. “I told him he could,” she explained. “I just didn’t think he’d be so eager.”

“Well lucky for you—” He slid into the barstool Noah had left open with ease, his knees almost knocking with hers as she hadn’t had a chance to turn away. If he minded the proximity, it didn’t show. “I’m here to keep you company all you like.”

Despite her mixed emotions, Rose chuckled at Bobby’s cheerful demeanor and stayed put, allowing their legs to remain touching. “To be clear, I told him he could go.” She allowed her face to fall into a full-on dejected pout. “I chased him off.”

Bobby rolled his eyes. “Forgive me, lass,” he said. “But I overheard. He’s not supposed to actually take you up on the offer like that.”

Not in the mood to chastise her partner, even if Bobby’s words were vindicating, Rose changed the subject. “How are you feeling with Marisol?”

He tapped his nose, then pointed with his thumb in a smooth motion, indicating Marisol’s approach to their left. He stood and offered a hand. “Fancy a chat on the daybeds?”

Rose nodded, taking his hand and sliding off the barstool before Marisol could interrupt them. She called to Gary, “Thanks for the drink!”

The dismissive way in which Noah had abandoned her may have left a bitter taste in her mouth, but it did its job to make her feel significantly less guilty in her desire to entertain Bobby’s advances. She allowed him to keep his hand wrapped around hers as they walked to the daybeds, ignoring a look from Noah and carefully dodging Marisol and Hannah along the way. When he finally let go, they were seated on the edge of one of the daybeds and far enough away from the other islanders that they wouldn’t be overheard. Of course, the cameraman that followed them was an exception, but he did his best to make himself scarce.

“I feel we haven’t gotten to chat at all.” Bobby’s hand fell gently to her bare thigh, grounding Rose in the conversation and making her forget the camera operator entirely. “I wanted to ask you something, though.”

Something about Bobby’s effortlessly casual way of speaking put Rose at ease. She’d never gotten along with men like Bobby before, usually finding quiet guys like Noah to be more her type, but Bobby gave her the impression that he was concerned only with her the entire time they were speaking. So far, all of her conversations in the villa had been distracted ones — the cameras and bright lights and new beginnings making it that much harder to connect — but speaking with Bobby was completely different, the conversation felt as intimate as speaking with an old friend.

“What’s that?” Rose asked, leaning closer to him as if she could further close off the rest of the world. She cracked a smile and joked, “And don’t ask where my head is at.”

“Damn.” Bobby sucked his teeth, feigning disappointment. “That’s exactly what I was going to ask, though!”

Rose shook her head, giggling. “I think I’ve already had enough of the villa speak.”

“Same here, actually,” Bobby said. Then, “I was actually going to ask you if it was alright that I kissed you during the challenge.” His voice was matter-of-fact, conveying uncharacteristically earnest thought behind the question.

“Oh…” Rose flushed, remembering the warmth of his rough hand on her chin, tilting her face up towards the sun so that he could kiss her cheek. The gesture had been so caring and intimate in the way he’d sensed her apprehension and asked permission. She almost couldn’t believe he was asking for reassurance when he’d been so careful in the first place. “Of course it was alright.” Her voice came out stilted, overwhelmed by the memory and by his thumb tracing intrepid circles above her knee.

Bobby took his hand away and leaned back on the daybed. A flicker of something resembling self-consciousness passed across his face, so quickly that Rose thought she might have imagined it. “You’re a shy one,” he said. His voice was soft like he was trying to match her level of energy. “I don’t want to — I don’t know —” He frowned, struggling to find the words. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable if…” He trailed off.

It was a strange feeling, the ache Rose felt seeing Bobby shrink into himself. His confidence seemed to come so easily that seeing it slip — even momentarily — was jarring. She reached for his hand without a second thought, the desire to reassure him overpowering any apprehension or guilt she may feel about reaching for a man who is not her partner. 

“Do you really fancy me the most?” She asked, laying her hand gently atop his. “That’s who you were supposed to kiss.”

Bobby grinned, confidence back in a burst. “I do.”

“Then I see no problem, you just followed what was written on the card.”

“Is that okay?” Bobby asked. “That I fancy you? You and Noah seem to be getting on for the most part.”

“It’s day one, yeah? I don’t think it would be wise to put all of my eggs in one basket already.” That was how she felt, but it sounded much simpler said out loud. Inwardly, her head was already beginning to be done in by trying to quantify her feelings for the two men.

Bobby turned his palm up to face hers and closed his fingers around her hand, using their linked hands to pull himself closer. In a deepened voice that made butterflies swarm in Rose’s abdomen, he asked, “Are you saying you’d like to put some eggs in my basket?”

“If you’ll have them,” Rose laughed, answering without hesitation.

“Oh, I’ll have ‘em, lassie.” His accent went gruff, emphasizing just how keen he was. It struck Rose that this felt like a far cry from the conversations she’d had with Noah so far. While Noah was committed to playing it cool and only just letting her know how he felt, Bobby seemed to lay his intentions bare. “And for the record,” he added. “I’m prepared to earn a proper kiss from you.”

“Earn?” Rose’s voice caught in her throat, only allowing the one word to pass.

“Aye. Earn.” He raised her hand to his lips and ghosted a searing kiss to her wrist. The way Bobby cycled between easy jokes and confident flirting was dizzying, but the natural magnetism he possessed allowed him to pull it off quite well.

At a loss for words, Rose smiled and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. In opposition to the burning stare she’d felt from Noah, Bobby’s gaze betrayed obvious infatuation. She could not be sure whether it would last, but she felt comfortable, for the moment, to bask in it.

-

hiii it’s been a second, so sorry!! thank you all to everyone who has commented, reblogged, or messaged me about this fic, i’m glad you’re excited for it!! also i was gonna put a real kiss in this one but no. slow burns only. <3

tags:@starsarestars

first date dance - rose interlude i.

chaptereight
poe route rewrite
pairing: poe colestead x cmc rose
status: ongoing
chapter wc: 4,354

Rose Prichard was alarmed, to say the least, when she found herself looking to Poe for comfort. In the bustling Boston train station, swarming people in varying states of anxiety and disarray, Rose’s feelings towards Poe were the least of her worries. That was a first.

It was not as though she had never pictured herself in love — rather she had never pictured herself loved by someone. Rose had always been a hopeless romantic. Emphasis on hopeless, assuming that every relationship she entered would meet an inevitable, untimely end. But Poe had proved her wrong at every turn by consistently caring for and reassuring her. 

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Rose Prichard was alarmed, to say the least, when she found herself looking to Poe for comfort. In the bustling Boston train station, swarming people in varying states of anxiety and disarray, Rose’s feelings towards Poe were the least of her worries. That was a first.

It was not as though she had never pictured herself in love — rather she had never pictured herself loved by someone. Rose had always been a hopeless romantic. Emphasis on hopeless, assuming that every relationship she entered would meet an inevitable, untimely end. But Poe had proved her wrong at every turn by consistently caring for and reassuring her. 

Restaurants and shops outside of the Boston station were shuttered, some of them with doors and windows boarded. Several groups of people in clothes ill-suited for winter weather huddled together for warmth. The human chaos outside of the building had struck Rose just as deeply as their brushes with the undead. Before being allowed to enter the station, they were checked over like ripe peaches by a guard who looked for bites and cuts, signs that one of their party might be turned. They all shed their coats and allowed the search, but others dissented, shouting at the guards and causing trouble. Rose tried her best to remain focused on the goal: get inside the station, get to LA, see her brother again. Get out of danger.

The ease with which Poe sensed Rose’s anxiety and took her hand surprised and further reassured her. He took her coat from her and draped it over his arm before pulling her along through the doors. They were safe and healthy, allowed to pass. 

“You alright?” Poe’s voice only vaguely registered over the din of the crowded train station.

Rose straightened, tightening her grip on his hand, and forced herself to respond. “I’m fine.” Inside, she was panicked. To be surrounded by this many people when any one of them could turn at any moment was terrifying. Her anxiety was only compounded by her general discomfort in crowded spaces. She’d never enjoyed places with large crowds, zombie apocalypse notwithstanding. 

Poe looked at her with worried eyes, filling her with guilt and frustration at evidently not being able to hide her fear. “You’re not,” he said. They had stopped walking, gathering in a small circle. Now everyone was privy to her apparent panic.

Rose did her best to appear calm, pulling back her shoulders and taking in a deep breath. The deep breaths did their job to improve how she felt but only made her panicked state more obvious.

Aunt Lynn gave her a knowing look, then, “I think there’s a restroom just down there.” She pointed across the walkway. “I’ll be right back?”

“Are you sure? Let me come with you.” Poe moved to follow her, but she stopped him with a held-out hand.

“I can handle it.” She laughed, shaking her head as she walked away.

“What’s the plan?” Tess asked. She had also seemed to register Rose’s anxiety, but her strategy with big emotions was to distract and deflect. A strategy that Rose could appreciate at the moment. “I’ve only got…” She turned out her jean pockets, producing a crumpled bill and a cigarette lighter. “One dollar to my name.”

Poe laughed and snatched the bill from Tess’s hands. “Let’s see if this can buy four tickets to LA.”

“Five tickets,” Howie corrected.

“Tess isn’t coming,” Poe joked.

“But it’s my dollar!” Tess giggled and swooped behind Poe, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. She opened it up with a dramatic flair, flashing Poe’s small collection of black and silver bank cards. “Never mind,” she said. “You can keep the dollar.”

“Tess!” A twinge of genuine exasperation rose in Poe’s voice. “Come on.”

She made a show of searching through the wallet, opening the middle pocket wide. “Oh my god.” She laughed. “This condom looks like it’s from 1996.” She gave Rose a meaningful look.

“Maybe it’s vintage.” Rose chuckled, Tess’s distraction was working. Watching Poe blush always lifted her spirits. “Very on brand.”

Poe almost whined, “Please give me my wallet back.”

Tess paused, suddenly serious, looking at a photo in the wallet. Rose could just see the edge of the photo, a man’s arm wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt. “Who is this guy with your Aunt Lynn?”

“I’m not really sure,” Poe said, hand still outstretched, expecting his wallet. “It’s an old picture.”

Howie peered at the photo over Tess’s shoulder. “We should ask her.”

Poe shook his head. “You think I haven’t? Please, Tess.” It was clear from his voice that Poe was uncomfortable, but Tess was pushy with boundaries.

Rose reached for the wallet herself. “That’s enough, Tess.” Tess allowed Rose to take the wallet from her easily. Being a generally cheery person, it was all the more jarring when Rose was serious. She used that to her advantage, frowning at Tess as she handed Poe’s wallet back to him.

“I’m sorry,” Tess said, getting Rose’s message. “Can I have my dollar back?”

“Will you be less annoying for the rest of the trip?” Poe asked, handing her the bill.

“Probably not.”

Poe shrugged. “It was worth asking.” As Aunt Lynn returned to the group safe and sound, Poe turned serious once more. “Why don’t I get in line to buy tickets and you all find somewhere to wait?” He looked around at the several long lines of people waiting for tickets, and even more people in the multiple waiting areas near the platforms. “I doubt we’re getting out of here anytime soon.”

The thought of Poe leaving her, even if just for a moment, made Rose’s stomach turn, but when Aunt Lynn beat her at volunteering to go along she stayed silent. It was easy to put on a brave face when it was so clear that Lynn wanted to spend time alone with her nephew. She nodded and released Poe’s hand. “Then Howie, Tess, and I will find somewhere to wait?”

“Sounds good,” Poe said, and Rose wondered if she imagined his voice shaking as he spoke. He pressed a quick kiss to her temple, keeping her from following the thought, and then he was gone, swallowed into a crowd.

The three of them, Howie, Rose, and Tess, pushed into the labyrinthine train station. Tess led the way, weaving between pods of people walking and stalling in the lobby, followed by Rose and then Howie.

They had not moved very far from the front entrance when they came upon a small crowd gathering in front of an abandoned newsstand. Fear shot through Rose, as she immediately thought the worst. “Tess!” She called, seeing her friend push towards the crowd even when she and Howie had paused.

Tess turned back, flashing a big smile. “It’s a girl doing magic tricks!”

Sure enough, in the middle of the crowd, a girl was sitting at a small table shuffling a deck of cards. Tess marched right up to her, pushing through a couple of bystanders to see her up close. Rose and Howie reluctantly followed.

“Your stage security sucks,” Tess said, pressing palms on the card table and leaning toward the woman. “Need a bodyguard?”

Rose looked between Tess and the pretty magician, stifling a laugh as she realized what was going on. Tess was flirting.

The woman — The Amazing Amara, according to the cardboard sign taped to the front of her card table — smiled up at Tess. “I’ll make you a deal,” Amara said. “If you can grab this cup—“ She indicated a styrofoam tip cup full of cash. “—Before I do, you can have everything in it.”

Tess lunged for the cup, taking it easily without a second thought. She gave Amara a cocky grin. “I win.”

“Congratulations.” Amara smirked. “Not much of a prize, though.”

“Oh my god.” Tess turned and showed the inside of the cup to Rose and Howie, it contained only a splash of black coffee where the tips had once been.

Howie beamed, pushing towards the magician’s table. “How did you do that?”

A sinking, uneasy feeling descended over Rose as she watched Howie and Tess praise and question the woman. She’d always found magic tricks uninteresting, and magicians to be annoying. Amara being a pretty young woman hardly changed that. It was not enough of a distraction for her to forget everything and act at ease.

“Looks like your friend doesn’t care for magic,” Amara joked, nodding her head towards Rose.

Tess laughed, dismissing Rose with a wave of her hand. “Ignore Rosie. She’s kind of a space case when her boyfriend isn’t around.”

“I’m sorry?” Rose frowned. “One, he’s not my boyfriend—“

Tess interrupted her, explaining to Amara, “They’re wet blankets, both of them.”

“Both of them?” Amara laughed.

“Rose and…” Tess paused, seeing something behind Rose. She rolled her eyes. “There he is.”

“Hey!” Poe broke from his aunt and jogged towards Rose, catching himself against her shoulder as he rejoined them. “I thought you guys were going to wait close by.” He panted. “I thought I lost you.”

“I’m sorry.” Rose smiled, then hated that Tess was right — she did feel more grounded with Poe holding her. “Any luck with tickets?”

Poe frowned. Oh no. “Bad news: there was only one train that isn’t completely booked.” He raised his eyebrows and gave the group a nervous smile, doing his best to appear confident. “Good news: we’re going to Vegas.”

-

The train boarded almost right away, so there was little time for the group to argue or change plans. They accepted that they were together, even though a major detour. That, and Tess had a complete attitude shift once she found out that Amara was set to board the same train.

They had arranged for two sleeper cars that could be used in turns as well as individual seats. Once Lynn offered to switch with Amara so that she and Tess could chat on the train, saving Rose from wondering if Poe would prefer to sit with her, everyone shuffled to their seats.

“You’re okay with this, right?” Poe asked. “Going to Vegas?”

She couldn’t find it in herself to feel strongly about it. Of course, she would have preferred to go straight to LA and to her brother but that wasn’t an option. Vegas would be okay because it would have to be okay. “Of course,” she said, and she meant it.

Poe said nothing, only sighed and folded his arms. Why he had suddenly frozen the moment that the two of them finally had uninterrupted time to talk was beyond her.

“Is there something wrong?” Rose prodded, finding his hand and pulling it into her lap, forcing his arms to uncross. She added with a laugh, “besides everything?”

Poe shook his head and smiled, but his movements were stiff. He stared out the window into nothing as the train jerked to life and rumbled along the tracks. “I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

He shook his head again, more fluid this time, before looking her in the eyes. “Doesn’t matter.”

Oh, how could she convince him that it did? How could she show him that every last thought of his mattered to her?

This had been the problem with Poe the whole time, with every step towards her, with every tiny opening or layer pulled back, there had been a nearly equal retreat to follow. Rose seemed to make quick work of his walls at first, but she watched him build them back up whenever he found the chance. It was as exhausting as it was rewarding.

“Poe,” she said, unsure where to begin.

“I’m fine,” he breathed, squeezing her hand. “Danger is behind us, isn’t it?”

That wasn’t the point, but it was a start. “Do you think so?”

He stretched, dropping her hand and laying his arm over her shoulders, abruptly taking the other possible escape from earnest conversation: false confidence.

“Poe,” she pleaded. “You’re not talking to me.”

She could tell by his pause that he wanted to argue with her, to hide behind semantics and tell her that ofcourse, he’s talking to her. But he didn’t. He knew he owed her better. “I just don’t know how to vocalize all of the things I’m thinking all the time,” he said, finally. She watched him deflate and then sit back up. He looked less confident but not uncomfortable. It was something. “I’m kind of used to being left to my introspection.”

“I can leave you to your introspection if you like,” she said, “but the problem is that I don’t know if I can trust you to come back out.”

He didn’t argue, he knew she had him pegged. 

“Tell me one thing,” she said.

“That I was thinking about?”

She nodded. “I know there were several.”

Instead of a reply, he pulled her closer into him. She allowed her head to rest on his chest and feel his careful breathing. It wasn’t the forced confidence of before, it was a show of sincerity. The difference was in the way his hand shook, the way his chest rose and fell with unevenly paced breaths. She knew from experience that he had an easier time speaking his mind when he didn’t have to look her in the eyes, she gave him that.

“I’ll tell you two things,” he said after a moment. “Well, one is a question.”

She stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue. Allowing him to lead once he’d gotten to this point was what worked best before. It felt a bit like holding her hand out with food for a stray cat. She called and waved the treat at first and then waited desperately still, holding her breath when the animal was close.

“I was thinking about what we’re going to do in Vegas, this was a big change of plans.”

“That makes sense.”

“And the second thing: I was thinking about how I’d like to take you on a real date someday.”

The mention of a real date ‘someday’ made Rose’s stomach leap, it meant that he saw a future with her. But how far ahead?

“I thought you said there was a question,” Rose teased, doing her best to remain lighthearted despite the fluttering in her chest.

She felt his chest rise and fall with a complete heavy breath before he said, “Someday could be sooner,” he said, a hint of a smile in his voice. “Like today.”

“Still not a question.”

“You’re going to make me spell it out, aren’t you?” He asked. Rose could hear the pout in his voice and couldn’t resist turning to see his adorable frown.

“Yes, absolutely.” She enjoyed seeing Poe flustered, even if she knew it would only be so long before he recovered and returned the favor. The pair were equally bad at flirting, resulting in a sort of push and pull that left at least one of them flustered at all times.

Poe looked away, avoiding her eyes again. He chuckled at the ridiculousness of his embarrassment. Then he found the leverage. “Roseline Ophelia Prichard, would you please go on an official date with me today?” She wanted him to ask her, he’d do it as dramatically as possible.

“Of course I will.” Rose giggled. “Did you really think I’d turn you down?”

“I’m not sure what I thought.”

“Where goes your brilliant way with words around me?” Rose teased. She’d seen the way he had witty comebacks for Tess and Howie always and she’d read his poems in class, so she knew there was something different to the nervous way he presented himself to her. She had an inkling as to the reasoning but, again, wanted to hear him say it.

He chuckled. “Away. It’s much easier to be poetic when you don’t have to say it to someone’s face.”

She’d got it in one. “I make you nervous?”

“And you’re teasing again. Perfect.” Poe rolled his eyes, a weary smile on his face. “You’re a menace, you know that?”

Rose wanted to lean forward and kissed the scrunch between his eyebrows. He was just so cute when he pouted. “You can take it,” she said.

She was never sure where the confidence came from when she flirted like this. She’d never been able to show affection so confidently before, but it had begun to came more naturally with Poe, the push and pull. Maybe it was the confidence that he liked her, or perhaps the desire to see him blush outweighed her pride. Either way, her forwardness was as much a surprise to her as it was to him.

Poe closed his eyes, groaning like he was hit with a fatal wound. “A menace,” he repeated.

With Poe’s eyes still closed, Rose leaned forward and planted a small kiss on his cheek. His brows shot up with exaggerated surprise, but he kept his eyes closed. After a beat, he puckered his lips at her.

“What are you doing?”

He spoke with his lips still puckered as if he were impersonating a fish. “Hoping I get a kiss.”

Rose gave in to her earlier temptation, kissing the wrinkle between his scrunched brows, and giggling at his resulting frown.

“Not what I meant,” he said. “But I’ll take it.”

Rolling her eyes, Rose smoothed her hand over Poe’s cheek. “Keep your eyes closed,” she said.

“I’m not falling for—”

She cut him off with a kiss to his lips, loving the way he softened in her hands and against her lips. For the brief moments when they were intertwined in physical affection, he was unguarded and trusting of her completely. He felt fragile and trusting, like he’d finally let her in.

“We were together, I forget the rest,” he said, voice breathy as he pulled away. He added, “Walt Whitman, in case you were wondering.”

Rose chuckled. “I wasn’t. I was hoping for words from Poe Colestead.”

He hummed. “How about these: let’s go on a date.”

“Better. Sweetest words I’ve ever heard.”

-

The dining car was surprisingly peaceful. Despite the bright fluorescent lighting on the train, the ambiance was not terrible for such a last-minute date location. A server directed them to an intimate little dining table in the back of the car and they ordered from the sparse menu a bottle of wine and two questionable entrées.

“Alright, Ro, if this is a first date, we need to do that First Date Dance.”

Rose let out an incredulous laugh despite herself. “The what?”

“The First Date Dance!” Poe said, like his meaning was obvious. “Where I ask you a bunch of boring, tedious questions about your life and your interests, then you decide whether or not you like me.”

“I already know I like you,” Rose countered.

Poe blushed but continued prattling on. “But I don’t know your favorite color or your parents’ names or what clubs you were in during high school. We haven’t been on a first date yet. No First Date Dance yet.”

“You’ve got this down to a science,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Must go on a lot of first dates.” She leaned forward with a false air of conspiracy. “Should I be jealous, Poe?”

“I don’t go on many second dates, I’ll tell you that.”

“Could it be the First Date Dance that scares them off?”

Poe huffed, “Could be.”

“But you still want to interrogate me?”

“Very much so.”

“Then I’m an open book. Dance away.”

“Favorite color, parents’ names, and a list of your high school activities, please,” he demanded. Rose could see how other people might find his dating style lackluster, but she found his haughty expression and awkward questions strangely endearing.

“Green, Barbara and Walter, and I was on prom committee my Senior year, otherwise I spent time outside of school working as a barista.”

Poe nodded sagely like he was taking all of the information in.

“Do I get to ask you questions?” Rose asked.

“Nope.”

She pouted. “Who says?”

“Me.” He spoke in a commanding tone that Rose found oddly attractive, even if he was using it to deflect. “Do you think you have a lot of general friendships or a small number of close friends?”

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. She thought that he must know her better than that. “Really? I feel like that’s obvious.”

Poe shrugged, betraying nothing.

“I have a few close friends. I’m a twin, I’ve always been very insular.”

“If I’m honest, that surprises me,” he said. “You’re so likable, I don’t know how you keep the masses at bay.”

It was always this, people she liked usually assumed she was outgoing and flirty and sweet with everyone. In reality, she was just very good at putting on a cheerful persona when she wanted to.

“I’m not that likable,” she countered. “I mean, I’m cheery but I don’t really let that many people in.”

Poe frowned, he looked down at his hands picking at the vinyl tablecloth. “Do you let me in?”

“You know what Tess said about me earlier?” She rested her chin in her hands, lowered her voice like she was telling a secret. “She said that I was a total wet blanket when you weren’t around.” She reached for one of his restless hands. “I think you ground me, weirdly enough. I’m better when I’m around you.”

“That sounds like my line.” Poe laughed. “Here I thought we had this ‘opposites attract’ thing going on, now you’re telling me you’re not actually my perfect little sunshine?”

Rose’s face flushed at Poe calling her his anything. She had to barrel into her next sentence to keep from floundering at the casual affection. “I’m just as broody and complain-y as you are,” she said. “I just do a better job of hiding it.”

“Complain-y?” He laughed.

“Yes, I love to complain!” She knew he was trying to poke at her choice of words, but she breezed past it. “For example, I do not like Tess as much as I think you think I do.”

Poe’s eyes shot open in exaggerated surprise. “Really? Now, this I have to hear.”

“All the complaints you have about her are incredibly valid, I think she’s too loud and too flippant and I don’t think she likes me very much either.”

“Everyone likes you,” Poe argued. “It’s your whole thing.”

Rose laughed, tipping her wine glass toward him with a flourish. “You’d think, but she thinks I’m way too serious.”

“You’re not.”

“And not very fun.”

“You’re incredibly fun.”

“You’re biased.” She took a sip of the sweet wine in a poor attempt at hiding her blush. She wondered how long it would take before Poe really began trying to fluster her, wondered if he’d ever realize just how easy it is for him. “Are you done First Date Dancing?” She asked.

“Not even a little bit.” Poe chuckled, clearly enjoying his interrogation. “Creamy or crunchy peanut butter?”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Come on, that doesn’t matter.”

“Answer the question.”

“Creamy.”

Poe grinned. “Correct.”

“That’s subjective!”

“What’s the best Girl Scout cookie?”

That was something Rose could use, to stray from this awkward questioning. She brightened, said, “I was a Girl Scout, you know.”

“I didn’t know that.”

Got him. She took another sip of wine and relaxed in her seat, much preferring to relax into a natural conversation. “I was a Scout until my first year of High School, I got my Bronze award for a volunteer clean-up project. My twin brother was also a Girl Scout.” She giggled at the memory. “They let him join my troop when we were younger because he felt left out.”

Poe regarded her with narrowed eyes. “That’s very cute but not an answer to my question.”

“Have you ever considered that I — or any other poor person you’ve been on a date with — might want to talk to you?” Rose reached for his hand again across the table, hopefully soothing him from the blow of her word choice. She hadn’t meant to imply that anyone might have not wanted to be on a date with him. “Like I said, I already like you. I want to spend time with you, not be asked a bunch of trivial questions that you don’t really care to know the answers to.”

He frowned, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and frowned again. He sighed. “Where goes my brilliant way with words around you, Rose?”

“Away, because you think I’m cute,” she teased, though the recollection of their previous conversation made her blush. 

He nodded in agreement. “Away, because I think you’re cute.” He turned his palm towards hers and laced their fingers together. “I don’t know how to do that,” he admitted. “Just talk.”

“You do it plenty.”

Poe chuckled. “I mean, when the stakes are so high. When I feel like I have to live up to your expectation of me.”

She could understand that perfectly. Rose was avoidant herself and often preferred creating a false version of herself to live up to rather than letting her guard down. It was rare, so rare, that she found someone like Poe that made her want to be honest. Someone that she trusted not to lose interest once she turned out to be a fully fleshed-out human with complicated emotions and thoughts. It was at once terrifying and exciting to let her guard down, but she needed Poe to do the same if it was going to work.

“The stakes aren’t high,” she said, finally. “You aren’t going to lose me if there’s a lull in conversation.” She squeezed his hand. “Promise.”

Poe smiled — a rare wide, unburdened smile. “I’ll hold you to that,” he said.

“Also, Samoas are the best Girl Scout Cookie,” Rose said. Stepping in and out of the First Date Dance was a dance in itself. She’d never been a dancer, but she thought she could manage quite well with a partner that knew he was allowed to fumble the steps. Like any other dance, opening up took practice.

-

hiii it’s been a minute, so sorry! i was really looking forward to this chapter but gd i’m glad it’s finally done. we’re? halfway through i think!! going to take a break possibly and post a few one shots now :) thank you all for reading, everyone who is on my taglist and/or comments: i love you so much <3

tags:@1loveyou@dreamtydraw@justtayx@alinakamura