[color=gray][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZHHY5dU.png?1[/img]
[sub]A [@metanoia] & [@Melissa] Collab
Featuring [color=steelblue]Nicholas[/color] & [color=ffa54d]Tyler Jane[/color][/sub]
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[indent][indent][indent]Time had passed, and the party was beginning to simmer out in the early hours of the morning. The music kept playing, but some students lay unconscious on couches, some had retired to their dorms, and all of the alcohol was decimated. Amongst the wreckage and havoc, there was a small group that was still milking the evening for all it was worth. In the center of it all was a certain redhead who had found an elevated surface, a table to be exact, and stood up there dancing like no one was watching. But the thing is, [i]everyone[/i] was watching who was left to see such a sight. 

Drunk Tyler Jane was almost a better dancer while intoxicated, only because she wasn’t thinking, only feeling. The music pulsating through her veins, no reflection staring back to keep the girl in line, she was a force and was free to do as she pleased. And the group (admittedly half of them her male classmates) egged her on. Especially in the [i]way[/i] that she was dancing- it was clear that she knew she looked good and she let every sexual fiber of her being show. Long gone were her anxious thoughts- she was only focused on the moment and how much fun she was having. The girl wanted the night to last forever, as she could only describe her intoxicated state as euphoric. 

And as Nicholas, one of the few who had surprisingly maintained their consciousness, watched Tyler Jane make a fool of herself, clearly drunk, clearly unaware of how idiotic she was acting on top of that table. Despite how much Nicholas liked seeing her strut her stuff, which was all of the time, he preferred it when she had her usual grace and didn’t swing her legs so sloppily. 

Nicholas had been sitting on the couch, watching her with limited patience but ten minutes of her doing the same routine became painful to watch, so he decided to finally do something about it. [color=steelblue]“All right, Tyler Jane, that’s enough! Get down before you hurt yourself!”[/color] He spoke in an elevated tone. He needed to so her careless shouts didn’t overtake his demand.

Blissfully, the redhead continued to dance on the table to the gleeful cheers of her classmates. It was almost like being at a concert where she was the star, radiant and effortless and free. But when a Grey thundercloud made itself apparent and tried to rain on her parade, Tyler Jane decided she wasn’t having any of it. Who was Nicholas to tell her what to do after ignoring her all night? [color=#FFA54D]“Somebody’s not having a good time~”[/color] The girl teased, continuing to move her body for all that it was worth. [color=#FFA54D]”You can’t make me get down from here. Besides, I’m having waaaay too much fun.”[/color] Her intoxication was evident in her voice as she dragged out her vowels and mustered a playful tone. 

[color=steelblue]“I can see that.”[/color] 

Nicholas rolled his eyes, mentally reminding himself that he wasn’t doing this to be a debbie downer. He didn’t want to see her get hurt. He knew she was one wrong slip from breaking those legs that were, in all honesty, the highlight of her current moment of stupidity. And in that same foolish moment, TJ had done the one thing that Nicholas hated more than a lack of manners: she challenged him.

So in a moment of timing being key, Nicholas had waited for Tyler Jane to turn her back to him and he tugged on the black mesh she had on, making sure he had a firm grasp and pulled her his way. When she would fall into him, he secured her on his right arm. That same arm would bend to secure her against his shoulder and he flipped her over so her stomach was pressed against it. His other arm came and held her as still as can be in order to keep her from falling, though he couldn’t prevent his hand from grabbing a few inches south of her firm butt. The temptation was strong but he showed enough willpower to even impress himself.

[color=steelblue]“Act like a child and you’ll get treated like one!”[/color] He stated with a heavy sigh.

It all happened so quickly- one moment Tyler Jane was dancing and laughing, and the next she was nearly upside down and sideways, thrown over Nicholas’ shoulder. How did he do that? His grip was strong as she tried to make an escape from his clutches, but it was no use. It was clear that the boy was [i]not[/i] going to let her get away that easy. [color=#FFA54D]“I am not a child!”[/color] The redhead exclaimed in resistance, but then proceeded to whine. [color=#FFA54D]“Put me down, Nicholas!”[/color] 

[color=steelblue]“Jesus, stop moving!”[/color] Nicholas might’ve been fit enough to hold her in his arms, but with her constant efforts to break free, it was easier thought than done. 

His arms were starting to tremble and he knew if he didn’t do something, she might hurt herself even worse than if she had fallen from the table. So Nicholas took a few steps towards the couch, but with each step came nearly twice the struggle. He turned around with the intent to sit down and let her fall naturally out of his arms.

Gravity had other intentions.

Nicholas tripped over literally nothing, falling longways on the couch, ass and back slamming against it. And with this, came the position he never thought he’d be in, but Tyler Jane had fallen on top of him. Everything hurt, but in a moment of his own temptation, he smirked. [color=steelblue]“Good news is you’re not being carried. Other good news? You’re probably in a position you dreamt of, huh?”[/color] Yep. He just couldn’t resist.

Once again, Tyler Jane found herself being moved against her will as the two tumbled onto the couch, one on top of the other. Much to her own surprise, the drunk girl [i]laughed[/i] in response, an intoxicated and brainless giggle. The redhead lifted up her head to look at Nicholas- there was truth to the fact that she had dreamed of this before, but he didn’t have to know that right now. Instead, she gave him a complete non sequitur. [color=#FFA54D]“I didn’t think you could handle me- guess I was right.”[/color] She blew a rogue piece of hair out of her face before dissolving into another drunken laugh, enunciating each vowel differently in her sentence. 

Nicholas stared at her, dumbfounded and utterly confused. [color=steelblue]“Uh, what?”[/color] He asked, feeling it was the only thing he [i]could[/i] do at this moment.

[color=#FFA54D]“I said,”[/color] She started, gazing down at him and pausing to collect her thoughts. [color=#FFA54D]“You [i]can’t[/i] handle me. You’ve ignored me allll night and now you’re trying to swoop in at the fifth hour? Doesn’t work like that.”[/color] Tyler Jane somehow maneuvered her way off of Nicholas, grasping onto his arms for support as she planted her wobbly feet on the ground, trying to gain her balance as she stood up- kind of like a baby giraffe learning to walk for the first time. [color=#FFA54D]“You couldn’t handle the fact that I was dancing on that table and other people were watching, could you?”[/color] 

He expelled a frustrated breath, rubbing his temples with his right hand. [color=steelblue]“You mean all of ten people who are barely conscious?”[/color] He gestured his hand at those who were too drunk to even speak for themselves, grunts filling the silence like an unorganized symphony of drunkenness. [color=steelblue]“Seriously, if this is the treatment I get for caring about your well-being, then fine, I’ll just let you make a fool of yourself.”[/color] He knew Alexis said honesty was key, but he had to wonder if this was what she meant.

Tyler Jane furrowed her eyebrows, [color=#FFA54D]“Care? Like you really care.”[/color] She replied incredulously, unknowingly waving her arm which held Tane’s bracelet around in emphasis. If he thought this was “caring”, he had another thing coming for him. If alcohol did anything, it eliminated any filter the girl had. [color=#FFA54D]“Fuck, I don’t think you care about anyone other than yourself sometimes.”[/color] The redhead piped, running her now mobile hand through her locks to straighten them out. 

Usually, words didn’t often affect Nicholas. He wasn’t the type to let them get to him- Billie Jean was the sensitive twin. He knew he was cruel to Tyler Jane and did some damage, but he never expected [i]that[/i] to leave her lips, even if she was drunk off her ass. [color=steelblue]“Fine, if you think you know me so well, what am I thinking right now?”[/color] He asked, his voice sharp.

The drunken girl rolled her eyes, another small laugh escaping her lips. [color=#FFA54D]“You’re thinking,”[/color] She began, repeating herself absentmindedly, [color=#FFA54D]“You’re thinking about how you truly don’t give a fuck about me. You could care less what I do or who I’m with or what I say, it doesn’t bother you. All that’s on your mind is the fucking bimbo you dragged into the closet, or Savannah, or any other girl on this campus [i]but me[/i].”[/color] Tyler Jane raised the volume of her voice as she started to back away from him (mostly stumble, but better walking this time). [color=#FFA54D]“And I’ve had it.”[/color]

[color=steelblue]“I see.”[/color]

In situations like the one unfolding before him, being such a perceptive person wasn’t the blessing it had been in the past. The problem with Nicholas was he caught onto what most overlooked or blamed on certain traits. He knew Tyler Jane better than most (save for her best friends). He noticed things about her like how dancing gave her a calm nothing else could. He knew that she always was her best whenever she was sitting with Savannah and Erica. Nicholas knew these things because he paid special attention to those he cared for deeply. 

And that’s why her words cut deeper than a finely-sharpened blade. They slid through his skin like it was butter, slicing up his insides and, for the first time, truly hurting him. If that was her intention, then consider the mission completed.

But at the moment she walked away, Nicholas brought himself out of the momentary despair as he heard Alexis’ words fight back against TJ’s lethal words. And in that instant, he stood up and grabbed her wrist with a firm enough grip to get her attention. [color=steelblue]“You’ve said your piece. Now it’s time you let me talk and tell you how wrong you are.”[/color]

The redhead shook her head, a little more loosely than she normally would, letting her locks swing around like a bobblehead. She craved Nicholas’s touch and yet she tried to pull her wrist away to no avail. [color=#FFA54D]“You had your chances to talk, all of tonight and all this past week.”[/color] Tyler Jane stated, [color=#FFA54D]“But you didn’t, so why should I listen to you now?”[/color]

Nicholas hated it but what she said was the absolute truth. She shouldn’t give him the chance, but all the same, Nicholas [i]needed[/i] her to let him say what he knew in his heart just had to be said. [color=steelblue]“Because I’m not going anywhere. And I want to make things right, TJ. No games, no half-truths or anything,”[/color] Nicholas pleaded to her.

[color=#FFA54D]“Well, I’m going somewhere,”[/color] Tyler Jane pointed towards her dorm room with her cuff adorned wrist. [color=#FFA54D]“You may want to make things right, but I don’t want to hear it. So I’m going to bed.”[/color] Now it truly was the alcohol talking as the redhead finally released herself from Nicholas’ grasp and started to walk towards her room, tripping over her own feet in the process but not completely hitting the ground. 

[color=steelblue]“Jesus Christ,”[/color] Nicholas shook his head and sighed, briskly walking to TJ’s side, helping her up. [color=steelblue]“If you really insist on this, at least let me escort you to your dorm so you don’t harm that perfect face of yours?”[/color] He offered, this time holding out his hand. 

She laughed drunkenly again as he quickly came to her aid… what happened to the whole being a graceful dancer thing when sober? Guess booze really decided to throw that out the window. [color=#FFA54D]“Sure, fine, you can- ooh, you have soft hands.”[/color] Tyler Jane blurted mid-sentence as she laced her fingers in his, but still was able to give him enough approval to help her back to her room. She paused for a moment trying to process the situation- them holding hands, him looking after her, but there was only one question at the moment in time that popped into her head. 

[color=#FFA54D]“So you really think my face is perfect?”[/color][/indent][/indent][/indent][/color]