![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonnefoisTitle: I Pour It On Thick, Then I Pour You Some More
Series: Team Fortress 2
Character/Pairing: Scout/Miss Pauling
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 6557
Summary: After losing her job to the takeover, Miss Pauling finds herself with free time for once. When an old friend pulls her into being the Maid of Honor, she finds one of her former coworkers working the pole for a bachelorette party.
Author's note: one of Scout's conga lines is "I could do this for money." It's a "From Ring of Fired" AU, with some other assorted changes. Sex Bomb by Tom Jones, actually didn't come until the late 90s, but considering that Scout would consider it his personal anthem, I pretend it did.
Some femdommy-ness snuck in.
In a rather obscure line, it was revealed that Scout leaves a lot of messages for Miss Pauling, and she thanks him for them.
Also references This rare contract line.
Title is from Peaches - Relax.
For Madie.
Sophie sat with her back to the wall in the old cafe. Old habits died hard, and she supposed, in this city, anything could happen. She'd gotten used to the cold, the ever-present scent of salt in the air, but she hadn't gotten used to relative safety. Of all her friends, only Penny had stayed in touch, and that was mostly due to the fact that Penny never let up on anything. Back in kindergarten, Penny had ruled with the organization of a dictator in a pink pinafore. It was no surprise that she'd moved on up and right into a mafia family.
They'd been mistaken for siblings, despite their difference in looks. Their connection held just that same edge of fighting and teasing, like any conversation might turn into a standoff. Over the years, Penny had switched from frilly pinafores to pill box hats and suits. Her blond hair was pulled back in a chignon, which mixed messy chic and sophistication.
"How do you like Boston so far?" Penny said.
"I've heard quite a bit about the city, actually," she said.
"Oh, does it live up to the claims?"
Sophie pondered that. Scout was prone to exaggeration, but in this case, he'd been pretty accurate. From the cobblestone paths to brickwork and the docks, Boston had been a beautiful experience, and she hadn't even been here for more than a few days.
"I guess you could say that," Sophie said.
"We've got so much to catch up on," Penny said. "Years, in fact."
Sophie had never been good at small talk, but Penny always did all the talking for her, which summed up their friendship. Sophie forgot dates, didn't call, moved erratically, and yet Penny would manage to always track her down.
Though, her boss had been pretty irritated to have a private eye show up at their top secret base. Former boss, that was. Now, the only top secret was the James Bond novel she'd gotten along the trip. So far, she wasn't much of a fan.
Sophie cleared her throat. "I can't share much, I'm afraid. My job had rules against such things," she said.
"Oh, Sophie. I'm marrying into the Cacciapaglia family. I know about keeping my mouth shut and when not to ask." She raised her tea to her lips and took a sip.
Sophie mimicked zipping her lips. She'd removed too many teeth and tongues for those people who hadn't been so quiet. Mostly hired guns; she'd always covered for Scout's bragging tendencies, and either the Administrator honestly hadn't caught on, or she was turning a blind eye given he was still useful. She never could tell with her boss.
Either way, it didn't matter anymore. Neither of them were employed by Mann co or TF Industries--neither even existed anymore, at least not in the capacity they once had. And she didn't have to worry about Scout blabbing any of their secrets to anyone who would listen--especially a pretty girl.
Her jaw set at the last thought. No more phone calls, more surfing through messages at night from him that she never had time to respond to. Often, that would be her only true non-business form of contact.
She took another sip to take her mind off of the path. The tea had a slightly bitter flavor. It was Scout who took all his drinks with buckets worth of sugar. That wasn't even an exaggeration; she'd seen literal buckets of sugar and caffeine kept around, just for him. In fact, she'd made sure they were kept in stock...for business reasons, of course.
She shook her head, though the bittersweet memories didn't suddenly dislodge and leave her with nothing but logic and tasks at hand. The lack of work gave her far too much time for thinking.
"You look like you sucked on a lemon," Penny said.
"I just remembered something," said.
"Left the oven on?"
"Not quite," Sophie said dryly. "It's nothing, really. Don't worry about it."
"Sooo, how long before work tugs you back?" Penny said. She rested her chin on the palm of her hand, and considered Sophie.
Sophie looked down to her now lukewarm tea. "I have as much time as I want," she said.
"So, what you're telling me is that you've actually got free time?" Penny said.
"Well, being without a job does that," Sophie said, as flippantly as she could manage.
Penny clenched her fist, like she was ready to punch someone out. "Oh, I can't believe they fired you! You worked so hard and put up with so much," Penny said.
"It wasn't personal, the company got taken over and dissolved and, well, here I am," Sophie said. She shrugged. She never thought she'd see the day that Saxton Hale was defeated by a little girl and an army of robots, but stranger things had happened. Usually around Halloween.
"Give me names and I'll make them disappear," Penny said. There was just an edge of steel in her expression. It wasn't just determination that had kept their friendship up when Sophie had only one day a year off. Penny had a ruthlessness that would make the Cacciapaglia family proud.
"I'll keep that in mind," she said.
"Oh, Sophie, this is such good timing! You would've completely missed my wedding otherwise. That means you can be my maid of honor," she said.
Penny never could take no for an answer. Where I'm busy was once the words always on the tip of her tongue, that no longer applied.
"Well, stand-in maid of honor, at least. Kathleen is out of town and is going to miss the bachelorette party. So all you have to do is look at one writhing man on a pole for a couple of hours. Think you can handle that?"
Sophie managed a wry smile. "I'll do my best."
"We have lots to catch up on. But first I've got to sow some 'wild oats' or whatever you call it. Don't tell me you've never been to strippers?"
"I was working," she said.
"Ah, yes. It's always work with you." Penny smiled, and there something deeper, something devious. "Well, no more. I've got plans."
"Plans involving strippers? This is going to be...memorable."
"You'll see," she said. She waved down the waiter at the cafe. The man appeared seconds later. With Penny's presence, the Cacciapaglia family don better watch out there wasn't some kind of takeover.
*
The room was tight and with low, faintly neon lighting fixtures. A large pole was in the middle, surrounded by several booths. At the far edge was a boom box covered in baseball stickers. Somehow in all this cramped space, there was room for a small bar near the door, though the bartender was nowhere in sight. A shame, Sophie would've loved to have a few shots to make this experience more awkward.
It was one thing to read certain types of literature on her own--not that she'd had much time to read since her college days--but surrounded by other women, who she didn't even know? It only made her shift in her seat awkwardly.
"Look at you. You can't even sit still. You're either really excited, or you have to pee," Penny said.
Sophie grimaced. "I'm fine."
"And, here he is," Penny said.
She froze as she saw the stripper come out from the back. Even out of his uniform, she'd recognize him anywhere.
He wore ripped jeans and a shirt that said Sexbomb over the chest in white stylized letters. At the side, she saw the jeans laced up, showing skin between the strings. Out of his loose uniform and in much tighter jeans, she had to admit that he had more muscles than she'd assumed. He smirked as he talked to someone in the back. His hat and headset were gone, likely in some storage unit somewhere, with his duffel bag. He hadn't oiled his hair down, so he had a cowlick in the front, that only added to the mussed up appeal.
Her breath caught. Had it really been six months coming home to an empty answering machine? Six months of realizing that silence wasn't as wonderful as she thought it would be. She clutched her purse tighter. Her heart felt like a jolt of electricity had run through her whole body.
"Scout?" she said incredulously.
"Wait, M-Miss Pauling?"
"Sophie, is he your ex?" Penny said. She faked a scandalized glance; Sophie knew she was just as hungry for gossip as ever.
"No--we used to work together," Sophie said.
"Sophie? Really? That's great, real cute. I ain't ever seen you with your hair down...it's a nice look for you, that's for sure," he said.
She smoothed back her dark hair self-consiously. He watched her, his lips moved as if he was going to say something, but he didn't. Even through the months, she could feel the same crackling tension she'd felt then. And now, there was nothing but a pole and a stage between them. Not code names, not non-disclosure agreements or no fraternity clauses.
"I have a hard time believing this is a coincidence. Did you know about this, Scout?"
Scout vigorously shook his head. "Though I definitely would've had I known. God, Miss Pauling, I ain't seen you in ages."
"Well, I suppose it isn't; I picked him out personally. I figured you'd prefer someone who won't crush you to death, someone more fun-sized, but I had no idea you had history," Penny said.
"That's hardly the point--This is your wedding," she said.
"I've already got my man. Besides, you're the one who hasn't had any loving in a decade," she said.
Sophie held up her hand before Scout could respond.
"Don't say what you're thinking, Scout, don't even start," she said.
"I will say one thing, though---I'm gonna take that as a compliment. I can totally be fun-sized. The word even has fun in it, so it's totally me. Hey, I can kick that pole's ass. I can put on a damn show, I was made to dance."
"He's a feisty one, that's for sure," Penny said.
"This is nothing, you should see him when his team loses," Sophie said.
Penny's eyebrows lifted. "A real sports fan?"
"The biggest." They both said it at once, then looked at each other.
"Finishing each other's sentences? Are you sure you didn't date at some point?"
Scout started to say something, then went quiet. "I don't think that counted."
"It didn't," she said softly. She cleared her throat. "Anyways."
"So he goes by code names, or is it a nickname? Because it didn't say 'Scout' on his name tag," Penny said.
"Well, we used to work on the down low, so I did get a pretty neat code name, like a superhero. Technically, I should have some stripper name, but I'm sorta an apprentice, and I ain't settled on one yet," he said.
"He wasn't very good at the stealth part," Sophie said.
"I can't help it. I ain't made for the spy life. When you're this handsome and charmin', it just all comes out. Like waves of awesome," he said.
"Spy life?" Penny said.
"It's a metaphor—we weren't spies," Sophie cut in.
"If you say so. He's got no problem with self-confidence, I see," Penny said.
"No, he never had that issue," Sophie said.
Well, let's see if you've got anything but talk. Are you ready to put on a show?" Penny said.
"Oh, hell yeah," Liam said.
The rest of the women for the party had arrived, though Sophie had been a little too busy having her past catch up with her to take stock of the rest of the party. Penny was the only one she knew, and her friendship and small talk abilities had all but atrophied. Luckily for her, between Penny keeping her close, and Scout vying for her attention at every opportunity, she had a good excuse to keep the rest of them at arm's length.
He put in a tape deck into the boombox. The pounding beat of a Tom Jones song came on. She'd seen him smirk like that before, blood-covered and filling up the area with more bodies for her to bury. But with distance, and now obstacles, she didn't have to remind herself no fraternization clause, no reason to step away.
He hoisted himself up the pole, and hung upside down, only supported by his thighs. He spun around, coming dangerously close to the floor before catching himself and pulling himself back up. As his shirt started to fall up, he gripped the edge with his mouth. A few of the women let out a gasp, but Sophie could only stare. She knew she was blushing, and she knew that only made him dance harder, dancer more.
He was graceful, like a gymnast as he spun back to the floor. He spun on his heel and arched his back to the pole. He peeled the tight Tim Jones shirt off, and held it up with his teeth to expose his chest again. He winked, and she was sure it was at her. The room suddenly felt that much hotter. He pulled his shirt off the rest of the way and let it fall to the floor.
"You finally get to see me with my shirt off," he said.
One of the women held out a bill. He spun towards her and caught the bill in his mouth. He licked his lips, before stuffing it into what she now realized was a thong.
"Thanks for the tip! Ma will love it. Though I don't tell her what I do for a livin'. She thinks I work as a delivery boy. I'd like to think I am kinda one—one that delivers happy times to everybody watchin', that is!"
"He's doing it for his mother?" Sandra said in an awed whisper.
Sophie's lip curled. If Sandra was any more blatant, she'd be throwing her panties and key to her hotel room to the stage. Sophie attempted to keep her gaze averted, and simply keep watching the show. It was her only job as Maid of Honor, after all.
And ignored that her thumb hand been turning her own key. To make sure she didn't lose it, of course.
Penny leaned in to whisper. "He's pretty flexible, I think I made a good choice."
"It's your bachelorette party, that's all that matters," Sophie said. She didn't meet Penny's gaze, but she just knew Penny was smirking. At this rate, her poker face was almost as bad as Scout's secret keeping skills.
"Uh-huh. Remember in high school, when you had your eye on that popular boy who was such an asshole, but you wouldn't admit it, so you just ignored him and got all prickly whenever he was around--"
"That was years ago!"
"And some things never change. He's got his eye on you, Sophie. Talk about tension," she said.
The room had gotten far too stuffy. Sophie tensed, her hand resting on her gun holster as another woman pulled out a bill. She had to keep reminding herself that couldn't just find reasons to kill all her coworkers like back in TF Industries.
At least, not unless she joined the Cacciapaglia family as an enforcer. Which if her resume didn't pan out, was always an option.
Sophie rose from her seat and slung her purse over her shoulder.
"Aren't you going to enjoy the show?" Penny said.
"I need a drink, and to retouch my makeup," Sophie said.
She'd had a very definite reason to avoid dating him years ago. Complicated work arrangements, barely any free time. To say nothing that he was the type who'd flirt with any girl he saw, nothing more than a wannabe pickup artist.
She supposed that had its draws too. Something uncomplicated, and no strings attached.
But he hadn't said that back then. What I'm trying to say is that I like you, something more like an innocent sweaty-hands first kiss.
Have I really forgotten how to flirt or date anyone? They say muscles atrophy when you don't use them.
She'd almost forgotten what pure lust felt like. She wanted to slam him to the wall and lick his neck, and leave mark after mark on his skin until he was hers.
She had to catch her breath at the thought. She was already getting wet with the show, and the thoughts were only making it worse.
She reapplied her lipstick slowly, and waited for the heat and her heart rate to settle. Her cheeks were still so flushed, Sophie looked like she had a sunburn. If she splashed water on her face, she'd ruin her makeup. And with the time it took to reapply, Sandra would've probably gotten him alone. She wasn't about to let that happen. She'd killed people while blushing before, and she'd do it again.
She returned to the room, and made her way back to her seat. The music had gotten louder, almost overwhelmingly so. She could've sworn the singer was Tom Jones, though she hadn't heard this particularly lewd one. She wasn't surprised that Scout took to it, though. It had just the right about of loud beats which he matched perfectly, and egotism.
Penny leaned in to whisper to her. She just barely caught it above the song, and the sound of some of the women in the line whistling. "When you left, he looked like a kicked puppy. Absolutely devastated. He might not be yours, but he sure wants to be," Penny said.
Technically, they never had gone on that date. They were shades of an almost. A few months of afternoons spent out burying bodies together in the summer heat. The memories of how sweat made his shirt cling to his back, and his cap falling low on his face when he laughed.
"If I told you, you'd probably lock me in a closet with him and say it was for my own good," Sophie said.
"Oh, I knew there was something juicy there," she said. "
"Not exactly," she said.
"A drunken hook-up?" Penny said hopefully.
"He wishes," Sophie said.
And in her more lonely and drunk moments, so did she.
"Well, he sure wants to be, or maybe even more," Penny said. She lifted up her brightly colored drink and took a sip. "You should've seen him. I've never seen someone that flexible. He's a lot stronger than he looks, considering that my little twelve year old cousin has bigger biceps than he does."
"The Australian one?"
"The Californian," Penny said.
Sandra leaned in, her bill in her mouth. This time, Scout took it with his hand.
"If you don't act, someone else is goin' to sink their teeth into him. I don't mean that figuratively, either. Sandra is like a relentless with any guy she wants, and she will hunt him down. I saw her writing down her number while you were in the bathroom."
"She already gave him her number?"
"Not yet, but she will."
Penny held up a bill. "Hey, fun-size. Do you take requests on lapdances?"
"Anythin' for the lady of the night!"
He slid down the pole and gave one last pelvic thrust.
"You want a gift, Sophie? You haven't had a vacation in years, and you're not coworkers anymore," she said.
The familiar resistance came, all the reasons to say no. But none of them were good enough for her, not now.
"That's--You know what, I will. Let's go, Scout. We have some catching up to do."
Scout broke into a big grin. "Sure thing, Miss Pauling! I never thought you'd ask."
*
The back room was much like the front, just more compact, and with a single chair next to a series of poles which honestly looked like a gymnast's than anything else.
When he came back, he wore another pair of black jeans, so tight that they looked painted on. His thighs were thick, muscled, and she couldn't get the image of them tightly wrapped around her waist.
"I have to say, I didn't expect to see you here," she said.
"I know, right? I sure as hell didn't think ten years ago 'you know what I'm goin' to be doin'? Workin' a stripper pole!' It's fun, though," Scout said. He gripped the pole and did a little spin for her benefit.
"I'm sure you love peeling off clothes for a bunch of drunken women," she said.
"Actually, this is my first time. I mean, first mission. Old man Hale keeps stealin' all would-be clients," Scout said.
"Saxton Hale went to be a stripper as well?" Sophie said incredulously.
Scout grimaced. "Yeah, and he steals from all of us hard-workin' guys. All the girls hire him, it's totally not fair. At this point I'm only makin' money in doing coffee runs for the other workers. Just because I don't have Australia-shaped chest hair."
"Well, I'm glad she didn't hire him. He isn't my type. I don't like hairy and bulky guys," Sophie said.
Scout broke into a smile and held out his arms, as if to show off just how not bulky and hairless he was. "I got your number. Actually, I don't---but that can be done later. But, yeah, I can't think of anybody else I'd rather be workin' for than you," Scout said.
Last week, she sure wouldn't have thought this turn of events would've happened, but now, she was glad. There was this anxious, yet giddy fluttering in her stomach. He started of the music and undid the ties at each side of his jeans. He twisted around and straddled the bar between his legs.
There was a horizontal bar hung above the seat. He gripped and held himself up for a moment.
"All that stuff I said with that bread monster? I still mean it. I really missed you. I kept tryin' to call around, but all the guys disbanded and I couldn't get ahold of you."
He held onto the pole just above to keep the brunt of his weight against her. Lithe, and with fluid flexibility, he gyrated and ground against her. Each brush of his skin was electric, full of a heat which woke up feelings which had been slumbering all this time. He gripped the bar and spun, enough for her to see up close the countless scars. She wanted to lick across each and every one, and sign her name along them with her tongue.
"Does this mean I get to touch you, or is there some 'look, but don't touch' clause?" She said huskily.
"Like you gotta friggin' ask! You always got touchin' rights, even if there was some stupid thing," Scout said.
She gripped his shirt, pulled him down to her level, and covered his lips with hers. He writhed against her, with a slutty desperation that made her so wet that she could feel her thighs growing slippery. When he pulled back for air, he stared with such wonder that her heart clenched.
Liam gasped. He buried his head against her shoulder, like he was recovering from an orgasm. If kissing was like this, she couldn't imagine how good finally fucking him would be.
"I wanted that for so long. So damn long, you have no idea," Liam
"Me too," she said.
"For years," Liam said desperately.
She brushed her hands against his waist. The shirt kept her from skin on skin contact.
"Scout, take your shirt off, now," she said. She squared her shoulders, with the most professional and imposing expression she could manage. Liam reacted immediately, with just the hint of perfect submission.
"Anythin' you want," Liam said. He pulled off his shirt and threw it on the floor.
He guided her hand to his chest, until she could feel his heartbeat beneath his palm. He moaned, just slightly, with a hint of vulnerability, and it made it that much hotter. She brushed her hand down his chest, to his abdomen. A tremor inside her grew and grew, until it was almost dizzying. She hadn't experienced wanting like this in so long, not even in her drunkest moments of regretting and seriously considering his offers. In fact, she'd never felt this much anticipation, like she was drenched in lust. A decade's worth of ignoring her body's needs was building up. At this rate, she might very well come long before he even got into her.
He knelt against her and ground against her. She rested her hands against the bulge in his jeans. He was already partly hard. He took a sharp breath as she undid the button, then unzipped his jeans.
She rose from the chair, and Scout moved to accommodate her. His hands hovered just near her waist for a moment, then he drew back. She guided his hands to the buttons. He paused, and tried to work them, but his hands were tangled up in her shirt. She saw something flash over his face just a moment, the same sort of determination that tended to see the other team lost as he sprinted into their base, just out of the range of every rocket and bullets aimed his way. He gripped the sides of her blouse and ripped. The buttons all gave at once. He pulled her to him suddenly, a burst of tension and force as he kissed her. This time, he didn't hold back, and she felt all the passion of over six years of waiting.
She clung to him, moaning into the kiss. She could feel him fully hard now, and couldn't help rubbing against him. When they broke apart breathlessly, she rose up from the chair.
She hooked her fingers in the belt loop of his jeans and pulled down. "Scout, sit down," she commanded.
He was all too eager to obey.
"What, you goin' to dance for me?" Scout said. He gave her a sultry gaze as she stepped out of her skirt.
"Some people call it dancing," she said, her voice low. Her look left him with no question. He peeled off his jeans, and left them wadded on the floor. She climbed up into his lap, and ground enough to elicit another delicious moan from him.
She sucked at the edge of his neck, until the skin turned red beneath her lips. He shuddered beneath her, fully hard now. She leaned in and rubbed her rough lacy bra against him. His hands circled her breasts, and reached to try and work into the cups. Fingertips brushed her nipples, making them harden on contact.
He tugged her panties down hard, enough for the material to ring in his grip. For a moment she had to disentangle herself. She undid the back of her bra, and leaned in, slowly shaking it off, until it fell to the floor.
His thong underwear was the only barrier between them now. She began to rub over his erection, while slowly pulling down on the strings.
"Miss--Miss Pauling---"
"No, say my name."
"Sophie," he gasped.
"Much better," she said.
Sophie pulled his underwear the rest of the way down, all the way to his ankles. Sophie guided his cock into her, until he filled her up. His mouth formed a soundless 'o.' Everything was warmth: his breath against her, his body inside her, and every brush of his skin and hers. She clenched about him, and started to moved her hips in a grind. The chair, thankfully, had been bolted to the chair.
She guided his hands to her clit, and ground against his palm. His eyes widened as he watched her writhe against him, speeding up with the excitement of each contact. It'd been so long since she'd had time to get herself off. Built of tension made her whimper.
His other hand held her steady as he thrust into her slickness. He kept hitting just there, sending a rush of aching, wonderful, throbbing pleasure. She could feel every vein rubbing tight inside her. She was building towards a release faster than she'd ever known.
"Don't you---dare stop," she gasped out. "Not until I come."
"God, you're a goddess--a friggin' queen--"
She'd never had anyone look at her like that, in or out of bed. Adoring, gentle, yet with an edge of passion and lust which only made her feel hotter inside.
"Scout, I---need you," she said, so throaty and low that it was almost lost to the song, but the way he looked at her, she knew he'd heard.
She ground against his palm, so utterly close. She was pushed to the point where every touch was almost too much, almost over stimulation, and yet all she wanted was more. She bent down to nip across his neck, his lips. It was sloppy, lips not quite meeting, and yet so intimate as she came then, right around him, and against him. Her lipstick was all over him, like fingerprints, like a work of art. With each kiss, he became more visibly hers.
All she wanted to do was kiss every inch of him, like filling a canvas.
She clung to him as the first perfect clenching, pulsing sensation started. Then, oh, it was a flood of pleasure that flowed inside her. It was more than a high, but a sweet release she hadn't had in years. She let out a throaty moan, so loud that she almost drowned out the sultry beat of the Tom Jones album.
"Sophie, just give me the order. Please. I can't--hold on---"
"You can come," she said. She rested her head against him as she felt the heat grow more intense.
For a few moments, they just clung to each other with only the tape deck playing in the background. He wrapped both his arms about her waist down and gently stroked her hair.
"Sophie....Sophie..."
"You held on a long time," she said. She leaned in to kiss his chest, just where his heart was, and whispered Good boy. Scout take a sharp intake of breath.
"You're obedient. I like that in a man," she said.
She'd never come that quickly, and was half surprised they hadn't burnt through the floor.
"That was amazing," she said.
Scout just smirked. He'd probably feed his ego for the next decade on that one. She expected a whole bunch of bragging as usual, but he stroked her hair, and looked at her with such a naked gaze, full of tenderness and vulnerability. His thumb rested on her cheek.
"Miss Pauling---Sophie--I really mean it, though. I missed you so much, and all I want to do is take you out. I figured this sort of thing would happen later, but I don't regret it. But, I still really want to take you someplace nice."
"Something I thought I'd never hear from you. Aren't you the guy who 'never could be tied down?'" she said.
"Actually, you heard that wrong. It was the guy who likes to be tied down. Like, with ropes. Handcuffs work, too," Scout said.
"That's good to know. Really good to know," she said.
Scout smiled. "You seem like the type of girl who's got an awesome lasso in her purse, and a gun, and the secret of everythin' in your wallet."
"I think that's the nicest thing anyone ever said about me," Sophie said.
"Oh, I got tons more---But, look--I ain't that anymore. I mean, I'm still awesome as hell, but I ain't flirtin' around. Except for work, though this is the first gig I got. And I'd totally quit it if you don't want me showin' off for anyone else. In fact, if you're goin' to be Sophie from now on, then I should be the same. No more code names, unless we got some kinky roleplayin' goin' on. Do I have to introduce myself again? Because I totally can---really---"
He looked to her so eagerly, and yet with such desperation. His grip on her waist was just a bit tighter, as if she might bolt this time. She rested her head against his chest to listen for what she already knew deep down. His heart was beating so fast. She knew this was no play, no pick up line. This is real.
"No, Liam, I think we're good," she said. She looked up, just to see his lips move. He broke into a smile at the sound of his name, and she felt like smiling too. Something was contagious--the passion, the tenderness, and everything else that came with what they'd finally stumbled into after half a decade of waiting.
"We should probably get dressed, though. If we wait any longer, well, it'll be embarrassing," she said.
Lipstick marks covered his face, neck and chest. Bruises were already starting to form on his neck. He smelled of her perfume, with a faint edge of citrus and flowers. She might as well have written her name across his chest in lipstick.
She filed that thought for later.
She slipped on her bra, and what remained of her underwear. Her shirt was a lost cause, and her hose was headed straight for the trash. It'd look pretty telling for her to come out wearing his shirt. Then again, sneaking out without anyone knowing was a lost cause, so she slipped it on.
"You look so good in my clothes. You look good always, but damn," Liam said.
"You'd look pretty good in my clothes, too," she said mischievously.
"Not as good as you would, but if that's what you want, that's what you'll get," Liam said.
Ropes, heels, and the ability to come after her and dance like that? She hadn't even realized how sexy he could be, and now all she wanted was to explore every single secret, preferably with her tongue.
"Be careful, I just might hold you to your word," Sophie said.
"I ain't afraid of a little skirt. Bring it on," Liam said smugly.
She chuckled, and began to dig through her purse. After some searching, she found her perfume she stored. Usually it was to mask the scent of death, but she'd found a whole other use. She sprayed a bit of perfume between her thighs to mask the scent of sweat and musky sex.
He'd managed to put on the skintight pants by the time she had doused herself down. It was almost a shame she'd missed him putting it on. But, she reminded herself, there would be plenty more in the future days, months and years. "
Hey, Liam. You got some free time? We could go out for dinner after this. I bet you're famished after working so hard."
Liam beamed. "Oh---hell, yeah!" He raised his fist in triumph, and did a bunny hop. It was so cute, she couldn't help but smile.
"Is that your happy dance?"
"Maybe!"
He laughed in sheer joy and leaned down to kiss her. This time, it was far more gentle. The very fact that he could make her come this fast and hard, kiss her hard enough to make her panties wet and enough to send her heart racing (and apparently shared an interest in ropes and heels) made her think why couldn't this have happened years ago?
"After that, we could...do this again," she said mischievously.
Liam's puffed out his chest in pride. He pointed straight to himself, as if she might for a moment get distracted and forget him. "I will dance until you gotta send me to respawn, and then I'm goin' to dance more in like 5 minutes," he said.
"Remember, you aren't immortal anymore. Immoral, but not immortal," she said.
"Baby, be the Bonnie to my Clyde," Liam said.
It was so sweet, yet so perfect. "I've already got a gun in my purse, so we're halfway there. If we're defining this as taking a long vacation, then I'm all for it," she said.
"It can be whatever you want it to be," Liam said.
He offered his hand as she started for the door. She entwined their fingers. He looked about ready to float out there on the power of his sheer joy alone.
*
The room was completely empty, save for Penny. Several chairs had been overturned, and she was certain she saw some shattered glass. Somehow, the music--and her own sexual frustration, and tension--had covered it all.
"Was there a police raid?" Sophie said.
Penny rolled her eyes. "Oh, my fiance and his goons just left. Good thing Liam was with you, or he would've pitched a fit."
"Are you sure about him? He sounds like a jackass," Sophie said.
"Most men are. But, don't worry, if he tries anything, I'll just get another member of the family to make him some cement shoes. I've already got his brother and grandfather on my side."
"If you need help disposing of any evidence, just let me know," Sophie said.
"Oh, that's the kind of work you were doing? You know, if you ever get tired of looking for work, I could give you a reference. It'd be nice working together. Maybe you could even give me some tips," Penny said.
"I'll keep that in mind, but I think I'm just going to enjoy my time off for a little while. I haven't had a vacation in a really long time," Sophie said.
Penny squinted for a moment, and then let out a big grin. "He's got a hickey, I knew it! I knew there was something more there!"
"Holy smokes, girl, you're in deep. I knew it, you were doing the same thing. Acting like you didn't care, but looking like you were going to claw some eyes out whenever a competitor appeared."
"Please, I'd just crack a nail. Screwdrivers are much more efficient when it comes to gouging," Sophie said.
"You'd fit right in with The Family, that's for sure," Penny said.
"So, I see you and Fun-Size got somewhere. And don't try and hide it, he has a whole lot more hickies than when he went in," she said.
"Okay, you win this one," Sophie said.
Penny cuffed her on the shoulder. "I'm absolutely right and you damn well know it. I bet you're getting a stripper pole installed in your apartment, huh?"
"Oh yeah. Right in my bedroom," she said.
She smiled at the memories, ones which she would be sure to repeat very soon.
Liam was back in his usual clothes, but he'd kept the shirt on. "You ready, Sophie?"
"I'm coming," Sophie said.
"Oh, you will be," Scout said. He winked at her.
"He's a keeper. Remember, I'm always right," Penny said.
"Your friend has great advice," Liam said.
Sophie had to admit he was completely right.
Series: Team Fortress 2
Character/Pairing: Scout/Miss Pauling
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 6557
Summary: After losing her job to the takeover, Miss Pauling finds herself with free time for once. When an old friend pulls her into being the Maid of Honor, she finds one of her former coworkers working the pole for a bachelorette party.
Author's note: one of Scout's conga lines is "I could do this for money." It's a "From Ring of Fired" AU, with some other assorted changes. Sex Bomb by Tom Jones, actually didn't come until the late 90s, but considering that Scout would consider it his personal anthem, I pretend it did.
Some femdommy-ness snuck in.
In a rather obscure line, it was revealed that Scout leaves a lot of messages for Miss Pauling, and she thanks him for them.
Also references This rare contract line.
Title is from Peaches - Relax.
For Madie.
Sophie sat with her back to the wall in the old cafe. Old habits died hard, and she supposed, in this city, anything could happen. She'd gotten used to the cold, the ever-present scent of salt in the air, but she hadn't gotten used to relative safety. Of all her friends, only Penny had stayed in touch, and that was mostly due to the fact that Penny never let up on anything. Back in kindergarten, Penny had ruled with the organization of a dictator in a pink pinafore. It was no surprise that she'd moved on up and right into a mafia family.
They'd been mistaken for siblings, despite their difference in looks. Their connection held just that same edge of fighting and teasing, like any conversation might turn into a standoff. Over the years, Penny had switched from frilly pinafores to pill box hats and suits. Her blond hair was pulled back in a chignon, which mixed messy chic and sophistication.
"How do you like Boston so far?" Penny said.
"I've heard quite a bit about the city, actually," she said.
"Oh, does it live up to the claims?"
Sophie pondered that. Scout was prone to exaggeration, but in this case, he'd been pretty accurate. From the cobblestone paths to brickwork and the docks, Boston had been a beautiful experience, and she hadn't even been here for more than a few days.
"I guess you could say that," Sophie said.
"We've got so much to catch up on," Penny said. "Years, in fact."
Sophie had never been good at small talk, but Penny always did all the talking for her, which summed up their friendship. Sophie forgot dates, didn't call, moved erratically, and yet Penny would manage to always track her down.
Though, her boss had been pretty irritated to have a private eye show up at their top secret base. Former boss, that was. Now, the only top secret was the James Bond novel she'd gotten along the trip. So far, she wasn't much of a fan.
Sophie cleared her throat. "I can't share much, I'm afraid. My job had rules against such things," she said.
"Oh, Sophie. I'm marrying into the Cacciapaglia family. I know about keeping my mouth shut and when not to ask." She raised her tea to her lips and took a sip.
Sophie mimicked zipping her lips. She'd removed too many teeth and tongues for those people who hadn't been so quiet. Mostly hired guns; she'd always covered for Scout's bragging tendencies, and either the Administrator honestly hadn't caught on, or she was turning a blind eye given he was still useful. She never could tell with her boss.
Either way, it didn't matter anymore. Neither of them were employed by Mann co or TF Industries--neither even existed anymore, at least not in the capacity they once had. And she didn't have to worry about Scout blabbing any of their secrets to anyone who would listen--especially a pretty girl.
Her jaw set at the last thought. No more phone calls, more surfing through messages at night from him that she never had time to respond to. Often, that would be her only true non-business form of contact.
She took another sip to take her mind off of the path. The tea had a slightly bitter flavor. It was Scout who took all his drinks with buckets worth of sugar. That wasn't even an exaggeration; she'd seen literal buckets of sugar and caffeine kept around, just for him. In fact, she'd made sure they were kept in stock...for business reasons, of course.
She shook her head, though the bittersweet memories didn't suddenly dislodge and leave her with nothing but logic and tasks at hand. The lack of work gave her far too much time for thinking.
"You look like you sucked on a lemon," Penny said.
"I just remembered something," said.
"Left the oven on?"
"Not quite," Sophie said dryly. "It's nothing, really. Don't worry about it."
"Sooo, how long before work tugs you back?" Penny said. She rested her chin on the palm of her hand, and considered Sophie.
Sophie looked down to her now lukewarm tea. "I have as much time as I want," she said.
"So, what you're telling me is that you've actually got free time?" Penny said.
"Well, being without a job does that," Sophie said, as flippantly as she could manage.
Penny clenched her fist, like she was ready to punch someone out. "Oh, I can't believe they fired you! You worked so hard and put up with so much," Penny said.
"It wasn't personal, the company got taken over and dissolved and, well, here I am," Sophie said. She shrugged. She never thought she'd see the day that Saxton Hale was defeated by a little girl and an army of robots, but stranger things had happened. Usually around Halloween.
"Give me names and I'll make them disappear," Penny said. There was just an edge of steel in her expression. It wasn't just determination that had kept their friendship up when Sophie had only one day a year off. Penny had a ruthlessness that would make the Cacciapaglia family proud.
"I'll keep that in mind," she said.
"Oh, Sophie, this is such good timing! You would've completely missed my wedding otherwise. That means you can be my maid of honor," she said.
Penny never could take no for an answer. Where I'm busy was once the words always on the tip of her tongue, that no longer applied.
"Well, stand-in maid of honor, at least. Kathleen is out of town and is going to miss the bachelorette party. So all you have to do is look at one writhing man on a pole for a couple of hours. Think you can handle that?"
Sophie managed a wry smile. "I'll do my best."
"We have lots to catch up on. But first I've got to sow some 'wild oats' or whatever you call it. Don't tell me you've never been to strippers?"
"I was working," she said.
"Ah, yes. It's always work with you." Penny smiled, and there something deeper, something devious. "Well, no more. I've got plans."
"Plans involving strippers? This is going to be...memorable."
"You'll see," she said. She waved down the waiter at the cafe. The man appeared seconds later. With Penny's presence, the Cacciapaglia family don better watch out there wasn't some kind of takeover.
*
The room was tight and with low, faintly neon lighting fixtures. A large pole was in the middle, surrounded by several booths. At the far edge was a boom box covered in baseball stickers. Somehow in all this cramped space, there was room for a small bar near the door, though the bartender was nowhere in sight. A shame, Sophie would've loved to have a few shots to make this experience more awkward.
It was one thing to read certain types of literature on her own--not that she'd had much time to read since her college days--but surrounded by other women, who she didn't even know? It only made her shift in her seat awkwardly.
"Look at you. You can't even sit still. You're either really excited, or you have to pee," Penny said.
Sophie grimaced. "I'm fine."
"And, here he is," Penny said.
She froze as she saw the stripper come out from the back. Even out of his uniform, she'd recognize him anywhere.
He wore ripped jeans and a shirt that said Sexbomb over the chest in white stylized letters. At the side, she saw the jeans laced up, showing skin between the strings. Out of his loose uniform and in much tighter jeans, she had to admit that he had more muscles than she'd assumed. He smirked as he talked to someone in the back. His hat and headset were gone, likely in some storage unit somewhere, with his duffel bag. He hadn't oiled his hair down, so he had a cowlick in the front, that only added to the mussed up appeal.
Her breath caught. Had it really been six months coming home to an empty answering machine? Six months of realizing that silence wasn't as wonderful as she thought it would be. She clutched her purse tighter. Her heart felt like a jolt of electricity had run through her whole body.
"Scout?" she said incredulously.
"Wait, M-Miss Pauling?"
"Sophie, is he your ex?" Penny said. She faked a scandalized glance; Sophie knew she was just as hungry for gossip as ever.
"No--we used to work together," Sophie said.
"Sophie? Really? That's great, real cute. I ain't ever seen you with your hair down...it's a nice look for you, that's for sure," he said.
She smoothed back her dark hair self-consiously. He watched her, his lips moved as if he was going to say something, but he didn't. Even through the months, she could feel the same crackling tension she'd felt then. And now, there was nothing but a pole and a stage between them. Not code names, not non-disclosure agreements or no fraternity clauses.
"I have a hard time believing this is a coincidence. Did you know about this, Scout?"
Scout vigorously shook his head. "Though I definitely would've had I known. God, Miss Pauling, I ain't seen you in ages."
"Well, I suppose it isn't; I picked him out personally. I figured you'd prefer someone who won't crush you to death, someone more fun-sized, but I had no idea you had history," Penny said.
"That's hardly the point--This is your wedding," she said.
"I've already got my man. Besides, you're the one who hasn't had any loving in a decade," she said.
Sophie held up her hand before Scout could respond.
"Don't say what you're thinking, Scout, don't even start," she said.
"I will say one thing, though---I'm gonna take that as a compliment. I can totally be fun-sized. The word even has fun in it, so it's totally me. Hey, I can kick that pole's ass. I can put on a damn show, I was made to dance."
"He's a feisty one, that's for sure," Penny said.
"This is nothing, you should see him when his team loses," Sophie said.
Penny's eyebrows lifted. "A real sports fan?"
"The biggest." They both said it at once, then looked at each other.
"Finishing each other's sentences? Are you sure you didn't date at some point?"
Scout started to say something, then went quiet. "I don't think that counted."
"It didn't," she said softly. She cleared her throat. "Anyways."
"So he goes by code names, or is it a nickname? Because it didn't say 'Scout' on his name tag," Penny said.
"Well, we used to work on the down low, so I did get a pretty neat code name, like a superhero. Technically, I should have some stripper name, but I'm sorta an apprentice, and I ain't settled on one yet," he said.
"He wasn't very good at the stealth part," Sophie said.
"I can't help it. I ain't made for the spy life. When you're this handsome and charmin', it just all comes out. Like waves of awesome," he said.
"Spy life?" Penny said.
"It's a metaphor—we weren't spies," Sophie cut in.
"If you say so. He's got no problem with self-confidence, I see," Penny said.
"No, he never had that issue," Sophie said.
Well, let's see if you've got anything but talk. Are you ready to put on a show?" Penny said.
"Oh, hell yeah," Liam said.
The rest of the women for the party had arrived, though Sophie had been a little too busy having her past catch up with her to take stock of the rest of the party. Penny was the only one she knew, and her friendship and small talk abilities had all but atrophied. Luckily for her, between Penny keeping her close, and Scout vying for her attention at every opportunity, she had a good excuse to keep the rest of them at arm's length.
He put in a tape deck into the boombox. The pounding beat of a Tom Jones song came on. She'd seen him smirk like that before, blood-covered and filling up the area with more bodies for her to bury. But with distance, and now obstacles, she didn't have to remind herself no fraternization clause, no reason to step away.
He hoisted himself up the pole, and hung upside down, only supported by his thighs. He spun around, coming dangerously close to the floor before catching himself and pulling himself back up. As his shirt started to fall up, he gripped the edge with his mouth. A few of the women let out a gasp, but Sophie could only stare. She knew she was blushing, and she knew that only made him dance harder, dancer more.
He was graceful, like a gymnast as he spun back to the floor. He spun on his heel and arched his back to the pole. He peeled the tight Tim Jones shirt off, and held it up with his teeth to expose his chest again. He winked, and she was sure it was at her. The room suddenly felt that much hotter. He pulled his shirt off the rest of the way and let it fall to the floor.
"You finally get to see me with my shirt off," he said.
One of the women held out a bill. He spun towards her and caught the bill in his mouth. He licked his lips, before stuffing it into what she now realized was a thong.
"Thanks for the tip! Ma will love it. Though I don't tell her what I do for a livin'. She thinks I work as a delivery boy. I'd like to think I am kinda one—one that delivers happy times to everybody watchin', that is!"
"He's doing it for his mother?" Sandra said in an awed whisper.
Sophie's lip curled. If Sandra was any more blatant, she'd be throwing her panties and key to her hotel room to the stage. Sophie attempted to keep her gaze averted, and simply keep watching the show. It was her only job as Maid of Honor, after all.
And ignored that her thumb hand been turning her own key. To make sure she didn't lose it, of course.
Penny leaned in to whisper. "He's pretty flexible, I think I made a good choice."
"It's your bachelorette party, that's all that matters," Sophie said. She didn't meet Penny's gaze, but she just knew Penny was smirking. At this rate, her poker face was almost as bad as Scout's secret keeping skills.
"Uh-huh. Remember in high school, when you had your eye on that popular boy who was such an asshole, but you wouldn't admit it, so you just ignored him and got all prickly whenever he was around--"
"That was years ago!"
"And some things never change. He's got his eye on you, Sophie. Talk about tension," she said.
The room had gotten far too stuffy. Sophie tensed, her hand resting on her gun holster as another woman pulled out a bill. She had to keep reminding herself that couldn't just find reasons to kill all her coworkers like back in TF Industries.
At least, not unless she joined the Cacciapaglia family as an enforcer. Which if her resume didn't pan out, was always an option.
Sophie rose from her seat and slung her purse over her shoulder.
"Aren't you going to enjoy the show?" Penny said.
"I need a drink, and to retouch my makeup," Sophie said.
She'd had a very definite reason to avoid dating him years ago. Complicated work arrangements, barely any free time. To say nothing that he was the type who'd flirt with any girl he saw, nothing more than a wannabe pickup artist.
She supposed that had its draws too. Something uncomplicated, and no strings attached.
But he hadn't said that back then. What I'm trying to say is that I like you, something more like an innocent sweaty-hands first kiss.
Have I really forgotten how to flirt or date anyone? They say muscles atrophy when you don't use them.
She'd almost forgotten what pure lust felt like. She wanted to slam him to the wall and lick his neck, and leave mark after mark on his skin until he was hers.
She had to catch her breath at the thought. She was already getting wet with the show, and the thoughts were only making it worse.
She reapplied her lipstick slowly, and waited for the heat and her heart rate to settle. Her cheeks were still so flushed, Sophie looked like she had a sunburn. If she splashed water on her face, she'd ruin her makeup. And with the time it took to reapply, Sandra would've probably gotten him alone. She wasn't about to let that happen. She'd killed people while blushing before, and she'd do it again.
She returned to the room, and made her way back to her seat. The music had gotten louder, almost overwhelmingly so. She could've sworn the singer was Tom Jones, though she hadn't heard this particularly lewd one. She wasn't surprised that Scout took to it, though. It had just the right about of loud beats which he matched perfectly, and egotism.
Penny leaned in to whisper to her. She just barely caught it above the song, and the sound of some of the women in the line whistling. "When you left, he looked like a kicked puppy. Absolutely devastated. He might not be yours, but he sure wants to be," Penny said.
Technically, they never had gone on that date. They were shades of an almost. A few months of afternoons spent out burying bodies together in the summer heat. The memories of how sweat made his shirt cling to his back, and his cap falling low on his face when he laughed.
"If I told you, you'd probably lock me in a closet with him and say it was for my own good," Sophie said.
"Oh, I knew there was something juicy there," she said. "
"Not exactly," she said.
"A drunken hook-up?" Penny said hopefully.
"He wishes," Sophie said.
And in her more lonely and drunk moments, so did she.
"Well, he sure wants to be, or maybe even more," Penny said. She lifted up her brightly colored drink and took a sip. "You should've seen him. I've never seen someone that flexible. He's a lot stronger than he looks, considering that my little twelve year old cousin has bigger biceps than he does."
"The Australian one?"
"The Californian," Penny said.
Sandra leaned in, her bill in her mouth. This time, Scout took it with his hand.
"If you don't act, someone else is goin' to sink their teeth into him. I don't mean that figuratively, either. Sandra is like a relentless with any guy she wants, and she will hunt him down. I saw her writing down her number while you were in the bathroom."
"She already gave him her number?"
"Not yet, but she will."
Penny held up a bill. "Hey, fun-size. Do you take requests on lapdances?"
"Anythin' for the lady of the night!"
He slid down the pole and gave one last pelvic thrust.
"You want a gift, Sophie? You haven't had a vacation in years, and you're not coworkers anymore," she said.
The familiar resistance came, all the reasons to say no. But none of them were good enough for her, not now.
"That's--You know what, I will. Let's go, Scout. We have some catching up to do."
Scout broke into a big grin. "Sure thing, Miss Pauling! I never thought you'd ask."
*
The back room was much like the front, just more compact, and with a single chair next to a series of poles which honestly looked like a gymnast's than anything else.
When he came back, he wore another pair of black jeans, so tight that they looked painted on. His thighs were thick, muscled, and she couldn't get the image of them tightly wrapped around her waist.
"I have to say, I didn't expect to see you here," she said.
"I know, right? I sure as hell didn't think ten years ago 'you know what I'm goin' to be doin'? Workin' a stripper pole!' It's fun, though," Scout said. He gripped the pole and did a little spin for her benefit.
"I'm sure you love peeling off clothes for a bunch of drunken women," she said.
"Actually, this is my first time. I mean, first mission. Old man Hale keeps stealin' all would-be clients," Scout said.
"Saxton Hale went to be a stripper as well?" Sophie said incredulously.
Scout grimaced. "Yeah, and he steals from all of us hard-workin' guys. All the girls hire him, it's totally not fair. At this point I'm only makin' money in doing coffee runs for the other workers. Just because I don't have Australia-shaped chest hair."
"Well, I'm glad she didn't hire him. He isn't my type. I don't like hairy and bulky guys," Sophie said.
Scout broke into a smile and held out his arms, as if to show off just how not bulky and hairless he was. "I got your number. Actually, I don't---but that can be done later. But, yeah, I can't think of anybody else I'd rather be workin' for than you," Scout said.
Last week, she sure wouldn't have thought this turn of events would've happened, but now, she was glad. There was this anxious, yet giddy fluttering in her stomach. He started of the music and undid the ties at each side of his jeans. He twisted around and straddled the bar between his legs.
There was a horizontal bar hung above the seat. He gripped and held himself up for a moment.
"All that stuff I said with that bread monster? I still mean it. I really missed you. I kept tryin' to call around, but all the guys disbanded and I couldn't get ahold of you."
He held onto the pole just above to keep the brunt of his weight against her. Lithe, and with fluid flexibility, he gyrated and ground against her. Each brush of his skin was electric, full of a heat which woke up feelings which had been slumbering all this time. He gripped the bar and spun, enough for her to see up close the countless scars. She wanted to lick across each and every one, and sign her name along them with her tongue.
"Does this mean I get to touch you, or is there some 'look, but don't touch' clause?" She said huskily.
"Like you gotta friggin' ask! You always got touchin' rights, even if there was some stupid thing," Scout said.
She gripped his shirt, pulled him down to her level, and covered his lips with hers. He writhed against her, with a slutty desperation that made her so wet that she could feel her thighs growing slippery. When he pulled back for air, he stared with such wonder that her heart clenched.
Liam gasped. He buried his head against her shoulder, like he was recovering from an orgasm. If kissing was like this, she couldn't imagine how good finally fucking him would be.
"I wanted that for so long. So damn long, you have no idea," Liam
"Me too," she said.
"For years," Liam said desperately.
She brushed her hands against his waist. The shirt kept her from skin on skin contact.
"Scout, take your shirt off, now," she said. She squared her shoulders, with the most professional and imposing expression she could manage. Liam reacted immediately, with just the hint of perfect submission.
"Anythin' you want," Liam said. He pulled off his shirt and threw it on the floor.
He guided her hand to his chest, until she could feel his heartbeat beneath his palm. He moaned, just slightly, with a hint of vulnerability, and it made it that much hotter. She brushed her hand down his chest, to his abdomen. A tremor inside her grew and grew, until it was almost dizzying. She hadn't experienced wanting like this in so long, not even in her drunkest moments of regretting and seriously considering his offers. In fact, she'd never felt this much anticipation, like she was drenched in lust. A decade's worth of ignoring her body's needs was building up. At this rate, she might very well come long before he even got into her.
He knelt against her and ground against her. She rested her hands against the bulge in his jeans. He was already partly hard. He took a sharp breath as she undid the button, then unzipped his jeans.
She rose from the chair, and Scout moved to accommodate her. His hands hovered just near her waist for a moment, then he drew back. She guided his hands to the buttons. He paused, and tried to work them, but his hands were tangled up in her shirt. She saw something flash over his face just a moment, the same sort of determination that tended to see the other team lost as he sprinted into their base, just out of the range of every rocket and bullets aimed his way. He gripped the sides of her blouse and ripped. The buttons all gave at once. He pulled her to him suddenly, a burst of tension and force as he kissed her. This time, he didn't hold back, and she felt all the passion of over six years of waiting.
She clung to him, moaning into the kiss. She could feel him fully hard now, and couldn't help rubbing against him. When they broke apart breathlessly, she rose up from the chair.
She hooked her fingers in the belt loop of his jeans and pulled down. "Scout, sit down," she commanded.
He was all too eager to obey.
"What, you goin' to dance for me?" Scout said. He gave her a sultry gaze as she stepped out of her skirt.
"Some people call it dancing," she said, her voice low. Her look left him with no question. He peeled off his jeans, and left them wadded on the floor. She climbed up into his lap, and ground enough to elicit another delicious moan from him.
She sucked at the edge of his neck, until the skin turned red beneath her lips. He shuddered beneath her, fully hard now. She leaned in and rubbed her rough lacy bra against him. His hands circled her breasts, and reached to try and work into the cups. Fingertips brushed her nipples, making them harden on contact.
He tugged her panties down hard, enough for the material to ring in his grip. For a moment she had to disentangle herself. She undid the back of her bra, and leaned in, slowly shaking it off, until it fell to the floor.
His thong underwear was the only barrier between them now. She began to rub over his erection, while slowly pulling down on the strings.
"Miss--Miss Pauling---"
"No, say my name."
"Sophie," he gasped.
"Much better," she said.
Sophie pulled his underwear the rest of the way down, all the way to his ankles. Sophie guided his cock into her, until he filled her up. His mouth formed a soundless 'o.' Everything was warmth: his breath against her, his body inside her, and every brush of his skin and hers. She clenched about him, and started to moved her hips in a grind. The chair, thankfully, had been bolted to the chair.
She guided his hands to her clit, and ground against his palm. His eyes widened as he watched her writhe against him, speeding up with the excitement of each contact. It'd been so long since she'd had time to get herself off. Built of tension made her whimper.
His other hand held her steady as he thrust into her slickness. He kept hitting just there, sending a rush of aching, wonderful, throbbing pleasure. She could feel every vein rubbing tight inside her. She was building towards a release faster than she'd ever known.
"Don't you---dare stop," she gasped out. "Not until I come."
"God, you're a goddess--a friggin' queen--"
She'd never had anyone look at her like that, in or out of bed. Adoring, gentle, yet with an edge of passion and lust which only made her feel hotter inside.
"Scout, I---need you," she said, so throaty and low that it was almost lost to the song, but the way he looked at her, she knew he'd heard.
She ground against his palm, so utterly close. She was pushed to the point where every touch was almost too much, almost over stimulation, and yet all she wanted was more. She bent down to nip across his neck, his lips. It was sloppy, lips not quite meeting, and yet so intimate as she came then, right around him, and against him. Her lipstick was all over him, like fingerprints, like a work of art. With each kiss, he became more visibly hers.
All she wanted to do was kiss every inch of him, like filling a canvas.
She clung to him as the first perfect clenching, pulsing sensation started. Then, oh, it was a flood of pleasure that flowed inside her. It was more than a high, but a sweet release she hadn't had in years. She let out a throaty moan, so loud that she almost drowned out the sultry beat of the Tom Jones album.
"Sophie, just give me the order. Please. I can't--hold on---"
"You can come," she said. She rested her head against him as she felt the heat grow more intense.
For a few moments, they just clung to each other with only the tape deck playing in the background. He wrapped both his arms about her waist down and gently stroked her hair.
"Sophie....Sophie..."
"You held on a long time," she said. She leaned in to kiss his chest, just where his heart was, and whispered Good boy. Scout take a sharp intake of breath.
"You're obedient. I like that in a man," she said.
She'd never come that quickly, and was half surprised they hadn't burnt through the floor.
"That was amazing," she said.
Scout just smirked. He'd probably feed his ego for the next decade on that one. She expected a whole bunch of bragging as usual, but he stroked her hair, and looked at her with such a naked gaze, full of tenderness and vulnerability. His thumb rested on her cheek.
"Miss Pauling---Sophie--I really mean it, though. I missed you so much, and all I want to do is take you out. I figured this sort of thing would happen later, but I don't regret it. But, I still really want to take you someplace nice."
"Something I thought I'd never hear from you. Aren't you the guy who 'never could be tied down?'" she said.
"Actually, you heard that wrong. It was the guy who likes to be tied down. Like, with ropes. Handcuffs work, too," Scout said.
"That's good to know. Really good to know," she said.
Scout smiled. "You seem like the type of girl who's got an awesome lasso in her purse, and a gun, and the secret of everythin' in your wallet."
"I think that's the nicest thing anyone ever said about me," Sophie said.
"Oh, I got tons more---But, look--I ain't that anymore. I mean, I'm still awesome as hell, but I ain't flirtin' around. Except for work, though this is the first gig I got. And I'd totally quit it if you don't want me showin' off for anyone else. In fact, if you're goin' to be Sophie from now on, then I should be the same. No more code names, unless we got some kinky roleplayin' goin' on. Do I have to introduce myself again? Because I totally can---really---"
He looked to her so eagerly, and yet with such desperation. His grip on her waist was just a bit tighter, as if she might bolt this time. She rested her head against his chest to listen for what she already knew deep down. His heart was beating so fast. She knew this was no play, no pick up line. This is real.
"No, Liam, I think we're good," she said. She looked up, just to see his lips move. He broke into a smile at the sound of his name, and she felt like smiling too. Something was contagious--the passion, the tenderness, and everything else that came with what they'd finally stumbled into after half a decade of waiting.
"We should probably get dressed, though. If we wait any longer, well, it'll be embarrassing," she said.
Lipstick marks covered his face, neck and chest. Bruises were already starting to form on his neck. He smelled of her perfume, with a faint edge of citrus and flowers. She might as well have written her name across his chest in lipstick.
She filed that thought for later.
She slipped on her bra, and what remained of her underwear. Her shirt was a lost cause, and her hose was headed straight for the trash. It'd look pretty telling for her to come out wearing his shirt. Then again, sneaking out without anyone knowing was a lost cause, so she slipped it on.
"You look so good in my clothes. You look good always, but damn," Liam said.
"You'd look pretty good in my clothes, too," she said mischievously.
"Not as good as you would, but if that's what you want, that's what you'll get," Liam said.
Ropes, heels, and the ability to come after her and dance like that? She hadn't even realized how sexy he could be, and now all she wanted was to explore every single secret, preferably with her tongue.
"Be careful, I just might hold you to your word," Sophie said.
"I ain't afraid of a little skirt. Bring it on," Liam said smugly.
She chuckled, and began to dig through her purse. After some searching, she found her perfume she stored. Usually it was to mask the scent of death, but she'd found a whole other use. She sprayed a bit of perfume between her thighs to mask the scent of sweat and musky sex.
He'd managed to put on the skintight pants by the time she had doused herself down. It was almost a shame she'd missed him putting it on. But, she reminded herself, there would be plenty more in the future days, months and years. "
Hey, Liam. You got some free time? We could go out for dinner after this. I bet you're famished after working so hard."
Liam beamed. "Oh---hell, yeah!" He raised his fist in triumph, and did a bunny hop. It was so cute, she couldn't help but smile.
"Is that your happy dance?"
"Maybe!"
He laughed in sheer joy and leaned down to kiss her. This time, it was far more gentle. The very fact that he could make her come this fast and hard, kiss her hard enough to make her panties wet and enough to send her heart racing (and apparently shared an interest in ropes and heels) made her think why couldn't this have happened years ago?
"After that, we could...do this again," she said mischievously.
Liam's puffed out his chest in pride. He pointed straight to himself, as if she might for a moment get distracted and forget him. "I will dance until you gotta send me to respawn, and then I'm goin' to dance more in like 5 minutes," he said.
"Remember, you aren't immortal anymore. Immoral, but not immortal," she said.
"Baby, be the Bonnie to my Clyde," Liam said.
It was so sweet, yet so perfect. "I've already got a gun in my purse, so we're halfway there. If we're defining this as taking a long vacation, then I'm all for it," she said.
"It can be whatever you want it to be," Liam said.
He offered his hand as she started for the door. She entwined their fingers. He looked about ready to float out there on the power of his sheer joy alone.
*
The room was completely empty, save for Penny. Several chairs had been overturned, and she was certain she saw some shattered glass. Somehow, the music--and her own sexual frustration, and tension--had covered it all.
"Was there a police raid?" Sophie said.
Penny rolled her eyes. "Oh, my fiance and his goons just left. Good thing Liam was with you, or he would've pitched a fit."
"Are you sure about him? He sounds like a jackass," Sophie said.
"Most men are. But, don't worry, if he tries anything, I'll just get another member of the family to make him some cement shoes. I've already got his brother and grandfather on my side."
"If you need help disposing of any evidence, just let me know," Sophie said.
"Oh, that's the kind of work you were doing? You know, if you ever get tired of looking for work, I could give you a reference. It'd be nice working together. Maybe you could even give me some tips," Penny said.
"I'll keep that in mind, but I think I'm just going to enjoy my time off for a little while. I haven't had a vacation in a really long time," Sophie said.
Penny squinted for a moment, and then let out a big grin. "He's got a hickey, I knew it! I knew there was something more there!"
"Holy smokes, girl, you're in deep. I knew it, you were doing the same thing. Acting like you didn't care, but looking like you were going to claw some eyes out whenever a competitor appeared."
"Please, I'd just crack a nail. Screwdrivers are much more efficient when it comes to gouging," Sophie said.
"You'd fit right in with The Family, that's for sure," Penny said.
"So, I see you and Fun-Size got somewhere. And don't try and hide it, he has a whole lot more hickies than when he went in," she said.
"Okay, you win this one," Sophie said.
Penny cuffed her on the shoulder. "I'm absolutely right and you damn well know it. I bet you're getting a stripper pole installed in your apartment, huh?"
"Oh yeah. Right in my bedroom," she said.
She smiled at the memories, ones which she would be sure to repeat very soon.
Liam was back in his usual clothes, but he'd kept the shirt on. "You ready, Sophie?"
"I'm coming," Sophie said.
"Oh, you will be," Scout said. He winked at her.
"He's a keeper. Remember, I'm always right," Penny said.
"Your friend has great advice," Liam said.
Sophie had to admit he was completely right.
