Work Text:
The Arcanum Club
It was late in the evening as Norma stepped outside the motel office and onto the paved walkway, she was close to heading up to the house and calling it a night. Suddenly, a distinct voice called her name in the distance, her body twisting rapidly to face it. To her surprise, there stood Alex, one hand shutting his truck as the other waved her down.
She immediately paced down the walkway towards him, a large smile on her face as her heels clicked on the ground. “You hiding a body in there or something?” she asked, a mild laugh escaping her lips.
For a millisecond she could’ve sworn he smiled, but it had to be her imagination. “No, Norma. I’m actually uh...I just packed the last of my things from my room. You’d be amazed how much stuff you can accumulate in a motel room over three months,” he offered up, a true grin cracking on his thin lips.
The last of his things? Was Alex really leaving her motel? No. No, there was no way he could go anywhere. Just as she was finally feeling safe in her own home environment, Alex had to up and leave. “You’re leaving?” she asked, her voice somber as well as the look on her face.
He nodded and looked off in the distance, “Yeah, the new house is finally ready and refurbished.” His fingers moved to his jacket pocket, pulling a check out and pressing it her way. “This is for my time spent here.”
Immediately, she shook her head and made a sound of utter disapprovement. “No, I am not taking that,” she said, her arms folded tight across her chest.
“Norma, yes you are,” he forced, holding it even closer to her.
She only shook her head and waved it away, “No, you are a family friend and I’m not taking your money.”
Family friend? He thought to himself about the words that left her lips, it was sweet of her to refer towards him in such a way. God knows his family wasn’t exactly all there, it was nice to know he could be apart of something...especially with her. But he wouldn’t let that screw with him, she was going to accept his check and move on. “Norma, the new bypass is gonna be finished tomorrow, cars are ready to start driving on it. You are going to need this. And I will not take no for an answer,” he pressed, her hand still pushing the check towards her.
Norma let out a tired sigh and looked back to him, finally taking the check from his hands and looking down at the price. She looked back at him to make sure he wasn’t making a mistake. “Thank you,” she murmured, her eyes glittery as they met his own.
“Yeah, it’s not a problem,” he said, with his eyes now looking down at the concrete. A loud thunderclap from the distance made his head jerk to the right, his focus in the distance. “Well uh...thank you for everything, I really appreciate your help.”
“Yeah, sure, sure,” she smiled, her grin wide and toothy as she looked him up and down. The tension between them was awkward, different, she never felt this way around him before. It was obvious that he didn’t either. She could tell in his eyes, there was something new about the look he was giving her.
“I’ll um, I’ll see you around then?” he offered, a tiny smile gracing his lips.
“Of course,” she agreed. In three years, she never imagined they could have a light, normal conversation with one another. It was so nice, better than the constant interrogations and accusations he awarded her.
She was surprised to see him offer out his hand, but just as he was about to shake, he moved his arms into a small circle. Did he want a hug? From her? She would never refuse that, especially with all he did for her. She reached forward, the grin still on her face, as she pulled him into her embrace. Her nose nuzzled into his neck, getting a clean scent from his aftershave.
His hands played up and down her back, the more he hugged, the more comfortable he became. Holding her in his arms just seemed right...it was like she belonged there. After a few seconds, he slowly pulled away, his mouth close to her own. He couldn’t help it, he had to do it. His hands cupped her cheeks as the smile stayed on his lips, his thumb stroking up and down.
She knew what he wanted, immediately she leaned up, meeting her lips with his, no hesitation in between. He eagerly kissed back, it felt like he had wanted to do it for a long time. Her hands fell to his upper back, clutching him like a lifeline. She cocked her head to the side and let herself enjoy the feel of his lips.
His hand drifted to her backside, squeezing gently before pulling his face away from hers with a smile on his face. She smiled wider and let her hands fall to the back of his head.
“Norma…” he began, his smile growing much bigger. His voice was soft and gentle, it was like he was speaking to a child. Norma retaliated and raised an eyebrow, “Yes?”.
“I just...I didn’t expect that. I wish you would’ve done that two months ago as oppose to right now.”
“Well, how about this? We could go back to your new place, I could help you get all set up and unpacked. And then maybe we could christen your new home?” she offered, her smile now turning sly and devilish.
He nodded, the same expression written on his face. Lust, arousal, and utter want filled him. “That sounds perfect,” he mumbled, leaning down to drop another kiss on her lips.
“Let’s go, then”.