Steaming waters [Syd]

[Rodrigo Santos]

This sucked. THIS sucked. This SUUUUUUCKED.

"This sucks!" 

Rod complained from his spot on the ground, his book on top of his face as he laid down stretched out on the grass. He'd been trying to study, honest! but it was just SO boring. So they'd been trying to get him to do some work. They of course, meaning his tutor and himself. At first, the deal seemed to be actually pretty sweet. He would get to make out with her and she would force him into doing stuff he didn't want to. The kissing was awesome, but this part? The actual studying? That was the very hard part. 

"I'm booooored." He moaned again, his voice muffled from the book. Maybe he was acting a little bit childish, but just put yourself in his shoes. He had to catch up with the rest of his class. That meant he had to do extra homework, study all past subjects and, for some reason, read a lot of shitty books. And this was all his tutor's fault, really. At least it was in his head. So he'd been trying his best to be as annoying as possible. And it wasn't like he was being annoying to get her to kiss him again. Okay, he wasn't JUST being annoying to get her to kiss him again. He wanted some sort of revenge, so he wanted to ruffle her feathers by being as annoying and acting as miffed as possible. So he knew she liked studying, so he said "Studying is for losers." He knew she liked reading, so "There's nothing worse than reading." He knew she liked learning, so "Learning sucks." He wasn't particularly creative, but he was trying his best to get her so annoyed she would call off the study session. 

"I'm tired." He added, though he hadn't done much work at all but read a couple of paragraphs. "I want a break." He turned to grin at her from under the book, wondering if his childish act was working. Plus, he sort of wanted attention and she was so good at not giving it. Still, he was going to be as pushy as he could to get what he wanted. 

[Sydney Emerson]

"You can say that as many times as you want, but that's not going to get it done any faster nor is it going to make it go away," she said in a tone of exasperation.

She had learned a lot from their first attempt at studying. For one, he didn't do well with libraries. So they'd moved outside. Second, he was easily distracted, so the more isolated the better. Thus why they were by the pond today. Yet, it didn't seem to be making any difference. All he was doing was complaining. Over and over and over. The same things. He was bored. This was torture. He hated it. He thought it was stupid.

It was grating on her nerves.

While he laid back on the ground, book covering his face, she sat crosslegged beside him, book in her lap. "Rod, seriously. You're making this far more painful than it needs to be," she said, her frustration growing more obvious in her voice. She was trying to be patient, but he wasn't even making an effort at this point it seemed. Instead he was acting like a child. Sydney had never had patience for children, even when she was one. Such antics were even more annoying now.

"How can you be tired? You haven't done anything except lay there and complain!" she snapped. Sydney sighed heavily, pressing her fingers to her temples for a moment before raking them through her hair. She could do this. She just needed to be patient. Then he asked for a break, giving her that grin that meant... well, it meant he wasn't thinking of studying. As much as it made her blush slightly when she realized precisely what he was thinking of, it also only annoyed her further.

"No. Not going to happen. So far all you have done is waste my time. Until you make some kind of progress, no breaks." The nerve of him to even try. She had a job to do and just because he was teaching her new things, didn't mean she was going to neglect her duty. "Now, would please just focus so we can get through this?"

[Rodrigo Santos]

He frowned from under the book. It wasn't working! He sighed, pulling the book upwards with his arms, still looking grumpy as he glared at the stupid thing as if it was at fault for everything. She blamed him for making it more painful. "This is as painful as it gets without my help." He grumbled, still glaring up at the words. He groaned again and dropped the book back on his face. "So horrible."

She scolded him again and he turned sideways on the grass, stretching out, his book now dropping to the grass next to his head. "My eyes hurt." He complained though it was obvious it wasn't true. "That's why I'm tired." He moved closer to her, laying on the grass and looking up lazily. She was so beautiful, with her dark hair and dark eyes, and still her skin was paler than his. He smiled up at her, openly staring. It was easy to do it. Plus, he's been annoying her enough to get that cute expression she got whenever she got angry at him.

He sighed, looking down at her jeans and frowning. He hated cold weather, only because he wanted her to wear skirts or shorts or dresses or anything that would let him feel her skin. He still raised a hand and placed it on her knee, gently tapping her with is fingers. She was so small, and his hand on her was proof of that. A petite, short, small, sexy girl who looked just so hot when angry and nagging.

She said no breaks and he pouted up at her, but he wasn't expecting anything other than that. She was just so stubborn. He knew she wanted to make out as well, so he slightly squeezed her leg, smiling up innocently at her. "We could get through it after we had a break." He said, licking his lips at the anticipation of a kiss. "Can't focus, princesa." He said, trying again, "Come ooon. Just to get it off my mind. Then we'll study. Promise." He had no intention of keeping that promise, but he was desperate enough to lie about it. Besides, he wanted her to know who was in control here. He felt he was at least...He hoped he was at least.

[Sydney Emerson]

"What did I tell you about mistreating your books?" she grumbled as he lifted it up only to drop it on his face. The only bright side was it probably hurt his face as much as it risked damaging the book. "The only thing making it so horrible is your own mindset. If you decide to be negative about it from the start, of course you're going to think that." It was a simple concept to grasp really, so why was he being so stubborn. He knew that he needed to do it, so why couldn't he just do it?

She bit her lower lip a moment as he complained that his eyes hurt. When she glanced over at him she saw that he had rolled over on his side and was staring up at her. "How can your eyes hurt when you've barely even looked at your book?" she chided, though her voice was softer now, and a hint of a smile was forming on her lips. She knew that distractions were bad and yet... she kind of had come to like the way he looked at her. She didn't really understand what that feeling meant, but it made her smile so it couldn't be that bad.

With a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes she looked back at the book, skimming the pages, trying to think of a way to redirect his focus. There had to be something she just hadn't thought of yet. Maybe he did have a tendency to drive her mad, but he was a challenge, in more ways than one. As a student and a person... he was like a puzzle she was constantly on the cusp of figuring out. Yet every time she thought she understood, she merely discovered something new and just as perplexing.

His hand found her knee then and without thinking, she laid her hand lightly on top of his. A moment later her gaze shifted, noticing once more just how different they were. Their personalities might as well have been night and day - such had been obvious from the moment they met. Even their statures seemed to be opposite sides of a spectrum. He was so much larger than her - in height, build... even his hands. His hand dwarfed hers easily. Her finger traced a light pattern on the back of his hand absently as her thoughts wandered for a moment, though his voice drew her attention once more.

The squeeze of his hand on her knee brought her face to his pouting face, expecting as much. He kept insisting on a break - and they both knew what he really meant by that - but she was serious about refusing. Even if the way he called her princesa made her resolve melt ever so slightly. "Rod..." she groaned softly. She felt the twinge of insincerity as he promised to study after. Not that she needed to be an empath to know he wasn't being serious. "No. I mean it. We both know the only way you're getting anything productive done is if you do it first. Once you get... distracted... well, you never focus on anything else after that."

Sydney straightened her back slightly then. "Come on, you know you have to catch up if you want to graduate on time. You don't have that much more to do. Just finish this chapter and then I'll let you have a break," she pleaded. Everything was a negotiation with him it seemed. Still, she hoped he might agree, just once.

[Rodrigo Santos]

Rod pouted as she scolded him for his book. "Hey, it's my book. I treat it like I want to treat it." He leaned closer to her, still grumbling under his breath "It's just a book..." And how she cared more about it than she did him. What did he care if she cared anyway? All he wanted was a break.

She asked why his eyes hurt, still trying to scold him, but he saw that sweet smile of hers. He was getting to her! "It's the cold." He said with a whine. "Ya know what'll be good to warm up?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully, hoping she would get what he meant. "A break." Of course. He leaned closer and rested his forehead against her leg, smiling and closing his eyes at the warmth. Her hand was now on his and his smile widened. It felt peaceful, despite the fact that she insisted on him studying.

She groaned and then started to negotiate. Now THAT he could get down with. He raised his head, grinning at her, proud that he'd gotten at least something out of the interaction. "One chapter?" He repeated her offer, just to make it clear. "So I read ONE chapter and I- we get a break? A nice LONG break?" He was grinning widely, licking his lips once more. Oh yeah, he could do one chapter. "Deal, princesa." He said, turning to grab his book once more.

Instead of laying back down, he moved to rest his head on her thigh, grinning up at her as he did so. "Helps study." He added, though he knew it wasn't true. So he could at least get some physical contact as he read, even if it was as little as having his head on her lap. "Reading." He added, just to let her know he was doing his part of the deal. Now for her to keep her part too...

[Sydney Emerson]

There he went pouting again. Unfortunately for her, it was almost endearing. "Technically, the book belongs to the school, and you have to give it back at the end of the year in good condition or they make you pay for it," she pointed out with a slightly smug grin.

"Well, if the cold is what's bothering you, we could always go indoors. The lounge or something maybe," she responded instantly. She quickly flushed though as he continued speaking and she realized what he was doing. His forehead pressed against her leg which only made her blush all the more. "Oh," she said softly. "I suppose that's one method," she continued, almost shyly.

His mood changed instantly as she began to try to convince him to do at least a little work first. Funny how he could put effort into earning a break, but not into actually doing the work. Still, his enthusiasm was infectious - quite literally given her ability - and she couldn't deny the wry smile that came to her lips. "Yes, if you finish the chapter and actually read it... then we can take a break," she agreed. "But don't think I won't test you later to make sure you really read it," she teased. Funny how quickly he could become motivated when kissing was promised.

She laughed softly as he rested his head on her thigh with a grin as wide as could be, insisting it helped with the studying. "If you say so." Her hand shifted, resting gently on his shoulder so it was out of the way. Besides, she rather liked the contact, even if it did make his emotions feel stronger. It was reassuring in a strange way. "Mhmm, you do that," she murmured as he stated that he was reading, sparing him a quick glance. She was reading as well, refreshing her memory on the chapter at hand. Besides, if she was occupied, then she couldn't distract him as much. Still, she could feel the anticipation that was quickly building within him and a small echo of the same deep within herself.

[Rodrigo Santos]

He rolled his eyes at her. Again, she had to be the one who was right, the one with the last word. Oh, she thought she was SO smart and savvy. But he knew her better, knew things she didn't know and hadn't experienced and he would be sure to steal each one of them.

But she'd agreed to the terms, of course she would. She was the one who proposed the deal! He still thought of it as his own success, considering he'd annoyed her enough to promise a reward in a more immediate future than 'after we're done studying'. He was now using her thigh as a pillow and being this close to her let him know how good she smelled. What was it that girls did that made them smell so sweet? Was it just how their sweat smelled? He knew well his didn't smell like that.

It felt like she was treating him like a child and he was about to call her on it when she placed her hand on his shoulder. He flushed slightly at the touch, wanting her to... do something. He felt like a cat being petted, though this was probably his own fault acting like a pet. But could anyone blame him? She smelled SO good and he wanted to keep close but she didn't seem to want him close and- HOLD ON! He was supposed to be reading, not be distracted by her.

Flush still in place, he started to read the chapter. What were they studying again? Was this... English? Ha. He hadn't noticed. Maybe she was right about him not having done anything since he got there. So he read it all, in silence, working as fast as he could to memorise as much as he could. It wasn't all that hard now that he was paying attention, even with her scent there and her touch.

"DONE!" He exclaimed after a few minutes in silence as soon as he finished the last word and threw the book down carelessly, turning around to hold himself up by his arms and grinning at her widely. "Now a break."

[Sydney Emerson]

Sydney couldn't help but marvel at how focused he could be when he was motivated enough. The issue was mostly just getting him motivated. Well... that wasn't entirely true. She knew what motivated him - it was just a matter of getting him to do his work in doses he was willing to agree to. They were both prone to negotiating and arguing it seemed which meant sometimes they spent more time debating what he would accomplish than they even spend being productive.

She was starting to think he might be as talented at procrastination as she was at productivity.

So she tried to focus on reading the pages before her, yet she could feel his presence so strongly... Her fingers moved absently on his chest as they both read, though she could feel the shifts in his emotions. They were subtle, far more so than normal, but the intrigued her too. First there was satisfaction, then a trace of annoyance only to be overshadowed by a warmth of sorts and curiosity. All that quickly changed to determination though and that was where it seemed to stay for the duration.

His sudden proclamation startled her as he burst into motion - enough so that she didn't even comment on his haphazard tossing of his book. It simply seemed that one moment he was leaning against her in a mutual silence and the next he was sitting up facing her and grinning like a pup looking for a treat.

In contrast she gently closed her own book and set it aside. "And now a break," she echoed with a small smile. She bit her lower lip nervously, still feeling a bit uncertain about everything. After all, she was still learning. "So... what now?"

[Rodrigo Santos]

She agreed to a break and he grinned widely, quickly turning and moving to get on all fours to get closer. He was thrilled at the fact that she seemed to have forgotten her threat for a quiz. Or maybe she was just as excited about this as he was. He wished he could have her powers, just to know what she was feeling. From the short time he'd known her, he'd learned she wasn't an excitable person, not in the sense he was at least. She didn't react like he did, didn't show how she truly felt, and the only times he'd seen passion in her was when they were either kissing or when she was so angry she started yelling and hitting him. Not that he minded. He liked a girl with spunk.

"You know what." He whispered with a devious grin, lurking closer to her. Instead of kissing her lips, he moved to kiss her cheek gently. "But you'll have to do some work too, princesa." He moved lower, kissing her jaw. Not only did she smell good, but she also tasted heavenly. What was it with girls and... all that?

He grinned at her, quickly giving her a peck on the lips, before leaning down and burring his face against her neck. She smelled so good! Hmm, could he just stay here? He kissed her neck as well, before speaking against her skin.

"You know you gotta start some of these at some point, don'tcha?" He moved from her neck to grin at her. She had to get over her shyness if she wanted to learn other stuff, after all.

[Sydney Emerson]

Sydney couldn't help but laugh softly at the speed at which he moved to get closer to her. She had to admit, much as she did enjoy studying, she had come to look forward to their breaks as well. It was exciting, these new experience, even if sometimes she did feel a little scared of the intensity between them. He - and so many others - called her cold. Perhaps in a sense she was, but she did feel. She had just always kept her distance, been ruled by logic which made her emotions... well, less. It just felt natural to her.

Still, this was so far outside her realm that it was hard to approach it with her usual confidence.

But for the moment, his words and that positively mischievous grin of his as he grew closer cleared her mind. He surprised her though as his lips found her skin rather than her mouth. It was enough to make her blush all the more. He kissed her jaw, making her pulse race once more and her lips part in a small sigh.

He pulled back to grin at her, giving her just enough time response. "And what is my assignment for today?" she asked, her voice soft and breathless. A quick peck before his face buried into the crook of her neck, kissing her there as well.

She knew he was mostly teasing her and yet... it struck a hint of a nerve. She wasn't upset or angry - which is usually the reaction he earned - but rather uncharacteristically insecure. She still struggled to react to him accordingly, let alone initiate anything herself. She wasn't an innately physical person after all, that combined with her challenge understanding emotions left her, well, quite ill-equipped for this sort of activity. It was normal to struggle when learning something new, she knew that and yet... it was frustrating and disheartening nonetheless. "I know..." she murmured softly, her gaze turning downcast.

"It's just that... I'm still bad at this, aren't I?"

[Rodrigo Santos]

She asked for her assignment and he chuckled in response. Leave it to her to think of their breaks as part of a study session. Well, they sort of were, weren't they?It was still amusing how all it seemed she thought about was studying and books and winning. Was it really that important? Well, he guessed he was like that when boxing, but that was just one thing, not EVERY thing like with her. She was such a freaky girl and, curiously, he liked her better because of it.

He continued kissing her neck as she spoke, gently raising a hand to remove her hair. This was why he liked to study in secluded places. It made it easier for him to just kiss her without an audience. Not that he minded much, but he figured if she was so shy as it was, having people watch them would make her shy away further.

She said she was bad at it and he frowned, moving away from her to see her face. Well, he hadn't meant to make her feel sad about it and, even for someone as dense as he was, it was obvious to him he'd upset her.

"Hey," He called, using one hand to raise her face, gently pulling at her chin with two fingers. Wow, was she pretty. "Ya like it?" He asked without a hint of embarrassment. "If ya like it and ya want it then you ain't bad at it." He smirked at her, "I like it." He confessed, as if he was admitting to like pizza. Nothing to be ashamed of, though he had little things he felt embarrassed about... like being touched by a girl without him seeking for it. Which was sort of why he wanted her to try it. "If we're having fun then we're good at it." No flaw in his logic, he figured.

[Sydney Emerson]

He never responded, but she didn't really mind. She had only been teasing after all. Though she really should have learned by now that her humor tended to be a bit dry and most people never realized she was making a joke at all. But he chuckled which she took to be a good sign.

It was so strange really. All her life she had struggled with the burden of her mind - of thoughts that never seemed to turn off. Yet when she was with him... Sometimes he made it seem as though her mind was in overdrive, trying to puzzle him out. But times like this... when he touched her and kissed her... those thoughts seemed to melt away. For once in her life, she was focused on feeling instead of thinking.

His fingers hooked under her chin, lifting her face to meet his gaze. His question took her by surprise. She hesitated only slightly before answering. "Yes," she murmured, watching him as he continued speaking. Yet nothing reassured her as much as when he admitted that he liked it too. After all, if she was being honest, that was what she was most worried about. She knew what she got out of this - but what about him?

More than that, his logic made no sense and yet... It made her feel better anyway. It made her smile. So while she could have debated his reasoning, she didn't. Honestly, the thought barely crossed her mind. Instead she just smiled. "As long as we're having fun," she repeated softly before leaning up to kiss him. She lingered at his lips for a long moment, one hand sliding up and down the length of his arm. Finally she shifted to kiss along his jawline, slowly moving down the line of his neck. Her kisses were soft and still a touch tentative, but she was focusing on enjoying the moment for once rather than analyzing it. He had said he liked and for the moment, that was enough to satisfy her.

After she reached the crook of his neck, she pulled back slightly. "Like that?" she asked, her breath hot on his skin.

[Rodrigo Santos]

She liked it! Good. He felt pride swell up in his chest again, but he tried his best to conceal his wide grin. He failed. He didn't care much though, about appearing cool, mostly because he knew she could feel everything he felt, but because that little assurance of his kissing being good made up for any dorkiness he could show through... right?

She mentioned something about fun, though his brain couldn't process it as she kissed him and he closed his eyes, trying to kiss her back. Kisses were so much better when she started them, in his opinion, just because they reminded him that she liked him too- er, liked to kiss him too. He let out a deep breath as she moved, kissing his chin, his neck. He grunted, feeling himself grow warmer. Oh yeah... that was good. Very good. Those tiny kisses down his neck made him shiver and it became real hard not to just kiss her and... do other stuff.

Like that? "Very..." He muttered. Wait, she wasn't asking that. "Uh- yeah. Yeah, just like- Shit." He ended his sentence pushing away from her, trying to control his breath and laying next to her on the grass, raising his arms to cover his face as he took deep breaths. "Fuck." He couldn't stop swearing. This was just too hard. Having to let her touch him and kiss him like that without pushing things further. But he'd promised he'd be patient, be understanding of her since she was just learning.

"i gotta find me some girl who puts out if we wanna keep this up." He added, mostly without thinking, because he figured she would know that he'd continue chasing other girls. And she did, right?

[Sydney Emerson]

She felt the rush of pride as she admitted that she liked it. What surprised her more was that while she had come to expect such feelings from him, it still made her blush. Because it meant she had done something right.

When she kissed him, that warm tingly sort of feeling washed over her again and she reveled in it. She still had no name for it, but it always came when they kissed like this. Though the way he had admitted that he liked her kissing probably was a part of it too. More than that feeling though was the little ways he reacted. The way he kissed her back, or the sounds he made as her lips moved over his skin or the shiver that passed through him as she lingered in a spot.

His response when he spoke though took her by surprise. She had honestly expected that he would be pleased - all the signs had seemed to indicate he was enjoying it - only to have him pulling away and cursing. She watched him with confusion as he laid down, covering his face and continuing to curse. "Did I do something wrong?"

Of course, what he said next changed everything.

Sydney didn't really know what she had expected. It was an arrangement, not a relationship. He didn't owe her anything after all. And yet the idea of him doing this with anyone else... well, it made her blood boil. But why should she care? He might have said he liked it, but clearly he just meant the act. Not her. Why did she care again? This was just an experiment to expand her experiences after all. It didn't mean anything. So why would it mean anything to him? Right. She didn't care. She didn't care.

But she couldn't just sit there. She was too angry even thinking about it. It didn't matter that she had no reason to be angry, that she didn't understand why - all she knew was that she was.

"You're an ass," she said, her voice louder than normal, though the anger didn't quite cover the hurt of not being enough. She grabbed her book and her bag, quickly rising to her feet. " "If it's such an issue, then you can just forget about it," she added vehemently. With that, she began to flee.

[Rodrigo Santos]

Whoa, talk about mood swings!

She called him an asshole and he moved his arms out of the way to look at her in surprise. What did he do now? "Woah- what's the matter with ya, princesa?" He wondered, actually confused of what was happening. She was grabbing her stuff and he turned on the grass, still staring at her. "Hey! Where ya goin'? We still ain't finished!" They weren't finished studying or... having a break, yet she was already moving.

"Woah, woah. Hold on, princesa!" He turned, wincing at the movement, but still stood up to catch up with her. What was an issue? What was happening? He truly didn't understand. He hurried to catch up with her, grabbing her wrist and pulling at her, moving in front of her and trying his best to keep her where she was.

"Where ya going?" He asked in confusion, "What I do now? We were having fun!" He frowned down at her, getting angry mostly because being confused wasn't the best feeling for him. "Is it-" He lowered his voice, leaning closer and licking his lips, trying to understand why she was acting so weird and angry out of the sudden, "Is it that time of the month?" He was just sensitive all around, wasn't he?