loving someone

|| there’s a honey - nora + olly

nora;

nora was amazed that she didn’t need to move a muscle as olly pulled his jacket off, completely in awe at how easily they’d figured out how to coexist. her smile didn’t fade for a moment as the music surrounded them, her cheeks aching as she grabbed for her phone and took a couple of quick photos, making sure the halo that olly’s hair created around his head was in the centre of all of them. she didn’t want to ever forget how he looked in the dim lights, even if she could only see him from the back.

without noticing the houselights coming back up, nora felt olly move to face her, her eyes moving back to his. it hadn’t been that long since she’d looked into them last, her fingertips still burning with the feeling of his soft face, but it felt easier to look at him now, like she’d be able to look at him for hours without worrying that she was on the edge of a breakdown just because of his smile. “they were really great. really fucking cool actually.” nora shuffled off the bar with ease, not turning down help from the man in front of her as she got her footing back. “oh?” her question was completely ignored as they made their way out of the bar, the cool air soothing her overheated skin.

silence fell around them for the first few steps down the street, the noise from bar patrons fading to almost nothing as they kept in step with each other. “you’ve got dogs? seriously? two of them?” she accepted the jacket without a complaint reaching back into his pocket to grab for the packet of cigarettes they’d left in there before the show. “do you mind if i…?” she opened the packet as they walked, sliding a cigarette between her lips but waiting for his response to light it. “that actually sounds like a really really good idea. yeah. i’m in.” she bumped his shoulder as they walked, her eyes on the street in front of her. “unless… you’re not gonna make me eat pineapple on pizza are you? or drink red wine?”

olly knew that bringing up his dogs wasn't going to make or break the heat between them, but there was an edge of nervousness pulsing through his veins as he waited for her response. how would he ever look at her the same if she wasn't a dog person? thankfully - it didn't seem to be any sort of issue. he pulled his phone from the back pocket of his jeans, lighting up the screen and showing her the photo of both of his dogs. "he's my boy, i've been puppy sitting the little guy but i've been doing that since he was born, so..." olly trailed off with a quiet laugh before shoving the phone back into his pocket and turning to meet nora's sweet eyes again. she somehow managed to look even more ethereal under the orange glow of the street lights, olly feeling nothing but total comfort rushing through him.

"yeah, go for it." olly nodded, grabbing the lighter and holding it up to light her smoke for her before lighting one of his own for the walk back to his flat. he waited patiently until the cigarettes were back in his pocket before draping his arm over her shoulders again, keeping her body close to his as they walked. he stopped dead in his tracks as she spoke though, letting her fall a step head before he blinked across at her with an expression far too serious for even him. "you... don't like pineapple on pizza? what sort of country is this?!" olly complained, stomping his foot dramatically before a beaming smile made its way onto his face. his laugh echoed through the streets as he put his arm back around her shoulder, kissing the side of her head as they walked the rest of the way to his flat.

|| there’s a honey - nora + olly

nora;

for all the people that nora had met in her life, she’d never met someone that was so quickly as cute as olly was, a smile sticking to her lips when he let go of her cheeks and laughed. she’d never had something that felt as easy as being with him was proving to be, each minute only making the intensity change into something that they didn’t need to worry about. something that she knew was still there even when they weren’t completely focused on it.

the heat and noise of the bar was such a change to what they’d had minutes ago outside that nora could feel the last piece of nervousness float away, trusting olly completely as he guided them through the crowd and to the bar. her eyes were wide as he told her to jump, her eyebrows raising. “you can’t be serious?” the laugh leaving her throat was completely genuine, her fingers locking around his biceps as he helped her up to sit on the bar. her view was immediately improved, able to make out the band perfectly from the higher position.

“perfectly now. thank you, babe.” the pet name slipped passed the womans lips before she could even think about it, taking a quick sip of her beer as olly turned to face the band. once she wasn’t staring into his eyes, she could completely focus on the music playing around them, immediately recognising the song that she’d been listening to all day. her fingers tapped along with the rhythm against olly’s chest, nora leaning forward to rest her head against his as she murmured the lyrics along with the band.

focusing on the music echoing through the bar was harder than olly had expected, his focus still locked on nora and the way she tapped along to the beat of the drum against his chest in perfect synchronisity. he unzipped his leather jacket, sliding it off his arms as the heat in the room grew higher with each passing second, immediately taking her hand back in his once his jacket was resting on the bar beside her. he peppered kisses across the back of her hand before moving them back to his chest, completely surrounded in everything nora and obnoxiously happy about it.

the set could have gone on for days and he probably wouldn't have realised, nowhere near ready for their night to end despite the fact the main attraction for the night was finished playing. he turned around in her arms as the house lights came up, if only a little, the sweat dripping down her forehead and the way her hair was sticking to her neck causing a fresh wave of those same butterflies from earlier to rumble through his body. "did you like that?" he asked her, reaching up and wiping beads of sweat off her forehead with a quiet laugh. he placed his hands on her hips to help her down from the bar as people started to surround them again, his hand lacing with hers as he grabbed her bag and his jacket and carried them in his free hand. "let's go. nights not over yet." olly promised with a bright smile, leading the way out of the bar and onto the cold streets outside.

he was on a high he didn't imagine he'd ever ben able to come down from, a permanent smile on his face as they walked down the busy chicago streets. "in the least seedy way possible, do you wanna come back to mine? i've got two dogs that are very keen to meet the girl who had me in a good mood all day." he laughed as he draped his leather jacket over her shoulders, the cool breeze causing goosebumps to break out over his skin. "i thought maybe we could sit on the balcony, get wine drunk, order some pizza and like... talk." olly added, wanting to make sure she knew as clear as day that his intentions were nothing but completely innocent.

|| there’s a honey - nora + olly

nora;

despite the intensity behind her movements, nora hadn’t expected for a moment that olly would be feeling the same as her. but with his head on her chest, she couldn’t help but wonder if he felt just as overwhelmed as she did when they were pressed so close together. she pulled at a few strands of his hair as he breathed against her, watching the curls unravel and then spiral right back to where they’d been seconds before. the feeling of his hands against her back wasn’t something that nora had focused on until he moved them back from her thighs, the strength in his touch seeming to match the strength that he gave off whenever he spoke.

a shocked giggle left nora’s throat as she was lifted up, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and holding on. the last few minutes felt like a total blur, like they’d happened to someone else and she’d been lucky enough to look in at two people orbiting around each other so perfectly she was sure that she wouldn’t feel like that again. her fingers laced through his hair for another moment when olly pulled back from her chest, the soft feeling off his lips so close to hers making her eyes fall shut until he was placing her back on solid ground. it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes since she’d stood up last, but nora felt like a new person with the concrete beneath her feet, completely unsure of herself but more confident than she’d ever been. “thank you. take me to see your favourite band now?” she curled their fingers back together as she spoke, waiting for the man in front of her to make the next move.

olly let out a content moan at the feel of her fingertips moving through his hair, every nerve ending in his body seeming to snap back to life all at the same time as his nose brushed lightly against hers while he put her back down on solid ground. the intense mood that had been following them around all night was slowly starting to lift, the fog in his brain beginning to clear as he placed his hands on either side of her face and squished her cheeks together dramatically. a laugh fell from his lips as he leaned down to kiss her forehead, letting her lace their fingers together as she spoke. he nodded his head in agreement, leading the way back into the bar and blinking in surprise when he found that they were already on stage.

it was strikingly obvious right away that nora was far too short to be standing at the back of the crowd the way they were, olly looking around for anywhere they could move so that she'd have a better view of the band he adored so much. "i've got an idea, c'mere." he mumbled against her ear, pulling her to the very very back of where everyone was standing until they reached the bar. he was thankful that his friend was working, the man giving him a small nod and grabbing them both beers before olly let go of nora's hand and nudged her to stand against the bar.

"jump." he smiled down at her, his hands moving to her hips and helping her jump up so that she was sitting on top of the bar. "can you see now?" olly asked, his hands resting on her upper thigh as he leaned in to ask her. as soon as he knew she was comfortable, he turned around and directed his own eyes towards the stage. he leaned back without really thinking about it, making himself comfortable between her legs as they got their drinks. he reached back for one of her hands as he took long sips from his beer, bringing it around to the front of his chest so that they could lace their fingers together right over his heart.

|| there’s a honey - nora + olly

nora;

once nora was in olly’s lap, she could feel her heart come to an almost stop. she’d never felt a moment that felt so crushingly important, something that she knew she wouldn’t forget no matter what happened after they left the bar. and she didn’t want anything to distract from how she was feeling, even if it was the pounding of her own heart against her chest. her eyes didn’t break from his for a second as he spoke, her head slowly shaking as he brushed her hair behind her hair. “shh, one second just, shh.” she reached up and grabbed his hands between his dragging them to sit on her waist before she let go of them.

she was completely silent as she moved, resting her fingers on either side of olly’s cheek and meeting his eyes. “i promise i’m not high i just…” she trailed off for a second, tracing her fingers over the raised skin where he’d obviously cut himself shaving. “i just want to look at you for a second.” a small smile played on her lips while she traced over his features, fingertips running across the tiny freckles over his nose and along the ridges left by the laugh lines under his eyes. “i don’t understand you at all.” a laugh passed her lips as she leant forward, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “but i want to. just. slowly?” she followed the words with another soft kiss to his cheek, all too aware of how bordering on crazy she must have seemed as she leant back and stared into his eyes.

his hands went limp in nora's grasp as she moved them up to rest on her waist, olly not stopping there and letting them move around to rest on her lower back as she told him to be quiet. he nodded his head, not daring to say a word as she moved her fingertips to rest against his cheekbones. his face was completely void of emotion, his whole face softened as he watched in curious facination at the way she stared down at his face so intently. her touch was softer than he ever could have anticipated, even as she traced her fingertip over where he'd sliced his cheek when he was shaving earlier that day. everything about the way she touched him was full of admiration and wonder, nothing about the way she looked at him or traced over his features feeling anything other than completely genuine and sweet.

his eyes slipped closed as her lips pressed against his forehead, his whole body feeling limp as he hummed quietly at the sound of her voice. he couldn't pin point what it was that she'd said, his brain masked with a strange fog that made it hard for him to open his eyes, let alone focus on anything she was saying. he blinked his eyes open slowly, his hands moving from her lower back to rest on the tops of her outer thighs. "i promise i'm not high, i just..." olly trailed off as he shook his head, leaning forward to rest it against the top of her chest as he let out a slow breath. his eyes closed again, the smell of her perfume taking over all of his senses as he moved his hands to her lower back again.

it almost felt like he was going to pass out, like if he kept sitting there letting the intense moment draw out - he'd drop to the ground and never be able to get up again. "hold on." he mumbled, rising to his feet with her body still wrapped around his. he pulled back from where he'd made himself comfortable against her collarbones, looking up into her eyes before leaning forward to press a lingering kiss to the corner of her mouth - specifically avoiding touching her lips. "we can go as slow as you want." he promised with a small smile, easing her body back to the ground but not stepping out of her space.

|| there’s a honey - nora + olly

#paragraph; theres a honey #can u hear me screaming

nora;

usually nora was a queen at realising when someone was talking out of their ass, her bullshit detector strengthened from years of having to deal with some of the dodgiest people in chicago, but olly’s voice was filled with nothing but recognisable sincerity. her eyes never wavered from his as he spoke, the sounds around them fading to nothing until all she could hear was his soft accent and warm words. “you don’t need to worry about maybe.” the smile on her lips wasn’t huge or life changing, but it felt different, felt like she was smiling as nora who could trust the man opposite her, and it was quickly addictive.

“should we get inside? i don’t want you to miss your favourite band.” she glanced over at the glass doors without making even the smallest attempt to move away from olly, not ready to let go of him for any reason. the noise from the bar picked up for a second as the only other people outside from them walked back into the bar, the silence settling around them as they were alone for the first time filled with something that she couldn’t quite place. “do you mind if i…?” nora trailed off as she swung her legs over olly’s lap, completely back tracking on her suggestion to go back inside.

it took everything inside olly not to lean forward and press his lips against nora's as she spoke, the smile on her lips so genuine and full of something unspoken that it made his head rush and his chest tighten. it had been a long time since he'd given into the luxury of wanting someone the way he wanted her, let alone letting himself feel the immense rush of feelings he'd been feeling from the second he'd laid eyes on her the day before. he shouldn't have been feeling what he was feeling so quickly, and yet his heart had absolutely no intention of listening to his head and forcing itself to beat at a normal rate.

"yeah, we probably should." olly noted, glancing over at the people shuffling inside and leaving them completely alone for the first time since they'd met. he turned to look at her again, ready to rise to his feet and pull her up with him so they could head inside - but she clearly had other plans. his eyes widened as she climbed onto his lap without any hesitation, a lump immediately forming in the back of his throat as his hands hovered in the air on either side of her body. she was on his lap, so why he was hesitating was beyond him. with a quiet clearing of his throat, he moved his hands to rest against her hips, looking up and searching for answer for what was going on in her eyes. "i really - i really want to..." olly trailed off, his words getting caught in his throat as butterflies rushed through his stomach in a way they never had before. "can i kiss you?" he asked in a quiet voice, reaching up with one hand to tuck a strand of blue hair behind her ear. his fingertips brushed against her cheek as he did so, olly indulging himself and letting his touch linger as he looked between her eyes and her lips.

|| there’s a honey - nora + olly

nora;

nora’s thumb ran over olly’s rough knuckles as he spoke, the smoke exhaled between them floating away within seconds. it nearly terrified the girl that he was so open, so willing to share even little bits of his bad times with someone who was still basically a stranger. it was something completely new to her, so used to waiting months to tell someone even something even close to personal. she nodded in agreement at his words, nudging his shoulder back when he moved. for a few moments she let silence settle around them, her thumb never stopping it’s gentle movements against his skin.

“thank you for sharing this with me.” her words were quiet, eyes on their laced fingers. it felt like a lot, sitting in a bar with a man she hardly knew, learning such a personal thing and being in a place that was obviously so important to him. “do you think like…” nora paused her words for a moment, grabbing her drink and taking a quick sip before she continued. “do you think like, i could borrow some of that energy? that there’s good right around the corner thing?” it was such a wildly different thing for the woman to admit any kind of weakness to anyone, usually not even bothering to call her family even when things were rough — but olly felt like someone she could rely on, even if it was only for a few moments.

olly never really saw the point in pretending that everything in his life was great when sometimes it just wasn't. granted, he didn't go around sharing his bad times with anyone he had a conversation with, but when he felt that connection with someone he knew he could trust - there was no point in hiding. he couldn't get enough of her, couldn't get enough of hearing her laugh or feeling the way she gently ran her thumb over his hand. she was everywhere he looked and all he could think about, so hiding things from her seemed completely pointless in the long run. a small smile played on his lips when she thanked him, olly shaking his head as he looked down at where their hands were tangled up together.

his brow pulled together slightly as she spoke again, the mere thought that there was anything in her life that was causing her unhappiness causing an unfamiliar weight to rest on his chest. he turned his body a little more towards hers as he took the final drag of his cigarette, exhaling into the air above them before butting it out and turning his full attention to the beautiful woman beside him. "you don't need to borrow anything. there are good things around the corner, love. you've just gotta stop back and look sometimes." he said quietly, reaching up to run his fingertip from her forehead down to the tip of her nose gently. "i could be a good thing." he suggested, his voice growing just that little bit quieter as he spoke. "maybe?" a gentle smile played on his lips, his hand tightening its grip on hers ever so slightly as the smoke around them began to dissipate.

|| there’s a honey - nora + olly

nora;

“fuck me.” the words were below nora’s breath, floating away with the smoke leaving olly’s lips as she took in his neck. she’d never found herself so obsessed with someones skin before, but everything about olly was so pale and soft that she couldn’t help but want to reach out and just know what he felt like under her fingertips. wanted to know what if his skin warmed up when she touched him like hers did or if he stayed the same every time they interacted. “yeah, sitting is good. i like to sit.” she shook her head at herself, embarassed by how obviously she was affected by even the tiniest suggestion made by the man walking away from her.

she sat down without bothering to worry about how much space there was between them, wanting to be able to feel him as much as she could with a drink in her hand. a giggle escaped her throat as he finished her drink, the glass hitting the table encouraging her to place her half full glass beside it. she let out a soft laugh when he did, her head turning to met his eyes as he spoke. “so do you. very beautiful. i really like the jacket. and the jeans, different to the suit.” she ran a finger along the outside of the denim, tracing it until she reached his jacket and repeated the process down his arm until their fingers were laced back together.

“so how did you get into pale waves?” she shifted her body slightly as she spoke, their linked fingers falling onto her leg as she looked at him. there had been plenty of times in her life when nora had held someones hand, and until she her fingers were laced with olly’s she never knew that the smallest touch could sometimes mean something so beyond a small gesture.

the sound of her laugh was music to his ears, his cheeks beginning to hurt with the amount of smiling he was doing. he watched as she followed his league, placing her glass down on the table and now leaving them both with a free hand. he knew he should have taken the dive and laced their fingers together again, but a strange nervousness pulsed through him when he thought of doing so. he glanced down at his jeans and leather jacket, not even recognising that she'd only ever seen him in his work suit looking stuffy and well put together - which he wasn't. he opened his mouth to make a joke, to say anything to hear her laugh again, but the feel of her fingertips running along the seam in his jeans bought him up short. he watched with baited breath as she traced all the way up his jacket, his whole body feeling as though it were on fire as he craved more, more, more of her touch.

his hand slid back into hers with ease, every nerve ending in his body snapping to life as she pulled their hands to rest together in her lap. she was everywhere. she was all he could smell, all he could see - and now all he could feel. he took a long drag from his cigarette as she spoke, his eyes moving to the stage inside on instinct before looking back at nora again. "i was having a shitty night about two years ago, was ready to throw in the towel and call it all quits. came here to get drunk out of my mind, met a girl who told me to suck it up and grow some balls - and then she went on stage and..." olly shrugged casually, a smile playing on his lips as he moved his hand so their fingers were no longer laced together. he placed his hand around the curve of her thigh, his thumb immediately starting to move over her soft skin. "ever since then they've just sort of been that band that reminds me that no matter how bad shit gets - there's always something incredible right around the corner." olly nodded, gently nudging her shoulder as if to silently say you, you were that incredible thing around the corner.

|| there’s a honey - nora + olly

nora;

as much as nora hadn’t been expecting the soft pressure of olly’s fingers against hers, the movement didn’t make her stop for even a second. her hand felt warmer, but it was so comfortable that it seemed almost impossible that she hadn’t always felt as comfortable as she did with him holding onto her. their fingers didn’t drop from each other as they stepped outside, the noise of the bar muted behind the doors that fell shut behind them. it would have been easy to take a step away from his body, to let their fingers go and enjoy the space that the lack of people allowed them, but when he pulled her hand towards him, nora knew it would take a lot more than space to drag her away from him.

her eyes fluttered shut on instinct when his lips were against her skin, the moment seeming to last for hours rather than just seconds. it was a fleeting kiss, something that anyone could have done and it would have meant nothing, but olly wasn’t anyone. nora opened her eyes to her smile, her lips curving to match his as her hand fell back to her side. “i’m really excited.” it was only five words exchanged between the pair, but the meaning behind them went so far beyond excitement. taking another sip of her drink, nora tracked his eyes moving across her face, puckering her lips more than necessary in the hope that he’d notice that she was just as into whatever they were creating.

in a blink she reached into his pocket, grabbing his packet of cigarettes and lighter. she opened the packet one handed, sliding a smoke between her lips and leaning further into his space with the lighter. “wind block please.” she met his eyes as she took another step forward, the lack of wind around them not mattering as her thumb flickered the flame to life, lighting the cigarette quickly. “thank you.” she offered him a cheeky smile, taking a step back and holding the packet out to him and waiting until he had a smoke between his lips to lean up and flicker the lighter back to life for the man in front of her.

her quiet words lingered in the space between them as olly's eyes continued moving across her face, seemingly caught up in everything nora and not caring about anything else. it didn't matter why they were there, how they got there, or how the night played out. they were there together, and he couldn't find the energy or the desire to think or care about anything else. the slight pucker of her lips as his eyes took them in gave him a clear indication that they were on the same page, that he wasn't the only one who was caught in the little bubble they'd somehow managed to create for themselves. he swallowed hard, his adams apple bobbing in his throat as he felt himself instinctively leaning forward ever so slightly.

the feel of her hand reaching into his pocket pulled him up short, though he didn't feel the need to ask what she was doing or to even look down to find out what she was searching for. his eyes stayed focused on that beautiful face he knew he'd been dreaming about for weeks after tonight. a quiet chuckle fell from his lips as he lifted both of his hands to help block the non existent wind she spoke of. how she manged to make everything look so fluid and beautiful was beyond him, but he opted to do nothing but embrace it. the cigarette smoke that immediately filled the space between them should have made him pull back a little, should have made his nose scrunch and his eyes instinctively close - but the way nora looked with smoke moving around her was too much to miss. he took a cigarette between his lips without hesitation, a smile pulling at his features as he held the lighter up and lit it for him. he took a long drag, leaning his head back so his neck was completely exposed to her while he exhaled smoke into the air above them.

"would you fancy sitting down with me?" he asked her quietly, already taking steps backwards towards the wood panel benches that were lined with flowers in the corner of the smoking area. he wanted nothing more than to take her hand and lead her back with him, immediately cursing the fact he'd lit a cigarette and had a drink in his hand. at least if they were sat down, he could put the drink down and still find an excuse to touch her skin. he shuffled closer to her as soon as they were sat down, their thighs pressed together as he downed the rest of his drink and placed the glass down on the table in front of them. "you're - you look really beautiful tonight. i don't think i've said that yet but y-you..." olly trailed off, a breathy laugh slipping past his lips as he turned to meet her eyes again. "you look really beautiful."

|| there’s a honey - nora + olly

nora;

there were too many times the night before when nora had been sure that olly could read her mind, as the words spilt past his lips she was sure that they had to be on some kind of wave length. “doing a lot of body shots are you?” she hadn’t meant for the words to sound so suggestive, but the tone of her voice had dropped beyond her control, the woman suddenly thankful for the dim light of the bar hiding the warmth on her cheeks. “yeah, yeah okay.” her bag was something that she usually held onto no matter what was happening, not used to letting it out of her sight, but something told her that olly wasn’t about to get her into any kind of trouble.

the pressure that his lips had left on her ear and cheek were still warm as she stood in the bar, glancing around at all the people lining the cramped room. absentminded fingers ran over her cheek while he ordered their drinks, waving back at the bartender without really looking away from olly. the part of her mind that would usually be yelling at her to turn away and leave before this turned into something more had been silent from the night before, her brain giving up in the fight against her heart to just let the man into her life.

“very kind of you.” nora immediately had to take a step closer to olly, the noise of the people around them threatening to silence her words before they could reach his ears. she took a quick sip of her drink, her eyes falling closed as the bitter vodka hit her tongue. she knew that after a couple of rounds the almost awkward tension of more that was settling between them would fade, and the younger woman was already excited to see where the night took them. “do we have time for a cigarette before they start?” she glanced around the room, finding the door to the outside garden and linking her fingers in olly’s t-shirt and almost pulling him behind her.

olly couldn't tell if it was the dim neon lights in the bar, or the sounds of a hundred people around them having the own intimate conversations, but nora's voice seemed to be lace with silk as she spoke, their bodies seemingly being pulled closer together as the bar around them busteled on. his hand instinctively reached out to rest against her hip when their bodies almost collided, something stopping him just short of her skin as he balled his hand into a fist and then let it fall down by his side again. he frowned down at her as she took a sip of her drink, gently grabbing her wrist and lifting her hand so that he could clink their glasses together with a quiet laugh before downing 3/4 of his drink in one go. he glanced around the room when she spoke, nodding his head and just about to lead the way before she was tugging him by his shirt towards the garden exit.

he placed his hand over hers where it was resting against his abdomen, lacing their fingers together with an ease that shouldn't have been considering how new they were to this. his thumb traced against the back of her hand as they pushed their way through, purely on instinct, and as the cool air outside hit his face he found himself giving her hand a gentle squeeze. her skin was impossibly soft against his and the way their hands just seemed to fit together all felt too good to be true. he wasn't letting her pull away this time. there were only a few people in the smoking area, making it far easier to talk and giving them the opportunity to not stand as close together as they had since they'd met up an hour earlier.

the silence that fell around them was thick, something hidden beneath it that he couldn't quite place as he stood just looking into her hazel eyes while the music from inside was distorted by the large glass doors they now stood behind. he swallowed hard, his whole body feeling like it was on vibrate as he lifted her hand up towards his face. he turned her hand as it got closer, pressing a light and lingering kiss to the inside corner of her wrist with a small smile before letting go of her. "are you excited?" he asked her quietly, his brown eyes focused on hers as he spoke. he could hear the unusual rasp in his voice, could hear the very obvious hidden question beneath the otherwise innocent words and momentarily wondered if he was coming off too strong. "i'm excited." he told her before she could answer, his eyes moving from her eyes to her lips one single time before he let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding in the first place.

|| there’s a honey - nora + olly

nora;

“yeah, i’m fine. totally fine.” nora could feel her cheeks heating as she turned from the man, falling into step with him as they wound their way down the street. her smile returned as he spoke, sparing olly a glance before she focused back on the sidewalk in front of them. “well thank god for me. can’t have you missing out on your favourite band, can we?” from their brief conversation nora got the feeling that olly was focused on his work, and she couldn’t imagine working to that kind of crazed schedule, all too used to picking her own schedule and being able to do whatever she wanted to.

over the noise of everyone starting to line the streets nora missed olly’s words, instead just falling into place as his arm fell over her shoulders. it was the smallest gesture, nothing like the hands on her waist she was used to when she walked the streets with anyone else, but it seemed to so perfectly suit the moment that she didn’t shy away from moving a little closer to her body. the cologne on his shirt was in stark contrast to what he was wearing, the expensive smell mixing with the tang of cigarette smoke and leather to create a scent that couldn’t have been pulled off by anyone else. the pair walked in near silence, her steps following his as he lead their way into the cramped bar.

“what’s wrong with tequila then?” her eyes were almost at perfect height with olly’s neck and for a second she couldn’t help but consider what a body shot would be like off his skin, if he’d taste anywhere near as good as he smelt. she blinked, clearing her throat as she tried to clear the thoughts from her head. she had no idea if this was meant to be a date, and even with the mans arm over her shoulder, she wasn’t going to read into it beyond two people going to a show together. “but i like a vodka soda, with a little bit of lemon, please.” nora took a step out of his space, pulling her bag up on her shoulder and already regretting the space between their bodies.

there was a palpable tension in the air between them, that kind of sexual tension that you could feel down to your bones, that kind of emotional energy you felt like was radiating off you and everyone in the room could see it clear as day. he'd made a point of reminding himself that there was no clear cut line suggesting what tonight was. were they on a date? were they two people going to see a show together in hopes of watering a blossoming friendship? he had no real clue where they stood, but as her body moved that little bit closer to his as they walked down the side of the street - he felt a little more confident that they weren't leaving this bar as anything close to strangers.

"t-there's nothing wrong with tequila. it's just one of those body shot type of drinks, don't you think? only really tastes good when its mixed with the saltiness of someone elses skin." olly breathed, immediately regretting the words leaving his mouth as he forced himself to take a deep breath. adrenaline was pulsing through olly in a way he couldn't quite comprehend, the heat from her body and the way she kept looking up at him even after he'd averted his eyes screaming at him to turn around and just take her back to his flat. he could only pray that she hadn't felt the trembling of his body as her eyes trailed along the length of his neck. he nodded his head as she told him what she wanted to drink, already hating how empty his arms felt as he pulled away to straighten her bag. "here, give me that." he said, leaning into her space so his lips brushed against her ear as he spoke, the noise from the bar otherwise threatening to drown him out.

"wait here." he told her quietly, pressing another soft kiss to her cheek as he pulled away and pushed his way to the bar with her bag clasped tightly in his hands. he'd never come here for a show, but he'd been here more times than he could count. he was met by a bartender with a beaming smile, the other man leaning over the bar and pulling olly into a dramatic hug. their laughs mixed in the air as he rolled his eyes playfully, leaning over and nodding down at nora's bag in his hand before turning and pointing to where she stood. his friend nodded, offering nora a little wave before he took her bag and moved to lock it in the lockers behind the bar. he slipped the bartender a twenty as he took their drinks, mouthing a thank you at him before making his way back to where nora stood, handing her her drink with a smile. "and now you can enjoy yourself without stressing all night about your bag." he smiled, holding his glass up to hers.