to say that she was proud of catching him off guard would probably be the understatement of the century but she was sure marcus saw right through her anyway. even tho she hardly bothered to hide it either, the grin on the brunette's face widening just a little when she heard his sigh, happy to read into the moment that he wasn't exactly keen on leaving either. but apparently, not only was she good at the teasing game - he was too. right now, in a slightly different way than she was, teasing surprises that he had to know she was curious to know about, even if she didn't protest much when he refused to fill her in. maybe she liked being surprised. this whole thing had surely been a surprise as well, and so far, it was the nicest one she could've ever imagined.
"see ya later, marcus." she mimicked his goodbye, her eyes following his every step, ready to enjoy the view as he walked away from her while she decided to stay rested against the wall for a few minutes longer and process what had just happened. the sudden detour of his - and the sight of him suddenly back in front of her - therefore caught her by surprise this time, her body melting into his before her brain had been able to catch up. a moan slipped from her lips, unintentional this time, not something meant simply to edge him on but a genuine reaction to what he was doing to her. her lips moved against his to give back everything he made her feel right then and there, her thoughts dissolving into nothing but sensation, until all she could do was breathe him in and kiss him back. when she finally glanced up at him, there was a rather dazed look on her face, the kind that made it obvious she had temporarily forgotten what she had intended to say in the first place.
all she was able to do was hum in agreement, once again watching him make his descent, only that he didn’t come back this time - which was lucky for them, because she was sure she wouldn’t have been able to let him go a third time. gracie moved just an inch to lean against a cooler part of the wall, a weak attempt to make the heat she felt all over her body simmer down. her fingertips moved absentmindedly across her lips, on which she swore she could still feel his, hardly noticing the alarmingly soft smile that had stretched across her face or the dreamy look that had settled into her eyes. she felt almost lightheaded with it, caught somewhere between wanting to laugh at herself and wanting to chase after him.
it was ridiculous how quickly this had happened. she hadn't gone into the night expecting any of it. she hadn't planned on kissing him in a hallway, hadn't planned on wanting another one immediately afterward, and without question hadn't planned on feeling this restless simply because he had walked away. yet there it was, humming beneath her skin, warm and insistent. marcus had always meant more to her than she was able to put into words, and perhaps that was exactly why she didn't want to examine the feeling too closely now. if she started pulling it apart, if she started asking herself what it meant, what came next, what she wanted from him, she knew she'd only turn something beautiful into something complicated. so she let herself have the moment instead.
eventually, she pushed herself off the wall, making her way to find the security detail who'd lead her to a part of the crowd that was a little secluded for privacy but still made her feel part of it and gave her a perfect view of the stage to enjoy the show. and boy, did she enjoy it all. from the rest she caught of their opener, to the show the band put on, to the surprise of finding out that her best friend taylor was at the stadium too - needless to say, it was perfect.
there was something almost intoxicating about the concert from where she stood. the sheer volume of it, thousands upon thousands of voices rising together until individual words disappeared into one enormous sound, the lights sweeping over the crowd and catching faces for only a second before moving on, the floor seeming to pulse beneath her feet whenever the music hit hard enough. gracie loved that feeling. she loved being swallowed up by a crowd, loved the strange intimacy of being surrounded by strangers who were all there for the same reason. there was freedom in it, a sense that for a few hours nobody had to be anything except present.
and she knew marcus understood that feeling in a way few people did. his stage presence, the way he locked in and yet was so present in the moment, so reactive to the audience and the way he interacted with them, quite literally running through the arena at some point, the excitement he felt probably tenfold thrown right back at him judging by the looks on all of their fans faces, was exactly part of the reason why she herself loved touring so much. she watched him feed off the energy of the crowd and give it straight back, watched the way his whole expression changed when thousands of people sang with him, and found herself smiling without even realizing it.
those moments were precious and special to every artist, she was sure, each different in their approaches and the amount of interaction with fans depending on their comfortability, but she and marcus were the same - it always felt like there wasn't a way to be close enough to the fans, always seeking more and likely worrying every single member of security to the brink of insanity. there was something wonderfully reckless about it, too. that brief crossing of the invisible line between performer and audience, when he disappeared into the crowd and became just another person surrounded by people who adored him, even if only for a moment.
she loved watching him like that. maybe she loved watching him a little too much. especially when he disappeared into the sea of hands reaching for him. she couldn't help the tiny, irrational twist of jealousy that tugged somewhere beneath her ribs when hundreds of people got to touch him, even though she knew exactly what it was: fleeting, harmless, almost funny in its intensity. she wasn't going to make it into something it wasn't. she simply watched him disappear into all those hands and found herself thinking, with an amused little shake of her head, that she was going to enjoy having him to herself when he finally came back.
gracie was still buzzing with energy when she rejoined marcus and the boys backstage after the show, the night one she would hold dear to her heart for several reasons, that much she knew. what this thing between her and marcus would be, where it'd go, or if it would just be something for a night or two, that was for them to find out. likely sooner than later if gracie would get to decide. behaving herself had only worked for so long. enough distance kept between her body and marcus just to not be suspicious but that didn't seem to help her much. it only seemed to have the opposite effect. the lingering thought of what she wanted to do once they were alone seemed to heighten the invisible tension in the room between them, something she was convinced was only hidden in the longing glances she exchanged with him when nobody was looking.
she tried not to stare. she failed. every time their eyes met, there was that same little spark, and every time she looked away, she could still feel him somewhere in the room. it made her restless. it made her smile. it made her want to close the distance between them just to see what would happen, even though she already had a pretty good idea. until gracie decided she’d waited long enough, wanted him all to herself finally, and allowed her selfishness to take over.
pretending to say goodbye to all of them for the night, like she wasn't going to text marcus to come to her apartment the minute she was outside the arena, was easy enough. what wasn't easy was handling the impatience she felt while she waited for him to eventually arrive. the amount of times she rearranged something in her living room or the kitchen like he hadn't already been there last night, actually slept over, felt almost insane. though that - and the two cigarettes she'd smoked in between - were eventually long enough for the elevator's doors to her penthouse to open and reveal the man she’d been so eagerly waiting for.
fucking finally. "hi." there was a brief rush of shyness, a soft blush on her cheeks revealing that maybe, just maybe, she was a little nervous. none of it had really been planned. none of it had been all that intentional. it had simply been a flirt that had happened so naturally and escalated so quickly, desire suddenly taking control of her before she'd even realized it was there. and beneath all of that, she was sure there was a deeper root, something that must have started taking root in her long before tonight, something that had been quietly growing until she'd finally become too close to ignore it. but she wasn’t going to address that feeling. not now.
not when she was so close to potentially getting all she'd fantasized about in the hallway, in the crowd, and on her way home. not when marcus was standing right there, looking at her like he had been thinking about this too. she didn't want to think about tomorrow. she wanted to stay inside the warmth of it, where everything was simple: she wanted him, he had come to her, and for tonight, that was enough. the sudden shyness was replaced by an urge of confidence as the thought crossed her mind that if he didn’t want any of this, he surely wouldn't have shown up.
her hand therefore grabbed his, pulling him further inside her penthouse and infinitely closer to her body as her arms wrapped around his neck, lips brushing against his. she smiled against them. "i really enjoyed watching you tonight," she murmured, her voice softer now, teasing warmth threaded through every word. "especially that little run through the crowd." her fingers slipped down his chest almost absently, as though they had a mind of their own, following the lines of his shirt before settling at his waist. she looked up at him through her lashes, the faintest hint of that earlier jealousy returning to her expression.
"that was hot," she added, a quiet laugh catching in her voice, "although, i think i've had enough of sharing you with a few thousand people for one night. we don't need to waste another thought on them." her hand lingered at his belt, fingertips finding the buckle almost experimentally before she looked back into his eyes. "besides…" her smile turned a little more mischievous. "i think you owe me for making me wait this long."
