I’VE GOT HUNGRY EYES (flashback) → RAWRper
TAGGING→ @notthatharperlee @rocketpowerreg TIME→ August 18th, 2018, late evening (the day before the Flower Arrangers vs Showers Fall 2018 game) LOCATION→ A diner in Manhattan NOTES→ Deciding to hang out the night before the upcoming game, Harper and Reggie get food from a late night diner. Deeper feelings get realized, and even more unexpectedly, acted on AUTHOR’S NOTE → this shit is soft as fuck.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY 4TH BIRTHDAY JEN!!!!!
REGGIE CLIFFTON
When Reggie was younger, more competitive, and less physically damaged, the day before games had a specific process. She would get all her responsibilities done, and just mentally prepare for the challenge to come. That continued on through all her years of playing in a row, especially as she got better and her future starting relying on how good her stats were. But seventeen year old Regina Cliffton was vastly different than twenty three year old Regina Cliffton, for she had experienced life without soccer. She had survived past it, and found she could be okay still. Not perfect, but okay. Which made it easier to decide that instead of laying around alone, she could go out and enjoy the world. Maybe even enjoy it with the people around her.
With that logic, it was easy to see how Reggie winded up being with Harper at the late night diner Scout used to work at.
They had boarded there together from Harper's dorm, Reggie never minding to go the extra distance of going to get Harper rather than meet her places. Things were more fun with her, and her trusty stead had served them more than well. It was late at night, and despite being a Saturday, there was a lowkey crowd. Mostly just a few drunks on the other end of the restaurant. It was easy enough for the pair to be in their own world. Reggie's focus was on Harper as she gave an enthusiastic rendition of a Brachiosaurus eating a French fry. As always, Reggie found it adorably amusing, as proven by her laughter that she tried to cover with the sandwich in her hand. Yet her eyes never left Harper even between the chuckles.
Once properly composed and normal eating habits resumed, Reggie realized something she hadn't considered before, "You know, it's crazy because I've brought food from here to you. But I think this is the first time we've actually eaten here." Reggie straightened up, nearing the last few bites of her sandwich, and asking in a sincerely curious tone, "So what do you think, better as take out or does it have a good atmosphere?"
HARPER CLARINGTON
Harper paused mid-bite to consider Reggie’s question. The answer was complicated, after all. The truth was that she had visited the diner on more than one occasion while dating Spencer. It was a fact she hadn’t purposely kept hidden from the brunette, but it had never come up before tonight. Harper wasn’t oblivious to the way that Reggie was looking at her. Despite the slurred bumbling of the drunks in the background there was a marked difference between the atmosphere tonight and from their previous ‘dates.’ The last thing Harper wanted to do was ruin the moment by talking about her ex, formerly Reggie’s sworn enemy. True to her word, Harper had kept a guarded distance from the idea of having something more with Reggie. Her heart, however, had different ideas and despite her best intentions Harper had fallen for the culinary student.
Realizing that it would be easier to take her seriously sans sandwich, Harper set down her food and waited to reply until she had finished chewing. “You know how to throw the tough questions, Cliffton. Are you sure cooking is the right career path for you? Because I’m seeing some lawyer potential right now. Remind me to hire you as my defense team when the time comes,” she teased, playing into her well-known love of true crime. “Honestly, I’ve been here a few times before. Enough to say that no meal compares to sharing it with you.” An embarrassed flush colored her cheeks at the revelation and Harper ducked her head bashfully. A flash of neon in the corner caught her eye, providing the perfect distraction from the cheese she had just unleashed upon their table.
With a playful smirk she raised her head to meet Reggie’s gaze. “In fact, I’m certain the only thing that could make this better is some jukebox jams. What do you say?”
REGGIE CLIFFTON
Reggie was waiting patiently for Harper's response, always interested to know her thoughts on just about anything. That ranged from movie theories, to how she felt about certain sexual endeavors, and currently diner food. She smirked at Harper's first response, chuckling to herself and dropping her head a little in the process all in good fun. Given her humor didn't seem to always land with people, it was nice to have Harper around to make dumb jokes with. She quickly lifted her head though, and just as Reggie's eyes landed back on Harper, she was ducking hers. Except she had done it out of feeling flustered for what she said, and that made Reggie's expression soften. Despite her affinity with woman, Reggie wasn't used to having someone say sweet, genuine comments like Harper often did. In the beginning, those kinds of words made Reggie's own cheeks heat up out of uncertainty for the words, and knowing how genuine they were. As of late, she seemed to be able to accept them with a little more ease-- taking them right to heart instead of mind.
Reggie didn't say anything back, but her eyes didn't leave Harper, either. She just smiled and let her get herself composed. It was easy for Reggie to just observe what Harper did, finding her mesmerizing in many ways. At the mention of a jukebox, Reggie's eyes landed on the machine she was referencing. Having picked more than her fair share of songs on it, Reggie was more than aware of the jukebox at the diner. It was one of the most fancy ones she had ever seen, which meant that it had a vast music library, "I say you make a good point, bar royal. There's definitely something that could make this night better," Reggie agreed, sitting straight as she started to get herself out of the booth seating. While still at the same level as Harper, Reg swiftly leaned herself towards Harper to steal a quick kiss with a crafty smile on her lips after, "Like that. That makes for a better night. But a jukebox jam probably could, too."
Properly standing up, Reggie made her way to the high tech jukebox that was only mere steps away from where they had been sitting. She had no idea what she was looking for, though surely something would pop out, "Since you've been here before, you probably have some songs on here you know you like. You sure you want to trust me to pick the right one?" She teased, mostly just wanting to keep conversation with Harper despite being only a few feet away.
HARPER CLARINGTON
The witty remark Harper had prepared was lost as Reggie leaned in for a kiss. The charm of the atmosphere combined with the clear thought Reggie had put into the outing left her wanting to deepen the kiss. Knowing that would only succeed in them ending their night early or result in them getting banned from the diner and possibly cited for public nudity, Harper made a mental note to make up for it once they found themselves back in her dorm. She turned her attention back to Reggie, who was standing next to the jukebox with the kind of confident ease that had attracted her to the woman in the first place. “Don’t get too cocky there, Cliffton. What makes you so sure that a kiss from you wins out over the jukebox? For all you know, I’m a jukebox junkie.” The competitive nature that was hardwired in her took over as she teased the brunette, slipping in a reference to a favorite song from a childhood of accompanying one parent or the other to bars. Truth be told, it was hard for Harper to even joke that she would prefer anything over a kiss from Reggie. Not when she had spent every moment away from her counting down when they would see each other next. She was positive the bluff was written across her face as obvious as her feelings for Reggie.The woman was quickly carving out a space as someone dependable in her life, a fact that both terrified and excited Harper. Trusting someone that thoroughly didn’t come naturally to her, but with Reggie it had almost happened without a conscious effort. Harper stacked the empty plates at their table as she considered the question. “I’m sure I’m going to regret inflating that ego of yours later, but when have you ever let me down? Surprise me. I’ll even cover my eyes to give you a fair shot.” It wasn’t like she could even see the selection screen from where she was sitting, but Harper wanted to play up the stakes. Reaching back, she pulled the hood of a sweatshirt she had ‘borrowed’ from Reggie earlier that week down low over her eyes and waited.
REGGIE CLIFFTON
Ah, that quick wit. It always managed to get a smile out of Reggie, even if it came as a playful jab her way. Having someone to laugh with felt nice, especially when it went both ways. Reggie had a hand on the jukebox, leaning over it's touchscreen as she was scrolling, tossing a, "You raise a good point, your highness. Consider me humbled." Which, given the smirk on her lips, it was clear that she wasn't humbled in the slightest. She knew Harper well enough to be aware she was thinking of wanting more than just a kiss, mainly because Reggie was, too. But they'd get there eventually.
For now though, she needed a song, and almost as if a gift from the universe was being presented did Reggie find the perfect choice. It was coming up next with the current song already coming to an end. When Reggie was younger, music played only a small role in her life as she tried to distance herself from it given her father was a musician. It wasn't as if not listening to any music got back at him, but Reggie just didn't develop a connection to it. Not until she was in college and dance had been part of her rehab process. Getting into dance made her appreciate rhythm, melodies, lyrics, and the sensation music brought all the more. She had also got much more into movies and television while she was injured, which left a perfect cross section genre of songs from movies. Ones considered iconic, and perfect for a night to just be playful and at ease with good company, "Hey Clarington, turn around," she called out as she she stood there by the jukebox waiting.
Only moments later did the opening beats of Hungry Eyes from Dirty Dancing started play, Reggie was very confident in her choice. She gave Harper a smile as they locked eyes, her shoulders shimmying a little to the bells of the song. Once the lyrics began, she was dramatically mouthing the words, her focus never straying far from Harper,"I've been meaning to tell you/I've got this feelin' that won't subside," Reggie started she started moving over towards Harper with moves that both had some skill behind them, while mixed with a goofy, over exaggerated nature. Still, the steps remained to the beat despite it all, "I look at you and I fantasize/You're mine and tonight/Now I've got you in my sights" Reggie's brow quirked a little suggestively at that line, one of her hands with two fingers pointing at Reggie's own eyes before turning to point them at Harpers. Reggie's smile was nothing short of playful.
As the chorus began, Reggie was back to being near their booth and extended her hand out for Harper to take. Her head even motioned little as if to beckon Harper further. Reggie had a smile on her face was full of life, while remaining soft as she wanting to be inviting for Harper to join her. It wasn't lost on her they were in public-- normally Reggie kept a certain front on for the world in order to only be seen as she wanted to be seen. But they were in a diner that was familiar, even if Scout was gone now, and Reggie was with someone who had see many sides of her already. The comfort ability was there between them for Reggie, even in a diner that had drunks and overworked staff, and that spoke volumes.
HARPER CLARINGTON
At Reggie’s request Harper lowered the hood of the sweatshirt and turned to face the jukebox. The dying notes of the last song were quickly replaced by the sound of Hungry Eyes, a song from the movie she had watched countless times with Hunter. Truth be told, Harper couldn’t have picked a better song herself. The lyrics seemed to voice the thoughts she had been having moments earlier and she couldn’t help but think of the vicious way Hunter would razz her if she could see how her heart was starting to beat in time with the chorus. She watched fervently as Reggie began to lip-sync along in time with the song, the performance becoming increasingly lively as it continued on. At the sight of Reggie pointing her out, Harper threw her hand against her forehead in a mock faint. It was no secret that Harper wasn’t afraid to put herself out there in the name of a good dinosaur impression, but this was the first time she had ever seen Reggie let loose in public. It was hard to imagine how they had gotten to this point when she considered the fact that just a couple of months ago the soccer player was merely an emotional hook-up for her.
Before she had time to contemplate their relationship further, Harper grabbed the woman’s extended hand and was swept up onto her feet. She let her arms gently wrap around her Reggie’s neck as she found the rhythm of the music and let the diner fade into the background until it was just the two of them in that moment. Unwilling to let Reggie completely upstage her, Harper dramatically mouthed along to the chorus. It wasn’t until the final line that she hit a small stumbling block- the word love. Like a flash of lightning across the night sky the lyrics clued Harper in to what she was missing all along. She hadn’t just fallen for Reggie, she loved her. Somewhere along the way of learning how to board and trying to convince herself that she would be fine keeping things casual-ish between them Harper had given away her heart.
Now did I take you by surprise?
As far as the Clarington sisters went, Harper was nowhere near as reserved as Hunter when it came to letting someone in. That, however, didn’t mean she wasn’t cautious. It took a long time for her to truly become comfortable with another person and allow them to witness her at her most vulnerable. Her rule had been simple. Don’t let anyone get close enough to have the opportunity to hurt her like her parents had. Months ago Harper had written off Spencer as an exception to that rule. Now, it seemed, Reggie had snuck through the cracks without her even noticing. And already Harper could say that she was worth the risk.
The song was starting to wind down and Harper was at a loss for words. She closed the distance between them with a kiss, wishing she could say everything on her mind. Instead, she settled for the witty comments that had become synonymous with her name. “So, humble knight, was it your intention to literally sweep me off my feet or is it just my lucky night?”
REGGIE CLIFFTON
Dancing in a diner had not been part of Reggie's original plan when deciding to take Harper to the diner tonight. Which, granted, there was hardly much of a plan to begin with as she simply wanted to have the courage to ask Harper to the diner in the first place. Unbeknownst to the girl she had in her arms, Reggie was viewing this night very much as a date. She didn't want to tell Harper on the off chance it would cause a panic in some part of Reggie's conscious-- however it didn't. She had just felt excited nerves, one she had assumed were very much long gone. Her and Harper had gone and done similar outings, Reggie wasn't blind to that, yet she had always been keen to only see them as hang outs. Calling this night with Harper date was a major step she needed to take, and it was going better than expected. The patience and understanding that Harper continually brought her over the months had been paying off for both of them. The idea of opening herself to romance and love had started to sound obtainable.
It took no time on Reggie's end to kiss Harper back nearing the end of their dance. She could practically taste there being extra emotion behind it and that caused Reggie to try and match it. All things considered, it wasn't hard to do so in the slightest. She felt deeply for Harper Clarington, and Reggie accepting that much was another personal accomplishment. a grin broke out at Harper's question, feeling prideful at the fact she could still sweep a girl off her feet, or more accurately, that she could sweep Harper off her feet. With their eyes meeting, Reggie's grin didn't falter when she answered with, "Can't it be both?" as her hands moved from being on Harper's hips to instead loosely have them around her waist, pulling their body's a little bit closer. There was a moment of silence as the songs switched, and it seemed a lot like time stood still in that time, though it certainly hadn't.
While the night wasn't over, Reggie felt that it had been a success so far. Enough of one that she was feeling braver, calmer, more at ease. So she wet her lips and tilted her head, formulating words in her mind before pressing on, "I was thinking... in a couple weeks we should do beach camping. The season's going to be over, you'll be all moved in, but school's still not starting. I'll be done with my externship..." Reggie listed, knowing that it wasn't like she needed to convince Harper but with how well it all lined up, it seemed too perfect not to make note of, "So, what do you say? Want to venture out into wilderness and see if my choices in songs are as good as my survival skills? Promise there will be s'mores a plenty."
HARPER CLARINGTON
“I wouldn’t have mentioned both options if it weren’t fitting,” Harper quipped, her eyes lingering on the irresistible way that Reggie wouldn’t stop grinning. The mere weight of the brunette’s hands on her hips would have been enough to sweep her off her feet on a normal day, but Harper wasn’t about to disclose that fact. Better to let her discover it later, when they inevitably fell into bed and could let their hands do the talking. For the first time she wished she could freeze this moment- the two of them dancing in a beat down diner with only eyes for the other. But this wasn’t a movie and before long the last song faded, leaving them standing in silence.
Any further thoughts she had were interrupted as Reggie posed the question of beach camping to her. Now this, this was the something more she had been hoping for. It wasn’t a proclamation, but Harper could see it for what it was; a step. In her experience, steps were always the harder of the two- and for Reggie? She was happy to take as many steps as were needed. So with her heart beating a frantic tempo, Harper nodded. “Looks like my fate is in your hands, Reggie Cliffton, because that sounds perfect.”