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Something Unexpected

Fandom: Roswell, New Mexico

Teaser: He stepped into her space slowly and deliberate. His voice husky as he tucked strands of her blond hair behind her ear and whispered, “You flirting with me, Evans?”

His lips brushed against the shell of her ear, and Kyle chuckled when her breath caught in her throat.

She wet her lips, and his eyes tracked the motion before meeting hers.

“When I really flirt with you, Kyle,” she breathed, making the hairs of his neck stand on end. “You won’t need to ask.”

A/N: For @craashdowns and @queenrikki because … apparently, this is something I do. Like a freaking squish. Shut up! Anyway, here goes. I only skimmed over it, so excuse any and all errors.

———

She recognized that stride anywhere.

It was all easy confidence and swinging arms, and nothing but swagger. He moved like a panther, slick and quiet down the hallway masterfully shifting his body to accommodate gurneys rushing past and aides pushing wheelchairs.

The coffee cup in her hand burned her palms as she pushed through a break in the hallway and power walked down the hall hoping to catch him before he disappeared.

Fortunately, he stopped at the nurse’s station. He leaned against the counter smiling and signing paperwork.

He must have gotten off of shift. His bag was slung over his shoulder. Scrubs and a lab coat were replaced with fitted jeans and a worn leather jacket draped over a henley.

He smelled divine, as usual. Scent was always a weakness of hers, and Kyle Valenti smelled downright edible.

“I need a favor,” she blurted out without decorum. “No worries, I came bearing gifts.”

She slid the coffee across the counter and flashed a knowing smile. “So, about that favor…”

He released a surprised puff of air, but his eyes crinkled in the corners. His lips curved slightly upward in amusement.

“You need a favor,” he stated rather than asked. “Again.”

It had become a dance of theirs in the months since they spoke at the hospital. Shockingly, they had built up something of a rapport. It was unexpected.

They didn’t exactly run the same circles, but Kyle was kind to her. He was comforting and genuine.

It wasn’t something she forgot. When the latest project or person led her to the hospital halls, something she didn’t want to consider nor name led her to him.

To his credit, he surprised her by never turning her away or appearing the slightest bit put off by her either. It seemed to be just his nature; a Valenti one, she presumed.

“You know, you could always say no,” she teased him. She leaned in and raised a brow mockingly. “You don’t, though.”

He scoffed in surprise or annoyance, she couldn’t figure out which and grabbed the coffee. He studied her quietly while he took a long sip, nodded and headed to the exit knowing she would follow.

Naturally, she did.

“You got my coffee order right,” he observed.

“Maybe I’m psychic,” she deadpanned. “Call it intuition.”

He snorted and shook his head. “How can I be at your service this time?”

“I need the name of the anonymous donor who contributed to the pediatric wing last year.”

He tossed his bag in the backseat and turned to face her, leaning against his car. His jaw was clenched, and she could see faint signs of his exhaustion from coming off of a long shift.

“Funny thing that anonymous part. It means they don’t want their name known,” he crossed his arms and stared at her.

“Is that what that means?” She purred. “I had no idea.”

“Listen, I-”

“Sick kids, Kyle. The committee is putting together a fundraiser, and it would help if someone with deeper pockets could provide some more funding.”

“I understand that, but-”

“Dying children, Kyle. Think about the children!” She blinked unapologetic in her methods of persuasion and inwardly smiled when she saw his resolve falter right before her eyes.

“Fine,” he sighed. He rubbed at the crease in his forehead, and she too wanted very much to smooth it out. “I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t promise anything.”

“See? I always get my way somehow,” she joked.

“Yeah, I bet.” He flashed her a small smile that turned into an embarrassed chuckle when his stomach growled.

She smiled fondly at him as he joked about the long shift and poor quality of cafeteria food.

She wouldn’t know; she avoided cafeteria food like the plague. Was she a food snob? Absolutely, and she didn’t bother hiding it.

But there was something about Kyle that made her soften. Maybe she wanted to extend him an ounce of the kindness he extended her.

It seemed natural for him, too. Genuine. He was a good guy – a decent man, and she marveled at how he didn’t need to try, he just was.

It’s a quality she somewhat envied – something she sought out too. It was part of what attracted her to her husband, or at least she thought it was, now? Now she wasn’t sure about anything anymore.

“Are you alright?” He leaned in and studied her face, his warm hand burning her arm, and she almost flushed at the gentle contact.

His eyes darted back and forth, scanning her eyes and face with that concerned frown of his etched on his countenance.

He was tired and hungry, but there he was worried about her.

“How about we grab something to eat?” She stepped back, walked around his car, and unlatched the passenger door.

She met his eyes over the top of the car and watched the perplexed expression disappear as quickly as it came.

“You can pick, but I’ll buy.” She slid into the leather seat and shut the door.

His car smelled like him. By the time she was clicking her seatbelt on, he was sliding into his seat too.

“Um,” his throat worked hard with each swallow, and she could tell she caught him off-guard.

“Don’t make this weird, Kyle.” She cleared her throat, and it was like all of her confidence was stripped away in the confinements of his car.

She clutched her purse, held it on her lap, set it down, then moved it back to her lap again. She wanted to adjust the seat that felt like it was leaned too far back for her taste, but there was no sense in embarrassing herself.

She could sense her rigid posture, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t convince her body to loosen up.

She felt his eyes burning on the side of her face and heard his soft snort as he started up the car. Loud hip-hop blasted through the speakers.

He turned down the volume and turned the dial to change the station.

“You don’t have to change it on my account,” she responded only slightly affronted.“I like Izzo.”

“Lizzo,” he corrected his eyes darting back and forth from the rearview and the road.

“It was a joke,” she supplied.

She couldn’t tell if he believed her, and suddenly she regretted jumping into his car instead of taking her own. It was as though he could read her mind.

“Hey,” he stole a glance her way. His eyes darted back and forth between the road and her face until she looked back at him.

Don’t mind me, it’s not you …“ his voice trailed off for a moment, and his eyes softened.

She couldn’t make sense of his expression, but then he shook his head as if shaking off some deep thoughts and continued.

“It’s not you. I’m just tired, and I didn’t anticipate this or you for that matter.”

She did her best to control her expression. They weren’t close, or even friends and they were so very different.

Maybe she had overstepped some boundary. She didn’t think, she just acted, and if she was being honest with herself, that’s something about him she found alluring.

He was easy to talk to and be around, even briefly. She didn’t think about who she was or wasn’t. She didn’t think about what impression she was giving off or if her carefully curated image was perfectly intact.

He saw through that, and it had been a long time since anyone saw through her perfectly put together exterior.

“I’m sorry, maybe we shouldn’t–”

“Hey,” he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. He cleared his throat and pulled his hand away just as quick.

“That’s not what I meant. Besides,” he flashed a smile as they pulled into a dirt lot in front of a BBQ shack. “ We’re here.”

She raised a perfectly arched brow at what she could only describe as a dump in front of her. Chipped paint and rust-covered the old building.

Half of the lights had blown out in the sign, and all she could make out was a few letters etched on a pink pig.

“Charming.”

“I thought so,” Kyle replied, biting back a smile. “Best BBQ in town.”

“Doubt it’s as good as mine, but whatever you say.” She was not impressed with the outer appearance, but she was still learning the exterior didn’t mean very much anymore.

“You make BBQ?” He was annoyingly shocked by this, and it irked her.

“You don’t have to act so surprised.” She was indignant, and she knew it, but she couldn’t help herself.

“I figured you went for cucumber crest sandwiches and salads or something,” he admitted only slightly ashamed.

His judgment surprised her and yet didn’t.

“That’s your impression of me, and yet you brought me here,” she gestured at the shack and stifled her disdain.

She was well aware that the worst looking places were usually hidden gems, but she never understood why people couldn’t put in more effort.

Never let anyone see you slip and all of that. It was just sensible.

“I’m hungry. I don’t eat cucumber sandwiches, and you said you were buying, so …” he laughed getting out of the car and startled her by opening the passenger door for her.

“Jackass,” she muttered as she climbed out and adjusted her clothes.

“You wound me,” Kyle grimaced gesturing in an “after you” manner as they walked down the gravel path to the restaurant.

“Not yet, but the night is still young,” she feigned a smile that seemed to amuse him more than anything else.

“And so am I,” he added pulling the door open for her.

“Cute,” she muttered.

“I think so,” he quipped back. His eyes sparkled with humor, and she chuckled.

The shack was bigger than it looked on the outside, and they stopped at the bar to order a drink before settling in at a table.

Kyle flagged down the bartender and gestured at her to order. She leaned against the counter and cringed at how sticky and grimy it was.

Some unfamiliar residue coated her hands, and she recoiled, wiping her hands down her things and trying not to gag.

“Lady?” The bartender was not amused, but Kyle certainly was.

His eyes grew wide as he bit his lip stifling laughter.

“Skinny Cosmo, please,” she demanded, only looking up when she sensed both men were staring at her.

The bartender look scandalized, and Kyle, the bastard, could barely contain himself.

His amusement was irksome, but his eyes were soft and kind, and she exhaled and let herself go.

“Corona with a lime,” she flashed a bright smile that caught both men off guard. “And a tequila shot.”

If she surprised Kyle with her order, she damn near caused him to spontaneously combust when she consumed her shot.

She grabbed his hand without warning, but he didn’t resist when she licked the skin between his thumb and index finger and salted it.

She sucked it lightning quick, downed her shot, and bit into the lime wedge with the barest hint of a frown.

His eyes were dark – pupils were blown as he stood there speechless while she grabbed her beer and sauntered over to a small table on shaky legs.

If he wanted to make her uneasy, even in jest, then she could do the same.

Moments later, he slid across from her with his own bottle in his hand.

He opened his mouth to say something, but an older woman with a weathered face from too much sun came to take their order.

“I’ll have the rib special. Extra sauce, please,” she slid the menu across the table, and both women turned to look at Kyle pointedly.

“Uh, same, please. Thank you.”

She took a long pull of her beer and made eye contact over the bottle. “What?”

She leaned back into the crackly booth and willed herself to relax. The tequila helped.

She hadn’t drunk tequila in some time. She usually opted for whatever specialty drink was served at whatever gathering she was attending or a glass of wine.

“Nothing,” Kyle responded. He studied her intently while he sipped at his drink. “You surprise me.”

“You keep saying that.” She rested her elbow on the table and ran her hand through her hair before resting her head on her palm.

“I’m sorry,–” he started.

“You keep saying that too,” she interrupted. She loved the way she threw him off and made him uncomfortable. It made her feel like the power was back in her hands. These days, all she could remember was being powerless around men.

“People are rarely how they seem. Even then, there’s more to them than what you see. Sometimes …” her voice trailed off as she swallowed back tears she didn’t know she conjured up.

“Sometimes you think you know them, and you find out you don’t know them at all,” her voice cracked, and she attempted a watery smile as she took another gulp of her beer.

“I’m …” Kyle’s voice was as sincere as his eyes, but he shook his head not wanting to extend another apology. “I know. I heard.”

“Small town and all,” she joked weakly.

“And that sucks.” He paused as their food was placed in front of them. “How has that been? Do you–”

“Miss him?” She offered. She tore off a bone from her slab of ribs and dove right in. “Mmmmm.”

Her moans bordered on obscene if Kyle nearly choking was any indication.

“I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.” She grew quiet – pensive.

“And everything I thought was true was a lie. That’s what it feels like, like maybe he never loved me at all. Years of being together, and he probably never loved me. But I still miss him and what we had. Like a fucking idiot, I still miss that lie.”

She blinked rapidly, forgetting her surroundings and embarrassed at displaying open vulnerability.

She felt exposed and uncomfortable. He must have noticed because his hand shot out again and grabbed hers.

Even when she tried to pull it away, he wouldn’t let go. He squeezed her hand firmly and with reassurance.

Her eyes followed the gesture and then slowly rose to meet his.

He ducked his head down refusing to break eye contact with her.

“You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to be embarrassed about, and you’re not an idiot for daring to love,” his voice was soothing.

She pulled her hand out of his after one final squeeze and dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. She ducked her head down and buried herself into her meal unable to take Kyle’s sympathy.

Somehow it felt infinitely worse than if it was pity.

“So,” she cleaned another bone with a moan. “How’d you find the second-best BBQ place in town?”

“Your moans are confirming it’s the first,” he teased, giving her the change of subject she desperately needed.

“Watch yourself, doc. You still haven’t tried mine,” she tossed another bone on the platter and sucked her fingers. “And I promise it’s the best you’ve ever tasted.”

To her amusement, his face heated up, and he cleared his throat.

“Um, my, uh,” he stuttered. “It used to be my father’s favorite place. We would come at least once every couple of weeks.”

He had a faraway smile as he recalled the fond memories, and seeing him so wistful made her smile too.

“We had some of our best conversations over a meal here,” he laughed softly recalling a memory. “Some over that pool table too,” he nodded at a table in the corner of the room.

It was old but durable and had some good years still left in it.

His eyes were sad for the first time all night, and it pierced her heart.

“You want to go a few rounds?” She canted her head toward the pool table. “Or are you afraid I’m going to kick your ass?”

The last part got him, and he again snorted in surprise.

“You play?”

“I dabble,” she shrugged. She tossed her napkin down and slid out of the booth looking down at him and waiting for him to acquiesce.

“OK,” he climbed out of the booth and stood toe-to-toe with her. “I’ll bite.”

“Promise?” She narrowed her eyes at him, ignoring the double entendre even though a blush crept up his neck around the collar. “I like a challenge.”

“Apparently, so do I,” he huffed. “But first,” he leaned in close to her, their noses inches apart, before he looked down and grabbed her napkin.

He brushed it across her lips and face wiping away smears of BBQ sauce with that confident smirk of his. “You got a little something.”

He took some joy in how mortified she was and left her at the table to gather her thoughts while he grabbed another drink for her and got the pool sticks ready.

She welcomed the new beer and used it to cool herself down.

He called his play as he leaned over the pool table. He had the dexterity of a surgeon, for sure. He had the precision too.

“What happened to ladies first?” She asked as she grabbed the stick.

“Lady?” He scoffed. “I know a hustler when I see one.”

She leaned over the table to line up her shot, the stick gliding smoothly between her manicured fingers. When she glanced up, she caught him eyeing her cleavage. She fought off a smirk of her own.“Who says I can’t be both?”

She took her shot, and even though she was rusty, she couldn’t have executed it better.

“Shit!” Kyle scratched the back of his neck and whistled impressed.

She sidled up to him brushing past, heat and electricity thrumming between them. “I’m really handy with a stick.”

He stepped into her space slowly and deliberate. His voice husky as he tucked strands of her blond hair behind her ear and whispered, “You flirting with me, Evans?”

His lips brushed against the shell of her ear, and Kyle chuckled when her breath caught in her throat.

She wet her lips, and his eyes tracked the motion before meeting hers.

“When I really flirt with you, Kyle,” she breathed, making the hairs of his neck stand on end. “You won’t need to ask.”

He swallowed hard, and she laughed loud and carefree in a way she hadn’t done in a long time.

She knew she flustered him when he missed his shot. He could hardly make eye contact as he took another timid sip of the same warm beer he got when they arrived.

“Not much of a drinker?” She asked as she walked around the table and took another shot with success.

“Not really,” he shrugged. “With my father and all … ” he trailed off.

She nodded in understanding, but the mention of Jim’s addiction must have thrown him off. He scratched the table.

“Dammit,” he swore under his breath. She patted his shoulder.

“You’re not bad, just easily distracted,” her voice took on a playful tone that made his lips turn up slightly. “You need to work on your form,” she gestured at him.

She adjusted his stance, her hands resting firmly on his hips before she even thought about it.

For a split second, she thought of what the other patrons would think. How they would react to her and him and how intimate they looked together?

She wondered what people would say when word spread that she was getting cozy with the sheriff’s son. She thought of the rumors that would spread. The whispers and the judgment.

Then she decided she was too tired to care. She slid her hands down his arms and adjusted his grip on the pool stick until they were holding it just right together.

She was pressed firmly against his back. Her face was nearly touching his.

“Inhale,” she ordered gently pulling their hands back, “and release on the exhale.”

The sounds of balls clinking together and sinking into pockets were those of triumph.

“Good boy,” she whispered in his ear as she smacked his ass.

“OK, now you’re definitely flirting with me, Evans.”

“Maybe,” she laughed, polishing off the rest of his beer.

She lost track of time playing pool, joking, and flirting with Kyle, and it was the lightest she felt in months.

She felt like she was walking on air while strolling down that gravel road with Kyle’s jacket draped over her shoulders and his arm entwined with hers.

Their conversation on the drive back was lighthearted and easy. The awkwardness long abandoned.

She was so wrapped up in their flirty banter that she failed to realize he bypassed the hospital and took her home.

Her buzz gradually wore off at the sight of her dark home, and the loneliness washed over her as if she had been doused with cold water.

“You brought me home,” she sighed pulling his jacket tighter around her as if it served as an embrace.

“I brought you home,” he echoed. “Sheriff’s son, remember?” He cut off the car. “I would rather be safe than sorry.”

“Careful, Valenti. I might think you cared about me.”

“Careful, Evans. I might think you wanted me to.”

Fortunately for her, he jumped out of the car and missed the effect his words had on her. She hoped it had dissipated by the time he opened the passenger door and enveloped her hand in his.

“Walking me to my door, too?” She shouldn’t be surprised his mother raised him right.

“You get the Valenti special,” he teased as they stopped outside of her door. “Thanks for dinner, and … ” he leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. “I’ll get that name for you tomorrow.”

“Thank you for …” she laughed to herself as she realized she wanted to thank him for everything.

For being kind to her and being good company. For not judging her. For seeing her in a way she hadn’t felt seen in awhile.

For making her feel comfortable and safe, and for never making her feel self-conscious or different.

“Thank you for everything,” she breathed.

She slipped out of his jacket and handed it to him already missing its warmth and the way his scent clung to it.

Their fingers met with the exchange, and a spark between them nearly caused them to pull away. Except she didn’t want to pull away. No, she wanted to be closer.

She did what she had done all night; she stopped thinking and just felt.

She crashed her lips to his, pulling him closer. She ran her hand through his hair and gripped his shirt with the other kissing him hungrily.

There was still the faint taste of beer on his tongue and the mint he ate after dinner.

She feared he was only indulging her at first, but he kissed her with purpose. His hands slid up to cup her face, and his lips chased after hers between stolen breaths.

She pressed him against the doorframe, her lips sliding across those sharp cheekbones and along his jawline before finding his mouth again.

She slid her leg between his with purpose, and she ran her hand beneath the hem of his shirt dragging her fingertips along his ridiculously hard abs.

His hand enclosed hers, their fingers tangling as he spun her around so she was pressed against the door instead.

He caged her in, pressing their entwined hands above her head as he kissed her slow and sensuous.

She wrapped a leg around him, pulling him forward until they were damn near joined at the hip.

He slowed their kiss down, then ended with a soft peck and ran his nose along her neck.

“We have to,” he was out of breath as he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. “We have to stop.”

Rejection hung heavy in the air, but she tried to tamp it down.

“I’m sorry.” She kept her voice as neutral as possible considering the circumstances. “It’s weird, right? It’s … with me, it’s weird.”

“What?” His voice rose an octave as he tried to catch his breath. “No! Hell no. It’s decidedly not weird. It’s so far from weird.”

He pecked her lips again in reassurance.

“Uh,” his hips inadvertently jerked forward as he dug into her hips to steady her while extricating himself from her leg lock.

She felt him hard against her and bit her lip trying not to laugh. He stepped back and yanked his jacket off the floor before his eyes met hers.

They were dark and stormy as if a war was brewing behind them. His lips were swollen as he darted his tongue out to wet them or maybe savor the taste of her on them.

“I have an early shift,” he said almost regretfully. “And I don’t make it a habit of spending the evening with women who have been drinking.”

He ducked his head and gave her a shy smile.

“Right,” she said. “No operating heavy machinery.”

“Did you-” he let out a startled laugh that matched the deer in headlights look.

She laughed too, and it released the tension between them. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Get some rest.“He pressed his lips to her forehead tender and sweet and exhaled. “Goodnight, Ann.”

She smiled. All these months later, and he finally took to using her first name.

He stepped off the porch backward, not taking his eyes off of her until he climbed into his car.

“Goodnight, Kyle,” she whispered while pressing her back to the door and watching him pull off. She sighed contently to herself. “Until we meet again.”

—– Fin —–

#roswell new mexico #roswell new mexico fic #Kyle Valenti #dios mio #sneaks fic in and scurries away #like a little sh*t #byyyee