Noah had surprised himself when he suggested that he go help Jo get out of the strip club. It wasn’t that he was avoiding her at other times, but he had avoided being left on his own with her in fear of what he might say. But when he got her text, he found himself smiling, picturing her annoyed face as she sat there surrounded by half naked men and screaming women. He wanted to see her, he couldn’t deny it to himself. He had reached the club by this point, after about a ten minute walk that would have been five if he hadn’t been so distracted by all the sights he could see. He rolled his eyes, groaning as he paid to get into a club that’s only current event was males stripping — not something he thought he would ever pay to see, unless Dorian suddenly decided in a change of career, then, of course, he would fully support him. The club was crowded, and all of the women seemed to be having a good time. Noah cleared his throat, trying to push his way through the crowd when someone grabbed onto his white t-shirt. His eyes widened momentarily before he gazed around at the group of women, his eyes settling on the one who was currently grabbing onto him while the rest of them chanted "off, off, off." He shook his head, trying to pull away though he couldn't help but laugh. "I'm off duty," he joked. "I'm here for one girl and one girl only," he looked across the room, noticing Jo sitting at the bar. "And she's waiting for me right over there." With a few 'awws' and a pout, the woman let him go. He was a little shocked by their disappointment. He was tall and lanky -- sure underneath he had a decent body, but nothing compared to the guys in this place -- it was baffling why they would want to see him strip. Or, at least, it was baffling to him. Quickly, he made his way over to where Jo was sat, hoping to avoid anything like that happening again. He placed his hand on her lower back and leaned in to press a soft kiss to her cheek, not even realizing what he was doing. When he sat down beside her, he had a stupid grin on his face -- she looked beautiful. But then again, she always had to him. Raising an eyebrow, he smirked a little, enjoying her hatred of this place a little too much. "Come here often?"
Jo: Stirring her drink, she huffed and waited. She was afraid to leave her spot, in fear that she would end up getting totally lost or end up on the receiving end of a lapdance. She wasn't quite sure how long it was gonna take Noah to get there, but she hoped it would be soon. Jo was able to let loose, sure, but in this situation, she felt that letting loose would just get awkward. The bartender was nice enough to offer her a discounted drink because of how annoyed she looked, but she refused, deciding to cut herself off before she got too drunk. This was Vegas, and she could get as drunk as she wanted, but she wasn't in the mood tonight for that. She had briefly considered drinking until she blacked out so she would forget tonight, but ultimately decided that it would be best to stay somewhat sober. As she was about to pull out her phone to see if he had texted her back, she felt a hand on her back and someone kiss her cheek. The male strippers weren't afraid to get a little touchy-feely, but they hadn't gotten /that/ touchy-feely. Furrowing her eyebrows, she turned to see who did it when she was met a familiar face. Rolling her eyes, she stirred her drink and said, "Cute." She looked him up and down, surprised at the fact he didn't seem to be missing any articles of clothing. She had thought that one of the ladies would have gotten to him. "Glad you made it here relatively unscathed, although you do stick out like a sore thumb." Every other guy in the club seemed to be half-naked, so seeing Noah in a white t-shirt and jeans definitely made him stick out. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the bartender eyeing him, and she couldn't help but laugh a little. She looked over his shoulder and could see another guy sitting, looking at him. "Looks like you have a few fans, though," she said with a smirk. "Maybe they just like you because of your books."
Noah: "I try," he said, laughing as he ordered a drink. He was going to need one or two before they attempted to get out of here, as the only wait out was straight back through the crowd. "It was a narrow escape." He looked over at her and then glanced over his shoulder in the direction of women he had just come from. The one that had grabbed him moments ago was still watching him. "Let's avoid that table on the way out, yeah?" He waved at her, his cheeks flushing slightly with when she gave him a thumbs up and pointed to Jo, signalling good luck to him. He didn't need luck, really. All he was here to do was help out...a friend, he supposed she was now, though it felt a little strange to refer to her as that when they used to be so much more. When he heard what she said next, he scrunched up his nose and then glanced around -- noticing that there were, indeed, a few people looking at him. He gave them all a small smile and held back a laugh. Noah felt oddly relaxed in Vegas, and everything just seemed easy, non-stressful. It was nice. "It's a good thing I'm not your boyfriend anymore, you may have had some competition," he mocked, before his drink was placed down in front of him. "You want one?"
Jo: "I can see that. It's pretty crowded in here." she said, looking around. The main area was packed with women, men, and male strippers. It was going to be hard getting out of there without being roped into some routine. She just hoped that she wouldn't end up on the other end of strip tease, even though the guys here were good-looking. Looking over to the table he was nodding towards, she noticed that they were all older. "Oh, did they try to get you to strip? I wasn't lying when I said a lot of the women here did that." Spinning around in her chair, she held her drink and took sips from while leaning on the bar, eyeing the room. She shook her head at his answer and laughed. "Like I'd have any competition with these guys. They're hot, they can dance, and they're a hell of a lot more flexible--" she said before she could stop herself. Instead of continuing where she was going with that sentence, she drank some of her drink and looked to her other side, noticing one of the male strippers coming her way. Groaning, she nodded in the direction of the ladies that Noah had pointed out earlier - they would enjoy whatever he had to offer more than she would. She had already had to do that multiple times tonight, and she still didn't like doing it. She saw the stripper shrug and turn the other way, so she turned back to Noah. "I'm good. I've already had two, and as much as I'd like to get drunk, I think I'll stick with the buzz I've got going on."
Noah pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side, wrapping his hand around the bottle of beer in front of him. "I would call it more them, or one of them, trying to rip my clothes off, but....you know, I told them that I was a one women kind of guy and that there was one here waiting for me." He brought the bottle to his lips, covering his mouth with it as he smiled almost shyly. "Guess you saved me. Though, it wouldn't be my first stripping experience." He listened to her, nodding though he disagreed. Raising an eyebrow, he brought the bottle away from his lips and placed it back down. "More flexible -- does that mean you're a little flexible?" He followed her gaze now and couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the guy headed towards her. Seeing his ex-girlfriend getting a lap dance wasn't exactly something that he wanted to see, even if it would be slightly amusing. To Noah's relief, she seemed to not want him to come over, and he didn't. At her response this time, he nodded again and began to pick at the label on his beer -- something he always did. "So, uh...when we do mange to get out of here, what do you want to do?"
Jo: "Trying to rip your clothes off, huh? I knew some of the girls here were feisty, but I didn't think they were that feisty." She looked him up and down again, not quite sure why the women thought he was a stripper. The guys here were buff and a little intimidating, and Noah wasn't quite that. "I'm not sure why they thought you were a stripper," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I don't mean that in a bad way, I mean it more of a way 'these guys have rock hard abs and muscular thighs and you don't' way. Which isn't a bad thing." She shrugged off what he said, but smiled to herself when she remembered Noah stripping at Avery's birthday. She pursed her lips at his question. "Well, yeah. I did gymnastics for six years and still practiced for years after that. I kind of had to be flexible to do all the flips, the splits, and all that other stuff." Although she had done all that, she wasn't even sure if she could do half the stuff she used to be able to do. Finishing up her drink, she put it on the bar and looked over at him. There was plenty of to do in Vegas, although most of it involved gambling and drinking. She wasn't sure if she wanted to waste more money. "I don't know. I'm up for almost anything, as long as it's not another strip show."
Noah: "I'm not really sure how the whole stripping thing works, but I'm pretty sure you don't have to look one exact way for someone to find you attractive. Not that I think they think I'm attractive, they're probably just really drunk and have their beer goggles on -- saw a guy, assumed he had a decent-sized penis that they wanted to see, and dragged him over to their table." Honestly, her comment made him feel a little insecure. It's not like he wanted to look like those guys -- he liked how he looked, it suited him, he thought. But the fact that she may have been more interested in what they had to offer than what he did, wounded him a little. He never did feel like he was good enough for Jo, or anyone at all, for that matter. Clearing his throat, he raised his bottle again and finished off it's contents this time. "Interesting," he said, with a small smirk as she spoke about gymnastics. He already knew about all of that, she had told him before, but it was always nice to hear her talk about it again. Placing the now empty bottle back down on the table, he stood to his feet. "How about we just walk around and see where we end up, yeah? C'mon, Grumpy Cat, the night is young and all of that other stuff, don't want to spend the rest of it in this joint."
Jo: "Oh, no, I didn't mean it in that way. I just meant that pretty much all the male strippers here look the same. Look around you,' she said, gesturing around the place. 'They all have rock-hard abs, muscular thighs, perfect hair, all that. That doesn't mean you're not attractive, it just means you don't fit the stereotype. That's not a bad thing, because most of these guys look a little too muscular for my taste." She shrugged at her statement. Maybe that's why she wasn't enjoying herself - the strippers weren't her type. Or, she was uncomfortable with hot, sweaty guys and them being a little too close to her. She rolled her eyes again at his answer, shaking her head at the same time. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Seeing him stand up, she jumped off the seat and stood up, looking up at him. She wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do, but it wasn't too late yeah, and going back to the hotel room would be boring. "Sounds good to me. Let's get out of here." Looking over to the crowded area where they would have to navigate themselves out of, she sighed and turned back to him. "You ready to go through that?"
Noah looked back out towards the crowd and sighed, dreading going back through it. But he wanted out of here and he wanted to spend some time alone with Jo. It had been a while since they had done that, and he thought that it would be good for them. They were friends before and they could be again, he hoped, because she was someone he always wanted in his life no matter in which way it was. "Yeah, ready." He smiled widely and moved behind her, placing both hands on her shoulders, resting his chin on one of them for a moment. "You can be my shield." He moved them forward, slowly at first, but much quicker once they got into the centre of the room. He quickly realized that in order to get out, they had no choice but to pass the table of women he had been stopped by earlier. For some reason, he could already tell that this wasn't going to end well. "Aww girls, he's leaving!" He heard someone say, and he cursed under his breath as he tried to hurry both he and Jo forward, but he was too slow and the same woman was now stopping him once again, only she was much drunker this time. "Come on, one dance before you go!" At her request, a few of the other girls cheered. Noah really couldn't wrap his head around this, and looked at Jo with a look that screamed 'help me.'
Jo: She nodded, ready to head out of here. She wanted out a long time ago, and now she was happy to get out and breath some fresh air. It wasn't going to be easy, and she knew she'd probably have to avoid bumping into any strippers. When she felt the hands on her shoulders, she turned her head and smirked when she saw Noah's chin resting on hers. "How heroic." Moving forward, she tried her best to avoid bumping into any strippers or any of the middle aged women. Every time she had a close call, she flinched, trying her best to avoid the half-naked men in front of her. They were about to pass the table Noah had pointed out earlier when she felt his hands leave his shoulders, and she heard women shrieking, she knew that they had stopped them again. Turning around, she couldn't help but laugh at his terrified face, but she knew she had to help. She bounced over to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulder, she said, "Hey ladies, sorry, this is my friend. My, uh..." she trailed off, trying to think of something to get them off of him. "My gay friend." she said before she could stop herself. She knew she had to roll with it, so she continued. "Yeah, he's not really interested in what us ladies have to offer, because we're not dudes. Because he's gay." she said, nervously chuckling. The women were staring at her blankly, so she said, "Right. I'm gonna go take him to a club and find him a boyfriend, but it was nice meeting y'all." Grabbing his wrist, she dragged Noah away from the women before turning to him and saying, "You're welcome."
Noah: When he felt her arm drape over his shoulder, he smiled, nodding, going along with whatever it was she was saying -- then he realized exactly what she was saying. For a moment his eyes widened, but then he had to hold back a laugh. Honestly, it was plausible. If is close relationship with Dorian was anything to go by, then there was a slight chance that he could be gay. He smiled widely, and the women seemed to...drunk, perhaps, to even say anything about it, and that's when Jo grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him away. Laughing as they walked, he almost let his hand wander to hers, but then he realized that he couldn't do stuff like that with her anymore, and he dropped is hand back down to his side as the humid air hit his face. "You owed me. I got you out, you got me out. Good team work." He looked up and then around, a smile tugging at his lips as he took in and enjoyed the view. He thought he was going to hate Vegas. It was busy and loud, more so than LA, and the thought of it had given him terrible anxiety, but now that he was here all he wanted to do was enjoy it. With his hands in his pocket, to avoid any accidntal hand holding, he walked over to her and playfully nudged into her side. "Which way. Left or right?"
Jo: Stumbling out of the club, she was glad to get some fresh air. The club was hot and crowded, and although out here it was hot and humid, it was still better than inside. She felt that she could breathe again, and it felt good to be out in the open. She hadn't even realized she was still holding onto his wrist until he pulled his hand away, and she felt a little flustered because of it. "True. But still, you're welcome. You could have had to show off those moves you showed everyone a year ago." Putting her hands on a railing outside, she leaned against it and looked up. Vegas reminded her so much of LA, and it made her a little homesick. She missed her family, her friends, everything back home. It was nice being able to travel, but she still wanted to return to LA soon. Lowering her head a little, she jumped a little when he nudged her side. "Uh...Right, I guess. Hotel's that way and there's a lot down there." Moving away from the railing, she began to walk down that way, still looking around her. For a few moments, she hummed a random tune, something she did when was focused. She had forgotten that Noah was by her side, so she turned her head slightly to his side. "Is it crazy to say I miss LA? Because I do. I feel like I shouldn't but I do."
Noah nodded his head when she suggested they go right, since their hotel was in that direction anyway, at least they wouldn't get lost. Though, right now, he really wouldn't mind getting lost with her at all. They walked slowly and in silence for a little bit, and he let his eyes wander over to her. It was like she was lost in her own little world, a world that perhaps he didn't even exist in. As always, he wondered if that would be better for her. If she would be better off without him in her life. But then again, Noah wondered that about most of the people in his life, and he couldn't stop it. He looked away from her now and instead watched all of the different kinds of people that passed them by. No one seemed the same out here, everyone was different -- everything was different. Vegas in itself was a whole other world. Her familiar voice broke the silence and he slowly turned his head from in front, to the side, so that he could look across at her. "No," he almost whispered, gently shaking his head. "It's home for you, so it's natural for you to miss it. Travelling is all kinds of a amazing, but missing your home is not a weird thing." Pulling his lower lip between his teeth, he looked away and down at the ground, scuffing his feet along it. "I can't say that I miss it, though. LA has never really been my home, and the two people that made it close to it are here with me, so..." Where was his home? It wasn't LA, it never would be, he didn't feel comfortable enough there to settle for the rest of his life, and it was no longer London and it never would be again. The thought made him frown. Noah Summers had no home. He just had friends that made it seem like he did, and that was good enough for him, because he'd rather have them than a real home anyway.
Jo: Kicking at the pebbles she saw on the sidewalk, she nodded along to what Noah was saying. LA was home to her - she had lived there her entire life and she had known no different. Sure, she had been traveling quite a bit over the past year or so, but she was always happy to get home to LA after a couple of weeks. Now, she wouldn't be home for a year. "'Least you got Avery and Dorian with you, right? They're kind of home to you." Jo wished she had a person or some people that could make her feel at home. Of course she had Calla, Avery, and Aiden, but she hadn't seen them in quite a while before they left for the movie. She hadn't seen Noah in over a year before the first day on set, and even then it was odd seeing him again. She hated to admit it, but she did feel quite alone sometimes. Deciding not to go down that path, she thought of something else to say. "You know, my uncle called me up last night," she said, pushing her hands in her pockets, even though they weren't that deep. "My cousin practically ripped the phone out of his hands to tell me he hit the game-winning home-run in the bottom of the 8th inning. He said everyone was cheering, his teammates lifted him up, they poured Gatorade on him, and..." she paused for a second to laugh a little. The thought of her nine year old cousin excitedly running around the bases while his teammates cheered made her smile. "...And it's stuff like that that makes me miss home the most. Not the partying, not the clubs, not my shitty apartment or my even shittier car - it's the innocent stuff. I don't know." She shrugged, looking back out at everything in front of her. Vegas was enormous, and everything seemed bigger than it was in LA. A thought suddenly hit her, and she turned back to Noah. "Hey, you know those fountains that do that water show every half an hour or hour? What are they called...the Bellagio Fountains, yeah." Looking either way, she tried to remember where they were, because she had always wanted to see them. "I think they're around here somewhere...and if I'm right, they should be starting up soon. Wanna go check it out?"
Noah couldn't help but smile at the mention of his friends names. His whole face lit up, his love and admiration for them written all over it. "Yeah," he nodded, whispering as though it was something precious, because it was. "I'm really lucky to have them. Both of them." He found himself walking normally now instead of dragging his feet, his mood suddenly lifted. When he listened to Jo's story about her little cousin, it pained him yet made him happy at the same time. He could tell that she was proud, but also that she missed him and he knew that had to be tough on her. His mind wandered to his little brother for a moment, but he tried not to let it stay there because he didn't want to get sad. He wanted to stay happy, at least for the rest of the night. Sadness would inevitable come again, but for tonight it wasn't welcomed. "He sounds like a really great kid. It's those things that really matter, not where you sleep at night. It's the people in our lives...the ones that make it." Picking up his pace a little, he glanced around trying to think of something for them to do. It wasn't that there was nothing that was the problem, it was that there was far too much to choose from. When she mentioned the fountains and asked him if he wanted to check it out, he once again had to force himself not to reach out for her hand. In another time he would have, and he would have hurried her through the streets of Vegas, but for right now all he could do was nod. "Sounds like a plan," he beamed, before quickening his walk once again, looking over his should. "Come on, we don't want to miss it."
Jo: The humid air was starting to get to her, and she kept having to wipe her hand across her forehead to get rid of some of the sweat. Any other time, she would have just given up and gone somewhere air-conditioned, but she liked being around Noah. She would rather hang around with him and see what they could do instead of sit in her hotel room. She grinned, knowing how much he truly appreciated them. "I'm sure they think the same of you." Biting her lip, she nodded at his words. Her cousins were great, and she missed them dearly, but she couldn't do anything about it at the moment. "He is. Yeah, I know. It's just gonna be odd going back home and seeing them a year older." Jo smiled up at him genuinely, happy she could see the fountains. She had wanted to see them for a long time, but she hadn't had the chance yet. She kept up her pace behind him, weaving her way through the crowded sidewalk. Eventually, they reached the Bellagio resort, which had a large crowd on the sidewalk to watch the show. It took a minute, but eventually, she spotted a place that had room for both of them. "Come on,' she said, grabbing his wrist again so he wouldn't get lost in the crowd, 'there's a good spot right there." Reaching the area, she let go of his wrist and put her arms on the railing, observing the area around them. "I hear they play a lot of good songs. My Heart Will Go On, Billie Jean...I hope they play 'Fly Me to the Moon' by Sinatra. I know they do a show to that, and that's one of my favorite songs."
Noah: He let her drag him along behind her, her fingers wrapped around his wrist. They weaved in and out of the crowd, and though he bumped into several people and apologized, he noticed not one because he was too busy looking at her, and he was captivated by her beauty and excitement. He'd forgotten how happy her company could sometimes makes him. It was nice to be reminded. With her fingers no longer on his skin and her touch removed, he stayed in his spot as she walked over to the railing and leaned on it. With a small and somewhat achy breath, he followed, standing beside her as he himself rested his arms on the railing. The spot was busy -- filled with families, friends and a range of different couples. He looked over at her and smiled, and it was a genuine and happy smile. "I'm really glad that we're doing this," he said, letting his eyes linger for a moment before he turned his attention to the front of him, waiting for the show to begin. He felt like an overly excited child waiting for Christmas, and when the music began, his eyes lit up, his smile growing even wider.
Jo: Her eyes wandered the entire area, looking at everyone an the resort. Everyone seemed to be excited for the show to start, and it looked like it would start any second. She was excited, and she hoped it would be a song she knew. It was a clear, beautiful night, which meant she'd be able see everything. She was brought out of her thoughts by Noah speaking, and she looked back up at him. Seeing him genuinely smile made her smile, too - she had seen him upset too many times, and it was nice seeing him actually happy. "Me too," she said, before turning her attention to in front of her. The music started and she recognized it immediately - Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. She watched as the water shot up and moved to the beat, and the lights made everything more spectacular. Her eyes were wide, and she focused on the show going on her: she had seen videos before, but it was so much better in person. The first time the water shot up higher than normal, a "whoa" escaped her lips as she watched it grow higher and higher. She found herself nodding her head to the beat a little bit as the water moved and the lights shined, and she was happy she was having a good time. About halfway into the show, she turned quickly to Noah and said, "This is really cool, isn't it?"
Noah was certain that he could feel little sprays of water one his face, but then again, it could all have been in his head because he wanted to feel it there. The song was one he recognized, and something that he would usually sing along to, but he was too interested in watching the water and lights in front of him to even make the effort to remember the words let alone sing them. The water sprayed higher than it had before, and Noah found himself childishly laughing. He heard Jo's voice and nodded, and then slowly turned his head to face her. "Yeah." His eyes locked on hers and then fell to her lips. He didn't know what possessed him, but he found himself leaning in. When he realized what he was doing, he pulled back quickly and cleared his throat, trying to play it off. He felt like an idiot. Focusing on the lights and water once again, he felt his breaths deepen. "I think I'll come back and see it again before we leave," he said, trying to avoid awkwardness even though he had probably already caused it.
Jo: nodded, enjoying the view in front of her. Luckily, the people around her weren't too loud, so she could hear the music and focus on what was going on. Still looking at Noah, she noticed his eyes flick down to her lips. She knew this look all too well, and in the back of her mind, she knew that this shouldn't be happening. Her breath caught in her throat, but she wasn't pulling away - was she anticipating this? When he pulled back, she blinked a few times and sighed quietly, turning her attention to the water show going on in front of her. It was still going on and it was still spectacular, so she found herself smiling a bit. When she heard Noah speak, she looked back at him quickly and said, "Yeah, I'll probably make another trip out here. Maybe tomorrow night." Again, she looked back out at the water. The water was still moving to the beat, and she was still amazed with the whole thing. She truly was having a good time, and watching the water moving in different directions with the lights fascinated. Finally, the song ended, and the water stopped and the lights turned off. Everyone around her clapped and cheered, and she found herself clapping along. Letting go of the railing, she turned around and faced the street. "You ready to go back?" she asked, not sure if they could do anything after this.
Noah clapped along and cheered when the show finally ended, and he felt a bit gutted that it had. He'd enjoyed it, and now Jo was asking him if he was ready to go back, and after almost kissing her, he didn't feel like he could suggest them doing something else. Mentally scolding himself, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, composing himself before he smiled, opened his eyes again, and turned to face her. "Yeah," he nodded, a little too enthusiastically -- she could probably tell that it was fake. "I mean, you're probably tired, right?" He walked a little ahead and then cocked his head, gesturing for her to follow. "Come on, I'll walk you back to your room just in case one of the male strippers came to hunt down the dance you deprived him of. Unless you now want it, that is," he joked, mockingly raising an eyebrow before they set off again, heading back towards the hotel. His mind would't shut off now. He thought about kissing her a lot, but was unsure if it was because he was still in love with her or if he was just being nostalgic. He realized now that it was probably a bit of both. It would be unfair of him to kiss her without knowing that she wanted it too, and it would be unfair of him to kiss her eve if she did, because Noah wasn't sure about anything in his life at the moment. Anything at all.
Jo: Raising an eyebrow as his enthusiastic nodding, she turned her head to look in the direction of the hotel. "Yeah, it's been a long night." She saw him walk ahead a little bit and crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes. "Right, I'm sure they're gonna chase after someone like me. I'll pass on their dances." She shook her head a little bit and walked ahead, moving in between the crowd to avoid bumping into people. The walk was mostly silent, due to the fact that Jo couldn't stop thinking. He almost kissed her, right? She couldn't just be imagining things. They had agreed to be friends and that was it, but there was always an awkward tension between them. She had thought he no longer had feelings for her - he couldn't, there was no way. Could it have just been an in the moment thing? They both had a drink or two, so maybe it was the drinks. Or, she thought, she was denying the obvious. She tried to deny the fact she still had feelings for him, but deep down she knew what the truth was. They arrived at the hotel sooner than she expected, and she pushed open the door to their hotel: Caesar's Palace. She was still amazed at how big the place was and just how many people it fit. Walking towards the elevator, she said, "I'm surprised they put us in a place like this. I know Warner Bros. has money...but I didn't think they had this much."
Noah: They stepped into the elevator and he laughed at what she said, but nodded in agreement. It all was so extravagant and nice, and he was surprised by that. Then again, he'd never worked on the set of a movie before, so he had no idea what to expect. "I know, it's...fancy. Nothing like the places I stayed in when I was on my book tour. Um, what floor are you on?" He then pressed the button, but just after he did the elevator filled with people and the both of them were pushed to the back, side by side, but forced close together. His arm brushed hers and he kept on looking ahead, watching the numbers go up in silence as other people spoke. When they reached her floor and the doors opened, he placed his hand on her lower back and helped her out of the elevator, dropping it back down to his side once they were finally in the corridor. He walked a little and then stopped, realizing he had no idea which room she was in. Scratching the back of his neck nervously, he turned to face her. "My plan to walk you to your door his hit a slight bump in the road, because I have no idea which room you're in."
Jo: "I never really stayed in anything this fancy either, so I'm not used to it. It's really nice, though." she said, stepping into the elevator. She was about to say something else before a crowd of people rushed into the elevator, forcing the two to stand next to each other. She looked around and tried to avoid making eye contact with other people, and mostly stared at the floor. Once they reached her floor, she felt herself be ushered out the elevator before she stopped. She looked to her left - her room wasn't too far. "Come on, follow me. It's not too far from here." She shuffled her way down the hallway before reaching her room. Pulling out the card to her room, she was about to put it in the door before she stopped and turned to face him. "Hey, thanks for you know...everything tonight. Saving me from the strip club and going to the water fountain show. I had fun." She found herself smiling up at him slightly, before her eyes eventually fell to his lips. No, she thought. You can't do that. He had already tried once before in the evening and it ended up being awkward between the two. She could feel the tension between the two, though - you could cut it with a knife. This would be a mistake, wouldn't it? Maybe she could blame it on the few drinks in her system. Or maybe she should just let loose for once - kissing her ex wouldn't mean the end of the world, right? Against her better judgement, she leaned forward and kissed him. Immediately, a feeling of nostalgia washed over her, and she enjoyed it. It was warm and familiar, which is pretty much how she remembered kissing him. Her mind raced, and she could feel her heart pounding. When she pulled away, her eyes were wide, as if she just realized what she had done. Fuck, she thought, did I just screw everything up? "I...I..." she stammered, not sure what to say.
Noah leaned against the wall and watched as she pulled out her key. He was feeling sleepy now, but wanted to make sure she got in her room safely, and there was also part of him that didn't want to leave, even though he knew that he should, and would be any moment now. When she turned to face him, his eyes met hers and he got lost in them the way he often used to. "You're welcome," he smiled, somewhat shyly. "I had a really nice time. I'm glad we did it. Guess the strip club was good for something, huh?" he chuckled softly, about to say something else when he felt her lips on his. He froze, his eyes widening with shock. He had not been expecting this. Even when they had been dating, he was always the one to make this first move. Always. Which had often made him feel slightly insecure. He'd missed it, that's for sure -- the feel of her lips on his, the rush that it provided him with. He was certain that her kiss had once been a drug to him, and for months after they parted the simple thought of it made his lips ache with want, or maybe even need. Like they did now, as she pulled away and stuttered, looking just as confused as he felt. "Why....Why did you...we shouldn't..." he found himself moving towards her, his eyes locked on hers. He knew that they shouldn't be doing this, but it was like he had no real control. He placed one hand on the side of her face, his fingers slipping the hair that fell there behind her ear. His heart was racing now, feeling like it was about to burst out of his chest. His free hand slowly travelled down her side before resting on her waist, and as his lips crashed down on hers, he pulled her closer to his body. They had kissed many a time before, but this was different. It was slow, and needy, and intense, and the hand that was on her waist only moments ago was now reaching for a hand to hold.
Jo: She fucked up. She fucked up /bad/. She knew the moment that her lips touched his, she had screwed up. They had agreed to be friends and not do anything like this. It was simple, why couldn't she have followed through with it? She just /had/ to kiss him. There was no reason she had to do it - sure, she still had feelings for him and sure, she did want to kiss him, but she could have gotten over that eventually, right? Her eyes were still wide, and she still was trying to find the words to say. She was expecting him to run away and never want to speak to her again, and she was terribly afraid of that. "I don't know...I didn't-" she said, before she felt his hand on the side of her face. She swallowed hard, not sure what to expect. Feeling his hand on her waist, she didn't jump this time. She was still staring up at him when she felt his lips crash onto hers. He hadn't run away: he kissed her again. She could feel her heart beat harder than before, and she felt herself up against his body. From the get-go, she could tell this kiss was different. It was more intense then she was used to with Noah, but she wasn't complaining. Noticing his hand was gone from her waist, she reached and out and grabbed it, holding it beside her. Kissing him back with more fervor than she had done previously, and brought her free hand up to his neck. In the back of her mind, she knew that they shouldn't be doing this, it was wrong. She didn't care, and she let her mind race as she kissed him.
Noah: When her hand took hold of his, he laced their fingers and deepened the kiss. His mind was telling him that this was wrong, that they were supposed to be working on being friends -- friends didn't kiss, and certainly not like this -- but it didn't feel wrong, it felt right. He pulled back, his forehead resting on hers, her body still pulled close. There were a thousand things that he wanted to say to her then, but not a single one was brave enough to come out. With his hand still placed on the side of her face, his fingers dancing across her flushed cheek, his breaths were heavy as he looked her in the eye. "I--I should go," he nodded, but instead of backing away he only leaned in and kissed her again. "Right?" He mumbled against her lips, unable to pull his own away.
Jo: When she felt him pull away and rest her forehead on hers, all she wanted to was kiss him. She remembered what it was like to crave his kiss, and she missed that feeling. Her breathing was heavy, and her mind was reeling, still trying to process the fact that she was kissing her ex when she really shouldn't be. She knew she was probably going to regret this in the future, but for now, she wanted to live in the present. She wasn't sure how to answer his question - yes, he probably should go. They should probably pretend that this never happened, and it was just a product of the two drinking. But she didn't want him to go. She wasn't sure where the two were going to go with this, but all she knew was that she didn't want him to go, even though he probably should. She kissed him back, and when she pulled away, she said a little nervously, "...You don't have to." She pressed her lips to his again, kissing him for what felt like the millionth time in the past few minutes.
Noah knew that he shouldn't have been happy to hear her say what she said next, but he was, unbelievably so. Maybe they'd regret it in the morning, or maybe she would, at least, but for right now he only cared about being with her, so the consequence would have to wait until morning. "Then I wont." He nodded and then kissed her again, smiling into the kiss this time. With a small smirk, he pulled back, keeping her close. "But maybe we should, you know...get out of the corridor? We escaped one show tonight, I don't think we need to attract our own audience," he chuckled lowly, clearing his throat as he glanced towards her room door and then back towards her. "But you can still send me away if you want to."
Jo: She was glad to hear that he wouldn't be leaving. She was afraid he would say he should and just leave her there, with a million questions unanswered. The last thing she needed was to be more confused. Although she was probably going to be confused in the morning, she decided to ignore that part. "Good." she said, kissing him again. When she felt him smile, she couldn't help but smile after him, too. If she was being honest, she had forgotten that the two were kissing in the middle of a corridor - had anyone passed them by? "You're right," she said, "People don't need to watch." With that, she untangled herself from him so she could get her door open. She shoved the card in, and grabbed the handle and opened the door. A small smirk etched across her face, she pulled him in and said, "You're not gonna have to worry about that," as she crashed her lips against his.
