now it’s just you and me in the dark
Number five. Inspired by “Motel Pool” by Travis Garland. Take a listen while you read. As always, find more of Teyana and Niall here.
It’s been a hell of a week.
Teyana’s been working a string of long shifts at the bookstore for the past several days, and those shifts have seemed to bring in a rainbow of clientele—terribly sweet but indecisive old ladies who she essentially ended up giving a tour of the whole bookstore, irate college students in summer school who wanted to place the blame on her for the texts they’d procrastinated on purchasing and were now out of stock, dudes tapping on the front display window while she was restocking shelves who found it charming to point at her ass and give her a thumbs-up.
She’s been soldiering through, a half hour left in her final shift before a blessed couple of days off (as a thank you from her boss), and then a small child belonging to a parent too engrossed in their cell phone screen to pay attention manages to take down an entire display of Mo Willems books in ten seconds flat.
Teyana wants to scream.
The keyholder position sounded so, so great when it was initially offered to her, she thinks, but now she’s cursing her acceptance as the mother of the child is finally called to attention as the tower of books topples to the floor. She has the nerve to pick up a few copies and place them back haphazardly on the table before taking a few glances around, snatching the child by the hand, and walking away, and Teyana swears that steam shoots out of both of her ears just like in the cartoons.
By the time she and a co-worker have finished reorganizing the display, it’s time to close. Teyana shoots Niall a distress text as she goes about her closing duties, and by lockup time, she checks back to find his reply:
As promised, Niall is waiting outside for her, engine idling in the old red Chevy pickup truck he got a great deal on from some car lot near campus back when he was nineteen, about a month before he and Teyana even met. It’s been a constant in their relationship—he picked her up in it on their first date, it was where they shared their third kiss (the first was on her doorstep, the second was at a gig that Niall and his bandmates had invited her to see), it transported her things and his from their respective dorms over to the apartment they now call home. The truck is very much a part of their relationship, a slightly-rusted little piece of home on wheels. And in it, parked in front of the curb outside the bookstore, is Niall, who reaches across the bench seat to pull the handle and unlatch the door for her.
Teyana climbs in and immediately grins. As promised, there’s ice cream, the evidence of which is melted on Niall’s chin and waiting for her in a dripping sugar cone in his opposite hand.
“Sorry,” he mumbles, when he hands it over to her after she’s clicked her seatbelt in place and cranked the passenger’s side window down all the way. “I tried to pick it up last minute, but…”
“Summer,” Teyana finishes, with a knowing laugh, and she yelps as a stream of melted ice cream goes gliding down her wrist. She moves quickly to catch it, tongue swiping along the rim of the cone while her opposite hand blindly fumbles for the latch of the glove compartment, until she can grasp at a couple of napkins. She cleans up her arm before reaching over to Niall, pulling him towards her by the chin and wiping him clean, too.
“Thanks,” he mumbles, a lovely blush filling up his cheeks.
“You’re welcome,” Teyana replies, kissing him sweetly on the mouth before leaning back against the seat and taking another lick of ice cream. “All right. You proposed a drive?”
Niall blinks, momentarily dazed by her kiss, and then his eyes brighten and he nods before reaching an arm over the seat. He digs around until he pulls up his gym bag by the handle straps, tossing it gently into the space between them on the front seat. “Yeah,” he says, “but you gotta change first.”
“Change?” Teyana asks. With her free hand, she unzips the bag and rifles around, surprised when she feels the familiar material of swimwear slide between her fingers. She pulls it into view to find that Niall has packed her favorite bikini, the coral-colored one she’d bought the previous summer, and a couple of towels from the linen closet that Teyana’s had since her freshman year.
Holding up her bikini top, Teyana quirks an eyebrow, a silent query of “What for?” in her eyes.
Niall just smiles in response. “Trust me.”
So, trust him she does, like always, and they drive for miles and miles, losing track of time and distance as Teyana puts all of her bad days in the rear view. They sing songs at the top of their lungs—Niall, in his typical nature, sounding like he was born for it—and by the time Niall pulls off the road and putters into the parking lot at the back of a little motel, the clock display reads 11:57, and Teyana isn’t sure just how far they’ve traveled.
“Where are we?” she asks him.
Niall shrugs, turning the hand crank of the window, and Teyana follows suit on her side of the truck. “No clue,” he replies, reaching up towards the back of his neck. He pulls his shirt over his head in one smooth motion and tosses it into the backseat, then nods towards the door on his side of the cab. “Come on.”
Teyana knows that in retrospect, they will laugh about this long after this night, genuinely laugh, with the way her eyes widen once she’s realized Niall’s plan, and he has to drag her towards the low-lined fence surrounding the rectangular motel pool. She shakes her head as he gallantly hops the fence, snagging the hem of his swim shorts on the top of the fence as he goes over, and she lets out a panicked laugh as he struggles to get himself unhooked, then beckons her over, pouting his lips until she gives in.
Her hop over the fence is less than graceful, too, but nothing gets caught, surprisingly, the long hem of the t-shirt she pulled over her swimsuit after she changed in the backseat balled up in her fist as she takes the leap to the other side of the fence. Niall gives her a quiet round of applause and holds his hands up, fingers extended in a rating, a solid six of out ten.
She flips him off in return, and he laughs and offers her a grin before motioning towards the pool with his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Teyana knows that look and begins to protest, but Niall turns his back to her and with a running start, he cannonballs into the pool.
When he resurfaces, he’s soaked through, and he pushes the hair clinging to his forehead back and smiles. That smile sends a jolt of electricity through Teyana, excitement coursing through her veins, but still she can’t quite stop fretting, logic running laps in her mind.
Technically, they’re trespassing. The last thing either of them needs is to be caught hopping fences and diving into pools after hours at motels where they aren’t paying guests. Still, Niall swims about in the quiet of the night as if he hasn’t a single thought in his mind of getting caught, humming the theme music from Jaws before pinching his nose and dipping below the surface until he’s only visible from the eyes up.
Her little blue-eyed shark in the water.
Worrying at her bottom lip, Teyana lingers back a few feet, near the fence, at war with herself and the thrill of this night. So often, Niall is all impulse, going with what feels good or presents an adventurous opportunity for himself or the two of them. He’s not stupid, never risky to the point of danger, but he feels dangerous sometimes, willing and open to try things they never have, or do things like this, drive a couple hours out of the city to stop off at a random motel just to go for a swim. Just because she’s had a series of bad days that have sent her spirits plummeting.
He’s incredible.
When Niall pops up again, he simply stares, in that way he does that always makes Teyana break out in a full-bodied blush because it’s like he’s never seen anything better than her. Self-conscious under his gaze, she pulls the hair tie from her hair and snaps it around her wrist, fingers loosening up her curls so they fall down towards her shoulders.
“Unfair of you to look so good,” Niall muses, as Teyana tiptoes her way towards the edge of the pool, twisting her fingers up in the fabric at the hem of her shirt. He swallows hard as she pulls it over her head and adds, “Especially when you're all the way up there.”
Tossing her shirt aside, Teyana smiles and tugs the strings securing her bikini top tighter around her neck, fixing the bow as she draws closer to the pool. She gives her bottoms a tug-up as she reaches one leg over the edge, bending the opposite knee until the toes of her extended leg touch the water’s surface. It's cold, and she makes a face, one that pulls a quiet laugh from Niall's mouth.
“It's all right, petal; it's just a little cold.” Niall swims closer, treading water once he's reached her, amusement sparkling in his eyes now.
“A little cold?” Teyana whispers. She huffs and dips her toes in again, the temperature of the pool sending a sharp chill up her spine. “It's the middle of fucking summer; isn't the water supposed to be warm? Y’know, from the sun?”
Niall shrugs. “Suppose so,” he replies, “but it’s probably after midnight now.”
Teyana groans, swirling her toes through the water, willing herself to take the plunge.
Niall, on the other hand, grins. “C’mon, petal, just jump in. I'll catch you, keep you warm.”
There's an arch of his brows that comes with the last bit.
Teyana rolls her eyes.
“Teyana, I’m serious,” Niall says, laughing again. He smiles, genuinely smiles, and her heart gives an unexpectedly hard thump in her chest. The backdrop of the motel’s ‘VACANCY’ sign paints him in neon red, and she almost misses his blond tips now, with the way they’d surely catch the color in the light.
His tone is achingly sweet as he tells her, “Baby, just jump.”
Sucking in a sharp breath, Teyana takes a few steps back, which makes Niall’s brows furrow, mouth settling into a deep frown. His expression changes when she begins to run forward towards the edge and leaps, and then his smile returns, blinding, the last thing she sees before being submerged underwater.
When she breaks the surface, teeth chattering a bit as she slicks her wet hair back out of her eyes, Niall is still smiling and he reaches for her hand, pulls her in close to him. “Now, see, that wasn't so bad.”
Teyana wraps her legs around Niall’s slim waist when he slides both arms around her, to hold her close. They bump noses, and Teyana laughs, eyes fluttering closed when Niall’s lips gently press to hers. His arms loosen their grip, hands sliding down to cup her bottom, and Teyana sighs, thoroughly entranced by his tongue as the kiss deepens.
“Thank you for this,” she breathes, when he pulls back and presses a sweet kiss to her chin. “Thanks for breaking me out.”
“Of course, petal,” he replies. The sincerity in his eyes is overwhelming. “Anything you need. Always.”
This, she thinks, when he leans in to capture her mouth in another kiss, this is exactly what she needs.
They float together like this for a couple of minutes, sharing kisses and quiet laughter, until Niall wiggles his fingers at her side and she breaks into a fit of giggles. He takes the opportunity to pull away once she’s gone squirming out of his grasp, and she squeals and closes her eyes as his arm skims across the water, sending a large splash in her direction. Then, it’s all-out war, splashing and laughing until they hear footsteps and Niall goes immediately quiet, snatching Teyana by the hand and pulling her towards the pool’s edge.
“Niall—” she whispers, but he puts a finger to his lips as he pulls her flush against him and presses his back to the edge, ducking so their heads are out of sight. His stare is enveloping, even with wide, fear-filled eyes that match hers at the possibility of being caught by someone who might care that they’ve snuck onto the property after dark.
They both breathe a sigh of relief at the not-too-distant sound of an ice machine, and once the footsteps drift out of earshot, Niall stretches his neck up to take a look.
“Coast is clear,” he whispers, sinking back down to get eye level with Teyana.
Teyana’s heart is beating hard and fast in her chest. She swallows thickly, and Niall’s eyes search her face before she reaches up to take fistfuls of his wet hair and pulls him close, kisses him hard, making him grunt softly against her mouth before his lips become pliant. She kisses him breathless, until he’s pulling away and panting, “Baby, I...Jesus Christ.”
Pressed this closely to him, Teyana can feel the way he’s going hard in his swim shorts, and it sobers her up just a touch. They can’t, not here, not in this pool where God knows how many other people have done the same. At that thought, she puts some space between them.
“Sorry,” she mumbles,” biting at her bottom lip, which only makes Niall grunt again. He rubs the heel of his hand firmly against his jaw and clears his throat.
“Maybe we should go,” he says, and Teyana can’t help but smile at the flush in his cheeks that’s apparent even in the dark. “It’s late.”
“Right,” Teyana replies, but it’s absent-minded; her brain is still halfway in her pants, and Niall’s as well.
Niall pulls himself up and out of the pool with a strength in his arms that makes Teyana dizzy with lust, the way his muscles ripple with the motion. He’s careful with the way he bends down to extend a hand to her, shielding the bulge in his shorts from her view as if she hasn’t just felt it against her thigh moments before, but Teyana gives him this, lets him be chivalrous as he pulls her up while she shoves off with her other hand to join him.
Niall’s heading towards the fence where they hopped over when Teyana spies, just to their far left, an entry gate. It’s without a lock, a simple lift latch, and she stifles a laugh while Niall visibly debates how he’s going to hoist himself over the fence with a hard-on. Her laughter catches his ear and then she catches his eye as she motions towards the gate.
“I knew that was there,” he mutters, walking over to grab her by the hand as she snatches up her shirt, and he leads her towards the gate.
“Of course you did, baby,” she replies, her tone saccharine.
Niall looks at her over his shoulder, clearly unamused, and he gives her a sarcastic laugh before flipping up the latch on the gate and pulling her through before closing it softly behind them.
They towel off quietly in the parking lot before Niall climbs up into the driver’s seat, reaching over the back for his t-shirt. He’s turned around again and tugging it over his head when Teyana reaches for the lever that pushes the bench seat back and pulls.
Niall lets out a cry of surprise, startled as the seat slides back with a push of Teyana’s hand, his head still inside his shirt. He yanks it down so that the collar is fitted snugly around his neck, his hands still twisted up in the fabric beneath it as he settles wide eyes on Teyana. “Tey, what are you—”
“Shut up,” she breathes, pushing up on tiptoes until she reaches the step. She eases her way into the truck, into Niall’s lap, bottom of the wide steering wheel pressing into her lower back.
Before Niall can utter another word, Teyana presses her mouth to his, and Niall fumbles around as he tries to kiss her back while he fights to free his hands from the confines of his t-shirt so he can grip her waist.
“Fucking hell,” he breathes, eyes still wide, once he’s finally untangled himself, the shirt hanging carelessly around his neck and shoulders as his fingers fumble for her waistline next. Teyana laughs and presses herself to his bare chest and rolls her hips down towards his crotch, and he swears again, eyes falling closed. “You’ll be the death of me, I swear it.”
Teyana manages a shrug before teasing him with another wind of her hips, and Niall’s hands scoop beneath her to palm her ass now, his head dropping to press a searing line of kisses from the curve of her neck up to the spot just behind her ear.
He nuzzles his nose into her cheek, his voice just a hair above a whisper as he asks, “You’re really gonna fuck me here?”
Teyana pulls back, brows furrowed as she studies his expression. Making love in a car is rather tame, in her opinion. She leans forward and kisses the base of his throat. “Why are you surprised?”
“Well,” he groans, swallowing hard, and she feels the bob of his Adam’s apple against her lips, “we’ve never...in my truck. Surprisingly.”
At the “surprisingly,” Teyana leans back again and laughs, because it is surprising, and then she wriggles her hips against his. “Well,” she replies, mimicking the way he’s just said the same word, “I’d say it’s long overdue.”
There are luckily condoms stashed in Teyana’s purse, and she slides off his lap and over to the passenger’s side of the truck cab to dig one out of the back zippered pocket where she keeps the other sensible things she carries (lip balm, bobby pins, ballpoint pens, an extra hair tie or two) while Niall pulls the shirt around his neck off again and tosses it beside him onto the seat.
He wiggles out of his still-damp swim shorts and after he strokes himself fully hard, he rolls on the condom, then pulls at the strings tying Teyana’s bikini bottoms together at her waist. They both give a satisfied sigh as she sinks down onto his cock, and he mumbles “I love you,” against her lips before she lifts her hips and drops down again.
It’s a slow, insatiable grind, the swell of summer heat surrounding them as the air seeps in through the rolled-down windows. Teyana’s hands feel sticky against Niall’s skin, one hand clasped around the back of his neck, the other clutching his side but soon dropping to twist fingers into the pulled-loose threading of the seat, to help her keep her balance. She can feel the sweat rolling down the center of her back, pooling a bit where the strings of her bikini top are still tied, Niall’s right arm encircling her waist while his left cradles her head, kissing her breathless as they work their way towards climax.
With a whimper, Teyana tips over the edge first, and not long after, with his face buried in her neck, Niall moans and follows suit.
The drive back home is long and quiet. Niall’s behind the wheel again, the windows are rolled down, Teyana’s feet are tucked under her as she curls up on her side of the bench seat. The radio is playing tunes so softly that the lyrics are faint, nearly muted by the sound of the wind coming in. She’s pulled the long t-shirt she had covering her suit back on, while Niall’s is folded and tied around her wrist like a bandanna, and she hangs her arm out of the window, lets her hand ride the waves of the wind for a mile or two.
Niall, happily shirtless, has one hand clutching the top of the steering wheel, the other clutching Teyana’s, fingers entwined, their joined hands resting in the space between them. She glances over at him maybe a half hour into their return trip, and he just grins and tugs her closer, pulling her hand up to his mouth so he can kiss the back a couple times. His eyes linger on hers a little while longer than is probably safe, given they should be focused on the road ahead.
He doesn’t say it before he looks away, the ‘I love you’ that Teyana knows is resting on the tip of his tongue, but he doesn’t need to.
She’s seen everything in his eyes.