Brody & Michelle

Author's Note:

Hey, ya'll! Sorry for the gap between chapters, yet again. I guess I could've made this into two shorter chapters, but I ended up just doing one long one. Also! There's a little sexy time in this one, so yay.

Thanks for reading!

*****

Two days after the hot phone snuggling session Brody and Michelle had, Brody was at home watching "Firefly" (again), when his phone went off. He looked at the screen to see it was his new favorite person. "Hey, Sugar Baby," he said after answering the phone. "Did you have another long day and need me to phone snuggle you to sleep? I'm just realizing I never brought up how cute your lovely, little liver is."

"Wow. Did you pick up some alliteration skills from my dad or what?" she asked.

"Hey, let's not bring up your dad when I'm trying to phone snuggle you."

"Then let's not call me Sugar Baby."

"I kind of like it."

Michelle chuckled. "Well... I kind of hate it."

"Fine," Brody sighed in defeat. "I'll think of a different pet name for you."

"Thank you."

"Of course. So... what's up? Everything okay?"

"Umm, yeah. Kind of."

"Do you need something?" Brody asked, immediately sounding concerned.

Michelle smiled softly. "Yeah. I do." Brody then heard someone saying hi to Michelle through his phone, followed by a whoop and some music. Michelle quickly said hi back, then made an irritated noise. A few seconds later, it got quiet again.

Brody paused for a second. "Are you at a bar?"

"Yeah." Michelle did not sound happy about it.

"After a twelve hour day?"

"I'm not exactly here by choice," she explained.

"How?"

"My car broke down yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have let you use mine."

"Brody, that's very sweet, but I wouldn't just take your car."

"Why not?"

"I mean, we just met. I wouldn't call you up and tell you my car broke down, and then ask you if I could use yours. That's weird. Things have been going great, but... still. We've only known each other a few weeks."

"I know you never would have asked to use it, but, if I had known your car broke down, I would have offered it to you."

Michelle shut her eyes in exasperation. It was pointless to continue on this conversation. "Anyway, my brother drove me to work, and my coworker was going to give me a lift home, but I guess everyone at my work decided to go out, so... now I'm out."

"And she wouldn't drop you off at home beforehand?"

"He. And, no, he insisted it would only be for one drink, but... I know him. It won't be for just one drink."

"He?" Brody asked quietly.

"Ugh. Brody, no."

"Sorry. So... what I'm hearing is that you need me to come rescue you."

"Really? Is that what you're hearing?"

"Yep. You need your knight in shining armor, AKA me, to come rescue you from the evil clutches of your coworkers."

Michelle could see that annoying smirk on his face in her mind. "If that's what you need to tell yourself so you'll come get me and take me home, then yes."

"Cool. Now call me your knight in shining armor."

"What? No."

"Please."

"Why?"

"Is it really that hard for you to call me your knight in shining armor?" Brody asked, actually sounding slightly wounded.

Michelle then took a deep breath before saying, "Brody, my noble knight in shining armor, will you please come rescue me from the evil clutches of my coworkers? I would be forever in your debt."

Brody chuckled, and smiled a great big, beaming smile. "Michelle, my fair lass, nothing else in the world would give me more pleasure in this moment."

"Perfect. I'm at the Lakeside Tavern."

"I can be there in fifteen."

"Thank you so much."

"Any time... Sugar Baby."

"I hate you."

Brody snickered and then hung up the phone.

______________________________________________________

Precisely thirteen minutes and forty-nine seconds later, Brody pulled into the parking lot of the bar where Michelle was being held hostage. He walked into the the bar with a slight spring in his step, excited to see Michelle again. He opened up the door, looked around, and saw Michelle nursing a drink alone at the bar looking very unhappy with her present circumstances. Brody snuck up behind her, tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Lady Michelle," she turned around immediately, and her face broke out into a wide grin, "it is I, your knight in shining armor, who has come to whisk you away from this dungy tavern, and return you safely home. Your chariot awaits."

Michelle set down her drink, and hopped off the bar stool. "My hero," she said jokingly, giggling. She then wrapped her arms around Brody's waist and pulled him in for a hug. "Thanks."

He squeezed her back and smiled bashfully. "Aww. It's nice to see you, too."

She pulled away from him and bit her lip. "You got here awfully fast. Eager to see me, huh?" she asked with a cocky grin.

"Oh, come on. If anyone was eager to see anyone, it was you."

"How?"

"You could have called your dad, or brother, or sister-"

"My sister can't drive yet."

"Or mother. Whatever. Called a cab... But you didn't. You called me to come get you."

Michelle shrugged her shoulders in concession. "Okay. You're right."

"I..." Brody then stopped. He wasn't expecting to win that easily. "What?"

She shrugged again. "You're right. I could have done any of those things, but I didn't. I called you. I wanted to see you."

Brody raised his eyebrows and smiled wide. "Oh. Okay."

"Don't look so pleased with yourself. You wanted to see me, too."

"Of course I fucking did."

"Damn right."

While Brody laughed at Michelle's response, one of Michelle's co-workers walked up to them. "Hey, Michelle..."

"Hey, Cole."

"We all," Cole started, waving his hand over at a table of people, "saw you hugging some guy we've never seen and became curious."

"Oh," Michelle said looking slightly embarrassed. "Well, this is Brody. He came to pick me up, because I was feeling a little tired and didn't want to ask you to take me home."

"Hi," Brody said, waving at Cole.

"Hey," Cole smiled back. He then turned back to Michelle. "I've never seen you with a guy before. So... are you guys...?"

Brody and Michelle answered at the same time.

"Yeah. I'm her boyfriend."

"We just started seeing..."

They then turned to each other wearing matching confused looks. "Boyfriend?" Michelle asked.

"Yeah," Brody said, as if it was obvious. "Am I not your boyfriend?"

Michelle's eyes widened in shock, and all she could say was, "Umm..."

"Yikes," Cole said under his breath before walking away, his plan for merely some minor gossip turning against him.

Not knowing what to do or say, Michelle watched Cole scuffle away and said, "Oh. We scared away Cole."

When Brody didn't respond, she looked up at his face, and he was frowning at her. "So?" he asked, looking like he honestly didn't give shit.

"Do you want to go outside and talk for a minute?" Michelle asked.

"I guess," Brody responded, still frowning at her.

"Okay." Michelle then lead them out to the back entrance of the bar. They stepped outside, and Michelle took a deep breath, "So..." she started, not knowing where to really go from there.

"So...?" Brody, raised his eyebrows urging Michelle to continue. She shot him an annoyed glance to which he responded, "You're the one who wanted to come out here to talk, so... talk."

Michelle folded her arms in front of her chest and asked, "Is this really how you're acting right now?"

"You don't consider me your boyfriend?" he asked.

"Honestly, Brody, I don't even know how you came to that conclusion."

"What do you mean?"

"We've never had a conversation about it. Why would you just assume-?"

"What kind of conversation?" Brody interrupted.

"Well, for one, we never had any type of exclusivity conversation. You know, where we agreed to be exclusive."

"Agreed to be...? Wait. Are you seeing other people?" Brody looked aghast at the very thought.

"No," Michelle said, shaking her head.

"Do you... do you want to see other people?" Brody then asked quietly, looking concerned.

"No. That's not what I'm saying."

"Okay. So... you don't want to see other people; I don't want to see other people. We like each other. Doesn't that make us a couple?"

"You can't just decide that I'm your girlfriend, Brody. That's not okay," Michelle admonished.

"Fine. Will you be my girlfriend?" Brody asked, not understanding why Michelle was being so freaking difficult.

"Oh, my God..." Michelle said, burying her face in her hands.

Right then, Stephanie popped out of the back entrance and saw Michelle standing by the wall. "Michelle!" Stephanie exclaimed. "I came to have some drinks with you guys, and I was told that you actually came! And that you were out here with a boy? It's been so long!"

Brody then turned around and caught Stephanie's eyes. "Hey, Steph."

"Brody? The guy is Brody?" Stephanie said smiling over at Michelle.

"Yep," she answered.

"Guilty," Brody said.

"So... are you guys-" Michelle knew what question Stephanie was about to ask, and tried to get her attention by widening her eyes and shaking her head at her, hoping it would stop the destructive line of questioning. However, it didn't work, "- together now, or what?"

Michelle sighed, knowing what was about to come. "Oh? Are we together? No. I mean, we both really like each other, and we have no desire to see other people, and we've kissed, and I've, like, met her dad, but... no. We're not together. That's a dumb assumption. Why would anyone ever just assume something like that, you know?" Brody said in the most passive-aggressive tirade he'd made in recent memory.

Michelle clenched her jaw and glared in Brody's direction. Stephanie's eyes looked like saucers, as her mouth dropped open in shock. Trying to save everyone from an even more awkward situation, Michelle said, "It was good seeing you, Steph, but Brody and I were about to go get some frozen yogurt-"

"We were?"

"Yep," she turned to him giving him a tight smile. She then looked back at Stephanie, "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Umm. Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Brody, call me. It's been a while since we hung out."

"Sure. See ya, Steph."

"Bye," she said, making her way back to the bar.

Michelle then started walking to the parking lot, Brody following behind her. They were silent until they got into the car, when Brody asked, "Are we actually going to go get frozen yogurt?" Michelle nodded. "Okay. Which frozen yogurt place do you want to go to?"

Michelle shrugged. "I don't really care. You pick."

Brody started the car, pulled out of the parking spot, and frowned. "Are you mad at me?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well, I'm mad at you, too," Brody said back.

"Okay."

"I don't..." Brody shook his head. "And you still want to get frozen yogurt with me?" he asked, puzzled.

"We need to talk. And I'm annoyed and want sugar."

Brody became nervous and his stomach dropped at the mention of the phrase, "We need to talk." Judging on all of the movies and television shows he's watched in his lifetime, that phrase never meant anything good.

Noticing the shift in Brody' demeanor from irritated to anxious, Michelle said, "It's nothing like that. Everything will be fine." She shook her head. "You always expect the worst."

"Well, I have been called cynical." Brody was referencing the time Michelle called him cynical twice at Stephanie's party.

"That's right. You have been."

There was a short silence when Michelle abruptly asked, "Can you drive with one hand?"

Brody took his right hand off the wheel and waved it around. "I guess. Why?"

"Do you mind if I hold it?" Michelle asked, looking out the passenger's side window.

"You want to hold my hand?"

She looked over at him and answered, "Yeah. When I'm not feeling exactly mentally connected to someone, it makes me feel better to physically touch them. So you're still connected in some way. I don't know. It makes me feel better."

"You can hold my hand." She grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers. She was right. The tension in the car immediately lessened.

"So... I annoyed you so much you're actually going to eat refined sugar with me?"

"Looks that way."

"Wow. I am talented," Brody teased.

"Oh my God," Michelle shook her head and smiled.

______________________________________________________

They pulled up to Brody's favorite frozen yogurt spot. "Little Bunny #1 Frozen Yogurt?" Michelle said incredulously, as she read the sign.

"Yeah. I don't really get the name. Regardless, it's my favorite fro-yo place. They have cotton candy flavored yogurt."

"That sounds disgusting."

"It's amazing," Brody corrected.

"Cotton candy is just fluffy sugar. It's essentially sugar flavored sugar."

"Well, that explains why it's so good."

"If you say so."

They walked into Little Bunny #1 Frozen Yogurt, and got themselves some self serve. When Michelle went to pays for hers, she said, "I've got this, Brody." Then gestured towards the scale, indicating that he could put his on with hers.

"No," he said. "You're my Sugar Baby."

"Well, today you're my Sugar Baby," Michelle quickly retorted.

Brody frowned slightly and quietly said, "Really. It's fine. Your car broke down, and..."

"Brody, I can afford some frozen yogurt. Besides, you got the mini-golf, and you came and picked me up... Seriously. I've got it."

"Okay, then," Brody shrugged and plopped his dish of yogurt on the scale more than doubling the weight that showed up on the screen. Michelle paid, and they sat down at a table to enjoy their sugary delights.

They started eating in silence for a minute when Brody then looked at Michelle's cup and shook his head in disappointment. "I was so excited to see you eat some junk food, and you messed it up. Is that vanilla with only actual fruit on it? You made this indulgent treat healthy."

"Healthy? I mean, it's better for you than ice cream, maybe, but if you think what I'm eating right now is somehow super healthy, then... you've got some problems."

"But, Michelle, you didn't even put one type of candy or chocolate on there at all!"

"Fruit is like nature's candy. You would know if you actually ever ate any."

"I've eaten fruit before."

"I bet you can't even name all the fruit I have on here. Like this," she said challengingly holding up a slice of a green fruit with little black seeds.

"That's a kiwi." Brody was quite proud of himself.

"Okay. What about this one?" she asked, holding up a fruit that was white and shaped like a ball.

Brody blinked a few times and shrugged. "Does it really matter if I-?"

"It's lechee."

"Well, I'm sure it's disgusting."

"Really? You have gummy bears and marshmallow fluff on your cotton candy flavored frozen yogurt! You eat like a six-year-old."

Brody then laughed. "I do eat like a six-year-old. I had Spaghetti-O's and cheese puffs for dinner."

Michelle chuckled and closed her eyes in bemusement. She opened them and looked at Brody. "How are you alive?"

"That's a good question."

Michelle face then turned a little more serious and she crinkled her nose. "So..."

Brody then nodded. "So... this is where we need to talk."

"Yeah," she said while giving a contrite smile.

"Okay. I'm ready."

"What you did back at the bar was not okay with me. Not necessarily that we were arguing. I want you to tell me what you're feeling. I don't want to you to feel like you can't tell me what you're feeling. Honesty is important to me."

"Okay."

"But... when Stephanie came out, and you gave her that passive-aggressive speech that was clearly directed at me... I mean, that was childish. And inappropriate. And none of Stephanie's business. And I'm sure you had to make her feel so awkward. I get that you were upset, but... I don't know. I really didn't like that."

"Yeah. I... shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry," Brody said.

"Also, I didn't think you were really listening to me."

"Well, I kind of felt the same way. You didn't seem to care that I was upset."

"I cared, but you were trying to make decisions for me. Like... you wanted me to be your girlfriend, so... I was now your girlfriend. Which is a little, well, crazy, Brody. We haven't known each other that long."

"The way I feel is crazy?" Brody asked, looking like he didn't appreciate the comparison.

"Okay," Michelle conceded. "Maybe that wasn't the right word. But... we've known each other for about three weeks. This is the sixth time I've ever seen you in my life. We've been on one date. And you expected that I had fully committed to the idea of being with you and being your significant other with absolutely no conversation about it. Like... you don't go on one date with someone and expect them to think you're in a relationship usually, do you?" she asked, trying to get Brody see where she was coming from.

He sat there, staring at her for a few seconds before taking a deep breath in. Then he exhaled, "We've only been on one date?"

"Technically, yeah. I would only really consider mini-golf a date. Maybe Gore Fest was like half of a date?"

Brody's eyes grew wide. "We've only been on one date," he said in realization.

"Yeah," she nodded in response.

"I am crazy," Brody said sounding horrified.

"No. You're not crazy," Michelle reassured, grabbing Brody's hand and rubbing circles in his palm. "You're just..." she shrugged, "you."

Brody looked down at his hand and watched Michelle sweetly offering comfort to him, when he was the one who started this whole thing. She was too nice. "I think it hurt," Brody said, trying to explain what had happened. "I felt hurt that you didn't seem to like me as much as I like you, and that you maybe weren't into this as much as I am. So I got mad. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. And... I don't like hurting you, Brody. Hurting you hurts me, you know?"

Brody nodded, and they continued to sit at the table in a slightly uneasy silence, Michelle still tracing little designs in his palm. Brody then closed his fingers around Michelle's hand, and he asked, "Are you done?" motioning to her yogurt.

"Yeah. I'm good. Are you done? You still have almost half of your gummy bears and marshmallow fluff left."

Brody smiled. "I think it's probably better for me if I don't finish it, anyway."

They threw away their trash and headed for the exit to leave. Michelle was a little ahead of Brody while the walked to his car. When they were almost to it, Brody grabbed one of her hands and spun her around to face him. Brody was just staring at her face with a small frown on his own. Michelle raised her eyebrows questioningly, "What's up?"

Brody's answer was to press his body up against hers, push them into his car, and press his lips onto hers in a hard kiss. Michelle was shocked and it took her a minute to ease into the kiss, because Brody was relentless and would not ease up. He put his hand behind her head to adjust her to the perfect angle, so he could dip his tongue into her mouth, teasing her lips with little licks. Michelle parted her lips a little wider to give him easier access, and he obliged with a groan, pushing his tongue against hers.

Michelle let out a whimper as she started feeling warmth spread through her body. She was pushed right up against the car, and every part of their bodies were touching. Her chest was pressed against his, and even one of his legs was between hers. He swept his tongue in her mouth again while thrusting his hips into hers, and she could feel that he was enjoying himself. Brody then knotted his hand in her hair somehow pulling her even closer to him and deepening the kiss more. She felt totally consumed by him. And she loved it.

Michelle was loving it so much, she actually couldn't stop this little mewling sound that was coming from the back of her throat. She was starting to sound like a kitten. Brody started to soften the kiss, and the hand that was caught up in her hair moved over to cup her face. He then pulled away from her lips and chuckled. He kissed her nose. "Aww. My little kitten."