Scabbard & Blade

Author's note: This story was written for 'Brent'. May it always be Springtime.

*****

I'd told myself not to get too worked up about the party. It was supposed to be a normal evening of having fun with my mates, cracking jokes and acting silly together. But because of my own fault my expectations had become much higher and now my hopes on an intimate encounter with Brent were crashed. Tina was his date for the party and that made my stomach turn as if the excited butterflies had been shot down the moment they walked into the room together.

When the pair joined our group I noticed some of the guy's attitudes changing from fun and flirty to their typical competitive cockiness. Not wanting to act childish I smiled at Tina and complimented her on her cute dress. Brent in my opinion had to be more than grateful for the short nod I gave him. He raised a suspicious eyebrow but didn't say anything about my cold shoulder treatment. Instead he asked if anybody wanted a drink. Most guys raised their beers indicating they had enough for the time being. When he looked at me with an inquiring look in his eyes I shook my head, "I can get my own drink."

I quickly turned away and walked over to the drinks area. As I pretended to think of what to get I glanced back at the group to see Brent leaning over and whispering into Tina's ear. Like seeing them together wasn't painful enough they were now openly flirting too? Brent obviously had already forgotten our little bet from the volleyball game. Perhaps coming to the party was a bad idea and going home with a sloppy excuse would be the best solution.

"Such a pensive look doesn't suit a pretty girl like you very well."

A dark voice interrupted my train of thoughts. I turned around to see a tall, blonde guy staring at me with a cheesy grin on his face. Even though I'd never seen him before all it took me was one glance to be able to tell he was far from sober. I smiled a polite smile to the stranger and turned away from him, hoping he would take the hint. As I ordered my drink I felt a warm sweaty arm snake around my waist.

"Why don't you take something stronger than that?" the same slurry voice was now much louder as the guy pushed himself up to me. As if the unwanted arm around me wasn't bad enough he leaned in even closer and whispered next to my ear, "You need to live a little, sweet cheeks."

Trying to be nice and not make a scene, I gently pushed the guy away to create some distance between us.

"Please stop touching me, I'm not interested."

"Oh believe me, babe," he continued while pointing at his crotch. "Every chick wants a piece of the Matt man!"

I let out a sound of disgust and turned my back towards the drunken lout. Seeing Brent and Tina together had really ruined my mood. I felt even worse about the fact that it affected me so much. All I wanted to do was hang around for a bit and fake a headache so I could go home early and forget about it all.

The bar area was crowded and I had to wait a little bit before the bartender gave me my drink. As I turned around, glass in hand, I suddenly felt a hand on my behind. I gasped in shock at the unwanted grope. The glass slipped from my grip, shattering on the floor and I felt liquid and glass splinters hitting my bare ankles. I turned around in anger and braced myself to punch whoever felt the need to rudely feel me up.

"What the f-" I exclaimed, but my words were cut short as my foot slipped on the wet floor. In an attempt to steady myself my arms searched for any sort of support but failed miserably. I staggered on my feet and felt my foot tilt sideways as the heel on my shoe snapped off. Before I realised what was happening I landed on the floor with a hard thump.

It took me a moment to gather my thoughts as I looked up to see the same seedy intoxicated guy. Some minutes ago I thought my night couldn't have gotten any worse, but now I was sitting on the sticky floor with a broken heel and a sore ankle. All I wanted to do was cry and scream at the harasser.

Even though there was a lot of noise around another voice joining in sounded loud and clear.

"Hey idiot, apologise to the lady!"

"Why would I?! She certainly doesn't dress like a lady!"

Before the bully could even think about insulting me further, he gasped as a strong hand roughly grabbed the front of his shirt.

"Brent!" I cried out, surprised to see him standing next to me, "Please don't...He's just a drunk asshole."

To my relief my shriek was heard over the loud music and Brent released his grip, drawing his arm back slowly. The drunk guy gave me one last dirty look, shrugged his shoulders and walked away on his wobbly legs. For a moment I thought Brent was going to run after him but after a short pause he turned around and crouched down beside me.

"Are you okay?" Brent's voice sounded more concerned than I expected and I felt my cheeks blushing.

"I'm fine..." I replied, looking down at my broken shoe and the swelling on my ankle. Realising my answer sounded quite harsh, I looked back up at Brent and smiled a shy smile.

"I mean...I just really want to go home."

"That I can understand," Brent replied in a friendly voice, "I'll get you out of here, Lori."

His words sounded determined as if he had been planning the escape. Perhaps he was just relieved to see my swollen ankle. It meant that he was getting out of the awkward dance deal we had. He surely would drop me of at home and rush back to his date. I'd be out of the way so he could make a real move on Tina. A soft gasp escaped my lips as two strong arms lifted me off the floor and pulled me out of my train of thoughts. Brent smiled down at me and gently placed me on a nearby barstool.

"Just wait here for one moment. I'll be right back!" he said before I watched him return to Tina in a hurry. The two exchanged looks, whispered back and forth and to make me feel even more embarrassed Brent even pointed over to where I was sitting. The look that crossed Tina's face seemed sympathetic, but that was easy now she realised I was leaving soon. After a few more words between her and Brent, Tina threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close. The smile on her face made my stomach turn and I could only guess what sort of images were running through her mind.

I quickly looked away as Brent paced over towards me again. There was no need for him to know how I really felt about his date with Tina and a cold shoulder or straight face seemed like the best options for now. An hour from now I'd be in my bed, hopefully asleep or at least trying hard to forget about this disaster.

"Ready to leave?" Brent asked while gently placing his hand on my shoulder. There was a strange sort of caution in his touch, almost like he was afraid of hurting me. Perhaps it was him not wanting to cross a line and upset his date.

I nodded my head at his question, but suddenly felt a twang of guilt for possibly ruining Brent's evening. The fact I was hoping the earth would open up beneath me to swallow me whole didn't mean that he shouldn't have an enjoyable evening.

I took a deep breath and looked up at him, "Brent, you don't need to do this..." I swallowed hard, realising I was ruining my own chances on a somewhat interesting end of the evening, "I...I can ask one of the other guys to take me home."

Brent's confused eyes were staring at me for a few seconds before he spoke again, "If...if that is what you prefer..." He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed nervously while glancing back at the group. Of course he was checking in on Tina and her not so secret admirers around her.

I hung my head, feeling a sense of defeat come over me. "Get back over there. I'll manage," I replied in a soft voice, the last words barely a whisper, "she deserves your company..."

When there was no immediate relieved response I looked up at Brent, seeing a look of triumph on his face. What was he so cheery about all of a sudden? A smile crept across his face as he slowly shook his head while looking down at me.

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't want you to...eh..." I stuttered, unsure of how to phrase what was going through my mind. "I mean...it wouldn't be nice to abandon your date..."

"It would not..." Brent replied while holding my gaze with the same cheeky smile around his lips.

I raised an eyebrow at his weird behaviour and bit my lip for a moment. His words sounded loaded but his smirk made me confused. It was like he was playing a game. Was he onto me? Did he know about my jealousy concerning Tina? The silence between us made the thoughts in my mind go crazy and I had to ask the question I didn't want to hear the answer to.

"You...you and Tina..." I stuttered, feeling my cheeks burning up as I glanced away from his piercing stare. "Are you two...dating?"

A soft chuckle was his reply. It made me feel even more humiliated so I kept my head down. Brent's hand moved up to my face and his warm fingers slowly lifted my chin up so I had to look at him. The gentle physical touch caused a shiver to run up my spine as I held my breath.

His dark eyes looked friendly and calm while he slowly shook his head, "No...We're not dating, Lori."

I exhaled slowly, suddenly aware of my shortness of breath, and a sense of relief washed over me. The same warm arms that had lifted me on the stool now lifted me off again and pulled me close against Brent's chest, "Let's get out of here."

I didn't protest and let him carry me outside without asking any further questions. The simple answer had put my mind at ease for now. There was something in his attitude or perhaps it was his soothing voice that made me calm and forget about all the worries I had a few minutes before. Once outside Brent carefully sat me down on a wooden bench and looked at my ankle.

"That looks pretty swollen," he said as he lightly brushed his fingertip over the bruise, "We should get some ice on that."

I gasped softly, not from pain but from the tender touch of his strong hand on my skin. Smiling up at his worried face I shook my head. "I don't think that is needed, just some sleep to recover from a bruised ego."

Brent quickly withdrew his hand, as if he was sorry for touching me after what had happened inside. In an attempt to ease his concern I placed my hand on his arm and squeezed it softly, "Thank you for stepping in..."

"I wish I could have introduced him to my knuckles," Brent replied with a sudden bitterness to his voice.

"Don't be like that," I said, feeling somewhat flattered by the fact he felt like he had to stand up for me. Feelings of desire and want started growing again but I didn't want to appear too eager. "I'm a tough little one. You've said so yourself!"

That was enough to melt his cold attitude again and he smiled at me, "Let me at least put some ice on it. I've got a cold pack in the freezer back at my place."

'Great!' I thought to myself. I wouldn't get a cold shoulder but a cold pack to cool down what was heated up by Brent's touch. Realising that I had to give up on the idea of a romantic evening I decided to nod my head. At least I now knew that whenever I was ready to make a move on him I didn't have to worry about stepping into Tina's way. They were not dating!

I sighed and nodded my head to humour him, "Fine...If that makes you feel better. I'll wait here."

"Wait here? You don't think I'm letting you sit here on your own so another weirdo can creep up on you?!"

"I just...I mean...That way you can head back inside sooner," I gave him an innocent smile, feeling a little awkward.

Brent stood up from the bench and ran his hand through his hair. Perhaps I was mistaken, but I could have sworn he was blushing.

"W-why would I want to head back inside...when you're not there?" he stuttered.

I felt the warmth spreading through my entire body and surely a glow would be visible on my face. His words made me shy and I hated the feeling of being lost for words. I bit my lip as I watched Brent shifting awkwardly. He seemed just as bashful and tongue-tied as me and the silence made us both laugh nervously.

"Put your arm around me," Brent ordered me out of nowhere and I happily complied. He lifted me up from the bench and started carrying me back to his apartment.

"I think my ankle is good enough to walk," I said while looking up at his serious face.

"I know..." Brent replied without looking at me. "Just let me be chivalrous for once."

I smiled and leaned against his warm chest, "Fine, I'll be quiet now."

Moments passed without either of us speaking again. A few nervous but smiley glances back and forth were enough to get my head spinning again. I enjoyed being this close to Brent's body and I wouldn't have objected to stay like it for hours. Luckily for him the journey only took a few minutes.

Once inside I was sat down on the big couch and Brent, a little winded from carrying me, plopped down beside me. I smiled to myself as my mind started wandering again. My emotions had been tossed back and forth a lot during the past hours. Earlier on I was worried that Tina had gotten into my way to win over Brent's affection. Now I was sitting on his couch and it was just him and me, no other cocky cadets and certainly no Tina. A different sort of nervousness came over me. Excited about what could happen, apprehension because I didn't want to expect too much and be disappointed. Looking up at Brent's face I could see he looked slightly flustered and wondered what was going on in his mind.

"Hey...Are you okay?"

Brent's friendly face turned towards me as he slowly nodded his head, "Yes..." His reply was calm but cautious, as if he was thinking about the answer while replying to my question. The dark eyes slowly travelled over my face, down my chest and further south. I could feel the yearning want inside get stronger while he checked me out and by the look on Brent's face I could tell I wasn't the only person craving something. As his stare fell on my feet a faint grin appeared, "How's your ankle?"

"It...it still hurts a bit," I replied, not so sure of the physical discomfort I felt since the rest of my body was sizzling with want and desire for his touch.

Brent petted his upper legs, "Up with those feet! I promise to be gentle."

I quickly obeyed and raised my legs onto the couch as I turned sideways. 'Gentle?' I thought to myself. I didn't want gentle, I wanted caveman style determination. I wanted his big hands to grope me roughly; I needed to feel his hunger for me. Instead of greedy grabbing there was tender holding as Brent took off my shoes, dropping them to the floor. My heart was pounding as he cautiously rested my calves on his legs so he could inspect my injury closely. I was scared a single touch of his warm fingers on my bare skin would make me moan out loud so I tried distracting myself.

"So...eh..." I stuttered, feeling Brent's fingertips tracing the markings on my feet that had been caused by the high heels. "You and Tina..."

His fingers stopped moving, pausing for a moment as Brent looked up at me, "I told you...we're not dating." His voice sounded cold and harsh out of nowhere, as if I had brought up a touchy subject.

"I know...I was just wondering," I sensed his discomfort. It seemed he felt my words had been a personal attack. "People were saying she had a date...and then you showed up with her."

Brent chuckled but his eyes were serious and he simply avoided looking at me, "Yes, indeed..."

I bit my lip. Why was he being so distant all of a sudden? Was he hiding something? I had to know what was going on but didn't want to pry too much. To my relief more prying wasn't needed as Brent took a deep breath and looked at me again. His eyes turned friendlier and his voice was warmer too.

"It's not my story to tell...but I know I can trust you, Lori."

I simply nodded my head and tried my most genuine smile.

"Her date cancelled an hour before leaving and she refused to go. I felt bad for her and told her she could use me as a back up."

"Guys can be such assholes!"

"Yes, but Tina was stood up by a girl," Brent admitted, his cheeks blushing for spilling the secret.

"Oh? Oh!" I felt the same redness spreading on my face, ashamed of drawing conclusions too quickly. "I didn't know she was..."

"She likes both," Brent smiled as his fingers resumed rubbing and massaging my feet, "but never told anyone about it before. Tonight was a big thing for her."

"Never told anyone but you." My voice sounded more jealous than I wanted and I quickly bit my lip again to keep quiet.

"Yes, she told me because..." his eyes were focused on his hands. Fingers gently squeezed my toes one at the time, making shivers going up my spine. "Because...she knows about my crush on someone else."

'Someone else...' There it was, the words made my heart beat faster. Brent's fingers moved from my toes up over the bridge of my foot. Staring down at his lap as if my feet were the most fascinating phenomenon he ever saw. He kept moving upwards and squeezed both ankles. I gasped at the firm grip and Brent looked up in shock, quickly releasing, "Too painful?"

Shaking my head I smiled reassuringly, "Not painful, Brent."

Brent's hands weren't causing any agony, but the answer to the question burning on my lips could be more than I was able to handle. My breath hitched in my throat as he gently cupped my heels in his warm hands. I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't bring up the confidence to ask about his crush and instead went for a cowardly remark, "My ankle feels much better."

"I must have a magic touch," Brent replied while looking up at me, adding a wink to his words.

His tease turned me into a blushing little schoolgirl, biting my lip as I nodded my head shyly. Normally I would have replied with a snarky comment but something about the situation made it impossible for me to focus on being a smartass. All I could think of was how badly I wanted, no needed more of that magical touch. It seemed I wasn't the only one with that thought as Brent's hand slowly started creeping up my calves. Squeezing gently and rubbing my toned legs as his gaze caught my stare. I held my breath as his hands slowly wandered over my skin, feeling the heat creeping up my body and pooling in my lower stomach. As his fingertips slid up over my knees I reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him just before he'd reach the bottom hem of my black skirt.

Brent looked up at me in shock and froze. The coy smile on my lips was enough to make him realise it was just a temporary pause. In fact there was nothing I wanted more than for him to continue his exploring.

Holding his wrist still I whispered softly, "Tell me more about that crush...please?"

"A crush? Me?"

"Stop teasing! You said that you w-"

"Oh that crush!" Brent's lips curled up in a cheeky grin and he squeezed my knees for extra suspense.

While one hand rested on my legs Brent leaned closer to me and gently brushed a lock of hair from my face. Those same smouldering eyes stared at me as he leaned closer and closer, his lips inches away from my face. I could feel his breath on my skin as he whispered, "There's this girl I've been dying to kiss..."

I swallowed hard, feeling my heartbeat thumping in my chest. Warm fingers lifted my chin up towards his face and I closed my eyes. A pair of warm soft lips found mine as they pushed a gentle kiss on my mouth. When I opened my eyes again Brent pulled back and scanned my face for a reaction. I bit my lower lip as if I was trying to taste what remained from his kiss. Even though I loved the fact that he was being so gentle with me I wanted more of Brent...and I needed it now!

Without another word I hooked my hand behind his neck and pulled him closer towards me. I crashed my lips into his and heard a guttural moan from Brent in response. Parting my lips slightly I pushed my tongue forward in search for his. I teased his lips and tongue while his hand ran up my thigh, inching closer towards my warm wetness. Lips were nibbled and tugged as our kissing became more passionate and I could tell my entire body was responding and approving of his touch. I couldn't stop moaning and gasping at every new sensation. Before I knew it I was lying back on the couch, looking down at Brent who was kneeling down between my legs.