Not your baby

Sophie tried and failed to stifle a laugh as the person she’d just seen trip looked over at her. “D-don’t look at me, I didn’t see anything.”  

“Yeah the laugh on your face says otherwise so don’t play,” Piper replied back an unamused look on her own face.

“Wait… did you just see that?”

“No, what did I miss? Ten bucks says it wasn’t that cool.”

“Bad shoulder.” He said almost as a reflective manner, it was his go to any time anyone asked. it took him a second to recover as he moved the join in a circular motion, almost as if he was showing her that he was fine. “I just need to sit, let’s find you a blanket first.” He’d deal with the consequences of being seen with her later. 

“I get it — PSL season has started, but no, I really didn’t order this. Are you sure it isn’t yours?”

“I’m sorry did you just confuse me with someone else? There’s a sorority girl in the corner who it probably belongs to.”

In any other time, he would have pulled her off of him but not tonight. He was just happy to see her again, but his body winced at the pain radiating from his shoulder. “Yeah yeah, got it all figured out.” It was one thing to have Piper in his life, it was another to have her know about Emily. “Did you get some food? Did you want a blanket?”

Once he knew he could himself away from Emily and that’d she be away, the next thing on his mind was Piper. The medics tried their best to exam his shoulder but he wouldn’t let them, with the number of times it had dislocated he was used to the pain. “Piper.” He said passing by the strangers. “I made it back in one piece didn’t I?”

“A trophy sits on a shelf collecting dust. That’s really what you want?”

“What’s the alternative?”

The people moved past them in the direction of the church but he made no movements to pull away from her. Not when the storm was brewing as bad as it was. “I’m not being a hero,” He quickly replied as the sirens got heavier, the only thought coursing through his head was making sure she’s got there in one piece and what his father would do in the same situation. “Listen I have to go, I’ll come back. I swear to you I’ll be okay?” He said kissing her gently. “Don’t get romcom on me, just go.”

The sirens hit his ears instantly and made him pull his hand away from under her skirt. “Here.” He took off his jacket and shield her from the dropping rain that got heavier with each passing minute. “I need you to go okay, just go to the church and I’ll meet you there okay?” He told her as the winds picked up and he held her face in his palms. “For once in your life, just do as your told Piper please.”

There was a change between them, he had shown him every part of his life growing up and pushing that away now just felt stupid. He loved her reaction more than the risk of getting caught. The small inhale and how her body slightly tensed under his touch. “Oh here?” He asked again curling his fingers into her soft skin to bring her closer to him. 

“I can honestly admit that no one has ever called me that in my entire life so congratulations on being the first.”

“Damn good for me. I’m honestly expecting more than a congratulations. Maybe like a trophy or something?”

Esme stared at the phone, waiting anxiously for everyone to text her back and tell her they were okay, but not nearly as many texts were coming in as she was sending out. “I hate this. What if they’re hurt, or worse?”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to work. With this wind I don’t think the cell towers or whatever are going to hold up,” Piper said. She didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news but she couldn’t stand to see the girl next to her compulsively checking her phone. “I’m sure they’re fine.”

“That’s fair” He had to give her points for calling him out on his shit. But at the same time, being with her or even around her was different than past relationships; everythign had to be more cautious and more aware of his actions. “Take you where exactly?” He asked in a lower tone moving closer to her once he saw that no one could fully see them. “Take you here?” The tips of his fingers moved up between her thighs barely grazing up her skirt. 

“You don’t believe it’s the little things in life that can make a person happy? Dark soul you got there,” Jasper said with a shake of his head. “How much did you hate that nickname?”

“I just think it takes a lot more than that,” she replied back giving him a small shrug. “About as much as I’m sure you liked your nickname growing up. What’d you get? Jasper the friendly ghost?”

His jaw clenched slightly at her words, not because of the joke but mostly reminding him of the age difference between them and why it took them leaving the state for him to be comfortable. “I asked didn’t I?” He countered back at her.” He was tempted to pull the drink out of her hand, but what reason would he have to? “How are you getting home?” His tone was straight and to the point, he just needed and answer and he could walk away. 

Piper: Are you at this damn thing or not?

“Your lungs will thank me one day.” He joked making sure that no one saw the two of them out in the cold, mostly everyone was inside except for a couple of stragglers here and there but they didn’t concern him. “Care to share what those fun ways.” His tone meant to mostly mock her but it wasn’t harsh, her drunken state didn’t allow him to be mad at her. “Piper….” He trailed off, the offer was much too tempting, she was far too tempting but he tried to regain control of the situation. “How much have you drank?”