#fluff war

He shook his head, unsure of what made him think that laminating the dollar she’d given him was a good idea. He texted her Sunday afternoon – too soon, according to Drake – just to say hello, so that she’d have his number. What Drake didn’t know was that Liam had tapped out messages and deleted them since Saturday morning, and the text he sent was accidental. It was odd when he saw the little mail icon appear on the screen within seconds, and his heart dropped into his gut when he read “Liam who?” – only to be followed by a wink and “I was wondering if I’d hear from you” – before his heart jumped back into place in his chest, beating a little faster.

They spent the week texting each other in a never-ending game of 20 Questions. He’d text her something like “coffee or tea” after his morning run, with her reply arriving mid-afternoon as an amusing “ALWAYS/sometimes Earl Grey.” He never seemed to catch sight of her on campus as he walked to class or the dining hall.

Drake assured him that she did in fact exist, once he saw Olivia in class on Wednesday. She lives in one of the dorms at the far end of campus and takes late afternoon and evening classes because she’s an insomniac. She has a class in Monroe Hall Thursdays at 6 PM. That was all the kindling Liam needed before initiating the next round of 20 Questions.

After going for a run to calm his nerves, Liam showered and dressed for his not-quite-a-date with Katrina. He slipped into a pair of dark jeans and pulled a white undershirt over his head, hanging a green button down shirt on the back of his closet door. Drake walked in as he was putting on a pair of boots, raising a curious eyebrow as Liam finished getting dressed. “Where are you headed?”

“I have a—” Liam stopped short. Not a date, we never said it was a date. “I’m meeting up with Katrina after her class.”

A smug grin spread across Drake’s face. “A date?”

“Just one drink, maybe some pool,” Liam answered, pulling the green shirt off its hanger. “Never actually said it was a date.”

“But you’re seeing her in the evening…over drinks, while enjoying an activity together, and it just happens to be around dinnertime,” Drake teased.

“Shut. Up.” Liam rolled up his shirt sleeves a few times and tucked the hem of the shirt into his pants.

“Dude, did she or did she not ask you to make out just minutes after meeting each other?”

The back of Liam’s neck felt hot as he replayed kissing Katrina that night for the hundredth time since it happened. He scratched his neck before slipping his wallet in a back pocket and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to ignore his friend staring at him with the smug look across his face. “That was…she saw her ex at the party and thought that would help, somehow,” he chuckled. “I wasn’t going to argue with her.” Satisfied with the haphazardly roguish look of his hair, he wiped his hands clean on the towel hanging at the foot of his bed frame before slipping his phone and keys into his pockets. He pulled a grey hoodie from his closet and made his way to the door.

“Heh. For your sake I hope her ex shows up wherever you’re just meeting her on your not-date tonight,” Drake replied, before falling into his own bed.

Liam smirked and picked up the basketball near the door, chucking it at Drake with more force than necessary. “Have a good night, brother,” he said over his shoulder.

---

Liam arrived at Hyperion a few minutes before 8 and walked through the door, quickly scanning the crowd for Katrina. He saw a dainty hand high in the air towards the back. Craning his neck slightly, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he recognized her, already racking up balls on one of the pool tables. He shrugged off his hoodie as he walked across the small dance floor in front of the stage, smiling as he stood before Katrina. “Would’ve waited at the door, but a table opened up right when I got here,” she said, rubbing chalk on the end of a cue. “Hope you play.”

“You’re on,” he replied, tossing his hoodie on a nearby stool. “Should I order a pitcher to start?” He motioned at the bar with his thumbs.

Katrina bit her bottom lip – god that’s cute – and cast her eyes at the bar. “Could you order a Granny Smith cider for me? We’ll settle up after we play.”

Liam nodded and walked over to the bar to order their drinks. He leaned against the fixture as he waited, casting a glance over at Katrina. She’d worn a pair of form fitting jeans and a charcoal grey sweater that seemed to bring out her eyes, even from their current distance. He paid for the drinks – making sure to leave the twist-off cap on Katrina’s cider – and noticed one of the football players approach the pool table. Narrowing his eyes, Liam watched as the muscled blonde stood too close to Katrina, the young man’s eyes darting up and down her figure. Liam gripped the handle of the pitcher tightly in his hand and his jaw clenched. The interloper traced one side of her face with a curled finger, and Liam wanted to drop what was in his hands and rush over to her.

He smirked with pleasure as Katrina pressed the pool cue directly into the blonde’s throat, making him gag in response. Liam strode over as quickly as he could without spilling the contents of the pitcher, setting everything on a table against the wall as the blonde held his hands up and took a step back. The two young men stared at each other, Liam’s eyes narrowing into dark slits; Connor Matthews. He was notorious for hitting on girls whether they gave him their attention or not. Connor looked back at him with an arrogant smile. “Rys, good game last week. You actually managed to score a few points there…shorty.”

Liam took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders back, and tilted his neck until it cracked. “Matthews,” he said, stepping in front of Katrina, “I don’t think your company is welcome here.”

“I don’t recall you being a part of my conversation with…what’d John like to call you? Kitty. He always said you were easy…on the eyes.”

Liam’s jaw twitched again and he stood his ground. “I’d stop talking if I were you,” he warned, his voice low in his throat. Liam could feel blood pulsing through the veins in his neck as his hands curled into fists. “She’s with me.”

Matthews arched his brow at Liam. “Is that so?” He leaned over to look at Katrina standing behind him, her hands on her hips as she glared back. “Why slum it with a point guard when you could party with me, Kitty?” He raised his hand as if he was going to grab Katrina’s hand.

Liam pushed Matthews’ hand away and leaned to block his view. “That’s enough, Matthews,” Liam growled through his teeth. You’re insulting her and taking a dig at me, and you think that’s going to sway her? He felt Katrina’s hand wrap around his wrist, tugging lightly at his arm.

“It’s okay, Liam,” she said. Liam shifted his weight to the right and in one swift motion, Katrina tossed the pitcher of beer directly into Matthews’ face, soaking him from head to toe. “You and John and anyone else in your group aren’t going to say another word to me and my friend…or I’ll follow through and meet with Dean Wilson.”

Matthews lunged forward, seething “You bitch” through his teeth.

Liam grabbed hold of his shoulders and pushed him back. “Back away, man. Just back away,” he warned, pressing his feet into the ground. A pair of barbacks rushed over after seeing the commotion.

“What the hell’s going on here?” The barbacks hooked their arms around Matthews to restrain him.

“It was a misunderstanding,” Liam replied. “The lady and I were just leaving.” Liam took out his wallet and left a few bills on the pool table. “Sorry for the mess.” He turned to grab his hoodie, but Katrina was already clutching it in her arms, along with a messenger bag strapped across her chest. He held his hand out to her, and she grabbed hold of it.  They walked out of the bar as the men held on to Matthews to calm him down, and Liam grabbed a coaster as he passed an empty table, slipping it into his back pocket.

---

Outside the building, Katrina walked quickly back to campus in silence. Being a foot taller than her, Liam’s long legs easily kept up with her pace.  “Hey,” he said gently, tugging on her hand. “Are you okay? What was that back there?”

Katrina sighed and she pulled her hand away from Liam, fidgeting with her hair as they continued walking. She piled her long raven locks into a ponytail and twisted it into a messy bun, securing it with a hair tie around her wrist. “I…” she began, before closing her mouth. “John, my ex, he…” she paused, kicking against the pavement. Her gaze fell to her feet, and Liam could hear her breath catch in her throat. She sniffed loudly, confirming his guess that she’d begun to cry.

“Hey,” he said softly. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, but he gently grasped her shoulder instead. Trying to look into her eyes, he spoke again. “Did he…hurt you?”

Katrina’s bottom lip quivered and she darted her eyes away from Liam, even though she wasn’t looking at him. “I’m sorry…I can’t…” she said, her voice small.

“I’m going to hug you now, if that’s okay,” he replied. She nodded, wiping tears away with the back of her hand. Liam stepped closer to Katrina, so that their toes touched. They stood in the middle of the quiet sidewalk, and he wrapped his arms around her small frame, pressing her close to his chest. He only relished in a small twinge of pleasure when she put her arms around his torso. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he said, resting his chin on the top of her head, “and I know you hardly know me, but I’ll listen, if you ever want to talk about it.”

Liam was no stranger to the rumors whispered across campus about the frat houses and some of the athletic teams – namely football and rugby, though the baseball team was almost as bad. Girls would throw themselves at the players, and they took advantage of that at parties. It was inexcusable behavior to Liam, but Drake reminded him that they were cut from a different cloth than most of the guys they went to school with. A consensual hookup was one thing, but waiting until someone was on the edge of blacking out, or slipping something in their drink – it was one of the reasons he never liked going to parties and kept caps on bottles when offering someone a drink.

“Thank you Liam,” she replied, mumbling into his shirt. He felt her arms tighten around him for a second before she pulled back, and he let go of her. I like the way we fit together. “I might take you up on that offer some day.” Katrina licked her lips and wiped more tears from her face, taking a deep breath to calm down.

“I will drop whatever I’m doing, whenever you’re ready to talk.” I promise.

Katrina quirked one side of her mouth into a grin. “What if I called you while you were in the middle of a game or something?”

Liam chuckled. “Well, as soon as I could see that you called, I’d go to you. Even if it meant leaving the game.” He puckered his lips slightly and knit his brows together. “How do you know I’m on a team?”

“Dude, look at you,” she answered, finally casting her eyes up to meet his. Even though they were red-rimmed from crying, her eyes sparkled under the streetlamp. “Besides, Liv tipped me off about you when we left the party last week.”

“Figured as much.” He smiled and offered his arm to her. “Sorry the night didn’t quite work out. Can I at least walk you back home?”

Katrina finally cracked a giggle; it was the best sound Liam had heard all evening. “I, um…okay,” she replied, looping her hand to rest on the inside of his elbow. They resumed their walk back to campus. “Thank you, by the way…for trying to get Connor to back off.”

Liam let out a tense sigh. “He’s an asshole, and he was out of line with you. He shouldn’t have said what he did.” Katrina didn’t respond, but he felt her squeeze his arm in agreement.

Katrina changed the topic to something lighter as they walked back to campus, her hand steady on Liam’s arm the whole way back. She smiled to herself when he insisted on walking her all the way back to her room, instead of parting ways in front of her building. “Are you trying to find out my room number?” she teased.

“I’m a man of my word, dear lady,” Liam joked, bowing at the waist. “I said I’d walk you back home, and you’re not quite home yet.”

Katrina rolled her eyes, waving her ID in front of the card reader until it made a clicking noise, and opened the door. “Come on then,” she said, gesturing for him to follow. Liam followed her into the building, up the stairwell and through a hallway, until she reached her room on the fourth floor. She turned to face him, her back against the door. “You have officially walked me home safely,” she said, handing over his hoodie.

Liam flung the hoodie over one shoulder, clasping his hands behind his back. He didn’t want the night to end, but didn’t want to invite himself into her room either. You should have suggested going somewhere else to eat, idiot.

Katrina pulled a slim wallet from her back pocket, unfolding a few bills. “What do I owe you for the drinks that we never got to drink?”

Liam reached out and put his hand over hers, curling her fingers shut. “Call it an IOU for the future,” he said, taking a half step towards her. She lowered her gaze before looking back up at him, trying to resist the smile that was spreading across her face.

“You want to hang out again? After tonight’s scene?”

He gently moved his hand from hers to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Yes, if that’s okay with you.” She leaned back against the door as his hand splayed across the wood, just behind her ear. He leaned in slightly – not enough to trap her against the door, but enough to imply that he might kiss her again, if she let him.

Katrina bit her bottom lip again, looking up at him through her lashes. If he hadn’t been looking down at her already, he would have missed seeing her hips arch in his direction ever so slightly. “I’d like that, Liam,” she replied. God, the way she says my name. He leaned in closer to kiss her, before he felt the door give way against his hand. “What th—” Katrina’s eyes opened wide, and she fell backwards as the door opened.

Liam stepped forward, instinctively wrapping his arms behind her to catch her, and put his weight on his bent leg. “Oh! Sorry!” He looked up to see a brunette in running gear, pulling earbuds from her ears. “I didn’t know you were back from your date so soon, Kat!”

Date? She thought it was a date. She thought it was a date!

Liam pulled Katrina up, grinning at her and her roommate. “Lis, shhh!” Katrina hissed. She nervously brushed off her clothes and adjusted the weight of her messenger bag. “Liam, this is my roommate Lisette, er...Lis,” she said, gesturing at the girl standing in the doorway. “Lis, this is Liam.”

“Nice to meet you.” Liam smiled and extended his hand.

“Hot. Uh...Hi! I mean hi!” Lisette covered her mouth with her hand as Liam smiled even wider, and she shook his hand quickly. “Don’t mind me, just going to the gym! Okay bye kids!” She scurried down the hall, leaving Liam and Katrina alone in front of her room again.

“Never a dull moment with you,” Liam mused. Katrina smiled sheepishly at him. “So, you told your roommate you were going out on a date?”

“What? No! She – I…she came to that conclusion on her own!” Katrina’s cheeks started to turn a bright shade of pink.

Liam grinned at how easy it was to fluster Katrina. “It’s okay,” he assured her. “When I ask you out on a date, you’ll know it’s a date.”

“I…what?”

“You’ll know when it’s a date when I ask ‘will you go on a date with me’.” He looked down at her adorably confused face, lost somewhere between pure confusion and joy. “Tonight’s not that night though. I want to know what makes you tick, Katrina…Bailey,” he added, looking at the colorful sign on the door that displayed her name. “I promise you that I will ask you to go on a date with me in the future…and I keep all my promises.” He took hold of her hand in his, drawing it to his lips, and placed a gentle kiss across her knuckles before letting go. “Night!” He smiled and walked down the hall and through one of the hallway doors, leaving Katrina dumbstruck in the hallway.

Once on the other side of the door, Liam leaned against the wall to catch his breath. She thought it was a date. She thought it was a date. He heard Katrina’s voice on the other side of the door as she talked to herself – “What. Just. HAPPENED.” – before hearing a door open and close, and he laughed to himself. My thoughts exactly.