#tate staskiewicz

"Ohh, man, you've gotta break up with him."

Cheyanne, a.k.a the only person who even knows about you and Tate, has told you this so many fricken times that you know she's about to say it just by looking at her. Like right now, as her lips press flat against her teeth and the bridge of her nose crinkles. "Man... "

"I know, I know... " Slumping in your seat, you nibble troubledly on the chicken tender impaled at the end of your fork. You made this chicken Caesar salad this morning, even fried up your own chicken tenders! It’s just like what you can buy at a Schnitz- but you can’t seem to stomach it. You've got things on your mind...

"He's just no good for you!!" Cheyanne insists, and of course you know that. You totally agree! Tate can’t make you really happy in the long run- eventually that egotistical schmuck and his irritatingly good face will get on your nerves more than he turns you on, and you'll end up resenting him. Or, he'll get tired of you and dump you... and your ego couldn't take that. "He's a 10, but he's an asshole Y/N. Just cuz he has a timeshare, and a good job- "

"Shh sh sh sh!!" You jump, straightening up and waiving at your friend to close her mouth. "Don't say that so loud! People will hear. There are eyes, and big fat mouths, everywhere... " Looking around, you land on Amy and Jonah not too far away and narrow your eyes at them until you've deciding they're too wrapped up in each other and didn't hear a thing.

Meanwhile Cheyanne sucks her lips into her mouth, trying not to giggle. "Sorry."

"That's okay. Anyway- " Giving a sigh, you drop your elbows on the table and hold your face in your hands with a pout. " You know I want to break up with him!... I just can’t... " And she knows why. He's too... too... Well he's just so damn hot, really! And the sex, is just- One look from him and your inhibitions are underground along with your dignity and your panties. You've never been with anyone that made you feel like this before! No one’s ever understood you so well... in that area...

"Y/N... " Cheyanne reaches over, then, and pats your shoulder reassuringly, nodding. "I promise you- There are bigger dicks out there."

"Cheyanne!!"

~

Later that day you and Cheyanne are allocated to the pharmacy to stock shelves, which is just perfect, because you've got Tate making just awful innuendos all the time and Cheyanne at the same shaking her head and mouthing 'No' at you all the time. It’s very stressful.

"Hey, you girl's doing alright over there?"

"Just keepin' our heads down and working, Tate, thanks again... " You sigh, not even looking back at him. You can imagine him just fine, after al. He's probably leaning forward on the desk, watching you with that smug smirk he's mastered, and- What does he think he's doing, calling you two 'girls'?? Well, Cheyanne maybe but you're a grown ass woman!-

"That menial labour's gotta suck, huh?" Ohh, he's trying to get under your nerves. He's really trying. That ass-

"Y/N," Cheyanne looks at you, sensing you're about to give him some kind of attention, and you take a deep breath. She's right, she's right, you think... Don't give him the satisfaction.

"All good," You respond curtly, shelving a few boxes a little bit rougher than necessary. "I'm doing fine."

"Yes you are," She assures, giving you the thumbs up. "But, uh, I gotta pee so... do you think you can finish this up without me??"

"Oh, uh," For a moment the thought of being left alone with Tate sounds like an awful idea- a recipe for disaster. But then you remember that it’s the middle of the day and customers are still around, along with co-workers here and there, so what do you have to worry about. You give Cheyanne a smile, and nod. "Yeah, no problem. See you later?"

"Yeah, bye!"

There are a few seconds of sweet silence after Cheyanne rushes off, but of course it can’t last forever.

"Finally." Tate pipes up once against, this time closer though you still don't look at him. He must have left the register. "Thought she'd never leave."

"Well, she was working, so... " You give a shrug, and continue your own work even as you can feel his gaze on your back and his presence close by. It’s like your body has a very annoying sensor designed specifically for Tate.

"Whatever." He quips, and you know he's about to go on- maybe suggest the two of you take your own break, but you whip around instead and square up to him; Wielding a scanner towards him like a knife.

... Which he seems to find quite amusing as he huffs out a chuckle and grins down at you, but you try to ignore that and muster all the forcefulness you can find in yourself when you speak. "Look, Tate. I do not want to sleep with you today- or any other day from this moment forth, in fact! So sorry, you are going to have to turn around, and return to your place behind the counter while I finish this shelving- silently. Got it??"

It doesn't even take him a moment to think about, he just gives an evil smirk. "So we're playing that game, are we?"

Your jaw drops. "- What!? No! We're not playing a game- I'm breaking up with you- "

"No problem, princess. Fine with me. Foreplay... I like it. Didn't think you had it in you, honestly, but I guess we're learning new things about each other all the time, huh?"

"No no, Tate- "

"Heh, see you around." Tate winks, hands buried in his coat pockets before turning his back on you and disappearing into the back of the pharmacy.

You're left with your eyes squinted and syncing feeling in your chest, as you realise how utterly badly that went. Slowly lowering the scanner to your side, you groan. "This is not going to be good... "

~

For the next couple of days, Tate doesn't reach out to you to hook up at all- no dirty texts in the middle of the work day, no secret codes in the breakroom, no turning up at your place at night. In fact your life would have been totally peaceful... if it weren't for the stuff he was doing to you instead.

Instead of those dirty texts, he would use your number to simply notify you on work stuff ('Hey Y/N, Amy needs you on Softline’s.', 'Y/N, I saw you go into Glenn's office- could you tell him I had a couple teenagers try to buy prescription only Anxiety meds?', 'Clean up on Aisle 15'). Instead of breakroom hook up codes, he'll loudly brag to other guys about sexual encounters between the two of you in detail (Without mentioning your name, of course) so you get all hot and bothered at the memories and the ridiculously vulgar language he uses to retell them. And instead of turning up at your house after work to fuck he brings dinner, and a movie, and you're sitting there on the couch beside him with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a glass of wine struggling to just not drag him to bed.

He's a sneaky, manipulative weasel and you are not enjoying it! You know exactly what he's doing- he wants you to initiate things with him, and so he's doing everything possible to make you want him while not directly asking you and it is so cruel. And immature. And successful.

Fuck that asshole- but not in the literal way because he would enjoy that too much.

So, you've been ignoring him as best you can through the week, chatting with Cheyanne about anything but him (Or sex in general), and absolutely throwing yourself into work so hard that Dina has been impressed with you. You've been exhausted, but least you've been too bone-tired to drag Tate anywhere over dinner at the end of the day.

As a matter of fact, you've been so worn out, you haven't realised that you and Tate are kind of... dating, at this point.

Today though, you're sent once again to work in the Pharmacy- but this time, you're alone. It’s a slow day and all Amy needs you to do there is keep things neat and occasionally help out a customer.

It has royally sucked.

"So, I was thinking we go see the new Halloween movie, tonight? Tickets on me, of course, all your money's gotta go to, like... food, and rent, and whatever else you poor people prioritise. You like those movies, don't you?"

"Do you like those movies?" You counter, leaning on the bench between you.

He shrugs. "Eh, I could take them or leave them.”

“Then why don’t we just go to your place and watch Cruel Intentions again? I’m down for that.” Were you surprised when you discovered that Cruel Intentions was Tate’s favourite movie? Not at all…

“… Alright. And I’ll make my dumplings?”

“Oh- I love those!” You exclaim, sincerely, watching him grin about it. You genuinely, genuinely love his dumplings. And tonight, you’re going to watch him make them- learn his secrets.

“I know.”

You roll your eyes, but grin too. “Oh you know??” Pft. “You’re so full of yourself.”

“Ehhhh I don’t think its full of myself when I really am amazing.” He smirks, rolling his shoulders and for a split second, you agree with him.

Before forcing that thought out of your mind and flicking at his nose. “That’s not how it works.”

“Awww, you two are so cute!” Suddenly the high pitched sound of Justine’s voice pierces your ears and the contents assaults your brain. What!? Is she talking about you two??? No way- “Like an old married couple.” She joins you by the register as you straighten up, and gasps. “Are you two dating??”

“Pfft, like hell.” You cross your arms.

“Justine, mind your own business.” Tate adds, monotonously, before he walks off into the back once again and you head for some out-of-place vapor rub, leaving Justine confused and alone.

~

Tate looked… effortlessly good, in the kitchen. You’re starting to think that the dumpling recipe is not worth the abject torture involved in watching the man cook and not being able to kiss him.

Well- to be fair- you could kiss him. He wants you to. But you aren’t giving him the satisfaction of giving up, and so you push that traitorous thought right out of your head. No.

“- No, the Joker would totally kick Lex Luther’s ass, man.” You insist, leaning your waist back into the bench beside the stove, where Tate stands over a hot pot with his shirt sleeves rolled up and tongues in his hand. Some of his hair is out of place, too, and it just looks way too good-

“There’s no way. Dr Lex Luther would absolutely defeat your hobo in a second. He’s got science on his side, you can’t- you can’t argue with that!” - Luckily, though, his opposing viewpoint right now is enough to turn you off.

“Oh yes I can. Joker would totally just overwhelm your guy!!”

“You’re a very illogical person,” Tate tells you then instead of arguing some more, smirking and shaking his head at the pot.

“Ha! You’ve just run out of arguments. Clearly, I win. So I get first dibs on dinner. I want… “Stepping in closer to him, maybe too close, as he puts his hand on the bottom of your back for the time that you stand there, you peer into the pot and the bubbling water to see the almost-done dumplings and give a thoughtful hum. “… those 3 over there.”

“Sure,” He shakes his head again, and you doubt his sincerity but can’t find yourself minding too much as you remove yourself from his space again. Maybe that was a bad idea, because now your heart’s thumping.

Quickly you point towards the livin groom, where you’ll be eating tonight in front of the TV- like usual. “… um. I’m gonna go set the coffee table. Call when the dinner is, uh, done.” Then you’re out of that kitchen like a bat out of hell, thinking close one, close one, close one… and hoping your heart stops beating quite so erratically- soon.

As you que up the movie, you’re thinking… what in the world is happening?? Suddenly the realisation of what this whole week has been… is starting to catch up with you now. One back touch and its all falling apart. What the hell?!

This was a game, wasn’t it?? At least according to Tate. But now you’re chatting about date night at work with him, and cooking dinner with him, and getting called cute by Justine and-

Its like you’re together, almost. Or entirely actually. Like a couple. You, and Tate.

The thought is jarring, and not fully unpleasant, but… Your heart gives a little, terrible thud that you wish you could deny. But, this was a game to him.

This has all been nothing more to him than teasing. Just this morning, you heard him telling Marcus and Isaac loud and clear about the ‘lay’ he had a couple of weeks ago- when he ‘folded’ you ‘like goddamn pretzel’.  He’s still playing like you’re a twisted little fuck; A secret he likes to mess with.

The thought, oddly, hurts.

~

You’ve been kind of quiet for most of the movie, rotating between watching the screen and turning to glare at Tate. You’re thinking, or hoping, that your feelings right now are just your fucked up monkey brain messing with you- making you think you feel more for a hot guy then you do in actuality, so that you give in and fuck him and have strong Tate babies.

Yeah, that’s gotta be it.

So, maybe if you do give in- these feelings will go away.

Turning back to look at Tate, you frown. You could give up your dignity for that, you decide. You certainly can’t live like this!- In love with Tate of all people!  

So, taking a deep breath through your nose, you reach over and tug at his shirt to get his attention. When he looks over at you, you gaze at him from beneath your eyelids, lust boiling over heavily in your eyes despite the logic that has lead you here- to this mortifying submission. “… Come on.”

“Oh, where?~ “ A dirty smirk spreads across his face immediately, to which you just get up from the couch and head towards the stairs.

Giving a great sigh, you give in. “Oh, just take off your pants, would you? And shut up.”

“Hm.”

~

In the morning, you wake up slowly and crack your eyes open gently… to find an empty bed. Of course. You roll your eyes, and force yourself to sit up. Of course.

For a few moments you stay very still, searching around yourself for the feelings you were hoping would go away after a night of ridiculously hot sex with the narcissistic pharmacist. Are they still there, or?...

When the little creeping feelings start to swim around again, you drop your face into your hands.

Because, fuck- you have feelings for Tate.

And he doesn’t have feelings for you.

“… son of a bitch.”

“What’s that?” You jump and look up, when suddenly Tate appears in the doorway, your eyes wide at him.

Shocked, you actually sputter as you watch him round the bed to the side he slept on with a tray, which he sets between the two of you. “What- what are you still doing here???”

“Still? Pft, I left earlier. Had to hit to grocery store and get some food, because you have nothing. Can’t really blame you, though, with that low salary that you earn… ”

“No no,” You stop him with a hand on his arm, and clarify what you meant; Heart absolutely hammering in your chest. “I meant- you’re never here when I wake up. So why… what is this??”

“Breakfast,” He quips promptly, and unhelpfully. “What’s it look like?”

“I… “Speechless and partly alarmed, you just shake your head.

“Look,” He starts again, thank god and picks out a blueberry from the bowl of fruit salad on the platter, beside the eggs and bacon and pancakes. “I realise, we aren’t really a couple. But I think we should change that.”

Your jaw drops. He’s so blunt! Wait, why are you surprised? This used to be an unattractive quality that you dwelled on often- “T- “

“Hold on, let me finish.” Deadpanning, you close your mouth. You thought he was finished, with the stopping and all… “I think we have chemistry, we’re good together. You have a decent taste in movies and, heh, the sex is fucking great. I wanna see how this goes.”

“You done?”

“Not yet. Question- are you up for bondage?” He asks slowly, but you just shake your head of that for now.

“… So you’re saying that you wanna be my boyfriend??”

“Depends.” A familiar, dirty smirk flickers at his face then. “What’s your answer on that second front?”

Good lord, man, focus. “Tate- are you asking to be in a relationship with me?”

“… Yeah.” Giving a shrug, his smirk morphs into something akin to cute, maybe sweet, and goddamnit your heart flutters. Fuck this man. This stupid, self-absorbed, horny man. “What do you say?”