After the Drift

Chapter Twelve: The Shirt

December 19, 2023

So after that flash of what I thought was Chuck, I had one of the longest weeks of my life.

Getting adjusted to the ebb and flow of the dome took me awhile to get right. Which times to search out the library or cafeteria, when to head to the Jaeger bays to check on Sovereign Brave, when to catch another glimpse of Chuck Hansen.

In five days, I hadn't had a good opportunity to speak to him. He was always speaking with his father, in the Jaeger bays working on some new moves or attacks, I don't even think he had seen my face yet.

The first chance I had was actually in the laundry room.

I was sitting on top of a dryer waiting for me and my sister's clothes to finish drying. I was reading something not kaiju or Jaeger related for once.

It was actually about a girl getting tangled up with a bunch of super hunky alpha werewolves. A girl can have her dirty little secrets too. Just not something I ever wanted to share with anyone.

Before I knew it, I heard a bunch of stomping and two huge bags of clothes came flying through the door. Soon followed by a third bag and a man.

A very handsome, stupid faced man.

Chuck didn't pay a lick of attention to me or the rest of the room. He was too busy cussing a storm up about having to do laundry.

He thumped around and dumped the bags into three washers, used his keycard to dispense detergent and start the washers.

I thought he was about to leave but suddenly he turned to me. A scowl evident. "You here on purpose, Blackwell?"

I scowled back at his tone, "No, Chuck. I'm doing my laundry like I normally do on Thursdays."

He made a grunting noise and threw the bags on top of the washers. He looked over at me a few times, I continued reading my book, watching him in my peripheral vision.

He soon prowled over to where I was sitting, we were nearly eye to eye.

He just stared at me for a few moments, I let the scowl fade from my face. He looked like he was deciding something. He stopped when he saw my book.

"What're you readin'?" He snatched the book out of my hands, backing away as I hopped off the dryer. I made a few indignant sounds at him. He held it higher than I could reach and began reading out loud.

What I didn't think about when he took the book was the fact I was at a sexy scene with the protagonist and the hunky werewolf she was battling vampires with.  Complete with sexual tension and snarky quips.

"I was so hot for him, I couldn't even see straight. I wanted that big gorgeous body of his now.'"

He looked at me, smirking.

I blushed and smacked his arm. "Give me my book, Hansen." I reached for it again.

He chuckled and continued reading to himself, well aware of how red I had gotten. "Hansen!" I stamped my foot. He looked at me with his adorably evil grin.

He laughed and leaned in close as he handed me the book' "As you wish, Little one. But I certainly won't forget about these dirty little books you've been readin'. And what you might be learnin' from them."

He winked at me, grabbing the duffle bags as he went.

I felt incredibly embarrassed and slightly aroused. Him leaning in close always seem to set me on fire somehow. Something inside me needed more.

...

So unfolds the story of how I stole one of Chuck Hansen's tee shirts to sleep in as well as in retaliation...or at least that's what I was telling myself.

I hopped off the dryer, tiptoed over to the door to make sure the coast was clear, then ran to the last washer he filled.

Mostly everything was still dry since the washers were millennia old and took just as long to fill up with water.

I picked up a shirt near the top, in the collar was written in permanent marker H Hansen.

Welp, don't want that one.

I dug a little more and finally found one with C Hansen on it. My heart gave a little flip.

Like the little weirdo I was, I clutched it to my chest and breathed in deep. Sandalwood, oil and whatever made Chuck, Chuck.

I ran quickly back to the my dryer as it beeped letting me know it was done. I shoved everything into the duffle bags we were using as laundry bags and booked it to my room.

Most certainly not my proudest moment, but damn did that shirt smell amazing. Damn, I had missed that annoying Aussie.

Once there, I quickly separated his shirt from the rest of the laundry and hid it in my underwear drawer next to some cute pink pajamas I had.

I hoped against hope my sister would never find that or I'd never live that down.

As I sat there folding socks, I thought about what an idiot I was to push him away. Maybe I could fix this...maybe I wanted this. Him.

I wanted Chuck Hansen.