It's 1986 and Willow is studying to be a vet, but she can barely make ends meet with her crappy job. When her streak of bad luck peaks and she gets fired, a night of drinking her problems away at a bar puts someone quite unexpected on her path - som...
They immediately soaked, but somehow it felt like a childhood adventure. Hands still intertwined, they quickly trotted down a couple blocks and stopped under a neon-lit marquee of an arcade.
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"Drinks on me if you teach me," he grinned, running his other hand through his wild and completely wet hair.
"Deal," Willow giggled, wiping raindrops away from her brows and eyes.
As they walked in, she noticed he kept his head hung low, the collar of his leather jacket straightened up, loose strands of hair obscuring his face.
Huh, he actually doesn't want to get noticed, she thought to herself, puzzled as to why a guy in his prime, famous and hot, wouldn't enjoy the sweet sides of his life on every step.
He pointed to the Gauntlet cabinet, still beaming. "That's gotta be new!" He exclaimed.
"You're so last year," she laughed, taking the spot in front of the console and shaking off her wet bomber sportscoat. A shiver ran up her back as the cold draft from the doors swinging open and close reached her soaked clothes. He must have noticed as a moment later she felt the warmth of his leather jacket on her arms; it wasn't drenched through, of course. His smell hit her and she gulped down her fluttering heart.
"Better?" He asked and she turned around to say thanks and swallowed down a gasp. Her nose almost touched his chest and she raised her eyebrows at him - a solid foot taller, he towered over her in a sleeveless shirt. Despite feeling quite like one, Willow was no teenager and there was nothing platonic in her gaze as she appreciated his lean, sculpted torso, broad shoulders and muscular arms; and even though she had done a fair deal of dating, she couldn't say she had ever drawn this kind of man to herself.
Probably at least two steady girlfriends and a bunch of regular bedwarmers, and that's just in the States, she thought and scrunched her nose up. Oh well, silly Willy, have fun and forget it all tomorrow.
He clearly read something on her face as his expression became a little shy. Damn, he's good with that whole sincere neighborhood boy pose.
"Let me get you something warm to drink," he said and disappeared before she could protest. Yay. Drinks from the guy whose name she still didn't know.
"I mean, what else could go wrong," she mumbled to herself, throwing some game tokens into the cabinet. "Getting kicked out of college, getting evicted, getting roofied, that's kinda the same ballpa-"
A piercing squeal from somewhere near the bar made her jump and spin on her heel. Not being able to see much from where she stood, she climbed on her toes and saw a bunch of girls literally encircling her friend. He was holding two glasses and looked half cornered, half defeated as the excited shrieks drew more attention and other heads started turning around to see what the fuss was.
"Oh boy," Willow exhaled and started elbowing her way through the crowd.
