** Written from Tom's POV **
I clear my throat before knocking on the door. Wait a few seconds, the beat of the music vibrating under my sneakers. I shake my head, finally turning the knob. Nobody knocks at a party of this volume.
I couldn't believe I was entering the apartment of a girl I didn't really know. People were already littered in the entryway, cups in hand, each tip them to me. When she invited me to this party I freaked and didn't know what to say.
When I got home from work, Harry told me I'd be an idiot to turn down the girl I'd been watching for weeks now. I had still barely talked to her, she moved too quick, had no time for small talk.
The music blares as I look around for her, but I doubt I see her short figure among the crowd. From the corner of my eye, a black flash moves and get larger. I turn and there she is, grinning and coming toward me.
A little black dress hugging down her thigh, covering most of a long tattoo by her hip. Her lips are dark but her eyes sparkles against her black eyeliner. She looks like a dream. A dream walking toward me.
"You came!" (Y/N) exclaims. "You want a drink?"
I hold my Red Bull. "Uh, thanks. I'm good."
"You should mix some vodka with that." she motions her red solo cup at my can. Her nails are painted a light teal, the color of waves when they rise. "If you need a ride, I have friend dropping people off. She doesn't want money, she just hates when people drink and drive. And you can always stay here."
"Here?" I gulp involuntarily.
"Yeah, there's a spare bedroom. It doubles as my writing room, so you have to promise not to rummage through my genius." Her cup makes contact with her lips and I'm jealous.
This is the most she's ever spoken to me. And she's nothing like the other times we've crossed paths, a little short with conversation, polite. She never gave me any notion she was interested, but I caught her eyes sometimes on me. Caught her looking. The few times she's caught me catching her, her eyes widened for split second before she'd cover her grin with her palm. But she was home now, surrounded by friends, in her comfort zone - I liked her even more like this.
And I wanted to keep being with her like this. Even though I promised my roommate and manager, who was worried about my early interview tomorrow, that I wouldn't drink tonight. That I'd be home by midnight and asleep in my bed like a good little actor. Glancing at the can in my hand, I knew I would have a rough day tomorrow.
"Where's the vodka?" I ask.
(Y/N) smiles like the Devil convincing Eve to eat the apple. Even when she's wicked, she's beautiful. "That's the spirit!" She proclaims. She pulls my hand up in victory like I won a relay. She keeps hold of my hand and gently pulls me through the hall, leaving comments with every person we pass by like, 'send me what songs you want to hear, I'll play them' and 'don't get upstairs, if you find my sex lair I'll have no choice by to kill you' before we round the right corner to her kitchen.
She pours me a cup filled 1/3 up with vodka. I finish the rest with Red Bull, already anticipating the stomach ache I'll have tomorrow. (Y/N) regards me with a grin, then holds her drink up, "To parties that are actually legal. If the police come, we're still running."
I chuckle. "Cheers."
I tip the drink back and swallow quickly. I see (Y/N) set her drink on the counter, then she turns to me. I froze when she put her hands around my neck, not knowing what she was going to do. I wondered if she was falling.
Then she kissed me. For barely three seconds, her lips enveloped mine and the party silenced. People kept moving around us, but the room was frozen. I was frozen. Just as I got enough sense to put my arm around her and pull her against my body, she pulled her lips away.
(Y/N)'s eyes were closed, but she grins as she settles against me. When I look into them, her eyes widen the way they do when I catch her looking at me. I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"What -"
"Phew," she said. "Got that over with."
I laugh, still confused. Did she actually like me? I didn't imagine the looks, the nerves she'd shown around me? I felt ten feet tall, standing there is the kitchen with her still tucked within my arm. I'm surprised I didn't spill my drink.
"I thought I liked you," (Y/N) explains.
Thought? Liked? Past tense?
I let my arm fall to my side. (Y/N) noticed with a slightly furrowed brow.
"When I think I like someone, I just kiss them. And then I generally know." She shrugged while she said it, still so casual. Like a friend talking to another friend at a house party. Did she usually kiss everyone she conversed with at a party?
"That's... effective, I guess."
Her face dropped slightly, and it occurred to me that my surprised expression is probably reading weirded out right now.
"Yeah, usually," (Y/N) laughs awkwardly. "Sorry to freak you out or anything." She fidgeted with her drink, like she didn't know what to do with her hands, before picking it up and turning her back to me. "So enjoy the party, send me a song request."
Before the last of her disappeared around the door, I called out, "(Y/N, wait!"
(Y/N paused, her one visible foot frozen in place. Then she stepped backward. When I could see her again, her shoulders slumped as she stepped closer to me. I wondered how often she did this to guess she 'thought she liked' and if mine was any different from the rest of them. I hoped it was.
"I like you back," I say. What did I have to lose at this point? She already kissed me, she took a bigger step than I ever have. "If that kiss told you anything good about me, I'd like to prove it you. Would you go out with me sometime?"
(Y/N) tilted her head. Her lips curved into the cutest grin. Her eyes sparkled, a mix of vodka and bravery shining through. "That sounds lovely to me."
I text my roommate not to expect me home anytime soon. We spent the rest of the party together. Playing games, choosing music from her list of friends' song requests, and sneaking away at least three more times to make out. At one point, the last dozen or so people left sat around the living room talking. I didn't realize we were the only ones left until rays from the sun took turns showing up in her living room window.
