The Simple Equation

[Elizabeth Edison]

Let this be said of Elizabeth. She craved close contact, the more contact, the better. And though she was a little shy with it in public, all that shyness was done away when they went back to Beau's room.

In the privacy (almost) of the boy's dorm, Elizabeth shed all her class and demure as she rolled around in Beau's bed, just like usual, but this time, Beau was doing the rolling with her. With their lips locked and their arms tangled in each other's.

Part of her was trying very hard not to rip Beau's clothes off then and there but part of her was already imagining exactly where her lips were going to land should his clothes suddenly disappear.

She was still pretty much unaware of Beau's battle scar, which was just slightly surprising considering her hands were all over him just then. But should she ever encounter that bit of him, she wasn't sure if she would let herself forget it.

In an interval in their make-out session to breathe and just clichedly lie in each other's arms, Elizabeth's fingers made their way through his hair. She sighed softly and smiled. "Tell me again how long you've liked me."

[Beau LaRoux]

So, as per normal, Beau and Liz were hanging out in his room, enjoying one another's company. They still dressed as normal too, obviously completely comfortable with one another. Why go through extra work or anything like that? They knew and liked (possibly loved) the other already, no need to jump through hoops. Beau was now, however, wondering just how many hands Liz really had, and he couldn't help but wondering where all the heat was coming from. Okay, yeah, he definitely knew where some of it was coming from. Liz kissed as well as he'd always expected (and experienced if briefly), and Beau was no slouch himself. Their mouths were well on the way toward becoming intimately acquainted with one another, and Beau enjoyed enacting what had come to dominated his dreams for a while.

He did wonder if there might not be something else. He thought he saw a corner of his bed actually smolder for a bit there, but it could have just been his imagination. He did know that he'd have to start stashing bottles of water or gatorade or something along those lines under his bed. Because no way were they not going to be doing this, like, all the damn time.

An interval came, and Beau had no problem with gently caressing Liz. strangely, these parts felt about as good as the making out, because, well, they'd always wound together well, hadn't they? he chuckled at her question. "Well, like I keep sayin', I'm thinkin' I always liked ya. That's why we've been buds," he gave her a gentle poke on the side before moving to gently kiss her again. "But if you mean how long I've been thinkin' about seriously kissin' you, at least months, probly most of the last year. Keep distractin' me an' stuff. Got a whole folio of songs to prove it," he moved to run his hand along her again, as if not certain that she was real and that this was real and that all this was really happening.

[Elizabeth Edison]

She was used to being touched this way by Beau but somehow this time just felt different. Her eyes fluttered close as she felt his fingers dance across her skin.

Squealing at the poke, she shoved him back playfully but hung on to him as he spoke. Elizabeth couldn't help but sigh as she realised that it had been around the same time she started developing feelings for him.

The thought of him actually sitting down and writing about her, probably sighing just as much as she did when she thought of him made her blush. Of course, that might not even be the reality but still.

"You're gonna have to show me your folio. I know I heard some of them before...wait, they weren't all for me were they? I distinctly remember you sang about an apple orchard one that I thought was about you missing home. That was about missing home, right?" She babbled, injecting sheepish chuckles in betwee her words.

Her fingers easily found his and she slid them in between his before pulling it up to her lips.

[Beau LaRoux]

Playful shoving was definitely something Beau was used to; they roughhoused to some degree all the time. Part of Beau, the part raised by his mother most likely, told him he should cool it, treat her like the lady she was. But, well, that was why he wanted to spend time with Liz, because she was, well, Liz. Wasn't this the goal anyway?

Beau made a mental note to point out to Liz in a bit, but for now, she had brought up his songs, particularly a mediocre one he'd done about an orchard. "Well, that one was actually 'bout a sorta general home, seein' as I was raised in a swamp," he drawled. Liz knew better, of course. Beau might've been born and raised in a swampy state, but he lived some miles from teh actual waterlands. "But there were quite a few 'bout you. Ones talkin' about workin' up the nerve an' datin' your best friend an' all that. Talkin' like you weren't sittin' there thinkin' that each one was 'bout you anyway. Like I go 'round wakin' up at dawn for any old girl."

This was Beau though, he would've done that for any of his friends... well, nearly any, and Liz knew it. Didn't stop him from saying it, didn't stop him from smiling. Liz lifted his fingers to her lips, and Beau kept staring, still caught up in the whole "this is happening" part of it all. "Jus' promise me that you ain't gonna change or nothin' jus' on account of us bein' a little more an us. I fell for you, stinky BO, pre-dawn wakeup calls, an' pig eatin' an' all," he moved closer to her, giving her another light kiss on the lips before looking her in the eye, his own dancing with merriment and steeped in affection.

[Elizabeth Edison]

"Well, at least you don't think I have an apple butt or I walk like a tree or something." She shrugged, snorting at how ridiculous she sounded.

Listening to him tell her the songs that he did write about her, Elizabeth's heart soared. It really wasn't every day you find out that someone actually sat down and spent time enough to put words together for you. Her fingers clutched at Beau's shirt as she pressed her lips against the corner of his gently.

And yes, she knew Beau would do most anything for his friends but they weren't the ones making out with him were they?

Raising an eyebrow and leaning back a little at Beau's statement, she snorted and rolled her eyes. "If being in a relationship means I have to eat, talk and walk like a lady, you've got the wrong girl, bubba." She made a biting gesture before nuzzling his neck.

"I can't believe this is really happening." She said softly before pressing her lips against his again, still not over the feeling just yet. "This is nice."

[Beau LaRoux]

"Well, you do got a tasty rear," admitted Beau, leaning over to take a quick glance at said piece of anatomy. In his obviously expert and unbiased opinion, there was not a part of her that wasn't worthy of admiration. Even when she hit him or teased or, well, actually, now her hands were curling a little while they kissed, which was beginning to be his new favorite activity to do with her.

Then came snorting and eye rolling teasing before nuzzling, which pretty well summed things up in Beau's opinion. "Wait, you ain't a lady? Man, that explains a lot," replied Beau, which of course would ruin the soft comment that Liz had been making and kissing, plus the whole bit about this being nice. She'd spoken exactly what he'd been thinking, of course, but it was like he said: he didn't want her to change, not for him. he liked her because he could see those little bits that people might not think were perfect. Someone might be annoyed by the blonde that scarfed food down or punched you like she meant it, but Beau loved each and every gesture.

Man, he really needed to stop thinking the "L" word: They'd just started going out, didn't want to drive her away by acting like a twelve year old with a crush.. even if they had been friends for years... and been dancing around each other for months... and spent most of the past few days like this...

[Elizabeth Edison]

"Ew." Elizabeth scrunched her nose up before snorting at the idea of her rear being tasty. "You, Beau LaRoux have the weirdest taste." She chuckled before giving into the kiss.

She gave a mock laugh at his response to her tease and poked him playfully on his shoulder. "That just means you're not a girl's boyfriend, doesn't it?" She mimicked the deepest voice she could before giggling at herself. How in the world did Beau end up liking her when this was all he was getting out of the relationship?

Although she supposed the kissing was a bonus. But couldn't he have picked another pretty girl to do that with? What a dude.

Not that she was going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She was way too content with the fact that Beau actually liked her in that way. After all this time pining over him, he actually liked her liked her?

She took the opportunity to continue their making out, sliding one leg around his waist, treating him like a body pillow as she deepened their kiss. It had been a little hot in the room, even with the small table fan she had bought for Beau a few months back that matched the one in her room, and she was beginning to wonder if she should invest in a bigger fan. If she was going to spend a lot of time here...

But she didn't bring it up immediately, opting to relish in the making out a lot longer than she should have, with her body temperature rising considerably.

"Oh boy..." she pulled back before grabbing the fan off the table and directing it to her face. "Sorry baby...I am much too hot right now. I can't even." Despite the fact that she was heating up, she didn't move out of Beau's embrace as she cooled down with the fan. "Wow am I sexy right now or what."

[Beau LaRoux]

Ah, more making out soon followed, and Beau returned Liz's affections in kind. He could feel her body entwining with his, which, well, wasn't that abnormal, as Liz had always been physically affectionate. Maybe that had been some kinda hint he should've been picking up on? Something that said that she'd been digging him a lot longer than he'd thought? That leg was getting up his waist as she pulled him close, treating him like some kinda teddy bear. He moved to pull her closer in kind, even though he could feel the heat just radiating off her. He'd have to try and see if he could rig the air-conditioning in here, get it a little better.

Then she pulled back, leaving Beau looking a little thunderstruck. Just as he was about to ask if he'd done something wrong, he saw her grabbing a fan. That made him chuckle, chuckle and shift a little. She hadn't moved away; he could still feel her body heat coursing into him. For that matter, he could feel his own temperature, helped by his picking up her power. "Hey look, somethin' we agree on," he drawled, moving to put his hands on her hips. He only held them for a bit before letting go. "You want me to get you an ice pack or somethin'?" he grinned then, "could let it run over your back an' stuff, sorta give you a massage," he gave her hips another squeeze as he said it, but didn't move, just watching as she fanned herself. Okay, yeah, maybe a little crass and slightly gross, but, well, that was Liz, and that was what Beau liked.

What Beau didn't notice was that his shirt had been tugged up slightly (for some reason). In truth, he was actually thinking about shedding the shirt altogether, it being hot and all. He didn't think about the puckered scar on his side though, which was, at least, hidden for the moment.

[Elizabeth Edison]

On account of her turning away from him to get the fan, Elizabeth didn't notice the look on Beau's face. But had she seen it, she would have tried her best to compensate his thoughts.

She shivered slightly when his hand moved to her hips. The thought of having him run an ice pack over got her sighing dreamily. "That would be amazing." She said before shaking her head. "But no. That ice pack will become a heat pack in a second."

Directing the fan at Beau in intervals, she apologised to him before getting off the bed all together, chuckling at the absurdity of the situation.

"I think someone up there doesn't want us doing this. I'm so sorry, B." Elizabeth pecked him on the cheek before her attention was averted elsewhere. She looked down at his exposed skin with a small frown.

Moving her hand down to the hem of his t-shirt, she pulled it up and pursed her lips at the sight of his wound. "Beau...what...did this..." her speech staggered as her eyes moved up to Beau's face.

[Beau LaRoux]

"Yeah, but it'd still be a wet cloth for a bit," argued Beau, already shifting to get ready to do it. He didn't want to move too far yet, because, well, moving away from Liz struck him as being more than a little counterproductive right about now. Plus, Liz kept directing the fan at him, and he kinda like that too.

"It's alright, i ain't gonna--" began Beau, before realizing that Liz was staring. Curious, he looked down, following her vision toward the bit of exposed skin. He started to ask what the problem was when Liz started jerking his shirt up, pulling it up enough to show the healing scar on his side. The bullet wound hadn't been that serious, not considered everything, and Roxana had covered the wound with some crystals on the quick, which had been fun to remove.

Still, Beau felt he owed Liz an explanation. He let out a deep breath, licked his lips, then looked up at her, an apologetic look on his face. "uh, bullet?" he said. He rubbed at his face with a hand. "I got banged up doin' the whole protectin' thing, remember? Took a bullet to the side. Weren't a big deal, got it all patched up an' now I'm all okay an' all," he removed the hand, smiling. "I'm sure they're gonna give me my Purple Heart any day now."

[Elizabeth Edison]

Elizabeth absentmindedly hummed her acknowledgement and nodded. She was far too distracted with the fan.

When Beau answered, the pyrokinetic winced slightly before looking at Beau with worried eyes. "You got shot?" She repeated before her eyes went back to the wound. Though it looked to be healing, it still had the look of a bullet wound. And she had seen a lot of bullet wounds to know just how deep the bullet had gone.

"Jesus, B." She whispered as her fingers grazed the surrounding area. "It doesn't hurt anymore?" She asked, unintentionally ignoring his light-hearted joke.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau nodded as Liz repeated the situation, smiling a little ruefully as he did. "Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I jus'... I dunno. Didn't want you to worry an' there was prom an' everythin'..." it honestly had been pushed out of Beau's mind, given everything else that had happened of late, everything that had been decidedly more normal overall. Liz would understand that.

He felt her fingers gracing it then, and he looked down. He had to fight from wincing or drawing back. "not most of the time, no," he said, nodding. "I healed up pretty darn good all an' all, an' we got a patch on it pretty quick," he paused for a moment, licking his lips. "Look, it really ain't a big deal or anythin'. Lots of people got hurt an' all. I got hurt worse than some, better than others," he shrugged. "that's the way it is."

He paused for a few more moments before raising his brows. "Want me to try an' get that ice pack for ya now?"

[Elizabeth Edison]

Giving Beau a pained but knowing look, Elizabeth sighed softly as she looked at the wound. Trust Beau to be thinking about her feelings when it was his body that needed to be thought of.

Removing her fingers from the wound, she scooted forward and pressed a hand up to his forehead before pushing his hair back, smiling as she did so. "It's a big deal to me." She said before kissing his forehead gently. "I always wanna find new reasons to love you." She sighed.

"Aha, no. It's okay. I'll be fine with this fan." She pulled it up again before giving him a kiss on the lips.

"If it doesn't hurt," she mumbled through the kiss, biting his lower lip. "You could take off your shirt. I mean...it's hot and all."

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau raised his brows as Liz said it was a big deal, his mouth already moving for apologies to come flooding out. Instead, he found her kissing his forehead and insisting that this was just another reason to love you. This definitely did not count among the things that Beau wanted to be loved for, something that he was quite tempted to point out to Liz. He even started to, but she'd already moved on.

Neither of them seemed to really notice that Liz had all but claimed to love Beau in there.

"If yer sur---" began Beau, soon finding himself silenced with another kiss, one that he gave quite willingly. He heard her mumbling, then felt the bite. He didn't just feel it in his lips either, and he had to fight back a few ungentlemanly noises that wanted to come forth. "You know, you could jus' ask me to take my shirt off," he mumbled to her. he shifted anyway, reaching down to begin pulling it off.

Because it was hot. In the room. Obviously. And not because he wanted to reduce the amount of stuff between him and Liz or anything like that. All about the heat.

[Elizabeth Edison]

Elizabeth definitely didn't realise she had used the word love in her sentence. Beau hadn't pointed it out either. It was eerie how easy these things were coming up and they didn't even bat an eyelid to it.

It didn't take long for the pyrokinetic to make small moans as the kiss deepened but it turned into snorts and giggles when he called her out on her suggestion.

"Hey, I am definitely concerned about my boyfriend getting heat stroke okay." She chuckled before letting him move. She didn't take her eyes off him as he started taking his shirt off. The wound was still the center of attention and she felt drawn to it somehow.

Her jaw slacked as she realised this was the first time she was actually seeing Beau's body. At least with a fresh pair of eyes. And wow. Wow.

"Wow." She hadn't even realised she had said it out loud but really, what was the surprise there? He played football, he entertained her with hiking...it wasn't a surprise yet... "Wow." She gulped and pushed him back down on the bed. Placing the fan on the table once again, she leaned down and started nibbling on his neck.