[SCT] No Days Off

[Vera M. Solway]

This was a ski trip, some sort of vacation granted by the Academy powers that be to the students. This meant that they were supposed to do stuff that they wouldn't normally do back at home, play around, relax, enjoy extended time away from home and go out and get all cute and cuddly with friends and those you considered "loved ones". That was the usual idea of a ski trip. So if that was the case then why did Vera find herself spending most of her morning in her cabin and only later going to the gym. She was allowed to not have to work out, that's what this winter vacation was for but yet she just didn't want to. Sure, she'd go and snowboard or even ski for a bit and maybe have lunch with a few friends but that was pretty much it.

Her seeking comfort within her own company wasn't anything she needed to worry about. It was usually when she sought after others for comfort that she knew something was wrong.

Not as if she would have to continue to seek for alone time anymore. After making her way to the hot springs after her workout, she noticed there hadn't been a person in sight and although she could care less if anyone else was around. This just meant that she wouldn't have to worry about anyone trying to stir up a conversation with her.

Tossing her towel to the side, Vera made her way to the springs and dipped her bikini body in as slow as she could possibly manage. The water was hot as hell and she could thank her body for not wanting to instantly adjust to it. Resting her head against the edge, she let herself relax as her wireless headphones continued to bump to her favorite tunes.

[Riley Coleson]

Riley had been trying his best to be a good guy. For Vera. For himself, and for other people. That meant playing by the rules and not retorting to his old ways. Heck, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd had sex and... It wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be. He had set his mind to not dipping back into it until he was one hundred percent certain of what he and Vera actually were, but it was a complicated process that seemed to take time. He was in no rush though.

An amused smile formed on his lips as he walked into the spa area. He had little to do in here, but he'd been looking for Vera everywhere else, and what girl in their right mind would say no to a free day at the spa? He walked over, trying to be as silent as he possibly could and once he reached the edge, he kneeled down and folded his arms over his knees.

"You're looking relaxed," he said, smiling as he titled his head to the side. He reached out his hand to brush a strand of loose hair away from her face, and his smile grew warmer and more fond. He really liked this girl, but there was still something holding him back. He didn't feel as if he deserved this chance, and he was desperate to make sure he had earned it too. It was almost a little pathetic.

[Vera M. Solway]

Weirdly enough, Vera had been bumping to more slower jams in her headphones than anything else. Apparently her phone on shuffle knew exactly what she needed and for once she appreciated the smart phone. Had she been tired, the water would've been warm enough to cause her to fall asleep as she closed her eyes for just a second. But the moment she heard a voice and felt the presence of someone near, she shot her eyes open and looked up and she was pretty sure her heart skipped a beat or two.

That sort of thing usually happened when he was around.

She returned a welcoming smile ass he felt him brush the strand away. Slipping her headphones off she continued to look up at Riley. "Hopefully it stays that way by the time we leave back to the Academy." Honestly she doubted it. "Did you come for the hot springs... or the hot girl?" Grinning as she joked. Whatever the reason, she was glad that he was here. They had a whole trip away from the school and she had to fight against wanting to drag Riley everywhere with her in hopes that they would get more time together. The more she was around him, the more she wanted him around, the more she felt the need to get clingy and she didn't want to be grouped in the same category as his crazy ex (because everyone at school had rumors about how that went).

Did she really want to be the reason to drive him away?

"Join me?" She playfully batted her lashes as she tried buy him with her puppy eyes. Not like anyone was around either, they wouldn't be bothering anyone if they chose to show some PDA.

[Riley Coleson]

"A little bit of both," he laughed, lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck. Man, she made it so hard to play by the book here, and she was probably aware of it too. She drove him nuts, had from the moment he'd met her and damn, he could feel his entire body react to her. Not just sexually either; he could feel the butterflies in his stomach, the way she clouded his mind, making him think irrationally and just... Damn. He wondered if she had any idea whatsoever. Probably. He couldn't understand how she wouldn't; it had to be pretty damn apparent.

He felt like a lost sheep. He felt like a little boy, and he wasn't even sure if he could keep up with her. She was just too damn good for him and playing nice became harder by the minute.

"Tempting," he said, offering her a sheepish smile. He didn't hesitate for long before pulling off his shirt and pants. Sinking into the water, wearing nothing but his boxers, Riley offered Vera a wink. Hey, at the very least, he didn't have to feel self-conscious about his body; he looked damn good, and he knew it too.

Moving so that he was in front of her, he grinned a very boyish grin. "You're a hard chick to track down. Almost made me think you were avoiding me there," he chuckled.

[Vera M. Solway]

Smiling softly, she could help but find it adorable how he admitted to her being half of the reason. Usually it had became an ego booster but whenever it came from Riley, she was mostly flattered (and not to mention; flustered). Would she ever stop feeling this way when he was around? You know, like a little school girl experiencing a crush for the first time even though they had close for almost a year now.

Sometimes teasing and joking with him only back lashed at her ten times over.

Running her now wet hands through her hair, she couldn't help but to eye at Riley as he undressed for the hot springs. He even winked at her and she couldn't help but to give him a sheepish smile as she bit down on her bottom lip. With a body like his, she almost considered him a god among men and she surely hadn't been the only one at the school to say it either.

Taking a deep breath, she shifted in her seat so that she sat up straight in the hot water. Her hazel eyes looked up at the guy of her dreams, only to glance away and chuckle when he mentioned how hard it was to track her down. Looking down at the water, her smile lessened slightly. "Noo, I could never avoid you. I just figured that maybe; you know," Her hands moved side to side against the surface of the water, creating small ripples. "That maybe you wanted some freedom to... enjoy your winter wonderland of a vacation."

Her eyes finally looked back up at him as she slightly smiled. "And not get tied down into doing everything with me." God that sounded so fucking stupid, sad even. Maybe pathetic was even the word for it. Honestly, she didn't even have to mention that last bit but she did. Vera kept beating around the bush of what she really meant, and what she really meant was 'I don't want you to feel obligated in spending all of your time with a clingy telekinetic who isn't even your girlfriend.'

But you know, it was Vera. Sometimes telling her true feelings were harder than it seemed.

[Riley Coleson]

Watching her with furrowed brows, Riley remained silent as he processed the words. "I've never been a huge fan of winter or winter activities," he shrugged with a sheepish smile. "So, you don't have to worry about that." He reached out a hand, brushing the tips of his fingers against the line of her jaw. He wondered if what she said was how she really felt. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong, but he didn't know what.

And there it was. It was the subject they had been avoiding ever since they had both shared their feelings. Were they dating? What were they? What did all of this mean? It wasn't that Riley didn't want to be with her. Far from it. But they were both so damn uncertain about everything; the only certain thing was how they felt, but even then they somehow managed to avoid it and back away. He didn't doubt that they wanted to be together, he just figured neither of them knew how to.

Sighing, Riley rubbed his chin and nodded slowly. "I see," he said, pursing his lips. "Well, I like spending time with you, Vera. You know that." He furrowed his brows. He didn't know if it was a smart move to venture down the path, the real reason behind her words. Damn, he was such a fucking coward. "But hey, we're spending time together now, so that's gotta count for something."

He really wanted to say more. To put her mind at ease, but he didn't know how to. He was a coward. He really was.

[Vera M. Solway]

Slightly smiling at his words, she couldn't help but to feel a tad bit bad. Apart of her felt like she was being a brat, wanting to give him space but also wanting to accuse him of wanting to spend his time doing stuff other than having to deal with her. It was somewhat contradicting and it wasn't really fair to Riley. And then when he touched her like that, she felt like only someone as strong as him could be so gentle to someone like her. As if she was the only one.

That's where the conflicted emotions and thoughts would battle it out in the fighting dome called 'Vera's Heart'.

When it came to Riley, she wanted it all but for some reason she didn't feel as if she was going to get it, like she was forcing herself to be okay with it. As if not being his girlfriend and trying to cope with that wouldn't drive her crazy. When it reality it drove her insane, it frustrated her because she loved him so much. Too bad that frustration would be hidden behind her comforting smile as she held onto his hand as it brushed against her face. "Yeah... I know." He was right, they were together now and that was all that mattered.

"It does count for something." She tried giving him her best smile. His presence was always wanted, it was always needed and she didn't want him feeling as if him looking for her just now wasn't enough. "Besides, when do we ever get time together without the eyes and ears of everyone else?" She glanced around at the super empty area around them. Everyone was probably taking part of the huge snowball fight.

Now that she thought of it... they were all alone, for now. There was no better time to take chances and act a little naughty, right? She couldn't take the chance of Riley wanting to know why she said what she said. Possibly enough to get her mind off of her feelings, the best way she knew how... without alcohol involved. Talk about being up to no good. Smirking, she stood up in front of Riley while her fingers felt for the strings that tied her bikini top together, and pulled. "I guess since we're alone, I can do this..." Only to take her top off without a care in the world, hold it up high, and let it drop into the water. Shit bit down on her bottom lip as she looked up at him with a far from innocent smile. "Hopefully this also counts for something."

[Riley Coleson]

Smiling warmly at her, Riley found himself... Extremely happy. He always did in her presence, but this was different. He couldn't describe it or put words to it, but he... He liked the feeling. Heck, he liked everything Vera made him feel, even when it wasn't anything good. He liked her, he liked everything about her. Heck, he loved her even. That was the one thing Riley was one hundred percent sure of. What he wasn't sure of, was what came after that. He still didn't believe enough in himself to believe that he could actually be the guy she wanted. Heck, he didn't think he could be the guy she needed. He didn't want to hurt her and he wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to screw it up before being anything official with her.

Though, what he hadn't expected was that she'd be so... Conflicted about it. It made him sad, watching her try so hard to pretend to be okay. "That's true," he said, smiling. "It's been forever since we got to be alone." He tried his best not to let his mind wander, but honestly, it was hard. Very hard.

And then Vera went and made it even harder. Stripping off her bikini top, Riley's eyes dropped to her chest and he stood completely still, as if completely in loss of what to do. Naturally, his instincts kicked in, screaming at him to move forward. Taking a deep breath, Riley lifted his head, his eyes to look at the gorgeous brunette in front of him. "Well, I can't complain," he smirked. After all, she was just playing it fair, he supposed. "More than that..." he began, moving forward to place both of his hands against her skin, cupping her face in his hands. "You're beautiful." And with that, Riley leaned in to press his lips hungrily against Vera's.

So much for self control. All she'd have to do was drop her top and Riley was already fighting against his better judgement and trying to honor her. Then again, he figured she wouldn't have done it without really wanting to. Though, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was doing it to make sure he stayed interested.

[Vera M. Solway]

"More like decades." She smiled back at him as she joked. His smile was so contagious. It was absolute that she had to smile right back. He did that to her, and for fucks sake, he had to know the amount of power he had over her. He had to. There was no way he couldn't possibly know and the craziest part about it was that she allowed it.

The time between was scarce, to the point where it was almost non-existent. He knew that, and she knew that, which was why they always wanted to make the most of it when they were together. To think that two college students wouldn't have more than enough time together, it wasn't normal. Then again they weren't your everyday college students. She was dealing with Mr. All-Star here, everyone's favorite eye candy, with the ability to probably get drafted into any professional team after college... if he wanted. While she moved away from cheer and was now more focused on wanting to study criminal justice and working... it was seldom that they got time together.

So she had to make this count, right? Even though it seemed more of her wanting to keep his interest, could you blame her? For the first time, she was actually trying to keep someone, someone who she loved dearly and wasn't necessarily hers (if we were going to be logical). Biting down on her bottom lip, the way he froze and looked at her... It was new and even though her actions were a bit drastic, she loved it. Vera loved the attention and more so that it was coming from him.

She couldn't even muster a word about how how handsome he was, or how sexy she thought he was before he kissed her. She couldn't help but to let out a moan against his lips as her hunger matched his. It took everything power to fight against letting her hands roam.

[Riley Coleson]

Still cupping her cheeks between his hands, Riley pulled back. Not enough for their lips to part, but enough for him to catch his breath. Opening his eyes, the boy chuckled softly against Vera's lips. "You drive me insane," he whispered. It didn't change the fact though; he still wanted to get everything settled before they ventured any further. It took every single bit of self control to keep himself from pushing her against the wall and taking her there and then, but he didn't want that for her. He didn't want her to be just another one of his conquests. He wanted it to mean something. He wanted it to be special.

"You're such a tease, Miss Marcello. How am I going to continue playing the nice guy if you keep pulling tricks like this?" It also took a great deal of self control to keep his hands firmly placed against her cheeks and keep his gaze from traveling, taking all of her in. He did smile though. That typical playful, boyish smirk. "And before claiming that you don't want me to," he added, before allowing her to speak. "I don't want that for us. I want it to mean something." His voice was husky, and he felt oddly emotional.

"I don't want you to be just another girl I sleep with." He lifted his head and kissed her forehead, holding his lips against her soft, warm skin for a moment. He relished the feeling of her skin against his. She smelled incredibly nice too, which was hardly a surprise anymore. Vera was perfect. Everything he had ever wanted and asked for, and he would be damned if he did anything to fuck it up.

After all, his feelings was more important than some silly bodily needs.

[Vera M. Solway]

Taking her chance to catch her breath, she smiled softly in the presence of his whispers. Opening her eyes, she studied his very own. "You have no idea." She whispered back. There was no possible way that he could know how much he affected her. It was something that seemed to be a mutual understanding, that they were both on the same page... or close enough. How crazy she was for him, it would have to explain why she would make such irrational decisions but then again Vera always did do things without really thinking them through. It was really part of her nature. She never saw it as being easy or just doing whatever. She saw it as "living" and doing what she wanted, doing what felt was right.

So could you blame her for wanting to be young, wild, and free with the one guy that she loved? Pursing her lips, she tried matching his smirk but couldn't help to feel foolish in some sort of way. She didn't try to interrupt him because honestly she was sort of beating herself up for thinking that this was a good idea. "Right..." Taking a deep breath, she understood him. She understood Riley so much more than he would ever know but at the same time she questioned it. She couldn't help but to question it.

He wanted better for them, and she wanted to question it. Great. She closed her eyes for just a second as she felt his lips against her forehead. Every time. Every time, he just seem to have won Vera over and over and it filled it up her heart until it spilled over. So if that was the case, why did it all make her so frustrated? Opening her eyes, she glanced over at her top drifting away in the water and telekinetically pulled it towards her as she grabbed it, taking only a few steps away from Riley as she tied it back on without facing him. "Makes sense," Her smile faded, as she let her mouth and frustration get the best of her. "I can't even be someone you'd date. To think I'd be that one person you'd want to mess around with..." She scoffed but more so at herself, "I must be so way over my head."

Fuck, was there a word for how she felt right about now? The word "perfect" wouldn't describe it either. There was a part of her that knew how honest Riley was being. It was cute, it was looking out for her. The other part of her just couldn't agree with it.

[Riley Coleson]

He figured he understood where Vera's frustration came from, although it was both childish and unjustified. He was after all just trying to do the right thing by her, while they were (well, more so him) trying to figure out what all of this meant. Sighing, Riley lifted his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Come on, that's totally uncalled for and you know it," he argued, shaking his head. It was hard to keep his head cool, he had to admit that much.

"Well, I'm sorry for trying. Good to know that it ain't good enough," he drawled, pulling back as he made his way for the edge of the pool to retrieve his clothes. Pulling himself up from the water, Riley didn't turn to look at the girl. Instead, he made a beeline for his clothes and pulled them from the floor. "You know, if you just stopped to think for one moment, you'd realize that you're being incredibly childish, and I'm really trying to understand where you're coming from, and to some degree, I do, but this drama..." he paused, shaking his head as he pulled his pants on.

"It's really lame, you know? If I'd know that this would turn you into..." he trailed off, regretting his words right away. He knew she wasn't like his crazy ex. He really did. It was just so hard not to lash out. He was frustrated too. More so than she probably realized and yes, he really did understand her frustration. "Whatever." Riley pulled on his shirt before turning to look at her. "I'm gonna head off. Come see me when you've stopped being such a bitch."

Again, he regretted his words, but it was hard to stop once he'd first started.

"I really do care about you, you know." And with that, Riley started moving towards the exit.

[Vera M. Solway]

There was clearly something she wasn't getting about their situation. There had to be something. Or better yet, maybe it was just something he wasn't getting. Sure, maybe he didn't think she should have said what she said but come on, how she felt was totally called for. "Your words, not mine." She pursed her lips as her eyes stayed directed in the opposite direction of Riley. Only when she finished tying her bikini back up, did she turn around to look at him.

He was trying and she knew that, she knew better than to question it and yet she still did because at the end of the day there was nothing like being physically "turned down" by that one person who she wasn't even allowed to claim. No claiming, no messing around, no touching. Like what the hell was she supposed to think. What was she supposed to do?

Running her wet hands through her hair, she sighed and before she could manage to say something, Riley continued. Then he had the nerve to call it drama. Great, now how she felt was turning this into drama? "Really? That's not fair-" Then he dropped the B word and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about it. If there was anything that could shut Vera up in seconds flat, it was that. There was a part of her that felt as if she deserved it and the other part, well... let's just say she wasn't too happy.

Her brows furrowed as she watched him head to towards the exit. She needed to apologize, or something, anything: "Well you have a really shitty way of showing it." The tense feeling in her jaw lessened as a slight pout formed, and only because she knew who was in the wrong. Now she'd have to watch him walk away.

[Riley Coleson]

"Not fair, huh? Now, that's ironic, coming from you," he fired back. After all, she was the one who had started all of this. Riley didn't want to fight, but it surely didn't help that he already felt oh so very frustrated with this situation. They cleared loved each other, but didn't seem to get past that and actually do something about it. It was always one of them pushing and the other pulling. Man, he really wished all of this would have been easier for them, because they had the potential to make something really amazing.

If only they'd just stop acting like damn children, anyways, but they were both far to prideful for that, apparently.

"What the fuck do you expect me to do Vera? Apparently me trying isn't good enough, so maybe you should take some time off and figure what the hell is, because I'm out of ideas," he threw over his shoulder with a frustrated sigh. Stopping at the door, the blonde shook his head. He wanted to apologize, but the frustrated, nagging feeling wouldn't let go. Maybe they just needed some time to cool off. To collect themselves. Figure out what they wanted.

Because at this rate, he didn't even know anymore.

"You know what, forget it."

...if only he could stop acting so childish, that would be wonderful.

[Vera M. Solway]

She exhaled through her nose, pressing her lips together as her eyes stayed on Riley. She was trying her best to keep her mouth shut despite the fact that she was highly frustrated now. No, frustrated wasn't quite the word at this point because now she was getting upset and the last thing she wanted was to lose Riley because of it. Despite how tough she may have seemed, she was still a young woman. She still had needs, she had feelings, she wanted to love him without having to hold back, and her emotions would run as wild as they wanted to without reasoning. But, he was right, she hadn't been fair to him and to claim that he wasn't being fair to her was sort of ironic.

"Nothing." She simply told him, pulling herself out of the water while using her TK to pull her towel to her person. "I want you to do nothing," She squeezed any excess water from the ends of her hair. "Just like you've been doing. Just like you're used to, Riley." She threw back at him. Lies up to her ears, when in reality she wanted him to let her love him, she wanted him to stop being so... so damn afraid of whatever it was that was holding him back. He had no idea how this affected her. She was giving him the benefits of being a girlfriend to him when he didn't even seem sure enough if he wanted that from her, and yet she kept doing it.

There was no way she could do this on her own and yet she expected him to know that without saying anything. She didn't want to have to spell out everything for him because well, she was too prideful to show how much she really needed him. "Or maybe you need to get it together and figure out what the hell it is you want, 'cause clearly it ain't me."

She knew she needed to stop while she was ahead. She had to, this was only going to go downhill from here if she allowed herself to continue. Vera detested having to go without being around Riley but maybe he was right, maybe it was what she needed. The telekinetic looked towards the ground as she continued to dry herself off because there was no way in hell she was going to let her watery eyes build up to the point where they had the nerve to form a tear. Not today and not in front of him. "I'm over it," She mumbled. If he wanted to go, he could, as for today she wasn't going to be in addition to what was holding him back from doing what he wanted.