The Second Date Wouldn't Measure Up

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe nodded at Riley's "seriously." She actually couldn't recall letting anyone know that particular detail, as it had been so wrapped up in those rough few weeks where she'd been so skittish about touching people, about even being near people, that it had been almost like walking through a nightmare. Yet there she lay, wrapped up in a blanket next to a beautiful girl, the sun shining.

And that gulp, and Zoe looked up, watching. She shifted slightly, wanting to keep her attention on Riley's eyes, to watch them even if they weren't quite as expressive as her own. Kissing, a lot, and staying like that for a long time. That last had Zoe giggling, and then she heard the response she really should've anticipated.

That I really want us to be girlfriends. The thought came so fast to Zoe's mind that it almost spilled out her lips. That I think I'm really falling in love with you, like some foolish poetic girl in a horribly written story. "Oh, the same," Zoe lied. "I'm also thinking about all the pictures I want to take of you," Zoe chewed her cheek, trying to think of something else she could fling out that was truthful but not what she was thinking the most. "And of course about how very lucky I am. That one just keeps going on repeat, really."

[Riley Forrester]

Riley had felt a little panicked when she told Zoe what she was thinking. Mostly because there was more to it. Oh yeah, let's just mention I'm falling faster than a cannon ball shot straight down into the water. yeah. She might like cheesy, but even Zoe's probably gotta have limits. Riley thought. But still, she just couldn't help it. This was certainly the fastest she had even fallen for someone. Anyone. And it had all started with an auction and Riley felt like they were moving so fast and yet so slow. But her heart was swelling so much every second she was with this girl. She was hopeless.

I'm falling for this girl. Seriously falling. Hard. Dear god. Riley recognized, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly at the realization even as Zoe spoke. Riley did listen to Zoe speak as she glanced down at her before staring at the sky. The picture thing made her chuckle a little, and the lucky remark made Riley glance down at Zoe with a smirk. "Haven't I already said that I'm the lucky one?" Riley joked, playfully tugging one strand of Zoe's hair she had twirled around her finger, but not enough to hurt.

However, Riley's own remark brought something to mind that made her bite her bottom lip in thought as she averted her eyes. Go on. Just try it. The worst she can say is no. Her brain said. it had a point, but Riley was still a little anxious. "Um... Zoe can I ask you something?"

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe kept insisting that she shouldn't be falling this fast, that maybe she was doing something wrong. Rebounding or something. But she kept thinking about how well they fit, just like she and Alice had fit. But, well, not in the same way. People weren't puzzle pieces that needed perfect interlocking parts. They just needed someone who matched them, helped them somehow, and Zoe had apparently gotten lucky enough to find at least a second someone who made her feel that way.

"I think we can agree that we're both lucky," Zoe replied, nodding confidently. She flushed as she felt Riley coiling a bit of her hair into her finger. The gesture just felt so intimate to Zoe, and she had to remind herself that it wasn't, that she shouldn't put quite that much emphasis on it. Then Riley was biting her lip and Zoe was seriously considering leaning in to kiss.

"Um," she said at the mention of the question, chewing her cheek for a moment, "yes?" Of course now she was utterly terrified and convinced that Riley was about to ask for some space or for Zoe to not go as fast or something worse like "can we take back that bit about another date"...

[Riley Forrester]

Riley chuckled a bit at Zoe's response, smoothing out her hair again. "Alright, alright. I agree." She said with a warm smile before she turned anxious. Zoe seemed panicked too, from her expression and the fact she was chewing her lip. There was the comment about taking back the next date that made Riley's eyes widen and temporarily forget her nerves. "What? No! No no no, I definitely want to go on another date!" She assured the girl with a laugh."Unless you don't want to." She added quickly, which only made it harder to ask her next question.

"Uh, what wanted to ask you was...." She trailed off and sighed, leaning back as yet another blush began spreading onto her face. Come on Riles! Came the inner encouragement. Riley inhaled to gather her strength. "No, what I want to ask you was... well, it's going to sound kinda strange cause we've only been on two dates and they've been going so well so I just thought of this, but maybe we're going too fast. I don't really know but I just...." She gulped, biting her bottom lip before she suddenly laughed at just how nervous she was acting. "Sorry, I was rambling. But... I'm falling Zoe. Like, Hard. Seriously hard. Body-bag filled with bricks and tossed into the ocean hard." She stated before blinking and face palming at her analogy. "Sorry, ignore that terribly corny bit. Foot in mouth." She said before rubbing her face and having her hand return to holding Zoe.

"Umm... What I'm try so.... 'elegantly' to ask is.... Would you... I mean.... Would you be alright with being.... official?" She finally managed to ask.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

More dates: Zoe almost sighed with relief at that. Except that this meant there was something else that Riley had to tell, which had Zoe shifting, looking. Two dates. Fast. Falling... hard, seriously hard... corny...

"Seriously?" Zoe asked, staring up at Riley with something like awe. She shifted, leaning up. "You're not... you're not... just saying that, are you?" Zoe shifted. "It's, um, I was... that was what i was actually thinking. How I really wish that you were my girlfriend. But, well, that is moving quite fast and, well, I know that quite a few people, my friends, they're going to think I'm moving too fast or that you're taking advantage of me or..."

Zoe took a breath, closing her eyes for a moment. She opened them and turned. "I fall fast, Riley, and you're so wonderful, and not just because you're attractive but, well, it really feels like we fit, and part of me just--just wants to say damn all the consequences. But..." she chewed her cheek, "well, that is what I want. I want us to be.. us," she moved, working a hand up, reaching for Riley's to thread her fingers through. "So if you feel the same way then... then I saw we should just do it," she met Riley's eyes, hoping that she managed to say it with something at least relatively close to authority.

[Riley Forrester]

There was an awed look, followed by a 'seriously?' that had Riley's blush increasing even more somehow. When Zoe asked if she was just saying that, Riley frowned and shook her head. "Of course not! I really... I really do like you Zoe." She promised before listening to the next bit. Apparently that had been what Zoe had really been feeling when she mentioned her 'silly, fluttery things.' Whoa wait, she was thinking that of me? Her brain stated, shocked. it barely got to processes in the comments on Zoe's friends and how fast they were going and Riley maybe taking advantage (which made Riley frown a little at the ridiculous idea).

But Then Riley was well and truly listening as Zoe spoke. Stating about how she fell fast. How she felt like she and Riley just fit. How she wanted to damn all the consequences. During that, Riley felt her fingers searching for hers, and she instinctively threaded her fingers through Zoe's, fitting them perfectly between her digits. Riley met Zoe's eyes-- she looked so determined. It made Riley smile despite the heat in her cheeks.

"Yes." it was said with as much certainty as Riley could put into one simple word. She shifted and placed a chaste but purely affectionate kiss on Zoe's forehead before beaming at the girl with the strength of the sun. "I want us to be us too. But if you're worried about your friends saying it's going too fast, you can tell them it's officially official after our third date-- even if it's official for us already." She offered. And then she chuckled. "And yes, that might be me adding an incentive to go out on a third date." She admitted with a shrug and a lopsided grin.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

More smiles, and Zoe felt that warm, bubbly feeling seep through her again, making her toes even curl in her shoes for a moment. Riley wanted them to be an "us" too. Zoe really knew, at least on some level, that she should've at least anticipated that reaction on some level, that she shouldn't be so utterly surprised and thrilled, but that knowing didn't stop her from actually reacting that way.

"We're dating now," Zoe said, smiling, "so you're going to have to put up with at least a few more dates." Zoe gave the hand another squeeze before (very reluctantly) releasing it. At this rate, Zoe was going to have to remember to wear some version of gloves on her dates with Riley. Surely she could find something that would look sexy or stylish or something along those lines.

"Well, my closest friends are Vera and Devyn," Zoe said, tapping Riley's stomach as she spoke, "who saw you buy me. There's also Ezra, who you apparently modeled for," she gave Riley a sly, smiling look, "Liz and Di, they're my long distant friends, they will be thrilled. Soooo, I think that the only one who will probably care is Dirty Laundry, and we're supposed to be above all that," Zoe said, before looking up at Riley with another set of upturned lips and slight raised brows, clearly enjoying herself.

[Riley Forrester]

Dating. They were dating now. The fact made Riley's head whirl and a wide smile creep onto her face. "Gladly." Riley said in response to the dates, grinning like a fool at that point. She was so giddy, even separately their hands couldn't hold back the wonderful feeling coursing through her. Seriously, it was magical. The things this girl did to her was insane.

Riley managed to listen through her haze of blissful joy. Zoe identified the girls Riley had seen, and confirmed she was friends with Ezra. "Oh yeah! He tempted me with food." She stated with a grin and a shrug. "Kinda like how you tempt me into pictures with your beautiful self." She added, teasing a little but meaning it. Riley would pose however Zoe wanted her to. Especially now that they were dating. Zoe mentioned two other people before mentioning the blogger.

"I couldn't care less what that blog says." Riley said honestly. "You're you, no matter what it says. And that's who I fell for."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Gladly, and yet again Zoe had to smile, if only in response to Riley's already giddy expression. She just wanted to wrap herself in this feeling, and part of her almost literally did. After all, she knew full well that there would be difficulties down the road: there always was, and looking back on moments like this was what was going to make the two of them strong enough to move forward.

It did make Zoe giggle slightly to hear that Ezra had bribed Riley with food. "That sounds like him," Zoe agreed, nodding. "And I would bully you if you didn't pose for me, because you're so striking," Zoe said, before reaching up to lightly tap Riley on the nose. She soon found herself shifting as Riley brought up the blog.

"Everyone says that," Zoe said, using her freed hand to play with her hair again. "But that blog it's... just cruel at times. I almost wished that the cat had won against it; something tells me he'd be less... petty," Zoe chewed her cheek. "But, well, I did, um, well, I'm the Lesbian Pikachu because of that," she looked up at Riley, "and that's an adorable name, right?" Yes, it was partially a tease, the whole call-back to the earlier forbidden adjective. Zoe just couldn't quite help herself.

[Riley Forrester]

The giggle had Riley chuckling, and the threat had Riley raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Bully me? Zoe, all you'd have to do is kiss me and I'd say yes." She stated. And then blinked before laughing. "Once again, I apologize for my foot in my mouth." Riley said, blushing a little. Wow. Look at you go you corny flirt monster. Her brain said helpfully. Riley's nose scrunched up when Zoe tapped it, and Riley jokingly copied the action and poked Zoe in the nose with a grin.

Riley listened quietly as Zoe spoke of the blog. But at the end, she simply chuckled and shifted Zoe to plant a brief kiss on her lips. "I much prefer 'Zoe.'" She stated with a smirk. "But no matter what it says and no matter how cruel it gets, I'm still going to be here for you Zoe. I promise." She stated with a smile

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe let out a slight laugh at the mention of just kissing Riley to get her to do what she wanted. That struck her as a lot of power, and she was almost tempted to say as much. Except that would require actually gathering up some strength and saying things and, well, Zoe was enjoying cuddling and just listening to Riley slightly. Being booped back also left her wrinkling her nose in response to the other girl.

Then another kiss, and an insistence that she preferred Zoe. The poet considered for a moment, wondering. "I kissed my step-sister once," she said, looking up at the other girl, seeming to realize for a moment that she was doing that thing again, and on the second date. Zoe closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I--sorry, I'm just..." she took a deep breath, curling against Riley again. "I should just give up talking," she said, burying her head into her girlfriend and taking a breath. "I can just take pictures of everyone. Write poems. Kiss you. It'll work out tremendously."

[Riley Forrester]

Riley had to grin as Zoe's own nose scrunched up from the poke. It was so cute, she loved it. Although not as much as the kiss, brief as it was. Although, Zoe seemed to be deep in thought. What is she... Riley wondered before Zoe spoke. And then Riley had to blink as her mind processed that. Zoe kissed her step-sister? At first she was a bit shocked, but then her mind started turning. Zoe had been through so much. Why would Riley linger on this one thing? Zoe had a pretty rough childhood from the sounds of it, and from what Riley had gathered, Zoe might've run away because of what she just told Riley. It was just a kiss. And it had already happened, and Riley cared immensely for the girl who had done it.

So when Zoe curled up on Riley, the punky girl only chuckled and smoothed out Zoe's hair, lazily running her fingers through it. "Please don't. I would miss your lovely accent too much." Riley stated with a smirk. "And you can even keep doing at those other things, Zoe. I'm not about to push you away for something that's already done, cause I fell for the girl who already did it." She stated, cupping Zoe's cheek with a warm and accepting smile

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Yes, there was always that initial shock. Zoe had kissed Ava, her stepsister, who she was supposed to simply have sisterly feelings for. Now she wasn't sure if that wasn't what it was, mixed with her confused sexuality which had apparently been suppressed. She didn't want to talk about it: was pretty well convinced that she shouldn't be talking about anything right now.

And there were hands running through her hair. Again. It definitely had a calming effect. Zoe had to let out a slight laugh at the mention of her accent, then rolled as Riley continued, insisting that it wouldn't matter. "There isn't much left," Zoe admitted, smiling slightly. "A few broken relationships, the, um, thing with SPECTRE... not really talking to my parents for the past year..." Zoe felt a hand on her cheek and she leaned into it slightly, before looking up. "And please don't take it wrong when I push you away or anything. I'm just really worried about leaving you all paralyzed and stiff, especially out here."

Zoe shifted anyway, reaching for the closest arm to sort of cuddle up against. This was definitely nice, with their food resting and everything around them just sort of being. Zoe took another breath, inhaling a bit more of Riley's scent and feeling almost guilty about doing so.

[Riley Forrester]

Zoe seemed to relax a little at Riley's words, for which she was glad. She admitted that there wasn't much left, just some broken relationships and the SPECTRE thing, along with a few other issues. "Hey, take all the time you need to tell me. I'll listen." She assured the girl. "If you're uncomfortable tell me all at once that is. It's up to you Zoe." She said with a shrug. She wanted Zoe to say what was on her mind when she was ready, and not rush things if it was really personal and hard for the girl.

"I know, I won't" Riley assured her with a smile. "I don't want you to worry, so pull away whenever you think you should." She stated before Zoe shifted and cuddled against Riley's arm, which made the punky girl chuckle and squeeze Zoe with her other arm in a hug, inhaling deeply. "I might fall asleep like this. I'm so warm."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe took a deep breath, again inhaling Riley, as Riley insisted she'd listen. This did feel familiar, Zoe telling a girl she liked, that she fell for fast, her entire life story, almost flinging it up as if using it as an excuse not to be liked or approached or something along those lines. She kept snuggled against Riley for a few seconds, listening as Riley again insisted that Zoe could pull away, that it would be okay.

"Well, try not to," Zoe said, adjusting. She curled up, almost resting her head on Riley's chest now. "I... when I got my powers, I, um, I had just found out that---I got them when I kissed my step-sister. I... I don't know, if, if like I really felt something for her or, or what, really. I hadn't, she was the first... girl, and the boys... it didn't quite work. But I put her in the hospital, just like that. I didn't find that out until later. I just... when it happened I panicked. I grabbed a bag, my camera, some clothes, and I took off.

"That's, um,' she shifted to look up, "where all the, the newspaper wrapping and stuff came in. I did that. For a bit before they found me and took me here. I was... a mess, real dark, didn't like being touched, avoided people, just hid behind the camera. You should see the poems,' she let out a wry laugh. "They were awful. But then I ran into Devyn in that bathroom and, well, I ended up falling in love with her.

"And it was great, in a lot of ways. But, well, she, um, really wanted... she's really passionate and... physical, and that was a thing for me, you know? With my sister and how everything was. So it became a thing between us, and I kept, I kept trying and pushing myself, and now I'm sort of worried that part of me might be all messed up," Zoe paused to wipe at her eyes, but knew she'd have to continue. "But I, we kissed, sort of like, um, how we do, but, uh, different, because she's different. But we didn't stop and she... I paralyzed her, and.. and if Dr. Campbell hadn't been around...'

Zoe lapsed into silence for a bit, taking a breath. She clenched at Riley's shirt for a moment. "That's when DL labeled me the Lesbian Pikachu. I became the target for mutant hate for a while. The school had to give me a bodyguard. Devyn hated it. And, well, it... the cabin. Mr. Spencer, he was a teacher then, he and I went there, and... and SPECTRE, they shot us. I still have a bullet scar on my... it's near my rib cage,' she reached for Riley's hand, pulling it toward her torso, touching where she knew it to be, "here. And, um, when that happened i sort of... I had to use my power and... i don't know if they were dead before but..."

Another swallow, and Zoe curled tighter, gripping Riley's shirt almost painfully. "And then Devyn... she... she didn't mean to, I think I didn't... we were open, because of the physical thing, and...and she ended up sleeping with...with Vera... on prom, because I was, um, drunk, and... and I found out, and we broke up."

Zoe sniffed, reaching a hand up to wipe again. "Then... there was Alice, who was wonderful and amazing but broken too, and... I loved her, but we couldn't... I was ready but she... we never did, and then she got this offer for this scholarship, and I helped her leave..."

Zoe trailed off, chewing her cheek. So much in that year, and it made her just want to curl up, already crying, already feeling awful for just unloading all this, awful and terrible and desperate for Riley to just scoop her up and start kissing her all over again while insisting that it only mattered because it got her here...