LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 74: Late Night Talking
After making their way out of the brothel, Frost and Candy found themselves on an even busier street, and despite the bright stars above, as well as the different colored lights all around, it was difficult to see past the large crowds flocking seemingly every building. They escaped the overcrowded area but were stuck to the side of the street until they made it to the main road, where they found Tricky and Kiwy walking in the street below. Frost and Candy followed them home, where they went straight to sleep before more members showed up. But before entering the house, they noticed a few of their teammates heading towards the end of the street, but their figures disappeared as they turned the corner of the stairs leading to the park.
Those figures were Scott and Zoey, who were following Shade, Ace, and Chappy as they crossed the park to reach some of the brothels on the street. They managed to avoid the congestion on the second street by going all the way around through the first one, and while the shops near the park were less overcrowded than the ones closer to the main road, there were still long lines to enter some of the buildings. Ace, Shade, and Chappy hurried up to join a short line that they just so happened to find right in front of the park. But instead of following them to a brothel called “The Farmhouse”, Scott and Zoey stayed behind to watch as they ran gleefully.
They got a couple of laughs when their friends made it to the line and eagerly waited to enter. Chappy, in particular, looked over the moon as he was getting a chance to see some actual cat and cow girls waiting for them inside. And even though Scott and Zoey couldn’t hear what they were saying, it was clear Ace was trying to calm Chappy down to prevent him from fainting, with Shade prepared to catch him as Chappy’s knees trembled at the mere sight of a cow girl welcoming them inside the building.
–Can you believe it? All of that just to sleep with a girl that won’t even remember their names or faces. How could they waste their money on that?– Zoey asked indignantly, shaking her head in disapproval but still being able to mock her friends as she shared a laugh with Scott, although he wasn’t in such disbelief and tried to hide it with a nervous glance.
–Yea, I could never…– Scott replied sarcastically before staring at the brothel with curiosity, prompting Zoey to threaten him with a stare. He pretended not to look at her, but as she kept her eyes locked on him, he turned around and just chuckled.
–Really, I’m more of a relaxing and having a nice talk kind of guy…– Scott added in a joking manner, but one glance showed him that Zoey didn’t believe him. She looked away dismissively but tried to hold a smile afterward as she began looking around the park to draw his attention.
–Yet you are probably dying to know what sex is like with one of those girls…– Zoey responded in a slightly condescending tone, giving him the cold shoulder by walking towards the outer walkway of the park to enjoy the view of the fields below. Her response prompted Scott to laugh nervously, making him uncertain of how to approach, as he couldn’t tell if she was genuinely scolding him. But since he noticed she briefly glanced back to call for him, he quickly followed behind.
They walked past various people hanging out at the park like them, either sitting down on the grass, below trees, or sitting together on benches. They mostly seemed to be sharing food and drinks, enjoying a romantic evening while they still had the colorful ambiance around them, and staying away from the brothels to get some peace to talk. But unlike them, Scott and Zoey didn’t really fit the dynamic of the rest of the couples around them, and with the latter now ignoring him, Scott tried to catch up and get her attention back.
–I mean, I would be curious… But I kind of already experienced that stuff, it isn’t that big of a deal…– Scott argued in the same playful manner, with a bit more mischief as he tried to get a reaction out of Zoey by any means. And with an easy provocation, he got exactly what he got, though he was surprised to see her turn around with an offended frown.
–How could you…? I thought I did a good jo-...– Zoey exclaimed indignantly, but she was interrupted by Scott after seeing her disheartened reaction. While he was very amused by it, he tried to calm her down before she grew concerned or discouraged.
–I’m kidding, I’m kidding… Although there could be some things for us to improve…– Scott laughed with a hint of shyness as he tried to approach Zoey. She had to stop walking to get a good look at his face, contemplating his sincerity with a critical look that only brought him regret. But as she almost smiled, she contained herself, and instead of laughing with him, she continued dismissing him.
–Well, you definitely won’t get that anytime soon…– Zoey replied evasively, looking away mockingly before walking again, but this time, she actually made Scott panic for a second.
–Oh come on, I said I was joking…– Scott apologized, slightly desperate, in an attempt to get Zoey back in her usual mood. He remained lighthearted but reached for her hand to be straightforward, and once he finally got her to turn around and look him in the eye, he noticed she couldn’t help but smile, but only for a second before changing her demeanor slightly.
–It’s not that. You know, because you are going to be busy with your team and all that…– Zoey responded passively, sheepishly caressing Scott’s hand before heading to the center of the park and sitting down on the grass to start reflecting. Scott took a moment to process her feelings, but after checking to see if anyone was near to hear them, he focused solely on Zoey as he sat down next to her and held her hands.
–What do you mean? Of course, I’ll have time for other things… I’ll always be available for you…– Scott assured with a bit of concern, but he turned a little timid as he adopted a heartfelt demeanor to convince Zoey. She kept giving him the playful, judgmental stare, but she was more skeptical the more she thought about his affirmation.
–Really? Even if you have to save a princess every day?– Zoey asked sarcastically, leaning forward a bit to tease Scott with a smirk. He sat still with a straight face, and as she almost got close enough to give him a kiss, he refused to move and just looked away dismissively.
–Now I just think you are jealous…– Scott replied smugly, hiding his interest in her advance by looking at other couples near the only trees in the park. But after hearing Zoey scoff at him, by the time he turned back to her, she was no longer looking at him. She was lying on the grass, her gaze heading directly towards the black sky, getting lost in the stars, and sparking curiosity in Scott as he looked at her for a while.
–A little bit, but I just can’t believe we are supposed to be some sort of heroes…– Zoey admitted, but she was no longer stressing over girls as she adopted a pensive face while looking at the sky. It was only when she saw Scott crawl to her and lie on his side next to her that her eyes shifted briefly, but he only stared at her instead of the shiny stars that seemed to fascinate her.
–I don’t think we are heroes…– Scott responded with a modest smile but was sincere enough to draw Zoey’s attention. She turned her head slightly to see that his expression turned bleak, even when he was staring at the sky. He appeared to lose his previous playfulness in a moment of thought, prompting Zoey to place one hand on his cheek and get him to smile once again.
–Well, you are to me… and to the princess, probably…– Zoey whispered with a caring, sympathetic smile that garnered Scott’s focus. They locked eyes, but he remained apprehensive to speak as he noticed how attentive she was. Her eyes followed all of his facial movements with overwhelming affection, catching him by surprise and getting a nervous laugh out of him. But as Zoey began caressing his cheek, he kept reflecting until he eventually had a moment of clarity that allowed him to speak his mind for once.
–You know, she didn’t actually thank me. I don’t think she even knows my name. I think she was more into Frost or the other guys. I didn’t even get a personal reward or something cool, it was just kind of… lame…– Scott replied in a more disappointed and slightly distressed manner, frowning with some restrained frustration as he looked at Zoey while trying not raise worry. But instead of just smiling again, she appeared to disagree with him since he removed her hand from his cheek to give him a stern look.
–See, that’s all you are going to get here. The girls in this place only use you for money or take advantage of you in some way. It’s making you think you should always get something in return when, in reality, you should just do it to be nice… or because it's literally our job…– Zoey reproached him bitterly, yet she remained lighthearted enough to get a chuckle out of Scott. Despite her rather negative response, he seemed grateful to hear it, and while he had to think about it for a second, some of the stress on his face began to fade away.
–Right… Well, a simple thanks would be enough, some appreciation, or something like that…– Scott replied indifferently after a long, thoughtful moment. But it was that simple resolution to his doubt that seemed to satisfy Zoey as she stared at him lovingly with doting eyes.
–Then you have my appreciation and gratitude. Thank you for being so brave and kind, you little saint– Zoey affirmed with an affectionate smile, but she was still clearly teasing and slightly belittling, to which Scott laughed in disbelief before gently pushing her away dismissively.
–That just feels like you pity me… But hey, maybe the princess does, she is kind of weird…– Scott responded with a laugh and an eye roll, but he still managed to amuse Zoey with his playful reaction as she giggled briefly before pulling him by the hand so they could lie down together.
–Oh, forget about her already. Instead, focus on all the fun we could have here…– Zoey ordered assertively, but with a cheerful, slightly enticing smile that grabbed his attention. She tried to wrap her arms around him, and while he reluctantly allowed her to, he kept thinking more and paid little attention to her overly friendly eyes.
–Yea, I don’t know. I just don’t feel very welcome here, it’s strange… I don’t think I’ll get used to it either…– Scott replied in a discouraged tone, containing some of his bigger worries despite already sounding uninspired. As he didn’t seem too comfortable having Zoey all over him, she backed away a little to think of something to cheer him up, and after a few seconds, she tried changing the subject.
–I’m sure, with time, you’ll grow fond of this city. I mean, look at it, it’s so pretty… And compared with the base…– Zoey reassured in a lively, optimistic manner, lifting both her and his hand to point at the sky, where their dreamy eyes drifted towards. But as Scott didn’t fully share her enthusiasm at first, after a couple of seconds of stargazing, he turned to face her once again, and it was only then that he got to smile with genuine joy.
–Yea, you are right. I don’t want to return there, so I guess this is our new home…– Scott responded with a chuckle, taking a moment to admire Zoey while she wasn’t looking. But as she noticed him from the corner of her eye, she only gave him a big, frisky grin and stood up before she got too embarrassed.
–Well, it will only become our home if we make it our home…– Zoey claimed as she helped Scott stand up, smiling at him suggestively with rosy cheeks as she pulled him closer. Her shyness faded quickly as she kept staring deep into his eyes, now wrapping her arms around his neck, prompting his eyes to drift towards the sky again to deliberately ignore her.
–Yes, it’s nice to relax and look at the sky…– Scott replied casually, becoming somewhat embarrassed as he looked up, around the park, at the grass, and in whatever direction that wasn’t Zoey’s face. He noticed that most of the couples were leaving and relaxed a little, but Zoey started growing impatient as he was trying to tease her. She held back a laugh and tried to turn his head towards her, but then Scott focused on someone else when he saw some drunk men coming to the park from the brothels.
–Though I can’t help but feel like that drunk guy is going to attack us…– Scott added with an awkward smile to hide his concern as he stared at one of the drunk men. They were getting dangerously close to them as they flocked to the park after getting kicked, prompting everyone else to leave. Zoey and Scott stepped away anxiously, but as she kept holding him close, the intimacy between the two didn’t fully disappear.
–Yea, I don’t think this park is very safe at night, we should leave…– Zoey responded with a playful smile, but she quickly took her opportunity to charm Scott with fond eyes. He became a bit skittish, with Zoey getting on his nerves more than the drunk men. But before he could say anything, she was already taking the incentive to leave the park.
–I do know somewhere safe that you might like, though… Maybe I can give you the reward that mean princess didn’t give you…– Zoey whispered flirtatiously, using a provocative voice that would have sounded seductive if it wasn’t for her struggle not to crack a laugh. Regardless, the alluring stare she was giving him gained Scott’s interest, drawing his undecisive eyes towards hers as he visibly tried to resist temptation. But with her holding her head in place, he had nothing else to look at, making it impossible to avoid her bewitching gaze.
–Umm, a kiss?– Scott asked with a playfully confused grin, growing genuinely nervous with the tension rising. But as he intentionally leaned into his shyness, Zoey was only aroused by it and began pushing him harder with an even steamier look.
–Much more than a kiss…– Zoey replied in a sensuous whisper, pulling him even closer to the point where he saw the moment her playfulness stopped being friendly or even suggestively flirty. The lust in her eyes became much more explicit now that they were so close, and while she couldn’t hide her intentions anymore, there was no need to. Luckily for Zoey, the sheepish smile on Scott’s face turned into a coquettish grin after realizing he was unable to resist her enticing offer.
–Ooooh, I think I’m starting to like it here…– Scott whispered back with excitement but slowly gave in to Zoey’s lascivious smile. Provoked by his mindless expression, Zoey kept teasing him as she leaned closer to brush her lips against his, but she only gave him a brief peck before turning around and dragging him out of the park.
Without a word being said, they made their way down the stairs to the street below. With both of them seemingly too aroused to even think, Zoey wore a lewd expression on her face without shame, and Scott turned from being eager to more euphoric than Chappy seeing the cow girls for the first time. But his mind was completely gone when he noticed that they weren’t heading for the house; instead, Zoey’s impatience drove her to take him to the closest private spot as soon as possible.
They reached the base of the stairs, and without even looking around for people, Zoey turned the corner and dragged Scott into the same spot where they had the team meeting yesterday. While they could hear some people nearby, they did not wait a single second to unleash their desires passionately behind the stairs, making quite some noise with their repeated kissing but not alerting anyone. The drunk men a few feet above started to sing an incoherent but catchy melody that Scott and Zoey didn’t pay much attention to. But it did provide some strange but tantalizing ambiance to go along with their intense moment, further enhancing their craving for each other as they risked the opportunity to enjoy their bodies for the rest of the night.