Nothing But Thieves Imagines (Mature Content)

Hide and Seek - Conor

I stood in the dark, the stars twinkling overhead.

I peered around the gnarly branches of the tree that stood between me and the alley of the row house. I could hear footsteps and giggles. From afar I could hear Conor's voice counting.

"Eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, you lot, here I come!"

Leave it to a bunch of crazy musicians to decide to play hide and seek at midnight, I chuckled.

We were at Rosie Danvers' house. She was having a party to celebrate the Impossible orchestral recording, which we'd recorded today at Abbey Road. I'd been her principal violinist for the arrangement.

I'd played for many bands before, but this time I could sense the lead singer's musicianship almost before he started singing. He was quiet, reserved, very different from a typical frontman.

But he was poised and controlled, and as soon as he opened his mouth everyone stood up a bit straighter, held their bows a bit tighter, lifted their horns a bit higher. Here was a real musician.

I'd caught his eye a few times, and even found the nerve to smile once. But I didn't think anything of it. Then, during a break, he'd approached me. When he shook my hand I got chills.

"Hello, I'm Conor," he'd said simply. "Your playing is lovely, really wonderful." Up close, his eyes sparkled and his awkward smile beamed.

From that moment I knew he had me.

Everyone had come back to Rosie's house for a big dinner party, then a bonfire in her backyard. After awhile Conor had found his way to a seat next to me, and we'd talked and laughed until Dom had ordered everyone to get hiding.

Now, I listened intently for footsteps in the quiet night. I was sure he'd come around the house that way, from the front...

Suddenly, a pair of hands gripped me around the waist from behind the bush, and I shrieked in surprise and jumped.

"Gotcha!" Conor's light laugh and toothy grin came into focus.

"Christ, you scared the shit out of me!" My fists beat halfheartedly at his shoulders in protest, and he laughed harder, his forearms coming up in front of him to defend himself.

"Oh, is that how it's going to be, is it?" His arms darted through mine and snaked around my waist, pulling me toward him. My body stilled, filled suddenly with the warmth of his nearness.

I drew in a breath and his eyes met mine. We stood there a moment, looking at each other. I bit my lip. God, his eyes were beautiful. When he spoke, his voice was soft.

"This ok?" His hands moved gently onto my hips, and his body became very still. I could hear the wind rustling through the branches.

I looked up at him and nodded. His brown eyes shone in the moonlight. His body was warm against mine, but the chill that ran down my spine wasn't from the night breeze.

His eyes flicked to my lips and back up again. He moved closer, his eyes on fire. I swallowed.

"How about this?" he whispered, and softly, tentatively, he kissed me.

The sweetness of his lips on mine was enough to raise all the hairs on the back of my neck. He pulled back, looking at me for confirmation, a slight grin on his lips. I smiled. Then he kissed me again, more urgent this time, and I hummed in approval.

He pressed me gently against the house, one hand on the wall next to my ear. My arms shot up to wrap around his neck, and I dragged him closer to me, wanting to feel that sweet warmth of his on me everywhere. His breathing became heavier, and he whispered my name as he cupped my chin in his hands, placing kisses slowly along my jaw.

I tipped my head back and hissed in a breath, not comprehending anything that was happening. This afternoon I was a session musician working for a famous band. Now that band's singer had his arms around me in the dark, and I was ready to let him do anything he wanted to me.

Suddenly his head pulled back from where it was buried in my neck.

"Fuck," he said under his breath, and stepped back, looking at the ground, his hands raking through his hair.

"Conor?" I asked, reaching out to him.

"I'm sorry, I just...I don't usually do this," he admitted, snickering slightly, then furrowing his brows. His eyes still didn't meet mine.

"I don't want you to think I'm just looking for...you know..."

"I didn't think that," I said. I didn't know him very well, it was true, but what I did know of the quiet, introverted singer was enough to know he wasn't a one-night-stand kind of guy.

"But I've given myself away, I guess," he said with a wry smile. He looked up at me with those shy eyes.

"Can I...can I take you out? Like, for a proper date? I don't want to rush anything. I think you're incredible and...would really like to get to know you better."

"I'd love that," I said, beaming.

"Yeah? Really?" He seemed surprised, and looked again at his feet. It was completely endearing.

"Well, on one condition," I said. He looked up, startled.

I took his hand and pulled him close. "I just need one more kiss," I whispered into his ear.

I could feel his grin against my cheek.

"My pleasure," he breathed, as his lips met mine.

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