How it Happened is Irrelevant (Mabbell)

19

A/n: TJ with curly hair ^ I'm honestly half-convinced that this is photoshop, but it could be real.

Once off the plane, through the crowds that had somehow shown up at almost midnight, and into the hotel, I'd completely forgotten why I was so nervous about staying here in the first place. "Think fast!" Someone said from behind me. I immediately turned around and caught the bottle that TJ had thrown at me. 

"Vodka?" I asked, turning it over in my hands. He closed the door behind him, locking us in. "Did you steal this?"

"You said that you wanted some," He shrugged casually. "Oh, also," he threw a DVD at me too, "you can watch that if you want."

"You stole this too?" I asked, looking at the copy of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. 

"No. I found it next to a rack in Target. As far as I know, it was already bought and paid for."

"You can't just go around stealing whatever you want!" I told him, disappointed that he'd resorted to this.

He winked and me. "That's not even my biggest score." 

"What's your biggest score?" I asked, worried that I'd have to cover for him. He ventured into the bathroom and closed the door without answering my question. A part of me wanted to watch the movie because, come on, it's Alice in Wonderland! It felt wrong watching something that TJ had stolen though. I mean, isn't that encouraging him? I looked at the alcohol that he'd stolen me, finding that it was worth a lot more than the cheap stuff I'd been drinking earlier. How did he take this without getting caught? He's practically a walking billboard screaming 'I'm in a band! I dress like it! I act like it! And guess what? I'm closer to fucking the lead singer than you ever will be!' Okay, maybe not so much that last one. I hid the bottle in a duffle bag with a few clothes in it. I would consider if it was right or wrong later.

I heard the shower begin to run as I contemplated weather or not I should watch the movie. I mean he did take it and get away with it. And knowing that he stole it for me....it would be rude not to watch it. I mean, that's like returning a Christmas present from the love of your life! Maybe not that much like it, but I really, really want to watch it. I would wait until after I showered though. There was just something about having one right there and not using it that seemed rude. 

It was maybe an hour later when I actually started the movie. Unsurprisingly, TJ cuddled up to me as soon as I stopped shifting too much. Not worried that anything would happen, I put my arm around him. "Promise me you won't steal me anything else?" I requested.

"I won't steal anything else for you," He sighed, sounding tired. I didn't want to question the fact that he'd established that he only said he wouldn't steal anything else for me, not that he wouldn't steal anything else ever.

After the movie ended, TJ was long asleep. It had been a few hours, so I didn't even have to pretend to sleep. The sun would be coming up soon. I ran my fingers through his hair, and he woke up. "Is it over?" He asked, sleeping lacing his voice. 

"Go back to sleep," I encouraged him. 

"Does this count as a second date?" He asked.

"Two in one day?"

"No, we started the movie after midnight."

"I think dates entail going out," I thought aloud.

"Fine. I'll take you out tomorrow." He yawned after he spoke. I turned the TV off. My fingers found TJ's hair once more. He straightens it so much that I forget that it's naturally curly. It's hard to picture him without razor straight hair, even when I'm looking at it in the poor light right now. "You have to actually sleep," He whispered. 

I pretended not to hear him.