"Antwerp!" Scott cheers excitedly as we exit the plane. Since falling in love with the Belgian city on the European tour, we had all wanted to return for a work-free visit. My stomach rumbles in anticipation at the smell of French fries and melted cheese.
"We all know what Mitch came for," Kevin laughs as we make our way through the chaotic airport together. I chuckle as Scott makes a weak attempt at a Belgian accent while talking to a passerby who recognizes us. After hugging her and signing her shirt, he returns to the group so we can decide where to eat. Hotel check in isn't until 2:00, and the hand on my gold link Versace wristwatch has just reached 11:00 am.
My stomach is now protesting very loudly and people are staring as we exit the large glass doors and step onto the busy street. Avi hails a taxi and the driver gives us a dirty look when all seven of us (We invited Esther and Jenevieve too) pile into the cab of the five seater mini van. Kirstie has to stretch across our laps while Kevin takes the front since he's practically Mike Tyson in a SnapBack. Luckily, the driver speaks English so we ask him to take us to a good place for breakfast. He nods his bald head and pulls into morning traffic.
We all begin to chat excitedly about the week ahead while Esther Googles the hotel, ever the group's Mama Bear. Avi always makes jokes about how she did that even when she was a kid, and she always replies with threats of micromanaging him to death.
"Here we are!" says the cabbie (Are they still called cabbies in Belgium?) as we pull up to a quaint little diner by the name of Petit Déjeuner. We pay him and enter the restaurant a little timidly, since none of us can speak French. Scott takes my hand as we seat ourselves at a large table near the window. His finger traces little infinity signs on my palm as we browse the menu on the wall, but I eventually have to make him stop because I can't focus with him touching me like that. He smirks and takes a sip of his coffee.
Arrogant little sucker, I think to myself as he orders for me, always the perfect gentleman. The food is amazing, and I end up trying some weird bacon cheese pastry thing that practically makes me melt. Almost as much as Scott when he later makes me sit on his lap when we take a group picture.
We leave the café at 12:30 and decide to hang out in a nearby park until it is time to head to the hotel. We all laugh as Scott and Avi make fools of themselves on the monkey bars. Pretty soon we get jealous of the fun they are having and hit the playground. Scott joins me and Kirstie on the swings and we have a competition to see who can jump the farthest. I win because, I mean, what can I say, I'm just queen like that. This upsets my overcompetitive boyfriend, so I let him give me a piggyback ride to the hotel a few blocks away.
"Faster, knave! My subjects and I must reach the castle by nightfall!" I joke, playing up my self-appointed role as royalty.
"Never! I shall make a vow to the moon and stars that from this point forward I will run you into every tree and bush in sight!" he replies in a dramatic knight in shining armor voice.
He holds true on his promise. By the time we make it to the lobby I have sticks in my hair and both of us are laughing hysterically while the others just sigh and chuckle at our immaturity. I guess when you're around us long enough you get used to it.
Shortly after our laughing fit subsides, the nice old lady behind the desk gives us our room keys and sends us up. Halfway to the fortieth floor a huge boom sounds and shakes the building, followed by the sharp sound of rain against glass. I immediately stiffen and clench my jaw. Thunder, I think to myself. I hate thunder. Ever since I was a child and got stuck underneath our shed during a hurricane, storms like this have terrified me. I've never told anyone this, though. Too embarassing.
Scott seems to notice my change in demeanor and pulls me gently to his side. The girls give me concerned glances when my hands begin to tremble slightly. He looks down at me and my expression tells him what I don't want to say out loud, so he makes a joke about the time Avi fell down some stairs at a venue once during a power outage and the moment passes.
As soon as we enter the hotel room I curse loudly and sit down hard on the tiny European bed. Dammit, these things are always so small, I think and flop onto my stomach. Scott follows my lead and lays his head on the small of my back, stretching his long legs horizontally across the postage stamp of a mattress.
"You wanna tell me what's wrong, Marcie?"
"That depends."
"On?"
"If you're going to laugh at me or not."
"I solemnly swear that I will not crack a single solitary smirk at your fear of loud noises." He says in an exaggerated Scottish accent (haha, Scott using a Scottish accent.)
"I do not have a fear of loud noises!"
"That explains the trembling on the elevator."
"Whatever. If you're going to be a smart ass about it I don't want to tell you anyway." I grab a pillow and pull it over my ears to block him out. Why is he being such jerk? I didn't make fun of him when I had to hold his hand when we saw clowns in New York! After a few minutes of waiting for him to apologize, I look up to see him smiling contentedly.
"What are you grinning about?"
"It worked," he replies mysteriously.
"What did?"
"The thing."
"What thing?" I ask, beginning to get very frustrated with the elusive conversation.
"The thing that I was trying to do."
The discussion goes around and around in circles like this for thirty minutes. Finally, I get tired of screwing with him and leave to take a shower. Once I get the water at the right temperature I realize that, without Scott's frustratingly roundabout comments, I can hear the thunder again. That I am afraid again. Duh, I mentally reprimand myself. He was trying to distract you from the storm with a pointless argument. What a sweetheart. I quickly finish washing my hair so I can foil his plan.
"You sneaky bastard!" I yell to him as I exit the shower and wrap a towel around my waist.
"Ah, he finally figured it out!" Scott calls from the bed where he is scrolling through Twitter.
"Very clever of you," I tease and lean down to kiss him lightly on the lips. His arms snake around my waist as he sits up and tries to pull me onto his lap.
I break away from his eager kiss and chuckle lightly.
"Not so fast, Beanpole. Let me at least get dressed before you get any naughty ideas." He sighs as I peck his cheek and go to my bag to get some clothes.
A pair of pajama pants and a black t-shirt later, he's got me pushed against the window as the storm rages on outside. The combination of mounting fear in my chest and the tall blond man currently trapping me against the cold glass is enough to make me moan softly when he kisses down my neck and bites into my collar bone. No v-necks for me tomorrow. All of the sudden, an enormous clap of thunder shakes the window and Scott is forgotten in my frantic dash to find shelter.
Shelter ends up being under the covers of the tiny bed. My body begins to shake as my mind conjures images of the bottom of that shed all those years ago, creaking in the wind and soaking me with it's freezing leaks. Trapped. I begin to panic and throw the covers away as I scrabble out of their reach.
Seconds later, warm hands are turning me to face a broad chest which I promptly bury my face into. Scott. I breathe in his scent as he bends down and puts his arm behind my knees, picking me up and carrying me back to the bed. After disentangling my arms from his neck he places me snugly under the blankets.
I expect him to kiss my forehead and get into the other bed, but instead he squeezes his 6' 3" frame into the already small space. This surprises me as much as it delights me. He pulls me into his body and tucks my head into the space under his chin, humming quietly against my back. The soothing vibrations move lazily through me, relaxing my tense muscles, and even the next violent clap of thunder cannot be heard over the all consuming force that is my Scott.
A/N
Hey guys! Thank you for reading! I'm the Titanic of Scomiche shippers, so bear with me! My first thing to post here, so please tell me if I can make my writing better. Stay fabulous!
