Curls (10K fanfic) Z Nation

Chapter Five: Scars

Trigger Warnings: Depression, anxiety, suicide

10K's POV
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Dory sat frozen in her place, minute fingers reaching up to brush her lips. Her perfect, deliciously soft lips that tasted like cherry candy and fit exactly into the grooves of my own.

"I..." she whispered. "You just...I can't...We don't...I've never..." she stumbled adorably over her own words.

"You're cute when you're confused." I mused, tracing the structure of her cheeks with the pad of my thumb.

"Ten Thousand," she started numbly. Ten Thousand? She's only said my full name twice. Once when it was first told to her, and another time when I came close to being bit by an all too stealthy Z. "10K, what does this mean?"

"What are you-"

"Why did you do that?" Her eyes were searching, pleading for an answer. "10K, you just made this so much more complicated than it should have ever been."

"Dory, would you just-"

"10K, I'm gonna go down to the stream for a little while, okay?" she stood, skittish and jumpy in her shock.

"Dory-"

"Please, please just drop it, okay?" Dory snapped. "We have bigger things to worry about right now and you just went and screwed it up more."

"Well you weren't exactly the most oppressive back there!" I called back.

"What the hell are you talking about? You kissed me!" Dory stomped.

"You kissed back!" I retorted. By now I was standing up, towering over her. She was glaring up at me with a hotheaded anger. My own aura was more like that of someone who was offended or hurt. I was defense, but she was definitely the offensive tackle.

"What was I suppose to do?" she all but screamed. "I've never been kissed before! I got caught up in the moment!" I would have called her out on her poor excuses had I not known that she was a virgin kisser. I'd just done it, so simply and without a second thought. It was natural to me. I was attracted to her.

But it was obviously so much more to her. And Dory wouldn't have acted this way if her feelings towards me matched.
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Dory's POV
I didn't know why I was so angry. I felt something for 10K, there was no denying that. But I was scared of the feelings inside, the foreign sensation of lip-to-lip contact. I had kissed him back, after all.

"I'm sorry." 10K cooed gently. "I didn't know that you've never had a first kiss. It wasn't my right to take it from you, not with everything that's going on."

No! Stop apologizing! You're supposed to yell and scream and blame me for all this! Stop being so sweet and apologetic! Now I can't stay angry without being a dick!

"I...you what?" was all that gurgled out.

"I took advantage of you. The worst part is that I know better. I took advantage of you, Dory." I huffed and pouted up at him, defeated.

"You're a brat." I mumbled.

"I know I am."

"You know exactly what you're doing. You know when to say the right thing and make everyone feel like dirt because you're right. 10K, you put on this big, dumb, goofy puppy dog face and push out your bottom lip and your eyes are all big and pleading for innocence!" I took a breath. "Oh no." Once the words had spilled out of my mouth, they wouldn't stop. I hadn't realized until then that I'd memorized so many insignificant details about him, so it freaked the both of us out.

"What is this?" 10K asked. "What are we?"

"I don't know exactly what we are." I admitted bashfully. "But considering the circumstances right now, I think we should say friends. Just until this is all out of the way." His eyes fell away, a pained expression crossing his face. He hid it away quickly, nodding and scratching the back of his neck like he always does during awkward or uncomfortable situations.