NaNoWriMo Story Snippets

19. Excerpt from ENSNARED

Author's note: Okay, NaNoWriMo panic is setting in HARD. I really need to do some proper brainstorming tomorrow. In the meantime, I didn't forget about ENSNARED, see?

As a kid, Seth used to visualize his goals so often and so vividly that when they came true, they sometimes didn't feel quite real. When he became the inaugural NXT champion, knowing full well it was a measure of how much WWE believed in him, the rush of joy was muted by the how he had pictured the moment in his head. His first main event at a pay-per-view, first new car, his first house: he appreciated each milestone, but they all fell just a bit short of the versions he had dreamed.

Kissing Becky hasn't exactly been a goal, at least not in the same sense as his other aspirations, but Seth has envisioned it plenty of times as well. In this case, though, the reality far outstrips anything his mind conjured up. Her hands are warm now, her fingers sliding back into his hair, and even though he can almost hear her nerves jangling, there's an eerie serenity to her heartbeat.

Seth's mind feels as clean and crisp as fresh snow. He can't remember what he was thinking or muster up a new thought; the past and the future are pushed aside like grand doors to usher in only this moment. When Becky starts to wrap her arms around his shoulders, though, one reality that never factored into his fantasies becomes painfully obvious: Becky's more than half a foot shorter than he is. He loosens his arms a bit from around her waist, intending to pick her up, but Becky moves back too. "Sor—" To his surprise, she stops herself before finishing the apology. With a small shake of her head, she smiles and unwinds her arms from his shoulders as she lowers herself. "I just needed to know," she says softly, not quite meeting his gaze but not fully looking away either. "I know I should have asked first and I won't do—"

Leaning down, Seth rekindles the kiss, cupping the back of her head. It's not a position that will be comfortable for long—he knows from too many experiences with shorter ex-girlfriends—but he's desperate not to lose the moment. It'll mean more if she hears it from you. Sasha's admonition drifts through his mind, but he can't think of anything to say; all the words that come to him either feel like commands or pleas—but when it comes to Becky, he's not afraid of the latter. "Please stay."