Roses Aren’t Always Red

Promises

Queenie considered absolutely abandoning August's invite and screeching down another road straight to her home and away from him. And yet she tailed him religiously; she was slowly slipping out of the habit of dodging him and was more curious about him and his interest in her.

It was a lovely Friday afternoon but this time she wasn't planning on being as easy as before. She definitely was not going to sleep with the man again.

And a long drive later she pulled up to his home, and, parking behind him she exited her car and strolled over to him.

He held his hand out but she held hers together, cleared her throat and straightened her neck in a resolute independence.

"So? Why am I here again?"

He smiled widely at this and his body shook as he laughed at her

"Really now?" He snorted

"Anything the matter?"

" 'Anything the matter?' Pfft get over here babe." He grabbed her hand and pulled her along to his door as he pulled her in.

Immediately he went to an open room where there was a desk and threw his bags right in.

Queenie looked around the place. She was here hours ago, smitten by August and now she returned, still smitten but slightly apprehensive.

"Come on Queen, get comfortable." He said as he walked up to her and helped her remove her jacket and hung it on the coat rack. He did the same as he also slid his shoes off.

"You gonna walk around in those heels all night?" He pointed as he moved to his bedroom

"All night?..." her voice trailed off after him

He returned with morning shoes for her, "Yeah, it's Friday, we can chill today, tomorrow and even Sunday...we got some catching up to do."

She stifled a smile as she changed into comfortable shoes and soon enough they were seated on his couch deciding on a meal to order

"Oh man they have the least attractive selections tonight...just some fish...regular vegetarian....oh look lamb...lamb is good I suppose..." he mumbled as he bit on his thumb and drawled on.

He had his leg crossed under his opposite thigh and was sinking into his seat. His hair was ruffled and he had glasses on now as he bothered over dinner.

He looked nothing short of domestic. And that's when Queenie spoke up.

"Uh...hey?"

"Hm?" He said, deep brown orbs staring up at her suddenly and lips in a thoughtful pout.

"How bout we just cook our own meal?"

He looked frozen for a few seconds

"No..?" Queenie asked

"Uh...sure...not sure what I have but okay." He frowned

She side eyed him as she stood up, "Don't mind me, I'm just finna go raid your kitchen."

And after some searching she found some quality foods but all unrelated and unused.

And turning around she found him hovering awkwardly at the counter. And with salami in one hand and cheese in another she smiled at him, "You so rich you don't even cook much do you?"

His mouth opened momentarily but he pushed his lips together almost immediately.

"Damn." She laughed as she continued to arrange the food stuffs

"Well it's just that I eat out a lot, I barely entertain and so I just keep food incase I starve once in a while."

"Once in a while." She repeated as she set everything down

"So uh...so what are we making here?" He tried to be helpful

"Well, an adaptation of classic ratatouille."

"The animation? With the rats and mean critic? I love that movie."

She laughed out loud at this. And the next few minutes were filled with Queenie teaching him the basic ropes of a base dish, and he was dutifully listening and participating.

"There we go! That was simple enough." She smiled as she closed the oven.

"This will take about an hour though so..."

Immediately he moved to the cellar in the corner and pulled out some red wine and a couple of glasses.

"Is that a red Boudeaux wine?" She gasped

"Yeah. An actual favourite. One of the few. Left Bank, Merlot."

He sat down by the couch and poured her glass which she took as she snuggled up into and covered herself with the throw on the couch.

"So...Queenie Jackson huh?"

"Yup that's my name. I wish I had asked for your last name before Jay would have definitely picked up on this." She laughed

"I'm glad he didn't. Then I wouldn't have you by me."

She took a sip of wine.

"Also, sounds like you two had a bit of a fight?"

"Yeah. I was an ass."

"Mhm. Anyway. Give him space, he'll come around and I suppose you can redeem yourself."

"Yeah we will. We been friends since high school. We'll be fine."

He pulled her legs and set them over his own as he began to caress them

"Are you okay though?"

She knew he was asking in regard to her breakdown

"I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Tsk. Don't be. I'm here for you." He paused, "So what was that all about?"

"I felt overwhelmed, that's all."

He knew she wasn't going to budge. She was a tough cookie when it came to certain things and he wasn't going to push. He just knew she'd come around.

"Mhm." Je simply replied

Shifting slightly she diverted attention, "And you are a CEO now. How's that?"

He exhaled, "Pretty normal though. I'm only doing Arthur a friendly favour here, he really needed the help."

"Yeah." she chorused and August tilted his head causing her to quickly add, "No! I mean that in the nicest way possible...the whole brand's struggling...it's hard to even advertise it...it looks pitiful on i********: sometimes let alone YouTube - we're not even there yet."

"That is true though, the brand has strayed away from it's purpose. Tell you what...Monday we're gonna have a meeting about it and we'll just brainstorm, throw ideas around - turn the place the f**k around and rebrand." He stretched

"How did you two meet? Arthur I mean."

"He was my life coach at some point, and we ended up getting into property buying together then eventually branched off - he went into publishing, I went into galleries and tattoo shops."

"Tattoo shops?"

"Yup."

"Yo, I need my first tatttoo from you then."

"Sure I'll do it myself." He smirked

"You can?"

"Yup."

"Where though would it hurt least?" She challenged his expertise

"Somewhere on your ass and thigh area."

"Uh huh." She deadpanned as his eyes fell prey to staring at said region.

And minutes later they were eating their ratatouille and after finishing and clearing up she finally asked, "How are we supposed to go about this?"

"What?"

"Our...thing?"

He sighed, "I suppose the idea may be problematic at work so for now we must keep it on the down low..."

There was a pause

"So we're hiding?"

"I hate the idea of making my girlfriend hide."

"Girlfriend? You never asked."

"I guess I am now."

Queenie felt herself glitch for a second.

"Can...can I have a minute to think about it?"

He grabbed her wrist, "Let me tattoo you, please," he had again begun tracing her hip. It wasn't anything s****l; he was focused and determined - he was just seeing pure art. And Queenie found that curious.

"W-what?" The changing topic caught her off guard.

He rested his hand on her hip, "It's you, Queen. You mean that much to me. I'll wait for you, for when you're ready, when the times right, I'm gonna give you all the time in the world babe."

She felt her breath stop, "You don't even know me August. How do you do it? How are you so sure?"

She tried to pull away but he held her in place, "But I feel like I do. There's art and stories and pain in you, Queen. I may not know what exactly but I feel like I could understand you, actually I do, I haven't known you long at all but of all you've allowed me to see, I understood all that, and I want to know you more. I'm all in."

He leaned in and brushed the tip of her nose with his, "But only If you'll let me." He gulped a d held into her, for the first time he looked absolutely vulnerable to her, "I haven't felt about anyone like this in forever, and the more I spend time with you, the more the fact that you are special drowns me baby, I just want you."

"I...I really want you too, it's just that..."

"It's okay say it...you're scared. I get it." He smiled

"Do you really?"

"Yeah, you know why?"

"Because I am too - and I'm willing to fight everything in me right now to have you...to cherish you."

"I think you're slightly wrong." She whispered

He let go of her wrist suddenly and set his fork down

"Please don't get upset."

"I'm not." He said, setting his plate aside and sitting back

"You are."

He didn't move, "King-"

"Don't...do that. Don't give me false hope Queenie." He said walking up to the kitchen with his glass

He didn't seem to budge and so she went up to him and put her hand on his back, "Yoongi honestly jus-"

He suddenly spun around grabbed her and pinned her against the wall. His face was centimetres away from hers.

"Tell me you don't want me."

"I never said that."

"Then I suppose there's no point pretending -" He began but she crashed her lips onto his, cutting him off.

Throwing all caution to the wind, he immediately responded, passionately, and his hands immediately travelled to her neck.

Her hands traveled to his chest and happy trail but he caught her hands in a rough grip and held them there. Kiss broken and he was breathing deeply.

He put his forehead on hers, "Why don't you want me? What can I do to make you open up to me?" He couldn't help himself as he went back to her neck and starting kissing her everywhere where he could, his hands holding onto her hips.

"Time," she said simply to him.

His hands went to her waist, and his eyes darted across her face, " Time? Time to do what? Away from me? By yourself? What time?" He rambled.

He was pushed up against her and she was unnerved to feel his b***r pressing into her pelvis.

"Just time. In whatever form." She placed my hand on his chest and shut her eyes. "I know I make no sense. At all. But if you wish to know me, I need time. You'll need it too at some point I suspect. I like you very much August. A lot. But I've been hurt, real bad - I need to get used to the idea of you. Just pace with me. Please. That's all I ask.," at this he breathed in heavily and pushed up against her even further and kissed her again and hummed against her lips.

Pulling away she breathed, "But this is going way too fast okay? Maybe it's not, I didn't know. But I'm just ... I'm just not there yet, but I'll come along, I promise."

He stiffened at this and shook his head at her, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Queen."

She grabbed at the back of his hair, "I don't, I never do, and I won't."

She felt a surge of affection rise as she looked back into his eyes, "But I promise you King, I will come to you."

He was just staring at her. And she thought he was going to kiss him.

Staring at her lips, he stepped forward, and with a slightly spontaneous vitality he put his arms around her waist. He buried his head in her shoulder and inhaled.

The hug was tight. She loved hugs from him. She'd never been the biggest fan of hugs and yet she closed my eyes, buried her head in his shoulder as well, and hugged him back. Equally as tight.