What Now?
Title: What Now?
Rating: PG-13 for language
Pairing: Carlos/Reiko
Disclaimer: RPF so if you don't like that, don't read.
AN: Continuation from Artistic Expression and Cry Me A River.
She pulled the parking break a little harder than she meant to. Reiko closed her eyes for a minute, trying to pull up the nerve to just get out of the car. She’d been here many times for scene readings, parties, anything that friends usually did together. The only difference this time was his wife and kid wouldn’t be here. The enormous, huge difference.
Her eyes opened and she could just see him around the side of the house where the large garage stood. He was in a pair of jeans and plain white shirt speckled with various colors of paint. She just sat and watched him for a few minutes. Carlos wasn’t shy about his art and really he had no reason to be. He was damn good. But she felt like she was intruding on something personal. He leaned down and pulled a brush from one of the many cans littering the floor of the garage. His hand slashed back and forth across the rather large canvas he had sitting up. Once he’d done this with a few of the colors, he stopped to wipe his hands on a rag and that’s when she decided she best get out of the car. If she didn’t go now, she wouldn’t go at all.
At the sound of her car door shutting, Carlos turned and walked forward a few steps trying to see who it was. Her breath caught a little at the smile that lit up his face when he noticed it was her. She touched her stomach briefly and chastised herself. Really, she wasn’t here for anything but answers. There was no need to be nervous. They were friends; really good friends. She’d rolled around half naked on a bed with him two weeks ago, for crying out loud. That thought just caused the nervousness to worsen. The answers she was seeking could either be a good thing or a bad thing.
“Hey. I wasn’t expecting any company today.” He reached out and pulled her into him for a hug. Reiko pushed back on his chest before they could make contact.
“Don’t get paint on me.” She smiled at him while her face turned a slight shade of pink from his closeness.
“This is old. I don’t have anything on me. C’mere.” She let him embrace her and shut her eyes. Even being outside in the sun, he still smelt good. Just something distinctly Carlos.
She finally pulled away, not commenting on the fact that he hadn’t been eager to let her go. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I needed to talk to you.”
Carlos squinted in confusion but shook his head. “Nah, just working on a piece I’ve had an idea for. Is everything ok?” He turned as he spoke and they made their way back to the garage.
“Yeah, yeah everything is fine. It’s just...something I needed to ask you.” He went back to the paint cans and reached for another brush while she stopped at the edge of the garage, wringing her hands.
“Mind if I keep working? I need to get everything on quick before the paint gets too dry and it won’t blend.” Reiko shook her head and he smiled back, moving the brush back and forth. He kept his eyes on the canvas as he worked. “So what did ya want to ask me?”
“I saw a painting you did. While I was in New York, Julie made me go.”
Carlos smirked over at her and then returned back to painting. “Dragged you s’more like it. You hate those things.”
She didn’t comment, just kept going so as not to lose her nerve. “The name of the painting was ‘Her Eyes.’” Reiko watched as the smile slowly left his face and his hand slowed to a stop over the canvas, but he never looked over at her. He swiped a few times here and there. “Julie couldn’t help but notice the colors...they didn’t match Sharisse’s eyes.”
The brush stopped again and she saw him clench his jaw. Still, he wouldn’t look at her. “Was the, was it for me?”
Carlos cut his eyes to her quickly but went back to the canvas, pulling the brush faster this time. Reiko couldn’t tell, but she thought he seemed angry. “Was what for you?”
“The colors, Carlos. Why didn’t they match her eyes?” Ok, now she was sure he was agitated.
He sighed and threw the brush into one of the cans at his feet. He bent over and grabbed another one. “What difference does it make?”
Reiko bit her lip to keep from snapping back at him. If this was the way he was going to play it, fine. “It makes a hell of a difference to me.”
“Ya weren’t even supposed to see it.”
“Why? Why wouldn’t you show me something like that? I thought we were friends.” When he didn’t acknowledge her she’d had enough. “Dammit, Carlos! Look at me.”
He hung his head for a second, closing his eyes. Finally he turned to her and she couldn’t read the look on his face. She stepped closer to him and then closer still, until she was in his personal space making sure she had his attention. “I want to know why and I want to know what it means.”
His eyes darted around her face and at first she thought he wouldn’t answer her. “Why? I don’t really know why I did it.” She sighed in disappointment and looked away from him. “It might have something to do with the fact that I can’t stop thinking about you. That’s what it means.”
Reiko’s head snapped back to him and she breathed in quickly, surprised at his comment. He gave her a sad smile and turned to start painting again. “I think about you a lot. I’ve thought about you since the day I met you.”
She just stood there, staring as he continued to work and speak. “At first it was just small things, really. I’d see something or hear something I’d think you’d like and try to remember to tell you. We’d hang out off and on the set and I just enjoyed your company.” He switched out brushes again. “But at some point, it’s just became...more.”
Her mouth opened to say something but she shut it quickly, not really sure how to phrase her question without offending him. He must have noticed her hesitate because he knew exactly what she wanted to know. “No, you didn’t have anything to do with what happened with me and Sharisse. It was getting worse even before Nat was born.”
He threw the brush back in the can and wiped his hands again, finally turning back to her. “I hadn’t planned on ever saying anything about it. I’m sorry this is how you found out.” He threw the rag down and picked up a few of the cans, taking them to the back of the garage.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me?”
Carlos set the cans down on the work bench in the back and leaned on his hands, his back to her. “I like you, Reiko. Your friendship means a lot to me. More to me than I realized, till I started to think about telling you and what would happen if you didn’t feel the same way.”
Reiko walked up to him and touched his back, running her palm up the middle. “So, why tell me now? You could have just made something up.”
He looked over at her and smiled. “Trust me, as soon as you asked it scared the shit outta me.” They both chuckled. “It was definitely an ‘oh fuck’ moment.” She smiled back at him and he leaned a little closer to her. “I couldn’t lie to you, though.”
She could feel her face heat up again at the way he was looking at her. “I find that hard to believe, Carlos. I’m pretty sure it was you who lied to me about where we were meeting for a shoot once and I got chewed out for being late.” She quirked an eyebrow at him, trying to lighten the mood a little.
“Well yeah, I did lie then.” She gave him an ‘I told you so’ look and pushed at his shoulder. He laughed but grabbed her wrist when she went to pull her hand away. “This is different, though. I don’t think I really wanted to lie this time. Not about this and not to you. This ‘feelings’ shit, I suck at it. But you asked, and you deserve to know the truth.” When she didn’t say anything he continued. “Besides, I figure it was kinda hard to keep it to myself when I was in bed with you a few weeks ago.”
Reiko’s eyes grew big and she blushed deeply, looking away from him. He chuckled at her reaction. “Noticed that, did ya?”
She still couldn’t look at him. “I don’t think it’s possible to ‘not’ notice anything like that, Carlos.”
He leaned in close to her neck and she swore he was smelling her hair. “Oh well in that case, thank you for the compliment.”
She pushed him away by the chest, not unkindly. “You’re so full of yourself.”
“‘Course I am. I just had a beautiful woman say she was impressed with my junk.” He grabbed a can from the back of the work bench before she could swat at him. He set it down and started painting again. She leaned back against the bench, watching him.
“So, what do we do now?”
“What’dya mean?”
“Well, I know you were too focused on your ‘junk’ last time we saw each other, but I might be receptive to whatever you might have in mind.” She smiled up at him from under her eyes and this time it was Carlos’s turn to hatch butterflies. There was another reason he painted her eyes. “Yeah?”
She crooked her finger at him and he dropped the brush into the bucket, not even bothering to wipe his hands this time. He got close and she placed one hand on his cheek, just feeling the heat of his skin against her palm. “So, what did you have in mind?”
Carlos smiled and wrapped his hands around her waist, shyly. He bent his head slowly and barely touched his lips to her’s. They breathed each other in and he finally spoke.
“Wanna have dinner with me, Ms. Aylesworth?”
Rating: PG-13 for language
Pairing: Carlos/Reiko
Disclaimer: RPF so if you don't like that, don't read.
AN: Continuation from Artistic Expression and Cry Me A River.
She pulled the parking break a little harder than she meant to. Reiko closed her eyes for a minute, trying to pull up the nerve to just get out of the car. She’d been here many times for scene readings, parties, anything that friends usually did together. The only difference this time was his wife and kid wouldn’t be here. The enormous, huge difference.
Her eyes opened and she could just see him around the side of the house where the large garage stood. He was in a pair of jeans and plain white shirt speckled with various colors of paint. She just sat and watched him for a few minutes. Carlos wasn’t shy about his art and really he had no reason to be. He was damn good. But she felt like she was intruding on something personal. He leaned down and pulled a brush from one of the many cans littering the floor of the garage. His hand slashed back and forth across the rather large canvas he had sitting up. Once he’d done this with a few of the colors, he stopped to wipe his hands on a rag and that’s when she decided she best get out of the car. If she didn’t go now, she wouldn’t go at all.
At the sound of her car door shutting, Carlos turned and walked forward a few steps trying to see who it was. Her breath caught a little at the smile that lit up his face when he noticed it was her. She touched her stomach briefly and chastised herself. Really, she wasn’t here for anything but answers. There was no need to be nervous. They were friends; really good friends. She’d rolled around half naked on a bed with him two weeks ago, for crying out loud. That thought just caused the nervousness to worsen. The answers she was seeking could either be a good thing or a bad thing.
“Hey. I wasn’t expecting any company today.” He reached out and pulled her into him for a hug. Reiko pushed back on his chest before they could make contact.
“Don’t get paint on me.” She smiled at him while her face turned a slight shade of pink from his closeness.
“This is old. I don’t have anything on me. C’mere.” She let him embrace her and shut her eyes. Even being outside in the sun, he still smelt good. Just something distinctly Carlos.
She finally pulled away, not commenting on the fact that he hadn’t been eager to let her go. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I needed to talk to you.”
Carlos squinted in confusion but shook his head. “Nah, just working on a piece I’ve had an idea for. Is everything ok?” He turned as he spoke and they made their way back to the garage.
“Yeah, yeah everything is fine. It’s just...something I needed to ask you.” He went back to the paint cans and reached for another brush while she stopped at the edge of the garage, wringing her hands.
“Mind if I keep working? I need to get everything on quick before the paint gets too dry and it won’t blend.” Reiko shook her head and he smiled back, moving the brush back and forth. He kept his eyes on the canvas as he worked. “So what did ya want to ask me?”
“I saw a painting you did. While I was in New York, Julie made me go.”
Carlos smirked over at her and then returned back to painting. “Dragged you s’more like it. You hate those things.”
She didn’t comment, just kept going so as not to lose her nerve. “The name of the painting was ‘Her Eyes.’” Reiko watched as the smile slowly left his face and his hand slowed to a stop over the canvas, but he never looked over at her. He swiped a few times here and there. “Julie couldn’t help but notice the colors...they didn’t match Sharisse’s eyes.”
The brush stopped again and she saw him clench his jaw. Still, he wouldn’t look at her. “Was the, was it for me?”
Carlos cut his eyes to her quickly but went back to the canvas, pulling the brush faster this time. Reiko couldn’t tell, but she thought he seemed angry. “Was what for you?”
“The colors, Carlos. Why didn’t they match her eyes?” Ok, now she was sure he was agitated.
He sighed and threw the brush into one of the cans at his feet. He bent over and grabbed another one. “What difference does it make?”
Reiko bit her lip to keep from snapping back at him. If this was the way he was going to play it, fine. “It makes a hell of a difference to me.”
“Ya weren’t even supposed to see it.”
“Why? Why wouldn’t you show me something like that? I thought we were friends.” When he didn’t acknowledge her she’d had enough. “Dammit, Carlos! Look at me.”
He hung his head for a second, closing his eyes. Finally he turned to her and she couldn’t read the look on his face. She stepped closer to him and then closer still, until she was in his personal space making sure she had his attention. “I want to know why and I want to know what it means.”
His eyes darted around her face and at first she thought he wouldn’t answer her. “Why? I don’t really know why I did it.” She sighed in disappointment and looked away from him. “It might have something to do with the fact that I can’t stop thinking about you. That’s what it means.”
Reiko’s head snapped back to him and she breathed in quickly, surprised at his comment. He gave her a sad smile and turned to start painting again. “I think about you a lot. I’ve thought about you since the day I met you.”
She just stood there, staring as he continued to work and speak. “At first it was just small things, really. I’d see something or hear something I’d think you’d like and try to remember to tell you. We’d hang out off and on the set and I just enjoyed your company.” He switched out brushes again. “But at some point, it’s just became...more.”
Her mouth opened to say something but she shut it quickly, not really sure how to phrase her question without offending him. He must have noticed her hesitate because he knew exactly what she wanted to know. “No, you didn’t have anything to do with what happened with me and Sharisse. It was getting worse even before Nat was born.”
He threw the brush back in the can and wiped his hands again, finally turning back to her. “I hadn’t planned on ever saying anything about it. I’m sorry this is how you found out.” He threw the rag down and picked up a few of the cans, taking them to the back of the garage.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me?”
Carlos set the cans down on the work bench in the back and leaned on his hands, his back to her. “I like you, Reiko. Your friendship means a lot to me. More to me than I realized, till I started to think about telling you and what would happen if you didn’t feel the same way.”
Reiko walked up to him and touched his back, running her palm up the middle. “So, why tell me now? You could have just made something up.”
He looked over at her and smiled. “Trust me, as soon as you asked it scared the shit outta me.” They both chuckled. “It was definitely an ‘oh fuck’ moment.” She smiled back at him and he leaned a little closer to her. “I couldn’t lie to you, though.”
She could feel her face heat up again at the way he was looking at her. “I find that hard to believe, Carlos. I’m pretty sure it was you who lied to me about where we were meeting for a shoot once and I got chewed out for being late.” She quirked an eyebrow at him, trying to lighten the mood a little.
“Well yeah, I did lie then.” She gave him an ‘I told you so’ look and pushed at his shoulder. He laughed but grabbed her wrist when she went to pull her hand away. “This is different, though. I don’t think I really wanted to lie this time. Not about this and not to you. This ‘feelings’ shit, I suck at it. But you asked, and you deserve to know the truth.” When she didn’t say anything he continued. “Besides, I figure it was kinda hard to keep it to myself when I was in bed with you a few weeks ago.”
Reiko’s eyes grew big and she blushed deeply, looking away from him. He chuckled at her reaction. “Noticed that, did ya?”
She still couldn’t look at him. “I don’t think it’s possible to ‘not’ notice anything like that, Carlos.”
He leaned in close to her neck and she swore he was smelling her hair. “Oh well in that case, thank you for the compliment.”
She pushed him away by the chest, not unkindly. “You’re so full of yourself.”
“‘Course I am. I just had a beautiful woman say she was impressed with my junk.” He grabbed a can from the back of the work bench before she could swat at him. He set it down and started painting again. She leaned back against the bench, watching him.
“So, what do we do now?”
“What’dya mean?”
“Well, I know you were too focused on your ‘junk’ last time we saw each other, but I might be receptive to whatever you might have in mind.” She smiled up at him from under her eyes and this time it was Carlos’s turn to hatch butterflies. There was another reason he painted her eyes. “Yeah?”
She crooked her finger at him and he dropped the brush into the bucket, not even bothering to wipe his hands this time. He got close and she placed one hand on his cheek, just feeling the heat of his skin against her palm. “So, what did you have in mind?”
Carlos smiled and wrapped his hands around her waist, shyly. He bent his head slowly and barely touched his lips to her’s. They breathed each other in and he finally spoke.
“Wanna have dinner with me, Ms. Aylesworth?”