Stolen Moments (For LARIATO)

"It was a lot," confirms Drake as Julia nestles in. He eases an arm around her waist again, letting her keep his phone for now. It feels nice, letting her hold that for him - a physical representation of a more emotional sense of sharing.

"I told'er you're beautiful. I told'er how you beat me in a match, and how I was instantly addicted to you. I told'er about our date; the teddybear, the ferris wheel... I told'er about that... odd little hangup we had with hentai matches, and how we wanted each other enough to not care about them. I told'er how proud I was of you, that you seem like a really sweet girl, and that I'm pretty sure I've hit the jackpot."

Feeling Drake’s arm move around her waist when she leans in, Julia closed her eyes for a moment and rested peacefully against him. Since he’d decided to let her hold onto his phone, it simply remained in her hand, not bothering to go through looking at anything else on it.

She then smiled and listened as Drake told her everything he’d said about her to Amy. It was almost like he was serenading her with a barrage of compliments while reminding her of some of the great moments they’d shared together, both in their match together and at the carnival not long afterward.

She then moved an arm to wrap around the back of Drake’s head, and pulled him down so she could press her lips against his in a deep, passionate kiss. After a few moments she retracted from the kiss, but kept her lips close so that they practically brushed against his. “I feel like I’m the one who hit the jackpot. And I’m proud of you too, Drake.”

With how terribly the night's gone, with the crushing misery that came with losing what the federation may rule as his only chance at achieving his dream, the kiss he finds himself captured in makes none of it matter. In this moment, he only feels appreciated, adored - like a champion. The only title that means anything right now is "boyfriend."

Eyes lid over, and Drake tilts into the kiss, savoring every second it lasts. Even after the kiss has ended, the feel of her lips teasing against his is as reassuring as the words that come with it. Without opening his eyes, he tilts his head a little more to nuzzle affectionately against her face. She deserves to be with someone who's at the top of the pile, at the pinnacle. And he wants to be that someone.

His free hand lifts to set to the side of her neck, and his eyes open to halves to gaze back at her even at this close proximity. "You're proud?," he asks quietly, edging on a whisper.

Feeling his face nuzzling against her own, Julia’s eyes opened slightly and looked right back into his. “Of course.” she answers with a warm smile. And it wasn’t just something she’d said for the sole purpose of comforting him. Obviously she hoped it did, but she’d meant it, probably more so than she could effectively put to words.

Drake felt she deserved the best, which in Julia’s mind would’ve just made it all the more fitting that she had him. He was a man who worked hard to pursue his goals, who was a strong competitor, and who went into every one of his matches making sure those who watched got the best possible experience from it. Of course she was proud of him. Getting screwed out of one match wasn’t about to come anywhere near changing that for her. “Belt or no belt, you’re still a champion to me.”

Drake exhales a soft, warm sigh against her lips. He takes the last few centimeters to claim another kiss, kneading affectionately against her lips. Afterwards, he leans back a little further to get more of a look at her face. "You know," he murmurs, "I was unreasonably happy when I heard your voice in the audience tonight. There's something just sexy about having you in my corner, having your support. Don't get me wrong, I love my fans, they mean the world to me and I wanna give'em the best I can, but you..."

He removes his hand from the side of her neck to hover his palm well above their heads' level.

"...you're so much more. Made me all... heart-fluttery'n stuff," he concludes with a boyish grin. "I was gonna text Amy back, but she might have to wait a little bit longer."

Julia’s blue eyes closed again when Drake closed the small distance between them to re-initiate the kiss, then opened them when he leaned back. And as her boyfriend spoke, the blonde smiled and listened intently, hanging on every word that left his lips. Of course she knew he was glad she’d shown up and cheered him on in his big match, but hearing him say just how much it meant to him, it made her all... “heart-fluttery’n stuff.”

“Aww, you’re so sweet.” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning into Drake’s while hugging him as if he were the giant teddybear from the carnival. “You can still text her back if you want. I don’t mind.”

Drake grins when she calls him sweet and leans in. That wasn't quite the reaction he expected from her after subtly suggesting he might want some elongated alone time with her, but it's a tender moment. It's no less appreciated, and getting squeezed like this - wince - kind of hurts, but he's more than happy to endure that pain. Besides, she may not be up for something like that. ...Or really be in the mood, given he'd lost.

"Mmkay. I'll text'er. Lemme see the phone..."

Without disengaging her from around himself, he reaches for the phone to steal it and loops his arms over her shoulders. The phone is held up behind her head to see what he's doing. He vocalizes the message as he types it out:

"I'd... like... to... talk. Sorry... for... the... delay... arms... full... of... blonde. There. Sent."

The subtle suggestion had initially gone over the blonde’s head. It’s not quite that she wasn’t in the mood, but more that because of how battered his body is, she didn’t know how much he felt up to at the moment.

When he reached for the phone, she placed it in his hand while keeping her arms around him as much as possible, while loosening her arms a bit, guessing it probably wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world to be embraced that tightly after such a grueling match.

“So...what do you want to do now?” she asked softly, looking up at him. Anything he said would be fine with her, whether it was just a relaxing shower and a good night’s rest back at home, or that elongated time he’d hinted at a moment ago.

Drake withdraws an arm from her shoulder to set the phone aside on the bench before looping it back around her neck with a soft smile. "I wasn't kidding - it's a crazy turn-on, having you in the audience, cheering for me that loudly. Knowing you jumped into the ring to protect me..." The more he talks about it, the faster he starts breathing. His frame rises and falls noticeably, and his head tilts to bump against hers. "I had to fight the urge to kiss you, when the match went outside the ring. And that... that wasn't easy to resist."

He clears his throat quietly. "B-but.. I might be too sore for.. what I really want. And I'd hate to let you down twice," he murmurs sheepishly.

Julia again smiles as Drake talks, noticing his breathing starting to quicken. She hadn’t guessed her presence alone tonight had been as much of a turn-on as to him as it had, but the knowledge of it now made her a the kind of appreciation any girl wants her boyfriend to make her feel. And if he had decided to come over for a kiss while he was outside the ring, she certainly would’ve obliged.

Once it’s perfectly clear what he does want, Julia tilted her head up to plant a light kiss on his lips. “You’ve never let me down.” she said. As much as she would’ve loved to see him fulfill his dream of becoming world champ, it wasn’t his fault things had happened the way they did. And he didn’t need to worry about her now either. All Julia’s focus right now was entirely on him. Untangling her arms from around him, she took one of his hands and stood, then proceeded to lead him over to the bed.