If Reluctance is the Answer, Then I Guess I'm a Rebel (Closed for play_and_ride89)

Name: Alex Payne
Age: 22
Hair: Black
Eyes: Bright blue, sometimes hinting grays and yellows.

IC:

It was his junior year at Belmont University, music was his major. He lost himself in music, and that was what held onto his sanity, most days. He remembered so well of when he had first come to this college, he had been the outcast. Sure, he was a little gothic looking, but he wasn't some loner who sat by himself at lunch, writing in a diary. He was far from that kid.

The year had gotten better until the point came of when everybody knew his name, the girls were crawling all over him, the guys were laughing and trying to be his friend. His band had bursted, and the gigs got better and better. He was living the life. The only thing that was missing, was a girl to share it with.

Don't get him wrong, he had plenty of girls. But that's all they were, girls. No real girlfriends. They would always cling all over him for the first week or two, showing off that they were his new eye candy, until they got their five minutes of fame, and went and ruined things. Recently, he'd thought about just giving it up, what was the point in dating a girl, when she's going to screw you're best friend, or some other guy the next week?

Turning away from the mirror he was gazing at, he pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. Running a hand through his black hair, Alex let out a breath and grabbed his guitar. Tonight, they had landed a gig at the biggest local bar on campus, Fuse. He could feel the blood in his veins pumping as he made his way onto stage and could hear the crowd roaring all around him. This is what he lived for, the thrill of performing, the love of music, the happiness it brought him.

Striking the first chord on his guitar, one of their more famous songs began to play. He slowly brought his mouth to the mic and began to sing the lyrics that most girls swooned over. He smiled as he flipped his hair out of his eyes, his blue eyes sparkling under the bright lights, his mouth moving as he sang the words to the song, his fingers strumming the guitar, and that's when he caught sight of the most beautiful girl he'd layed sight on, standing there in the front row.

Smiling widely, Alex began to perform with more enthusiasm, reaching his hand out to her as he gazed deep into her eyes.

Name: Dana Jones
Age: 21


Dana was laying in her apartment, studying for a big exam, when suddenly her bedroom door burst open and her two roommates charged in.

"We're going out" they announced and Dana rolled her eyes and shook her head. Her roommates were perpetual party animals and went out nearly every night. They often tried to drag Dana along, but she didn't usually go. She had a full load with classes this semester and needed to focus on them... not on trying to snag some meathead frat boy like her friends did. Who needed some jerk hanging around, when he would probably just turn around and fuck some cheerleader anyway?

"I've got to study" Dana insisted. An argument ensued, and much to her dismay, an hour later, Dana was following her friends into a popular bar, Fuse. Apparently there was a really popular band playing that night. Dana was dragged behind as her friends pressed their way to stand directly in front of the stage. One friend went to get drinks, and Dana glanced around.

Girls dressed in skimpy outfits swarmed the bar, and Dana felt out of place a bit. Her shirt was tight fitting and showed a hint of cleavage, but not her entire belly or nearly all of her tits like most girls there. Her ass didn't hang nearly completely out of skirt like theirs either.

Just as her friend handed her a beer, the band came on stage. Female squeals erupted all around and Dana glanced up at the lead singer who just happened to be right in front of her... and was shocked. He was absolutely gorgeous. His eyes were the most startling shade of blue she had ever seen.

He looked down at her as he began to sing in a voice that threatened to mesmerize her. Their gazes locked as he sang lyrics that she couldn't comprehend, and he reached a hand out to her. Before she could reach up, seemingly thousands of hands shot around her and swallowed his hand up. Dana blinked and then smiled sweetly up at him, as he continued to sing and entertain the crowd.

The band played several songs and then went, apparently, backstage for a break. Dana's friends were chatting about the band and sipping on drinks...but all Dana could think about was the singer... her mind was engrossed with him... his eyes, his voice ... everything about him.

"Earth to Dana!" Her friends voice snapped her out of her trance and she joined in on chatting, trying to turn her mind away from the singer.

A laugh escaped his mouth during a musical break, plenty of hands swamping his own, that had been reaching out to the one girl that had caught his eye. He brought his hand back on stage just as his guitar solo broke loose, his fingers flying down the guitar, the music kicking up another level as they finished the song.

It went on like that for a while. His eyes catching hers, a smile radiating off of his face, his voice singing the lyrics with everything he had in him. He was really enjoying this show, and the girl in the front row that he couldn't look away from.

Alex finished his bottle of water backstage as he let out a cheer of satisfactory, his energy at a high level as he just wanted to get back out on stage. Once the break was finished, he went back out and started the show back up with an upbeat song, just so he could watch the girl dance.

Once he finished the song, he started up a slower, ballad song. He let the guitar rest behind his back with the strap as he grabbed the microphone off of the stand and crouched slightly, looking deep into her eyes as he began the slow song, a smile twirking upon his lips as he slowly stood back up, never breaking eye-contact, going on with the song.

The rest of the show contained of flirting, laughing, smiling, reaching out for her, getting swamped by slutty girls. By the end of the show, he couldn't think of a time he'd had this much fun. He drank another bottle of water as his band packed up their materials and loaded them in the truck. He waved them off as he walked into the crowd, dodging most of the girls he could.

Walking up behind the girl he'd been flirting with all night, Alex wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and the girl next to her, stepping in between them as he grinned and looked at the girl he'd been flirting with.

"Hello ladies, enjoy the show?"

The band eventually came back onstage and this time Dana eagerly moved up front with her friends. The song was fast paced with a good beat and Dana couldn't help but dance to the rhythmic music. Her hips swayed and gyrated in time with his entrancing voice. Her eyes connected with his again and she couldn't pull them away.

Eventually the song ended and another slower one began. This time, the singer, who she learned was named Alex, crouched in front of her and stared into her eyes (although it felt like her soul) as he sang the words. She concentrated on his voice, and the lyrics as he sang.

"Dana! He hasn't taken his eyes off of you yet", her friend said in her ear and Dana blushed.

The rest of the night went exactly the same way. Their gazes would collide and seemingly get stuck there. He would smile. She would blush and return the smile. When the show was over, Dana was extremely disappointed. She wasn't ready for it to end.

Her friends wanted one more drink, but she refused, two was her limit. She didn't want to be hungover the next day. She stood there chatting, when suddenly she heard several squeals, and felt an arm drape across her shoulders. Startled, she turned and glanced at who it was... and was speechless.

It was Alex from the band. He stood with his arm around her, and her roommate, casually, as he asked if they had enjoyed the show. His gaze was solely on her, and no one else.

"Um," Dana stuttered. "Yeah, you guys were, incredible" she finally managed to say, and gave him a small, sexy smile. "You especially" she added.

Several girls moved in and tried to flirt with Alex, but it seemed like he wasn't all that interested which intrigued her.

"You have many fans" Dana said, as she watched her friends nonchalantly walk away, mentioning the bathroom and leaving her and Alex relatively alone.

Alex chuckled softly as the girl stuttered partially, a sexy smile appearing on her face as she talked to him, making his smile light up as he tightened his grip around her shoulders partially, comfortably. When the other girls tried to gang up around him, he kept his eyes locked on his mystery girl and was thankful when they, plus the girl's friends all walked away.

"That I do." He smiled cheekily. "I don't believe I've caught your name?" He asked, his smile brightening.

He could hear the music picking up as a smaller, newer band took stage. He started to slowly sway to the music, his body picking up on the rhythm as he kept his eyes on her, blocking out the rest of the room. He didn't know what it was about her, she just intrigued him.

Oh, he was good, Dana thought to herself. It was a little unnerving how he could hypnotize her like this. He mentioned not having caught her name yet and she shot him a sassy smile. "I haven't thrown it out there yet" she said and then laughed. "I'm Dana... you're Alex right?"

His body began to sway slowly and she could swear his arm tightened around her as the other band began to play. Dana couldn't help but move with him. There hips bumped lightly, and someone jostled her from the side, making her body brush close against his, a teasing contact that left her wanting more suddenly.

Those blue eyes gazed intently at her, leaving her nearly breathless as they continued to move and she wondered what to say...

"Um, its crowded in here... y'all draw quite a crowd" she finally said, feeling lame, like some middle schooler trying to impress their crush.

"Dana." He spoke softly, trying it out on his own tongue. "Such a pretty name. And yes, you're correct, I'm Alex. Guess news travels fast around here." He laughed softly.

He kept his eyes on her face as he began to sway, her hips rolling slightly as she began to dance with him. He decided to move into a more comfortable position as he stood behind her, his hands moving to her hips as he began to dance with her slowly, her body brushing tight to his as someone jostled her nearby, making him smile in satisfaction.

Alex ran a hand through his hair as he shrugged at her words, seeing how innocent she portrayed, which made him want to protect her.

"I guess we do." He said softly, smiling. "I'm just glad you were part of that crowd tonight."

Dana felt Alex move slightly behind her and felt his hands slide down to settle almost possessively on her hips. A shudder wracked her body and she tried to cover it by shifting slightly, which only cause her shoulders to brush against his chest more.

Alex told her softly that he was glad she had came that night. Dana blushed again and smiled.

"you probably tell all of the girls that" she said, jumping to the conclusion that he was probably a player like most band members were portrayed to be. "but I'm glad I came too" she added. "I wasn't gonna. I was gonna stay home and study but my friends made me come. I guess I should thank them".

She looked up at him from beneath her lashes with a sly smile and winked as they moved to the music.

Alex could feel the shiver that rippled through her body as he pressed closer to her, her shoulders and back rolling against his chest as he let his warm breath roam across the back of her neck.

"All of the girls? Baby you know you're the one for me." He said sarcastically in the stereotypical jock voice before laughing. "You were going to stay home? Yeah, I'd thank them too, you would have never met me, if you wouldn't had come out tonight. But really, I'm glad you came." He said with a smile.

Alex chuckled softly from the wink she gave him as he winked back and continued to dance with her, his hands in more of a possessive manner on her hips as he swayed to the beat, slightly grinding on her, but nothing too much as he smiled down at her.

Dana threw her head back and laughed when he sarcastically said she was the one for him. At least he had a sense of humor. They continued to dance then, her ass pressing lightly against his upper thighs and... Other places. Her own hands were placed on top of his, and she could feel the callouses on his fingers from playing guitar, a fact that turned her on immensely.

She turned slightly so that she could look up into his eyes. A smile was on her lips but her eyes were serious when she spoke.

"You know, I'm not just some groupie like 99% of these girls in here" she said. "I had never even heard of your band before tonight" she said with a shrug.

She was trying to regain control of her senses, building up walls. It was like some sex starved maniac had taken over her body and was holding her hostage. She didn't need a man in her life right then, especially some rock and til party boy like this one. She had learned from her ex to not trust guys. One man claiming to love her while sleeping with the entire cheer leading squad was enough for a lifetime.

Alex intertwined his fingers with Dana's as he felt her relaxing against his body, her ass starting to rub against his upper thighs and groin. He smiled at the fact as he played with her hands, dancing against her, his hot breath traveling across her neck as he breathed across her skin.

"Never heard of my band before tonight? Well that's a good thing. Means you're not a crazy stalker that's been waiting on her chance with me." He says softly with a slight chuckle. "And I'm glad you're not a groupie, maybe I'll actually have a chance with you. I'm tired of sluts cheating on me." He whispers against her ear.

"I know you wouldn't believe me if I said I wasn't like other guys, hell it's hard to believe, huh?" He rolled his eyes as he rubbed his cheek lightly against the back of her neck. "You're special, you know that?"

Dana shuddered softly against as she felt his warm breath caressing her neck and the back of her shoulders where her shirt revealed the slightest edge of a tattoo. He whispered in her ear about being tired of sluts and she nodded. "Men aren't much better at being faithful" she replied.

He whispered she was special and she sank farther back into his arms, against her better judgement. It was probably all lines that he told any girl.

Her friends returned then and asked what she wanted to do. "are you ready to leave?" they asked.

Dana hesitated and turned to fully face Alex, her eyes confused. She didn't want to leave but she knew she should before she lost her head completely and did something crazy.

"I uh... Guess I should... I still need to study" she said glancing down and then back up into his startling eyes.

"No, they're not much better at all. I don't know many people who are good at being faithful these days, most girls think it's too hard of a struggle. And guys, they just don't care."

When her friends returned, Alex frowned slightly, his fingers momentarily holding onto her hips even tighter, not wanting to let go. When she went to turn, he reluctantly let go, letting her face him fully, his eyes looking deep into her own.

"Please don't go." He said softly, to where she could just hear him. "Just spend a little more time with me, I'll take you home when you're ready, I promise. I just want to get to know you a little better." He told her with a smile.

Dana stared into those eyes as he basically pleaded with her to stay. She felt her resolve instantly weakening. He promised to take her home whenever she wanted and her will crumbled.

"I will stay a little longer" she said giving in completely. Her friends all said their goodbyes and headed out. And finally they were alone again.

"do you want to stay here or go somewhere quieter?" she asked softly, her gaze connecting with his yet again as she took a step towards him and laced her hand with one of his.

He could see her wall come down as she gave in to him, telling her friends that she would stay. A bright smile appeared on his face as he brought her body closer to his, a hand wrapping around her hip as he watched her friends leave them alone.

"I'm glad you chose to stay." He said softly as he looked down at their laced fingers, her hand holding onto his. He slowly looked up at her and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care. What do you want? My place is around the corner from here, but if that's too personal, I understand."

Moving closer, Alex placed a kiss on her cheek with a smile. "It's up to you what we do, I just want to spend time with you." He whispered in her ear.

Dana was tired of the crowded bodies, the smells of alcohol and the bad thy was currently playing. They were good but they weren't Alex. She realized suddenly that his voice had redefined what she thought sounded good.

He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek as she thought about what to do. Should she trust him to go to his place alone? Probably not. It went against every rule she had ever learned about dating. She was letting her emotions take control.

Another girl jostled into her and pushed her against Alex farther, so that her chest pressed against his. " Let's go back to your place " she said before she could think anymore. Would he think she wanted sex now? She hoped not. She didn't sleep around on the first date or... Whatever this was.

She waited while he went to get his stuff and then allowed Alex to lead the way through the sea of writhing bodies and out into the gloriously cool air. She hadn't realized how hot it had been inside and sighed happily. Their hands were still entwined and she moved to walk beside him.

"So do you go to college here, or just live close by?" she asked him in the suddenly intense quiet of the night. The only sounds were a few cars and the click of her black high heels on the sidewalk. As her body cooled in the night air she shivered ever so slightly and moved closer to Alex

Alex chuckled lightly as Dana was pushed once more, her body pressing tightly up against his, her chest pressed to his as she told him she wanted to go back to his place. He started to ask if she were sure, but she looked like her mind was set, he wouldn't argue.

He went backstage once more, to get his guitar. He grabbed the guitar case and returned to the front as he took Dana's hand in his own, pulling her outside with a smile. He could see her take a deep breath, a smile on her face, which made him smile as well. He pulled her closer to him, his fingers tightening on hers as he flashed a smile toward her way.

"I go to college, Belmont University. I'm a junior. How about yourself?" He watched as she shied against his body. He suddenly stopped as he placed his guitar on the ground, shrugged out of his jacket, and placed it around her shoulders with a twinkling smile. "You looked a little cold." He said quietly as he pulled her back against him.

Alex stopped in front of an apartment building. He pulled her inside and pressed the button for the elevator. After traveling to the top floor, he pulled her out and then pushed his key into the front door. He pulled her inside quickly and then closed the door behind them.

"Well, this is it."

Dana was surprised when he offered her his coat. It was a very gentlemanly thing to do and she wasn't used to things like that. It smelled amazing as the warmth enveloped her. Some sort of cologne or aftershave that made her want to bury her nose in the jacket.

"Thank you" she said, returning his smile. "and I go to Belmont as well... I'm a sophomore. I took some time off after high school".

The walk to his house was relatively short and they were there in no time. He led her inside and she smiled. Bachelors pad. But relatively cleaner than she had expected.

"Nice" she commented with a grin before turning to face him again. She bit her lip unconsciously. She felt the need to tell him her feeling then.

"ummm just so you know I don't do sex on like the first date or whatever" she said quietly, her eyes not quite meeting his. She didn't want to seem like a tease to him.

Alex arched a brow as he heard her next comment. He smiled and shrugged as he took his shoes off, leaving them by the door. He closed the door fully and walked more into the house. He saw that she was avoiding eye contact, so he walked over to her. Tilting her head and eyes up to meet his with his hand on her chin, he smiled softly.

"Hey, it's okay. I never asked for that." He told her in a hushed voice before placing a soft kiss on her lips. "I just want to spend more time with you." He told her before walking into the kitchen. "Can I get you something to drink? Wine? Water? Juice? Coffee?" He asked.

Dana was surprised when Alex walked over and tilted her chin up gently. His eyes were soft and he was smiling as he told her he didn't ask for any of that and she couldn't help but smile back.

She too kicked her heels off, sighing as her feet were free from the painful things. "God I hate those" she said smiling and wiggling her bare feet around, her toes with the red painted nails sinking into the carpet.

"Water would be great" she said as she slowly walked into the room farther. There were several band posters hanging and a couple of photos of Alex with his band. He walked into the kitchen and she smiled at him.

"you know you have the voice of like an angel. It's addictive" she said quietly as she watched him move about the apartment.

He laughed softly as he heard her complaining about her heels from the next room over. "If you hate them so much, then why do you wear them? I think you look great without them." He winked as he popped his head around the corner and then disappeared once more into the kitchen.

Alex poured himself a cup of coffee, hot from the pot as he grabbed her a bottle of water and then joined her in the living room.

"Here you go." He said, holding the bottled water out to her. He was far from a boastful person, but he did have money. He lived in the penthouse apartment, went to a great college with a great music department, he had a successful band, he was living the life.

"You know you have the voice of like an angel. It's addictive"

He heard her say, pulling him out of his thoughts. He smiled and took a small drink of his coffee before replying. "Why thank you, I do try." He said with a wink before sitting down on the couch, his legs rising to cross on the table in front of him. "So what do you want to do, while I still have you in my presence?"

Dana thanked Alex for the water and then crossed to sit down beside him on the couch, curling her feet up under her and turning so she faced him a bit. "I'm not picky", she said in response to his question.

"Let's just get to know each other... I would ask what our major is but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say music?". She grinned at him and nudged him playfully with her shoulder.

"Mine is early childhood development with a minor in psychology".

She took a sip of her water and watched him from the corner of her eye. "Wht made you want to get to know me tonight?" she finally asked, having been curious about that all night. There had been tons of girls practically beging for attention from him... Ones who had been dresse a whole hell of a lot sexier than she was.

Alex turned his sight to her as he laugh slightly at her guess of major, nudging her back with his shoulder. "Oh yeah? You're just such a genius, huh? And what if I told you I was majoring in Engineering?" He arched a brow and then burst out laughing. "Right. You were correct the first time."

He took another drink of his coffee as he nodded at her words about her major, knowing that she was watching him from her peripheral vision. He turned his head and looked at her once more as a grin appeared on his lips from her words. She really had to ask that question? She must be blind.

"I'm sorry, did you forget to mention the fact that you're blind?" He teased with a small laugh. "Besides the fact that you're the most gorgeous girl I've ever layed eyes on." He paused with a knowing smile. "You were about the only girl in that entire bar that wasn't trying to crawl on my lap, or suck my face, or use me for their five minutes of fame."

Alex sighed softly as he ran a hand through his hair. He sat up for a moment, placing his empty cup on the table before sitting back, putting his legs up once more. "Sorry for ranting, it's just nobody ever likes to just do this with me. No girl ever likes to sit and talk, or get to know the real me. All they ever want, is to get in my pants on the first night, pretend to like me for a week or so, and then leave me for the next best thing. I could tell you were different, I just wanted to have a chance to show you that I can be different too." He spoke softly.

Dana's eyes widened slightly at his words and she felt herself blush. Why could he make her blush so easily? She listened as he explained why she had attracted him and nodded her understanding.

"I can see where that would happen and how it would get old. I can also see where those girls are coming from... You're gorgeous and have an amazing band. But I'm not the type to use and lose someone. Trust me I know where you're coming from. Men look at me and see a hot body and blonde hair, but when they realize there's a brain beneath the hair, they usually tuck tail and run... Or find another bimbo to screw behind my back".

She shrugged and grinned. "Guess we both have our reservations huh?"

She laughed softly. "isn't it like some unwritten rule to not talk about exes on a first meeting?" she asked playfully.

Alex ran a hand through his hair as he heard her words, laughing softly as she said he was gorgeous. He listened intently to the rest of her words as he nodded his head understanding every word that she was talking about. He really couldn't understand why a girl like this hadn't found the perfect guy for herself yet. But it was probably like they had both agreed on, nobody was faithful these days.

Rolling his eyes playfully he rolled his shoulders back and layed his head back on the couch, connecting his eyes with hers as he smiled. "Well if that's the rules, I guess I'm a little rebel, huh? I've always been the bad boy type anyhow, guess I have to live up to my reputation." He winked with a grin.