bikexsmith

[bikexsmith]

Mike shot her a look of slight confusion before letting out a chuckle. "Right, this was technically our first as boyfriend and girlfriend. I will say that I had no complaints about the sex before this, either, just FYI. Still just as good as the first time, if not better." His arm automatically went around her as she curled up next to him, throwing another grin her way at the self-praising. "You really did. If it wasn't creepy or weird to do so, I one hundred percent would've gotten out my phone to take a picture so I could properly remember it. Guess my imagination will have to do...or, you know, the real deal. Whatever suits me at the time." His lips found their way to her temple, pressing a small kiss there before chuckling and giving a small shrug in response. "I feel like I definitely could've gone longer, but someone didn't make that as easy for me today." He traced his finger against her arm, genuinely still shocked at the turn of events the day had brought them. This was the last place he expected to end up. He was glad it did, though. After everything, they both deserved a moment to let off some steam. "I can already say that next Christmas is gonna be hard to live up to after all this."

Cassie sat back as Mike moved away to clean up, still struggling to catch her breath. The whole thing had been mind-blowing in the very best of ways, but also oddly therapeutic. All of the intense feelings she had been grappling with all day seemed to have been channelled into the sex, and she actually felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "It was," she agreed with a nod. "I guess relationship sex just hits different," a wide grin came across her face at the reminder that they were on the same page now, and she was officially his girlfriend. She shuffled around the bed, tucking herself into the spot beside him with a small laugh. "I did do a good job, didn't I?" The only reason the look on her face didn't turn smug was because she couldn't deny that however well she performed, Mike had definitely had an effect on her, and not just because the marks he left on her neck were already beginning to darken. She didn't care about that at the minute, though, and she draped one arm across his chest and curled into his side. "You didn't do so badly yourself. I have no notes," she teased him.

[bikexsmith]

"Oh, you're definitely good at helping there, especially with keeping things up," Mike replied, although his own ability to come up with witty banter was starting to fizzle out. He was usually pretty decent at keeping his cool, but considering the entire day and the events that'd lead them to their current position, the sensory overload seemed to be working on both of them. Watching her expressions change with each thrust and touch from his side had him grinning mischievously, but he was dangerously close to teetering over the edge himself. He still wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible, though. "Yeah, baby, there you go," he muttered, although the feeling of her vibrating around his cock was enough to spur him on, a few more thrusts coming from his side before his own release followed with a loud groan. "Holy shit, Cassie," he let out breathlessly, his hands smoothing up and down the side of her legs as he slowly came back down to earth. "That was...something else." He took a moment to untangle himself from her, sliding off the condom and tossing it in the trash before quickly settling back in his bed. "Come 'ere, gotta properly congratulate you on a job well done," he teased as he tossed his sheets back enough so she could crawl in the spot next to him.

Cassie smirked at his reaction, the change of position getting the exact reaction she was looking for from Mike. "Oh, don't get me wrong. I was having a lovely time on my back." A moan escaped her when he slapped her ass, and she had to resist the urge to ask him to do it again. "But I like to mix things up a bit. Keep you on your toes." Despite the shift in positions, she let him continue to set the pace, rising and falling in time with his movements. Soon, it became a lot harder to think straight, and though Mike was still having no difficulty forming full sentences, Cassie couldn't say the same for herself. She was getting closer and closer to the edge, and his dirty talk wasn't helping her hold off from falling straight over it. She opened her mouth to respond, to him, but took a second too long to do so, leaving him free to ask the question that had her nodding her head quickly. "Oh my god," she mumbled, the combination of his deeper thrusts and the pressure of her clit causing her to practically see stars. And then the compliment came from him, and that was enough to have her cumming around his cock, her fingertips digging into his chest and her back arching as her walls contracted around him.

[bikexsmith]

Even as she played coy, nothing was going to stop Mike from getting what he wanted, and in that moment, it was her. All of her. It was a decent start, too, or so he thought up until she spoke up and he halted his movements. He was about to open his mouth to ask if things were all good between them there, but it seemed that that wasn't necessary. She switched up the positions, and he couldn't help but chuckle in response. There would be no complaining on his end if that's how things were gonna go. "If I knew you liked being on top, all you had to do was say something. I would've been more than happy to let you take the reigns," he teased, reaching behind to slap her ass before moving both hands to either side and helping to guide her along with riding him. It wasn't too hurried or anything, but the way he bucked his hips in return to each movement definitely a bit more frantic than before. "Fuck, I could get used to this view," he muttered, the sight of her bouncing on his cock almost being too much to handle. It would definitely be burned into his brain for the foreseeable future. He noticed her face and raised a brow, assuming she was getting to a point where it was hard to hold anything back. "Are you about to cum, Cassie?" he asked before letting a devilish grin perk up on his lips. "Cause I'd be more than happy to help with that." For a slight change of pace, he started to thrust into her with slower but much deeper movements, one hand remaining gripped on her ass while the other moved so he could find and tease her clit with his thumb. "God, look at you. You're doing so good, baby. "

If Cassie had been told a few hours ago this was where they'd be, she didn't think she'd have believed it - but she was very glad that things were unfolding as they had. After the trauma of the day, she deserved this moment of respite with Mike. "I don't know what you mean," she retorted, in a voice that made it clear that she was all too aware of what she was doing. And then his hips were moving, and an involuntary moan escaped her. He began to build a rhythm, and her fingers pressed into his shoulders, nails digging in hard enough to leave indents in his skin. She was trying her hardest not to wake the entire house up, but Mike seemed determined to make that a challenge for her, judging by the way his fingers found their way back to her clit. "Wait," she whispered, and then she was moving, using her legs to roll them both over so he was the one lying with his head on the pillow, and she was positioned above him in a smooth motion to prevent him slipping out of her. She raised herself up a bit, her hands resting on his chest to give herself leverage, and began to move again, picking up speed as she came closer to her peak.

[bikexsmith]

The sensation of her voice in his ear had Mike simultaneously smirking deeply and feeling a shiver crawl all the way down his back. He didn't bring her back to his place for the intention of anything sexual happening, but if it played out like that naturally? Well, Mike considered himself to be a nature lover, regular recycler and Green Peace supporter. All of this was clearly manifested from all that, or so he liked to think. In any case, he wanted her, and he wasn't going to let anything stop them in that moment. Maybe except for Cassie, who'd taken it upon herself to tease him. He felt himself slide in just slightly, a strong exhale revealing how he was relying on every ounce of willpower he had in that moment. "Oh, that's a dirty little game you're playing there," he muttered before resting his arms on either side of her head. "It's a good thing I'm really into you, huh?" With a final smirk, he pressed his lips against hers before moving his hips and easing himself inside of her. He started off relatively slow, but soon enough, he was pumping into her at a regular rhythm. His forehead rested against hers, finding that he was enjoying the sound of his skin hitting against hers a little too much. "Fuck, Cass," he muttered, sliding a hand downwards until he was able to find her clit again and circle his fingers.

She was trying her hardest to keep things as quiet as possible, but the moment her fingers entered her, it proved nearly impossible to do. If her vocal displays of appreciation weren't enough to show how much she was enjoying what he was doing to her, then the way her entire body tensed when he found the spot inside her that had her nearly seeing stars should have got the message across. One hand snaked down her body, finding the back of his head and holding him in place, urging him to keep going. He knew exactly what he was doing, bringing her closer and closer to the edge with every flick of his tongue. He how to drive her crazy, and she was loving every second of it. Cassie managed a shaky laugh at his words, her head shaking a little, but any verbal response was a little beyond her in that moment.

But then he was easing his fingers out of her, sitting up and moving away, and Cassie let out a small whine of protest. "Wouldn't have stopped you," she pointed out, propping herself up on to her elbows to watch as he opened the condom, eyes following his movements as he slipped it on. As great as the foreplay was, she was definitely ready for the main event, a smirk appearing on her face as he spoke. And then he was back on the bed with her, and she wrapped her arms to pull him back closer to her, placing open-mouth kisses along his jawline. "Don't you even think about it," she hissed, her tone playful. As he moved his cock to tease her again, she angled her hips, so the tip slid inside her. She left it there, though, taking advantage of the opportunity to tease him instead of the other way around. "You said you wanted to fuck me," she pulled back a little, head resting against the pillow again to take in his expression as she spoke. "So fuck me."

[bikexsmith]

Mike wasn't sure there was a better Christmas gift than seeing Cassie lying across his bed totally naked. Considering the events of the day, the fact they ended up where they presently were was almost a miracle in itself. He wasn't about to waste a single moment. As much as he wanted to rebuttal to her comments, all he could do in his current position was smirk and put his tongue to better use, any gentle flicks from before losing the softness of easing her into it. There wasn't any holding back from that point forward. He was now using an arm to slip under her hips so he could position her exactly how he wanted. While he continued the motions with his mouth, his other hand went to work with teasing her wet slit before inserting his middle and ring finger into her, crooking his fingers just enough so that they were positioned to find and hit the spot that'd hopefully send her to the edge. "You're right, I should probably be a better listener next time," he muttered before resuming his position from before. He kept at it for a decent few minutes, but it was getting to the point that he couldn't ignore the straining in his pants anymore.

He removed his hand, placing one last teasing kiss to her clit before sitting himself up so he could free himself from his pants and boxers. "I definitely could've gone longer there, just so you know," he clarified, leaving his bed for a split second so he could walk over to his dresser and grab a foiled packet from inside the drawer. "But I'm not gonna lie, Cass I might lose my mind if I don't fuck you soon." He ripped the packet open with his teeth, yanking out the condom and sliding it on with a soft hiss before getting back on the bed. "But, it is the two of us here. It's not just me making the decisions here, so..." He trailed off. His raised brow showed he wasn't quite done with the teasing. He grabbed hold of his cock and ran his tip up and down her slick folds, carefully watching her reactions once more. "We could just leave it as is right now, call for a rain check and say goodnight. You let me know, though."

it was getting harder and harder to think straight, but she wasn't completely on another planet yet. The effect her words had on Mike was obvious, if not in the way h looked at her, then definitely in the way he smirked. She gave him an attempt at an innocent smile in return, which quickly gave way to a frustrated whine of protest once his fingers stopped moving against her. It wasn't all bad, though, his lips moving further and further down her chest until she felt his tongue meet her nipple. Cassie's hand came to rest on the back of his neck, gently, urging him to continue as her breathing began to get a bit shakier. And then he was moving again, even further down, ridding her of her jeans. She reached behind herself, unclasping the bra that was now handing around her ribs and ridding herself of clothes completely.

"I told you I was wearing too many clothes," she pointed out, her legs parting so he could settle between them more comfortably. Almost on autopilot, she left one on the bed, but the other she raised to drape over his shoulder, granting him better access to her. "But no, you didn't want to listen to me-" her words were cut off with a hoarse moan when his teeth scraped his thigh. She was loud at the best of times, but also conscious there was a whole tribe of Smith's in the house, so pressed a hand to her mouth. That proved to be a good idea when he finally made contact where she wanted it most. "Clear enough for you now?" She managed to joke, before his mouth was on her again.

[bikexsmith]

I'm always a good girl. That sentence alone had a jolt of electricity run through Mike's spine, and he couldn't help but shoot her a look. There were many things he wanted to say in response, but he kept them hushed with his smirk saying everything his words didn't. It only grew upon watching her reactions to each movement from his hand. The circling of his wrist came to a sudden stop once she insinuated that he could do more. "Well you're in luck. Better than okay is my specialty." He placed one last kiss to her lips before trailing downwards. He wasn't about to neglect anything if he had full permission, so he started with the top half. He shimmied Cassie's bra down just enough so that he could expose her. "So beautiful," he muttered, pressing his lips to her collarbone before his path trailed towards her breasts. One hand was placed to her waist so he could remain as steady as possible while latching on to her tit and letting out a groan of approval upon feeling the bud harden against his tongue, only moving to give the same treatment to the other breast.

Once he felt enough time had been spent at her chest, his journey continued downwards. Mike was a pretty patient guy. This wasn't the time for that patience to shine through, though, or they might've been there all night. With that in mind, his lips stopped just above the line of her jeans. He unbuttoned the pants, sliding them and her undies off in one go. "There, I think we're getting a lot closer to better than okay." With another teasing grin, he found himself sliding down far enough that her legs could easily wrap around his neck if needed. "It's a lot better without all those clothes and shit in the way," he pointed out. It was for him, especially. He now had the freedom to start kissing along her inner thighs, leaving a small nip and smoothing it over with his tongue before he finally stopped teasing. Without warning, he traced a stripe from her clit down through her folds. "If I didn't think you wanted me before, well..." He trailed off, not needing to fully point out the obvious. Although the evidence wasn't on full display, he was certainly just as turned on as she seemed to be. His cheeky smile melted away once his mouth found its way back to her nub.

"I'm always a good girl," Cassie protested, but the tone of her voice had shifted, making the statement come out a whole lot dirtier than she intended. It was hard to dwell on that when Mike's hand had found its way to where it was most needed. Her fingers dug in to his arms a little harder, her grip on him tightening as he circled her clit in all the right ways. Her head fell back against the pillow, allowing him to witness every tiny change to her facial expressions as his touch sent jolts of electricity through her. "Oh, I'm more than okay. Could do this all day, actually." In that moment, it didn't even feel like an exaggeration. "But I definitely feel like I could be better than okay." She gave him a tiny nod, giving him permission to take things a step further.

[bikexsmith]

"As you should. If you're a good girl, I might even let you take a look at the items picked special for me on Marketplace," he quipped, although that comment was long forgotten in exchange for her suggestive one. The feeling of her fingers dancing across his arms only egged him on more. It wasn't a matter of if. It was now when she'd be underneath him. He liked to consider himself giving, though, and considering it was still Christmas, he wanted to give before receiving. He was practically smirking against her lips now as he felt her moving against his hand. "What's the rush?" he teased. He knew he'd be in trouble if he kept going at the slow speed he was, so rather than keep up with that, he traced along before sliding his hand back up then under her panties in one swoop. "See, there we go. Good things come to those who wait," he muttered, placing what would seem to be an innocent kiss to her lips if it weren't paired with him finding her clit and circling his fingers. He started at a normal pace but kicked it up a few notches as he watched her facial expressions. "Still doing okay, or do you need anything else?"

"Well, now I'm just offended. While you're looking for your milf, I'm going to be looking for a Botox practitioner. Besides, I find your Facebook usage endearing." She shook her head at the notion of either of them going anywhere, but stopped abruptly when she felt his teeth on her neck, the action sending a shiver down her spine. "I have a few ideas for how to stay warm." As if to prove her point, she slid her hands from his shoulders to settle on his biceps, fingers tracing circles on his arms, her breath catching as he kissed her exposed skin as he eased her shirt off her. "Much better," she nodded, brows curiously at his latter comment. She did not have to wait long to see what he meant. Her lips moved against his with a little more desperation, and she ground her hips down on to his hand, looking for more friction where it was most needed.

[bikexsmith]

"Oh shit, you're not? Damn, I've had your age wrong this entire time. That's too bad. Guess we're gonna have to break up after this so I can find a MILF that appreciates my Facebook usage," he chuckled. "That's a joke, by the way, I'm definitely not letting you go anywhere right now." And he wasn't, especially not with the way her hands were smoothing their way against his chest. If that weren't enough, the sounds being elicited from her side sure were. He let his teeth graze the original mark before pulling back. "Well, I don't blame you. It's a little cold, you know, it being December and all. It'd be rude of me to not let you have that full experience, though. It's not a good, proper Christmas gift that way, and I'm all about giving." He grabbed the hem of her shirt, his lips trailing along her body with each inch he lifted before helping to remove it entirely. "Better? Although I don't know about you, but I never really let clothes get in the way." As if to demonstrate exactly what that meant, one hand went to grip the back of her neck as he kissed her while the other roamed downwards. He stopped once he felt the cool metal button of her jeans, letting his hand slip under the denim and feel along her panties, adding pressure where he knew she'd want it the most.

"No? I'm not thirty-five," Cassie snickered, though the mention of chains piqued her interest. It was hard not to get ideas when he had her pinned to the bed like this. "I've always been more of a fan of showing than telling," there was no chains in sight at the moment, though, and she wasn't willing to have him leave to go and fetch whatever he'd been buying online. Almost as soon as he released his grip on her wrists and his shirt was off, her hands were all over him, fingers tracing his chest before settling on his shoulders to give her more leverage to lift her hips to meet his. "Oh," the sound came out as a half-moan when his lips found her neck. "I think I can make time for that." Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, enjoying the sensations his mouth was producing. "I think I'm wearing too many layers to really appreciate this. Just saying."

[bikexsmith]

"What, you don't still use FB? Where else am I supposed to find used chains? ...For my bikes, by the way. I don't want you getting any weird ideas, but if you do, I need you to tell me all about them in great detail," Mike quipped back with a smirk. Despite the fact his mind was far from general small talk, he was a man that knew how to multitask. He broke their kiss and his grip on her wrists to take his own shirt off, but once that was dealt with, he was back on the attack. "Oh do you, now?" he asked, gripping her leg to keep it in place against him and shifting his weight to essentially grind his hips against hers. He let out a soft groan, although it still wasn't enough to distract him from the task at hand. His lips found a new home against her neck, and he let his mouth familiarize itself with the soft skin there. "How much time?" he muttered, his mouth exploring with enough pressure that there'd likely be a souvenir of his visit marked on Cassie in the morning. "Enough for a last minute Christmas gift?"

Cassie raised her eyebrows. She was very, very into Mike, but hearing him talking about hard launching seemed a little unnatural, like a teacher trying to use the latest slang. "Facebook? Okay, Boomer," she teased him with a smirk. "Maybe tomorrow we can take some cute selfies for the hard launch, but I've definitely got other things on my mind right now." Cassie was an affectionate person at the best of times, but it was definitely getting harder to think about anything else that wasn't the weight of Mike's body on top of hers. The kiss was getting a little more heated, and if that wasn't an indication as to where things were going, the action of pinning her hands to the pillow above her head made it crystal clear. "That's fine by me. I've got some time," As their lips met again, she raised one leg to hook around his hip.

[bikexsmith]

Considering how things had been earlier, finding himself stretched across his bed and laughing with Cassie wasn't a bad way to end Christmas. Making things official with her helped there, too. "Well now you don't have to assume anything," he grinned. "I mean, other than the fact that I'm an idiot sometimes, but I think you knew that coming in to all this. But yeah, you are. I can change my Facebook status or do a hard launch or whatever all that is." He wasn't much for all the stupid online terminology. None of that really mattered to him, especially when he actually had her with him in that moment. There was no chance he'd waste it. He immediately kissed her back but also found himself turning it up a notch. His lips were moving along with hers a bit more ferociously than before and helping to shift them around so that he was directly on top of her now. "I was thinking of making it up to you now, if you're good with that," he shot her a smirk, gently prying her wrists upwards to pin them above her head and hold them steady before letting his mouth find its way back to hers.

The blank look on his face, coupled with the fact that his hand seemed to have tensed on her back, had Cassie fearing the worst. She'd been here before, and knew what was coming - or at least, she thought she did. This was the part where he told her liked her - but he just wasn't looking to commit to a relationship right now. What he actually said, though, was almost the complete opposite to that. Cassie could only blink at him like an idiot, her confusion obvious on her face. "...No?" She racked her brains, trying to recall if he had, and she'd somehow forgot, but she'd definitely remember that. "Oh my God," his explanation set her off laughing again, and she covered her mouth to try and muffle the sound. "We're definitely on the same page, though. I mean, I definitely want to be your girlfriend. I just didn't want to assume." The confirmation that this was exactly what she was had her beaming like an idiot, breathe catching in her throat as his mouth brushed along hers. "That depends. You gonna make it up to me?" And with that, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her lips to his more firmly in a proper kiss.

[bikexsmith]

Although he dramatically groaned at the idea of any of the other Smith's butting their way in to share their most gory and intimate details with Cassie, he didn't fully hate it. It meant that she'd be there long term. Despite their idiot tendencies, it took a lot for him to actually want someone to witness all the family's madness in action, so Cassie actually being there and not running off in fear? That was huge for him. It was almost as big as the question that followed. He starred blankly at her for a moment, his hand stilling on her back. "...Did I never ask you?" he questioned, burying his face into his pillow with a chuckle before glancing back up at her. "Holy shit. I'm an idiot, Cass. I, um...I planned on asking you way before this and totally forgot. I think I just assumed we were both on the same page and never brought it up after that. But yeah, you're my girlfriend. You've been my girlfriend for a while. It seems I forgot to inform you of that, though." He placed a kiss to the corner of her lips before letting his mouth brush against hers teasingly. "Think you can forgive me?"

Her words had clearly done little to change Mike's opinion of her friends, but Cassie wasn't in the mood to defend them more strongly right now. Maybe she was still a little too angry at them, but that was a problem for another time. It had been a long, shitty day, and she was more than ready to forget about it. At least for now, and deal with it properly when the time came, if at all. There was no guarantee they'd even want to be her friend still, now she had made sure their Christmas went as well as her own had. She was saved from spiralling further thinking about it by Mike's well-timed change of subject, though, earning a laugh from her. "Sorry. Ideas already there," she grinned. At this point, she wasn't sure there was an embarrassing childhood story that could make the slightest of difference to how into him she was. She was even more sure of that when he confirmed he was also into the idea of spending another Christmas together. Cassie kissed him back, arms snaking around his shoulders to pull him as close to her as she could before pulling away. "So, does that mean we're official, now?" She was teasing him, more than anything, but she still wanted to hear his answer. "Am I your girlfriend?"

[bikexsmith]

Mike's brows rose, not verbally disagreeing with her but his face showing his true thoughts. Maybe they didn't suck, but they weren't giving him a great impression. What he experienced likely wasn't shining examples of their character, though. He pushed all thoughts of the cabin out of his mind for the time being. He didn't want to focus on that trainwreck, not when he'd finally had a moment to themselves away from it all. He ran a hand through his hair, thinking of the many sides of his idiot family Cassie had yet to see. "I'm glad you think so," he smirked. "I might be biased, but I'm pretty sure I'm the most normal of the bunch, although if you asked around, I'm sure you'd get some interesting stories...don't get any ideas there, though." As much as he didn't mind the prospect of all that, he also wasn't prepared for Mitch to use whatever ammo he had just yet. He was actually hoping Cassie would stick around, and apparently, she felt similarly. "Next Christmas, huh?" His gaze met with hers, studying her face for a few moments before he leaned in closer. "I like the sound of that." He didn't think much more needed to be said there, so he leaned in to press his lips to hers and let that action to all the talking for him.

"They don't suck," the defence of her friends was automatic. "I mean, maybe they suck a little. But it was more of a sucky thing to do rather than them being sucky people, you know? At least, I think so." The whole mess was giving her a headache. "I guess we'll see what happens now." If they even wanted to speak to her again - Cassie wasn't too sure any of them would.

Somehow, though, holed up in Mike's bedroom, the whole thing seemed to matter a whole lot less. In an odd way, for the first time that day, Cassie felt at peace, like they were in their own little bubble, and any other problems could wait until morning. "You know, if it weren't for the fact I'd met them, I'd think you were lying about your siblings being the way they are." Her hand found his on the bed, and she laced their feelings together. "You're so... well-adjusted? If you didn't all kinda look alike, I'd say you were adopted." She was teasing him now, a smirk crossing her face as her eyes met his. "Oh, believe me, the last thing I want to do is get rid of you now." She leaned into his touch, eyes closing as she did. "You're amazing, Mike. And, uh, even if it kind of sucked, I'm glad we got to spend Christmas together. I just hope the next one is a little less eventful." Her eyes opened again to look at him, gauging his reaction to the suggestion that there would be another Christmas together.

[bikexsmith]

The ride home from the cabin certainly was memorable, but not for reasons that Mike hoped for. From that point on, Josh Groban was banned from the Smith house, or at least any area Cassie could find herself near a stereo system. Somehow, though, holding her as she sobbed in the car felt like it happened centuries ago from where they currently were, hauled up on his bed and laughing about Mitch's stupid child's spy kit. He felt that Hunter was probably more entertaining than he'd ever be, so he positioned the walkie talkie outside of his room before returning to Cassie.

Once the giggles subsided, Mike's gaze rose to watch her as she spoke, taking in everything she said. He gave her a small smile when she thanked him, but he couldn't help but crinkle his brows in confusion as she continued, understanding her apology but not feeling it was totally necessary. "What, because you were upset that your friends suck and that you let the whole thing get you angry? Cass, I need to remind you that I have six clinically insane brothers and sisters. I've practically been raised in a zoo. Like, you saw that stupid walkie talkie, right? That is my life every single day. It's gonna take a little bit more than some yelling and fighting to send me running for the hills." He shifted his position so that he was right next to her, his face only mere inches away from hers. "Although if this is your ploy to try and get rid of me, it's not gonna work," he smirked, brushing a strand of hair out of her face before letting his hand rest against her cheek. "I like you too much for that."

*

Cassie felt like she had been through the whole spectrum of human emotion tonight. From sadness, to anger, back to sadness again. She hadn't spoken since Diana had called her a bitch, forgoing goodbyes in favour of getting in the car in a complete silence that had lasted the entire way home, broken only when Mike had flicked the radio on and Josh Groban's wailing had filled the car. That had provoked big, heaving, uncontrollable sobs that must have caused alarm, because Mike had pulled over pretty quickly.

Now, though? They'd arrived back at Mike's room, and in spite of everything that had happened, Cassie was laughing hysterically at the walkie-talkie he had just fished out of it's hiding place, so hard that she was pretty much doubled over. She must look insane - face swollen and blotchy from crying, giggling like an absolute maniac.

Once Mike had returned from disposing of the walkie-talkie, she tried to compose herself, propping her back up against his bedroom wall and covering her face until her laughter had subsided. Her amusement had been overtaken a little by complete anxiety. She hadn't exactly acted with much dignity tonight, and she'd definitely gotten the ick for much less.

"So..." There was a beat of silence as she tried to find her words. "I owe you a big thank you for tonight. Seriously, Mike, it means a lot to me that you did all that for me." Despite the lengths he had gone to, she couldn't stop herself from blurting out what came next. "I know I've not exactly shown you my best self tonight. I'm sorry." She closed her eyes for a minute, not really wanting to say what she was about to say next. "If it's made you change your opinion on me, I get it. I won't get mad or anything. I mean, I'd get it. I'd be upset, sure, but I understand." it was like ripping the band-aid off. if he was going to end things with her, she would rather he did it now, when she was already feeling crappy, than letting her feel a little better before pushing her back over the edge,

[bikexsmith]

Diana didn't have a whole lot to say, not after everything else that'd been spewed out. She looked back at Cassie with a watery glare, offering up a shrug. "From the sounds of it, you already know exactly what kind of person you are. I'd rather be a baby than a cold-hearted bitch, but I guess these people know you better than me, right?" She glanced between everyone before a choked sob escaped from her mouth. "All of this was just a huge mistake. I'm gonna...I’m gonna go." She shook her head before storming off to her room.

Jamie's shoulders slumped back as she watched her go, unable to hold back a groan now. "Wow. Wow, wow, wow, this is actually so dumb. I can't...no, I won't deal with this anymore, at least not sober. Drink? Drink, anyone? Kel? Actually, no, you get water. I get whatever we have that's strongest in the fridge." On her way to the kitchen, she paused to slap a hand on Christian's back. "We know you tried, but uh...we all fucked up here tonight. Let's just accept it and...well, drink about it for now. We'll deal with the logistics later, although you might wanna check on your girl...or girls, whoever seems most important and less likely to swat at you." With a hearty pat to his cheek, she left to go find some refreshments. Extra boozy ones.

Kelly finally glanced up from where she'd basically been cocooning herself on the couch, blanket wrapped around her tight and looking like she was moment's from seeing her drinks from earlier revisit and paint the floor. "I...I don't know what to say," she slurred, maybe being a bit more than the tipsy she thought she was when opening the door. The drama didn't help with feeling like her head was a spinning plate. "M'sorry, Cassie. This...this was a total bust." That was all she managed to get out before slumping back and lying horizontal on the couch.

Mike awkwardly got to his feet, still not sure he understood the situation any clearer but just wanting to be out of that cabin and away from the psychotic energy running rampant. "Hey, uh...sorry about the hat comment, man," he said quietly, a quick glance towards Christian showing he felt the guy deserved some sort of apology. "I was just pissed, and...it wasn't cool." He gave one last nod to him before strolling over so that he was next to Cassie. "Alright, well," his hand gently landed on her shoulder, not wanting to risk being shrugged off and feeling there could be a high probability of that happening if he wasn't careful. "This has been...eventful. I don't know about you, but I could absolutely go for some roadside diner surprise stew right about now. You wanna, uh, say your goodbyes? I can wait out in the car if you need a minute."

When Cassie was upset, she wasn't exactly her most rational. Worse than that, she became defensive. It was an ugly trait to have, but one she had nonetheless. That need to defend herself was roaring in her chest right now, warping her sadness into something else entirely. The more Diana spoke, the more heated she got, so much so that she didn't even hear Mike call her name. She did, however, hear every word Diana said, causing her to shake her head stubbornly.

"Civil?" If she wasn't so pissed off, she might have laughed about that. "You've not for a second been civil to me, Diana. You just love to play the victim." Her arms folded across her chest, mostly to stop her crumpling in on herself. This was some sort of nightmare, the exact thing she had been worried about since she got here, and she actually felt her face heat up with embarrassment. "You're making shit up," she snapped. "Nobody treated you like a leech. If you took two seconds to stop being a big fat baby, you'd realise you're the one who took things out of context before, and for some reason decided I was the only one to blame here. It's like you were looking for a reason to turn me into some kind of monster." She hated the way Diana was laying all the blame for this at her door - especially the jab about the type of person she was. At that, Cassie recoiled a little, taking a step backwards. She probably would have felt it less if Diana had punched her in the face. "Go on then, Diana." Her voice had gone completely dull now. She was tired of this. She shouldn't have come - not where she wasn't wanted. That much was clear to her. "Tell me more about what kind of person I am. If you're going to say it, say it with your chest."

When Jamie spoke, Cassie tried to listen, she really did. She caught some of it, but along the way, she zoned out, looking not at anybody in the room but fixing her gaze somewhere out of the window. Nothing felt settled, despite Jamie's claims that she was about to. It felt more fucked up than ever. She wasn't sure she had any fight left in her though, so she gave no response to it, just silence.

Christian was about half a second away from physically standing between Cassie and Diana before Jamie interjected. Despite the fact he'd never seen Cassie or Diana ever raise a hand to anybody, it seemed like they were one more mean word away from a boxing match in the middle of the cabin. When Jamie spoke, he felt a sinking feeling of relief - at least, until she rounded on him. He waited until she finished, though, before saying anything. "I just thought it was the best thing for everybody," he mumbled, despite the fact that the consequences had proven that it was anything but.

[bikexsmith]

Mike suddenly felt he was intruding on something bigger than himself. The fight was complicated to begin with, but this? This was like watching a car crash happening and having no power to stop it or save anyone. "Cass," he was about to interject but then thought the better of it. Did he feel her anger towards Diana was misguided? A bit, but that was a conversation for when the room didn't feel like it was moments from being set on fire. It wasn't his place, and it wasn't his fight. He found himself pressing his lips together and settling into some antique looking plush chair, hoping that this would hit its peak sooner than later. Weirdly enough, he was now wishing he'd picked Mitch and Ash's MMA reenactments over all this.

Diana was knocked speechless for a moment, and she was still clearly shaken by the whole thing. Cassie's comments made something in her snap, though, something shrill and ugly that'd been deep rooted for a while. She wasn't normally the type to fire back, but she was so sick of the years of bottling it up. "Yeah? And what do you know about my friends or family, Cassie? Nothing, because you've never asked or even tried to care about me for two seconds! I've been nothing but kind and civil towards you, but you decided you hated me for no legitimate reason and treated me like a leech from the moment me and Christian started dating." Her bottom lip was fully trembling to match the steady stream of tears lining her cheeks. If they were to come to any sort of understanding, it'd be about how badly this all sucked and hurt. That was about it, though. "I never did anything to you to deserve it. Nothing. So you don't get to ask me why I'm crying. I'm allowed to be hurt, too. If you want to hate me, you go right ahead, but that shows more about who you are as a person than me. I never gave you a real reason for all this, but you've given me plenty, and even then, I don't hate you. I just feel sad for you."

It was that moment that Jamie had gotten to her feet. "Holy shit, guys, enough," she groaned. She seemed more inconvenienced versus angry, but it was still enough that she needed to speak. "It's Christmas, are we seriously going to do this? Are we twelve? This is all so dumb!" She let out a humorless laugh before planting her hands to her hips. "Here, how about I settle it, hmm?" In an eerily calm manner, she turned to face whoever she was directing the words to head on and shifted for each fired off sentence. "Cassie, it was fucked up that we didn't invite you because good friends shouldn't do that, and I'm sorry we hurt you, but Diana didn't orchestrate things to happen like this and you're being harsh. Di, we love that you want to be included with us, but you have to remember that we've all been friends for, like, ever, and we're not innocent here. Me and Kel laughed at that dress joke, too, and we're not getting the same villain treatment. Christian, I love you, but God, man, this was a bad plan. Like, probably your worst, and I have no fucking clue why we agreed to it. I'm planning Christmas next year. Kel, go get water or I'm hauling your skinny ass off to bed before you throw up on Christian's family's lovely carpet. And Mike..." she trailed off with a raised brow, not having a full on rant or massive criticism to throw his way. "The Santa hat comment was a little mean. Was it goofy? Yeah, but did that need to be said? Probably not, especially when it's fair game to wear one today. But, uh, you're pretty much innocent here other than that, so...thanks for driving Cassie."

Christian's silence said everything Cassie didn't want to hear. No. It would not have made a difference to him whether she argued against staying home or not. She swallowed, thickly, blinking rapidly to try and at least control the tears spilling down her cheeks. She wanted to look at Kelly and Jamie for help, but she wasn't sure she could bear it if, like Christian, they weren't on her side. If they were, they were definitely being quiet about it. The only person here she actually trusted to have her back was Mike.

And then, Diana began to talk - and talk, and talk. At first, Cassie did feel a small pang of sympathy for her, but the more she spoke, the more it shrivelled up into crumbs, replaced by irritation.

"What are you even crying for?" The impatience in her voice was obvious for anybody to hear. Her defensive walls were back up, and everything Diana was saying was getting her back up more and more. "Sorry if I don't have much sympathy for the fact you don't have any friends or whatever, but I never had a family, and now because of you I've been pushed out of mine for what? Laughing at a Nick Jonas joke?" It all felt so horribly unfair. She wasn't the only one who had laughed, but she was the only one feeling the brunt of it.

She wheeled on Christian again, then. Her anger at Diana was misplaced - even in her current emotional state, she could admit that. "I thought we were closer than this." She wasn't just talking to him. It hadn't slipped her notice that Kelly and Jamie still hadn't said a word.

Christian shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He wanted to go and comfort Diana. Between her tears and Cassie's, he felt like complete scum of the earth right now, and heading to comfort one over the other didn't seem like it was going to win him any brownie points. "Please don't talk to Diana like that, Cassie." He didn't like this, and didn't want to make a bad situation worse, but couldn't say nothing, either. "And don't say that, either. Of course we're close."

[bikexsmith]

It wasn't full on clouds of steam, but Mike definitely had metaphorical heat blowing out of his ears. He willingly let himself be dragged inside by Cassie, but not before a stink eye and shoulder bump toward Christian was initiated. He wasn't sure where the confrontational side came from. He just hated seeing Cassie so upset, and something about her brought out a protective side that'd usually been reserved for his idiot brothers and sisters. It was new, and in any other circumstance, it would've been nice. In that moment, though, not so much.

Jamie and Kelly's heads whipped around upon hearing the slam of the door, Kelly having a delayed reaction jump and Jamie rolling her eyes. The argument had barely even started and she was over it already. It was Christmas, for God's sake. The two of them retired to the couch as they waited to hear from the one person who was yet to show a large reaction. Diana. She stood off near the fireplace, arms crossed uncomfortably and barely making eye contact with the others. Sure, her and Cassie had never warmed up to each other, but this was the last thing she wanted or expected to happen. She was not the Yoko. She didn't want to be. She nodded in response to Christian's question, and she wanted to step in to clear the air however she could. She was just waiting for the perfect moment to do so. It seemed to come when there was an awkward silence growing after Cassie's question hung in the air. All that could be heard was Josh Groban, and she thought the collective would rather hear from her than him in that moment.

"I-" she started, having to clear her throat when her voice came out crackly. "I didn't want things to happen like this. Christian knows I love Christmas and wanted to make it special for me. I don't...I don't think he meant any harm. I just really wanted you all to like me, and I know that Cassie doesn't, which is totally fine and I don't expect her to, but I also don't wanna be a wedge in what you guys have built over so long. It feels like I already am, though, and I hate that." Hot tears began to pool in her eyes as she looked over at Cassie. "I've never had a friendship like you guys do, you know? I was always between school and the skating rink, and I had my friends there, but...it's not the same. It was never like this, where I knew I could count on other people in that way. I think that I've just been really alone for so long, and I finally found this guy who gave me the idea that I deserved to be happy. He'd tell me about these amazing best friends of his, and I just hoped I could find something like that, too, because I really love Christian, and I know I'd never be an original part of all this, but...I-I don't know, this is all just sounding stupid now." She swiped at her cheeks, hating how on display she had to make her feelings. "But I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't want to cause all of this shit, and I...I can go. Seriously. You're all here now, I can just get my bag and you guys can start fresh. You guys deserve to have your Christmas."

Christian's suggestion that she settle down knocked Cassie into silence, a weird sort of shock she hadn't expected to feel, and she wasn't sure why it cut her so deeply. She opened and closed her mouth a little, sure she looked like some sort of gormless goldfish. She was saved from having to come up with any kind of comeback by Mike, though, and that shocked her even more. Cassie whipped her head around to look at him, eyes widening the more he spoke, but despite her upset, there was a warm sort of feeling that washed over her hearing him jump to her defence - especially when nobody else was.

Cassie sighed, nodding in agreement with Jamie and stepping through the doorway, tugging Mike with her. She wasn't ready to let go of his hand yet. She heard Christian slam the door behind them, glanced around the room until her teary eyes settled on Diana, causing her stomach to lurch unpleasantly. "Looks like you've all been having a wonderful time without me." If she had, at any point, been taking the high road here, it evaporated with that comment, her tone full of bitterness. She let out a shaky laugh, finally dropping Mike's hand to cover her face with her hands. She felt small and stupid, and despite the fact they had driven all the way up here, suddenly, she didn't have anything to say.

Christian wasn't confrontational by nature. He had known as soon as Cassie had shown up that he had massively fucked up, and seeing her cry drove that home, but Mike's telling off was yet another nail in the coffin, causing him to reach up and slowly take the hat from his own head. At Jamie's suggestion, he sighed, letting them through the door and closing it a little harder than he intended, wincing at the slam it made. He turned then, his eyes finding Diana. "Are you okay?" he asked her, waiting for her to react before turning to Cassie once more. He twisted the hat in his hands nervously, sighing as he tried to think of something to say that wouldn't cause further damage.

"Look, Cass, I'm sorry. But..." he glanced nervously at Mike, not wanting another dressing down. "You know how important it was to me to celebrate with Diana. "I wish you would have said something before showing up here."

Cassie lowered her hands then, eyes narrowed as she looked at him, and Christian could tell she was pondering something. "Would it have made a difference if I did?" She asked, her voice so dull, missing so much of her usual pep, that it was almost painful to hear.

No. The voice in his head was almost instant. If she had said she wasn't okay with it, he likely would have just looked for another way to leave her out, because he couldn't see any other way to have Diana here with him. It hit him then how selfish he had been. He stopped for a moment, wondering if he should tell her a lie, or if she deserved the truth, but he waited for a moment too long. The light left Cassie's eyes, and he could tell that his silence had given away his answer.

[bikexsmith]

Kelly was tipsy, but not tipsy enough to prevent the feeling of her heart sinking down to her stomach. "Cassie," she let out weakly before quieting down and letting her gaze settle down to her fuzzy sock covered feet. She hated knowing it, but everything Cassie said was truthful. They let Christian push her out, and despite wishing she could protest it and being the one to text Mike the cabin's address after Cassie's texts gave her a cause for concern, all it did was continue to screw things up. She couldn't pretend like she wasn't the world's worst best friend in that moment. She knew it and felt it. Watching her well up made that all too clear.

“Are you fucking kidding?” The words were out of Mike's mouth before he could even think to stop them. Maybe he didn't want to. Someone had to stand up for Cassie, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be anyone standing on the other side of the door. “Like, are you actually standing there with a stupid Santa hat on your head, looking at your friend who’s in tears after you ditched her on Christmas, saying why you don’t get why she’s sad? What the hell, man?" He shook his head a bit, before continuing. "Did you consider that ditching her for someone you’ve known a couple months when she's been in your life for years might just happen to make her feel really shitty, even if she said it's fine? It was your guys' Christmas tradition, the four of you, and you abandoned her because of one stupid fight that wasn’t any of your business to be the mediator of anyways. What kind of person does that to their best friend? So no, Christian. I don't think you have any right to be telling her or anyone else to settle down right now. I really don't.”

His rant was enough to cause a mini audience to appear, Jamie joining the trio in the doorway and Diana awkwardly hanging back a couple feet farther away. It was mostly an awkward silence until Jamie cleared her throat and nodded towards her friends. "Um, maybe we should bring this inside, guys," she suggested. "You know, before someone catches frostbite or gets punched in the face, and I'd rather that neither of those be me, so...either hurry this up or bring it in."

For a minute, Cassie and Christian eyeballed each other, neither quite knowing what to say. She clutched Mike's hand that little bit tighter. It was a messy situation to find herself in, but he'd handled it like a champ, and right now he felt a bit like a life raft in the middle of the ocean for her.

Despite the weird feelings she was struggling to process, she was actually doing a decent job of holding it together - until Kelly spoke, and big, fat tears began to pool in her eyes again. "Fuck," she hadn't wanted to cry in front of them. "Are you kidding me, Kelly? Of course I want to come in and have eggnog, but I wasn't actually invited to, was I?" She addressed the latter question to Christian, her voice raising practically an octave higher as she spoke and shaking as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

"Well? Am I allowed to come in?"

Christian shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other. Asking Cassie to remain at home this year had been because he wanted to avoid a situation exactly like this. He hated confrontation, and the beef between Cassie and Diana had put him in a position where there was no right answers.

But. When he had first asked her not to come, Cassie had claimed that was fine with it. By the way she looked now, mascara smudging down her cheeks, that wasn't the case. "Cass..." He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to think.

"Okay. Okay. Let's all take it down a notch, yeah? Settle down, you know?" He glanced worriedly over his shoulder, wondering if Diana could hear what was going on. His first Christmas with her was not going to plan. "I don't get it, Cassie. You said it was okay if you sat this one out? I don't get why you're sad."