White Trash Mouse Ch. 06

Chapter Six: Midnight

Rainer let out a hiss of frustration and tossed his pen across the living room. It smacked into the wall, bounced off, and landed in the carpet several feet away. Mouse looked up from the page she was reading from and raised her eyebrows at him inquisitively. With more patience than she ever gave herself credit for, she closed the book, set it down on the table, then set her hands in her lap, waiting for an explanation.

"I have been sitting here for half an hour," Rainer explained. "Listening to the sound of your voice and watching your mouth as you read. You haven't even let me kiss you once. It's completely unfair!"

Mouse chuckled. "You work harder with an incentive, though."

"Just one little kiss?" Rainer pleading, his lips curling into a pout.

"Oh, all right," Mouse conceded with a sigh. "And then back to work."

Rainer reached across the distance between them and caught her wrist, dragging her to him. A step behind his insistent tugging, Mouse fell, falling right into his lap as he had wanted. He wrapped his arms around her so she could not escape, then pressed his mouth to hers hungrily. She squeaked in surprise, flailing against him instinctively, then relaxed against him. Rainer ran his tongue over her lips, demanding entrance, and she parted them shyly. He swept the inside of her mouth, tasting the tang of Skittles that she had been chewing on earlier.

"That was not a 'little kiss'!" Mouse exclaimed breathlessly when he finally let her go.

"That was little, compared to what I want to do to you," Rainer murmured huskily.

Mouse raised her eyebrows curiously. "Oh?"

You asked for it, Rainer thought, grinning down at her wickedly. He tumbled backward, bringing her with him, and rolled so that she was pinned beneath him. She had only enough time to utter a breathless squeak of surprise before his mouth was on hers once more. Mouse moaned softly, able to do little more than lay there as his mouth ravaged hers hungrily. She managed to get an arm around him, however. Rainer allowed her to grip his hair, but he wouldn't let her get any firmer hold.

Lifting himself up, he sat back on his heels, effectively straddling her and pinning her down. He pulled his mouth away from hers, drawing a soft, bereft groan from her. Rainer caught the bottom of her t-shirt and tugged it up. He watched the expectant look in her eyes and a wicked idea flashed in his mind. Catching hold of her waist, he began to tickle her unmercifully. Mouse let out a yelp of surprise, her hands grappling with his, trying to pull them away.

"Come on, Rainer!" Mouse gasped between laughs. "Stop! That's not fair!"

The sound of heels clacking on the marble floor caught their attention and they broke apart. Mouse quickly pulled down her shirt and sat up, trying to straighten her hair. Rainer grabbed the book, opening it up to a random page, as his mother stalked into the room. His mother had been beautiful in her youth, and usually she was still quite attractive, but the scowl on her face made her ugly. She stopped in front of the coffee table where they were working and glared down at Mouse.

"What is going on here, Rainer?" She demanded. "I thought I made myself quite clear about...this."

Rainer sighed. "Mother, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to stop being friends with Mouse just because-"

"How dare you talk back to me?" His mother shouted. "I will not have this, Rainer Martin Aceto, I will not!"

"But mom-" Rainer started, but a glare from her cut him off again.

"I will not!" She repeated.

With that she turned on the heels of her expensive Gucci shoes and stomped out of the living room. Rainer rubbed his temples, then turned to look at Mouse. She was staring at him, and the expression on her face was hard to read. Uh oh, he thought, biting his lip. I don't want to go through this again. Kidnapping her isn't going to cut it a second time.

"I'm trying," Rainer said desperately. "I really am. It's just taking some time. Mom is incredibly stubborn, but I'm wearing her away slowly.

Mouse's expression didn't change as she spoke. "Martin, huh?"

Rainer stared at her for a long moment, then started to laugh, partially from relief. Mouse laughed with him, her brown eyes soft and liquid with amusement. He reached out, catching her hand and dragging her towards him. Resting his head against hers, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Very funny," Rainer chuckled, nuzzling her hair. "And what is your middle name, Miss Brown?"

"Uh...well..." Mouse stammered, her cheeks going red. "It's Gretchen. After my grandma, is what I'm told..."

"Gretchen!?" Rainer exclaimed, barely able to contain his laughter. "That's a thousand times worse than Martin!"

He continued to laugh until he felt tears prick his eyes. Mouse twisted in his arms, pummeling him with her fists, but she was laughing too, much too hard to actually hurt him. Rainer wrapped his arms around her again and tumbled backward, pulling her with him. They clung to each other until they finally managed to stop laughing, then Mouse pushed herself up, straightening her hair again, though it just fell stubbornly back into her eyes.

"I should go, actually," She said. "My parents are going to be up for work soon and I should get dinner started."

"You shouldn't have to cook for them," Rainer said, standing and helping her to her feet.

"I don't mind," Mouse told him.

Rainer packed their books away, and picked up Mouse's backpack. Keeping his hand in hers, he led her to the front door. As she stepped outside, he tightened his hold on her, and pulled her back to him. Mouse turned back to him questioningly, her eyebrows raised.

"Hey um...you know..." Rainer stammered. "Senior prom is coming up soon and uh...well I was hoping that you and I could...oh, damn!"

"What?" Mouse asked.

Rainer grinned sheepishly. "How come I've never had this kind of nervousness with any other girl?"

"Because I am intelligent, creative, and magnanimous," Mouse said, winding her arms around his neck and smiling slyly.

"You are," Rainer agreed. His smile widened. "And you're very modest, too."

"Indeed," Mouse laughed.

"So, will you go with me?" Rainer asked, suddenly serious once more.

"Yes," Mouse answered quietly. "I will."

She slipped out of his hold and away. Rainer leaned against the front door, watching her until her car had disappeared down the street. He hadn't been sure if she would agree to it; she didn't seem to like being around too many people. But she said yes, he thought, smiling to himself as he stepped back inside.

*****

Mouse tugged open a bag of chocolate covered pretzels and popped one into her mouth. Across from her, Kara scowled down at a piece of paper full of math problems. I can't believe I forgot she was coming over tonight, Mouse thought. What's wrong with me? It's a good thing she's kind of ditzy... Kara hadn't seemed to notice, so Mouse had kept her mouth shut on the matter.

"I just don't get it!" Kara complained, tossing down her pencil.

"Let me see," Mouse said, leaning across the table to look at the paper. "Ugh...Kara, I've explained this so many times."

Kara shrugged and snatched a pretzel from the open bag. Growling, Mouse pulled the bag away and set it behind her. Kara tried to reach behind her and get a hold of the bag, but Mouse kept her at bay. She'd always been a bit stronger than her friend, built on slightly stockier lines with more natural muscle. Kara sat back finally and pouted, folding her arms across her chest like a sulking child.

"Not until you finish your work," Mouse chided.

"Not even just one?" Kara pleased.

Why does this feel familiar? Mouse wondered ironically as she retrieved the bag and tossed a pretzel across to Kara. "Fine, just one."

As Kara munched happily, Mouse debated whether or not she should tell her about Rainer's question. If she told Kara, the news could be around the whole school by afternoon on Monday. However, Kara was the only person she had to talk to, aside from Rainer, and of course she couldn't ask Rainer for advice. Sighing, Mouse sat back, nibbling on another pretzel.

"Hey, Kara, can I ask you something?" Mouse asked.

Kara looked up and smirked. "Sorry, but I've already got a date for the prom."

"Very funny," Mouse said, rolling her eyes. "No, um...Rainer asked me to go to the prom with him."

"What!?" Kara shrieked. "He did!? When? Why? What's going on between you two? Has he kissed you? Have you had sex?"

"Kara, I'm going to strangle you!" Mouse growled.

Kara squeaked loudly and toppled off the bed as Mouse lunged at her. Wielding a pillow, Mouse chased Kara through the house, winding their way around the couch and through the kitchen several times. Frustrated, Mouse pitched the pillow at Kara, smacking her upside the head with it.

"Ow!" Kara whimpered. "Why do you have to have such good aim?"

"If you tell anyone about this, it won't be a pillow I throw, next time," Mouse threatened.

"Who would I tell?" Kara asked, trying to look innocent.

Mouse snorted. "Only the whole school!"

Kara sighed and plopped down on the couch. She patted the seat next to her, and Mouse sat down. In truth, although Kara liked to gossip, she had always kept silent on things that were important secrets. This is an important secret, Mouse thought, gritting her teeth. I don't think Rainer has told anyone yet, and I don't know for sure if I want him to, anyway.

"Look, I wouldn't tell about this," Kara said. "And besides...aren't you the least bit concerned?"

"About what?" Mouse asked.

Kara shook her head. "It's just...I think it's odd that Rainer has taken such a sudden interest in you. You only study together, you haven't actually been on a date. And, well, I gossip, but I also listen to a lot of it, too."

"I don't understand," Mouse said. "What are you trying to get at?"

"I've heard some guys talk about you," Kara said quietly. "About "conquering the virgin ice queen". Like it's some big challenge. Blake, you know him right?"

"He's a friend of Rainer's," Mouse murmured.

Kara nodded. "I've heard him talking. Says he wants to "get to you" before Rainer does."

Mouse said back, her head buzzing. That can't be right, she thought, rubbing her temples. Rainer doesn't feel like that, does he? She couldn't deny that it sounded suspicious, when she really thought about it. Even that first time they had worked together on his essay, he had touched her. Why would he have done that? He'd never indicated at any point before that he was interested in her.

"Even I had to tell my date to back off a bit," Kara told her. "He wanted to rent a hotel room for afterwards."

"I can't imagine Rainer would..." Mouse murmured, biting her lip.

"I'm not saying that he is," Kara said quickly. "I really hope he isn't. I just worry about you. You and I can't compete with those kinds of people."

Mouse nodded and sighed. This was something she had to think about. It was also something she didn't want to think about. But it weighed on her mind through the night, as she tried to focus on her homework, and stayed with her, especially after Kara left to go home. As she crawled into bed, she could not stop her head from buzzing, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to fall asleep.

*****

Rainer had a speaker in his room so he could hear the doorbell. It was put there because his parents were out of town so often, and the staff didn't stay at night. When loud chiming interrupted his sleep, he rolled over with a frustrated growl. Blinking, he stared at the clock; it said twelve o'clock. I better have slept until noon for some reason, Rainer thought as he got up and pulled on his jeans. Because if someone is ringing the doorbell at midnight, I'm going to kill them. He padded barefoot down to the front door and pulled it open, turning the full force of his scowl on the person outside.

"Mouse!" He exclaimed, his anger fading. "Mouse, it's the middle of the night, what are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," Mouse explained quietly. "Please."

Rainer ran his fingers through his hair. "Uh, sure, okay. Come in."

He turned and led her inside, reaching out to flick on some lights. Still a little foggy from sleep, he rubbed a hand over his face, wondering what she could possibly need to talk about at this hour. Rainer sat down on the couch and she sat next to him, but he noticed she sat as far away from him as she could get. What's wrong? he wondered, frowning at her. I don't understand...

"I was talking to Kara this evening," Mouse said.

"Kara, the Gossip Queen?" Rainer asked, raising an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with me?"

"You know, her prom date wanted to rent a hotel room," Mouse told him. "Apparently a lot of guys have this idea that prom and sex go hand in hand."

Rainer frowned. "I repeat, what does this have to do with me?"

"Why do you want to go with me?" Mouse demanded. "You've never acknowledged my presence before, and now all of a sudden you're all over me! You can't tell me that isn't a little bit suspicious!"

Rainer took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. She has a right to wonder, he told himself. Of course she's wary, she hasn't had it easy... But if he was trying to convince himself that her lack of trust didn't hurt, he was failing badly. If he could explain to himself why he wanted her around so much, then he could explain it to her. Unfortunately, Rainer couldn't quite figure it out.

"I'll admit, looking at it from your point of view, yes, it sounds suspicious," Rainer said. "But it's not like I've never noticed you before. You're quiet and you're a genius and you're...not very approachable."

Mouse scowled. "So then, no hotel room...right?"

"Ah," Rainer grinned sheepishly. "Well, um...well, not for the reason you think."

"Explain," Mouse demanded.

Reaching out, Rainer caught her hand in his and pulled her close before she could protest. He wound his arm around her waist and dropped his head to her shoulder, nuzzling her neck with his lips. Despite herself, Mouse relaxed against him with a sigh. That's better, Rainer thought, listening to her yip softly as he nipped at her earlobe. So much easier to deal with when she's calm.

"Most of the time we spend together is studying," Rainer explained. "And with S.A.T.s and everything, we don't have time for much else. I want to spend some time with you when we're not studying. I was going to bring you here with me afterward but...well, my parents aren't going to be out of town that night. Mom's been slow in budging, and I didn't want your night to be ruined by her."

Mouse twisted in his arms to look up at him. Her brown eyes were wide and luminous. She must have forgotten her glasses again, Rainer thought, brushing his thumb lightly over her freckled cheek. She sighed, letting her eyes drop shut as he brushed his mouth against hers. Rainer gently teased her mouth with his lips and teeth until she settled against him. If she was a cat, she'd be purring, he thought, running his fingers through her hair.

"I don't understand," Mouse murmured.

"Neither do I," Rainer admitted. "I try not to think about it, just go with the flow. What happens, happens."

"Mmm," Mouse lifted her head and smiled at him sleepily.

"You should go home," Rainer said.

Mouse shook her head. "No. I wanna stay here with you."

She wound her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to kiss him. Rainer caught hold of her and tumbled back onto the couch, bringing her with him. He lay mostly still beneath her as she shyly probed his mouth with her tongue. It wasn't often that Mouse took the initiative, and he wanted to savor it. The touch of her small hands against his bare chest as a small bit of reality that he wanted to ignore.

"Mouse," Rainer murmured against her lips. "You can't stay here. Not now."

Her teeth nipped his lower lip. "Why not?"

"Because," Rainer groaned, as she moved her mouth to his neck, nibbling gently. "It wouldn't...it's just not...oh, damn!"

As her mouth slowly worked at his neck, her hands traveled down his chest and stomach. Rainer hadn't bothered to do much more than pull his jeans on, and it was easy for her to get a hand in them. Gasping, he reached down and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand away.

"Mouse," Rainer panted. "You have to...understand. If...if you stay I...I can't...I won't be able to..."

"Shh," Mouse murmured, pressing a finger to his lips. She crawled out of his grasp and stood, reaching out a hand to him. "Come on."

She looked too good, with her hair free around her shoulders and her brown eyes the color of melted chocolate. She was wearing only a white t-shirt and a pair of cut off jeans; there were now shoes on her feet. Rainer reached out, taking her hand in his, and stood up. The hint of blush on Mouse's cheeks and the slight tremble of her body belied her boldness. Holding her hand tight, he flicked off the light, and led her down the hall to his room.

She went with him willingly to the bed. Rainer pulled her into his arms, dropping his mouth to hers in a ravishing, hungry kiss. It was unnervingly easy to pull her down to the bed with him. Mouse braced her hands on his chest as he settled back on the bed. She straightened, her hands catching the hem of her shirt, and pulling it off. Rainer reached up, sliding his hands up her belly as she tossed the shirt away, and cupping her breasts. He drank in the sight of her; from the moonlight illuminating her eyes, her dark hair a startling contrast to her pale skin, the fullness of her small breasts, and her nipples, which were small and hard.

Bracing his hands on her hips, Rainer rolled, pinning her beneath him. Mouse squeaked, laughing softly. He covered her mouth with his, stifling her laughter, and drawing a soft, needy moan from her. He trailed his mouth down the side of her neck, listening to the small sounds she made, that slowly faded into nothing. Surprise, Rainer lifted his head and looked at her.

"Mouse?" He called softly. "Mouse?"

She didn't respond. Her eyes were closed and she was...asleep! You sure know how to bruise a man's ego, don't you, little one? Rainer thought as he settled on the bed next to her. It was to be expected, though; it was past midnight, and she probably hadn't gotten much sleep. With a sigh, he pulled the blankets up over them both and held her close to him. Mouse stirred, murmuring something, and Rainer rubbed her back until she settled again. Sleep, little Mouse, he thought, resting his head against hers and closing his eyes. Next time you won't get out of it so easily.