NINE: Happy Birthday, Bruce [FLASHBACK]

It was a little after ten at night as Charity paced the carpet of her small bedroom. She was anxious knowing that she was missing her boyfriend's birthday party. She had been looking forward to it for weeks and was to give him a memorable present. A wrench had been thrown into things around three-thirty in the afternoon. She had returned home from school to find her truck driver father home early from his recent trip. He hadn't been due back for at least another three days. Another unexpected situation was that her father had found out how behind in school she'd gotten. Since she'd started secretly dating Bruce and with Vic being gone for weeks at a time, her attendance hadn't been consistent and her schoolwork had suffered. When Vic confronted her about it, he'd verbally lashed out at and grounded her indefinitely. She hadn't even been able to call Bruce and let him know what was happening.

After Vic had passed out from the few beers he'd had with dinner, Charity was going to sneak out. Even though she knew she would be seeing Bruce soon, she hated that she would be showing up so late. As it was, she couldn't think about that and had to focus on the task at hand. Vic's snoring echoed through the house and she knew it was the best time to make get away.

With her black stiletto heels in hand and a duffel bag slung over her shoulder, Charity quietly snuck out of her house, making sure that the front door didn't shout loudly. Once she was outside, there wasn't anything stopping her from heading to the club which was just about a fifteen-minute walk. Strapping on her shoes and pulling her leather jacket over the shimmery blue mini dress she had on, Charity continued onward.

She had been inside the establishment numerous times thanks to the fake I.D. that Bruce had supplied her with. During the walk, Charity was giving herself a pep talk about what she was giving to her guy. Was she nervous? Absolutely. Was she going to let it stop her? Not in the slightest.

When she arrived at the club, she had her fake I.D. and handed it to the bouncer. She was let in without a second glance and went to put her bag in an area she knew it'd be safe. When that was done, she proceeded to find the Birthday Guy. Walking around, she peered around, greeting various people she recognized. Finally, after about five minutes, a bright smile spread across her face when she saw Bruce but it faded into confusion when she saw there was a beautiful blonde on his lap. This was something new to her and it made her really uncomfortable.

Not wasting much more time, Charity walked over to where Bruce was and approached him from behind, using a slender finger to tap his shoulder. "Happy Birthday, my love," was whispered softly into his ear. She didn't like this other woman on his lap, but she wasn't going to let it ruin the night.

He seemed to come alive at the sound of her voice, that sleepy drunk look fading from his eyes even though he didn't move otherwise. The blonde in his lap seemed oblivious, singing along to the top forty garbage pouring from the speakers along with the other people at the table. Slowly, he tilted his head back to look up at her, wondering if she could tell he was angry and hurt under the intoxication. The last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene when he was still technically an employee here. "Well, hello. Nice of yeh to join us."

"I'm so sorry I'm late, my dad was at the house when I got home." Her hands rested on his shoulders as she leaned in and kissed him. When she pulled back, there was a certain look in his eyes that caused her to have her hands retreat to her sides. He'd never looked at her like that before and from what she could tell, he was angry with her. "I would have been here hours ago...." her eyes went over to the other woman and then back to Bruce. "Let's go talk, please? I can fill you in on what happened." She didn't blame him for being upset with her. "Then I can give you your present."

The woman on his lap chose that moment to notice her and when she did, she cackled with laughter, slugging Bruce in the shoulder. "Where'd you find this one, Brucie? At the daycare center? Oh my God... she looks like she's twelve!"

Bruce's eyes narrowed further and he shoved her roughly to the floor, muttering something that sounded a lot like, "shut yer geggie." She shouted in outrage as her drink spilled all over the place but Bruce didn't stick around to enjoy the fallout. He moved to his feet and took Charity's hand, dragging her deeper into the club. They passed through the door that was marked EMPLOYEES ONLY and into a hallway where the music was much quieter and it smelled a lot less like spilled beer.

She had seen him drunk before, but this was different and she felt on edge. Trailing after him, she held onto his hand as they went to an area of the club she'd rarely seen. Looking up into that face she adored, she kept hold of his hand. "I was gonna be here hours ago. My plan was to get home, change, and head here. Vic was there waiting for me and he was pissed. He found out about how I've been ditching." She didn't seem embarrassed at that confession, "he grounded me and just yelled for awhile." Her other hand rested on his arm. "I wanted to call you, but I was too scared. As soon as he fell asleep, I left." Moving her arms so they were around his neck, "and I'm not going anywhere else."

At the explanation, he felt that anger shift directions, wholly self-centered now. "Shit," he mumbled, "gotta be more careful, don't we? Fuckin' neep-heided move on my part..." He sounded bitter even though he kissed her gently. "You're here now. That's what matters. An' never mind Shirl... she's a right cunt. Not a whole lot goin' on upstairs. She's mostly harmless."

"I don't care about her." She dismissively said this with a wave of her hand. "My dad knows that I'm seeing someone, but he thinks it's someone at school. Right now, we're in the clear." She breathed a sigh of relief that his anger seemed to pass. "I would not have missed seeing you today." In her eyes was a glint of mischief. "I have a present for you, but I have to give it to you later. So, when you're ready to call it a night, I'll give it to you."

His arms went around her waist and he pulled her in closer after finally getting a look at what she had on. Now that she was here, carousing with the assholes he was loosely related to and the barflies he wouldn't piss on if they were on fire didn't hold much appeal. He shrugged, shaking his head. It was getting close to midnight, anyhow. "Honestly? Unless yeh wanna drink, am fine tae leave." His accent was a little heavier than usual, slightly slurred.

"I didn't bring my car. It would've aroused suspicion. Are you able to drive?" If worse came to worst, she could call them a cab.

"Only have the bike," he replied, "might be a bit too wobbly..." He paused to consider the dilemma, snapping his fingers as a thought occurred to him. "C'mon, Babylove. Feel like a little peace an' quiet, don't yeh?" Before she could answer, he pulled away and grabbed her hand, almost dragging her down the hall to a narrow and unmarked door. When he pulled it open, she could smell the malty aroma of old beer kegs. "Spend some nights down here when I gotta work the closin' shift. Beats drivin' clear cross town."

"This'll work." Looking around, her focus went back to her guy. "I have a bag I left up front; I'm gonna go grab it and meet you back here." Going on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. "Get comfortable and I'll be right back."

She left him to it and walked through the crowd of people to where her bag was. Quickly grabbing it, she made a beeline back to the hallway where the bathroom was right next to the basement. Going inside, she locked the door and went to work touching up her hair and makeup. She'd thought they were going to be in the hotel room she'd booked, but as long as she was with Bruce, that's all that mattered.

Pulling out the two-piece black lingerie set she'd bought for this evening. Charity put it on under her dress and then left the bathroom. Zipping up her bag, she entered the doorway and walked down the stairs. "Sorry about that." Dropping her bag and jacket to the floor, she could feel her nerves kicking in, but only in a good way. "Are you ready?"

He stood in front of an old trundle bed that was covered in a threadbare patchwork quilt. The rest of the space was empty other than an old heavy bag hanging from one of the overhead floor joists and a stack of old kegs under the stairs. It wasn't dirty or disgusting, surprising given the locale. There was a little table beside the bed that looked like it had been re-purposed from an old wooden pallet and it held a little dish full of spare change and a battered old Stephen King novel with a torn cover. "Ready?" He questioned with a quirked brow, "aye. Suppose so." He watched her she moved away from the bottom of the stairs, admiring how good she looked in that dress. She certainly didn't look underage like Shirlea had spitefully claimed.

Charity took steps in his direction, her heels clicking against the floor. As she closed the distance between them, she gently pushed him against the edge of the bed. "I'm gonna need you to sit down." As he sat down, she stood in front of him. "So... I really wanted to give you something special for your birthday. I spent nights awake trying to figure it out. Then it finally came to me, the best thing I could give you." Her slender fingers grabbed the hem of her blue dress. Lifting it gracefully over her head, she dropped behind her, revealing the black and lace lingerie set. "Me."

He stared at her for a good few minutes in stunned silence, not really sure what to say. After all this time they'd spent together, he'd never tried to go further than she wanted, never tried to take advantage. This, though? This was like winning the lottery a million times over. "Cherry?" He managed to say her name and even that was a struggle but he couldn't keep the smile off his face as he looked at her. "Jesus, Mary an' Joseph...lookatchu, love. All this...for me?"

Hr smile widened into a grin as she nodded. "Yep, just for you." Leaning over, her hands rested on either side of his face as her lips met his. "Bruce, I've been yours in almost every single way, except one." Coming closer, her knees were on either side of him. "Unwrap your present."

Grinning and laughing with drunken joy, he pulled her down on the bed on top of himself. It was surprising when it didn't collapse under their weight although it creaked loudly in protest and that made him laugh even more before his lips found hers. He kissed her aggressively, his hands roaming everywhere up and down her back.

His kiss took her by surprise, he was usually so gentle with her. It woke something up in her that she didn't know was there. When she kissed him back again, she was a little more aggressive. Pulling back, she sat up on top of him and helped him slide his shirt off. "I hope this'll be worth the wait for you."

"Nae," he replied, a sort of shadow passing through his dark eyes as he reached up and undid her bra. Slowly, he slid his hands down her arms, taking the straps with them until the black lace fell away. "For you, love. Worth it for you. I'd wait forever if it meant I could just..." His voice shook, a strange sort of vulnerability there for a moment. "Gods, you're perfect, Cherry. I love yeh so damn much."

His hands went back to her waist and he shifted her weight on him, letting her feel just how much he appreciated his gift so far. Before she could think about being exposed, he was kissing and touching again, teasing her nipples with a swirl of his tongue and playful little nibbles.

From the moment his hands started roaming her bare flesh, she was hooked. They'd messed around like this before, but it was usually with their clothes on. Before they had gotten too carried away, they'd stop. Charity didn't think she could stop this time, even if her life depended on it. They had connected fully on every single level, except this one. She was ready to be his.

"I love you, Bruce..." She shifted her body so that she was pressed against his side. Her own hand trailed down his chest until it got to his pants. Without hesitation, Charity undid his pants and slid her hand inside. She began to stroke him as her lips made their way to his neck, trailing kisses along it.

"Love..." his breath caught, a groan replacing what he was about to say. It felt so damned good, as if she knew exactly what he wanted. "Aww, yeah... jus' like tha', Cherry baby." He shifted a little, closing his eyes as he felt her lips on his neck. "I love you," he whispered, his voice a little hoarse. "Gonna go tae hell for this, surely... but I love you so much. Wanna be inside, Cherry... so damn bad." Turning towards her, he slipped his hand beneath the waistband of those little lace panties she had on. When his fingers dipped a little deeper, he found she was already wet and he couldn't help the smile that curved his lips. She wanted him, really and truly wanted this. That knowledge made him bolder and he teased her just a little before pulling his hand back. Two fingers were wet and he lifted them to his lips, letting her watch as he licked them clean.

"C'mere," he murmured, catching her lips again and this time she could taste herself mixed with the liquor he'd been drinking earlier as he took his time exploring her mouth with his tongue. When the kiss broke, he was already breathless, unbelievably turned on.

The rhythm of her breaths had sped up as she felt herself getting close to the edge. It had been almost a year since they had started seeing each other and in all that time, Bruce had never pressured her to go further than she was comfortable with. She'd known from almost their first meeting that she wanted him to be her first. She'd also known very early on that she was in love with him.

Biting down on her lower lip, Charity sat up and used both hands to slide down his pants as far as she could, leaving him exposed. As before, her hand wrapped around him as her lips pressed against his. Taking the initiative, her tongue slid into his mouth, the kiss deep and desperate. Pulling back, her teeth caught his bottom lip playfully before her mouth was next to his ear. "Make me yours, Bruce. All of me."

"Thought yeh'd never ask," he murmured, pulling away only long enough to kick off his boots and the pants that were tangled around his ankles. His underwear followed and when he rolled back over, he was naked except for that necklace he never seemed to take off. "Ah, see now... this won't do," he said with a chuckle, seeing she still had those sexy panties in the way. Rather than tear them off her, he slipped to the floor, kneeling beside the narrow bed and pulling her closer to the edge by her hips. Before she could think to question what he was doing, he was kissing her through the lace, his breath warm. He could tell she was ready, even if she hadn't already asked by the way she reacted to his touch and when her panties were flung aside and his tongue was inside her, he couldn't help but let out a muffled moan of appreciation.

After he had completely stripped down, Charity had expected him to tear off her underwear and enter her. What he was doing had come as a surprise, a very pleasant surprise that was making her want to scream. Over the course of their relationship, the two of them had done a fair amount of fooling around. This hadn't been one of the things they'd tried and the longer he was between her legs, the more she felt like she was ready to let. "Bruce..." His name came out in a breathy moan. She wanted him inside of her more than she ever wanted anything else. In little whispers she pleaded with him, as her hips moved with him.

"Hush now," he said with a gentle smile as he lifted his head, licking his lips. "Gotta take time... the best gifts're meant to be savored, love." He could hear her almost panting and that gentle smile became a grin as he straightened up and adjusted her position again before crawling back on the bed to join her. He wasn't thinking clearly, not by a long shot when he moved between her legs, kissing her fiercely. The same moment his tongue parted her lips, he pushed deep inside her, groaning into her mouth as he started to move slowly. He had enough presence of mind still to make sure he didn't hurt her. That was always the last thing he wanted to do.

At the moment he entered her and with his mouth on hers, she gasped against it. There was pain, but she had expected it and no plans on letting it distract her. She was finally getting what she had wanted for so long and despite the pain, she was enjoying it. Her hands were on his back and her fingers dug into his flesh. Her legs wrapped around his waist as she moved in sync with him. She was so tempted to scream out, but didn't want to startle any of the patrons upstairs and so she kept her mouth on his. The closer she got to climax, the deeper she kissed him.

He broke the kiss, hardly able to catch his breath as he quickened his rhythm. "Cherry love... Cherry..." he said her name over and over, each intonation growing raspier until he was kissing her again. The bed was squeaking, rattling but neither seemed to even notice. He was lost in the feel of her, in the way she was looking up at him when the kiss broke the next time. "Babylove... I can't..." he closed his eyes, his hand clenching the pillow next to her head so tight as he tried to keep himself from losing it already.

She had buried her face against his chest and barely heard what he had said. She was in the middle of her own orgasm as she moaned against his flesh. When she'd finished, her body went limp underneath him and her eyes closed. Her fingers were no longer digging into his back, instead her palms rested over the finger marks she'd made. God she loved him.

"I love..." he didn't finish, the words cutting off in a guttural groan as he came inside her, unable to keep himself from spilling over the edge. His motions stilled, his eyes closing and he suddenly felt like he was going to cry. He had plenty of experience between the sheets but nobody had ever chosen him the way she had. He kissed her gently on the forehead, trying to catch his breath as he whispered, "am gonna love yeh forever, Cherry."

A smile broke out across her face as she hugged onto him, wanting to be as close as possible. "Happy Birthday, baby." Kissing his lips softly, one of her hands came over and rested on the side of his face. Her thumb gently traced over one of his scars, something she did when they laid together. She loved those scars so much because they were a part of who he was. "I'm apologizing in advance... I don't think my birthday gift for you next year will be as good."

He chuckled softly, closing his eyes. For the first time in his life, he actually felt like something other than a discarded afterthought. Charity loved him, really and truly. He couldn't understand how it had happened, but it truly was the greatest gift. "Aye, well... it's the thought that counts, love."