Overprotective Seven

Overprotective
Seven



“Your party is already seated,” the human hostess said to me with a smile as she lead me up to a large flight of stairs.  

The diner was already so nice because it catered to both human and giant parties, so within a few minutes, I was level with the giant's tables.  We were on the second floor so I had to take the elevator there first, but it didn't take too much extra time, and other than being a little pink and winded, I was no worse for the wear.

“There he is,” the hostess said, waving towards Ronan's broad back.  

He was facing a wall in the corner.  The table screamed intimacy and privacy and I couldn't help but reel back slightly at the thought of sitting at that tiny human table in front of him.  I would have no where to run.  To where to hide.  

“Is the table to your liking?” the hostess tried again.  “He requested—”

“The table's fine!” I blurted out, still pink and now embarrassed.  “It's fine.  Thanks.”

“Have a good night,” she said, brushing her fingertips against my shoulder.  “A waiter will be with you shortly.”

I nodded stiffly and went over to the table, relieved that I was on a platform.  I couldn't imagine walking up to Ronan sitting at a table like this from the ground level.  Maybe I should have taken his offering to give me a hand... no.  I shook my head hard.  I couldn't sit in his hand.  I couldn't let him carry me.  I had to focus and nothing would make that more impossible than feeling his skin against mine.

“I was worried you changed your mind.”

His smooth voice washed over me like a storm and I shook my head again to clear the cobwebs.  I tried to smile as I took the short stairway down to our exact table.  

“Afraid you'd be here alone at a table all night?” I asked, hoping to tease him.

He shook his head.  “Not so much worried about that.  I'm sure I could have found someone.”  His face implied that he was teasing right back, but it was hard not to picture some giantess sauntering over and taking my place without trouble.  I frowned at the thought.  “Maya, it's a joke,” Ronan said.  He waved towards the little human table set up.  “Take a seat.  The waiter didn't come by yet so we're in good shape.”

“Right,” I choked out and stumbled towards my seat.  I never felt so completely out of sorts as I did when I felt Ronan watching me.  Those dark eyes felt like daggers on my back and I worried I would stumble and face plant right on the table top.  To my relief, I found my seat and sat down.  “Seated,” I said, trying to smile up at him.

God this was awkward.

“Can I get you both something to drink?”  A chipper voice rang over us suddenly before I could get out another word and a younger and friendlier looking giant hovered over us.  His hair was sandy blond and looked a little matted with sweat from the busy evening.

“I'll have a ginger ale,” Ronan said.  “She'll have root beer.”

“Did I say you could order for me?” I asked.

“Isn't that what you want?” Ronan challenged back with a smirk.  “You drink root beer all the time at school.  Correct me if I'm wrong.”

“You're...” I frowned and looked up at the waiter.  “A root beer for me, thanks,” I said in a softer voice.

“What was that?” he said, leaning dangerously close to me.  “You're gonna have to speak up, sweetie, I can't hear you over this noise.”

“Root beer,” Ronan said again in a louder voice.  He leaned closer to the waiter, forcing him to back away again into a reasonable position.  “And a ginger ale for me.  Thanks.”

The waiter's cheeks turned red and he nodded quickly before shuffling away.

Ronan leaned back in his chair.  “Sorry about that,” he muttered.

“It's alright.  I think you about gave him a heart attack.”

“Maybe I gave him some incentive to start learning how to listen for human voices,” he huffed.  “Kid works in a diner for goodness sakes.  He should know better.  Are you alright?”

The concern in his face was shocking and I understood how the waiter felt when Ronan pierced him with those dark eyes.  I quickly looked down and tried to make the menu the most interesting piece of art I'd ever laid eyes on.  “Uh... yeah... I'm cool.  Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Silence fell between us then and I opened the menu and held it right under my nose.  Ronan seemed to be figuring out what he wanted as well, so I took the given opportunity to gape at him openly before things got serious.  His large hands rested on the counter and one finger tapped loudly on the menu.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

It was hypnotic to watch, actually.  Entirely too interesting than it should be, but I couldn't take my eyes off that finger as it rose and fell in a timely fashion.  His rings really were nice and I wondered how much it cost to have them made.  Jewelry for giants was a rare thing and five of the fingers on both Ronan's hands were clad in silver bands with engravings.  I wondered what they meant.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

“You can stop staring, you know.  I can feel it.”

I flashed back to reality and looked over the top of my menu and finally past Ronan's hands.  He was watching me with a smirk.  His dark eyes danced as I met his gaze.

“You... you're really not...” he trailed off and turned towards his menu.  “I'm getting the chicken Cesar salad,” he declared.  “Maybe with some fries on the side.  What about you?”

“Me?” I squeaked.  “Uhh... I dunno.  You're kinda making me feel bad ordering a salad.  Maybe I'll get one too.”

His eyes focused.  “How am I making you feel bad?  Order whatever you want.  It's on me.”

“You're not paying for my dinner.”

“It's on me,” he said again.  “I'm the one who asked you out.  I think I can pay for a human dinner.  Though honestly...” he leaned forward a bit in his chair, “why the prices are the same for our meals, I'll never know.”  He shook his head and leaned back again.

“It's so no one gets cheated,” I said.  “Garrett told me.  That way giants don't order human food and get a discount price.  We all pay the same thing.  It's all relative.”

“Huh.”  He turned his attention back to the menu.  “Garrett's your step dad, right?  The one who kicked Luke out?”

I nodded.  “Yeah... he's uh... he's more like my dad.  I don't call him step dad too often.  He's Garrett before anything else.”

“And you really see him as your father... even though he's a giant.”

“He's the only real dad I've ever known.”  I lowered my eyes.  “And now he's the only parent I've got.”

Silence.  I peeked over the rim of my menu to see Ronan watching me with a curious expression.

“Mom not in the picture?” he asked, trying to be nonchalant about it as a waitress skittered past and dropped off our drinks.  Ronan pinched my tiny glass between two fingers and set it on my table.  The root beer sloshed off a bit onto his fingers, but he didn't seem to mind.  His eyes were on me.

“Uh... no,” I muttered.  “She... she died.”

I heard Ronan's breath hitch.  “Oh.”

“It's okay.”

“I'm sorry,” he said.

“It's okay,” I said, looking up from my menu so I could find his face.  It was a bit disconcerting to see his rough exterior look so soft.  I could tell he wanted to say more.  “It was almost two years ago.  I'm fine with it now.  I've come to accept it.”  I shrugged it off.  I didn't want to talk about my mother.  I didn't know Ronan very well and when I talked about my mother, I could usually handle it one of three ways.

1) Well.
2) Tears.
3) Sarcasm.

“Let's not talk about it, okay?” I tried, hoping he would let it go.

“As you wish,” he said, his expression still too soft for my liking.  “What would you like to talk about?”

“Definitely not the fact that you know I like root beer,” I said.  I wanted to tease him again.

“I told you.  I've watched you for a while now.”  His eyes flickered to mine.  “You're pretty predictable, Maya Jones.”

“I am not!”

“Oh... you are.  In fact...” he leaned over the counter again and lifted his finger.  He tapped what I supposed was to be a specific part of the menu, but his finger was so damn big that it just covered the entire little square.  The table rocked from impact.  “I bet you're thinking about ordering a barbeque bacon burger – no cheese, extra tomatoes.”  He grinned triumphantly at my expression.  “So predictable, Maya Jones.”

“Shut up,” I grumbled, going to push his finger away.  When our skin touched, my face grew hot and even Ronan looked surprised.  He quickly pulled it away and tucked it back towards his own body.  “Maybe I'll order something else.”

“No you won't,” Ronan said, smirking again.

“Shut up,” I said, smiling behind the menu.

He muttered something under his breath.

“So... aren't you going to ask me?” he said suddenly.  

The same waiter had already came and gone to take our orders and like a fool, I ordered the barbeque bacon burger with no cheese and extra tomatoes.  Ronan smirked, but didn't say anything else about it.

“Ask you what?”  Honestly, I felt a little naked without my menu to hide my face.  Now, I had to sit there completely in the open when Ronan rested his elbow on the counter and his chin in his palm.

“I want answers,” he said in a high pitched voice.  “Meet me at seven or else.”

“I... I didn't say it like that!”

“You most certainly did,” Ronan teased.  “I pictured your face when I read it.  I could see you getting all hot and pink... just like you are now.”  He pointed at my cheeks with his free hand before quickly pulling it back again.  “And here I am.  Ready to give answers.  What I'm waiting for is the questions.”  He arched a brow.  “Don't tell me you're so taken with my good looks that you've lost all desires to find the answers you seek?”

My eyes widened.  “You are seriously the most arrogant person, I've ever met.”

He shrugged.  “And you're the cutest.  What now?”

Again.  Cheeks.  Pink.  Hot.  Damn him!  I took a long pull from my root beer and tried to compose myself.  “You know... it's not nice to mess with people for the hell of it.”

“Who's messing?”

“You are.”

“You think I'm teasing you?” he asked, sitting up straighter in his chair.

“I know you are.”

He shrugged.  “I don't take joy in messing with girls.  That's Luke's thing.”

I shot my head up.  “Luke... Luke doesn't just mess with girls!”

“No?  Hmmm... well I guess you're right.  He doesn't just mess with girls.  He messes with human girls.”

“He... he doesn't do that either.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“So why did your stepdad kick him out?”  His face broke out into another confident smile as he drank from his glass.  I swear I could hear the gallons of ginger ale going down his throat and I swallowed hard thinking about it.  He was too big.  This was getting to be a bit overwhelming.  

Ronan's voice softened after my silence.  “Luke's not a good guy. If you don't want to believe me, than you should at least believe your stepdad.  It sounds like he's on to something.”

“I don't believe that Luke's messing with human girls just for the hell of it.”

“Why not?”

“Because!  That's... that's terrible.  What would be the point?”

“The point is to proove that humans are simple creatures,” he said.  “I thought I told you this already.”

“But why?” I hissed.  “Why would he just think that randomly?”

“I wish I knew,” Ronan said.  “But I do know that's what he thinks.  I heard him talking to the guys in the locker room one time after school.  I was changing to go for a run around the park and I heard them all laughing.  He means to try to take out every human girl in the senior class by the end of the year.  Though I don't think he was expecting a human girl to have a giant for a parent.  Man, I wish I could have seen his face when your old man answered the door.  Or hell!  When he pulled up to a giant house.  Damn, that woulda been sweet.”

“I think you're wrong about Luke.”

“So why are you here?” he challenged.  I lifted my head and gave him a shocked expression.  “Why are you here with me if you think he's lying?  Why not call Luke and get his lazy ass out here?”

“I... I don't have his number,” I muttered.  I expected him not to hear me, but Ronan shifted heavily in his chair.

“And you don't think that's a bit weird?  You're going out with the guy but you don't even have his number?”

“He said his parents don't see the point of having people call the house all the time.  And cell phones for giants... they aren't exactly common.”

“I can't argue that,” Ronan said thoughtfully.  He inhaled and exhaled loudly.  “Look, I didn't ask you here just to argue with you, though I will say it's a lot of fun.  Not many people sass me the way you do, let alone humans. Really, most humans don't even try to make eye contact with me, let alone talk to me.”

“I couldn't imagine why, Mr. Black,” I huffed.

“See what I mean?  You are brave.”  

I hated that he sounded happy when he said that.

“I'm not that brave,” I muttered.

“You are,” he said, more insistent this time.  “You walking at the school, there's really no one like you.  You're a special of your own sort, Maya Jones.”

“Is... is that really true?”  I hated the desperation that crept into my voice as I started to look up at him again.  His eyes were locked on mine, questioning me to clarify.  “Is that story... is it really yours?”

“What?” he asked.  “About watching you walk down a hallway filled with giants with your head held high?”

I nodded.

“Every word of it.”

“So then how?” I croaked.  “How did Luke get it?  Garrett said that Luke might be a Reader and—”

“He is.”

“You know that, too?”

“Sure do,” Ronan said.

“Are you a special?”

“That... that begs to be seen doesn't it?” he teased with another annoying smirk.  “But look, I know you're looking for answers.  I don't know if I can give you everything you're looking for, but I'm going to tell you what I can.  And just to show you I'm not lying, I'm going to give something to you in in exchange.”

My eyes widened.  “You bought something for me?”

“Heh, you wish,” he said.  “I don't buy things for girls unless they mean something to me.”

I don't know why, but that statement stung for some reason.

“So what are you giving me?” I asked.

“Something I've never given to anyone at the whole damn school,” he muttered.  “Come closer.”

My eyes widened.  “You... you want me to come closer?” My throat grew dry as I drank in his intimidating seated form across the table.  “I'll uh... I think I'll stay here.  Especially if its something you don't need to give to me.”

“I do need to give it you,” he said, lowering his voice.  He lowered his face closer to the table, sealing us inside his own presence.  “Earlier today... I told you I lied.”

This caught my attention.

“Wouldn't you like to know what I'm lying about?”  He was teasing me with information and he knew it.

“Can't... can't you just tell me from there?” I croaked.  I hated that my voice sounded high pitched and weird compared to the rumblings of his.  I felt surrounded as he only leaned closer and used that same finger to tap the spot in front of his broad chest.

“I'd really like it if you came closer, Maya Jones.  Prove to me once again how brave you are.”

“I'm really not that brave,” I said helplessly as I started to push my chair away from the table.  His eyes widened as I stood and started to walk over.

“You're already braver than all humans I've ever talked to,” he whispered.  “Keep coming.”  He tapped the table again and like a moth to a flame, I was drawn to him.  My legs turned to jelly as he filled my vision more and more with each step and his chin lowered as mine rose.  I could smell his cologne.  I could see the stubble on his jaw.  I could see that while his eye were dark brown, they were smattered with some blue flecks.

I swallowed hard.  “You're not going to grab me, are you?”

He shook his head.  “Not yet.”

My next step faltered and he broke into a smile.

“Soon, though,” he said.  “I'd really like to see what it feels like you hold you.”

“You... you can't be serious,” I said, hardly believing that he could say things so easily.  I took another trembling step towards him, and his hand rested next to me.  I swear I could feel the impatience swelling from his knuckles.

I wanted to touch him

Our attraction was undeniable.

But I would not allow myself to get caught up.  If Luke was playing games, maybe Ronan was too.

“What... what do you want to give me?” I asked with a shaky voice.

“Look at me.”

I realized then that I had lowered my head at some point and was trying to focus only on his hands so I wouldn't have to focus on his face looming above me.  I dipped up my chin to go past his chest, his jaw and even his lips... his full... pink... lips.  I swallowed again and quickly found his eyes.  They looked playful, but soft.  Kind... but hungry.

“W-what...what is it?” I asked.  “What did you lie to me about?”

This was it.  What he was going to say next could change everything.  I swear time stood still and voices stopped talking.  It was just Ronan and me.  Together.  In this diner and he was about to admit that he was watching me... he did like me.


“Ronald,” he whispered.

My face contorted.  “What?”

“It's what I'm giving you.  As blackmail, I guess you could call it.”

“Ronald.  What the hell is Ronald?”

“My name,” he said, starting to smile.  “It's not Ronan.  It's Ronald.  My family calls me Ronnie.  I hated the damn name so I asked her to change it to Ronan.  No one else knows.”

“That!  That's what you were lying about?  That's what you wanted to tell me?”  I staggered back a few steps, not sure if I was angry or humbled.

Ronald.

Ronnie.

It was cute, but it wasn't what I wanted to hear... was it?  

“I just thought you should know,” he said, leaning back in his chair again.  Cool air wafted over me as he leaned away and voices that were silent just moments ago became deafening.  “Since I'm telling you all this stuff, I thought it'd only be fair to give you some ammo to show I'm being serious.”  His eyes glimpsed mine.  “What?  Were you expecting something else?”

“What... I... no!”  I staggered away a few more feet.  I could tell he was enjoying himself and this pissed me off even more.  “That... that can't be what you wanted to tell me!  That can't be what you were lying about!”

“So what were you expecting?” he asked with a smirk.  “Tell me.”

“I thought...”

“You thought... what?”

“Nothing!” I screamed.

“Chicken Cesar salad and barbeque bacon burger, hold the cheese, extra tomatoes,” a cheerful voice said, interrupting any chance I had at having some dignity.  I stumbled from surprise and crashed to the counter top.

Ronan / Ronald smirked and motioned for the waiter to set his plate down.  “Right here,” he said, smiling at me.

I hated him.  Hated him!