Betty had just finished one of her usual late-night study sessions with Marcus. He’d been unusually patient tonight, his teasing remarks kept to a minimum, though he couldn’t resist making a snarky comment every time she got something wrong. "It’s like you’re trying to fail," he’d said at one point, smirking as she glared at him.
Despite his usual bravado, studying with him had started to feel... comfortable. Maybe too comfortable.
As they were taking the elevator on their way back, the exhaustion of the evening settled over Betty. And she yawned, hugging her books to her chest while Marcus carried his things with one hand, his other tucked casually in his jacket pocket.
"You yawn like a cat," he said, breaking the silence.
"I don’t even know what that means." Betty replied as the elevator jerked to a sudden halt, pitching Betty forward slightly. The emergency light flickered on, casting the small space in a dim, golden glow.
.
.
.
"No, no, no," Betty muttered, stabbing the ground-floor button repeatedly. When nothing happened, she groaned, throwing her head back. "This is officially the worst day ever."
Marcus leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed. "Relax, Betty. We’re not going to die in here."
Betty turned to glare at him watching her with his usual maddening smirk, the small space amplifying her frustration. "Easy for you to say. You’re not the one trapped in a box with you."
His low chuckle reverberated through the confined space, sending a jolt through her that she desperately ignored. "Admit it," Marcus teased, tilting his head. "You love my company. That’s why you keep me around."
Betty scoffed, resuming her pacing. "Yeah, sure. Right next to dental surgery on the list of things I enjoy."
"Come on," Marcus said, his voice playful as he pushed off the wall and stepped closer. "What’s really got you so worked up? The power outage or being stuck with me?"
She spun to face him, her finger pointing accusingly. "You."
He raised his hands in mock surrender, though his grin only widened. "Fair." He paused, his gaze dipping to the faint flush creeping up her neck. "You know, you’re cute when you’re mad."
"Don’t," she warned, but her resolve thinning as he closed the distance between them.
"You’re blushing," he murmured.
"I’m not," she said quickly, crossing her arms over her chest, as if the gesture could shield her from the heat building between them.
Marcus smirked, leaning against the railing right beside her. "Betty, you’re terrible at lying."
Her heart pounded. She turned her face away, desperate to look anywhere but at him. But Marcus didn’t let her escape so easily.
"You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?" he teased, his lips curling mischievously. "That first kiss. The one in the elevator."
"Marcus," she warned, but her voice faltered.
. "I remember it vividly," his tone dropping to a low murmur, his touch like a spark igniting the charged air between them. "You were just as flustered then as you are now."
Her breath hitched as he leaned closer, the space between them disappearing. "And if I kissed you again?" he asked, his lips just a whisper away from hers.
Betty’s fingers tightened on the railing behind her, her pulse racing. "You’re—"
"Impossible?" his grin now a full-blown smirk. "Yeah, I’ve heard that one before."
Before she could retort, his lips brushed against hers, soft at first but with an undeniable edge of heat that made her knees weaken. His hands moved to her waist, steadying her as he kissed her deeper, the teasing gone now, replaced with a slow, deliberate intensity.
"Marcus," she managed to whisper against his mouth, her voice shaky.
"Say the word, Betty," he murmured, his lips trailing to her jaw and then lower to the sensitive curve of her neck. His teeth grazed her skin, a teasing nip that sent a shiver racing down her spine.
Her hands gripped his jacket, torn between pushing him away and pulling him closer. Her head tipped back slightly, giving him more access as his mouth continued its slow, deliberate path.
"You’re impossible," she finally breathed, her voice trembling as her composure unraveled.
"And yet," he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, "you can’t seem to stop me."
Just as his hands slid down her sides, the elevator jerked back to life, the lights flickering on with a harsh, fluorescent glare.
They froze, the spell broken as reality came crashing back. Marcus stepped back, his smirk returning as he adjusted his jacket, leaving Betty breathless and flushed.
"Saved by the bell, huh?" he quipped, his voice smug as the elevator doors slid open.