Deanna was sitting at her kitchen table with her head against her palm. She had been in a bad mood for weeks. Poplar was busy with his girlfriend and she had been shutting Braeden out for purely selfish reasons. Presently she was home alone with her cats as Gabby actually sort of had a boyfriend and Dea was wallowing. She picked up her phone as if she would have a message or a text int he two seconds she hadn't been looking at it and opened her text window.
She scrolled through, frowning. She'd had a few from Brae that she'd never answered and felt guilty. Maybe she should call him tonight... She put the phone down and rubbed her palms over her eyes. She should really call Poplar and apologize for the way she acted, too.
She scrolled through, frowning. She'd had a few from Brae that she'd never answered and felt guilty. Maybe she should call him tonight... She put the phone down and rubbed her palms over her eyes. She should really call Poplar and apologize for the way she acted, too.
Pops didn't know where else to go. Brae wasn't answering his phone, and it wasn't as if he had anybody else he could count on. He hadn't spoken to Deanna since that awful night out with Tammy. He flinched, even thinking her name hurt. He didn't know how he could have been so stupid or blind.
He was pretty much just walking around in the rain when he found himself outside of Dea's complex. He made his way up to her door and knocked, then shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked like he'd been crying, and when she opened it he immediately said, "I didn't have anywhere else to go..." He looked as if he might start crying again, so something was obviously wrong.
He was pretty much just walking around in the rain when he found himself outside of Dea's complex. He made his way up to her door and knocked, then shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked like he'd been crying, and when she opened it he immediately said, "I didn't have anywhere else to go..." He looked as if he might start crying again, so something was obviously wrong.
Dea was working up the courage to call Poplar still when there was a knock on the door. Her immediate thought was Braeden as he often just showed up when she was ignoring him. That's how she got herself into trouble the last time... She'd been kind of a bitch to him though so she got up to answer the door. She was absolutely pleasantly surprised to find Poplar! "Pops!" Her face reflected her surprise and she immediately ran her hands over her clothes to smooth them. She didn't have any make up on nor a very nice outfit and she wished she did which was a foolish thought. Of course once she actually looked at him, her brows came together. "Come in, P. What's wrong?" She'd usher him in and towards the couch, shutting the door behind them.
Poplar came in but he didn't sit, "Is Gabby here? I'm not interrupting anything am I?" He still had his hands in his pockets and he was shivering a little because he was wet and cold.
Dea shook her head and pushed her curls back behind her ears. "Only me. What's up?" Since he didn't sit, she'd sat standing too, crossing her arms over her chest and looking concerned.
Pops hunched his shoulders, "I'm such an idiot..." He didn't want to sit on her couch and get it wet so he stayed standing. "I just...I didn't want to go to a bar and I didn't have anywhere else to go..." He still hadn't gotten to what was wrong, and he sniffled. "Are you still pissed at me?"
Dea chewed her lip and opened her posture some. "No, P. I'm actually really sorry. I acted like such a bitch and I was out of line. I should apologize to Tammy, too." She tried not to cringe when she said that stpid name, but she wanted her friend back and she'd swallow her feelings and deal with the gold digger if that's how she got him. She just couldn't deal with not at least being friends,
Pops flinched when Dea said Tammy's name and he kept his eyes on the ground. "You don't have to apologize to Tammy..." He said her name quietly, "I am the biggest idiot..." He was holding onto something in his pocket and he brought it out and held it in his hand. It was a black velvet ring box. "I offered her this and she dumped me....."
Dea looked surprised. "I don't?" She was actually willing to admit she'd been wrong for how she acted so she was a bit lost when she didn't have to. Then Pops showed her a ring box and her anger bubbled up at the idea of Poplar marrying that harpy! Good thing she didn't have time to say anything, though. Pops told her Tammy had turned him down and her anger took a new direction; that stupid bitch broke her friend's heart! Of course, Dea was relieved on some level. She put her arms around Pops and hugged him quickly. "I'm sorry Poplar..." She squeezed him tight and pulled back to look up into his face. "But I'm actually glad."
Pops shook his head, "No...you don't..." Dea was hugging him and saying she was sorry and he'd been about to hug her back when she said she was glad. He wriggled away from her, "I should go..." He didn't want to hear horrible things about Tammy, he'd just wanted a friend that would keep him from doing something stupid. "This was a mistake..." He tried to move around her to get to the door.
Dea gripped Pops' wrist and wouldn't let him go. "Wait! Let me explain." While she could have easily gone off on how horrible Tammy was and kept him busy the entire night, it wasn't what she was getting at. As long as Poplar didn't keep moving for the door, she'd let go of his wrist and look up at him again, getting close. "I'm glad because I missed this." She was stealing a kiss from him whether he liked it or not, throwing her arms over his shoulders and with quite a bit of passion. She didn't let go right after, either. "I missed you and staying at your appartment and I never want to let you go again, Poplar."
Poplar stopped when she asked him to, but he didn't know why. Then she was kissing him hard and he didn't really respond to it. She was saying she missed him, missed being at his apartment and he tried to move back from her. "That isn't why I came here Dea...you don't have to...that isn't what I want." His voice was flat, "I saw you. I saw you with Brae, and I know it was just sex or whatever. It's fine. I don't want what you gave him. I just...I needed a friend..." He looked away from her, down to the ground and swallowed hard. "I was afraid I might do something stupid if I had to stay alone."
Dea let him talk, let him get it off his chest, but she wasn't letting go. "Pops, listen to me." She paused to make sure he was paying attention. "Brae has always been just sex. I made a mistake sleeping with him again, one I didn't realize until after it was already done." She chewed her lip a moment and tried to look up into his eyes. "Poplar, it was different with you. I don't want just sex. I want you."
Poplar could only stare at her for a moment, "I was coming to tell you that I liked you that night." Maybe she'd remember finding red roses on the ground. He reached out to touch her cheek, "But then I saw you with Brae and I felt like an idiot...." He wasn't even sure how he felt now. He cared about Dea, but Tammy had just ripped his heart and his confidence to shreds.
Dea's cheeks flushed at that news. "I didn't know..." She had found the roses the next day after Brae had disappeared and even brought a few into the apartment because they were so pretty. She turned her face into the touch and felt her heart beat pick up. "It was a mistake. I never should have let him..." No, that wasn't quite right. "I shouldn't have slept with him. I'm so sorry Poplar. I was stupid not to realize how much I felt for you before that night." She looked up at him and searched his eyes, wetting her lips. "Do you still...?"
Poplar brushed his thumb over her cheek, "I..." His throat felt dry and he swallowed again, "I do care about you Dea...but I cared about Tammy too and I don't..." He trailed off and stared at her, before deciding to fuck it all and he leaned in to kiss her. It felt good, it felt right...and he melted into the kiss as he tried to make it say what he couldn't with words.
Dea felt her stomach drop when he didn't quite answer. Then she felt fluttery which was diminished by his admitting he cared about Tammy too in the same breath. She wasn't sure who he cared about more... But then they were kissing and she didn't care. It did feel good and right and she poured all of her feelings right into it as well.
His hands dropped to her waist and he held her close, "Dea...Dea..." He panted between kisses, which were coming much faster now. He held her close against him, and then buried his face against her neck and shoulder after a moment. The ring box had been dropped on the ground and was forgotten for the moment as Poplar just clung to Dea, likely getting her all wet as well.
Dea melted up against him, letting him get her clothes wet. She pet his back and hair and just wanted to be close to him. "Poplar..." Her eyes fell to the ring box on the floor and she felt her heart squeeze. She wanted to tell him something, but the words stuck in her mouth, so she just held on to him.
"Hm?" He pulled back to look at her, "I wish...you had told me before..." He didn't really want to bring up Tammy's name. "She was cheating on me the whole time. I really am the biggest idiot." He was still shivering and he looked down at her clothes with a frown, "I got you all wet..."
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