Illusion Flavour Fic Challenge Entry

by Feifu

Irish Cream: Hidden Motives

Pairing: James x Anna (technically speaking… eh heh heh )

Rating: NC-17

Warning: AU; lemon/smut (thus the rating); angst

Disclaimer: Illusion is a story written by my dear friend, AnaBarton. You can find the main story, as well as original Illusion art (done by yours truly) at this site: All characters are purely fictional, and any resemblance to circumstances in real life is, as far as I know, coincidental.

He hadn’t been completely honest with her. No. Not really. Maybe that was why he didn’t feel such remorse when she told him the news.

She was going to break up with him.

It had hurt. A little. It wasn’t as devastating as he’d thought it’d be. Maybe it was the way she chose to say it, or the circumstances that happened before she said it. It somehow did not matter. Nothing much mattered…

It had begun as a bet, as a lot of things did when he and Russell were the ones interacting. At first he had been reluctant to try it since he was otherwise already engaged, so to speak. But he found himself going back to the same place every week, trying to unobtrusively watch her. She was quite amazing, really. Truly wonderful to watch, and he was smitten.

He felt like a stalker, following several feet away from her whenever she walked home to her boarding house some blocks away from the university. He made sure she didn’t see him though, and apart from that one glance back one time, she never did acknowledge his existence. He followed her to know where she lived, and mainly to make sure that she got home safe since she had the habit of going home late. Why he cared that much was beyond him. She just had that effect.

He had sat next to her one time, at the café; pretending that he was as busy reading that novel he had to read for an English class as she seemed to be with her textbook. He watched her slowly bring the straw to her mouth and sip from the Irish Cream topped frappucino she ordered about an hour ago. She then brought the straw out and absentmindedly licked the cream stuck to it. He hid a groan, indulging in an altogether more sensual vision of her licking something else of his. He had wanted to grab her and devour her lips that very moment but instead fought to compose himself. He was, after all, in a public location. Instead, he stood up and ordered the very same drink she was having. When he took his first sip, he imagined that this was what her mouth would taste like right now if he did kiss her.

That was the time he finally learned what her name was. It was on the cover of her textbook. Such a short name it was, so simple; and yet so fitting for her simple and quiet beauty. He knew he had to learn more about her.

Trouble was that she traveled amongst a totally different circle. And she didn’t seem to belong to any of the recognized school organizations. He had asked around and all he got were blank stares. Nobody he was acquainted with knew who she was. He had even started thinking that she was some kind of a ghost had he not seen her talking to others.

Then he saw it: the new college yearbook that had her picture in it. She had graduated. It was over. He took too long… too much time doing nothing, to make any kind of move to get to know her. Now it was near impossible. She had left the school, was no longer a student. She had gone beyond his reach.

James gritted his teeth, thrusting harder and faster into the willing woman beneath him.

Maya groaned aloud, “James, oh god!!! There! More!”

James stopped. He had already succeeded imagining that it was altogether another woman beneath him, and the intrusion of Maya’s voice in his fantasy broke his concentration. He gritted his teeth together, anger sufficing his system as he hissed, “I told you to be quiet!” He was pissed off enough to withdraw his still aroused length from her, unwilling now to finish what he had started now that the illusion was broken. “Dammit!”

Maya opened her eyes as soon as he stopped. She shivered more from her need for fulfillment than from the obvious dark anger in James’ voice. She had been so close! He couldn’t possibly stop now. She arched her hips up, trying to take him back in but he was already moving away from her.

James slapped off Maya’s arms when she tried to stop him from leaving the bed. He entered the bathroom, slammed the door shut and satisfied himself. When done, he hurriedly dressed, not minding his still confused girlfriend and her questions.

“James?! What the hell’s wrong with you?!” she called out just as he was about to leave the room. He didn’t answer her. What was he to say? That he stopped because she wasn’t the woman he wanted?

“I’m breaking up with you.”

Maya said that while she watched him. The woman was always watching him. Like a shark about to bite, she continued, “I met someone else. Someone better.”

When James didn’t say anything, she started to look pissed off. Maya angry was not a pretty sight to see. She went all splotchy and red, completely lacking of poise and the usual careful grace she afforded her movements.

“I said I found someone better than you, James! Aren’t you going to say anything?!”

“What exactly do you want me to say?” James asked her, not even deigning to stand from where he sat on the grass in a squat. Not far away from where he and Maya were talking sat his friends, Russell and David, who could easily overhear everything. He and David had been watching Russ’ game when Maya came. Russell must’ve seen her come coz he immediately asked for a time out and sat with David. Not that James minded their nosiness. He was used to them being like that, besides they were his long time friends after all and Maya was just his girlfriend. “Sorry if I disappointed you with my reaction. I’m not the kind to beg a girl to stay when she so obviously wants out.”

From the corner of his eye, he could see his friends wincing. He was usually a lot more tactful than this, James considered. But for some reason, he didn’t feel like being his usual self with Maya today. Maybe he’s just fed up with the way he usually dealt with things. If he wasn’t as he was, maybe he’d be with the woman he really wants by now? He considered that thought. Maybe…

James noticed Maya’s color become redder. Either from anger or embarrassment, he didn’t know. James really didn’t care anymore.

He didn’t stop the slap that came his way. He figured she was entitled to at least one slap or two. He had been using Maya, trying to imagine she was another person whenever he was with her, but he knew that she could never be the one he truly wanted.

Although, admittedly, it hurt a bit. It hurt that she was the one to instigate the breakup and not him. He should have done it first, since he had stopped being attracted to her in a long time, but he had been using her as a buffer against his own disappointment with himself.

As James watched Maya stalk off, he made a promise to himself. He would not get into another relationship unless it was with a woman whom he really liked, if not as much as he liked the one who got away then at least half the appeal of that one. He would never again enter and remain in a relationship like what he had with Maya. No… never again.

Russell’s usual jest was truly getting old. How many times was the idiot going to hound him about his current lack of a girlfriend? Several months had passed by since he had broken up with Maya, and so far, he hadn’t yet met anyone who remotely interested him enough.

James had just parked his car at the local supermarket. David had gotten out to buy some chips for them to bring to the movie theater while he and Russell were staying by the car. He had at first thought about just staying inside the car but tired of Russell’s constant yap, he got out of the car to follow David. Unfortunately though, the loudmouth followed him out, unwilling to be left alone.

James saw David bump into somebody. Correction, somebody bump into David. On closer inspection, James realized he knew who that somebody was. Kristina Claire Mendrez was part of the core group of YFC. She’s pretty, active and somewhat hyper, slightly ditzy, and obviously David’s crush even if the idiot blond wouldn’t admit to it.

James saw Kristina motion to two other girls standing next to her and from the way David was behaving, he figured that Kristina had just introduced them to him. David and Kristina were talking when the two girls moved away a bit and he saw them more clearly.

His heart probably skipped several beats when he saw her.

She looked her usual self, dressed simply in a plain gray shirt with a pair of black drawstring pants and plain string sandals. Her luxurious hair was tied behind her back, giving her that fresh and comfortable-with-myself look that attracted him so much.

He had never expected to see her again. Ever. He had thought that she had gone out of his life forever. Now here she was, talking to people he knew! Mere meters away from him. He wanted to hug her. Wanted to never let her out of his sight…

“Yo, Dave! “Where’s the food, dude?” Russell called out, breaking his line of thought. James realized he had been staring and decided to play it cool for a while. At least until he got introduced to her or something…

James followed after his loud friend, and after some words, Kristina finally introduced them to her two friends. “‘Te Faye, ‘Te Ann,” she said, gesturing vaguely, “these are Russell Marcus and James Blanco; they’re from YFC as well. Kuya Russ, Kuya James, my dorm mates, Faye Panlilio and Anna Flores.”

Yes!!! James thought, meeting her eyes, Anna Flores. It is very nice to meet you… at last.

In his mind he was doing cartwheels and jumping around like a maniac. Outwardly, he remained calm and let Russell talk to her.…

“I remember you.” He heard Russell say, while casually shaking hands with her. “Last year at the Chemical Society’s sports fest. You were the only girl for the home team at the mixed volleyball game against the other school’s Chemical Society.”

Anna grinned at him as they shook hands. “You’re part of the Chemical Society then?”

James barely stopped himself from growling and wringing Russell’s neck. So the idiot knew who she was and he never said anything about it?!

Later on, when David offered for them to drive the girls home, the cogs in his brain started whirling again. He rolled his eyes thinking about all the trouble he went through before just to learn where she lived. He sighed and took out his car keys. At least now it would be easy to track her down.

James noticed Anna watching him and wondered what she was thinking about. He wondered whether she remembered him hanging around her at all. When it seemed that she didn’t, he frowned, half peeved and half relieved.

Russell said, “Don’t mind him; he’s just grumpy. He’s always grumpy come to think of it.” The idiot even managed to elicit a short laugh from her! James decided he had better make sure that Russell didn’t court her. He’d probably murder Russell if he even thought about doing so. Anna’s mine!

James watched Russell turn to grin at him as soon as the girls’ entered their dorm gate. “So I guess the bet’s on, eh James?” he asked as they got back in the car.

James put the car in gear. This was turning out much better. Now he had a legitimate excuse to court Anna to his heart’s content without any interference and teasing from his two friends. He had to make sure of something first though…

“With a minor modification,” James announced. He was going to do this right.

“Oh? What?”

“I want Anna,” he stated bluntly. Or else, no bet. I am not going to go after a girl I don’t like, especially not when the one I truly want is right there in front of me.

James saw his friends’ surprised faces. “You barely spoke with her…” Russ began but a light of comprehension dawned in his eyes. “Is this because she and I already have some things in common?” he asked shrewdly. “I would have thought a bit of a challenge wouldn’t faze our Great Leader.”

He wanted to let Russell think whatever he wanted to think. “Anna’s mine or the deal’s off,” James retorted forcefully. When Russell looked like he was going to say something more though, James stopped him by saying, “And it’s not because of that slight advantage, either, Marcus. Though that could be called cheating on your part as the bet hasn’t officially commenced since I haven’t agreed to it, have I?”

“So why then?” challenged his infuriating friend.

James shrugged and focused his eyes out on the road. “Just because.”

“Sheesh.”

“Is it a deal then?”

“Agreed.”

James felt like he had won in the lottery. He already knew he was going to win. He was sure he would win for he had no plans of letting Anna Flores walk away from his life ever again.

thus it began…

A.N.

Okay… that was done quiet fast. Hope you liked it. James had dictated everything here and I had almost no part in thinking about what to write. My original Irish Cream entry still wouldn’t open up with the password I assigned to it, and I blame James for that and nobody else. It used to work, but when I was supposed to upload it, the stupid file wont accept the darned password. An-nechan already knows about this, sorry talaga Nechan.

I almost forgot to put in the flavor in the story. Gah… and it’s not as angsty as I thought it’d be. Medyo lang, on James’ part for a bit there. I know you probably had a puke moment somewhere up there when I mentioned Maya… hehehe… sorry bout that. Blame James like I do na lang

Btw, if you noticed, I used the same dialogues from Chapter 1, so it’s not as AU as I originally meant it to be, and added James’ POV. I always wondered about James’ thoughts na rin naman when I read that chapter for the first time. Ah well. It’s done.

Ja na!

feifu (December 28, 2004)