LIPS OF AN ANGEL.

one-shot.

Age Twelve.

Even at the age of twelve, Charlene Dolson was deeply entranced by Nicolas Parke's lips. In comparison to the other boys in her class, Nicolas was a stunningly beautiful young man of the same age, known for his charm and sharp tongue. Both were born into affluent families with bags of money available at their disposal, but limited time on hand to attend to their children. Trust fund babies were usually taken care of by their nannies until the age of five, when most were old enough to be shipped off and taught at the most prestigious prep school in the country while their parents continued throwing champagne parties to further their careers. Rarely did Charlene – or Charlee, as known by her friends – go home. Many of the children preferred staying at school, even on the weekends, and it was this one weekend on a particularly chilly November's evening when Charlee began to notice the beautiful lips of Nicolas Parke. The two were acquaintances at best, as neither shared the same fifth grade class. Charlee usually watched him from afar. He was always in the spotlight, not only for his good genes but for his competent abilities in regards to school.

"What are you staring at?" Charlee's friend Josie asked as she sidled up to her. It was the end of lunch, and the whole school of trust fund babies were making their way back to class, off to learn more about how hard it is to live with money pouring out of ones' ass. It's a tough life, really.

"Nothing," she answered, a little too quickly. Charlee felt her cheeks heat up as if she had been caught doing something illegal. When you're ten, everything was considered illegal.

Josie turned to look in the direction Charlee had previously been staring off at. A devious grin graced her face as her bright green eyes locked on the handsome young boy talking to one of his friends as they followed the crowd back towards the main school building.

"Nicolas," Josie said. It wasn't a question, but a statement. Charlee watched as her friend giggled, feeling her cheeks turn a little bit brighter at the thought of Nicolas's own cousin catching her staring at him. She refused to believe she was yet another girl harbouring adoring affections for the infamous Nicolas Parke. "Do you like him?"

"No!" she exclaimed, causing a few people to turn and look in her direction questioningly. "I just happened to look in that direction!"

Josie giggled again and patted her on the back. "It's okay Char, I was just wondering, that's all. Although you are blushing really badly."

Charlee lowered her head, which turned out to be a horrible idea when trying to navigate through a hall of students. Especially ones with designer bags bouncing by their side, ready to rip your head off if you so much as brushed against their prized possessions.

Josie linked her arm through Charlee's to ensure neither would be lost in the sea of bodies. "Anyway, I nearly forgot what I wanted to tell you. Some of us are planning to go to the lake tonight after curfew. It's Michel's birthday and I thought we should do something to celebrate it. What do you think?"

It wasn't the first time Charlee and her friends had snuck off in the middle of the night to hang out by the lake. Their parents forked out thousands of dollars each year for their children's elite boarding prep school and strict curfews and routines were enforced to ensure their billionaire clients' children received the best education that could be provided. The children of Hamilton Prep were rarely allowed off campus, and the closest Charlene and her friends have come to being normal was during their little rendezvous by the lake. Josie's own brother had been the one to show Josie the secret door behind the tapestry that would lead her beyond the high walls surrounding Hamilton Prep and towards the lake. Josie had wasted no time in making sure every one of her friends benefited from this brilliant secret, and tonight, they were going to make their way through to the lake once more.

Just the idea of freedom made sitting through her afternoon classes bearable.

*

The group of six kids arrived at the lake with Charlee bringing up the rear, holding Michel's birthday cake securely in her hands. The night was cold, and everyone looked like giant marshmallows in their thick puffy jackets.

"Best weather, isn't it?" Michel exclaimed loudly, causing many 'shut ups' to be thrown in his direction.

"Jeez Mic, it may be your birthday, but don't make me strangle you," Josie teased, with the moonlight brightening her smile.

"You wouldn't!" Michel shouted loudly again. This time, Jeremy punched him in the arm.

"Dude, no one wants to be caught, you know."

Charlee smiled in Michel's direction as he pouted. She waited as Josie, Selena and Bridget laid out the picnic blanket before lowering the cake slowly to the ground, glad to be rid of the heavy burden. She was just about to stretch and take in a deep breath to savour her freedom when two out of breath voices broke the silence the six friends had fallen into.

"Sorry we're late!" a very familiar voice called out, much to the chagrin of the six friends as they frantically shooshed him, warning him to lower his voice. "Anthony here couldn't locate his shoes," the voice continued, softer. Charlee could almost make out the owner of the voice rolling his eyes from way he talked.

"Hey! It's not my fault all my other sneakers have holes in them," replied the other new arrival.

Turning around, she could just make out the form of Nicolas Parke and his friend Anthony Rivers. Charlee shot a wide-eyed look in Josie's direction, to which she only received a smirk in return.

"Don't worry about it, you guys," Michel replied, yet again talking a little too loudly. "Just glad you can make it."

The picnic blanket was large enough to fit all eight people on it. As Selena attempted to light the candles, Charlee found herself sneaking small glances in Nicolas's direction. She noticed her eyes kept locking on his luscious lips which were turning a rosy pink dur to the cold night air. She wondered what it would feel like to kiss those lips, but mentally slapped herself for having such thoughts. This is Josie's cousin, she reminded herself, friends do not date their friend's relatives. With the same coloured eyes and dark hair, they looked all too much alike. Definitely a no go. Not when half the girls in her grade were crushing on him as well.

Charlee sneaked one last peak at Nicolas's lips before joining in with singing happy birthday to Michel in lowered voices.

*

Josie had suggested they play hide-and-seek. Boys against girls. Selena and Bridget had agreed readily to the idea, wanting to prove that girls definitely much better than boys, even at the age of twelve. Michel and Jeremy disagreed, of course, and so the war was on.

The guys had chosen to seek, much to the disappointment of Josie who hated hiding in the bushes alone. Michel had laughed at her before being told to 'shut up' and lower his voice once more; and Nicolas managed to call her a chicken. At that point, Josie was ready to prove her worth.

"Just count already, you annoying waste of space," she retorted, "and you guys better not cheat. I'll skin all your ass's, you hear me?"

At that, the four girls had scattered and Charlee now found herself alone and waiting behind a large tree near the water. She was pretty proud of her spot. It was quite far from anyone else and no one would suspect her to hide so close to the exposed lake. The game would be over in fifteen minutes, and if no one found her, then the girls would be victorious.

Rubbing her arms profusely, she willed her teeth to stop chattering. She didn't want it to give her away. Losing was not an option.

Five minutes had passed, and she was beginning to feel pretty confident about winning until a pair of hands suddenly covered her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, stopping her from screaming 'bloody murder' at the top of her lungs.

"Got you," a voice whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her back. She couldn't tell if it was from the chill of the weather or from the familiar voice. Before she could make up her mind, the hands were lifted from her eyes and she was spun around to face Nicolas who had a lopsided smile plastered on his face. From the light of the moon, Charlee could just make out the curves of his lips as the corners lifted up higher before opening to dispel a bunch of words. Charlee forced herself to look away from those rosy coloured lips. Instead, she concentrated on what Nicolas was trying to say.

"…found you so I think I deserve a prize, don't you think?"

She was confused but nodded absently. The smirk on his face deepened, which should have sent warning bells through her head, but her attention was once again locked on those luscious lips of Nicolas Parke's. And suddenly, those lips of his were on hers. They were cold from the chilly air, planted upon hers hesitantly. Neither knew what to do next, and Charlee could only gasp when Nicolas pulled away quickly.

And so Charlene Dolson lost her first kiss to Nicolas Parke's lips. Not that she was complaining.

*

Age Seventeen.

Hamilton Prep was Charlee's past, and she was glad that part of her life was over. Six years in the awful routine hole of a school was enough to make even the rich wish they were dirt poor. Charlee found herself back home after she graduated Hamilton, with only Michel, Nicolas and Josie living close enough to attend the same high school as her. Whereas her, Michel and Josie were still the best of friends, Nicolas tended to stay away from them altogether, preferring to befriend the ones who spelled Trouble with a capital T. It had been a long time since Charlee's lips were de-virgined by Nicolas Parke's, but her fascination with that part of his face was still as strong as ever.

Many times she had accidently walked into a classroom occupied by Nicolas and his fling of the week, making out by the back window. Overcome by shock, Charlee would flee immediately, but not before catching a glimpse of those lips she'd once kissed beside a moonlit lake.

They were considered a little less than acquaintances, neither bothering to acknowledge the other even when they brushed past in the halls. She'd only told Josie about the kiss – to which her friend had squealed excitedly over, exclaiming how cute she and Nicolas would be together – but that was five years ago, and even Josie had stopped suggesting how adorable it would be if she and Nicolas dated. Five years was long enough to change a person, especially someone like Nicolas Parke. Almost everyone worshipped him, not only for his good looks but also for his charismatic ways that charmed even the iciest of hearts.

Charlee pushed all thoughts of Nicolas and his lips out of her mind as she rung the doorbell to Stephanie's house. Steph's parents were away for the weekend, so naturally, she had decided to throw a party. The music hit her like a shock wave when the door swung open for her to be ushered in. The lighting was dim but strobe lights danced across the walls in dizzying colours. As expected, every trust fund baby from around the neighbourhood was in attendance. Friday nights were party nights, even for the adults.

"Char!" Charlee spun around just in time to watch a clearly drunk Josie stumbling towards her. Her best friend managed to trip over a lone shoe sitting in the middle of the floor and staggered forward before strong hands reached out to steady her. Charlee watched as Josie giggled at the grim faced boy before patting him on the chest and swatting his hands away. "Thanks daaaarling. You're my hero!" she slurred.

Charlee raised an eyebrow at their friend Michel, who had now wound his arm around Josie's waist to steady her. He rolled his eyes in response and Charlee smiled knowingly. It didn't take a genius to figure out the undying devotion and love Michel held for their best friend – and definitely not in a platonic way. Everyone could see it, just not Josie. The girl was forever blind to Michel's advances, but at least Michel was patient.

"I'm taking her upstairs to one of the bedrooms!" he shouted over the deafening music as Charlee squeezed her way past couples making out against the walls. "Here, take this. I think she's had enough for one night." He pushed the half empty bottle of Cascade into Charlee's hand while Josie whined and made a blind grab but missed entirely.

"Make sure she doesn't die, alright?"

Michel shot Charlee a wide grin before lifting Josie up into his strong arms. She smiled at how well her best friend fit into Michel's arms. If only Josie could see for herself.

"Anything for you, Char. Have fun, and don't make me come down for you too, okay?" Michel bent down and pecked her cheek before turning towards the stairs with Josie.

Finishing off Josie's half empty bottle of Cascade along with two plastic cups of mixed Midori, Charlee stumbled her way through the gyrating bodies dancing in the main room, and down the basement stairs to emerge and find a small group of people sitting in a circle watching two girls make out with each other. The guys were hooting loudly, shouting for an encore as hands reached out to grab her, forcing her to join the circle. Her appearance was met with drunken greetings. By that time, Charlee was feeling a little tipsy herself, and readily agreed to join in on the fun.

"Next two people have to spend seven naughty minutes in the back cupboard!" the guy on Charlee's left announced. The suggestion was received with a round of drunken applause and Charlee managed a giggle as she sipped carefully from a bottle of Breezer her friend Ashlee had handed her.

All eyes were on the guy as he reached towards the empty wine bottle sitting in the middle of the circle and gave it a spin. Charlee's eyes widened and she giggled again as she realised the bottle had landed on her. She stood up without managing to stumble backwards and watched as the guy spun the bottle once more. The suspense was evident in the basement, as every eye trained themselves on the spinning wine bottle. One girl gasped as the bottle finally stopped, and all heads turned to make out the winner. Charlee nearly dropped her bottle as her fuzzy brain focused on his face…and those lips.

Something was shining on the corner, catching the dim light of the ceiling as the corner of his mouth lifted up in an all too familiar smirk. Those lips of his were as familiar to Charlee as the back of her own hand. They had been the object of her fantasies for quite a while, as much as she hated to admit it. Tonight, mind fuzzy with alcohol and lids heavy from exhaustion, Charlee's eyes were once again trained on Nicolas Parke's lips.

She was half aware that he'd taken hold of her hand and was leading her towards the back cupboard, much to the excitement of the rest of the group. The guys whistled and hooted as the girls giggled and clapped. Charlee, on the other hand, could concentrate on nothing else besides Nicolas Parke's lips.

"Is that new?" She stood on tippy toes, trying to get close enough to examine the new addition to his perfect lips. "I don't remember it ever being there the last time we kissed." She noticed he had a lip ring on the corner of his mouth. The ring shone as light hit it, and she couldn't help but think that it was the ideal decoration for Nicolas's entrancing mouth.

Apparently, she'd asked loud enough for the rest of the group to hear. The hooting grew louder, but soon disappeared into the background when a corner of Nicolas's mouth tipped upwards into a half smirk. Charlee felt her chest constrict, as if her heart had suddenly ceased beating. Her breath hitched as Nicolas bent down, brushing his lips softly against her ears as he whispered into them. "I'll tell you when we're inside that cupboard, okay?"

Her heart beat wildly as the doors closed behind them, diminishing what little light there was in the first place.

"Seven minutes, guys!" a voice called from the other side of the door, soon forgotten as a strong hand brushed against her thigh. Her breath hitched again as another found its way onto her hips. Before she knew it, her back was against the wall and those lips she'd fantasised about for five years were trailing butterfly kisses down her neck. Her moans were inevitable as the cool metal of his lip ring brushed against her own aching mouth, sending her mind into a whirlwind of dazzling lights and explosions. She felt like a volcano erupting; thrilling, deadly and with no thoughts for its aftermath. Her hands tangled itself into Nicolas's hair, pulling him towards her as if her life depended on him. Or his lips, at least.

Charlee bit her lips to refrain from allowing another moan to slip out of her mouth as Nicolas brought her legs up to wrap around his hips. Her support relied solely on Nicolas and the wall now, and the thought of falling made her wrap her legs tighter around him. As if provoked by her actions, he attacked the side of neck harder, leaving behind a thousand deadly marks, as if he was trying to brand her as his own.

Her heart felt like it was going to explode into a pool of stars as Nicolas's lips met her own again. He bit down on her bottom lip harshly, to which she gasped, allowing him entrance to where her tongue lay awaiting in anticipation. The last time she'd kissed him, they were twelve. Too young to know what kissing really meant, they'd only shared a peck, if you could even call it that. Back then, it felt like intimacy at its highest peak, but with Nicolas's hands travelling slowly up her sides under her shirt and his tongue tangling into a fine mess with her own - both trying to gain dominance - her twelve year old belief of intimacy with Nicolas Parke were blown right out of the water.

Another moan escaped before she could stop herself, not that she would. The overwhelming sensation of having Nicolas in her arms, between her legs and leaving his mark all over her was enough to drive any other thoughts to the back of her mind.

"You're so much better now than when we were back at Hamilton," Charlee managed to say breathlessly as Nicolas nibbled on her ear lobe and played with her breasts. He stiffened suddenly, pulling away from her and letting her shirt fall back into place.

"What did you say?" he asked. His voice held none of the passion he had been displaying only seconds ago.

Apparently, the alcohol in her system was speaking for her tonight. Charlee continued allowing the words spill from her mouth before she could stop them. "You know, that one time by the lake on Michel's twelfth birthday. We kissed."

"No," he stated firmly. "We did no such thing. I don't even know who you are, let alone having kissed you when I was twelve."

Charlee felt like he'd shoved a knife into her heart and twisted it just for laughs. Thankful that the cupboard was dark – which concealed her embarrassed, flaming cheeks – she was about to demand for Nicolas to put her down when the cupboard door swung open and a dizzying splash of light fell upon the room.

"Well, well," the guy at the door exclaimed and chuckled, "I guess you two really did get it on in there. Pay up, Jono."

Another head – most probably Jono's – popped up, the smile sliding off his face as his eyes landed upon Charlee and Nicolas. "Daaaaang. Would you look at you guys!" His words were slurred, but they still managed to cause Charlee's face to brighten in embarrassment. She realised a beat later – and to her absolute horror – that her legs were still wrapped around Nicolas's waist in a compromising position. She untangled herself from him quickly and pushed him away in horror before managing to stable herself on steady ground once more. Patting her hair down as if it would help, she chanced a glance at Nicolas, but he was already stalking out the door – shoulders tensed. He looked like he'd just been in a fight, not making out with a girl in the back cupboard of Stephanie's basement.

His family left town the following week. Little did Charlee know, their seven minutes in the cupboard was the last time she would see Nicolas Parke for another six years.

*

Age Twenty-two.

Barely managing to kick off her shoes without tumbling over, two bodies fell onto the soft, Japanese silk sheets of Charlene Harvey's bed after a long night of seductive glances back and forth. Charlee couldn't recall the man's face very well, but she knew he was attractive – and had the most amazing lips. Some girls liked their men buff, some liked them rough – but for Charlene, she picked her men for their lips. Many worked their lips with mastery skills, but none came even close to giving her the same sensations she'd felt all those years ago, when she was still seventeen.

However, the past was the past. Six years have flown by, and Charlee was now twenty-two and more beautiful than ever. Once known as Charlene Dolson, she'd since changed her last name when her parents divorced three years ago. She now had a successful career as the editor of her father's publishing company – and tonight, she'll be bedding a man with lips of an Angel.

Two bodies melded into one as arms and legs tangled together. Charlee found herself naked and pinned under the man in a matter of seconds, not objecting to the idea of having a man on top. She might be dominant in bed, but this man seemed more comfortable in that position than anyone else she'd had sex with. Not that she was complaining. With lips like his travelling down the length of her body, there was no way Charlee could think straight tonight.

Her arms wrapped around his neck and torso, pulling him closer to her as he trailed hard kisses down her face. Drunk on lust and possibly from the two bottles of wine at dinner, Charlee barely had a flash of déjà vu before the thought was pushed to the back of her mind. Only once had the beautiful lips of a man been able to induce the kind of euphoria she was going through now – and that one time was not something she liked to think about often, especially not when another was licking her nipples with enough skills to make her orgasm without penetration.

She was aware of her loud moaning and occasional screams as the man sent her through explosions of fireworks and a tornado of ecstasy. Their bodies tangled together in a fit Charlee couldn't help but marvel at, and even the dizzying effects set off by the fire of their lips were enough to send both sweaty bodies into spasms of exhilaration.

A flash of the man's green eyes – so much like her best friend Josie's – tickled at something long forgotten, but those thoughts were pushed out of her mind once more as they went for round two.

*

Charlee found a transcript where the man should have been when she woke up the next morning. Usually, she despised waking up to see the faces of her one night stands. More often than not, the alcohol consumed played a big part in exaggerating their attractiveness, and Charlee usually found herself regretting her decision as she bent over the toilet with a killer hangover.

Today, she woke with the disappointment of finding an empty bed where the man who had managed to make Charlee orgasm four times once occupied. Instead, he'd left behind a stack of paper binded neatly into a mock book.

As the editor of a successful publishing company, Charlee was used to men sleeping with her for a little leg up in the publishing business – most believing she'd publish their books for the price of one wild night. Most often than not, she used them for a quick fuck. She had a theory if they were bad in bed, then their writing was most likely shit as well. The man from last night was definitely good in bed. Picking up the transcript, Charlee settled herself down to take a glimpse at the first three chapters.

Two hours later, the three chapters had turned into five, and five had turned into the whole book. Used tissues surrounded her bed and the last tear slid down her cheek as Charlee laid down the transcript onto her lap. Not usually one to cry, Charlee brushed away the lone tear, feeling a bit embarrassed with herself, but unable to move for fear of letting the transcript out of her hands. The raw emotion behind the words had her at a loss of speech, feeling a little idiotic as the narrator's voice continued to flow through her mind, battling for dominance much like his author had last night between the sheets.

Charlee figured the book – or soon to be if she had her way – was based on the true story of a boy so damaged by the people around him that he couldn't be who he truly was deep down inside. Diagnosed with bi-polar disease, the protagonist grew up in an environment full of richness and great expectations, but the things that occurred behind closed doors soon began to shape him as a person.

The loss of the girl of his dreams broke her dam of tears and wouldn't stop flowing even till now. Charlee wept as she read about the conditions the protagonist was bound to, and how his disease restrained him from allowing himself to hurt the girl he loved, even at the age of twelve. Their kiss beside a moonlit lake moved Charlee's heart to pieces, but she couldn't figure out why. It felt like a distant memory, pulling at a thought long forgotten.

The things the protagonist went through to keep his love safe and at a distance cut her deep to the soul, especially when he talked of breaking her heart on purpose. He threw himself at other girls to protect his love from the monster stirring within him.

Their second kiss was inside a cupboard – a laughable matter if Charlee hadn't experienced the same thing before. She cried again as the protagonist recounted the worst moment in his life; when he turned his back on his love, believing it was the only path he could take with his condition.

Anguish was evident in the writing, and the thought of losing the person you love for six years and counting was enough to make Charlee roll up into a ball and cry for the man who'd been through so much yet only for something so unfortunate to happen once again. Each word the protagonist wrote felt like a stroke of the brush on canvas. Each word was an entity of its own, and collectively, strung together a book so full of love, hate and compassion, the literary world would be thrown into a wild frenzy when the book hit shelves worldwide.

Turning to the cover, Charlee nearly wept once again as she read the title.

Lips of an Angel.

N. J. Parke.

The author's name pulled at something in her insistently, like something she'd forgotten to tick off her to do list.

The next page was a dedication. Charlene felt her heart stop while her breath hitched.

For Charlene Dolson,

The girl with Lips like an Angel. Where ever you are in this world,

I hope you can forgive the boy who loved you so much,

he pushed you away because he was scared.

Charlee choked on her breath as sobs overtook her. She shook wildly as an emotion she never thought she would feel overtook her entire soul, sending her into a frenzy of dizzy contentment shadowed by the weight of what her boy with the beautiful lips had gone through.

Her hands shook uncontrollably as she picked up the phone. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, and wiping furiously at the tears streaming down her face, Charlee managed to dial the number included on the transcript.

"Hello?" a deep voice answered on the other end. Charlee's heart beat wildly as she recognised Nicolas's voice. He asked again when she didn't speak up. "Hello?"

"I-I forg-g-give you," she whispered.

It was silent on the other end. Almost believing that Nicolas had hung up, Charlee was about to hang up and try again when his voice broke the silence.

"Charlee Dolson?" The two words were asked cautiously, tentatively…almost unbelieving.

"Yes," Charlee managed to squeak. She was twenty two but acting like she was twelve again. For once, she didn't care. "I need you, Nicolas Parke. I need you and your damn lips and I've needed you for ten years. I need you like you needed me to see through your façade when we were seventeen and I need you now more than ever." She was out of breath, waiting – waiting with her heart on the line.

The silence on the other end nearly shattered her heart. A single tear slid down her cheek as a sob escaped her lips. She was about to hang up once more when she heard a whisper so soft, it barely reached her ears.

"I…I need you too," replied Nicolas Parke from the doorway of her bedroom with one hand holding a phone to his ear. "We were born to be together Charlee, only if you would let me." He whispered into the phone, but Charlee heard it loud and clear even without it.

Two lips met that day, not for the first time, nor for the second. They didn't meet with uncertainty, but with a passion only true Angels wielded. Sometimes, it takes a while to realise that two souls are meant to be together, but when they do, true sparks will fly.

Ten years and six months since she felt Nicolas Parke's lips touch hers by the moonlit lake, Charlene Dolson officially became Charlene Parke.

*

A/N: Erm, yeah. I seem to love to write when I procrastinate. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing though. This piece isn't new. It was written for The Write Away as a challenge piece back in Feb or something. I decided to post it under my '100 Themes' and it's been on there for a while, but I've been thinking of taking it down after my exams are over. I've got a billion other stories that I'm planning to write, and I'm going to start up a website soon because I feel like it. :D

So yeah, since I'm going to be removing '100 Themes', I decided to do a little edit of this story before reposting. There are only minor changes, but hopefully, the changes make the story more realistic and flow better. Here's to hoping. ;D Oh, and exciting news, for me I guess, if anyone has read my 'Siren's Seduction' over at '100 Themes', then I've decided to turn it into a full blown story. Is it just me that's excited? Probably. But yay? Haha.

-J. xx