Not An Act
By Linda/Linables

Hey look, I'm back from the dead and finally writing again! This has actually been a long time coming; I started it this summer but put it off for a long time when I lost the muse. But I pushed myself to finish it, and eventually I did. So here's the end result: a lovely lemon-scented Wybie x Coraline oneshot! I hope it's good, considering I haven't written any fiction in a long time. Well, anyway, here we go.

P.S. This fanfic is based on a Coraline mini-comic I did this past summer called "It's Okay". You can see the comic in my DeviantArt gallery, here: imprefectlin .deviantart .com (Please remove the spaces!)

It was a brisk, grey, and in all aspects normal evening in Ashland, Oregon, when it happened for the first time. The smaller bedroom of apartment B, of the Pink Palace apartment complex, was occupied by two teenagers. Coraline Jones and Wybourne "Wybie" Lovat were comfortably perched on the old couch in the corner of the room, watching a rented DVD. Coraline's room had changed to her tastes along the years, and on the brink of eighteen, she kept in it a small couch that her parents had retired from the living room, and a bed devoid of the lacy canopy of her youth. The room as a whole had a deeper, darker, color scheme, pinks and creams giving way to dark blues and dusty purples. In an attempt to keep the room "on the mature side", Mel Jones had refused to allow her daughter to paint her walls with black and bright blue stripes, instead forcing her to opt for a color called "crisp denim". Coraline had relented but insisted on keeping her comforter decorated with black bats.

The couch had a nice view of the television perched on top of a tall set of drawers, a television which was currently flickering with the images of a B-list horror film. A film that, judging by the bored expressions on the faces of its watchers, was not very good.

"This has got to be the worst movie I've seen this year," sneered Coraline. "The made-for-TV slop that my mom was watching on Lifetime yesterday was better than this."

"Yeah, it sucks pretty bad," Wybie agreed, nodding his head.

The two had been talked into renting the movie by the check out guy at Hollywood Hideout, the only video store in Ashland. At this point, neither could remember why they had agreed. It didn't take long before Coraline grew so tired of the movie that she stood up and announced that she was going to go downstairs and fetch a drink for herself. After asking Wybie if he wanted one as well, Coraline took her leave.

After she left the room, Wybie was left with only two choices as to what he could focus on: the terrible movie, or the more pleasant thoughts inside his head. There was really no competition, so Wybie settled on dwelling in his thoughts.

Wybie's thoughts centred mainly around three things: his custom-built motorcycle, going to more exciting places than his neighbourhood on said motorcycle, and Coraline. For the last seven years, the third thing had taken up a great amount of space in his head, and the space it took up had grown ever larger as time went on. He had discovered that he had a crush on Coraline at about age fourteen, and that crush had later developed into much stronger feelings.

Wybie often recalled the events that had occurred just over two months earlier, and whenever he did, he felt as if his chest had swollen to twice its normal size. Replaying the scene in his head was certainly more enjoyable than the movie that was playing outside of it, so Wybie let himself dwell on those wonderful memories.

It had been late September, and Wybie had driven Coraline to the mountains a few miles from their homes. They had left his motorcycle chained to a large tree at the base of one of the mountains, since the rest of their journey was to take them up a narrow uphill path that would have been impossible to traverse on wheels. Night was falling by the time the two started walking back from their destination, and the Oregon air was growing increasingly chilly.

Wybie had noticed that Coraline was shivering next to him, so he had asked her if she was alright. Coraline told him that she wished she'd known it was going to be so cold, because she hadn't brought a jacket. After considering the cons: Coraline possibly acting awkwardly towards him, Coraline leaving a bruise on his arm, Coraline leaving a bruise on his jaw...Wybie had bitten his lip and removed his own coat, placing it on Coraline's shoulders. Surprised, but seeming neither awkward nor violent, Coraline had asked him whether he was now going to be cold. Wybie, braving the cold air, had told her that he was used to it, and that he was wearing a long sleeved shirt, while she wasn't. Blushing slightly, Coraline had pulled the coat on and thanked Wybie.

The two had walked onward for some time when Wybie got an even more daring idea. After hesitating for a good minute or so, he had slowly reached out with his hand, tentatively grasping Coraline's smaller one within it. Immediately, the girl had turned to him and posed a questioning "Huh?" Alarmed, Wybie had let go, and he started shooting off excuses and apologies.

"I'm sorry!" he had said. "You weren't wearing any gloves either, so...I thought...your hands might be cold. I'll let go!"

Then, walking as fast as his long, gangly legs would take him, Wybie had continued, "We're almost at the motorcycle. I have a spare pair of gloves there, and you can..." But he was cut off by Coraline, who had run after him and managed to seize him by the shoulder.

"Wybie! Wait!" she had said. Then, calming down, she had added this: "It's okay...really." And to reinforce her point, Coraline grabbed Wybie's hands herself. After sharing a moment of locked eyes and flushing cheeks, Coraline had given Wybie the surprise of his young life by rising up onto her toes and quickly catching his lips with her own.

At that split second in time, everything seemed to stop and be held in limbo; Coraline wondering whether she had read Wybie's feelings correctly, and whether the kiss was going to be well received, and Wybie trying to come to terms with the mind-blowing fact that the girl of his dreams was actually kissing him. Once Wybie had embraced the full reality of the situation and eagerly kissed back, Coraline had wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into the kiss, confident that the boy would not react unfavourably.

When their lips parted, Coraline had gingerly backed up from Wybie a little bit and looked up at him, her freckled cheeks and the bridge of her nose still rosy.

"So, uh..." she had started, trying to fully regain her composure. "Let's get back to your bike, then. And tomorrow..maybe we could, you know...go do something together?"

Knowing full well what Coraline was asking, but hardly able to believe it, Wybie had replied, "Absolutely!"

That had been the start of it, and neither had looked back since.

These thoughts quite often played through Wybie's mind, whether the situation allowed it or not. Every experience involving Coraline left a permanent mark on him somehow. The day they became a couple was forever etched in Wybie's mind, the scene as clear in his head as if he were living it once again. And although he sometimes still had to pinch himself as a reminder that this was indeed real, that he was in a relationship with the girl of his dreams and she did love him back, the memory remained a thing of elation.

At that moment, Coraline's bedroom door squeaked open and she walked in, carrying two cans of store-brand soda with glo-stick colored bendy straws inserted into them. She kicked her door closed, and repositioned herself next to Wybie on the couch, handing him one of the cans.

"Hope that's okay," she said. "My mom decided to put off shopping until the weekend again, so it's all we have that's stomachable."

"It's great, no worries," Wybie reassured, taking a long drink as if to prove it. The soda was slightly flat, but it was satisfying enough. Plus, Coraline had brought it for him, which sealed the deal.

With their sodas in hand, both teens reluctantly turned their attention back to the movie. There was really nothing else better that they could think of to do, it being late at night, or they would have pressed "Stop" in a nanosecond.

"My god," Coraline lamented, shaking her head. "The only thing worse than the story in this movie is the acting. Look at that woman – she's pathetic. There's a psychopath killer on the rampage, and she's trying to look scared, but freeze frame that and she could just as well be saying 'Oooh my god, I broke a nail! I'm like, gonna die!'"

Coraline gave an exaggerated imitation of the woman's shrill, annoying voice, clasping one hand onto her cheek and thrusting the other hand out in front of her face, as if mourning the chipped tip of a French manicured digit.

Wybie laughed and nodded in agreement. She was completely right, but he had a feeling he would have laughed even if she hadn't been.

Coraline giggled as well and placed her head on Wybie's shoulder. It wasn't long, though, before she found something else to say. Coraline was actually someone who disliked talking during movies, but that rule, they had found, was only to be followed during movies that were actually good. In this case, the comments that she made were much more entertaining than the movie itself.

"And that woman," she started, sneering. "You know they only hired her because of her huge rack."

To accentuate her point, Coraline reached her hands up and (having lost about 99% of her modesty around Wybie) grabbed her own, normal sized chest, making it look unnatural and large.

Wybie, despite himself, choked and felt his blood boil.

Coraline continued anyway. "Even I could do better," she grumbled, releasing her chest and making it bounce ever-so-slightly.

Wybie was sure he would hyperventilate soon.

"Uhh...s-so...so can you act?" he asked, trying to sound as normal as possible. Coraline grinned. Wybie had never been good at hiding his emotions.

"Yeah," she said, deciding at that moment that it was the right time for the next thing that she was going to say. "Sure I can."

She moved in closer to him, looping an arm around his neck and bringing her face close enough that their noses were only centimetres apart.

"For example," she continued, weaving a hand into Wybie's messy, voluminous hair. "I could act like someone who doesn't want you right now."

Coraline locked her eyes with Wybie's as she said this, and he could see them shine with both playfulness and sincerity as the corners of her lips curved upwards.

Wybie's mouth hung open slightly and he felt his cheeks burn as he took in the information. It was too good to be true. She couldn't have just said what he thought she said and meant what he thought she meant! His head spun, his heart pounded, and he was completely lost to the world apart from the girl next to him. He stared at her and took in her expression. Everything about it indicated that she had meant what she'd said, regardless of the teasing way she had delivered the line. But still he needed to make sure.

Wybie's voice cracked as he attempted to answer her.

"A-are...are you serious?"

Coraline giggled. "Yes," she said, looking at him sweetly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Wybie heaved a few breaths, taking it in, and the next thing Coraline knew, he had pulled her to him and was kissing her fiercely.

She melted into his embrace, wrapping both of her arms around his neck and adjusting her position so that she was straddling his hips. Reciprocating the kiss with matching intensity, Coraline angled her lips against Wybie's so that they fit together perfectly, sending shivers down both of their spines. When Coraline felt a tongue graze against her upper lip, she immediately parted them, and shivered happily as it slipped into her mouth. This was nothing new to either, but this time held behind it a unique fire of passion that was unable to be reigned in by just one kiss.

So, tentatively, Wybie's hands began to wander from their starting position on Coraline's waist. One drifted downwards, settling on her hip, and the other ended up pressed against the back of her head. It held her there, straining to keep her as close to his body as possible, and Coraline complied willingly.

As the slightly more daring one, said young woman allowed her hands to run slowly down her companion's chest. Wybie shivered, nipping Coraline's bottom lip with his teeth. Coraline let out a sound that melted into a moan against Wybie's mouth, and pressed her hands more firmly against his chest, grasping handfuls of his shirt. Then as the two broke apart from their kiss, Coraline pulled the fabric upwards. Wybie reluctantly removed his hands from her just long enough to lift them into the air and allow the shirt to be peeled off.

Coraline smiled as her fingers fell onto bare skin and ran idly over the small tattoo slightly below Wybie's left collarbone. He had gotten the intricate, stylized image of a heart tattooed there about a month ago. When he had it done, Coraline told him that, coincidentally, her name's meaning was "heart". Wybie had simply looked at her and smiled, saying, "Yeah, I know." Coraline had then flushed crimson, her actual heart suddenly beating seemingly a thousand times harder in her chest.

Leaving her reverie behind, Coraline once again pressed both palms flush against Wybie's chest, sensually dragging them down with her fingers slightly arched, nails faintly scraping against his skin. The boy shivered again in pleasure, leaning forward and attaching his mouth to the crook of Coraline's neck. He opened his mouth slightly and placed there a slow, fleeting kiss, lips lingering over her skin for some time after and hot breath grazing the spot. Coraline gasped at the sensation and quickly decided that she wanted to feel it again. She lifted one hand from Wybie's chest and wove it into his hair, holding him down gently.

Not needing to be persuaded, Wybie continued to place a trail of kisses down over Coraline's upper chest, stopping only as he came to the edge of her T-shirt. Needing more, Coraline lifted her arms and began to strip the piece of clothing off, Wybie catching on quickly and assisting her. When it hit the floor, Wybie's lips returned to Coraline's chest, now meeting with a vast expanse of bare skin. Coraline gave a low, keening moan as his tongue darted out and its tip traced a path on her right breast, right along the upper edge of her bra. Her eyes closed, she didn't see when Wybie's hand rose up from her hip to softly brush over the other breast.

She gasped, feeling heat radiate from his freshly ungloved fingers through the black lace. The gasp broke into an "Mmmh" sound, and Coraline tightened her grip on Wybie's head, which was still bent down over her chest. He continued to kiss and nip at the milky skin of her cleavage while his other hand slowly made its way around to her back, finding the clasp of her bra.

Before proceeding, Wybie lifted his head and met Coraline's eyes. "May I?" he asked, index finger running over the set of hooks. "Please," answered Coraline, voice breathier that she could have imagined. So he went on, managing to unhook the clasp with only minor fumbling. After the garment had been pulled off of her, Coraline let out a breath that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. For a split second she instinctively felt the need to cover herself, now being completely naked from the waist up. Her apprehension faded quickly though, aided in large part by the wondrous look on Wybie's face. She had never seen such a look grace his features, but it made her feel more confident than she could have thought possible.

Hesitantly at first, but growing more confident when presented with no objection, Wybie's right hand rose up and cupped one of Coraline's unclothed breasts. The girl drew in a sharp breath and her eyes shot closed, her head tilting back slightly. Encouraged, Wybie ran his thumb over the soft pink tip, feeling it begin to stiffen. His touch sent little tendrils of energy through Coraline's body, and she groaned in pleasure, never having felt anything quite like his fingertips against her skin – rough and slightly calloused from working, and so good against her soft, pale flesh. When Wybie's other hand met with her other breast, Coraline had to quickly wrap her arms around the boy's neck to avoid toppling over in pleasure.

His touch was causing Coraline to become increasingly aware of the throbbing that was starting between her legs, and she squirmed in his lap in an attempt to alleviate it. This caused Wybie to close his eyes and moan deeply, raking his fingers over her breasts with more urgency. The domino effect was a blissful one, each partner growing more and aroused with each passing action. Coraline shifted in Wybie's lap, and realized just how true this was when she brushed up against the painfully obvious bulge at the crotch of his pants.

She gasped quietly at first, but soon a small smile appeared on her face. With half-lidded eyes, Coraline shifted again, deliberately rubbing up against Wybie's crotch. The boy opened his mouth a let out a strangled gasp, the sound fading into a low hum as his head rolled back and his hands tightly gripped Coraline's waist. She rubbed up against him a few more times, both parties feeling his arousal even become more prominent as she did so.

"Ohh...Jonesy, you're killing me." Wybie breathed out, lifting his head to meet her eyes with a smouldering gaze.

"Well, maybe this will help." said Coraline in a voice that came out much more low and sensual than her own.

With that, she lowered her hands to the button of Wybie's jeans, and swiftly unfastened it. She was about to grasp the zipper pull when Wybie suddenly sat up in alarm and grabbed her wrist.

"What's wrong?" she asked, confused.

"Is your door locked!?" Wybie answered, eyes widening at the thought of Mel and Charlie finding their daughter topless and straddling her clearly aroused boyfriend.

Coraline smiled in relief.

"Yeah, it is," she said. "I always lock it when we're up here."

Wybie looked up at Coraline with a raised eyebrow and a sly smile on his face; a look that clearly said "Oh, is that so?" Coraline gave a similar smile, and returned to her earlier task of unzipping his pants. After she did so, she moved off of his lap for a moment and Wybie arched his back a bit, lifting his backside off of the couch so that his pants could be slipped off of him. Coraline tossed them onto the floor, but before returning to his lap, she stood up and unbuttoned and unzipped her own pants. Wybie watched with wide eyes as Coraline wiggled her hips to aid in the removal of said garment, sliding it down inch by inch and finally letting it drop to her ankles. She stepped out of the pants and kicked them aside, then re-positioned herself onto Wybie's lap.

The only things separating the two now were their underwear, and consequently, the heat in the room seemed to shoot up dramatically. Wybie rested his hands on Coraline's hips, and his eyes travelled slowly over all of the newly exposed skin on her, drinking it in hungrily. She looked so perfect to him – creamy skin that was unbelievably smooth, subtle curves that made his heart race, and lithe limbs that felt so right wrapped around him. Unable to resist, Wybie let his hands travel from her hips upward to her breasts, and he cupped them again in his hands. He flicked his right thumb over the peak of her left breast, feeling how taut the pink bud was. A sense of exhilaration ran through him at the thought of being the one who had had this effect on her.

Half by instinct, half by sheer want, Wybie lowered his head down to Coraline's chest and gently caught the nipple between his lips, ever-so-slightly raking his teeth over it as he did so. Coraline let out a moan that, if he hadn't been in such a love-induced daze, Wybie would have feared could be heard all the way downstairs. Encouraged by the sound, Wybie flicked the tip of his tongue over the stiff bud, earning another keening, throaty moan from the girl on his lap. He continued to nip and suck as he rolled her other nipple between the fingers of his free hand, before switching sides.

When Wybie finally pulled away from her chest, his eyes caught Coraline's and he took in her face. Her cheeks and the bridge of her nose were tinted a deep pink, her mouth was slightly open as she took short, gasping breaths, and her eyes were glazed over with a flurry of emotions that weren't all discernible but all pointed towards one direction: want. Want to take this further, want to give herself to him completely, want to show him just how much she loved him. Not needing encouragement, Wybie whispered, "Should we move to some place more comfortable?"

"Yeah," said Coraline breathily, and she gestured towards the bed in the corner of her room. Wybie nodded and quickly gathered her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style to the bed and laying her down carefully onto it. She smiled at him, and he climbed up onto the bed as well, hearing it squeak as he lay down next to her. His hands found her hips again, and he fingered the elastic edge of her panties.

"Go ahead, take them off," said Coraline, looking at Wybie with a sincere, unhesitant expression.

Wybie nodded, and though he could hardly believe he was doing so, he took a hold of the elastic and pulled the panties down. Coraline lifted herself slightly off of the bed to allow them to be pulled over her backside, and kicked the garment off when it was pulled down to her ankles. Wybie's breath caught in his throat as he gazed at her. She was unbelieveably sexy at that moment. His eyes washed over every inch of her, taking in everything from her face to her toes.

A residual blush was scattered over Coraline's nose and lightly freckled cheeks, and her lips were red and kiss-swollen. Silky dark blue hair fell onto her shoulders and around her on the pillow, a few wisps resting on her long, pale neck. Her bosom rose and fell with her accelerated breathing, nipples still rosy and stiff. Her waist was narrow, and curved out into delicious voluptuous hips which led to long legs and dainty feet. Smiling, Wybie noticed that the only garment left on her body was a pair of lavender striped toe socks.

Noticing Wybie's eyes on her, Coraline asked, "What are you looking at?"

Meeting her eyes, Wybie answered, "You're amazing. So beautiful."

Her blush growing darker, Coraline playfully smacked Wybie on the shoulder, offering up a lighthearted "Shut up, Wybie."

Smiling mischievously, Wybie leaned in close to Coraline and whispered in her ear, "If I can't tell you that, can I show you?"

"Mmm...please do." was the answer, which broke into a gasp as Wybie's tongue traced the edge of Coraline's earlobe.

Not needing to be told twice, Wybie rose up onto his knees and grabbed the waistband of his boxers. Before he could pull them down though, Coraline's hands had risen up and seized the elastic themselves.

"Let me. You got to do mine." she said, grinning.

Returning her grin, Wybie allowed Coraline to pull the garment down. He pulled it off the rest of the way when it pooled around his knees with only slight trouble. Now free of all physical barriers between them, Wybie lowered his body over Coraline's, marvelling in the sensation of her bare skin against his. She was warm, and the contact sent tingles down his spine. Much in the same way, Coraline was amazed by the sparks that seemed to dance across her skin wherever Wybie's body touched hers.

"I love you," Wybie whispered, meeting Coraline's gaze and smiling tenderly.

Coraline managed a wobbly grin, but her eyes were soft. "I love you too, Wybie." she let slip out.

"So, uh...are you – are you ready?" he blurted out, his voice suddenly cracking under the weight of what he realized he was saying.

"Never been more ready for anything," Coraline answered, making all of his nervousness melt away.

So, with nothing left to do but go forward, Wybie propped himself up above Coraline and positioned himself to enter her.

The sincerity and want in Coraline's eyes as he took a final glance at her was all he needed, and Wybie slowly pushed forward into her. As the tip of his member breached her, Coraline's eyes closed and her lips opened in a silent gasp, her hands grasping onto his shoulders and encouraging him to go on. Wybie did so, resisting the urge to shut his own eyes under the rush of pleasure. Coraline gave a soft cry that broke into a moan as he bottomed out inside her. Wybie stayed still as she adjusted to the feeling, and soon enough her eyes opened and a small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. She thrust her hips up slightly as a signal for him to continue, and he wasted no time in doing just that.

Wybie pulled out partially, then swiftly thrust back in, earning an impassioned gasp from Coraline that was like music to his ears. He continued to move in and out, feeding off of her moans, and contributing many of his own as their movements progressed in speed and intensity. It wasn't long before Coraline was crying out his name, the syllables punctuated by short, gasping breaths. Her name rolled off of his lips as well, mixing with the sound of her voice and the sound of perspiration-soaked bodies slamming against one another in a primal, age-old rhythm.

Coraline's legs rose up from the bed and hooked themselves around Wybie's hips, keeping him as close to her as she could and allowing him to sheath himself inside her as deep as possible. Her pale hands grasped his shoulder blades, nails raking his darker skin. The thought flashed through her mind that she might leave temporary marks, but somehow she knew that Wybie wouldn't mind in the least. That made them even, anyway, considering that Wybie's head was currently nestled in the crook of Coraline's shoulder, his lips and teeth busying themselves with activities that would most definitely leave a mark there the next day.

Coraline's moans crescendoed as the pair's movements reached a peak intensity, Wybie's hips slamming into hers with unabandoned fervour. He was vocal towards the peak as well, gasping out her name along with words like "love", "so good", and "oh god", among pants and gasps. It didn't take long for Coraline to reach her breaking point after that, just a few more thrusts and she felt herself losing control, hurtling over the edge as her she tightly grasped the sheets beneath her and arched her back in ecstasy. Her warm, slick walls tightening around his shaft were enough to bring Wybie to the same point, and he cried out in pleasure as his body stiffened up and he released inside of her.

Breathing heavily as he came down from his climax, Wybie propped himself up above Coraline on his forearms and met her eyes. She smiled at him and brought a hand down to cup one of his cheeks, her expression still full of the same certainty and love that she had shown earlier. Wybie slowly pulled out of her and returned her smile.

"Wow..." was all he managed to say at first, sated from the experience.

Giggling, Coraline ran her hand up into his messy, sweat-soaked hair and whispered, "That was amazing."

"Definitely," Wybie echoed.

For a while both just lay there, basking in the each other's closeness. Then Wybie, upon realizing something, chuckled softly.

"What?" asked Coraline, while lazily tracing circles on his chest with her forefinger.

"We never turned the movie off." said Wybie. "It's probably over by now."

"Huh, you're right. Oh well, no big loss, is it?" Coraline answered, making Wybie nod and both of them laugh quietly.

Then another thought occurred to Wybie. He raised an eyebrow, smirked rather suggestively and said, "So were those screams I was hearing coming from you or the movie?"

Quickly picking up on his joke and playing along, Coraline answered, "Oh, definitely me. Those bimbos don't have it in them."

Wybie continued. "Oh, so maybe they should cast you in one of those movies, then. You'd do a much better job."

Coraline immediately knew what to say to counter this.

"I would. But that's not gonna happen, because you're the only one I ever want to make me scream like that."

And then, before she could say another word, Coraline felt Wybie's lips press against hers. Smiling into the kiss, Coraline closed her eyes and all words were forgotten.