A/N: Hey guys. So this isn't my best story. It's not even in the top three, I would say. But, I don't want to prejudice you to it, so let's forget I said that.

This is just something that popped into my head at work after I couldn't get the taste of cigarettes out of my mouth. This is completely unreviewed, un-beta'd, and just…. Written and uploaded. So, review and let me know what's good, what's bad, if I should continue, or if I should just throw it out. Thanks!

Also, I hate formatting. Kthxbai. Really. Also also, the '888888888's are breaks. I can't figure out the lines and page breaks and all this black magic you all use. :) Thanks!

The first thing Cat noticed was the smell. It was acrid and it made her sneeze as it tickled her nose. The second was the taste. She took a deep breath and almost gagged as the thick, bitter taste settled onto her tongue. Still, she brought the slim, white cigarette back to her mouth and inhaled once more. She held the smoke in until she couldn't stand it and blew it all out in a rush. She began coughing and, as she did, a tear broke free and trailed down her cheek.

Beck pulled into the parking lot at the school and cut his engine. He had almost made it home from rehearsal when he realized he'd left his backpack in the theatre. Normally, he would just leave it until the next day, but he had a paper due the next day in Theatre History, and failing this paper would bring his grade down significantly. And he could not afford to get a bad grade.

The sun was low to the ground and blinded him as he got out of his truck. He turned his back to it and walked towards the school, cutting through the Asphalt Café to the door by the black box that he knew could always be jiggled open easily if everyone else had already gone home. He was just passing his usual lunch table when he heard a cough and a soft 'ow' coming from under the raised stage. He slowed his pace to a stop and shaded his hands as he peered into the darkness. "Hello?"

A sharply inhaled gasp was the answer to his query. He took a step closer to the stage and called again. "Who's there?" All he could see was a bright flash of red through the bars, but it was enough. "Cat?"

"Oh, no." He heard her anguished voice more clearly as he rounded the stairwell and found himself face to face with little Catarina Valentine, holding a cigarette tightly between her fingers.

"Cat, what are you doing?" His eyes widened slightly as he took in her turned down mouth and tear-stained face. He raised his eyebrows as she shakily brought the cigarette back to her mouth inhaling and exhaling the smoke poorly.

"I'm practicing."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Cat regretted them. She cursed herself and her habit of always saying the first thing that popped into her head internally as Beck's eyes narrowed at her.

"Practicing what?"

"Smoking," she said, cursing her mouth once again. Beck furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at her and she didn't like it.

"Why are you practicing smoking?"

Cat tried so hard to keep her mouth shut until she could think of a lie to tell him, but his eyes were so warm and curious as he looked into hers that she couldn't help herself. Her voice came out small and unsure as she answered him. "So I won't look stupid when I do it in front of you."

Beck had to fight to keep a smile off his face as he watched Cat struggle with herself whether or not to tell him. His eyes caught hers and what he saw there was not the happy-go-lucky Cat to which they'd all become accustomed. Her eyes were a myriad of emotions swirling together, and he could see himself getting lost in their maze. Her next words caught him completely off-guard.

"So I won't look stupid when I do it in front of you." Beck's eyebrows flew up in surprise. He was so very confused.

"In front of me?"

"Yes.. No.. I just.." Cat was getting all worked up, trying to get her words to come out right, and Beck didn't notice he was reaching out until his hand had crossed the short distance between them and came to rest against the warm skin of her arm.

"Hey, it's okay, Cat. Breathe." He kept his hand on her arm, absentmindedly rubbing small circles with his thumb against her surprisingly soft skin until she had taken a couple of deep breaths and calmed down. He pulled his hand back and Cat's mouth pulled into a slight frown. He pursed his lips into a straight line and studied her. "Do you want to talk?"

Cat shook her head violently and stared down at her shoes. "Okay," he said slowly, trying to gauge what she needed. All he could think of was, "Want me to show you how to do that right?"

Cat sniffed and looked up at Beck. He was smiling that soft half-smile of his at her, and had his hand held out for her cigarette. She nodded her head as she handed it over to him. He swung himself onto the stairs where she had been sitting and gestured for her to join him in the narrow space. She sat down on the stair above his, so they were eye level. The coldness of the metal pressed into her through the thin material of her jeans.

"Okay," he said, and Cat dragged her attention to his words and away from the close proximity of his body. "First, you hold it like this," he demonstrated, holding the filter part between his two index fingers. "This way you can squeeze the filter to flick the ash off." Cat watched his fingers as he did just so, expertly flicking the gray particles away from them. "Then, when you smoke, you inhale half a breath from the cigarette, and the other half from, well, the air." She watched as he brought the cigarette to his lips. He wrapped his lips around it and inhaled before bringing it away. He took in another breath, holding it for a second before letting it all out, slightly pursing his lips to angle the smoke away from her face. "You see?" Cat nodded, pulling her gaze away from his lips and bringing it to his eyes. "Okay, you try."

He held the cigarette out for her to take. She did, her hand brushing against his as she did. As she brought it to her mouth, she could still feel his touch all along her hand, like a current of electricity had lit the nerves he'd touched and now she couldn't ignore it. She took a shaky breath in, and remembered at the last minute to breathe in regular air. She ended up gasping in only a tiny bit of air and coughing as she blew the smoke right back into Beck's face. Her face was burning red, but he only laughed slightly as he waved the smoke away from him. "Sorry!" she squeaked.

"That was a little better," he said, still smiling at her. "Want to try again?" He rested the arm he had been waving the smoke away with across her legs, and the warm pressure was steadying. She inhaled twice and held it in, feeling how it was different. Feeling the smoke actually reach her lungs. She exhaled and this time managed to not blow it into his face. She looked at him, and the proud smile he gave her made her really smile for the first time that day.

"Much better," Beck said, beaming at Cat. He felt proud, oddly, and at the same time he knew he should not feel proud for helping to corrupt Cat's innocence. But once she gave him her full megawatt smile, it didn't matter what his conscience said. Cat reached down and picked the brand new pack of cigarettes and lighter off the ground and offered them to Beck. He took one and smirked at the bright, colorful lighter Cat had chosen. He lit his and took in a long drag. He held it in as long as he could and let it out slowly.

"I didn't mean just you," Cat said in a soft voice, he looked over to see her watching her feet. "When I said I didn't want to look stupid in front of you, I meant all of you." He watched her face, waiting for her to continue, giving her all the time she needed to organize her thoughts. He was dragging in another breath when she spoke. "I want… I want to be different. I want to do something different. I just… I just want you all to see me." Beck blew out the smoke and looked at her until she glanced up at him.

"What do you want us to see?" She averted her eyes back down to her shoes, but he reached out and stopped her, moving her face until she had to look him in the eye.

Beck's fingers were warm on her cheek and his breath smelled of the smoke they were sharing and cinnamon gum. His eyes were warm and imploring as he searched hers. She sighed.

"I'm just sick of everyone just seeing Crazy Cat all the time, and not… just Cat."

"Who's 'just Cat'?" he asked, his voice hushed. Cat's voice was quiet to match his when she answered.

"Someone who doesn't want to always have to put on a show. Someone who wants to… wants to be bad sometimes. Who wants to be serious without everyone laughing like it's a joke. …I want to be real."

Beck stared into her eyes as his fingers slid back along her cheek until he was cradling her head in his hand. He leaned closer, and Cat was sure he was going to kiss her, until he stopped. His face was an inch from hers. Close enough for Cat to feel his breath on her lips. She slid her eyes shut and breathed in, steeling her resolve. And without any hesitation, she pressed her lips against his.

She was slightly startled when he kissed her back, still halfway expecting him to push her away, to reject her. Cat opened her mouth slightly and drew his lip in as she kissed him, tasting the cinnamon that lingered there.

Cat's lips on his were gentle but insistent and he couldn't help but kiss her back, something he had been thinking about, but hadn't thought would be allowed. Her lips tasted like sugar, pure sugar, should taste. Pure sweetness. But they also tasted like the tobacco she'd been smoking. It was exactly what Cat, this new Cat, should taste like. She pulled away first and his wet lips were cold in the wind without her to warm them. She shivered and lifted her forgotten cigarette halfway to her lips before stopping and looking at him.

"Beck, I—" Her voice was tortured with indecision and he cut her off.

"It's okay, Cat. No worrying," he instructed her, voice gently firm, a smile on his lips. She nodded and shivered again. It was then that Beck noticed that the sun had firmly set and they were seeing by the light of the lampposts along the road that ran past the school. The air was cold and Cat was most likely freezing in her t-shirt and jeans. He slid his arms out of his denim jacket and placed it around Cat's shoulders, pulling it tight around her by the collar.

"Come on. Let's get you home."

Cat pulled Beck's jacket over her arms and scooped all of her stuff into her purse. "Beck. Why did you come back here?"

"I needed to grab my backpack. I left it at rehearsal. Do you mind if we run in real quick?" He was looking at her for permission and Cat almost laughed.

"I don't mind, Beck. It'll be like we're spies!" He laughed and they walked to the building. Cat 'stood guard' while Beck jimmied open the door. The hallway was dark, save for the streetlights streaming through the windows. They door to the black box theatre was unlocked and opened easily. It closed behind them with a small thump and made Cat jump a little.

"Stay right here, I'll go get my bag," Beck said, already moving towards his seat earlier that day.

Cat stood still for a minute, but after so much silence, she couldn't stand it and started walking forward slowly, hands reaching in front of her. "Beck?" she whispered, bringing her hands in closer to her body.

"Yeah?" he answered, a half second before they collided. His hands wrapped around her to catch her fall and hers found their way up to his shoulders. Cat giggled softly.

"I found you," she sing-songed. She giggled again, unable to help herself. Her fingers played with the shoulder seam of Beck's flannel shirt as they stayed clasped together, the darkness making them linger.

"We should go," Beck finally said after a moment. Cat nodded before she realized he couldn't see her.

"Okay," she whispered back, even her sotto voice seeming loud in the space. Beck's arms dropped from around her waist. His hand reappeared in hers, and he led them to the door and back out to the parking lot. He dropped her hand when they reached his truck and walked around to unlock it. She pulled his over-large jacket around her tightly while she waited, grateful for the warmth.

Beck leaned across the seat and opened the truck's door for Cat. He started up the engine as she slid in and once she was buckled up, he pulled out of his spot and out of the parking lot. The drive to Cat's was short and familiar from the many times he'd driven her home. Those drives had never been silent, and this one was no exception, but this time her words seemed to have more of a meaning. Her random stories weren't so random if you tried to follow her thoughts. He watched her from the corner of his eye as he drove, keeping one eye on the road. When he pulled up in front of her house, the lights were spilling across the lawn.

"Hey, Beck?"

"Yeah, Cat?"

"Don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Cat bit her lip as she watched for his answer.

"Of course not," he answered with a smile. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks, Beck," she said, smiling and relieved.

"See you tomorrow, Cat."

"See you!" She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. She looked surprised when she pulled back, and must have resembled his expression exaggerated and expanded. "Um, goodnight!" she trilled as she clambered out of the car. He chuckled as he watched her walk up the front path and into her house.

"Goodnight, Cat." He drove home, his hand absentmindedly rubbing over his cheek.

Cat opened the door to her house, walking inside and shutting it behind her quickly. She leaned against it, a small smile playing over her face.

"Cat? Honey, is that you?" Cat's mom called, walking into the entry way from the kitchen. She smiled at her daughter over the mixing bowl she was holding and stirring. "Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Go clean up, sweetheart."

"'Kay, 'kay!" Cat called, already heading to her room. She walked inside and closed the door behind her before dropping her bag and walking to her bed. She buried herself in the pink blankets and pulled Beck's jacket up around her head. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of cigarettes and spicy cologne. It smelled just like Beck and the secret they shared. She pulled Mr. Long Neck to her and wrapped him in her arms, stroking him as she lay deep in thought until her mom's voice called her out of her reverie and into reality.

"Tomorrow, Mr. Long Neck. Tomorrow."

A/N: Hey! So, I left it at a bit of a cliff hanger…. So tell me what you think! Click the review button it's right here!