No fan of rain

[Lovely]

Sept 13 2010
5:00 a.m.


Respectable people slept this time of day. They didn't sit at stops waiting for connecting bus runs like he was, feeling the drops of rain spitting down on their bench. Despite the covering 'roof', the wind whipped up a few drops now and then. He'd put his pack under the bench to keep it dry, but wasn't sure how long that would last given the dark-on-dark sky and the barely-there signs of morning that told him the storm was only just starting. It was too dark to read and the battery on his music was dangerously close to forced coversation level if he wanted the distraction of sound to keep him awake and not miss his ride. He chuckled to himself. How could he miss it? It was probably the only charter to stop here at all. He leaned down on his knees now, unhooking the headphones from his ears to swing down from his fingers as he watched for signs of the bus or anything better to do.

It might have seemed as if the girl just appeared out of the darkness, her natural stealth kept her movements near silent and the guy at the bus stop had headphones on anyway. She realized this as she watched him pull them off and let them dangle from his fingers, she was half bored and tempted to bat them around, but refrained from doing so as she came up to take a seat beside him on the bench. Aless offered a polite smile, it was brief and she also gave a slight nod, brushing her hands down her knees and then stuffing them into her pockets again. Those headphones were very tempting and playing with them would likely cheer her up where the storm had soured her mood. She didn't like being stuck out in the rain but this was the only stop for miles and riding the bus beat walking during a storm. She didn't have a bag or a purse, her money folded neatly in the pocket of her jeans, her ticket in the other. She wore a light denim jacket over a tank top and a simple pair of brown boots with a slight heel, her hair held back from her face with a clip behind her head. She watched the man out of the corner of her eye.

He turned toward her after a few long, uncomfortable moments. He thought he'd imagined until he'd turned quickly. "Are you waiting for me to burst into flames? It's too wet out here for that," he griped, flipping his headphones into his palm before starting to tuck them away. He sat back and offered a slight grin. "Where are you headed? That's what I'm supposed to ask, right? Then you gigglingly tell me you're going to see your sick grandmother? Or go to school away from the controlling parents?"

Her eyebrow arched up and she stared at him with a half smile for a moment before she shook her head a little. "I'd rather you burst into flames.. that might dry me out some." She chuckled, imagining just that thing and then she let out a sigh. "How about I tell you it's none of your damn business where I'm headed.. and I don't have a sick grandmother to visit.. my parents are dead.. what else are you supposed to ask?"

[Lovely]

Nice. Perhaps if he did at least he'd avoid the small talk and the rain. The thing was, once he looked at her directly, the flowing hair contained only by the small snip of metal, he found himself staring a little in return. On a bench in the middle of nothing and he was fortunate enough to have company with as much spitfire as he had. "No fan of rain. Okay, that's good to know, too," he grinned. "Sorry about your parents. Makes getting away from them easier, doesn't it? How about, do you know if the bus is running late?"

She found herself drawn to his eyes first, then over his almost delicate features and she was surprised a bit that she found him attractive and interesting. He'd actually make a pretty good looking girl too, why she would ever think such a thing, she didn't know. Maybe it was to avoid thinking about her parents? She was sorry about them too. "If they were alive, I wouldn't be trying to get away from them.. they were good to me. I'm not like all screwed up from them or anything." She gave another half smile and let her gaze flick out to the darkness, just so she wouldn't be staring at him, though her eyes wandered back to him quickly. "I really don't know about the bus.. never taken it before.. never been where I'm going before either.. so I guess I'll know when it gets here.. or when I get there." She shrugged within the light jacket, her slender shoulder shifting it open with the movement to reveal a bit more of the fabric and skin beneath it. "Are you running away from controlling parents or going to visit your sick grandmother?"

Not all screwed up from her parents? He found that impossible enough to believe and he was chuckling by the time she turned the questions around. The chuckle was short lived as she asked about the grandmother. He sighed. "I wish I knew. I mean, it might be a funeral by the time I get there. I'm supposed to 'be present' in the next few days and have a meeting with the lawyers and everything," he said, making marks around his words with this fingers. He shook his head. "Never knew her. She was my dad's mom and he's been dead to me since I was ten. It's all very cryptic, actually," he said, looking out at the growing puddles and the barely-lighter clouds.

She was quiet for a moment, just watching him and how he reacted to his own words and thoughts, after the pause she gently nodded her head. "I'm sorry about your grandmother." She sighed softly and her gaze drifted out to the distance though all anyone would see was darkness. "People say you cant miss what you never had.. I don't agree with that.." She didn't finish the thought, leaving the rest to her own private musings about everything she didn't have or hadn't in her life and all that she longed for and was curious about. "My father used to say it.." She added sort of as an after thought. "Anyway.. I'm sorry about your family, I hope it works out in some way."

"Sounds like a reasonable thing to say," he nodded, still staring at one of the puddles. The rain wasn't heavy but was steady enough to keep it rippling. He glanced back to find her looking away into the dark. "I'm sorry he was someone you have reason to miss. If I had anywhere else to be, I'd miss mine all over again," he admitted. "Only hope they make this worth my while."

[Lovely]

"It is reasonable, I just don't agree with it." She sort of smiled and turned her gaze back to him, her shoulder gently shrugging again. "Why go, if you don't really want to? You could be anywhere else.. you have a bus ticket right? Get off at another stop.." She suggested.

He sighed heavily this time. "Oh, something about court orders, estates.. some supposed heavy cash sum and the fact I'm already late on rent? Taking the bus cuz there's no earthly way I could afford a flight, and then still have to grab a bus or rental or whatever to get into town two hours away from everything? Did I mention the part about controlling parents screwing everything up?" He chuckled.

"Oh.. so you're going in hopes that someone you don't know left you a bunch of money?" Aless chuckled and shook her head a little. "I thought I was having a rough trip, you've got it bad." She was sarcastically teasing, if compared she would more likely win on who was having the tougher time of things. "The bus beats walking.. in the rain."

"You're a peach. It's not as simple as that. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying it's not something that I particularly want... the money, I mean. Sure, who can't use it, especially right now, but it's kinda blood money, isn't it? Benefitting off someone's death? Thing of it is, though, if I don't go, my dad, kind loving soul that he's been all my life, will get every penny. If I go and sign the paper, that doesn't happen."

"Ohh and the plot thickens.. you're not going to get the money for yourself.. you're going so dear old dad doesn't get it.. or get it all anyway.. well that's.. not noble but what is the word I'm looking for...? Hmm I get it though, the reason. It's not blood money unless you had something to do with the person's death.. if it bothers you to take the money for yourself, use it to help someone else, well pay your rent, get some battieries.." She gestured toward where he'd put his headphones. ".. and then use the money to help someone you feel deserves it."

"She's got it all figured out, doesn't she? Another mystery solved, thanks to Miss Nancy Drew, here. Okay so maybe blood money isn't what I meant exactly, but it's still weird to think about not having anything then suddenly having more than I know what to do with. I think it changes people and I don't like that kind of change," he said, looking down to his pocket where she'd pointed. His music he could spend enough on in one day, given the chance, and he'd likely have that chance once the papers were signed. He shook his head. Why was he telling a stranger about his inheritance, anyway? "Battery recharges off a circuit or a computer, anyway. Can't buy those. Besides, it's only temporary, isn't it? New thing comes out every year, new music, better toys... it's all crap. Someone deserving of it would spend it on something more sensible. I'm not too sure I like being sensible, either. Take this place out here. Who thought it was sensible to put a crossroad here and a connection for a bus route? If that's sensible, no thank you."

"I don't have anything figured out." Her head shook and she appeared a little offended at how he spoke to her at first, she looked away from him again and listened to the rest of what he had to say. Aless wasn't sure if she should bother to comment now and her sigh was quiet as she played with her lower lip, catching it in her teeth and letting it go. "Everything is temporary." She finally spoke and glanced at him. "But what do I know, right? You know what's best for you.. what you really want."

"Not sure I do," he said quietly, huddling into his jacket a little. This was why he hated small talk. Sooner or later he always said something dumb. "Take you for instance. You get by, right? I wouldn't have thought about having to walk in the rain. I've never had to. I'm late on rent, but I have a place to stay... eh, as long as the rent gets paid by next week, anyway. Can't say I'd be heartbroken if the lock's changed when I get back, but I have a place. It's tough, sure, but I hadn't thought about it being tougher, not having the place, not having the option of taking a bus, or not having anywhere to stay or get to."

"You live and you learn." She smiled and let her gaze flow over him, his life wasn't so bad it seemed but until recently hers hadn't been either. "I like walking, just not in the rain.. I don't like that damp can't get dry feeling.. I had a place to live until about a week ago.. then everything went bad. I'm getting on a bus, so I must have someplace to go right? Might not be the best place, might not be pretty or where I want to be.. but it's someplace. Been sleeping outside for a week.. I had a good dad, he taught me how to get by.. so am I less fortunate than you or more fortunate?" Her shoulder shrugged and she didn't seem to mind the cool morning air against her skin beneath the denim jacket. "People rarely look outside their own circumstances when they are in a place of confusion and distress or whatever you want to call it, heck plenty of people can't look outside their own set of views even when things are good. You seem smart, you seem to know yourself, and I think you know what you don't want which is at least a start."

[Lovely]

Was he staring again? He caught himself this time and he grinned, but didn't look away. "Makes you more fortunate, I think. Your expectations aren't as high... which I think means you can accept confusion... or something." He chuckled now. Maybe he just needed sleep. "I've no idea what it means other than I'm really not comfortable and you seem to be just fine."

"Maybe I'm just stronger and smarter than you are.." She shrugged her jacket off one shoulder as she shifted and then leaned back on the bench to close her eyes for a few seconds. "You should learn to be more grateful for what you have in the now.. things could suddenly get worse." She chuckled and her eyes opened, her face tipping forward to look at him again.

"Now don't go that far. You're not smarter than me just because you don't mind a little rain. And I never said I wasn't grateful, by the way. I just said it seems to change people. I never thought I'd be one of those people, so sure, I'm grateful, just... not sure what about me will change now because of it. Sure, I know myself, but I know myself before all this happened, not what kind of lunatic I'll turn into when it's all done." She wasn't listening anymore, was she? She'd sat back and he hoped she was considering a nap, but her little snicker and taunt had stoked a fire of indignance he was trying to keep contained.

"I -never- said I didn't mind the rain, in fact I despise the rain. Miserable, dreary, and wet.. I absolutely hate it!" She returned with a tilt of her chin and her dark eyes looking at him sharply. She half smiled at the change in his scent and leaned on her knee, making the space between them smaller. "What kind of lunatic you'll turn into? Hmm I'll bet you'll be just the same as you are now, just with money and people who will be eager to listen to you whine about how terrible it all is, because they are drooling and hoping to benefit from your wealth. If you're a strong, smart person, who knows how to appreciate what they have now.. money won't change you. My house burned down, a bunch of people in my family were killed.. so quit complaining about the money you'll be inheriting.. you never know who might be paying attention."

He looked around at the slowly paling sky. "Like who? We're in the middle b-f-nowhere at some ugly early hour. Who'd care? Seriously, who can hear me but you, huh? I'm sorry about your family, I really am, but if anyone's gotta look at things in perspective, it's you, not me. You're not dead. Personally, I'd be a little more happy about that."

Without a word or any other warning she brought her hands up and shoved him hard, hoping it would topple him off the bench. How dare he say something like that! She'd been kind and listened and even offered advice and all he did was complain and whine.. she wasn't the one boo-hooing about how awful things were!

"What the hell?!" He shouted as he found himself slightly airborne and struggling against gravity with already-bent knees. There was no avoiding the puddle on his end of the bench he found himself sitting in a second later, pushing out of it to brush off and regain any shred of dignity he could. How she'd done it, he wasn't sure, but it seemed no effort for her to send him off the end, or maybe he had been sitting too far over and didn't know it. He grunted, flinging the water off his fingers that he squeezed out of the fabric. "What was that for?!"

Aless smirked a little and her eyebrow arched up in a slight arch. "Now you have something to 'b*tch' about." She stood up and stretched, her smile turning nearly sweet, she was obviously amused, was it by his upset or maybe just that she'd shoved him like she would one of her siblings? "The bus is coming." She could hear the engine in the distance though it hadn't turned yet to see the glimmer of headlights in the dark.

[Lovely]

"What?" He looked around but could scarcely make out the movement of the rain against the dim sky let alone anything resembling headlights. He scrambled to check that he had all of his things, ensuring his headphones were where he'd left them and not been lost in the puddle when he fell. He looked back at her, then to the road, still seeing nothing. "How do you know it's coming?"

She watched him from the corner of her eye as he tried to find the bus in the darkness, of course he wouldn't hear it yet. The half amused and half sweet smile stayed on her face as she turned and pulled the sleeve of her denim jacket over her hand and then reached to wipe a splatter of mud off his cheek, if he didn't jump ten counties away. She hoped he didn't spook so easily, that her pushing him off the bench would make him all skittish. "Because I just know things.. look.. you'll see the headlights in a few seconds." She pointed out into the darkness with her other hand.

He paused, mystified by the gesture and by the odd portent of their approaching ride. He looked at her hand, not jumping away, but shifting to make sure she didn't have a marker or blade in her fingers. Satisfied she was only trying to help, he looked back to the darkness, seeing the flicker of the far-away lights. "About a mile, easy. How did you..? I suppose it's just the schedule."

"Moses supposes his toeses was roses.." She hummed quietly with a bit of a laugh that was half under her breath, her hand dropped away from his cheek once she was happy with how clean it was. "There.. good as new." She teased him with a wink and then blew him a kiss, stretching one more time and showing that she wore no watch on either of her wrists, to have known what time it was.

"Excuse me?" He was even more confused now and starting to feel cold from the damp clothes. He blinked in disbelief at the blown kiss and shook his head. Maybe she'd taken a hit of something and it was starting to make her more weird now. The fact she wasn't wearing a watch made him shiver, too. "Okay, that's just weird, but I guess it's cute. Nursery rhyme? Ahh, I bet you have sisters."

"I'm far from an only child.. I even have some left after all the tragedy." She sighed, having a short moment of feeling the ache of her loss again though she was quick to shake it off and push another smile out. "Ahh I think it's from some old movie.. my mother used to say it quite a bit.. she loved the old musicals but I don't recall which it might be from. When you said you suppose.. well it just reminded me.. sorry for being weird. It's a personality hazard."

"Thanks for that warning," he sniped, almost smiling as he picked up his things. Musicals weren't bad but did tend to skew reality more than he felt was healthy to indulge regularly. He noted how she faltered a little as she talked about her mother. He packed away the coarse remark he almost let fly about heredity. Perhaps she had more to escape from than just the rainy weather. "It's alright. Could be worse things to quote, right?"

[Lovely]

She laughed and shook her head. "You're wound a little tight, huh? I don't go around quoting musicals all the time.. like I said.. your comment just brought up a fond memory is all." She folded her arms, licking at her pouty pink lips and watching him with a half sad, half amused expression. "It was just nice to think about something good for a minute with everything that's happened in the past week or so. Thank you for accidentally sparking the memory, even if you think I'm weird for it." The bus rumbled up and rolled to a slow stop in front of where they stood. "Look on the bright side, maybe you can sit next to some quiet person who just wants to sleep like ten rows away from me.. got everything?" She nodded to him and turned to climb through the open doors and up the few steps into the heart of the bus. She showed the driver her ticket and turned to walk down the aisle, finally comming to and open seat.. two actually, the only two it looked like and they were side by side. The bus was full and she sighed quietly, she didn't mind as much as she figured her damp 'sidekick' would.

"I'm not wound up," he defended as though she challenged him now to become wound as he listened to her explanation and double checked around their bench. She slipped away into the bus before he could agree. Was it a bright side to be stuck next to a snoring... boring... stranger? It might just be, he thought, though hoping not to have to explain the marks on his jeans or suffer unrelenting stares for the uncomfortable hours ahead. Perhaps he'd be able to change... He dismissed the thought of using the shallow wash room for anything other than its specific purpose and even avoiding that as long as possible. The thoughts and schemes melted into a hardened mass of lumped glass as he looked at the lack of empty seats and shuffled toward the back to find his companion guarding what seemed to be the one spare seat. He glanced at her and the seat, looking toward the back few rows. "I'll just check back there, okay?"

Her eyebrow arched and she shook her head a little, was the thought of sitting next to her really that awful? Okay.. she had pushed him off the bench into a puddle, but it wasn't like she could do that here. "Sure.. suit yourself. I was going to offer you the choice of window or aisle, but.." She teased him and shrugged, moving to plop herself down in the seat that bordered the aisle, letting him wander back in hopes of finding another open seat.

He flashed a grin and toddled only two more rows, able to match a head to the back of every other seat there was going to the back. He turned around and stopped beside her. "You can have the window," he said, flashing the grin again quickly and hoping that she would move over and not box him into a captive corner.

She pretended she didn't know he was coming back and glanced up with a mock surprise on her face, clearly teasing him as she batted her lashes. "Ohh I can? How sweet of you." There was something about his grin.. and his scent that made her give him a more genuine and warm smile. Without further taunting or protest she gracefully climbed over the arm rest and curled herself into the more closed off space of the inner seat. "So.. how have you been since I saw you last?" Okay, she couldn't resist a little teasing!

[Lovely]

"Nice. Thank you. Change of heart suddenly or is there gum under the seat?" He wasn't given long to find out. The bus lurched forward and he tipped down to take his seat quickly. Who knew a bus to nowhere from some other nowhere would be so full and in such a rush at this dark hour. He adjusted himself in the seat once the bus was in steady motion on the road and it was apparent how slight and slim he was as he pulled a knee up as a barrier against the seat in front of him. He looked over at her a long moment then. She had been nice, hadn't she? "Can't figure you out. Why are you giving me that look? There is gum, isn't there?" He still wasn't sure about trusting her.

"It's a bus.. there is probably gum under every seat." She said a little dryly, she wasn't a nasty person and pouted a little because he apparently thought she was - all she'd done was give him what he deserved. "What's there to figure out? Not like it matters.. anyway, right? We'll get off at our stops and you won't even remember me an hour later." Her shoulder shrugged and he might have noticed how she didn't say that she'd forget him. "Maybe I think you're cute when you're not acting like... you were before." She did her best not to finish the statement and insult him.

He folded his hands in his lap, winging his elbows over the armrests. His fingers didn't sit still, betraying a little shyness suddenly. "That's an honest compliment, isn't it? Thank you," he said without the catty edge he'd been snapping at her until now. "I'm not conceited, I just have a good ear... comes from listening to all the music I guess. So .. um... If I said, I wouldn't forget you, would you take it wrong?"

"I don't know," She said, sitting sideways in her seat to look at him and leaning her shoulder against the back instead. "I guess it depends on how you mean it.. any way I take it has a chance of being the wrong way."

His thumbs steepled as he shrugged. "That I wouldn't forget you and our shared experience of weird upheaval that we're struggling with, honest truth. I think our paths likely will cross, especially if I want them too - but that's... you know.. if you would want them to, also."

She couldn't tell him that she didn't want them to, even though she knew that's what she should do. "Would you want them to.. if I told you, that I can't promise I won't push you in another puddle if you act like an.. ass?" It was an honest question which she asked with a half smile, teasing him a little as well.

"I'll start wearing a wet suit," he said, flashing a brief grin again. His anger over it was fading quickly. "If there's a puddle and an ass to put in it, I guess I really can't blame you. Might have to tug your pigtails in return, though."

"I suppose that's fair." Aless smiled a little in return, she liked to see that brief flash if his grin and reached to put her warm hand against his cooler one, tracing over his fingers lightly. "What happens if your stop is before mine.. how would you make our paths cross again if you don't know where I went?"

"Breadcrumbs?" He shrugged a little again, trying to come up with a sensible answer. "Maybe you'll have to find me. I know where I will be for a few days, but then, who knows? Not much to go back to, so maybe I'm not supposed to go back? When you're off the bus and arrive where you're going, tell me."

"I can't.. if you found me.. it would be different.. but I can't tell you where I'm going. I shouldn't even be talking to you.. or encouraging you to want to look.." She wasn't smiling or teasing him now, looking distant and sad as she held his hand in hers.

"A true mystery girl, aren't you?" His fingers tightened gently around hers. "Tell me I'm the type to listen to a warning, hm? How would I have any idea where to start without getting the whole bus route and trying town after town, stop after stop? I don't have your name exactly, how its spelled or anything about you, so that's not a help. Give me something to go on.. unless you're really trying to shove me off again."

"I have to be.." She whispered, keeping ahold of his hand as she leaned closer as if to whisper a secret to him but instead shifted further to give him all she could really offer him in the form of a tender kiss.

A passenger across the aisle whistled approval of the display then chuckled and looked out the window again.

Iain stared, completely befuddled though he tried to return the unexpected affection. "Not sure that's a way I can ask about you around town," he muttered a moment later, still mystified, with his heart was racing around in his ears at the moment. "Guess I'd better find out which of us gets off first. The bus! Gets off the bus, first."

"I guess well find out when one of us gets off." She said, taking no other meaning to his statement and not getting why he seemed to quickly try to clarify what he'd said. "I don't know where you're stop is anymore than you know where mine is."

"Here's an idea. Get off at my stop," he suggested. "You're hiding something, but it's a safe secret still if it's just coincidence that we get off at the same time, right? Maybe it's not far from where you need to be anyway." He chuckled, "I think I just asked you to run away with me."

"I'd say yes, if I could." Her hand curled more and she nudged her fingers between his, shaking her head slightly. "It's not a safe secret at all.. whether you know what it is or not.. If I go with you.. I'll put you in danger." She whispered, glancing around briefly with a real fear in her eyes as she brought them back to meet his.

"Careful or I will follow you home like a lost kitten. You're making it too appealing not to tempt that fate... danger, suspense, secrets? What's not to like?" He teased at first but her fingers felt cool and her eyes seemed to dart, looking for things in the shadows. "You're serious. Real trouble means you need real help. I can't til I'm done being a human ping-pong ball with the attorneys, but if you need help, tell me how."

Her head tilted to the side at his choice of wording and a barely there soft smile graced her face for a moment, her other hand shifted to cover their clasped ones and she leaned to whisper to him. "The fire that killed my family.." She told him of it briefly while they were waiting for the bus but not in a way that justified how sad she was and how upset she got with him. ".. it was about a week ago.." Her lips brushed his ear as she spoke so quietly, so no one else would hear her over the hum of the bus. ".. it wasn't just a fire and it was meant to kill us all.. only they underestimated our survival instinct and how much we'd fight.. I'm hiding and I'm running from the men who want to finish what they started.. I can't bring you into that.. even if I know I could spend days staring into your gorgeous eyes and kissing you." She bestowed a soft kiss just below his ear, holding herself there a moment before gently pulling herself back.

[Lovely]

How could he defend himself against her if she did that again let alone defend her against arsonists and murderers who had it out for her whole family? He swallowed roughly, almost begging her to continue. "Heh, I'm not afraid, if that's what you mean," he said, lying through his blush-cheeked and lop-sided grin. The chills from her attention worked down into an aggitated shake of his foot that had been resting on his knee that he now moved to the floor, tapping quietly there beneath the seat. "I mean, don't stop if you think it scares me. I do, I want to help. Look, I'm seeing attorneys anyway, maybe they could..."

"No." She said a little sharply to his last suggestion and let go of his hand so she could clench and flex hers without hurting him. "No one else can know.. you can't tell them. You have to promise.. swear on your life that you won't tell them." She looked at him with this intensity and almost a glow to her eyes in the dim of the bus interior. "I shouldn't even be telling you. I'm trusting you with one of my family's secrets."

His hand sought after hers the second she let go, but seeing her fury flood through her, he sat back a little and nodded. "Okay. I won't say a word," he muttered, ensuring those around him didn't hear, either. "On my life," he said, turning away, astonished by the realization of how sincere he felt saying it. He ran his palm down his knee to keep it from quaking with his tapping foot. "So what you said.. um... the rest. I think you really meant that, too, didn't you? I'm helping you - on my life - whether you like it or not," he said, his hand clenching on his knee.

"The rest? Ohh.. you mean about you, what I said about your eyes and kissing you? I did mean it.. only more than days.. but I didn't want to scare you more by telling you 'always'. You might not understand how I can know that.. how I knew it even when I pushed you in the puddle.." She shrugged and reached for his hand again, now that she knew she wasn't going to break his fingers in an angry clench. "I like you wanting to help me and that you feel so strongly about it. I just don't like putting you in danger or the thought of you getting hurt because of me."

"Not just because of you - because of me," he chuckled a little and shook his head. "Everything's changed in such a short time, I'm getting used to the chaos a little bit. If I get off this bus and something happens to you because you needed a second set of eyes you didn't have, or something, I might never know if I don't try to find you, or I might be heartbroken if I find out and could've helped but didn't. Call it the stubborn ass in me, but, no, you're not pushing me off now."

Aless listened to him speak of being heartbroken if something happened to her, she smiled a little and leaned to reward his stubborn ass with another tender kiss. "Then I guess I better get off with you.. I don't want to push you off or break your heart." She promised him and tried to kiss him again.

He wasn't as off balance this time and responded to the kiss more tenderly. His head rested back against the seat a moment later. "You'd do that? Wait around for me to get done with the suits? I hadn't thought you'd want to. Do you think an overnight stay is wise? I mean for you and your... situation? Part of me wants to be stubborn and insist."

"It's not wise of me to be with you at all, but I'm not letting go now." She countered with a small smile and reached with her free hand to brush his cheek. "I have sort of been assessing things as I go.. right now an over night stay might seem safe but a few hours can change that."

"Heh, would you think terrible things then if I suggested we go to one of those seedy motels that charge by the hour? Just to be able to leave fast, I mean. They let you check in with a name like "Smith"... so I've heard," he chuckled, though he couldn't disguise the bit of fear over the idea someone or something might gun down their door.

"I wouldn't think terrible things.. but i would probably think of several.. not so innocent things." She blushed and bit at her lower lip a little, leaning her head against the seat and trying not to think those kinds of thoughts, which was hard with the suggestion and how he smelled. She could sense the fear in him and understood it, it wasn't like she wasn't scared herself but did her best to distract him from that.

"I'm thinking those things have nothing to do with puddles," he said, seeing how it was her turn to blush a little. "Definitely a puzzling girl," he smiled. "I love puzzles more than puddles, for sure. It's a few hours until we get to my stop. What do you suggest?"

[Lovely]

"Hmmm.." She sighed out, thinking of things they could do for a few hours and some of them made her blush deeper. ".. can't do that, we'd get kicked off the bus." She hinted at the direction her thoughts went, she liked his smile and hoped she could coax it out a little more often. "We could talk a little more.. or kiss again.. just to make sure we've gotten it down, right."

He laughed and it was nearly a sweet giggle. He shook his head and leaned to whisper, "All of the above, but save some for later. You're right, we'd get kicked off, but I think it would be so worth it, don't you? Okay, maybe choice D, perhaps getting a little sleep? We may not be able to again for a while, not that it will all be for bad reasons. At least you should. What kind of help would I be to let you exhaust yourself so you can't defend yourself, right?"

"Sleep?" She pouted alittle and slid herself closer to him, her face near his shoulder and her breath warm and light against his neck like a tiny breeze. "That's probably a wise idea, I think I remember what sleep is." Aless leaned up to kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear. "We'll save the other stuff for the seedy motel." She giggled and rested her head down to his shoulder.

She set her head down and he tried to stay still for her to get comfortable. He could doze off, too, and wanted to slip his headphones back on to tune out the drone of the bus, but wanted to keep aware while she rested. His mind was tumbling with the mystification over his own decisions since he'd gone to the bus station to start with and met up with her. He didn't recognize himself anymore and wondered what would happen next. He turned his head a slight bit and reached up to brush her hair down a little. "Sweet dreams," he whispered. "I'll wake you when we're nearly there," or if something happens, he thought.

Aless was truly exhausted, nearly a week with little to no sleep and constantly running and changing direction to keep ahead of the hunters and throw them off her trail as much as possible. It didn't take her long to fall asleep against his shoulder, breathing in his scent and feeling his fingers clasped with hers. Being close to him made her feel content enough that she stretched and curled herself in an awkward position over the armrest to snuggle even closer. After awhile she began to purr softly, the top of her ear flicked a time or two when she would stretch and her free hand rested on his thigh, gently begining to knead in her sleep.

Iain must have dozed off and not realized it until the tickle caught his attention. Not sure what it was, he looked down at Aless who still sleeping soundly, or was she? There was a rhythm to the whole girl who he swore was purring steadily and massaing his leg like a cat. He watched with full fascination, wondering if she was trying to go with their plan for later already and waking him up to tell him. He reached up to brush down her hair a little as her ear flicked, startling him. "Okay, that was... just a twitch, get a grip," he told himself out loud. He looked around at the others on the bus who were ignoring them as he nudged her. "Aless... wake up," he said quietly, hoping she was teasing and not really sleeping and purring.

She'd not been this content in all her life if she were honest, despite the circumstances, and she was reluctant to wake up. There was a pause in the sound of her purr and she groaned quietly, stretching herself and then curling back around him. Her breath fell evenly against his neck where she snuggled and took in his scent, she wasn't trying to tease him and her hand settled over his arm. After a couple minutes her fingers began to knead there and the soft purr began again.

[Lovely]

Now it was his arm at least and not as precarious a position. He adjusted himself in the seat again, feeling a little strained and a little panicked. She was definitely purring, not snoring. "Aless," he nudged again, his eyes wide and wondering as the whisper was harsher. "Wake up, I need to talk to you."

She kind of groaned, reacting to the second nudge and the more harsh tone he spoke in even though his voice was still low. "Okay.. okay.." She murmured and slowly sat up, stretching herself again and blinking the sleep away to look at him as she sat up a little more.

"I'm sorry. I know you need to rest, but you were...," he looked around and was sure to keep his voice low. His eyes were still widened with concern and uncertainty. "I'm not sure how to say it, but you were -purring-."

The look on her face was surprised but not shocked, it was clear she wasn't unfamiliar with doing what he said. "I was?" She sat back against her own seat, looking a little frightened. "Was it loud?" She asked, her eyes darting around to other seats but she didn't see anyone staring or gawking at her.

She was upset, but not in a way suggesting he was making fun of her, either. It was as if he'd caught her. He shook his head. "No, it wasn't. Do you...," he lowered his voice more and glanced around again. "Do you do that a lot? You were.. your fingers were flexing, too, like a tabby cat. It's sweet, kind of relaxing on all counts, but I thought you should know."

She looked away from him and took a deep breath then let out a sigh as her palms rubbed over her knees and the tops of her legs. "Only when I'm happy.. content.. I've never done it in such a public place before, or around anyone other than family."

When she was happy? He was the one reaching for her hand this time. "It's okay. It just tickled and I'm pretty sure I felt a twitch," he said, brushing the top of his own ear and scratching his neck a little. "It was relaxing, a very comforting sound, but I don't think it was loud enough for anyone else to hear it over the bus. Guess I should be flattered if you can relax around me, huh?"

She let him have her hand again and her other lifted to her ear, folding it over a bit as she chewed her lower lip. "I never really relaxed around anyone who wasn't family before.. so be flattered.. I just have to be more careful.. not to relax so much in the open.. that's if you still want to be near me."

"No place else to sit," he teased. He stole up the hand he held and kissed her knuckles. "You trusted me enough for that, I'm not going anywhere. I kinda made a promise, didn't I? Don't make me break it when it's only been half an hour," he grinned.

"I want to trust you with more than that.." She confessed with a hint of a smile, watching his face as he kissed her knuckles. "After what happened, it's a little hard not to worry how you might react to discovering more.. of the mystery." By his scent and the short time they'd shared, she knew if he turned away from her, she'd be devestated.

"Told you that too - I like puzzles," he reminded her gently, resting her hand back down where she'd been kneading. "Save it for now, though, and when we're alone I want to know more. Never knew a girl who purred before."

"Puzzles are one thing.. what happens when you've put the pieces together and see what's been hiding in the box?" Her fingers gave him a light squeeze where he set her hand down. "I've never met anyone like you before." She smiled and leaned to kiss his cheek.

The affection was relaxing as well and he was finding himself more tired than he'd realized, yet exhilarated, too. "Won't know til I see all the pieces together, will I? If the pretty picture on the cover is any indication, it's a puzzle I'm sure to enjoy. Guess I'm sort of a puzzle, too, though I don't do it on purpose."

"Only deceptive people do it purposely." In her way of saying things, it was another compliment to him, more flattery that told him how highly she thought of him despite his earlier 'grumpiness' that made her shove him into a puddle. "I'm starting to really enjoy puzzles."

He chuckled. "But, be careful. Sometimes they'll keep you awake for hours and you still may never figure them out completely. Feel like you can still rest? It's still another hour probably before our stop," he said.

"Well I'm naturally curious.. and maybe I should put this up.." She reached to push the button on the end of the arm rest to put it up and then gave his hand a tug. "I think you're a little cold cause some mean girl pushed you in a puddle and I need to warm you up." She was slowly shifting herself into his lap. "If we go just slow enough.. we won't get kicked off before our stop."

"Aless?! Heaven help me," he muttered, smiling wider as she climbed into his seat with him. "I'd say bad things about curiosity right now, but I can't think of any," he said, helping her to get comfortable.

"Good.. I don't want you to think at all for a little while. You have tedious meeting to go to and a mystery girl to unravel but for the next hour.. no thinking." She giggled softly and leaned to press a kiss to his neck and then breath softly over his ear.

"Can I think of unravelling the girl just a little bit? You keep doing that and I'm not sure I can think of anything else," he said, letting the chills run down his back although she was succeeding with warming him up at the same time.

She sighed dramatically but smiled at him. "Ohh I suppose you can think about that.. if you must." Her fingers brushed his cheek, down his jaw and the drifted up into his shaggy hair. "I could spend days just like this." She whispered and brought her mouth to his, slowly devouring it in tender kisses.

"You may leave me no cho-...," he said, being silenced by the kisses and the massage of her fingers in his hair he wasn't about to complain about. She could do that for days if she wanted - he might even start purring too! His eyes slid closed as he absorbed the attention and the sigh of contentment was nearly like a purr, though deeper and more rumbling than she'd been against his arm.

[Lovely]

Aless shifted and settled into the embrace and his lap, continuing to kiss him and keep them both distracted. The time would pass more quickly if they weren't thinking about it and were occupied by a more pleasant activity like exploring one another. Her earlier annoyance had vanished and in it's place was a growing affection for her puddle boy as she secretly dubbed him.

"...choice...," he finally whispered out as he took a breath and licked at his lip. That was the only word he could recall. His thoughts were scattered to the winds and he glanced out at the stormy winds they were traveling through. The passengers across the narrow aisle were trying to stare and not stare. He chuckled and shrugged at them, now ignoring them too. "I'm not used to not thinking. I think... or don't think... I -know- I like that. Just to be sure, though...," he initiated his own kiss this time.

Her giggle was soft and muffled into the kiss he started this time, it made her heart beat faster that he did so and she gave this kiss a little more passion than she had the others. Aless wanted him to be sure, after all. She smiled softly as she pulled back for a breath, the fingers of one hand shifting from his hair to trace along his jaw. "I could tell you think too much.. not thinking is good sometimes.."

"I think you're right... I mean...uhhhnnn... heaven help me." He shook his head at the realization that he couldn't escape even saying the word and rolled his eyes. "Part of the puzzle that is me," he shrugged a little. "You're an amazing girl. I don't think ... mm hmm... it's unavoidable at this point, isn't it?... Not sure that I've met anyone like you, like this, ever in my life."

She giggled as he tried but failed to be able to completely avoid saying 'think'. It was cute to see him displaying less ego and more of the real him beneath what he -thought- he was. "I like the puzzle that is you.. Even if you can't avoid the 'T' word." Her smile was sweet as her finger brushed his lower lip in a tender show of affection. "I'm glad you haven't met anyone else like this.. If you had, I would have to find her and claw her eyes out. I like more that you think I'm amazing, no one has ever thought that about me.. so I'll forgive you for thinking because of that." She teased him, speaking in whispers and quiet tones.

He looked at her quizzically. "You'd fight over me? Now -that- I'm sure has never in my lifetime happened. Not that I condone violence, but still. Amazing and quite appreciated. The more I'm also quite sure I don't want to meet with attorneys if means not learning more about you."

"I'd do it as nonviolently as possible." She teased and promised, stealing another soft kiss before pulling back to study his face. The more she looked, the more handsome she thought he was. "Do you still want to make sure your father doesn't get every penny?" She asked, curious if he might have forgotten all about that for a moment. "I promise.. you can learn all you want about me before and after you do what you need to."

"And here you were trying to keep me from thinking," he frowned slightly and sighed. "My father... No I hadn't forgotten, but for the moment I was able to set it aside. I should probably start considering when the bus actually will deposit me within reach of so joyously disappointing him," he grinned, though it faded as he watched her expressions. "Will you come with me? I'll take every bit of blame for keeping you from arriving on time, but please... come with me?"

Her thumb brushed his lip in that tender way again and she gave him another soft sweet smile, so opposite of the violence she'd promised moments before. "Of course. Where else would I go, but with you?" Aless leaned to seal that with another kiss and whispered. "I'd have followed you if you hadn't asked."