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 Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:30 pm
_ p a o cx One would think after years of running across rooftops that the squire would have been more than able to dodge a clothesline when he saw one. Obviously, given the way he was hanging by his ankles in a mess of clothes and various lines, that was not quite the case. So there he was, Ashur Squire of Uranus, upside down with his arms crossed, looking meditative about the whole situation. His cheeks were a faint shade of pink though, more embarrassed than anything else. Kaefaux On the few nights when Themiscyra stepped into the streets, Danika didn't come back without a collection of new bruises, cuts, perhaps even gashes or even a broken bone. This night was no different. The exposed skin on her thighs and arms already held various cuts and scrapes from her tangles with youma, a fresh gash on one of her knees from where she'd landed hard. Her bottom lip was split, and as she rubbed the back of her hand against her cheek, she smeared blood from small cuts and dirt from the tumbles in the streets. It was fortunate for her that the grim that covered her would vanish soon as she powered down, but she already was calculating how long it'd take to patch up. Behind her, a youma gave a final croak before it faded into dust, and she wound back up the chain of her weapon. Ahead of her, somewhere, she felt the echo of an Order signature. Another knight, a Squire like her. For a long moment, Themiscyra considered ignoring it. Like she did many these days. But something in her urged her on, walking slowly through the winding streets, nearing the energy that tried to ease her strained muscles. A balm she didn't want or believe she needed. But it wasn't someone just in front of her. A dark brow rose, and she glanced up, seeing a flash of color among the laundry. Not that she could spot the person specifically, but she still gave a snort, putting two and two together. "You trying to be a bat?" _ p a o cx It was like a light at the end of the tunnel when he felt an Order signature start to approach, except instead of him moving toward the light it was the one moving toward him. So...maybe it was more akin to an alien abduction situation, but...like getting beamed home? He squinted at his weird thoughts and, when an oddly familiar voice echoed up the walls of the alley to reach his ears he snorted as well. "It's a process," he shot back, glancing up to see the state of his foot and the nasty tangle that he was caught in. He couldn't see a whole lot of whoever it was because of all the laundry in the way, but he assumed he was just imagining things so he asked. "Any chance you could lend a hand once you're done with the jokes?" Kaefaux Something about his voice made her pause, though she quickly shook it away. Her mind playing tricks on her, as it was want to do. It'd just... been a while since she was around other knights. For good reason. Gave her head enough fuel to haunt her with. "Assuming I can do anything without calling the fire department for their ladder," she snorted, looking about at the situation the guy was in. It took her a moment to find a suitable way up to the level where the clothesline was hung, but even still she wasn't sure how to get over to him. "I might have an idea... though I can't say it'll be perfect." Moving to the edge of the building, and kneeling little ways from the edge to give herself support--and room in case this went bad--she tried to, gently as possible, toss the weighted end of her chain out towards the hanging man. "Only idea I've got is for you to grab this, I pull, and either we try to snap the line or if you can free your leg, I can pull you up onto the roof. Unless you've got other ideas?" But it was still trying to make it through the clothing, and she could only see that he might have been a Uranus knight. Something that made her bristle uneasily. _ p a o cx "Better to try than hang here 'til people wake up in the morning," he started as he watched her, eyes full of curiosity, make her way up to level with him. Or at least with his foot. Through the mess of clothing and lines and the odd angle, he was looking at her from he could tell that she was a Mars knight, and her voice so strangely familiar...to the point that he felt a twinge of something in his chest. When she tossed her chain out he did his best to reach for it, grunting all the while. The blood was starting to go to his head so his coordination was a little off, but not terribly so. He managed to catch it after a few tries. "I vote snap the line," he said as he looked around for the balcony railings he could hang onto once he was right side up again. "Faster that way, and less work for me. Blood rush," and he pointed at his head, though he wasn't sure she could see him either. "Kinda dizzy now." Kaefaux Themiscyra gave a shrug, adjusting her grip on the chain to ensure it wouldn't fall from her hand. "Alright, we'll try it. Hold on tight as you can." Taking a breath, she reached with her free hand towards where the line was attached, gripping it hard and forcing her metal bracer against it. The line began to tighten and strain, and she grit her teeth as she put her weight into it, pulling it back towards her on the roof to snap it. When at last the line gave, she yelped, quickly releasing it while grabbing on tight to her chain to keep him from falling. _ p a o cx "Can do," he nodded, taking the extra measure of wrapping the chain around one arm as he waited on her. The fall was quick when the line finally snapped; in a matter of seconds he was properly upright again, and swinging around like a sad version of Tarzan right into a brick wall. He shot a hand toward the nearest available railing, wincing the entire time because all of his weight had gone to his arm, and by extension his shoulder, nearly dislocating it in the process. "Pull!" he called from where he was hanging, using the railing for added support so she wasn't dragging up dead weight. Kaefaux Immediately she began to drag him up, winding a bit of chain around her arm with each tug. When his weight had hit the chain, she'd been dragged nearly onto her stomach, and was at least grateful she'd put as much space before her as she did. But as she pulled herself first to her knees, then to her feet, she dragged him further up, teeth gritting as she felt her muscles tense and strain. _ p a o cx It was a long and slow process, likely arduous for the fellow Knight, but once he could reach the roof's edge he pulled himself the rest of the way up, collapsing in a small heap as soon as he was up. "********..." he muttered, eyes closed as he took a second to catch his breath. "Thanks, not sure that could've gone any better than that." When he opened his eyes and looked over at her to properly thank her though, he froze as a hoard of memories he'd long buried resurfaced again. They came all at once, incomplete but complete enough that he could piece together who she was and who she'd been to him just a couple of years ago. He was silent for a long time, expression going from one of surprise to worry to confusion but eventually settling on apologetic as he forced himself to sit up. "Thanks..." was all he could manage after that. Kaefaux She strained and pulled and began to back up step by step... and when he was over the edge, she let out a heavy breath, panting a bit as she let her chain drop once he was clearly not about to fall. Hands on her knees, she doubled over as she tried to catch her breath, giving a shaky laugh. "Maybe the fire department would have been best..." But when she lifted her head to see that the knight was ok, she finally got a look at him. And Themiscyra felt sick. Immediately she felt the blood in her face drain, her chest clenching painfully and her throat going dry. Ashur. Ashur. How long? How long since she'd last seen him? The Martian straightened and turned, shakey hands on her hips as she tried to keep herself from... from what? Laughing? Crying? Screaming? A large part of her never recovered from the incident. It shattered away, hiding in the back of her mind and heart. For him to go... but then, the Ashur, the Dom, she'd loved had gone when the General Queen shoved her hand into his chest and tried to corrupt him, didn't he? "Y-yeah," she muttered, her voice sounding distant and hollow in her ears. _ p a o cx He'd been circling around his own life for over two years now, spending most of it going through the motions of what normalcy was supposed to be. School, and then work as a Knight mostly just dealing with youmas and keeping to the outskirts of anything too major or requiring any heavy involvement. He couldn't invest all of himself into a cause that nearly killed him, truth be told, but there was a part of him that wanted to try. That small part never won out, but it was still there, reminding him that he had other responsibilities besides just becoming a productive member of regular civilian society. He noted the hollow in her voice and he fought down a wince, not wanting to visibly react if he could help it. The ache was slowly taking over, like a gaping hole in his chest that he'd never bothered to fill ever since they parted ways. Or maybe he was the one to leave her because things had just gotten so hard for him, missing all his memories and such? Ironically, those very memories trickled in months later, and regret set in soon after that. Which was when he started circling, and up until the very second he saw her he'd been...okay...with circling. "I never saw you after...y'know..." he started to say, not quite looking at her but more in her general direction. "Thought you might've quit or moved or something." Kaefaux She swallowed, trying to calm the thoughts in her head and the questions on her tongue. Why was he here? Why now of all times? "I did. Sort of. Took an internship in Italy for half a year. Came back, and... well." Again she shrugged. The bruises and cuts on her spoke enough of what she was doing in her spare time. "Surprised you're around." The words came out harsher than she'd meant, and Themiscyra closed her eyes in a wince. But she couldn't help it. He... he'd left. More than that, he'd even been considering going to the Negaverse. She had the right to be angry, didn't she? Didn't she? A part of her wanted to laugh, to tell him about Thalia. About how yet another person she loved went to the Negaverse and she'd been unable to stop it. But she couldn't get the words to form. _ p a o cx He flinched at the sudden edge in her voice, though he was honestly surprised she wasn't doing more. Relieved, to a degree, but still surprised. "I've...I started patrols again after things cleared up a little more." A part of him hoped she wouldn't ask for any explanations from him, as unfair as that seemed for him to want that from her. It took a long time for things to get better on his end, struggling to piece together his own mind, his own life, after that night. He still had the nightmares, but things were...better. "Italy, huh?" He was looking at her this time, eyes still flooded with uncertainty but he remembered something. "For a fashion design type company?" Kaefaux Red eyes turned to him sharply, and Themiscyra took in a shaky breath. "Don't." Her voice was brittle, ice edged with thorns. "Don't.... don't you ******** dare." He'd lived with her for a time after he lost his memories. But it... it never brought anything back. Things cleared up a little more. Apparently not enough for him to call. Or write. Or anything. How many times did she try to talk to him about her costumes and fashion designing degree and superheroes and... and... nothing. Nothing. No spark. No click. She threw her hands up, turning away from him as she gave a humorless laugh. "You don't owe me anything, Ashur. There's no reason to--to even pretend." Her voice shook, but she forced herself to keep laughing. "Just saving your a** again like always." Except when it really counted. Except when he really needed to have someone there. "Just stop getting yourself into ******** up situations, alright?" _ p a o cx He furrowed his brows at her reaction, not sure if he even had the right to get defensive, never mind actually mad. He was neither...he wasn't sure how he ought to react os he didn't, as much as he could he kept quiet and just listened to what she had to say. "Don't dare what, exactly?" he finally asked when it seemed like she was finished. It felt something like poking a sleeping lion, her temper was something he remembered too, though it had never once been directed at him in all the memories he managed to scrounge together over time. "And the ******** do you mean 'pretend'? When did I ever pretend with you? Up until..." and he stopped himself there, knowing that night and everything afterward that went on between them was entirely his fault. She tried...she really did, but it wasn't something he had any kind of control of. The memories came when they did, which just happened to be after they split. That was his luck. Kaefaux
"Don't ******** pretend you remember any of it!" The lion snapped back hard at the stick that poked it, and the Squire snarled, glaring down at him from where she stood paces away. But she gave another harsh laugh. "But no, you're right. You never made it anything but perfectly clear that the guy I was in love with might as well have been dead and gone."
Her chest tightened as she hissed out the words, and she closed her eyes tight, shaking her head slowly as she felt her face begin to crumble. As the facade of strength broke. A tremble of her lip and she turned away with a sharp, heavy breath. "********... <******** class="clear">
_ p a o cx The truth was he remembered almost all of their time together, those were among the first to come back to him when he started remembering. Maybe because they were among his most recent ones at the time, or because they were his happiest... "I do, though," he managed a whisper, eyes on her feet now, brows knit together as he struggled to keep himself composed. "And I'm not pretending. When they came back to me...it took like a year or something. The ******** kinda person would I be if I went and found you just 'cause I suddenly remembered after a ********' year?" Kaefaux She didn't know how to breathe. Oxygen was gone, lost to her. Themiscyra couldn't breathe. He.... remembered..? Bile rose in her throat as her mind sluggishly put together the timeline. She would have been with Thalia. Just... just having met her, really. Would she have ditched her for Dominic? She felt sick. Because she knew she would have. "No better a person than me," she retorted, her voice barely any louder than his. Slowly, she pulled her hands to her face. She just... she just wanted to cry. To scream. To fight. But.... was any of it the right answer? "I... I'm sorry." For not helping him. For not being there. For everything. _ p a o cx He was still sitting, hunched over with his head in his hands as he listened to Themiscyra, swallowing the lump in his throat that kept coming back over and over again. He couldn't find the right words to say after she apologized, not right away. It wasn't like he'd been looking for an apology...or even acknowledgment from her, really. This meeting was pure chance, and the way that it mirrored the very first time they met... "You don't need to be," he finally said after a moment, voice quivering and still barely audible. "I was the one that left, right? Or it may as well as have been that way since I...barely even knew who you were at the time..." Another long pause as he combed through his recovered memories. They were happy, and he ruined it with his doubts and whatever else must have wormed its way into his head to mess with him enough to consider corruption. "Honestly would be okay if you screamed at me some more or beat me up or something, 'cause being angry...I think you have the right to be." Kaefaux His admission made her give a slight, wet laugh. He was. She could blame him. She could toss everything on him and cuss and scream and beat the s**t out of him. But what did it solve? What did it fix? And she knew it would only increase the hole inside her chest that ached and even now tried to send her to her knees. "It shouldn't matter now," she said as she pulled her hands away from her face, rubbing at her cheeks where water began to mix with blood and dirt. "I-it's been two years... but... ********. I don't think I ever..." She trailed off, unsure what to say, or even why she... why she was saying that much. I don't think I ever got over you, were the words on her lips, but she didn't have the oxygen to speak them. Instead, other words pushed out on a voice that she wasn't entirely sure was hers. "What happens now?" _ p a o cx It shouldn't matter now. Her words, echoed inside his head for a long moment, giving him pause and pushing his thoughts into dangerous, very dangerous, territory. He hadn't allowed himself any wiggle room on this ever since he recovered those memories, knowing he didn't deserve a second chance. Knowing that she didn't owe him anything. Knowing that he'd been the one to hurt her that way... He finally moved to stand, eyes still downcast as he cleared his head as best he could. It didn't work but he'd always been a heart on the sleeve kind of guy, especially with Themiscyra, so he eventually looked up and at her. He saw the blood and the dirt and the tears and the pain so plain on her face, and he wondered how to answer. Because what he wanted to say, the answer he wanted to give her just felt...selfish. He wanted her back, plain and simple, but he couldn't say it. But it was plain on his face if she looked hard enough. "I..." the Uranus knight started, pausing to swallow the lump in his throat again. "I decided the last time. What do you want to happen? We'll do this on your terms this time..." Kaefaux It might have been easier had he pushed it away. Said he'd moved on. Something. But he... he didn't. As he stood, she glanced towards him, and the look on his face--her heart broke just as it fluttered and squeezed and dropped and flew all at the same time. Quickly, she averted her gaze again. This wasn't how she expected the night to go. This wasn't how she expected.... anything to go. What was she doing? But he was putting the ball in her court, and she knew... she knew she was a fool for it. For being, if only for a moment, hopeful. "C-coffee?" The word was barely more than a breath. She was being stupid. She was setting herself up for pain again. For more agony and more loss and nothing she could do to prevent it. But he wasn't backing away, and it gave her the worst possible poison: hope. _ p a o cx Watching and waiting for that moment felt like the longest he's waited to hear anything in his life, but when her answer came he blinked, disbelief crossing his face. Did she just... The squire took a step forward, small and tentative but he moved toward her, finally seeing a flicker of hope for the first time since that night when he made the mistake of thinking that the Negaverse could be trusted at all. That they were the answer that he needed in the mess of his life. He'd been drowning and hopeless for a long time now, but her question, her invitation felt like he finally found something to cling to. Even if it would turn out to be temporary. Even if they were potentially setting themselves up for more confusion and loss in the end... He took a few more steps, powering down and stepping into a bit more of the light just in front of her as plain old Dominic, except maybe he looked a little older than maybe the last time she saw him. "Time and place?" Kaefaux Did something happen in the city again where everything was ******** up and just a dream and in the end, none of it mattered? It sure as hell felt like that. ********. He was moving closer. A part of her told her to back up, to keep the space between them. They needed that. Distance. Being too close, too fast, would just screw them up further. But her sandals were rooted in place, and when she looked back to his face once more, Themiscyra didn't glance away. Because it wasn't just Ashur that stood there. It was... Dominic. How long since she'd just seen him? He was... he was within arm's length, and that spelled danger for them both. Against reason, the Squire of Mars faded, leaving Danika in her place. The same scratches and gashes, her hair longer and definitely deeper, darker circles under her eyes than she'd ever had before. But still... her. A small, tiny smile cracked over lips still glossed from her shift earlier, the neat heels, trousers, and blouse further evidence she'd powered up right after her job at the boutique. "Hey..." Because what else did you say to your ex who poofed out of your life in among the worst ways possible? "Um... Thursday, noon? There's a cafe... down the road from where I'm working, so easy to use my lunch hour..?" Which meant if s**t got awkward, she'd be able to escape back to work, no issues. "Bridgit Brew, I can... text you the address..?" Assuming his number was still the same. Wait. Did she even still have him as a contact? Color darkened her cheeks as she pulled out her phone, trying to quickly scan that... _ p a o cx When it was Danika finally standing right in front of him he could swear his heart skipped a beat right before it broke all over again, more memories surfacing, a mix of good and bad and all of it just serving to warn him even further to stop right where he was. But then she smiled, a small one but there was a smile. And she was still beautiful in what he could only imagine was a work outfit because it just didn't scream at him as something she would wear on any given day if she had a choice. She looked tired, though, but it was Dani... His turn to smile, a small and incredibly apologetic one. When she listed the details he could only nod, then extended his hand when she said she'd text. "I had to get a new number a while back," was all he said about it. His life drama wasn't something she needed to hear right now, so he left it there. Kaefaux He looked... older. Sort of. Was he a bit taller, too? Or was she just imagining it all? But he was... he was still the same Dominic. ********. ******** this was hard. Hesitantly, she handed the phone to him, after locating his old contact still in her phone. She... didn't delete it..? That was more than a slightly painful surprise. A part of her was... holding out. But then, she'd also not deleted Thalia's... "A-ah, ok." He didn't elaborate, she didn't ask. Sure, her brow furrowed a little in obvious question, but the matter wasn't something she was going to press. How could she? She didn't have a right to question him about anything in his life. Everything was too raw, too new... A million questions she could ask, but she couldn't get any to form as it was. "Worst case could just knight message you." She tried to smile more, tried to joke and laugh. But she could feel how shaky it was. Unsure. Hesitant. ********, she felt like she was walking on eggshells. _ p a o cx He was taller, actually, but not by a whole lot. Another inch, but it's been so long he wouldn't have been surprised if she actually asked. He took the phone, pausing as his fingers brushed against her hand in the process, and he blinked as more memories flashed that he had almost zero control over at the moment. His cheeks flushed lightly as he pulled his hand back and put in his info. "I ignore most of those," he admitted, expression a bit flat. "Too much crazy s**t goes on and I can't even keep my personal s**t together, and it's not like those aren't life and death situations. Had a feeling I'd just end up dying if I tried to get involved..." He offered her phone back to her, a weak smile on his face. "Probably just sounds like an excuse, I guess." Kaefaux The small brush of skin against skin sent electricity through her skin, and she closed her eyes briefly. It'd be easy, to just... reach out. But what right did she have? Once upon a time, she would have never hesitated to hug him, kiss him, just... be close to Dom. But... but now she could barely look at him properly. And yet she suggested coffee, hoping... Danika gave a small nod, even as her smile faltered and failed. "Yeah, I..." Slowly her shoulders gave a half-hearted rise and fall. What could she say? It wasn't like he was the only one avoiding s**t... A general gesture was tossed towards her cut and bruised appearance. "I just... go after youma. That's about it. I haven't... dealt with much else." Though there was that giant a** murder bird that attacked earlier that year... "We can't hide forever." The words were out before she thought about what she was saying, and winced, raising her hands to try and clear the air from their presence. The hardness in her voice wasn't lost to her-- Diana, rather than Danika. "I-ignore... that..."The small brush of skin against skin sent electricity through her skin, and she closed her eyes briefly. It'd be easy, to just... reach out. But what right did she have? Once upon a time, she would have never hesitated to hug him, kiss him, just... be close to Dom. But... but now she could barely look at him properly. And yet she suggested coffee, hoping... _ p a o cx Once she had her phone back Dominic shoved his hands in his pocket, fiddling with his phone in one and the mini Cube in the other, watching her curiously. He looked more worried than he probably should have considering they just ran into each other again and weren't anything more than exes trying to figure things out, but walking out of youma battles with those kinds of cuts and bruises took a physical toll. He still did it so he knew how exhausting it would be, but only when he needed to destress; innocent trees weren't getting hurt anymore, and he was being productive which was always good. "It's something though, I--" The unfamiliar tone cut him off and he blinked, considered for a moment if he should ask...and then decided to be a coward and put it off unitl they were maybe on better terms. If things went okay on their...meeting. So he cleared his throat before heaving a sigh, deciding to ignore it just like she asked and nodding over to the edge of the roof. "Fire escape's that way. I'd rather not power up again so gonna walk to where my bike is parked. A few blocks," he leaned back toward his left a little bit, "that way." He paused and considered something for a second before looking down at her shoes as he offered, "If you need a ride or something..." Kaefaux He honored her request, and it was enough for Danika. It happened, that... pull? Urge? Resurfacing? Where things she associated with more of her past life pushed to the forefront. But it did her little good to dwell on it or stress over it. Aware that, if she went to her city more... maybe that could answer some of her questions. But now wasn't the time for that consideration, or to dwell on how both of them were... slacking, of sorts. He drew up the fact their... meeting would have to draw to a close--they were still near a now broken clothesline, on a building...--and for a moment she just nodded absently as he paused from his explanation of where he was going. Right. Probably easier for her to power back up in a few and head out... "Y-yeah, ok. I'll see you Thursday then?" Already she was taking a step back, but as he spoke again, she froze. A... ride? Which would mean lingering longer. Excuses to stay. Excuses to touch. It was horrible how quickly her brain screamed no while her lips parted on an "O-okay. I mean, if you're sure..?" Stupid. Idiot. But god did her skin prickle and itch for more contact. That brief touch of his hand against hers set off memories, reminders, wistful thoughts of how things used to be and god help her they were the most dangerous of all. _ p a o cx Dominic looked up and blinked at her as though genuinely surprised that she took him up on his offer. Much like her smile it made him just that more hopeful about Thursday..and maybe just a little more hopeful for them in general. But then he remembered why he shouldn't have offered in the first place and what giving her a ride entailed and he questioned his decision to offer her a ride a dozen times over... "C'mon," he said finally, lips finally curling up into a small smile. He pushed those thoughts aside and tried to focus more on what was happening right that very moment, because if Thursday went to hell then this might actually be the last time they had any kind of a pleasant moment together ever again. Again he nodded toward the fire escape before leading the way to it and gesturing for her to go first. Kaefaux This was probably an evening full of mistakes, one after another, but the smile that flickered across her face when he didn't jump away from her accepting his offer... god she shouldn't be this happy. But the equal part fear was justifiable. But he smiled, too, and oh did her chest tighten at the sight. It was... him. A little glimpse of the guy she missed, and it broke her heart for wanting to believe and hope. Danika didn't hesitate much to start heading down the fire escape, mixed on concerns of who might back out first, or if nerves would catch up to her and she'd chicken out. She went a bit slow, watching her shoes on the metal and trying to be quiet about it all, but bit by bit she drew closer to the ground level, and soon enough the clangs and groans of the metal, from her at least, were replaced by the clicks against the alleyway. She still had the few blocks to duck out, or he might. ********. Which was better? Going through this or being a coward? Fidgeting slightly with the gold chain always around her neck, she waited for him to decend and direct her again where his bike was. _ p a o cx He made his way down at a pace a bit slower than hers, each step down the series of ladders and landings alternating reminders of reasons why all of this was a huge mistake and reasons why he asked in the first place. One step reminded him that he had just missed another chance to back out, one step reminding him that he still held a candle for her, another step telling him that he still had a chance to be a coward and run off because he didn't deserve her, another step telling him that he never really stopped loving her to begin with and that he should still give them a shot. Dominic stepped into the alleyway and immediately shoved his hands into his pocket, eyeing her figure up ahead just a short distance away and waiting on him. The opposing thoughts only served to confuse him but still he walked toward her, throwing them aside as best as he could manage in that moment because he still so desperately wanted to focus on her. "It's to the left, down a couple blocks," he explained, jogging a bit until he was standing beside her. Now that they were closer he noted the slight downward angle he had on her, ever so slight that he wouldn't have noticed if not for a brief flash back to their little height contests. She'd always been taller than him in heels, but that was two years ago. And he grinned, expression brighter than it really should have been. Kaefaux The smile was still pretty easy to form as he caught up, and one of her hands twitched at her side before she caught herself and forced it to stay where it was. It was still there, the instinct to reach out and grab. To link her arm with his, or tug on his sleeve till he put an arm around her shoulders, or... or something. Something to be close. To have that physical contact. But they weren't nearly back to anything like that. Hell, him giving her a ride on his bike was pushing it beyond the limits at this point. Her feet began to move towards the sidewalk in the direction he mentioned, but her gaze caught on the smile and how his features suddenly lit and her heart sputtered. "What?" Doubt and hope warred in her skull and Danika forced the smile to stay in place on her face, no matter how fake it might seem--did it?--and pushed out a laugh. "Think of a pun or something?" _ p a o cx The urge to make physical contact was strong, which was why the first thing he did once his feet hit the ground was put his hands in his pockets. Not because he didn't want to, at least to some small degree because he did, but because they weren't there yet. There was no real telling they would ever get there again, so better not to get ahead of himself. s**t. He already got ahead of himself with offering her a ride on his motorcycle... He turned to look at her as they started walking, not sure what she was referring to but glad that she was still smiling. Whether she was forcing or not he couldn't tell; he didn't mind one way or the other, either. As long as she was smiling--laughing, even, though he wasn't sure why--then he was good with that. "No, just..." and he reached up with one hand and set it atop his head, then made a quick gesture to indicate he was thinking about the reversal in their height difference. "When you weren't in heels we used to be the same height, is all." Kaefaux Danika blinked almost owlishly, at first not understanding why he was lifting his hand up like that, until... oh s**t. She stared up at the few inches of difference in their heights. And yes, she was in heels. Not huge ones, sure, but something. For a moment she gawked, staring at him as it began to dawn on her then how much he'd... definitely grown. "Oh... ********. What the hell?" A bit of her awkwardness and unease faded as she laughed, elbowing him lightly as she tried to straighten her back--and perhaps walk a little bit on her toes. "What the hell? Why are you still growing? I'll just have to drag out larger heels on Thursday." And for a short instance, things felt like they used to. Banter, laughter. God did it feel good... _ p a o cx His amusement became more and more obvious, brightening up his expression all the more as he watched her gradually come to realize what he was even talking about. To resist any underlying temptation he quickly replaced his hand in his pocket, laughing alongside her when she elbowed him. He sort of tried to dodge...but not really. "I stopped growing last year, I think," he chuckled, smiling down at her. And for the moment things felt as normal as ever between them, like nothing had changed besides this whole height thing. "And c'mon, just lemme have this one already. Not like I know how to one-up you in anything else." Kaefaux Last year? She made a clearly overdramatic sigh. Trying to walk more on her toes in high heels wasn't going well--she was going to trip over her own feet at that rate--and so settled back onto her shoes. "Ugh. Men. Always pushing for that last inch." It was an innuendo and she knew it, a call back to a time when she could freely make such commentary and enjoy teasing and poking him. Heat crept into her cheeks immediately and she stared ahead, entirely aware that the feel-good sensation of days long past had gotten the best of her. Mistake, mistake, mistake. "Height's yours," she managed, trying to divert away from her blunder. "I can still probably kick your a** at games or in a fight." _ p a o cx He snorted, catching the innuendo and sort of in startled disbelief that she could make such a joke given their current situation. Despite that, relief still crept in...relief that she could even though this was a such a rocky start at best, and whether or not it led anywhere was anyone's guess. It was hard not to banter but he held his tongue. "Only you would know that about me, though..." Well, he tried. He glanced over at her when she relented, smile small...but he was still smiling. It brought back more memories of wrestling and video games and silly competitions over nothing. More reminders of why they shouldn't be doing this but here they were. Defiant as ever. "I wouldn't doubt it, so thank you for letting me have at least that. No stilletos on Thursday, then?" Kaefaux Immediately, she bit down on her tongue to keep herself from making any comment back. Beyond a small snort of laughter, anyways. Because how could she not? Though some perverse part of her curiosity perked up. Only her? She knew she was reading too much into things. Things she had zero right to question. She shelved that train of thought fast before she got herself in over her head. She already was. Didn't need to dig this hole any deeper that she was letting herself fall into. Danika glanced up at him-- up. This was going to take some getting used to--and her smile mirrored his. It was awkward and tense, but... not painfully so. There were enough of those old comforts slipping through. "No stilettos on Thursday," she confirmed. She was silent for a moment after that, unsure of what else to say. Piss me off, and next time I'll drag out the big guns, sat on the tip of her tongue, but that was so ridiculously overreaching that she refused to let it out. They didn't have any idea how Thursday would go. Saying anything else felt like putting a nail in a coffin on it before they even got there. "Surprised you've still got your bike," she said at last. Her arms crossed, and she rubbed at her upper arms absently. November night air wasn't always very kind, though she wasn't freezing. "Not complaining. It was fun." _ p a o cx He glanced down in turn, his smile perhaps looking a little more satisfied than it ought to look all things considered. "Good," was all he said at first, though there were more words sitting on the tip of tongue that he kept himself from saying. I really like the view from up here or You were always did look prettier from this angle threatened to slip out...but he held his tongue a bit more successfully this time. He saw the way she rubbed her arms and considered it for a second...a long moment, really. He was wearing a hoodie under his jacket, he could offer. It'd only get colder when they were actually on the bike, after all. "Uh, yeah," he managed, obviously distracted. "Well, lots of s**t happened but the one thing that I managed to hang onto was my bike." He didn't expand from there, not wanting to bog her down with things she didn't really need to know. They were barely meeting again...anything involving family, if they got past Thursday, would take a long while for them to get to. Kaefaux She still wanted to ask. But that was too much. It was a line in the sand, a box adjacent to the one they were currently sort of tip-toeing around in, and the unspoken rule was don't jump to it. Not right now. So she stayed in the box, stayed on the safe side of the line. Didn't ask what sort of s**t happened, or what else he'd lost. "Glad you kept it," she said instead, "always made you look a lot cooler." And the smile she shot him was larger, more of a teasing grin she used to wear so easily around him. Because teasing, on some things, was safe and familiar. So were movies, and she brought them up, querying if he'd seen any of the recent string of superhero movies. The Marvel ones were the easiest to bring up. Same with the Batman and Superman ones, Justice League. She'd tripped a bit over her own words on Wonder Woman. It's not about deserving, it's about believing. She'd cried in the theatre. She still cried each time she rewatched it. Danika didn't mention thinking about him, or Thalia, when she watched it. She didn't mention the moral dilemma it put her into each time. She focused on it as a DC Comics fan who never stopped being that, the same chick who dragged him to conventions in the past. Familiar things. Safe things. Things that passed the time as they walked the couple of blocks to his bike, and her chest clenched in memory. She always loved that thing. "You sure you don't mind?" She looked up at him again, a smile still on her face, but hesitant. He didn't have to. She shouldn't. But she wanted to. "I don't want to take you too far out of your way." _ p a o cx He glanced at her, the teasing smile certainly familiar... comfortable. "Think so?" he asked, eyes on her smile...not really putting two and two together that he was also inadvertently staring at her lips. The smile was easy to take in though, and soon it went from that one familiar thing to another. From what he'd pieced together her interest in comics hadn't changed even a little, which was amusing and didn't all surprise him. Before he knew it they got to his bike and he glanced between it and her a few times, recalling a few memorable rides they'd taken together and feeling his chest tighten just a little bit. "I'm sure," he wound up replying after a second, and he turned away from her to take out her helmet. "And don't worry about it. I was planning on taking a long ride tonight anyway." Excuses...but he wanted to make them. Because he missed her. Because he wanted to squeeze as much time out of this meeting as he posibly could... He handed her the helmet first, and when she got it on he slipped out of his jacket and handed it to her. "The wind's gonna suck," he said, clearing his throat as he turned to get his own helmet on and get on the bike to get it started. He watched her slip into the jacket through his side mirror, which brought a slightly wider smile to his lips, and once she got on...and held on tight...they were off. He followed her directions to her apartment, which incidentally was more or less across town from his, and soon they were parked out front. He took his helmet off then, and heaved a sigh. "So this is the new place, huh? Nice." Kaefaux She'd given him an out. An easy, easy out. Because she wasn't strong enough to take it herself. The rational, responsible part of her wanted him to make up some excuse, change his mind, something... because surely, they were making every bad choice there they could have. But he didn't. He handed her a helmet, and it felt so heavy in her hands. She put it on before she lost what few frayed nerves existed in her yet. Then he handed her his jacket, and her pulse sputtered a few beats. It was logical, of course. She only had her light work clothes on, having expected she'd go home herself after a patrol. Not far enough to be worried about the chill. "I... right, thanks," she forced from her lips, aware of the blush that had taken over her face by that point. Danika made her limbs move to put it on, to slide into the still warm article that was big enough to actually be oversized on her... and she had to bite back tears. She could smell him. It was so wonderfully, painfully familiar. That was just the jacket. She slid onto the bike behind him, and after a small hesitation, wrapped her arms around his middle. No, she didn't have to. She could have just kept her hands at his sides. But she was weak, and it was an excuse to touch, to hold. It was as blissful as it was heart-shattering. No other words came from her through the ride beyond the necessary directions. She just... enjoyed it. The ride itself was fun, and the excuse to hold onto Dom? Danika was going to kick herself later, but for now, she enjoyed every second of it. Streets and shopfronts turned more familiar, and soon enough, the building was before them. She had him park at the sidewalk, and when the bike was fully parked, she lingered a moment or two longer than she needed to in the seat. Her first excuse was to take the helmet off--and grumble as she had to fix her hair a bit. The second was to watch him a bit to see if he noticed the shop they were parked in front of. A comic book store. Her apartment was one of the three above it, accessed via the side door she had a key to. It'd been a bit pricer than she'd first wanted when she moved back to DC, but the location felt like a must for her, and she'd caved. "It actually is, no joke." Smaller than her previous place, sure, but still a two-bedroom. She just... still wasn't sure entirely what to do with that room beyond another work space. Her fingers tapped against the helmet, and Danika let out a breath, finally forcing herself to slide off the bike again. She felt cold instantly. "Thanks for the ride, I appreciate it." The words were genuine, and she handed the helmet to him. No way she was going to invite him up. Some stupid urge was there, but she refused. This was already too much. She then took off the jacket, and handed that back to him. "I'll... see you Thursday, yeah?" Something in her wanted to make excuses to linger. To talk. To... stay. But she made herself step back. "Drive safe. It..." Her throat closed somewhat and Danika choked on her words for a moment, fidgeting where she stood, fighting for a moment before she had the strength to look him in the eyes again. "It's... really good to see you again, Dom." And she smiled, one that likely reflected more of her hope and unease and fear and hope than she wanted or dared. She pushed herself to turn and head to the door that'd lead her up, giving him a final wave after she unlocked the door and started to pull it open. She'd see him Thursday. This wasn't a final farewell. Danika had to tell herself that over and over, and even then she was a fool who lingered at the door long enough to see him drive away.
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