Welcome to Gaia! ::

The occasional glance was tossed up at him as they walked, the daintier hunter unsure if he was being quieter then usual, or if she just happened catch him at his most chatty moments. Regardless, she was left wondering if something was wrong, or if she was over thinking the lack of small talk compared to her own insecurities that had been so recently highlighted with Taym's sudden interest in America and the embarrassing fiasco that was their sensitivity seminar.

Automatically she paused for him to get the door, and waited just beyond it for him to light his cigarette. When he mentioned his leave she looked up at him, trying to read from his features if the rain had been a hindrance or a treat, and having very little luck. "I always liked the rain. The sound, the smell, all of it." One small foot was extended out past the protective overhang, heavy drops falling on tanned skin. "It's refreshing."

Her foot lowered again, and in doing so she managed to take a small step closer to his side. Proximity without contact. Small hands disappeared into her pockets, gaze cast out over the grounds. For a few moments she was quiet, just enjoying the rain, then she frowned. "I'm sorry." She wouldn't look at him. "For being all clingy and over emotional. It's not fair of me to keep dropping things like that on your shoulders."

Peyton stiffened, shoulders hunching as if the words hit like a physical blow, and she retracted the step she'd taken to be closer. Moving instead towards the edge of dry pavement, toes crossing the line.Her hands withdrew from her pockets, but only so she could cross her arms as if she were cold. She wasn't cold. Or at least not the sort of cold that a jacket would fix.

She wanted to apologize for apologizing, but that seemed circular and unhelpful.

A jacket wouldn't help, but she looked up anyways, considering the offer. After a quiet moment she dipped her head in a nod, moving back over to his side.

Peyton held an arm out so he could slid it on and then took over to pull it over the other arm, shuffling the Pocky between hands before pulling the jacket tight around her so the collar was popped up along her cheeks. She kept her head down, just standing, huddled in the borrowed jacket, and found something about it, or the smell of smoke and cleaning products that clung to it, comforting enough to banish some of the tension from her shoulders.

"Wasn't chilly until a minute ago." Tone was neutral, but she rolled here eyes up in a quick flick at his face before she set her focus on the little box in her hands and opening it, and the little pack instead.

A small frown touched her lips, aware that he just going to ignore the fact he'd been an a** and try to plow on as if it hadn't happened. It made her a little irritated, but she let him change the topic, because it was either that or argue until one or both of them stormed off. "That shrimp is the same size as you." Probably a touch bigger, if she were to be honest.

With a huff she hunched her shoulders up to press the popped up collar of the jacket into her cheeks. "Yeah, same kid. He's really nice, bad taste is best friends not withstanding."

"Skeeze," she interjected helpfully. It was what came quickest to mind when thinking of Al. Lips pursed as she considered the idea of Noah throwing off an essence of shrimpiness, and she gave a tiny shrug/blink combo that seemed agreeable. Noah always threw off an aura of youngness, in Peyton's opinion. It was refreshing, usually.

A pointed look turned up to the man beside her. "You have your moments, good and bad. The good usually outweigh the bad. No one's perfect." She was including herself in that generalization.

That made her smile, proof that he really did have his good moments. She tore open one of the small packets inside the box she'd opened, pulled out a couple of the little sticks for herself, then held up the box for him before taking the one he offered back to her. An experimental sniff was given towards the sesame flavored Pocky, brow arched curiously. It smelled.. different.

She started with the custard, nibbling the end of one stick before taking a much larger bit with an appreciative hum. "This is pretty damn good."

Was too busy watching the rain to watch Taym work out what pace he was going to be eating at. Which was for the best, really, she wouldn't have understood why he was eating so strangely until he'd finally settled into his usual tiny bites. "I might have to hunt America down later, see if she's got more of this stuff."

She finished off her two sticks, then helped herself to one of Taym's. This was one nibbled at a little more hesitantly at first, but it as pretty good also. Different, but good.I was getting so sick of MREs. It wasn't even eating anymore. It was putting away calories to function." A grimace, then another bit of Pocky. "You've got the right idea. A stockpile, filled with all kinds of goodies."