(no subject)

[onewhoisall]

Kaine. He's missing, I have been searching. Looking for him since I surprised him but unable to find him. It takes me a while but I find him, finally, in a dark alley. The shape of his body familiar enough by now that it makes me stop, hesitate and pause before I drop from the rooftop into the alley and land silently. My nose wrinkles, the smell of booze and urine fill my nostrils as I move towards him. I creep forward, eyes taking in the bottle and the hint of hair on his cheeks as I approach him from behind. I understand him before I see him.

I don't talk to him, don't give him the chance before I strike out quick and sharp at a bundle of nerves. I murmur an apology as his body goes slack and I move forward to catch him. The bottle breaks and I pull him away from it before collapsing back against the building. He is heavy in my arms but I have carried heavier.

"Kaine," I murmur, a soft apology before I move his weight slightly. I struggle but it is a struggle that I can bear. Lifting the grapple gun, I fire it before hooking his body to mine. We fly together, slowly across the city and when he begins to stare I hit him again. It is only when we are safe back at my apartment that I will allow him to waken.

I place him in the shower, grunting at the weight and rubbing my shoulder at the tension. I glance looking around before my eyes settle on the cannister, taking the razor and foam I move over to him before straddling his waist. The cool of the tiles soothes me as I ignore the smell, the presence of him and concentrate on the task at hand. I do not slip, I shave him cleanly before I reach up, moving close to him before I press the on button.

He will be angry but I am ready. I will not allow him to destroy himself.

Comments

[onewhoisall]

He talked about being dangerous, about not having a soul, about being a monster but he was protecting her even now. His arm tugged her close against his warmer body, his worn and rough hands rubbing against her arms trying to keep her warm. Words were lies, he said one thing but his body betrayed him. His body showed his true nature, beneath all the anger and the pain there was a good man not a monster.

She didn't understand his words, she only followed half of the story but what mattered was him. What mattered was helping her friend, it was what Steph would have done. And Steph wouldn't have left.

"You do deserve good things Kaine, you just don't think that you do." Cass said before her brow furrowed, nose crinkling as she turned her head to look at him before she nudged him. "You told a hn, civilian?"

[badtotheclone]

I'm not going to argue with her about deserving good things. She isn't going to change her mind and I don't want to make her frustrated or upset.

"Couldn't help it," I explained. "There were monsters all over the place. She kind of noticed I wasn't human and there's not a lot of people spinning webs. I, ah, hadn't told her before being in that place. She also kept insisting I was a good person. Finally changed her mind though."

[onewhoisall]

She scowls as he doesn't answer her, she turns blinking out the water from her eyelashes before she reaches her hand out. She is slow, gentle before she darts quickly to his face and flicks the end of his nose. Her lips tug into a soft, stubborn look as she stared at him seriously. He was good, she believed that.

"Don't argue with me," Cass said in reply to his silence, to his body. She shuddered, raising her shoulders up before sliding her body closer to his. Stretching her legs out, wincing at the noise her clothes make. Turning her head she listened to him curiously before leaning against him. "Won't change mine."

Cass arched her back, placing her hands behind her as she looked up at the water falling down around them.

"You have killed, so have I... but that isn't all who we are. We aren't just killers, we're more than that. We can be more than that," Cass said forcing herself to speak though she would rather just sit in quiet silence with him or show him. "We deserve to be happy. No matter what someone else thinks."

[badtotheclone]

"Kind of realizing you're not going to change your mind."

I'm not agreeing with her, not at all. But I won't argue with her about that for right now. Part of the problem is if I argue against her, it's implying she's not a good person either, which is not true. We'll revisit this another time, but not now.

I watch her movements carefully, trying to discern if there's something unsaid that she's trying to tell me that way. All I'm really getting though is she's flexible and looks good all wet.

"Do I still smell bad or can we turn the water off? And I was growing that beard out for a reason you know."

[onewhoisall]

"Nope," Cass replied simply, closing her eyes before turning her head towards him. Listening to him she shifted slightly before she turned towards him. Leaning on one side, she placed her hand on the other side of Kaine before she leaned across him. Moving close she turned her head before smelling his neck, drawing back she looked at him carefully before shaking her head. "Hn... you're good. For now."

Cass pulled back, before rocking back and moving smoothly to her feet. Leaning up onto her tip toes she turned the shower off before heading towards the towels. Throwing one towards him, Cass looked at him curiously before she peeled off the t-shirt slowly, shivering slightly before she let it fall to the floor.

"Hn, what reason was that?" Cass asked, stepping out of her shorts before padding out into the living area looking for dry and clean(ish) clothes. "Because you were being an idiot."

[badtotheclone]

Again, I'm reminded of just how little problem Cassandra has with personal space. She's practically laying on me as she sniffs me and has no problem with it.

That's nothing compared with how free she is about taking her clothes off. Apparently it's no big deal at all.

"You can't just take your clothes off around someone," I shout at her as I strip off my own clothes and wrap the towel around myself. "How old are you anyway? Could I go to prison for what I just saw?"

[onewhoisall]

Cassandra shrugged, her naked back facing him as she retreated further into the living room. Lifting a cushion, she ran a hand through her hair and tried to ruffle the water out of it. Making a soft noise, she turned her head over her shoulder to look back towards him.

"Why not?" Cass asked, her voice raised slightly as she padded quietly across to her room before ducking into the dark room. Looking for some clothes she paused before leaning out of her room. "Eighteen.... nineteen? And no."

[badtotheclone]

"Just because," I say with a sigh. I don't know of a reason anymore than she does other than you're not supposed to. Not that she's ugly or anything, far from it.

I sit down on the couch and scrub my hands across my face. I should be back in that alley alone, not here with someone like Cass who cares so much about me to do all this. She's making a mistake. I'm going to let her down.

"I guess technically I'm only 12, so you could go to jail for seeing me naked."

[onewhoisall]

"That's not a reason," Cass replied, rolling her eyes and watching him carefully and waiting for him to sit, to stay here with her for the moment. She turned before heading into her bedroom before tugging on an oversized sweater. It hung from her shoulders, exposing them before she padded barefooted out and placed spare, clothes for him on a table. "Didn't see you naked."

Her eyes glanced down at him, her hand reaching out for the twist of fabric where he had gathered the towel. She glanced at him before she nudged him with her foot teasing. Using his strength, she placed her hands on his shoulders and used him to climb over him. Sitting beside him, Cass settled beside him before repeating her question.

"Why the beard?"

[badtotheclone]

"Yes it is, it's just not a good reason."

I feel like I'm the blind leading the blind in that argument. I'm not the most knowledgeable about social conventions and can't really defend the ones that I do know. It's just one of those things.

Like how I'm apparently part of the furniture now, to be climbed on. Not that I mind or care. She hardly weighs anything and her touch his light. Also, despite how cold she was earlier her hands are warm, rough callouses brushing along the skin of my shoulders.

"Don't have to look at my face with a beard. Growing my hair out too."

[onewhoisall]

"Hn," Cassandra replied in vague disgruntled, disbelief. Running a hand down his arm, she tugged it back up before settling once again by his side. Drawing her knees up, she rested them against his thigh before curling into his side. Her hair was still damp, so was he but she didn't mind. He was still here, that was all that mattered. "No, no you're not. I like your face."

Her statement was simple and plain, her fingertips moving to touch his jaw before she scowled at him. "No beards."

[badtotheclone]

I let her curl up against me, telling myself because it's not worth the fight and I don't want to upset her. She went through all the trouble to get me here and she's not going away, so pushing her away would be useless. I also know that I like this, that after telling myself I don't deserve to be close to anyone that this kind of nearness feels good. I shouldn't let it, but it does.

"If you don't want me to have a beard you can shave me then," I say, even though I don't mean that. It hardly takes any time or effort at all to burn the hair off of my face.

[onewhoisall]

Extending one leg out, she curled her toes and stretched before allowing her leg to fall over his. The towel was damp against her bare legs but she didn't mind. It was a conscious act, deliberate to show that she meant to keep him here subtly or unsubtly. She didn't want him to sneak out if she fell asleep, she didn't want to have to find him tomorrow drunk somewhere and knock him unconscious again.

"Fine," Cass replied simply, lightly shrugging as she sat in perfect, calm silence. She glanced up at him, soft and gentle as she traced her fingers up along his jaw and across his lips before she finally spoke again. "You should eat, sleep and then tomorrow we start training."

[badtotheclone]

The skin of my face feels especially sensitive after just being shaved and her touch feels odd. Softer than I would have thought. When her fingers touch my lips I'm suddenly reminded of when she kissed me. She seems to enjoy making me off balance.

"You're going to make me meditate or something, aren't you?" I say. "And I can't eat with you laying on me."

[onewhoisall]

"Or something," Cassandra replied with a small smile that indicated that they were going to do something at least. Sliding her fingertips along his jawline, Cass let her hands fall away as she contemplated what they would do. What she had in mind was less about inner peace and calm and more about channelling that rage into something else possibly until he puked. Then she would teach him peace and calm. "Hn, I'm comfortable."

Cass scowled before she stretched, arching her back and wriggling in her seat. The jumper slid up her legs before she finally made an effort to move towards the kitchen. Mostly by using his lap to sit and balance on before placing her feet on the floor. "You'll stay?"

[badtotheclone]

I narrow my eyes at the 'or something' comment. I'm fairly sure it's something incredibly horrible that she has planned that I won't find related to controlling my anger at all. Like I said, she likes messing with me.

All those kinds of thoughts are uninterrupted though when she starts squirming on my lap. I don't know if between the sweater and the movements she knows what she's doing to me. It's hard to tell with her because sometimes I think she does things to just fuck with my mind.

I'm going to need another cold shower soon.

"Yeah, fine," I say, running my fingers through my hair. "I'll stay. For today."

[onewhoisall]

Her body comes to a point of stillness, hesitating in his lap before she turned her head to look at him in cool evaluation. Parting her lips gently, she made a soft noise before turning her palm over to caress his jaw with the back of her hand. Nodding seriously, she finally moved and stood.

Stretching up, the jumper rose with her arms and threatened more exposure than Kaine was perhaps comfortable with before she padded sleepily towards the kitchen. Shaking the water from her hair, she leaned up onto her tiptoes before looking at him curiously.

"And tomorrow, we begin tomorrow." Cass replied before scrunching up her face like she knew he liked. "Pizza? Unless you can... cook?"

[badtotheclone]

The more she touches me, the more confused I am by them. The more it also makes me think and feel things I have no business thinking and feeling. That doesn't I like it any less. Isn't that the mistake I had just made?

"No, I don't cook," I tell her, standing up and moving over to the clothes she got out for me. They look like they'll fit. Dropping the towel I start to put them on.

[onewhoisall]

Her lips tug into the smile, her head turning slightly and gaze falling over her shoulder as he dropped the towel. Her gaze lifted, moving down his body from his bare shoulders to the tips of his toes. Watching him carefully, her lips parted before she moved and reached for the phone quietly ordering for them both. Her eyes never leaving his body.

"I thought you said you can't take your clothes off in front of people," Cass replied, lips turning into a soft smile.

[badtotheclone]

I'm tempted to turn and see if she's looking, but that seems... vain to me. I can hear her ordering pizza and besides, she's already made it clear that nudity isn't a big deal to her.

"I said you shouldn't. And I waited until your back was turned," I point out, pulling the shirt over my head. It all fits well enough. Tomorrow I'll go home and get some of my own clothes.

[onewhoisall]

"Hn, so if your back was turned then I could be naked?" Cass asked lightly, leaning forward against the counter. The hem of her jumper rose as she stretched forward, scratching the back of her leg with one foot as she watched Kaine dress. "I will remember that."

[badtotheclone]

"No. I was changing clothes and happened to be naked. You're just naked because... I don't know why. I guess you don't wear clothes or something at home and- will you put some pants on!"

I glance away again, annoyed because I'm sure she's doing that on purpose. She has to know what she's doing. She has to know it's... distracting and make me think... stuff. It wouldn't be such a problem if her nakedness wasn't so... nice.

[onewhoisall]

Pressing her palms against the counter, she crossed her legs at her ankles and locked her legs as she lifted up onto her hands. Swinging her legs back down, Cass leaned against the counter and looked at him curiously as he glanced away. His body radiated annoyed, she wondered why.

"I wear clothes," Cass replied simply with a shrug. Just not all the time. And she didn't understand why it was an issue. Padding around the counter, Cass watched him curiously as he glanced away before she moved close beside him, moving into his field of vision. "Why? I'm wearing this."

[badtotheclone]

Sighing, I run my fingers through my hair again. At this rate I'm going to go back to drinking and living in an alley she's driving me so crazy. It's not her fault either, I just need to get over... I don't know. Something.

"Just forget it," I say, shaking my head. "You can wear whatever you want. It's stupid of me to tell you anything else."

I'll just have to deal her being naked a lot of the time.

[onewhoisall]

Raising her hand, she caught his as he brushed his fingers through his hair. Turning her head she studied the positioning of his hands and the way he did it with a sigh before she narrowed her eyes curiously at him. Leaning up onto her tiptoes, she let go of his hand and scrunched her nose up as she studied his reaction to her.

"Hn," Cass murmured, looking at him with narrow, suspicious eyes. "You... don't like what I wear?"