Brennan Bale (yetanotherbale) wrote in btvsal, @ 2010-02-12 15:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | brennan bale, place: la, ~shiloh stonestreet |
Who: Brennan & Shiloh
Where: The streets of L.A., then David’s place
When: Friday, after the scene at Avarice
Now that Brennan and Shiloh had made their way outside and were alone, the lycan felt a little awkward around the woman. He cast her a smile just as he cleared his throat, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans as they walked along they sidewalk. Had Shiloh looked like anyone else, Brennan was sure that he wouldn't express as much of an interest in the woman, but after pretty much being with the woman he thought he'd spend the rest of his life with for three years already...Brennan had been out of the dating game for a while. Not that this is a date, the lycan insisted to himself in his head. Brennan glanced at Shiloh out of the corner of his eye, marveling once again just how...identical she looked to Lauren, minus the hair color.
"You're being awfully quiet." Shiloh commented, thus shattering the silence that seemed to have swallowed the pair ever since they had left Brandon and the club behind to walk the streets of the city. Not that in the short time she'd known Brennan did he come off as much of a talker, but nor did he seem to the blonde as being the complete silent type.
The lycan smiled at her comment and finally admitted, "I'm sorry, it's just...it's been a while since I've talked to an attractive woman. Lauren and I were together three years before she, um...died." Then it occurred to him how that sounded and blurted out, "Not that Laurie wasn't attractive, I mean, uh..." Brennan sighed, just proving his point at how out of it he was.
"You must have loved her very much." Shiloh said softly, and with a soft smile when she glanced Brennan's way. "And you hardly seem the reclusive type, Brennan." Maybe the guy wasn't a social butterfly, but Shiloh didn't get the impression that he had cut himself off from the rest of the world after his woman died.
"I did," Brennan murmured as he glanced at Shiloh, a small smile curving his lips, "We were going to get married this spring. Nothing fancy or anything because neither of us are like that." The lycan chuckled at the memory of Laurie talking about decorations and things. He added, "Laurie was actually the shy, reclusive one." Although Brennan had become reclusive in other ways, mostly by keeping himself too busy to socialize all that much. He got along with the people he worked with, had a drink or two with them, but other than that...it was the nights with nothing to do that were difficult.
"I'm sorry." Shiloh voiced softly laying a gentle, comforting hand on the man's shoulder as she could sympathize with the guy. True she hadn't lost someone to the other side, but up until about a month ago Shiloh had thought she was with the guy she'd spend the rest of her life with. So the blonde kind of knew what the guy had gone through emotionally.
Brennan shrugged in reply, taking comfort in the small gesture made by the blond, "It wasn't your fault, Shiloh. You don't need to apologize," He said, unconsciously drifting closer to her. Clearing his throat again, he chuckled a little, "Enough about me, though." The lycan looked at her, "You said you were starting over?"
"Yeah. More of a need to then a want to." The blonde relayed to the guy. "The guy I was with turned out to be not who I thought he was for the three years I was with him." Shi explained even though she didn’t really want to talk about it, but Brennan had shared things about his life. His past. So it really wouldn't be fair for Shiloh to hold back when the guy was trying to be open and honest with her.
It was hard not to notice the uncanny similarities of their respective situations. They'd both been with someone special for three years, only to lose them and while the circumstance were different that didn't mean that loss was any less difficult. It was a moment before Brennan said ruefully, "Looks like we're in a similar boat." He paused, "...What are you doing while you're here?"
"I'm kind of planting roots here in L.A. Got myself a job and an apartment, sparsely furnished at the moment and just so happens to be right across the hall from your cousin." Shiloh hadn't come to L.A. for the short term. The blonde was here to begin a new life for herself as she figured the west coast was plenty far from the east coast with no chance of her unexpectedly running into her ex.
Brennan chuckled, understanding the compliments Shiloh had paid toward his cousin. "Well, I'm glad you found a friend so quickly. Baily will be one of the good ones, I promise." He scrubbed a hand over his hair while he asked, "What line of work are you in?" The two of them pretty much covered the lycan was a mechanic and Brennan was curious what Shiloh did for a living.
"Seems I can't escape the Bales of the city," Shi said with a soft laugh, "I'm assistant to Grant Kellerman over at Full Moon Records." A name the blonde was sure Brennan was familiar with as the company was owned by one of his cousins.
The lycan let out a bark of laughter at her words as it seemed to be entirely true. Not only had Shiloh met his cousin Baily, met him and his brother, Brandon, but she pretty much worked for his other cousin, Benjamin! "Um, yeah...there's almost no pie that Ben doesn't have a finger in." Knowing Ben, that comment could mean a multitude of things. Brennan coughed, trying to quell some of his laughter. "Brandon is trying to get a band together, but he's got vocals and guitar covered already." Besides, knowing his brother, Brandon's style was a little too loud for Brennan's taste or personality.
"Are you by chance the vocals or guitarist of mentioned band?" Shiloh inquired curiously as from what she knew of the Bale family, at least the ones she had met, they were in some way or shape involved in the music industry.
"Me? Oh, no," Brennan shook his head and laughed a little, "I mean...I dabble, but that's it. I don't play in a band or anything."
"Dabble, huh?" Shi grinned a bit, finding the guy's laugh somewhat infectious. "Let me guess," the blonde regarding the guy a moment through squinted eyes, "you shake a mean tambourine." The psi-vamp teased the guy.
A smile broke out on Brennan's face and he laughed again, "Now you're just teasing me." He mockingly glared at Shiloh a couple of steps before chuckling and shaking his head, "No, I write a little." The lycan shrugged, "I play the guitar and sing a little. Brandon has better...vision and personality for it than I do."
"Something we have in common I see." The blonde shared with a smile. "I play guitar better then I write though."
Another smile graced Brennan's lips, "Maybe we can play for each other some time."
"I think I'd like that," the blonde smiled softly back to the guy as they continued to casually roam the streets of the city.
Brennan fell silent; ducking his head just after another smile curved his lips. After a moment, he lifted his head to look at Shiloh again in silence as they walked. His pulse was racing and he couldn't pin-point why; was it nervousness? Fear? ...Confusion? Brennan wasn't sure why, but he was attracted to Shiloh...the only thing was.--as he'd asked himself plenty of times already)--was he attracted to Shiloh or just the look alike?
Feeling his eyes on her just like she had the first time they met at Avarice, Shiloh shot a side glance over to the guy with a soft smile. She could read his mind. Didn't know what was running through his head at the moment, nor was she aware of the conflict he was trying to work into a solution concerning his feelings. "So..." Shiloh finally said feeling the need to break the silence once more, but not knowing exactly what to fill it with.
He realized he'd been staring and that Shiloh had said something. Brennan blinked and looked away, a hint of color tingeing his cheeks as he cleared his throat, "Sorry...wh-what?"
Shiloh smiled. "I can only take walking in silence for so long when in the company of someone." The blonde answered the guy noting the heightened color in his cheeks when the light of a street lamp they passed beneath illuminated them both.
Brennan gulped, looking away as he finally admitted, "Shiloh..." The lycan actually stopped walking and looked at her finally, "I'm...attracted to you for a multitude of reasons. The main one being really, really complicated. You need to know something before things progress. Well, if they progress, which I think they will, because I'm getting a vibe." He was rambling and forced himself to pause, searching her gaze and added softly, "...You look exactly like her. Honestly, change your hair color and you could be Lauren's identical twin." Brennan looked away again, "I have photographs back at my uncle's place if you want to see."
Brennan wasn't anything like her ex, which was why the blonde got into the cab with him. If she wanted to learn more about the guy there'd be no better time then right now. Shiloh was liking what she saw of the lycan up to this point, the attraction between the two was definitely mutual, and she wanted to learn more about the guy. There also was that little bit of curiosity that sprang up within her in wanting to know just how much she actually resembled the man's deceased fiancé.
The lycan was silent until they arrived at his Uncle's, apologizing as he opened the apartment door, "Sorry...the place is kind of a mess." Which wasn't all that surprising considering not one, but now two males were living in the same space. He figured the kitchen was the best place to be and said, "Have a seat anywhere in the kitchen and help yourself to a drink if you want." Brennan cleared his throat before disappearing down a hallway and returned a moment later with one of those photo envelopes. Silently, he handed it over and moved away from her.
Shiloh entered the apartment glancing around the interior of the place. Not the neatest of places, but considering it was lived in by two men it was kind of understandable to find it in the condition it currently was in. "You and your uncle are close?" The blonde asking as she made her way toward the kitchen. Once she reached the room Shi eased a chair out from the table to sit down.
There was a long silence while Shiloh looked over the photos Brennan had handed over to her. It was really uncanny to Shi as she noted how much she resembled Lauren as she flipped through the pictures he had of the woman, some of which were of Brennan and Lauren. It was like she was looking at a reflection of herself with only one exception, the woman in the pictures had brown hair where Shiloh was a natural blonde.
Brennan had taken a seat across the table from her, watching in silence as Shiloh looked through pretty much the only possession the lycan owned besides his clothes and the old army duffel bag. Nervously, Brennan traced a design into the table until finally the blond spoke up and gave the lycan pause. Lifting his gaze, Brennan looked her in the eye and nodded, replying quietly, "...Yes."
Given the situation, Brennan would never even think about lying. What he was about to say was as much to his benefit as it was to Shiloh's. His voice was quiet, soft as he murmured, "...I see you...and her." What he said was true. There were times when Shiloh shined through, but then there'd be a quirk of the mouth that reminded him of Lauren. It was entirely confusing for Brennan and he couldn't imagine what Shiloh was possibly thinking of him. She had to be suspicious of him, at the very least.
"You know I can't be her." Shiloh said with the release of a soft sigh after letting a brief silent moment slip by. She wanted that at least to be understood by the guy. That she couldn't, wouldn't be a replacement for his deceased fiancé. If he could try and deal with that maybe something more could come of what was presently felt between them.
Brennan closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let it out. Looking at Shiloh, he nodded slightly, "...I know." The lycan gulped and looked away, running a hand over his closely cropped hair. "I know," he said again, although it was more to himself than to the blond sitting across from him.
"So, what do we do now?" Shiloh asked of the guy. Would Lauren be the obstacle that stood in their way of getting to know each other better or would Brennan be able to get beyond that and somewhere down the line just see Shiloh when he looked at her.
The lycan shrugged, "I...don't know," he admitted, looking to Shiloh again.
"I guess I should be going, then." The blonde sighing softly as she eased back her chair to stand. Shiloh stood there for a long moment watching the guy before she moved to leave the kitchen more unsure of things now then she had been when they got to the apartment.
Brennan stood once Shiloh was on her feet and then gestured to the door, "I can give you a lift, um...if you want." The lycan shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans again and awaited an answer.
"I think it might be better if I walked." Shiloh responded taking a couple more steps be she stopped and glanced back verging on saying something more, but as her eyes caught his the words just refused to come. Looking forward once more Shiloh headed to the door. Once there the blonde eased the door open and stepped out into the hallway pulling the door behind her.
"...Okay," Brennan quietly responded as she headed to the door and stopped. It looked like she was going to say something but changed her mind and exited out into the hall. There was a moment where Brennan stepped the door, listening to her walk away before he made a hasty decision. Opening the door, he stepped out into the hall and said, "You were going to say something."
"It doesn't matter." Shiloh answered without a glance back as she continued walking the corridor toward the door that would take her out onto the street. Brennan didn't know what he wanted and Shiloh wasn't going to say anything that might push him into something he wasn't ready for. It wouldn't be fair to either of them. Only when Shiloh was outside on the other side of the door did she turn around to look at the closed door for a long moment before turning to start the walk back to Avarice.
Brennan was tempted to go after Shiloh, but he hesitated. She needed to think, he needed to think. Instead of wanting to know what she was going to say, Brennan decided he needed to think about what just happened. He thought best while running, packed a change of clothes and headed for the San Gabriel’s where he pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion and all the while convincing himself that Shiloh Stonestreet was not Lauren Green.