riley casteling is angrboða, not happyboða (griefbringer) wrote in monte_logs, @ 2012-04-23 22:34:00 |
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Current mood: | complacent |
Entry tags: | angrboða, heimdallr, ~complete |
i need you here tonight, just like the ocean needs the waves [closed/complete]
Characters: Riley/Angrboða (griefbringer) & Jonathan/Heimdallr (heimdalr)
Date/Time: 04/07, Evening (backdated)
Location: The Black Woods
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Language mainly
Summary: Jon and Riley go camping.
With everything that had been going on lately; James deciding to step up his campaign to make her miserable, a plethora of feelings she didn’t want to confront, and school in general; Riley needed to take a break. Disconnect for a bit. Get some alone time. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong with her, but something just felt off, which was why she decided to go camping in the Black Woods. Alone.
Except, then Jonathan hinted at joining her, and against her better judgment Riley couldn’t say no.
How could she, when he had already shown he’d drop plans to be there if she needed a friend? And that was all he was to her, a friend. Right? (She decided that yes, that was all he was and all he’d ever be.) It was easier that way, and Riley always liked the easy way... even if she sometimes questioned whether or not it would be all that bad to let people know she liked Jon.
Regardless, here she was, waiting just to the left of the trail leading into the Black Woods closest to the campus. She was holding her fold-up tent, a sleeping bag (with pillows and extra blankets), and her phone on the off-chance Jon texted her. She let him know where she’d meet him, but he hadn’t arrived yet and she was getting antsy. Weird as it was, Riley had felt like someone was watching her at the oddest times, and she just wanted to get in the woods now while she couldn’t feel that strange presence.
Jon honestly wasn’t trying to weasel his way into a camping trip for two with Riley. It had initially started out with his normal joking self and much to his surprise, she had invited him to come along for the ride. Sure, he had other things that he should have been doing that night like school work, but there was always time to do that later. Well. Not really. However, a late night rendezvous with his... friend with benefits seemed like a better way to spend his time.
Since he was unable to drive, walking was really his only option to get to the woods as he wasn’t about to take a bike ride this time at night. Yes, his eyesight was greater than the average humans, but he still worried someone would see it and put two and two together. The last thing he wanted was people finding out about them because his paranoid side thought Loki might try to get his killing in before Ragnarök. He really didn’t want that happening, so walking side streets was his great idea to avoid being seen. Paranoid much?
His walking was why he was a bit late meeting Riley. When he initially saw her, Jon wanted to call out to her to let her know that he was here, but his paranoia helped him decided against it. Instead, he broke out into a short jog and reached her in no time. “Fancy meeting you here,” he quipped as he reached up to pull his hat down so it covered his ears.
Riley was starting to think maybe she was getting ditched by Jon. If that was indeed the case then this would be a new low for her, especially since she felt more bugged that he’d pull that on her than relieved she was getting the ‘me time’ she thought she wanted. Of course, that begged the question as to why she’d invited him along in the first place, but again, she cut that line of thought off right at the pass. Just because he made her feel somewhat safe, and she felt comfortable around him, was no reason to get all sappy.
When he finally walked up, she did her best to appear as though she hadn’t been agonizing over whether or not he was going to show up. Releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in, Riley felt her eyebrows go winging up expressively at Jon’s cheesy - albeit kinda adorable - greeting. She didn’t want him to know that she was actually pleased to see him - perish the thought - barely managing to stifle a laugh while shaking her head. “Right where I said I’d be?” she shot back, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice.
She glanced around for a moment, scanning the area before lightly nudging Jon with her elbow. Sliding her phone into her pocket, Riley nearly reached for his hand but stopped herself, shifting her grip on the camping supplies instead. “Come on, I know a great spot away from the usual trails so we don’t have to worry about any dipshit runners or anything like that,” she explained as she started walking.
Oh no! He wouldn’t stand her up like that. Well, he would for something important like music. Or because he was hungry. Taking a nap. Watching television. In reality, he was going to ditch her one day just because he was that absent-minded about things.
Thankfully, today was not one of those days. And despite her comment, which to him bordered on sarcastic, he couldn’t help but give her a goofy smile. He wasn’t going to admit to it anytime soon, but the lady had grown on him. What started at as a secretive fling for him was now something... it was something. Jon really didn’t want to think about why exactly her comment made him smile like this, but it did.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he took a deep breath and started after her, all the while wishing he had worn something a tad bit warmer. Unlike her, he was not blessed with being able to withstand temperatures. “Oh ho. I bet you say that to all the boys you bring here,” he answered with added joking in his voice.
For the time being, she couldn’t give less of a shit if at some indeterminate time in the future he stood her up, since for right now he was here. Funny, she had no idea that being in his presence could make her feel lighter, but here she was trying not to grin at his goofy smile.
Admittedly, it was a great smile, and she wasn’t typically the type of chick who got drawn in by flawless white teeth or clear hazel eyes, but damn it all if Jon didn’t have some amazing facial features. It was difficult not to find him attractive, which was hard for her to admit. Whatever it was they had going on between them, Riley didn’t want it to end anytime soon - not that she would ever verbalize that thought..
Chuckling at his comment, she looked over at him and lightly whacked his arm, careful not to use her full strength since she didn’t want to hurt him. If she wasn’t mistaken, she could see his breath on the air, and that made her pause. “Since I just said it to you, and you’re the only boy I’ve brought here... yeah, I guess I do,” she replied, shrugging. “It’s not much farther, and once we get there I’ve got blankets and shit.”
Hey. Riley wasn’t looking too shabby in this life herself. For a woman who was once referred to as a hag, she was looking pretty drop-dead gorgeous in this life. Sure, Jon had noticed that she tended to hide that behind her tough girl exterior, but it didn’t hide the fact she was a very good looking woman. Not that he thought about that much or anything.
“Oww, hey! I need those awesome arms for my career.” She may have not been trying very hard, but her punches still had some bite to them. Jon would be willing to bet with money he didn’t have that there would be a bruise there come morning. “And I’m going to take this moment to feel special things.” Once again, there was a good amount of joking in his voice.
“So that’s a tent you have, right?” The most camping Jon ever did was on the beach and those tents were normally make-shift.
The joking from Jon was one of the things Riley found herself appreciating about him when she took the time to consider their friendship. That, and the fact that they had somehow gone from being antagonistic fuck-buddies to actual buddies who sometimes screw around. Interestingly, Riley wasn’t exactly sure how they’d gone from her acting like she wore the pants in their arrangement to them being on equal footing, but she couldn’t complain. He was proving himself to be a - dare she think it? - good influence on her.
“Aww, did da mean widdle jötunn hurt da big bad Rígr?” Yes, she was baby-talking at him, and she felt absolutely no shame in doing it. Riley wouldn’t apologize if there was a bruise, but depending on her mood she might offer to kiss it better. But then again, she was a little messed in the head like that. “Those special things better not get mushy, or I might have to vomit,” she snarked, though her eyes shined with mischief.
“Yup, it’s a tent, and I’ve got a sleeping bag too,” she said, wiggling said sleeping bag. “Hope you don’t mind sharing with me,” Riley added, almost as an afterthought.
After spending millenia being serious and having a serious job, Jon felt it was the last thing he wanted to be in this life. Being serious was no fun, not to mention very stressful. What was the point of living if you couldn’t have fun while doing it? If he happened to make people happy along the way... well, the more the merrier!
“Hey. You’re the one with crazy strength, not me.” Jon had crazy other powers that shall not be mentioned at this time. “Ew. Like soggy bread mushy? That would make me want to vomit too.” Aww, look. He’s sharing.
“Sharing close quarters with a good looking woman? As a heterosexual male, I am completely fine with this.” If Riley looked back at him, she would be able to see the huge smile on his face.
Death ended her life far sooner than any rational being would like, so Riley was taking advantage of all life had to offer her this time around. Anger might be the main emotion she exhibited, but she could be fun as well. Only certain people got to see that side of her, and for good reason -- she wanted to be taken seriously, especially by those she considered her equals.
“Fine, fine, I’ll be more careful next time,” Riley conceded, rolling her eyes. “Wouldn’t wanna break the pretty Æsir.” She stuck her tongue out at him before addressing his second comment. “We’re not mushy types, thank the fucking gods.”
His remark about her looks stopped her in her tracks, especially when she saw that huge smile on his face. “You know, usually I’d get pissed and think you were mocking me, but I get the feeling you really meant that.” This was a big moment for her, and she was thankful for the darkness so he couldn’t see her blushing. “Right back at you on the good looking thing, and thanks.”
“I’ve told you before, Riley. I’m technically not Æsir. Or Vanir either.” Apparently, poor little Heimdallr didn’t technically fit in with either of the ruling groups of the Norse pantheon. An important guardian of Asgard and he couldn’t even get a cool name. Hell, he didn’t even get invited to any of their parties, so the lack of name really should be no surprise.
When she stopped, he almost smacked right into her out of surprise. “Pretty sure no one is mocking you when they say that,” he replied though his voice was slightly quieter. He understood she wasn’t very good looking in her original life, but surely she owned a mirror in this one. “And you’re welcome.”
“Huh. I could’ve fucking sworn you were an Æsir. Shit, shows what I know.” Ironic, that someone like Heimdallr who had such an important job back in the day wasn’t considered a member of the ruling classes. Maybe it was because she’d gotten to know and grow closer to him, but now she was just a little pissed off on his behalf. It was pretty fucking ridiculous.
The sudden quietness in his voice made the redness in her cheeks flare up stronger. “One person is, but maybe you’re right about the others.” she opined as she started walking again, trying to regain her composure. “Never thought I’d say this, but I’m starting to kinda give a shit about your opinion,” she injected the words with a casual tone, veering off the path and winding her way through the trees until she reached a clearing. “We’re here. I’ll set up the tent if you want to unroll the sleeping bag.” And use one of the blankets, she silently added.
“No. The Æsir is Odin, Frigg, Thor, Balder, and that whole lot,” he answered with a shrug. If you wanted to get technical, he was one of Odin’s sons, but Jon honestly thought of the man as nothing more than a glorified sperm donor. There was some shit about him enchanting his mothers to give birth to him and then that was it. Or rather he put him on a bridge and that was it. No fun title for him.
Tilting his head to one side, he gave a confused look. “Someone is mocking you about it? Do you want me to beat them up or something?” Jon was ninety percent joking at that comment. And while there was no comment on the opinion thing, he felt better knowing his own feeling was mutual. “Yes, I am definitely going to open up the sleeping bag because it is a lot colder here than I was expecting.” Be the man and pitch the tent, Riley!
“That fucking blows, I’m sorry man,” she had to say, uncaring as to how nonchalantly he was handling it. Wasn’t he one of Odin’s sons? Shouldn’t that command him a fuck of a lot more respect? There was no reason why she was getting so annoyed about this, other than the obvious using it as a way to avoid what was really upsetting her, but as she got the tent up and secured she continued to mentally rant.
Wrinkling her nose at the implication, joking as it was, that she couldn’t handle someone picking on her, Riley reminded herself he wasn’t being serious. “Yeah, could you? I’m sure they’d never see it coming.” That too was a joke, though if he knew who it was he probably wouldn’t mind getting a good girly kick in anyway. “I need to start remembering to check the weather before I invite you places, huh? I keep forgetting that you get cold and shit.” It was like she was the man and he was the woman. “Want me to start a fire?”
“Eh. It’s okay.” Not like there was anything he could do about it now. Plus, he had somewhat grown used to his life of solitude in his little castle along the flaming rainbow bridge. That was better than nothing, right? And it could have really been worse. His father could have conceived another child just to murder him. Now that would have sucked.
And no, Riley. He wasn’t being serious at all in this situation. “No, they wouldn’t. They would be minding their own business and the suddenly would be met with a swift kick in the balls.” Jon knew that was probably the closest thing he could get to actually kicking someone’s ass. “And yeah, I would really love a fire. But doesn’t that attract animals or something? Other tributes? I don’t know, I only had them on the beach.”
“If you say so,” she snorted, dropping the topic although she didn’t want to. It wasn’t as though he was someone who needed her to fight his battles, even if she would have been more than willing to, but if he thought it was okay then who was she to argue? In a sense, the realization that he wasn’t one of the Æsir had the side effect of making her feel all the more closer to him, like they were both outcasts.
Good old Jon and his cunning ability to turn her frowns upside-down with a single well-timed comment. “Would you walk up in front of them to deliver your stunning nut shot, or creep up behind them?” Riley was a stickler for details when it came to these situations. “Eh, a fire can attract some animals, but nothing would get to close. And if they did, we could just wave a flaming stick at them.” She pulled up the bottom of her t-shirt enough to show a holster tucked inside her jeans resting on her hip. “Or, I could use the Ruger, but that can get loud and might attract more attention.”
It was probably best that the topic be dropped. While they both had their former issues with Odin, it was for completely different reasons. His, though he would never really admit it, was for lack of being a favorite, or even highly acknowledged for that matter. Hers was for kidnapping and murder, which Jon thought made his case seem so... not important. It was better that they just ignored this little situation, much like they ignored many other things in their friendship.
“Hmm. I think a front approach would probably yield the greatest nut to pain ratio,” Jon answered as he stroked the stubble on his chin to give a mock intellectual look to him. “And I can hear them coming before they get here, so we’ll have some time to think on how to deal with it.” In his case, it was probably going to be RUN, but he wasn’t about to tell Riley that. “Do you have a permit for that, young lady?”
Ignoring things had worked out well for them so far, so why not add more to that list? Besides, chatting about violence, guns, and fire was more her speed. "A front approach shows more confidence, too," Riley pointed out helpfully, not surprised that Jon would choose the more aggressive tactic. He was a guardian, and he killed Loki, so it made sense that he would be willing to risk retaliation in a fight situation. "If you were ever interested in learning some self-defense I'd be willing to teach you. I already plan on helping your sister." Then again, Jazz asked specifically for the help.
Riley smirked at Jon's intellectual look, digging the stubble. Without it she felt like she was molesting a child, but with it Jon looked more manly. "Some animals don't make noise in the woods, but if they didn't like our smell they'd probably growl." She wasn't trying to upset him by mentioning that, especially since she never had that problem, but felt it worth bringing up. "Yes, officer McNamara, I've got my permit right in my wallet. You wanna see it?"
“Well. I figure they have the right to see who is kicking them in the balls.” Jon certainly wasn’t as fearsome in this life as he was in his original one and he wasn’t so sure he liked that. On one hand, it was nice to be able to strike fear into the heart of things. On the other, not being as fearsome did require less effort with a lot of things and if there was one thing Jon liked in life, it was less effort on anything but music. “And is self-defense basically an excuse to wrestle?” Because if so...
Jon frowned. “They have to breathe and and move and things. I could probably hear some of that.” Thankfully, his hearing wasn’t so good this time that he could hear grass grow, but he definitely did hear better than the average person. “Why yes, young lady. I would.”
“That’s a good point. And it’s sporting of you, as Fergus might say.” Riley might not seem like it, but she considered herself an honorable sort and disdained dirty fighting. She was aware it had its uses, but she was a believer in letting people see who was kicking their ass. Still, she was learning that it was hard being a thug when one was cursed with cuteness, and Riley wanted people to be intimidated by her instead of turned on. Except Jon - he could be turned on all he liked. “Sure, grappling is mad useful.”
Riley nodded. “Yeah, that’s true. How good is your hearing, anyway?” If it was as good as he seemed to be insinuating, he might be able to hear if someone was nearby spying or something. Rolling her eyes, she pulled out her wallet and handed it over to him, taking a second to set her gun on the ground. “Have at.”
“Sporting,” he repeated quietly. People from across the pond sure had funny expressions, but this one he liked and would have to remember it for later. At her grappling comment, Jon just smiled. Even just two months ago, he would have never believed he would be in this situation with Riley. Sure, the sex part he could understand. People could have it all day long without much thought. But actually being friends? Now that situation had caught him completely off guard, much like other aspects of their friendship.
Leaning forward, he picked up the gun gingerly as if it was going to randomly fire at any moment. He had never known his mothers to own firearms, so this was the first time he had ever actually handled a gun. “I can hear you breathing right now. I know sometimes you stand outside my door before you knock. Stuff like that."
"Yeah, sporting," she reiterated, confused as to why he repeated it. Did she stutter or something? Watching him, Riley felt as a smile graced her own lips at the sight of his, wishing she had an idea of what was going through Jon's head. Was it wrong of her to find it cute that he had taken her offer to toughen him up and put a sexual spin on it? She had no idea he was such a perverted opportunist, but she liked this side of him. She also enjoyed how he apparently hadn't grown tired of whatever it was they had between them yet.
Moving to adjust his grip on the firearm, she spoke quietly so he wouldn’t jump in alarm. "Never point it at someone when you pick it up, that's the first rule. Second, don’t put your finger on the trigger, even if the safety’s on. Which, it is..." She debated asking him if he wanted to learn to use it, but questions about his stellar hearing came first. From what he said she hoped he couldn’t hear things like how sometimes her heart and pulse raced when she was around him. "That's pretty fucking crazy."
No, she didn’t stutter. He was just being silly, but apparently it didn’t work out as awesome in real life as it had in his head. Actually, a lot of things in life worked out that way for him.
Despite her instructions, he still held the firearm as if it would bite him at any moment. Jon wasn’t against guns, but just having one in his possession for a few moments made him feel uneasy. It didn’t take him long to hold it out to Riley for her to take back. “Yeah, it is kinda crazy I guess. Ear plugs really help with it.” And yes, he could hear her heart beating when she was around him and Jon could hear it better out in the silence of the woods. Thankfully for her, he had yet to put two and two together. “So do you have any crazy powers you’ve been hiding?”
Damn, he was adorable sometimes. She took the gun back, but put it back on the floor of the tent in a corner where it (hopefully) wouldn’t get in the way. Not that she assumed anything might happen.
Unable to fault him for not liking firearms, she felt bad that she’d had one around him without knowing his stance on them first. In a rare move for her, Riley slid her arms around Jon’s waist, looking up at him for a few moments before speaking. “I... probably should have told you I usually carry something when I’m off-campus. I’ve never brought it to your dorm or anything,” she mumbled. “That being said, it sounds like that hearing thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” It was the closest he’d get to an apology, or sympathy, at least for the time being.
“Crazy powers, huh? You know about the ability to withstand cold, and my strength, so otherwise I’ve been told I can make people feel when I’m really upset.” She smirked up at him. “I think it has something to do with me being the one who brings grief, or she who offers sorrow.”
“Really?” he responded as his own arms slid around her and pulled her slightly closer. “Any reason why? I mean, you could pretty much kick the ass of anyone on this campus.” Unlike some guys, Jon really had no problem with the idea that Riley could kick his ass seven ways to Sunday. He supposed each of them had things they were good at and hers just happened to be strength. Nothing wrong with that. “And it’s not so bad. It could be a lot worse.”
And apparently she had one that sounded slightly worse. “Damn. That’s kind of... something.” It wasn’t really good or bad in his opinion, though it would suck not being to hide certain emotions from others. Taking a deep breath, he was quiet for a moment. “I have another power too.”
"Yeah, and it's stupid, but I find it's easier to avoid getting into a fight outside the school if I lift my shirt a little and show the gun instead of raising a fist," she mumbled, a trace of a blush forming on her cheeks. Outside the school, Riley wasn't considered as threatening, much to her consternation. Even guys built like Jon treated her like she wasn't anything worth being scared of when they had no idea she was a reincarnate. "Besides, if I hurt a normie I'd be fucked." The law never favoured their kind.
When talk turned back to her other ability, she shrugged at his reaction. "It used to be worse, I learned how to not do it all the time." When she was a teenager dealing with it was no picnic. His mention of another power visibly intrigued her. "If you say x-ray vision I'm not calling you Superman, even in private."
“You’re right on that one.” About the being fucked (and not in the fun way) if they happened to do something to a non-reincarnate person. It wouldn’t even matter if their powers had nothing to do with it because any good lawyer could spin things not in their favor. Not to mention news channels would just have a field day putting their two cents in on the situation. “Better safe than sorry, I guess.”
Smiling, he shook his head. “No, it’s not x-ray vision.” Pausing a moment, he looked down the short distance to her eyes and just stared for a moment. Maybe Jon was just thinking with something other than his brain, but he really did think he could trust Riley with the information he rarely shared with others. Hopefully this wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass later. “I can see the future,” he stated as he carefully pushed some hair away from her right eye and tucked it behind her ear.
"I know I'm right, I've had experience with it." Her 'coming out' party almost included a lawsuit, but her uncle managed to convince the other family they weren't worth enough to make pressing charges against Riley worth their time. In the end they hadn't even pursued recourse, more because her 'victim' would have had to admit to years of mentally and emotionally torturing Reeve, and refused to do that. It was enough suffering the social taint of being beaten by a girl, even if she was a reincarnate.
"Good, I'd hate to think you're judging me for not wearing a bra that matched my panties," she quipped, wanting to break the tension that suddenly sprouted up. Stunned by a combination if his words and the pushing of her hair behind ear, Riley gaped at him dumbfounded. "Fuck, Jon, you can see the future?" she whispered, as if aware this wasn't something he told everyone. "Do you get visions and shit, or weird dreams?" she asked, before it occurred to her this might not be something he wanted to give details on. "You don't have to answer that." Though she did have one important question. "Wait, so did you know that we would end up... that this... nevermind."
“Yeah. I kind of lost my license over shit like that, so.” Apparently, Jon was just full of sharing stories tonight. It made him wonder how many of the students and faculty at the University had similar experiences. Maybe he would make a post about this sometime in the future. Or maybe he and Riley were just unfortunate ones who had the pleasure of interacting with police.
“No, no, no,” he answered as he backed away from her and waved his hands in a ‘no’ motion in front of him. “I honestly had no idea any of this would happen. When I get them, they aren’t clear visions or anything and they rarely make any sense at the time.” The last thing he wanted Riley to think was he somehow influenced this entire situation.
“That blows. Did you ever get it back?” Somehow, Riley was bonding with Jon over shared experiences. It was kinda... nice? “It’s funny, but when Reeve and I first came out as reincarnated, my uncle would tell me how in America people were more tolerant, nobody would bully Reeve, I could protect him better... but he was wrong.” Had Riley ever admitted to anyone openly that she was Reeve’s protector? Well, now Jon would know.
“Oh,” she murmured, crossing her arms under her chest when he backed away, nodding in understanding before a sloppy grin came to her face. “Would have been kinda cool if you had dreamed about it or something, and then plotted to make it happen. I would’ve been impressed.” Not that Jon being able to see the future wasn’t impressive in its’ own right.
“No, not yet. Sometime in June probably.” You crash into one fence because your powers made you blackout for a few seconds and suddenly you are unfit to drive. Deep down, Jon knew this was a good reason, but he liked to gripe about it none the less. “America is more tolerant?” he asked with a laugh. “Having two moms also shows how tolerant America really is.” And it really didn’t surprise him that she protected her brother. Riley was a take no shit type of person and he fully understood that feeling when it came to family and he really liked that about her.
Stepping forward, he leaned in and brushed a piece of foliage off her shoulder. “I don’t really think I’m that much of a good romantic like that.” Considering he had sort of stumbled into this arrangement, the chances of him actually plotting for it at the time were slim to none. “So... what did you exactly have planned to do out here tonight?”
"Ah. Well if you ever want to drive my car to keep your skills sharp lemme know," she offered, no real motive behind it other than a friendly gesture. It wasn't something Riley would let just anyone do, but she trusted him. "Compared to Gauteng, yeah." She didn't talk about her home all that often, as she didn't have any fond memories. "Two moms, huh? That explains a lot." She didn't mean anything bad by that. Jon was one of the few guys she knew who treated women with respect even when he was being perverted, which she thought was a good quality.
Glancing over at her shoulder when he brushed something off it, she shrugged. "That's fine, I wouldn't know how to react if you acted all romantic with me." Point of fact, she considered situations like this the epitome of romance, being alone outside with no pretense. "Nothing. Just kinda hang out and pretend I didn't have a life to deal with. Maybe go jump naked in the lake."
He smiled. “Nah. I really don’t want to face your wrath if I ever happen to crash it. I’ll just make you drive me places, I guess” Jonathan didn’t really want a broken leg, or worse, a broken arm should history repeat itself. “And yes, it really does explain why I am awesome,” he added with a good amount of joking in his voice. Being raised in a house full of women did have a positive influence on him. Jon honestly tried to remember how he would feel if someone treated his mothers or sisters that way when interacting with women. No, he wasn’t always perfect about it and could be an asshole, but it was something he always came back to in the end.
“Maybe it makes me cynical, but romance things like that always seem so forced. Like you’re trying to hard to be impressive or some shit. I don’t know.” He believed you could respect a lady without constantly wining and dining her to bankruptcy. Or perhaps he just didn’t understand the finer aspects of being romantic at this point in his life. “Cool. That sounds good to me. Not the lake part though.”
She nodded in response. "Good call. It's probably easier for me to drive you places anyway, my car's a temperamental piece of shit." Riley said the last part with the type of muted aggravation usually reserved for kids or pets. "Pfft, please, don't think I'm agreeing with that. Your ego's big enough as is," she scoffed, vaguely aware that she wasn't exactly against complimenting him when she wanted something. Riley had made it a point to help instill similar values in Reeve, and while she was guilty of saying insulting or vulgar things she often tried to limit anything gender-specific.
"I don't think it does. I mean, what good is it being around someone if you constantly have to buy them shit or go out of your way for them?" She never understood the concept of going all out and getting stressed over a date. It was why she did her best to avoid them. "I'm not gonna make you skinny dip, wouldn't want you to freeze what's left of that ass off."
“I always did want my own personal chauffeur.” He’s kidding! Mostly. Jon would totally offer her lunch or gas money in exchange for hauling his ass around the town. Or perhaps he could offer her other means of payment. Whatever she wanted really.
“Frankly, it makes gifts less something if you get them all the time.” Not to mention it made one broke constantly having to buy gifts, especially when it was just for the sake of buying them. He was glad Riley wasn’t the kind of girl who expected these things... not that he had any reason to be thankful for that. “How about you can go skinny dipping and I’ll just watch the view from the shore?” he asked with a sly grin.
“I could even wear a hat, but if Reeve or Cyrus need a ride someplace you’d have to wait.” She was joking with the first part, but the second was serious. Riley wouldn’t put him before her brother/son, or her friend/son, no matter how things went between them. That’s just how it was.
“Who even needs gifts? What do I want for my birthday? Sex. Anniversary, if that ever came up? Sex.” She was a woman of simple needs, and she had no issues expressing that. It was good that Jon felt the same way, since she wasn’t exactly adept at picking out gifts to begin with. Much as she didn’t want to laugh at his comment, the grin won her over. “Only if you promise not to swipe my clothes.” There’d be hell to pay if he did.
“I’m cool with that.” More than cool with that considering he wanted to avoid her children at any cost. While he didn’t exactly talk to them much, Jon got the feeling they really wouldn’t be too happy with this arrangement. And what they didn’t know wouldn’t exactly hurt them.
At her idea of gifts, he had to laugh. “Something tells me those are easy things to manage for guys.” He then took a step past her and started walking in the direction of the lake. Or at least he thought it was the direction of the lake thanks to his hearing. “And ruin my chances of getting lucky tonight?” he asked as he started walking backwards so he could look at Riley. “Baby, you don’t have to worry about a thing there.”