aaron is investigating your tomfoolery. (inplainclothing) wrote in neogenesisrpg, @ 2009-07-23 23:16:00 |
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Aaron was settled in a booth (wasteful of space, perhaps, considering he was there by himself), munching on chips and the second half of his turkey sub. The deli wasn't sparse, but it wasn't crowded, either -- comfortably full of other sandwich-seekers without infringing on the space of others. He enjoyed being out among other people more so than alone in the apartment when Jayden was gone, even if it was just a deli of strangers for an interactionless meal. He had to admit his mood had been less than top shape ever since he heard about James and Hanna's spontaneous rendezvous -- which he was definitely not jealous about because she cheated on him, and he was not a masochist, and wasn't it things like drinks with James that would cause a problem like cheating? -- but as it seemed the riled frustrations were beginning to calm, they were promptly flared again. His mind had almost willed him into thinking the woman seated nearby was just a cruel lookalike, but with another sideways glance, he couldn't deny that the fates had unkindly situated Hanna Hastings in the deli with him. He wasn't sure whether to scold her lack of good judgment (what if James had been a serial killer?) or pretend that he hadn't seen her at all -- so he took a bite of his sandwich to stall for time. Johanna was, admittedly, distracted. She wasn't one to eat alone without something to occupy her busy mind so she was focused on reading the newspaper as she munched on her sandwich. She enjoyed coming to the deli for lunch, partially because it was a change of scenery and partially because it meant she didn't need to cook that meal for herself. Even occupied with both a sandwich and a newspaper, Johanna's attention tended to wander and people that passed by her table tended to draw her attention, too. It was glancing up at a random passerby that a familiar face caught Hanna's eye. She blinked, her appetite fleeing her all in a rush when she recognized Aaron seated just a few tables away. She stifled a sigh, wondering if she was going to be punished by running into him again and again. Perhaps she could make a subtle escape, she thought, pressing her lips together thoughtfully as she surveyed an exit route. She wrapped what was left of her sandwich in its wrapper and closed the newspaper, rising from her seat and collecting her belongings to move toward the door. Aaron saw the movement out of the corner of his eye -- "Hanna-" The name had slipped out before he had the chance to stop it, and he found himself momentarily without any more words to offer. Stalling for a moment, he gathered his trash and stood up to toss it in the trash by the door. After waiting until the silence had just slightly passed the zone of non-awkwardness in the zone of uncomfortable, he spoke again. "I hear you've been keeping busy," he said, the words themselves friendly enough, but the tone not quite light and cheerful, as a subtle bite clipped the end. He knew he ought to let the drinks with James go, leave his mind, it wasn't any of his business -- but he couldn't help but feel it was his business, and self-control was faltering fast. Well, there went her escape route, Hanna thought with a sigh as she slowed to a halt at the sound of her name. It wasn't that she was afraid of Aaron, not really. After all, why should she be? It was more that she knew it to be inevitable that any meetings between them be awkward and uncomfortable. How could they be anything but? He was convinced she cheated on him and she had secrets she knew she wasn't ready to share. But Hanna was too polite to ignore the voice and keep walking. Besides, she had to behave like an adult, remind herself that she could handle it. It had been years since they dated; this shouldn't hurt as much as it did. Still, Aaron's question caught her off guard all the same. Keeping busy? What on earth could he be referring to? Did going out to lunch really warrant such a clipped tone? "Hello, Aaron," Hanna replied calmly. "And yes, I do 'keep busy', though I can't imagine what you're referring to." Her tone had become, without her quite realizing it, a bit cool, if only because she truly didn't understand why Aaron would be laying on the false sincerity as he was. "I just thought I would point out that meeting up with strangers alone to consume alcohol is a really reckless and stupid idea, since you seem to have forgotten," he clarified, his tone neutralizing as his words took on more of a punch. Pressing his lips together, he wondered if she had been drunk when she had cheated on him -- she had never given the details, and he couldn't being himself to ask for them. Did she have a boyfriend now? He didn't really think he wanted to know. Furthermore, people got raped and killed, doing things like that. Anyone would feel compelled to say something, and did not matter in the least that the man she had gone with was actually one of his fellow law enforcers. It was the principle of the matter. Hanna blinked in surprise at Aaron's unexpected comment, unable to hide the complete shock she felt. "What business of yours is my personal life?" she finally managed to shoot back, feeling a rush at annoyance. Was he stalking her or something? Talk about upsetting! She wasn't sure where Aaron had gleaned the information some, perhaps her online exchange with James, but regardless, it didn't sit well with Hanna that Aaron was still checking up on her, years after they had broken up when he clearly belonged to another woman now. "Shouldn't you be worried about Suchiana now?" she couldn't help but add, her tone sharp from her anger. Of course, part of her was intrigued by the fact that Aaron was interested in what she was doing. It was a tiny part, a part that was definitely quiet enough to be ignored over the annoyance she felt, coupled with the discomfort she felt every time she laid eyes on Aaron. Crossing his arms loosely across his chest to avoid the air of being taken aback -- he wasn't interested in her personal life... "I'm just saying that it's my job to mind people's business when they are doing unwise things," he said with a subtle discomfort, pressing his lips together with his expression flinching slightly at the barb about Suchiana. "Which has nothing to do with Suchiana, in this case. She isn't drinking with strange men. Hopefully. Though we know my luck with that sort of thing." The moment the words left his mouth, he felt an instant twist of guilt -- he hadn't actually intended for them to be spoken out loud, and he didn't even know the situation so well, save for it being at a party (again, not that it mattered), but the filter in his mind seemed to be malfunctioning, and it was difficult to think straight. Running an awkward hand through his hair, Aaron used his side to push open the door to the parking lot. Well, he had a lot of nerve talking to Hanna like that and simply walking out the door. What she should have done was let him go but pride would not permit that to happen, not after what he had said. It was irrelevant that she had never been comfortable enough with what had happened preceding their break-up to talk with Aaron about it; the fact that he would bring that up now stung like salt in the wound, however old the wound might be. Thus, Hanna found herself following Aaron out into the parking lot. "It is not your job to mind my business unless I ask you to mind my business, which I certainly have not!" Hanna found herself calling after him, probably a bit too loudly but she was long past caring. "I find it a bit creepy, truth be told, that you know what I'm doing!" She was tempted to ask him how he even knew as much as he did but she felt that would be giving too much and she wasn't about to give him anything. She also wasn't about to comment on his luck about anything because honestly, his luck could really be no worse than hers. Of course, he had no idea what actually happened at that party and she wasn't about to go into it now; just thinking about it put knots in her stomach. Aaron paused and turned back around with a furrowed look. "I am not being creepy, thank you," he said in a somewhat affronted tone before adding in stiffly, "I work with James." Ah, so there was the connection Hanna had been digging for. She had managed to find herself in the company of one of Aaron's co-workers. Typical, with her luck lately. His fiance hired her as a lawyer and she went out drinking with his co-worker. What would happen next, honestly? It was like a cruel twist of fate the way the universe kept finding ways to throw them at each other when it was clearly the last thing either of them wanted. "How disappointing," she retorted, a bit more sharply than she intended. "I had a good time with him. Does this mean you'll be using him to check on me regularly if I see him again?" Perhaps it was a bit harsher than necessary but she was beyond caring at this point. Wasn't it Aaron that had brought the whole thing up in the first place when he should have been minding his own business? That sudden, ill feeling in his stomach -- Aaron didn't like it in the least. Frustration had sparked again, feeding off of the growing hostility in the air and blurring his reason. His natural inclination to be friendly in all instances was being overridden by something else entirely, and he couldn't find the will to bat it away when she was standing there, acting like he had done something wrong. "You can do what you want," he said, a slightly sour expression crinkling on his face as he scrunched his nose. "You're absolutely right, I can," Hanna snapped quickly, not even pausing long enough to think before she answered. "I'm an adult, a single adult, and I can make my own choices, regardless of what you, or anyone, thinks! I don't interfere with your business and you should stay out of mine!" She felt like a child as soon as the words came out of her mouth and she wished she could take them back. There she was, proclaiming she was a mature adult and yet, not acting like it in the least. And then there was the not so subtle pointed remark about being single. It was cruel and almost ominous in that it could change at a moment's notice and through no fault of her own. The lottery made her stomach turn and with the way her emotions were heading, it certainly wasn't something she should be thinking about. Hanna squeezed her eyes shut a moment, trying to take a breath and calm herself. "Look, this is ridiculous," she finally said with exasperation. "We've been finished for years now, why are we bickering like this?" She ran her hand through her hair roughly, her frustration evident both in her tone and in her mannerisms. Despite her efforts, calming down was no easy feat. Aaron's posture had tensed once again, arms still folded across his chest as he drummed his fingers on his arm in an uneasy habit. "It is ridiculous," he responded in agreement, conveniently allowing her initial exclamations roll out from his present thoughts. The tension remained charged in the air, but when Aaron noticed someone hesitate, then slink past them into the cafe, he took in a slow, measured breath and let it out in a huff of a sigh, ceasing his finger-drumming long enough to rub at his temple. The still-sore part of him wanted to say they were bickering because she had still cheated on him and propelled them into going their separate ways -- that people reap what they sow and things like that, but despite the frustration he could still sense in her present state, his fighting spirit deflated when she stopped biting back; the energy to be cutting left with it. Shifting subtly on his feet, Aaron dropped his arm again to hook on his pocket. "Because it's fun, obviously," he responded with an unhostile sense of wryness. At the sudden change in Aaron's mood, Hanna felt drained, almost deflated, and she found herself unsure if she wanted to laugh or cry. What ended up coming out was a combination between a snort and a laugh, though there was little mirth in the sound. "Clearly," she sighed. "What was I thinking?" What had they done to themselves? But part of Hanna was still unable to move on, to move past the events that had divided them so painfully. She wondered if she would always bear those scars. "Far be it from me to deprive you of your evening entertainment. By all means, resume telling me how to live my life," Hanna replied, her tone more resigned than anything, though there was a touch of bitterness there. So much had changed, both between them and just in herself and letting Aaron in would open her up to his disapproval, which she knew she couldn't face. Thus, she remained guarded even in their shared vulnerability. Aaron's lips pursed at the pointed remark -- he wasn't telling her how to live her life...just telling her...how not to, which was different. Or maybe not, which was frustrating -- but wasn't it different when it was for her safety? For anyone's safety. It wasn't safe for anyone to meet up with strangers for alcohol, of course. "Doing my civic and occupational duty. Haven't you ever heard of 'stranger danger'?" He hated the temptation to sink into the comfort of banter -- it had struck him without warning, the sudden urge to dispel the situation, but it always was more difficult for him to fight when a fight wasn't being put up against him. "Haven't you ever heard of having fun?" Hanna retorted, but the comeback was poorly executed, lacking conviction. Indeed, this battle of wills had taken its toll on Hanna and she was rather worn out. What she wanted to say to him was simple enough: she did things like that because what else did she have? Really and truly, Hanna often felt like she had nothing but that moment, that magical moment when she connected with another human being in that fast-burning, fleeting way. Her affections burned quick and hot before burning out entirely because it was easier than the alternative. It hurt less. Hanna sighed, shaking her head. "Look, Aaron, whatever has happened between us, that is history. I can't... I won't have you dictating what I can and can't do. Take care of someone else. Take care of her," she said, knowing that Aaron would know who she was talking about. She just couldn't bring herself to say Suchiana's name, to refer to her as his fiance or wife or whatever she was to him. To admit that much hurt too much. Aaron cringed just slightly at the little punch in the words. "I do know how to have fun, but there are responsible ways to do it." He could hear the ringing reminder that he had not been particularly responsible just a few years before, and that he himself (rather hypocritically) would not be terribly hesitant about meeting up with strangers in his own line of work -- but he justified that he was more capable of defending himself, of course, and the former point was not the point. The identity of 'her' was, indeed, unnecessary to blatantly state aloud. The tone did not need a voiced label, either. "I am not dictating; I am advising," he said, as if the clarification was was an obvious reason to pay such mind to what she did or didn't do. "It is completely unrelated to past events." "Nothing is unrelated," Hanna uttered bitterly, turning away from the man she had once given her heart to so completely. Now, it was hard to even look at him, never mind converse with him. "And I would appreciate it if you laid off on the unsolicited advice. I get plenty of that from my family and I am not in need of any more." Why was she arguing with him? Wouldn't it be better to walk away? To go back to pretending that she had moved on and that Aaron was no longer a part of her, that he was a garment she had discarded so easily like he seemed to think she had. It was better that way. Hanna glanced back again and shook her head. "Aaron, I think it's time to say goodbye," she said softly but firmly. If he was going to continue to talk to her like-- like she was his girlfriend, well, she had no choice but to walk away. Nothing, though, could stop the small voice in her head that whispered one word: again. Pressing his lips firmly together, Aaron folded his arms across his chest in a manner than made him look more like a petulant child than he would like to admit to. Advice was advice -- there was no need to take it so personally, because of course it wasn't intended to be. Not even a little bit. Perhaps a little bit, but mostly it was just completely objective advice. Completely objective and admittedly unsolicited advice... But she was right -- what should he care, anyway? He did not know what had possessed him, but he felt so taken off guard, seeing her again. How to act in such a situation was never really covered. "This wasn't intended as a hello," he said with a tinge of defensiveness. "Then perhaps you shouldn't have called my name," Hanna said simply, though her tone was a touch cool, a simple reminder of the fact that it had been he that had initiated this uncomfortable encounter where she had wanted to simply slip away. Like a coward. The thought came unbidden but it was embarrassingly accurate; she was, indeed, a coward to want to avoid this confrontation and she certainly wasn't helping matters by rising to every bit of bait he offered. Why wouldn't he just let her go? Was he toying with her? Did he think it funny? She supposed it would be up to her to conclude this little unnecessary confrontation. Like before, she would be the one who had to walk away. "Goodbye, Aaron," she said and even as she said it, she wished it hadn't sounded so small, so sad. The fact that the conversation had been entirely initiated by him was not something he had wished to acknowledge, nor was it something that he felt necessary to dwell on, seeing as it was a contradiction to what he had just been saying. Furthermore, he did not like to think about that uncomfortable twinge that came from her using such a tiny voice, from that clearly unhappy vibe that seemed to be radiating loud and clear all of a sudden. It would have been easier if she had been obnoxiously with someone else, asserting it as some sort of a reminder -- or maybe it wouldn't be easier at all, but at the very least, that seemed simpler to be angry at. With a tense expression, he nodded a wordless goodbye before turning to find his car in the still sparse parking lot. |