Alana (athenacalled) wrote in olympian_rewind, @ 2009-06-10 18:21:00 |
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Entry tags: | alana kellings, gregory lyon, herakles |
Who: Alana and Herakles
What: The Conversation
Where: Alana's house
When: Late last week? Recent?
Warnings: Alana's language issues continue
Greg didn't have much to pack in the way of anything; really, all he'd brought with him was the clothes Alana had gotten him and his dog. But now both of those were on their way back to his original home. He didn't look forward to re-decorating, though; he liked the look of his home, but it'd look weird if his old friend kept it exactly the same. And... he couldn't place a finger on it. But he didnt' quite want to leave just yet.
Sighing, he picked up the couch, searching for that ever missing gym sock.
"Hey, clean out any dust bunnies while you're under there, will ya?" Alana's voice called to tease as she walked in from the kitchen with bowl of popcorn in one hand. She'd gotten used to having 'Greg' around, in a manner, even if it had meant dragging him out shopping for new clothes so he'd have some sort of wardrobe. All the same, she was also glad to be getting her own space back. Finally, no more worries about keeping her space clean. She considered plopping down on the couch that he was looking under, then changed her mind and went for an arm chair instead.
Because he was seriously anal about the state of cleanliness. Oh yes. He laughed and made a show out of brushing his hand along the floor. "Your carpet is free of bunnies of all sorts, ma'am," he reported, saluting her as he put the couch back down in its proper spot.
She nodded. "Good work. Ya prob'bly scarred 'em all off." She smirked. "You figure out your new job yet?"
"Dad's gonna let me work on his security team, until I find something I really like," he said with a shrug. "Nothing too great, I patrol around the building and floors, help with heavy stuff, and try not to take advantage of the buffet."
"Dress casual half the time, so guests think that you're another guest... Means you'll have ta put up with me still. Old man still lets me watch dog almost all the daily shit that happens in that building." Alana tried not to snicker as she realized that, one, she'd probably be in charge of half the paper work they had to file for new employees for him, and two, she was technically his boss... Unless Zeus had changed the pecking order. Hmm.
Greg snickered to himself. "You make that sound like a bad thing..."
She arched her eyebrows and popped some of the kernels into her mouth. "I'll be your boss..."
"Take it easy on me, m'lady," he replied with a bow. He was pretty good at sucking up to superior women, after the whole slave-of-the-queen thing.
Lifting her nose in the air she appeared to consider him, before throwing some popcorn at his head. "Don't worry 'bout it. You'll prob'ly barely see me."
The hero god laughed. "Then I'm disappointed." He plopped down onto the couch, reaching to the beer he'd sat down to drink from it again. Ah well. Sock was lost.
"Hey, I can't show favortism and call ya ta the office all the time or anythin'. But a lot of reports about shit will end up on my desk..." She shrugged, then stood and moved to sit next to him, willing to share the popcorn. It was why she'd made two bags worth. Now she snickered once more.
Call him to the office? His imagination came up with a few fantasies that could involve that faster than he was aware he could even think. Blinking, he shook that image out of his head. "I'll try to remember that. But, I just wanna say, thanks for letting me stay," he replied, though he'd already said it a hundred times over.
She waved the thanks away, as she had a number of times before. "Like I've said, don't worry about it. If ya can't count of friends ta help ya out, you need to find yourself some better friends."
He smiled and reached out to take the waving hand into his, holding it gently in his giant grip. "The same goes for you, you know. If you ever need something, even just someone to talk to, you have me."
Just someone to talk to? She wouldn't burst his bubble with pointing out that she had more than a few others for that as well. Instead, Alana gripped his hand in return, and grinned. "I know Giant. Puts ya in my debt if I ever need anythin'."
He smiled and, with some reluctantce, let her hand slip away and returned to his beer. but instead of his own thoughts, he heard the words of others in his head.
"[Just don't fall too fast. You may be practically invulnerable but I know there are ways you can get hurt...]"
"But Alana is oblivious to guys too. She probably wouldn't have known unless he hit her with a two by four."
"Careful. Women are the noose man hangs himself with."
He closed his eyes to try and shut them out. Too many voices, not enough space.
"You alright?" Alana's eyes slide sideways to glance at him. He looked, almost tired. Or bothered by something. She shook the bowl of popcorn and pushed it toward him, an offering, since there was no way she'd eat it all on her own.
"Yeah. Just, uh, thinkin'." You know, about you? But he took a handful of the offered popcorn and swallowed it down, glacing towards her. Two by four? Or avoid falling? At this point, he wasn't even sure he could take either path...
Even a two by four might not work. She took a handful for herself and continued to watch him. "Looks serious. Try not to hurt yourself though."
"... I got a question for you, then."
Uh oh. That didn't sound good. "Shoot."
"You remember like last month or so, when I... I kissed you?" he asked, watching her warily.
Yep, this could get ugly. "Yeah..."
"Um, what did you think, then?"
"What do you mean, what did I think?" Was he asking about his kissing abilities? Because really, that wasn't much of a test.
"Just, did I... I dunno, offend you or anything?" Or did you like it? He rubbed at his hair, not sure what else to do with his hands while he waited for her answer.
Alana rolled her eyes. "No, you didn't fuckin' offend me or anything."
He sighed a little with relief, and offered, "Well. What if I meant it?"
"Meant what?" Then again, what else could he have meant? But it would have to work as her stall tactic for the moment.
"The kiss," he said bluntly.
"Well I kinda assumed that you meant it, but the question would be what you meant by it." By she had a feeling she knew what he meant by it. And it wasn't something she wanted to deal with. She just... didn't. Because there'd be confusion, and pressure that was but wasn't pressure and.. ugh. Even thinking about it in brief passing made her feel a headache coming on. Alana shook her head, trying to chase the thoughts away. "Didn't we already decide ta just forget about it and let it go?"
"Except I'm not even sure I can. Or want to. Something along those lines," he said. Though he couldn't tell, his face was starting to get red. "I just, I don't want you to think I meant it in a 'let's go find an empty room' way."
Had the situation not been as serious as it was, Alana probably would have tossed out a joking comment about 'what's wrong in the let's find and empty room way?' but it was not the first answer on her lips. "I didn't think that you meant it in that way, but I also thought that I'd said I wasn't exactly lookin' for a relationship right now either..."
Inwardly, he cringed. "I know. I guess, I just..."
He shrugged, not sure what else to say. "I do like you. Very much. And, I wasn't ready to be in a relationship when I met you. I finally realized that I wasn't looking for that in Erato. She'd been in a bad shape, and I have a hero complex, I know that much. I just wanted to take care of her. And, I let it go too far; we're just not good as a couple. I didn't want us to be that way. I... I know you have a bad history with men. And part of me wants to prove that not all of us are so bad. I can't stand the thought of anyone going through their life thinking all guys sucks. But," he said, looking back up to her now with a small smile, "the more time I do spend with you, I realize, you're strong... smart... pretty damn funny. And that's the Alana I want to spend time with. Not just this facade of her that my brain tells me needs help. If that makes sense?"
She raised her eyebrows at the smile and last question, ignoring the part of her that was completely freaking out in that stupid idiotic high school girl way. What the fuck was her problem, anyway? But she knew what her problem was. She had issues, and she was still trying to prove to herself that she was past them. Which she clearly wasn't. "What makes your brain think that I need any help?" she asked, a hint in her tone almost making it more like a teasing.
"You looked a little more than angry when you bumped into me," he said as delicately as he could.
Alana opened her mouth to make a response, paused, and closed it as she glanced down at the pop corn bowl in her hands, trying to find the proper way to phrase this. Was there a proper way? Probably not. She looked up at him again. "Look, I like chillin' with you. And I enjoy the surfing and the dancing and the punching and shit, but ..." But? But was never a good sign, and she rolled her eyes at herself. " ... But it's fucked up and complicated and your really don't need me going psycho on your ass."
At that, Greg couldn't help but laugh a bit. "You? On me? Most people worry about the opposite."
"Most people don't have fuckin' insanity issues that make kicking your giant butt a personal goal for the sheer hell of it," she pointed out in return.
"You do have me there..." The smile fell away though, the small moment of amusement gone. "But, yeah... That's just, how I feel. And, you know, I'm not too good with all this... feelings stuff. But," gods, he had to stop saying 'but', "I think... that, well. You're someone I don't want to just slip by because I kept tripping over my own damn feet. That's all."
"I'd hardly say that I'm just slipping by," she remarked, trying to get past the tension. "It's not like I'm lettin' ya get away from me that easily or anythin'..." But she really didn't want a relationship. Why did it seem like it had to be all or nothing?
His eyebrows perked up, the only betrayel of his surprise at her words. But otherrwise, he did his best to remain calm. "I'm not saying I want us to go out and pick rings or nothing. Or even go out to dinner, if you don't want to do that. I really mean it when I say I think you're wonderful, any person who's shitted on you deserves a good kick in the nuts, and I don't look to join the ranks."
He didn't know the half of it. And she didn't feel like informing him. She was also slightly confused. "So... Wait. You want me to know you like me, but is it in that 'you're an awesome friend' way, or is it in that 'let's try for something beyond friends' way? Because I don't get how you can do the second without, in some form, doin' the shit you said you weren't lookin' for doin'."
The god chuckled, a little nervously actually, and scratched at his hair again. It seemed to be a tic. "Damn your logic. To be honest, I don't know. I guess... sure, I'd like to do the second one. But I'm not gonna hang up my coat and leave if we can't either. It's not like I'm gonna up and leave just 'cause you said no, y'know? Even..."
Cough. He scootched a bit closer to her. But only so Pirate could hop up beside him, resting his tired little head on the tall man's knee. "Even if I can't be with you like that, I'd at least like to stay your friend. I guess, to be blunt, I'm asking you where you want to draw the line, whether it's just for now or permenantly."
Alana's eyes went to the puppy as he jumped up to join them, and wondered where the big one was. She also moved the popcorn so that it was out of doggie reach. She knew that look. Begging wouldn't get him anything. She didn't seem to notice the scotching closer. Personal bubble wasn't really an issue. "Ya never know what the future will bring, but right now, I'm not looking for anyone. I just need friends. Preferably ones who don't mind me being fucked up in the head and don't make me feel like I'm more screwed up then I already am."
Probably eating something he shouldn't, but Greg was used to it by now. But he just gave her a smile, clearly confused. "I really don't see how you think you're screwed up."
"Just shows you how well I hide it," she answered with a grin, joking.
Herakles laughed, that boyish grin coming out again, when he paused and leaned in further. Without pause, he gave her a kiss. Not quite on her lips, almost just catching them by the edge, but not quite on her cheek either. He let it rest for a bit then pulled away. Just a little. Just waiting to see her reaction, his eyes locked onto hers. And there'd be no forgetting it this time.
She didn't pull back or away, but she didn't follow him as he did so, and sat, staring at him for a moment, as her thoughts clearly shifted about in her head. Would kissing back be leading him on? Probably... "This doesn't mean I'm changin' my mind," she mentioned, "but if you're going to kiss, you better do it right." And she leaned forward to kiss him more properly on the lips.
Greg paused, honestly surprised. No slap? ...Huh. Maybe he did still have alot to learn about women. Smiling, he returned it, cupping her face lightly in his hand to deepen it while Pirate looked on in interest.
He wasn't exactly kissing the best example of the female species though either. She wasn't complaining though, and she returned the kiss just as deeply, letting herself enjoy it.
And neither was he. He could feel the same old rush, both emotionally and physically. She was sexy. His free hand fell down to her waist, feeling the bit of warm skin that peeked out between her shirt and her jeans. And just her responding positively was setting off fireworks in his brain. This was rather nice and he wanted to see where it'd go.
The exposed skin twitched slightly as she reacted to the unexpected touch, partly because she hadn't known her shirt had rolled itself up once again. The small gesture she decided she'd let slide, but made up her mind to let it go no further. It was meant as a kiss for both of them to enjoy, but she really, really needed to draw the line at some point.
She wouldn't have to. After a moment, he pulled away, mostly because he'd felt Pirate squirming across his lap in an effort to stick his maw into the popcorn. "Hey. Hey! No. Scat, you scavenger."
The puppy seemed to pout at him before he jumped off, tail wagging defiantely, and scampered. Greg sighed at him. "Least he's got personality..." He laughed and looked back towards Alana. "..." Oh, yay, awkward silence time!
Please, it wasn't awkward unless you let it be. Alana laughed at the puppy's actions, then stood and shoved the bowl into Greg's hands. "Here, take it and eat some. I'm gonna take him outside before he ends up peeing inside the house."
The god glanced to his bags, considering. Well... staying just a little bit longer couldn't hurt. "Thanks," he said, taking the bowl with a smile. "And let me know if Bowser's out there? Well, presuming he hasn't found anything to chase."
She snickered. "I'll send him to you. Maybe I can get the little guy to seek him out." Reaching forward, she ruffled his hair before calling for Pirate and heading toward the backdoor to let him out.
He smiled after her until the mortal was gone before letting out a held-in breath and running a hand over his face. He'd survived the first bit of admitting it, now he had to see if their friendship, or more, would continue...
Summary: Teddy Greg is getting read to move out, and decides that it's time he and Alana have a bit of a ... heart to heart...