It's Brittany, Bitch | Ερις (eristic) wrote in paxletalelogs, @ 2011-10-16 15:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | eris, phobos |
my beloved monster and me / we go everywhere together
Who: Charlie & Rylee
What: Let’s try this again - first date do-over.
Where: A park near the Pax apartment building.
When: The day after this and this.
Warnings: Language.
Charlie wasn’t quite sure what she had expected - nothing in her life had ever gone according to plan. But for some odd notion, in her mind, it would have been nice had her and Rylee’s first date (first official date was probably a better way to put it) gone, well, nice. Ending up in jail and having to be bailed out by a smart-ass was not Charlie’s idea of a good night.
And, like most things, she was unwilling to let it go. At least this time she had a more constructive approach to fixing what was considered broken. A quick trip to the grocery store bought all the necessities she would need, and then she took an hour to put it all together. Charlie texted Rylee to meet her in the lobby of the apartment building, clipped a lead on Jack and headed out to the assigned rendezvous with a picnic basket in tow.
Rylee approached the lobby with a certain level of anxiety. Wearing a t-shirt and jeans, he was much more relaxed in this wardrobe than the suit from the night before, but it wasn’t apparent by the look in his face.
“Hey, Lee,” Rylee greeted his girlfriend with some trepidation. He lingered a foot away from her, slipping his hands into his pockets as he chewed on his bottom lip. He would have greeted her with a kiss but he wasn’t sure if that was allowed. “Hey, Jack,” Rylee said quietly to the dog who looked up at him. “So why did ya want to meet up with me?”
Rylee looked at Charlie fully and frowned. After the night before things had been awkward at best. Rylee hadn’t expected Charlie would want to see him and was fearful of what their relationship meant if they couldn’t even get through one date. The appearance of her blond friend put the edges of a smile on Charlie’s face, though it nearly faded when he stopped at such a distance from her. This was supposed to be making up for last night, not to cause more awkwardness. But then again, she had to admonish herself for her abysmal behavior.
Instead, she took it on herself to step forward (neatly maneuvering the excitable Jack away from the new person, to whom he had immediately sprung up to greet), rise up on her tip toes and give Rylee a gentle kiss on the lips; much less than what she wanted to do, but it was still better than nothing. Switching Jack’s lead to her other hand, where the picnic basket hung from the arm, she slipped her fingers into Rylee’s.
“Do I have tah have a reason tah wanna see yah?” Her voice held a teasing lilt, trying to ease Rylee back into comfort - she didn’t want him to be upset with her, and hopefully what she had planned would work in her favor. “I hope yah don’t have anythin’ else to do right now ‘cause I’m kidnappin’ yah.” Charlie took a step toward the Pax lobby doors, tugging Rylee’s arm along for the ride.
The kiss brought forth a small smile and the feel of Charlie’s hand in his caused the blond to relax. “You don’t need a reason to see me,” Rylee replied with a shake of his head. He made Charlie stop for a moment and gave her a kiss in return. Pulling back, there was a more clear smile on his face. “Where are you kidnapping me to exactly?”
He reached around Charlie and snatched the picnic basket from her hand; it jerked on Jack’s lead and Charlie lost the grip in retaining her hold on her dog. “First, I can carry this while you handle the beast. Second, Charlotte Fairica, did you actually make some food?” Rylee smirked and tangled the basket with his free hand, tilting his head to one side as he began to move out of the Pax lobby doors.
“Don’t look, it’s a surprise,” she interjected, watching the basket go with a little annoyance. “An’ yes, I did. Not like yah should be surprised.” Following his wake, Jack immediately began to scent the air once they were out-of-doors and Charlie made sure that she was the one in control. She felt herself calm more as they made a picture of domestic bliss walking down the sidewalk - boy, girl, their dog, going to eat lunch somewhere outside in the middle of the day on a weekend. Rylee’s hand in hers was warm and strong, and as they moved along the path she wanted to inch herself closer to him but contented herself with a light squeeze sent through her fingers.
“It’s not like I’m tryin’ to poison yah,” she teased, finally, trying to keep the mood relaxed.
Rylee returned the squeeze of Charlie’s hand with one of his own. The further from Pax they got, the happier he was. Being outside in the bright sun, he was able to better disassociate himself from all that had happened the night before. It was much easier to lie to himself that none of it even happened. Although the slight swelling of his right hand was a steady reminder of the punch he had given.
“Well, I guess we’ll see about that,” Rylee mused. “If I fall down dead from whatever you’re feeding me, I think I can trust Jack to take care of you. If you have to have another man in your life, it’s okay that it’s him.” Rylee wrinkled his nose at Charlie and gave her a small nudge in her side with his elbow. “So do you have somewhere specific you’re taking me to?”
She shoved him back, and then took the lead, tugging him along. “Generally kidnapper’s don’t tell people where they’re takin’ ‘em - that information comes at a pretty high price,” was her teasing reply, and Charlie shot him a smirk to follow the words. The park they were heading toward was getting closer; she’d walked by it many a time while out exercising Jack, and when the idea for this first date part two hit her, she immediately thought of the lush, green environment with its thick carpet of grass. It would be perfect for something more her speed, something simple and just between the two of them.
Walking from the path, she started to lead Rylee across the grass and toward a few sloping hills that edged the park.
“It’s pretty out here, Lee,” Rylee commented as he strolled after Charlie. Three of her steps always matched one of his and he never really had to rush to keep up with her. “I only go jogging on the beach, I’ve never really come up here.”
With a swing of their joined hands, Rylee smiled down at his girlfriend before lifting the picnic basket again. “So, really, what’s in here? Can I peek now?”
“Nope.” Once they reached the hill and walked over it, they were in a small grove of ash trees. Charlie let go of Rylee’s hand and brought Jack to her, unclipping his lead to allow him free run of the space. Wrapping up the lead, she turned back to Rylee and grabbed the basket long enough to reach inside and pull out a large plaid blanket, turning away from him again to spread it out on the ground. She took a seat cross-legged on one corner and patted the space next to her.
Smiling, Rylee crossed the grass to the well placed blanket and took his seat, going so far as to kicking off his shoes before he collapsed backwards onto the blanket. His head landing on Charlie’s lap; he let out a loud sigh and stretched before closing his eyes and feigning sleep; Charlie’s eyes were wide, but her hands instantly went to his hair, then smoothed down to one shoulder.
“Mmm, you’re a good pillow,” he commented then slowly opened his eyes to peek up at Charlie. She grinned from ear to ear, then stuck a tongue out at him. Her fingers raked his hair, glad that he was still comfortable around her. Scooting to turn around him without knocking him from his position, she reached with stretched arms to grab the basket from his grasp, putting it on the other side of her hips.
“An’ this,” she began, opening the lid and lifting out the contents one by one, “is lunch.” First were two Saran wrapped hoagies complete with tomato, lettuce and mayo. She put them down on the blanket by Rylee’s shoulder, her hand going back to reach into the basket again for what else was hidden there. A bag of small, salted pretzels emerged, along with a box full of baggies of fruit snacks, a healthy variety that were cut into shapes of dinosaurs.
“I couldn’t find animal ones, these were all they had,” she apologized, hoping he understood what she was getting at. Lastly were two juice boxes, one apple juice and the other grape.
Rylee lifted his head, curiosity apparent on his face until he took note of each object Charlie had placed in front of him. His face softened, eyebrows raising slightly in surprise and genuine appreciation, and as he sat up his eyes were only on Charlie. “This is probably the most perfect lunch I could have hoped for,” Rylee commented as a small smile appeared. “Charlie, this is great.” He looked over the spread of food and gave a small laugh. “I can’t believe you remembered my lunch from that day.”
“It was the first thing I had for three days, I think, except some peanuts that for some stupid reason my dad was keepin’ in the kitchen,” she retorted; of course, the real reason why it had stuck with her was not the food, but the act itself. Growing up, it had been rare for people to show her any form of kindness, especially since she generally repaid such gestures with rudeness. But for some reason she felt that she could trust Rylee; that, or simply the thought that he would always be there was constantly evident in her mind.
She glanced to the food and then to Rylee, gauging his reaction. Everything seemed fine, just fine, an excitable flutter kicking up in her stomach.
“I wanted to make up. For last night,” she added in, stuttering a bit with the explanation. Immediately, Rylee’s expression faltered and a frown appeared.
Scooting closer to Charlie, Rylee brushed a wisp of hair away from Charlie’s face. “Lee, you don’t have to make up for anything. I’m the one that got us arrested. I should be making it up to you.” His frown deepened and his brow knit together, forming a line between his eyebrows. “I’m sorry I lost my temper.”
“Yeah but I bet if I hadn’t punched that guy, we wouldn’t have gotten arrested.” She felt the need to one-up him, though who’s fault it really was didn’t matter. They seemed to be moving past the unlikeable events of their first date, and Charlie leaned her head into Rylee’s hand. Scooting closer to him, she uncrossed and curled her legs to where her hip and thigh were pressed against his. Her face moved closer to his, gaze flicking up from his mouth to his eyes. “Yah know, yah were pretty hot when yah decked that guy.”
Rylee snorted and pressed his forehead to Charlie’s. “Was I? I wasn’t thinking about how I looked. The dude just... he really made me angry, Lee. If I could’ve, I would’ve hit him again,” Rylee replied with a small smile. It was the honest truth and it disturbed him; however Charlie seemed to always bring forth his smiles, even during conversations like this. “And you looked pretty damn hot when you decked Samuel at the station and stomped out in that dress of yours.”
“Really? I’m surprised he didn’t have me arrested right there, just for shits and giggles.” She closed the space between them, pressing her mouth to his with more force than before. A hand came up to rest on his knee, sliding gently up his inner thigh as she opened her mouth and tried to invite the same from him.
Rylee quickly responded, happily accepting her kiss and darting his tongue into her mouth. Her hand on his thigh was a distraction but two could play at that game. Rylee reached out, running a hand down Charlie’s neck, her shoulder, and coming to rest on her ribs, just beside her breast. Parting from her soft lips he smiled. “I think he was too shocked to see you in a dress,” he replied before giving a peck of his lips to hers. “I thought you looked beautiful. But I also wanted to undress you... in the lobby, in my car, at the restaurant, at the jail, in Samuel’s truck...”
He pressed his lips to hers again and his hand inched forward, fingers now brushing her breast but only ever so lightly. The muscles under her skin shivered, her mouth curving in a smile at the attention. Charlie shifted to sitting on her knees and scooted forward to him again, never breaking the kiss for a moment. She slid onto his lap, hands pressed to his face as she carefully tossed her head to move back the curtain of brown hair that was falling over their faces, but without breaking the kiss she couldn’t move her head back enough to stop the curtain it was making. Her tongue explored his mouth, tracing over teeth and then slipping around his, playing tag.
Rylee’s hands left Charlie’s side and reached to her hair, brushing it back with both of his hands and running it down her back. His hands slipped to her hips, pulling Charlie closer as he continued to kiss her, and with a firm grip on her butt he stretched his legs out and leaned back, pulling Charlie with him until the couple was laying down on the blanket.
“Well, we didn’t even have a chance for any of this yesterday,” Rylee murmured with a smile. “This is going much better than my date did.”
“There was nothin’ wrong with yer date,” she tried to reassure him. “Up until that dick decided to change that. I was havin’ a good time!” Her fingers traced the edges of his cheekbones, elbows resting lightly on his chest as she was hunched over atop him. She couldn’t seem to stop smiling, and she pressed another kiss on him like it was a surprise she didn’t know she could do.
“Mommy, what are those people doing?”
“Look away, Jeremy!” Charlie turned her head, tossing it to throw her hair out of the way to see a young boy staring at their positioning with wide eyes. His mother had run up to collect him, pulling her child away with one hand while using the other to cover his young gaze. “Don’t you know this is a public park?! Have a little decency!” She grabbed her son and tugged him in the direction they had come - though before they got out of hearing distance, Charlie snorted and started laughing obnoxiously.
“Oh my god,” Rylee muttered with his hands going to his face, covering his red cheeks and closing out the sight of the retreating forms. “Swear to god we can’t do anything without someone interrupting us.”
He peeked through his fingers at Charlie who was laughing merrily and let out a nervous laugh despite himself. “A troublemaker since the day I met you and you’re still causing trouble.” He reached up to Charlie and brushed at her hair, smiling up at her adoringly.
“Probably ‘til the day I die,” she teased back, running her own fingers through his blond curls. Her stomach growled loudly, and Jack had come sniffing up to the blanket to inspect the offerings there.
“Oh no yah don’t,” Charlie snapped, sliding off of Rylee to wave a hand at the German Shepard, moving him away and off of the blanket. Then she went back to the basket and pulled out a large rawhide bone that was as big as her hand and tossed it a few feet away into the grass. “That should keep him busy for awhile. Yah want the apple or the grape juice?”
Rylle pushed himself up only to lean back on his elbows. Due to Charlie playing with his hair, it stuck up in more wild directions than usual, but Rylee failed to notice. With one corner of his mouth curling into a smile he rolled his eyes to the sky as he thought. “Um... I think apple juice will do.”
Pushing himself fully upright, Rylee reached across the blanket and grabbed the hoagies, handing one to Charlie and placing the other on his lap. He snorted slightly, his smile broadening as he began to unwrap the sandwich. “You were my little savior that day. Those fuckin’ kids used to terrorize me until you came along.”
Middle school had been relatively but High School had thrown the much smaller, weaker, frightened Rylee into a world of taunts, wedgies, and lunches spent in fear that he would be discovered at his corner table. The moment Charlie had joined him, he didn’t have a single lunch by himself for the rest of High School.
“I think that was my fifth detention, an’ it was like the, what, third week of school?” Peeling back the Saran wrap, Charlie took a large, mouth-filling bite of her sandwich that left some mayo on her chin. A hand loosed itself from the sandwich and tucked back a fly away strand of hair. Still within sight, Jack gnawed happily on his bone, lying in the grass.
Glancing away from the dog, she looked back at Rylee and smiled, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk’s.
“Doff it tast mkay?”
After swallowing his first bite, Rylee smiled in reply before reaching out and grabbing his fruit box. “Taste’s great, Lee. You really made the sandwiches? They aren’t store bought?” The last time he recalled Charlie making anything in the kitchen it had gone horribly wrong. So the idea of Charlie actually making sandwiches was quite shocking and made even more so since the sandwich was perfect and just the way his mother used to make them.
He picked up his juice box and sandwich then scooted closer to Charlie, his leg brushing against hers and their elbows knocking into each other. Quickly, he leaned forward and kissed Charlie on the cheek. “I think it was during the first week of school. But I could be wrong. After you were finished terrifying me and I realized you weren’t going to bite my hand off, I knew I’d like you for a long time.” Rylee reached for Charlie’s face, turning her to look at him, then with a quick dart of his tongue he licked off the mayo from her chin.
She laughed, turning her face away playfully, one hand pulling free to push at his chest. Turning back to him with a huge grin, she doused the smile for a moment as she swallowed, and then scooted away from him tauntingly. “Maybe it was the first week, I dunno, it wasn’t like I was really payin’ attention. An’ I could always still bite yer hand off, if that’s what yer expectin’.” She took another bite of her sandwich, looking at him while still beaming from his attention.
“An’ yef, I made da sandviches. I ‘member how yer momma makes ‘em,” Charlie finished, swallowing the second bite with a slight pout, pretending to be offended that he was so shocked at the idea of her making food, even something as simple as a sandwich.
Rylee moved after Charlie, throwing his arms around her, capturing her and holding on. He buried his face into the side of her neck, her hair soft against his forehead and creating a curtain once more, making her giggle. Giving a kiss to her neck, he playfully growled and pressed his teeth lightly on her skin. “You can bite, but only if I can return the favor,” he mumbled before kissing her neck again and pulling away. He smirked at Charlie, teasing her slightly with a roaming hand, but quickly placed his attention to his sandwich for another large bite.
“You made them just like my mom did. They’re really great, Lee. Maybe you should make all the meals in the future.” Taking another bite, he smirked at Charlie with full cheeks of food. She grinned, the expression starting to hurt her face a little, but was unable to banish it, nor did she want to. Another bite stuffed into her mouth, she leaned back on one hand as she chewed.
“Yef, that’s a good idea if yah vant me tah deftory yer kitchen,” she replied teasingly, forcing the words out through her food.
Rylee grinned with his cheeks filled with food. Waiting until he could speak again, he reached to Charlie and tucked some loose hairs behind her ear. “Maybe we can just cook together or somethin’. Otherwise, I’ll cook for you. I like cookin’ you breakfast when you stay over.” Rylee bit into his sandwich again and looked around the park, giving a nod before he turned back to his girlfriend. “This is a perfect second date, Lee.”
Charlie canted her head while still grinning, genuinely happy that she’d managed to pull something off well. Once she swallowed, she scooted her body closer to Rylee’s, pressing their legs flush against one another.
“I’m glad yer havin’ a good time. Plus there’s no obnoxious drunks to ruin anythin’.” She took another bite of her sandwich and leaned back with one hand, still sitting as close to Rylee as she could get without being directly on top of him. Jack, still laying off in the grass, had nearly chewed his bone into two pieces, but his tail thumped happily against the ground. Everything was picturesque, and Charlie gave a happy sigh. It was a wonderful way to make up (mutually) for their disastrous first date, even if she was still glad that the event had happened. As before, any time spent with her best friend made her incredibly happy, even if some of that time happened to have been in a short-lived jail sentence.
She swallowed the third bite, her eyes lingering on her dog lounging in the grass, and put her head on Rylee’s shoulder. He responded by wrapping an arm around her middle, ensuring that all was OK between them.