Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
Things were really racing, and while Riley knew that Catherine was only being released today he was perhaps a little hopeful she might get his message and come meet him in the auditions hall. He’d not liked going up against the other Romeo and he felt out numbered even if it was just one person, if Catherine was there he would have done better, he was sure… she’d have dragged the other guy screaming off the stage anyway. At least it amused Riley to think that, even if he knew she won’t have really. But the support would have made him feel just as good. It was nice to get together with his friends anyway but he still found himself worry over what she was up to, why she decided not to come and how she was dealing with things.
Leaving the auditorium hadn’t been easy, Riley hadn’t liked the fact that other guy auditioned for his part and he was faced with a rival who he knew little apart and Riley had promised himself he’d stop pulling his sources in order to run names now that he wasn’t part of the initiative. If he wanted to get to know people he should do it the normal way… But it was so hard… all the formalities and all the opening up people had to do just to meet others.
Riley slinked off quickly from the group so he could hurry on and meet Catherine, he’d spent the entire walk wondering how to cheer her up and what she could be doing. Last time Riley had hit a real low with his memory loss Catherine had taken him down to the recreation room in order to eat icecream and watch TV. Though now she had a TV in her room, the one he had brought for her in Iowa and had horded down here for her. Not to mention there was the main TV in her dorm room, so it was unlikely that she bothered going all the way down to the rec room given her state.
The decision seemed final by the time Riley got into Green’s dorm, rushing into his own room and freshening up and changing clothes for the next part of the day. Occasional hands rubbed against the slightly tired eyes, he hadn’t slept much at all last night but he was pumped enough to hopefully make do for a while before a possible lunch time powernap. A fresh pair of jeans, new socks and a crisp white t-shirt with grey trimmings showed Riley ready for the trip across the hall, but first he made the important stop to the fridge, opening the freezer and pulling out two of the four stashed icecreams, and then the fridge door he opened to pull out a box of chocolates (from his mother) which he saved to share with Catherine. Later he’ll make an effort to restock the freezer, Scott was enjoying the icecreams and so the team seemed to get through them rather quickly.
A quick assemble of spoons and two desert bowls and Riley was heading out the door, fumbling items in his hands carefully trying to balance them while opening and closing the main door and then trailing over to their opposing neighbours and offering a knock on the wooden door. When it swung open a red haired youth stood in front of Rye, flaming red hair and bright eyes which looked up at him slightly, Riley recognized the guy was Jay… one of the X-men’s relatives.
"Catheri-" Jay already began to walk away while Riley started speaking, a hand the only effort Jay made as it motioned off towards Cat’s door and he himself disappeared into his own with a slight slam with his hast to get back to reading his lyrics. Rye stared after him for a moment and the looked over towards Catherine’s door, hesitantly nudging the front door closed as he entered the dorm and made his way to yet another door. "Ah.. Catherine?" Trying to keep his voice low so not to disturb anyone else and yet still be loud enough to be heard by her, Riley offered an additional little knock in hopes of getting her attention. "I’m coming in ok?" He wasn’t sure if he heard her say come in or not, the tv was on so he could have mistaken it but he hoped he was welcomed. The ever charming smile found its way onto his face as his eyes peered over towards the bed, the tv was on and the curtains drawn shut… she looked like she just wanted to hide away…
"Hey… I brought you something." He sounded so sweet, he wanted to cheer her up so badly, he didn’t want to intrude on her unwanted though, so he took his time to draw near her, each step taking him once bit closer to her. "Icecream.. figured it was my turn.. and chocolates from everyone to you." he offered another smile, holding the box with the two small flavoured icecreams balanced on it, the desert bowls and spoons carefully held in his other hand.
Closed curtains shut out most of the invading sunlight, closing her away from the bright light of day and filling her room instead with gloom and shadows. Catherine’s form lay quietly on it's side, half covered by her blankets, her dull eyes staring across at her TV. The film that was playing was supposed to be a comedy but there was no hint of mirth upon her face.
It was the first day Hank had released her from the confines of the bed bay and the thought of attending her classes was far from her mind. She was already behind in most of her lessons apart from English, but that was only because most of her classmates were only just learning to read and write. Cat often found it unfair that everyone else seemed to be so bright and able to understand what the teachers were telling them whereas a great deal of it seemed to sail over Cat's head. Though if she actually listened to her teachers rather than staring out of the window or doodling in her work books she might have a better idea what she was studying in her classes.
There was a knock upon her door, quiet and slightly hesitant. Her head turned slightly towards the sound, wondering if she should just ignore whoever it was. "Ah.. Catherine?" Riley? It sounded like him... she hesitated, unsure if she should invite him in or not. She wasn't sure she wanted to talk to him... but the decision was made for her.. "I’m coming in ok?" He cautiously opened the door and stepped into the darkened room. Catherine found herself hoping he'd brought Katie with him, but there was no sign of the wriggly puppy.
"Hey… I brought you something." Brown eyes watched as his form slipped into her room, carrying several items in his arms, his steps slow and unsure. She lifted her body, propping herself up by one arm, blonde, brown hair bouncing slightly as she moved. Cat eyed the TV for a moment before turning her attention back to Riley again, wondering what it was that he had brought for her. "Ice cream.. figured it was my turn.. and chocolates from everyone to you." A more interested look appeared upon her face.... chocolates were good, she didn't mind being given chocolates.
'Everyone?'The question was said quietly, her eyes not meeting Riley's but instead falling upon the collection of items he was holding in his hands.
Paige:How can I have feelings for someone who's not even real?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
'Everyone?' She didn’t sound upset or annoyed and that was as good as a sign as any that he may not be intruding. His eyes dropped to the treats he held, though got distracted with the floor of the room… Cat wasn’t the cleanest of people and he’d seen her home back in Washington, she had a lot of stuff and no idea to it so it seemed things just got thrown here and there and wherever they landed was their home for the that point in time.
It was dangerous, what if she tripped over something? Riley was never ‘clean because it’s hygienic’ in the sense that his friend Connor tended to be, but Rye did like things to have their place and was always more eager to cleanliness because he didn’t want something out of place and risking hurting someone.
"Yeah.. mum and Emily came around earlier, it was too early to see you and they have to go out to the shops.. they wanted to be back in time for lunch." Careful steps were made as one foot guided it’s way over a pair of discarded jeans and the haphazardly tossed shirt that was dropped carelessly beside it and then a few scattered CDs by the bed and other items which seemed to be pulled out and sorted through and then just left there once she was done.
"And.. I sort of stayed up late so by the time I went to sleep it about 6 and then they came about 7 and after that I for a little bit more rest before the Auditions.. didn’t get to see you because of that." Riley lowered the things down on the edge of the bed, it wasn’t the largest size out there, but the double beds Xavier’s school offered were still comfortable and offered a nice space, especially if anyone wanted to share the bed with someone else. The Auditions… he was a bit ruffled with the fact he had put his name down and made the effort to get up there and do his part, only to see two others make an attempt, one who had done a rather awful job as he couldn’t stop giggling and the other who did decently enough that Riley knew he was competition for the part. At first it may have been a small thing to place his name down for Romeo, but he’d never done something like that before and quickly enough he was seeing it really was a big deal, and he liked how Michael had come to his aid and how everyone supported him… He liked feeling like he was part of something.
The TV drew Riley’s attention as a gunfire echoed from the screen, a man seeming to be mouthing off at another guy who had apparently fired the gun accidentally. It was set up a joke, but Riley didn’t see the humour, he too the handling of weapons too seriously and has seen what accidents can do, what weapons in general can do and he couldn’t understand what people found so entertaining about watching stories of people dying or almost dying in some fashion or another. Perhaps if Riley tried to see things outside of the pain and suffering he was familiar with he may be able to see the humour but for now it was all still too sore a subject and TV seems prone to violence and death and it was a terrible, horrible collection of tales that did nothing but drag out haunting memories that Riley would much rather prefer left buried.
"Anyway.. the Auditions just finished before.." Definitely sounding less then enthused it was obvious something hadn’t gone entirely the way he’d have hoped for but so far Catherine wasn’t someone who liked to get into details of other people’s problems and regardless he’d not want to start sulking to her about it since she’d just had a less then pleasant last few days. "Emily stayed with me too, she actually helped hand out scripts, she seems to be really taking to the school.. she was asking how old people have to be to live here too so I think she’s getting attached." He added with a smile as he set things up carefully beside Catherine, taking the lid off the chocolates and letting her see them in all their delicious splendour. It wasn’t a small box, holding 30 of them, ten in three layers, so there was plenty there without the icecream. It was definitely a feast to of sweets.
"Ta daa!" A playful comment brightened his mood as he nudged the sweets towards her, "What do you think?" He sounded hopeful, perhaps he was… it’d be nice to get some praise for the thought, a show that she was happy with him for doing it or something, anything, any morsel of positive points which he could collect and scurry off to store in his treasure trove of memories and pride. All he wanted to do was cheer her up and show her he was thinking of her and he hoped she appreciated it!
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
Her eyes watched him as he picked his way across her room, carefully avoiding the objects strewn haphazardly over the floor. She didn't really see the mess in her room, she'd never really been a tidy person and it was now second nature to toss things onto the floor rather than putting them away in draws. "Yeah.. mum and Emily came around earlier, it was too early to see you and they have to go out to the shops.. they wanted to be back in time for lunch." It was disconcerting for her to see Riley's parents in the setting of the Institute... they'd always been associated with Iowa and she always felt that little more uncomfortable around them because they were visiting Riley.
"And.. I sort of stayed up late so by the time I went to sleep it about 6 and then they came about 7 and after that I for a little bit more rest before the Auditions.. didn’t get to see you because of that." Catherine had heard of the auditions, mainly from Riley, but also from the posters pinned up around the school. Romeo and Juliet, she knew the story, guy and girl fall in love, they both thought the other is dead and take their own lives... or something along those lines. She found it hard enough struggling to read English, add to that the subtle meanings and complex words of a Shakespearean play and she was more than at sea.
"Anyway.. the Auditions just finished before.." She frowned slightly, knowing that Riley was planning on playing the ever popular part of Romeo, though secretly she was hoping he'd not get the role. Even if they weren't together she didn't like the idea of someone kissing Riley, even if it were just in a play... it would only encourage the other girls to think of him as fair game and Cat would brook no opposition when it came to Riley. So it was that she showed very little interest in the school performance. "Emily stayed with me too, she actually helped hand out scripts, she seems to be really taking to the school.. she was asking how old people have to be to live here too so I think she’s getting attached." Emily?! At the school... at that snippet of information her eyes met his, lifting from the interesting collection of items in his hands.
'Uh wouldn't she like have to be a mutant? ... It's kinda an entry requirement. Your a teacher.. so that’s cool...' Her eyes dropped back away, her head falling back onto the pillow as if holding herself upright was too much effort. Somehow everything was much easier to deal with during the day, but once evening came she found she'd start running things though in her mind and letting old ghosts come back to haunt her.
"Ta daa!" Her eyes flicked over to the box of chocolates, interest stirring in their depths... how long was it since she'd eaten chocolate? ... proper chocolate ... not in ice cream form. Eyes filled with chocolatley lust lifted to gaze into his. "What do you think?" A small smile curved the edges of her lips despite the way she was feeling deep inside.
'C..can I have the caramel ones?' Her hand snaked out from under the covers.. reaching across for the lid of the box. Her eyes scanned over the drawings inside the lid, her dyslexia hindering her in locating the caramel chocolates. Catherine's hand past dangerously close to his as she stretched her fingers over for one of the chocolates.
With a smile she slipped the sticky sweet between her lips, the smile widened as the chocolate began to melt in her mouth. 'Mmmm as good as sex...' Her eyes opened and a blush rose to her cheeks as she realised what she'd just said, it was the type of thing that should be uttered to Charlie... not her ex. It was infact true that chocolate stimulates the same pleasurable part of the brain as making love did.
Paige:How can I have feelings for someone who's not even real?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
'Uh wouldn't she like have to be a mutant? ... It's kinda an entry requirement. Your a teacher.. so that’s cool...' The words seemed to repeat themselves over for a moment before Riley actually hesitated and looked at her, so wrapped in his own thing and wanting to impress her, that for a moment he slipped passed even his own thoughts as to why her comment on mutants would have struck a cord with him. He cause she was wrong… he was a mutant. What kind he wasn’t sure and that was the sole reason he felt anxiety and worry. It wasn’t about acceptance, or fear of being different… it was fear of what could happen, what has happened in the past to other mutants, like McCoy, the Wagners, people who were so physically different there was no hiding it and no running from it. People looked at them with disgust, Riley had heard about it even if he had never seen people really pull back in loathing. He read about the things they did to mutants, the ones who were so deformed they went to live as far away from the common population as they could, underground, other countries other places so detached people had little chance of stumbling across the mutant made paradise. If a prison cell could be called such a thing, regardless of the willingness to live within its walls, that was all it ever was in the end… an escape, a hideout…a hole hidden from sight.
'C..can I have the caramel ones?' A half nod was made as Riley blinked back the thoughts, he hardly had to worry about that, not considering he was an established resident of Xavier’s and as long as he pulled his weight they’d have no reason to kick him out and so he’d live safely enough within these walls. Hands seemed frozen in place, refusing to budge as Catherine’s drew nearer, as if any movement might cause them to pull back in retreat. Sometimes she seemed so timid of him, he could already imagine the things that she thought about whenever she pulled away from him, whenever she looked at him wearily, cautiously…
Now she was more content on the chocolates, more focused on the sweets he offered then the past troubles they endured, though he didn’t doubt they too were close on her mind as they were on his. Riley felt slightly awkward as he watched her place the treat between her lips, but that awkwardness grew more as she mumbled quite contently to herself, or at least that’s how it seemed.
'Mmmm as good as sex...' Was… he expected to reply to that? There was a rather shy look as he glued his eyes down on the sweets. She always had a tendency to forego casual invites, like ‘join me’ or ‘sit’ or ‘hey, relax’ or anything that would signal easily she’d welcome him company. Riley left the box on the bed and nudged it forward closer towards her.
"Have as much as you want." Riley assured her as sweetly as he could all things considering, his nerves flared a little and his tension tightened his muscles. Fingers clenched slightly and then rubbed against the side of his thighs, his eyes danced over to the screen of the TV and then down at the ice cream he brought. "Um.. A..Actually..mm.. maybe.." No, now wasn’t the time, he couldn’t spit it out, the details of Hank’s findings, the facts that there was a suppressed x-gene, one that will activate as the drugs were waned out of his system. "..I.. could.. uh.. could I watch tv with you?" The way the last part flowed made it bluntly obvious of the cover up, the awkwardness in his eyes more of a give away then the tone which tried to remain calm and even. A hopeful look crept into his features, he didn’t know how to brace the subject with Catherine, how would she react, how he felt about someone else knowing… it made things more real when others knew the truth. He was experiencing that with the Initiative, it was like a nightmare the last few years but one he could pretend didn’t exist, now however, with teachers becoming away of their existence, it made them more real… more threatening some how…
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
A rosey blush coloured the young woman’s cheeks, her normally fierce eyes downcast. It was a subject she'd rather not have brought up, but for a moment she'd forgotten herself and who she was talking to. Cat found herself wondering if he ever still regretted that they broke up. Did he think about her the way she thought about him... perhaps one day she'd work up the courage to ask him... perhaps one day he'd tell her he loved her again.
"Have as much as you want." Dark pupils lifted from the coffee coloured blankets, staring nervously across into his hazel eyes. There was a strong urge to just snatch the box from his hands and devour the whole contents, she'd not eaten since that morning and her stomach was grumbling with hunger pangs. Only the fact that she might run into one of her following team members had stopped her from venturing out from her room to the communal kitchen. She didn't really mind Connor but she didn't have much affection for any of her other team members ... not that she'd seen much of any of them since she'd moved in.
"Um.. A..Actually..mm.. maybe.." She watched his nervousness, wondering what he was trying to tell her, but not even her wildest guess coming close to the truth. His hands moved over the fabric of his jeans, eyes flicking from the TV down to what looked like ice cream that he was holding in his lap. "..I.. could.. uh.. could I watch tv with you?" He was kinda sweet when he was nervous she decided, her head tilted slightly to one side as she watched him. Of course he could .. she always wanted to spend time with Riley.
'Of course.' There was a pause while she slipped her body out from under the covers. She was wearing black pyjama bottoms with a small dark top.. they were new but Riley wasn't to know that. Most of the time they'd lived together there hadn't been much use for bed clothes. Usually Riley undressed her and after a passionate encounter they'd both fall asleep. 'I'll get a new video, this ones almost finished.'
Paige:How can I have feelings for someone who's not even real?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
There was a moment Catherine appeared to be summing up the question, she hardly looked annoyed by his stammering and despite feeling like an idiot he tried to move on quickly with the idea of watching TV. She needed to relax, to know he was there for her if she needed him, Catherine wasn’t daft, she’d know he had his own issues but he didn’t need to tell her he had even MORE then she was aware. Because honestly.. it’s getting ridiculous, he felt as if his goal in life appeared to be outdoing the last trauma that occurred.
'Of course.' Tension eased from his muscles, a small smile quickly creeping upon Riley’s features. It was always nice to be welcomed by her, and a comfort swiftly set in, his hands hesitantly fidgeted with the icecream container, carefully trying to serve himself some of the cool desert since he was feeling a little peckish and haunted by the sensation of a sweet tooth eagerly wanting to be satisfied. Hazel eyes slid across to Catherine’s body as it slipped from the covers of the bed, a small top clung to her, sleep wear bottoms were worn with a more loosely fit about her body.
'I'll get a new video, this ones almost finished.' Lifting his eyes quickly to her face he offered a rather clueless smile, he was never one for TV and he didn’t really grow up on it even before he was drawn into the Initiative’s stronghold. It seemed pointless and a waste of time yet also it seemed like people grew up thriving on images he personally had more then enough of. Guns and violence… he couldn’t stomach any more. Shoes were slipped off his feet, revealing the crisp white socks he had put on just before, his body shifting to more comfortably lean back against the wall behind her bed and he pulled his feet up off the ground after him.
"Have you been inside all day?" Riley couldn’t deal staying cooped up, when he did get bad enough that he didn’t want to leave his room and he got very reclusive and anti-social he always ended up feeling worse and worse. A spoon scooped up some of the chocolate icecream from his bowl, the chocolate bits inside causing him to chew for a moment after the spoon was placed between his lips. "Maybe," Riley continued, sounding casual, and a lot calmer compared to before though there was still a lingering shyness to his posture. "… you’d feel better getting out for a little while at some point, like a walk.. maybe to the stables? Have you been to see Guina recently?" He’d mention that he hadn’t seen her for a little while but he’d probably add why and if he was asked how he fell off her then saying he passed out while riding was hardly going to improve her day. Today was Catherine’s first day out of medlab and he hoped she was enjoying herself and if she wasn’t he wanted to try and help as best he could. Even if it meant sitting inside with her watching TV for the next few hours.
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
Her extended finger prodded the eject button rather hard on the DVD player, watching as the machine spat out the film she'd been viewing. Her eyes briefly scanned the room, searching for the disk, when she didn't immediately locate it she dropped the disc onto the top of the DVD player. Catherine turned her attention to the untidy pile of cases beside the TV, her eyes running over them and wondering which of the well watched collection she should open next.
"Have you been inside all day?" Behind her she could hear what she thought was the pot of ice cream being opened, but she didn't bother to look around to check. At the moment she was more enthused over the chocolates than ice cream.
She was about to answer him, to say that yes she had spent all of the day in her room. Where else could she have gone? ... classes? hardly likely ... she made any excuse to miss going to class as it was. Everyone would just state at her anyway, there was no way that everyone hadn't heard what had happened to her by now and she'd be the gossip of the week. Far better to keep out of her way in her room, if not she'd have a bunch of stupid people asking her stupid questions.
"Maybe," Her slender hands pulled open a DVD box, pulling out the CD inside and stuffing it unceremoniously into the DVD player. She pressed the on button and returned to the bed as he continued talking, his words slow and hesitant. "… you’d feel better getting out for a little while at some point, like a walk.. maybe to the stables? Have you been to see Guina recently?" She slid her body back beneath the covers as he talked, her eyes not meeting his, feeling uncomfortable as he named the horse he'd bought her at Christmas. Cat hadn't been to see her horse in quite some time, not since a few days before her major argument with Riley. There was a nagging thought in the back of her mind that perhaps she was neglecting the poor creature by not going to see her ... but then it wasn't as if the stable people wouldn't feed her!
'No, I haven’t seen her in a while... could we maybe go play with Katie after the film.' Cat's voice indicated that for the time being at least not even a crow bar was removing her from her bed ... not until she'd eaten every chocolate in the box .... apart from the ones with nut in.
Paige:How can I have feelings for someone who's not even real?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
It was so hard… the way she moved, the closeness of her, the very fact she was in the same room with him, it made everything so difficult for Riley when he was so unsure how she felt towards him… how she wanted him to act with her. She made things so complicated sometimes, he wasn’t even sure if he was allowed to touch her half the time and perhaps that’s why he took such advantage of the possibility when she clearly made it seem as if she wanted him closer to her. There were times he was so close he felt as if he might wither apart if he didn’t reach out and just… touch her. To know she was there, to feel her at the tips of his fingers, to stroke through her hair or just rest a hand on her back. Anything… just to make sure she was real, that he was there and she was there with him, everything always seemed to fall apart without the assurance, how could she manage so well? How could she seem so content despite the distance between them most of the time… was that how she liked it? Passionate and overwhelming, then cold and distant… Her small form cuddled beneath the blankets, drawing so near and yet remaining so far, taunting him with the nearness, yet shunning him with the barrier the blanket offered between them.
'No, I haven’t seen her in a while... could we maybe go play with Katie after the film.' Play with Katie? Riley offered a smile, he’d do anything she’d wanted as long as he could tag along, he didn’t care how pathetic that sounded to his own mind, he longed for her company and burned with hopes to repair whatever damage seemed to have occurred in their relationship.
"Of course.. we can do whatever you want." Riley offered happily enough, placing another spoonful of icecream between his lips, the silvery spoon lingering a moment before being pulled away from his mouth and returning to the bowl. "Maybe you could stay for lunch…?" A spark of hope ignited in his words and despite attempts of remaining civil and respectful of her choices to apparently end their relationship at random intervals – at least that is how it seemed to Riley half the time – he still couldn’t help but sound hopeful and eager for the chance of spending more time with her.
"…But we can watch the movie first and you can decide on what happens afterwards, right now we can just eat and relax." He concluded, not wanting to put her on the spotlight as far as plans go, though he felt awkward dropping it there without a reply but still, good things come to those who wait… apparently anyway. He was still waiting, still hopeful, for now that’s all he could do.
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War"Of course.. we can do whatever you want." There was a small smile that graced her face, though it faded away slightly as she watched him slip the spoon he was holding between his lips. She remembered the last and very disastrous last kiss they'd shared, right before they'd started yelling and one another... and right before she'd broken down. Shifting uncomfortably she stared at the TV screen, but her gaze didn't stay there long, moving instead to fix upon the wooden horse sculpture that Catherine had somehow managed not to break.
She'd been so happy the day he'd given her the horse, it had been the same day he'd found her in Washington and they'd got back together. Did people deserve a third chance with someone? Cat didn't feel as if she deserved to have Riley back again, but this time she was sure she'd never let him go again, if they ever broke up it would be because he wanted it.
"Maybe you could stay for lunch…?" She hesitated slightly, she didn't really know his team mates, but from what she'd seen they were all a little weird. Though if she said no it would drastically reduce the amount of time that she got to spend with Riley, plus there was the added bonus that he was a good cook.
"…But we can watch the movie first and you can decide on what happens afterwards, right now we can just eat and relax." There was a nod of her head in agreement to the idea. Her hand moved back to the box of chocolates, selecting another to eat. She pushed her hair back from her face as she struggled to read the card which explained to her the contents of the chocolate. "Praline", she wasn't sure what it meant, but the chocolate tasted lovely.
'How are you feeling? You know ... after getting out of the med bay?' For once she was trying to think of someone other than herself, she couldn't remember that she'd ever asked Riley how he was after his heart attack. Cat all of a sudden felt a wave of guilt run through her as she realised just how self centred she was. She put the chocolates aside as she decided she was going to turn over a new leaf and attempt to be a better person. Perhaps if she paid more attention to Riley he'd realise that he did actually like her. It didn't really occur to her right then that if she treated people around the school a little better she might find that they responded likewise.
Paige:How can I have feelings for someone who's not even real?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
Another spoonful of icecream was placed in Riley's mouth, his eyes slowly trailing over Catherine's new room curiously. It was slightly smaller then his... or at least that's how it seemed, he couldn't be sure if it was or not. They did say since he was a student teacher and older he would get special consideration room wise but all the rooms in green seemed nice. One was even fitted up to suit Michael and his special needs.
A moment passed before his eyes noticed the familiar carving of the horse he had pedantically fussed over for weeks upon weeks trying to perfect for when he met Catherine. Even to this day he thought he could have done a better job, but she liked it, and it was really well done, the teacher suggested he think about getting work in a field where he uses his hands, he could make money that way, even if it were just pocket money.
'How are you feeling? You know ... after getting out of the med bay?' The way Riley's eyes slid over to her hinted vaguely at surprise, the spoon still clamped between his lips for a moment longer before he pulled it out again. Sure he was curious at what brought her to ask, it wasn't like he had just got out today and she had been in there since his release so it seemed odd that she mention it now. The way she set down her chocolates and looked at him made him feel a bit nervous, or unsure perhaps was the proper word... The fact he wasn't really sure how he was feeling at this point didn't help at all.
"I'm.." Hesitation came, he didn't want to say he was ok when he wasn't, or that he was anything when he was entirely sure what he was feeling. "..confused." There, honesty, despite the way he felt when he admitted weakness... at least confusion was considered a weakness in the Initiative. By now Catherine had seen more, if not all, of his faults and he hardly should bother trying to hide them from her now. Confused was all she was getting from him though, at least right now, he couldn't tell her he was worried over what had happened, over what was said, most of which was unintentional it felt and only increased the worry and confusion in Riley.
Perhaps he was scared too.. more then a little.. what if the other Teachers got angry with him, with what he had done and who he had been? They might want him to leave.. they might let him stay simply out of pity and the guilt of knowing if they force him out he'd not survive. Riley couldn't live with that, he'd not live under someone's mercy in such a way.
It wasn't really a relaxing topic to bring up yet no one had asked how he felt or how he was going, Scott was glade Riley looked better and Hank asked how he felt but that was different from the doctor. The seemingly lack of concern stung a little and yet there weren't many people Riley really knew... still.. he knew people regardless and no one really showed an interest in what had happened after his game. Sure they wanted to know what happened AT his game, but when it come to his recovering no one seemed to bat an eye lash... at least that's how it seemed to Riley.
"I don't really know what to think about at this point, like what happend since then and what's going to happen from now on." He sounded a little nervous and got put off his icecream a little as he let the spoon play with what was left. He didn't want to lay Catherine down with problems, she had more then enough to deal with. "Now probably isn't the best time for you to deal with other people's problems though Catherine, you have more then enough on your plate." Last thing she needed right now was him going into a panic, though the drugs McCoy had him on evened out his emotions enough to stop him from being pushed over the edge she'd still see his worry and the more he pushed the topic the more fears would surface. Everyone wanted someone to talk to, he just wished Catherine wasn't the only person he felt he could talk to... she needed a rest from him and his relentless issues.
The bedclothes felt smooth under her fingertips, her hands running lightly over the material which concealed the lower half of her body. Her dark eyes looked down momentarily at the perfectly smooth skin which covered her hands. Looked down at the finger Riley's ring should have graced. She found herself wishing for the hundredth time that she'd not given it back to him. Even if she couldn't wear it she'd still have had the circle of gold in her possession. Catherine wondered what he'd done with the ring, she didn't believe he'd have thrown it away, that wasn't Riley's style.
"I'm.." The word broke into the silence, pulling her eyes up from her hands "..confused." A slight frown traced over her forehead, darkening her eyes slightly. She wondered what Riley had to be confused about... Realising she was staring she pulled her eyes away and stared over at the closed curtains.
It was odd, she couldn't pin point the time when their relationship had begun to disintegrate around them... Was it when Jon had attacked her? Often she felt like the decay had started right from the time they met one another, when they'd been pulled into the alternate dimension of Lost Angels. She shivered slightly at the thought and glanced back at Riley, aware that he'd started talking again.
"I don't really know what to think about at this point, like what happened since then and what's going to happen from now on." Her eyes flickered to the tub of icecream Riley was almost clinging hold of. A small smile curved the corner of her mouth, she knew very well how much Riley liked sweet things. "Now probably isn't the best time for you to deal with other people's problems though Catherine, you have more then enough on your plate." She couldn't deny that this words were true, it had been made clear to her that she wasn't supposed to worry about anything other than herself until she was feeling better about everything. Cat was getting the general idea that Hank was trying to take some of the pressure off her but she still felt very uncomfortable with some of the things that he knew about.
She stared at the TV screen and tried to fish around inside her head for something intelligent to say to him, surprisingly it was harder than it seems. 'So how have you classes been going?' Cat knew his classes had been cut for the time being to allow his body to recover from what had happened to him. She wondered if he'd pass the year after the heart attack, she certainly knew that she was repeating the year ... and she might even repeat it again after that. She pulled a funny face and felt herself sneeze.
ooc: Ugh ... it's horrible ... waves it in your general direction ... sorry
Paige:How can I have feelings for someone who's not even real?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
When a silence fell, Riley glanced over at her delicate features, her eyes distracted with a spacy look, hinting she was thinking of something and so Riley left her momentarily to her thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder what it was that she was thinking of, he wished he knew her better, knew how to read her clearly, to see her very thoughts plastered across her face.. He wanted it so badly, to be so close to her, but he wouldnt dare push, he was always pushing, he wasn't going to, not again... this time she would have to come to him.. He couldn't let himself run to her again, he had to know she was ready, that she wanted what he had to offer... what ever that was.. he was tired of thinking he was pushing things onto her.
'So how have you classes been going?' Another worry, another stress, another anxiety, Riley blinked at her, wondering if she was pushing to find out how he was coping with things or if she was really unintentionally bringing up points that really weren't good for him to get into while she was doing her own recovery. A sneeze erupted from her, causing his hand to leave the bowl and reach for her, making their way so close to her shoulder that his fingers brushed against them, the skin cold from the desert. A paused hesitation came and his fingers pulled away, their touch brief and yet for Riley it felt like he had let them linger too longer already.
"Ha, girl you're fishing for trouble there," Riley gave a chuckle, his hands busying themselves quickly by acting as if he was working a fishing rod and reeling in a catch, his minor goofing out ending with his hands dropping to cup the bowl again. "But slow, with a substitute taking over my class and the teachers giving me minimal home work, if any... there's not much for me to do, and I can't even take Katie for her morning runs." Or any sort of run, or anything other then a walk, and even then he wasn't able to exactly walk away his stress, he could only go out for about twenty minutes before he felt as if he was disobeying McCoy's request for him to take it easy. Actually.. Riley was noticing a lot of times he got the fear he was disobeying McCoy.. whenever he even pondered the thought of doing something he wondered was right or not health wise, he kept worrying about McCoy and the Doctors damn insistances. Reminded Riley of his reactions towards Professor Walsh and her demands.... not exactly, but still, he had that anxiety about disobeying that felt out of place to him.
"I'm... just my same ol'self Catherine," The Huxley born mutant commented a little wearily, with a tired smile on his face as he tried to make light of the situation. "With one or two new issues... hey, we can swap stories a few months from now. For now, how can I spoil you with attention if you only ask questions about me?" A chuckle gently came as he spoke, a slight smile gracing his lips softly while his eyes lightened as they gazed upon her pretty face. "I may not be able to leave the school grounds.. but I can still arrange something.. what do you feel like doing later? Anything, you name it, I'll do my best to make it happen." Anything, he'll rearrange an entire room to look like something, a city, a cafe, anything she wanted, he was at the point he felt he'd move a building for her, or do his damn best in his attempts.
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War"Ha, girl you're fishing for trouble there," There was a small smile given in response to the humour in his voice, her quick eyes watching him as he moved. It wasn't often there was anything in their lives that was to be laughed at. The pair of them had had more than their share tragedy for five life times. It wasn't any wonder that events had driven them apart, however much Riley may have fought against just that happening.
"But slow, with a substitute taking over my class and the teachers giving me minimal home work, if any... there's not much for me to do, and I can't even take Katie for her morning runs." She knew there was a substitute who had taken over Riley's basic English class. She didn't like the new teacher.. basically because he wouldn't let her get away with everything Riley would. Subconsciously Catherine was playing the fact that she and Riley has a past to her advantage in lessons. He let her get away with things that other teachers wouldn't. If she handed in work late for Finn he just tried catching up with her at odd time to make her complete it. Her other lectureres, however, gave her short shrift ... when she actually attended their classes. Cat almost always turned up to Riley's English class... after all it did give her a good reason to spend time in his company.
"I'm... just my same ol'self Catherine," He wasn't but he was ... Now the Institute knew about the Initiative everything had changed. She spent half her time looking over her shoulder, worried that members of the Initiative were lurking behind bushes in the school ground. It wasn't as if her fears were unfounded, she'd been snatched from the Institute before now by them ... what was to say they wouldn't attempt it again. This time, however, she didn't intend to be caught off her guard.
"With one or two new issues... hey, we can swap stories a few months from now. For now, how can I spoil you with attention if you only ask questions about me?" She blushed slightly and looked away, hoping the colour wouldn't show up in the darkened room. "I may not be able to leave the school grounds.. but I can still arrange something.. what do you feel like doing later? Anything, you name it, I'll do my best to make it happen." Her brow furrowed a little, she'd already told him what she wanted to do, she wanted to spend some time with Katie.
'I'd just like to play with Katie.' There was a small, almost sad smile to accompany her words. She didn't feel much like doing anything else at the moment, at least nothing expect sitting in her room and eating the entire box of chocolates that Riley had brought with him to her room. Her attention moved back over to the sweets, her small hands opening the box once again and pulling out a small square of chocolate.
Paige:How can I have feelings for someone who's not even real?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
'I'd just like to play with Katie.' Just with Katie? Riley had hoped for something more… he should be happy really, he had now with her, and possibly a meal with her at some point, any more he was really pushing it. Why didn’t it help, even when she was right there, spending time with him, he couldn’t say she was his and it was making things so hard. When he was upset Riley wanted to go to her, when he was happy he wanted to tell her why, when he was confused he wanted to talk it over with her, but … everything he said never came out right! He always messed things up. Or… another thing that really bugged him, were they still dating? But at a distance? It wasn’t like Catherine had been warm with him when they were definitely together, she could be passionate at times, god how he missed her when she was happy… But she could be as nasty as she could be loving and Riley seemed to get the worse more often then the best, but the best was there and he loved it and he wanted it and he wanted her to have the same… he’d do anything to coax that side of her to become a more active part of her personality.
"Just Katie?" Riley fidgeted with the spoon, swirling it in the remainder of the ice cream a little… she wanted to play with the dog and tend to the horse, but where did he fit in? Surely they couldn’t be dating if he felt as if the animals had more of her attention then himself. "She’d.. like the attention." There was a slight hesitation, part of Riley wanting to remain silent and another part dying to push on. Couldn’t Catherine see how much she hurt him when she acted cold or neglectful towards him? The agility mutant may be friendly at this point, but Riley found their relationship so confusing, he wanted to talk about it, he wanted to know where he stood with her, where she wanted him to stand... why was it so hard to work out?
The British beauty was a sinister blend of heaven and hell and Riley was caught within the disastrous paradise he had found within her company. Though he had thought it once he still thinks it… she was his drug, his new addiction, he couldn’t quit, it was more impossible then the formula the initiative gave him, and for once, it was an addiction he’d give anything not to give up, to remain indulging himself with her till the dying days. Was he dreamer though? And one ruining Catherine’s paradise in his insistent attempts?
Riley put aside the bowl, he didn’t want any more, he wasn’t hungry, or more precisely he wasn’t in the mood for sweets, the sounds of the TV starting to grow louder as the ads ended and the movie begun. The former agent rolled onto his side, his arms hugging the spare pillow as he settled down. The opening scene for the movie had started, but Riley was never one for TV, he didn’t see the point in it, he was told how silly it was growing up, how people wasted their lives watching things instead of living them. But Catherine liked her TV… somehow, that made it a little more watchable in his mind. His eyes moved to watch what side of her face he could see from where he snuggled down, he’d give anything to hold her right now… If Catherine wasn’t recovering from her stressful week he may have talked to her about how he felt, but right now he didn’t want to stress Catherine out further if things didn’t go the way he hoped for.
"I missed this.. just.. this.. being with you." Now his eyes burned towards the screen, his face half buried in the pillow and seeming to hide away by the angle it was in comparison to where Catherine sat beside him.
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
She watched, her eyes narrowing slightly as he played with the remains of the ice cream with his spoon. There was a thoughtful expression upon his face and she wondered what she'd said to put it there. Surely it couldn't be because she wanted to spend some time with Katie... he'd been all for the idea a few minutes ago. Men were so confusing and she was sure she'd never understand them. Beast told her to be nicer to Riley, so here she was asking him questions about how he was and for some reason the queries seemed to be causing him to skin into a state of melancholy. There were times she just wanted to hit him, he was like a damned jigsaw puzzle but the pieces didn't seem to fit together properly. She always seemed to be putting her foot in her mouth around him and half the time she wasn't even sure why her words upset him.
The young woman sighed slightly and turned her face away, her gaze instead falling on the TV. There was an advert showing for an action movie which had actually been released some months ago. The DVD was an old one which she'd bought while still living in Washington with Nina. She'd not watched it much, it wasn't one of her favourites, but today she felt in the right mood to have her spirits lifted by a little humour... outside the real world that was.
"Just Katie?" She wondered what he meant by that? Did he think they should invite someone other than themselves than Katie? Or did he mean that he didn't really want to play with the puppy that afternoon and would rather do something else? Catherine wished he'd just come out and say what he meant.. because she wasn't spending the next half an hour coaxing the truth out of him. "She’d.. like the attention." The words brought a smile to Cat's face, whenever did Katie not like attention? The only time the puppy didn't seem to be smothered with love by everyone she met was when she was asleep. A part of Catherine wondered what it must be like to be universally liked without having to do anything other than waggle your tail. She often felt a little jealous over the amount of attention Katie received, especially from Riley. The large puppy slept in the same bed as him which made her envious. Cat would have given a great deal to trade places with the small puppy, the girl had realised that a double bed did get lonely after a while. It would have been nice to have a Riley to snuggle up to.
"I missed this.. just.. this.. being with you." She felt him shifting about beside her, making himself comfortable with her spare pillow. For one heart stopping moment she thought he was about to put his arm around her.. but he didn't and instead snuggled down with her pillow. Catherine had no idea how to reply to his words ... it wasn't a question so she couldn't just agree with him. She felt flattered though that he missed her friendship, and perhaps even her?
Paige:How can I have feelings for someone who's not even real?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
Perhaps laying down had not been the best of ideas considering his less then healthy sleeping pattern… the movie, as most tv shows, didn’t hold Riley’s interest as vividly as most viewers and his eyes spent most of their time struggling to open his eyes each time they drooped. Catherine’s presence always coaxed him into an air of security and comfort, and generally there was always some form of gap between visits, he never felt energized and content any more, he was always so tired and drained. Sleep, however, was not on the cards, not now, not when he wanted to try and keep Catherine company after her lonely stay in the med lab, regardless if there were other faces there, he got the impression she was still lonely, and knew exactly how she had felt.
Strong arms grudgingly helped push him up, scooting back closer to the wall so that he could lean again it, a brief glance over at Catherine as he shifted before focusing on the screen again. Riley’s head leaned back against the wall, his eyes half open and yet all attention focused for a little while on the screen before them. It wasn’t really so bad, sitting there and just watching the show, he could do it here and there, but there was no way Riley could survive the lifestyle of a couch potato.
A soft laugh chuckled from the former farm boy as he watched a particularly humorous scene between the two main characters, his hands sitting on his taut abdomen with fingers laced as he reacted to the movies drama and comedy. It wasn’t long after that till his eyes blinked and seemed too heavy to open again, a blissful moment of darkness in which he only had to listen to the steadily distancing sounds.
The darkness didn’t last, imagines almost instantly crept to his over active and constantly stressing mind. It was brief, though felt too vivid to be a dream, a man standing there, his body facing Riley, a weapon clutched in the others hand. It didn’t matter how much money and how much effort went into the cyborgs and androids, they always looked unreal, they looked frightening… at least Riley thought so…his emotionless form just stood there, the barrel of his weapon aimed towards him, where Riley was he couldn’t tell, just an emptiness surrounded them.
Slowly the former agents head gently rolled to the side, tilting forward a little as a shot from the TV rang through his drifting conscious and snapped him back awake, his head lifting up too quickly and knocking against the wall he had been leaning against with a decent sounding thud.
A slight grunted groan came as he lifted his hand to rub the back of his head, "..Ow." he ended up mumbling a moment later. Who thought being tired could be so tiring?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
The bed moved under her as Riley, who was much heavier than her moved around restlessly. She shifted her gaze from the flickering pictures on the television screen to watch as he pulled himself into a sitting position, using the wall to prop himself up. The pretty woman shot him a bright smile before she turned her attention back to the film again. She settled back onto the bed, laying her head down onto the pillows, one arm under the back of her head to support herself at the most convenient height to see the screen.
She smiled slightly as she heard a soft laugh escape from between Riley's lips. Cat was glad to hear that he was beginning to get the idea when it came to television. It was hard for her to believe that he'd almost never watched TV before he'd come to the Institute, for her it was as normal as eating or breathing. There were always a couple of programs that had to be watched each day and if they happened to be missed for whatever reason then the omnibuses were viewed instead. It was just a normal part of being a teenager, but it seemed to be something that Riley didn't have much of a clue about. When they'd been to Iowa she'd been bored half to death, yet he'd seemed to find more than enough to amuse him around the farm. She wondered if that was how he felt when he was watching television, just.. well.. bored.
"..Ow." Quickly she turned around as she heard his exclamation following a rather loud thudding sound. He was rubbing at the back of his head, using the palm of one of his large hands. She had no need to ask what had happened, a slightly mischievous light coming into her eyes. The hand which was nestling under her head grabbed hold of the pillow and in a quick flash she'd thrown it at him.
"Idiot " The word was uttered with a teasing tone which Catherine hardly ever used. She sat up a little, feeling a sudden fluttering in her stomach at the thought that he might retaliate to her thrown pillow. The thought of Riley having a pillow fight with her was a very attractive one and the possibility raised a rosy hue to her cheeks. It made her remember of another time not many months ago when they'd ended up tickling one another.
Paige:How can I have feelings for someone who's not even real?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
That was wonderful, comes to spend time with Catherine and what does he do? He falls asleep. The girl must think he's cosntantly bored since every other visit ended up with him seeming to fall asleep first... Granted that most of the time it was late and they usually tired themselves out with... their activities.
But even all that aside he was supposed to be cheering her up, not passing out on her, even if he hadn't been sleeping probably, it wasn't like that was new anyway. Movement from beside Riley caused him to glance at Catherine, he figured she was just checking to see if he was ok and Riley was about to say 'I'm ok' rather sheepishly. There wasn't a chance to say anything though, as he blinked the moments sleep that fogged his mind he got struck by a pillow, which caused him to jerk slightly from surprise.
"Idiot"Idiot?! The coy look and cheeky tone was clear enough a show she was just playing around and Riley hadn't doubted it for a moment, a chuckle flowing easily from him as his hands reached for the pillow. Fingers gripping into the softness of it and Riley's eyes flickered to the screen only briefly before noticing Catherine's continued movements. Being observant enough to notice Catherine's body language, Riley realized she was half expecting, if not hoping a reply from him to her playful gesture and Riley seemed to grin slightly at the thought.
"So that's your scheme.. you just want an excuse to beat me up." Riley's back moved away from the wall a little as he straightened his posture, "Admit it, it's some sorta plot of revenge for all the homework!" Always the paranoid one with his strength, pushing the pillow against her and trying to hold it in place, not considering the option of actually hitting her with it... He didn't have pillow fights and so it wasn't something that came to mind as a game, though he had heard of it. His left hand let go of the pillow she used against him, though his right still held it the left picked up the spare pillow and with a light laugh of mock triumph he pressed both of them against her.
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
Her spirits lifted slightly as she waited for him to respond to her playful gesture. At the same time hoping that he'd spot the unspoken, teasing invitation. The young woman's body lay, outwardly relaxed but internally wound like a spring. Her tenseness was half due to the fact that her blood was suddenly surging though her veins and partly so when he retaliated she could respond instantly.
"So that's your scheme.. you just want an excuse to beat me up." She smiled at him, happy that for once they were jesting with one another rather that talking awkwardly with one another. If only things could be like this more often. She frequently found herself wondering how to breach the large gap she felt was left between them. Cat was sure the right words could bring them back into the realms of comfortable speaking... if only she could work out what they were.
"Admit it, it's some sorta plot of revenge for all the homework!" She let out a laugh which surprised even her as he pressed the cushions onto her. It was nice to be together and act in such an easy manner, as if the past year had never happened and they were back in the early days of them knowing one another. For a short time she could put her hurt behind her and concentrate only on the here and now.
'Well you shouldn't have set so much then!' Her hands pulled at the two cusions, trying to get them away from the older, stronger man who held them. There was a sparkle to her eyes which had been sorely missing for too long. This was Catherine as she might have been if life had dealt by her easier.
Paige:How can I have feelings for someone who's not even real?
Re: Wed.21st.March - The Spoils of War
Over the past year Riley’s heard her shout so often, he’s seen Catherine cry and scream and glare, he’s seen her scared and confused and hurt… and it hurt so much to think that he was more familiar with that side of her then he was with her smile, and as she laughed he could almost say he felt breathless by it. If only he could always make her laugh like that, if only he knew how, he used to make his friends laugh all the time but then… things really did go down hill for him, and the past week was spent mulling over Max’s verbal attack last Friday. Had he really gotten that bad? Did people notice so easily how hurt he had gotten over the last year? Was he that easily read? Riley knew he was unhappy at times but he never thought he wasn’t as vibrant as he used to be and it worried him to think he’s gotten so bad that everyone noticed. No wonder Catherine was never cheery around him, she was upset and he was upset and together it wasn’t like they could just crack jokes so easily…
But Riley had made the choice to try and fix things, make them for the better, Catherine was right on so many levels, he couldn’t let the initiative control his life no matter how strongly they influenced it and he’d show her he could be just as they were now… He’d make her laugh more often, he’d pull himself out of the gutter and focus on the things that were happening here and now and if he was worried about something he’d take a more active role in facing his concerns instead of running as he has been doing, because obviously that hasn’t been working.
Here and now was all that matter, and this was all that Riley wanted, so simple a moment and yet it brought smiles to their faces, a laugh to their lips, and a flutter to their hearts. It was hard to imagine that at this time next week he’d be in medbay again, recovering from the surgery Hank was to preformed the coming Tuesday… what was too be a complex heart operation turning into an even more complex brain surgery as the tampering with the heart implant will alert Hank to the second one located in the side of Riley’s brain. Most people dreaded having to face either and yet Riley will end up unexpectedly enduring both. In the end it would be for the best, but there and then Riley would feel too weak to think any good could have possibly occurred.
It had been a week since Riley, Catherine and his family had been told about his heart surgery, giving plenty of time for the initial shock to die down and gradually allowing the day to be gently nudged aside as if hoping that merely forgetting the oncoming day would wipe it from the very fabrics of existence. For now it worked… the 27th was still six days away and the heart attack had been seven days ago, they were right in the middle of all the troubles, the eye of the hurricane, where a calm peace fell between the rush of dangers which were both behind them and yet to come.
Another laugh broke through effortlessly as Catherine struggled, her small body quick and agile enough to wiggle her way through his defences if she really put her mind to it. God… she was so beautiful when she laughed, and it felt as if Riley needed a moment pause just to sit back and watch her as she played… the way her lips curved and her eyes shone a rich dark gleam, everything about her glowed and he was almost envious of the fact this was such a rare sight.
'Well you shouldn't have set so much then!' Riley gave a playful growl as he kept a tight hold on the pillows, he knew she struggled at times keeping up with things but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like the fact that she had to keep spending time with him whenever she got stuck on things or needed help. Sometimes it got very strenuous and he wanted to do it all for her but he knew he shouldn’t, that it was her life which hang in the balance and she needed to learn these skills for herself… but god he wished he could make it all so much easier for her.
"So much? Ha! Wait till you see next terms assignments!" There was a wicked playfulness which suggested he was exaggerating but at the same time there could have been some truth to it, though he’d already gone over what they were doing and that the mid term papers were just recounts of everything they’ve done, so it wouldn’t be studying anything new really, just going over what they’ve done and that would make the whole thing a little easier and help them remember what may be starting to get stale in their memories by then.
The left hand released its hold on the pillow and Riley snaked his arm around her waist, his body shifting to his knees smoothly in the motion as he tugged her towards him, in truth he just wanted to get her away from the wall out of worry she might hit her head back on it though it hadn’t clicked that there was a possibility of the intention being misunderstood. The way his head tucked down though as he braced for any counter attack would suggest the innocence of the approach and another chuckle was made was pulled carefully down to the bed, pinning her as best he could do with one arm and her on her side.
As his fingers made a rush to Catherine’s ribs to try their luck at tickling, Riley let the other pillow he had been holding fall between the wall and Catherine, just if by chance she moved back and managed to knock her head in that direction. The caution went by unnoticed to Riley who was acting more out of habit to check for her safety then a fretful paranoia on his mind, this seemingly programmed response however was one that was natural to Riley, opposed to a few alienated responses the Initiative had given him.
Fingers tickled with a tender assault, firm enough to have an effect yet light enough not to hurt her. Being so close with her was amazing and the thrill of the moment was almost like a drug itself… the appeal to let his lips find hers within the burst of excitement on the few occasions it seemed her face was so close to his, even if for only the briefest of seconds, tugged in the back of his mind, yet the desire was denied and cast aside. Regardless of how he felt he wanted her to make the first move, he didn’t care how obvious it seemed to him or how close they got for once Riley wouldn’t jump the gun again, not this time… The slightly older youth may have been miserable at their games which worked on their restraint while the other teased, always succumbing to the temptation of her passionate caress, but he’d make it this time… This was all just a prolonged game, that’s how he looked at it for now, and it was his turn to tease Catherine and she was always the better of them but at some point she’ll either give in to him or not… all he could do was play along till then.
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