Lost & Confused

[SageTavers]

She oddly enough knew, that if it were safe and at all possible, he wouldn't have had a problem with her crashing at his place while he wasn't there. Though truth be told she probably wouldn't have done much sleeping, but she would have at least felt a thousand times more comfortable there then anyone else. She'd honestly pondered on grabbing a hotel room, but ... for some reason there was something about it that had red flags screaming in her head, so she went with the red flags and didn't go that line.

She couldn't help that small lazy smile kind of play on his lips wen she pulled away from him and he let out that sigh, oh he tried to stifle it but he didn't do too good of a job, and then those arms of his wrapped around her and pulled her down against him a little more and she was kind of nudging his head back with her nose along the curve of his jaw, giving a bit of a playful nip of teeth to the curve of his neck as he made his neck comments, and she kind of let out a quiet 'hmph.

"Well .. come up with anything interesting?"

At least this time she was teasing him back just a bit as she pressed lips to that spot just below his ear for a brief second pulling her head back after a moment to glance at him as if she didn't have a clue as to what he might actually be thinking. She even gave him that slightly clueless look, those baby blues a little too wide, something she used on people at school all the time when they wanted to assume she was a ditz just because she had no brains just because she was pretty and had blond hair.

[Jack Malone, Jr.]

[ --Insert Time Gap.-- ]


Sage:
Falling into a stupor that would lead to sleep would be entirely too easy and when he finally moved off of her she wanted to protest. She was always wanting to protest everything but then she seemed to need him entirely too much. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment before rolling her head to look over at him as his arm moved over her, she couldn't help but smile lightly.

She let those eyes sink closed at the feel of the back of his fingertips moving down over and along her jaw. She let out a bit of her own sigh, and then let out a bit of a low laugh at his 'Damn'. Yeah. Summed it up. She shifted lightly rolling onto her side just a bit so she could curl along his side, letting her hand slid over his stomach after a moment.

"You want to hear something crazy?" [d]


Jack:
Hey, just because he moved off of her didn't mean he intended on putting too much space between them. It'd been more or less to rest his arms that were close - but not quite - to shaking. Last thing he needed to do was have weak muscles (... too late).

When she rolled her head to look at him, he grinned just a bit and when she shifted onto her side to curl into him, of course he lowered down a bit further and coiled his arm around her in what was more than a mix of protective and possessive. Quite frankly, Junior just wasn't quite ready to let her go.

"Crazy? What can you tell me that's crazy?" he teased.

He dropped his head to rest on his upper arm, which left his elbow crooked and his hand up in the air-- but he truly didn't give a shit at the moment. He would've been comfortable anywhere, just then. So long as she was there, and it wasn't night time yet? He was golden. ..Unless, of course, she was going to completely blow him away by saying something. But, oddly, Jack wasn't even trying to read her and figure out what she was about to say-- see? Sometimes, he didn't do the whole cop thing.


Sage:
When he asked her what she could tel him that's crazy the smile that was curling at the corner of her lips had her just shaking her head a moment. She drug her fingertips through her hair after a moment, and let her nose press lightly against his collarbone.

Oh the crazy things she could tell him, the thoughts she had about different things, but she had a specific one that she thought might have any sane and normal man running for the hills, but she had a feeling even if it terrified the crap out of him, he might not actually go running. Plus if he tried to go running right now it might be a little awkward, and he'd probably trip. She pressed a kiss to the curve of his jaw, and then underneath his ear for just a moment.

"...You might not know it yet, but I am going to spend forever with you."


Jack:
Really, with as crazy as everything always was as far as he was concerned.. there was barely anything that was remotely normal that seemed crazy to Jack. He couldn't help it, really, it was just the way he thought. When she pressed in against him, he tilted his head forward and nudged a soft kiss to the top of her head.

Terrify him? There was nothing that truly terrified him; scared him, sure.. shook him up.. definitely. But, no. Jack wouldn't have ran, even if she'd somehow procured a gun and put it to his forehead just then. And yes, he probably would have tripped if he'd tried to jump up and speed off. The kiss to the curve of his jaw had his eyes closing, and he just about went mushy again when that second one found the spot beneath his ear. What she said though, had his eyes reopening to just stare off at the wood line for a second or two-- and not because it freaked him out, but because, really.. maybe he couldn't understand why she'd even want to.

"..Even if I lose my job, 'n turn into some fucked up bounty huntin' asshole?"

He was teasing, obviously, but he hadn't protested the idea. She could take that however she wanted.


Sage:
It would be an amazing feat if she were able to suddenly pull out a gun and put it to his forehead at that moment. When he starred off into the treeline, she let her fingertips moved lightly over the bruise on his jaw without really thinking about it. When he asked that question she was sitting up a little quickly so she could lean over him just a bit shock and awe on her face.

"Like...ohmygod. Especially if you lose your job and turn into some kind of fucked up bounty huntin' asshole..."

She couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as she pulled out the half ditzy valley girl tone in her voice, but you had to think that there was a part of her that was very serious about that comment. She would most definitely seem to find that more then amusing. [d]


Jack:
It really would have been amazing, had she been able to pull that off right about then; hell, he probably would've been beside himself with glee -- well, despite being kind of confused as to where it'd come from.. But still. When she sat up so quickly, he just rolled onto his back, quite careless that his pants were still out of place, and tucked his arms behind his head.

"Hey, just askin', 'cause it might be a fuckin' reality soon. No idea."

But it was more than amusing to think it, and he just might have found a bit more to it than he'd first thought-- going all rogue bounty hunter, instead of being partially conformed to working for the government? That was more him.. but what had him laughing was the ditzy, valley-girl tone she'd somehow tossed into the mix.

"Even if I gotta start chasin' down the druggies 'n stealin' their shit in turn of lettin' 'em go?"

Yeah, keep pressing your luck, Junior. Still, he grinned and turned his attention back to her. Serious? It snuck back in there before he could even think twice about it.

"Why? Why would you wanna stay with me? I mean.. I'd love it.. but.. why.."

Yeah, she'd managed to befuddle his mind again. It didn't happen often, but when it did.. well.. it was pretty extreme.


Sage:
"Yeah, and tomorrow I might decide I want to become the first female president...a lot of things could become reality."

She said it with a bit of amusement, shifting lightly so that she could move over him, planting her knees on the ground on either side of them, laying against him lightly, her cheek resting against his shoulder, those eyes sink closed.

"Yes, even if you gotta start chasin down the druggies 'n stealin' their shit in turn of lettin' 'em go."

She mimicked his slight accent almost perfectly before she kissed just underneath his chin asked he asked that last question. She could hear it in his voice, he was ... baffled, didn't understand, and she was pushing up just a bit so she could look down at him, studying those features of his for a moment.

"I know I'm not as ancient as you ... and you've had to deal with peoples crap a lot longer then me so ... maybe this is a little ... silly coming from a kid.."

Had she spent time thinking about why she'd be loyal to him to the end? At seventeen, and only knowing him for a handful of months most people would chalk it up to teenage hormones, not knowing what the real world was like, not realizing that in the end people let you down, but she felt she had a pretty good grasp on all those things ... sans the hormones. There was no fighting those.

"...the night I met you was the single most devastating night of my life. You were doin' your job with your questions ... but ... maybe you had a fleeting thought that I was just some kid ... but you didn't treat me like one, and you didn't treat me like the world was going to be okay again, and you didn't try and sugar coat anything ... seventeen years and you were the first person to look at me and actually talk to me because of who I was and not of what I came from."

It sounded stupid and no where near as powerful as she spoke the words she sat up a bit more, and rubbed at her face without really thinking about it.

"I've never felt like I belonged anywhere..."

She shrugged her shoulders lightly, the frustration that was crossing her features was more then apparent because she couldn't quite convey to him why she knew she wasn't going anywhere. That nose scrunched up, those brows pulled together, there was that tiny frown, hell she might even look like she could cry. [d]


Jack:
She had a point, didn't she? A lot could become reality, but all he did was smirk as she shifted over him and laid against him. Both arms moved again, but only to circle around her; one hand clasped on his opposite wrist, and rested there at the small of her back. The mimicking of his slight accent caused him to snort back a laugh, and whether she could see it or not, he rolled his eyes even as that kiss was placed just beneath his chin.

When she went to sit up, Jack nearly protested it.. but did loosen his arms, at least, so she could get up enough to look down on him. Of course he was confused; didn't understand it. After all, hell, Jack was still under the impression that he was quite possibly one of the biggest jerks in the world-- according to most others, anyway. Was he afraid it'd somehow bleed over? Yes. Did he say so..? No.

When she started, he made a face at her at the kid bit, but didn't interrupt when she continued. Any hint of a smirk or grin drained right away and off of him. Had he expected that deep of a response? Probably not.. but it most definitely cleared it up, didn't it? The confusion was gone, and when she sat up some, he dropped his arms so he could prop himself up on his elbows to watch her, even as she rubbed at her face.

When she shrugged, though, and he could note the frustration - the knit of brows, the frown, - he leaned off to the side and moved his arm right back up just to grab her shoulder and drag her back down with him as he went.

"Stop it. ..I get it."

Sure, there was a long moment before he spoke again, but he wasn't ignoring it. It was just uncanny how similar it all was; twenty-six years, and no one had ever just talked to him. Maybe it'd been subconscious that he'd done so. Before he spoke again, he blew a stream of a air skyward.

"I know where you belong." One more pause. "..Damnit, Sage.. if you're not serious.." he said, smirking a little. Ut oh..


Sage:
She didn't handle being unable to articulate herself ... well. It just tended to drive her up a wall, so when that arm of his moved around her and drug her back down against him, she let her eyes sink closed for a moment. He told her to stop it, so she stopped it. He get it? But did he? Because she couldn't explain it like she wanted to, so could he really get where she was coming from?

How she'd spent her life mostly alone, in a daze, feeling unwanted, unloved, unneeded by the two people in her life that should have wanted, loved, needed. A handful of boyfriends, teenage boys weren't all that ... interesting, they were good for a handful of things, belonging was not one of them. A friend or two, and the best of them stabbed to death. So. To say the least, she couldn't explain it to him int he words she wanted to.

His pauses unnerved her, but not as much as they should have. When he stated that he knew where she belonged she was already looking at the curve of his jaw, paused ... and then looked at him a little confused when he made that last comment. She was trying to understand what he was saying. Saw the smirk and just chewed on the inside of her cheek a bit.

"...I'm serious Jack..." [d]


Jack:
No. He got it. And chances were, it was a little more clear to him than it would've been to someone just sitting there listening in; he knew what it was like to feel unwanted and unloved. Unnecessary. A burden, rather. To be shoved off to the side to focus on bigger and better things, both literally and physically. Hell, he knew what it was like to not feel like you belonged any-fucking-where because to this day, he still didn't feel like he did. ..Unless you counted being in his spot, with her, and shut off from the rest of the world.

He'd never had friends; just the ones he manipulated here and there to get this or that, or the shady tradings of money and drugs for someone's freedom-- those weren't friends, though. They were amusement. Shows of power. Points proven that people would do anything if it meant keeping theirselves out from behind bars, if he offered it. Hook, line, and sinker. Girlfriends? No. Most girls, he would've wound up sick of, and probably smacked them the first time they pissed him off because most wouldn't have understood a fucking thing about him.

When she said she was serious, he drew in a slow breath that was just barely audible, then turned his stare up towards the still-full branches of the tree. Had his heart racing all over again, whether she could feel it or not.

"Then.." he started, slowly lowering his gaze back down. "I guess you gotta go ahead 'n turn eighteen." It was said a bit playfully, regardless of the serious tone behind it. Why, though? He didn't say.


Sage:
She heard that slow breath that he took, barely audible but she was laying against him, it was hard not to hear it. Her head rested over his chest, eyes sunk closed, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. Could she feel it? She could feel it racing, too fast, but she didn't care, hers mimicked his.

It was too fast, it made her nervous but she was laying there with him, on him, against him, listening to him as he said that 'Then' another one of those pauses before he made that comment about turning eighteen soon. She lifted her head again, just looking down at him. Studying him quietly. "And Slick, why exactly why should I hurry up and turn eighteen?" [d]


Jack:
Damn right it was racing too fast, and he most likely would've been reaching for the cigarettes right about then, had he not settled them - and the dented up Camel case - out of reach beforehand. Jack.. was.. nervous? Funny. Even still, he didn't fail to realize that her heart was thumping just the same as his was. ..And to think, she hadn't taken two bumps of coke earlier!

When Sage lifted her head again and commenced to studying him before questioning his statement, he only watched her. Though, for a long moment, he wasn't at all sure how to just come out and say what it was that had planted right into his brain. He may as well have been a kid again, sitting up in those branches just contemplating everything.. what with the way his mouth opened to say something, and he stopped again. One hand moved to scratch through his hair, before just falling back to rest on the dirt; the watch and bracelet? He couldn't have really given a fuck less about the fake Rolex-- just to put that out there.

"So I don't need your parent's consent when I marry you."

And as straight-faced as he'd said it, chances were, he fucking meant it. But just as soon as the last word had left his mouth, he leaned and stretched to the side, swiping at his cigarettes and lighter. Brain overload, for sure.


Sage:
No she had not taken any coke earlier, and she felt like she wanted to faint. Wanted to crawl off of him and just disappear, maybe go for a walk, get her head on straight. She never had her head on straight around him, she didn't hate it, but it was unusual for her. She was always level headed, maybe a bit bitchy, always sarcastic, usually uncaring, but always level headed.

She didn't know how to be level headed around him, she watched as he scratched his handt through his hair, heard his hand drop back to the dirt and watched him as he made that comment. A very slow smile crept at the corner of her lips when he said that, she couldn't help it.

"I could probably use that guilt thing to my advantage at the moment..."

She couldn't help but let out a bit of a laugh before she was sinking back down though even as he reached for his cigarette and lighter she was planting her forearms in the dirt on either side of his head and leaning over him letting that hair fall over her shoulders and hide them for a moment. He could try and actually go for a cigarette at that moment, but then again he might be that nervous.

"You gonna make me a respectable girl Jack?" [d]


Jack:
Similarly, Jack couldn't keep up that rough 'n tough, devil-may-care attitude around her. Level headed, though; he most usually was, but only because he'd engraved it in his own head to be such. Even in the worst scenarios. He hadn't even flipped when he'd woke up cuffed up, and gagged.

Still. People were different, when it came to other people and certain emotions that hung thick like fog-- it was inevitable, really.

"Y'really think that'd work?"

Even still, Jack smirked. Yeah, have her dad guilted into signing papers saying he consented to her marrying him. You couldn't blame him for actually considering it, right? Still, when she planted her arms down in the dirt on either side of his head and shielded his view of the cigarettes.. he quit swiping at them, and just watched up at her. Sage's question just made him grin, though. Respectable?

"M'not quite sure I know the meanin' of that word, but hey, if it's a good thing.. maybe. S'long as you don't go changin' on me, or somethin'."

As in forgetting what it's like to be displaced and everything else that came with the territory of where they both had seemingly come from. He left his arm outstretched, but his other hand moved up to brush her hair back behind her ear.

"Love you, y'know.." -d


Sage:
Did she think it would work? Her lips pressed together ever so slightly as she seemed to think about that. Would it work? Could she get her dad to sign papers saying Jack could marry her? How were even having this conversation so easily? Like it was inevitable. Though as soon as he said it she knew it was what they would do.

"Mmm...maybe...feel like planning another attack on me? You can save the day again then ohmygod the guilt would be a mountain."

She was kidding. Or was she? She was that .. manipulative? When he stated that he wasn't sure he knew the meaning of respectable she couldn't help but laugh herself. Then made the comment about changing on him. She leaned down and pressed her lips against his in a super soft brief kiss as he brushed her hair back behind her ear.

"I sure as shit hope so ... talkin' about marryin' me, don't love me .. we'd have a problem. However I do plan on gaining about sixty pounds, and developing a very bitchy personality that you're going to hate."

She took a handful of seconds, a pause, before she just nodded her head a moment.

"....I love you..." [d]


Jack:
As she seemed to be thinking on his question, he'd all but shrugged it off; he really doubted ol Jacob Tavers would go for it.. but, then again.. you never know. And, yes, why - how - were they discussing it as if it were so set in stone? Though, he wouldn't have said it, if he hadn't meant it.. just as she'd been serious in that 'forever' talk.

"..Don't tempt me." Did she know how easy it'd be for him to stage an attack? Just go out and talk to one of the many fuckers who still owed him favors? Lay down the line, and then show up at the presumed-but-staged knick of time and save the Tavers girl. It could be done, and just the little devilish look he'd gotten just then should've said it all.. whether she was kidding or not. Hell, Jack was skewed just enough to go along with a ploy like that. He was that manipulative.

Still, his chin tipped up to catch that super-soft and brief kiss she'd leaned down to give him.

"You better start knowin' instead of hopin'.."

Though, the rest only made him grin. She planned on gaining about sixty pounds and developing a bitchy personality? He could deal.

"Mm, anything can happen, huh?"

Just as he could be a goddamn asshole bounty hunter by the time this shit was over.. and damnit, why wouldn't that leave his brain?!

When she said those three words though, he couldn't seem to get rid of the grin. And all at once, like some playful cat that had just decided to pounce, he arched up off the ground just far enough to wrap his arms around her and drag her right back down and into him. Except this time, he held her tight as if he were trying to keep her from getting away.


Sage:
"Don't tempt you? Put ideas in my head like that ... anything to make that man feel like the shitty father that he is."

You'd think she'd feel somewhat guilty for wanting to make Jacob Tavers feel like absolute shit. But she didn't. He deserved the guilt, he was right to feel guilty he'd never been a father. She shook her head though lightly as her thoughts went to that darker place because she was in a good place with him right now and none of that really mattered now did it? She tuned back int o him telling her that she better start knowin' instead of hoping and she just kind of grinned.

"Hm...hate to break it to you but you're just going to have to keep reminding me of that one...not sure I'll ever get my brain to fully believe it."

And that wasn't a testament to him but just a testament to how messed up her own thought process was. When he arched up, and wrapped his arms around her to drag her back down her head was resting right back over his heart. She liked listening to his heart beat, now if she could just take that back with her, keep it with her, she'd feel better when he was gone.

"You'd really spend forever with me Jack?"

She asked the question quietly. She'd been serious, but he'd just kind of ran with it. Had he thought about it? Or had it occurred to him because she'd said something about it. The emotion behind the question was evident, joy, disbelief, terror, it tremored in her voice. Just a handful of months and she couldn't imagine dealing with the rest of life without him. [d]


Jack:
Seriously. Don't think he wouldn't be a scheming little asshole to her father, such as he was to his own. As far as he was concerned, they both deserved the guilt. Of course, he wouldn't go as far as to stage something like that unless she wanted him to. In the end, he just gave her a look. It was one that could've relayed that entire fact; all of it.

"I don't plan on not remindin' you, so.. guess you're safe there."

She may as well figure that one out too; their thought process was pretty much the same, save for his own being just a bit more off track, as in what he was prepared to do about it. What he was capable of doing, with no regret, remorse, or recognizable conscience pestering him afterwards.

When she settled so easily against him, he settled too, and went quiet for a few long moments, though he didn't at all close his eyes. Nor did he reach for the cigarettes; instead, he watched down at the top of her head just because he was still pondering these things.. and her question only stirred it right back up inside his head. Instead of answering with a yes or no, or anything sarcastic or snarky, he drew in a deep breath and let his head drop back to the ground.

"You remember when we were goin' to get the stuff to stay down here that first night.. 'n you said somethin' about gettin' you somethin' pretty?" -d


Sage:
Was it sick and twisted that if he planned on planning something like that without her telling him to, she wouldn't have even gotten angry. Maybe a little thrilled. God that was twisted. When he made that comment it took her a second to understand it. Didn't plan on not reminding her. It sounded silly but she enjoyed it, none the less.

His silence though after her question had her lifting her gaze just a bit, looking up at the curve of his jaw, she couldn't see his eyes, but she was watching him none the less. Though she was still listening to the drum of his heart underneath her ear, and grinned.

When instead of answering her he asked her that some what off the wall question she furrowed her brows together for a moment.

She was going to go with a sarcastic comment, she was going to say something about all the boys she demanded things from, but she decided it wasn't the time or place. Though she had a feeling that sarcasm would almost never be inappropriate in their lives.

"It sounds vaguely like something I would say ... Yeah ... I remember..." [d]


Jack:
..Mm, no. Not twisted, really. No more than Jack would have considered himself for doing it without her go-ahead. Or, perhaps, he was just wearing off on her-- which, could be good or bad --depending on how you looked at it! Hah. Regardless, as douche-like as Jack could be he did have morals; at least, he had morals for ones he cared about, even if those people were very few and far between.

His question wasn't at all off the wall, even if it'd yet to be proven. It was relevant.. it just depended on her answer, as to how he proceeded. No point in using a scenario that she didn't remember, when it wouldn't hit the figurative home run. Oh, no doubt though.. sarcasm was never inappropriate. More often than not, that was the way he communicated any and everything that was flitting through his head. ..It was only when he got remotely serious that it changed. Just a little.

"Good."

But no, he wasn't done. It was good she remembered, because he remembered. A faint smirk formed and he lifted his head up to glance at her for just a second or two before letting his head thunk back down.

"No lie, first thing I fuckin' thought of was a ring. ..But I didn't know what size your finger was, so I kinda ditched that thought for that day, at least. No way to be subtle about it, y'know, 'Hey, Sage, c'mere and try this ring on so we know if it fits.'" No secrecy at all.

"Yeah, Sage. I'd spend forever with you. ..As long as forever is."

The words were quieter, of course, but he said them all the same.


Sage:
Wearing off on her, or she always had those weird quirk and it was why she didn't have too many friends. She remembered the scenario, it was possible that entire day was burned into her brain for the rest of eternity.

When he made that admittance she had one of those smiles on her face even if he couldn't see it, he might be able to feel it at the moment. First thing he had thought was a ring. She couldn't help but take a deep breath and laugh just a bit as he explained why he had ditched it and put it on the back burner.

"...detective...fbi....sneaky bastard who thinks like he might want to be a bounty hunger...and he can't figure out how to cleverly get his girlfriends ring size without asking her."

She said it with a bit of a grin, his comment about the fact that he would spend forever with her and she curled her arms underneath his, listening to that heart beat once again, letting herself go a bit silent at that.


Jack:
Could be. She just might be as twisted as he was, and just didn't quite realize it fully yet. Who knew? Regardless, he hadn't always been like that-- it'd only started, severely, when he'd been ten years old and over-heard them. From that day on, he hadn't been your typical, every-day kid. ...Not to say that he ever was; he just hadn't been as bad.

He did feel the smile, and at least by then his heart wasn't racing anymore. Still a bit fast, but namely because of the coke. When Sage laughed, there was no fighting off the grin.. especially when she countered what he'd used as an explanation.

"S'not like you wear rings 'n shit I can swipe 'n use as an example.."

Sure, there were other ways to go about it; but alas, most of them consisted of things he'd do while she was asleep-- none he could do on the fly Of course, he could guess.. but then he'd feel stupid as fuck if it wasn't right. Honestly, he had no grand argument to make.. and he'd be fucked if she made it out so he had to try, without asking. Of course, as with most other things, he'd find a way.. but still. "I'll figure it out before I get back out again."

And she could count on that. When she curled her arms underneath him, he took a deep breath and just tightened his hold on her again.


Sage:
She laid there against him as he talked with a smile on her face that she couldn't seem to wipe off, held onto him, felt those arms of his tighten around her and hold her a little tighter. His promise of figuring it out before he gut back out again brought up the fact that he'd have to go again and she felt her heart nearly stop. After this ... it made it so hard to be apart from him.

When he wasn't near she had a tendency to question everything, them, herself.

"....fuck...you turn me into such a ... girl. You turn me into the stupidest seventeen year old girl."

He really did, she felt giddy, and slightly idiotic. [d]


Jack:
Do trust, if he felt like he could get away with it - without being hunted down, that is - he wouldn't have brought it up again. But the idea of being tracked by the same son of a bitch who'd managed to catch him off-guard and knocked him out, while he was unarmed and sore? No. That wouldn't have worked too well. Jack could hold his own without pistols and handcuffs, but he still preferred them.

"Nah, I don't think so.."

Didn't think he turned her into the stupidest seventeen year old girl, as she'd put it. He was quiet for a minute, almost as if he were thinking something over -- rolling it right through his head.

"..Look. If y'want me to say out, I'll try. Choices are kinda limited though; here, or a hotel. 'Cause I ain't goin' to the apartment."

No thanks. Not with what he'd been told. But who was he trying to convince? Her, or himself? He didn't want to go.. leave her there, or wherever it was he'd likely insist on following along with her to, before turning and heading back to where he was supposed to be.


Sage:
He didn't think so. It was good that he didn't think so. Because she was certain the way she felt, the way she acted was the exact reason she made fun of most of the rest of her class-mates. She rubbed her lips together a moment, the sounds of his heartbeat was starting to lull her into a bit more of quiet peace.

When he started talking again she blinked those eyes open tipping her head back lightly to look at the curve of his jaw once again, reaching up, letting her fingertips run along his chin down over his throat a moment.

She wanted to tell him yes, tell him she wanted him to stay out, but she was shaking her head lightly.

"I want you to ... but no. I don't want you dead. You go back to wherever you need to go and ... come back to me in one piece ..."

She figured that was probably how she would be able to get to see him more. [d]


Jack:
He couldn't have thought so without being a hypocrite; what the hell did she do to him? All it took was being in her presence for an hour - at the most - and his mood shifted considerably. More playful, less hazardous. Just a bit more normal. If you could call it that. The very same shit he so often disliked about his peers; their smiling, grinning, commenting on how much they'd enjoyed such-and-such..

Those fingers that slid from his chin, down over his throat, had his head craning back a bit, though.. when Sage spoke again, he'd lifted his head, leveling those pup-like eyes on her. He already knew the answer, just by the way she was shaking her head.

She didn't know how right she was, really. Going back without having pulled any bullshit would earn him trust-- supposedly. Even if that thought alone could've pissed him off, it didn't. Not right now.

"Always will."

Maybe with a few bullet holes, or scuffs and bruises - like currently - but definitely in one piece.

"Promise y'won't get upset later, after I do.."

Yep. Even Jack needed reassurance sometimes, even if he had a hunch that wasn't a promise she could keep. Hell, it was going to tear him up, later on.


Sage:
She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then was shifting lightly, there was a very real part of her that wanted to just crash out at that point. It was warm out, he was warm, everything she wanted to say and do had been done in that moment, nothing else to do.

She looked around at their surroundings and noticed the shift in the slight and had to look up and over at him a bit more pushing up after a moment, leaning over and pressing her lips to his forehead and then his nose, and then was pressing her lips along his again, just a moment, hard and needy for just a second.

"We should get you back..."

She wanted to make a quirky sarcastic comment to that. She pushed up slowly, reluctantly, because well ... she very much needed at least her jeans for the time being. [d]


Jack:
Jack did not want to move, but when she looked around and pushed up, his brows knitted and he was quick to shift his gaze back to her right before the kiss to his forehead, to his nose, and the one to his lips he caught and this time did snag the front of her shirt to hold her there for just a second longer than that intended second. He knew what was coming, of course, and had just tried to prolong it from being said.

"Y'mean I should get you back."

Not quite sarcastic, but when it came down to it, Jack found that he'd feel a whole hell of a lot better getting Sage back to her car - if she'd driven - or if not, back to wherever it was she'd be staying for the night.. instead of just going their separate ways at some point. After all, it wasn't as if he could even as much as let her tag along to where he had to go, and then just leave her outside-- that would've been frowned upon, he was sure.

When she pushed up, for the first time in.. however many hours it'd been.. Jack did too. He stood up and grabbed hold of the waistband of his jeans just to jerk them back up and into place before refastening them. Next, he stooped and swiped up both the Camel tin, and his cigarettes-- and of course, lit one before shoving both items down into his pockets. For a long moment though, even with the thing hanging from his mouth, he only silently stood there scratching along his hairline.


Sage:
She grab to her shirt that had her held in that kiss a little longer startled her enough that the kiss faltered for just a second but after he let her go she kind of grinned at his comment.

"I walked ... but oddly enough my aunts place isn't all that far from here ... I think ..."

She looked around as if she could tell just by that how far away from her aunts they were. She watched him a moment and then stepped into her jeans, drug them back on and then pulled a boot on each foot, never having needed to unlace them it just took a big of wiggling to get her feet in. She combed her hair back as he stood there looking around, cigarette hanging from his mouth, scratching at his hairline.

She walked over to him and curled her fingertips around his other hand and gave him a bit of a tug towards the treeline. No she didn't want to go, not in the slightest but they needed to.

[ Aaaand, end scene. ]