You spin me right round, baby
This takes place on Monday, 09/07/2009, shortly after a conversation between Marcus and Liam MacEibhir ...
Rina: *checks the id on her cell and smiles* Hey, you! How's my favorite redhead?
Marcus: *smiles at the sound of her voice* Hi, Rina. I was wondering if you were home right now, actually.
Rina: *pushes hair back from her forehead* Yeah, I just got done packing up the last of the boxes to take to my dorm room tomorrow. Why?
Marcus: *bites his lip and then,*Because I'm at Li's and I just twisted his arm into giving me a ride over to your place so I can see you before I go home?
Rina: *eyes widen* You're here?! You dork, why didn't you tell me? *doesn't actually sound all that angry* Of course you can come over. Do you want to meet me at the house or somewhere else?
Marcus: *rubs the back of his neck and finds that the palm of his hand is sweaty. Great. Nerves.* Where do you want to go? I...was sort of thinking we could go somewhere quiet and um, hopefully private.
Rina: Sounds good to me. *considers possibilities* Up by the stream, maybe?
Marcus: Sure. *sighs* The stream's good. We can talk there.
Rina: Okay. I'll meet you there. *hesitates* Is something wrong, cutie?
Marcus: Mmm...hopefully nothing that talking to you won't fix.
Rina: I hope so too. See you soon, babe.
Marcus: Bye. *hangs up* Fuck me.
Marcus: *up on the porch, he hesitates before ringing the doorbell*
Rina: *from within he can hear "I've got it!" and a patter of feet before a slightly breathless Rina opens the door* Hi!
Marcus: *gives her a smile, not as forced as one might think, all things considered* Hey, Rina. In a hurry to go somewhere?
Rina: *sweet smile* More like in a hurry to be with someone. *smooths out her sundress, takes his hand and shuts the door behind her* Shall we?
Marcus: *squeezes her hand and nods, turning around again* Sure. All packed? Li said you were kinda nervous about started college...
Rina: Yeah, I'm all set. *moves close by his side as they start walking* I guess I'm a little nervous and more excited. First time living away from home and all that.
Marcus: *chuckles at that* I couldn't do it. No way could I give up Park Avenue West for a shoebox on campus.
Rina: *smirk* You might rethink that if Park Avenue West contained the likes of Joey. *laughs* Or maybe you wouldn't.
Marcus: I have Chuck. Same difference, remember?
Rina: *arched eyebrow* Really? Has Chuck left a disc of downloaded porn in your DVD player, accidentally letting you know that she was jerking off in your room?
Marcus: *howls and gives a mental high-five to Rina's brother* No. I'm pretty sure Chuck doesn't get in touch with herself. She's kinda uptight about sex, if you haven't noticed.
Rina: Uh ... *tries to stifle a smirk, fails and dissolves into giggles*
Marcus: *gives her a look of 'see?'* At least he was watching porn and not like...I don't know...going through your underwear drawer or something.
Rina: *gets her laughter under control* I think he's scared of my girly things. But that wasn't what I was laughing about.
Marcus: Then what were you laughing about?
Rina: *shakes her head, grinning* Your comment about Chuck just made me flash back to the Fourth of July when we were drinking together. She got reeaaaaallll talkative before she turned green.
Marcus: *doesn't recall what Chuck might have drunk-babbled, he was more intent on Rina and getting some action at the time* Yeah? Refresh my memory...
Rina: *reproving look* I am not giving you the details, mister. Let's just say that I don't think she's quite as repressed as you think she is. At least not anymore.
Marcus: What is this? Some sort of girl-solidarity crap? *pouts at her as they near their destination* I tell you things.
Rina: *gives his arm a hug* If the details involve Chuck and your cousin, do you really want to know?
Marcus: *looks pained but then, since he's planning to be brutally honest anyway...* Rina, do you have any idea how many nights I have heard them?
Rina: Ohhhhh. *leans over and kisses his cheek* My sympathies, babe. At least you had me to distract you at your uncle Tadhg's?
Marcus: *the corner of his mouth twitches as she kisses him but he doesn't return the gesture* Yeah. Yeah, I did. *and there's a wistful smile, remembering*
Rina: *looks at that smile and urges him over to one of the flattish rocks bordering the stream* So what's on your mind, lover?
Marcus: *clears his throat at her choice of words* That.
Rina: *looks confused, has not made the connection* That? I'm sorry, which that?
Marcus: *turns to face her, his expression anything but happy* I love you, Rina, but I can't be your 'lover' any more.
Rina: *gives him a long look out of very wide eyes* ... oh. *she draws her knees up to her chest and hugs them, unconsciously echoing his earlier posture* Can ... *swallows* Can I ask what changed?
Marcus: *has to step away from her to keep from wrapping his arms around her instead* A lot of things. I don't want to hurt you. And I don't want to lie to you or be unfair to you but I think that's what I am doing, Rina. I'm sorry.
Rina: *too late to keep from hurting her. Years too late, she thinks. Her gaze drops to her arms* I see.
Marcus: *there's a lead weight resting in his stomach and it's only growing heavier as he watches Rina's reaction* I don't think you do, is the thing, Rina.
Rina: *shrugs a little* What don't I see, then? That you've found someone else in New York?
Marcus: Rina...*sighs* You know I've been dating. *sits on the ground, looking up at her, placing a hand on her feet* Baby, I'm not happy about this either but I don't know what else to do. You're here, she's there...I'm there. *looks at the grass, down and away from her* She says she loves me...
Rina: Oh. *long pause* Do you love her?
Marcus: *sighs and just as he told Ambria and Liam, answers Rina truthfully* No.
Rina: *blinks several times, then speaks in a voice barely audible over the running water* So ... just because she lives in New York and I don't ...?
Marcus: *shakes his head, he heard her just fine* No...I do care about her. A lot, actually. She knows I love you, you know. I told her that. *braces his elbows against his knees and laces his fingers behind his neck. Tense, uncomfortable, miserable.* I'm sure I could fall in love with her...but that's not the point, is it? I can't have you both.
Rina: *swallows again* Did she tell you she doesn't want you seeing anyone else? *still looking at her arms, it's safer*
Marcus: We talked about that, yeah. It wasn't an issue when Bri and I were just dating. *lets out a long breath of air, he really hates having to discuss the details of either relationship with someone not in said relationship, but--* I'm sleeping with her.
Rina: *hugs her legs a little tighter, rests her chin on her knees*
Marcus: *when she doesn't say anything after a while, he looks up at her*
Rina: *stays silent for minutes, then speaks in a very tiny voice indeed* Would this be different if I lived where you do?
Marcus: *sets his jaw, biting back an affirmative* No.
Rina: Why not? *brow furrows slightly* Did I--have I done something wrong?
Marcus: No, God no. *sighs and pulls his fingers through his hair* I just want to protect you...
Rina: From what? *her voice rises a little, though it's still quiet* What do you think you need to protect me from, but not her?
Marcus: She doesn't mind the limelight, hell...she should probably get used to unwanted attention if she's serious about her art. *digs the toe of his shoe into the soft ground, knowing he's only telling her half-truths now*
Rina: And you think I can't? *her brow furrows more as she watches that toe* Marcus, is this about that idiot reporter in Santa Barbara? Because I can learn how to deal with jackasses like that ...
Marcus: *stops digging into the dirt* It's not just that, Rina. You don't even want a long distance relationship with anyone, so why are we having this conversation?
Rina: *looks up into his eyes, a little hurt creeping into the confusion in her own before she looks away* We can stop if you want.
Marcus: *she isn't bothering to correct him so he must be right about this* I'm sorry.
Rina: Yeah. *she's practically burrowing into those folded arms now* But not enough to tell me what the real problem is.
Marcus: *leans towards her but it's that rock he rests his head against, not her body* You'd just think I was insane.
Rina: Insane? *the confusion is back, along with a little heat* I ask you if it would change things if I was in New York, and you say no, it's about the limelight and the paparazzi. I tell you I can deal with the reporters, and you start going on about long-distance relationships again. Are you telling me your real reason would actually sound crazier than all this self-contradiction?
Marcus: *is no longer sure she won't want his head on a platter after all* Rina, the what-ifs, maybes and wishful thinking helped me make this mess in the first place. You aren't in New York, you don't have plans to be and yes, the media and stalkerazzi would be a problem and I don't want you to have to deal with it. I'm not contradicting myself there, okay? I love you enough to not want that bullshit in your life. *shifts so that he's kneeling and able to look her in the eye, really look her in the eye* And yeah, I do think you'd think I'm crazy if I told you the rest of my reasons.
Rina: *meets his eyes for at least a minute before letting her head droop back to her knees* If you don't want to tell me, that's your business.
Marcus: I'm not what you think I am. *hi, Liam, you're going to come back to some real fun*
Rina: *her head doesn't move, though her expression takes on a decidedly wtf?! cast* ......what are you then?
Marcus: *shakes his head* Something I never wanted you to know about.
Rina: *the wtf shades into equal amounts of uncertainty and trepidation* What? *her voice is going small again*
Marcus: *tips his head back and looks skyward, swearing in Fae and hoping Liam doesn't mind the potential loss of a friend if this blows up spectacularly* I'm a púca. So's my Da and my Uncail Anraí, Liam...none of us are human. *and now he winces and waits*
Rina: ... púca? *long moments of mystification gradually clear as she connects the word to some of his stories and jokes* You mean those mythical Irish horse things you go on about some times? *her jaw tightens and she looks away* You can actually make fun of me while breaking up with me. Guess I didn't know you as well as I thought I did.
Marcus: *makes a frustrated noise, something somewhat equine sounding, in fact, and he reaches out to gently take her chin in hand* Look at me. Please.
Rina: *her face goes mulishly stubborn for a moment, but then she takes a deep breath through flared nostrils and faces him*
Marcus: *can see she's angry, hopes she can see that he's not playing games* I'm not lying to you, Marina.
Rina: *she stares into his huge dark eyes, and for the very first time they give her a prickle down her neck* No?
Marcus: No. *there is so much regret expressed in that single syllable, he really is sorry for telling her this*
Rina: *her eyes are fixed on his now, too filled with hurt to trust quickly* So ... so if I were to call Liam, or Liam's dad, they'd tell me you're telling the truth?
Marcus: *flinches but doesn't look away* I can't say what Uncail Anraí would do about that kind of phone call, we don't really tell people--Call Liam, ask him to come back here. Hell, ask him to turn into a horse for you when he does.
Rina: Turn into a-- *her lips flatten into a line as she sits up and holds out her hand* Give me your cell. I don't have mine.
Marcus: *does so without hesitation* Here. *also pulls his ward out of his pocket at the same time and sends a frantic 'Bro, just tell her the truth, she won't believe me' at Liam*
Rina: *calls up Liam on Marcus' contact list and hits send*
Marcus: *worries that ward between his fingers as she does* I'm not lying to you.
Liam: (and Marcus will get a quick 'The hell--?' from Liam before his cell goes off.)
Rina: *into the phone* Hi, Liam? Ignore your id, this is Rina on Marcus' phone. *pause* Your cousin wants you to come back over and meet us at the stream up the road from my house. *pause the second* Yeah. One other thing ... *her voice turns tart, nearly sarcastic* ...he wants you to turn into a horse for me once you get here. *pause the third and longest, during which her face turns into a study of uncertainty* ......okay. Right. See you soon. *she stares at the phone for a while before cutting the call* He said he'd be right over.
Liam: (Holy crap, Marcus ... I'll be right there.)
Marcus: I...am so sorry, man. *keeps looking at Rina, gaze level and unwavering* I know.
Rina: You know ... *studies Marcus with less mistrust, but more confusion* So why haven't you turned into a horse, if you're not lying?
Marcus: *yeah, that's what he was afraid of her asking and there's a brief flash of hurt and longing that crosses his features* I'd love to. I can't.
Rina: *she sees that hurt, knows that she's touched some kind of nerve, but her mind's whirling too fast to put it into context. She chews her lip again and steps aside from the question* And ... the rest of your family? Liam's mom, your uncle Tadhg?
Marcus: Aunt Laine's as human as you are. *sighs* She's not older than Uncail Anraí, you know. It just looks that way because we don't get sick, we don't grow old and we very rarely ever die.
Rina: *her eyes widen at that* What are you trying to ... how old is he then?
Marcus: Math's not my strong suit but he was born in eighteen ninety...something? He's uh...hundred and fifty-eight, I think? Yeah cause he's ten years older than Da. *gives her an apologetic smile*
Rina: *just ... stares at him for a longish time before dropping her forehead into one hand, elbow braced on knee* Anraí MacEibhir ... who I've known practically all my life ... is more than three times as old as my parents. And Liam MacEibhir, who I have also known pretty much all my life, can turn into a horse.
Marcus: Yes. *gives in and smooths a hand over her hair* It gets weirder, you know.
Rina: Oh goody. *her voice has gone decidedly limp, but she doesn't flinch away from his hand*
Liam: (and right about now Marcus should hear Liam's jeep coming up the road)
Marcus: Liam's here. *he does hear the Jeep even if she can't yet and still, Marcus keeps stroking her hair* I was in New York about an hour before I called you.
Rina: *she still doesn't flinch, though she does ... twitch just a little* What, you flew here?
Marcus: *tries not to laugh* No. No, I didn't. It's not fast enough.
Liam: *parks the jeep and gets out, heading upstream to find them*
Marcus: Please don't be afraid...
Rina: *thin little voice* I just don't know what to think. *looks up to see Liam approaching*
Liam: Hey, Marcus. *looks anxiously at the girl he's known for ages* Hi Rina.
Marcus: *gives his cousin a helpless look* She thinks I'm making fun of her, Li.
Liam: *looks a little unsure of the proceedings, but he'll back Marcus' no matter what* He's not fooling, Rina. I'll prove it. *looks around at the glade and water, crosses to the far side of the stream where there's a little more room* Marc, can you help me keep an ear out for Joey or anyone else? We really don't need any eyewitnesses.
Rina: *sucks uncertainly on one knuckle as she follows*
Marcus: If she screams, you just get the hell out of here, okay? *he'll do as Liam asked but he's also following the pair of them*
Liam: Okay. *he's both answering Marcus and trying to reassure Rina* Rina, you know we're both your friends, right? Always have been. We'd never hurt you, you know that.
Rina: *her face is awash with doubt, the conflict plain on her features. This is crazy, no one's turning into a horse ... but they're acting so damn serious, what are they gonna do? She does nod slowly, though*
Marcus: *places his hands on her shoulders, wanting to be reassuring* Go ahead, Li.
Liam: *nods at his cousin and tries to smile at Rina* It's all right, Ree. It is. *a deep breath, a shimmer of white fire, and a chestnut stallion drops down from a rear to a stand in front of them*
Rina: *she doesn't scream. She can't, because the breath hiccuped out of her the instant Liam's familiar form dissolved. What she does do is back up, half into Marcus and half into the tree behind them, both hands over her open mouth*
Marcus: *lets his hands slip from her shoulders, instead hugging her and keeping her from stumbling into that tree* It's okay...it's okay. He's still Liam, you've seen me ride him.
Liam: *shifts slightly, fidgeting as he anxiously watches Rina's reaction*
Rina: Ride--? *the word squeaks out from behind her hands. No, no she hasn't seen what she just saw, she hasn't, couldn't have* Oh my God ...
Marcus: *one arm still holding her, he reaches up to smooth her hair and then try to brush her hands from her face, wanting to calm her down* I've never lied to you, Rina. And I will never do anything to hurt you. Neither will Liam. I promise.
Rina: No ... *she's shaking now, knees weakening as she leans more heavily against Marcus* G-god in heaven ... I can't--I'm going crazy. *fearful tears start spilling over* I've l-lost it. I'm seeing things ...
Liam: *small noise of equine concern*
Marcus: Shh...no, no no Rina. *turns her in his embrace so he can hold her against his chest, cradle her close* Liam...enough of the pony show, huh? *rubbing a hand over her back, Marcus feels that lead weight in his belly growing even heavier. He never wanted this. Why'd he tell her? What does this even solve?* You are not crazy. I promise, you aren't.
Liam: *snorts agreement and changes back in that same white shimmer* Rina? *soft, anxious voice*
Rina: *eyes still fixed on the inexplicable horse, she hiccups again when he changes back to the familiarity of Liam* Oh god oh god oh god ... *she presses tighter against Marcus and starts crying in earnest*
Marcus: Baby...Rina...please, don't. *shakes his head and looks at Liam with dark eyes bright with unshed tears of his own* This is what I wanted to protect her from. I told you I didn't have the right to do this to her...Rina...Rina it's okay. It's okay. *he so desperately wants her to believe him*
Liam: *slowly moves closer until he can kneel beside them and place a careful hand on Rina's shoulder, hoping he won't scare her worse* It's okay, Rina girl. Your eyes and mind are working just fine. Cry it out until the shock passes, you'll be fine.
Rina: *she doesn't flinch away from Liam either, though she keeps crying with her face pressed into Marcus' shoulder*
Marcus: *rocks her slowly, at a loss for what else to do for her* It's okay...
Liam: *places his other hand on Marcus' back, trying for reassurance* Just hold her, bro. Give her time.
Marcus: *shook his head ever so slightly as he looked into those very blue eyes of his cousin, so much easier said than done when it was Rina that was sobbing. His Rina. Do you really want to do this to Chuck?* Shh...
Liam: *if he looks deep enough, he'll see the anguish caused by that very thought about his tiny blond Pixie Girl. He stays where he is, though, making the same sort of soothing nonsense sounds he might use to calm a frightened horse*
Rina: *gradually the sobbing gives way to whimpers, which in turn give way to sniffles, and then finally to quiet. The shaking also tapers off to a slight quiver of reaction. The familiar voices reach her more deeply than mistrusted sight right now, and Marcus' warmth and heartbeat unlock her panic-tensed muscles. When she opens her eyes, confusion still fills them, but the initial raw terror seems to have passed. For now at least*
Marcus: *the redheaded boy dips his head and brushes soft kisses across her brow, fingers moving to wipe away the last of her tears before his hands cup the sides of her face* It's okay...*his words are barely more than a whisper*
Rina: Marcus ... *her own fingers reach up to wipe her face and tangle with Marcus'. Sniffing deeply, she returns both arms to a secure hold on his waist before letting her eyes seek out her other friend* L-liam?
Liam: *smiles, hoping it looks gentle and encouraging*
Marcus: On the plus side, no one needs to give him a rub down...*yes, he was going to crack jokes at Liam's expense*
Liam: *dryly* Or clean my hooves?
Marcus: He does eat grass though...
Rina: *another moist sniff as she considers what her senses are telling her. Marcus and Liam, both solid and present as far as she can tell. She can feel traces of tears drying on her cheeks, and over Liam's shoulder she can see-- oh god --trampled grass and other greenery. If this is insanity, it's being awfully persistent* It's ... true? *such a tiny, uncertain, lost-sounding voice*
Liam: *softly* It's true.
Rina: *looks up at Marcus*
Marcus: I wasn't lying to you, pretty girl.
Rina: *her arms tighten around her red-haired lover ... or is he still not? Beyond caring, she presses her face into the join of his neck and shoulder* m'sorry...
Marcus: Hey, no...*rubs her back again and rests his cheek against the top of her head* There's nothing to be sorry about, okay?
Liam: *gently squeezes her shoulder in reassurance*
Rina: *her body still feels shaky, and weariness washes over her now that the initial panic has died down. She has zero desire to move from where she is anytime soon* I'm so confused.
Marcus: *has no intention of letting go of her any time soon anyhow* He's Mr. Ed and I'm still the better looking MacEibhir. Honest.
Liam: *flips Marcus a bird* He thinks he's a wit, and he's half-right.
Marcus: *gives Liam a two-fingered salute*
Rina: *familiar cousinly quips, familiar attitudes to each other. Rina can feel her heart rate and breathing slowing down little by little, though slight tremors still course their way down her body. Her voice is still little better than a whisper* I don't know what to say.
Marcus: *fans his fingers through her hair, pulling it away from her face* You're not crazy, I wasn't lying to you, and it still gets a whole lot weirder. Welcome to the real world, Rina. Keep it secret.
Rina: Real ... *Marcus holding her is real, she thinks, and his fingers in her hair. Liam's anxiously concerned expression seems real too. She can't feel sure of much else right now, and she definitely doesn't want to think about a whole lot weirder. She shifts a little, rolling her tense shoulders* Does ... anyone else know?
Liam: *quiet and steady* Zach does. You can talk to him about this. No one else.
Marcus: *pulls her close again, relieved that she's stopped crying and is speaking to them at least*
Rina: *she's still trembling a little, still sniffing and swallowing. Marcus' shoulder is wet, but she doesn't care, or she's too limp to do anything about it. Rina tries, tries so hard to regain full control over herself, but her thoughts keep dissolving into swirls of implication and consequence, all shot through with little shards of slow-fading denial* I'm ... I'm not crazy? *she sounds near-desperate for reassurance*
Marcus: No. *He says it gently, softly and shifts her in his embrace so that she can make use of his other shoulder should she want somewhere dry to put her head* Hand to God, you're not. Or, well, if my hands weren't full right now. But you aren't crazy, Rina. I promise.
Rina: *she shifts willingly, one hand coming up to brush ineffectually at Marcus' soaked-through layers of t-shirts, watching Liam as he moves to keep facing her.* ... okay. *Right now she bases her agreement more on a desire to believe than any actual belief, but Rina is a pragmatic girl who will make do with what she has* What do we do now? *give her a direction, something to do and think about, some way to start making this all make sense*
Marcus: *that was the question, wasn't it?* Do you want me to take you home? What do you want--need? What do you need, Rina. You tell me.
Liam: *sits quietly, his back to the tree Rina almost ran into. He feels horribly awkward, as if he'd somehow metamorphosed into a ravening cougar instead of a horse, and Rina was a doe he was likely to spook. But she's a friend. He won't just leave a friend in this condition*
Marcus: *and he'd rather his cousin be anywhere but here, not that he'd ever dream of asking him to leave. Not after Liam came running for the sole purpose of putting his own neck on the line. Marcus simply wished he didn't have to involve the other boy at all*
Rina: *what she needs is for her thoughts to start connecting again in some kind of logical, cause-and-effect order. Causes ... her teeth catch at her lower lip again* And this ... *she gestures vaguely at Liam* ... this is why you wanted to stop ... seeing me?
Marcus: *really doesn't want Liam here and he drops his head forward to murmurs against Rina's ear even though he knows Liam can still hear him* I told you, you deserve better than this.
Liam: *can't help wincing slightly at that exchange* Should I leave? *his eyes are still on Rina as he brings his legs under him, making ready to stand up*
Rina: *she frowns at Marcus' answer, a frown that might hold concentration, determination or anger, or possibly all three mixed* Wait. *she lifts a hand in a staying gesture, then rubs her temple with that same hand* Could you-- *swallows hard* Could you do it again? Change again?
Liam: *looks at Marcus, startled. He hadn't expected her to want to see him shift again any time soon, if ever*
Marcus: *shrugs, has no idea what Rina may be after with this*
Rina: *Rina is honestly not sure either, beyond the vague idea that if something is determined to upend her comfortable reality, she at least wants that something to be consistent* Please? *Jesus, she's saying please to something mythological...*
Liam: *slowly rises* Okay. Whatever you want, Rina. *he moves back to where he was and once again dissolves, reforming into his stallion-self*
Marcus: *is watching her, not his cousin, it's easier to squash that sense of jealousy and envy he always feels when one of his family does what he can't if he doesn't have to witness it directly*
Rina: *tries to get her own feet under her and finds it more of a struggle than she expected as she clings to Marcus* Help me up please?
Marcus: That he can do, easily, lifting her up and holding onto her until he's certain Rina is steady on her feet*
Rina: *she moves toward the horse, keeping one arm secure around Marcus and stopping just within her arm's reach. Hesitantly she extends her hand to place it on the big animal's (animal?) shoulder to feel his warmth and solidity, searching one dark eye for any traces of Liam*
Marcus: He's still pretty ticklish...*reaches around Rina to dance his fingers across the fine hair covering the stallion's withers* See?
Liam: *feels his skin twitch reflexively in response to the Spaz's teasing and snorts his disapproval. Dork.*
Marcus: *whinnies and nickers right back at him before giving his cousin sound, affectionate thumps across his back.* You have no idea how hard it is to not make jokes about mounting and riding him when the stalkerazzi start up with their kissing cousins bullcrap. *is resting his weight across Liam's back as he shares this with Rina*
Liam: *lifts one hind foot in a small but telling motion, ears flipping back and forth. Later. He'll wait for later*
Rina: *watches the interaction as she lightly pets the shoulder under her hand. Suddenly her eyes widen* I remember ... you were riding him when I went out to Flint Creek that one summer and didn't know you were visiting. *That summer, the very summer their relationship first got physical* I was leaning against the fence and rubbing his nose ... you were flirting with me. *she colors to think Liam actually witnessed that exchange, then colors more when she recalls the necking and petting session that took place not long afterward*
Marcus: *grins, then pats Liam's head in a very patronizing manner* What can I say, sometimes he's kinda useful to have around. Girls are suckers for the pretty pony thing. *he does watch where his feet are in relation to those hooves. He's not THAT stupid* I might have let you be more impressed than you should have been about the lack of tack. Even when he rears up, no one's going to fall off unless he wants to let them. Well, or me. *this time he gives Liam a genuinely loving two-handed rub down* I still owe you for that, cuz.
Rina: *Pretty pony. She remembers this horse-- she's still testing out thinking of him as Liam --nickering smugly as she'd fussed over him, stroking the proud arch of his neck. An escaping giggle startles her, and she presses one hand over her mouth to keep something more hysterical from following it. God, this can't be real, and yet ... here it is. Liam, a horse-púca-whatever. A sudden thought hits her, and the hand on his shoulder abruptly jerks back to join the one at her mouth as she blurts out* Does Chuck know?
Liam: *makes a low, disturbed sound as he shifts a couple of steps away from the pair*
Marcus: *he moves with his cousin, regardless what form Liam feels like staying in, Marcus' concern shifted that quickly from Rina to the brother of his heart* Hey, whoa...Li. *and he shook his head for Rina's benefit* No. Chuck doesn't know and you are not going to tell her. *loving Rina as he does, there is a steel undercurrent to his words and an over-protectiveness for Liam and the tiny blond girl*
Rina: *she stiffens at his tone, eyes widening again, this time in fear. She can't help it, she's still far too on edge* I'm sorry. *her voice goes small and strangled again* I won't.
Liam: *melts swiftly from horse to young man again, though not before listening and smelling to make certain no one else is about*
Marcus: *hand on Liam's shoulder, Marcus catches the fear in Rina's eyes and the faint scent of it too. Dammit. No. He didn't want her to be afraid of him* Rina...I'm sorry. But you can't tell Chuck. For so many reasons. *mainly, if the girl freaks out, where will she go to be safe if not the loft apartment he and his father call home?* I can trust you not to do that, I know.
Liam: *looks from Rina to Marcus and back again, concern evident on his face. Stepping toward the tall girl, he places a careful hand on her back and gently urges her toward Marcus* I will tell Chuck when I can, I promise. But I'm trying to figure out some way to help her with her fear of horses, so I'm not just dumping this on top of that. You see? *his tone stays calm and soothing, rational and reasonable*
Rina: *nods slowly, momentary tension easing slightly* Yeah... *her clasped hands lower to chest level as she blinks rapidly, the shot of adrenalin having triggered a fresh welling of tears. She doesn't want to start crying again*
Marcus: *hangs his head, hands covering his face and his shoulders slump. This is going about as well as he predicted. Making her cry again. God.*
Rina: *she watches him, seeing his dejection. I will never do anything to hurt you. Reaching out, she places one hand on his arm as hesitantly as she touched Liam-the-horse's shoulder* Marcus? *so, so lost she sounds*
Marcus: I'm sorry. *he doesn't look up as he utters the miserable words*
Rina: *she sniffs again, reaching up to wipe away one errant escaped tear* 'sokay. *It isn't really, or she isn't, but she needs something to be okay right now* Hold me, please? *her thoughts have started whirling again, making her craving for warmth and solid touch insistent*
Marcus: *he holds an arm out to her, willing to pull her close again if she'll step into his embrace though he knows this isn't solving anything. He can't keep holding her and kissing her and wanting her. He promised Ambria.*
Rina: *steps up against him and slides her arms up around his neck Tears fall again, but at least this time they trickle rather than gushing like before*
Liam: *slips an arm around Marcus for a quick hug before stepping back* I'll wait in the jeep, bro.
Marcus: You don't have to...I can just. You know. *no, he wasn't going to try and explain the Nexus today. Or maybe even ever.* Baby, please don't cry. You're killing me here. *Liam all but forgotten, he's trying to hug Rina and wipe away her tears at the same time, doing a poor job of either task*
Liam: *he nods his understanding* Okay. I'll talk with you in a bit. *he pats the cell phone in his pocket-- give me a call, right? --before turning his attention to the girl in his cousin's arms* Rina, I'll see you at school tomorrow, right? *Are you okay, are we still friends, have I done something awful?*
Rina: *she nods, a little jerkily, and raises one hand in a shaky wave goodbye*
Marcus: *catches that hand in his before she can lower it again, kissing her fingers and pressing his lips to the back of her hand until it stops trembling*
Liam: *swallows at the sight and heads back to his ride, wondering what the hell he's done this day*
Marcus: Come here...*gently guides her back down to the ground so they can sit and he can hold her more comfortably*
Rina: *sits with him, doing her best to wipe tears and get her breathing back under control*
Marcus: *kisses away any stray tears that reach her cheeks* Oh, Rina...you break my heart when you cry.
Rina: I'm sorry. *she doesn't want to break anyone's heart, especially not his* I just ... it's a lot, you know? *her fingers shift to rub at her temples some more*
Marcus: I know. *he coos sympathetically and then brushes his lips to her temple* Does that hurt?
Rina: *shakes her head as her eyes drift shut at the touch* No. *she lets her head droop gradually back to his shoulder*
Marcus: *rocks her for a while, aware of the hour growing later and dusk approaching, sounds of insects growing louder and part of him keeps watch on the treeline out of habit, wondering if any sly Will O Wisps will try to hide amongst the last of the summer's fire flies.*
Rina: *she could almost go to sleep right there, but she knows she can't. Eventually she sits up, not moving away from him, but giving herself enough room to restore a little order to her hair and dress*
Marcus: *absently helps with her hair, fingers combing it back and twisting it into a loose braid* I really am sorry, Marina.
Rina: *shrugs a little* You told me the truth. Can't be sorry about that. *looks up abruptly, meeting his dark eyes* Or did you mean something else?
Marcus: *tilts his head to the side, keeping the eye contact that he'd like to break away from* I'm sorry I scared you. Sorry I made you cry. That I had to tell you about this to make you understand. I'm sorry I'm going to have to take you home soon and say good bye.
Rina: *goes very, very still* Good bye?
Marcus: Da's going to wonder where the hell I'm at...*he can't quite joke about this and shakes his head* You can't seriously still want anything to do with me?
Rina: *confusion, everything is confusion. He's been part of her life for so long, and now ... what?* I can't ... do you honestly think I hate you or something? Over this? *a hint of wounded suspicion creeps into her eyes* Or is it that you've already decided?
Marcus: *lets his head fall back against a tree trunk, not caring how hard it hits* I don't want you to hate me, of course I don't.
Rina: *winces slightly at the thunk* Well ... I don't. *rubs her face, god damn it all, she is not going to start crying again* Fuck ...
Marcus: *looks at her without lifting his head, Jesus...how do human beings cry so damned much?* Can't do that.
Rina: *shoots him a dirty look for the wisecrack*
Marcus: *shrugs shoulders and gives her a helpless 'you know me' sort of look* What do you want? Tell me that.
Rina: *her fingers twist in her lap as her thoughts race all over again* I don't know. I don't know. I don't want to live in Montana forever, but-- *once again her knees come up and she buries her face in her arms* I'm being stupid. I need to think, and I can't even do that.
Marcus: *he should take her home. He can't take her home like this.* ...Is there anything I can say or do that would help you think? Questions you want answered? *He snorted as he thought about things. Liam having four legs and hooves was really not the only consideration here. By a longshot*
Rina: *even trying to formulate questions makes her head throb right now, but she tries. Deep breaths. Try for calm* I don't want ... things to just end. Like this. But if you'd rather be with her ... *the thought tightens her throat* ... then I should probably just shut up.
Marcus: *He groaned and then nearly growled, frustrated. He was tired of people telling him who he'd rather be with and what he really wanted. Ambria insisted he probably didn't want her and should be with Rina and Rina was telling him to be...really, Marcus was frustrated with himself. Not them.* I love you. I don't have anything else to say about it. I love you and that's why I don't think you should be with me.
Rina: *stares at him, running that sentence through her brain cells several times over, looking at it from every angle she can muster. At long last she blurts out the only conclusion she can come up with* Marcus ... that is so fucked up.
Marcus: *he blinks at her, several times* What?
Rina: *rests her cheek on her arms, looking at him sideways. You don't think I should be with you because you love me? You think I deserve better when I love you too? What is that? *there's no anger in her voice, only confusion and a need to understand*
Marcus: You know, just for a minute forget that I live in Manhattan. And forget that my da's a darling of the media and they have zero sense of boundaries. *he leans in close enough to nearly touch the tip of his nose to hers, eyes narrowed as he looks at her* I don't get sick. I'm not going to grow old. I'm pretty much going to look like this...forever. My Grandda's been around since Saint Padraig set foot on Eire. I know you know your history. Think about that, yeah?
Rina: *she looks back at him steadily, thinking. Thinking about Liam's dad and his aging mom. Thinking about his silver-haired grandfather, whom she's spoken with now and again. The man with the same eyes as Marcus. Never growing old ...* I'd think that would hurt you more than me.
Marcus: *he shakes his head once, twice, then refuses to look at her* Don't you want someone normal? Who'd grow old with you? Who you didn't have to worry about accidentally hurting you because he's a lot stronger than he looks? I want those things for you, you know. *she knows him and she knows how hard he takes losing people. His mother, his grandmother, hell...even his dog. Doesn't mean the stubborn boy is going to acknowledge what she's getting at*
Rina: *Oh. Oh ... sudden understanding floods across her face, but she's not sure how to articulate it, or even if she should* You've never hurt me. *uncertainty trickles back in on the heels of her near-whisper* Is that what this is really about? Is this other girl--is she another púca or something? *someone he'll never have to say goodbye to. She can certainly understand how he might be drawn to that, even as the thought hurts her heart a little*
Marcus: *He manages to thwack his head against the tree again as he tries to sit up straight* What? No. I...I don't even know of any púca I'm not related to. There aren't a whole hell of a lot of Fae running around the daylight world any more, Ri. *shakes his head* And not everything Other is nice. We're--I'm nice. Ish. *reaches out to stroke her hair again* I want her to be happy too, but not the way I need you to be. I can't explain it better than that. I know I'll never stay with Ambria for years and years. I know that.
Rina: *something inside her eases a little at his words and touch, though she couldn't say why. She finds herself smiling just a little bit anyway* I need you to be happy too. *reaching out, she runs the back of her hand along his cheek* That's what I want.
Marcus: *leans into her touch and closes his eyes*
Rina: *she watches him, stroking his cheek for she's not sure how long. Then she shifts to her knees in front of him and leans in to brush a kiss across his lips*
Marcus: *his eyes flutter open at the feel of her mouth on his; they drift shut again as he wraps his arms around her middle and returns the kiss with soft, easy pressure. She feels so good he doesn't want to let go.*
Rina: *her hands find his shoulders and then slip around to the back of his neck, where her fingers gently ruffle his hair as she kisses him. Eventually she pulls back just enough to rest her forehead against his* I need a little time to think things through. But Marcus? *strokes his cheek again* I do want you to be happy. However that can happen.
Marcus: *sighs, nods his head as much as he can with their faces touching and then brushes one more kiss over her mouth* I want you happy. Want me to walk you home?
Rina: *nods in much the same way* Sure. *not that she really wants to leave, but school does start tomorrow. She rises to her feet and dusts herself off, looking around. Somehow it seems as though the world should look different, considering everything she's learned*
Marcus: *So many more things to tell her, is all he thinks as he gets to his feet* College should be a piece of cake now, yeah?
Rina: *smiling wryly, she hugs his arm and rests her head on his shoulder* I guess I'll manage. As long as I don't kill my roommate.
Marcus: *laughs quietly* How bad can she be? You aren't rooming with a troll are you? Or a kolbolt? Goblin? I hope it's not a selkie. They do weird things like hide raw fish under their pillows. And they're always really moist. *so, it makes him feel better to fabricate untruths about certain creatures...he's only joking*
Rina: *soft snort of laughter* I don't know what she is, but she's tiny, chirpy and god-awfully perky. She doesn't walk anywhere, she bounces. I think they just put us together because we're both former cheerleaders. *a pause* And the last thing I saw before heading home, she was putting up Breaker Street posters on her side of the room. Along with a few other bands, but the biggest posters are all of your dad. *fml sigh*
Marcus: *he swore under his breath and gave her an apologetic hug* Want me to come by and deface them? I will. Cheerfully. *grins after a moment* Don't tell Li. Let him just walk in there and see the horror for himself.
Rina: *laughs outright* That sounds like a plan. *walks along silently for a few moments, then looks over at him* Marcus? I'm not ... not scared of you. Or Liam. I have a lot to wrap my head around, but I wanted to say that straight out.
Marcus: *nods, relieved at that.* He's still the same kill-joy he's always been, you know. Mr. Make Everyone Happy. I'm still your jackass from New York. *snorts* Maybe he's a little more impressive. I don't know. I'm the babby in the family and the only one who seems to be pretty much stuck with two legs. I make up for it by being prettier than everyone else.
Rina: *hugs his arm again* You're your own kind of impressive, babe. You don't need anyone else's.
Marcus: Yeah, I'm amazing. *stops her before they get too close to her house* Is it okay if I take off from here? I don't want Joey or your folks to see me. *With Liam already long gone, it might be a bit more than awkward* I'll wait until you get inside, if you want.
Rina: *nods reluctantly* Yeah, it's okay. *expression turns teasing* Can I have a kiss goodnight? Just to distract me from the fact that day after tomorrow, I'm gonna wake up to Rory Stone giving me a fuck-me look from the opposite wall of my room?
Marcus: You are so not his type. *shakes his head, not even wanting to imagine Da giving Rina that sort of attention* Come here. I might even give you two.
Rina: *grins and wraps her arms around him, already tilting her head to just the right angle*
Marcus: *tips his head back to look at her smiling face a bit longer* You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen, you know that? *He doesn't give her the chance to answer, covering her mouth with his and kissing her thoroughly, coaxing her lips apart and then thrusting his tongue into the warm recesses of her mouth.*
Rina: *mewls softly as she presses up against him, letting her tongue stroke and tease his in an eager dance. Marcus is what he's always been, and if she now knows more about just what that is, that's a good thing. Isn't it?*
Marcus: *growls with a deep want he won't be allowed to satisfy, hands roaming over her body until he forces himself to end the kiss and pull away* I ah...I should go...
Rina: O-okay. *she can feel the evening breeze cooling her flushed cheeks. Sliding her hands reluctantly down his arms, she grasps his hands and squeezes them* You ... get home however you're getting home and give Liam a call. He's probably worried, knowing him.
Marcus: I'll call him in a minute or two, don't worry. *holds her hands and looks her over in the quickly fading light* You can call me too, you know. Whenever. *letting go, he tucks his hands into his pockets, fingers settling on the pinpoint buttons* I'll be home before you go from the front door to your room.
Rina: *she nods, hesitantly stepping away from him* I'll call you tomorrow night. We can share first day of college stories. *hesitates for another long moment* Love you. *steeling herself, she turns and walks back to the house*
Marcus: *he only waits long enough to hear her turn the knob of the front door before he presses the button that will take him back the way he came. Gone before she's over the threshold*
Rina: *checks the id on her cell and smiles* Hey, you! How's my favorite redhead?
Marcus: *smiles at the sound of her voice* Hi, Rina. I was wondering if you were home right now, actually.
Rina: *pushes hair back from her forehead* Yeah, I just got done packing up the last of the boxes to take to my dorm room tomorrow. Why?
Marcus: *bites his lip and then,*Because I'm at Li's and I just twisted his arm into giving me a ride over to your place so I can see you before I go home?
Rina: *eyes widen* You're here?! You dork, why didn't you tell me? *doesn't actually sound all that angry* Of course you can come over. Do you want to meet me at the house or somewhere else?
Marcus: *rubs the back of his neck and finds that the palm of his hand is sweaty. Great. Nerves.* Where do you want to go? I...was sort of thinking we could go somewhere quiet and um, hopefully private.
Rina: Sounds good to me. *considers possibilities* Up by the stream, maybe?
Marcus: Sure. *sighs* The stream's good. We can talk there.
Rina: Okay. I'll meet you there. *hesitates* Is something wrong, cutie?
Marcus: Mmm...hopefully nothing that talking to you won't fix.
Rina: I hope so too. See you soon, babe.
Marcus: Bye. *hangs up* Fuck me.
Marcus: *up on the porch, he hesitates before ringing the doorbell*
Rina: *from within he can hear "I've got it!" and a patter of feet before a slightly breathless Rina opens the door* Hi!
Marcus: *gives her a smile, not as forced as one might think, all things considered* Hey, Rina. In a hurry to go somewhere?
Rina: *sweet smile* More like in a hurry to be with someone. *smooths out her sundress, takes his hand and shuts the door behind her* Shall we?
Marcus: *squeezes her hand and nods, turning around again* Sure. All packed? Li said you were kinda nervous about started college...
Rina: Yeah, I'm all set. *moves close by his side as they start walking* I guess I'm a little nervous and more excited. First time living away from home and all that.
Marcus: *chuckles at that* I couldn't do it. No way could I give up Park Avenue West for a shoebox on campus.
Rina: *smirk* You might rethink that if Park Avenue West contained the likes of Joey. *laughs* Or maybe you wouldn't.
Marcus: I have Chuck. Same difference, remember?
Rina: *arched eyebrow* Really? Has Chuck left a disc of downloaded porn in your DVD player, accidentally letting you know that she was jerking off in your room?
Marcus: *howls and gives a mental high-five to Rina's brother* No. I'm pretty sure Chuck doesn't get in touch with herself. She's kinda uptight about sex, if you haven't noticed.
Rina: Uh ... *tries to stifle a smirk, fails and dissolves into giggles*
Marcus: *gives her a look of 'see?'* At least he was watching porn and not like...I don't know...going through your underwear drawer or something.
Rina: *gets her laughter under control* I think he's scared of my girly things. But that wasn't what I was laughing about.
Marcus: Then what were you laughing about?
Rina: *shakes her head, grinning* Your comment about Chuck just made me flash back to the Fourth of July when we were drinking together. She got reeaaaaallll talkative before she turned green.
Marcus: *doesn't recall what Chuck might have drunk-babbled, he was more intent on Rina and getting some action at the time* Yeah? Refresh my memory...
Rina: *reproving look* I am not giving you the details, mister. Let's just say that I don't think she's quite as repressed as you think she is. At least not anymore.
Marcus: What is this? Some sort of girl-solidarity crap? *pouts at her as they near their destination* I tell you things.
Rina: *gives his arm a hug* If the details involve Chuck and your cousin, do you really want to know?
Marcus: *looks pained but then, since he's planning to be brutally honest anyway...* Rina, do you have any idea how many nights I have heard them?
Rina: Ohhhhh. *leans over and kisses his cheek* My sympathies, babe. At least you had me to distract you at your uncle Tadhg's?
Marcus: *the corner of his mouth twitches as she kisses him but he doesn't return the gesture* Yeah. Yeah, I did. *and there's a wistful smile, remembering*
Rina: *looks at that smile and urges him over to one of the flattish rocks bordering the stream* So what's on your mind, lover?
Marcus: *clears his throat at her choice of words* That.
Rina: *looks confused, has not made the connection* That? I'm sorry, which that?
Marcus: *turns to face her, his expression anything but happy* I love you, Rina, but I can't be your 'lover' any more.
Rina: *gives him a long look out of very wide eyes* ... oh. *she draws her knees up to her chest and hugs them, unconsciously echoing his earlier posture* Can ... *swallows* Can I ask what changed?
Marcus: *has to step away from her to keep from wrapping his arms around her instead* A lot of things. I don't want to hurt you. And I don't want to lie to you or be unfair to you but I think that's what I am doing, Rina. I'm sorry.
Rina: *too late to keep from hurting her. Years too late, she thinks. Her gaze drops to her arms* I see.
Marcus: *there's a lead weight resting in his stomach and it's only growing heavier as he watches Rina's reaction* I don't think you do, is the thing, Rina.
Rina: *shrugs a little* What don't I see, then? That you've found someone else in New York?
Marcus: Rina...*sighs* You know I've been dating. *sits on the ground, looking up at her, placing a hand on her feet* Baby, I'm not happy about this either but I don't know what else to do. You're here, she's there...I'm there. *looks at the grass, down and away from her* She says she loves me...
Rina: Oh. *long pause* Do you love her?
Marcus: *sighs and just as he told Ambria and Liam, answers Rina truthfully* No.
Rina: *blinks several times, then speaks in a voice barely audible over the running water* So ... just because she lives in New York and I don't ...?
Marcus: *shakes his head, he heard her just fine* No...I do care about her. A lot, actually. She knows I love you, you know. I told her that. *braces his elbows against his knees and laces his fingers behind his neck. Tense, uncomfortable, miserable.* I'm sure I could fall in love with her...but that's not the point, is it? I can't have you both.
Rina: *swallows again* Did she tell you she doesn't want you seeing anyone else? *still looking at her arms, it's safer*
Marcus: We talked about that, yeah. It wasn't an issue when Bri and I were just dating. *lets out a long breath of air, he really hates having to discuss the details of either relationship with someone not in said relationship, but--* I'm sleeping with her.
Rina: *hugs her legs a little tighter, rests her chin on her knees*
Marcus: *when she doesn't say anything after a while, he looks up at her*
Rina: *stays silent for minutes, then speaks in a very tiny voice indeed* Would this be different if I lived where you do?
Marcus: *sets his jaw, biting back an affirmative* No.
Rina: Why not? *brow furrows slightly* Did I--have I done something wrong?
Marcus: No, God no. *sighs and pulls his fingers through his hair* I just want to protect you...
Rina: From what? *her voice rises a little, though it's still quiet* What do you think you need to protect me from, but not her?
Marcus: She doesn't mind the limelight, hell...she should probably get used to unwanted attention if she's serious about her art. *digs the toe of his shoe into the soft ground, knowing he's only telling her half-truths now*
Rina: And you think I can't? *her brow furrows more as she watches that toe* Marcus, is this about that idiot reporter in Santa Barbara? Because I can learn how to deal with jackasses like that ...
Marcus: *stops digging into the dirt* It's not just that, Rina. You don't even want a long distance relationship with anyone, so why are we having this conversation?
Rina: *looks up into his eyes, a little hurt creeping into the confusion in her own before she looks away* We can stop if you want.
Marcus: *she isn't bothering to correct him so he must be right about this* I'm sorry.
Rina: Yeah. *she's practically burrowing into those folded arms now* But not enough to tell me what the real problem is.
Marcus: *leans towards her but it's that rock he rests his head against, not her body* You'd just think I was insane.
Rina: Insane? *the confusion is back, along with a little heat* I ask you if it would change things if I was in New York, and you say no, it's about the limelight and the paparazzi. I tell you I can deal with the reporters, and you start going on about long-distance relationships again. Are you telling me your real reason would actually sound crazier than all this self-contradiction?
Marcus: *is no longer sure she won't want his head on a platter after all* Rina, the what-ifs, maybes and wishful thinking helped me make this mess in the first place. You aren't in New York, you don't have plans to be and yes, the media and stalkerazzi would be a problem and I don't want you to have to deal with it. I'm not contradicting myself there, okay? I love you enough to not want that bullshit in your life. *shifts so that he's kneeling and able to look her in the eye, really look her in the eye* And yeah, I do think you'd think I'm crazy if I told you the rest of my reasons.
Rina: *meets his eyes for at least a minute before letting her head droop back to her knees* If you don't want to tell me, that's your business.
Marcus: I'm not what you think I am. *hi, Liam, you're going to come back to some real fun*
Rina: *her head doesn't move, though her expression takes on a decidedly wtf?! cast* ......what are you then?
Marcus: *shakes his head* Something I never wanted you to know about.
Rina: *the wtf shades into equal amounts of uncertainty and trepidation* What? *her voice is going small again*
Marcus: *tips his head back and looks skyward, swearing in Fae and hoping Liam doesn't mind the potential loss of a friend if this blows up spectacularly* I'm a púca. So's my Da and my Uncail Anraí, Liam...none of us are human. *and now he winces and waits*
Rina: ... púca? *long moments of mystification gradually clear as she connects the word to some of his stories and jokes* You mean those mythical Irish horse things you go on about some times? *her jaw tightens and she looks away* You can actually make fun of me while breaking up with me. Guess I didn't know you as well as I thought I did.
Marcus: *makes a frustrated noise, something somewhat equine sounding, in fact, and he reaches out to gently take her chin in hand* Look at me. Please.
Rina: *her face goes mulishly stubborn for a moment, but then she takes a deep breath through flared nostrils and faces him*
Marcus: *can see she's angry, hopes she can see that he's not playing games* I'm not lying to you, Marina.
Rina: *she stares into his huge dark eyes, and for the very first time they give her a prickle down her neck* No?
Marcus: No. *there is so much regret expressed in that single syllable, he really is sorry for telling her this*
Rina: *her eyes are fixed on his now, too filled with hurt to trust quickly* So ... so if I were to call Liam, or Liam's dad, they'd tell me you're telling the truth?
Marcus: *flinches but doesn't look away* I can't say what Uncail Anraí would do about that kind of phone call, we don't really tell people--Call Liam, ask him to come back here. Hell, ask him to turn into a horse for you when he does.
Rina: Turn into a-- *her lips flatten into a line as she sits up and holds out her hand* Give me your cell. I don't have mine.
Marcus: *does so without hesitation* Here. *also pulls his ward out of his pocket at the same time and sends a frantic 'Bro, just tell her the truth, she won't believe me' at Liam*
Rina: *calls up Liam on Marcus' contact list and hits send*
Marcus: *worries that ward between his fingers as she does* I'm not lying to you.
Liam: (and Marcus will get a quick 'The hell--?' from Liam before his cell goes off.)
Rina: *into the phone* Hi, Liam? Ignore your id, this is Rina on Marcus' phone. *pause* Your cousin wants you to come back over and meet us at the stream up the road from my house. *pause the second* Yeah. One other thing ... *her voice turns tart, nearly sarcastic* ...he wants you to turn into a horse for me once you get here. *pause the third and longest, during which her face turns into a study of uncertainty* ......okay. Right. See you soon. *she stares at the phone for a while before cutting the call* He said he'd be right over.
Liam: (Holy crap, Marcus ... I'll be right there.)
Marcus: I...am so sorry, man. *keeps looking at Rina, gaze level and unwavering* I know.
Rina: You know ... *studies Marcus with less mistrust, but more confusion* So why haven't you turned into a horse, if you're not lying?
Marcus: *yeah, that's what he was afraid of her asking and there's a brief flash of hurt and longing that crosses his features* I'd love to. I can't.
Rina: *she sees that hurt, knows that she's touched some kind of nerve, but her mind's whirling too fast to put it into context. She chews her lip again and steps aside from the question* And ... the rest of your family? Liam's mom, your uncle Tadhg?
Marcus: Aunt Laine's as human as you are. *sighs* She's not older than Uncail Anraí, you know. It just looks that way because we don't get sick, we don't grow old and we very rarely ever die.
Rina: *her eyes widen at that* What are you trying to ... how old is he then?
Marcus: Math's not my strong suit but he was born in eighteen ninety...something? He's uh...hundred and fifty-eight, I think? Yeah cause he's ten years older than Da. *gives her an apologetic smile*
Rina: *just ... stares at him for a longish time before dropping her forehead into one hand, elbow braced on knee* Anraí MacEibhir ... who I've known practically all my life ... is more than three times as old as my parents. And Liam MacEibhir, who I have also known pretty much all my life, can turn into a horse.
Marcus: Yes. *gives in and smooths a hand over her hair* It gets weirder, you know.
Rina: Oh goody. *her voice has gone decidedly limp, but she doesn't flinch away from his hand*
Liam: (and right about now Marcus should hear Liam's jeep coming up the road)
Marcus: Liam's here. *he does hear the Jeep even if she can't yet and still, Marcus keeps stroking her hair* I was in New York about an hour before I called you.
Rina: *she still doesn't flinch, though she does ... twitch just a little* What, you flew here?
Marcus: *tries not to laugh* No. No, I didn't. It's not fast enough.
Liam: *parks the jeep and gets out, heading upstream to find them*
Marcus: Please don't be afraid...
Rina: *thin little voice* I just don't know what to think. *looks up to see Liam approaching*
Liam: Hey, Marcus. *looks anxiously at the girl he's known for ages* Hi Rina.
Marcus: *gives his cousin a helpless look* She thinks I'm making fun of her, Li.
Liam: *looks a little unsure of the proceedings, but he'll back Marcus' no matter what* He's not fooling, Rina. I'll prove it. *looks around at the glade and water, crosses to the far side of the stream where there's a little more room* Marc, can you help me keep an ear out for Joey or anyone else? We really don't need any eyewitnesses.
Rina: *sucks uncertainly on one knuckle as she follows*
Marcus: If she screams, you just get the hell out of here, okay? *he'll do as Liam asked but he's also following the pair of them*
Liam: Okay. *he's both answering Marcus and trying to reassure Rina* Rina, you know we're both your friends, right? Always have been. We'd never hurt you, you know that.
Rina: *her face is awash with doubt, the conflict plain on her features. This is crazy, no one's turning into a horse ... but they're acting so damn serious, what are they gonna do? She does nod slowly, though*
Marcus: *places his hands on her shoulders, wanting to be reassuring* Go ahead, Li.
Liam: *nods at his cousin and tries to smile at Rina* It's all right, Ree. It is. *a deep breath, a shimmer of white fire, and a chestnut stallion drops down from a rear to a stand in front of them*
Rina: *she doesn't scream. She can't, because the breath hiccuped out of her the instant Liam's familiar form dissolved. What she does do is back up, half into Marcus and half into the tree behind them, both hands over her open mouth*
Marcus: *lets his hands slip from her shoulders, instead hugging her and keeping her from stumbling into that tree* It's okay...it's okay. He's still Liam, you've seen me ride him.
Liam: *shifts slightly, fidgeting as he anxiously watches Rina's reaction*
Rina: Ride--? *the word squeaks out from behind her hands. No, no she hasn't seen what she just saw, she hasn't, couldn't have* Oh my God ...
Marcus: *one arm still holding her, he reaches up to smooth her hair and then try to brush her hands from her face, wanting to calm her down* I've never lied to you, Rina. And I will never do anything to hurt you. Neither will Liam. I promise.
Rina: No ... *she's shaking now, knees weakening as she leans more heavily against Marcus* G-god in heaven ... I can't--I'm going crazy. *fearful tears start spilling over* I've l-lost it. I'm seeing things ...
Liam: *small noise of equine concern*
Marcus: Shh...no, no no Rina. *turns her in his embrace so he can hold her against his chest, cradle her close* Liam...enough of the pony show, huh? *rubbing a hand over her back, Marcus feels that lead weight in his belly growing even heavier. He never wanted this. Why'd he tell her? What does this even solve?* You are not crazy. I promise, you aren't.
Liam: *snorts agreement and changes back in that same white shimmer* Rina? *soft, anxious voice*
Rina: *eyes still fixed on the inexplicable horse, she hiccups again when he changes back to the familiarity of Liam* Oh god oh god oh god ... *she presses tighter against Marcus and starts crying in earnest*
Marcus: Baby...Rina...please, don't. *shakes his head and looks at Liam with dark eyes bright with unshed tears of his own* This is what I wanted to protect her from. I told you I didn't have the right to do this to her...Rina...Rina it's okay. It's okay. *he so desperately wants her to believe him*
Liam: *slowly moves closer until he can kneel beside them and place a careful hand on Rina's shoulder, hoping he won't scare her worse* It's okay, Rina girl. Your eyes and mind are working just fine. Cry it out until the shock passes, you'll be fine.
Rina: *she doesn't flinch away from Liam either, though she keeps crying with her face pressed into Marcus' shoulder*
Marcus: *rocks her slowly, at a loss for what else to do for her* It's okay...
Liam: *places his other hand on Marcus' back, trying for reassurance* Just hold her, bro. Give her time.
Marcus: *shook his head ever so slightly as he looked into those very blue eyes of his cousin, so much easier said than done when it was Rina that was sobbing. His Rina. Do you really want to do this to Chuck?* Shh...
Liam: *if he looks deep enough, he'll see the anguish caused by that very thought about his tiny blond Pixie Girl. He stays where he is, though, making the same sort of soothing nonsense sounds he might use to calm a frightened horse*
Rina: *gradually the sobbing gives way to whimpers, which in turn give way to sniffles, and then finally to quiet. The shaking also tapers off to a slight quiver of reaction. The familiar voices reach her more deeply than mistrusted sight right now, and Marcus' warmth and heartbeat unlock her panic-tensed muscles. When she opens her eyes, confusion still fills them, but the initial raw terror seems to have passed. For now at least*
Marcus: *the redheaded boy dips his head and brushes soft kisses across her brow, fingers moving to wipe away the last of her tears before his hands cup the sides of her face* It's okay...*his words are barely more than a whisper*
Rina: Marcus ... *her own fingers reach up to wipe her face and tangle with Marcus'. Sniffing deeply, she returns both arms to a secure hold on his waist before letting her eyes seek out her other friend* L-liam?
Liam: *smiles, hoping it looks gentle and encouraging*
Marcus: On the plus side, no one needs to give him a rub down...*yes, he was going to crack jokes at Liam's expense*
Liam: *dryly* Or clean my hooves?
Marcus: He does eat grass though...
Rina: *another moist sniff as she considers what her senses are telling her. Marcus and Liam, both solid and present as far as she can tell. She can feel traces of tears drying on her cheeks, and over Liam's shoulder she can see-- oh god --trampled grass and other greenery. If this is insanity, it's being awfully persistent* It's ... true? *such a tiny, uncertain, lost-sounding voice*
Liam: *softly* It's true.
Rina: *looks up at Marcus*
Marcus: I wasn't lying to you, pretty girl.
Rina: *her arms tighten around her red-haired lover ... or is he still not? Beyond caring, she presses her face into the join of his neck and shoulder* m'sorry...
Marcus: Hey, no...*rubs her back again and rests his cheek against the top of her head* There's nothing to be sorry about, okay?
Liam: *gently squeezes her shoulder in reassurance*
Rina: *her body still feels shaky, and weariness washes over her now that the initial panic has died down. She has zero desire to move from where she is anytime soon* I'm so confused.
Marcus: *has no intention of letting go of her any time soon anyhow* He's Mr. Ed and I'm still the better looking MacEibhir. Honest.
Liam: *flips Marcus a bird* He thinks he's a wit, and he's half-right.
Marcus: *gives Liam a two-fingered salute*
Rina: *familiar cousinly quips, familiar attitudes to each other. Rina can feel her heart rate and breathing slowing down little by little, though slight tremors still course their way down her body. Her voice is still little better than a whisper* I don't know what to say.
Marcus: *fans his fingers through her hair, pulling it away from her face* You're not crazy, I wasn't lying to you, and it still gets a whole lot weirder. Welcome to the real world, Rina. Keep it secret.
Rina: Real ... *Marcus holding her is real, she thinks, and his fingers in her hair. Liam's anxiously concerned expression seems real too. She can't feel sure of much else right now, and she definitely doesn't want to think about a whole lot weirder. She shifts a little, rolling her tense shoulders* Does ... anyone else know?
Liam: *quiet and steady* Zach does. You can talk to him about this. No one else.
Marcus: *pulls her close again, relieved that she's stopped crying and is speaking to them at least*
Rina: *she's still trembling a little, still sniffing and swallowing. Marcus' shoulder is wet, but she doesn't care, or she's too limp to do anything about it. Rina tries, tries so hard to regain full control over herself, but her thoughts keep dissolving into swirls of implication and consequence, all shot through with little shards of slow-fading denial* I'm ... I'm not crazy? *she sounds near-desperate for reassurance*
Marcus: No. *He says it gently, softly and shifts her in his embrace so that she can make use of his other shoulder should she want somewhere dry to put her head* Hand to God, you're not. Or, well, if my hands weren't full right now. But you aren't crazy, Rina. I promise.
Rina: *she shifts willingly, one hand coming up to brush ineffectually at Marcus' soaked-through layers of t-shirts, watching Liam as he moves to keep facing her.* ... okay. *Right now she bases her agreement more on a desire to believe than any actual belief, but Rina is a pragmatic girl who will make do with what she has* What do we do now? *give her a direction, something to do and think about, some way to start making this all make sense*
Marcus: *that was the question, wasn't it?* Do you want me to take you home? What do you want--need? What do you need, Rina. You tell me.
Liam: *sits quietly, his back to the tree Rina almost ran into. He feels horribly awkward, as if he'd somehow metamorphosed into a ravening cougar instead of a horse, and Rina was a doe he was likely to spook. But she's a friend. He won't just leave a friend in this condition*
Marcus: *and he'd rather his cousin be anywhere but here, not that he'd ever dream of asking him to leave. Not after Liam came running for the sole purpose of putting his own neck on the line. Marcus simply wished he didn't have to involve the other boy at all*
Rina: *what she needs is for her thoughts to start connecting again in some kind of logical, cause-and-effect order. Causes ... her teeth catch at her lower lip again* And this ... *she gestures vaguely at Liam* ... this is why you wanted to stop ... seeing me?
Marcus: *really doesn't want Liam here and he drops his head forward to murmurs against Rina's ear even though he knows Liam can still hear him* I told you, you deserve better than this.
Liam: *can't help wincing slightly at that exchange* Should I leave? *his eyes are still on Rina as he brings his legs under him, making ready to stand up*
Rina: *she frowns at Marcus' answer, a frown that might hold concentration, determination or anger, or possibly all three mixed* Wait. *she lifts a hand in a staying gesture, then rubs her temple with that same hand* Could you-- *swallows hard* Could you do it again? Change again?
Liam: *looks at Marcus, startled. He hadn't expected her to want to see him shift again any time soon, if ever*
Marcus: *shrugs, has no idea what Rina may be after with this*
Rina: *Rina is honestly not sure either, beyond the vague idea that if something is determined to upend her comfortable reality, she at least wants that something to be consistent* Please? *Jesus, she's saying please to something mythological...*
Liam: *slowly rises* Okay. Whatever you want, Rina. *he moves back to where he was and once again dissolves, reforming into his stallion-self*
Marcus: *is watching her, not his cousin, it's easier to squash that sense of jealousy and envy he always feels when one of his family does what he can't if he doesn't have to witness it directly*
Rina: *tries to get her own feet under her and finds it more of a struggle than she expected as she clings to Marcus* Help me up please?
Marcus: That he can do, easily, lifting her up and holding onto her until he's certain Rina is steady on her feet*
Rina: *she moves toward the horse, keeping one arm secure around Marcus and stopping just within her arm's reach. Hesitantly she extends her hand to place it on the big animal's (animal?) shoulder to feel his warmth and solidity, searching one dark eye for any traces of Liam*
Marcus: He's still pretty ticklish...*reaches around Rina to dance his fingers across the fine hair covering the stallion's withers* See?
Liam: *feels his skin twitch reflexively in response to the Spaz's teasing and snorts his disapproval. Dork.*
Marcus: *whinnies and nickers right back at him before giving his cousin sound, affectionate thumps across his back.* You have no idea how hard it is to not make jokes about mounting and riding him when the stalkerazzi start up with their kissing cousins bullcrap. *is resting his weight across Liam's back as he shares this with Rina*
Liam: *lifts one hind foot in a small but telling motion, ears flipping back and forth. Later. He'll wait for later*
Rina: *watches the interaction as she lightly pets the shoulder under her hand. Suddenly her eyes widen* I remember ... you were riding him when I went out to Flint Creek that one summer and didn't know you were visiting. *That summer, the very summer their relationship first got physical* I was leaning against the fence and rubbing his nose ... you were flirting with me. *she colors to think Liam actually witnessed that exchange, then colors more when she recalls the necking and petting session that took place not long afterward*
Marcus: *grins, then pats Liam's head in a very patronizing manner* What can I say, sometimes he's kinda useful to have around. Girls are suckers for the pretty pony thing. *he does watch where his feet are in relation to those hooves. He's not THAT stupid* I might have let you be more impressed than you should have been about the lack of tack. Even when he rears up, no one's going to fall off unless he wants to let them. Well, or me. *this time he gives Liam a genuinely loving two-handed rub down* I still owe you for that, cuz.
Rina: *Pretty pony. She remembers this horse-- she's still testing out thinking of him as Liam --nickering smugly as she'd fussed over him, stroking the proud arch of his neck. An escaping giggle startles her, and she presses one hand over her mouth to keep something more hysterical from following it. God, this can't be real, and yet ... here it is. Liam, a horse-púca-whatever. A sudden thought hits her, and the hand on his shoulder abruptly jerks back to join the one at her mouth as she blurts out* Does Chuck know?
Liam: *makes a low, disturbed sound as he shifts a couple of steps away from the pair*
Marcus: *he moves with his cousin, regardless what form Liam feels like staying in, Marcus' concern shifted that quickly from Rina to the brother of his heart* Hey, whoa...Li. *and he shook his head for Rina's benefit* No. Chuck doesn't know and you are not going to tell her. *loving Rina as he does, there is a steel undercurrent to his words and an over-protectiveness for Liam and the tiny blond girl*
Rina: *she stiffens at his tone, eyes widening again, this time in fear. She can't help it, she's still far too on edge* I'm sorry. *her voice goes small and strangled again* I won't.
Liam: *melts swiftly from horse to young man again, though not before listening and smelling to make certain no one else is about*
Marcus: *hand on Liam's shoulder, Marcus catches the fear in Rina's eyes and the faint scent of it too. Dammit. No. He didn't want her to be afraid of him* Rina...I'm sorry. But you can't tell Chuck. For so many reasons. *mainly, if the girl freaks out, where will she go to be safe if not the loft apartment he and his father call home?* I can trust you not to do that, I know.
Liam: *looks from Rina to Marcus and back again, concern evident on his face. Stepping toward the tall girl, he places a careful hand on her back and gently urges her toward Marcus* I will tell Chuck when I can, I promise. But I'm trying to figure out some way to help her with her fear of horses, so I'm not just dumping this on top of that. You see? *his tone stays calm and soothing, rational and reasonable*
Rina: *nods slowly, momentary tension easing slightly* Yeah... *her clasped hands lower to chest level as she blinks rapidly, the shot of adrenalin having triggered a fresh welling of tears. She doesn't want to start crying again*
Marcus: *hangs his head, hands covering his face and his shoulders slump. This is going about as well as he predicted. Making her cry again. God.*
Rina: *she watches him, seeing his dejection. I will never do anything to hurt you. Reaching out, she places one hand on his arm as hesitantly as she touched Liam-the-horse's shoulder* Marcus? *so, so lost she sounds*
Marcus: I'm sorry. *he doesn't look up as he utters the miserable words*
Rina: *she sniffs again, reaching up to wipe away one errant escaped tear* 'sokay. *It isn't really, or she isn't, but she needs something to be okay right now* Hold me, please? *her thoughts have started whirling again, making her craving for warmth and solid touch insistent*
Marcus: *he holds an arm out to her, willing to pull her close again if she'll step into his embrace though he knows this isn't solving anything. He can't keep holding her and kissing her and wanting her. He promised Ambria.*
Rina: *steps up against him and slides her arms up around his neck Tears fall again, but at least this time they trickle rather than gushing like before*
Liam: *slips an arm around Marcus for a quick hug before stepping back* I'll wait in the jeep, bro.
Marcus: You don't have to...I can just. You know. *no, he wasn't going to try and explain the Nexus today. Or maybe even ever.* Baby, please don't cry. You're killing me here. *Liam all but forgotten, he's trying to hug Rina and wipe away her tears at the same time, doing a poor job of either task*
Liam: *he nods his understanding* Okay. I'll talk with you in a bit. *he pats the cell phone in his pocket-- give me a call, right? --before turning his attention to the girl in his cousin's arms* Rina, I'll see you at school tomorrow, right? *Are you okay, are we still friends, have I done something awful?*
Rina: *she nods, a little jerkily, and raises one hand in a shaky wave goodbye*
Marcus: *catches that hand in his before she can lower it again, kissing her fingers and pressing his lips to the back of her hand until it stops trembling*
Liam: *swallows at the sight and heads back to his ride, wondering what the hell he's done this day*
Marcus: Come here...*gently guides her back down to the ground so they can sit and he can hold her more comfortably*
Rina: *sits with him, doing her best to wipe tears and get her breathing back under control*
Marcus: *kisses away any stray tears that reach her cheeks* Oh, Rina...you break my heart when you cry.
Rina: I'm sorry. *she doesn't want to break anyone's heart, especially not his* I just ... it's a lot, you know? *her fingers shift to rub at her temples some more*
Marcus: I know. *he coos sympathetically and then brushes his lips to her temple* Does that hurt?
Rina: *shakes her head as her eyes drift shut at the touch* No. *she lets her head droop gradually back to his shoulder*
Marcus: *rocks her for a while, aware of the hour growing later and dusk approaching, sounds of insects growing louder and part of him keeps watch on the treeline out of habit, wondering if any sly Will O Wisps will try to hide amongst the last of the summer's fire flies.*
Rina: *she could almost go to sleep right there, but she knows she can't. Eventually she sits up, not moving away from him, but giving herself enough room to restore a little order to her hair and dress*
Marcus: *absently helps with her hair, fingers combing it back and twisting it into a loose braid* I really am sorry, Marina.
Rina: *shrugs a little* You told me the truth. Can't be sorry about that. *looks up abruptly, meeting his dark eyes* Or did you mean something else?
Marcus: *tilts his head to the side, keeping the eye contact that he'd like to break away from* I'm sorry I scared you. Sorry I made you cry. That I had to tell you about this to make you understand. I'm sorry I'm going to have to take you home soon and say good bye.
Rina: *goes very, very still* Good bye?
Marcus: Da's going to wonder where the hell I'm at...*he can't quite joke about this and shakes his head* You can't seriously still want anything to do with me?
Rina: *confusion, everything is confusion. He's been part of her life for so long, and now ... what?* I can't ... do you honestly think I hate you or something? Over this? *a hint of wounded suspicion creeps into her eyes* Or is it that you've already decided?
Marcus: *lets his head fall back against a tree trunk, not caring how hard it hits* I don't want you to hate me, of course I don't.
Rina: *winces slightly at the thunk* Well ... I don't. *rubs her face, god damn it all, she is not going to start crying again* Fuck ...
Marcus: *looks at her without lifting his head, Jesus...how do human beings cry so damned much?* Can't do that.
Rina: *shoots him a dirty look for the wisecrack*
Marcus: *shrugs shoulders and gives her a helpless 'you know me' sort of look* What do you want? Tell me that.
Rina: *her fingers twist in her lap as her thoughts race all over again* I don't know. I don't know. I don't want to live in Montana forever, but-- *once again her knees come up and she buries her face in her arms* I'm being stupid. I need to think, and I can't even do that.
Marcus: *he should take her home. He can't take her home like this.* ...Is there anything I can say or do that would help you think? Questions you want answered? *He snorted as he thought about things. Liam having four legs and hooves was really not the only consideration here. By a longshot*
Rina: *even trying to formulate questions makes her head throb right now, but she tries. Deep breaths. Try for calm* I don't want ... things to just end. Like this. But if you'd rather be with her ... *the thought tightens her throat* ... then I should probably just shut up.
Marcus: *He groaned and then nearly growled, frustrated. He was tired of people telling him who he'd rather be with and what he really wanted. Ambria insisted he probably didn't want her and should be with Rina and Rina was telling him to be...really, Marcus was frustrated with himself. Not them.* I love you. I don't have anything else to say about it. I love you and that's why I don't think you should be with me.
Rina: *stares at him, running that sentence through her brain cells several times over, looking at it from every angle she can muster. At long last she blurts out the only conclusion she can come up with* Marcus ... that is so fucked up.
Marcus: *he blinks at her, several times* What?
Rina: *rests her cheek on her arms, looking at him sideways. You don't think I should be with you because you love me? You think I deserve better when I love you too? What is that? *there's no anger in her voice, only confusion and a need to understand*
Marcus: You know, just for a minute forget that I live in Manhattan. And forget that my da's a darling of the media and they have zero sense of boundaries. *he leans in close enough to nearly touch the tip of his nose to hers, eyes narrowed as he looks at her* I don't get sick. I'm not going to grow old. I'm pretty much going to look like this...forever. My Grandda's been around since Saint Padraig set foot on Eire. I know you know your history. Think about that, yeah?
Rina: *she looks back at him steadily, thinking. Thinking about Liam's dad and his aging mom. Thinking about his silver-haired grandfather, whom she's spoken with now and again. The man with the same eyes as Marcus. Never growing old ...* I'd think that would hurt you more than me.
Marcus: *he shakes his head once, twice, then refuses to look at her* Don't you want someone normal? Who'd grow old with you? Who you didn't have to worry about accidentally hurting you because he's a lot stronger than he looks? I want those things for you, you know. *she knows him and she knows how hard he takes losing people. His mother, his grandmother, hell...even his dog. Doesn't mean the stubborn boy is going to acknowledge what she's getting at*
Rina: *Oh. Oh ... sudden understanding floods across her face, but she's not sure how to articulate it, or even if she should* You've never hurt me. *uncertainty trickles back in on the heels of her near-whisper* Is that what this is really about? Is this other girl--is she another púca or something? *someone he'll never have to say goodbye to. She can certainly understand how he might be drawn to that, even as the thought hurts her heart a little*
Marcus: *He manages to thwack his head against the tree again as he tries to sit up straight* What? No. I...I don't even know of any púca I'm not related to. There aren't a whole hell of a lot of Fae running around the daylight world any more, Ri. *shakes his head* And not everything Other is nice. We're--I'm nice. Ish. *reaches out to stroke her hair again* I want her to be happy too, but not the way I need you to be. I can't explain it better than that. I know I'll never stay with Ambria for years and years. I know that.
Rina: *something inside her eases a little at his words and touch, though she couldn't say why. She finds herself smiling just a little bit anyway* I need you to be happy too. *reaching out, she runs the back of her hand along his cheek* That's what I want.
Marcus: *leans into her touch and closes his eyes*
Rina: *she watches him, stroking his cheek for she's not sure how long. Then she shifts to her knees in front of him and leans in to brush a kiss across his lips*
Marcus: *his eyes flutter open at the feel of her mouth on his; they drift shut again as he wraps his arms around her middle and returns the kiss with soft, easy pressure. She feels so good he doesn't want to let go.*
Rina: *her hands find his shoulders and then slip around to the back of his neck, where her fingers gently ruffle his hair as she kisses him. Eventually she pulls back just enough to rest her forehead against his* I need a little time to think things through. But Marcus? *strokes his cheek again* I do want you to be happy. However that can happen.
Marcus: *sighs, nods his head as much as he can with their faces touching and then brushes one more kiss over her mouth* I want you happy. Want me to walk you home?
Rina: *nods in much the same way* Sure. *not that she really wants to leave, but school does start tomorrow. She rises to her feet and dusts herself off, looking around. Somehow it seems as though the world should look different, considering everything she's learned*
Marcus: *So many more things to tell her, is all he thinks as he gets to his feet* College should be a piece of cake now, yeah?
Rina: *smiling wryly, she hugs his arm and rests her head on his shoulder* I guess I'll manage. As long as I don't kill my roommate.
Marcus: *laughs quietly* How bad can she be? You aren't rooming with a troll are you? Or a kolbolt? Goblin? I hope it's not a selkie. They do weird things like hide raw fish under their pillows. And they're always really moist. *so, it makes him feel better to fabricate untruths about certain creatures...he's only joking*
Rina: *soft snort of laughter* I don't know what she is, but she's tiny, chirpy and god-awfully perky. She doesn't walk anywhere, she bounces. I think they just put us together because we're both former cheerleaders. *a pause* And the last thing I saw before heading home, she was putting up Breaker Street posters on her side of the room. Along with a few other bands, but the biggest posters are all of your dad. *fml sigh*
Marcus: *he swore under his breath and gave her an apologetic hug* Want me to come by and deface them? I will. Cheerfully. *grins after a moment* Don't tell Li. Let him just walk in there and see the horror for himself.
Rina: *laughs outright* That sounds like a plan. *walks along silently for a few moments, then looks over at him* Marcus? I'm not ... not scared of you. Or Liam. I have a lot to wrap my head around, but I wanted to say that straight out.
Marcus: *nods, relieved at that.* He's still the same kill-joy he's always been, you know. Mr. Make Everyone Happy. I'm still your jackass from New York. *snorts* Maybe he's a little more impressive. I don't know. I'm the babby in the family and the only one who seems to be pretty much stuck with two legs. I make up for it by being prettier than everyone else.
Rina: *hugs his arm again* You're your own kind of impressive, babe. You don't need anyone else's.
Marcus: Yeah, I'm amazing. *stops her before they get too close to her house* Is it okay if I take off from here? I don't want Joey or your folks to see me. *With Liam already long gone, it might be a bit more than awkward* I'll wait until you get inside, if you want.
Rina: *nods reluctantly* Yeah, it's okay. *expression turns teasing* Can I have a kiss goodnight? Just to distract me from the fact that day after tomorrow, I'm gonna wake up to Rory Stone giving me a fuck-me look from the opposite wall of my room?
Marcus: You are so not his type. *shakes his head, not even wanting to imagine Da giving Rina that sort of attention* Come here. I might even give you two.
Rina: *grins and wraps her arms around him, already tilting her head to just the right angle*
Marcus: *tips his head back to look at her smiling face a bit longer* You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen, you know that? *He doesn't give her the chance to answer, covering her mouth with his and kissing her thoroughly, coaxing her lips apart and then thrusting his tongue into the warm recesses of her mouth.*
Rina: *mewls softly as she presses up against him, letting her tongue stroke and tease his in an eager dance. Marcus is what he's always been, and if she now knows more about just what that is, that's a good thing. Isn't it?*
Marcus: *growls with a deep want he won't be allowed to satisfy, hands roaming over her body until he forces himself to end the kiss and pull away* I ah...I should go...
Rina: O-okay. *she can feel the evening breeze cooling her flushed cheeks. Sliding her hands reluctantly down his arms, she grasps his hands and squeezes them* You ... get home however you're getting home and give Liam a call. He's probably worried, knowing him.
Marcus: I'll call him in a minute or two, don't worry. *holds her hands and looks her over in the quickly fading light* You can call me too, you know. Whenever. *letting go, he tucks his hands into his pockets, fingers settling on the pinpoint buttons* I'll be home before you go from the front door to your room.
Rina: *she nods, hesitantly stepping away from him* I'll call you tomorrow night. We can share first day of college stories. *hesitates for another long moment* Love you. *steeling herself, she turns and walks back to the house*
Marcus: *he only waits long enough to hear her turn the knob of the front door before he presses the button that will take him back the way he came. Gone before she's over the threshold*