Lost in the Woods, Monday Night

[the_merriest]

So Reno had humiliated himself fabulously and now Rikku and Reno were off for some good-old fashioned dirty time, involving that abandoned shack out in the woods. They'd made it there once and then completely screwed up having dirty time. But this time? They were totally going to the abandoned shack, and there was going to be dirty time

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[raspberryturk]

"Is it just me, or is Fandom just freakin' out to get us?" Reno looked around, raising an eyebrow at the surroundings.

Yep, plenty of 'in the woods,' not so much 'abandoned shack' to go with them.

"Guess we keep wandering. Can't be too hard to get to from here, or nothin'."

... Right?

[raspberryturk]

Reno was going to stare back. Confused. A lot.

"Romeo wanted her to marry him to... keep her away from her old man?" Or something? "How does that work?"

[the_merriest]

She raised an eyebrow, and held a hand out for his phone. Could she navigate, please? He was the city boy, here.

"They were gonna run off together," she said. "And then she'd be Romeo's wife and not her dad's daughter, I mean, legally, so he couldn't be all 'that guy kidnapped her!' or whatever and get the law after them. Besides it was just supposed to be -- you know. Proposing?"

He kept saying it like the word tasted funny. Nice.

[raspberryturk]

He was the city boy. But he was also a Turk. Either way, he handed over the phone, sure.

"I kinda get the feeling that maybe if Doji's dad wants his hands on her bad enough, he's the kinda guy who might not care to pay attention to the law or whatever so much, zoto. I don't think marryin' each other would make much of a difference."

Which was subtle Reno-talk for, 'somebody's gonna get hurt real bad. Really.'

[the_merriest]

"It would probably make a difference to them, since they'd be married," she said, taking the phone and punching the buttons forcefully and not really clear on why she felt huffy all of a sudden. Romeo had done something stupid, but sweet, and Dojima was totally right to tell him no, and she was relieved, and why was she upset with Reno about it, anyway?

[raspberryturk]

"Pieces of paper don't stop bullets," Reno said, bluntly, as he watched her beat up on his phone. The poor thing really hadn't done anything to offend, so far as he knew. "Uh. Maybe take it easy on that?"

[the_merriest]

"Fine, you do it," she said, shoving it back at him and stomping off. In some direction. Hey, she'd pick one. Woo. "Make sure you tell Romeo about that big news of yours. I'm sure he thought paper was gonna stop bullets and now he's screwed."

[raspberryturk]

Oh. This was going well, already.

Reno pocketed his phone and jogged along after her.

"What's the big deal, here? I'm just sayin', I really don't see what kinda difference it would make if they went and got married. I never saw the forces of law and marriage pair off to save the universe before, or nothin'."

[the_merriest]

"It was huge of him to offer," she said, whirling around to look at him. There, that was a concession, right? "And I was worried it'd freak her out, because sometimes she gets jumpy about the whole commitment deal. Not like anyone else I know. And wow, I bring up someone else proposing and you get weird on me. I never saw that coming!"

She had to turn back around. So she could keep walking. Or else she'd run into a tree. That wasn't being bratty. Seriously.

[raspberryturk]

Reno predicted a headache coming on.

"Oh, we're talkin' about us, here. Good to know." He shoved his hands into his pockets and scowled as he continued stalking after her. There was no sense being lost, miserable, and alone in the woods, really. "What, you figure because I ain't got down on one fuckin' knee already, I ain't there for you? I love you less because I haven't proposed or somethin'?"

[the_merriest]

"'Already'?" she said, and this time when she turned around she folded her arms and stared him down. "Right. We both know you're never going to get married."

She was daring him to contradict her. Surprise her, here, Reno.

... please?

[raspberryturk]

Reno stopped in his tracks when she turned around, raising an eyebrow, hands still jammed into his pockets.

Wow, did that ever sound to Reno like one big damn accusation. And it managed to sting like hell and confuse the shit out of him all at the same time.

He wasn't sure if he was supposed to take it as 'we both know you don't have the balls,' or if it was more of an agreement with what he just said.

He really didn't love her less. He reminded himself of that before he shook his head and opened his mouth to reply.

"Right," he stated. "We both know I ain't never gonna marry. Why would I?"

That came out sounding more bitter than he intended. Today had been... just that sort of day.

[the_merriest]

Her eyes squeezed shut and she tried not to flinch, but she didn't manage it. Not nearly.

Why would I?

She kept forgetting that this was temporary. Because he might get called back home at any time. Because Turks didn't live too long. Because even getting a pet required a chain of who'd take it once he was out of here. And because, beyond all that --

I don't date.

It's just a word. You wanna say you're my. ... Girlfriend. Then. Uh.

Why would I?

-- you know. He just wasn't that kinda guy. Liked to keep his options open. Why say 'forever' if you could say 'today'? Might be someone hotter down the line. Might get bored. Might get killed. Fuck it, right?

Good enough to take to bed in the meantime. So long as she didn't ask for much else.

She wasn't walking away now because she was huffy. It was because she wasn't sure she wasn't going to cry, and she wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

[raspberryturk]

Reno's eyebrow furrowed and he set off at a brisk walk after her. Damn it, that wasn't exactly the reaction that he'd been expecting.

Way to fuck it all up again, Reno. All it ever takes is a few wrong words, and off she goes, and it's your fault again. Killer, dirty fuck with the bloody hands, and he can't even talk about his best friend on the island making a proposal without somehow managing to convince Rikku that the best way to head when around him was always the other way.

"Rikku, slow down, would you?" He pressed onward through the trees, ignoring the rock that he'd tripped on twice before, managing to avoid it this time. Lucky him. "Rikku? Can we just stop and talk?"

...

Please?

[the_merriest]

"I-I think I'm going back to the cabin," she called, over her shoulder, trying like hell to keep her voice from sounding like that. Not looking. Not stopping. "Kinda don't feel good. 'Snothing. Just not in the mood for --"

Hot, meaningless sex out in the abandoned shack.

Kinda lost its zing.

[raspberryturk]

It was getting cold out, again. But the cold wasn't in the air tonight, at all.

She probably wouldn't want his jacket, if he offered it to her.

"Please, Rikku, don't-" Don't what? He could run after her and catch her, no problem. Hell, he could stop and wait. She'd come around again. But this wasn't the time to let her go. Not lost. You stop following people who are lost, and then you never see them again, and you wonder years down the road if maybe they're alive somewhere, or if anyone ever found the body to bury it-

He kept her in his sight as he followed behind her. Losing her and bound and determined not to lose her, too.

"Wait up?"