The Bitter End (Stu)

[THE Justin]

"How do you know him?"

Oh how indeed. He smiled, his shoulder bouncing slightly with his chortle. He leaned back in the chair, the swivel seat turning him towards her. He looked her over again, the warmth fuzzying his logic.

"Oh me and Johnny go back to 259. We fought, he saw my gun, loved it. He kept me on as a friend. I wasn't with Militia in any official sense. But I kept a watch over the youngins, and always followed him, as often as I could.

But I had a lot going on mentally then, let me tell you. I was trying to get over a girl, and it sent me a little loopy.

Getting better. Moving on. Olesya. She's in Militia too. She got snatched at the correctional facility. Sent me over the edge. Was not a good time, let me tell you, Del."

A nickname already? Interesting... was Stu interested in her?

[Delilah A. Black]

"Oh me and Johnny go back to 259. We fought, he saw my gun, loved it. He kept me on as a friend. I wasn't with Militia in any official sense. But I kept a watch over the youngins, and always followed him, as often as I could.

But I had a lot going on mentally then, let me tell you. I was trying to get over a girl, and it sent me a little loopy.

Getting better. Moving on. Olesya. She's in Militia too. She got snatched at the correctional facility. Sent me over the edge. Was not a good time, let me tell you, Del."

She blinked at the nickname, but other than a shy lopsided smile, she didn't seem to mind. "I met Winters when I worked at his restaurant as a cook. Our personalities click well and we've sparred once or twice, but other than that, I don't really know how we came to be friends," She shook her head and shifted her weight a little. She was beginning to lose her balance on the stool. "But ah...he's a very determined man. He loves 259 a lot. If I hadn'tr been sent here, I would probably still be in Long Beach." she forced herself to stop her rambling for the second time and took a drink to fill the silence. There was something else here they had in common anyway. "I was in the Correctional Facility, actually." she brushed a lock of hair out of her face and she grinned sheepishly. "I was definitely a little too haphazard for my own good in that mission."

[THE Justin]

Stu listened to her as well as he could. The multiple beers, the shots, and the anger had made his head fuzzy. He leaned on the bar as he listened, one arm propping his suddenly heavy head up while he watched her.

"Aye, the correctional facility was a right proper shit time. Tried to break a bunch of y'allz out. Didn't get there in time, and ended up having to save a few of the breaker ins."

She seemed kinda sheepish about it. She wasn't upset, but she wasn't regretful of what happened. Stu admired that.

"I miss Long Beach... I do. First real American town I've ever lived in. But, that town holds a lot of memories I'd rather not revisit..."

[Delilah A. Black]

She took a long draught as he talked and had to put down the glass a little forcefully as the room started to spin a little. She was still listening, but it was hard to focus without looking directly at him. Resting her head on her hand, much like he was, she tilted her head as she looked at him. It might have been the alcohol talking, but his dark eyes seemed to gleam a little now.

"I miss Long Beach... I do. First real American town I've ever lived in. But, that town holds a lot of memories I'd rather not revisit..."

She nodded her understanding. Her own emotions towards Long Beach was pretty much similar. "Yeah. As much as I love the place and miss the familiarity, I doubt I would go back because of a few of my own memories." she let out her breath in a whoosh of air. The Monster came to mind, but in her intoxicated state, she couldn't quite remember the man's true name. Ah well. As long as he didn't follow her here, she would survive. Maybe. Delilah picked up her glass and held it in toast. "To Long Beach." and drained the glass, setting it down as she pushed the glass ahead of her, refusing the bar tender as he came by again to see if she needed another. She definitely had enough alcohol in her system at this point and she definitely didn't need anymore. She'd already have trouble getting home tonight. It was fast approaching two am on a thrusday night, and cabbies weren't exactly ecstatic about driving to a dive to grab some girl who called them stone drunk. She'd definitely have to walk home tonight. She looked over Stu again and found herself smiling a little. Delilah wasn't even quite sure what she was considering, but it sounded like fun.

But she'd get to that later. "Any memory in partiular you want to mention or are we done with memory lane for the while?"

[THE Justin]

His mug clinked off of her glass as he downed the rest of the beer, deciding it'd be his last. His eyes were foggy, at least he felt them, though he knew not what they looked on the outside. He smiled at the girl, and her question.

"To be honest, I don't think I'd ever want to remember what I did. I've forgotten most of the bad, though it comes back in waves. Trying to change, right proper.

Maybe meeting you was a good change."

He smiled and winked at her, laughing lightly. He kept his eyes on her though, and watched how she moved. She wasn't full of grace, but she moved with a certain swagger as though she's done it all before. She was a mechanic, at least he think he heard her mention that.

Hmm...

[Delilah A. Black]

"To be honest, I don't think I'd ever want to remember what I did. I've forgotten most of the bad, though it comes back in waves. Trying to change, right proper."

She could see the wisdom in that as she nodded along. If she still had a drink, she would have toasted that too. After all, wasn't self-betterment one of her own goals? And a very important goal it was. She turned her body towards him again as he looked at her.

"Maybe meeting you was a good change."

At this, Delilah's normally pale cheeks turned a slightly deeper shade of red and she looked at him shyly through her lashes. An idea struck her and resonated deep in her mind, but she was definitely too intoxicated to relate it much. "I'd like to think so. For myself at the very least," laughing lightly, she ran a distracted hand through her hair and began tying back her hair. "But if there's anyway I can help you, I definitely will. I'm not exactly shy for cash, but money's not really what you need, is it?" she tilted her head and looked him up and down introspectively. her eyebrows drew together slightly. "You don't really know what you need, right? But you know what you know, and you know that you need to change about yourself to get better." she waved a vague hand in a rotating motion and her hair fell out of her ponytail again. Rolling her eyes at herself, she tried tying it again, talking as she did so. "The only reason I know that is because thats how I am. I dunno if it's entirely or only partially true for you, but..." she shrugged and let her hair fall down again before tying it up. "It seems close. It might be the alcohol talking here, and I hope you don't mind my saying so, but--" she leaned fowards a little, letting her eyes connect firmly with his. "Whatever it is you want to forget haunts you. That's enough to want to change, right?"

Delilah smiled indulgently but didn't pull away. "For me...my problem is that I have a lot of old wounds, all of which are healing, but I always end up tearing them back open when I search in here," she tapped her exposed collarbone lightly. "sometimes...you have to let people try and speed the process. You'll still have some pretty ugly scars, but it would be a shame ifyou didn't have them...whatelse will you have to remind you what you went through to heal, right?"

[THE Justin]

Stu watched with unfeigned attentiveness as the girl spoke, hair falling away every time a futile gesture was made towards tying it behind her head. He grinned slightly at the act, very cute, and very enticing.

She continued to speak, talking about not forgetting the past but refusing to relive it. He agreed, wholeheartedly, actually, and smiled as she spoke. She was very intelligent, a beguiling feature when looking over her coarse frame.

And that's when he moved in.

It was simple, really. Though his head was fogged with alcohol, his mind knew how to woo a woman. He took a few strands of the errant hair that kept falling away, and because she was so close, it came almost as a surprise that he moved. The few pieces of hair he pushed back behind her ear, running a smooth finger down the lobe and to the point where her jaw connected. Resting a knowing finger there, the rest of his hand fell downwards towards her skin, his hand cradling her head slightly.

His face moved in, and without missing a step his lips sought to connect her. His hand would curl slightly, holding closer to the side of her neck, as his head leaned gently to the side.

Was this the alcohol talking? He didn't know for sure; but he knew right now... right now was good times.

[Delilah A. Black]

Delilah didn't notice how close Stu now was until he touched her, and even then she didn't flinch away from the touch. As his finger tucked the stray strands of black and red hair behind her ear and gently cupped her jaw, she felt nothing short of ease, spare her slightly surprised open-eyed gaze staring into his own. Even without alcohol, she would not have been able to completely read the thoughts behind his eyes, black as they were. But she thought that she could feel what he was feeling in his touch. That alone was enough to send a shiver up her spine, and she relaxed her head a little into his hand.

Her eyes closed as his head tilted and she leaned forwards slightly as she accepted his lips with her own and inhaled slowly, taking in his scent sans the alcohol on his breath. How long had it been since her last kiss? A few weeks? Months? If she wanted to remember, she couldn't, and as it was, she didn't particularly want to at the moment anyway. Sliding her left hand (a little boldly) up his leg, she deeped the kiss by leaning closer. The warmth that had been steadily growing behind her naval was beginning to spread throughout her body, sending her nerves alight with the unusual tingling sensation it brought. Staying liek that for a while longer, Delilah pulled away reluctantly and let her eyes drift to the clock. She smiled at the time and shifted her eyes - a little more glassed over, but not from the alcohol- and turned them to him, smiling at him now. She left her hand where it was.

"If you need a place to crash..." her voice had dropped allittle to accomodate the mood and took on a slightly huskier tone. "..mine's availible."

[THE Justin]

Stu restrained himself from springing up and trying to whisk her away, his mind reeling with the cheesy movie cliche of the man picking the girl up as they made out, kicking the door open, and carrying her off into the horizon. He knew he would be able to carry her; he was no weakling and she was hardly anything substantial; but he wasn't sure how well his inebriated state would do with holding up another human being, balancing weight not being a good thing for him while wasted.

He smiled though, as her hand inched up his leg, his right hand snaking to hold her side as they sat facing each other. Her voice was hushed, a sense of sexual urgency placed behind it that tickled him all over, giving him a rumbling deep down. He grinned again, nodding lightly.

"Aye, my apartment is a distance away... I might just have to sleep over, iffen you don't mind."

It wasn't so much a question as a statement, and he offered his hand to her, standing and holding himself steady with the other. As she would stand and take his hand, he would pull her close, his lips seeking hers once more before they left.

[Delilah A. Black]

"Aye, my apartment is a distance away... I might just have to sleep over, iffen you don't mind."

She put forty bucks on the bar as she slipped off her stool and took his hand and bent her knees a little to regain her balance. Letting herself be pulled close to him, she kissed him back eagerly. "Not in the slightest.". Wrapping an arm around his waist, she left the bar, leaving the bartender and the few patrons remaining inside to stare after the strange pair with a mixture of wonder and confusion.

And that's where things get a little hazy...

***

The Next Morning...

It was partly the bustling traffic under outside the room, partly the maid with the distinctly Spanish accent impatiently rapping on the door saying 'house-keeping' repeatedly with increasing exasperation, and partly, of course, the overpowering pounding of book cases being dropped on her head that drowned out most logical thought.

Not book cases... she reminded herself dimly as she groaned and rolled onto her back. ...bourbon induced hangover. Owwww.... She tried to snuggle up against the warm...thing ('pillow' wasn't quite the right word, what was beside her was a touch more firm and less comfortable than your average pillow, but she couldn't quite find the right word she wanted to use) and drift off into sleep.

"HouseKEEPING! ... HOUSEkeeping!!"

She opened her eyes and winced as the sunlight streaming in from the window only increased the crashing inside her head. Grumbling, she rolled away from the warmth and comfort of her bed and went to the door to tell whoever it was to shut their mouths and go bug someone else.

It was a good thing Delilah passed by a full length mirror in the adjoining bathroom, or she'd never have noticed she was very much without clothes of any kind.

She stared blankly at herself as a niggling sense of deja vu overcame her. This felt right, even though her memory was still a little foggy from the hangover. She felt like she should be naked. But was unsure as hell as to why. Shrugging it off -she usually remembered after a few Advils and glasses of water- she instead went to the hotel notepad where she scribbled the words 'F OFF', tore off the sheet of paper and a grabbed a fifty from her jeans pocket hanging off the back of a chair and slipped both of these under the door. The pounding of the door promptly stopped.

Muttering to herself, she walked back to the window and threw the curtains closed until she was satisfied with the amount of light entering the room. Turning back to the bed, she slipped under the covers and curled up against the warm Stu lying there.

Mmmmm...warm St--

Her eyes snapped open. It all came rushing back.

There ya go!

The whiskey shots. The green hair. The bar tender, the wry looks, the badass guys leaving, the black eyes the Militia the STU (That's his name...) the kisses the groping the stumbling the hotel clerk rolling his eyes the elevator ride (she shivered a little here at the memory) her ridding him of his shirt and vice versa being thrown on the bed the moaning the writhing the rolling the annoying wall banging of the guy in the next room the creaking the freaking pleasure.

She pulled away from Stu slightly as she remembered this and raised an eyebrow. She remembered. Did he? She touched his shoulder and shook it lightly to see if he was awake before settling back onto the pillow, not at all shy of her perpetual nudity. If he still slept, she would continue to prod him until rousing him completely. Upon doing so, she would smile a touch wryly and rasie both her eyebrows this time. "I don't think we got back to my place..."

[THE Justin]

Stu lifted his head from the pillow, face down in a puddle of his own drool and... something sticky down below. His eyes squinted in the morning light that came in daintily through an open window, the city skyline etched into the glare.

Where the fuck am I?

Who the FUCK is touching me?!

He turned towards the source of the prodding and the talking, and the cute smile. Ah, there it was. It all came rushing back; The kiss at the bar, the hand on his thigh, the laughing and kissing on the way to her apartment, stumbling into a hotel to the chagrin of the night manager, the payment for the room in cash, the elevator escapades, and the door slamming, wall banging, bed rocking, orgasm inducing night long romp under the covers.

He smiled up at the girl, fully naked. His hand instinctively went and grabbed her, all pretense gone. He laughed into his pillow before rolling over, the bedsheets falling away, leaving nothing to memory.

"I'd dare say we didn't, twist." He gave a wink, and then moved a bit closer to her, his hand running down her side. "That was a fun night, Del."

[Delilah A. Black]

"I'd dare say we didn't, twist." Her smile widened as he winked and got a little closer. The hand he ran down her side gave her chills, despite her pounding headache. "That was a fun night, Del."

She nodded her head in firm agreement and moved herself closer, tucking her head under his with her cheek against his chest. "No kidding. I'm not sure my headache is from the alcohol or the...how do the British put it?" she thought on it for a second before grinning. "or the romp that was right cracking." She laughed a little at herself and massaged her aching temples. She lited her head past him and checked the time. 11:28am. She groaned again and let her head fall back. She blew the bangs out of her eyes. "I think we missed first period."

[THE Justin]

Stu laughed at both statements, the faux British and the comment about first period.

"Aye... I think we should just take the day off... get you some pancakes and a few tylenol by the looks of you."

His hand instinctively went up and began slowly petting her hair, as he leaned down and kissed her gently on top of her head. His other hand reached across him and landed on her arm, reassuring her.

He smiled, and closed his eyes. He wasn't about to sleep, but he was happy where he was. It had been quite a while for him too.

[Delilah A. Black]

She groaned again in agreement and buried her head further into his chest, smiling to herself as he kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. It was unusual for Delilah to not be cranky after a long night of drinking, and she couldn't remember feeling this secure upon waking up. She slipped an arm over his waist and closed her eyes as she let herself drift down into a meditative state, focusing on the pain in her limbs and head and mentally massaging it away. She was completely alert and would react if she needed to, but her focus was on her surroundings. The softness of the sheet under her, Stu's heatbeat against her cheek, nearly every facet of hair his fingers passed over, the noises in the rooms down the hall. The focus allowed her muscles to relax and after a few minutes she felt nearly completely better, though the headache still persisted a little.

She remembered the conversations of the night before and the ideas she previously had neglected due to her intoxicated state came to mind. She lifted her head and brushed noses with him, looking into his eyes. "You're still with Militia, aren't you?"

[THE Justin]

Stu's eyes fluttered with thought, eyes racing around inside his head. He smiled as he felt her hand lay against his waist, and sighed heavily. He smiled as she rested against him, her skin tingling his with her touch.

Then she spoke. Women speaking always broke nice things it seemed.

His eyes opened, and he squirmed slightly. He could trust her, couldn't he? I mean, she had given her body to him the night before, and now her mind was opening even more to him. He sighed.

"Aye... I'm in Reapers too. Its... complicated. I'll definitely tell you more later... just suffice it to say I've not betrayed anyone yet."

He sighed again, hand rubbing his eyes. He didn't want to talk about it now, but he would if she pressed it. Not a way to end a wonderful night, but... ce la vie.