Beating Hearts Baby (Kate)

[Adrian]

Adrian's car pulled up to his condo, and he and Kate would jump out, and quickly head up to his own personal top-floor condominium at SoMa Grand. Like Kate's, Adrian's living establishment was about as lavish as they came. Everything was decked out in sleek, streamlined silver and black, with lots of glass and stainless steel for furnishings. The living room was filled with black leather seatings, a few couches and chairs, and a 108 inch LCD TV hung on the wall. All the game systems resided nearby, the multitude of extra features in each one making more than up for his lack of any other electronic boxes in the area, other than his surround-sound headpiece. The rest of the condo would look quite similar, but Adrian wasn't really interested in showing the girl his place, so much as he just wanted to spend some time alone with the girl. After a near falling-out between them, Adrian was more than a little on edge, even if they had made up prior.

"Sooo," he said, looking around. "You, uh, you like it?"

Adrian shrugged, and grinned. He had hoped it was up to her standards. Too bad he didn't have any meaty bodyguards to boss around.

[Kate]

She looked at him, and then looked around his place. Lots of black and silver... and no color other than that. She ranher fingers along the leather of the couch. Then she sat down, with her legs over the side of the couch arm. Her legs would have been shown off... but she was wearing jeans. She laid her head down on the leather and tried to relax. What a day this had been!!!

"To be honest you need a little color in the place. All silver, black, leather, glass, steel.... it's like a working stiff lives here. A rich working stiff, but one none the less."

She smiled at him, and moved her hair so her bare neck hit the cool leather of the couch. It was a nice place, she was just teasing him. They had had an emotional oddity earlier, and Kate was acting like it never had happened. To her that was the best way to handle the entire situation.

[Adrian]

Kate began with her criticism of his condo, to which Adrian, stubborn as usual, took as a crack on his personal pride. Of course, he could tell the teasing quality of her voice, and, as such, would respond in kind.

"Oh, please, Kate, this is high art. Cutting edge design. Maybe you just wouldn't understand."

Adrian laughed, giving Kate a fake little hook punch to the chin, really soft with one knuckle. After the punch, his hand rested on her shoulder a moment, giving it a little squeeze. It held there as he spoke.

"Well, make yourself comfortable, I guess. Feel free to look around, explore, break shit if you want to. I'm going to head off to my room to change."

He smiled down at her, and walked off to his room, leaving her to her own devices, for better or for worse.

[Kate]

Fingers on her skin. Kate enjoyed the warmth of his hand on her shoulder for the few seconds it was there. Then he was off to change, with Kate watching his ass the entire way. As soon as he was out of view, she'd close her eyes and relax on the couch, not feeling the need to explore.

A place was a place. There would be the same kind of things in this one, as there were in every other one. A kitchen, some bedrooms, some bathrooms, etc etc. The layout may be different, or the colors or whatnot, but it would be the same. She was here to be with Adrian, not poke around his house.

Her toes wriggled, and her feet moved. Kate's shoes and socks were off in an instant. Soon her toes were wriggling in the air. It always felt better to her to go barefoot. Kate waited for Adrian to get back, relaxing on his couch.

[Adrian]

Adrian went into his bedroom and shut the door, but he left it open just a tiny crack. He wasn't sure why he did it. Maybe he didn't want to symbolically shut Kate out, or maybe it was much less metaphorical. Maybe he just hoped she'd sneak in and surprise him while he was changing. Regardless, he would check himself out in the Levi's before removing them.

He turned from one side to the other, looking over his image in the full-length mirror in his room. He furrowed his brow, a bit frustrated at what he noticed. In truth, he didn't look so bad in them. Sure, they weren't Armani, they weren't even Calvin Klein, but... they didn't look bad, if you were into a more rugged look. Adrian made an unfortunate mental note of this, and tugged the pants from his legs. He furrowed through his drawers and grabbed a pair of black silk boxers with yellow smiley-faces on them, smirking wryly at how stupid they were.

Adrian went to his closet and tugged on a pair of black Calvin Klein jeans, that actually fit about the same as the Levi's, only they looked much sleeker. He then buttoned on a black button-down shirt longsleeve shirt, and, finding this satisfactory, Adrian came back into the living room, where Kate had kicked off her shoes and was looking rather comfortable. Adrian came up behind the couch, hopping over and landing in the seat next to her, his arm coming down and draping around her shoulders, more gracefully than he had expected it to be.

Hah, yes! Point for me.

"Alright, now that my nakedness has come to an abrupt end, and we can put all that crap behind us..." Adrian smiled at Kate, his blue eyes meeting her emerald ones. "We could go back to school... or we could just hang out here. What sounds better to you?"

Adrian grinned at her, figuring he knew the answer to the question, but posing it anyway. You never know, girls could be unpredictable.

[Kate]

He came walking back, but Kate never opened her eyes. He could have walked up and punched her in the face, but she didn't open her eyes. Was she trusting him? Or was it just because she could kick his ass and really wasn't scare of him? Either or, Kate still kept her eyes closed. The blonde felt him hop over and his arm wrap around her shoulders, just a bit away from her throat at the angle she was at. Well, her throat or her chest. She didn't care, those emerald orbs stayed closed.

"Fly to Never Never Land where we'll never grow up!" A slight chuckle, because she was kidding of course. "But really, let's stay here. I'm all comfy, and I get cranky when I'm taken away from comfy."

Truth in those words. Kate could be a very cranky person, like extremely cranky. Like super cranky if you took her from something cozy to a place like school. Did Adrian want to push and go back to where all the other girls were? That would make for a real cranky Kate.

[Adrian]

Adrian laughed at her initial reaction, amused to hear something like that come from Kate's lips. Of course, he also couldn't help but wonder if there was a bit more truth than she let on in them, either. He mentally shrugged it off, listening instead to the real suggestion she gave. He preferred this one, as well.

"Good choice, Kate, very good. Besides, I know the Student Body President, so we should be alright for skipping out. I wouldn't want to leave this comfortable couch for some hard stupid desk anyway." Adrian, at this time, wouldn't realize the impact that sentence may or may not have had on the girl.

Adrian would then remove his arm from her shoulders, and lean back across the couch, his legs over Kate's lap, reclining on the opposite armrest. He put his arms up behind his head and grinned at the girl still sitting there.

"I have video games too... I could school you here like you tried to do last time, if you were interested...?"

Adrian let the thought dangle in front of her. Did he want to play video games because of the way their session ended last time? Was it because he thought he had picked up that Kate enjoyed video games? Or did he simply suggest it as a way to pass the time? .... did it really matter in the end?

[Kate]

There were a thousand things that went through her mind. That he didn't really care if she was around, he just preferred a couch over a desk... blah blah blah. Kate ignored it, and shoved it in the back of her mind even as Adrian's legs came to settle in her lap. He even offered to play video games... but Kate really wasn't in the mood for that.

"Meh, don't feel like it. We could watch a movie or something. You're the host, you entertain me!"

She slapped his leg playfully, grin on those full lips of hers, emerald eyes sparkling. The pale woman knew how to push buttons, but she had really just met Adrian not too long ago. So, Kate was still trying to figure out what all the buttons were on the blonde boy. She knew about his ears, and a challenge seemed to spur him on... but what else? What else made Adrian Hanlon tick?

[Adrian]

Adrian nodded in understanding at her refusal to play video games. A thought kicked in his head that he tried to quickly get rid of:

Maybe she doesn't really like video games? Maybe she doesn't like ME? I mean... if she likes games, and last time we played games, we ended up making out... if she doesnt' want to play games now, maybe it's because she doesn't want to make out... and... argh!

Adrian visibly shook his head to get the thought out, not bothering as to whether or not Kate would think he was weird for suddenly adopting a faraway look, and then shaking his head away from it.

"Movie? Alright, movie. I've... got lots of them. What do you like to watch?"

Adrian tried to keep it casual, suddenly. The thought of her maybe not being as into him as he wanted stung, and he quickly became afraid of overstepping his boundaries, even if those boundaries didn't really exist.

[Kate]

Adrian was acting funny. Getting a weird zoned out look on his face, hesitation in what he said... and how he wasn't all over her like normal. It was pissing her off, and scaring her in ways she didn't want to think about. And hell if she was going to do something about it! It was his fault, he would make it right. Damn men to hell.

Just who was he thinking about when she was sitting right here next to him?!?!?! Really, his mind wandering off. What red head, brunette, insert other hair colored, whore had grabbed him by the balls this time? Her lips twitched in a movement that was not a smile, and was not friendly.

"Whatever you want to watch Adrian."

Wasn't much warmth in her voice either. She was upset, and angry all over again. Being pretty much ignored while she sat there within arm's reach?!?! What the hell was with that? Bastard.

[Adrian]

Adrian's head cocked the side at her reply.

Wh... what?!

"I..." Adrian started, so stunned at her sudden change of mood, and, knowing inside, that it was only affirming the horrid thoughts he'd just been having.

Oh God. That's it. I was right. Why'd I even bring her here? This is ruined. My day's ruined. Arrgh, snap out of it Adrian!

His eyes looked genuinely hurt as he pulled his legs off from over her, swinging them around to put him in a seating position. He got off the couch and walked over to the systems in front of hte TV. There was a DVD rack near it, filled with Blu-Ray discs and some regular DVD's.

"Uhh..." Adrian looked back at Kate, still with that hurt look in his eyes. He didn't know how to fix things. Just when he thought his gallant speech back at school had done something, just when he thought that, maybe, things were going to be great, that the girl he was crazy about was just as crazy about him, but, looks would seem to say otherwise. A tremble ran over his body, something he'd never felt before, at least not like that.

Another one hit him, and before long, he found himself shuddering uncontrollably, just enough to be visible. He had no idea what was happening to him, and now this on top of everything else just compounded his terrible day. He grabbed a Blu-Ray, almost at random, and held it out. The case in hand only helped to accentuate just how badly he was shaking.

"I...is... The B... The Bourne..." he tried to shut his mouth to stop his shaking, making his teeth chatter as a result.

What the fuck is wrong with me?!

"Is the Bourne... Identity... is that alright?" he would spatter out quickly, trying to stop himself from this uncontrollable shuddering. He was starting to think he understood the cause of it. For the first time in his life, Adrian Hanlon was faced with losing. And this loss was one he really, really, really didn't want to have to endure.

[Kate]

Oh no. Oh hell no!!! Those puppy dog eyes of pain and hurt were not going to work on her. She had seen them time and time again, and just because his blue eyes were pleading with her it made no difference. Alright, it made a ton of difference... but Kate was firm in her belief that she was not going to cave and let him get away from things just because he was...

Wait a minute. Why was he shaking like that? Why was he stuttering??!?!? That... was he sick? That had to be it. He must have gotten a cold or something running around bare ass naked!! Dumbass. At least Kate had worn her undies around.

The blonde got up from the couch with one smooth movement. She was on her feet in seconds, and stalking over to where he was... holding out a movie sure to make her sick from all the camera shaking. The pale woman grabbed his arm, and turned him toward her. One hand went to his forehead, trying to see if he had a fever.

"I swear if you got yourself sick running around Adrian Hanlon, I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

It seemed like she cared, in a weird sort of way. Granted, because he was so tall she had to stand on her tip toes just for her hand to properly reach his forehead and face.

[Adrian]

Kate would find no warmth on his forehead, at least not past his usual one. There was no fever to find. Adrian let out a long, deep breath. Now, on top of everything, he was going to have to try and explain himself. Like he even could, much less do it without making himself sound like a pathetic little shit. Something that no Hanlon would ever admit to being.

"I'm fine," Adrian said, her closeness warming him, in a manner of speaking, her willingness to take care of him bringing a spark of life back to him. "I just..."

Another sigh. Adrian took the girl's hand from his forehead and held it in his own. "Kate, what, exactly, do you feel about me? I... I'd just really like to know."

And yes, he went there. In his worried, stressed-out state, decorum and flirtation were thrown directly out the window. He couldn't dance around it, not in the wake of everything he felt swirling around him at the moment. Her coldness, her distance, he was sure he'd hear an answer he didn't want to hear. Regardless, he needed to hear an answer, so his heart could stop threatening to shatter, and either do it or not. Adrian didn't like sitting on a threshold.

He bit his lip and tried to steel his nerves, and his gaze. He looked the girl in the eye, trying to look serious, but that hurt look still peeping through despite his best efforts.

[Kate]

Hadn't she explained this earlier??? Hadn't she... poured her heart and soul into that kiss? She dropped her hand and took a step back. There he was biting on his bottom lip and looking at her like that. What the hell was his problem? She wasn't going to kiss him this time. Those emerald eyes were filled with so much pain... and anger at him for doing this to her. She stepped back again, and if he came toward her she'd continue to step back. Like some sort of cornered animal or something.

"Adrian...I like you."

But she couldn't say what she really felt, and Kate had thought... had really thought he understood that. With how she had opened up to him and everything. She kept walking backward until her back hit a cold wall.

What else was there to say?

[Adrian]

Her answer was succinct, and all he ever really needed to hear. However, her physical reaction was far from desirable. She started to back away, shocked at his question. His eyes went wide, and as she walked backwards, he dropped the DVD box and followed her. When her back hit the wall, he was directly in front of her again. One hand at her waist, the other hovering awkwardly at his side.

"Kate..." he said, everything seeming to click, someway, somehow. "I'm sorry."

He paused for only a moment before continuing.

"I... you... I thought you did, I really did. But earlier, when you looked at me on the couch, you looked like you didn't. I started to second-guess everything... I just didn't know. I... just needed to know. Because I like you too, Kate. Very much. There's no one else in this world that's got my eye but you, you know. And that, for starters, is so very different for me, it's hard for me to understand what to do."

He gulped, trying to explain himself without rambling. "I want you to be my only girl, you know? And it'd be just awesome if I was your only guy, too."

He looked at her, his eyes sad, but his smile hopeful. And then he leaned in and kissed her, partly to affirm his feelings for her, and partly because, to be frank, the young Hanlon needed to feel her lips on his, just to keep from going crazy.