"So, the money raised at this dinner will benefit children in Africa
that are starving. It is mandatory that all of you be there," the official
announced at the meeting. "And you all must wear formal clothes."
"Formal?" Luther asked. There was a soft murmur from the other boarders.
"Yes, Luther, nice clothes," the official answered.
"You mean like my Nightmare gear?" Psymon chimed in, smirking.
"No, Stark, I mean like a suit and tie. A tuxedo if you can get one," the official replied. "The dinner is tomorrow night. That gives you all plenty of time to get ready. One more thing, you will all be on your best behavior. That's goes especially for you, Payne and Stark."
"We haven't done anything yet," Zoe grumbled.
"Good. Keep it that way," the official answered. "Alright, people, that's it. I'll see you all here tomorrow at 5.30 sharp."
The boarders all shuffled out, talking about the benefit dinner and what they were going to wear. Psymon pulled Zoe aside and hugged her, then began nuzzling her. Zoe giggled and pushed him away playfully.
"Aren't we frisky?" she asked, smacking him on the shoulder.
"Always. So, got a date for tomorrow night?" Psymon asked.
"Yeah," Zoe answered.
"Is he as good-looking as me?" Psymon asked, grinning.
"No, he's much better-looking," Zoe laughed. Psymon just growled playfully and pulled her into a kiss.
"You know, I really don't want to go to this thing," Psymon confessed, pulling back from Zoe. "I never been to something like this. I mean, I'm just a punk. I've never had to do the fancy dress-up party thing."
"It's not so bad. I think some of the guys are gonna go together to get suits, you should go with them," Zoe suggested. Psymon just looked at her, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not really a shopping-trip-and-sleepover kinda guy," he answered. He leaned against the wall, pulling out his crumpled pack of Pall Malls. He lit one up and looked Zoe over.
"Oh, come on, Psy. You have to go to this thing, we all do. If you don't, they could suspend you from the Tokyo Megaplex events," Zoe pleaded. Psymon exhaled, blowing smoke into the afternoon air.
"For you, love, I'd walk to the ends of the earth. I'd go to the depths of hell and kick some major ass," Psymon said softly. "But dressing like a penguin and going to a fancy dinner? I dunno."
"Oh, come on," Zoe said. She grinned playfully. "I'll spend the night with you if you go to the dinner."
"Alright, I'm sold. I'll go, but we better be talking about more than sleeping," Psymon answered, taking Zoe's hand in his. Zoe leaned close and kissed him. He held her close, enjoying her warmth against his bare skin. Finally Zoe pulled back and looked up at him.
"So, now what?" she asked.
"How's about you and I take a walk?" Psymon said, nodding towards the busy streets. Zoe looked in the directing he was refering to, then looked back at him.
"I was kinda thinking maybe you and me could spend some time alone," Zoe replied. Psymon chuckled.
"We can do that tonight in my hotel room. You, me, a good movie, and maybe some popcorn, but right now, I just wanna get some ground under my feet. It's still days before the Megaplex events, but I'm restless," the Canadian answered. Zoe just sighed and touched his arm.
"I know how you feel, big guy, but Tenkai said we have to behave," Zoe said softly. Psymon flicked his cigarette down and ground it out with the heel of his boot, then looked at her.
"And since when did we listen to him?" Psymon asked. "Besides, we haven't been in Tokyo in almost a year and a half. I just want to go for a walk, see the sights, catch up with you. I haven't seen you since last season."
"Alright, you win," Zoe giggled. "Besides, I want to hear where you've stashed the pets while your here."
"Actually, they're in Canada. I've got a friend looking after them and ol' Betsy," Psymon answered.
"Besty?" Zoe asked, confusion in her eyes.
"My winnebago," Psymon replied.
"But....Betsy?" Zoe laughed.
"Hey, love me, love my winnebago," Psymon chuckled. "Come on, let's go see some sights before I have to go to the guy's night out. I'll even buy you a cute anime stuffed anime or something."
Zoe looked at Psymon, watching him sleep. They'd had a pretty good time just walking and catching up on what they'd been doing during the off seasons. She had felt bad about not really keeping in touch with him, especially after all they had shared at Garibaldi. Sure after the event, she'd stayed awhile with him at his home, but once her visa had expired, she had gone on back home to take care of her own home. She'd been surprised at Psymon's little home out in the woods. He did alright for himself, but he still was probably the poorest member in the league. What in the world did he possibly spend his money on?
Psymon's soft moan drew her attention back to him as he moved in his sleep. Zoe hugged him and sighed. It sounded like he was having one of those dreams again. He still dreamt about his plunge onto those powerlines. Or maybe this time it was the voices. Stroking Psymon's bare chest, Zoe sighed again. She knew they'd both agreed that Psymon could do alright without the medication, he'd come this far right? Still, she worried about him. He'd almost leapt off the cliff that night they had found their feelings for each other. He hadn't been trying to commit suicide, but to merely escape the voices leering at him in the far reaches of his mind. Zoe moved, tilting her face up so she could see Psymon. Even asleep, he showed no signs of peace in his features, but he was still beautiful to her. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of Psymon's heart beating, his breathing, and his soft snoring. It amazed her how a man so troubled brought her so much peace.
Zoe fished around blindly, eyes still closed, for the remote, then turned the tv off and snuggled close to Psymon. She had missed his warmth beside her, even though they hadn't spent many night together. Truth be told, they'd only spent that one night together during the league's tour, and only a few nights in the same bed at Psymon's home. It wasn't really about the sex, no matter how great it was, she reminded herself. It was being able to be close to the man she loved. She could deal with anything thrown at her, as long as Psymon was at her side. Smiling softly at that thought, she drifted off to sleep.
"Formal?" Luther asked. There was a soft murmur from the other boarders.
"Yes, Luther, nice clothes," the official answered.
"You mean like my Nightmare gear?" Psymon chimed in, smirking.
"No, Stark, I mean like a suit and tie. A tuxedo if you can get one," the official replied. "The dinner is tomorrow night. That gives you all plenty of time to get ready. One more thing, you will all be on your best behavior. That's goes especially for you, Payne and Stark."
"We haven't done anything yet," Zoe grumbled.
"Good. Keep it that way," the official answered. "Alright, people, that's it. I'll see you all here tomorrow at 5.30 sharp."
The boarders all shuffled out, talking about the benefit dinner and what they were going to wear. Psymon pulled Zoe aside and hugged her, then began nuzzling her. Zoe giggled and pushed him away playfully.
"Aren't we frisky?" she asked, smacking him on the shoulder.
"Always. So, got a date for tomorrow night?" Psymon asked.
"Yeah," Zoe answered.
"Is he as good-looking as me?" Psymon asked, grinning.
"No, he's much better-looking," Zoe laughed. Psymon just growled playfully and pulled her into a kiss.
"You know, I really don't want to go to this thing," Psymon confessed, pulling back from Zoe. "I never been to something like this. I mean, I'm just a punk. I've never had to do the fancy dress-up party thing."
"It's not so bad. I think some of the guys are gonna go together to get suits, you should go with them," Zoe suggested. Psymon just looked at her, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not really a shopping-trip-and-sleepover kinda guy," he answered. He leaned against the wall, pulling out his crumpled pack of Pall Malls. He lit one up and looked Zoe over.
"Oh, come on, Psy. You have to go to this thing, we all do. If you don't, they could suspend you from the Tokyo Megaplex events," Zoe pleaded. Psymon exhaled, blowing smoke into the afternoon air.
"For you, love, I'd walk to the ends of the earth. I'd go to the depths of hell and kick some major ass," Psymon said softly. "But dressing like a penguin and going to a fancy dinner? I dunno."
"Oh, come on," Zoe said. She grinned playfully. "I'll spend the night with you if you go to the dinner."
"Alright, I'm sold. I'll go, but we better be talking about more than sleeping," Psymon answered, taking Zoe's hand in his. Zoe leaned close and kissed him. He held her close, enjoying her warmth against his bare skin. Finally Zoe pulled back and looked up at him.
"So, now what?" she asked.
"How's about you and I take a walk?" Psymon said, nodding towards the busy streets. Zoe looked in the directing he was refering to, then looked back at him.
"I was kinda thinking maybe you and me could spend some time alone," Zoe replied. Psymon chuckled.
"We can do that tonight in my hotel room. You, me, a good movie, and maybe some popcorn, but right now, I just wanna get some ground under my feet. It's still days before the Megaplex events, but I'm restless," the Canadian answered. Zoe just sighed and touched his arm.
"I know how you feel, big guy, but Tenkai said we have to behave," Zoe said softly. Psymon flicked his cigarette down and ground it out with the heel of his boot, then looked at her.
"And since when did we listen to him?" Psymon asked. "Besides, we haven't been in Tokyo in almost a year and a half. I just want to go for a walk, see the sights, catch up with you. I haven't seen you since last season."
"Alright, you win," Zoe giggled. "Besides, I want to hear where you've stashed the pets while your here."
"Actually, they're in Canada. I've got a friend looking after them and ol' Betsy," Psymon answered.
"Besty?" Zoe asked, confusion in her eyes.
"My winnebago," Psymon replied.
"But....Betsy?" Zoe laughed.
"Hey, love me, love my winnebago," Psymon chuckled. "Come on, let's go see some sights before I have to go to the guy's night out. I'll even buy you a cute anime stuffed anime or something."
Zoe looked at Psymon, watching him sleep. They'd had a pretty good time just walking and catching up on what they'd been doing during the off seasons. She had felt bad about not really keeping in touch with him, especially after all they had shared at Garibaldi. Sure after the event, she'd stayed awhile with him at his home, but once her visa had expired, she had gone on back home to take care of her own home. She'd been surprised at Psymon's little home out in the woods. He did alright for himself, but he still was probably the poorest member in the league. What in the world did he possibly spend his money on?
Psymon's soft moan drew her attention back to him as he moved in his sleep. Zoe hugged him and sighed. It sounded like he was having one of those dreams again. He still dreamt about his plunge onto those powerlines. Or maybe this time it was the voices. Stroking Psymon's bare chest, Zoe sighed again. She knew they'd both agreed that Psymon could do alright without the medication, he'd come this far right? Still, she worried about him. He'd almost leapt off the cliff that night they had found their feelings for each other. He hadn't been trying to commit suicide, but to merely escape the voices leering at him in the far reaches of his mind. Zoe moved, tilting her face up so she could see Psymon. Even asleep, he showed no signs of peace in his features, but he was still beautiful to her. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of Psymon's heart beating, his breathing, and his soft snoring. It amazed her how a man so troubled brought her so much peace.
Zoe fished around blindly, eyes still closed, for the remote, then turned the tv off and snuggled close to Psymon. She had missed his warmth beside her, even though they hadn't spent many night together. Truth be told, they'd only spent that one night together during the league's tour, and only a few nights in the same bed at Psymon's home. It wasn't really about the sex, no matter how great it was, she reminded herself. It was being able to be close to the man she loved. She could deal with anything thrown at her, as long as Psymon was at her side. Smiling softly at that thought, she drifted off to sleep.