A/N: Just wanted to try something new. No promises on anything.
It was just the wind. The leaves of the oak tree shivered at its touch. The branches scratched away at the glass window. Erie street lights glowed dimly, illuminating the dark road. It was quiet, except for the quiet hum of the city.
He was no ordinary criminal-on-the-run, and she was not your regular A-plus student. It was no coincidence that fate had pushed them together on this silent night.
She was of a wealthy family. As an only child, anything she wanted, she bat her eyelashes and she got; when she turned sixteen two years ago, her parents had given her a snowy white luxury car. Both her parents had studied at a prestigious law school, and later on became lawyers. She was to follow in the same footsteps. She had her entire life planned out for her by her parents. They had high expectations for her, and she was to meet them. They were rarely home, always off on business trips or vacationing, but they were always clear in what they expected of her. As a result, she threw herself into her education. She was gorgeous, with her slender figure and silky brown hair; all the guys' jaws dropped when she walked by. Unfortunately, studying left no room for friends, social activity, or fun, let alone the commitment of a boyfriend. She had her acquaintances, of course, but none too close. She prided herself upon her work, for anything less than an A was frowned upon by her parents.
Little did she know, all this work was driving her into a deep depression. Each day she would stress over upcoming exams, grades, college applications. Worry lines soon became visible upon her forehead. Dark circles under her eyes were evident. Every waking moment was spent studying for the end-of-year test. It would determine whether or not she would get into the same school as her parents, whether she would take after them. Her parents had never been very supportive, believing that if they told her she couldn't do something, she would strive harder to get their approval. It had worked, when she was younger. Now, she's heard it so much, she's started to believe it. They've pushed her to her breaking point.
His family was of middle-class; nothing too extravagant, nothing too cheap. He had two older brothers and one younger sister, whom, although he'd never admit it, he cared deeply for. Being the youngest of three brothers, he often was the subject of teasing, joking, and downright bullying. They had their brotherly moments together, but those were rare. His mother was extremely loving and supportive of her "baby," while his father believed he needed to man up and get a job or go to college. He and his father drove each other crazy with all the incessant bickering about it. He, on the other hand, thought otherwise; he was fine with living with his parents and relaxing all day. His senior year of high school would be over soon, anyway.
His first heist had been a small one, a keychain. He was thirteen, and had just gotten out of a fight with his father. At the gas station when no one was looking, he swiftly grabbed it off the rack and casually walked away. He did it to impress a girl he liked. And it worked. Ever since her, he's had multiple girlfriends. Girls pined for him. He was a player. Now, he wears the keychain as a necklace, because, why not? Over the years he stole more and more, bigger and bigger. No longer to impress girls, but more for his own enjoyment. Somehow, out of all the things he's stolen, he's only been caught a few times, resulting in a harsh tongue-lashing from his parents. After he turned sixteen, he had stolen a motorcycle, to which he still drives. He didn't steal the license plate, however. He liked living on the edge. He loved the thrill of it. But at the end of the day, he would head home to the sanctuary that was his family. His patchy relationship with his father would never mend, but they would always apologize.
Her parents always wanted the best for her, or so she thought. She never saw what was so interesting about being a lawyer, other than the money. She didn't even know why she strove so hard to please her parents, especially if she didn't like what to they wanted her to be like. They were gone on a business trip once again, this time in Tokyo, Japan. She'd always wondered what it was like in Japan, and now her parents had gone. She stated at the math homework before her, sighing. It was late, and the only light was her small table lamp. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the ceiling, deep in thought. Right before her parents had left for Japan, they had told her she'd never be as good as them. She knew this was just their way of encouragement, but it really hurt her. Tears welled up as she thought about the number of times they'd belittled her. Frustrated, she crumpled her homework up and threw it across the room. She turned off the lamp and decided to take a night walk. It was the middle of March, and where she lived, it was relatively chilly in the evening.
There was a space museum a couple blocks away, and she always found that place full of mysteries. Contrary to her peers' belief, she loved astronomy. It was always open pretty late, and so she decided to go there and unwind. It wasn't the first time she's gone there this late at night, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Hands in her pockets, her high heels clicked as she made her way down the street. It was cold enough to see her breath, and all she had on were skinny jeans and a blouse. She cursed under her breath for not bringing a jacket out, but her burning pride would not allow her to go back.
She waved hello to the night-time security guard, whom she'd become acquainted with during her regular visits. She made her way to the stairs, and climbed to to the rooftop. Finding a good view of the night sky, she sat down on the edge of the building, feet dangling, and watched the stars. The wind blew in her hair. It was, after all, a space museum. The place even had a telescope at the top for night owl visitors like her. The building was one of the taller ones overlooking the city. Although she was cold, she didn't want to miss the beauty of it all.
He ran as soon as he heard the alarm. Grabbing everything he could carry, he bolted out of the jewelry store. After a few blocks, he slowed and took his jacket off, hiding the small bag of stolen goods. Before the heist, he had thought about bringing his motorcycle, but decided against it, thinking it would draw attention. He was right. He picked up his pace again when he thought he heard the cops somewhere behind him. Finally, exhausted from sprinting, he came to a stop before the space museum. He decided this was a good hiding spot, at least while things cooled off. There was no way he would head home and risk getting caught. He tied his jacket around his waist and tucked the bag of jewelry in his pocket and went in the automatic doors of the museum. He ducked past the night guard and headed for the stairs, deciding to go to the roof to clear his mind.
She heard the door open before she saw it. Whipping her head around, she saw a flash of green and black. She made no sudden movements, instead choosing to stay quiet. She watched the shadowy figure move around. Turning back to the sky, she decided it was probably just the night guard.
"Hey, whoa, don't jump," came a voice.
Startled, she almost fell off the edge of the roof. She quickly got up on level ground and brushed herself off. She studied the speaker. He looked about her age. He had black hair and a bright green mowhawk on top of his head. Piercings decorated both ears. He had two eyebrow studs and one nose stud. She was disgusted that someone like him had the audacity to approach someone like her.
"I wasn't going to, until you came along and almost made me fall!" she snapped.
"Feisty, I like that," he replied coolly. "What's your name?
She crossed her arms. "Why do you care?"
He raised his arms up in defense. "Just asking."
"Andrea," she said after a long pause. She didn't trust him. Not yet, anyway.
"Really? I don't believe you."
"Why not?"
"Let's just say that I have a superpower to tell when people are lying. And you, dear Princess, are lying."
"Don't call me that!" she exclaimed.
"Then what do you want me to call you?" he grinned.
She huffed. "My real name is Courtney."
"Ah, see? I was right. I don't blame you for not trusting me, though. So, Courtney, why are you here on this roof on this lovely night?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Because I know how it is to keep my feelings bottled up. The result isn't pretty, Princess."
She balked. He could see right through her. Soon enough, every word was spilling out of her mouth before she knew it. She couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to this guy. Somewhere in the process, they had both sat down next to each other and watched the flickering lights of the city.
"... and now, I'm here," she concluded, shivering a bit. "Why are you here, anyway?"
"Before I tell my side of the story, I think you're a bit cold, sweetheart. Here." He untied his jacket from his waist and wrapped it around her. She was hesitant at first, but eventually accepted it.
"Thank you." She was surprised that someone like him could be such a gentleman.
"No problem. Now, as to why I'm here," he began, looking at the city. In the distance, police sirens sounded, getting louder and closer.
"Shoot," he whispered.
"What is it?" she asked, concerned. She had just gotten comfortable with his company.
"They found me. I gotta go," he stood up and walked to the stairs.
"Wait!" she called after him. "I never got your name!"
"It's Duncan, sweetheart!" She stared at him. "That's my real name, I promise! Oh, and here's my number; hit me up sometime." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and threw it at her, where it landed a few feet away. He always had his phone number handy in case he met a girl.
She smiled to herself as she watched him disappear down the stairs. She walked over to pick the paper up and pulled out her own phone, adding the number into it.
"Duncan," she whispered to herself. "His name is Duncan."
Walking back to the edge, she looked down and wondered why he had left so urgently. She had heard the police sirens too, and she could only assume that's why he had to leave. She wasn't surprised. Giddy with excitement, she headed home.
As a child, she loved reading mystery books, especially Nancy Drew. She pulled his jacket tighter around her and thought about how Duncan was another mystery to her, one she was determined to solve.