Chapter Two

Murphy awoke to the sound of scratching and the odd smell of girly perfume. He was coiled in the warm embrace of clean sheets and warm blankets, his head resting against a much-too-soft pillow. He didn't want to get up. He was so comfortable and warm.

But that scratching noise was terribly intriguing. He opened one tentative eye, and then the other, seeing the same beautiful girl that he had spent an amazing night with sitting before him, curled up on the floor with a notepad in her lap.

"What're you doin'?" He asked her quietly, clearing his throat. She looked up at him with a soft smile, biting her lip so he couldn't see her teeth.

"Close your eyes again." She said, quietly. He raised an eyebrow, going to sit up.

"What're you doin'?" He repeated, stretching up. She sighed and pouted at him before standing up to caress his cheeks.

"I was drawing this pretty little face of yours. You look gorgeous when you sleep." He reached out to her, pulling her down into his lap, covering her with her own warm comforter. She smoothed it over their legs, leaning against Murphy's delicate chest.

"Can I see?" He asked. She frowned over her shoulder at him, her bottom lip poking out, already painted red.

"It isn't finished. You got up and moved, instead of listening to me." He kissed her lip softly.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, holding her tight, still, one hand running up and down over her ribs. She touched his hand, smiling softly, kissing him back. "Can I see anyways?" She pouted and opened the sketchbook back up setting it into his waiting hands. He leaned his chin on her shoulder, and she reached up to stroke his cheek, humming at him the same way she had earlier in the night. He flipped through the sketchbook, smiling softly, still holding her. "These are really good, Shae..." He mumbled close to her ear. She smiled and took the notebook back, flipping to a picture of hands, Murphy's tattooed hands. AEQUITAS, in a perfect replication of Connor's odd handwriting, and the little star on his knuckle.

"Lots of practice." She said, quietly, petting his hair. Murphy stroked her sides, holding her against him. "Do you want breakfast, hon?" He smiled, coiling his arms around her waist.

"Aye." He murmured, kissing her shoulder. She continued to pet his soft hair, leaning against his chest.

"What do you want?" Shae asked him, turning to look at him. He smiled at her and kissed her mouth. She smiled at him, nuzzling his forehead awkwardly against hers. She bit her lip, kissing him lightly again.

"Anehthin'." She smiled still, and he kissed her again, stroking her ear. She grinned, now, looking down.

"I don't know how to make 'anehthin''." Shae said, making fun of Murphy. He laughed, and licked her mouth, making her laugh too, turning fully to face him. He grinned at her and pushed her over, moving on top of her with another lick across the mouth. "You're a weird one." She said, pulling on a piece of his shaggy hair ever-so-gently. He continued to grin at her, coiling his arms around her waist, his mouth going to her chest, kissing her breast plate deeply. She gave a quiet, shy giggle, cradling his head against her chest, stroking his hair softly. "Want an omelet?" He smiled, turning his chin to look up at her. "And waffles?" He nodded.

"I wan' ev'rehthin'" Murphy said, kissing her chin, and up to her lip. "I'm so damn hungry, I could just eat you." Shae laughed quietly, still petting his hair.

"I would be sad if you ate me." She mumbled, holding his ears. He smiled at her, kissing her again.

"I wouldn' chew. I woul' be delicate." Murphy said, kissing her mouth deeply before biting her lip, moving to her ear and biting her there.

"Well, you would still be eating me. I would die." Murphy frowned in thought, pulling back to look at her calmly.

"Oh." He said, quietly. "Maybe I wouldn' eatchu." He mumbled, kissing her mouth. "Maybe jus' lick you all over. Sample you, like." Shae started laughing again, her hand going up to cover her mouth, laughing so hard her legs bent up, holding her stomach. Murphy smiled at her, happy to see her smile. He truly wanted to know why she covered her mouth like that. He touched her arm, grabbed the soft wrist of the hand that covered her mouth. He pulled it up to his mouth, pushing her other hand away from her still smiling mouth. She bit her lip, trying so desperately to hide the smile. He licked her wrist and she nearly smiled again, biting her lip harder. He frowned at her and leaned down to kiss her lightly. "Why do you do tha'? He asked, kissing her lip lightly.

"I don't know, I just do." She mumbled, kissing him back. Murphy stroked her side, pushing his mouth harder on hers. She coiled her arms around his neck after freeing them from his hands, pulling his mouth down harder to hers. Murphy's hand sneaked up the bottom of her dress, fingers caressing her smooth thigh.

"Oh, shit!" Murphy suddenly yelled, standing up. "It's fuckin' Sundee, innit?" He said, loudly, running around the room butt-naked to find his clothes. Shae watched him with a raised eyebrow, Murphy still running, mumbling incoherently.

"What are you doing?" Shea asked, standing also, reaching out to grab his arm.

"It's fuckin' Sundee. I gotta go to church..." Shae frowned at him, hand dropping to her side. She quickly exited the room, and he frowned after her, feeling like an idiot. Did he seriously just blow her off? He fell onto the the bed with a loud sigh, wishing he had thought about something, anything. Why hadn't he just apologized? He could have missed one stupid day of church. Its not like he ever missed a day any other time. He stood up again, following Shae out of the room, naked and cold. She was returning to the bedroom, holding a stack of perfectly folded clothes. She set the stack on the back of the couch, her face sad and far away. "I'm sorry..." He mumbled, touching her cheek. She shushed him softly, pressing a finger to his lips. He frowned at her in confusion, his hands dropping to his sides.

Shae knelt at his feet, pushing a hand against the floor to steady herself. She coaxed one Murphy's feet up, and then the other, sliding his pale colored boxers slowly up his pale legs, kissing at his stomach on the way up. She pulled his gray t-shirt out of the pile next, sliding it over his muscular arms and broad, skinny shoulders before pulling it over his head, tousling his long hair before smoothing it down, styling it with her warm, small fingers. He watched her sadly as she stared at him, her face also sad. She ran a hand over his chest, smoothing the shirt against his stomach, her fingers lingering as she leaned to grab his jeans. He took them from her, his fingers grazing against hers before he pulled them over his skinny legs on his own, noticing the holes, the stains. They were disgusting. His t-shirt had a hole in the sleeve, and the stitching at the neck was coming undone.

Shae pressed herself against Murphy's chest, kissing his breastplate softly. He coiled his arms around her and she buttoned the pants for him, zipping the fly slowly. He continued to hold her, pressing his cheek against the top of her head, not sure why him going to church seemed like such a big deal. Why did he feel so sad that they had to separate?

He knew the answer. He was scared that he wouldn't ever see her again. He felt that she would be done with him already. He wanted to come back. He wanted her so bad.

"Can I stay?" He asked her, voice so quiet. She stroked his stomach, clinging to his threadbare shirt.

"You should go." Shae mumbled, looking up at him. He frowned at her still, wishing that she had said yes. Her lips pouted out slightly, watching him, her bright eyes on Murphy's own. "But..." She went quiet and Murphy leaned close to her mouth, kissing her softly, hoping he didn't have disgusting hangover breath, though she didn't seem to mind if he did. She had kissed him earlier this morning, and hadn't said anything. She kissed him softly back, trying not to push him. "I want you to stay. I want you to come back." He stroked her cheek, pushing his mouth onto hers again, pushing hard, wanting all of her. She pulled on his t-shirt, pulling him close to her. He gave her another tight hug, squeezing her softly, her arms slipping around him in response. "Its cold, Piumcin. Be careful." She whispered, kissing him again before pulling away from him and grabbing his coat off of the couch, helping him into it and straightening the shoulders, ignoring the bullet hole just like she had ignored the bullet holes that made up most of his arms and legs, luckily none on his chest or stomach.

He kissed her again after she helped him into his shoes, even though he told her that he could do it himself, fighting her away from his feet. She smiled, reached up to his cheeks and kissed him again.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" He whispered, kissing her chin. She smiled at him, biting his lip lightly, longingly.

"You're going to be late." She whispered back. He nodded, pulling himself away from her, stroking her arm before exiting quickly, knowing that if he stayed any longer he wouldn't be able to leave.

***Murphy slid into the near-empty pew next to Eve, Connor on her other side. Connor leaned across Eve to glare at Murphy. He glared back, before returning to staring straight ahead.

"Where the fuck have ye been?" Connor whispered angrily. Murphy turned to glare at him again before returning forward, shaking his head and hoping that Connor would stay quiet through the rest of the service. He wouldn't mind his brothers interrogations,but right now was definitely not the best time. Connor turned his own gaze forward, and returned to whatever prayer he had been making. Murphy shook his head at his brothers blasphemous ways, crossing himself before leaning forward to also pray.

He felt a hand on the back of his neck and looked up to see Eve giving him an apologetic look. She then rolled her eyes, silently apologizing for Connor's being a bitch. He nodded slightly and gave her a swift smile—apology accepted.

Murphy didn't know how much praying he was going to get done, his mind racing back to Shae, her curvaceous, wonderful body, her wide, full mouth, her hands, soft and warm, and her bright gray eyes. He thought about the backwards, yet still oddly erotic goodbye, of her dressing him. Her knowing, his pure inexperience, and finally his mind raced to fantasies of future encounters.

He only hoped Connor couldn't tell what he was thinking.... Especially while he knelt in the House of God... And quickly apologized to The Lord, for being just as blasphemous as his brother.

***"Well?" Connor asked the second Murphy exited the church, his hands going into his pocket to find his cigarettes, and his lighter. He lifted the pack up to dig for a cig, only to find it empty. He grumbled, tossing the empty pack into a garbage can. Connor offered Murphy one of his, understanding his addiction, even if he was going to be a bitch about everything else. Murphy took it, mumbling a quick thanks. "Where the hell have ye been?" Murphy looked down, lighting the borrowed cigarette, taking a long drag.

If Connor could understand the addiction Murphy had to cigarettes, maybe he would get Murphy's addiction to Shae. He sighed.

"Seriously, Murph." Connor said, moving in front of his brother to look at him. "Where the hell were ye? Ye didn' come 'ome last night. We was fuckin' worried." Murphy frowned at his twin, getting frustrated by the stupidity of him.

"I'm perfe'ly fine, ain' I?" He asked, loudly. "I'm not dead, or injured. So why the fuck worry abou' me?" Connor frowned back at Murphy, glaring.

"We didn' know!" Connor yelled as Murphy walked away, fed up with Connor.

"I was out." Murphy mumbled, taking another long drag.

"Out where? You usually come 'ome before church, at leas'. We thoughchu fuckin' died!"

"I was in the same place I always fuckin' go." Murphy responded angrily. Connor glared quietly. He tossed the finished cigarette to the ground, not looking at Connor.

"Ye gonna tell me where the fuck tha' is?" Murphy turned to give his brother the dirtiest look he could muster. Shae and him had been up mostly all night, and it was only eight in the morning right now.

"Fuckin' out, Connor. Why does it suddenly matter where the fuck I go?" Connor glared at him, pointing an angry finger into Murphy's face.

"Because you never fuckin' came home. What if you were dead?" Murphy was silent, wishing he had another cigarette, something to do with his hands. He crammed them into his pockets, fingers wrapping around his lighter. "I got this feelin' like you was in a fight." Connor went on, still glaring, his voice crescendoing into a loud tenor. "I though' ye fuckin' died, Murph. Ye couldn' 'ave fuckin' called me?" Murphy stayed quiet, not looking at Connor.

"I'll keep tha' in mind." He mumbled, staring at the ground. He felt as though he should tell Connor that he was being an immense dick, and that he had changed drastically, he had become paranoid, condescending and, essentially, crazy. "You know," He started, not really sure why he should tell Connor, or where he was going to go with the beginning of his statement. Connor turned away from Murphy, headed off fucking somewhere. "What the hell?" Murphy yelled at him. Connor turned around to glare at him, frowning. "You're a fuckhead." Murphy said, pointing his finger, now.

"What the hell?" Connor responded. Murphy kept his finger pointed, Connor standing in the middle of the road, in the turn lane so that he didn't get hit by any cars—not that Murphy would really care if his brother got hit. Especially if it was a small car that only hurt him, maybe broke an arm.

"Why the fuck do you suddenly give a shit abou' where I go? Why does it suddenly matter if I get hurt?" Connor started across the street again, glaring at Murphy and his angry finger. "Last night you punched me in the face. For bein' shitfaced. We was messin' around, Connor! I took my shirt off! Its not like I was seducing Eve! She just thought it was funny. Which was the fuckin' point, idiot!" Connor was silent, glaring at Murphy. Murphy bit into his finger. "I mean, you're so fuckin' stupid. You're an emotional bitch, Connor. Are you fuckin' pregnant?" Connor reached out, hit Murphy over the head, hard. Murphy glared and hit Connor back, in the eye, not really meaning to hit him as hard as he did.

"Fuck you, Connor." Murphy yelled, flipping his brother the bird before stomping off, headed to Eve's place of work. He glanced over his shoulder at his brother—who usually got the worst of things, when thought about thoroughly. Connor was holding his eye, watching Murphy walk away.

Murphy quickly turned his eyes to the ground, sticking his hands back into his pockets. He was lucky it was so early in the morning, and that no one was ever in the streets of Boston anymore for some odd reason.

***Murphy pushed the doors of Sundance open slowly, and gave Eve a curt wave and slight smile. She grinned back, her eyes tired, and her red hair pulled up in a loose ponytail. She pointed vaguely at a booth near the door. He slid into the booth and Eve brought him a menu, and sat it in front of him. Murphy smiled up at her, lifting the menu only to hand it back to her.

"Just coffee, sis. Can I talk to you? Whenever you get off." Eve glanced around at the cafe and nodded at him.

"Should only take a little. Like half an hour." Murphy nodded, watching her quietly. "I'll bring you your coffee, hon." Murphy nodded quietly, slouching back against the bench.

The anxiety of the coming night was making him oddly sick to the stomach. He wanted to see Shae so badly. Eve passed by every couple minutes, giving Murphy looks of concern, or encouraging smiles.

***"Okay, Murph." Eve asked, almost exactly half an hour later, sliding into the opposite side of the booth with a plate of fries. Murphy sighed and set his head into his hands, leaning over. "Whats up, man?" He picked at a paper napkin, ripping it into tiny shreds. "Seriously, are you sick? Where's Connor at anyways?" Murphy shot her a glare to inform her that he had no desire to speak about his idiot brother. "I thought you said you wanted to talk to me." Murphy sighed again, leaning back against booth. He swiped tiredly at his face.

"I met a girl." He mumbled. Eve's face lightened, and she smiled excitedly, even after Murphy shot her another dirty look. "Don' tell Connor. I don' want him to know. Because he's being a dick and tha's wha' he deserves." Eve nodded vaguely. "And speaking of Connor... I punched him in the face as payback for last night. He probably has a black eye." Eve nodded, sighing also.

"So...?" She asked, making Murphy realize that he hadn't actually divulged any information. He put a thumb against his lips, biting into his nail.

"I need help."Eve's eyebrow quirked up again. Murphy slumped in his seat, hands coming up to cover his exhausted face. Eve watched him quietly.

"What's up, Murph?" He made an odd noise in his throat in response, pulling his hands down from his face and leaning across the table to Eve. She leaned in, looking prepared to have a secret.

"I'm infatuated." Once more, Eve's eyebrow perked up. "I was with 'er all night... An' I'm goin' back to see 'er tonight." Eve smiled widely, clapping her hands together. Murphy reached out to close her hands in his.

"You're smitten, Murphy! You have a girlfriend!" She squealed, getting a little too excited. Murphy smiled, too, not really thinking that Shae was a girlfriend. She was just... wonderful.

"But last night, we... Uh..." he trailed off, hands twirling, looking for the proper word.

"Fucked?" Eve interjected. Murphy stopped abruptly, hands still in the air, staring at her in confusion.

"Righ'." He mumbled, taking an awkward breath. He took a long swig of coffee, almost scared to ask Eve the simple question that needed to be asked. He didn't necessarily need to ask Eve. He could just ask Shae. She knew exactly what Murphy wanted, what he needed. Maybe she knew what she wanted.

"So what do you need my help for?" Eve asked. "You already got her naked, didn't you?" Murphy frowned at Eve, wondering where she she had gotten so perverted. He didn't think that she had been such a perv before she started hanging out with Connor all the time.

"No, I did... Jus'... I couldn'...." He flailed his hands, trying to come up with the word. It wasn't that he couldn't make himself say it, he just didn't know how to say it. Eve raised her eyebrow at him, waiting for him to say it. Eve opened her mouth, to say something as well, then closed it. Murphy sighed, not knowing how he was going to have this conversation.

"You couldn't get it up?" She guessed. Murphy sighed again, taking another long drink of coffee and wishing he had gotten a pack of cigarettes on the way over.

"I managed tha', thank you." He sighed, sticking a finger into his now-lukewarm coffee. "I couldn' get her to..."

"Suck your dick?"

"Eve!" Murphy yelled, staring at her in disbelief. "You are a huge pervert! What has Connor done to you?"

"Connor hasn't done anything. I promise—I made him the pervert." Eve said, laughing. Murphy sighed loudly again, his head falling into his hands on the table. "I still fail to see what you need help with." Murphy groaned at her and pondered. How could he word it? He had no experience with girls. He had no idea how to say what he meant.

"I tried..." He mumbled. "I wanted her to enjoy it." Eve raised her eyebrow as Murphy set his chin on his hands. His voice fell to a whisper. "Righ' when she started to... I couldn'. It was over. I wan' her to enjoy it. To like it. I don' know wha' to do. Wha' am I s'posed to do?" He bit his thumb, watching Eve quietly.

"Whats her name?" Eve asked with a sly smile. "I'll divulge no further information until you divulge to me this information." Murphy groaned quietly.

"You won' tell Connor?" Eve crossed her heart, showing she promised. "Her name is Shae." Eve grinned.

"What does she look like? Tell me about her Murphy! I want to meet her." Murphy frowned at Eve.

"You 'elp me, and I'll tell you more abou' Shae." Eve frowned and touched her lip, suddenly remembering her plate of fries. She lifted one up to her mouth. Murphy reached across the table to take a fry as well.

"Does she like you...?" She asked quietly. Murphy shrugged, taking another fry, suddenly realizing how hungry he was. He hadn't had his breakfast.

"I think so." Murphy said quietly, once again lifting one of Eve's french fries. "We kind of agreed.... I don' know."

"Did you just jump into sex? Or did you do something before? Like, foreplay?" Murphy raised an eyebrow at her, not understanding what foreplay was. "Like, did you play with her? Touch her?" Murphy blushed lightly, looking down again.

"I couldn'." Eve raised an eyebrow, in confusion. "I couldn' touch her.. Could' make myself."

"Why?" Murphy kept his face down in his arms, quiet.

"I don' know. She's so wonderful." He looked up at Eve. "I did touch her. I... Couldn' though. D'you understand...?" Eve frowned, not getting it at all.

"Murphy?" He nodded, still looking up at her sadly. "Use your big-boy words." He laughed, softly, looking down again. "Why couldn't you touch her? What kind of touching are we talking about?"

"Her tits are... Huge, Eve. I couldn'. They fuckin' scared me. They were so huge. I didn' know wha' to do with 'em." Eve laughed, patting Murphy's head. "I touched her stomach, and her legs. Just not her... Chest."

"What about her... Naughty bits? None of that?" Murphy stared at Eve in disbelief. "You are allowed to, you know." He closed his mouth, nodding slightly, then glancing around the diner, making sure no one was listening in.

"Is that good? Do they like that?'

"Uh, I don't know. I think I need more information." Murphy sighed, touching his lip. "What does she look like?" Eve asked, poking her lips out in a pout, trying to encourage him to tell her.

"She's gorgeous." Murphy said. "She's half Russian... So she looks very Russian... Full eyebrows, beautiful lips." He held his hand out, and Eve handed him a pen, knowing. He grabbed at a paper napkin, drawing Shae's bow-shaped lips, smiling softly, he started drawing the rest of her face. He wasn't an amazing artist, but it was still good enough, he thought. He drew her pretty eyebrows and a failed attempt at her long black hair. "'Er eyes, Sis. They're so bright. Gray." Eve watched Murphy drawing and pat his head again.

"You're definitely in love, dear."

"Can I be?" Murphy asked, frowning now, handing Eve the little napkin. She poured over it, and Murphy watched in silence. "I just met her last night." Eve looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought you knew her." She said, looking a little disturbed. Murphy looked taken aback. "I thought you met her forever ago, and you just now had sex." Murphy shook his head, frowning.

"No," Murphy mumbled. "An' tha's why its so weird." He said, looking up at her again. "I just met 'er last night. I got this feelin'. In me stomach. Like butterflies. An' I knew. I could feel it. In my stomach."

"You really like her?" He nodded. "And this isn't going to be a one-night-stand sort of thing that's going to hurt both of you?" He shrugged.

"I'm goin' back. I wanna see 'er again. If she dun want to see me, wha' am I s'posed to do?" Eve shrugged and Murphy grabbed at her fries again. "Will you tell me? Jus' in case she do wan' me...?" Eve smiled, lightly, taking her pen back from Murphy. He watched her and she drew what he imagined was supposed to be the 'Naughty Bits' of a woman. He raised his eyebrow at her, and she continued to draw.

"Do you know what a clit is?" Murphy shook his head, turning red as she pushed the napkin drawing toward him. "Its like... a fancy little button, right in front of the hole--" here, she pointed to her drawing, at the hole. "And you massage it. Girls like it when you do. But you have to be gentle with it... Give me your finger." Murphy raised his eyebrow, again, seriously confused. Eve was good like that. He held his hand out to her all the same, and she pulled a single finger out of the fist he was making, and set one of her little fingers against the very tip of his. Again, he raised his eyebrow at her. She massaged the tip of his finger, slowly, gently. "See? Light. Soft." He continued to stare at her in confusion. "Oh. Your finger is the clit. Explanations are nice, aren't they?" He nodded, now paying attention to the movement of her finger. Eve laughed quietly, pulling her hand away.

"G-spots are another big thing."Murphy returned his hand to underneath his chin, watching her quietly. "Do you know what they are?" He shook his head. She sighed at him. "Its a little spot... On the inside of the--"

"Nope." Murphy said, quietly.

"No?" Eve asked, raising an eyebrow. "No, what?"

"No, I don' wanna be stickin' my fingers in there." Eve sighed, shaking her head. Murphy frowned at her, not sure what else he needed to know, if he had any questions, or anything else.

"I need to get back to work." Murphy nodded, slowly. "Call me if you need anything, okay? Don't stay out too late. Don't come home too late, I guess. I don't care if you stay out, just don't wake me up."

"You said to call you." Eve rolled her eyes, standing from the booth. "Oh, by the way... Me and Connor fought again. He may or may not have a black eye." He shrugged slightly, pulling change out of his pocket for the coffee after standing as well.

"Are you off to your lady?" Murphy gave a little laugh, giving Eve a swift hug.

"I'm goin' 'ome. I need a shower. And a shave... A nap, too." Eve tousled his hair, sighing.

"Don't fight with your brother, Murph." Eve said, patting his head.