Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and put this story on their faves/alerts. Sorry for the wait on this one, I'm starting university again tomorrow and I've had a busy couple of weeks recently. I'm also on Chapter Seventeen for this story, so as long as I have time, updates should be around every ten or so days.
Again, thanks a lot and enjoy.
CHAPTER FOUR: Baby Steps
There was no way I would win this fight. Period.
For one, he likely had done this a thousand times over.
Two, I'm not a fucking ninja.
And three, he probably knows that I know that I'm going to lose.
My only advantage is that he's not completely healed, if I somehow manage to move fast enough to strike his ribs, I might have a chance to get away. However, neither of us have any sort of place we can run to, so…Then again, if I can land a fatal jab to his chest or neck and…kill him…no one would come looking for him, right? Of course, there's the other ninja somewhere around here and I sincerely doubt I want to get in the middle of their little fight, so there goes that idea…Assuming I could actually kill someone in the first place.
Talk it out, it worked the last time.
"I'll drop the knife if you let go."
Snake Eyes the Ninja and probably the silent assassin of many a man, cocks his head to one side. I look at the scars winding around his arms, the smaller ones that bite into his fingers. His other hand is empty and it hovers in front of his chest, ready to block any attack I might throw at him. He's close enough that Hideki's scent rises off the clothes; it's a refreshing change from the smell of latex and rubber. Definitely better than smelling blood too.
Ugh, focus, you idiot.
"Let go of me and I'll drop it." I say again, trying to pinpoint the location of his eyes in the visor, only to stare somewhat angrily at my own reflection. I hate that he towers over me just as easily as Hideki, and in the visor, my freckles look too big and I look several years too young.
"I'm sorry for touching your stuff, OK? I was being nosy and probably had no right to go through your things." That seems to satisfy him and he drops his shoulders, straightening and lowering our hands. I raise an eyebrow and he holds out his other hand expectantly, wiggling his fingers petulantly. Like a reluctant child, I drop the knife into his open palm with a faint pout. I'm certain the standoff and silence was a massive guilt trip or at least the most efficient way to show who's really in control…And it ain't me…not for long anyway considering how fast he seems to be healing.
Content, he releases my wrist but pulls my fingers away from my palm so he can communicate his response.
"I'm sorry for scaring you."
"Eh, I had it coming, I don't have to like how you handled the situation. S'not really my place to start rifling through your shit and ask you questions." I respond sheepishly.
"Yes to the first, no to the second. You have a right to question me, you don't know me."
"But you're still a guest and there are better ways to start conversations then theft and near bodily harm." I rub my wrist, peeking at it briefly and noticing a dark splotch of purple. "Which isn't cool by the way. Neither of them. Sorry."
Snake Eyes rubs the back of his neck and looks down at the knife, thumbing the red lines thoughtfully. Noticing how weird that looks, he steps to the side and gestures for me to leave the room first and we move into the living room. Sitting on opposite sides of the couch with Taiga lying in between us – not for my protection but because here there's a chance we both might pet him – we both let out a sigh of relief.
In this setting, Snake Eyes looks a little more normal, ignoring the obvious disconnect between the mask and civilian clothes, of course. He sits with his back to the arm of the couch, crossing his legs and wrapping his hands around his feet which are also scarred. Taiga swings his head to look up at him with those big brown eyes of his and Snake Eyes exhales, placing one hand on Taiga's head and scratching behind his ear.
"Dog person then?" I ask, putting a hand on Taiga's back; a pleased growl emits from Taiga's muzzle and I snort. Snake Eyes kind of shrugs, his attention focused on the knife. I lift a hand to touch the cut on my face as Snake Eyes closes his fist around the knife before tossing it onto the table nearby. It spins a few times until the point faces the open window. Last night's storm still hangs heavily in the sky, grey clouds blot out the sun and a hazy wet mist hovers over the land outside. Reaching out his hand and dodging Taiga's inquisitive nose, Snake Eyes silently beckoned for my hand.
"Do you have something to write on? I want to explain some things to you and this method is only good for shorter conversations."
"Uh, yeah, hang on." I got up and jogged to the studio and picked up one of the sketchbooks Logan hadn't started yet. I climb back over the couch and pass the book and a pencil over to the silent ninja. Taiga grunts and turns away from Snake Eyes, sensing that the stranger will have his hands busy in other matters. Taiga stands up and turns into me before flopping into my arms, moving his front paws over my legs and forcing his head under my arm so I can scratch his back.
Snake Eyes stares at the paper for a while, collecting his thoughts, and then the comfortable silence is disrupted by the sound of my rumbling stomach. Snake Eyes lifts his head subtly, and I imagine that he might've raised an eyebrow underneath that mask, I giggle and move myself out from under Taiga.
"You fiddle around there, I'll make breakfast. Want anything specific?"
Snake Eyes shakes his head and waves his hand dismissively, I move around into the kitchen and Taiga whines.
"Try and pet him every once in a while, could you? Oh shit," I opened the fridge, finding it nearly empty. The whole point of Logan and Hideki going out, not only to hand deliver evidence of multiple animal deaths, was also to replenish the food supply. We do just fine hunting but living solely on meat isn't very healthy as Logan likes to say, the super carnivore that he is.
With a groan, I shut the door and bonk my head against it a couple of times. Maybe Snake Eyes isn't the only one forgetting things this morning, I could've sworn there was more to offer. Snake Eyes lifts his head over the couch curiously and Taiga perks up as if sensing what I'm about to say.
"We're kind of…low…on the whole…food thing. Think you could hold down the fort while Taiga and I go hunting? Might be able to find a few rabbits…"
The ninja rises off the couch with little difficulty and follows me into the closet; Logan and I used to take archery classes back home and we've kept up with it, I am admittedly the better shot though. Taiga has already moved to sit in front of the door and Snake Eyes shakes his head and takes my arm, turning it so my palm is facing up.
"Bad idea. We both know someone is out there."
"I'll be fine, besides, what use am I? You're the ninja." I retort, skirting around him and running up the stairs for a jacket. I turn into my room and open the closet, smirking at the dictionary that I sliced through, and pull out a dark green jacket. I can feel Snake Eyes watching my back and spin around with a sigh.
"Do you really want to go that badly? You seem to be moving fine anyways..."
He nods and I point back into the hallway, giving him permission to enter my brother's room. I don't wait for him and continue downstairs, pushing my arms through the jacket and picking up a full quiver of arrows. Minutes later, Snake Eyes returns with a black jacket and his own boots. Taiga stands up with a bark and I unlock the door. This should be interesting.
So far, there was little to no sign of animal life or death. The odd bird flew overhead but I hadn't levelled up to the point where I could actually shoot them down, but I was sure Snake Eyes could only I think he was more interested in seeing what I was capable of. Harmless as I was compared to him, I still got the feeling that he didn't trust me; the only thing I had going for me was that Taiga and Snake Eyes seemed equally fond of each other. Taiga kept an even pace ahead of us and scented the air eagerly as if wanting to prove himself.
"He's well trained." Snake Eyes remarked after a while, looking around carefully.
"I have Hideki to thank for that."
"Boyfriend?"
"Brother-in-law. He's made my brother very happy." Taiga slowed down and sniffed the air. "His family runs a small dog training business, anything from seeing-eye dogs, trauma dogs, to trackers so – "
Taiga froze in front of the copse of trees we explored previously where that wolf was lying, I pulled an arrow out and inched forward. Snake Eyes followed close behind and we knelt on either side of Taiga, trying to get a proper look at what he was staring at. The three of us moved onward bit by bit, Snake Eyes (unconsciously or not) pulled ahead and pressed his back against a tree. Moving a finger to his lips, he jerked his head over and I grinned; a stag. Taiga moved around me and disappeared into the brush, remaining within earshot just in case I needed him to catch the stag.
I moved onto a knee and pulled the arrow back, a light breeze brushed the hair out of my face and I breathed out slowly, releasing the arrow and watching it fly into its neck.