Chapter 8: Heat Signature
He looked up, Fiona's questioning face peering down at him from up above.
"Fiona?"
She disappeared from view. He could hear her feat stomping across the balcony, and then they slowly faded away.
His heart began pounding.
Shit, shit, shit. What do I do?
She didn't know why, but she ran. She ran out the front door, as Cake called sleepily to her. She ran as she reached the end of the hallway, and frantically clicked the down arrow on the elevator. She ran down the stairs after she couldn't wait a moment longer for the dull hum of the elevator making its long accent up to meet her. She ran through the hallways as she searched for his name on the panels beside the doors of each apartment. She stopped when she found his name. Then she stood outside his door, not knowing what to do.
He paced around his dark living room.
What is she gonna think? Is she gonna hate me? Why her? Why did it have to be her?
In a panicked state, he searched for his phone.
That's it! I'll call Jake, he'll know what to do!
He freed his phone from its hiding place in-between the pillows of the couch, and pressed Jake's contact, which was set for speed dial, though he hadn't called Jake in such a long time because he was always busy with Rain.
"Please pick up, please pick up." He begged as the phone began to ring.
"Hey man!" Jake's voice replied after what seemed like an eternity.
"Jake, my bro..." He started excitedly.
"Jokes dude, it's not really me. You've reached my voicemail, which means that I am either with my Lady, or my bro, Finn. So leave a message after the beep... 'BEEP'... Just kidding man." Jake snickered as his voice was cut off, and replaced by the actual beep.
He pulled the phone away from his ear, and let it fall to the ground.
Oh yeah, I forgot. Jake was spending the night with Rain... How silly of me...
Tears began to roll down Finn's face. He pulled a cigarette from its resting place in the box in his back pocket. He placed it in his dry lips, not bothering to lick them as he pressed the filter against his teeth and lower lip. He walked over to the kitchen, and dug a lighter from one of the crowded drawers. His hands shook as he brought the flame to the lip of his cigarette.
His front door bell rang.
Finn answered the door, wiping his eyes, an unlit cigarette hanging from the left corner of his mouth. She stood there for a moment.
What was I thinking? What could Finn do?
"I'm sorry Finn, I don't know what I was..." He walked away from her, disinterested. Leaving the door wide open behind him.
She peered inside the dark apartment, as his form was swallowed up by shadows. She cautiously stepped inside.
His apartment was no doubt smaller than Cakes, but more furnished. There was a long entryway furnished with expensive artwork, that eventually opened out to his living room, with two hallways flanking both sides. His living room smelled of new electronics and freshly polished leather couches. Beyond this, was the balcony, where he currently stood. Her feet slapped quietly against the hard wood floor as she walked through the living room, and out, onto the balcony, where Finn stood. She couldn't see the vast, darkness of the hazy city sky above her as she had on her own balcony, but this one was somehow more comforting. Enclosed by her own balcony, giving it a concrete awning.
Finn was leaning against the railing, looking out at the city. Lights flashing, reflecting the moisture of his eyes. She stood next to him, looking out over the same soulless city.
"Do you ever wish that you could change the past?" He asked, not taking his gaze from the city.
"Not a moment goes by that I don't." She confessed.
"Good. I wanted to know if I was the only one." He pulled himself up, standing on top of the thin railing, and swinging his legs over the edge, letting them dangle above the city, as he sat on the railing. Acting as if he were on a small wall, and not a few thousand feet above the ground. He fished into his back pocket, and pulled out a crumpled packet of matches he had forgotten about in all the excitement, and struck it, brining the flame to the tip of his cigarette. He sucked in a deep breath, and expelled a puff of smoke. She leaned against the railing next to him.
He hated smoking, but lately he had picked it up out of boredom.
"So what brings you here?" He inquired. Finally turning his gaze from the city to her face.
She began to cry.
He pulled her next to him, almost losing his balance in the process, but it didn't matter to him.
"Oh really? Well you took the words right out of my mouth."
She couldn't help but laugh bitterly at his ill placed joke.
He smirked. Turning his gaze back to the city.
Well at least someone needs me tonight... He thought.
He let her cry. He let her cry, and he did not ask questions, because she hadn't invasively asked any questions of him when he answered the door.
She held his hand to help him down off the edge. She had insisted on that. He pulled the butt of the cigarette from his teeth, threw it to the ground, and smashed it out with the heel of his slipper, as well as the one from earlier just for good measure. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his light blue sweater, and followed Fiona inside his apartment.
"Why aren't any of the lights on in your apartment?" She said, breaking the silence.
He shrugged. "I dunno, I just like it better this way. Besides, no one is ever home to tell me otherwise."
She glided around the living room. He hadn't noticed what she was wearing, but now all of a sudden, he felt embarrassed. She was only in a nightgown. He looked down at his own attire. A oversized blue sweat shirt and a pair of black jeans.
Well, I am not very presentable either. Maybe I should go change...
"Make yourself at home. The cook is off duty, so if you want something, you will have to make it yourself. I will be right back..."
"M'kay." She nodded, still wandering around the formal entry, and living room.
Finn disappeared down a hallway. She waited until she heard the clack of the door being pulled closed, and then she continued exploring. She wandered down the hallway opposite of the one he had just disappeared down. She pressed her hand against the wall for reference. She still didn't want to turn the light on, she liked the mystery of the darkness. She was completely cloaked in darkness for several moments before her hand brushed the hint of a door frame. She grabbed at it.
It's like exploring a dungeon back home...
She felt for the handle, then gingerly turned it. It resisted her turning it, but with a squeaky groan of reluctance, it swung open. There were windows making up the opposite side of the room from the entrance, like her own apartment, but these windows were frosted. Making only a small smoked portion of light leak through the windows. Her hand reached out, and began searching for the light switch.
"Bingo." She whispered as she felt the light switch.
The recessed lighting up above her flickered on.
"So this is what he means by 'practice'..." She breathed.
He stood shirtless in the middle of his less than clean room, it was the one area of the apartment that he did not let the maid clean. Three shirts sprawled out before him on his bed.
Why can't I just pick a damn shirt? She's not going to care what I am wearing...
As much as he hated to admit it, he had never had a girl in his home before. It had always just been him and Jake. Bros for life... or so he thought... Then a girl just showed up at the front of his door, and started crying.
What was I suppose to do? Just leave her? Not that I was really that much better...
He blushed slightly as he though about it. "Aghhhhh!" Pressing his hands on his burning cheeks as he screamed in frustration, and fell backwards onto his bed. Falling on top of the three shirts.
Get it together. Out there is the same Fiona that you have talked to at school a thousand times, it should not make any difference that she is here!
"Yeah. I just need to go talk to her." He said to himself. Subsequently strolling out of his room. Forcing a calm expression to cloak his nervousness.
I just have to act like we are at school... He stopped walking. But she wouldn't cry to me at school... would she?
He pulled a hand through his hair in frustration and continued down the hallway towards the light that had just blinked on in the practice room.
"Well she didn't waste anytime." He smirked.
She gasped. "A combat room? This is what Finn does in his spare time?"
She walked into the room. Stopping in the middle of a squishy rubber practice matt. On either sides of her were closets. No doubt full of different weapons. Some swords hung on the walls in between the closets.
No doubt they are originals...
In the left far corner of the room, propped up against the frosted windows, was a large collection of fencing foils. She wandered over to it, and drew a long saber from its confinement. She admired it in the light.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you it is impolite to open closed doors in someone else's home?" Finn said playfully.
She turned around quickly. Her nightgown swirling around her legs as she did so. Finn was leaning on the doorframe his arms crossed across his shirtless chest .
Well all that 'practice' has been paying off...
She couldn't help but stare for a moment at his well-defined chest and arms, and low riding pants.
"You did tell me to make myself at home, didn't you?" She smiled. Looking at his eyes, then letting her own fall down the length of his body again.
"Touche..." He grinned."What are you...? Oh my gosh! Um... I am so sorry!" He said in a fluster. He hadn't realized that he was not wearing a shirt.
She hated to admit it, but she didn't mind the view herself.
He padded quickly out of the room, and down the hallway. She followed him out. Glancing one last time back at the room as she flipped the lights off, once again submerging it in darkness and shadow. She closed the door, and wandered back into the living room, and flopped down on the couch.
"I really do apologize for that. I spend a lot of time alone, so I don't really think about what I am wearing in the evenings..." He said hurriedly as he appeared from the opposite hallway, pulling a sweatshirt over his head that read 'Scream Kings' in text that looked like dripping blood.
"Dude, you are totally fine. It is not the first time I have seen a shirtless boy in real life..."
(Although it actually was the first time she had seen a shirtless human boy in real life. She had seen them in magazines sprawled out around Cake's house, but that was a different story...)
He smiled shyly. "Yeah, I guess you are right, but I still shouldn't be flashing my guests."
"So do you like the Scream Kings?" She inquired in an attempt to change the subject.
He looked down at his sweatshirt. "Yeah... Well, actually Jake does more than I do, but when we went to see them last time, it was an outdoor concert, and I forgot a jacket, so I just bought this one out of necessity. It's actually really soft, so now I just like wearing it around the house." He walked over to the couch, and flopped down next to Fiona. "Rumor has it that one of the band members goes to VA, but I hate to believe rumors. The members are pretty secretive about their real identities..."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh I thought you knew about them since you brought it up..."
Fiona shook her head. "No, I just know of them, I actually don't know anything about them."
I am such a liar, I know who the 'secret band member' is...
"Oh, well they dress up like characters out of old horror movies, like The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, Robbie the robot... But the main heart throb of the group is the singer, he dresses up like Dracula. You know, the whole nine yards, the cape, the slicked back hair, the teeth. The girls go absolutely crazy for him, but he just plays it off. I think he really gets into character, ya know?"
"Does he have the whole bad stereotypical vampire voice?" She teased.
"Do you really think I would let Jake drag me to a two-plus hour long concert where the singer sang in a bad Transylvanian accent? I would rather be at home re-watching Heat Signature..."
"Heat Signature?"
Finn looked at her like she had sprouted antennae. "Are you telling me that you know what the Scream Kings are, but you have never watched the cult classic Heat Signature?
"What can you say? I am uncultured." She shrugged.
"Well we are going to have to change that..." He grinned, getting up from the couch, and pushing a button on the wall, making a television drop down form above.
"I decided to spring for the digital so I would always have a copy." He flopped back onto the couch, this time a little closer to her.
"So." He glanced mischievously at her. "Shall we watch the original, or the director's cut?"
"I shall leave my uncultured mind in your capable hands." She smirked.
"Dealer's choice, I like it... Original it is, we will watch the director's cut afterwards."
"We are going to watch BOTH?" She said in surprise.
"Trust me, you won't mind it." He flipped through the menu, and clicked on the cover. They settled back in to their seats. "You are in for a real treat, Fi."
He called me Fi...
By the time the opening credits had rolled by, her eye lids were growing heavy, and then by the end of the first scene, she had fallen asleep.
It hadn't bothered him that she was asleep, but it had bothered him where she had.
Well, what do I do now?
She had fallen asleep on his chest. He hadn't meant for this to happen, but she had slowly drifted over onto him, as her head began to lull during the opening credits.
"Fiona? Oh, Fiona?" He whispered to her.
She mumbled something about 'Aaaa', and nuzzled into his chest. He tried to push her over, but she was as heavy as a rock.
"How can someone so small, be so heavy?" He gasped.
He gazed down at her as she slept. Her slim shoulders moving up and down as she breathed in and out, her blond hair fell delicately around her face.
How can anyone be this cute while they sleep?
He eventually gave up, and just started watching the movie, until he also dozed off about half way through.
She rubbed away the sleep from her eyes, yawned, and sat up. She blushed. Below her was a softly snoring Finn.
I feel asleep on him... Oh crap. She looked outside. The sky a light shade of gray mixed with the fleeting dark blue of night. Cake is probably wondering where I am, oh my gosh...
The scenes of the previous night flashed before her eyes. She hadn't thought about the drama between Bernabon and Marshall at all when she was with Finn. She looked down at him again. He began to stir.
Finn jolted upright. Fiona was no where in sight.
Had it all just been a dream?
His back cracked as he stood up and stretched. Man, I forgot how uncomfortable this couch is to sleep on...
He heard something sizzling and cracking in the kitchen. Then a muffled whisper of a curse.
Who could it be? The cook doesn't arrive until eight or so, and my dad doesn't come back from his business trip for another two weeks...
He turned the corner, and heard another muffled curse. Fiona stood before the stove top, pushing a beaten pancake around a skillet. Her back was to him. Her long hair cascading down her back. She wore the white button shirt, a suede navy blue vest, plaid skirt, and knee high socks. He cleared his throat.
"Good morning Finn! I took the liberty of starting breakfast. Cake had to leave early this morning for a business trip, so I decided to cook you breakfast down here instead... I hope you don't mind. I was going to invite you upstairs, but..." She pulled out a few slabs of thickly sliced bacon, and threw them in next to the pancake. His mouth began to water.
"No, no. You're fine. I am going to go get changed."
"M'kay. Then, we will feast!" She threw her wooden spoon triumphantly up in the air and wagged it around, as if it were a sword.
He laughed, and walked down the hallway to his room. He quickly tidied up his room for good measure before heading over to the connected bathroom, and turning on the shower. Letting it get nice and steamy before hopping in. He felt hungover, so he let the water rush over him.
The rush of emotion last night, the night on the couch, Fiona. All of the scenes from the night before flashed by in his mind. He began to critique them, and find faults in every word that he had said. He had let himself speak openly with her, like he would have to Jake if he was around. He found that he had no filter around her, and that was dangerous. He found it dangerous, but also exhilarating.
He turned off the water, and let the steam spill off of his body as he grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around his waste. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. He rubbed at the bags under his eyes, that had been a constant reminder of how little sleep he was getting over the past few months. He rubbed his chin. A slight morning stubble had arisen on his chin. He rubbed at it, thinking about not shaving it.
Maybe she likes men with beards... Wait? What the hell am I thinking? I don't like Fiona, she is just a friend... I need to be there for her, from how she acted last night, I think she has enough drama in her life at the moment...
He decided to shave it. He emerged from the bathroom as Fiona called that breakfast was ready.
"I'll be out in a minute!" He called as he threw on a pair of pressed trousers, a dry-cleaned white button up, the iconic black tie with the VA crest, and his big slouchy sweater. He ran back into the bathroom at the last moment and grabbed a pair of silver studs that he had thrown into his soap dish a few months earlier after Jake had convinced him to get his ears pierced. He painfully jabbed them in his partly-closed piercings and squeaked in pain. He also pulled a small elastic from his second drawer, and pulled up his hair into a tiny ponytail like he did when he worked out. He stepped back, and admired himself in the mirror.
Not too shabby, if I do say so myself...
He grabbed his backpack which sat next to his desk, and wander out into the formal dining room. Fiona stood next to the table, which was covered with a spread of bacon pancakes, freshly brewed coffee, orange juice, yogurt, and fresh fruit.
Was she waiting for him?
"I didn't know how hungry you were, so I just made a lot." She smiled at him as she pulled out a chair, and sat at the far end of the table. A similar setting had been placed before him on his side of the table. His stomach growled, and he licked his lips hungrily.
"Thanks!" He beamed."I haven't had this great of a breakfast since... Well, to be honest, I can't remember the last time I had this great of a breakfast."
Half way through their meal, his watch beeped. He looked at it. "Crap..."
"What is it?" She said worriedly.
"We are going to be late."
"Okay, I will start cleaning up..."
"Why would you do that?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's what we have maids for, don't worry she will be in soon. My father insisted on us having a live in maid and butler, but since he isn't home much, I have disregarded his request. "
She blushed. "Sorry, I forgot."
He smiled at her as he wiped his mouth, stood up, and pushed his chair in. "You're not used to this whole lap of luxury thing are you?"
She blushed and shook her head 'no'.
"It's alright. It can take some getting used to... Don't worry. I can help you if you want it."
She looked up at him, still sitting in her chair. "Let's start right now." He continued. "Lesson numero uno: When a young lady is sitting at a table," He walked over to her. "A gentleman such as myself must come over and pull the seat out for her..." He leaned in a little bit too closely as he pulled the chair out for her. He smelled like peppermint and the ocean. She started to get up, but he held a hand out to stop her. "And then he must offer the young lady his hand." He bowed a little as he offered her his hand. She cautiously took it, and stood up with his help. "There we go. Lesson one of being a proper upper crust lady. Complete!" He smiled.
"Well thank you, sir." She said curtsying to him.
"See? She learns so quickly!"
His watch beeped again. "Oh my! We really are going to be late if we don't get out the door, pronto!"
She nodded. "Okay, I have to go grab my backpack. Can I meet you outside in a few minutes?"
She raced back up the stairs, and grabbed her backpack, her phone from it's charger, and her bunny hat.
I think I will finally wear it, maybe it will give me strength today...
She ran over to the mirror in her closet, and carefully set the white, fluffy hat on top of her head. She nodded to her reflection, and then raced out the door.
I never used to care about my appearance this much before. Maybe I am getting too used to this world...
She met Finn outside on the sidewalk, which was already filling with the daily bustle of commuters. His eyes grew wide as she walked up to him.
"Fiona, I love the hat!"
"Really?" She replied as she thoughtfully adjusted it.
"Yeah, it's very... you. I don't know how to describe it, it just really suits you." He winked.
"Wow, thank you. I like the studs and ponytail as well." She smiled as they started walking up the street.
He blushed. "Thanks. I decided to go for a bit of a new look."
"Well it really suits you."
His watch beeped for the third time. "Shit."
"What?"
"The bell is about to ring."
"Well then what are we doing here?" She ran ahead of him, holding onto her hat with one hand to keep it from flying off.
"HEY! WAIT UP!" He called after her, laughing and running to catch up.
I can do this. They both thought as they barreled down the street and laughed as they dodged through large clumps of commuters.
