11. Chance
"Hey Max"
"Kyle, how the day going?"
"Nah, just ... bored to the bones now.. nothing new."
"Well you mind getting some groceries for your old man?"
Kyle almost flinched at the usage of words. Apparently, his sudden loss of words was noticed by the old timer too.
"You alright kid?"
"Well just give me the list already." he said, trying to cover up his tracks.
"They're already in your phone, I sent a text"
"You don't need them right away do you?"
"No, why?"
"I just needed to take a walk, that's all."
The weather was awfully odd today, but everything was a wonder to him, even the rain that some hated with every fibre of their being.
"Eighteen hundred sharp, Hunter."
"Roger that sir, Over and out."
'He could've just said be here by six or something... eighteen hundred.. that old geezer...' he thought to himself, as he pulled his black hoodie over his plain white tee, and walking out the door, taking care to lock it on the way out.
The weather actually was pretty damp for a normal Sunday three O' clock, but the cold subtle breezes were more than welcome to him. He absent mindedly gazed into his phone, scrolling over the contents of the message sent to him, his walk slowing down to a mere shuffle.
'Seafood, really? Gross' He was at most times pretty honest with Max, but he yet hadn't had the heart to tell the old man that his cooking absolutely sucked. Last time he ate some, he was clearly reminded of what boiled 'shit' would be like. He could've sworn that he saw Ben go green on a daily basis.
Apparently, the absent minded teenager had almost lost his bearings, as he had strolled into Bellwood park. 'There's a grocery right after' He thought to himself, as he entered the park, walking through the green patch of land, gazing softly at the children playing and the families laughing loud and breathless. That was one of the things that he missed in life... some thing he almost yearned for.. a family. 'I've got one now...' he thought to himself happily, as he walked through a small sort of bridge, and caught a glimpse of his own reflection.
He saw what he always did. A blank face, devoid of any felling what so ever. He could have all sorts of thoughts on his mind, but none of them ever made it to the surface. Perhaps it was the training, or was it the torture, the isolation maybe. The answer was beyond his reach at the moment, so he thought it useless to dwell upon.
However, just as his mind was trailing these thoughts, he caught a flash of silver in his eyes, and slowly trained his eyes in that direction. 'Well well, if it isn't the tomboy.' were just his thoughts as the platinum blonde came into view, her face turned away from him, gazing at the creek from the end of the park almost lost in thought.
Kyle slowly made his way towards her, almost shuffling, until he was at her side standing at a comfortable distance away from her, gazing at the cloudy horizon.
"Hey" he said in a blank voice, casting her a sidelong glace from the ripples of water.
"Hey" she replied, turning around to face him while doing so. She was wearing a light purple shirt and white jeans, and looked nothing short of beautiful. 'Thank god I have a neutral face'
"Didn't picture you coming to a park or anything." he said.
"Just happened to be passing by, its kind of a shortcut, but I just thought I might grab a break for a while." she replied, almost easing into the conversation.
"Well, any stir ups lately?" he asked, almost certain she'd push that one away.
"No, I got a part timer so..."
"Taking advice eh? Good start."
"I would've done it any way. " she shot back. 'Jerk'
"But thanks for the money , and everything else." Honestly, our snow haired mage found her interests rather piqued at talking to this stranger. It felt good in a sort of way.
"Coffee?"
"Sure."
It wasn't long before the mage and the 'retired' assassin were walking together in a rather damp Bellwood Park, sipping their coffees and enjoying the warmth it sent through their bodies.
"So what, this uncle of yours doesn't get you any grub or anything." he asked.
"No, he doesn't need it." the mage replied,knowing exactly where this would go. She didn't like it, not one bit.
"Say what?"
"He survives on Mana from his surroundings, you know what I mean. Vegetation that kinda stuff." said the mage, thinking that he would be absolutely clueless.
"He drains life force huh..."
"It's not like 'that' "
"Yeah, I know. Then why cant you do that? So where do you get your mana from? " the boy asked, trying to sound as neutral as possible.
"Its not something I usually tell people."
"Ok" he said rather casually, not even bothering to prod her.
Charmcaster had actually thought that the stranger would find it rather disturbing that she was holding out from him after all he'd done for her, but he didn't even seem to mind. Well that was a relief. 'Stranger', she thought.
"Oh uhm... didn't catch your name."
she blurted out, her ears almost going red from embarassement as she had spoken way too fast. 'Yup, totally forgot about my pride.'
"Oh... Its...Kyle, Kyle Hunter" he said, smiling lightly and stopping in his tracks, offering her his hand "What's yours?"
"Hope" she said, almost pausing to look at his hand before she took it, offering it a light shake.
"That's a nice name...well, Hope what again?"
"Nothing."
"No second name?"
"duh..." she said, walking by him, as if she didn't have a care in the world.
It took a while, but soon he realised that the rain was dropping down, presently in its lighter stages. This would soon be a downpour.
"Hope?"
"Yeah."
"I think you'll need this." he said in a blank voice, slowly taking off his hoodie and offering it to her, at which she looked with a bit of amazement. 'He must've swallowed his pride whole or something.'
"I could just use my magic you know." she chimed in sarcastically.
"And let half the cops in the whole area know that you're wanted, be real blondie" he snapped back, a little laugh bouncing along the way.
"You'll get wet you idiot!" she said pushing it back towards him.
"I like the rain, and I don't mind getting wet, so that means; you're taking this." and this time, he didn't hold it out for her to take, instead he simply wrapped it around her, as the rain pour down with renewed force, pattering down on both of their heads.
All Hope did the whole time was look into his eyes. As his arms wrapped around her, covering her in warmth, she could honestly hear her heart beat like a wardrum from deep within 'What the hell is this feeling...' she thought to herself, as she basked in the warmth of his heat, spreading through the jacket in ripples as he pulled the hood over her head, gently squeezing it into place and smiling lightly at her in the rain. If it weren't for the hoodie, he surely would've seen her trying to keep from blushing like a rose.
"Come on" he said in his husky voice. His hair was all over his face, and his white T-Shirt clung to his body in the merciless rain, etching his strong features as tiny ripples of water flowed through the crevices.
'Keep your cool lady.' she reminded herself, clearly intimidated by his physique.
"So where are you going?" he asked.
"Downtown."she said casually before realising what she'd done 'shit'.
"Its all right, it aint going anywhere from my mouth. So, Ben and the others were looking for you all this time and you were right under their noses?" he mused.
"It's best to hide in plain sight, although it means lesser jobs."
"Jobs?"
"Contracts."
"Assasinations?" he asked, his voice slowly tailing at the mention of the word. He could try all he wanted, but there was no running from the past. Or in this case, the future.
"Some."
He didn't feel like talking anymore, so he just replied with a soft 'hmph' and left it at that. They walked in relative silence for the next few minutes, and by then the rain had come to a mere drizzle.
The mage knew that she had touched a nerve and wanted to apologise for it, pride or no, seeing the long look on the his face. It kinda hurt to even look at him when he was sad.
"Uhm Kyle?"
"Yeah." he replied, keeping his even tone.
"I'm... uh... I didn't mean to do that, sorry." she said, her purple eyes eagerly scanning the floor in fear of meeting with the dark red orbs of his own.
"Do what?"
"Hit a nerve, didn't I?" she admitted, not wanting to look like she was apologising.
"No, that's alright. And by the way, downtown's that way"
"Oh, ok then, wait your hoodie" she said her fingers going towards the zip.
The rain had come to a mere drizzle, but Kyle just told her to keep it.
"No it's yours, just drop the nice guy act already."
"Well, I'm not much of a nice guy for starters, and I'm pretty wet already so I dont see the point in taking that thing home with me. I'll just grab it some other time."
"So you honestly think we're gonna be meeting up in like coincidences like this time to time. "
"Who knows" He said, as he began to walk away, but her next words kept him there for a while.
"Ok then, but don't forget..." she said with a lump holding in her throat, "If we are to face each other, I won't hold back."
"Fine by me." he said as his gleam dissapeared into a simple upward twitch of his lips.
"I wish we didn't have to be enemies" she said, weakly smiling.
"Me too Hope, me too."
