2011
"I'm really not trying to get stabbed man."
Kai rolls his eyes at Matt's words. "Calm down. Everyone knows the stabbings don't start until after ten. We have plenty of time." He remains relaxed on the bench, eyes scanning Central Park.
All around them are plenty of people still milling about before sunset; some are sitting on blankets laid out on the seemingly endless swath of vibrant green grass, either enjoying the company of someone else during the warm spring evening or enjoying their own while indulging in a book or listening to music. He can faintly hear the saxophone player from where he's still set up in the distance towards the busy city street hidden by the tall trees that line the wide path, and people in various states of health jog or run on by every few minutes among those that stroll along. One man in particular looks as if his fast pace is attributed to his dog dragging him hastily along and they both almost veer into the path of a waif thin brunette with a bobbing ponytail and an annoyed expression. Cheers and laughter sound from somewhere behind him where a few pre-teen boys are kicking a ball around and Kai breathes in deeply enjoying the energy of the city on a Sunday evening.
"You don't think your portfolio has enough," Matt asks him taking the last swig of his water and crumpling the plastic bottle. He finished his own run twenty minutes ago and has been scrolling through his phone and messing with his ipod waiting for Kai to wrap up trying to 'find inspiration.'
"Sure," Kai says, "but it still doesn't have "'It.'"
"What the hell is 'It?'"
"C'mon man, 'It.' I know you've heard of 'It.' I need that one picture that you can't look away from because it has 'It.'"
"I guess," Matt says and Kai shakes his head.
"How did you manage to get into NYU," he asks for the dozenth time and Matt rolls his eyes. "Uncultured doesn't even begin to describe."
"Whatever. You art school kids are always speaking in riddles," Matt scoffs. "But for real, can we go now? I'm trying to grab something to eat. I'm starving."
"You can tough it out another hour. The best light hasnt even hit yet."
"And I left my wallet in my dorm."
"I got you. You gotta pay me back though."
There's a beat of silence then, "What are you even going to take pictures of?" Matt asks. "You've already gotten the runners, all the old people, and how many dogs."
Kai looks in his direction. "Why are you in such a rush?"
"I'm not," he replies shrugging, his tone a touch too casual.
Kai eyes him, not buying it, and then it all clicks into place. He grins widely. "You want to go to the Bulgarian place before that chick's shift ends don't you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You need to stop fucking around and just ask her out. You don't even like Bulgarian food."
"It's growing on me."
"Apparently," Kai says but still looks around. Matt's right, he concedes to himself-he's probably captured everything he will for the day. He starts to search for his lens cap in the pockets of his jeans and says, "Fine, let's go. I need to take my meds soon, anyway." While Matt collects his Gatorade bottle and winds his headphones around his ipod Kai looks up from digging in his pocket and towards his left where the saxophone player's music drifts.
He moves to get up, eyes sliding away from where the sounds of the soothing melody emanates when he catches sight of her and his eyebrows raise immediately in interest. There's a sudden feeling of being oddly off kilter; the only way he can describe it is feeling surprised to see her here. Like he was expecting to see her eventually just not at that moment, which is beyond strange - he doesn't know her at all to expect or not expect to see her anywhere in the first place. But as little sense that it makes Kai can't brush the feeling aside; it's like he knows her from somewhere even though he knows for a fact that he doesn't. He could never forget someone who looks like that.
The first thing that strikes him is how small she is - she probably barely clears his chest. The second thing he notices are her slightly bowed, smooth, soft looking legs, and the sight licks at his weak spot. His eyes are drawn to her thighs which are shapely and just plump enough that he feels the urge to bite them. She's walking in his direction on the other side of the path and is still a little ways away but even from this distance he can tell she's extremely pretty, her features delicate and salient. As he looks at her Kai thinks vaguely that he knows it's a figure of speech, being left breathless at the sight of someone, (and he isn't literally breathless,) but he acknowledges that since he's laid eyes on her his inhales have become a little deeper than usual and his blood is flowing noticeably warmer through his veins.
She feels like a jolt to Kai's system.
He jostles Matt's arm and nods his chin in her direction. "Check her out."
Matt scans the general trajectory of his eye-line and asks, "Which one?"
The question doesn't make sense to Kai immediately but when he manages to tear his gaze away from her face he realizes that she's indeed walking with another girl. She's pretty as well but the complete opposite of who he's dubbed 'codename Beautiful'; her skin is pale to Beautiful's bronze, she's tall to her short, and has long golden blonde hair compared to the shorter, brown carefree curls Beautiful sports. "The small one," he clarifies.
Matt snorts. "She's a solid twelve out of ten, dude. All this time and the way you grossly over estimate your appeal is inspiring. It never gets old, by the way."
"Fuck you," Kai says with no heat still watching her, all thoughts of leaving the park forgotten. She and her friend, he assumes it's her friend, linger near by some benches. The blonde sits down, hands moving a little as she talks and Beautiful continues standing, lifting one leg to rest her knee on the cool metal surface, rocking back and forth on her other leg while she listens idly and nibbles at a granola bar. Both girls seem relaxed just like everyone else around them, enjoying the refreshing late spring breeze as they chat.
"You look like you're about to embarrass yourself," Matt says, already sounding amused.
"You never know until you try, Matty." His friend snorts and Kai continues. "Listen, I know you're itching to go to dark European restaurants and creep on waitresses but that'll have to wait. Watch a pro - maybe you'll learn something."
"Like I'd miss this," Matt mutters. Kai shoves at his shoulder and rises from the bench. He runs his fingers through his short hair, and proceeds to head over, ignoring the sound of Matt laughing to himself. So what if Kai strikes out sometimes? He still gets his fair amount of flirty smiles and exchanged numbers since he's gotten to college. It's 60/40... or 50/50... Alright, it's 45/55 if he's being completely honest, but that's still pretty good considering his track record of a resounding 0/100 during high school.
It isn't until he gets within talking distance that he realizes just how damn pretty Beautiful is and his confidence wavers slightly.
She's beyond anyone he's used to approaching and an intrusive refrain of 'please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to' plays in his mind. He internally rolls his eyes at his roommate Jelani for having choosing this week to have a nostalgia kick. Kai doesn't mind, but now isn't the time to have 90's classics on repeat in his head. He brushes T-Boz's voice to the side and tries to form one of his usual flirty greetings. Something cheesy but just smooth enough to be endearing, but it keeps crumbling to pieces the closer he gets. He probably should have thought this out better, but his visceral reaction of 'get to her before anyone else does' had won out.
He quickly resolves himself to the strong possibility of striking out and accepts that Matt's going to have a hearty gloat this time. Maybe he could play it off, he thinks, act like he was just walking on by, but the second this occurs to him it's already too late - Beautiful's blonde friend notices him heading over and nudges her to look in his direction. The flash of her crystal green eyes leaves Kai mildly tongue tied and his mouth goes dry. He swallows hard as he comes to a stop in front of them, careful not to get too close. He sees one neat, dark eyebrow raise slowly as she looks at him from head to toe, gaze landing on his and he thinks Matt is right as his face flares hotly.
He has no chance.
"Uh, hi," he says inelegantly and Blondie is the one who answers.
"Hi," she says, perky as can be, smiling brightly showing off straight white teeth.
The assessing eyebrow has lowered but Beautiful doesn't say anything, just stares at Kai, fingers fiddling with her granola bar wrapper as she studies him. He stares back, realizes he's staring, and hurries to say, "I'm sorry, I uh," he scratches his head already tripping over his words while his nineteen year old heart threatens to beat out of his chest. And are those butterflies in his stomach? Christ. Just leave his mind supplies but he can't turn back now; then he'd just be an incredibly awkward freak in Central Park as it nears nightfall. He touches his camera and it feels like a lifeline. He holds it up and continues on. "I- not to be weird, but can I take your picture?"
"What?" Beautiful asks and the sound of her voice makes his mouth want to twitch into a smile despite his nerves. It's sweet and hearing it doubles down on that feeling of odd familiarity.
"I'm a photographer," he says. "Well, studying to be one. I go to SVA? I don't know why that came out as a question; I definitely go to SVA. I'm registered. At the school, I mean. Not anywhere else. I'm not on any nefarious lists, I promise." Now both of her eyebrows are raised slightly at his rambling but there's a glint in her eye. He forges ahead. "But uh, can I take your picture. Or a couple of pictures, maybe? You are..." He takes the moment to really look at her again- the sun seems to shine from her golden brown skin. If he wasn't so captivated he'd have to look away.
"I'm what?" she asks, and he's relieved to hear a hint of wary humor in her voice.
"Literally anything I could say right now would sound like a line," he admits.
"Would it be?" she asks and smiles a little. Her tone is playful, mellow, and he picks up a natural warmth from her that he didn't notice at first, having been distracted by her everything.
"Only if it works," he answers too honestly, risking a mildly flirty tone now and is delighted when she laughs a little.
"You're either really good or really bad at this," she says, teasing at pulling his card. Kai only smiles in reply, and she smiles back. He's staring again but he doesn't feel as awkward this time because so is she and he counts it as a point to him even when she's the first to look away. "Um," she says turning her head to the side, expression a little bashful, before looking back at him. "I don't know. I'm not really-"
"If you say you don't take good pictures we're going to have an problem," Blondie says jokingly and Kai is proud that he doesn't start- he'd totally forgotten she was there. "Do it! It'll be fun."
"Care," Beautiful says pointedly.
"Bon," Blondie, now Care, emphasizes and Kai decides that he likes her. Her face makes a complicated expression, eyes widening slightly, and the newly identified Bon's lips thin. They have a quick, silent battle of wills, a classic exchange only girls have managed to perfect and at the end of it Bon sighs while Care smiles happily. "Sure," she aims at him and she sounds a tad nervous. "Where do you want me?" she asks and hands Care her half eaten granola bar.
"Huh?" Kai's brain trips over itself at her words but still responds with a resounding 'everywhere.'
She must realize how her words came across because her eyes widen and she hurries to say, "Your photos. What were you thinking?"
"Oh," he blinks at her and gathers his thoughts quickly from the precarious edge of the proverbial gutter. Just then there's a breeze that gently blows her hair into her face, and the light shifts as the sun swiftly approaches golden hour. Her hair is a curly, soft looking halo around her head and those malachite eyes sparkle in the warm orange glow. Without thinking he lifts his camera to his eye, and the view of her through his lens makes his breath catch. He's still zoomed in from an earlier photo and he takes a picture of her from the shoulders up, her full lips parted in mild surprise, the expression in her eyes pleased yet shy
"I wasn't ready," she admonishes, running her fingers through her shiny mane.
"Yeah, you were," he smiles down at her after lowering his hands. She blushes slightly and he gets the strong urge to stroke the warmed skin with his thumb. "But uh, we can do a few more. If you want," Kai says. "Whatever makes you comfortable. We can walk, maybe. Not too far," he says quickly. "Just to get some motion, something laid back."
Bon nods. "What did you say your name was again?" she asks, squinting up at him. "You know, just in case you actually are on some freaky list."
He laughs. "I'm Kai. Kai Parker. It's short for Malachai."
"Well, that sounds like you're a villain for sure," she teases and begins to walk backwards on the wide path, smiling slightly. "A super villain."
Walking seems to be a good suggestion, the movement seeming to relax her. Her easy nature transfers to him, the nerves he was feeling minutes ago not as strong, and he follows her feeling as if they're tethered by some invisible string. "Who me?" he asks casually. "I'm just your mild mannered neighborhood photographer," he says putting the camera back to his eye. He can tell she's done this before; she's a natural, he notes as she slips her hands casually into the pockets of her jean shorts. Her body moves easily, obviously comfortable in her skin, and he wonders why she was going to pretended like she didn't know what she was doing.
"That's what they all say," she says loftily to his claim. "Next thing you know, you'll be rushing off saying you have to go and it was nice meeting me." She turns around to keep walking and he snaps a photo of her lean tapered back, appreciating the curve of her hips and the way she fills out those shorts. The way her bare shoulder blades underneath the spaghetti straps of her tight white tank top catch the shadows makes his mouth water. "And then," she looks over her shoulder casually, "I'll see another article in the newspaper tomorrow morning: Spiderman Saves The Day."
"You think I'm noble enough to be Peter Parker?" he asks, flattered
She pauses her steps, angles her body so he catches more of her silhouette and looks to the side, giving him her profile before he can even ask. Something stirs hot in his belly; does she have a bad angle? He doubts it.
"Tilt your head down a little," he instructs her, voice lower than usual. "Look right towards the trees for me?" She does as he asks and he takes another shot.
"I was aiming for his secret evil brother, considering the last name," she continues, "but sure. Anyway, even if you were Spiderman would you be allowed to tell me?" she challenges.
"Only if you were Mary Jane."
"You can't see it?" Bon turns smoothly on her heel, walking backwards so she's facing him again.
"As much as I'd love to say yes, I'm going to have to say you give more of a Catwoman vibe," he replies. "Poison Ivy, maybe. Either way, you'd be out of this universe." He snaps another photo of her laughing, her head tilted to the side, eyes twinkling and he feels like he missed two stairs.
"That was a good one," she concedes. "Did you get your shot, superhero?"
The very first time, he thinks. What he says is, "maybe a few in the grass, if you don't mind."
And surprisingly she doesn't. She doesn't even make a face at the possibility of getting grass stains on her denim, and she lets him direct her - where to look, how to angle her chin, how to move her arm just so as it rests on her knee. It's remarkably easy to work with her, so comfortable it's as if he's been shooting her for years. She moves so easily for him, responsive even to the slightest tilt in his head that translates into keeping her movements minute at certain moments.
They talk less as the sky fades into deep purple, his focus zeroing in on capturing the dregs of the good light because even if it started out as a way to talk to her he quickly realizes that he has something with these pictures, with her as his subject. Too soon for his liking the tall street lights begin to flare to life all along the paths of the park and he rises to his feet from where he was sitting Indian style across from her. He extends a hand to help Bon up and she accepts it. Her palms are soft. "Have you done this before?" he asks referring to her being in front of the camera.
"Sort of," she supplies with a shrug. "Were they any good?"
"I don't know yet," he admits, "but I doubt you can take a bad picture. You're..." gorgeous, perfect, beautiful beyond compare.... "extremely photogenic," he lands on, and she blushes faintly. She looks down to where he still holds her hand- he didn't realize his thumb was caressing her knuckles but he doesn't stop and she doesn't pull away. He steps a little closer. "What's your name?" he asks softly, looking down at her. He was right - she barely comes up to his chest. "Is it just Bon?"
"It's short for Bonnie," she says quietly, still looking down at their hands and he feels that hot sensation pooling in his stomach again. He knows that she feels something too; the sense that something important is happening hangs heavy in the air around them and it's exhilarating and grounding at the same time.
"That's pretty," he says about her name, and she flashes an adorable smile up at him.
"Thanks."
Is it normal to want to just look at someone for hours? Kai decides he doesn't care if it is or isn't; all he knows is that he can't let her disappear back into the city and stay a stranger. "Bonnie," and he likes the way her name fits in his mouth, "can I - would you like to go out sometime? For dinner or lunch. Or even just hang out, maybe." He winces inwardly at his jumble of words but the sting is dulled because she's still smiling up at him and she's nodding.
"Yeah... I'd like that. I mean we could hang out, sometime. Besides," she pulls her hand away from his and he notices how their fingers linger slightly, pinkies hooking on each other briefly, "I have to see the final shots somehow, right?" She pulls out her cell phone so they can exchange numbers and he's so surprised she actually said yes that he's a few seconds too slow pulling out his own.
After tucking their phones away they walk back over to where her friend and Matt are chatting to each other and stop a few feet away from them. "Thanks, for that," he says. "For letting some weirdo on a list take pictures of you."
She laughs and and tucks some hair behind her ear. "As long as you aren't dressing up and trying to save and/or attack the good people of New York City for real, it's cool." And Kai laughs. "It was no problem, I had fun."
He nods and feels warmth begin to diffuse in his chest. "I did too." He notices they've gravitated minutely towards each other and he wonders if she's realized it too. Another mild breeze blows and he smells the feminine, slightly woodsy smell of her perfume. "I'm going to call you," he says through one those too deep inhales and a swoop in his stomach.
"Okay," she replies quietly. He takes in the details he's been staring at and committing to memory for the past forty minutes; her long lashes, her straight nose, the pretty angles of her heart shaped face. The urge to hug her goodbye rises and while he refrains his feet refuse to move.
"I bet those shots came out great," her friend says and he blinks, feeling muzzy. He didn't hear her approaching, but he smiles at her anyway.
"Yeah, I'm sure they'll be great."
"Oh, I can't wait to see em,'" she says cheerily.
Bonnie smiles crookedly at her, and it's so full of worn affection that he has an overwhelming sense of yearning for her to look at him like that. He looks away briefly before he gives in and reaches for her.
"Well," Bonnie says, "I'll see you later?"
"Definitely," he says, looking into her eyes and she looks a little shy again.
"See ya."
"Bye," he says and the two girls walk away, Care waving goodbye.
"I ate your Chewy bar," he hears her say.
He watches them get further away and it slowly feels as if he's stepping back into reality.
He senses Matt coming to stand beside him.
"How the hell did you do that?" he asks, not even bothering to hide his wonder and Kai can't find it in himself to feel offended.
"I don't know," he says truthfully. "But I hope you learned something." He successfully fends off Matt's sweaty pits from a failed attempt at a headlock and holds up his hand. "Hey, hey! Watch the precious cargo," he says shielding his camera and laughing. He accepts the shoulder shove and Matt shakes his head, grinning as he tosses his empty bottles into the trash can as if shooting hoops. They both make it in cleanly and Kai puts the cap back on his lens as they both walk towards the direction of saxophone music wafting in the air.