Just a Note: Yes, I know that cursing wasn't exactly heavy in the dubbed version, and the subbed version didn't put out too much in the way of foul languge. However, Japanese curses usually refer to such things as status and animals, not bodily parts or functions like in American curses. So when Priss calls Leon 'lower than a bug' in the subbed version, it's pretty much like calling him a dickhead. To put that sort of punch in the insults without having to deal with such things as 'you are a dishonorable hippopotomas' or such, I went ahead and put in curse words. Hope that helps.
Game On.
Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040
No. 28 Part II: Crazy In Love With You
"Leon! Are you alright?" Priss strode over briskly, a fleeting look of concern on her face as she realized she couldn't break into a trot without twisting her ankles in her heels. With a muted curse, she peered to look at the policeman's face, pushing his hands away.
"Yeah, I'm cool," came the reply as he rubbed his nose again. "That's one hell of an arm you've got on you there," joked the AD Police officer with a smirk, and he tilted his head as he caught sight of Priss's clothes. "And the rest of you doesn't look half bad, either." Shaking his head as if to clear a hallucination, Leon nearly choked on his own spit. Priss was always a looker, but he could swear that his heart had stopped beating a few moments ago. In motorcycle gear, she was pretty. All dressed up, she was a hair's breadth from spectacular. Licking his dry lips, he opened his mouth to say something, and could only produce more coughs. Having spent a reasonable enough time mentally undressing Priss, it was a real shock to see that she could be even sexier dressed.
"Hey, don't die on me here," Priss murmured as she pounded Leon on the back as he coughed. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to hit you in the face." Turning her head, she turned a vicious gaze at the other three Knight Sabers standing in the door. Sylia as always wore her disturbing Mona Lisa smile, while Nene's amusement was broadcast clear as day. Linna on the other hand just gave a small smile and a noncommitted shrug as if to say 'oops'.
"Wow," Leon finally managed, handing the husky-voiced woman her purse back. "This is going to sound really hackneyed, but... wow." Unable to help himself, the large man got red in the face, and a broad, toothy grin that usually meant that what he was thinking was probably not permissable at church, or maybe even a sports bar. Noticing the smile, Priss snorted, and shoved him in the gut, garnering a grunt as Leon's eyes crossed ever so slightly.
"Keep dreaming, moron," Priss spat, but the look of irritation quickly dissolved to one of tenative, shy curiousity. "Wow, huh?" A tiny smile crept onto her features, her eyes downcast out of embarrassment. Noticing that Leon wasn't wearing his usual boots, her gaze slowly moved up his body. Leon's impressive frame filled the dark suit nicely, and the wingtips sort of matched his style. While she wasn't usually the type to go for the polished, GQ type, his rugged slightly unshaven features made for a nice contrast. He looked kind of like a Yakuza, a Japanese gangster in his outfit which was a style that worked for her easily. Placing a hand on her chest as if to catch her breath, she felt her own heart skip a beat. "Well, you're not all that ugly yourself," she said pointedly, masking her flustered state with the practiced hard edged voice which wavered slightly at the end, betraying it's strength.
"Gee, thanks. And from the way you say it, I know you really mean it," Leon smirked, causing Priss to roll her eyes with a smile, and they both chuckled slightly. Slowly, they realized that they were looking directly into one another's eyes, and they stopped, coughing, and looking away, both wearing the same lost, blushing expression.
"Kiss him already!" Nene shouted from the door, causing Linna and even the usually icy Sylia to shudder. The small moment broken, the couple looked up in unison, and nearly identical looks of irritation crossed their faces. Nene let out a squeak as she darted behind Linna, and peeked over the brunette's shoulder.
"Hey! Don't hide behind me! When did I become your human sheild?" Linna frowned, trying to get away, but Nene clung on tight. One of these days, she would have to learn how to keep her big mouth shut, or at least how to whisper so that Priss couldn't hear her.
"You two are going to be late tonight to whatever it is you're doing if you stay here," Sylia replied smoothly, her eyes closing in a matronly fashion. Gently, she took the two scowling people by the shoulder, and nudged them towards the exit. "Take your time. Both of you look wonderful, and you'll have a fabulous time." Sylia turned her head and jerked it in the direction of the back, trying to get Linna to shove Nene into one of the closets before Leon and Priss could change their mind.
With grumbles of protests out one door, and a squeak of surprise as Linna shoved Nene into an open closet, the room suddenly became deadly quiet, as Linna and Sylia stared at one another. With a silky smile, Sylia stepped towards Linna, maneuvering around the coffee table and put a hand on the other Knight Saber's cheek, gazing into the country girl's wide, stunned eyes. "So," Sylia murmured.
"Meep," replied Linna, who swallowed nervously.
"You know how to play gin? I've been looking for someone to teach me how," Sylia said, waving the box of cards in front of Linna's face, who nodded an affirmative, sweat beading on her forehead. Tossing the pack onto the couch, Sylia wandered into the kitchen. "I'll go get some cookies or something, and you set up."
Linna slumped into the couch with a drained look on her face as Nene crept out of the closet. "Is it safe?" Nene asked, her voice wavering slightly as she looked around the room, not spotting Priss or Leon, which didn't mean anything. The two could be waiting anywhere to get her. They both had the annoying ability to do that. With fearful eyes, she looked at the tired Linna expectantly.
"Well, instead of Priss, we're stuck here with Sylia," replied the brunette, straightening her turtleneck and wiping her forehead. "It's probably a toss up."
"So. Where the hell are we going?" Priss looked over Leon, giving him the quiet once over as the man opened the door for her like the perfect gentleman he wasn't. It was weird to see the guy in a suit, and from what it seemed, it was weird for him to be in one. Something about the way he walked made him look a little uncomfortable. Given that thought, why did he ask to take her someplace formal? Men. Dumbasses, the lot of them, not that women, kids, or anything else you could care to mention were any better, thought Priss.
"You'll see," Leon said, as he clambered into the drivers seat of the police car. Priss slid next to him, and sniffed, looking around her.
"Leon, this thing smells like cigarettes and pork rinds," she grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't suppose that they teach you how to clean up after yourself down at AD Police boot camp." Looking at the man from the corner of her eye, she practically chided herself. She sounded like her old self, grilling Leon. But that's what she knew how to do best.
"Jeez. Bitch, bitch, bitch. You're lucky you're so damn beautiful, or else I would have left you on the side of the road," Leon said through gritted teeth as he gunned the whining engine, and pulled out with a lurch from the parking lot and headed out onto the highway. "And besides, your trailer looks like a landfill. I don't think you have room to talk."
"Oh, shut up. Your greasy sweet talking doesn't work on this woman," spat Priss, who leaned forwards, and groaned at the amount of cars in front of them. Gridlock. Lovely. Stretching, she looked at Leon with her trademarked bored expression, shoving his shoulder. "Nice planning. If you're looking for an excuse to get me into that backseat, you'd better be ready to walk back to your apartment with broken legs."
Reaching up, Leon flipped the siren switch, and Priss blinked. "Hey, isn't it illegal to use that when you're not on duty?"
"Yeah. Why?" The big man looked over to Priss with incomprehension at Priss's concern, and shrugged. "It's kind of like leaving the toilet seat up. They tell you not to do it, but you end up doing it anyways." As if the Red Sea to Moses, the traffic seperated for the speeding patrol car as Leon's foot gradually increased pressure on the pedal. Priss shook her head.
"You're a real prick, you know."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
A wry smile settled on Priss's face, and she shoved Leon's shoulder again. "Shithead."
"Better stop it with the terms of endearment. People might get the wrong idea," Leon said smoothly, winking as he made a turn. This was more comfortable. Tossing friendly banter back and forth was something he could do well. It was amazing. Priss was trussed up like a movie star in her finest, and going about uttering obscenities like a sailor, which made for a rather strange but oddly irrisistable combination.
"Bite me," shot back Priss, that same wry smile on her face as she leaned back. "Don't think about it too hard, but I'm glad you called me today," she said, glancing over to the window on her side. It was starting to drizzle a bit, and she watched the raindrops patter against the side of the police cruiser.
"That's me, Leon McNichol, your knight in a penguin outfit, here to save you from boredom," came the friendly reply. "Oh, and don't think about it too hard, but I'm glad you picked up and said yes." Priss turned back to look at the smirk on Leon's angular face. It looked good there. As much as she hated his attitude when he was acting like a smartass, it was that cocky posture that looked best on him. Naturally, she hated herself for having a weakness for that.
"Actually, you don't look all that bad." Reaching up, Priss brushed some of Leon's hair back with her hand, and narrowed her eyes. "You could stand to get a haircut, though," she added hastily, so that Leon wouldn't take the honest compliment too seriously. The officer's heart skipped a beat as her slender fingers brushed his forehead. It was hard to think about Priss and not want to put his hands on her.
"I'll keep that in mind," said Leon, who looked about the commercial district of Megalos City as the police cruiser drove down the main street. Flicking off the siren, he perused the many shops and resteraunts, and peered at Priss as she shifted her attention away from the road to her side window. Finally, the disorganized committee that made up his brain came up with the assessment that Priss was definitely hot, and setting off four alarm fires. Almost unable to control himself, Leon moved his hand from the gearshift to Priss's shapely knee in the most nonchalant fashion he could muster as he kept his attentions on the road at least outwardly.
Priss paused, looking down at the hand with her arms folded across her midsection, her eyes conveying bemusement, and she shifted them to look at Leon from the corner. I really shouldn't let him leave that there. It'll give him all kinds of ideas. But...
Her face softened, and Priss reached down, placing her hand on his with a soft smile, and she saw Leon tense up. Her hand was soft, warm, and she gently turned the palm up, tracing her finger about the lines that crisscrossed his hand. Bringing it up slowly, she brought it to her lips, kissing the fingertips lightly, and her eyes sparked in amusement as she saw the sweat begin to bead up on Leon's forehead. Swallowing hard, he licked his dry lips, and trembled. "Having some trouble finding the resteraunt, tough guy?" Priss asked in a soft, sultry tone, leaning to murmur into his ear.
"Ahh, that is..." Leon turned his head to look at her, and Priss grasped Leon's fingers firmly, yanking them backwards with a quick motion. With a yelp, the officer yanked his hand back, and his face burned with embarrassment and anger. "What the fuck was that for?"
"Keep your hands to yourself, bucko. You haven't even bought me dinner yet. If I let you touch me now, you'll be jumping me by the end of the bread course," came the distanced reply. "Now hands where I can see them, and drive."
How did I ever end up falling for this woman? Leon thought darkly, his face set in a frown. So I got a little grabby. She didn't have to do that. And after all we've been through, she still treats me like crap! What did I..
Something warm covered Leon's gearshift hand, causing him to break his internal ranting, and he looked over to Priss. Her own slender hand was wrapped about his over the gearshift, softly trying to ease away the pain she had just inflicted. Her face appeared distant, though, as she traced the outlines of buildings with a fingernail through the rain-beaded window. Leon opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly turned about to glare at him.
"Drive, asshole," she jabbed verbally, and turned away to her window. Her hand never left his, and gently squeezed once before continuing to rub lightly. Leon tilted his head, and smirked, looking forwards at the road.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Doesn't this place charge a month's salary for water?" Priss looked about the waiting area of the restaraunt skeptically, her half lidded gaze finally meeting Leon's face as he raised an eyebrow in mild irritation. This was the address Daley had given him, a fact that he confirmed by checking the slip of paper in his pocket for the fifth time since walking into the quietly busy joint.
The rest of the ride had been... actually fairly pleasant. They had driven in silence, but it had been a comfortable one, her hand resting on his for most of the way. Every time he tried to bring himself to speak, the words got caught in his throat, and the most he could muster was an unhappy grunt when someone tried to cut him off. At the most, they had traded glances, both looking away when they made eye contact which was a more difficult proposition than it sounded; Priss simply had the most mesmerizing pair of eyes he had ever seen, and it would be fairly easy for him to go mentally numb just looking into them. The fact that Priss kept this from happening was probably a good thing, since they were going a good twenty kilometers over the speed limit.
It had brought them to the dining establishment (of which Leon couldn't pronounce, due to the fact that the name was in French, naturally) of Daley's choosing far too quickly for Leon, and as much as she was loathe to admit it, Priss as well. Stepping quickly to avoid the now drenching rain, the couple had emerged into what looked like another world to them. Plush surroundings, with the tinkling of a live piano in the distance complimented the almost baroque decorations. The chandeleir overhead was just the icing on the cake as Megalos City's finest overpaid snots mingled in an atmosphere that was positively crushing.
"Well, Daley said he fixed something up, so let's go see if this is his sick idea of a joke, or he actually know somebody down here," muttered Leon who approached the receptionist, Priss in tow with a dubious look on her face. She hated places like this. She saw enough of these people down at the Silky Doll, the ones that were usually staring at her like she was some kind of abomination. She continued to glance around herself, expecting the stares when she felt a little cold.
This damn dress is slit way too high, she thought as Leon began to speak to the man behind the podium, and she reached down to straighten the seams with a muted grumble of frustration. Bringing her leg up onto one of the waiting room benches in a most unladylike fashion, she held her purse in her mouth as she adjusted the annoying shoe straps Sylia had foisted on her. These clothes were not her style, and she felt like screaming, gritting her teeth in rage. Her toes still hurt, and her head still itched, to top it off, now people were starting to stare at her.
From the corner of her eye, she saw some of the male patrons tossing glances her way, wide eyed and practically salivating while women were giving her the evil eye. With her own acid glance, she peered right back at them, almost daring them to come on over and try something. Instinctively, she went to roll up sleeves that weren't there, and saw her problem: the leg she had propped up had been on the slit side of her dress, and she was giving anyone that bothered to stare a good look. Muttering, she brought her leg down, and saw the looks of disappointment cross many a man's face as she stomped over to Leon, who didn't look all too pleased himself.
"Right this way, sir," said a waiter that appeared soon after Priss arrived, bowing slightly. Leon's rage was barely concealed as he grabbed his companion by the wrist, and practically dragged her after the waiter, who walked with a suspiciously limp-wristed gait. Priss's face wasn't exactly conveying much in the way of jocularity either as the men that had looked at her before were now giving her their best smiles as she was pulled along, and matched Leon's irritated scowl.
"Leon, this place sucks," she hissed, looking around and killing the hopes of the people that had been looking at her previously as they were placed at a small table. The fact that the man she had entered with was a veritable hulk compared to most of the patrons had also registered, causing many Priss-watchers to become instantly very fascinated with their food or menus, and a few women to look up and take notice. Realizing this, Priss all of a sudden felt very territorial, and fired off a few evil eyes of her own before looking at Leon.
Still in place was the grumpy frown, and the usually easygoing Leon was stewing, looking down at the menu with an unenthusiastic glare. "Sucks isn't the word for it," he grated, looking up at her. Their expressions matched almost perfectly, and Leon's tone took on a dangerous quality. "I am going to kill Daley. Nothing fancy, nothing interesting. I'm just going to hit him until he stops moving."
"Eh? Your partner? Why?" Priss's look of rage simmered down to that of a mild frown, her hand reaching up to brush back yet another strand of hair that threatened to drive her right over the deep end. Every time she felt like taking her hair down, she kept hearing Leon's 'Wow' in her head, and it stayed her hand for now.
"Because," came the reply through clenched teeth, "Guess who called in to this resteraunt, claiming I was escorting a new 'stealth police boomer' in a feild test to see how 'she' did in her natural operating environment." Priss blinked, and her small frown shifted to a murderous glare for a fraction of a second. She knew she had a pale complexion, and she wasn't the kind of girl that was prone to smiling for no apparent reason, but to call her a boomer?
"The fruit dies," Priss stated, her face losing all hint of anger, going to her calm at ease expression as she picked up the menu, and flipped through it. Pausing for a moment, she looked over at him from behind her menu. Leon was still stewing, but had picked up his menu as well, when it struck her. "You didn't plan this, did you?"
Startled, Leon looked up, and turned red, looking back down at his menu. "Uh, no. Daley did," admitted the officer, feeling the urge to loosen his tie a bit.
"So... this wasn't your idea," prodded the woman, her face set in that frighteningly blank expression that had given Daley the idea to call Priss a boomer in the dinner 'reservation'. Leon shrunk down behind his menu as if to use the leather bound listing as a defensive barricade, saying nothing, and Priss continued to stare. An uncomfortable silence fell over the pair, and she shook her head. "So you didn't want to take me anywhere, is it? Daley made you do it?"
"No! That's not it!" Leon explained hastily, and sighed, slumping down and burying his face in his hands. "Shit. This was definitely not what I had in mind for tonight," he half groaned to himself.
"You get a minute to explain yourself," Priss said cooly, "Then I walk."
"Damn. Maybe it's best that you do. All I wanted to do was take you out. Since you came back, you've been kind of closed up. I just wanted to see if there was anything still there... you know. Between us," he looked her in the eyes, her expression still blank as he spoke. "I just called without really thinking about it, and then Daley comes walking in, spouting off about sweeping you off your feet and impressing you, and a whole other load of shit. I figure, hell, what do I know about women? It seemed like a good idea at the time, so.."
Priss reached over to press her hand against Leon's mouth, and narrowed her eyes slightly, a critical look on her attractive features. "Shut up," she said, and grabbed him by the tie. With a yank, she practically pulled him over the table to plant a hungry, passionate kiss on his lips. She closed her eyes, and he soon followed suit as she worked herself into it.
She smelled really nice, and her lips were as gentle and tempting as he remembered as she managed to quicken his pulse and raise his body temperature by two degrees. Even though the kiss seemed to last a lifetime, it was over far too quickly, and they eventually broke away, a pleased but blushing look on Priss's face, and a slightly flustered but no less happy look on Leon's as she let him go, pushing him back with a shove.
"There. That answer anything?" Priss asked, opening her purse and checking her makeup in the compact Nene had stored in there.
"Yeah, I think so," Leon replied, still a little stunned. She gave him a ghost of a smile, and clasped her compact shut.
"Leon, if you really want to see me," she said, her face growing a light rosy hue, "just call. You don't have to prove yourself to me, you know." Her voice grew quiet, to a whisper as she murmured, "You're already too good to me as it is."
Leon smiled, and chuckled, which made Priss's embarrassment turn to slight anger as she frowned, "What's so funny?" She demanded, and he quieted down, but continued to smile.
"This is getting kinda corny. We sound like an chick flick," he said with a smile, and Priss gave him a kick under the table, the toe grinding him in the shin, and he let out a small curse. "Shit! What was that one for?"
"You're being an prick again," she said flatly, and took one of his hands in hers, looking at him with a serious expression. "Look, I'm sick of this crap. Aren't you? The world's not ending. I ain't no Juliet, and you sure as hell ain't Romeo-sama." Her face was bright red now, but she steeled herself, even as she diverted her eyes away from his. "In other words, there's no real reason to pretend we can't see each other, right?"
Leon blinked. That was the most he had ever heard Priss say in one sitting, and it startled him slightly. Normally, she was into short, terse phrases, or muttered under her breath. Nodding slowly, he let her words sink in, and he squeezed her hand firmly, and she returned the favor. "So. What exactly do you mean?" Leon prodded, wanting to hear moreof what she had to say. Her voice was captivating, and furthermore, it made a lot of sense.
"What I'm saying, dumbass, is that for some stupid reason, I like you. I like being around you, and I get the feeling that you're thinking the same thing, but dirtier," she jabbed, her face bland, but her eyes conveying her teasing.
"Close. But probably dirtier than that," Leon said with his infuriatingly cocky grin, and he lifted up Priss's hand. "I like you a lot, too, Miss Asagiri." She shook her head, and rubbed her temple with a free hand, the cute little ghost of a smile that Leon loved to see gracing her lips.
"Hey, I got an idea. You don't want to be here. I don't want to be here, right?" He said with that bastard smirk that made Priss a little weak in the knees and moist in the mouth.
"Yeah. What about it?"
"What's your band doing tonight?"
Priss's eyes lit up, and her wry smile crossed her face as she pulled out a cell phone. "You're such an asshole," she said as she dialed the number, and put it to her ear. "Oh, and we'll fix Daley after dinner."
"Vengeful wench, aren't we?" Leon teased lightly with a warm smile.
"You like it, and you know it," she replied with a gleam in her eye.
Linna was bored again, and she flipped through the channels on the television, near ready to cry. After soundly thrashing Sylia at Rummy, and trying to watch Nene reprogram the computer for funsies, it had dawned upon her that perhaps she should start looking for another job. Casting that aside, she had found the remote control again.
Rarely was Linna ever in control of the clicker. Priss usually had it, and kept it in her iron claw grip that was impossible to extract anything from. When she didn't have it, Nene was losing it in the sofa cushions, or leaving it in the bathroom on accident. Altogether, it was a letdown of an experience. Linna had always thought that being in control of the television remote would be more exhilarating than this, what with the feeling of power and all. Maybe, she thought, other people have to be in the room before you can fully enjoy holding onto this thing.
Commercial, commercial, tampon commercial, boring variety show, show in English, show in German, bad comedy, anime, anime, nothing good was on, but she kept flipping anyways. With all the channels Sylia could get because of Nene's semi-legal satellite dish on the top of the building, it was amazing that there was absolutely nothing on. Crud, thought Linna. I wonder what's on local access?
"...arted around eight PM in the often frequented commercial district of Megalos City. The high-class establishment was overrun by screaming nightclub fans as one of the many underground bands, Sekiria set up out front, it's lead singer apparently having been unhappy with it's service. Over a hundred or so fans flooded the area, clogging up traffic and ruining the atmosphere of the swanky restaraunt..."
Linna stared. Priss was never much for publicity stunts, but as the camera zoomed in to see Priss and Leon singing together at the microphone stand that had been brought in by the rest of the band, who were clearly having a good time, Linna couldn't help but smile a bit. Priss's hair was down, and both of them were soaked to the bone, but at least they were having a good time, and from what Linna could see, some rather well dressed people were joining the small throng of revelers.
Standing up to get herself another apple from the fridge, Linna started to hum a tune she had heard once before when she was young. It had taken a while, but she had finally learned what it meant. "I did it... my way," she murmured slightly off key as she rummaged in the fruit bin.
-Conclusion forthcoming. I swear.
Game On.
Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040
No. 28 Part II: Crazy In Love With You
"Leon! Are you alright?" Priss strode over briskly, a fleeting look of concern on her face as she realized she couldn't break into a trot without twisting her ankles in her heels. With a muted curse, she peered to look at the policeman's face, pushing his hands away.
"Yeah, I'm cool," came the reply as he rubbed his nose again. "That's one hell of an arm you've got on you there," joked the AD Police officer with a smirk, and he tilted his head as he caught sight of Priss's clothes. "And the rest of you doesn't look half bad, either." Shaking his head as if to clear a hallucination, Leon nearly choked on his own spit. Priss was always a looker, but he could swear that his heart had stopped beating a few moments ago. In motorcycle gear, she was pretty. All dressed up, she was a hair's breadth from spectacular. Licking his dry lips, he opened his mouth to say something, and could only produce more coughs. Having spent a reasonable enough time mentally undressing Priss, it was a real shock to see that she could be even sexier dressed.
"Hey, don't die on me here," Priss murmured as she pounded Leon on the back as he coughed. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to hit you in the face." Turning her head, she turned a vicious gaze at the other three Knight Sabers standing in the door. Sylia as always wore her disturbing Mona Lisa smile, while Nene's amusement was broadcast clear as day. Linna on the other hand just gave a small smile and a noncommitted shrug as if to say 'oops'.
"Wow," Leon finally managed, handing the husky-voiced woman her purse back. "This is going to sound really hackneyed, but... wow." Unable to help himself, the large man got red in the face, and a broad, toothy grin that usually meant that what he was thinking was probably not permissable at church, or maybe even a sports bar. Noticing the smile, Priss snorted, and shoved him in the gut, garnering a grunt as Leon's eyes crossed ever so slightly.
"Keep dreaming, moron," Priss spat, but the look of irritation quickly dissolved to one of tenative, shy curiousity. "Wow, huh?" A tiny smile crept onto her features, her eyes downcast out of embarrassment. Noticing that Leon wasn't wearing his usual boots, her gaze slowly moved up his body. Leon's impressive frame filled the dark suit nicely, and the wingtips sort of matched his style. While she wasn't usually the type to go for the polished, GQ type, his rugged slightly unshaven features made for a nice contrast. He looked kind of like a Yakuza, a Japanese gangster in his outfit which was a style that worked for her easily. Placing a hand on her chest as if to catch her breath, she felt her own heart skip a beat. "Well, you're not all that ugly yourself," she said pointedly, masking her flustered state with the practiced hard edged voice which wavered slightly at the end, betraying it's strength.
"Gee, thanks. And from the way you say it, I know you really mean it," Leon smirked, causing Priss to roll her eyes with a smile, and they both chuckled slightly. Slowly, they realized that they were looking directly into one another's eyes, and they stopped, coughing, and looking away, both wearing the same lost, blushing expression.
"Kiss him already!" Nene shouted from the door, causing Linna and even the usually icy Sylia to shudder. The small moment broken, the couple looked up in unison, and nearly identical looks of irritation crossed their faces. Nene let out a squeak as she darted behind Linna, and peeked over the brunette's shoulder.
"Hey! Don't hide behind me! When did I become your human sheild?" Linna frowned, trying to get away, but Nene clung on tight. One of these days, she would have to learn how to keep her big mouth shut, or at least how to whisper so that Priss couldn't hear her.
"You two are going to be late tonight to whatever it is you're doing if you stay here," Sylia replied smoothly, her eyes closing in a matronly fashion. Gently, she took the two scowling people by the shoulder, and nudged them towards the exit. "Take your time. Both of you look wonderful, and you'll have a fabulous time." Sylia turned her head and jerked it in the direction of the back, trying to get Linna to shove Nene into one of the closets before Leon and Priss could change their mind.
With grumbles of protests out one door, and a squeak of surprise as Linna shoved Nene into an open closet, the room suddenly became deadly quiet, as Linna and Sylia stared at one another. With a silky smile, Sylia stepped towards Linna, maneuvering around the coffee table and put a hand on the other Knight Saber's cheek, gazing into the country girl's wide, stunned eyes. "So," Sylia murmured.
"Meep," replied Linna, who swallowed nervously.
"You know how to play gin? I've been looking for someone to teach me how," Sylia said, waving the box of cards in front of Linna's face, who nodded an affirmative, sweat beading on her forehead. Tossing the pack onto the couch, Sylia wandered into the kitchen. "I'll go get some cookies or something, and you set up."
Linna slumped into the couch with a drained look on her face as Nene crept out of the closet. "Is it safe?" Nene asked, her voice wavering slightly as she looked around the room, not spotting Priss or Leon, which didn't mean anything. The two could be waiting anywhere to get her. They both had the annoying ability to do that. With fearful eyes, she looked at the tired Linna expectantly.
"Well, instead of Priss, we're stuck here with Sylia," replied the brunette, straightening her turtleneck and wiping her forehead. "It's probably a toss up."
"So. Where the hell are we going?" Priss looked over Leon, giving him the quiet once over as the man opened the door for her like the perfect gentleman he wasn't. It was weird to see the guy in a suit, and from what it seemed, it was weird for him to be in one. Something about the way he walked made him look a little uncomfortable. Given that thought, why did he ask to take her someplace formal? Men. Dumbasses, the lot of them, not that women, kids, or anything else you could care to mention were any better, thought Priss.
"You'll see," Leon said, as he clambered into the drivers seat of the police car. Priss slid next to him, and sniffed, looking around her.
"Leon, this thing smells like cigarettes and pork rinds," she grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't suppose that they teach you how to clean up after yourself down at AD Police boot camp." Looking at the man from the corner of her eye, she practically chided herself. She sounded like her old self, grilling Leon. But that's what she knew how to do best.
"Jeez. Bitch, bitch, bitch. You're lucky you're so damn beautiful, or else I would have left you on the side of the road," Leon said through gritted teeth as he gunned the whining engine, and pulled out with a lurch from the parking lot and headed out onto the highway. "And besides, your trailer looks like a landfill. I don't think you have room to talk."
"Oh, shut up. Your greasy sweet talking doesn't work on this woman," spat Priss, who leaned forwards, and groaned at the amount of cars in front of them. Gridlock. Lovely. Stretching, she looked at Leon with her trademarked bored expression, shoving his shoulder. "Nice planning. If you're looking for an excuse to get me into that backseat, you'd better be ready to walk back to your apartment with broken legs."
Reaching up, Leon flipped the siren switch, and Priss blinked. "Hey, isn't it illegal to use that when you're not on duty?"
"Yeah. Why?" The big man looked over to Priss with incomprehension at Priss's concern, and shrugged. "It's kind of like leaving the toilet seat up. They tell you not to do it, but you end up doing it anyways." As if the Red Sea to Moses, the traffic seperated for the speeding patrol car as Leon's foot gradually increased pressure on the pedal. Priss shook her head.
"You're a real prick, you know."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
A wry smile settled on Priss's face, and she shoved Leon's shoulder again. "Shithead."
"Better stop it with the terms of endearment. People might get the wrong idea," Leon said smoothly, winking as he made a turn. This was more comfortable. Tossing friendly banter back and forth was something he could do well. It was amazing. Priss was trussed up like a movie star in her finest, and going about uttering obscenities like a sailor, which made for a rather strange but oddly irrisistable combination.
"Bite me," shot back Priss, that same wry smile on her face as she leaned back. "Don't think about it too hard, but I'm glad you called me today," she said, glancing over to the window on her side. It was starting to drizzle a bit, and she watched the raindrops patter against the side of the police cruiser.
"That's me, Leon McNichol, your knight in a penguin outfit, here to save you from boredom," came the friendly reply. "Oh, and don't think about it too hard, but I'm glad you picked up and said yes." Priss turned back to look at the smirk on Leon's angular face. It looked good there. As much as she hated his attitude when he was acting like a smartass, it was that cocky posture that looked best on him. Naturally, she hated herself for having a weakness for that.
"Actually, you don't look all that bad." Reaching up, Priss brushed some of Leon's hair back with her hand, and narrowed her eyes. "You could stand to get a haircut, though," she added hastily, so that Leon wouldn't take the honest compliment too seriously. The officer's heart skipped a beat as her slender fingers brushed his forehead. It was hard to think about Priss and not want to put his hands on her.
"I'll keep that in mind," said Leon, who looked about the commercial district of Megalos City as the police cruiser drove down the main street. Flicking off the siren, he perused the many shops and resteraunts, and peered at Priss as she shifted her attention away from the road to her side window. Finally, the disorganized committee that made up his brain came up with the assessment that Priss was definitely hot, and setting off four alarm fires. Almost unable to control himself, Leon moved his hand from the gearshift to Priss's shapely knee in the most nonchalant fashion he could muster as he kept his attentions on the road at least outwardly.
Priss paused, looking down at the hand with her arms folded across her midsection, her eyes conveying bemusement, and she shifted them to look at Leon from the corner. I really shouldn't let him leave that there. It'll give him all kinds of ideas. But...
Her face softened, and Priss reached down, placing her hand on his with a soft smile, and she saw Leon tense up. Her hand was soft, warm, and she gently turned the palm up, tracing her finger about the lines that crisscrossed his hand. Bringing it up slowly, she brought it to her lips, kissing the fingertips lightly, and her eyes sparked in amusement as she saw the sweat begin to bead up on Leon's forehead. Swallowing hard, he licked his dry lips, and trembled. "Having some trouble finding the resteraunt, tough guy?" Priss asked in a soft, sultry tone, leaning to murmur into his ear.
"Ahh, that is..." Leon turned his head to look at her, and Priss grasped Leon's fingers firmly, yanking them backwards with a quick motion. With a yelp, the officer yanked his hand back, and his face burned with embarrassment and anger. "What the fuck was that for?"
"Keep your hands to yourself, bucko. You haven't even bought me dinner yet. If I let you touch me now, you'll be jumping me by the end of the bread course," came the distanced reply. "Now hands where I can see them, and drive."
How did I ever end up falling for this woman? Leon thought darkly, his face set in a frown. So I got a little grabby. She didn't have to do that. And after all we've been through, she still treats me like crap! What did I..
Something warm covered Leon's gearshift hand, causing him to break his internal ranting, and he looked over to Priss. Her own slender hand was wrapped about his over the gearshift, softly trying to ease away the pain she had just inflicted. Her face appeared distant, though, as she traced the outlines of buildings with a fingernail through the rain-beaded window. Leon opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly turned about to glare at him.
"Drive, asshole," she jabbed verbally, and turned away to her window. Her hand never left his, and gently squeezed once before continuing to rub lightly. Leon tilted his head, and smirked, looking forwards at the road.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Doesn't this place charge a month's salary for water?" Priss looked about the waiting area of the restaraunt skeptically, her half lidded gaze finally meeting Leon's face as he raised an eyebrow in mild irritation. This was the address Daley had given him, a fact that he confirmed by checking the slip of paper in his pocket for the fifth time since walking into the quietly busy joint.
The rest of the ride had been... actually fairly pleasant. They had driven in silence, but it had been a comfortable one, her hand resting on his for most of the way. Every time he tried to bring himself to speak, the words got caught in his throat, and the most he could muster was an unhappy grunt when someone tried to cut him off. At the most, they had traded glances, both looking away when they made eye contact which was a more difficult proposition than it sounded; Priss simply had the most mesmerizing pair of eyes he had ever seen, and it would be fairly easy for him to go mentally numb just looking into them. The fact that Priss kept this from happening was probably a good thing, since they were going a good twenty kilometers over the speed limit.
It had brought them to the dining establishment (of which Leon couldn't pronounce, due to the fact that the name was in French, naturally) of Daley's choosing far too quickly for Leon, and as much as she was loathe to admit it, Priss as well. Stepping quickly to avoid the now drenching rain, the couple had emerged into what looked like another world to them. Plush surroundings, with the tinkling of a live piano in the distance complimented the almost baroque decorations. The chandeleir overhead was just the icing on the cake as Megalos City's finest overpaid snots mingled in an atmosphere that was positively crushing.
"Well, Daley said he fixed something up, so let's go see if this is his sick idea of a joke, or he actually know somebody down here," muttered Leon who approached the receptionist, Priss in tow with a dubious look on her face. She hated places like this. She saw enough of these people down at the Silky Doll, the ones that were usually staring at her like she was some kind of abomination. She continued to glance around herself, expecting the stares when she felt a little cold.
This damn dress is slit way too high, she thought as Leon began to speak to the man behind the podium, and she reached down to straighten the seams with a muted grumble of frustration. Bringing her leg up onto one of the waiting room benches in a most unladylike fashion, she held her purse in her mouth as she adjusted the annoying shoe straps Sylia had foisted on her. These clothes were not her style, and she felt like screaming, gritting her teeth in rage. Her toes still hurt, and her head still itched, to top it off, now people were starting to stare at her.
From the corner of her eye, she saw some of the male patrons tossing glances her way, wide eyed and practically salivating while women were giving her the evil eye. With her own acid glance, she peered right back at them, almost daring them to come on over and try something. Instinctively, she went to roll up sleeves that weren't there, and saw her problem: the leg she had propped up had been on the slit side of her dress, and she was giving anyone that bothered to stare a good look. Muttering, she brought her leg down, and saw the looks of disappointment cross many a man's face as she stomped over to Leon, who didn't look all too pleased himself.
"Right this way, sir," said a waiter that appeared soon after Priss arrived, bowing slightly. Leon's rage was barely concealed as he grabbed his companion by the wrist, and practically dragged her after the waiter, who walked with a suspiciously limp-wristed gait. Priss's face wasn't exactly conveying much in the way of jocularity either as the men that had looked at her before were now giving her their best smiles as she was pulled along, and matched Leon's irritated scowl.
"Leon, this place sucks," she hissed, looking around and killing the hopes of the people that had been looking at her previously as they were placed at a small table. The fact that the man she had entered with was a veritable hulk compared to most of the patrons had also registered, causing many Priss-watchers to become instantly very fascinated with their food or menus, and a few women to look up and take notice. Realizing this, Priss all of a sudden felt very territorial, and fired off a few evil eyes of her own before looking at Leon.
Still in place was the grumpy frown, and the usually easygoing Leon was stewing, looking down at the menu with an unenthusiastic glare. "Sucks isn't the word for it," he grated, looking up at her. Their expressions matched almost perfectly, and Leon's tone took on a dangerous quality. "I am going to kill Daley. Nothing fancy, nothing interesting. I'm just going to hit him until he stops moving."
"Eh? Your partner? Why?" Priss's look of rage simmered down to that of a mild frown, her hand reaching up to brush back yet another strand of hair that threatened to drive her right over the deep end. Every time she felt like taking her hair down, she kept hearing Leon's 'Wow' in her head, and it stayed her hand for now.
"Because," came the reply through clenched teeth, "Guess who called in to this resteraunt, claiming I was escorting a new 'stealth police boomer' in a feild test to see how 'she' did in her natural operating environment." Priss blinked, and her small frown shifted to a murderous glare for a fraction of a second. She knew she had a pale complexion, and she wasn't the kind of girl that was prone to smiling for no apparent reason, but to call her a boomer?
"The fruit dies," Priss stated, her face losing all hint of anger, going to her calm at ease expression as she picked up the menu, and flipped through it. Pausing for a moment, she looked over at him from behind her menu. Leon was still stewing, but had picked up his menu as well, when it struck her. "You didn't plan this, did you?"
Startled, Leon looked up, and turned red, looking back down at his menu. "Uh, no. Daley did," admitted the officer, feeling the urge to loosen his tie a bit.
"So... this wasn't your idea," prodded the woman, her face set in that frighteningly blank expression that had given Daley the idea to call Priss a boomer in the dinner 'reservation'. Leon shrunk down behind his menu as if to use the leather bound listing as a defensive barricade, saying nothing, and Priss continued to stare. An uncomfortable silence fell over the pair, and she shook her head. "So you didn't want to take me anywhere, is it? Daley made you do it?"
"No! That's not it!" Leon explained hastily, and sighed, slumping down and burying his face in his hands. "Shit. This was definitely not what I had in mind for tonight," he half groaned to himself.
"You get a minute to explain yourself," Priss said cooly, "Then I walk."
"Damn. Maybe it's best that you do. All I wanted to do was take you out. Since you came back, you've been kind of closed up. I just wanted to see if there was anything still there... you know. Between us," he looked her in the eyes, her expression still blank as he spoke. "I just called without really thinking about it, and then Daley comes walking in, spouting off about sweeping you off your feet and impressing you, and a whole other load of shit. I figure, hell, what do I know about women? It seemed like a good idea at the time, so.."
Priss reached over to press her hand against Leon's mouth, and narrowed her eyes slightly, a critical look on her attractive features. "Shut up," she said, and grabbed him by the tie. With a yank, she practically pulled him over the table to plant a hungry, passionate kiss on his lips. She closed her eyes, and he soon followed suit as she worked herself into it.
She smelled really nice, and her lips were as gentle and tempting as he remembered as she managed to quicken his pulse and raise his body temperature by two degrees. Even though the kiss seemed to last a lifetime, it was over far too quickly, and they eventually broke away, a pleased but blushing look on Priss's face, and a slightly flustered but no less happy look on Leon's as she let him go, pushing him back with a shove.
"There. That answer anything?" Priss asked, opening her purse and checking her makeup in the compact Nene had stored in there.
"Yeah, I think so," Leon replied, still a little stunned. She gave him a ghost of a smile, and clasped her compact shut.
"Leon, if you really want to see me," she said, her face growing a light rosy hue, "just call. You don't have to prove yourself to me, you know." Her voice grew quiet, to a whisper as she murmured, "You're already too good to me as it is."
Leon smiled, and chuckled, which made Priss's embarrassment turn to slight anger as she frowned, "What's so funny?" She demanded, and he quieted down, but continued to smile.
"This is getting kinda corny. We sound like an chick flick," he said with a smile, and Priss gave him a kick under the table, the toe grinding him in the shin, and he let out a small curse. "Shit! What was that one for?"
"You're being an prick again," she said flatly, and took one of his hands in hers, looking at him with a serious expression. "Look, I'm sick of this crap. Aren't you? The world's not ending. I ain't no Juliet, and you sure as hell ain't Romeo-sama." Her face was bright red now, but she steeled herself, even as she diverted her eyes away from his. "In other words, there's no real reason to pretend we can't see each other, right?"
Leon blinked. That was the most he had ever heard Priss say in one sitting, and it startled him slightly. Normally, she was into short, terse phrases, or muttered under her breath. Nodding slowly, he let her words sink in, and he squeezed her hand firmly, and she returned the favor. "So. What exactly do you mean?" Leon prodded, wanting to hear moreof what she had to say. Her voice was captivating, and furthermore, it made a lot of sense.
"What I'm saying, dumbass, is that for some stupid reason, I like you. I like being around you, and I get the feeling that you're thinking the same thing, but dirtier," she jabbed, her face bland, but her eyes conveying her teasing.
"Close. But probably dirtier than that," Leon said with his infuriatingly cocky grin, and he lifted up Priss's hand. "I like you a lot, too, Miss Asagiri." She shook her head, and rubbed her temple with a free hand, the cute little ghost of a smile that Leon loved to see gracing her lips.
"Hey, I got an idea. You don't want to be here. I don't want to be here, right?" He said with that bastard smirk that made Priss a little weak in the knees and moist in the mouth.
"Yeah. What about it?"
"What's your band doing tonight?"
Priss's eyes lit up, and her wry smile crossed her face as she pulled out a cell phone. "You're such an asshole," she said as she dialed the number, and put it to her ear. "Oh, and we'll fix Daley after dinner."
"Vengeful wench, aren't we?" Leon teased lightly with a warm smile.
"You like it, and you know it," she replied with a gleam in her eye.
Linna was bored again, and she flipped through the channels on the television, near ready to cry. After soundly thrashing Sylia at Rummy, and trying to watch Nene reprogram the computer for funsies, it had dawned upon her that perhaps she should start looking for another job. Casting that aside, she had found the remote control again.
Rarely was Linna ever in control of the clicker. Priss usually had it, and kept it in her iron claw grip that was impossible to extract anything from. When she didn't have it, Nene was losing it in the sofa cushions, or leaving it in the bathroom on accident. Altogether, it was a letdown of an experience. Linna had always thought that being in control of the television remote would be more exhilarating than this, what with the feeling of power and all. Maybe, she thought, other people have to be in the room before you can fully enjoy holding onto this thing.
Commercial, commercial, tampon commercial, boring variety show, show in English, show in German, bad comedy, anime, anime, nothing good was on, but she kept flipping anyways. With all the channels Sylia could get because of Nene's semi-legal satellite dish on the top of the building, it was amazing that there was absolutely nothing on. Crud, thought Linna. I wonder what's on local access?
"...arted around eight PM in the often frequented commercial district of Megalos City. The high-class establishment was overrun by screaming nightclub fans as one of the many underground bands, Sekiria set up out front, it's lead singer apparently having been unhappy with it's service. Over a hundred or so fans flooded the area, clogging up traffic and ruining the atmosphere of the swanky restaraunt..."
Linna stared. Priss was never much for publicity stunts, but as the camera zoomed in to see Priss and Leon singing together at the microphone stand that had been brought in by the rest of the band, who were clearly having a good time, Linna couldn't help but smile a bit. Priss's hair was down, and both of them were soaked to the bone, but at least they were having a good time, and from what Linna could see, some rather well dressed people were joining the small throng of revelers.
Standing up to get herself another apple from the fridge, Linna started to hum a tune she had heard once before when she was young. It had taken a while, but she had finally learned what it meant. "I did it... my way," she murmured slightly off key as she rummaged in the fruit bin.
-Conclusion forthcoming. I swear.