Pounding on the bedroom door was what eventually woke Raven up. He grumbled
and rolled onto his back and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling overhead. He
got up and scooted off the bed, then answered the door. He narrowed his
eyes at JP.
"What do you want, eh?" he said, his voice just barely above a growl. The Frenchman backed up slightly, bringing a smile to Raven's lips.
"I wanted to know if you'd be joining me and Luth for breakfast," JP said quickly, visibly afraid of the younger man.
"I don't want brekkie, and if I did, I certainly wouldn't eat it with you and Luther," Raven answered flatly, he accent getting thicker with his agitiation. "Leave me alone. I've told you serveral times to leave me be, mate. What's it going to take?"
"Sorry," JP replied. "It just that we were going to have breakfast with some of the other members."
"I doubt any of them would be worth having brekkie with either," Raven snapped, shutting the door. He thought for a moment, then opened the door back up, seeing JP heading back to the front of the bus. "Oi, is Kaori going?"
"I think so," the Frenchman answered, looking back. Raven nodded.
"Give me about five minutes and I'll meet you outside," he said, then shut his door again. He pulled on the leather hairtie that secured his ponytail, allowing his long hair to come free. He pulled off his pants and looked up in the mirror, eyes catching on a jagged scar on his hip. He sighed and shook his head, then pulled on some clean pants and brushed his hair out. He re-tied the leather thong in, making sure his waist-length hair was secured in a ponytail again. Stretching a bit, he opened his closet and rummaged around, finally pulling out a black t-shirt. He pulled it on, not minding the tight fit of the thin material, then pulled on his leather jacket. Sitting down he tugged his hiking boots on, then got up and left his room. He trundled down the hall and outside, slipping his sunglasses on. He looked at the league members gathered around.
"Ohiyo, Karasu," Kaori chirped, hopping up to him.
"Um...Wyoming, Kaori," Raven answered a bit confused. Kaori laughed, and hugged his arm.
"No, baka, ohiyo. It mean...um, 'good morning,' I think," Kaori asked. "That is the right translation, hm?"
"Yeah, it is. Sorry, I just woke up," Raven apologized. He looked at the others, then back at the Japanese girl clinging to him. "Kaori, I'm going to need that arm."
"Nani?" Kaori asked as Raven pulled his arm away.
"Well, see, bird, Mac is coming this way and he looks like he's fixing to take me apart, so, I'm going to need me arm to defend meself," Raven explain, watching Mac's approach. "I might even need it to beat the shit out of the little twit."
"Karasu, no," Kaori pleaded, taking hold of his arm again. Raven looked down at her, then back at Mac as he walked up.
"What are you doing, Kaori?" the boy asked. Raven gave up trying to free his arm from Kaori's grasp. He looked at Mac.
"Oi, why don't you leave her alone?" Raven asked. Mac looked up at him.
"Why don't you?" the boy demanded.
"Hey, I'm the one she holding onto," Raven answered. Mac looked down at Kaori's hands holding onto Raven's arm, then back up at Raven, frowning. He looked over at Kaori.
"You sure jumped on him quick," Mac accused. Kaori moved behind Raven.
"Maybe she wanted someone her own age, or at the very least," Raven said, smiling in that predatory way he always did, "more mature."
That did it for Mac. He lunged for the older boy, swinging his fist toward him. Raven pulled away from Kaori easily and caught Mac's fist in mid-punch, then grabbed the boy's throat with the other hand. He applied enough pressure to make the boy stop fighting him, but not enough to cause any real damage. He pulled on Mac's arm until the boy yelped in pain, then relaxed his grip.
"I see I have your attention now," Raven said, smirking. "It's far too early to be fighting. All Kaori did was say hello to me. Isn't that right, Kaori? See, Mac? She was just being friendly. We're all going to go have a nice brekkie. You can come, too, if you leave your bad attitude here."
"Let me go," Mac gasped. He tried to pull out of Raven's grasp, but yelped when the older boy pulled on his arm again. "Alright! Alright. I'll behave."
"Mm, good. Now apologize to Kaori for upsetting her," Raven answered. Mac looked at the Japanese girl hiding behind Raven.
"I'm sorry," he rasped out. Raven released him, letting him fall to his knees. The older boy knealt down, looking him in the eyes.
"You ever try to pull this alpha male shit with me again, I'll tear your arm off," he warned quietly, then stood up. He walked of with the group going to breakfast, leave Mac sitting on the ground trying to catch his breath. He looked down at Kaori, who was clinging to his arm again. "You okay, lovely?"
"Why did you do that to him?" she asked quietly. Raven sighed.
"I didn't hurt him, and I certainly didn't want him trying to fight with me. I was worried you'd get hurt," he answered softly. He felt Kaori hug his arm and smiled.
Psymon was sitting in a lawnchair outside his winnebago, reading the newspaper. He hadn't been around home in so long, he couldn't believe all the news he was having to catch up on. Sparky was perched on his left shoulder, enjoying the sun, while Mackerel was flopped across his lap, purring happily. Psymon looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw Mac standing in front of him.
"I want you to show me how to fight," he said flatly.
"What, now?" Psymon asked, looking at the boy over the top of his newspaper.
"Yeah, maybe," Mac said, setting his jaw in a determined expression. Psymon sighed, putting the paper back up to ignore him. Suddenly the paper was jerked out of his hand, ripping. Mackerel yowled in surprise and ran off Psymon's lap, digging his claws in as he did. Psymon stood up, shouting in pain, upsetting the crow on his shoulder as well. He caught the bird before it tried to hop off as well, since it couldn't fly, and craddled it in his arms, then glared at Mac.
"Kid, you'd better go get Zoe's cat from under the winnebago," he said angrily, "and he better be okay. Then you're going to go up to the lodge and buy me another damn newspaper and be glad I don't turn you over my knee and spank you, since you obviously need a lesson in manners."
"Sorry," Mac muttered, holding the ripped newspaper out. Psymon snatched it away, watching the boy crawl under the winnebago. He folded the paper up as best he could with one hand, then set it on the ground, settling back into his lawnchair. He moved the chair around, so he could watch Mac trying to coax Mackerel out. This was the best entertainment he'd had in a long time. He moved Sparky back up to his shoulder and yawned. Soon enough, the cat came out on it's own accord and hopped up into Psymon's lap. Zoe came out of the winnebago, hands around her swollen belly, and walked up to Psymon.
"What the hell's going on out here?" she asked, looking under the winnebago at the noise.
"I sent Mac under there to look for the cat," Psymon explained, petting Mackerel. Zoe looked at the cat purring on Psymon's lap, then at the noise coming from under their little home.
"How long are you going to let him look?" Zoe asked, picking Mackerel up and sitting in Psymon's lap.
"Until I'm not pissed at the little shit anymore," Psymon answered, putting his arms around Zoe, stroking her belly gently. He could feel the baby kicking under his hands and smiled, nuzzling the woman's shoulder. He really did love her, even if the child she was carrying turned out not to be his. He really didn't want Hiro to get off easily if it was his kid, but he'd help Zoe raise it if that's what she wanted. He looked up over Zoe's shoulder at the sound of Mac cursing under the winnebago. The boy crawled out and looked up at him and Zoe, then at the cat she was petting, and cursed again. Psymon's eyes narrowed. "Hey, watch your mouth, boy."
"Like you don't say worse," Mac snapped. Zoe got up, feeling Psymon moving under her. Psymon walked over and looked down at the boy.
"Yeah, I do, and I'm old enough to," he answered. "Now, what the hell is your problem?"
"I want you to teach me how to fight," Mac said.
"Why? You pissed off because Raven knocked you on your ass?" Psymon asked, smirking. He pulled out his pack of Pall Malls and lit one, inhaling the smoke deep into his lungs. He really didn't want to mess with the kid so early in the morning. He just wanted to read his newspaper, have a smoke, then maybe go jogging with Brodi when he got back.
"You saw that?" Mac asked, looking ashamed.
"Kid, I can't think of anyone that probably didn't see it, 'cept Zoe 'cause she was inside," Psymon said, motioning to her, the smoke from the cigarette curling about his arm. He frowned at Mac. "I'm not going to teach you how to fight so you can go get your ass kicked again, but I will teach you some self-defence. I don't care much for Raven either."
"I can't believe Kaori actually sided with him," Mac muttered.
"Whoa, whoa," Psymon said, putting his hands up. "This about Kaori liking the guy? It is, eh? Forget it, I'm not going to help you fight with him. Take your wounded pride elsewhere."
"Psy, please," the boy begged. Psymon sighed.
"Kid, I have no doubt in my mind that Raven is dangerous and could kill you if he were so inclined to do it. Your best bet is to forget Kaori. Besides, I don't think he's as interested in her as he lets on," Psymon said. "Now, go to the lodge and get my newspaper."
Mac grumbled and walked off, Psymon watching him. Soon as the boy was far enough out of earshot, the Canadian looked at Zoe and walked over to her. He gathered her in his arms, liking the feeling of the baby's kicks against his stomach. He nuzzled her cheek, then kissed her. He sighed softly, resting his forehead against hers.
Raven picked at his food, listening to the others around him. Restaraunts were not his favorite place. He looked up through his reddish- brown bangs at Kaori and blinked, sitting up straighter. The girl was still watching him. He looked down at his plate and felt the girl kick his shin under the table. Letting out a soft grunt of pain he looked back up at her.
"What?" he asked. Kaori leaned over the table, like she was trying to speak privately to him. Privacy in a busy restaraunt, what a joke.
"What did you do before you joined the SSX league?" she asked quietly. Raven shrugged.
"I skateboarded some, did a little motocross, mostly went to high school," he answered.
"What's it like in England? I asked Moby, but he never tells me. You sound like you are from the same area as he is," she said, smiling that beautiful smile of hers. Raven just laughed, making her eyes widen.
"I'm not from England, bird," Raven said, finally getting his laughing under control. "Me parents are from England. I was born right here in ol' British Columbia. They moved over here a long time ago, before I was even a twinkle in me da's eye."
"You still have the accent, though," Kaori said. Bright girl, Raven thought.
"Yeah, I've heard it long enough," he answered. He looked out the window beside him at the mountains in the distance. He didn't like lying to her, but what choice did he have? No one could know the truth yet. Kaori squeezed his hand gently, returning him back to the present. He looked at the girl holding his hand. "What about you? What do you do when you're not bouncing around the world with this motley bunch?"
"I do voice acting for a cartoon my father makes," she answered, her thumb gently massaging the back of his hand. Raven raised his pierced brow.
"No shit?" he asked, then looked down at her disapproving expression. He looked back up at her through his bangs, over the top of his sunglasses. "Really? What's the cartoon called?"
"Orange Explosion Fun Girl," Kaori answered proudly. Raven couldn't help but laugh. He looked at Kaori and saw she smiled. "It is good to hear you laugh. Why do you want to be so scary?"
"Keeps the others away. Besides, I'm not really use to being around other people," he said softly. Why was he opening up to this girl? Damn, she was easily tearing down his walls. His attention snapped to the now as Kaori's hand moved over an implant in his arm. He moved his arm slightly under her touch.
"What's this?" the girl asked.
"Steel plate," Raven lied. Kaori just nodded.
"I've got a few of them myself," she said. The others were starting to get up. Brodi leaned over to them.
"Hey, kids, we're going back to the camp. Last chance for waffles," he said.
"I think I'll walk back, Brodi, thanks," Raven said getting up. He dug into his pocket, then tossed a few crumpled bills on the table, enough to cover his and Kaori's breakfast, plus a tip. He tugged on his jacket and slipped past the surfer. Heading towards the door, he felt a familiar small hand slipp into his. He looked down at Kaori. "It's a long walk back, lovely."
"I don't want to interrupt our conversation," the Japanses girl replied. Raven nodded.
"Very well. Come on," he said, leading her outside.
Brodi watched the two walk off. He wasn't sure if he should be approving of Kaori's infactuation with the young man. Raven did seem to be a different person around her. Less...scary, but still hiding something. What could he possibly be up to? He looked over at JP.
"Hey, JP," he called to the Frenchman.
"Oui?" JP asked, walking over to Brodi.
"Raven ever talk to you and Luther much?" he asked. JP shook his head, making Brodi frown. "He hasn't told you anything at all?"
"Non," JP answered, "he rarely speaks to us unless it is to yell at us."
"Figures," Brodi murmured. He looked back at the Frenchman. "Why doesn't anyone know anything about him? Don't the officials have to screen the boarders before they join the league?"
"I'm sure someone around here has talked with him," JP answered.
"Yeah, but I think she just left with him," Brodi replied, looking once again at the two figures walking down the road.
"Here, I brought you your damn paper," Mac said, tossing the newspaper on Psymon's lap. "Now will you teach me to fight?"
"One track mind, boy," Psymon replied, picking up the paper and leafing through it. He found where he'd left off earlier and began reading, pointedly ignoring Mac. The boy reached for the paper, but Psymon caught his hand in a tight grip. "You rip this one and I'm going to beat you into a pulp and then send whatever's left to buy me another newspaper, got it?"
"Yeah," Mac said, pulling his hand back. "Why won't you show me?"
"For starters, I don't really feel like it," Psymon answered, looking at the boy over his newspaper. "Plus, I don't want you picking a fight with Raven. I mean it, kid, that guy is bad news. If Kaori likes him, let it go. Don't look at me like that. If she's got her panties soaked over him, there's nothing you can do about it, and knocking him around...or more to the point, letting him beat the shit out of you, is not going to help."
"What if I want you to show me so I can learn to be more aggressive?" Mac asked. Psymon folded the newspaper back up.
"Aggressive? Why? chicks don't really dig that 'I got the biggest dick around.' crap, you know," he said.
"Worked for you," Mac replied. "You got Zoe."
"Eh?" Psymon asked, blinking. "Oh. You think Zoe loves me because I'm tough? Because I kick ass and give the officials crap all the time? Wrong. Zoe knows me, she's seen me at my worst and she's not afraid of me. She's..." He looked off, a dreaminess creeping into his thoughts. He looked back at Mac. "It doesn't matter how you act or who's got the bigger balls, it comes down to treating the girl right. I've done zoe wrong in the past, and every day I make up for it. You want to win Kaori back? You'd better find out what she likes about Raven, and then you figure out if you got it, too. If so, go for it, if not...let her go, man."
"That doesn't sound fair," Mac answered. Psymon shrugged.
"Life ain't fair, kid. Live with it," he replied, then put the paper back up to read it.
"I still want to learn to fight," the boy said softly. Psymon sighed. First Kaori asked his about sex, now Mac wants to know how to be a man. What next, Luther comes over to ask what window treatment would look best in his tourbus?
"Fine. I'll teach you," Psymon answered, getting up, "but let's go somewhere else. Last thing I need is for everyone to think I'm beating on you."
Mac nodded and the two of them walked off to a more wooded area. Once Psymon was satisfied they were far enough out, he stopped and took off his shirt, tossing it on a low branch. He looked at Mac, who was staring at his tattooes and the jagged, ugly cut that ran up his left arm. He sighed and walked over to him, then tugged at the bulky hooded sweatshirt.
"This is going to have to come off," he said. "You can't move in it."
"Alright," Mac said, pulling it off, leaving nothing but a t-shirt hugging his thin frame. Psymon nodded as the boy tossed it on the branch with his shirt.
"Good," he said. "Now let's start with the basics. Throw a few punches, let me see how you do."
"I don't want to hurt you," Mac said.
"Like you could, boy," Psymon scoffed. Mac just nodded and came at him, fists flying towards Psymon. He easily blocked the boy's punches, watching his form. "You need to not leave yourself open."
"What?" Mac asked, throwing another punch. Psymon threw his hand out, open-palmed, and caught the boy on the chest, sending him onto his back. He walked over and held his hand, helping Mac up. The boy took his offered hand and used it to propel himself forward, fist striking out. Psymon caught on too late to block it and the blow glanced off his jaw, sending him stubling back, still holding Mac's other hand. He stumbled, falling back and taking the boy with him. Landing with a grunt, he cursed softly as the boy landed on top of him. He glared at Mac.
"What the hell was that?" he growled, neither of them moving. The boy looked at him from where he was sprawled across his body.
"Sorry, I just thought I'd try something different," he said. "I guess it worked."
"Yeah. Damn that hurt," Psymon replied, rubbing his jaw where Mac had hit him. He looked at the boy, raising his pierced brow. "And get the hell off me."
"Um..right," Mac muttered, putting his hands on Psymon's chest and pushing up, sitting up on the Canadian's hips. He leaned the the side, getting a leg under him and was reward with a yelp of pain from Psymon, who sat up abruptly.
"Get your damn knee out of the way," he snarled, knocking the boy off him. He drew his legs up, hugging his knees. "I bring you out here to teach you how to fight, and you knee me in my tender bits."
"I didn't mean to," Mac snapped, knealing next to Psymon. "If you hadn't pulled me on top of you, I wouldn't have."
"Correction, if you hadn't hit me, I'd've never fallen to start with," Psymon said, looking at the boy. The kid's face was flushed. Was he embarrassed that he'd hurt him or what? He reached over and pushed the boy gently, knocking him back on his butt. Mac just laughed and looked at him.
"You okay now?" he asked. Psymon nodded.
"Yeah, you didn't press down that hard. So, wanna work on kicks?" he asked. Mac nodded and got up, helping Psymon up. Psymon turned him around and positioned his feet and then body and arms into a fighting stance. "Now, you see, most people just figure martial arts are the cool way to go. Not me, nope. I think if you can knock the crap out of someone while they're doing all that fancy dancing, well, you win, eh? Now, the thing is, a fighting stance is important, no matter what style of fighting you're using. I prefer bar room brawling, myself, but a little guy like you is gonna need something a bit quicker."
"Okay," Mac replied softly. Psymon looked down at him. What was with the kid all of a sudden? He shook his head and got a hold of the boy's arms.
"Here, hold them up like this. That's right. Okay, you want to lift this leg and kick, but be sure to lean so you balance out," he intructed, helping the boy to lean back as he stretched his leg out. He felt Mac wobble a bit. "Easy there. No, don't point your toes, you want to kick with the flat of your foot...preferably the ball of it if you can. Keep that leg up till I tell you to put it down. Straighten out. Just like that."
"I don't think I can stay like this any longer," Mac said, gritting his teeth a bit.
"It's okay, lean against me. I got you," Psymon said, moving his hand a bit more under the boy. He was still trying to get the kid to straighten his leg. He looked down at him. "Don't forget to keep your hands up, or else you'll leave yourself open."
"What?" Mac asked, looking up at him. That was all it took for him to lose his balance and send him and Psymon tumbling to the ground again. Psymon landed on his back again, with Mac landing partially on him and partially between his legs. The Canadian sat up, his arm still around the boy, and looked down at him.
"You ever think maybe you really aren't a fighter?" he asked, moving his arm from around Mac and placing it on his back. He gave him a gentle shove. "Up." When Mac didn't move, Psymon shoved a little harder. "I said get up."
"Psy, um...can I just sit here for a moment?" he asked. Psymon blinked.
"What, are you hurt?" he asked. Mac shook his head. Psymon leaned over, tilting forward at the same time, and looked at the boy. "You okay? What's wrong?"
"I don't know," Mac said, shrugging. "I just feel weird."
"Weird? Hm, maybe this Kaori thing has you really messed up. I told you fighting wouldn't help," Psymon said, scooting back a bit. Mac leaned back against him, surprising him. "Um, really, Mac, get up."
"Psymon," Mac said softly, looking up at him, "what if I don't like Kaori the way you all think? I mean, I care about her, but I really don't want a relationship with her. She's my best friend, I just don't want to see her hurt."
"Yeah, kid, I know that feeling," Psymon answered, nodding. "Now, will you get out of my lap so I can get up?"
"Sorry," Mac said softly, looking down. Psymon raised an eyebrow. Damn, what was the kid's problem? He pushed again at him. Finally, Mac moved, but not in a way Psymon had aniticipated. The boy leaned forward, then turned, putting his arms around Psymon's neck, and kissed him soundly on the lips. Psymon's eyes widened, his arms out in mid-air, not really sure what to do. A beat later, he got his thoughts back in order, and pushed Mac back, holding him by the shoulders.
"What the hell was that?" he asked. Mac just lowered his eyes, looking a bit off to the side. Psymon gave the boy a little shake. "Hey, I don't let just anyone kiss me, kid. Talk."
"I didn't want anyone to know," Mac said softly, looking back up at Psymon.
"Hell of a way to inform someone, boy," Psymon replied, releasing him. He moved back a bit more, bringing his left leg up and resting his arm on his knee. "How long have you known?"
"Since I was eleven," Mac answered softly. He looked up at Psymon. "You're not going to tell anyone are you?"
"Why should I? We all have are secrets, I don't think yours is any worse than anyone else's," Psymon said. "Now, you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah," Mac said, perking up. "Thank you." He threw himself forward, kissing Psymon again. Psymon pushed him back.
"Okay, yeah. You're welcome. Stop doing that, eh?" Psymon growled, holding the boy back from him. Mac blushed furiously.
"Sorry," he said softly. He looked up at Psymon shyly. "I, um...well, you're a good-looking guy."
"You know, I'm going to take that as a compliment and let this conversation end there," Psymon said, patting Mac on the shoulder. The boy looked up at him. Psymon raised his pierced brow. "Now what?" Mac mumbled something. "Eh?"
"I never had a real kiss before," he said softly. Psymon laughed.
"What was all that lip-locking you were doing earlier, then?" he asked. Mac shook his head.
"I meant a real kiss, like what you and Zoe do," he said. Psymon studied the boy.
"But kissing like that leads to babies," he answered, "and you don't really look my type."
"Please, Psymon," the boy said softly.
"Mac, I'm sorry, I really don't walk that line," Psymon answered. Mac looked up at him, tears in his eyes. Psymon sighed, knowing he was going to regret it. He pulled the boy close and kissed him, trying to imagine it was Zoe. Mac's lips parted slightly, and Psymon slipped his tounge in, holding the boy against his chest. He felt Mac's arms slip around him, holding on tightly. Finally, he pulled back and opened his eyes, looking at the boy. "Feel better?"
"Not really, but that was nice," Mac answered. Psymon laughed.
"You are some piece of work, kid. Let's get back to the camp and sorta try not to remember this moment," he said, getting up. He helped Mac up, then walked over and picked up his shirt, tossing the boy's jacket to him. He pulled on his shirt and headed back to the camp, really just wanting to lay down now. It had been a long morning.
Raven walked silently, Kaori holding his hand. He glanced over at her. The girl was practically skipping. He just smiled, pulling on her arm to bring her closer, then putting his arm around her. She looked up at him, grinning happily. He had draped his jacket over shoulders not long after they had left the restaurant. She looked cute in his jacket. He hugged her gently.
"You seem happier, Karasu," Kaori said. Raven smiled, noticing she didn't shy away from him now.
"I do better when I'm not around large crowds," he confessed. "I wasn't really raised around people."
"What? Were you raised by wolves?" Kaori laughed.
"No, lovely, I'm just from a small town," Raven chuckled. He stopped, looking up at a pair of singing birds. Kaori followed his gaze.
"They are so pretty," she said softly. Raven looked at her.
"You're prettier by far," he whispered. Kaori looked at him. He pulled her close, kissing her. He could feel her arms around him, hugging him tightly just as that familiar itch started in his shoulder. Not now, he thought. He pulled back, sighing. Kaori just looked at him, confusion in her liquid brown eyes. "Can you....wait here? I need to, um..."
"You should have done that before we left the restaurant," Kaori scolded, though he could tell she really wasn't mad.
"I know, bird. Wait here, I'll be right back," he said, walking into the brush. When he figured he was far enough out of hearing and sight range, he leaned against a tree, touching his shoulder. "Raven."
"How's the mision going?" the voice said in his ear.
"It would go a lot better, sir, if you would try contacting me while I'm around the others. Luckily, I made up an excuse to slip away," Raven answered.
"Good. Now, listen up. You know what your objective is, correct?" the voice asked.
"Aye, sir," Raven replied.
"Then you know that your first oppurtunity is arriving. Don't get distracted," the voice said, then there was a small click. Raven sighed and moved, turning. He leaned forward against the tree. The communications were such a drain on him. He heard a rustling and looked over, seeing Kaori.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "I wasn't trying to spy on you."
"It's alright, lovely, I just don't think brekkie set well with me," he lied. Kaori came over and put her arms around him. He straightened up and hugged her back, leaning down to nuzzle her neck and shoulders. She giggled, pulling back from him.
"We should be going. The first competition is tonight," she said. Raven nodded, guiding her back to the trail they'd been walking down. Hand in hand, they walked back to the league's campgrounds. Kaori gave Raven a quick kiss before running off to the bus she shared with Elise. Raven watched her go, smiling, then turned to go to his own bus, running smack into Psymon. The older man looked at him.
"No, thanks, I'm not in the mood to dance, kid," he said, moving past Raven.
"Wait," Raven called. Psymon looked back over his shoulder.
"What?" he asked. Raven walked up to him.
"I thought maybe we could talk," he offered. "You're the only one in the league I really don't know."
"I prefer it that way," Psymon said, turning away again.
"Please," Raven said softly. He saw the look in Psymon's eyes that showed he really didn't want to deal with him.
"I really don't want to, but if you insist, and I see that you do, then fine, we'll talk," Psymon said, motioning to a pair of banged up lawnchairs outside his winnebago. The two walked over and sat down. "So, Raven, is that your first name or last name?"
"Yes," Raven answered simply. "I wanted to ask you something."
"Sure, why not? Everyone else does," Psymon sighed.
"What will you do if the child isn't yours?" Raven asked softly. Psymon looked at him.
"Well, I suppose I'll continue loving Zoe," he replied, "and I'll love her child, too."
"You're a good man, Psymon," Raven said, looking out at the encampment.
"And you are full of surprises," Psymon answered, looking out at the camp as well.
"What do you want, eh?" he said, his voice just barely above a growl. The Frenchman backed up slightly, bringing a smile to Raven's lips.
"I wanted to know if you'd be joining me and Luth for breakfast," JP said quickly, visibly afraid of the younger man.
"I don't want brekkie, and if I did, I certainly wouldn't eat it with you and Luther," Raven answered flatly, he accent getting thicker with his agitiation. "Leave me alone. I've told you serveral times to leave me be, mate. What's it going to take?"
"Sorry," JP replied. "It just that we were going to have breakfast with some of the other members."
"I doubt any of them would be worth having brekkie with either," Raven snapped, shutting the door. He thought for a moment, then opened the door back up, seeing JP heading back to the front of the bus. "Oi, is Kaori going?"
"I think so," the Frenchman answered, looking back. Raven nodded.
"Give me about five minutes and I'll meet you outside," he said, then shut his door again. He pulled on the leather hairtie that secured his ponytail, allowing his long hair to come free. He pulled off his pants and looked up in the mirror, eyes catching on a jagged scar on his hip. He sighed and shook his head, then pulled on some clean pants and brushed his hair out. He re-tied the leather thong in, making sure his waist-length hair was secured in a ponytail again. Stretching a bit, he opened his closet and rummaged around, finally pulling out a black t-shirt. He pulled it on, not minding the tight fit of the thin material, then pulled on his leather jacket. Sitting down he tugged his hiking boots on, then got up and left his room. He trundled down the hall and outside, slipping his sunglasses on. He looked at the league members gathered around.
"Ohiyo, Karasu," Kaori chirped, hopping up to him.
"Um...Wyoming, Kaori," Raven answered a bit confused. Kaori laughed, and hugged his arm.
"No, baka, ohiyo. It mean...um, 'good morning,' I think," Kaori asked. "That is the right translation, hm?"
"Yeah, it is. Sorry, I just woke up," Raven apologized. He looked at the others, then back at the Japanese girl clinging to him. "Kaori, I'm going to need that arm."
"Nani?" Kaori asked as Raven pulled his arm away.
"Well, see, bird, Mac is coming this way and he looks like he's fixing to take me apart, so, I'm going to need me arm to defend meself," Raven explain, watching Mac's approach. "I might even need it to beat the shit out of the little twit."
"Karasu, no," Kaori pleaded, taking hold of his arm again. Raven looked down at her, then back at Mac as he walked up.
"What are you doing, Kaori?" the boy asked. Raven gave up trying to free his arm from Kaori's grasp. He looked at Mac.
"Oi, why don't you leave her alone?" Raven asked. Mac looked up at him.
"Why don't you?" the boy demanded.
"Hey, I'm the one she holding onto," Raven answered. Mac looked down at Kaori's hands holding onto Raven's arm, then back up at Raven, frowning. He looked over at Kaori.
"You sure jumped on him quick," Mac accused. Kaori moved behind Raven.
"Maybe she wanted someone her own age, or at the very least," Raven said, smiling in that predatory way he always did, "more mature."
That did it for Mac. He lunged for the older boy, swinging his fist toward him. Raven pulled away from Kaori easily and caught Mac's fist in mid-punch, then grabbed the boy's throat with the other hand. He applied enough pressure to make the boy stop fighting him, but not enough to cause any real damage. He pulled on Mac's arm until the boy yelped in pain, then relaxed his grip.
"I see I have your attention now," Raven said, smirking. "It's far too early to be fighting. All Kaori did was say hello to me. Isn't that right, Kaori? See, Mac? She was just being friendly. We're all going to go have a nice brekkie. You can come, too, if you leave your bad attitude here."
"Let me go," Mac gasped. He tried to pull out of Raven's grasp, but yelped when the older boy pulled on his arm again. "Alright! Alright. I'll behave."
"Mm, good. Now apologize to Kaori for upsetting her," Raven answered. Mac looked at the Japanese girl hiding behind Raven.
"I'm sorry," he rasped out. Raven released him, letting him fall to his knees. The older boy knealt down, looking him in the eyes.
"You ever try to pull this alpha male shit with me again, I'll tear your arm off," he warned quietly, then stood up. He walked of with the group going to breakfast, leave Mac sitting on the ground trying to catch his breath. He looked down at Kaori, who was clinging to his arm again. "You okay, lovely?"
"Why did you do that to him?" she asked quietly. Raven sighed.
"I didn't hurt him, and I certainly didn't want him trying to fight with me. I was worried you'd get hurt," he answered softly. He felt Kaori hug his arm and smiled.
Psymon was sitting in a lawnchair outside his winnebago, reading the newspaper. He hadn't been around home in so long, he couldn't believe all the news he was having to catch up on. Sparky was perched on his left shoulder, enjoying the sun, while Mackerel was flopped across his lap, purring happily. Psymon looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw Mac standing in front of him.
"I want you to show me how to fight," he said flatly.
"What, now?" Psymon asked, looking at the boy over the top of his newspaper.
"Yeah, maybe," Mac said, setting his jaw in a determined expression. Psymon sighed, putting the paper back up to ignore him. Suddenly the paper was jerked out of his hand, ripping. Mackerel yowled in surprise and ran off Psymon's lap, digging his claws in as he did. Psymon stood up, shouting in pain, upsetting the crow on his shoulder as well. He caught the bird before it tried to hop off as well, since it couldn't fly, and craddled it in his arms, then glared at Mac.
"Kid, you'd better go get Zoe's cat from under the winnebago," he said angrily, "and he better be okay. Then you're going to go up to the lodge and buy me another damn newspaper and be glad I don't turn you over my knee and spank you, since you obviously need a lesson in manners."
"Sorry," Mac muttered, holding the ripped newspaper out. Psymon snatched it away, watching the boy crawl under the winnebago. He folded the paper up as best he could with one hand, then set it on the ground, settling back into his lawnchair. He moved the chair around, so he could watch Mac trying to coax Mackerel out. This was the best entertainment he'd had in a long time. He moved Sparky back up to his shoulder and yawned. Soon enough, the cat came out on it's own accord and hopped up into Psymon's lap. Zoe came out of the winnebago, hands around her swollen belly, and walked up to Psymon.
"What the hell's going on out here?" she asked, looking under the winnebago at the noise.
"I sent Mac under there to look for the cat," Psymon explained, petting Mackerel. Zoe looked at the cat purring on Psymon's lap, then at the noise coming from under their little home.
"How long are you going to let him look?" Zoe asked, picking Mackerel up and sitting in Psymon's lap.
"Until I'm not pissed at the little shit anymore," Psymon answered, putting his arms around Zoe, stroking her belly gently. He could feel the baby kicking under his hands and smiled, nuzzling the woman's shoulder. He really did love her, even if the child she was carrying turned out not to be his. He really didn't want Hiro to get off easily if it was his kid, but he'd help Zoe raise it if that's what she wanted. He looked up over Zoe's shoulder at the sound of Mac cursing under the winnebago. The boy crawled out and looked up at him and Zoe, then at the cat she was petting, and cursed again. Psymon's eyes narrowed. "Hey, watch your mouth, boy."
"Like you don't say worse," Mac snapped. Zoe got up, feeling Psymon moving under her. Psymon walked over and looked down at the boy.
"Yeah, I do, and I'm old enough to," he answered. "Now, what the hell is your problem?"
"I want you to teach me how to fight," Mac said.
"Why? You pissed off because Raven knocked you on your ass?" Psymon asked, smirking. He pulled out his pack of Pall Malls and lit one, inhaling the smoke deep into his lungs. He really didn't want to mess with the kid so early in the morning. He just wanted to read his newspaper, have a smoke, then maybe go jogging with Brodi when he got back.
"You saw that?" Mac asked, looking ashamed.
"Kid, I can't think of anyone that probably didn't see it, 'cept Zoe 'cause she was inside," Psymon said, motioning to her, the smoke from the cigarette curling about his arm. He frowned at Mac. "I'm not going to teach you how to fight so you can go get your ass kicked again, but I will teach you some self-defence. I don't care much for Raven either."
"I can't believe Kaori actually sided with him," Mac muttered.
"Whoa, whoa," Psymon said, putting his hands up. "This about Kaori liking the guy? It is, eh? Forget it, I'm not going to help you fight with him. Take your wounded pride elsewhere."
"Psy, please," the boy begged. Psymon sighed.
"Kid, I have no doubt in my mind that Raven is dangerous and could kill you if he were so inclined to do it. Your best bet is to forget Kaori. Besides, I don't think he's as interested in her as he lets on," Psymon said. "Now, go to the lodge and get my newspaper."
Mac grumbled and walked off, Psymon watching him. Soon as the boy was far enough out of earshot, the Canadian looked at Zoe and walked over to her. He gathered her in his arms, liking the feeling of the baby's kicks against his stomach. He nuzzled her cheek, then kissed her. He sighed softly, resting his forehead against hers.
Raven picked at his food, listening to the others around him. Restaraunts were not his favorite place. He looked up through his reddish- brown bangs at Kaori and blinked, sitting up straighter. The girl was still watching him. He looked down at his plate and felt the girl kick his shin under the table. Letting out a soft grunt of pain he looked back up at her.
"What?" he asked. Kaori leaned over the table, like she was trying to speak privately to him. Privacy in a busy restaraunt, what a joke.
"What did you do before you joined the SSX league?" she asked quietly. Raven shrugged.
"I skateboarded some, did a little motocross, mostly went to high school," he answered.
"What's it like in England? I asked Moby, but he never tells me. You sound like you are from the same area as he is," she said, smiling that beautiful smile of hers. Raven just laughed, making her eyes widen.
"I'm not from England, bird," Raven said, finally getting his laughing under control. "Me parents are from England. I was born right here in ol' British Columbia. They moved over here a long time ago, before I was even a twinkle in me da's eye."
"You still have the accent, though," Kaori said. Bright girl, Raven thought.
"Yeah, I've heard it long enough," he answered. He looked out the window beside him at the mountains in the distance. He didn't like lying to her, but what choice did he have? No one could know the truth yet. Kaori squeezed his hand gently, returning him back to the present. He looked at the girl holding his hand. "What about you? What do you do when you're not bouncing around the world with this motley bunch?"
"I do voice acting for a cartoon my father makes," she answered, her thumb gently massaging the back of his hand. Raven raised his pierced brow.
"No shit?" he asked, then looked down at her disapproving expression. He looked back up at her through his bangs, over the top of his sunglasses. "Really? What's the cartoon called?"
"Orange Explosion Fun Girl," Kaori answered proudly. Raven couldn't help but laugh. He looked at Kaori and saw she smiled. "It is good to hear you laugh. Why do you want to be so scary?"
"Keeps the others away. Besides, I'm not really use to being around other people," he said softly. Why was he opening up to this girl? Damn, she was easily tearing down his walls. His attention snapped to the now as Kaori's hand moved over an implant in his arm. He moved his arm slightly under her touch.
"What's this?" the girl asked.
"Steel plate," Raven lied. Kaori just nodded.
"I've got a few of them myself," she said. The others were starting to get up. Brodi leaned over to them.
"Hey, kids, we're going back to the camp. Last chance for waffles," he said.
"I think I'll walk back, Brodi, thanks," Raven said getting up. He dug into his pocket, then tossed a few crumpled bills on the table, enough to cover his and Kaori's breakfast, plus a tip. He tugged on his jacket and slipped past the surfer. Heading towards the door, he felt a familiar small hand slipp into his. He looked down at Kaori. "It's a long walk back, lovely."
"I don't want to interrupt our conversation," the Japanses girl replied. Raven nodded.
"Very well. Come on," he said, leading her outside.
Brodi watched the two walk off. He wasn't sure if he should be approving of Kaori's infactuation with the young man. Raven did seem to be a different person around her. Less...scary, but still hiding something. What could he possibly be up to? He looked over at JP.
"Hey, JP," he called to the Frenchman.
"Oui?" JP asked, walking over to Brodi.
"Raven ever talk to you and Luther much?" he asked. JP shook his head, making Brodi frown. "He hasn't told you anything at all?"
"Non," JP answered, "he rarely speaks to us unless it is to yell at us."
"Figures," Brodi murmured. He looked back at the Frenchman. "Why doesn't anyone know anything about him? Don't the officials have to screen the boarders before they join the league?"
"I'm sure someone around here has talked with him," JP answered.
"Yeah, but I think she just left with him," Brodi replied, looking once again at the two figures walking down the road.
"Here, I brought you your damn paper," Mac said, tossing the newspaper on Psymon's lap. "Now will you teach me to fight?"
"One track mind, boy," Psymon replied, picking up the paper and leafing through it. He found where he'd left off earlier and began reading, pointedly ignoring Mac. The boy reached for the paper, but Psymon caught his hand in a tight grip. "You rip this one and I'm going to beat you into a pulp and then send whatever's left to buy me another newspaper, got it?"
"Yeah," Mac said, pulling his hand back. "Why won't you show me?"
"For starters, I don't really feel like it," Psymon answered, looking at the boy over his newspaper. "Plus, I don't want you picking a fight with Raven. I mean it, kid, that guy is bad news. If Kaori likes him, let it go. Don't look at me like that. If she's got her panties soaked over him, there's nothing you can do about it, and knocking him around...or more to the point, letting him beat the shit out of you, is not going to help."
"What if I want you to show me so I can learn to be more aggressive?" Mac asked. Psymon folded the newspaper back up.
"Aggressive? Why? chicks don't really dig that 'I got the biggest dick around.' crap, you know," he said.
"Worked for you," Mac replied. "You got Zoe."
"Eh?" Psymon asked, blinking. "Oh. You think Zoe loves me because I'm tough? Because I kick ass and give the officials crap all the time? Wrong. Zoe knows me, she's seen me at my worst and she's not afraid of me. She's..." He looked off, a dreaminess creeping into his thoughts. He looked back at Mac. "It doesn't matter how you act or who's got the bigger balls, it comes down to treating the girl right. I've done zoe wrong in the past, and every day I make up for it. You want to win Kaori back? You'd better find out what she likes about Raven, and then you figure out if you got it, too. If so, go for it, if not...let her go, man."
"That doesn't sound fair," Mac answered. Psymon shrugged.
"Life ain't fair, kid. Live with it," he replied, then put the paper back up to read it.
"I still want to learn to fight," the boy said softly. Psymon sighed. First Kaori asked his about sex, now Mac wants to know how to be a man. What next, Luther comes over to ask what window treatment would look best in his tourbus?
"Fine. I'll teach you," Psymon answered, getting up, "but let's go somewhere else. Last thing I need is for everyone to think I'm beating on you."
Mac nodded and the two of them walked off to a more wooded area. Once Psymon was satisfied they were far enough out, he stopped and took off his shirt, tossing it on a low branch. He looked at Mac, who was staring at his tattooes and the jagged, ugly cut that ran up his left arm. He sighed and walked over to him, then tugged at the bulky hooded sweatshirt.
"This is going to have to come off," he said. "You can't move in it."
"Alright," Mac said, pulling it off, leaving nothing but a t-shirt hugging his thin frame. Psymon nodded as the boy tossed it on the branch with his shirt.
"Good," he said. "Now let's start with the basics. Throw a few punches, let me see how you do."
"I don't want to hurt you," Mac said.
"Like you could, boy," Psymon scoffed. Mac just nodded and came at him, fists flying towards Psymon. He easily blocked the boy's punches, watching his form. "You need to not leave yourself open."
"What?" Mac asked, throwing another punch. Psymon threw his hand out, open-palmed, and caught the boy on the chest, sending him onto his back. He walked over and held his hand, helping Mac up. The boy took his offered hand and used it to propel himself forward, fist striking out. Psymon caught on too late to block it and the blow glanced off his jaw, sending him stubling back, still holding Mac's other hand. He stumbled, falling back and taking the boy with him. Landing with a grunt, he cursed softly as the boy landed on top of him. He glared at Mac.
"What the hell was that?" he growled, neither of them moving. The boy looked at him from where he was sprawled across his body.
"Sorry, I just thought I'd try something different," he said. "I guess it worked."
"Yeah. Damn that hurt," Psymon replied, rubbing his jaw where Mac had hit him. He looked at the boy, raising his pierced brow. "And get the hell off me."
"Um..right," Mac muttered, putting his hands on Psymon's chest and pushing up, sitting up on the Canadian's hips. He leaned the the side, getting a leg under him and was reward with a yelp of pain from Psymon, who sat up abruptly.
"Get your damn knee out of the way," he snarled, knocking the boy off him. He drew his legs up, hugging his knees. "I bring you out here to teach you how to fight, and you knee me in my tender bits."
"I didn't mean to," Mac snapped, knealing next to Psymon. "If you hadn't pulled me on top of you, I wouldn't have."
"Correction, if you hadn't hit me, I'd've never fallen to start with," Psymon said, looking at the boy. The kid's face was flushed. Was he embarrassed that he'd hurt him or what? He reached over and pushed the boy gently, knocking him back on his butt. Mac just laughed and looked at him.
"You okay now?" he asked. Psymon nodded.
"Yeah, you didn't press down that hard. So, wanna work on kicks?" he asked. Mac nodded and got up, helping Psymon up. Psymon turned him around and positioned his feet and then body and arms into a fighting stance. "Now, you see, most people just figure martial arts are the cool way to go. Not me, nope. I think if you can knock the crap out of someone while they're doing all that fancy dancing, well, you win, eh? Now, the thing is, a fighting stance is important, no matter what style of fighting you're using. I prefer bar room brawling, myself, but a little guy like you is gonna need something a bit quicker."
"Okay," Mac replied softly. Psymon looked down at him. What was with the kid all of a sudden? He shook his head and got a hold of the boy's arms.
"Here, hold them up like this. That's right. Okay, you want to lift this leg and kick, but be sure to lean so you balance out," he intructed, helping the boy to lean back as he stretched his leg out. He felt Mac wobble a bit. "Easy there. No, don't point your toes, you want to kick with the flat of your foot...preferably the ball of it if you can. Keep that leg up till I tell you to put it down. Straighten out. Just like that."
"I don't think I can stay like this any longer," Mac said, gritting his teeth a bit.
"It's okay, lean against me. I got you," Psymon said, moving his hand a bit more under the boy. He was still trying to get the kid to straighten his leg. He looked down at him. "Don't forget to keep your hands up, or else you'll leave yourself open."
"What?" Mac asked, looking up at him. That was all it took for him to lose his balance and send him and Psymon tumbling to the ground again. Psymon landed on his back again, with Mac landing partially on him and partially between his legs. The Canadian sat up, his arm still around the boy, and looked down at him.
"You ever think maybe you really aren't a fighter?" he asked, moving his arm from around Mac and placing it on his back. He gave him a gentle shove. "Up." When Mac didn't move, Psymon shoved a little harder. "I said get up."
"Psy, um...can I just sit here for a moment?" he asked. Psymon blinked.
"What, are you hurt?" he asked. Mac shook his head. Psymon leaned over, tilting forward at the same time, and looked at the boy. "You okay? What's wrong?"
"I don't know," Mac said, shrugging. "I just feel weird."
"Weird? Hm, maybe this Kaori thing has you really messed up. I told you fighting wouldn't help," Psymon said, scooting back a bit. Mac leaned back against him, surprising him. "Um, really, Mac, get up."
"Psymon," Mac said softly, looking up at him, "what if I don't like Kaori the way you all think? I mean, I care about her, but I really don't want a relationship with her. She's my best friend, I just don't want to see her hurt."
"Yeah, kid, I know that feeling," Psymon answered, nodding. "Now, will you get out of my lap so I can get up?"
"Sorry," Mac said softly, looking down. Psymon raised an eyebrow. Damn, what was the kid's problem? He pushed again at him. Finally, Mac moved, but not in a way Psymon had aniticipated. The boy leaned forward, then turned, putting his arms around Psymon's neck, and kissed him soundly on the lips. Psymon's eyes widened, his arms out in mid-air, not really sure what to do. A beat later, he got his thoughts back in order, and pushed Mac back, holding him by the shoulders.
"What the hell was that?" he asked. Mac just lowered his eyes, looking a bit off to the side. Psymon gave the boy a little shake. "Hey, I don't let just anyone kiss me, kid. Talk."
"I didn't want anyone to know," Mac said softly, looking back up at Psymon.
"Hell of a way to inform someone, boy," Psymon replied, releasing him. He moved back a bit more, bringing his left leg up and resting his arm on his knee. "How long have you known?"
"Since I was eleven," Mac answered softly. He looked up at Psymon. "You're not going to tell anyone are you?"
"Why should I? We all have are secrets, I don't think yours is any worse than anyone else's," Psymon said. "Now, you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah," Mac said, perking up. "Thank you." He threw himself forward, kissing Psymon again. Psymon pushed him back.
"Okay, yeah. You're welcome. Stop doing that, eh?" Psymon growled, holding the boy back from him. Mac blushed furiously.
"Sorry," he said softly. He looked up at Psymon shyly. "I, um...well, you're a good-looking guy."
"You know, I'm going to take that as a compliment and let this conversation end there," Psymon said, patting Mac on the shoulder. The boy looked up at him. Psymon raised his pierced brow. "Now what?" Mac mumbled something. "Eh?"
"I never had a real kiss before," he said softly. Psymon laughed.
"What was all that lip-locking you were doing earlier, then?" he asked. Mac shook his head.
"I meant a real kiss, like what you and Zoe do," he said. Psymon studied the boy.
"But kissing like that leads to babies," he answered, "and you don't really look my type."
"Please, Psymon," the boy said softly.
"Mac, I'm sorry, I really don't walk that line," Psymon answered. Mac looked up at him, tears in his eyes. Psymon sighed, knowing he was going to regret it. He pulled the boy close and kissed him, trying to imagine it was Zoe. Mac's lips parted slightly, and Psymon slipped his tounge in, holding the boy against his chest. He felt Mac's arms slip around him, holding on tightly. Finally, he pulled back and opened his eyes, looking at the boy. "Feel better?"
"Not really, but that was nice," Mac answered. Psymon laughed.
"You are some piece of work, kid. Let's get back to the camp and sorta try not to remember this moment," he said, getting up. He helped Mac up, then walked over and picked up his shirt, tossing the boy's jacket to him. He pulled on his shirt and headed back to the camp, really just wanting to lay down now. It had been a long morning.
Raven walked silently, Kaori holding his hand. He glanced over at her. The girl was practically skipping. He just smiled, pulling on her arm to bring her closer, then putting his arm around her. She looked up at him, grinning happily. He had draped his jacket over shoulders not long after they had left the restaurant. She looked cute in his jacket. He hugged her gently.
"You seem happier, Karasu," Kaori said. Raven smiled, noticing she didn't shy away from him now.
"I do better when I'm not around large crowds," he confessed. "I wasn't really raised around people."
"What? Were you raised by wolves?" Kaori laughed.
"No, lovely, I'm just from a small town," Raven chuckled. He stopped, looking up at a pair of singing birds. Kaori followed his gaze.
"They are so pretty," she said softly. Raven looked at her.
"You're prettier by far," he whispered. Kaori looked at him. He pulled her close, kissing her. He could feel her arms around him, hugging him tightly just as that familiar itch started in his shoulder. Not now, he thought. He pulled back, sighing. Kaori just looked at him, confusion in her liquid brown eyes. "Can you....wait here? I need to, um..."
"You should have done that before we left the restaurant," Kaori scolded, though he could tell she really wasn't mad.
"I know, bird. Wait here, I'll be right back," he said, walking into the brush. When he figured he was far enough out of hearing and sight range, he leaned against a tree, touching his shoulder. "Raven."
"How's the mision going?" the voice said in his ear.
"It would go a lot better, sir, if you would try contacting me while I'm around the others. Luckily, I made up an excuse to slip away," Raven answered.
"Good. Now, listen up. You know what your objective is, correct?" the voice asked.
"Aye, sir," Raven replied.
"Then you know that your first oppurtunity is arriving. Don't get distracted," the voice said, then there was a small click. Raven sighed and moved, turning. He leaned forward against the tree. The communications were such a drain on him. He heard a rustling and looked over, seeing Kaori.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "I wasn't trying to spy on you."
"It's alright, lovely, I just don't think brekkie set well with me," he lied. Kaori came over and put her arms around him. He straightened up and hugged her back, leaning down to nuzzle her neck and shoulders. She giggled, pulling back from him.
"We should be going. The first competition is tonight," she said. Raven nodded, guiding her back to the trail they'd been walking down. Hand in hand, they walked back to the league's campgrounds. Kaori gave Raven a quick kiss before running off to the bus she shared with Elise. Raven watched her go, smiling, then turned to go to his own bus, running smack into Psymon. The older man looked at him.
"No, thanks, I'm not in the mood to dance, kid," he said, moving past Raven.
"Wait," Raven called. Psymon looked back over his shoulder.
"What?" he asked. Raven walked up to him.
"I thought maybe we could talk," he offered. "You're the only one in the league I really don't know."
"I prefer it that way," Psymon said, turning away again.
"Please," Raven said softly. He saw the look in Psymon's eyes that showed he really didn't want to deal with him.
"I really don't want to, but if you insist, and I see that you do, then fine, we'll talk," Psymon said, motioning to a pair of banged up lawnchairs outside his winnebago. The two walked over and sat down. "So, Raven, is that your first name or last name?"
"Yes," Raven answered simply. "I wanted to ask you something."
"Sure, why not? Everyone else does," Psymon sighed.
"What will you do if the child isn't yours?" Raven asked softly. Psymon looked at him.
"Well, I suppose I'll continue loving Zoe," he replied, "and I'll love her child, too."
"You're a good man, Psymon," Raven said, looking out at the encampment.
"And you are full of surprises," Psymon answered, looking out at the camp as well.