A/N: Alright, lets see, this chapter is pretty short and pretty crappy, but I felt I owed it to you guys to at least post something. Remember, school started so I'm swamped. Also I have major writer's block for this story. Just remember that I love you guys and I'm doing my best. Oh and also, I DO know that this story seems to take place in about a week. Please use your imaginations and pretend this could happen in real life.
Disclaimer: Somebody else must own the Thief Lord 'cause I sure as hell don't.
Every creak, every groan of an old floor board set Hornet on edge. Carrying her boots in one hand and her bag in the other, she took the quietest path she could through the ancient theater. It was late, so late in fact, it could be considered early. Hornet had not wanted to take any chances of leaving too early and being caught.
An inconveniently placed jacket entangled itself on Hornet's foot causing her to stumble. The noise was small but seemed to echo in the silence. Hornet froze, heart pounding. She needn't have worried. Riccio, she had learned, slept through near anything, and Mosca had been up late with his radio. He would be out till far after dawn.
Scipio didn't sleep in the theater. Slipping out sometime after Hornet fell asleep, the Thief Lord was out lurking. He was the one she had to look out for.
Finally Hornet crept out the side door, careful to open it only enough to slide through, so that the buzzer did not sound. Breathing more easily out in the open, Hornet strode through the streets of Venice. A week ago, these streets had been terrifying and hopelessly confusing. Now Hornet felt completely at home in them. It would be a shame to leave the city.
Moonlight silvered the world around her, turning crumbling fountains into works of art, the water splashing gently into the pools. Feeling like a child of the night, Hornet jumped up onto the lip of the fountain, straightened, and twirled. It felt so surreal, as if life truly was so beautiful. Walking along the ledge, she hopped off as it curved back around, and continued down another street.
A while later, euphoria dimmed a bit, Hornet stopped. She heard something. The sharp slap of sneakers on pavement. And louder was the clatter of boots.
"Stop thief!" a deep voice shouted. Hornet froze, looking wildly around her. Impact caught her off guard, sending her and the person who ran into her to the ground. Pushing up at the weight, Hornet caught a nose with the heel of her hand. A familiar grunt was issued above her.
"Scipio?"
"Hornet?" For a fraction of a second, Scipio's eyes widened in surprise, but another shout from behind them made him glance over his shoulder. Scrambling up, he dragged Hornet to her feet and pushed her into an ally. Sprinting, they flew through the dark. The situation felt ironically familiar to Hornet.
Finally the shouting behind them dimmed, their pursuer gave up. Panting Hornet leaned against the wall of the building behind her. Hands on his knees, Scipio gave a breathless laugh.
"Well that was fun." Hornet raised an eyebrow but Scipio just looked confused again. "What're you doing-?" Hornet saw his eyes fall on the bag she had dropped next to her and heard his sharp intake of breath. For reasons unknown to Hornet, she felt like crawling into the nearest hole and hiding. For reasons even less known to her, Scipio looked really sad. "You're leaving?" Hornet cast around for an excuse. Oh this, no I was just, um, grocery shopping? At midnight… Hornet sighed. "Why?" The genuine hurt in his voice made Hornet look up. In the shadow of the ally, Scipio's eyes were hidden. Pushing back her bangs, Hornet wondered at herself. Just this afternoon, she had been so ready to get out of there, now one friendship and two guys giving her puppy-dog eyes made her completely unsure.
"Because," she said. Scipio's eyebrows rose.
"Because?"
"Yea, because," Hornet said. She picked up her bag and started walking away. Hornet would spend the rest of her life wondering why she wheeled back around. "Because, I'm just one girl, Scipio! I-I don't know what you want from me, but I just can't take this anymore." Hornet felt trapped, breathing in short quick gasps. "Please, if kissing me was a mistake then I'll go right now. If not-," Hornet swallowed. "I just need to know." Standing there in front of him, emotionally drained and exhausted from being so on edge, she waited.
Scipio took a hesitant step forward, then another, till he was a few feet in front of her. He lifted his hand towards her as if reaching for Hornet, then lowered it, unsure. A moment later, he growled in frustration and closed the distance between them. Scipio's lips crashed into hers, his hand on her shoulder.
"It wasn't a mistake. I was just too stupid to realize it," he said, drawing back a little. Hornet felt flushed, her heart beat wildly as he came towards her again, this time more gently. Hands on her waist, Scipio held her in a way she never had been before, and as infuriating as he had been the past few days, Hornet felt that she couldn't pull away, couldn't stop. Her arm wrapped around his neck, wound her fingers in his hair.
The bag dropped back to the ground, forgotten.
A/N: heh. Hope you didn't hate it. Just so you know, this is a story about one boy's extreme lack of confidence and one girl's extreme confusion. Well… something like that anyway. Oh, and I NEED YOUR HELP! How the heck should I end this story? I have an idea, but your input would help a lot. Till next time—PEACE!
