Dark Hearts

[Dragongal]

It would be fitting, but maybe not the most appropriate at that moment. "Hm... tempting, tempting. But in the middle of a fast-food joint? Come on, now." She was mostly teasing but deep down, she was also scared of being kissed. It might end with her getting hurt, or worse, with Matt getting hurt.


"I mean, if you don't want to drop me off, then I'd like to stay with you. I like your company a whole lot." What he'd said was true, but... he also had concerns about leaving Mason alone.

 

[sugakookie]

Matt laughs. "Okay, fair enough. I'll wait to be somewhere more romantic, Your Highness." Matt had a feeling there was a specific reason she declined and said she hadn't properly been kissed. It wasn't safe to assume, though, so Matt keeps his theories to himself.


Mason smiles. "I'd like that. Where would you want to go?" Mason asks. He didn't want Eli to leave, either. He wanted to keep his company for as long as possible.

 

[Dragongal]

He was a playful guy, she had to give him that much. "Thank you." Their meals and drinks were done, so she paused a bit. "Where would you like to go now?"


Where was there to go so late at night? Eli was having trouble thinking of a place. "I mean, I dunno.... I don't really care where we go as long as we can be together...."

 

[sugakookie]

"Hmm.. I don't know, where do you usually go after taking men out to fast food places?" Matt raises an eyebrow rather curiously, wondering if she had anything in mind.


A stereotypical guy, straight or not, would offer back to my place with a suggestive tone, but Mason said "Let's go to my apartment, maybe?" With not a single bit of suggestiveness. He said it in an innocent tone, one suggesting to just play a game or watch a movie.

 

[Dragongal]

Em smiled slightly and shrugged. "I don't normally take guys anywhere. I go to work and go home, usually. So, since I picked here, you pick the next place."


The thought of going back to Mason's apartment was a comfortable one. Especially since Eli didn't want to leave him alone at the moment, seeing as how he'd just gone through a flashback of some kind and might have more mental anguish further through the night. Whether he spent the night or not, he didn't particularly care. Just hanging out was fine by him. However, he had to be at work in about two hours for a graveyard to morning shift, so he quickly sent a text to the new waitress and asked her to pick up his shift. He knew she was in college and needed the money, so she'd be happy to take the hours.


Conroy walked back into the diner and slid into his usual seat, slightly surprised that Eli wasn't there as he normally was on a Thursday at that late hour. Instead, a young girl was waiting on him. For a moment, he almost became self-conscious, but that wasn't in his nature. His medium-long wavy hair was pulled back so just the bangs hung by his face and the rest was in a very short ponytail. His black wool jacket covered his white t-shirt and black jean combination. As usual, he had his multiple necklaces and pendants hanging from around his neck.

 

[sugakookie]

"Hmm..." As Matt is thinking, the two make their way to his car. His phone buzzes, interrupting his thoughts, so he looks at it. A sigh escapes his lips. 'Matthew- URGENT. Come ASAP. Man, mid-thirties, brown hair, brown eyes, average height, apartment number 331. Delete after reading.' This is what a new text says, followed by an address. It's from his father. Usually he gets these texts when his target escapes him, and he is usually the one to catch a runaway. Not his brother. Not the baby (though he isn't the youngest), the favorite. Matt, being exceptionally good with a photographic memory, remembers the address and deleted the text. He looks to Emmalia. "Sorry, dear. Looks like I have to cut our date short, work just called me in. I'll drive you home." The two reach his car and Matt unlocks it, then goes to the driver's side of the car.


"I hope you don't have anywhere to be, Eli. I don't want to take you away from other plans," Mason says. Still, he drives towards his apartment on the slightly more wealthy side of the city. An apartment that was one of his many homes. He was staying in this apartment because it was near his school, and near where his brother usually stays.


The waitress walks toward the man who has just sit down. The man with the short ponytail whose eyes she couldn't seem to meet without feeling her ears get warm. She decided to stare at his nose or forehead instead of his striking eyes. That helped with the blushing. "Good evening, sir. What would you like to drink?" Maven asks smoothly. She took notice of the necklaces on his chest, something that wasn't unfamiliar to her. She didn't mention them, though. She also forbade herself from taking notice of his slim jawline and the way the silver in his eyes seemed to move like liquid mercury-- crap. She was looking into his eyes and doing exactly what she told herself she wouldn't do. Sure enough, Maven feels the blush return to her face.

 

[Dragongal]

For some reason, the idea of Matt "being called into work," upset Em. Not because he was about to kill somebody, but because she knew he didn't really like it. She slid into her seat without saying anything, though her hand drifted over to Matt's lap to get his attention. She gave him a gentle little smile and leaned in to kiss his cheek before sitting up straight again and removing her hand. "Alright, then, take me home."


Eli chuckled. "Don't worry, I don't have any plans. There is actually a new girl at the cafe and she's been hoping to pick up extra hours, and I didn't want to work anyway, so it works out well." He gave Mason a confident little smile, like everything was okay.As they stopped rode around, Eli looked at the buildings. He liked architecture, and this was the nice part of town - he couldn't afford to live there.


Roy gave the waitress a gentle smile, and felt himself blush when she did. They made eye contact and held it, before he forcefully broke it and looked at the closed menu he didn't need. He wanted to look at her eyes again - cinnamon-honey-amber, something warm and gentle and comforting. Not one to act on his emotions, though, Conroy cleared his throat and quickly said, "Uh, warm tea, that would be fine, ma'am, miss, uh..." The blush returned to his face before he sighed and looked up at her with a grin. "I am sorry, I am  complete mess tonight."

 

[sugakookie]

Matt looks at Emmalia with slight surprise, then chuckles to forget the ever so slight blush coming to his cheeks. "You're making it difficult to do that, you know. Take you home, I mean. But I have to. Doesn't mean you have to stay at home, so if I call you after work, you better be awake." Matt smirks and drives off. He thinks about when they first touched and how he saw himself through his eyes. Matt wonders now what Emmalia thinks when she sees him.


Mason parks behind the apartments. The two make their way to his apartment. Once the door is opened, evidence of a man living alone shows. The place is generally tidy... except for the open sock drawer with white socks hanging out, the shoes that have found their way off their rack and onto the floor, and the many cans of RC Cola placed on every table. The king sized bed is half made. Medals and trophies line a wall. One wall on the far side from his bed has a map and dozens of pictures of people surrounding it, some of the photos looking like they've been through a lot. There are more things there, like news clippings and various other photos. In the bottom right hand corner, the words "We all have demons. I just choose to feed mine." are written in maroon ink. Mason notices that this wall is visible moments after guiding Eli in. "Shit," Mason hisses, then bolts to the wall and pins up a folded tapestry in front of it in a matter of moments. Why didn't he remember that that was uncovered? Hopefully Eli didn't see much...


Maven smiles at the man and shakes her head. "No worries. Warm tea it is. You're not opening your menu... do you already know what you'd like to order?" She asks. Honestly, she wished he hadn't made up his mind yet. Then she could leave and come back later to spend an extra moment with him and ask, are you ready to order? It didn't matter much though. She was happy just being able to see that he was blushing as well.

 

[Dragongal]

Em just smiled and sat quietly in the car. This seemed like something she'd have to adjust to, him suddenly disappearing on call. Oh well.... 


Eli caught a glimpse of the wall. Mason trying to hide it hadn't helped with discretion much. Unsure of what to do, Eli just played it off  with a slight smile. He already knew that Mason was unstable, after all. "I see you like interesting wall arts."


Conroy seemed jolted back into the moment as he looked down at the closed menu. "Uh, I mean, yeah, yes please. BLT, the works, um, yea, please." For a moment, he was worried if he sounded drunk. Did she think he sounded drunk? Maybe.... in truth he just seemed caught off-guard.

 

[sugakookie]

Matt brings Emmalia home and they part ways. Almost as soon as Em leaves the car, Matt speeds off. While driving, he opens the glove compartment and takes out gloves and a gun. Once the gloves are on, he manages to drive with a knee while loading the gun. This city is mapped out in his head from north to south end and everything in between. It doesn't take him long to find the target's apartment building. Nobody is in the lot, so Matt parks at the street and gets all of his gear on. A hat, mask, and black coat. The gun is tucked inside his coat as he makes his way up the stares and to apartment 331.


Mason chuckles awkwardly and rubs the back of his neck. "You probably think I'm nuts. Sorry," Mason says. Well, he is nuts in a way. But he likes to think of himself as perfectly sane.


Maven was amused to say the least. Should she introduce herself? She felt like she should. "Alright, I'll get that to you soon. My name is Maven, by the way." She flashes him a kind smile and takes away his menu. Maven walks past the tables and disappears to the back to drop off the order.

 

[Dragongal]

Alone in her apartment, Em flocked on the lights and sighed before turning the lights off and continuing as she had to the window to just watch the city. 


Eli cocked his head to the side and smiled. "No, I think you're fine. I didn't see much, though, if it makes you feel any better." With a few steps, he walked over in front of Mason and took his hands. "I won't ask. If you want to tell me, you can."


Roy watched after Maven for a few moments and smiled, then looked down to his table and sighed. He was in no place for a relationship, what did he think he was doing and why was he talking like a bumbling idiot? While he waited for his food he absent-mindedly played with his bangs. What was the harm in just flirting...?

 

[sugakookie]

Matt gets the job done quickly. He only had to knock on the door, screw the silencer onto his gun, and shoot once the man opened the door (which only opened slightly because of the chain lock on it, but it was enough). Then he closed the door and called the cleanup crew. Easy enough. Surely someone still heard the thud of the man's body and the dull sound of a gun, but Matt was swift enough to leave the apartment in a timely manner. If anyone poked their heads out of the apartment, he wouldn't know. As Matt goes down the steps, he remembers why he agreed to do this job. The rush of killing someone never dulls. The pride in the way he uses his gun or carries himself is beyond compare. The beauty in seeing the life drain from someone's eyes, feeling like you are in control, gets his blood pumping. Matt smiles as he reaches his car, puts away his gear, and drives off. He has the Bluetooth in his car dial Emmalia. In his rearview mirror, he sees the "clean up crew" stop where he had been parked. Those guys are speedy.


Mason frowns slightly and shakes his head. He wasn't stupid. He didn't want to make himself vulnerable. "I don't want to," Mason says simply, then let's go of Eli's hands and starts picking up the soda cans and closing his sock drawer.


Maven takes a few moments in the back to collect herself. She couldn't get his eyes out of her head. In an attempt to distract herself, she starts brewing his tea. As it brews, she goes to check on some other customers and clear off a table. The distractions didn't help. She kept glancing at the man, intrigued by him and maybe even a little bit attracted. Okay, more than a little bit. Maven can't handle being away much longer, so she goes to get his tea and bring it to him.

 

[Dragongal]

Despite knowing that the ringing meant that somebody was dead, Emmalia's heart still jumped pleasantly. "Hey there. Everything okay?"


Eli sighed slightly. Despite barely knowing Mason, he wanted him to trust him. So he started picking up the soda cans with Mason and helping to tidy up. If Mason looked at him oddly, he'd brush it off as being a clean-freak. 


When Maven returned, Conroy smiled and almost visibly relaxed. Something about Maven was just... relaxing. He thanked her as he took his tea, then quietly said, "You know... Eli told me about how you guys don't always get your lunch breaks, even pulling double or triple shifts, and even then you can't usually leave the restaurant. In about an hour and a half there's going to be a rush in here when the taverns close, and the there's another waitress at the moment.... Would you like to take your break and share a table with me? It might be nice to have someone to talk to, for both of us."

 

[sugakookie]

"Everything's perfect," Matt says and drives back toward her apartment. "Are you busy? I'm driving over to your apartment."


Mason glances at Eli. "What are you doing..?" Mason asks, but instead of objecting, he hands Eli a plastic bag for garbage.


Was this man... interested in her? In me? The thought was foreign, but the man interested Maven, too. And she needed a break, she's been working all day so far. She hasn't even eaten yet. Without realizing it, Maven nods. "I'd like that. Let me just go tell my manager." It wasn't busy right now, and he was right about the rush. Maven is sure that the manager would allow her to take a short break. With a subconscious smile on her face, she walks off once again before returning not even a full minute later. The other waitress was to pick up her orders.

 

[Dragongal]

"No, I'm not busy at all. You still get to pick where we go," she texts.


Eli didn't look up, but rather just continued cleaning with the plastic bag. "I like being useful. So I'm being useful."


For some reason, the fact that Maven sat across from Conroy made him both excited and nervous. He hadn't expected it to actually work, so what now? And what in the future? He wasn't exactly a perfect guy, after all. Playing it off as he always did, he smiled and said, "My name's Conroy, by the way. So, working long hours, new waitress, what's the story? Just move here, going to college, what?"

 

[sugakookie]

Matt thinks a little. "Come outside in five minutes." He says, giving no information then hanging up rather suddenly. He knew where to take her. A very, very guilty pleasure of his.


"Ah, makes enough sense." Mason cleans up his garbage efficiently, but towards the end of the mess, he starts slowing down. A sickening feeling rises to his throat. Was he bothering Eli? Inviting him over then having him clean his mess... Mason was always a bother to everyone, that's why he deserves what happened in his childhood. Mason doesn't realize, but he is standing still and facing his nightstand, completely frozen and staring at nothing. His arms are at his sides, and the plastic bag in his left hand is only being held by one loop. He's lost in his thoughts like usual.


Maven smiles and sips the tea that she brought along for herself. She uses that second to take another gaze into Roy's eyes. "Well, Conroy, I'm currently trying to save up money to go to medical school, that's why I have this job. I just moved here recently, too, so good guess," Maven laughs a little. "What about you? A man with silver eyes must have quite a story to him." Obviously she didn't want him to say too much and get uncomfortable, but she wanted to know more about him than just his name.

 

[Dragongal]

Em looked at her phone in surprise since Matt had hung up, then checked her attire before heading downstairs to meet with Matt. 


Eli knew better than to touch someone who wasn't fully there at the moment, so he moved over to Mason's side and quietly said, "Mason? Hey, are you there? What's wrong?" Eli wanted to hug Mason close and tell him that everything would be okay, but he couldn't, and anyway, they weren't that close.... Though Eli wished they were. 


Silver eyes, that was right, Roy had almost forgotten. Time flew for him nowadays. What could he tell Maven about his past, though, that wouldn't freak her out? He liked her company.... "i, uh.... well, I came out to the city to do some freelance work, and the like. I used to live in smaller ciries, moved around a lot, decided here was good to settle in for the moment. Not much else to say about myself, honestly?" He didn't have much he wanted to say about his past, anyway. 

 

[sugakookie]

As soon as Emmalia comes outside, Matt drives up. Music is playing in the car, and Matt is smiling. His hair is slightly disheveled because he didn't bother to fix it after taking off his hat. Emmalia comes in the car and Matt smiles at her. His heartbeat picks up pace. "Hello, Beauty."


Mason snaps out of it at the sound of Eli's voice. "Y-yeah, sorry. Jusy spaced out a little." He picks up the last few pieces of trash and sets the bag down, then sits on his bed. He didn't want Eli doing work. "That's enough cleaning... come here," Mason says and opens his arms in an attempt to get Eli to sit on his lap and hug him.


"Well, not much to say to a stranger. Interesting nonetheless. You seem mysterious, so that explains your eyes," Maven gives him a warm smile and rests her chin on her palm. Her smile told him not to stress.

 

[Dragongal]

Beauty? Suddenly suave for her? Immediately Em became suspicious, but she didn't show it. "Hey there Matt. Glad to see you're okay."


Eli didn't need to be told twice. He immediately sat on Mason's lap and hugged him tightly. "Are you sure you're okay?" he whispered. Mason honestly had him concerned - even if they weren't soulmates, he'd have been worried, but he honestly felt a lot of things for Mason besides concern. Attraction, for one.


Conroy chuckled at the comment about his eyes and just shrugged a little. "I guess my genetics just hit the right code for my eyes, is all. Nothing special about that - nothing special about me." He could say that all he liked, and he would - he wanted to deny any abnormalities in his very unusual life. Because it was scary, and put others at risk - others he could care for, like Maven. For some reason, he wanted to care for her - he was a caring person in general, but not to such an extent.

 

[sugakookie]

"Of course I'm okay. I'm the hunter, not the hunted, why wouldn't I be?" Matt chuckles and drives off once Emmalia is buckled in. It was late at night and the road was clear, so he goes over the speed limit by quite a bit. His plan was to take her to his headquarters of sorts, maybe even scare her a little. Maybe try to convince the both of them that they aren't right for each other.


"I'm more than okay now," Mason says and lays back on his bed with Eli on top of him. "Wanna kiss me?" Mason asks rather cutely.


"Nowadays, the abnormal has become normal, don't you think? A coworker of mine- Eli- has these strikingly blue eyes. Like ice. Sometimes they look like the sky... I wish I had eyes as pretty as either of yours." Maven, with the first statement she made, meant more than just appearance. Clearly Conroy had more to him, but Maven didn't know him well enough to pry.

 

[Dragongal]

"I mean, they could have had a gun or something, called the cops, I don't know.... I just... well, I'll admit I was a bit worried."


Eli hovered over Mason and quietly said, "I do. I want to kiss you very badly. But I want to make sure you're okay with it first.  I mean, I get it if you're not and all.... I don't.... well I don't want to cross any bounds and lose you over something silly."


Without even thinking to stop himself, Conroy said, "No, your eyes are absolutely gorgeous. Warm and soft, and... I mean, ah.... really, you shouldn't dislike your eyes. I really like them quite a lot." He had completely forgotten with at he was going to say about her abnormal comment, and now he was blushing to add to his luck.

 

[sugakookie]

"Don't worry, I always have everything under control," Matt says with a wink. He presses the gas pedal so the car speeds up into the high double digits. "I love this car, but I have an even better one at home. Faster." Matt grins wide and has a glint in his eye as he grips the steering wheel and stares straight ahead. The long road isn't changing, they're going towards the outskirts of town. In the distance, a car is coming towards them and driving over the speed limit. It seems to be driving in a straight line, until it begins waving past the yellow line. Clearly the driver was intoxicated. Matt notices this and gets hyperaware that a large pickup truck was now driving on their side of the road. Matt takes his foot off the gas and goes for the brake, but it's too late. Even though Matt's car's speed decreased a lot, the truck's didn't. It takes mere moments before the two vehicles collide. The moment before the truck's headlights reach them, Matt yells, "Shit!" On impulse, his arm flies out to Emmalia and in front of her torso. It's as if he's trying to protect her.


Mason stares up at Eli. Surprisingly, Mason felt... content around this near-stranger. He wouldn't mind if Eli stole kisses. The desire to be normal overwhelms reason, and Mason says, "Do it. Kiss me."


Maven looks at Conroy in surprise, then lets out a giggle. "Thank you, that's very kind." His blushing was cute, and so was his stuttering. She wanted to reach out and hold his cheeks and assure him that he doesn't need to be so shy.

 

[Dragongal]

To Emmalia, everything was a blur. There was Matt yelling, a loud bang, the crunch of metal, then silence. For most of the time, Emmalia had closed her eyes. When she opened them, Matt's arm was across her chest and the car was a wreck, both of their blood splattered everywhere. Her hand wrapped around Matt's for a second before she got to work using her old EMT training to safely remove Matt and the other driver from the cars. Two ambulances soon arrived, and Emmalia rode to the hospital with Matt, her injuries recorded as minor and only requiring some bandages.


A smile slowly grew on Eli's lips before he leaned in and very slowly, tenderly kissed Mason. Normally it would take at least a second date before he kissed someone, but this had him thinking Conroy was right....


Conroy blushed and grinned shyly, then said, "So, uh, do you like it here? In the city? I mean, you said you just moved here."

 

[sugakookie]

Matt was knocked out since the car accident. He's taken to a room where his injuries are taken care of. Lots of blood loss, a few broken ribs, a broken arm, and various bruises and cuts. That is all they can tell for the time being. The truck had hit hard. His car was totalled, and yet Emmalia only had some bandaging done. There was chaos as doctors examined Matt, gave him IVs, and called his family. Once the chaos settled, Matt stirred and woke up. His father and girlfriend were rushing into the hospital. His younger brother, Mason's twin, was rushing from the intensive care unit at that same hospital where he worked to see Matt once word got up to him.


Mason kissed Eli back softly, almost hesitating. The kiss is cut short by Mason's phone ringing. Mason blushes and reaches into his pocket. "Sorry... let me just..." Mason pulls away from Eli while speaking and answers the phone. He doesn't meet Eli's eyes, still blushing. "Hello?" Mason says. A pause. "Yes, that's me." Another pause, and Mason's face drops. He sits up suddenly with an arm around Eli so he doesn't fall. "Okay. I'll be right there. Thank you." Mason hangs up and leaps off the bed, running to the door. "My brother got into a car accident," he tells Eli. His blush turned into pallor.


Maven nods. "Yes, I like it. It's pretty here and there's a lot to explore. Lots of unique people, too..." Maven smiles and looks out the window. "Do you like cities?" She asks, not wanting his voice to ever go away.

 

[Dragongal]

Emmalia had had to sign many waivers to be free from her bed, but hadn't left the hospital, rather going to Matt's side to sit down. The information on the crash that she could tell doctors was valuable as it included the motion of injury. Now there was nothing for her to do but wait. When he woke, Emmalia moved to his side and smiled. "Hey, Matt, how are you feeling?"


Eli was disappointed, but he hid it and bore the pain until he heard of the accident. Immediately he followed Mason. "Do you want me to go with?" He reached out and laid a hand on Mason's arm, looking him in the eyes as he quietly asked, "Do you want me to be with you?" WIth Mason's mental state, it might help to have a distraction, and Eli didn't want Mason going into such a hard situation alone.


Conroy sighed at her question,t hen said, "I dunno. Sometimes I love them, sometimes I hate them. Plenty to do, plenty to see, lots of people, but... I don't know, I guess I like travelling. I'm not exactly good at setting roots anywhere, it doesn't tend to work out for me...." Already he had said more than he wanted to, but for some reason, he didn't mind telling Maven.