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Walking Home (Decadence and Candira)

She chuckled and kept eating as he critiqued her technique. "You're such a...hungry eater," she teased, nudging him a little as she patiently made her way through the meal, enjoying it. "It's a nice place. I'm glad you talked me into it," she said with a smile. "I'm a little surprised though. As much as people tell me about this place, I didn't expect it to be quite like this. It's hard to explain. I like it though." It was nice to talk to him again and she said so. "Thanks for dinner," she said.
 
Keith paused as he watched her chuckle, smiling warmly at her, nearly blushing himself as she nudged him. "Thanks for bailing me out," he replied. "I think if you hadn't swung by so soon, I'd have missed a few more classes. I have to owe it to your stubbornness." He winked at her as he said that. "I think it worked out for the best."

The waiter arrived with the check. Keith took the bill, paying it in cash. He then gestured for the waiter to perk his head down so he could whisper into his ear. The server nodded at him, then went his way.

"I had to let Vinnie in about about my recent incarceration," Keith said to her, his voice was noticeably softer as he spoke.
 
"You're welcome. But really, Keith. Try to stay out of trouble okay?" she finished off her plate and watched him, utterly stunned that people still winked in the here and now. And that he was one of them somehow made her want to laugh. She managed to keep it in. She watched as Keith paid, feeling a little guilty for letting him do so. She wasn't really used to not buying her own food, and it was a weird feeling. It was sweet of him to pay though. The whispering piqued her curiosity, but when she found out what it was about, the concern from earlier returned.

"Why's that?" she asked, curious as to what connection the two might have. "Is he a friend or something like that?" Sophie wasn't as naive as she appeared to be. She got the feeling that Vinnie was one of the "friends" he would be owing "favors" to. She didn't like the idea of that happening.
 
"He's providing my lawyer I was talking to you about," he answered, shifting his eyes about. "Look, nobody knows about my ties--I've never told anyone about this. The reason why I told you is because..." He stroked her hair with his finger. "Is because I trust you--and it's kinda ironic because just a dozen hours earlier, you were probably the last person I'd trust." His features then stiffened a bit. "I would trust you with my life right now, Sophie. And I really don't care about anything else right now except for you."
 
Her heart sped up a bit as he shifted his eyes and stroked her hair. They were close again. He trusted her now. She had no idea what she'd done to garner such trust in the space of 12 hours, but she wasn't entirely sure that he was thinking straight. But the look in his eyes, the way his face was set....he meant what he said. It didn't look like he was going to back down on this last point. He...he didn't care about anyone but her. A normal girl would have melted and kissed him. A normal girl might have thought it was sweet--and she did, but she also thought it was stupid.

"Keith...I'm glad you trust me, but you really should care about yourself a little here." She put a hand on his shoulder and stared at him. "I'm worried about you. I really am. I don't know much about you and what you do anymore, but this arrangement doesn't strike me as particularly safe, nor do the favors that I imagine seem all that legal," she said, her voice soft enough that other people couldn't hear her. "Just promise me that you will be careful, okay? I guess I can't make you stop, but please don't take on something that's too dangerous."
 
"Sophie, I've known you since we were little. Aside from family, I haven't known anyone else for that long. You're the closest thing I have to a family at this point. I know it's weird, since we just recently got acquainted again, but like that sidewalk on that corner from where we used to walk home, some things just never change." He then paused for a second. "Well, the dog isn't there anymore, but that's not the point. Things may change, but there are always some things that will always remain the same despite that. My feelings for you are one of those things."

He sighed. Keith had hoped he wasn't coming across as being too cheesy with her there, because it was the best explanation he could think of at that moment as they were sitting here in this romantic restaurant booth. Sophie always had a tendency to be so skeptical about everything. His eyes went to her again. "Hey, this is just routine work for me," he said, resurfacing his cockiness. "You'll get the hang of it once you catch up to what I've been up to lately."
 
Sophie knew better than to interrupt a man when he was being honest with himself. She also knew better than to try to convince Keith that she was only thinking of him. His defense mechanism--cockiness--had returned, and she wasn't sure how to proceed. So she just listened, trying to keep something of an open mind. His feelings for her hadn't changed...he liked her a lot. Did that mean that he still hated her too?

She frowned, not sure that she wanted to be involved with what he had been doing lately. "Listen, Keith. I know you're used to taking care of yourself and you're perfectly capable of doing that now. You don't have to listen to me, mostly because I can't make you. But it would make me feel a lot better if you could just promise that you'll be careful, okay? And worry about yourself a little now and then. It's a good practice." That said, she leaned back in her seat and let herself just rest her head. "I don't know if I want to get the hang of this. I don't like knowing you've been to jail. Even if this is just business as usual for you..." She didn't know how to continue, so the redhead just took a sip of her water and shook her head. "Never mind. I don't know what I'm saying."
 
Keith smiled at her, grabbing her head so he could ruffle those red locks in a playful noogie. "You've been working that big brain of yours too hard today, Miss Renard. You know how they say worrying causes wrinkles. I'm pretty beat--and I'm sure you are too, so I think we ought to head home right now. We've got another long day tomorrow. What do you say?"

He didn't want to make any more promises that night, because he was afraid he may not be able to keep it. He was already committed to one, and to add another would complicate things, even if it were as simple as being extra careful. But Keith didn't thrive on that. It was all about taking risks, and he felt a bit devastated inside for changing the subject on her like that when he knew that a simple promise would make her feel better. That just wasn't how he rolled. But he was already breaking his first promise with her. Argh. He'd find a way to make it up to her, somehow and someday.
 
It was clear that she wasn't going to be getting any promises out of him any time soon, so she let him mess with her hair, too tired to fight about it. She let him belittle her worrying and just relaxed. Maybe she was overreacting. Besides, even if he had made remarkable progress in trusting her, she supposed there was a ceiling to everything. So she smiled and nodded. "Yeah, okay. Sleep is good," she said, stretching a little. "But you have to move first," she said leaning against him just a little. She grabbed her purse and waited for him to lead the way out and back to her car.
 
Keith took her hand, rising out of the booth and thanking the waiter with a nod as they passed by him. He pulled no fancy moves or cocky remarks this time, allowing Sophie to enter the driver's side of the car, as he took the passenger side (like a good boy). "You don't know where I live, do you?" he said. "Well, I'll be more than happy to show you my bat cave, Miss Renard." He had no idea why he was beginning to call her that instead of her first name, but he thought it had an interesting ring to it.
 
Miss Renard followed after him, feeling a little tired, and very full of delicious Italian food. She yawned a little as he led her out. She unlocked the doors and climbed in, putting on her seat belt. "The Bat Cave? Are you sure we shouldn't be calling it your lair?" she teased, feeling a little bit like a mysterious girl from the black-and-white private eye movies when he called her by her surname. "But by all means, please show me the way. After all, I don't wanna leave you in the parking lot, and my place shouldn't be on your radar," she said with a little smirk. It was fun to tease him sometimes. She didn't mean half of what she said, and she got the feeling that he didn't really mind.
 
He felt like kissing her as he listened to her snappy quips, but of course, he just smirked, blushing just a little bit because she was so beautiful. "It's pretty close to campus," he answered as he showed her the way to his apartment.

His directions led her into a quiet, somewhat pleasant area populated by numerous apartment complexes. Most of the tenants were other college students, so it was not unusual to see people of similar age to them strolling the sidewalks at night. There were the frat boys, sorority sisters, pot heads, role players, and everything else you'd associate with college hanging out that night.

Once they arrived at his place, Keith smiled at her. "Thank you, Sophie. So I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow." He took a moment to savor the moment, before diving into her for a gentle body squeeze. He felt her hair over his shoulders as he hugged her, bring a hand to rake the back of her head, before leaving, closing the door.
 
Was...was that a blush? Score! Finally, she was making him do the blushing thing. HA! When that small moment of victory was over, she left the restaurant headed for campus as he directed. The drive was short and rather quiet. She was thankful for that. She wasn't sure she could take anymore confessions or promises or phone calls at this point. It was pleasant at least. It was a relief to see that he didn't live in a shitty neighborhood, though she couldn't speak for all of the residents. She smiled back at him when he turned to her again. He wasn't such a bad guy after all.

And then he did it again. He made her head explode in the process of hugging her. This had to be the most affection she'd given to a non-family member in a single day since the last time one of her friends moved away. It happened so fast, but every time he did it...it felt nice. Damn it! She put her arms around him and let him squeeze her close, his hand in her hair again. She took in his scent and then let go of him when he left her. She rolled the window down and said goodbye, waving. It felt so familiar...she used to wave goodbye to him when they were little too. She couldn't remember if hugs were involved, but she got the feeling that there was at least one instance when they were little.
 
Was that a wave? For that fleeting moment, Keith could see that same little girl he used to walk home with after school; the same girl that made him restless during class because he couldn't wait until the bell rang, so he could see her. It was such a cute gesture, and despite her womanly features, she still managed to pull it off in a way to give Keith that flashback.

Then in that instant, he remembered something else. Something painful and suppressed, but unearthed at the very same time. A young pair of lips, gray eyes that were confused, holding those soft hands, and the brisk sound of trees swaying in Spring.

"Keith, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Shh. Just close your eyes, Sophie."

She did.

He licked his lips, watching hers, as he closed his eyes. He tilted his head a bit when he kissed her, pressing his lips against hers.

Then, there were words, confusion, embarrassment, a haze. Keith didn't want to remember it, since he kind of brushed it aside. It was just a quick, simple thing he wanted to do to pique his curiosity at the time. At the time, meaning when they were in third grade. It was his first kiss (was it hers?), and it was one of their first moments together. He had always been surprised they never brought it up after that, but it was such an innocent little thing, that maybe it hadn't been worth bringing up, or even counting.

Snapping out of it, Keith looked up at Sophie, who was beginning to pull out. "Good night," he said, sliding his hands into his pockets again. They weren't shivering this time.
 
Sophie smiled and said good night before driving away. When she got home, she sighed and put her things away before taking off her clothes and changing into pajamas. She sighed and flopped onto the bed in short shorts and a nice, loose shirt. She stared at the ceiling searching her mind for memories of Keith. He had pulled a 180 as far as personalities went in the space of twelve hours. He made her feel things that her instincts normally told her not to feel for him. He'd melted her with his emo-hotness, hugged her, spun her around (quite literally), played with her hair, she was pretty sure he sniffed at her once, and he'd come so close to her, she thought he was going to try and kiss her. And the worst part was, she felt like she might have wanted him to.

And why was that bad? She groaned and buried her face in her pillow. She remembered him walking home with her, rushing out of class to see her. What's more, she remembered rushing out of class to see him and wanting to tell him everything. They were so close...and then came the fateful Valentine's Day she turned him down. She hadn't thought of any boy in more than a friendly way, and when he asked her to be his Valentine, she hadn't understood what he meant. She'd hurt him that day without even knowing it. Now, as she looked back, it hurt her as well.

She didn't remember her first kiss quite the same way he did, but she knew that it had belonged to him. Even though she never brought it up, she remembered who had kissed her first. She had lied about it to her friends when she was older. When she thought of that, she wondered why she hadn't seen it at the time. Or maybe she had, but had been afraid to deal with it. The last option seemed more likely.

And finally, she just got tired of thinking. "Damn it." She crawled under the covers and then went to sleep after setting her alarm. She let her subconscious deal with it so the rest of her could have a break. What a day. It felt like it had been a year.
 
Keith awoke early this time. He'd wish he could say that it was because of Mr. Dillinger's fascinating diagrams, but he'd be lying. Just like how he was during grade school, he couldn't wait to see her again. He wanted to get to know her better today, learn more about her hopes, and her desires, so he could help her fulfill them. He had a pretty clear idea what they were, but he just wanted to talk about it. Yesterday had been rough around the edges. Today would be smoother.

He stared at himself in the mirror. His busted lip was healing nicely, and most of the swelling was subsiding. It was nothing more than a dark splotch on his lip. It did sorta look like a cold sore, though. He took a hot shower, emerging from the vapors all fresh and glistening. He later dried up and took some time to apply the eyeliner this time, darkening his eyes so it matched his dark brown hair. He slipped on a tight pair of black jeans fastened with a studded belt, and covered his chiseled torso with a white polo shirt. He then smiled in the mirror. No wonder why so many girls wanted to fuck him.

After he left his apartment room, he realized he no longer had access to a car, so he caught a ride on the bus this time, heading to Mr. Dillinger's History class. On the bus, he didn't bother sitting, instead choosing to stand as he held his hand up to grip the handlebars above. He stepped aside as an old lady with a cane hobbled by him to reach a disabled seat.
 
Sophie woke up to her alarm and combed out her hair. She straightened it today and put on her usual light dusting of makeup. She only wore a bit of powder to even her complexion, and a small bit of eyeshadow with eyeliner. The rest was all natural. With a bit of cherry chapstick on her lips, she exited her bathroom and put on a pair of jeans and a nice flowing purple shirt. It showed off her curves beautifully and managed to make her look sweet at the same time. With a necklace and a watch, she put on a pair of sandals and grabbed her school bag and put her wallet in her bag.

Once Sophie was in her car she was reminded of the boy who'd sat there yesterday. She blushed as she remembered how close he'd been to her, how cute he'd been, and how infuriating. She also remembered how much he'd put her through at once. She wondered if he would be in class today. If he really meant what he'd told her yesterday about turning things around. If he would want to sit next to her again...

She was at the college in about ten minutes. When she was parked, she picked up her bags and started toward her class. Just as she was coming to the sidewalk that led to the building, she was approached by a friend of Jeff's. This one seemed like he didn't want trouble, but he was obviously just as much of a smarmasaur. Already on edge, Sophie tried to avoid him, but failed as he came to her. He asked her on behalf of his fallen friend if she would consider coming to visit him. The answer was no, but he continued to bother her, and the bus showed up just as she was beginning to feel real distress.
 
"No means no," Keith said, seizing him by the shoulder from behind. He gently pulled him around until he faced him. Keith then glared at him with dark, piercing eyes. "Sometimes, when you're being a douche, it's always a good idea not to be persistent. Consider that sound advice."

"K-Keith!" He said. "My man! I was wondering if your friend here was interested in visiting Jeff. You know, you did one serious number on him, and he was wondering if she had the heart to send her his condolences." Whoever this guy was, he was dressed up like he was about to go to a business seminar. The way he looked reminded Keith of those Pyramid Marketing scheme pushers which always annoyed the hell out of him.

"Look's like she doesn't, so fuck off," Keith said.

"Hey, hey, I'm only trying to be friendly man. If only you'll let me talk to her a bit, we're going to be cool. We cool? I think you're cool."

"I think you're annoying, and I don't like you," Keith said. getting in his face. "And while we're at it. We're outside right now. I don't know you, but you seem to know me, and based upon your tip, I think you're a part of Jeff's circle jerk of friends. So I really don't like you. So either you leave us alone and get fuck out of here, or we go at it out here right in front of everyone. It's your call, jackass. You want to start shit? I'm right here." Keith spread his arms out, stepping closer, cutting into his eyes with his own. "I'm right here, you motherfucker."
 
It was clear that Sophie would have to be the reasonable one here. She saw that Keith was dead serious about fighting, and she didn't want a repeat of the night before. She took a step between them and looked at the business-clad messenger. "The answer is no, so go away now, please." Her eyes flashed a warning--a rather urgent one. Seeing that he was obviously not going to get Sophie to come along with him, especially not with Keith around, he backed off.

"Alright, Alright. Can't say I didn't try." And with that, he bowed out.

Sophie visibly relaxed and turned to face Keith, putting her arms around him this time. "Thank you," she said, burying her face into his chest. "Thank you so much, Keith." This time, she pulled away from him and looked up at him. "I'm so glad you showed up when you did," she said with a smile.
 
His arms went around her in return, giving her a gentle embrace. "I saw you two from inside the bus and ran out. I followed him a bit before catching him. Oh, I'm so glad you're okay." He ran his hand down her hair, smoothing it. He gave her a peck. "I got lucky when I found you. I didn't mean to get all worked up back there, but I just got so angry seeing him make you uncomfortable like that, and he just wouldn't stop even after you've said no a billion times."
 
He was glad she was okay. She smiled and took the peck gracefully as he ran his hand over her hair. "It's okay," she said with a smile. "I'm glad you scared him. I don't think he would have left me alone if you hadn't done it." She smiled at him and hugged him one more time before pulling away. "Thanks for saving me again, Keith. We should really stop meeting like this." She chuckled and took his hand. "Come on. Let's get to class." That said, she walked with him to class.

The lackey was still watching from a safe distance. So was this chick going out with Keith or not? If she wasn't, she was still fair game. If she was, Jeff might be putting himself in a bit more danger than truly necessary. It was stupid to go after a girl who already belonged to someone else. Especially when that someone was a guy who'd pretty much made a guy's face unrecognizable.

Sophie had no idea that this was being speculated. She was just glad that she didn't have to deal with him anymore, and that her friend had saved her. Her friend who she was starting to feel more for.
 
Keith held her hand, glancing around for any more of Jeff's cronies. It seemed like they were safe. His eyes, sharp and wide with conviction, looked at her. "Your well-being is my well-being," he said, before shifting his eyes around again, scanning the area. "And it's always a pleasure, Helen of Troy. I might have to keep a better eye on you, since it appears you've been doing more than making some heads turn. How many accidents have you caused lately?" He then slid an arm over her shoulder as he walked her into Dillinger's History class, taking a seat in the second row.
 
She saw how concerned he was even after the problem seemed to be solved. The thought that he was actually worried about her made her smile. He was protective of her in a very real way, judging by the way he kept looking around. His comment about his well-being and hers being tied, she saw it as a friendly gesture, more than a romantic one, because she might have been a little worried that things were moving WAY too fast in his mind if she didn't. She laughed when he called her Helen of Troy and looked up at him, allowing him to easily put his arm around her.

"Accidents? It looks like I just stopped one from happening," she said with a little laugh. "Really though, nobody else has been a jerk about me saying 'no' to them besides those two. And I'm really glad that you stepped in to help me." She smiled. "I guess I owe you again." She sat down with him and then pulled her notebook and textbook out of her bag, grabbing a pen as she set up. "Gotta say though, I wasn't expecting you to be here so early. I'm not sure I've ever seen you show up on time for this class," she teased.
 
Keith drummed his hands over the table. It was one of those desks in college which extended all the way across the classroom. "You know, I think you're right," he said, surprised that she even noticed. "It's only been like, what, one month into the semester so far? I'm impressed you've been keeping track of my attendance." He then smiled, feeling a slight sting from the cut in his lip as he did so. "I think I would blame it on you for breaking my track record, though. Now you've tarnished my reputation as a delinquent. What's next? You're going to make me start stocking up on school supplies?"

He laid his folder on the desk, which was thin and battered from age. It was the same one he used since High School. Clipped over the top was a worn-out, Bic mechanical pencil. Keith slid it off his folder and thumbed some more lead out its tip.

Then, turning a sly eye towards her, he bumped his foot against hers, this time resting it there and bringing his leg to touch hers, rubbing slowly. She looked so pretty today, that it made him feel excited just sitting there next to her. He loved the fact she didn't wear that much make up. It showed him that she had nothing to hide, and that she was already beautiful without relying on the powdery masks he was used to seeing. I wonder if she's ever tried pot, he thought, as his eyes darted down to her purple shirt, maybe he could have her toke up with him someday. Keith squirmed a little in his seat as his gaze rolled over the curve of her breasts.
 
Keith smiled and she immediately wanted to give him something to put on his lip. It was looking better than yesterday, she noticed. "I think 'blame' might be the wrong word," she said with a little smile. "And judging from the look of that notebook, maybe I should make you buy more," she said with a laugh. She opened her notes to the right page and made sure the pen she was using worked. She was reading through her notes to get her mind back on the class when she glanced back over at him and caught him looking at her chest. She blushed a little and cleared her throat, sitting up a little straighter. She smiled and let him rub his leg against hers. As he squirmed next to her, she looked at him. She had no idea that he was thinking about her drug usage history, but she was sure he was thinking about her in a rather...interesting way.

"I totally saw that," she said, chuckling, blushing.
 
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