A Cheapskate's Date

[Jude Dorrian]

Who was Josh?
Was it too early to be jealous? He supposed he couldn't really help it. He'd been convinced that Ailith was the only other non-Warrior involved in Battle Training- so how could he have missed somewhat? Honestly, he was a little miffed about it. This guy got to spar with Ailith, and learn from Maddox, and do all the stuff Jude wanted to do. Sometimes, he wished he was a Warrior.
Except he loved being a Spy.
He was upset with Maddox. Maybe that would never go away. He guessed she just didn't get why it meant so much for him to fight.
Actually- he wasn't quite sure why yet, either.
Something about the orphanage shifted in the back of his mind.
Something about Jill.
And something she always used to say...
"Smile, kiddo. What else y'all gotta live for?"
He felt Ailith leaning against him, and smiled.
She was quiet for a few moments- then when she did speak, he judged it to be fairly quiet, though it didn't sound so at all.
"What's the story with the SCR?"
"Nothing as of yet," Jude told her. "Kira said Deron was arranging something quite soon, though... then handed me my copy of Catch-22. I'd been looking everywhere for that!"
He'd finished it now, though, so that was okay. The chapter 'The Eternal City' stood out particularly in his mind since he'd read it. Something about it had scared him slightly. It was possibly the girl who'd fallen out the window. Probably. And the man... the one who'd kept hitting the child.
Or maybe the thing that'd scared him more about the book was Snowden, and his constant plea...
"I'm cold."
It was a really, really good book. But it's main effect? Something about the hell the world was. Something about the Orchid War. Something about Tameron, and Texas.
And now... something about Ailith, too.
"What's Catch-22 like?" she asked him curiously. "I've seen it about but I've never picked it up."
"I'll lend it to you," Jude told her. "Sort of brutally gruesome and funny at the same time. You'd like it."
I think.

[Ailith Rayner]

"Great! I'm in need of a good read actually." Ailith straightened up and turned to face Jude. "What kind of books do you read?"
"20th century novels, mainly. All that controversial stuff." Jude laughed, "You?"
"Mmm anything really, I'm not great with the 'teen love' stuff but if there's something greeat going on on the side I can cope. Mostly it's action. Ok music. Are you musically inclined?"
"Music is... good, I guess. I like the Beatles- again, stuck in the 20th century, but what y'all gonna do? My dad was a musician, actually."
"Wow, what did he play?"
"A load of crap." Jude said without feeling.
"What?" Ailith side-smiled but frowned not sure how to take his statement.
"I mean he was a bad musician. He never made any money." He replied with equal feeling.
"Oh. Well if he enjoyed it I'm sure it wasn't too bad." Ailith could tell it wasn't a topic he enjoyed. He shrugged.
"If you say so." Before Ailith could get a word in he asked, "What about your dad?
Ailith couldn't help but straigten up, "He was a Captain of the City Watch, or the police as everyone else on Earth knows it."
Jude laughed, "Awesome. I like the idea of 'captain', though. Captain Rayner. Nice."
Ailith smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"What about your Mom?"
"I don't know, I never met her." Ailith laughed softly and looked down at the stone.
"Oh. You mean... like your parents split up? Sorry. Y'all don't have to answer that."
Ailith looked up at Jude and laughed, "Don't be silly I'm fine with it. I'm not sure how it worked. But my dad didn't talk about her and I didn't ask. Well that's untrue I asked once but he didn't hear me and he left. "
"My dad talked about mom all the time. Mainly because she was dead. But whatever. Gee. That's also an awkward topic. Sorry again!"
"Oh," It came out as more of a sigh. "when did erm... never mind."
"What?"
"It's ok doesn't matter, unless you want to talk about it?"
"Nah, I was like... three. I don't remember her. So there's not much to talk about, I s'pose," Alith didn't really know how to respond but Jude filled the gap and rolled his eyes, "Though Tameron would say otherwise."
"Yeah, your dad missed her huh?" AIlith looked into Jude's face.
"I'd call it... scary obsession freak of a missing her."
"Oh." Ailith's brain nudged her and pointed to something she frowned, "So wait, if your dad wasn't bringing in any money and your mum ... how does...?" Ailith looked back at Jude and his expression, eyes focused and intense with his lips together and jaw tight, made her pull up short. "Sorry, this is so insensitive, shall we change the topic?"

[Jude Dorrian]

He hadn't expected so much of that to come out of him, he really hadn't. Like about Delilah. She hadn't needed to know about Delilah. Every time she paused, he got nervous and said something else. The silence scared him. He knew people like that- people who were afraid of silence and the things it invited, so filled it up with noise. That's what had happened just there. Darn him! He'd never be able to have Tameron's casual openness.
Then again, he supposed he was a pretty private person. After all, how many of his friends actually knew he was an orphan?
Eh- none.
He wasn't the only one keeping things to himself though... it was something about that smile- he'd sensed it- whenever he'd said about Captain Rayner. And what about her mother?
Something was being held back on both sides...
"Sorry, this is so insensitive, shall we change the topic?"
He guessed it was a lucky thing Ailith could read him like a book.
He sighed, relaxing immediately, even though he hadn't realized he'd tensed up. Her head moved slightly, and he met her eyes properly, happy to be able to look at her again.
"To... um... what?" he laughed.
The smallest of frowns creased her forehead. "Erm...?"
"Erm?" he raised an eyebrow. "Work with me here, woman!"
She smiled. "Metal bending?"
Duh, Jude! Why hadn't he thought of that? It was genius- a common factor. Something they could talk about.
"My zipper trick serving you well?" he asked her fondly.

[Ailith Rayner]

"Your zipper trick is serving me beautifully! Well done for inventing it." Ailith beamed.
Jude reflected her expression, "'Tis my pleasure, m'am, 'tis my absolute pleasure... to what purpose did y'all put it?"
"Well you saw the Levi one. And then there was this other guy who was bein' a real git to this other bloke so I unzippered him."
"Aah, Levi! How could I have forgotten? That was magic, that. He's a real prick."
"Tell me about it. I can't believe the whole Madeleine and Lee thing, but at least they're back together and Lee socked him one. So annoyed I missed that." Ailith exaggerated disappointment.
Jude threw his head back and laughed, "You should be. It's one of the highlights of my life."
Ailith folded her arms, scrunched her nose and shook her head at Jude as if she was annoyed at him, "Well, have you got any more metal bending tricks up your sleeve?"
Jude blushed but added quickly, "Nope... not unless you count the flying spoon robot thing."
Ailith cocked her head and smiled, "Do you get bored easy?"
"Only ... a lot." Jude admitted.
Ailith raised her eyes and shook her head laughing. It was strange that Jude could just flip the mood like that.
"Why?!" Jude enquired at her reaction, "Don't you?"
"I suppose but then generally the only metal close to hand it the chair and table leg. So that's ..." An idea cropped up in Ailith's mind, "...an idea." She raised a hand to her jaw and traced her lips with a finger, thinking with a crafty expression.
"Could be interesting... could be VERY interesting..." Jude caught on and grinned.
"And of course if we sit the furthest from the door and have to pass all the tables to get to our seat, maybe even the teach... no that's too far." Ailith always drew the line where authority hit.
Jude however, removed his arm from around her turned to face her excitedly, "No! Don't y'all go sayin' that and spoiling my fun. That's genius. I could catch the Gregg out dead easy with that one!"
"Yeah but what if she knows it's you and gives you detention from 3.30 til 7 every night for the rest of your time at Orchid Hill." And I wouldn't get to see you as much, she didn't add.

[Jude Dorrian]

"Fair enough," Jude said slowly, slumping slightly. "Yeah... but honestly? It'd be worth it." So, so goddam worth it. Ailith really didn't have any idea just how bad that woman was.
"I quite agree with you," she laughed, then a sudden idea seemed to spark within her, lighting her eyes. "But maybe you could try to do it without being in the room. Or! I know! Claim you're ill and do your invisible thing and do it then! Then you have an alibi!"
There was a brief silence as Jude stared at her, one eyebrow raised.
"... Wow," he said eventually, barely concealing his grin. "That was..." he cleared his throat, "well-thought out."
"And totally on the spot!" she sighed happily. "I love being a spy."
Ditto. Except of course for the whole Maddox/Battle Training thing. Great. So apparently, there's someone else he had to play his new little trick on...
There's a thought...
He smiled wickedly at Ailith. "No other groups you'd like to be in then?"
"Well..." she mused, considering it carefully. "The Warriors are 'kick-ass'-" Jude laughed- "but I really enjoy solo-work. Academics don't do much outside work, and Carers... well I don't have any special healing powers so there wouldn't be much point when the Spies group just calls out to me."
Jude nudged her- reminding himself a little of a young child that's been put out because someone's forgotten something apparently important to them. "It isn't solo. That's how we met, remember?"
Ailith's face screwed up, and she winced slightly, mumbling something incoherent. "I can't forget... but, it could be solo."
"Oi!" Jude cried, punching her lightly. "What was the cringe for?"
"Awh," she muttered weakly. "Just the whole being doped thing, and the falling from the roof on top of you, and saying things I'd much rather you hear when I'm sober."
He stopped, cut short. That hadn't been what he was thinking. But it was a topic. Say something meaningful.
"Aah. Yeah. Okay."
Goddamit!

[Ailith Rayner]

Ailith was dragged back to that first mission. She had taken the dope but hadn't realised quite how much she would be affected. And then of course Jude had been so nice and thoughtful to her while she had blubbered on and costing them time they didn't have. The things she had said to him...
Ailith looked up at Jude who was clearly taken aback, he must not've been meaning what she was thinking and now he was looking a bit awkward.
She breathed deeply before saying, "Look, the things I said... about you being a gentleman and all that, well..." Awkward! "I meant it, OK maybe I would have found better words but y'know, and as for the, "Ailith breathed heavily, "what I would do without you well..." Ailith flicked her eyes quickly to Jude, he was sitting perfectly still and he was watching her carefully. Ailith wrinkled her nose, "Sorry, even when I'm not..."
She didn't get any further. Jude had silenced her with a kiss.

[Jude Dorrian]

It was that goddam nose again.
Impulse was a funny thing. Mostly, you didn't realize what was happening 'til it was done. But Jude had learned from experience that a split-second decision could be the best thing in the world. The loaded gun had probably been pointing at him the whole night, just waiting for the perfect moment to fire. But the golden bullet had clicked into place as she began to talk about what she'd said to him. Then, as the trigger squeezed, he felt the gentle memory of her lips brushing his cheek.
And when she did that... that thing she always did... the bullet struck, and Jude's heart gave out.
Then, when he woke up, his lips were on hers, and his hands drawing her closer. He guessed it could have been one kiss. But one kiss didn't feel like enough. Nothing did. His senses were sharpening with each kiss- the smell of her; the touch of her intoxicating. Her whole presence seemed to envelope him; unfurling around him and ripping him apart.
Her lips were parted, as if in surprise. His hands crept around her neck, her blond curls brushing against the back of them whilst his thumb trailed lightly across the smooth curve of her jaw. His lips parted too, in unison with hers, and his tongue flickered forward...
It was completely natural, now. Something he couldn't believe he'd been nervous about before. It was the easiest thing in the world.
Like he'd always said- impulse could be the best thing in the world.

[Ailith Rayner]

The second Jude's lips touched Ailith's she froze. They'd kissed before but never like this. This was different, it was closer and their sensitive conversation had brought feelings to the surface this time. And they didn't have to worry about a bloody horse interrupting. Jude brought his hands to her neck and she nearly flinched. Anyone or anything touching her neck made her feel insecure and exposed to strangulation, but the tenderness with which Jude touched her, settled her at once. In fact she had never felt safer. After years of watching her back, she felt that, finally, she could let her guard down. Ailith skimmed her hands up along Jude's torso and placed one on his sturdy shoulder and the other behind his head. Ailith's heart triple-timed and her head swam.
And then Jude's tongue found hers.
Ailith's eyes flew open and she wrenched her head back suddenly to look at Jude. Who had also opened his eyes and was looking at her as if he'd hurt her. Ailith closed her lips and frowned. "Mmm, weird, but..."
She slid her hands so that her thumbs were behind his ears and her fingertips massaged the base of his head. She then closed her eyes, leaned forward and kissed Jude’s lips gently. They tried again and Ailith was still tempted to close her mouth and pull away, but after the initial strangeness had gone, it wasn't so bad... not so bad at all... actually, it made her feel all the closer to Jude and, hell, don’t it feel good...

[Jude Dorrian]

His hands had curled themselves irrevocably into her locks; yet his grip on her still felt light. He guessed it came gently because it felt good that way. Her fingers were softer on his skin than silk. Eventually, he knew he had to pull away. But something kept him kissing her.
Just one more kiss.
Another one won't hurt.
Last one, I swear...
Come on, Jude. You're better than this.
Easing off, he turned his head slightly, and his lips crept to her cheek instead. He kissed her once, then let her go, sitting back an unbearable distance... but the distance made him sit all the more rigidly still.
What did he say now?
Meeting her eyes, Jude felt his muscles wrench themselves into a smile. "Hi."
Gee, he was stupid.

[Ailith Rayner]

Ailith smiled, "'Allo."
Jude laughed softly, "Yep."
Ailith bit her lip, "We don't plan to do that in public do we?"
"Em ... I'd rather not."
Oh thank you! "That's good, 'cause me neither." Ailith grinned with relief. It wasn't that she didn't want anyone to see her with Jude. Thta was the opposite to the truth. But she really didn't want to go round ... like that all the time. One just had to look at Jack and Olivia to ... well, they had put Ailith off her food once. (Which is no small feat.)
Jude laughed, "Yeah, well y'all know how impressionable these young first-years are. We could potentially traumatize a lot of people."
Ailith rolled her eyes in agreement, sod the first-years I get grossed out at that stuff.
"So I won't go Jack on y'all." He added.
Ailith extended her hand with a quiet smirk, "And I won't go Olivia on you."
Jude shook her hand and stood up, "Well, it makes this more special, then, don't it?"
Ailith smirk turned to a side-smile that was trying to prevent a beam, "Yeah, I guess."
Suddenly Ailith felt a little rush of heat rise up into her cheeks, Wow! I'm blushing, this is new...but then what isn't?
"Should we head back up to the school? Y'all don't wanna know the kind of jokes the guys in my dorm will make if I'm back too late."
Ailith threw her head back and laughed before standing, "Sure. Who's in your dorm?"
"Jack. Enough said." Jude replied with a smile but in all seriousness he meant it. Jack really would take extreme piss.
"Oh." Ailith looked at the hole that would take them back to school life. "Race ya? Once we get back through the hole obviously."
Jude raised an eyebrow, "That depends- how much of a head start am I getting?"