Hitomi retreated to her room to get ready, thankful that she'd already showered and applied her makeup earlier that day, leaving only a quick outfit change before she was set to leave the house. Choosing a deep purple shimmery blouse, small slits in the shoulders for aesthetic appeal, her nicest pair of dark jeans, and her black heels, she smirked into the mirror, admiring the way the deeper purple matched well with her olive skin. Complementing her silver hair, which she combed on either side to frame her face, she felt ready.
More or less half an hour later, since she hadn't been keeping track of the time, Hitomi went to answer the door, hearing the doorbell ring. Trailing not far behind her was Soma, clutching his various plastic guns and swords from his room. Unlatching the chain lock, she turned the handle and stepped backwards, revealing their red haired uncle on the other side, his large guitar case strapped to his back.
"Hey, kiddo!" He exclaimed with joy, seeing Soma standing behind her with all of his stuff, hopping from foot to foot in excitement.
"Uncle Shanks!" He called, dropping his stuff to the floor and immediately running to give the man a tight hug. His small arms wrapped around Shanks' chest, squeezing tightly, and he pretended to be pushed back from the force.
"Oof! Be careful, you might bowl me over one of these days." He chuckled, leading Soma back into the apartment, and stepping past Hitomi. Finally setting eyes on the woman, he opened his arms wide as he took in her appearance. "Well, don't you look like a heartbreaker."
Rolling her arms, she shut the apartment door, heading over to the kitchen counter where her purse was. Soma picked up two plastic swords and handed one to Shanks, brandishing it like he was a pirate or something.
"Argh! I'll chop off yer arm, you scalawag!" The boy snarled, moving to strike at the man. Shanks, an amused grin on his face, blocked his attack with the plastic sword.
"Chop off my arm? I'd like to see you try, landlubber." The taunt made Hitomi shake her head, thinking that the few family members she did have were both a couple of goofballs. Her gesture caught his attention, and Soma took that moment to jab him in the ribs.
"Oh-!" He grunted, the breath being knocked out of him.
"Soma, let Uncle Shanks put his stuff down and get settled in before you play swords." Hitomi advised, raising a brow. Pouting, the boy relented, deciding instead to search through his pile of weapons for something else to occupy his time. Rubbing the spot on his chest Soma had stabbed at rather roughly, Shanks unslung the guitar case from his back and propped it up against the wall by the front door. He wandered over to the kitchen, watching Hitomi apply a coat of lip gloss with a compact mirror from her purse.
"Thank you for coming to take care of Soma last minute." She thanked, recapping the gloss and snapping the mirror shut, replacing it in her bag. Shanks waved her words off with a grimace.
"Ah, it's no problem. Anything to avoid eating Makino's meatloaf. I still wonder how such a great cook like her would have an inability to make something as easy as meatloaf." Hitomi gave a little smile, chuckling under hear breath. He cocked his head then, taking in her appearance again. "So, got a fancy date tonight?"
Recognizing his attempt at prying for information, she only smiled, deciding to humor him this once. Once Shanks got ahold of new information, you never knew what would be made into a song or album for one of his newest write-ups. The man had a naturally nosy nature.
"Yes." She responded.
His grin widened, and he slung an arm around her shoulder, drawing her in closer. "Well, you make sure that whoever this guy is, he treats you with respect and like a lady. Understand? I wouldn't have it if I hear he's some punk-ass kid with nose piercings and tattoos and smells like his mom's basement."
Hitomi drew her brows together, staring at him at the horrendous description with an involuntary shudder down her back. He only smiled back at her stare. Of course, the first thing he did was plant a very unwanted and unattractive mental image into her mind. She shook her head, stepping out of his arm.
"There's no correlation between tattoos, piercings, and not being a gentleman first of all. And second, he happens to be a sweet man, once you actually get past his brisk exterior." She defended, slinging her purse onto her shoulder.
Shanks chuckled good-naturedly, squeezing her shoulder with a genuine smile. "Ah, I'm just giving you a hard time. Go enjoy yourself. Lord knows it's been too long since you've been able to get out and have a night to yourself." He muttered, ignoring her eyes narrowing at his words. "Now, go out there and have fun, girly!" He closed his eyes, grin widening.
Pursing her lips, debating whether to lecture him for his offhandedness or simply glare at him, she sighed and began walking towards the door. "Soma, I'm leaving now. Don't give Uncle Shanks too hard of a time, and make sure you brush your teeth before-"
"Bye, big sis!" He interrupted, two toy pistols stuffed into his shorts pockets, their handles sticking out oddly. She gave up trying to finish the rest of her instructions, figuring that either way, Shanks would probably keep Soma up past his bedtime and give him all the junk food in the house. Just like she knew Summer always did when she was able to babysit.
Rolling her eyes once more, Hitomi couldn't help but grin before stepping into the hallway outside. The door shut behind her, but not before she could hear Soma's funny cowboy accent, quoting that 'This house ain't big enough for the two of us.'
She descended the steps, heading towards her designated parking spot, digging her keys out of her purse and hitting the unlock button. The lights of her silver Audi blinked twice, illuminating the walkway and grass in front of it.
She reached the vehicle and, opening the driver side door, tossed her purse into the passenger seat as she sat down. With a turn of the key the engine started. She clicked her seatbelt, checking her mascara one more time in the rearview mirror before backing out of the spot and heading towards the Heart Seat.
"I have to seriously consider trading in my boring car for a motorcycle." Summer exclaimed, hopping off of Law's bike with a laugh. She yanked the helmet off of her head, uncaring that the long locks were now tangled at the ends from the high wind speeds.
Law, removing his own helmet, smirked at her words. He couldn't really picture the innocent-looking blonde in a leather biker outfit, or being able to adequately steer one at high speeds for that matter. Kicking the stand to support his motorcycle, he stood, swinging his leg up and away from the bike.
"Hmm…Perhaps not." He suggested, grinning wider when she pouted.
"And why not?" His eyebrows rose a bit when she linked her arm into the crook of his elbow, his hand tucked neatly into his leather jacket pocket. He tensed, unfamiliar with being touched so suddenly, but slowly relaxed when he realized that she was just a touchy person. They walked the sidewalk up to the restaurant, a large green neon sign proclaiming the establishment to be 'Dragon Hill.'
"You don't strike me as the motorcycle type." He chuckled, reaching for the front door and holding it open for them to enter. They passed through the second set of doors and stepped onto the deep red carpet of the interior.
Several people stood around in the front waiting to be seated, a testament to how busy the place was. Further down the hall and deeper into the restaurant, Summer could see waiters and waitresses bustle by with tray of drinks and plates of food atop them, distributing them to guests already seated.
Law carefully maneuvered them through the few people standing around in the front.
The hostess' watched them enter from behind their counter and podium used for seating guests. Dressed in modified kimonos, a shorter version that only reached slightly passed their knees, they fit the theme of the one with red hair tied up in a tradition bun, held together with chopsticks, smiled as they approached.
"Hi, is it just the two of you?" She asked, and Law nodded. The redhead glanced down at the podium, searching for an available table.
"It looks like they have to clean up a few tables, so it'll be a five or ten minute wait. Is that alright?"
"Yes, that's fine."
"Could I get a name for your party?" She grabbed a pen from the small holder, glancing back up at him in wait.
"Law." He answered, and Summer unlatched her arm from his to sit on an unoccupied bench to wait, he followed, taking a seat beside her.
Taking up the corner of the waiting lobby stood a large golden Buddha statue. Attached at the base of the figure was a golden plate, intended for offerings, and was filled to the brim with various tarnished and shiny pennies. Surrounding the statue was a small fountain, the cascading affect of rocks and flora creating a peaceful and tranquil backdrop to the front reception.
"So, you've eaten here before?" Summer enquired, turning to Law beside her. He leaned back in his seat, an arm draped across the back.
"Yeah, Penguin and Shachi brought me here once for a double date of sorts." He smirked at the memory. "Those two don't have any sort of luck with women. Halfway through, the girls left because Shachi and Penguin couldn't stop bickering over who was who's date. The food was good though." He finished, and she chuckled.
"Just meeting them once, I can see how their collective personalities could create a problem." He nodded slowly, his eyes wistful as he recalled other more outlandish stories involving his two friends.
"You have no idea."
"They seem like they'd be fun at parties though." He shook his head, crossing his legs at the ankles. Overhead, they heard the sound of another group of customers being called forward.
"If you consider always being the designated driver for two extremely drunk idiots, attached to their one night stands' mouthes the whole way home 'fun,' then yeah, they're great." Her eyes widened at the picture he'd just placed in her head.
"Umm…are one night stands the only sort of relationship they do have?"
He sighed then. "Sadly, yes. Though there's a few times I can remember them hanging steady with a girl or two in the past. Never for very long though."
"Law, party of two?" The hostess called over the low murmur of the other waiting customers' conversations. Summer and Law stood, walking over to the podium to the redheaded hostess. She smiled up at them. "Right this way."
Following her, Summer took the time to look at the interior of the restaurant. The place wasn't overly fancy, though it was far from shabby either. The walls painted the traditional red that the oriental culture was associated with, the tables and chairs matched the color, placed in intervals across the room. Almost all of them were occupied by people eating, and those that weren't had used plates and cups on them, waiting to be bussed and cleaned.
The hostess lead them down the main hallway to the back section, where there were even more tables set up. She kept walking until they reached a small table alongside the back wall, with two chairs. Stopping, she allowed Summer and Law to take their seats before placing the menus in front of them.
"Nathan will be your server tonight, enjoy your meal." She smiled again, returning to the front of the restaurant and leaving the two of them alone once more.
They each picked up the menu, but Summer glanced around at the surroundings again, appreciating the carefully-designed interior. Above each table was a paper lantern light fixture, softly illuminating the room without being sickeningly bright. Just the right atmosphere for a romantic dinner, she thought with a subtle glance at the handsome man reading his own menu across from her.
He seemed to sense her eyes on him, as he glanced up, catching her eye. "What?" He asked, wondering what that tiny smile she wore was about. Grin widening, she returned her attention to her menu.
"Nothing."
He raised a brow, but didn't pry further as he spotted the waiter approaching their table.
"Good evening. My name's Nathan, I'll be serving you tonight. Could I start you off with some drinks?" He asked, turning courteously to Summer first. She smiled back.
"I'll have an iced tea, unsweetened." He nodded, turning to Law next.
"The same."
"Alright, I'll be right out with those." Nathan turned to head to the kitchen to get their drinks.
"So, I found out something interesting that I forgot to tell you about." Summer's mischievous smirk returned, and he matched it, intrigued by this sudden turn of the conversation.
"About what?"
Summer leaned forwards on the table, her elbows resting against the wood. "My next door neighbor has a thing for Zoro. Which, I think would be really cute if they got together by the way."
Law narrowed his eyes, remembering a certain silver-haired woman that night in the bar, blushing at the attention of the green-haired security guard. "Hmm…I believe I've met her once. Does she have silver hair? Red eyes?"
"Yeah, Hitomi!" Summer confirmed, smiling. "When did you see her? She doesn't get out that often." While still conversing with Law Summer glanced over the menu, trying to decide which one sounded the best to her that night.
"A few weeks ago. Some special occasion?" He supplied, hoping to trigger some sort of understanding in the blonde. Her eyes cleared a moment later.
"Ah, that must have been for her brother's birthday. I was babysitting him so she could have some time to herself to celebrate."
Internally, he was happy that his curiosities towards the strange, mysterious woman who'd entered the bar that night was satisfied.
"Do you think that Zoro feels the same way?" Summer asked, but before he could reply Nathan returned with their drinks.
"Two unsweetened teas." He set down the glasses in front of each person, followed by a straw for each. "And have we decided on your meal for this evening?"
"Uh, yeah. I'll have the sesame chicken, with noodle instead of rice." She ordered, closing her menu with a snap. Nathan wrote that down on his little notepad before turning to Law.
"Szechwan Shrimp." He responded, folding his menu up and taking Summer's from hers to offer back to Nathan. He wrote down the order and accepted the offered menus, promising to have those out as soon as he could.
"I mean, Zoro doesn't have a girlfriend does he? He's never mentioned one." Summer continued on, ripping off the paper covering to her straw. She reached for the sweeteners on the table, she opened two up and dumped them into her drink, swirling it around with her straw to help it dissolve.
"No, he doesn't. And from what I've seen, he seems to be interested in your friend as well." He took a sip from his drink, watching her dump all the sugar into hers with a smirk.
"Hmm…well, I hope they do something about that. She can be super hard to read sometimes, but it's kind of easy to tell she's lonely. And she never has very much time to herself. Spending that time with someone else too might just help her." Summer concluded, leaning her cheek on her hand, supported by an elbow on the table.
"Hmm." He hummed, taking her word for it. Summer didn't disclose any more information on the subject, and he wasn't sure what else to say, so there was a moment of silence as they thought of where to take the conversation next.
"…Hey, Law?" Summer started. He raised a brow but nodded for her to continue. "I've never asked before but…what do the tattoos on your hands mean?"
At the mention of them, Law's gaze unconsciously flickered down to his fingers, spelling the intimidating message across the tops. His gaze softened, though he was reluctant to really explain their meaning to him, and to others.
They were a warning. A danger sign that carried the message not to fuck around with him, and that the consequences would be swift and fatal. Of course, that had only been true during his times as a runner, where being as dangerous and aloof as possible was the only way not to get yourself killed.
Summer watched him stare at the black ink on his hands, mind mulling over what to say. It was plain to see that they meant something to him. You didn't get the word 'Death' written across your fingers for nothing, or at least Summer thought so. Hoping to keep their evening relatively positive, she gave a reassuring smile with a tilt of her head.
"It's alright if you don't want to answer. I understand, it's personal and they probably mean a lot to you."
He chanced a glance at her sincere expression, so full of worry that she was prying too deeply into his personal life. Before, perhaps he'd have brushed off the question with a carefully placed smirk and a chuckle, bullshitting some answer to direct attention away from it.
Watching her fidget with her silverware and napkin, he cleared his throat, pushing past the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.
"I got them after losing my parents and sister." He muttered, glancing away as he rubbed his hands together, as if leaving them exposed would betray the truth. It was a half-lie, since the other part of their meaning were of the experiences he'd had when he was younger. "It's a reminder that we all have the same fate in the end."
"Did they hurt?" She asked in curiosity, eyes scanning the flesh of his fingers at the ink forever printed there. "I've always been interested in tattoos, but I don't know if I could ever handle getting one."
She admitted this with a blush, and he smiled. Somehow, she was always able to keep his mind off of his more depressing thoughts, and he was willing to bet she didn't even realize it, or intended to in the first place.
"All tattoos hurt, some places on the body more than others. These," He gestured to the lettering on his fingers, "were the most painful. The shoulder is considered the easiest to handle."
"Hmm…I'll keep that in mind." She muttered, still staring at the tattoos on his hands. Something about them was mesmerizing, and she found she couldn't look away.
Law noticed that little spark in her eye, that shine that always accompanied when she was thinking about her photography, or anything else she held dear. He found it difficult to look away, his mind too busy trying to imprint that image of her forever into his memory.
"You've mentioned a few times before that you were in the foster system." He started, snapping her out of her trance. "What was that like?"
She glanced up at his eyes, so focused on her. She was surprised that he'd ask something so personal first thing, knowing how guarded and quiet he normally was, but she supposed that she had started off with a rather serious question herself, so she shrugged it off.
"I guess it was…" She paused, thinking of the best definition. "It was really random, would be the best way to describe it. You never knew when the family you were with at the time wouldn't be able to care for you anymore, or if they'd be nice people. I guess I was lucky in that aspect." She sighed, staring to the side as she recalled the few homes she'd been assigned to.
"How so?" Law questioned eagerly, curious as to how exactly her childhood went. She'd never gone into full detail before. Most foster kids didn't like talking about their experiences in the system, after all.
"Well, I went through too many homes to really keep track of, but most of them were with really nice people." She smiled then, giggling. "One of them even had pet horses that I got to ride sometimes."
"Anyways, not all families were the best suited for kids. Some parents were super strict, or didn't quite make it feel like you were a part of the family. You'd feel like a guest at a hotel, or a stranger looking into a nice life from the outside."
"Surely the system wouldn't allow families like that to take children in?" He prodded, wondering if the system were really all that helpful at all if cases like that were common. Summer shook her head.
"There aren't a lot of families out there willing to take in children, so they take what they can get. If you mean abusive and neglectful ones, those are carefully looked at and rejected. Some slip through the cracks though, luckily I wasn't sent to one." She sighed.
"When did you enter into the system?" He could tell the subject of the system was very personal to her, though she didn't look too distraught talking about it. Her expression was a mix of resignation and wistfulness. Obviously she'd had enough time to come to terms with her experiences as a foster care child, and no longer resented or pitied herself for it.
"I'm not really sure. I think I was about 1 year old. I don't have any recollection of my parents at all. I don't even know who they are, or what they did to have me taken away." She shrugged then, meeting his gaze again. "Who knows? I'm not too keen to find them or anything. If they really wanted to, they could search for me themselves. But I've been just fine without them."
Law nodded slowly, taking in her words. He was amazed that she'd been one of the few to fully grow up with the system. Those instances were rare nowadays.
"…Sorry if that was insensitive, what with your parents and all." She added sheepishly, glancing away with a cringe. He raised a brow.
"Don't be, it's fine." He reassured, knowing she hadn't meant it in any rude way. Cutting the conversation short was Nathan, who'd returned with their meals. He placed the tray on the stand, dishing out their food to each of them before bidding them an enjoyable meal.
They tucked into the food, their conversations running a bit milder than their original topics. It seemed they'd both come to the same unspoken agreement that such talk was a bit too heavy for dinner, and moved onto something else.
They enjoyed the food and each other's company, time seeming to fly by. Law found himself very comfortable in her presence, simply enjoying their conversation and easy, laid-back temperament of their dinner. It wasn't often he could find himself relaxing anywhere other than work or his own home, but sitting there across from Summer was strangely tranquil.
Hitomi walked into the dimly-lit bar, searching around the place for the man in particular she had come there to see. He wasn't in his usual chair in the corner, where he had a good view of the whole room. Frowning a little, she felt herself become a little disheartened at these turn of events. Surely he would be working that night, right?
She caught the eye of a tall blonde man behind the bar, seeing his curious and amused expression, she sighed, deciding it would be rude to enter without at least one drink.
"Welcome. What'll it be for you?" He asked politely, courteous smile in place."
"A mimosa will do." She answered, always the creature of habit. He nodded, moving to make the drink for her.
"So, here to see Zoro I presume?" His courteous smile slowly morphing into one of amusement. She looked up sharply, about to ask how he knew, but realized that he'd probably seen her look to his usual spot first thing, simply putting the facts together after that.
"Yes, actually. Is he not working tonight?" She inquired, leaning forwards on the counter to wait for her drink. He chuckled at that.
"Oh, don't worry, he is. Should be back soon. Just finishing up his break is all." The man smiled warmly, though still with traces of that mischief behind his eyes. "Though, don't let that fact stop you from taking up some of his time while he works."
She narrowed her eyes, though saw no ulterior motives in his obvious attempts at encouraging her to stay to see the security guard. Perhaps he simply thought that her company would be welcome to the green-haired man. Or…did he suspect the nature of the feelings she felt for the man? That cunning and amused glint in his eye suggested so. If that was the case, how had he come to know that? She didn't recall ever meeting him. Though, there was always the chance that Summer said something, which set her to worrying whether the security guard knew or not.
"Here you are, ma'am." He interrupted her thoughts, pushing her drink closer.
"Thank you." She replied, taking a few sips of the fruity drink in delight. This place's drinks truly were the best.
Hitomi heard footsteps over to her left slowly approach her, falter for a split second, recover and pass behind her, then make their way over by Zoro's spot. She didn't look up, simply enjoyed a few more sips of her drink until she worked up the bravery to truly take that first step towards what she'd had in mind. She could feel the watchful gaze of the blonde man on her, probably trying to decide what would happen next, or who would make the first move.
Sighing under her breath, she downed the rest of it, nodding to the bartender for another. "One for him as well, if that's alright." She requested quietly so Zoro wouldn't hear, not needing to explain who she meant. The man grinned, nodding in understanding.
He made another mimosa for her, then grabbed a bottle of sake from the cooler below, setting them both in front of her. She accepted them both, returning the encouraging smile he sent her way, before taking them in hand and standing from her seat. Before she fully stood, she could have sworn she heard him say 'go get 'em.'
Purposefully looking him in the eyes as she approached, sending a clear indication that he was her intended destination, she saw his eyes widen a moment, before a tiny blush appeared on his cheeks, becoming more evident as she got closer.
"Hello, Zoro." She greeted with a gentle smile, standing in front of his position in the corner. "Care to join me for a drink?"
He froze, eyes quickly glancing over to the man behind the counter. Hitomi forced herself not to look back, completely keeping her focus on the handsome green-haired man before her. She wasn't going to back down now, especially after that first mimosa, which she now felt kicking in. That familiar buzz in her hands and chest indicating that the alcohol was beginning to do its job.
Whatever he'd been looking for from the bartender had apparently been answered, as his eyes switched back over to her. "Ah…sure." He answered, still incredibly hesitant about this encounter if his narrowed eyes were anything to go by.
He stood and followed her to the closest table, positioning himself so that he could still survey the room from his seat. She smiled a little wider. Always the man of duty, she thought.
"You don't have to be so nervous around me." She prodded, knowing that the only way to make this man talk was to simply talk, and let the alcohol flow a little. He happily grabbed the sake bottle she'd brought him, tipping it back for a swig.
"I'm not nervous." He denied immediately, not looking at her. Her elbows leaned on the table, propping her chin atop her steepled fingers as she peered at the man.
"You're blinking more rapidly than is normal. Lips pressed together, constantly shifting your eyes away-"
"Don't…analyze me, woman." He growled, finally meeting her with a small scowl. She only chuckled in return, feeling a lot more of the alcohol entering her bloodstream. Hitomi herself felt a little better talking to others this way, and Zoro was no exception.
"Afraid I'll discover your deepest darkest secrets or something?" She laughed, and he resorted to drinking more from the bottle instead of answering. Unsatisfied with this, Hitomi folded her arms across one another on top of the table, leaning closer. "You don't have to worry about that. I won't tell anyone."
"Tch." He scoffed, a tiny grin tugging at the corners of his lips, however. "Damn lawyers…"
"If you hate lawyers so much, why do you work as a security guard for a law firm?" She questioned, confident that the ice had been broken well and truly. While his discomfort was still rather apparent, at least he wasn't constantly shifting back and forth in his seat now, and the more he drank alcohol, the easier it seemed to talk to him.
"Extra cash on the side. And…" He stopped himself, eyes widening a fraction, almost as if he were about to say something that he shouldn't have. This only made Hitomi curious though.
"…and?" She prodded, getting close to finishing her drink. Her brain hadn't even registered that she'd continued drinking it until the last drops slid down her throat.
"Nothing. Forget it." He muttered, still apparently trying to mask his embarrassment with alcohol. The small grin returned to that scowl she knew so well from him.
"Hmm…" She hummed, truly curious as to what he would have said.
"…Why'd you come here?" He asked suddenly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She turned back to face him, surprised by pleased that he seemed to be comfortable enough to initiate the conversation.
"You make it sound as if I'm not welcome here." She pretended to sound hurt, holding a hand gently against her heart. His cheeks burned a bit darker hue of red, though she doubted he realized it. Still, the result gave him that cute blush he had whenever she caught him looking at her from across the room.
"T-that's not what I meant, jeez." He rubbed the back of his head, looking rather flustered. "I was just wondering is all."
Hitomi chuckled. "Would you believe me if I told you I simply wanted to enjoy your company over some drinks?" One look at the expression of slight shock and bewilderment on his face made her laugh again. "I'll take that as a no."
"And here I thought you were tracking me down to sue me…" He muttered sarcastically, his look darkening, as if he were forcing himself to be angry or annoyed with her. She didn't let this deter her, however, feeling rather confident in herself that she could get the green-haired, quiet and flustered man to open up a bit more. It would just require some gentle persuasion, a skill she had mastered in her time as a lawyer.
After they'd finished eating, Nathan brought them the check, which Law refused to let Summer pay for. She adamantly argued that since he'd treated her to such a wonderful, and moderately expensive first date, that it was only fair for her to pay or help pay for the second. He relented, allowing her to pay for the tip at the very least, if only to keep her happy.
They made their way back outside to his motorcycle. Summer was used to the routine by now and had no trouble at all climbing onto the back and snuggling in closer to him. In fact, she secretly enjoyed feeling him so close, the tough leather of his jacket against her much thinner blouse.
The ride home seemed much shorter than Summer remembered, unfortunately, and before she knew it they were pulling into the parking lot of Mikkan Apartments. Law slowly drove them through the maze of vehicles, cruising into an open spot at the front.
He turned the key, killing the engine and set the kickstand. They both hopped down from the bike, taking off the helmets and setting them on the handlebars. Summer would have to brush through her hair forever to get the tangles out when she got back to her home, but she found that she didn't care all that much, too content with that night for it to matter much at all.
Summer linked her arm through his once more. He still tensed up when she touched him, but he always relaxed after a moment. It confused her, but she took it to mean that Law just wasn't a very touchy feely person. She mentally shrugged, allowing him to walk her up to the door as they talked about the night in general.
They started up the steps to the second floor, quietly talking and laughing between them in contentment. And a lot sooner than she'd hoped, they arrived in front of her apartment door. She sighed, digging the key out of her purse, unlocking it with a click.
Turning, she looked up to Law with a smile. "Thanks for taking me out again, I had a lot of fun. And you were right that place was good. We should go there again sometime."
Law's brows raised a fraction, unnoticeable unless you were looking, at her implications of wanting to go on another date in the future. And now that he'd thought about it, he'd like that as well. A small smile touched his lips. "Sure."
Her eyes searched his for a moment, flicking back and forth until she finally stepped forward, pushing up on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her actions caught him off guard, and his hands moved to her waist, simply holding her there cautiously.
Contrary to what he first expected, she simply pulled him in, her head resting beside his on his shoulder, squeezing him tightly. "I know you're not very touchy, but really, Law. I mean it. Thank you." She muttered.
Her breath made his ear tingle, the warm air sending a chill down his spine, though not unwelcome. He stood there, unsure of what to do or say, really. He hadn't expected her to do this. Regardless, Law still felt a sigh of contentment leave his mouth as he settled her closer into his chest.
He found himself feeling disappointed when she eased up, leaning back down and looking up at his face in curiosity. Her eyes, those orbs of violet, gazed up into his, paralyzing him, causing his heart rate to increase. He could feel it pounding in his chest, mind set on what he wanted.
Gently removing his hands from her waist, he brought them up to cradle each side of her face, bringing his own closer to the proximity of her lips. Feeling his chest swell as her eyes widened, he searched them for any indication that she wanted him to stop, to let go of her and simply leave. But found none.
Closing his eyes, he brought his lips to rest gently against hers, a soft but caring gesture that she eagerly responded in kind to. Her hands wrapped around his middle, her fingers clenching the material on the back of his jacket.
There was no rush, no overlying tension that hurried this first kiss along, nothing expected afterwards to lead into, and after a few moments of enjoying her soft lips moving slowly against his, he pulled back to look her in the eyes again.
A blush marked her cheeks as she gazed back, eyes darting first between his eyes, then down to his mouth, before returning to his eyes again. A silent request that he knew she was asking. Their breaths mingled in the air between them, warming the enclosed space between their bodies and reddening his face.
Slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers once more, planting a chaste kiss there, before tilting his head a little to allow him a better angle. His breath faltered, hearing her faint sigh of pleasure against his lips. He almost shuddered, that delicious sound causing him to want to push her agains the wall and continue to claim her lips as his, his thoughts getting the better of him.
His hands drifted slowly to the back of her head, right at the top of her neck, tangling his fingers in her messy hair, pulling her closer to deepen the connection between their lips.
"Meow!" Came a muffled sound from behind her door, followed by a tiny scratching sound. They both paused, separating an inch or so as they quickly realized what had made the noise. Opening their eyes, they grinned and chuckled to each other, finally deciding that perhaps it would be best to turn in for the night.
"I swear, that cat is nothing but trouble." Summer grouched halfheartedly, still grinning despite herself. He heard her breathing still trying to even out, and he felt that sharp swell of desire once more, but quickly dashed the thought, attempting to get ahold of himself.
Law chuckled again, bringing their lips together for a final, gentle kiss. Smiling, he pulled away, and she released her hold on his jacket. They stepped apart, and Summer sighed softly, smiling up at him.
"Goodnight, Law." She practically whispered, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets again, to make sure he wouldn't reach out to her again and hold her there, so he could keep kissing those soft lips.
"Goodnight." He responded, watching as she entered her apartment, giving him a little wave, before closing it behind her, leaving him alone in the hallway.
He sighed heavily, running a hand through his messy hair, feeling rather pleased with himself. The grin that lit up his face felt permanent, as if it would never go away and this elated feeling in his heart would never cease.
Realizing he was still standing in front of her door, he turned and began descending the steps, he reached the bottom, still half distracted with thoughts of Summer. He almost didn't see the female figure standing further down by the apartment office, leaning against a support beam bathed in light. Almost.
His eyes locked onto the pink-haired woman, smoking a cigarette and smirking at him as she blew out the smoke.
"Guess I owe that bastard his money now, huh?" She called quietly, watching as Law paused in his walk to the parking lot. He raised his brow at Bellemere's amused chuckle, crossing her arms as she gazed at him. "Though, I don't think I've ever been more content with losing a bet before."
Not bothering to stick around or say anything more, she tossed the used up cigarette butt to the cement floor, grinding it with the heel of her shoe before heading into the offices. Not wanting to stick around any longer and possibly run into someone else who had some sort of say in his life choices, he headed towards his bike, feeling that smile creep back onto his face.
ns 15.158.61.5da2
