au meme } running from the law | blythe

[piqued]

from here.

She isn’t His Consigliere. He isn’t her Soldier. But when it’s time to run, it’s Time to Run, and it doesn’t always get to be Clean and Simple as would be Convenient.

There will be time to sort themselves out properly. Until then, well, at least the di Spade and the Coppe families are more Allied than not these days. It means driving just a Hair above the speed limit down a dark country road with her in his car isn’t a Problem.

Just not the Most Convenient.

“I’m sure we’ll be there soon, Miss.”

Somewhere Safe. Relatively, at any rate.

Comments

[somuchheart]

They'll get in the car. They'll head to the designated meeting spot. They'll exist in a distant silence that's only broken by the occasional direction from Blythe.

And then something slips out. "Get lost." A moment passes, and then she elucidates. "Take the wrong turn."

[piqued]

The Jolt is surely understandable. His eyes flash to her for a moment before they have to revert to the road.

"A-- wrong turn, Miss?"

[somuchheart]

"Wouldn't it be a pity if we got lost? If I accidentally said left instead of right?" She can't help the mischievous tug at her lips, a smile he's surely seen often now that he knows her.

[piqued]

He knows the Expression, even if he doesn't quite comprehend the cause. He knows that he Wants that smile, even if he doesn't understand why.

He turns the wheel smoothly and the car swings left.

[somuchheart]

It's vaguely reminiscent of a month ago. Except this time, she's tugging her heels off with a childish glee. This time, she's sliding out her comb to feel the wind in her hair, not just to have something to do with her fingers.

"I expect I'll feel terribly guilty about this soon," she starts, gently leaning to rest her head on his shoulder. "Until then, keep going straight."

[piqued]

It's not so much a skip of his heart as a calming of his nerves to have her leaning against him like this. A settling back into the new natural order.

"Could just be a little late."

[somuchheart]

"A week wouldn't hurt anyone, would it?" she asks, glancing up at him. "They should be able to take care of themselves. I'll be terribly disappointed if they can't."

[piqued]

"A week?" He had thought a few hours. He had thought, at most, a day. His brow arches Curiously as he glances down properly to meet her eyes.

[somuchheart]

She doesn't hesitate.

Well, she does, but he probably can't sense it. "Less. I wouldn't want to keep you from anything." She sits up a little, leaning back in her seat.

[piqued]

"I'll hardly get in trouble for following orders." There's almost a smile before he turns his attention back to the road. Almost. "We'll think of something."

[somuchheart]

"Something," she murmurs, fingers running through her hair before she leans over to press her lips to his cheek impulsively.

[piqued]

--oh. That... gets a blink, another glance in her direction. Not because it was Wrong.

He simply hadn't particularly realized, in the last month, that it had become something that would feel... Right.

[somuchheart]

Of course she notices the glance. "You're... okay with that, mm?"

[piqued]

"...yes, Miss Blythe." He can't Completely relax about it. He also can't Actually hide the brief flit of a smile as he turns the car at random toward an on-ramp, not noting what highway.

[somuchheart]

She can't help beaming in response to that little, meaningful smile. "Let's do something fun. We've been so safe and mindful for the past month. I want to see you let loose."

[piqued]

"...let loose?" Now That isn't something that feels Natural, the way her lips against his cheek had felt. Cooking with her? Getting to the point of Sitting Together so her head could duck against his shoulder?

That was Wild and Crazy.

[somuchheart]

"Right. I mean, we've been mostly professional over the past month, right?" She turns to him, raising an eyebrow.

[piqued]

"Mostly." Smiling as much as he had hadn't been Professional. Relaxing hadn't been.

They'll work on this.

[somuchheart]

"So we'll do something completely unprofessional. Just tonight." Her voice drops into a tone that's just slightly enticing, slightly persuasive. "Let's have fun. And if you want, tomorrow you can drop me off and we'll probably never associate with each other again."

[piqued]

His nod is slow, thoughtful.

"...like bowling?"

He's trying.

[somuchheart]

... she's not laughing.

Yes, the corner of her lip is twitching. But she's not actually laughing. She's just... letting a little giggle slip. Just a tiny giggle.

"... sure. Bowling." And then the idea hits her. "What about bowling and laser tag?"

[piqued]

"...laser tag?" The incredulity in his voice is Obvious, but then again, he's got no legs to stand on.

He just suggested Bowling, for fuck's sake.

[somuchheart]

"It'll be like the rush of the job, except without the actual stress. What's not to like?"

[piqued]

"D'you still get a rush from it?" Then again, maybe a tiny bit of Action would be a good thing. The last month's tension needed to be relieved somehow or other.

[somuchheart]

"Don't you?" Her fingers trail briefly to his hair, run through it affectionately without disturbing it too much. "We have to go, then. You'll feel that first time rush all over again. There's nothing like it."