Running on Empty//Closed; Kay

[Kaydence Morgan]

As Kaydence was walking back to her room, she briefly wondered if Ashton was capable of pushing himself off of the floor in the state he was in. She was so close to her bedroom though that she really didn’t want to turn back. She decided to give him a few minutes to compose himself before giving up on him. Drowsiness was beginning to rear its ugly head in her direction. Yawning again Kaydence pulled the shades closed on her window. After their romp in bed she had every intention on falling back asleep for as long as possible. Plus hopefully the darkness would keep Ashton in bed for even longer as well. She still hadn’t come up with a plan to get him apparated back to Somerset without him putting up a fight. Once assured that a ray of sunlight wouldn’t be able to peek into the room Kaydence fell back onto her bed and propped herself up on an arm. There was still no sign of Ashton. Drunky was probably still trying to decide between his floor chips and the offer she had given him. Though she would have been terribly upset if he had chosen food over her.

As if on cue, he suddenly appeared in her doorway with a huge grin on his face. She returned it, biting down on her lower lip as his boxers fell to his ankles. Guess he had gotten the message. Joining her on the bed she was lifted onto his lap. At least he wasn’t the type to lose the drive when intoxicated. His fingers nimbly unclasped her bra. Throwing her head back as his kissed her stomach Kaydence pulled him closer to her. She let him pull her back down to him, feverishly accepting the kiss he wanted from her. Their skin touched and it felt like she was on fire. Moaning she pushed him back and crawled on top of him. She had a sudden renewal of energy. Lucky for him she’d do the work until his own adrenaline kicked in.

-----

The familiar nightmare was back. Darren and his green light of death had come to take her again, bringing the memories she kept hidden back into view. This time however Kaydence succumbed to the tears that had always threatened her. She pleaded with him to leave her alone, but he just laughed. ”What’s the matter Kaydence? Wasn’t it you who showed up trying to prove your strength to me? Then again, we all know the outcome of that one.” He erupted into maniacal laughter. She screamed as light shot from his wand and hit her right in the stomach. It was the same area she had been hit by the stray spell three years ago. The pain was overbearing. Kaydence fell to her knees defenseless. Darren stepped closed to her and placed the tip of his wand on her forehead. ”You made your bed sister, you’ll have to sleep in it.”The last words she heard were “Avada Kedavra!”

It had been several weeks but Kaydence shot up in bed, holding in the scream that wanted to come from her mouth. She was breathing heavily. Looking back behind her Ashton still appeared to be sleeping. The muscles on his back flexed slightly with every breath he took. Her hand moved to her head and wiped away the cold sweat beads that had formed. Pulling her knees up to her chest Kaydence rested her forehead on them. She was so grateful that her rash wake-up hadn’t disturbed both of their slumbers. He may not have been one to ask questions, but she was in no mood to answer any that may or may not arise. Besides, she had never shown him fear before. She was not about to start now. Pulling the covers away from herself Kaydence slid out of bed and quietly tiptoed to her robe hanging from her closet door. Her arms glided into the sleeves. Tying the wrap around her waist she took one last look at him before leaving him alone. She envied the peaceful look on his face. She wished she could have snuggled back into him. Given that her heart was still racing a mile a minute she knew that any attempt at sleep would be ill-fated. Kaydence was awake whether she liked it or not.

The bottoms of her feet were cold. The hardwood floors seemed like such a terrible idea to have in the mornings. However, hopefully the cold air would bring her back to reality. Kaydence entered her kitchen and turned her coffee machine on. She grabbed a bag of coffee grounds from her pantry and a bag of sugar. Putting the coffee grounds into the filter, she grabbed her coffee pot and filled it halfway with water. She had no idea if Ashton would want some, but she figured she’d be nice even if he managed to find some way to insult her for her kindness. She poured the water into the back and closed the lid. Placing the pot on the hot place Kaydence turned the machine on. Instantly, its aroma filled the kitchen. She went to her storage closet and grabbed her broom and dustpan. There were crumbs all over her floor from his midnight snacking. She longer she looked at them, the more annoyed she got. She swept up the crumbs and trashed the empty yogurt container and rum bottle. Kaydence wondered if he had put two and two together last night. If he had, he didn’t seem to have minded.

The red light on her coffee machine turned green indicating that it was done. She grabbed thermal mugs from a cabinet and placed them next to the machine. Pouring coffee into her own she placed the pot back on the plate to keep it warm for whenever he chose to wake up, if he did wake up. She mixed sugar and a few splashes of milk into her coffee, swirling it around with a spoon until she saw the desired color. Tapping the edge of the spoon on her mug Kaydence placed it in her sink once any remaining droplets had been shaken off. She grabbed her mug and walked over to her back patio, opening the sliding glass door quickly and quietly. She pulled one of her lounge chairs in her direction and took a seat. Easing her back into the soft lining Kaydence sighed as she gazed over the rippling tides. She had no idea what time it was but assumed that it was only a little before ten. There were people on the beach, but not enough for tourists to come out swarming yet. That was fine with her. All she wanted right now was silence and some time with her thoughts.

[Ashton Wentworth]

As much as he hated to admit it, this was something that he could get used to very quickly, exhausting himself after a few hours of labor and falling asleep next to a beautiful woman. He had held her close, hoping that she wouldn't realize that there was something different in his touch. He hoped that she attuned it to his just being drunk. To be fair, she had most certainly done her share of the heavy lifting. It was an interesting change, he had most likely imagined it, but he thought she was more present than she normally was, more receptive, it had been a very welcome change. He had missed connecting with people, people of the female type most specifically. He had always put forth as much energy as he had possible in their little encounters, but his heart was held back, guarded. It wasn't fair to her considering that she had really done nothing wrong but he couldn't stop himself. It was just protective measures as far as he was concerned. Whenever it had all been over with, he had fallen into a deep sleep, his want wasn't quiet yet satisfied but his body was spent. He had managed to push himself over to his stomach and bury his face once more into her pillow. He wanted to pull her close, to hold her but his body was past doing his bidding. He drifted off without protest into a world without dreams. Or, if he did dream he had no idea what they were upon waking.

With the curtains drawn he slept far a lot longer than he would have liked, on a normal day he was dragging his miserable butt out of bed and scrounging for food no later than 8 pm, it was yet another downside of his job. The set hours, the rising early, going to bed at a decent time was murder on his nervous system. He was used to a strict diet of take out and alcohol, sleeping for a few hours and starting his day again. All of this extra rest was making him so tired all the time, but next week should be better. He should be off his probation, it was the number two thing plaguing his thoughts over this past work. He just wasn't built for paperwork. The various muscles in his body tensed at random intervals as he sunk deeper into the realms of sleep. It wasn't until he felt a lack of heat coming from the other end of the bed that he woke, his head was pounding, while he still felt tingling in his extremities, the worst of his intoxication had passed. It hadn't yet been long enough time for the alcohol to have fully left his system fully. Swearing softly under his breath he suddenly found himself more than thankful that she had pulled the curtains closed, thanking her for the small kindness he pulled his pillow out from under his head and then placed it over his head again, attempting to smother the pain coming out of his ears. He wanted to retreat into a place deep within his body for numerous reasons. The foremost being that he didn't believe that pain could tough him there, the vicious light might be his friend. Also, because he was afraid of walking out of this room and facing Kaydence. Now that he could think semi-rationally he wondered what it was that he had done last night to end up here. Bits and pieces were there, but he would have to wait until more time had passed before the full story would come back to him.

Slowly, he began pushing his limbs off the bed, starting with his feet. It was more difficult than he had estimated due to the fact that it was so warm under the soft blankets and so cold outside of them. He guessed by the feel of skin on blanket that he was stark naked. He didn't want to leave but there was a pressure coming from his bowels. He was fairly certain that he knew where the bathroom was, he could faintly remember being there at least once last night. Peaking his head out from under the pillow he willed one eye to open a fraction of an inch. His vision was blurred form his eyelashes so he opened his eye a little further. His breath did not smell pleasant from the prolonged exposure to alcohol and lack of toothpaste. As one leg touched ground a sharp intake of breath hissed between his teeth as the could registered. Frowning, he let his other foot follow. The muscles in his shoulder tensed as he used his arms to push his body upright. Running his tired palm over his face he attempted to locate at least one of his articles of clothing, which was more difficult than he had hoped because of the dark and his unwillingness to open his eyes. Standing, though greatly hunched over he stepped and felt denim on his foot. Holding it in place as he scooted toward the door. Opening it inch by inch he poked his head out to see if she was expecting him. He didn't see her anywhere. Opening the door he slid his body and pants toward the bathroom. After he was done relieving himself he managed to pull his pants onto his body with difficulty.

Upon exiting the room once more he smelt something heavenly, normally he wasn't one to indulge in coffee but anything sounded better than leaving this taste in his mouth to fester. Using the side of his hand so shield his eyes from the light pouring in from the window his features wrinkled. Why was all of her furniture white? The light reflecting off of the couch was blinding. He felt the rest of the way to the kitchen with his eyes closed. Letting his nose bask in the aroma. Once in the safety of the kitchen he opened his eyes once again. She had left out a coffee mug for him, it didn't take a genius to guess that the milk was in the fridge. Picking up the thermal mug that had been felt for her he turned it over in his hand and sighed. Removing the coffee pot from the hot plate he poured a fair amount into his cup and turned for the fridge. Opening the door without thinking he recoiled at the light hit him directly in the eyeball. Grabbing the container of milk as quickly as he could he allowed the door to slam shut. Any mess that he had made last night had already been cleaned as he should have expected. Pouring milk into the mug he replaced the container in the fridge. Picking up the spoon that had undoubtedly been what she used for her own coffee he stirred twice and placed it on the counter, little coffee drippings forming a pool against the black granite. Burning his tongue on the first sip he blew on the liquid hesitantly, the feeling of scalding liquid on his almost empty stomach was awful. He could feel the acid in his stomach churning, but he was grateful for the taste. His chest didn't feel quiet as compressed, he could breath as the aroma cleared his sinuses.

Glancing around slowly he struggled to stay tall. Where was she? Had she left him here alone? That couldn't be right. Was she hiding in hopes that he would feel unwelcome and leave on his own accord? He didn't know where they were, her home could be on the side of a cliff if he wanted. Sliding around the edge of the counter he held onto the edge like an infant learning to walk. Her condo had so many windows he he wasn't sure exactly how to avoid the sunlight, he could hear water. Moving into the living room he thought that he felt a breeze. Grasping his mug with both hands he was comforted by the heat it provided, however minimal. He finally spotted her on the balcony but couldn't bring himself to head out there and talk to her. Still in a decent mood despite the headache he would have at least thanked her for the coffee. Should he just go? The light was painful enough to at least stay inside. He found his boots placed under the table where he assumed he had gotten comfortable last night and took a seat next to them, enjoying his coffee while he pondered. He could at least finish the coffee before she kicked him out, while it might have been more than he would have done for her, he hoped she was in an alright mood as well.

[Kaydence Morgan]

The breeze from the waves felt good against her skin. Bringing her mug up to her mouth Kaydence savored a few drops of the hot liquid. Thankfully it wasn’t too warm yet to regret her decision to sit outside while drinking hot coffee. She rested her coffee on her knee and continued staring off into the distance. She was so tired of waking up like this. She was tired of the same nightmare coming back over and over. She was tired of waking up in cold sweats after being killed repeatedly by her brother. Kaydence couldn’t help but to feel like there was some sort of meaning behind it. She sincerely hoped the fact that she kept dying at the hands of her brother wasn’t some sort of foreshadow. Chills ran down her spine. It wasn’t like the thought hadn’t crossed her mind before. Her paranoia had increased since leaving Austria. Too many times had she looked over her shoulder after hearing a noise from behind her. She never left her doors or windows unlocked while she was in or outside of her home. She had even subjected innocent witches and wizards to various curses and hexes just because she felt they were following her too long.

Perhaps she was just that. Overly paranoid. Maybe these nightmares kept resurfacing because of the uncertainty her life was facing. Maybe they were trying to force her to pick a side. Although she was against her brother and could never see herself joining the Good side to fight him, Kaydence was in the middle. When she was growing up she would have never envisioned herself in such a position. She had been raised to hate muggles and mudbloods. Growing up, the Manor never had anything muggle invented within its walls. No televisions, telephones or still pictures. She had never been allowed to associate with another child from a tainted family. If she did, Kaydence was punished for however long her parents thought it necessary for her to understand what she had done was wrong. She couldn’t count the number of times she had been locked in her room as a child screaming and wailing to be let out for not understanding what she did that was so wrong. It would be to no avail though. Her mother and father continued to ignore her until she stopped. When they went up to her and she could tell them why she had been locked in her room then they would let her out, if it was to their liking of course.

Now that she was older Kaydence only seemed to have one thing on her mind. Darren. Maybe her path would be revealed after she dealt with him. For now nothing made sense. Day after day Kaydence did nothing but plot against him. She broke away from it every now and again to venture into the outside world, making sure to have some sort of sanity in her life. Lately, Ashton had been that venture. He was the only person she saw on a consistent basis, even if it was only for a few hours. He had been the one thing that had been able to distract her from everything. With the exception of her rude awakening, anytime spent in his presence had been appreciated. Kaydence would never confess this to him. He couldn’t possibly understand what it was like to be the sibling of the Dark Lord, or to be disowned from his family. He would never understand what it was like to live his life in fear that he could be attacked at any minute. And for that Kaydence was thankful. She needed to be around someone that didn’t have those sort of pressures in his life. Ashton may have had something going down from within him but it wasn’t enough to scare her away, at least not yet.

She could hear rustling from inside of the condo. Glancing back she could make out his silhouette in the other room. Kaydence focused back on the scene in front of her. Now that he was awake she needed to decide what to do with him. If he came out here with her he would surely recognize the Waterfront. The boardwalk was to the left and she knew from experience that he knew that strip all too well. The condominiums towered above any other building on the island. If he realized that she lived in them, then all he would need to do was to start knocking at doors to try and see if anyone knew her. Actually all he needed to do was look at the number on her door to remember where it was that she lived. Kaydence needed to come to the decision soon. Either apparate him straight to his hotel room or let him leave on his own. Though it would be nice to be the one doing the kicking out. After all the times he had done it to her, he needed a taste of his own medicine. After much deliberation, kicking him out seemed the most fitting. Kaydence’s pride had taken a beating on several of mentioned occasions. She needed to bring it back up a couple of notches. Sliding her legs off to the side she pulled her robe down to cover herself as she got up. While her robe was long enough, it only went to a few inches above her knee. One wrong move and whoever was lucky enough to witness would get quite the show.

Kaydence swallowed half of the contents from her mug as she walked over towards the sliding door. She could see his figure on her couch. Opening the door she squeezed herself through and met his gaze. “Morning,” she said, continuing past him and into the kitchen. “Nice to see you aren’t comatose.” Her tone was cold, but she was simply echoing his own. She finished off her coffee and put it straight in the sink. Turning the water on Kaydence begin to wash that and the coffee pot out. She couldn’t just let the dishes sit there. She said nothing as she washed the dishes. Hopefully, he would be made to feel as uncomfortable as he had made her. She dried her hands on a kitchen rag once she finished. Her next move was to empty the coffee grounds from the top of the machine. Kaydence dumped them in the trash as well as the paper filter she had used. Enough time had passed for her to speak to him again. Walking until she stood between the two rooms she put her right hand on her hip and scratched at her head with the other. “So, I’ve got things to do today. I need to go jump in the shower. You’ll be able to find your way out.” Turning, Kaydence made her way back to her bedroom.

A strange feeling came from the pit of her stomach as she walked away from him. Although it felt good to let him be the one doing the walk of shame, Kaydence remembered the way he was last night. He had been like a child, freely displaying affections and being so carefree. He hadn’t insulted her yet, but she didn’t want to give him the chance to do so. The person she had seen last night was one she didn’t want to let go off yet. Closing the bedroom door behind her Kaydence dropped her robe and went into her bathroom. She locked the door behind her, unaware of whether or not he had his wand. Hopefully he’d get the message regardless. She turned the nozzles, allowing the room to steam up before stepping in the shower.

[Ashton Wentworth]

The room had seemed a lot larger last night, from what he could remember it was far more inviting in the dark. Too much light for his taste, whatever building this was, he wasn't going to be purchasing real estate here any time soon. He preferred things to be a little softer, more cozy that they were here. Lifting the mug to his lips once more, the warm liquid poured down his throat and into his stomach, hunger was building in his body once more. Sitting on the couch he allowed himself to lean back and relax, he was here now, no sense in worrying, whatever was going to happen would, he assumed that he had already done some decent damage to whatever it was that they had. Closing his eyes he almost drifted back to sleep, coffee in had. “Morning,” Bolting upright he groaned as the motion had jostled his head. She hadn't even stopped to talk to him, he must have done something bad. “Nice to see you aren’t comatose.” her tone was flat, what on earth had he done to her? She hadn't left him in an alley somewhere, that had happened to him a few times and that was not an experience that he wished to repeat. She was in her robe and he doubted anything was underneath, at least he seemed to have gotten lucky, why she had allowed him to sleep over was beyond his comprehension. Was that how he sounded? Was she giving him the cold shoulder? It wasn't something he had ever heard from her before. He helplessly watched as she moved about the kitchen, the water running he assumed that she was being OCD about something. Whenever she reemerged she seemed just as distant as she had whenever he had first seen her this morning. “So, I’ve got things to do today. I need to go jump in the shower. You’ll be able to find your way out.” It was like a physical blow to the chest. He knew that he had done things very similar to her, all but literally shoving her past the door frame at times but her voice was just so cold. It wasn't the bitter edge that he was used to. Anger and lust he could understand, but rejection was not something that he handled very well. Polishing off the remnants of his coffee he padded to the kitchen softly. Turning on the faucet he let the water rinse out his cup, he considered just leaving it in the sink, but he noticed that she couldn't even leave the trash from last night out, so he dried it and put it away. He was quickly becoming acquainted with her home.

Attempting to get into the bathroom he jiggled the handle only to find it was locked. Swearing softly, he knocked on the door, he would have kicked it in frustration had he been wearing his boots, but he didn't want to hurt any other part of his body right about now. His head fell forward with a thud, it would have hurt if he wasn't already battling the pounding against the walls of his skull. Leaning against the door the pressure on his forehead actually did a little to ease the internal pounding. He could hear the water running, with a no doubt very naked woman behind it, dripping, covered in soap...shaking his head to clear that thought from his mind he needed to focus. "Why did you come get me last night?" SO it was off topic, but he needed to have his questions answered, before reality really kicked in. He felt like he was in a trance state, perhaps even dreaming through the possibility was slim. It looked like something out a dream, so spotless it was unnatural, if it weren't for his coffee mug and big boots jutting out from under her table, he might have felt like his subconscious was attempting to make him work out his problems. That would be the day, his own thoughts turning against him just like everything else had in his life. She may not think that it was true, but he doubted she could hold a candle to his pity party. He hadn't been wanted by his parents so they gave him away, even then nobody wanted him as he had never been able to stay with a family or longer than a week before they dumped his ass right back into the orphanage that he had come from. Then, he had been rejected by his brother and best friend, abandoned by his mentor, gone through school and had to watch his wife die and was expected to stand and smile as he watched, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

He wanted to go in there, to rinse the club off of his skin, to wash her soft skin, to hold her, maybe indulge in a fantasy of his. He wondered what she was thinking, if she wasn't just running the water waiting for him to leave. If she really wanted him gone why hadn't she stood over his shoulder until he had left? She wouldn't know if he was still here or not until she opened the door anyway. He expected an answer. She was still quiet and that was frustrating, he didn't want to over complicate his buzz with thoughts. Slapping his palm against the door he turned away, wishing that she hadn't emptied out the rest of the coffee, he could have used some more of it. Well, she was going to have to face him at some point or another, she wasn't going to kick him out like a stray, he was better than that. The fact that he had done it to her dozens of times didn't cross his mind, he never was one to be able to handle a dose of his own medicine. No matter the circumstances, even if she had used his exact words on him he would have found a way to get out of it. Just one of his many flaws. Sulking off in the direction of the living room he was fueled by a desire for information, and hunger. He felt like his knowledge of her kitchen was decent enough to find what he needed. Her fridge was oddly full for somebody her size, even with his help burning more calories. Running a palm down his face and back up into his hair he exhaled attempting to pick something. The result was his hair looking even more ridiculous than it had previously. Settling on eggs and bacon he placed them on her meticulous counter, and went about finding her pots and pans. Once located he turned on both of the burners and placed the pans he had located on them.

Cooking was not something that he did very well, but he had become decent at breakfast, the few meals that he did know how to cook, he would cook proficiently. Finding plates and silverware he placed them on the bar at the two seats next to each other, he couldn't find napkins but he wasn't sure he was ready to be just that civilized yet, as the food finished cooking he placed equal portions onto the two plates and rinsed out the pans. Turning off the burners he smiled as his stomach growled. Before he would allow himself to eat he made sure the dished that he had used to cook were cleaned and dried, he hoped she was going to be getting out of the shower soon. She couldn't avoid him forever. Taking his seat on the same stool he had been perched on a few hours ago, he picked up his fork and begun to eat. Leaving the place setting closest to the entryway open for her he hoped she would smell food and come to be with him.

[Kaydence Morgan]

She shouldn’t have been surprised when she heard a knock at her bathroom door. Smirking, Kaydence closed her eyes as the soapy suds from her shampoo ran over her face. He had no excuse for wanting to get in unless he was unable to accept the rejection he was so good at giving out. ”Why did you ever come get me last night?” Given that she still hadn’t figured out herself, she didn’t answer. Squeezing a small knut-sized drop of conditioner into her palm, she rubbed her two hands together and began mixing the conditioner in with her hair. She imagined Ashton in here with her, his nimble fingers massaging her scalp while she massaged other parts of him. The sound of him hitting the door brought her back to reality. So he was frustrated. Good. Kaydence reached for her body pouf and doused the thing in shower gel. She made sure she had scrubbed into every pore before rinsing off and draining the conditioner that remained in her hair. No other sound had come from the other side of the door once she had finished. Perhaps he had finally gotten the message that she was done with him. Turning off the water, Kaydence reached out for the closet towel her hand could find. As it did, she wrapped the fabric around her body and stepped out of the shower.

Tiptoeing up to the door Kaydence pressed her ear against the wood. She could still hear nothing from the other side. Biting down on her lip, she lingered a few extra seconds. Still nothing. Her feet carried her over to her bathroom sink and she began to brush her teeth. The taste of rum combined with morning breath was overbearing. Once her breath was acceptable Kaydence unwrapped the towel from around her and began to dry off. She hadn’t been lying to Ashton when she said she had things to do today. The only problem was that she didn’t know what she was going to be doing today. She loved to shop, but had shopped herself out over the past three days as a distraction to the events unfolding around her. There was still a list of people Kaydence had yet to meet in her goal of finding people who would join her against Darren. She wondered how long she’d be able to deal with the nimwits waiting for her today. Some had held such promise, but as soon as she had begun her interrogation she had discovered that a vast majority of them were exceptional liars. Others had spoken much better of them than they had themselves. She knew that’s what she would have to do today if she expected anything ever getting done.

She bent over and wrapped her hair up in her towel once drying off. Walking over to the door Kaydence opened it quietly to see if he was in the bedroom. He wasn’t, but she was greeted by the aroma of…eggs and bacon? A puzzled expression found its way to her face. Was he cooking? She stepped out of her bathroom and quickly maneuvered herself around her room to find clothing. Kaydence slid her legs into a pair of tight-fitting ripped jeans and a large shirt she draped on one shoulder and off the other. The curiosity was killing her. What was he still doing in her condo? Unraveling her hair from the towel she left her bedroom and slowly walked down her hall. The smell of the food cooking intensified as she got closer. The thought that maybe he was catching her home on fire briefly crossed her mind. It would make for an unexpected twist. She would walk into the kitchen expecting to find him eating and instead the entire thing would be aflame. Kaydence didn’t think it could be put past him. He had been angry that she hadn’t let him in after all.

What Kaydence saw when she entered the small area was not what she had been expecting. Ashton was sitting on one of her bar stools with a plate in front of him. Next to him sat another plate. Her plate. She could feel her mouth open slightly in shock. She had just told him to screw off and he had made her breakfast. It made no sense whatsoever. What shocked her even more was the fact that the dishes he had used had already been washed and either drying or put away. He had accepted her cleanliness and went out of his way so she wouldn’t have to clean up after him. Kaydence had been rendered speechless. This man was one big mystery. That or he still had remnants of last night’s liquor in him. She pursed her lips as she took her seat next to him. This was strange. Not unwelcome, but strange. Instead of following her cue from earlier times, he had stayed and made an effort to show gratitude. Picking up her fork Kaydence dug into a pile of eggs and brought them to her mouth. She chewed quietly as she tried to think of what to say, though it was exceptionally hard to.

“The food is delicious,” she finally said, complimenting him several minutes later. She wondered if this was some big guilt trip he was getting ready to throw on her. If it was, it was probably going to work. She secretly cursed him for being better at this then she was. Her plate was halfway finished before she decided to answer the question he had asked her earlier. “I got a text message from someone who had found your phone. I’m assuming it was some green-haired witch who kept looking at us when…I came to pick you up.” She quickly shoved a piece of bacon into her mouth. How much did he remember from last night? Mostly, she was interested if he had remembered how he had introduced her to the funny looking witch. Kaydence wouldn’t bring it up if nothing was mentioned though. She was sure that if he remembered anything he would want to keep it to himself.

As they both finished eating, Kaydence instinctively grabbed both the plates and silverware and brought them to the sink for washing. She really had a problem sometimes. One time when she still lived at the Manor, Darren had left his entire mess from the previous night’s dinner on the dining room table. She had discovered it the next morning and nearly had a conniption. Maybe it was due to the fact that since everything in her life wasn’t perfect she felt it necessary to give off the appearance that it was. Wiping her hands off again after finishing Kaydence turned to him and gripped the counter with her hands. “Why are you still here?” She hadn’t meant it disrespectfully, but curiosity had finally gotten the best of her. “Aren’t there other things you could be doing?”

[Ashton Wentworth]

The eggs were a bit runny, but he didn't mind. It was the way he liked them, they would have been better if he had managed to find some pepper, either cayenne or black. He wasn't fussed. He had worked through almost half of his eggs and a good portion of a piece of bacon whenever she came padding into the kitchen fully dressed. A twinge of jealous hit his stomach because he was still in his jeans, nothing else. It wasn't as if he had anything else to change into, and his clothing wasn't dirty but he didn't like the way he felt. He was by no means the cleanest person in the entire world but he could feel alcohol seeping out of his pores, his hair was standing on its own and his skin felt strange due to him sweating throughout the course of the night. It was less than pleasant. At least his breath had been masked by the combination of coffee and food. He was half tempted to bolt through the house and steal her toothbrush if he had already finished his food. Instead of chose to do the mature thing and stay seated, ready to deal with her. The sun was starting to get brighter which only intensified his headache. He was regretting finishing off her bottle of rum, he didn't even like rum all that much but he had wanted to keep drinking at any cost. He couldn't remember the last time that he had been that intoxicated, he still was feeling the effects of the liquor in a more dulled way. He had worked up how he had gotten to the club, and what made him start drinking, he seemed to remember dancing, but that was as far as he had gotten so far, the rest was still hazy, he knew that he had spent too much money and made a right idiot of himself. He was very much looking forward to her rendition of the evening.

If she was surprised that he had cooked she said nothing, he knew it was out of character for him, at least out of character for the man that she knew. He wanted to trust her, in this moment he wanted to tell her something, anything about himself that would serve as a stepping stone but his lips stayed closed, he breathed not a word. Ashton was far to stubborn for his own good. Lifting his eyes to her sheepishly he smiled, he wanted to impress her, at least enough to let him stay until his headache subsided. It seemed to be fading from the intake of sustenance, and he still felt like his body has a quality of weightlessness from the effects of liquor. Today was shaping up to be quiet the good day. He refused to let himself think that it was due to waking up here in her condo, so he needed to find other reasons. “The food is delicious,” At her compliment he lit up, while he didn't say anything he sat up straighter, closed his mouth as he was chewing. It was pathetic. Taking note of her plate he noticed that she was eating it, so it didn't appear that she was just saying that to make him feel better. She also wasn't yelling that he was still here, for that he was thankful. The yelling would have been the worst, his head might have literally exploded from the pain of her raised voice right about now. He knew how shrill she could be, and she tended to throw things, he wasn't in shape for evasive maneuvers today. Finishing what was on his face he longed for grapefruit juice, anything to wash it all down with but the bitter taste sounded good to him. His hand had moved to his stomach from the full feeling that he was having, it was getting uncomfortable. He had no idea where his jacket was with his cigarettes, he felt those would have a helping hand in his digestion. He knew that they didn't actually help the process, but they did make him feel better after eating.

“I got a text message from someone who had found your phone. I’m assuming it was some green-haired witch who kept looking at us when…I came to pick you up.” He moved too quickly, there was that shooting pain. It was like a fire hot poker was being forced from his neck up into his skull and his hands clamped down on the spot, massaging gently. Waiting for the pain to subside he allowed her words to sink in. Realization flooded his face as a few more pieces came back to him. Franny. Nodding a few times he closed his eyes, replaying bits of the night in his mind, she had snaked his phone, hopefully she hadn't kept it as asshole tax. He could remember Kaydence pulling him off of the dance floor, annoyed patrons shuffled back on once he had left, he had spun her around like a moron, then it hit him, what he had called her. It played over in his mind, how could he have been so stupid? Sitting straight once again he looked at her, wondering if she was going to call him on it, or hopefully just chock it up to his drunken state, he was praying for the latter. He had no idea what he would say if she brought it up, and he was sure that he could see it on his face, one hand still resting on the back of his neck he waited for anything else to leave those lips. Whenever nothing did he looked straight down at the floor.

No sooner had he begun tracing the outlines of the tile with his eyes had she risen from her seat and begun clearing the dishes. For want of something to do he got up and moved to assist her, grasping a mostly dry towel he attempted to pry the dish out of her hand whenever she was done washing it and dried it and placed it where he had left the pans to air out. “Why are you still here?” Stopping, dish still in hand he looked at her earnestly "I don't want to talk about that" his deep voice was soft, urging her not to press the subject. Today was today, he was in pain and still a little drunk, he was going to embrace it. If she forced the issue he was going to be forced to leave to avoid the serious conversations with her and he didn't want to leave, no matter now much she may have wanted him to. He instead longed to focus on the fact that he was still here, not why because he didn't want to answer that question for himself. “Aren’t there other things you could be doing?” He was torn between wanting to go with his gut, and to keep the truth to himself. The easy thing would to be to make a joke, in an attempt to dodge the question he smiled, placing the dish down on the rack and taking the second plate from her as she moved to the silverware. Toying with possible answers in his mind he decided not to say anything, there were a few other things that he did need to do, he needed some work cloths that weren't covered in blood, needed to find Franny and apologize, as well as find out whoever else it was that she had contacted. He needed to rectify that situation as quickly as possible, things that should have been completed this weekend but he was going to put off until the last possible moment was house hunting as well as paperwork. He didn't want to deal with any of it.

The silence was making his head hurt worse, finishing the last dish he placed it in the rack and moved around the counter top again. Placing his palms down on the polished surface he was looking at his own reflection "You didn't say why you came to get me" Sure, she had told him about the text message but that was nothing, he was sure Franny had texted multiple people, and if he knew where his phone was he would verify that fact. It still didn't explain why she had dragged her behind out of whatever it was that she was doing at whatever hour of the night it was and come to his rescue. His question was one that he didn't want to have answered, not really. Any answer would have intimidated him, he began to regret saying anything and brought his vision back up to her own "Just can't stay away?" His tone was teasing, but his face was not. Walking backwards he extended his thumb in the direction of her balcony "Mind if I use your balcony?" he needed to put space between the two of them before he did something even more monumentally stupid. Glancing around the living room for some hint of his jacket he spotted the sleeve poking up out from between two of the pillows and extracted it. Searching he pockets he was lucky to find a broken cigarette and his lighter, the rest of his pack was missing as well as his cell phone. He would have t ask her about it later, opening the slot in the door, he left his eyes most of the way closed and kept facing the apartment so he wasn't looking into the sun, even though he should have been, then he would have been able to realize where exactly he was. There wasn't much of the cigarette that was still useful, only a few breaths worth but it would be enough to settle his stomach.

[Kaydence Morgan]

In a way, Kaydence was growing tired of this game. She was convinced that any minute he was going to snap out of whatever state he was in and lose it. Somehow, he’d find some way to start with the blasphemy sooner or later. It was her fault that she was still here. It was her fault that he had raided her kitchen and ate her food. It was her fault that he was out on her patio smoking. Every little action that he was doing was a result of her stupidity. And she just kept going along with it. She sighed when he had took the first plate from her hand but not loud enough for him to hear. ”I don’t want to talk about that.” Well what else was new? Kaydence knew he wasn’t an open book. Why she tried to even get some sort of answer from him was beyond her. Though she had felt it necessary given that not only had he stayed when she had attempted to kick him out, but he had made her breakfast and was now helping her clean up. Kaydence ultimately decided to just accept the fact that liquor was still coursing through his veins and this was all a result of such behavior. The empty bottle of rum sitting in her trash can was proof enough.

”You didn’t say why you came to get me.” She knew she hadn’t. Like him, she wanted to avoid the subject as long as possible, mostly because she still didn’t have a clear reason herself. It was true that she had gone to get him because she had a strong feeling he didn’t have any other friends to do the same for him. It was also true that she had other motives. For one, she really was curious to see what he was like when he was drunk. It could have been risky given his normal state, but she threw caution with the wind for her own interest. Another reason lie deep underneath but Kaydence couldn’t dig deep enough to reach it. She had put up a system of defense unbreakable to even her. ”Just can’t stay away?” Still, she said nothing. ”Mind if I use your balcony?” Ashton was going to no matter what her response may have been. As long as he was doing it outside and not inside. Smoke stains were the worst smell to get out of furniture. Plus, as he had made it evident, things were getting too personal for the both of them. They needed their space.

Concern flickered over her features as he stepped outside. He would inevitably see where he was at. Maybe the sun would be too bright for him to focus in on his surroundings. She could only hope. Kaydence turned and went back to her bedroom. She didn’t have time to wait for him to decide which persona he would let her see next. She sat down at her vanity and began setting her various make-up items on the counter in front of her. One finished, she took a moment and stared at the woman reflected back at her. She had changed so much in what seemed like such little time. The woman staring back at her had incurred much wisdom in her time away. She no longer had the youth-like demeanor that had dominated her life for so many years. Now, she actually thought about the consequences her actions would have on her life. At least she had no one else to worry for. Anything that she did would affect only her. In that aspect, Kaydence was grateful that her child had never been born. At her young age, she probably would have let the pressure of being a mother get to her. Many times she had imagined the scenario of her disappearing into the night leaving her child with its father. She had always tried to convince herself that that’s what would have happened.

The actuality, Kaydence knew, was that it would have never happened if it had happened. Although young she would have been a doting mother. Evan and she would have given their child the best uprising possible. The little thing would have been spoiled rotten, getting everything and anything their little hearts desired. She would have had to have been the dictactor if the child had been a girl. Kaydence had been able to wrap Evan too easily around her own for her to think any differently. She had always hoped it would be a girl. Selfishly, she would have preferred for Evan to have his daddy’s little girl. Having a momma’s boy would be harder for Kaydence to deal with. If he had taken after any part of the males on her side of the family, she would have been devastated when he started showing any signs of resemblance. She would have cut off her little family from the world, only allowing Evan’s side to know their grandchild or nephew or niece since they had always been so kind to her. From their first meeting, Evan’s mother had basically adopted her as one of her own. She had continued to show Kaydence the love and affection her own mother had been unable to display to her.

She really hated how these nightmares affected the rest of her day. Huffing, Kaydence unscrewed the lid to her powdered foundation. All these memories and what-ifs resurfaced and nagged at her causing her mood to worsen by the minutes. Pouring a bit of the powder onto the inside of the lid she grabbed her make-up brush and swirled it around the inside. She picked up the lid and shook the top of the brush against its edge, ridding the brush of any loose particles. Glancing back up to her reflection Kaydence began to swirl the brush around her cheek bones. After doing this for a minute, she reached for her bronzer and a new brush and repeated what she had done prior. Once satisfied that any blemishes had been concealed she colored her eyelids with silver eyeshadow. Silver always gave her such a mysterious look and Kaydence loved it. After excess powder had been rubbed smoothly over her skin she continued applying the rest of her make-up. She needed to decide what name on her list she needed to go visit first, that was if Ashton hadn’t come up with some alterior plans he hadn’t yet made her aware of.

[Ashton Wentworth]

He saw her figure more past the window, he had half hoped that she would have joined him on the balcony, but that was obviously not going to happen. She wasn't going to let him be nice to her no matter what apparently. He only had a few quality drags on what was left of his cigarette and he was intent on making them count. Sinking into the chair he turned his body bit by bit until he was facing outward, people crossed below and the temperature was starting to rise, he wasn't sure of the exact time but he figured it was some time around mid-day. He could feel the heat on his skin, and a fine layer of sweat forming, but it was a welcome feeling, he liked the way the sun felt. He wasn't sure all of those creatures of the night that he worked with functioned on a day to day basis. While he liked to think that he had a fairly active night life, he much preferred to conduct his business during the daylight hours. If drinking wasn't frowned upon before 5pm, he would start at lunch and just start going to bed earlier, maybe whenever he retired he would become some miserable hermit and just drink himself stupid all the time. The water looked familiar, as his eyes adjusted to the harsh light he began to notice things, the board walk was just a few paces away. The cafe was within eye sight, the resort where he had been staying for the past few weeks was almost touchable from her Balcony, at least he had been right in thinking that she lived close by, given their close proximity he was surprised that they weren't running into each other far more often. Flicking his cigarette down to the beach front below and turned once more to the condo behind him. Leaning up against the balcony he braced himself for whatever he was going to be walking into. She hadn't resorted to physical violence thus far, but he wouldn't put it past her. Maybe she was just hoping for a clean shot at him that wouldn't risk putting a spot on her perfect condo. Even the balcony was clean, no stray leaves or sand that had been blown around by the beach, her chairs weren't stained from prolonged rain exposure. It helped him understand her affinity for white clothing.

Heading inside he closed the sliding glass door behind him softly, the wind had carried away most of the smoke but he still had a desire to be clean. He checked the kitchen first, she was no longer there as he had suspected, the dishes had already been put away and her sink washed out. Shaking his head in disbelief he turned back to the living room, his head was starting to feel most stable, he could feel the weight of his own body again. Lacing his fingers together he placed them behind his head and spun around slowly, really getting a good look at her apartment and committing it to memory. He didn't know exactly which number her condo was, but he felt confidant that he could locate it again if forced to. Lifting his hands up over his head and down his face until they swung down next to his sides. He could leave, just as she so obviously wanted him to. He was trying to be nice to her, attempting to, well he didn't know but he hadn't wanted to leave. One could only do so much, frowning he headed toward her bedroom to locate his clothes, and be away from her, to head back to the same ole song and dance like they always did. At least until something better came along, that was what she seemed to want anyway. Walking into the room he noticed that she was still going about getting ready for her ever so important day. Scooping up his shirt from the floor he tucked it under his arm, his shoes and jacket were still in the living room. Without wanting to disrupt her make up he kissed her softly on the forehead as a thank you, before turning to leave the room. Stopping just outside her door he paused, hitting the door frame once he reconsidered and turned, propping himself against it.

"You can be, you know" he said softly, voice hesitant, not meeting her eyes once, staring very intently at the ground he twisted the spot where his wedding band used to be, but now it was just a habit. He was only thinking about her, it was incredibly freeing. Still, the lump in his throat remained. "...My girl" he shrugged once, still looking at the floor, afraid of what he might see if he looked up into her eyes. He hoped she wasn't going to shoot him down, but he assumed she was. It took a lot for him to put himself out there like that, he didn't yet know her last name but he felt drawn to her. Pulling away from the door frame he turned around and went into the bathroom to clean up, locking the door behind him as she had done. He wanted to give her a moment to think before he reemerged, he figured he would be forced to leave as soon as his head appeared on the other side of that door and showed his face again. Crossing to the sink he turned the faucet and let the cold water run for a minute, before splashing it over his face, keeping his eyes closed he waited for the cool water to constrict his pores and to feel more awake, refreshed even. What if he had just made a huge mistake and ruined whatever it was that they had. He assumed that he hadn't, he wanted to believe that it was just moving in the right direction, it wasn't as if he was sleeping around with anybody else, though she didn't need to know that.

[Kaydence Morgan]

She picked up her eyeliner and began to steadily draw on the top of her lid. This was always her least favorite part. She couldn’t count the number of times she had accidently poked herself in the eye with the tip of the pencil. One time, Kaydence had been so distracted by Alanna running in her room at the Manor that she was blind in her right eye for nearly an hour. She never figured out how that one had happened. When she had applied black to both eyelids, she dropped the stick and replaced it with mascara. Gracefully she brushed her eyelashes, painting them with yet another black-colored layer. As she moved to the lashes on her lower lid Ashton entered the room. Kaydence wanted to pause to say something, anything, but there was nothing. Instead, she kept silent as he grabbed his shirt. There had to be some sort of verbal abuse coming. Too much time had passed for him to remain so collected. Plus the alcohol HAD to have worn off by now. The cold asshole she knew was coming and would be rearing his ugly head any second now. There was no other reason why he was all of a sudden standing right next to her.

Yet there was. Staring at him through her mirror she saw him bend down over her. Was he about to whisper a death threat into her ear? Tell her he had left some galleons for her on her kitchen sink? Desperately she hoped for the latter. It would give her good enough reason to slug him for his strange behavior this morning. Kaydence was done with his mind games. For someone who still may have been under the influence he had done a spectacular job with keeping up his charade for so long. There was no way he wouldn’t have flubbed up at some point by now. Then he kissed her forehead. She stared vacantly ahead as he began to leave her room. She couldn’t sense any sort of ill-will or tom-foolery behind his lips. Was she just stupid? Or had Ashton played his little game so well that Kaydence was supposed to not know just what the hell was going on?” She opened her mouth to speak, but as she did Ashton leaned himself against the door frame. No, this had to be the time he would insult her a little. She practically begged that he would. Anything that would make this array of mixed feelings go away.

”You can be, you know.” Kaydence quirked her eyebrow. “What?” she asked, her voice cold as ice. She noticed that his eyes were strangely focused on the tile of her floor. Trying to keep himself from laughing at how stupid she was probably. ”…My girl.”The mascara brush that was in her hand dropped to the floor, leaving small, but nasty black stains on her carpet. Her jaw had almost joined its resting place. He continued looking at the floor. It was remarkable how he had yet to still manage to crack a smile or burst into hysterics. He really had to have had a black heart. No one could be this cruel and this calm without one. It just wasn’t possible. His eyes followed him as he walked into her bathroom and followed her earlier example, locked the door.

Kaydence wanted to burst into tears. The day had not gone in her favor since she had laid on the couch the previous night. She should have never answered the text message. She should have never brought him back to her condo. She shouldn’t have slept with him. She shouldn’t have made him coffee and ate his breakfast. She was disgusted with herself. She was disgusted that she had followed along like an idiot, allowing her walls to crumble ever so slightly. She had permitted herself to fall victim to the very same agenda she had once been the creator of. Kaydence was sick to her stomach. She bent over her knees while the water started running from her bathroom sink. She couldn’t fathom how and why Ashton was having this effect on her. Evan had been the only other man in her life who had made her feel so defeated. Usually the roles were reversed and she was the one who was gloating as a man considered hanging himself. She didn’t want to play anymore and Kaydence would be damned if she let Ashton get the best of her.

Angrily, she pushed herself from her vanity bench so hard that the thing toppled over with a loud thud. Hopefully Ashton would think that she had fainted and would come out to see if she was alright. However, she would be waiting for him whenever he opened the door. On cue, he opened the bathroom door a few minutes later. Rearing back, Kaydence slapped his cheek as hard as she possibly could. “What the hell is wrong with you?” she yelled, pushing at his body until he fell back onto her floor. Not allowing him the chance to get up she lowered herself to the ground and got on top of him. She was tired of being the pawn. It was her turn to be the Queen. He opened his mouth to say something but she shook her head. “No, you’re gonna let me finish before you say anything.” She brought her face even closer to his. Was it strange that she was slightly aroused by the dominance she felt? “I have dealt with your fake kindness and odd behavior all night and now morning and I’m over it Ashton. I get it. You’re hard to get. Women fall at your feet to get to bed you. I should be thankful that you ever gave me the opportunity to screw you. Well guess what? The joke is over. You’re in my house and you’re not going to disrespect me anymore.

She wanted to hit him, but wanted to kiss him even more. The thought infuriated her beyond belief. The bastard was still finding a way to get what he wanted. “Just tell me why the hell you keep toying with me? I saved you from being Auror bait last night. I gave you liquor, let you eat my food and let you sleep in my bed with me. Tell me your angle. Why are you not being the stuck-up asshole you always are to me whenever you text me at Merlin knows what hours of the night. I don’t get it!” Kaydence continued to leer at him. A few moments later a wave of despair washed over her. She got off of his body and slid over to her bathroom wall. Bringing her knees up to her chest Kaydence ran her hand through her hair, but stopped mid-point. “I don’t get it.”

[Ashton Wentworth]

Ashton considered stepping into the shower to recover from the mistake he just made, he had meant it. It was a huge step in the world of Ashton, he felt oddly pulled to her, he had never felt that way before. His marriage, had been an obligation, something that he had needed do, being with Georgie was just second nature, he didn't even think about it. He lost himself in that relationship, and was spending the time to pick up the pieces, if that lead him in a good direction, so be it. He wanted to spend time here, with Kaydence but she was shoving him away at every turn. He couldn't blame her, he had done the exact same thing to her after all, he was never an accommodating host, he was not nice he did the bare minimum until she was not around. Still, despite his best efforts, she was still on his mind frequently. She had no reason what so ever to come and get him from the club last night. No reason to have brought him home or taken care of him, but she did. He had yet to ask her a single question about her life, but he was thinking that it was almost time to ask a few at least, but then again, he had asked her a question earlier that she chose not to answer. Shutting the water off he leaned up against the counter top, he went to go pull his shirt over his head but got a whiff of the fabric and his head pounded. Tossing it into the waste basket instead he figured since he was close enough to the beach, him being shirtless shouldn't have been that big of a deal, he just needed to get back to his suite after all, it wasn't that long of a walk, maybe he could add some color onto his pallid skin. The sound of something crashing behind him caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up.

Without thinking he began to size the bathroom up for weapons, he had been stupid enough to not have his wand on him so he couldn't defend himself, he assumed that somebody was breaking in, and he didn't need that, he couldn't be in the bathroom and defend her or himself. His training was taking over, listening to the back of the door he didn't hear any sounds of struggle, and knowing Kaydence she would be shouting her head off, not in fear but anger for breaking her door and stomping all over her home. He only heard one set of footsteps and some labored breathing. Cautiously, he opened the door, only to have it shoved open the rest of the way by force. His eyes were bewildered, what on earth was wrong with her? She looked beyond furious with him, angry and hurt. Why? He had given her a proposition, a simple hell no would have sufficed, maybe even a 'get the hell out of my condo' and he would have left, he had been trying to get into a presentable state in order to do to. Before his thoughts could get any further, the sting of her hand colliding with his cheek dominated his thoughts. His eye blurred from her fingers almost making contact. To say that he was stunned would have been an understatement. His freshly healed cheek was going to swell up again, quickly. He had just completely gotten rid of the sickly yellow that had been stuck on his skin for ages. “What the hell is wrong with you?” His eyes widened as his hand moved to his cheek, protecting it from any further bits of her wrath. "What the FUCK Kaydence?" a bubble of anger welled up under his skin. Everything else that she had ever lashed out at him for he deserved, but not this. This, was completely unwarranted. He felt her finger tips collide with his chest on the first shove, he took a step back, the whole of her tiny hands connected on the second shove. His confusion grew, what on earth had he done?

He could only assume that the words 'Please misunderstand everything that I ever say, I'm nothing but an evil heartless son of a bitch' written in neon writing on his chest. The last time that he had been abused for almost no reason had been a work, the cause of the yellow on his cheek. Once again, he just jumped to conclusions, she could at least fill him in on what he was being punished for supposedly doing. He stepped back to avoid another shove whenever his socks slipped on her polished tile, as he fell he hit his hip on the floor, pain shot up his leg as he frowned. Before he could get his hands beneath him to sit up, she was on top of him. Instinctively he grasped her wrists, he didn't want to be hit any more, it was too early and her screaming was making him want to curl up into a ball to succumb to the pain in his head. She was lighting his hang over on fire, and his anger wasn't helping any. Looking up to her, fire in her eyes she was a frightening beauty, for somebody so small she had a lot of spark. Holding her wrists firmly he opened his mouth to speak “No, you’re gonna let me finish before you say anything.” Closing his mouth he waited to be read his charges, she wasn't fighting his hands, she was allowing herself to be held. Her face moved closer, was this some sort of sex game to her? If so he wasn't interested in it at all “I have dealt with your fake kindness and odd behavior all night and now morning and I’m over it Ashton. I get it. You’re hard to get. Women fall at your feet to get to bed you. I should be thankful that you ever gave me the opportunity to screw you. Well guess what? The joke is over. You’re in my house and you’re not going to disrespect me anymore."

Odd behavior he could give her, easy. He knew that he wasn't exactly acting like himself, well, he wasn't acting like the man that she knew, but he was being himself. Even if it was alcohol induced. Fake kindness? Fake would have been making breakfast and only having enough for himself, or under cooking the food to leave her poisoned, fake would have been pushing her out of her own bed or smoking in her apartment. He was doing his best to play by her rules for once. Of course he was hard to get, but not exactly hard to get into bed, neither was she so what was she playing at?The joke comment was where she really lost him, there was no joke here, he had been honest with her, really honest for the first time. Since stepping foot into her house, not ONCE had he disrespected her, he hadn't taken advantage, she had seduced him this time, he didn't wear his shoes on the carpet, he had cleaned up after himself. Confusion was more than apparent on his face, he was so far past bewildered she had to see that on his face. Her tone softened, seemed more defeated as the next words left her lips. “Just tell me why the hell you keep toying with me? I saved you from being Auror bait last night. I gave you liquor, let you eat my food and let you sleep in my bed with me. Tell me your angle. Why are you not being the stuck-up asshole you always are to me whenever you text me at Merlin knows what hours of the night. I don’t get it!” She wanted him to be the same stuck up asshole? If that was the truth then he really had been very wrong about their whole situation, he could be that for her, if that's what she wanted. It would be only too easy to slide right back into his comfortable routine. Letting go of her wrists his eyes softened. How had she confused what he had said.

Everything she said was true in the fact that she did save him, he wouldn't have been Auror bait, but she didn't need to know that, he would have gotten another slap on the wrist and some incriminating photos taken, maybe a hard day at the office. But she didn't really know him after all. "I didn't text you" was all he managed softly. Waiting to see if she was going to hit him his body was still tense, instead she slid off of his body and to the side, pressing her body up against the wall. Seeing her all curled up against herself brought back memories, he had sat like that for hours in his very own house with empty bottles of alcohol surrounding his body. He knew what emotions she must be facing, all of the doubt, the unwillingness to believe something positive for once. He wouldn't tell her that, it wasn't the time or place for a conversation like that. “I don’t get it.” Sure that she wasn't going to lash out at him again he rose to a sitting position, folding his legs across each other he pulled her hand from her hair and held it in his hand, using his other hand to lift her chin he let go of her hand and placed it instead around her body, resting on the small of her back and he rose to meet her face in the middle, pressing his lips against her own hesitantly he didn't want to be bitten, when it didn't seem like she was going to he pulled her as close as he could manage, their legs in the way. He meant it, in that moment he meant it with his whole body and he could only hope that he could understand, that she could feel it. Letting her go slowly until she was resting up against the wall once more he stared directly into her eyes, something he hadn't done before now. "It wasn't a joke, I'm not toying with you" then it was his turn to feel defeat. Sitting straight he reverted his gaze to the floor. "You could have just said no"

[Kaydence Morgan]

She was sure that she must have looked crazy. Yelling at him, pushing him and slapping him for showing her nothing but kindness since she had picked him up earlier that morning. She could argue with him until she was blue in the face. Nothing she could try and say would convince him of what she wanted. Kaydence wasn’t even sure if she was able to convince herself. Throughout her entire tirade Ashton had remained as calm and collected as he had been since he had arrived here, with the exception of holding her wrists to defend himself. From the man she usually knew, he had done a complete 180 in a matter of hours. It had been a long time since a man had confused her this much and Kaydence didn’t know how to take it. He was either really good at being a master manipulator or incredibly stupid for wanting to get himself involved with her. If the latter was genuinely his choice then he had no idea what he was in for.

Dating Kaydence Morgan was more often a job then an actual relationship. She was hard to please. She didn’t hold back her tongue when presented with a gift she didn’t like or a location for a date that she thought was inappropriate. Her mood swings were killer. Sometimes, Kaydence considered the possibility that she was bi-polar. She could go from happy to angry to back in seconds. Unless she was truly enjoying the company that she was in, it was only the most expensive and exclusive places that were worthy of her presence. She refused to be seen with anyone who wasn’t up to par. Most of the time, her previous boyfriends had come to pick her up for a date with a suitcase of clothing from her to choose from. Nothing was ever perfect enough unless she had a hand in it. Glancing at Ashton, he didn’t look like he could handle everything that came with being associated with her. He was moody all the time. He never put her first before himself. When he was done with her, he simply tossed her to the side until he was ready for her to come around again. His casual wear was always untidy and disheveled. Kaydence was positive that he hadn’t used a brush in months.

He started to move towards her. Kaydence recoiled slightly, bracing herself for whatever defense of her own that she needed to throw back if necessary. She didn’t know what he was going to do. Maybe he was finally going to snap after all the abuse she had unleashed on him within the past few minutes. Instead, he kissed her again. This time with fervor, like he was pleading with her to comprehend that he was being sincere. Kaydence’s body found itself accepting. Suddenly he pulled away but she wasn’t ready to stop. She placed herself up against the wall once more to restrain herself. "It wasn't a joke, I'm not toying with you." She bit down on her bottom lip. Well what was she supposed to do? Kaydence had been convinced until today that he was an asshole. He prided himself on making others look like idiots. He played the ‘screw authority’ role like he was born doing it. She wondered if his mysterious aura was all an act, just to be played to cater to those women who lusted after such men. When it all boiled down to it, Kaydence didn’t know anything about him.

”You could have just said no.” He looked like a child who had just found out that Santa Claus didn’t exist. The despair on his face tugged at her heartstrings. It was this moment that Kaydence got it. He was being sincere. He couldn’t bear to look at her for fear of embarrassment. There were no twitches at the corners of his lips trying to contain a smile. His body never wavered as if trying to prevent a deep chuckle. Ashton was being serious and it drove Kaydence crazy. She didn’t know how to deal with the array of emotions cooped up inside of her. On one side, she felt the feeling he was trying to convey to her. There was an inkling of something there, but she didn’t know what it was. It had been ignited from the first time she had laid eyes on him. There had been something that had intrigued her so much. Even though she still didn’t know what it was, it was the reason why she continued to think of him the way she did and often. On the other, Kaydence was angry. She completely understood not wanting to let someone know how you truly felt for fear of rejection. She had travelled down that road more frequently she would have liked to admit. Maybe she was being too hard on him. Maybe this was harder for him then she could have imagined. Then again, she couldn’t know.

“I don’t get you,” she finally said, softly, “I mean, you don’t even know me Ashton. You didn’t know where I lived until today. You don’t know where I was born or even my last name. For all you know I could be running some black-market unicorn blood scheme.” Crawling over to where he sat Kaydence took her hand and lifted his chin up this time. “I don’t know your last name. I don’t know your favorite color, where you went to school, anything like that. Why would you want to be in a…with someone you don’t even know? I mean Merlin Ashton, it’s impossible to feel strongly who just slapped you for not understanding where you’re coming from.”

[Ashton Wentworth]

He had released her body from his grasp, the tile was what was holding his interest now. His finger twisted where his ring was softly, waiting for something, anything so he could move on. He half expected her to kick him, or kick him out at least, some more screaming. The rational half of him knew that wasn't going to happen. She wouldn't be able to turn him away, he knew that she was attracted to him, that much was obvious. He knew that she enjoyed his company, otherwise she wouldn't have come to get him, there was no doubt in his mind about that. What he was unsure of was weather she was just attempting to figure him out, a puzzle that she wanted to solve so that she could move on to bigger, more complex puzzles, if she was in the habit of, collecting men so to speak. Ashton was not good at relationships. He didn't know how to be faithful, he didn't know how to show affection on a regular basis. He was difficult and hot headed. He didn't lie, and he did know how to show a girl a good time. He did know how to feel and to love, he was capable of emotion. He was a slave to his ego and his pride. He had lustful tendencies that he couldn't control, if his outlet of choice wasn't around, he would find one. He didn't like to hold hands, he wasn't much of one for walking arm in arm, unless the proper audience was around. He never got dressed up unless forced, he didn't offer to take people out on dates. He suffered from extreme mood swings, Ashton was the kind of man that you really had to know him, and just know what he was thinking in order to please him. He didn't talk much, whenever he did it was usually out of anger, he was incapable of showing emotions, unless it was in the most extreme sense. He was the worlds worst boyfriend. But he did love, and he did love unconditionally.

She had wanted to reject him, he had felt it in her kiss, but his stubborn want to be right was overpowering as he had held her close in his arms. Now, he had no idea what was going to come out of her mouth next, she had a temper to rival his own. They were a highly destructive match. Truth be told, Ashton loved his job, he excelled at it, he loved that he was the only one that had his job title, made him feel superior. He liked that he was in a position with say, he liked that it impressed people. Sure, he knew that he was doing good but that didn't hold as much sway for him. He liked whenever women threw themselves at him, and he liked it whenever he was respected. The fact that he found himself attractive was definitely a plus, he liked whenever he was challenged. Something that Kaydence did very well. He had loved and lost, while he couldn't imagine a scenario where he would inform her of the women that came before her, and it was unfathomable to think of a situation where he would bring up the extent of his loss that included his child. She didn't need to understand how hard it was for him to even have said that simple sentence, those five little words were his offering to her, a peep hole into the door that would lead her into his life. If she chose not to look, so be it, it would be a loss he felt that he could recover from. Time would tell. “I don’t get you,” Lifting his eyes to her face once again, a soft laugh left his lips as he nodded. That definitely wasn't the first time that somebody had told him that, nor was it the last. He was like a song that took a few listens before you really even liked it, but then it was stuck in your head for ages.

“I mean, you don’t even know me Ashton. You didn’t know where I lived until today. You don’t know where I was born or even my last name. For all you know I could be running some black-market unicorn blood scheme.” No, he didn't know her, but since when was that a requirement in order to enter into some higher level of commitment? Even if that commitment only included last names, something he felt would be easy enough to figure out of he needed to. He may not have known where she lived, but he didn't even have a home, something that until now seemed unimportant to her. She never had asked him any questions nor shown any interest in his life or well being other than the hours that passed whenever they were entangled. Today she had been fully ready to show him out, half dressed and without shoes just so as not to speak to him. He was forced to listen as she rattled off reasons that she was using to seemingly justify to herself why she should say no to him, but the word no never even left her lips, it gave him a strange feeling of pride. The unicorn-blood thing he did know for sure, he had partnered with some of the people in the mystical animal control on more than one occasion, while it was potent, and illegal, the unicorn blood market was almost non-existent. It was far fetched so he left the comment be, if he had said anything other than 'i doubt it' he might have been forced to come up with something about his job, and he hadn't lied to her yet, why start now. A smile was starting to creep across his face, until the word 'no' or 'get out' left her lips he was going to assume that she was going to give him the answer he was expecting.

As she lifted his chin, his smile didn't budge. She was trying to convey a message to him, like she felt that it would just be a mistake, he just didn't want to hear it. “I don’t know your last name. I don’t know your favorite color, where you went to school, anything like that. Why would you want to be in a…with someone you don’t even know? I mean Merlin Ashton, it’s impossible to feel strongly who just slapped you for not understanding where you’re coming from.” He did hear her purposely not mention the word 'relationship' and that was fine, he wasn't talking about a full blown courtship here, he wasn't ready to go down that path any time soon. Just something less casual. He had a habit of looking at women like they were his possessions, this was not an exception, he wanted to have the ability to possess her. Nothing less. However she saw them from that point was all on her. Grasping her wrists once more to lower them, his hold was loose. "Not impossible, just improbable" Running his finger along her pants leg, up to her waist, toying with the fabric of her shirt he leaned forward, his voice husky "You would be lying if you said that you didn't feel anything when I did this" he said above a whisper, the whole time he was talking, his lips traced a line on the exposed flesh from her shoulder to her jaw line. "Its not just lust" he urged into her ear, and pulled away until he was sitting upright. Placing his hands on the tile next to him he rose to his knees, then to his feet, holding out a hand for her to stand as well. Glancing once at her tooth brush he ran his tongue along the back of his teeth. "It's Wentworth, by the way" Helping her to her feet he placed a hand on either one of her hips. "I like red well enough, and I went to school here, at Galaxia. All seven years. " He shrugged once more, her hands were warm on his shirtless torso "You don't know because you never asked" he considered exposing the fact that she had not given him an answer yet, but didn't want to push the subject. So long as she wasn't giving him a definite answer, to him she was saying yes. No matter what wars she wanted to wage within herself. Letting his hand slide to her bottom he grasped firmly, smirking as he told himself that she was agreeing to his proposal, he would think about the consequences later.

[Kaydence Morgan]

She had never been a casual dater. If she liked a guy well enough, Kaydence didn’t see any reason why things should be eased into. There was either the attraction there or there wasn’t. She liked to be wined and dined. She loved being the center of someone’s attention. The possibility of attention to another female’s presence was not acceptable to her. She may have tended to jump into things fast, but when Kaydence was in a relationship she was committed until she started losing interest. To her, casual dating was going out, having a few drinks and then having a sleepover. The last time she had been on a date that hadn’t ended in some sort of inappropriate touching under the dinner table had probably been since she had been with Evan. This is what he was suggesting to her. No strings attached. No extra commitments. The idea of it sounded refreshing. Though there may have been something there with Ashton, it was in no way ready to be exposed. Perhaps she could give it a try and see how things ended up. This may put a hindrance on other things she had planned however. Only time would be able to tell.

He knew exactly the things to do to make her question whatever resolute decision she thought she had in her mind. His finger felt nice as it ran along the side of her body. "You would be lying if you said that you didn't feel anything when I did this.” She would, but she wouldn’t admit it. Not yet anyway. Instead, she closed her eyes and smiled. His breath on her skin was tantalizing. ”It’s not just lust.” She stared into his eyes as he pulled away from her. Sighing, she shrugged her shoulder. “Maybe not,” Kaydence responded, finally giving him an answer to one of his comments. That’s all she would give him for now. Baby steps. If he wanted anything from her Ashton was going to have to be patient. Wordlessly agreeing to this was significant as it was. Too bad he couldn’t see that.

Looking up at him Kaydence smiled again and took his extended hand. He pulled her up close to him. She had a sudden desire to run her fingers through his hair and to kiss his cheek. However, one whiff of his stale breath quickly changed that. She would have to let him know there were extra toothbrushes in her linen closet. Not only was she clean, but well stocked. Her kitchen was evidence of that. ”It’s Wentworth, by the way.” Well there was a start. “Morgan.” He then rambled off the answers to her questions. Her smile only got wider, but soon she couldn’t help but to just laugh. She found it off that she had never heard of him before a couple of weeks together. If he had been at Galaxia, then she would have known about him. Kaydence knew everybody. Well, everybody that was worth knowing. The realization that maybe he had been in a separate house came to mind. Merlin forbid he was in Gryffindor. She’d never let herself hear the end of it. He also may have been a year lower than her or something. Merlin she hoped he wasn’t 20 or younger. ”You don’t know because you never asked.” He took a handful of her after he spoke causing another laugh. Biting down on her lip, Kaydence nodded. “Fair enough.”

“Purple is my favorite color though you wouldn’t be able to tell. If you look in my closet you might. I went to Galaxia as well. I’m obsessive compulsive to an extent, sweet wines are my favorite and Madonna lilies are the best.” He didn’t seem like the flower type but it wouldn’t hurt for her to put it out there anyway. Kaydence disappeared briefly to go to her linen closet. Grabbing an unopened toothbrush packet she headed back into her bedroom and threw the packet to him. “I don’t remember seeing one in your hotel so you can keep that.” She threw a wink in his direction and left him to do his cleaning up. Entering the living room, she plopped down on the couch and stuffed a pillow underneath her head. This feeling was scary. In such a short amount of time a weight had been lifted off of Kaydence’s shoulders. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. Maybe that’s what she needed. Her life had been a schedule for the past two months. Kaydence always had something to do and somewhere to be. Ashton seemed to have no set direction for himself, nothing really going for him. He was the best thing right now in terms of a distraction for everything else going on in her life. She deserved to have a little fun every now and then.

[Ashton Wentworth]

Morgan, so her name was Kaydence Morgan, it did have a sort of ring to it, but he could have sworn that he had heard that name before. He didn't remember her from anywhere, did she have relatives in the ministry? It was extremely possible that he could have just heard the name Morgan dropped in one of his bosses monotonous speeches over the past few weeks. He might have read it somewhere, seen it in a form or flier. It had to be a pretty common name right? While he didn't exactly know her age, maybe they had been in the same year? “Purple is my favorite color though you wouldn’t be able to tell. If you look in my closet you might. I went to Galaxia as well. I’m obsessive compulsive to an extent, sweet wines are my favorite and Madonna lilies are the best.” He wasn't exactly going to be going through her closet, while he was still shirtless he wasn't nearly desperate enough to go searching for something of hers to squeeze into. It was still warm outside, maybe it if had been below zero like the winters here were known to get, so he had no need to wear a shirt, he was fine half dressed. The rest of her words soaked in, sweet wines? Weren't all wines the same? Grape and a bitter copper after taste? He knew that there were color differences but that was the extent on his wine knowledge, and as for flowers, if she was attempting to give him a hint as to how to keep her happy it was falling of deaf ears. Never in his life had he bought a woman flowers, not even his wife. He hadn't bought so much as a wreath to place on her tombstone. Flowers were not his thing. "I gathered as much, about the OCD thing." he admitted, nobody had floors like hers much less counter tops and almost empty trash cans like she did without something being mentally unhinged. After she spoke she disappeared, “I don’t remember seeing one in your hotel so you can keep that.” That was the truth, coffee and gum were his friends. He did have a toothbrush at his desk at the office lately, which he felt was borderline psychotic, but it was the truth. The paperwork was enough to make him want to gouge his eyes out just so that he wouldn't have to sign his name to something else in his life.

It felt like a flood gate had been opened, she had been receptive, like she had actually wanted to know even just a little bit about him. Not only had she told him a little about herself, she had listened. She hadn't forced him to ask her awkward questions, he hated to be pushed. He liked to do things because he wanted to, not because he felt obligated to. The air between them felt different, like they were suddenly friends. Which, would make her the first real friend this round in Austria. He didn't want to, but he could feel the slap happy smile glued to his face as he caught the toothbrush package she had hurled at him with clumsy hands. Watching her body retreat around the door corner he didn't feel like he as intruding, well aware that this was not his home, he still felt more at ease here. Placing an inch of toothpaste on the new brush he tossed the plastic wrapper into the trash can, it was hard working around her rules but he was attempting to be a decent guest. They were behind closed doors and all alone, it couldn't hurt. Placing the brush into his mouth he began working around his teeth in small circles as his train of thought ran rampant. "What house were you in?" he called, despite his mouth being full. He had absolutely no memory of her in any of his classes. He could say that he might have remembered somebody with her hair color, but with the train of women that had been through his dorm room and later his small apartment there was no way to be sure. He would have remembered her legs though, those were unmistakeable, so he knew that they had never slept together before, although that would have made for an interesting tale if they had. Spitting the excess toothpaste from his mouth he moved down to his lower set of teeth.

He could picture her opinion of him, she probably assumed that he had been born wealthy, for the fact that he was living in a hotel suite, and he didn't even know how much the room cost before his discount. She must think that he did nothing all day, eat whenever he wanted, and drank often. She must think that she was entering into an agreement with some sort of wealthy bachelor. She might have even thought that he was some sort of 'catch' that would make all of his negative qualities somehow better and worth while. He didn't even have enough good qualities to even them out. His savings were running low, while his job did pay pretty well was not the point, he needed to purchase something, or suck it up and move back into his huge, desolate, lonesome house. Alone. His hand grew still as he pushed the image of that house out of his mind and forced himself to move on. Turning on the faucet he stuck his mouth under as far as he could get it to get a drink of water and flush the toothpaste out of his mouth. He instantly felt better, examining his teeth in the mirror he made sure there was no stay toothpaste remnants in the bowl. It must be exhausting to be this clean all the time, he was not a stranger to wearing the same pants for a week so long as nothing was on them. His shirts came in packs of three, in different colors if he was very lucky, off the rack meant nothing to him and he only owned two pairs of shoes. He didn't like change and didn't like trying new things very often. He was a fan of whiskey or a great scotch in the likes of Johnny Walker blue. Toothbrush still in hand he headed out to the living room. The smell of mint was doing wonders for his headache, every time he exhaled a pleasant smell wafted up into his nose. Flashing his teeth at her once to let her know it was alright to kiss him if she wanted.

"Do you have anything strawberry in that kitchen of yours?" It wasn't that he had a craving or anything, it was just that he really wanted to get the last bit of headache out of his mind for good without having to take the godawful muggle medications. While, they did work it just took far too long for his liking. Strawberry was the be-all end-all in the world of Ashton. It fixed, or improved just about everything in the world of Ashton. Looking at her expectantly, he wondered if she would notice that this was the most he had ever spoken in any of their encounters.

[Kaydence Morgan]

She heard his mumbled yelling though couldn’t decipher what it was he had asked her. If it was important enough, then he would ask her again when he finished in the bathroom. Kaydence burrowed her head deeper into her pillow. She was tired again already. Yawning, she turned on her side and stared off. She wondered if Ashton had any intentions of staying with her for the majority of the day. Given the serious turn of events within the past thirty minutes it wouldn’t have been unwelcome. Though she would have to ask him sooner or later to know how to readjust her schedule. The names on her list weren’t going anywhere, but they needed to be contacted as soon as possible. Kaydence needed to get her support wound together before Darren made his next move. The frustrating thing was that she had no idea when he would. So far, she had no one who had offered to do covert work. She had brought the idea up plenty of times but had been rejected with each effort. They may have hated her brother, but not enough to do the dirty work needed to take him out of power. She was beginning to doubt that there was anyone out there who could truly help her. Kaydence had already thought about doing a little more travelling to find rogues, but had already grown too comfortable being back home for the short time she had been.

Kaydence could hear his footsteps coming down the hall. Turning so her back was on the couch again she waited to see his face appear from the side. She shook her head as he gave her a grin. He looked much more refreshed then when she had left him. Contemplating a test kiss to congratulate him for not looking worse than the wear she decided against it. She’d wait until he joined her on the couch, which she was certain he inevitably would, and then see what kind of a mood she was in. ”Do you have anything strawberry in that kitchen of yours?” Kaydence propped herself up on her elbows to show her puzzled expression. His stomach was neverending. Concerned that he was going to eat everything in the condo before he left she nodded towards the refrigerator. “I got some from the farmer’s market the other day. They’re exquisite.” Secretly, she hoped he wouldn’t eat the entire carton. If he did, however, it would make for a perfect excuse to have him tag along with her on another venture to the open market.

The sounds of his rustling about filled the air. She turned back on her side and grabbed the remote that had finagled itself between the cushions after last night. “What were you asking me when you were in the bathroom?” Kaydence asked, suddenly remembering. While waiting for his response, she turned the television back on. Her thumb pressed the up button over and over again. There was nothing on. It was too early for primetime. The only reruns on were from older shows many years ago. Even talk shows didn’t start for another two hours. Frustrated, Kaydence nearly gave up before turning the channel back to that peculiar movie that she had found Ashton watching. She was transfixed by the blue and orange light suits. Did they represent the difference between good and bad? She brought her thumb up to her mouth and began chewing on her nail distractedly. “Look what’s on,” she said to him as he finally joined her in the living room. “Do you remember this from last night? I have no earthly idea what’s going on and why everything looks so…technological.” It made no sense to her at all.

She turned her attention back to Ashton. “You never answered my question earlier,” she started, “what are you doing for the rest of the day? I’m sure you’ve got other plans besides eating me out of house and home.” She yawned again. Merlin she needed to get up and about before she fell asleep again. Her couch was too comfortable to just sit back and relax. If she had ever forced herself to not take a nap, Kaydence would always accidentally lay on the couch for a few hours. The thing had a way of rejuvenating her like she couldn’t believe. She waited for his response. Deep down, she hoped that he could at least clear out a few hours for her. She had already done the same for him without fully realizing it. It only seemed natural that the two spend a bit more time together before they parted ways until however long.