Yay! Awkwardness! Yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting! >.<
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Aaron and Kristen slipped into the room quickly and quietly. Aaron was blown away by how good she was at sneaking around - like him. Aaron quietly shut the door and Kristen slowly approached Ainsley's bed. Aaron followed up behind her to see how Ainsley was doing. The dark haired boy was in a fitful sleep, his breathing ragged and beads of sweat on his forehead. Aaron wondered if he should wake him up; he needed his sleep, but he seemed to be having a nightmare.
But before he could decide, Kristen distracted him. "So this is your friend?"
Aaron nodded, turning to Kristen. She was running a critical eye over Ainsley, though Aaron wasn't sure that was fair because of Ainsley's condition.
"His name's Ainsley. I met him recently at a park in Alympium - has stuck to me like glue ever since."
"Like a puppy."
Aaron laughed, sitting down in his chair by Ainsley's bedside. Kristen looked around and ended up sitting on the foot of Ainsley's bed. Ainsley rolled over, curling into a ball. Aaron looked at him, concerned.
"What happened to him?" Kristen asked, eying the bandages around Ainsley's waist. Aaron shifted uncomfortably.
"This guy was chasing us, and he hurt Ainsley," I told her, "The odd thing was, he didn't use magic; he shot Ainsley."
Kristen's eyes widened. "Like... with a gun?"
Aaron nodded, looking at Ainsley. "Should we wake him up?"
Kristen glanced at Ainsley, and slowly nodded. Aaron glanced at her once, and then gently shook Ainsley's shoulder. "Ainsley, wake up."
Ainsley gurgled something unintelligible and Aaron shook his again. His emerald eyes fluttered open and he looked wearily at Aaron.
"Aaron...." he murmured, trying to sit up. Aaron got to his feet and helped the dark haired boy. They finally got Ainsley into a sitting position, and Ainsley blinked his green eyes a couple times, blinking the sleep out of them. He looked up at Kristen and she stiffened a bit subconsciously. He stared at her listlessly without saying a word, and Aaron wondered how Ainsley would react to her.
"...mom...?" Ainsley murmured, not fully awake. Aaron quickly pinched his own nose to stifle a fit of laughter. Kristen looked nothing like Ainsley's mom. Were Ainsley's mother had long brown hair, Kristen had short blond hair. Not to mention she was like...
way younger than Ainsley's mother.
"No, Ainsley. This is a friend I met. Her name's Kristen. She's going to let us stay with her a while when you get better."
Ainsley's eyes seemed to focus. He blinked to more times, looking at Kristen, then at Aaron, and then back at Kristen.
"You're kidding me?"
Aaron snickered again and then shook his head. "Nope."
Ainsley did not look happy. "But you just met her. I wasn't asleep that long...."
Aaron figured Ainsley would be a little happier about having a place to stay. "She's like us, Ainsley. We can trust her."
"
Trust her? Trust her? You
must be joking!"
"Hey!" Kristen snapped, "I'm more trustworthy than you, I bet!"
Ainsley's emerald eyes flashed dangerously, and he grit his teeth. He looked like he had a poisonous word on the tip of his tongue, but Aaron cut him off.
"Kristen, Ainsley
is trustworthy. Ainsley, same thing. Try to trust each other? 'Kay?"
Ainsley glanced helplessly at Aaron, as if begging him to see reason. Aaron crossed his arms in a show that this was his final decision. Kristen crossed her own arms, but in defiance. Ainsley grit his teeth.
"I'm hopped up on drugs, and I know this is a bad idea!" he hissed. Aaron sighed.
"You seem perfectly lucid to me."
"You don't."
"
Ainsley, I -"
"Stop it you two," Kristen said commandingly, and the two boys shut up on instinct. She glared at them. "This childish bickering isn't going to do any good. Andy - "
"Ainsley," Aaron corrected.
"Whatever. You're right to have suspicions, but I can assure you, I'm not going to murder you in your sleep, and right now you two need help. You don't really have the capability to be suspicious."
Aaron looked imploringly at Ainsley. "Please, Ainsley... She can help us."
Ainsley looked at Aaron, but it wasn't shock, or frustration, or incredulity that was in his face. It was distress. Ainsley looked genuinely hurt, like he had been wronged somehow. Aaron couldn't possibly fathom why though. Aaron found help! How could Ainsley not like that?
Ainsley looked away, staring at a random spot on his blankets.
"Ainsley?"
Ainsley didn't answer. Aaron sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Hey..."
"Do what you want!" Ainsley snapped, pulling away from Aaron, "Not like I've got a choice...."
It was true. Moment Ainsley was discharged, he'd still need a lot of rest, preferably not in the dirt. Wherever Aaron decided they'd rest for a week or so, Ainsley would have to put up with it. He was in no position to be picky.
"Listen, Ainsley..." Aaron muttered, reaching out to touch his shoulder, "Really, she's trustworthy. I can tell."
That seemed to just make it worse. Ainsley swatted his hand away. Aaron blinked. Ainsley was a very cuddly person, at least with the people he liked. For him to be this resistant to a simple touch on the shoulder... he was defiantly really mad.
"Cheer up, Ainsley..." Aaron said, looking at his feet, "Everything's going to be fine."
Ainsley didn't answer and Aaron stood up. He walked back toward the door and motioned Kristen to follow. "We're going to get something to eat.... Do you want anything?"
Ainsley didn't reply.
"Well... we'll be back soon, 'kay?"
No response.
Aaron frowned and exited the room, Kristen on his heels. As the door shut behind them, Aaron have her an apologetic smile.
"He's a little shaken up...."
"He's a loose cannon is what he is," Kristen grunted, squinting at the door.
"Hey," Aaron said, "That's my friend in there."
"Sorry, but seriously, were in the world did you pick him up?"
Aaron didn't answer. Kristen sighed and then patted him on the shoulder. "Hey... it's alright. We've all got a bit of a time bomb in us.... After all, I didn't really handle being called untrustworthy well.... But your friend seems a little overly emotional. He's got to try to work on that if he's going to survive this kind of life."
Aaron shook his and and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Can we not talk about this right now? I'm hungry...."
The two headed off to the cafeteria.
In the room, Ainsley was burning with a feeling of betrayal. He ran a trembling hand through his damp hair, pulling his knees to his chest.
How could Aaron trust that girl so quickly? he thought to himself, anger rising in his chest,
What makes her
special? Does he even know her last name? I doubt it. He knew she was pretty.
That was it. She was pretty, and he liked her. That's why. Even in his head he knew this wasn't entirely the case, but he couldn't bring himself to think that there was some form of logic in Aaron's thinking.
But still... so fast... Aaron's not a trusting person! I know! Because...! Because...!Because he didn't trust me this quickly....
(ignore the subtitles)
He squeezed his knees closer to his chest, curling into a fetal position. Aaron didn't trust Ainsley this quickly. He only told Ainsley what was going on because Ainsley got involved, and even then... he wanted Ainsley to butt out. He pushed Ainsley away, not welcome him with open arms. Ainsley bit his lip, the ghost of tears prickling the sides of his eyes.
He was jealous.
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Uwa~! This was fun. Conflict. U-fu-fu-fu! yeah, Ainsley doesn't really like the new addition to the team. Tough. She's fun. She's not leaving.
Ainsley: *pout*
I was just
dying to work on this! >.< Horrah! Ainsley and Aaron! And now... Kristen! Yay! When I get to know her a bit more, I shall make another picture! One with her in it!
