Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

[russ]

[hahahahaha, I loved imagining her still thinking he’s the one after her and chasing him down the street with a frying pan as he’s trying to reason with her.]

Having run all the way back, trying his best to keep to shadow with the clinging belief that this would conceal his presence from the type of things after Helena, Russ’s shirt clung to his back and his hair remained a little askew after he ran his hand through it in his relief. The span of maybe twenty minutes felt like a lifetime now, lived with no sleep. How he would prefer to be able to stride forward and crash on that bed, pulling the woman down on top of him to drift into a listless slumber before continuing the night with the sex he was quite sure the air had held promise of not too long ago. That sweet air now felt cold and distant, reminding him that now was not the time to go daydreaming about the pleasurable things he would much rather be in the safety to perform at the moment. And not even just for him. Helena was clearly distraught, and now he believed she had every reason to be. What he did not understand was her level of material value over her life.

Still frowning at the suitcases, Russ did not perceive the fear in her eyes as she came to realize he had returned. The thoughts racing though her mind did not occur to him, nor did he recognize that breaking into her place fully justified primitive fright. Maybe if it did, he would have been a little more precautious when she came flying at him. Nearly stumbling with surprise, as her body collided with his, his hands released the baseball bat and his jacket, but not to embrace her. The bat clattered to the floor, as his arm shot out to the opposite side of the doorframe to steady himself. Though it might seem callous, the next moments sped by in a flurry of words and dull recollection of the trembling frame now pulling away from him.

How he would love to be thinking about the desire she could easily evoke in him with such a clutch, but the rarely witnessed sense of his sex’s obligation was rearing up as he continued to stare at her suitcases. Looking down only when she said something pertinent, he stared at her blankly for a few moments trying to recollect the important facts to convey. At first his voice was as distant as his eyes,[white] “He didn’t give me his name. But he asked about you. And that’s why I came back.”[/white] Then, as though the need for action suddenly occurred to him, he pushed her to the side to stride forward without qualm. His tone was ardent now, as he zipped up her suitcases. [white] “When danger like that is on your front doorstep, you don’t have time to pack.”[/white] Grabbing the cases in either of his hands, he pulled them off the bed, not caring to admit that they were heavier than he anticipated. But the pay off was an extra strain to emphasize his sense of self-control as he strode towards the door. Stopping in front of her, he stared into her eyes intently, giving her very little choice in the matter when he told her, [white] “We’re leaving now.”[/white]

Stepping around her to take lead, it occurred to him that danger really could be on her front door step. Waiting for them now. And unless she had something up her sleeve… she was as powerless as him against the evil without. But there was no option. Cowering within would not save them. Especially with time rapidly shifting favour. Dropping the suitcase in his right hand carelessly, he gripped her neck and swooped down to kiss Helena. Though his lips sunk deeply into hers, the fire he yearned to ignite earlier was not fueled for long before he pulled away and stared unapologetically into her eyes. Hesitation finally reared its ugly head in the brief flash of a weakly reassuring smile. [white] “Just in case.”[/white] Just in case those horrific possibilities she entertained slashed down upon them the moment they left that house. Russ briefly entertained the notion of leaving this earth with one last screw. The grand slam finale that her body promised, bringing with it a shitload of consequences. The new definition of what a guy would do to get laid. Chances of that slimmer by the moment, Russ hoped there was really something else there that made her worth this.

[helena]

((Naaah, Helena's not THAT bloodthirsty! The first time she decks him, she'll immediately be apologizing and trying to hear his side of the story. XD ))


And as Russ was wondering why Helena was wasting time packing, all the doctor could think of was ‘I can’t leave the townhouse in a mess for the next people who live in it!’ Call it shock, the need for normalcy to forget, or just plain losing her marbles, but she just could NOT manage to make herself leave the bedroom until she’d packed every sign of her living there.

That is, until a certain somebody started zippering up her suitcases and dragging them out of the room. Absently, she managed a surprised squawk as he carried out the bag on her bed and snatched up a few more choice items of clothing. She would have gone even further; would have demanded that he give it back, her being happy to see him or no, but the serious expression on his face gave her no room for argument.

It was probably really, really wrong, that the he-man attitude he was currently into was making her want to jump his bones. Really, really wrong.

“I have to make sure that I don’t leave a mess,” She informed him, prickling a bit at his comment. But, as she said the words aloud, she realized how ridiculous she was acting. Oh, joy, she was actually asking to be slaughtered in her friend’s living room, wasn’t she? Great; she’d graduated from masochistic to suicidal. Wonderful.

Back to the deep breathing, Helena, she thought to herself, ducking her head under his stare. Good Lord, he probably saw her as a Looney Tune right then; trying to pack her things like she was going on vacation, rather than running from a homicidal maniac. That sense of urgency filled her again, and she immediately moved into the hallway when he motioned her to proceed him, rubbing at her arms.

When he declared that they were leaving right then, she nodded. “My car’s in the garage. We can pack up the suitcases in there without opening up the door, just in case the guy who stopped you is waiting outside. Then…I guess we could gun it—“

She immediately broke off, surprise coming onto her face. When Russ dropped the suitcase, she turned around to ask him about that ‘we’ he was dropping. For a split second, she had to wonder once again if he were working for the thing inside her father; if he wanted to get her out of the house so that he could deliver her to it. Why else would he, a stranger to her in many ways, want to help her escape? Hell, she wouldn’t blame him for hightailing it out of there, after seeing that she was alright. She wouldn’t have even blamed him for hightailing it out of there once she’d shut the door on his face.

But…there he was, standing inside her house after breaking in somehow- so not going on that happy Thought Train- and ushering her to what she hoped was safety. Why was he doing this? Didn’t he know that he was putting himself in danger?

And…holy crap, he could kiss! He could kiss really well! What was she thinking again?

Her mouth had been open to ask him the questions whirring through her mind and her fingers twitched to shove him out the door again, but she never got the chance. With a loud thump, her suitcase hit the floor and she found herself pressing up against the solid expanse of a very solid chest. When he kissed her, she could have sworn that she could hear the Hallelujah Chorus in her head, and hell if her eyes didn’t cross as they sprung open in surprise. A low moan caught in her throat and she leaned against him, which was immediately replaced by an unhappy noise when he pulled back.

He was saying something, she was sure of that, and she did her best to come up with a suitable reply. Though, the slightly slurred “You kiss like God,” that came out was probably not what she was trying for.

A blush immediately exploded over her cheeks and she cleared her throat, as if attempting to suck those words back in. With a little shake of her head, she moved forward to haul one of the suitcases to the garage door down the hall.

“There will be no ‘just in case’ because everything’s going to be fine,” She said, trying her best to ignore the fact that her legs now felt like limp noodles. Was it wrong to want to pack up the car, then get it on in the backseat? Gah, yes it was, wasn’t it? ARGH!

She threw her suitcase into the trunk and made room for the others, when Russ followed suit. After slamming the trunk shut, she peeked out of the garage’s tiny windows, squinting into the darkness as if searching for some daunting silhouette in the distance. Seeing none, she turned back around to face him.

“You said ‘we’ before,” She said suddenly, after tearing her eyes from his lips. Dammit, Helena, concentrate! “You don’t want to get caught up in any of this, Russ. You should leave while you still can. I’m…I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m leaving Louisiana. Do you understand? You…you should just leave, before you get hurt.”

[/blockquote]

[russ]

[Like I said; we’ll have to test this assertion.]

For all of Russ’s faults, the pity with which he would have smiled down upon Helena in the understanding of the desire to eradicate the smallest hint of her existence would not have compared to the pity he would have felt for himself if he had ventured back later and actually found it so. As it was, he did not conclude that generally identifiable desire for normalcy. Did not account her lack prioritizing skills as a direct consequence of what was going on. You see, most people experience a fight or flight response to a situation like this. But oh no, Russ had to go and entertain himself with most beautiful crazy attraction Louisiana had to offer: the one woman with a third possible response and subsequent death wish. Because tidying up really was the most important issue here, right now.

Her apparent ability to come to her senses under his command saved her from seeing those eyes contort into a skeptical stare. In the long run, he didn’t care how he got her out that door, just so long as it was immediately. Well… almost immediately. A kiss for luck couldn’t do any harm right? You could when the response you got had you so taken aback that you wanted to speechlessly scoop the woman before you up and sweep her away to the nearest surface to try and prove such a lofty declaration. And when Russ’s strongest attributes were creativity and duration, it was certain to get them killed in a compromising position. What was the important issue here, right now?

That… she… was… walking away apparently. Oh, right, the car! With expedited steps, Russ came up on Helena’s heels and followed her out into the garage. With a momentary frown, Russ tilted his head at the pink Beetle, eagerly awaiting them, sporting a dressy daisy in a bud vase on the dashboard and all. Yeeeeah, he could probably… if he laid her that way, and he put his leg up on…

Or they could load the vehicle up with baggage and get the hell out of here instead.

Or better yet, they could check that the coast was clear and then promptly launch into the ‘we’ conversation most guys didn’t want to have to deal with, even under normal circumstances. Eyes going slightly wide in surprise, Russ could not help but think Ladies and Gentleman, for a limited only our lady fair has a fourth possible response! She flees! She fights! She packs! She hangs up on issues already annulled! But be damned if he didn’t want to sit down and watch the show anyway.

Relaxing, if one could actually achieve relaxation in a time like this, Russ smiled wryly and closed the gap between them, looking down without any reservation in his eyes that would probably convey that he wanted to kiss her again. Considering he did every time he looked at her, this was true too, but his hand crept up between them instead with an expectant palm. [white] “Keys.”[/white] He responded. And if that did not convey sufficient evidence that he was not going to let her leave him behind to the wolves, he had to wonder what sort of state let her out of med school. [white] “Can’t be seen running away from a fight in that thing and in the bitch seat… hope you don’t mind.”[/white]

If Russ sat her down, handling each dangling little assumption in her ‘better judgment’ for him, keys was not the most satisfying answer to be had. She might be willing to sacrifice the chance to escape, but he certainly wasn’t. It was the best answer she was going to get out of him before he left her behind.

[white]“You do have an electric garage door, right?”[/white]

[helena]

Wow, did the man have really nice eyes. For a second there, as Russ came forward and looked down at her with an expression she really didn’t want to decipher right then, all she could do was tilt her head up and stare. Why was he helping her? She just couldn’t help but wonder, despite the fact that her motto was ‘find the good in people.’ She was convinced that, as a human being, Russ would have to help her, because she was in need. But being a veteran of the crazy world she called home for a good 30 years, even she was aware that such a rosy colored statement was total crap.

People screwed each other over. They fought, they hurt one another, they lied and cheated, and backstabbed. It was just human nature, along with the instinct to protect and to love. She preferred to see everyone as someone worth knowing, worth trusting…but hell if the past ten years hadn’t made her a bit jaded, though she tried her best to hide it.

Why was Russ helping her? Was it lust? Did he want something from her, or did he get a kick out of being the knight in shining armor? Was he expecting money, or some kind of…sexual favor in the near future? Her brain practically whirled with questions in that split second before he held up a hand and started so speak. Why was he putting himself in danger?

Blinking a bit absently down at his outstretched hand, it took Helena about a minute to realize what he was talking about. Aside from her libido practically salivating at his nearness, and the fact that, with a little maneuvering, that hand of his would be in the best location to grab her boob—

GAH, concentrate! Bad guys outside, questionable- and nummy…mmm, she could go for another kiss…- guys inside and…good Lord, say she’d remembered to tank up the beetle that morning.

Despite the situation and the fact that, at any moment, someone could be bursting through her front door with guns blazing, she couldn’t help but laugh at his sarcastic comment. “’Bitch seat?’” She sputtered, choking on a peal of amusement. With only a second’s hesitation, she handed over her keys; a single car key that was covered with key chains of various designs, ranging from framed pictures of families she’d helped, to little knickknacks she’d picked up over the years. “Careful; my baby gets touchy when she’s being insulted.”

She nodded at his question, dangling the garage remote in her other hand. With a sense of urgency that she was definitely catching from his current he-man posture- it was just WRONG that it was making her feel like jumping his bones- she immediately rounded the car and hopped into the passenger seat. She strapped herself in, waited until Russ did the same, then, before she could stop herself, she snagged the front of his shirt and dragged him sideways, kissing him as deeply as he had near her front door.

“Thank you.” She said, after pulling back a couple seconds later. That said, she sat back and pressed the button on the remote.

With a low groan, the garage door opened and the shadows outside spilled into the dimly lit room. Her beetle gave a similar moan as it was put into reverse, and she felt her chest tighten in anxiety as they came out onto the drive. She absently played with the hem of her shirt, scanning the night as if looking for a monster, completely stiff in her seat.

Which was completely understandable, she found out a few seconds later.

Like a tank, the cursing form of a man crashed into the passenger door. Helena screamed, looking up at the monster of a man. Quickly, she slammed her palm down on the door lock and flinched to the side as the stranger’s elbow smashed against the window. The glass cracked, splintered, and with another yell, she whipped her head around, her own foot stomping on the ground.

“FLOOR IT!”

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[russ]

Russ could pull some pretty stupid stunts, and he had a mouth that would not quit. He knew these things about himself. Usually, they didn’t get him in too much trouble. Usually, his impulsive and talkative nature made him seem fun and interesting. But he highly doubted that the gruff guy who manhandled him earlier was thinking either of those things. To him, Russ probably seemed like a convenient toothpick to clean out the remnants of his last meal. If only imagining him ripping the flesh from a gigantic turkey leg was the half of it. If only he had the sense to press the urgency of the situation, as Helena surrendered her keys and instantly brightened his mood with her laughter. A little grin crept on his lips, unable to help himself, as the ridiculously cluttered keychain was placed in his hand.

It took exerted effort to remind himself of his priorities right now and follow her lead around the car. Life now, attention for he attractive woman later. Alright, so with priorities reestablished, Russ buckled himself in and was about to slip the burdensome key into the ignition, when his shirt was gripped firmly. Before he even knew it, his body had given in to the tug, and his skin ran rampant with a flood of warm shivers. Fine, they could just die and go to heaven right now. She would find no complaint from him, as his eyes closed instantly, and he leaned in to her kiss. He wasn’t really sure what it was for, but he was hardly thinking about why when it was just plain happening. But before she would let him abandon all demeanor and accept being her little plaything, he was released from her kiss. In the moments that followed, he could only stare at her. It did not even occur to him to respond. What were words again?

Shaking his head and putting himself in the right mindset, he quickly ignited the engine as the garage door permitted them their exit. With that pathetically powered whine, the beetle crept from its hiding place. Edging its way hesitantly, one might think they were home free when Russ was allowed to shift into drive. But in that moment, the car did not jerk forward, and it was launched sideways with a ‘beep’ of complaint when Russ’s arm smacked into the center of the steering wheel. He did not need much more than the collision from the familiar man, who should not have been able to move a car by the way, breaking glass, and a woman’s command to get a clue.

Slamming his foot against the gas and twisting the wheel as far as it would go, Russ hardly thought this was time for the Barbie Mobile to decide to burn out and pretend it wasn’t gutless. A six-second car in this moment would have been preferable, but for as long as it seemed to take to accelerate beyond even the Hulk’s abilities, they soon found themselves in the clear. Double checking the rearview mirror several times, it was far prolonged before the car saw anything under 80. Even on residential streets.

[Sorry it took so long. :/ Anyway, your turn to start this time. XP We can totally go ahead with what you came up with.]

[helena]

CONTINUED IN DANCING WITH THE DEVIL