Status: Complete.
Burning Bridges, Building Love
14
They played game after game of chess till they boarded the plane and the stewardess made Rayne turn it off. They sat silently waiting for the plane to take off like scolded children. They had to be told multiple times to turn it off and pretended to only to get caught later, now she was watching them like hawks.
Jake looked out the window as he tried to avoid the woman’s burning gaze.
“This is why I never sit next to you.” Big Cat sighed from the isle seat on the other side of Rayne. “You always get in trouble.”
“You’ve never complained before.” Rayne giggled while glancing over at Jake.
“When we’re not a plane, don’t care but for hours on a plane with them watching us like hawks. No, fuck it.” He laughed. Jake couldn’t help but join him. Their slight laughter made the woman get up and walk over to them as the plane began to back out of the gate finally. She did a double check to find they all had their hands empty on their laps and they were device free.
“You’re going to get me in so much trouble.” Jake chuckled at the small girl next to him. “I shouldn’t hang out with you.” He teased.
“Wait till jail time comes then you’ll either decided: Best night of you’re life and worth it, or” Big Cat pointed. “You’re going to kill her when you get out and hide her body.” Jake blinked. “Trust me, there’s a reason why not many people are in our little group. Only so many people can throw down with this bundle of joy.” Pulling a mask over his eyes he relaxed in his seat. “Wake me when we get there.”
“Aye, Aye, Cap’e’tan.” Rayne saluted to him and sighed.
Slowly she turned to Jake and smiled. Waving nervously he leaned against the sidewall of the plane trying to hide from that wicked look in her eyes.
“You’re stuck with me now.” She laughed. Shrugging Jake shifted back to the middle of his seat. “Alright, we’ll see how well you sit at the big girl table now.” Laughing at that he patted her head.
“Alright tiny.” Nipping at his hands she pouted at him.
Once in the air Rayne pulled out her iPod touch again and the two went back to chess. But chess could only hold Rayne’s attention for so long with caffeine pulsing through her system like blood. She began bouncing in her seat at first while playing chess making Jake take the iPod so he could actually see the screen. After that she completely passed it off to him and twisted in her seat talking to the others around her. She moved around the plane pissing off the flight attendant with a vendetta on her already more. She was talking a million miles and hour. Jake constantly had to look over at Big Cat for help only to find the man still sleeping leaving him on his own as Rayne asked him a million questions and went on a million random tangents so quickly he barely understood, let alone processed, what she was saying. He thought his head was going to explode, he honestly did.
How Big Cat slept the whole way with Rayne’s large hand movements, constant chatter, and climbing over him to get out of her seat Jake had no idea. Even with all her energy Rayne was only making friends, minus the stewardesses, and everyone seemed to forget how long the flight really was unless Rayne left them alone, went on a tangent about motocross, or extreme sports they had no clue about then it seemed like forever.
“Land!” she declared playfully and that’s went Jake heard it. Big Cat groaned and slumped forward slightly. “Welcome back sunshine.” Rayne teased as he slowly removed his blind fold. Yawning Big Cat gave a slow wave.
“Wow.” Jake whispered. He’d actually been asleep. He couldn’t believe it. He really couldn’t. He thought Big Cat was faking it so she’d leave him alone.
Rayne jumped out of her seat, grabbed her things and began to get off the plane like all the other passengers. Jake stood slowly with Big Cat.
“Who’d you sleep threw that?” Jake laughed.
“Trust me it’s a well learned skill.” Big Cat laughed. “I don’t have the full art of it down.” Jake raised a brow. “Woke up a few times, heard moto and was like… what moto?” Big Cat laughed shaking his head as the two of them jumped in the line exiting the plane. Jake shook his head.
“So you train yourself to only hear the words you want to around her?” Big Cat nodded.
“It’ll become natural when you’re awake if you’re around her long enough and have to endure enough random stories that you’ve either lived through or heard a million times and when she gets back to what you were talking about originally you’ll suddenly be back in the conversation ten minutes later. Then once you’ve mastered that,” Big Cat pointed.
“You apply it while sleeping.” Jake laughed pointing as well.
“Damn straight.” Big Cat nodded. “Having slight hearing loss from loud sounds your whole life doesn’t hurt either.” Jake laughed at him.
“You have hearing loss?” Jake asked gently. Big Cat simply removed his hat and pushed his ear length hair up showing a hearing aid on his right ear. “Oh wow.” Grimaced at the idea of loosing his hearing or having to wear a hearing aid at…he eyed big cat up and down, the kid had to be twenty six at the oldest. Jake couldn’t handle that.
“Only the right one though.” He placed his hat back on as began adjusting his hair in the band of it.
“How’d that happen?” Jake was suddenly interested. Injuries were the fascinating part to listening to Rayne’s motocross stories.
“Crashed my bike got trapped under it my head near the engine after a jump, right ear near the engine. Plus several other ones like it and a bat to the head.”
“A bat?” Big Cat nodded. “Please tell me she didn’t hit you with a bat.” Jake sighed grimacing at the idea. Big Cat began laughing at him.
“No, fight in high school.” Big Cat nodded slowly, his smile fading from his thin lips.
“Can I ask why you’re called Big Cat?” Jake asked after a few minutes of silence. Rayne was talking to the woman who’d lent Jake her DIOR sunglasses a few feet ahead of them loudly.
“Oh,” Big Cat shrugged. Jake frowned.
“No reason? Just because?” Jake laughed.
“No, it’s from high school and raced during the time period. Crazy over there gave it to me.” Big Cat pointed at Rayne. Jake laughed.
“You’re not a very open book…Big Cat.” Jake sighed unsure of what to call him.
“Dallas.”
“What?” Jake asked confused at Big Cat’s extended paw like hand.
“My name’s actually Dallas.” Big Cat laughed.
“Oh. Nice to meet you.” Jake smiled shaking his hand. “Jake.” Big Cat nodded and Jake sighed softly as they finally got off the large and crowded plane.
Jake looked out the window as he tried to avoid the woman’s burning gaze.
“This is why I never sit next to you.” Big Cat sighed from the isle seat on the other side of Rayne. “You always get in trouble.”
“You’ve never complained before.” Rayne giggled while glancing over at Jake.
“When we’re not a plane, don’t care but for hours on a plane with them watching us like hawks. No, fuck it.” He laughed. Jake couldn’t help but join him. Their slight laughter made the woman get up and walk over to them as the plane began to back out of the gate finally. She did a double check to find they all had their hands empty on their laps and they were device free.
“You’re going to get me in so much trouble.” Jake chuckled at the small girl next to him. “I shouldn’t hang out with you.” He teased.
“Wait till jail time comes then you’ll either decided: Best night of you’re life and worth it, or” Big Cat pointed. “You’re going to kill her when you get out and hide her body.” Jake blinked. “Trust me, there’s a reason why not many people are in our little group. Only so many people can throw down with this bundle of joy.” Pulling a mask over his eyes he relaxed in his seat. “Wake me when we get there.”
“Aye, Aye, Cap’e’tan.” Rayne saluted to him and sighed.
Slowly she turned to Jake and smiled. Waving nervously he leaned against the sidewall of the plane trying to hide from that wicked look in her eyes.
“You’re stuck with me now.” She laughed. Shrugging Jake shifted back to the middle of his seat. “Alright, we’ll see how well you sit at the big girl table now.” Laughing at that he patted her head.
“Alright tiny.” Nipping at his hands she pouted at him.
Once in the air Rayne pulled out her iPod touch again and the two went back to chess. But chess could only hold Rayne’s attention for so long with caffeine pulsing through her system like blood. She began bouncing in her seat at first while playing chess making Jake take the iPod so he could actually see the screen. After that she completely passed it off to him and twisted in her seat talking to the others around her. She moved around the plane pissing off the flight attendant with a vendetta on her already more. She was talking a million miles and hour. Jake constantly had to look over at Big Cat for help only to find the man still sleeping leaving him on his own as Rayne asked him a million questions and went on a million random tangents so quickly he barely understood, let alone processed, what she was saying. He thought his head was going to explode, he honestly did.
How Big Cat slept the whole way with Rayne’s large hand movements, constant chatter, and climbing over him to get out of her seat Jake had no idea. Even with all her energy Rayne was only making friends, minus the stewardesses, and everyone seemed to forget how long the flight really was unless Rayne left them alone, went on a tangent about motocross, or extreme sports they had no clue about then it seemed like forever.
“Land!” she declared playfully and that’s went Jake heard it. Big Cat groaned and slumped forward slightly. “Welcome back sunshine.” Rayne teased as he slowly removed his blind fold. Yawning Big Cat gave a slow wave.
“Wow.” Jake whispered. He’d actually been asleep. He couldn’t believe it. He really couldn’t. He thought Big Cat was faking it so she’d leave him alone.
Rayne jumped out of her seat, grabbed her things and began to get off the plane like all the other passengers. Jake stood slowly with Big Cat.
“Who’d you sleep threw that?” Jake laughed.
“Trust me it’s a well learned skill.” Big Cat laughed. “I don’t have the full art of it down.” Jake raised a brow. “Woke up a few times, heard moto and was like… what moto?” Big Cat laughed shaking his head as the two of them jumped in the line exiting the plane. Jake shook his head.
“So you train yourself to only hear the words you want to around her?” Big Cat nodded.
“It’ll become natural when you’re awake if you’re around her long enough and have to endure enough random stories that you’ve either lived through or heard a million times and when she gets back to what you were talking about originally you’ll suddenly be back in the conversation ten minutes later. Then once you’ve mastered that,” Big Cat pointed.
“You apply it while sleeping.” Jake laughed pointing as well.
“Damn straight.” Big Cat nodded. “Having slight hearing loss from loud sounds your whole life doesn’t hurt either.” Jake laughed at him.
“You have hearing loss?” Jake asked gently. Big Cat simply removed his hat and pushed his ear length hair up showing a hearing aid on his right ear. “Oh wow.” Grimaced at the idea of loosing his hearing or having to wear a hearing aid at…he eyed big cat up and down, the kid had to be twenty six at the oldest. Jake couldn’t handle that.
“Only the right one though.” He placed his hat back on as began adjusting his hair in the band of it.
“How’d that happen?” Jake was suddenly interested. Injuries were the fascinating part to listening to Rayne’s motocross stories.
“Crashed my bike got trapped under it my head near the engine after a jump, right ear near the engine. Plus several other ones like it and a bat to the head.”
“A bat?” Big Cat nodded. “Please tell me she didn’t hit you with a bat.” Jake sighed grimacing at the idea. Big Cat began laughing at him.
“No, fight in high school.” Big Cat nodded slowly, his smile fading from his thin lips.
“Can I ask why you’re called Big Cat?” Jake asked after a few minutes of silence. Rayne was talking to the woman who’d lent Jake her DIOR sunglasses a few feet ahead of them loudly.
“Oh,” Big Cat shrugged. Jake frowned.
“No reason? Just because?” Jake laughed.
“No, it’s from high school and raced during the time period. Crazy over there gave it to me.” Big Cat pointed at Rayne. Jake laughed.
“You’re not a very open book…Big Cat.” Jake sighed unsure of what to call him.
“Dallas.”
“What?” Jake asked confused at Big Cat’s extended paw like hand.
“My name’s actually Dallas.” Big Cat laughed.
“Oh. Nice to meet you.” Jake smiled shaking his hand. “Jake.” Big Cat nodded and Jake sighed softly as they finally got off the large and crowded plane.