Sequel: Acrasia
Status: Da-da-da-da Da-da Done.

Brontide

Him

Chris held the bag of pastries in his teeth as he fumbled with his keys, trying to get the door open. It swung open without him doing anything, Rae standing there waiting. She looked a lot less pale than she was in the morning, her red hair was a mess, and she was wearing one of Chris's shirts with her belt around her waist, making it look like a dress. Chris took the bag out of his teeth, closing the door behind him.

"Clever," he raised an eyebrow, watching as Rae dug through the bag of pastries.

"You don't mind, do you?" she looked up, her mouth full of a croissant.

"Take it. I've got many," Chris smiled, going into the kitchen to make himself coffee.

Rae followed him, watching in silence. His mind was in the clouds, thinking about how Rae had seen him. He could only wonder how stupid he had been for not checking for witnesses first. Even if he had seen her, what would he have done? He wouldn't have the heart to kill her, no matter how much he hated to admit it. He knew he had gotten off easy that time.

"What's buggin ya?"

Chris looked up from the mug of coffee in his hand, looking at Rae sitting on top of his counter with her legs crossed and another pastry in her hand.

"Nothing, just thinking about what you saw," Chris shrugged.

"Don't be worried," Rae smiled, "It's the city, things happen, right? I'm just glad it wasn't me."

You wouldn't have to worry about that, Chris thought to himself.

"Did you call your friend back?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, Lucy said she would come and get me in an hour. By her, I mean the whole lot of them," Rae giggled.

"The entire herd?" Chris frowned.

"Most of them, probably."

"Great," he smirked, taking the last pastry out of the paper bag, "Let the interrogation begin."

Rae hopped down from the counter, throwing out the empty bag. She leaned against the counter, next Chris. She was a little closet to him than he was used to, but he didn't mind.

"I'm sorry I passed out drunk on your bed last night," she bumped him with her hip.

"You didn't make it to the bed, actually. You passed out on the couch. I had to carry you to the bed," Chris bumped her back.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry. I didn't break your back, did I?" Rae blushed.

"Please, give me some credit, Ms. Warrick. I bench press you without breaking a sweat," Chris laughed, sliding his arm around her waist.

"Oh, so now you're trying to impress me?" Rae grinned, putting her own arm around his neck and pulling herself up to give him a peck on the lips. "It worked."

The two of them stood like that for a minute, each trying to think of something new to say. Rae leaned in, brushing her lips against Chris's. he pulled her in, pressing his forehead against hers. The moment was interrupted by a series of violent knocks on the door. Rae jumped slightly, pulling away. The knocking didn't stop until Rae finally opened the door. As expected, her entire crew was standing at the door with big, goofy smiles. Chris stayed in the kitchen, a smile playing on his lips as Rae's friends started questioning her right away.

"You smell like a man!" her friend blinked. Jeremy, was it? "Like, in a good way! What have you been up to? Is that a man's shirt?"

"I'll tell you everything on the way home," Rae tried ushering them out. "I'll be out in a second, okay?"

"Were you guys making babies in here?" the girl with the purple hair tilted her head.

Rae pushed them out, closing the door behind her and waving Chris over. He slowly walked over, grinning.

"What's so funny?" Rae frowned.

"You are. Your friends. It's so cozy."

"Yeah, well I really wanted to talk to you alone before I go," Rae shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Chris held up a finger for her to wait, stepping up to the door and balling his fist. He drew back and pounded the door as hard as he could, getting the reaction he expected from the other side.

"OW!" Jeremy yelped, "Son of a- That's going to leave a mark in the side of my forehead!"

"I told you we should give them some space," one of the girls pointed out, unamused. Chris waited until their footsteps disappeared down the hall.

"You were saying?" Chris looked at Rae. She smiled, shaking her head.

"I love them," she giggled. "Anyway, before I go, I was just wondering something."

"Yeah?"

"I want to make it official," she admitted, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Like, Facebook official. If you had one."

"Official?" Chris's smile disappeared, knowing that he couldn't do that. It was way too dangerous.

"Yeah, like, you're mine and no one else's. Like that."

Chris bit his lip, looking past her at the door to his room. The duffel bag was in there, hiding way under his bed where no one would suspect it of holding wicked looking knifes, still covered in the blood Chris didn't have time to clean. Rae turned to look at the door, but she didn't see the same thing he did.

"Don't hesitate," she frowned, "the suspense will kill me."

You're probably going to die, Chris thought to himself. Dead, dead, dead. Gunned down where you stand. I'm building your casket myself.

"We really go well together," Rae tightened her hold around his waist, pulling herself closer.

"I know," Chris smiled, looking at her.

"Then what is it? It's not Alex, is it?"

"Oh God, no."

"Is it your dad? He didn't like me very much, did he?"

"He doesn't like anyone much. I'm surprised he ever got married," Chris muttered, realizing that his father was the reason he was hesitant in the first place.

In fact, his father was the reason he missed out on most things. The reason he was homeschooled his entire life, the reason he rarely had friends, the reason he never had a senior prom or never went out with his drunk college buddies for spring break. It was all his father. There was no rule against it, it just wasn't done.

Chris leaned over and kissed Rae's forehead, then her lips. She seemed to relax slightly from the worry of making things awkward between them.

"So, is this a yes?" she asked.

"It's a yes," Chris chuckled.

"It's a yes!" someone yelled from behind the door.

Rae scowled, heading for the door. She stopped on the way out, eyeing the bowl next to the door. She smiled, holding up Chris's car keys and dangling them in front of her.

"Does this mean I get girlfriend privileges?" she grinned.

Chris grimaced, a mini-movie of his beautiful car and girlfriend of less-than-five-minutes driving off of a cliff and into the ocean.

"Fine," he sighed, "But go slow, okay? And don't take the freeway. And bring it back before I have to go to work. You know how to drive a stick shift, right?"

"Thanks, bye!" Rae ignored him, excitedly giving him a quick kiss and hurrying out the door.

Chris could see Rae and her friends out the window, laughing and shrieking as she attempted to control what was pretty much the batmobile on steroids. He tried not to worry about it. There were bigger things to worry about.