It was most likely rude of them. There had been others at the Inn and the Ranger had overlooked almost every one of them. Not that he was easy to acknowledge in the cloak of mottled motley color. After exchanging niceties, they had negotiated on a location that Hawk had heard of, but never visited. Jules, in all her vibrant colors and radiance, shone amongst the overcast, walking just out ahead of him to lead the way. The Ranger found himself fond of watching her in any light. It wasn't too far of a walk from the Inn itself, after all.
Her hand in his, she tugged him from one side of the street to the other, following the aroma of the diner's greasy fare and only a generalized idea of its location. At last it loomed ahead of them, the long stretch of windows steamed up from the heat of the griddles and fryers at work within. As if on cue, her stomach grumbled loudly. "C'mon babe, a double burger an' shake are callin' my name!" Cupping her free hand at her ear as if to help her hear The Shack's siren all the better.
Hawk heard. And smelled. They were always in such stark contrast. Warm, inviting, like a home he had long forgotten. She always beckoned. With her hand in his own he was acutely aware of just how his days of fighting had affected his skin. Everything smelled so good. But foreign to him. He was just a little unsure when they stepped up to the door, and held it open for her. "You are going to have to help me order." Nostrils flared when he took in a long breathful of the diner's aroma.
"So we'll jus' order one of ever'thing and ya can try it all. But we already know ya like onion rings." She grinned at him, a kiss to his cheek as she breezed past him and through the door. Scanning the long box-car style diner, a woman with a nametag that said 'Hazel', called out to her from beneath a super-large beehive. "Seat yerself, darlin'."
She was off like a shot, down the thin space between tables and counter, to a booth at one of those hazed over windows.
He did not marvel much anymore. But observe. Stuttered steps inside to get a sense of proximity. There wasn't much here that could pose a threat. Not like the Inn. Visibly he eased his posture and stepped inside. Almost completely out of place. "Aye. The onion rings. And that sandwich that Mason made. That was good. And filling."
A chuckle as she saw the cloak revolt in a riot to the chrome, red vinyl and worn Formica tabletops. "He didn't make it, babe. He ordered it and somebody else made it."
"Does he do that often?" The colors were odd. And the cloak had a difficult time adjusting. "Because I cannot imagine he stays the size he is eating that often."
A long arm shot forward to pat the table in front of her in invitation for him to sit while the other snagged two menu cards from the rack and attempted to pry their laminated surfaces apart. "He makes fun of me fer eatin' lots, but he can pack it away. Trust me."
Hawk sat. The cloak finally adjusted and formed the much more vibrant colors of the inn than the dingy and drab ones it had become accustomed to. He did not know proper etiquette, so they shared the same side of a bench at the booth's table. "It smells so good in here. This is what it is like not to have to hunt."
Sitting side by side, she stretched out her legs and propped them up on the bench seat facing them. "Not have ta hunt or cook. Win, win, win if ya ask me." Leaning to read off his menu. "What's jumpin' out at ya?"
"We're not ordering one of everything?" Askance, with just that much upward tilt to his lips. "I think this one does." He pointed to a selection that had onion rings, a cheeseburger with a heaping helping of fried vegetable toppings, and some spicy condiments. "Is there something I should order that I am missing?"
"An' have Mason mock me crazy bad fer tryin' ta eat it all?" A nudge of her elbow. "If somethin' sounds good ta ya, ya don't need any other help. But ya still have two real important decisions." Holding out two fingers on her left hand, she counted them off with her right index finger. "First, are ya makin' th' fries chili cheese fries." Obviously. "And two, what flavor shake are ya gettin?"
"Okay." He nodded, muscle moving in his neck. When her elbow emerged he captured it in his hands and pulled her against his side. "What is a shake" And do the onion rings come with chili and cheese?"
She giggled, now held close under the weight of his arm. A kiss to that twitching muscle in his neck. "A shake is a ....well....a shake. Like milk, an' ice cream an' flavors and they shake it all up together and then ya drink it. But ya wouldn't want rings wi' chili-cheese. That'd be crazy messy."
She pointed to the box that listed all the different shake flavors. Chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla were the basics. But blueberry cheesecake" Peanut butter and jelly' Cherry cordial" Praline crunch' One sounded better than the next.
Natural creature that he was, though he was familiar with both vanilla and chocolate, he much preferred fruit flavors. "Strawberry." The others confused him. It all felt natural. Sitting so close and sharing kisses. The cloak had opened of its own accord and enveloped them both, where he knit his side to hers with a pull of his hand against her waist. "And I'll just have the onion rings then. No chili or cheese needed."
She grinned. "Whatever ya say, babe." Her free arm shot up to wave over Hazel. "We're ready fer ya!"
Her hand in his, she tugged him from one side of the street to the other, following the aroma of the diner's greasy fare and only a generalized idea of its location. At last it loomed ahead of them, the long stretch of windows steamed up from the heat of the griddles and fryers at work within. As if on cue, her stomach grumbled loudly. "C'mon babe, a double burger an' shake are callin' my name!" Cupping her free hand at her ear as if to help her hear The Shack's siren all the better.
Hawk heard. And smelled. They were always in such stark contrast. Warm, inviting, like a home he had long forgotten. She always beckoned. With her hand in his own he was acutely aware of just how his days of fighting had affected his skin. Everything smelled so good. But foreign to him. He was just a little unsure when they stepped up to the door, and held it open for her. "You are going to have to help me order." Nostrils flared when he took in a long breathful of the diner's aroma.
"So we'll jus' order one of ever'thing and ya can try it all. But we already know ya like onion rings." She grinned at him, a kiss to his cheek as she breezed past him and through the door. Scanning the long box-car style diner, a woman with a nametag that said 'Hazel', called out to her from beneath a super-large beehive. "Seat yerself, darlin'."
She was off like a shot, down the thin space between tables and counter, to a booth at one of those hazed over windows.
He did not marvel much anymore. But observe. Stuttered steps inside to get a sense of proximity. There wasn't much here that could pose a threat. Not like the Inn. Visibly he eased his posture and stepped inside. Almost completely out of place. "Aye. The onion rings. And that sandwich that Mason made. That was good. And filling."
A chuckle as she saw the cloak revolt in a riot to the chrome, red vinyl and worn Formica tabletops. "He didn't make it, babe. He ordered it and somebody else made it."
"Does he do that often?" The colors were odd. And the cloak had a difficult time adjusting. "Because I cannot imagine he stays the size he is eating that often."
A long arm shot forward to pat the table in front of her in invitation for him to sit while the other snagged two menu cards from the rack and attempted to pry their laminated surfaces apart. "He makes fun of me fer eatin' lots, but he can pack it away. Trust me."
Hawk sat. The cloak finally adjusted and formed the much more vibrant colors of the inn than the dingy and drab ones it had become accustomed to. He did not know proper etiquette, so they shared the same side of a bench at the booth's table. "It smells so good in here. This is what it is like not to have to hunt."
Sitting side by side, she stretched out her legs and propped them up on the bench seat facing them. "Not have ta hunt or cook. Win, win, win if ya ask me." Leaning to read off his menu. "What's jumpin' out at ya?"
"We're not ordering one of everything?" Askance, with just that much upward tilt to his lips. "I think this one does." He pointed to a selection that had onion rings, a cheeseburger with a heaping helping of fried vegetable toppings, and some spicy condiments. "Is there something I should order that I am missing?"
"An' have Mason mock me crazy bad fer tryin' ta eat it all?" A nudge of her elbow. "If somethin' sounds good ta ya, ya don't need any other help. But ya still have two real important decisions." Holding out two fingers on her left hand, she counted them off with her right index finger. "First, are ya makin' th' fries chili cheese fries." Obviously. "And two, what flavor shake are ya gettin?"
"Okay." He nodded, muscle moving in his neck. When her elbow emerged he captured it in his hands and pulled her against his side. "What is a shake" And do the onion rings come with chili and cheese?"
She giggled, now held close under the weight of his arm. A kiss to that twitching muscle in his neck. "A shake is a ....well....a shake. Like milk, an' ice cream an' flavors and they shake it all up together and then ya drink it. But ya wouldn't want rings wi' chili-cheese. That'd be crazy messy."
She pointed to the box that listed all the different shake flavors. Chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla were the basics. But blueberry cheesecake" Peanut butter and jelly' Cherry cordial" Praline crunch' One sounded better than the next.
Natural creature that he was, though he was familiar with both vanilla and chocolate, he much preferred fruit flavors. "Strawberry." The others confused him. It all felt natural. Sitting so close and sharing kisses. The cloak had opened of its own accord and enveloped them both, where he knit his side to hers with a pull of his hand against her waist. "And I'll just have the onion rings then. No chili or cheese needed."
She grinned. "Whatever ya say, babe." Her free arm shot up to wave over Hazel. "We're ready fer ya!"