05.19.2017
Shanachie Theater

Saila changed quickly after the final curtain call that night, shedding the skin tight black pedal pusher pants and matching top for slightly less skin tight black jeans and tank top. Her hair, pulled up in a ponytail to contain the "makeover" riot of curls, was still blonde, but the first traces of violet streaks were beginning to show as her body ate through the charm spell and dissolved its strength. There was a bounce in her step as she let herself out of the dressing room, a light smile fixed easily in place as she greeted the play-goers who were still milling about. Posing for a selfie here, signing a program there, the mercurial teen eventually wound her way out of the small assembled crowd and hit a side exit to let herself out into the night.

Once outside, she pulled her bag higher on her shoulder and swept pale blonde tendrils that were taking on an increasingly purple tint away from her face as she scanned her mind for the car--or rather, its driver. Locating it, Saila directed her steps that way, moving across the parking lot towards her man and his Baby.

Hex'd been there to see the show, of course. Miss his woman in skin tight black leather? It'd be a cold day in Hell. Out of her many performances, sadly enough this was the one he'd made the most appearances to. He couldn't help but enjoy the irony in it all. C'mon, it was funny!

He'd retreated after the curtains dropped, letting her know he was going outside for a cigarette and would wait for her there while she changed out of costume. The moment she stepped out of the building, the tingling of her energy on the recesses of his mind intensified. Even though it was dark in the parking lot, with only a few lights to illuminate the area, he still wore those aviators. Eyes hidden for the moment, his dimpled grin was on full display as it pooled smoke between his lips when she came into view.

He was dressed in usual attire - jeans that were a touch more snug than his usual loose fit but the muscle shirt was the same, as makeshift as it was. Leaning against the driver's door of Baby, she'd been turned into a convertible tonight thanks to the warmth in the air. His boots scuffed the pavement as he pulled out of his lean and straightened his stance, pinching the filter of his cigarette with the final drag that crackled and reflected off his glasses. A heartbeat later, the cherry was squashed beneath a boot after he dropped it, tipping his chin to rid his lungs of the smoke he'd inhaled. "There's my baby," his voice rang across the bit of distance left between them. Distance that was soon broken as he took a few broad steps, his fingers grasping the metal arm of his aviators to push them up to the top of his head to reveal those golden orbs.

Well, it was his favorite time period, after all! It made her laugh a little every time she realized he was in the audience -- again-- but it also felt good to know that he liked it enough to keep coming back. When it was over, she'd encouraged him to escape the crowd: Saila knew it was probably boring for him to stand around watching her mingle with the patrons, and anyway there had been one too many people curious about his sunglasses the last time he'd stuck around.

She'd been humming one of the songs from the show under her breath as she walked towards him. It was stuck in her head, and the tune was too catchy not to sing along. As the Nephilim came into view, she made a show of looking him over, a smile forming in one corner of her mouth and spreading gradually to the other. "Here I am," she called back to him, "even if you did steal my line." Her smile became a grin, and as soon as she was close enough, she slipped her hands up over his waist, around his lower back. "Hey you."

He knew it'd only been a matter of time before he got questioned about the glasses. Those he'd allow to see behind the shades? He could count them on one hand. The exceptions to the rule were few: trust to not advance from the contact, immunity, or... being the very woman standing before him now.

Hearing the song being hummed under her breath, he couldn't help but chuckle. He'd fallen prey to humming the catchy tunes here and there, and oh how Garrison had prime reason to tease him that day. The show of looking him over was met with that dimpled boyish grin, and with his shades no longer hiding those nearly luminescent eyes in the dim lighting of the lot, it was clear he was returning the favor. Giving an approving sweep, his eyes finally reached hers just as the distance was stolen from their forms. Thick arms coiled around her waist over her own slender limbs, those broad shoulders shrugging with a long sigh. "Someone had to," he informed her, but the act was cut to her final greeting. "Hey yourself," he told her, lowering his mouth to hers for a teasing brush of lips before caving and pressing a firmer kiss to her mouth.

It was one of those things -- people got curious about things that were off limits. As far as she knew, nobody meant any harm and nobody'd been inappropriate, but Saila couldn't blame the man for wanting to avoid the situation. And anyway, the teen didn't feel much like sharing the magnetic force in those eyes, either.

There's my baby. There's a reason she always said it when he took the glasses off.

There were a few perks to that pull. Even if the one looking into those glimmering gold pools would be drawn in like a moth to flame, he still had the final say. And for the past year, his final say was ultimately - no. Even still, letting Saila alone see what he was hiding behind those dark glasses made it more intimate. A secret about him that only she knew.

Her back arched just a little when his arms slid around her, her chest pressing into his as she stepped closer. The touch of his kiss was fleeting at first, and Saila was just starting to think about pouting when he relented and kissed her again. Smiling against his mouth, she kissed him warmly and with feeling, her fingers sliding up his sides to his shoulders and then around his neck. Saila had come to kiss rather a lot of people since her acting career got started -- most recently her married costar, Josh-- and the more people she kissed, the more she found she still liked Hex's kiss best.

But then again she might be a little bit biased.

He knew it was coming, that pout that he loved and hated at the same time. Loved it, because it was one of the most adorable things she did. And hated it, because he was a damn sucker for it every time. This time, he'd avoided it altogether! Ha!

His own feelings were returned through the form of the kiss, that tell-tale content sigh that released every bit of tension that being surrounded by the crowd's energy had collected in his shoulders. Luckily, Hex wasn't the jealous type. She could kiss as many men - or women - on stage and he wouldn't bat a lash. He trusted her - wholly and completely.

Breaking from him at last, the teen pushed the tip of her nose playfully against his. Her hair was gradually darkening to purple -- new full, vivid streaks of the royal shade appearing with increasing frequency among all the blonde.She made no effort to pull away or relinquish him. "Whatcha wanna do tonight?"

With her arms wrapped around his shoulders, his own coiled around her waist like a corded vice to keep her to his chest and envelope her in his warmth. The break of the kiss was hesitant from him, that reluctant grunt before the corner of his mouth elevated with the nose bump she gave him. Returning the light bump to hers, his head lifted a bit without putting any distance between their pressed forms. "Besides the obvious?" He teased, that cheeky grin spreading as he released his grip on her enough to rake a hand through the ever-changing locks. As amusing as it was to see her magical disguise, he still preferred her violet locks over any other color. It was precisely... Saila. Besides, he knew enough blondes to last him a life time - he was related to a good number of them. "Hm," he carried on, lifting his chin to peer skyward in thought. "There's plenty we could do, I guess it all depends on if you want to have a relaxing night or a wild one," he chuckled, tipping his chin back down to look at her.

"I mean. The obvious was a forgone conclusion, I thought?" Saila snickered, her brows arching quizzically. "I meant after that." She kissed his nose playfully while he thought about their options. Of course there was a difference between kissing someone for real and kissing them onstage, and there was nobody she kissed for real but Hex, but it was still pretty much her favorite thing. He lifted his chin to look up at the sky and she took advantage of the moment, latching onto his neck with a light chomp. Giggling quietly to herself despite the hold she had on his skin with her teeth, the girl swabbed captured flesh with her tongue before she released him. "Couldn't resist," she explained without apologizing, because she wasn't even a little bit sorry.

Mulling it over when he presented their general broad options, her strange gaze moved over his shoulder to the car. He'd put the top down, and the night was nice. "Wanna go for a drive? Y'know I'm always up for wild adventures, but I'm getting kind of a lot of those here lately with Rabid," her smile dimmed subtly. As much as Saila was in a good mood, it was hard not to let the heavy weight of Amare's devastation affect her. She felt for him in ways she couldn't even articulate because she'd never experienced what he was going through. Thinking on that made her squeeze Hex just a little, pull him just a little closer. The kiss she pressed on his mouth this time was a grateful one, full of feeling.

His smile spread wide before that tell-tale bark of amusement spilled from his lips. "You never know. I've learned never to predict with you," he informed her. "The day I do, would be the very day I'd make an ass of myself," he snickered, shaking his head before the kiss to his nose made it wrinkle.

With his throat exposed, he let out a strange sound to the sudden light chomp to the flesh. "Gnyuh...Ha," he laughed, squeezing one eye closed. "Point. Proven." He snickered before humming to the tongue that mended what she'd done. Her lack of apology didn't come to a surprise, however. Honestly, if she'd apologized, he would've fiercely told her not to. Apologize for biting him? How dare she! When released, his chin lowered to peer down at her with that crooked and dimpled smile that spoke volumes. "Be disappointed if you did," he teased her, not making any move to wipe her slobber from his neck.

His gaze followed hers as he glanced over his shoulder to Baby, raising a brow before it shifted back to her. The suggestion followed by an explanation had him chuckling, giving her waist a squeeze that ultimately pressed her closer to him. "Have I ever objected to going for a drive?" He snickered, giving his head a slight shake. "Sure, babe. I'll let the hound take you on the wild -- advernitures...." The last word was contorted with the kiss she laid on him after being squeezed, one that shut him up pretty damn quick with a final release of a sigh that stole the air from his chest completely.

The emotion laid behind the kiss was at a loss to him on why - her talent was only a one way street, something he'd gripe about now and then - but there was no hesitation to return it. The hand that had been in her hair shifted to cup her cheek, the pad of his thumb brushing along the angle of her cheekbone before the back of his knuckles caressed down the length to her jaw. Once it reached that defined curve, his curled index guided her chin to lift just as it was him to break the kiss at last. Golden hues heady on hers, his smile was almost lazy. Verbalizing the emotion they'd shared through the kiss, "I love you." Whatever reason brought such a feeling-induced kiss on, something told him to remind her - or confirmed that he did, that nothing had changed. Intuition, maybe.

Saila pressed her forehead to the side of his cheek when the kiss broke at last, her eyes closed for a long moment. "I love you too, babe," she said softly, and it was something like a grateful confession. Clinging to him a few minutes more, the teen eventually stepped back. Her hair was almost entirely purple again, with just a few streaks of blonde littered into it here and there.

"The hound as you call him is ...." She trailed off, brows furrowing as she tried to puzzle out what exactly she could say. "He's in more pain than I've ever seen him. He and Dirk are done for good, I think." Her expression was sad for a moment, and then she hugged him more closely again. "Let's drive out to the lake house."

The confession was appreciated, even if she seemed to need it more than he did in the moment. It still sent tingles through his spine to hear the words. Particularly after so long of them swimming in the Nile. He let her cling, making no move to break away until she did, his hands sliding down her arms as the distance grew for the moment.

Being told of Amare's situation had that tell-tale expression of understanding cross his face before he nodded. "Breakups are never easy," he muttered. "No matter the situation." He didn't know much about Amare's romantic life, but from personal experience.. shit can hit the fan hard and fast. "He's a tough prick, he'll recover," he assured the vixen, reaching up in the meantime to tug a lock of hair, but the action never met as he was hugged again. His arm changed direction as it looped around her back, his lips lowering to press to her forehead. Nodding, they brushed her skin as he pulled them away. "Lake house it is," he agreed.

Turning toward Baby, he kept his arm around her waist while opening the driver's door. "He's lucky to have you, y'know," he told her, glancing over to her as he kept the door open for her to get in first. "I know it's not easy to play puzzle, puttin' together the pieces and shit. But having someone like you around, it definitely lessened the blow," he muttered. He still wasn't good with these kind of talks, but he was making the effort for unknown reasons. "Good people are hard to find," he explained, before cutting his usual smirk over to her like he was trying to amend the fact the Big Guy was saying all this crap. "I would know." Damn Hellion.

Saila shrugged helplessly. "I mean. I've broken up with somebody before, but not like this. Not like..." The teen trailed off, shaking her head. "Anyway. He'll be okay. He's just... " Her brows furrowed, her fingers pressed for a moment to her temple. "It's hard to navigate. He's not easy to comfort."

When Hex pulled the door open, she climbed inside, settling in the middle where she could still be near him once he sat down. A dim smile touched her face. "Thank you. I like to think he knows it, too? In his own way, he has to. He keeps reaching for me, after all." Her shoulders rose and fell. "I just don't want him to hurt anymore. He's as bloody as you were when we met, and I want so much to stop the bleeding."

"Seems like the type," he observed when she mentioned Amare not being easy to comfort. "His name suits," he snickered. Once she was settled, he made his descent to follow. Tugging the door closed just as his legs found their place beneath the steering wheel, the engine roared to life with a twist of the key. Shifting the gear into Drive, the use of that hand maneuvered to go over her head and rest on the bench seat backing behind her. "Even if he doesn't admit it, I'm sure he knows and appreciates it. He might not be the most huggable around," he snickered, shifting his golden gaze over to her as he started out of the parking lot. "But I know a smart man when I see one."

His hand rested on her shoulder, his thumb brushing over to curvature of the joint. Talking about the bloodiness of it all, he sighed. "He'll get there. There might be some destruction and bloodshed in his path, but he'll find his peace. I found you," he told her, a warm smile spreading. "But everyone's Peace comes in a different form, it's just a matter of finding the outlet. It won't be easy, but those bullet holes will plug up in time, and you'll have a less bloody Rabid on your hands." Metaphors, he was better with those than bluntness. "You've got your hands full in playing nurse, I've got your back, babe." His hand moved to stroke the jawline away from him, his smile cut over to her in an attempt to comfort. "You know I'm here to lean on when things get overwhelming, right?" Out on the road, the direction of Baby's wheels were heading in a beeline toward the outer city limits and it was only a matter of minutes before trees were spread out on either side of the convertible.

As soon as he'd settled beside her, Saila curled into him again. She pushed herself underneath his arm, not that Hex was exhibiting any particular resistance, and up against his chest once more. It brought a dim smile to her face, both because the words he said were sweet and reassuring, and also because it reminded her a little bit of the show she was currently cast in. Pressed up against a hot guy in a muscle shirt on the front seat of a fantastic car. The superimposing of the two images made her laugh.

So did Amare's name. She grinned up at him given that she'd tucked herself under his arm. "You know, that's a good point," about Amare's name. "But in Latin, it's also the verb for 'to love'." Her smile turned wistful, and she raised one shoulder in a shrug. "Gives me hope for him, one day."

The wind felt nice in her hair, plucking at the overly curled strands, tangling them, and Saila closed her eyes as she sank into his warmth for a moment. A few minutes later, she untangled herself from his side, an idea suddenly coming to her. Anchoring herself to his shoulder and the top ledge of the windshield, she stood up, planted her feet, and then slowly lifted her arms out from her sides, raising them up into the wind. Sal called it flying, and now suddenly she knew why.

Resistance was something she certainly wasn't met with, and his arm molded around her as she cozied into him. Her laughter had him raising a brow at the thought he didn't catch onto. It was contagious, though, and he couldn't help but grin back at the face that looked up at him. Things had taken their toll on the Heart-of-Gold teen and her laughter set his mind at ease.

Chuckling at what Amare's name meant in Latin, he couldn't help himself. "As you should, maybe he's hiding a teddy bear in him, too," he was smirking at this point. And if what he said got back to Amare, he'd probably be asking for it. Something told him that man getting called a 'teddy bear' wouldn't get the best reaction out of him.

His eyes had returned to the road, and he enjoyed the simplicity of keeping four wheels between two lines of the winding road. The woman tucked in the nook of his arm and the weight of her pressed into his chest, but he didn't try to fight her as she started her maneuver. Instead, he glanced up at her with that questionable look. "What're you --" He didn't finish the moment he saw what she was doing, his smile warming as he understood. Being the only one of Asmodai's children who couldn't fly, unlike Kokabiel and Mynardi, even Harper.. He'd grown rather fond of jumping off buildings and out of planes for that reason.

He didn't make a fuss about the safety precautions, the alarming risk of her getting injured with what she was doing. He trust both his own ability and hers to make sure that didn't happen. So instead of nagging her to sit the fuck down and not give him a heart attack, he kept an eye on her stance but reached around to turn up the radio -- the current song being John Mellencamp's "Hurt So Good", which he promptly began to belt out.

Saila had no fear, not at any time in any situation she'd ever been in, and certainly not now. She braced herself against the bench seat, hooking one heel underneath it for extra security, but her fingers flared in the wind. Her hair caught the breeze and flew out behind her, the cool air plucking at her ponytail holder as it swarmed past her on either side. Her lips were parted in a wide, exhilarated smile, her face upturned into the night. She giggled, reaching down with one hand to run her fingertips over his hair lightly.

His singing made her laugh -- not because it was terrible, she'd known for a while her man could sing -- but what it was in particular that he was singing. The song seemed so incongruous on him, so oddly innocent despite its subject matter. With her hand in his hair, Saila picked up on the words, and began singing along with him. All the musicals she'd been in had taught her to harmonize, and she did it now, making it up as she went along though her voice was mostly lost in the rush of wind.

Hex wasn't fearless, but he'd refused to let any form of fear hold him back. It just sort of happens that way when you were raised around the King of Hindrance - aka Belphegor. And he refused to let it hinder her, either. While she resumed her 'flying', he kept on singing while keeping an eye on her - holding up his hand from the back of the seat as they rounded a curve in the road but didn't make a move to touch her unless she teetered or wobbled off balance. Something he didn't see coming from the acrobatic vixen, not from what he'd seen from her classes.

Her laughter had him grinning from ear to ear, understanding the difference between being laughed at and not. With that grin wide on his face, his lids lowered a bit with the fingers he felt in his hair. It was when she started singing along that his grin nearly split his face in two and he barked out his own laughter. "You always look so invitin', you aren't as green as you are young. Hey baby, it's you. C'mon girl, now it's you... Sink your teeth right through my bones, baby. Let's see what we can do~" His golden gaze drifted up to the flying abomination beside him, singing in harmony with him with the fearless and sometimes recklessness that would radiate from her. He wasn't all that sure when he managed to settle his score with Karma and be allowed to have these moments, but he was grateful of them. That was certain.