Peaceful Relaxation (Open..if you can find a way)

[Keegan Navaro]

--> The trip into town was uneventful, and thanks to the map she was given Keegan had little trouble finding the shops and the items she would need for at least a weeks stay at the Inn. Fragrant shampoos, conditioners, a bottle of perfume, hair brush, and a weeks worth of clothing were now stashed in the pack fastened to the back of her bike. Her last stop was the ATM where she made a hefty withdraw to cover her tab later at the Inn. It was still pretty early, not even ten o'clock as she pulled back into the Inn's lot. Downshift clicks were made as her bike came to a slow stop in front of the porch. Kickstand put in place as left foot planted on the ground as right leg was pulled around to join in. Removing her helmet it was placed on the seat in order for Keegan to stretch, and stretch she did. Her body was aching and still trying to find warmth in damp clothes.

--> Gear was removed and placed on the step of the porch. Her fuel was beginning to run low and with a previous glance up Keegan knew the sun would be out soon. Seat of her bike was lifted to expose the solar panels. She was like a proud mother every time she used her modifications to her bike. Environmentally friendly and efficient..a girl couldn't go wrong there. Key was tucked into her pocket before helmet and her purchases were retrieved. Entering once more into the Inn, but this time Keegan knew where she was going to room 114. It was easy enough to find and she was happy about that. Room key was fished out of her other pocket and placed into the lock and with a turn and click door was pushed open and she quickly stepped in.

-->Sparse but it would do. Arms unloaded their baggage onto the chair as Keegan unloaded her weight and flopped on the bed. Eyelids were heavy as bricks...it was all she could do not to fall asleep but she really wanted to wash the grime off her and a hot bubble bath was what she wanted more. With a sigh she made up her mind to bathe before sleep. Rummaging in the pack she would retrieve lavender and jasmine bath beads, her Ipod and an over sized bath towel. Undressing she wrapped the towel around her and just before she left had a change of mind about the tube. She was going to examine it later but decided to toy with it while she was soaking, so it was removed from the pack and out the door she went...headed to the communal bath.

-->Luck was on her side as both tubs were vacant...wasting no time she began to run the water, making sure to place some of the bath beads into it. She watched as the steam began to rise and satisfied with the amount of water it was turned off. Fingertips skimmed the top of the bubbly water before towel was removed and hung on the peg nearby. She was glad she had taken the time before she left to put her hair into a bun. Ipod was as placed on a chair she had pulled close and those tiny earpieces were now firmly in her ears. Stepping into the tub Keegan all but melted into it's warm watery embrace. For a moment she relaxed with her eyes closed, letting the bubbles and scent do their magic. Complete relaxation was achieved..without opening her eyes she hit the play button and grinned to the song that started to play...Apocalyptica featuring Corey Taylor - I'm Not Jesus...it was one of her favorites.

-->As the song came to an end, a nice piano piece started to play. Opening her eyes Keegan reached for the tube and simply stared at it. She studied it very closely this time, noticing the colors more than when she first took hold of it...it was intricate, but Keegan knew that she could crack the code to open it. Question was how long would it take her. Surely Julian would want it sooner than later. Light chuckle as she still wasn't one hundred percent sure it wouldn't explode when it was opened. Tube was placed back on the chair, ear pieces were removed from her ears before she slid beneath the waters surface...and stayed until she could no longer hold her breath before emerging. It was Heaven...and this little devil was soaking in every bit of it's pleasure.

-->Happy with her level of being a prune Keegan stood from the water...droplets cascading down her petite frame before being toweled dry. It was rejuvenating..her once tired and aching body was now feeling reborn. Toiletries, Ipod and tube were collected after she wrapped the oversize towel around her and made her way back to her room. The scent of lavender and jasmine wafting in her wake. Rooms 108,110 were passed without much thought but when she went to pass Room 112 she thought she heard a voice she recognized. "Really Keegan? Girl you need sleep." No more thought given as she chided herself. Returning to the haven of her room she emptied her hands then promptly tossed herself on the bed and drifted off to dream. The events of the last few days a distant memory as much needed sleep claimed her. Tomorrow was another day.

[Mael Feu]

If there was anything that he liked about his room it was the fact that he didn't have neighbors. On either side. 

The room was small but it was adequate even if the privacy from one room to the next was in question. He had been on the phone having a vague and low-toned conversation when he heard footsteps walking pass. As he was in an Inn people walking past the room was expected and has happened but what he did not expect was for the steps to slow just outside his door. When things were quiet - and you were trained in specific areas -  something as trifle as someone stopping outside of a door was noticeable. Of course, this did not mean he knew who it was. He hadn't spent enough time around these people to be able to discern there walks. 

This made his half of the conversation stop. It was at this point that Keegan may have thought that she was imagining things - because he had stopped talking and it was quiet. He did not speak again until the steps moved away and he was given another surprise - the closing of a door. 

So. He had a neighbor. 

He put a permanent end to the phone call for the moment but flipping the device closed without as much as a 'bye'.  Wasn't rude, he had heard all he needed to hear from the person on the other end. Currently something else was of interest. 

He had been laying flat back on the bed but now he pushed up and his bare feet hit the floor. Time to see who was shacking up next to him. No need to dress further than the loose dark cotton pants that he was wearing and his hair was in practically the same state as it had been in earlier if not a bit neater. The phone was tossed upon the bed and he left the room. 

Turning to lean against the doorway of the room next door casually.  Pressing against his right that arm was up, elbow turned to the ceiling  as the hand hung down behind his neck. Left hand curled and gave the door a couple of knocks. 

[Keegan Navaro]

-->Knock,knock...She heard the knock and struggled to pull herself from the world of dream. Heavy lids fluttered open and blinked to clear fuzzy vision. Who on earth could it be? Did she order room service and forget? No from what she knew about the Inn room service was not an option. Maid collecting towels? Nah. With a grunt Keegan swung bare legs over the edge of the bed giving her the momentum to propel herself up and forward. Hand went up to remove the towel about her head..hmm her hair was still damp so she wasn't asleep that long. It was tossed back to the bed. She quickly put on a pair of shorts and a bra. She didn't have time to dig for a shirt. So the blue jean cut offs, and black lace bra would be her ensemble of choice. Girls wore less these days and you couldn't see anything.Except the dragon tattoo on her side and the Life/Death tattoo on her left thigh. Bare feet making no noise as she went to the door and opened it with a quick jerking swoosh. "Yeah?"

-->She had been looking at the floor but as the door came open she followed the masculine feet upward, until bare chest was now viewed before those dark eyes landed on a familiar face. "Julian?" Familiar yes, the question was more confusion as she was wondering why he was knocking on her door. Then she remembered hearing his voice in the room next to hers....so she wasn't hearing things...that was a relief. Shuffle step back and to the side was all the invitation he was going to get to come in. He would accept the invite...surely. Still rather lethargic hand left the doorknob and she moved back towards the bed. "Do you ever sleep?" Soft laugh as she motioned for him to take a seat in the chair while she moved to sit Indian style on the bed. Heels of both hands came to rub the sleepiness from her eyes before once more returning the gaze to him. Crap! Was there a time limit on the tube solution? If so she missed it, and that sent her mind scrambling to find it's location in the room. Yeah, right were she left it on the dresser. She would wait until he was settled before asking him if that was why he was here. For the moment however she sat there half asleep, sporting a sleepy smile which held it's own degree of cuteness watching him.

[Mael Feu]

It was either coincidence or a setup and since Mael wasn't a paranoid man he didn't give much of any thought to it being the latter. Remembering when he checked in that they only had rooms left to rent on this floor the fact that she'd be his neighbor was fair. So therefore when the door opened and he saw that it was her that smirk of his crossed over lips. Fixing to say something but she beat him to it with:

"Do you ever sleep?"

What he was going to say changed up and was replaced, still meant in a lighthearted fashion. "Do you always stop in front of peoples doors without saying anything?"

She must have gone out between the last few hours that he had seen her because now she was wearing a bra. He had seen her bare back twice the previous night (or day for the sticklers) and neither time was their any sighting of a bra. Or shorts. If she had these objects with her bike then there would have been no need for him to have loaned her his shirt earlier. 

Clearly she was tired and with the way she moved he saw no point in asking if he had woken her up. If he had, then the deed was done and the welcome invitation to come in told him that she was willing to stay that way if only for a little bit longer. 

He followed and took the chair having noticed her two tattoos. He may be on the side of tired but she was looking it more than he was. This man was guilty of more than a one nocturnal habit. 

Failing at being prim and proper with a straight back and square shoulders while sitting in the seat, instead he was more casual. More of a lean to the right with his arm propped up and chin resting on the fist of that directions hand he did think she may be a little cute sitting there like that. Cute but not vulnerable despite her sleepy look. 

"Looks like we're neighbors; that'll make it easier to find you." With his next words came the bit of a smile. 

"Funny how things turn: I offer you my room and I end up in yours."

[Keegan Navaro]

-->That caused her to laugh, she wasn't aware that anyone could have heard her as she stopped in front of the door, which she now knew belonged to him. She could play coy and dumb but that wasn't her style. Instead she gave a shrug of shoulders and smile. "Do you always answer a question with a question?" Sleepy she may be, but her mood was good and playful for the most part. "But to answer your question, I didn't know it was your room...I just thought in my sleep deprivation state I was hearing things."

-->Yes, Keegan had went out after she left his company and purchased all the things she was going to need for a stay here at the Inn, bra included. Hopefully he didn't view her as been a trollop by wearing a simple pair of shorts and her bra, it was not her intention. Keegan was comfortable in her body and wasn't ashamed of it, but she also didn't want to give off the impression she was easy to have. Unfolding her legs and leaning back on outstretched arms her fingers felt something and with a glance down she noticed it was his shirt...a shirt she now pushed both arms into and pulled down over her stomach. Just in case.

-->"Hm..neighbors..I can live with that." Sure, at least she trusted this neighbor and before she could say anything else his last statement totally took her mind south but only for a moment. Her eyes had remained on him except the moment it took for her to don his shirt again. He was handsome, more so now with his tousled hair, bare chest and feet..and the slacks..well they complimented his form. She was female and could appreciate the beauty of the male body. "Mi casa es su casa ." She had to reposition herself once more, because the more she remained motionless the more her eyes wanted to close.

-->"No offense Julian, but you look like you could use some sleep as well." She felt they were beyond the stand offish state, and Keegan was one to always say what was on her mind...well almost always. Much to her chagrin she heard the words escape her mouth before she could rein them in. "You can take my bed if you want." If she could have made the bed swallow her up, it would have. She didn't mean it in a sexual way, it was more of an offering for him to get some sleep, or simply lay down and rest. Thankfully her phone rang at the moment, leaping from the bed she retrieved it from the table. The ignore button was hit and it was laid back down, but Keegan remained standing.

-->"He thinks he's going to get in my good graces now after standing me up." Yeah, he being Christian her best friend since she was eight. He was one male in her life that had never let her down, until three days ago, but that was neither here nor there. Her attention once more returned to the half naked man in her room, there were questions she wanted to ask but didn't. They were off to a good start in her book. He wasn't a man that needed to paw her or attempt to woe her beneath the sheets, and she didn't ask twenty questions to scare him off...but there was still that nagging feeling that this man was more than what he appeared to be. And for the first time in almost two years....Keegan wanted to find out exactly what Julian was all about.

[Mael Feu]

"No need to dress on my behalf."

He said that as he observed her pulling his shirt over her head and down her body once more. Julian indicated his state of dress, or lack thereof. If he was worried about appearance then he would have put on a shirt or at the very least shoes.

If she wanted to undress that would be on her and he wouldn't hinder her either way. Under different circumstances he may be one to help her out of clothing restraint and the weight of fatigue would cause that thought to linger as he watched her with his chin on his fist. The thought was only entertained in his mind and not truly reflected on his face. He wasn't that tired to be thought of as a lecher.

One thing that he noted about them was the fact that they both were phone people. Sometimes his rang and others hers and neither seemed to mind. When she said that he looked like he could use a rest it wasn't something that he could deny but what he was going to say was halted by her phone. Denied an opportunity to pry since she didn't answer the phone, however he did hear what he said afterward.

"Maybe he had good reason." Backing out of dates, being more than 'fashionably late', and simple lack of timing were all contributing factors to 'Julian's' current state of personal solitude. Reason why he never went after relationships anymore, after his work started calling things never worked out.

This was probably the same guy from earlier and to what she said he have a small shoulder shrug as he was hit with a sudden curiosity: was Keegan a native of Rhydin? What she spoke of earlier, the shop and her mechanical skills, were things that could be found here or in a neighboring realm and the landscape she's seen hasn't been too different. She could be from elsewhere and not know she had entered a different plane. It would explain a few things about her sense of the area.

He felt an oncoming yawn but stifled it. "I'm only next door, I believe I have enough energy to walk a few feet." This went without saying that if they shared a bed they would have to be close. He didn't have a problem sharing a bed with someone he just met but others didn't share that same ease.

Again he was faced with the question of her vulnerability, added that she had been stood up by another. "Are you needing entertainment or comfort for sleep? I could let you to your bed until later."

[Keegan Navaro]

-->Was it for his benefit she got dressed, or hers? Maybe a bit of both really. She didn't normally walk around half naked in front of a man she barely knew. Plus, she could feel her stomach grumble at the protest of being empty for the better part of two days with the exception of the whiskey earlier this morning and with any luck she would have company for breakfast/lunch/dinner..whatever the case may be but she would leave that for later. Right now she watched the way he spoke, the way he watched her as she watched him. Trusting..yet weary. Nice combo.

-->"Hmm...I'm not sure the flavor of the week is a good reason to stand up your best friend since childhood." Keegan would not have cared if Christian had stood her up for work, or some other excuse but for the girl he had picked up the night before at the bar..well that to her was not acceptable. Not to say she hadn't stood up dates of her own. Riding the bike circuit often had her working into the wee hours of the morning on her bike, totally forgetting about the date she would have. Her bike was her one true passion, her one escape from the daily grind of her life. She loved her life, but sometimes it was the loneliness that got to her most.

-->Fingertips now lifted to comb out her still damp hair the best they could. Sure she had a brush and comb on the table but her fingers worked just fine. Keegan was not a native of Rhydin but she wasn't familiar with the city of New Haven. In truth, she found the Inn thanks to a woman at Starbucks, and the other stores she found thanks to the woman that checked her into the Inn. She did have a sense of direction and never gave off the vibe of not belonging.That in her book made for an easy target. Ending up here was by accident, and lucky for her Christian had hit the void with her, but it was an adventure and they both knew how she liked those.

-->For a moment a flicker of sadness danced within her gaze but soon it was gone. No regrets...but the solitude she now seem to wrap herself in was getting old...could be why she found Julian interesting and didn't really want him to leave her company. "Suppose you can." Flat....that's how the words sounded to her. She didn't meant for them to sound that way. Blah, she needed to snap out of the funk that was trying to claim her. Smile was put on once more and even a soft laugh with his last statement. "Entertainment? You offering yourself up for the sacrifice?" Not all men enjoyed her idea of entertainment but today it would be maybe a bite to eat and brain storming to figure out the tube. If he didn't wish to go with her, it was no big deal. She was use to being in her own company but being with him was a nice change of pace.

[Mael Feu]

If he would have heard her stomach rumble he may have gotten the impression that she was thinking about food, but he hadn't and she wasn't moving to get off of the bed. The possibility was there that she would have gone in that direction depending on how he answered. Then again.

"Not sure that I'm the one sacrificing." A few things were meant by that and he wasn't quick to speak of them as he lifted up his head and let his hand come down to rest upon the arm of the chair. Fingers of both hands curled around the arms of the chair and the muscles in his arm flexed naturally as he pushed up to stand. There was a great urge to stretch but he would not make an elaborate show of it, instead opting to cross his arms behind his back and push downward.

During the movement he was going over in his head the next few steps that he would take though, in truth, he was probably too tired to think them through to the proper level. Who says that levels of propriety had to be observed at all times? Certainly not him. He had seen that bit of sadness flicker across her face no matter how brief it was - shows how much he had been watching her - and that was part of the current drive.

He took the few steps that there were to the bed and brushed a hand for her to move over to the side if she was taking up the full part of the bed. Even if she didn't he would still take a seat on the bed and looked at her. With a wave of his hand he scooted back on the bed until he would press against the head of the bed, he even had enough courtesy to remove the pillow if it was in the way. He was sitting casually on the bed with one knee bent and the other relaxed out he patted between his legs on the mattress.

"Come sit with me. Tell me about your marking." A slight indication of his head toward the Life and Death tattoo so she would know what he was talking about.

She had said entertainment and this was part of his idea - entertainment through conversation and comfort. She was welcome to lay against him between his legs as he had offered if she wished and if she did so she would find that he was warm and he even let out a small sigh of relief. The bed was comfortable but when you're tired many things can seem that way .

[Keegan Navaro]

-->Keegan knew it wasn't her doing the sacrificing. Admitting or not, she enjoyed the time she spent in his company. Like a hawk she watched him rise from the chair and stretched. Mistake..big big mistake. Blatant was the fact she was moving down from his face to the muscular torso, it was all she could do to not go further and it took all she had to snap out of it but it was the light give of the bed beneath his weight that did the trick. Of course she was quick to move over and let him get comfortable. "I know I'm not." Soft laugh before she felt confident enough to meet his gaze without a trip south by her mind.

-->Once he was comfortable on her bed, she picked up the pillow he had moved and tucked it against her stomach for a moment in a slight lean forward. Yes, she paused a moment before accepting his invitation. Hadn't that been something she wanted? Just the human contact to ease the void of emptiness that sometimes claimed her. Warm smile as the pillow was held and she nestled snugly between his legs, back against bare chest, bare legs stretched out against covered ones. Pillow was draped across her thighs. So he wanted to know about her tattoo. With her head resting against his shoulder, both of her hands rested against his thighs beneath the pillow as she spoke.

-->"To me it means that life and death go hand in hand. I ride the circuit and at any given moment I could crash and burn." There was a deeper meaning to why she got the tattoo but until they were more connected to one another, if they ever were...he would know why. Any thoughts of food had vanished and she felt it was time for her to ask a question of him. Yes, this was a great way of entertainment as far as Keegan was concerned. He was hard, yet comfortable to lean against...oh so comfortable. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her back. No longer did she like the fact she put on his shirt because the contact of bare flesh would have been even better, but more distracting. "Your scars...how did you come to get them?" She was determined to find out as much as she could, and this was one way of peeking into the mystery that was Julian.

[Mael Feu]

Mael may be a man who had a shit load of personal control but it wasn't everyday that he sat in a less-dressed state on a woman’s bed and offered her to sit between his legs either. He must have been tired to offer up that suggestion and it only just occurred to him what he offered when he saw her holding the pillow against her stomach. He'd be damned if he was going to back out of it now - once he was committed to a task getting him to change his mind wasn't easy - he only needed to remember to control his heart rate.

Since his arrival to this Inn he had taken special care to keep his heart beat at the normal rate - the pills he took every day to mask his scent depended on it. Now he was faced with a circumstance that was known to increase heart rate and temperature. A good way to combat it was to focus on something, and he had plenty to focus

Once she sat between his legs the one that was still outstretched bent up to match the positioning of the other and he felt the hand on that thigh move. He had a fleeting thought to cross his hands behind his head to keep them from the various places they wanted to go but that thought passed through as quickly as it came and when she spoke about that tattoo his hand came down and the first two fingers on that hand traced lightly over it.

Mael had a very steady hand and one that was consistent. She wouldn't feel any shakes or quivers as his fingers moved along her skin.and his eyes were intensely focused, however his posture and feel was anything was not ridged. He could be firm as well as giving which may be why he was comfortable to her at the moment.

His head turned from one side to the as those two fingers kept the caress on her tattoo - if she had a problem he was sure she'd say something. He was taking in breaths of the scent of her hair and skin in general.. Clean. There was a hint of mint to him that was probably due to the paste he used for his teeth. "Do you accept them as well, life and death, when presented?" Not many could accept that death was as present as life.

Keegan asked about his scars and he wouldn't pretend to know what she was talking about. She wasn't stupid and he had made no attempt to mask them earlier when they came in from the rain. "Ever heard that no good deed goes unpunished?" He gave as an explanation.

"Memory outlast pain in the end." He wasn't ashamed of his scars. His hand that had not been engaging in anything went down to press at her other side by going under her arm so as not to disturb her motion on his thigh. If he continued to not be disturbed or halted by her that hand and arm would eventually trail around her waist and hold or to him as he made a small shift on the bed.

Mael tipped his head back to look more at the ceiling. "All depends on what memory you choose to remember and how."

[Keegan Navaro]

-->It was probably a good thing Keegan couldn't read minds, or she would know the regret he now faced by inviting her into such close proximity to him..that might have been a blow to her ego. She was so relaxed against him as if they had done this many times before but it was his touch that startled her. It was such an intimate touch, and one that set her own heart beat on the rise her control wasn't as determined as his. It would probably be in hindsight that she knew she should have stopped it, but right now it was nice to feel human contact again. Even if he did regret it.

-->Damp...that was what her hair was, about an hour earlier she had been relaxing in the bubble bath, the light scent of lavender and jasmine caressed her skin and it mingled with the warm breath of his own..minty fresh from what she guessed to be toothpaste. Good hygiene is a must in her world and it was nice to know he practiced it as well. " I don't fear death if that's what you mean. Can't have one without the other." It was true, you were born to die and Keegan faced that fact a long time ago. When her time came she would be ready, it wasn't as if she could stop it.

-->With his shift of weight her own frame seem to lean into his more. His voice wrapping around her like a vocal blanket of security...not to mention the arm that was snaked around her waist. If someone were to barge in surely they would think the pair lovers but that was so far from the truth. "Mhm." That was all she could say to his question of the good deeds. Upper body moved slightly as her head rolled to the side...her cheek now lightly touching his chest. "Pain is only temporary, but it's the memories that can haunt your every step if permitted to." Right hand stopped it's movement but he could feel her nails slowly strumming against his outer thigh.

-->"Do you regret your good deed?" He didn't seem the Martyr type, but that didn't mean he wasn't. He had manners, he carried himself with a sense of authority as if daring anyone to step up and challenge him. He was confident but yet lacked the cockiness a lot of the males she had the misfortune to meet were. All big pluses in her book. They were a like in that fashion, although she didn't have the authority air about her, but Keegan wasn't easily intimidated and she was pretty sure he knew that. Lightest of nuzzles came just them of her cheek against bare chest. She was too damn comfortable with this man she just met and barely knew.

[Mael Feu]

She felt as though she were fixing to fall asleep and if she did that would be alright by him. On her bed as he was Mael saw no reason to break up their positioning. He was comfortable with a hand on the side of her body caressing the skin with the tattoo and he hadn't heard or felt any protest. The hand around her waist, it's thumb moved up and down in even strokes upon her stomach.

He was alive - human even - so as her head was laying against his chest Keegan could hear the steady beating of his heart. There were no regrets, per sè, about the current situation but the thought that he should have considered it more. At the moment he wouldn't have it any other way. Even if her contentment was trying to cast it's sleeping spell upon him.

A deep breath had her head lifting up with the deep breath that he took in. Still looking up towards the ceiling his eyes closed only for a moment. He was thinking about her question, if it was something to regret. Maybe he was a martyr even if he never thought of what he did as being so. He wouldn't even say he was a champion for a cause but people liked to give titles and accolades to people whether they wanted them or not. It was one of the reasons why he didn't stay with the rest of the people of his job and kept communications with them brief and mostly to the phone.

"Why would a person regret a deed if it were a good one?" Many reasons. He knew people who regretted doing the right thing because of the end result but in giving his answer he did not actually answer it.

"There are some things that have to be done and there's no time to weigh the lasting effects." Do what needs to be done and let the chips fall as they may. That was the saying some knew but he preferred to direct the path of the cookies if it was something he chose to care about.

Thinking of that brought about the next seemingly random thing he was about to say. "It's good that accept things, leaves you more open to experiences." The hold he had around her waist wasn't crushing or to restrictive, it was secure and if she had tried to pull away there would only be a slight form of resistance until he understood that she wanted to leave. Until then she may as well have been his prisoner.

Mael wasn't one that easily let go of comforts when he allowed himself to have them.

[Keegan Navaro]

-->She could fall asleep snuggled up against him like this, listening to the steady rise and fall of his chest as his words made it vibrate lightly..but she didn't at least not yet. The short nap she had before he knocked would do her for a bit longer. She wanted to learn about him. The man of mystery, the man that was now stroked his thumb along her flesh..one thing was no longer a mystery to her..he definitely knew what he was doing and there would me no attempts made of protest or escape. She was exactly where she wanted to be. Having a mind of it's own her hand moved from his thigh to splay against his bare chest inches from her face to let the nail of her index finger draw light patterns as dark eyes watched.

-->Keegan knew all about labels, and how people were quick to judge and assume much about people they barely knew. How many times had she been called vulgar names and hit on because she was mistaken as a track groupie. She proved herself on the course time and time again but the respect of her peers was hard to earn, but little by little she was doing it. Avoiding people only lasted so long, but the walls she had built were there a lifetime in theory. "Many reasons...good as it may be the recipient of said deed might not see it the same way."

--> Head would lift slightly from his chest because once again he answered a question with a question. Finger that had been drawing on his chest came to tap lightly at his chin. "Still didn't say if you regret it or not." Since her life held no regrets, maybe his did too but something told her that he might have one or two gnawing at him when he was alone with only himself for company. Mistakes Keegan had made plenty of,but each one was a life lesson...so how could she have regrets? They schooled her, and she didn't make the same mistake twice, that was safe to say.

-->Her gaze would remain on his face until he satisfied her with an answer or some other little tidbit into who he was. The only movement she made was to let her hand drape over his shoulder, and if a scar was beneath her fingertips it was traced, if not...she still let her nails light graze his body. She did notice that he seemed to be just as tired as she was, which gave her an idea but she would wait until the conversation was dwindling down before voicing it. Hell...Julian might not even like what the woman snuggled against him had come up with.

[Mael Feu]

Keegan was turning.

With the hold he had on her he could feel the movement even if it was slight, this also let him know the direction she was moving in and his head lifted from its bend. By the time she was facing him his eyes were set to lock with hers. Too bad if the moving was a partial signal to loosen his hold around the waist because that is something he did not do.

His eyes did not belay the tiredness that his physical body had at the moment for they were still alert but did not press hard and calculating currently. She was scratching at his chest but he didn't look down to see what she was doing and unless she had nails as sharp as knives - and he remembered her nails from their walk earlier - the action wasn't going to break the skin and make him bleed. The most it would do would be to make a red marking to stand out against the lighter tone of his chest but even that would fade, as all marks did, in time.

He could feel his resolve starting to give under the weight of fatigue and therefore the stroking of her tattoo now had a steady tap of his finger added to it. If she began listening to his heart again she may note that they were in sync.

A huff of laughter when she reminded him that he hadn't answered her question and then he smiled. "Someone is paying attention." It had a hint of teasing in the words. "No. No I don't regret it. Like you and that tattoo I know to accept the things that I do." If he didn't then he was in the wrong profession.

With the way she was looking at him a few ideas came to mind but he let them all pass through without sparring time to entertain. His right knee bent more as he was pulling his leg up leaving Keegan to be nestled in a quasi-box with a downside. More secure if she were to drift from one side or the next. "You should get some sleep." Though it was said he didn't make any move to leave the bed.

Pot calling the kettle black.

He didn't have thought for the well-being of most people - that's what he would have people believe - but whether Keegan wanted, needed, or approved of it Mael had placed himself in her company and for the moment considered himself responsible for her state. Similar notion was shown earlier when they neared the figures on the beach and he had moved to stand slightly ahead of her. It wasn't over exaggerated or blatant, instead he did things in a more subtle manner. While he did want sleep he wasn't going to do so in her company while she was still awake.

"Questions can hold for another time."

[Keegan Navaro]

-->Escaping from his embrace was the furthest thing from her mind. Even the hardest and strongest of people reached a point when they simply wanted to toss in the towel and simply savor the touch of another. Keegan was not the strongest or hardest of people, but letting her guard down was rare and this was such a moment. He had removed a few bricks in her well built wall. Don't fool yourself into thinking this was something she always did. It wasn't. Something told Keegan he was a man worth trusting and befriending. Let's just hope both of them stuck around long enough for that to happen.

-->Her eyes searched his own, momentarily loosing herself, it was his laugh....he actually laughed. It was nice, he did have another side to him that wasn't all business. "Of course I'm paying attention." A light poke to his chest to accentuated her words. Flashing him a smile before her back met his bent leg, she liked the quasi-box he placed her in. "Birds of a feather...." She let her words trail off because sleep was slowly trying to reclaim her..but not without a fight! This time her move would be a lean back to get a better look at him. " Yes, I should but Julian...you are as tired as me, try as you might to be denying it."

-->She wasn't ready for him to leave, or to feel the absence of his touch. They both had self control, and neither had to try and cross the line so to speak, so what would it hurt? Nothing ventured,nothing gained. So here was her solution...and she wanted him to be accepting of it. "I will go to sleep if you stay with me and get some sleep too. I will sleep facing away from you if that will help." Lift of brow as she seemed to wait for his answer but before he could she tossed out the second part of her request. "Then after our naps, maybe I could buy you dinner?"

-->Was she holding her breath waiting for his answer...a little. If him staying here with her meant she would have to stay awake, well she would but she would really just love to fall asleep knowing that he was near. These parts were new to Keegan and she was a bit unsettled but hopefully that didn't show. It was more the emptiness that had her showing a slight vulnerable side. She stiffened, realizing what she had asked but no move made to remove herself. "I understand if you'd prefer your own bed." There, she gave him an easy out plus it saved the blow to her ego should he turn her down.

-->Questions could wait until later, maybe that was his way of telling her he wanted to go. It dawned on her that since she new very little about him he could have someone waiting on him, or had made plans already. It was safe to say that Keegan now felt like she had opened up her mouth and inserted her foot...chiding herself as she may quietly being she still remained motionless in his embrace. Silently watching him, wanting to know more, not wanting to let go but yet somehow knew this moment was going to end with him walking out the door.

[Mael Feu]

Once he felt her grow tense in his hold it loosened only a little and this is because the hand on her tattoo moved. It was brought up to drape around her shoulder. Looking at her a moment or two more as she made her suggestions about what they should do when she stopped he cast his eyes partially away from her to look in the direction of the door.

He didn't have anyone waiting on him in terms of that person being a romantic interest but he did have his work partner and the supposed story of why he was here. Still. A singular moment was spent in wondering about her: how she was doing since he hadn't heard hide or hair of her since check in, then it was gone.

"That's not going to work." His tone was rather matter-of-fact and he turned his gaze from the door and back to her. Julian paused before he spoke again. "If you're already comfortable then leaving that position to try and find another to sleep in is counterproductive." That's his opinion. In it he had answered about staying over as well as how he felt about the sleeping arrangements. Clearly he had no problem with falling asleep in this position - even if he was partially sitting up he was comfortable enough to sleep.

The bed was small so even if they were to lay side-by-side they would be as close as they were now only possibly awkwardly placed. It was a good thought to have someone like her to hold on to during the night but it wasn't an issue he was going to press.

It was her room after all.

"There's no need to make a barter with food either if you're hungry." Giving a tip nod of his head. "As long as we're not eating here it's fine." Nothing against the Inn or their food - what he's had here hasn't been bad - but if he was going to sit at the bar he may as well announce he was here throughout the Inn.

[Keegan Navaro]

-->Ever have that little butterfly of dread fluttering in your stomach, no? Keegan did--the moment he cast his glance to the door she was all but certain he was going to say that he had a date or someone waiting on him. Could it be she was latching on to Julian because he was the only person here that she knew, maybe misery really does love company but she was far from miserable. Really now--she was tired and inventing all sorts of scenarios that was out of her norm. It is what it is, and it would be what it would be. She wasn't going to get so damn desperate for company that she would revert back to that insecure girl from long ago. Sometimes having a man not fall at your feet, or pursue you to the bed was not that great, at least with them she knew exactly where she stood--with Julian her footing was not on solid ground.

-->Sleep deprivation--it had Keegan going from one extreme to another. Julian killed two birds with one stone with his answer, she smiled at least he was staying. "I could sleep on a bed of nails comfortably, it's you I'm worried about." Before he could say anything she maneuvered her body to snatch the pillow she previously had across her lap. "At least put this behind your head." Pillow was positioned close enough for him to accept it or not. She wanted him to be comfortable. He needed his sleep too-she didn't want to be selfish and just think of herself. Tangled in his embrace-resting-sleeping while temporarily filling the void of loneliness. Keegan would use Julian for that-did she feel bad about it? Not in the least--he seemed very willing to be used by her. Pillow was pressed against his chest were her hand had previously been--repositioning herself to where she was before except Keegan pulled a bit closer. When and if he took to pillow and placed it between him she would rise with his movement. If he didn't want the pillow--it would find it's way to the foot of the bed. Toss.

-->"Taking me out for dinner...does that qualify as a date?" Even dead tired and ready to succumb to sleep she still had a sense of humor. Teasing--of course she was teasing she had offered to pay for his dinner but he didn't want to eat here. Was there another place within walking distance--did he have a car or some other way of getting around? He could always ride bitch on the back of her bike--he didn't seem the type and nobody took control of her bike. Minor details that could be and would be worked out later. Right now the view of her room was becoming smaller and smaller with each heavy blink of her eyes. "Sounds nice either way." That was it for Keegan--her words whispered and trailing off as eyelids feeling as if the resemble concrete blocks now closed to let long dark lashes fan against her face--slow, steady rhythm of her breathing--Keegan was out. So whatever Julian decided to do with that pillow she would never know.

-->His warmth attracted her--her body snuggled close in the quasi-box her created for her. Her arm was pinned between her side and his lower body--while the other curled around his waist--almost anchoring him to her. That would be horrible--to wake up from her nap and find him gone. It would be a short nap--no more than an hour. Power naps she took them often on the circuit. There was no place for fatigue and a mind less than sharp while speeding around a course at one hundred plus miles and hour--in fact that could be deadly. If not for the fact she was already knocking on the door of dreams Keegan might have felt bad for falling asleep on him--but with any luck he'd find his own sleep. Little scoot closer--nuzzle of cheek against his chest a deep inhale and exhale was all she wrote--she was safe--surrounded by warmth and the lull of his chest rising and falling.

-->Sleep could be a beautiful thing.

[Mael Feu]

She was taking a lot of consideration into someone she had just met even if the same could be said about him. He was the one who had took up the position on the bed of holding her and making sure she was comfortable to sleep. So when she pressed the pillow against his chest he moved the arm he had placed around her shoulder, took the pillow and placed it behind his head.

The movement did cause him to lift but not too much before he was settled back. To make it more comfortable there was a shuffling of his shoulders and a push back. Julian had slept in some pretty odd positions or circumstances but when you were tired that sort of thing didn't matter.

Shame that she had fallen asleep, she wasn't going to hear the answer to the date question. That meant that he had more time to mull over it more if she were to ask again. The concept of getting food together hadn't crossed his mind as being a date but just a mutual act.

What could be considered 'walking distance' depended on the person. If they liked to walk or not and what they were walking for. He personally liked to walk but . . . It would be figured out later. The thought that he had of slipping out once she was asleep quickly dispelled when her arm held around his waist. If she were in a deep sleep he may have attempted to move, but as he laid there, awake, looking at her, he changed his mind. Something about what he felt from her and saw. Besides, he was in a good position and liked where he currently was.

Julian let his eyes drift partially shut but he didn't let them close completely until he heard and felt the steady rhythm of her own breathing to indicate sleep. His hold shifted for security and comfort and then he was asleep as well.

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