A Bullet Always Tells the Truth(Kaz)

[Kazumi O'Connor]

For the most part, she slept pretty soundly, but then, in reality there was no such thing as sound sleep for her anymore. No, she just sort of drifted, always aware of what was going on around her, always listening for that door, waiting for the light. So when his breath began to quicken under her current position of laying her head against his chest, she was stirred, if only slightly. Then came the increase of his heartbeat and finally that tension that seemed to course through his muscles. It was all very subtle, and had she been deeper in her own dreams or sleep, then perhaps she would never have noticed, but as stated before, she was usually just drifting there on the other side of consciousness.

After a moment, as she felt the slightest shift from him, she would sleepily move her head back so that she could look at him, a little yawn escaping her as her hand came up and pressed against his cheek. She hadn't really expected him to fall asleep, because, from what she gathered, sleep wasn't his friend, hence why he drank to pass out. So yeah, that alone had her a bit confused, but if he had been asleep, then she knew that realm for him was not any better than her own, hence the soft stroking of her fingers to his cheek and down his neck. A soothing gesture of sorts. "Bad dream?" It was sort of a pointless question, but she asked it just the same, those blue eyes, though sleepy, hinted with a dab of concern and worry as she shifted her body just a bit more to get a better look at him, propping herself up on one elbow and ignoring the tangle of dark hair that fell around and into her face. It was that point in the night were appearances were not exactly first thing on her mind, though she probably looked rather a mess. "You okay though?" He hadn't woken up violently, so that was good right? Would have sucked to have him throw her ass off of him. But yeah, different matter completely. Right now, more concern for him than anything that could have happened.

[Legion]

Her movement let him know that he had in fact woken her up, something he felt slightly guilty about. Her touch though, it was soothing, Patrick giving a soft, if forced smile. Nodding at her first question he gave a little, "Yea."

Truth was that was the understatement of the century. There were so many things that dream in particular brought to mind. But the most striking thing on Patrick's mind was how real it felt. He could smell the gunpowder, feeling it in the air, smell the blood, hear every tear of flesh. As if it had all been happening in slow motion. Patrick had a pretty good idea why this one was more vivid then the others, not having drank in a while. Though the content of the dream was particularly disturbing to him. That Kazumi not only died, but he had killed her. Patrick wondered if dreams could mean things. But that question was erased from his mind as she spoke again.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, " Patrick answered noting how she looked exhausted, "Ye should get back to sleep though, ye still look exhausted. Sorry for waking ye."

If she'd go back to sleep, then well she would and he'd have a lot of thinking and decompressing to do. If not, then well they'd see. Patrick's arm wrapping around her shoulder's again to offer her a place to stay, nonetheless...

[Kazumi O'Connor]

As he affirmed her initial thought, her small hand would continue to softly caress over his cheek and down his neck, a little tilt of her head given as a bit more concern seemed to fill those blue eyes. "You sure you are okay?" Just wanting to be sure, not exactly selfish enough to just accept his answer and go back to sleep, despite how tired she might have been.

His comment about her looking exhausted simply getting a little playful scoff as she waved her hand dismissively before returning it against his flesh. "I can sleep in a minute. I just want to make sure you are alright." A sleepy little smile given before she would shift forward and softly brush her nose against his, knowing full well that he wasn't likely to tell her the details of his dream and not about to pry. So, she did the best that she could in this moment, a little kiss pressed against his lips before whispering softly. "If you need me, I am right here....Okay?" Purring the words forth before she would again deliver a little kiss to his lips, though this time allowing it to linger for a moment longer than before.

He was there for her when she had woken up terrified out of her mind, so the least she could do was offer the same in return. Though, in a way she had been offering just that, to be there for him, since the day they met....Just usually it didn't seem to sink in. Eventually, she would pull back, those blue eyes lingering upon his as she ran her thumb slowly along his chin and down his jawline. "Besides, who needs sleep anyways?" A soft little giggle escaping her before she would feel his arm wrap around her once more nestling down into his side once more and letting her head fall to rest against his chest once more.

[Legion]

"I just went back to the dock," Patrick shrugged to her repeat of the question, remembering that she told him about her dream. He figured part of this whole thing meant giving of himself as much as she did to him. Something he had trouble grasping sometimes. He wasn't too particularly sure that he wanted to share his dream with her yet though. It was a little weird. A little personal. He needed time to think about it, for what that was worth. He was unsure if that would do any good, but he wanted to be sure before he committed.

She reminded him that she was there for him, if he needed it and that she could always go back to sleep at another time. Her first kiss Patrick let grace his lips without too much of a reply. The second one though, that was different. It lingered and so Patrick would meet it with a brief kiss of his own. Nothing too crazy, but just reciprocation.

"Certainly not ye," Patrick would chuckle at her joke. Feeling her lay her head back down on his chest Patrick would give a little sigh, slipping back into comfort as he began to stroke her hair softly...

[Kazumi O'Connor]

When he spoke of where he had been, she gave a little nod. As best she could tell, that was his version of the room she always found herself locked away in, or the chair that she had been strapped to time and time again. "One of those places that just won't let you go, no matter how hard you try to distance yourself from it...." Speaking softly even as a small tremble ran through her body, causing her to snuggle in closer to him as she sighed. A little smile given as that second kiss was returned, her hand falling away from him finally.

Then, as she settled in against him, his comment on her little joke making her giggle just a bit more. "Nope...I am tough like that...Don't need that much sleep. Don't you know? Us little ones and our abundant supply of energy?" She would grin lightly, offering a soft little poke of her fingers to his side as she snuggled into him and just shook her head.

"You know....even though I know he is dead...I still feel like he could get me again...Like him or whoever else was helping him will track me down and find me. Like, no matter how much I tell myself I am free....I...I never will be." She spoke rather calmly, save for a bit of a stammer in her tone, reflex to the nervousness that was welling up inside her. Though she tried her best to stifle it back down, her face burying into his chest just slightly, seeking that security that he offered to her.

She knew this wasn't about her, and she was not trying to make it so, she was simply showing with her words, that she wanted to be able to open up to him and maybe one day he would feel the same, knowing how guarded he was about everything in his past, and not wanting to press any buttons with him.

[Legion]

"Yeah," Patrick admitted, "I've run across the country, changed identities and I still feel there every time I close my eyes. Replaying the scene again and again."

The irishman had been reliving the scene with perfect clarity when he was sober for four years. One of the reasons he chose to drink. Too dull the pain, make it less acute. That seemed to be reasonable. Well right up until his liver started failing on him, though that had gotten better. But still, it was years later and the pain and guilt were still there. Though the kiss and her joke and poke brought him back for the moment.

"Abundant supply of energy?" Patrick asked with a chuckle, "Ye might regret that one, one day.

Her poke? Well he'd let her have that one he figured. Besides it was she was just in too awkward a position to poke back. So she could win that round.

When she made her confession, burying her face into his chest Patrick held her close. To let her know that he was here, saying quietly, "He's dead and so are his cronies. If there's anyone left out there, trying to come after ye, I'll be there. But yea, I understand what ye mean."

There were things that Patrick felt he'd never be free of. Sure, he had said that killing was more of a forced job but still. He'd been trying to get out of that life for years now. And he'd only seemed to be going back in deeper. That and He did have all his old enemies watching him again. Yeah, Patrick could related some what to what she was feeling.

Though he might not be opening up like she would want, Patrick really did want to. That would just take time though. He wasn't running from her anymore, though he was still very avoidant in many cases. Like previously said, he would try, it would just take time. His style of life didn't exactly promote trust though...

[Kazumi O'Connor]

Kaz of all people understood the need to keep things guarded and close to the chest. Not so much personally, but due to her Mother and her behavior over the years. It was like there was this fear of letting go of the information. Be it a fear of letting people that close, or fear of putting them in danger by allowing them to know what it was you guarded. There was always something. So she didn't expect him to open up right away, she didn't expect things to change overnight for him, and that was okay with her. She would wait, and she would be here for the times that he did feel like opening up even if it was just a little. "You know...my Momma Kevala...She has one of those places. When she was younger, when Ezekial was a baby..our family came and took her. They locked her away. Did horrible, horrible things to her for months on end. Studying her. She has gotten better, but even still we hear her sometimes, at night, waking up screaming. Its been worse since Momma Mischa and Aiden left for Italy."

She sighed, knowing that if her mom could not get over it, then the likelihood of her ever doing so was slim to none. Yet then he commented about her lack of sleep and she would giggle slightly, rolling onto her back and looking up at him as she reached up and lightly tapped the end of his nose. "You are one to talk. You sleep less than I do." A little smile before she would playfully stick her tongue out at him and snuggle down into the blanket.

"I just don't know if I can survive having to go through that again....I...I just dont think I can..." She shrugged, shaking her head just a bit as she began to nervously nibble upon her lip, trying to tuck herself into the blanket a bit more as another shiver coursed through her, a deep breath taken to try and fight back the nervousness and anxiety.

[Legion]

Patrick listened to her story about Kevala, eye looking at Kaz intently. Studying her? What was that supposed to mean? Rather, why study her? That seemed to be the real question. Though that was closely intertwined with why did they have to torture her to study her? Patrick knew the Katashi's were some pretty fucked up people by the general population's standards but still. There seemed to be a vital piece of the puzzle that Patrick was missing. A piece that if if Patrick had, well things might make a lot more sense then they did right know. But that was not something Patrick was going to ask about. He figured the details of that little thing was one of those, the less you know the better types of things.

What Patrick did take out of that though was the bit of information that Kevala had gotten better. Yeah, she was getting worse now, but the fact that she had gotten better was hopeful to Patrick. Sure, as Kazumi's story seemed to confirm his theory that you probably never got over it, but there was the getting better part. That had it's hope. Patrick nodded at her story.

She poked his nose, sticking her tongue out at him to tease him. Patrick racked his brain for a moment but for once, he was unable to come up with a good comeback to that. So he simply chuckled, almost admitting defeat, "Fair enough."

As she had rolled on her back when she made her admittance it was Patrick's turn to roll up on one arm, the other reaching out for cheek. His touch holding her soft skin against his hand. After a moment he spoke with a reassuring smile, "Yer stronger then ye think. And if someone ever takes ye again, come hell or high water, I will find ye. But I don't think we need to worry about that."

Patrick's thumb running down her nose before he pulled his hand back, letting his hand slowly brush past her soft skin...

[Kazumi O'Connor]

She let her head tilt slightly to allow herself to nuzzle into his touch, a little sigh escaping her lips as her eyes closed for a moment, taking in his words and smiling softly. She hoped they were true, and by the tone of his voice she knew that he would do anything to find her if something like this happened again, though if they thought she was dead again....well then....She quickly stopped that train of thought, feeling a small tremble start in her muscles, and her eyes opening once more to look up at him, forcing that little smile onto her lips, trying to mask the thoughts that had been on her mind as best she could. "Well, I hope it never comes down to that..."

A little nod as she would reach up and softly brush her thumb along his chin before pulling back her hand and allowing it to fall to rest atop her stomach, little fingers lightly curling into the sheet that was draped across them both. "So what do we do now?" A bit of an out of the way question, and perhaps not phrased as good as it could have been, but she was sure he would catch her drift in referring to this, them, the situation that had unexpected presented itself and this....whatever it was between them. She knew what she wanted to think, but she knew better than to assume....it was just not safe and possibly not healthy either, at least for her and her fragile emotional state.

Maybe she should have waited, but now, laying here like this, seemed like as good a time as any to really pose the question. Though even as she did, she seemed to duck her eyes, almost in an attempt to shy away, afraid of what he was going to say but at the same time holding her position, her cheek pressed into his hand.....needing to know.

[Legion]

"Yeah, Let's hope not, I don't want to let ye go again, nor do I want to lose ye again," Patrick replied. He had caught her tremor, but had no real idea what it was about. Patrick could guess but he had no real proof, nor too much of an idea. He could ask but she was trying to be strong. Patrick would let it go, he had neglected not to tell her everything not too long ago and so he'd honor the sentiment.

When she asked the question Patrick paused, only out of some sort of conversational requirement for these kind of things. Her thumb having brushed along his chin he would smile. He knew what he wanted at least, and while he was pretty sure he knew what she wanted that remained to be seen, with all certainty at least.

"I'd like to think that we're boyfriend and girlfriend now," Patrick said, not being a fan of having meaningless sex, well, that and he had kind of hoped the whole "I belong to you" thing was more then just pillow talk to get to sex. That was the truth, plain and simple. And so he'd just ask, "but would you like to be my girlfriend?"

That question always felt awkward as hell, and so Patrick generally liked avoiding it as much as possible. There just seemed to be something clunky to it. But that was the truth, that was what he wanted. To try his hand at being her boyfriend. Patrick knew that he wasn't exactly great boyfriend material, for more then one reason. Actually there were probably a a great myraid of reasons. But, regardless, if she'd allow it, he'd like to give it a shot. It had been a long time since he'd done that kind of stuff but still.

He would gently pull his hand back, allowing his hand to drag back, gently, along her soft skin as he waited for her answer...

[Kazumi O'Connor]

She kept her eyes slightly turned away, not really able to look at him as he took a moment to try and gather his thoughts. She honestly wasn't thinking that he would want an actual relationship, and after a few moments, she would open her mouth as if to speak, to tell him that it was alright, she understood, but was promptly cut off as he began to speak.

When he did, she would softly bite down upon her lower lip and hesitantly shift her eyes toward him. She heard the words, but she wanted to make sure that was what he wanted....and yet as he continued, a slow, soft smile began to creep upon her lips, those blue eyes sparking to life as she held her tongue and waited for him to finish.

Then came the question, and she had to agree that it felt a bit odd, and yet, it still managed to make her heart skip a beat, finding it hard to actually form words in that moment. Not that she didn't try, but they just seemed to get lodged in her throat, a little hitch in her breath as she opened her mouth and then quickly closed it, not exactly sure what the best way to answer him was.

A moment of pause, and she would do the best thing she could think of, her hand snaking upward and around to the back of his neck, pulling him in and pressing her lips to his firmly, somewhat passionately, deepening it just slightly before she would pull back, just enough to speak almost breathlessly against his lips. "Yes..." Her fingers softly trailing through his hair as she gave a soft brush of her nose against his. "I am yours....completely..." Purring the words softly before her lips would again press against his.

She knew he wasn't the most typical boyfriend out there, but she was also the girl who literally had died and been brought back to life, the scar on her neck a constant reminder of such. So yeah, typical was not something that would ever really be in the cards for her, and she was completely okay with that.

[Legion]

Now, Patrick was a confidant man. Very much so, but that didn't mean he had his moments of doubt, and insecurity, not in the least. While he excelled at a great many things, relationships were not one of them. Well, he was good at day to day relationships, faking necessary ones, but deep, meaningful relationships? Those he wasn't going to be winning any awards for his ability with them anytime soon. The simple fact being he felt difficulty in giving meaningful parts of him to others. That didn't just include intimate relationships, but friendships as well.

That being said, even though her reaction seemed indicative of saying yes, when she opened her mouth to speak and couldn't say anything. Well there was a moment there where he was afraid of rejection, his true feelings that were so hard for him to reveal to others, would be turned away. This was knowing that she had difficulties in expressing herself some times.

But when her arm snaked its way around his neck, her fingers running into his hair, Patrick smiled as she pulled him in. As their lips met Patrick would answer her kiss with just as much passion. He figured, if this was a no, then it was certainly one hell of one. When she pulled back to give her verbal confirmation, Patrick smiled anyway, even though he had known the answer from the kiss. Her hand running through his hair as she brushed her nose against his, repeating what she has said earlier as, Patrick's hand would again find it's way onto her cheek, before slipping back into her hair and behind her head. Lips meeting hers for another kiss.

Deepening it slightly as Patrick would shift his weight, so that he was more over her, not lying on her, his elbow of the hand that held her propping him up. He couldn't completely express his gratitude to her in words and so this kiss would be sufficient, or a better means of communication. All the same though, after a few moments he would pull back and try, whispering, "Thanks, for everything..."

[Kazumi O'Connor]

As she felt his body shift slightly, she would settled onto her back, her hair fanning out around her on the pillow and a bit of it falling across her face, returning his kiss deeply and passionately. As he pulled back, whispering softly, she would just smile and shake her head. "You don't have to thank me...for anything.." Mostly because of the fact that she was happy to do anything she could for him, and had since they had met. Why else would she had bothered that night on the street to get him up and to a hotel instead of leaving him there?

One hand moving to softly trail her fingers upward along his side, the other hand would continue to lightly trail through his hair at the back of his head, those blue eyes opening to look up into his as she smiled once more and lightly captured her lower lip between her teeth. She wasn't sure what this relationship would hold but, for now, she was happy, and that was more than she could say for most of her time spent since getting out of that place. Or more so, being set free.

Dragging her hand slowly around from the back of his neck, she would allow the tips of her fingers to trace slowly along his shoulder and then down his chest, an idle gesture but affectionate at the same time. Her mind working over a million and one things she could, or maybe should say in this moment, but in the end, she couldn't form the words and instead opted to raise her head and press her lips to his once more, feeling that right now, actions were capable of speaking volumes more than any words could.

[Legion]

She told him that he didn't have to thank her, but no, her really did. There were a long list of things that she had done for him that he wouldn't have, well at least until the end of their knowing each other. She still claimed to see the good in him, allowed him to be the him he wanted to be around her. Continually tried to help him after pushing her away. Made him think it was okay to live again, that one topping the list. No, there were plenty of reasons he had to thank her for, though Patrick didn't say that. He simply smiled at her reply.

As she ran her finger tips along his side and chest he gave a slight shiver. Smiling back at her he used his free hand to brush the hair out of her face before letting his own hand slide down her neck, to her shoulder and down her side. Though she didn't say it or suggest it Patrick agreed with the sentiment. He had no idea what this relationship would lead to, but for the moment, that was okay. There were many questions, with answers that remained to be seen but all the same, for the moment he was content, happy even. They would deal with the problems as they came.

Her lips rose once again to meet his and Patrick returned her kiss. First slowly, building up, passion increasing as the kiss deepened. His weight shifting to his other arm, pulling that on up to lean on that one as his other hand he allowed to slide down her body. Palm and fingers dragging softly against her skin, feeling her ever curve. Down past her stomach, and then to...

Round two...

[Kazumi O'Connor]

She shivered as she felt his hand running down her body, a little hitch in her breath as she shivered against his touch and his kiss deepened. She wasn't really going to complain, not at all in fact. Instead, she would return his kiss rather passionately, her fingers trailing along his side and then her hand slowly working its way back around to his back. A little moan released within the back of her throat as her small form shifted beneath his touch and beneath the feel of him as he moved.

The lower his hand would move, the more her body seemed to respond to his touch. A little whimper, almost begging for him, released as her hands now both fell to rest upon his back and she gripped him rather firmly, pulling him into her and deepening the kiss just a bit more.

Time Skip

This time, she laid there, completely exhausted. Not so much from an excess of physical excursion but because of the fact that she was just....so content and so amazingly satisfied, that she found it within her to actually be able to relax completely. Her breathing still rather labored, she would let out a content little sigh and then move so that she was able to lay on her side, once he had laid down of course, and curl her small body into his side, her face softly nuzzling into the side of his neck. There was nothing really left to say that they had not spoken already or that their actions had not proved, and that was fine with her....a little yawn given as her hand fell down flat against his chest and rested there softly.

It was not exactly the outcome she had predicted for today, but she couldn't be happier with it either way. A smile, however lazy and sleepy, curled upon her lips before she would slowly start to drift off to sleep, this time able to stay asleep for the remainder of the night there, however long that might have been.