The two of them sat in silence as they waited for the 10 minute time limit to tick by. Though it wasn't originally quiet.
"Why ya up right now anyway?"
Andrew hummed and closed his eyes.
"Insomnia."
It was bad enough without the enhancement to his senses, but it was getting worse nowadays.
"Aha~" She kicked out her feet. "Well ain't nuthin' like the night ta get ya goin' right toots?"
Andrew turned to her.
She shrugged with a 'what, don't agree?' before leaning back.
"Then let's talk you."
She tilted her head his way and revealed sharp canines behind a toothy grin.
"Anythin', at all, you wanna contribute to this conversation? Y'know, a form of two-way communication?"
"…"
"…"
She eventually gave up.
Turning away with a grumble, Raya rested her chin against the backs of her hands and stared out into the night, observing the stray car or two that passed by despite the inactive hour.
…
Andrew continued to watch her, unmoving, as he stroked back the bristles of his puppy's fur.
He could count on one hand the number of proper 'dates' he'd been on, and while he knew the basics—he glanced at their quiet surroundings—none of those seemed to apply at this moment.
He was genuinely curious—how did she want this to work?
"…What are your plans?"
"Oh now ya wanna talk to me? That ship has sailed goliath. You're on time out."
Andrew shut his mouth.
She looked straight ahead.
"Speak again when ya got somethin' ya think I'd wanna hear."
Andrew continued to stare at her for a moment—wondering if she would change her mind—but as a minute ticked by with nothing, he turned his attention to the sky.
He doubted there was anything she genuinely wanted to hear from him.
After all…
The clock struck 4:10 and she sprung off the bench.
"Oh, looks like times up."
She spun back around to look at him with a smile.
"Come now, you ain't tryna sit here all day are ya Ted?"
Andrew's gaze fell from the stars onto her face and he slowly stood up, careful not to disturb the peace of the pup fighting sleep in his arms. He failed.
Happy that he was following her rule of not speaking, Raya took one of his hands and pulled him along.
"Gonna be a long walk but ya look like a big strong man~ so s'fine right?"
He nodded.
Listening to her happily humming a tune under her breath as they moved swiftly through the city streets, Andrew quietly followed her into the unknown.
With her, with her personality, unless he could entertain her with his words, or wow her with his actions, there was nothing he could say—unless he wanted to deal with the consequences for saying something incorrectly.
After all…
She hated him.
—
Friday Morning, Oasis First Lobby.
Waking up with the remnants of a harsh fever dulling his senses, Andrew kept his eyes shut as a familiar minty scent approached. His shoulder twitched in surprise as the man not-so-gently ruffled his onyx hair and laughed.
"Don't gotta keep pretendin' Teddy. He left already."
…
He knew that. He'd been conscious in and out since the latter half of this man's self-introduction, but it wasn't until Julien was on his way out the door that he regained the strength to stay conscious.
Whatever knocked him out was something else.
Cracking open his eyes just enough to take in the hazy form of the man beside him—but not enough to immediately reveal he was up-up—Andrew gazed at the man's face.
If he was a little more out of it, he would've thought he was looking at an Angel.
Mira…
He reached out to touch this visage of the saintess statue that haunted or guarded his dreams—depending on who you asked—and his hand was grabbed in the same moment.
The fanciful individual smirked and raised his knuckles to his lips—kissing the back of his hand much like a prince depicted in old films.
"Rise and shine, Sunshine."
But this was no Poisónt Prince™.
"If yer eyes keep shut another second imma find the Princess and cut his hair—gods knows he needs a haircut."
Andrew opened his eyes, properly taking in the younger grey-haired man in front of him who greeted him with a cool smile. He'd seen this man before—on the day he quit his security job at Oasis.
The co-owner's nephew.
Otherwise, he had no other impression of the man before him.
Until now.
The man crossed his legs and rested his head on the arm he had posted up on the back of the sofa.
"Mornin'."
Andrew's nose twitched.
His scent is stronger from up close.
The scent of the beast that turned him into one of his own. Andrew frowned.
"Andrew."
Remus simply smirked.
"I know."
He moved his free hand to comb through Andrew's hair but Andrew caught his wrist, sitting up as he glared at the other.
"Remus, right?"
Remus tilted his head, his voice sweet and smile pleasant despite the annoyance present in his eyes.
"Don't wear it out."
"Turn me back."
Andrew let go, but he refused to look away from this ornery man. This was his last chance to put things back on course.
There was nothing better in life than the mundane, and he intended to get back to that as soon as possible.
Of course, as it turned out, that was impossible.
Remus hummed as though he were really considering it, but—
"Gotcha gotcha. You're the no nonsense kind aye?"
He uncrossed his legs, a mirthless smile on his face.
"Tell you what. You bring me a solution and we go our separate ways—how's 'bout it?"
Andrew frowned. Remus scoffed.
Dropping his smile in an instant, he grabbed Andrew's face—staring him down.
"Trust, if there was somethin' for ya I woulda already done it 'fore ya saw my face. Ain't nobody wants ya gone more than me."
He paused before leaning in and adding with a smirk.
"Well 'gone' ain't quite right. I can think of a number of things we can do together if ya catch my drift."
Andrew's expression remained unchanged.
Remus shrugged before letting go.
"Just go with the flow."
—
The two of them stood at a traffic light, 30 minutes into their undesignated journey.
Soothingly stroking the fur of the bristling pup in his arms, he continued to stare at the woman who occasionally threw him flirtatious glances.
Now that he thought about it—he opened his mouth to ask then closed it again—would returning her advances even be beneficial for bond formation?
Even if he himself acted in sincerity, Raya wasn't—so was she banking on something else with this arrangement?
Something she would find entertaining enough to 'love' about him?
Feeling an impending sense of danger, he glanced at the beagle in his arms.
Perrita…
It would've been better if she was left at the apartment afterall. But there was a reason he didn't immediately resort to taking his things back. If Raya was going to be around more often—be this close more often.
His eyes drifted to her for a moment before he turned his gaze to look into Cello's suspicious eyes.
Then getting Cello acclimated to her presence early on was for the best.
If she really couldn't handle it—he booped her nose.
Maybe a pet daycare center.
He lifted his watch and checked the time.
[ 4:43 A.M. ]
When they opened.
Lifting his head, he finally addressed his 'date'.
"Where are we going?"
"Hm?"
Raya continued walking without pause, merely spinning to face him as their feet made unnoticeable sounds on the pavement. She tilted her head.
"Have somewhere ya needa be?"
So it was a good question.
Andrew shook his head.
"Then don't worry 'bout it Ted."
She spun back around and Andrew caught the smugness in her expression before it disappeared in front.
Andrew paused, his footsteps coming to a halt right next to a bright 24/hr convenience store sign.
Raya stopped as well when the sound of his footsteps halted behind her.
"What? Not tryna hurtcha?"
That wasn't why he stopped.
He turned his head to look into the store.
"There…"
He opened and closed his mouth, unable to describe exactly what he was feeling. A kindred spirit? Maybe.
He continued to stare, and soon, the worker stocking the shelves paused as well and spun to face him who stood in the dark.
…
They stared at one another, and Andrew took a step in that direction.
It was not the first time he was crossing this convenience store. But it was the first time he'd sensed something like this.
Was it because he'd been in the transformative phase for longer now?
I should talk to them.
Raya grabbed his arm, stopping him just as the automatic doors opened from his presence.
Ding!
"Welcome!"
The clerk stocking the shelves perked up as the automatic greeting rang out. Raya narrowed her eyes.
"Wouldn't go in there if I were you Sunny."
Her grip tightened on Andrew's arm in clear warning. As she stared down the person inside, the poor store clerk eventually turned away and continued stocking the shelves as though he'd seen nothing—sweat pouring down his back.
Raya scoffed then turned away from the door. Meeting Andrew's probing gaze, she smiled up at him with an innocent expression.
"If ya needed somethin' stop somewhere else."
She pulled him along, her strength irresistible despite her smaller size.
"And if yer a regular there, make it your last."
Andrew stared at her back.
"…He smelled similar."
Raya rolled her eyes.
"Of course he did, he…"
She spun to look at him, her face hidden by the lack of streetlights—but it was clear by her tone.
"…Are you a child? Don't tell me you'd follow any 'ol stranger just 'cause they smell a little alike?"
Andrew was sure if he could see her, the smile on her face would've been long gone.
She stopped, a humorless chuckle leaving her mouth with a vaguely familiar curse.
"F'kiang hil."
Walking up to him, Raya took Andrew's face in both hands and brought him eye to eye.
"Don't follow strangers."
Andrew nodded in spite of the irony, fully intent on visiting that convenience store the moment he and Raya separated.
She kept staring at him.
…
"I know you a damn lie."
Then she let him go and turned away, continuing on at a brisk pace.
"If ya don't wanna get dragged somewhere strange for some change, don't go beyond the convenience store."
She practically spat out the next words.
"He ain't what ya think he is."
Andrew furrowed a brow.
"A Shifted."
She shrugged.
"Technically 'he' might've been one. But 'that' is not."
Stopping behind a shuttered barbershop in front of a guard station separating Discovery from the Northeastern Nature Preserve—Belladonna—she raised a finger to her lips and spoke low enough that even he could barely hear her.
"Doppelgänger. Even if he's got the answers ya seek he ain't like ya. Remember it."
She tapped his shoulder, the smirk returning to her face.
"Why're ya lookin at someone else durin' our date anyway? Talk to me."
Andrew opened his mouth but she covered it with a smug grin.
"Later."
Pointing skyward to the guard tower above, she took a dramatic bow.
"Welcome to date destination numero uno Ted."
He looked up at where she was pointing and raised a brow.
"The tower?"
This early in the morning, the watch tower had few guards—with only a handful of exhausted Demerico's monitored by a single Hound being noticeable from here.
Seeing the red and white uniforms of the Demerico's and the black-suited 'white-mask'—the Hound—standing behind them, Andrew's hand drifted to his watch.
I need to check that document soon.
While he was monitoring the guard tower wondering how they were supposed to get in at this hour, Raya took off one of her bangles and fastened it to Cello's collar—now even the sensation of her heartbeat, which had been steady in his arms as she fell asleep, was unnoticeable.
He looked down in alarm, but her chest continued to rise and fall like normal—just 'erased.'
It was uncanny.
Raya answered his earlier question as he raised his head.
"The forest ya oaf. I'd drag ya back to South Borough if I could but there's no point if the Princess is stuck in his tower."
Her smile was overly jovial as she leaned into him.
"But… oh no! Looks like I only got somethin' for me to sneak past but not nothin' for you!"
He furrowed a brow as she pointed to the gates disguised as a part of the forest.
"How unlucky. But hey, I'll go on ahead and watch over ya while you figure somethin' out."
She tapped Cello's collar.
"'Course, ain't such a cruel mistress as to leave ya with a liability."
Pulling away, she chittered and walked away.
"Ciao! See ya on the other side Ted!"
And like a scene typical for a movie, he blinked and she was gone.
Wmmmm
The low hum of electricity buzzed in his ears as he stood there, staring off into the distance.
It didn't take long for her face to reappear far beyond the gate.
…
Looking down at the puppy in his arms, then scanning the empty streets, he briefly considered simply leaving without completing her mission.
Mission…
…
No, he would complete it flawlessly. But there was an issue.
Hounds are more sensitive than they look.
And her final farewell hadn't exactly been quiet.
Raising his head, he looked back up the tower.
Ting ting!
The sound of something hitting metal cans met his ears from this distance as his eyes met with the white mask of the watcher above—entertaining themselves with a game of slingshot.
Andrew slinked further into the darkness, finding a new hiding spot within the alleyways.
The Hound was already looking in his direction.