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Nocturne knew he was considered picky when it came to what he wanted out of weather. He hated the middle of the summer when it was sweltering hot and the humidity tried to kill but he liked it being hot enough out that he could enjoy a good ride on his bike or hiking through the forest with Piglet and Pooh. It stood to reason that he would enjoy winter for it being decidedly less hot and humid but the dead of winter could freeze a guy's balls off if they weren't bundled up right. Yet, he could admire the beauty of freshly fallen snow or the way ice coated the bare branches of trees and bushes. He even enjoyed what were deemed winter activities like skating and snowboarding.

It was the skating that had captured his attention that afternoon. His skates were dug out of the closet and brought to the park that hosted an ice rink for the public to use in the frozen months. Sometimes the rink was near to being called deserted and he could skate more freely with tricks and spins but when it started to fill in then it was simply a matter of going with the flow and skating in a large loop of the perimeter.

Given the time of day with classes done for the day, Noct was starting to see more skaters come out. A part of him adored seeing the little tykes taking their wobbly first steps on ice but they also posed as hazards to watch out for. They weren't the reason for his decision to start winding down but they added to it. Noct stopped working on the minor footwork steps he had learned years ago and the most basic of jumps and spins as more people started to come out and he took to the basic laps with only the occasional hop.

On one of the passes along a side that saw some people milling about—usually parents that didn’t want to skate themselves—Nocturne thought he spotted someone vaguely familiar. He spun around to skate backwards for a moment to give himself another glance at her face to confirm he’d seen it before and then place it. She was bundled up but the toque didn’t hide all of the pink hair that spilled free and the coat didn’t completely mask the slender frame. The rink wasn’t anywhere near crowded enough to hinder him skating against the flow and Noct worked his way back to where the young woman stood.

“Skittles!” Nocturne came to a stop and leaned against the waist-high barrier that separated them. He never got her name out of their first meeting but he didn’t mind and likely wouldn’t have used it anyway. Skittles suited her thanks to the pink hair and how skittish she was initially. Had that changed at all? He’d find out soon enough.

“All laced up and--” Noct further leaned over the board to check her feet and frowned when he saw boots instead of skates. Skittles wasn’t carrying any either but maybe she was simply checking out the crowd before renting a pair from the stand on the other side. “Are you going to join in or just be a voyeur?”

Cassandra-Jade was bundled up considerably more than she would be in a handful of hours. Winter work was always risky, between the usual worries that plagued the street walkers, and the fact that it was cold enough to give them frostbite if they weren’t careful. Cassandra-Jade didn’t fancy getting frostbite any more than she liked the idea of a nice STD. She took precautions, on both counts, but could only do so much.

That night before, after finishing up on the street, she’d found her way to Malachite’s, and had a long hot shower that washed away the cold of the night, and the grossness of the fat bastard she’d served before finally calling it. Then they’d gotten high on V, and she’d had a round (or two) of good sex before passing out. Overall, not a bad way to end the day, and she’d thought about calling it a week when she’d woken up, alone, but not forgotten. Cassandra-Jade had made short work of some of the food Malachite had, and then decided it was time to go shopping. Not for food, though. She needed fresh clothing.

The day had been spent riding buses from thrift shop to thrift shop; it was amazing how many there were in the city. She’d managed to find some really good buys, including a nice winter jacket that she was currently wearing. It was puffy, and she had a feeling it had real down in it, which was amazing considering it had only cost her like fifteen dollars. Some people donated the best things, and then the staff either didn’t care or didn’t know what they were pricing. Cassandra-Jade loved thrift stores.

In the end, she’d finished up with a couple of bags of new clothes, and was quite happy over all. The last store she was in was across the park from the bus stop, and she didn’t feel like actively going around the park when she could just cut through it, people watching as she went. There was a skating rink in the area, and she smiled slightly as she watched some kids go slipping and sliding across the ice. She’d never actually gone skating, despite such parks always being around and available. Hiring skates seemed like a waste of hard to come by money.

Cassandra-Jade was still watching a couple of kids when someone called out; she didn’t recognise the name, but the voice was semi-familiar and the tingling of being stared at caused her head to turn, blinking when she spotted Nocturne. It took her a moment to place him, having first thought that he was a client that had recognised her in the wild. She relaxed just slightly when she realised it wasn’t, and offered a wry smile. “Voyeur,” she said simply, holding her bags up in one hand as an explanation without explaining that she’d never purposefully stepped on an ice-rink in her life.

Nocturne frowned for the briefest of moments before a small shrug was given. He’d been close to getting off the ice anyway thanks to the kids starting to multiple so he rolled with it. “Perfect. That means you’re free to join me for a cup of hot cocoa. My treat since I’m being arrogant and assuming you’re going to say yes and I’ll splurge on marshmallows if you’re interested.” It had been a while since he had added the little bits of sugared fluff into a mug but it was nostalgic and he knew the stall he pointed out offered the option. “You just have to promise not to run off while I change to boots.” He grinned before pushing away to head to the exit to go grab his boots that were tucked away in a cubby that was on offer.

He didn’t know why he was so invested in building a friendship with CJ but she was intriguing. Not only was there that skittishness that led into a hardness that kept her guard up—something Nocturne could appreciate given his own walls—but he felt like there was a softness underneath it all. Maybe he just wanted to believe there was since not even he had reached full jadedness with a desire to watch everything crumble around him. He wanted to know the woman that was being protected and show her not everything was horrible and not everyone had ulterior motives. Then again, maybe he did have one. He had no way of knowing it without asking, but Nocturne felt like she was unaware of the world he lived in and that was refreshing.

A few minutes later, Nocturne had his boots on and the skates laced together and slung over his shoulder. He was relieved to see Skittles hadn’t lived up to her name in this instance and was still waiting and that earned her a smile. “So what else do you like to watch? Anything you enjoy participating in?” Those were simple and casual enough questions, he thought, as he guided them down a bit from the rink to the pop-up stand that changed based on the seasons and events the park was hosting.

CJ stared a little blankly at Nocturne as he told her his – their – plans, and lifted an eyebrow as he skated away from her, wondering what exactly had just happened and why she was letting him rope her into it. Well, that at least was easy to answer: hot chocolate. With marshmallows. On his dime. She smiled slightly and followed leisurely around the outskirt of the frozen rink, being careful not to be ploughed into by any of the yelling, screaming, and excitable kids. CJ didn’t really have anything against kids, except maybe jealousy that she’d been denied such a happy youth.

When Nocturne returned, with his boots on and his skates off, she shifted her bags to the other hand and fell into step with him, looking up with a slight frown when he asked his questions. Her expression changed to one of mischief, however, and she said with a slight smirk, “Sex,” just loud enough for a couple of mothers nearby to give her dirty scowls. She ignored them, but didn’t elaborate on whether it was watching or participating that she liked about her answer. Her mischievous expression changing to one of delight when they got close enough to smell the chocolate, and CJ sighed in ecstasy.

“I want one large hot cocoa with extra marshmallows,” she said, stepping forward and placing her order before Nocturne could, then stepping back and letting him put his order in, making it clear to the attendant that he was the one she should be looking at for payment. CJ smiled sweetly at the back of Nocturne’s head; it was his fault; he’d invited her along without asking her if she wanted to come! But she was finding it kind of amusing that their last interaction had also occurred with him buying her a treat, even if it was several months ago. She wondered idly what he did when he wasn’t goofing off, but didn’t ask as she excitedly took her cup of cocoa and took a deep breath in, closing her eyes and holding the cup close.

“Thank you,” she said softly, before taking a sip and finding it to be as heavenly as it smelled. “I haven’t had cocoa in years.” There were too many other things more important to spend her limited income on. Especially when most of that income went towards her addiction to V; yes, Mal occassionally let her pay in sex, but she had a feeling he paid for what she took out of his own pocket. It wouldn’t surprise her, and it wasn’t like whomever he got his supply from wouldn’t know if he wasn’t bringing in the right amount of dough. Either that or he over charged other addicts to make ends meet. She’d never asked, and probably never would.

“What about you?” She asked, when they were seated on a bench not far away from the pop-up stand, cocoa still protectively in hand, though her bags were sprawled at her feet. “Anything you like to watch? Enjoy participating in?” Her mischievous grin was back.

Nocturne smirked at her answer but didn’t say anything. He had worded it that way intentionally to see what her reaction would be and he wasn’t disappointed. CJ didn’t seem the sort to blush and shy away from something even if she was guarded about a lot of topics. But he liked that it seemed like they good add more joking around into their budding friendship and it put him more at ease. Not that he ever changed who he was for someone but Nocturne did know he was a tad blunt and left some people rattled with his sharp comments or odd humour. Even Lyric sometimes couldn’t tell when he was joking or not when he aimed for that outcome.

He grinned behind her as she ordered and also ordered a large but with regular marshmallows. He liked the sugary treat but the sticky moustache they had the penchant to give if not handled properly wasn’t as enjoyable. Maybe if he had someone there to flirtatiously lick it off, he conceded but didn’t change his order. “You’re welcome,” Nocturne replied, taking a moment to inhale the scent and then gave CJ a long look at her confession as it bothered him. Compiled with the few snippets here and there about the lack of siblings and the general loneliness that seemed to cling to her, Nocturne wondered what her childhood was like. He could just be reading too much into a simple statement as well. It wasn’t like his upbringing was all that typical either so instead of digging at the comment, he simply stated, “it’s such a nostalgic drink. Sometimes things like that are best spread out. But I’m glad I conned you into having one with me.”

As they sat down, his attention caught on a brave rabbit darting from one bush to another. Idly he wondered if that was a shifter trying to sneak somewhere given a normal rabbit would view so many humans around as danger. Unless humans were feeding them, he supposed. But he’d never know as CJ’s question had a grin appearing and he turned his focus back on her. “Sex,” he echoed her earlier answer and then sipped his cocoa, eyes still on her, almost daring CJ to ask if he was serious or for more details. Although he did speak up again to add slight clarification. “Participation is far more enjoyable but sometimes watching is just as fun.” Unless it was his sister. He’d almost walked in on Lyric and Cody a few times but thankfully they weren’t exactly quiet given he knew about their fooling around so they weren’t trying to be stealthy sex ninjas. But it did mean they lost their chance to vote on what he was making for dinner a few times now.

“I love free stuff,” CJ quipped, taking another sip of her drink with a sly sideways glance at Nocturne, but he seemed preoccupied so she rolled her eyes and enjoyed the drink, forcing herself to drink the hot liquid slowly, not for fear of burning her tongue – it wasn’t that hot – but because she didn’t want it to be finished too quickly, and wanted to take her time and enjoy it thoroughly. She was in the process of swallowing another mouthful when he answered her question with her own answer, and she had to swallow quickly before she spit it out as she laughed.

“Good sex is enjoyable,” she clarified for him, still clearly amused. “Bad sex is just disappointing, though it can be hilarious to watch.” She’d seen one too many virgins try and stake their claim on a prostitute, and while some of the girls were gentle, mostly it was a game of humiliation for the young men. There was something contagious about taking back the power from a man, even if a baby one, and most of the girls went out of their way to make it as entertaining as possible, either on view or when they came back with stories. CJ tended to avoid the virgins, because the sex was always more disappointing than usual, no matter how eager they were.

“Oh look!” She’d spotted the rabbit, and was enchanted by the brave little creature for several moments as it skittered around, before vanishing from view again. She hadn’t realised he’d seen it several minutes before, and let out a little sigh when it didn’t reappear. “Brave bunny, or stupid?” She asked Nocturne, shifting her gaze to look at him with amusement. She found it interesting that a rabbit would appear while they were talking about sex, what with the little creatures being labelled as addicts, with their constant reproduction.

She gave Nocturne a sly sideways look, lips quirked into a small smirk. “Where’s the best place you’ve had sex?” It was one of the fun questions the girls on the street asked each other, too. Sometimes they’d strike up big and get taken to an actual fancy hotel, or a lake house with a view. Mostly they ended up sucking cock in a back alley, but that just made the surprise locations all the more delightful.

Nocturne gave a small salute with his cup, silently agreeing that good sex was enjoyable. Bad sex happened though he found he had been mostly lucky. His first few times as a whole stood out but he wondered if his encounter with Jasper went under ‘good’ or ‘bad’. The sex had been hot but bleeding out if it wasn’t for Rafe sucked. So did Rafe learning he existed. So good sex that led into bad situations.

He smiled when CJ spotted the bunny and shrugged. “I’ve been trying to decide. It could go either way but if rabbits are like squirrels, then it’s been hand fed too much.” Still, since the rabbit was still visible, Nocturne pulled out his phone and brought up the camera, snapping a few photos. He then sent them to both Lyric and Cody with a simple “anyone you know?” just in case but he was starting to believe it was just domesticated. Setting the phone on his lap, he glanced at CJ, “I asked my sister to look up if any pets are missing, just in case.” It was mostly true, at least.

It seemed to be enough for CJ as she jumped back to their sex talk and Nocturne grinned. It wasn’t what he would have guessed to be the topic that would flow the easiest between him but he was fine with it. Although best location? Did she mean the actual best, as in fancy or unique? Or perhaps something crazy and unexpected? “Best place? I dated someone once who lived in a mansion. Her parents were gone for the weekend and I got that magical invite to come over.”

He took another sip of cocoa, checked for a reply to his texts, then turned back to CJ. “Craziest location has a few more competitors. At a club might rank at or at least near the top of the list. Or maybe the office of my lover’s boss. It was a weird night.” Apparently sex with Jasper did deserve to be in the ‘good’ category after all if he was ranking it so well.

“And you? Anything you wish to share with the class?” Nocturne inquired before sucking up a marshmallow, letting it melt on his tongue.

CJ’s eyes lit up at the mention of a mansion, and she gave a little ‘ooh’ of appreciation for the location. A weekend in a mansion with a rich lover sounded absolutely divine! Jacuzzis and huge bathtubs, luxurious beds, fancy couches and big TVs… CJ took a sip of her drink, bringing her wandering mind back to focus on Nocturne as he checked his texts, and she wondered if his sister had even received his yet, though it appeared she hadn’t replied yet. CJ had never had a cell; they were too expensive, and who was she going to call?

Taking another sip of her cocoa, and capturing a marshmallow, CJ rolled it around her mouth before it dissolved as she raised an eyebrow at Nocturne. “It sounds like it,” she said, laughing slightly at the implication. Clubbing had never really interested her, which was one of the excuses she gave Mal for not going with him to the Indulge place he worked at, but fucking in the boss’ office sounded risqué and fun. CJ grinned, shaking her head.

“Best was one of the Lake View holiday houses. All done up to the nines and had a gorgeous view.” Which she’d enjoyed for as long as she could before she’d had to leave. Of course, the arsehole hadn’t offered her a drive back downtown to drop her off, so she’d had to find her own way, which mostly meant walking, since she couldn’t exactly call a Taxi without a phone. That had been a long night. “Craziest location? Probably the ice-cream isle of the supermarket.” She grinned, fluttering her lashes at him. “I’m very desirable, you know.” Despite her amusement and teasing tone, there was an undercurrent of self-deprecation.

CJ returned to looking for the rabbit, but didn’t see it. She took a sip of her cocoa, before glancing at Nocturne to see if he had anything to say about her (mis)adventures. Her sly little smirk was back on her lips, waiting expectantly. Most people didn’t fuck in supermarket isles, and she knew it was bound to get some kind of response – probably disbelief.

Nocturne raised a brow at CJ’s craziest location. That was definitely risqué, though he had to verify first if it was during or after store hours. When she replied it was during, though at a quieter hour, Nocturne gave her a nod and applaud, though he had to use the wrist of the hand that held his drink. “Very impressive. I’m not sure even I would go beyond a little teasing in a store so my respect to you, Skittles.” He honestly wouldn’t care if someone got off to him getting off but apparently some lines had to be drawn but he wasn’t going to judge someone else’s kinks.

But he was going to judge her self-worth. “You are desirable, Cassandra-Jade,” it was only the second time he had used her full name and Nocturne realised both times had been when he was being utterly sincere with the woman. He had genuinely enjoyed their first meeting and said as much at the time and now he was being honest in finding her attractive and was inspired to elaborate on it. “You’re witty, clever, and pretty damn cute all bundled up like that.” He smiled, holding her gaze a moment and then looked back out at the park, drinking his cocoa.

CJ gave a tilt of her head at the applause, pleased with the appreciation. That had been a couple of years ago, with an equally randy street rat that she’d goaded into fucking her in public when she’d flashed her lack of panties. It had been a fun time, and CJ had no regrets, but it also wasn’t really something she went out of her way to advertise, though maybe she should. She could up her price for the risk involved, and it was overall pretty harmless. Not like the folks who wanted her to be tied up – hard no – or get tied up; that was easy money. Tie them up and bolt with the contents of their wallet.

The use of her full name caused a start, and CJ turned to look at Nocturne seriously as she digested his words, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She was tempted to make a quip, about how she’d just said that, but his follow up startled her again and instead she found herself just frowning at him, tyring to figure out what his angle was. CJ was quite sure that he didn’t know she was a prostitute, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t trying to swindle her into fucking him for payment of cocoa and ice-cream. CJ didn’t want to think he was like that – he’d been so nice so far – but she’d been burned by people like that before. She pursed her lips.

CJ shifted her attention to look out over the park again, at a loss for how to deal with what Nocturne had said. She wanted, desperately, to believe he was being genuine with her, but she had no experience with people who weren’t out for their own gain. Mal and the ratpack didn’t count, since they were all in it together, but each of them knew they’d take off running if they ever got the chance to make something work. It wasn’t personal, its just the way street life was. CJ took a sip of her cocoa, considering dropping the prostitute bomb on Nocturne to see if he would run, but decided against it after a moment of thought. It was nice knowing someone who didn’t know what she was.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she decided, offering a small half smile before sipping her cocoa again.

"You're not used to compliments," Nocturne stated. No need to question that as he saw how uncomfortable she was, though there was a chance that was just her skittishness coming back to the forefront and she didn't know where this compliment would lead. He worried about what had happened in her life but he knew he hadn't earned that level of trust or the right to push for it. Perhaps one day, since fate decided they should meet again, giving him permission--based on his rule he made up on the first meeting--to try for friendship.

"You're a decent enough liar, though. I know plenty of people who would disagree with you." He smiled as he teased them both, and drank half of what was left in his cup. He was going to add that the ones that would agree with her were his sister's classmates but Nocturne didn't think CJ would appreciate that.

He thought he felt his phone vibrate and peeked at the screen to see a reply from Lyric. He could feel her eyeroll through the screen as she said she didn't recognize the bunny and not all rabbits were shifters. He didn't bother replying, figuring he could give details in person later. He stared at the black screen a moment but then shoved it into his pocket. He wanted to get CJ's number but he had a strong feeling she wouldn't give it, especially after the compliment made her clam up a bit. "Lyric didn't find any mention of a missing rabbit. Do you want to go for a stroll and see if we can find it or others?"

CJ didn’t respond to Nocturne’s statement, simply looked at him for a moment and then back out over the grounds. She didn’t really feel he was looking for an answer, and she still wasn’t able to convince herself that he was being honestly genuine. She wanted to believe it, but she was struggling. So it was better to say nothing, just search silently for the rabbit that had vanished some time ago, and quietly drink her cocoa. She’d almost finished it, the marshmallows long gone. She didn’t want to finish it; it was so tasty, and she didn’t know when she’d get another.

“I’m an excellent liar,” CJ sighed, quirking her lips slightly as she looked at Nocturne. “Though not about that. Perhaps you need better acquaintances.” She could probably say the same about herself, honestly. Her friends were sparce: Mal. She’d had friends, once, while she was in school – like Rhys – but she hadn’t seen him in years. Her relationship with the other working girls was casual and while they kept an eye on each other as they prowled the streets, they didn’t exactly hang out in their day lives or share their stories.

CJ watched as Nocturne checked his phone, curious but not asking about what he saw on it. He’d share if he wanted to, and she had no way of knowing if it was his sister or a girlfriend or work. His lack of interest in replying to the text intensified her curiosity, but also made her feel like she still had his attention for a little while longer. When he did share, she smiled slightly and glanced back towards where the rabbit had been. Would there be more? CJ had never been up close to a rabbit before, and while she didn’t think these ones would be lining up for cuddles, she wouldn’t mind getting a bit of a closer look if they allowed it.

“Sure,” she said, smiling, and rising to her feet. She finally finished her hot cocoa, peering into the cup a little sadly to make sure there was no liquid or marshmallows left behind that she might be missing out on. Once she was sure all was done, she glanced around and then made her way to the trashcan that wasn’t far from her. Then she returned to where they’d been sitting, picking up her bags and waiting for Nocturne to lead the way. He seemed to have more of an idea about this rabbit hunting than she did. “Do you think there will be more?” She asked, genuinely curious and even a little excited by the prospect.

Nocturne stayed with CJ's bags and then followed her example by finishing his drink and tossing it out when they passed another trash can. The cocoa had done its job by warming him up but also possibly gave him a sugar high. Despite Lyric's insistence she be on one diet or another, they did still have treats in the house, usually made by him, but they weren't always so chocolatey or sugary. It had been damn good, however, and the company was also proving yet again to be welcomed.

"Sadly I have to admit to not being an expert on rabbits so I don't know if that's a mamma bun looking for food for her babies or if they live in... herds? Wait, no, they have some ridiculously adorable name for what they are as a group. I think it's... fluffle." Lyric had told him that years ago when a rabbit shifter said she had to go home to her fluffle. Whoever came up with that was a damn genius.

He slowed his pace as they neared the little patch of bushes the rabbit had been seen darting around. Shifting the skates still draped over his shoulder and crouching down, Nocturne tried to see through the bundle of branches that were of an evergreen type--he didn't know a lot about shrubs either, though some trees he could identify--and made a little humming noise as he considered if it was a fluffy tail he saw or not. "I think there's a rabbit in this one, if you look..." he trailed off as he waved CJ to crouch down with him and pointed in the area he was looking. “You should try to coax it out to you. Too bad we don’t have any snacks. I have a feeling that’s why they seem so comfortable around here.”

CJ affected a look of shock, and peered up at Nocturne with a raised eyebrow. “Really? You don’t know everything?” She teased, lips quirking into a sly little smile before she laughed outright at his announcement that a group of rabbits was called a fluffle. She didn’t believe him, not in the slightest. “It is not,” she stated firmly, but her expression was confused, trying to figure out why he would make up such a bizarre fact and expect her to believe it.

Slowing down when Nocturne did, CJ watched as he crouched down on the cold ground and started poking at the bushes. She looked around, wondering what the passer-by’s would think of them, then turned her attention back to him when he started talking. She sighed, but crouched down when he indicated that she should, being careful not to get dirt on her knees as she squatted. She frowned at him, and held her empty hands out, her bags sitting beside her ankle. “Coax it out with what?”

She adjusted her balance, not wanting to fall on her butt, and shook her head. “My bags only have clothes in them. I doubt they’re interested in any of that.” It wasn’t like she could afford to buy real fur, either, even from the thrift shop, so while there wouldn’t be any foxtail in there to scare them off, there wouldn’t be any bunny to entice them with curiosity, either. “Let’s see you coax it out,” CJ finally said, her voice low so as to not actually spook any bunnies that might be in the bush, but her tone both arrogant and skeptical.

Nocturne slid his gaze to CJ and then back to the bunny. He really didn’t think a rabbit would come out to them no matter what they did and he was expecting it to bolt in the opposite direction of them any moment now but he figured he would give it a try. Truthfully, he wanted to see CJ try because if it worked, he would have snapped a photo on his phone. He had a feeling it would be adorable and bring out the rare genuine smile and laugh he’d only seen a few times in their admittedly brief meetings but Nocturne suspected they weren’t done regularly even when he wasn’t around.

He held out a hand and lightly rubbed his thumb and fingers together and made the various noises he used when trying to coax his cats to him. It had to be the same idea, right? Maybe if the animal in question wasn’t naturally skittish. That earned another glance at CJ and then back to the bit of fur he could see. Maybe she was a rabbit shifter? Sadly, Nocturne suspected it wasn’t that easy.

After several attempts, it became obvious the rabbit was not having anything to do with them and Nocturne rested his extended arm on a knee. “I did say I wasn’t an expert on rabbits,” he pointed out again with a smile and then laughed when the bunny turned tail and ran from the bush away from them, as expected. “But I am definitely right about fluffles,” he added, the smile still in place and the laughter lingering.

Getting to his feet, Nocturne offered his hand to CJ to help her up, reminiscent of their meeting on the beach. “Thanks for humouring me with the attempt and letting me be an arrogant prick by all but dragging you along on this excursion in the first place. You get to pick what we do on our next meet up.”

CJ watched with smug amusement as Nocturne tried to draw the rabbit out to him, making odd little noises and rubbing his fingers together. She wondered idly if he made such cute noises when he was having sex, and it made her little smile grow into a mischievous little smirk. Biting her bottom lip to try and hide her smirk when Nocturne looked at her, she snorted when he said he wasn’t an expert on rabbits, and rolled her eyes. Her blue gaze focused on the bunny’s tail as it bolted, shaking her head as Nocturne laughed.

“Prove it,” she demanded, turning to look at him, taking his hand as he offered it to her and rising to her feet, other hand grabbing her bags as she did so. She’d seen his phone when he was texting his sister, and she knew if it was anything like Mal’s, it would have access to the internet, and he would be able to prove it with a quick search. She set her hand on her hip after withdrawing it from Nocturne’s warm fingers.

While he looked up the word fluffle on his phone, she considered his other comments. She knew what she’d like to do the next time they met up; he was attractive, kind, and she would bet he wouldn’t leave her high and dry after a tumble. He’d probably even pay for a hotel room, since he didn’t really seem the type to duck into an alley, which she admittedly liked about him. She gave him a worn little smile as he turned the phone towards her, and her eyebrows arched up at the google search that did, indeed, say a group of rabbits was called a fluffle.

“Huh.” With her bags hooked over her wrist, she gently grabbed Nocturne’s wrist so she could use the other hand to move the search results up and down, making sure it wasn’t a photo or fake or something. “Okay, fine.” She finally said, releasing his wrist and smirking up at him. “You were right. This time.”

Nocturne grinned as he watched CJ take her time verifying the evidence and then tucked the phone away again when she relented and said he was right. “I’ll try not to make a habit of it,” he promised with a chuckle. He was also trying not to make a habit of inviting himself into her life but while he was bringing up his proof, he saw the time and noted his growing hunger. Given it was Friday and Lyric wouldn’t need him until later if she wanted a ride somewhere, Nocturne wasn’t in a rush to get home and prepare dinner for them. He contemplated for a moment asking CJ to join him for a homemade dinner but he didn’t think she would trust him enough for that just yet, even if he promised not to add banana to anything.

Would she be insulted if he asked her to join him for a meal? It hadn’t escaped his notice that he paid for their treats both times, even if they were inexpensive. Not everyone appreciated that and he didn’t want CJ to think he was trying to buy her attention or giving her handouts since he suspected she might live on a tight budget. “I notice you didn’t say anything about meeting again. I’d worry but I’m going to take that as you’re still too invested in the current meeting to think about what comes after we part ways. So if you’re not ready to run from me just yet, what should we do next?” If she wanted to eat, then he could be a dick and sneak in paying again.

If CJ wanted to do anything else, he’d probably be down for it. He didn’t have any plans and she was fun. It seemed like a good combination for a Friday evening. It would be a good time to get her number as well to make it easier for that next meeting to happen. Though it was odd that she didn’t pull out her own phone to look up the information.

CJ snorted at the promise, deciding not to hold her breath on that. He certainly seemed to be the type to know a lot, even if he didn’t make a show of it. She knew he said he didn’t go on after high school, but that hardly meant he was stupid. She knew she wasn’t stupid, though she was certainly barely educated. But what good was an education, anyway, when she was living on the streets? She doubted her situation would be any different if she’d stayed in school; probably she would be a lot worse off, possibly dead. Probably dead, she decided.

An eyebrow arched up, and CJ gave a snort of laughter again. “What happens after we part ways is I go home and sleep before work,” she teased. But then she shook her head. “Sure. My bus pass has likely expired by now, so I’m not in a rush.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know what we should do, though.” CJ paused thoughtfully. “We could get McDonalds? There’s a joint not far from here, and I haven’t eaten yet today.” Purposefully, but simply because she hadn’t wanted to spend money on food until she’d bought a fresh round of clothing. Street walking was hazardous for clothing, and since they all came from the thrift store, they didn’t tend to have a huge amount of life left in them on the best of occasions.

Reaching into her bra, CJ pulled out the bus pass slip, and frowned down at it. Yep, it had expired at 5pm and she was fairly sure it was after five now – she grabbed Nocturne’s wrist again and tilted it, tapping at the screen of the fancy watch impatiently until it flashed the time. She scrunched up the ticket and put it in her back pocket before digging in her bra again to pull out a couple of notes; she had ten dollars on her, which would get her fed. But a concerned frown etched itself onto her brows as she realised the spare ticket to ride the bus wasn’t in her bra. Or the other side. “Fuck.” She mumbled, dropping her bags so she could dig into her pockets. She shoved the two five-dollar notes into an empty pocket of her jeans, and dug around in the others.

“Fuck me,” she hissed. “Did I drop it?” CJ asked Nocturne, suddenly staring at the ground, and doing a slow circle. “I swear I had another bus ticket on me! Fuck.” She really didn’t want to pay the cash fare for a ride when she had already bought a strip of tickets. At least she’d broken off the two she was sure she’d need for the day, and not lost the whole strip! CJ’s shoulders slumped when she couldn’t find the ticket on the ground, and she picked up her bags with a dejected sigh. Okay. She had five dollars to spend on food, and five to break up for a cash fare to get back to the condemned house she shared with several other street rats.

Several emotions flickered across Nocturne’s face in a short span of time. He was amused at her teasing and quick jump onto the idea of spending more time together but then disgusted as McDonald’s was mentioned and sad that she hadn’t eaten that day. He didn’t get a chance to comment on any of it as his wrist was grabbed again, watch inspected, and a bus transfer being discarded, and then a frantic search for another ticket. Skittles was also a whirlwind, he decided, momentarily unsure of how to help or what to say.

A glance around the ground was also given but Nocturne didn’t see anything and when CJ gave up and seemed utterly miserable about it, he finally found his footing again, though it was borne from the realisation he had been a complete douchebag that afternoon. “It’s all right, Skittles,” Nocturne promised as he took her hand in his to help draw her attention to him. “Look, I’m the reason you missed the transfer time and probably the reason you lost the other ticket. I also don’t eat most meat so fast food isn’t an option today so how about I buy us dinner and I have the Jeep today so I can safely give you a ride to wherever you need to go after.”

He felt bad for pretty much ruining what had probably been a good day for the woman. Dinner and a ride were the least he could do for being his own version of a whirlwind that disrupted her organized life. “I promise nothing fancy but maybe healthier with more options.” Nocturne glanced around, bringing up memories of what was in this area of the city before recalling a couple of good options that were a short walk away. “Do you like sushi? They have other dishes as well.”

CJ looked up when Nocturne took her hand, taking a deep breath and trying to force her anger at herself for losing her ticket and having to waste money down; it wasn’t Nocturne’s fault, so she didn’t blame him – though she did offer a sort of small, crooked smile when he said he was the reason she missed her transfer time. He was right about that, but she honestly didn’t mind so much. It was just that losing her ticket was an expensive disaster, but she still shook her head when he tried to say it was his fault for her losing the unused ticket.

She continued to stare up at him, still holding his hand, as he told her he didn’t eat meat and offered to buy her dinner and drive her home. She was still trying to figure out how to respond to all of this when he made the suggestion of sushi, and she just blinked at him. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I’ve never had it before.” He led her first to his car, which was a nice one in CJ’s opinion, and let her put her bags in it for safekeeping so she wouldn’t have to worry about them while they were eating. He also ditched his skates. When he had locked the car once more, she slipped her hand into his again.

As he led her towards the sushi place, she kept his hand gripped in her own; but he didn’t shake her off, even when they made it to and into the building. CJ looked around curiously as she and Nocturne waited at the entrance, waiting for a waitress before they were led to a booth. She released his hand only when they reached said booth, and she slid onto the seat, sitting about midway across it so she could still see out into the main lobby. While Nocturne explained how the ordering was done, she stared blankly at him, then at the menu. “We can order as much as we want?” She asked, bewildered by the buffet concept; she’d have to find out how much it was to eat there, if they were prepared to let you eat as much as you wanted for a fee!

When he confirmed, and handed her the iPad for ordering, she flicked through the menu. There were so many options, and she honestly had no idea what most of them were. So, she started with the drinks, ordering a glass of coke. Then a bowl of fried rice was added to the list, some fried chips, and some other odds and ends, asking Nocturne what something was when the picture and title weren’t enough for her to know if she’d like it. Scrolling back to the actual sushi, CJ opted to avoid the ones with fish in them, as she wasn’t a huge fan of the stuff, and instead ordered an assortment that had things like avocado or cucumber in them.

“Okay,” she said, handing the iPad back to Nocturne and failing at not blushing as he looked over her order before adding his own to the list. CJ watched as the iPad was set aside and a waiter came to press some buttons on it. What seemed like an eternity later, food began to arrive, and CJ stared at it all in wonder before she began trying a bit of everything, eyes wide one moment and then closed in ecstasy the next. She powered through everything she’d ordered, including her glass of coke. Looking determined but unsure, she leaned across the table a little and stared at Nocturne with wide eyes. “Can I order more?” she whispered, glancing at the iPad, and then back to her companion.

Nocturne did his best to hide his smile behind his drink or his food as he watched CJ eat. She was having such an experience that he was enjoying it more than he was enjoying his food. Everything was delicious but it was the pure delight and even orgasmic expressions CJ made as she tried everything for the first time that got to him. It also confirmed his suspicions that she had a rough life if she wasn’t fully aware of how buffets worked and that she definitely wasn’t eat as much as she should be. When the layers came off as they sat down, he noted she was still as skinny as she was months ago. Hopefully this meal wouldn’t leave her sick from indulging so much in one go.

Still, he encouraged her when he was asked if she could have more. He kept the comments about how hungry she must have been or that she had hollow legs to store all the food in to himself as the skittish girl was finally disappearing behind the more outgoing girl. They had discovered they could trade witty comments but Nocturne felt like the food enthusiasm being pointed out would have CJ withdraw into herself again and rush out the door. He would just have to try his best to keep up with her since he had been hungry but not all-you-can-eat sushi levels of hungry. He’d only suggested it because it was a way to make sure CJ ate as much as she needed.

A few more plates of his choosing were added after CJ selected her next round and as they waited, he explained where the mostly vegetarian diet came from and that he didn’t care if she ordered every meat item on the menu as it wouldn’t offend him. In fact, it was hard to offend him about most anything and he was more likely to piss someone else off with his comments.

As they were nearing the end of the next round, Nocturne directed CJ’s gaze over to a self-serve section that contained soups and salads (he didn’t think she’d care about those and avoided them earlier) and the small ice cream selection for dessert. As much as he wanted to tease her, he refrained from mentioning that deep fried banana was the specialty dessert knowing her distaste for the fruit and didn’t order one for himself despite his enjoyment of them. He did go for a small bowl of ice cream, however, and as he worked on it, he asked, “did you mention you work tonight and wanted to sleep still?”

That just figured. Nocturne chided himself for not paying better attention and taking her somewhere that could be over an hour in eating. But she hadn’t seemed to be in a rush which made him feel a bit better about it. “Sushi is excellent for putting you in a food coma so you should get a few hours in.”

They ate a bit more before CJ finally tapped out and Nocturne paid on their way out. As they were leaving, he took CJ’s hand again, knowing it gave her comfort earlier with how tightly she hung on and refused to let go unless necessary. He only let go when they made it to the Jeep and he had to walk to the driver’s side. Once inside, his phone was pulled out, unlocked, and he brought up a new contact, labelling it as ‘Skittles’ and passed it over to CJ. “This is me asking for your number so we can meet up more on our own whims instead of fate’s desires. And where to, m’lady?”

CJ’s eyes lit up at the mention of ice-cream, and she scuttled over to the area to make her selection before returning, bowl in hand, and wide smile still on her face as she sat down and dug in; it was the perfect way to finish the meal and she had never felt so full! She wished she could come every day! There were certainly enough items on the menu to keep someone from getting bored if they did come so frequently, she was sure. And CJ wasn’t a particularly fussy eater, even if she did have a few things she refused to eat after trying them once. Like bananas.

“Yeah, but not until eleven or so,” she replied, waving her spoon absently in a so-so gesture. She had no idea what he meant by a food coma, and had no idea what it would do to her, but figured if worst came to worst, she’d just not go out to work the streets that night. She needed the cash, especially since she was almost out of V, and she tended to use the drug to amp her up for a night of work; some clients definitely needed her to be high on the drug for her to be any good at her job! If they all looked like Nocturne her job would be so much easier…

When Nocturne took her hand outside, CJ was surprised but not unhappy; she moved to walk a bit closer to him, their upper arms brushing occasionally. She was glad they’d met up again, and from the comments he’d dropped during their time together that evening she knew he was interested in catching up again. Though still a little wary, CJ couldn’t deny that she’d enjoy adding Nocturne to her very limited roster of friends. She enjoyed what their blooming friendship promised.

Climbing into the Jeep, CJ glanced into the back seat to make sure her bags were still there – they were – and then looked back as Nocturne was suddenly handing his phone to her. She took it, and looked down dumbly at the page to add a new contact. Her lips quirked at the name input of Skittles, but she shook her head, looking visibly distressed. “I don’t have a phone,” she said, biting her bottom lip and begging him with her eyes to believe her. “I… I can give you my friend’s number? He has a phone, and he usually knows where to find me.” Even when she didn’t want to be found, which could be irritating.

“Um, can you take me to –” she rattled off Mal’s address, not wanting Nocturne to take her to the highly questionable area of downtown where the condemned building she called home was situated. She hadn’t seen her oldest friend in a while, anyway, and as she chewed on her bottom lip – still holding Nocturne’s phone – she wondered if Mal would be able to help her get her own phone, so she could give Nocturne an actual number. She’d never needed a phone before, though Mal had told her she should get one; she’d just rolled her eyes at him, now she wished she’d listened.

Nocturne turned the Jeep on and was adjusting the heat settings when CJ spoke. He looked at her, studying her face for a long moment to see if she was teasing or lying but it seemed like a genuine statement. The offer to give a friend’s number instead added to the look she was giving him. She wanted him to contact her, to hang out again, but they had hit a major roadblock in making that happen. It was another piece of evidence to his growing belief that CJ was in a rough situation and if she was barely eating, then it made sense she wouldn’t have a phone. If he had more common sense that night, he would have seen that fact before asking for a number.

“It’s so refreshing to find someone young not glued to a phone screen,” Nocturne stated with a smile but no sarcasm while pretending like he wasn’t a part of the group he was insulting. He wasn’t as bad as Lyric but that was also because he kept people further away than she did so while he had friends and contacts, they just didn’t feel a need to talk daily or even weekly. “Add your friend’s number and I’ll text him later to verify if he’s fine being our third,” he gave CJ a wicked little grin, showing he meant all the innuendo she wanted to find in that and knew she would from their sex chat earlier.

When he pulled up to the address given, Nocturne wasn’t too impressed but it was better than he feared it would be. Assuming she wasn’t lying and about to walk twenty minutes to some shady area of the city that even he wouldn’t wander around in without a few weapons within reach. Deciding to trust CJ and not grill her, Nocturne put the Jeep in park and turned to face his new friend, taking his phone back when it was offered. He didn’t check to ensure there was a number there, deciding to keep the trust going that it would not only be there but go to her helpful friend. “I haven’t decided if I should thank you for putting up with me again today or apologise for you having to put up with me again.”

CJ’s eyebrows furrowed together, studying Nocturne with a worried frown when he made his little quip, but despite his smile, she didn’t detect any venom in the comment and she relaxed slightly, then gave a snort of amusement at his comment. “Oh, he’ll love that,” she drawled, adding his nickname in brackets after her own, and then his number. Saving the addition, she set the phone (unlocked, because she wasn’t sure how to lock it) in the cupholder between them, since Nocturne was now driving.

As the Jeep was put into park, CJ stared at the headquarters of Malachite and his gang, chewing on her bottom lip as she debated telling Nocturne that it was said friend’s home, not hers. In the end, though, she opted not to as he spoke, and she turned to face him with a slight smirk. “Both work,” she teased, paused for a moment, and then shifted on her seat so she could lean across the centre console, leaning into Nocturne and pressing an open mouthed kiss against his lips. She paused just long enough to make sure he wasn’t going to shove her off, before deepening the kiss, nipping at his bottom lip, and exploring his mouth with her tongue.

Finally breaking away, her blue-grey eyes were bright with lust as she smiled at him, but she settled back into her seat for a moment, before she ended up crawling across the console and straddled him where he sat; she was pretty good at manoeuvring through cars, but she didn’t want to fuck him in a car, and she wasn’t about to invite him up to Mal’s place. “Thanks for the cocoa and sushi,” she said sincerely, flashing another smile as she opened the door and stepped out. She collected her bags from the back seat a moment later, and shut that door too. Then she thought of something, and quickly opened up the passenger door before Nocturne could drive off.

“Um, Mal only knows me as Jade. I’d like to keep it that way, please.” She paused for a moment, to make sure she hadn’t forgotten to say anything, before flashing another smile, this one warmer with a hint of promise, and shut the door again. Turning, she took her bags with her and knocked on the door, waiting until one of Mal’s gang opened it up and let her in. She turned and waved, once, before vanishing inside.