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May. 22nd, 2023 at 8:56 PM
[So this is how he gets away with it, then. Cruz, a skeleton, with a skeleton horse, lives in a skeleton of a house with a skeletal barn attached - and he remains unseen, his home apparently abandoned, all the way on the outskirts of this thing that's barely a town.
Well, you do what you gotta do, and Johnnie won't turn down a kind offer of a safe place to stay the night. He can't help but grin at Chrissy having such a good time riding that bony horse as he pulls the bike in through the barn door and parks it to the side, then hops off.]
Hey man, we owe ya for this. Here.
[See, this is yet another reason it's good to stock up on alcohol. He finds their most recent stolen bottle of tequila and pulls it out as he saunters over to their host and offers it in an outstretched hand.]
On us. Uh, if you drink, that is. You do drink, right?
[Normally that would be a dumb question to ask but the guy appears to be actual bones. But, bones that can smoke, without lungs, so he can probably drink without a mouth, right?
That earns a laugh from Cruz.]
I sure do, fella. You don't have to, though. I'm not looking for any kind of repayment, just helping out a couple folks in need.
[Johnnie shakes his head and waves that attempt off.]
Nah, it's all yours. Or if you really insist, we can all split it tomorrow, the three of us an' the rest of your crew. Can't wait to meet 'em. They all skeletons too?
Well, you do what you gotta do, and Johnnie won't turn down a kind offer of a safe place to stay the night. He can't help but grin at Chrissy having such a good time riding that bony horse as he pulls the bike in through the barn door and parks it to the side, then hops off.]
Hey man, we owe ya for this. Here.
[See, this is yet another reason it's good to stock up on alcohol. He finds their most recent stolen bottle of tequila and pulls it out as he saunters over to their host and offers it in an outstretched hand.]
On us. Uh, if you drink, that is. You do drink, right?
[Normally that would be a dumb question to ask but the guy appears to be actual bones. But, bones that can smoke, without lungs, so he can probably drink without a mouth, right?
That earns a laugh from Cruz.]
I sure do, fella. You don't have to, though. I'm not looking for any kind of repayment, just helping out a couple folks in need.
[Johnnie shakes his head and waves that attempt off.]
Nah, it's all yours. Or if you really insist, we can all split it tomorrow, the three of us an' the rest of your crew. Can't wait to meet 'em. They all skeletons too?
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[It sounds pretty dangerous though, so she just shrugs and lets that be that. Instead of worrying too much about it, she helps him push the bike along and keeps her eyes peeled for somewhere safe to sleep. It's quiet and still out here, so all they have to do is find the perfect tree.]
What about over there?
[She points over toward a tree that looks tall enough and provides some shade. It's also tucked away enough they won't be easily stumbled upon or bothered.]
Next time we travel like this, we need to make sure we bring a sleeping bag.
[Just one, so they can share.]
[Which he says with some amusement. The coyote life is not for him, that's the worst possible kind of low-level courier job. People do that stuff because it pays, not because it's enjoyable, and he'd rather enjoy what he does. If she wants to go to Mexico, they can just go to Mexico any time.
Anyway, she's found them what looks like a reasonable spot, and drags the bike over to it.]
Yeah well, next time will probably be a planned camping trip, not me on my own tryin' to keep from going fucking insane. So, sure, we can pack better.
[Bike propped into place now, he kicks branches and rocks aside and tries to make the ground something flat enough to sleep on. At a glance, it should stay shady enough here even as the sun shifts, so that's helpful. Even though it's been cold at night it could still turn blistering hot during the day.
With her help, he gets the blanket laid out, then grabs what's left of the jug of water so he can have a drink and also brush his teeth.]
First though, she needs a little cuddling.]
I think I did a good job. [She says out of seemingly nowhere, guiding his arm to wrap around her as she nuzzles up close against him.]
Of keeping you sane, I mean. We're not totally crazy or anything. Just really violent and ruthless.
Heh. Yeah, you did help. It's been easier, havin' you with me. You remember, right? I was still pretty jumpy about stuff right when I first ran into you. Bein' under the night sky really fucked me up for a while. And now, I almost feel like everything's pretty normal, most of the time. What isn't normal, I'm gettin' used to just fine.
[Thankfully, because man if he couldn't handle being out in the darkness of the night anymore he'd really have to rethink a lot of things about his life. Instead, he's gotten comfortable with what he is now, and having Chrissy around is a big part of that even if he's not exactly sure how or why she helped level him out. It's just that she did, and he's grateful.]
I remember that. I was even jumpier than you were! And was afraid of everything. I still get afraid sometimes, but I'm braver now than I used to be.
[They're helping each other through whatever trauma they've been through, and together they've come out the other side of everything stronger. She thinks his brothers will see a difference in him. He's still cocky and headstrong, but he's matured a lot since they first met. He's become a man, one that's protective and loyal and pretty damn impressive. And she's really glad she's helped him be who he is now.]
Our normal is about to change. But we'll get used to it just like we have everything else.
[Back to all the things he loves best, parties and drugs and chaos with his friends all night long, and a girl to spend most of it with, too. The main difference is this time, it's just the one girl, but it isn't like he needs other ones so much now. What they have makes him plenty happy.
She might find the adjusting more difficult though, he realizes this. She has gone from having nobody she trusts, to just him, and now she's going to have a whole lot more people around again. It won't just be him and her. It'll be good for her though, he has to figure, having more people around that she can become friends with and learn to rely on.
He gives a content little sigh, then kisses the top of her head.]
Timing should be good tomorrow, I bet we roll in right around midnight. Give or take a couple hours, I guess, depending on the road.
[She sounds fond as she says it, so clearly their time having to walk the bike across various terrain hasn't really bothered her that much. The kiss to the top of her head has put a smile on her face, and it's still there as she curls her arm around him in a loose embrace.]
It's okay if we have to though. I'm willing to do whatever it takes so you can be home by tomorrow night.
[Her eyes are feeling heavier and heavier. Now that they're relaxed, sleep is impossible to keep at bay. She yawns and curls in tighter against him, face turning so most all of the light is blocked out by his body.]
He's out hard, once he falls asleep. So he's sleeping on the ground out in the hills near Tucson, it hardly matters - this might be the best sleep he's had in days, maybe longer. When he finally wakes up, it's due to the heat, not that it's unbearable out, but he's still in his jacket and the black leather isn't exactly a cool material. Even so, he's reluctant to actually open his eyes. He can handle being a little too warm for another few minutes -
Nope. No, the sooner he's up, the sooner they can get going, and that immediately banishes any possible thoughts about sleeping in. He stretches and smiles broadly at the sky, at the tree, at nothing at all, really. Time to get up, which means extracting himself from Chrissy in case she's still asleep. She can have a few more minutes, won't hurt anything.]
He's already getting ready to head out.]
You must be excited.
[She lightly teases, yawning and stretching as she gets up and on her feet. The blanket needs to be folded and put away, and she's pretty sure she looks like she just slept outside. She's at least gotten good at pulling her hair up into ponytails without a mirror, so that just leaves her makeup to worry about later when they stop.
All that done, she approaches him to wrap her arms around him and greet him properly with a kiss.]
Can we stop for lunch after we've been on the road a few hours?
[He flashes her that same big grin and lets her go about getting her things ready while he digs through the bags for any spare snacks that may have gone overlooked before. Aha, yes, there's the stuff he grabbed from that gas station stop most recently - a Snickers for breakfast it is, then.
He gulps it down and pulls her in for that kiss.]
Sure. We're not far from Phoenix, I bet we can find somethin' good there. Or if you're hungrier, Tucson is just right down the road. Start our day with a real meal, if you want.
[He can just call the candy bar an appetizer, in that case. Actually, he'd like something that isn't so full of sugar, now that he's had it. Hm. Should've gone for the jar of peanuts.
The wind will mess up his hair but even so, he combs it back, then shakes dust off his jacket and pulls that back on.]
Ready when you are.
[And surprisingly, her stomach is growling a little. All this eating real meals thing has made her body used to getting food put in it. But he seems open to getting something to eat sooner rather than later, so she rubs at her stomach to tell it to shut up and admires the sight of him all ready for the day. He really is incredibly attractive, and something about the way the light of day is hitting him just makes her fall a little more for him.]
You taste like chocolate, by the way. In case you were wondering.
[She has to swoop in close to smack at his butt, but she does it with a laugh before making a mad dash to hop on the back of the bike.]
[He snickers and playfully retaliates by chasing after her. She beats him to the bike, but he throws his arms around her and pulls her in for a kiss.]
I gotta pull this thing back up to the road, babe, we aren't drivin' up that riverbed.
[They have a routine though, that's for sure, and she's settled into it. Makes him happy, even if it's going to be the last day of that routine for a while.
It takes some huffing and puffing to get the motorcycle back to the little dirt track, then up onto the highway. The thing's no dirt bike, even if it handles offroad conditions pretty well most of the time. But there, that long stretch of pavement with Tucson ahead, and California farther still, is a welcome sight. Time to get back on the road.]