beyondtheline | I sure like the feeling of an endless road

I sure like the feeling of an endless road

[A few hours of open road makes for easygoing fun. It's great to be traveling again, and the feeling of Chrissy leaning up against his back, holding on tight while he whips ahead on a wide-open freeway through the pitch black of night is like nothing else. The last time they were racing up and down this freeway, they were on the way to go burn a bunch of people's lives down - but now that's hours back, back with the rest of the city. They've left the lights and have nothing to look at but the pavement in Johnnie's headlight, the glimpses of stars shining weakly through hazy clouds, and occasionally an oncoming car.

Johnnie hasn't exactly been trying to tune in to his senses or abilities or whatever it is he has - he's just been cruising, letting the night go by, enjoying their plunge northward without a care or a thought. So it is deeply irritating when the pavement quickly fades to a well-worn dirt track that almost tosses him and Chrissy to the ground, and it takes all of his skills to get the front wheel under control and to slow down before they hit a rock that really might launch them into the nearest alfalfa field. Or whatever it is that's here, whenever they've found themselves. Somewhere pre-freeway. Boo.

But there are a few lights ahead, and he did need a stop to pee, so, fuck it.]

Well, shit. Y'know, I dunno exactly where we are. Last sign said San Jose was still fuckin' hours off. You good? That was kinda shaky.

[As long as this dirt road stays packed, they can drive it, but it's going to be slow. Good thing they're almost to somewhere.]

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Guess we're both gonna go a little nuts an' forget to think eventually, huh?

[Grinning, Johnnie has another deep drink of his rum - ow okay that was a lot, it does burn at that volume even for him - then eyes the menu casually again. There are desserts on there too but honestly he just wants to eat his fill of shrimp at this point. And those spicy oysters, if they're any good.]

Right when I came back, shit just didn't feel real to me. Figured I was fuckin' invincible, that nothin' I did mattered. An' that's still true! Don't think it ain't. But I gotta think about the gang when it counts an' here, close to home, it still really fuckin' counts. We go north, then fuck it. Let's tear shit apart. Make everyone fuckin' fear us wherever we go.

[That's the real difference, he's pretty sure. The gang always comes first for him and they've spent a lot of time since that road trip where he was focused on the group more than his own impulses.

Though... Plenty of those too.]

Deal.

[She reaches over to shake his hand like this is a business venture or something. The waiter arrives to drop off their food right after, and Chrissy grins at the sight of all the food. She goes right for the giant plate of fried shrimp, and sighs contently after her first bite.]

Okay, this is good enough that it's worth having to act so awful earlier.

[After a handful of shrimp, she opts to try some of the other things too. She might as well, Johnnie can't eat it all by himself.]

I think I just need to do more for the gang is all. Like I did all that stuff with Zazo, but I haven't done a lot since then.

[Which probably makes her a pretty shitty member of the gang, now that she thinks about it. But they're always so busy, and when they're not the Ender is working with her. She's pretty sure he has bigger plans for her, but she needs to make sure that doesn't keep her separated from all the other World Enders.]

A whole lotta ideas an' not a lotta time, huh? Well, you've been helpful though, you're part of why we got that truce with VMB an' why the Locos are fuckin' outta territory an' people for now. You don't gotta do that shit singlehandedly for it to count.

[Now, yeah, she didn't exactly mean to turn a bunch of guys into pavement slime, but whatever, you roll with the punches, right?

Anyway, that's enough pep talk. It's shrimp time. And smoked clams time. So many tasty appetizers.

The oysters are... Raw. Okay, he should have known that. They're covered in some sort of red spicy butter but he's never faced a raw oyster down. He picks up a half shell and eyes it. The meat slides around - it's already detached, just set in the shell for presentation.]

Ain't oysters supposed to be like... One a' those things you eat that makes you horny? What's that called?

[Fuck it, this thing looks so gross but he's a man, he can handle it. Other people here are. He knocks it back in one gulp, takes one chew, pauses as his face contorts while he tries to decide if it's good or not.

And then just swallows because that's the easiest way to get rid of it.]

Huh. Salty goo. That what swallowing come is like? Without the hot sauce.

[There are for sure people at a nearby table eyeing him with disdain on overhearing that, but he doesn't give a shit, he just nudges the plate toward Chrissy. She'll know the answer.]

[This conversation really took a turn. Chrissy stares down the oyster with a look on her face that says she absolutely does not want to try it. But he's had one so now she has to. Especially with that question she has to answer.]

Um...do you mean an aphrodisiac?

[She'll just tackle that part first, because she's able to smirk a little and tease him.]

If you want to get me horny, you should know by now it doesn't take slimy food.

[Still, she picks one up and tips it into her mouth. And the look on her face is one of shock and pure displeasure. Her nose scunches up as her eyes close, and she swallows it down so she can chase it by chugging some wine.]

Okay, I don't mind swallowing your come. I could do that all day if you'd let me. That? I don't ever want that in my mouth again.

[This is said out loud in a volume that is definitely not best described as a table whisper. Every single person around them hears and stares in horror at the conversation that's happening here.]

[Johnnie's laughter rings throughout the restaurant in response, and he grabs up a shrimp to make up for the memory of the texture in his mouth while he watches Chrissy suffer. Oh, it's not too much suffering - just enough to be fucking hilarious.

Pretty quickly, their waiter strides on over to their table looking genuinely irritated now but also looking like he's doing his best to put on a customer service face anyway.]

Sir and madam, please keep your conversation to yourselves or I will have to ask you to leave.

[There's another commotion by the front door, meanwhile. Someone is starting to raise a fuss about their reservation - they're late, but their seats are already claimed and they clearly feel very strongly about how the restaurant should make an exception.

Johnnie quiets down his snickering and looks back over his shoulder toward the door while their waiter hurries off to get someone's food.]

Oh, I think that dude's fuckin' - the guy! The guy you said you were. Shit, he's real fuckin' pissed off. Hey, they might actually kick us out, you think? Eat a whole lotta shrimp, baby girl!

[While he knocks back the last of his booze, both rum and wine combined. Tastes awful, one right after the other, but shit, he knows this wine is expensive, he's not leaving it without having another gulp.]

Oh shit.

[She loudly laughs, and instead of stuffing her mouth full of shrimp, she dumps out her glass of wine and uses her hand to scoop as much as possible into the glass. There's a good amount in there, so she enjoys a few more just as she hears footsteps rapidly approaching their direction.]

Let's get outta here.

[As soon as Johnnie's out of his seat she's following, but she does double back to the table to grab the bottle of wine. There's a side door not too far from their table, and the sound of her laughter fills the restaurant as she sprints toward it, both hands full with stolen treats.

Their waiter and the host slam open the door and chase after them in the parking lot, and Chrissy laughs as she hurls the bottle of wine at Brian. She nearly cackles in delight when it makes contact with his face and then recoils to the ground and smashes. Wine goes everywhere, and she howls in victory as they make their way to the bike. As soon as she's on she turns around to flip off the entire place with her free hand.]

Get fucked, assholes!

[She turns back a second later, covering the top of her shrimp glass with one hand. This is precious cargo that has to be kept safe.]

[Johnnie opts for grabbing his napkin to store his share of the shrimp, as well as the clams - they're in-shell too but cooked, this'll be fine, surely - then bolts right toward that side door.

Brian getting wine all smashed in his face is so fucking good Johnnie nearly trips and falls backward while trying to both escape and watch - he stumbles, catches himself on one hand on the pavement, then pushes back off to finish the sprint to the bike. His palm's all scraped up but he won't notice until later, with adrenaline and joy rushing through his system.

Chrissy flips them off and Johnnie howls, while riding off with his own napkin parcel tucked between his legs.]

Hell, we didn't burn shit down but we still did piss 'em off real good! Cops are gonna be lookin' for us now so keep an eye out!

[Since the restaurant will undoubtedly call the police. That will complicate the rest of their entire night for sure, but it's a big city and there must be worse crimes than stealing some shrimp for the pigs to deal with.]

Maybe they'll call us the Shrimp Bandits.

[The suggestion makes her laugh, and she leans up against him a little more to try and better guard the food. There's never any cop sirens or lights that come after them, so they must make a pretty clean getaway. Eventually she urges him to pull over at a park they pass by, and once he obliges she hops off the bike and leads the way over to a picnic table so she can hop up on top and finally enjoy the rest of her shrimp.]

Next time, we should probably stick to the not fancy places.

[There's giggling though, so she's not too shaken up about everything.

She shrugs out of her jacket and sets it to the side, and enjoys the evening glow on her bare shoulders. Reclining back on one hand isn't the best way to eat fried shrimp, but she's not choking so she figures it's fine.]

Do you know what we should do next time we find a decent place? We used to talk about going on stage together, we should actually try it somewhere that will serve us all the food and drinks we want as payment. It'd be so much fun!

["Shrimp Bandits?" Better not, damn. He's no shrimp.

Grinning the whole time though, he hops up onto the table next to her and opens up his parcel. Time to finally try one of these clams - and yeah, he's glad he grabbed them. Smoky, buttery, made an absolute mess of the napkin and there's grease on his jeans now too, but they're way the hell better than the oysters.

It's a little hard to focus on food only though when Chrissy is so gorgeous next to him, all sunset and fire colors, gold and red and orange. Yeah, who needs afro-whatevers.]

Yeah, we gotta try that! We'll do it, just gotta get the right person's interest. Some little town comin' up will need performers an' we got just the thing. Guess we could practice a couple songs together on the way north. You got any you really wanna do?

[Her head slowly turns just in time to catch him looking at her. That makes her smile as she shrugs in response to his question.]

Oh, we can sing anything. I mean, not a Phantom Riders song. But maybe we could do the one you wrote for me?

[She is pretty partial toward that one, and it would be something unique to only them. Music is great to talk about and she's eager to be on stage with him. But he's just been admiring her, and he's all handsome himself, and so she leans in for a kiss. They taste like shrimp and oysters, which is a little weird, but it's fine.]

[Aw, she's so damn cute. And so cheery after stealing shrimp and smashing wine on a dude's face. Good for her. They're starting their evening off strong.]

Yeah! This'd be the perfect time for it without the rest of the guys around. I haven't gotten to play that one too much. If we get that goin' an three or four more maybe, do a little half hour set, someone's gonna want that.

[And he won't be picky about food. Bar stuff and beer is fine with him. Better than the annoyance of having to pretend to be rich and snobby. This food is fine and all but he'd generally be happier with a burger or some nachos, he's pretty sure.]

Well, maybe next time we stop for the day we can work on puttin' together a set! Or at least the start of one.

That sounds like a great plan.

[And a lot of fun. She's looking forward to that. Music is such a strong part of their relationship that she loves any chance they get to make some together.

The food is forgotten by this point, as she takes up slow and quiet idle kissing. It's not quite making out, but something a little more sweet and innocent. Those two words don't usually describe things related to Johnnie, but for now everything has a golden glow and even he seems a little softer.]

Do you wanna head back to the bike and drive around until we find a few places to get into?

[She asks that after kissing him like that? Shit, he's considering pushing her down on the table. Too bad this area's so public.

He gives a soft little laugh and runs a hand through his hair, then eats the last of his stolen shrimp before abandoning the napkin and its empty clam shells on the table top.]

We better let it get later, people are still gonna be out for a while. Well, but we can go grab small stuff now I guess. Anything we can hold in our pockets or whatever. Maybe that spray paint. Stuff to make a couple molotovs.

[As he says it, he hops back down to the ground. Yes, he's still set on getting Dante and his boys good. He won't be satisfied until they've paid a hell of a lot more in blood.]

[She kisses him like that, and his response is to get off the table and actually consider leaving? She leaves herself panting a little, and is thankful that it's quiet. It takes her a few seconds but she follows along after him, sliding off the table and hopping onto the ground. She's gotta clear her head.]

Yeah, we can get all of that. There's plenty of room in the saddlebags for stuff. It's a good thing you went and got those bigger ones from the garage.

[Her hand takes hold of his, and she lets him lead the way back to the bike so they can get back on.]

That won't take too long to get. We'll have to find something else to do until people start going back home for the night.

Yeah.

[Well now she's holding his hand, and so she'll have to pardon him if he delays the actual getting on the bike in order to nudge her back against it, until she's just about sitting on it - but he's not at all. He presses in for another kiss with his other hand cupped at her back, keeping her close, until it sinks lower to grope at her ass.]

Y'know what I want?

[The pause is brief, not really enough time for her to give an answer, just long enough to make her think of one.]

When those motherfuckers are a pile of ash, all charred on the ground with us laughing over their corpses for sayin' bullshit like they did, you an' me, we're gonna have the best time by that fire. I wanna make you glow.

[That pause is rude, because she has plenty of ideas and almost opens her mouth to say one out loud. He keeps talking though, and her eyebrows arch as she leans back just a little. She's grinning though, and leans back in so they're almost nose to nose.]

You know, you can make me glow now if you want to. It's okay to do it more than once a night. Even if there's not any fire here.

[So much for playing it cool. At least the suggestion comes out casual flirting, and the kiss she gives him right after is heated without being desperate. Maybe the way her hand grabs at his shirt and holds him in close is a little much, but he likes that kind of stuff. It's fine.]

[Well, shit. This area is pretty public but there's nobody here and he wants her, and she's making a really convincing argument that he should just give in to that desire and not think any further about it. Pretty easy to convince him of that anyway.

The kickstand holds the bike steady as he pushes her back against it, and slots his hips between her thighs. One hand holds the seat of the bike so he doesn't topple her too far backwards while the other begins to roam, caressing her back and then her breasts through that slinky little tube top.

If the cops are still looking for them, fuck them. Be pretty funny if they showed up with him buried deep in her though.

Snickering, he breaks off the kiss for a moment and unbuttons her shorts.]

We'll make enough fire later to make up for it.

[Fuck yes, he's unbuttoning her shorts. She's so eager she very nearly wiggles right out of them. It's only the fact that she needs to be still enough for him to get into those shorts that keeps her from surging forward to wrap her legs around him. He probably would think it's a compliment, but she's also positive she'd likely bowl him over in her enthusiasm.

Instead, she just leans back in and kisses him hungrily, letting that be a slow burning fire that's enough for a few seconds. Her fingers work at his belt and then his jeans, and as soon as she gets them open her hand slips inside so she can try to palm at his cock with his underwear still in the way. ]

You make me go crazy sometimes, you know that? I want you so much I can't think straight.

You an' me both.

[Undoubtedly, because yeah, they're working on fucking each other in a public park. Just minutes - no, seconds - away from that. Yeah, it's getting dark, but it's not exactly the dead of night yet.

He snickers as he rocks into her hand, grinding his cock on her palm and fingers. Feels damn good, really gets the blood going where it needs to go. But just as effective is the sheer excitement of this, the coarse need and especially the need for it to be quick, hard, and intense.

His lips claim hers again as he groans, rocking into her palm, before again making his fingers do their own share of the work. Her shorts get tugged down despite the bike making him have to fight for them, and her panties come with them, leaving her bare against the seat of his bike with just enough space for him to work the butt of his palm against her clit, stroking broadly against every sensitive inch of skin between her legs.]

[Oh gosh, they're really doing this right here on the bike. Her thoughts briefly go to the first time they pulled over in the woods to fuck against it, and her cheeks turn bright red as she flushes with heat at the memory. Great, now she's getting turned on by remembering fucking while they're about to be fucking. It's a never ending loop of sex in her head right now.

Which means that while his attention to her clit feels great and is more than welcomed, it isn't exactly necessary. Still, she gasps as her head turns, her forehead pressing against his for a few seconds. It isn't until she feels herself shiver from how great this is going that she realizes her bare ass is on the seat of the bike, and she laughs as she nips at his lip and tries to still his hand by grabbing at his wrist.]

You don't have to do that, baby. At least not yet.

[This is going to take some work to not knock over the bike completely. Falling off and the bike crushing her would be pretty unsexy. She's just about to tell him to fuck her when the sound of an approaching siren sounds off. Blue and red lights illuminate the area as a cop car pulls into the parking lot, and Chrissy curses under her breath as she tries to decide how terrible it would be to kill whatever cops are inside just so they can keep going.

The sound of doors opening makes her pause, and she's quick to help tug Johnnie's pants up and get them done up so at least he won't get in trouble.]

Oh, fuck!

[He tries to keep his laughter quiet, but he's snickering pretty good as he gets his pants zipped up and hurriedly hops onto the bike. The engine revs hard before he gets going, not quite getting things in the right order in his urgency.]

Get your pants up!

[Not that she has much time, but she needs to be able to get her legs around him and hang on tight because he's fucking driving as fast as he can. There's only one way out of this park and that means zipping past the cops before they have time to react - and he gives them a cackle that turns into a howl as they speed off.

Sirens mean those assholes eventually get the car going again to chase, but they're going to have to work hard to catch up as Johnnie takes zig-zags through San Francisco streets, trying to make their path unpredictable. He's heading vaguely north he thinks, but honestly, he's lost track - all he knows is now, most of the signs are in Chinese or something like it, and this part of town seems awfully quiet at this time of day too aside from people wrapping up some evening shopping, and one bar with little stools on the street and old men sipping something in small glasses.

Eventually he finds a side alley to tuck into, and stops the bike. He's still laughing as he turns around and squeezes her thigh.]

You still hangin' on back here? Bet they won't find us any time soon. I don't even know where the fuck we are.

[And that's the story of how Chrissy Cunningham, once a prude princess, rides on the back of a motorcycle with her bare ass hanging out as she tries her best to pull up her shorts. That never happens, and she's laughing uncontrollably as they find an alley to stop in.

His question is met with a snort and a light hit to his arm, and she hops off the bike to try and pull her shorts up.]

You drove like that and my butt was sticking out naked the entire time! I mooned the whole city!

[She's howling with laughter and cradles her stomach with both arms as she leans over against the brick wall.]

Aw c'mon, nobody saw! An' if they did, they were jealous!

[So that makes it okay - and like her, he's laughing too hard to think otherwise anyway.

Once he's had a moment to catch his breath and get the laughter under control, he makes his way down the alley toward the main street to look around. Where are they? This city is such a puzzle.]

This place got itself a real big Chinatown I guess. I think we better just drive until we find a bigger road. Or a hardware store for our spray paint an' shit. But I bet there's jewelry or somethin' around here to rip off first, it's just there's kinda still people around so we gotta be careful. Here -

[Shit, did he bring his lockpicking tools? He does have them, somewhere, he swears. Down at the bottom of a saddlebag, some area they never fully unpacked since it wasn't stuff they'd need in the hotel. He digs around for a while before he finds the slender box.]

Can't do nothin' about alarms but at least I got this.

My lockpicking hero.

[She grins, leaning in for a quick kiss to his cheek. There's no attempt for something more than that, because she's doing up her shorts and she's afraid they'll get horny again in no time and wind up getting distracted. It's important they end up getting something worthwhile done tonight.]

Let's walk around the alleys and see if we can get in anywhere that seems quiet. We can just walk the bike along with us.

[They're not just leaving it, she doesn't trust people not to try stealing it. That, and they had a hard enough time finding it the night before. She's not eager for a repeat.]

Then maybe in an hour we can try heading out and driving around until we find something worthwhile.

[Too bad he's only okay at lockpicking - but he'll take the praise and the kiss. He can get into doors, mostly. Safes and anything more complex and they're probably out of luck.

Her plan sounds solid enough, so he sticks the lockpicks in his back pocket, then pops the kickstand back up so he can walk the bike.]

An' if the cops somehow come up this way at least we'll have our ride with us.

[He's still paranoid. It wouldn't be hard for someone to link last night's fight to the restaurant earlier because of their jackets - and while often the pigs turn a blind eye to gang stuff, once gang stuff starts leaking out into restaurants with fancy food and rich people, they're a little less likely to ignore it.

But for now, it's quiet. They walk past shops with tourist knickknacks and something that must be a housewares store given the decor and ceramics in the front window - stuff that might be decent but too large to walk away with.

At the end of the street, on the corner, under a street lamp, is a watch shop. Johnnie eyes it, and then glances over his shoulder.]

'Course this fucker's shop is right where it's the brightest fuckin' spot on the whole street. Maybe there's a back door.

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