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Post by Riley Neves on Feb 6, 2009 4:31:14 GMT -5
"No?" Riley asked, smiling almost knowingly. "And what kind of movies did you expect me to like? Romatic ones?" She made a little face and shook her head. "Never much cared for them. Too sappy and way too hard to believe. No one in love really acts like that." The irony of these words wouldn't hit her for a long time.
Did she like to be scared? She never really considered it, but she supposed it was true. She had to wonder why, and couldn't rightly come up with an answer. That was a psychological question that she really had no theories for.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Feb 6, 2009 11:55:36 GMT -5
Roland laughed at her comment about romantic movies. "OK, now you're starting to scare me," he said. "We keep agreeing on things. This could ruin our relationship completely. We might just start agreeing on everything."
Actually, he had seen a few romantic movies, old ones that were in black and white. He'd never admit to anyone that he'd watched them, much less enjoyed them. But he realized with a sudden shock that most of the couples in those old romances were a lot like him and Riley--they argued all the time. Of course real life could never be like it was in the movies. In the movies, when a couple argued all the time, it meant that they were going to fall in love. In real life, it just meant that they didn't get along.
Right?
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Post by Riley Neves on Feb 6, 2009 16:51:20 GMT -5
Riley laughed, but shrugged all the same. "I told you I really wasn't all bad," she said. "Actually, I had a feeling that if we could talk outside of a professional environment, we might find out we were more alike."
She and Roland were complete opposites, actually. They may agree on movies, but that was about where it stopped. When they weren't at each other's throats, they did compliment the other well. The trick was to apply that to work.
"But you're right... we need to find something we disagree on.'
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Feb 7, 2009 11:56:11 GMT -5
Roland smiled. "Give us time," he teased. "I'm sure we'll come up with something soon."
He took another sip of his wine and looked at her for a moment. He almost felt like he was seeing her for the first time... not as an unwanted partner or an obstacle meant to keep him in line, but as a woman, with thoughts and feelings and opinions. It was a bit disconcerting for him to realize that the two of them probably were more alike than they had previously thought. It was much easier to hate her.
"What about music?" he asked. "Have any preferences there? Maybe we can stir up a good argument about that, just to get things back to normal. All this 'getting along' is just too weird."
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Post by Riley Neves on Feb 7, 2009 14:47:45 GMT -5
"Music," Riley repeated and thought about it for a second. "Well, there's really only two kinds I listen to, though I don't particularly dislike anything. But I like Rock and Roll, and I like classical. It depends on my mood."
She left the door open for him to comment, and wondered what he would admit to liking. She couldn't actually guess, though if she had to she might have pinned him as a rock and roll kind of guy.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Feb 7, 2009 17:19:20 GMT -5
Roland made an exaggerated frown. "Darn... we agree on that, too," he said. "I like rock and roll, too. Not so much into the classical music... I like music with words. It's kind of like poetry, only not so sappy. A lot of them are very clever. What bands do you like? I'm rather partial to the Rolling Stones, myself."
He shook his head and flashed her one of his crooked grins. "I really think all this agreement is bad for our relationship. We need to find something a little more controversial to talk about. Politics, maybe?"
He was kidding, of course, but it did feel very strange to him to keep agreeing with her on things. Did they really only clash when it came to work?
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Post by Riley Neves on Feb 8, 2009 1:18:06 GMT -5
Riley laughed. "Well, we're both Aurors, so I'm going to assume that politically, we're pretty similar too. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." She took another sip of her wine and raised an eyebrow. "By the way, remember when I suggested we get to know each other and you blew me off? This is exactly why I suggested it." It was as close to I told you so as she would let herself say.
"I'll tell you something about me that absolutely no one knows. It's not very interesting, I'm afraid, but even Geoffrey doesn't know and he's known me for years. I love going to poetry slams. But don't misjudge me... I'm not into the rhyming, cute, tragic love poems. I despise those."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Feb 8, 2009 2:13:15 GMT -5
He sighed and looked away from her. He was about to admit something that was difficult for him, and he found it hard to maintain eye contact. "I blew you off then because I didn't want to get to know you," he said. "I was a jerk, I admit that. I get like that sometimes... and I apologize. I'm not someone who warms up to people right away. Sometimes it takes a little while. I'm... well, I am kind of set in my ways and I don't like when things don't go the way I want them to. Being taken off that case and assigned a partner... it felt like I was being slapped on the wrist and I took it out on you because I couldn't take it out on Angelique."
He looked back at her then, feeling a little better for having got that out of his system. Then he could turn his attention to her other comment. "Anyway, what are poetry slams? A bunch of hippie types dressed in black and reading poems?"
He honestly couldn't imagine anything more ridiculous. Or boring. But then, he knew better than to knock something he hadn't tried.
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Post by Riley Neves on Feb 8, 2009 2:20:59 GMT -5
"I wasn't feeling particularly happy about being assigned a partner either," Riley said, watching him. He got this crinkle in his nose every time he apologized, and she constantly fascinated her. She never saw it any other time, and it made her wonder what was going through his head.
She set her plate, still a quarter full, on the coffee table as he asked what exactly she meant. "Oh, God no," Riley said, laughing a little bit. "That would bore me to tears. In fact, I rather think you'd like the ones I go to. You said you like music with words, right? That's pretty much what they are... only without the instruments. There's still a beat and a rhythm. No hippies. No reading, either. It's all from the heart and the heat of the moment."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Feb 8, 2009 2:49:17 GMT -5
"I know you weren't," he said simply. He didn't want to dwell on the subject further; he was too ashamed of his own behavior, and he didn't want to remember it. It was one thing when they argued for a reason, but in the beginning, it had just been him being a jerk, and there was no real excuse for it. Yes, he was moody at times, and he wasn't always nice to people right away... but he should have done better, and he knew it. He'd lost control, which he hated. It wouldn't be out of line to call him a control freak.
He listened with his eyebrows raised curiously as she described the poetry slam. He couldn't quite imagine that such a thing wouldn't be hokey. Since poetry was kind of a foreign concept to him, he couldn't imagine what could come out "in the heat of the moment" that wouldn't be cheesy. "Well... I don't know. It sounds odd. Are the poems actually good?"
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Post by Riley Neves on Feb 8, 2009 3:02:45 GMT -5
"It's just lyrics to a song, Roland," Riley said, finding no better way to explain it to him. He thought it was stupid... so what? She never really needed anyone's approval, his least of all. But she did truly think he might enjoy it. She even agreed with him that some of them were cheesey and lame. She loved the ones that felt like arguments to a rhythm. And maybe Roland wouldn't enjoy them, afterall. But he liked lyrics, and he certainly liked to argue. "I can't do any of my own. I just like to listen."
She sighed and smiled, wondering just how stupid he was going to think she was. "And I'd give you an example, but I can already see the look you'd give me, and I think I'll pass."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Feb 8, 2009 3:23:14 GMT -5
His eyes locked onto hers and held them. "Hey, I'm not knocking it," he said. "I guess... I just don't get it. You enjoy it, and that's cool. I can't quite imagine it myself... I'd have to go to one to understand. See, I never really did understand poetry. Maybe I need the music... and maybe the rhythm would help, I don't know. I like a good turn of phrase, but when it gets too emotional.... well, I'm not all that comfortable with expressing emotions. I don't know what to make of people who are."
He looked away then, staring into his nearly-empty wine glass. "Maybe sometime I'll have to go to one with you."
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Post by Riley Neves on Feb 8, 2009 14:00:48 GMT -5
Riley raised an eyebrow at his final words, despite the fact that he wasn't looking at her.
"If I didn't know better, Roland, that almost sounds like a date." She chuckled lightly and took his wine glass from him, carrying both hers and his into the kitchen to refill them.
She was back just a moment later, and handed him his glass back. "I'm out of topics, I'm afraid."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Feb 8, 2009 14:31:01 GMT -5
Roland's eyes darkened and he looked up at her, his expression unreadable. "It's a good thing you know better, isn't it?" he said softly.
He looked away again, then drained the contents of his glass. "I guess maybe that's my cue to leave," he said. He set down his empty glass and got to his feet. "But... this was nice. Thank you for doing it... I never would have. And not just because I can't cook."
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Post by Riley Neves on Feb 8, 2009 14:56:53 GMT -5
Riley frowned. Something had changed in the last thirty seconds, and she had no idea what. She had been joking about the date thing, but his response was cold, even if it was said in a soft tone. She noticed his eyes darken, and she just didn't get it.
She would have thought that refilling his wine glass would have been his cue to stay a while, actually, but she watched as he drained it, then looked from the glass to his face.
"I guess it is," she said, biting the inside of her lip and stood, grabbing both the plates under the pretense of going into the kitchen. "You can show yourself out?"
She didn't make it very far before her irritation got the best of her, and she set the plates on the counter, going back to the living room. "No, wait," she said, her hands on her hips as she came close to Roland, and her words started to come out heated. It was just because she was frustrated, and she didn't know how to deal with him.
"Clue me in here, Roland. I don't know what to do anymore. I try to ignore you to work with you, and that doesn't work. I make dinner for you, which, by the way, was an apology for everything, in case you didn't get it, and that doesn't work either. So do me a favor, okay? Pick a mood. Be arguementative, or be nice, but just let me know so that I can act accordingly, all right? I can't keep up with all of your mood swings anymore, and frankly, I'm tired of trying."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Feb 8, 2009 16:01:42 GMT -5
His mind had started travelling down dangerous paths and he was feeling things he did not want to be feeling. That was why he had to get out of there, as soon as possible. It could have been a clean escape, too, but then she came right up to him and started yelling at him. He couldn't breathe for a second as he stared down at her with intense eyes.
When she stopped talking, he opened his mouth and tried to speak, but no words came out. What explanation could he offer? They had been having a nice evening, they were getting along, finding common ground... And he liked it all just a little too much. And now she was standing so close...
"I'm sorry, I...." he began. Then he leaned in and kissed her.
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Post by Riley Neves on Feb 8, 2009 16:12:34 GMT -5
She would have never seen it coming, but when he kissed her, things started to slowly click into place.
She was presented with an oppertunity at this point, and she would be lying if she said she didn't want to kiss him back, just a little. But then she thought of Fabian, and all the fights she and Roland had.
It was just because they had been working so closely lately... that was all it was. when the case was over, they wouldn't even remember this ever happened.
She pulled away, avoiding the tempation to lick her lips, and met his eyes boldly. "You should go."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Feb 8, 2009 16:23:29 GMT -5
He stared at her for a second, then his jaw hardened and his eyes went cold. "Yeah, I guess maybe I should," he said angrily. He wasn't angry at her, he was angry at himself. He shouldn't have kissed her... he didn't know why he had done it, when every instinct had screamed at him to stop.
He turned and headed for the door, not letting her see the pained expression on his face. Putting his hand on the doorknob, he hesitated before turning it. "I'm sorry," he said for what seemed like the hundredth time.
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Post by Riley Neves on Feb 8, 2009 16:35:43 GMT -5
Riley rarely ever backed down when he tried to stare her down. His intimidating stare never worked on her.
Except now. She couldn't keep eye contact in situations like this. Not with him, and she looked away from his hard gaze. The air between them was suddenly thick and oppressive. She flinched, just slightly, when she heard the anger in his voice, and was at a loss for what to do, ignoring the voice in her head that said to kiss him again.
"I'm sorry too," she whispered, her eyes still on the floor. "I need you to please just go."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Feb 8, 2009 18:37:43 GMT -5
He didn't move right away. He took a few breaths, then turned to face her, his eyes filled with regret. "You did a nice thing. I ruined it. I'm sorry."
Even now, he wanted to kiss her again. Her lips had been surprisingly soft and sweet, and he had liked it much more than he should have. But the timing had been wrong... or he'd misread the energy that had been between them. She wanted nothing to do with him, and he couldn't blame her. She'd probably try again to get him reassigned, or worse. He only hoped that she understood that he was genuinely sorry.
Before she could say anything else, he turned around again and opened the door. "Goodbye."
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