Lunatics on the Grass - RP for: asthenoseonyourface

[coatandscarf]

The past week had been the closest to a roller coaster that Randy had experienced in her civilian life. Ever since she'd step foot into Shamrock Investigations, her life had gone on a complete diversion. Mostly thanks to John Riley. Now that she'd had a proper 'debriefing' from his siblings, she began to understand some of the quirks she'd seen from him, and how to begin categorizing them. Sharing his coffee? *Huge* deal. Not even they got offered. Taking food of her plate? Standard issue. Apparently that was the way the man ate. Him picking up the check at the restaurant? *Very* rare. When he was bored, he vandalized. Apparently the artwork outside the office was his. Jock had offered to paint it, Randy had taken him up on it. She had a feeling there would be art up again sooner or later, but she was curious to see what it would be now that the office was "hers". The pick-pocketing continued, mostly her iPod when it was out on the unit with the speakers. Random songs would appear out of thin air. She couldn't say she minded that much.

It was strange, how quickly she got into the routine of the lunacy. John was... John. There was really no other way to describe him. At this point, she associated him with lunacy and expected nothing short of it. She had quickly learned that bargaining was the way to go with him, so she made certain to put a sign on the patient rooms whenever there was someone in there. So long as he respected those signs, he could help her type things up afterward and mock her mistakes when he found them. Randy much rather preferred that then him walking in on a breast examination or some other such thing.

And then there was the kiss. Well, the almost-kiss. There was no sign of such a thing returning, no other move to pick up where they had left off. Ultimately, it was fine by Randy, really. But at the same time, it was... nice, knowing she could still *feel* that again. She might be broken, but there was repairing that could be done. Her therapist agreed, and she gave Randy the reason why: the man was emotionless. The man was asexual. Therefore, he wasn't a threat.

It was lunacy.

In other words, it was exactly what was to be expected when it came to John Riley.

Comments

[coatandscarf]

She'd ignored the texts, knowing how close she was to the offices. But when he greeted her with a request for company for coffee, she only shook her head with a soft sigh. She had barely stepped out of the cab and he was already demanding her attention.

"Holmes, you're the most impatient man in the world." She motioned with her free hand for him to lead the way into the shop, leaning against the cane as she limped after him. The wonders of having a coffee shop right next door to their offices. Convenient, really. Considering how much coffee John seemed to drink, maybe not so. Something told her the twins had set this up.

[asthenoseonyourface]

"And you're never where you're supposed to be, Adler." he grumbled, crushing out his cigarette beneath his foot to fall into step beside her. Opening the door to the coffee shop for her because Jane said it was polite, he followed her in and led her to a table, folding his tall, reedy frame into a chair.

"I'm bored and I need coffee." he groused. "It doesn't work if I'm alone." He paused, blinking. "Maybe I'm hungry, too."

And John ordering his own food was never a good sign for his mood.

[coatandscarf]

Randy just gave him a smile. "I'll order then. Give me a minute." She walked up to the counter and ordered the usual for her, and the mocha espresso with a shot of vanilla for him. She paused, looking over her shoulder at him for a few moments. "Make it a double espresso. And a chocolate danish. And a cinnamon muffin." Looking back at the barista, Randy smiled. "And if you wouldn't mind cutting them in half."

Paying, Randy returned with two plates, carefully balancing them one atop the other in one hand, putting them at the center of the table before slipping into the seat opposite him. "They'll be a moment with the coffee." She broke off a piece of the cinnamon muffin and popped it into her mouth. A total carb-fest, but she didn't care. She'd work it off in PT later.

[asthenoseonyourface]

John didn't answer, just drummed his fingers rapidly against the surface of the table like gunfire. He was usually silent and sullen for the first few minutes, but just before he got unbearable, he'd open up about what was bothering him without preamble or provocation.

Today was no exception.

"I'm making my sister miserable." he blurted, staring hard at the tabletop. "Jock, too...I just don't know how to fix it. I get so bored, and then...people get hurt. I can't help it."

[coatandscarf]

Randy tilted her head at him slightly, trying to think of what he might've done to make Jane miserable. Randy hadn't gotten any indication that he'd done anything particularly out of the ordinary as of late.

She broke off a piece of the danish, eating it absently. It took some effort though, she wasn't a big fan of danishes. She'd ordered it because she recalled he'd brought it to her flat and eaten one without having to share it. It implied he liked it enough to eat it on his own. She hoped by breaking off a piece herself, that desire to 'share' his food would come through.

"...'And that was how a great scandal threatened to affect the kingdom of Bohemia.' What happened to Jane?"

[asthenoseonyourface]

John had been carefully studying that feeling which came when she quoted The Story, so it didn't surprise him this time. Still, it came over him, powerful and sweeping, and it was a second. Score he trusted himself to speak.

Slowly, he reached towards the food...and tore off a piece of the muffin, a bad sign.

"Bob Cole." he spat out, as though it was a curse. "Thirty four, blonde, blue eyed, swimmer. Owns a car dealership, loves spicy food...and already has a girlfriend. He's been dating my sister for eleven days and ten hours."

[coatandscarf]

At least she'd gotten him to reach for a piece of some type of food. Progress. Randy frowned at him in confusion as he began to speak, but reached for another piece of the muffin. She was mid-swallow when he concluded with the fact that this person was *also* dating Jane.

She cleared her throat a bit, thankful that the coffees both arrived just then. She coughed a bit, opening the lid to stir in two packets of sugar. "I see. I'm guessing that he's not dating her anymore." It was probably the worst possible response to give, but what else could she say? It was a horrible situation to be in, and possibly worse than that, considering how *tense* he was. He'd done something, and it had likely upset his twins. Randy knew he hated upsetting them. She had a sinking feeling he had done just that.

[asthenoseonyourface]

"Worse: he's pressing charges." John sighed, reaching for his coffee and taking a sip. He paused, blinked, then took another...double espresso.

The electricity slid back again, but he felt strangely warm for it. Totally thoughtless of the bombshell he'd just laid out, he extended his coffee towards her, offering her that unheard privilege of sharing with her.

Because, obviously, his coffee tasted much better.

[coatandscarf]

Randy's eyes widened a bit at that news. Good God, what had he done to the man? And why did she have this sinking feeling that it was partly her fault? After all, she *was* the one that said she'd react violently if she found out her boyfriend was cheating on her. Had he reacted based on her response?

Without really thinking about it, she reached out and took a sip of his coffee. God, much too strong for her liking. Reminded her of med school and those endless sleep-deprived shifts. But she drank anyway, knowing now how much this apparently meant to John. She put the cup down in front of him and put the lid back on hers, drinking from it after. Much better. Not that she'd ever say so.

"What'd you break?"

[asthenoseonyourface]

"Just his thumb." John sighed petulantly. "It'll heal, too. Jock thinks I could have broken his whole wrist and not made Janie mad." He sobered, and for a brief second Randy saw cold, raw fury...the emptiness that made him well and truly dangerous.

"Janie cried." he explained softly, simply. "She never would have spoken to me again if I killed him, so I broke his thumb." He scowled, taking another sip of his coffee. "I should've broken his kneecaps..."

[coatandscarf]

His thumb. That wasn't so bad at all, considering what Randy herself said she would do. The look of... nothingness was scary though. Yet as he continued, she realized it wasn't really nothingness. Because if it was nothingness, he wouldn't have cared that Jane cried. He would have brushed it off, like he brushed off so many things.

"You did good with the thumb. Swimmers need their hands," she said simply, not quite believing she was having this conversation, drinking from her cup. "If it means anything to you, I would've probably done worse, myself. I'm really impressed you restrained yourself as you did."

[asthenoseonyourface]

He sighed, shrugging as he reached over to brush a crumb off a corner of the table near her. "Janie asked me to stop. Then she kicked him in the balls...then she smacked me. Then she hugged me." He paused, blinking as he regarded Randy with a confused tilt of his head. "Is that good?"

Somewhere in the interim, a small piece of danish finally vanished from sight, and John had a small smear of chocolate at the corner of his mouth.

[coatandscarf]

She couldn't help but grin a bit at the description of events. "Yes. It's... nice having someone to watch your back. Mind you, she probably wanted to handle it on her own, hence the smack but... she knows you meant well."

Automatically, Randy found herself reaching out to him, rubbing away the piece of chocolate that had smeared on the corner of his mouth. He eyes widened as she realized what she'd done and she couldn't help but laugh, withdrawing her hand. "Sorry about that." Quickly, she reached for a piece of muffin, not wanting to give too much thought on what she'd just done. Not that a muffin would stop her from thinking about it.

[asthenoseonyourface]

John just rolled his eyes, but felt an echo of that electricity when she reached out to touch his mouth. There was something about it...something about her...

He caught her hand before it could reach the muffin, but didn't pull it close or let it go. He just held on, watching the place where they touched, then met her gaze.

"I still don't know..." He trailed off, unable to explain it. He didn't know why he liked her. He didn't know why she made him...feel like this. He didn't know what caused it, and he didn't know how to make it stop or make it fit inside himself.

Not knowing was driving him crazy.

[coatandscarf]

Randy found herself gulping slightly, yet made no move to draw away from his grip. "You... haven't researched it any?" Not that she really knew herself, but at least she had a good idea about what was happening. Then again, she'd experienced it before, to a certain degree.

Never like this.

God, no, never like this.

[asthenoseonyourface]

He shook his head. Research? How could he? Even thinking about the way he felt around her with any other woman in mind just...felt wrong.

"I...never speak of the softer passions." he murmured, the words of The Story washing over him again, fit more closely to his own mind. "But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament is to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results."

He hesitated, his fingers shifting, his grip turning...once again, his fingers rested against her wrist, her pulse fluttering against his hand.

"And yet...there is but one woman to me."

[coatandscarf]

Her eyes widened a bit as she realized what he was doing. He was quoting 'Scandal'... and paraphrasing it as if it were Sherlock himself saying it.

It almost felt like her heart stopped as he made his declaration.

Her eyes remained locked on his, her breath caught in her throat. She shifted her hand then, mirroring his actions, her fingers on his pulse. Her mind was racing, words dying on her lips. What could she possibly say to that?

"'I remain, dear Mr. Sherlock Holmes, very truly yours'..."

She bit her bottom lip lightly, feeling his pulse quickening under her fingertips. "Turn off your phone... and come next door with me," she said softly, her heart suddenly racing.

[asthenoseonyourface]

John couldn't breathe for real this time as she spoke. When she told him to turn off his phone, to go with her...

Any other time, he would have rebelled, asked, questioned. Breathless, flushed, and compelled, he stood and slid out his phone, pausing only as long as it took to switch it off before he followed her, strangely passive and obedient.

[coatandscarf]

She rose fluidly from the chair, fumbling into her pocket to turn off her own phone with one hand. They slipped out of the cafe and towards her offices. She spent a few moments fumbling for the key in her other pocket before unlocking the door.

She didn't dare release his hand.

They entered then, the small waiting room she'd set up for herself. The door shut behind him, and she dropped the keys back in her pocket absently, drawing in a shaky breath as her eyes darted up to him.

"...Please... if I say stop..." Her fingers tightened imperceptibly around his wrist, trying not to allow the sudden fear she felt welling up inside her to overwhelm her. She *wanted* this. He wasn't forcing her into anything. He *wasn't*. This was *her* decision, and for now, she was still in control.

[asthenoseonyourface]

John took note of her fear, her apprehension...she was pleading, and he wasn't even sure why. As she did, however, the strange, dark repore that had taken him abated and he visibly straightened, expression clearing.

Janie cried. Randy was scared. Both were criminal offenses.

He didn't know what to do to make it better, wasn't even sure what was about to happen...so he said the first thing that came to mind, his voice soft and husky with things he couldn't even name.

"There is...but one woman to me."

He was moving as he spoke, he couldn't stop, his other hand sliding into hers, his head tipping to look down at her, they were so close now...