(no subject)

[not_lugosi]

Bela arrives, moving a little more slowly than usual, but with her familiar smirk. It's been an interesting day. In the end it was a quite profitable one, even if she's paid for it in bruises.

Ghosts can be so pesky when you try to take their treasures.

Tiny tag: Bela Talbot, Cal Chandler

Comments

[not_lugosi]

Bela doesn't respond, but she doesn't frown or look overly concerned, either. In fact, her smile becomes softer and more genuine.

"No one's worried about me in a long time."

Even though there have been multiple reasons for anyone in their right mind to worry a great deal about her.

"I guess- that's what friends do. Worry about each other." There is a questioning tone in her voice; she's not really sure what adult friends feel for each other, aside from the surface view pop culture paints.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal glances at her. For just a few seconds, she looks very young indeed.

"That's what I hear," he says lightly. "You know how rumors get around, though."

He himself is not overly familiar with the concept of friends who don't want something from him, be it money or favors or drugs. When he was a kid, maybe. If their parents weren't just trying to curry favor with his.

[not_lugosi]

Light tone is good. Light tone is not scary. Light tone doesn't make her want to flee.

She smiles up at Cal and then kisses him. Wordless communication is also much, much easier.

They're friends. She doesn't need to ask, and she doesn't need to say it. She thinks that maybe he doesn't either.

[isaysimplewords]

Mm. Cal is comfortable with words, but no words can be good, too.

He's also getting comfortable with the idea of friends around here. Some of the people he's met since his arrival he might even trust, maybe, and that's practically a dirty word back home. Trusting someone at home is just asking to get fucked over. But that, like everything else, seems to be different here.

[not_lugosi]

That makes two of them. Trusting others hasn't been a part of her life, ever, so she doesn't know what she's missed. The friendships she's making here just might show her. Slowly, but surely.

If she could articulate her feelings a little better, she could tell Cal these things, but she's hidden her true self, her true emotions, for so long that it isn't an option. Not yet.

Bela lifts her hand to lightly trace the side of his face with her fingertips. She likes his face, and not just because he's very handsome. She likes how his face looks when he's talking to her.

"Thanks, Cal." Her brow furrows momentarily. She's not sure why she said that, or whether she should have at all. It just seemed the thing to say.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal leans into the touch a little and gives her a smile.

He's not sure what to say back, aside from the obvious. He's not really good at this stuff. He'll sit inside a circle of dust with a frightened woman, or buy chocolate chip pancakes for a girl who's never tried them before, or try his best to explain religion to a boy who has just been introduced to the concept of holy wars, but ask him what friendship entails or to try to express it and he'll come up empty-handed.

"Any time."

[not_lugosi]

That smile of his kills her, in the good way.

They can be emotionally stunted together! It will work well, except for when it doesn't.

She leans again, this time to whisper in his ear. "Take me upstairs, yeah?"

[isaysimplewords]

Cal grins.

"Any time," he repeats. He gives her a kiss and then stands, holding his hand out to her.

[not_lugosi]

Bela takes his offered hand and sticks close by him as they walk upstairs.

Halfway up the stairs, she realizes exactly why she's so happy.

She feels safe.