On My Own (Josiah)

[Siege]

It was four days since she had last visited this beach. And in that time a great deal had happened. She figured that she would stay close to the school, live in an alley there somewhere, but luckily for her, the beach was somewhat close to the school. And there was just something about being able to camp out and live on the beach. Siege figured that it was free rent, and that was basically what she needed. Things had changed, and now she was without a hoe, however shitty it had been to begin with, she didn't have one at all now. But such was life, and Siege was the kind of girl that would roll with the punches, she wasn't all that worried about monetary possessions.

Luckily she never had much. She had been kicked out. Not because she couldn't pay but because they were tearing down the building. And they had beaten on her door the night before last to tell her she had to be out by eight in the morning, or the wrecking ball was coming through her window whether she was there or not. So she had gone, and packed the little bit of clothing that she had left, and left her place heading out and on her own. The first night she had slept on the streets curled up in an alley, and today she had skipped school and worked her way down closer to school looking for a place she could stay. But everything was much too expensive. So tonight she was intending to camp out on the beach close to where that party was the other day. The beach wouldn't be such bad living, she could camp and when she got enough cash she could buy herself a tent and be all set. She would just live a minimalist life style.

And it was sunset now. Her back pack sat well out of the way where the rising tide would come up on the sand. And she was unknowingly walking down the beach collecting some wild summer flowers that had grown up here and there. She didn't even know she was around Josiah's place, after not seeing hm for a couple of days her mind didn't even wander over to him. So there she stood, back pack not too far from her dressed in a pair of jeans and a black tank top as she picked flowers adding them to the bundle in her hand.

[Josiah]

Sunset, he guessed it was on of the plus sides about his home. No mater what day of the week he could always watch the sun sink into the waves of the pacific. If he had been a painter he would have tried to capture the image but he was no such thing, still though the lonely beauty of such a sight was not wasted on him, no it was one of the few things he could say he appreciated even if it was just slightly.

The house was empty as always, he had no visitors since that day she had left, after first he had kind of missed her. While he was alone in life Josiah knew what it was like to atleast have a comrade, ever since his L.A move he had been without one, the only thing close he had to it was the cloaked voice that called him every so often for a job, but that was all. He sigh lightly as he looked at his Violin sitting on his bench outside with him, he had missed her the first two or three days but he had gotten over what he called a lingering trace of his humanity, his weakness.

Placing the instrument in its case he placed it inside and looked to the sand. A walk before dinner sounded nice to him, yes that would kill some time and allow his appitte to form.

He walked on the sandy beach, always dressed as though he was at work in his classic suite. It really did give him a bit of flare to him though the style was probably to old for him and he knew it, but still it was how they had dressed and he had become one of them so why not enjoy the fashion.

It was n the orange light of the sunset he saw a familiar face looking at a bundle of wild flowers in her hand. For a moment she reminded him of the sunset from the look she had on her face. A type of beautiful sadness as her eyes looked at the flowers in her hands the orange sunset hitting her in a way only to accent this melancholy look.

He was probably 20 feet away from her when his words escaped his lips. “I thought you’d avoid the beach since you know I live here” Jo said looking at her. “What are you doing all the way down here at this hour”

[Siege]

“I thought you’d avoid the beach since you know I live here”

“What are you doing all the way down here at this hour”

A familiar voice rang out over the sand and Siege straightened her back placing another flower in the boquet in her hands. Her grey eyes looked over at him. Wearing the same clothes as always, and yeah she was definatly far from home. There was no way she could walk back before night fall. She was shocked however, that he was even speaking to her. She figured that if he saw her he would walk right by, afterall it was no secret that he didn't like her.

"Heeey pops. Didn't expect to see you."

It was honest, she really hadn't. Though she knew that he lived around here. She hadn't expected him to be the kind that would get his shoes and feet dirty by taking a walk. She cocked her brow as she looked down at her flowers for a moment, letting her brow fall once more back to a neutral position.

"I'm waiting for dark I guess..." she shrugged and looked back up. "What about you, you don't seem like the kind that is all about sunset walks, don't tell me you came all the way down here to talk to me."

She knew that wasn't what he was doing though, she had no thoughts of it. She merely was trying to make conversation as she stood there holding her flowers in her hands.

[Josiah]

That pops thing again, god that was annoying, he much preferred the girl that had refered to him as devil, atleast the nickname he could slightly enjoy, but no not her. Was he really that old in her eyes? He must be, but it wasn’t his fault he had to be the only stable thing in his life, he had no time to be childish not with the life he had lead to this point.

He took a smoke out from his pocket and lit it as she began to speak again telling him that she was waiting for dark. He could not understand why, she lived in such a shit hole that it was better to be home before dark with a heavy lock set on her door. What the hell was she getting at?

“Just because I am a prick doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a sunset every now and again” He said as his crimson eyes looked to her letting plumes of grey smoke escape his nostrils. “Plus…I guess I wasn’t hungry just yet to start cooking for myself” he admitted

“What about you…you don’t look like the kind of girl to pick flowers at sunset…10 miles away from your shitty building…why are you waiting for it to get dark?” he asked almost as if he was curious

[Siege]

“Just because I am a prick doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a sunset every now and again”

Siege chuckled and shrugged, he was right, but still, he really didn't seem like the type. She walked towards him, not in touching distance but she moved close enough that their conversation didn't have to be so loud. He was dressed like he always was but she was dressed in a more casual way, she usually was casual. One because she couldn't afford nicer clothes, and two because she really felt comfy in jeans and a tshirt. She looked up at him as he spoke to her again.

“Plus…I guess I wasn’t hungry just yet to start cooking for myself”

"What's for dinner?" she asked curiously as she stood there in front of him. No she wasn't inviting herself, but she was certainly curious.

“What about you…you don’t look like the kind of girl to pick flowers at sunset…10 miles away from your shitty building…why are you waiting for it to get dark?”

Siege shrugged her muscular but slender shoulders.

"To go to sleep of course. Didn't you know, the latest craze is sleeping on the beach."

It was a lie of coruse, but that didn't matter. It wasn't like he was going to care about her problems anyway, he didn't seem the type that would worry that she didn't have a place to stay anymore. She looked up at him and then held out her flower.

"Here." she said waiting for him to take them. "Put them on your table, it'll livin' up the dinner table a bit."

A small smile on her face as she turned and moved past him back towards her backpack. She stooped down to pick it up and began heading closer to the water's edge, at a slow leisurely pace.

[Josiah]

To sleep huh, he figured she would have realized by now he was not one to have the wool pulled over his eyes by now but apparently she gave him no credit in that area. She held out her flower telling him to put them on his table as she waited for him to take them but his hands never moved to pick them up. He was not a flower kind of person, the beauty was depressing sense since to bring them home meant that you had to kill them and subject them to a slow death in stagnet water.

She gave him a small smile before turning and moved to grab her bag. The normally mouthy little girl seemed so off, even he could tell there was something off with her.

“Chicken and fettuccini alfredo” he said as she leisurely began to walk away, it was what he was having for dinner after all and she had asked.

“You know…I have a tendency to cook to much…and my house is not far away” He said suggestively “If you plan to spend your night on the beach you can stop by if you want to” His tone still so uncaring but his words, they were true to their speech

“Your not drunk this time so you have a choice…I ain’t gunna force you” he said honestly. “Put it’s the only way those flowers will ever see the inside of my house” A plume of smoke escaped his nostrils once again giving her a moment to decided what she wanted to do

[Siege]

he didn't take the flowers. He didn't even refuse he just stood there as if she hadn't said anything. She bit her lower lip as she looked up at him standing there as if she hadn't offered him anything. Her eyes went dark, cold, and then dropped so he wouldn't see what else was there. As she moved past him, she dropped the flowers on the ground just to his side and moved on gathering up her back pack.

“Chicken and fettuccini alfredo”

Sounded good. In fact she loved pasta, and wished that she was better at cooking so that she could make something like that.

“You know…I have a tendency to cook to much…and my house is not far away” He said suggestively “If you plan to spend your night on the beach you can stop by if you want to”

Whatever. Sh would go hungry tonight. It wasn't like it was that big of a deal she had gone hungry before, and she had eaten breakfast this morning, when she found a street vendor. So that would tide her over. She would sleep out here tonight. She woud let him live in his little world. And he could fuck himself, because in order for someone to accept you, you had to accept them, and she had tried, but now, she realized it was a lost cause.

“Your not drunk this time so you have a choice…I ain’t gunna force you”

Well maybe he should take some initiative and make it seem like he actually cared or wanted her around. But he never had, and for that she felt herself pulling away again. Not that they were close, even friends. They were nothing really. And so it wouldn't be hard to pull back. Right?

“But it’s the only way those flowers will ever see the inside of my house”

"Fuck the flowers."

She sat down in the sand, and kicked her shoes off letting her feet burry their toes in the sand. She let out a long sigh, and pulled her knees to her chest, laying her head on top of her knees watching the sunset over the ocean.

[Josiah]

She let the flowers fall to the floor, he could see that hurt part of her as she moved away pickng up her bag and moving away from him to sit in the sand. She kicked off her shoes and pulled her knees up, he had not pictured her for that type of girl but apparently it wasn’t something that she could not get out of her core, it was emotion and sentimentality, things he had done his best to give up and just rely on cold hard logic.

“I see…just gunna sit there then huh…suit yourself” Josiah said with a shrug, the beach was realitivly safe and he knew it, the beach front properties were expensive and so the cops did tend to patrol the neighborhood pretty well, she’d be fine.

He began to take a step away when something cold struck his face, his hand came up and wiped it away, it was a wet rain drop that had hit him. That was when he looked up to the sky and the skys seemed to grow grey just before they cracked open and the flood gates were released in a thunderious downpour.

He looked over to Siege, still curled into her little ball. “Well Come on” Josiah said to her but she seemed not to budge. They were both getting soaked within seconds. Lightning cracked through they sky and he knew how dangerous it would be fore her down here. Spitting out his soaked cigarette he huffed. He had no idea why he was even bothering, what the fuck did he owe her anyway.

He came to her “Jesus you really are a stubborn thing” He said to her before he reached down, he grabbed one of her hand taking it in his own, while he hated to be touched it wasn’t so bad when he was doing it, it was like fighting in a sense that it was being done to accomplish a greater goal. He gave her a tug, one that said he was not letting go as his white shirt began to cling to the defined muscles in his arms his vest though still covering his entire torso.

He’d yank her up and get her bag in the other hand “Fight me on this and the lightning won’t have a chance to fry your ass!” He warned her as he began to lead her back to his place

[Siege]

She felt the first three drops on her shoulders. Sitting up slightly she looked up at the sky, because of the growing dusk she hadn't even realized that the clouds were moving in. She sighed as it finally opened up and the heavens rained down upon them. She closed her eyes and just stayed put. Living on the streets she was going to have to get used to it anyway, so she might as well start now, at least it was summer, though it was oddly cold, the wind that was blowing in with the rain.

“Well Come on”

Yeah. As if. She rolled her eyes and looked at the ocean again, the waves were growing larger with the rainfall. She sighed, just leave me alone, she wanted to say, it wasn't like he actually cared. Usually she didn't let herself get so sentimental, but she had worked her ass off for that apartment, to be able to afford a place of her own. And she had done alright supporting herself, and now, it was gone because some fucker bought it and decided it would make a better strip center.

“Jesus you really are a stubborn thing”

She looked up, and watched in utter shock as he leaned down and grabbed her hand. Tugging he pulled her easily to her feet. Her eyes looked down at their hands that were clasped. She wrapped her hand around his, clasping it securely as he grabbed her bag. She smiled a bit. He was .. touching her. Now this wasn't the same as her being able to touch him, but he had no idea how calming touch could be for the young girl.

“Fight me on this and the lightning won’t have a chance to fry your ass!”

She chuckled as they walked hand in hand back towards his place. She didn't let go of his hand either, they were both walking and a slightly quick pace trying to get out of the rain as fast as possible. But it was also a lost cause considering the fact that they were both already soaked to the bone.

"I'm gonna have to get used to it anyway." she called out over the rain, though she figured he wouldln't really get what she meant. But it didn't matter. it was true. Together they raced up the stairs, and she couldn't help but laugh as they did, she always felt better around people for some reason. Once they were under the cover of the porch she smiled.

"Well I didn't expect that." she said looking out at the rain covered beach, her hand still holding his. Of course both of them had forgotten her shoes, but that was life, she'd have to claim them tomorrow and place them in the sun so they would dry out. She looked up at him and then down at their hands.

"Oh.. sorry.."

Her hand pulled back and she placed her arms crossing her torso.

[Josiah]

He didn’t notice her slight shock, no he was to focused on getting them to the shelter of his home, the salt water of the open ocean had a tendency to attract the worst of a storm especially as lighting went. They were soaked to the bone as they neared his place she had said something that his ears defiantly did not let go unnoticed. She’d have to get used to it huh, that was not something some one with an apartment would be saying. Something had happened but she just wouldn’t come out and say it.

She began to laugh lightly as the got onto his porch , it wasn’t till they both claimed down for a moment that thy realized their hands where still together. She corrected this even apologizing making it easy for Josiah just to shrug it off as though it had not actually happened.

“Don’t worry…not the first down our I’ve been caught in” He said as he placed her bag down and rand his hands through his soaked and messy hair causing a small stream to cascade from the normally messy mop top. He let out a small sigh before he grabbed his keys and opened the front door and looked to her

“Wipe for feet this time” He said looking back to her “If you think your staying out here…don’t even try it…so just get your butt inside and deal with it” His words, god they always seemed so harsh, but you had to really look for the sub texts with him a trick many did not see. He was actually being nice even if Siege didn’t realize it.

He slipped his shoes off and placed them to the side as soon as he entered, they were a lost cause at the moment. “Lets go upstairs and see if there isn’t anything dry in your bag left”

[Siege]

“Wipe for feet this time”

“If you think your staying out here…don’t even try it…so just get your butt inside and deal with it”

What?! Wipe her feet 'this time'. She had been carried in last time thank you very much there were no feet to wipe. Little mother fucker thought he was so smug and he wondered why she called him pops. Well she felt that it had to be quite obvious really, how could it not be. If anything he was like any father she had ever imagined. But despite the strict life of the orphanage, she had never really had that kind of leadership. Though this time she had bare feet so it would a little easier for her to wipe them off.

Her brows rose when he gave her the ultimatum. Basically, get in the house. He really was turning more and more into a dad. But hey, whatever made him happy, though she had a distinct impression that it didn't make him happy at all.

"What ever you say, Captain."

As the door opened, she stepped inside with him, remembering to wipe her bare feet. The air conditioning was cold in the house and immediatly her arms wrapped around her slender body and made her shiver. It was damn cold in here, but if she was warm and dry it would probably feel nice since it was damn hot in Cali during the summer.

“Lets go upstairs and see if there isn’t anything dry in your bag left”

Her eyes looked over at him and she nodded. Careful not to touch him, she picked up her bag from his hand and scurried up the steps, leaving wet foot prints and drips of water off her clothing as she went. Her hair too was dripping all around her. Making her look more like a drowned rat than a girl. Inside his room, she knelt down on the floor and unzipped her back pack. With three quick shakes everything that was held within came flopping and rolling onto the floor. Lipstick, mascara, rolled towards his feet. And her clothes flopped into a pile most of them soaked.

"Dirty, dirty, wet, dirty, ew.. dirty dirty.. wet.. dirty.. oh look these panties are dry AND clean! Score!"

Oh yes, she had been forced to leave and with it came her dirty and clean clothes in the same bag. Except as she had gone through the dirty clothes were tossed on his bed, the wet ones to the side, and the one shining pair of clean and dry panties held in her hand.

"But the rest is gone, for now."

Siege looked up at him from her spot on the floor. Still dripping, creating a little Siege puddle around her.

[Josiah]

They went up to his room, the water from their travels upstairs could be cleaned up later though right now getting her out of her wet clothes and into something dry before she caught a cold was more important. She emptied her bag, it looked as though she had run away, only confirming his suspisions more as he looked to her as she sorted through some things.

She was looking up t him from her spot on the floor still dripping wet. He could not help but roll his eyes slightly. “You’re a mess” He sad shaking his head slightly as he went to his bathroom closet and pulled out a large towel. He went back over to Siege and gave it to her so she could begin drying off.

“Well lets see what I can do for you…Can’t have you running around in front of me in only your panties” He said going over to his cloest. He’d get changed after her but for right now she needed to be taken care of.

Taking out a pair of training sweat pants and a tank top which had been folded in his closet he laid them on the bed.

“You can just dry off and put all that dirty and wet stuff in the hamper for now…I’m gunna go downstairs and turn on the oven to get the pasta started” Josiah said leaving the room and his closet for open leaving his other clothes exposed should she have any other ideas in mind

[Siege]

“You’re a mess”

Siege shrugged and chuckled. She couldn't help it, life sucked, she could only roll with the punches and take what life gave her. She did her best to get by. And that was that. So, she did her best. And if that was sleeping on the beach and living on her own then so be it. Sure the rain could get her sick especially in the winter but she hoped to have a full on tent by then. He left the room and came back with a large fluffy towel in his hand, once more careful not to touch him she took the towel and it immediatly went to her hair drying it off as much as she could. The towel getting quite wet with the amount of water in the brown locks.

“Well lets see what I can do for you…Can’t have you running around in front of me in only your panties”

"It isn't like you haven't seen it before."

She teased him hoping to get a blush out of him for that comment. Since he was the one that stripped her down last time when she was drunk so that she wouldn't get his bed sandy. Not like he couldn't change his sheets or what not, but whatever, that was his deal not hers. And she really didn't mind, she wasn't loose, but she certainly wasn't shy either. She basically, as stated, would roll with what life held her. Lemons made lemonade you only had to provide your own sugar to make it sweet instead of sour.

“You can just dry off and put all that dirty and wet stuff in the hamper for now…I’m gunna go downstairs and turn on the oven to get the pasta started”

He handed her clothes straight from frumpsville. Something she wasn't all that keen on personally. She stood up and began peeling her clothes off as he headed downstairs. While she appreciated the thought of frump clothes she had a feeling he had more fun things in his closet that she could borrow instead. So as he left, she wrapped the towel around her and entered his closeet flicking on the light. After all.. he HAD left it open.

She found the drawers within. Grinning she knelt down and opened one. Jackpot. Boxerland. She began riffling through them all. Boooooorrrrinnnngggg. And it was! Blue, black, grey, white. That was it. She had hoped that at least his underwear would have some life to them. Wait.. what was.. NO WAY!!!! She pulled a pair out, that had somehow fallen out of the drawer, and got stuck between the side of the drawer, and the inside of the cabinet. She yanked hard, and they came free. Shiney black satin, with red hearts in various shapes all over them. She grinned.

Hello, sleeping outfit.

She got up, and rummaged through his shirts to find one of those nice button down numbers and came out leaving the track suit, frump number on the bed. Taking the towel off she slid on her only clean pair of panties, and then the shiney but wrinkled boxers. She pulled on his long shirt, it was too big for her, except in the chest where it clung tightly. She buttoned it up over her stomach, and one button across the tightest part of her chest leaving the rest open. Gathering up all her dirty and wet clothes she made her way downstairs.

After a few minutes of searching she found the laundry area and dumped all her clothes on the floor to be gotten to later. Heading out she ran her fingers through her hair rolling up the too long sleeves so that she could use her hand, and smiled as she came in.

"Smells tasty." she remarked sliding up on the counter top beside him and the stove much like last time she was here. And of course, there was a decent view of her clevage from his position.

[Josiah]

His clothes were still wet as he came down stairs to start the meal, they dried off quickly but they needed time none the less. It was no big deal to him really. He took his smokes out of his pocket and turned on the stove, using the burner he lit the smoke and stuck it between his lips with a sigh, the realization that she was back, it was kind of frightening. He didn’t even know why he let her in, why the hell he was even bothering to help her.

Putting a pot of water up he was waiting for it to come to boil as he reached into the fridge and pulled out a container of Alfredo sauce as well as a container full of pre seasoned and cooked chicken he had already cut up. He put the sauce and the chicken in a sauce pan so they could heat up over a low flame while the pasta was set to boil.

That was when she entered the room once more only draw his eyes to her as she put herself up on the counter, a smile on her face and his clothes on her body, just as the last time he swore she wanted him to notice her cleavage since it was so easily made avalible to his eyes. All he could do was let a stream of smoke escape his nose as he looked at her.

“Not only do you seem to like my shirts…but my boxers to now?” he said looking to her “I’m really gunna have to start getting things that show off less of your cleavage” he said looking away from her, the pots still had a few minutes. She was probably expecting him to be angry with her and the fact she had went into his closet but there was nothing in there to hide and so there was no reason to lose his cool so easily yet.

[Siege]

“Not only do you seem to like my shirts…but my boxers to now?”

She shrugged, and watched as he began to get dinner going.

"Well, the track pants will be too warm for today, when I dry off all the way. And the tank top was like a dress." she mentioned. "Besides, I like these better, and these boxers were the only interesting thing in your whole damn closet, and that's sad Pops, really it is, when I get some Moola I'm gonna have to get you some better boxers. Cant have you being completely boring."

“I’m really gunna have to start getting things that show off less of your cleavage”

Siege grinned.

"Oh this?" she asked pointing to the shirt that was clinging tightly to her clevage. "Hey, man sorry about that, but my chest is a tad bigger than yours."

Siege grinned. She leaned over and inhaled the scents of their tasty dinner to come. She could make toast, that was about it. So sliding down, she decided to help. Rummaging around she found the loaf of bread, of course in the bread box where else, and pulled the toaster closer. She popped four pieces in the toaster and set it to get it crispy but not black. Humming softly under her breath she raided the fridge for some butter, finding what she wanted she got a plate, and while she waited for the toast to.. well toast, she leaned against the counter.

"We should totally watch a movie after dinner." she mentioned, thinking maybe he might actually want to do something with her, but .. somehow she doubted it, he seemed like the early to bed early to rise kinda guy.