[Maaike]

OOC: Continued from Gotcha!.

They hadn't really stopped moving since they left Greenview, so the sight of the inn on the rural edge of Nubia was enough to draw a groan from Maaike. Given Aiden's injuries, she'd insisted he ride Cailean most of the way despite his protests, so - while she was accustomed to travelling, on foot as well as on the azani's back and usually would think nothing of the four-hundred mile journey they had just undertaken - she was more than a little relieved to see an end in sight.

She would think of the next leg of their journey tomorrow. Whether they continued up the river toward Kyriake to cross the mountains or took a more circuitous route south through Despina and around the western edge of the desert was something they would need to discuss. If she was alone, if they were both in a fit enough state to move faster, she wouldn't even think twice about heading straight into the Duskies to hop the portal from the Cloud Palace directly into the forest - but she wasn't alone, and neither of them were at their best. They just hadn't dared stop to rest for long in case the Peteulanus was tracking them.

That was also why she didn't want to discuss their route until morning. The less time they had to prepare, the less likely someone would read their destination or planned route.

“Please tell me you have a bath available,” Maaike asked somewhat wistfully as the stable boy took Cailean's reins. She pressed her hands into the small of her back and groaned. She made no effort to hide the fact that she was ogling Aiden's butt. After everything they had been through, she thought she deserved a little reward.

“You betcha,” the boy chirped, patting the azani's bumpy hide. Surprisingly, Cailean didn't bite the kid's hand off. He must be tired, too. “You gotta pay, though, o'course.”

Maaike's lips twitched in a sardonic smile. “Of course.” Inns like this could charge through the nose for their services if they wanted, since they catered to road-weary travellers who had few other places to go for a night's kip. Not unless they wanted to tempt fate and the many predators that stalked the region. Nevertheless, she flipped a nice little tip at the stable boy, a tip which immediately paid off.

“Hey, missis, ask Dinah for the pastry special. It's to die for.”

Maaike chuckled and lifted a hand as she turned toward the inn. “Hear that, Sweet Cheeks? Pastry. Yum. I'm starving.” She was at the door and opening it when she turned back to stick her tongue out at him. “If they only have one bath, I'll fight you for it.”

[Aiden]

Once they'd realized that their hideout in Greenview could no longer serve its purpose, Aiden and Maaike had quite literally run for the hills and into the forest. Slinging their Acanthan gear and new luggage over their backs and Cailean's, the group had covered miles and miles of the Nubian delta. With the peteulanus on their tails, it was no longer safe to travel by portal. The portals were always busy, so someone was bound to see them, and the mindreader might pick up on that kind of lead.

The inn was a glorious sight for those who had traveled non-stop for the day, and Aiden grinned widely as he slid off the azani and handed the reins to the stableboy. Patting the creature's neck, he unfastened the packs from Cailean's back. “Thanks buddy.” While the azani had initially resented Aiden's presence and tried to bump him off, it eventually became tolerant, for which Aiden was grateful. Throughout their trip, Aiden had insisted many times that Maaike should take a break with Cailean, it quickly became apparent that they travelled much faster when he was the rider. When he travelled on foot, he was always looking at the back of the azani as he half-ran, half-limp
ed to catch up. Even the best healing potions took time to heal. All he needed was a couple day's rest and plenty of food.

As he slung the backpacks over his shoulder, his eyes lit up at the mention of pastries and baths. “Awesome. I'm hungry enough to eat a dozen of those.” Grinning as they neared the door, he placed his free hand on Maaike's shoulder before leaning in close to joke, “We could always share...” Chuckling, he entered the lobby and strode to the receptionist. As they waited for the previous guest to finish talking, Aiden glanced around the room before pulling the collar of his jacket higher up. People usually didn't pay attention to other guests, but he had to be careful.

Finally, the lady at the desk beckoned at them, and he stepped forward. “We'd like a room with two beds...”

[Maaike]

All right, so maybe Aiden had noticed her ogling. It wasn't like she was trying to hide it, and their relationship had always been flirtatious, so why she had to stop and catch her breath when he leaned in close to crack his silly joke was anyone's guess. “I'm game,” she responded, slightly breathless but with a wink and a wicked grin. Fortunately, he didn't respond to that one. She wasn't sure she could realistically share the bath with him and come out of it unscathed.

So when he asked for two beds, she pouted. “Spoilsport.” It might have been better for her if they weren't even sharing a room, but they daren't separate. They didn't exactly bring a fortune with them and had no idea how long it would take them to reach her clan given that they may well need to backtrack a bit, so splurging it all before they even left the Delta was a bad idea. They could always camp out if necessary, but the inns were usually safer.

Besides, if they shared a room, they stood a much greater chance of getting out a live if more hunters came calling.

An hour later, she sighed and let herself flop back onto the mattress of the single bed shoved in the corner of their room. The bathrobe she'd borrowed was surprisingly fluffy despite its age. “It's so nice to be clean,” she groaned. For the first time in weeks, she didn't have the scent of blood and dirt stuck in her nostrils. Instead, all she could smell was the strawberry shampoo sample. It was oddly soothing, and she found herself dozing off even though she normally struggled to sleep outside her own home. Somehow, knowing Aiden was there was comforting. “I'm never going to Acantha ever again.”

[Aiden]

By the time Maaike came out of the shower, Aiden had taken a seat at the writing desk in the corner of the room. Across the table was a spread-out map and an open journal. He had been too wary to leave the room and had decided to stay busy instead, although his senses and wits were nearing their limits. The therian had drawn a messy and smaller replica of Alexshire across two pages of his journal, indicating places where he'd last found Paturn's goons. Or Thanatos' goons. Some part of Aiden still wished to believe that the respected magistrate had nothing to do with crime in Alexandria. Perhaps Renna framed Thanatos just like she had to Aiden. But why would she do that when she'd clearly left him in the alley for dead?

“...teach you not to mess with Thanatos” Writing pen hovering over a circle that was close to Espur, Aiden frowned as he thought of his sister who also lived in the city. They hadn't spoken for ages, and with him in the news so often now...he wondered what she might be thinking about him. Would she believe the lies, even though he'd warned her about it so many months ago?

Hearing the door open, Aiden turned in time to see the bathrobe-clad Maaike topple onto the mattress, and all thoughts of Renna and Alexshire were suddenly all forgotten. It wasn't like the bathrobe was revealing, in fact, she'd tied it tight around her upper waist. Except part of the bottom hem had hiked up when she landed on her bed, revealing long legs that he'd only ever seen clad in dark black pants. She smelled nice too, and the tousled hair look suited her well. Deciding that it was much, much safer to look at the old desk full of papers, Aiden jerkily reaching for the plate of pastries at the edge of the table. “Dinah brought up some pastries,” he explained as he placed the plate onto Maaike's bed.

He hurried toward the room with the baths, not caring in the least if the water happened to be cold.

[Maaike]

“Mm.” Maaike stayed where she was for a second, almost drifting off until Aiden actually set the plate next to her. She opened her eyes languidly, her gaze tracking him to the bathroom until he disappeared. The pastries did indeed look and smell delicious, so she grudgingly rolled onto her stomach, bent her knees so her legs could kick in the air, and plucked one up. She squealed around a mouthful, cupping a hand under her chin to catch the crumbs. “Oh, Xanth, he wasn't kidding.” Raising her voice to be heard through the bathroom door, she called out, “These are so yummy. I'm surprised you didn't keep them all for yourself, Baby Cakes.” Oh goddess, that nickname was going to be even yummier now. Every time she used it, she'd think of Dinah's pastries and drool.

Brought out of her sleepiness a bit by the good food in her belly and mouth, Maaike stood and meandered around the room as she nibbled, touching items randomly. The inn looked shabby but lived in and homely, so unlike many of the ones she'd visited on her travels as a hunter. How ironic that, as the hunted, she would have better accommodations.

When she finally reached the writing desk where Aiden had spread out the map, Maaike brushed crumbs off her fingers and uncurled the edges of the paper. She tried not to peek at the journal - Aiden had earned her trust long since and she wasn't about to invade his privacy now - but he had just left it there, open, inviting. She glanced at the bathroom door, tilting her head slightly to hear running water, and bit her bottom lip. A quick look. It wouldn't hurt. Maybe he'd got something in there about her...

She made it as far as checking out the copy of the map (and noting with interest that the markers were places they'd investigated or discovered to be related to Paturn) before managing to drag herself away. Aiden's trust was too important to her to risk it all by being a nosy parker.

“Hey.” She leaned against the door frame and rested her cheek against the wood. There was something else that was important, something that she couldn't bring herself to say to his face. “Listen, Sweet Cheeks. Aiden. I'm sorry that I... that I dragged you into all this. If I hadn't tried so hard to convince you that Thanatos is corrupt, you'd still be patrolling the streets, looking all sexy in that blue uniform.” And she'd most likely be dead a dozen times over. He'd saved her not just by actively helping her but by being a voice of reason she desperately needed. “Not... stuck out here on the road with me.”

[Aiden]

As the tub filled with hot water, Aiden took off his shirt and threw it with his pile of clothes on the floor. He sank into the bath until the water was up to his chin, relishing the feel of warmth that seeped into his tired muscles.

Taking the time to soak in the bath, Aiden allowed the water to clear his mind of worries. He was so, so tired, and he almost wanted to succumb to sleep. He probably wouldn't drown—probably. If he was quiet for too long though, would Maaike burst in to check on him—and then what? Bad thought. Pushing the thought away, he submerged entirely under the water to rinse the shampoo and conditioner out of his hair. When he sat up for a breath of air, he heard a voice through the door.

Listening as Maaike spoke hesitantly, Aiden tilted his head to lean upon the curved edge of the tub. His lips quirked upward when she mentioned his uniform, but his expression quickly grew sober as she apologized. True, she had convinced him to investigate Thanatos, and that had brought a rain of trouble upon the both of them. Whatever she'd said and done though, he absolutely did not want her to feel sorry for it. She'd told him that Alexandria wasn't as shiyn as it was painted out to be. She'd proved that he couldn't trust his own partners in the Guard. There was nothing wrong about that.

He realized that he'd been quiet for too long. “It's...”...Alright? No, he would not claim that things were okay. Saying that would cheapen their circumstances, and being chased across the continent and through Acantha was everything but alright. “If I hadn't met you...I would still be in the city, thinking that I could trust my partners. But now I know that I can't. Not all of them...”

Taking in a small breath, Aiden got out of the tub and reached for one of the large robes. “Sooner or later, I would've gotten in somebody's way, and they'd backstab me all the same.” He tied the robe's belt around his waist before getting a smaller towel to dry his hair. “I'd rather be here than back there pretending that everything was fine.” He really meant it, even though now he was cut off from his friends and family.

Walking to the door, Aiden turned the handle and creaked it open. He wanted to see her when he said the next few words. So she'd know that he meant it. “Hey...I'm glad you're here with me. That we watch out for each other.”

[Maaike]

Maaike actually started to panic a little when Aiden didn't answer right away. She didn't know what she expected - accusations, a guilt trip, anything - but it sure wasn't silence! Was he trying not to rant at her? Trying not to tell her it really was all her fault? Her fingers curled and squeezed into a fist against the door frame and she closed her eyes. "Sorry" wasn't going to be enough, but it wasn't like she could go back in time and change things.

And then what he said first just made her feel worse. She wished he could still be the same trusting, naive man who believed everyone was inherently good. She'd stolen that innocence away from him with her own cynicism and paranoia. Granted, she'd been right, but she was still sorry for it. But he was right. He was such an upstanding man, he would have gotten in their way sooner or later. At least this time he had her to turn to, which made her feel a little better. Even so...

When the door snicked open, Maaike pulled away from the frame and stared up at him. He looked too damned sexy for his own good in that bathrobe, his hair still wet and rumpled. “You... You...” Tension seeped from her muscles and her clenched fingers relaxed. She would never be rid of the guilt, but she smiled wryly and shook her head when he said he was glad. Damp, tousled hair slid across her shoulders, the orange ends (faded now because she hadn't had time since their little jaunt to Acantha to dye them again) flicking up like snake tongues. She had no idea how to respond. This was too serious for her to joke or deflect. Words failed her completely. "Thank you" seemed trite. "You're an idiot for following me", though true, wasn't what she wanted to say. "I wish..." would just sound like she was trying to assuage her own guilt.

So she didn't say any of it, instead reaching up on tip-toe to cup his cheek, staring right into his blue-green eyes. They were so warm, even back when they'd still been strangers. Full of compassion. She wanted to slap him for looking so good, and then kiss him senseless. She even glanced at his mouth, tempted to actually reach up those extra few inches. Except she was still keeping secrets from him. She couldn't bring herself to say the words, "I have a son. I was married. I killed the vlareon son of a harpy." So she squeezed his cheek and smiled a little sadly, then turned away.

“Left you a pastry, Sweet Cheeks. Gods, but you were serious. That woman needs to be stolen away and made to bake non-stop.”

[Aiden]

Tilting his head forward as Maaike reached for his face, he saw her troubled expression and how her eyes searched for...something. Her smile contained sadness and regret, and he just wanted to lean down to kiss or hug her so it might go away. He was already lifting his hand to touch her arm. However, the moment was lost as Maaike turned away, and his mouth drooped slightly with disappointment.

Their conversation had drawn forth nostalgia for Alexandria and his family. He dearly wanted to see his family for Xanthmas. He wanted to cook dinners with Estelle, help Nate with his cargo, and try to look interested as Edwin spoke about COM technology. Aki would convince everyone to climb the Three Sisters with her, as was the annual tradition. Fighting back homesickness, he tried to regain a humorous tone. “Haha, yeah Dinah's the best. She'd make millions of xanthos if she moved to the city.” People in Alexandria were willing to wait hours just for a bite of good food, and lines were a common sight during lunchtime patrols at the market.

Walking out of the bathroom, he took a seat at the edge of his bed. Seeing the backpack at his bedside, he took out a roll of bandages to dress the wound on his leg. While most of his injuries from the chaiku attack had already disappeared, the major (now minor) gash on his leg was still in the process of healing. “So how many miles are we travelling tomorrow?”