Myla got little to no sleep. Throughout the night she'd just toss and turn to end up back where she started and no less tired. When it was a somewhat decent time,
5 a.m., she couldn't take it anymore and climbed out of bed. She made sure to remain quiet so as to not wake him up as she made her way to the living room. While her stirring was because of the night before, she wasn't mad at him, she was mad at herself. He was tired and deserved some rest.
She started stretching then moved into some yoga poses, followed by sit ups, push ups, and whatever other workouts she could manage without making much noise. Myla continued at it until she felt the warmth of the sun pouring through the windows and heard the distant sounds of the others stirring throughout the tower. She would have been content staying there for the rest of the day, but it seemed to be her only chance to get the help she'd desperately need to pick out something masquerade worthy. If left to her own devices it would be guaranteed she'd show up looking like a sack of potatoes.
With a sigh, Myla pulled herself to her feet and trudged her way back into the bedroom. She wasn't surprised that he was still asleep as she walked past the bed to her
bathroom. Once the door was closed, she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower.
Working out did a good job of distracting her mind. But in the shower, alone with only her thoughts and the sound of the rushing water, she couldn't keep herself from dwelling on the night before. She was embarrassed, beyond the point of knowing what to do. Did she apologize for how she acted or just pretend like it never happened? Why was she so eager? Why did she open her stupid mouth and say what she did? This is why she always kept her guard up. Myla hated feeling vulnerable or exposed. She lost herself for a moment and all she accomplished was looking easy and sounding like a love struck idiot.
She sighed, resting her forehead against the cold tile. Myla didn't know what was worse, looking like a fool or opening up a new fragile part of her to be met with nothing. It wouldn't be the first time she found herself in deeper. Somewhere she misread his subtext or body language… Something was lost in translation. Whether or not she wanted to, she felt herself closing off and her guard inching back up. She needed to bury it all in the back of her mind and move forward… But then why did her stomach flutter whenever she thought of the kiss?
Myla groaned in frustration before submerging her face under the stream of hot water.
Kane slept like a rock. There wasn't any need to be wary, even though he often felt like his body was in a constant heightened state of alertness. Maybe it was the overexertion from things he normally didn't do or feel. Maybe it was Myla's presence. It was impossible to tell.
When he woke up, she wasn't there and it didn't surprise him. She was used to doing all this exhausting hero stuff and he was not. Killing was much easier than trying to keep people alive, and that's a fact. For him, at least. He scooched out of the bed and pushed himself up to his feet. By this time, he could hear the shower .
He could. Well, she was certainly ready for it last night. He'd have felt bad about what he did if he had any awareness, but her embarrassment was lost on him. Typical clueless man.
Well-practiced at stealth, even though he knew that she could hear a feather fall on a carpet, he moved toward the bathroom and opened the door gently to let himself in. Kane was just… intrusive that way. His capacity for giving others privacy was non-existent and something he'd really have to learn if this relationship made any progress.
He watched her silhouette for a few seconds through the haze of the frosted glass, trying to think. Should he? He could. It's the morning time and the man is in his most primal and reptilian-brain nature. Could she deal with his domineering personality in this capacity?
The worst that could happen is that she tells him 'no'. At which point, he'd realize his error and reassess. For now, he just… felt like it. He felt like it last night, he was just… incapable.
He peeled away whatever layers of clothing that had remained, opened the door to the shower, and quickly closed it. The distance between them was swiftly closed, and Kane's body pressed against Myla's backside and somewhat to the side. He placed a hand somewhere between her throat and her jawline to turn her face toward his own, which leaned in, as much as he could without hurting her. His other hand grabbed one of her wrists and pinned it to the shower wall. He waited for a second, just to make sure she didn't want to reject the sudden intrusion because it was very obvious at this point that he intended to sate his urges.
For the first time… In too long, Myla was lost in her own thoughts so much that she missed Kane stirring in the other room. Perhaps it was the water crashing down on her head that deafened her, or maybe a part of her didn't want her to hear him leave, which she imagined was his intention. It was only when she heard the shower door close that her head snapped to attention, but he was prepared… where she wasn't. She gasped as he seized her throat and made quick work of pinning her against the wall.
The pounding of her heart drowned out any other noise as her chest heaved, trying to catch her breath. She nearly gave in.
God did she want to. It took all of her strength to reach up and wrap her free hand around his wrist.
"I meant what I said last night," Myla said quietly as she pulled his hand away.
"I'm not like other women."
Before she could let her hormones cloud her judgment, Myla ducked under his arm and stepped out of the shower. Her hands ran over her face and back through her hair as she tried to compose herself. Funny how one minute she had every intention of putting her guard back up and pretending like last night didn't happen. Then at the first sign of Kane her walls came crashing back down. She hated it. It would be easier if she used him. But she was already in too deep, and sex would only make the feelings stronger. As hard as it was, it was easier to pull away now to avoid getting hurt later.
Myla let out a shaky breath as she reached for the towel rack. Her hand missed several times before she managed to grab the towel and wrap it around her body. She intended on leaving the room, but only made it as far as the edge of the bathtub and took a seat on the edge of it.
Too aggressive. Noted. He wasn't disappointed, but he'd need a minute under the cold water to dispel his clear…
wakefulness.
"I already know you're not like other women," he decided to remind her clearly.
"Even if you were, what's wrong with it?" He then posed the question as he took a few minutes to wash since he had to calm his body down anyway.
Kane's tone was still gentle with her. He didn't want to admonish or guilt her in any way. He was truly unbothered by her resistance. Not everyone lived like he did. She thought of the future, and he didn't. There wasn't much of a future for him. Life was lived day-to-day because tomorrow was never guaranteed. Whatever he had today, he'd like to spend it with her. That's all that was certain.
"There's nothing wrong with it. I've been in casual relationships before," she replied. Her arms wrapped tightly around her torso, holding the towel against her. Myla's body language betrayed her honesty, making her look guarded and insecure. Her toes tapped on the ground nervously, lightly splashing the puddles of her own making. Kane had been open and honest with her, he deserved the same respect… As much as it knotted in her stomach.
"Your presence has emotionally compromised me," she admitted barely above a whisper.
He found a spare towel to wrap around his waist so that she wouldn't have to deal with the exposure again. After he sat down next to her, he looked off toward the mirror at the both of them sitting there on the edge of the bathtub.
"Look… we'll figure this out. Don't worry about it. I'm a hard guy to disappoint," he attempted to reassure her.
"It's not you that I'm worried about disappointing." Myla sighed softly.
"I don't want to be used for sex… Not by you," she muttered under her breath. She was growing feelings for him, whether she could admit it to herself or not. And if he was just using her for physical release it would only hurt her in the end. She had done well,
for years, not letting herself get emotionally attached to a man. Then Kane showed up… And it was starting to terrify her. He was quickly becoming her weakness and it was only human to be scared that he didn't feel the same.
"I can't make many promises, but I can make one." He leaned forward and in a bit to make sure she could really hear him well,
"I don't care enough about anything to stick around for something casual."
Then he stood up and looked down at her,
"I'll give you a minute to collect yourself." He couldn't help but smirk at that as he turned to leave the bathroom. No one said he had to be kind about the fact that she was obviously flustered.
"Let me know when you're ready for the mall."
It was
some clarification, not much, but enough for Myla to have some piece of mind. She had every intention in taking a moment to catch her breath in the bathroom after he left. But with her mind no longer cloudy, she was fully aware of his smirk. And while she was still feeling a bit exposed due to her new honesty, she still wasn't going to let him get away without her own comment.
She slowly stood up and made her way to the door. As she walked past him, Myla turned her head to face up in his direction.
"I'm not the one who needed the cold shower," she added with her own little smirk. They both seemed the type to rely on sarcasm to get out of awkward situations… And being open… too open, was awkward for her.
Myla made her way back into the bedroom and made her way over to her messy heap of clothes that certainly drove Kane nuts. She squatted and sifted through the mound, trying to find something to wear.
"I should be ready once I get dressed." Unfortunately, at the academy she didn't have her strategically labeled closet, courtesy of Darcy. She had to make do with the feel of the fabric and whatever vague memories she had of the outfits she wore. She remembered Darcy once mentioning she bought her mostly neutral clothes so that it was less likely for her outfits not to match… But that only helped so much.
She grabbed what she thought was a good enough outfit, she stood up and placed the clothes on the bed. Myla might have been bashful around Kane before, but considering he had already seen her naked in the shower, she wasn't bothered to go to a different room. Instead she dropped the towel where she stood and proceeded to get dressed. Plus, everyone liked being a tease on occasion… even Myla.
After pulling the sweater over her head, she turned to face Kane and held out her arms.
"Is this motorcycle appropriate?" Myla asked in a joking tone.
"And does it match?"
He had naturally watched her while tugging on clothes of his own. Of which conveniently happened into Myla's room. JARVIS was far too aware for Kane's comfort, but whatever. It was nice not to have to take the lift up to his loft.
When they were both dressed, he stepped toward her and pulled her closer to him by her waist.
"Not sure the shirt matches. I'll help you take it off." It was obviously a joke.
"It matches. You look fine."
Myla gasped softly as he pulled her close, bracing her hands against his upper arms so she didn't stumble over. She blushed and laughed at his comment before pushing him away playfully. Now that Kane was flirting even more openly it was hard for her
not to give in. But they had things they needed to do… Shopping and… Stuff.
He let her grab the rest of her things before leading them both into the lift. He clenched his teeth, still a bit…tense…from earlier. Myla was lucky that Kane was kind of respectable. He had also done it to himself.
Once inside the lift, Myla took a moment to finish tying the laces on her boots and slide the straps of her mini backpack over her shoulders. She could sense his tension, hard not to when they stood so close. Her hand slipped into his and gave his arm a gentle tug, guiding him down to her level. She wasn't sure if she was going to kiss him or maybe just make a playful comment about how tense he was, but before either could happen the elevator stopped and opened, revealing the garage.
They made it a few feet out of the lift when Alfred seemed to pop out of nowhere.
"Pardon, Ms. Murdock, might I have a word?"
"Sure," she replied, concern evident on her face. Myla gave Kane's hand a slight squeeze before releasing it.
"Give me a second?" She gave a small smile as he continued on, then turned her attention toward Alfred.
"Apologies, it'll only be a moment," he reassured her.
"I was informed by J.A.R.V.I.S. this morning that Ms. Cage left the facility last night. I couldn't help but notice you both were friends and I wanted to be certain you heard about it first."
Myla stood there in a stunned silence. Her brows furrowed as she tried to piece together why Penny would leave, especially without saying goodbye.
"Did she say anything? Leave a note?" She asked, trying to find some sort of answer.
"I'm afraid not, miss. I'm sorry. I wish I had more information to share."
She nodded her head and gave him a small smile in gratitude.
"Thanks for telling me, Alfred." She gave him a gentle squeeze of the shoulder before making her way back to Kane.
"Safe travels," Alfred called after them in his usual friendly warmth.
The moment Myla reached Kane's bike her hand dug into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone. It was an older flip style phone, but the buttons helped her be able to use it, unlike a smartphone. She had the menu layout memorized and was able to navigate it with ease.
"No new messages," the robotic voice spoke back to her.
She cursed under her breath.
"Penny left last night," she said in a bit of disbelief. There wasn't anything either of them could do about it, but she was hoping that there was
reason behind it. A lead? Something. Myla didn't know what to say but she had to text Penny. Her fingers slowly moved along the buttons and simply typed out
"Why?" before hitting send and shoving the phone back into her pocket.
Kane knew if he said what he had wanted to, it would upset her. He didn't have a gentle way of putting the most well-known fact on the planet: people leave. All the time. He tried to give her his best sympathetic smile, but it probably didn't come off that way. He quietly helped her put the helmet on, believing that maybe she just needed an ear. He didn't know Penny enough to answer her questions, which meant it was likely rhetorical.
Myla had grown quiet, lost in her thoughts as Kane helped her into the helmet. Once he was ready for her she climbed on the back of the bike. Unlike the last time, when she touched him only where necessary, she let her small frame form to his. Her thighs hugged his hips as she rested her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her arms snuggly around his waist.
Kane put his own helmet on, got onto the bike, and revved it on. Every once in a while, when he felt it was necessary, he placed a reassuring hand on Myla's fingers for a gentle squeeze. The ride was quieter this time, even though he was no less faster than he would be normally.
They were at the mall in no time, arriving just a couple hours after James and Aria. He got off, then helped Myla down. He pulled off both of their helmets, and spared a moment to take care of Myla's helmet hair.
"People come and go, Myla, so don't waste your time on things you can't control. Hmm?" He bent down just enough to look her in the eyes, face-to-face, even though he knew she was blind. He was
trying really hard to have a gentle tone and not sound as nonchalant about it as he felt.
She blinked once or twice before replying softly.
"Not all people… Not me." Myla was loyal to a fault. She never abandoned those she cared about. That's why she was at the academy, desperate to save her father. Perhaps Kane wasn't used to blind loyalty or having someone he could rely on. It was just one of the many ways that they were different, but perhaps, overtime, he'd be able to trust her loyalty.
Myla had nothing else to say, dwelling on it would only make what was
supposed to be a somewhat fun outing into a drag. With a soft sigh, she dug arm in her bag and pulled out her collapsed white cane. She hated using the damned thing, nor did she need it, but her father taught her it was important to keep up with appearances. She could get away with it if her eyes didn't deceive her, but people tended to be uncomfortable conversing with someone who couldn't meet their gaze… Which also reminded her to put on sunglasses.
He then stepped to her side, grabbed her right hand with his left, and guided them into the mall. He heard the screeching tires of Lexa pulling in with her jeep after them, which was life-saving. He liked Myla - a lot - but he wasn't sure he could bear shopping with
any woman.
Lexa's hand was seen going between the elevator doors to stop them from closing, and she slipped in.
"So, Myla, are we thinking backless? I think backless would look great on you," she smiled as she made herself comfortable in their presence.
Myla turned her head toward Lexa with a smile.
"I was hoping to run into you… I haven't a clue when it comes to fashion."
After the elevator stopped them on the ground level of the mall, Kane unraveled his fingers from Myla's own and backed away slowly,
"I'll be wandering."
That meant, he, and likely others that came with female counterparts and didn't know the difference between a tuxedo and a suit, or how to match a bowtie to a woman's dress, would find a place to commiserate together.
"You should find Will or Raoul, I'm sure they would be helpful," Myla called after Kane before he retreated, obviously not wanting to be part of girl shopping. Once he was out of ear shot, she turned her head slightly towards Lexa.
"Can you make sure I look hot?"
Lexa watched Kane walk away and then hooked her arm through one of Myla's,
"Most definitely." Then the pair began their trek through the mall to find their first store.
