Let's Play!

Cael froze. Then slowly, he turned around, drying his hands with the dish towel.



"I didn't think I was. Why?"

Alyson shook her head, moving to stand, walking over to Cael, kissing him softly.



" I am not accusing, the note just bothered me slightly."

Cael turned his head, sighing and shaking it.



"Alyson, kisses are not bandaids. Please don't do that."

Alyson watched him, stepping back slightly.



" I ... I'm sorry... I didn't think you were... I just wanted to ask... to here confirmation..."



she said softly, looking down for a moment now, then swallowing and looking back to Cael.



" I wasn't using my kisses as bandaids, so you know. I happen to like kissing you."



She added softly, moving back to the table, feeling like both men were being abnormally snappy the last few days... And Mason was holding abnormal grudge times....

Cael looked at her, his eyes resting on her with a strange emotion in them.



"I just wanted to be sure was all."

Alyson looked up, shaking her head.



" I should have not asked. I just couldn't help myself, sorry."

Cael shrugged slightly.



"I'm not even sure it was Mason, you know. It might have been his uh... gal friend?"

Alyson smiled ever so slightly, nodding slowly.



" I didn't know for sure, but still... It's something that bothers someone who's already insecure."

Cael stared at her now.



"You had a job before this one, did you not?"

Alyson looked up at him.



" Nevermind."



Yep, she was referring to slut in the sense of it was not her job to sleep with either of them, however, she'd chosen to do so. The rules outlined in the agreement she was in no way obligated to do such a thing... So if she was insecure about him being called a slut, she didn't see how her job played into that, however, she let it go. ... That implication was something alyson was trying not to take personally, as she willingly chose what she did there, and it's like it didn't matter.

Cael leaned forward on the bar now, not dropping it. The man looked at her in a perfectly casual manner.



"Of course you did. Do you honestly think you would have been hired, nonetheless made any money if you weren't attractive and talented?" Ooo, brownie points for Cael? Self-confidence boost, hooray?

alyson sighed, looking up now, keeping her feelings to herself.



" I just asked to calm my mind, I'm sorry I did it... I don't see how my job relates to my worries."



she replied honestly, taking his compliment and locking it away to enjoy later.

Cael stood up with a sigh, no longer leaning on the counter.



"You also said that you asked from lack of confidence. I don't understand that. Then again, you wouldn't believe me." The man shrugged without care and walked off to his room, opening his closet to one side and revealing a series of shelves, pulling off a couple books and his computer.

alyson glanced after him, following him after a few seconds, watching him a moment.



" Sorry... I'm insecure when I let myself become remotely trusting, let alone attached."



She replied honestly, looking over the objects he was now toying with.



" Whatchya doin?"

Cael glanced up at her with a half-shrug, but only for a moment before plugging his computer into the wall and plopping down on his bed.



"Did you really think that I only loafed around all the time? Unlike Mason, I don't steal for a living."

Alyson smiled at him after a moment.



" Well, his living probably isn't something I'd put down to convince a land lord that he could supply rent."



She teased cutely.

Cael smiled faintly to himself, opening up his laptop and powering it on. After the man typed in his password, he flipped the first book open to one of the little sticky flags in it.



"Yeah, well..."

" So, what do you do then?"



She asked, much as she had before, watching him intently.

Cael didn't look up from his stuff now. He was flipping through a different book, trying to find the right sticky flag.



"I'm a... um... columnist." He paused, this entire thing spoken offhandedly.



"But this is work for my doctoral program."

She made a smal face.



" So you write things and do programs... No wonder you needed someone at home to talk to."



she teased.

Cael spoke, though it was obvious that his attentions were split.



"Yeah, make fun of the hermit. While you're doing that I'll just continue my life's work."

Alyson smiled, moving to kiss him softly, small grin in place upon her face, snuggling in beside him, watching him work, speaking after a moment.



"Not teasing."

Cael pulled his head away. Getting kisses while trying to work was, no pun intended, counterproductive. The man flipped a few pages in his book, scanning the contents before returning to typing... and typing... and typing.



"Huh?"

Alyson merely shook her head and nestled down further, reading as he worked, merely passing the time, soon falling asleep nestled down tight agaisnt the working man.

Mason walked by to use the restroom briefly after she was out. He paused in the doorway, looking between the two of them.



"You know she's the one that started it, right?" Cael glanced up, confused as his eyes drifted between the two. Had he been so focused that he missed the first half of this?

Alyson stirred at the sudden noise in the repetitive silence she'd been lulled out by, eyes wondering up to Mason, clearly confused and barely awake as she fough a yawn and failed, barely covering her mouth before reaching for a nearby throw blanket, covering up. Mason was grumpy, she didn't know what to say to him...

Mason just sighed. He wasn't really grumpy anymore. In fact, he was kind of just pouting, kind of just hurt. That was why he sulked away.



Cael just shook his head and went back to typing.

Alyson watched mason a moment, placing a kiss on Cael's forehead as she followed after Mason, dragging the blanket along with her, currently cold, still only half awake as she walked into the door frame on her way into Mason's room behind him, whimpering and crying.



" That hurt."



She sulked, tears welling up.

Cael sighed as he watched his blanket walk away, but kept on working.



Mason gazed at Alyson critically.



"Then why did you walk in to it? It's not like I moved it since the last time you were in here."

Alyson whimpered and whined and fought the tears, clearly apparent she was battling between being waking and sleeping, looking at him as she moved to set down beside him, still wiping away tears.



" I didn't mean to."

Mason stared at her, not really knowing what to do.



"Uh... It's okay. I'm sure the door forgives you?"

alyson glanced to him as the pain slowly dulled, considering him.



" I really don't know what I did, but I didn't mean it."

Mason looked at her and didn't say anything. really, all he did was shrug. Then again, that was a fantastic 'apology accepted' considering who this was.

Alyson looked at him a moment more.



" So.... You don't hate me no more?"



Yep, she had to ask, considering she was still ultra pathetic rubbing her head.

Mason sighed slightly.



"I didn't hate you to begin with."

Alyson pouted slightly.



" You said we weren't friends."



she said softly, little pout still in place.

Mason blinks a few times. He shrugged slightly and mumbled something about her not wanting to be his friend anyhow. And he reached over and picked up his gameboy.

alyson made a small face.



" I do want you as my friend, I thought you were... that's why I don't understand."

Mason sighed and couldn't focus on the game. He began to fiddle with a wrinkle in his shirt. He mumbled pathetically something involving Alyson and not wanting to be associated with a thief and just wanting a paycheck.

" I never meant anything said. I care for you, I do wanna be your friend... as for the paycheck... I've been taking care of myself, depending upon myself, for a while.... kind of survival instinct....."



she tried to explain, moving to take the gameboy and kiss him softly.