Boy that kiss on the cheek was nice. Kealey wondered if Shin had ever had a proper tour of the main branch. Maybe after the helicopter ride they could work something out. Nicoletta seemed to be in a good enough mood, and maybe she wouldn’t mind lending Kealey her keys. She’d left the library in good standing, and everyone had trusted her. Surely it wouldn’t be a problem.

Venus spoke again after a few moments, and Kealey couldn’t help but smile as he spoke about what he’d been up to recently. Smile, then burst into delighted laughter.

”Oh Venus…you stay out of trouble? I don’t believe it.” the blond said, the loose curls in the front of her hair swaying gently with the movement. ”Not for one second.”

As for adventures.

”Just the usual.” Kealey said with a shrug. ”Trying to keep the streets safe as much as possible, and keep up public opinion. I think things are starting to turn around. All the work MRC is doing is helping as well.” she added, giving Shin’s hand a squeeze to let him take over the conversation as she took a moment to look out over the skyline.

New York was so pretty from the sky, and there was something to be said for seeing it from inside, someplace where she could cuddle up to Shin without him having to concentrate on flying.

MRC, yeah. That whole thing. Shin laughed.

"I'm working on joining the police." He said. "I figure they could use a few good men." And also, because they'd react more positively to the X-men if the X-men worked with them, rather than at them, without going through any hoops.

"Anything fun happen with you or your brothers, Venus?" He asked. And since his date was still there and not forgotten. "Or you, Nicoletta? Read any good books?"

Venus played offended; of course the expression wouldn’t match the amusement bubbling up in him. “I am sure I haven’t the faintest clue what you mean miss Quinn. I am the picture of quintessential innocence.”

Venus nodded along to Kealey’s reference of the norm, keeping the peace and what not. “That’s good, I’m glad to hear that things are going well.” Though he still had a skewed view on how the world might be excepting of an attractive pair of mutants that behave themselves. Then again, his brothers weren’t giving the world much of a chance to except them, and plenty of room to fear them.

“good for you Shin,” he meant it, no sarcasm in the slightest. “We have been winding things down at the sanctuary lately, trying to stay off the radar. I think either the MRC, is not rocking the boat with the order or they waiting until they have a sufficient force to make their move, I can’t say the sanctuary doesn’t have it coming.”

He tilted his head. “Pluto, has officially went Awol, I believe he is doing heroics as the Monkey king, Giant guy, speaking broken Chinese to petty criminals, Black monkey tail.” He glanced at the others to see if they’d heard anything about him.

Nicoletta smiled politely at Tetsuya and nodded lightly sending her raven locks cascading over her shoulders. “There is a number one series right now called Fifty Shades darker, Venus has been reading the books to me. They are wonderful.” There might have been more than proper enthusiasm over the books than was proper, but then she was the librarian in charge of the romance section.

Venus was happy about Shin and the MRC. That was a good thing, and Kealey nodded her head. Boy helicopters sure had their perks, and things really were going well.

Then the topic of conversation changed, and Kealey had to frown. Becoming an X-Men had given her a whole new perspective on the Sanctuary, and it was hard to reconcile the things she’d heard with the guy sitting across from her and Shin in the helicopter, and the others that she’d met when Garrett had taken her there.

There was one thing that they could agree on though, and Kealey nodded her head when Venus said that the Order had whatever was going to happen coming to them.

”I hope you don’t get mixed up in all of that.” she said softly, looking intently across the space that separated them. If MRC got involved, there was always the chance that they’d call in the X-Men and then…

Kealey didn’t want to end up on opposite sides, but it was too good of a night to mess up with thoughts like that, so she shook it off and moved on to something much better.

Like books.

The series they were talking about sounded interesting, and if Nicolette was recommending them, then they were probably excellent. Venus was reading them out loud too, which was something that sounded really nice.

”I’m going to have to look into those.” Kealey said. ”Is it a love story?”

He had been hoping. Hoping. That Venus would keep Sanctuary things hush hush. Because he knew now more about them, and about what happened around the Sanctuary. It wasn't particularly a nice place, even though it had the 'mutant safehouse' thing down pat. He had his own notions about how things should work in the world, and many things the residents did conflicted with them.

He'd been Abyss. He'd seen how people reacted to the big red man. He'd been shot at. Chased. And countless other things. Including being forced to swim by some weird guy who'd shoved money down his pants. He always tried not thinking about it.

He tried not thinking about a lot of things.

Kealey wasn't mad. He thought about that, instead. Which meant he wasn't mad. Because she might have picked up some of his emotions regarding all of that. Which meant that since Venus was her friend, he could play it cool. And the man had done nothing to make either of them want to jump out of a moving helicopter over the city and fly off on a platform into the darkness. Although going into the library's basement sounded good.

Had Venus said something in answer to his question about books? No, his date did. Fifty Shades darker...?

Was it a love story, Kealey asked. Shin added. "What's it about?" With an unsuspecting eyebrow quirk.

"It would be nice not to be mixed into such things, but then I have a lot of family there, it gets complicated."He paused thinking momentarily about why exactly it had to be complicated, for the first time seeing the intelligence in the move Pluto had made."I'll do my best." he offered and determined that it would be true as well.

"Hmmm, How to put it delicately, You could see it as a sad love story, one with complications and oddities. A less than gentmanly Ceo has odd tastes and finds a woman to fulfill those needs. She on the other hand is drawn in but the perks of being that close to the man in charge. You want to shake her a bit and talk sense into her, i admit it is a guilty pleasure. I suggest reading the back before you buy it, from there well you'll either love it or hate it, the prose is clunky, but the author has a knack for getting you to turn the page in spite of it."He finished. " I suppose that isn't the m ost convincing review but we enjoy them."

Nicolette Nodded. "They'll put some blush on your cheeks Kealey, I promise." The woman giggled and then got distracted once more as she watched the skyline and tried to pick out areas she recognized from the odd angle.

Shin handled the Sanctuary talk well for what it was, and Abyss' statement that he would try was earnest. Kealey smiled and nodded, it was enough for the moment. They'd cross any other bridges (or burn them) when they came to them. For now, it was back to books.

A CEO with odd Tastes? Kealey tilted her head slightly as Venus tried to explain the concept of the book. It sounded interesting, and he said it was sad...but was he also suggesting that maybe it was a little naughty? A moment's thought almost made Kealey roll her eyes. Of course it was a little naughty, this was Venus they were talking to. Nicolette confirmed the sentiment and Kealey found herself involuntarily blushing at the thought. What had he said the name of the series was again? Books didn't have to be super well written to be enjoyable after all...

"I'll have to look into it." she said, doing her best impression of not being too interested.

That topic exhausted, Kealey followed Nicolette's example and looked out over the city skyline, hand looking for Shin's so she could hold it. Up so high, most of the emotions of the city were out of Kealey's range, so it was relatively quiet except for the others in the chopper, "It's just so beautiful." she breathed, looking at all the lights.

The head-tilting Kealey often did. The Asian had picked up the habit. So when Kealey's head lolled slightly to one side, his worked in tandem. CEOs? Odd tastes...? Why, it sounded a bit... kinky. That word, Kinky, had always amused him. Because the Japanese word for taboo was 'kinki'... as was the English word. It wasn't often words from different languages came out so similar.

He was broken from his inner monologue about words at Kealey's blush. He hadn't been focusing too intently on her, but somehow, as if on cue, his eyes had been drawn to her face all the same. Maybe he'd felt the heat? Or maybe he just knew her, and understood what to expect. Maybe it had been timing, or maybe...

Maybe he didn't care what it was. "Maybe you'll have to read it to me," he commented offhandedly, before following her eyes (and the topic) elsewhere. Her hand found his at the words 'It's just so beautiful', and like a true mastermind, he squeezed it and confirmed "Yeah. Beautiful." , even though he wasn't looking at the skyline anymore. To Kealey, he added quietly. "I wonder how long it'll be before we're back in the stacks..."

Nikoletta Giggled covering her mouth and nodded to Kealey shooting her a look that meant more than words could have said and Venus had never quite figured out what it meant, he was pretty sure it was woman telepathy. they had that.

Venus Checked his watch. " Hey guys were closing in on midnight, we can get back soon if you like." The helicopter flew lightly like a humming bird over the cityscape around them. The ball could be seen counting down, The night was about to light up with controlled fireworks, the pilot had ensured them all the location they were watching was perfectly safe and was sanctioned for no fire works.He was pretty sure that Shin could handle any projectiles that did happen to come their way.


(hope the sky is ok for the midnight smooches, if not let me know and I can rewrite.)

Kealey blushed, feeling Shin's eyes on her as he spoke, and turning slightly in her seat to smile at him in the dark. New Years, one of those things that was so dynamic in its consistency that it was exciting each and every time. The second hand ticking, the ball dropping. The pilot and Venus both had something to say, and the blond nodded absently, but she only had eyes for one thing.

10...9...8... The ball continued to drop and Kealey scooted closer to Shin in the seat of the helicopter. A year ago they'd been in Japan. It seemed like yesterday. Time was flying, the years were changing, but they were staying constant. It made her smile.

7...6...5...4... Kealey's hands crept to the lapels of Shin's jacket, waiting for the moment. Because the moment was important on a night like this.

3...2...1...

Fireworks.

Also, those bright things in the sky that weren't kissing. Get it? Because kissing was the fireworks. Haha. Mmm...

It would have been a really neat special effect to have their two kissing forms silhouetted against the lights in the sky, but such was not the case. The helicopter kind of ruined the effect. Also, the headphones. But mmm, all the same.

Mmm.

Mmm.

Time had sort of stopped. By the time Shin had stopped kissing her, it was already 'next year'.

Venus all but devoured the voluptuous librarian near him; she seemed willing enough to be his delicacy of choice. Midnight, Fireworks in the sky and the only one with their eyes open was the pilot…hopefully!

The double date made way back to the library through the sky and soon found themselves on steady ground with slightly ringing ears. Venus held Nikoletta to his side. She held his chest , the helicopters wind caused hair and clothe to sway wildly.

Boy, this was like something right off the cover of a romance novel. The wind was whipping, as were their dresses, and any loose hair. Kealey studied Shin, she liked the windblown look.

The pilot took off into the night, and the blond simply had to grin. "Thank you Venus." the empath said with a bright grin and wind-pink cheeks. "What a way to spend the New Year."

Indeed. Now there was one more thing that needed done. Moving forward, Kealey smiled at the brunette librarian.

"Nicolette, can I borrow your key card? I want to take Shin on a tour of the stacks. He's never had a behind the scenes look."

Nicolette smiled, nodded, and reached into her purse and produced the key, "Just get it back to me."

Bingo. With a final wave to Venus, Kealey made her way back to her boyfriend.

"Ready for a tour?"

(breaking order a little as I am just exiting.)


“I’m happy we could spend some time with you two, perhaps we can do it again sometime? It was great meeting you Shin, He’s a keeper Kealey Quinn, I suppose I don’t have to tell you to hang onto her Tetsuya, Take care of each other, and may this year be even better than the last!” he bowed slightly waved to them both.

Venus winked as if he knew exactly what the stacks were good for. And then laughed as he scooped up Nicolette and ran to the edge of the building only to leap off after making sure he had clearance to do so without smashing anyone. This was only the first of several gatherings that they had to appear at tonight before they retired to the real fun.

The Asian nodded his head, knowing smirk sliding across his face. Tour, huh? What did she have in mind? Yeah. She'd probably see through the knowing smirk, to the fact that he was intrigued, but whatever.

"Let's go." He took her hand.