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As the kids scattered the room fell quiet. "Police are on the way." The man behind the counter said. Kendra didn't really want to talk to the police. She wanted to forget that this had happened, and the fact Artair had used his power meant talking to the police was probably not the best idea. She sat there. For the longest time she didn't say a word. She was somewhat in a state of shock.

Reaching slowly across the table she took his hand.  It was shaking a little.  She thought it might be from fear or nerves, but the likely culprit was rage.  Kendra didn't know about the fiery beast that lived deep down in Artair. She had caught glimpse of it when he chastised her for her childish games, but he was restrained.  She hadn't witnessed the full extent of his anger. Still, it was incredibly restrained all things considered.  He could have materialized a sword and rammed it through the kids chest but he didn't.  He took a more defensive stance than a offensive one.  He was trying to keep the peace.  After a moment Kendra realized it wasn't his hand that was the one shaking. It had been hers. Pulling her hand away she realized she was more than just a little rattled.

"You....ok?"  She finally asked.  It was a stupid question.  She couldn't imagine what he was going through.  She didn't know the inner turmoil he was quietly torturing himself with.  All she knew was that he had stood up to  couple of punks looking to cause trouble.  That didn't make him a monster in her eyes, it made him  hero.  "Maybe we should get outta here." She said softly.  Kendra's hair was hanging in her face. She was staring aat him through strands of fire.  He looked worse in this lighting.  The shellshocked expression on his face combined with the pale lighting made him look sickly.  Though, he just sat there sipping his coffee.

Kendra was about to say something else when the waitress came back.  She boxed up their plates without saying a word.  Her grumpy attitude was all but gone in fact she had a nervous smile on her middle aged face.  She was looking mostly at Artair.  She slide his food into a 'to go' container and did the same for Kendra's "Don't worry about the check dear.  My boss called the police you guys should get out of here."  The waitress touched Artair's hand.  When she touched his hand the waitress's hand emitted a soft green glow.  She's a mutant? Kendra thought as her eyes went wide.  What was she doing to Artair? 

The sound of sirens could already be heard.  The manager had mentioned there was a fight in his diner that involved mutants.  That always made the police response time a little quicker.  Kendra stood up from the booth and grabbed the food.  "Come on we gotta go!"  She cried.  She cast  glance back to the manager and he was giving them both a hateful look now.  Apparently he didn't know he employed a mutant.  The waitress had been careful to position her body and angle it so her boss couldn't see whatever it was to she did to Artair.  Kendra thanked the waitress who offered her an apologetic smile.  "Take care of him alright?" The waitress said.  As Kendra's eyes moved back to Artair.

Daydream was just a sweet southern girl way over her head. She had never been in this position. Where there were two competing for a place in her heart. Moving quickly through the lobby she realized there were eyes of them. She didn't care. More honestly eyes were on her. She was wearing a plain white t-shirt tha was soaked through. Her chest was visible for all to see, wet fabric clinging to her pale slender frame.  That, she didn't realize.

Tristen seemed to be.... Quiet. She guessed that had been her fault. Moving through the halls her eyes fell on the carpet, the wall paper the light fixtures. Her eyes landed anywhere but his. She didn't want to see her hurt or rejection accusing her in his hazel orbs. She wanted him. In that moment, she still did but she didn't dare try that again. It had taken all of her courage to try it the first time, and the rain had stopped her almost like god was telling her to cut the crap. She stepped into the room and took her shoes and socks off first. They were filled with water. Leaning over slightly and using the bed to hold herself up she threw her shoes in the corner.

She knew her shirt was wet, but it still hadn't dawned on her that it was white. Daydream sat there a moment trying to think of something to say to fill the awkward void of silence, but before she could Tristen did it for her. She listened as he spoke. He failed to come up with words that were as meaningful as he wanted. Then his lips pressed into hers. It caught her by surprise. She thought for a split second to fight it, but her body never got the memo. Instead she melted into him. Her hand reached up. Her soft slender fingers curling around the hard line of his jaw as she cupped his face.

It was only a kiss. A silly little kiss that broke her. She felt legs giving out, but she stepped closer to him and that steadied her. She could taste a gritty dirt taste on his lips, but she didn't mind. Her eyes were closed. Forced closed by the passion of the moment. Daydream broke the kiss a moment and exhaled a shaky breathe against the line of his jaw and moved to kiss him again, but just as quickly as it was there, it was gone. It ended so abruptly that Daydream almost lost her balance as her eyes shot open. She stumbled a bit in surprise as Tristen moved to the window suddenly desperate for a cigarette. Daydream reached up and touched her lip. There were black specs of dirt against the soft shade of pink.

She ran her fingers across her lips that were still tingling from the thrill. She wanted to make sure that was real. To confirm that wasn't just another daydream and that had really happened. It had! The confirmation of that enough to buckle her knees completely. Daydream collapsed on the bed. Bouncing on it softly she sat there staring at the door. She didn't dare to turn to face Tristen. Her arms fell in her lap.

She crossed her arms around her waste. Her shirt was so see through at this point it might as well of had a window on it. The cold air of the room wasn't helping either. Daydream continued to stare at the wall. She felt a deep shame run through her. Not because of Emily. No, she hadn't even considered Emily yet. She was so wrapped up in this .... This.... thing between them, that Emily hadn't even come into consideration yet. She was still remembering the feeling of his lips against hers, the rough sandy feeling of his affection..  The cold unsettling feeling of his....rejection? 

He didn't like it.  She thought quietly.  It was the only logical conclusion her mind could come up with.  Daydream was often hard on herself.  She didn't stop to consider that he might have other feelings, emotions, thoughts running through his head.  When he broke it off she blamed herself in that moment and those tiny few moments were soul crushing.  It was like having your soul removed with a rusty jagged hook.  Then he spoke.

"You're the only one that makes me feel human."  He said.

Daydream turned to face him.  Her eyes cautiously looking at a man who who was clearly in need.  She stood from the bed.  She moved across the soft carpet in her bare feet.  Everything in that moment seemed more vivid.  The feeling of the carpet against her skin, the tiny panicked breathes, the voice in her head screaming at her, she tried her best to ignore them.  To focus on what was important.  Daydream moved over to Tristen.  She took the cigarette from his lips and gave it a thoughtful puff.  Dragging on the cigarette the moment seemed to last an eternity.  She held in the smoke as she looked at the cigarette a moment before tossing the freshly lit cigarette out the open window.  She knew what she wanted.  Blowing out the smoke she reached up again, stood on her tippy toes and pressed her lips into his again forming a tight seal.  Things were complicated.  Life's funny like that.

Geo shook himself off sort of in the way a dog who unwillingly got a bath would. Water flew every which way and Geo sheepishly proclaimed that he didn't really like water. Daydream had been worried that he would turn to mud and melt into the ground or that he would turn to clay or something and crumble apart. She didn't know how such things worked, but watching him shake of the water was a sight. She stood there a moment staring at him straight faced and worried. Then, she burst out laughing. It was so funny.  Daydream had trouble catching her breathe as she doubled over holding her ribs. For some reason she pictured him as a little boy with his mother trying to get him to take a bath. All the while he screamed and kicked and cried 'No! I don't like water!' The absurdity of it was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Somewhere off in the distance thunder rolled across the sky. The clouds over head were getting darker. Rain fall all around them and for the moment they seemed to b trapped under the awning. Daydream's wet hair clung to her face. Wet strands of muted red sticking to her forehead and dangling over her shoulders. She honestly loved the rain. The smell of it, the way it seemed to shroud even the mundane in a veil of curious wonder. She would sit and look out the window when it rained. It was peaceful to her. "We should call a cab" She said sitting down. The dispatcher said a cab would be out to them shortly there was one nearby in the area.

Daydream reached in her pocket and pulled out her cigarettes as she sat down on a bench under the awning.  Lighting It up she handed one to Geo.  Poor guy could use one.  Blowing out the smoke she looked back out over the water. The calm surface disrupted by millions of ripples spreading out into infinity with every drop.  It was later in the day now.  They should get back to the sanctuary.....

It wasn't long before the cab showed up.  Daydream knew he didn't like the water, but she grabbed his hand and drug him through the rain.  It wasn't going to kill him afterall. She opened the door and allowed him to duck in first and she fell in after him.  She started to laugh in the backseat of the cab.  Glad to be out of the downpour.  Neither of them had spoken about the moment between them.  That one single fleeting moment when she nearly kissed him.  Daydream wasn't going to ask about it, though she kept thinking about it. 

It was getting darker now.  The cab ride was mostly quite.  Presumably both of them off inside their own heads trying to dissect what that kiss would have meant.  Daydream's hand slid slowly across the seat.  Her pale hand slipped inside his and it was warm.  She knew she was making mistakes.  She didn't care.  Tristen was a beautiful mistake she would gladly make.

Her hand was only in his for a moment.  She had only garnered the courage to reach out to the other side of the cab for him as the cab pulled up in front of the sanctuary.  The rain had let up quite a bit during the drive.  The pitter patter of drops on the roof of the cab had quieted down now.  It was no longer the marching band drum line, but a soft tap.  Daydream paid the cabbie this time and made a dash for the front doors of the sanctuary.  She liked the rain, but not when she was wearing a white t-shirt.  The shirt had fallen over her shoulder again and after so many times fixing it she just decided to let it sit like that.  Her hair drenched making it look much more black than red.  It was a stark contrast to the pale complexion of the young dream walker. 

Daydream watched him cast the stone into the water. He seemed. Lost. Her soft features turning downward in a frown of her own. She hated this.  She hadn't known a moment where he wasn't filled with a cocky bravado. A unjustified arrogance and pride. In the short time she'd known him it had grown on her. It was annoying when she first met him, but his confidence had been her lifeblood. His confidence had been her confidence throughout the last thirty six hours.

Daydream listened as he spoke. Listening intently she still wasn't sure what he was talking about. Truth be told Georgia was bad on it's own with the mutant problem. But she never had gone through the mutant registration act, or the gathering of mutants for camps. She was busy in Georgia watching old fashion lynch mobs take care of the problem in the darkest ways possible. The darkest chapter in the countries history was repeating itself there. Mutants torn from their homes for a good old fashion Lynching. It's one of the reasons she was so terrified of being discovered as a mutant. One of the reason, up until she reached New York so few people knew her secret. Though admittedly that all happened when she was much younger. When she was first discovering her powers around eleven years old. 

When Geo asked if she knew what he meant she nodded. Though, she had no idea what he was talking about. She nodded slowly at first then quickly nodded her head in enthusiastic agreement.  She didn't know what she would do if Geo suddenly became someone who questioned himself.  Someone who wasn't sure he could beat the world.  She was counting on him to be the voice of unreason.  To be the whispering voice in her ear that assured her that everything was going to be ok. 

Her hands found the railing and she hoisted herself up.  Her back was to the water as she was looking at Geo.  Sitting on the rail the wind blew again.  Her hair furiously protesting being kept neat and tidy.  She looked to the sky.  It was getting late.  Her eyes settled on Geo.  The hard lines of his face told a story.  They told a story of a hard life that had seen many battles.  It told the story of a man who was tired of fighting, but knew no other way.  It was the sadness that she saw in his eyes that caused her pause.  It was the stagnant remorse and thoughtful nostalgia that broke her heart.

"Tristen?"  She spoke softly.  Her voice was only more than a whisper that barely dared to carry over the soft blowing wind.  Daydream's expression serious and sympathetic.  "I don't know what kinda demons'r tearing ya up, but ever since I known you. I've known you as nothing less as a man of honor and integrity." She didn't know if he was going to shrug her off or not, but she continued.  "I've seen mutants get dragged from their homes in the middle'o the night and strung up while folks cheered.  Like it was some great service they were doing the world for killin mutants.  I've seen children ripped from their mothers arms while the mother stood there and watched; too afraid to save their child.  You did the right thing Tristen.  You fought for us.  For all of us....."  Her eyes cast down.  She was suddenly ashamed that she hadn't done any fighting on the behave of mutants in dark times.  Her hands fiddled with the hem of her shirt pulling at a loose thread like it was somehow vital.

"You fought for those of us who couldn't."

Daydream looked at Tristen.  She wasn't crying but her eyes were quiet torture.  Her lip shook like an iron bedframe during a violent nightmare. IN her eyes was all the thank yous she couldn't vocalize.  She didn't know how he felt.  He seemed conflicted about the part he played and the things he had done.  To her though..... He was nothing less than her hero.

As they were standing there Kendra noticed some kids not far off. They seemed to be standing there and pointing at them. Kendra ignored it at first. Then she heard the laughter. It seemed to be directed at them. Her eyes moved back over to Leon. She was nervous. He was so secluded and afraid to open up. She saw what was about to happen almost as if it was coming to her in slow motion, but there wasn't much she could do to stop it. Her face softened and changed into a more sympathetic look as her tiny squierll friend ran up the tree and Kendra stood up.

Don't bother us. Pleas just go away. She thought quietly. "Hey freakshow! That your girlfriend?!?!? You know you can't get a girl like that why don't you go back to the freak show?" Bullies. They Kendra could never understand their motivation. This was a place for mutants. A safe place and yet even here there were kids willing to pick on other kids for being different. Kendra closed her eyes and felt her heart sink as she heard the kid call out. Why? She wondered. What purpose did it serve? The honest truth was the kid was jealous. And trying to show off for his friends. The kid himself was a mutant as were his two friends. Their mutations were unknown, but it was enough for him to feel confident challenging a much larger mutant. 

Kendra didn't honestly know how old Leon was. If she had to take a guess she would probably say somewhere in his mid twenties though she was basing that on absolutely nothing other than an educated guess. Kendra turned to the bratty teengers. "Why don'tchu kids shut the hell up? Go wait for puberty or something?"  The kid sneered at her. "Already had it baby.... Wanna see?" Kendra felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She realized this guy was just trying to see tough. Maybe he wanted an excuse to use his mutation in a fight. The news vilified mutants and this kid, who looked about 17 was the reason why. Kids like him thought the world owed them something.

Kendra stepped in front of Leon and was about to say something else when her eyes caught sight of Leon.  Kendra didn't think about anything.  She was angry and she was embarrassed and she was appalled that fellow mutant kids had the nerve to pick on someone for being different she was ready to tear into them herself.

Daydream slid out of the cab and offered him a smile. It was the best she could do.  Her mind was distracted. Some things were better left in Pandora's box, but still she dreamed. Her eyes took in the new surroundings. She could see why Geo liked the place.  The lush green the smell of the fresh air rushing into her lungs.  The air in the city hadn't smelled this good, but this air smelled so nice she took another breath.  "No, I'm ok just worried."  She lied.  It wasn't what was on her mind.  It wasn't what had her mind twisted in knots and butterflies fluttering in her stomach.  It was him.  She would never admit it.

Daydream began to walk and admire the park.  It was beautiful.  The open fields, the way the water seemed to dance and move with light, sparkling like a precious jewel.  Daydream's thumb found the power button for her camera and flicked it on in silent awe.  She was never super into nature, but she found peace here.  It was like a soft blanket of tranquility had wrapped around her.  The tension faded, the worry faded.  Thoughts of sexual tension faded and left her with only peace.  "You come here a lot?"  She asked without even bothering to turn to Tristen.  Daydream raised her camera and shuttered a photo of the water singing to her.  The sparkling refraction of light reflecting the low hanging sun.  The water was cast in an orange ish glow. 

Wait. How long had we been at breakfast?  How long was the cab ride?  How long had we been walking? Thinking back she realized that she was missing a good chunk of time.  Her fragile mind hadn't added it all up, but every moment was accounted for.  It was the fits of daydreams that were stealing chunks of her day without realizing it.  A few moments here a few moments there, but over the course of a day it adds up.  She found herself missing at least what felt like two hours.  They had been at breakfast around noon.  That had lasted a few hours while they ate and sat and talked after.

Then they went to the constructions site and did the photo shoot.  How long did that take?  Then the walk through the city?  The cab ride?  She hadn't blacked out.  She hadn't REALLY lost any time, but it felt like her day had skipped like a scratched cd.  She was on a track later in the evening when half of the day was skipped over.  She didn't realize that her daydreaming was such a problem and she still didn't realize.  Daydream allowed the worry to fade from her mind as she stepped up to the railing and looked out over the water.  Raising her camera she took a few more pictures as the wind kicked up.  A gentle breeze pushed her hair around her face in a beautiful dance of frenzied fire.  Her soft expression admiring the beauty of Tristen's favorite place in the world.  She could see why.

"It's beautiful."  She said.  Her words spilling from her lips like dripping honey.  It was like she softly exhaled a dream, her modest words wrapped in a sensual tone.  She wasn't trying to be seductive she was awestruck.  Daydream turned to face Tristen.  Her eyes started as his chest and moved up until she was making eye contact.  She studied him a moment.  Raising her camera she took another picture of Tristen.  It caught him off guard and he had no way posed for that one.  It was honest. It was pure.  It was Tristen.  That picture wasn't for her editor, or the magazine.  It was for her and her alone.  Daydream actually did look at the photo this time.  Looking down at her camera which still hung from her neck she smiled.  She still seemed quiet like she was trapped in a dream she couldn't wake up from and she was wandering the world experiencing it for the first time. 

Daydream ran her thumb over Geo's lip on the screen of her camera.  She wanted to touch his lips, but this was the closest she could do.  She was smiling.  "You take a good photo." She said softly.  Reaching across her body she used her left hand to tuck her hair that was flapping around; behind her right ear on the opposite side.  The big collar of the shirt had slipped again revealing her soft shoulder again.  She didn't notice.  Despite the sun making it's evening descent it was still quiet warm out. The soft breeze making the weather perfect, sublime.  Daydream knew that she was never going to go back to Georgia.  There was nothing left for her there.  Nothing worth staying for at least.  She planned to make New York her permanent home.  This was her home now.  She turned and faced the water once more admiring the view.  Admiring the soft squawk of the waterfowl.

Daydream honestly didn't mind when she felt his hand slipping into hers. In fact, she quietly revealed in it. His hand felt rough and strong. Course against the softness of her own. She quietly laced her fingers into his as they walked and did her best not to let her mind stray again.  Still, she kept stealing little glances. It was amazing how quickly she had forgotten about her problems whenever Geo was around. If only she could get her problems to stop chasing her.

Moving through the sea of people was loud. She had to turn her head towards him to even hear what he was saying. It was the noise of the city. Something she still wasn't 100% used to. It wasn't like Georgia.  She remembered days when her father was drunk passed out and she would sit on the porch and just daydream for hours.  She remembered the warm summers sitting on her porch just thinking of what it would be like not to have a mutation, how she could fall in love and be happy and.....

Without warning Geo pulled her in another direction.  They slipped inside of an old brick building.  Some brownstone probably, they were standing in the entrance way away from the world.  With enough privacy to make her knees buckle.  He was standing in front of her. Face to face.  She had to restrain herself from reaching out for him.  She wasn't going to make the first move.  Her trembling fingers clawed at the wall behind her.  Her head tilted back against the wall.  Her mouth hung agape showing the slightest bit of her sparkling white teeth hidden behind a soft shade of pink pedals.  Daydream's hair fell over her eyes.  Her big brown eyes staring at Tristen through strands of fire.  The oversized t-shirt that she borrowed from the sanctuary had slipped down revealing part of her pale freckled shoulder.  Her skin was crying to be touched and she didn't know why.  Why was she suddenly feeling this way. 

She had to fight back the urge to press her lips into his without cause.  Why are we standing here?  Did he want a moment alone with me?  Her heart sped up.  I shouldn't be thinking this.  This is wrong.  This is.... "Ok it's my turn.  I'm going to show you my favorite spot in New York."  She shuttered and her clawing fingers relaxed.  The muscles in her hands ached from the tension of her fingers clawing the wall.  That was.... Intense.  But it wasn't at all what she thought was going to happen.  She forced a smile and nodded before they slipped back out and hailed a cab.

Daydream climbed in and sat herself against the far window.  Maybe it would be better to give herself a little space.  Close proximity to Geo seemed to get her into trouble.  She leaned her head out the window and watched life go by.  People walking, driving.  Mostly honking at the cars in front of them.  New York was the city of dreams.  Her dreams were causing her to question everything.  Was that wrong?