AN: So, this ends chapter 26. When we come back, we'll be heading into the non-cuddle [well, not as cuddlesome] and characterization part of this story arc. :)

Chapter 26.3: I Want to Touch It

The heat of day was long past, and the night had come in with its customary darkness. Scott, for once, rested alone in his bed. Both Shaia and Tara were quite spent from the events of the day and needed a rest. Companionship was less than a word away, if he so desired, but everyone needed time to be alone. Even immortal crystalline beings needed time to dream their sweet dreams.

It was with those thoughts that Scott faced the lonely, but restful night. He both adored and hated the quiet, the moments between one breath and the next. Most of his life had been spent in measuring those moments. Would his story end between the exhale and the inhale? Would he always be alone?

Life at the orphanage had been simple, uneventful. The people who had raised him rarely spent any time with him beyond the necessary school lessons and meals. The place had been wonderful really, but it had felt more like a prison than a home.

Scott closed his eyes and tried to fight the memories that surfaced, they always came to him in the dark quiet in the dead of night. Even now, those memories tore at him. The caregivers had not been particularly comforting. Questions were often answered curtly, if at all.

A soft sigh escaped his lips. "Ms. Garidine, where are my parents?"

"I don't know." he said in falsetto. Scott snorted lightly. It had always been like that. Every child had wanted to know about their families, at least at first. He had been abandoned as a child, or so he had thought. After years of being mostly on his own, only the minimal attention necessary given to his mental and physical survival, he had finally achieved the only dream that he'd had for himself.

He pressed his hand to his forehead and listened to the pestering voice of the smile child within him, the one who remembered those long and lonely days. The kids were rarely allowed to play together. Ms. Garidine did not tolerate noise and foolishness.

As it turned out, that very upbringing had been the catalyst for what he had become. He did not like to be alone, not for long. In the quiet moments, alone in the dark, he could finally allow himself to rest. He could allow himself to simply be himself without any pretense.

Scott allowed himself to wallow in his loneliness for a time, let the old feelings wash over him. It was good to remember now and then, it would keep him honest, keep him from taking his new team mates for granted.

His nocturnal reminiscence was cut short not long after, however. The door to his room opened to reveal Eina in all of her perpetually annoyed glory.

The door closed behind her as he casually strolled over to the bed then stretched out on it. Neither of them spoke for a moment. They shared the silence and the darkness as equals.

Of course, Eina was not one to simply accept the silence for long. "So, where are your sluts?"

Scott closed his eyes. "Eina, do you really have to talk like that?"

She made a noise that sounded partially like a laugh, and partially like a snort. "Well, what else do I call them?"

He rolled over and slid his arm across her waist, and then nuzzled his chin into the crook of her neck. "They'll be your good friends and sisters someday."

"Wha-at... What the hell?!" she asked, her face darkened even as the bridge of her nose turned an intriguing shade of pink. "Why are you cuddling up to me, you fat bastard!"

"I'm sorry. It's been too long, hasn't it?" he asked her softly.

"A-are you dying?" she asked him, her eyes wide, her nostrils flared.

Scott kissed her gently on the shoulder, an action that caused her eyes to narrow but her pupils to dilate. "No. I just haven't been doing right by my best friend, is all."

Eina coughed once then made an unimpressive effort to dislodge him. Had she truly wanted to do so, she could have easily thrown him across the room with one arm. "Stop talking like this... You're creeping me out."

He lightly caressed her side then snuggled closer. Eina's eyes widened ever so slightly then she glanced away from him. While they rested there for a moment, her eyes would slowly rotate back to the front, and then after a time she ever so slightly glanced toward his face. As soon she saw him clearly, her eyes darted away once more.

"Comfortable?" she asked him, her tone of voice made it clear that she was not.

"I'm always comfortable with you." he said softly then nuzzled in closer.

Eina grimaced nervously then frowned. Her frown eventually shifted into a strangely conflicted expression. Her lips puckered briefly then she started to chew on her lower lip. Finally, she could not stand it any longer. "Why are you being so damned sweet?! I'm not going to let you touch me."

"That's fine. I'm happy just like this."

"Fucking liar..." she said in an annoyed tone.

"Eina..." said Scott.

She took a moment to answered, her voice was a little uncertain. "Yeah...?"

"Can you let your hair down for me?"

She gasped loudly then pulled away a little in shock. "Why should I?"

Scott smiled gently at the wall. "When I told you that your hair looked good that way, you kept the style. I just miss seeing your hair down."

Eina's eyelid began to twitch and she acquired a look of utter disgust. "Stupid... I didn't do it for you."

"Oh." said Scott simply, though his tone was that of a sad child who had learned a hard truth. "It's fine. Sorry to have brought it up."

The blond powerhouse blinked when Scott slowly rolled away from her and began to cuddle his pillow instead. She swallowed, hard, and then looked away. What was wrong with him, tonight?

"I hate myself right now." muttered the girl before she reached up and undid her hair ties.

"Hmm?" asked Scott softly, his voice muffled by his pillow.

"Fine, you damned baby. I took them out." said Eina, her heart-shaped face now framed by luxurious hair.

Scott glanced over his should and gave her a look. The Amazonian wonder glanced away from him briefly, but then slowly shifted her gaze back to him. He was still looking at her.

"What?" she asked, before she looked away again. Her cheeks became slightly flush under the simple scrutiny of his gaze.

He reached down and gently intertwined his fingers with hers. It was an action that caused her face to heat up considerably, even the tips of her ears began to turn red. "I've missed you."

"You--" She croaked slightly, then made a coughing noise to clear her throat before she continued. "You see me all the time."

"No, I don't miss my personal trainer. I miss my Eina."

"Who's your Eina?" she asked quickly.

Scott smiled softly, an action that caused her to make a slight yelping noise when she noticed it. "My Eina, is a sweet girl. She's strong, and friendly, unless she's on the clock."

"She sounds... nice." said Eina, slowly.

"I think so. She's my best friend, after all."

"Oh? Is she?" asked Eina curiously. "Are you sure that's the case?"

The soft smile on his lips increased in size and warmth. "There are a few million people in America, but out of all those people she alone took the time to notice me sitting alone on a bench."

Eina snorted a little. "You were so pathetic looking, that I couldn't help myself."

Scott laughed gently then slipped his arm across her waist once more. Eina eyed the offensive limb like it might become a venomous serpent. It kept her attention until she felt Scott's hot breath upon her neck. He had snuggled close once more. "I had just finished basic training, and advanced tactical field work. My only associate in town was Seventy-Two."

Eina smiled slightly. "It'll be nice to see her again."

"We were quite the trio whenever I could get her a weekend pass." Scott's tone changed to amusement and warmth. Some of the underlying burden within had been alleviated by happier memories.

"Yeah." laughed Eina, in a surprisingly musical way filled with warmth and good cheer. "Remember when she thought that she could drink that whole barrel of plum brandy because it was just specially made fruit juice?"

Scott laughed loudly after being reminded of that. "She begged me to buy her a pimp hat from Ye Olde Outfitters."

Eina cried out, "Mashta don't call me Sheventy-Two, call me Brandy Wine!"

He shook his head, tears coming to his eyes. "Right, and we became her hoes."

She glanced at him sideways. "Maybe, you did. I was the muscle, you were the talent."

"True, though she never did convince me to go work the corner like a prostitute in the old Earth videos." replied Scott.

Eina snorted. "Prostitute, don't make it sound fancy. You were an unemployed manwhore."

Scott glanced at Eina then casually began to tickle her. She squealed suddenly then began to fidget and stammer. "S-stop it you bastard! You know I hate this!"

"Tickle tickle." he said while tickling her in various places.

"No! Quit it!" she said between squeals. "Y-you're—" She giggled loudly and flailed her arms around lightly. "an asshole, Scott!"

He kissed her softly on the cheek after a moment of torturing her mercilessly. Sure, she could have simply thrown him across the room, but that was not a desired option at the moment.

A warm, beautiful, sigh escaped her lips. "Jerk." she said playfully.

"You know it, baby." he replied with a smile.

"Baby, is it? Last time I checked I was fully grown." she said with a smirk.

Scott sighed languidly. "Ah, my little Eina is all grown up and sexy. Whatever am I to do?"

She patted him lightly on the side of the face. "No idea. You'll just have to deal with it."

"Deal with your sexiness?"

"I have to do it every day." she said with a loud and overly dramatic sigh.

He flatly replied, "Oh no. However do you survive?"

"I go to my happy place." she replied sweetly.

He reached up and lightly stroked the side of her face. "Am I in your happy place?"

She smiled softly at him, her eyes alight with an inner fire. "Hell no."

Scott pouted at her in a boyish manner. "Come on... Let me be in your happy place."

"No." she replied lightly.

"But I wanna be in your happy place..." His hand started to slip down toward her thighs.

Eina snorted at him then quickly clasped his hand to keep it from wandering further down. "Useless horny dog." Her warm tone changed suddenly, however. "Don't you have a girlfriend for that?"

"We have done surprisingly little." he said. "I just met her, anyway. She seems nice, and we'll probably get along well, but I barely know her." Scott thought about the situation for a moment. "It will take some time before it could be called anything more than a burgeoning friendship."

"Oh. You sweet talker, you." she said sarcastically in a flat tone of voice.

Scott rolled his hand over and clasped Eina's. "I won't lie to you, ever."

"I know that." said Eina before she closed her eyes. "It's just... That woman pisses me off."

He gently pressed his lips to the bridge of her nose. "It's my fault for not training harder."

"Damn right..." groused Eina before she turned her head to the side. "Do you expect me to wait forever, you fat bastard?"

"Till you're a wrinkly old prune of a woman whose vagina has turned into a raisin that sings old folk songs from Earth." replied Scott casually.

There was no movement in the room for a time, and the only sound was the breathing of the two occupants. After that brief moment passed, Eina slowly reached over and pinched Scott, hard.