Smile Like You Mean It

Good, that’s how it should be.

[he nudges back] Hell yeah, I'm starving.

I'm not letting that sicko lay a hand on you.

You don’t know me at all, do you?

No--I--I get it, I do.

I don’t like this, I don’t like it at all.

Oh absolutely.

I guess you could say that.

I don't think anybody does.

I’m sure.

[mutters under his breath, waves his bracelet above hers to transfer some credits]

Ah — HA!

[pauses and stares] Pft...I coulda' done that. [he bites into the apple he held onto]

Oh yeah, of course, sure.

Uh--yeah. Yeah, that sounds good. [he squeezes her hand back almost like he's checking to make sure she's real]

Well I'm thinking of going and making some noise, and not the fireworks kind. More like the boom, boom kind.

Oh, suave, am I? That’s something, coming from a ‘gentleman’ such as yourself.

Aren't I? But that's not the reason I came to you Ton', no, no. I can hand out compliments I do and don't mean any day of the week to any one of these yahoos. You see--

She wasn’t sure if the world around her was shaking or she was but it didn’t matter. Teddy would quell the sadness that bubbled up inside of her and surely enough he did, although she felt the tears dribble down her cheeks and under her chin. It wasn’t until he pulled back that made her frightened that he might actually let go- and then the words came. They were cut in certain places, forced through a series of hushed tones and forced almost squeaky phrases. She could feel the pain within each syllable because she felt that pain every day since after the Gala. Finley wasn’t even sure why she left now, although her whole world had crashed around her after all the good that came from it but at least now she could be with Teddy again- her Teddy. The kiss, now that was everything she had imagined and more. Truth be told it was long over do and she smiled even though she was crying and the tears meshed between them making it salty and wet but she didn’t care. It was all she could ever hope for and more.

[he wipes the tears from her face for her with his thumbs, smiling a bit] Maybe here--ten minutes before curfew isn't the best place to catch up Fin'mazing.

She slipped off the wall and into his arms, clutching the fabrics of his jacket and breathing him in. He smelt like he always had- soap and sweat with a hint of smoke like he’d just been playing with fireworks. It was him, the same mohawk-haired boy she fell for and the one who showed her the way through the foggy lenses that she was fooled into believing.

She's really here, it's her. All Teddy could think about was holding Finley as tight as possible, he didn't want to think about letting go, not yet. He closed his eyes and smelled the sweet citrus on her hair, hints of metal and earth. Finley fit perfectly in is arms which wrapped around the whole length of her body, pulling her close so their bodies pressed against one another. "You.. You left. Didn't even say good bye." Teddy tried his best to hug tighter, if only Finley were a little smaller. "Angry...I was so fucking angry at you. Why didn't you...." He stopped himself and pulled her close so that he could finally press his lips right up against hers. This kiss was long, long overdue.

In closing the gap between them she wished she had actually brought something, anything that could have saved her from this could-be disaster. She never felt comfortable with a weapon until Matt practically shoved one into her palm and made her use it against the bandits and now she itched for something to fend the other off. But something was odd about this encounter- the way he approached her, the impatience that he held in his tone, all familiar sounding and it all made her feel uneasy. That was until the figure finally came into light and there stood someone who she never thought she’d see ever again. Sucking in a sharp breath she felt her insides turn over and twist into something fierce. She wasn’t sure if she was seeing things or if this was the actuality of the situation. Finley feared if she said his name he’d disappear so without thinking she practically jumped up and wrapped her arms around him, clutching at his clothes to make sure he was indeed the real thing, “Teddy.. Teddy it’s you.. it’s really really you.”

Teddy never let anybody in when he was younger. He was beaten and abused by his own family. They dressed him up and tried molding him into their image of the perfect agent. When he left, it was only him. Years of being on his own, keeping even the Runaways at an arms distance. Nobody knew Teddy like Finley did. The moment he laid eyes on her, he thought, "Wow, this is one dumb chick.". The more he saw her, and heard her voice, Teddy felt the weight of everything before the moment they met melt away. Everything he did for her, was out of pity. She was so blind to everything, and Teddy played along for the most part. Never in a million years did he think he'd fall for her, but he did. That night, while the fireworks crackled and popped above the Scott Estate, Teddy held Finley close, and for the first time in his life kissed someone and meant it.

He sounded sarcastic, almost as if what she said was laughable to him and maybe it was. Roderick even Matt had said that she wasn’t convincing when trying to put on a show with how she said things but she kept at it anyway- hoping that it would change over time. Thinking about it now, she wasn’t so sure. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything and right now her thoughts consisted of a lot of maybes and ifs or buts. Shifting for a moment to get a better look at the boy she frowned slightly and shook her head, “That’s not any of your business,” she replied almost childishly, folding her arms across her chest and managing to see a hint of hair that extended slightly in what looked like a .. Mohawk. Frowning again, a twinge of guilt formed in her gut and she cleared her throat, “—Don’t come any closer.. I- I’m armed.”

"Yeah? Really? Are you really armed?" At this point Teddy was just toying with her. He wasn't looking to do anything but see how far he could go with this whole act, if he could call it that. Teddy started to slowly close the distance between them. He could see part of her face, but not enough to decided whether he knew her or not. That voice, it sounded eerily familiar. A quick glance at his watch and Teddy could see he had twenty minutes until curfew. Too late to pick up any food and make it back in time.

Something about the other voice bothered her as it echoed through the streets near the restaurant. Of course it wasn’t an odd occurrence that someone would stumble upon this patch of solitude to get to another but she thought she was alone- for the time being anyway. Agents rarely made it through this desolate part and even if they did it barely had looters stinking up the sidewalks unless they found their wall into the building. It looked old now, like it had been settling into its newly formed state for decades rather than months. Still, she made a note that she should come here more often, possibly to pay homage to the memories of her past.

The first thought that came to Teddy's mind after hearing the voice, was to laugh. He resisted against every urge, whoever this woman was she didn't sound very menacing. He saw her try and hide from him in one of the alley's frames. Teddy stopped a few feet away from the woman, the neon  signs and  high walls of the alley prevented him from getting a good look at her from this distance. "Yeah it is, so why are you out here?" When Teddy replayed her voice over in his head, it sounded familiar. She was unsure, nervous even. It was possible she was a common smuggler, trying to lure Teddy in. Even if she wasn't, she might have a gun. Teddy could see a dumpster on his right, if the girl made a move he'd have to be quick.