Scarlett nodded. "Yes please." She said, putting out her glass. She could already feel the buzz from the strong alcohols she had put in her drink, and was telling herself to only have one more glass.. but she loved the feelings the alcohol was giving her. "I'd wait for you." She said softly, her eyes looking to glasses behind his head. "It's better to wait for someone that never comes then someone who you wish hadn't." She said, a sly smile playing on her lips.

She trailed her finger tip over the rim of her glass as she waited for him to pour more poison into it, her long eye lashes blinking a few times. "So.. have you ever had a girlfriend?"She asked, curious to see if such a handsome man had ever been with a woman, but she wasn't about to ask that question to someone she'd only known for a few hours. Scarlett had only had one boyfriend in her life, and unfortunately it was the worst experience she had ever had. She had met him when she was young so she never had the time to ever meet someone else.

She ran her hand through her blonde hair, her eyes going back to him.
Your actually a very nice guy when you talk.. it makes me wonder why Alice says bad things about you.." She said, closing her eyes for a moment. He had a lovely voice.

She opened her eyes again and then looked back to him. "Oh, how rude of me.. you don't have to answer my question.. it's just, I've only had one man in my life before and I was curious about you.." She said, looking away and biting her lip. She then looked back to the patio door and could just barely see Andrew and Alice.

Andrew chuckled. "Wow, Guys? I had a few girls here and there, but never a relationship. All they wanted was to sleep with me for a good night and then they'd be gone the next day, and if they weren't then I was." He said, not fully proud of himself for it. "What an ass. You know, surfers are shady people anyways, so you don't need him." He grinned. "I know if I had a woman like yourself, i'd enjoy every minute of it and try my best to keep her for as long as I could." He said, looking over to her. He shivered a little at the sudden chill he got and then let his blonde bangs fall into his eyes again. "How about after this we hang out in the den, light a fire and get some drinks?" He asked, his green eyes looking over at her with a slightly seductive look.

He of course was very attracted to this girl, but he'd try his best t get to know her before making any moves on her. He didn't want her to end up like the other girls if he ever got a chance to be with her in these two months. He flashed a grin with his white teeth and slipped out of the pool to just lay down on the patio and look at the sky. "Angry girlfriends? Nice. I had to deal with a ton of angry boyfriends because the girls that liked me usually had boyfriends, or stalkers.." He said, letting out a small chuckle.

"I'd wait for you."
Gideon had just started pouring his own drink and managed to spill a bit as he quickly stopped pouring. The words were startling: he shot a swift glance over to Scarlett to see if she was joking or not. Seeing her sly smile, the male cleared his throat and swiftly cleaned the mess he'd just managed to make. What? She had to be kidding. They didn't even know one another.
He carefully poured some liquid into Scarlett's glass just as she started talking again. Gideon glanced up just in time to catch her long eyelashes kissing her cheeks - and he paused his movement for the briefest moment. Scarlett's question made him narrow his eyes a bit. "No," he said, being as blunt as ever. He'd never had a girlfriend - or a relationship of any sort with the opposite gender, honestly. The house wasn't exactly a place where people enjoyed being . . . unless they were there for drugs or illegal activities. Many dark hours had been spent avoiding his parents and their crowds while locked away in his room with mechanics.

Watching Scarlett run a hand through her hair, Gideon pondered what it would be like if he could create her likeness with his technology. It wouldn't be the same, of course. But she was certainly an interesting candidate for such a thing. She stuttered over asking her question, finding it an awkward thing to ask. Gideon had to think about why it was awkward: he finally shook his head and spoke up again. "I don't mind," he said, fighting away the beginnings of a blush as she closed her eyes to listen to his voice. That was another thing people didn't say often. He hadn't heard that one before. If anything he'd been told to shut up all his childhood days. Some habits are hard to get rid of.
Hearing that Alice was being herself didn't make Gideon so much as flinch. He knew enough about the rich girl to guess that it didn't matter: he wasn't one to think that her opinions of him made any difference. Alice had been quite the talkative girl on the ride to the estate, and after finally giving up on Gideon, she'd turned her words to the driver instead. It was no surprise to hear that she disliked his anti-social behavior.
"I spend a lot of time alone," Gideon said, turning to place the bottle on a shelf behind him. It was the only thing that kept him from staring at Scarlett's fingers as she ran them through her hair again. When he returned to his drink he found Scarlett's eyes on the couple outside. It was a relief to know that she wasn't still looking at him.
-


Catching his comment about her "shady" surfer, Alice laughed. "I found out that my life was easier without him." She nodded to agree with his suggestion of not needing the other guy. Her grin widened when he started talking about how hard he'd try to keep her if he was given the chance. It was charming, for sure. Even more charming when he sent her a dashing smile and got out of the pool. Somehow the water made him look all the more fit as it dripped to the patio.

Tilting her head to the side and leaning on her arm, Alice matched his seductive look with one of her own. "Drinks and fire? Music and ice cream?" Lifting an arched brow with practiced ease, she leaned down so she was a few inches from Andrew's face. "You sound like you know me already."
It was strange to see how much they had in common already - and not all of it was necessarily good. Dealing with stalkers and ex-girlfriends/boyfriends seemed a bad part of the past - but it was a piece of the past that they already shared.
"Do you think your sister will be alright with Gideon?"

Scarlett laughed at his reaction to her saying she'd wait for him. "Woah, calm down cutie. I wasn't being that serious, I barely know you." She smiled. "Though all I know right now is that your very nice, handsome, and your a very good listener." She said, grinning at her tiny joke. She stood up and went behind the bar with him, putting her glass in the bar sink and washing it clean, drying it and then putting it back on the rack. She then grabbed a rag and cleaned up the mess he made. She accidentily bumped his arm, blushing slightly. "Sorry.." She said, moving her body away from him and then going back to the outside of the bar. "Hey.. do you wanna explore the grounds with me?" She asked, looking up at him for an answer. "If not i'll go on my own.. I just want to see if theres anything worthwhile in the back gardens." She said, brushing her blonde bangs out of her eyes. "Of course i'll put pants on first though.." She laughed.

Andrew nodded. "Its like you know so much about me already." He grinned. "Ice cream and music sound amazing.." He said, his eyes looking her over now that shes out of the water. He stood up and put a hand out to her. "My sister will be fine. I'm sure Gideon won't do anything.. and I doubt she'd do anything.. so it's all good." He said, running his hand through his hair with his free hand and looking down at her.

Gideon looked down at his glass as the girl named off qualities she saw in him. He mentally did the same thing. Smart. Sweet. Friendly. Gorgeous. As he thought, he followed his companion's lead to wash his glass. His hands were full of hot water and soap when Scarlett went to clean up the mess on the counter. When he felt Scarlett bump against his arm he couldn't help but send her a glance. He saw her blush - and the beginnings of a smile teased the corners of his lips.
"It's fine," he said. It seemed like he was accepting a lot of apologies from the girl. He certainly didn't mind. He mentally added willing to talk with outcasts to the list he was compiling in his head.

When everything was cleaned up and put away, Gideon hesitated. Scarlett asked a question that sent his instincts and his desires sprinting in different directions: let her go alone or accompany her on the walk around the mansion's gardens. Finally his brown eyes caught her gaze through her fringe of blonde bangs. "I'll go with you."
The mention of pants made Gideon's eyes brighten - but he didn't smile. Apparently it wasn't in his "available expressions" category. "That might be a good idea."
Leaning back against the counter as his alcohol-induced friendliness began to overtake him, Gideon took a deep breath. Yes, I most definitely want to go with you.
-

Alice nodded, smiling. He was right: Gideon didn't seem like the type to do . . . well, anything exciting. Scarlett would be as safe with him as she would be with a lamb. Looking at the offered hand, the woman accepted it and hauled herself to her feet with a laugh. "Hopefully the both of them will be alright then." She sent a glance to the bar to see the two cleaning up a bit.
"So. The kitchen sounds like the best place to find the food. I'm sure we can find the sound system somewhere." Now that she was on her feet Alice looked ready to just flop over and relax. The thought of music, ice cream . . . everything was sounding great. "Alright, Tiger. What kind of ice cream do you think we'll find in there?" Without waiting for an answer she headed for the kitchen. Forget the towel - she'd dry off as they walked.

((:XD Alright, time for me to get to bed. I have work tomorrow. :)))

"Okay, well i'll be back in a second with some actual clothes on." She said, leaving the bar and going up the grand staircase. She went into her room and pulled on a dark pair of skinny jeans and a simple black tank top. She looked at herself in the mirror, happy with her look for once. Though if someone looked at her bust close enough they could see the top of her zebra bra. She decided not to care though since they would be outside, and then quickly went down the stairs. She walked over to the bar wearing her simple slip on ballet styled flats. They were black and looked nice with her skinny jeans. "Okay, I'm ready." She said, excited to be going on a walk through the many gardens with Gideon.

"I think theres a trail leading into the woods where all the gardens are. Supposedly the husband made a new garden for his wife whenever his love grew for her..and theres at least a hundred gardens all together. It seems so sweet to me." She said, smiling a little. "But other than that I don't know much about the house..the person that drove us here told us not to try and learn that much about it or we wouldn't want to stay here.." She said, feeling a slight chill go up her spine. "Theres a few books in the library about the place though.. I think the wife wrote them." She said, heading over to the patio door and glancing her green eyes back to him. "Oh.. and I must warn you..if I suddenly get scared I might grab onto you." She said, knowing that she got scared pretty easily when it came to the dark woods.. so hopefully he wouldn't mind her clinging to him if she heard a noise.

Andrew nodded. "How about this, i'll fix us drinks and you go get any ice cream you like. I like all flavors." He said, then smirked. "Oh, theres already a sound system in the den. All we need is a cd or something." He said, biting his lip. "Oh, and i'll get the fire started too." He said, gently dropping her hand so he could go get them drinks. She went over to the bar and quickly made them two drinks of what they had earlier and then looked to Gideon and Scarlett. "We'll be in the den if you need us." He said, turning and going towards the hallway that led to the den. It was a nice, secluded room that had big double doors made of wood that could easily be locked.

He made his way through the double doors and sat the drinks down on the dark cherry coffee table that was right next to a very large black couch. Across from the couch was the fireplace, in which there were speakers on the mantle that connected to a sound system in the wall. "This house is wonderful.." He muttered, going over to the fire and grabbing a few pieces of wood from the wood bucket next to the fireplace. He then pulled the switch to ignite the wood.

He then went over to the couch and fell down on it, taking a swig of his drink and waiting for Alice.

"I'll keep that in mind," Gideon said quietly. With his head tilted, the youth stepped forward and offered his arm to her. He'd seen it done many times - and it seemed to fit his personality. He enjoyed hearing about the house immensely: he was the type to listen to odd happenings and strange rumors. It was . . . interesting that the wife of the estate had so many gardens planted just for her. Gideon couldn't help but wonder why the entire place had a feeling of being slightly . . . off.

Just as they were leaving Andrew informed them of where the other couple would be. In a very unusual turn of behavior (for him, anyway) Gideon called out a response. "We'll be in the gardens." It was to acknowledge, and to give a bit of indication that they weren't squirreling off together somewhere hidden.
His gray eyes flickered over the girl's clothing for a moment before looking to the darkness that was gathering about them. The outside air was clean and fresh, smelling of plantation and damp soil. It was equally wild and tame . . . and that was attractive. Gideon slowly kept his pace a nice stroll (though it took visable effort to remind himself that he was with someone else) as they headed through the first bit of garden.
"Amazing," he said, looking up at a stone arch that was coated with a sheet of ivy. The tendrils that slid down weren't long enough to reach their heads, but it as a beautiful scene. Gideon was glad he'd come with Scarlett: it was nice to have someone there while he whispered words of awe. It was also quite a nice sensation to have a beautiful blonde on his arm as the moonlight filtered over them in a silver veil.

There were many moments when Gideon caught sight of Scarlett out of the corner of his eye. Those moments were . . . incredible. She looked like an angel aglow with the light of heaven's gates. It was the ump-teenth time when he found he'd been staring a bit longer than necessary when Gideon blinked swiftly and pointed out a bush of white roses. They looked unreal in the moonlight - almost carrying a light of their own. "They look like they're glowing."
-

Alice had run off to get the ice cream (caramel swirled, which she thought sounded like a good choice) and music. Her choice was . . . different. One of her favorite artists happened to be Max Richter, who was a far cry from many Pop or Rock artists. Some of the songs were rather sad, but Alice had a great deal of his songs with her at all times. It certainly contrasted her happy-go-lucky attitude.
The young woman was sure to throw on some black shorts and a high-quality white tank top (that did nothing to hide the bikini top beneath it) before heading back toward the den. She was excited - she always loved good ice cream and companionship. As she entered she held up the disk that she'd brought with her. "I'll bet you would never guess what I listen to in my spare time."
Setting the tub of ice cream down on the table beside the drinks, she headed for the sound system. "I am dying to have that drink, so you'd better move over a tad." Alice winked at Andrew as she hit play and adjusted the sound. Swiftly crossing the room to plop herself down beside her new friend, she sighed in content. "I didn't bring bowls. Just spoons." With a silly grin, she laughed. "You aren't afraid of girl cooties, are you?"

Scarlett took his arm and let him lead her through out the first garden, and obviously she was enjoying the night. Her eyes lit up at everything and her smile never left her lips. "This is so beautiful.." She whispered, smirking when she caught Gideon starting at her yet again. The whole setting just gave off a rather romantic feel, making her think that they were in some love story.

When she caught his eyes on her once again the blonde took his hand. "Those are very lovely roses.." She said, leaning over and giving him a gentle kiss on the side of his face. "I can see your eyes when they look at me." She whispered, giving a small grin. "And it makes me feel wonderful to know that someones looking at me for once." She said softly, her smile now towards him instead of the garden. Scarlett went over to the white rose bush and gently touched the petals with the tips of her fingers, glancing back at him and hoping he wouldn't notice her stare. He looked so handsome in the moonlight. All his features were brought out more on his face, his broad shoulders and chest looked like they could carry twenty of herself, and it all just seemed magical. She looked away from him and laced her fingers with the hand of his she had took. "My ex would've never come with me into the garden. He never cared for the finer, beautiful things in life. He just cared about himself." She said, brushing her bangs out of her green eyes with her free hand.

Andrew was surprised by the tape she brought in. "Wow, I never pictured you to listen to him. THough he has a lot of good songs." He said, scooting over so that she could plop down beside him. "Please, I live off girl cooties." He grinned. "And I definitely wouldn't mind yours." He said, taking a spoon from her and taking a spoonful of ice cream. He then put the spoon in his mouth, grinning at how good it tasted. "I love this kind of ice cream. Thanks for getting it while I got things set up." He said, leaning his head back on the couch. "Did you hear that my sisters going to the gardens with Gideon? I'm surprised she got him to leave the house.." He smirked, taking another bite of ice cream.

He'd been admiring her smile just as much as the roses when he felt her delicate hand slip into his. Looking down at their entwined hands with a look of interest, and perhaps uncertainty, he looked to the roses that had earlier caught his attention.

Scarlett kissed him gently on the side of the face. Startled, his hand flew up to cover the spot that burned with the rest of his pale features. Thank goodness it's dark out. Worried he was looking like a love-struck puppy, Gideon turned his gaze elsewhere. As soon as he did so Scarlett moved to brush the roses with her dainty fingertips. There was a flicker of multiple emotions on his face - suspicion, surprise, embarrassment, joy . . . offense - as he pulled his stoic mask back into place.
How am I supposed to feel?
Gideon finally blinked again, coming out of his thoughts just in time to catch Scarlett staring - it seemed like they'd been doing that to one another all evening. He practically offered his hand when she reached for it. Hearing about Scarlett's ex-boyfriend made Gideon frown. "He didn't know what he was missing." Mainly you. His eyes locked on her for a moment. Their emerald depths were sparked up with the light of the moon - like they were glowing. Even her blonde hair was alight with the moonlight.
Reaching up to smooth down a tendril of her hair that the wind disturbed, Gideon forced his gaze forward once again. This time it took quite a bit of effort. I've never put much thought into how captivating a woman's lips are. If he continued along that line of thinking, he was almost embarrassed. Luckily he was spared any further blushing when they came to a small paved area with a lovely fountain. It was an angel . . . he was carrying a gorgeous woman who looked as though she were ready to come to life at any moment. Stone wings wrapped about the two of them with water cascading in streams all around the figures. The expression on the angel's face made Gideon stop to stare for a moment. Love? Something else was mixed in: he was looking to the woman to save him. Desperation and hope mingled with love and longing on that sculpted face.
"Up," he whispered as the neared the fountain. Helping Scarlett stand on the ledge, he followed. The rims of the stone fountain were just wide enough for one and a half a person to walk side-by-side . . . so Gideon stayed a few inches behind the girl. His hand left Scarlett's for a moment only to entwine both hands as he steadied her from behind. "Watch your step."

He was gentle: odd, a bit strange, but gentle. Caring, even. Gideon thought nothing of it - he was merely doing whatever he thought was appropriate for the current moment. The feel of the gentle mist that came from the fountain's waters was like a breath of heaven. As they circled the fountain, Gideon breathed in Scarlett's gentle scent: something akin to vanilla or coconut. It was sweet . . . and it seemed to fit her.
While he was behind her, he caught her from slipping off a slick stone against his chest. The feeling brought a look of surprise to his face . . . but Gideon wasn't so quick to right Scarlett on her feet. "Did you love him?" he asked, the fine buzz from the alcohol finally prompting him to say something he normally wouldn't.

((Psssh, book much? :XD))
-

Alice laughed, crossing her legs as she took her drink. "What kind of music did you picture me listening too, Andrew?" Curious, she sipped the drink . . . and almost sprayed it everywhere when he mentioned living off of girl cooties. Choking on her laughter, Alice was finally able to croak out a response. "Good thing. I was sure to spit in the carton before handing it over."
There was a bout of friendly laughter at that before the young woman brought her legs up on the couch. Curling up a bit, she used the other spoon to start eating. The ice cream was sweet - perfectly creamy. "Did you know that they have horrible ice cream in Beverly Hills? You have to find a street vendor to serve you the good stuff." It was true: the high-end restaurants never served it right.

Taking another bite of ice cream, Alice's golden eyes widened dramatically. "No! Gideon? Outside?" She snorted with laughter before placing the spoon in the carton so she wouldn't drop it in her lap. "And here I thought he would never leave his room. I would have put money on it." Wrinkling her nose, Alice laughed again. "I wonder if they talk. Do they just use body language, perhaps? Or maybe they just look at the stars together."
Getting a doey-eyed look on her face she leaned over and dramatically rested her head on Andrew's shoulder. Pointing to a crystal chandelier hanging in the corner she gasped. Her voice carried a French accent as she started talking. "What do you suppose zat iz? Ze moon, perhaps?"

((Haha, it's sooo cute though!))

Scarlett blushed after she kissed the side of his face and followed him onward. When she saw the beautiful fountain she nodded at his words and let him help her up. She at first had trouble balancing and let out a small laugh. When she felt his hands hold hers from behind, she laced her fingers with his and started to walk around the fountain. At that moment everything was perfect until she slipped on a rock and started to slip. Thats when she felt Gideon pull her to him, and she fell against his strong chest. At his question she paused. "I did at first.. but after he first hit me.. I was just too scared to leave.." She whispered, her blonde bangs falling into her emerald eyes as she looked up at Gideon, not bothering to move from his chest.

She frowned a little. "No matter how hard I try to get away from him he still threatens me..and I just want to find someone else that will love me and never hurt me like he did.." She said, then bit her lip. "I'm sorry.. I really shouldn't be throwing all this at you..." She said, looking down at his chest and not at his eyes.

Andrew chuckled. "I don't know.. maybe a more up beat sound." He smirked. "Hopefully they don't talk through body language.. because my sister talks a lot." He grinned. "I think they've spoken a lot more than she has to me today." He said, taking another bite of ice cream. He snorted at her french accent. "No, Ze moon ez much brighter. Like your beautiful eyez." He joked, his french accent trying to sound as good as possible. He then looked over at her. "Really? I thought Beverly Hills restaraunts would have the best ice cream ever. It's expensive enough.." He smirked.

"Hit you?" Gideon's brow was marred by a frown. He listened (as he was so good at) before looking back to the fountain's sparkling waters. "I don't mind hearing about you, Scarlett." He may not talk much, but he loved hearing her speak. Honestly, her company was better than a lot of other girls' he'd spent a minimal amount of time with. His parents had always been trying to find a way to get him involved with their "activities." Pushing the thought away, Gideon watched as Scarlett avoided his gaze.
"I asked. You gave me what I asked for." The male tried not to think about the blonde as she leaned against him. She was so hurt . . . he wished he had been the one to be there for her when she'd been with her ex. Thinking along those lines only got him close to this girl. They didn't need to be close; they'd only know one another for a couple months. It wasn't necessary pain - they'd never see one another again after they parted ways.

Swallowing, he refused to give in to the urge to wrap his arms around Scarlett. "He can't get you here."
-

With a smile, Alice glanced to the chandelier once again. "You'd think that we'd have the best ice cream. Maybe I'm just missing it or something." She pursed her lips in thought. "Or perhaps my father has terrible taste when it comes to the best restaurants on earth." The golden-eyed youth smiled and sat up again, tucking her feet under her as she reached for the ice cream again. "There is one restaurant that serves wonderful ice cream. Then again . . . we have only been to four through my entire life." Her family was one for habit: they went to the four restaurants on certain days of the week.

"Did you have traditions with your family? Like, movie night or something?"

"He didn't mean to though.." She said, putting her head into Gideons chest. "Or at least thats what I told myself." She listened to his heart beat as he spoke again with his lovely voice. The rum was obviously getting to her by the way she clung to him. Though only a little bit of it was from the rum, most of it was because she loved being this close to someone so great. And the rum was the one thing that was pushing away all her thoughts of letting go of him.
"Yes, he can't.. but he can when I leave here." She whispered, her forehead still against his chest. "I know I shouldn't be acting this way.. but your such a nice man.." She said, finally forcing herself to take her head off his chest. She was not standing in front of him, though they weren't touching.. they were very close. She couldn't be doing this. If she let herself fall for this boy then what happened after two months? Then he'd be gone and she'd once again be alone.

"How about while were here.. we forget all about everything outside of this house and its acres, and just focus on each other." She said, forcing a small smile. "Forget my ex, forget your sorrows and let's just have fun." She said, putting out her left slender hand for him to take. By how dark it was getting she knew it was getting pretty late.. but she didn't want her time with him to end. For once in so long she was happy. "I swear, you've made me more happy then i've been in months! Maybe even years.. and I've only known you for a few hours." She said, giving Gideon a genuine smile. "I wish I had met you way before I got so screwed up..." She mumbled.

Andrew thought for a moment, his lips pursed. "Hmm.. Well, we did eat dinner together every night and every friday was movie night. Then every summer we'd go camping." He said, smiling as he thought back on the memories. "What? You've only been to four restaraunts in your life?" He asked, his eyes widened. "Wow, if we could leave this place i'd take you out right now." He smirked. He then put his hand on her shoulder, not making a move but just resting it there. "Eh, maybe it is just the place. Most restaraunts don't get ice cream that great.. the best places are the family owned little shops that have the sweaty, working hard people. The best ice cream place near my house is a little shop in Tarpon Springs. Its on a long street full of Greek vendors and it has the best ice cream and deserts in the world. If only we weren't so far away from it..I'd take you there." He said, thinking about Florida.

Gideon swallowed, watching her extended hand for many moments. His gray eyes moved to her face before he slowly shook his head. "We shouldn't do that," he whispered. "It will only hurt the both of us." Seeing her smile, Gideon lowered his gaze . . . and took her hand. Just because we shouldn't doesn't mean we won't.
"I haven't done anything," he said, tilting his head to look into her face a bit better. "All I've done is listen. How can you fall so easily?" He didn't mean to be offensive . . . but his words weren't necessarily kind. If anything, they almost sounded harsh: a question meant to offend.
Sighing, he listened to her mumbled wish . . . and wrapped his arm about her waist suddenly. "You're the first person I've talked to for more than five minutes," he admitted, trying to smooth his question over. Why did you ask that?
-


Alice glanced at his hand before smiling even wider. "Yes, only four. Maybe five or six, but I doubt it. Father was . . . like that." She listened intently as Andrew mentioned his family traditions, and then thought over how bleak her own family relationship was. Mother passed away when she was ten while father only put on a public face of affection. Alice hardly knew her own father well enough to order him a meal (not that she had to: he got the same thing at every restaurant). She envied family relationships . . . and it sounded like Andrew had a good one.
"If we weren't stuck here," she said, looking thoughtful, "I would try to show you the best view in Beverly Hills." It was right on the balcony of her room. "You can see for miles. The sunsets are amazing, and sunrise is the best time of day." With a weak smile, she tried to convince herself that the view made up for never seeing her father throughtout her childhood. Even now he was distant.

"I would also go with you to try that ice cream." With a grin, she patted his hand. "I'm sure it would be terrible to eat it alone."

Scarlett blushed. "No, I don't mean relationship.. I mean, maybe after we know each other more.. but what I mean is that how about we just don't ask questions about bad things and forget everything outside of this beautiful place." She said, giving a small smile. "I haven't fallen for you so easily, it's just.. well.. I want to forget about everything bad and replace it with something good." She said, blushing when he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Really? Thats... sweet." She said, then looked back at him. "Even though I haven't fallen for you.. just so you know: I like a man that listens way better than a man that could care less what I thought. "So, Gideon." She said, letting his name roll off her tongue. "Tell me about some of the things that you like to do." She said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

She continued to blush, happy that she would at least have a friend. Of course she continued to flirt with him, but she wouldn't be falling for anyone until she knew they were a good person and could really help her in life. "Wanna head back to the house or hang out here for awhile?" She asked, finding that the fountain was a truly beautiful place.

Andrew frowned as she spoke of the view. "You sound upset.. what's wrong?" He asked, putting his arm around her. "Well.. if were still friends by the end of these two months i'd love to take you to that ice cream place." He smiled. "And I'd love to see that view.." He said, trailing off as he looked at her gold eyes. In Andrews eyes he wasn't moving too fast. He was used to the Florida city life where you met one day, then that safe night you were already a thing. Then the next day you'd wake up alone. But Andrew wouldn't do that to Alice, he refused to let himself do anything like that to her. There was something different about her..

When Gideon finally understood what Scarlett was saying, realization filled his eyes. "I read," he said. At first that sounded like the final answer, but he slowly continued. "I build things; work mechanics; program machines." As Scarlett leaned her head on his shoulder, he finally glanced toward the ground. "I like to be alone."
He carefully pushed her away from him just enough to step down. Helping Scarlett get onto her own feet, he leaned back against the fountain's rim and looked up at the stars above them. "I can't think of anything else." He truly couldn't; there wasn't much else he did. "How about you, miss Scarlett? What do you do in your free time?"

Toying with the idea of actually becoming friends was strange to him. Gideon didn't necessarily detest the thought, but he was wary of the pain that would be caused upon their parting. A few moments into his thoughts he heard Scarlett's inquiry. Perhaps it would be best if they headed inside. . . .
"The dark is comforting. I don't mind it here." Not with you. He glanced at her face which was lit by mere moonlight alone. It was . . . rather late now. "Are you ready to go inside?" It was too early for him to sleep - he was a night owl, for sure.
-

Feeling Andrew's arm around her made Alice bring up another smile. "I'm okay. Nothing's wrong." She wasn't . . . ready to discuss her family. Not with a stranger. Bringing herself to think of the ice cream that he spoke of, Alice patted the hand that now rested on her opposite shoulder. "I don't see why we wouldn't be friends. I'll go with you any time you ask." It would be nice to leave home for a while. She didn't get out much, despite being twenty. Having a reason to leave her father would be a welcome change.

"We can trade off. I'll show you the view, you'll get me ice cream." Alice smiled again. "So far, mine sounds cheaper." She met his gaze steadily for a moment before looking back to the carton of ice cream in her lap. Setting it aside, she took her drink once again. It felt odd to have someone else's arm draped around her. It was always her previous boyfriend, Marcus, who did that. This wasn't quite as . . . flippant. Casual, yes. Flippant . . . not quite.

"Traveling money will never be a problem. Round trips are cheaper, too." The young woman glanced at Andrew . . . realizing yet again that he was still bare-chested. With a quirk of a half-smile, she used her finger to wipe up some melting ice cream from the side of the container . . . and left a lovely white fingerprint on his collarbone.

Andrew grinned when she put the ice cream on his collarbone. "How am I supposed to get that off?" He pouted, acting as if he couldn't just reach up and wipe it off. He then did the same thing, but put the ice cream on her neck. She slyly stuck his tongue out at her. "I'll definitely will be your friend." He smirked, his eyes still looking at hers. "Money probably won't be a problem for me.." He said, knowing that once he got his raise he'd earn a pretty decent amount of money.

Scarlett smiled, listening to him name off some things. She stepped down and sat down beside him while he leaned against the fountain. "Oooh, you'll have to show me something you built sometime." She said, looking up at him. "Well.. I read too. A lot actually.." She smirked. "I love to swim, paint, dance, sing, and pretty much anything that involves expressing myself. Though I usually do all those things alone." She said, knowing she had offered to dance with Carter before but he simply laughed and left their one room apartment to hang out with his friends. "I'm fine out here if you are. Theres no way I could go to sleep.. and it's just so pretty out here." She smiled.

She glanced back up at him. "You know.. you could put your arm around my waist again if you wanted..it's actually a pretty nice feeling. Plus I don't mind." She said, blushing again. She wondered if Gideon had thought she meant to have a relationship with him, or a fling persay. But she wasn't about to ask what he had thought on the subject before she said friends. She of course wouldn't mind being romantic with him, but she doubted he would want to get too close to her thanks to them having to leave each other in a few months. And even though they'd never see each other again, she'd still love to get to know him.

Alice squeaked upon getting a retaliation. She licked her finger before wiping the ice cream away with a smile. "You have to use your imagination, Tiger." She laughed as he stuck his tongue out. It was charming - cute, rather. "You'll be my friend because I smeared you with ice cream, or because money isn't a problem?" Looking dramatically shocked, she put a hand to her mouth. "Both?"
-

Hearing what Scarlett did with her talents, Gideon looked at her with amusement in his gray eyes. "I'll show you something I've made if you'll show me something you have." It would be . . . strange to let someone see his work. No one cared enough to ask to see it, usually. This would give him something to do: make something that would be worth Scarlett's attention. It sent thrills through him as he began to think over what he would create.
He looked down to meet Scarlett's gaze when she mentioned putting his arm around her again. "I didn't mind it either." Slowly he let his arm rest around her again. It was a strange feeling that brought just enough warmth through him to chase off the evening chill. Looking out to the moonlit gardens about them, Gideon sighed a bit. "This is so easy." It was enjoyable to just . . . sit there without a care in the world. Nothing to worry about, no one to take care of, no cops banging on the door again. This was just a stroll in the gardens, staying out as late as they wanted, and seeing only one another. It changed the world; brought a new line of thinking into Gideon's mind. He could get used to this kind of life very quickly.

"Sounds like a deal." She said, leaning against him and looking at the stars. "So what would you like me to show you?" She asked, looking back down to their surroundings and staring at the beautiful flowers. "I know. Usually my lifes very chaotic.. but here I can just relax and enjoy my time." She said, her green eyes looking over at him. "How about this. If we are good friends or anything else by the end of the two months then i'll promise to visit you to continue whatever friendship we have going on. But if we absolutely hate each other.. then I guess we'll just go back to our homes and forget about each other." She said, thinking that she could still visit him if they became friends, or others things while at this place. "Speaking of home.. what state do you live in?" She asked, smiling as she felt the warmth of his arm around her.

"Both. Your very fun to hang out with.. and I don't want to just leave and forget all about you." He said, taking another bite of ice cream with his spoon. "Hopefully i'llbe getting a raise so it'll be easy to come and see you, or vise versa." He said, leaning his head back on the couch.

". . . alright."
Gideon nodded, thinking over what would happen. Two months was a long time . . . and a lot could happen. When Scarlett mentioned hating one another doubt pricked his heart. That won't happen. He certainly wasn't going to do any forgetting. His brown eyes narrowed for a moment in thought when she asked what he would like to see of her work. "Do you depict people?"
As he spoke, the youth let his dark eyes pass from the garden to Scarlett herself. Gideon watched her for a few carefree moments before turning his gaze to the sky. I hope we're friends when this is all over. Scarlett's question about his home made a frown (which was now a natural expression on his face) spread over his features. "Oregon," he said, shaking his head a bit. "You wouldn't like where I live. It . . . isn't the best place." Or even a decent place. Somehow, in a city full of life and open forests he had been stuck in the drug-high neighborhood. "Where do you come from?"
-

Alice laughed. "Well, I can visit first. I have the means to," she reached over and pressed a sticky finger to his forehead, "and I don't have to wait for a raise." The dark-haired youth beamed, somehow ending up curled against Andrew's arm. "Getting tired yet?"

Scarlett nodded. "Sometimes. I can do that for you if you'd like." She said, her green eyes looking over at him. "Oregons so far away.." She said, thinking of where she lived. "I live in Spring Hill Florida.. though you wouldn't like where I lived much either." She said, sighing. "Gun shots, drugs, and cops are about the only thing you'll see and hear on my street." She said, rolling her green eyes.

"Unfortunately my ex lives on my street too. So of course theres going to be a lot of screaming when I get home..." She said, getting more closer to Gideon. Her head was still on his shoulder and she was now pressed up against him for warmth and comforting.

Andrew grinned and held her close to him. "Kinda, but I can't go to bed with ice cream all over me can I ?" He asked, smirking as he put some icre cream on her nose.

"That is far away," Gideon whispered. He frowned as Scarlett pressed against him gently, hesitating before awkwardly resituating his arm about her waist. As she spoke of her own neighborhood, the youth let his frown deepen. "That sounds like my home." Coincidence? Sure. They both came from trouble homes and weren't on the best terms with their "friends."

He couldn't help but blush as the girl rested her head on his shoulder once again. This was new to him: he'd never had a relationship before. Gideon slowly took in a deep breath before forcing his gaze away from Scarlett once again. "If . . . if we're still friends after all this, we should meet somewhere else then. Away from home."
There were so many similarities . . . yet they were so different. Gideon let his brown eyes flicker back to the girl leaning against him for a moment. Kindred spirit. Swallowing quietly, he let his free hand move to gently stroke through some of Scarlett's blonde hair. Just how alike are we?
Mind racing through dark streets, drugged up parents and an abusive lifestyle, Gideon couldn't help but sigh quietly. I hope we aren't completely mirrored. It had to be worse for a woman.

"We should go inside," he finally whispered. There were many minutes of silence before he mentioned going to bed, but it was getting rather . . . well, late.
-

"You'll wake up with blanket fuzz stuck to you," Alice said with a sly grin. It was then that ice cream was wiped onto her nose. With a delicate snort, she drew her face away from Andrew . . . and promptly wiped it on his chest with a stiffled laugh. It felt nice to have someone's arms wrapped about her again; to hear someone laughing with her; to know that she was safe from everything: wanted. She was wanted.
"I think you look great," Alice let her gold eyes peer up through her long lashes with an innocent smile. "But you should probably go wash up." Without moving, she rested her head on his shoulder and kept her playful gaze on Andrew's face.

"Then where do you want to meet?" She asked, her eyes looking to him. "We could probably meet at some state in between both of ours.." She closed her eyes. "Somewhere far away sounds amazing." She whispered.

At his offer to go inside the blonde stood up, taking his hand. "Sure. The warm house might be a little better." She smiled, though shivered once again. She gave one last look around the entire garden before putting her eyes back on Gideon. "Your home? What goes on at your home?" She asked softly, her green eyes looking to him sadly. Hopefully this boy didn't have the same lifestyle as her..no one deserved that.

Andrew smirked, resting his chin on her shoulder. "You need to wash up too." He winked. "Thank you.. And I think you look beautiful." He said, his eyes looking into hers. He looked over to the grandfather clock in the corner and was surprised that it was twelve. "Wow. When did it get so late?"

"Somewhere in the middle," Gideon shrugged. Vaguely thinking of Nebraska or Arkansas, he mentally shook it away. They probably wouldn't even be friends by that time anyway. Thinking of friends brought him to moving along to think of home. Her question made him give her hand a glance before taking it more firmly.
"Home is full of drug dealers and drunk prostitutes," he said quietly. He fell silent after that, not really wanting to continue. Gideon looked to the door that they entered with a slight frown. "I was hoping that our lives were different."
-

"Oh, why thank you." Alice laughed, shaking her head. She followed his gaze to the clock before wrinkling her nose. "I don't know, but I'm actually feeling pretty tired. I'm ready to head off to sleep now." With a small yawn hidden behind her hand, the young woman shook her head. "I may just deal with that blanket fuzz." Or use a washcloth to clean up.

Slowly uncurling and getting to her feet, Alice heard her jaw pop when she yawned again. "Alright, Tiger. It was nice meeting you." Winking and wiping some hair from her face tiredly the dark-haired girl leaned over and pressed a kiss to Andrew's cheek. "I'm glad we're already friends."
With a wink, she turned to get her CD. "I'll see you in the morning, Andrew."

"Me too." She said softly, following him inside the house and shutting the door, locking it gently. The lights then flickered for a moment. There was definitely something off about this house.. She shook her thoughts from her mind, her hand still in his. "But maybe this will make us better friends? I know that if I was like Alice you probably wouldn't even be holding my hand right now.." She said, blushing a little as she looked at him.

"So are you going to go to bed?" She asked, not wanting to keep him up if he planned to sleep. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep.. so she'd probably just go out on the balcony. Her mind didn't take the thought of being in a new home well. Especially one that gave her the creeps. It was a beautiful home, but there was just something that seemed to be hiding in these walls. Some secret..

Andrew blushed a little. "Good night Alice." He said, getting up and going to the stairs. He went up to his room and got in his shower, making sure to get clean. Once he got out of his shower he wrapped a towel around his waist and went into his room, throwing on some black boxers and then throwing his towel in the hamper.

Andrew then turned off his light and got in his bed. He tried to focus on sleeping.. but there was a strange noise coming from his bathroom.

Glancing up as the lights flickered, Gideon swallowed. She was right: if Scarlett was anything like Alice, he would be giving her a wide berth. He caught her glance and they both turned to look elsewhere for a moment of blushing. Finally Gideon cleared his throat to answer his friend's question. "I'm not going to bed yet," he said. There was another moment of silence before he looked suddenly curious. "Do you want to see something?" It was almost excitement in his eyes as he watched for her reaction. "Or would you rather see in the morning?"
-

Alice flopped onto her bed with a sigh, ignoring the fact that she was still sticky. Muffling her loud sigh of happiness, the young woman ended up falling asleep flat on her face.

((:XD That's right! There's something up with the house!! >_> I'm gonna have to keep that in mind . . . ))

"Could I see it tonight?" She asked excitedly, her hand still linked with his. She waved to Alice and Andrew before they went to sleep. She had blushed even brighter when she noticed that Gideon had blushed as well. "I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable.. I'm a bit clingy.." She said, giving a small smile.

((Yepp xD I just remembered too lol )