Phenomenal

13~ We Are Going to be Friends

"Have you been out today?" Clarissa asked from around Deacon - who had taken up residence on her lap again.

Damien avoided her eye as he took a sip of coffee.

"You haven't?" Clarissa said, "Have you walked Deacon?"

"Would you like more tea?" Damien asked and Clarissa raised a cushion with the threat of throwing it at him.

"You..." she growled, "No wonder you're struggling to get around. Your muscles have stiffened up haven't they?"

Damien grimaced.

"You're the gym freak, you know that you need to keep moving to ease the muscle pain."

"Yeah but... just no, not today," Damien said and Clarissa heaved Deacon off her lap, scrambling out from under him and standing up. Damien glanced up at her from under his hood before closing his eyes and rubbing the back of his neck. "Heading home?"

"We're going out."

Damien looked up at her. "Eh?"

"We're going for a run, or a walk. Or something. You can't stay in all day. You missed an amazing summer's day already. Up you get. "

"But I don't want to go out."

"Tough, move it."

"But I'm tiiiiired," Damien moaned.

"Are you five?" Clarissa snapped grabbing his wrist and yanking him up from his seat.

He hissed, pulling his hand back and Clarissa quickly let go, hand going to her mouth.

"I'm sorry! Did I catch a bruise?" she asked quickly, panicked as she looked at his arm. "Do you want some ice? Or maybe heat if it's strain? Maybe stretching would be better then going out."

Damien clamped a hand on Clarissa's head and wrecked her hair, making her shriek and brought her attention back to his face.

"Relax, I just stood up weirdly and my thighs weren't impressed," he said, "We'll go for a walk, Deacon needs to go out."

"What about your other dog?" Clarissa asked as Damien walked past, picking up a lead and Deacon sprang to his feet.

"Don't worry about him," was the reply as Damien grabbed Deacon's collar to stop the dog jumping on him and clipped the lead on, stroking the dog's head for a moment, before walking to the door. "Alright, let's go."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you serious?" Damien asked, sticking his head back around the corner and glaring at her with his one good eye. "You were the one who just dragged me out of a comfortable armchair for a walk. Get over here or I'm dragging you out on a four-AM run."

Clarissa raced through the door first and Damien locked it behind them.

It was a really warm night and Clarissa tugged off her jumper, tying it around her waist as they left the complex and headed for the park. Despite the heat, Damien kept his hoodie on and hood up.

With that face, the dark hood shadowing his face and Deacon at his side, he looked terrifying.

Clarissa almost laughed to herself when she thought about the contrast between the two.

Here was a massive guy with a beat up face looking like a thug, an attack dog at his side, and next to him was a girl in short sky blue playsuit and a bow in her hair.

"What?" he asked, hearing the laugh she didn't quite manage to supress.

"Nah, nothing," she said, entwining her fingers behind her and smiling as the evening breeze blue past. The park was quiet by now, just a few couples out for the evening - some night joggers as well passing every now and then.