Fairly Normal People

-Chapter Eight-

Andy and Lucy walked calmly through the quiet night despite the fact their hearts raced inside their chests. Lucy's left hand was shaking and held tightly in Andy's palm. She was pressed up against him to brace against the cold and her head rested on his arm. Andy had placed his jacket around Lucy's thick shoulders to help brace her against the stiff wind, though they both shook like leaves.

"Can we talk now?" Lucy asked, her voice faintly nasally.

"Sure." Andy said, his hand squeezed hers gently.

"What happened back there? After I skedaddled and you finished up the biz, you seemed different." Lucy said.

"Nervous." Andy stated.

"Do you think you could manage more than one word answers, space cadet? This is what I'm talking about."

"Yeah." Andy said before he paused, wiped his face and continued. "Sorry, things got pretty real back there."

"...Right." Lucy responded. "Let's pretend, just for a second, that I'm not an ancient magical creature that has lived through societal collapse and intercontinental warfare that knows exactly what scale we're talking about when you say 'pretty real'."

Lucy looked up at him and smiled through the sarcasm and he looked down and returned it.

"It's been awhile since I've done something like that, entered someone's dream I mean. It brings a lot back, old feelings and memories." Andy said as his voice grew hesitant and reluctant.

"And...?" Lucy asked.

"...And?" Andy asked.

"You're not telling me something, Andy." Lucy stated.

Andy let out a long breath and released her hand before he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Maybe someday I will tell you, champ. Not tonight. Wound is too fresh." Andy said as his hand squeezed her shoulder.

"Alright, I can respect that." She said as her hands slipped into her pockets. "Should I be worried?"

Her words came out shaky as though she was trying to hide it, Andy looked down at her reassuringly but she continued to stare ahead.

"No, Lucy. Of course not." Andy reassured.

They walked in silence for a few moments and he felt her shiver underneath his arm.

"I don't like it when you get like that. You get scary, Andy." She said.

"I know, I don't really like it either." Andy shifted his weight and drew her in closer. "But hey talk about flawless exit, right?"

Andy shook her slightly and smiled towards her before she caved and looked up at him smiling.

"Yeah, that was some pretty fine work by yours truly." Lucy said proudly.

"You were great. I had no idea you could shrink down to that size and pick a lock from the inside!" Andy said with a laugh. "You did it quick too, almost worryingly quick."

"I bet your old guy couldn't do that." Lucy said as she beamed shyly.

"Not like that, that's for sure. He was more about breaking locks than picking them to be fair." Andy said retrospectively.

"You were something else yourself, old man. That backflip into the window was... Hey, you broke my nose! I remember now!" Lucy said as she started to bat him on the arm and chest.

"Yeah it's my fault you're a clutz who likes to land nose first onto tables." Andy said with a laugh as he fended of her half hearted assault. "I haven't really got a leg to stand on, that was the same train toy that I tripped on last time I got into their place."