Dreamers

Even Jemma Agrees - "Mr. Hot-a-lot"

Amanda woke up from their nap first, which lasted a good eight hours. The day had turned to night already. Yet she wasn't willing to give up any travel time. Even if that meant traveling in the most dangerous hours. Despite the danger she'd had a good, restful sleep. Amanda knew it was thanks to her company. She tasted the morning on her lip before smiling down at her sister.

Jemma was using Amanda's stomach as a pillow, drooling and spread out as if trying out for the starfish role in the school play. She smacked her lips and snorted a little as she drempt.

"Jemma," Her blue eyes radiated adoration as she used her elbows to tilt herself up. Her voice sang, "Jemma, wake up. It's time to get going. You need to eat something."

There was a pause of silence in her snoring, but Jemma soon rose. Her terrible sleeping habits hadn't seemed to touch her hair, which hadn't lost it's loose ringlets since even before the explosion. In fact, it always seemed to have been shaped only moments before by a pro. Her clothes, on the other hand, were not in such good holdings. "'Kay." She smacked her lips again, maybe not even hearing what her sister had said, yet agreeing with it anyway.

By the time they'd rounded the rocks to the campsite they were both ready for the day. Though Jemma was more ready for food than she was driving the day away. A few steps in they both paused.

With broad shoulders and a ripped figure a man was working on their four wheelers with his back to the group. His hair was long enough to glance his shoulders. The soft, natural waves in it caressing the back of his neck made each shift look sensual and arousing. It was messy, but the light and dark tones in it, mixing together, made for an attractive back-of-the-head. Even Jemma, as innocent as she is, started unknowingly checking him out.

Of course that was only after they took up defensive positions until they saw Lisa glance at him. She was still chill, so obviously he was someone she knew and wasn't worried about. Even as he messed with their only mode of transportation.

Now they only had to figure out who it was.

Amanda saw it first. Her smile slipping off her face for only a brief second before returning. It was a smirk this time. She strode over to help Lisa. Jemma was pulled along with her, but her eyes were still on the man only half a dozen yards away. Her jaw was on her chest.

Lisa glanced at her, "Wipe that drool away and go fetch your guy's sleepers."

Jemma stared at Lisa, who had gone back to her work. It took her a few minutes more of staring before she finally picked enough of her brain off the ground to slink away. Took her yet a few more minutes to resolve to finally take her eyes off him to go behind the rocks and get her and her sister's things.

"I finally see why he always puts his hair up." Amanda said while Jemma was still out of it.

"You should see him from the front."

Amanda gulped.

Lisa continued doing what she'd been told, putting one thing with the other. She got up a few seconds later, the object she'd made under one arm, and walked over to the man.

Jemma, who'd hurried back around, saw Lisa squat down next to him.

"Here." Lisa handed it to him. "What's it for?"

He took it and hooked it to what he'd been working on, tossing a wrench to the side as he did so. "Grab the hammer?"

Jemma plopped her stuff on Lisa, successfully squishing her. "Hammer? Is that this one?"

He turned and held out a hand, then paused. "No, that's a screwdriver."

Jemma dropped whatever tool she was holding, too busy gaping.

It was most certainly Jhon. Only, it wasn't. His hair was wavy and covered his jaw, giving him a kinder and younger look. His hair messily streamed over his eyes. Some of it pushed back over his ears to keep it out of the way. His constant tossing of his head left him with just the right amount of body, unlike the basketball he usually wore it in. Again, it made him look younger. The darker shades, which seemed usually hidden beneath, blended with the browner tones and gave him a softer look to bring out his eyes.

Jhon was hot before. Now he was...

"Mr.Hot-a-lot my future, a great-shot." Jemma covered her mouth as soon as she'd said it. But it was already out.

Jhon's eyebrows 'shot' up, "What?" Maybe she'd said it so fast he couldn't hear it, but maybe he'd heard it all and comprehended it in those .3 seconds.

Either way, Jemma's tail was seen even before he'd finished his single-syllable response. The red on her face growing to reach her toes by the time she collapsed by her sister. Amanda just laughed, "That good, huh?"

Jemma could only nod into her hands. Yes, the ones covering her visage.

Away from the hill of rocks, out by the four-wheelers, Jhon gave Lisa a weird look.

"What?"

"You never gave me a second glance."

Lisa rose a brow at him.

"I mean, you saw Jem. You didn't have any sort of reaction."

She went back to staring at the strange contraption, "I see people differently so I knew from the start. To me, you look the same." She rambled thoughtlessly as her eyes swept over his work and the piece she'd put back together again and again. "It was meant as a punishment, not to get everyone rilled up. I didn't think the twins would have such exaggerated reactions. Weird. I just don't know why you spend so much time hiding all that handsome." She paused, "Okay, maybe I do get it. I certainly had no shortage of suitors myself. I'd be lying if I said I'd never tried to ugly myself up to get away... But- How- How does this work? What does it do? I see that this goes here, right? This needs to be tightened, though. And does this oil serve a purpose? If these are gears, than this will rotate that and it leads to... Here, but what does it do? What's it- Why- Some type of converter?"

He stared at her. From the start? Jemma, who doesn't react to men had that sort of reaction and she saw him like that from the start? Which one was she seeing in him?

"Uh-huh. Yeah."

"It makes it move." He said sarcastically. "It took me years of tinkering to figure everything out, don't expect to learn everything in a few minutes. I'll teach you slowly." A warm feeling settled in his stomach. He held up the pieces she'd built into a small contraption and stood up, moving out from under the difficult contraptions. "This is actually to conjoin the two ATVs. So you can pull Jemma and Amanda long without them needing to control it. It's really more like a puzzle rather than mechanics." He lightly made fun of all her hard work. "Now, let me show you what to be mindful of while I'm still awake." He stood up.

While Jhon was busy explaining what it was he'd been working on, and other important things she should be listening to, Lisa was busy staring at Jhon. Of course, he was now too busy to notice. Sure, she had seen the potential of his beauty early on, but it didn't mean she couldn't appreciate it. Especially considering her feelings for the man-

She stopped herself there and shook her head. After re-confirming to herself that she was only staring at him as appreciation for the opposite gender she began listening to his long-winded explanation.

Before she made any kind of move, before a decision of any kind she had to know more to see all possible outcomes; see what might come of her falling for this man before she truly fell. She could only do that after she saw him in his true environment. His home, the fringe.