Tainted Hearts

MEETING.

"Hey, that's mean! I'm leaving," Neal whined.

I laughed. "Good! Your face is too ugly to look at."

He scoffed. "I'm definitely going home now," he announced.

"Good riddance," I mumbled. I grinned when he glared at me. "Kidding!" I heaved a sigh. "I'm going back home too then, I guess," I said, hoping he wouldn't hear my disappointment. Talking with him was way better than staying at home with nothing to do.

He looked at me. "You look disappointed," he smirked. "Why? Can't live without me?"

"You wish." Though I couldn't deny it. Having a perverted bastard around was pretty fun.

We both dropped to the ground, and looked at each other, smiling like idiots. Well, that was awkward.

"Well, bye!"

Neal suddenly looked up like he had an idea. "Hey, since you want to stay with me so badly-"

"I don't," I interrupted.

"-well you should come to my place."

This was new. We had never seen each other outside of the forest, or my particular tree. It held some sense of security, always meeting here. Like nothing would change, and that it would always be this way. I wasn't sure I wanted to give that up, but if it meant not going home and spending more time with Neal... What was there to lose? I grinned. "Sure."

"Don't be too excited, you're creeping me out," he smirked.

"Oh, shut up. You're probably the most excited one right now, you know, trying to act all cool like in those James Bond movies... When he's all badass and says like, 'Wanna be on top?'" I told him.

"Wasn't that the TV series about models...?" he questioned me.

"What are you trying to say? You wanna fight?!" I made fists and started jumping around, circling him.

He stared at me blankly. "Moving on. We can walk. It's about ten minutes from here."

We chatted as we walked, and I couldn't help but feel a little bit excited. I would finally be able to find out some things about Neal. Thinking about it, even though we talked a lot, he never really said much about himself.

"He's probably just a creepy hottie," I thought to myself.

"Who's a creepy hottie?" he grinned.

Whoops.

"Umm... the rock. Bob. Now go give him a kiss," I pointed to a random rock on the road.

He started to pout.

I frowned. "Ew, stop trying to act cute! Tu fail à la vie!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You speak French?"

I nodded. "Fluently. Like just now, I said you failed at life," I grinned proudly.

"Wow. That's so nice," he rolled his eyes. "You should totally win the friend of the year award."

"Aw, I'm your friend?" I smiled happily.

He was saved from answering when we stopped in front of an apartment building.

"You're too weird, Katherine. It's unhealthy. You should learn to calm down a bit when you're around me. I know I'm amazing and fricking sexy, but honestly." Cocky bastard. Who the hell does he think he is?

"Laughing is good for you. I read somewhere that every time you laugh, you live a second longer," I stated.

"Well. I can tell that you will live a very long life."