Seeking the City Boy

[Brigid Plunder]

After Brigid had a chance to calm down, she set off into the woods, looking for signs of where Alex may have headed.

[Alex Carpenter]

Alex was kind of out of the way, but wasn't too hard to find if you were actually looking for him. He was sitting against a tree, the remnants of the food he'd grabbed on the sly while people ate lunch sitting next to him ready to be taken back and disposed of.

He looked... well, not pissed, and not depressed, but... kind of resigned.

[Brigid Plunder]

"...hey there," Brigid said, fidgeting a bit as she approached.

[Alex Carpenter]

Alex looked up from where he slumped against the tree. "Hey," he said quietly. well, time to get this done with, I guess.

[Brigid Plunder]

"Look, I'm... not going to yell at you."

"I know I'm still kind of... not making a good case for me not being some sort of weird, possessive psycho."

[Alex Carpenter]

Alex just shrugged. "There ought to be a rule somewhere that once you decide everything's okay, stuff that happened before that can't come back to kick you in the ass."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Well I mean... just for the record I think what Christie is doing is strange."

"But... you didn't do anything wrong."

[Alex Carpenter]

"It was seriously one of the most awkward things I've done in my life."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Yeah. I just... well, might have wanted to know before Haley threw it back in my face."

[Alex Carpenter]

'Yeah, I didn't really think anyone was going to know. I mean, performance was for her dad, that's a lot for someone to put together just from me watching movies with her."

[Brigid Plunder]

"The whole Haley thing has really got me stressed, you know?"

[Alex Carpenter]

He sighed, giving a resigned nod. "Look, if you're thinking this was all a mistake, I understand,"he said.

[Brigid Plunder]

"I think it just... hurt my pride a bit. Like everyone was laughing at me because you've got, like, a billion girlfriends."

"I mean, I know that's not true but that's how it felt."

[Alex Carpenter]

"I don't see how anyone could laugh at you," Alex said, not really thinking before he said it.

[Brigid Plunder]

"Haley made it sound a lot bigger than it probably is. She's really got it out for me, and apparently Christie too."

[Alex Carpenter]

"Well that's funny, where I'm sitting it looks like it's me that everyone has it out for," Alex countered, maybe a little more forcefully than he'd intended.

[Brigid Plunder]

"Well... I'm sorry if it seemed like I am."

[Alex Carpenter]

Alex winced a little. "I'm sorry. I just... I thought all the bullshit was done with. Or at least, y'know, easing up."

[Brigid Plunder]

"...she threw a tree at me, you know."

[Alex Carpenter]

He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I think 'crazy' might not have anything on Haley," he grumbled.

[Brigid Plunder]

"Just saying. Made me a little cranky."

[Alex Carpenter]

He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, guess I can see that." He looked up at her. "I'm sorry. You still want to give this a try?"

[Brigid Plunder]

"...no more surprises, okay?"

[Alex Carpenter]

"I haven't done anything since our date that you wouldn't approve of. I'm not about to go changing that," he said, smirking a little.

[Brigid Plunder]

"...now how do you know what I would and wouldn't approve of?" She smirked.

[Alex Carpenter]

He smirked, standing up. "Well, I just start thinking, 'what sort of things do I hope she wants to do with me?' And then I add them to the list of 'things she wouldn't want me doing with other girls.'"

[Brigid Plunder]

"...bowling?" She teased.

[Alex Carpenter]

"Definitely," he said, taking a step toward her. Oh, what the hell. "Can't have all these girls think that they can go bowling with a guy you're dating right?" he teased as he closed in on her, probably purposefully.

[Brigid Plunder]

She laughed.

"That either makes me sound like a psycho, or like bowling is a really bad euphemism for something."

[Alex Carpenter]

"Well, then we just get to decide what 'bowling' means," he teased. "And on the list of things that I don't do with other girls, how about this," he said, closing the distance between them and kissing her.

This time it got to be his idea, for once.

[Brigid Plunder]

She was certainly open to the idea, and was smiling when their lips finally parted.

"...yeah, that goes on the list."

[Alex Carpenter]

He smiled back at her, fighting (with only moderate success) the blush that was threatening his face. "So... no letting any other crap ruin the trip?"

[Brigid Plunder]

"I'll just toss anyone that starts something in the lake."

[Alex Carpenter]

"Challenge them to mud wrestling," Alex said, nodding seriously.