Busy Morning (Open)

Spencer looked sheepishly at the shattered glass. "I'm sorry, Air," He muttered, slowly pulling his chair back up and sat down. "I don't care who they are, Atlacia, there's no excuse. I'll have to find that Auregoan guy and thank him for saving you since I wasn't around." He felt a bit guilty he wasn't there to stop it. But hey, I guess it's lucky that guy was there to save her, he thought with a smile. He looked worriedly at Atlacia, hoping he hadn't hurt her feelings by yelling. He could be such a jackass when he got mad. "You sure are unlucky, aren't you, Air?" He asked, an attempt at a joke to lighten the mood. The atmosphere needs to be a bit less awkward after that damn break down I had, Spence thought, wrinkling his forehead, Way to go, Idiot. You've succeeded in breaking a glass and looking like a freak in front of all these people. Not to mention scaring Air half to death. You're on a roll today, aren't you?

(176 Words.)

Atlacia sighed and managed a smile. "It's alright Shan." She said and let out a small and weak yelp as a shard of glass slit her palm. "Damnit I have the worst of luck!" She seemed to laugh without enthusiasm, almost sadly. She knew it hurt Spencer that he couldn't do anything. "The man? His name Was Amane Ichikawa.. a war vetrean. A very nice guy.. though I didn't really get to learn much since I-" She stopped remembering how she didn't take her pills. That would NOT help the situation. "Got distracted by his arm and swords." it was only half a lie. Her eyes seemed to narrow at the nothing in particular, but she continued picking up the pieces of glass as her blood trickled like a river.

Spencer flinched at the blood. "Air," He said, eyes wide with worry, "Are you alright? You're bleeding. Damn it." Glancing up at the waitress, he smiled and said, "I...uh...need to pay the bill?" She nodded and went off to get it. He glanced back at Atlacia and sighed. "When we get back to HQ, we'll have someone look at your hand, alright? Do you need a to go box?" His eyes were trained on her bleeding hand, and he looked nervous. There is a lot of blood. Why is there so much blood? Oh, God. This is my fault, isn't it? I broke the glass. I'm an idiot. Now Atlacia is hurt, all because I overreacted and broke that stupid glass! Who invented glass cups, anyways? I don't care how fancy they are, dammit, they're not safe! He continued on and on, ranting senselessly in his head about glass cups until the waitress came back and handed him the bill. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, paying the bill and leaving a tip for the waitress before standing up, still looking nervously at Atlacia.

Atlacia winced as she finidhed clearing the glass, however in it's place was a puddle of blood. Damnit.. why is there so much..? She wondered if it was probably her low iron.. She winced again and smiled bravely at Spencer "No, really Shan I'm fine. I'll be okay. It's just a little scartch." Okay a big scratch.. but the more nervous Spencer got, the more nervous she got in return. It's normal to bleed this much.. She go a bit quezy and smiled. "It'll heal up ion a minute, I promise!" She was good at masking everything, it seemed. She just wanted him to smile. The concern however flickered in her eyes. Not about herself, but about him. "Please calm down.. You're going to make a mess of yourself.. then who will give us our daily dose of sexy?" She laughed and grinned goofily. She clenched her fist ultimately slowing the pace of blood because now it had further to go. She pointed "Come on let's get out of here before we're never allowed to return..."

Spence didn't smile at her joke but just nodded worriedly. He helped her out of her chair and walked with her to the door, ignoring the stares. God, everyone is looking at us, he thought self consciously. He closed his eyes. Any other day, he might have been able to deal with all this, but now? He'd just thrown up in the bathroom for no apparent reason, and to be honest, he felt like shit. Of course, he was going to keep strong for Atlacia. She never even had to know, really. It's just a bug, he thought with a shrug, I'll sleep it off tonight. Or at work. He almost smiled at the thought. When they came to the door, he opened it politely for Atlacia, though he was so zoned out he didn't even realize what he was doing. "Air, I'm serious," He said, as if suddenly remembering it was quiet, "This is more than just a little scratch. Just let me patch it up, okay? It'll make me feel better. I won't worry anymore!" He knew that was what she wanted, and it was almost the truth. Of course he'd still worry about her, just not so much about that particular cut.

Atlacia sighed as she walked through the door and patiently waited for him. Holding out her hand to him, she managed a nod. "Alright, alright just." She looked at him gingerly, almost lovingly in the eyes. "Please.. no more secrets okay? You know I'm gonna have a head full of greys before you become even a colonel!" She sighed and shook her head. Worried sick.. no wonder her constitution was bad. That boy worried himself sick and in return she worried about him! A swirling, neverending vortex of worry! Oh great. She swayed slightly, but shook it off and grinned at him. "I', not letting you drive." She smiled "I've seen you swaying like you're on two shots of Sailor. No way in hell you drive home tonight."

Spence nodded slightly. "No more secrets," He promised, "As soon as we get home, we'll talk." He looked her up and down and wrinkled his forehead. "Sorry, Air, but I don't think there's much of a choice. You're in no condition to drive, you're no more steady on your feet than I am. I think the safer bet would be me driving, thank you very much!" He smiled slightly and reached into his pocket. "Besides, I have the keys," He said, pulling them out and waving them in her face with a chuckle. Walking to the car, he opened her door for her. "If you're really not comfortable riding with me though..." He glanced out to the streets, "We could always call a cab. It won't hurt my feelings, I promise." It was no secret that he wasn't the best driver around. Granted, he may not be the worst, but he defiantly wasn't very good, especially not under pressure. Not to mention, Air can be a bit of a backseat driver, he thought with a chuckle.

Atlacia clearly was thinking this over and she gave a nervous smile. The last time she rode with Spencer she made him panic and he ran a red light. That wouldn't be good to repeat. She looked busy scratching her head as she gave a slight grin, "Alright Cab it is. Neither of us are in the condition to drive..." She laughed and shook her head. "And I swear you keep bragging about your car I'm going to silly string it!" Joking agin of course, she had to wince slightly as another drop of blood fell. Strength came from the inside and with determination, she would soften Spencer's nerves. She turned to wave for a cab when she tripped. Goddamnit! She thought to herself. Why the hell am I so unlucky? Bracing for impact, she clenched her eyes shut.

Spencer grinned. "What? Julio is a good car, aren't you, Julio?" He said, patting the hood of his car, which he had named Julio. He closed the door on the passengers side and locked all the doors. "But if you want a cab, so be it. I'll pick Julio up tomorrow." After saying goodbye to Julio, he followed behind Atlacia. As he saw her fall, he flinched and waved for the cab to stop, jogging up to her. "Air!" He yelled in a worried tone. Why don't these stupid cars stop? Idiots! He reached his friend's side and knelt next to her, carefully picking her up and putting her over his shoulder as he walked a safe distance away from the road. Putting her down, he closed his eyes and panted, putting a hand on his forehead which was covered in beads of sweat. "I don't feel so hot," He muttered. A few seconds later, he threw up on Atlacia's shoes. Poor shoes, He thought distantly.

Atlacia immedeatly snapped back concern over her eyes "Oh my god, Spencer!" She waved away people as she knelt down, not minding she just but her knee in stomach juices... which would have usually made her grimace and groan. No... there was something far more serious. She placed her non-bloody hand on Spencer's forehead. "Damnit you have a fever." She grabbed the keys and somehow managed to pull him to his feet, straining to the car. She drove faster than the cab would. If she got fired... so be it. Spencer was far more important. She coughed slightly. He needed help now. As she managed to Julio she opened the passenger door and said in a stern voice "Get your ass in there now!" Not really good to order Spencer around, but this was a seperate case. This was a special case.

Spencer's eyes widened as he looked into his car. "But, Air," He said wearily, "I don't want to throw up in Julio! Besides, you shouldn't drive, you're hurt. I'll be fine, okay? It's just a stupid stomach bug! I promise, as soon as we get back to the office, I'll take the rest of the day off and go home, alright? But you shouldn't drive, not when you're bleeding like that! Actually..." He managed to pull himself up and reach into the glove compartment inside Julio, pulling out a portable First Aid Kit. "I have this. There's not much in there other than Band-Aids, but I think I have some gauze and Neosporin in there. It should at least hold you over until we can get someone to look at it," He said, absentmindedly pulling out the medical supplies. His hands were shaky as he held up the gauze and an almost empty tube of Neosporin from the kit. "Aha," He said with a weak smile, offering it to her. "We'll get you patched up and then we'll see about that cab, alright. But this time..." He chuckled, "I'll call for the cab. You don't seem to be very good at it!" He still felt like shit, but he wanted to stay strong for his friend. She was the one bleeding, not him, so she shouldn't have to worry about him.

Atlacia sighed and let him wrap up her hand with an annoyed look. Her eyes gentle and brimming with fear and concern. "Okay okay.. promise you'll go home and rest?" She narrowed her eyes semi-playfully. "If you don't I swear I will drink all the Dr. Pepper!" She sighed and rubbed her nose and looked at him. "But seriously if it's still here tomorrow I'm taking you to the doctor, no questions asked, capiche?" She looked around and sighed. "Now get the taxi... we need to get home." She looked at him and ruffled his hair. She worried about him far more than he'd ever realize. He was the most important thing in her lifE! She was sure she wasn't the only one feeling that way either.

Spence gasped. "You wouldn't drink all the Dr. Pepper, would you? I mean, not really? Oh, well, I'm not taking the chance! I'll go home and sleep for the next three weeks, just spare me the Dr. Pepper!" He smiled at the joke, but it quickly turned into a scowl the moment the doctor was mentioned. He hated the doctor! It was his least favorite place in the world. All the weighing and measuring and talking, it was just a waste of time! Why not just tell him what was wrong and be done with it so he could get back home or to work or wherever he needed to be? He had better things to do, dammit! And what was up with those frickin' checkups? If he felt fine, chances were, he was probably fine! No need to check up on him every six months! That was just stupid! He went on and on, ranting about the stupidity and pointlessness of doctors in his head, then suddenly snapped out of it and turned his attention back to Atlacia. "I'll be better before then," He promised, "No doctor visits." He smiled again and went to go wave down a cab. After 3 tries, he finally got one and motioned for Atlacia to come and join him.

Atlacia sighed and nodded "I hate doctors too... but your health is more important to me." she said sincerely, then stepped in the cab. They always seemed to fight of Dr. Pepper. She loved it and he loved it, every time he had one she'd 'borrow' a sip. She grinned, was she a DP addict? Possibly. She loved nothing more! Well.. maybe a few things. She scooched over in the cab, leaving room for Spence beside her. She looked up with a smile. "If you're better before then.. then no doctors." she said gently, a warm grin on her face. Even if he was sick he still was the same old Spencer she knew and loved. She glanced at her hand and frowned. Now if only I can learn how to avoid bad luck... or maybe it's a matter of getting common sense... after all picking up broken glass is not the smartest of my ideas...

There were very few things that Spencer loved more than Dr. Pepper, but they did exist. Coffee was right up there on the list, along with beer, but DP defiantly topped the list of most amazing drinks known to mankind. Mankind being, in this case, Spencer. He grinned as he scooted into the seat next to Atlacia. "East Military Headquarters, please," He told the cab driver, who nodded and started driving. He grinned wider when he heard the words 'no' and 'doctors' next to eachother in Atlacia's sentence. "God, I'll be better by then, in that case. That guy isn't sticking a needle in me last time! I swear, I think he purposely picks the shots that go in my ass rather than my arm. I think the guy has it out for me, Air!" Of course, the doctor didn't have it out for Spencer. He just hated anyone with a white coat and a large needle. The cab driver laughed from the front seat and looked them over from the mirror. "May I just say," He said in an accent that Spence didn't particularly recognize, "That the two of you are a beautiful couple." Spencer's eyes widened as he blushed and looked at his feet. "N-no, Sir," He stuttered, sounding nervous and embarrassed, "The two of us are just friends." He laughed nervously. The cab driver smiled a bit and nodded. "My apologies." Spence glanced at Atlacia for a reaction.

Atlacia couldn't help but laugh at Spencer's freak-out. She didn't enjoy doctors either and she was TERRIFIED of needles. Anytime she saw one she froze like a deer in the headlights and she cried like a baby, needing someone's hand to hold. It wasn't that it hurt necesarrilly, but more of the fact that well she didn't like being probed with foreign medal objects. Who knew what they actually had in that tube?! As she spaced, slightly flushed thinking about needles, she seemed to turn scarlet at the driver and seemed to speak in time with Spencer "We-we aren't a couple?" It was more of a shouted question and she instantly flushed again and shifted looking awkwardly out the window. Spencer had said they were just friends.. which was true.. but why did her heart sink into her stomach and seem to rot there making her stomach queazy. She rolled down the window, glad the wind whipped her hair about and obstructed the view of her face. She was confused.

Spencer blinked. He wasn't sure what he'd expected Atlacia to say but... there was something...odd about the way her response having been worded as more of a question made him feel. His stomach fluttered slightly in...what was it? The only thing he could think of was hope. But the emotion confused it. Why would he feel hopeful at the question? It didn't make sense. Neither did the fact that she'd worded it as a question to begin with. He glanced over at her. "Uh...Air?" He said almost shyly, "We're not really a couple...are we?" He wasn't sure what he expected her to say. He certainly felt closer to her than he had for anyone else. He defiantly loved spending time with her more than anything. And he had to confess, he did think she was beautiful. Although he flirted sometimes, he'd never actually been interested in anyone that way, so he may not recognize the feeling but... it was possible that he did like Air as more than just a friend. Plausible, even. Okay, let's be honest, he thought, it's probably almost certain. He looked back to Atlacia, still anticipating her answer.

Atlacia looked at Spence with an embarressed expression, her cheeks red. Why would he ask that? It was such an odd question. They were just great friends.. right? Sure she totally crushed on him... but she'd never made a motion of it or an outspoken movement. She shook nervously as she pressed a bang behind her ear. "I-I.." She couldn't manage more. There was a strange light dancing in his eyes. She didn't know how or what to say. What did she want? What was it her heart yearned to say? She opened her mouth and seemed to gasp out only his name and she leaned forward as if expecting something then quickly pulled back, her face super red and she pulled her hair over her face as she did when she felt she'd done something extremely stupid. "Nyah uhmm.. n-n-nice we-weather." Shit studdering too...

Spencer carefully moved her hair out of her face. He knew she did that when she was feeling stupid, and he couldn't stand it. She's much too beautiful to hide behind her hair! He thought, as he continued to move her hair, twirling it around in his fingers a little. It's really soft, he thought, wrinkling his forehead. Where are all these thoughts coming from? This is a bit odd... He looked carefully at her now completely uncovered face and frowned slightly. She was blushing? He hoped he hadn't just made things awkward. He sighed. That would be just his luck, here lately. Now she's probably thinking what an idiot I am, He thought, shaking his head. It was odd, they'd grown so close over the years he could practically read her thoughts just by her expression but now....he had not idea what she was thinking, or even weather it was positive or negative. The cab pulled over and the driver smiled at them. "Here we are," the driver announced, breaking the silence, "Eastern HQ." He looked at Spence expectantly. Spencer absentmindedly pulled out his wallet and payed the man what they owed, getting out of the cab. He held the door open for Atlacia, still studying her, desperate to know her thoughts.

Atlacia blushed deeper at the feel of his hands running through her hair. She couldn't help it! Most men avoided her all together and here Spencer was, one of the few people willing to even touch her. As they crawled out of the cab. She seemed blank, before turning to him with a soft, serious and scared expression. This could ruin everything.. but at this point I'm pretty sure he's eating himself inside-out anyways. He did that alot. She closed her eyes and tried to pass off for professional, but it didn't work too well. "Sh-shan.. I-I need to tell you something... important. Please just hear me out and don't fre-freak out okay?" She looked at him with gentle, pleading eyes. Her dark brown eyes almost strangely amber and light. The wind blew her hair slightly, whipping around leaves like simple nuisances. She swallowed nervously. This probably was AWFUL timing but the beans had to spill sometime...

"Me first," He said softly, avoiding her gaze and looking nervously at the ground. "Air..." He paused. It's funny, he thought, how easy that name comes to me now. Shaking off his thoughts, knowing that he'd get distracted and wander around in his own head if he didn't, he started talking again. "Air," He repeated, "I...I'm crazy about you," He blurted it out, almost surprising himself. "The entire time I've known you, I always knew I would end up with you. And, yeah, I flirted around sometimes, yeah, but in the end, I couldn't even picture myself with anyone else." He found that, now that he had started, he couldn't stop. "Ever since I've met you, I've felt different. More complete. All those years growing up in that Godawful house with my dysfunctional family, I always felt like I was missing something and then I met you and it all made sense." He took a breath, coughing slightly. "I don't know if you feel the same way about me," He muttered, "And I'm not trying to force this on you, I'm not. If you want to, we'll stay the way you are and nothing has to change, I promise. But if you do feel the same..." His voice trailed off as he looked at her, his gaze hopeful.

Atlacia stared back at him, mouth agape. She was speechless a moment.. not because that she was appalled but because of the pure shock at how they had just telepathically managed to do that. She was thinking the same exact thing. She started laughing, half-crying and she wiped her eyes as she looked at him gently. "I-I was about to say the same thing." She managed between laughs. Her nervousness seeming to dissolve. She blushed and her hands fell to her hips and she fidgetted at the sleeves of her uniform. "I've been totally crushing on you for weeks now." Partial lie it had been longer. "But I didn't want to lose you. You're the most important thing in my life, Shan. I think.. I think I couldn't live in a world without you. You're the only thing keeping me sane." She managed a sooft grin. "And your strength gives me strngth. I've realised it.. but I.. couldn't put it into words..."

Spencer smiled in relief. Before realizing he had no idea how to respond. "Uh..." He said thoughtfully, "Thank...you?" He grinned quickly at her before suddenly becoming serious again. "So...are we going to do this, Air? I mean, us. As more than friends." It felt good for him to even think about it, he realized. It was odd, in all the time he'd known Atlacia, he'd never wanted anyone else, not really. He'd always seen her as more than a friend, really, but he'd never known what to think about it. They were both two parts of the same whole, really. When they were together, he was so happy. He'd always known that much. Just spending time with her brightened his mood considerably. And the thought of being able to still have all that, plus being able to tell her how much he loved her daily without being looked at like a complete and total idiot was just....amazing. He couldn't explain how happy the thought made him. And he knew that, even if things didn't work out in a romantic way between them, their friendship was strong enough to revive itself. But, they were already so close, he hadn't even considered it not working...

Atlacia blushed and fidgetted more. She wanted to say yes with all her might, but she still had that stubborn 'I'm A proffesional I need to act like one' appearance and gleam in her eyes. "I-If you want to." She stuttered out, not sure what else to say. Her eyes screamed yes.. However she was too hard headed to ever gove a straght yes to anyone, even Spencer had rarely managed to hear a straight forward or bold Yeah. She knew that things would be awkward at first, but she had a feeling it would pick up sooner than she would even realize. Her eyes pooled in his, almost longing for a response. She didn't know what he thought about this whole thing.. but she had faith. She knew it would be just so amazing to be there for Shan without people on her case constantly and maybe even now she wouldn't have to worry about being mugged.. as often.

Spencer studied Atlacia's expression, her eyes, and all of her features. He knew what his answer would be, of course. He did want to. More than anything in the entire world. He knew the truth. If he could be anywhere in the world, doing anything he wanted, or simply be standing like he was now, on the street in front of his work building with her, he'd choose her every time. There was no one else, in the world that could make him change his mind. Nothing could change the way he was feeling now. He wanted her to himself. It was, in the end, what he had always wanted. And she was asking him for his opinion? He realized there were no words to describe his exact thoughts right now. But...he had to try, didn't he? "Air, I want this. More than anything in the world. If you want to be with me, you'll make me the happiest man alive. And I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy. If, for some odd, crazy reason, I actually make you happy, and I can have you and know you're happy, nothing else will matter. But if you're not happy, it's all for nothing. You know my answer, Air. This is what I want. Now, be honest, Air, do you want this, too?"