It's Like Running Away

Dodge was surprised that Ai didn't have more of a reaction, but he supposed it was better than a complete freakout like after their first kiss...or, well, he didn't really want to count that day as their first kiss, since it had been so weird and sort of traumatic. He shook his head at how ridiculous Moira was being, but he knew it was just her way. "He needs those fingers, thanks, and I'd prefer he did fuck with me. It's fucking with anyone else you should be warning him about." It was a joke like the ones they shared all the time, but he suddenly realized it was sort of forward to be saying in front of Aiden like this and he cast his eyes over quickly to judge his reaction.

Aiden's normal reaction would be to turn the color of a tomato, but for whatever odd reason he was in such a strange mood at the moment that he really just laughed. Although, his face might have changed colors just a little. "No worries," he managed to say.

The long pause from Dodge was unnoticed by Moira, who laughed and punched him in the shoulder. "You picked a good one this time, Dodger. Good sense of humor. Unless he thinks you're serious. He does know you don't do that whole 'monogamy' thing, right?"

Dodge felt like melting into the ground and hitting his sister all at once. "He knows that I used to be like that, yes." He shot a pleading gaze at Aiden, hoping he would take his own word over Moira's. "This is different," he said matter-of-factly.

"Dodge wouldn't be stupid enough to make me angry," was all the Aiden had to say on the matter. Then he smiled at pleasant as he could.

Although mildly frightened by Aiden's strange mood, Dodge nodded in agreement. He could at least agree that making Aiden angry would probably break them up, and that was the last thing he wanted. He couldn't say that he was going to be on his best behavior because that was pretty much impossible, but he would be extra careful not to do anything that could split them up. "See? He doesn't even think I'm stupid. Already different from the other guys."

Moira shook her head and seemed to be settling in with them despite being uninvited and pretty much unwanted. "You're not stupid, DB. You're just...not always all there. I think half of your brain is always circling around this track." She smiled fondly and toyed with her nose ring as she looked at the two of them. "So, someone tell me a meeting and falling in love story or I'll make one up myself."

Pulling up his knees to rest his chin on them, Ai could feel his mood shifting and going back to what he considered to be his normal one. "I'm almost frightened of what you would make up," he muttered somewhat to himself. Yes, his normal mood was definitely coming back now. He could just tell by the way he was speaking softer.

Moira grinned broadly and tilted her head in consideration of the two boys for a moment. "Hmm, let's see," she muttered to herself, taking in Aiden's looks and how clearly uncomfortable Dodge seemed with the whole situation. "Aiden is secretly a spy from a rival school trying to find out all of the secrets of the star of the track team. He meant to steal all your techniques and leave, but the magnetic pull between you was just too strong to resist. Now he's going to give you all the secrets from his old school so that you can be the very best. But of course they'll send an assassin after him for betraying them." Her smile turned lop-sided and a little frantic to match the light in her eyes.

"She loves lying," Dodge noted as if it were an explanation for her odd outburst. "It's like her running, except the only thing she's exercising is her mouth. Not like it needs it, anyway."

Aiden tried to hold back a laugh at the craziness of the story, but ultimately he failed to do so. "That's totally what happened," he said, although he felt that maybe he shouldn't be encouraging her. "Except I don't know much about magnetic pulls. It's more like I have amazing ninja skills and Dodge was very impressed by them."

"I don't think he's ever been with a ninja before," Moira noted thoughtfully, as if she were really considering the idea. "Quodpot players and theater geeks and that one girl, but no ninjas. You're a first!"

Dodge laughed at his sister's idea of his past conquests. "It was only one Quodpot player and he never really even let me touch him. And the girl definitely, definitely doesn't count. Stevie's the only woman in my life and that's only when we're both bored as hell. Or she wants me to teach her something."

Aiden was silent as the two siblings talked, not knowing or really even having much else to say. Although, he was somewhat grateful that his ninja skills hadn't been called into question. He wasn't sure he would have been able to prove them.

Even though it was nice to see Moira and not want to strangle her for once, that really wasn't what he'd been out here for. It was good, though, that she had come around. The mood had considerably lightened and Dodge no longer felt upset or worried about Aiden as he had been all morning. He was seriously considering getting back to the kissing, but Moira was rather in the way of that. "Hey, Aiden. Aren't we supposed to, um, be somewhere?" he asked, gears in his brain turning and sticking, trying to come up with a story as fast as his sister could.

Aiden looked at Dodge for a second before it clicked what he was trying -and somewhat failing- to do. "Oh yeah," he said the answer popping into his head right away. "I was going to prevent you from failing math class." It wasn't really a lie after all.

Moira giggled, still sounding a little manic, and shook her head at the two boys. "The only math you two are doing is Dodge's mouth plus your-"

Dodge slapped a hand over his sister's face and held it there until her lips stopped moving. "No comments from the peanut gallery, thanks." She stuck out her tongue and licked a stripe over his palm, making him wince and pull it away to wipe on his shirt. "And when did you get your tongue pierced? Never mind, I probably don't wanna hear about it. We're going to go now." He picked himself up off the grass and dusted off a little, not really too worried about having any grass stuck to himself. People knew where he spent his time and they could understand a couple of stray blades and stains.

Aiden raised an eyebrow at Moira but didn't bother commenting. Before he stood up though, he said to Dodge, "You should have really wiped it on her shirt. Her saliva after all. That's how it always worked when I was little with..." He stopped, shaking his head.

"Eh, no difference between her saliva and mine, really. But I wouldn't walk around with my spit on my hand either." Dodge had noticed Aiden's half-sentence that trailed off suspiciously, but filed it away for later. No use pointing it out now when Moira was still there and when Dodge wasn't particularly interested in trying to mine information out of Ai. "Moira," he said in a warning tone, wagging his finger down at her, "you be good. And don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Moira pouted. "But that gets rid of all the girls!"

Dodge rolled his eyes and laughed, turning away from her and starting to walk back toward the school, wondering how he had managed to get used to this new Moira that was so far from the sweet little thing he'd grown up with. "That....was not as much of a nightmare as I imagined," he admitted to Aiden.

Ai stood there for a slight second after Dodge started walking, still lost in his thought/memory before scurrying to catch up. "I honestly don't see what you were so worried about," he replied. He frowned a little. "Did I do better meeting Moira that time than I did meeting Stevie?"

Dodge grinned broadly. "Loads better. Hell, it was like you were a completely different person there for a while. And she likes you, I can tell. Trust me, you're going to want to keep it that way. The last guy she didn't like...well, it's a good thing he's gay, because I don't think he'll be having any children."

Aiden gave Dodge a strange look at the last bit. "You can't actually be serious about that," he muttered. "Also, where exactly are we walking to?"

"Well," Dodge said, considering, "the doctor said it was possible that he could still have kids with only one...well, you don't need to hear about that." He noticed that he had been walking pretty aimlessly, the only goal in mind that he wanted to be away from Moira. "I don't know. Anywhere you want to be?"

Aiden's eyes went just a little wider than normal for a second before going back to normal size. "I have yet to eat today," he said. "So, we should go somewhere where there is food." He hadn't eaten before going to see his dad because he was too nervous for that and he'd gone straight from that to the track, so hadn't yet gotten a chance.

"Well, there's the cafeteria with a bunch of people, or we could go to the common area in one of the dorms...there's always something to eat floating around in there. Well not literally floating, but you know..." He shrugged. "I don't particularly care. I could eat a goat."

"Please don't actually eat a goat. That sounds disgusting," Aiden said wrinkling his nose up in disgust. "The cafeteria sounds alright. More choices at the least." He wasn't entirely sure what he was hungry for at the moment, so it seemed like the best course of action.

"Hey," Dodge said, mock-offended, "barbecued goat is actually really good. Don't knock it til you try it. If I hadn't kissed you, you'd have no idea you liked me." He redirected them toward the cafeteria, feeling more like his normal antsy-energy self. "Cafeteria sounds great. I...hey, want to race there/" He grinned.

"You...have a very valid point," Aiden muttered not liking to admit that he was slightly wrong. Then he frowned. "You'd beat me if we raced, and we both know it. So, what would be the point?"

"Hell yeah, I'm write for once! Don't start keeping score though. I'd just embarrass myself." He couldn't image how bad the tally would look, with as smart as Aiden was. "And racing isn't about who wins. Well, unless it's a track meet. Or you made a bet. Or you're running away from a bear. Or...never mind. I just wanna blow off some steam."