Polar Opposites Don't Push Away [Lindsey Owens]

[gage]

(P A R A L Y Z E D)

by.the.same.old.antics

Like always, Gage woke up from the bus at five thirty in the morning. He threw on an old band t-shirt, a sweat shirt, a pair of dark jeans and a pair of DC's. Shaking his head, he let his hair loosen up before he ran his fingers through it. It was soft and fluffy, just how he liked it. As he looked back at the filled beds, only his was empty. Typical. He was the only one that he knew who actually got up at this time. Sighing, Gage knew his own routine too well. With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the bus, carefully shutting the door behind him.It was a little chilly, which was the reason for the sweatshirt. Though it was June and in California, he knew that it was always a bit chilly in the morning. Throwing on the zip-up hoodie, Gage slowly started to walk the streets. Every morning, he'd check out the beach, look at the cafe and then head to the park.

After a thirty-minute walk, Gage arrived at the beach. This was where he always watched the sunrises. Not really wanting to get sand in his shoes, Gage jumped up and sat on the thick wooden railing that led to the pure white beach. He gazed, with one bright green eye and one murky brown eye, at the water and at the sky. He smiled as he watched the large ball of fire slowly emerge along the horizon. It looked like light there was fire pulling itself from the depths of the sea, only to fall into the ocean again once it became dusk.

Once the spectacle of the Sunrise was over, Gage made his way towards the cafe. That was another little walk, but he didn't mind. This was what he wanted. Pulling open the glass and metal-framed door, Gage walked up to the counter. Pointing to a pastry, he ordered the croissant and a coffee. After paying, he sat down and ate his little breakfast. With a nod to the person behind the counter, Gage was off again.

Deciding to take a little detour, the guitarist calmly walked past the music store and did a little window shopping, looking at a few newer releases. Soon enough, he wanted music, specifically, his iPod. Checking the clock he realized that it was then o'clock. He was sure that Marco would be up, and probably gone, but the others? Maybe.

He ambled down this street, around that one, turning on the other one and straight across to the buses. With each bus he passed, he let his thoughts wander. The all-girl scream-o band, Falling Down Hill, was one of the buses that he passed. So was , (S)aint, Breaking Bones Breaking Hearts, Drops of Jupiter and Kickstart My Heart were next. Then, he found his own bus, Mess of Me. As silent as a ninja, Gage slipped through the door and to his own bedside. Grabbing his iPod he slid back out of the bus door.

Again, he was out of the bus area and down the street again. Once he reached the park, Gage sighed with content. After turning on his good'ol iPod Classic and plugging the earphones in his ears, Gage was headbanging to a few good songs. Breathing in the fresh air that surrounded the park, he stopped walking through the park. Looking up, he saw branches that extended to the sky and leaves that were like fingers, trying to reach the clouds. Smiling to himself, he sat down and leaned back.

After shifting around so that he was comfortable, Gage Souza smiled and closed his eyes. His head rested against the tree trunk as he slightly began to doze off. However, in between each unconscious state, he was thinking. Gage thought of everything that he could here, his music, his career, his past, his present, even his future.

He thought about what his life might have been like if that band teacher didn't save him, what he would be doing if he never stopped drinking or if he never held a guitar. He thought about what would happen if he did something stupid. What would happen to his band, the guys and girls that he cared so much about, the people who he called family. The only family he ever knew was with these people, Marco, Roxy, Gid, Luke... they were a family. Yeah, it was kinda twisted, but that's all they were and that's all they could be. a family. They were the family that Gage wanted so much, the family he never had. They were the reason why he didn't have seven million holes in his heart, the reason why he didn't go back to drinking himself to death and being so high that he couldn't and wouldn't come down from cloud nine. This little family, this screwed up, weird family... this young, amazing and new family was why Gage didn't revert to his old ways. He felt the need to set an example, even if they didn't follow. He felt the obligation to look out for them, even when they fought their own battles. He felt accountable for them, even when they didn't need him.

With one last check of the time, it was ten fifty-three. By eleven o'clock sharp, Gage was out like a light bulb, the music still playing softly in his ears.

TAGS::Lindsey
WORD COUNT::896 (without coding)
MUSE::Pretty Good
LYRICS::Paralyzed - The used
NOTES::Ehhh.... You probably won't get much out of this, but hey! I liked it xD

[des2]

Lindsey was usually one of the ones that slept in late. But she ended up waking up before anyone else on the bus. A frustrated groan erupted from the tiny female's lips as she pushed herself up to sit on her knees. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she tore open the curtain and was greeted by the bright rays of the morning sun. She glared at the sun for waking her up so early. She had been wrapped in a cacoon of blankets before the heat of the sun woke her up. She shifted and threw the blanket off of her legs. She slid off the bunk and looked around. Everyone was still asleep. She sighed, then shrugged, rummaging around for an outfit to wear for the day.

She found a decent outfit withing five minutes and snuck into the bathroom. She took a quick shower, got out, and dried off. She then got dressed and set to fixing her hair. She straightend and blow dried it. Then she raked her fingers through it to make it look scruffy. She then applied her usual makeup and left the bathroom. She slipped on a pair of DCs and put on a few accessories before finally stepping off the bus. She wouldn't be needed until later that afternoon, so she had the morning to herself. She hopped off of the bus and looked around. Some other had gotten up early and were beginning to set up for the day. She smiled decided to look around.

After going through all the stands that were already up, she watched the food vendors set up. She soon got bored and wandered off tour grounds and went into town. Since she was up earlier than she usually was, she needed something to perk her up. She stopped at a grocery store and bought a couple cans of AMP energy drink to get her through the day. After paying and casually flirting with the teen at the register, she was off again. She popped the tab on the first can, placing the second in her bag. She looked around, wondering what to do to pass the time. After ten minutes of simply browsing, she came upon the park. She shrugged, finding it suitable enough to kill time in.

She ran immediately toward the swings and sat in one. She kept her drink in one hand and gripped the chain with the other. She swung slowly back and forth, using her foot to push her back and forth. It was a little cold that morning, but with the blaring sun, she hardly didn't notice until the wind blew. She shivered from the wind and stopped, wrapping her arms around her as best she could with a drink in hand. Her golden breown eyes looked around the park. Her gaze landed on a figure lying beneath a tree not far from where she was. She tilted her head and got off the swing.

She bit her lip nervously. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the figure, which upon closer inspection was in fact a male. He didn't seem too much older than her. She knelt down beside him and leaned over, watching him. He was breathing so she didn't need to panic. She watched him a bit longer, then reached over, gently pushing his shoulder* Sir?" She asked, quietly. "Are you okay?"

tag;; Gage
word count;; 564
Outfit;; Here![/size]

[gage]

(P A R A L Y Z E D)

by.the.same.old.antics

Gage slept rather soundly. He wasn't one to just fall asleep at any time of the day, but he had been working his ass off lately, so the exhaustion was simply catching up with him. Though he was a rather light sleeper, the music that was playing in his ears completely blocked out any sounds he would've heard. That's why he normally slept with earphones on. The guys were normally up until three am doing stuff; while at twelve, Gage was ready to go to sleep.

It kinda bothered him, the way that the guys just picked up random girls and, frankly, hump'n'dumped them. Though the girls they brought into the bus were normally bimbos and sluts, it still made Gage worry that one of them would get or give an STD. Well, a few of those had probably been passed along from his knowledge.

Because of his past, he hated drinking and any type of alcohol. Drugs were just as bad, in Gage's opinion. He believed that if you could get addicted, then don't try it. That category included alcohol, smoking, drugs and sex. Therefore, he was probably one of the cleanest guys at the parties. He wasn't going to go up and grind against some girl. In fact, he normally kept to himself, carrying around a beer bottle filled with Sprite. Since he kinda knew the bartender, they had made a deal. The tender respected Gage's wishes and thus came the concealing of the sprite. If he had the actual can in his hand, then undoubtedly, somebody would spike it.

A small hand had softly pushed his shoulder. Had he not been listening to his music, he probably wouldn't have been so startled. Well, frankly... he wouldn't have been scared shitless. Gage scrambled a little before pulling himself into an upright position. Yanking out his earphones, he looked over with scared eyes. One green and one brown, and guess what he saw? Blinding red-orange hair. 'Sir? Are you okay?' A voice had asked him. It took a few seconds before he could come to his senses.

"Huh? Oh.. yeah, sorry if I kinda freaked you out, there..." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck as best he could. At this point, he actually looked at the girl. She couldn't have been older than nineteen, such a young person. She had a cute face, medium-length bright hair, and very nice eyes. Her hair and her eyes were her most domineering features. She as more of a petite person, but that didn't mean she didn't look good. Immediately feeling bad about slightly checking her out, Gage's left hand reached to his neck and he started rubbing it. It was a sign of nervousness or embarrassment for him. He gave the girl a little smile.

For some reason, his sister flooded his mind. His multi-coloured eyes clouded over, as Gage began to reminisce of the harsh times, the times when his siter laughed. When Brittney glared, sneered and chuckled, all at him. She was glad that he was alone in this world. So freaking glad. Well, he was glad that she was out of his hair, gone from his life. For good.

Concealing his yawn, Gage covered his mouth with his hand and his hair. He looked down, and along with his head, his hair fell casually in his face. After looking up, he rolled his shoulders a couple of times before he brushed some grass off of the front of his shirt and his pants. He reached into his pocket and stopped his iPod. Then, he wrapped the headphones around the it and stuffed it back into his pocket, without a second thought.

Well, it was rather rude to just let her sit there without anything to do. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable silence, either. Shaking his head, he ruffled his hair, not really caring how great he looked. Deciding to break the bout of silence, Gage extended his right hand. "Name's Gage. Gage Souza. I'm the guitarist of Mess of Me. You are?" It was rather obvious that she wasn't a crazed fan or anything. It had been a few moments and there were no papers being shoved in his face. For that, he was grateful. However, he did wonder where she had come from. She seemed pretty familiar, since there were only a handful or redheads, and barely half of them had that bright of hair.

TAGS::Lindsey
WORD COUNT::734
MUSE::Pretty Good
LYRICS::Paralyzed - The used
NOTES::Sorry it took so long. I get distracted so easily -_-

[des2]

Lindsey jumped and let out an involuntary squeak when the male shot up to sit in front of her. She didn't mean to scare him. She bit her lip and tucked a piece of her bright red hair behind her ear, a nervous habit. "Sorry." She said, quietly. She quickly shook off her nervousness and gave him a small grin. "It's alright. I was just making sure you weren't dead." He answered, smiling. She then noticed him slightly checking her out. She felt a small blush creep onto her face. She looked away, but caught a glimpse of his eyes for the first time. She resisted the urge to stare. She had heard of animals having two different colored eyes, she even heard of it happening to humans. But she had never seen it up close before.

She tilted her head a little. She looked at them from the corner of his eyes. One was green and the other was brown. A perfect combination. She broke out of her stare and moved back a little, giving him some room. She still had that fear and the mere sight of him brought images of what happened all those years ago. She lowered her gaze. She lifted her golden brown gaze to look at him. She didn't look straight at him and lowered her gaze to about his chin. She tried to shake off her tenseness and subconscious fear. It didn't work and she forced a smile. She took his hand with a small grin. "Nice to meet you, Gage. My name is Lindsey Owens. I'm the drum tech for Drops of Jupiter." She replied, shaking his hand once, then pulling his hand out of his. She tucked her bright hair behind her ear again, finding it hard to keep her outgoing and flirty appearance. She struggled to keep the grin on her face. The last thing she wanted was to scare him away with her shyness.

She sighed quietly and looked away. She spotted a Blue Jay and watched it dive from a tree and land in a nearby bush. She giggled at it, then turned her gaze to the ground. She shifted to sit indian style, plucking blades of grass out of the ground. She hummed a song quietly, probably one of the songs the band she worked for wrote. She would listen to him while waiting backstage for their show to be over. She twisted a blade of grass around her finger, then a sharp pain erupted at the tip of her finger. She jerked her hand back with a small yelp. She looked at her index finger, which had a small cut on the side and a bead of blood pooling out of it. "Stupid grass." She scolded under he breath. She lifted her finger to her mouth and blew on it, trying to relieve the stinging pain.

She ignored it and rested her now wounded hand in her lap. Her gaze turned back to Gage, smiling as if nothing happened.

tag;; Gage
word count;; 501
muse;; decent[/size]

[gage]

(P A R A L Y Z E D)

by.the.same.old.antics

As he sat up, he saw Lindesy jump out of her skin. I guess I wasn't the only one who got scared. As a squeak ringed in his ears, Gage slapped his forehead with shame to himself. "Holy crap, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" He, however, did have a good amount of amusement in his words. Of course, he didn't mean for her to feel bad or anything; in fact, he was the one who felt bad at the moment. She looked a little nervous. 'Sorry,' A timid voice called quietly. He simply shook his head and chuckled, indicating that all was fine. When she mentioned that she wanted to make sure that he wasn't dead, another chuckle arose from his throat. "Nope, not dead. at least I'd hope not. 'Cause if I was, you would be too, and that would be absolutely terrible." With that, he smiled and gave her a little wink.

He saw a small blush color her cheeks. Now, they were a nice rosy pink. In turn, once he realized that she had caught him in the act, Gage began to flush as well. He looked away, as well, but she was just so pretty, so... sweet to look at. The next time he looked at her, she was looking back and he knew why. He gave her a small smile as he blinked a few times. His eyes were just that special. They seemed to attract many people, because most hadn't seen multi-colored. He shared this trait with his sister's cat. It was a calico cat with one green eye and one brown eye. Its name was Gage and they had the cat before they had him. Though his parents would never admit it and though the cat died days after his birth, he knew that he was named after a cat.

The cat was lazy. It was ugly and it was one of the worse cats that the family owned. His sister neglected it and the poor thing had patches of fur falling off, his pads cracked and every now and they, they got bloody. His muzzle wasn't soft, it was fuzzy. One of its ears was split from a fight and a few of his claws were torn clear out of his hind paws. Yes, Gage Souza was named after a horrible, horrible cat. Still, during the last few days of its life, the cat would snuggle up the the newborn. The Souza family didn't care, though. They were happy with Brittney. Why did they need another child. So, they let the cat and boy sleep, untouched.

Little did he know, Gage's eyes had clouded over. He had read this in a notebook. He got smacked for the first time and last time for finding that notebook. The passage itself was much ruder, much more hateful, but the same message came across. Once his mind cleared, Gage shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Nice to meet you, Gage. My name is Lindsey Owens. I'm the drum tech for Drops of Jupiter." That same melodic voice echoed in his ears. He didn't want it to stop. It was like a siren's, beautiful. He felt her hand pull out of his, so he lightly placed his hand on his lap. So, Gage had been right. She wasn't a fan girl, thank God, but he hadn't expected her to be the drum tech. Not that he minded, at all! The next time he looked at her, she looked almost upset, but he didn't question her. He simply raised an eyebrow and sighed lightly, taking in the afternoon air. After a few moments, he mumbled to himself quietly. "Lindsey Owens... nice ring to it..." His voice was a good octave or so lower than hers, so the way he said her name made it rumble in his throat and roll off his tongue, almost like perfectiion.

Her eyes were gold. They weren't a pure gold, like a ring or anything. They were a warm golden-brown, kinda like the colour of a cake when it was cooked just right. They fit her face perfectly. They looked nice with her hair and they shimmered a little with the sunlight.

Such a pretty laugh... Gage sighed in his mind. Since when was he thinking like that? He watched as a Blue Jay landed in a bush. Lindsey's face had changed. It looked more... joyful, more sincere. If you compared this smile to the one she was wearing just moments before, you would see the difference. When she sat indian-style, Gage tilted his head a little. He just wanted to watcher her a bit. He watched as her delicate hands tugged on blades of grass, pulling them from the ground. Along with some of the weeds came a few roots and on those roots were little clumps of soil hanging by a string. Gage closed his eyes as she hummed softly. Her voice barely reached his ears, but it still sounded nice. It was like a lullaby. When she yelped, he opened his eyes and sat up again. He saw her pull back her hand an blow on it. There was a bead on the tip of her finger.

"Oh, hey. Are you okay?" He asked, leaning forward a bit more, trying to catch a glimpse of her hand. It was in her lap, a bit red, but it looked fine. His eyes looked up at her face, only to be met with a smile. It didn't look real. He glanced at the ground to find the weed whose stem was a bit twisted. He pulled it out by grasping it by the very bottom of the roots.

"Dandelion. I used to prick my fingers all the time on these." He shook the spiked weed as he spoke. Then, he threw it behind him where it landed somewhere in the grass. It was just like what he had done to his past. He threw it away, choosing to forget about it and move on. If there was one thing that he admired about his mother, it was her garden. The woman, herself, was a tyrant. A rude, con artist who hated her second-born child. She would glare, scold and laugh at him. She would make him work to make him athletic. She would pound him with numbers that he didn't know existed. She would make him read up on history and literature, and she never let him touch anything that he wanted, namely guitars. However, she had a garden. It was a beautiful garden where flowers flourished. It was a place that little insects came and where arachnids made there homes. It was a place of peace, colour and prosperity. He closed his eyes and pictured the garden. It had vivid flowers, varying in size, colour, shape, smell and texture. The garden had bushes, some were small and bristly, some were large and soft. It was sacred.

Gage smiled at her. It wasn't one of those band smiles where you had to act happy in order to get paid, though. It wasn't a goofy smile like when he was with Gid and Marco. It wasn't a sad smile like when he was thinking about his past. This was a real, genuine smile. It was warm, it was pure, and honestly, Gage couldn't remember the last time he had smiled like this.

Though he didn't know it yet, this girl would bring the best out of him. This girl would help him forget his pains and he might even help her. Little did he know, this girl would become his sun.

TAGS::Lindsey
WORD COUNT::1253 (I think this is the longest post I've ever made O.o) << without coding
MUSE::Apparently, freakin' amazing
LYRICS::Paralyzed - The used
NOTES::I feel so tired after this xD

[des2]

She smiled and nodded. "I'm alright." she said, simply. She couldn't help but blush at his wink. "No that wouldn't be good at all. But at least we could enjoy the afterlife together." She replied, giggling softly. Her golden gaze drifted back to her hand. She turned her wounded hand over and inspected the cut. It hadn't bled that much, but the cut was tinted red. She looked up as he threw the weed she had cut herself on away. She tilted her head. She looked around and found a dandelion and picked it up like he had done. She lifted it up to her eye level and expected it. It didn't seem harmful to her. She never looked at Dandelions as weeds, they were flowers to her.

She hummed to herself, twisted it back and forth between her thumb and index finger. She lifted her other hand and brushed a finger across the top of the Dandelion. She then set it down in front of her. She lifted her gaze to Gage. "Yeah, it's just a small cut. Nothing big." She glanced down at her wounded finger to see that the cut had begun to heal up. She was always a fast healer. She looked back up at Gage, seeing his eyes glaze over. He appeared to be in thought. She watched him, curiously. She wondered what he was thinking about. But she wasn't going to ask since that would be rude. She picked up the dandelion and played with it again. Her eyes flicked from the flower to Gage, seeing him smile. The smile brought another, more deeper blush to her cheeks. She wondered how he could make her feel like this. Any other guy she wouldn't even have come this close to. She would have froze and ran the other way. Something about him just comforted her.

She could still feel the small twinge of fear gripping her heart. She let her smile drop and memories flooded her mind. She remembered that night quite vividly. The clearest image she could see at this point was the sick, twisted amusement that was in his eyes the night he ruined her. She had locked herself away, both physically and emotionally. She stopped eating for about a week and a half before she was force fed for fear of her starving to death. She quickly shook off those dreadful memories and looked away. She looked down at the grass, watching a grasshopper jump away, sincing her gaze. She bit her lip and shifted to stand on her knees. She debated getting up and leaving. Her mind and body wouldn't allow her stay any longer. The fear was taking over and her only instinct now was to run.

She snuck a glance at Gage, feeling bad for possibly leaving him without explanation. She moved to stand, but forced herself to stay down. Instead of running like usual, she moved back, keeping a considerable distance away from him. She kept her head low and her eyes to the ground. She wanted to face her fears, but the memories kept flooding her mind and driving her further and further away. She sighed quietly and tried to distract herself by playing with the grass again. She hoped her actions wouldn't scare him away. He did seem like the understanding type, but looks could be deceiving.

tag;; Gage
word count;; 559
muse;; decent[/size]

[gage]

(P A R A L Y Z E D)

by.the.same.old.antics

Her face flushed again, over a wink. Then again, he probably would've done the same thing."No that wouldn't be good at all. But at least we could enjoy the afterlife together." Lindsey's voice floated to him. Her words were full of amusement, but they were still soothing. "Of course not, but I'm sure the afterlife would love to have you." Her giggle was cute, adorable, amazing, perfect. It fit her so well, though he couldn't really say much. He didn't exactly know her that well. Though he hadn't known her for more than an hour, he felt like he had known her his whole life. Blinking slowly, Gage looked at Lindsey. He saw her look at her hand. There was a little cut, there. Nothing that a band-aid wouldn't fix.

Lindsey was looking at a dandelion. Though he had grown up to pull them and toss them away, he thought they were very pretty. They had tiny, yellow petals that seemed so harmless. Their stems were a lush green, but there were spikes and thorns. They were rather beautiful. The ones that were puffy were fun to blow. He pulled one out, himself, and began to inspect it. He slowly pulled and broke the thorns around the stem and on the leaves. As he slowly twirled it around, he made sure that there were no thorns sticking out. He looked at each petal. They were so perfect, so extraordinary.

She was humming again. Her voice was soft, sweet and it made Gage relax. It made him ignore the world and just focus on the "now" moment. He could breathe easier and he could think clearer. He watched as Lindsey ran her ringer across the velvety petals of the dandelion. "Yeah, it's just a small cut. Nothing big." Gage looked at the cut, as well. He was surprised. It was nearly healed. He sure didn't heal that fast. Shooting her a grin, he teased her. "That's good. I would hate to have to explain to your crew why you couldn't help out with the drums." With a small chuckle, he spoke in a silly voice with a serious face. "Ahem, I'm sorry, but Lindsey Owens got cut very badly on her finger... By a dandelion."

He saw her little glance. Right after his mind cleared, he saw her look at him. However, he knew that she wouldn't ask, and he wouldn't tell. It wasn't a topic that he would like to discuss so soon. They were both occupied, anyway. She was busy playing with the flower, and he was busy watching her.

Within the blink of an eye, the girl was blushing, again. Because of a smile, then again... he would be too. If she smiled at him, then he would be a little cherry. That, for some reason, made Gage smile even more. His eyes even lit up a little. As he looked at her, he also observed the way the colour in her cheeks complemented her face. Easier wording? The blush looked good on her. For most people, it looked like they were turning into a tomato, but only her cheeks were flushed. It was like her own personal, all-natural make-up.

In all honesty, he really wasn't so up-front with girls. If a girl approached him, he would say hello and walk away. For example, the party that Roxy and the gang dragged him to last night. There was a girl made from China. You see, she wasn't actually Chinese, but she had fake blonde hair, fake nails, a fake tan and fake breasts. Made from China was just a more humorous way of saying artificial. She was throwing herself on every guy in sight. He, however stood in the corner. When she approached him, he said hello and walked away. It was as simple as that. For some reason, he wasn't leaving Lindsey. She was different, he could feel it.

As he watched her contentedly, he saw her eyes grow a bit. They glazed over, much like his had, he suspected. Confused, Gage raised an eyebrow. He set down the flower a little bit aways so that it wouldn't get crushed. She looked scared. She looked so scared, and there wasn't anything he could do. The feeling of helplessness completely overcame him. It was strange, he never had felt this before either.

He didn't know what she was thinking of. In fact, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what she was thinking of. If it made her this scared, then no. He didn't. If she wanted to tell him, he would listen, but he would try not to ask.

Even if she was looking at a grasshopper, he was looking at her. He didn't know what to do for her. This situation was completely new. And you know what? It was kind of scary. Lindsey was on her knees; it looked like she was going to run off. Of course, he wouldn't stop her if she needed some time alone. However, he wouldn't be able to sleep if she left him like that, if she left him with her scared face to remember.

Without explanation, she was sitting again, but she was a good bit farther away than before. She almost looked ashamed. Of what? Gage was afraid of so much, and he wasn't ashamed. Fear is nothing to be ashamed of, no matter the reason. Any reason is a good reason.

He was afraid of alcohol, that's why he never touched it. He was afraid of addiction. He was afraid of large math problems, Shakespeare and long papers. He was scared to death of guns and he couldn't be near hippos. Why? Some of his fears had good reasons, some didn't. Why was he afraid of hippos? Not a clue. Right now, his biggest fear was her. He was afraid for her, of her and everything around her. He was afraid and awed by her personality, her strength and everything else about her, but he liked it.

Actually, she looked like she needed a hug. Now, I'm going to be walking on a fine line here. As Lindsey played with the grass, Gage inched over a little. Then, a little more. And a little more. Judging by her character, she probably hadn't noticed. With a deep intake of breath, Gage lightly wrapped his arms around her. With his mouth by her ear, he closed his eyes and whispered.

"Please don't be afraid. You're okay, now."

TAGS::Lindsey
WORD COUNT::1120 without coding
MUSE::Pretty good
LYRICS::Paralyzed - The used
NOTES::I actually "aww"ed at this xD[/quote]

[des2]

Lindsey couldn't stop the blush or the giggle after hearing his afterlife comment. She shook her head. "Yes, but then I'd be alone. If the afterlife would only be happy to have me. What will happen to you?" She asked, looking up at him in general concern. Lindsey couldn't stand the thought of being alone, even in the joking sense. She looked around the grass and tensed as a small bumblebee landed on a Dandelion close to her. She slowly moved away out of fear. She was deathly afraid of bees. Once she was settled at a decent distance away from the bumblebee, she laughed at his next comment. "Oh yes, I wouldn't be able to tune a drum kit with such a small cut on my finger." she replied with a small laugh.

She then looked back at the grass and played with a few loose blades of grass. She tried to shake off the memories that kept flooding her mind everytime she looked at him. She couldn't look at him for more than a minute without being reminded of her ex. She sighed and kept her head down. She took deep breathes to calm her nerves. She would stay right where she was. She would overcome this fear if it killed her. She then heard movement, but didn't look up. Then came the sensation of warmth around her. Her eyes shot open and she looked around. A pair of arms had wrapped around her. She looked up at Gage and blinked. She tensed at his words. A small shiver raced up her spine at the contact. "Safe?" She whispered, the word almost foreign to her. She had never been safe before. She had felt it, but it was pretty much a lie. How could she believe him?

She stayed still, not sure how to react. She then moved closer, resting her head against his shoulder. Maybe he was right, but the voice in her head told her otherwise. "He's lying to you." "Get away now." They said. She mentally shook them off and looked up at Gage. She may have been scared of him, but her fear was beginning to slip away. Maybe she could trust him. But she wasn't entirely sure just yet. She let him hug him and cautiously hugged back. She needed the contact, the reassurance. She was glad that he didn't think she was a freak and leave her alone. After a moment, she pulled out of the hug and looked at him. She was waiting for him to try something to break what was most likely a false sense of trust. This was usually how she felt around men. They say she could trust them and everything, then they turn around and want something from her. She felt bad for not trusting him, but after what she went through, she had good reason to be hesitant.

tag;; Gage
word count;; 482
muse;;[/size]

[gage]

(P A R A L Y Z E D)

by.the.same.old.antics

If he hadn't been so calm, Gage would have probably looked more like a tomato at the moment. Everything about her was so extraordinary. She made his ears feel hot, even if she didn't mean to. "Yes, but then I'd be alone. If the afterlife would only be happy to have me. What will happen to you?" She was so sweet! Her voice practically was dripping with sugar. "Me? Well, naturally, I would be there too! You can't get rid of me that easily! Plus, I would never leave you alone." Gage teased. He was rather touched by the fact that she cared enough to ask. alright, so that last sentence did mean something, but he doubted that she would notice that. Lindsey's eyes held actual concern. Surprised, he gave her a little smile and nodded. Then, he casually made a little cross with his right index finger over his heart. Why? Because he was promising that he would never leave her to fend for herself, alone.

His eyes didn't move from her face during that time, so he didn't see the bee that landed nearby. Once he saw Lindsey move, he thought it was his doing, then a buzzing sound hummed softly, then loudly and it finally faded away. He blinked slowly and smiled at her. It was a reassuring smile; not as dazzling as the one he had given her before, as the one that surprised even himself, but it was still completely genuine.

Her laughter filled his ears, which made Gage's eyes light up. When she was happy, he started to feel happy. It was the strangest feeling. "Oh yes, I wouldn't be able to tune a drum kit with such a small cut on my finger." He smirked and shook his head lightly. "You never know, cuts can be very scary, especially the small ones. Because people never suspect the little ones." Of course, this was all in fun and games, but he was being very honest. People refused to notice the little things in life, may it be cuts or flowers, bugs or grass, a fallen bird or the one soaring in the sky. Most people didn't take time to stop and smell the roses, but when they did, they took too long and missed even more.

Leaning back, he let his head rest in the grass. The blades tickled his ears and mussed up his hair. As they bent back under his weight, where were some that crunched softly. He turned his head a little so that he could watch Lindsey. Her eyes were cast to the ground. Sitting back up, Gage tilted his head a bit, trying to figure her out. He picked up the dandelion that he had de-thorned. Sighing, he held it in front of his face and twisted the stem with his fingers, making the flower twirl and spin.

It was probably the most random and unnpredictable thing that he had done today, hugged her. Gage simiply felt the need to hold her close. When he opened his eyes, he saw two gold ones staring right back. The girl was tense, but he didn't let go. She shivered, and he could feel it within the embrace. Then, a small voice startled him. "Safe?" She whispered. It was soft, almost fearul and it was catious. However, Gage nodded lightly. "I swear. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe." In her eyes, it was clear that she was unsure. He needed her to trust him, to believe him. He needed her period.

He was scared. He was more scared than when she startled him an hour ago. He was more scared than when his mother kicked him to the curb. He was more scared than when he was an alcoholic. This girl, this beautiful girl... She brought him to his knees. If she wanted to, she could make him beg. However, Gage knew that Lindsey was not like that. she wasn't mean. She wasn't rude. She was kind, sweet and beautiful on the inside and out. She was perfect.

Her movement surprised him. First, she had her head on his shoulder. It was comfortable. It just felt right. He knew she was confused, but he wasn't going to move. No matter what, he wouldn't let her live this world alone. That would be horrible. That would be unchivalrous, un gentleman like. Most of all, it would be hurtful, especially to him. When she looked up, he was looking right back. Their closeness stopped his breath. His heart beat faster, and he was sure that she could feel it. Still, Gage didn't care. He would go to all the ends of the Earth just for her.

What the hell has gotten into me? It's like I'm not myself. I'm weird. This situation is weird. What the hell am I doing? Hugging some girl who I've barely known for a few minutes. Why does my stomach feel like a ninety-meter roller coaster with all the loops, twists and drops that the makers could posibly fit in. Why is my heart beating like I've just run twelve marathons. Why does my skin tingle every time that we touch. It feels warm, like a nice heat that is spreading around. And why... why the hell does it feel so good?

Surprise overtook his emotions as he felt a small pair of arms hug him back. He lifted his head a little, slowly and deliberately. Gage realized that he would never be able to let her alone now. He would always be there for her. If she didn't want him, he'd back off, but he would always try to be her protector, and this time... He didn't feel obligated, like it was a burden. He felt like he needed to and if he didn't, he'd die. He barely breathed as they embraced. It felt wonderful, it felt whole. They fit together like pieces of a puzzle. They fit like... peanut butter and jelly, like pigs and mud, pens and paper, hugs and kisses, like a lovestruck boy and a beautiful girl. Because that is what they were.

When she pulled away, Gage did too. He didn't want to attack her with hugs or anything. That would be completely selfish, rude and uncaring. The silence between them was both awkward and comfortable. Thinking to himself, he felt like he needed to know one thing. Tilting his head a little, he looked at Lindsey. "What is one thing that you have always wanted?" He inquired quietly, breaking the silence. His deep voice was soft and caring. He looked at her, his eyes full of passion. He would do anything for her.

TAGS::Lindsey
WORD COUNT::1109 (without coding)
MUSE::Pretty good, but pretty slow
LYRICS::Paralyzed - The used
NOTES::AWWWh <3 They're so cute together!

[des2]

She couldn't help but smile at his words. Good, she didn't want to be alone. She didn't want him to leave and never be seen by her again. She may have just met him, but she knew that he was much different then any other man she'd ever met. He was understanding and sweet. It felt good to be in his arms, she wished she didn't pull away. She enjoyed the contact and the warmth. Now she sat, head down, mentally kicking herself. She played with the strap of her cami, absently. She had a deeper blush on her cheeks that his contact had caused. It was also formed by his words. All she wanted was to be safe. She wanted away from her fear, away from the pain of her past. Surely it was only one little incident, but it put her life in perspective. She had trusted him too easily.

She shook off the feeling and looked up at Gage. He didn't look like he wanted to hurt her. He even said he wanted to keep her safe. He sounded sincere and she wanted to believe him. She slowly moved to sit closer to him. She kept her golden gaze on him, a small smile forming on her pale lips. "You won't have to work too hard then." She replied, biting her lip, shyly. "I may already feel safe just sitting here with you." She admitted, more to herself, than to him. His presence comforted her. She had never thought a man could be so gentle and calm. Usually they had tried to get something out of her and one already did in the worst way imaginable. The security she had once felt had been destroyed and she was left vulnerable. But Gage took away that awful feeling.

She blinked, confused by his question. Lindsey wanted a lot of things. She wanted comfort, satbility, to be respected and not used like before. She thought about, tearing her gaze from him. There was one small thing that she had been wanting for some time now. "I want a puppy." She answered after a moment of consideration. She had never been allowed to own one, due to her mother's paralyzing fear of them. Her father would often take her to a local dog park and let her play with them when her mother wasn't around. She wanted one to call her own. She smiled at the thought of having a puppy around. But she doubted that he would actually buy her one. But there was that small chance. "I also want to be treated like a normal human being. Not some toy that can be pushed around and used, then thrown away." She added, looking down at her lap. She forced the memory away and looked back up at Gage. She smiled softly at him. She hoped that he would stick around and keep his word to keep her safe and that she couldn't get rid of him that easily.

tag;; Gage
word count;; 498
muse;; decent[/size]

[gage]

(P A R A L Y Z E D)

by.the.same.old.antics

Gage's face lit up like alight when a smile crossed her face. Now that they weren't hugging, his arms felt a little empty. She was near him, but it wasn't the same. He wanted her in his arms, he craved the tough of her skin, he needed his heart beat speedily, his stomach to twist and turn. He wanted every feeling that she gave him. It took everything in his willpower not to tackle her to the ground and kiss her. She was just that tempting. His mind grew fuzzy whenever she was around. He could only think of one thing, making her happy.

In his heart, Gage knew he could never hurt her. He also knew that he would never take it too far, she was too young. He didn't know if she was a virgin, and frankly, the thought never crossed his mind, because he didn't care if she was or wasn't. He loved her all the same. He also loved those beautiful little blushes. They were cute, they made her cheeks color and they made him smile. From the hug, he was slightly out of breath. Yes, from a hug. He couldn't even think about kissing. That would probably make his heart stop.

His green and brown gaze met with her golden one. Gage felt like he was getting lost in her eyes. They were beautiful, wonderful and they shined and shimmered. They were as warm as the sun, but it wasn't a painful warmth. It was like the feeling you got when you sat in front of a campfire during the night. That feeling of warmth spread within him. His own gaze was kind and slightly concerned.

He was clearly surprised as she moved closer, but he was happy. If she hadn't moved closer to him, then he probably would have moved closer to her. He would never hurt her in somebody paid him. Hell, if he did then he would gladly die. At this point, Gage felt like h could never live without her. It was a scary feeling, one that he had never expected. It was tugging in his heart, he yearned to stop that little prickling feeling, but at the same time, he felt like it belonged there.

He heard her voice again, that beautiful voice. "You won't have to work too hard then." Then, she bit her lip. Bad idea. Gage had to bite the inside of his own to stop himself from completely consuming her. "I may already feel safe just sitting here with you." Those words made him so happy. Word could never describe it. Even if he didn't know what had happened to her, he wanted to be someone who she could turn to, someone who she could hug and cry on. He wanted to be that knight in shining armor.

As she thought of her answer, Gage began to second guess himself. Did he ask the wrong question? Was it rude? Did she not want to answer him? He barely caught her words, but thank god he did. "I want a puppy." He looked up and smiled at her. A puppy would work well with her. It was something who would love her no matter what, not that he wouldn't, but he wouldn't be there every moment, and having a dog would be good for her. Plus, Roxy had Nugget, so it was obviously allowed. Well, if it wasn't then he would buy it for her anyway. "I also want to be treated like a normal human being. Not some toy that can be pushed around and used, then thrown away." He didn't change his soft gaze. It was resting on her lips, but he wasn't thinking about kissing. He was thinking about how they formed each word, and he smiled after the redhead finished speaking. Both of those wishes were doable. Then he wondered, 'Who would ever treat her like that?' That was rude, twisted and what's more, it hurt others. It made him sick to his stomach.

"Well, then... I was just wondering if you... y'know.... wanted to meet me at the mall? We could get you that puppy, and maybe we could... uh... have... uh..." He paused for a second to clear his throat lightly. "Dinner?" Though he had whispered the final word, it still sounded loud and clear in the nearly empty park. By this time, he was the one blushing. It was a little pinkish blush, but it was still a blush. His left hand was rubbing his neck, a nervous habit of his. His right hand was laying in his lap. Had he asked too early? Maybe, but he feared that he would never again get to chance. As time passed, his blush darkened to a deep pink. With a stomach completely filled with grasshoppers, and a heart so full he could barely breathe, Gage looked at his nails for a second. His head was low, hair in his face, and his gaze could be traced to the grass and the soil, as if expecting a rejection.

TAGS::Lindsey
WORD COUNT::839 (without coding)
MUSE::Mehh *scrunches up nose*
LYRICS::Paralyzed - The Used
NOTES::YAY! I'm assuming your post will be the last unless she asks a question.

[des2]

Lindsey kept her eyes on him. She saw how uncomfortable he had got when she told him he made her safe. At first he looked unsure, then he looked happy. She gave him a small smile and then looked around, playing with the grass. This time being mindful of which plants she played with. The day was warming up and the subtle chill from that morning was being pushed away. She looked up and looked for where the sun was and carefully laid down on her back. She moved so she was laying underneath the sun. She was still close to Gage, but she wanted to warm up a little. The shade of the tree gave the breeze a small chill that made her shiver now and then. She sighed and looked up at the sun, using her hand to sheild her eyes from the sun. She moved her hair out from behind her so it wasn't pinned down and threw it over her shoulder. She smiled up at the sun, then looked back at Gage.

She looked confused as he began to stutter and was rubbing the back of his neck. A gesture she learned was to mean that he was nervous. She smiled and laughed softly at him. The only one who should've been nervous, not him. She actually found it kind of cute. She then sat up, listening to what he was saying. Her grinned wider then she ever had. He actually agreed to get her a puppy. She sat up and moved closer. She bit her lip as he asked her to maybe to go to dinner with him. It was so upfront, she didn't know what to say. She kept a smile on her face, so he wouldn't worry. But inside she was scared and nervous. She hadn't really been out on a day since that night. She thought about it for a moment. She had no reason to be afraid. If he wanted to hurt her, he would have done it by now. He also said he wanted to keep her safe. How could she argue with that?

She then noticed that he now had his head down. She tilted her head in concern. She then moved closer and leaned in. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much." She said, quietly. Then she bit her lip and looked up at him, her head now on her shoulder. "I'd love to have dinner with you." She said, simply, second guessing herself on the wording. But she did get her point across. She bit her lip and pulled back a little, not wanting to seem too clingy to him. So she sat quietly in front of him, smiling and waiting patiently for him to let her know when they should leave.

tag;; Gage
word count;; 470
muse;; decent[/size]