All We Know Is Falling Revisited

Chapter Two: Beautiful

"Why are we running, Brody!?" Brody placed Kayla on the roof of a dilapidated skyscraper, her black and buckled Puritan boots stomping on the tiny pebbles that collected on the roof of the dilapidated skyscraper. Kayla ran from Brody's lanky embrace, standing on the raised edge of the skyscraper with one foot on the ledge another stretched to the point of hyperextension as she peered down on the dying flames below, the golden flakes of her green eyes twinkling and hoping to get a glimpse of an unlikely savior. With the tone of a scolded child, Kayla's eyes darted from left to right as she said, "He may need our help."

Brody's voice didn't come. Instead, the gravelly baritone of the perfect stranger invaded her eardrums. "No, I didn't."

A strange dark and deep laughter boomed. Kayla turned around to see Nic drenched in the shadows before her, the deepest mystery she had ever laid eyes on. There was a storm in her gaze, a lightning bolt racing through the blacks of her pupils as she stared at the finest specimen of man she had ever seen. His skin a golden tan. His muscles defined and marked in soot and sweat. His hair, long, dark brown gave him the appearance of a samurai without his armor, and in his eyes there was a sense of madness and duty. He was a god in her eyes, and he came down from his Heavenly tower to protect her. And when he looked upon her, his features frozen in bronzed marble, Kayla knew he would protect her forever. Now all she needed was the name of her champion. "Who you?"

Nic smirked. Her heart fluttered at the sight of the innocent playfulness twinkling in his dark eyes. "The name's Nic." He thrusted his thumb toward his bare, broad chest, and a smirk flashed across her tan vanilla features. "What's yours?"

Brody's beady black eyes darted between friend and stranger, a sharp smile wrought in mischief nature slicing across his vanilla brown boyish features. With the stride of shadows, Brody appeared at Kayla's side, his fingers pressing on the small of Kayla's back and pushing her toward her desire. "This is Kayla." Kayla gained her footing, her buckled boots stopping just before his black and red running sneakers. "And I'm Brody."

Nic's smile shined down on Kayla's speckled green eyes as he whispered only one fact. "And you're beautiful."