"Did you find your way to the bathroom?" T-bone asked me as I walked up to the group of them sitting around the fire.
"Someone decided to finally show up." Marcus snapped with an annoyed look on his face as I plopped down in the sand next to him.
"Yeah." I grimaced folding my legs underneath me. "I managed to get lost in the process but I found it eventually."
"Yeah, well you've never been good with directions now have you." T-bone chuckled in response.
"You two know each other?" Sitara asked with a confused look on her face as she glanced between the two of us.
"We've work together in the past." I shrugged. "Which is why I couldn't help you guys with the challenge." I said and Marcus finally stopped scowling at me. "That side project I was working on last week that was so 'secretive', was me helping Ray set stuff up. Besides I knew you guys could handle it."
Wrench's hand landed on my knee causing me to jump and turn towards him. He looked stoned as hell, swaying even though he was sitting. The emoticon on his mask were confused looking o's: O_o
He tried to say something but it came out to fast and jumbled to understand. "Fuck it. I'm going off line." he declared before falling backwards against the ground.
"What the fuck did you put in that shit?" I asked narrowing my eyes at T-bone.
"Oh, I forgot to say this-" he said shaking the mostly empty bag. "went through a little acid bath." I groaned shaking my head and rolling my eyes. Horatio stumbled to his feet, kicking up sand as he did.
"You okay man?" Marcus asked.
"The word okay has lost all meaning to me." he said back shortly, before walking away quickly still slightly swaying as he did. I turned back to the fire, across from me was Josh who sat staring intensely at his shaking hands. He didn't look up but responded as if he knew I was watching him.
"It's okay, they've been using hallucinogens for a new study on Aspies. Asp...asp...asp." Josh said repeating the word over and over again quietly to himself.
"Looks like Josh is feeling it." Sitara chuckled, but the look on her face said she was starting too as well. "Come on, let's go find you a wall to stare at." She stood up and helped pull him to his feet. I watched them leave, pulling my knees up to my chest to rest my chin on them.
"So how do you guys know each other?" Marcus asked. "And exactly why didn't you give me a heads up." He said shooting a glance, shrugging his shoulders.
"I told you already, it would have been cheating." I said ignoring his first question.
"I found Waldo!" Wrench mumbled rolling over, and coincidentally shoving his face into the sand. That was going to suck for him, especially if it got under his mask.
"You two talk, I'm going to go find somewhere to put him." I said hitching a thumb towards Wrench. "You're gonna have to get up because I can't carry you." He groaned but took my outstretched hand using me to pull himself up.
"Where...." he started to say before staring of blankly into the distance.
"The car, so you can put on more comfortable clothes. Then sleep."
We made slow but steady progress with him leaning almost his entire weight against me. But at least he seemed to becoming down from his high as we got closer to the car. He started walking straighter and putting less weight on me. And he managed to get out full sentences, not that the majority of them made sense.
"I'd say 11...but definitely more than two." he mumbled head leaned against mine. He pulled back for a second to look at me.
"Okay?" I responded looking back at him questioningly.
"Well you asked, or one of you did." He replied, his head swaying back and forth slightly. "It's kind of confusing when you multiply like that-oooo look at that." he rushed forward nearly tripping me in the process.
"We're almost there Wrench. Then you can pass out or whatever." I sighed as i righted him and me, turning him back towards the area where we parked.
"Kit, why did you leave Chicago?" he asked randomly.
"I told you-"
"Yeah, yeah, you said it was because they were cracking down on hackers and something about a change of scenery." he huffed out as we finally made it to the cars. I leaned him against it while, i went around to the trunk. "But that just sounds so fake." I froze looking up at him, he had his forehead leaned against the car so i couldn't even read the emoticons on his mask. I wasn't sure if he was serious either, or how he could remember that moment with enough clarity to know i had been telling half truths. Unless it had been on his mind often enough to remember even in his drugged state.
"Which car did you put your bag in?" I asked ignoring his question.
"The black one I think?"
"Wrench, all three of the cars we brought are black."
"Oh." he said looking up at me. His mask flashing ^ ^
I laughed lightly shutting the trunk. I walked over to the car I had drove in with Marcus. It was some type of sports car that he "borrowed", I have no idea what kind. I don't get cars, all i know is that it is fast. And fun to do donuts in. I opened up the back rummaging through it.
There the sound of shuffling behind me and Wrench's arms appearing on either side of me. He leaned forward grabbing a hold of the strap of a denim bag and pulling it out of the trunk. Swinging it over his shoulder, he turned around. Pointing towards a tent not to far away he began walking.
"Wrench you can't just-"
"I do what I want Kit." he stated. "Plus, I'm high so just about anything sounds like a good idea right now." I groaned but shut the trunk and followed him anyway. He seemed to be walking alright, only slightly off balance. When we got there he walked inside and i stood leaned against one of the poles that was supporting the tent. "Don't let anyone come in!" he yelled to me.
"Darn, there goes my plans." I said rolling my eyes back in response. I shut my eyes for a moment feeling the tiredness of the day finally catch up with me. To much happened to fast, and i just wanted to be curled up in my own bed right about now.
"You never answered my question from earlier." I kept my eyes shut, his voice sounded normal. "Kit." he breathed, his face inches from mine. I couldn't resist the urge to open my eyes.
I knew it wasn't fair and a huge invasion of privacy especially since i was taking advantage of the fact he was to high to realize what he'd done. But curiosity won out and I looked up into his eyes, blue eyes . He'd changed out of his 'armor' into clothes i'd never seen him wear before. It was strange to see him in just a hoodie and jeans, no spikes...no mask.
"Wrench-" I started to say.
"You can trust me, Kit. I'm not going to judge or tell the others." he interrupted, his eyes full of sincerity.
"Wrench." I said this time more forcibly. "Your mask."
His eyebrows knitted together in confusion and he reached up touching his face.
"Huh, that's weird." he murmured seeming unfazed. "What you don't think i look good with out it?" he asked with a sarcastic smirk.
"No, I just...you're high and-" I looked away picking his bag up from off the ground and walking away. "Let's put this away so we can find you somewhere to sleep." I heard him stumble, probably tripping over the rope attached to the pole I was leaned against. He cursed before following as I made my way back to the car. I threw the bag back inside hesitantly grabbing his mask out of the open zipper and turning around to hand it to him. I looked down at my hands, avoiding his face.
I watched as he reached taking it from me before throwing it on top of the trunk hood behind me. I couldn't help but jump in surprise. His hand slipped underneath my chin forcing me to look up at him.
Before I could say anything he leaned down pressing his lips against mine. He stepped forward trapping me against the car as our lips moved together. His hand let go of my face snaking down to my waist, holding me against him while I wrapped my arms around his neck. His other hand slipped into my hair tugging lightly pulling my head back more so he had better access to my lips.
"Wrench." I gasped pulling away.
"Hm?" he mumbled, his lips pressed against my neck. I felt his fingers lightly brush the skin under my shirt. Tracing along my stomach.
"We have to stop." I breathed feeling his lips trail up my neck.
"What if i don't want to?" he asked his voice low in my ear as his lips brushed by returning to mine. This time I didn't kiss back.
"I said stop." I pushed him back and he stumbled. Looking up at me with a hurt and confused expression, as he regained his balance. "Wrench...you're high right now. Your judgment is cloudy. You-"
"I know exactly what I'm doing." he stated harshly, walking past me, grabbing his mask as he left.
"Wrench-"
"Yeah I get it, Kit." he snapped walking away, pulling up his hood as he did.
I didn't attempt to follow him. I knew he wouldn't want me too.
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Credit to the artist who drew the picture. I couldn't find a name but i really liked~Mercy