Characters: Meka, Stas, and Sunny Setting: Friday after classes, the woods outside of school Rating: SFW, swearing Summary: Meka and Stas make a deal, Sunny catches Stas up to some suspicious behavior
Meka leaned patiently against a tree as she waited for Stas, she knew the Russian was not particular about keeping time at all but it didn't bother her. She sipped on her coffee and enjoyed the peaceful moment in the woods. Waiting in the woods for her cigarettes was something she had gotten accustomed to over the years of doing other people's homework. She wasn't going to let a little warning like the one about missing students by the woods scare her off now.
She heard a soft crunching nearby and turned lazily in the direction of the sound. "Hey," she nodded once in his direction as he approached.
"Geeka! My love." He idled through the woods and grinned at the homework slinger. Stas thought she was far too smart for her age and so clever that she had to make good use of it. He liked that kind of craftiness in a woman.
He settled beside her and dropped his bag to sort through it. Fishing out four packs of her brand of cigarettes he passed them up to her. "Our usual fee," he grinned up at her. Getting her to do his charms work regularly had its benefits, since most of his other resources had dried up altogether.
"Stas," she grinned. "Of course," she accepted the four packs and shoved them in her bag. He was one of her best customers so she cut him a deal for his homework. "Thank the nicotine gods for homework trade day," she laughed, shuffling through her colorful homework for Stas's charms homework.
"So what's new with you?" she shuffled until she found the bright blue folder labeled charms.
"Oh, nothing much to talk about," he teased breezily. He was in a very good mood today. "I would not be passing charms if it were not for your ample assistance." He winked at her and waited patiently. "Tell me, how goes the underground homework railroad?"
It took a few more seconds of shuffling until she found the right papers. She grinned at him. "It's high demand time now as the term is starting to get crazy," she explained. "And with exams coming up I've also been in demand for more... legitimate services as a tutor," she handed over his homework.
He pulled a cigarette out of his case while waiting and lit it, inhaling a good does of smoke while she shuffled.
"How do you ever manage to finish your own work?" he asked as a swirl of exhaust climbed from his mouth for the trees. He grinned at her impressed. He trusted her enough that he didn't bother checking the homework beyond making sure that it was charms at the top. "You do beautiful work," he mentioned off-handedly. He'd shove the papers in his bag later. He was in the mood to enjoy his cigarette in the woods.
Meka was quick in pulling her own cigarettes out and lighting one up the second the papers were out of her hands. "Coffee and efficiency. I mix my own homework in with everyone else's and organize it by subject so I don't have to jump around in my head all night."
"Thank you," she said admiring her work from afar. She had to admit no one did charms like she did. "Although you should admit, if you bothered your work would be just as good as mine."
"You are too good to me," he replied to that thought. Maybe if he bothered he could be successful, but where charms were concerned he absolutely didn't care. "I am far better at wandless work. I should show you sometimes. I could teach you a thing or two." Whatever his innuendo implied, this was one relationship that Stas wouldn't ruin with sex.
"Ooo! Wandless," she couldn't help but be intrigued and any and all innuendo naturally went way over Meka's head. "That would be awesome! I've been thinking about taking wandless when I finally can. There are like eighty million classes I want to take though," she laughed a little.
"Oh Geeka," he sighed happily. After a drag on his cigarette he turned his smile back to her. "You need not bother with some of it. You are smart enough to figure out some things on your own. I would even be willing to show you how to become an animagus if you kept me in homework for the rest of the year."
He was sure his family would eviscerate him should they ever learn that he was teaching someone outside of the clan their animagi secrets. It was just the same to him. He liked Meka; he didn't want to see someone with her kind of drive get bogged down in the bullshit and lose her shine like he had.
It was about as close as Stas ever got to respecting someone.
She knew that tone and it was nice to hear. A lot of the other students just saw her as a never ending source of homework and dorkyness. It was nice to know that she had an actual friend out there who appreciated her work and her dorkyness. That's why Stasi's homework came pre-charmed to look like it was his own handwriting and everyone else had to do it on their own.
"You really think so?" she asked after taking a drag on her cigarette. "Thanks," she smiled. She knew she was smart but she didn't think she could teach herself but she thought to give it a shot. "I would love to learn sometime."
"We shall have to find a safe place to train." Anyone might wander through the woods to find them; it wasn't worth the risk, considering how risky transfiguration could be when the human element was added in. "And figure out if there is a beast hidden beneath the Geeka I know and adore." He winked again, even more saucily.
He finished up his cigarette, stubbed it on a nearby tree and tossed the butt into the woods. "Shall I escort you back to school or do you have more business to attend to?"
Meka laughed at him outright, Stas was the only boy who ever really said anything in the least bit saucy to her and she took everything like that as a joke. "I think I'd be a toad," she joked.
Meka took the final drag on her cigarette and did the same, stubbing it out on a tree and tossing it back. "I would love an escort back," she nodded. "All my other business is on campus today," she grinned.
"Or you could be a leopardess." He smirked at her for the first time since meeting her in the woods. "If you have an animal within we will pull it out. Do not for a moment doubt that there is something fierce and wonderful inside of you."
He might have offered his arm and while Sunny would not view Meka as a threat to their relationship, Stas didn't want to run across her with that bad boy grin and sweet, little thing on his arm.
"You should not spend so much time alone in the woods," he added. The reports of missing students didn't bother him so much; he knew how to handle himself (or at least his arrogance informed him as much), but a girl alone in the woods... He didn't like that at all.
Meka laughed again, she couldn't help herself. "A leopardess," she shook her head, still smiling. "You're imagination is far better than mine."
She shrugged. "I like the woods... oh... I see... you're getting all tough guy protective," she poked his arm. "I'll be alright, I know a fair share of defensive magic."
"I think you would have spots," he teased. "Too unique for stripes and not wild enough to be a zebra."
He smirked for a moment, but let the armor fall just long enough for her to see that he was serious. "I imagine the missing students felt the same way as they tramped through the woods." Then the armor snapped up again and he oozed with humor. "If you get kidnapped I will not pass charms this year."
"Fair enough," she nodded. "What's your animagus? Something with a tough veneer and a soft underbelly?" she teased right back.
Her face was serious for a moment as she contemplated that. He was right, anything could have happened and some of those students were older than she was. "Will you be my personal chaperon then when I went to have a smoke in the woods?" she asked right back to goofing around. "We can't have the boy failing charms now can we?"
"There is nothing cuddly about a Black Mamba." He grinned though. "Sunny would tell you otherwise, but anything she says about me is all lies."
"You need only signal me and I will come chaperon you anywhere. I am a great champion of women, you know?" That was debatable, but he was serious. He'd drop anything and escort Meka wherever she wanted to go. "I believe the saying is that I have got your back."
She grinned. "If that's what you want to say dear Stasi," she teased.
"Well thanks, we can work out some smoke signals," she grinned. "A champion of women though? Sounds pretty honorable," she teased. "I've got your back to Stas. Though I'm sure I can only really help you in one department."
"Not while she is in earshot," Stas replied with his impish grin.
"You are not to tell anyone that I am an honorable man. I would hate it to ruin my reputation." Then he beamed at her and tried not to get too sentimental. "You can always send Milo my way if you need an escort. I do not mind a bit of company while smoking."
He offered her a sidelong frown as they arrived at the edge of campus. "There is only one department in which I need help."
Meka grinned and nodded. "Smart man," she nudged him. "My lips are sealed my friend," she looked over to where an impatient sophomore was waiting for her already. "Damn, that fucker is always early," she shook her head.
"Well I'll be seeing you soon Rico Sauve," she teased. "You know I can't go long without a smoke."
"He wants the homework hot and fresh off the press. I will let you figure out why on your own."
He laughed and nodded her off to her next appointment. "Do not tell my girlfriend, but it is absolutely a date."
As she headed off he pulled his backpack forward and started to unzip it to shove "his" homework inside. He wasn't paying much attention and stopped walking so he could push the homework in without damaging it and/or spilling the contents of his bag in the process.
vMeka gave him a final laugh and shook her head. "Right you are sir," she waved him off and headed toward the impatient sophomore.
Almost as if called by the forces of irony or the powers of getting boyfriends in trouble... Sunny came skipping along with flowers in her hair. She had been planning to take a walk all week but every time she planned on leaving someone would stop her. "Stasi!' she waved over to him, oh another distraction. She stopped short of reaching him and quirked her head to the side. "Whatcha doin?" she asked.
"Sunny," he called back and started shoving his papers into his bag faster. He managed to rip one page, but that was fixed easily enough. He zipped up his bag and offered her a grand, sheepish grin.
"I was having a cigarette with Geeka," he answered quickly. It wasn't so much a lie. "The woods are not safe for pretty girls to be walking alone. What are you doing, my little sunshine?" he added his nickname for her in Russian.
"That was nice of you," she said giving him a peck on the cheek. "I was just going out for a walk."
She was automatically suspicious of his behavior though, he was obviously trying to hide something. "Why are you shoving your paper in there like a maniac, you ripped it," she said with a little frown. "You up to something chamaco?"
"I never suggested you were," he replied with his own share of defiance. He squeezed her hand to reassure her. "I am allowed to worry about your safety regardless of how capable you are."
He swung their clasped hands between their bodies happily. He couldn't explain what had happened over the past few weeks, but he was almost cheerful. He smiled more easily. He was nicer to other people. He wasn't drinking as much.
"I will let your feet lead," he said game for a wander. "Oh, I'm sure I can fix the little rip. Just charms," he added as if it were no big deal.
She couldn't help the goofy smile that crept up when he answered her, when he started swinging their hands. He was different, she had seen the changes over the few weeks from the sullen, broody boy to the boy she knew he was capable of being. That gentle side was showing and she wasn't about to ruin it by accusing him of something. So what if someone else was doing his homework?
"Oh alright, I can't be upset for you worrying," she said, already having lost the firm tone in her voice. She did just what Stasi had suggested and let her feet lead them. She pulled them along the boundaries of the woods, never straying far into them.
"So... do you still want to come to New York for a few days during break?" she asked tentatively as they meandered.
Not that the broody boy didn't go down without a fight. He was still likely to cut her down with a careless comment or flirt with another girl in front of her. He couldn't decide if he couldn't help himself or if he enjoyed the attention both negative and positive.
Sunny hadn't punched him in a few days; he was actually debating getting in trouble just to keep her on her toes. But then he was enjoying this comfortable phase of their relationship too. No need to muck it up just now for the sake of a few bruises.
"Absolutely," he replied. "How many days should I plan on being there before your father has a heart attack and disowns you?"
She laughed. "I don't think papa will disown me, if you behave, that is. Just... don't hit on my mom or my little sister," she shifted her eyes and with a teasing grin she added. "Or my abuela."
"I cannot promise much in the way of good behavior." At the very least he was being honest. He offered her such a winning grin to follow that statement that he hoped she would laugh it off. "I have been studying a bit of Spanish. Do not think you can get away with banning your luscious grandmother from my affections."
Then he laughed and found a comfortable looking tree to lean against, pulling her into him for an illicit embrace. Ordinarily he'd shove the girl against the tree, but he learned that it was better if Sunny was doing the pushing. "However long you will have me. The less time I spend in Hesperia the better."
Sunny couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles. "Yeah, yeah, grandma is a hot commodity in Mexico. She had to fortify her fence so the peeping toms would stop bothering her," she joked.
She was getting better at not pushing and punching Stasi when he pulled her close. There was still the initial unease and jumpy pull when their bodies touched but she settled against him gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed. "You can stay as long as you like. No need to suffer that dreadful distance."
"Your grandmother..." He was going to make some lewd comment or some joke at the woman's expense but then he let it fall short. He leaned down to press his lips to hers for a kiss. "Never so lovely as you," he mumbled against her lips.
He settled his hands lightly on her hips. His touch was gentle, careful, light enough that she could bolt free of him if she panicked. "You might never get rid of me if you extend such an open invitation."
She practically melted under his compliment and softly brushed her lips against his. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling comfort at being so close for once. "Maybe that's all a part of my evil plan," she giggled.
"Sometimes I forget that you are more devious than I am."
He tickled her sides lightly and waited for her to push away from him. No matter how close they got it was only a matter of time before she pulled away.
She laughed and grabbed his hands, gently pulling away from him. "Come on, let's keep walking," she gave him a little pull. "We have a lot of planning to do for winter break."
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