This Again (Lani.)

[Lani Hunter]

Lani glanced at Odion’s hand for a moment wishing Odion hadn’t moved it. It had been comforting, but walls were still up and their distance from each other was something that needed to eroded away not broken by a sudden change toward a closer physical interaction. Lani blinked a little taken aback by the simple phrasing of the statement. He cocked is head as if confused. Odion really was trying to beat this into him. Lani sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Huffing a little at Odion Lani shook his head. He decided to not really respond to that. It didn’t need a response Odion’s message was loud and clear. Lani’s reluctance was also written all over his face.

Lani couldn’t keep the wince from flashing through his eyes. Touché, Lani thought at the redhead. Lani sighed and his mind rolled back from the thought and he was infinitely grateful that Odion didn’t go off on him. He was sure that the redhead could tell a whole lot of things like it was and make Lani cringe. And he would have only scratched the surface. Lani would have to agree with the thought. When he thought of Odion the last thing that ever came to mind was coward. That word was nowhere near close to being something that could describe Odion. “Alright,” Lani said raising his hands and letting another sigh escape his lips. His stomach was in knots. It hadn’t been before, but now it was making him sick. He didn’t want to hurt people but it was like he had told Shapiro, sometimes it just happened.

“Alright,” Lani repeated in a stronger voice as his own words were thrown back at him. Lani would only roll over so much before he stopped running. Perhaps Odion was using that against him. Clever redhead. Lani nodded a little, Odion was confident and Lani was working on trusting people. He felt a strange sensation, a reluctant but telling emotion that he believed what Odion was saying. Odion had his trust and Lani trusted him when he said he could handle it even though every logical bone in Lani’s body was screaming that that was stupidity. Well, it was a good thing that Lani didn’t have a lot of logical bones. “I’d tell you to stop being an idiot,” Lani admitted feeling a little defeated. Odion didn’t have to say anything after that to lead Lani to the end result. He needed to stop being an idiot. Lani was starting to realize that as good as he was at convincing people of his view he was really bad at doing that with Odion.

Gray eyes locked on blue ones and Lani attempted to see through the fog and see the core. He nodded slowly in understand. Odion’s words touched Lani more than the redhead knew. Odion saw Lani’s power more clearly than Lani did. It would make so much sense if Lani would let himself think about it. Whenever Lani was controlled he always rebelled, fought against the oppressor and did everything he could to be annoying. It only made sense that his power would be the same way. But Lani couldn’t get over the idea that he was letting go of the chains holding a dragon and it would just burn everything in its path. “I’m not worried about me,” Lani muttered but he believed Odion. He believed in Odion.

“From the top then,” Lani said and held up the tennis ball, his favored practice tool. “But let’s go slow, a game of catch?” He said and he let go of the tennis ball and his power grabbed it. He felt his power around him nervous and yet excited. It was like a dog watching its master waiting for them to finally throw the ball. So Lani did. He focused on the ball and the room seemed to narrow to only that. It was the same old, same old, Lani was a slow learner, especially when he thought he had something figured out. He looked up at Odion. How could he ever repay Odion for this? All of it. Lani bit his lip. It almost seemed like nothing was too daunting for Odion. He just kept giving even when Lani didn’t want anything. Lani chewed a little his tongue. He could never repay Odion. But he could try.

So Lani began working on a plan. He wanted to give Odion more than something gold that he could look at. "Hey, after we're done training maybe we could watch that movie?" Lani suggested. Back to the Future. He was actually rather interested in Odion's take on that movie.

[Odion Martins]

Try as he might, Odion wasn’t a mind reader. His words were based on what he thought was the perfect thing to say, whether for the moment, or to manipulate, that’s what he decided with each passing second. He also made purposeful actions using the same criteria, otherwise he stood quite still. If someone wasn’t responding to what he was doing, or responded in a different way other than the one he was hoping for, he switched tactics, thus changing the game entirely. How was he supposed to know that Lani found the contact encouraging when everything about it screamed uncomfortable. Odion had tried to do the opposite, to comfort, and now he was going to think twice before getting close again. How many waves was it going to take to break the stones that made up their walls?

“Alright,” Odion repeated back to Lani, a determined smile finding its way back onto his face. He’d finally gotten through, this moment was monumental. And then, another step in the right direction down that metaphorical path Lani was so set on finding. Odion didn’t believe his view was the only one, quite the contrary, but Lani needed a different view to break the cage he was sitting in. He needed to stop counting the days he spent within it and try breaking out. And it was time to try now. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Time was all Odion had, and he had used it to think, especially over Lani’s telekinesis. Odion could relate to the personality which belonged to power and owner, he didn’t think he needed to prove that anymore. After all, it was Lani who dubbed him catupine. But just like Lani, and like his power too, the dragon was misunderstood. “I know,” Odion spoke, simplifying things yet again. He had stopped thinking that Lani didn’t believe in him, because now Odi knew that the blonde didn’t believe in himself. It was a lot of bullshit to sort through, but Odion was willing to do it only because it was Lani who he was concerned with. Odion knew Lani didn’t want to hurt him, but he was also willing to get hurt for him. Did Lani understand the magnitude of that?

Odion nodded once, from the top then. He kept his eyes on the projectile, watching for any sudden movements or blips as he caught it. He promised he could stop things if they went wrong, and he was going to hold true to that. He hadn’t noticed the look Lani was giving him he was so on task. This was far too easy to Lani, he wasn’t changing anything about his approach. Odi was going to have to do something to jerk him around a bit, shake him up. But Lani broke the silence and Odion had to smirk at the new idea that popped into his mind. “Alright Casanova, I’m free for a movie date.” And he promptly threw the ball back at Lani. Nothing like a curveball to rattle the mind. Of course, it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Odi really wanted to watch that movie with Lani...

[Lani Hunter]

There were some days when Lani was sincerely grateful that Odion wasn’t a mind reader. Lani liked to keep something to himself and even Odion though rarely, had flawed observations. At least so Lani assumed, but Odion hadn’t been wrong yet at least with him. It seemed like that with the both of them. One step forward and two steps back. Perhaps if they traversed the entirety of the world in this way they would meet on the other side back to back. There was no one else he would rather have his back. Lani was of the mindset that they needed to steal something together. It had been such a thrilling experience at the dance. They worked so well, so fluidly together and when the fireworks had died down Lani was void of doubts. So it wasn’t doubts that were holding him back anymore.

Lani shot Odion a look and caught the determined smile. Lani rolled his eyes at Odion and shook his head. A smile crossed onto his lips and he couldn't help the small chuckle that came from him. "I get it," he said in feinted annoyance. He wanted to prove Odion right. He just didn’t think he could, or that it would be a terribly bad idea if he did. He stuck his tongue out at Odion for good measure before he sent over the ball. Lani’s eyes went from Odion to the ball as he sent it over. He took a deep breath and in his concentration he closed his eyes and let the ball drift toward Odion. He felt Odion’s power touch his own and the ball came to a stop. His power pushed against the time barrier but it was hesitant and eventually let it go and it hung in the air. His power slipped off of the ball.

That was a confusing phenomenon for the blond. It was a concept that he had been trying to wrap his mind around since Odion had broken his deal with his boss. Odion could have gotten himself killed and he also could have paused time and been gone leaving Adrianna and Lani to deal with it on their own. But he hadn’t. Lani was also trying to work on getting himself to think in Odion’s shoes. It was a harder task than he had anticipated. Lani opened his eyes and watched Odion for a reaction to his question. If Odion wanted to rattle Lani it had worked. His mouth fell open to fly into some sort of excuse but nothing came out. His face burned and he wished he could have come up with a quick clever quip to return to that but he was completely tongue tied.

“What? I didn’t mean… not that I wouldn’t…” Lani nearly missed the ball flying at him as he sputtered out an answer. It shut him up at least. He caught it and ducked a little even as it stopped before it got to him. A small smile crossed Lani’s lips and he threw the ball back with more energy. He swallowed recovering. The ball moved randomly not that that would have too much affect with time. The emotions he was swallowing were at the surface and his excitement fed his power and the feeling of uncertainty mixed with it. When Odion stopped the ball again Lani looked for his own distraction. Lani’s power rose to surround Odion with invisible walls and he put slight pressure around the redhead. Lani smirked a little bit. “We can go get burgers if you wanna go all out,” he teased. So he was flirting back, he was single now. Which perhaps made that all the more dangerous an action.

[Odion Martins]

Odion smirked at Lani’s reaction. It was satisfying to know that he didn’t need to go into the future to know that that was how Lani would react. The ball came back to him, and he literally stopped it in time to prevent being hit from it. The random movement didn’t make a difference, other than to make Odi’s eyes hop around with it. The distinct feeling of being hugged or entrapped enveloped him and Odi looked up curiously to Lani. Yes he wanted Lani to let his walls down, he was just surprised by just how heavy they were. Lani never should’ve felt like he had to do this all on his own. He was not only carrying worry on his shoulders, he was carrying all that his mind contained and all that his mind wanted to explore. Odion wondered how tense Lani’s shoulders were.

But he couldn’t let on that he had zoned out. Or had he zoned out? Odion wasn’t too sure, seeing as he was easily distracted by Lani. Odi grinned and chose his words with exactness. “I wouldn’t mind going out.” He meant it in the way Lani was afraid to take it, but that didn’t mean he meant it any less.

Even though Lani’s power was all around him, Odion didn’t feel worried like the last time they had trained. The telekinesis was definitely there, and it was very, very strong. But there was something different about it today, something that was a step closer to happiness. Odi couldn’t help but feel rather joyous himself, for being trusted and having someone to trust meant everything to him. He probably wouldn’t be able to wait until Christmas to give Lani what he’d been saving for ever since he found it. He was sure Lani would like it, more than a burnt movie anyways.

Odion blinked, reaching for the suspended ball in front of him. He had an idea. “Does it have to be burgers?” Odion asked right back. And for once, he wasn’t trying to make this encounter natural, he wasn’t consciously trying to do anything. It was just, happening. That was more of a shock than anything else to Odi. He wasn’t overanalyzing things, but that made him wonder if he was taking Lani for granted. He never wanted to do that.

“Can we try something?” He asked, before the thought disappeared entirely. “Would it be too much to throw the ball, stop us in time while the ball moves forward, and then bring us back to where the ball should land more or less?” Odion smirked, and choked back laughter. What he said probably made no sense at all. He wasn’t very good with his words when he felt nervous.

[Lani Hunter]

The walls of power swirled a little but Lani couldn’t determine what he wanted to do with the walls and for once it seemed like that uncertainty translated into his power so they stayed put. Perhaps they were there to guard Odion from the rest of his power but then if he was trying to protect Odion with his power from his power this was probably the most counterproductive way of doing it. Lani caught Odion’s eyes and shrugged a little bit, as if he had no idea what Odion was looking at him like that for. He pulled his power away and it slipped away from Odion with reluctance. It receded like a tide and Lani was definitely finding it easier to figure out how his power worked when he thought of it as either hands or as a liquid even. It had so many small tendrils of feeling that it essentially spread everywhere.

Now the walls formed up around Lani as if to defend him from the truth he didn’t want to accept. But it was a truth in his own mind and he couldn’t block out things in his own mind. He tried, occasionally he succeeded but more often than not he failed and failed miserably. The words burned into Lani’s skull and part of him drawled, you’re single now, you know… the other part of him was damn terrified of the whole idea. Look at what happened to his first relationship. He didn’t want to hurt Odion. So Lani dodged the statement and decided to play dumb, “We haven’t gone out in a while, perhaps it’s time we went.” He smiled; it had been since they celebrated Odion’s un-engagement.

“But you enjoyed them so much last time,” Lani teased a smirk crossing his face. Odion hadn’t fulfilled his promise to rid the world of that picture; even if he had tried Lani always had one more trick up his sleeve. At least he thought he did. Either way Lani was not going to lose that picture. The face had been rather spectacular. Lani snickered a little at the memory unable to stop himself. It was those moments when Odion was unguarded that Lani loved the most. It wasn’t just seeing the real face of his best friend it was another one of the layers coming down. Anyone could act relaxed and silly, for Lani it was a defense mechanism and he knew that. But Odion didn’t relax, it was clear from the way he stood with perfect posture and spoke careful English. Lani figured the most relaxed he had ever seen Odion was when they were drinking.

Lani relaxed his stance which he had realized he had tensed as Odion spoke up. As he listened his head tilted to the side as he tried to make sense of the idea as well as catch all of it. He lost Lani a little way in but he struggled to understand. The general concept didn’t escape him but the execution of the whole thing did. He stared off into space and hummed absently as he worked through what he thought Odion wanted him to do. “Ok, let me see if I’ve got this. You want to pause both of us but not the ball?” He raised a brow that didn’t seem like a very good idea. It made sense, of course that was assuming that pausing the two of them would still allow Lani’s power to work on the ball. Would the ball still move without Lani carrying it?

“I mean we can try,” he said with a nod. If Odion thought it was a good idea then Lani was willing to try it. “But are you going to try to stop the ball along with us and then let it go?” Full of questions and still a little confused at how the whole thing would work. He could imagine Odion pausing time on select objects but on the people not the objects, Lani was having a rough time wrapping his mind around it. The whole time continuum getting skewed was a strange thing to think about. He had certainly given time a lot more thought since he met Odion. Time was still a straight line for him and he wasn’t sure what this looping back and pausing was doing to Lani’s timeline but he really didn’t care.

[Odion Martins]

Odi wasn’t sure what was going on, but he could be sure this power would stop Lani’s if something did go wrong. Maybe those were the walls Lani was up against, because he wasn’t simply in a room full of objects, for this room contained another meta with an equally strong albeit different power. The only way Odion had ever pictured his power, was as a massive grandfather clock floating in the abyss of space. It didn’t make much sense and Odi hadn’t thought of that image for a long time. There was nothing to compare time to except time itself, and when Lani asked for explanations, Odion had been hard pressed in answering. The best visuals he could come up with, was a jumping rollercoaster. The best way to show what his power looked like, was just to show Lani his power. Lani could do the same, it just might be more destructive.

Did Lani still find Odion scary? He knew Odi best, and if his best friend avoided him, then Odion didn’t stand a hope in hell in being perceived as anything but. Maybe Odion was all confidence on the outside, but he there was a lot of thought going on every second. He didn’t want to second guess this, he didn’t want room to think about it. Sometimes, his power was a curse. That wasn’t the response Odion was look for, but Lani wasn’t saying no either. Odi just smiled slightly and decided it was better to take what he was being given than pry Lani for more. But there was a sinking feeling in his gut he wasn’t sure what to do with. Maybe it was too soon, or maybe Lani just wanted to be friends.

Odion rolled his eyes. “I enjoyed it as much as I enjoy eating dirty socks.” Just the thought made him want to lose the contents of his stomach, but he held his half smile. All in all the memory was still sweet. For Odi, pictures where useless when his memory served him better. God forbidden anything should happen to his brain that might alter that aspect of reality. Everything Odion did was careful, from the way he manipulated people, to how he made his bed in the morning. Everything was meticulous, tidy, clean, and perfect. How else could he pull off his tricks so flawlessly? He didn’t want to go back to all that when he was around Lani.

Nodding twice, Odion rose his arms in the air in a ‘a-ha’ gesture. And here he thought he had all the simple explanations. Perhaps things were simpler once you said them out loud, that, and more obvious. “It would be to see how quickly you would react, like gunfire at the start of a race.” Odi thought about the question. “The ball will keep going, we’re just speeding ahead of it.” Maybe that made more sense? Odion wasn’t sure, it would be easier for him if they just did it and tried. But he wasn’t about to rush them through time and have Lani shit himself when the ball appears suddenly in his face because Odi thought this was a great idea. “It made sense in my head,” he said with a little shrug, glancing at Lani. He could take it or leave it.

[Lani Hunter]

Odion was not scary for Lani, not in the least. He was a great mystery that Lani was working on understanding but he wasn’t afraid of the redhead. Rather he was afraid of his own emotions toward Odion. They were hesitant and confusing. Perhaps when he was drunk and talking to Diana they had been clearer but then inhibitions usually start to fade once alcohol starts to invade the mind. Poor D was unwittingly becoming Lani’s go to for relationship advice. The thing that was terrifying was that he knew Odion liked men but he wasn’t sure that he did as well. It was really confusing when he found both genders appealing but the emotional connection was there toward Odion. Not Adrianna, not anyone else. Ever since he and Adrianna had broken up he hated to think it, but he was more clear headed about everything. But at the same time more fuzzy.

It hadn’t been a month since he had Adrianna called it quits and Lani was too afraid that he was trying to make someone a rebound. Still, it didn’t make sense that the emotions he had felt for Odion hadn’t spawned after the relationship but rather during. He looked across the room at Odion and swallowed. Those words were careful not to be a rejection but also to imply cluelessness. Lani still felt like he was dismissing Odion’s feelings and that made him feel like a horrible person. But he wasn’t ready to accept what he was feeling. But as the winter grew colder hearts grew warmer and the snow starting to fall in short bursts made Lani want to experience the weather with someone who could make his heart warm.

Lani laughed and shook his head. He was still of the mindset that Odion had enjoyed it if even a little but he doubted he would ever get him to admit it. “Alright, no burgers. What do you want to eat?” He asked a hunt of humor still in his voice but the question was a serious one. Thinking about it now he couldn’t tell what Odion’s favorite food was. He was a terrible friend. He knew Odion had a thing for tea and colors but there was still so much that Lani didn’t know about Odion. There, a goal. Learn more about Odion then perhaps a relationship could be worked on. He made the silent deal with himself and the surge of determination he felt surprised him a little bit. He would learn more about Odion and put himself into Odion’s shoes. Because he wanted to know Odion. All of him.

Lani’s brows rose and he leaned forward a little as he waited for the explanation that Odion just had a break through with. “Ah,” Lani uttered a little as he nodded. That could be something that would potentially be useful for the both of them. It was actually along the same lines that Lani was thinking but a completely different method. Lani nodded and a smile grew over his face. He couldn’t tell how it was going to work but he was willing to give it a try. “No, no, it does make sense,” Lani said. “Well, for the most part.” He shrugged. “I’m game to try it.” Lani tipped himself onto the balls of his feet and watched Odion unsure of when he was going to do what he said or if Lani would even get a warning. His body still gave the deceiving sign that he was relaxed but his muscles tensed to move. Even his power coiled and like a cat waiting for its prey to make a move.

[Odion Martins]

Odion couldn’t help relating everything back to him. It’s what made the most sense. It would be a relief to know that Lani wasn’t afraid of him, but Odi didn’t know that. He may figure it out eventually though, seeing as he’s already realized that Lani isn’t hesitant to train with him because he doesn’t trust Odi, but because he doesn’t trust himself. Lani too, was a great mystery, and Odion didn’t want to solve it as much as he had wanted to before. Rather, he wanted to explore it and continue to get to know his ever changing best friend. It wasn’t a bad thing, and in fact, would always give him a purpose. Odion just hoped that Lani didn’t mind being explored either. Maybe Lani was bisexual, maybe he was gay, but all in all, it just didn’t matter. He could be Odion-sexual - Odion would be alright with that. It had been pretty clear to Odion all along.

Rebounding, that was something Odion could definitely relate to. He had struggled with his attraction to Lani after Rhett had left, and then he’d struggled some more once Rhett had returned. But he had long ago sorted out how he felt towards Rhett, and Lani had helped him with that. Now, he just wished Lani would allow him to do the same, return the favour. It wasn’t that Odi was trying to rush Lani, but he did understand, and he hoped Lani knew that. If Lani felt better to wait and make sure it wasn’t a rebound, Odion didn’t mind. Whatever it took, Odion would wait if he had to. He’d fought for many things before, and this was perhaps the greatest thing he had wanted to earn, not steal. It was a bit of a blow, but it was also good to know where Lani stood.

“I’m pretty picky,” Odion admitted with a small smile. Of course Lani would’ve figured that out directly or indirectly by now. Odion hadn’t been out to many places, though there were a few he wanted to try. He just didn’t like eating out by himself, because he could just feel the pity of the server and everyone around him because he was eating alone. He didn’t mind eating alone, he just didn’t like the attention it brought him. Something was saying Vietnamese food to him, but he wasn’t sure where Lani stood with that. “You picked last time, I’ll pick this time.” There, that solved that dilemma. And no, Odion wasn’t about to let on to where they were going and what they were going for until they got there. Come to think of it, Odion didn’t really care if Lani was going to like it or not, because he had eaten something he didn’t like, so, Lani could do the same, though he really just hoped that Lani liked oriental food and that was that.

Nodding again, Odion was trying his best to make this session relatable. Sometimes tricks were for entertainment, but he wanted his power to have value and if it wasn’t something that was useful to him, hopefully it could be useful to Lani. And it would seem that’s how things went with these two. They were thinking more or less along the same lines, but had different means of reaching the same or at least equal ending. “I usually don’t waste time visualizing things,” Odion said, a devilish smirk on his face. No, once an idea was formulated, he wanted to test it out. The more he thought about, the less he wanted to do it. At least he wasn’t trigger shy.

If Lani’s power was like a cat, it would fit him perfectly. But Odion didn’t think Lani was getting ready to strike – it looked like he was getting ready to play. Steadying himself, Odion held the ball in front of his chest, and after a moment’s hesitation, he propelled it forward with medium force. And then time stopped almost as quickly as the ball had left his hands. He smirked at Lani, because this would be the interesting part. “Make notes,” he said sarcastically.

Odion brought them forward in time, but only by a few seconds. The process itself wouldn’t have lasted more than half a second for Lani, though Odion could describe it later like he could the back of his hand. Back in real time, the ball was about to hit Lani square in the nose, and Odion watched in anticipation. Lani wouldn’t be working at deflating time now, he would simply need to get his bearings straight and ‘catch’ the ball. He wasn’t working against Odion in this situation, he was working with him. And if Lani couldn’t work on his toes like this, they wouldn’t make very good crime partners.

[Lani Hunter]

It was a human thing. Selfishness was part of human nature. It was what kept them alive, it was what gave strength to self preservation. No one was free of it, but what made someone something more than themselves was the ability to swallow that with their pride for another person. It was easy when it was something simple but not a lot of people had to ability to put someone’s life ahead of their own when their own life was in danger. It was those people that went to war and those who were police officers. Lani’s respect of police officers was a funny thing. He respected those that went into harm’s way on a daily bases but those who were after him he really just thought they were a joke. In reality he wasn’t hurting anyone financially who couldn’t handle it.

Lani was partially afraid that the more he waited and sorted through his feelings the more bored Odion would get. It was still a wonder how they had come from the building blocks of enemies and become friends. It still made him smile a little bit when he thought about that interesting chain of events. When had things started to change? Odion had followed him on the rooftops that one night, then there was that other night when Lani found Odion torn up about Rhett. Things had certainly taken a strange turn. If Odion had never cornered Lani on the rooftops Lani would never know that Odion was similar to him in that way and if he had never seen Odion upset he probably never would have started to care as much as he did. It had been that night when he had seen through the masks and seen the person underneath.

Lani smiled and let out a low chuckle. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” he teased. Lani would drag Odion all over the place to get him to try new things. But to be honest Lani himself was a risk taker when it came to food but there were some things he hadn’t been brave enough to try. Most of them were bug related or seafood related. Though quite a few vegetables gave him the heebie-jeebies as well. “Fair enough,” Lani agreed, “Where were you thinking?” He asked innocently assuming that Odion would give him some sort of answer that made sense. Not even something like deciding where to eat could be an easy thing between the two of them.

Hesitant but excited seemed to be the way Lani’s training sessions went when he was with Odion. Hesitant because he knew what his power was capable of and he didn’t want to hurt anyone. Excited because he wanted to impress Odion, be it with his power or with his control. It was a good thing he didn’t learn new tricks a lot or he would be dangerously close to just showing off. Lani shook his head laughing. “You should take the time,” he said still insistent that planning was the best way to go. Always visualize what could go wrong. “At least when dealing with visually oriented people.” He nodded with a little bit of a smile. He was definitely a visual person. Writing things out and seeing them they always made more sense to him than if he were just to listen to someone explain it. He grew a little nervous at the expression Odion had on face. He swallowed the nerves and his impish grin grew on his face as he covered his nerves. Well, why not try something new? After all it made Lani a whole lot less nervous when he was the one at risk instead of the other way around.

A cat and a catupine, what an interesting pair they made. Lani watched the ball, perhaps he was wrong, it was definitely more of a dog like thing to be excited about a flying ball. He saw Odion throw it and he watched it. His eyes flickering to Odion when he spoke but Lani didn’t have time to make a face at Odion because that lurching feeling of moving time stole his attention. Lani blinked and the ball had crossed the span of the room in no time at all. He had to admit that he was startled. He was a little disoriented. It wasn’t everyday a ball appeared in front of his nose making to break it. Lani’s body reacted as well as his power. He jumped back and his power stopped the ball where it was. It was only belatedly that Lani realized he hadn’t had to move to avoid being hit. Lani could help himself he laughed. He plucked the ball out of the air bounced it. “Well don’t make it too easy, Odion,” Lani taunted a sly smile on his face. One time at success and he was arrogant about it already. He held the ball between his hands and he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to throw it back with his power and Odion would do what he had been doing and then Odion would repeat the previous throw. “Your turn?”

[Odion Martins]

Odion in many ways was both selfish, and unselfish. Selfish in that he didn’t let anyone get close to him and danced around questions. He was selfish to assume that everyone else was just as selfish as the next thief and that no one was worthy of his time. He was selfish in many ways. But he was unselfish in his loyalty to those he thought deserved it. He was unselfish in trying to put himself into the shoes of someone he cared about. But he always had been and would always be a thief, the epitome of selfish. It was a battle he had struggled with ever since Lani showed him the good buried deep inside of Odion. He didn’t think he had a heart.

Like staring at a painting for a long time, Odion was one interested in the fine details of someone. What was the canvas like? What kind of paint was being used? How did it react when the elements pressed against it? For Lani, Odion always found something new to look at, whether it was something new to Lani or not as irrelevant. Like reading a book for the second time, one begins to consider the inner workings of it rather than the outcome or the rising and falling action. Lani was a piece of art worthy of consideration, multiple views, and patience.

Odion hated being vulnerable to Lani, but it seemed even that had its payoffs.

It shouldn’t have surprised Lani, and now Odion was smirking. Odi was picky and particular about anything from clothing, to food, to men. He things he would rather take cautionary steps towards Lani would rather jump into, and vice versa. However, Odion had tried escargot once – it was pretty delicious. “I’m afraid that’s my little secret,” Odi said with a brave wink and hope the subject would lie at that. But he smiled, knowing that Lani would be dying from anticipation. Odion knew that if anything was going to be a surprise for Lani, it was best to not even mention that there was a surprise. But in this case, Odi wouldn’t mind watching Lani squirm.

“I take the time for visually oriented people when necessary,” he said with confidence, or had Lani forgotten all that Odion had shown him already? Odion could show Lani what he had seen before, but how was he supposed to visually show time? If anything, it was all metaphors which had nothing to do with time itself, but rather its effects. But planning a pick pocketing event? No, that would just take the fun right out of things and Odion had no interest in stealing something that couldn’t fit in someone’s pocket. Or on their person.

There were plenty of cat toys that consisted of balls tried to a string. Odion watched diligently for Lani’s reaction to the new environment. It was only a couple of seconds, and Lani had gone through much more than that with Odion taking the time lead. A sure fire smile crept over Odi’s face as Lani laughed. That sound was slowly starting to become one of his favorites. He shrugged, “It’s as easy as you want it to be.” And that’s how Lani should view things, Odion was just tired of saying it the same way all the time. He raised an eyebrow. His turn for what? “You want me to stop your telekinesis now?” He asked. Truth be told, Odion could see all the ways he could help his friend but he didn’t see the point of being helped himself. He didn’t think Lani had much to offer him in that realm, not really. He did want to be Lani’s partner though, so working together and working towards improvement were very different things.

[Lani Hunter]

In Lani’s opinion it hadn’t taken a lot to see the good in Odion’s heart. Sure it was well hidden and well protected but it was there. They had a similar outlook, as thieves they knew they were selfish, but Lani couldn’t look at it as only being a bad thing. There had to be more than that that defined them. A big part of who they were certainly but like an iceberg they were never what they seemed. Lani had seen the goodness and courage that Odion possessed and Lani wouldn’t let anyone say anything against his best friend because he knew what lay beneath the masks. But that didn’t mean he was going to let Odion get away with the status quo. He was trying to look at the world through a more skeptical eye. Lani only wished that Odion saw what Lani could see, and that the redhead would let others see him as well.

Odion was a great mystery and yet at the same time so familiar. Like something that couldn’t be explained but rather experienced. Perhaps that was why he had no words for the emotions he was feeling. They were such a mixture of so many different things it was hard to get to the core. There were so many questions spinning in his mind but somehow it felt like Odion might have the answers. No, he had the answers. The real question was when two untrustworthy and untrusting thieves got to a point where neither of those things mattered and they broke code and trusted each other what would happen? Would it end badly or well? What was the next step? Letting each other be real. They both had to be vulnerable, and it was in both of their natures not to like that. Perhaps it was their willingness to get pulled out of their comfort zone that spoke magnitudes more than what would ever cross their lips.

No a picky Odion made absolute sense to Lani. It made Lani smile a little bit as he filed away that verification. He wondered what Odion would be willing to try when it came to new things. Would Odion be open to trying something different if it had something he didn’t like in it? Well, he had already tried something he had written off before. Lani smiled at the memory. Escargot was up on the list of things that Lani could not be paid to eat. Lani raised a brow and laughed, of course it was a secret. Odion was so cute when he winked, Lani believed he should do it more often. It wouldn’t be Odion if he got a straight answer. That didn’t stop him, however, from throwing his hands toward the heavens in exasperation. “Always with the mysteries,” Lani teased. Odion the puzzle. The person with a billion pieces to him. Every little moment like this brought a new piece to the table but he still needed to figure out how it all fit together. He smiled a little, why was he even bothering. Odion was changing right before his eyes, how could he put something into place with any certainty?

Lani nodded with the hint of a smile on his face. Perhaps planning was going to be something that they had to agree to disagree on. “Some things are worth repeating,” Lani said, “All good things are worth repeating to avoid the unfavorable alternative. It’s better to fail a million times on paper than once in action.” Lani bobbed his head as if to declare himself right. Lani was severely bias but he had a knack for bigger planned heists, but he slipped up a lot when he pick pocketed. Lani was of the opinion that Odion would change his tune after one good pay off. Lani had been sucked into the addiction or robbery. Sometimes he just did it to prove that he could. There were times when he came into the possession of something that wasn’t really worth anything, or that he hid for himself because he liked it.

Lani watched the ball and he couldn’t stop smiling. This couldn’t be because he was having fun… No, training was a chore, something that needed to be done. Training with Odion certainly made it more enjoyable, but fun? Lani hummed a little in response to Odion. Easy as he wanted it to be? Lani narrowed is eyes at the ball. He hadn’t even thought about stopping it. It had just happened. If Lani had had his power under lock and key like he normally did that probably wouldn’t have happened. So, maybe letting his power go wasn’t such a bad thing after all? Lani nodded. This was a give and take thing. Repetition. And it was good for Odion to be on his toes as well. “It’s only fair, we do this together or not at all,” Lani said surprised by his own confidence. “Besides, I have an idea.” He smiled slyly and he let go of the ball letting it float in the air in front of him. He launched it with all of his strength without warning at Odion. At the same time another part of Lani’s power slipped past Odion and with careful precision Lani concentrated on a little part of Odion’s shirt poking the redhead in a way that was roughly equivalent to a tap on the shoulder.

[Odion Martins]

Odion was so good at hiding from others, so good at staying to himself and remaining the shadows, he could even hid from himself. Maybe it wasn’t he who had been the problem the whole time. It wasn’t until Lani came around that Odion really felt like someone actually wanted to know him, and it turned out that part of him was good. Or maybe Lani wanted to see something good and Odion wanted to prove that there was something indeed good about him. Odion was first and foremost: unwanted. That was what first came to mind if he thought about who he was. After that, it was a long list of negative attributes that he believed were an intricate part of who he was. But Lani taught him indirectly that he was also thoughtful, funny, and brutally honest. But no one else should ever see that, because no one else should be allowed to affect him as much as Lani did. Lani was special to him, and not everyone could be special, and not everyone should have a hold on his heart strings.

Odion often wondered if he had a core at all to show. Yes he had a heart after all, and yes he had a mind. But sometimes he thought of himself as a chrysalis. He wasn’t a caterpillar trying to get by anymore, but he wasn’t complete yet either. And the interesting thing about cutting open a chrysalis, is discovering that nothing in complete on the inside. It’s a big jumble of organs that need to reorganize themselves, and that would take some time. So maybe he didn’t have a true core just yet, because maybe he was still trying to find out who he was. Sometimes everyone one felt couldn’t be expressed through words, because there truly were none for what Odion and Lani were going through together. It would just have to blossom and grow of its own accord. And Odion didn’t think it would turn out perfectly, already there had been severe bumps, but he didn’t mind so much. He had all the time in the world. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t get frustrated sometimes, but he did want to push through it.

If Lani could eat ground up cow, Odion believed he could eat seasoned snails. Anything tasted good if you spiced it correctly. Odion laughed. “My, we are in a good mood.” And he meant that. They were both in a good mood, and he was looking forward to something delicious to eat later on. The more chances Lani gave Odion, the more risks he would take.

Odion smiled as Lani showed off his planning prowess. “But hesitate too long and you’ll find the moment has long since passed. Not everything needs planning or a look before being leapt into.” He wasn’t trying to win this argument, he was just trying to use words the best way he knew how. Words were to him what paint was for a paintbrush. They could speak volumes when used properly. And, he liked showing off for Lani, which was what their relationship was turning into rather than one big argument all the time. “Besides,” he added as an afterthought, “I’d rather use pencil and not have to waste paper.” Odion smiled wickedly – keep the good parts and change the rest. Stealing had never been about making profit for Odion, it had been a means of survival and now, was his favorite game.

Exploring should never feel like a chore. Odion’s eyes went wide as Lani decided to take charge of things. Well, this was going far better than he had imagined it would, but Lani didn’t need to know that. Odion smiled as Lani mentioned an idea. But he wasn’t going to get an explanation, he was going to be part of the demonstration. Odion felt something prodding at his shirt as a distraction. “Like hell you’re hitting me,” Odi said lightly, a playful smile on his. It didn’t matter how strong Lani’s push was, it mattered only that it was a figment in time, and since everyone existed within time, Odion could handle it. And once he had a good hold on both the ball, and Lani’s telekinesis, he moved both back through time while he and Lani remained in the present, hoping for some kind of backlash effect as the ball sped backwards in reverse. Odion knew that he could speed the ball back through time and it would never hit Lani, seeing as Lani hadn’t been holding it against him to start with. He had propelled it through mid air from mid air. So Odion wasn’t racing backwards to hurt Lani – it was just to trick him.

[Lani Hunter]

Their thieving ways were showing. Each stealing the other’s heart. Unintentionally at first but perhaps now they were making a more purposeful effort. Lani knew he was. It was subtle, partially due to Lani’s own insecurities. If Lani could hear Odion’s thought he would be shaking the redhead. Unwanted, hardly. If Lani didn’t want to be near Odion he wouldn’t. He could be pleasant from afar if that were the case. But it wasn’t. Lani wanted to be around Odion. His thoughts wandered as he looked across the room at Odion. There were so many parts of him that he just didn’t see. Lani could be sympathetic now to Adrianna’s plight whenever Lani would knock himself down a few pegs. Some people just acted like they were arrogant but Lani knew better with Odion. He would keep reminding Odion of how wonderful he was until Odion believed him.

A chrysalis was an appropriate metaphor for Odion. And when he emerged Lani was sure he’d be the greatest of all. But that didn’t mean that Lani wouldn’t poke the chrysalis out of curiosity. Curiosity was really the greatest of strengths and the greatest of weaknesses. Perhaps the English language needed to be expanded a little bit. There were so many things that were unnamed that were needed to be explained. It was like when something got so abstract that a person was reduced to using ‘things’ and ‘stuff’ and waving their hands around like madmen. The greatest thing that can come from life is change. Advancement and new discoveries, even the world around them was changing as the weather patterns continually reacted to oscillations and the controversial changing climate. Everything that wasn’t changing, not adapting, wouldn’t survive. Lani was a big fan of change but only if he was prepared for it. When things changed abruptly he tended to have a problem with it. But both he and Odion were ever changing and he hoped to the universe that they would continue to change.

There was a huge difference. For one, snails were slimy. Another, it was cultural. Perhaps if he had grown up eating them he would like them but he had grown up on cookouts and a mix of Americanized foods. Lani grinned at Odion. “Today is a good day,” he replied cryptically. If Odion could keep secrets so could Lani. And while it was very much well know, at least Lani thought, that he was having feelings for Odion, but for the time being he was going to keep himself silent about it. But there was still that nagging sensation in the back of his mind that there was nothing holding him back but himself. He impolitely told it to shut up. However, like most things in Lani’s mind they didn’t really care what he wanted they just did.

“The moment won’t pass if you plan it well enough in advance. There’s always a moment when the plans go astray but it never hurts to be prepared for that to happen.” Preparation, always be prepared for the worst case scenario. Always worry about something, it kept them free men. Lani wrinkled his nose. “These are a great deal of things that need to be looked at before they are leapt into.” He protested, like water for instance. He had to make sure there was none before he took a leap. Lani is perhaps the only person who would stand and fight instead of jumping into some sort of body of water. It was crippling but then he didn’t stick around too much water so he didn’t find it too much of a problem. Lani chuckled a little bit. “Unless that paper happens to be currency?” Lani asked with a wicked smile to match Odion’s. If it wasn’t theirs then what were they saving it on? Lani was terrible with money, he had it and if it was somewhere he could get to it, it was gone. Hiding it from himself was kind of a necessity.

Lani’s eyes were alight with mischief and he watched Odion with interest. Yes, this was fun. His impish grin lingered on his lips as his eyes stayed trained on the redhead. He pushed against Odion’s power but to no avail he felt the wall like aspect come back and his power worked on distracting Odion but that was also a failed attempted. Time closed around Lani’s power and it squirmed and lashed out at the opposing power. It was a good thing Odion was good at what he did or he very well might have been decked. Lani’s brows raised as Odion flung the ball back through time. The part of his power still connected to the ball made him feel a little disoriented, like being not multiple places at once but times. It was so strange. His mind reeled as he fought against the opposing force. All Lani saw was the ball coming toward him. Lani felt his power coil. He could stop the ball, but he would have to let go. Slowly, timidly Lani let down the gates and out came flooding pure power. Old mental wounds started to ache as he let the power flow through him. He lost himself into the power.

Maybe, you’re supposed to get lost. Lani merged with the telekinesis and as one they rose to strike down the ball. Everything was alive in the room, Lani didn’t even notice as his eyes had slid shut and he was doing everything by feeling and he was focused on the tennis ball all else was in the background. The tennis ball. Lani pinpointed it and the room took on an eerie quietness and Lani opened his eyes and blasted the hell out of the tennis ball. The power that existed in the past was fueled and there was a moment when Lani’s eyes were open and he didn’t actually see anything and then the tennis ball launched itself across the room bouncing like a ping pong and with just the right extra push Lani sent it rocketing at Odion. “Try this,” he heard himself say but he really couldn’t feel his body anymore. It was unsettling but it was also freeing to be one with his power.

[Odion Martins]

Odion had stolen people’s hearts before. It was all very interesting, the steps were usually the same. Find a person, learn about them, woo them with mystery and pretty words, add a couple common interests, and people fell. And they fell hard. The very fact that Odion wasn’t trying to get Lani to fall for him, or that he had fallen for Lani in return, spoke volumes. This was as real as it came – Odion wasn’t playing, pretending, or skewing things. Yes there was a lot Odion didn’t know about Lani, but there was a hell of a lot more Lani didn’t know about Odion. Sometimes it still baffled Odion that Lani trusted him at all. Wasn’t he worried that Odion would turn around on him yet? Odion wanted nothing more than to prove he was a good person... sometimes. Maybe one day he would believe Lani.

Hopefully no one but Lani got to see his true colours. Odion was like a butterfly in many ways, but he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. Maybe he was a poisonous butterfly. Was there such a thing? Did it matter? There were many sayings in other languages which described things perfectly, and did not have a translation into English. Odion was glad he knew several languages and could express himself in many ways if need be. This was just another things Lani didn’t know about him. And Odion didn’t dare whisper anything in a foreign language, lest Lani remember it and look it up later. But how did you tell someone you could speak the Romantic languages? It probably wouldn’t happen randomly. Odion didn’t play Twenty Questions.

Odion would have to convince Lani of trying escargot yet. Maybe he liked stuffed mushrooms? They were almost the same, just, chewier. “How do you know, it isn’t over yet.” Odion challenged, curious to see how Lani would reply. Odion had took a trip into the not so distant past just the other day. He revisited the day Lani trapped him in the field and wouldn’t let him go. The words: I don’t want you to leave me, echoed and reverberated in Odion’s mind now. Looking at Lani, Odi knew leaving wasn’t an option ever again. If he could help it, he wouldn’t hurt Lani. He didn’t want to forget anything about the process they were going through together. He didn’t want to forget the way Lani felt in his arms after he hugged him because Lani was willing to let him go and make his own choices. The more Odion thought about it, the more he knew he was falling, and the more he wanted to stay.

“How can you plan for a moment you know nothing about?” And it dawned on Odion that they weren’t talking about the same thing at all. Odion was talking about life and relationships in general, if he allowed them to happen, while Lani was talking about jobs. “You won’t gain a moment in life by worrying over things, and it’s probably not helping your headaches either.” Hopefully Lani could tell by the way Odi was talking that the redhead wasn’t upset about their exchange. Odion had no idea that Lani didn’t like water, just a few more things they needed to learn about one another. Odion didn’t grace Lani’s currency comment with another comment, but with a smile instead. The world had lots of money, and it wasn’t something Odion was too concerned with. There were many ways around the capitalist system.

Odion couldn’t be sure, and he wasn’t going to ask, but he hoped Lani was giving this his best shot. Otherwise, this was pointless. How could he help Lani with his power if he didn’t present his whole power? Something was clicking for Lani, Odion knew this because he was seeing it with his own eyes. Maybe he could be sure after all. And he couldn’t deny that feeling of energy all around him now. It used to be a glove, now it was more like a blanket – Odion knew that feeling anywhere. Maybe it was his connection with time, but he seemed to have a clear connection with people and their powers if he simply spent more time with them.

The tennis ball looked like to was going to explode every time it hit something different in the room, but Odion wasn’t afraid. At least Lani had realized the old rules weren’t going to work. There was something ominous in Lani’s voice. Something new and strange was happening indeed. And something about Lani’s eyes was different, almost as if they were glowing. As much as Odion wanted to concentrate on that, his talents were needed in the present. He stood perfectly still and straight, his feet spread apart for balance. Try it indeed. Now Odion wished he knew what was going on for Lani. Instead, he was faced with a driving force, and stopping the ball in time wasn't as easy as it had been seconds ago. The ball jittered and skipped around before Odion got a good hold on it. By that point he was breathing hard and had his hands were on his knees.

Could Lani go through time? Was his power actually developing in that direction? He and Odi were on the most equal playing ground now that they were on the same plane. Time covered everything, and now, so did telekinesis. They could play side by side and both win. Lani had learned something important and valuable from Odion. The ginger was still holding the ball in the not so far away past as he and Lani moved forward in normal time.

“How do you feel?” He asked, hoping to get a breather. Odion didn’t want to stop, but he wanted to keep up with what was going on as well.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani had never paid much attention to his heart. Or any of his other emotions really. At school he had never had time to ever ‘hang out’ with people as he was either catching up on sleep, stealing or doing homework. Yes, once upon a time Lani had cared about school. Because school was his ticket out. Then he got this power and everything became hopeless and he stopped caring about school and could never get himself to care again. The feeling was gone. But perhaps there had been people at his old school who he could have gotten together with but he had never had the time nor did he put forth the effort to have time. Not until he got to Hammel. Adrianna had been his first girlfriend and potentially old girlfriend, who knew. He was nervous about the idea of being bisexual or gay but how could he change who he was.

As with most poisonous things they were brightly colored and very beautiful to look at. It might be hard for him to blend in. Lani partially found himself looking toward Odion for something, whether it was someone pleasant to look at or if a glance into those piercing blue eyes would give him some sort of explanation for life. Lani was terrible with languages; he would be lost just like when Odion had said that Latin saying. Lani could hardly remember it he had been so drunk but he remembered that Odion had said something about it for their team name. Lani smiled at the thought. That had been a great night. Hard reasons to start but Lani had never gotten to know Odion so well. They both were put out of their comfort zones and had in turn learned more than they ever could have dreamed. It was a good thing they weren’t playing Twenty Questions or twenty might turn easily to forty.

It wouldn’t be a matter of convincing him to eat them so much as blindfolding him so he wouldn’t know what it was he was eating. No snails were getting anywhere near his teeth. Lani shrugged, he hadn’t really thought about it but now he knew the answer and it was right on his tongue. That was not what came out though. “Because the joker ran away with the queen and there seems to be a multitude of aces.” He winked at Odion. Let him try to figure that one out. Lani’s lips turned upward. It really wasn’t a complicated riddle. Aces were the best card in the deck, so a lot of good things were coming out once the joker and queen left. The more Lani thought about it the less clever he thought it sounded but hey that was about as close as he would come to saying, ‘because I’m with you’. But aces weren’t just good they were trump cards, Odion had to know that. Lani was trumped, he wasn’t fighting that he was falling anymore but rather he was trying to figure out what to do about it. He needed aces in his hand too.

Lani looked at Odion his head cocked to the side and confusion written over his face. He laughed a little and gestured between the two of them. “We’re having two different conversations aren’t we?” Lani wasn’t anywhere close to upset and he was glad that Odion wasn’t either. Their mini arguments had seemed to turn to a consistent debate. Something that they could talk about without going down the slippery slope of getting angry. They were opening their minds to different ideas instead of closing them off and getting combative. Lani snorted out a little laugh and nodded his head a little. “Worrying is what I do,” Lani said as if Odion hadn’t gotten that yet. Asking Lani not to worry was like asking a stream not to run. “Besides that’s what they have pain killers for.” He smiled a little. He didn’t have a problem, of course not. Lani cocked his head at Odion now. “How are you so worry free?” He asked. He wanted to know because he was jealous.

This was the power that could lift cars and toss them like they were toys. The power that was one hundred percent Lani fueled by the emotions that were mixed around him. The tennis ball didn’t stand a chance. If asked Lani really wouldn’t be able to explain what happened in time. He didn’t think he could hit it but it was a good thing he did or else something terrible might have happened. But not even Lani’s full power was a match for time. Odion had him beat there. Lani felt Odion’s power close around his and now that he was fully in it he didn’t react with panic but rather he smiled as the warm feeling enveloped him. Lani was only vaguely aware of his body and he tried to tug himself back in but that felt confining and he liked the feeling of being free.

This was a new sensation the feeling of being and yet not being. Lani felt connected to his body and yet he was detached. It was strange and new and yet familiar. Memories flashed across his eyes giving him a quick explanation. Flashing red and blue lights. Surrounded. This was exactly how it had felt when he had first gotten his power only he had been more pumped up on adrenaline to notice that he was essentially two places at once. The realization brought in a sense of panic in him. What if that happened again? What if Odion got caught in the crossfire? He panicked and pulled the power back. To himself and he knocked himself back into his body.

Lani pulled the power back and had a dizzying moment as he reconnected with the rest of his body. It was then he became aware that his head hurt. The agony laced through his mind blinding him for the first brief moments. “Like I need to sit down.” He said and he did so. His voice his again, he could feel it in his throat and hear it in his ears, it didn’t sound like he was talking through water anymore. Collecting himself on the floor Lani rubbed his head. “Are you alright? I didn’t mean to hit it so hard.” He glanced up at Odion terrified for a moment that he would see terror in Odion’s eyes. Lani’s whole power terrified Lani, would it terrify Odion? Lani wanted to promise that he could control it but he wasn’t sure. He reached over feeling utterly spent and dug for a moment in his bag before he found the container he was looking for. He poured a few in his mouth not even bothering with water.