Some Kind of Madness [Midori]

[Devon Wentsworth]

Being in his own home automatically helped Devon to settle a little, even though the scenario itself was still utterly terrifying. Here he didn't have to put on so many airs and graces, it felt... warmer, and more natural. He made a mental note to punch Cade for suggesting the restaurant in the first place. But then again, had they not gone out, they'd never had been able to have a laugh romping in the snow like that. Hmmm. Maybe just a slap instead of a punch.

Devon nodded in agreement. “Yeah, the second one was pretty awesome too. I don't think you're missing too much with the Iron Man ones. They're pretty good but a bit... predictable, I think. They have the best soundtracks of them all, though.” Devon didn't usually collect movie soundtracks but he had all the Iron Man ones in his car, because they were epic for driving along to. When Midori explained that being a superhero would be her night job Devon chuckled, but her next comment and how she reacted to it caught him completely by surprise. He blinked in stunned silence for a moment, before an ever so slightly sly grin crossed his lips. “The alien will definitely be there to rescue the even prettier damsel.”

When Devon returned with the drinks Midori seemed pretty settled and non-fussed, and he internally gave a sigh of relief. That meant it probably had been Lost in there, thankfully. That would not have been fun to try to explain away, and he highly doubted she'd buy it if he'd have said it was actually Uno's, or something. Devon set the cans and tumblers down on the coffee table, nodding at her request for a blanket. “Can do, one sec. Here.” He handed her the remote for the DVD player. “Just hit play. I'll be down before the trailers are done.” With that he went upstairs, digging two blankets out of the wardrobe. He made sure to always keep a stash of blankets handy in case anyone ever came round, and because he didn't exactly deal well with the cold at the best of times. In the moment, he was glad he did. Trundling back down the stairs, he handed one over to Midori, doing his best to avoid accidentally swatting the cats with it. He took the other to his own perch on the other end of the sofa. “Y'know? I think I already like this better than the fancy restaurant.”

[Midori Hawkins]

This honestly reminded Midori of dating in middle school, or even high school. A number of those had ended up at a boyfriend’s house to watch a movie or listen to music and just... hang out. It was inoffensive at least, and cozy at best. It wasn’t a bad thing, that was for sure. Especially being that they’d started out as friends, perhaps this was for the best. Besides, she got to see the cats again, which was a bonus.

“Oh good. So they aren’t much to miss then. I wondered if I would be missing something seeing Iron Man in Avengers without seeing the actual Iron Man movies.” She was happy that wasn’t the case, though. “I’m sure I’ll catch up on them one day. Especially if they have good soundtracks.” At least she’d get to sneak a preview of Iron Man’s character tonight. Then she wouldn’t be completely in the dark. After she’d been bold enough to ask about the English alien having her back, she peeked up in a somewhat shy way at Devon. His silence worried her, but when he finally spoke, she smiled sweetly, trying to defy the pink on her cheeks that appeared at the sight of his sly expression. “Oh good. So the superhero doesn’t have to worry, then. That makes her feel safer.” What did you even say to that? Romantic comedies would dictate falling into someone’s arms, probably, or a kiss, buuuut... who listened to those anyway?

Once she was settled, she managed an easy smile at Devon as he brought the classes and drinks in. She took the remote from him, trying not to disturb Bliss much, and hit play as instructed. Bliss was helping keep her warm, but the blanket was truthfully a welcome sight. Arctic foxes were built for the snow, but she sure as heck wasn’t. It took some careful work, but she managed to lift Bliss out of the way to spread the blanket over her lap before setting the cat back down. “Thank you. This is a lot better.” Cuddled under the blanket with the purring cat on her lap, this really was cozy. “I think I do too,” she admitted, scratching Bliss’ ears. This really did feel just right.

[Devon Wentsworth]

Devon couldn’t help but feel slightly betrayed, seeing Bliss curled up on Midori’s lap and Uno milling around on the ground near her. He had got the cats as a way to find some sort of odd companionship, yet they always seemed more content buzzing around any guest that came into the house. Even Uno, grumpy bastard that he was, at least paid a bit of attention to the existence of any visitor. Still, Devon supposed, at least they got on okay with Midori. That was important.

“Ehhh, not really. I mean, there’s some references you might not get watching Avengers first, but it’s not hard to piece together. I don’t think you’ll be too lost or missin’ out on much. You’ve seen Thor, and most of the plot leads on from that so you should be golden.” Devon gave a casual shrug of his narrow shoulders. “I’ve got ‘em all, if you ever want to borrow them any time.” It was a true joy, seeing that momentary perk of boldness from Midori, but the shy smile and faint blush that followed it was utterly endearing and caused the slight slyness on Devon’s lips to morph into a warm smile instead. “She never has to worry. The alien’s always got her back, however things end up.” Even if nothing more came from tonight Devon was determined to stay friends with her, and despite his occasional wayward behaviours he had always prided himself on being a firm and loyal friend.

Perching at the other end of the sofa, Devon nestled down under his own blanket. Being trapped under the snow, however temporarily, had managed to chill him despite the thick coat of fur he’d been wearing at the time. This was far warmer and far more comfortable, and within moments he found himself settling down and relaxing. It was going to be a pain having to untangle from the blanket when the pizza arrived, but he was sure he’d cope somehow. “Good. And Midori… Thanks again. For this, I mean. It ain’t quite gone to the plan, but I’m still happy we did it.”

[Midori Hawkins]

Tory tended to react to visitors similarly to how the cats seemed to. If her parents or brothers were visiting, or if Devon was over, he was instantly all over them and his mother became more or less non-existent to him. She’d made peace with it. Sort of. It was generally chalked up to the fact that he saw her every day, whereas he saw his uncles or grandparents or Devon a lot less, therefore they were more exciting.

At least, that’s what she told herself.

“I might have to take you up on that. Get all caught up before the next Marvel thing comes out.” She wasn’t entirely wrapped up in the comic book world like some people, but she appreciated the genre all the same. She was just as likely to watch something like Thor as she was one of the X-Men movies. She wasn’t biased. The X-Men were actually pretty fun to watch, being that many of the ‘mutant’ powers could easily fall into metahuman powers. But as her focus shifted back to Devon, his warm smile made her relax and return it. This was so different from how they normally spent time together. This side of Devon... it was... it was really nice. “Thank you.” She glanced down at the ground for a moment before looking back up again. “She’ll have yours, too. No matter what.” Devon was still, and always would be, a good friend. Even if this didn’t go anywhere.

But if it was going to be anything like this... she wouldn’t be opposed to trying.

With Bliss in her lap and the warmth of the blanket, Midori really was feeling much more relaxed. It was easier than she’d expected, which was a pleasant surprise. Though her attention was mostly on the movie, hand occasionally moving to stroke Bliss, Devon managed to catch it easily enough. Glancing at him, she smiled and nodded. “I’m happy too. I don’t care that it didn’t go to plan. It’s been pretty perfect as is.” As far as first dates went... yeah. She meant that.

[Devon Wentsworth]

When Devon had announced his plans to get a cat, he'd of course had to put up with Cade's endless jibes about how he was becoming a crazy cat man. While Devon had brushed them off and told Cade to shut up, there had been some small element of truth to it. Devon had a close circle of friends whom he adored and saw very often, and between them and his work a day never went past where he wasn't chatting to someone. However, once his front door closed of an evening the house was always so quiet and so empty. His flat back home had been the same but at least there if the stillness got too much Cade and his mum were only a short drive away. Sure Ferris was only next door but, well... Devon knew there was only so much of him the chef would put up with at any one time. The cats helped alleviate a bit of the quiet and solitude.

Devon smiled brightly and gave a nod of his head. “Awesome. Remind me before you go and I'll dig 'em out for ya.” While many people tended to opt for downloads or Netflix or other forms of digital media, Devon always held a love for DVD's. It was the same with books and music. Having it on a computer was fine, but there was something about physical media that he much preferred. Besides, loaning out a DVD was always a great way to ensure you'd get to see the other person again when they brought it back. Midori's reassurance that the superhero would always have the alien's back in return was oddly reassuring, and his lips twitched into a warm smile. “I am very, very happy to hear that.”

Despite all the concerns and doubts still very much there and bubbling away under the surface, Devon was incredibly surprised to realise that he was actually content. The evening hadn't gone at all to plan but, ignoring the getting stuck under the snow, so far it had actually gone far, far better than he ever could have predicted it would. He was even more surprised when he realised that he would not be at all opposed to this happening again sometime, even if they didn't end up in the bedroom by the end of the night. For him, that was a major revelation. “Y'know, I think you're right.” He shuffled to get comfortable, settling down so Midori could focus on the movie and hopefully not get too lost with what was going on.

[Midori Hawkins]

Ever since Eli and Zero had moved in to help with Tory, and Tory’s arrival, her house hardly had a chance to be quiet or lonely. Especially now Tory was perfectly mobile and talking up a storm, it was rare there was a quiet moment unless her son was sleeping. Before that, yes, it had been a bit lonely, but her family wasn’t that far away. Had things stayed that way, she might have looked into a pet of her own, but then Tory had happened, followed by Eli moving in, and honestly... she was happy not to be alone. But she was lucky, and she knew that.

“Oh! Sure. That would be great.” She was actually looking forward to seeing them now, especially if they had great soundtracks. She was also pleased by Devon’s reaction to the notion that she, to, would have his back. His warm smile was met by a somewhat shy one. “Good. Because it’s true.” Relationship or not, Devon was a great friend, and she was determined to keep him no matter what.

The atmosphere was very relaxed and warm at Devon’s, even after the pizza arrived. The movie was good, as was the company, but all of the romping in the snow seemed to have taken its’ toll... maybe she’d just close her eyes for just a moment...

Midori blinked as she opened her eyes. The television was no longer playing the movie, but rather looping the home menu around and around. She didn’t need to look outside to know it was late, but just how late, she wasn’t sure she really wanted to know. After a moment, she realized with a start that she’d dozed off leaning against Devon, nestled against his warm shoulder. It looked like he’d dozed off too.

Well. This was a fine way to end a first date. Sitting up properly, trying very hard not to disturb Devon by moving, she stretched a little and turned back to him. She couldn’t just take off on him. Very gently, she rested her hand on his arm. “Devon?” Waiting for a beat, she pulled out her phone and texted a blanket of apologies to Eli for running late and promises that she’d be home soon. Knowing him, he probably wasn’t asleep yet, but hopefully Tory was. “Devon?” She tried again, giving his arm the smallest little shake so as not to startle him awake. When he finally seemed to be stirring, she smiled at him. “Hi.” She’d ease him into the fact they’d just zonked right out during their first date.

[Devon Wentsworth]

Devon had been watching the movie, content and warm and comfortable and full of pizza. He'd been getting a little tired, sure, but the movie and the company was keeping him awake as he watched Thor and Stark battling in the middle of the forest. Midori seemed comfortable and settled so he stretched out a bit, nestling down and resting his head back against the back of the sofa. After all the drama and tension of the evening he was a little worn out, and it was nice to just be able to settle back and relax...

Movement caught his attention, the odd feeling of something moving against his arm, and Devon slowly shifted to a more upright position and blinked awake. That was odd, he couldn't remember going to sleep. Woolliness filled his head and he rubbed at his eyes, one hand dropping down and momentarily trying to gently bat away whichever of the cats had woken him up. It was only after a few seconds that he realised the leg he was batting was definitely human, not feline, and Devon spent a long moment just looking at it in groggy confusion, trying to work out just why there was a human leg next to him and what it could just mean.

Then the voice actually registered in his brain, and Devon's eyes shot open in alarm. “OH! Midori! Hi! I, uhh...” He quickly pulled back the hand that had been batting at her leg, shuffling quickly to sit up again. “Sorry! I didn't... I didn't mean to fall asleep. Did you, uhh... Did you enjoy the movie?”

[Midori Hawkins]

Midori was still trying to process the sheer embarrassment for having fallen asleep on a date as Devon tried to wake himself up. This had to be a faux pas on an epic level in terms of dating etiquette. Yet as she was fretting...

Devon was actually sort of funny when he was waking up. The gentle swatting made her smile despite her worries. Clearly this was a thing the cats did. Probably Bliss, the cuddly little thing. She just waited for him to come to properly.

Which he did rather quickly. She had to hide a smile behind her hand as he organized himself. The fact he didn’t know she’d fallen asleep gave her hope, but she couldn’t lie. “Uhhh, what I saw of it?” She offered a slightly guilty smile. “I didn’t make it all the way through either.” She’d refrain from telling him that she’d fallen asleep on him. “I guess all the snow tired us out?” It was definitely dark outside, which meant it was well past when she was supposed to have gone home. “... I guess that means it’s really time to go home, isn’t it?” Much as she liked being there, she really did have to go and make sure Tory was still alive.

[Devon Wentsworth]

Devon had never been the brightest and most quick witted of people on first waking up. He tended to start the day a groggy mess and was only ever really capable of semi-intelligent thoughts and actions after a shower and a brew. The relatively short nap had done just the same as a full sleep, but the sudden awareness of the situation had kick-started his awareness far more effectively than any coffee ever had.

Giving a small nod as Midori spoke, Devon was relieved that at least he wasn't the only one that had dropped out of consciousness for a bit. Well, he could honestly say that it was the first time in a long time that he'd slept with a woman without actually 'sleeping' with them. Maybe he was growing up after all. “Yeah, I guess it must've. The snow, then the warm and the pizza. They should use that as treatment for insomniacs.” He gave a small shrug of his narrow shoulders. “Sorry it wasn't exactly thrilling.”

As much as Devon kinda wished that Midori could stay a while longer, he knew that she had to get back to Tory as relieve her babysitter. It might not have been the most action-packed evening ever and it definitely had not gone to the original plan, but he had still enjoyed it and he was surprised by how reluctant he was for it to end. “Yeah, I guess so. Do you want a lift back, or should I call you a taxi or something?”

[Midori Hawkins]

Midori may have been a slow-to-wake teenager, but after having a baby it was very difficult to do that. Now she tended to wake to the smallest noise, automatically worried about Tory. In this situation, however, it was coming in handy, waking so fast. Though she had to admit, there was something very endearing in watching Devon wake up. It was a little like Tory, who also needed time to fully orient himself with being awake and alert, which were often two very different things.

His suggestion made her smile as she slowly began to untangle herself from her own blanket. “It’s a great idea. Maybe we should market it and make... hundreds, at least.” As for his shrug, she shook her head. “No, it was fine. I promise.” She’d... probably just have to borrow Avengers now too. Whoops. “I liked it.”

She was surprised by her own reluctance to move, but the draw to her son (as well as the slight guilt accompanying those thoughts because she was late) was strong. Finally, she got herself properly untangled and gently folded the blanket loosely before setting it between them. It wasn’t exactly far to her house, but it was also cold. The idea of walking wasn’t exactly thrilling. But neither was making Devon get up and go warm his car just for her. “You don’t have to warm your car up. Maybe a taxi?” She smiled at him warmly. “I mean, I could shift back to a fox and run home, but if this was any indication, I might end up napping in snowbank.”

[Devon Wentsworth]

Devon rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands, half to try and wake himself up a bit and half in silent frustration. He had wanted this to go so perfectly, to be able to prove to himself that he could be an adult, and he'd fallen asleep like a toddler at naptime. It was some relief that she had gone too, but it was still hardly the fairy tale ending. Then again, when had he ever been the sort to fall in line with the rules of fairy tales? At least it hadn't been a Tarantino movie ending, at least.

It was snug and warm under the blanket and every cell of Devon's body begged him to stay there, but as Midori began to move and get up he forced himself to as well. Unlike Midori, however, he let his just pile up in a messy heap beside him. He could always sort it out later. “We totally should. We should, like, patent it or something.” Devon reached up, stretching out his back as he yawned and tried to work out a knot in his left shoulder. Her next words made Devon's arms drop slightly, and he gave her a small smile. “I... I really liked it too.”

Even though the room was not cold, after being so cosy under the blanket it felt bitterly cold without it. As much as he wouldn't have minded giving her a lift home, he was actually a little relieved when Midori said she'd be okay with a taxi instead. The cold had never been his friend, and it would give him chance to take a painkiller and warm up a bit before heading to bed. Devon gave a nod of his head, and chuckled at her mention of foxing it home. “Probably. I think a taxi'd be the safer bet.” He dug out his phone, quickly calling for a taxi to come and pick Midori up to take her home. Devon fidgeted with his phone for a moment, pondering for a moment, before speaking to Midori again with a slight anxiousness in his voice. “Y'know... If you didn't want to borrow them, we could always maybe... Do this again some time, if you wanted?”

[Midori Hawkins]

Sometimes the things that didn’t quite go to plan ended up being better than the original plan itself. Case and point, the kind of sort of date. No, the original plan didn’t quite pan out, but Midori had had more fun tonight than she had in a long time, and she had Devon to thank for that. It wasn’t often she got to charge around with another shifter and just act like an idiot in a fur coat. Yes, the nap had been a little unexpected, but at least they had both gone out.

His suggestion to patent the idea made her giggle softly into the blanket as she folded it. “It would be perfect, wouldn’t it? We’d be hundredaires in no time.” No, she didn’t care that it probably wasn’t a word. With a lot of other people she knew she’d be keeping to more adult conversation, but with Devon... somehow patenting a ridiculous sleeping system for insomniacs seemed... right. “Good,” she said with a sheepish smile. “If only one of us did, we’d have some problems to deal with.” Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

She waited quietly as he called, realizing a beat too late that she should have done the polite guest thing and offered to call herself. Still, what was done was done, and now they just had to wait. Chances were, it wouldn’t be long. Pilot Ridge was too small for much of a wait. “Thank you,” she murmured softly once he’d hung up. She supposed she should go and gather her coat, but Devon’s question stopped her from moving. Glancing at him, she smiled warmly. Was he really asking her for another date... thing? “... I’d like that, Devon.”

[Devon Wentsworth]

Despite the evening not going at all to plan, Devon was actually happy with how it had gone. Sure the fancy meal might have been nice, but it wouldn't have been a patch on the romp in the snow and he knew that the awkwardness and tension would have just kept spiralling. He would have said or done something stupid, and that would have been that. This might not have been perfect, but it was still something, and it had been a rather surprisingly pleasant something at that.

Devon gave a soft chuckle at her backing of his silly plan, and gave an agreeing nod of his head. “I'd be happy being a hundredaire. I dunno what I'd spend a million on if I had it.” That wasn't true of course, he knew damn well that he could easily blast through that kind of money without much effort, but it was true he didn't really need it. Besides his art supplies and the care of his drum kit he was pretty low maintenance. He was just happy that, despite the awkward awakening, they both still seemed to be fairly settled. “I'm very happy you think the same way.”

Devon really didn't mind making the call, and gave a small smile at Midori's thanks. “No problem. Got to make sure you get back in one piece, ey?” He had been incredibly anxious about asking the question, more out of fear of saying it wrong and sounding creepy or weird than of her possibly saying no. When that smile lit up her beautiful face, though, it was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “I would too.” He gave a quiet chuckle. “I promise, next time I'll make it all the way through the movie, whatever it is.”

[Midori Hawkins]

Midori was honestly happy with how things had gone, and she wouldn’t have changed it for anything. Dinners led to awkward conversations just to keep things moving. Playing in the snow in animal form however was both natural and fun. Yes, there had been a hitch, but once it was over they’d gotten on with the night.

“That’s easy. Cat toys and treats.” She giggled as she glanced down to where both cats were curled up sleeping. “They wouldn’t have it any other way. I could get them to give me a shopping list if you’d like.” She was teasing, but it was probably true. Spending money on pets seemed as easy as spending it on kids. “Yeah. I’m happy too.”

Now they had plans to do it again, going home didn’t seem like such a stretch. “Me too,” she assured with a smile. “We’ll just make sure there’s no playing in the snow right before it. Then we’ll stand a chance.” As her gaze wandered back down to the cats, a light outside caught her eye. Must be a slow night for cab service. “Um... I guess the taxi’s here.” That slight reluctance was back. Scooting off of the couch, she bent to give each cat a soft stroke. “Bye, kittens.” Glancing back at Devon, she smiled at him. “I think the movie bored them. They’re out cold.”

[Devon Wentsworth]

Devon would be lying if he said there wasn’t a part of him that was a little disappointed that she was going, that the evening and their ‘date’ such as it was hadn’t ended up more physical. However, he was still happy with how it had gone and held no regrets, which was surprising to him but not at all in a bad way. He didn’t want Midori to just be another notch on his significantly heavily notched bedpost. For her, he could and would wait.

“Ahh, I think I spend enough on them already, spoiled buggers.” For as much as he often complained about them Devon did love his cats, even Uno, and was always bringing home new treats and toys to try to keep them active and entertained. Bliss was easy, she’d play with absolutely anything, but Uno was far more difficult. Since he’d owned the grey tom, the only thing Devon had seen that had reduced Uno to kitten levels of boisterous play was a rubber band that had been left lying around. He gave a soft laugh at her suggestion. “I bet I can work out what the list would be. It’d start with ‘food’ and end with ‘more food’.”

The knowledge that Midori would come back, and in fact wanted to come back, filled Devon with an odd sense of relief. He hadn’t completely balls up the night, no matter what had happened, and despite all the odds having been stacked against him. “No snow, deal.” Maybe he was capable of doing this whole ‘grown up’ thing after all. A smile curled his lips as she said bye to the cats. “Seems so. That’s good though, means they wont be harassing me all night.” There was no small amount of reluctance from Devon as they headed to the front door, but as they got there an idea occurred to him. He idly reached up, fidgeting with his earlobe for a moment before deciding to just go with his gut instinct. “Hey, Midori. Can I… Can I give you something, before you go?”