Indulging the Riff-raff

[Francis Ruis]

Set after this thread.

Now that Sapphire had actually agreed to grab a drink Frankie was dragging his feet, stopping to admire a few odds and ends in shops to avoid them actually getting to the coffee shop he'd picked. He was trying to think fast, either he need to scrub up some money from somewhere, admit to Sapphire he was broke, or somehow manage to get them drinks without paying. Until he figured it out, he was going to have to buy himself some time, making a face at Sapphire in the window display when he spotted her looking and hoping to play it off as a joke. He'd been having a lot of fun talking to her and he wasn't keen to let on to the issue and risk having her leave. Shoving his hands in pockets, Frankie glanced casually over at Sapphire, trying to make some small talk to keep her distracted. "So, you like going to school over there, then?" He said, nodding his head to the visible towers of Hogwarts lurking in the distance.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire thought Frankie was acting rather suspicious. She was watching him, considering all the factors of his behavior. Either this was a setup or he was strapped for cash. She stuck her tongue out at him when he made a face at her in the window. She smiled as he asked about school. "It's alright. Classes are interesting." She stuck her hands in her pockets. "Where do you go to school? They steal all your lunch money?" She teased, nudging his elbow with hers. "Onyx does the same thing when he's strapped. Don't worry about it, drinks are on me today."

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie had always been a bit curious about Hogwarts, but he was mostly glad he didn't have to deal with all that in the end. "I'm homeschooled, which means I mostly hang out around Brightstone all day," He shrugged, not overly concerned with his education. "Do you really enjoy all that proper schools stuff? Uniforms, and teachers and all that junk?" Frankie raised an eyebrow. It had always sounded like a major drag to him. He felt his stomach sink a bit when Sapphire saw through him so quickly. It irked him that he was so transparent to this girl, though it was a relief that she was offering to buy. "My hero," He said with a slow smile. "I'll make it up to you, promise."

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire wondered for a moment if being homeschooled would be nice. Maybe she should ask Onyx about it. Just them and Uncle James. But then... she would have to spend all her time with her brother. She shook her head. "Honestly? I was just glad to get out of the Home. Having a room where I don't need to worry about people sneaking in and cutting my fairy lights because they can't beat me in a fair fight was a relief. No one's ever complained about my combat boots with the uniform, so I call it a fair trade. Besides, none of the Professors seem to really notice me half the time." She shrugged. Probably the only exceptions were Pendleton and the deaf Professor she'd met in the kitchens.

She laughed as he called her a hero. "You'll have to meet my brother sometime. Onyx is so dramatic. You'll have to work hard to outdo him. Though I'm not sure that's a good thing." She chuckled and shook her head. "Anyway, you said you're homeschooled? What's that like?" She asked, curious about the boy. She had to admit the more time she spent with him, the more intriguing he became.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie raised an eyebrow when Sapphire spoke about being in a home, not expecting her to talk so casually about something like that. When it came to his home life, Frankie preferred to play that sort of thing close to the chest, but maybe he was just paranoid. "I find it hard to believe you're walking around school unnoticed," He said. He was being cheeky, but it was easier to latch onto that than process the other information Sapphire was casually not mentioning, like why she was in the home in the first place.
The more Sapphire talked about Onyx, the more Frankie was intrigued. "Maybe I should meet this mysterious brother of yours, he sounds fun. But I'd hate to make you jealous," Taking a moment to move in a few steps in front of Sapphire, Frankie turned to her with a smile as he walked backwards for a bit. It was a little hard to read her body language and this way he could see her face easier when he made dumb jokes. "Homeschooling is about as exciting as it sounds," He said with a shrug. "There's a reason I'm out here most days. Better company." He said nodding to Sapphire with a small grin.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapph chuckled as Frankie stated his disbelief. "Look where I stand, pretty boy." She indicated her short stature. Even at fourteen she was one of the shortest in her year. "Usually the gaze of the crowd slides over my head." She ran a hand through her hair. She tilted her head, contemplating as he suggested meeting Onyx, laughing as he impled she'd be jealous. "Let's not find him today then," she teased lightly. "With my luck you'd like him better and start snogging him." She hinted casually, surprised with herself for teasing him like that.

It's not like she hadn't noticed he was gorgeous. She just hadn't expected to care. But the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to spend with him. He was easy to talk to, he made her laugh. She felt a bit like herself again. She winked playfully as he moved in front of her. She laughed lightly as he nodded to her.

Sapphire flashed him a smile. "You know, this was originally going to be my only trip to the shops over break. Who knows?" She turned as they reached the doors to the shop he'd mentioned. "Maybe I'll come back tomorrow and see what riff raff is floating around."

 

[Francis Ruis]

"Well, then they're missing out," He said with a shrug, mildly distracted by maintaining a casual stroll while walking backwards and not falling on his own ass. Losing concentration at the mention of Sapphire's brother, Frankie did stumble a bit, unable to hide a laugh. "Hey, if I'd known snogging was on the menu.. Maybe I picked the wrong twin," He slowed his last few steps, letting his gaze linger on Sapphire a bit, hoping to toe the line between teasing and maybe something to goad Sapphire on.
Frankie appreciated that Sapphire was still giving as good as she was getting from him, continuing to poke fun at him as they neared the cafe. He also couldn't deny the quick shot of satisfaction he felt every time he manage to make her laugh or smile, even just a little. "Well, Princess, I'd be delighted if you ever need someone to show you around," He said, holding the door open for her with a flourish. "I know where all the best riff-raff hangs out, after all."

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire laughed along with Frankie, mainly because he stumbled. She shook her head as he said he picked the wrong twin. "Oh, I dunno. The day is young." She hinted casually, reaching out and running a finger along his jaw lightly as he came to a stop. She'd always been so careful when she touched Mervyn, he'd always flinched away. She subtly waited for his reaction.

"We'll see." She chuckled. "I might know more than you." She walked in, looking around and spotting a quiet table in the corner, tucked away from everyone. "How about there?" She pointed, looking over her shoulder to him with a small smile.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Even though he'd come to a halt, Frankie nearly tripped again when Sapphire reached out and traced his jaw lightly with her finger. He raised an eyebrow at her, watching her face closely but otherwise not reacting, as much as he wanted to. "You're teasing me, princess," He said softly, unsure if it would be fair game to return the gesture. He settled for following her inside instead, scanning the cafe mostly out of habit than with any real purpose. There didn't seem to be anyone here who knew him enough to give him grief just yet, which was a relief. "You're certainly full of surprises at least," He said, following Sapphire's lead and dropping gracelessly into a chair at the table she'd pointed out. "Perfect. So, pick your poison," He said, squinting at the menu board over the register and mulling over a few options, curious at how far Sapphire's generosity might stretch today.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire felt a little thrill go through her when he didn't flinch away but also felt mildly disappointed when he didn't react otherwise. Hm... she'd have to try harder to get a reaction from him then. She gave him a saucy grin. "Maybe I am," She responded lightly.

She slid into the seat opposite of Frankie, setting her bag down. "Grab whatever you want. I'm having a cup of cocoa with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick." She smiled at the thought. "You have fifteen galleons." She chuckled a little. "We can toast to Onyx. He financed my trip today." She grinned mischievously. "It's a sort of game we play. He says anything I can find, I can keep. Unfortunately for him, he has no good hiding places."

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie stretched out a bit when Sapphire joined him at the table, hooking a foot onto the chair next to her, if only to get into her space a bit more. He considered the menu a bit longer as Sapphire talked, it wasn't often he tried out fancy coffee and the like, though he wasn't sure he could go for something as indulgent as Sapphire's order. "Some people would call that stealing, you know," He said with a knowing grin when she mentioned their budget. "You certainly do paint an interesting picture of you and your brother. And if he's that easy with his money maybe I really do need to meet him," He let his thought trail off, standing up instead to go order. "Cocoa, whipped cream and cinnamon stick, right?"

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire was getting used to Frankie's apparent lack of personal space. It reminded her of Onyx. She smiled, resting her chin on her hand. "It's only stealing if you sneak around about it." She chuckled a little. "I'm still getting used to him myself. I suppose I could bring him along next time." She bit her lip, considering herself a moment. The best way to forget was to pretend nothing had ever happened, right?

She felt a bit bold, so she stood with Frankie and stood a little closer than necessary to give him her frog coin purse. "Of course, I could bring him along," she started, before looking up at him from under her lashes. "It's just... Nyxy is a bit... Protective." She smiled coyly before sliding back into her seat.

"That's it." She told him, propping her head back in her hands. "I like things sweet." She flirted lightly, surprised with how much she was enjoying herself.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie raised his eyebrows at Sapphire's pretty gutsy statement. "Sure, keep saying that till you get caught," He said with a smile. Sapphire's next sentence about getting used to her own twin brother threw him for a moment, but he decided to brush past it. If he asked Sapphire to talk about her family more, she might ask about his and he didn't really want to have to try and derail the conversation when he was currently enjoying himself so much.
Frankie made a point of brushing his fingers over Sapphire's when she handed him her cute little frog purse, letting the touch linger a moment longer than he really needed to and watching her closely. "I'm sure I could handle him," He said softly, a watching Sapphire for a beat as she went back to sit down before finally moving to the counter to place their orders. After a brief panic to decide, Frankie ended up ordering some sort of coffee with a name he already immediately forgot, but the barista assured him it would be good. He fidgeted with Sapphire's little purse as he waited, snapping its mouth open and closed a few times before taking the order number, sliding it and the purse across the table as he sat back down. "It's interesting, I wouldn't have pegged you as someone with a sweet tooth. You've got this kinda, dark and edgy persona going on." He said, nodding towards Sapphire's dark clothes and boots.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire pretended to be insulted, placing a hand over her heart. "You wound me." She pouted. "So little faith in me." She tsked and shook her head. She smiled quickly though.

She held her ground as he brushed his fingers over hers. She his gaze dead on,before looking pointedly at his lips and biting her own slightly. Would it be okay for her to kiss him? She wasn't looking for another relationship, but something told her he would be okay with that. She decided against it, though even if only for now. Shes sashayed back to her seat.

She contemplated what was going on as she waited for him to return. She gave him a small smile, taking the frog and placing him back in her bag. She took her hot cocoa and took a deep sip before sighing contently. She snuggled into her seat with her cup and gave Frankie a small smile. "Well, maybe there's more to me than meets the eye. I'm just full of surprises." She teased before taking another sip.

 

[Francis Ruis]

(sorry to leave you hanging for so long >.>)

Frankie hadn't missed Sapphire's expression when she'd handed over the purse before, and was still rolling it around in his head as they'd sat down again. She seemed awfully content to swing between playing it coy, but Frankie was almost certain she'd wanted to kiss him, which he couldn't say he would object to. He watched her closely as she took a sip of her drink, running a finger idly around the rim of his own mug slowly.
"You're definitely full of something," He said teasingly, leaning back in his seat to mirror Sapphire. "But go on then, surprises like what? Tell me a secret no one at school knows."

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

(You know me, lovie, I'm just happy you replied at all )

Sapphire rolled her eyes at his lame joke, taking another sip of her cocoa. She considered his question a moment before responding. "Well, I won't tell you anything really deep and dark," She teased lightly. "But there are a few odd things no one knows." She smiled coyly at him. "I'll make you a deal. I'll tell you one of those things if you tell me something about yourself first. Who knows, maybe there's more to the riff-raff than just his rugged good looks." She said it casually, taking another sip of her drink.

 

[Francis Ruis]

"Aw," Frankie said, pouting when she seemed to turn down his idea. He didn't really need to know all Sapphire's deep secrets or anything, but there was something a little exciting about the idea of it for some reason. He straightened up when she kept talking though offering her own deal instead. "What you see is pretty much what you get with me, princess," He said easily. "But sure, deal. What do you want to know?" Frankie tapped his fingers on the table a few things thinking of what to say. There were obviously a few things he didn't want to share with a stranger, no matter how alluring she might be with her blue eyes and dark hair. "Okay, I was born in Brazil, moved here when I was like eight years old," He said, leaning back in his seat. "Your turn."

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire chuckled as he agreed, then sipped on her cocoa as he seemed to think it over. "Brazil?" She asked idly. "That sounds intriguing." She set her cocoa down and thought over her own answer. "I'm not sure where I was born. Here in New Zealand, I suppose. I grew up in Arrowtown, but I live with my uncle, Onyx, and a little boy named Jordie." She informed him. "Hmmm... next round..." She murmured to herself. "Alright, I got it. The most prominent feature in my room is the fairy lights. I have them along the tops of all my walls and along the canopy of my bed." She told him with a smile. "What's the first thing I would notice in your room?" She asked in return.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Trading facts back and forth for awhile, Frankie started with surface level things, describing the posters in his room, his favourite food (pancakes, with blueberries), how he took his tea (he didn't), showing the scar on his elbow from the time he'd run into the screen door, trying to keep the conversation vague and light.
He was surprised as time went on that he eventually relaxed into it, finding he didn't mind sharing some more personal things with Sapphire. She'd asked if he'd any goals for the future and he'd told her about the old motorcycle he was trying to fix up in their garage. Not even his mum knew he had that in there yet. Sometimes he could even swear she was actually interested in what he was saying, and he found he wasn't not interested in her own answers.
"Let me think.."He said as his turn came around again."My worst birthday was... my 10th. Mum was sick that morning so I tried to make my own cake and it was a disaster. Flour everywhere," He said, leaning his head back against the back of his chair, smiling at the ceiling before flopping forward again to look back at Sapphire. "When did it get so dark?" He said, catching site of the sky outside the window behind her and squinting. His drink was stone cold now, Frankie hadn't managed to finish it as they'd been talking, surprised at how fast the evening had seemed to have slipped away.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire smiled, finding herself drawn into the conversation. She replied to everything he said with something of her own. Talking about the different books and movies she liked (mostly horror and adventure), the way she liked desserts too much. She ran a finger over his scar before shaking back her hair and showing him the faint scar along her hairline from when she'd fallen when climbing out of the treehouse. She even found herself leaning in as things became a bit more personal, soaking up everything he had to say. She bit her lip and told him how she wanted to travel the world when she was older, following no one's rules but her own, how she dreamed of being a magizooligist of sorts, photographing animals in their natural environments. She even told him a little bit about the home, about how until the past few years she hadn't had birthdays to really speak of. She still asked him about his worst birthday, though, and giggled- actually giggled at his story.

Sapphire started as he brought the time into mind again, and she stood quickly. "Oh bollocks," She muttered darkly. "Onyx is gonna kill me. I have to go." She took a step away from the table but stopped, looking to Frankie. "Ya know, it probably wouldn't hurt if there was someone to walk me back a bit," She hinted, not wanting to admit she wasn't ready to leave his company yet. She glanced out the window, relieved just a little to see the sun was setting. It was still later than she'd thought, but not as big a deal as before.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie was surprised to feel his heart drop a little when Sapphire said she had to go, realizing he was actually a little sad when she got up to leave. This whole thing had started as an excuse to waste time and bother a pretty girl, but Frankie hadn't expected to actually enjoy Sapphire's company so much as to spend actual hours here. It was a little disorienting, but he still felt a slow smile when Sapphire hinted that he should at least walk with her a bit. He wasn't sure how they were going to end their little outing, but he had some ideas. He stood up at Sapphire's suggestion, giving her a mock bow. "As you wish, Princess," He said, smirking at her, before opening the door for her to lead the way. "Where to?" He asked softly once they were outside, pausing for a moment before offering her his arm, finding he missed the closeness they had while sitting together. It wasn't really his style, but he figured if she turned him down, he could just play it off as part of his whole chivalrous princess joke.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

-godmod approved by Kris-

Sapphire smiled to herself as he got up and held open the door. She stepped out into the night air and took a deep breath. She loved this time of day. She was surprised when she turned back to him and he had held out his arm. Without really thinking about it she took it, gently guiding him back towards the park. She knew a shortcut through the woods that she liked to take. It was quicker, though she was more interested in the privacy it provided.

She paused before they started to really move. "Hold on," She told him, taking the camera from her bag. "Say cheese," She told him, stepping so that they were both in the shot. She smiled as he set his chin on her shoulder and snapped a photo. She took it as it printed from the camera and shook it once before placing it in her bag. "Do you want one, too?" She asked. She grinned as he agreed. Just before she snapped the shot, he kissed her cheek, and a look of pleasant surprise flashed over her face as the light flashed. She giggled as he whispered in her ear, and she turned, smacking his photo into his chest lightly. "You cheeky bugger," She teased him before putting her camera back in her bag and taking his arm again.

"You know," She started as they made their way through the village. "This isn't what I was expecting out of today." She smiled softly as they stepped past the last building and started towards the forest. "I just wanted out of the house. Then I ran into the oddest boy." She teased lightly.

"I wasn't looking for a relationship, Frankie. I'm still not." She told him. "Don't get me wrong. You are gorgeous." She chuckled lightly. "I... I actually really enjoyed myself. You made me laugh. Smile. It was nice." They turned onto the path and started into the woods. "I felt like myself again," She added softly. "You are..." She paused as she looked for the right words, slowing as the forest ended. "Fascinating." She decided on finally.

She turned to him. "We're running out of time, Frankie." She smiled, reaching up a hand and brushing his hair out of his eyes. "And honestly, I'm done playing games." She murmured. She put her hands on his shoulders and stood on tiptoe, pressing her lips gently against his. She could barely hear herself think over the pounding of her heart.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie raised an eyebrow as Sapphire lead them towards the woods, but decided to hold his tongue about it. Sapphire seemed to have something on her mind and Frankie had the sense that it'd be best to wait for her to spit it out. He laughed when she pulled out the camera though, shrugging as she insisted they get a photo together. "Alright, Princess," He said, tucking his chin over her shoulder and trying on his cheesiest grin. Struck by a sudden idea, he nodded, mostly bumping his chin against her shoulder when Sapphire asked if he wanted his own photo. "Gotta make sure I don't forget you," He teased, looking back at the camera as she raised it for another photo. Taking advantage of their closeness, he quickly pressed a kiss to her cheek right as Sapphire took the photo, grinning when it was successful. "Merry Christmas, princess," He said softly into her ear, laughing when she turned to him, smacking him with the photo and chiding him. "Worth it," He said, letting Sapphire grab his arm again while he snuck a quick glance at the photo before slipping it in his pocket.

He listened as Sapphire spoke while walked, admiring the last traces of dusk against the edges of town, making a face when Sapphire teased him a little. "Well I don't know whom you're referring to, I'm perfectly normal last I checked," He joked, sobering a bit as Sapphire went on. It was a relief to hear Sapphire come out say she wasn't looking for a relationship with him."No sweat, I'm not a relationship guy," He said, easily. Relationships were not Frankie's forte and it would make the rest of this so much cleaner for them both in a few minutes, but he couldn't totally quash the nasty little voice in his head that reminded him that no one ever was. He was always a momentary distraction. Which was fine. He could be a distraction. Especially for someone like Sapphire.

Frankie took a step before realizing Sapphire had stopped, her hand still on his arm, and turned back to her, eyebrow raised in question. "Who's playing, princess?" He asked her quietly, letting his eyes shut briefly as she brushed a hand through his hair. Bringing his hands up to Sapphire's face, Frankie couldn't help but grin a little into the kiss, tilting his head a bit to deepen it. He didn't want to push Sapphire anywhere she didn't want to go, but to be fair, she started it.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire could feel herself relax as he kissed her back, taking a step closer as he deepened the kiss. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and tangled her other hand in his hair. He heart raced in her chest, but she hardly cared. This has hardly been what she'd expected from her day out. She had to admit, though, that she was enjoying it immensely. His warmth, his closeness, his taste. She knew that she wouldn't forget this night, this moment, this infuriatingly intriguing boy any time soon.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Frankie walked them backwards blindly, stopping when Sapphire's back hit a near by tree. Threading his hand in her hair, Frankie pulled a little, tilting Sapphire's head back a bit while he took a moment to catch his breath. "Well, this is nice," He said, trying to relax his breathing a little. It was easy to get a bit lost in this, in the quiet and stillness of the woods around them it almost felt like it was just the two of them for miles. Trailing kisses along her jaw, to her neck, Frankie managed to huff out a question he'd been wondering. "So, how long ago did you decide to kiss me? Just now? Back at the coffee shop? In the store?" He punctuated each question with a kiss, dragging his teeth along what he hoped was a sensitive spot on her neck.