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Lela was sitting in the children's area at the library, a stack of fifth to eighth grade level books in front of her, along with a frappuccino leaving a ring of condensation on the short, pebbled table. Her legs folded under the small red chair, Lela had originally come to the library to start working on a reading list for this year, as evidenced by the books she had pulled out, but she had quickly become distracted by Frindle, which she was now halfway through. For the twentieth time. But, hey, it was a fun book.
She'd eventually get around to skimming the books she had pulled. It's not like Lela had anything else planned for the day.
She'd eventually get around to skimming the books she had pulled. It's not like Lela had anything else planned for the day.
Visiting Pankaj [RP with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
notapopsinger]
Jul. 5th, 2009 08:01 pm
Lela frowned, tilting her hat back and looking around the site. She had made an appointment -- that's what it was, just an appointment -- with Pankaj, so she could see his latest work but really just so she could get outside, she had a few errands in the area, so. Well, that's all it was. But where was he? She fingered her phone, biting her lip and looking around. Where was he... She hoped some of his employees weren't going to -- speak to her. Or. You know. :/
Drinks > Fathers (RP with notapopsinger
Jun. 24th, 2009 09:07 pmLela winced as her fingers caught in a snarl of hair as she rushed around her apartment. She had lost track of time at her school, then dinner had taken too long to cook, and -- well. Lela had even promised herself not to dress up for Pankaj, but -- as the clock neared five-thirty, it seemed harder and harder to stay true to that.
Heels and some lipstick, and putting her hair back -- that wasn't dressing up, anyway. She was still wearing jeans, and okay, she had changed her shirt into a slightly nicer one, but that was because the other had been dusty from work. And it -- well -- She grimaced at her expression. He was engaged, what the hell. Why had she asked him out for drinks, honestly? What was she thinking? Lela did the straps on her shoes. Why didn't she just suggest they go out like normal? This was ridiculous.
Heels and some lipstick, and putting her hair back -- that wasn't dressing up, anyway. She was still wearing jeans, and okay, she had changed her shirt into a slightly nicer one, but that was because the other had been dusty from work. And it -- well -- She grimaced at her expression. He was engaged, what the hell. Why had she asked him out for drinks, honestly? What was she thinking? Lela did the straps on her shoes. Why didn't she just suggest they go out like normal? This was ridiculous.
1. When he reached over to tuck some hair behind her ear, on her birthday, Lela's breath had caught and it had suddenly seemed so easy to just lean over and press her lips to his. Just ten minutes later, he asked her out to dinner, on a proper date. Lela was brave, but not brave enough to kiss Pankaj or say yes.
2. Last year, he had insisted on attending her school's field day. Since the only reason the field day was even happening was because the dean had taken the day off, it was at least relatively safe for Pankaj to go on school grounds. Lela had, of course, taken part in a few of the activities, hopping along like a madwoman in the potato sack race, although she lost rather spectacularly to a fifth grader who, she swore, was on steroids. On one level, Lela hated that Pankaj was there to see her act like this, but -- it could have been worse. It could have been Mackenzie.
When Pankaj ran onto the basketball court and scooped up a smaller boy trying to make a basket, placing the kindergartner square on his shoulders, Lela couldn't do anything but smile. The man didn't even glance at Lela once, so involved was he in the game, shouting and hollering with the best of them when the other team won. But, in the end, everyone got fudgesicles so Pankaj looked happy.
He found Lela again some time later, when she had been stationed at the first aid stand, smoothing a bandage over the skinned knee of one of her own students. When Pankaj presented her with a fudgesicle of her very own, only slightly drippy, Lela couldn't help but grin back when faced with his brilliant smile. Luckily, one of her colleagues called for her right then and she turned away, distracted from leaning in.
3. Shadowgirl glared at the prone form of Sunflower, pacing back and forth on the small rooftop as she waited for him to wake up. It was taking too long. She hadn't swathed him with shadow for that long, and if it turned out the Indian man was unconscious not only because of her method of retrieving him from the police station but also because the idiot policemen had possessed the gall to --
Good, he was waking up. And right when Shadowgirl had been about to kick him not so gently in the ribs, too.
Sunflower groaned, pushing himself up on his hands and looking around wearily. "What -- what happened?"
"I rescued your sorry ass, Sunflower," Shadowgirl snapped, her own hands firmly on her slim hips, not available to help him get up.
"Oh. Thanks," he said blearily, although he managed to flash a bright smile up at her.
Narrowing her eyes behind the opaque mask, Shadowgirl stepped forward and grabbed his arm, helping to lift Sunflower up and pushing him rather gently, all things considered, toward a small jutting of wall, where he could stand and rest. "How did you get captured, anyway? You were this close to getting your identity revealed, Sunflower," she snarled, looking up at him, all too aware of the height difference between the two of them.
Closing his eyes, resting all his weight on the bricks behind him, Sunflower shrugged one shoulder weakly. "I was knocked off the bus, and I must have gone unconscious, Lela. Thank you for saving me."
"It's Shadowgirl," she hissed. "You'd think after five years, you would learn something as simple as that."
Sunflower smile dweakly, still not opening his eyes. "Simple things are hard to internalize, I suppose," he admitted.
"Open your eyes, let me check for a concussion." When he didn't do it, Shadowgirl poked Sunflower hard in the arm. "Come on. Open your eyes, asshole. We're already late meeting up with the others, and I don't want you to --"
"Don't want me to what?" Sunflower asked quietly, finally opening his eyes and looking back down at her.
Luckily, her own expression was mostly hidden by the new mask she was wearing. "Faint. Don't get caught, Pankaj. I --" Lela would forever be grateful that Pankaj hadn't said anything, then, although his expression had softened to an almost ridiculous degree. Despite the fact that her eyes were hidden, she couldn't look away for a long moment.
"Fine, it doesn't look like you have a concussion," Lela belatedly said, trying to sound sure. "Let's go meet the others."
4. They had just ran into each other in the coffee shop. Pankaj chatted ceaselessly at Lela as they waited for their respective drinks, his own gaze glued on the redhead while she looked anywhere but at the man. When he held the door open for her, his other hand ghosting at the small of her back, and when Lela half-turned to nod her goodbye, she had to fight the almost instinct to go on her tip-toes to give him a goodbye kiss.
5. It wasn't often that Pankaj was the one needing comfort. But when Krishna had been hit by an idiotic bicyclist, Lela had taken charge at the veterinarian's office, letting Pankaj sit quietly in one of the plastic chairs. She made sure the asshole on the Biria covered all the bills, ensured through just a small amount of threatening that Krishna was put at the top of the priority list, and, most importantly, was careful to keep all discussion quiet, so Pankaj couldn't overhear. When she brought a small cup of water over to the man, he looked so grateful, her chest hurt.
Lela sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair for six hours. Three hundred and sixty eight times, she had to stop herself from taking Pankaj's hand. One hundred and twenty nine times, she had to stop herself from resting a hand on his bowed neck. Fifty seven times, she had to stop herself from kissing him to distract him from his worry.
And once, she did.
It was more than once, really, but although she had been completely sober the night before, the whole time was a blur of laughter and blood, clothes and kissing. But that morning, as Lela stretched awake and her hand lightly collided with his warm chest, without thinking she curled up closer to him, kissing a sleepy line up along Pankaj's neck. She twined fingers into his hair and tried to go back to sleep even as the knowledge of the day started to intrude, the knowledge that she had work and was probably already late, the knowledge that she was going to be ridiculously sore, the very, very real knowledge that she could never look Sunflower in the eye again.
But for now, before her brother called and left a nasty message on her machine for the both of them to hear, before she hurried around, grabbing ridiculously conservative teacherly clothes while trying to avoid explaining anything private to the man, before they stood awkwardly silent and separate in the elevator -- for now, she could sigh as Pankaj trailed fingers lightly down her bare spine, kissing her mussed hair lovingly.
2. Last year, he had insisted on attending her school's field day. Since the only reason the field day was even happening was because the dean had taken the day off, it was at least relatively safe for Pankaj to go on school grounds. Lela had, of course, taken part in a few of the activities, hopping along like a madwoman in the potato sack race, although she lost rather spectacularly to a fifth grader who, she swore, was on steroids. On one level, Lela hated that Pankaj was there to see her act like this, but -- it could have been worse. It could have been Mackenzie.
When Pankaj ran onto the basketball court and scooped up a smaller boy trying to make a basket, placing the kindergartner square on his shoulders, Lela couldn't do anything but smile. The man didn't even glance at Lela once, so involved was he in the game, shouting and hollering with the best of them when the other team won. But, in the end, everyone got fudgesicles so Pankaj looked happy.
He found Lela again some time later, when she had been stationed at the first aid stand, smoothing a bandage over the skinned knee of one of her own students. When Pankaj presented her with a fudgesicle of her very own, only slightly drippy, Lela couldn't help but grin back when faced with his brilliant smile. Luckily, one of her colleagues called for her right then and she turned away, distracted from leaning in.
3. Shadowgirl glared at the prone form of Sunflower, pacing back and forth on the small rooftop as she waited for him to wake up. It was taking too long. She hadn't swathed him with shadow for that long, and if it turned out the Indian man was unconscious not only because of her method of retrieving him from the police station but also because the idiot policemen had possessed the gall to --
Good, he was waking up. And right when Shadowgirl had been about to kick him not so gently in the ribs, too.
Sunflower groaned, pushing himself up on his hands and looking around wearily. "What -- what happened?"
"I rescued your sorry ass, Sunflower," Shadowgirl snapped, her own hands firmly on her slim hips, not available to help him get up.
"Oh. Thanks," he said blearily, although he managed to flash a bright smile up at her.
Narrowing her eyes behind the opaque mask, Shadowgirl stepped forward and grabbed his arm, helping to lift Sunflower up and pushing him rather gently, all things considered, toward a small jutting of wall, where he could stand and rest. "How did you get captured, anyway? You were this close to getting your identity revealed, Sunflower," she snarled, looking up at him, all too aware of the height difference between the two of them.
Closing his eyes, resting all his weight on the bricks behind him, Sunflower shrugged one shoulder weakly. "I was knocked off the bus, and I must have gone unconscious, Lela. Thank you for saving me."
"It's Shadowgirl," she hissed. "You'd think after five years, you would learn something as simple as that."
Sunflower smile dweakly, still not opening his eyes. "Simple things are hard to internalize, I suppose," he admitted.
"Open your eyes, let me check for a concussion." When he didn't do it, Shadowgirl poked Sunflower hard in the arm. "Come on. Open your eyes, asshole. We're already late meeting up with the others, and I don't want you to --"
"Don't want me to what?" Sunflower asked quietly, finally opening his eyes and looking back down at her.
Luckily, her own expression was mostly hidden by the new mask she was wearing. "Faint. Don't get caught, Pankaj. I --" Lela would forever be grateful that Pankaj hadn't said anything, then, although his expression had softened to an almost ridiculous degree. Despite the fact that her eyes were hidden, she couldn't look away for a long moment.
"Fine, it doesn't look like you have a concussion," Lela belatedly said, trying to sound sure. "Let's go meet the others."
4. They had just ran into each other in the coffee shop. Pankaj chatted ceaselessly at Lela as they waited for their respective drinks, his own gaze glued on the redhead while she looked anywhere but at the man. When he held the door open for her, his other hand ghosting at the small of her back, and when Lela half-turned to nod her goodbye, she had to fight the almost instinct to go on her tip-toes to give him a goodbye kiss.
5. It wasn't often that Pankaj was the one needing comfort. But when Krishna had been hit by an idiotic bicyclist, Lela had taken charge at the veterinarian's office, letting Pankaj sit quietly in one of the plastic chairs. She made sure the asshole on the Biria covered all the bills, ensured through just a small amount of threatening that Krishna was put at the top of the priority list, and, most importantly, was careful to keep all discussion quiet, so Pankaj couldn't overhear. When she brought a small cup of water over to the man, he looked so grateful, her chest hurt.
Lela sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair for six hours. Three hundred and sixty eight times, she had to stop herself from taking Pankaj's hand. One hundred and twenty nine times, she had to stop herself from resting a hand on his bowed neck. Fifty seven times, she had to stop herself from kissing him to distract him from his worry.
And once, she did.
It was more than once, really, but although she had been completely sober the night before, the whole time was a blur of laughter and blood, clothes and kissing. But that morning, as Lela stretched awake and her hand lightly collided with his warm chest, without thinking she curled up closer to him, kissing a sleepy line up along Pankaj's neck. She twined fingers into his hair and tried to go back to sleep even as the knowledge of the day started to intrude, the knowledge that she had work and was probably already late, the knowledge that she was going to be ridiculously sore, the very, very real knowledge that she could never look Sunflower in the eye again.
But for now, before her brother called and left a nasty message on her machine for the both of them to hear, before she hurried around, grabbing ridiculously conservative teacherly clothes while trying to avoid explaining anything private to the man, before they stood awkwardly silent and separate in the elevator -- for now, she could sigh as Pankaj trailed fingers lightly down her bare spine, kissing her mussed hair lovingly.
(no subject)
Jun. 5th, 2009 06:14 pmThat night, Pankaj came over. Lela had made a lasagna on Thursday and hadn't anticipated it being so large, so she entreated his help in finishing it, since her freezer couldn't fit it.
No, she didn't dress up for him. That was just -- that's what she wore to work, okay?
--
Only -- I don't dress up often.
That was the only reason.
No, she didn't dress up for him. That was just -- that's what she wore to work, okay?
--
Only -- I don't dress up often.
