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[h2][color=limegreen]Jake[/color] & [color=tomato]Nina[/color] || Jake's Safe Haven → Nina's Humble Abode[/h2]
[sub][@Mateotis] & [@lovely complex][/sub][/center][hr][hr]
[hider=The rest of the chaotic and fateful Sunday night]
Despite the initial rush, Jake took a couple seconds to think everything through and consider his options before he let go of that bathroom door. His mind, usually like a high-speed highway, more resembled a huge traffic jam in the moment. A huge traffic jam that had an impatient tank rolling over the bunched-up vehicles one by one. Right ahead of him, Nina was still slowly swaying her body, just as drunk and dazed as before. The scientist had no idea what was going through her head and he could not read much from her expression either. She could have been considering lightening on herself further even, which would have been...undesirable for both of them in this state. They could not wait for that—or anything else for that matter—to happen.

In the end, he stuck with the simplest, hopefully most effective solution. He took the woman's hand, shot—[i]stumbled[/i] would perhaps have been a more accurate expression—out of the bathroom and headed back to the centre of the club, pulling her with him. Sticking to the less populated and potentially safer sidelines somehow did not cross his panicked mind and so they brushed and bruised plenty of unsuspecting club-goers who happened to be in the way of their reckless pursuit.

Fortunately for the man who was not exactly bursting with strength, Nina showed no particular interest in staying in the club. Before anyone could have called the bouncers on the suspicious pair, they reached the exit. Jake let out a relieved sigh when he saw that his car was still where he parked it, untouched. He pulled out the ignition key, which fortunately remained in his pocket along with his ID documents and the little money he brought for the night. He opened up the Emu—which was the nickname for the vehicle—and helped Nina get in before taking the wheel himself.
He sat stiffly in the otherwise comfortable car, for he was really not used for carrying another passenger. He shut the doors in case the very drunk lady had another crazy idea, then turned to her:
[color=limegreen]“All right...we've made it this far. Where do you live?”[/color]

Holding her clutch purse tight, her right strap of her thin dress slip falling off her shoulder, Nina leaned her head on the car window. It felt cool… so nice. Her gaze was droopy, her cheeks were the color of rose, and her brown hair wildly fell in front of her, resting over her chest. The woman could hardly register anything her companion was saying: live. Where do you live Nina? Squinting her eyes, trying to concentrate on thinking while fighting sleep, she contemplated her options. [color=tomato][i]America. Delaware. With… No. That’s not it. LUCKY. Yes. With Lucky...near? Near… bakery.[/i][/color] Not realizing all those words were in her head (it wasn’t like they would be beneficial either), she slowly slurred, “[color=tomato]Condo. I live by prytee  trees and my romate has red.[/color]” she gestured to her hair to explain that her roommate was a ginger, “[color=tomato]da big meanie.[/color]” Closing her eyes, she purred in frustration, “[color=tomato]I no wanted to go out. He found girl and I’m alllllll alone.[/color]” She went silent. Maybe that was enough for him? That was the best he was going to get. Her body just wanted to give out. So sleepy. 

Jake squinted his eyes at Nina as he tried his damnedest to take out something that made sense from her words. It was like trying to type letters when the GPS asked for coordinates—it just did not compute. The scientist had to soon realise that he was not going to get a street name, much less a concrete address. He had to make do with the little bits and pieces of information the woman blurted out.
[color=limegreen]“Condo? Yeah, I live in a condo too... I guess...we also have a nice line of trees...”[/color] He felt like he was playing a guessing game, trying to build up a solution like that. However, even in his inebriated state he was well-aware that he was making big leaps to come to the conclusion he was about to. Condominiums and apartment complexes were very popular in Shine City and trees...well trees were just everywhere in general. [color=limegreen]“Roommate...red. Red hair? Yes, your roommate has red hair.”[/color] He was admittedly starting to get in the game spirit. Only a quick glance out the window reminded him that it was around midnight, they were still in front of the club and had no idea where to go. [color=limegreen]“I think I...I think saw someone with...red hair on the lower floor... Hmm... What else?”[/color]
He turned again with a questioning look, but unfortunately got no other useful information, just a little rambling from Nina before she finally ran out of steam and slumped into the passenger seat.

[color=limegreen]“Well alright then.”[/color]
He inserted the ignition key and the Emu shot off into the night.

The roads were silent and so were the two. The scientist even turned off the music so that Nina could rest—or whatever the official term for ‘gazing off into the distance without a word’ was—easier. The lack of traffic also meant that he managed the drunk driving without any accidents aside from having one of the side-view mirrors bent and the back of the car scratched. As his complex finally came into view, he once again turned towards the woman with hopes she was conscious enough to answer coherently.
[color=limegreen]“Do you recognise this place?”[/color]

Nina focused her gaze at the complex trying to remember if this was her home or not. The darkness obscured the building and she couldn’t tell the shade of it from this distance. The bushes didn’t look familiar, or maybe they did? Tapping her finger on her leg, she opened her mouth about to answer but decided to close it and continue to think. There was a long, long, silence. After she nodded as if she were going to say yes, Nina cheered, “[color=tomato]Absolutely not![/color]”

Jake sank onto the wheel with an exhausted sigh upon hearing the overjoyed reply. He lost the guessing game, though to be fair to the scientist, Nina in her current state was quite possibly the most difficult opponent anyone could face. He gazed out on the window once more with a desperate face, as if hoping for solace from the darkness. But this was no fantasy novel and no such help came from the enigmatic matter. It was only up to him to decide how to end this miserable night. He looked back towards Nina. As a scientist, he was no stranger to moral questions—even though he usually chose in favour of progress and technological advancement when given the option. Yet, this was a different case. Yet again, he felt he was growing tired and dizzy himself. Cruising through Shine City to check on every single condo was definitely out of the equation.

He adjusted his glasses and straightened back up.
[color=limegreen]“Well uh... Looks like you'll have to do with this one anyway. I'm so sorry!”[/color]
Getting out of the car, he grabbed her hand and ran up with her all the way to his apartment on the second floor, as if chased by his guilty consciousness. Only the sight of the familiar, if a little messy bedroom could soothe him somewhat.
[color=limegreen]“All right Nina...here we are. You should...get a little rest now. The bed's...not really big, but it should be good enough for you. Right?”[/color]

How did she get here? Nina didn’t realize that she already left the car and was now in a warm, cozy home. Her eyes were heavy and her body was just about ready to give out. Her ice blue orbs rested on her new friend’s face. Everything around them she could hardly make out. Did he say something to her? Leaning in, she rested her head on his shoulder before softly saying, “[color=tomato]Thank you.[/color]” Her tone wasn’t as bright as it was in the car. Now that she was away from the outside world, her defenses were breaking. Standing up straight, she gave Jake a weak and lonely smile before laying on his fairly small bed (it was a twin’s side). Resting her head on his cloud-like pillow, she pouted, “[color=tomato]I’m sorry.[/color]’ 


The sight of an empty and very comfortable bed was the last thing needed for the drained Nina as she pretty much fell into its inviting hands right after the two stepped inside the room. Jake did not have neither the presence of mind nor the heart to stop her and just seconds later she was all but asleep. Silence befell the small bedroom, silence that the scientist did not have the chance to experience for hours. It was...a bit eerie too, after everything that happened.
He looked over to his workbench, for the first time actually after the little accident that started the whole chain of events that eventually led to his humble home getting one person richer. The tools and device pieces were about as disorganised as he imagined, lying all over the place. He knew he should have put them back in order before doing anything else. He knew he would come to curse his unwillingness tomorrow. Yet, somehow none of these convinced him. The only important question on his mind currently was where he was going to rest and how—

He was snapped out of his thinking by Nina's slowly spoken words. An...apology?
[color=limegreen]“Wait... What's wrong?”[/color]
He sat down at the edge of the bed, listening intently, knowing he could not let this go without attention even if it was just drunk babbling.

Slipping herself in the comforter’s, still with her delicate dress slip on, she sunk in and hid half her face away from him. Ashamed that she felt so needy right now. There was a creeping fear and desire within her. Every night she slept on a Queen sized bed, by herself. The only thing that could ease her was her book by her bedside. Was it wrong for her to feel this lonely? Why did alcohol bring out the worst kind of feelings? This is why she didn’t drink often. Drinking showed how ugly she can be and this man, who hardly knew her, bore witness to these sides that took her ex more than just a night to find out. Without anymore hesitation, Nina bashfully asked, “[color=tomato]J-Jake… can wu sleep wit me?[/color]”

Jake could not answer her request right away. It came...so suddenly and out of the blue. Even his inebriated mind was capable of thinking up a couple different potential reasons for the apology—ranging from a belated sorry for the crash at the club to an excuse for having him bring her here—but as usual, the reality surpassed his guessing capabilities.
[color=limegreen]“If that...if that would make you feel better...”[/color]
He really had no idea how to reply. Denying the rather strange invitation did not sit right with him...and there was no other option, really. Plus, as he gave it another thought, he could actually sleep in his own bed too and not try the impossible task of having a fulfilling rest in his workbench chair, on the floor or whatever else he could come up with.

He took one last, dizzy look at the digital clock. Incapable of many other emotions in his current state, he noted the time indifferently and lay down right next to Nina. The twin bed was just enough, granted, neither of them were walking skyscrapers. He made sure she had adequate space—even if it meant leaving a little less than half for himself—and pulled the blanket on both of them.

[color=limegreen][i]‘What a night.’[/i][/color]
[/hider]

[b]Jake’s House,
Morning After. (10:00)[/b] 

The morning light gleamed in from the open curtained window of Jake Sharner’s bedroom. The walls were a pale, dull white, the ground was covered with ceramic tile, and the only furniture visible to the naked eye were his workplace adjacent to his closet door and his twin-sized bed. Nina’s long, brown hair curled at the ends and some of her strands were wild and untamed, her head rested in the crook of Jake’s right shoulder, while she held him like a girlfriend would. Before she opened her eyes, she took in the smell of her surroundings. Alcohol. Sweat. And a subtle pinch of metal. Odd. Why did her place smell like any of this? Where was the smell of fruit and pine? Wherever she was didn’t smell nearly as clean as her apartment. Maybe Lucky did something out of the ordinary again, which was his ordinary. No use in overthinking. 

Opening her eyes gradually, Nina found herself resting on a… smaller man than her roommate. W-what? It’s not like her and Lucky have ever slept together but who- who was this man? Shooting up, her hair beautifully dangling to her sides, the light from the window giving her skin a softer undertone, the teacher looked around at her surroundings. [color=tomato][i]Oh my…[/i][/color] To say darling Nina was having an internal breakdown was an understatement. Why couldn’t she remember a thing from last night? Unintentionally, she growled out loud, “[color=tomato]I’m going to kill him.[/color]” By him, she meant Lucky. Covering her mouth, hoping to the gods she didn’t wake this stranger up, Nina tried to slip out of the bed without ruining this green haired man’s slumber. 

Tiptoeing, ever so quietly, EVER SO QUIETLY, the petite brunette walked past his workplace only to step on a screw. In response, she covered her mouth and hopped in silence, desperately holding in her pain. After a moment of death, she scurried her way to what she assumed was the bathroom, avoiding any other tiny daggers on the ground and placed her hands on his sink. Only for her blue eyes to widen at the sight of how she looked. What the hell did she do last night!? Set the alarms! All is lost and Nina may have slept with a complete stranger. Quickly turning on the water, she washed her face so that she could comprehend her morning. Grabbing a towel, the young poetry teacher dabbed her face dry before confronting her problem. The mature thing to do was to express her concerns, right? Right! 

The bright sunlight was to Jake's half-opened eyelids as a whole can of water was to a small plant—far more than essential and entering the harmful territory. He closed them at once and turned to the other side, before turning right back with a sudden and shocking realisation. The sun should not be this bright. The early morning sun should be a gentle, inviting caress and not a slam to the face. That could mean one of two things: either the sun decided to surprise the scientist or it was not quite early morning.
Instinctively, he reached for his glasses on the nightstand, almost falling off the bed in the process—he lay closer to the edge than usually—and sluggishly sat up to look at the clock.

[b][i]10:07[/i][/b]

The scientist jumped out—or rather, [i]would[/i] have jumped if his unusually numb limbs were cooperative. Instead however, he actually fell off his bed this time.
[color=limegreen]“Oof...!”[/color] he yelped, more from the shock than the pain. He reached over the bed with one hand, trying to pick himself back up. Stretching his head above the bed as well, he looked over, glasses maladjusted and hair messy, only to suddenly have a Nina pop into in his sight.

Clearing her throat,  with her soft, silvery voice, Nina apologized, “[color=tomato]Um… excuse me? I’m sorry about waking you up…[/color]” 

[color=limegreen]“Wha—?”[/color]
That was all he could utter before the woman, clearly wide awake and sober now, rushed back to the bathroom.


Her mind continued to realize how revealing she was, so she ran back into the bathroom to use the door as a shield, but poked her head to look at him, “[color=tomato]H-hi. Um.[/color]” What the hell should she say in a situation like this?! 

“[color=tomato]What… no, did we do anything?[/color]” she whispered. Her face beamed red from embarrassment and shame. 

He finally managed to sit back on the bed and readjust his glasses.
[color=limegreen]“It could have been more...”[/color] He scratched his head, oblivious to just how bad he sounded with that. [color=limegreen]“I mean... No. I brought you here and—I mean, you could not tell me—then you wanted me to sleep with y—I mean, not like that!”[/color] He leaned back and forth on the edge of the bed, not even daring to look into Nina's eyes. He realised that she did not remember anything and he was going to come off horribly wrong whichever way he phrased the events of last night. [color=limegreen]“You...want to go home now, don't you?”[/color]

Innocently nodding, Nina frowned to her new acquaintance, “[color=tomato]Last night… I’m sorry you had to deal with me. I- I don’t get out much. I haven’t even been here… in this town for too long. I’m so-so-sorry.[/color]” Gazing down at her outfit, Nina politely asked, “[color=tomato]Do you know where my clothes are? And… you didn’t happen to see my roommate and um… nevermind. Probably not.[/color]” Her tone was nothing like the playful minx from the previous night. Everything about this Nina was modest, elegant, and ashamed of her late night actions as if this was the worst sin she’s ever committed. 

[color=limegreen]“I think it'd be best if we just...forgot that. Or well…[i]I[/i] just forgot that.”[/color]
He finally stood up and took a moment to stretch out his numbed arms and legs. He then went to pick up the clothes he left on the backrest of his workbench chair. He carried these with him all the way from the club so that Nina did not lose anything. Though, considering their current states, they were seldom fit for wearing.
"These were the ones you...took off at the club. I thought that you'd miss them if they were just...left there," he admitted. He was also only now realising the lengths he went for an almost total stranger. He just hoped she would not find it creepy—even if she had every reason to after his absolutely botched explanation. [color=limegreen]“You probably don't want to wear these...but I don't think I have much else for you...”[/color]

Her cheeks turned ghastly pale, “[color=tomato]I did what?![/color]” Reaching for the clothes, she gently tugged them to her and she examined the damage, “[color=tomato]There’s no use in keeping these. Look at that rip.[/color]” she shook her head in disappointment in herself. To most women, they would find this situation to be dangerous and weird but to the naive teacher, she didn’t find any harm in his actions of bring her to safety. Her stare became deadly serious as she locked eyes with the scientist, “[color=tomato]Can I borrow your clothes? I’ll wash it and return it today, I promise![/color]” 

[color=limegreen]“Well you can't go out like this... If you can find something fitting, take it. Don't even need to return them! I have plenty, believe me.”[/color] He did not, but he [i]could[/i] have. He had the money, but not the time nor the motivation to go clothes shopping. Unless he had to, of course... [color=limegreen]“I'll...get ready for myself as well.”[/color]

He left Nina behind to pick her own clothes from his wardrobe, something that could have taken a very long time as Jake had heard, while he himself went to the bathroom for a quick refresher. He hoped the cold tap water would chill not only his face, but his thoughts as well. He evaluated what happened so far—he still had many questions from the lady who seemed much more confused than he was, which was why he was unsure if he would actually receive any answers. As it is said though: [i]‘hope dies last’[/i].

Once Nina found plain and comfortable attire (polo + khakis), she looked around his home for a pencil. She didn’t want to borrow anything that was precious to him. Luckily it seemed that he had many, so with a swift hand movement, the teacher wrapped and weaved her long hair around the pencil until it was up in a messy [url=https://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2014/08/10-put-your-hair-up-with-a-pencil.jpg]bun[/url]. When she had finished in less time than most individuals take to get ready, Nina gathered her things and waited for the gentleman on his couch. Even though she was quiet, she took these moments alone to observe his place and calm her nerves.

After fixing his hair with a little water and making sure his clothes were not [i]too[/i] dirty or otherwise unfit—the smell was bearable—, Jake went back to the bedroom. Much to his surprise, Nina was already done and waiting. She wore a pair of his numerous green and similar coloured articles, in fact she even somewhat resembled him like this. He could not help but smile, for the first time in this stressful morning.
[color=limegreen]“I don't have a very varied wardrobe, but... Green looks good on you!”[/color] He gave a small compliment, trying to ease the atmosphere a little without falling on the other side of the spectrum. [color=limegreen]“If you're ready, we can leave at once!”[/color]

And leave was what what they did indeed. Jake showed Nina the Emu, the unsung hero of the chaotic story.
[color=limegreen]“Hopefully this time I won't have to take guesses.”[/color] He chuckled as they got in. [color=limegreen]“Where to?”[/color]
The little city car buzzed up happily as the two hit the road. It was Monday morning in Shine City, though it did not differ much from Monday mornings elsewhere: namely, there was traffic. Lots of traffic. Fortunately, the scientist was also free from any handicaps this time and drove carefully enough.

[color=limegreen]“So...”[/color] He broke the silence as they were sitting in front of a red light. [color=limegreen]“If I may ask...how did it all begin?”[/color]

[sub]Note: Their car conversation will be revealed in Nina and Jake’s next individual posts.[/sub]

[hr]

Finally home, wearing a green polo and khaki pants that fit on her form surprisingly nicely, Nina widely yawned while she entered her humble abode. She hadn’t taken a shower at Jake’s because she didn’t want to impose, plus she didn’t feel comfortable showering at a stranger’s home - even if she slept with him on the same bed. Throwing her clutch purse on a long wooden table within her main [url=http://www.idesignarch.com/wp-content/uploads/Alvhem-Apartment-Interior-Design_3.jpg]living area[/url], she looked around to see if there were any signs of Lucky and his date. Peering into her former office, now Lucky’s [url=http://promovebangkok.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Guest-bedroom.jpg]bedroom[/url], Nina didn’t see any sign the flamed haired idiot. Shrugging and assuming he was fine, knowing Lucky enough for her to trust he could handle whatever situation he got himself in, Nina opened the two, cream-colored double doors to her bedroom before freezing in place when she saw Lucky holding Tsubasa close to her, spooning her. His face nestled in her brown locks, he was shirtless, and they both were under her [url=http://www.undolock.com/17/incredible-capable-what-color-to-paint-bedroom-design-ideas-image-lovely-colored-bedroom-840x630.jpg]white quilts and flowery comforter[/url]. Too tired to deal with him right now, she entered the room silently grabbed a change of clothes (for work) and closed the door behind her. She needed to get ready for her day and make breakfast!