Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow flinched at the anger in Penelope’s voice when she spat at Rikki. He wanted to sneak a glance at her face to see if she her hurt was directed at him as well, but he couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze. Instead, he looked off to the side, unsure what to say since Rikki’s accusation hadn’t been a lie this time. He felt a harsh tangle of frustration with the thief for bringing up his stupid mistake and guilt in himself for letting the knight down. If only he had been more careful back then, Rikki wouldn’t have anything to hold over his head now.

Suddenly, his eyes widened slightly as he felt Penelope pull away from him and fall behind. He finally turned to look at her and felt a knife run through his heart as he caught sight of her pained expression. I caused that, he thought with a grimace, letting his arm fall to his side as she backed away. He wanted to go after her, but what could he even say? She had trusted him, and he had hurt her. Even if it had been an accident, kissing Rikki had been a careless thing of him to do.

At his side, Rikki looked just as pleased as ever. “Touchy,” she whistled as she watched Penelope fall behind before turning to him with a grin. “Well, it’s going to be hard to come back from that, huh?”

Crow shot her a glare, disliking how smoothly her plan was wrenching him away from the knight. “Why did you have to bring that up?” he snarled. “That was my information to share, not yours.”

“Then why didn’t you?” she shrugged apathetically. “If you hadn’t kept it secret from her, she wouldn’t be as upset as she is now.”

“I didn’t want her to know,” he growled, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. “Besides, it’s not like I did it on purpose. It was an accident. I would never break her trust like that intentionally.”

“That’s not what she thinks,” Rikki crooned with a smirk.

“And whose fault is that?” Crow narrowed his eyes at her. She just shrugged again in response and he groaned, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. “That’s it,” he said after a moment, meeting her gaze with newfound sternness. “I’m done playing your games. You’re going to stay away from her and stop trying to get between us, understand? I’m with her, and that’s not going to change, so you’re just going to have to accept that whether you like it or not.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Rikki’s amused expression faded into a frown. “Just look at her.” She tilted her head back at the knight in indication. “This all happened because you kept one little secret. Can’t you see? You’ve lied about much worse things than a simple kiss. It’s just part of who you are. Alistair and I can handle that because we’re the same way, but someone like her will never understand.” She reached out to rest a hand on his arm. “It’s never going to work out. You should be with someone who gets you, who won’t have unrealistic expectations of honesty and righteousness.”

“You mean someone like you?”

“Exactly,” Rikki’s smile returned. “It only makes sense. I would never try to change who you are, because we’re the same.”

“What if I don’t want to stay the same?” Crow said suddenly, making the other thief blink in surprise. He peeked back over his shoulder at Penelope and frowned wistfully. “I like who I am when I’m with her,” he went on quietly. “She makes me a better man. I mean, I’m still a criminal and I always will be, but from her, I’ve learned the value of loyalty and respect… I love her.” His smile returned faintly for a moment before it vanished again. “That’s why I can’t stand to hurt her like this.”

He turned back to Rikki with an icy glare, and she shrank beneath his gaze. “Stay away from me,” he said in a dangerously soft tone. “Until you stop trying to get between us, I want nothing more to do with you.” With that, he slowed his pace to leave the thief behind and fall back beside Penelope. When he reached her, he hesitated, still unsure how to approach her. He wished he could tell her that Rikki had been lying, but that in itself would have been a lie. He was going to have to be upfront with her.

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured, breaking the silence. “I remember the kiss she was talking about. It wasn’t as recent as she made it seem, but… it was when we were together.” He shook his head shamefully as he admitted his betrayal to the knight. “I know you have no reason to believe this, but I just wanted to tell you that it was an accident. It happened the morning after you left from spending the night in our camp. Rikki had been sleeping next to me, and when I woke up, I mistook her for you, and, well…” he trailed off, biting his lip uncomfortably. “I swear; I never would have done it on purpose. I was half asleep and not thinking clearly.”

He finally turned to meet her gaze with guilt-ridden green eyes, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just hoped it would never come up… I shouldn’t have kept it from you.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Rikki pulled her trap card ^^;

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow casted Rikki an estranged look as she struck up a conversation with Penelope. Just like before, he found it difficult to tell what exactly the other thief was trying to do, but he did know that he didn’t trust her. She had proven to be too manipulative for that. Whether she was trying to get some sort of information out of the knight or if she was simply trying to stay between them by preventing them from having any time alone, her motives couldn’t have been pure.

As Rikki began questioning Penelope about Gavin, he tensed slightly and glanced at the knight, hoping she wouldn’t mention anything about the fact that the man was her former suitor. He wanted to keep the other thief in the dark about that knowledge for as long as possible, since he didn’t know what she would do if she learned the truth. After her last attempt to separate him from Penelope, he felt quite certain that she would just find some way to use Gavin against them.

Fortunately, Penelope seemed quick to realize that it was risky information to share as well. Crow relaxed as she referred to the other knight as her friend and snuck another subtle glance at Rikki to see if she would buy it.

“A friend, huh?” Rikki mused, studying Penelope’s face in a way that set Crow on edge. Having lived with her for over a year, he had learned that she was incredibly sharp and not easily tricked. He held his breath. While Penelope hadn’t been lying in her statement that Gavin was her friend—she had made it clear, much to Crow’s annoyance, that she wanted to continue to be close to him even though they were no longer courting—it wasn’t the complete truth. He just hoped it would be enough to satisfy Rikki’s curiosity.

After a moment, the female thief’s analytical eyes drifted back to Gavin’s back. “He’s quite the handsome fellow,” she commented, turning back to the other woman with a devilish smirk. “You know… we should find some time later to get to know each other better. I’d love to hear more about your ‘friendship’ with that man.” She leaned a little closer to the knight and lowered her voice. “You absolutely must tell me how he is in bed.”

Crow faltered at that. He shot Rikki an annoyed look, “Gods, you just assume the whole kingdom is sleeping around, don’t you?” He shook his head. “Men and women can be friends without being physical with each other.” He emphasized the word in the hopes that she would realize he was including their own relationship in that statement.

Rikki looked up at him with amusement in her dark eyes. “Really?” she purred. “Because you certainly haven’t kept your hands off me, and we’re ‘just friends.’” She laughed. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t buy it. Whenever you put two attractive people in a room together, someone’s bound to make a move on the other.”

“That’s not true, and you know it,” Crow rolled his eyes and slid his arm around Penelope’s waist, casting her a fond smile. “I haven’t touched you since we got together.”

“Oh really?” Rikki grinned at him mischievously. “Are you sure you want to hold fast to that claim?”

Crow narrowed his eyes at her warily, “What are you talking about?”

She shrugged, examining her nails as if their conversation was uninteresting, “I happen to recall a certain kiss that happened between us not that long ago… and I’m fairly sure you two were already together at the time.”

Crow flushed scarlet as he suddenly remembered the incident Rikki was talking about. He had nearly forgotten about the morning when he had mistaken the thief for Penelope and met her lips in a thoughtless kiss—one that he still regretted and had hoped the knight would never find out about.

She grinned at his reaction, “Face it, Crow. It’s just human nature for men and women to be drawn together like that.” She turned to Penelope with a victorious gleam in her eyes. “Isn’t that right?”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Rikki is sticking really close to Crow and Penelope

Thanks! It's nice to have people back xD
That's the one thing I don't like about living in a college town: Everyone's always gone in the winter and summer. It's super draining since I'm an extrovert and need human interaction all the time ^^;

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

It didn’t take long for Crow to finish his food as usual. Once he was done eating, he shifted slightly to lean more comfortably against Penelope’s side and closed his eyes peacefully. He hoped that Gavin would let them all stay in the clearing for a while longer, both because it would mean he could continue to be next to her and because it would mean they would get into Wheldrake later. The village was already just far enough away that it would take them until the night to arrive, but the later the night went on, the easier it would be for him to convince the others to wait until the morrow for their interrogation of the villagers.

He sighed, feeling the twinge of guilt that always seemed to appear whenever he worked on his plans to double cross his companions. Since their lead had actually taken them all close to Jaxon’s hideout, he needed to find a way to get a step ahead of them before the questioning began. The best way that he had come up with so far was to delay them so they would reach Wheldrake closer to the middle of the night. That way, there would be no one sober enough to take seriously during the interrogation. If he could manage that, he was sure it wouldn’t be too difficult to find a way to sneak off during the night and make his own arrangements in the village. He grimaced, loathing his own conniving nature in that moment as he was forced to use it on the people he cared about.

Unfortunately, Gavin didn’t wait as long as Crow had hoped he would to announce that they were to keep moving. He eyed the knight contemplatively, wondering if there was any way that he could force them to wait a while longer without being too obvious about it. To his disappointment, he couldn’t think of anything. The knight distrusted him too much to listen to a word he said. If he tried anything, he was certain that Gavin would be quick to shut it down and accuse him of delaying them again.

And this time he would be right, he thought dismally, barely registering Penelope’s kiss on his cheek as he moved to stand up. He would just have to think of another way to slow down their procession later on.

Once everyone was ready to go, Gavin took the lead again to guide them all to Wheldrake. Crow fell behind, not wanting to be near to the other man after he had caught the strange look in his eye earlier. If there was even a chance that Gavin might pick up on his altered allegiances, he wanted to keep as much distance between them as possible.

As he walked, the thief laced his fingers with Penelope’s, once again taking comfort in her warmth and touch. As terrible as it felt to turn traitor to the others, he had to remind himself who he was doing it for. This is all to keep her safe, he thought with some resolve.

“Hey, maybe while we’re in Wheldrake, we can find time to sell off that medicine we took,” Rikki’s unexpected voice made him jump slightly in surprise. She had trotted up to his side while he had been distracted. “You know, since you didn’t actually do it on your own,” she added with a playful nudge.

“I did sell some of it,” Crow rolled his eyes and then met her gaze with a suspicious frown. He didn’t like how much she was lingering by his side during this trip. The female thief’s presence obviously made Penelope uncomfortable, and he didn’t want her to feel that way. “Why don’t you spend some time with Alistair?” he suggested. “You haven’t really talked to him all day.”

Rikki snorted, “He wouldn’t even hear me if I tried. He’s so smitten with that other knight that I think he forgot we exist.” She glanced over her shoulder at Alistair and Olivia, who were caught up in their own conversation once again, before turning back to him with a shrug. “You’re the only other person here I don’t mind talking to.” She paused before casting a smirk at Penelope. “And you too, of course.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

No prob! I might not be able to reply until late. My friends all just got back into town, so we’re hanging out tonight ^^

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow wasn't okay with it either xD
He's slowly losing his patience with Rikki

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Penelope’s tension didn’t slip past Crow. As he felt her stiffen against his side, he casted her a quick glance, frowning when he saw her studying Rikki with an unusual look in her eyes. The bitter edge to her voice confirmed his suspicion that Rikki’s actions were making her uncomfortable. He didn’t blame her. If Gavin had sauntered up like that to rub her shoulders, he would have been just as frustrated, if not more so. He needed to put an end to it before Rikki got it in her head that she had won somehow.

He turned back to the female thief, brushing her hands away. “I’m fine,” he said with a hint of warning in his tone. Narrowing his eyes at her slightly, he found it difficult to keep from tell her off right then and there. However, for the sake of not causing a scene, he managed to speak to her more civilly. “Don’t forget what I told you before,” he said curtly, in reference to their conversation the last time she had put her hands on him. “Nothing has changed.”

Rikki held his gaze for a moment before letting out a long exhale. She leaned down to whisper in his ear, “I still think you’re overreacting. Since when has a little favor ever killed anyone?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know what you’re doing,” he growled at her before going on more audibly and waving a dismissive hand: “Go and eat your lunch while you still have time left to do so.”

“Whatever you say,” she shrugged carelessly and ambled off, pointedly swinging her hips a bit more than she normally did as she made her way to a shady spot beneath a tree across from them.

Crow rolled his eyes and shifted a little closer to Penelope, wrapping one arm around her waist in a mildly possessive manner. “She just doesn’t know when to quit,” he muttered with a faint shake of his head, hoping his words would help to ease the discomfort he had seen in her eyes. Pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, he dug in his bag with his free hand to retrieve the lunch of dark bread that he had packed for himself the day before and lifted the loaf to his mouth to take a bite.

As he ate, he took a moment to glance over at Alistair and Olivia. Amongst the group, those two seemed to be the most relaxed. The knight had her back to a tree while the thief laid in the grass with his head on her lap, staring up at her with a wide grin as she fed him bits of her lunch. They looked like they were wrapped up in their own world.

Crow’s gaze drifted over to Gavin, and he froze. The knight was eyeing him with his usual suspicion, but there was something different about the look in his eyes this time. Feeling unnerved, the thief looked away again. Had Gavin figured out that his allegiances had changed somehow? He couldn’t see any way that he could have. After all, Jaxon had only approached him a few days ago. He hadn’t even had time to do anything to sabotage the group’s efforts to find the other thief.

It’s probably nothing, he thought, trying to reassure himself as he rested his head against Penelope’s, seeking comfort in her touch. I’m just being paranoid.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Rikki decided to try another approach xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow’s lip curved upward in a pleased smile when Gavin gave in to their request to stop for lunch. He wasn’t hungry enough that he felt compelled to take a break at that moment like Olivia did, but any opportunity to undermine Penelope’s ex suitor went by well with him. It was especially fulfilling now, since he had so many other voices on his side with the addition of the two thieves. So, feeling content, he followed after the knight as he led them over to the clearing that Olivia had indicated.

When Penelope leaned in to whisper to him about Gavin’s loss of control, he nodded. “It’s about time,” he murmured back to her, casting her a wry smirk. As she went on to say that they shouldn’t abuse their newfound power, he just shrugged. “That all depends on how well he cooperates with the rest of us,” he said simply. “If he doesn’t give me a reason to retaliate, I won’t run his authority into the ground.”

When they reached the clearing, Crow shrugged his bag off his shoulders and stretched his arms over his head to loosen his back. Even though they hadn’t traveled particularly far yet, he wanted to keep himself from getting as stiff as he had during their last trip. Granted, most of his tenseness that time had been due to poor sleep and stress, but he still felt like it was worth taking the extra precaution.

Once he felt decently stretched out, he located Penelope beneath a nearby tree and stepped over to sit beside her. He noticed that Gavin also settled down nearby, but he ignored the him. If the knight wanted to torture himself by watching the woman that he loved be with another man, then the thief wasn’t going to stop him. Instead, he closed his eyes and leaned contentedly against her side. In that moment, he could almost forget about everything that he had been worrying about and lose himself in the warmth of her presence, but unfortunately, his peace was short-lived.

Crow blinked his eyes open again as he suddenly felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. He looked up to see Rikki leaning over him with a friendly smile. “You looked tense,” she explained with a shrug before he had a chance to question what she was doing. “I figured you could use a massage.” She turned to shoot Penelope a sly wink. “You seem like you could use one too. If you want, I can give you one after I’m done with Crow here.” Her smile widened into a foxlike grin. “I’m very good.”