Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“Ouch,” Crow rolled his eyes at Penelope’s sarcastic gibe. “I took a sword for you, and this is the thanks I get? You know, if you’re going to be ungrateful, I don’t have to keep trying as hard as I do.” He cracked a small smile as she laughed and leaned into her lips when she kissed him. It had been a while since the last time they had been able to banter so casually with each other. Even though the circumstances weren’t the best, he was glad that they were able to now.

“It’s a little too late for that,” he chuckled at her teasing comment about his ego. “I’m already well aware of how great I am, and it’s going to take more than a few half-assed insults to take me down.” As she leaned her head against his, he closed his eyes and wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, smiling blissfully to himself. He liked that no matter what they did, whether they were talking or simply being together in silence, it all felt so natural. There was a level of comfort he felt with her that he’d never had with anyone else before, aside, perhaps, from his mother. It made his heart flutter with affection for the knight, as well as drew up an innate desire within him to protect and serve her to the best of his abilities.

Feeling especially fond, Crow turned his head slightly to press a tender kiss to Penelope’s cheek, trailing his hand gently along her shoulder blades as he held her against himself. He wished they could just stay like that all night, but of course, it wasn’t long before they were interrupted yet again. The thief groaned inwardly when the sound of footsteps disrupted the silence, and the knight had to pull away to put distance between them. It seemed like as long as he was stuck in this camp, they would never truly have a satisfying moment alone.

He turned annoyedly towards the entrance of the tent as Jane stepped inside. At first, he guessed she had come to treat him again, but instead, she sat down at her desk to work on something without even giving him a passing glance. Well, that was fine by him. His wound still ached, but the pain was manageable enough, so he didn’t need her to tend to him at the moment. He was about to turn back to Penelope when he caught sight of a second figure enter the tent.

Crow stiffened warily as a knight he didn’t recognize began walking towards him. After hearing about the intentions of Layth and his followers, he didn’t trust any nobleman he didn’t already know. If this stranger was here to ‘interrogate’ him, he intended to be prepared. However, it seemed the man hadn’t been sent for any such purpose. He glanced furtively at Penelope as she greeted her comrade in a confused, yet friendly manner. This must be the guard she told me about earlier… that lieutenant, he thought, eyeing the knight with newfound interest. While the man’s presence was an unwelcomed interruption, the fact that Penelope seemed to trust him was enough for the thief to relax a little.

He met her gaze briefly as she left the tent, feeling a pang of disappointment that they couldn’t even properly say goodbye to each other with the other nobles around. It was frustrating to have to hide from everyone around them. The situation reminded him a bit of when they had been traveling with William back from Younis two years ago, except this time was worse, since they had to part ways so often.

Once she was gone, Crow let out his breath in a quiet sigh and stared up at the canopy over his head, listening to the quiet sound of Jane’s quill scribbling away as he resigned himself to spending the night in the company of people he didn’t know well or like.

Match Up in Malibu [Bee & Summer]

Nina was definitely an interesting person, to say the least. Jett had never met anyone who aspired to be a writer before, but he’d heard enough about the field to know it was a competitive one. He found her tenacity to keep pursuing her dream in spite of all the pushback admirable. Anyone who wanted to make it in a creative industry had to be at least a little hardheaded. Music was no different. He’d seen plenty of talented musicians lose everything because they just didn’t have the ambition to achieve their goals. It was just the hard truth about trying to make it in a competitive field. If writing was the same way, this girl definitely had the perseverance to succeed. The only question left was if she was good enough at writing to get published. He found himself hoping so. Anyone with as much spunk as her deserved to be rewarded for their efforts, especially since it seemed like writing was her driving passion.

Jett smirked a little when Nina poked him in the chest. Whether it was just because of the alcohol she’d been drinking or she was actually this forward, he thought her boldness was appealing. She definitely wasn’t the adoring fangirl he’d initially taken her to be. There was a confidence about her that, while different from Anna, still sent his heart racing. Man, I’ve only met two girls here so far, and they’re both something special, he thought as his eyes swept over Nina’s attractive figure. The production team sure knew what they were doing when they picked out the cast members for the show. He hadn’t come here looking for anything romantic, but it was getting harder to pretend he wasn’t interested. Maybe it would be fun to let loose and mess around a bit—see where things went with at least one or two of the girls. The cameramen sure would like that, after all.

“I’m not sure what you want me to tell you, since you seem to know so much already,” Jett pointed out, sipping at the remains of his drink.

“How about something you’ve never told an interviewer before?” Nina challenged with a grin. “Something I couldn’t find with a Google search.”

“So, basically something I don’t want anyone else to know?” Jett snorted. The girl was really confident if she was willing to ask him something like that. Her cockiness was refreshing compared to the more timid and overly respectful women he’d met.

“I guess so,” Nina shrugged, smiling at him drunkenly. It was still hard to tell if the alcohol was the reason she was being so brazen with him, but he was too tipsy to care.

“You know, what the hell?” Jett finished off the rest of his Manhattan and set the empty glass down on the bar. “I like your forwardness, and I’ve had a few already, so I’ll give you something.” He paused to think, trying to come up with something about himself that he hadn’t already told an interviewer before. It was difficult when he was so intoxicated he could barely think straight, but after a moment, he thought of something he could share with Nina. Stepping forward, he rested a hand on her shoulder and leaned in close to whisper in her ear: “I’m actually really superstitious. Knock on wood, don’t walk under ladders… the whole nine yards.”

“Really?” Nina’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re not messing with me?”

“Nope,” Jett shook his head. “I’m dead serious.”

“Wow,” Nina giggled, leaning into him flirtatiously while they were still standing close. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“It’s not something you’d find on Google,” Jett smirked at her without pulling away. He still wasn’t sure where things were going between them, but he was enjoying himself, so he wasn’t about to cut it off. After all, they were far from the most physical people in the room. Just taking a quick look around, he could already see a couple other people—an actress named Chloe Thomas and some guy he didn’t recognize with long hair—making out on a pool table. Surely with scenes like that going on, it wouldn’t be that weird for him to get a little friendly with Nina.

---

Ashley hadn’t come to California to talk to just anyone. She was here for one reason and one reason only, and that was to meet celebrities. Her eyes drifted over the crowd, picking out faces she recognized—Madison Taylor, Bella Michaels, David Hopper!—yet she couldn’t bring herself to move to greet any of them yet. Her gaze wandered back to the girl in front of her. She prided herself on knowing the names and faces of every person with a reputation that would be on this show, and she didn’t know an ‘Anna.’ There was nothing extraordinary about her, but she also got the feeling there was nothing average about her either.

She lightly bit her lip as she listened to the other girl tell her about her job as a bioengineer of all things. Damn, that was cool. Maybe it was worth sticking around Anna a little longer. “What do you mean just a biological engineer?” she was practically bursting at the seams with energy. “Anna, that’s badass! Why the hell are you on a reality TV show when you could be making bank inventing the tech of the future?”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

I think it's just gonna be a major shit show when the other nobles find out about them, honestly xD
There might be a few who don't care, but most will probably be really upset about it

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“Ah, but you know how persistent I can be,” Crow grinned at Penelope playfully when she said winning over anyone else in her family was unlikely. “I’m a thief, darling. If I want something, I’ll take it—and that includes the heart of your stubborn brother.” Despite his joking words, he was a little worried about what might happen if Layth chose to confront him while he was recovering. Far from “wooing” the other man, he didn’t know if he could even hold his tongue well enough to avoid provoking him to attack. He and Layth despised each other. Chances were, he would say something to prod at the knight and just wind up getting himself hurt.

As Penelope went on to say that he had just gotten lucky in meeting the ‘right’ Vermillion, his features softened a bit. “I really did,” he agreed with a smile, reaching up with his free hand to caress her cheek. Relationship aside, if he hadn’t met Penelope, he didn’t know where he would be today—well, probably not bedridden in the camp of his enemies, but certainly not as well off in other areas of his life. With her, he actually had a future to look forward to, one that was much more meaningful than what he’d been striving towards before. The amount of love he felt for her even incomprehensible to him sometimes, but he never wanted it to change.

At her last words, Crow clicked his tongue. “Alright, fine,” he sighed. “If you really think Layth won’t come around, I won’t waste my time on him... But I will say he’s missing out, because I’m a great lover—although, you already know that, don’t you?” He winked at her teasingly.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Oh, he's definitely gonna rub it in Layth's face xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

So, based on what Penelope said, it seemed like Mia had been planning to “decide his fate” without speaking to him first, after all. Crow chewed on the inside of his lip in thought, wondering what he could have possibly done to make the baroness consider getting his input on what they chose to do with him. Maybe she was just glad he’d saved her lieutenant? But she’d already known about that before speaking to him in person. He frowned slightly as he tried to recall what he’d said to her. Most of his words had just been stubborn arguments against her accusations or flippant remarks about the other knights. It was hard to pin down what could have changed the woman’s impression of him. Perhaps she had just changed her mind on her own.

As Penelope teased him about charming Mia, Crow sighed exaggeratedly. “If I did, I certainly wasn’t trying to,” he shook his head. “I really don’t understand why you knights find me so appealing. Are noblemen so dull that the noblewomen have to turn to a thief like me for a little excitement in their lives?” He casted her a sly wink. “Don’t worry, love. I’ll make sure that baroness of yours knows I’m not interested, because I’ve only got eyes for the most beautiful knight in this kingdom.”

He paused as if another thought came to him before going on with a cheeky smirk: “Although… maybe I could make one exception to use my charm on Layth, so he’ll stop pestering me. I mean, I already won over one Vermillion. How hard could it be to woo the other?”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Yupp especially since he's going straight to the castle after he heals xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“Well, I just hope that was the last time then,” Crow muttered when Penelope said she couldn’t do anything to keep her comrades away. He was tired and irritable from the constant ache of his wound, so he didn’t want to have to face any more knights from the camp. Granted, Mia had been more tolerable company than he’d been expecting—she was the first noble besides Penelope to use his name—but that didn’t mean he wanted to make a habit of chatting with her comrades. Even though he had made some exceptions, he disliked most knights, and they disliked him. He preferred to stay away from people he considered to be enemies while he was recovering from a near fatal wound that had left him vulnerable to attack.

Crow was drawn from his thoughts when Penelope took him by the hand. He looked up at her as she asked about what her baroness had said to him. “Well,” he started slowly, thinking over what had been said between them. “She mostly asked about you—wanted to know how long we’ve been working together, why I saved you, and other things like those.” He studied her face, realizing that she must have been worried about her leader asking exactly those questions.

Giving her hand a comforting squeeze, he went on with a proud grin, “I don’t know why she thought she would get anything out of me. If I can endure your brother’s excessive interrogation techniques, I can handle a simple questioning in my sleep.” His expression softened as he held her gaze. “She may still suspect that we’re close, but she has no proof, and she’s not going to get any.” Suddenly, he blinked as another thought came to him. “Oh, she also said she was going to come back to talk to me again before she and the other barons make their decision about what to do with me.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow is starting to get annoyed with having to talk to other knights besides Penelope xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

It was hard for Crow to tell what was going on in Mia’s mind after he finished giving his explanation. Her face was an unreadable mask of calm that could have easily meant that she believed every word out of his mouth or that she knew he was lying through his teeth. The uncertainly made him uneasy. Despite his cocky speech about not caring what happened to Penelope, he was deeply concerned that his efforts to keep their secret from the baroness hadn’t been enough.

He wished he could have gone with a different approach by telling Mia that he’d wanted nothing to do with Penelope at all, so the baroness couldn’t have even suggested the idea that they were close, but there was no way that would have worked. There was only so much he could cover up when the woman already knew they had been working together. If he had even tried, it would have been obvious that he was lying to protect either himself or her. The only option he’d had was to brush off their closeness as the result of Penelope’s kindness towards him.

Taking the sword for her had been a lot more difficult to explain away. He was well aware that his lie wasn’t really that believable, but what reason could he possibly give for sacrificing himself for someone else? It was an action that practically screamed that they were much closer than he claimed. After all, no one in their right mind would knowingly stand in the way of a blade for someone they hardly knew, and a thief doing so for a knight would have been unheard of. No matter what he said to explain it away, actions spoke louder than words. He couldn’t hide the fact that he had risked his life to save Penelope.

When Mia thanked him, Crow just shrugged in response, trying to keep up his apathetic façade. He still couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but he didn’t want to give her any reason to second guess herself if she did believe him. From the corner of his eye, he could see her move to leave the tent but hesitate at the entrance. Instead of exiting, she addressed him once more, surprising him with her words.

Crow turned towards her as she announced that she would come back before the barons made their decision. She actually wanted his input? He had been expecting the leaders of the knights to “decide his fate” regardless of anything he said or did. It was why he and Penelope were trying to come up with their own way to sneak him out of the camp, so he wouldn’t be killed or sent back to prison. While he still doubted the nobles would be willing to simply let him go when he recovered, it was interesting to know that they were planning to speak with him before making any final decisions.

He just nodded wordlessly in response, unsure what to say as she turned to finally leave the tent. Once he was alone, he laid his head back on the bed again and let out his breath in a long sigh as he stared up at the canopy. Though his conversation with the baroness hadn’t gone badly, he was still nervous that it hadn’t been enough to completely save Penelope’s reputation. He’d had to admit that she at least treated him better than most knights did, since he couldn’t come up with any other believable excuse as to why he would be willing to work with her. It wasn’t as bad as their relationship getting discovered, but it wasn’t name-clearing either. He just hoped Mia was as fair of a persona as she seemed to be.

After a short time had passed, the flap of the tent shifted again, and someone else came inside. Crow craned his neck slightly to see who had come to visit him now and was relieved to find that Penelope was back. “Oh, thank gods it’s you,” he breathed in a slightly exaggerated manner. “I’m tired of speaking with your nosey comrades. If anyone else tries to come here, tell them to go away for me, will you?”