Pucker Up, Loser

Mal's eyes flickered over to Ryder again and she smiled, "Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm fine." Wow, he actually sounded like he cared. And he was acting adorable. Anyway.. next train of thought. She cleared her throat and answered his question. "Ash would sure try to do that, yes. I could just... say no to her, I guess. Tell her to forget it." The words sounded normal but the meaning behind them was rather heavy though Mal highly doubted Ryder would understand. How could he? She never discussed anything with him about herself. Finally looked around she was surprised to see the day's light was fading. "Oh crap.. are you gonna be in trouble? Sorry! Here, let me walk you to... where do you need to go? The record store? A hotel? What?"

"Ah... Good question." Ryder slipped out from being between Mal and the wall, dropping his hand from her cheek, but keeping hold of one of her hands. He dragged out his phone, checking the screen. "Six missed calls. Fifteen texts. All from my mom." He sighed, reading the angry messages slowly. "She went back to the hotel. My step-dad got angry that she wasn't back yet, so she had to leave." He put his phone back into his pocket, then tugged on her hand gently. "Come on, it isn't a far walk. But we do pass that coffee shop. So keep an eye out for your room mate." He tugged on her hand again, a boyish grin creeping onto his face.

Mal swallowed heavily as she began to follow after a few prompting tugs. That didn't sound good, the way he worded that made her instantly think his step dad was abusive. Maybe she was just biased towards male authority figures... but still. His step-dad could have just been worried about being in a strange location and not having the family back. Don't jump to conclusions. She swivelled her head then began to shake it as she moved to walk beside Ryder, still clutching his hand. "Nah, she would have gotten bored and went home knowing her. It's ok.. I can deal with her later. Well, she might be there.. depends, how long have we been out? Ash is a very impatient person so.. yeah." Mal shook her head and glanced around, noticing there were less people out at this time. Hm. Well, it was getting dark.

Ryder knew Mal must have thought something about his step father, but that was a topic he always stayed away from. So he tightened his grip on her hand, picking up his pace. This time, he was aware when his phone would vibrate in his pocket, but he ignored it. It was either his mother or his step dad, it always was. They could wait till he got to the hotel, then yell at him for not being responsible. The streets were quiet, only a car passing every so often was creating noise. Other than that, it was pretty silent. Ryder glanced at Mal, nudging her with his shoulder. "I'm not actually... Sure on how long we've been gone. Couldn't have been that long, right?" He said, sounding completely unsure as they passed the coffee shop, then eventually the record store he was supposed to visit.

Mal glanced at Ryder as they sped up their pace, "I didn't think so. I mean, we didn't spend terribly long at the shop. Probably at least forty minutes. Running to that alley was only a couple of minutes. Then we were there... for how long? I don't know I wasn't exactly paying attention to the time passing.." She cleared her throat and glanced up at the sky, suddenly feeling nervous. It was mid-afternoon when the two of them met up but even if several hours passed it didn't get dark until deep into evening. Approximately 8:00 pm was when it began to darken. It wasn't until the 9:30 pm mark that it got this dark. If only she had a watch or cell phone or something... she could check the time. "Which hotel are you staying at? Can't be too far away."

"It isn't. Down the road from the record store." Ryder replied, slipping around the few people that were in his path. It looked mostly like teenagers and young adults were out roaming, probably looking for something fun to do. And they all stayed in tight groups. If he were to look straight ahead, he would be able to see the lights on the hotel. But he wasn't looking there, he was too busy watching everyone else, occasionally looking back at Mal. "It's probably getting close to ten o'clock." He didn't even think about checking his phone, and besides, that would mean having to see more messages and questions from his family. Which he didn't want to deal with right now.

Mal glanced at the groups of people and sighed, recognizing some from the bars or some who are regular customers at her shop. Hopefully they didn't recognize her, she didn't want to be stopped to chat with them. She sort of ducked behind Ryder until they passed the bulk of it and she nodded in response to him, looking over at the hotel. "That's one of the nicest hotels, I think. Lucky you." She smiled a bit as they neared and she stepped in front of Ry to open the door. After a moment of biting her lip, she looked down at their conjoined hands and asked uncertainly "Do you need me to come up with you? Maybe I should explain the situation, get the heat off you a bit, you know?" She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't worried. She was completely worried, especially because she thought his step dad was abusive. If the guy swung, Mal wouldn't be able to stop him given her very weak physical. But she could stop it before it happened...

Bowing his head, Ryder smiled almost shyly, using his free hand to rub the back of his neck. "Ah... Sure." He said slowly, drawing out the word as he went through the door, keeping his grip on her hand. "Saying this now, my mom will try to talk your head off." He added almost as an afterthought, proceeding through the lobby and into the first hall. Several rooms in, he stopped at a door with the number 2 on the door. His step dad thought it would be funny and some sort of reference to the three big gods. Poseidon was always the second in command. He pulled out a hotel room key card, sliding it into the small panel. The door clicked and he pushed it open. "Mom?" Finally releasing Mal's hand, he ushered her in and took a few steps into the darkened hotel room. A light immediately clicked on and Sally, his mother, was standing beside a couch, his step father perched on the arm rest. "You're late, kid." Jim stood up, crossing his arms as he looked back at Mal with a raised eyebrow.

Mal followed Ryder to his room and swallowed. Meeting new people could be nerve racking. Especially parents. But when she was prompted she stepped into the hotel room and stood awkwardly at the door as Ryder proceeded past her and questioned the whereabouts of his family. The light clicked on which gave Mal a start. Jesus! What was this, an interrogation? The man who she assumed was Ry's step father stood and when he eyed her she stared at him in return. Her face probably read 'oh my god, bad idea coming here' though she tried her hardest to appear neutral. She figured she should say something and the words just came spewing out without Mal being in control. "I-it's not his fault. It's mine. Sorry! I just needed some help with something and he was the first person I saw so I dragged him around the city a bit. I wasn't aware he had a curfew or anything, sir. Seriously, he was a bit lost after that.. I took him to a part of town not many people know, you know? Er, I'm Mal by the way." She ducked her head, feeling embarrassed and started to rub the back of her neck. That's when she remembered her hair wasn't in a bun so she started to comb her fingers through it. It was a nervous gesture, really.

Sally sent her husband a look that seemed almost threatening, and he grunted in reply. She then turned towards Mal, a genuine smile lighting up her face. "I'm Sally, that's Jim. And he doesn't have a curfew, but his fath-" Ryder crossed his arms, clearing his throat to cut his mother off. "Step father. Meaning he doesn't exactly have a say in when I come back. Maybe if there's a hurricane or something, I'll get the hint that my father wants me home." He practically spit some of the words out, almost forgetting Mal standing there all together as he leaned against the wall, watching Jim's face contort with discomfort, anger, and probably a little bit of embarrassment. He placed one hand on his hip, the other pointed directly at Ryder. "I'll deal with you, when she's," he turned to point at Mal, "Gone." With that, he looked back at Sally, then awkwardly rushed himself into the other room. Sally sighed, clapping her hands together to look at Mal. "I apologize for... This. It's really fine that Ryder is back a bit late." Sally said, smiling at Mal as she nodded her head subconsciously, "Are you planning on walking back alone in the dark? Ryder can take my car... Give you a ride."

Mal blinked at Jim and his reaction was proof enough that he wasn't the nicest of people. Though, in her opinion, Ryder shouldn't have said anything. But this wasn't her fight and just because she would have kept quiet didn't mean that was the right thing to do. She was just a coward most days. Looking at Sally she blinked again and started to answer, "Oh, well, I walk in London at this time all the time." Though it sounded like she was just going to go off alone a few things popped into her head. Like the night the Angels attacked and she almost got sent back in time all because she stayed out late. Or the time a man attacked and tried to kill her. Arthur had saved her.. but that didn't mean he would all the time. And lastly Mal thought about Jim's foreboding promise to Ryder. She would have followed after him and worked her magic to get the older man to sleep.. but she thought people would find that odd. Especially considering she never mentioned her power before. Sighing, she glanced at Ryder and then looked at Sally, "Well, if you're willing to give me a ride I have no objections."

Sally grinned, picking up the keys on the coffee table. She tossed them to her son, who stretched out his arms to catch them. "I'll be back soon." Ryder muttered, walking back to the door. He grabbed Mal's hand, pulling her out of the hotel room. Once he got her to the hall, he shut the door, turning to look at her. "I'm... Really sorry about him." He nodded towards the door, walking backwards down the hall, his eyes trained on Mal's. "My mom's got a rental car in the parking lot. Where are we going?" He asked, already leading her down the hall and into the lobby.

Mal wasn't expecting to be snatched so fast so ended up squeaking as she stumbled after Ryder. She threw a thanks over her shoulder as she kept going and watched Ry with interest and worry. "You shouldn't be sorry because of the way he is. It's not your fault, you know. That's just the cards life decided to deal you, you know? Some people get good hands while others get the bad ones. That's why I usually lose bets.. because life is a cheating jerk who gives people like me bad hands." She stuck out her tongue and mentally patted herself on the back for making a decent metaphor. She backed Ryder out of the hotel doors and looked around for the rental car. Well, of course she wouldn't know where it was so she looked at Ryder with big eyes. "Oh, right.. where you're going... it's basically the ghetto, I'm not going to lie. It's on the South side of London. Dang, I never had to remember the street before... that's embarrassing."

Ryder smiled, watching Mal curiously. "We'll figure it out in the car... Drive around until you see something familiar?" He suggested, turning so he was able to see where he was going and didn't just rely on Mal to keep him from running into things. He spotted the slightly familiar car immediately. "Here," he said as he walked towards it, pulling the door open for her as he released her hand. "So... South side. Okay." He breathed out, jogging to the driver's side to slip into the car. He started it up, placing one hand on the wheel. Running the other hand over his face, Ryder glanced at Mal, "Still. I didn't really want anyone to see him like that. Or at all. He's a pig. My mom just keeps him around to keep some bad things away. Guess Demigods are sort of important." He smirked, shutting his door with a slam.

Mal got in, both uncomfortable and flattered that he opened the door for her. This sort of behaviour wasn't something Mal was use to. No, no, she always looked after and fended for herself. No one was chivalrous with her. Well, the action was still nice. When Ryder got in the car she just proceeded to stare at him. She felt like that might get a little weird so she trained her gaze on her hands as he spoke. "It's okay. Really, you should meet my family." A small humourless laugh escaped her lips, "But whadda mean he keeps the bad things away? How does he do that? And yeah, I'd assume Demigods were... considering the power psychos and religious people. Oh, and as for directions just turn left at the record store until you pass the last large building, then turn right."

"I'm not really sure how he keeps them away, my mom won't tell me." Ryder mumbled, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the street. "I think they were in love once." He added gently, following her directions to the point. He turned left at the record store, continuing down the road until he saw the larger buildings were coming to an end. Turning right, he glanced over at Mal thoughtfully. "There's hardly anymore religious people to worry about here. Now, the power psychos I can understand. Or just weird aliens and monsters that came to this universe maybe the same way I did. Met a Cyclops once." His eyes were back on the road, his focus split between trying to find the right place to stop and everything else going on in his head.

Mal watched the road then swallowed nervously as she listened, "Uh, you can pull over here. My place is just over there." She vaguely motioned to a run down, beat up apartment building that looked about as sketchy as you'd expect from the poor part of town. "Ugh, I hate when people keep things from you. And love.. love is just weird. I don't understand it. Never really felt it. Unless we're talkin' love for chilli cheese dogs." Mal decided to make light of a heavy conversation with the last comment before going on, "That must be scary.. and annoying. The monsters, I mean. I've only encountered cliché aliens and statue aliens that look like angles. Guess I saw a planet descend onto earth once. I'm not going to get in that though. Seen a meteor crash..." She stopped there and released a sigh, running her hands through her hair and staring at the dash of the rental. "A cyclops...?" It seemed out of place and distant, her face reflecting her distraction.

Ryder slowly nodded, because it seemed like the thing to do. "Yeah, I was with a friend." He pulled the car to the side of the curb, putting the gear in park before shutting the car off. Before Mal could even think of moving, Ryder jumped out of the car, pocketing the keys as he rushed to open her door for her. Once he did, he bent his head slightly, biting his lip. "I'll walk you up." He said in a soft, hushed tone. He drew in a quick breath, "and I won't disagree with you on the chili cheese dogs. Those things are amazing." He laughed awkwardly, his elbow resting on the door as he kept it open for her. He just needed to stop talking. That sounded better than rambling. He bit down harder on his lip, keeping his eyes steady on Mal, though it was somewhat hard to stay focused.

Mal was, once again, taken by surprise when he held the door open for her. She smiled at him and then laughed when he did. Damn, he could be adorable. Ducking out of the car and stretching, she shrugged, "Okay then, walk me up. And try not to hurt yourself." Mal patted his shoulder as she slowly trailed toward the flat she sadly called home. The last comment was directed toward the fact he was biting his lip, it looked rather painful. He must have been trying real hard to.. to what? Not make a fool of himself? Even if he did Mal wouldn't think him a fool at all. She personally embarrassed herself on a daily basis. Usually in front of large crowds. It was the curse of bad luck. If she was feeling real superstitious she'd say her name was to blame, excuse the internal rhyme. Mal was combined to mean bad, wrongful, ill. Bad luck. Wrongful karma. Ill actions. Well that was a major tangent. She shook her head to clear it and looked over at Ryder, "You're not worried we might run into Ash, are ya? Because I am." She tried her best to look serious though there was mirth shining in her eyes.

Ryder shut the car door, smiling lightly as he went after her. "Ah... I actually never thought about that." He replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he trailed closely behind her. The building wasn't great, it didn't look even close to well kept, but Ryder tried to keep the idea of it separate from Mal. Besides, where you live isn't who you are. Well, hopefully it wasn't. He wouldn't want that stupid motel or nice big house back in Seattle to be who he was. Especially when his real dad lived under the water... In what? A sea castle? Ryder let his eyes drop to his shoes, his eyebrows scrunching together as he thought. Once they reached the steps leading up to the door, he nearly tripped over them due to not paying attention whatsoever.

Mal shrugged and smiled back at him before turning back and proceeding towards the flat.  The closer they got to it the more self-conscious and insecure she felt.  Man, this place was nothing to brag about.  What did she look like, living here?  A burnout?  Her face scrunched much like Ryder's.  The walk here was silent and that was more deafening than actual talking.  It was eating at her, almost driving her mad.  Mal unlocked the front door and pulled it open, reaching her to prevent Ryder from falling on the step.  Now that she was facing him, door open, she started to tangle herself around her tongue, "I've lived somewhere like this all my life, you know.  Yeah, it's trashy, but it would make sense if you just knew... I'm not like 'em, you know.  The rest of my family.  I didn't want to be so I'm not.  I mean, I was headin' down the wrong path once upon a time but after.. after... I got clean up, you know?"  Stop, Mal! Just stop!  What're you doing?  Keep your mouth shut! "I'm not well off but that's not because I'm wastin' my money on crap that could kill me.  I'm not my mother.  And I'm not like my brother or father.  I don't just walk out.  I run from my problems but I don't leave people behind if I can help it...."  She seemed in complete shock she just threw that all out there.  She never felt the need to defend herself like that.  Even if she did it was usually with minor comments such as 'like you could do better'.  Never did she talk about this.  At least she didn't go into complete detail.  Mal shoved the door back, turning and hurrying inside the building, hoping she could escape so he didn't see how red her face was.

Blinking in surprise, Ryder stayed planted in the doorway, wanting to go after her, but not exactly sure why. He pulled his hands out of his pockets, running his fingers through his hair nervously. He went back over everything Mal had just told him. And he understood in a way. Kicking his shoe against the ground, Ryder started after her. "Mal," he called out, picking up his pace to catch up with her. Once he did, he caught her hand to try and slow her down. "Hey, I don't remember ever thinking you were like your family. Or anyone else. And where you live doesn't exactly define you, okay? And... And I used to run from my problems too. All the time, but they never went away. I sort of just ended up... Running from myself." He squeezed her hand, trying to walk beside her as he spoke, but it just made him run out of breath faster.

Mal stopped and sighed shakily as she stopped and slowly turned to face him. She didn't really know what to say so was quiet while she used her free hand to brush her hair over her shoulder. Her other hand was just limp in his though it wasn't anything personal on his part. "... Yeah, well, I guess that's what I'm doing too. Because I don't know what to do with myself or how to accept this." She vaguely motioned to her body which didn't elaborate on what she meant at all. "Most days I feel like the world is out to get me, I guess. Sorry about that." Mal glanced down at his hand grabbing onto hers and for a second she wondered if he would be a safe person to show her ability to. He of all people would understand and know what it would be like if other humans found out. She would be especially in trouble, perhaps lethally, if TORCHWOOD ever found out about her. The one who survived the meteor that never was... what would they have to say about that? Mal felt as if they'd work to wipe her existence clean from any timeline. The thought made her shiver and she couldn't stop no matter how hard she tried.

Pulling his hand from hers, Ryder crossed his arms. "You... You don't need to apologize." He mumbled, rocking on his heels as he looked around the hallway. Definitely not a fancy place like the hotel his family was staying at, but he didn't exactly even like that hotel. He knew how she felt to some degree, but that wasn't something he wanted to remember or really talk about. "I guess I'll go. So we don't both run into your room mate and... Questions arise." He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling lightly as he looked both ways down the hall, then back to Mal. "I'm not really good with questions. Especially ones I don't know how to answer at all."

Before she could come to a conclusion on what to do, Ryder pulled away and determined the answer with the gesture. Maybe another day. Maybe. "Yeah, I can relate with you there. Questions normally suck. Doesn't help if they come from a lunatic either, yeah? Hey, uh.. i-if you want you can come see me at the Corner Café any time. I'm booked to, uh, work the closing shift everyday this week." Mal started to fiddle with her keys as she glanced in the general direction of her flat. Man, Ash was going to be dramatic and 'hurt' and all that fun stuff. The thought caused Mal to sigh as if she was already tired of listening to it. She then turned back to Ryder and raised her eyebrow.