Steel

Looking back at Karla as she thanks him, Kip is a little confused at first, before a small smile surfaces. "You're the one that stopped to see if I was gonna live," he replies, remembering the day he'd run too hard and she'd found him on the curbside.

Hesitating at first, Kip finally dares to reach over and take her hand. He couldn't tell if she was still upset with him or not for the whole Whitney thing, and he hated how it had made such a mess. If he could go back in time and change it, he would. He hated tension between him and anybody, and with Karla it felt ten times worse.

"I'm... I'm glad you came with us." He nods, showing he meant it.

Biting his lip, he studies her face for a moment, his cheeks growing slightly warm. Deciding to take the risk, he leans over and plants a quick kiss to her cheek. Straightening again, he looks out at the pond, not wanting to see rejection in her eyes, and his hand wiggles a little bit in hers as he thinks maybe he ought to just get up and walk away before she told him she hadn't liked that.


Kyle can't help a smile and a light laugh as he looks down at Alice. Bringing her hand up closer to his chest, it pulls her closer to him as his other arm slips around her. He leans his head into her hand and gives a contented sigh. "God knew what he was doing when he brought you to me," he muses softly. "You always keep me on track."

Leaning down, he gives Alice's lips a tender kiss - unusual for him to do in public, but he had no other way to express how grateful he was.


Nearby, Twila taps Theo's arm and points to Kyle and Alice, a silly grin on her face. Theo puts his hand over her eyes and turns her around to walk the other way and she giggles.

"What's wrong with watching somebody tell someone else they love them?"

Theo keeps pushing her the other way, though he laughs. "There's a different between seeing it and gawking at it. Go rent a romance movie."

Twila gives his shoulder a whack, but she's laughing. "I think they're cute."

"Okay, me too. But don't tel anybody I said that."

"Don't worry, tough guy, your secret is safe with me."


A little surprised Destiny hops on the back of the cart, Chance's grin widens. "You kidding me? A sugar high is the best buzz in the world."

Spinning around the corner, he speeds up a little, just because she was hanging on, then skids to a stop in front of a large display of all kinds of candy. For some reason, seeing her laugh brought a warm feeling to his insides. This was still just an Elite assignment, of course, but there was no reason for him not to enjoy parts of it, right?

"Mmm too many choices," he muses as he stares at the rows of bags and boxes. "I fancy chocolate on most occasions. What's your favorite?"


"A hero?" Alec's eyes shift a little as he abandons his other feelings for now. "I think you've got that a little backward, don't you?"

His hand slips up to her shoulder, then to the back of her neck, pulling her face closer to him. "You're the one that rescued me, remember? If it weren't for you, I'd still have a chunk of steel where my heart is supposed to be."

Leaning in closer, he teases her with only a small, light kiss before pulling away.