As much as she was trying to hide it, Shay was sucking in every word he said as if they were pieces of gold. She stared at her ice cream, glancing up at him now and again. Shay didn't think she'd have been capable of explaining him coherently. Maybe she'd have compared him to the moon, one side bright and one side dark. That didn't describe him, though, not fully. The ocean would have been a better description.
"You're super unreadable," she said when he was done talking. Shay finished off her sundae and pushed the empty glass it had come in toward him. She gave him a pointed stare. "I'm not running." She wanted to be him. There was something -- something Shay may have been too young to understand, but it was there. It pulled her to him. He was showing her this world and it looked majestic. It looked like everything she'd ever wanted.
Shay blushed when he said her name. It didn't have the same power over her that it had previous, and she was glad for that. She wanted to tell him that no, she hadn't been gossiping about him. She realized just soon enough that he was teasing her. He was flattered. He didn't fear anything.
When he went off talking about the difference between gangs and the Mafia Shay had leaned forward eagerly. By the time he was cutting himself off, she'd slipped under the table so she could sit beside him. It felt odd to her, sitting near enough to Klaus Rosales that she could reach out and touch him. So close he wasn't even half an arms length from her. So close, in fact, that she could feel the warmth of his body.
Shay bobbed her head in a nod. "Mhm! We were talking about the Mafia because I recognized his last name, and then I brought you up, and he said you're more like a gang leader, but he said it with this kind of," she made a face, similar to a snarl, "sneer. And then I asked how come they couldn't catch you, and he said they didn't have anything on you, and then I asked how because everyone knows you're a criminal," she paused, both to catch her breath and make sure he wasn't offended. "But Officer Angelo said that was the difference between court opinion and public opinion, because even if everyone knew you were," she stopped, trying to recall what he had said exactly, "'a scum sucking low life,' that doesn't mean they can prove it."
Shay sat back in her seat, tired from having spoken quick enough she'd hardly breathed. "He was also the one who told me I shouldn't be around you. I don't think he likes you very much."
Klaus had always been of the opinion that he was too easy to read, because for the most part, that was how he presented himself. Easy, expressive passion and honesty were a strong traits in him. Except, that shook a lot of people up even more. They weren't always on the same page with what they thought of as normal behavior and mental processes. Sometimes they were looking at different books entirely.
So instead of trying to disagree with that, Klaus just smiled. It took on a slightly challenging edge when she said she was staying. "I'll hold you to that, then," he said, voice soft.
Shay was so cute, and more importantly, her interest was promising. He saw a future here. Little plans formed in his mind when he looked at her, part of an eventual bigger picture. It was so far ahead of anything she'd be thinking about- so he didn't share the things he was already deciding on, so early in their interactions. In his mind, however, it was all completely settled. He didn't let potential go to waste, once he had his claws dug in.
He grinned when she popped up next to him, delighted by this child. "Well! Hello there." He dug out one glove from his coat pocket, slipping it on and ruffling her hair.
He smirked. "Bribes and blackmail go a long way for that sort of thing, as well, kiddo. Got lotsa officials in my pocket. We all coexist." He paused. "And besides, I'm very a friendly scum sucking lowlife. A good public presence! I make new jobs for the community and welcome everyone I meet with open arms, even when they don't directly work for me."
Klaus waited patiently for her to take a break. So energetic for normally having a rather grouchy persona. He thought that was telling, in some fashion. He should be kinder to her.
He tilted his head as he processed this, a bubble of amusement, then excitement, rising in his chest. "Wow! Always love the fans! We should treat him to something special for that. Remember what I joked about earlier? Totally not a joke anymore." He pulled his sunglasses back out and set them on his face, curling his arm around Shay with his gloved hand and pulling out his phone with the other.
He leaned in closer to Shay and posed, rather silly, especially with the peace sign he made added in. He was winking, too, but this was completely hidden thanks to forgetting how sunglasses worked. Every fucking time. He was never growing out of this, clearly. In his defense, sunglasses were basically less of an accessory and more another part of his body with how often he wore them, so he didn't think about it.
He looked at the photo first afterwards, humming, adding a bunch of sparkly filters and stickers to it. "Good shit. Time to dig up the Officer's phone number and send him a selfie." He'd noted down some basic information along those lines for the coppers a while back, just in case. Now it was coming in handy. This was absolutely a productive use of time.
He sent the photo and a text along with it, which simply read 'the newest member of the manta carlos mafia <3'.
Perfect.
So instead of trying to disagree with that, Klaus just smiled. It took on a slightly challenging edge when she said she was staying. "I'll hold you to that, then," he said, voice soft.
Shay was so cute, and more importantly, her interest was promising. He saw a future here. Little plans formed in his mind when he looked at her, part of an eventual bigger picture. It was so far ahead of anything she'd be thinking about- so he didn't share the things he was already deciding on, so early in their interactions. In his mind, however, it was all completely settled. He didn't let potential go to waste, once he had his claws dug in.
He grinned when she popped up next to him, delighted by this child. "Well! Hello there." He dug out one glove from his coat pocket, slipping it on and ruffling her hair.
He smirked. "Bribes and blackmail go a long way for that sort of thing, as well, kiddo. Got lotsa officials in my pocket. We all coexist." He paused. "And besides, I'm very a friendly scum sucking lowlife. A good public presence! I make new jobs for the community and welcome everyone I meet with open arms, even when they don't directly work for me."
Klaus waited patiently for her to take a break. So energetic for normally having a rather grouchy persona. He thought that was telling, in some fashion. He should be kinder to her.
He tilted his head as he processed this, a bubble of amusement, then excitement, rising in his chest. "Wow! Always love the fans! We should treat him to something special for that. Remember what I joked about earlier? Totally not a joke anymore." He pulled his sunglasses back out and set them on his face, curling his arm around Shay with his gloved hand and pulling out his phone with the other.
He leaned in closer to Shay and posed, rather silly, especially with the peace sign he made added in. He was winking, too, but this was completely hidden thanks to forgetting how sunglasses worked. Every fucking time. He was never growing out of this, clearly. In his defense, sunglasses were basically less of an accessory and more another part of his body with how often he wore them, so he didn't think about it.
He looked at the photo first afterwards, humming, adding a bunch of sparkly filters and stickers to it. "Good shit. Time to dig up the Officer's phone number and send him a selfie." He'd noted down some basic information along those lines for the coppers a while back, just in case. Now it was coming in handy. This was absolutely a productive use of time.
He sent the photo and a text along with it, which simply read 'the newest member of the manta carlos mafia <3'.
Perfect.
Shay grinned when he smiled at her. He was infectious this man, and even knowing he was dangerous wasn't slowing her anymore. That weird, sick feeling that had embedded itself in her gut had broken away from her, rolled so far away she wasn't sure it had ever been there to begin with. All those empty spaces in her person were warm, full. She belonged when she was across from him, next to him, near him. It should have bothered her. With anyone else it would have bothered her.
He had mentioned magic earlier. About owning? That didn't sound so bad now, but the thought of being 'owned' still made Shay a little sick. How was she supposed to clear her head with all of this? Was it all him? Or was she genuinely relishing in the attention he so freely gave her?
Shay didn't even mind when he pulled out his glove and ruffled her hair though she did get to work putting it back into place the moment he had finished. What was with him and trying to mess up her hair?
She didn't have much time to react before she was being pulled into him for a picture. She'd have fought it, but he was so warm, and Shay didn't usually get to hug people. It felt nicer than she imagined it would. Less constricting.
She didn't mimic his comical face; indeed, she looked a bit surprised, and her eyes were wide when the photo was taken. She blinked when he went to putting filters on it and leaned in close to try and look at it.
"Now Officer Angelo is going to be mad at me," she said sullenly. Shay wasn't used to getting in trouble by adults, but even she dreaded it. It wasn't like he could ground her or anything, but she feared seeing disappointment in his eyes.
Although Shay wasn't too pleased with the selfie, Klaus rejoiced in the fact that overall, she wasn't kicking and screaming. Not even a little. He offered a reassuring smile, and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You're a nice kid, I'm sure he wouldn't be that mean, he's like, a goody-goody cop, right? And I'll keep your wandering into that bloodbath a secret, how does that sound?"
He thought it over for a moment, humming. "We ran into each other here. I was friendly, you were curious, it's a public place… and in caution, you never told me your last name. Most of this is accurate enough."
"I'm sure he'll be more worried about you than mad. Any anger will probably be directed in my direction, kiddo. C'mon, it'll be fine, that pouty face is killin' me."
Klaus muffled a giggle at Genovese's return text. Sounded out of it. He typed out a little reply, but otherwise turned back to Shay again. "So? More questions, or are you finally gettin' tired? It's nearly three in the morning, y'know. I'm hoping the chattering will exhaust you, as well as just havin' fun with it."
He thought it over for a moment, humming. "We ran into each other here. I was friendly, you were curious, it's a public place… and in caution, you never told me your last name. Most of this is accurate enough."
"I'm sure he'll be more worried about you than mad. Any anger will probably be directed in my direction, kiddo. C'mon, it'll be fine, that pouty face is killin' me."
Klaus muffled a giggle at Genovese's return text. Sounded out of it. He typed out a little reply, but otherwise turned back to Shay again. "So? More questions, or are you finally gettin' tired? It's nearly three in the morning, y'know. I'm hoping the chattering will exhaust you, as well as just havin' fun with it."
Shay, still close to Klaus from the picture, pushed her forehead to his torso and rubbed her head against him, almost aggressively. She huffed in a sigh. Remembering that he mentioned having been shot, she stopped moving.
The stillness was thoughtful, the kind of mischevious consideration that followed cats, foxes, and children. She was comfortable near him, she shouldn't have been, but she was.
Shay reached over to peel back his shirt, just a tiny bit, to see if she could see a bullet hole. "Did you patch yourself up?" Again, she tried to get a look at his phone and the conversation between him and Angelo.
She wasn't tired, not exactly. She hated sleeping, Shay tended only to get around four hours of sleep every night, but she also knew she had to get home. "Yeah. I'm getting there."
She didn't want to move away from him. It felt safe, and she hadn't felt this safe in such a very long time. She was going to go back to the orphanage, to solitude and nightmares. This was a brief moment in life, so quick she shouldn't have considered it anything worth remembering.
Klaus watched Shay as she seemed to throw out all boundaries, completely relaxed with him, unblinking. He thought something over, and decided to test it. "You know, being out this late… what's the situation with your legal guardians? You seem a little too confident for this kind of outing to have only been a spontaneous, one time thing."
After that observation, he smiled and poked at her nosy fingers. "A little. Enough not to ruin more of my clothes, that is." He offered her view of his texts to take her attention away from that. He had a damn lot of lead in his chest, and his initial pain resistance was the only thing keeping him upright and unruffled seeming. It wasn't attractive.
He nodded his satisfaction to that answer. He was an absolute night owl, slept in until noon unless he was forced into doing otherwise, but he needed to get back home eventually too. He rested his chin in a palm. "We'll see each other again. That's already decided, isn't it? You aren't running."
After that observation, he smiled and poked at her nosy fingers. "A little. Enough not to ruin more of my clothes, that is." He offered her view of his texts to take her attention away from that. He had a damn lot of lead in his chest, and his initial pain resistance was the only thing keeping him upright and unruffled seeming. It wasn't attractive.
He nodded his satisfaction to that answer. He was an absolute night owl, slept in until noon unless he was forced into doing otherwise, but he needed to get back home eventually too. He rested his chin in a palm. "We'll see each other again. That's already decided, isn't it? You aren't running."
His comment dissuaded Shay from prodding at him more. She was still for a long time, thinking, wondering if she outta tell him the truth. He would see the orphanage when (if?) he dropped her off, wouldn't he? He could find her. That thought was...scary. Not giving him her last name hadn't done anything.
"I live at the orphanage," she said as mildly as she could muster before prodding at him all over again. She looked at the material of his shirt and his build, tried to see his eyes behind his glasses, to see the gun he likely had in his waistband. She had never been this close to an infamous man before.
A little didn't sound like a lot. Which was why it was called a little. What was a little first aid? Bandaging but not pulling the bullets out? Shay scrunched her nose distastefully. It sounded painful, but maybe he didn't feel pain the way she did.
When he mentioned they'd see each other again, Shay recalled that she had promised him she wouldn't run. She'd asked him to teach her how to shoot a gun. Had she expected them to do that tonight? Her face reddened, and she flashed a brief, shy smile.
"Hey, I promised I wouldn't run, not that I wouldn't hide."
That wasn't surprising to hear. Not surprising at all. A child with proper, caring parents wouldn't be walking straight into The Underground alone. Klaus perked up, tilting his head along with his smile. "I see! Good to know. I can't stand being blubbered at by people who can't keep track of their goddamn kids in the first place, tryin' to blame me for them sneakin' out like this. It'll be easier to get you back, like this."
What a cute, cute girl. How hadn't this child been adopted yet? If she was as old as she was now, he imagined it'd be unlikely for a surprise claiming to happen now. He didn't have anything to worry about. Not that he'd be waiting long, either. No, no. Only as much as he had to, to earn it before the real snatching. Because he respected her, within his desire to possess.
The kingpin gigglesnorted and swatted at her hands again, though mostly, allowed her exploration. He wasn't bothered. It took a lot, or very, very specific things to bother him.
She seemed almost surprised that they'd be seeing each other again, not realizing the full weight of that. It was okay. Klaus knew. His return grin was oddly expectant, due to that, but he didn't say anything. This could be slow burn, at least on one end. But there wasn't a chance in Hell he wasn't keeping her. Bonding over ice cream meant you had Klaus Rosales for life, this was fact, law.
"That's fine by me, kid. I don't exactly lose track of what I'm interested in, no matter what. We'll see each other again," he repeated, nodding, with a note of finality to it. Then, he stood up, moving from the booth, offering her a hand up. "Let's take you back, for now, yeah? You need your beauty sleep, especially when you're young, and I don't want to keep you out long enough that I'll lose my chances to chat another day."
"As much as I'd like to stay and eat diner food forever." He tipped up his sunglasses and gave a real, visible wink this time, tail flicking playfully.
What a cute, cute girl. How hadn't this child been adopted yet? If she was as old as she was now, he imagined it'd be unlikely for a surprise claiming to happen now. He didn't have anything to worry about. Not that he'd be waiting long, either. No, no. Only as much as he had to, to earn it before the real snatching. Because he respected her, within his desire to possess.
The kingpin gigglesnorted and swatted at her hands again, though mostly, allowed her exploration. He wasn't bothered. It took a lot, or very, very specific things to bother him.
She seemed almost surprised that they'd be seeing each other again, not realizing the full weight of that. It was okay. Klaus knew. His return grin was oddly expectant, due to that, but he didn't say anything. This could be slow burn, at least on one end. But there wasn't a chance in Hell he wasn't keeping her. Bonding over ice cream meant you had Klaus Rosales for life, this was fact, law.
"That's fine by me, kid. I don't exactly lose track of what I'm interested in, no matter what. We'll see each other again," he repeated, nodding, with a note of finality to it. Then, he stood up, moving from the booth, offering her a hand up. "Let's take you back, for now, yeah? You need your beauty sleep, especially when you're young, and I don't want to keep you out long enough that I'll lose my chances to chat another day."
"As much as I'd like to stay and eat diner food forever." He tipped up his sunglasses and gave a real, visible wink this time, tail flicking playfully.
Shay snorted, whether it was at him directly or these theoretical parents could be debated because she cut the sound off midway and puffed one cheek at him before paying attention to her prodding.
She clicked her tongue and pushed it against the inside of her teeth when she got a few glimpses of what 'a little' first-aid entailed. "Should have gone with the hello kitty band-aids," she uttered, low, before letting his shirt fall back into place.
The redness of the girl's cheeks only increased when Klaus told her he didn't lose track of the things that interested him. No inkling of doubt in his tone that they might just separate here and not see each other again. It might have been threatening, had he not been so patient and kind to her throughout their entire meeting.
Shay took the hand offered to her and pulled herself up, leaning into is warmth, drunk on magic, ice cream, and good conversation. Klaus was the kind of guy you could curl up to and watch a movie, the perfect person to nap on and damn did it seem like a beautiful idea from where Shay was standing then. If they'd still been sitting, she may have dozed off.
"This can be our little secret," Shay said as she zipped her lips and stepped away from him. If she had a tail, her's would have been wagging too. Watching as his flicked, she wanted to grab it but refrained.
"You're going to have to help me sneak back in through the window. The tree branch I used broke."
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