In Need of Rescue (Norah)

[William Doyle]

[will]Zee dropped him and his two bags off at a motel somewhere in Mississippi. He gathered a room number using a warm smile and his credentials from the girl behind the counter and headed off. He had sent Zee off early to deal with her fetus issue, because he was clearly capable of walking across a motel property without being mobbed by black-eyed thugs. Besides, a tiny percentage of him was certain that he could do whatever it was he’d done again if there was a need. Why the certainty existed, Will had no idea, but he was glad that at least some tiny part of him thought he could take care of himself.

He’d taken extensive notes on his tablet of everything Zee had said, fingers flying across the sensitive screen like a pro. And she had been kind enough to stop off at a McDonald’s so he could change out of his clothing and into something clean. The man that knocked on the door was entirely different from the man who’d run across the band in Chicago. There was knowledge where there’d been an easy acceptance of life. Will had dealt with his shock and his horror by forcing himself to remain rational and simply accept the facts as they were and by getting as much information as possible. He’d tucked the clothes he’d been wearing into his duffel inside a plastic bag, and other than a distant desire for a shower he was at ease. He was just sending Zee a quick text, something about driving safely, when the door opened and he looked up.[/will]

[Norah Byron]

[norah]Doro came out of his room wearing a spotlessly clean wifebeater and, a moment later, a knowing smirk. "Norah's genie. Why am I completely unsurprised that you turned back up on her doorstep?" His tone was friendly, his smile mostly so. Doro and Norah were never going to hook up, the moment when that might have worked was long past and had been before the band ever signed. But the draw was still there, maybe always would be, and every time she drew the attention of a man who was way, way out of his league he felt the pinch of it a bit. Just as, not that Doro was self-aware enough to understand it, every time he hooked up with a random fangirl (or two) for the night, she felt it a little.

Still, it wasn't like Doro gave Will a hard time or anything. Just hammered on the door two down from the one he'd emerged from and called out, "Rah, you've got a visitor you actually want to talk to!" before winking at Will and resuming his interrupted trip to the soda machine at the end of the hallway.

The door opened and Norah emerged, dressed in her own version of jeans and a wifebeater and sporting a hell of a shiner that the light makeup she was wearing just barely disguised. But her face broke immediately into a huge smile on seeing Will and she flung herself at him for a hug. "Will! I wasn't expecting to see you again for weeks!"[/norah]

[William Doyle]

[will]He blinked at Doro, managing to correctly attach a name to the face in front of him with only a bit of extra effort involved. He didn't really have time to explain himself before Doro was knocking on another door and then Norah was there. Dropping his duffel, he wrapped one arm around Norah and inhaled the fresh scent of her shampoo and let it relax him. "I apologize. I know I am rather early. However, some things came up and," he nodded down at his brand new duffel, "I may have to travel with you for a little while. I did not bring any suits, I promise. So there will be no war of the wardrobes."

Will hesitated and lowered his voice. "I know, Norah. About the things that go bump in the night. A young woman named Zee dropped me off. I am, admittedly, not at my genie best right now." There was an actual apology in his words.[/will]

[Norah Byron]

[norah]A frown, and Norah caught hold of Will's wrist and dragged him into her motel room, shut the door behind them. Now, after that talk with Zee, Will would be able to spot the sigils marked on the walls, the narrow line of salt ground into the door jamb, the bunch of what looked like potpourri but was actually warding herbs sitting in a bowl on the dresser.

She guided Will over to the bed and sat down on the foot of it, pulled him down next to her. "What happened. Are you all right? Is this Zee Kerrick? Is she still here?" She ignored the thing about him traveling with them, only because she would never even think about it being a problem. "Is anything after you?" These were the important questions.[/norah]

[William Doyle]

[will]Will managed, just barely, to snatch up his duffel again before he was dragged into her room. He took note of the little things, things he hadn't noticed the last time he'd been in one of her motel rooms. And it struck him how ignorant he'd been then. Settling down on the bed, he set his bags down, feeling a wave of vertigo as the Norah he'd met and the reality he was seeing converged. His brain took a minute to catch up with her questions and process them, but once everything came back into sharp focus, he was completely present again.

"Demons happened. Yes, it was Zee Kerrick. She's gone already. She's fine, though. And, I'm not really certain one way or the other. We couldn't deduce if it was a one-time deal or if it was more than that." They had had a couple of long conversations, because he couldn't leave the issue alone. He avoided the topic of what he'd done entirely because it made him uncomfortable, but Zee hadn't had any more answers than he had. Quietly and calmly, he gave Norah a rundown of exactly what had happened, including what he had done. "We couldn't deduce anything about what I did either. I've already dealt with my family and my work. They all think I'm on a sudden, inexplicable vacation and I bought some things with Zee." He gestured at his two bags. "I'm still learning, but I managed to note down everything Zee told me." It really felt good to have some knowledge, it made him feel less like a lost, fumbling idiot.[/will]

[Norah Byron]

[norah]She reached out and smoothed his hair, and she was enough of a girl to take a moment to reflect that he really was just ridiculously hot in jeans and a rumpled sweater. She'd thought him handsome in his suits, but this was a level of sexy that had her feeling a little wobbly in the chest.

"We'll keep you safe," she promised him. "We're really, really good at it. I'll call around and see if anybody knows anything about this weird demon activity, I've got soem pretty decent contacts." And a moment later, that brilliant smile, so like the girl she pretended to be. The girl she actually was, despite or even because of all of this. "And if you're going to take an inexplicable vacation, using it to come see me is a very good choice, I think."[/norah]

[William Doyle]

[will]"Thank you, I appreciate it." And then he smiled, immediately warming up his entire face. "You should have known that any vacation would involve following you around. Or have you found a new genie? On that note, I will do anything you want me to do. If I'm left to myself, I will find projects and I'm not sure anyone wants that." Despite everything that had happened, he reached up to cup her cheek. "I am incredibly grateful, and awed, that you are involved in this world. I am more than willing to put my life in your very capable hands, Norah Byron."

He was still a man who happened to be very attracted to the girl sitting next to him, but he banished those thoughts. Stick to practical things, he reminded himself. "Were you busy when I interrupted? I can go book a room, find a place to deposit myself." He was perfectly okay with that, he'd get to know the group at large over whatever span of time he spent with him. Not out of obligation, but simply because he liked to know the people he worked and traveled with by name.[/will]

[Norah Byron]

[norah]"No genies but you," she promised, smiling and nuzzling into his touch. "And we'll think of something for you to do with yourself, fear not. Beginning with self-defense lessons, monster school, and probably working with our wiring guy because we're having sound problems again. That and keeping me entertained." Because Will might be being all gentlemanly and restrained, but Norah had no intention of holding herself back. She liked him, she wanted to get to know him better, and she definitely wanted part of that getting to know him better to include knowing how he kissed.

And so she took hold of his hand and laced their fingers together as she said, "No, I wasn't doing anything important. Just about to go get something to eat. I was going to go find a non-chain restaurant, somewhere where you do not eat off a tray or out of paper cartons. You hungry?"[/norah]

[William Doyle]

[will]"Sound problems? How old are the wires he's using?" Will grimaced. "Immediate reactions are hard to drop. I will gladly enroll in all sorts of classes if it makes me anymore useful." Entertaining her would be one of his top favorite assignments, he was sure. No matter what she chose to do. The meaning of their entwined hands was not lost on him. His gaze examined her hand, folded so very neatly within his own.

Instead of answering her question, he pulled her in and kissed her in a very ungentlemanly manner. It was full of the emotional wave he'd been on since meeting her and some residue of the feelings he'd felt since his 'attack'. It was a rash move, but one he didn't regret at all. He was still Will, though, so he pulled away with lingering gentleness to answer her. "I am hungry, actually. It's been a while since Zee and I stopped for anything edible. Afterwards, I am going to find a shower and I am going to scrub myself pink." Because he was feeling grimy in a way that had nothing to do with being on the road.[/will]

[Norah Byron]

[norah]Norah was still breathing hard and looking a little blurry-eyed from that kiss, and it took her a few seconds to think clearly enough to answer what he was saying.

"Oh. Um. Why don't you go ahead and shower here, I'll go let people know that you're joining us and why and see about getting you a place to sleep. We're currently fulling this motel to capacity, we'll have to work something out." She shrugged, "Probably just put Luke and Alec together, they share half the time anyway. But take half an hour, scrub off the road, and then we'll meet back up?" There, that sounded relatively sensible, right?[/norah]

[William Doyle]

[will]The look he gave her was filled with so much gratitude, and hiding behind that were some other more intimate things, he was literally gleeful at the prospect of scrubbing himself clean. Or as clean as he could get. "Don't worry about kicking someone out of their hard-earned room. If someone's willing to put up with giving up some floor space, I'll be fine." Because he couldn't resist, he kissed her again, softer and with a noticeable warmth.

Feeling like a teenager stealing his very first kiss, Will reluctantly left her after considering for the barest hint of a moment inviting her to join him. He took the hottest, longest shower he could manage, literally scrubbing his skin a little raw. Road grim he could handle, but that whole being hunted by demons idea had him a little freaked. So he took the time to wash himself thoroughly. When he stepped out of the steamy bathroom, shirt in his hands and jeans already fastened, he felt a whole hell of a lot better than he had.[/will]

[Norah Byron]

[norah]Of course she'd managed to get back in time to be there when Will got out of the shower. Could anyone blame her for that? She chose to think not. Though when the bathroom door opened and she saw him standing there damp and shirtless she couldn't help the sharp exhale that forced its way out of her, nor the way she stared. Christ he was gorgeous, and with the last taste of his kiss still there on her lips she couldn't help the kind of imaginings that brought a pink tinge to her cheeks.

"Well," she said, and the attraction was right there in her eyes. "You look much happier."[/norah]

[William Doyle]

[will]Some part of him knew it should bother him that he was attracted to a girl half his age. For whatever reason, it really didn't. Maybe it was because he had long ago stopped being freaked out by oddball relationships because he'd seen so many of them, maybe it was some other reason. However, William simply accepted the fact that she was so young and moved on. He was attracted, and that was what it was. He wasn't going to question his morality and try to fight it, because it really wasn't worth his time. Especially now, when his entire world was no longer his.

A slow, positively sinful smile. "Showers do that to a person. It helps that I no longer feel like they can smell my cologne." He had bought new cologne with Zee, something completely different from the stuff he'd worn before. Will was really trying to go for a fresh start, because there wasn't any other option. "So, I'm guessing everyone's alright with the genie sticking around?" He didn't put on his shirt, because he was letting himself dry off after the hot steam of the bathroom and because he was really enjoying the look in her eyes. "Are you still hungry? I feel clean enough to go out in public again." He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm, the image of a gentleman, but his eyes spoke of very different things.[/will]

[Norah Byron]

[norah]Norah made a soft inarticulate sound at the kiss and stepped forward so that she could slide one hand up his stomach and to his chest. So good. "Nobody's going to object, but look for a fair bit of teasing. They can't help themselves, and they're getting their own back for how much I tease them about the fangirls."

She stepped close enough that they were almost touching and smiled up at him. "But if you want to go anywhere, you should probably put a shirt on. You could start a riot going out looking like that."[/norah]

[William Doyle]

[will]"I can handle teasing. Especially since it's well-deserved." He glanced down at his chest and then at her thoughtfully. "I don't know if I'm the one who can cause riots, Norah." Reluctantly, he pulled away and tugged the shirt on over his head. Running a quick hand through his hair and leaving it damp and tousled, he ran a quick search for his shoes. Once he had pulled them on and pocketed both his phone and his wallet, he returned to Norah. "See? No riot-causing nudity anymore. I think I'm safe for public consumption now."[/will]