Trustworthy..Clint? Yeahhh.. *Maya*

[Tiff'blz]

" Damn, damn, double damn." He muttered, pacing back and forth. "Who was he? Why did she look so comfortable talking to him at first? Why did that look change? Why did she take Darcy from my arms? What in the world.. Why do I care so much? Jealousy has never been my strong suite.. Hell, I've never been jealous before!" Clint's teeth ground as he thought about the day at the market. What had gotten into him, and who was that man? Arkady? Who was that? What energy was Clint feeling coming from that man? Like a beast in a cage just waiting to get out?

Clint looked up, his blond hair getting out of his face, so he swept it beside him. His hoodie was hanging from his waist, still clasped at the bottom, the rest just hanging loosely. His shirt was of the same deep red, tightly hugging his chest. He stomped around the front entrance to the diner. "Where is she?" He asked impatiently. " Come on Maya.. Where are you?" He whispered, watching the masses walk past him, not seeing those purple eyes staring at him, not seeing that chestnut hair, that face.. Clint shook his head. "Im losing it.."

[krispey]

"Losing what?" Maya asked out of curiousity, although her voice didn't reflect any at all. It was more montone than anything. She brushed her wispy bangs from her face, before allowing her hand to drop back down to her side. Everything was the same, except one thing. There wasn't a little silver-haired little girl beside her. No overly-excited squeel filled the cool night's air. Only the scynchrinized padding of citizen's feet against the concrete.
Maya sighed, walking closer to Clint, almost scared to get any closer. He seemed on edge, unhappy. Maya seriously had no idea why he'd asked her to meet him there, but had the feeling it wasn't to eat hamburgers, and sip shakes. They hadn't talked since they day in the market, and Darcy had been bugging Maya all week long about 'bigman'. And out of no where, she gets a call.

[Tiff'blz]

"My mind Maya.. Losing my mind." He said softly. He hadn't seen her walk up. He stood with his back to her. " I think I left it at the market." He said, turning around to face her. The sight of her still gave him a shock. "I left it behind and its been killing me ever since. Calling to return, but I dont think I will let it until the night is through. " Clint motioned to the seat that he had been saving. The night air was cool and he took advantage of the chance to be outside. He didnt like the feeling of being watched.

He sat down, his fingers drumming on the table. "Who was he?" He asked, his voice tight as his teeth clenched. He didn't want to ask, but he knew he had to. He let the hurt sound in his voice. " I could tell you didnt want him to know.. Just the way to tensed up when Darcy ran to me.. You didnt want him to know that you even knew me did you?"

[krispey]

It didn't come as a shock when CLint first mentioned the market. She was now certian that that moment was what the two of them were meeting about. She followed him reluctantly to the the seat that was outside. Goosebumps began to form over her skin, thugh not from the coolness, more so the tenseness in the atmosphere. Just as it had back at the market.

Maya smacked her hand down on the table, already annoyed that Clint had even started thinking like that. "No! No..." She shook her head, and looked away. Even though she claime dot be over Arkady, it stil pained her slightly to talk about it. She sighed, "Clint, I tensed because the atmosphere tensed...You two were already acting as though you were going to jump at eachother's throats, so I decided to removed myself..."

"And his name is Arkady..."

[Tiff'blz]

Clint jumped. Man he must be tense to have been startled by that. "No?... Hmm.. Well. If you say so..Arkady huh? Yeah.. " His eyes averted, but quickly turned back to Maya. " It just hurt not to know.." His head leaned down, his arms cross on the table, his forhead over his wrists. They were free of the gloves that he always wore. The tan from being out so much was actually not even there. A paler color of white graced the backs of his hands and before the first joint on all of his fingers.

He sighed. " I dont know how to handle situations like this Maya. I really dont." He muttered. His head shook back and forth, mussing up his hair. He lifted his head only enough to peer through his hair at the woman across the table. " I've never liked anyone as much before." He whispered, unable to speak it at a tone any louder. As if it hurt to confess it. He hid his head again. Thirty some odd years old, and still cant admit his feelings without hiding his face? Even in his own eyes he was pathetic.

[krispey]

Maya didn't move at first, her lavender gaze still elsewhere. "Yeah, well, it hurts to tell," she stated as, simple as that. She listened to what he said, her gaze diverting back to him. Her hand fell delicatley on his, taking his finger into the soft grip of her own.

"I-" She cut herself off, not really knowing what to say. Somehow, her eyes connected with his, even through his golden tresses.

[Tiff'blz]

"Of course it does.. It always does." Clint muttered, he almost gasped when she took his hand in hers. He stared at his hand, hers was so small in comparison. He reached over her hand with his other one and grasped her hand. He brought it to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. "You dont have to explain..I will not ask it of you. I have no right at all to drudge up your past. Forgive me?" He asked, leaning his head forward and placing her hand back on his that was still laying on the table.

He sat up, flipping his hair back and shivered against a cool breeze. It was getting late, and he wondered if she would like to get home anytime soon. He would not be the one to ask though, he wanted her company too much to ask if she wanted to leave.

[krispey]

A tingle went down her spine as his lips made contact with her hands. Awh! How romantic. And this small, yet sweet gesture was coming from someone who, when they first met, hid behind indirect threats about him being dangerous. Despite all of that, Maya wasn't in shock. Alot of people hid behind alternative character traits, and only to save thier emotions from being exposed. Maya kept her hand on his own, allowing the warmth from his hand to wrap around her own, which was cold.

After a long paused, Maya stated, "Clint, you don't have to deny your feelings and emotions around me...I won't bite."
Her expression didn't soften, nor did it harden. It stayed the same, only to let him know that she emant what she said.

[Tiff'blz]

Clint sat her hand down on the table slowly. "I wasn't hiding them or denying them. I was telling them to you. Plain and simple. Something I dont do. Something I never do." He said slowly and quietly. He stood up from the seat, his head hung low, his hair covering his face. " I dont think you would understand.." He said , his teeth clenched. He hated that he believed she would understand. "You dont bite? .. I.. I dont even have anything to say to that really. Could you.. No.. You couldnt understand where I am coming from.. What I have been through, and how much it meant to me to show you how much I cared.."

[krispey]

Maya's eyes glossed over, filled with confusion. She watched Clint as he stood up, lost in his actions, though she did indeed listen to his words, and intently at that. Her hand just lyed there on the table, unmoving. Maya was about to insert something to correct him, but she thought that she would let him finish.
"Clint!" Maya began, "You misunderstood. I was telling you that for future references, you can open up to me!"

She jumped to her feet, almost sorry that she had upset him in anyway at all. She held one hand in the other.

"I just wanted you to know that I was there for you 'sall...." Her eyes asked for forgiveness. She had gotten this far, and she wasn't about to let it all go down the drain. Maya moved around the table, her eyes up at Clint, peering through his sheet of hair.

"No, I don't bite...Say that it makes you feel alot better, and that you look forward to trusting me."

[Tiff'blz]

His brow furrowed. "I dont get you at all Maya." He whispered, his hand reaching up to touch her face gently. He sighed and let his hand drop. "Maybe it is me that I dont get..or the situation. I told you I dont know how to handle this. I kill people Maya. I destroy and kill and I never look back. I have not regretted anything that I have ever done. Hell, I was a murderer for hire for Gods sake and I loved it! I loved the thrill,the money.. But the blood was what got me most.. All the beautiful blood. " His tone was husky. "But when I met you...when I met Darcy. All I could think of was how I wanted to be a better man. How I never wanted either of you to know what and who I was." He said, looking at her with tortured eyes. "Now that you know. How can you trust me? "

He rocked back on his heels, letting his hoodie swing back away from his legs. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked abashed. "All of a sudden..Maya..I didnt want to be me."

[krispey]

A deep sigh emmited into the air.She was confused beyond comparission. Maya didn't know whether to cry out of frustration. She didn't knowwhether to- She just didn't know! It was all too much. "Clint," Maya said in a longing tone, "I don't know...I just don't" She looked away briefly, then back at him. "Clint, you killed...Kill people...How could I have a walking murderer around my niece? The only thing that I get up for in the mornings? The only thing i live for?" She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes, "Butyou're more than that Clint, and I can see it...I saw the way your face lit up when you saw Darcy." She wanted to just slap him, slap some sense into him. "Clint," Maya began, "Ugh! You make this so hard!" She shouted, "You don't have to kill! You don'thave to!"

"If being you means you have to kill someone, kill me now...Either that, or just don't bother to make your exsitense known to me, because I know just as well as you do, that you don't have to settle for killing people, and being heartless. There's a completely different side to you, and if you can't learn how to embrace that, then just...." She looked away, pausing.

"Just don't talk to me at all...."

[Tiff'blz]

Clint looked at Maya's face. Averted from him. He lifted a hand to her face, one finger crooked, gently turning her face to him. "Didnt notice did you? All the past tense. I use to and I loved it. Past tense. I met you..that is my present. I met Darcy, that is my present." His hand fell yet again. " I didnt know that I could ever..would ever stop doing it.. If you dont trust me. Then dont. But you are the first person that has ever recongnized me as a true human being.. instead of a lowely street urchin, or.. God forbid, though it is true, a slave..or a murderer. You saw me as Clint. As a guy that has a huge soft spot for a little silver haired girl, and an even bigger soft spot for a beautiful woman with lavender eyes.." He trailed off. "I didnt even know who I was until I met you two. And I would never.. could never.. treat Darcy as anything other than the perfect little angel she is.. The person that opened that little door to my heart that wasnt even supposed to have a key. I love that little girl Maya..almost as much as I love you."

[krispey]

As his masculine hand graced her face once more, her hand came up, holding his in place. The side of her face pressed gently into his hand, her eyes closed. She listened to the words he spoke. They meant so much to her. It wasn't so much what he was saying, but more so the fact that he was saying anything at all. He was so much like Sophie...Maya figured that she could be his Arkady. The thought and sound of that made her chuckle abit, a smile gracing her features, eyes still closed. She just stood there, those words swimming around in her mind. I love that little girl Maya...almost as much as I love you." Her eyes opened slowly, her head turning, her smooth lips gently pressing against the palm of his hand. Maya smiled, gazing Clint, and after a short pause, she said, "I love you too Clint".

[Tiff'blz]

Clint's breath caught in his throat. "M..Maya..?" He said her name almost as a question. His eyes caught her lips against his palm, vague, almost like a distant dream. "Yo..you.." He couldnt get the words out, as a smile of realization spread across his face. " You love me?" He said it slowly as a revelation hit him. No one.. No one.. Had ever said they loved him before.. Never....

His other hand came up to cup her face, one thumb moving slowly across the soft curve of her cheek. "I.. Oh, hell.." He said, chuckling and staring at her. She loved him? How the hell...when did he get so lucky? Clint Heartless.. Hartless.. Correction there.. had found his heart. But it wasnt owned by him. It beat with every breath Maya took, pumped blood to keep her going so he could stand by her side. Clint.. To love and be loved..there is no greater pleasure. He had never believed it.. But now.. Now he believed it. "Maya I dont think I could live without you now.."