Fire at Diamond Forest

Nightime Walk-n-talk

Jake could'nt even manage to get comfortable in the hotel bed, with the image of the dorm buillding engulfed in flames still stuck in the front of his mind mixed with the still on going comotion of all the now dormless students, in his room as well as the students in the surrounding rooms, still in shock. He managed to quietly sneak out of his room and out of the building without being noticed.
Now standing between the hotel lobby entrance and the parking lot. It seemed kind of weird how dark the night was considering the massive fire the lit up the sky just a few hours earlier. The only light comming from the glass lobby doors. Jake didn't really have a desination in mind, but he felt like walking.
Right when he started on his way into the night he saw someone else that seemed to have the same idea head out of the hotel and start walking in the direction Jake was about to go. But Jake wasn't really in the mood for company. Just when Jake started to turn the other direction to avoid the possible interaction the guy called out.
"You can't sleep either?"
Jake stopped walking for a moment. Now just standing in the hotel parking lot He thought about ignoring him and continuing to walk. But as he thought about it he realized that after what everyone had experienced, maybe a friendly conversation would be a good idea. Even though he really didnt want to. He Turned his head to look back at the guy. Now actually aknowleging what he looked like. He was only able to see him with the faint light from the hotel. But he was still ale to make out that the guy was skinny, about 5'7" tall. Fairly pale in tone with short, light blonde hair. As Jake was looking over him the guy Raised his eyebrows in question. Only then did Jake reaslize that he had been staring a little too long and had yet to answer the question.

"Nah not really. Definetly not with all those loud asses in there."
"me too pretty much. Im Gray by the way"
"LIke the color?"
"its short for Grayson"He smileled shyly, scratching his neck with one hand while reaching out with the other.
"Jake" He said, returning the handshake.

They stood in silence. Neither of them sure how to continue. When the silence started to feel awkward it was Gray who broke it.

"Do you mind if I ask where you're going?
"oh uh... Nowhere really. I just didnt really want to be here so I was just gonna.. walk I guess. what about you?
"Pretty much the same idea."

Gray looked the bigger man up and down for a moment. Decideing if he seemed trustworthy. He was a farely muscular man with a lean build. About 6' tall, white but tanned with short brown hair, from what he could tell in the poor lighting. Gray couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. Not just his obviously muscular body but also the symetry of his face was very pleasing. He could't really make out what color his eyes were but they seemed... kind.
When Jake started to shift his weight to turn again Gray asked "Would it be weird of me to ask to walk with you?"
"Why?"
"well we just met... so I can understand why it would be a weird ques-"
"No no,why do you want to walk with me?"
"OH" Gray scratched the back of his head and quietly laughed at himself. "to be honest I dont really feel safe walking by myself as it is, but apparently now there might be a crazy person out here who isnt afraid to burn down entire buildings."
"But you're willing to trust a guy you just met?"

Gray stopped for a minute to consider what he said and looked back at Jake's eyes again and blushed a little.
"its hard not to when a guy has eyes like yours."

Jake furrowed his eyebrows is confusion for a moment to think about what this stranger just said. No one had ever said anything to him like that before. He was pretty sure it was a complement but it was different from any he'd gotten before, and he already wasn't good at accepting them.
"If you say so man" he laughed.

"is..that a yes?"
"sure I guess, why not."
"which way we going?"

Jake nodded his head towards the sidewalk and they began walking together away from the glow of windows.