RISK & REWARD

73 | 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦

"I WAS wondering if you two would show up." At a quarter past two, Sasha arrives at the train station; per usual, she's dressed to the nines (even despite the fierce hangover I'd expected from how much she'd probably drank), fluffy pink sweater wrapped around her neck as she approaches Slade and I. She's smiling; clearly, she's in a good mood as she gets up to us and, beaming, holds out a hand. "Welcome to the Black Swan. I'm very excited you're joining me."

Slade seems just a little apprehensive as, beside me, she swallows, belatedly holding out a gloved hand and shaking Sasha's. Either she's cold, or she's scared, because her grip shakes; I find myself absently scooting closer on the wet bench, like I'm some sort of emotional support.

"Thanks. For lettin' us." Slade's voice is quiet. "S'..."

I think she's trying to be happy. I think she's trying to say that, but her voice is getting stuck. Her face darkens; her eyes flick over to me, widened and honest but at a barricade. Help, she pleads, speaking with her gaze. Help, help...

"It's different." Before I can even say anything, Sasha's jumping in with her tone gentle and empathetic. The expression she's wearing is almost nostalgic; something like loss flits across her face before she pushes it aside with a bittersweet smile. "It's a first for you, and it's probably (she nods at me here) a first for you too. It'll be...weird, for a little, but you'll get used to it."

I glance over at Slade, silently raising the question I know she has. Will we?

"Hey. Remember; I'm not trying to make you guys do something you don't want to." Sasha lowers her voice. "If you go and you hate it, you can leave, no harm done. I just...I think it would be worth trying. Just for a little."

Slade's chewing her tongue as she nods, eyes briefly unfocused before she comes back. "Yeah."

I look at her side profile a little longer, and I wonder what exactly is going through her head. In a matter of months, she's gone from being a lone wolf on the streets of Chicago to wandering the country with someone who was a stranger before, and in a matter of days she's gone from wandering the country to train-riding to Vegas to work in a casino.

Is she really okay with this?

Sasha clears her throat, pointedly, and when I tear myself away from my own head I find her glancing between the two of us with a tiny smirk on her face. She catches my eye, raises a brow; the question in the air is palpable, and I feel myself flush as Slade catches on and abruptly straightens up.

"When's the train gettin' here?" she asks, rigidly trying to move Sasha's focus. Unfortunately, the woman's a bit too sharp; her eyes sidle over to Slade, and her voice smoothes foxily out as she replies.

"Two forty-five. Why?" Her eyes narrow. "Eager to get it on with, hm?"

I only know Slade's caught off-guard because I'm so accustomed to how slightly her eyes widen and her nostrils flare. She swallows twice in quick succession as she shakes her head. "Jus' cold."

"We can go inside, you know." Sasha's knowing smile turns further upwards. "Unless you two just want a reason to be so close together."

I expect Slade to move away, despite both of us knowing Sasha's aware of our relations. What I don't expect is for her to stay still; a little shiver runs down the arm resting against mine as Slade swallows, flushes darker and, slowly, glances over at me. She leans quietly, just sways a little closer.

"D'you want to go in?" Her voice is low; the question is solely for me, I realize, and for some reason I find myself going hot in the face. Maybe it's because she's sort of closing us off, even just briefly, from everything else going on, or maybe it's because she's closer now and I can feel her breathing on me - or maybe, maybe, it's because Sasha's still very much watching us interact with that knowing smirk on her face, only growing wider by the minute.