30 Seconds To Mars ⨺ *IMAGINES* ₪ Ø lll ·o.

IMAGINE: Talking to Shannon about his tattoos

When I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air at lunch time, I spied Shannon having a cigarette over by the fountain. I checked my watch – I had forty minutes left to kill so I picked my way across the complex.

"Hey." I said, taking a seat next to him on the stone edge of the fountain.

"Hi." He nodded, puffing out the last of the tobacco he had.

"Mind if I join you?" I kicked off my shoes.

"Knock yourself out." The cigarette was next to useless so he tossed it over his shoulder into the fountain. I watched it plop into the water and eyed him critically. It wasn't like him to be so careless.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, s'pose." He muttered, squinting at me a little from the sunlight.

"That wasn't very convincing, Shannon."

"Yeah, I know."

He stood up, stretched and exhaled.

"When are you off on tour?" I asked.

"Tomorrow morning. Flight's at eight out of LAX. First stop: Amsterdam. I just spoke to Jared about half hour ago he's all ready. I spoke to my asshole neighbour, too. I trust him for some reason to house sit while I'm away, although I said to him no drugs, no parties and no guests."

"Is he bothering you? 'Cause if he is I'll break his nose."

Shannon smirked. "I'd like to see that. I can arrange it."

"I can re-arrange him."

"I'll miss you, pumpkin."

"Will you?"

"So, you won't miss me?"

I slipped into my shoes and stood to face him. He looked hopeful for a second that I was going to embrace him, but instead I straightened the knot of his tie which he must have done in a rush.

"I might."

He watched me with admiration as I unfolded a crease in the silk.

"What are you doing later?"

I paused for thought.

"Nothing, why?"

"How about you and I take a drive, we'll have a stroll in the sun, and I'll show you the view of the San Fernando Valley."

My eyes widened. "You're not too busy?"

He shook his head. "I won't see you for three weeks, so why the hell not?"

  ₪ Ø lll ·o.  

The evening was hazy and humid. Shannon drove me up and out of the city, winding his way further from the busy highways and into the hairpin bends of the mountains.

We blazed up an incline, following signs to viewpoints. We drove into a parking lot that was half full. The stones crunched under the tyres and the track was a little bumpy. There was a yellow sign at the entrance: CLOSES AT DUSK. Shannon eyed the time and shrugged. It was six o'clock but it wasn't quite dusk so we snuck into a space and he paid for a ticket.

"Come on, gorgeous." He led me through a cracked wooden gate. Just ahead I could see a scattering of harsh brown rocks leading up to a bricked structure at the peak of a steep hill.

He helped me climb, offering a hand here and there, alerting my attention to jagged edges and rocks to watch out for.

"Definitely wore the wrong shoes." I wobbled on the rocks in my flat pink sandals. He peered into my face, which was half obscured by my hair blowing in the warm summer wind.