I wrote for Amanda (© Amber Shelton) and Cara Russell wrote for Noah (© Cara Russell).

She was prowling again, somewhere behind him. Through the paths between boxes and renovation supplies, arranging and rearranging for reasons he couldn't fathom. Not like the stuff was going anywhere, or doing harm as it was. Random actions like that drove him nuts... such a waste of energy. But it kept her busy... kept her from bothering him directly. Something he should be grateful for, as it left him in relative peace bent over a board he was etching carvings into, in the room that was taking some semblance of a living room as slowly the Oceanview house became more lived in. And still something that agitated him, leaving him with more thoughts and questions than he really would care to have... at least unanswered.

"'Manda," Noah finally said, never taking his eyes away from the carving, and speaking as though he were commenting on the weather. "What do you want from me?"

Amanda examined the her own handiwork again with a critical eye, the mess was starting to make some sense. She would never understand how people could work with things all haphazard and unorganized. Any time saved in dumping it was surely lost further along when you couldn't find anything. Men.

She continued contemplating - supplies and replies - making him wait. He'd spoken as if he hadn't been obviously trying to ignore her the entire time she'd been here. As if she owed him an answer even... and maybe she did, but she wasn't overly concerned. She wasn't sure she knew what he was talking about, either.

Finally turning toward Noah, she favored him with a raised eyebrow of mild inquiry. "What do you want me to want from you, cowboy?"

Turnaround... that figured. Noah stilled his hand and carefully folded the blade back into it's casing, biding time. He didn't know what he wanted to hear from her, he didn't even consider wanting someone wanting something from him. It just is or isn't... and he supposed 'nothing' would be a lousy answer. For all his luck she'd parrot it back and he'd be left tripping over a woman claiming she wanted nothing from him and yet obviously had some vested interest. Some ulterior motive.

Of course... childish wordplays are a game two can play at.

"I asked first." He drawled, slumping back into the couch and looking over his shoulder in her general direction. Oh he hated the way the humid California weather made him sluggish. "What do you want from me. Why do you keep wandering back here... I know it can't be my charmin' personality."

"Well, you've definitely got that part right," Amanda agreed readily, though she assumed he had to have some kind of actual personality buried somewhere in there. Maybe she was there for his charming personality. To find it, at least. She did know a fair bit about walls, herself. I wonder.

"I'm here," she crossed her arms and took great pleasure in looking down her nose at him, "because I was invited. Maggie and I are decorating. Remember? And if I don't get your shit together now, I'll never be able to get mine together later.

"As for what I want, Noah," she enunciated clearly, "how about a chance? I don't know what your problem is, exactly, but I can assure you I don't have any contageous diseases unless you gave them to me."

Maggie, of course. Trust Maggie to leave the door open for any stray that happened to wander by. All this one needed was an excuse, never mind she'd been a relatively permanent fixture before he'd said anything to anyone about interior decorating. Something he'd have to bring up to Maggie later... no real use to argue it now while she was looking so smug. Like a cat that got into some cream.

"A chance to do what?" Noah asked back. Such a vague concept. Give a person a chance and they can do anything with it. Maim, murder, steal, wreak havoc gleefully, leave a man in a coma for months... any number of nasties that ran across his mind as he cocked an eyebrow and studied her stance for a hint of intentions. Far be it from him to be a trusting individual, after learning to be so the hard way.

"A chance to do what? Good question. What are we even talking about?" Talking to Noah was frustrating, Amanda didn't even know how Maggie managed. She wasn't annoyed yet, but she was definitely edging on exacerbated and he'd spoken all of five sentences. "What has your panties all in a twist? Afraid I'll say a chance to get in your pants? Oh wait, been there. You're doing this ass-backwards, cowboy."

Flipping the hair off her shoulder she moved toward him, watching with discerning violet eyes. Long strides brought her to him in a matter of steps. "I'll take a chance at just about anything, at this point. A chance at a normal conversation, to be your friend if it wouldn't herald the end of the world. Maybe I'll settle for a chance to earn your judgement all on my own. I should tell you that I don't appreciate anything I don't earn... I definitely don't appreciate your mistrust."

If ever there were a prime example of an obstinate and aggravating woman, Amanda would be it. Noah would lay money on it. Ask her a simple question and she manages to fly off into left field, and looking ready to take a pound of flesh to boot.

"Talking about why you feel the need to -" what was she doing? Stalking? Surveying? "- be around me so much. I don't think you have an altruistic bone in your body... why should I think you're out for anything except to suit your own desires...? It's suspicious." Leaning back and resting an elbow on the back of the couch. His couch, his home, may as well be comfortable while watching her get irritated. Not that he really meant to get her riled, but damn, what a sight she was when her blood was hot.

"So if you don't appreciate anything you don't earn Princess... why would you appreciate trust that hasn't been?" Stalling. Noah wasn't quite sure what to make of her wanting a chance at friendship or conversation of all things. Didn't he not look the chatty buddy type? Good Lord.

"Oh, don't misunderstand, I am always out to suit my own desires," Amanda corrected easily. He was mocking her, the arrogant brat. And to even pretend the only motivations he accepted were to do for him or to take from him when that actually left her completely out of the equation.

"If you think I'm around you all that often then you need more friends, country boy, because your social life is severely lacking," she nearly sneered. Condescending, that's what it was. Noah really did have a way about him. Amanda was sure she wasn't the only one he managed to rile apparently effortlessly. That alone aggrevated her... and intrigued her. Dammit. "As is your judgement, if you think there can only be trust and mistrust. There is middle ground, but you might not recognize it because it doesn't allow for you to be an ass all the damn time."

More friends, yeah right. As if the few he had that weren't entirely nomadic weren't trouble enough... but he let that go too. She could go ahead and think as much if she so chose. No need to reveal all of his clandestine affairs... she might get ideas.

"Then enlighten me, what's the middle ground between trust and mistrust. 'Cause as I see it, you were there with 'apathy' and you didn't much like that. Wanted a reaction instead, as I recall."

Amanda pursed her lips. Infuriating. Really. "If you were pulling off apathy. Noah. You wouldn't care that I was here, let alone why."

Was true, but he was doing a damn good job of it when she was leaving him the hell alone and staying away.

"Didn't answer the question Princess, where's the middle ground? If I won't give you trust and you don't want mistrust... what'll you settle for?" Leaning forward, Noah rested his elbows on his knees, discretely rubbing the scar that wound it's way from his abdomen to side through his t-shirt. "I know better than to just not care when someone wants something to do with me for God knows what reasons... it's a good way to get injured."

"So is being an ass," Amanda nearly growled under her breath, taking a mental inventory of throwable objects in her vicinity though her eyes never left the truly impossible man sitting in front of her.

"Are you as slow as your drawl, cowboy?" Amanda asked sweetly. "I already told you where the middle ground was... it's in the chance. I didn't ask to use blindfolds, or for you to present your back or your deep dark secrets. I asked for you to stop pretending you're in the room with a coiled snake when I haven't even begun to show fangs."

"Hnh." he grunted, noncommittal. Given a snake in his home he knew what he'd be up against. Women, however were too fickle to predict anything from... though thinking the worst was generally a good bet, in his opinion. Especially when the sugar was dripping like venom from their words.

"Say I do that. Hypothetically. Give you the chance to do... whatever," Not that he was entertaining the idea, nooo, that would give her the opportunity to use him as a doormat as her wants changed over again, and he was quite sure the stiletto heels she favored would hurt. "what do you plan on giving in return? I'm not al altruist myself, you see."

"You want something other than the same?" Amanda questioned with a wry smile, "Because I thought I was already giving you the opportunity to prove you're an ass all on your own."

"But I've never been known to be unreasonable," she continued with a speculative look, "so tell me, Noah, what it is you'd want in return. Maybe we can work something out."

***

"And I was givin' you the opportunity to prove you're an obtrusive brat, but that's not enough for you either, huh?" He damn near snarled. Something about this woman just made him want to use a sharp tone... and instinct is one hard bitch to tame down.

As for what he wanted... Noah figured a good fuck often would be a bad reply to any woman and bit it back. Score one versus instinct. Though that didn't do much of anything to answer the woman staring him down.

"Wouldn't kill ya to stop being such a stranger." Noah finally said.

***

Amanda wasn't sure whether to smirk or quirk an eyebrow... she was definitely getting under his skin and that had to be good for bragging rights, but he wasn't making a damn bit of sense.

She settled for a hand on her hip in typical 'come on now' fashion. "Begs the question - I'm not supposed to be in your vicinity or try for actual conversations, how do you propose I stop being a stranger?" Jackass. "Generally I'm all legs, but just this once we'll try all ears. I want to hear this."

***

The hell --? Oh this one was a work alright. So perfect he had to chuckle... and more than he should have, really. But it never could be said he had a good sense of self preservation.

"Now c'mon darlin', you think I'd be opposed to picking you up and tossing you out on the sidewalk if I wanted you out that badly...?"

***

Amanda's already drastically arched eyebrows threatened to disappear in her hairline. He was insane, that's all there was to it.

"Then. Why. Are. We. Even. Having. This. Discussion. You. Infuriatingly. Obtuse. Male?"

***

"Why? I'll tell ya, Princess" Noah rose to his feet, instinctively rolling his shoulders, making the muscles crick.

"Cause you're strutting around like you own my home, and I don't know you any better than I do--" he racked his brain to come up with the name of another of Caleb's friends "--Moondancer, to want to let you."

***

So. Completely. Frustrating. So. Completely. "ARRRGGHHH!" The first thing she laid a hand on became the object to dispense her growing frustration, the wooden-handled paintbrush lent momentum from a full body swing and aimed at his shoulder.

There.

"Do I have your attention now, cowboy? Because if you don't know me any better than MD then I definitely didn't have your attention when we slept together. Or am I missing something? If you're sleeping with all of Caleb's friends then maybe you should start asking him more about us first, it might help you out. At least then you'd probably know that I don't kowtow to anyone anywhere, so sorry my attitude doesn't meet with your approval."

***

Noah didn't even flinch as the brush hit him and bounced off to fall on the floor. It left something tacky he could feel through his shirt... probably paint... but didn't matter. He was expecting something like that... made him nervous wondering when the blows would finally start coming. A relief, almost. And now that they did, Amanda had his full attention.

"Weren't you just saying you didn't appreciate anything you didn't earn...?" He cocked his head. "And ooooh you missed, Princess, you missed. Anything Caleb says about his friends - if he were talking - is gonna be skewed to their saintly nature. Hardly an accurate portrait don't you think?"

***

"Obviously, not at all accurate," Amanda agreed on a snarl. At what point had she let him rile her?

"So which part haven't I earned? Because you're on about strangers yet ignoring the fact that there is a very telling difference between me and those you compare me to."

She moved. Toward him, not away, she never balked at confrontation and wasn't starting now simply because the man was different and thus unpredictable. Virtually in his face she lowered her voice, though her words were still hard edged. "You know I'm a good fuck and you know I didn't try to kill you in bed. What else is it you want to know, Noah?"

***

A telling difference...? "Ah, yeah. You didn't drag him off for a month. Thanks. I really didn't appreciate picking up the slack in household income." He gave her a condescending smirk. Caleb's friends were Caleb's friends... too numerous to pay too much attention to unless they came around or did something else so that he could put a name to a face and personality.

He watched her prowl, such an aggravation. Like his own territory was her private hunting grounds. As if he were prey.

"I want to know..." he said, matching her tone while meeting his eyes to hers. "...why you keep coming back. I want to know... that you're not going to change your mind about killing me as soon as soon as you've got whatever you're looking for.

"And I want to know what you want from me, because, y'see, every other friend of Caleb's that wanted to sleep with me asked for the money to be left on the nightstand before I left."

***

Insane and paranoid. Beautiful. "Is that why you keep looking at me like I'm a bug? I have a reputation for being a lot of things but neither a black widow nor praying mantis are among them. I might leave my 'lovers' high and dry when I tire of them, but I have yet to kill one."

Her smile was predatory and mocking. "I keep coming back because I tend to do what I want and at the moment I want to do you. Would it help you comprehend if I left you money on the nightstand when I left?"

***

"'Have yet to'," he snorted. His thought exactly. And she couldn't see that as a problem there...? Women.

"Now see, why didn't you say that in the first place instead of giving me that bullshit about chances..? Nice empty sentiments like those work as well on me as those approval-type compliments you're so fond of." As in, not at all. "Is it really so hard for you to give a simple answer to a simple question, 'Manda?" His expression fell somewhere between a smirk and a wolfish grin as he reached up and ruffled her hair, making a mess out of her brown locks. "Keep your money, I don't want it."

***

"Smug bastard."

***

Caught entirely be surprise, Noah laughed honestly. "Yuh, I am. There a reason I shouldn't be?" He asked, lips still curled into a wolfish smile, and humor in his tone. "I got a straight answer out of you for once. Hell, I should mark that on the calendar." And he made to do so, passing Amanda, even being so cocky as to intentionally leave his back open while she was still likely to huck something else at him before reaching the kitchen... but went for the small pile of take out menus that were kept on top of the near-empty refrigerator, rather than anything resembling a calendar.

***

The HELL was that? Amanda blinked at Noah's retreating back before belatedly following after. It didn't even occur to her not to.

She had no idea what to make of this man. She never did. It drove her nuts, it drove her on, and frankly it drove her to distraction. He was just so... and she... and he... she really just had no idea.

But she wanted to.

And she had no idea why.

***

She followed, like he figured she would. Eventually. And thrown off kilter, even better. Amanda being shaken of her domineering confidence for just a little bit was always a nice change of pace... proved she was human somewhere in there. And maybe just a bit companionable.

Maybe.

"D'you want anything?" he asked, peering over one menu for someplace offering Chinese from where he leaned against the fridge. "Since I'm ordering out." He rapped his knuckles on the rest of the pile, now on the formica countertop.

***

"Are you buying?" Amanda asked, intentionally snatching the menu Noah had claimed, but turning so that he could read over her shoulder. "Because that seems verging on 'night in' territory to me, Mr. Anti-Social."

***

"Mnh, my treat. Anything you want." Noah conceded. "'Sides I'm not heading anywhere... and knowin' you, you're intending to stick around outta spite." Or interest, or looking for a way to kill time before breakfast... the motive didn't matter so much as the result at this point, he thought. And despite demeanor, he'd really rather be comfortable if they were spending the evening together, for whatever reasons.

He shifted from one foot to the other, leaning on the counter, an arm loosely around Amanda. Easier to read over her shoulder that way... and be close enough breathe in her perfume.

***

Was that an invitation? Had to be, it more or less qualified, which was lightyears beyond anything else he'd ever directed at her. Interesting. She liked a man who liked a woman with a direct approach. So now... apparently there was hot sex with Noah in her future. But before that, food.

"What kind of restaraunt is this?" she questioned, finally actually looking at the menu in her hands only to find that it wasn't a place she was familiar with at all.

***

"'What kinda' -- ?" Noah echoed. "S'the kind of restaraunt that serves food, since when is there another kind?" He smirked, teasing, but under no impression that she'd find the humor. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing in his view.

***

All things considered, Amanda thought merely smacking Noah on the head with the menu showed great restraint.

"Lo mein," she informed him flatly, having found the information she wanted right as he decided to be a smartass. "And a spring roll. Or possibly two, if you eat as much as I assume you do. No point watching you eat with nothing of my own to nibble."

***

Noah accepted the abuse with a gruff chuckle, before plucking the menu from Amanda's slim fingers. She'd set her up for that smartassery, he'd be damned if he didn't take advantage of a rare opportunity despite whatever consequences.

Call made and order placed, "Thirty five minutes," he confirmed. Time to kill.

A glance down revealed light colored paint on his dark colored tee-shirt... early guess proving true, but no reason for him to continue with it. Noah stripped it off on the few strides across the kitchen and into the short hall to the entrance of what was serving as a laundry room, tossed it into a ragpile and pulled a clean one from a folded pile on the dryer.

"So," He called out to have his voice carry. "Are you an interior designer or something? That why you're helping Maggie?" Though he knew the basics of the real answer. Wouldn't hurt to hear it from Amanda's own lips just once.

***

"No," Amanda called back, contenting herself with a glance around the kitchen because she was not going to follow him around the house like a puppy. "I just know my way around fabrics and accessorizing."

Amanda let her finger trail over the countertop as she walked the length of the room speculatively, mind back on decorating. "I do fashion."

The shrug was in her voice. She was proud of what she did, but there was no reason to shove specifics and accomplishments down people's throats. "Things like... well, most of Lance's wardrobe. A lot of mine. Part of Caleb's, now, as well."

to be continued
(or actually not, but that was the original intent)