Lakeside Benches

[Administrator]

Benches with a great view of the lake. You can sit here and feed the ducks, watch the birds, and enjoy the nice day.

[Shannon Murphy]

<New Day - Open>

As far as Shannon was concerned, winter had stretched on long past the time it was welcome, the cold air nearly as oppressive as the summer heat had been. But there was a promise of spring in the air and with it the hope of freedom from the cramped corners of her tiny apartment that felt damn near oppressive most days. Shannon was a soul meant to wander, cooped up in a small apartment while icy winds and cold air raged outside didn't exactly go with her temperament and far from served her adventurous nature. The vibrant light that had streamed through the windows that morning had been like an unspoken invitation and Shannon had slipped out just in time to catch the lingering mist over the water in the early morning hours.

Sleep had never been something that came easily to Shannon, she blamed her nearly nomadic lifestyle, or perhaps it was her insatiable need to always be doing something. Whatever the case, Shannon had become well acquainted with the early morning hours such as this one, when the sky was still painted with the slightest touch of pink and the day was just beginning to awaken. There was a stillness to the air and to the world that appealed to Shannon - something she supposed was rather at odds with anyone who might know her. Stillness was not something Shannon Murphy was accustomed to practicing.

The ducks were out early as well, the sounds of their calling to one another like a morning serenade and a smile quirked Shannon's lips as she pulled out a crust of bread and broke off bits to scatter on the ground in front of her. "There ye go," She said softly, watching as the ducks milled about, first one and then another taking notice of her tasty offering. "Start yer morning off right, aye?"

[Banshee O'Hara]

Banshee didn’t even try to smother his yawn as he made his way through Prospect Park, his stack of papes for the day tucked securely beneath his arm. Another late night at McGinty’s could be blamed for his unwillingness to roll out of bed this morning, and for the thousandth time, he swore to himself that he would call it a night earlier tonight. The thought made him chuckle to himself though, as he knew that he was no more likely to keep the promise this time than he had been any other time he made it.

Though his job required him to rise early, Banshee had ever been a night owl, and most nights never found him in bed at a decent hour, be it that he was at the pub, roaming the streets, or holed up somewhere playing a bit of cards. A decision that always seemed good at the time, but never served him well the following morning.

This morning was no exception, and another huge yawn split his face as he wandered down the deserted path. Had it been summer, there might have been a few people about, and he might have been able to get a jump on selling off his papes. But though there was the slightest hint of spring in the air, it was still more than a little chilly, and Banshee was alone as he cut through the park on his way to his selling spot.

Rounding the bend that took him by the lake, he was surprised to see a familiar face seated on one of the benches that dotted the shore. That fact alone was unexpected enough, given the early hour and the chilly air, but this particular person was a double surprise. Banshee knew for a fact that Shannon had been up even later than himself, as she had been the one to serve him his last drink before he headed home, and there had still been a small but lively crowd when he left.

Banshee approached the bench quietly so as not to disturb the ducks she seemed intent on feeding, grinning a little at the sight as he pulled one of his papes from the stack and leaned over the back of the bench. “Buy a pape, miss?” he asked with a grin and a wink as he offered it to her.

[Shannon Murphy]

Shannon had been so caught up in feeding the ducks that she hadn't heard anyone approach - a fact that she'd chide herself about later, Sean was forever telling her to be on alert no matter the time of day and really, she knew better. But she had been lulled by the early hour and the prettiness of the mist on the lake and the cheerfulness of the ducks as they squabbled amongst themselves for the bits of bread and crumbs that she offered. So she was startled when a paper suddenly appeared at her side, and with it a familiar voice and the handsome face of one she had come to know as a friend.

"Ach laddie, if ye aren't a sight on a fine morning such as this," She said, pressing a hand to her chest for a moment and then grinning as she looked up at him. She'd be a fool not to admit that she was pleased to see him, it was true that often when she crept down to the park in the mornings she saw nary a soul and often she liked it that way. But Banshee, Banshee she didn't mind seeing no matter the time of day nor the occasion - he did have that way about him.

Moving over slightly on the bench she made a motion with her hand for him to join her, she knew they had both had a late night and she was a tad surprised to see him about so early. It had been a loud, boisterous night at the pub with everyone in high spirits, Bridgette dancing a jig and talking Shannon into a song. Which Shannon could admit wasn't the most impossible of tasks; particularly when the mood was right, the music was lively and the audience appreciative. "What are ye doin' out so early Banshee?" Shannon asked, tilting her head a little as she broke off another piece of bread and tossed it out to see the ducks rush towards it. "Seems that barely a soul is breathin' just yet."

[Banshee O'Hara]

Banshee’s grin widened when he saw he had startled her. He hadn’t actually been trying to, but apparently she had been a bit more caught up in feeding the ducks than he had thought. “Fine mornin’, is it?” he asked, glancing around. “Seems a bit chilly t’ be a fine one, though seein’ such a lovely lass as yourself has got me thinkin’ on changin’ my mind.” The flattery rolled easily off his tongue, as, with a few exceptions, he was always ready for a bit of harmless, and sometimes not so harmless, flirting with a lovely girl. The fact that Shannon was even lovelier than most, well… She was one of those girls that tended to get stuck in your mind, and Banshee had to admit she had found her way into his often enough here lately.

Pushing off the bench, he moved around and dropped into the offered spot, leaning back a bit, his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. Absentmindedly, he watched the ducks, vaguely wondering if sitting down had been such a good idea, as his body wasn’t so far out of sleep mode just yet, and was still more than willing to give in to lethargy.

Shrugging, he gestured to his stack of papes on the bench beside him. “Some o’ us have t’ work, love,” he said mournfully, though his eyes twinkled mischievously. “Can’t all have cushy jobs wit’ free drinks an’ plenty o’ entertainment, now, can we?” The laughter in his eyes made its way past his lips, letting her know he was only teasing. He knew Shannon worked just as hard, if not harder, than anyone else, and didn’t begrudge her the few perks her hectic job offered.

“As well there shouldn’t be! It’s an ungodly hour for anythin’ but maybe those ducks there, t’ be stirrin’. I, however, have an excuse, whereas ye, on the other hand….” he trailed off as he gazed out over the lake. Lass looks bloody tired, he thought with the tiniest hint of a frown, though he knew it wasn’t his place to be saying so. Still, she was one of the few people he considered a friend, and though he wasn’t one to pry, he still took note when someone he cared about seemed a bit off.

[Shannon Murphy]

"I see that silver tongue of yers isn't just for the pub. Unless ye be hoping it will carry over and get ye that pint next time," Shannon said with a smile, finding she rather liked the flattery no matter the time of day - though she was left with the wondering if he meant them or like most Irish lads they came as easy as breathing. "Aye, a fine morning." She affirmed with a nod of her head and the hint of a smile on her lips. "A bite on the air to be sure but not enough to keep a lass like me locked indoors. Had enough of that this winter, aye?" It was chilly as he had noted but Shannon didn't much notice, it cooled her skin but her shawl kept her warm enough and she bartered a little warmth for fresh air and a bit of freedom.

She watched out of the corner of her eyes as he walked around to sit beside her, stretching out his long frame and she tried not to linger to long. He made a handsome picture, a fine looking Irish lad with a bonny good smile to match and she'd be fooling herself not to admit she'd had occasion to think of him when he wasn't seated in McGinty's. "Oh aye cushy indeed," Shannon teased, appreciating his laughter and she shared it, leaning back against the bench as she relinquished the last bit of bread she'd brought with her to the pleading ducks. "Gettin' drunken fools their libations and singin' to please the likes of you? Oh aye...cushy." The truth was Shannon did love her job at the pub, even the dirty not so glamorous bits - it reminded her of home and while she was learning to love the city it was nice to have a piece of it that felt so familiar.

"Oh me?" Shannon said at his wondering why she was sitting by a lake in the early hours of the morning when most who had been up as late as they would have still been tucked under a blanket with dreams dancing in their eyes. "I was hopin' to run into a handsome lad to spend the mornin' with." She grinned over at him and then looked back out over the water, not the truth exactly since even if he had been in her thoughts that morning she had no way of knowing he'd appear at her side as he had. "Couldn't sleep," She said finally after a few long moments passed, looking over at him and smiling a little. It wasn't a bit of her she shared freely, but Banshee was a friend and deserved a bit of the truth as far as she was concerned.

[Banshee O'Hara]

“Sure, an’ I don’t need a silver tongue, nor yet the aid o’ a drink t’ pay ya a compliment, Shannon,” he protested. The words were light enough, though the honesty with which he delivered them might have been less guarded than he intended. Glancing at her, he nodded. “Aye, the winter’s been long, for sure,” he agreed, noticing with appreciation how the wind had teased a rosy tint into her fair cheeks.

Shifting slightly to settle more comfortably, he smirked just a bit as he noticed her discreet gaze on him, though in a rare display of gentlemanly conduct, he resisted the urge to make a comment on it, instead laughing at her good natured grousing. Her quick laugh and quicker tongue were two of the things he enjoyed the most about her, though the list of qualities grew longer with the more time he spent in her company. “The likes o’ me, is it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and giving her a playful nudge. “And just what would ya be meanin’ by that, then?” The question was asked with a teasing smile, though he couldn’t deny that how she viewed him was of an interest to him. “Aren’t I always the soul o’ decency around ya, love?” He gave her a wink before turning to watch the ducks fight for the last of the bread.

Her jesting explanation had him turning back to her with a snort of laughter. “Oh, were ya, then? Lucky for ye, I happened along then, aye?” The words were said with the arrogant assurance of one used to the favorable glances of the lasses, though the fact that the one in question was one he favored himself had the slightest hint of uncertainty flickering in his eyes.

He started to make a playful comment about a string of broken hearts keeping her up at night, but the tone of her voice suggested that her admission of sleeplessness was not one she made often. Banshee himself knew a bit about not being able to sleep, though the ghosts that kept him awake some nights were ones that he sincerely hoped would never haunt the lass at his side. Keeping his eyes on the water, he allowed the silence to stretch for a moment. “Anythin’ in particular troublin’ ya, love?” he asked finally, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

[Shannon Murphy]

"Is that so?" Shannon mused, looking over at him with a playful smile tugging at her lips and laughter in his eyes. It was hard to say if he meant the words, how easily they rolled off the tongue, but no matter their cause it made her feel light and buoyant in a way she hadn't experienced in awhile. "Perhaps I should hope to happen upon ye more often should that be how ye plan to help me greet the day." She winked at him then and then turned to look back out over the water, the ducks seemingly aware that she had run out of food waddling off to fend for themselves.

"Aye the likes of ye," Shannon said, laughter in her voice as he nudged his shoulder against hers and she couldn't resist the urge to return the gesture, perhaps linger just a beat longer than another might. "All bold talk and smiles on that handsome face, enough to make a lass swoon and do things she knows she shouldn't." She followed her words with a wink, knowing that despite the teasing and light nature of their conversation there was truth enough in her own words. "And if ye be the measure of decency in me life..." She trailed off, shaking her head in mock concern for her own misfortune, laughter still twinkling in her eyes. "Well may the fates be kind to me hence forth."

She'd given thought to Banshee in moments when he wasn't seated beside her, wondered if he would show up at McGinty's or perhaps what he was doing when he wasn't there. Foolish musings perhaps, but as she looked over at him as he spoke and thought she saw the smallest beat of something in his eyes - she wondered. Wondered perhaps what it might be like to see him like this; outside of the cozy comfort of McGinty's and if he might linger still in her thoughts as he had been doing as of late. "Oh aye," Shannon said softly, bumping her shoulder more lightly against his and looking over at him and catching his eye. "Lucky indeed."

She looked away when he did, finding the mist over the water had begun to fade as the sun rose a bit higher in the sky. Soon morning would really begin and the dewy stillness that had lingered would drift away just as the mists had done - another day truly beginning. His question hung in the air and she knew from the way he subtly glanced over at her and the gentle concern in his voice that he cared and the thought made her smile. "Ach, no laddie. No more than usual." She looked over at him as she leaned back against the bench and shifted, tugging the shawl a little tighter around her shoulders. "Sleep hasn't often been a friend of mine, tis the way of things."

[Banshee O'Hara]

Banshee grinned. He could easily make this coincidental early morning trip through the park a regular occurrence if he thought she might feel favorable towards seeing him again. “I usually cut through here ‘bout this time o’ mornin’,” he lied. As with most newsies, he was no stranger to improving the truth, though he wasn’t in the habit of telling outright lies. However, he felt this particular lie was justified, as he intended on making it the truth. “Be more than willin’ t’ spend a few moments helpin’ ya greet your day, should I happen on ya again.” And that was the truth. In fact, there weren’t too many parts of the day, or night, for that matter, that he would mind helping her greet.

The fact that she returned his playful nudge didn’t surprise him. She had an easygoing, fun way about her that he had noticed on more than one occasion. What had him wondering, however, was how she almost seemed to let the contact linger, though he couldn’t be too sure that it wasn’t just the result of wishful thinking in his head. He rolled his eyes. “Ah, sure, ya may be right,” he admitted, returning her wink. “Though I know better than t’ be tryin’ those tricks on a canny lass like yourself.” Though, to be honest, it wasn’t her canniness that had him second guessing his usual approach. Shannon was a friend, which set her apart from the usual girls he dallied with, and while he was interested in testing the waters beyond friendship, he wasn’t willing to do it at the expense of what they already had. It was a decision easier made than executed, however, as Banshee had never found himself in this particular situation before, and while he knew she was worth far more than bold words and charming smiles the unfamiliarity of the feelings he was experiencing had him clinging to the familiar in an effort to remain grounded.

He knew his words were boastful, and he fully expected her to call him on them. She had a good-natured sharpness to her tongue born from years of fending off many a smooth talking lad, and more than once a witty retort from her had put him firmly in his place even as he brazened it out. Her soft agreement accompanied by her light nudge was a surprise, and the way she caught his eye had him reevaluating what his place might be as, this time, he returned the nudge with a smile, though his eyes still held the barest hint of a question as he turned away.

He nodded, satisfied for now with her semi vague answer, though he hoped for her sake that she would have better luck with it in the near future as she looked nigh on wore out.

The sun was creeping up a little faster than Banshee would have liked, and he knew that he shouldn’t linger with her too much longer or he would miss the strongest part of the morning crowd. Still, missing the morning rush just meant harder work and a longer day, both of which he would willingly take in exchange for a bit longer in her company without the usual distractions surrounding their casual meetings at McGinty’s. His decision made, he settled more comfortably into the bench and rested his arms along the back, though he was careful not to brush her shoulders.

“Know what I like most about Spring?” he mused, breaking the companionable silence that had fallen between them. “The way everythin’ is so green…. Kinda like home…” He chuckled a bit at his own sentimentality and gave her an almost sheepish grin as he shook his head. “Must still be a bit o’ the drink left in me yet, aye?” he asked with a wink, wondering a bit at the fact that he wasn’t as uncomfortable with his unguarded words as he thought he should be.

[Shannon Murphy]

"Do ye?" Shannon said, arching her eyebrow at the thought of bumping into Banshee with something akin to regularity at this early hour and found that the thought warmed her. It had her mind working, that perhaps her inability to sleep wasn't always the curse that she sometimes thought it to be - if she might find occasion to slip down to the pond to feed the ducks, greet the morning and earn a smile from the handsome lad sitting beside her. "A right fine reason to rise and greet the sun every mornin' then," She said, turning to smile at him and finding that his eyes were a surprising color blue that had been hard to pinpoint in the dim lights of the pub.

Before she got caught with her gaze lingering again, Shannon turned to look at the water, watching as it lapped against the shore in a soft, rhythmic way that was soothing to the soul. A smile quirked her mouth as he professed to knowing it better not to test tricks on her, "Aye a smart laddie ye are," She began, crossing her arms over her chest as she turned to look at him again. "Takes more than a charmin' smile and pretty words to make me heart swoon." And in a rare moment in the late hours of the night before as she had lay tucked in her makeshift bed with sleep not close to coming, she had admitted that Banshee was well on his way past a 'charmin' smile and pretty words'. He was handsome to be sure, there was no denying it and she hadn't tried when Pallet had remarked on it a few times to her, but there was something more that enticed Shannon and had her longing to know more - and wanting to spend time with Banshee with the moment was presented.

Like now, sitting on a bench in the middle of the park in Brooklyn, with the sun rising above them and the morning mist disappearing nearly completely. His arm was stretched along the back of the bench, she could sense it's presence, knew it was there as surely as she could see him sitting there beside her and the idea caused a warmth to blossom in her chest. She could hear the fondness for Ireland in his voice when he spoke and the smile that drew out now was genuine as she turned to look at him more fully, twisting on the bench so she was seated sideways, her shoulder leaning against the back of the bench.

"Oh aye!" Shannon agreed, smile on her face as she recalled running the green hills of the Irish countryside in her youth. "Nothing so green as Ireland in the spring, aye?" She smiled a little when he noted that he might have some drink in him yet and she gathered that perhaps like so many of them, he wasn't someone prone to sharing bits of his thoughts so freely. The fact that he had with her, touched Shannon and she felt herself inching just a touch closer on the bench as she tilted her head to look at him. "Ach, sometimes I ache with the missin' of it," She finally said softly, knowing that he would understand what she meant - the city was fine and she'd made herself a home here, but Ireland it was not.

[Banshee O'Hara]

Banshee nodded with a smile as he met her eyes. Her expressed pleasure at potentially seeing him again cemented his plan to make this his new daily route, though, for the sake of her getting some decent sleep, he hoped he wouldn’t see her here every morning no matter how much he wanted to. He smirked slightly as she turned away, no doubt afraid he’d catch her staring, and he kept his own eyes on her, watching as she gazed over the water. When she turned towards him again, her declaration had him wondering what did have her heart swooning then, but he kept that thought to himself as this time he broke the gaze. “As well it should.. You’re far too good a lass t’ settle for so little, love,” he said, his eyes intent on the gentle waves dancing over the lake in the slight breeze.

Banshee knew all too well what kind of lass was won solely with words and smiles. He had won his fair share of them, and while they had satisfied whatever urge was on him at the time, it wasn’t a lasting satisfaction, nor was it remotely what he found himself wanting from the girl beside him. Not that it wasn’t part of it, as he was a lad and she was a very tempting lass, but beyond that, there was a desire just to be in her company as he was now. It wasn’t that he hadn’t met lasses like her before, as he had. Not all of them were easily charmed, and once finding that they required that extra effort, he usually cut his losses and found a more willing dalliance. Shannon was the first to ever catch more than his eye, and though he was unsure of exactly what would catch more than hers, he was willing to bide his time until he figured it out. In the meantime, however, he wasn’t above using words and smiles to gain and hopefully maintain her attention until things sorted a bit, especially since he got the impression that she enjoyed their banter just as much as he did.

Her shoulder brushed his arm as she turned to face him, and he allowed his hand to fall a bit off the back of the bench to curl loosely around her in the illusion of an embrace, though not actually touching her. Her sincere smile and the delight in her tone helped to keep his thoughts light as they lingered on his homeland. Though he had many fond memories of the land that had raised him, with them came the many unwelcome ones, as they were all intertwined in his mind, one rarely following without the other. Still, his original thought had been a happy one, and he slammed the door on the rest that threatened to overtake it as he nodded. “Nothin’ quite like walkin’ the green hills in a fine spring rain t’ clear your head an’ lighten your soul,” he allowed, the genuine warmth of that memory, at least, chasing away whatever sadness might have momentarily shadowed his eyes.

That she moved closer to him on the bench didn’t escape his notice, though the nature of the moment had him enjoying her nearness on an emotional level rather than a physical one as he gazed down at her, the expression in his eyes mirroring her own in a way that only those with a shared loss could achieve. “Aye,” he agreed as he allowed his hand to fall further to rest lightly on her back in a gesture of solidarity. “It’s the way o’ it for many far from home, I think.”

[Shannon Murphy]

She smiled a little as he claimed she was far to good to settle for more than fancy words and a handsome smile and she had a feeling he meant the words just how they sounded - genuinely and sincerely. It pleased her that he seemed to think so highly of her, that a friendship that had begun as casual acquaintances in the bar that she worked at seemed to extend far beyond that now. Shannon knew she was the sort of girl who manged to move through life making friends at every turn; a quick smile, the sharp edge of her tongue as she poured a drink and the music that flowed through her as surely as her Irish blood ensured she'd never be lonely. But true friends, the ones that counted, Shannon had learned were harder to come by and Banshee was quickly falling into that category and she found that she liked it.

She'd rarely found a man that held her interest for more than a moment - she supposed it was because she'd grown up alongside some of the best men she'd ever known and when it came to lingering most other lads didn't measure up. Sure it was an easy enough thing to catch her eye, Shannon had an appreciation for a handsome face and easy laugh as much as the next lass, but rarely did one manage to stick around for more than a passing few moments. Rarely did she want them too. But Banshee, Banshee was different because he measured up and he made her think and was just as quick with his tongue as she was with hers - wit for wit and it was something that she could admire.

She thought she saw a shadow in his eyes that flashed just for a moment as their conversation turn towards their shared homeland. The sort of dark flickering thing that almost had her reaching out to touch his cheek, smooth away the pain and darkness that seemed to threaten. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared and he was talking of rain soaked walks in the hills she loved and Shannon felt a soft tugging at her heart at the words. "Oh aye, those spring rains are somethin' to behold," She agreed, recalling the times that she'd get stuck on the drenching showers while playing with Sean or Bridgette as kids, or later when she was older and the walks were something intentional. "And then the flowers start to show, all cheery with bonny bright colors and ye just knew that warmer days were on the way."

His hand fell to her back and she was aware of the warm comfort of it even from underneath her thin shawl and clothing, there was a steadiness and gentleness to the touch that should have surprised her. But it didn't and she found herself subconsciously leaning into it a little, even as her focus was on his face and the blue in his eyes that seemed to deepen as he thought of home. "I'm sure that's true lad," Shannon said softly, a light sparking in her eye as a smile began to blossom on her face once again. "But I don' think there is any place quite like our Ireland, aye?"

[Banshee O'Hara]

Banshee could not remember the last time he had just sat and done nothing but talk with a girl, except maybe with Fighter, though their friendship was built more on companionable silences, shared pints, and the unspoken knowledge that they had each others backs should the need arise. To sit and talk with anyone at all, for that matter, was a rarity for him. Brooklyn wasn’t known for its conversationalists, and that was one of the reasons he had finally ended up in the rough and tumble borough. Banshee had learned early on that conversation, no matter how seemingly harmless, could be twisted and used against you, and that one rarely left a real conversation without giving away a piece of oneself.

Still, Banshee hadn’t been lying when he had declared her worth more than pretty words and charming smiles, a fact evidenced by the somewhat intimate turn that had befallen the easy banter that defined their friendship. The unexpected sharing of memories, no matter how seemingly insignificant, was his first clue that she was under his skin far more than he had thought and he was left wondering which bothered him more, that he had relaxed enough to lower his guard even a little, or the fact that it didn’t bother him as he thought it should. In fact, it felt almost….right.

“Typical lass t’ go noticin’ the flowers,” he teased, even as, though he’d never admit it, the image of a rain soaked, flower covered meadow sprang into his mind with quick enough ease. And shortly on its heals followed a mental picture that had a smile hovering on his lips as he gave her a sidelong glance. “Though even a lad might notice the flowers if he had the right lass at his side t’ pick ‘em for, aye?”

Banshee’s smile was almost dreamy and the light in his eyes matched her own as he met her gaze for a long moment before shaking his head. “Ah, no…..” he began as his fingers traced light patterns on her shoulder without thought. “She’s like a woman, aye? Beautiful and treacherous as the sea that surrounds her. She’ll break your heart o’er an’ o’er, but ye could no more stop lovin’ her than ye could stop the world from turnin’…..” He trailed off, his eyes distant for a moment before he shook his head with a slight laugh. “An' that is far too heavy o’ a thought t’ be weighin’ down a lovely mornin’ such as this, aye?” he asked as he gave her shoulder a light squeeze before returning his arm to the back of the bench, though not without an inexplicable regret and perhaps even a sense of loss.

[Shannon Murphy]

"And what bonny lass might be so lucky as to receive flowers from a handsome lad like you?" She asked her voice light as she smiled over at him, even as her mind wandered to what the real answer to that question might be. What sort of lass did catch Banshee's eye, make him linger when normally he wouldn't or had him picking flowers out of a rain soaked field.

There was an urge to shift closer as they talked about their homeland, the sort of snatches of memory that Shannon was certain was reserved for those who knew and loved a place well. Dewey memories, covered by the haze of passed time and distance and if the look that had passed through Banshee's eyes were any indication - pain and perhaps loss. It tugged at something deep inside her, that distant look in his eye and the way that his voice drifted as though he had stumbled into some long forgotten place and didn't wish to move forward. "Aye," She agreed softly as he noted the heavy subject matter and she caught his eye again. "I don't mind it."

And the truth was, she didn't - heavy conversations weren't something that Shannon stumbled across often, usually reserved for late nights sitting up with Sean or when Bridgette needed an ear for the things that mattered. But she found that she didn't want to turn away from this conversation, from anything that Banshee might have to say or share with her. It struck her just how easy it might be to settle into the warmth of his body, lay her head on his shoulder as he traced idle designs on her back and she could listen to the soft rhythm of his voice as he spoke; familiar and easy like they might have known each other longer than a few scant weeks.

Ye've gone bloody daft, Shan. She scolded herself as she looked over at Banshee, wondering just when exactly she had taken to getting such romantic notions about a friend. It was true she enjoyed his company and it seemed as though he rather enjoyed hers and it would be dishonest for her not to admit that he lingered and danced around the edges of her thoughts even when he wasn't around. But she couldn't be certain how he felt, the man was a bloody flirt like most handsome Irishmen and Shannon wasn't sure what he saw when he looked at her with those blue eyes. His hand dropped away and she almost shivered at the loss of warmth as she smiled over at him, tilting her head a little.

"Deep thoughts have a way of workin' in even when ye don't want them there." She noted the sun had risen higher in the sky and knew that soon he would need to be moving on, lingering on a bench with her in the park hardly counted as working. Shannon regretted that the moment had to end, that the pink mists that had lingered over the water were now completely gone and the magic of the early morning scattered in the wind. Her eyes caught Banshee's again and she smiled - perhaps not all the magic. "I suppose I should be gettin' back. Sean and Bridge will be wondering after me and I'm keepin' ye from work."

[Banshee O'Hara]

Banshee shrugged, a half smile tugging up one corner of his mouth. “None yet,” he admitted as he studied her. The question had been teasing enough, but something abut the look in her eyes had him wondering if maybe she wasn’t a little more interested in the answer than she let on. Catching her gaze and holding it, he let the smile slip fully across his lips. “She’d have t’ be somethin’ special, aye?” he asked, matching her light tone, though his eyes didn’t leave hers.

Banshee wasn’t sure what was going on between them, if anything. He was willing to admit to himself that walking a rain soaked field and picking flowers just to see her smile would not be out of the question, but as to how she honesty felt, he had no idea. He wanted to think that the lingering glances might mean something, but as they were friends, he was also aware that it could just be friendly concern and interest on her part.

So she didn’t mind the heavy turn their talk had taken, did she? He supposed she could just be saying that though her soft tone and the look she gave him suggested otherwise. He was normally a fairly good judge of people, but Shannon had thrown him off in that he wasn’t sure if what he was reading from her was truth, or if it was being colored by his own feelings towards her. And feelings, there were, he knew, even if they were all one sided, though he hoped they weren’t. She had been invading his thoughts for quite some time now, flitting through his mind at random moments, or causing him to pause, his eyes searching for her, if he thought he glimpsed her in a crowd.

But conversations like the one that had just hung between them weren’t something Banshee was willing to enter into with just anyone, and though he had resigned himself to the fact that she was certainly more than just anyone, he wasn’t ready to trust her with quite that much of himself. In fact, a small part questioned if he hadn’t already given her too much, even as the larger part of him dismissed the notion. Ready or not, it seemed that she had worked her way into the fringes of his trust, though by what merit, he didn’t know.

Her statement somewhat mirrored his own thoughts as it brought him back to the conversation with a chuckle. “Aye, they do,” he agreed, his eyes lingering on her for a moment before turning skyward. With reluctance, he knew he really did have to be going, or he’d have no hope of selling the stack of papers beside him. And though he had no regrets about the way he had started his day, it had shaken him more than a little and he was anxious to go over it in his mind someplace where her nearness wouldn’t be clouding his judgment.

She caught his gaze with a smile, and Banshee was quick to return it even as he began gathering his papes. “Won’t be the first time I been kept from my work, though certainly one o’ the most enjoyable,” he told her with a teasing wink, though he meant every word. Rising to his feet, he offered her his free arm. “Walk ya at least as far as the edge o’ the park, love?” he asked, as, though he knew he had to be going and wanted some space to clear his head and collect his thoughts, he was still reluctant to leave the warmth of her company.