Roses of the Marble (Daniel and Jules)

[Hero]

I felt hotter than I have ever felt at work. Sculpting was a hard job but a woman could do it just as well. The sun beat down violently on my back as I put the finishing touches on a sculpture that I was instructed to make and put away for yet another Reaping Day. Daniel had helped me out planty and so now I had a burden on my mind that I had to repay him. He cameto visit me after shift, so I assumed it was my turn to do the same for him. The constant scrape of metal against marble sometimes got to me when it made the sound of nails on a chalkbord. I looked over my shoulder to find my partner working away on her scupture. "Hey! Keep it down!" I got back to work, finally saying a finished. I stood back and admired my work. A 10 foot sculpture depicting all the District 1 Victors over the years. 10 feet and way too many people to make. I walked out of the blazing sun into our usual work areas, for the smaller things. I ran into the women's locker room, showering and changing. I gave myself one last look-over before I decided that I was good for a while.

I walked through the familiar streets of District 2, struggling to remember where Daniel would be with today's training. I remember it being an open training of some sort, at the gym. But which one? The one downtown.. That's the one. I said hi to familiar faces and to strangers, donating a few dollars to people on the streets. Every District can't be perfect, right? Some of us here certainly aren't. Me very well included.

I made it to the gym used for today's training. I found the group after a while. Some passed me and gave simple hellos. I stood in the doorway as the roup ran drills and Daniel gave orders. Like always. I smiled at the thought of what life might have been like had he decided to become a Peacekeeper. I discarded the thought as I dropped my stuff and ran over to Daniel, his back to me. I flicked him in the back of the head and ducked out of view before he could see me. I then resulted myslf to jumping on his back, like he was giving me a piggy-back ride. "Hey White. How's training going?" 

[Fox.]

Daniel glared a bit at the supposed tributes. "Pick it up. Move faster." He hollered, throwing a fake sword at the last tribute who was running laps. He basically growled at them before collapsing onto the bench and glaring at them. He counted the laps to himself as they ran them and began to lose interest for a few moments. After a good hour, he stood up and watched as a few of them basically collapsed in exhaustion. "I hope you're going to learn to run better than that. You'll have to catch your prey somehow." He picked up another fake weapon and through it at the back of one of the tribute's heads who were mocking him. "Tomorrow, you four will spar me. Four on one." Daniel glared at them as they smirked and had already decided they were going to win. "Get out of my sight. All of you." With the order, they all ran off towards the showers and lockers.

He grumbled at them and sighed as he thought how little they actually knew to survive here in this miniature dome of an Arena he called his own. His eyes scanned the gym; it was the oldest one in District 2 and he wanted to buy it. He was saving up for it, but he hadn't told anyone else that yet, other than the current owner of course. A slight smile formed across his lips as he thought of what he would be doing to the gym after he owned it.

Daniel grunted when he felt someone flick him in the back of the head. He looked behind him, about ready to hurt one of the tributes he thought had been brave enough to do it. He stumbled slightly as Jules weight landed on his back, but the glare and tensed muscles basically all but disappeared when he heard her voice. A soft chuckle came from his lips as he looked up at her with a forming smile.

"Well hi there Jules." He slipped his arms up under her legs to hold her weight better on his back. Daniel gave her a grin. "Minus them not being able to run for an hour, I think they'll live at least two days in the Arena now." He joked. His eyes glittered with a playful look as he began to walk around the Gym track with her on his back. The motions of this were slightly sluggish at first as he shifted his shoulders or his arms to get her weight properly spread on his back but they soon became the normal wolf-like grace he typically had. "How was work?"

[Hero]

I smiled when I felt his perfectly sculpted arms slip under my legs to hold me up, despite the aggitated grunt he gave. "Minus them not being able to run for an hour, I think they'll live at least 2 days in the Arena now."  He adjusted my weight to better kepe me on his back. Something we used to do when we were teenagers and something we still do now. "How was work?" I smiled, not wanting to tell him but wanting someone to talk to. "I hated it. Like usal. I got that one sculpture done for this year's Reaping. You know, I might have to start helping you out over here. At least it's air conditioned."

I looked around the gym to see some of the boys coming out of the locker room, fresh from their showers. They had walked around a but and gathered in small groups around the gym, whispering to each other. I leaned into Daniel so I could whisper in his ear. "You knowm I bet those boys think we are dating." I laughed at the thought but wanted it to be true as well. And I didn't care what the rest of the boys thought. "You know, I hear you have a 4 on 1 with a few of these guys tomoroow. Care if I stop by?" I smled and ran a hand through his hair, tangling it slightly. 

We had a standing 'date' night where he would take me wherever I wanted to go. Not exactly a date but with him, probably as close as I was going to et with the other people throwing themselves at him. He wasn't a desirable but I swear people treated him like one. It killed me to see him like that. People treated him as if I was never there with him, but you don't always see the best friend who is only 5'2 to his 6'4. You just don't see them.. 

[Fox.]

Daniel visibly relaxed as he carried Jules around the gym. It was a pleasantry he loved to enjoy or some reason. He chuckled at her musing of hating work; He didn't ever understand why she continued to sculpt if she didn't like the job. She could do whatever she wanted, even he knew that. "That is why I sculpt as a hobby darling. Maybe you should do the same instead of getting paid for it so you don't have to have deadlines." He smirked a bit and shook his head at her comments over the boys.

His gaze turned to the boys that were whispering once she mentioned them; a scheme had began to come to mind as he heard what Jules had said. "I bet they do too, but I could make them think so even more." He mused, glancing up at her again before continuing walking. Daniel shrugged a bit as she mentioned the four on one. "If you want to see me kick their hides all over the gym, sure, you can come. I'll gladly give 'em an extra few laps for you too after they lose." He added in the second sentence louder than the first so the boys who annoyed him could hear. They flinched a bit when they heard him.

Daniel shook his head a bit as he thought about his strategy for tomorrow. This was going to be an interesting spar. He shrugged and continued to walk about the Gym. "Where do we want to go tomorrow night anyway after I finish with the numskulls?" He asked, slowing to a stop finally beside then benches and backing up to one so she could hop down.

[Hero]

"Well Mr. Wolffe, I only sculpt because of the money. That, and the fact that everyone here hates me. Not because I want too. Alright?" I followed his gaze to the other groups of boys I had pointed out. I could tell he was thinking of something but what? "Make them think so even more? Oh dear.. Daniel.. What are you thinking?" I smiled as he kept bouncing me on his back through the gym. He shook his head when I merely mentioned the 4 on 1. "You know, I won't blame you if you give them all extra laps. I actually want to see this. And I could help you out. Kind of a 'Bring Your Best Friend To Workd' Day. I could help you run drills if you want.." 

The boys flinched abit after they heard his extra lap remark. I smiled myself. The boys here were afraid of him. But I would've been his friend regardless. But I'm a girl and already his best friend. "For the date? I don't know. I think it's your turn to pick anyways." I flicked the back of his head again, just not as hard this time. "Daniel, don't let them get to you. They are just kids. Don't worry about them." I decided that this would be amusing. Lean in and tell him the one thing that made him probably feel better. "You still have me." You'll always have me.  

He went aroun the gym once more with me on his back. He walked over to a bench, setting me down. I jumped down off the bench and looped my arm through his. "You know, you have an easy job. You only have to deal with people. I have to deal with the scraping of metal on marble/metal. And it gets painful." I layed my head on his shoulder, barely getting the top of my head past his elbow. "Are you doing anything tonight? Because we could go out to the Field again." And we hadn't been out there in years.

[Fox.]

"Like you really need the money. You can just come and be my room mate and I could pay for everything you want, or I could give it." He chuckled as he turned to her. He gave her a grin, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he did so. "I could just kiss you in front of them." He commented as if it was just another idle thing for him to be doing. A swift smile remained on his face as she brought up helping in his spar tomorrow. "Darling, I can handle myself." He gave her a wink and flexed the arm she was holding onto for the extra effect.

Daniel looked over at the boys with a great amusement flickering into his gaze as he looked back over at her. He was glad to know she wasn't going to leave him. Another chuckle came from his lips as she spoke about his job and compared it to her own. "As I've said before, you can always just come join me instead of doing the sculpting for a living."

His mind wandered, checking his schedule to answer her final question. Finally, he shook his head no. "I have nothing to do tonight other than go visit a friend's new restaurant he opened. You want to come join me for that then go out there after we've ate?" He offered, smiling down at her.

[Hero]

I don't need the money? Yeah. Sure.. "Daniel, I need the money.. For reasons you just can't understand, alright?" I thought over his little offer for me to be his roomate. "Daniel I would love to but I couldn't be a bum like that." Another samll pause. "And isn't your actual girlfriend living with you?" I wasn't at all surprised that Daniel had a girl aside from me. He was a good guy. He didn't lead people on. People led him on. "And for what affect? To get them to think we are together? I think we don't have to kiss for them to think that." A smile danced over my lips. But maybe a little kiss would be nice... 

I laughed as I saw the amusement flicker in his gaze. He seemed happy as he realized that I would stick around for a while. That was the plan you know. He kept going with the offer of me living with him. "You know Daniel, I may have to take you up on that offer. I may be a bum to you but.. I wanna get away for a while." I stood on tip-toe and kissed his cheek for the enjoyment of the boys. I looked over at the boys to find them laughing at us. I smiled back at them and reached for Daniel's hand. "Go with it?" 

"No plan? Awesome. I'm up for food I don't have to cook. Want me to meet you there or at your place? Or you just happen to come by my house and pick me up?" I let a playful smile dance across my face, my cheeks turning about 3 shades scarlet. Never before had I been this.. Well. Excited.    

[Fox.]

Daniel rolled his eyes a bit at the mention of a girlfriend. As a matter of fact, he had just gotten rid of her thanks to her trying to talk him out of spending his own money. He shook his head and gave her a look. "I am living alone yet again." He leaned in a bit and grazed her lips at that point. "You on the other hand, can come clean up her mess." His voice had lowered to a whisper so it looked like he was saying something else. He gave her a wink and went back to the normal position he was in before hand.

His hand twined his fingers with hers and looked over at the boys for a moment; they were staring at them as they ran out the doors to go home. Daniel shook his head and laughed softly at her comments. "I know you are up for any food you don't cook. That is why I cook every time you are over at my place." He chuckled a bit more as he continued. "I'll come get you from your house as per the usual."

He turned his happy gaze down to her and tilted his head slightly when he saw her cheek color. Daniel just smiled, going back to pretending he hadn't seen her blush. It was cute that she was blushing this much, or so he thought so. He pulled on her hand slightly and began to lead her towards the doors of his office. He needed to get a few papers done then they could go and lock up the gym.

[Hero]

She smiled sarcastically, like this wasn't anything new she had seen. "Yet again Daniel? Which one was this one? Like the third?" She rolled her eyes at the thought of him having a house all alone to himself. "I could but you know I don't take that so well when you word it like that." She giggled slightly. You know, for adults, they acted so much like lovesick teenagers. He leaned down and kissed her. Not like the usual peck on the cheek or forehead, but a legitimate kiss.

She watched as the boys ran out of the gym right after staring at them. She laid her head on his arm again, closing her eyes to believe that for just a moment, he was hers. That believable, huh? "You know that all to well. Despite my attempts, I can't cook. You know that." Per usual. Usual was good. "I'm good with the usual. Any time changes?" She paused for a moment. "Also, you cook when I'm over because it is just the nice thing to do for your best friend."

Maybe he didn't see her all red in the face it something. Doubt it. Very much doubt. But she had seen the smile. She quickly disregarded the thought. He led her towards his office. She pulled the door open to be welcomed by all his awards and such. "You know Daniel, I've seen the inside of your house more times than anyone else. And yet, I've never really seen the inside of your office." I mean really. He had nominations and awards and transfers. Her heart stopped for a moment. Transfers for another District. Was he thinking of leaving? Hopefully not..

[Fox.]

Daniel huffed up a bit at her sarcasm, but another smile leaked through his facade of being angry with her. He smiled and laughed softly. He remained quiet for a moment, nodding. It was a content quiet though, simply listening to her speak as his thoughts caught up with him again. Between her standing in front of him, his ex on his mind, his in-need-of-a-deep-cleaning house, and the want to buy the gym, his mind was beginning to fog together a bit for a moment there.

Registering her question finally, he shook his head. "No, no time changes." He opened the office door and left it open for her as he slipped inside. "It's a rather private space." He remarked in an aloof sort of way. Daniel had made the office as if it was his home, but it was more disorganized seeing as he still shared it with the actual owner. There was his touches, or attempts, at organizing the place up, but even with the attempts there were things everywhere.

The desk was filled with papers, unneeded debris, and small desk top shelves that were bulding from the effort to hold the papers. The poor desk top computer that was in desperate need of an upgrade was more covered in post-it notes of sorts than being used. The file cabinets were left open with files hanging out of a drawer or two. Sadly, a frown had passed over Daniel's face as he saw the mess the current owner had left.

He shook his head and took a seat behind the desk, motioning to one of the comfier seats in front of it for her to sit in. "The guy who owns the place is a slob if you haven't noticed." It was apparent his slight case of OCD was kicking in as he began to organize the papers. A copy of the building title deed, which was marked all over by Daniel and the current owner writing back and forth on it with negotiations and the works, fell from the desk, landing in the floor. The poor copy was basically crumbled and ready to be thrown into the trash thanks to it getting written on, folded, and forgotten so much in the past weeks with the Games coming around.

[Hero]

She laughed a bit. He followed him and leaned in the doorway. "See? You can't be mad at me." She made her pity face and directed it at him. She leaned against one side, shifting her weight into one foot. She kept looking around the offie, which needed a horrible cleaning. She hated it. Papers even scattered the floor and shelves. What was left of them anyways. Maybe it was easier for the current owner, but knowing Daniel, it would almost be OCD clean by the end of the first mere week he owned it. No surprise. But that was just something that made Daniel so normal to her. She was similar in that way to him. In a way, that made then even closer. Something else they shared. Like just about everything else.

"Good, because maybe we could finish up that one sculpture we've been working on for a while now." She looked down at the ground and back up at him. She watched as his slender body made its way through the roll, attempting to clean what he could. After watching like his stalker for a moment, she slipped inside and closed the door behind her. "You know, if you wanna buy this place, why haven't you yet?"

She saw his slight disgust and decided to help pick up where she could. Putting papers in folders and on shelves or in filing cabinets. Whatever space she could find, she used it. "Oh, I've noticed. You hate it, don't you?" She caught a glimpse of the deed to the building. It seemed so scribbled down that you couldn't even see the original document. "Horrible."

[Fox.]

Daniel smiled as he watched her lean in the doorway out of the corner of his eyes. She was just so innocent in some ways to him. It was intoxicating in some ways - almost if he'd been drinking for an hour of straight shots sometimes when he noticed the innocence. The smile remained as he went quiet and just cleaned up with her help.

"Yeah, it'd be nice to finish it and get it out for sale or something." He continued to organize the desk until he had enough space to work and began to look at the notes on the computer. Most of the notes were written in his own hand writing since he was basically computer illiterate. His actions seized up a bit when she asked about him buying the place.

Slowly, he simply shook his head. "I've been working on some money saving and I'm waiting to hear back on some things." Daniel let his hazel eyes drift up towards her so she knew he wasn't lying, but it was obvious nervousness lacing his gaze in some ways as he mentioned the "hearing back". He shrugged it off and began to fill out and sign a few orders for new equipment.

"Why don't you head back to your place and I'll come pick you up when I finish and I go home and get cleaned up?" He offered, sitting the pen he had picked up back on the desk. His eyes had dulled a bit from emotion, or lack there of, depending on how one looked at it. He was worried over his own personal finances, but the gym came first right now and his mind was more stuck there than on himself.

[Hero]

She saw a slight change in his emotions. Maybe she couldn't place what exactly what it was. But she saw it. His eyes would always grow a shade darker if he felt something, umm, different. She loved it. It gave him a sense of innocence. She played on that quite often. A little spark went through her as they decided to reach for the same paper. She knew it seemed so clichè but it was true.

"It would be nice. We worked hard on that." She watched as he picked up the last few pieces of paper and began to work. A look of seriousness passed his face and stayed there. Apparently, he decided to work by hand and not with the computer. Strange. He always liked to work more efficiently. "Why don't you use the computer? Unless, it's not worth really using."

She backed off a little bit, seeing his reaction. "I could help. I don't mind chipping in. I see how mic you really want this place. You love it here, don't you?" She sat in the chair in front of the desk. She sighed and sank into the chair.

"Sure. That works." She pulled herself out if the chair. "I'll see you later." And she walked out.

[Fox.]

Daniel shook his head a bit. He gave her an innocent looking grin as she asked him about the computer. "I honestly have little to no idea how to use it Jules." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. He shrugged a little as she asked him if he loved it her as he worked. He thought the answer carefully and nodded. "Yeah, I do, but it's more for the boys and girls than anything. I'll explain it all tonight when we head out for dinner."

Daniel waved to her as she left and began to focus fully on his work. He glanced at the clock and noted it was roughly 4 pm. Good, that gives me plenty of time to get this done and still be ready by 5:30 for Jules like always. He mused to himself in his head. Leaning forward again, he began to work as efficiently as possible to get done as fast as possible. He didn't want to be left amongst the piles of work any longer than he had to with the date tonight.

***

Daniel pulled the leather jacket tighter as a soft breeze came up and made the tips of it blow in the wind. His gaze turned up and down the street as he moved to the door. He lifted his hand and pressed the bell as to call Jules down to the door. A small smile fluttered onto his lips as he waited for Jules to come down to join him.

He was dressed in a nice pair of jeans and just a plain white t-shirt under his dark brown leather jacket. He only planned to take them to the little diner/restaurant down closer to the edge of the district to eat. It wasn't a big fancy restaurant after all. It had good food and good prices for it. Well, he assumed it was good since he had had the chef's food before the chef opened the diner.