MY BABY SHOT ME DOWN

Summary: "Some day they'll go down together, and they'll bury them side by side; to few it'll be grief, to the law a relief, but it's death for Jinora and Kai." —bonnie and clyde, kainora au. m for violence, sex, and language.

A/N: This fic is co-authored by spiritypowers and I, loosely based off the real lives of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, as well as the broadway musical "Bonnie and Clyde" while remaining within a nonbending, Avatar-inspired world. Some things will differentiate from the real life outlaws, but the beats of the story are the same. Whether these two will have a happier ending is still up in the air however. This fic is rated firmly M for gun and blood related violence, explicit sexual content, and language.

Without further ado, we both hope you will enjoy chapter one. Reviews and reads are greatly appreciated.

CHAPTER ONE:

Jinora was nine the first time she saw a gun. Her father wasn't like the other men in town, with his distaste for hunting, and a genuine love for his wife. He never had affairs, only four children with the same woman. People said it was because his first two had been girls, but she knew her father loved them all the same regardless of gender.

So she didn't know how her father had raised a good young woman who had such bad luck with cars.

At least "car trouble" was a decent enough excuse for being late to work—not that she cared much about the job itself, and wouldn't have minded if one day the diner mysteriously burned up in a fire—but for every hour she was late and without a good excuse, her boss would withhold that hour's money, and she'd have to come back with even less than her usual meager salary.

And these days, money was sorely needed and hard to come by, just like water in her little drought-ridden town.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath, giving the car a good kick, more out of frustration than thinking it would actually improve anything.

"Engine trouble?"

She turned to see a young man strolling up the street, brown hands tucked into his pockets with sleeves of an off-white shirt rolled up to his elbows. He was handsome, a little grimey with some stubble, and the brightest green eyes she'd ever seen.

"Engine trouble," she confirmed, casting an annoyed look at her beat up car. The green paint was chipping off bit by bit everyday. "And oil trouble, tire trouble—"

He chuckled with one of the most pleasant laughs she'd ever heard in her life. "Could I offer you a hand, then, miss?"

She smiled. "Couldn't hurt." She tucked the loose strands of hair framing her face behind her ears, the rest of it swept up in a bun. Her brown hair matched her eyes, as did her pale pink shoes and her thin dress. Thank goodness she didn't look like a complete mess.

The man strode forward and opened up the hood of her car, coughing away the plume of smoke. "Shit. This really is shot, ain't it?"

Jinora leaned against the car, glancing down at him with a smile. "What gave it away?"

He twisted and tightened a knob, smearing grease over his hands, and then gave the metal hunk a slight whack, just for good measure. "That might do it. An' the tire?"

"Probably drove over a pothole again. These damn roads."

"You got a spare?"

"Yeah, in the back, but my father never taught me how to put it in."

He nodded towards the trunk. "Luckily, you have me. C'mon." They went round to the back, and she undid the latch that held the trunk down together. The man lifted it up and then hauled the tire into his strong arms, carrying it over to where the blown out tire was. He got the car jack and set it up. "Put your hands here," he told her, tapping two stems of the jack. She placed her hands on it, and tried to push them together.

"Might need a little help," Jinora said, and he placed his hands over hers, his arms and chest warm against her, as he helped her twist the car jack a few times over. His hands were warm and rough against her smaller, smoother ones. Even when the car was lifted high enough for her to put in the tire, she didn't want him to let go.

He slowly released her hands. "There ya go, miss. Should be good as new."

"Thank you." She stood up alongside him. "I—don't think I've seen you round here before. You from this part of town?"

"Just passing through, mostly." He grinned, ducking his head, and fished out a cigarette from his pocket. "You live here?"

"In the town over, Gaoling."

He took out a lighter. "I might have to do more than pass through, then."

Heat rose to her cheeks, even as a smile tugged at her mouth. "Shouldn't you at least know my name first, sir?"

"With a girl as pretty as you? I don't think I have to."

Jinora, emboldened and trying to fight down her flush, reached over and snatched his cigarette from his mouth, pinching it between her own teeth. "I'll have you know I'm more than my looks."

The man blinked in surprise, holding up his lighter to her as a sort of apology. "My mistake, then, ma'am. Didn't mean to offend you or nothin'."

Jinora took the lighter, lighting the cigarette and taking a long drag, smiling. "'M not. Charmed, if anything. Not many men will admit their mistakes."

"Well I'm not like many men."

"Clearly." She took another drag, before handing the cigarette back to him. He slowly took it, pressing it between his lips. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I take the back roads to get to my folks'. They live out in this direction."

She snatched the cigarette out of his mouth again, flushing when he smiled. "You still haven't asked my name. You might wanna do that before you start gabbing about your family to me?"

He grinned again. "Fine. What's your name?"

"Jinora. Jinora Gyatso."

The man's smile widened, and he held out his hand to her. "Kai Fong."

Jinora took it, giving it a firm shake as sparks shot up her arm upon contact. He didn't let go right away, nor did she want him to.

"What're you doing once you finish passing through?" she asked.

"Not sure yet. I have an idea of what I want to do now, though."

She threw him a smile, narrowing her eyes at him. "Why aren't you forward."

"I meant buying you a drink. And maybe hitching a ride? I've had a bit of car trouble myself."

She stepped closer. "And what's in it for me?"

"I can make it worth your while. Even let you keep my cigarette."

Jinora laughed softly. "What an offer." She nodded towards the car. "C'mon, Kai Fong. I do have other business to take care of."

She was stepping away from him to open when the door when there was a sudden wail of a siren. He quickly ducked behind her car, and she glanced at him curiously, leaning across the trunk as the sirens quickly faded away.

"Are...they looking for you?"

"Probably," he said with a sheepish grin. "I uh, got a bit of a record. Car theft, ironically enough. Must be why the one I stole broke down on me, eh?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Were you planning to steal mine from me?"

"You? Nah. It'd be hard to get you a drink if I took your car, now wouldn't it?"

Jinora almost smiled. For some reason… she still trusted him. He was too good natured not to. And that smile… "Get in my car before they come back around, then," she said, despite herself.

He grinned, then got into the passenger's seat, watching as she got into the driver's seat. The ignition and gas thankfully worked. "Hey miss?"

She glanced over at him as they started speeding down the road. "Hmm?"

"Can I trade the drink in for something else?"

"Like what?"

"A kiss." His voice was almost serious.

She snorted, rolling her eyes and trying not to bit her own lips. "Get me that drink, and you might get both."

###

The diner was even more depressing than usual. The booths were thin and barely stuffed, and even if there was never any dust, the counters wouldn't gleam and shine no matter how hard she scrubbed at them. That, and she had to put up with drunk men leering at her almost all night.

God she hated this town.

You would have thought the engagement ring she wore would've tipped some of them off, but apparently not. She only wore it at work, when she absolutely had to, however, so maybe not everyone knew. Still, it was no excuse for the way they'd make no attempt to hide their obvious and gross staring.

That, and she couldn't get Kai out of her mind. She didn't know where he'd gone when she'd dropped him off by the town's small little library, but her mind kept drifting back to his smile. The brightest thing she'd seen in years, since the pollution had started ruining the view of the stars.

She retreated out to the back when more waitresses came for their shift, and slipped out the back door, hurriedly lighting her cigarette.

"Thought I might find you here."

She glanced up and saw Kai looking at her with a small smile. She returned it, offering him her cigarette. "How'd you know?"

"Asked around for a Jinora and someone pointed me in this direction." He declined her cigarette. "Rough night?"

Her lips twitched upwards. "I could certainly use that drink."

"You 'bout to clock out?"

"Does it matter?"

He grinned, then offered her his arm. She took it, curling her fingers into his sleeve. He was wearing the same shirt was before, and he was handsome even in the moonlight. His smile faltered, though, as it glanced down at her hand. "You got a ring on your finger?"

Jinora retracted her hands, twisting her ring over her finger. "Oh, um… just some man my parents want me to marry."

"You don't wanna marry him?"

"No."

"Then take the ring and pawn it off. Use the money for yourself."

She didn't want to admit the idea had crossed her mind a few times. "Don't you think that's selfish?"

"Sometimes you gotta be a little selfish in life, to be happy. To have what you want."

"Why do you steal cars, then?" she asked.

"Started and couldn't stop, once the cops got whiff of it." He tossed her a grin. "But it makes life real exciting. Makes you live every moment like it's your last, even if they won't shoot at you for it."

"That sounds dangerous."

"Better than living a boring life, I think. I've been in this town for near six hours and it's like a graveyard. Nobody leaves and ain't nobody comes. Same old stories, same old money."

"Same gross old men," she grumbled, and he frowned.

"One of 'em touch you?" he demanded, an edge in his voice.

"Not today," she said. He frowned.

"Slimy bastards," he muttered, eyes burning with intensity. "You must want more than this, Jin."

They walked under a streetlamp, and the light shone on her face. She let go of his arm, hopping onto the small pedestal under the lamp and doing a spin around it. "So much more," she said, full of a strange kind of quiet hope. "A writer. Anything to get out of this damn town. I'll miss my family, but… God it's suffocating. I just want to be able to breathe. I don't even care if anyone misses me, I just…"

He stepped closer, right in front of the street pole, looking up at her. "Then why don't you leave?"

"With no money and a car that can barely make it to the next town over before running out of gas? Got nowhere to go, for starters."

"Go anywhere. Everywhere. Write about every place you see and sell it in the papers."

Jinora smiled. "I wish I could."

"Why not? You got a brain in that pretty head of yours. Now you know how to fix a car if it broke."

"I'd be fixing mine every two miles."

"Maybe you just need a better car. Or someone with a better car."

Jinora tilted her head to the side, her throat surprisingly dry. "Are you referring to yourself, Mister Fong?"

He placed his hands on her waist, and gently lifted her off the small pedestal, placing her on the ground in front of him. "And what if I am?"

She forced herself to look him in those green, green eyes, and ignore the way his hands felt like fire on her waist, even through her apron. "I'd think it's crazy, for starters. Getting a drink with a girl you've spoken to for maybe thirty minutes and then whisking her away to some grand neverending adventure the next moment."

"You're just saying that so you won't say yes right away."

Her lips thinned. "And why on Earth would I say yes to you?"

"Because you want to get out of this town as much as I want you. You're fascinating."

She ignored the rush of heat flooding her cheeks. "If you think I'm going to sleep with you just for a ticket out of here, then—"

"No, ma'am. That's not what I meant." He stepped away, suddenly bashful. "I'm not gonna make you do anything you don't want. I'd be perfectly happy with just your company. I think you're brilliant and I'd like to get to know ya better, that's all."

"That's all," she repeated flatly, arching an eyebrow.

He held up his hands in surrender. "That's all."

She stared at him for a while, then asked, "Are you still gonna get me that drink?"

"If you'd still like it, then yes."

Jinora reached behind her and undid her bun, letting her brown hair fall in loose waves around her face. "Let me change, then, first. No peeking."

He faced away from her. "On my honour, ma'am."

She sighed, hurrying back to the back room where all the girls kept her clothes, only grabbing hers so she could be as quick as possible without getting caught and dragged back to work, and then darted back over to the bushes where she'd left Kai waiting. She dove behind some bushes, pulling off her shirt and apron and then her skirt, shimmying out of them. She glanced behind her shoulder to see Kai standing the other way, with his hands clamped over his eyes to boot, and something in her softened.

So he really was nothing like most men.

Jinora yanked up her skirt and pantyhose, and then pulled on her blouse and a small shawl draped over her shoulders, in case of the cold. She was doing up the buttons of her blouse when she paused at the one that would ensure the part of her bra between the two breasts would be fully covered. She did it up but left the other two unbuttoned. That was rather harmless, wasn't it? Just a tiny bit of cleavage?

She came out from behind the bush, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder. "You can look now."

He removed his hands, and then slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at the hand she had on his shoulder, her left one. "I like you better without the ring."

"I know the feeling," she admitted, having tossed it into her purse. "Now, that drink of yours?"

###

Kai paid for their drinks before they left the stuffy bar at the corner and found an old park bench, and she didn't ask where he'd gotten the money. They sipped on bottles of cheap beer as they looked up at the stars, and Jinora pointed out constellations she knew, and he listened attentively.

"My little brother loves stars," she revealed, and Kai grinned.

"You got siblings?"

"Three. Two brothers and a sister. All younger. You?"

"Got a bastard brother named Skoochy, but we don't share any blood."

Jinora smiled. "That's the best kind of family, sometimes."

"Yeah, he's a little shit." But Kai's voice was fond, and so was his smile. "And your parents?"

"Wonderful, if a little strict. At least my father can be. He's older, and a professor. Retired now. My mother has her hands full with the rest of us, and she's usually endlessly patient. I don't know how she does it. What about your parents?"

"My mother and my stepfather are the best people in the world. They wanted me to have more out of life, than… this. It's the one time I regret the life I've chosen. Knowing I've let them down somehow."

"I'm sure they're proud of you in their own way," Jinora said, laying a hand on his arm. "After all, you know how to fix a tire. And you're very kind."

He rubbed the back of his neck, the tips of his ears turning red. "Thanks. That's real nice of you."

She squeezed his arm, before setting her empty bottle down. "Kai, do you have a girl waiting on you?"

It made him look at her, watchful and still bushing a little. "Haven't met a girl patient enough to wait on me yet."

"Would you like to have one?"

He leaned in. "I wouldn't want to keep you waiting for long."

She flushed. "Not me," she mumbled. "I-I meant, in general."

He smiled knowingly. "Maybe. If she was the right one."

"Besides," Jinora said, trying to keep her voice even, "wouldn't you prefer a girl who can keep up with you instead of having to wait?"

"There's not many women who want this time of life. Who are willing to go with a man who can't marry 'em." He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes growing a little sad as he looked away from her, and down at the pavement instead. "Y'know growing up, I'd always thought I'd be settled down by now, but I'm running more than ever."

"Couldn't you just pick a small town and start over?"

"It'd have to be a far enough town. And who knows if I could start clean, y'know?"

Jinora looked up, biting her bottom lip, and her eyes lit up. She nudged him in the shoulder. "Look, a shooting star. Maybe you can figure out what to wish for."

He looked at her instead of the sky, and she watched as his eyes flickered down to her lips. "I think I already know what to wish for," he said softly.

She'd known this man for less than a day. She was engaged. He was a wanted criminal, and getting anything more than a drink with him would be foolish.

And she hadn't done nearly enough foolish things in her life.

She grabbed his collar and her mouth crashed into his, and she was surprised by the softness of his lips as he coaxed her into something less greedy and more hungry. She sighed softly against his mouth, drawing closer when he wrapped an arm around her waist, even shifting almost into his lap. His mouth was warm and tasted like cheap beer and something else that was utterly intoxicating, as her lips parted under his and his tongue slid into her mouth.

Jinora let out a quiet moan before she could stop it. His fingers curled into the fabric of her blouse at the small of her back, and she knew if he took her back to his car and had his way with her, she wouldn't object.

But he pulled away, the tip of his nose brushing hers as he stared at her. "Jinora." He licked his lips. "The day after tomorrow, when I leave… come with me."

"That's crazy," she said quietly.

"I know."

She bit her swollen lip. "I want to," she admitted. "But I just… I don't know."

"And you think I have this all perfectly planned out either?" He brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face, his fingers lingering at the curve of her cheek. "We'll go anywhere, everywhere you want to go. And you can write while we're on the road—you can mail it in to publishers, right?—and you'll never run out of things to write about, we'll find inspiration everywhere…" His eyes were pleading. "And if you change your mind I would bring you back home, or anywhere else you wanted to be dropped off at. I promise."

"I want to," she repeated. "But I don't know if I can trust you like that, I—I've always done the smart thing and this is a big chance that can't be taken back under any circumstances, and—and we've only known each other for a day, not even. How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not," he said honestly. "I just—something feels right with you. Like the world's on its proper axis, now, and it's spinning the way it should have been all this time, but it wasn't."

Jinora's heart was pounding madly in her chest. "I...I need a day. To...think."

"If you decide you want to come," he said softly, "meet me here, the day after tomorrow. At noon."

Jinora swallowed, but nodded. "Okay. I'll still see you tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Of course. It still seems like I have some convincing to do, don't I? I'll have to use more of my charm," he joked, and she laughed faintly.

"I hope it works," she said, her cheeks burning.

"Me too. Do you want me to walk you home?"

Her smile brightened. "Yeah. I'd like that."

###

Kai pressed a kiss to her cheek when they got to the front door, and nearly went back to his car when Jinora tugged on his arm. "Do you want to come inside?" she asked. She didn't want him to go just yet, and it wasn't like they'd do anything reckless in her family's kitchen, and she shared a room with her younger sister anyway, and Ikki was a light sleeper. She could trust herself to do this.

He blinked, holding back an earnest but surprised grin. Clearly he didn't want to leave her company yet either. "Oh—you sure?"

"Yes. I can make you tea, or something of the sort, if you'd like. My family's probably already asleep, I usually get home late anyway."

She put her key into the golden lock, the door a dark wood, the house painted a pale yellow colour that seemed dull in the moonlight. She tugged him along and they went in as quietly as they could, stumbling into the kitchen when a floorboard creaked under them.

Jinora put a finger over her lips, but was trying to fight a smile as Kai laughed soundlessly, before turning on the light in the kitchen.

"Jinora?"

They both froze at the new voice. Jinora watched as her father stepped into the kitchen from the living room that doubled as his study, with only a few inches of clearance between the top of his head and the ceiling. She glanced at Kai, only a couple of inches shorter than her father, before trying to manage as innocent of a smile as she could. "Dad," she said bracingly, "I didn't know you'd still be up."

"I got a visit from LingShi earlier this evening," he said, his already stern face grave, the lines around his grey eyes more pronounced.

"Oh?"

"He didn't see you at work today." He glanced at Kai. "Who's this?"

"I-I left work early," Jinora said. "And, um, this is my friend, Kai."

Kai stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, sir."

Tenzin didn't shake it. "Jinora, may I have a word with you? Alone." His tone made it clear it wasn't a request.

"Wait here," Jinora murmured to Kai, before following her father out into the living room.

"Jinora, what are you doing? You're engaged."

"That doesn't mean I can't spend time with other people," she mumbled. "We met earlier today when my car broke down, and he helped me fix it. We got drinks together. What's wrong with that?"

"Pulling you from work? Keeping you out late at night? Jinora, there are a lot of things wrong with that."

Jinora frowned. "Those were my choices. And he's been a perfect gentleman. More of a gentleman than LingShi is, anyway."

"That is your future husband—"

"Who I don't even want to marry," Jinora said. Tenzin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Jinora, I won't be here forever," he said quietly. "At least LingShi and his family still have money—"

"I'm tired of being engaged out of fear of becoming even poorer than we are," said Jinora. Tenzin sighed tiredly.

"One day with that boy and you're already talking like this—"

"I've been thinking this way for a long time. I'm just tired of keeping it all bottled up. I hate LingShi, and I hate this poor, stupid town, and I hate how it's suffocating me. I'd rather be poor and as happy as I can be, than married to that monster, regardless of his money." Her chest was heaving, brown eyes blazing as she looked up at her father, silently begging for him to understand.

"Then what will you do?" Tenzin said quietly. "We live in a world that has little to offer, even less to a young woman like you. Where will you go?"

"Anywhere but here. I want to see and do things and I want to write about them. And I don't need the world to offer me anything for me to take what I want, I—" Her lungs were burning, and she thought about sitting in a car with Kai like she had that afternoon, only doing that everyday instead, with the windows rolled down, and the wind blowing through her hair. "And I know what I want," she said.

"And what is that?"

Jinora rushed towards the coat rack and grabbed her coat. "Goodbye, daddy. I'll—I'll write you all a letter and send it."

Her father grabbed her arm. "Jinora—"

"You can't stop me—"

"At least—" Tenzin swallowed hard. "Let me hug you goodbye."

Jinora paused, then turned towards her father, stepping into his tight embrace. "I'll be okay," she whispered.

"Just write as soon as you can. And come back to visit," Tenzin whispered back, tears trailing down into his beard.

"Of course I will." She kept her hands on his shoulders, squeezing them and pressing a kiss to his bony cheek, before pulling away. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, sweetheart. Be safe."

She nodded, then pulled on her coat, quickly rushing upstairs to pack a few extra clothes, some books, a notebook and her favourite pen in a handbag before going back down to the kitchen, where Kai was still waiting with his hands in his pockets.

He looked up, bashful. "So is your father kicking me to the curb—"

"Let's go."

"What?"

"Are you taking me with you or not?"

His face changed from confusion to joy, and he grinned. "You still wanna come?"

"Obviously." She smiled despite herself, grabbing his arm. "C'mon, let's go."

###

It turned out they needed a car first. Kai gathered his things from the dingy little motel he was staying in, similarly had it all stuffed in a bag. A harmonica, clothes like the one he wore on his back, a golden key and a wad of bills. Normally, he had explained, he just sleep in his car, but this was one of the rare cases where that wasn't the case. It'd be fixed soon enough, anyway, just as soon as he got a new one.

"So," he said, still almost giddy with the knowledge that she was coming with him after all, as they stood in his dimly lit hotel room, "who's got the nicest car in town?" It felt like a dream, better than a dream, as dreamlike things happened all the time at three o'clock in the morning.

"LingShi Chow," she said immediately. "And he's got three; the only reason he'll miss any of them is pride."

"Perfect. I heard of 'im. He cut programs with the poor to fill his own pocket. It was in the papers a few months ago, wasn't it?"

"He'll be so pissed," she said with a smile. "His fianceé and his car getting stolen away by a stranger."

"That rich bastard is your fianceé?" Kai said in surprise.

"Was my fianceé," Jinora corrected him. "We'll pawn the ring up at some shop a town over or something, just like you said."

Kai wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush to him. "I like the sound of that, baby."

Jinora blushed. "Baby?"

"You don't like it?"

She smiled, then kissed him hard. "I love it," she said, her forehead resting against his. "God, something about you just makes me feel like…"

"Like anything's possible?" he finished, and she nodded. "I know what you mean. Now, you know the way to where the car is?"

"He never keeps them locked, either. Thinks his gates will keep everyone out. But he'll open up the gates for me, if he thinks I'm gonna finally pay him a nighttime visit."

Kai played with the collar of her blouse. "You naughty girl," he hummed, the corners of his mouth curving upwards, and she giggled, pressing another kiss to his lips before pulling away.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go steal a car."

###

It was close to four AM when Kai found the car and started picking the lock. Jinora hovered nearby, both their bags slung over their shoulders, as she kept a lookout. Only a few windows of the Chow mansion were lit, but they would only have maybe fifteen minutes before LingShi started wondering why she wasn't in the mansion when she'd been there at the gate.

"There we go." The door sprung free with a click, and Kai grinned as he slipped into the driver's seat and started to hot wire the thing, making sure first that there was plenty of gas.

Jinora threw their bags into the back seat, and then climbed onto the passenger's seat. "The entrance is that way." She pointed to a back road leading away from the lush gardens and towering mansion, an eyesore and luckily a blind spot when it came to looking out windows. He drove out of the driveway with quick precision, making a sharp but steady turn onto the dark streets, and quickly picking up speed. Adrenaline rushed through Jinora's veins as they left the mansion far behind, knowing that within the hour LingShi would come back to find both a car and a fianceé missing.

They sped through town, until it became nothing more than a speck and dusty, desert plains stretched out on either side. They drove until the sky started turning pink and gold with the sun rising over the horizon.

Jinora looked out the windows, catching some of the rising sun in her eyes. She hadn't been this happy in… God, she couldn't even remember.

"The ground looks like gold at dawn," she murmured. "I never noticed before."

"Looks like you have your first thing to write about," Kai said, glancing at her fondly. "It can be the first thing you do once we park. You can start a journal."

Jinora looked over at him, her eyes catching on the hollow of his throat as he swallowed. "It's not the first thing I want to do," she said softly. The corner of his mouth lifted.

"Yeah?"

"We've been driving long enough?"

"We should probably wait until we get to the next town over," he said. "Just to be safe. But we still got a lot of other things to discover about each other, first, don'tcha think?"

She pouted, even her eyes were lit up like lanterns. "What's your favourite colour, then?"

"Yellow."

She was suddenly grateful that one of the handful of dresses she'd chosen was a pale, sunny, yellow. She was about to say hers was yellow, too, but something in her found that it wasn't quite true anymore, and instead she said, "Mine is green."

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, the deepest green she'd ever seen. "Really?"

"Really."

His smile widened. "Alright, then. What's one of the things you've wanted most but could never afford?"

She thought very hard, then said, "A typewriter. My penmanship is nearly perfect so readability isn't a problem, but it'd be nice to be able to finish novels in a little less time than it takes me just writing by hand. Plus, my pen has a worse time keeping up with my head than a typewriter might." She sighed wistfully, then glanced at him. "And you?"

"A car like this," he admitted. "A house with a yard. My folks and I grew up in a dingy little place with the tiniest lawn I've ever seen."

Jinora filed the information away, and decided it was her turn to start asking the questions. They were going to be equals in this, after all. "You ever fire a gun?"

He gave her a quicksilver, cheshire cat grin. "Loads of times. You?"

"My father only had one in the house for protection, so no."

"I can teach you how to fire a pistol. I got one in my bag. We'll line up some cans on a fence and bang! Gone." He made a shooting motion with his free hand, digging his finger into her side, and she giggled, wiggling away.

"And how old were you when you nicked your first car?"

"Sixteen."

"How about when you first fired a gun?"

"Nine."

"Nine?"

Kai's expression soured, not out of annoyance, but some deep seated sadness. Something like marrow in his bones. "Had an asshole for a dad before my stepfather came into the picture."

Jinora was quiet for a moment; it was a common story, far too common in the town she'd grown up in. "He hit you?"

"He hit my mom more," Kai said quietly. "At least now I know I could hit back." He tried for a smile. "Ask me another question."

"You like talking about yourself?" Jinora teased, hoping to lighten the mood.

It worked, as his smile grew into something more genuine. "I like hearing you ask about me."

Jinora chuckled, then asked, as heat rose to her cheeks, "Age when you lost your virginity?"

He gave her a sly glance, then said, "Seventeen. You?"

"You don't think I'm a virgin?"

"I think you're good at acting like you are."

Jinora rolled her eyes, but was trying not to smile. "Fine. Eighteen."

"Knew it," he said triumphantly, and she laughed. "They weren't from town?" he continued.

She shook her head. "Nice boy, passing through to the next town. He wanted to be a soldier, so it never would've worked out anyway. My father didn't like him much either. What about you?"

"Well you know, I was popular with all the girls—"

"Oh I'm sure," she said, teasing.

"But the girl in question got married to some steel tycoon's son a couple years later and even invited me to the wedding, so that was an interesting experience."

Jinora bit back a giggle. "She didn't."

"She did. The wedding was nice, the best food I've ever had. The husband was kind of a dick, though, some rich pretty boy, but she seemed happy enough anyway." They both laughed again, and he smiled at her. "Tell me more about your siblings. You got three, right?"

"Ikki, she's eighteen and never stops talking. There's Meelo, he's sixteen and as annoying as you can imagine a sixteen year old being. Then there's Rohan, he's ten. He's the one who likes the stars." She looked out the window. "I'm going to send him as many poems about the stars as I can, since no one can get a good picture of 'em."

"We'll send your family money. Maybe someday he can go to school and figure out how to be the first man on the moon, see the stars even closer."

Jinora laughed. "A man on the moon? That's crazy."

"So's runnin' off with some car thief," Kai grinned. "Crazy might just run in your family."

"You don't have any siblings then?"

"An older sister by six years. She'd be a cop if the system would let her, but right now she's trying to get into the workforce in any way she can manage."

Jinora chose not to comment on the irony, a car thief and a wannabe cop being siblings. Instead, she reached over and trailed her fingers over the slight stubble lining his jaw. "You planning on growing a beard anytime soon?"

"Nah. Why?"

"I think it would make you look ruggedly handsome."

He narrowed his eyes at her, smirking. "You mean you don't already think I'm ruggedly handsome?"

"I think you're not bad." She drew her hand away, startled when he grabbed it with his, his other hand on the steering wheel.

"You're running off with a man that you think is just 'not bad'?" he teased.

"Well I guess I just won't know for sure until I get to ride something else," she shot back. It was the dirtiest thing she'd ever said, but she tried to keep her voice steady and flirtatious, even as heat rose to her face.

He glanced at her, and then made the car speed up. "We should reach a motel in three hours. All we gotta do after that is sell the ring and get some license plates to throw anyone off our scent."

She leaned over and pressed a kiss to the edge of his jaw. "Sounds good to me, baby."

For once, Kai couldn't make the car go fast enough.

###

They sold the ring to the town's local pawnshop and got thirty dollars back for it. Kai used only three of that to get them a motel room for the night, before they found their way to the scrap pile part of town. There were some old rusty cars with license plates rusting around the edges, but still good enough as Kai replaced the one they currently had, and left a few spares in the trunk.

The motel was drab but clean enough when they entered, setting their bags against the locked door before Jinora hopped onto the bed, the springs creaking under her as she bounced lightly. The wallpaper was peeling and sunlight was streaming in from the window, with a dusty dresser against the wall.

"I've never been in a motel before," she said, a soft, content sigh in her voice.

Kai glanced at her as he took off his coat and hung it up on a dresser knob. "You wouldn't prefer those fancy hotel rooms up east?"

Jinora shook her head. "Although if I was staying in one of those with you, I might."

He grinned. "Y'know, it was around this time yesterday that we were meeting each other."

She leaned back as he stepped to stand in front of her, tilting her head to one side. "Is that right?" she mused.

"Figured we should celebrate."

"How?" She slowly spread her knees apart.

He kneeled down between her legs, the tip of his nose brushing hers. "I figured I could give you that ride you wanted?"

"That'd be nice," she breathed, as he leaned in. Their mouths met softly, and he quickly deepened the kiss. She looped her arms around his neck, her fingers curling into the back of his shirt. She let him push her onto her back on the bed, as he rumpled up the bottom of her dress, hiking it up around her hips.

"If you want to stop at any time," he murmured, his eyes surprisingly tender, "let me know."

"I know," she said softly. "That goes for you too, cowboy."

Kai grinned, kissing her softly before pulling away, and looking down so he could undo the buttons of her blouse. He paused when he saw the strap of fabric between the two cups. "Knew you were teasing me last night," he puffed through a laugh. Jinora let out a soft giggle, humming softly through her nose as Kai pressed his mouth to her collarbone.

"I almost didn't do up that last button," she admitted, sighing as Kai undid her blouse completely. She sat up so he could pull it off of her, letting out another sigh when he buried his face in her cleavage as she laid back down.

"They're wonderful," he told her, and she giggled again, raking a hand through his hair and brushing it away from his brow.

"I'm glad you think so, baby."

He pressed his mouth to the inner part of her breast as he reached under her and undid the clasp of her bra, throwing it onto the ground and cupping her breasts firmly. Jinora placed her hands over his, encouraging him to squeeze. He pressed his open mouth hard against hers, and she moaned into the kiss, tangling her fingers in his hair as he rubbed himself against her.

"Protection?" he murmured, glad that he was still dressed. He could go out and buy a condom if he needed to. There was a seedy looking bar a few minutes away that probably sold them in a back room or two.

"Already taken care of." Jinora played with the collar of his shirt, and then undid the first button, leaning up and pressing her mouth to his neck. "Baby, this is going too slow." She nipped at his skin.

"I want this to last," he murmured. He looked into her eyes, cupping her face in his hands. "I'm about to make love to the most beautiful woman in the world for the first time. I want this to last as long as possible."

His voice sent shivers down her spine, and she nodded, sighing into his mouth as he kissed her slowly and deeply, undoing each button of his shirt with practiced patience. For him, she would make this last all night. Jinora pushed his shirt off his shoulders, gripping them as she tried to memorize the feeling of his warm skin against her palms.

He pulled off her skirt, pressing slow, warm kisses just below her navel, his fingers skimming along her bare thighs. She bit her lip, resisting the urge to draw her knees together as heat grew between her legs.

"I've heard there's a thing," she said faintly, "that a man can do with his tongue—"

Kai laid one finger over her still clothed crotch. "Would you like me to kiss you here?"

Jinora nodded eagerly, and Kai tugged down her underwear, dropping it on the floor with the rest of her clothes, before gently spreading her legs further apart, and pressing a wet kiss to her inner thigh. Her whole body was trembling as he leaned in, and then mouthed gently at her dripping folds. "Ah—"

Her hips bucked into his face as he swirled his tongue around her swelling clit, and he grabbed her hips and pushed them back onto the bed, holding them firmly as he sucked on her clit till it was completely swollen, and Jinora was writhing underneath him. She swore under her breath, still trembling as his tongue slid down between her folds, slowly licking along her entrance, before sliding his tongue inside. She moaned hoarsely, grabbing at his hair and tugging hard to find some purchase. "Yes—oh God, don't stop—" His tongue curled into a sweet spot and she let out another moan, tight heat coiling between her thighs.

Jinora shuddered and arched into him, crying out as she tightened around him and the pleasure, so intense that she saw stars. The few boys she'd been with before had never made that happen before, and it was overwhelming, especially once it receded and the full force of what had hit her started to sink in. Some dirty romance novels had talked about it, or older women in bars. Back when she'd been engaged, she'd listened enviously, knowing LingShi would never be so concerned about satisfying her like that.

And here was Kai Fong, whom she'd barely known for a day, and he'd already made her come for the first time without even being inside her.

She was still panting as he withdrew his head from between her legs, pressing one last kiss to her inner thigh as he rose and kissed her mouth fully. She could taste herself on his lips and tongue, even as he quickly pulled away.

"Was that alright?" he said, slightly breathless himself. "I wasn't sure if I was doing it right, or—"

"That—it was amazing," she managed, her lungs still burning. "Thank you." She blindly reached for the rim of his pants, her fingers hooking on the zipper. "Your turn, baby."

He sat up slightly, straddling her waist as he undid the zipper and button of his pants, before he got off of her for a moment to take them off. Jinora turned her head to the side and watched as he discarded his underwear, too, leaving them both on the floor.

As for well, his cock… He was large (although not the biggest she'd seen) and hard, so it was nice to know she had some effect on him, too. He lowered himself back down on her, his weight settling over hers as he rubbed the length of his cock along her dripping folds. She felt that same pulsating pleasure build up in her again, and she wrapped her legs around his hips, wishing he was already inside her.

"It won't hurt you?" he checked, and she melted.

Jinora shook her head, touching his face. "I want this." Kai leaned forward and let his forehead brush hers, as he slowly slid himself inside her. "Ah—"

"Not hurting?" he checked, pausing. Jinora pushed her hips up into his, taking in more of him.

"I need you all the way in," she whispered, almost pleading. She groaned when he was buried inside her up to the base of his cock, almost filling her completely already. She let out a soft sigh, torn between hunger and satisfaction. He felt so good and he'd barely done anything yet, hard and throbbing between her legs. "Oh, Kai."

"Jinora," he murmured, his breath hot against her neck, and just his voice made her feel warmer. He kissed the corner of her jaw, his hands firm on her hips as he began to thrust into her. She let out a breathy moan, clutching at his shoulder blades as his pace began to quicken. She wrapped her thighs around his hips, drawing him in deeper as they moved together. She moaned with each thrust, a spark of pleasure shooting up inside her with every bit of friction between their bodies, and she gasped softly as his teeth sank into her shoulder when he spilled inside her, hot and thick and dripping between her legs.

"I think I'm gonna come again," she managed thickly, so he didn't stop, though his motions were jerkier and more erratic. Their joint release was coating her inner thighs when she came again, her peak hitting hard and fast, clenching tight around his cock, and he pressed fumbling kisses to her neck as she cried out his name. Even when they both went still, her cunt stayed clenched tight around his cock like a fist, her body reluctant to release him for several long moments.

Kai pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Satisfied, baby?" he asked breathlessly.

"For now," she said, grinning up at him before he kissed her again, and eased himself out of her. For the first time, she felt empty.

She giggled as his mouth trailed down to her neck, leaving a series of soft, wet kisses that were almost ticklish, and she squirmed in his arms, laughing and not trying too hard to get away from his mouth.

Kai was smiling softly when he finally pulled away, setting them on their sides as she stifled a small yawn. "Tired, Jin?" he asked. "I know we've been up all night. I can go get us some food if you want to sleep?"

"No." Jinora ran her hands down his chest, letting her eyes roam over him once more. "I want… stay, for a while longer. I want to look, and feel you."

The few times before she'd had sex there had been none of this soft afterglow. Everything with the soldier had been hurried (and painful in some ways, since it had been her first) and she hadn't wanted anything more than a night with him anyway. She wanted days with Kai. As many as she could get.

He lightly touched her face, cupping her cheek as he kissed her softly. "Look and feel away, baby."

Jinora ran her palms over his warm skin, curiously and slowly exploring his body. The broad span of his shoulders, the gentle beat of his heart underneath his skin, the dark line of hair rising up to his navel. She quickly found the series of scars, mostly along his lower rib cage, thin and often times long.

"How did you get these?"

"Knife fights, usually, in alleyways," he answered, lightly running his fingers up and down her upper arm. "Different ones, over the years."

Jinora nestled herself against him, nosing into the warmth of his collarbone. "But you were always alright?"

"Course. I'm tougher than I look. Things like that heal pretty fast, anyway." He ran his fingers through her hair, and she revelled in the situation, of being taken care of. Of being the centre of his attention. When was the last time anyone had showered so much care on her and her alone? "But I might have to teach you how to patch those sort of things up in case I ever get in a sticky situation."

"I already know how," she said. "My mother was a bit of a doctor in town, as much as a woman can be these days. Accidents can happen on farms far away from hospitals, so she took it upon herself to learn how to patch up some pretty gruesome injuries, and made sure we all knew how to as well."

"Smart woman," Kai said admiringly.

"She is," Jinora agreed. "She'd like you."

"Next time we come by Gaoling I'll have to actually meet your folks, then." He smirked. "I'm sure your father will love that. His little girl with a hardened criminal."

Jinora looped her arms around his neck, drawing closer with a giggle as she hooked a finger under his chin. "Well I certainly do."

Kai's hands fell to her waist, as he pulled her flush to him. "So do I."

Jinora felt something spark in her stomach as Kai's mouth met hers again, and she kissed back far more hungrily, her fingers slipping against the nape of his neck. She braced her legs against the bed and used her strength to flip them over, her hair spilling over her shoulders as she straddled him, eyes dark. His hands dug into her waist as he gazed up at her, a smirk tugging at his mouth.

"I think I need another ride, baby," she murmured, dragging her nails down his chest.

"Need?"

"Mmhmm." She nodded without shame, biting her swollen bottom lip. "Do you need me too?"

He leaned up to kiss her, tugging her bottom lip between his teeth and coaxing her lips apart. "Course I do, baby. You stole the breath right out of my lungs when I first saw you. I have to get it back somehow, don't I?"

She smiled. "By kissing me?"

Kai nodded, pressing his mouth to hers again. "Kissing you everywhere and anywhere you let me."

She slid her hands up to his shoulders, angling her hips against his, her eyes glittering. "And by letting me ride you?"

He grabbed her ass, and she gasped in delight when he gave it a firm squeeze. "Of course baby. I want to make you feel good."

"What a gentleman," she purred, before sitting back, and sinking down on his cock. A moan leaked out of her throat as she took him in all the way, adjusting to the new position and still to the way he felt inside her, before she rolled her hips into his. She let out soft cries as he thrusted up into her, until they were moving perfectly in tandem, and she was falling apart above him all over again. She felt herself begin to tighten around him, and he sat up suddenly, pulling her closer so her chest was flush to his as he kissed her fiercely, pushing his hips up into hers as hard as he could.

Her mouth slipped against his, and she buried her face in his neck, panting into his skin. Kai ran his hands up and down her back as he pressed his lips to her ear. "Come for me, baby," he murmured. "Let me take care of you." She could only manage a soft whimper in response, trying to muffle her moan into his skin as she came again, her body trembling as her high faded, amazed and overwhelmed that one person could give her so much pleasure.

She was practically limp against him when he came in a thick flood of heat, shuddering as he filled her to the brim.

Jinora kept her arms tight around him. "Thank you baby," she whispered.

He brushed her hair away from her cheek, and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her jaw. "Anytime, babe." His lips were soft against her skin, and she melted into him as he leaned back against the pillows. She rested her head against his chest, and he gently ran his fingers down the hollow of her spine.

Jinora traced lazy patterns into his chest with her finger. "Mmm, I never want to leave this bed…"

"We probably should tomorrow," said Kai regretfully. "Gotta keep moving till we meet up with some of my friends." When she whined softly, he pressed a kiss to her temple. "Don't worry, baby. We have plenty of room in the car."

She perked up. "Hmm. Having sex with a handsome man in my ex-fianceé's stolen car? That sounds… amazingly satisfying."

"Glad you think so." Kai pressed a kiss to her hair. "Now, do you want me to go get food, or—?"

She shook her head. "We can get food together later today. Maybe in the afternoon."

"Alright. Whatever you want, baby."

She melted into his arms again, sighing contentedly. Whatever she wanted… well, she had part of it, now, at the very least, and for today—for their first day together—that was enough.