adarling-man·:
A smile hinted at the corner of John’s mouth, watching the woman as she twirled before him. This was - unusual? Not that John expected anything but unusualness in this town, but to have his first literal interaction in Prentiss being exactly that was - well. John’s internal dialogue practically blazed across his face, bottom lip jutting upward at his mind’s conversation as he pondered the situation before him.
And then John blinked. And glanced down, suddenly remembering he was - indeed - in the middle of a conversation.
“Oh shit,” John started quickly, cheeks blossoming with heat as he realized the words were stated out loud. He quickly cleared his throat, mind wiped completely blank by mortification, before realizing introductions were being made.
“Yes - oh god,” John began boldly before quietly uttering the last two words, taking a deep breath in another weak attempt to compose himself. “I am quite new,” John again started, slow with his words, deliberation forcing him to make careful choices. “John Darling. Here on holiday,” John continued, a hand raising to hold out for a shake. “And I am, indeed, new and lost. I’m trying to find some hotel -“ With the words his brow furrowed, eyes jumping up from Robin to look over her head, down the street. “I’m afraid I don’t even know the name of it.” His hands slid into his pockets, shoulders jumping in shrug, before looking back to Robin. “Any chance you know of someplace soft to land?”
*
Robin was not one for embarrassment - but even if she had been, she was pretty much certain it wouldn’t be over the word shit. Even when raised in money, her family had never been the proper sort of people. Their lives were too violent to worry about being posh. She rather liked that this man, all gangly limbs and polite smiles, cared so deeply for how he was perceived - she couldn’t promise him her company was the best for someone worried with how people saw them, of course, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.
“I know this town backward and forward. Every alley, every corner, every hotel. You, Mister Darling, are in the very best hands.” She snatched up her coat from the fence post, throwing it on over her shoulders. “Alright, what should I carry for ya?” She asked it with outstretched arms and a grin, ready to take whatever he was willing to pass over. “And don’t be shy about it. Robin’s capable and happy to help.”
“I’ll have you settled in and a certified expert on this town in no time.”
A tenseness - one that John was completely oblivious to, apparently - seemed to leave the tall man’s shoulders, the stuffiness that had straightened his back wearing away with a soft sigh. His lips fluttered with the sigh, a soft smile shooting towards Robin as he turned back to his bags.
“This is -” John began the statement with a flutter, lugging two duffle bags up onto his shoulders before carefully dropping down to get a briefcase. “This is a most welcome circumstance,” John finally continued, turning back to Robin with a wide grin. “I was just left here on the sidewalk with barely an idea of where to go. The taxi driver was no help, and my cell phone died back in the airport.” Which was rather unlike the man, but he *certainly* wasn't going to let his new companion know that he had gotten sucked into rather challenging level of CandyCrush.
“If you could just -” John nodded to the final piece of luggage, a bag full of suits flopped hastily over the fence behind the pair. “If you could just grab that, I would be eternally grateful. More so then I am already,” he quickly added, lips pressing tightly together.

















