THE CRIMINAL FILES ~ Blue Blood

~ O N E ~

/Walking down the street, hand in mine - it don't keep them other guys, and their wandering eyes from looking at you. That's alright and that's okay, who can blame 'em anyway? You're so pretty, and you ain't even got a clue. Cause everywhere we go girl you're the star of the show. And everybody's wanting to know, what's your name? Who's that girl, with the prettiest smile in the world? Oh, what gets me the most is you don't even know that you are, you are, you are, the star of the show/ ~ Thomas Rhett {Star of the Show}

Kristen's Perspective

"C'mon, buddy! C'mon!" I patted at my knees, waiting patiently for Balto to finish darting through the luminescent orange pylons towards me. "C'mon, you can do it!" I called out once again.

Balto - whom had definitely grown over the past few weeks - perked his ears up, not completing the rest of the course and running towards me. He dug his face beneath my arm, lying on the side of his stomach, placing his head in my lap. I sighed, shaking my head. "You're supposed to finish the course, buddy. Not come running to me," I said out loud, running my hand down his head soothingly.

"Maybe he's just tired," Jackson called out, leaning over collecting the pylons and throwing them across the lawn. "I mean, I would be too. You've been running him through the same course for what - five times today?"

I cocked my head to the side, looking down at Balto who had now impressively fallen asleep. "And each time he didn't finish."

"You know his training exams or whatever you call em' aren't until next month, right?"

I nodded my head. "I just want him to be ready."

"You're scared about him," Jackson interrupted.

I looked up, nodding slightly. "Of course I am. I want him to be safe."

Jackson squinted up at the sky, then pulled out his sunglasses from his jean pocket. "Give him a little water and food, will ya'?"

I rose my eyebrow at him. "Yes, because I'm a ruthless trainer that doesn't take care of her own damn dog," I said.

He shrugged his shoulders, patted Balto on the head then began to walk backward toward his car. "I'm just telling you."

Shaking my head, I rubbed Balto's head, got up slowly, accidentally waking him up.

***

Opening the door, I put Balto's leash on its hook, watching as he instantly ran to the couch to sleep. Closing the door, I walked across the wood floor to the fridge, opened up the new carton of chocolate milk. I held the carton and looked at the cupboard a cross from me where the glasses were. Biting my lip, I looked back down at the carton, then to Balto who was hanging upside down on the arm of the couch, his tongue hanging to the side of his mouth.

I looked back up at the cupboard, shrugged my shoulders and shut the fridge door. "Too lazy anyway," I told myself quietly, dipping my head back and taking a large gulp of the milk. Putting it back quickly, I heaved myself onto the couch, let Balto find his spot beside me, before I took the remote to skim through Owen's box to see if it had anything.

It had a few things I found interest in, but, either the first few minutes were boring our the feed wouldn't work. So, I pretty much gave up.

I happen to be a little impatient sometimes...

Getting up, I walked past the counter picking up an apple and putting it beneath the tap to wash it before taking a large bite out of it. The water coming from the bathroom had stopped a few minutes before I found myself at the door - so I guessed Owen had left to change in his room. I opened the door, only to come face to face with Owen gripping the towel tighter against his waist as I closed my eyes, turning around. "Sorry, sorry," I mumbled over and over again before running into a wall. Opening my one eye slightly, I smiled nervously at Owen before closing the door and heading to the couch.

Owen's Perspective

I headed out of the bathroom and to the living room to see Kristen's face in a pillow as she let her arm dangle off the furniture. "I swear I didn't see anything."

I nodded. To myself mostly.

I smiled a little, however. "We are bound to see each other like that at least once," I reasoned, lifting the bottom of her legs up and putting them across my lap, as I rested my arm on the head of the couch.

"You're still fucking naked, aren't you?" Her voice was muffled and I laughed lightly, because in all honesty, it was kind of adorable...

"I have a towel on. That count?"

"No."

"Than yes. I am buck ass naked." I told her proudly, watching as her smaller body shook from laughing. She rose her head up, tucking her legs beneath her body while sitting on the couch normally.

"No but, seriously, I promise I saw nothing..."

"Nothing you regret," I mumbled. Her face turned to me, with a smirk on her face as she whacked me lightly across my chest.

"Owen!"

"It's the truth," I told her before she began to assault me with the pillow. Getting off the couch, I rose my hands in defense, laughing. "Okay, okay - please don't kill me."

"As long as you stick with me, Faraday - no promise can be made."

"Yeah. I'm surprised that after sixteen years, I'm still in one piece," I admitted playfully.

"Yeah, me too." She said, turning around to look at me, curled up against the back of the couch. "How do you do that?" She asked, her had to the side a calm, blissful look on her face.

"Do what?" I questioned back.

She hummed to herself, thinking for a moment. "Make a bad or awkward situation become better and more comfortable without taking anyone down?"

"I dunno. I guess, it's just...something I've learned to do," I admitted.

She looked away from me, at nothing in particular before looking at the clock on the stove and getting up. "We better leave now if we want to get to work on time." She said, walking past me and heading to my room to grab her clothes and head to the bathroom.

In true Kristen Walker fashion she had to argue with me about the fact that she couldn't kick me out of my own bed until the time came where she left. I, obviously, advised against it - however, she made the congenial decision to sleep on the couch - sharing everything else in my apartment with me.

I didn't mind really. At first I was stoked to have her staying with me. {This was my crush talking} But at the same time, I was worried that she'd leave sooner than expected {or wanted}. But she hadn't left.

Yet.

Although, I could tell the cramped space - especially with the both of us and Balto - was getting a little constricting for her. I was starting to feel that way as well.

I don't know if Balto felt that way, but, I guess - he's a dog so it doesn't exactly matter to him. My apartment was meant for me. A single guy. Not for me, a dog and a woman. And we weren't even in a relationship! {Sadly}

The door opened revealing Kristen who wore tight, navy blue jeans, a brown belt that wrapped around her waist and a black spaghetti strap tank-top. "May wanna' get dressed, Faraday. Charity may not be as accepting as me of what you're wearing now."

She shot me a wink, walking towards the other end of the room to get her knee-high boots. Slowly, and hopefully not-stalker-like, I watched her glide across the room before snapping back into reality realizing that I can't get myself in trouble again for being late. God know's Charity would kick my ass, otherwise.