gunsforhire | LOG: A Little TLC

Entry tags:

LOG: A Little TLC

Who: Agent Texas (Native), Agent Florida (Native)
What: Relaxing in the safety of a safehouse
Where: One of Florida's safehouses
When: 5/13, evening
Warnings: Adult situations, definite Florida trying to process human emotions, later nsfwish content

It's been the strangest few weeks, Florida decided a long time past. But here he was now, stretched out on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He's got two vat-meat steaks out, defrosting, he's got roasted potatoes ready for the oven, in fact, he's mostly got a rehash of the first meal he made for Tex (lower quality of course), waiting in the wings for the finishing touches. Minus the mousse. That just takes too long.

And added in? Beers chilling in the fridge. Beers he thinks he might partake in himself.

So much of the recent past has been stressful. More of it has been confusing. He's still trying to get his brain around how far he goes for Louisiana, a woman who will hate him soon enough. Another part wonders why she really saved him from that shipping container, and if he would have died without her. He ponders thankfulness and fear, insomnia and rest, and even the whole fiasco where he threatened to murder Maine and his boyfriend just to get to Lou...

Which only reminds him of the other complication in his life. At least he understands Lou on some level. Surely that is some deeply buried paternal instinct activating around her. A father fiercely loyal and protective, willing to take on all comers for his young. Actually, that sounds more maternal except in humans. Oh well.

But Tex?

There's a question. All the money. All the grief. A lot of the problems start and end with a woman that until recently he hadn't seen for a good long time. And now here he is, opening one of his safe havens to her when he isn't even going to get any physical pleasure out of it.

Where has he gone wrong?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Why is she even going here? She has her own safe houses, a couple strewn about the city. They're far from as luxurious given how bare-bones she keeps them, but they'd get the job done.

Yet she messaged Florida not even an hour earlier and is parking her bike in front of his place. The same man that's both helped her and threatened her brother in the last twenty-four hours. He's a loose cannon when it comes to his mija apparently and she's not sure what kind of explosion she could be in the crossfires of later if a fight of theirs escalated beyond a simple misunderstanding.

Despite that piece of bullshit, being with him has been oddly... relaxing. Whether a lot of it is some weird extension of their bet or purely from their shared interests, she doesn't know, but it's enough to draw her back in. Trying to figure out where she fits in with her family has taken its toll and left her tired. On top of that, finding out she's an afterthought while Maine is forefront in many of her sibling's minds wants her as far away from base as possible.

This seemed as good a place as any and the company would be nice.

She unlocks the front door and once the airlock has cycled and secured itself behind her, she removes her helmet. These days she's finding less and less reasons to wear her contacts unless she's meeting contacts or out on jobs. It makes getting ready a helluva lot easier. An overnight bag is slung over her shoulder, filled with everything she needs for the night and tomorrow morning.

"Hey, Ed," she calls out as she steps farther inside and heads for the living room.

He frowns thoughtfully at the name. It's still so new to hear his own name.

Still he sits up when she enters the living room. "Beta. Food waits when you're ready."

How can she even stand to be near him?

There's a small frown of her own at the name Beta. Her real name. Right. Maybe one of these days she'll be more accepting if being called that.

"It can wait, I don't have much of an appetite," she replies and since he made room, she moves to sit beside him.

"I know what you mean," Florida sighs, waiting for her to sit beside him. She looks...

Not as good as the last time they were here together. Which was the second night he'd been here, and he'd slept in her arms for maybe a few hours.

With a frown he reaches out to start toying with her hair. "Well... aren't we a pair, Reina?"

She discards her helmet on the arm of the couch and leans into his touch. Since when was she this damn pathetic she needed to be close to someone else? Probably around the same time she magically got a family.

"You're putting it nicely," she mutters and let's her eyes close.

"Of course I am," he laughs, shaking his head. "How else would you want me to put it after the bit of time we've had the last few weeks?"

Well, if she's going to let him play with her hair, there is absolutely no reason he isn't going to shift so he's closer to her. Nor is there a reason he wouldn't just scratch the back of her head a bit, like she was one of Wash's (horrible) cats.

"You're going to put me to sleep doing that," she complains, but the way she's now pressed against his side says she doesn't actually care. She may be tired, but there's no way she's sleeping right now.

"I don't know. Pair is as good a way as any to describe... Us if we're avoiding labels." Were they? Hell if she knows anymore.

"I don't think we're avoiding labels," Florida chuckles as he stops scratching her neck and instead starts to card his fingers through her hair. "I don't think any of them really apply to us."

This... isn't something he is sure how to face. He doesn't even know if any labels exist beyond 'friends with benefits' and he's pretty sure that after the last few days, the friends part doesn't apply.

She frowns slightly. No, none of the ones she can think of apply. Not that it ultimately matters. Barring his episode a couple of days ago, he's soothing to be around.

"How are your hands healing?" She asks and reaches to take his free one in her hands.

Florida hesitates for a moment with his hand in hers. Clearly the bandages are off, but he's still wearing the skin-tight gloves he wears for work.

"They don't bleed randomly now," he says cautiously. "But... Well, my nails are still pretty scant. The only reason I have bleeding under control is because I know how to handle things now to keep from irritating them. They should be fine soon enough. The shoulder is starting to close up nicely."

He's still such a wreck. Just a few hours and he's low on the totem pole contract wise.

She lays his hand over her palm as she looks it over while he speaks. Not that she can see anything through the gloves.

"Good," she says and runs a finger along the back of his hand. "I'd want a fair fight if I heard you threatening my brother again."

A warning and a promise. He's lucky she's even excusing the first threat.

Oh. Florida's smile fades completely off his face and he pulls his hand from the comfort(?) of her touch.

"You do know that I haven't lived this long by allowing fair fights with people who are superior combatants to me, right?"

That isn't how this works. That isn't now a slight man like him lives. It's not about fighting fair, it's about winning.

She shakes her head. This isn't a conversation she even wants to have right now, but she can't let it go without mention now that things have calmed down.

"Just leave my brothers out of things. Delta wouldn't even hear you coming right now." Wouldn't even realize the danger he's in until the very end. It's not what he deserves for all he's done for their family while she's been gone.

"I've been trying to separate them from mercenary bullshit even if he's dating one."

"Can you honestly tell me that if it came to it, if someone was threatening your family, you wouldn't go after their loved ones to save them?" Florida asks, voice low and cautious.

Because that was what he had done. Gone after what, at the time, had been an obstacle by the only means Florida had to attack from.

Sure, he feels bad about it. But would and will do it again if given a reason. He hates the idea of threatening the Ai's... threatening Tex's family. But for Lou...

"Was she in danger with Maine? Or were you pissed at the messenger? Because it sounded like she sent him to talk to you instead of handling it herself."

And if that's all it took, then she needs to have a chat with this Louisiana to handle her own dirty work instead of throwing it at Maine. Too much is at stake.

"And you know I'd do everything to help them. That's why you're getting a pass this time."

He doesn't need a pass from her. He doesn't need her. And still his fingers card through her hair. This is so stupid. He shouldn't wast so much time with her.

"You're giving me a pass because I gave you a lot of money for your brother. Not because you forgive me in any sense of the word."

"Since when could you see inside of my head?" She asks dryly. "Don't assume you know my reasons. I'm giving you a pass because I get it and I can't guarantee how friendly I'd be if one of mine went missing."

The whole damn city might explode if that hapoened. And he didn't act on his threat, which helps a whole lot.

"I imagine people would suffer," Florida answers.

She need not know how close he'd come. She never needs to know that.

"You need to eat, Reina?"

"Eventually. Why, want to escape to the kitchen to cook?" she says in an attempt at a half-assed joke.

"I am glad you found her and you're healing up, you know."

"You think I'd want to hide from your absolutely charming presence?" Florida asks.

Yes. Because he doesn't really get it. Why he's so happy to be in her presence. "When I'm in your presence I hang on your every word."

He pitches the words toward what he hopes can be mistaken as sarcasm.

"You're lucky I enjoy yours just as much," she teases. She wouldn't be here otherwise even if she's trying not to dwell on the why that is.

"If you're that eager to cook, I'll keep your company in the kitchen."

"Cook when I could instead be in the presence of an enchanting woman who hangs on my every word? No, reina, I'm fine here," he chuckles, stroking her hair a bit more.

"Enchanting, huh? I like that better than the screaming mess I hear after I met new people." Usually because they are in the process of dying, but details.

If he's going to keep playing with her hair, she's going to make herself comfortable against his side.

"So... why not go to your own safehouse. I assume you have one in town. Were you just that eager for my absolutely charming company?"

He has no more idea why she's here than why he allowed it. Sure, there are reasons he could enjoy her company, things he could want from it, but in this moment, he doesn't. What he wants is another day or two to get back on his feet before returning to the base. Days of rest and relaxation.

And possibly paying Omega to go to get groceries for him, when he's certain Tex won't be around.

Why is she here? It was the first place she thought of when she wanted time away from base, but he's right. She has her own safe houses.

She shrugs and shifts slightly against him. "I guess I was. You can tell me to go if that's a problem."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject