gunsforhire | It's almost like coming home

Entry tags:

It's almost like coming home

Who: Tex and whoever is at the For Hire base
What: She’s heard she still has an empty room and has finally decided to move back into it.
Where: For Hire base
When: Forward dated to 4/6, throughout the day
Warnings: Cursing and the like. I have been warned there may be baking and knitting.
Note: Feel free to name a location/room within the base to find her in (or for her to find you in) or to catch her as she’s coming in/setting up her room.

It had been a surprise when York had asked her if she was planning to stay on base with the rest of them. With how rarely she’s in the Gulch, she had thought her room would have been re-purposed by now. She lets that bit of information sit for the better part of a week before making a decision. There’s safety in numbers and even with her argument with York over the network, it’s a place she can trust to not have her throat slit overnight and if she’s going to be staying for an extended period in the city, she needs that.

She waits until the morning before slipping into the compound. She doesn’t have much, mostly tools of the trade and bare necessities, but the little she has is soon in her room. Her helmet is set on the desk and the door is left open as she sorts through the few belongings that were left behind, primarily clothes she couldn’t carry with her, and settles in. Her room is composed of the most basic of furniture and when she’s finished, her arsenal of guns and various weaponry will be the main feature.

Once her room is situated, she’ll wander the base and see what new additions have been made since she last was here. Eventually she’ll wind up in the kitchen to make and eat lunch before continuing her exploration and perusal of everything the base has to offer.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's hard to miss the large form of Maine as she enters the kitchen and she stays a couple feet back to see what he's making. Grilled sandwiches, she could deal with that if he's willing to make more.

"Room for two to work in here?" she asks. "Or are making extra?"

If Texas thinks he's going to share his sandwiches, she has another thing coming. "Plenty of room," he says. He'll even leave the vegetables out for her, if she wants them.

She could hope to get out of making herself something, though sandwiches aren't exactly difficult.

"Thanks," she replies and reaches for the ingredients to start making her own food. She works in silence for a moment before simply stating, "I moved back in this morning."

"I noticed." Why else would she be here? Texas has never struck him as the kind of woman who makes friendly house visits. "Staying long?"

He passes her the butter and the kitchen knife so she can prepare her own lunch.

She accepts and keeps her attention on making her food as she speaks.

"Long enough." Until she gets a rumor she wants to chase down or a big job out of the Gulch, anyway. "Figured it'd be easier staying here than drifting."

"True." He assembles his sandwiches and sets them in the skillet. The butter sizzles, a rather satisfying noise when he's this hungry.

"What brought you back?" If she's here to stay, he feels comfortable asking that much.

"To the city or base?" Because those are two very different things. Her sandwiches are made and she's now waiting for her turn with the skillet. She turns to lean back against the counter with her arms folded across her chest.

"City," he says. "Besides it being home." He doubts that's the only reason. He suspects her motives for staying at the base may be even more complicated, so he'll wait to ask.

"I wanted a change of pace. This seemed like the best place for it." It isn't her only reason and deciding to stay in the city is almost as complicated as her decision to come back to the base. This is a much simpler answer.

"Brought one for us?" he asks. He flips his sandwich over. "Could use one."

Things have been quiet except for the prank war. Her visit could be good.

"I didn't realize this place was in need of one," she remarks as she watches him cook. After the mishap with York, she thought they might have been better off without her so close all the time. "Might be a good thing I'm back."

"Keep us on our toes?" Not an order, a question. "Or keep things interesting."

Regardless of what may have happened with York, he likes Texas. She can actually challenge him on the training floor and she keeps the others in line even better than Carolina.

Besides, if she's here, there's less of a chance he'll encounter her in the field.

"Be careful what you ask for," she teases lightly. "You might not like how I decide to do that."

A joke, but she doesn't half-ass anything. If he really wants her to keep those in the compound on their toes well... She could come up with something.

Maine snorts but doesn't lose his grin. "Missed you," he says. "Might welcome it after all."

He fears complacency as much as he dreads heights and confinement. Who better than Agent Texas to keep him in shape?

His sandwiches are done. He slips them onto a plate and makes way for Tex to use the skillet.

That's a reassurance she didn't expect to hear. There's only a second of surprise before it's gone from her face.

"Good to be back," she replies and moves to take over the skillet to grill her sandwiches. "I couldn't leave you assholes to fend for yourselves for long."

He almost misses that surprised smile. At least he can pretend he didn't see it. "Probably just missed not having to cook," he teases. Since the food is communal anyway, most of the For Hires cook large enough dinners to share. Most nights, there's a guaranteed hot meal and good company. Unless it's Maine's night, of course, but he knows his cooking is poor and is willing to get help. Or takeout.

She snorts lightly at the tease and keeps her gaze focused on the minimal cooking she's doing.

"It's a perk. I missed eating real food more. Traveling doesn't leave a whole lot of room for cooking." MREs were necessities when on long assignments like the ones she'd been taking and this is the first time in a long while she's had more than one real meal a day. If it means having to cook a large dinner every so often, so be it.

"No," he agrees. Can't argue about the perks of eating real food. Maine takes a huge bite of his grilled cheese. MREs are bad, but he has had worse. He would rather not think about that, though.

He doesn't speak more: his throat has started to ache, that familiar low throb that warns him he has been talking too much. And they were doing so well to get reunited. This is why more people need to know sign language.

It's hard to tell the signs of when Maine needs to rest his voice. She can't tell if he's not talking because his throat is bothering him or he wants to eat. She plates her food and sets the pan off to the side to cool.

"We didn't get a chance to talk before about O'Malley. You're working with him?"

Maine nods and considers how much detail he'll be able to tell her. "Helped me on a job," he says. "Has questions about the field." He doubts Tex is interested in his assessment of the guy. If she's met O'Malley, she will have made her own, and nothing Maine says to her will change it.

She has an opinion formed, but confirmation of O'Malley's story helps and Maine isn't mentioning any fuck-ups on the assignment, so that counts for something. "Curiosity or is he looking to make a job change?"

"Job change," Maine says. "He's got seven siblings at home. Construction doesn't pay enough to support them."

She lets out a low whistle. "He mentioned a few of them when we met, but I didn't think he had that many. Guess we'll see if he's got potential for it."

"Doesn't talk about them much. Very protective."

Maine hesitates, then asks, "Want to see for yourself?"

She chews thoughtfully as she considers the offer. Could be interesting to see what the new guy has to offer firsthand. "If he can keep up."

It's almost like coming home

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