cutting_edgex23 | (no subject)

494 wasn't planning on leaving the bar at all. But then he'd spotted her, out the window, and he got one of his little notions, and, well, as anyone at Manticore could say, he'd been a little erratic lately.

It was going to be a perfectly executed ploy: all the elements for total surprise were possible. She hadn't even noticed him yet. From his perch on the rocks, though, he has an exquisite view of her musculature. That stretch of exposed skin above her waistline, holy crap.

He has an impeccable memory. He hadn't quite remembered X like this.

494 finds himself biting his own lip.

It's not that stretching functions as meditation for X. That would be very unwise.

And dangerous.

But after 494 left the last time--

Some things X is not expecting. Which explains why, when she catches a familiar scent, she freezes for half a second, body caught mid-rise. Then she drops smoothly into a forward roll, coming up on her feet.

Something is not right.

And X has not always been good with hope.

Ah, now that hasn't changed -- or, well, that's just as he remembers it. The jig is always up pretty quickly with her, if there's ever a jig at all. (What does that even mean, anyway? He never really thought about it before.)

He's already smiling when he launches himself off the rock and lands on his feet, right behind her.

X whirls into a spinning back kick.

Well-trained instincts are a powerful motivating force.

And people suddenly 'appearing' directly behind her never seem to bode well.

She does not want to be stabbed today.

"Whoa!"

494 catches the boot--

--and just holds it, his mouth in a wry twist. "Some people like a simple handshake too, you know."

"Oh."

X's eyes are very wide.

"You said you were not coming back."

He snorts. "Come on, X, since when has it been a good idea to take me at my word?"

She looks. Well. She looks.

Is she pleased to see him? It's been a while. For him, anyway.

He swallows, and makes a show of examining her ~~leg~~ uniform. "Nice gear, by the way. Is this new?"

"No."

Strangely enough, she has yet to move to take her leg back.

"It is my uniform."

Beat.

Beat.

"I did not think you wanted to come back."

"Huh."

He inspects it all over.

He's curious to see how it fits together up close, that's all.

Also, it keeps him from having to look at her face.

"Well, things change. It's been a while for me."

Both eyebrows arc up. "Why, how long since you saw me?"

Her eyes are still a little wide, and she fails to look away from his face.

"I do not know."

Beat.

"I do not keep track."

She is silent for a moment.

"Do you?"

He laughs to himself. It's not entirely a nice sound.

"No."

He lost a lot of time in psy-ops. And it all runs together, except when he can steal some time away on missions.

He drops her leg.

"But it's been long enough."

Not that he missed her or anything. He's just changed, is all.

"Oh."

She does not take a step back.

Or a step forward.

"You do not have a mission objective here?"

He slips his hands in his jacket pockets and shrugs. "Nah, I'm taking a little shore leave. Mission's done with, but the rendezvous is in two hours. I mean seriously, who needs that much time to take down a journalist? So, no reason to report back early."

He's smiling again. "What about you? Just hanging out?"

And the thought of that is pretty funny too, since, you know. X.

"I have a job. Here."

Beat.

"I told you."

X falls silent for a moment, studying him carefully.

She may also be looking for words.

"And I did not want to--"

She cuts herself off, frustrated.

"I wanted you to come back."

His good cheer falters for a moment.

Not falters. Flickers.

He remembers that.

Now that she's said it, he remembers that.

"Well, happy Christmas. Maybe next time around I'll get something I want."

And he's smiling again. He's doing that a lot now.

"Okay," she says, very solemn.

"Jamie had me make a list."

Beat.

"For Christmas."

He frowns. "Is it almost Christmas here?"

Seems a little unseasonable, but they're at the end of the universe, so who knows.

X shrugs a little.

"It is not snowing."

Beat.

"Jamie does not always make sense."

"I guess it never hurts to plan ahead."

His eyes drift.

There's a spot on X's neck that's completely mesmerizing.

He has to force himself to keep his eyes on her face.

And here he thought he was over the worst of weening himself off the hormone suppressants.

"What was on it?"

"Weapons."

Her response is prompt.

"And clothes."

"And Pinocchio. It is a book."

"I know that."

(He doesn't, really. It hasn't been exactly high on his to-read list.)

He shifts his weight where he stands. Standing and talking is weird. He wishes he had something to do with his hands.

"Why that one?"

X does not fidget.

She doesn't even look away from 494.

"My mo--Doctor Kinney read it to me. When I was small."

Beat.

"I think it is a metaphor."

"A metaphor? Really?" He whistles. "Wow."

He tilts his head a little. "You weren't always this chatty, were you?"

She flinches, barely perceptible.

"It is not relevant."

494 smirks. "That's the X I know." He rolls his shoulders. "Come on, what are we doing standing here?"