➹BEEPER

[intheblanks]

"It had better be an emergency."
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[synanthrope]

[She's working on the undercarriage of a jeep and just happens to be out from under when he spots her. Her own lips quirk slightly more]

Happy Thanksgiving. Was it a bad day?

[intheblanks]

[He tilts his head briefly to put her the right way up within the framework of his sight, then crosses to drop down beside her.]

It isn't now. You're busier later than usual, which means you're interested in the work, but not to the point of exclusivity. I'm not sure whether that constitutes a good day or not.

[synanthrope]

[She looks over at him, and back up at the Jeep]

You're the only one who knows that.

This is Stiles' jeep.

[intheblanks]

The only one who knows you're working late?

[He fits the rest of the sandwich into his mouth and chews slowly, looking over the jeep, himself.]

What did he do to it?

[synanthrope]

The only one who can translate what my working late means.

[She looks back up at the jeep]

Bled in it. But I thought while I had it here I could fix the glaring problems. It needed a tune up.

[intheblanks]

I know.

[But a little playing stupid never hurt anyone. He leans across enough to press a kiss against her hair - mouth wiped first, no crumbs.]

I also know you'd be locked in here for days if it was something you really liked. And I wouldn't expect a note.

[And he doesn't sound as if it worries him. Nor does the blood. Curses don't go easy on personal property, either. But he does know one thing about Stiles - or the company he keeps.]

Did it need a shower, too?

[synanthrope]

[She seems slightly pleased at that, and doesn't twist away from it. He wiped his mouth, first, after all.]

Yes. It smelled. But I wanted to clear through the mess in the engine. I redid the suspension, too.

[intheblanks]

That's very thoughtful of you.

[And he doubts the thought here was specifically focused on Stiles. It's not just the Australian inflection that raises the pitch of the sentence into question form.]

[synanthrope]

Is it?

[He's right, it isn't]

I'm not quite that giving, I don't think.

[intheblanks]

[He stretches his legs out and glances across at her.]

If you cut the brake wires they'll be able to trace it back.

[Joke. Hopefully.]

[synanthrope]

I'm not going to cut his brake lines.

[intheblanks]

Good. Stiles is a patient, knowing about it would cause problems with the do no harm part of that.

[he tilts his chin up a little, watching her.]

So where's your return on the deal?

[synanthrope]

He thinks I'm beautiful.

[Which isn't really an answer.]

[intheblanks]

You are. He's not blind, he's just about twelve.

[Chase's nose wrinkles, faintly.]

[synanthrope]

[She pauses, and looks at Chase]

I know. I'm hardly interested.

[And another pause....]

I want someone who can watch their movements to tell me what's going on.

[intheblanks]

[If there's one thing Chase can't pin down, it's the why behind the objects of some of her interest. This, at least, he can follow through, though it makes him sigh, turning in to face her.]

They're not going to be plotting against you, Satya. The whole wolf-spider animosity? Pretty sure it's one sided here.

[synanthrope]

Who said they were planning against me?

[Saya's web is much more involved than that]

But if I take precautions, are you going to fault me?

[intheblanks]

[He pushes a hand back through his hair.]

I used to live with a girl who kept a gun in every drawer.

[He only partly remembers the experience, but his memory has been refreshed since.]

[synanthrope]

No guns.

But does that mean you understand, at least in theory?

[She turns to bracket him with her legs.]

[intheblanks]

It means I can live with it.

[And he understands, even if a life relatively devoid of threat hasn't equipped him well for it.]

I just don't want you creating trouble for yourself which doesn't exist right now. A guy's only going to be more loyal to a women than his mates when he's actually sleeping with her, and then only sometimes.

[synanthrope]

I don't plan on sleeping with him. I would break him.

[She takes another moment, inspects him]

Are you more loyal to me than to your friends?

[intheblanks]

He might not object to that. [Chase should know. He clears his throat before answering the question.]

You are my friends.

[There are others. Eden's just one of the small collection he's added here. There are people from back home where the discord between how much he cared for them in the past and how much he cares now buzzes like white noise in the background of every encounter. But in terms of comfort (even with all the things that make him uncomfortable) it's all too often here and her.]

[synanthrope]

I thought you would comment on my newfound sense of moral compunction.

[Actually she just doesn't want to. It's almost never worth her time to sleep with guys like Stiles]

Well it was never my intention to breed loyalty, although I enjoy your friendship.

[It's a comment that could mean a lot of different things, but as is usual when she speaks to Chase, she doesn't mean it in a way that is upsetting.]

[intheblanks]

Restricting the shortlist of who you'll sleep with to the less delicate? [He has to grin at that even as some small bunch of stomach muscles clench.] Oh, yeah. Very noble.

[He leans in, resting his arms on the raised bridges of her knees.]

If it helps, I never intended to be loyal. Not everything requires calculation to achieve.

[synanthrope]

There are a lot more restrictions than that.

[And then she frowns a little]

They seem to be increasing.