watching_you | OOM: Suite 130

He frowns a bit. "I was going to ask if you'd like for me to take you back."

His tone fills her in on the rest of the sentiment. He's not anxious to see her go.

"Oh."

That brings her up short. She lets her hands slide to his sides, disappointment visible in her face.

"I guess you probably should."

"You'd be missed, otherwise."

He sighs heavily, his hand straying to touch her chin. He can't get enough of looking at her it seems.

Conversational, "Actually, time stops in my world when I leave it. Don't ask how that works."

Her fingers toy with the shirt at his sides, absently.

"And I'm in and out of the bar enough that no one will even notice there." Suddenly, she make a face. "Oh, damn it. Indy's going to ask questions."

"Oh he will, will he?" Mills' brow draws together.

"I'm curious to hear what you'll say."

Actually, he's wondering how long it'll take for her to pull together a file on him, and if it'll be any more than three pages, with 90% of the text redacted.

He thinks she's a better researcher than that, and the proposition worries him.

Lifting her eyebrows, "What would you say?

"He's not dangerous or anything, just annoying. And annoyed. Because I think he's being stupid. Which he is."

Beat.

"Maybe practice your poker face, just to be safe."

What would he say? He frowns, pondering.

He'd say it was none of the man's business, that's what he'd say.

"You want I should beat him up for you?" Again, teasing. Grumble, growl, grumble.

She grins.

"Nah. If he acts up, I can take him. But thanks for the offer."

Her hands are still at his sides, reluctant to move away.

That's fine with him. He's enjoying her touch, her proximity. His hand comes up to touch her cheek again.

He wants to ask her to stay. He doesn't know what that might entail, he just knows he hasn't felt this relaxed, this normal in a very long time.

Instead, he hears himself saying, "Come on. Get your coat and I'll walk you home."

He frowns at his pragmatic self.

Veronica forces herself not to let her smile fall.

"Sure. I can show you my trick."

She lingers a moment longer, then pulls away and heads for the front closet and her coat. She doesn't put it on, instead draping it over her arm as she returns.

"Oh, I almost forgot --" The flower he'd bought her is sitting in a cup of water on the counter. She passes to it, picking it up and shaking the water off.

"Your trick?"

He's picking up his holster and slipping it on, a motion so habitual he doesn't even really have to look. His jacket follows and he's turning back to her straightening his cuffs.

"This isn't another wereduck thing, is it?"

"No, no. Remember? Neptune or Norway."

She twirls the flower in her fingers, then sniffs it, peering at Mills.

"Pick a door, any door."

"Okay. Hmm. How about the front door?"

Nodding, she proceeds to it and pushes it open. On the other side are his front steps, the courtyard, all of the usual trappings. She leaves this open for a moment, glancing at Mills to make sure he's paying attention. Then she pulls the door shut again.

From around her neck she pulls out a long, thin chain of necklace; it ends in a wide v-shaped tangle of Celtic knotwork, marked with a single green gem.

"If this doesn't work, I may need to borrow your couch tonight."

Mills presses his lips together and refrains from commenting, simply standing back and letting her work.

"This something Bar gave you?"

She shakes her head.

"A magician guy -- sorcerer, something, I don't know. Not the kind that pulls rabbits out of hats. The real deal. He made it for me. It's supposed to... tie me to the bar, tell the universe that that's where I belong. It stopped working there for about, uh..."

An awkward cough.

"About seven years, but lately..."

She lets her eyes drift closed, her face fading into a tranquil mask as her fingers wrap around the amulet. For a few long seconds she does nothing but breathe, slow and deep. Then she opens her eyes and takes the door handle, opening it again.

His front steps are gone, replaced with the crowded, noisy scene of the bar.

"Taa-daa."

Mills' eyebrows rise. "Impressive. I imagine that's handy in a pinch."

Yes, he's already evaluating how it might work in a tactical situation.

"Well? Shall we?"

"It might be if it could be trusted to work in a pinch."

She tucks the necklace back under her shirt and moves to his side. This time she doesn't wait for him to offer before slipping her hand around his arm.

"Lead on."

He peers through the door, assessing the crowd and the room beyond. It looked just as it had when they'd left.

He steps through, keeping her close to his side.

"What did you do when it stopped working? And what made you think to try again?"

With a shrug, "I lived my life. Finished school, worked for a while, went to the academy, got -- got a job. Seven years. I stopped trying to get back. Left this thing in a drawer.

"Then one day I'm opening the door to my apartment and hey, there it is."

Her tone is difficult to read.

"I was gone for seven years and only a couple of months had passed. Far as my friends were concerned I was on a summer vacation or something. That's Milliways for you.

"Anyway, since the door started appearing regularly again, I dug the necklace up and started wearing it again. Hasn't failed me since."

"So it wasn't that the necklace stopped working, it was that the Bar stopped coming for you. I've heard other patrons talk about that happening. I guess even the end of the universe can't be relied upon 100% of the time."

He stops in the middle of the room, eying the tables. When he turns back to her, he's got that look in his eye again.

"I've seen Bar give people pretty much anything they ask for..."

She eyes him.

"Well, bar the building and Bar the big sexy hunk o' wood are two entirely different things. One is friendly and serves drinks and a miscellany of other objects; the other is huge and ambivalent and lets in terrorists and schoolkids without giving a damn. So I'm not sure what you're thinking."

"Bar, the entity," he clarifies. "Could get you a file on me, if you asked for it."

His voice is carefully neutral.

She steps back from him slightly, startled.

"I -- I don't know. I suppose she might, if I asked... Why?"

"I know you, Agent Mars. The moment I walk away, you'll have questions. And I see no reason not to answer them, if I can."

"I mean, you know about the... accounting." The euphemism makes him chuckle a little. "Hell, forget I said anything."

Because the next logical step is him asking for her file. And he's not sure he's ready for everything that implies.

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