OOM: Room 6620, #4

[the_gene_genie]

 He hadn't dozed for long yesterday. And it had been another restless night, although not as bad as before - he still gave up in the end though, and slipped out of bed before Alex woke up. He thought she'd be awake by the time he got out of the shower, but no. 

He went downstairs for a pint. Ridiculous really, at that time of morning, but he always recommended the pub after long operations that finished in the morning, so why should now be any different?  

Of course, he got a bit more than he bargained for.

Which is why he's not trying to be quiet when he comes back into the room. If she wakes up, good. She needs to hear this.

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[the_gene_genie]

He shrugs, and hits the bottom of the stairs. His eyes immediately scan the place.

'She can't have worried too much about it being her business if she threw money in the pot,' he points out. But yeah, still not worried.

'Can't see her.'

[lady_bols]

'Hmm. No matter. She'll turn up when she turns up.'

She heads for their corner, eyes scanning the room as well.

'Any sign of the lads?' That has to be on his mind.

[the_gene_genie]

His face closes off a bit.

'No.'

Yeah. It's on his mind.

[lady_bols]

She slips into the seat and slides across so he can join her.

'I wouldn't worry about it, love. If they show up, they show up. We'll deal with it then.'

She's not about to let him go it alone anymore.

[the_gene_genie]

He takes one more look around, and sits down.

'Not as simple as that though, is it?'

Nothing about this will ever be simple.

[lady_bols]

'It is that simple,' she says, her tone gentle but firm. 'At the end of it all, they were yours. We all were. Regardless of everything else, we were a team.'

One hand rests on his arm, briefly, and she smiles at him.

'We are... a team.'

[the_gene_genie]

'That's your opinion, though.'

Not that he doesn't appreciate it, and smiles a little bit to show it.

'They probably think a bit differently.'

Or maybe they don't. He doesn't know, can't say, and it'll drive him mental wondering if they'll turn up here and throw everything into the mix again.

[lady_bols]

'Well then I'll just have to set them straight, won't I?'

It wouldn't be the first time. She raises a hand and beckons one of the rats.

'Tea, please. And -- I think I'll have an omelette. With toast.'

[the_gene_genie]

He snorts quietly, and puts in an order for tea and toast. When the rat's gone, he leans back and lights a cigarette.

'They're blokes, Bols. It's really not...look, just leave 'em to think what they want, if they show up.'

On the job, he'd order them around without a thought. But it's different now, and that's that, as far as he's concerned.

[lady_bols]

He's genuinely worried, and doing his best not to show it. It's not something she's seen often with him, and it only reinforces how much he cares about all of them. They're more than his team; they're the only family he's known for thirty years.

She reaches out and takes his hand between hers, leaning on her elbows. Her gaze plays over his rough knuckles, and she sighs.

'Forgive me for stating the obvious, but... You're not alone anymore.'

It's important that he knows that.

[the_gene_genie]

'Don' matter.'

In this, he won't be swayed.

'There's some stuff women should leave well alone, is all I mean.'

His relationship with her, even before all this, is very different than the one he has with his lads. And he reckons the boys, Ray in particular, wouldn't be interested in hearing what she thinks they should think about him. He might be wrong. He might never have the chance to find out. But that's what he reckons.

[lady_bols]

And it's clear, he's taken her statement far more seriously than she intended. Wouldn't be the first time they've misunderstood each other, and it won't be the last.

'I think what you meant to say is, "Keep your nose out of it, Bolly."'

Her lips slide into a crooked smirk.

'And I will, never fear. But I will tell you what I think, and you can take it or leave it.'

Her tone is still gentle, affectionate even. He's such a hard case sometimes.

[the_gene_genie]

'Yeah. That.'

He shrugs, pulls a smile, and looks down at the table.

'You always tell me what you think. Something'd really be wrong if you didn't.'

[lady_bols]

'So glad you noticed,' she says, her smirk broadening into a grin, letting him see everything for once, if he cares to look.

'However did you survive so long without me?'

[the_gene_genie]

The tiniest flicker of a frown crosses his brow, but then disappears.

'Dunno.'

He's looking around the room again. She really knows how to pick her words sometimes, and while he's doing his best to get past all this, it's not that easy. He hates that tiny things - things that he'd normally think nothing of - strike home.

No matter. The tea, and breakfast, turns up. He's glad of the distraction.

[lady_bols]

For some reason, it's easier for her to make light of such things, rather than dwelling on it all. She's spent the last three years dwelling on it, and she's tired. So very tired.

She sits back, letting his hand go and taking a good long time to doctor her tea just the way she likes it.

He may have succeeded in driving her back into herself. And just when they were doing so well.

[the_gene_genie]

He's had four days to dwell on it. It's going to take a bit longer for him to reach the 'making light' stage, much as he wishes he were there already.

He spoons sugar into his tea, and watches the stairs in case Shaz appears. He ignores his toast, and smokes his cigarette. He might look outwardly calm, but his arm movements are sharp and pointed.

[lady_bols]

She is well aware of the incongruities between their mutual acceptance or denial of their situation. Painfully so.

She sips her tea and looks out across the room.

'I suppose I should ask for another room while we're down here.'

Her words are cool, distant, but there's a tension around her eyes when she says them.

[the_gene_genie]

He blinks, and pulls his attention back to her.

'Why?'

[lady_bols]

Her shoulders rise and hover a bit, before falling down again.

'Just before. You said...'

She turns the mug of tea half a turn clockwise, and then back again, like there's a combination, and if she could only figure it out, she could find the right words.

'Unless you'd rather I stay in your room. Our room.'

Another spoonful of sugar, that's what she needs. Do dead women have to watch their caloric intake? Does she even care?

[the_gene_genie]

He looks down.

'We weren't shagging when I said that,' he points out, quiet and defensive.

She's saying it because she wants him to say, stay in our room. He knows that. The manipulation bothers him, but his head is starting to ache and he can't think.

'You don't have to. It's up to you.'

[lady_bols]

She's not trying to manipulate him at all, and if she knew that was what he was thinking, she'd insist on getting another room. She doesn't want to intrude on his life, she wants to be a part of it. A welcome part, at that.

'Right.' There's a nervous chuff of laughter, and she looks across at him, waiting for him to look up at her again.

'I want to stay, but it's your room. So if I get up your nose, just tell me, all right? Before it gets to be a problem.'

[the_gene_genie]

He does meet her eyes eventually, tired and inscrutable. He listens when she talks. His fag burns down, and he stubs it out.

'I didn't say you were getting up my nose.'

He resists the urge to sigh, but does let out a long breath, trying to ease the edge of annoyance.

'But if you're going to bring up stuff I said before yesterday, as if we didn' spend the day in bed, then that'll piss me off, yeah.'

He will never, ever understand why women feel the need to talk in circles.

'An' bringing it up right after you're pissed off with me about-'

He does sigh now, and picks his tea up.

'It don' matter. Stay in the room.'

[lady_bols]

'I wasn't pissed off at you. Not in the least.'

She's not quite sure where he got that impression. She sits very still, afraid to say anything for fear of setting him off again, and yet, as always, unable to stay quiet.

'So much has changed in the last few days, it's hard to know which way is up. And yes, we spent all day in bed yesterday, but right now, with you over there and me over here... It feels like we're right back where we started. I'm still trying to get my sea legs, and I -- I'd just -- I'd appreciate it if you'd cut me some slack.'

[the_gene_genie]

'Fine,' he says, in that slightly petulant way he has, as if this is a school playground.

He's not sure of the specifics of 'cut me some slack', but he's too proud to ask.

'Just eat your breakfast.'