York (freelanceryork) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2018-05-01 21:40:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !complete, !completed gdoc, !log, ~2018 may, ~25 points, ~~agent carolina (agentcarolina), ~~agent york (freelanceryork) |
WHO Agents York & Carolina
WHAT Dinner
WHEN This evening after her convo w/ Diana
WHERE York's apartment
WARNINGS none
STATUS Closed | Complete gdoc
Ever since she came to stay with York Carolina had been filling him in little by little on what she had done ever since she had left Freelancer when assumed dead. Some of it was hard to tell but being Carolina she hadn’t spared herself any in the telling. It had been odd to tell him that her turning point had actually been Wash putting the gun to her head and unknowingly using her own words on her when she tried to use his friends for her vengeance.
You’d better figure out the difference between your friends and your enemies.
Then she’d told him the parts that Wash couldn’t, her time with Church investigating Charon Industries before she joined back up with Wash and the Reds and Blues. And she told him what she’d learned recently, that all of the other Freelancers that had escaped were probably dead. She still dreamed about being locked in her armor with the bodies all around her in their armor.
But still being Carolina she didn’t admit that part even though he would know she woke up in the night regularly. And she’d taken to exploring the town to learn more about it instead of spending all her time in his apartment. Tonight she’d met an Amazon and had a few drinks before buying some food and showing back up at York’s. She wanted to make a joke about Grif but that was a sore subject since he hadn’t come with them this time.
“You know none of this feels real still.” She had put the food on the counter in the kitchen, there was enough for York to eat as well, and was picking at it out of containers instead of getting a plate just yet.
***
York was more than happy to have Carolina stay with him for as long as she wanted to stay. She'd had a very difficult life from the time he'd left her until now. Hearing about it in bits and pieces was the only way he could really wrap his head around it. So many times, he just wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her close, but that wasn't how they worked. York listened, he asked some questions, and he did what he could when she didn't sleep well at night.
It was getting to the point where he was going to ask her to come to bed with him, in the hopes that she'd at least get some sleep.
When she came in with food, he was at the kitchen table, cleaning his weapon. York glanced at her and chuckled. "I don't think this place is ever going to feel real, not after what we've been through." They came from a time more advanced than this. "What'd you get?"
***
This is why he was good at being with Carolina. Pushing her or trying to comfort her before she asked for it just got you pushed away or hit. Granted York said things that got him hit but he did it on purpose and it usually made them both smirk.
“It’s sort of a variety. Something called Fusion which as far as I can tell is mostly sushi with a little Americanized stuff thrown in. Since I hadn’t tried a lot of it I got a bunch of things to see what I’d like best.” She would eat anything that was available like all soldiers when she had to but since she didn’t she was trying pretty much anything. “Tomorrow is pizza I think. I’ve heard Grif talking about it often enough I was actually tired of it without even eating any so I’ve been waiting on that one.”
If he asked her to come to bed to get sleep she just might do it. If nothing else maybe she’d get back to sleep faster after her dreams. She worried about Wash and if he was sleeping badly too but she hadn’t wanted to ask him. Maybe she could get York to ask...but since York wouldn’t give him the same option of sleeping in his bed Wash would have to figure that part out himself.
***
Fusion sounded like some kind of gimmick, but food was food and York wasn't picky. "Fine by me," he replied. He was just about done cleaning his weapon anyway, so he did the last few steps that were needed and put it back together. Once that was done, he slid it into the waistband of his pants and helped her bring everything over to the table.
"I think there's probably just as many options for pizza," he pointed out. "Might have to try one a week so we don't get sick of it." York had stuck to bar food and takeout since before she'd arrived, but he had been trying to do more cooking for himself lately. It had been, in part, to make sure she was getting the nutrients she needed to heal up properly.
"What did you get up to today?" York never pressed her for details she wasn't interested in sharing, but he always asked.
***
“You really have zero concept of how many of Grif’s conversations involved food.” There was definite amusement in her voice. Sleep and food. That was pretty much all of his conversations.
“Well let’s see I met an Amazon and had drinks with her. We talked about a lot of different things.” She sat at the table and started to put things on her plate. “I’m pretty sure she was flirting with me, wanted me to dance.”
***
York chuckled at that. "Alright, well I'm going to stick to pizza once a week," he replied. It wasn't his favorite, but he'd let her try all the food she wanted. There were so many things here to eat, to drink, to see, to the point where it was a little overwhelming, so he wasn't going to stop her from seeing what she liked. Especially if she did most of her taste testing at home and he got to have a little of everything, too.
"An Amazon? As in from some kind of legend?" He read a lot. "At least she didn't want you to sing," he added, teasingly. "Did you dance with her?" York was mostly curious, and not really jealous. He was a little jealous. But just a little.
***
“No, she didn’t want me to sing and I didn’t dance with her.” Carolina bipped him on the arm with the back of her hand. “And yes, she seemed to be from legend. There was a lot of talk about Tartarus and Hades and it all seemed on the up and up. Actually it was kind of weird since the ship we crashed into the Purge on Chorus was the Tartarus. It seemed way too coincidental.” And Diana had seemed to accept that very easily as something that maybe tied them together. That had been the strangest part.
“I did drink about one too many beers though. I guess it’s been too long since I used to go out with you, Wyoming and Illinois.”
***
York grinned. "Come on, you can't fault me for asking!" He was almost sad that he'd missed it, but that would have defeated the purpose of her getting out there and making friends that weren't Freelancers. Madison Valley was going to be a chance for her to come to terms with all the crap she'd been through over the years.
"Nothing's a coincidence," he pointed out. That usually spelled bad news. "You know, we could fix that. Go out more often, grab some beers with Wash. It won't be the same, but it could be something new." York hadn't forgotten about Wash, checked in on him pretty regularly. He was tossing around the idea of maybe finding a place that was big enough for the three of them, but he wasn't ready to give up it just being him and Carolina.
He took a bite of his food and tilted his head, as if he was contemplating something. Mostly, he was contemplating how hard he was going to get hit for asking, "So, what are my chances if I was to ask you to come to bed with me later?"
***
“I’m pretty sure you still managed to picture it all in your head even if it didn’t happen.” She pointed at him with her chopsticks that came with the meal and smirked. And maybe she didn’t know how to go out and make friends that hadn’t ever been military very well but she was going to try. The Reds and Blues were military they just were extremely bad at it but they got the basic concept.
“It would probably be good for Wash. You know him, he’s never going to ask us to do anything unless we ask him first.” It was just the way Wash was. He wouldn’t intrude even if he was perfectly welcome to because he was their friend. They’d have to make sure to keep him involved with them or they’d barely see him.
Carolina had been expecting the question in one form or another so she didn’t hit him. She did sit back and look at him thoughtfully though. “I suppose it would depend on why you wanted me there.” She was never sure what she was ready for so sometimes it helped to listen to him go through his reasons for things.
***
His smirk said he'd absolutely managed to picture it in his head, even without knowing what Amazon she was talking about. Tall, brunette and able to kick ass was all he really needed to know since he focused more on Carolina, anyway. She was all he really needed, as cheesy as that was to say.
"Maybe we can do that later this week," he offered. He'd ask Wash if he was up for it, since she was right. They'd never heard from the other Freelancer if they left it up to him. York had been selfish enough when it came to Carolina so far. He had to share sooner or later.
When she asked why he wanted to ask her to spend the night with him, he really wasn't surprised. "Not for anything you're not ready for," York promised. "Figured it might help both of us sleep better, or at least that it's worth a try." There was no telling if it would really work or not, but he'd seen how tired she was lately. If there was even the smallest chance it would help, he'd happily share his bed with her.
***
“Maybe you could check on how he’s sleeping when you talk to him about it.” Carolina wanted to try the three of them having a drinking night later. It sounded kind of nice. “Wash and I don’t do emotional things well so me asking would probably turn into a fight. And asking Epsilon just seems like cheating.”
And what was sad was Wash was better at emotional things than she was anymore or they wouldn’t have been holding hands on Illinois’ beach before he fucked it up by asking her to take her suit off.
“I could use some sleep. Maybe we’ll try that.” She took a few bites of food before she looked back at him and absently tucked the lock of hair that liked to hang in her face behind her ear. It always came loose no matter how many times she did that. “Thanks.”
***
York chuckled. He could always ask Sombra. The hacker was interested in their tech and their world, so he wouldn’t have been surprised at all to discover that she knew their sleeping habits. “I’ll see if I have better luck,” he promised. There was a small part of him that wondered just how close Wash and Carolina had gotten. She seemed more concerned about their fellow freelancer than he’d expected, but he chalked that up to them relying on one another for awhile.
When she agreed that she could use the sleep, York inclined his head and took another bite of dinner. “You’re welcome.” Something cheesy like ‘anything for you’ wouldn’t have gone over well, but the sentiment was there behind his words.
“Thank you for staying with me.” Carolina was a strong, independent woman who didn’t need a man to be everything she was. If she really wanted to be away from him, she would be. York recognized that and appreciated the fact that she was choosing to stay with him.
***
“Good, because he gets really whiny when he argues.” She and Wash were partners. And Epsilon had told her what had happened when he was implanted into Wash, she knew the damage that he’d suffered. And they were kind of like parents to the insane group of sim troopers they had made a family. It made them close.
And maybe there was a potential for more but York didn’t have to worry about her ever picking Wash over him.
“It seems like the best way to figure out everything. And I’m not used to staying alone anymore. It gets too quiet.” She didn’t like to admit she didn’t like the quiet but it was true. Church was gone after Chorus and she missed having his voice in her head. Which was probably why he spent more time with her than Wash now that she was here.
***
"I see that hasn't improved with age," York joked. The three of them got along really well and he was honestly glad to have the other freelancer with them. Madison Valley was honestly just bizarre, which meant having someone else he could trust was a leg up that he was grateful for.
It had definitely helped to have her stay with him, but knowing that she wasn't used to being alone anymore was important. "It's been nice not living on my own, that's for sure." Maybe it was a good idea for them to find a big enough place to live together, and maybe it would be a better idea to include Wash in that, too. He'd bring it up with his friend first, though.
York finished up what he wanted and set his chopsticks aside. "I'll talk to Wash tomorrow," he promised.
***
Carolina wasn’t eating a lot, instead she was sampling small bits of everything to experiment with how it tasted but she still got full fast after not getting to eat for days on end. She also wasn’t following the obsessive training routine she used to when York knew her so it didn’t take long for her to put her own chopsticks down.
“I can say fusion has not impressed me. Maybe it’ll be better left over.” She didn’t think it would ever make the top five choices on her take out options. Especially if York kept cooking for her. He was pretty good at it. Who knew?
“Good. And I’ll make sure I have Epsilon so you can talk without the extra person butting in.” Because if the AI was in a mood or curious it made life a little difficult. She’d try to help out by keeping Church occupied. “Then after we clean up maybe I’ll try this sleeping thing.” Maybe being there and listening to York breathe might make her brain realize she wasn’t alone.
***
“Chinese is better leftover,” he replied. “Not so sure how this will do, but we’ll find out tomorrow.” York got up once she put her chopsticks down and began to clean up. He never asked her to help clean up, in part because he’d just gotten used to cleaning up straight away when it was just him. He knew she’d get up and help if she was feeling up to it.
“I don’t think Church knows how to mind his own business,” he added with a wry smile. Before he could say anything else, York yawned. Now that he had food in him, he was definitely starting to feel the sleepiness setting in. “I think you might be onto something with this whole sleeping thing.”
***
Carolina always got up to help. It was just what you did, they had all trained to work together and be a team and for her part of being a good team leader was not asking people to do anything she wouldn’t do. York wasn’t exactly her team but it was such an ingrained habit she did it without thinking.
“No, Church is pretty much incapable of minding his own business. It comes in handy when you are hunting down stolen equipment but on a day to day basis it gets a little overwhelming.” Carolina was running on fumes herself so when he yawned it made her start. “Now look what you did.” Luckily they didn’t have a lot to clean up. “And you should know by now I am always right.”
There was a long pause after that. “Except maybe about Tex.” And she said that last part quietly.
***
"Reason number 584 that I'm glad I've just got Delta." Thank you, York, came the internal reply from his AI. York just grinned and continued cleaning up with Carolina. It felt a little domestic in a way, different from being in the Mess, but still the same in some ways. He didn't hate it, but he knew it wouldn't be enough for her once she was back in shape. That was something to think about for another time.
When she admitted that maybe she hadn't been right about Tex, York moved to wrap his arms around her waist and stepped in close to her instead of pulling her into him. "Maybe," he agreed. He knew it was a big deal for her to even admit that much. "But no one's right every single time." York leaned in to press a soft kiss against her lips for a brief moment.
"You're human, don't forget." Enhanced, highly skilled, but human all the same.
***
It would be so much easier if she wasn’t human, there were so many things that she’d done wrong, things she regretted, it was hard to breathe thinking about it sometimes. But that was why Wash and the others were her family now. They reminded her she was human and kept her there.
And York, he reminded her of all of that and that not everything in Freelancer had been corrupt. “Yeah, human.” Carolina put her head down on his shoulder after he kissed her, it was a rare moment of vulnerability from her. “Human who needs sleep.”
***
York smiled softly and just held her for a moment. He was glad that they could spend the rest of the night curled up together because he missed this. He missed being this close to her. "I won't be the one getting between you and a nice, warm bed," York promised. He let go of her and stepped back, surveying the kitchen. They'd gotten clean up handled well enough.
He laced his fingers in hers and led her toward the bedroom. It didn't take very long at all for them each to change and then they were curled up in bed, York's arms wrapped loosely around her. It felt really good to have her so close.
"Night," he whispered. Hopefully, she'd be able to sleep.
***