log; dante & hugh WHO: Dante & Hugh WHEN: Last weekend of June, before this. WHERE: Hugh's apartment in Georgia. SUMMARY: Hugh's filming in Georgia and Dante's driving, she comes to visit. WARNINGS: Language, it's these two.
Hugh didn't hate having moved into a part of his life where he had friends that were willing to come and visit him when he was out of town working. And granted, most of the days he was out of town, he was working, but there had been a few, and between Dietre who had made his way down a week ago, and now Dante, that made two visits that he'd had to look forward to, and it felt right.
It had felt for so long as if he'd never get any semblance of his life back, but recently it had begun to feel more like his life. Like before the trial. Not perfectly so, obviously, and the situation with Audrey had reminded him of this, because there were still anxieties that he hadn't had before, but the type of friends he could text and they'd hop off to a club together, or who would want to come and visit him was a step in the right direction. And he hoped, even if it might be too soon to really determine it for certain, that he might legitimately have found his old self again, if maybe a better version of that self.
Time, he supposed, would tell.
Tonight though, Dante was here or would be within a few minutes probably, and he'd rushed back from the set to the furnished apartment he was calling home for the duration of the filming, and he'd started putting together dinner for the two of them. He'd decided to keep it simple-ish with in season veggies and beef for a stir-fry type dish. There was flat bread in the oven, and he'd changed his clothes into rolled chinos and a short sleeve button-up shirt that he'd french-tucked and the look was almost casual for Hugh.
He glanced at his phone to check for a text, hoping that Dante would find the place alright. Tonight they could eat and stay chill since she was just arriving, but tomorrow they'd find something else to do in town, or possibly venture back south towards Atlanta. He'd put together a list of possible ideas he'd run by her later.
He reached for a fork, checked a piece of the asparagus and decided it was almost perfect, so he pushed it off the heat, letting it sit while he reached to slice peaches.
Dante had managed to make it through the ten-year anniversary of the most traumatic event of her life and she hadnât even run away. Well, not in the moment. However, that inability to flee had left her with a strange lingering uneasiness that she hadnât been sure how to shake. That was why after sending off a few texts that sheâd be back in a couple days sheâd opted to take a long drive in Dart and then⊠Just kept driving. At first sheâd simply spaced out, monitoring police radio, checking tracking signals, adjusting lights if she didnât feel like stopping to assure it remained safe for anyone approaching, and simply masking herself from anyone who may care to try to look. To the outside world, Dante in her car simply looked like a pretty lady driving a nice car but her head was a million places all at once. Half jacked into the car, checking signals andâŠ
Sheâd drive almost half way back to New York before sheâd even realized how far away sheâd gotten. Where was she even trying to go? What the fuck was she even doing tonight? Fuck. What the fuck was wrong with her? Why did her insides feel off all the fucking time as of late? Why was she so constantly restless?
There was a moment of consideration about where she was and what was around her and-
Hugh.
She wasnât terribly far from Hugh.
It had resulted in a series of communications that had landed her with an invite to his place and Dartâs gas pedal was pressed to the floor to leap across the distance in the shortest amount of time Dante would determine to be safe. Parking the blue Toyota Supra in an appropriate locale, Dante would take a look around, trying to determine what was next best before pulling out her phone and calling up Hugh and waiting for him to answer before she spoke.
âHey! Iâm here. Iâm⊠Not sure where to go though? Wanna help a girl out?â
"Dante!" Hugh's answer was almost immediate - almost because he had to wipe a little bit of some cooking something off his hands - but absolutely thrilled. "Yeah, I'll come down, come around to the door and I'll be there."
He removed the food from the heat and turned it down, and quickly made his way down the complex steps.
This time around it was apartments, not hotels, and Hugh had to confess that he liked it a lot better. Not that he was above extended stay studios at this point in his career, or really any, but it was nice to have an apartment with a sleeping space that was separate, and frankly, the building itself was new with a pool, and exercise spaces, and he hadn't hated having those options in his off time.
He found the front door, and pushed it open with a grin and offered Dante an immediate hug if she wanted it. "You look as fabulous as you ever do!" He smiled. "I cooked. So I kind of hope you're hungry," he added, as he let her into the halls and started leading the way back up to the second floor apartment he was currently situated in.
âAlright, see you soon.â Dante easily chimed back and something about it - even though she was in a strange place and surrounded by people who probably didnât care for her existence - almost felt normal. It almost felt like calling up a friend in New York and hitting them up to go out to a club. Almost. Not that sheâd had many friends back in NYC. Between the working and the night time endeavours and her ventures out for sex and fun⊠It didnât leave much time for things in between that didnât already connect to what she already did.
As soon as Hugh was in the door with his arms open? Dante was in them. Hugging him back tightly and squeezing their cheeks together as she rocked them from side to side, holding the hug for a moment if heâd let her.
âIâve missed you.â Was offered almost immediately before sheâd press a kiss to his cheek with an exaggerated âMWAH!â sound and finally ease back from Hugh.
âOf course I look fabulous, Iâm always hungry, and look at you!â Her arms and hands would fan out in a wide gesture displaying Hugh as a view for the world, as if showing him off, not that he needed that at all before breaking into grinning giggles and following him into the house. Her life was fucking weird but at least she could always count on an odd sense of normalcy with Hugh.
Hugh turned slightly, a pose ,not a full spin around, but an acknowledgement of hers, and he grinned. Dante had been an instant friend nearly from the moment they met, and it had been so long since he'd had that sort of click/connect with someone, an even give and take between each other, that it had felt a lot like being given a drink after wandering around thirsty.
Maybe in it's own way, that was precisely what it had been. The shittiness of the year prior to meeting her had definitely been real, and Dante's friendship had restored a lot of hope for him.
He turned at the door and gave her a look that almost bordered on serious. "I've missed you too," he smiled, and pushed it opened, revealing the room within.
He nodded to the small open nook on the other side of the door. "You can put stuff there for now, and we can figure out sleeping later."
It was a short walk to the kitchenette, and he pulled the stir fry forward, heating it once more and this time adding the sauce he'd already mixed up.
"Do you want wine, beer, seltzer water? Iced tea?" He turned and offered a grin. "I was taught yesterday by someone on set how to make it properly southern, and I'm sure I'll mess it up, but I can give it a try."
Hughâs willingness to humor her would always earn him a smile and tonight? It even earned him a grin. Dante would easily follow him in, the only thing sheâd bothered to bring in with her was a backpack sheâd tossed some clothes and bathroom supplies in before leaving her house in Repose and that was easily put down as heâd direct. Had she known sheâd end up in Georgia? Not really. Honestly, sheâd expected to drive until she was exhausted and then find a dark rural place with no other people for literal miles around and curl up in the backseat of her car with a sleeping bag and only get up when the sun was too bright through Dartâs windows. It was always easier to be alone and hundreds of miles away from humans when she had her yearly May breakdowns. The fact that this one had beenâŠ. Disrupted⊠WellâŠ
That was why she was at Hughâs temporary lodging now. Everything in her life felt⊠Slightly off. Off kilter, off beat, off the path she knew and⊠It was making her feel an uneasy pea soup green, feel like an off-white unbalanced, or a nervous making creeping marmalade orange. Her brain just hadnât been right for the full last month. It was probably because her normal coping methods had been deeply disrupted with the last bit of drama sheâd somehow managed to ram head first into. Schedules were important to keep and hers had been completely fucked by someone else.
That was why sheâd sent the texts off Thursday night that she was gonna go for a drive, a long one, and she wasnât sure precisely when sheâd be back, but she would. She would be back. But maybe not for a few days yet. But she would. Be back. For sure. Those went to Leena, Hector and Georgia. The other texts sent out went to Ivy and Diego, letting them know that thing sheâd been trying to handle back in May had snuck up once more and sheâd have to go take care of that now. Theyâd understood. Thankfully, theyâd all understood.
âWhatever's good.â Dante would toss back regarding the sleeping arrangements. Being physically close to others had never bothered her and sheâd cuddled with most of her friends anyway if that was of concern, or if she was making friends with the couch or floor? That was fine too. When he offered drinks? Even better.
âWine.â A beat. âActually, what do you have for beers?â Not really her thing generally speaking, Dante almost always would pick wine over beer but⊠There was something about everything lately that⊠Well, who the hell knew.
"Truthfully," Hugh opened the refrigerator and pulled out a couple of cans. "They're experimental, I haven't tried them, but they're from a local brewery and I'm game if you are," he pushed one across towards her. "Or I can definitely pour that wine."
He swished the stirfry again, checking the thickness of the sauce, and then he pulled it off the heat, and reached for plates for the two of them.
He hadn't entirely been expecting her to actually come see him. They'd talked about it, but he hadn't known if she would. After all, there was the distance driving, and her work at the shop, but Hugh wondered if she hadn't just needed to get out of town. She'd seemed so keyed up the last time he'd talked to her in person, and truthfully, they'd never really talked about what that was.
He dipped rice, dipped up beef and vegetables, and then handed a plate over to her, with whichever she preferred for a drink and he nodded to the sofa. "I don't really have a table, so we can do the counter here, or just sofa it. I've got music going, but we could turn on a film later if we want. But you should tell me what I've missed while I was gone."
âIf itâs horrible, at least weâll experience horrible together.â Dante tossed back while reaching for the offered can without another thought. As Hugh stood by the stove Dante would remain standing near the end of the dividing wall of the kitchen as she popped the can of beer open and offered it up in a cheer of a sort. This felt both oddly natural and weirdly distinctly out of place all at once and it made the mechanic feel a bit uncomfortable but⊠When wasnât she uncomfortable lately?
âHereâs to this not tasting like rotten ass.â And sheâd take a sip out of the can while he began to plate food for the two of them and- Well. It wasnât rotten ass. So that was something. To be fair, it was a pretty damn low fucking bar, but with how chaotic and traumatic and strange her life had become⊠It seemed like a fucking win.
His next words broke her from considering the beer and her queer as fuck life and Dante took in a long inhale.
âItâs Repose.â No, no that wouldnât do. That wasnât a response she gave someone whoâŠ. Who now knew. âNo oneâs disappeared, no windows have blown out, I havenât gotten anyone elseâs shitty memories or invaded a different personâs body or heard any rumors about anyone more than standard small town white bitch gossip.â Because âsmall town white bitch gossipâ was a very particular flavor of gossip that sheâd never fully endured before but itâd reminded her of high school if sheâd been honest. Which? Ew. Better to not be involved in that shit or smack it down as soon as it arose. âOh, and no weird shitty dirty puddles or trains or⊠I donât even fucking know anymore. Whatever other weird shit that townâs gonna cook up.â And if there was a hint of bitterness in her tone about the whole thing, it was well deserved at this point.
âHowâs filming been?â At the information on sitting her brows would pinch together thoughtfully for a moment. âI think Iâm gonna stand at the counter for a bit. Too much time sitting in the car.â Which was, entirely, the whole damn truth.
Hugh nodded as she went through all of the different things. "It's really weird getting used to small town, on the one hand, there's like this level of complete detachment from the rest of the world, and on the other hand, everyone seems to know your shit, kind of. Except for the shit they don't, whichâŠ" Hugh would be fine if fewer people could look up his shit on Google, but such was where he was at this point in his life, and nobody seemed to give him grief for it, or care -- even the cops when he'd gone to them about Audrey -- and that was at once alright, and sometimes strange. "But that's good, honestly we're probably more or less good until Halloween," he shrugged. "At least for anything big," he frowned slightly, as he slid into one of the counter seats while she stood at the end of the counter. There was still stuff, obviously.
"Filming's great though," he brightened at her question. "I'm enjoying it so much. And I mean, I don't know that it's really going to be a great film, but it's a fun film. I think people will enjoy it, and even if it doesn't get a super wide release - which who knows - hopefully the people who do see it will be inspired by it. It's great to be a part of something with all these diverse romances within it, which is really empowering to be filming during Pride month. Even if I did miss seeing your fantastic eye-shadow!" he tipped his beer slightly in her direction as a toast to future Pride parade events they were definitely going to attend together in the future. "Did I tell you much about it?" He couldn't really remember.
âStill not sure I like it.â And honestly she wasnât. But when Dante had moved to The Capital it was her full intent to never make a home there and Repose had intended to be the same. Yet she had to adapt to small town shit otherwise she wouldnât have been able to do the subterfuge she had. There was still more work to do back in Repose too, things to find out, people to investigate, bitches to ignore, unusual as fuck cars to build and⊠Well. The rest of her thoughts⊠âEven if we are good until Halloween.â And the truth of the matter was that being at the mercy of someone else - even a figurative or metaphorical someone else - felt like being assaulted again and again. No one consented. No one agreed or even gave a half assed consideration and yet, here they were. With other peopleâs trauma and memories and information andâŠ
Yeah, Dante hated Repose.
âGood!â Her voice was filled with sincere excitement and pleasure at Hugh having had an enjoyable experience so far and her face lit up with the single word as well. Though as he talked about it, she listened, unsure if she should or could ask about it or- And of course Hugh gave her the perfect in.
âNo, you hadnât told me much about it. I wasnât sure you could so I didnât wanna be that asshole.â Dante offered a grin with her words and moved to take the first bite of the food that Hugh had made.
No, consent didn't typically figure much into it, which is why Hugh had largely kept his mouth shut about any of the more recent memories situation even though he was pretty certain at least some of the memories he'd ended up viewing. The train had been alright, he'd gotten a sort of friend out of it, but the shared dream would go down as pretty much one of the worst experiences of his life, and considering that he had 'being arrested and called to witness as part of a murder trial' in that list of experiences, it was saying something. But he'd also figured you couldn't really do much about it, except maybe not be there - which, if that worked out for his schedule next time around, he wouldn't cry, but it wasn't like you could plan exactly.
He grinned, reached for the beer and tried it and nodded his general approval. It wasn't the best beer he'd ever tasted, but it would do.
"Yeah, I don't really have an NDA or anything on this one, it's just an Indie film. Maybe someday I'll get on something large enough to have that sort of thing again," he shrugged. "But yeah. The elevator pitch is a group of friends navigating life and love immediately following college with upsets and humor, more or less. The script has humor and emotion, and the chemistry on set feels great. It's kinda hard to say how that comes across in an edited product, but right now I'm feeling good about it. I'm a gay graduate student with a crush on my roommate who is bicurious, but not exactly out, so that is exactly as awkward as you can imagine," he grinned. "But it's well written, and it's been good to work through scenes with the director and the other actors. I'm having fun, but it's also satisfying to be a part of a project like this."
âOh cool.â Dante let slip out to the info that there wasnât an NDA and between beginning to eat as Hugh started explaining about the film. Her head would nod as she chewed to indicate she was still listening and processing all the words he said⊠But the shoving of food in her face right now? That was way more important than words and a half day on the road already had her missing home cooking and Hugh had, of course, saved the day with that. The line about Hughâs role and his characterâs crush earned a closed mouth - through chewing - immediate grin. Sheâd swallow down the food quickly and reach for a napkin to give her mouth a quick swipe before sheâd begin to speak.
âThat sounds stupid awkward and I love it.â A large toothy grin accompanied the words and sheâd tear her attention away from food for long enough to look over Hugh. âYouâre liking it? Really liking it?â The words hinted that she thought he really did, but of course, confirming was the only way to know.
âI donât have to show up on set with you tomorrow and kick someoneâs ass before taking over the megaphone and yelling orders like I supposedly know what to do?â That wasâŠ. Well, even though the tone was humor filled there was a clear glint in her eyes that said it wasnât all just a joke either.
Hugh laughed outright at that. "I'd pay to see that, but no, everything is good right now workwise. I mean, not everyday is perfect, but that's life for you right? It's hard to be completely content when your call is at 3am, but thankfully that's not every day. That the fact that it's any day, is a really good reminder of why I love theatre schedules more," he grinned. "But then film⊠is more far reaching. It's kind of a toss-up, I guess. But I don't think I'm going to stop doing theatre stuff anytime soon."
He took a bite of food and reached for the beer in front of him to take a sip before he continued. "Someday I'm going to figure out a way to do something in New York."
The determination slipped out despite himself. He was aware that probably he'd need to make more of a name for himself in film before he'd have the reputation he'd need to get something like that from a distance in Repose, but it was still there - a sort of life long dream he'd had for ages, and it had been shifted aside because of the trial, but he wasn't letting any of that define him. Not now, and not ever again, and not even when memories had shifted to the surface. He'd had too many days searching, and dealing with cops, and any of that sort of thing for his taste, and hopefully never again. Even with an incredibly competent lawyer on retainer, he didn't care for it.
"Are you working on any new cars, or anything like that?"
âYou wouldnât have to pay to see it if they were treating you like shit, Iâd kick their asses and youâd get free front row seats.â And those words were -perhaps for Hugh - a bit on the unnervingly certain side of her abilities. âPart of the friendship package.â Was tacked on the end as a joke, even if it was fully the truth as her fork waved aimlessly through the air while she spoke.
âIf you ever want New York, youâll get New York.â Dante gave a nod at the statement, an unerring certainty in Hughâs ability to make his dreams come true ever-present. âAnd I might even have some hook-ups on places to stay at the least. Iâm sure I probably banged someone on Broadway who I could get to talk to you since theyâd love to think they had a chance at getting in my pants again too.â More absent fork waving as she spoke without much thought. âI slept around a lot back in NYC. I have to know someone. Or maybe someone from the garage.â There was a shrug here and she went in for another bite of food, unphased by the statements just made and whatever Hugh may think of them. Of course that was when Hugh turned the conversations back to her, of course! A hand rose in the air, a single finger extending upwards to indicate she needed just a moment to chew before sheâd swallow and reach for the beer again.
âYeah actually. Canât get into a ton of details on it as itâs a mega big project for a private client, like whoa big Hugh. Like I could probably buy your mansion out from under you kind of big money.â It was clear she didnât want to say the kind of money she was getting paid but it was⊠Big. Her normal bravado and overly enthusiastic energy fell away to a sort of still mildly disbelieving seriousness.
âLike Iâll never have to work again kind of money, Hugh.â Her voice drifted away, her mind clearly slipping to another place before it came back to where they were now.
âRepose has been kind of calm otherwise though.â Aside from the elephant in the room that Hugh didnât know about and honestly it was really only Danteâs elephant anyway. An elephant that she didnât know what to do with or how to handle andâŠ.
âAnd-â The sentence started strong but abruptly died just as hard. Dante had started and she knew she needed to finish but⊠Instead she sighed with frustration and with her eyebrows furrowing sheâd stab into the food on her plate again; shoving the forkful in her mouth so that maybe the single word would be forgotten all on its own.
âLook, Iâm all for utilizing any connections you may have made in any way you may have made them,â Hugh grinned. Heâd had enough of his own connections over the years that she wasnât going to get any judgement on the potential numbers of past lovers or partners or whatever you counted them as. âSo long as it wonât cause you any trouble,â he added. âOld people who think you owe them something arenât enjoyable.â
He listened, watching the words, grinning at the job, she didnât need to tell him details, he didnât need those, but he could see she was proud of it and perhaps a little in awe of the whole thing and that was enough. He reached for his beer can trying to decide whether he should follow up on the car, the job - or whether to let the silence linger into whatever was in her mind.
The idea of never having to work again was a strange one. It tended to catch at you in ways you didnât always expect or anticipate and Dante, like Hugh, was never going to be happy without a project or being still, but suddenly having a lot of money when you hadnât before - it was weird.
But he didnât know if that was why sheâd stopped. He was observant, but this silence he wasnât certain of. He twisted the can around for a heartbeat and tilted his head.
âTechnically youâd be buying it out from under my biological father, and⊠yeahâ he let out a breath of a laugh. His dad was loaded beyond what Hugh suspected he really understood, thus had been the possibility of the early days in internet tech. But that wasnât really the thing he decided finally. Strange as that thought might be to wrap your head around - there was something else.
âWhatâs been going on?â
âNo trouble I canât handle.â Dante would easily retort. She knew far too well about grabby rich old men and what they thought they were entitled to and exactly how to put them in their places as well. âAnd if they decide they really want to get involved in my life, I can let them know itâll be a million dollars an hour for my consultation rates.â It was an obscene amount of money, anyone would think so and most would be turned off by the idea on sheer ridiculous principal alone, but it was starting to seem more and more like maybe it was the rate she ought to be telling everyone. Especially after the big spenders sheâd run into recently. The technicalities of who the mansion belonged to was neither here nor there really, the point was well made by now.
But now she was chewing her food and Hugh was asking her what was up and reallyâŠ
How the fuck did she answer that?
Sure, the conversation with Leena was a month old at this point and things had⊠Largely just progress as normal but now their were titles and expectations and a very likely horribly ending on the way and it⊠It was enough to leave her wafting between being on edge and just generally sitting back and going with the flow.
âWhat do you mean?â It was the worst manners in the world to answer a question with a question but⊠Maybe heâd give her an out or maybe he was asking about something else or maybe⊠Well, soon heâd tell⊠And she could figure out how to avoid or confess from there.
"That I'll believe," Hugh said softly with a smile towards her. Truthfully, he'd always liked women who could handle themselves. Zee certainly could and they'd been tight friends. Em when they'd been together, and maybe it was obvious that he and Dante would become friends, but it had also been obvious that she could handle more than maybe what he normally would expect. And after the day they'd sat in his office, that had just become more clear. But he wasn't certain exactly how to bring that up, or the general mood.
He took a bite of food, to buy himself some sort of time, and when he finished, he glanced over at her.
"I don't like to pry in people's shit, cause I'm a private person myself, and maybe more so now. But it's kinda obvious to me that there's something. And I wasn't so distracted by Audrey's disappearance that I couldn't tell that either. Plus⊠there's all of that other stuff that happened, with the⊠but that's it's own thing. But mostly, I just feel like there's stuff, and you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to? I just figured sometimesâŠ"
Sometimes you needed to crawl in bed with your best friend and talk through stuff. And this wasn't crawling in bed together, but maybe it was sort of the same thing.
"Or you know, feel free to tell me to mind my own business."
Dante couldnât help the heavy sigh that escaped her body - causing her entire stance to drop just a little - when Hugh brought up about the night a month or so before. There would be a moment as her eyes fell down to her plate and the fork was used to pointedly stab a piece of meat, then a piece of vegetable and then- Another sigh and sheâd let the fork settle on the plate.
âYeah.â A beat. More silence before sheâd raise her gaze to look over at Hugh. âI got fucked up when I was a teenager. Real fucked up. Hospitalized fucked up.â Another pause and her gaze would drift as eyes went distant. âMonths of surgeries and multiple surgeries⊠So many fucking surgeries... and enduring lots of rehab fucked up.â Dante would fall quiet, the feeling of being outside herself present, the idea of floating above a scene you were watching and not interacting with and-
Reality rushed back in.
Right. She was standing. In a room. With Hugh. And Food.
Fingers moved to retrieve her fork once more.
âShit stays with you when the docs didnât know if you were gonna live or die.â Danteâs eyes focused on the food as she lifted the fork to bite off the food sheâd loaded on it before beginning to talk. The mechanic would chew, hoping her words hadnât left the air too heavy for them to be able to continue with a much lighter visit than all the shit sheâd just unloaded on Hugh.
âWhat other stuff are you thinking about?â A beat. âAnd before you answer that, how secure is this apartment?â
Hugh nodded. "The body holds trauma. Like -" he paused, waved a hand. "My therapist says this every year we come around to the end of summer and I get crazy anxiety again, but," he hesitated. It sounded like that kind of thing. And his stuff hadn't been life or death. Well, it might have been, but not in that way. Not in the way where doctors were involved, not in the way where you didn't know if you were going to make it through the next few days. He wouldn't have guessed it, looking at her, but one of the things he was learning as an adult is that people frequently held multitudes that you couldn't see at all.
"Is there more? I mean, do you want to talk about it or need to? I'm good with listening if it's helpful." His gaze flickered over to her. Sometimes he didn't do good with talking when it was his shit, if anything sometimes he tended to hole up and just pretend it wasn't happening, but he also knew that sometimes when he could talk, it did help.
He took a drink, and glanced around the apartment, thinking about the office, and everything she'd had or done.
"It's not - I mean, it's an apartment. The film company is renting it for me. I wouldn't assume it's secure," he shrugged.
Dante would simply, solemnly nod as Hugh stated what sheâd learned full well in her life. Her brain, her muscles, her own fucking head, always held onto that trauma. Maybe some day sheâd find a point and time where the middle of May didnât make her stomach turn and her brain feel like it was on fire while all her muscles wanted to do was runâŠ
Unfortunately, she wasnât sure what year that would ever be.
âThe body holds trauma.â Would be repeated back with another nod. That was why she hadnât slept and her paranoia had been through the roof. Aside from the nightmares. Though at his next words her brow would crease for a moment before eyes fell shut. If Hugh bothered to look thereâs was a faint hint of light behind eyelids as Danteâs brain searched the area for bugs and cameras and tracers ans rewrote everything accordingly to allow them the privacy theyâd need. It would take a moment before her eyes would slowly blink open. The way her body moved was slow, careful, a hand reaching down to lay against the counter top as she took a moment to regain herself from the cyberspace.
âI donât talk about my trauma but I wasnât sure if you had questions about something else.â Sheâd look over to him then, the briefest flash of data shooting across her eyes before the coding fell away and her eyes returned to normal once more. âNow Itâs secure.â A beat.
âBecause I can understand having some questions.â
Hugh just nodded, respecting that. It was an offer, although he figured maybe she had other people that she did talk to, but if she didn't - well he didn't want to assume that either. And also, he didn't really talk much, so he got that too. He really hadn't talked at all about how Audrey's disappearance had pulled up so many bad memories of when Marilyn had disappeared and they'd later found her body. And Audrey had come back, but she couldn't remember anything. He frowned, and shook that off, watching her carefully.
"I mean, that, in and of itself, is a questionâŠ" he tilted his head towards the secure statement and bit his lower lip. Everything she'd done that day, and Hugh had been a mess, and all of it had been a lot, on top of the remembered trauma of the last time he'd had someone disappear, and the worries about whether or not the cops would question him, or whether this would put him back into suspicion again for anything.
"I'd say it's the strangest thing I've seen in Repose, but that would be a lie. Even so, that doesn't mean that it's not⊠unusual -- Even for Repose. And⊠I hardly know what to ask." A beat. "You're not just a genius mechanic though, are you?"
Not being certain where Hugh might want to take the talk Dante didnât want to start offering potentially useless information or details. Instead, sheâd let him state everything he needed before sheâd begin.
The smile that arose was sympathetic in a sort of endeared way but also a bit of âyou poor thing was perfectly present as well.. âIâm not just a genius mechanic, no.â A grin broke out. âBut I am totally that too.â The fork would be used to stab at a few more bites of food.
âI donât really talk about this stuff so Iâm not really sure what to say.â Her brows furrowed as she thought. âI guess what do you want to know?â
Hugh offered a grin at that. âPlease, that part was never in any doubt from where Iâm standing.â
And that much was true. Hugh had never needed to be the smartest guy in the room, but he was pretty certain Dante would flat out blow him out of the water. And maybe in terms of strength too. He had his own skill sets, but mechanics and technology werenât really even close to among them.
âHow⊠I guessâŠâ he considered. âYou were able to figure out where Audreyâs phone was, and whatever you did just now. How are you⊠that connected?â
âIt better not have been.â And a wink was summoned to teasingly offer. Perhaps some of her bravado wouldnât be completely lost tonight. Though the next⊠question? Was that a question? It was in a way but it wasnât one she was sure how to begin to explain on some level as well.
âI justâŠ. am.â The final word was offered with a sort of unsure shrug. âMy brain just⊠it connects to things. Technological things. Mechanical things.â Dante wasnât really sure how else to explain it much better than that. In fact, she wasnât sure she understood it much better than that herself.
That didnât really explain much to Hugh, but then again, maybe it wasnât something that could be explained. After all if it just connected⊠and he didnât need a detailed explanation maybe. After all Hannah just was an AI, Theodore had just been a wizard, and whatever Dante could do, it wasnât something she could explain.
He took a bite of his food and nodded. âIâm not sure I even know what to ask. Or like⊠I mean I guess there is how long youâve known about it. Or also even just,â he hesitated. âCan you do anything with technology? Like you just secured this apartment. You talked about a security system on my place, which, to be fair, if it could deal with supernatural things Iâm very for!
âItâs just I mean itâs cool⊠but I definitely feel very ordinary,â he quipped. âMy only superpower is knowing all of the steps to Singing in the Rain, you know?â
âIâve always been interested in tech. I was taking apart shit around the house starting at like five.â Dante couldnât help a soft chuckle, a fond sadness ever present as some memory floated around in her head. âMy dad pulled me into the garage to try to keep my hands away from things like the TV, VCR or whatever my mom had around the house. Always just feltâŠ. Connected to it. Tech, machines.... Full manifestation of moving into the cyberscape didnât happen until I was like 12 or so and as far as what I can doâŠ.â She let the sentence fall off, seeming to debate for a moment what to say next, her brow furrowing as she sincerely considered his question as well. âI havenât met anything that Iâve tried that hasnât worked yet?â A frown crossed her face. âI can bypass systems, break security requirementsâŠâ She fell silent for a moment thinking more. âYou like movies.â It was a statement, a statement to build where she was going next. âYou know how like tech people in movies can kind of make anything you ask happen by staring at this computer and typing for like a minute, or maybe the hacker needs a few days so the heroâs gotta come back? And when they get back the hackerâs like lifted every bad guyâs life story - down to their underwear size - that the hero has to beat up, bypassed all the security, created fake credentials for the hero, built the hero a new tech weapon to bring with the hero on their mission and then the hacker also plays mission control and overrides things while the heroâs on the mission too?â Sheâd wait a second, allowing Hugh to follow along.
âYeah.â A beat. âItâs like that.â A pause. âBut itâs all in my head and takes seconds. Not days.â For never having to explain to anyone but Hector and Doc, the explanation admittedly was a pretty good one. âIâm always on the network, I read everything everyone posts publicly, all the news going on locally in Repose, any warnings happening, I know instantly when someone sends me a message to me, I can reply with my thoughts, I can hear the radio wavelengths and electronic chatter, tap into any signal I wanted to.â A beat. âIf I wanted to.â Which she generally didnât. âIâm⊠Pretty private. So I normally donât want to hear any of anyoneâs shit honestly, and guard against hearing or seeing shit thatâs none of my damn business.â It was a big admission, one she was deeply afraid she was going to regret, but hoped this leap wouldnât cripple her like one had - quite literally - so many years before.
âFuck Iâd kill for ordinary some days.â The tone of words would betray her real feelings on the matter - mild bitterness, frustration, sadness even too - even though she tried to school her voice to ordinary conversation. There smile sheâd offer Hugh was a little sad but also sympathetic at the same time.
âYeah, but the steps to Singing in the Rain are fun, and will never cause the government to look at you like a threat to national security if they found out about you.â Thereâd be a sigh and a shrug of her shoulders given here, it wasnât a happy fact of her life, but it was a fact of her life.
âShit like this comes with all sorts of other problems too.â Instead of elaborating though, sheâd stab into another bite of food before dumping it in her mouth.
"One of my brothers' favorite films was Sneakers," he told her with a quick smile that said that he knew exactly the type of film she was talking about. He'd never liked the film, really. Although less for its particular merits and more because it was too much a reminder of what his Dad wanted him to be and what he definitely would never be interested in and what his brother would be, and was perfectly happy to be, in other words, the better and more perfect older son. But he knew the film type, and he nodded.
There was a pang of guilt at her words, and he nodded, glancing down at his food. "Yeah, I guess, I hadn't really thought about that."
It put everything in a new perspective, the fact that she would be considered a national security threat if people knew, and Hugh reached for some of the drink as he filed away yet another secret in the secrets he seemed to have collected about people in Repose. Hannah was an AI, Dietre could see ghosts, and Dante had an ability that would put anything his brother or his father could do with tech to shame. He put the drink down, and nodded. "Well, I know you probably wouldn't be talking so much if you were worried about this, but obviously I won't say anything about it to anyone. You're still just Dante to me - one of the best friends a guy could have, and all that cheesy shit," he tilted his head over at her with a fond smile. "I will gladly be your super ordinary, but terribly sophisticated and charming side-kick, and when you need someone to cause a distraction so you can do something without being noticed, who better than someone who can tap dance on cue?"
Dante didnât actually know what Sneakers was but a quick google search inside her own skull supplied the information easily enough. Sheâd assumed it was some cheesy hacker flick and well.... It wasnât a hard guess. One thing people never realized? Dante was smart, sure, but she wasnât always up to date on movies and pop culture things. They hadnât really had money for video games or going out to the movies or concerts or theater shows while sheâd been growing up. Hector had tried his damndest but often those were just expenses that would be too much. Even when sheâd had her own money it had been sunk into trying to fix her own body or trying to fix her own need for vengeance. Which⊠Unfortunately left her often lacking for references that people her age were likely to get. She tried. She read everything online she could find. Yet, sometimes, the mechanic still felt herself struggling to keep up with conversations with her peers.
âYouâve never had reason to, why would you?â Dante offered Hugh with sympathy. She got it. Why would he ever need to think about that? Whereas for her? It was her daily life. Something her father had taught her to keep a secret. Just like heâd taught her for her own safety not to speak Spanish around people who didnât know the language, aside from the fact that it could - in limited instances - be rude at times. Either way, none of that changed the fact that Dante had - for all intents and purposes - dropped a bomb on Hugh that she didnât really expect him to know what to do with. Would he ignore it? Think she was joking? Freak out on her?
The air felt tense.
Or maybe it was just her.
At the end of his first bit of speech she felt the backs of her eyes prick, threatening tears. â...just Dante to me...â her mind played his voice back in her own head. Fuck, it was almost enough to make the mechanic cry.
The relief in the breathy laugh was audible. Had she been worried? Of course. Dante worried about everything, often including worrying about things for other people, even if she barely knew them at all.
âWell, Iâll try not to put you in anyoneâs crosshairs without a damn good cause.â It was part joke, part seriousness and the smile offered with it was mildly worn but trying for cheer regardless. Though, another thought crossed her mind and-
âHugh.â A beat as she let her gaze rise to meet his, her concern clear. âIf I ever tell you to run? If I sound serious? I need you to run as fast as you can and not look back, okay?â Dante would let her eyes search over him for a moment. If he asked why⊠Sheâd tell him some but⊠There was a part of her that hoped heâd never ask why.
The idea that he could be put in crosshairs wasn't a particularly pleasant one and Hugh pulled a breath in at that joke, managing a bit of a smile. It'd be fine. Or at least, he didn't think it'd be any worse than any of the other secrets he held, and considering that just before he'd left to do this job he'd had a friend stolen out of his house by ... whatever it had been, it wasn't exactly as if living in Repose was living somewhere perfectly safe and normal.
His gaze shifted up at her request though, and his eyes stayed on her face for a couple of heartbeats. There⊠was more. That was certain. And for a moment he debated, whether he should ask, but he didn't know if it mattered exactly. If it wasn't something he could help with, which - he strongly doubted. Dante was entirely capable and skilled in practical things that Hugh could only pretend to be skilled in.
Hugh nodded, his expression turning a little more serious. "Yeah. I will." There was a beat, before he added, with a vaguely embarrassed shrug. "I'm no Gryffindor. Way too much self-preservation instinct in there for stupid bravery."
He didnât ask and for that she was thankful. No one but Doc and Leena knew that Dante was Inferno - as far as Dante knew - and so far? She really wanted to keep it that way. People couldnât be used against you if they didnât know and no one knew them. There was a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that one day that was going to change and it was going to change in a way sheâd hate but⊠That⊠That wasnât today. That wouldnât be today as she continuously scrubbed the audio and video feeds nearby in her head so that the conversation they were having right now would never exist.
âYou have no idea how happy I am to hear youâre not a fucking moron.â Dante offered with an attempt at levity but it came off more serious than sheâd intended. A smile would be offered to try to smooth the difference in mood but, who the fuck knew.
âBut, to your question, Iâve been like this most of my life, yeah, and I can⊠Do a lot.â A beat. âI guess the best comparison is that my brain is like a computer?â Her face scrunched, it didnât feel like a good explanation. âSo, like, anything someone can do with a comp? Yeah.â Her gaze dropped and she stabbed absently at a few bites of food on her plate as her eyes settled on it.
âWhat other questions you got?â The words slipped out before she could stop herself and⊠She regretted them in a way but also⊠Didnât. Maybe Hugh⊠Maybe all the people⊠Maybe she didnât hate Repose entirely afterall.
Hugh took a drink and swirled the remainder around in the can in his hand, and was quiet for a moment. He wasn't really sure what other questions he had. Computer brain was strange - but maybe not any more odd than being an AI out and out. And Hannah had been and Hugh had⊠maybe not entirely understood, but he'd tried. He rather felt as if he'd gotten in deeper than he'd intended there, and maybe it had been foolish to think he could understand. And right now, with Dante in front of him, he had to wonder if he'd do the same here if he tried to really understand it. Maybe it was better to just, let her be who she was, and him figure it out as they went.
Because it wasn't as if they didn't have things they connected over. Clubbing, and Pride marches, and she got - as well as any of his friends in Seattle had done - the fact that he liked being perceived as a success, and was perfectly ready to enable that.
He considered, and paused, and considered. "Leena knows." This wasn't so much a question as an obvious. Leena was in the room, when everything about Audrey had gone down. And while Hugh didn't think he and Leena were going to be having deep intimate conversations anytime soon - after all, Leena really didn't seem to like me - it was probably good to know. If anything happened, if he needed to somehow figure something out. Knowing who was on one's side, or could be talked to was useful. "Does your Dad?" The other obvious person who might, but might not⊠Hugh wasn't about to like, assume based on familial relationship. Obviously he'd never talk to his father about any of the things that happened in Repose. He couldn't really even explain them to his mother.
A breath she didnât know she was holding slipped out and a nod of her head was given as Dante confirmed Hughâs thoughts.
âLeena knows.â There was a moment of consideration given, thinking through what should be said or shouldnât before sheâd continue. âPapa knows.â Another beat of silence as she considered. âTwo other people in town know too.â There was nothing malicious or negative written across her face, perhaps there was a touch of concern though. âThings happened, there was little way not to tell one of them. The other was a choice based on a conversation.â Her jaw worked a moment. âThe other two donât know the extent or what exactly I can do, just know Iâm not quite normal.â There was another pause as the mechanic considered what to say. Should she show her hand more? Explain how her body was strange too?
âI get if this is a lot.â Because what the hell else was there to say too?
Hugh nodded. Leena and her father were good people to know about and while Hugh didn't expect that he'd ever need to talk to anyone for any reason, knowing at least a couple of names he could if he needed to - that was helpful.
He glanced up at her, and chewed on his lip for a moment. How to reassure without really ⊠saying anything? But on the other hand, she would understand the need for discretion, and so he breathed out and gave her a quick smile, just fleeting, before he turned serious again. "It is, but it's not the first time I've had⊠a variation on this conversation. So, it's not⊠new. I mean, this specifically is, but not entirely average human - that part isn't. And - I know that the circumstances poked at ⊠what you could do, but you didn't have to tell me any of it, and you did, and yeah." He reached for the drink, took a sip and put it down. "I don't really know what else to ask. I'm sure there's stuff, but I think I've got the picture of it, at least. And it's cool, Dante, and you seem to like, help people, when you can, which is also cool."
âWell, guess thatâs a start.â The smile offered was a little tight, a little tense, but more so simply because she wasnât really sure what else to say, what else to do. Hughâs words all felt a little choppy, a littleâŠ. Awkward? Was it awkward? That wasnât quite right either but there was something hanging in the air, something heavy, but it seemed they both were also moving on.
âI do what I can, when I can.â Dante would leave out the fact that she actively hunted the creeps and crooks of the dark down. That wasnât a conversation for here or now. An idle shrug would be given. âThereâs a lot that can be done with tech today, everything and everyoneâs connected. A lot of people donât realize how much.â Her eyes were distant for a moment, thinking of all the ways the world could burn from a simple flip of a switch and more people were never any the wiser. It was incredibly how close to absolute destruction the entire world was at any moment and most people hadnât a clue. Dante was going down the rabbit hole in her own skull though and this wasnât a good time or place to dissociate for five hours and then come back to reality with her coffee cold and a day completely fucking wasted.
âAnyway, yeah. So, ever got a tech problem? Iâm your girl.â Because ultimately, it was true.
"Sometimes I do have tech problems," Hugh laughed. He looked over at her with a warm grin, for his own part just grateful for friends. He'd gone too long in Repose without many, or with only a few, or without anyone who really seemed to get him, and all super human abilities aside, Dante seemed to get him, and it hadn't been difficult even, and she'd maybe never know exactly how much he loved her for it.
"But right now, I think the only tech problem I have, is which movie we're going to watch tonight, so if you've got any bright ideas on that one," his eyes twinkled at her.
"And⊠I don't know where you want to sleep? The couch is probably comfortable, but if you're not bothered by sharing, I've got a queen in there and you're welcome to join me." A beat and he glanced over at her. "And that's totally a platonic friendship offer cause⊠well, Dietre came to visit for the weekend so I'm ⊠maybe taken? And anyway, I don't fancy being killed by Leena," he tilted his head towards her with a bit of a smirk.
âWell.â A hand waved idly through the air. âI know whatâs wrong by touching most mechanical or technological things. Can do it without touch but thatâs harder.â There was a passive shrug thrown in at the end just to show how much of not a big deal it was. âIt makes working at the shop super easy unless thereâs something like sealed together from caked on dirt and grease thatâs then been baked to nightmare removal perfection.â Sheâd leave off the fact that the last time she checked she bench pressed well over 800lbs⊠For now at least.
âYou know me, pop culture clueless.â It was a fact of reality and was offered with a smile. âWhatâs good? Unless you want me telling you to put on everything Zorro related.â Inside her skull offered âOr Tank Girlâ but that movie was far from everyoneâs thing. Besides something stupid and cute might be good after all that driving. The thought of cuddling up with Hugh seemed like a lovely idea and- OhâŠâŠ
âNo stress on the platonic offer,â The sentence started strong, that was good, she could roll with this. â... Probably couldnât take it if it wasnât one.â Okay, that sounded a little more⊠Awkward. âLittleâŠ.â At the mention of Leena though her eyes fell off to the side, the very faintest of smileâs pulling at the corners of her mouth at the mention of Leenaâs name. âPlatonicâs good.â
Because how the fuck did she talk about all of that?
"Action or romance?" Hugh reached for his phone to pull up a set of movies. "I mean, we could watch Zorro if you're into Zorro cause that's fun and I haven't watched it for ages and ages, and I could get into that level of action and romance and just general ridiculousness," he laughed as he started scrolling through his film collection. "Or I could pull out my five thousand classic musicals and subject you," he threatened with a smirk.
He did pause to look up and nod, he'd sort of figured. After all, if he and Dante had been going to sleep together, he sort of suspected it would have happened before now. It hadn't felt like an impossibility exactly, except that he was pretty sure she was otherwise engaged, and now he was too, and that was fine. He'd been trying to pull a close on the 'sleep with friends just because' habits anyway. He grinned.
"So platonic bed sharing, ahoy, I promise I don't kick," he grinned cheekily at her. "And I'd say I don't hog covers, but I do, but also it's hot as fuck here, so I don't think that's likely to be as much of an issue. Here," he stood and handed over his phone. "Pick out something while I rinse dishes, and we can figure out the details."