Who: Lina Inverse and Booker DeWitt What: Lina goes over for a shower, and the two do what they do best: drink. When: After Lina burned her apartment down. Where: Booker's place. Rating/Warnings: Medium-ish, mostly for language. Status: Complete
So, Lina burned her apartment down.
...which wasn’t a complete loss, anyway. It was small, shitty, old and most of the furniture was second-hand crap found on the side of the road or at Good Will. It was all supposed to be a temporary circumstance, but Orange County got cozy, so it was probably time to find a more permanent living situation.
One where roaches were not her roommates.
Her van made a funny sound upon driving up, and she hopped out with a bag filled with a change of clothes. Lina wasn’t filthy but she smelled like smoke and had some dirt on her nose. All things considered, she reacted pretty quickly. Although at the same time she caused more damage to the damn place by covering it in ice. Oh well.
Lina knocked on Booker’s door loudly. “Lemme in! I’m thirsty over here!”
Booker answered the door, opening it and stepping aside as if expecting her to come barreling in without any further ado. You know, just in case. His head was still bandaged, but he looked a lot better than he had a week ago. Except for a new tremor in his hand, he seemed to have come through the ordeal, and Moira thought the tremor was psychological. Great. Like he needed a head shrink.
He wasn’t going to tell anyone though.
“Just try not to burn this place down too.” Not that it needed much help. There were some stray bottles in places, but it was pretty spartan. A couch, a tv, one and a half pictures, and whatever was in the bedroom. Downstairs was the pawnshop, which was now closed and devoid of merchandise.
Really should do something with that place….
“Then make sure you stay still if I end up fireballing your ass. You know, to avoid structural damage,” Lina said cheekily and entered. Her eyes did a quick scan of the place - which honestly wasn’t a whole lot different than what hers was - and dumped her bag onto the couch. “What’s with the abandoned looking store down below? That yours?”
"Thanks. Just what I needed to hear." Booker shrugged a shoulder and closed the door. "Used to be. Ran a pawnshop, but it was mostly a cover for some bounty work. Out of that business and the other one is on hold." Which was putting a huge crimp in his funds.
Lina clicked her tongue in thought. She didn’t know that, actually. There wasn’t too much she knew about Booker, aside the fact that he was an alcoholic, was something of a DILF, and a few other tidbits. Mostly from Elizabeth. Rarely ever directly from him.
She picked up an empty bottle of booze, turning it in her hands to read the label of the poison of his choice. “Bounty hunter then, huh? Dealt with your kind before. You’re all a bunch of asses,” she said with a smile. “Where’s the beer at? This girl’s got a thirst to quench before a shower.”
"Hey, break the law you gotta pay," Booker replied, keeping a straight face. "Though sometimes you gotta break the law to get by." He walked past her, and headed to the kitchen. Welcoming people in wasn't something he did easily and Lina had already gotten farther than most. "Fridge, getting nice and cold."
He searched around for a cigarette and lit it off of his finger.
Lina followed him but didn’t enter the kitchen completely. After making a hand motion to his head, she crossed her arms and propped herself against the doorway. “You’re looking a shitload better, aside from the wrapped head. Elizabeth and I almost swore you’d be up Cerberus’ ass again once you were free.”
That was her way into somehow squeezing into the subject - she wasn’t sure what the entire situation was with that organization, and she had been trying, for the most part, to step away from anything with the label ‘illegal’ slapped right onto it. But she’d grown strangely fond of the dude - might have been the bonding over their excessive drinking - and magic was a fairly handy accessory. Especially when almost every single one of her spells were of the ‘let’s fuck shit up’ type. Which was a good thing in tough situations, and then a bad thing when boredom happened.
“Thought about it, but I’m not in the right condition for it. Ain’t like it’s somethin’ critical. Besides, Neena is up an’ she ain’t runnin’ after them yet.” He made it sound like she would, and he’d probably follow to keep an eye on her. “They need to go down, though. Hard.”
Lina’s brows rose up in mild surprise. Good. He didn’t seem all that suicidal anymore, which was a nice change from when he was in the hospital. She finally stepped into the kitchen completely, opened the fridge and helped herself to a bottle of beer, twisting the cap off with her shirt. “That’s a nice change of perspective. Much different than the whole ‘I should be dead’ thing.”
Before taking her first sip, she got a little closer to Booker, and bopped his nose lightly with the neck of the bottle. “You know if you need help breaking bones, you can ask me, right? It’s not like it’s my first rodeo.”
Booker was just better at hiding it. Or maybe he didn’t really feel that way, but if it took Elizabeth to give him a reason to go on, so be it. He was slowly trying to adjust to being a person again. Even if his dreams continued to go badly.
He grinned down at her, his first real smile in a long time. “You know, incinerating some bastards would probably make me feel better.”
“Incineration and making massive craters seems to be a thing with me,” Lina replied, returning the smile and holding the bottle to her lips. “And look, I won’t even charge you for my services. It’d be on the house. Just because you’re kind of likeable.”
“Well I’d owe ya somethin’,” Booker retorted, reaching past her to grab a bottle for himself. It was better than drinking alone, which was something he did with great frequency. He iced it, then iced the bottom of Lina’s to make it extra cold. What’s a little abuse of vigor, right?
The trick was neat, and she was more than grateful for the gesture. “Depends what you’re willing to pay,” Lina said, this time her grin growing a bit more mischievous - and maybe even a little suggestive - before pushing past him to look around. “So, about that shower and those super nice towels you promised me?”
Booker’s eyes dipped down to her backside as she passed him, then back up as he dismissed the idea that her grin was possibly suggestive. “Down the hall, first door on the right. All ready to go with some comfy towels an’ some fruity smellin’ shit I picked up around the corner.” Booker provides. Apparently ‘fruity smelling shit’ was girl shampoo. He figured she didn’t want his body wash and head and shoulders crap.
Fruity smelling shit. Lina choked out a small laugh, looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. She sort of...looked him up and down before finally settling to eye contact. “That’s sweet of you, actually.” Saying that was almost a little hard to force out - compliments like that don’t roll of her tongue well, especially with men. And they haven’t. Not in a long time. “I’d ask why are you single if you do nice crap like that, but your Lady Luck friend told me how she shot you once she found a younger woman in your bed.”
Lina had brought it up teasingly, but really, she was curious. Or maybe the more accurate term of nosy.
Yes, nosy.
“Ain’ tryin’ to be sweet tryin’ to be n--” Booker cut himself off, raising both of his eyebrows before pressing his palm to his face. He grumbled. “Neena. Look, we weren’t even together at the time and the girl said she was legal and she even had ID.” Booker cards because Booker cares. Even if it had been a fake ID. Oops.
Lina wore the biggest shit eating grin in history. Like, the biggest. “Huh. Was wondering what the story behind that was. You do realize if a chick’s still got the feelings, you’re still her territory, right?”
All things considered, she’d probably do the same thing if she were in Neena’s position. Depending on the guy and the relationship, anyway.
She wanted to ask what’d happened between them, and she wasn’t sure what the deal was with her own curiosity behind it. Obviously Neena was still around. Obviously she still talked to Booker. And obviously there was some closeness there, especially with the whole fact that Booker went after the shitheads that put her in a coma to begin with.
But why the hell was it any of Lina’s business? I need to shut up.
“Yeah, I figured that out around the time she put a bullet in my arm,” Booker said. It felt like his eye was going to twitch. He could all but read the questions in Lina’s eyes. “....You look like you gotta million questions. Do you wanna ask ‘em or do you wanna shower.”
It’s possible Lina’s face slightly reddened at being called out like that.
“Both,” she replied after a second, huffed, and pointed an accusing finger at him before grabbing her bag and heading over to the bathroom. “You can talk to me while I shower. But you can stand outside, and no peeking. Because I’m a damn lady.”
It was more than possible, and Booker took great pleasure in making her blush. “No peekin’? Damn shame.” He knew Lina seemed to have some body self-esteem issues, but wasn’t sure how to compliment her on that without sounding like a creeper. Booker was pretty sure he didn’t want to sound like a creeper. He followed along and leaned against the wall next to the door.
Lina closed it after entering it, although she left it unlocked and started to remove the excess stuff - shoes, earrings, bracelet. “So you don’t mind me. Asking questions, that is. Because you can tell me to shut up. At any time. I won’t be offended, you know.”
“If I want you to shut up I’ll tell you to shut up. Don’t you know I like chatty women?” Neena never shut up, and hell, even Annabelle was a tease and poked fun. Constantly. Booker might have a thing for snarkers.
The comment earned a little smile, although unseen due to the closed door, and once everything came off she ran the shower. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were flirting with me.”
Lina kind of really didn’t know any better, but she was catching on. Slowly.
“Sound like you ain’t used to that from people,” Booker commented. He slid to the ground because standing was too much work right now. “Which I don’t get, but whatever.”
“Hey, I’ll flirt back once I know someone’s flirting with me!” Lina called out with a huff and stepped into the shower, cleansing herself from the smell of smoke and dirt. “It’s gotta be obvious! And you’re a little on the subtle side.”
“You have nice tits!” Booker DeWitt, master of the sublte.
“THANK YOU!” Lina called out with a laugh. She finished quickly, towel-dried her hair and then wrapped herself up real quick. She found herself decent enough like that, because she ended up opening the bathroom door and peeking her head out. “Just so you know, you have nice tits too.”
Booker groped himself. “Nah, I’ve held perkier.” He looked up at her, smirking. “Enjoy the shower? Sorry the shower head ain’t adjustable.”
“I did. I don’t smell like ass anymore,” Lina grinned, combing her fingers into her hair to loosen up the tangles. “I’m gonna get dressed. Get s’more beer out while I do - I’m not done drinking. I need to be hung over to face my landlord tomorrow.”
“Why face him? Spirit your shit out in the dead of night. My ex is dating a teleporter, it’s handy.” Booker wandered back into the kitchen, pulling out some beer and then some tequila, because why the fuck not?
It didn’t take Lina long to dress up in the bathroom - sweatpants and a shirt, much too big. When she entered the kitchen, her face lit up in the form of mischievous glee. “Fucking right. Pulling out the big guns. And all my important stuff is in my car. Everything else was useless and damaged, anyway. Annnd since I’m pretty sure I’m gonna be staying here in a more permanent-sense, I’ll find a better place. And better furniture. The type I won’t set on fire.”
Lina was pretty excited. It’d been a long time since she had a place to call home. For a second she thought of giving that label to her car - it was almost as if she slept in that damn thing more than an actual bed throughout the years.
“All right, so this is how we’re gonna do this. Drink shots, chase it down with beer. Any objections?”
“Don’t get polyester,” Booker joked, and tossed her a can. She looked like a little troublemaker in that gigantic shirt and he thought about offering her a belt. Nah. (she was also ridiculously cute like that and he was almost flustered. Almost.) “Ain’t got any objections.
“Figured there wouldn’t be,” she said, catching the can and popped it open. If there was one thing that could make them bond was alcoholism. It wasn’t always the healthiest thing, but so far she hadn’t killed anyone intoxicated, so that was a plus. Lina moved in closer to him, holding her beer up as if she was toasting to something. “You sure you should be drinking with your head wrapped up like that?”
Although she was the one that brought him booze while he was in a hospital bed...she found her question suddenly invalid.
“Nope.” He knocked his beer against hers and then tilted his head back to take a long sip. “What doesn’t kill ya makes ya stronger. An’ maybe I like to live dangerously.” Hence the Tequila, which really was living dangerously.
Six months ago he’d been nearing his one year coin. Now look at him. He could stop any time. Really!
Lina shrugged. She respected that kind of mentality. Only because it was hers, too.
“Amen to that,” she said after taking a gulp herself. She then reached over for the tequila, opened it up, and then swallowed the equivalent of a shot.
She forgot how much tequila burned down like a bitch. Vodka and whiskey were usually her picks.
“Your turn.” Lina made a face, the taste still in her mouth, and offered the bottle. “Glasses are for pussies. Also, you taking a drink after me is like we’re indirectly kissing!”
Why she blurted that out, who knows, but she got bold. Or what was bold for her.
Booker took the bottle, but started coughing at the indirectly kissing thing. He wiped his mouth and cleared his throat, which was burning now because of the tequila down his lungs. He managed a quick recovery, he thought. “And only half as fun.”
Lina covered her mouth to conceal the giggle at his coughing. Not like it did much, though. “You’re right. But I’m a lady. Get me drunk enough, and it might be a different story.” That meant exactly how it sounded - liquid courage did wondrous things, and helped her do things she would normally have an awkward time doing sober.
Totally healthy.
"Just drunk enough to loosen up, not too drunk not to enjoy it?" Booker asked, taking another swig, this time to give himself some liquid courage. "I think I got some vodka around here. Ain't like I have shame." At least he admits it. And it wasn't even as though he were desperate. "An' I'd like to see what you're like when you ain't pretendin' to be a lady."
So it was going to be that kind of party. Lina licked her lips.
She stepped up - a little too close, up in his personal bubble - to take the bottle from his hand because, hey, sharing was nice. “Only if you like it violent. Which, guessing from your history - that’s exactly what you want.”
Were they on the same page? Booker wasn't sure if they were on the same page, but he rested a hand on Lina's hip to keep her from pulling away. "I got scars. Not all of them are from fights."
“I’ve got a few of those,” Lina admitted, shrugging her shoulders. No point going into too much detail, otherwise the night would take a completely different tone. She didn’t budge from Booker’s hold. Instead, she leaned against him and pressed the bottle against his lips as an offering. “A girl just needs an outlet every now and then.”
Booker started to say something, but then there was a bottle against his lips and that was much more important than words at the moment. Things were already getting a little buzzed, so when he did speak, he couldn’t help it. “Kinda wanna see if I can make you blow somethin’ up.”
That comment made a single brow rise as Lina smirked. “I don’t know if that’s an innuendo or not. Because the literal application of that works for me too.”
“Who says it can’t be both. I got insurance.” He gestured around them with one hand while the other pat pat patted Lina on the butt.
“Good, because you might need it,” Lina grinned. “Now, considering your hand is in a very dangerous area…” She set the bottle aside and fiddled with his shirt. “We can do it here, or the bedroom. Pick.”
It was the road they stood at. Might as well walk down it for the night.
Booker thought about it for a second, then picked Lina up and threw her over his shoulder. “You’re a lady, ladies get the bed room. If you decide you don’t wanna be a lady, we got the couch. Or the table. I ain’t picky.”
Lina let out a small shriek at the toss. That escalated quickly.Her answer though, was almost immediate.