[She grins lazily at him, a finger running over the back of his head, parting and ruffling his hair. It's slow, tender. She could lay here until her legs go numb.]
[ Okay, the petting is nice. Sends tingles down his spine that relax him even further into the couch, as lumpy as it is. He breathes out, almost a sigh, skimming a hand over Tess’s ribcage lightly. ]
Yeah, the worst kind. The kind I won’t notice ‘till I try to get up in a couple of hours.
[She closes her eyes, content to keep running her fingers through his hair. Funny, how such a little thing can have a man enduring the world's worst couch. Wouldn't trade it for anything.]
Don't kid yourself, you're gonna fall asleep right here.
[She finds the seam of his part, tousling his hair in the other direction. He's greying so much more these days; strange to think he didn't have a single grey hair when they met. Her heart thuds under his head, gradually coming down to a resting pace.]
[She does like it. There's no small amount of power in it, having the reins over that part of their relationship; it has to be that way, she thinks, to balance out his iron grip on the things they don't say out loud.
It's fine. She'll love him however he allows her to.
She lets out a long, satisfied breath into the crown of his head, and she teases:]
We could switch off, if you're starting to chafe. I could loom in the background while you could make all our connections.
Hey, if you're the one giving orders, you'd be throwin' yourself out.
[It is funny to imagine, though. How long it'd take for him to give in and throw a punch, how quickly he'd get bored of some idiot's idea of banter. Not Tess, though. She has patience.]
[Would anything else out of his mouth make her as happy as that? Probably not. She could sustain herself forever on the feeling of being one of the only people he likes. Being special.]
Well, if you don't want to head out to Lincoln with me next week, you can just stay here.
[She's long used to him griping about his age, but that's one of the little drawbacks to the person meant for you being a fair bit older. If bullshit doesn't claim them early, he's going to slow down long before she will.
It's fine. What time they have together matters more.
She just tousles the front of his hair out of his face.]
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[ He huffs again. Whatever. He'll be stiff and sore. What else is new? ]
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It's torture, right? I'm torturing you.
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Yeah, the worst kind. The kind I won’t notice ‘till I try to get up in a couple of hours.
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Don't kid yourself, you're gonna fall asleep right here.
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Guess you are, too.
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Torturer's prerogative.
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[ Which is how they both like it, of course. Grey hair or not. ]
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It's fine. She'll love him however he allows her to.
She lets out a long, satisfied breath into the crown of his head, and she teases:]
We could switch off, if you're starting to chafe. I could loom in the background while you could make all our connections.
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[ He snorts faintly. ]
I'd be out on my ass in less than a week.
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[It is funny to imagine, though. How long it'd take for him to give in and throw a punch, how quickly he'd get bored of some idiot's idea of banter. Not Tess, though. She has patience.]
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[ His lips quirk faintly, though. He's joking. Probably. ]
You know I'd torpedo all your alliances.
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That’s true. That’s why you only get to talk to Donovan, Robert and Bill.
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[ Grumble grumble. ]
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Well, if you don't want to head out to Lincoln with me next week, you can just stay here.
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Don't be ridiculous.
[ No way does she leave the QZ alone, regardless of which asshole she's planning to meet.
Besides, Bill's always got good food. ]
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You might not like him, but he likes you more than me, you know.
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[ And everyone who knows them, knows that Frank usually gets his way in that relationship. ]
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That’s why he’s the only alliance you’re not allowed to torpedo.
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The food’s too good. I’d put up with a lot worse than Bill can dish out for that food once in a while.
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[This is ambitious.]
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[ That is a very skeptical sound that Joel just made. ]
I never was much of a cook.
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I'm sure all it takes is practice.
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It's fine. What time they have together matters more.
She just tousles the front of his hair out of his face.]
You're fifty-six, Texas, not eighty.
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You know what they say, about old dogs and new tricks.
I used to grill a decent hamburger, I guess.
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