[closed for refurbishment]

[inmylight_commander]

Who: Kat inmylight_commander and Washington dontpatr0nizeme
What: Random meeting
When: Tonight
Where: Third floor hallway, between rooms 302 and 322
Rating: R for language, F for Feels

"Dammit." Kat muttered to herself as the lock chirped it's access denied warning once again. Well, she'd asked York to make it tough for her, and he certainly did that. She knew, she knew she was capable of this, but the six months thinking she was a demi-god and swinging a sword around instead of hacking through code and tripping locks had made her rusty.

She sits back in the hallway and stares at it, taking a few moments break before another attempt, trying to shove the frustration down and pull at whatever memories she thinks might help. She can feel them just there, on the edge of her mind, but they were being tricky.

She was so involved in her own little world that she failed to notice anyone else nearby.

Comments

[dontpatr0nizeme]

Washington can't help flinching at that. This is worse than when they hated each other. "Just because I have my CO doesn't mean there isn't room for my friend."

[inmylight_commander]

She catches that flinch, and inwardly curses herself for not being able to deal with this. It had been so easy to fall back into habit with Six and Jorge, that ingrained, instinctual Spartan training helping her cope with everything else.

This, though, dealing with Washington, the emotional and civilian nature of it ... It had been difficult beforehand, and now it seemed insurmountable. She wanted to know what to say, to reassure him, but the words came out all wrong. "I'm still trying to remember how to be that."

[dontpatr0nizeme]

Washington looks down at the floor, not really sure what to think. "Fine. Go. Let me know when you want to try again. If you ever do."

[inmylight_commander]

"Of course I do." Her tone is soft, but genuine. She may not know what to do but she knows he's worth the effort. If he hadn't been, she wouldn't be here, trying to fight through the strange nature of their friendship and all the bullshit the castle had thrown at them over the course of their stay.

She turns to leave, but hesitates. She doesn't want to go, to leave him again after the castle had taken her away for so long, but she's obviously not making anything better right now. "You deserve the friend I used to be. I want to give you that."

[dontpatr0nizeme]

Washington started at that. He knew she wasn't terribly good with emotional stuff before. But this... "Are you sure, Kat?"

He sighed. "Eventually then?"

[inmylight_commander]

"I am." It stings that he has to ask, and for a moment she doesn't add anything else. He had Carolina now, why would he need her? With how poorly things were going right now, she takes his question as a subtle hint to back off.

But then he sighs, and she's not sure what to say at all. She interprets his words as mixed signals and for the moment not knowing what he wants or what she should do. "Evntually, yes." She sounds even less sure, now. Dammit, castle, things had been fine before you fucked it all up. She didn't know how to handle this sort of shit.

[dontpatr0nizeme]

Washington shakes his head. "The castle doesn't make things easy on us. And I don't want to push it on you if you'd rather break ties. You've 2 of your team now. And I'm no Spartan."

[inmylight_commander]

"You're still an ally." It's out before she really thinks about it, but it feels right to say, and there's a bit more conviction in it. "And -- a friend. I guess I just have to get to know you again. If you want."

[dontpatr0nizeme]

Washington pauses, deep in thought. "I really do want that, Kat. You don't know how much I missed you when you left."

[inmylight_commander]

"No, I don't." She wishes she did. She wishes, of course, that she hadn't been gone at all, but nothing could reverse that. She was hesitating, still poised to leave. Part of her felt it would be appropriate to grasp his shoulder, in that subtly affectionate way between Spartans, but the greater part of her just wasn't ready for that kind of contact yet. The breaking of walls would have to wait another day. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

[dontpatr0nizeme]

Washington sighs. He really does wish they were better with words. "I guess so. See you tomorrow."