srndpty. --> a jared and drea fanfic

Part 5

Gleaming city lights, mountains, rivers, skyscrapers-- that's what Jared can see from the balcony of his hotel room. Sitting on the floor with a few beer cans and a box of takoyaki he emptied one minute ago.

He's wearing a plain t-shirt, shorts, flip-flops, and that's it. That's how he feels here, like home. Or at least that's what he wants to feel. 

They say home is a person you always come back to, and holds your greatest safety and comfort. He doesn't want to be called homeless. This way he can say he's comfortable even if this is a place and not the woman he expected to be his home.

"Here ya go," Drea Mikami appeared at his side, placed the few other boxes of takoyaki, sashimi, and sushi in front of him before sitting down on the floor. She kept the empty wrappers and cans to the side and started opening the new ones she bought.

When she opened the box, fragrant smoke came out of it. She took her chopsticks and quickly munched one of those golf-ball sized foods. Jared took his fork and stabbed one then put it in his mouth, followed by another one. Since those would be too hard to chew, he kept one bulging on his cheek while chewing the other. He finds Drea smiling in his peripheral view.

"Are you not worried you'll be out of shape?" She asked.

He glanced at her, swallowing. "Out of shape for who?"

"Does it always have to be a who? Can I not be asking for work? You can't run quickly and chase the bad guys if you'd be a big bouncing ball." 

That was answered by a glare. When Jared swallowed the last piece of what he had in his mouth, he pushed the boxes all to Drea's front, confirming that he won't eat no more. He opened a can of beer instead and drank from it. 

She was laughing yet again. Like she doesn't know anything else to do aside from that. But it was fine, it was therapeutic for him. The last person he heard laugh was Michaela, at her wedding. It's nice to replace that with the sound of Drea's laughter. 

Drea refrained from laughing and stared intently at him. They were attending to each other. A little tipsy but fine. 

"My first love was a big bouncing ball who dreamed of being a cop one day. I wonder if he made it," she looked up, trying to picture the adorable face of that boy. It's kind of a discrimination but that's how she judged the world back then. The cops being these masculine, rhomboid-shaped guys with strong facial expressions. 

"I looked like that when I was young. Go and be the judge of that," he bragged, showing off his biceps that she lightly hit.

"You know when I first saw you at the precinct, I thought maybe you could use a day off. You looked like you've been working your ass off and you're very tired. And grumpy. And mad at the world. You won't talk to me until I and Michaela became partners," her voice was soft, almost whispering. "I figured out that day that she's all that matters to you, and I liked that. But turns out it wasn't that simple."

Jared breathed deeply, not taking his eyes off her. "I hope I can put somebody else on that place... to replace her."

"Why would you?" She opened a can and took a sip. "I really liked you and Michaela together. Always bickering like an old married couple but always helping each other like brother and sister. I was rooting for the two of you, that's why when you started that scary undercover with the Xers--"

"You helped her spy over me," he intervened, smiled at the thought that came by. "You're friendly. Mick likes you a lot and her family trusts you already. I hope you really are who you say you are because if you have bad intentions with Michaela, I won't let that pass."