"Agency Scum"

Home Stretch

//Warnings for blood, violence, and gore

Previously...

I was sort of shocked. All this time, and he still wanted to run away with me?

    "I like risks" I smiled "I mean, running away from the agency was a pretty big risk to begin with"

    Dimitri huffed out a laugh. How could another man be so pretty? "You're pretty stupid, you know that mate?"

    "We both are" I shrugged.

"Then you still wanna do it?"

    "Of course, let's go nowhere together"

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We continue

Dimitri and I returned to our separate rooms that night, the nightmarish absurdity of everything still fresh in our minds.

I went to sleep a little easier though, knowing we were still a team. Though it almost made me angry. I'd effectively ruined his life: Brutus, Pistol, his zed infection. Why was he still putting up with me?

When I woke up the next morning I still had eyeliner smudged around my eyes, no matter how many times I'd tried to wipe it off. I was also stuck wearing Barb's gear, so I sucked it up and left the medbay for breakfast.

Breakfast was in the main cafeteria of the first floor down. Everything was a little bigger here, which made sense considering it's inhabitants.
I took my seat in the corner, as I had been, away from everyone else. Not even the other guys would sit with me- but I didn't mind, it gave me time to think in my dark corner of the room.

"Oi, you always this antisocial?"

I looked up to see Dimitri stretching his arms in a yawn as he walked towards me, his stubble now gone.

I almost jumped out of my seat with excitement. Keep your cool. "I don't know anyone here..." I mumbled "and you haven't exactly been a social butterfly either"

He nodded and took a seat on the bench besides me "sorry 'bout that"

"I get it, I'm just glad to have you back" my hand, which rested on the table, opened slightly as an invitation. One he took when his quietly slipped into mine.

    I'd forgotten how small his hands were in comparison, how gentle he always was. His fingers lightly grazed along the bandages that snaked around my arm from the glass, and I was reminded of Cal's opposing cruelty. "When were you thinking of leaving?" I didn't want to rush him, but I didn't want to risk giving away such an important base to Nexus Core. If they found out about this place, it'd be over for the bandits.

    "We can leave today if you're up for it" his hand moved to my healed burn scar. His light touch made my skin tingle, though that spot was always a little numb. "Central is only a three hour drive away, and I dunno how much longer I can take this place"

"Sounds good to me" our eyes met, and for the briefest second I expected to see that monster there again. "Shouldn't be too hard to find Doc, the city's crawling with S.Q. Goons"

    He took back his hand, leaving mine cold "and after that?..."

    I chewed on my lip. After that- what next? I never really gave much thought to it, maybe once or twice, but things were different then. I didn't have to worry about Cal... I wasn't in love with the man sitting next to me. "We'll see where it takes us" was all I could say.