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[skitter]

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[skitter]

"Good thing the only headaches I've had in three years have been death tolls." She sighs, but leans her shoulder against his. "Lately, the feeling that I'm running away instead of stepping up."

[littleonewhosteals]

"Stepping up to what?"

He rests his head on her shoulder and then reaches out to toy with one of her braids.

[skitter]

"The not going home thing. It's- I'm set on that, I won't go back." But it's hard.

"I have to argue it with myself a lot."

[littleonewhosteals]

"Yeah? What does your self tell you when you argue?"

[skitter]

"That I'm a fucking coward," she mumbles into the pillows. "That I'll fuck up how I ask for my deal and it'll be worse off than before, and I won't be there to course-correct."

[littleonewhosteals]

He tugs gently on one of her braids. "You are capable, Taylor. You are the most capable fucking person I know. You won't fuck up your deal because you're going to talk it over with lots of people before you do and check your work. You know. Rely on other people to help."

[skitter]

She snorts quietly. "I'm capable of fucking it up, a lot. We've seen that."

[littleonewhosteals]

"Yeah, maybe when you rely on yourself and don't let other people help," he points out.

[skitter]

"But I won't know if I've fucked it up, either."

[littleonewhosteals]

"Yeah, and that's - shitty. Especially when you can't go and check. You just have to trust that ti works out."

[skitter]

She looks at him, just one brown eye above the crumpled pillow. "The Admiral is not on the short list of people I trust."

[littleonewhosteals]

"He gave me what I asked for," he tells her softly. "I don't trust him on his shit here, but I do trust him to keep a contract."

[skitter]

"That's why you're having him fix up your world, right?" she asks, pointed.

[littleonewhosteals]

"I got one wish and only one wish," he reminds her. "The only thing I can't control were the fae kids. I don't know what happened to them when we left. The rest? We can all do. Me. You. Cab. Inis. The Prince. Tal. The other fae."

He returns that pointed look. "Together."

[skitter]

She puts her face back in the pillow, sighing to herself, and reaches out for his hand again.

"You could stay for another deal. I have to do two."

[littleonewhosteals]

"No," he tells her, taking her hand. "I want to go home. My world can still be saved."

[skitter]

Taylor's hand tightens on his, but she doesn't say anything, doesn't lift her head. She doesn't trust her face, or her voice, and she's trying not to push that tightness out into the swarm. Rags would know, even if she doesn't look at him.

"Do you know how long you and Dad'll be gone?" she asks, after a few minutes of silence.

[littleonewhosteals]

He brushes his thumb across her hand. "Just a couple of days, I think," he answers. "Not long enough to get in trouble."

[skitter]

"Three nights? Four?"

[littleonewhosteals]

"What makes you less nervous? Three? Then it's fucking three."

[skitter]

She wants to say she's not nervous, but he's right. Even if nothing happens, that's three nights sleeping alone.

"Fourth night, I'm going to go join the maintenance shift too if you're not back."

[littleonewhosteals]

He laughs, settling down again, closer to her since she stole his pillow. "Deal. I'll probably spent the night at Adrian's before we leave, though. That doesn't count."

[skitter]

Well, that is a very welcome change of topic, and Taylor's happy to swerve lanes like a stunt driver, turning towards him again instead of smothering herself.

"Yeah? How's that going?"

[littleonewhosteals]

"It's okay. We talk about things sometimes, but he's - you know. Fucking weird about shit sometimes."

He doesn't mind the change of topics, especially because he feels like he's given her enough of an interrogation.

[skitter]

"Can I ask weird in what way?"