So, there's this bar...

[mitochondriaaya]

"Can it Mitchell." Aya growled as she lined up her shot "He's got a a hell of a lot going on, but he'll be here. Which is more than I can say for your newest..."

The rookie grimaced and looked away as another ball sunk smoothly. "You're trying to feed him to the fucking sharks, Aya! If he's as smart as you claim he's three states away!"

"He's survived me so far. You guys are nothing." Aya noted, gliding around the table. She was half tempted to hop a ball at her companion for hitting all her own insecurity buttons...

"...ouch." Mitchell held a hand over his heart, wounded "We ain't detectives, sure, but you get enough of us together and we're scary!"

"Like rabid chihuahuas" she agreed. "I advised him to wear stompy boots."

"Give it up Mitchell!" the peanut gallery decided to chime in from the bar "You annoy her and you'll end up hiding under a table like last time!"

"I lost a contact!" the rookie snapped, though he shifted ever so slightly away from the pool table.

"Awwww, you didn't come out until she threatened to come down after you..."

Aya rolled her eyes and sank another shot, still making a smooth round along the table. She wasn't a perfect pool player, but she was better at ignoring the ribbing than her opponent was. "Anyway, I invited him so I could share something important to me. You guys don't get to spoil that."

"Down time? Oh! Leaning over pool tables! Wait, wait, this has the best bar snacks in town..." the suggestions rolled on like the incoming tide. Once started it was hard to stop the guys.

"My precinct, buckos." Aya flashed a feral grin into the sudden silence "Don't embarrass me or I'll break you."

Comments

[mitochondriaaya]

There was more general exclamations at that, then the boys not-so-subtly working to separate the couple. So they could all talk.

Yep.

Mainly this meant they waited until Aya went to the restroom! "Six weeks huh? That's....um. A long time. What's your angle?" these questions came from the left. From the right came "Screw the angles! He's alive! So, what we really want to know..." luckily that one was generally muffled by the less-than-suicidal tackling the questioner.

[sliceitwithwind]

"I like her. She likes me. I don't so much dance to the beat of a different drum as tango to the wheeze of a different bagpipe, and she doesn't scare me." nothing scares him like he scares himself.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Right...well, her not scaring you is a plus I guess." someone admitted. "Yeah, but that means we have to keep an eye on him, if Aya isn't going to break him..." that seemed to be the general consensus. If Aya was 'soft' on someone, she was going to miss bad shit.

Cause, despite being scary she was tiny. And female. And theirs damn it. At least Dilan was distinctive in a crowd? "Well, welcome aboard, Dilan." they finally settled on after the less-than-secret plotting. "Have a beer?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Not unless you're planning on carrying me home." he says cheerfully, "I'm a total lightweight, a beer would get me trashed."

[mitochondriaaya]

'...half a beer then!" because no one got out alive!! Or, you know, without a little beer in them. "Though we might be able to carry you to Aya's. She lives nearby..."

[sliceitwithwind]

"As long as you understand that I'm close to three hundred pounds, and ask Aya for permission to install me on her couch." Dilan says, shaking his head.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Aya!! We're giving Dilan beer!!" the group called as she reemerged. "If he gets wasted we'll take him to your couch!!" That had Aya blinking...but better her couch than stuffed in a taxi to some arbitrary place.

"Okay?" she offered, pushing cops out of the way so she could claim her spot at Dilan's side again.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan wraps his arm around her and says, "They kind of insisted."

[mitochondriaaya]

She leaned against him, but crossed her arms over her chest to glare at the boys. "Why does my boyfriend need to get smashed?" she asked mildly.

"Tradition!" was the general, cheerful consensus.

"...hell." Aya sighed.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan did as well, shaking his head, "Half a beer, people, I want to be able to walk home."

[mitochondriaaya]

"I'll split it with you." Aya promised, intercepting the bottle headed their way. "And we're taking the pool table." because she liked playing and she didn't know how Dilan's game was after drinking?

Well, that and it was fun to scare the boys away from one of the tables.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Splitting is good." Dilan agrees, "Is there a cue somewhere I can use?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Wall there..." she pointed lazily as she racked the balls. "I guess I should ask now, since we're doomed anyway, but what kind of tipsy are you?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Affectionate and singing." Dilan promises, "I like to cuddle, and I can actually carry a tune in a bucket when drunk."

[mitochondriaaya]

"I can handle that." she admitted with a small grin. "I get...quiet? I'm boring I'm told. But with you to balance me out, the boys might let us escape at a reasonable hour..."

[sliceitwithwind]

"I would never find you boring." Dilan promises, "You're amazing to watch."

[mitochondriaaya]

"...um?" Aya blinked across the table at him, not exactly sure she'd heard that right.

Ah, the boys though hooted "Heeeey! She blushes!!" Aya didn't believe them until she lifted a hand to feel the warmth of her own cheek. Well...damn.

[sliceitwithwind]

And that can't even be blamed on the beer, because he hasn't had any yet.

Dilan just shrugs.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Your break." she noted, rubbing cheeks now to try to kill the blush. She...wasn't used to people just liking to look at her. Not that had evr been said in her presence at least.

They were gathering a crowd, cops betting on the outcome of the game. Most seemed to be on the side of Dilan winning through utter distraction of Aya!

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan nods and breaks expertly. It's all - pool, for him, is a game of sensations less than angles. His synesthesia is a definite edge.

[mitochondriaaya]

And Aya...wasn't a pool shark? She was as good as a casual player could be though, and she truly enjoyed the game. Dilan had to be one of the most unpredictable players she'd ever faced...but that just made it more interesting. When he had a run of sinks though, she smiled ruefully and leaned a hip against the table, waiting for the eight to go down.

She could face losing gracefully! Besides, it gave her a chance to sip their beer!

[sliceitwithwind]

The eight goes down rapidly, then he sidles up to her for another kiss.

He likes kissing her.

[mitochondriaaya]

Those that won the bet due to Dilan came up to clap him on the back. The rest teased Aya about throwing the game and got chased off by a few well-aimed kicks. It would have been prodding with a pool cue, but she was a fan of interactive kissing.

It lasted long enough to make a few of the boys start loudly timing the seconds...and one of them to rack the balls and pointedly challenge Dilan.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan lets her go and then siiiiighs and heads for the table.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Oh, a fate worse than death..." Aya teased, claiming the nearest chair and kicking her feet up on another so she could watch. She couldn't help the happy grin that crept onto her face...

Nor could the boys refrain from teasing Aya about girlish behavior.