There went the ol' paranoia alarm again.
Zhi's eyes narrowed as he spoke. She didn't like the compliments. Base manipulation.
She sat, because standing would look silly after a minute or two, and by then taking a seat would look even worse. She traded in the jealousy for boredom as her thoughts went for a spin into the territory of why this and why that, all the while she stared at him. For once in her life, she was struck silent, without any clever retorts, without any goading. The sass had been burned from her along with the four bodies and the secrets they'd held. She didn't owe him, not precisely, but. . .
She uncorked her bottle, and gulped. One, two. Breathe. Three, four. Breathe.
"Partners." The word was spat out on a breath that was almost entirely alcohol fumes. It was also raspy: thank you, booze.
It was a gamble. But, on the tail end of the smokes, and fueled once more on alcohol and the queasy airiness that came on the tail end of not enough sleep and too much stimulant, she didn't care. He'd rutting played her one solid, and if there was any type of person she wanted at her side (not at her back, never there. That was what walls were for. Walls were usually trustworthy), it was someone who could outplay her. At least, until it came time to get to stabbing backs. But Zhi was relatively certain she'd be faster on the draw than him. Maybe. Probably? Bah.
She smiled.
Somehow, it was worse than the jealousy.
Zhi's eyes narrowed as he spoke. She didn't like the compliments. Base manipulation.
She sat, because standing would look silly after a minute or two, and by then taking a seat would look even worse. She traded in the jealousy for boredom as her thoughts went for a spin into the territory of why this and why that, all the while she stared at him. For once in her life, she was struck silent, without any clever retorts, without any goading. The sass had been burned from her along with the four bodies and the secrets they'd held. She didn't owe him, not precisely, but. . .
She uncorked her bottle, and gulped. One, two. Breathe. Three, four. Breathe.
"Partners." The word was spat out on a breath that was almost entirely alcohol fumes. It was also raspy: thank you, booze.
It was a gamble. But, on the tail end of the smokes, and fueled once more on alcohol and the queasy airiness that came on the tail end of not enough sleep and too much stimulant, she didn't care. He'd rutting played her one solid, and if there was any type of person she wanted at her side (not at her back, never there. That was what walls were for. Walls were usually trustworthy), it was someone who could outplay her. At least, until it came time to get to stabbing backs. But Zhi was relatively certain she'd be faster on the draw than him. Maybe. Probably? Bah.
She smiled.
Somehow, it was worse than the jealousy.
