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[ from here ]
Sludgy's good. Sludgy's got body.
...okay, it's disgusting but it's waking him up a little.
"What else would I be talking about?" comes the question, because that's just his life. Child trafficking was on the lighter end of the horrible shit he usually got tapped for. At least the children were alive in his nightmares. "S'why I started with 'she's safe'."
He's got some coffee down, can't find the bread, but that suggestion sounds good. He heads for the couch, since it's the closest thing long enough, and flops over onto it, letting his injured arm rest upright against the back of it.
Sludgy's good. Sludgy's got body.
...okay, it's disgusting but it's waking him up a little.
"What else would I be talking about?" comes the question, because that's just his life. Child trafficking was on the lighter end of the horrible shit he usually got tapped for. At least the children were alive in his nightmares. "S'why I started with 'she's safe'."
He's got some coffee down, can't find the bread, but that suggestion sounds good. He heads for the couch, since it's the closest thing long enough, and flops over onto it, letting his injured arm rest upright against the back of it.
...And 'sludgy' was DISGUSTING. The redhead winced as he took a gulp of his coffee 'milkshake'.
"'She's safe'?!" Louise responded, both vexed AND perturbed. If she could add 'highly annoyed' to that to make it a trifecta, she would. "Why on earth didn't you call me? My team and I are plenty discreet."
A beat, as she followed him trudging out of the kitchen, shuffling his way to the sofa.
"And when did the José Cuervo come in? I hope after you'd already secured the child," she added, shoving his ankle aside with one hip so she could perch her arse on the edge of the couch.
"'She's safe'?!" Louise responded, both vexed AND perturbed. If she could add 'highly annoyed' to that to make it a trifecta, she would. "Why on earth didn't you call me? My team and I are plenty discreet."
A beat, as she followed him trudging out of the kitchen, shuffling his way to the sofa.
"And when did the José Cuervo come in? I hope after you'd already secured the child," she added, shoving his ankle aside with one hip so she could perch her arse on the edge of the couch.
He'd started to nod off but then she's talking and he doesn't want to be rude. His Aunt Dian would turn over in her grave if she knew he'd ignored a lady who'd come to call.
"Nope. Like I said. Couldn't tell him no. Made it sloppy. Not happy."
He turns to be able to look her in the face since, really, he doesn't want to be rude. He likes her. He tries not to be rude even when he doesn't like people. Unless they're supervillains. Then screw them. Screw them a lot. In the bad porcupine sort of way. Yeah, that.
"And I would have. Called you. 'Cept I didn't have evidence. Just nightmares. Nightmares aren't evidence."
"Nope. Like I said. Couldn't tell him no. Made it sloppy. Not happy."
He turns to be able to look her in the face since, really, he doesn't want to be rude. He likes her. He tries not to be rude even when he doesn't like people. Unless they're supervillains. Then screw them. Screw them a lot. In the bad porcupine sort of way. Yeah, that.
"And I would have. Called you. 'Cept I didn't have evidence. Just nightmares. Nightmares aren't evidence."
And you're not making any sense whatsoever, she lamented to herself.
"Look--try and sleep this off," she told him, walking to her purse and taking out a small bottle of nurofen and handing him three tablets. "This'll help the hangover, because it's definitely in the mail after you swallowed that lot."
Placing her bag back upon the table in the hallway, she called out to him. "I'm going to get some kip in your room, yeah? And when you've sobered up enough to spell all this out to me, wake me up."
"Look--try and sleep this off," she told him, walking to her purse and taking out a small bottle of nurofen and handing him three tablets. "This'll help the hangover, because it's definitely in the mail after you swallowed that lot."
Placing her bag back upon the table in the hallway, she called out to him. "I'm going to get some kip in your room, yeah? And when you've sobered up enough to spell all this out to me, wake me up."
She'll wake up to a hot cup of coffee placed carefully on the night stand of his bed and Sand, his arm no longer bandaged and entirely injury-free sitting on the chair beside it. For probably the first time since she's ever seen him, he's missing the racoon eyes. He actually looks somewhat rested.
"Morning," he says quietly, "and sorry. About last night."
"Morning," he says quietly, "and sorry. About last night."
The light filtered through the blinds on the window, skimming across Louise's eyelids, and she flinched, lids slowly opening, pupils readjusting. When she'd finally gotten her bearings, she finally noticed the steaming mug of joe on the nightstand. The lovely smell of it awakened her almost immediately and she struggled a bit to sit up, her clothing dishevelled by sleep, and she pushed a hand through her rumpled hair. Picking up the cup, she took a long, slow sip and brightened up instantly.
But then...she noticed him. "Have you gotten plastic surgery overnight. You look...almost completely normal.." Louise was gobsmacked. She needs a moment. Then, you can start explaining the rest of it, Hawkins.
But then...she noticed him. "Have you gotten plastic surgery overnight. You look...almost completely normal.." Louise was gobsmacked. She needs a moment. Then, you can start explaining the rest of it, Hawkins.
He has his own cup of coffee, as much because he was awake as because now that he'd had his one night of rest, well, the next time he passes out is going to be as bad as it always is.
"Sobered up, got my focus back," he holds up his hand, lets it go to sand, and gently pokes one finger through the grains. He doesn't do it long because it's disturbing, he knows that, but the point is made as he pulls his hand out and lets his flesh and blood return. "'Healing' is kind of a moot point with me most of the time. Last night was kind of a fluke.
"But thank you for coming and patching me up."
"Sobered up, got my focus back," he holds up his hand, lets it go to sand, and gently pokes one finger through the grains. He doesn't do it long because it's disturbing, he knows that, but the point is made as he pulls his hand out and lets his flesh and blood return. "'Healing' is kind of a moot point with me most of the time. Last night was kind of a fluke.
"But thank you for coming and patching me up."
"You're...welcome...?" she answered, a bit bewildered.
Louise put the cup down upon the nightstand again. "All right now, EXPLAIN.. The child. The tequila. The knife. The man. GO."
Louise put the cup down upon the nightstand again. "All right now, EXPLAIN.. The child. The tequila. The knife. The man. GO."
"When I don't have the kind of focus I need, I can't do," and he lifts his arm up again to reference the 'sand-making' bit. "So I'm as stabbable as anyone else. What happened last night was..."
He breathes in, he breathes out, and then he rubs at his temple.
"I didn't tell you about the nightmares. Mostly because I didn't feel like..." he flicks one hand in a swiping motion, basically 'everything related to that, "but what it boils down to is that Wes, the old Sandman, he'd get dreams, visions that told him about crimes that were going to happen in the future. Now, Wes liked his comforts as much as anyone, but he was a good man. A caring man. A man dedicated to looking out for people. But you can't bring dreams to the police. That was what had him going out in the first place."
He looks up at her then.
"When he died, they passed on to me. That's what I've been doing here the last week or so: trying to find out what my dreams are telling me so that I could save that little girl. Who was being bought by a rather high powered lawyer to act as a maid for his family probably until her dying day."
He takes a long sip of his coffee.
"I knew what his drop off guy looked like, and I knew approximately when they'd be meeting and where. The problem was that it was a bar and some drunken idiot decided to take my 'sour' mood and flip it up side down" and you can see how he feels about that, "so it was either call attention to myself or down a shot or two. And the guy spilled on me. Which was very unhelpful a little later when I one, had to try and sneak up on people and two, did it smelling like tequila and with nowhere near my usual focus." Once more. "Hence the stabbing."
He breathes in, he breathes out, and then he rubs at his temple.
"I didn't tell you about the nightmares. Mostly because I didn't feel like..." he flicks one hand in a swiping motion, basically 'everything related to that, "but what it boils down to is that Wes, the old Sandman, he'd get dreams, visions that told him about crimes that were going to happen in the future. Now, Wes liked his comforts as much as anyone, but he was a good man. A caring man. A man dedicated to looking out for people. But you can't bring dreams to the police. That was what had him going out in the first place."
He looks up at her then.
"When he died, they passed on to me. That's what I've been doing here the last week or so: trying to find out what my dreams are telling me so that I could save that little girl. Who was being bought by a rather high powered lawyer to act as a maid for his family probably until her dying day."
He takes a long sip of his coffee.
"I knew what his drop off guy looked like, and I knew approximately when they'd be meeting and where. The problem was that it was a bar and some drunken idiot decided to take my 'sour' mood and flip it up side down" and you can see how he feels about that, "so it was either call attention to myself or down a shot or two. And the guy spilled on me. Which was very unhelpful a little later when I one, had to try and sneak up on people and two, did it smelling like tequila and with nowhere near my usual focus." Once more. "Hence the stabbing."
She chuckled at the beginning of his explanation. "Sounds a bit 'Tom Cruise', doesn't it. What was that film called...'Minority Report'? And yes, you're right, unfortunately. The force doesn't like the supernatural. It's liable to make you a prime candidate for involuntary sectioning. Your mentor was smart."
...And THEN she heard the rest of his explanation. Now chuckling ironically, and placing a hand over her face, she drew in a deep breath.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Sandy," she laughed softly, "You have to have the universe's absolute WORST luck in apprehending criminals, my GOD."
But after a few seconds, she looked up, her facial features softening. "You did the right thing, even if you were bloody bladdered."
...And THEN she heard the rest of his explanation. Now chuckling ironically, and placing a hand over her face, she drew in a deep breath.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Sandy," she laughed softly, "You have to have the universe's absolute WORST luck in apprehending criminals, my GOD."
But after a few seconds, she looked up, her facial features softening. "You did the right thing, even if you were bloody bladdered."
"I've seen it," because yeah, he's a nerd, reads all the time, plays board games with himself, but he also has a very active Netflix account. He'd been a fan of film before he'd gone under and he still was. "But it's a little different."
Sandy got to see things from their point of view. His dreams took him into the culprit's heads. Which was a pretty awful place to be 90% of the time, but his success rate was pretty good, after all. It just... wrecked him a little was all.
"I'm assuming that means 'drunk'," and he can't help a yawn, "and if you haven't figured out that my luck is crap by now, you've been going over your laundry list while I'm talking half the time."
Sandy got to see things from their point of view. His dreams took him into the culprit's heads. Which was a pretty awful place to be 90% of the time, but his success rate was pretty good, after all. It just... wrecked him a little was all.
"I'm assuming that means 'drunk'," and he can't help a yawn, "and if you haven't figured out that my luck is crap by now, you've been going over your laundry list while I'm talking half the time."
The redhead emitted a short laugh before finally sitting up in bed, dishevelled hair and all.
"And now it's even more crap, because you've met me," she replied. "And no laundry list."
Grabbing him by the undershirt collar, Louise kissed him for the first time; long enough to not seem chaste, and short enough to not be intimidating to him. Pulling away, she wrung her hands together nervously.
"Sorry."
"And now it's even more crap, because you've met me," she replied. "And no laundry list."
Grabbing him by the undershirt collar, Louise kissed him for the first time; long enough to not seem chaste, and short enough to not be intimidating to him. Pulling away, she wrung her hands together nervously.
"Sorry."
To say he'd been expecting that would be dead wrong, but he recovers relative quickly and there's a moment where he's processing it, blue eyes clearly showing the 'math' he was working out in his head. But when he sees her start ringing her hands, he decides to eschew words, put his own hand on hers, and leans in to kiss her back.
When his lips touched hers, her eyes flew open momentarily in surprise--she hadn't figured that he might return her affections, at least not so quickly. She'd cottoned on to his 'hands-off' policy--one more borne out of chivalry, not nerves--and it served as something of a comfort to her, if she was honest. She'd avoided much dating since being back at the Yard, half because she just never bothered to make time, and half because most men were a bit too 'eager', to put it mildly.
But this was different, and she was glad for it.
Leaning back against the headboard of his bed, Louise placed both hands upon either side of his face and deepened the kiss slightly, just enough to make it clear she was more than allowing it.
But this was different, and she was glad for it.
Leaning back against the headboard of his bed, Louise placed both hands upon either side of his face and deepened the kiss slightly, just enough to make it clear she was more than allowing it.
And he fully intends to kiss her until one or both of them need to pause. But he doesn't lean in further, doesn't move his hands anywhere else but to let them slip into her hair. Chivalry was what he'd been taught way back when, but also that it was a woman's place to say exactly how much and how far she wanted things, courtesy of his aunt. It all boils down to not, in any way, wanting to hurt her. Either by withholding or giving what wasn't wanted. She'd been through enough. Enough people had judged her or used her or even just ignored what she was going through. He didn't want to be another of them.
He kissed her because he wanted to kiss her, but also because he wanted her to know that he wanted to kiss her. And when he could feel her needing a breath, he draws back to look in her eyes and offer a crooked little half smile.
He kissed her because he wanted to kiss her, but also because he wanted her to know that he wanted to kiss her. And when he could feel her needing a breath, he draws back to look in her eyes and offer a crooked little half smile.
When he pulled away, giving her the sort of lopsided grin which, quite frankly, made her heart flip over, the redhead's cheeks began to blush fiercely. Clearing her throat delicately, Louise chuckled nervously.
"Been wanting to do that for...quite a while," she admitted rather sheepishly. Drawing in a deep breath, she looked up at him, smiling gently. "Sorry." She sort of bit her lip as she said it, trying to ease herself out of awkwardness.
"Been wanting to do that for...quite a while," she admitted rather sheepishly. Drawing in a deep breath, she looked up at him, smiling gently. "Sorry." She sort of bit her lip as she said it, trying to ease herself out of awkwardness.
That just earns her a raised eyebrow, a genuinely curious expression.
"I'm sorry, but you kissed me. So unless you were somehow simultaneously kicking a puppy or insulting a nun, I'm not really sure what you've got to be sorry about."
He leaned in a little and made sure he had her eyes.
"I was pretty happy about it too, if you couldn't tell. So nice, I insisted we do it twice."
"I'm sorry, but you kissed me. So unless you were somehow simultaneously kicking a puppy or insulting a nun, I'm not really sure what you've got to be sorry about."
He leaned in a little and made sure he had her eyes.
"I was pretty happy about it too, if you couldn't tell. So nice, I insisted we do it twice."
His glib remark caught her off guard and she burst out a moderate laugh. "I'm sorry it took me so long, then...?" she riposted, letting the question just trail off as she began to try and gauge exactly how long he'd been wrestling with the same feelings.
"And it only took a bottle of Patrón, a knifing, child trafficking, and you making and absolute bellend of yourself for it to happen," she added with a tiny smirk.
"And it only took a bottle of Patrón, a knifing, child trafficking, and you making and absolute bellend of yourself for it to happen," she added with a tiny smirk.
"I wish I could say that isn't on the normal side for me but..." head tilt. Wry smile. This is what you're signing up for, fortunately or unfortunately.
She just stared at him rather disbelievingly for a moment before responding, one corner of her mouth ticking upwards in a slow grin of her own.
"And do they all end like this?" she volleyed back, her hands gesturing back and forth between the two of them, "...with someone in your bed the next morning?" Azure eyes danced mischievously as she regarded him.
"And do they all end like this?" she volleyed back, her hands gesturing back and forth between the two of them, "...with someone in your bed the next morning?" Azure eyes danced mischievously as she regarded him.
...which earns her wide eyes and pink cheeks before he ducks his head and shakes it.
"Uh, nope. Nope, that one's new. Not unwelcome, but definitely new."
"Uh, nope. Nope, that one's new. Not unwelcome, but definitely new."
His admission made her chuckle, and she pushed a hand through her dishevelled hair before pushing aside the sheets, revealing her even-more dishevelled clothing from the day before.
"You've got a shower I can use, yeah?" she requested, gathering her belongings, but not before casting a seemingly winsome smile over her shoulder.
"You've got a shower I can use, yeah?" she requested, gathering her belongings, but not before casting a seemingly winsome smile over her shoulder.
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