Cool, so had to get this out. You don't have to have read MDL to be able to read this, but it might help. :D

Enjoy!

Swinging beside a tall thigh, long fingers massaged the buttons of a worn and treasured remote, small enough to fit in one callused palm. Oil and grease trapped in the lines of skin around it were compressed as muscles contracted in a nervous tension. Janey lifted the remote to her face in a subconscious gesture, running its smooth edge along her lips as she walked toward the Emporium.

Bright lights flickering from the venders and quick-change station caught her eye, bringing to her attention the actions of her hand. Janey dropped her arm as she rounded the corner, telling herself to chill out and stop thinking about it.

'It' actually being a person, of course.

The junker sighed and pushed her bangs away from her forehead, glancing at the early morning sky as she did so. The tiny amount atmosphere that encircled Elpis could be seen on the horizon, coated in a dusty red, which didn't help the situation.

It had been two weeks since Janey had last seen Athena, heck it had been two weeks since she'd spoken to her, and she wasn't gonna deny how much she missed that rough, taking-none-of-your-shit voice, which fell to pieces and fumbled over itself whenever Janey threw a compliment her way.

More pressing though, was the concern that had wormed its way into Janey's chest after the first week of no familiar blue eyes death staring the Grinder or sexy sounding post-battle ECHOs, which had been making her swoon like a bloody teenager before the whole Vault thing.

But now, Athena had disappeared.

Or so she assumed, Athena not having shown her face around Concordia for a good while, much less ECHOing Janey or responding to the junker's calls.

The first three days after the Vault, where they'd barely left the bedroom, let alone the apartment, had been so unlike anything Janey had seen from Athena before, it'd left her a little disappointed when Athena had returned to her regular mercenary work. Way too soon, Janey reckoned. If she'd been through half of what Athena had these past weeks she'd need at least a good month to recuperate.

Though, from what Janey had gathered during their time together, this was to be expected. If anything, three days rest was a miracle for the short assassin.

Memories flashed through Janey's mind and she couldn't help her teeth from capturing her bottom lip in ponderous thought as she arrived at the front of her store.

In the moments not spent trying to memorise and touch every inch of one another, she and Athena had spent a surprising amount of time just…existing. Curled up on Janey's old couch eating the meals she'd cooked, Athena's head tucked under Janey's chin and her back against the junker's chest, or padding around each other in the first hours of the day, eyes sleepy and kisses lazy, and the long stretches of time where comfortable silence had reigned, as Janey continued her work on Athena's armour and the assassin quietly cleaned her guns.

Janey was a good talker, usually knowing what to say and when to say it, maybe-maybe-sometimes with a little too much emotion or overbearing enthusiasm. Maybe. But, she also knew how to listen and she was careful to pay attention to every little piece of Athena that was revealed to her.

Such as the name spoken with dead eyes when Janey was making dinner one night, the girl Athena had killed under orders, so absorbed in her own blood-lust she hadn't spared a thought to the villagers she was murdering. Her sister.

Or Athena's description of the scars scattered over her own body as Janey's mouth kissed them one by one; 'lessons' from childhood years spent with Atlas, not 'injuries'.

The breathy confession slipping from parted lips of never having been with anyone this way, one that went beyond physical need. Athena's furrowed brow as she struggled to understand the association between the two and the threading of their fingers above Athena's hip, as Janey made love to her with her tongue.

The swearing and wide eyes when Athena awoke from some nightmare to stare at Janey's face. The junker feeling blood drip from her nose and settle above her lips, a pounding tenderness under her eye. The thousand silent apologies screaming from Athena's mouth, frozen open in horror.

The tired words murmured into Janey's chest, about not being able to feel as Janey felt, to love like normal people do, as warm water flowed down their backs and soap bubbled around their toes. The promise Janey had whispered into wet purple hair that it was okay, that she would teach her.

Clank.

Janey looked down. The remote lay upside down near her foot. She stared at it, wondering if everything she'd just recalled meant she shouldn't be worrying at all. Athena had been raised a child soldier, emotions and reactions towards love, death, and everything in between had been conditioned out of her.

The Vault had just been her breaking point, and Janey the embrace she fell back into, walking away three days later seemingly unharmed.

Simple.

Except that Janey had seen it coming long before Athena did, observing like she had the evolution of Athena's emotions during her time working for Jack, subtle but discernible.

Like bullets tearing away at a shield, gradually breaking it down over the course of a battle, and when the final barrage hits…

This was a pattern possibly spanning the assassin's whole life, years of contained feelings and responses to events Janey didn't want to think about, bottled up with a beautifully schooled face, only to shatter when it became too full. Maybe once every six months, or five years, ten, Janey reckoned Athena wouldn't be one to break often.

Was it possible to correct something so deeply imbedded? To teach the child assassin who'd had her family and any concept of a normal life ripped away from her by the age of five and a blade placed in her hands instead. Was it even fair to try and help her learn to acknowledge emotions rather than lock them down? The woman clearly had a photographic memory, how would she cope with remembering all the horrors of her life in crystal clarity with the added bonus of feeling?

Janey didn't know. She only knew she needed to be there for Athena, whatever that meant and wherever it lead.

Something had happened to her in the Vault, Janey still wasn't sure what, which had prompted the assassin to reach out maybe for the first time in her adult life and while Janey had seen her gradually become more comfortable with that each day they spent together, she'd also watched that glassy look in her eyes sharpen back into familiar resolve by the end of it.

So really it was no surprise Athena had returned to her Merc jobs so quickly, not to say it was good, just…expected. Bloody hell, the woman had been so restless on that last night Janey had almost asked if she wanted to go out kraggon shooting or something.

Janey smiled, remembering how they'd managed to find another way to wear themselves out.

Her eyebrows pinched, 'cause despite these things, Athena's lack of communication was still an issue. She knew Athena could handle herself during a fight, heck she'd taken down a whole fricken space station like it was a walk in the park. Plus she was apart of DAHL's new-u network so Janey wasn't too worried over her safety-

No, wait, that was a lie; she was constantly worried about her safety. But thanks to the thousands of horrible ways a person could die on this moon, which you did unfortunately 'feel' before regenerating, it was easier to think Athena's absence was due to something between them, instead of contemplating all the ways she could be being tortured or trapped or-

The junker rested her forehead against the Emporium's large roller doors.

Janey, you dipshit.

She sighed.

How had she managed to fall so hard so fast?

Well, she could probably name at least ten rea-

BANG BANG BANG

Janey glanced to her right at the Concordian knocking against the doors. She flashed her best 'seriously, mate?' face.

The man paused before shuffling away.

Janey pulled herself together. She had customers and projects to get to, a shop to run, bills to pay…no matter what Athena was doing.

She picked up the remote and unlocked the front of the Emporium, her resolve crumbling away as soon as she saw the Grinder. Janey's mind was instantly filled with a blunt voice and sculpted lips asking her why she couldn't mod the thing so it would always spit out 'quality loot'.

"Ughh," Janey groaned, rubbing her face and making her way to her office.

She traced the remote in her hand one last time, slipping it into her pocket, fingers knowing the buttons without having to look. She triggered the door-

And hit the ground as she was knocked back by an avalanche of weapons, "What the fu-"

Janey quickly blocked a stray blaster from hitting her in the face as the guns continued to fall over one another, trying to escape, skittering out around her.

In a state of confusion she stood up and waded into her office.

"Well, bugger me," she breathed.

The whole room-the whole fucking room-was filled with laser guns. Up to about her thighs they sat, all kinds of brands, colours, rarities, bodies, it was-

"Hi, uhh, Janey," Athena popped up awkwardly from behind Janey's desk, head scarf floating down to her shoulders.

Janey stared at her for a moment.

Athena gave an unsure smile and shifted her weight.

"Heya, Athena," the junker said eventually, examining the rest of the room with wide eyes. "You've been…busy?" she asked, picking up a Tediore Splitter and tracing a finger along its barrel.

Athena cleared her throat and gave a firm nod, "Uh, yes. I was half-way done with a job for Nina when I suddenly recalled my, um, pledge-"

Janey put the gun down and began making her way across the room, not an easy task.

"-to replace the laser weapon Mr. Torgue and I, well, blew up-" Athena continued, watching her.

"Uh-huh," Janey righted herself as she nearly twisted an ankle.

"-and so I began collecting them from bandits, I spent a week trying to find one that would make up for the trouble and, uh, disappointment, I caused you-"

"Right," Janey tried crawling over the top of the guns, accidentally firing one into the wall, and quickly returned to wading with only her feet, arms lifted up for balance.

"-but then I realised you might want to experiment with or modify this new one, like we were, you were, doing with the last-"

"Mm-hmm," Janey finally reached the desk, clambering over it and coming to stand beside Athena.

"-not knowing what parts you needed I decided to gather as big a variety as I could…" Athena trailed off as Janey gripped her red shoulder armour.

Now that she wasn't drowning in weapons, Janey took the opportunity to examine Athena, whose eyes narrowed carefully. Overall, the assassin didn't seem to have any life-threatening injuries, her clothes were dirty, as was her armour, unsurprising. Janey slid her palms down Athena's arms to take her hands, Athena didn't object, her skin was smudged with blood and dirt, her knuckles sported angry grazes.

"…I didn't think you would want them all in your apartment so I dropped them off…here," Athena finished more quietly.

Janey looked back up to her face and sucked in a quick breath, crikey she was stunning-

No, stop.

Concentrate Janey.

She noted how Athena's brows were straining to meet in some kind of apprehension, like she was waiting for something, her mouth was tight, skin pulled in over sharp cheekbones, but underneath the worry Janey could see exhaustion. The darkness spread under her eyes, the way her eyelids moved down in gentle caresses and slowly returned to their place just beneath her brow.

"You don't find this satisfactory," Athena stated, trying to retract herself from Janey's grip.

Janey was so entranced by the movement of Athena's lips around each sound that it took her a second to understand. When she did, she smiled, refusing to let Athena go, squeezing the assassin's hands.

This was it.

This was Athena speaking to her.

Actions instead of words.

Janey kept that in mind, and ignored the major inconvenience this was, as she replied, it was the thought that counted after all.

"No, no, Athena," Janey surveyed the office one more time and tried not to cringe, "I love it, legit...just a bit surprised. Didn't, you know, really expect to go gun swimming this morning," she laughed to try and dispel the tension.

To her relief, Athena's expression relaxed, hands finally grasping back at Janey's.

Nailed it.

Janey ran her thumbs along the skin near Athena's wrists, smooth, under all that grime. She took a breath.

"But uh, maybe text time you could give us an ECHO or something? Ya sort of just ran off and I know you're probably not used to worrying about that sort of thing, I mean it's not like just because we had sex-like heaps of sex," Janey winked, watching as a flush race across Athena's cheeks, "that you have to let me know your every move or anything but-"

Janey paused when Athena suddenly looked overwhelmed and kicked herself as the assassin tugged her hands away.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Soz! Soz, Athena, I was just worried-" Janey tried to reach for her but paused when she realised Athena wasn't withdrawing, she was reaching behind her back.

Athena frowned as she struggled to unclip something, eventually throwing an ECHO device onto Janey's desk.

Janey lowered her hands.

Righty-o.

It was crushed, flattened like paper.

"Can you fix it?" Athena asked.

Janey didn't even have to pick it up, "Yeah…nah mate. I reckon we'll just have to get you a new one," she said frankly, pushing it to the side.

Athena nodded and surprised Janey by retaking her hands.

Janey watched as Athena seemed to mull something over while staring at the ECHO device, cogs turning behind tired eyes, "Well, in future, if it would uh, put you at ease, I could report back to you and give you updates on um, things…"

Her eyes flicked up to Janey's.

"Yeah, of course, just to put me at ease. Totes a good idea, 'Thena," Janey played along, bringing up one hand to tuck a strand of dirty purple hair behind Athena's ear.

"Yes, well, um…"

Janey pulled Athena a little closer, watching as her pupils dilated, blue eyes glancing down to Janey's lips and darting back up.

Threading their fingers together, she moved her free hand to Athena's cheek and brushed their noses together softly.

"Thanks for the guns," she whispered, smiling when Athena's eyes drifted closed. She felt a callused palm on her scarred hip, "I really do appreciate 'em."

"You're welcome," Athena murmured, tilting her head slightly till Janey felt lips lightly sweep across her own.

Letting her own eyes close, Janey made things easier for Athena, leaning down the rest of the way to capture her lips in a warm, welcome-home kind of kiss. Athena sank into the embrace, bringing Janey's hand up to her chest, and causing Janey to smile into her lips.

Slowly but firmly was how Janey moved against her, doing most of the work, and Athena let her. The woman tasted like salt and sweat and just…Athena.

Janey couldn't help sliding a hand down the assassin's back as Athena opened her mouth to her, responding lazily to Janey's tongue, fingers tightening around hers and body leaning further forward.

Positive that Athena was going to collapse at this rate, yes she'd learnt from the last time, Janey withdrew and bent her knees, lifting Athena up. Her deadweight was kind of heavy but Janey managed, seating her on the edge of the desk. She settled between Athena's thighs, running her hands over the thick muscles that could probably kill a man, and laughing when Athena pulled her forward a bit desperately, lips seeking hers.

Okay, Athena was definitely better with actions.

Not in any kind of hurry, Janey tried to pour all of her emotions into the kiss, arms wrapping around Athena to tell her how worried she had been, teeth scraping her bottom lip to let her know how much she'd missed her, tongue stroking hers to tell her how glad she was that she was safe.

Athena moaned, gripping Janey's jacket, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.'

Scarred arms tightened, fingers trying to find skin, 'It's okay, it's okay, it's okay.'

Eventually, as Athena's mouth grew more lethargic against hers, Janey began kissing upward, moving along the bridge of Athena's nose, between her eyebrows, her forehead, and into her hair, following the line of her parting. Janey felt Athena's face at the crook of her neck, warm breath evening out and tickling the sensitive skin there.

Once again, Janey glanced over her office, something nagging at her.

"Athena," she lightly jostled the woman slumped against her chest.

"Mm, what?" Athena voice was a perfect mix of tired annoyance.

"How'd ya get all these in here? Everything was locked-"

Not looking up, Athena pointed over Janey's shoulder. Janey followed the line of her finger, looking around to see the smashed in window.

"Subtle," Janey commented.

There was a sloppy, apologetic kiss at her throat.

Janey sighed, "Ya know, there's-"

A light snoring began emanating from Athena.

Hm.

Janey gave herself a few minutes to savour the feel of Athena sleeping against her, rubbing a hand across her back in circles, before picking the shorter woman up once again and wading out of the office.

She really needed to teach Athena the concept of returning home after a few hard days work and resting like a normal person. She should probably get her a key to the apartment in that case.

Janey smiled at the thought, kissing the top of Athena's head as she walked down the stairs.alked down the stairs.