A/N: From an ask prompt game on my tumblr called "Things you said". This anon requested #11 which was "Things you said when you were drunk". This one was tricky cause I don't really see Dalton getting sloppy drunk so I couldn't see anything he said being too scandalous by every day people standards lol. Hopefully you like it. Enjoy!
Things You Said
by angellwings
things you said when you were drunk
The next four weeks passed quickly, or that's how it seemed, and they were rotated out. They had the next 3-4 months to decompress. They weren't sure exactly how long they had before going back but it would be at least three months. If they were lucky four.
The team was split up across the U.S. while they were back, each living in different states. Jaz had moved as far away from New York as she possibly could as soon as she was old enough to carry her own. Her tiny apartment in San Francisco was perfect for her. She had neighbors she actually knew and friends to spend her time with. It was a cozy peaceful life.
The team kept in touch while they were home but typically by phone, text, or email. Occasionally, they'd get together in DC to meet the other half of their team. But that was usually it.
That's why she was surprised by a knock on her door and a familiar face one week after their leave had started.
She quirked a brow at the man on the other side of her door. "Top?"
"Jaz," he said with a friendly smile and a nod.
"What are you doing here?" She asked with a smile and a furrowed brow.
"I'm in town to visit some other friends so I thought..." he said as he let his sentence trail off and pulled a six pack of Coronas from behind his back.
She laughed and nodded. "Nice. We can do better than that, though," she said as she stepped out of the doorway and motioned him inside. She shut the door behind them and then opened one of her cabinets to reveal a bottle of Crown.
Dalton chuckled and shook his head at her. "Of course."
She smirked and pulled down two souvenir shot glasses. One from Vegas and one from Miami. Two very wild trips with a bunch of her old friends from high school. If Dalton had shown up three weeks later she'd be gone on another one of those trips, this time Savannah, GA.
They sat down at her kitchen table that faced the sliding glass doors that led out ot her small patio. She had a pretty great view considering how affordable her rent was. She could see the marina and lush green hills in the distance. It was very different from where she spent the rest of the year.
Dalton looked around the apartment from his seat and then back to her. "Nice place."
"Thanks, I like it," she said as she poured them both a shot. She slid one toward him with a smirk. "Drink up."
They both downed their shots. It burned all the way down.
"So," Dalton asked as he bit back a hiss as the alcohol continued to burn. "What made you choose San Francisco?"
Shrugged and poured two more shots. "I don't know. I came here on vacation once as a kid and it felt...inviting. Like something or someone wanted me to be here. When it came time to get my own place, this was the first city that came to mind. It was the only place that felt like it might be a home."
"And the added bonus is that it's as far away from your old neighborhood as you can get, huh?" He asked knowingly as he took the second shot.
She snorted and nodded her agreement. She toasted him with the shot glass and then downed the second shot. He followed her lead. The buzz was starting to set in. Two more of these and they'd be pretty gone. Jaz didn't seem to have intention of stopping as she poured two more shots. He got up from the table and grabbed two of the bottles of water she had out on her kitchen counter.
"If we're doing the serious drinking," he said with a smirk. "You'd better chase it with one of these unless you want to be in pain tomorrow." He came back to the table and set one bottle in front of her and one in front of him.
She laughed lightly and took her third shot. "You just gotta be the responsible one, huh?"
He chuckled and took his third shot as well. "If I were really responsible we would have stuck to those beers I brought with me."
"So," Jaz said as she gave him a suspicious glance. "What are you really doing here?"
"What?" He asked as he poured them both their next shot. "I can't just show up and visit if I'm in town?"
"You can," she told him. "But you usually don't."
Shot glasses were emptied a fourth time and as it burned once again, everything around them became a little hazy. They were slowing down on the shots now. Jaz had opened her water and taken a few sips. She was giving him plenty of time to think of his answer. She was in no rush.
He took a deep breath and shrugged. "I guess I just, um, wanted to."
She smiled warmly at him and nodded. "I gathered that much, Top, but why?"
"I think while we're on leave you can probably call me Adam," he told her with a smirk.
She smiled brightly and her eyes took on a teasing gleam. "Oh I can, can I? Wow, what an honor. I actually get to use your first name. Never thought I'd see the day."
He was definitely feeling the alcohol in his system now or maybe it was her smile, both probably, but he found himself doing exactly what he'd promised himself he wouldn't do when he decided to come see her. Admit the truth.
"Honestly," he said he opened his own water bottle. "I don't have any friends around here."
She paused as she poured them another shot and gave him a curious glance. "No?"
"No," he admitted as he cleared his throat nervously. The damn alcohol was making him both brave and stupid. That had to be the only reason he was about to level with her. He grabbed the fifth shot and downed it quickly before continuing. "I just-well, I missed you."
Her smile widened considerably and he thought she might be blushing. It could be the alcohol though. No way to be sure. She took her fifth shot and then angled herself toward him in her chair. "Well, Adam," she said putting emphasis on his first name. "I may have missed you too. Just a bit."
They sat there for a long moment just staring at each other with goofy grins before she finally looked away from him and put the cap on the bottle of Crown. They both knew they didn't need any more of that.
"So," Jaz asked as she met his eyes again. "How long are you in town for?"
He shrugged carelessly, though he didn't feel careless. He felt slightly terrified actually. They were on dangerous ground here, but with 5 shots in him he found he didn't really care. "Not sure. Thought I'd play it by ear. Wasn't quite sure how welcome I'd be." In other words, he thought he'd let her kick him out or ask him to stay.
"I've got a trip with some friends, three weeks from now," she said as she gave him a meaningful glance. "So, if you wanted to stay and hang out. I'll be here."
He was itching to reach across and touch her, but not even 5 shots could make him forget he was technically her CO, even on leave. He couldn't initiate it. As if she'd read his mind Jaz slid her chair next to his until their shoulders were touching and leaned into him.
"Even drunk," she said with a laugh and slight slur of her words. "You're a stiff, responsible, CO, aren't you? How many shots would it take to get you to loosen up, I wonder?"
"A lot more than 5," he said with a laugh.
She smirked and gave him a thoughtful glance before she grabbed his arm and put it around her shoulders. He gave her a pleasantly surprised look and she shrugged in response. "We both know you wanted to."
She was right. He did.
"You know, I think I could stay in town for another week or two," he said as he avoided her eyes. "If you want, that is."
"We both know you want to," she said as she echoed her earlier words, but this time in a lower and softer tone. "And I'm not about to stop you." A serious tension fill moment lingered between them before a smirk formed on her lips. "Besides, the longer your here the more chances I get to find out what the magic number of shots is to get you to loosen up. And I will figure it out, Adam."
"Go ahead and try," he said with a laugh. Damn, if he didn't love how she said his name. "But if we're matching shot for shot then you probably won't last long enough to find out."
"Challenge accepted," she said as she leaned a little further into him.
The jury was still out on whether coming to see her was a smart decision but, even if it wasn't, it was a good one.