Still Too Young To Care

Junko was sitting on the bridge when Piper staggered in, weighted down by Finn's dead weight and followed closely by a blissfully off-key Aerrow. Somewhere along the way he had forgotten her order to stop singing, and by the time they entered the Condor he was belting out bawdy lyrics at the top of his drunken voice…not that any of the words he sang could be even remotely recognizable as real words, so horribly was he slurring the language. Junko looked up at her as she stumbled in, snickering behind his hand.

Piper glared at him. "Atmos help me, Junko, this is all your fault."

He laughed good naturedly. "Nah, Piper, I wasn't the one who got them drunk. They did that all on their own. Right guys?"

Aerrow continued singing. Finn blinked over at Junko, and pronounced very slowly, "I…am…not…a…skunk."

Junko blinked. "O…kay."

"Junko called me a skunk.." Finn whined at Piper, dropping his head close to her ear. She winced at the reek that came from his mouth. "I'm not a skunk…"

"He called you drunk, Finn. Not skunk. Drunk."

"Oh…but still….not a skunk."

Aerrow took a moment to glance around with barely focusing eyes. "I think…"

"I still think you should have been the one to go get them," Piper muttered darkly at Junko, interrupting Aerrow, "Its not exactly easy to drag Finn's butt all the way home."

Junko grinned. It was true. In the past few years, all the guys had gotten larger, taller, more muscular, as men were apt to do when they passed puberty. Piper, on the other hand, had stayed relatively small and petite. Finn towered over her by at least a foot, and Aerrow a little more than that. Junko was monstrous at a bit over seven feet tall, and he'd filled out like a tank.

It was almost insulting how he had won the rock, paper, scissors contest they had to decide who had to chase after their wayward teammates. Stork hadn't even participated.

"Well, neither of us would have had to do it if Starling hadn't gotten called away at the last minute, you know. So…blame her." Junko replied, trying to wipe his grin off of his face and not being successful.

Piper groaned and rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to say something, but at that minute, Aerrow staggered by and flopped heavily down next to Junko. "Ugh…gonna puke…" he moaned.

Junko's eyes widened. He looked around frantically for something-anything-to use as a receptacle for the horrors that Aerrow was about to unleash from his stomach. Piper blanched. "Ugh… well, you take care of Aerrow here, okay? I'm going to put Finn to bed." She started to back away, Finn's arm still clamped firmly on her shoulders.

Finn wavered at the sound of his name. Up until then, he had been intently staring at Junko's forehead for no discernable reason. When he was pulled by Piper, he whined.

"Shut up Finn. You need to get to bed." Piper sighed, pulling him back with her.

Finn heaved a noxious sigh and followed, leaving Junko to deal with the delightful experience of Aerrow retching up his first stomach-ful of alcoholic beverages. Piper felt Finn's breath billow over her skin, like some sulfurous breeze from the depths of liquor-induced hell. "Why are you so nice Piper?" He slurred.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Actually, I'm feeling a little bitchy right now, Finn."

"No…no, you're always nice. You're nice to…to everyone. Even though people aren't nice to you…"

"Finn…" Piper said wearily.

"Why're you so damn nice?" He almost-shouted, his voice rising in volume as they made their stumbling way down the hallway. "You shouldn't be so nice all the time. People take advantage of you…you're too nice…"

I need to get him to bed before he decides to tell me he loves me or something… Piper thought to herself. She pressed the button to open the door and hauled him inside.

"I'm not the only nice one, Finn." She said to settle him down. "Starling's nice too."

"Is not.." he mumbled, collapsing on his chair. Piper frowned. He needed to get into bed. Not sit down for a chat. Before she could say anything, he continued. "She…she said it was…cute."

She raised an eyebrow. What could Finn have that Starling would possibly qualify as 'cute'? "Really now. What did she say was cute?"

Finn mumbled something. He shook his head.

"Fine, don't tell me. Its no big deal anyway. Lets get you to bed."

Finn muttered and half heartedly tugged at his shirt. Piper watched for a moment while he ineffectually attempted to kick off his boots as well before she shook her head and groaned. "Here. Let me help."

Finn had devolved from a happy, roaring drunk to a quiet, tired drunk. He obeyed Piper's commands with meek acquiescence, lifting his feet so she could remove his boots and socks-this was an act performed with a wrinkled nose and many disgusted noises-and he obediently raised his arms when she came to take his stained shirt. She tossed both away with a flick of her wrist, then helped Finn make the last few steps between his chair to his bed.

Finn flopped down on the bed, face down, his back toward her. Piper rolled her eyes for what must have been the hundredth time that night. She straightened and looked around for a moment before discovering a discarded blanket lying on the floor. She reached down and grabbed it. As she turned toward the sharpshooter, he rolled over onto his back, throwing the arm closest to her up over his head.

Something caught her eye and she leaned closer.

There…

Was that what she thought it was?

Piper pressed a hand to her mouth as a smile crinkled her eyes.

Right there, peeking out from the waistline of Finn's pants, right above the bony portion where his hip merged into his muscled belly, was a brand new tattoo, all colored ink on pink, irritated skin. It was a small thing, but all the same, it nearly made her squeal with laughter.

A little thundercloud about the size of her palm…with two angry eyes that gave it a comical appearance. It had tiny streaks of rain that disappeared into the waistline of his pants. It was expertly done in shades of blue, black, and purple, with a little silver on the outside edges. It even had a little bolt of lightning coming out from beneath it.

Piper squinted. She couldn't see the whole of the tattoo. She glanced up at Finn. He was snoring away, dead to the world. Chances were, the Dark Ace could walk right in and proclaim himself king of the Condor and he wouldn't even twitch.

She snickered. Telling herself it was the only chance she might ever get, she reached down and hooked a finger through one of the belt loops on the pants and pulled the fabric an inch or two down.

The tiny bolt of lightning continued down about an inch, splitting in all different directions…to spell out the words 'Storm Hawks'.

Piper let the cloth go and it fell back into place. Another look at Finn's face told her that he was oblivious to the world.

She laid the blanket over him and he snuggled with it the way a young child might, then she turned and walked to the door. She paused to dim the lights.

As she left, she heard a muffled voice say, "Th'ks…Pip'r.."

The door slid shut and she leaned against it, fighting the giggle that eventually erupted from her throat.

It was so cute.

And totally blackmail material.

OOO

Okay… that was kinda fun. Wasn't what I had in mind, but still fun.

And notice this is still 'in progress'. I see the potential to turn this into another chapter fic. What do you all think?

And yes.. my internet access is counting down quickly. Let me know! I'll work on this on the road if I get a favorably response!