He could hear the argument even before he made it to the council meeting. Bannon would be the death of him, he knew it, and he often thought of writing a letter and hiding it for Lana to find if he ever did succumb to headaches induced by Bannon. But of course, death would be too convenient.
"Harkness, I can't believe you didn't come to us before you made such a brash decision!" He hadn't even made it into the security lounge before Bannon struck him, barely halfway up the stairs. Harkness gave a sigh, his head falling for a moment, already tired of Bannon's mouth.
"How about we all sit before you start up, huh?" Harkness encouraged, continuing his assent up the stairs, having half a mind to shove past Bannon if he didn't get out of his way quick enough. He watched the shop keeper fold his arms over his chest, huffing flippantly as he turned to take a seat at their table. Harkness had to repress a growl, his eyes hooded with irritation.
Dr. Li sat on the left side of the meeting table, looking over some papers on a clip board and marking things down with a pencil, her expression pensive. Harkness hated taking her away from her work when he knew it was for the whole city's benefit. These meetings were sort of on the ridiculous side, but he would more than likely commit a crime if he were left alone in a room with Bannon long enough. Madison understood the importance these meetings could hold, so she seemed more than happy to attend.
"Madison, please tell Harkness what I told you a moment ago." Bannon huffed, "I can't exert myself by saying it again." His tone scoffing. He then took a seat to the right of the table, and folded a leg over the other to match his arms, looking all too childish.
Madison gave a slight glare to Bannon, her sentiments unanimous with Harkness'. "Bannon said the civilians should've been informed of a new potential civilian, and he also mentioned all the rules you were breaking in the process and a lot of other civilian related things…" Madison began but then slowly lost more and more interest as she began to stare down at her papers, not nearly as upset as Bannon on the issue.
"I heard the boy was going to be cutting hair." She gave a nod while still staring down, marking even as she spoke, "I could use a good trim." She mumbled.
Harkness smirked, leaning back in his chair till just the back legs stood on the ground, "What exactly is your argument here, Bannon?"
Bannon stared incredulously at the downturned face of the Doctor, "My…" he paused, looking up at Harkness, "My argument is that you didn't consult us before bringing in that trash-"
"Watch your tongue, Bannon." He sat right back up, halting Bannon's assault before he could get any steam, "Are you telling me I should've let a boy die on my bridge because he's a capless Vaultie?" his voice had taken on a stern edge, his expression giving nothing but neutrality, an eerie combination to behold.
That got Bannon to back down, his arms slowly unfolding, "N-No, but that doesn't excuse giving him a job before he can be made citizen-"
"Who said he'd be becoming a citizen? Butch DeLoria is going to be working to pay off his medical debt to Preston, and that's it." Harkness interrupted again, not giving Bannon any edge.
"But he needs to be a citizen to own a stall, Harkness." Bannon countered, his form hunching over the table as he only got more infuriated with Harkness' attitude.
"He's not going to be running a stall. He'll be working in a small vacant space in the marketplace." He explained. It wasn't often that Harkness got to exploit the loop holes in Bannon's rules, but when he did, it was with extreme pleasure.
Bannon groaned, his hands running down his face, frustrated.
"Where will he be living in the meantime?" Harkness was a bit surprised to hear Madison speak up over her papers, still staring at them as she asked.
"Well, I supposed that would be the main topic of today's meeting." Harkness replied, leaning forward again to place his elbows on the table. Bannon gave a scoff beside him. "Don't tell me you're planning on giving the stranger the vacant room, after all we've worked for in getting it emptied?" When he thought Bannon couldn't get any more obnoxious, he's proven wrong.
"Well, when you say it like that…"
"No! No, Harkness! There are better uses for the room than that!" Bannon fumed, and Harkness could just feel the topic shift as soon as the vacant room was brought up but-
"Your room has two cots, right?" Madison was looking straight at Harkness, and it took him a moment to realize what she was suggesting, "Madison," he began, "There's so many reasons-" "Well, isn't that just perfect. I think the matters settled then." Bannon chirped in, his smug grin all too welcoming for Harkness' fist.
It was as Harkness bit at his lip to keep from making a move after Bannon that Madison stood, "Boys, if you'll excuse me." And in one fell swoop, dismissing the meeting in the only way Madison Li could. The doctor made no attempt in caring what kind of argument she'd left behind as she made her way back to her science lab. Anything and everything was petty if it didn't have to deal with her work, and in most ways, that was correct. But sometimes, Harkness wished she'd have his back more.
Bannon was still grinning as he stood to follow behind Madison, "I assume you'll be letting the boy know of his new accommodations soon?" He gave a too amused laugh as he didn't wait for an answer that wasn't coming. He was lucky Harkness had a strong will…
After turning up empty handed when he visited Preston's office, Butch decided to head down to the Muddy Rudder, now realizing it should've been the more obvious choice. It was easy to spot out the Barber, with his back turned at the bar, his Cobra threatening any who came near, posed for attack on his back.
"Ya'know," Harkness was beside Butch, a hand on his shoulder as he spoke to him, glad he'd felt a small jolt of surprise when he did so, "When I gave you caps for booze, I didn't expect you'd be down here so quickly."
Butch gave a sigh, trying to ease his nerves after the apparent scare, "Jeez, you can't do that shit to me…" he mumbled before taking another sip from his amber liquid. Belle gave a chuckle behind the bar, absently cleaning glasses as she stared at the two. "When were you going to introduce me to this Sweetheart, Harkness?" she asked with no small amount of amusement. It got Harkness to chuckle because he felt the instant tension in the boy's arm at the comment from Belle.
"Well, I didn't expect him to be up and around yet. I was going to plan a big introduction ceremony, maybe up in the marketplace." Harkness egged on, smirking slightly when the tension only intensified.
"Hey, hey, I'm flattered, but that ain't really necessary, Chief." Butch tried to reason, a hand going up as if to defend himself.
Belle and Harkness both laughed in earnest, too happy to tease the young man. "I've got good news, Barber." He gave a light pat to Butch's shoulder, being gentle due to his injuries. "You've got a place to stay."
Butch gave a chuckle, "Well alright. I was hopin' to get out of that cold office." He mumbled, slowly getting off of the high bar stool, trying not to upset his injuries. Harkness was astonished he even made it here in the first place. He was sure he'd need Preston to check him over again soon, but that could wait for now.
"Just follow me." Harkness instructed, looking behind himself to Butch, making sure he did as he was told. As he turned back for the stairs, he gave a scowl of annoyance that no one saw. He didn't know whether to be annoyed at Madison or at Bannon, because really, Madison's plan was logical, but it still made Bannon feel like it was inconveniencing Harkness in some way, which made it annoying…
They traveled through the halls and up the stairs in relative silence, with only footsteps and the occasional sloshing of Butch's drink as he drank from the bottle. It was when they started ascending further than Harkness has gone, into the security living quarters, that Butch spoke up, "Hey, uh… What part of the ship is this?" His voice sounded calm, nonchalant, but Harkness felt the waver of nervousness in his footsteps. It made him smirk.
"These are security barracks." He replied, not revealing any information other than that.
"Wait, you got me livin' with the soldier boys?" Harkness didn't answer. There was a long pause where he could tell that Butch was trying to put things together.
"Okay, I really appreciate what you're doin' here, but I don't think-" "Cool it, Barber." Harkness used a little too much force on that command, but he always loved a good joke that was executed well.
He could almost hear the way the Barber's breath picked up in speed, knowing the Kid probably figured he's being put in a cell. He seemed like the type to have spent some amount of time in one. It only made him grin further.
Once they got to Harkness' room, he stopped in front of it, staring Butch down with as much authority and disdain as he'd stare down any creep accused of smacking his mother, "This is for your own good, DeLoria."
He watched the Barber's face turn white, his eyes blank, then his hand went straight for his pocket, only to stare down at it in confusion, "My Toothpick…"
"I swiped it out of your pocket when we were in the bar." Harkness explained, holding the Kid's knife out like a prize he'd won, "I didn't want you getting any ideas." Then without another word, he turned and opened the door to his room, and stepping inside.
He watched as Butch stood stock still in the hall, his arms posed to defend himself, not attempting to move, but his eyes were rapt as he investigated the room from where he stood. The only thing on the walls were some papers, information on schedules, from security rotations to merchant stops. They were pinned up for quick access when he didn't have the time to root around for them. The majority of the papers were pinned above his desk in the center of the back wall, with pencils, books, and folders were stacked. To each side of the room was a cot, one with a pillow and blanket neatly folded and made, and the other made the same way, except Harkness' note book sat atop his pillow, it being the only distinction that it was his bed. At the foot of each cot was a filing cabinet that acted as drawers for clothes. Then there were weapon trunks and ammo cases lining the wall on the left of the door.
Once Butch had seen what was to see from where he stood he slowly took a few tentative steps forward, looking further into the room, "This is-" "My room." Harkness provided. He then gently guided Butch into the room by his shoulder with a firm hand, turning him toward the available cot. "This'll be your bed."
There was a very long pause while Butch stared down at the cot, his hands slowly fisting, "You ass."
Harkness began to chuckle, "What, you thought I was lockin' you up? Not yet, Barber. You gotta do something bad first." He grinned as he took a seat in his spinning chair and turned toward Butch. "Unless you've already done something…?" He spoke, his voice going back to a hard rumble of authority.
Butch sucked his teeth, "Piss off. You're makin' my bones hurt…" he mumbled, slowly taking a seat on his cot with a groan. "I'm gonna get you for this…" he mumbled, annoyed.
The threat only made Harkness chuckle harder, "Sure, sure." He mumbled, turning to his desk to gather a few papers that were a bit scattered and picked them up to tap the bottoms against the table to align them all at once and set them back down in their respective corner of the desk. "Now, I've got some ground rules, Butch." He spoke without looking at him at first. He then turned after adjusting a pen, "Since we're sharing a room, you should know that the room is technically mine. Not yours. And you'll do what I ask of you to maintain it. Understood?"
Butch rolled his eyes, "Yea, keep it clean, keep it classy, whatever." And sighed as he sat back on the cot carefully, his arms spread apart on the cot as he relaxed, one falling over the edge to dangle. "I've had a roommate, Chief." He mumbles with boredom clear on his features.
Harkness smirked, then spoke up again, "Yea, that and-" Harkness takes the switchblade from a pocket and tosses it to land by Butch's head on the cot. "No stabbing or slashing."
Butch turns his head to glance at the blade close to his face and laughs, his eyes closing as his head turns back to the ceiling. "Hey, as long as you don't start wearin' my underwear or some shit, you're golden."
Harkness shakes his head with a grin, glad that went smoother than expected. He was sure the Barber would have made more of a fuss, but he was thankfully mistaken. There were still many other things Harkness wanted to talk to Butch about but when he glanced back over to him, about to say something, he paused, noticing how the Barber's breathing had taken on a slower rhythm and his features were much more relaxed in his sprawl on the cot.
Harkness decided to allow the young man to nap, for the time being. Talk of business, debts and rules could wait for a little longer.
Sometimes I'm not near a source to check certain game facts before I submit a new part, and I'd really appreciate it if you (My readers) could point out any mistakes regarding authenticity to the game beyond the obvious characteristic changes. Some of my changes are on purpose, and some are genuine mistakes, but I'd love your feed back anyway. Thank you :)
(BLD)
