AN: There's a lot of ways to end that sentence. I was listening to Matthew Good's 'Born Losers', which completes it with 'just makes us better whores'. Make of that what you will. Takes place very early on-they might have been in love, even, or what they take for love.

The Puppeteer Patient 120402-Flaunt what you got, I suppose. Assassin training does wonders for physical fitness. And flexibility.

World of sleeplessness-So are they. It's unnerving. They got a little overexcited, actually, so you'll have to make do with this instead.


"Are you ever sorry?"

He lifts his head from her chest and raises an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"The things we've done."

"We've done a lot of things." He sighs and lets his head drop. "Be specific."

"The Work."

"Oh." He slides a finger through the film of sweat on her stomach and presses it to her lips. "No. Why?"

"Curious." The finger slides down her chin and neck to the hollow of her throat. "Just curious."

"Are you?"

"No." She buries her fingers in his hair and a low groan slips from his throat. "Maybe there's something wrong with us."

He shrugs and leans up to kiss her, softer than before.

"Maybe everyone else is inferior."

That one she'll believe, though whether it's belief or desperation is hard to say. Maybe both.

He settles back down, one arm draped lazily across her waist. It's rare that he does this and she's not sure she likes it now.

But supposing there is something wrong with them, there is no one else. No one else she'd rather entrust her life to, even though she's not sure he won't shatter it.

She's not so sure she won't shatter his, either.

"G'night, Jill."

She lets her hand trail from his head to between his shoulders-she can feel his heartbeat now.

She has the power to stop it-there's a knife within arm's reach, there always is. But he trusts her not to, just as she trusts him not to choke the life out of her.

What a game they play.

"Night, Jackson."

And she jerks the lamp chain and lets her hand fall again, his skin warm against hers.

She does not dream.

THE END