She shot until the sun started to come up. She didn't realize how long she'd been at it until the sky turned bright pink and the stars faded against the light of day. She sighed, too tired to even yawn, and tried to blink the stiff exhaustion from her eyes. She collected whatever arrows she could find and put everything back where she usually left it and where she had found it the night before. She knew she was way too tired to be driving anywhere on her bike, but she also knew that Barney and Lee had some stuff to check out and that was usually followed by breaking out the plane. She gave the hunk of metal a few heavy pats. She could remember the first time she'd seen the rickety thing, and she had been surprised it had survived lift-off let alone an entire flight. She headed out to where she parked her bike.

She threw her leg over the seat and pulled her stuff out of the helmet. The keys were cold from the night air and the metal stung against her skin. She turned them in the ignition and clicked on her phone.

She had a few missed calls from Lee, one from Barney, and a handful of texts. She was too tired to deal with any of it, and the sound of Lee's ringtone for Lacy still fresh in her ears. The stupid damn quaking. The way he rushed out and drove off, leaving Dusty behind after spending the night before between her legs. She was numb to the anger and hurt by morning, having spent all her energy tearing those targets to shreds. She shoved the phone into her pocket and put the helmet on her head, speeding off back towards home. She tried to push the memories away, but they replayed in her mind, foggy shows of hurt and failed expectations.

—-

last night

Lee was sitting on his bike outside of Tool's garage, his cellphone heavy in his hands.

Lacy had called in a panic. It made him worry. He knew her history with other guys and even though she'd broken his heart twice already, he didn't want her to hurt. So he ran off and got to her house and found her with a swollen cheek and a split lip. She explained that she'd met a guy at the bar and let him follow her home. The rest was a mess, and Lee did what he always did and beat the guy up. Told him never to come around again. His knuckles were bloodied but that was it- the guy couldn't really fight somebody his own size after all.

Lee told Lacy to make better decisions and that he needed to move on. She seemed sad about it, as though she hoped he would come to her rescue and fall back in love with her. Part of him wanted to, because it would be easy- so easy- but then he thought about Dusty in the garage without a ride, still in his shirt and jacket, and he felt guilty. Nothing could replace the way he had felt about her that night. Even just holding onto her the day after, watching those dumb movies and rubbing his hands along her back- it was better than anything he'd ever felt with Lacy, so he got on his bike and left.

He pulled himself off the bike and crossed the street to Tool's, hurrying into the garage and looking around.

"Tool?" He called, scanning the room.

"Nobody's here," Tool said back, turning a corner and sipping a bear. It was the middle of the night and he was dressed in sweats, his chest exposed in the dim lighting.

Lee made eye contact with Tool and knew that he had done something stupid. He sighed and shook his head and dropped his helmet to the ground.

"Barney took Dusty home," Tool said after a minute, setting his beer down. "Wasn't sure if you'd be coming back tonight. Seemed a bit preoccupied when you left."

Lee felt something he didn't often admit to feeling: shame. He felt ashamed that he had run out at the mere call of Lacy without even a second thought.

"Was she- um- alright?" Lee asked with a shrug.

Tool walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, his fingers covered in thick silver rings that pressed into Lee's skin. Tool gave him a hardy squeeze and pressed his lips together. A few tufts of greasy hair hung in his face.

"Seemed a bit off, honestly," he said, "I mean, she was still wearing your clothes and all. Probably didn't feel too great."

Lee pressed his fingers into his eyes and sighed.

"You can make it right, kid," Tool said, stepping back from him. "What happened with Lacy?"

"She needed help. Some guy," he said, trying to shake the thought, "I-"

"That why are your knuckles are covered in blood?" Tool asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I did what I had to do-"

"Nah, Lee," Tool said. "You're a good man, I get it. But you did what you always do. You ran back to her. Even if it was for a noble reason, you still did it. And for Christ's sake, change her damn ringtone. That'll save a lot of damn headaches."

Lee frowned. He knew Tool was right, and he knew that's how Dusty would see it, too. He could only imagine what she was thinking at that moment, fresh from his bed and shower, still marked up from their night together, as she watched him run out as soon as Lacy rang.

"She's a tough kid, like you. But she's been having a rough go of it lately. Not sure why. Just use your brain before, you know, she runs off or something. She's an asset to all of us."

Lee nodded and picked up his helmet.

"And do me a favor, Lee," Tool said, turning and picking up his beer again.

"Yeah?" Lee asked, reaching for the door.

"Don't get anyone killed over this."

Lee let out another sigh and got back on his bike.

—-

He stood outside her apartment door and knocked a few times, hoping she would answer. When she didn't, he started to call her, and she still didn't answer. He worried his lips between his teeth and clenched his fists.

He gazed around to make sure everything looked normal and he was pretty satisfied. There was nothing out of sorts. He knocked a few more times and then called Barney.

"Barney," Lee said as soon as he answered, "listen, I just wanted to check on Dusty- you dropped her off at her place, right?"

"Yup. Awhile ago. Right after you left."

"Has she reached out?"

"Lee, it's the middle of the damn night. She's probably sleeping."

Lee sighed. Something wasn't sitting right with him, but maybe that was just the dread of having messed up something good. He'd felt it that morning before she'd come back to bed. His head was beginning to pound from the situation. "You're right. Fine."

"Fix it, Lee," Barney said after a second of pregnant silence passed over the phone.

Lee drew in an irritated breath. "Right," he said, and then he hung up.

He knocked again but there was still no answer. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lock pick, tucking his phone away as he glanced around to make sure nobody was there to see him break in. It took him all of thirty seconds to let himself in, which worried him a little, and he closed the door behind himself and turned the lights on. He made a mental note to talk to Dusty about her security measures. He shook the thought and began to look around for anything out of place.

He saw the broken bottle of vodka on the kitchen floor and hesitated, looking around the room once more before he continued in. Nothing else seemed out of place. There didn't seem to be any vodka spilled around the glass, though. He wasn't sure what to make of that.

He put his keys down on the counter and looked over the living room where he had once slept. It was tidy, a bit lived in, and completely, painfully normal. He looked around her apartment, hoping to find her fast asleep in her bed, but he found nothing. He was worried.

He pulled out his phone and called her again. No answer.

After a stressful moment of confusion and paranoia, Lee called Barney again. It rang twice before Barney was huffing and puffing on the other end.

"Lee, you might be awake at all hours of the night, but I need my beauty sleep," Barney said.

"You're not asleep," Lee said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm at Dusty's place. She's not here. I'm- I'm worried. Looks like she dropped and shattered an empty bottle of vodka and took off, maybe."

The other line was quiet for a moment and Lee could hear Barney draw in a deep breath.

"I'll call her," Barney said over a strangled sigh, "just relax. And don't make this a habit. I don't think I could deal with the two of you drama queens like this all the time."

Barney hung up and Lee sunk into the couch, tired and upset. He ran his hand over his head and thought back to the night before, at his apartment, when he'd fallen asleep holding onto her and the world had felt right. He could smell her all around him now but he couldn't touch her. He knew she was hurt or angry or in pain and it felt like the worst kind of punishment to be surrounded by her essence without being able to at least see her there. Before he really knew it, he had fallen asleep on her couch.

—-

Dusty stumbled into her apartment the next morning with a yawn, not even realizing that the door wasn't locked like she had left it. She let her helmet fall to the floor with a thud and lazily carried herself passed her kitchen and towards her bedroom.

The helmet hitting the ground made Lee wake with a start. He jumped up from the couch, disoriented, and looked around until he saw Dusty walking towards him, her eyes closed.

"Dusty," he said, hurrying over to her.

She jumped, stepping back as she took in Lee standing in front of her.

"What the fuck?" She asked, confused, rubbing her eyes. "Why are you here?"

"I was looking for you," he said, "I was worried. I must've fallen asleep on the couch."

"Hm. Was that before or after you tucked Lacy into bed like a good boy?" Her words were bitter and hurt. They stung. He felt the venom seep into his skin and he sighed, reaching out for her as she tried to pass him. She pulled away but stumbled, dizzy from her lack of sleep.

"Are you drunk?" He asked.

"No," she snapped, yanking her arm away, "are you an idiot? Barney said you were, you know, after you ran out on all of us-"

"Please. Will you please just-" He reached for her again and tightened his grip on her arms as she stumbled, exhausted. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm tired," she said, holding onto him as she caught her balance. "Can you please just- can you please just go?" Her voice broke a bit at the end and he felt a piece of something in his chest chip away and turn cold. It settled like a weight in his stomach.

He found her eyes and saw the hurt in them. It made his chest ache even more. He pulled her into a hug and held her against him for a second.

"What are you doing?" She asked, weakly struggling against him.

"It wasn't like that. I'm sorry I left you there after everything."

She sighed and paused her squirming. "I don't have the brain power to think about this right now," she admonished, looking up at him.

"Lacy is my past," he said. "I promise you."

She looked back down and closed her eyes.

"I can explain it more later," he said. "Let me take you to bed."

She didn't respond. She just rested her hands against his chest and took a few deep breaths, studying her fingers.

"Please."

She sighed and looked back up at him. "What happened?"

Lee reached up to tuck some hair behind her ears like he always did. "She needed help getting some guy to lay off. He was hurting her. I got him out and told her I was done. Really done, moving on. Then I left."

She let her head fall against his chest, more exhausted than anything, but maybe the slightest bit relieved.

"Then I started looking for you," he said. "I was worried."

She was beginning to fall asleep standing up. It wasn't long before he lifted her up and took her to the bed, pulling her shoes off and tucking the blankets around her. He closed the curtains and tugged his own shirt off, climbing into bed beside her. She was knocked out, sinking into him as he situated himself behind her, wrapping her up in his arms and dropping his face to the crook of her neck. He didn't know where she had been, or who she had been with, but her skin smelled like dust and the cold. She shivered a little and he held her tighter, closing his eyes as he breathed her in.

Neither of them were drunk, but Lee still felt more at home there beside her than he had with anyone ever before. That scared him a little. Maybe part of him thought that night was only so good because they'd both been wasted out of their minds, but this was proof that that wasn't true. He didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified. He sunk into her and eventually fell back asleep, dreamlessly gliding through the morning hours.

—-

She woke up to Lee's phone ringing. He groaned and rolled over, pulling the phone to his ear. She felt heavy from sleep; she wasn't sure what time it was, when she had fallen asleep, or what had really even happened when she got home. Somehow she was still exhausted, too.

"Yeah. I'll be there, Barney, I'll be there."

She pealed her eyes open and looked around her bedroom. The curtains were drawn and the lights were off, leaving her to feel like she was floating in darkness. She stirred and Lee looked down to her.

"See you in a bit. Bye."

He hung up the call and let his phone fall behind him, shifting himself so that he could look down at her as she rolled onto her back, still blinking the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning," he said, reaching up to stroke her cheek.

Her eyes found his and she tried to smile, still sleepy. She yawned instead.

"You feeling okay?" He asked, looking her over. She reached up a hand and ran her fingers along his stubble, tracing his skin. He couldn't help the gentle upward twitch of the corner of his lips.

"Yeah," she said, thinking back. "I just didn't sleep all night."

He hummed, hesitating a little before placing a kiss on her forehead. She didn't fight it. It was a welcome show of affection.

"Barney need you?" She asked, letting her hand drop back down to the bed.

"Looking into a mission," he said, putting a hand on her waist and pulling her closer to him. "I'm happy right here, though."

"You have to go," she said, turning towards him and sinking into a sideways hug, "it's work."

"I know," he said with a sigh. "Do you remember what I told you? About Lacy?"

She nodded, though her head was buried in his chest. She was about to speak up when he started talking instead.

"I meant it. She's my past," he said, pulling back from Dusty slightly to find her eyes, "I want you to be my future."

She smiled a little bit in spite of herself, the sides of her lips twitching up to her cheeks. Little dimples decorated her blushing skin. She felt a little dumb for it.

"I'll be here when you get back," she said, rolling onto her back and stretching out. Lee watched her; watched as the blanket spread over her body and the way her head bent back.

"I have some time," he said, dropping his hand to her stomach and rubbing little circles with his thumbs.

She pressed her hands to either side of his face, cupping his cheeks, and studied him for a moment before they both slowly pressed their lips together. It was a gentle kiss at first, soft and smooth, careful not to cross any lines that hadn't been perfectly outlined yet. They both danced around each other, enamored by their first real sober kiss, and breathed into each other as though she'd been drowning every second of her life leading up to that moment. Lee shifted so that he was on top of her, the kiss heavier from the new angle. She kissed him back with more force and she let her arms drape over his neck and rest on his back. Her breathing was becoming more uneven as the kiss deepened and became more hungry, more desperate. The tips of her fingers pushed into the skin of his back and he pushed down against her, a low moan rising in his throat.

He let the kiss drag from her lips to the corner of her jaw. She let her head fall back, reveling in the sensation of his stubble against the sensitive skin of her neck. He reached a hand down, slipping his fingers up under her shirt and clawing at her skin. He tugged at it, realizing it was still his from the day before, and she lifted her arms to let him pull it off. He tossed it aside and hurried to return to her neck, sucking at her skin with an almost insatiable desire. She could hardly breathe as he kissed her, so invested in everything that had never been that could now be. The tension melted around them both in warm, crisp, desperate waves. She let her hands explore his bare chest, strong and scarred, as the kiss became uncontrollable and messy. This was a future she could see clearly and even welcomed; a dance of potential.

"Lee," she said, breathless, chest heaving in uneven spurts and eyes lolling shut.

He lifted himself, looking down at her as he did that first night, hardly able to hold himself still. She still looked like a goddess beneath him, arching her back and chest at his touch, her skin soft and smooth and flushing red. He watched, lost in the way her face twisted and relaxed. His name on her lips sounded more like a quiet prayer than his identity. He didn't feel like he could ever be good enough for something like that, but there it was right in front of him, and all he wanted was to keep her close. Her breath and voice filled the space between them and he wondered why he had taken so long to let himself get there with her; why he had waited so long to let those feelings in.

He dipped his head back down and forgot that Barney had ever called.

—-

It was after her first mission with the guys. All had gone as planned. A lot of pressure was freed from her shoulders now that it was over and she had officially proven herself useful in the field.

She was sitting on the plane cleaning off her bow with an old cloth, minding her business while Gunner, Caesar, and Toll all talked heavy shit about each other and the mission. She yawned a little, rolling her neck.

"Past your bedtime?" Lee teased, looking over her and holding onto a pole over his head. The clump of dog tags hung just over his shoulder, rattling as the plane jolted in the air like some kind of morbid wind chime.

"Considering I've been awake for three days, actually, yes. Yes, it is," she said, looking at him through her eyelashes. He sat down beside her and pulled out a bowie knife, spinning in his hand for a moment.

"You'll get used to it," he said. "I just wanted to tell you that you did good out there. I see my doubt was misplaced."

She snorted and shook her head.

"What?" He asked, a smile playing on his cheeks. He just couldn't help it.

"Nothing. I don't know. It's just funny I guess."

"Funny that I'm complimenting you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shrugged and looked over her bow, holding it out in front of herself. "Funny because I guess I didn't expect you to admit that you were wrong about me. I didn't need you to. I already knew it."

He rolled his eyes. "Right. Confidence is the real killer, right?"

She glanced over at him and chuckled, still holding back another yawn. She stood to tuck her bow under her seat but he stopped her, reaching up to her wrist and holding her still suddenly. Her heart fluttered and she felt her cheeks warm, and all of a sudden she was embarrassed and tugging away from him.

"What are you-" she tried defensively, but she noticed him examining her wrapped up arm. She let herself relax, shaking her head. Daydreams were no place for Lee Christmas. He belonged in the field, not in her head.

"Did you have somebody clean this for you?" He asked, wincing as he rolled up her sleeve and tugged at the bandages.

"Um," she said, shifting like a child getting scolded, "not yet. I haven't had any time-"

"Last thing you want is an infection," he said, pulling her back into her seat and kneeling, reaching below her. She blinked, overwhelmed. "That's really rule number one if you ask me. A little scrape with an infection will do you in easier than a bullet. They teach you that in prep school?"

She rolled her eyes. "How old do you think I am, Christmas?"

He smirked, pulling out the first aid kit and snipping the old bloodied bandages off of her arm.

"Not a day over fourteen, darling," he joked, reaching for some alcohol wipes.

"Funny," she said, entirely unamused. "I'll give you a hint. I'm definitely passed the age of consent."

"In which country?" He smirked, glancing up at her. She felt her cheeks get hot again and she sighed, leaning back in her seat to try and hide it. She flinched against his touch and he tightened his grip on her arm.

"Stay still," he ordered, cleaning up the wound. "When did this happen?"

"On the way back," she said nonchalantly, looking up at the ceiling, "not sure what it was. Looked down and I was bleeding."

"Looks like a nice solid cut," he said, wiping it down one last time. "Not horribly deep. I could stitch it up real nice. Probably won't even leave a scar."

She looked back down at him and raised an eyebrow, unsure if he was serious or not. "Whatever you say, Doctor Christmas."

He winked at her and reached over to the kit and pulled out the sutures. She figured at that point that he had been serious and it was too late to decline. She bit her lower lip as she watched him line up the needle, trying to anticipate the pain.

"It might be easier if you don't stare at it like that and relax. You're too tense," Lee said, hand completely still just above the cut.

"Just do it, would you?" she asked, and he looked up at her and his face softened.

"Don't like needles?" He asked, lowering his voice.

"Don't like stitches," she corrected, focusing her eyes on his hand.

"I'll be gentle. Try and get it done fast and all that, okay?"

She nodded, wincing as he began. He didn't lie. He was gentle and quick, finishing it off almost as fast as he started and covering it up with some clean bandages.

"Voila," he said, inspecting her quickly again. "Don't hesitate to ask next time. I'll do it."

She looked down at her feet, embarrassed. It was amazing how fast her confidence from the mission dissipated under Lee's stare.

"Try and get some sleep, kid," he said, suppressing a smirk. "We won't forget you on the plane."

She nodded, looking up again only to find him walking back to the cockpit, his expression completely hidden. He disappeared into it and lifted up his phone while he motioned to Barney. She looked back to the rest of the guys and they were just hanging out like they were before, completely unbothered. She sighed, letting her head hit the wall behind her, and tried to close her eyes. She didn't think she'd be able to sleep much.

—-

Lee was pressing kisses to her fingers, holding her next to him in bed. He was right; it hadn't even left a scar.

She was looking up at the ceiling, thinking back to that first mission and the way he had gripped her wrist, carefully stitching her up without making it known that she was afraid to anybody else on the team. She smiled.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice low and steady right next to her ear. She shuddered.

"Nothing," she said. "I was just remembering something."

He sighed, wrapping both of his arms around her and pulling her tight against him. She rubbed her head against his chest and smiled.

"Remembering something about me?" He asked, rocking her back and forth a little.

"My very first mission with the Expendables," she said, wrapping her arms around him as well. "You cleaned up that cut on my arm. I felt like a kid in school getting yelled at by the principal."

"Principal, huh?" He said with a little laugh.

"Vice Principal," she added, rolling her eyes and pushing away from him.

He huffed, rolling over on top of her and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"I guess I could live with that," he said, looking down at her. He went to kiss her when his phone buzzed. He sighed, hovering just above her lips and shaking his head. She frowned, laughing a little bit and he kissed her quickly before he sat up to reach for his phone.

"Yeah," he said into it, reaching down to find his clothes.

"Lee," Barney said, loud enough to be heard through the speaker. Lee pulled the phone from his ear and shook his head. Dusty laughed, rubbing her fingertips along the skin of his back.

"Barney," he said back, rolling his eyes.

"Where are you?" Barney asked.

"On my way. Why?"

"You're late," Barney said, clearly a bit grumpy.

Lee looked down at his watch and sighed. "It seems so. Sorry about that, Barney. I'll be there soon."

"Are you causing more trouble?"

"No, Barney. I'll be there soon."

He clicked the phone off before Barney could say more. Dusty laughed, giving him a hug from behind before pulling her blanket up around herself.

"Don't keep the man waiting too much longer," she said, kissing his shoulder.

He smiled, standing up and reaching for the rest of his clothes. She watched him dress, yawning and laying down against her pillows.

"I'll be back," he said. "Don't run off, alright?"

She smirked. "Don't tell me what to do."

He bent over the bed and gave her another kiss before he hurried out, snagging his jacket as he did.

She figured she would sleep just fine now.