love is blind (and stupid)

by SheWritesInCursive

Blind dates have a lot to answer for.

A/N: I should be writing other stuff, but LawsonBlakeStan got the whole Kate/2Dads thing in my head and this took on a life of its own. This does contain sexual references and extreme course language, so if that's not your bag, then maybe give this one a miss. This is an abridged version - the full explicit version is on AO3. Definitely random, and yet I really had fun writing them. I've tried to keep it as in character as I can, but obviously with a different pairing that's sometimes challenging. But yeah, something different for your Friday night.

---

love is blind

(and stupid)

---

Typical. Typical that the first date she's gone on in months - okay, so it's been fourteen months - would end before it had even begun. She's long since given up the childish notion of happily-ever-afters and true love. But was it too much to ask, at the very least, for someone who wasn't a complete moron? Someone who wasn't in the Navy and wasn't a total pig? Apparently so, and she makes a mental note to put the Petty Officer that had cajoled her into this on bilge scrubbing duty for a month.

"Well..." 2Dads drawls, raising an eyebrow at her as she stops just short of him. Her painted nails automatically tug the hem of her dress down. "Blind dates have a lot to answer for then, don't they?"

Kate can't even begin to formulate a response. The only thing more humiliating than her co-workers setting her up on a blind date was 2Dads knowing and being said blind date. "I said no Navy." Kate mutters through gritted teeth, lamenting the universe for its latest of cruel jokes. "I specifically and unequivocally said no Navy."

2Dads, for his part, seems to be finding the situation more amusing rather than embarrassing, and gives a dry laugh. "Yeah, the Navy is a bitch for dating." He agrees. He'd been playing with a coaster when she'd arrived, tapping each corner alternatively against the bar, but now he abandons it in favour of pulling out the barstool next to him. "Oh well. We can at least have a drink, can't we?"

For a moment, she goes to reach for her dog tags, before remembering she'd swapped them for a necklace instead. She grasps the red stone pendant instead, considering. Carrying on with the blind date - a blind date more over with 2Dads of all people - was of course out of the question. But she hasn't seen the ruffian in years, and the thought of returning back to her apartment after (stupidly, given her track record) getting her hopes up was depressing. "Oh, come on." He adds. "Unless you have other plans, X? A busy night of paperwork?"

She narrows her eyes slightly. "I'm not your XO anymore. Or the XO for that matter. And I'll have you know, I do have a life outside the Navy."

"Of course you do." He agrees, his eyes twinkling cheekily. "That's why you're here, dressed up to the nines on a blind date on your first night back in port." She doesn't dignify his words with a response. Mainly because he's bang on the money. "Look, it's up to you." He adds, dropping the smartarse attitude in favour of casual reasoning. "I just figured, you're dressed up, I'm dressed up. We're both here. And if you're anything like me, you've been stressing about this all day. Seems almost anticlimactic to just go home at this point. I don't see any harm in catching up, at least." He sounds aloof enough, but he's drumming his fingers on the bench top in place of the abandoned coaster, and it strikes Kate in that moment that she might not have been the only one foolishly hoping for a miracle.

"Yeah, okay." She agrees before she's fully committed to the plan, and takes the stool next to him. "No harm in catching up. You know-" She pauses for a moment, making sure he understood. "-as two professionals."

"Professionals. Of course." He doffs an invisible hat in her direction to emphasise acceptance. Kate sighs wearily, already regretting this decision as she seats herself more comfortably. It wasn't as if she particularly disliked him. But there was something about being alone with him that just felt off. Kate's just about to open her mouth - to say what, she doesn't know - when 2Dads throws her completely with a question. "Are you still a Chablis kind of girl - sorry, woman?" He corrects himself before she can even process that, four years after serving with her, he remembers what wine she likes.

"Ah, yeah. Cheers." The sudden absurd twist of her evening keeps her silent as 2Dads orders them drinks. He pays before she can stop him, puzzling her further, because they'd just agreed this wasn't a date, and she could buy her own damn drinks. She tugs the hem of her dress down again, suddenly wishing she'd gone for the jeans and nice top option instead of her slightly optimistic red dress. The knowledge that she'd put make up on and curled her hair and shaved and (she flushes slightly) even worn matching underwear for 2Dads was sending her into a spin.

(Not that she was the kind of girl that fucked on the first date. Well, mostly ever. But she probably had cobwebs down there at this point, and she's forced to admit, at least to herself, that despite her hoping for something serious, she probably would have settled for a night of casual sex just to scratch the itch.)

God, she was pathetic. She might as well buy a cat, call herself a spinster and be done with it.

As he turns back to her with her wine though, she can't help but notice he looks more dressed up than she's ever seen him too. More polished, less of a kid. There's a light stubble on his chin, making him appear less of a reckless teenager and more of a man. And his shirt was ironed. She wonders, cruelly, whether his Mum had done it for him. Then hates herself immediately for thinking it. Disappointment always seemed to make her more of a bitch.

If she hadn't known him, though, she could appreciate properly that he looks good. Damn good. The kind of attractive that Kate might have looked twice at, ten years ago. But knowledge that it's 2Dads of all people helps her keep that purely aesthetic appreciation at bay.

Perched next to each other on the barstools, Kate immediately feels pressure to say something. The silence between them is growing more and more awkward by the second. She should never have agreed to this. What does he even enjoy? She has no idea of his hobbies, or music taste, or even a damned football team. She considers, for one stupid minute, to ask whether he's stolen any more monkeys. And it's beyond pathetic that she'd known him for two years, and still couldn't find one thing to ask him. What did that say of her as a leader? She resolves herself to finish this drink, then maybe head home with a bottle of wine for company and try to forget this ever happened. "So... you know Cassidy?"

Pathetic, Kate. Pathetic.

"Cass- oh." It seems to take him a moment to realise who she's talking about, even though Cassidy is the reason they're both in this awkward mess. He seems to jump on the subject eagerly, though. She wonders whether he's having as much anguish over starting a conversation as she had. "Yeah, Tim's actually my neighbour. And with him being an Electronics Techy before he went back to ADFA... well, we were close." He trails off. Takes a sip of his beer, the subject exhausted.

She knows why she's here. Well, not here drinking with 2Dads, but here on a blind date. Sort of. She's forty-one, depressingly single, has lived her life through her career and has no real social life outside the Navy. And then she'd woken up one day in her early forties realising she'd let reality pass her by. She was too old now for a family, has locked herself into a career-driven life through pure neglect. Out of time and out of options. But someone as casually aloof as 2Dads agreeing to a blind date surprises her. Years ago, she'd been just waiting for the notoriously irresponsible sailor to knock on her cabin door and tell her he's accidentally gotten some bimbo knocked up.

It occurs to her, suddenly, that that sort of person might have been what 2Dads had expected, and she experiences a fresh wave of guilt and fear. Oh, God, what had Cassidy told 2Dads about her? She inwardly cringes as she imagines him portraying her as some desperate woman in need of a pity lay.

Well, you kind of are, Kate.

This wasn't the first time Cassidy had offered to set her up. Wasn't even the first sailor to try, as she remembers Nikki forcing her into trying internet dating and her ill-fated relationship with Jim. But the notorious romantic of the ship, Tim Cassidy, was always adamant everyone needed love, and after refusing to meet at least a dozen men, she'd thought she should at least take him up once. You know. For team morale.

(It has nothing to do with her own pathetic desperation. Nothing.)

This is why you keep your private life private, Kate.

"This is what I get for agreeing to let him set me up." She mutters before she can stop herself. 2Dads looks up but doesn't speak. She realises too late that 2Dads might construe her words as an insult of his character, but she has no idea how to even begin to apologise for that. Shrugging it off, she continues, awkwardly trying to express to 2Dads how embarrassing this is. "Cassidy's my XO. And I wouldn't... I don't... blind dates..." She frowns, trying to get her words together and cursing herself for how off-kilter this whole thing is throwing her.

"No, I don't either." 2Dads agrees hastily. He's playing with the condensation on his drink. Kate is fighting the urge to scull hers, but this is humiliating enough without having a wine rush, losing her head and saying something stupid. She wonders whether he's going to justify his own choice in accepting this ill-fated set-up, but he doesn't elaborate, and Kate finds her eyes fixing on the Keno board, just to make things pass quicker. 7, 43, 32, 11. "Although, speaking purely in an objective manner, as a man... I don't know why you're still single." He adds.

"Excuse me?" The words are enough to snap her out of her head, sure she's misheard him or misunderstood.

2Dads seems to hesitate for a moment longer, before he waves a hand in her direction. She instinctively tugs the hem of her dress down again, feeling very conscious that she's showing more of her legs to 2Dads than he's ever seen. "Have you even looked at yourself? I mean, even before the hair and the clothes and makeup, you're an extremely attractive woman."

It takes Kate a full ten seconds to realise what he's saying. Then she shakes her head, awkwardness clawing at her insides. "Oh God. No, you don't need to do the whole pity-"

"No!" He begins.

"-compliment thing. It's-"

"X, one thing I've learned is that I've never been able to bullshit you. Why would I start now? So I'm being honest. You look gorgeous. And that's all before they get to know you." He takes another sip of his drink, as though he's done nothing more baffling than commented on the weather, then lets out a sudden snicker. "Do you remember that time we were on watch together, and it was about day ten of boring-as-batshit-at-sea, and I was all eager 'cos I'd finally convinced you to play me at poker? And you absolutely thrashed me. I mean, I thought I could bluff but you..." He nods in her direction. "And I spent weeks after that trying to figure out your tell. I think I probably creeped you out staring at you all the time. Charge started teasing me about my little crush and I got so flustered but I still just couldn't stop watching! You were just... this mystery I wanted to solve."

"I remember." Kate laughs in spite of her nerves at the memory too. She had genuinely had fun that night, steadily winning against 2Dads. (No gambling on the ship of course, so they'd played for chocolate.) "And I'd figured out your tell way before then." She leans in closer, realising now why she had often noticed 2Dads watching her after that. "And I remember you watching. Now I know why..." She pulls a face at him. "Cute."

"Don't call me cute!" He groans at the word like it's a filthy insult. "'2Dads'. God, you're probably still thinking of me as some kid."

"No. You're definitely a man." She observes. "And, objectively speaking, you look good. This-" She leans forwards and brushes a finger over his stubble before she can stop herself, "-is definitely working for you."

Then she realises what she's done, and pulls back as though she's been burned. Shit, Kate. You really should have eaten. Drink's going to your head. A moment later she realises she can't kid herself. No. It's not the wine. He looks hot.

Thankfully, he lets her actions pass without comment, grinning into his beer, and Kate hurriedly moves the subject along. "So why the blind date, then?" Kate asks, more to break the silence than anything. "I mean, as I recall from shore leave in foreign ports, you never had a problem meeting girls."

He reaches across to take the coaster again and resume his tapping, demeaner and posture suddenly shifting to something akin to a school boy trying to guess an answer to a teacher's question. "I don't know. I feel like I've finally got my life on track. And I wanted to meet a woman rather than a girl." He takes another gulp of his drink, and drains it. She hadn't realised she'd already finished her own until he nods at the empty glass. "You want another?" She finds herself nodding before she's truly thought it through, and contemplates running to find a vending machine for chips or something so she's at least not drinking on an empty stomach; she'd been so anxious, she'd barely eaten today.

She has another whatthefuckamidoing moment while he's gone, at her sudden unconscious abandonment of her escape plan. It's a punch in the guts to realise, suddenly, how starved she is for social interaction in general, albeit awkward. Sure, she went out to the pub with the crew, but as the CO now, she usually excused herself after a few drinks to let them get on with their real celebrations without feeling as though management was staring over their shoulder. Nikki had stayed in touch since ET's death and her subsequent transfer to Canberra, and they usually end up speaking every few months on Skype, schedules permitting. She emails Dutchy too; sad really, that he's probably become one of her closer friends and he's on the other side of the world. But a usual shore leave of hers either involves a duty watch or several books, a bottle of wine and some TV. And maybe her vibrator because, hey, she's got needs.

Sad how, here and now in a quiet bar, she's suddenly realising she's the epitome of desperate.

2Dads returns and sets another wine in front of her, smiling softly before situating himself on his bar stool. Kate turns to him expectantly, and he takes a sip of his fresh beer before continuing the conversation, as though he hadn't just run to the bar and she hadn't just had a crisis of self.

"I guess it was hope, really." He muses sadly.

"Sorry?" Kate frowns. "Hope? I'm not following."

2Dads doesn't answer immediately. He's picked up the coaster once more and has cycled through the corners another four times each before he explains. "Tim... uh, Cassidy, you call him? He helps out a bit with the different businesses when he can. He's probably got more of an accounting understanding than I do, so he's been a big help." Kate wants to ask, businesses, but 2Dads carries on. "Anyway, he's always prattling on about love. All you need is love. Love is in the air. How everyone deserves love-" He catches her eye and sees the slightly bemused expression on her face. "You got that same speech too?" He guesses.

"Oh, more than once." Kate agrees. Cassidy really was a contradiction in himself, solid as a rock and at least a foot taller than Kate, but he was the most hopeless romantic she'd ever met. He'd met his wife Kathy when they were sixteen, and had her name in a heart on his huge hulking bicep. He'd been unabashed by any of the crews' teasing him for it though when he'd first arrived. Now they'd learned to try and avoid her name altogether, lest they get a rundown on the scent of the woman's hair, or another heartfelt recount of how the pair had met.

2Dads smirks at her expression, seemingly thinking exactly what Kate is. But then he continues on with his story. "Anyway, I swear the guy knows just about everyone in this town. But he mentioned you - not a surname, obviously, or I would have made the connection. I mean, Kate's not exactly an uncommon name. Anyway, he kept pestering me, saying he knew I liked-"

"Watch it, 2Dads. You mention blonde..." Kate warns before she can stop herself, though she tips her drink slightly to show him she's not entirely serious.

He takes her words good-naturedly, elaborately twirling a pointer finger around and around in circles until stopping to indicate his own hair. "Well, this isn't exactly purple!" He teases, then his eyes light up mischievously. "Wait, was that how he got you here? You looking to build a little blonde family?"

Kate doesn't miss a beat. "Nah, he said I could pick up a toy-boy if I came."

2Dads shrugs, then makes a production of rising and clapping his hands together. "Alright. Well, I'm in. Your place or mine? I do have a headboard." Kate manages not to choke on her wine, but only just, even though she knows he's kidding.

Watch yourself, Kate.

He tosses her a wink, before sitting, still grinning that same cheeky smile. And she finds, despite the trouble it caused her over the years, that she's missed it. Missed him. Continuing to speak, he again switches back to the fidgeting with the coaster that, she's noticed, seems to accompany him when he's feeling more vulnerable. "Nah, um... Tim told me he knew someone smart and kind and funny. Someone who wanted more than a stupid fling. Someone with real morals and real ambition. And that sounded pretty good to me. Because lately that's what I've wanted to." He sets the coaster down again and looks up at her, she wonders if he too found it easier to joke about them hooking up than to actually speak the truth.

"Oh." Kate doesn't really know what else to say. Maybe she wouldn't put Cassidy on bilge scrubbing duty after all.

"And he also said she'd wear impractical but absolutely smoking hot heels." He adds as an afterthought, smirking into his beer. "Seriously, I'm amazed you walked in them!"

The comment is not what she's expecting, and she bends her leg out as glances down at her red suede stilettos. They probably were a little more than she'd normally wear, but they'd given her dress the extra something it needed. Too late she realises she's showing even more leg and pulls back again, looking up to see 2Dads' eyes flick quickly back to her face. "I can walk fine in them."

2Dads hums in agreeance, making a show of nodding vigorously. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure. I believe you."

Kate narrows her gaze. "What do I have to do? Challenge you to a race down the street?" 2Dads snorts into his beer again, and Kate continues. "Look at me. I'm 5 foot 5. I've been wearing heels practically since I was born! And I'll have you know if I wasn't wearing a dress, I could do cartwheels in them right now."

2Dads, still chuckling, looks up at her. "I've missed how competitive you are."

---

Kate's too old to be doing shots in general, and especially not with 2Dads, but the knowledge she'll regret it in the morning doesn't stop her downing one-two-three with him in quick procession. They don't talk much while they drink - the bar's too noisy by that point anyway, but he laughs a lot at the faces she pulls, and she laughs as he slops his third slightly down his chin.

They're sailors, after all, and neither are drunk, but it seems both are in that stage where they'd gladly keep drinking, and yet their voice of reason is still present. It's enough for them to both recognise that any more drinks without food will do more harm than good, so by some unspoken mutual understanding they leave the bar again, walking aimlessly down the streets.

The alcohol has definitely lessoned her inhibitions, so that most of her discomfort is replaced by a genuine want to talk to 2Dads. And really talk, too. Because it's hitting home more and more that she doesn't really have anyone to talk to anymore. The digital age had certainly made it easier for her to keep in contact with Nikki and Dutchy, but it wasn't the same as having someone here and now to be present with her to really open up to.

They find themselves perching on a stone ledge overlooking the harbour. The sun has almost set, but the well-lit area they're sitting in means that she can still see him. She studies him for a moment as he looks out on the water, and she finds herself wondering whether he's feeling the same relief she is at having someone to talk to. But then, Kate reasons, the way he'd spoken about Cassidy and the mystery around businesses leads Kate to suspect his social life is nowhere near as pathetic as hers.

He turns, suddenly, and she's caught out staring at him. She almost apologises, stupidly, but he seems to take her observing as a willingness to continue the conversation. "So... what's the worst date you've been on?" She can't help but feel amused at the expression on his face. "Hey, I'm just looking for a benchmark here. See what stops I have to pull out to make sure this not-date is still better than a worst date."

He looks sincere enough, but Kate sees right through his words. Rolling her eyes, she gestures to him. "Oh, please. You're just using this as an opportunity to get insight into my personal life."

"Maybe." He concedes slyly, smirking at her. "So?"

"Ummm..." She considers his words for a moment, and he laughs out loud.

"Really?! You have to consider it?"

Kate tips her head slightly. "Well, there are a few contenders." She points out. Then, catching his expression adds. "Oh, come on! I might have tried to retain some semblance of dignity by keeping my private life private, but even Robert knows I have terrible taste when it comes to guys!" He bursts into laughter at her words, and even Kate can't resist a nervous titter. "Okay. I was... nineteen? Twenty, maybe? Was going on a date with an acquaintance. Some friend of a friend. He picked me up to go to some chain restaurant and a movie. And we're chatting fine enough, I guess. But while he's driving I'm sitting in the passenger seat going... this guy is a terrible driver. Like, awful. I mean, I'd braced myself against the door and the dash - he was that bad." 2Dads looks as though Christmas has come early as she shares the story. "Anyway, he ends up running up the back of someone at the lights. So I'm trying to process what's going on and he just... gets out. And runs off without a word, leaving me to deal with the cops and the car in front. They caught up with him in no time. Turns out he'd lost his license and was already being questioned about another crash." She catches 2Dads' eye and scrunches her nose. "So all in all, probably my worst. What's yours?"

"Oh, Veronica Jenkins." 2Dads answers without preamble. "Year 10. She organised to meet up with her ex, and her best friend while she was with me. I was still sitting there awkwardly when they started making out again."

"Ouch." Kate whistles. "Yeah. That's pretty bad. I mean, I've dated some jerks in my time but that..." She trails off as they both chuckle at mutual misfortunes. It's growing steadily darker now, though the boardwalk in front of them and the pathways are still relatively busy. Couples and families and joggers pass by.

"So... when I left, you were still with Mike?" 2Dads voices it like a question, even though it must have been public knowledge across much of the RAN.

"Was wondering when you'd bring that up." She muses, scoffing humourlessly. It's not that she doesn't want to talk about it. On the contrary, the whole thing had happened so quickly, she kind of wanted to talk about everything with someone. She'd been waiting for Nikki to come visit the next time. Conversing via email, it was a bit hard to open up a conversation about it. Hey, can I talk to you about my ex for a bit? "Well, it's over. Obviously." Kate begins. She picks at a stray leaf on the concrete between them and twirls it in her fingers by the stem. "It wasn't... I mean, no one cheated. Or... or anything. But, you know, I was at sea. He was frustrated not being at sea. And I think we could both see the writing on the wall, even if we didn't want to admit it. We loved each other. But we weren't in love anymore. He needed to get back to the sea and I didn't want a messy divorce in a few years time. So when he got offered a job on a frigate, I told him to take it." Kate tips her head, thinking. "I mean, he didn't want to end the engagement at first. He wanted to try long distance... but when does that ever work? And... slowly, everyone else posted away. You'd gone after Bomb... Charge took a job in WA. Dutchy went back to the frigates. Bird went to do her paramedics training. And... and Swain..." She trails off, because she still found it hard to talk about Swain and Jim, and the way they were both so cruelly and suddenly erased from the world, with not even a body for their families to bury. He bows his head slightly. He had heard about what had happened. "Robert's the only one that knew me before I became CO. But chatting with Robert about anything that isn't work related-"

"Yeah, like talking to the bulkhead, hey." 2Dads agrees.

"Exactly." She agrees with his description, a slight twitch of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "We could have stuck it out, you know? But I think by that point we both wanted different things, were different people. It wouldn't have been the same. Not like how it was. And either way..." She trails off again. She's finding it harder than she'd expected, fully articulating her thoughts with 2Dads. Something in his open expression and curious gaze. She wasn't used to being someone's sole focus in conversation. "So, you and Bomb..."

He shrugs lamely. "Made it work for a couple of years. Even got engaged. But... I think it's like you. Different people, after a while. I mean, I'm not sorry I tried. I would have always wondered if I hadn't, you know?"

"I understand the urge to try again." Kate agrees. "I know when I got posted on Hammersley and saw him again-" But she stops herself, suddenly realising what she'd said. She looks back at the water, praying he's tipsy enough to forget it. But of course, she's not that lucky.

"When you got... you mean, you knew him before?" Years ago, Kate would have expected some tone of delight at potential gossip fodder from 2Dads. But now... now it's like he just wants to listen.

"Slip of the tongue-" Kate begins, praying that the sudden leaden feeling in her stomach doesn't show in her voice. But she knows she's doing a terrible job at lying; she's too panicked at the realisation of what she's just revealed. "I meant-"

"Bullshit." He accuses simply, and Kate ceases her frantic corrections, tugging at her pendant anxiously again. Then she forces herself to stop. She needs to remember that the thin silver chain isn't strong like her dog tags. She can't use it as her stress toy. "I heard what you said, X."

"No one knows." She warns seriously, even though her voice is barely a whisper. "You get it? No one."

"I'll stop live-tweeting us, then." He deadpans. "X, I'm not telling anyone. Promise."

When she doesn't immediately speak, he grabs his phone. For a minute, she thinks that he's trying to prove he isn't live-tweeting, or maybe inversely to pull up some twitter thread. He doesn't talk for the longest time, tapping away at the screen. And then her phone beeps. Setting his down, he watches for a moment as she unlocks her own. Then, despite her initial panic she laughs. "Oh. Oh wow!"

"That-" He begins. "-is a picture no one has seen of me at age six, when my sisters liked to dress me up in their old clothes and I'd pretend to be a girl named Leanna." She laughs, taking in the young 2Dads in the picture while he continues to emphasise. "Six. Long after it stopped being cute. And not a soul aside from my family has seen this picture, nor do I intend them to. Now you have something on me. Maybe not the same something, but... but there are things I've told you tonight that I haven't told anyone else, too."

"Well..." She can't quite articulate why the picture 2Dads had sent her has calmed her somewhat. Maybe because it's the physical representation of the trust they've both put in each other tonight, or maybe simply because her laughter has eased the gnawing tension. She locks her phone and sets it back in her clutch. "For a moment there, I thought you were going to send me a dick pic."

"All you have to do is ask, X!" He teases, pretending to grab his phone again. But then he turns back to her. "So..."

Kate groans somewhat, hunching her shoulders and looking down. "Okay." She takes a deep breath. "Well, I met a guy. Some bar in Sydney. Mike was sitting alone reading and I had my own book. We started chatting. One thing led to another and we spent two weeks basically in his hotel roo-" She realises too late she probably hadn't needed to include that detail. Sucking in another breath, Kate begins again. "I spent two weeks with him, then walked in to do my time at Watson's Bay and he was there. As my instructor."

"So?!" 2Dads shrugs as he takes in Kate's words. "You didn't know. You didn't break any rules." He presses. She doesn't look up but gives a humourless laugh, and he seems to catch on. "But you guys didn't end it, did you?"

Kate shifts uncomfortably, trying to find the right words. "Not... not when we should have." She admits. She drags a hand through her hair in frustration, fingers catching on the curls she'd put in there earlier. God, she'd been so stupid back then, so naïve. "There were a few times... when we could... if we could. Well, rules were broken. I mean, privacy is hard at Watson's and places to-" She tries to find a way to put what had basically been a hot and heavy affair.

"Hook up?"

"Be alone." She settles on. Then mutters... "Sounds less cheap that way." She catches his slightly amused gaze. "But basically, yes. I knew it was wrong but I really liked him. I mean, I was twenty-three. I wasn't looking for love or to settle down. So... yeah, I trusted him. He was kind and funny and smart. We both knew it was against the rules but I was twenty-three and reckless, and he was an adrenaline junkie, and... at the time I'd say we were probably into the thrill and the danger of sneaking around just as much as we were into each other." She throws her hands up in the air randomly. "I didn't think he was my be all and end all, and at the end of it we both agreed it was a great month or so, and said goodbye with the maybe in a few years time speech."

"And then, he's your captain." 2Dads finishes the story for her.

"Then, five odd years later, he's my captain." Kate agrees wearily. "It kind of felt like... I don't know. We were older, less stupid. And feelings were there. Maybe we put too much merit in the past carrying over to the future, I don't know. But over the years we fell in love." She catches him looking at her, and remembers how guilty she'd felt when 2Dads and Bomber had been caught together. Like the world's biggest hypocrite. "Nothing happened while we were on the ship together!" She hastens to assure him, realising too late her voice is probably louder than it needs to be. "Okay? Nothing!" Her eyes are wide now. Any minute she expects him to start berating her hypocrisy, her disregard of his and Bomber's feelings when she-

"I know." He assures her. "I do, X. I could see how torn up you felt after Swain busted Bomb and I. I know nothing happened on the ship. Okay?" She looks away, guilt still bubbling in her blood. "Okay?!" He repeats, more forcefully, forcing her to look at him. And after another tense moment staring into each others' eyes, she nods.

"He was up for promotion, and started talking about posting off, so that we could... have a real future, I guess. And that kept getting postponed, over and over. But it happened, eventually. And we moved in together, got engaged. Figured we'd try for a family as soon as we could, before I'm too old to carry. Except... that didn't work. I couldn't get pregnant and... and then years later... with that frigate posting. We fell for each other because we wanted a lot of the same things. But when you both want a family and you both want to be at sea and you're away from each other so much and when you are together, everything's about getting pregnant. I realised... we were together out of routine. We loved each other. But we weren't in love." She gives a wry smile. "And so I ended it." She scratches at a spot on her arm. The mosquitos are beginning to come out now. She hesitates for the longest time, and they both listen to the sound of the waves. "But there's something else." She adds, feeling the confession she's kept for so long bubbling up in her.

"What?" Kate forces herself to look at 2Dads, to take in his expression. The self-loathing part of her is sure he's only here because he's collecting information to use against her, future blackmail material. But that's not what she sees in his eyes. He cares, and it's this that keeps her talking.

"After I'd finished at Watson's, I found out I was pregnant. He'd left. We'd split, if even we were together. I wanted a career. I was twenty-three, not ready. So I had an abortion." She looks at him to gauge his reaction, to see some of the shame she feels on his face. But he's impassive. "I didn't regret it. I don't regret it. I'm glad I did it and that I get to have the life I've lived. But I never told him. I never told anyone. And sometimes, when we were trying for kids later on, I'd think about..." She cracks the knuckles on her hand. She doesn't know what else to say.

"You thought about the what ifs." 2Dads finishes.

"Yeah." She straightens up and clears her throat, as though ending a business meeting. "So there you are. My deepest darkest secret."

He sits and seems to absorb her words for a moment, then touches her hand. "Well, thank you for trusting me. That means a lot to me."

In spite of the confronting and depressing turn of conversation, she can't help but smile as she squeezes his hand back for a moment, before letting go. It still felt wrong that she could tell 2Dads this, of all people, and not Mike. But she knows with absolute certainty that she will never tell Mike. "So... can we talk about you? You said businesses? What do you do?"

He takes up her request for a change in conversation gracefully, and nods. "Yeah, I left the Navy not long after I left Hammersley, actually." Kate's eyes widen somewhat at the knowledge; she hadn't realised he'd put in his papers. "I do a few different things, actually. Full time I got myself a Government contract. I travel around QLD, servicing different agencies' electrical and security systems. And then pick up a bit of casual work teaching self defence, which I like. All that pays the bills and gives room for..." He seems to grasp with words for a moment, and she wonders vaguely whether he has kids, or an ex-wife or a side hustle in poker or something. He seems to be searching for the right words, but after a moment settles on, "For my passion project. Which... and don't laugh..."

"I mean, when you preface it with that..." Kate begins, teasing lightly. "Truth be told, I wouldn't put it past you to have turned your comedy into a sideshow or something, in which case you couldn't fault me for smiling just a teensy little..." She holds her fingers together and crinkles her nose to indicate a small amount.

"Ah, well..." He gives a mock sigh and leans back, looking up at the bats circling overhead. "Guess you'll never know..."

"Okay, I take it back. I'm sorry. Tell me!"

"Okay... um..." He watches her seriously to make sure she doesn't laugh. "I teach community courses."

This isn't what she's expecting at all, and although her mouth is agape, she quickly adjusts her face. "I'm not laughing! I just wasn't expecting... so what sort of courses?"

"Well, now you can laugh at this bit, but it all came about because of Charge." He spies Kate's face, more confusion than amusement, and holds up a finger. "Now, hear me out. He bought a new iPhone while he was living in... Woop Woop or wherever he ended up. And he's trying to set it up and all that and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out how to... you know, just that stuff you need to do with a new phone. Connect his email and AppleID and... emojis and shit." Kate nods to show she understands, and Leo continues. "So he messaged Robert. And when Robert basically said pay me first, he called me."

Kate drags a hand down her face at the mention of Robert's response. "Oh, I love RO, I really do. But sometimes..." She can't find the words to adequately describe wanting to hug someone, educate them on social norms, and slap them at the same time, and settles with clenching the air with her fists.

"I know. He's good value but he's a bit..." He doesn't seem to have the right words to describe him either. "Anyway, I was actually pretty good at working through it all with him. And now he's like a bloody grandmother sending me emojis and all sorts but the point is it got me thinking; how many people struggle with just the basic trouble shooting to do that? So much of this stuff, if I don't know, I Google it. Or I know what to search or how to get the info or roughly what icons I'm looking for."

"Yeah." Kate agrees. "I get that. I know generally how to find what I'm looking for, even if I don't know the info."

"Exactly! And so many people are so uncertain they can't even do that! So anyway, I put feelers out... was mostly sweet old ducks who wanted to facetime with their grandkids and... and the odd uni kid wanting to understand how backing files up worked but... well, it kind of worked really well. I mean, I know it's not exactly a radical concept, tech lessons. But I wanted it to be personal, suited to what they needed. And free. And so now there's twelve of us across Queensland who run these basic groups at local halls once or twice a week in different parts of Queensland. They bring the devices and we can work one-one-one to actually explain stuff and then groups on understanding the different programs or how to do something. I'm actually in contact with a couple of guys in northern NSW looking to extend it down there. And... yeah..." He sounds like a student at the end, waiting for the final grade on his speech. "I know it's not much but-"

"No! That's... that's really... wow, that's really... wow, 2Dads!"

"I mean, it's great in the way that we can usually apply to the local council for... for grants and things to keep it free. All boring currency mumbo-jumbo, I won't bore you with it. But I wanted it be able to accessible to all who need it. So we do incursions to different retirement villages. And it helps. Helping them understand technology... how to troubleshoot their problems and... and just to make technology accessible and less scary for everyone." He's talking more feverishly now, buoyed up by her approval. He sits up a little straighter, turning his whole body towards her. "And it's great. I mean, we're also in the works with a few LGAs to make it a registered volunteer program with schools. And trying to organise collection of old laptops we can fix up so - personal or ex-school - for high school children who can't afford one."

Kate can't even begin to fathom a response to all the ideas 2Dads and his fellow volunteers have been working on. But she doesn't even have time to open her mouth when 2Dads continues. "I mean, you think now how many people have family overseas or... or interstate. It's a way for them to keep connected. The whole thing is, there is no shame or stigma. No stupid questions. And it's been great. I've had... had eighty-year-old's being able to find record of their family members with the War Memorial or... or photos of their parents or old houses online they've never seen before. It's..." But he stops, and leans back down. "Sorry. I'm rambling."

"No. That... that honestly sounds amazing! I... I..." She's often been speechless at 2Dads, but never in a good way before. "2Dads, I'm so proud of you. That sounds incredibly rewarding and a really worthy course. I... I can't quite find words."

He grins, a true wide grin that shows nothing but pure joy. How long ago had it been since she'd been that passionate about anything? Then she casts the thought aside. This wasn't about her. "Anyway, we're running a sausage sizzle fundraiser at the Portsmith Bunnings next week. You know... to help subsidise the cost of fuel and stuff for the other guys. I mean, they all do it voluntarily too, but still... some have families and... and other worries. And not all councils want to directly help. But feel free to rock up for a snag. You know... if you want."

"Yeah, if I'm in port I'll come by." Kate finds herself agreeing, again, before she's really thought it through. In a way, that was one of the refreshing things about 2Dads. He helped her get out of her head a bit, and stop worrying so much. In another way, that was the dangerous part of him too. But she casts the overanalysing aside for the time being. "Well..." Kate considers her words carefully. "That might be the most noble passion project I've ever encountered."

He smiles bashfully at her compliment, and for a moment she has to resist the urge to hug him. "Well... thanks, X. You get free tech support anytime you need."

"Thanks. But, I got my phone and computer all sorted and Netflix on the TV." A sudden thought occurs to her, and she clicks her finger, eyes widening. "Although, now I think on it, you can do me one favour."

"What?" He frowns at her sudden eureka moment, and she probably can't blame him for looking more than a little apprehensive.

"Well, funnily enough, it involves our friend Charge too." Kate begins, smirking a little at the confusion that immediately spawns on 2Dads' face. "When we were both on Hammersley, he lived the closest to me, and one day I had a flat battery so I asked him for a ride." He nods to show he's listening. "And as he's at my front step he saw I had a tomato plant in the garden. Now I have no idea how this plant came to be. It just appeared and to be quite honest I thought it was a weed. But turns out Charge is quite the avid gardener. And for every damned Christmas since he's bought me some wretched packet of seeds that of course have failed to grow. But now Charge is convinced I'm some impassioned gardener just like him and once or twice a week he texts me to update me on his veggie garden."

"Sounds like Charge." 2Dads agrees, stifling a laugh.

Kate shakes her head bitterly. "You have no idea how much I regret humouring him the first time." He chuckles. "You laugh. But it's been three years now, so we're way past me telling him that the damn plant was dead the next time I saw him and I don't care what he's growing."

"I'm still a little lost. I mean, I've heard about Charge and his gardening. You want me to tell him you don't care?"

"No." Kate unlocks her phone and opens up the thread of her messages with Charge. "Now I know it's your fault he has emojis, I want you to tell him why him simply sending eggplant emojis to me is fucking disturbing." Kate finishes, as 2Dads bursts into raucous laughter, and Kate waggles a finger in his direction. "Yeah, you laugh now. But let me set the scene. It's shore leave, you're at the pub with your crew, your phone is on the table. And in comes a message with the water droplet and cucumber emojis. How would you explain that to the juniors that see it over your shoulder. No, I'm not getting lewd messages. It's just an ex-crewmate telling me he's watered his garden. It sounds like bullshit even to my ears!"

2Dads keeps laughing for several minutes, and after a bit Kate can't help but join in, both setting each other off as they catch each others' eyes. Maybe it's the alcohol making them a little loopy, but Kate feels like she hasn't laughed this much in years. "Have you considered, Ma'am," 2Dads manages, before spluttering his next few words, "Charge might just be trying to sext you?!"

Kate makes a noise between laughter and disgust. "No! Don't put those images in my head! Just... just talk to the man!" She covers her eyes, as though the images are in front of her and she can hide from them. She's still laughing though, and 2Dads is practically howling with laughter.

Eventually, though, they hiccup into silence and 2Dads swipes the tears from his eyes. Flashing her a rough salute, he manages, choking back laughter, "Okay, Ma'am. You'll hear not a whisper more of the growth of Charge's cucumber." This kills them again, and maybe she is tipsier than she'd thought, but it's freeing just to sit and laugh. It's another few minutes before they eventually calm down. Kate's stomach muscles are sore from laughter as 2Dads speaks again. "You know, come to think of it, how do you know what those emojis mean?"

Kate throws her hands in the air for a moment, shaking her head. "2Dads-" She seems at a loss for words for a moment. "It's like you guys all think I live this sheltered existence where I go home and do nothing but... read Pollyanna and birdwatch! What is so odd about me knowing what they mean? It's hardly a mystery that the phallic-shaped emojis are gonna represent a dick."

2Dads raises an eyebrow in her direction. "Umm, you learn your XO's nicknames at ADFA included Princess Perfect-"

"-Oh, piss off!" Kate cuts in, as 2Dads mimes a crown atop his head with his hands.

"-and The Golden Girl. Then tell me if you can imagine her out... I don't know... partying at clubs and swearing like a trucker!" He nods at her. "Or wearing that!"

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" She calls indignantly, glancing down at her outfit once more. Again, she wishes she'd gone for the jeans and top. She feels so very over dressed, especially as they'd both decided this wasn't a date.

2Dads smirks, shaking his head slowly as he looks her up and down, stretching his words. "Oh, Ab-so-lute-ly nothing."

Kate just stares at him for a moment, half amused, half exasperated. She feels odd, not quite sure whether she wants 2Dads commenting on her outfit or whether she wants to run home and don a dressing gown. God, she was probably way too old to wear something this short. Stupid. "I wasn't just hatched, you know?" Kate challenges. "I've gone through the reckless years full of-" But then she catches 2Dads' eyes, alight and twinkling, and stops herself. "See? This is you fishing for information into my life!" 2Dads makes an indignant sound at Kate's accusatory pointing, and Kate corrects herself. "Well, let's just say, I've had the misspent youth. And that's all you get."

2Dads shakes his head in a self-pitying way. "Shame." He mutters. "I'll have to extract the information from you some other way."

Kate snorts sarcastically. "Good luck with that."

He opens his mouth to say something else, but a ringing interrupts them, and 2Dads closes his mouth in favour of glancing down at his phone. Before she can stop herself, Kate has followed his gaze too and sees the name flashing across the screen. Mark WORK. She has no right to immediately feel embarrassed and angry and hurt at the crushing familiarity of the situation. This, Kate is used to. Being second place to a device, to a career. And having dates shoved aside in favour of duty.

Not that this was a date.

He sighs heavily, then smiles apologetically at her. She doesn't even need to say anything. After all, she's long since perfected the art of dutiful acceptance. He picks up the phone and Kate finds herself shredding a leaf in her fingers.

"Hey, Mark... okay... o- no, not tonight. No..." Kate's trying not to listen to his side of the conversation. She knows, really, it was stupid to draw so much comfort and enjoyment from hanging out with 2Dads. Pathetic, really. More so because that desperate, lonely part of her isn't ready to have this night end. "Listen, not tonight... no, I'm catching up with a good friend... yeah, well, I'd kind of like to give her my full attention. Yeah, I'll look tomorrow. Tonight though, I'm going to mute work calls... yeah, cheers... night."

He hangs the phone up and fiddles with it for a moment longer, before slipping it back into his pocket and turning back to Kate. She's still taken aback at the way 2Dads had oh-so-casually insisted that he wouldn't work tonight. She was so used to the Navy and fitting her schedule around it, she'd almost forgotten what it was like to be able to say 'no'. "You didn't have to..." She begins, waving awkwardly at the phone. "I mean, if you need to go-"

2Dads waves a hand through the air, dismissing her concerns. "It's just work. And it can wait until tomorrow." He shrugs at the incredulous look on her face. "That's the good thing about being out of the Navy. You can say no. I can work any time. I'd much rather catch up with you." Kate struggles to remember the last time someone put her ahead of work, and there's a mixture of confusion and happiness and relief and awkwardness all in one. The one man to do that for her, and it had been 2Dads. "You know, in a way that's kind of telling about how much of a workaholic you really are."

"What?!" For one terrifying moment, Kate thinks he might have read her mind.

"Well, how often have we actually seen each other?" 2Dads begins, peering at her in curiosity. "Not at the shops or the pub or anything. And we probably live... say, thirty minutes away from each other. You mustn't spend a lot of time actually out."

He's hit the nail on the head, of course. It wasn't as though she didn't go out. But she had her own mind map of quiet bars uninhabited by sailors, or else would get takeaway and spend her time doing paperwork and watching movies at home. She doesn't have much time to dwell on the thought, though, as he continues with his story. "Anyway, I'm going to circle back to the swearing. Because in your Charge story... well, I do think it's the first, second and third time I've ever heard you swear." He ticks the numbers off on his fingers as though to illustrate the point, before looking up at her.

"Probably." Kate concedes. Then, unable to resist, she adds, "I normally just swear at you in my head." 2Dads looks a little unnerved until she catches his eye, then grins. "Well, I swear. Probably too much at home, to be fair. It's just you only used to see me at work. And the brass kind of gets up you if you're constantly calling people wankers."

"So you have wanted to swear at work?" He frowns.

"Oh, God yeah! I worked with you, didn't I?" She teases, and he narrows his eyes as though trying to deduce whether she's being serious or not. "Seriously, though. If I'd said everything I thought aloud, I would have ended my career before it even began."

"Yeah, that might have been where I was going wrong." 2Dads muses aloud, adopting a mock-puzzled expression across his face. "Huh." He catches her gaze and snorts with laughter. "Oh, you know what I would have loved to have seen? Spider told me about that captain that called you Little Missy and tried to get him to blow up a drug boat."

"Oh, Freeman! Yeah, that patrol was a nightmare and a half."

"So I heard! Would have paid good money for that showdown. You reckon he would have had a string of expletives launched in his face if you'd have been allowed to?"

"Oh, he would have been singing Soprano, that guy." Kate sucks in a breath, and then winces at 2Dads' laughter. "Probably shouldn't say that. Poor guy did have a brain tumour. But at the time..." She makes a twisting motion with her hands, as though ringing someone's neck.

He looks as amazed as if she'd just done a handstand in front of him. "It still just seems odd to me. You swearing."

"Yeah, well..." The wind blows a curl in front of Kate's face, and she flicks it away in irritation, contemplating just tying it up so it will stop blowing everywhere. "You haven't seen me in the kitchen."

"What?" 2Dads splutters. Even Kate has to admit the statement had been a little random.

She gives an embarrassed sort of titter. "I can't cook to save my life." She catches his open mouth and points to him, stopping him before he's started speaking. "I know. People say that as an expression and generally they can cook something. But in my case, if someone pulled a gun on you right now and told me I had to make a meal or they'd shoot, you'd be gone. Even toast, and no matter what I do, I always manage to set the smoke detectors off. It just doesn't work for me! I either burn the food or myself or both. Someone up there has made it clear I'm not meant to cook, and I'll listen to whatever deity that might be. The whole process is a ritual of pain and self-loathing, and if you wanted to learn some new curse words, observing me cooking would be the time and place to do so."

"Fuck." 2Dads snorts with laughter. "I mean, that was a monologue and a half, but I take your point... sort of. Still don't get how you screw up toast, though-" Kate opens her mouth to explain, but he forestalls her with a question. "Doesn't matter. But what do you eat on shore?"

Kate moves her head from side to side, wincing. "I have a terrible diet on shore. I basically live on coffee, crackers, take away and salad when I'm on shore. I mean, our new chefo is hardly a masterchef, but it's something."

"I... wow. I'm learning so much about you. I always imagined you'd be amazing at everything." He pulls a well-there-you-go face and finishes his summation. "Now I know you're a brazen hussy who can't cook."

"Oi!" But she can't help but laugh. "I mean, you want a cocktail, and I'm your girl. I'm an excellent mixologist. And I can make a tonne of different salads. But add the element of heat and it just..." She holds her hand out in front of her, slowly letting it nose-dive down before making a light explosive sound with her hands.

"Well there you go. I know where to go when the bars are closed, at least." 2Dads stretches for a moment, and her eyes flick momentarily to admire the strip of tanned, chiselled stomach that's temporarily exposed, before quickly looking away, diverting her gaze to their surroundings instead. There's parkland further along the boardwalk, and before she can stop herself she finds herself wondering how dark and secluded it was. Unbidden, she has an image of herself, pressed against a tree with him.

"Speaking of food..." 2Dads interrupts her thoughts suddenly, and she's glad it's dark, because he can't see her flush at her latest, most inappropriate thought. "Did you want to grab a bite anyway? Dates always make me nervous... I haven't eaten anything today. And we should probably... you know... have something to soak up the grog. My treat." He catches her gaze and adds, "Not that this is a date."

Kate yet again finds herself agreeing automatically. She's getting hungry too, plus she's getting eaten alive by mosquitos. "Fine. But... can we just get takeaway or something? I don't really feel up to a full sit-down meal."

"You read my mind." He stands, then, before Kate has registered, has helped her to her feet too. For a moment she's slightly bemused, but he releases her hands as soon as she's standing, and seems to think nothing more of it. It wasn't as if she was going to go on about sparks when he touched her, electricity or other cosmic connections, because she hadn't felt anything like that. But she can appreciate the warmth his rough hands had left on in hers, however briefly. They fall into step along the path back towards the main streets and the shops. "I still don't know how you're doing that, though."

"Doing what?" She hates how he can throw her so easily between bewilderment, contentment, confusion, humour, frustration and... okay, a bit of lust, in such quick succession. In equal parts, she feels as though conversation is flowing easily between them. And then he says something and she's forced to remind herself to stay on her toes and watch herself.

"Walking in those fucking heels." He laughs, gesturing once more to her shoes. "You're five drinks in."

"Six." Kate mutters, then laughs as she actually catches him counting on his fingers. "I was nervous. Had a shot of vodka before I left." She admits.

"And I always pegged you as a lightweight." 2Dads muses, then catches himself. "No offense. You just never had more than a few wines with us. And you're walking with perfect coordination. I mean, I'm okay. Just... very consciously placing my feet."

"Just because you've never seen me drunk, doesn't mean it's never happened." Kate points out. "Just not around the crew. I mean, can you imagine the talk if I was walking around smashed while RO stole a golf buggy and Buff got XO tattooed on his back?"

"Buff got what?!" He actually stops so suddenly Kate walks into him, and has to grab a fistful of his sleeve to stop herself falling.

"Mind you," She adds pointedly. "If you knock me down flat, I might not be walking anywhere."

"Sorry, sorry." He considers for a moment, then points at her. "Okay, you're the expert on takeaway. Your pick. And on the way, you're telling me that story."

---

After their shared drinks and spontaneous trip to the grass, Kate had been sure that she'd look a mess, but in the harsh fluorescent lights of the takeaway, she'd been able to look at her reflection in the smooth metal of the exhaust fan. She still looked fairly put together, although her hair had blown around slightly in the wind. She fixes it roughly with her hands, then just as quickly drops her hands to her side once more. Is she fixing it for herself, or for 2Dads? He'd been amazed about Buffer and Spider's tattoo trick, and even more surprised that Kate hadn't killed them both, even in amongst the Hammersley and its bomb threat. 'If that was me, I'd still be sleeping with one eye opened'

It's too warm to be comfortable in the chip shop, and she suddenly becomes aware just how severely overdressed they both are for the setting. Rory had recognised her as she'd walked in, from his usual spot from behind the fryer, grinning his toothy grin. Kate takes the lead, walking up to him and leaning against the counter. Still smiling, he wolf whistled loudly. "Hey, Mrs Kate! You look good! Red your colour! I get your usual, yes! What your man want?"

2Dads looks alarmed, both at the familiarity between Kate and the elderly man, and maybe fear at how Kate will respond to the 'your man' comment. Kate laughs though, used to Rory's antics. "Oh, come on, Rory! You know you're the only man for me!" She laughs. Rory is easily seventy, and he and his husband live above the shop. She doesn't bother to tell 2Dads this. He's still staring at her as though she's grown an extra head, and for a moment she wonders whether the drinks had gotten to him. "2Dads? What do you want?"

"You... you said this was a chip shop?" He looks to her, a puzzled expression across his face. There was no real menu, just pictures of the different toppings, and 2Dads looks even more bewildered as he looks between Kate, the board, and Rory.

"Yeah." Kate can't help but roll her eyes. This was a chip shop. "I meant, what toppings?"

"Toppings?"

"Yeah." When 2Dads still looks confused, Kate looks aghast. "Don't tell me you've never been here before! Rory makes the best chips." She winks at Rory, directing her last few words to him instead. "And I can't get enough of the man."

2Dads shrugs apologetically, tugging at the collar of his button up for a moment. "Um... I don't often have takeaway. Especially shops hidden in back alleys."

Most people in her position might recognise that they probably spend a little too much time exploring the takeaway shops of Cairns. But then Kate isn't most people. "They're loaded chips." She explains, pointing to the board. "Look. Curry sauce, mushy peas, bacon, salt and vinegar-"

"No. Just chips." He's still looking at her as though Kate's suggested they eat the damned potatoes raw.

"You want naked chips?" Kate repeats. "No! You need one of Rory's sauces!"

"I don't like it when the chips go soggy." 2Dads protests, and although he looks as though he's trying to maintain his dignity, Kate can't help but associate him with a toddler telling his mother he'd only eat dinosaur shaped nuggets. Before they'd come in here, Kate had took his confusion about her eating habits with a grain of salt. She'd imagined he'd probably cook the same amount as her. Zero. Now he looks seriously confused. "I never put sauce on them. I mean, occasionally I'll chuck some dead horse on, but-" He trails off.

"Rory, just plain for him, please!" Kate cuts across him, because he's starting to look seriously apologetic, and she feels kind of bad at teasing him. Rory makes an odd sound, but carries on with the order, and Kate busies herself grabbing her card from her clutch. 2Dads recovers quickly, grabbing at her wrist.

"No. I said I'd pay." He argues, waving away her card.

Kate pulls a face. "I can pay for a meal! You paid for all the drinks. Let me grab this."

"No!" He taps his card against the reader before she can stop him. "My mother taught me better than to let a woman pay for her own meal. And now I actually have more than two digits in my bank account I can stop disappointing her." He catches Kate's crossed arms and irritated expression, and repeats what seems to be fast becoming their mantra of the evening. "I know this isn't a date," He recites, then peers at her cheekily. "But I pay for all my blondes."

Kate doesn't break eye contact. "I won't hit you if you give me my wrist back." She coos sweetly, and when he looks confused, she nods to the spot where he's still clasping her. He lets go quickly, looking sheepish, and she rolls her eyes. "But okay. Only because I let all my toy-boys pay."

"Again with the toy-boy!" 2Dads scoffs. "You do realise there's probably only about five years between us?" She smiles in spite of herself. He was either being extremely naïve or extremely sweet. She has no idea exactly how old 2Dads is, but she knows he can't be older than thirty.

They take their food, Kate bidding farewell to Rory, and make their way to a table outside, away from the heat and the grease. The bats are still squawking in the background, the table wobbly and the metal chair hard, but Kate feels at ease in a way that's at odds with her physical environment. She'd never considered it was possible to feel so comfortable with 2Dads of all people, and she supposes that was to her detriment. How much had she missed out on, dismissing him and his antics as childish, while they were posted together? Whenever they were all on shore leave, more often than not Mike would cajole her away from the crew and into some other, quiet bar, assuming without asking that she wanted a quieter atmosphere. Most of the time she did. But it still would have been nice to have been consulted. To not feel like a dirty little secret hidden away across town. And, yes, part of her had wanted to spend time with the crew, to not be known as the cold XO. Nav, Buffer, Dutchy; they'd all managed to maintain an air of authority while still having fun with the crew. She'd never been any good at that. Never really had the chance. Now she was CO, it was something she was trying to do more and more. After all, how could her crew trust her, when they didn't really know her?

They eat in silence for a bit - 2Dads with his plain chips and Kate with her curry sauce topped ones - until 2Dads voices a question. "So, I've got to ask..." He waits until Kate has looked up before continuing. "...what did Tim- I mean, Cassidy - say about me that made you want to date me?" He looks innocently curious, but the flash in his eyes tells Kate that his syntax of yous and mes was deliberately designed to trip her up.

"He said you'd pay for everything." Kate replies automatically, turning back to his chips. "And that you had a very extreme shoe fetish and I figured... well, I buy them all the time and can't exactly wear them onboard." She takes another handful of chips before meeting 2Dads' eyes.

And, oh God, is she flirting with 2Dads? No. No, they were just teasing. Just chatting.

Yeah, bullshit, Kate. You're flirting. For fucks' sake. She hates that in her head she's trying to calculate the difference in their age properly. Eleven years? Twelve? It had to be at least that.

"Well, he wasn't wrong about that." But he keeps looking expectantly up against her, and she realises it's harder to be honest with him than it is to keep playing this game. Is it a game? Sometimes it seems as though they're scoring invisible points against one another. And other times... "Come on! But seriously?" He calls her back to the conversation. "Seven foot Greek God? Personal cook? Dynamite in bed?"

And now he's put those images in her head, and she's trying so hard not to think about him like that. No. 2Dads was just teasing. They were being friendly, kind. There was no way she was even going to consider sleeping with 2Dads. "Um... I don't remember exactly." She sees 2Dads' shoulders deflate a little and hates herself.

"Oh."

They lapse into silence for a moment, eating, but she can see she's hurt him slightly. He'd been so open with her. So lovely, and now she was letting her own perverse intrusive thoughts get in the way of him receiving that same openness and kindness. "Actually, that's bullshit." She corrects suddenly, and he jerks his head up, looking slightly puzzled. "I remember. I just..." She doesn't know how to finish the sentence. She wants to express her fears that she's not sure where this line of friendly banter crossed into casual flirting. Or maybe that his description of her had made her feel more seen than she had in years, and that had been terrifying. Abandoning her dinner, Kate picks up a napkin and begins twisting it in her hands. "Cassidy said... he knew a guy with a heart of gold. A guy that had... had made some mistakes in his life but was happy with where he was now. That he loved to help people, all the time. And that he had a sense of humour. Someone to make you laugh even on your darkest days." She forces herself to look at 2Dads, and smiles softly. "And I think he was pretty on the mark, too."

2Dads is silent for a little bit longer, and then he simply murmurs, "Thanks, X."

They're both looking at each other, and Kate's head is a swirling mess of uncertainty. Because she can't deny that tonight has ignited something that, 24 hours earlier, she never would have even considered. He's confusing her, maybe because she's never really gotten to know him on a personal level, and maybe because they've both changed. But despite everything her head is screaming at her, she's not ready for this night to end. The sincerity in his gaze, the intensity of it too, are something she's not familiar with, and it's unsettling.

Nervous energy fuels her dry sense of humour, and she adds, "And he said he's not plotting to kill people. Which given my history is... a bonus."

The tension in the air breaks as 2Dads chuckles. "Yeah, I have heard that about you." He finishes his chips and crumples his wrapper, tossing it at her. She catches it easily and lobs it back at him, even as he tuts sarcastically. "Some girls just take that whole bad boy kink to a whole new level."

"Yeah, I suppose I do need to rethink my type. Ideally someone who won't shoot me." Kate muses, finishing her own food.

"Always a positive, I suppose." 2Dads agrees.

Kate busies herself with wiping her hands on a serviette, before quickly checking the time on her phone. It's nearing 2100 hours - not drastically late, but late considering this wasn't a date. She knows that they both need to go, knows she needs to go before she says or does something stupid. Call it a pleasant evening and leave. After all, he'd have better things to do, surely, on a Friday night, and she's already stupidly spilled so much to him. But then 2Dads opens his mouth and speaks, and Kate finds she's turning back to him hopefully.

"Look," He begins tentatively, wiping his own hands on a napkin too. "If you're done for the night, I'll call you a cab. But I'm having fun just... hanging out with you. So if you want," He pauses, and Kate can tell by his tone of voice he's doing it purely for dramatic effect. "I'm prepared to take you somewhere awesome."

She hates how desperate she feels as the corners of her mouth twitch. Hates that she immediately knows she'll accept the proposal. Hates that hanging out with him has probably been the highlight of her month. "Where would you take me?"

"Always the planner, aren't you?" He muses with a smile, rising from his seat and folding his arms across his chest. "Come on, X. Let go of your control a little. You're always making the decisions, playing by the rule book. Let the junior steer the ship for a bit, okay?" He seems to contemplate his words for a moment before deciding. "Think... awesomely stupid?"

Kate's mind tosses over a dozen or so places he might consider taking her. "Stupid how?" She presses.

"Stupid stop trying to work it out in your head, you'll have to trust me and come along for the ride." He deadpans, pulling a face. "You do have control issues, you know?"

Kate shakes her head but otherwise chooses not to acknowledge 2Dads' observation, instead focusing on his earlier description. "Sounds ominous." Kate considers him for a moment, tapping her thumbnail against her bottom lip. "Awesomely stupid fun..." She repeats, making a show of considering even though she knows damn well she'll go. "Okay. Lead the way."

---

It's lights and music and sound, all around encompassing. With anyone else, she'd feel out of place, but 2Dads quickly weaves in amongst people and she's able to keep up until they find a quieter corner. She has to speak slightly louder to be heard over the clinking and clanking, but she can't deny he has taken her somewhere full of awesomely stupid fun.

"Only you would bring me to an arcade." She quips as he grabs a card from his wallet. She glances down at it, wondering if he's about to drop more money, and this time she's prepared to fight him on it. He hasn't let her pay a single cent all night, and she wants to at least give him something to cover the cost of her food and drinks, let alone whatever else he's about to spend here. But a moment later she sees the logo on the card. "And only you would have a game card."

"Funny." He laughs, checking something on his phone. "I guess I'm not doing my assertions I've matured any good." He finishes whatever he's doing on his phone and pockets it again, smiling as he takes in her expression. "Now I'm ashore I get more of a chance to see my family. Between my three sisters I've got five nieces and a nephew. We go different places but as a treat, I like to bring them here. Lets me be a kid and they have fun. It's win-win. So..." He holds his arms out wide. "The arcade is your oyster! Your pick for first game. See if you can beat my high scores." He adds the challenge mischievously, and she decides in that moment that she's in it to win it. However the only game she's ever really played is the claw machines - a tradition she'd started with a few of her mates at ADFA and had discovered she was quite good at.

But she can't immediately see anything that resembles it, and after a few more moments of trying desperately to find something she's familiar with, 2Dads' eyes narrow. "You've never been to an arcade before, have you?" He accuses. Kate whips around to face him, not sure whether he's about to start laughing or something. After a moment, though, she shakes her head simply, and he nods without further comment. "Alright then," 2Dads scans the room at large, considering carefully in a manner that Kate would have associated with Naval operations, rather than a gaming arcade. "Alright. You ever heard of Whack 'a' Mole? Where you have to hit-" He sees her nod. "Okay. This one is like that. Except you hit each one but the red one. They change colours, but you've got good reflexes. It just might take you a few seconds to get your bearings. But you should be fine."

"Got it. Actually, wait." She sees he hasn't yet swiped the card, and she digs in her clutch for a hair tie. She leans forwards for a moment, so that her hair falls forwards with gravity, before scooping it into a ponytail and straightening back up. When she sees him looking, she rolls her eyes. "Hey, I just want to make sure I'm not at a disadvantage because my hair is out. Alright?"

Her nerves at the game must be coming out as defensiveness again, because he holds both his hands up in mock surrender. She's about to apologise when he waves it away, gesturing towards her. "Actually, I was looking at your earrings. They're nice. You're quite coordinated tonight."

She can't quite tell if he's being serious or not. "Thanks you?" She settles on, fingering the red stone earrings.

---

Five minutes later, and Kate is well aware 2Dads is smirking at her, but she doesn't let herself look at him, loathe as she is to break her concentration. He calls out pointers of where to hit, and she in turn tries to converse with him, although her words are interspersed with many thwacks from the hammer and cries of frustration or surprise from her mouth. "Okay, this is - gah - oddly therapeutic!" Kate concedes as she bashes the absolute life out of the poor animated creatures. "Die, you bastards." She adds. "Damn." She accidentally hits one of the red ones and curses under her breath as the machine makes an angry sound. "But serio- ah - sly. If you could - could make these - bah - with your - exes - balls -"

"Exes balls?" 2Dads repeats from behind her.

She's still focused on the game, but she can hear the amusement in 2Dads' voice. And, hell, she knows she must look like quite the spectacle, all dressed up and beating the shit out of plastic moles. With anyone else, she might have felt self-conscious, but with 2Dads... well, something in him told her it was okay to just be herself. "Balls was the exclamation! Exes face! It'd be - grr - a money spinner!"

She can't see 2Dads, but she can hear him let out a low whistle beside her. "Alright, putting the hammer into Hammersley." He muses appreciatively. "Seriously, no one would have fucked with you if they'd seen you like this. Crew or criminal."

Kate lets out a snort of laughter, but keeps her focus on the game, whacking a few more creatures. "You're telling me - gah - all I had to do was - bah - wave a mallet around?"

"Well, would have made me think twice a few times, at least." 2Dads reasons. There's another noise, like an electronic representation of water going down the plug hole, and Kate frowns.

"What'd I do?"

2Dads laughs and moves into her line of sight again. He'd claimed at the beginning that he'd stepped back for fear of life, and even now, he's holding his hands up in mock surrender. She moves to hit the console again, but he reaches out and snatches her wrist quickly. "Careful! I've seen this episode of Tom and Jerry and it doesn't bode well for me!" He waits until Kate has stilled before nodding at the game board. "Lights off means game is over!"

"Oh." For a moment they both stand there, her malleted arm in mid air while 2Dads holds it steady. Then, like at the takeaway, he seems to register what he's doing, and he lets her go. Kate gives one final whack to the console in general before turning to him. To say she'd enjoyed that would have been an understatement. She hadn't done anything in years that was that pointlessly fun. There are numbers flashing upon the screen, but Kate doesn't really have a control experiment to relate it to. She turns to 2Dads, raising an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Well, I think if the Navy doesn't work out, you've definitely got a career in pest control." He supplies, a smirk on his face. "I'm just imagining you finding... I don't know... a cockroach or spider or something at your place. You know, crushing it and leaving its carcass as a message to the other creatures."

Kate considers his words for a moment, tipping her head backwards and forwards in thought. "Yeah, I do that with men too." She quips, before catching his eye and smirking. "Are you going to have a go?" She leans forwards and scoops up her clutch from the spot on the console she'd left it, before pivoting to face him.

2Dads shakes his head. "Oh, there's no way I could beat that." He nods to her, before scanning the other games around. "But I have another idea. You know... seeing as you're apparently a ball of rage." He adopts a mock concerned look. "I hope it's not because you're stuck with me."

"Oh, please. Like you could make me do anything I didn't want to do." She mutters, undoing her clutch for a moment and checking her phone. There's an unread message from Charge and, with some hesitation she opens it, before rolling her eyes. She turns the phone around and shows 2Dads, a pained expression on her face. "This! This is what I mean. I mean, surely he can realise at least some of this can be misconstrued."

2Dads leans closer and reads aloud. "Weather doing wonders 4 my [chilli emoji] [chilli emoji] [chilli-] yeah, okay, I see what you mean. I'll talk to him tomorrow." He promises, scrolling up in the conversation for a moment and snorting with laughter. "Geez, if I didn't know he was genuinely oblivious, I would have him seriously pegged as a dirty old man." He lets out a dry chuckle and hands her the phone back. "All because of a damn tomato plant. Geez, if I sent you that, you'd have me up on harassment."

"Maybe." She says before she can stop herself. Then she registers what she's said and the cockily surprised look upon 2Dads' face and hastens to add. "I just mean, I can't really have you charged, can I? You're not in the Navy."

"Of course that's what you meant." 2Dads humours her, not looking away. "I'll keep your number in mind then, if I get lonely on business."

"That's not what I meant." Kate tries to keep a straight face, but the look on his face has her lose composure.

2Dads holds his hands up. "Hey, no shame in it. I know I'm irresistible. Electronics isn't the only thing I specialise in." Kate scoffs, tapping her thumbnail against her bottom lip again. "And I'll make sure to put your number on my favourites list so you can get past my Do Not Disturb setting. You know, for when you get lonely."

Kate presses a hand to her heart and mockingly sighs. "Wow. That... that really means a lot to me, Leo." Then she turns her attention back to the room, clapping her hands together. "So, anyway, you were saying where to next?"

"We-ellll." 2Dads stretches the syllable as he waves a hand blindly backwards. "Speaking of physical exertion-"

"Watch yourself." Kate warns, jabbing a finger in his direction. He laughs, before folding his arms across his chest.

"I'm just out here about to suggest Dragon Punch. But, hey, if you had other ideas..." He watches as she tries and fails to maintain her composure.

"Dragon Punch?" She repeats, frowning slightly.

He leads the way to the game called Dragon Punch. The moment she sees it, Kate turns to 2Dads, rolling her eyes, but he speaks before she has the chance to, swiping his card and pulling down a punching bag from the arm of the crane-like machine. "Hey, it's not for points in our little contest, okay? Just..." He swings and punches the bag, red numbers rushing in sequence until settling on the digits 741. He resets the machine and steps back for Kate to have a go. "Just hit it. Have some fun!" He considers her for a moment and adds, "Much like your Whack o' Mole therapy, I've found it helps to imagine someone you don't like."

"Do I get a mallet?" Kate blinks at him sweetly.

"We'll try without weapons first?" He suggests lightly. "There are still kiddies around. Best not to traumatise them with grievous bodily harm this early in the night."

Kate heaves a heavy sigh and turns to face the punching bag with a look of concentration. She knows how to hit; she's been doing taekwondo since she was in the academy, but there's something in doing it in front of 2Dads that's making her unreasonably nervous. "You good, X?"

Kate doesn't answer. Taking a deep breath, she puts her weight behind a single punch to the bag, then moves back to watch as the numbers rush by in sequence once more. 719. She hadn't scored as high as 2Dads, but then she hadn't really expected to, being smaller than him, and he whistles as he takes in her score. "Yeah, okay. I'm staying on your good side from now on." He eyes her suspiciously. "You weren't thinking about me, were you?"

"Ha." Kate laughs but doesn't elaborate, enjoying the confused look on his face. She's not imagining anyone in particular, per se. But she can't deny she's missing the actions of undergoing boardings, being the CO, and it was nice to burn energy without an end goal in mind. "Alright. What's next?"

Some of these games are bigger than Kate had thought they'd be - giant dance floors, large racing simulators, and giant basketball hoops caged in. The whole place is a twinkling palace of lights and music and activity, and she finds herself twisting her head this way and that to try and get a look at everything. "What about this?" 2Dads suggests mildly as they stop next to the basketball cages. "I mean, you seem kind of sporty?" His voice rises at the end of his comment, turning it into a question as Kate frowns at him.

"2Dads, ah..." She waves a hand briefly over her frame. "You've seen how tall I am. No one ever wasted their time teaching me basketball."

2Dads sniggers. "I don't know. They've got those blow up ones with the plastic balls... about yay big-" He indicates thigh height. "Might be more your- shit!" He easily dodges Kate's whack to the arm, grinning cheekily. "Geez! Toffee! Toffee!"

Kate throws a questioning hand in the air. "What the hell is toffee?!"

2Dads tips an enormous wink her way. "It's my safety word. So, you know..." He moves forwards to inspect the game, talking over his shoulder. "Keep that one in the memory bank." Kate rolls her eyes just in time for him to twist around once more. "You right if I play a game?"

"Yeah, go for it." Kate moves back to give him a little more room, leaning against the netting of the next game over as she watches. "Come on. Impress me with your basketball prowess."

"Hey, I didn't heckle you." 2Dads calls back as several large basketballs drop into the chute next to his arm. "Mostly cos I feared for my life, but still..." He takes one, his eyes fixed on the hoops.

Kate grins, shifting slightly to get a better view. She's not sure whether he's actually bad at the game, or whether it's because he's showing off, trying to spin the ball on his finger or curve it into the net. Either way, it makes her smile as he calls out a different phrase each time ("Kobe!" "This is the one, baby!" "Do it for the Navy!" "For Charge's growing cucumbers!") and by the end of his game she's unable to hold her laughter in anymore, giggling as she weaves the fingers of one hand into the netting she's leaning on.

"Have the last shot." He offers, holding out the ball in her direction. "Come on. They're nowhere near as tall as a real hoop, and I know you understand how to play, even if you haven't. I'll just end up missing anyway. Might as well have your first go." She eyes him suspiciously for a moment, but pushes off from the netting nonetheless and takes the ball.

"Can you hold this, then?" She asks, holding out her clutch. He takes it, an expression between curiosity and amusement on his face as he turns it over in his hands for a moment. "What?!" She challenges.

"For some reason I'm picturing you on a boarding trying to fit your Browning in there."

"Hmm... yeah, might not do me much good at sea." Kate agrees. "Alright, is there a better hoop to aim for?"

"I mean... I haven't gotten a single one in, so your guess is as good as mine." Kate concedes he's probably got a point, and turns back to the game. She can't deny it. There is a part of her that so badly wants to make this - what do they call it in basketball? A try? A goal? A net? - Regardless, she wants to make this just for the opportunity to tease 2Dads and see him grin back at her. From the corner of her eye she can see him, having taken up her spot leaning against the net. Watching.

Kate raises the ball in her hands above her head and throws it. It bounces off the net and misses, and the lights signal the end of their turn. She swivels back around to face 2Dads, leaning oh-so-casually against the net. He gives her a sympathetic shrug, holding out her clutch so she can take it back, before standing up straight himself. "Well, that's told me one thing." Kate muses as she jabs a thumb at the game.

"What's that?"

Kate smiles slyly at 2Dads. "That basketball isn't destined to be my passion project."

They fall into step again, occasionally watching someone play a game and commenting on whether or not they wanted a turn. As they round another row of games, 2Dads starts up conversation again. "You know, I always pictured you being super sporty in school. In... I don't know... a netball uniform or something?" Kate stops and turns around to face him, hands on her hips, and he quickly back peddles. "Not that I picture you in uniforms. I didn't mean it like that. I just-" He narrows his eyes. "Hey, the XO glare doesn't work when you're not my XO anymore."

Kate rolls her own eyes, but can't help but find amusement in the situation all the same. "Doesn't stop you calling me X." She points out. "And as for sports, no. My school's sports program was... what you might call basic."

"How basic is basic?" 2Dads asks in interest.

Kate tips her head in thought. "Essentially non-existent?" She proposes, then elaborates as she sees 2Dads' confused expression. "Well, kids kept breaking into the sports cupboard. I think by the time I was finishing school there were three traffic cones, one flat football and five warped hoola hoops."

Kate slows to watch another guy playing some sort of space-themed game for a moment, and 2Dads moves so he's in her eyeline once more. "So... what'd you guys do for sports?"

"Um..." Kate thinks back to her high school years, a time she'd usually try to forget. "If we weren't doing sex ed or studying food pyramids? We basically did a lot of stuff they could do without equipment. Um... uh, dancing. You know... 'Bus Stop', 'Macarena', '5, 6, 7, 8', all that crap. We did yoga? And one of the teachers was trained in karate so we did a bit of that. Ship, Shore, River. What else?" She thinks. "Look, really nothing fun. We'd usually just run laps of the oval. And there was a swimming pool across the road, so there was that too."

2Dads looks completely taken aback at Kate's description of her school, eyes wide. "So you didn't play sport at all?"

Kate blows a strand of hair from her face. "Well, if the boys in the park were short on a team they'd let me play foot- I mean, soccer with them." She sees him looking. She won't lie that part of her is still bitter about that blatant exclusion. "And I loved playing that. But generally the rule was no girls unless they needed it."

"That sucks." He muses, then pauses for a moment to consider what she's said. "What's Ship, Shore, River?"

"Oh, it's riveting stuff, I tell you." Kate muses dryly, then explains. "Umm, basically the middle of the hall was Ship, one end was Shore, and the other River. And some bored teacher would be doing their marking or whatever and calling out different areas of the hall and we'd have to run to it. In primary school they add other stuff. You know, 'Scrub the Deck' where you mime polishing the floor and... other stuff. But it gets old fast. Especially when it's a bunch of fourteen year olds." She shrugs. "So what sports did you have in your fancy private school?" She teases, bumping him lightly with her shoulder. The thought of dwelling on that town is depressing and she's curious to hear about the 2Dads before she knew him.

He frowns. "How do you know I went to private school?"

"Ummm..." Kate hesitates for a moment, then reasons that she can't exactly hide the truth. Plus, she'd done nothing wrong. It had been her job. "I was your superior officer. I've read your file."

For a moment, 2Dads' eyes widen. Then he groans and drops his head into his hands for a moment. "You're kidding! So you know all the... all the dumb shit I used to get up to?" Kate flashes a sympathetic expression and he curses under his breath. "Shit." Then he looks up, alarmed. "When all that happened-"

"You were younger." Kate finishes his sentence before he can. "You made some decisions, and you've worked hard to overcome them."

"Well, that's a very generous way of looking at it." He mutters under his breath.

"It's the only way to look at it." Kate argues. "So... come on. Tell me what sports you had."

"Umm..." 2Dads looks, if possible, even more embarrassed, a faint flush rising in his cheeks. "I guess, Soccer, Footy, AFL, Austag, Cricket, Baseball, T-ball, Lacrosse-" He's not making eye contact as he lists the names, perhaps out of some mindset of respect towards Kate and her recently disclosed sports history.

"Lacrosse? Geez, you were posh. My classmates would have hung you up the tree." Kate muses dryly, but she's smiling nonetheless.

He frowns. "Isn't the expression 'Up the Flagpole?'"

Kate tips her head. "Yeah." She agrees. "But we didn't have a flagpole." She stops at a box with zombies and guns on the front. Pulling back the curtain, she sees the bus seat, the weapons and the demo playing. "Why is it always zombies? Anyway, can we do this one? I can shoot." 2Dads gestures royally, as though they're entering a horse and carriage instead of a dark game area. Inspecting the gun, Kate shakes her head. "It's not even designed as an existing weapon. It's a hodgepodge. Wonder how well it's calibrated..."

"You sound like Robert." 2Dads points out, sliding in beside her. And she suddenly realises a dark area where her leg is pressed against his probably wasn't the best choice. For a moment she has the wild urge to straddle him and kiss him hard. But then she gets a hold of herself. "Well, I doubt you can sharp shoot with it, but you'll definitely hit a few zombies. You ready?"

---

"Forgive me for noticing, but your choices have been on the violent side." He fakes looking at her more closely, like a mother might fuss over a small child. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I don't need a shrink if that's what you're asking." She assures him. After the zombies, she'd been content to lean against the next game over and watch as 2Dads tries (and fails) to follow along to a song on a large musical piano, and then another where he has to cross some chicken along a seemingly never-ending road,. "It's just good to... burn energy away from work." 2Dads looks over his shoulder to flash her a smirk, causing his chicken to be run over, and Kate realises how he's teasing her for her choice of wording. And also, too late, how her leaning over is giving him a direct eyeline down the top of her dress. "I meant," Kate continues, straightening up quickly, "I'm stuck on the ship. No RHIB rides, no boardings, no shore parties..."

2Dads rises, his game finished and moves to stand opposite Kate. "You clawing the walls?"

"A bit." She concedes, moving once more with him. "I know how to shoot and I know how to hit and... I don't know, doing that in some fun way... yeah, I probably have been gravitating towards them."

"It's only normal to miss it." 2Dads shrugs, slowing slightly as he examines a Simpsons themed game for a moment. "My first few weeks after I put my papers in, I used to catch the Daintree ferry backwards and forwards every day, just because I missed being on the water. And it's not nearly the same thing."

Kate considers his words, imagining him for a moment, alone, catching a ferry backwards and forwards. She feels sorry for him as the mental image floods her mind, but then, he doesn't seem too upset about it. "It's just... I feel like I'm stuck behind a desk that's floating. I miss the action." She stretches her arms above her for a moment, before letting them fall back to her side. Then she gives a dry laugh and gestures around at the arcade in general. "And I don't really know how to play all these other games. The only games I know are solitaire and sudoku."

2Dads rolls his eyes at her, shaking his head lightly. "Well, that's why I brought you here. To teach you. And... I don't care if you don't win. And I'm not judging." He pulls her to one of the games, megastacker. "Look, forget what I said about us competing. That was just me being stupid. Here! Okay, these squares are going to go left to right and back again. They get smaller and smaller each time, and faster too. You have to keep the tower going to the top. You press this button here and try and build a tower."

"Okay." She's still uncertain. "You pick stuff you like too, though."

"I have been. And I'm totally battling you on a racing game. And thrashing you at air hockey. But first..." He swipes the card and hits go, and Kate turns her concentration to the game.

She manages the first six blocks, then curses as the seventh fails. However, 2Dads just shakes his head, waving an angry fist at it as they walk away. "I tell you, that machine is my enemy. It exists only to tempt me. ! can never win anything from it. Or win anything out of any claw machine either, really. But then, no one can."

"They have claw machines here?!" Kate turns to face him, excited at last to have something she knows how to do.

2Dads looks puzzled at her sudden enthusiasm, but nods and gestures towards the back wall. "They're up here." He leads the way towards the back wall. Kate had only been expecting a couple of machines, four at most, but is amazed at the dozen or so machines all in a line.

"Whoa." She whistles in appreciation, taking them all in. Teddies and lollies and footballs and other animals, all in different machines. "There's so many of them!" She spins around and faces 2Dads once more. It feels almost like she's begging an adult for pocket money. "Can I have a go? Please?"

2Dads has his half-amused, half puzzled expression again. "You want a turn of these?" He glances at the claw machines before turning back. "After I just said..." Then he stops himself, leaning back against one of the claw machines and peering at her with a cocky expression. "Oh. No, I get it."

"Get what?!" She channels everything into frustrated questioning, because she doesn't want to allow time for the other thoughts to enter. The ones admiring just how desirable he looked at that moment.

He captures his bottom lip with his teeth for a moment, before nodding at her. "I say no one can ever win them, and so you've got to come and prove everyone wrong-"

"No!"

"You're too competitive for your own good, you know that?" He accuses, pushing off the machine and taking a step closer to her. "And someday, someone might use that against you."

She sees the smirk on his face, and knows he's using his body to his own advantage. Standing just close enough to touch and damn near undressing her with his eyes. She can't help but match his gaze, and she has a brief recollection, years ago, of 2Dads and Dutchy discussing it. Eye fucking. "Well," She begins delicately, "today, are you going to let me have a turn?" Kate keeps her voice low. "Or are you just going to look at me?"

He smiles softly, holding out the card for her to take without breaking eye contact. She takes it, meeting his gaze determinately until he eventually breaks eye contact first. Kate feels a slight sense of pride at winning the staring contest. Pride that, really in the grand scheme of things, means nothing. Even so, it's with a satisfied smile that Kate turns to the various claw machines.

She spends time examining each machine as she taps the card against her chin, thinking strategically about which machine to pick. After a while 2Dads asks, slightly bemused, "You're not going for the giant one?" He points to a machine with some sort of unicorn toy the size of cushions, but she shakes her head, eyes flicking back to the machine she had been inspecting.

"No, see how tightly they're packed? It makes it harder to extract just one - they weigh each other down. And it's also four pronged. It doesn't grip as well. Threes are better." Kate's not looking at him as she speaks, instead still bending down to examine how the machines are stacked.

"What? There's a science to it?" 2Dads frowns.

"There's a science to everything." Kate laughs. She straightens up and spins around. Maybe it's her imagination, but she has the impression 2Dads' eyes had just moved extremely quickly to look her in the eye. For a moment they both look at each other. And then Kate clears her throat. "Um... see this machine, stuffed tall? Shows not much luck on the toy front. Where as this one..." She stops, and doesn't see 2Dads borderline perplexed, half laughing as she studies each angle.

"Okay, how do you even learn this stuff? I can't see you just randomly trying a claw machine."

Kate snorts with laughter, twisting around to look at him. "Uh, at Watsons. Was at the pub with a group of mates and... probably drank more than I should have. Anyway, me and a friend ended up at those... you know the chocolate machine ones?" She waits for him to nod and then continues. "Anyway, we cleaned up. I'm talking... we probably put twenty bucks in between us and had this huge pile of chocolate. Next to it was one of the bear ones and... there was this one little one with this tiny leather jacket. And I was determined to win it."

"Determined? That doesn't sound like you." 2Dads teases. "You're normally such a cruisy, passive woman." His smirk is splitting his face as he leans cockily against one of the machines again, arms folded as he watches. She rolls her eyes and he adds, "Keep going. I like imagining you going head to head with a claw machine. How long did it take you? I can imagine you stubbornly staying there 'til closing, telling the workers you decide when they're closing, not them."

Kate scoffs, crouching down again to get a better look at another machine's contents. "You have such a narrow opinion of me, Leo. A girl could get insulted."

"Hey, I like a woman that goes after what she wants. Even if she is infuriatingly stubborn sometimes." She doesn't turn around, but she spies him in the mirrored backing of one of the machines. He meets her gaze in the reflection and raises an eyebrow cockily at her. "You going to check their maintenance records next?"

"Hey, you rush into a fire, you get burned." She quips.

"Well, sometimes you've got to chase after what you want. Sometimes it pays to embrace the wildfire and the heat of the moment." She looks up at him again in the reflection, and finds herself thinking, dangerously, of what it would be like to fall into bed with him. She has no doubt sex between them would be hot, dirty and passionate. She's already damp with wanting, and she longs to kiss the stupid cocky grin from his face. Except that she knows she won't. Knows she can't.

"To answer your question..." She pulls the subject away from the dangerous territory it had strayed, "getting the bear only took me six goes. Won some other pink bear in a frilly tutu first try and Finn - uh, my partner in crime at the claw machine - said I should call it. But I was determined. I wanted my little bikie bear."

He laughs at the expression on her face. "Well, I guess I stand corrected. I just can't imagine you getting so hung up on a bear."

Kate shrugs, turning back to the machines and peering down the side of one to calculate her odds, speaking slightly distractedly. "Well, I never had... dolls or bears or anything growing up. But I saw him and knew he was mine. He and his ballerina sit in the back of my car, or they did until I got a hatchback. Now they're on my windowsill." She glances once more into the mirror to catch his expression, and sees that he looks slightly conflicted, frowning at her.

"You... you never had a bear growing up?" All cockiness is gone now. He's looking at her as if she'd just told him she was sold to the circus as a child. "Not one?"

Kate realises her mistake too late as she shifts slightly on her heels. "Uh... let's just say mother wasn't exactly the buy your kids teddies or dolls type of woman." She settles on. He opens his mouth to say something else, but she quickly changes the subject, slapping a palm against the glass of one of the machines. "Alright. This one." She looks in amongst each brightly coloured zoo animal, trying to assess which is best to try and grab.

"Are you... are you going?" 2Dads asks after a moment.

"I will." Kate doesn't take her eyes off the toys. "I've got to figure out..." A smile adorns her face as she spies the creature she wants. "Perfect." She murmurs to herself, before swiping the card and taking control of the joystick.

It's a thirty second timer, and she spends the first twenty ensuring she's in the right spot. For the most part she ignores 2Dads' backseat driving, focusing on the toy she had picked and adjusting it ever so slightly. "It's going to go off soon." 2Dads points out, but Kate ignores him. Satisfied with the spot, she drops the claw and, a moment later, is clutching a lurid pink stuffed toy monkey.

"I can't believe you won yourself a monkey." 2Dads is shaking his head in disbelief. "Okay, I take it back. You might be the only one that can do that. It might have been witchcraft which I wouldn't entirely rule out against you but you've got yourself a little monkey. What's its name?"

"He's not mine." Kate brushes the monkey's head affectionately with a thumb, before moving forwards to 2Dads. It's one of the monkeys that Velcro around the neck and secure together. Reaching up, Kate wraps the monkey around his neck and secures it at the back, her hand ever so briefly pressing against his neck. It would be so easy to just kiss him now. He's close enough. But she forces herself to pull back and looks at him, admiring her handiwork.

Yeah. Could have just handed it to him, Kate.

"Seriously?!" 2Dads swivels the monkey around so he can see its face better, peering at it closely.

"Yeah, seriously!" Kate can't keep the enthusiasm and laughter from her voice, especially as 2Dads is looking at her like she's just handed him a kidney. "Who else would I pick a monkey for?"

"What?" 2Dads stares at the monkey for a moment, and then seems to understand. "Oh, funny!" He too brushes a thumb against the monkey's head, before looking at Kate. "Although, not as funny as your face when it fell from the ceiling."

"Well, oddly enough, a primate on a patrol boat wasn't really where I'd thought that day was going." She points out.

"Nice alliteration." He muses. "And thank you." He beams at his monkey for a moment, turning it this way and that.

"What are you doing?"

"He has to have a name, doesn't he?" 2Dads splutters, as though she'd just asked him something completely obvious. He continues to admire the monkey from the varied angles for another few moments, before his face lights up. "Oh, and I've just thought of a pearler of a name!"

She feels a mixture of amusement and anxiety as she waits for him to continue. When he doesn't, she finds her apprehension is growing, "Dare I ask what? Am I going to regret this decision?" She clicks her fingers in mock regret. "Should have gone for the meerkat."

2Dads isn't listening, however. He's still staring at the monkey, looking as though he's just had an epiphany. "Ho-ly shit! I am an actual genius!"

"What?!" Kate can't help but laugh at his expression akin to having just solved world hunger. "Just tell me the name, 2Dads!"

"You know, you're demanding again." He teases, before turning the monkey around so it's looking at Kate. "His name's Titanic."

"What?" Kate frowns, trying to puzzle out the name. On the list of possibilities Kate had considered he might pick, Titanic seemed almost tame. 2Dads, however, is looking as though Christmas and his birthday have come at once as he waits for her to puzzle it out with increasing eagerness. He's actually bopping from side to side, he's so excited as he waits for her to figure it out. After a few moments, Kate shakes her head apologetically. "Aside from the boat reference..." She winces.

"No no no!" 2Dads waves a hand to silence her. "Come on! You smash out all the crosswords in whatever magazine Bird brings on board but you can't figure this out? Just... think about it. Think of our names..."

Kate is so very beyond confused. "Our names?!" She repeats. "What, X and 2Dads?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that's not what's on my birth certificate." His eyes widen deliberately, as though they're trying to scream the solution his mouth will not.

"What are you on about-" The penny drops and she turns to 2Dads with a mixture of humour and exasperation. "Oh, seriously?!"

"It's perfect!" 2Dads protests, waving a hand between them both. "We're Leo and Kate, who met on a boat. What better name than the boat they met on?"

Kate shakes her head. She hadn't really thought about their names in that way before, but has spotted a gaping hole in 2Dads' theory. "You mean, aside from the boat we actually met on?" She sees 2Dads falter slightly, and realises he hadn't considered Hammersley at all as a contender. "Titanic is a very clever name." She concedes, because she knows he had been excited for a while.

"It's damn brilliant is what you mean!" He enthuses and, when Kate laughs, he shrugs and re-secures his fluorescent pink monkey back around his shoulders. "Oh, well. This way, I get to draw you naked."

Kate laughs. "Geez, I didn't read that in the fine print." She shakes her head in mock exasperation. "There's so many rules to giving away monkeys now, I just can't keep up."

---

"I, for one, think I need a rematch." 2Dads tells her seriously as she grins and waves her hands in the air, having just beaten him on the car racing game they'd both sat in. The displays are clunky and old, the pixels on the screen many years out of date, and truth be told if she wasn't wearing heels she might not have been able to reach the peddles.

"I didn't realise it was a competition." She teases, milking the victory, not because it meant anything to her, but because it was worth it to see 2Dads' expression. Truth be told, she'd thought he had her one lap in, but as his driving became more erratic, she'd been able to snatch the victory. Now he looks caught between a mixture of amusement, frustration and something else she can't quite identify. "Anyway, you gave me the chair with the broken roller. I'm stuck way out back. It's essentially akin to me driving down Captain Cook highway but I'm sitting in the backseat!"

Though he chuckles at the imagery, he doesn't seem willing to let go without a fight. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realise the roller was broken when you sat down!" 2Dads protests, before gesturing loosely in her direction. "And anyway, I maintain you distracted me."

She dismisses his words with a wave of her hand, tapping her foot absently on the now defunct accelerator, in time with the music playing. When he still avoids eye contact, Kate adds, "Oh, don't be a sore loser. Just admit I'm the better driver."

He twists his body in his racing chair to better face her, eyes narrowed. "You really like to win, don't you?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Don't you?"

"And which game would that be?" He challenges, looking her dead in the eye.

She hesitates for a moment. She knows he's waiting for her to blink, to back down. For a moment, she's at a loss for words. Maybe because she can't quite articulate in words this other game that they've been playing. At his cocky expression, however, she crosses her own arms, looking him up and down. "Which other game are we playing?"

Shit. Is she flirting with 2Dads?

He looks taken aback for a moment, then makes a show of readjusting the monkey. "Just admit you had a bit of an advantage."

"How would I have distracted you?" Kate frowns, standing up and effectively ending all talk of a rematch. She holds her hands out as though to showcase her lack of weapons, before scooping up her clutch once more. Turning back to him teasingly, she gestures to the seats. "I was out of reach and I didn't touch you."

"Hmm..." 2Dads mutters. "You didn't have to."

"Tell me now, Leo, how exactly I impaired your ability to drive." She realises too late she's gone too far. For a moment he looks almost angry, and takes a step closer. But she knows he won't hurt her, and stands her ground. For a moment she thinks he's going to kiss her. But instead he leans in closer, so close, so that his lips are close to her ear. So close she can smell his aftershave.

"It's very distracting for a toy-boy like me to have you, your legs, in that dress with those shoes, next to me." She gives a sharp intake of breath, but he doesn't stop. "Did you know at the start of the night, you kept tugging the hem of your dress down before you'd sit. You've stopped doing that since we started playing games." He moves back, and even though she knows it's a dangerous game she's playing, she doesn't back away. "Diversionary tactics."

"You think it's my fault you can't win a game because you're too busy looking at my legs?"

He smiles. Looks her up and down in a way that she can't quite interpret. "Well... not just your legs." She's speechless, and he steps back with a smirk. "Just because I can't afford fine art, doesn't mean I can't appreciate it." He settles on, eventually, before walking away, leaving her flustered and confused and flushed all at once.

Yep, she realises, as she registers she's been staring at his arse as he walks away. A dangerous game, indeed.

---

She ducks away to the bathroom, needing a moment to register just what the fuck is going on. Her brain is jumping all over the place, trying to make sense of what had just happened. It was one thing to tease him, to joke around and maybe slide in the odd double ententre. But for some reason 2Dads' clear, unmistakeable comments have upped the stakes. She's not entirely sure what the end result of this game between them is, not even sure when they started trying to score points against each other. But he's just taken it to a whole new level. And it was sending her all over the shop.

She braces her arms against the countertop in the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. She'd agonised for longer than she'd care to admit, in the great before of whatever tonight has been. And while she could appreciate her dress probably was shorter than what she'd wear, the hem just brushing where her fingertips rest upon her legs when she's standing, it wasn't overly provocative. Sure, it dipped down a little (although, admittedly, she didn't really have a whole lot to showcase), but it was nothing extreme. Not on its own, anyway.

No. It was the shoes. The slightly-impractical shoes that, yes, she wouldn't normally wear, but she's been looking for a chance to wear them and they match her dress and...

Yes, okay. She'd thought they made her legs good. Made her dress look sexier and, hey, at her age, she needed that. But she hadn't worn it for 2Dads.

And she wasn't flirting with 2Dads, was she?

She looks down at the countertop and for a moment imagines him in here with her, of him lifting her up onto that countertop, and her legs wrapped around his hips. She's the only one in the bathroom, and she momentarily cranes her neck to see if there's a lock on the bathroom door. Then realises just what she's doing and mentally slaps herself. She's not blind. For years, Kate has lived around good looking, fit and motivated men, and there had always been the odd appreciation for several of the Hammersley crew members and their physical appearance. But it was always in that benign way of casual observation. She never had any feelings for them aside from respect and friendship, never for a second considered anything more than the odd sneaky glance. There was never anything more, never even the remotest consideration for actions beyond a quick look as Buffer worked out on the deck, or Dutchy rocked up on his motorbike.

But this. 2Dads... he's got her so confused she barely knows up from down. Not just your legs. Why did that simple comment make her want to do hot, wicked things with him? God, it was 2Dads of all people. 2Dads, who stole monkeys and forgets to fill up the RHIBs with petrol. 2Dads, who got into bar fights and liberated crocodiles and played stupid practical jokes. Except...

Except, he's grown up. And she has to admit that he wasn't the same person anymore.

Yeah, your assessment after four hours with him?

Okay.

Absentmindedly, Kate fishes in her clutch and reapplies her lipstick in the mirror, thinking hard. She'd finish a few more games with 2Dads, go home and she'd never have to worry about it again. She could chalk all the stupid thoughts she's been having up to the grog, and hold tonight as a reminder why she should never let Cassidy set her up again.

Control.

Kate recaps her lipstick, pressing her lips together to ensure that it's evenly spread before returning it to her clutch. Or, Plan B, she could go out there, grab his arm and drag him to the nearest place they could fuck senseless.

No. She knew she wouldn't do that. Knew she couldn't do that. No. Plan A. Enjoy the night, go home alone.

---

She finds 2Dads leaning against the wall near the entrance, glancing at his phone with an air of nervousness she hasn't seen too much of tonight. He looks up as she approaches, and she's not sure whether she's imagining the look of relief that flashes momentarily across his face, before his usual cocky grin smothers it once more. "Thought you might have ran out on me." He muses as Kate returns. "Climbed through the bathroom window, or something."

Then he picks up the monkey and makes it dance again, animating it in a squeaky voice. "She tried. But the fly screen wouldn't budge"

In spite of everything she's been thinking about, she can't help but laugh at his antics. "Too true, Titanic. Besides," She turns back to 2Dads, raising an eyebrow in challenge. "I still need to beat you at air-hockey." His expression gives way to one of excitement.

"Oh, X. I happen to be the master at air hockey." He leads the way towards the air hockey tables, and in spite of her earlier pep-talk in the bathroom, she finds herself every so often glancing at his arse as they walk. Forcing herself to focus on his words instead, she fixes her gaze deliberately on his neck instead. "But... you know... you could try."

They move past another race simulator, this one with two motorbikes instead of the makings of a vehicle. 2Dads slows and catches her eye, a cheeky grin on his face, but she scoffs aloud. "A, they look nothing like a real bike and B, you reckon your little heart had an issue with my legs before?" She nods at the bike. "Me straddling that is a logistical situation neither of us are prepared for."

"It's not his heart that would have the issue-"

"Not now, Monkey." 2Dads swings the monkey around like a fashion statement, but Kate feels herself unconsciously clench her legs at the thought. Plan B was looking more and more desirable. She realises, now, that by not confronting 2Dads about his comments before, she's essentially given him permission to keep going. She knows she should have thought the whole thing through a lot clearer, made it plain to 2Dads where she stood. But at the same time, she knows she doesn't really care. Lonely old woman, it's the only attention you'll get. "Apologies," 2Dads speaks, with all the solemn air of a government official. "He's got a filthy mind."

So do I.

"Is it going to be like this the rest of the night?" She narrows her eyes - waggling a finger between 2Dads and the monkey, before realising all too soon that pointing at his face and then lowering her finger probably isn't the best move. "Am I going to have to separate you and Titanic?"

"We'll be good." 2Dads assures her with a dignified nod.

You don't have to be.

God, her intrusive thoughts are getting worse and worse. She's shamelessly flirting, and he's flirting back.

"Tell you what?" Kate gestures to the motorbikes once more. "Next time we're here, I'll wear less distracting clothing, and we'll race. Fair fight?" Her nose crinkles in amusement. "I'll even wear pants, so that when I beat you, you've got no one to blame but yourself."

He laughs, sucking in a breath for a moment. "Well, it's... cute... you think you can beat me. But it's a deal." She's turned to walk towards the air hockey table when he calls after her. "You should wear the heels, though."

---

She's in a fierce tie-breaker air hockey game with 2Dads when she feels the hand flick up the hem of her dress and squeeze her arse. She stands up straight immediately, missing the puck completely and turning to the group of guys standing behind her, all sniggering and leering at her. Competitive energy had fuelled the banter between herself and 2Dads for two games straight, and she'd been so focused on the battle between them that she hadn't even heard the group move behind her. Now, she's completely forgotten about the game, so confused and enraged as she is.

"Come on, darlin'. Come find yourself a real man." One of them standing closer to her leers. Years of drunken sailors have taught her to hear the slur in his words that tells her he's definitely had his share of drinks. She knows from experience that this could either make a situation easier or much more dangerous, but annoyance at having been touched so aggressively by a complete stranger has her blind to all of that. "That kid can't give you what we can."

She's only vaguely aware of 2Dads abandoning his own game paddle and moving towards her and the three men. "Which one of you creeps just touched my arse?" She snaps, folding her arms and trying to convey all the power and dignity of a Naval captain while wearing heels and a dress.

She knows, realistically, it's stupid to pick a fight with three drunk guys, but she's pissed off beyond belief. Over the noise of the arcade and the ferocity of their battle, 2Dads seems to have missed the speedy assault. Folding his arms as he stands next to her, he touches her elbow only briefly before turning to the guys. "You touched her?"

Another of the men stand up, using his body to separate 2Dads and Kate, while the man that had spoken before drawls dismissively in 2Dads' direction. "She ain't yours, Junior. I'm talking to the lady." He turns back to Kate and grins lecherously at her. "Reckon you're too much of a hellcat for a little boy wearing a stuffed gorilla." For one wild moment, Kate wants to shout, stupidly, that it's a monkey. But then she realises that there are other things she wants to say first.

"Well, I reckon, you're a misogynistic arsehole and this hellcat wouldn't be caught dead with you or your mates." She snaps, trying to get a look at 2Dads. The man bodyblocking him isn't touching him, per se. Merely continually stepping from side to side and blocking 2Dads from reaching Kate.

"She's feisty!" The third man comments, stepping forwards to join the group. "Come on, Sweetie. We'll show you a good time. Leave the boy to his jungle creatures."

She's vaguely aware of the danger she's in, with two men essentially backing her up against the air hockey table while another blocks 2Dads. But she forces herself to stand her ground. "Funnily enough, I'm good with the monkey and his monkey." She snaps.

The man that had first spoken groans. "But you haven't spent any time with me yet..." The man moves forwards, putting his hands on the edge of the table either side of Kate and essentially trapping her. "And I think someone like you has needs that little boy can't satisfy." She feels one of his fingers leave the table and touch her hip.

"Oi!" She hears 2Dads call out, but she's quicker. With all her might, she jabs a knee firmly into his crotch. He doubles over and she shoves him roughly backwards, so that he tumbles backwards to the floor. Her skin is crawling where he's touched her, and she wants nothing more than to kick him again with her heeled foot. The other two leap back from Kate and 2Dads and rush to the injured man's side, while 2Dads moves to Kate. "Are you okay?"

"Psy-cho." The man on the ground just manages to get out. One of his hands reaches out, maybe to grab her ankle and trip her, but she kicks his wrist easily out of the way.

"You want to see psycho, then get the fuck up and I'll show you!" Kate challenges, fury clouding her judgement. She knows she's out of character, knows this is no way for a Navy officer to be acting, but in that moment, she doesn't care. She wants him to get up, just so she has the chance to hit him again. "You disgusting creeps!"

"Kate!" 2Dads leans forwards and grabs her, trying to hold her back, but she shakes out of his reach easily.

"No! You want to touch me again and see where it gets you?!" She demands of the man on the ground. He's getting steadily to his feet, and although his face is still obviously expressing pain, there's a twisted rage in his features.

2Dads abandons his gentle gentle approach and grabs her arm. "Can you just get the fuck behind me before the guy decks you?!" He demands through gritted teeth, trying to pull her backwards.

"Fucking - crazy bitch." The man is wheezing. "I'll - show you - jumped up little-"

Kate's ready for the man to attack, but not for 2Dads to grab her and actually lift her up. She lets out a yelp of surprise at the sudden departure from the ground, flailing slightly in his arms. He holds on, though, pulling her back behind his side of the air hockey table and standing in front of her. He looks such a ridiculous sight, ready to fight this man with a monkey around his neck, but Kate has never seen him look so ready for battle. He looks taller, or maybe it's the fact that he has one arm wrapped tightly behind him and around her waist to keep her there, so she's pressed right up against his back.

"Hey!" Another voice enters the fray, and someone steps firmly into the situation. Someone in an arcade uniform. "What is going on here?"

Kate opens her mouth to speak, but the man she'd kicked speaks first. "Sh'dropped - bag - pick up - bitch - kneed me - right - dick." She notes with some satisfaction that he's still struggling to get his words out, but is more overcome with the knowledge that said words are complete bullshit.

"That is not what fucking happened, you demented cretin!" Kate snaps back, ducking under 2Dads' arm and jabbing a finger in his direction. "He's a fucking liar and-"

The arcade worker holds a finger up to silence her, and for a moment Kate fights the urge to snap it. "Ma'am, it seemed you were being restrained by your partner. And there doesn't seem to be a scratch on you."

Kate takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment and trying to calm herself, before she begins to speak again. "That's because the fucking creep tried to feel me up, and I didn't give him the fucking-"

He holds up his finger again, and Kate rolls her eyes. 2Dads' arm is still around her, as though he's still unsure as to whether she's going to attack. Truth be told, Kate's not sure either. "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to control yourself. Language like that-"

"Like what? Like telling it how it is? He's a scumbag bastard." Kate gestures to the man. His friends have helped him into a chair, and Kate notes that he still looks like he's in pain. "I gave him what he deserved."

The worker shakes his head, folding his arms and looking down on Kate as though he was the school principal and she was a mischievous student. "Alright, Miss. Violence and foul language will not be tolerated here. I have to ask you and your partner to leave." He gestures to the door, as though neither of them can see the green and white EXIT sign, before crossing his arms.

Kate feels irritated beyond belief. "That's such bull-"

"X!" 2Dads touches her arm lightly, scooping up her clutch. "Let's just go." There are people watching all around now. Kate could swear even the games had quietened. One guy is even filming her on his phone.

"But-" She moves to protest, not willing to let some scumbag ruin their night and completely torn between upholding the decorum of the Navy, and having her side heard.

"Come on." He mutters under his breath.

Kate can't believe that he's the one pulling her away. "2Dads-"

"Dammit, I will carry you again if I have to." He hisses in her ear. "We need to go now." She's never heard him sound so angry before, and she whips around to yell at him, but he looks her dead in the eye. Please, he mouths.

She rolls her eyes, resists the urge to knee the man again, but permits 2Dads to lead her from the arcade. She's beyond mad. At the injustice of it all, at the fact that a nice evening was so abruptly ruined, at the jerk in the arcade and at 2Dads himself for backing down and treating her like a child with no sense.

"2Dads, that is such bullshit." She explodes the minute they leave the arcade, barely resisting the urge to stamp her feet. She wants to storm back in, to argue her case or insist on pressing charges against him or something. To simply walk away was making her feel more helpless and angry than when he'd first touched her. She gesticulates wildly in the direction of the arcade they'd just exited. "That guy was the one who-"

"I know-" 2Dads assures her, leading the way down the street so that she's left with no choice but to follow him.

"But he-"

"I know!" He repeats, still not looking at her. He's constantly scanning the street, as though expecting someone to jump out at them and scream boo, and Kate feels her irritation rising. As they cross the street onto the next row of shops over, Kate feels herself snap.

"2Dads, it wasn't my fault!" In another setting, Kate might have appreciated the irony that she was the one telling him that. But she's too pissed off to think properly. "So I don't know why you took their side!"

He whips around, shaking his head. "You think I'm taking their side?!" He demands, and when she still looks annoyed, he softens slightly. "Kate, if you had refused to leave, they would have called the police. And the last thing you or the Navy need is an assault charge and a night in the lock up." He moves so he's standing in front of her. He doesn't touch her, though. Instead, lowers himself slightly so they're eye to eye. "I know he grabbed you. I was coming to intervene when that other guy got in my way. I saw. And he touched you. And you kneeing him - well, I'm fucking glad you did. But you getting mad and swearing in the arcade was only going to make things worse. I wanted to get you out of there before things got out of control. Not because I thought they were right." She's breathing easier now, even though she's still mad. She knows he's right, despite still feeling hard done by. She just wishes she'd gotten another hit in.

"You didn't have to drag me out of the way." She knows she sounds like a petulant child. Knows that she's being ungrateful and bratty, and maybe she's more mad at herself for overreacting or underreacting, she isn't sure which. "I had the situation under control."

2Dads gives a humourless laugh. "Believe me, I know you can look after yourself. I just..." He shakes his head for a moment, as though trying to find the words. "I thought... if that brick shithouse of a guy gets up and manages to get a lucky punch in on you, it'd do serious damage. If he got me..." He trails off. "Do you believe me?" His voice is lower, more concerned.

She hesitates for a moment, and then jerks her head reluctantly in affirmation. He doesn't smile though, or show any other reaction. He simply begins walking down the street again, darting in and out of all the people meandering along. They're moving aimlessly and yet speedily, the air outside the arcade warmer than the previous air conditioning, but it's pleasant all the same. Or it would be, if the situation was different. She'd be perfectly content to just walk and cool off, but 2Dads is walking with way more purpose than her, so that she has to focus her efforts heavily on where to put her feet, just so she can keep up. From what she can see of his face every so often, she notes his jaw is clenched, and he doesn't say anymore as he continues along.

It's only now that she's beginning to regret her choice of footwear, as the speed 2Dads is moving at means she feels way more precarious than she normally would. After crossing three more streets and moving along a quieter block, where most of the shops are long since closed and people are few, does 2Dads speak. "X, I'm sorry I touched you without your permission."

For a moment she feels bewildered, and then does a mad hop-skip to catch up to him and be able to look him in the eye. "Bloody hell, 2Dads. You've been grabbing my arm all night. I don't... I'm not mad at you!" No. I was thinking about what else your damn tongue could do.

But he looks genuinely pained, like he's about to confess to sinking the Hammersley, and it's an expression at odds with the smiling pink monkey still draped over his shoulders. "No, I shouldn't... I've been touching your arms. And commenting on your legs. I didn't... I wasn't..."

"You were nothing like that creep in the arcade, if that's what you're worried about." She cuts him off, his doubt and concern reigniting her anger. "So don't even think that, okay?!"

"I shouldn't have... have made you feel like that. There's... God, you probably think I'm some... some horny kid." And you'd think I was some horny old woman if you knew what I was thinking.

"Trust me. I wasn't." When he doesn't respond, she adds, "We've both said things. Hey," She grabs at his arm and forces him to stop and spin around. "There is a difference between some random groping my arse unexpectedly and uninvited, and what we've been doing tonight."

"And what are we doing?" He looks almost angry, and the question throws her completely. What are they doing? What is she doing? She's had a million and one chances to go home and end this before someone got hurt. And now here he was, demanding answers to questions she too was having.

Because tonight... well, it's sent her feeling topsy-turvy. She almost feels as though 2Dads has unearthed a part of her that she'd long since buried - that woman full of passion and enthusiasm and a thirst for adventure. For so long, her life has centred around discipline and control and the Navy. She hasn't been a woman, she's been an officer. And tonight... well, he'd been the first person to make her feel like Kate, rather than Lieutenant Commander McGregor in a long time.

"I don't know what we've been doing." She settles on eventually. "I've been trying to figure that out all night." It occurs to her, suddenly, that she might have got this all wrong. That 2Dads' flirting might have been nothing more than exaggerated kindness, with maybe a bit of a joke thrown into the mix. But nothing real. Nothing sincere or even semi-serious. "Look, can we just... just go somewhere and talk? Somewhere not on some random street corner?"

"What do you think I've been trying to do?" He demands in an exasperated tone. "I'm trying to get us to the main street and get you in a taxi and home in case that creep follows you and decides to try for round two!" He completely disregards her wanting somewhere they both can go, instead flicking his head in irritation and making to start walking again.

"But-"

He flicks his head in an irritated fashion, as though trying to dislodge a fly. "Don't." He warns. "Don't even start with the I can look after myself bullshit. You don't know-"

"2Dads-" Kate demands, trying to point out the flaw in his plan.

"-what this guy is capable-"

"I moved!" She all but shouts the words, because all other attempts to get him to listen had proved unsuccessful.

"What?!" 2Dads stops, looking completely taken aback.

"My place is five - well, eight blocks now that way!" She points back to the direction they'd come from. "Which I could have told you if you didn't insist on bundling me up and sweeping me into the night like assassins are after me!"

"Oh." He drags a hand over his stubble, then seems to sag somewhat. "I'm sorry." He moves to lean against a No Stopping sign, pressing at his closed eyelids for a moment before turning back to her. "I'm sorry. I just... I only want to make sure you get home okay. I don't know if his ego is wounded enough to come and find you. Because I don't know if that guy has a knife. I don't know if he's a rapist or if he's just a drunk. And hell, he could be licking his wounds with his mates and you'd have been fine. I just don't know, and... and I didn't want to risk you getting hurt." She too feels her anger dissipating as she takes in the sincerity in 2Dads' eyes. "Look, it's late, you've been drinking. I just... I want to know you're safe and inside and then I'll call myself a cab."

The old Kate would have still protested, insulted by his questioning of her abilities, but she understands where he's coming from. Truth be told, she knows without his intervening, she might have ended up in the lockup on assault charges. "I'm not arguing about that. I just wanted you to stop running like a madman." She looks around for a moment, getting her bearings and softening her tone. "Look, I can guide us. Can even divert us so we don't pass the arcade. Can you just... breathe? Okay? Breathe?" She lowers her voice. "I'm okay. You... you made sure of that." For a moment they both look at each other, drawing comfort from each other's eyes. She feels wrung out, exhausted from the emotional whiplash she's endured throughout the day. She wants nothing more than to fall into his arms and hug him tight, tell him how much his devotion to her safety means to her. But she can't. She's been dancing along the line of danger all night, flirting with him and not considering the consequences. She can't use him selfishly for comfort and then send him on his way, like she knows she has to. Was that fear, that knowledge of what was to come the reason why she'd reacted so dramatically to that man's unwanted advances? "God, it used to be me dragging you away from a fight." She jokes, then drags a hand over her forehead again. "Oh, God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I just... I was so mad."

"I would be too." He murmurs softly, before shaking his head. "Actually, fuck that. I am mad. I'm furious at the bastard. I was about to deck the guy when you beat me to it. And I'd like nothing more than to go back and teach him a lesson. But I was more concerned with getting you away from there. I just... I didn't want him following you home or anything."

"Well he won't now. We've bloody serpentined all over the city." She can't resist trying to inject some humour into the situation, even though neither of them laugh. "Thank you, for caring more about my safety than your feelings. And thank you. For... for having my back." She gestures to a street on their left, and they fall into a much more agreeable step. "Will you be able to go back to the arcade? With your nieces I mean? They won't, I don't know, bar you for life?"

2Dads waves away her concern. "Nah. The owner is a mate. I'll call him in the morning. Might be able to grab CCTV too. Just in case anything else comes of it." He looks like he expects her to argue, but she doesn't. Mainly because she knows what he means. If the guy wanted her charged for assault, or, God forbid, something else happened to another woman. If he had been willing to try that in a crowded venue, what might he attempt to do on some empty street. "Are you okay?"

She forces her mind to rid itself of those less-than-cheerful thoughts, nodding tentatively. "I will be if you're okay." She assures him. "And if you stop blaming yourself for something you didn't do."

It takes him a moment. And then he nods tersely. "Okay." He mutters. He still looks pained, still on tenterhooks, as though he's expecting her to suddenly start screaming at him. And she hates those men in the arcade even more, for making 2Dads doubt himself. There had always been a certain element of trust when they were both in the Navy. She trusted (most of the time) that he had her back. But here and now, it was a different kind of trust. Sure, he'd made comments to her, and he'd touched her. But nothing had made her feel uncomfortable. And she knows that, if she did feel like that, she only had to say the word and he'd back off. "Okay. But if I say anything-"

"No! I don't want things to be awkward. Okay? We've been talking all night and... and I've loved every word. Meant every word. You know me. I definitely would have told you if I wanted you to stop. So please don't shut me out now." He doesn't respond at first, and Kate has to will herself not to cry. A few hours. A few hours of truly being herself, of being with him, in the moment and honest and fun. And it was all over.

Yes, blind dates did have a lot to answer for.

Tomorrow, she'll be on shore leave. The crew were all at the pub tonight and tomorrow, no doubt, they'll all be nursing hangovers. She has no friends in this town, no family. And until tonight, that had never really bothered her. And now that she knew and appreciated what she had been missing... he was going to cut and run.

"Did you mean it when you said I was your toy-boy?" It takes a moment for her to register what he's said. Stupid, really. But in spite of her mood, it makes her laugh and it breaks the ice and... and if everything isn't lost, then that means the world to her.

"Oh, yeah. Especially that." She hesitates for a moment, then touches her hand to his forearm for a moment, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You're a good man, Leo. And you were a great sailor. Pain in the arse, but... you always made me laugh. And I missed that. I missed having someone... someone who didn't expect anything more of me. Who just wants me for... for me."

He smiles softly. "I meant what I said, you know? About you making an awesome CO. I missed having you as my voice of reason. I missed your sense of humour, too. And the way you'd just go into bat for anyone. You're so loyal. Protective." He gives a small chuckle. "A little too protective at times-"

Kate scoffs. "-says the man who basically threw me behind him in the arcade."

"And yet, I didn't get tied up for it." He points out, and she has to concede he has a point. "You know... unless you're into that with your toy boys." He adds, his cheeky grin back on his face.

The notion makes her laugh out loud, both in humour and relief that not everything has been lost. "I dated a guy once-" Then she stops herself, shaking her head. "Actually, no, can't tell that story. Sorry. Forget it."

2Dads shakes his own head, pointing an accusing finger in her direction. "Oh no, you can not leave it at that!"

Kate groans, busying herself with combing a finger through her hair and retying it with the band. "See, this is why I don't drink this much with people. I don't slur. I don't fall over. I just start wildly inappropriate stories about my reckless years and swear a lot." And get horny, but that's another matter.

He chuckles good naturedly. "Yeah, I noticed that. Wasn't sure if I was rubbing off on you." Rub on me all you want, she thinks before she can stop herself. Fuck, there you go again. "But anyway, don't try and distract me. Story."

"No, it's not that..." She hesitates for a moment, before rolling her eyes and resigning herself to the fact that he won't let up until she's told the story. "Oh, for fucks sake. I was... twenty five, maybe? Dating this guy for a few months and he wanted to tie me to the headboard." She says the words in a rush. Like ripping a Bandaid off, she's hoping that recounting the story quickly will get it over and done with.

"Ah, so you are into bondage!" 2Dads accuses, with a satisfied smirk on his face. Now that he's slowed, they're able to walk side by side, both a blessing and a curse, as they take in each others' facial expressions.

Choosing to pass over his comments on her predilection towards bondage, Kate continues her story. "Aside from the fact that I wasn't really into it to begin with and... well, I definitely wasn't into him that night, he then proceeds to start unthreading the laces from his work boots to use."

"What?!" 2Dads splutters. "Oh no, that's a definite red flag."

"Right!" Kate agrees, glad that he too found her reasoning valid. "So I walked out. I mean, he was a tradie. God knows what he'd stepped in!" She catches his eye and proceeds to gesticulate. "See, why is it always me with the terrible stories? I worked hard to maintain the facade I'm at least semi in control of my life, and here you are, worming all my worst decisions out of me!"

2Dads laughs through his words. "I'm sorry! I'm just... unable to picture you dating a tradie."

"Yeah, well..." She slows to aim a kick at a rock on the concrete. 2Dads whips around, looking alarmed and maybe thinking she'd fallen, but when he sees she's okay he looks forwards once more. "I've dated a lot of arseholes. Seems to be my type."

"See? I told you. Bad boy kink." He teases. "You can't help yourself."

"I wish that was my only problem." Kate quips, before adding, "This way," and pointing down a side street. "Anyway, I feel like it's more than fair you tell me some embarrassing dating story." She concludes, as they make their way further down the road. "Just so I don't feel alone in feeling embarrassed and exposed."

"What makes you think I've got stories?" He asks. She raises an eyebrow and he sighs. "Um... okay. Well, I was in my dickhead root-em-and-boot-em days and generally with a bad crowd. Hooked up with a girl I shouldn't have. But, you know, I'm horny, she's down." There's something almost apologetic on his face for a moment, before he continues. "Anyway, I never wanted it to be a thing. But she kept calling and calling and finally, I had to get my sister to pretend to be my wife on the phone just to get her to leave me alone."

"Ouch!" Kate winces. "Poor girl!"

"No!" 2Dads protests. "Just hear me out. I mean, I shouldn't have slept with her, and I accept that. But afterwards she'd... oh man, she dug a heart into our front lawn - Dad was so pissed off. She sent me a bouquet of the tissues of all the tears she'd cried. She'd call endlessly. She sent me an audio recording of her confessing her love. Made up all these texts chains that just didn't... it was brutal."

Kate pulls a face. "Yeah, okay. She needed help."

2Dads turns to Kate, raising an eyebrow. "Gets better. Last I heard she's a high school teacher. Which quite frankly terrifies me." He adds, sparing a thought for all the poor teenagers under her care.

"What! Oh geez." Kate digs in her clutch and removes her phone, flicking the torch on. "Down here." She adds, pointing the torch at the ground as she gestures to an alleyway. "There aren't any street lights so watch your step."

2Dads flashes her a dubious expression before following her torch beam into the alleyway. "This looks like where Batman's parents got killed." He jokes.

Kate snorts with laughter. The alleyway is by no means long, dark or spooky, bordered by flame of the forest on either side. Choosing not to comment, she simply makes the clucking sound of a chicken for a moment, before leading the way onto a cul-de-sac. "Up here. Just past Cart City."

"Cart City?" 2Dads frowns as he follows Kate. "Isn't it Car City. And there's none- oh."

"Yep." Kate stops and gestures towards the many shopping carts abandoned just past the alley, some overturned, others in clumps pushed together. She stops in front of several clumped together, wheels removed and carts covered in spiderwebs and rubbish. "It's an installation piece done by a local artist. Her name I think is Pat, she lives in unit 29, she's about... 160 years old and goes out every day fine and then just brings a cart back."

"That's..."

"Eh, I'm barely here, so it doesn't really bother me." They walk through Cart City and approach the back of a block of units, Kate calling over her shoulder as she leads the way. "I swear, it doesn't look this bad in the daylight, by the way. It's actually a nice place. Just we've walked through the back of the building." She leads him down a path and around to the front of the building where, true to Kate's word, it looks much nicer. She moves towards the lobby, fishing for her keys, then stops. Not knowing what to say.

"How long have you lived here?" He asks, looking around. It's a fairly stock-standard block of units, with the wall of letterboxes on one side, intercom by the door and well-manicured gardens along each side. "Last time you had us over, you were in that big house with the pool and-"

"Well, as I remember it, it was less 'me having the crew over' and more 'you and Charge rocking up half tanked and declaring a party for Bird's eighteenth." She leans against the half-ledge bordering the gardens and considers his words. "And I've lived here about... just under eighteen months?" He doesn't ask, and she doesn't say, but she can tell he understands it to mean when she and Mike had split. "There didn't seem much point... all that space and me being by myself." She jabs a hand lamely behind her. "Here suits me better. One bedroom, relatively close to the shops and to port so I don't have to drive everywhere." She finishes her explanation with a shrug. "Bit sketchy sometimes... my neighbours like their domestics. But aside from that, I'm fairly happy here." She looks up at him. "And obviously you've moved out of Goat Central."

"Yeah, thank goodness. Only renting at the moment but I'm in Kanimbla. Although it just depends on where I'm working. If it's more than a few hours away and a long job, they'll put me up in a motel for the night. So I'm kind of all over the shop. Considering where to look at to buy. But I'd like to stay local. Two of my sisters are here and the other's in Townsville so I don't want to go too far away."

"Must be nice... to be able to choose rather than have your hometown chosen for you." Kate murmurs.

2Dads smiles, and she knows he understands exactly where she's coming from. "Hey, put in your papers." He jokes, grinning at her. "Come work for me."

A grin splits Kate's face at the thought, and she brings her thumbnail up to tap against her bottom lip. "You as my boss." She contemplates aloud. "Now that's a scary thought."

"You mean you don't want to be my PA?" He adopts an insulted expression upon his face.

"PA?!" Kate repeats, peering at him incredulously. "What, pencil skirts and answering phones all day? How could I resist?"

"Hey, there are other bonuses too." He defends, leaning closer. She's aware they're in danger territory again, but she can't stop herself from meeting his challenging gaze.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." He looks her up and down for a moment, then smirks and pulls away. "Which other careers let you wear shoes like that?"

Kate snorts with laughter, holding her hands up in a well-there-you-go fashion. "Ah, you and these damned shoes!" She jabs a thumb sarcastically at the door. "You want to come up and pick the rest of my outfit too?"

"I think if I came up, I'd have different ideas involving you and your wardrobe." He says it softly, automatically, and it takes her a moment to realise what he's said. But he doesn't look away, and Kate knows that this is him, shooting his shot.

Immediately, her smile disappears, to be replaced with that bubbling nausea and fear and lust that's been so prevalent throughout the night. She can't look at him, instead bracing herself against the wall with her hands as she looks to the ground. "2Dads..."

"I told you I can't bullshit you, X. And I meant it." He shrugs lightly. "And I might have an overactive imagination, but I don't think that's entirely to blame for what's been going on tonight."

"2Dads..." She doesn't want him to think she's rejecting him. But the truth is so complicated even she doesn't understand it. "I wanted to flirt with you, okay? And I checked you out and, yes, I thought about..." She inhales deeply, thinking, "...well, I thought about all the... the many things I wanted to do to you. But it's fantasy, right? It's crazy! This can't happen." She pushes herself off the ledge and, unconsciously, starts to pace backwards and forwards, her thumbnail tapping against her bottom lip again.

He doesn't move from his spot. Instead he shrugs lightly. "You're the one asking the question, X."

"Don't!" She shakes her head. "Don't put this back on me!"

He stands too, moving so that he's in her line of vision and looking her dead in the eye. "I won't do anything you don't want me to do. But I know what I want. So, yeah, I'm putting it back on you, because I need to know what you want to do. If you're asking me to stand here and be your voice of reason telling you I don't think we should do this, then sorry. I'm not going to lie. To you or myself. But if you genuinely don't want to even entertain this conversation, then I'll go. So you tell me? Do you want it?"

Kate looks away for a moment, frustrated beyond belief in more ways than one. "Of course I want it! God, you have no idea how much." She says the words before she's fully processed them, and he looks up, shock and confusion and lust all over his face. "2Dads, it... it wouldn't be right. I was responsible for you-" She's frantically tapping her fingernail against her bottom lip, the other wrapped around her middle as though trying to anchor herself. And maybe she is, when every fibre of her being wants to throw herself at 2Dads.

"But you're not anymore." He points out. "You can't hide behind the Navy. In my eyes, we're two adults. Not breaking any rules. And we've just established we both definitely want it. So you tell me what's stopping us?"

"Because... because..." She wasn't expecting that. She was expecting him to agree, to be the voice of reason and agree that anything more than friends would be a disaster. But no. He's just advancing, slowly, challenging her.

"See, even you can't think of a good reason-"

Kate gives a humourless laugh. She feels dizzy, disoriented, actually weighing up pros and cons about whether or not to sleep with 2Dads. "I can't think when you're walking towards me and giving me that look that makes me-" But she stops herself. He shouldn't make her giddy, or weak-kneed. Shouldn't make her needy and wanting. Shouldn't make her wet and desperate. She should be in control. "Tonight's meant too much for me to screw it all up now, okay?" The words tumble from her lips before she can stop them.

"What do you mean? You think... I'm just here because I want to add your notch to some bedpost?"

"No, I don't." She means it too. "But you want something serious. Something meaningful. I'm not the person you had in mind. You don't want a life with me. And if I invite you up, it's going to be one night and then we either don't see each other or things are awkward. You want me because I'm here but you know I'm too old for you. Too messed up. You don't want someone like me."

"Are you done?" He hisses. "Plan A through Z perfectly mapped out?"

"2Dads-"

"No, you had your say. Now it's my turn. Since your need for fucking control has mapped out your idea of what I want and your grim notions of the future, let me set a few things straight!" He looks pissed off as he steps closer to her. "The idea you have that I'm only hitting on you because you're here, quite frankly, is insulting. And I thought you understood me a bit better than that. And after tonight and the things we've been through... I don't think I've ever had so much honesty, laughter and true companionship on a not-date ever. Given your hang-ups about it, you're obviously older than I'd thought you were but honestly, I don't give two shits about your age. And, yeah, I don't know what will happen tomorrow. But that's not an excuse to hold back from living and going after what I want. And despite your baggage and your constant fucking need to be the one calling the shots, I. Want. You."

She takes a step backwards, still drumming her thumb anxiously against her lip. "I didn't... I didn't mean to upset you."

2Dads shakes his head. "What's most upsetting to me isn't what you're saying about me. It's that you've got such a low opinion of yourself that you believe no one could ever want you for the real you! You just... you don't see how extraordinary you fucking are."

For a moment, they both stand there, illuminated by the front foyer lights, and she can't believe that this is what they're arguing about. "I should go." Kate mutters, dazedly shaking her head. "I'm sorry, 2Dads. I... I screwed up. I'm..." She doesn't know what to say. She'll go upstairs, drink until she forgets this stupidity of hers and... and go back to being alone.

"Kate, shut up!" 2Dads demands. "Stop thinking like a Navy officer. Stop thinking about tomorrow or in five years' time. What do you want? Because if you want me to leave, then I will. You want me to stop and I will. I don't care if you don't want to do this or if you just want to sit and talk. I would never want to hurt you. But for fuck's sake, make sure it's what you want, rather than what you think you should do!" She's dimly aware that his voice is probably carrying to the apartments on the ground floor, that they should be quiet and, anyway, this is such a ridiculous thing to be arguing about. "I didn't go into tonight even remotely considering standing here, of seeing you. You're not the only one that's confused here. But I know what I want and it's you." She shakes her head in spite of herself, and he takes a step closer. "No? You don't think I could be attracted to you?"

"I just... " She ducks her gaze. "2Dads, you could have anyone."

"And so could you." He snaps back. He seems to be grappling with something for a moment, before he shakes his head, his next words low and passionate. "When I first saw you all I wanted to do was kiss you. On your lips. On your neck. Your shoulders. All. Over." She freezes, realising with dread and lust he's voicing those very things that had scared her, the damage she's done. She'd tried to kid herself it was innocent, all hypothetical. But now he's graphically laying it all out for her, and it's equal parts arousing and terrifying. "You know, I could call you beautiful and gorgeous and you are all of those things. But tonight? You look ravishing. And even though I respect you so much as a person and a woman, from the moment I saw you, my thoughts were anything but pure." She exhales shakily, but his voice is still going. And his eyes are dark and her heart is pounding, but she doesn't want him to stop talking. Fuck. "Every time I hear you... you spout this controlling, planning, overanalysing bullshit... I want to take control. I want to hear you beg for me to end teasing you. I want to see your toes curl and you flailing for release. Then I want to hear you scream my name because you just can't control yourself anymore. Every fibre of my being is fighting the urge to push you up against this wall and fuck you 'til you can't stand." He raises an eyebrow. "Does that answer any of your concerns about what I've been thinking about? About the fact that I am highly attracted to you."

"Fuck's sake..." Kate mutters under her breath, a million different thoughts racing through her brain, most of them immoral and downright filthy.

He shrugs, as though he hasn't just damn-near turned her legs to jelly. "That's where I stand. So you tell me you're not thinking the same things and I'll go home, right now." He whispers. "I don't ever want to make you do anything you don't want to do. But I also think there's merit in you embracing the wildfire every so often."

She hesitates for a moment longer, the Lieutenant Commander battling it out with Kate in her head. And then she curses again, keying the foyer door and pulling it open. "This is a bad idea." She murmurs softly, but she knows she's going to do it anyway.

"Maybe." 2Dads concedes, with a smirk. "But if it ends up being a mistake, then at least we'll have one hot, crazy night."

She takes a deep breath and then holds the door open for him. "I don't beg for anyone." She warns as they make their way inside.

He grins wickedly as he pulls her roughly to him. "You will."