warning: later chapter is moderately nsfw
It was a couple weeks later and Dusty was home in her apartment. It was pretty late, and like every night she spent by herself while she was healing- doctors (and Barney's) orders- she had on some talk shows and had a glass of wine ready to enjoy. The stitches had been removed and she had a nice solid scar where the knife had been, though it could still be sore at times. It wasn't like she had to do much heavy lifting, though. Whenever she needed anything, she called one of the boys up and they'd make it work. She kind of liked having them at her beck and call all of the time. It was almost a shame she was healing well and would be back to work soon.
There was a slow knock on the door and she sighed, pulling herself off the couch and lowering the TV volume in one motion. She had made a habit out of pressing her hand into her waist when she moved even though she didn't feel the need to do it anymore. She looked through the peephole and raised an eyebrow, pulling the locks loose and opening the door.
"Hey, darling," Lee said, offering her a very forced, pained smile. She looked him up and down- he was gripping his ribs and leaning against the doorframe, a few scrapes down the side of his face. She sighed and shook her head.
"Come in," she said, moving to the side so he could walk by. He lifted himself from the doorframe and walked in, wincing as he stepped on his sore side. "Can I ask what the hell attacked you?"
He shot her a sideways look and shook his head, looking over her living room with the TV glowing and curtains cracked just slightly. "Eh, you should see the other guy," he said, watching as she locked the door and joined him where he stood.
"You always say that," she said, crossing her arms. "Is it bad?"
He shrugged. "Not bad. Taken care of. Could you help me out?"
She looked him over with a squint for a minute before nodding and heading to her kitchen to grab the first aid kit.
"Take the shirt off then. You look like you got some cracked ribs under there."
He grimaced as he let his jacket slide off of his shoulders and hit the floor. She hurried back over with the kit and sighed, picking the jacket up and throwing it over the couch.
"Let me help," she said, putting the kit down on the coffee table and reaching for the hem of his shirt as he struggled to lift it. He hesitated for a split second, holding the shirt down as she tried to pull it, but she gave him a stern look that said just do it and he let go and lifted his hands up slightly to make it easier. She pulled the shirt up over his head and dropped it by his jacket before she ran her fingers along the tender bruises on the side of his ribs. He winced, twitching away slightly, his eyes focused down on her as she examined him for more wounds. She moved around him, his back scratched by what looked like fingernails.
"Should I ask?" She said casually, returning to the front of him.
He raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Work or play?" She joked, trying to suppress a giggle.
He rolled his eyes and made for the couch, sinking down with a grunt. "It's all work. Get your mind out of the gutter."
She laughed again while she opened the first aid kit and took a sip of her wine. There wasn't much she could do for his ribs, but she could clean his face and back at least. She pulled out some alcohol wipes and dabbed at his cheekbone, wiping away the dried up blood.
"Should you be drinking while you do this?" He asked, motioning at the wine.
"Oh, relax. It's my first glass. And this isn't even that bad. I can't do much aside from some painkillers for the ribs."
He let out a huff and she looked over the rest of his face. He needed a shower the most out of anything, really.
"Turn," she said, grabbing some more wipes and running them along his back. He twitched a little more this time, but she hardly noticed.
"I think- well… Well, actually, I know you were right," he said once he was facing away from her. She picked up a warm wet rag she had brought in from the kitchen and rubbed his back down a little, trying to clean up some of the grime now that the scratches were cleaned.
"I do tend to be right," she said lazily, her mind elsewhere. She glanced over at the TV as she ran the rag over his back, sighing at the same usual, boring thing. "What's it about this time?"
He stayed quiet. That got her attention and she turned her head back to the scratches along his back, carefully wiping at the skin. She put the rag down and pulled out some bandaids, covering up the worst parts of the wounds gently.
"Hey," she said, placing a hand flat on his back between his shoulder blades, "what happened?"
His head fell and she didn't move. She just pressed her hand against him so that he knew she was there, scratching her fingers up and down slowly, leaning towards him.
"I, uh," he started, clearing his throat, "Lacy wasn't expecting me home and I caught her with some guy. Just- some random guy. Beat the shit out of him. He got a few good hits in, but… Ah, shit. I really did it this time." He lifted his hands to the back of his head and scratched at his buzzed hair.
She swallowed and carefully ran her fingers along his back.
"A few good hits, huh?" She said, carefully grazing her fingers over his ribs. He winced away and she let her hand fall to her lap. She noticed his knuckles were coated in blood, too. She reached to grab the rag again.
"So, uh, congratulations, I guess. You were right."
She frowned, pulling back his shoulder so he would turn more towards her. He did, and she took his hands started to wipe them down. The blood rubbed off easily.
"I didn't want to be right, Lee."
His eyes found her face and scanned it as she focused on his hands, calloused and sore. He'd punched a lot of people in his time, but he noticed that it always hurt more when there was anger behind them.
"If I had listened to you sooner, then maybe, well, this would all be different…"
She put the rag down with the first aid kit and looked up at him, shaking her head. "Don't do that, Lee. You can't blame yourself. It isn't your fault. You deserve better than that, more than that, and she just can't give that to you. That isn't your fault."
His eyes faltered for a second, dropping from hers. She put her hand overtop of his and gave it a squeeze, leaning into his shoulder for a second. He was looking at the ground, leaning forward over the couch.
"I'm sorry you have to deal with this again," she said, looking at him through her eyelashes. "Did you end things?"
He stayed quiet, his fingers twitching against her hand subtly. After a second he shook his head.
She pulled away from him, unable to help herself from letting the anger pour over. "Lee!" She said, lowering her head to try and find his eyes.
"No, I mean," he hurried, "I just didn't say anything to her. I got home, the door was locked, so I unlocked it and I went to go take a shower and then… There she was. I wasn't even thinking, I just pulled him off of her and started beating the shit out of him. She tried to get me to stop, but fuck it, I was so angry."
She swallowed, reaching over to find his shirt, which had drops of blood all over it. She stood and slid passed him into the kitchen. "Do you want a drink? I got some beer left."
"Sure," he grunted, leaning back, looking to the TV. She grabbed a beer from the fridge and glanced over at him. Her heart hurt for him. She really didn't want to be right. She knew that she was, but she didn't want to be. He'd probably be a bit too embarrassed to go to the guys about all of this, all things considered. She popped the top off the beer and held it out for him as she went back to the couch. He took a swig and held it in his hands, looking at her as she sat next to him.
"I might have a shirt you could wear," she said. "And I definitely have a shower, if you still want one."
He just watched her, his eyes exploring her face more freely than he had let himself in the past. After a second he reached over and brushed a bit of hair out of the way of her eye, cocking his head. It wasn't long before the moment passed and he dropped his hand back to his lap and took another sip of his beer.
"Lee?" She asked, concerned, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"
He looked at her again, a smirk growing on his lips. "I'm alright, Dusty. All this stuff, it made me realize a lot of things. What I want in life, you know? I had been so sure it was her, but now I know I was wrong."
She kept her eyes locked on his, unable to look away. She wanted to, but she felt like if she did, she'd be pushing him away somehow.
"Well," she said, drawing in a breath, "what do you want?"
He didn't say anything. He just kept looking at her. His eyes glazed over a bit and he tried to smile, but it was a sad smile. She wanted to stay in that one second forever, because in that little space of time, there was nothing else. She felt like that new recruit again, meeting the gang, her heart fluttering as Lee introduced himself with that crooked, knowing smirk. Her cheeks ran red and hot and she had to look away, but not before he got the message. She felt exactly the same in that split second between them, and then he reached a hand to her face and ran his thumb down her cheek. She dropped her eyes from his and pulled away, shaking her head.
"Lee, I don't think that's a good idea," she said, standing, anxiously wringing her hands. She picked up the first aid kit and all the dirty wipes and rags and dumped them in the trash, putting the kit on the counter before she hurried to her closet, chewing on her lower lip. She pulled out some old blankets and hurried back over to him.
"You're feeling a lot right now," she said, putting the folded up blankets down beside him as he looked up at her, "you haven't even called off your engagement yet. Not officially. You might think you know exactly what you want right now, but you're feeling emotional. So just- just rest."
He nodded, standing and pushing some hair out of her face again. It was gentle. She was so used to him punching and shooting and hurting that the soft movement nearly made her flinch.
"Everything you're feeling right now is gonna hurt a whole lot worse in the morning," she said, dropping her eyes, "this wouldn't be right. You should- you should take a shower."
He smiled a little, dropping his hand to his side and nodding.
"You saying I smell?" He joked.
She stepped away from him, "not really, but you look like you should, and that's reason enough."
He still watched her, and she was suddenly very aware of every move she made, every time her eyes brushed over his stomach or chest, every close call between her skin and his. She tried to shake it off, but she was disjointed and thrown off guard.
"Come on," she said, turning towards her bedroom. She guided him through, bending down and tossing some loose clothes over to the hamper in the corner. She grabbed him a clean towel and turned on her bathroom light. "Shower."
She hurried to clean up the bit of mess that was there and he watched, a look of sad amusement on his face. She reached into the shower and turned on the water, feeling it for temperature even though she knew it'd still be cold.
"I'll go make the couch up for you," she said, walking to the doorway where he still stood.
"Thank you," he said, blocking you in.
She sighed, finally finding his eyes again. "You're welcome."
He looked down at her for another second before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a warm, gentle hug. She swallowed, carefully wrapping her arms around him as well, avoiding the marks along his shoulders and back. He pulled away and moved around her, putting the towel down on the sink and checking his face out in the mirror. She made to leave and closed the door behind her.
When she got back to the living room, she dropped onto the couch, a shaking breath leaving her lungs. Her eyes stung a bit and she wasn't sure what to make of the situation, so she just downed the rest of her wine and poured herself another glass before she spread the sheets over the couch and grabbed some pillows from her bed.
She sat in the rocking chair near her tv, hanging her head in her hands while she replayed his words and actions in her mind. He probably didn't mean them, she figured, since he was feeling an awful lot of emotions and pain at the moment. Still, it tugged at her heart, and so many possibilities opened up before her. Possibilities that she had since closed off her mind to, since he had made it clear he wasn't interested in anything long before she even understood that little crush she had on him. That was before she even went on that long, extended mission. Still, all it took was that one second, and everything came rushing back. She heard the shower turn off and she leaned back, trying to focus her thoughts on the TV in front of her, but she couldn't even figure out what was going on there.
She heard her bedroom door open and she paused, looking towards the hall. He walked out in nothing but a towel, hands on his hips. She flushed, standing so quickly she nearly toppled over.
"Shit," she said, hurrying passed him and back into her bedroom, "I forgot the clothes. Sorry. Here, uh… these might fit-"
He stood in the doorway, watching her search through all of her drawers for some clothes left behind by one-night stands or oversized anything she had around. She pulled out this old t-shirt she had at the back of her dresser. It seemed big enough for him so she tossed it over and pulled out some basketball shorts. They didn't look like clothes he would wear at all, but it was what she had, unless he wanted to squeeze into her clothes.
"Thanks," he said, moving back into the bathroom and closing the door. She covered her face, embarrassed, and started shoving her clothes back into the dresser so that the drawers would actually close. It didn't take long before he came back out, the clothes fitting him well enough. The shirt actually looked pretty good on him- it was stretched and loose in weird spots, worn in, with a couple holes around the seams.
"I set the couch up for you," she said. "Unless, well, maybe you should sleep in my bed, because of your ribs."
"That's alright," he said, moving to her side. "You've done more than enough. And-" he drew in a breath, pressing his lips together, "thank you."
She looked up at him, swallowing over a hard lump in her throat. She nodded, understanding. "Yeah, of course."
"Got anymore beer?" He asked after a quiet second.
"Yeah," she said, turning back to the living room. "You can watch whatever you want on TV, too."
He sat down on the couch and she handed him another beer.
"Do you need anything else?" She asked.
He looked up at her. "I'm okay. Thank you," he said again. "For everything."
"Whatever you need," she said, dropping a hand to his shoulder. She knew she was doing the right thing, but she couldn't help but imagine what would have happened if she had just kissed him.
—-
Her first mission back with the group was overwhelmingly successful. She took no knives to the gut and everybody made it out as unscathed as they possibly could, barreling onto the plane at the end like a bunch of bulls, celebrating Dusty's great return. She and Lee had been friendly, but there was an obvious distance between them both since that night he showed up at her apartment. She knew the guys were catching on, but unless Lee had said anything, they weren't about to figure it out. Lee had ended things with Lacy and it went pretty sour, Dusty assumed, since one night he called her and just let out a deep breath into the line, but she understood. She just kind of laid on her couch with the phone on speaker on her chest, flipping through the muted TV while she was just present with him. She had a few moments like that, but anything more felt too close, too tender, and too threatening. Maybe it was just her, and she didn't want to physically push him away, since he was her friend- one of her best friends- but she didn't want to lead herself into something that would ruin everything and end up causing pain. She was guarded that way, and she felt that Lee should be, too. He had been hurt by Lacy a few times, and maybe he was a bit of a masochist, the way he kept going back to her- but Dusty didn't want to do anything that could put him in harm's way. Still, though, she felt that little crush surging in her chest, which had previously been drowned out with anger and more than a little bit of vodka.
Barney went along into the cockpit and Lee followed him. She took off her gear and stretched. The wound healed and was pretty flexible. There was a little tug if she moved the wrong way, but she considered herself lucky in that sense. She put her bow on its spot on the wall, the arrows tucked into a little bin to get pushed under the seat. Guns were shoved away, spare bullets saved for later, knives and blades laid out to be sharpened. She was relieved to peel that gear off of herself, revealing lines of sweat along her shirt. She groaned, shaking it out and setting it down by the rest of her stuff. She had to get a new vest since the other one had a stab wound through it, limiting its usefulness. She didn't really like changing up her equipment, and she swore that there was something about the new vest that was just wrong.
Thankfully, there was no blood cleanup to worry about on this flight home. Most of the mess was mud and sweat, at least on her, which made her feel infinitely more clean. She had tucked away some spare clothes in her locker at Tool's garage, just in case this mission called for a celebration. From the way Gunner and Caesar were joking, she figured it would. Gunner pulled out his hip flask and took a long swig, passing it to Caesar who toasted to Toll, who was already lost in some self-help book. The sight made her happy, all of them together and laughing.
"Hey," Lee said, coming up behind her and making her jump. She turned to him, startled, and he raised an eyebrow. His head was tilted back in that soldier-stance he tended to favor, his neck thick and jaw strong.
"Hey," she said, shaking off the sudden slap back to reality. "What's up?"
"How was the first mission back?" He asked, helping her take apart her guns and put them away. He didn't look any worse for wear, either. The scrapes on his face had healed quickly and without scarring, and during this mission he hardly took a single hit. She reminded herself to ask him to run some hand-to-hand drills with her one day, because out of everybody he was definitely the best at fighting up close.
"It was great," she said with a smile, tucking her bin of equipment under the bench and standing, brushing her hands together before wiping them along the back of her jeans. "Nice and clean, not a lot of work, got some shooting in."
He smiled, "good," he said, sitting down on the bench just over her stuff. She sat next to him, looking him over, glad the the rest of the guys were too distracted with Gunner's flask to say anything. "You gonna head to the bar with everyone when we get back? I hear it's ladies night."
She laughed, stretching out her legs and rubbing her thighs, desperate to change out of those dirty, sticky jeans.
"Every night is ladies night if you know how to make it work," she teased with a wink, unlacing her boots to give her ankles room to stretch. Lee chuckled, reaching down suddenly to her arm. "What?" She asked, looking over her forearm.
"Got a scratch," he said, inspecting it.
"Probably from a bush or something. Didn't even notice," she said with a shrug.
"Let me clean it up," he said, reaching under the seat for the small first aid kit. She rolled her eyes, holding her arm out for him.
"Fine, but don't make a big deal out of it. I've gotten worse looking things in my kitchen."
He pulled out some alcohol and rubbed it along the scratch. It burned just a bit more than she expected, but nothing, she realized quickly, was as bad as literally getting stabbed in the gut with her friends knife. He covered it with a large bandage and tucked everything away.
"Better?" She asked, leaning back against the wall of the plane.
"Just returning a favor," he said.
"You gonna be at the bar tonight?" She asked, glancing over at the rest of the guys. They were already having a good time.
"Probably. Could use a drink," he said. "Maybe not as much as those guys."
She laughed, the both of them watching the guys pass the flask around and cheer to random missions she was either not around for or had long forgotten.
"I'm getting that ink soon," she said, holding her arm out so that her forearm was pointed at the ceiling. She slapped the spot right under her elbow, right at the fleshy spot, and smiled.
"Ah, so you're branding yourself," he said, "welcome to the cult."
She elbowed him a bit, laughing. "I feel like this is a pretty obvious place to get it, do you think?"
He sucked in his cheek, thinking for a second. "What else you gonna do with it? Tramp stamp?"
She rolled her eyes and let her arm fall. He laughed a bit, catching the other guy's attention.
"Hey, Lee," Gunner said, tossing his flask over, "wanna finish it off?"
Lee weighed the flask in his hand and made a face, "all in one go? What is this shit, jet fuel?"
Gunner shrugged and waited expectantly. Lee glanced down at Dusty, and without much thought she snatched the flask from his hand and lifted it to her nose, immediately pulling it away from her face and gagging.
"Christ, Gunner," she said as he bursted out laughing, "I think you're trying to poison us all."
Caesar knocked Gunner and laughed, and Toll looked up from his book. Lee held his hand out to take the flask. She knew he could handle it pretty well- he was a big guy, obviously, and had drank a lot in his life. She, on the other hand, was a bit smaller and, despite her tendency to lean towards the hard stuff, did not have quite as much experience. Still, after a split second of deliberation, she threw back as much as she could. Lee widened his eyes and reached to take the flask from her while Caesar and Gunner lost their shit laughing. A little bit spilled down her chin when he pulled it away, and she hurried to swallow, the liquor burning as it slid down her throat.
"Damn," she said, shaking the sour taste out of her mouth, "that's what you drink all day? We should get you one of those rehab pamphlets, maybe talk to Barney about upgrading our benefits."
Caesar laughed. Lee looked down at her, not quite shocked and not quite impressed, but some foul mix of the two.
"Aw, come on, Lee," she said, nudging him, "it's finally time to celebrate something. A girls gotta have some fun."
"You better not throw up on the plane, Dusty," he said, and Gunner laughed. She was never drunk enough on the plane to throw up, but there had been some close calls at Rusty's late at night that she had been relentlessly teased about the mornings after.
"Alright, come on, hand it over then," Gunner said, holding up his hands. Lee looked down at the flask and then drank the rest of it in one gulp, tossing the empty flask back to Gunner who held it upside-down and frowned.
"Aw, that's alright Gunner, I heard it's ladies night," Dusty said, "maybe if you put that hair in a ponytail you'll pass as one."
The guys laughed, even Gunner, and she felt Lee looking down at her.
"Hey, careful back there," Barney called from the cockpit, "save it for when we're on solid ground!"
"You got it boss man," she called back, looking passed Lee to Barney. She saw him just barely roll his eyes as he turned to face forward and she laughed. Lee wasn't sitting too close, but he was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of him, breaking through the cold bite of the metal around her. His stubble had grown in again, making him look a bit rough around the edges. She kind of preferred him that way compared to his usual close shave, maybe because she'd spent more time with him like that than she did when he was all tidy and clean. She knew she wasn't going to get any sleep that night, and even Toll had put down his book to join in on the banter. It was gonna be a good night, and probably a rough morning, but she was excited to finally spend time out with her friends. It had been too long.
—-
When she landed, she hurried to her locker and pulled out her spare clothes, anxious to get out of the dirty, sweaty ones she was stuck in. The guys didn't seem to care about their own clothes, but she felt the most confident when she didn't reek of a war zone. Maybe it was a testosterone thing, she wasn't sure.
It was just a black tank top and another pair of black jeans, but the change made her feel more confident. Maybe it was the drink she'd chugged on the plane, or maybe it was that sore muscle glow, or maybe it was both- it didn't really matter, because she was really enjoying herself. When she hurried out she caught some of their eyes wandering, but she ignored them and let her hair down, shaking it out a bit. It wasn't a far walk to the bar, so they all headed out into the night. There was a bit of a chill in the air, but she didn't really care.
It was a pretty packed night. There were a lot of people playing pool, shooting darts, and dancing to the music overhead. She followed the guys up to the bar and smiled at the bartender, who she knew pretty well but hadn't seen in a while. He smiled back, taking out a line of shot glasses and filling them up.
Barney held his up, looking over all of the Expendables with a cheeky grin.
"To Dusty," he said, motioning to her with his glass, a little bit spilling over the edge, "for a great first day back."
They all whooped and cheered and chugged their shots, slamming the glasses upside down on the bar. She smiled, taking in the busy scene. She preferred when things were busy like that, since it was always more fun to mess around with people. The energy was electric and she just wanted to get out and dance. She thought about asking Lee, who was ordering a beer, but then Gunner came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, already a bit tipsy from his flask on the plane.
"My dance partner is back," he said, rocking her side to side along with the music. She laughed, throwing her head back and dancing with him, catching Lee's attention. He sipped his beer, watching her for a second before he turned back to Barney.
Gunner held her arm out above her and spun her around, leading her out into the small crowd of people dancing. Gunner and Dusty always had a stupid fun relationship, never going passed this invisible line they had both drawn in the sand. They would dance together, drink together, but that was it, and she was grateful that even completely wasted they both stuck to it. She turned around and lifted her arms, her back pressed to his chest, and rocked along to the music, laughing and cheering.
Lee ordered another shot and drank it fast, wiping the back of his mouth as he looked back at her, pretending to survey the entire crowd.
"Busy night," Barney said, glancing at him from the side of his eye.
"Very," Lee agreed with a shrug.
"Gonna find yourself a girl to bring home?" He asked. Of course Barney was in the know about Lacy, and he even had the guts and emotional stupidity to just hit Lee with the "I told you so" right away. Not that Lee cared, because, in all honesty, Barney was right.
Lee shrugged, "whatever happens, happens, you know?"
Barney gave him a pat on the back. There were a lot of pretty girls hanging around the bar that night, and he was looking over all of them to see if there were any Lee might like. He knew his type well enough, and even though he had been sensing the tension between him and Dusty, he wanted to direct him subtly in another direction for the sake of the team and for the both of them.
"Blonde over there is pretty," Barney said, sipping his beer. Lee glanced over and shrugged. "Put yourself out there Lee, come on."
"I might need a few more shots," he said, holding his finger up to the bartender. Barney rolled his eyes and kept sipping his beer.
Dusty turned around to face Gunner, mussing up his hair and pulling at his shirt. They both sang the lyrics to the song that was playing out loud, though he didn't seem to know them as well as she did. His fumbling made it even funnier, and before she knew it, they were both hysterically laughing.
"I'm not drunk enough yet," she said after a minute, taking a breath and pulling away from him. He chuckled, saluting her, a mutual understanding passing between them both that it was time to find other people to party with. They played wingman for each other a lot, and if he needed her for anything she'd be there, but she wasn't sure what her plans were for that night quite yet.
She hopped over to the bar next to Lee, ordering another shot and drinking it fast. Lee watched her, eyebrow raised.
"You ever dance, Lee?" She asked, brushing off his shoulder. Barney glanced over at them both and shook his head.
"I can dance," Lee said, his voice looser and happier than earlier.
"Prove it," she joked, looking around the bar, "get one girl here to dance with you. I don't think I've ever seen you do it."
He looked her over for a second, a smile spreading across his face. "Fine," he said, looking around, "watch and learn."
She laughed, sliding into his seat and sipping his beer while he sauntered off to a group of women by the pool table.
Barney looked at her and laughed.
"What?" She asked, nudging him.
"Nothing, nothing," he said, his voice low.
"Come on, Barney, loosen up. Have some fun," she said, leaning her head over her shoulder. He raised his hand to shoo her away and she laughed, patting his shoulder before she turned back to find Lee talking to the women. They all seemed interested in him, obviously. Why wouldn't they be? One of them- a tall, skinny brunette woman- ran her finger over his chest and bit her lip, following him over to where everyone was dancing. She pressed her back to his chest and he held onto her waist and Dusty laughed, sipping his beer again. Gunner was already dancing with another woman, much smaller than him, and was sweating amidst all the bodies. Lee was pretty fun when he was drunk, Dusty thought, watching how he moved.
She hopped off the seat and finished off his beer, heading over to the dart board with a smile fresh on her lips. She licked the sour beer taste from them and put a hand on one of the guys' shoulders, looking over the dartboard. Not bad, but definitely not great.
"Hey honey," the guy said, looking down at her, "you like darts?"
She chuckled, looking up to search his face. He wasn't anything spectacular, but as the drinks hit, she found him to be good enough. She nodded. "I bet I could teach you a thing or two," she said.
He raised his eyebrows, studying her for a moment before holding a dart out for her. She took it, letting her fingers graze over the palm of his hand a little bit more than they needed to. He definitely noticed, and as she moved to stand in his spot, his hands brushed over her waist.
She licked her lips and looked towards the dart board. She was a pretty unassuming looking woman, and it usually took the guys at the bar by surprise when she'd hit a bullseye first try. Some guys didn't like it, some guys did. It depended on her mood which type of guy she gravitated towards.
She flicked the dart from her fingers and hit the bullseye dead center. The group around the board cheered and she looked back at the guy, who was smiling down at her.
"Could I get you a drink?" He asked, a bit of drawl in his voice. She smiled, nodding, letting him take her hand and pull her towards the bar. They both got another shot and drank them, slamming the glasses down as she shook away the sour taste. She leaned against the bar, running her tongue along her teeth and looking him over.
"I've never seen you here before," she said.
"Just passing through," he said, moving a bit closer to her. "You from around here?"
"Recently, yes," she said, pointing down to his arm and looking at his tattoos. "You got a lot of ink?"
"A bit," he said, leaning into her, looking over his sleeve.
"I know a great guy over here," she said with a smile, "he's doing a piece for me soon. You might like his work."
"Oh yeah?" He said, looking up to her, his face close to hers, "got any examples?"
She leaned into him with a bit of a laugh. "Not anything I could show you right here."
He smiled and she laughed, patting his cheek. She backed away from him, heading to the group of dancers, where Lee was still grinding up on that other woman. It seemed like her group of friends had joined them, and Lee seemed to be enjoying himself. It made her happy to see him with someone who wasn't Lacy, though in her drunken state, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous that it wasn't her.
She shook the thought from her head and smiled as the guy followed her, reaching out for her hand. She did a little twirl like she had done with Gunner earlier, swaying her hips and locking her fingers in with his. His eyes drifted to her hips and she smirked, pulling him a bit closer.
"Damn," he said, putting his hands on her waist, one lowering just a bit further than the other, "where have you been all my life?"
She messed her fingers up in his hair and pulled his ear to her lips. "Right here, baby," she said, pulling away with a smile. He was a little bit more touchy than she would've liked, but she was only looking for a bit of fun, so she didn't really care. Gunner was off with some other woman and Caesar and Toll had started up their own game of pool. Barney sat at his spot at the bar with his beers, glancing back at all of them on occasion, like some kind of tired dad looking out for his children. The thought made Dusty laugh out loud and she wobbled, the guy catching her just a bit.
"You alright there?" He asked, pulling her a bit closer to him. She took one of his hands and rocked around with him, giddy.
"I'm all good," she said, "having a great time."
Lee was dancing too, having more fun than she had seen him have in a long time. His lips were hovering around that woman's skin, his hands all over her.
A bit of time passed and she got bored of her guy. He asked if she wanted to head out and she said she was there with some friends, but maybe she'd see him around again. He seemed disappointed, but when she scurried up to Barney, the big pretty-much-sober guy at the bar, he let it go. Not that it would've been a problem, because half the people in the bar knew Dusty pretty well and could all kick his ass in one shot, including herself.
"Barney, Barney, Barney," she said, throwing an arm over his shoulder. "You're such a stick in the mud sometimes, you know?"
"Well one of us has to make sure nobody makes any dumb mistakes," he said, raising an eyebrow at her.
She gave him a pat on the back and got another shot, rubbing the back of her hand along her hot, flushed face.
"Where'd your friend go?" He asked.
"Eh, sent him packing," she said with a shrug. "He was fun for a bit, but I think he's got some mommy issues. Not my cup of tea."
Barney cringed and held up a hand and she laughed. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and hurried back out to the dancers, of which the crowd was thinning. Gunner passed her and held out his fist. She bumped it, noticing the pretty girl on his arm as he went for the door. She whistled after him, smiling, and inserted herself into the thickest part of the crowd to dance with some strangers. There were a lot of women, most of which cheered for her as she moved in. She laughed, dancing along with them, pulling some of them just close enough that if she moved at all, her lips might've touched. At this point, she was pretty sure she wouldn't remember much in the morning, maybe bits and pieces, but she was fine with that. In the corner of her eyes she saw Barney throw his jacket over his shoulder and head to the door, the little bell chiming as he left.
She turned her attention back to the dancing and caught view of Lee at the dart board throwing his knives, still tipsy but not missing a shot. He must have felt her eyes on him because he turned, sinking back in his hips and dropping his hands to his pockets while he watched her with all the other women.
"You come here often?" She laughed to the girl in front of her, whose mascara was running down her face.
"Not often enough," she teased back, taking Dusty's hands and spinning herself around for a minute. They both laughed, dancing together, stumbling and joking.
Lee was drinking a bit more, leaning against the bar and enjoying the view. Toll and Caesar were still playing pool, a bit more mellowed out now that time had passed. A thought popped into Lee's mind, and he considered it for a moment. He'd need a bit more Dutch courage, as it were, if he was gonna listen to what his mind was telling him to do. He ordered two more shots and downed them together, letting out a loud "ahh" as he slammed the glasses down. He made his way to the crowd and tapped Dusty's shoulder, his hands grazing over the backs of the women around her.
"Lee!" She said, lifting her arms and placing them over his shoulders with a laugh. His cheeks were flushed and warm like her own, and his hands found her waist and pulled her close.
"Having a good night?" He asked, rocking along with her, his lips parted as he looked down at her.
"Yes," she said, smiling so big that her eyes squinted, and she turned, pressing herself up against him, her arms pulling his face down towards hers. "Are you?"
"I'm having a great night," he said, his lips just by her ear. He drew in a deep breath, the smell of her hair filling his senses.
"Barney just left," she said, as though it was some kind of secret, "he can be a real buzzkill, that guy."
"Tell me about it," Lee said, his hands exploring her body as she danced. They both stayed like that a while longer, just taking each other in, drunkenly throwing some comments back and forth.
Eventually the bar was beginning to clear and she turned around, placing one hand in his and dropping his other hand to her waist. He looked down at her with a surprised laugh, shifting back and forth like they were dancing at the prom.
"Lee," she said with a smile, "you're a good person, you know that?"
He made a face. "Psshh," he said, finding your eyes, "don't you know what I do for a living?"
She made a face back, pulling her head just sightly away. "Hey! Don't you know I do the same thing for a living?"
Their bodies were pressed tight together, splitting only at her chest. His hand wrapped around her waist, holding her against him, and he looked down at her with a smile.
She heard the bell ring by the door and turned to look, seeing Caesar and Toll heading out for the night. It was dark out, and she stumbled for Lee's watch to check the time.
"Woah!" She said, her voice a bit fake and stupid, "it's gonna be sunrise soon!"
Lee lifted his hand from hers and pressed it against her head, pulling her forehead to his lips to press them into her skin. She chuckled, falling forward into his chest, breathing in the fading smell of his cologne. He was warm, and after a second of standing there, she felt herself start to yawn.
"Hey," he said, pulling her away, "my apartment is a block from here. You probably shouldn't ride all the way back to yours."
She thought about it, eventually nodding in agreement. "You're probably right."
"Anyway, I owe you a night. I slept on your couch, it's probably fair you sleep on mine," he said, still holding her close to him.
"Yeah, yeah," she said, vision doubling a bit. "Come on, come on, then. It's cold!"
He laughed, that big Lee-Christmas-smile spreading across his face. She took his hand and pulled him out of the bar, still dancing, spinning around him. He watched her, his pace slow and lazy, that smile still plastered across his face. He guided her along the sidewalk to his apartment, watching her shiver and skip along, the bandage he had put on her arm still in place.
"I don't think I've ever been to your apartment," she said as he fiddled with his keys. She stood close to him, his warmth radiating through his leather jacket. After a few seconds of trying he got the key in the lock and managed to turn it, opening the door.
"I don't know about that," he said suspiciously, holding the door open for her. She let herself rest under his arm, wrapping her own arms around his waist.
"You're so warm, Lee, like a furnace."
He chuckled, pushing open the second door and clicking the elevator button. He twirled her hair tiredly in his fingers while she clung to him, her eyes half shut. The elevator doors parted and he punched in the number for his floor, looking down at her.
"You had a good first day back," he said quietly, watching her eyelids droop.
She smiled. "I know! Wasn't it great? I missed shooting."
The doors opened again and they both stumbled out with a laugh. "You should teach me how to do it sometime," he said, pulling her over to his apartment door and fiddling with his keys again.
"I can, I can. Hey- why is it so cold up here?" She huddled closer to him, the patterns on the carpet blending together and making her dizzy.
He turned to her, studying her face. After a second he shrugged off his jacket and placed it carefully over her shoulders, his keys jingling in his hands.
She sighed into the warmth, leaning just a bit closer to him. "You're funny," she said, standing slightly on her toes, "if you just opened the door, we'd be inside. It's warm in there, isn't it?"
He shrugged, lowering his hand to the handle on the door, his eyes glued to hers. She was pressed against his chest now, her fingers fiddling with the collar of his t-shirt. His freehand ran along the edge of her jeans, holding her close to him while he looked down at her. She stayed that way for a long few minutes, warming up under his jacket and against him. She decided then and there that she was sick of doing the right thing and pretending and waiting. Here he was, right in front of her, holding onto her, and she didn't want to walk away. She clenched her fists around his t-shirt and lifted herself up, her lips hovering right in front of his.
The same thought crossed his mind. There was nothing to hold him back in that moment, and the feeling of her holding onto his shirt was going to make him lose his mind sooner or later. He crashed his lips down into hers and opened the door, pulling her into his dark apartment. He slammed the door shut behind him and they both spun around, his jacket falling from her shoulders and landing on the floor. They both kicked their shoes off and clung to each other, a mess of drunken limbs. Her hands reached up under his shirt and he lifted his arms, letting her tug it off of him and drop it as she made her way around. He lowered his hands to her upper thighs and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around him with a laugh and closed her arms around his neck. The kiss was sloppy and needy, and he stumbled his way backwards until he turned her and pushed her into a wall with a bit of a slam. His hands made their way up under her tank top, and she pulled her arms off of his so he could lift it over her head and let it fall to the floor. He picked her back up, pushing through a doorway into another dark room, falling on top of her as he ran into his bed. They both laughed and her hands reached down to undo his jeans. He kissed her neck as she did, tired and sloppy and hard, until she finally undid the button and he slipped out of them, twisting her so that her head was on his pillows, his knees under her thighs. He lifted himself up, unsteady, and undid the button on her jeans. She lifted her hips as he pulled them off, tossing them aside and falling back down on top of her, lips crashing into hers.
She dug her nails into his back and he peppered her in kisses from her cheeks to her collar bones. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and breathed her in. She was so familiar to him, but everything about this was new and exciting.
She'd let him do whatever he wanted. Even if it only ended up being this one night, she wanted it to be memorable, and she wanted it to be fun. So she'd do whatever he wanted, let him lead, and put on a good show.
He just wanted to surround himself with her, with the smell of her hair, with the feel of her skin. He relished in the sound of her subtle cries, in the feeling of her writhing beneath him. He looked down at her, at her eyes rolling back and mouth falling open as she said his name. He bit his lip, wondering why he had waited so long to kiss her, to see her this way in this moment, squirming underneath him, to feel her nails dig into the skin of his back. He kissed her forehead before he found her lips, dropping himself to his elbows. She was floating away, riding a high beyond anything she'd ever experienced or imagined. He'd been with plenty of women, but they were the furthest things from his mind- in that moment, she was the only woman on the planet, the only star in the sky, the only air he could breathe. He was ravenous, desperate for her, his head light and spinning. He held his breath as she fell undone beneath him, her arms wrapped in a tight hug around his neck.
The night continued like that. He just wanted to watch her: beautiful, perfect, coming undone against his touch. They were both still drunk, messily finding each other in the dark. It didn't matter- to him, this was heaven. This was bliss. It was perfect, just him there and experiencing her godlike beauty.
After a while he rolled over onto his back, expecting her to fall asleep. She shivered a little, haphazardly lifting herself and throwing a leg over him. He swallowed, studying her body, her perfect, beautiful body, as her hands pressed against his chest for balance and support. She looked down at him, tired, yet so focused on him. He could sense it, her mind so concerned with his pleasure, and it was enough to send him reeling as it was. He explored her body, running his rough hands along her soft skin.
She eventually fell onto him, exhausted, chest heaving with pleasure and sleep. His arms wrapped around her, holding her tight, his eyes heavy. He eventually felt her breaths even out and let his eyes close, his limbs splayed about on the bed and her curled up just barely on top of him, her leg still thrown over his waist, his arm holding her there.