I didn't go back to sleep. Call me crazy but closing my eyes right now seemed like the worst idea ever. In fact, just being alone right now was making my flesh crawl. I tried sitting for a few moments but eventually I headed out to the elevator. I pushed level 5 but nothing happened and I grit my teeth. Instead I went for the stairs and stomped down two floors, pushing into Rangeman control centre. I glared at the man on cameras - Lester, of course it was- and stormed over.
"Seriously Lester! Stopping the elevator! What am I, a child you can send to bed while the adults handle everything! No! I am an adult and if I want to go somewhere I will goddamn go! I'm not an idiot, I'm not going to walk off alone, especially not after the shit that happened tonight. But I could if I fucking wanted to!" I ranted angrily poking my finger in his chest.
"Uh Steph." Lester tried to interrupt.
"No, I'm not done. What the hell is it with all you men? Oh look at the poor fragile woman, so vulnerable. You guys are all the same, either you want to hurt me or you want to lock me up for my own protection." Lester was desperately looking over my head during my rant. "What? Can't even look at me anymore." I snarled.
"Not if I want to avoid getting my ass kicked Beautiful." Lester said as he grabbed at my hands.
I looked down at myself. Well shit. I was wearing the same outfit I'd gone to sleep in hours earlier - my favourite sleep shirt, cropped, faded grey with a batman symbol, and my red silk booty shorts. "Oops, I guess I was a little distracted by the asshole in my place. My clothes weren't really on my mind." I blushed but straightened my shoulders.
Lester groaned as his eyes shot down. "You're killing me Bomber." He said throwing his windbreaker over my shoulders.
I wrapped it tightly around myself and then plopped into an empty chair. "Can I just sit with you for awhile. I don't want to be alone and uh Ranger is oc—occupied." I stuttered as I caught sight of him on one of the cameras. He was pounding on a bag in the gym and his mask had dropped showing pure rage. "I screwed up Les. He's really mad." I gulped.
"Yeah I'd say he's pretty pissed off right now, but not at you Steph. Or at least not mainly at you. It kills him to know you are in danger, that someone has been watching you and he didn't know. That if this guy had decided to take action he would have been too late." Lester turned and looked at her seriously for a moment. "Its hard for him, to step back so you can live your life how you want to. You're great at what you do." I snorted in disbelief. "You are. Maybe you aren't always physically capable but you're able to empathize and understand people in a way that few can. He fights his instincts to protect you on a daily basis, but it is a dangerous job and he has to trust that you will let us know when you need the help."
"I shouldn't need his help still." I mumbled.
"Well that's bullshit." Lester said turning back to the cameras. "Even Ranger brings backup for some of his FTA's and we all work in pairs for a reason."
I sat with him quietly as he scanned all the different cameras, and checked in on tripped alarms. Occasionally I would glance at the gym camera but it felt wrong to watch Ranger with his feelings so exposed. Eventually the familiar sounds soothed me enough that I slipped into sleep.
I woke up to Lester snapping into his phone "I told you, she's fine! She had a bad night and needed company. You're the asshole who left - No. Now she's finally sleeping. Goddamn it!" He swore, dropping his phone.
"Did I get you in trouble?" I asked half asleep.
"Nah, he just panicked when you weren't where he left you. He's an idiot." Lester said with a smile. "Cuz." He said nodding behind me.
My chair was spun around and I looked up at a sweaty Ranger. "Hey Batman. What time is it?" I sat up and Lester's jacket slipped off my shoulders.
Rangers' eyes darkened as he took in my outfit. "5:30 Babe. You've got a bit longer to sleep but how about we head upstairs before I have to take down all of my men for staring instead of just Lester." Spluttering came from Lester behind me and I smiled.
"He actually was a gentleman. Shocking right?" I stood up, stretching. Something clattered to the ground behind me and Ranger growled, pulling me past him and herding me away from the men and back up to his apartment.
I tiredly crawled into bed and got cozy. "Are you going to work?" I asked as he moved toward the bathroom.
"I'm just going to shower but I'm not leaving you again. I shouldn't have gone earlier, I just promised myself that I wouldn't yell at you ever. Especially due to anger at someone else's actions. Sleep now, I'll be here when you wake and we'll have a discussion." He kissed my forehead and I let myself slip back into sleep knowing Ranger was watching my back.