senseless

For Theodore, being right was more of a default state, really, but he appreciated anyone else noticing it. “I wish I could say I wasn’t the same way but–well, you see how I am when I get even a whiff of inspiration for my dissertation, and while I wouldn’t say I’m behind on it, I’m not…not behind either.” There wasn’t really a timeline, and his advisor seemed to lack any real drive for him to finish quickly, which Theodore hoped was a sign that he wanted the best possible paper. “It’s that, or to teach me a lesson, right?” He cracked a smile. The guards were hardly punitive–in his experience–but he wouldn’t exactly put it passed some of them either. “I’m not sure if it’s better to write a work that’s world-altering, or just quietly helpful to the people who need to read it the most, but I’m not sure I want the fame…” he admitted, a tad shy.

.

“Well you’re not not behind until you’re done, right?” Brianna herself didn’t have much experience with graduate or doctoral programs but she vaguely remembered her sister’s mad scramble to finish all of her research and writing on time for her program. That and the high, messy bun she used to wear and lose pencils in at the very top of her head. “It’s probably to teach you a lesson, but they’ll take credit for both.” Bri laughed, knowing all too well how the government tended to function and think. “I don’t know which I’d want either.” She thought. There was something to be said about the glory of working and solving cases that brought national recognition but there was also something about the quiet thankfulness of families that weren’t as widely publicized. “I think world-altering puts too much pressure on the ‘and what are you going to do next?’ There’s really only down from there unless you alter the world a second time. History will paint the picture of your mistakes over your triumphs.”

“ Alright, give me a second here to make sure I get this right…” Mason said, obviously teasing her now, “ So, deer and birds are okay, mice are definitely a no.” he stated, like he was trying to make a mental note of her preferences, he tapped his right temple, “ I think I got it now.” he said to her playfully.

Mason watched as she took a bite of food and chuckled when he saw the surprised look on her face, “ See, I told you it was good, didn’t I.” he said to her, he was glad that she was happy with the results, “ You had nothing to worry about.” he added, he continued to eat the meal sitting in front on him. He looked up at her, “ I’m sure you would’ve found out eventually.” he replied, “ If you want, I can cook something for you one night?” he offered, she had cooked for him after all, it was the least he could do for her. Mason laughed and nodded, “ Well, it is a good way to get to know each other, so why not?” he shrugged his shoulders. Mason cleared his throat and took a drink of his wine before he shook his head at her question, “ No, no siblings, I was an only child, I always wanted to have siblings though.” he answered, “ What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?” he asked in return.

.

“Yes, exactly. Jot that down. Commit it.” Bri teased, waggling her finger at him as if she were writing. She laughed, taking a sip of her wine and feeling the effects in form of heat in her cheeks. She’d always been one of those people that got red in the face when she drank wine, no matter how much or how little. 

“You could’ve just been flattering me.” Brianna insisted, laughing, though visibly relieved her food wasn’t as horrendous as she’d been dreading. Memories of previous cooking failures still haunted her to this day, and many haunted her pans in the form of deep burn stains that served as a reminder no matter how hard she scrubbed. “Oh you’re definitely cooking next time, oh great chef,” She laughed, taking another bite, “That’s assuming this date doesn’t go down in flames and we never speak again.” Bri was kidding, though she started hard at Mason before winking. “Oh buckle up. And feel free to adopt any of mine as your own.” She laughed, wiggling back farther into her seat, “I have an older sister: Shelby, a younger sister: Savannah, and a younger brother: Garrett, the beloved baby of the family.” Brianna enjoyed a fairly good relationship with her younger siblings, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew, but her relationship with Shelby and her parents was...distant, at best. “I believe it’s your turn now to ask your most pressing question of me. Like sibling number.”

Mason chuckled, “ So, mice is where you draw then line huh?” Mason said, it wasn’t so much of a question but rather a statement. “ I can’t say I blame you on that one.” he added, “ Besides, having mice around all the time isn’t very sanitary either.” 

Mason grinned and shrugged his shoulders, “ It’s a night off for both of us, I figured we might as well take advantage of that.” he said to her, who knows when they would give themselves another free night like this, they had so much work piled up between the two of them these days. “ I think you’re selling yourself a little short there Bri, it’s not bad.” he said to her. Cooking took practice, he knew that better than anyone, he wasn’t always a good cook, he had to learn, he experimented with the meals he made. He looked up at her, amused, “ Well, you never asked if I knew how to cook, you asked me over for dinner.” he teased, a cheeky grin on his lips. “ I’m sure there’s things I don’t know about you either.” he replied, “ How about this, I’ll answer any questions you have about me, but you have to do the same, deal?”

.

“Mice are definitely where I draw the line.” Brianna replied, laughing. “A deer or a cute little bird, fine. They’re welcome to empty a dishwasher whenever they want. But a mice? No way, no how.” And they were disgusting, as Mason already mentioned. 

Brianna could say cheers to that, though she normally had a glass of wine - or two practically every night after her work was finished, though it rarely seemed like it ever was. She sat up a little straighter as he complimented her cooking, thankful that he wasn’t just flattering her. Bri took her own forkful and chewed carefully, her expression reflecting her surprise. “It looked questionable going in but it really settled out there and got all melted together. She gestured to her plate with her fork, holding a thumbs up. “You sure could’ve mentioned it yourself.” Bri snorted, shaking her head at him. “Fair enough. Okay, 50 questions it is. It’s like I’m back in high school already. You have any siblings?”

Theodore cracked a smile. He’d always been an exceptional student, yes, but that didn’t mean he was immune to procrastinating a little. “No one likes getting ahead on work. I mean, we all like the idea of it, but the reality is that you never want to when the opportunity presents itself.” He turned to the printer the moment it started, grabbing his document hot off the presses and beginning to skim it, looking for the particular passage he wanted. “My PhD, not technically science department stuff. Personal stuff, which is probably why they offered me no leniency.” He tended to shy away from discussing specifics of his own research, since revealing too much to your subjects can skew the research. Brianna wasn’t technically his subject, but close enough. “It’s only urgent because I was on a roll and I needed it to continue. I guess in reality it is probably less important to most people.” But not to him, and was he not allowed to be just a little selfish?

.

“God, you are so right.” Brianna laughed, shaking her head, “I can always think of about a million things I’d rather do than get ahead on work when I’m caught up. Watching paint dry is definitely in my top five.” She was still laughing as she watching him move toward the printer to retrieve the article he had been after, reading carefully for whatever it was that he was so earnestly interested in. “Oh that’d definitely why there was no leniency. “ Bri laughed again, leaning back in her chair. “Well, I’m sure the urgency will become more apparent to the masses once your brilliant research has been published.”

“Trust is it? Sure.” He sucked on his teeth and rolled his eyes again, less subtly this time. What was it with everyone in town being so righteous. He’d had this exact conversation with Jackson. Were they just going to keep sending people his way until he changed his standing. “Slip of the tongue. But I’m not here to earn anything from them, I’m here to get it from them. That’s the difference. People are so busy trying to earn things, and we wonder why we’re no further ahead with research.”

.

“Right, so somebody wants something from you and you don’t particularly like them. Maybe they’re a downright prick to you. You’re just going to give it to them?” Brianna posited, eyes narrowed and arms still crossed. “I’d guess we’re no farther ahead on research because you don’t understand ‘these people’. Emotionally or scientifically.” And if she had to guess, he likely never would. 

There was, perhaps, a reason Theodore went to Brianna first. She was funny. He chuckled at her little joke, leaning over to scan the screen as she pulled up actual search results. “And today was a ‘hardly working’ day, I take it?” he asked with a smile. “Sorry things are so slow. Or…I guess maybe it’s a good thing when your work load is light, huh?” Either way, he was grateful that she was able to help him. “It’s the third one down,” he told her, pointing at the link he wanted. “Oh, I fell asleep in the office, which meant that I missed curfew. I would have also thought I’d be immune from those rules but apparently not.” He shrugged. It didn’t bother him. The only problem with loss of internet privileges is that it interrupted his work flow. An inconvenience, yes, but not a catastrophe.

---

“Today was a hardly working day. Mostly.” Brianna laughed, shaking her head, “Slow days let me catch up from the busy days and once I am caught up, well, is it bad of me to say I don’t really want to get ahead at that point?” Normally she would - if she were still a field agent, that is. She maneuvered her mouse to where he indicated, clicking the link with a flourish and quickly selecting the print pdf option on the page. “I guess that’s only fair. Makes it easier to commiserate with any of your subjects. The woes of internet control and all that. Still, I’d expect you to get a hall pass at least sometimes.” She shrugged, doubting such a thing existed. The rules were strict rules, after all. “And just what is this urgent study for, exactly?”

“Oh they told you everything?” Brian rolled his eyes and tilted his head back, resting a palm over his face. “I’ve been in most of them, yes…but HR don’t seem to know what it’s actually like dealing with these people. Everyone else must be so accommodating to them, but because I actually want results from them, I’m the bad guy?”

---

“They did. That’s what happens when there’s trust. Rapport.” Brianna retorted, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes into a grimace at these people and fighting an overwhelming urge to make his chest just a little tighter. “You just said yourself, they’re still people. If you want something from them, earn it.”

Mason lifted his glass to her, “ Cheers.” he said, a grin on his face before he took a drink from his glass. He had to admit that this was nice, they’ve been working so much lately, it was hard to take time out of work, especially during the past few weeks, but he didn’t want to think about that any more, he just wanted to have a good time with her. Hearing her joke about her slippers, he gave her an amused grin, “ Look at you, working hard, cooking meals, and leaving your slippers lying around, it’s like you’re a modern day Cinderella.” he joked in return, his tone teasing.

Mason heard her timer go off, signalling that dinner was ready, he watched as she stood and made her way into the kitchen. He stood up and topped up their wine glasses for dinner. He was about to see if she needed any help with anything, when she came back out with their plates. He looked up at her, “ I topped up your wine.” he said, hoping she wouldn’t mind. He sat down in his chair once more and looked at the meal she had placed in front of him, it smelled and looked delicious. Mason looked at her, amused, “ Bri, I’m sure it’s great.” he replied to her, he chuckled when she told him she had the pizza place on speed dial, “ Well, if you ever want to take a break from pizza, I can show you a few things when it comes to cooking.” he offered, it wasn’t often that he’d admit that he could cook, truth was, he enjoyed cooking, it relaxed him.

---

“Oh man, I wish.” Brianna took her turn to joke back in kind, chuckling so hard she almost let out a snort, “But she’s got those cute little mice to help her out. I think I’d scream if I saw a mouse coming out to help me do anything.” She didn’t count herself as being overly squeamish but drew the line at vermin. 

She grinned at him when he mentioned their wine glasses, “Perfect. Can’t have them crawling toward empty if you’re going to try and tell me this is good.” Perhaps she was taking the self depreciation a bit far, but she truly had no confidence in her cooking skills - and for good reason. She’d once, though to be fair it was in a haze of sleep deprivation from a case, caught a piece of pizza she had been reheating on fire. “You can cook and you let me invite you over to eat my meal?” Brianna pursed her lips in feigned annoyance, shaking her head as she took a sip of her wine. “What else don’t I know about you?” She raised her eyebrows in interest, settling her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand. 

Brianna Reid | Angelica Schuyler Church Some men say I’m intense or I’m insane/You want a revolution, I want a revelation

Theodore shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong with it, I’m just not allowed to use it,” he admitted, without even the faintest hint of shame. It did not occur to him that he should be embarrassed for missing curfew as a government employee. Sure, it was perhaps foolish of him to have made such a mistake, but it was a minor one, in the grand scheme of things. “I need a paper. It’s by–uh, Fine. Gary Alan Fine and some co-authors.” He paused, as if belatedly remembering that Brianna was not, in fact, his personal internet proxy. “Sorry, I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”

Brianna exaggerated an impressed downward turn to her lips and nodded her head in approval. Most people she encountered were somewhat sheepish if they happened to lose their privileges, but not the good doctor. “Shall I search ‘Gary Alan Fine and some co-authors’ exactly?” She joked, laughing as she fired up google on her computer. Brianna glanced up at him from over her computer, slowly shaking her head, “Nah, it’s almost the end of the day anyway. One of those working hard or hardly working things.” She leaned back in her chair, rolling it away slightly from her computer, “I’ve got the search pulled up but you’ll have to find the right one here. And out of curiosity, how’d you lose your internet in the first place? I figured you’d be above that one with your job and all.”

“ Well I do tend to be a very thoughtful guy, Bri.” Mason replied to her playfully, “ Besides, I figured both of us could use a bit of fun and wine was a good way to get started.” he added. He was more of a beer or scotch drinker but he didn’t mind wine at all, he was looking for a little bit of a buzz too actually. He didn’t want to think about work, he wanted to have a good time with her, let go for a night and just enjoy himself and enjoy her company which he always did when they hung out together.

He nodded at her declaration, no more work talk, they could talk about work while at work, and they could both use a fun night to say the least, “ Agreed, no more work talk.” he said, “ I think we both deserve a night off.” he added. Mason sat down once more and picked up his own glass of wine, he swirled the liquid around in his glass for a moment before taking a sip as well, relieved that the wine was actually decent. He looked up at her when she answered his question with another question, and he couldn’t help but notice that her cheeks were a bit pinker than they were before, “ Well, if you want it to be a date, then it will be a date.” he answered, “ But either way, you and I will still have a fun night, and maybe get a little drunk.” he said with a smirk, he lifted his glass once more and took another sip. 

“Cheers to a fun and a night off” Brianna laughed, tipping her glass in his direction. She took a longer sip of her wine, making a mental note to have to ask what the brand was later, finding it enjoyable and easy to drink. Bri knew that he was thoughtful, it being among the first traits she recognized in him when they first started working together. It was one of many traits that made her want to get to know Mason outside of work, having thought he was the type of person she’d like for a friend, and the two had been close since just near day one. Work kept them both very busy, limiting most of their interactions to the office so Bri was looking forward to that night to talk about anything other than work. 

She took another sip of her wine to hide her near surprise at his answer, smiling when she set the glass down. “Well, wish we could’ve settled that before you got here. I would’ve left my slippers upstairs.” Brianna joked, her smile growing into a grin as she stood to take the food out of the oven in sync with the chiming timer. It looked promising enough and Bri breathed a sigh of relief. She served the lasagna onto two plates, teetering two pieces of garlic bread on the edge of the plates. “Don’t be afraid to tell me if this is awful,” she laughed, setting a plate down in front of Mason, “I can’t say cooking is one of my strong suits. I have pizza on speed dial for emergencies.” 

Mason made his way inside, he took off his shoes and followed her into the kitchen, he nodded and took a seat at the table when she went to check on dinner, it smelt good so far. He smiled at her, “ I thought it might go well with dinner.” he replied with a small shrug of his shoulders, he picked up the bottle once more and read the label for a moment. He wasn’t a big wine drinker but he had the odd glass here and there if the situation called for it, it was a red wine, and he hoped it was a good one, the person at the store said it was good anyway.

When she brought the glasses over to the table, along with the bottle opener, he stood up, he picked up the opener and started to work on opening the bottle. He grinned, “ Well, I figured some kind of alcohol would be necessary after a long day at work, its the least I could do since you’re providing dinner tonight.” he said as he worked the opener on the cork. He almost had the cork out when he heard her next question, he paused momentarily at her words but only for a moment, he continued what he was doing and finally popped out the cork. He grinned at her, “ Why, do you want this to be a date?” he teased back, he looked at her and wiggled his eyebrows playfully. He reached for her glass and poured her some wine before pouring his own.

“Very thoughtful of you.” Brianna grinned over her shoulder at him as she led him through toward the kitchen. She enjoyed a glass of wine most nights, mostly to help her unwind from the day and motivate her to tackle the usually large stack of files and notes to be transcribed onto the computer. “It looks like it’ll be good, the label at least is very fancy.” Bri commented with a chuckle once they reached the eating area. 

She laughed from her spot across the table, head still in her hands, “You got me there. Things have been crazy lately” Brianna paused for a moment, making a raspberry noise with her lips before waving her hands, “Enough about work tonight, though. I, for one, have thought about it enough to last a lifetime.” The cork made a satisfying pop and Bri watched as Mason waggled his eyebrows at her. She had never been one to be shy and had always thought of herself as rather bold and forthright. There hadn’t ever been much use, in her mind, in beating around the proverbial bush. Still, she felt her cheeks darken as she picked up her glass and took a deep sip. “And what if I do?” she asked, tilting her head and glancing over at Mason with a smirk.

To say that Mason had been busy at work was an understatement, lately both he and Brianna had been swamped at work, they barely had time for anything else these days. When Brianna had stopped by his office and invited him to dinner over at her place, he was all too willing to say yes. Truth was, he kinda missed her outside of work, so he was looking forward to having dinner with her. He knew they both had a lot of work to do, but even they needed a break, besides, they both have been working long hours these days. One his way to Brianna’s place, he stopped by the liquor store and picked up a bottle of wine for the both of them to share over the evening, he figured that since she was providing dinner, the least he could do was provide the drinks. 

When he made it to her door he knocked with his free hand and waited, when the door opened, he greeted her with a friendly grin. “ Hey!” he replied, he chuckled and nodded his head, “ You and me both.” he said, “ Besides, I couldn’t pass up dinner with you.” he added with a playful wink. “ As promised, I brought some wine.” he said, holding up the bottle.

Brianna grinned, waving Mason on to follow her from the foyer to the kitchen, which was starting to smell like lasagna. Hopefully, a good sign. “You can take a seat, I’m just going to make sure this isn’t going up in flames.” She bent to open the oven as she spoke, peeking in on the cooking meal which, thankfully, seemed to bubbling according to plan and not any more than it should be. Brianna took the pan of garlic bread that had been sitting, ready, on the top of the stove into the oven with the lasagna, so the two would be ready at the same time. 

“You read my mind, I’d love some wine.” She turned to smile at Mason as she moved to grab two wine glasses from the cabinet and an opener from the drawer. Brianna set a glass in front of Mason and one at her place at the table, with the opener between them. “Man, wine after a long day at work, you really know how to woo a girl,” She laughed, sitting down in a chair opposite him and placing her chin in her hands and elbows on the table, “Is this a date?” Bri raised one eyebrow, almost teasing.

Brianna was just sliding dinner into the oven when there was a knock at her door. Her personal cookbook and abilities were somewhat limited - really, she only knew how to make about four dishes and only knew how to make two of them well. She’d hedged her bets and went for lasagna, hoping Mason would be a fan of Italian food and that she couldn’t possibly mess up frozen garlic bread that bad. The pair of resident contacts had been friends nearly from the start, but saw each other less and less lately with the amount of workload they had coming in the door each day. So she’d invited him over for dinner, only remembering after the fact that she wasn’t the best cook. Well, there was always pizza if things went awry. 

She closed the oven and headed from the kitchen to the door, smoothing a hand over her hair as she moved to attempt to quell the frizziness. “Hey!” she greeted Mason as she pulled open the door, “Glad you could make it, I know this is probably the earliest I’ve been home in a while.”