bailey "chaos" locket

“I don’t know, but you sounded a little wistful so I thought I’d include you.”

“Sounds boring, to be honest.”

“Extremely. You should’ve been there.”

“Oh, yeah? For which part, exactly?”

“What?” Trayson gave her a look of mock surprise, unable to straighten the crooked grin on his lips. “I was just trying to fix your hair.”

“Help or take over? Either way, yes.” He paused before finally stepping away, holding a hand out toward the exit, “Your chariot awaits.”

“We’ve been friends long enough for you to know there’s no fixing this. It does whatever it wants.” She paused, before adding, “I guess you and my hair have that in common.”

“Mmm. You should call me darling more often. Really rolls off the tongue.”

He took another step, tilting his head to the side as he brushed some hair from her face, “Whatever your pretty little heart desires.”

“Oh, well, in that case, I’ll make a note of it.”

   “Nothing much.”

   “My partner and I got in a car chase slash shootout in the desert the other night, on our way to meet a client. Car broke down and we had to spend the night under the stars. Now she’s planning retaliation.”

“Partner? That scrappy little thing with the wild hair? Sounds romantic.”

“ Tsk. You know me so well, darling. ” As she stepped away, Trayson jutted out his bottom lip in a dramatic pout.

By the time Chaos was asking her question, he’d already closed some of the space she’d made between them. “ I was in the neighborhood, it was close enough to later, blah, blah, blah… Does it really matter? ”

“Yeah, I do. Probably better than you think, darling.”

   “Pfff… That’s pretty fucking tragic.” Julian swallowed a laugh and drummed his fingers on the edge of the table. “New girl all right?”

“Well, hey, that pretty much sums us up.”

“ Mmm… ” Trayson approached her, getting close, blues sweeping over her as a grin tugged at the corner of his lips, “ I could make a list… ”

“Something tells me you already have.” Chaos took a step back, rolling her eyes. “What are you doin’ here anyway? I thought we weren’t meeting until later.”

   “If I knew Alex who I wouldn’t still be here.” Julian dropped his heavy bag on the floor and hoisted himself up to sit on an empty table, leaning his elbows on his knees and looking sideways at Chaos.

   “Any news since last time?”

“Uh-huh... well good luck with that.”

   “Chaos! Long time no see.”

   “I don’t know… Can you take a delivery? It’s for somebody named Alex, but I haven’t found them yet.”

“Yeah, it’s been... a minute.”

“ They’re whatever I want the- ” He got interrupted by her springing to her feet, embracing him in a hug and cracking his features with a broad smile.

He wrapped his arms around her, returning the gesture, and realizing that he might have missed her. A little.  “ Do I get a welcome like this every time I send dead flowers? Cause then fuck what everyone else does… ”

“Shut up,” she said, kissing his cheek one last time and then taking a step back to look at him. “Sorry, I think I’ve got paint on you.”

“I was serious, Chaos. I haven’t seen you in months, so I came to see how you were doing.”

“Had I known you would greet me with such hostility, though, I would’ve stayed at the lab.”

“Call me crazy, but I haven’t exactly had the best luck with you all coming to visit me.”

“ What? I wrote you. I even gave you presents. I don’t give anyone presents. ”

“ —- So say how much you missed me already. ”

“You realize flowers are supposed to be alive when you send them, right?” Chaos was smiling, though, perfectly content with the dried, pressed rose over a lively bouquet any day. A moment later she sprung to her feet. “Come here!”

“Too good to have a chat with an old friend, Chaos? I’m just checking up on you.”

“Oh, a chat, huh? Right. Okay, lets chat. Tell me what you’re doing here and we’ll chat about that first. Then we can chat about how I’m not interested.”

“Wouldn’t that technically not make them both white, then? White is a pretty… straight forward colour,” she replied, eyebrows furrowed. 

Even if she should, Alaska wasn’t good at backing down. So much of her life depended on her being able to stand her ground now. “Only things that need invitations are parties… not sure I’d consider this one,” 

“See, I think Eggshell and Marshmallow here might beg to differ.”

“·Psh! What makes you think I care if you’re busy? It’s me.·Nothing is more important.·”