SYSTEM ONLINE.

“What exactly are you trying to tell me here? ” She asked despite her suddenly dry mouth. Her face drained of all color and even her stomach did a back flip. Her natural hand came up, fingertips grazing the scars on her temple and side of the head, partially uncovered by the buzz cut of her hair style. “ Are you afraid of me? ”

         “ no, don’t flatter yourself. ”  he knew it wasn’t very flattering to think that you close friend was afraid of you after all the things you’d been through but he had to make something out of the tense situation.  “ i’m afraid of what people who are actually afraid of “augs” would have done to you. i didn’t want to risk getting hurt like that. so i went with the next best thing: ignorance. if i didn’t know whether you were safe or not -- it made it a little easier. ”

He very much doubted it and much like Francis, he had a job to do.

          “ i’m not going to let my quarrels get in the way of work. i’m not some stubborn child. ”  he moved to grab the drive he had the files on. since jensen was already here, there was no need to send them off.  “ here. this should satisfy, dear sarif. and no, you’re free to go if you please. ”

“Let me see…” He narrowed his eyes at the wound, starting to gently press on it.

        he allowed himself a drag from the cigarette once he lit it. he was decent enough to let the smoke out away from jensen’s face. while he did let out a slight hiss of a complaint at his small wound was disinfected, he barely let out any other complaint.  “ just keep it gentle, jensen. i’m not some ruffian like you. ”

“ Coz we still didn’t see each other for two years. You might as well have moved to another country. Instead you fell off the Earth like it was nothing and… You lost me either way. ” What exactly did that mean, not even Cyd was sure. She let out a sigh, rubbed her temple with her eyes closed for a second or two. “ I would’ve helped you. ” She continued. “ You know that. And if you refused and said you could take care of yourself, then I’d be okay with it, too. I just wish you would’ve given me the chance to say those things. ”

     “ i knew you would have. ”  which created the question of then why did you leave?  “ but i didn’t want to risk it still. even if you were sure that you were going to stay.... these times are rough. i don’t think anyone can promise anything these days. especially when -- ”  especially when they’re augmented.  “ i was trying to keep safe. i’m sorry for leaving the way i did. ”

She stopped walking and turned to him, finally looking him in the eyes. “ These two yars, you’ve been here all along, right under my nose. And yet you disappeared without a trace, you didn’t call, didn’t send a message, an e-mail… God, Pritchard, I know you’re not a touchy-feely person, but I thought I was worthy of at least a post-it note saying you were alive so I didn’t have to wonder if you got killed or sent to an aug ghetto. Why didn’t you say anything to me…? ”

      “ wanna know what that got me? it got me this. ”  he gestured to his clearly beaten face. he knew she’d noticed. it wasn’t something he was hiding well.  “ i live in the ruin of a cinema in gang banger territory making what little credits i can get my hands on via freelance hacking. i have no more stability in my life and -- and the last thing i wanted was to find you and eventually lose you too somehow. so i just fell off the grid and made my life a hell of a lot easier. ”

Opening the apartment’s door, Jensen closed it behind them with his leg, before walking over the counter and placing his bags on it, pulling out the new packet of cigarettes. “Here, have one and sit down.” He told him, and turned to grab a first aid kit from his stash.

           the worst part was that he knew it. knew that jensen was perfectly capable of caring for himself. but of course, it was pritchard’s nature to cause a fire where one didn’t belong. especially when he mood was sour as it was now. he was silent on the way up and followed jensen’s request to sit. eyeing the pack of smokes, he finally took one and placed it between his lips.  “ i don’t have a light on me. ”  an indication to hopefully borrow one from his fellow coworker. 

Her heart felt like it had dropped to her feet. And here she thought he had been in another state maybe, or even another country. But nope. He had been right there, under her nose. Now she was beginning to feel and look more and more aggravated. “ So where have you been staying? ” She asked, keeping her eyes on her dog, on the sidewalk, anywhere except Pritchard. “ Under a rock or something? ”

            “ something like that. ”  he was waiting for her to snap. prepared to hear her scold and yell at him and for once he was going to suck it up and take it. no witty remarks or poor ways to defend himself. he deserved whatever she was going to throw his way.  “ look. i know you want to yell at me. please, just get it over with. ”

If you listen closely you can hear my heart breaking for painting this :´)