don't touch girls forged from fire

“Besides,” he went on, “I’ve lived here forever, you’re the one that needs to see more,” he teased, sticking his tongue out at her as he put the car in reverse. A few places flickered through his mind, but true to his word, he would let her decide. He backed out of the hotel parking lot, meandering their way closer to downtown as he waited for a destination.

"I...have a feeling I’m not going to win this, am I?” Paxton added, glancing at the man next to her while he eased the Jeep outside of the hotel’s parking lot, and onto the roadways of Orlando, Florida. There was a silence that enveloped them for only a slight moment as Paxton tried to think of someplace they, as friends, hadn’t been before in the city. “You know, I haven’t been to Universal since I moved here...” She stated slowly, as if she were both stating something and offering an idea. 

“Anyway,” he went on as he started to walk toward his truck. “Where to?” They usually always went to the same bar, but he would take her wherever she wanted to go. “Nice out today,” he mentioned, looking around them. It was late afternoon, but the sun was still out and the cool breeze tempered it perfectly. Not too hot, not too cold. “Do you still want to just grab drinks or…something else?” It would be a nice night to hang out somewhere outside, but he was up for anything, really. As long as he got to spend time with Paxton. They hadn’t hung out in far too long, and he still felt the need to make it up to her after the whole birthday debacle. 

Paxton had never really found herself to ever make idle conversation between Warren and herself, especially about something as trivial as the weather. Although, after their last encounter, Paxton figured it was probably necessary. Especially after their last encounter. “It is nice, isn’t it?” She replied, glancing at the clear, open sky. It was much cooler than it had been that morning, something Paxton had gotten used to since she had moved down to Florida, and it reminded her of the weather from Washington. “Something new would be nice, but I suppose that’s up to you, isn’t it?” Paxton noted, glancing at the man next to her with a warm smile. “Since you’re driving, anyways.” 

"Tell me something new." Charlie replied, shaking her head as she began to retrieve the rest of the shopping bags that had found their home tucked away in the room."Can I pick something out for you to wear?" She continued, rummaging through the bags before she had even received an answer from her sister, already having moved past their previous conversation with absolutely no qualms. Shrugging, Paxton continued to freshen herself up, running a straightener through her disheveled hair. 

Paxton knew it wouldn't take much to convince her to eventually excuse herself to her bathroom in an attempt to fix herself up, considering she had been pretending to pout in the first place, but she hadn't been expecting Warren to pout in response. 'For fuck's sake,' She thought to herself idly as she watched him run his fingers through his chestnut brown hair. 'How could somebody be just as attractive pouting as he was stoic?' Rolling her eyes, Paxton forcibly removed that exact thought from her head, knowing it would get her nowhere good. Humming her agreement to his statement, Paxton let her eyes fall on her sister; "And what am I suppose to do with her?" She asked, knowing that the course of her words would be moot. Would it be desperate to agree to his offer so quickly? 

In all honestly, the last thing Paxton expected Warren to say was an offer for drinks, especially because of her break up. "Warren --" She started, tilting her head. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine," She continued, shifting her body so that her weight was distributed to the other foot. "Don't feel like you have to make it up to me." She added. 

"Anyway, tonight’s supposed to be about you," he continued, knitting his brows in concern as he looked at her. He was worried, he wouldn’t deny that much. Paxton liked going out as much as any of them did, and it seemed she was the only one not having a good time tonight. "So come on, out with it," he prodded, voice still gentle as he tried to read her facial expression. The slight pout to her bottom lip had been evident all night- maybe not to Weston or Valerie, or maybe even Mollie -but it hadn’t escaped his notice. And it only grew as her phone rang, something else he had managed to glimpse before she’d excused herself.

"You…" he swallowed hard, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself. Talking about things like this weren’t his strong suit, but if there was anyone he wanted to make an effort for, it was Paxton. "You know you can tell me, right?" The words were rushed and broken, and he coughed as he finished speaking, his cheeks flushing as he averted his gaze. He twisted his hands on the table in front of him, already regretting the words. Last time he’d tried to be open like that it had ended worse than poorly, and although he would freely admit Paxton was his best friend, and he was more than certain he was hers, it still didn’t make this any easier. What was to stop her from shutting him down, turning him away? He didn’t think he could take that, not again, not for a second time. 

"Is it, though?" She asked, shrugging her shoulders as she looked at Warren. She knew the celebration was to celebrate her birthday that had long since passed but why? (It seemed as if she was always asking herself that question nowadays) But Paxton wasn't an idiot. She knew their was another underlying reason as to why they were celebrating but she didn't want to seem rude by question it. Then again, maybe there wasn't and she was just being her own paranoid self. She had been planning on making another excuse -- as she had done with Sydney -- but before she could, her phone began to vibrate again. This time, her mom's name flashed across the screen. Pushing her lower lip out more than it already was (was that possible?) Paxton sent her mom to voicemail before turning back to Warren. What was she suppose to tell him? That she was jealous of him and Valerie? How could she when she had brought Mollie. It seemed that everything she thought was plaguing her was only about her and that that had been the only reason she was upset in the first place. 

'You know you can tell me, right?' Paxton closed her eyes as his words bounced around her head. If it weren't for the fact that she found his voice absolutely enthralling, Paxton probably would have found his words hurtful, but she couldn't. Not when she was entranced by him. She knew she had been a horrible friend -- if not a, a horrible person -- and the way Warren was cautious with his words only proved that. "I know." Paxton replied, smiling softly at her partner as she shrugged once more. "It's just...confusing." Unsure if she was allowed to, or not, Paxton reached forward slowly, grabbing one of Warren's hands gently. "Thank you, though. You're...a really great person." She added. And it was true. Maybe that was why they worked so well together -- opposites attract, right?

The song that had been playing beforehand ended, snapping Paxton out of whatever mood she had been in before and she sighed. Her fingers were still wrapped around Warren's, her thumb gently tapping against the back of his hand as silence began to envelope them again. At least until another song began to play. It was softer than the others had been -- a mix of country and pop that seemed to whisper like honey through the speakers that surrounded the small bar.

"i know it's not, yanno...fair to you, but--" Before she even had time to think about what she was going to say, Paxton realized that her heart was intent on telling Warren how she was feeling."Paxton." Stopped short of confessing what was really bothering her that night, Mollie's voice was short and crisp, cutting through the music like a whip. It wasn't until then that Paxton realized her hands were still wrapped around Warren's. Frowning, Paxton pulled her hands away, sliding them beneath her thighs as punishment, almost. "Mollie, I was just --"

"Just what? Flirting with him?" 

"What?" The shocked that seemed to surge with her voice was unmistakeable, and Paxton shook her head out of surprise. Where the Hell had that come from? "What? Did you think I wasn't watching you from over there?" Paxton watched as her girlfriend's arms crossed over chest, her eyebrows knitting in furious anger. "What the Hell are you talking about? We were just talking." Paxton replied in defense, matching Mollie's tone as she scooted towards the end of the booth. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure you guys do a lot of talking." Mollie counted, making it seem as if she were implying they had done something else. "Okay, I have no idea what's going on, but you are acting way out of line." Paxton explained, standing up as she pulled at the sleeves of her shirt. "Oh, I'm out of line? I'm out of line? Whatever Paxton. I'm sick of this. You know what? We're done."

He watched as Paxton removed herself, going to sit by herself at a booth across the bar, looking intently at her phone. He frowned slightly as he watched her, but the bartender interrupted his thoughts. He muttered his thanks and made his way back to Valerie, who was currently talking to Weston and Mollie. “One whiskey, on the rocks,” he smiled as he handed the glass to her, kissing her softly on the cheek as she took it from him. Rolling his eyes as Weston winked at him over her head, he straightened, recognizing the first few chords from what used to be one of his favorite songs. He grimaced, the memories from the night at the party crashing into his mind. Paxton swam before his mind, the look on her face as she pushed away from him, as she rejected him. He swallowed hard, a strange feeling bubbling up inside his stomach as the pain of that moment came rushing back.

He cleared his throat, stamping out his emotions and honing back in on the conversation in front of him as Mollie asked Valerie to dance. He barely contained his scoff; he had taken the condescending comments and barely hidden dislike in stride, he had expected it from the woman, after what had happened with Paxton. Even if he was unaware they were dating at the time, he had expected Mollie to dislike him, especially since Paxton and himself had not only been able to salvage their work relationship, but their friendship as well. But for her to be so brazen as to ask his date to dance, when he hadn’t even had a chance to was nearly beyond the limits of his self control. He bit the inside of his lip, waiting for Valerie’s reply. He wouldn’t cause a scene here, not tonight. He wouldn’t do that to Paxton.

"I’m….sorry," Valerie started, glancing toward Warren as she talked. He moved closer, wrapping an arm around her waist as he smelled his victory in the air. "But I kind of want to dance with Warren, I mean…if you want to, that is.." she trailed off, looking up at him. He smiled, hoping it didn’t look as smug as he felt, before he tightened his grip around her and leaned in closer. "I’d love to," he answered softly, not even sparing a glance toward Mollie as he moved them both onto the dance floor and wrapped her arms around her.

He wasn’t sure how long they danced, at least two songs he was sure, but his gaze kept straying to his partner, now alone at the booth as Sydney had gone back to Weston and Mollie. Why wasn’t Mollie there with her? He glanced at the blonde, finding her eyes trained on him and Valerie, and she didn’t look any happier now that he was with another girl. There was no pleasing this woman, was there? “I’m sorry, but, do you mind if I check on Paxton? She’s alone and she looks upset….she’s supposed to be celebrating,” he said apologetically, looking down at the girl in his arms. She nodded, smiling up at him, and he watched as she walked away toward the others before he wound his way toward his partner.

Before she had a chance to make it to the bar, however, the sound of her phone ringing distracted her. 'General Wolfe,' flashed across the screen, accompanying the photo of her and her father from a few years ago. She had had long hair back then, and to be completely honest, even Paxton didn't nearly recognize herself. Shaking her head, Paxton pressed the red button, regretfully sending him to the mailbox on her phone. She'd deal with him later. Mollie was already upset with her, what more could her father do? 'A lot more,' but that was the last thing she wanted to think of right now. Eyeing an empty table towards the back of the bar, Paxton wound her way around the warm bodies before she slid into the leather booth. Again, her cellphone rang, and instead of sending her father to voicemail, Paxton continued to let it ring before getting irritated with her own ringtone and turning it to vibrate. "Sorry dad -- not tonight." 

"Paxton, I--" Mollie watched as Paxton untangled her arm from her own, leaving for another drink without offering to grab any others, something completely out of character for herself. "I didn't..." Trailing off, Mollie smirked smugly, trying to brush off Paxton's attitude as nothing more than her having a bad day. "Her day hasn't been...the best." She stated, shrugging as an embarrassed blush flushed against her cheek. "Excuse me." Clearing her throat, Mollie, too, finished her own drink before she moved towards the woman's restroom. 'No wonder Paxton didn't tell anybody about her birthday.' She muttered as she used her shoulder to push open the door. 

Setting her phone against the lacquered table, Paxton thanked Sydney for her rather mother-bear tendencies in checking up on everyone, giving her hand a light squeeze before she wandered away. She was like a magnet to Weston, always finding him no matter how many bodies were in the room. They were cute -- something Paxton had always wanted but never seemed to find. 'Warren could have given that to you.' She thought to herself, rolling her eyes as she thought about it. 'Not anymore.' She continued, watching as her phone began to vibrate again, this time from her mother. 'You screwed that up.' Shaking her head as, once again, another call went to voicemail, Paxton barely registered somebody else approaching her table. "Huh?" 

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Warren admitted, throwing an arm lazily around the small girl’s shoulder at Mollie’s question. He glanced down at Valerie once, wondering if it had made her uncomfortable. They’d met a few times before, always with a group of people, and they had texted a bit now and then. But they’d never been out together and even though Warren had been clear when inviting her, a little voice in the back of his mind still told him she might not see him that way. However, the blonde just smiled brightly at him and moved her hand to a spot on his arm, erasing all his doubts. “What do you want?” He asked, gesturing to the bar, “That looks good,” Valerie answered, looking in the direction of Paxton’s drink. “Whiskey?” Warren questioned, a sloppy grin adorning his features, “I knew I liked you for a reason,” he quipped, winking before making his way to the bar and putting in their drink order.

He glanced behind him at the group, a small crease in his brow. Weston and Mollie were busy chatting to Valerie, no doubt about things he wouldn’t want to hear anyway, knowing his brother. Paxton was with Sydney, and he couldn’t help but feel like something was off with her. He caught her eye, smiling and sending a small salute, nodding seriously before the bartender sidled up behind him. He jumped slightly as he was caught off guard, but thanked the man and wound his way back to the others.

Her tone had surprised Paxton as she slowly began to realize exactly what Mollie was daring to do. Although she was small, Paxton had to give credit where it was deserved -- if she was stubborn enough to passively challenge someone like Warren the way that she was, then  maybe -- just maybe -- she'd be stubborn enough to look past many of her past mistakes. Most notably Paxton's obvious attachment to her field partner. Paxton wanted whatever it was that her and Mollie had to last, even if they were only hanging on by a thread at that very moment. She wanted a relationship to last for longer than a month; Paxton didn't want to be the failure in the family who jumped from partner to partner because she made one too many mistakes. She wanted Mollie to be happy, which only made her feel guilty for feeling the she did whenever she looked at Warren and his perfect, little blonde date. Shaking her head subtly, Paxton held onto Mollie's arm softly, letting her thumb graze against hers as she listened to the three of them idle chat. 

It wasn't until Valerie motioned towards Paxton that her brain began to register the words that were being passed between the three of them. "Whiskey?" Paxton questioned, looking down at the small snifter that was in her hand. This girl had to be joking. Warren had to be joking. 'I knew I liked you for a reason." Frowning intently, Paxton watched as Warren removed himself from the group, heading towards the bar to grab himself and his date a drink. "So you and Warren work together?" Was this girl seriously trying to initiate a conversation? Paxton nearly shook her head, already through with this entire night before Mollie nudged her in her ribs, forcing her to smile at the girl in front of her. "Yeah, we're partners." She muttered, breathing a sigh of relief as her phone began to vibrate in her pocket. Glancing at the screen, Paxton frowned before excusing herself, heading towards an empty booth near the back of the bar, whiskey in hand. She needed a break.

"Did I say something wrong?" Valerie asked, glancing at Mollie with confusion in her eyes before Mollie shook her head. "She's having a...rough day." She replied, attempting to excuse her girlfriend's attitude as much as possible. There wasn't much she could do, though. There was no telling what had set Paxton off -- whether or not it had been her passive aggressive comments to Warren or something else, but at this point in their relationship, Mollie had become used to it. "Besides, I think that was her father. We can wait for Warren over here," She continued, leading her towards Wes and Sydney. 

Glancing at the screen of her phone, Paxton wondered why her father would be calling her so late at night. It was almost ten o'clock. That was before she realized, however, that for him, it was only seven. The last thing she wanted was for her father to interrogate her again, though. She was already having a shitty day. Pressing on the button once, Paxton watched as she forwarded her father's call to her voicemail, mentally preparing herself for the message she was sure she'd receive later. 

"Paxton?" Jumping at the sound of her name, Paxton glanced at Sydney as she approached the booth carefully, sliding through the opposite end until she was next to her friend. "Is everything okay?" Sydney continued, smiling apologetically at her. What was Paxton suppose to say? That she was acting like a fool for being jealous that Warren had decided to move on from whatever it was they had had? It wasn't like they had been dating. It was one kiss -- two if you counted the one she gave him after they had had a chance to talk. She had Mollie, anyways -- one of Sydney's friends. "Huh? Oh, that's...uh, yeah." Paxton muttered, running her hands through her short hair, placing it behind one of her ears. "M'just..not feeling well?" 

Glancing at the girl next to her, Sydney, once again, smiled apologetically. Paxton Wolfe was one of the strongest girls she had ever known -- she was independent and strong, both physically and mentally, and it hurt Sydney to look at her and know that something was wrong. There had to be something wrong, because nobody looked the way she did, even if they said they were 'fine.' "Oh." Sydney started, biting her lip. "Are you sick, or are you..." Trailing off, Sydney glanced at Warren who seemed to be leaning against the bar, staring back at them -- or her -- who knew anymore. "...or are you sick?" 

"What?" Glancing at the red headed girl next to her, Paxton's eyebrows furrowed even more than they already were. What did she mean by that? "N-no, I said...I said I was fi--" Before she could finish her sentence, Paxton's phone, once again, began to ring. "I'm sorry, I--" Fishing it out of her pocket, Paxton swallowed hard as her father's name once again flashed across the screen. "One second." "Dad, I'm busy can I call you back later? I promise it won't be too late." She stated quickly, not allowing any spaces for her father to interrupt her. She didn't want to have a yelling match with him over the phone for forwarding him to her voicemail in the middle of a bar. "Paxton, I really nee--"

"I promise, okay?" She stated again, pulling the phone away from her ear as she pressed the 'End Call' button. Once more, Sydney glanced warily at her friend, her lips pulled back into one single line. "You could have taken that, you know." She muttered, shrugging her shoulders. "You don't know my father like I do -- if I answer the phone now, I won't be able to get off until I tell him it's almost one in the morning here, and I'm laying in bed." Paxton replied, frowning as her phone began to buzz again. She'd answer it later. All she needed to do was stay for another thirty or so minutes and then, maybe, she could pretend her stomach hurt or something. Thirty minutes was long enough, right? Shaking her head once more, Paxton tried to force herself to smile in Sydney's direction. There was no telling how long her father was going to interrogate her when she got home -- the last thing she needed was for Sydney to start here. Letting the muscles in her face pull at the corners of her lips, it almost seemed as if Paxton had thoroughly convinced Sydney. 

At least, she had before the song changed. 

It was hard to recognize it as the first few chords began to play. It must have been a drawn out version of the song -- the one people would have found on the band's album, rather than in a club. It was familiar enough, however, that as soon as the words began to echo around the small building, Paxton immediately recognized it. Once more, her stomach felt like an empty black hole, and she stared off into the distance with a blank look on her face, and a frown marring her complexion. 

Warren smiled tightly as he opened the passenger door to his car, holding a hand out to help the girl climb down from his truck. His eyes trailed up the length of her legs as she slid herself down, from her smooth black heels up to her deep blue dress, a shade he had to admit looked beautiful against her skin and hair. She smiled her thanks up at him, and he smiled easier in return. Why was he so nervous? They were here for Paxton’s birthday, sure, but it was still the bar, and it wasn’t rude to bring a date. Even if he hadn’t told anyone. Paxton was bringing Mollie, and Weston had brought Sydney, and he’d be damned if he was going to be a fifth wheel. He placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked, holding the door open for her and taking a deep breath as the multitude of voices and sensations hit him.

He walked in behind her - Valerie, her name was - eyes searching over her head as he kept a possessive hand on her hip as he took in the number of men present. He wasn’t sure why she had agreed, he’d considered it a long shot. She was too pretty for him, really, just like Paxton was - He cut the thought off with a shake of his head. He was over that, it was all water under the bridge. He even had a date to prove it. He was starting over; no more Rylie, no more Paxton - just Valerie. It was better that way. He had his brother, his best friend, and possibly in time, a girlfriend. There was no reason for bitter thoughts. He spotted West, and angled toward them. He could see the surprise on his brothers face, which quickly gave in to a sly smirk, and he rolled his eyes as Weston winked at him.

Forcing herself to smile and willing away the crease that had furrowed between her eyebrows, Paxton allowed Mollie to take her hand, dragging her away from Sydney and Weston and towards the bar. She didn't know why she was so caught up in the fact that she was a distraction for either of the brothers when she had a perfectly good distraction of her own in front of her. Especially when that distraction enticed kisses (and possible belated birthday sex). 

"Paxton?" 

The sound of Mollie repeating her name caused her to jerk her head forward and Paxton smiled, briefly wondering how long she had been out of it. While she was eager to continue hanging out with her girlfriend and boss (and his girlfriend), it didn't seem right to start the festivities until Warren showed up. He was her best friend, after all. "He asked what you wanted to drink." Mollie repeated, subtly shaking her head at her girlfriend's rather inept habit of tuning out everything. She didn't know how it was possible for someone to get lost in their mind, but Paxton seemed to make a hobby out of it. "He's going to show up. The longer you look at the door, the more disappointed you're going to be when it's not him." Mollie added, recognizing the look on her girlfriend's face. 

The mere mention of Warren split Paxton's attention once more and she shrugged, knowing that Mollie was right, even if she was being sarcastic. Paxton knew that Mollie still bristled at the idea of Warren being around her, ever since Charlie, Scott, and Dylan had been in town, if only for that one kiss. And maybe Paxton shouldn't have told Mollie about it, but there wasn't any way she could possible lie to her about it when all she did was mope around her hotel for a week straight. Obviously her lying skills weren't nearly as good as she had assumed they were when she tried blatantly lying to Weston's face the next morning. "Whiskey's fine, thanks." She muttered, leaning her back against the bar as she waited for Mollie to finish chatting up the bartender. 

Her eyes had barely fluttered close before Paxton felt a familiarly weighted arm was slung around her shoulder, roughly pulling her from her position against the bar into a large bear hug. How long had it been since Warren had hugged her like this? Paxton wondered briefly, not even giving herself a moment's hesitation before she wrapped her own arms around his large torso. The sound of his voice whispering past her ear forced her spine to shiver, the smile that had been barely there since she had arrived growing by the minute. 

Warren laughed as she furrowed her brows, a small pout on her lips. “No, you’re fine,” he assured her, noting the small tsk that came from his brother. No doubt, Wes had wanted to tell her the exact opposite, and Warren was grateful he’d at least been able to save her from that, if not himself. His brother was in a mood today, a good mood for Weston which usually meant trouble for him, and most other people within his vicinity. “Weston was just harassing me, and you interrupted him,” he explained, waving away whatever his brother was about to say. “So thank you,” he met her eyes, winking playfully and shoving West’s feet off his desk to clear the space for Paxton to take the other chair.

"I was not harassing you,” West piped up darkly. “Since when am I not allowed to spend some quality time with my little brother?” He asked, and if Warren didn’t know him like he did, he would have believed his innocent act. Warren shook his head, sighing as he leaned back again in his char. He eyed the phone still in his brother’s hand, but the screen had gone dark and he hoped Weston had given up that particular line of inquiry now that Paxton had joined them. Weston pushed her shoulder as she sat down, and he laughed, unable to help himself at the facial expression she threw him. “Told you,” he murmured, “Harassment,” West glowered at him.

Shooting a glare in Weston's direction, Paxton moved to settle into the only other chair available in Warren's office -- the same exact one she had used to lock them in almost a month ago -- giving Warren a small, yet grateful smile. "Honestly, Wes, your idea of a 'good time' is not the same as ours." Paxton replied, motioning between herself and Warren as she crossed her legs at her knees. Without any hesitation -- well, almost any; she saved herself the right to throw another sharp glare in Weston's direction -- Paxton retaliated, pushing his own shoulder back while her own ebbed away at the sudden force. It reminded her of home and the playful fighting that went on between her siblings and herself, and Paxton couldn't help but smile brightly at the brothers. It seemed as if they always managed to make her day that much better. 

Warren tried to focus on his work, but the incessant hum that was coming from his brother was proving more difficult to ignore than usual. It wasn’t uncommon for Weston to slouch off his own work on a slow day like today and bum it in his brother’s office; chair reclined, feet propped up, eyes closed - the picture of relaxation. But across the desk, Warren was a much different sight, hunched over his keyboard the way he was, pen clutched tightly in his hand as he sighed. “Do you ever take a break?” His brother’s voice drawled lazily, Wes not even bothering to open his eyes as he spoke.

Warren chuckled once under his breath, rolling his eyes although he knew the other man wouldn’t see. “I did, before someone refused to assign me a field case and I was given this mountain of paperwork,” he answered darkly, scowling for a moment at his older brother. “Your feet are on my write up,” he added, going back to his paperwork. He heard the leather of the chair squeak as West moved, a deep breath escaping his lips. Warren sighed again, setting his pen down and giving up on productivity for a while as he leaned back in his chair and eyed Weston, who had a sloppy grin on his face. “That’s more like it, little brother,” he nodded, laughing at the expression Warren threw his way. He opened his mouth to retaliate when his phone rang, situated on the charger halfway between himself and the older agent.

He reached out quickly, but Weston was quicker, and he cursed under his breath as it was snatched before he could get to it. “Isn’t someone popular,” he teased, brow furrowing as he glanced down at the screen. “Huh, maybe not. It’s just an alarm,” he muttered, and Warren watched as he entered his pin, scratching his head. He didn’t know how his brother did it - he’d only changed the password that morning, after West had gotten into his phone the night before and wreaked near havoc before Warren had even noticed. “Oh,” the sound was quiet, and it drew Warren’s attention. “What?” He asked flatly, wondering idly just what Weston had managed to get into. “It’s uh…it’s Rylie’s birthday,”

Warren swallowed, expecting a lump to form in his throat as he thought of the red head - but it didn’t. “Oh,” he answered, eyeing Wes as he watched him. “That’s nice?” He laughed, wondering what he was waiting for. He didn’t care either way about Rylie’s birthday. “What’d you get her?” The question sounded innocent enough, but Warren knew Weston was only withholding judgement until he knew the answer. “What? Nothing, we broke up,” he shrugged, picking up his pen again. “Oh come on, War, I’m talking to the guy that does his Christmas shopping in August. What is it?” Warren rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t deny the truth to his brother’s words. It had been a necklace, rose and yellow gold, with chocolate diamonds. But that didn’t matter now. “Nothing. I already returned it,” he said shortly, not meeting his gaze.

But maybe there was something with Paxton that was broken. Not something inherently obvious, but smalls things beneath the surface -- cracks that didn't seem to show themselves before it was too late. There were a thousand things that Paxton considered broken within herself but there was nothing she could do about it. For most of her life, she had been considered 'promiscuous' because of her basic attraction to both boys and girls, something she had seem come back to haunt her again and again, in her life, even outside of high school. It was what had broken her relationship with Warren in the first place, that much she couldn't deny, not to mention the simple fact that her current girlfriend didn't quiet understand it either. And then there was her attention span...

It had taken her a moment to clear her head, and when she had, Paxton realized just how quiet the office had gotten in a matter of minutes as soon as the majority of the Agents had left the premises. Those that had stayed seemed to idle at their desk, filling out paperwork quietly amongst the silence that had already befallen them. She hated the silence. The silence made her brain wander, and when her brain wandered, bad things seemed to happen. Paxton tried to keep herself focused on the paperwork in front of her -- she only had two sheets left -- but the quietness that had enveloped the office was beginning to wear on her. She was sure if she dropped a pin on the ground, she could hear it echo despite the fact that the ground was made of carpet. Tapping a slow rhythm with her pen against the wooden desk in front of her earned her a few glares from the leftover Agents that seemed to be pulling in extra time to finish their own paperwork and she stopped just as quickly as she had started, only to find herself itching to start again. 

That's when Paxton tried making noise internally, instead of physically, something that was obviously not appreciated by the others in the room. Soft hums vibrated against her lips as she began to tie up loose ends in her report, watching as her hand seamlessly produced sentence after sentence without so much of a stop before she finished it with a gusto, adding a finalized period with a tap of her pen. For the first time since she had begun working at the Field Office in Orlando, Paxton had finished her paperwork before she was off, working on it throughout the morning rather than waiting last minute to finish it. It was nice, knowing she didn't have anything else to do for the most part of her day unless Weston somehow granted her and Warren with another task to complete, something she didn't think would happen even if she begged. 

Collecting and organizing her pile of finished paperwork, Paxton stapled them together before standing up, unsure of what exactly to do. She had never finished her work this early in the day and found herself at a lost, glancing around her for some kind of hint of something -- anything -- she could do. Her desk was near spotless already, having had time to organize and clean it the day before, and she knew asking Weston for the rest of the day off was completely out of the question. Then again, she had never really asked him before -- no harm, no foul?