poor baby, you're starting to lose it, aren't ya?

Cont. from @shotin35mm || Patricia and Wrench (x)

"And that's why I'm gonna make sure you end up with a nice big fruit basket at Christmas," he quips, leaning back in his chair. Making it rock a little bit. Wrench can hear his father in the back of his mind, scolding him to act proper — especially in front of Patricia. But his father was exactly like this, he knows it. Maybe even worse. "Okay. Maybe a nice vacation? Cruise to the bahamas."

as the car began to sputter, chaeyeon's worst fear was coming to life before her eyes. "goddamn it," she muttered, not at bj but at the fact that there was shit to show for people alive out there. worry draped her face as bj mentioned needing to leave the vehicle. glancing back in the backseat at the handful of supplies they'd collected, chae knew it just wasn't enough. but, an idea sparkled once she saw the few shops in the short distance. unbuckling her own belt in haste, she reached for the aluminum baseball bat and handed it over to the other woman. "here, i'll take the shitty one."

Of all the people BJ could've been stuck with right now, she's glad she's at least with someone like Chaeyeon. If she's scared, she's doing a damn good job at hiding it, and BJ appreciates that. It helps the panic settle somewhat. Running on pure adrenaline, there's no time to let fear dictate your actions. Any kind of hesitation means death — it's only been a few hours of this and BJ's already seen that firsthand enough to start living by it. "Cool," she says, retrieving the baseball bat from the other girl, a little bit caught off guard by the weight of it. She adjusts her grip and takes a sharp breath, taking one last good look out of the car window before following after Chaeyeon.

"Who knows if it'll hold up for when we get back?" Coyote isn't usually this snappy, but she's more than worried about his wound after inspecting it. The way these things go, it'll get infected if it's not already, and infection could lead to amputation. She's seen people who have adjusted to this life without a limb, but if she knows Matias even a little bit — and she'd like to think she does after this trip together — she knows he would never be comfortable. She huffs and pulls out a granola bar from her backpack, unwrapping it from its foil and handing it to him. The homemade peanut butter almost makes her stomach grumble, but she stifles it. "Eat this. I'll go check out the pharmacy if you promise you'll stay put."

he watches her carefully, not because he’s worried ( though maybe he should be ) but because it’s one of the only times he gets to see her this closely. not just physically, but like this: present, focused, maybe even soft. they don’t always get softness. the world’s made sure of that. and most days, they’re both busy pretending like they aren’t barely holding it together. so he doesn’t move, lets her inspect the wound in silence, lets her see what he can’t say. when she finally looks up and meets his gaze, it takes effort not to flinch from the sincerity in her eyes. like she sees him, actually sees him. and not just the smile he throws on like a bandage.

His jest flows past her like water off a duck's back. Promise not to fall in love with me and similar comments have left him before, and she's cracked a smile or two at them, but for the most part Coyote takes them as part of his charm. Yeojun's got a lot of that — it makes her wonder what things would be like if they'd met when things were normal. Would she shrug off his comments just the same or would she laugh at them a little more? All she knows is that she likes to hear them, even if she'd never admit it. They're a sign that he's still okay, for the most part, despite whatever pain his leg's got him in.

"Beckett," he answers with a coy smile, retrieving the bottle opener and wine from her. The tone Harper takes is certainly different from the one his old drill sergeant would take. Alex wonders, briefly, if he'll ever get used to hearing his last name spoken plainly as he sticks the bottle opener in the cork and pulls it out with a satisfying pop! He pours a small amount in each glass on the coffee table in front of them, deep red occupying an otherwise clear, empty space. The aroma of cherry and grape wafts in the living room for a moment before he takes a small sip.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he tells her, standing up and checking his pocket for his keys and wallet. This feels like a pinch-me moment, but Alex holds his breath for now. After settling the bill at the counter, he leads the way out of the bar — wondering if all the other couples' nights are turning out as good as his is, so far.

Open: any Connection: MI6 agent of some description Muse: Patricia Livingston. 45-52. MI6 Handler.