Jason gives a small, distant nod as Cross showers them with praise. With everything they've faced, it's so easy for those they help to blend in with those they've lost. Those they've let down. It leads to sleepless nights spent desperately trying to balance the scales. Weighing Li against James. One life against another. Making peace- or at least tricking himself into believing he has- with the guilt that accompanies those
#Torthus-CrossBuilding – January 22, 2019
sacrifices. With those losses. Cross' praise ends up feeling hollow in the face of a sea of pods left behind, each containing a life abandoned. But he does a good job of faking appreciation with a clear of his throat and a smile. He seems to take notice of the emotion bubbling up in Vasquez causing him to bring an arm around her waist, hand gently resting against her side opposite of him. As she speaks, his smirk
Cross gives a few short nods, seeming to find encouragement in Vasquez' words. "If only everyone on Aite had your vision." he says with a bittersweet chuckle, "Then our jobs would be a whole lot easier, wouldn't they?" He allows a few moments to pass before speaking up once again. "Now, I didn't come here to talk business..." he says with an apologetic tilt of his head, as if afraid his initial intentions may be
misconstrued by what he's about to say, "But I figure since I'm here, I might as well mention it..." He studies the pair, gaze traveling from Vasquez to Jason before settling back on the former. "I'm going to be holding a meeting some time next month right here in Adrasteia. With any luck, representatives from some of the larger colonies and the more influential corporations and organizations on Aite will be present.
I'll have some of my business contacts there, as well so it should serve as a good opportunity to get some offworld corporations I work with in touch with local colonies and allow them to make contact with businesses they otherwise wouldn't have the means to reach out to. More than anything, I'm hoping it will allow us the chance to discuss the future of Aite. How to get things on track. I'd very much like to have
Redrock present." He pauses after delivering his final sentence as that charming million-credit smile returns to his face. "Now, I know it's a lot to think on, and I'm certainly not expecting an answer right now. But over the next couple of weeks we'll be working on arranging everything and, when there's something set in stone? I'll send a formal invitation your way. I would, of course, cover travel expenses and set
the two of you- and whoever accompanies you- up with rooms here in the hotel." That businessman smile of his softens, "All I ask is that you consider it."
Vasquez ' eyebrows rise a little as she listens, and when Cross finishes she's quick to state that: "Of course, we certainly will." In fact it sounds like far too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially considering the urgent need for new clients. She glances to her side to see if Jason has something to add, obviously a little surprised by the invitation.
Jason furrows his brow, taking a moment for the invitation to fully set in. "Uhh-... Yeah. Yeah, absolutely." he agrees, passing a brief glance back Vasquez' way. He finds himself suddenly straightening up his posture. "That would be-..." another glance Vasquez' way as his smirk widens. "...Yeah." he settles on, giving Cross a stern nod of his head.
Cross lifts his hands slightly. "Perfect!" he says, seeming to let out a breath he was holding, as if he wasn't quite sure they'd go for it. "Well, on that note, I'm not going to take up any more of your time." he chuckles, taking a single step back. "Mr. Wolfe. Chief Vasquez." he offers, looking to each in turn as his tone turns a tad more formal. "I hope you enjoy your time in Adrasteia. If you need anything at all,
don't hesitate to let the staff know." He takes a moment to make sure the pair have no further questions or comments, flattening the breast of his expensive tailor-made suit with the palm of his hand.
Vasquez offers a nod. "Well... thank you." she says, trailing off into silence and flashing a faint, slightly uncomfortable smile, still not quite sure how to approach this interaction. Networking hasn't exactly been her strong-suit at any point, and it's strange to be treated like a VIP. She certainly doesn't feel like one.
Jason seems equally uncomfortable with the sudden importance placed on Redrock by Cross. He remains a bit rigid, nodding awkwardly with Vasquez' sentiment. It's not until Cross has stepped out and the door has closed that he eases up. "Well... shit." he mutters, gaze still on the door. After a moment, he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, furrowing his brow. "Ya know... You'd think that with all those credits he
Jason could afford a good haircut." he says, a thought that's been nagging at him ever since he set eyes on Cross.
Vasquez visibly relaxes once Cross has left the room. Jason's comment causes her to let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She doesn't dignify the his words with a response, instead heading over toward the kitchen - and the food. "Feels strange to get the whole... VIP treatment." she comments. "Seems a little misplaced, Redrock is not exactly influential..." she adds with a snort.
Jason gives a small shrug of his shoulders. "Speak for yourself!" he scoffs, rounding the kitchen island from the other side to take a seat on the stool across from Vasquez. "I-..." he begins dusting his shoulder off with a mock sense of cockiness, "...can be pretty damn influential." he argues as he pulls his container of food to his side of the counter. He ordered a burger with all the fixings. That bad boy is
Jason loaded, causing Jason to become completely sidetracked from whatever else he was about to say as he lovingly admires the enormous burger before him.
Vasquez lets out another, louder snort, shooting Jason a skeptical look. "Come on. You can't tell me this doesn't feel weird..." she says, looking around the kitchen. Soon enough her attention is drawn to her food. It's a less ridiculous meal than Jason's. Mostly local veggies, and pieces of space cow beef in sauce. She takes a seat across from Jason, letting out a quiet sigh. "Good to hear Cross has been making good on
Vasquez his promise to help the people that were rescued though." she says, not quite able to shift gears after the visit.
Jason pokes at the burger with a cybernetic finger, having to fold some of the toppings back into it. He splits his attention between Vasquez and the unholy mound of beef as she speaks. "We ran a job with him. It went well, so now he's trying to keep us in his back pocket." he says flatly as if it should be obvious, giving a shrug of his shoulders. He leans in for a closer inspection, as if trying to ensure that the
Jason monstrosity isn't somehow defying the laws of nature. "I've got no beef with the man." he says, the turn of phrase causing him to pause and look across to Vasquez, then back to his burger, the implied 'see what I did there?' going unsaid. "So if he wants to throw some fringe benefits our way? I'm sure as hell not about to turn them down. So long as there's no strings attached-..." he gives another shrug as he finally
Vasquez grabs her cutlery as Jason speaks. "Well, sure, me neither..." she says, seeming a little put off by his nonchalance. His attempt at wordplay goes uncommented. "Just saying I wasn't expecting... all this." she says, gesturing around them with her fork. "Extravagant suite, personal visit..." she shrugs, turning her attention on her food since Jason seems more interested in his burger anyhow.
Jason lines the much-too-big-for-his-mouth burger up as if preparing to land a plane. As it nears his mouth it quickly becomes clear that it's not going to fit. Pull back! Pull back! He squeezes the bun together to try and smash it down a bit and jam a quick bite into his mouth. Unfortunately, most of the toppings and a big lump of condiments plop out of the back end and right back onto the container, leaving him with just
bun and beef. He furrows his brow in confusion at the surprisingly unimpressive bite as he listens to Vasquez speak. It takes him a moment before noticing the rest of the toppings have escaped their bun-cell, leaving him with an incredibly disappointed look on his face. "Yeah..." he sighs as he drops the burger into the container and reaches over for the provided silverware to begin shoveling toppings back on for
round 2. "I don't know, Linda." he says, bringing his other forearm onto the counter and leaning against it. "You thinking we should sit this meeting of his out...?" he asks, seemingly trying to get a feel for where exactly her discomfort is coming from.
Vasquez manages to swallow her first bite while watching Jason struggle with his burger. "Just-... use the-..." she starts with a gesture towards the cutlery, but she gives up with a quiet sigh, a hint of a fond smirk crossing her lips she stabs some more food onto her fork and takes another bite herself. Jason's words cause her eyebrows to furrow in confusion. "What? No. Absolutely not." she's quick to reply. "It's
Jason gives a stern nod in agreement. He leans against his forearm, taking a brief glance about the room before relenting with a sigh. "...I mean-... I'm not gonna lie. It's a little weird." he admits. He's not dumb enough to have the wool pulled over his eyes by Cross' generosity. He's a businessman. Dress it up all he wants, this 'gift' is a business transaction. It's buying favor. That much is obvious. "But the guy
seems a little weird in general." he continues, his smirk returning. "Or did you not see the whole-..." he gestures up towards his head, brushing behind it at his invisible ponytail. "But-... what do we do? Turn down the room? Turn down the food?" he asks, his gaze turning back to the burger that he's already imagining taking another shot at. "Accepting his gifts doesn't commit us to anything, right? Besides, it
Vasquez ' confusion only seems to grow. "I... didn't say we should do anything." she says, gesturing a little with her fork as she shrugs. "I'm-... I'm not complaining, Jason." she clarifies as it starts to become clear that Jason seems to have misread her. There's a hint of perhaps not entirely fair frustration that he completely missed what she was getting at. "I was just-... I just meant it feels strange. To be
treated like this. Like they've got the wrong people." she says with a quiet chuckle, the brief frustration fading as she studies him for a moment before taking another bite of food and letting her gaze wander the room a bit again.
Jason's gaze remains on his burger as it becomes clear that it's him who might be reading too far into things. Him who might still be a bit too guarded for a honeymoon getaway. Considering Cross' angles rather than enjoying the gesture. It causes him to draw in a breath as he sits back slightly. "Yeah..." he agrees softly. He falls silent for a few moments, a number of thoughts flooding his mind. But eventually he
looks back to her, smirk returning to his face. "Be honest. Back when we first met, if someone had told you that this is what your life would be like in a few years..." he asks with a gesture and a glance around, but it's clear he's asking about more than just the room, "Would you have believed them?"
Vasquez lets out a quiet snort, making a point of looking around at their expensive surroundings a bit more, before her gaze settles on Jason, softening as she starts to study him instead. "No. No, this-..." a snicker as her gaze falls to her food for a moment. "...this would've been hard to imagine." she says. It's not hard to see in her eyes that it's not the luxurious nature of the vacation but the person she's with
that's the more unbelievable part of that thought to her. A small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth as she goes silent, forgetting her food for a moment.
Jason seems to- shockingly, considering how enamored by it he was moments ago- forget about his burger as well, releasing his grip on the spoon he was using to jam toppings back into it in order to bring his other elbow up on to the counter as well. He furrows his brows as he considers Vasquez' words, folding his hands together as he watches her from across the counter. He sits up a bit straighter, this new topic seeming
to gain his interest. "Well, now I'm curious." he says, lopsided grin resurfacing. "What did you think of me?" he asks before clarifying, "The first time we met, I mean."
Vasquez lets out the awkward scoff of someone not entirely sure how honest to be. "I... thought you were an undisciplined idiot that was going to get himself killed?" she admits with an apologetic look. Their first meeting is not something she thinks about very often. Perhaps because of how it was overshadowed by what came so soon after. There are no pleasant memories there. Or perhaps because there's a whole lot of
Jason blinks a couple of times, perhaps not having expected such... blunt honesty. But his grin remains. After a moment, a short snicker escapes him, accompanied by a set of small nods. "Alright, but-... like, a really hot undisciplined idiot, right?" he fishes, seemingly trying to salvage whatever compliments he can from the exchange.
Vasquez sighs. "Mmh..." she says with a tilt of her head and a grimace, picking the 'lean into it' option instead of the sugarcoating option. "I was mostly focused on the idiot part at the time." she says. Ouch? "But... turns out this idiot had a way of really growing on you. Because he's really charming, and funny, and... has more heart than anyone in this business should. And... because he doesn't have a bit of
sense, he gave me a chance, despite giving a really shitty first impression myself, and... despite acting like-... like a complete asshole... he stuck around." Her tone has shifted quite rapidly as she's spoken, and she lets out an odd chuckle that's little more than a failed attempt at hiding a sniffle, the hand with her fork going up to her face as she tries to blink back tears. "A-And, yeah... turns out he's
really hot too." she agrees with false levity, doing her damnest to pretend like nothing... and failing badly.
Jason gives an unamused, playful raise of his brow at Vasquez' initial sentiment. But his smile slowly begins to grow somber the more she speaks. By the time she's finished, he has reached across the counter with one hand, placing it over hers, burger-be-damned. Her final statement gets a small snort, but the change in mood isn't lost on him, and he finds himself merely looking across the counter at her. "Hey..." he
offers, cybernetic fingers curling around her hand to give it a squeeze as his thumb gently brushes back and forth across the back. "Giving you a chance was the smartest thing this idiot has ever done." he says, the lighthearted nature of his words and the heavy smile undercut by the sincerity in his voice. Soon enough, his smile has all but slipped away entirely. "I mean it, Linda." he continues, "I am-...
Vasquez ' gaze focuses on their hands as she takes his in turn. The synthetic material is little comfort but she can't show that, she won't. She wishes there wasn't a counter separating them. But there is. So she turns her attention to Jason's face instead, shrinking a little in her seat as he speaks. She swallows hard, sucking in her lips as she tries to keep control. This is supposed to be a happy trip. Why is some
lighthearted conversation, a bit of playful flirting, so impossible to her? Why does she have to ruin it with some stupid breakdown? How tired must he be of reassuring her? Why hasn't he gotten tired of her pathetic insecurity yet? She pulls her hand back, nodding a couple of times and looking down at her food in what could easily be perceived as a rather cold reaction to his heartfelt assurances. Of course, it's
really little more than a questionable attempt at keeping things together and not derailing their dinner. She stays silent as she scoops up some food and takes a bite.
Jason remains as he is for a few moments, hand settled on the counter where Vasquez left it. Less than ideal reaction, but not unexpected. After all, her insecurities haven't exactly flown under the radar during their time together. And Di Yu certainly didn't do them any favors in that regard. "I-... uhh-..." he begins, but trails off, her reaction seeming to take a bit of the wind out of his sails and forcing him to
rethink whatever he was about to say. "How's the food?" he asks instead, nodding towards the container in front of her as he brings his hand back.
Vasquez ' eyebrows furrow and she nods a couple of times without looking up. "It's-... it's good." she says. It is, but her appetite has all but evaporated. Still, she impales another few pieces of food and continues to eat. Have to keep busy with something. Returning the question would be a pretty natural response, but... nope. Just silent eating.
Jason gives a few shallow nods and is unable to hold back that sigh that follows. He falls silent and pokes idly at the inside of his cheek with his tongue, gaze fixed to Vasquez' food as she pokes at it. The silence only seems to get more uncomfortable the more time that passes until eventually it seems to become too much for him and he's unable to keep from speaking up. "Do you know why I asked you to marry me?" he
finally asks, only briefly looking up to her face, brows furrowed in concentration as he considers his own question.
Vasquez 's attention is drawn up by the question, furrowed eyebrows remaining as she studies him. She opens her mouth as if to speak, but then closes it again, letting out a sigh through her nose and shrugging. Her gaze darts between Jason and her food as she awaits his reply.
Jason turns his attention right back to Vasquez' food, seemingly unable to meet her gaze as he speaks. "It was because-... umm-..." he stammers, well aware of how touchy the subject he's about to breach is. It causes his gaze to go a bit distant for a moment, tongue pressed back against the inside of his cheek. "...It was while you were-... gone." he says, assuming he won't need to explain what he's talking about. "I
didn't sleep very much. But whenever I'd wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning or-..." he shakes his head, "...or whenever? The first thing I always did was reach over to where you should've been." That somber smile returns to his face as he meets her gaze briefly, as if that's important. "I mean, I was already planning on asking you before all of-... all of that, but-..." he swallows, struggling a
bit with his thoughts for a moment. "I love you, Linda." he says, spitting the words out with furrowed brows almost as if an insult. Or offended that she may not have accepted that as a cold hard fact by this point. "Not just-... I'm in love with you. It's easy to confuse the two. Especially after all of the bullshit we've been through. Easy to feel like we're obligated to stay together." The trap so many others
fall into. The trap of routine. Stay together because you are together even when the passion dies. "But that's not what this is. Not for me. Because everytime I woke up and didn't feel you next to me? I may as well have been dead, because it felt like the best part of me was gone." he explains matter-of-factly, giving a dismissive shrug of his shoulders as if that's just the way it is.
Vasquez shrinks closer to the counter, struggling to just accept that affection. She closes her eyes, resting her knife and fork against her plate as she tries to keep it together. Eventually her eyes open and her gaze briefly darts up to meet Jason's, face full of precariously held-in-check emotion. "Jason, I-..." she starts, but she doesn't get far. A slightly embarrassed laugh slips out as a tear starts to escape and
she brings up a hand to her nose to wipe it away. She draws in a deep breath, trying to muster up a response, but in the end she settles for: "Finish your burger." It's not meant to be dismissive. It's a plea to give her a moment, and for both of them to get some food down. The words are said with a soft smile and her tone is warm, but there's an underlying fragility brought on by Jason's words. She grabs her
Jason flashes a small, restrained smile as Vasquez switches gears as she struggles to swim through her own emotions. He didn't expect much of a response. He knows very well just how much she struggles with this sort of thing. He's not exactly in his element when it comes to talking emotions, either. But at least he got a smile out of her. For now, a smile will do. So he bites his tongue, giving her the space she needs.
And, with a single nod, sits up a bit straighter as he attempts to square up the bunned bastion of beef sat in front of him.
Vasquez is pretty quick to finish the rest of her meal, and she ends up watching Jason eat, a subdued snicker slipping out as she watches his epic struggle with the monster of a burger. "What do you think we're supposed to do with the dishes...?" she wonders out loud, eyebrows furrowed as she looks down at her food and around the kitchen. She's never really had a room service dinner before and a bit of awkwardness
Jason struggles a bit with the burger but, stubbornly, refuses to use a knife and fork. He's no quitter! Eventually he finishes it up and, despite it being more 'work' than 'meal', looks over the empty container with smug satisfaction. Vasquez' question causes him to furrow his brow. "We-... uhh-..." he begins, though it quickly becomes clear that he has no idea. "I think we-..." he tries again, gaze lowering to the sink.
Valea's voice chimes in as Jason stammers over his words, calm and emotionless as ever. "If you'd like, I can have room service return to collect your dishes and silverware. Otherwise, the staff will arrive in the morning to deliver fresh towels. When they do, they will collect whatever dishes are left in the sink. You can expect them between the hours of 8AM and 10AM. If this is not to your liking, I can note that you do not
Vasquez raises an eyebrow as the VI chimes in. "Works for me." she mutters, slipping off of her stool and taking her dishes over to the sink. Afterwards she lets out a sigh, looking down at the sink for a moment before glancing over towards Jason. "...gonna head to the bathroom." she says, disappearing off through the bedroom door, a preoccupied look on her face.
Jason furrows his brow as the voice comes in. "What did I say?!" he asks as he steps off the stool and makes his way towards the sink.
Jason gives a stern nod. "Damn right." he says smugly. Vasquez' statement causes him to glance her way as he puts his dishes away. "Uhh-... yeah. Sure. I'll just-..." he begins, gesturing towards the television. As Vasquez makes her way through the bedroom she might hear a frustrated Jason give in when he's unable figure out how to change the channel of the television. "Wha-... How in the hell do I change the channel?" A
Jason lets out a none-too-happy 'Ohohoh!' at the perceived snark. "Don't you start with me! Just-... put some Asajura on!"
Vasquez remains gone for a while, but she returns after a time, appearing in the bedroom doorway. She doesn't announce her presence right away, just leaning against the doorframe for a moment as she watches Jason watch the screen. After a moment she disappears to turn the Asajura on in the bedroom as well, using the holographic interface. "Can we-... could we just... lie down for a bit?" she asks quietly upon
re-appearing, nodding towards the bedroom once Jason looks her way. That same fragility from earlier has returned to her voice. "I put the game on." she adds, flashing a small, tired smile. Her arms are crossed, almost defensively, a bit of embarrassment shining through.
Jason has returned to his pre-dinner beer while he watches the game. The sound of Vasquez' voice causes him to glance her way. Yeah-..." he begins when the announcers go nuts over-... something. Something he totally understands! Really. His gaze shoots back to the screen for a moment, brows furrowed in concentration. Then in confusion. After a moment, he merely shakes his head and glances back to her. "Of course." he
Jason makes a quick pit stop to toss out his bottle in the kitchen before meeting Vasquez in the bedroom doorway. As he reaches her, he brings a hand to her belly. "...Babysickness?" he asks tentatively, hazarding a guess at why she was away for so long.
Vasquez lowers her arms as Jason approaches. "No, it's-... it's been okay lately actually." she says, a small smile surfacing from the question. "I'm just... fucking exhausted." she admits with a heavy sigh, looking off to the side for a moment before stepping closer and wrapping her arms around Jason in a tight hug. "Thought it'd be easy to slip into vacation mode and just... relax, when we first got here, but...
Jason gives a short snicker, returning the hug by wrapping his arms around Vasquez' waist and folding his hands together at the small of her back. "It's fine." he says, not bothering to mention that he hasn't exactly been able to let his guard down yet, either. "You've got all week. Just gotta-..." he sighs, shrugging his shoulders as he looks down at her. "I don't fucking know." he admits with a weak chuckle over just how
messed up things are that they can't even allow themselves to enjoy the moment. "Guess I didn't exactly think any of this through. Just-... wanted to get away for a bit. Needed to get away..." he says, drawing in a breath as his smile slips away. "With you."
Vasquez just leans against Jason for a while, letting her head rest on his shoulder. She nods against him, a soft chuckle of her own slipping out. She plans a kiss against the side of his neck before lifting her head. "We'll keep trying. Together." she says, arms still partly wrapped around him as she looks him over. "I... love you so much, Jason. And I'm-... I'm just really glad you're here with me. That's all I need,
right now. We'll-... maybe we're both really bad at this, but... at least we can be bad at it together, right?" she says, a soft smile crossing her lips, her exhaustion only made more obvious by the sigh that follows.
Jason's hands remain at the small of Vasquez' back, thumbs idly tracing back and forth until she begins to speak. The sentiment causes a small smile to cross his face. "Yeah..." he says softly, giving a few small nods as he looks down at her. A few moments pass as he just enjoys her presence. The closeness as he holds her up against him. A bit of frustration settles in at his own inability to express just how important
this is to him. This is what kept him going on that Collector ship. Against all odds. Because he had someone to come home to. Someone who makes him feel loved. Makes him feel wanted. Someone who stands beside him when times get tough and shoulders all of his worries right along with him. He opens his mouth, but the words don't come, causing him to swallow and prop up that lopsided smirk in their place as he holds
her gaze. "You sound tired." he says instead. After spending half the day in that shuttle, he has his own share of fatigue settling in. "Why don't we get you in bed?" he asks, his smirk widening as his hands fall a bit lower and he crouches down, shifting his weight forward and lifting her over his shoulder to escort her to bed in a goofy attempt at being playful.
Vasquez is still caught off-guard sometimes by how easy a maneuver like that is for Jason now. That thought, and her initial amusement, doesn't last long before it's replaced by OW! , however, as Jason's efforts backfire spectacularly. "FUCKSHITJASONJASONHAaa-" she blurts out loudly, jabbing an elbow into his back as he carries her to the bed, twisting to try and ease the pressure on her poor boobs.
Jason begins to panic when Vasquez starts to shout. It's only worsened by the elbow that digs into his back, causing him to lean forward and toss her onto the bed. Eyes wide from a combination of being unsure of what he did wrong and from the fact that he just threw his wife like a sack of potatoes, he brings a hand up to his face. "Wha-... Did I pop the baby?!" he asks, mouth moving faster than his brain as his gaze shoots
Vasquez winces as she sits up, pain and disorientation slowly fading. She brings a hand up to gently feel her breasts. "Wh-... No, you idiot!" she snarls with the kind of reactionary hostility that can accompany sudden pain. "Fucking hell, that hurt..." she mutters grumpily, rubbing her chest with an almost comical grimace.
Jason furrows his brow, a brief look of offense crossing his face. "Hey-..." he starts before she begins to rub at her chest, cluing him in to what happened. It causes the lopsided grin to return to his face as he watches her. "Valea, close your eyes." he calls out.
Jason gives a brief frown as he cuts the VI off without looking away from Vasquez. "Valea! Shut up!"
Vasquez narrows her eyes as she shoots Jason an exaggerated glare. "Shut up, Jason..." she says, but deliberate unamusement quickly gives way to laughter as the sense of unpleasant surprise wears off, her shoulders dropping as she relaxes. There's a grin on her face as her head drops, scooting up a bit on the bed and letting her hand drop down. "Don't... do that right now." she requests through her grin, spirits seeming
Jason puts both hands up as if pleading innocence when Vasquez makes her request big dumb grin still plastered across his face. "Yeah... That's normal." he says as if she might not know that, a hint of pride slipping into his features as he rounds the bed. "Read it on the extranet." he continues, giving a 'no big deal' shrug.
Vasquez shoots Jason a deadpan look. "Really? Thanks. Good thing I have you around to keep me informed." she says with as much sarcasm as she can summon. Still, amusement continues to shine through as she shifts a little, moving the pillows in preparation of Jason joining her on the bed. The Asajura game is playing at a comfortable volume on the bedroom TV.
Jason gives a lighthearted scowl to the heavy sarcasm as he climbs into the bed from the opposite side. "I also read that being a sarcastic asshole puts out bad-... uhh-.... bad chickers-.... cha-... Bad vibes!" he decides. "And the baby feels that shit and-... I don't know." he shrugs, voice growing quieter as he continues to repeat the nonsense he read off some extranet message board, "...It pisses 'em off or some
shit." He props the pillow up against the headboard so he can sit up against it and shoots a glance Vasquez' way. "That one might not be true..." he admits, his commitment to the nugget of info faltering, "...Person who posted it also seemed pretty damn sure that the Citadel was really just a big ass ray gun that the Council was using to zap mind control signals across the galaxy, so-..." he furrows his brow as he
scoots up against the pillow. "You think there's anything to that...?" he asks through furrowed brows. Whether he's asking about the pregnancy info or the mind control ray gun is anyone's guess.
Vasquez lets out a snort of laughter, looking down at the bed for a moment. "Maybe just...talk to Halisi, or... read the material she gave us, if you want to learn more?" she suggests, a small grin lingering as she studies him. She's certainly spent a whole lot of time doing that during lulls in her office. She reaches back to remove her hairtie, running a hand through her hair to let some air in before scooting closer
Jason wraps an arm around Vasquez as she scoots closer and hums a distracted affirmation to her suggestion, gaze pulled away by the Asajura match. Drawing in a deep breath, he shifts to get comfortable. "So... You been thinking about names?" he asks, grin widening a bit as he casts a sidelong glance her way.
Vasquez has just allowed her head to come to rest against Jason when the question draws her attention, a quiet snort slipping out. She certainly has. She's been thinking about bringing it up, too, when things settled down. "Sure. Haven't really gotten anywhere, though. Guess we still have a lot of time to figure that out though..."
Jason gives a few small nods, grin persisting. "Well, what's on the table?" he asks with interest that shows through despite his attempt at keeping the conversation casual by pretending to be far more interested in the match on TV than he actually is.
Vasquez shrugs a little against Jason, wrapping her left arm around him as she watches the sports action while she considers her response. "Like I said, haven't really gotten anywhere..." she says with a quiet sigh. "It's-... it feels strange to even think about. How do you even make that kind of decision?" she wonders out loud.
Jason takes a few moments to consider the conundrum. But then it hits him. A genius-level solution to their problem. "A box!" he says, studying Vasquez for a moment as if it was some sort of mind blowing suggestion. "So-..." he begins, furrowing his brow as he walks through the steps in his mind. "Alright, alright!" he announces once he has seen the matrix in his mind, shifting a bit to better look to Vasquez. "We take our
top choices, right? Mix 'em all up. And-..." Wait for it. Wait for it. Waaaait for it. "We put them in... a box! Boom!" Mic drop. He gives a proud little raise of his eyebrow as he watches Vasquez after delivering his master plan. But soon enough he adds as an afterthought, "...Uhh-... And then we pull one out and that's-... that's the-... the name we go with..." he clarifies.
Vasquez lifts her head to look at Jason, raising a highly unimpressed eyebrow. "You... want to randomize the name of our baby?" she says skeptically.
Jason draws a breath in through his nose as he studies Vasquez. Yep, that's the look of unamusement... right? "...No........?" he offers, trying to put out feelers to see how Vasquez about it. "...Do you want to randomize the name of our baby...?"
Vasquez just looks at Jason for a moment, blinking. "No." she says, with emphasis, shaking her head.
Jason gives a single stern nod as if that's totally in line with his feelings as well. "Mmhmm. Yeah. That would be-..." he gives a slightly forced snicker, voice getting quieter, "...that would be stupid..."
Vasquez lifts her hand up to Jason's cheek, leaning in for a soft kiss, a smirk crossing her lips as she pulls back. "Did you have some name ideas you wanted to share...?" she asks, curious what made him bring it up.
Jason returns the kiss, the gesture bringing the grin back to his face. But the question causes him to furrow his brow and draw in a deep breath, making as if he hadn't really considered it. "No, not really." he lies. A few moments pass as he seems to think on it. His gaze settles back on the TV and he gives a small, dismissive shrug of his shoulders. "Wouldn't mind tossing Christopher into the box for boy's names." he
Vasquez gains a small smile, studying him for a moment. "For your uncle?" she assumes. "Worth tossing in the box." she says, resigning herself to the metaphor for the time being. "I'm... named after my great grandmother, actually."
Jason seems about to answer the question when Vasquez mentions her great grandmother, causing him to look her way. "Yeah? I don't think you've ever mentioned that."
Vasquez shrugs a little, looking off towards the screen. "Yeah. Guess she'd died the year before, so... it had felt natural. That's what m-... that's what I was told anyway." Her eyebrows have furrowed after realizing that tidbit of information would inevitable trace back to her mother, mood immediately soured. She goes quiet, letting her head come to rest against Jason again.
Jason falls silent when he realizes what it was that caused Vasquez to go quiet. He decides against pressing any further and lets the conversation die, instead pressing a quick kiss against the side of her head. "I think I did everything in my power to make my uncle's life a living hell after I moved in with him." he muses in an attempt at keeping Vasquez' thoughts from heading down that road. With a small snicker, he
turns his attention back to the game and gives a shake of his head. "I was a little shit. He put up with a lot with me, so-..." he trails off, not wanting to get too sentimental over the whole thing. "..Just thought it would be nice. You know?"
Vasquez seems to appreciate Jason's effort, a small snicker sounding as she wills herself not to dwell. "That's a nice thought..." she agrees. "Guess we'll have to put together a list." She focuses on the feeling of Jason's heartbeat against her ear as she watches the screen, trying the best she can to focus on the here and now. Her success is limited. It's hard not to think about her mother when talking about family,
Jason gives a few small nods, well aware of where Vasquez' mind must be going, causing him to give her a gentle squeeze with the arm that's draped around her waist. "Sounds like a plan." he agrees. Neither of their families are the happiest of stories. Just lies and death and a whole lot of bad memories. But they have an opportunity to build something better for their child than they had. "...You're sure about the whole
box thing, right? Cuz I could put together a pretty fancy box if you wanted to-..." he trails off, hanging it out there as if a worm at the end of a fishing line. "...Well. Could probably get Jasper to build one..." he corrects in a mutter.
Vasquez snorts. "I'll think about it." she offers diplomatically, patting Jason's chest as a smile crosses her lips. She shifts closer to Jason, banishing those thoughts from her mind and closing her eyes as she lets out a heavy, tired sigh. She lets the sound and feeling of Jason close to her relax her, the Asajura broadcast turning into little more than comforting background noise. This is what she needs right now. A
chance to just relax for a bit, and not think. Not worry. Or try to, at least. The exhaustion that's built up over far too long helps keep her mind clear. A comfortable haze of almost-sleep quickly descends on her despite the early hour, and despite the fact that they haven't gotten ready for bed.
Jason gives a soft snicker at the offer. Once silence has taken hold of them, he hazards a glance down to Vasquez, a genuine smile crossing his lips when he finds her nearly sleeping against his chest. He brings his other arm around her and shifts slightly against his pillow, doing his best not to jostle her. Pressing a kiss against her hair, he closes his eyes in turn. No work that needs addressed. No battles that need
fought. No emergencies that require their undivided attention. Even if something did need their attention, they're hours from being able to do anything about it. There's a certain comfort in that. In knowing that, for once, nothing can just creep up on them. It's just them, a comfortable bed, and a beautiful view. Yeah, that'll do.