December 18th. Morning. Jason and Vasquez may only have been able to spare a week for their honeymoon, but it's been a good week. The news of the Collector's defeat had lifted a massive weight from both their shoulders, and while it was far from the only weight either of them carry, it sure as hell helped. A week away from work - a week away from everything - has done wonders for Vasquez. She's been able to just... let go of
#Torthus-CrossBuilding – July 12, 2019
everything for a while, and genuinely relax with Jason. Sure, there's been a couple of times when work, or the future, has come up. But it's been with a hopeful tone. Constructive. Thoughts about rebranding for Redrock, tweaking the name, formalizing a few more things, more talk about maybe getting a place away from the base. Most of their talk has been inconsequential, in the best of ways. Lighthearted complaining about Jason's
ridiculous movie choices. A bit of playful showing off in the gym. A few out of breath words of affection after sex. Reminiscing about the past. The fun bits, staying well clear of the heavy most days. The casual smile that greets her when she looks at herself in the closet mirror is unusual enough that it catches her a little off-guard, but it just widens before she grabs the hairdryer, starting to dry her hair. She's fresh from
enjoying the hot tub one last time before they leave, body wrapped in a preposterously soft hotel towel.
Jason is only a few steps behind Vasquez, hotel towel wrapped around his midsection as he ventures to collect some clothing. Spending a week away from everything has been a strange change of pace. A good change of pace. A much needed one. But strange, all the same. Like a glimpse into what their lives may have been like if neither of them had ever set foot on that ship that sent their already-tumultuous lives into a
tailspin. If they had met under different circumstances. Without all of the pain. The trauma. The baggage. And, of course, if they were impossibly rich. A fact that Jason certainly hasn't let go to waste. Given the opportunity to live above their means for a week without consequence has resulted in every one of his meals consisting of the most expensive things on the hotel's menu. It's been a week of functioning like
a normal couple. A week of hope for what the future may have in store for them. Something that still hasn't quite settled in for Jason. They may have only recently put a name to the face, but the Collectors have been the source of so many of their hardships for years. Having that threat- that weight- disappear in the blink of an eye is jarring. Uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and so many questions remain. But this week
hasn't been about any of that. It's been about waking up next to the woman he loves with a hope that their future can be built on more than the hardships of their past. There was an undeniable sense of sadness that set in when the call came through from Jasper to let them know he'd be arriving in a few hours. "Think if we asked nicely Cross might ship one of those hot tubs out to us?" he asks as he takes a position
behind Vasquez, one arm wrapping around her midsection and the other draped across her collarbone. That big dumb grin of his is plastered across his face as he looks at her in the mirror, undoubtedly getting in the way of her hair drying.
Vasquez snickers, bent over as she jostles her hair with her free hand, letting the dryer do its work. "I'm tempted to ask! Not sure I can go back to living without one..." she calls out over the hum of it. As she stands up straight and Jason's arms wrap around her she pauses, smile widening again as she looks at him in the mirror. She tilts the hairdryer to blow the grin off his face with a snort of laughter.
Jason sharply turns his head away from the blast of heated air that pelts him in the face, shutting one eye tightly. "Friendly fire!" he groans, trying his best to lean out of the line of fire without having to release his grip from her. Eventually he settles for simply tilting his head to press a quick kiss against the wet hair in front of him before releasing Vasquez from his arms, dumb grin undeterred. "Gonna be weird
going back..." he muses aloud as he turns his back to her and heads over to the dresser to get some clothing.
Vasquez ' snickering dies down and she goes back to drying her hair after Jason lets go. His words cause her smile to dampen a little, pausing briefly. "Yeah... wish we could have another week." she says, finishing off with the hairdryer and turning it off. "Buut... work calls." The sigh is lighthearted - although there's most definitely a part of her that would like to say 'screw it' and take more time off, there's
Vasquez another that's energized and ready to get back to work, full of ideas for Redrock's future. Ideas that no longer revolve around preparing for the inevitable return of the enemy that's haunted them since the company's founding. "Hopefully the base is still standing..." she adds with a small smirk and a look Jason's way before she puts the dryer away and grabs her clothes.
Jason gives a small, somber nod at Vasquez' initial sentiment before using the towel that's wrapped around him to rustle his short hair and take care of any lingering dampness. He discards it on the floor beside the bed and begins to get dressed., pulling on a pair of simple, old, grey boxer briefs with a faded System's Alliance logo on the right leg near the top. Her final statement gets a snicker out of him as he begins
Jason to step into a pair of jeans. He begins to slip on the white shirt he chose, only to realize it's inside out. He idly struggles with it for a few moments, mostly just making it into a tangled mess as he attempts to pull it rightside out, the smile slowly slipping from his face as his mind wanders. "I need you to do me a favor, Linda." he eventually says, glancing up towards Vasquez.
Vasquez is sitting on the edge of the bed and has traded the towel for underwear, and is in the middle of pulling her jeans up when Jason speaks. She lifts briefly from the bed and tugs them up before looking his way, raising a questioning eyebrow. "Alright...?"
Jason says, "Next year-..." as his gaze turns back to his shirt, brow furrowed momentarily in concentration as he tries to solve the puzzle box that is an inside out shirt. It distracts him from whatever it is he was about to say until he manages to finally right the t-shirt. It causes a big grin to cross his lips and he glances to Vasquez proudly with a small lift of his brows, raising the shirt to show it off to her as
Vasquez 's eyebrows furrow as Jason starts, and nearly loses, a struggle with his t-shirt mid-sentence. She slips her own top on and then just sits and watches the epic battle. When he shows the defeated t-shirt off to her she offers a polite smile, reaching over to pat his shoulder before a grin breaks out. "Next year...?" she repeats, hoping to get him back on track.
Jason gives the t-shirt a few tugs to try and stretch some of the wrinkles out of it, brow furrowed as he briefly glances to Vasquez. "No, just-..." he starts with a sigh as he begins the process of slipping the t-shirt on. What was once a simple process is now a minefield to navigate. It's taken many ripped shirts, but he's got a system down at this point. He pulls each arm hole up and over the cybernetics, one at a time
Jason as if slipping on a jacket, and then carefully stretches it over his head. "...When this time rolls around next year? I just-... want you to promise me we'll come back." he says, casting a look over to her. He gives a small, sheepish shrug of his shoulders as he adjusts the shirt. "...No matter what's going on-... work-... whatever." he continues with a shake of his head, "We'll make time to come back. We'll make
Vasquez slowly gains a smile as Jason continues, giving a couple of soft nods in response. "Yeah... I like the sound of that." she says, before her eyebrows furrow and she gives a slight shrug. "Not gonna be alone this time next year, though..." she points out with a small smirk, her voice softer as her hand instinctively brushes against her abdomen.
Jason draws in a breath, Vasquez' words causing the smile on his face to grow. His gaze lowers to her hand and he leans over, pressing a small kiss against her belly. "Yeah..." he says, sounding a bit like he still can't believe it. As he sits back up he leans back, pressing a hand against the bed behind him to keep himself propped up. "Been a wild fucking year, huh?" he asks with a snicker as he meets her gaze.
Vasquez smile lingers, tilting her head a little as she studies Jason. "Yeah..." she agrees quietly. "It really has." It was a strong candidate for both the worst and the best year of her life. Almost over now. And the one to come is looking brighter than she ever could have expected. Her thoughts distill to a faint sigh as she runs a hand up Jason's back, lingering at his neck, thumb stroking back and forth as she looks
Vasquez at him. For a moment it looks like she's going to speak, but no words come, instead she suddenly finds herself blinking against the moisture building in her eyes.
Jason leans into the hand stroking at his neck, eyes briefly closing. When they open, they're met with glassy eyes looking back at him, causing a gentle furrow in his brow as his smile begins to fade. "...What's wrong?" he asks, confusion in his voice.
Vasquez lets out a quiet snort, shaking her head slightly and shrugging as a smile spreads across her face. "Nothing." she says, and for once it's the truth, not a deflection. She leans in to press a soft kiss against Jason's lips, lingering close after she pulls away. "I love you."
Jason's smile makes a quick return as lips are pressed against it. Sitting up a bit straighter, his hand moves to Vasquez' lower back, gently running back and forth as he watches her fondly. "I love you, too." he says simply as he leans his head against hers. His arm slips further around her, hand coming to rest on her side opposite of him as he falls silent. It won't be long before all of this is over and they fall back
Jason's into their routines. Late nights in the office. Dealing with employees and clients. He allows a few moments to pass, holding onto that peace of mind while he can before pressing a quick kiss against her temple. "We should get packing." he sighs reluctantly. "Jasper should be here in a couple hours..."
Vasquez lets out a sigh and nods. "We should." she agrees, but she seems reluctant to actually get to it, remaining in place for several moments before finally withdrawing her arm and getting out of bed with a quiet grunt to dig the rest of her clothes out to pack them. "Might have to settle for something less luxurious next year unless Cross happens to be feeling generous again..." she says with a snicker, back to Jason
Jason remains on the bed after Vasquez has stood up to start packing, simply studying her. Her comment illicits a chuckle from him. "Yeah, maybe..." he says, considering it for a moment before giving a dismissive shrug. "That's fine. It's not the room I'm here for, anyway." he adds through a smirk, watching her pack for a few more moments before pushing himself to his feet and moving to go get his duffelbag.