The anesthesia by which we endure life [Oct 24]

[every_blossom_blooming]

Frank had been brushing her off for more than a week, and then, suddenly, he wasn't answering her at all. For days he hadn't answered her. Nina was sure there was some kind of rational explanation, but she wasn't in the mood to humor that thought. Things had been strange around Darrow, and she had just handled her best friend on the verge of a complete nervous break down, and it was terribly easy to imagine that Frank had lost his mind or was dead in a ditch somewhere.

So she threw on her sweeping red coat and went to his apartment. She tried the door, gently, and found it locked. That wasn't a problem. She knelt on the landing and carefully picked it, the way she'd learned to from Kaz, until she heard the click and pop of the lock releasing.

She stood again and let herself in as quietly as she could. She was aware of two hearts beating, two sets of lungs breathing: Frank had company. She closed the door and locked it behind her, taking in the sad state of things - no different from the last time she'd been here, other than the fact that there was an extra body in the bed and she could smell the alcohol lingering. Saints, how drunk had they been?

Nina eyed the bed, and the two men in it, then huffed. She took off her coat and left it draped over the police scanner on the table. She found Frank's coffee maker and started banging things around - cabinet doors, mugs, the can of coffee - as she set about brewing a pot.

She was so angry now that she knew Frank was alive.

Comments

[onebatch_twobatch]

"Pretty sure most people call it magic," Frank said softly. He didn't think that negated the scientific part, just that it was how it appeared and how it came across.

Especially when she was getting rid of someone's hangover as they all sat around the apartment. All the talk of brain chemicals and blood and whatnot was fine, but it still looked like magic when she did the wiggly fingers.

He glanced at Guy. "After everything we drank, you really ought to eat."

[patriotqueen]

Forcing blood to stop... So, Guy was here with a witch and a soldier and both could kill him in the blink of an eye. Darrow seemed to be full of the sort of friends on whose bad side one shouldn't get.

"Yes, yes," he assured, taking a first bite. He waited for his stomach to protest, but it didn't. "Whatever it is you do, it worked." He had his reservations about her power, and about Frank fucking teaching her to be lethal long-distance. For now he just appreciated it.

[every_blossom_blooming]

"I have practice. I used to be a soldier, and I used to be in a gang." Nina sighed, long-suffering. "Men get themselves in such trouble."

She said that last part fondly, though, and took a few more bites of rice.

"But feel free to call me if you need anything. I can even change your eye or hair color if you really wanted. The effects wear off eventually, but it'll last longer than box dye."

Nina went to take another bite, then froze. She set the bowl on the floor and put both her hands on her stomach. "Oh," she breathed, eyes a little wide. "I think it moved."

[onebatch_twobatch]

Frank was about to make some joke about Guy and Nina's tailoring and all that, but Nina saying it moved caught him. For a second, the words didn't mean anything. Then, it meant everything.

He hadn't been around for either of Maria's pregnancies, really. He hadn't gotten to see her at these points. Nina wasn't his wife, and it probably wasn't healthy of him to think of his wife too much where Nina was involved. But it still happened.

"That the first time?"

[patriotqueen]

Guy didn't have much use for pregnant women. If anything they tended to be moodier and more erratic.

He took a bite of rice, infinitely pleased that he was managing it perfectly fine. Really, Nina had her use.

[every_blossom_blooming]

"Yeah," she said to Frank, still a bit in wonder as she looked at her stomach, as if that would make it happen again. "It's like a little bird, or a butterfly. Just a flutter."

She laughed, and she blushed, and she rolled her eyes at her own sudden rush of feeling. "Saints, these hormones are ridiculous."

Nina shook her head a bit and smiled at Guy. "Anyway, if you need a little hang over pick-me-up or you fancy having green eyes for a while, or gold, you can call me."

[onebatch_twobatch]

Frank had a vague sort of memory from the night before, already drunk, of Guy's dismissiveness of women in general, and he could only imagine that this was a strange situation for him to be in. So, for now, he just sort of smiled to himself, this small thing that promised he wanted to know how Nina was feeling--just maybe not right now.

He finished his cup of coffee and leveraged up off the floor, gesturing at the both of them. "More of either of you?"

[patriotqueen]

Guy Burgess would, in his future, own a gold Bentley, so yes, he was ridiculous enough to think gold eyes sounded like a very good idea. He smiled at her in return. "I'll be sure to. Gold would go nicely with my complexion, I think, don't you?" He was well-aware he was ridiculous.

He nodded to Frank. "With a dash of vodka, if you will."

[every_blossom_blooming]

Nina lightly cupped Guy's chin and seemed to scrutinize his face. "Oh yes, I think gold would be very lovely. You have the complexion for it, darling."

She let go of Guy and considered her coffee mug. "Just half full for me... Inej keeps reminding me that I shouldn't have too much caffeine. Honestly, with all the changes I'm having to suffer through, this and not drinking alcohol is just insult to injury," she sighed. "Krem made me a handful of new things to wear because all my other dresses are getting tight in one place or another."

Nina sighed, long-suffering, and pouted. But then she looked at Guy and smiled. "I keep meaning to come hear you play. If you ever want to end your shift early, I'll come sing and chase everyone away."

[onebatch_twobatch]

Frank had the feeling that dash meant generous serving because he'd been drinking with Guy most of last night, and he also had a feeling that if he actually gave Nina a half mug of coffee she might give him a headache out of spite. So, now responsible for both of these things, he decided it was more important to make something reasonable.

He took a sip of Guy's coffee to make sure it was palatable, but it wasn't the alcohol he would have chosen for coffee. He handed both mugs off as he came back, keeping his own--plain black--for himself.

"I have bourbon, you know," he said to Guy. "If you don't want your coffee to have that vaguely hateful aftertaste."

[patriotqueen]

Guy saw the pout, and squeezed Nina's leg lightly, sympathetically and smiled. "I'd love for you to come by and sing. Could you wizard them all to stay put in their seats? If I go out, I should like to go out well," he grinned.

"I prefer vodka in the morning," Guy assured. he took a sniff and was pleased to find that 'dash' had been taken to mean exactly what Guy had meant by it. "Maybe next time," he teased and winked at him. "We might even get as far as to remove our shoes next time."

[every_blossom_blooming]

"It'd really be awful," she insisted. "I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. It's embarrassing, actually. I keep thinking I should take lessons or something," she sighed. Then a wicked little grin curved her lips.

"Oh, I don't know," Nina mused. "I've had very good sex with my shoes on."

Maybe it was highly presumptive to assume the two men had done anything but sleep, but-- they were half dressed when she arrived, and she was more than happy to read innuendo into just about anything. Inej rolled her eyes at it; Jesper always laughed.

[onebatch_twobatch]

Frank rolled his eyes, but let Nina tease. She'd seen how hung over they were, and he was sure she'd been around plenty of drunk and hung over idiots in her life, seen what alcohol did and had done.

Plus, what was the point of the argument and denial? Nina had walked in on him and Guy asleep in bed half dressed; if they hadn't been so drunk last night, Frank couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't have been less dressed.

"Historically, half dressed has been pretty good. Just maybe not for falling asleep with shoes on."

[patriotqueen]

"Nothing wrong with any state of dress or undress," Guy agreed. He leaned in as if to whisper to Nina, though he didn't lower his voice. "But we were a rather sad sight last night, and too drunk to get it up, so let's not drag up those memories today."

[every_blossom_blooming]

Nina covered a smile, like it really was a secret between them. "Poor darlings," she cooed. "I've never had to worry about that particular problem."

She set her empty bowl aside and cradled her coffee.

"Well, I think I've imposed on you two enough. Clearly Frank is not dead and now I've been appeased through food and coffee. Frank, I do expect to be hearing from you in the near future."

She leaned over and gave Guy's cheek a little kiss. "And it was a pleasure to see you again, though I am sorry for my rather rude awakening."

She finished her coffee and rose to her feet. She set the mug on the table and pulled her sweeping red coat back on. "I can see myself out, Frank, don't get up and be a gentleman."

[onebatch_twobatch]

Even as she said he didn't need to get up, Frank did it anyway. He collected her dishes from where she left them, scattered through the apartment like a whirlwind as she'd come in, and followed her to the door.

He pressed a kiss gently to her cheek. "I don't know how long things will last," he said quietly. "So if I'm still a little AWOL, that's why. Okay? I'll try to keep up. But I'm not dead, okay? I promise."

He glanced at Guy briefly, then back at Nina. "I'm gonna be okay."