Some Beach. [Complete]

[Sarge Potteiger]

The man simply nods, "Memories stack up to that." He didn't sound too proud, but then again most men of morals wouldn't. Because, well, believe it or not the men had morals.

"The thing with Angel was that... well, she had a husband. She was attracted to me, and obviously I to her, but she didn't want to think that she could be attracted to someone as old as her daughter and so sought to smother the feelings under bickering and a bizarre need to keep me close - just not too close."

He shakes his head. "Trust me, if we were shacking up, no one would have ever known. I keep my private life private."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[SIZE=medium]“And I thought our relationship was awkward,” a short burst of laughter left parted lips as she shook her head, lowering her hands. Cheeks reddened almost immediately. “I mean, friendship, yeah, friendship,” voice trailed off awkwardly. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]“And I trust you,” she spoke quietly immediately breaking from a somber tone to something lighter, “just look at your secretive spare body-part rooms.” A wink was cast in his direction. “Okay, so. I was drugged and you were drink and we, y’know.” She shrugged. “I’m glad we’re on the same page now.” Remaining in a seated position, she leaned her back on the couch, kicking her booted feet up on his coffee table.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]“If it’s anyone’s fault it was the kids.” Her head shook, once. Eyes trailed from the toes of her boots back to Brandon’s face. “So, where does that leave us?”[/SIZE]

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

He caught that. It was hard not to. But he just wasn't sure if she meant romantic relationship or just relationship in general; but considering the blush he had an answer to that almost immediately. His eyes shifted, briefly, to her boots to make sure they weren't going to ruin the table or anything.

His mother had always been a perfectionist. Everything had to be 'just so' with her, and he'd picked up a habit of things from her; like making sure people weren't scuffing up his stuff. Thankfully, Thee wasn't.

Smiling faintly, he shook his head. "Yeah. Sexual tension so thick you can cut it with a knife is just no fun."

"Hey, whoa whoa whoa. Don't judge the body room.", wagging a finger, he finds himself laughing for a moment.

"Where does that leave us? Well, lets see. You're a mermaid pilot for the Republic, and I'm a mercenary. We had drunken sex on Zeltros - that I pray was at least half decent - and now, here we are, discussing whether or not it means anything."

"So, the question you pose I find a bit... difficult. I'm in no place for a relationship, at least right this moment, considering... well, things you needn't know that are job related." Namely that he was an assassin frozen and unfrozen across the centuries to kill people getting in the way of Aydens plans, but he couldn't well tell her that.

"I think the better question, at least for you, is where do you want it to leave us? Where do you want to draw the line?"

 

[Thessa Kai]

[SIZE=medium]Aqua lips curved upwards slightly. His laugh, it was nice and she wondered if she was hearing it for the first time. Face soured for a moment at his blunt recap. But her eyes sparkled with knowing. That was just who he was.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]And there it was. His answer. And she felt a mixture of relief but also disappointment. And for a moment, she thought the disappointment outweighed the relief.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]“Things I needn’t know?” A driftwood brown lofted, iced-azure gaze scouring his face in curiosity. Again, secretive. She pushed past her disappointment. “If you’re in no place right now….,” voice trailed off and gaze traveled down to the tips of her boots. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]“I don’t know where to draw the line but I do know I want someone else on the same page as me and if you don’t think you’re in the place for pushing the line further…” iced-azure gaze holding a trace of vulnerability traveled up to meet his brown eyes as her shoulders rose and fell in a small shrug.[/SIZE]

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

This woman was a roller coaster of emotion right now, and he damn well couldn't blame her. Conversations like this were usually enough to send anyone on the emotional ride of the year. Faintly, there came a bit of a soft smile. "Yes, things you needn't know..."

He blinks slowly, and when his eyes open again they're looking to the floor as his hands rub together to occupy himself. "It depends on what you want out of the line; what the line means to you. I'm a lonely man, if you couldn't tell. Half by circumstance, half by design."

It was true; he was extremely picky about his company. While he was a genial enough guy on the outside and he could be plenty of fun, the people he actually chose to be around outside of when he was forced to be? Few and far between. Jorus was one, Ayden another.

But only one person knew most of the truth about him, and she wasn't even around anymore. She'd never been his romantically, they were merely friends and hadn't ever thought of each other in that sense... well, ever. But she read him, and he her.

Such was their understanding.

"I wish... I had an answer for you right now. I've always wanted a relationship, but I'm admittedly a bit afraid of one; but then there's the stuff I can't tell you, not yet, maybe not ever, that tells me it just wouldn't be fair to you or, hell, anyone."

His fingers lace back through his short brown hair as his eyes shift, travel and finally settle on hers. "You really screw with my head, you know that?"

 

[Thessa Kai]

[SIZE=medium]“Are you kidding me?” Arms crossed over her chest, a half-glare shooting across the room at Brandon and his short hair. “I screw with your head? You don’t even know the half of it.” She stopped suddenly, mouth locking shut. Jaw-clenching-glowered-gaze dropped to the floor as she let the silence hang over them for a beat.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Relax Thee.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Kicking her ankles uncrossed, she lowered them and stood up, closing the distance between herself and Sarge. Hinging at the waist a little, she let her hands rest on his shoulders, face coming inches from his own. Personal boundaries, meh. They had already slept together, right, right?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]“I don’t know what I want yet either. Dirks…left me in a bad place. And I know you don’t want a relationship now. Or, at least you’ve convinced yourself it’s better not to have one. And that’s fine. But I want you to know. I trust you, Brandon. And that’s hard for me to admit. You’re my friend and I feel comfortable enough to call on you if I ever needed to. And I want you to know,” she paused, losing her never a little, but her gaze never broke away. “I want you to feel the same. If you ever need me, I’ll come. Okay?”[/SIZE]

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

"I don't kid.", he states flatly watching as she fought to reign in a curiously fiery temper for a woman known for being wet [not an innuendo, stop that]. As she went straight through his boundaries and he realized he was sober and she wasn't drugged he felt a curiously knotting in his stomach that screamed 'get her away'.

He didn't like people touching him.

At all.

No, he didn't much care for hugs.

Though, despite the fact he seemed to want to move away, he found himself smiling. "I'm not sure why you'd trust me of all people... but if you ever need help with anything, Thessa, well...,", he smirks, "Just call on me. I'll drop anything for my friends."

There's a pause as he looks away for a moment.

"If you play your cards right, maybe I'll fill you in on why I don't think a relationship is a good thing."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[SIZE=medium]She didn’t flinch away from his bristling. They were a stubborn pair of friends. Finally, her fingertips drew away and she straightened, hands falling to her hips as she stepped back. “That means a lot. I’m glad we’re still friends.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]It was simple, but true. Maybe they would become more, maybe not. Whether it was surprising for him or not, she trusted him and with her life. There were only a handful of other people she could say the same thing for.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Finally, the familiar smirk crossed aqual lips as hands drifted to cross over her chest. “Well, I am an ace at winning things, so maybe you will tell me one day.” An easy-going wink followed as she turned and headed for the door. “Take care of yourself, ground-pounder.” [/SIZE]

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

"'Safety' and 'ground pounder' aren't put in the same sentence for a reason!", he retorts as she exits the apartment, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the shipyards once more. This time, instead of going to the fridge for water he heads to the cabinets and finds himself some whiskey.

Pouring himself a glass, he walks back over to the window and stuffs one hand into his pocket.

His eyes glazed over, his posture became relaxed, and his mind began to wander.