stilljustandrew | [reverse darkest timeline AU: and this is the way out of here]

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[reverse darkest timeline AU: and this is the way out of here]

He's tried to think about taking off the cuffs, as Brix told him to. It's hard to think about: painful, and frightening, and disturbing in a way that's somehow worse than either. It feels wrong.

But he said he would try, and he's been trying. It isn't his fault if it's too hard to keep doing for long.

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"Me?" she says.

She regards him with a brief flicker of a frown.

"Yeah. Of course."

"I thought --"

"I thought you were still mad at me."

Ava glances away.

"I've been mad," she admits on a sigh.

"But not at you. For you, maybe. And at--you know. Your boss."

He blinks. "For me?"

"Oh my God." Ava scrubs a hand across her face. "Yes, for you; I know none of this was your fault."

Except maybe the kidnapping. Mmmmaybe.

But Andrew's clearly been under duress, and Ava knows demons are very good at getting into your head, and back before she had her big 180 away from evil, she wishes somebody'd told her that you know what, she doesn't wanna talk about this anymore!

"I --"

He has to stop and swallow, pushing back a half-dozen mutually contradictory reactions.

"Thanks," he manages, finally.

Brix has been watching this exchange, quietly and very closely. In this lull, she speaks up.

"What do you think, Andrew? Of spending some time in the bar?"

Andrew takes another gulp of breath, and lets it out slowly.

"I think ... I'd like to try it. Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Yes," he says, and flushes a little. "I, I mean yes."

"Awesome." Ava claps her hands together. "Yes sounds good to me."

"Um, so ..."

Hesitant, he turns his head to address both of them.

"When?"

"When would you like?"

"I, I don't ..." He flounders, looking from one to the other again.

"I thought you would tell me."

Ava glances to Brix.

"I have some time off over the next few days ..."

He follows Ava's glance.

"I mean, I, I guess whenever is good for you? Or whoever? Just, maybe not ... not like right now."

"Oh, sure," she breezes. "I have reports to file tonight, it's not a good time. But in the next week or so ... sure."

"Okay. Um ..."

He fidgets a little; one hand makes a motion toward the opposite wrist, and stops.

"Maybe ... one of you could tell me the night before? Or, or even like an hour before?"

Brix's eyebrows rise.

"You would rather be told than choose when you go out?"

Well. Some progress is better than none.

His eyes flick up to her and back down, and his face reddens again.

"Do you ..." Low and effortful. "Do you want me to choose?"

"Yes."

"... Okay."

He breathes in, frowning hard as though trying to decide something much more weighty, fingers twining together.

"Is ... is tomorrow night okay?"

"Works for me."

"Tomorrow night, then ...?"

It turns into a question halfway through, as he looks back at Brix for approval.

Brix smiles.

"As you like. Certainly."

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stilljustandrew - 2016-11-22 22:31 (UTC) - Expand

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