“Three...”
“Two...”
“One..”
“HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
Bradford grinned slightly to himself as the sound of party poppers en masse were unleashed in the bar, followed by boisterous laughter and booming cajoling that seemed to permeate every inch of the ship. Even as he drifted further away, towards the Quarters.
It had been a heavy year for all of them, but with ADVENT doubling down on the celebrations themselves -- it provided XCOM a little leeway to relax.
It didn’t take him long to stop before the door and tucking the champagne bottle under his arm and the two wine glasses held perilously with one hand, he knocked on the door with his knuckle. “ -- Dottie?”
There was some slight shuffling with an indeterminable ‘come in.’ thrown into the mix, which Bradford took his cue to enter. It was still.. startling, even now, to see not the face of the woman he’d known for thirty odd years -- but the expert craftsmanship of the Avatar’s visage. No wonder she hadn’t joined the party.
“I hope you’re not planning on drinking that.” she stated immediately, eyeballing the bottle. Bradford flourished it and set it down on the table.
“Of course not, I brought this bottle just so I can watch you drink the entire thing whilst I sit in passive-aggressive craving to down the bottle myself.”
“I hope your new year resolution wasn’t to be more open with your kinks, John.”
“Dorothy Anne Kingsley.”
Stifling a tired chuckle, Kingsley leaned back against the couch, barely paying attention when Bradford joined her. He set the glasses on the table as well, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a hug -- trying his best withhold a pitiful smile when he felt her freeze.
“Happy new year, Dottie.” he said, deciding not to address the elephant in the room. She appreciated that, and slackened against him.
“Happy new year.”
