#mk jesse

[theelderhazelnut]

Valentines’s Day Meiker (F/M, F/F, M/M)

Tagged by @captastra @voidika @inafieldofdaisies @apepthehero @tommyarashikage @averytiredbitch @carlosoliveiraa @elderglocks <3

Ombra x Jesse ( @chadillacboseman ) | Ombra x Leila ( @afraidofrabbits )

No pressure tags: @valyrra @malicedragoness @loverofthewindgod @vivilovespink @chadillacboseman @afraidofrabbits @graveyard-party666 @aceghosts @floradellamorte @sweet-samnang @cassietrn and you!

[bihanspookies]

Alora Fucks Up

Summary: A night away at a bar ends up turning into one of Alora’s biggest mistakes.

Warnings: uuhh blood, broken bones, violence

All Alora wanted was one night to herself, to have a sense of peace away from her hectic lifestyle. She wanted to be away from her peers, away from that god forsaken base, and from the latest thorn in her side: Jesse Waylon fucking Geller. Lately he had been showing up more and more at the Black Dragon base, Kano contracting Red Claw for a different type of business. Needless to say that Jesse’s persistent and obnoxious personality was a complete 180 from that Mitchell fellow she met two weeks prior.

She had gone to some shady bar, one that normally favored members of the Black Dragon and other mercenaries since they would usually bring fair business. It was almost an unspoken rule that the different factions kept to themselves, yet instead here she was, white knuckling her beer bottle as some greasy creep kept insisting on talking to her. She told him to leave her the fuck alone— exactly like that, but he persisted and even slid into the barstool next to hers.

“Fucking hell, you look rough. Like it though...” Is what he told her when he caught the first glimpse of her scarred face. That’s when Alora had verbally cursed him, annoyance crystal clear in her tone and had demanded for him to move.

He didn’t, five beers too far in to make a single coherent thought. Alora was ready to just give up and leave, far too drained and irritated to properly deal with the man and sort him straight. She downed the rest of her beer (her first one), placed money on the table and hopped off the stool without so much as a glance to the guy.

“Hey! Not done talking—“

It was instant when she swung around and clocked her fist into his jaw, blood and a few teeth flying out and skittering across the floor because he decided he didn’t need any when his hand came to slap against her backside. His cry of agony silenced the bar, the other patrons murmuring at the scene that was beginning to unfold. Fights were normal on this side of town, it was rare when something didn’t break out. He stumbled off the seat, using another one to keep himself upright.

“You fucking bi—!”

He was silenced again when her same hand shot out and whacked him on the nose, knocking him clean off his feet. He crashed to the floor, colliding into a few other bar goers as they barely cushioned his fall. Alora stepped closer, ready to execute another hit when the man put his hands up, waving and shaking them for mercy. Alora scoffed and rolled her eyes, prepared to finally leave when of course he had to open his mouth again. She didn’t quite catch what he said, just knowing that it was some other bullshit.

She grabbed her empty beer bottle off the countertop, the man’s eyes widening in fear when he saw her rear her arm back. He screamed when it came smashing down right next to his head, amber glass exploding into a million tiny shards and sinking into his skin.

He howled in pain and Alora sucked her teeth, muttering a ‘sorry’ to the bartender and dropping a few more bills for damages.

That was yesterday night.

Today, in the late afternoon, she’s sitting at the base’s bar and idly chatting with Kate and Billie. It’s an ordinary conversation, when Danny and Kano walk in with the latter looking positively peeved off. Alora briefly spares them a glance, opening her mouth to reply to Billie when Danny slides into the seat next to her, giving one of his infamous charming smiles before making it tight lipped and turning to talk to Billie who was sitting behind the bar.

“Whiskey, Kano Jr. I need it.” He muses, Billie giving him a look and rolling her eyes.

“Do I look like I’m ol’ enough to be servin’?” She retorts, downing the rest of her soda before hopping off her barstool anyway to reach under the counter and grab a bottle of whiskey. As she’s pouring it, Alora can’t help but notice Kano in the background, angrily talking about something to Alex and Kabal who were in the middle of a pool game. Their expressions shift from confusion to bewilderment as they listen to Kano talk, Alora unfortunately a bit too far away to catch exactly what he was spewing on about.

She’s brought back when Danny clicks his tongue, putting her attention back on Billie who just finished licking the rim of his glass and handing it off to him. Danny inspects his cup and wipes it off with a napkin before taking a huge sip, looking at Billie with a raised eyebrow before he brings the drink away with a sound of satisfaction.

“Keep that bottle out, Mini Me. Gonna need it with the way this deal got botched.”

That makes Alora’s curiosity pique, trailing her gaze from Danny’s glass to his face. He catches her stare and takes it as a sign to continue. With a heavy sigh he leans back, stretching and lifting his glasses to rub at his tired green eyes.

“Prick didn’t show up. Turns out the muppet got his ass handed to him at the bar last night….”

It’s a slow creep that starts in her heart and spreads throughout her body. The hair on the back of her neck prickles and Alora starts wondering if there was some sort of off chance that there was another guy who got beat at the exact same time.

“How’d you figure that?” Billie asks while Alora starts to twirl the straw in her own cup lazily, using her finger to have it circle around the rim. She’s keeping calm, staying silent to determine if she’s royally fucked or not.

“Well for starters, mate has the gall to send Kano a picture of him in the hospital. Absolutely beaten to shit.” Danny huffs and takes another sip, a slight grimace on his features as he places the cup back down. Alora feels a skip in her heart, simply giving a quirk of her eyebrows as her gaze drifts behind the Brit and back to her boss. She can see Kabal doing his best to talk Kano down, Alex giving his own input here and there. Kano shakes his head, a flash of disgust crossing his face before he leaves the pool table with a wave of his hand and heads towards the bar.

“What was the deal?” Kate pipes up, appearing from Alora’s right and leaning onto the countertop to look at Danny. He sighs, a bit dramatically, and looks to Kate with a small pout on his lips. Kano’s grumbling to himself when he reaches them, giving Billie a small head pat before ducking under the counter to reach for a bottle.

“Well darling—“ another sigh, “Dear ol’ boss managed to snag me some precious material from Outworld. I’ve been wanting to try and experiment for some new tech but,” He shrugs, downing the remainder of his whiskey before slamming the cup down and sliding it towards Billie. She makes a face a him, unscrewing the bottle and ready to pour when Kano grabs it from her.

Silently he serves himself, filling his cup to the brim before going to the tech heads, a ping ringing off his phone as he starts to tilt. He unlocks his phone with one hand, still tilting the bottle.

“Anyway, not to worry love. Kano and I are already making plans to reschedule. Isn’t that right?”

But Kano doesn’t hear him, a sudden hard gaze on his features as he glares at his phone. Faintly Alora can hear something playing from the device, wondering what exactly has him looking ready to pop his own head off. His hand seems frozen in midair, whiskey still streaming out and eventually filling Danny’s glass. It topples over the sides, a slow puddle forming at the base of the cup.

“Uh…”

“Da’? What’s—“ Billie is cut off when her father’s hand crushes the neck of bottle, glass raining down and into Danny’s cup and all over the countertop. Kate and Billie jump back, while Danny and Alora’s eyes widen. Shards crunch in Kano’s palm and when Alora flicks her attention from that to Kano, her stomach twists when she sees him already staring at her.

“Didn’t like this shirt anyway.” Danny remarks sarcastically, pushing back from the bar to avoid getting more whiskey all over him. He gets off the stool and makes way to the bathroom to clean up.

From her peripheral she can see Alex and Kabal stop their game, attention now pointed towards the scene. She can feel the tension radiating off of Kate, her fingers gingerly brushing against Alora’s hand from under the countertop. Alora’s pinky barely raises in return, not daring to break the eye contact with Kano.

Ever so slowly Kano lowers his phone and slides it towards Alora, whatever he was watching still playing over and over on a loop. She doesn’t have to look down to know what the video is, the sounds of glass breaking and various gasps still fresh in mind from yesterday.

“Look. At the fucking. Phone.” He growls through clenched teeth, his hand that was holding the bottle finally releasing and shaking out whatever bits of glass had embedded into his skin. He ignores the stings, waiting for Alora to clarify so he can proceed with what to do next.

Alex and Kabal made their way towards them with Danny trailing not too far behind, looking down at his shirt and muttering to himself. Kabal reaches in between Alora and Kano to grab the phone to tilt it so he could see what exactly has Kano’s panties in a twist. He hisses through his teeth, Alex looming behind to catch a glimpse as well. Immediately his eyes snap up to his friend and boss, mouth open and ready to intervene.

“This was you?” Kano asks, venom laced in his voice as he waits for Alora’s answer. She stares back at him, keeping her gaze on his but not ignoring the way his nails started to leave faint indents in the wood of the bar. She feels Kate’s touch again, the brief contact doing little ease the anxiety piling in Alora.

“Kano, come on she didn’t—“

“Shut the fuck up Demir!” Kano barks and smacks Danny’s overfilled cup off the countertop without looking, sending it crashing into who knows what. It shatters with whiskey splashing everywhere, a sharp inhale of breath sounding from Kate’s lips. Kano points his finger at Alora, nostrils flaring as he asks the question again.

“Was. This. You.” It’s repeated with malice, his thick eyebrows knitted together so tight that if the situation wasn’t so serious then Alora might have cracked a smile.

She runs her tongue over her teeth, keeping her expression as neutral as possible.

“I didn’t know.” She finally answes, not a quiver in her tone or a tremble in her body, even knowing that there’s no point in trying to explain the situation to him. She can see the muscles jumping in his jaw and Alora knows she has very little time to diffuse the bomb that is Kano of The Black Dragon.

His eyes narrow, his palms giving two firm taps to the top of the bar before he shrugs.

“Din’t know, eh?” His lips purse a bit, coming around the counter to the other side with his boots crunching over broken glass. He leaves a small trail of wet whiskey footprints as he stops in front of Alora.

Thick couldn’t even begin to describe the tension in the room. Her eyes remain on him, expression stoic as gauges how to proceed. It felt like a heavy weight was sitting on her chest, ready to crush and pin her body to the ground.

Alora makes the mistake of briefly breaking eye contact to look at Billie, who was doing her best to sneak away unnoticed and leave the room— most likely to find and grab her mother.

Whack!

Pain immediately forms on the right side of Alora’s jaw, stars and colors dancing in her vision as she’s slightly knocked off balance and stumbles off her seat. Kano sends a kick to the center of her back, propelling her forward and almost to her knees.

“Go on get up then! Since you like to fuck up strangers! Get up!”

Another hit right to the mouth, so excruciating that Alora’s vision goes blurry for just a moment. She falls to her side, blood dripping past her lips in a steady flow. She sees Kano approaching fast, fury etched in his face as he rears his leg back to kick her in the stomach.

Alora counters and grabs onto him just in time, gritting her teeth and swinging him around to send him tumbling away from her. The Aussie rolls into it, quickly standing up and grunting as he reaches out towards her again.

“Do you have any fuckin’ idea how important this deal was? Huh?! Do ya?!”

Alora finally gets to her feet and sends a devastating punch towards his chest, Kano shifting off to the side at the last second so that her fist scrapes alongside his cybernetic heart. He fists her braids, pulling her hair back to hit her square in the face. She can feel her nose crack from the impact, involuntary tears springing to her eyes and grunting as crimson gushes out. He strikes her again in the same spot, blood shooting into the back of her throat and causing Alora to gag and sputter out flecks of red. It stains Kano, painting his skin and bandolier.

Faintly she can hear Kate screaming and pleading for Kano to stop, Alex having to hold her back in his arms so she doesn’t get caught up in the fight either. Danny stands near her, ready to grab and hold on as well while Kabal catches Erron and Echo up to speed. Echo’s eyes widen a fraction at the scene, standing close to Erron as she watches the fight.

“You absolute dumb fuckin’—“ Kano roars.

Before he can get in a third hit, Alora catches his hand and crushes it in her own, pushing back against him to create some distance. The Aussie grits his teeth and knocks his head into her, Alora actually feeling as if she was about to black out from how hazy her vision got.

Suddenly she feels 16 all over again, fighting endlessly in the Koliseum to reach the end for something that was never going to be hers in the first place. Breaking bones, tearing muscles, ripping through flesh like melted butter all for nothing.

All because she made one mistake.

“Kano stop you’ll kill her! She’s had enough!” Kate begs, squirming in Alex’s hold to get free.

“No,” He says, spitting off to the side. “She can take it. Ain’t tha’ right, love?”

He takes Alora’s right arm and twists it behind her back, yanking it so incredibly tight and hard against her that she can feel something threaten to pop. Her scream is one of pure anguish, coming out hoarse and broken, resonating throughout the bar. The tears that were holding on finally fall free, streaming down her cheeks and leaving wet trails into the blood that was smeared across her skin.

Alora’s so frazzled right now that she can’t properly think straight, too focused on the searing pain of her arm and hacking up the blood that keeps getting lodged in her throat. She clenches her teeth and rears her head back to knock into Kano, his hold faltering but not enough for her to slip free.

Fight back. Stop being scared and fight back.

So she does it again, even stomping on his foot and using her free arm to reach behind her to his face. The angle is extremely awkward since it’s her left, but she finds the edge of his cybernetic eye plate, her nails wasting no time in piercing the into the delicate flesh that surrounds it. Kano roars in pain, holding on for just a few seconds before he finally lets go and shoves her away. He swipes his fingers across where she had her nails, grunting when his tips show dark red.

“Fuckin’ bitch!” In a fit of rage he shoots his laser out to her, not taking the time to properly aim. It doesn’t hit her anywhere critical but it does land on the shoulder of the arm he just potentially fractured. The smell of burning flesh hits Alora’s nose, making her gag at how it infiltrates her senses. She can hear Kano’s boots getting closer and closer and in a desperate attempt she swings her fist around to clock him on the side of his skull. The Aussie yells and shoots another beam at her, just barely hitting the edge of her shoes. Alora scurries back and yells as she spears herself into him, sending him crashing to the floor and unleashing a flurry of hits straight to his face. She’s ignoring the piercing pain of her left arm, too focused on making Kano hurt.

Within the second punch his nose is crooked, blood shooting out and soaking into his beard. Hit after hit cause him to scream, Alora not faultering for one second and for the briefest moment she has the urge to keep going until he’s unrecognizable. Sometime after the sixth punch Kano stops fighting back and it’s only when she can hear Billie screeching that she realizes what she’s doing.

“What the fuck!!”

Alora’s fist stops mere centimeters away from his good eye, heavy breaths passing her lips as she stares down at the messy scene. Her icy eyes are flicking wildly all over him, looking and waiting for a sign of life.

She wouldn’t do that. Couldn’t do that. Not to Billie.

“Da’!”

In that split moment of Alora snapping her head up to look at Billie, seeing her be held back by Skarlet, Kano’s fingers claw into Alora’s shirt. He brings her down roughly and collides his head against hers, shoving her onto her back and straddling her hips. His hands latch around her neck, closing off her airway and then lifting her to begin slamming her head against the ground. Alora’s gasp morphs into a choked gargle, the blood that had been collecting in the back of her throat viscous and blocking her breathing even more.

She can hear a collection of yells from Alex and Kate, knowing that they wanted to interfere but knowing that it could cost them. Not that Alora would want them to anyway, this was her fuck up after all.

She tries to cough, spitting blood up like a baby as it dribbles down her chin. Kano lifts her higher, her back coming off the ground and Alora knows he intends to throw her down with every bit of strength left in him. He never gets to do so, Skarlet running over and placing a hand on Kano’s shoulder to hold him back.

“Kane!” There’s fear in her eyes, Alex and Kabal running over to haul him off of Alora and pull him a good distance away. Alora turns to her side, heaving and hacking up whatever she could as it lands with a splat onto the concrete floor. She sucks in a deep breath, sputtering when more blood gathers and she spits it out again and again and again.

She feels a hand on her shoulder and on instinct she smacks it away from her without looking. She swipes across her nose, streaking blood and snot, and peers over her left to find the hurt expression of Kate as she stands there with her fingers fiddling with one another. Alora silently stares at her, trying to convey an apology through her eyes before giving up and rising to her feet. There’s a slight sway as she stands up straight, Alora giving a brisk shake of her head and sparing Kano one last glance who’s already turned his attention to his wife and daughter.

She doesn’t bother to look at the others, not needing to see the expressions on their faces and add to her shame.

Everything hurts; face, arms, stomach, back. She brings a hand to the back of her head and is only mildly surprised when just her fingertips come away with blood. They’re not the worst injuries she’s had, having gone against Shokan and Tarkatan before, it would just take a bit longer than usual to recover. She touches her jaw gingerly, nose scrunching when pain radiates from the simplest touch. Alora maintains her composure as she walks out the bar, feeling the burning stares of her peers on her back as they burn holes straight through her.

Even when she’s completely out of the room and out of sight she holds herself, head held high as she walks through the corridors towards her sanctum. Carefully she opens her door, twisting the door knob all the way to the end and then pushing it open. Michi’s tiny squeaks greet her and it brings the faintest smile to her busted lips. She wants to go say hello, to hold her sweet pet in her hands but she can’t taint him with blood.

She does however walk past her mirror and catch a glimpse of herself.

She stops and looks, a sinking feeling in her chest as she counts every bruise and gash that Kano graciously delivered to her. She twists around to look at the burn mark from his laser, hissing when she touches the edges of the wound. She finds herself thinking and hoping that the discoloration will fade and the cuts will scab before—

She blinks, eyebrows bunching together at her thought. A certain face flashes through her mind and Alora feels a surge of annoyance flow through her body. She sucks her teeth and turns away from the mirror, going to her drawer to grab fresh clothes. She whispers a quiet ‘hello’ to Michi, the first smile of the day gracing her lips when he scurries towards her.

“I’ll be back, don’t worry.”

The water burns in the best and worst way, hitting her open wounds and sore muscles but soothing her body and soul. She runs her fingers through her hair to work out the knots, faint throbs echoing through her body when her hands pass along to lather soap. The encounter plays in her mind all over, every hit sending a throb and Alora can feel her nails start to dig in her scalp.

It wasn’t her fault, she knows that. She doesn’t know exactly how much the video shows but it didn’t matter, not to Kano. A deal is a deal no matter what.

It doesn’t even cross Alora’s mind as to how he got a video in the first place.

She inhales sharply, holding it deep in her chest before releasing it. There’s a burn in her eyes but she refuses to let them form into tears. She wouldn’t let Kano of all people get to her like that. Instead she finishes cleaning herself up, going over her body two more times to make sure all the blood is off.

And then she stands there, eyes staring blankly as water washes down the drain. She doesn’t know how long she remains motionless but eventually she slides down the wall and brings her knees to her chest, resting her chin on top as she lets time continue to slip by.

———

Alex/JJ/Jesse: @chadillacboseman

Billie: @cyberneticsanguinaire

Echo: @roofgeese

Kate/Danny: @bdfightclub

[bihanspookies]

Same Sides, Different Coin

Summary: 3 weeks after their talk at the bar, JJ gets another chance encounter with Alora.

References made to The Fuck Up.

Warnings: None really, just drinking

JJ couldn’t get Alora out of his head no matter how hard he tried. The way she spoke, how she carried herself, her attitude, her aura— everything was permanently etched into his mind like a tattoo and he wanted more of her. He constantly thought about the way her eyes shined under the cheap lights of the bar, the harsh yellow contrasting against her tan skin and how it gave a sort of mood lighting on the scars that decorated her face.

She looked even better under the moonlight of the night sky and god did she smell so divine when her scent wasn’t mixed in with the awful odors of beer, piss and who knows what else. Every time he thought about it he swore he could faintly smell it: clean clothes and something fruity but not overly powerful. Something subtle… grapes maybe? Did they even make grape scented things?

JJ shakes his head and scoffs lightly, being brought back to the present. It’s been about three weeks since that night and he has not stopped thinking about Alora. He came to the bar the last two Saturdays in hopes he would catch her, nevermind the lie he blurted out that he was there on those days, but she never showed. He had waited until it was closing time, the bartender politely telling him that he had to close his tab. JJ admitted that he was slightly disappointed, a part of him knowing that there was no way in hell that a member of the Black Dragon would willingly meet up with someone who was associated with Special Forces.

No way in hell.

He lets out a heavy sigh, calling the bartender over with a wave of his hand to close out his tab. It’s the same girl from his past three visits, offering a kind and sympathetic smile to JJ when she’s close enough,

“You waitin’ for that pretty girl again?” She says, collecting his glass, eager to hear his response. JJ can’t help but smile, his mouth curling up at the memory at Alora’s pretty face.

“Yeah… kinda pathetic huh?” He chuckles, fishing out a rolled up wad of cash from his pocket and pulling a bill from it. He slides it over to the bartender once she hands him his receipt, letting out a small sigh.

“No, not at all. I think it’s a bit sweet actually. She seems like someone who could use a friend.” The bartender takes his bill and walks to the register to grab his change, leaving JJ briefly alone with his thoughts.

A friend… JJ could do that. He didn’t really have too many of those considering a majority of his time was either spent at Falcon Company or his apartment. He could consider his boys his friends, family really, but it wasn’t the same as having someone outside of your work.

JJ is brought out of his thoughts when the bartender returns with his change, holding the few bills in her outstretched hand.

“Keep it darlin’, least I could do for you keepin’ me company.” The bartender grins, closing her fingers around the money and stuffing them into her apron pocket before giving a nod of appreciation. JJ glances around the bar and then to his watch, noting that he had been at the bar for at least four hours. His fingers drum against the countertop, humming softly to himself as he weighs his options.

Stay until closing or just give it up early and head home.

He could end the night here but what if she showed up right after he left? What if she was already here earlier and he missed her? What if—

JJ shakes his head, a few curls bouncing lightly against him. How much longer could he truly wait for Alora? He didn’t even know what her thoughts were about him after that night. With a heavy sigh he raises his hand towards the bartender, a sad smile on his lips as he grabs his jacket from the stool next to him. The bartender waves goodbye, calling out ‘see you next week?’ To which JJ gives a short nod to. He gets off his seat and makes way to the doors with ease, having gotten more used to his prosthetic leg since then.

He’s nearly halfway across the bar, shrugging his jacket on when there’s a rush of air that flows past him when the door pulls open. Something tells him to look up and he’s glad he listened to the little voice because when he does his heart nearly jumps out his chest.

Alora takes a few steps in, clear agitation on her features when she glances up and locks eyes with JJ. They blink once, twice, three times before Alora visibly lets out a huff, eyes darting around the bar in an attempt to find a different route towards her usual seating. When she can’t find one she chews on the inside of her cheek, heavily debating on just leaving.

But she’s already made eye contact with JJ who is still just standing there like a statue.

It’s when Alora turns back towards the door that he finally moves, broken out of his spell and making way to her. She’s wearing another sleeveless shirt and because of that he notices an odd patchy area on her right shoulder, the skin looking a bit disfigured. The closer he gets the more he sees and when he’s finally within range to touch her, Alora’s out the door with him close behind.

“Hey—“

He can’t help the soft gasp when Alora turns around, her pretty scarred face now colored with yellows and oranges. Instantly his eyebrows knit together, a flash of anger coursing through his chest.

“Your boss do this?” He asks in a low voice. He watches the way her blue-gray eyes float towards the sky, somehow showcasing even more of the bruising on her face.

“Mind your business.” She retorts, void of emotion but JJ can see something behind her facade. She starts walking again but JJ isn’t one to let her get away so easily. He quickened his pace and steps in front of her, holding a hand up in an attempt to get her to stop. The way her eyes narrow sends a chill down his spine but he’s willing to bet that she’s not going to hit him, not with how exhausted she looks on top of her injuries.

“I know you’re a tough lady— feel like my bones are still aching from our fight a few weeks ago but—“ Alora scoffs, effectively cutting him off. She rotates her right shoulder, dull throbs still present from that fight with Kano. She’s mostly healed, it’s just lingering bruises and slight discomfort that still reside in her.

It looks like JJ wants to reach out and touch her, use his calloused fingers to comfort her in any way he can. He can feel them twitching at his sides, itching to feel the warmth of her skin underneath his fingertips.

“Stop bothering me, you don’t know me.” She speaks up, hoping this’ll get him to stop.

“But I want to.”

JJ doesn’t know where it came from, what abruptly gave him the courage to blurt it out but it was true. He could see the minuscule changes in her expression as his statement rings in her ears and all he wanted to do was reach out and smooth his thumb over them.

“You’re an idiot for wanting that.” Alora finally says, breaking eye contact and deciding to stare at something else to avoid the piercing gaze of JJ. He feels the irritation flowing off her, like electric currents but he’s not ready to throw in the towel when she’s right there.

“Have a drink with me. Or a few… look like you could use a couple of those.” He chuckles, using it to hide the sheer nervousness that’s pouring from him. Jeremiah Jedidiah Mitchell is a confident man but something about Alora makes him feel like he’s performing a solo in front of a live audience.

Alora eyes him up and down, fingers tapping against her thigh as she ponders his proposition. She did come to the bar to get away from the base again, feeling suffocated by the stares she was still getting from her peers. Kano had gone back to treating her normal (as normal as he could) but didn’t hesitate to bring up her mistake. Alora even heard from Echo one night when the blonde was applying cream to her injuries, that they had already rescheduled another exchange but in Outworld. It made Alora peeved at how easy it was for them to fix it, the angry face of Kano appearing in her mind before bitterly asking Echo if they could change the subject.

“I’ll pay for them. Even though this ‘human garbage’ doesn't really do it for you.” He adds, lips forming a small grin as Alora finally cracks one in return.

“Fine.” She puffs out, taking one last look up and down JJ’s figure before turning and heading back to the bar. Something about the way she scanned his body made his cheeks warm up, heart buzzing in his chest like a swarm of angry bees just ready to get out.

“Are you coming or what?” She calls out over her shoulder, pulling the door open and looking at him with a raised eyebrow. JJ laughs and nods, hurrying over to Alora and taking hold of the door. He places his arm above her head, gesturing with his free one for her to go inside.

“After you, sweetheart.” He grins down at her, flashing his all too bright all too white teeth as Alora gives a short hum in response. She walks in, eyes scanning to find a decent place to sit while JJ follows.

“There good?” He gestures vaguely towards an empty table near the back and Alora nods, leading the way. As they walk past the bar, JJ makes eye contact with the bartender, who doesn’t bother hiding the ecstatic smile on her face when she catches Alora walking by. JJ grins back and points subtly at Alora, nodding back at her before returning his attention and sliding into the booth.

There’s a bit of tension at first, JJ trying not to pry about Alora’s injuries but eventually she tells him that she got in a scuffle with Kano, that it was ‘no big deal’. He opened his mouth to ask for more information but Alora had stood up and headed to the bar to grab drinks for them.

And then slowly but surely she relaxes; shoulders not quite as tense, posture going a bit slack and eyes softening the tiniest amount. Conversation lacks at first but that was okay with JJ, he didn’t mind the lack of words, he was happy to just be sitting there next to her and be in her company.

But with every drink that passes she puts a little more effort into her answers, adding another sentence after finishing one and then soon she’s asking him questions. JJ swears his heart grows a few sizes when he realizes that she’s comfortable, opening the door just enough for him to peek in and see a glimpse of her true self.

“Wait you’re banned from—“

“Yeah.” Alora groans in annoyance, swirling leftover alcohol in her cup before downing it. She clicks her tongue, glancing at JJ with an unimpressed face. “Won a plush though.”

JJ snickers, shaking his head and lifting his own glass to his mouth. He takes a sip and smacks his lips, turning his body a bit more towards her.

“Yeah but you dented the machine.” He adds with a raised eyebrow, laughing again when Alora waves her hand dismissively.

“That machine was trying to rob me of my very well deserved prize. I think I deserved a little compensation.” She brings her index and thumb finger together, leaving the tiniest amount of space in between them.

“Oh you think you deserved it, huh?” He teases, feeling a bit more confident in trying his luck at flirting with her. She very smugly shrugs, glancing at the bar and debating on getting another drink. JJ takes the moment to look at her, a tender smile growing as he stamps her profile into his mind a little bit more. He doesn’t even realize how hard he’s staring until Alora looks at him, puzzlement crossing her face.

“Something on your mind, cowboy?” She calls out, trying to ignore the flips in her stomach.

“You’re so pretty…” He murmurs, a gentle tilt of his head. His words hang in the air for a second, Alora’s eyes growing from his compliment while her cheeks start to warm. He seems to snap out of his daze, heat rising to his face as he laughs awkwardly and puts a hand to the back of his neck.

“Sorry I uh… didn’t…”

Get a hold of yourself, Jeremiah. Can’t even control your words after a few drinks?

He doesn’t remember being this nervous a few weeks ago when they were chatting on his truck but then again maybe it was the dautho numbing his senses. He clears his throat, breaking eye contact and suddenly feeling as if the rest of the entire bar was staring at his fumble.

“It’s fine.” The soft tone of her voice nearly startles JJ, not expecting such a delicate response from her. He trails his gaze back to her, finding her fiddling with her glass and passing it between her fingers. The corner of his lips quirk up, fingers tapping lightly on top of the table.

“Okay, okay good. I’m glad. Because you are, you know? You’re—“

Jesus Christ Jeremiah, pull yourself together!

“Yeah.” He ends it, laughing and going back to rubbing the back of his neck. Alora chuckles, quietly but it’s loud enough for him to hear it over the music and multiple conversations going throughout the bar.

“Well don’t get shy on me now, old man.” Alora rests her cheek on her fist, smirking at JJ who now seems lost at what to say now. Another nervous chuckle from him, sitting up straight and rotating his body to face her once more.

“I ain’t shy, woman.” He remarks, scoffing and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Can’t be shy in Falcon Company.” He adds with a playful grumble.

The once pleasant smile on Alora’s lips slowly sinks away, replaced with that expressionless face that JJ had just started to forget about. Alora runs her tongue over her teeth, sitting up straight and clearing her throat. She feels like a fool now, the reminder of him being on the complete opposite side of the law hitting her like a baseball bat.

“Yeah. Falcon Company.” She says with a cold tone, her demeanor shifting right in front of JJ’s eyes and he doesn’t know what to do. He’s wondering what exactly went wrong when it clicks in his head.

“Wait—“ He mutters, standing up and latching onto the back of the booth to steady himself.

She stands up and scoots out of the booth, bidding JJ goodnight with a tip of her head and walking towards the exit. He throws a few bills on the table and slides out the booth, hurrying as best he can to catch up with her. He makes eye contact with the bartender, shock on her face and her eyes scanning back and forth between the two of them.

“Wait, when can I—“ His arm extends out to grab onto hers but quickly retreats for fear of overstepping his boundaries. Alora immediately stops in her tracks and spins to face him, her face now sour as if she just bit into a lemon.

“Don’t,” She says curtly. JJ knows what it means, he’s heard it a few times before and it was never followed by anything good.

“This cannot be a routine.” Alora continues, looking straight into his eyes as she prepares to say what’s been on her mind the moment she stepped into the bar tonight. She knew she had to stop it here before she let it proceed any further.

“You’re Falcon Company, a technical enemy of mine. I’m Black Dragon. This,” She gestures between the two of them with her finger, the dark red polish he had noticed throughout the night, vaguely reminding him of his truck.

“Cannot happen. Whatever this is— was? It can’t happen.” There’s a firm tone set in her voice but JJ can tell there’s something else laced beneath it.

Doesn’t hurt him any less though.

“Look sweetheart,” But he doesn’t get to finish his sentence because Alora turns and makes her way out the bar, pushing open the wooden door and letting it slam loudly behind her. He does his best to get to her, shoving the door with more force than necessary and nearly tripping onto the ground when it gives away.

“Alora!”

That makes her stop, her auburn braids whipping as she spins to face him. There’s clear agitation on her face but JJ doesn’t care, he has to talk to her and try to level with her.

“Please! Just—“ He finally reaches her, shaking his head to get rid of the dizziness from all his drinking and sudden movement.

"I have never met a girl like you--" JJ stumbles over his words as her ice cold eyes stay hardened, "I know— I know that the people movin' the pieces on the board want us to hate each other, but I don't want that!"

“Once again, you don’t know me. And it doesn’t matter what you want, JJ. This shit is dangerous for the both of us and I am not going to risk my life for you.” The harshness in her voice doesn’t scare him, having been in countless dangerous situations due to his occupation. No, what scares him is how much he wants to keep talking to her and how genuinely fearful he is to have her slip through his fingers.

“I wouldn't let anything happen—“ He mumbles, trying to quickly think of something more convincing to say.

Alora scoffs, almost mockingly. “You think I need you to protect me?"

"No! I mean, of course not, but— we, I could be careful. We don't have to meet at the bar.” He’s practically begging at this point, stepping an inch closer to Alora without really knowing it.

"Why do you want to meet with me so badly anyway?" She asks. The question lacks anger or malice and she shakes her head with the barest hint of pity present before it disappears.

JJ opens and closes his mouth multiple times, shrugging and trying to convey something he doesn’t even know the answer to.

“This ends here. Goodnight.” Before JJ can even get another word out she’s already walking off, small clouds of dirt trailing behind her every footstep. He watches her until he can’t no more, her figure getting smaller and smaller.

It’s when she’s completely out of sight that he recognizes her scent as cucumber and melon.

——-

Alora finally makes it back to base, her conversation with JJ playing over and over in her head. Why the hell was he so insistent on continuing to talk? Fucking ignorant, foolish, old—

“Hey sweetheart!”

Alora doesn’t even bother hiding the face of disgust when she hears Jesse Geller calling out to her. She looks up to her left to see him speaking with Kano, the Aussie giving a short nod to her. She makes a vague gesture of a hello back before continuing her way to her room. She hears Jesse quickly utter something to Kano before he trots to her, his boots scraping against the cement floor and Alora so badly wants to rip them off and chuck them at his head. Jesse stops in front of her, whistling when he takes in the state of her bruised state.

“Now what happened to this pretty face of yours, darlin’?” His faux concern has her rolling her eyes, arms crossing over her chest. Jesse steps an inch closer, Alora taking a step back from him.

“Mind your damn business, Geller.” Jesse puts his hand over his heart, feigning hurt and pretending to hiss in pain.

“Girly got a lesson taught to her. Ain’t that right, love?” Kano’s voice booms across the room, reminding Alora that he was still there and watching the interaction. There’s only so many times she can roll her eyes before they get stuck in the back of her head.

“Fuck you, you got your fucking materials didn’t you?” She calls back, brushing past Jesse and trying to end the conversation. Jesse chuckles, swiveling his head to keep watching her.

“Lesson? Kind of lesson?” Jesse asks, an odd almost playful tone in his voice. Alora takes a moment to compose herself, wondering if he’ll go away faster if she plays along.

“Screwed over a deal.”

“Deal? How?”

“Socked a guy at the bar.”

“And how’d that—”

“Video.” She cuts him off, answering quickly to just get the hell out of there.

There’s an unusual expression on Jesse; curiosity but something else. Something that told Alora he wasn’t as surprised as he should’ve been.

“Video, huh?” He asks, the corner of his lips twitching. She narrows her eyes at him, opening her mouth to say something but Kano cuts her off.

“Oi, quit yankin’ her chain, Geller.” Kano’s laugh is mocking, enjoying the scene playing out in front of him.

“Boss showed me the video, sugar.” Jesse remarks with an arrogant grin.

“Oh ver a comer mierda.” She turns and leaves them behind, her fuse already nearing its end by the time she turns left and disappears down a hallway. She can hear Jesse’s laugh, Kano’s mixing a few moments later and for a split second she wishes she stayed at the bar to keep on talking to JJ.

———-

Echo: @roofgeese

Jesse/JJ: @chadillacboseman

Oh ver a comer mierda: Oh go eat shit