Wheelsy AU ~ Tire changing

[noteasytobepink]

"You know Bill..." Clarice drawled cheerfully. "When you said you wanted to show me the nearest 'city' I thought you meant we'd actually get there." She took her hat off and fanned herself with it, the ballcap doing little to stir the hot, damp air, but at least it was better than glowering.

"And yeah, that really does look like dry rot in the spare there. Never seen it in a tire before but I've seen it in other materials..." She wasn't even sure why they had headed out. A better bar where no one expected him to fix their problems? A place she was suppose to get fitted for a civilian aid uniform? Who knew!

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[no_andy_taylor]

He sat cradling his face where a bruise was darkening, and using his shirt sleeve to dab at a split in his lip.

Accepting her hand up, he nodded.

"Please."

[noteasytobepink]

A quick portal into Bill's dark livingroom and they were done, truly done for the evening. "Ice..." Clarice decided, vaulting the couch to go fetch some for Bill and herself. "...I'm sorry that happened. I didn't expect the whole bar to go up like a powder keg."

[no_andy_taylor]

He lifted his head, intending to offer and get it, but going by the way she leapt over the couch she was in far better shape than him.

Sitting down in his arm chair, he rubbed his bruised shoulder and shook his head.

"Wasn't your fault."

No matter what the blonde had said.

[noteasytobepink]

"And not really hurting anyone takes some options off the table." She came back with a pack of frozen peas for his largest bruises and an ice pack; for herself she was holding another pack of mixed vegetables to her ribs and dabbing at a small cut over her eye.

"Did we make enough?" Rather than sit in his lap she curled on the floor beside his chair to lay her head on his knees. "Please say we did, I don't want to go back tonight."

[no_andy_taylor]

He draped the peas over his shoulder, and used the ice pack on his face that was forming a lovely black eye.

"We should be good."

Frowning slightly, he adjusted the ice and shook his head.

"Y'didn't have t'do that, you know. I mean, I appreciate it, but I didn't mean t'make y'feel obligated."

He didn't mean for her to get in trouble or hurt.

[noteasytobepink]

Given how many shots she'd had, and how little of the fight adrenaline she'd been able to work out, well, it seemed perfectly natural to slip into his lap for a kiss. "Hush. I wanted to help, and I should have thought we'd end up in a situation like that. We're both banged up, we'll take a long hot bath together tomorrow alright?"

[no_andy_taylor]

Bill didn't mind at all, and only winced a little as she settled on his lap.

The kiss was also reassurance that she wasn't mad at him for tonight, which was totally a good thing.

Wrapping his free arm around her, a smile rucked up one side of his mouth.

"T'gether?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, unless you're shy come tomorrow," she allowed with a teasing grin. "You did near choke when you saw me in a towel after all...would bubbles help? We could do bubbles."

[no_andy_taylor]

"Well yeah, I mean, you're a good lookin' gal." So he couldn't be blamed, could he?

"But, if you're still up for it tomorrow I sure as hell am."

He wasn't going to do the second thoughts thing, nevermind how much booze it took to get them here.

[noteasytobepink]

"Then we'll see tomorrow won't we?" She grinned and kissed him again before slipping back to the floor to settle her ice pack properly against her ribs. "What do you say to passing out soon?"

[no_andy_taylor]

He adjusted the peas on his shoulder and nodded.

"I am all for that. After some aspirin an' Gatorade if we got any."

[noteasytobepink]

"We should have both unless you drank all the gatorade after mowing the lawn..." A bit a stick meant she could open a small portal to the medicine chest and pull the bottle of aspirin out of thin air. The gatorade though was...in the kitchen, she didn't remember where, so no random portals.

"One of us will have to move."

[no_andy_taylor]

He barely gave the portal a second glance. After finally being through one it was easy to accept them now.

"I'll get it." She got the ice before.

With a grunt and pop of a few joints, he hoisted himself up and shambled to the kitchen.

[noteasytobepink]

"Okay, I'll be right here." Yep, with her head leaning back on his now empty chair. She missed her knee-pillow! MOURNING! MOURNNNNNNN.

[no_andy_taylor]

He returned with a bottle of red Gatorade, and offered her a hand up.

"C'mon, don't really wanna pass out halfway on the floor, do ya?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Hmmm? No, not really. What was I thinking taking those shots?" Her head was going to hate her a LOT in the morning! "I blame you. You were trying to get me drunk!" She took his hand cheerfully enough though.

[no_andy_taylor]

"It was all my fault," he admitted willingly. "But, it was nice gettin' drunk for a good reason for a change."

Helping her up, he offered her the bottle.

"This'll help some."

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, a semi-good reason. We'll still feel like idiots in the morning." She grinned and offered him some aspirin in exchange for a swig from his bottle.

Nope, Gatorade tasted nasty in any reality. "And we really did get enough for the truck? Realyy really?"

[no_andy_taylor]

He took the aspirin, and chased it with Gatorade when she was done drinking.

"Really. I can even get some nice ones that ain't gonna disintegrate on me."

[noteasytobepink]

"Good. That's three times you've said it'll cover so it must be true." She grinned and kissed his jawline, then winced as the smile pulled on a bruise or two. "I don't like not being able to do much to help with the money Bill, I worry."

[no_andy_taylor]

"'Course, I wouldn't lie t'you."

Of course, he may be guilty of sometimes hiding truths in what he perceives as the best interest of others, but he hasn't really done that with her.

"An' don't worry, it ain't like I'm hard up or nothin'. I promise, it ain't no burden havin' you here. It's actually nice."

[noteasytobepink]

"I know you wouldn't, I just..." yeah. She needed to be reassured sometimes and wasn't going to push past three repetitions? She shrugged and slipped her ram around his waist, using him as a handy prop to keep her icepack against her ribs.

"And I know you're not. I like being here. It's just weird to be more dependent than I normally am."

[no_andy_taylor]

He shuffles along down the hall, leaning into her for balance.

"Just know I don't mind. S'nice t'be needed sometimes."

[noteasytobepink]

Hey, their leaning kind of cancelled out in the middle! Hah! Who said it was impossible to walk a straight line when drunk?! "I don't mind needing people as long as I can be needed too. A balance." That'd be nice. She worked well with balances!

[no_andy_taylor]

He nodded and ambled on down the hallway, not realizing until they were in front of his door that they'd passed her room on.

"Whoop, too far. Y'wanna head back, or is my place alright?"