Sometimes, It's Not The Contract...
by ALC Punk!

And she had, too. At least that's what he'd heard. He was pretty sure he didn't want to know the truth of the matter.

But she was here and sitting in his bright yellow kitchen. Unusual though her voluntarily being near him was, there was just one thing bothering him.

"Why are you sitting on a body?" Of course, he could psi-scan her, but he was getting tired of reading thoughts in his old age. And his mother liked to tell him that talking was a better way around the problem. Usually right before she kicked his ass in some way.

A stream of smoke exited her lips and she gazed sardonically at him from violet eyes. "I don't know, Nate. Why is someone trying to kill you?"

He snorted and replied, "When isn't someone trying to kill me?"

A shrug accompanied another lung full of smoke. "Better question, then: who did you piss off, this time?"

"You want the bulleted list or a five-page summary on each person?"

Domino glared.

"I don't know," he admitted, scratching at his scalp.

"You don't know?" She finished her cigarette and tossed the butt to the floor, grinding it beneath one boot heel. "Fuck, Nate."

"I don't keep a list, Dom."

"And that's supposed to make me happy?"

"No." Cable shoved his hands in his pockets and eyed her. She hadn't moved from the dead man's corpse. "Why are you here?"

Domino almost looked uncomfortable when she shrugged, "I was in the neighborhood."

"Right." Oh, yeah. He believed that one all right.

"Fuck you, Nate." She snapped, standing.

"Good idea. But can we use the bed? I'm feeling old today." He was almost serious.

She stared at him, then laughed. "Yeah. Fine."

And it was like she'd never walked out on him. He reached out and touched her cheek. "I promise not to bruise you against the headboard."

"No concussions? Gosh, are you sure you're the same man? Life getting you old, not able to get it up as much? Should we get you some Viagra?"

Nathan snorted, then looked down at the man on his floor. "Should I call the cops?"

"Nah. We can call Victor later. He'll help dump the body somewhere."

"Great. I don't think I want to know how you know people who can dump bodies."

She snickered, "Let's go have sex, and we can worry about this later."

"Good plan."

"I was always better at strategy than you."

He raised an eyebrow and reached out with his telekinesis, stroking down her body. "Oh, really?"

"Damn telepaths." Shoving an elbow into his side, she took off up the stairs. Her shirt landed on the landing. "You coming, cranky old man?"

"Hell, yeah."

-=-

There were few things in life better than sated, sleepy Domino draped across his chest, Nate decided. And right at that moment, he wasn't sure what they were. He was pretty sure he was purring. She might've been, too.

He poked her. "Why are you really here?"

"I wanted to fuck a cranky old man."

"Dom."

She heaved a sigh, but didn't move, "I picked up news about his contract and followed him."

"You were worried about me." he said, feeling smug.

"No."

Delighted, Nate ran a hand down her back. "You were worried that they'd get rid of my grade-A prime ass."

She snorted.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're still an ass."

"I know."

-=-

Victor was just delighted to hear from Dom. Nate watched her talk to him on a secure line, one arm gesturing frantically, as if he could see her. It was entertaining.

Finally, she finished the call and looked at him. "He says there'll be someone by to help soon. And that the contract out on you was cancelled this morning."

"Ah, politics," Nate said.

"That's a guess."

"I still don't know who was trying to kill me."

She sighed and pulled a cigarette out of her pocket.

"I thought you quit."

"I thought you died."

Nate shrugged, "Planning to stay?"

She drew in a lung full of smoke and poked a foot at the dead body. "Maybe."

Nate considered his options. There wasn't a hell of a lot going on in his life. Oh, there were the occasional terrorist incursions, a few drug dealers he'd smacked. And, a sense that there was something big he was supposed to do. But that could wait. "Cool. Want a pizza?"

"With extra meat, I'm starving."

"You got it." Nate grabbed the phone from where she'd tossed it. Yeah. He could see this working.

For a month.

Or two.

If she didn't kill him first, or run out on him. Or decide he was an idiot (which he was, but he prefered not to be reminded of it).

"Nate!" She was glaring at him.

"What?"

"Stop thinking, you're giving me a headache."

"Oh." He stopped thinking. Tried to, anyway. "Sorry. I'll give you sex later?"

"That was a given."

"In the shower?"

She tilted her head, then nodded. "You're obsessed with sex."

"And you're not?"

"I have discretion." Domino pointed out smugly.

Now that, he couldn't let past. After all, he had ample proof against her, he'd known her for a long time. "You groped me in the cereal aisle once."

"You were psi-shielding us, no one saw," she smirked. "Besides, you weren't complaining at the time."

"I was speechless! We were standing next to the Captain Crunch and you put your hand down my pants. I think we scared the Lcuky Charms elf off his box!"

She snickered. "Call for pizza, Nate."

"Fine."

Domino headed out of the kitchen, "And I'm staying for at least a month."

"Good!"

"Maybe two."

"Three?" He suggested.

"Dial, Nate!"

"Right!" He dialed. "You're staying?"

"YES!"

Reaching out telekinetically, he groped her. "Cool."

"Pizza, Nate. Pizza. FOCUS."

"Oh, I'm focused," he informed her smugly as the pizza place picked up.

"Bastard!"

-f-

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© 2005 ALC Punk!