[ The garage is where he spends most of his time when he isn't in the Up visiting Poe or at his own smaller place down here — because even though he doesn't really know the first thing about half of the parts that have been tossed in piles of varying sizes for curious seekers to dig through in search of what might hold value, it's a space that reminds him of someone who isn't here right now, someone who may not be here ever anymore. And try as he might to surround himself with things that take him back to pleasant memories, he thinks that maybe it's for the best if she doesn't ever get snatched up to wake up here again. He remembers how much she hated it the first time, how much the idea of the system soured her — but he also remembers the scent of her hair when he'd pressed his nose against it as they'd lain together in his bed after a different kind of first time, sweaty and tangled, his arms wrapped around her to keep her cradled close against his chest. It's a memory he won't have after he goes back someday, and it's one she won't have either if he ever wakes up on the Falcon again, right back where he'd left from.
He knows how to stay out of trouble down here, but only because he's been doing it so long; thanks to his contract with Raven, he's rarely stopped by SIN guards who need a look at his identification, because he isn't exactly a roving sub, but he knows there are groups of them in the Down who aren't working for the Rubies, less organized and only intent on roughing up someone for money if they've happened to stumble down the wrong alley.
But that doesn't mean that he's immune to anyone who's found themselves on the wrong end of the situation, and even while he walks down the street with his hands jammed firmly in the pockets of a familiar jacket and his shoulders hunched practically to his ears, the sound of a voice, low and calm, stops him in his tracks. It's also not just the voice itself, but what it says, how it says it — he hasn't heard anyone else refer to it as credits since —
Peering down the alley confirms both his greatest desire and worst fear, and he doesn't have a weapon to help her with, but he's not going to let her face this alone, stepping into her view on the other side of the group while their backs are turned to him. ]
You heard what she said. [ He tries to keep his expression level, tries not to give away what she means to him. ] She doesn't have anything you want.
in the down
He knows how to stay out of trouble down here, but only because he's been doing it so long; thanks to his contract with Raven, he's rarely stopped by SIN guards who need a look at his identification, because he isn't exactly a roving sub, but he knows there are groups of them in the Down who aren't working for the Rubies, less organized and only intent on roughing up someone for money if they've happened to stumble down the wrong alley.
But that doesn't mean that he's immune to anyone who's found themselves on the wrong end of the situation, and even while he walks down the street with his hands jammed firmly in the pockets of a familiar jacket and his shoulders hunched practically to his ears, the sound of a voice, low and calm, stops him in his tracks. It's also not just the voice itself, but what it says, how it says it — he hasn't heard anyone else refer to it as credits since —
Peering down the alley confirms both his greatest desire and worst fear, and he doesn't have a weapon to help her with, but he's not going to let her face this alone, stepping into her view on the other side of the group while their backs are turned to him. ]
You heard what she said. [ He tries to keep his expression level, tries not to give away what she means to him. ] She doesn't have anything you want.