Garrison & Darcy | Late night swim
Feb. 1st, 2022 03:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsDarcy runs across Garrison during one of her nightmare-fueled midnight wanders. Can you play catch-up with someone you don't really know well?
More damn nightmares. The day's therapy session had been particularly brutal, so when Darcy found herself alone in bed that night she'd been tempted to just pull an all-nighter. Responsibility had won out, however, and her reward for attempted sleep was an abrupt awakening with the phantom pain of Laurie's prosthetic slowly, firmly choking off her air supply forefront in her mind. She rubbed her throat gently, grimacing at the sweat-drenched feel of her body, and looked at her phone. Three AM. Fuck.
A quick shower and change later she was padding through the corridor on almost silent feet. Down the stairs, through the halls, past the rear parlour and towards the west wing. A quiet, rhythmic splashing drew her attention to the sliver of light spilling from the doors of the indoor pool, and she slipped through them carefully, moving across the concrete to the belongings of the person doing laps.
A 6-pack of Moosehead. Likely Kane then, she figured as she sat. She watched him swim lap after lap, the repetitive motions soothing after the way she'd been woken up. "You're looking much better than the last time I saw you," she finally called out from her spot.
It was another half minute before he paused at the edge of the school, wiping water from his face. "Wait, what?" He looked over at her. "Did you say something?"
"You're looking better than the last time I saw you," Darcy repeated patiently from her place at the side of the pool. "I'd ask what you were doing down here in the middle of the night, but I do actually know how to read. You mind a bit of company?"
"Grab a seat. Or a tile. Or a... patio table? No, a towel." Kane hung from the edge. "I'm a little off my game."
"I'm good, but if you decide I need a swim give me time to get my hoodie off so I don't have to deal with it getting soaked," she replied with a small smile, feet leaving small ripples in the water as she rotated her ankles. "Thanks, by the way. For making sure we had time to get Barton out, and for what you helped do with the Sentinels."
"I can't really take credit. I had no idea it was Barton, just that it was some SWORD asset." Kane took a few kicks to get over to the pool edge near her. "And I'm not a fan of throwing people into the pool that I'm not romantically involved with long enough to know when it is appropriate and unwelcomed by them."
"Yeah well. Sentiment remains, you got us the intel to keep my second favorite SWORD asset safe. And went through a bunch of hell to prevent a genocide. I hate that you had to go through it with so little support, but I understand why. You have my gratitude for it regardless." Darcy pulled one foot out of the water, leaving it bent so she could rest her cheek against her knee. "I didn't even think about swimming as an option to exhaust me enough to sleep. Usually just wander around until it's a socially acceptable time to make breakfast and disappear back into my room for a while."
"With my powers, I can't really exhaust myself. But it is a good way to not think. Like yoga or meditation or binge drinking."
"Mm yeah that last one is out for me. Having to detox from Collins was bad enough, I'm not keen to go through it again. Can you actually get drunk, or is it more an enjoyment thing?"
"I can, but it takes time and dedication. I- wait, detox from Collins? She's in rehab?" Kane pulled himself up on to the ledge, water dripping from him.
Ah, shit. Darcy kept her eyes on Kane as he pulled out of the pool, wishing she'd just kept the other woman's name out. "Guess you haven't gotten caught up that far. Sorry for being the bearer of shitty news, but she's in the wind and likely with Nathaniel Essex." She let out a bitter scoff. "Rehab. That's cute. Like she'd ever admit she wasn't the smartest, most logical person in the room."
"Sounds like that bitch. You know, if they had listened to me... oh, a decade ago about that fucking psycho, she would have been long gone by now." Kane shook his head, wiping the excess water from his mostly bald head. Only a scattering of stubble remained of his hair and beard.
"I mean, I knew she could be dangerous. I just elected to ignore it after she saved my life because I owed her one. And then a bunch of shit happened that ended with me overdosing on her powers, and her running off and disappearing in that annoying way Essex apparently does. If you've still got access to team files, it'll be in December. If not, I can pull them for you."
"I'll take a look later. I knew she was fucked up when she was still a student." Kane nodded. "She was always going to snap at some point. Better we know now."
"That's the pragmatic way of looking at it, I guess. But that's why binge drinking is out for me. I've done enough damage to my brain being stupid about her. No need to add on."
"See, you haven't done your research. Decades of beer commercials have reliably informed us that drinking lots of beer makes us smarter, funnier, more charming and fun to be around. After a couple, we all become significantly more good looking. Why waste such a wonder drug?" He quipped as he leaned back and pulled the six pack closer to him and fished out a bottle. "If you're totally dry, there's a couple of bottles of water in there as well. If not, feel free to grab one." He twisted off the top and tossed the cap fourteen feet into the waste bin. "Nothing but net."
"Not totally dry, just being careful about intake." Darcy weighed her options. Breakfast was only a few hours away, she reasoned as reached over for one, twisting off the top and handing it over. "Not even going to attempt that shot. I'd be lucky to ring from four feet. I generally prefer just enough for some liquid courage, not enough to find formerly detestable people appealing."
"Social lubricant. Most people are, in general, a bit detestable. But after a few drinks, we're less inclined to brawl with them inside of a small public building and later set fire to their vehicles."
"That sounds like personal experience, and possibly a good story. You want to share, or nah?"
"Just a good wholesome Canadian upbringing." He killed half the bottle in one gulp. "So, is that what you've been doing here these days? Medlab support or whatever?"
"Nah, I'm just one of the people with enough advanced first aid to be an extra set of useful hands when needed. I ah, joined X-Force about the same time all the shit went down in August, actually. I was helping Collins with rehab, realized that I wasn't going to be doing any advancing in my career while doing it, and decided if I was going to be doing research with my degree I'd rather be doing it for our interests, at least." She took a slow sip, lips twisting into a wry smile. "It's been a surprisingly good fit so far, mostly."
"Wait, you joined Colbert's team?" Kane didn't know Darcy well. He'd met her casually plenty of times, but the amount of words beyond small talk they'd exchanged wouldn't even last the length of a sit-com over the years. He had thought she was one of the science types. "That's, uh... interesting. No offense, but I didn't know you leaned towards the trenchcoat life, eh?"
Darcy's laugh echoed for a moment, before she turned her face into her knees to muffle it. "No, that's fine, I'm not offended. I know I come across.." she trailed off, mentally grasping for the right word. "A little soft for it, maybe? But Sue and Molly are actually reasonable about taking care of themselves and my post law school plans fell through when Warren left, so I had to figure something out."
She stretched up and back, arms pillowing the back of her head. "I'm not going to lie and say it's been easy. The research, making connections between seemingly unrelated things to a bigger picture? Being encouraged to learn new things? That's fantastic. The rest working out so far has been more of a surprise, probably."
"I'd offer some advice, but I'm significantly smarter than that. It's a pretty brutal job and it takes a piece out of you to do it well. But I do know it is important." He said. "I'm also hiding out in your boss's room right now, and if I dissuade you from it, she'll smother me in my sleep with a Madeline branded pillow."
"She would probably be upset if you lost the team their lawyer, but I'd take any advice you wanted to shell out into consideration. And if you want to extend your hidey places, I don't have a roommate and have been reliably informed my couch is comfortable. Sometimes Doug sleeps over, but he knows I make the offer to people."
"I think I'll be alright. There's just an adjustment period. Soon enough, I'll be back to falling asleep on my bar stool just like normal."
"Offer's open," she replied lightly. "But I'm sure your bar stool misses you. Gonna have to regroove it to fit your ass just right."
More damn nightmares. The day's therapy session had been particularly brutal, so when Darcy found herself alone in bed that night she'd been tempted to just pull an all-nighter. Responsibility had won out, however, and her reward for attempted sleep was an abrupt awakening with the phantom pain of Laurie's prosthetic slowly, firmly choking off her air supply forefront in her mind. She rubbed her throat gently, grimacing at the sweat-drenched feel of her body, and looked at her phone. Three AM. Fuck.
A quick shower and change later she was padding through the corridor on almost silent feet. Down the stairs, through the halls, past the rear parlour and towards the west wing. A quiet, rhythmic splashing drew her attention to the sliver of light spilling from the doors of the indoor pool, and she slipped through them carefully, moving across the concrete to the belongings of the person doing laps.
A 6-pack of Moosehead. Likely Kane then, she figured as she sat. She watched him swim lap after lap, the repetitive motions soothing after the way she'd been woken up. "You're looking much better than the last time I saw you," she finally called out from her spot.
It was another half minute before he paused at the edge of the school, wiping water from his face. "Wait, what?" He looked over at her. "Did you say something?"
"You're looking better than the last time I saw you," Darcy repeated patiently from her place at the side of the pool. "I'd ask what you were doing down here in the middle of the night, but I do actually know how to read. You mind a bit of company?"
"Grab a seat. Or a tile. Or a... patio table? No, a towel." Kane hung from the edge. "I'm a little off my game."
"I'm good, but if you decide I need a swim give me time to get my hoodie off so I don't have to deal with it getting soaked," she replied with a small smile, feet leaving small ripples in the water as she rotated her ankles. "Thanks, by the way. For making sure we had time to get Barton out, and for what you helped do with the Sentinels."
"I can't really take credit. I had no idea it was Barton, just that it was some SWORD asset." Kane took a few kicks to get over to the pool edge near her. "And I'm not a fan of throwing people into the pool that I'm not romantically involved with long enough to know when it is appropriate and unwelcomed by them."
"Yeah well. Sentiment remains, you got us the intel to keep my second favorite SWORD asset safe. And went through a bunch of hell to prevent a genocide. I hate that you had to go through it with so little support, but I understand why. You have my gratitude for it regardless." Darcy pulled one foot out of the water, leaving it bent so she could rest her cheek against her knee. "I didn't even think about swimming as an option to exhaust me enough to sleep. Usually just wander around until it's a socially acceptable time to make breakfast and disappear back into my room for a while."
"With my powers, I can't really exhaust myself. But it is a good way to not think. Like yoga or meditation or binge drinking."
"Mm yeah that last one is out for me. Having to detox from Collins was bad enough, I'm not keen to go through it again. Can you actually get drunk, or is it more an enjoyment thing?"
"I can, but it takes time and dedication. I- wait, detox from Collins? She's in rehab?" Kane pulled himself up on to the ledge, water dripping from him.
Ah, shit. Darcy kept her eyes on Kane as he pulled out of the pool, wishing she'd just kept the other woman's name out. "Guess you haven't gotten caught up that far. Sorry for being the bearer of shitty news, but she's in the wind and likely with Nathaniel Essex." She let out a bitter scoff. "Rehab. That's cute. Like she'd ever admit she wasn't the smartest, most logical person in the room."
"Sounds like that bitch. You know, if they had listened to me... oh, a decade ago about that fucking psycho, she would have been long gone by now." Kane shook his head, wiping the excess water from his mostly bald head. Only a scattering of stubble remained of his hair and beard.
"I mean, I knew she could be dangerous. I just elected to ignore it after she saved my life because I owed her one. And then a bunch of shit happened that ended with me overdosing on her powers, and her running off and disappearing in that annoying way Essex apparently does. If you've still got access to team files, it'll be in December. If not, I can pull them for you."
"I'll take a look later. I knew she was fucked up when she was still a student." Kane nodded. "She was always going to snap at some point. Better we know now."
"That's the pragmatic way of looking at it, I guess. But that's why binge drinking is out for me. I've done enough damage to my brain being stupid about her. No need to add on."
"See, you haven't done your research. Decades of beer commercials have reliably informed us that drinking lots of beer makes us smarter, funnier, more charming and fun to be around. After a couple, we all become significantly more good looking. Why waste such a wonder drug?" He quipped as he leaned back and pulled the six pack closer to him and fished out a bottle. "If you're totally dry, there's a couple of bottles of water in there as well. If not, feel free to grab one." He twisted off the top and tossed the cap fourteen feet into the waste bin. "Nothing but net."
"Not totally dry, just being careful about intake." Darcy weighed her options. Breakfast was only a few hours away, she reasoned as reached over for one, twisting off the top and handing it over. "Not even going to attempt that shot. I'd be lucky to ring from four feet. I generally prefer just enough for some liquid courage, not enough to find formerly detestable people appealing."
"Social lubricant. Most people are, in general, a bit detestable. But after a few drinks, we're less inclined to brawl with them inside of a small public building and later set fire to their vehicles."
"That sounds like personal experience, and possibly a good story. You want to share, or nah?"
"Just a good wholesome Canadian upbringing." He killed half the bottle in one gulp. "So, is that what you've been doing here these days? Medlab support or whatever?"
"Nah, I'm just one of the people with enough advanced first aid to be an extra set of useful hands when needed. I ah, joined X-Force about the same time all the shit went down in August, actually. I was helping Collins with rehab, realized that I wasn't going to be doing any advancing in my career while doing it, and decided if I was going to be doing research with my degree I'd rather be doing it for our interests, at least." She took a slow sip, lips twisting into a wry smile. "It's been a surprisingly good fit so far, mostly."
"Wait, you joined Colbert's team?" Kane didn't know Darcy well. He'd met her casually plenty of times, but the amount of words beyond small talk they'd exchanged wouldn't even last the length of a sit-com over the years. He had thought she was one of the science types. "That's, uh... interesting. No offense, but I didn't know you leaned towards the trenchcoat life, eh?"
Darcy's laugh echoed for a moment, before she turned her face into her knees to muffle it. "No, that's fine, I'm not offended. I know I come across.." she trailed off, mentally grasping for the right word. "A little soft for it, maybe? But Sue and Molly are actually reasonable about taking care of themselves and my post law school plans fell through when Warren left, so I had to figure something out."
She stretched up and back, arms pillowing the back of her head. "I'm not going to lie and say it's been easy. The research, making connections between seemingly unrelated things to a bigger picture? Being encouraged to learn new things? That's fantastic. The rest working out so far has been more of a surprise, probably."
"I'd offer some advice, but I'm significantly smarter than that. It's a pretty brutal job and it takes a piece out of you to do it well. But I do know it is important." He said. "I'm also hiding out in your boss's room right now, and if I dissuade you from it, she'll smother me in my sleep with a Madeline branded pillow."
"She would probably be upset if you lost the team their lawyer, but I'd take any advice you wanted to shell out into consideration. And if you want to extend your hidey places, I don't have a roommate and have been reliably informed my couch is comfortable. Sometimes Doug sleeps over, but he knows I make the offer to people."
"I think I'll be alright. There's just an adjustment period. Soon enough, I'll be back to falling asleep on my bar stool just like normal."
"Offer's open," she replied lightly. "But I'm sure your bar stool misses you. Gonna have to regroove it to fit your ass just right."
no subject
Date: 2022-02-01 09:28 am (UTC)