xp_logs | Nathan and Domino, Wednesday morning

After Domino has her talk with Charles about what Pete told her in Boston, she goes back to talk to Nathan.

"I'll be out of here in the morning."

Nathan tilted his head at the abruptness of Domino's comment. "You don't need to leave that soon if you don't want to," he said quietly, studying her. She'd crashed on the couch as soon as she'd had her discussion with Charles, and didn't seem inclined to move, let alone head off to the guest room. Which was bad, because she certainly looked like she needed some sleep. Maybe he could...

"Don't give me that look," Domino said warningly, her violet eyes narrowing. It made the dark circles beneath them more obvious. "I 'doze' off and I'll know who to blame." Nathan gave her a half-shrug and she sighed. "It's best if I go, Nate. I've briefed Xavier on all I know, and to be perfectly fucking honest, I have no desire to stick around and have to explain it to anyone else." 'Anyone' being a specific someone, of course; they both knew that.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Join the club," he said heavily. "When it comes to explaining it, I mean."

Domino blinked at him. "You're not going to..."

"No." Nathan gave her a faint, wintry smile. "Honestly? I can't do a damned thing about it, Dom, and I may not be able to for weeks. If anyone - " and by that he meant anyone on the team, or at least anyone adult, " - wants my opinion, they can ask for it." And 'opinion' could cover so many things, couldn't it? "But until I'm healthy and no longer wanting to castrate him on your behalf..." Easier, at least here and now, to focus on that aspect of it. If he stopped to think too hard about the possible implications for the school... no, he wasn't ready to go there just yet. Let the people who were hale and healthy make the necessary decisions on that score for now.

"If I decide I want his balls, I'll go get them myself, thank you very much." Domino sniffed, her eyes sliding away from his. "But I appreciate the sentiment."

Nathan sighed and wheeled the chair as close to the couch as he could get it. "I don't know what to say to you," he murmured helplessly. She flinched away from him, and he grimaced. "I suppose I shouldn't be saying anything at all?" he asked heavily, a touch of sad amusement in his voice.

"What's the point of it?" Domino's voice was flat, oddly lifeless. "He made his choice."

"And where does that leave you?"

"Where I should be." Her eyes flashed and she sat up, running an unsteady hand through her disheveled hair. "Don't know why I should be surprised. Me and men are not a long-term thing. And before you ask me whose fault that is," she snapped, "I know damned well it's my own. I'm just not thinking it's worth the time to learn any better. Everyone I met who I ever really wanted..." She stopped, swallowing, and looked away again.

Didn't want me, Nathan filled in the blank. He watched her for a moment, then reached out and took her hand, squeezing it tightly. Nothing much to say to that. Nothing that wouldn't sound trite, and they'd never been much for the platitudes. "Come here," he finally did say, softly, but only to get her to lean close enough for a careful hug. "I love you, tiger," he murmured as she clung to him. "And I'm sorry this happened."

Her voice was just a little choked-sounding as she replied. "He was the first one who... damn it, Nate, you know I love you and GW, but he was the first person who treated me like an adult. He never made me feel like I had anything to prove to him..." She gave a forlorn, cracked little laugh. "I liked his jokes."

"I know." Nathan said nothing more, just held her until he sensed her making the effort to pull herself together. At the right moment, he let go and she straightened, meeting his eyes almost calmly. If hers were a little more reddened than they should be, that didn't need pointing out. "You're going to be all right," he murmured, not breaking eye contact.

Domino gave him a faint smile. "Of course I'm going to be all right," she said, and he could tell it wasn't bravado. Somewhere along the line between Saturday and right now, she'd made the decision that she would be; he could see it in her eyes. "I was perfectly serious about swearing off men, though."

"And I'm supposed to object to that?" Nathan smiled just as faintly, his eyes flickering down to her wrists and the bruises there. He'd noticed them, almost as soon as she'd arrived. "It might do you good for a while. I worry about you, you know." Luck wasn't an infallible thing, even when you did warp probability.

Domino gave the sleeves of her shirt a quick, irritable jerk downwards. "If I had really wanted to drown my sorrows, I would have been at it for... well, for longer than I was. Better things to be doing with my time." She took a deep breath. "Are you going to call GW?"

Nathan nodded. "In a little while," he said with a sigh. "I'm glad he made the preparations to abandon the Berlin safehouse back when Mistra was sniffing around. Should make things easier now."

It wouldn't just be the Berlin safehouse, of course. The sheer scope of what would need to be done worried him. Pete knew about several other safehouses and supply depots, and that wasn't even touching on the whole issue of shared contacts. Which was more GW's side of things than his...

"I'm going to miss the place," Domino said, then gave him a look that was much more Domino-ish, and hence rather reassuring for all that he knew it was put-on. "If he takes us off to someplace with no running water, though, I may have to kill him, you, and Wisdom."