First Job

[quinn_pro_quo]

Quinn was already the kind of person who could be hard to get along with, let alone like, but this new team really had it out for her. They were a team of four, but when one of their members was injured, he was moved to working intel in office as opposed to field work. It seemed they didn't see him fit as of yet to go back to working like he had been previously. Quinn was his replacement and the team wasn't too happy about that.

It wasn't so much that they didn't want her at all, but more that they all had a repore with each other. They trusted each other and Quinn wasn't one of them yet. She had to earn her place among them even if she could do her job flawlessly, which posed a bit of a problem in and of itself.

Their first job involved tracking down a recent target who they believed to have been involved in the murder of a young woman. However, when they took a week to track and gather intel about him, they realized that the girl was being held in a storage unit the man had been renting. Quinn felt this was something that needed to be dealt with immediately, where as he new 'boss' felt they needed to check in first, send out a hunter after him while they rescued the girl.

Yeah, Quinn wasn't going for that. She disobeyed a direct order and went for the girl, successfully retrieving her. By time she'd grabbed the girl, her other teammates had called back and got a hunter set on his way after the man. The job was successful... sort of. Quinn practically got a lashing for acting against orders, ignoring clear signs and putting all of them in danger. She felt the risks were worth it. They did not. She was sent home

They were going to file a report and Quinn could expect to hear from the boss soon enough, but for now, she was going home to her nice apartment where she could relax, put her feet up and call her man. She was sure he'd want to know how it went. As much as she planned on ranting about the situation--she was still pissed off that they couldn't see that clearly they had to save the girl before it was too late instead of waiting for approval--she knew that he would probably say she was being impulsive.

But she picked up her phone after flopping down on her couch and gave him a call.

Comments

[crackedpuzzle]

Francis hated feeling as conflicted as he did. On one hand, he only wanted to comfort her, take all the bad away. And he did sense that there was more to this than the recent mission. But on the other hand, he couldn't shake the feeling of how important it was that she understand just how important it was that she learn to stop and listen, and find her place in her team. Him as her lover and him with his twenty-plus years in the organization were at war. What was he supposed to say?

"I don't want us to fight over this," he said lowly, leaning against the doorpost, looking at her, seeing how she was close to tears.

[quinn_pro_quo]

"Fine," she answered briskly, turning away from him so that maybe the tears would dry. She had cause a lot of pain in her life to other people. She wasn't about to let that keep going on and on. She knew she needed to stop taking matters into her own hands, but... she was trying to make things right and she couldn't.

[crackedpuzzle]

He stayed where he was, watching her. This was not how he had wanted things to be for them after a week apart. While he may wish that he could take some of his words back, he knew that he would have said exactly the same things again. Now he could only ask himself, what could he do now?

[quinn_pro_quo]

She wiped her eyes while still turned away from him, taking a deep breath. God, she really screwed this up, didn't she? They could have been together and enjoying each other's company, but instead she was feeling bad for herself.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, finally turning to face him, "I shouldn't have yelled at you."

[crackedpuzzle]

He didn't say that he was sorry. Sorry should mean that he wouldn't have said what he did if he could do it over, that he hadn't meant what he said. What he was sorry for, was that she was hurting.

When she turned he pushed off from where he had been leaning, crossing the kitchen to stand in front of her. Softly he stroked the back of his knuckles over her cheek. "I love you, you know?" They would never see eye to eye on everything, but that didn't change the way he felt about her.

[quinn_pro_quo]

He stepped towards her, fingers brushing her face and the words he said were spoken as though she did already know, that he'd said it before and Quinn, though she didn't physical recoil, she looked just as confused by it.

"No, I can't say I do know," she replied, voice soft because she didn't trust it not to waver. Her heart was hammering in her chest. How could he love her? She was so much younger than him and erratic.

[crackedpuzzle]

He smiled at her, almost sadly. "Then I have done a bad job of showing you that." Still with his eyes on hers he moved his hand to cup her jaw. "I do, though, don't ever doubt that."

[quinn_pro_quo]

And this time she couldn't look away from him when her eyes filled with tears. Go figure. She'd been a total jerk to him when he was just trying to help give her a little perspective. Quinn inhaled slowly and tried to combat the lump rising in her throat.

She nodded finally, "I'll try and keep that in mind."

She wasn't ready to say it herself. She was half-convinced he'd still change his mind.

[crackedpuzzle]

He didn't need her to say those words back to him. No matter what she said or didn't say, his feelings for her didn't change.

He leaned in and pressed a sweet but brief kiss to her lips before pulling her forward, hugging her close to him.

[quinn_pro_quo]

She didn't hesitate to return the kiss and her feelings for him were much stronger than just infatuation or lust or even like. Quinn couldn't exactly pin point what it was, but she cared for him deeply.

Quinn hugged him, arms around him tightly and buried her face in against his neck. "I missed you," she mumbled.

[crackedpuzzle]

"I missed you too," he whispered back. For a moment longer he held her before he stepped back slightly. "Now, what would you like to do today?" With the week she had had, he felt it only fair that they could spend a day or two spoiling her and doing wherever she wanted.

[quinn_pro_quo]

"You smell like home," she smiled, kissing his neck just afterwards and smiling. She didn't really care what they did, but if he had intentions of letting her choose, she could probably come up with something.

"What do you think? Go out? Something casual and fun or fancy? Or we could stay in and you can tell me all the reasons you like me?" she finally had a moment where she was feeling like herself again.

[crackedpuzzle]

He couldn't help but to smile at that first comment, because he knew the feeling. Sometimes he thought that smell was one of the most powerful senses. Just a whiff of something could trigger so many memories and emotions. That she apparently connected his scent with home was a nice thought.

"Oh no, don't ask me." He grinned. "It's up to you to decide."

[quinn_pro_quo]

"Oh no, I refuse to be the only deciding factor in this," she argues with him, leaning up and kissing him once, then again for good measure. She really had missed him.

"If you don't help me decide, I'll threaten to make you help me cook dinner," she did not look amused, aside from the little smirk on her lips.

[crackedpuzzle]

He gave a shrug, though he did grin widely. "It's your funeral." That had been a running joke, her trying to get him to cook and him refusing. He felt that best, because he really couldn't cook worth a damn.

[quinn_pro_quo]

She really didn't want to be poisoned either, so that was a reason she refused to let him cook anyway. She could at least follow recipes and sometimes she liked it. More baking than regular cooking. Sweets were so much better.

"You would be sad if you killed me with your bad food," she grinned brightly. "Fine, we'll go out. Somewhere nice. And you're paying."

[crackedpuzzle]

He bowed his head, consenting to her choice. "As you wish. Should I go home and get prettied up for the occasion?" He did rock a suit, after all.

[quinn_pro_quo]

"I do like you dressed up," she said with we eyes narrowed. "Let me get dressed first and then we can just go over to your place together and leave from there."

She figured that would cut down on their driving and they could spend more time together. "Now, the big question," she smirked and kissed him, "Short or long dress?" Or really short. She had those too.

[crackedpuzzle]

"I like your legs," he said in response. So, that was one vote for a shorter dress.

"Go on then, get dolled up." God knows she could. "I'll keep myself entertained."

[quinn_pro_quo]

"Short it is," she agreed and disappeared into her bedroom. Quinn got dressed quickly and did her make-up and her hair. It was easy enough and the dress she picked was mid-thigh length with an asymmetrical, one shouldered top.

Quinn walked out again into the living room and pulled on a pair of heals. "Ready."

[crackedpuzzle]

Before she had left to go on her mission, Francis had started reading a book at her place. That's' what he occupied his time with now, stretched out on her couch, reading.

Then she came out again, and she was a vision. That she wasn't afraid to show off was one of the many things Francis liked about her.

"You look lovely," he said, getting up and approaching her for a quick kiss.

[quinn_pro_quo]

Good, he approved. That was all she was hoping for. She was definitely glad to see him look at her like that. As long as she was doing something right. Quinn kissed him back and grabbed her purse a moment later. "Let's go get you all dolled up to," she grinned.