22:00- Videlicet
Series: Hunter's Path
Pairing: James/Claudia
Word Count: 501
24hour_themes prompt: Improving the rational mind, sensibility, and clear mindedness
Chapters: Master List
Infitialis | Latere | Abeo | Obsidis | Videlicet | Praesidium | Transitus | Mutatio | Umbra | Terminare | Constantia | Autus | Salvus | Gubernatio | Spero | Animus | Consensio | Discrimen | Consilium | Veritas | Phoebus | Fortuna | Sensus | Victoria
It had been everything she could do not to look over her shoulder walking home. Never mind that she'd been far from the only pedestrian out at ten-thirty at night, it was the sign of a paranoid mind, and she happened to be a sane, rational person, not given to paranoia.
Of course, it wasn't really paranoia if they really were out to get you.
Every step she'd taken had been nerve-wracking as she'd tried not to jump at every leaf and strong breeze. So that would be terror, the feeling normal people felt when they discovered the truth about the secret world hiding within their own. She couldn't say she liked it.
She breathed an almost silent sigh of relief as she turned the last corner and the gates were finally in sight. It wasn't just the gates she could see, though: James was leaning against the wall next to them. And he was a strangely... welcome sight, but that wasn't something she was exactly ready to deal with right now. Right now she was just glad to be back on safe ground.
He stayed where he was till she was within a few few feet then pushed himself to stand and moved closer to her. "So how'd it go?"
Belligerence was a nice way to mask the slight nervousness she still felt. "Weren't you supposed to be out patrolling?"
"Weren't you the one who said for us to not go out alone?" he countered. He stopped, a little nearer to her than she'd have strictly preferred, but she was backing up because that would be admitting it bothered her. His voice was softer, closer, when he spoke again. "What happened, Claudi? You seem... I don't know, jittery. What did the informant have to say?"
When did he get so damned perceptive? She took a deep breath, inhaling nothing but his scent as close as he was standing, not even bothering to let herself think about how much it did to calm her back down, and fortified -- she lied. "He didn't even show. I waited there all that time for nothing."
Blue eyes narrowed at her, and she held back the urge to shift nervously under that gaze successfully. "Why don't I believe you?"
"Why wouldn't you believe me?" she returned, careful to keep her voice even but her tone annoyed. Hopefully, her face matched it, but she wasn't betting the bank on it.
"Because it wouldn't be the first time you've lied to me or not told me something you thought I didn't want to know or couldn't handle knowing. So what happened?"
To her surprise, no better lie than "Nothing" came; she was just too disoriented. But there was no need for him to know. He'd just try to make her quit, and she wasn't going to. A little spat now about her silence would be better than the tension that would arise from that fight.
And the last thing this... partnership needed was more tension.
Pairing: James/Claudia
Word Count: 501
24hour_themes prompt: Improving the rational mind, sensibility, and clear mindedness
Chapters: Master List
Infitialis | Latere | Abeo | Obsidis | Videlicet | Praesidium | Transitus | Mutatio | Umbra | Terminare | Constantia | Autus | Salvus | Gubernatio | Spero | Animus | Consensio | Discrimen | Consilium | Veritas | Phoebus | Fortuna | Sensus | Victoria
It had been everything she could do not to look over her shoulder walking home. Never mind that she'd been far from the only pedestrian out at ten-thirty at night, it was the sign of a paranoid mind, and she happened to be a sane, rational person, not given to paranoia.
Of course, it wasn't really paranoia if they really were out to get you.
Every step she'd taken had been nerve-wracking as she'd tried not to jump at every leaf and strong breeze. So that would be terror, the feeling normal people felt when they discovered the truth about the secret world hiding within their own. She couldn't say she liked it.
She breathed an almost silent sigh of relief as she turned the last corner and the gates were finally in sight. It wasn't just the gates she could see, though: James was leaning against the wall next to them. And he was a strangely... welcome sight, but that wasn't something she was exactly ready to deal with right now. Right now she was just glad to be back on safe ground.
He stayed where he was till she was within a few few feet then pushed himself to stand and moved closer to her. "So how'd it go?"
Belligerence was a nice way to mask the slight nervousness she still felt. "Weren't you supposed to be out patrolling?"
"Weren't you the one who said for us to not go out alone?" he countered. He stopped, a little nearer to her than she'd have strictly preferred, but she was backing up because that would be admitting it bothered her. His voice was softer, closer, when he spoke again. "What happened, Claudi? You seem... I don't know, jittery. What did the informant have to say?"
When did he get so damned perceptive? She took a deep breath, inhaling nothing but his scent as close as he was standing, not even bothering to let herself think about how much it did to calm her back down, and fortified -- she lied. "He didn't even show. I waited there all that time for nothing."
Blue eyes narrowed at her, and she held back the urge to shift nervously under that gaze successfully. "Why don't I believe you?"
"Why wouldn't you believe me?" she returned, careful to keep her voice even but her tone annoyed. Hopefully, her face matched it, but she wasn't betting the bank on it.
"Because it wouldn't be the first time you've lied to me or not told me something you thought I didn't want to know or couldn't handle knowing. So what happened?"
To her surprise, no better lie than "Nothing" came; she was just too disoriented. But there was no need for him to know. He'd just try to make her quit, and she wasn't going to. A little spat now about her silence would be better than the tension that would arise from that fight.
And the last thing this... partnership needed was more tension.