[For Layla] Disappearing Acts

[howmanylives]

Richards at his heels, Jamie shouldered open the door of the hut he shared with Layla, adjusting the strap of the worn messenger bag he'd got from the clothes box some weeks prior. It was loaded with new books to add to the increasingly crowded shelf that stood by the messy desk and the perpetually unmade bed. Someday he'd tidy the place up, but

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[butterflyfactor]

Layla tilted her head toward the sound of Jamie's arrival, pausing mid page-turn.

"Long day at the office?" she called back, swapping which leg was crossed over which. She was lying on the bed that had so far been hers- which she managed to make, every day, seeing as there were almost no components to it-but upside down, with her legs stretched up so her heels were on the wall and her head and shoulders about halfway down the mattress, toward the end of the bed.

[howmanylives]

"Something like that," he said, biting back a smile Layla wouldn't have been able to see, anyway, as he set down his bag on the bed. Richards immediately jumped up beside it, turning in a circle a few times before settling down amidst the wrinkled sheets. Jamie rolled his eyes, but otherwise did nothing by way of discipline, instead just shrugging out of his coat so he could hook it up by the entrance.

That done, he ambled towards Layla's room, leaning against the doorframe. For a moment, his eyes followed the line of her legs, but he found her face quickly enough.

"I got a job."

[butterflyfactor]

Layla blinked, once, and raised her eyebrows which caused a strand of blond to fall across her eye. She blew it away.

"What's the salary?"

[howmanylives]

"The satisfaction of a job well done?" he offered, folding his arms across his chest. He kicked up a leg so that his foot was pressed against the opposite side of the frame. "Or possibly a few answers. Mars was a little unclear about that."