boston } { free falling
Buffy: [is sitting in a booth in McRory's with Dean, after they'd just gotten into town post-Lucifer business. She forced some food in him first, but now they've got shotglasses and a bottle and are just shooting the breeze about whatever. Buffy's shot glass? significantly bigger than Dean's. But she's gotta keep up with her level of drunken-ness]
Hardison: [comes ambling in, with Parker at his feet. He's having a one-sided debate with her over something geeky and Hardison like. She's only half listening. She spots Buffy before even Hardison does and pushes him that way. He's still rambling]
Dean: [notices them coming closer out of his peripheral, and nudges Buffy who is also in the middle of a ramble.]
Buffy: And then I ... [looks up, spots them and grins] Oh, hey!
Parker: [beams] You're back!
Hardison: [stops rambling too and grins] Hey.
Buffy: We're doing shots. Dean's better at this than I am.
Dean: [shrugs] I just have more practice.
Parker: [eyes narrow] Who is he?
Buffy: Oh! This is Dean. He's ... Dean. Dean, this is Hardison and Parker.
Dean: [gives a bit of a wave] Hi.
Hardison: [plops in beside Buffy, stretching his arm over the back of her booth and reaches a hand out for shaking] Nice to meet you.
Parker: [stands there awkwardly]
Dean: [hesitates for a minute, before shaking his hand] Yeah. Likewise. [he glances over at Parker, and raises an eyebrow] You gonna sit or what?
Parker: Fine. [grabs a chair and pulls it over to sit on the end]
Hardison: [raises a brow but shrugs, it's Parker]
Dean: [whatever. he's pouring himself another shot.]
Buffy: So what are you guys doing here?
Hardison: Parker was gettin' a little stir-crazy and throwin' my video game controllers. [glares Parker's way]
Buffy: That's no way to treat good video games.
Parker: It wasn't a good video game.
Buffy: Why not?
Parker: I kept dying.
Buffy: Dying is definitely not fun.
Parker: And it got boring. He sits there and plays them forever.
Buffy: Isn't that a gamer thing?
Hardison: What is?
Buffy: Sitting there for hours to play?
Hardison: ....is there somethin' wrong with it?
Buffy: No. I didn't say that.
Hardison: [brow] What'd you say then?
Parker: [rolls her eyes]
Buffy: I just said that it was something gamers do.
Dean: Not exactly the healthiest, though. [mutters over his shot] Little exercise wouldn't kill you.
Parker: [snorts, amused, but still doesn't look at him]
Hardison: [glances his way, wondering if it's worth it...but it's not. He looks at Buffy again] Maybe I just get bored when you're away.
Buffy: [grins] Good answer.
Dean: Gag me.
Parker: I can if you want me to. It might help. They get this way. A lot.
Dean: [looks over at her, before chuckling softly] Nah, sweetheart. I'm good.
Parker: [makes a face] My name is Parker.
Dean: [nods] Right. Parker. My bad.
Hardison: [may have been leaned into Buffy's ear suggesting things this entire time]
Buffy: [maybe over here giggling]
Parker: Where are the other girls? Usually they keep me company when you two are gross.
Dean: [waits for Buffy to answer, and when she doesn't, smacks the table in front of her] Hey, Summers. She asked you a question.
Buffy: [jumps and looks at Dean, before looking back at Parker] I don't know. I just got back into town.
Parker: [actually has a pretty good idea where everyone is. She keeps tabs on people that way, but she huffs] Can you two go get a room?
Dean: Please.
Buffy: [gives him a look] I thought we were drinking.
Dean: We were. And then you started flirting. I might lose my lunch.
Hardison: Hey. I ain't seen my girl in like... [thinks] ....awhile.
Dean: A week. Tops. [because he knows how long Sam's been dead]
Hardison: Week too long if you ask me.
Dean: [eyeroll] Oh, grow a pair.
Buffy: Dean ...
Dean: [gives her a look, before shaking his head and inching towards the edge of the booth] I need some air.
Parker: [moves out of the way]
Dean: [pushes up and goes to the door]
Buffy: [watches him go before sighing, heavily] Well, there goes that plan.
Hardison: What plan?
Buffy: The help Dean not think about the cosmic short stick he's just been handed by getting him super drunk?
Hardison: Oh...you...you shoulda filled us in on the plan. We coulda helped.
Parker: You mean it would have stopped you two from being barf-worthy?
Buffy: I was distracted! And there was drinking. You should have paid attention to the clues.
Parker: What happened to him anyway?
Buffy: He stopped an Apocalypse.
Parker: So....shouldn't he be happy?
Buffy: Not when the only family he has left died in the process.
Parker: [oh there's insta-sad face] His family died?
Buffy: His brother, Sam.
Parker: [looks down at her hands as she thinks about that]
Hardison: [sighs] That's rough, man.
Buffy: Yeah, it is. I was going to let him drink it off before I took him to crash on my couch, but ... you guys intervened on the way.
Hardison: Sorry, we...didn't know you'd be here.
Buffy: No, no don't be sorry. I'll have to get him used to people eventually.
Parker: [just....gets up and walks out the door. she's gonna look for Dean]
Hardison: [watches her go, a little surprised]
Buffy: [is a little surprised herself] Is she okay?
Hardison: Who knows. Maybe she's gone to kill some vampires.
Buffy: Huh.
Dean: [is outside, leaning against the Impala, just staring at the cars as they drive past the bar]
Parker: [eventually finds him and just...leans against the car with him, doesn't say anything. Her arms cross over her chest]
Dean: [glances over at her when she gets there, raising an eyebrow, before going to stare back at the cars again]
Parker: [quiet for a long time, watching the cars pass too. She opens her mouth a couple of times, but doesn't say anything. After awhile she speaks, but it's soft] I had a brother once....he died, too. [and she's...very uncomfortable having said that outloud to a stranger, and that's seen in her rigid posture]
Dean: [ ... of course Buffy opened her mouth. she never shut it a lot of the time. it takes a bit to surpress the urge to tell her that that was really nice for her. She was just trying to relate. or something. he's quiet for a moment, before swallowing and nodding] I'm sorry. That must have sucked.
Parker: [shrugs and watches her feet. She doesn't really have anything else to say to it or about it. Something just made her tell him] Have you known Buffy for a long time?
Dean: [swallows and nods] Yeah. We ran into each other a couple years back on a hunt. She's been the perky blond in my backseat ever since.
Parker: [nods] Doesn't sound like you like her.
Dean: [soft smile] No, I do. Buffy's been a good friend. I'm just -- not in the best mood.
Parker: [shrugs] Perky is annoying sometimes. [and she makes a face] I think I'm the only blond Slayer that isn't perky.
Dean: [laughs] I think most Slayers tend to come with perky, regardless of the hair color.
Parker: ....guess I'm not a normal Slayer.
Dean: That's not a bad thing.
Parker: [shrugs] I'm used to it.
Dean: [nods]
Parker: Are you afraid of heights?
Dean: How high are we talking?
Parker: I don't know. Not high high.
Dean: So long as it's not plane high I think we'll be okay.
Parker: Want to see something that always makes me feel better?
Dean: Sure.
Parker: I have to get something from upstairs. Stay here. [and she goes back to the bar and goes upstairs to grab her bag, then comes down and goes over to Buffy and Hardison] We're gonna go for a walk. You guys can go make out now.
Buffy: [eyebrow raise] Thanks ... Parker.
Parker: [smiles, then turns and goes]
Hardison: ...should we be worried?
Buffy: I don't know ... should we?
Hardison: [sighs] I say we don't worry 'bout anyone but us the rest of the night.
Buffy: Okay. Sounds like a good plan.
Hardison: [grins and leans into her a bit more]
Parker: [goes back out to the Impala, a little worried that maybe he drove away]
Dean: [he didn't. He's waiting there, wondering what she needs the bag for]
Parker: We can walk. [eyes the Impala] Or you could let me drive.
Dean: [holds up a finger] No. We can walk.
Parker: [still eyeing the car, there might be a whimper]
Dean: [a look] Dude, I so don't know you well enough to like you eying my car.
Parker: [rolls her eyes and starts walking]
Dean: [sighs and follows her, hands sliding into his pockets]
Parker: [he'll have to keep up]
Dean: [he will. he's got long legs]
Parker: [and they get a couple of blocks away to a building that isn't too tall, but tall enough. It's abandoned and she goes around to the back and starts to pick the lock]
Dean: [follows her, glancing around for people who might see as they went]
Parker: [gets the door open and waves him in]
Dean: [follows her, closing the door quietly behind them]
Parker: [leads the way to the stairway] Hope you're in shape.
Dean: [snorts] I'm in shape.
Parker: [glances at his stomach, shrugs, starts up the steps]
Dean: [glares a little at that, before surging up after her]
Parker: [she's pretty fast, and when he catches up she'll be at the door to the roof, shoving it open. She has to give it a good shove and it opens for her. She's awesome and strong like that even before her Slayer skills]
Dean: [catches up and steps through the door. he's actually not that far behind her. he did pretty well]
Parker: [she's a little impressed. A little. She won't say so. She just walks out across the roof]
Dean: [follows her, looking out over the the city from where they're standing]
Parker: [breathes the air in, and glances a bit, but then turns her attention to getting her harness out of her pack]
Dean: [glances over at the harness and frowns] Going rock climbing?
Parker: [an excited grin] Nope.
Dean: Then what are we doing?
Parker: [straps the harness on and moves over to lock one around his waist before he can get away] Think of it...as an adventure.
Dean: [eyes widen and he tries to pull away] Dude, I am so not drunk enough for this.
Parker: [she's strong, she's holding on] You don't have to be drunk.
Dean: To do what I think we're going to do, I definitely do.
Parker: [she isn't bothering with the full harness on him. As long as one of them has it, they'll be good. She clips his waist to hers] You said you wanted to see what makes me feel better. [Dean, your crotch is now locked to hers]
Dean: [is jerked in closer, and he's looking up and everywhere that is not at Parker] Yeah. So not drunk enough for this.
Parker: [pulls him towards the edge of the building and makes sure the other end is secured, then looks at him] Just...breathe.
Dean: Breathe. I can do that.
Parker: [this is really the only time she's not overly-aware of the lack of personal space, and she sets her hands on his arms] Close your eyes.
Dean: [does as she asks]
Parker: [if he was looking, he'd see how alive her face looks right now. she wraps her arms around him tightly and whispers] Just fall. [and then she launches them off the side of the roof]
Dean: [his arms wrap around her tightly before she launches them, holding on for dear life and feeling the sensation of them falling over the side of the building]
Parker: [she squeals the whole way down, and the cord snaps, pulling them tight and keeping them inches from the ground. Upside down maybe, but...dangling there nonetheless]
Dean: [his arms tighten around her when they stop moving. he's still for a moment, but eventually he opens one eye to gauge where they are] Are we dead?
Parker: [is beaming, her breath fast] Nope. [carefully spins them around so they're dangling rightside up] Don't you feel it?
Dean: I feel a lot of things -- you're going to have to be more specific.
Parker: Exactly.
Dean: [smirks a bit, still holding on to her] Funny. The feeling that I was going for was nothing at all.
Parker: [pauses a moment, then looks at him] Isn't this better?
Dean: [looks over at her, thinking for a moment. it wasn't perfect, but for a second there, he did forget for a little while] Yeah. Guess it is.
Parker: [unsnaps them and lands perfectly on her feet, helping him to do the same] It's better than going splat.
Dean: [lands easily on his feet, before nodding] Definitely.
Parker: And it's better than watching [them] be.... [shudders...might...sound a little bitter]
Dean: [head tips] Not a big fan of the Buffy-and-Hardison show, huh?
Parker: [shrugs and starts to pull her harness off] Hardison's my best friend. And I like Buffy.
Dean: Yeah, but when the two of them get together ...
Parker: [she only gets a little jealous, okay? Hardison used to like her. But she shrugs again] Sophie says everyone deserves to be happy. Especially the people we care about.
Dean: [keeps watching her, before nodding] Yeah. They do.
Parker: [falls quiet and starts to walk, not waiting for him to fall into step but expecting he will]
Dean: [and he does. because he is that predictable] But just because everybody deserves to be happy, doesn't mean you aren't allowed to be a little peeved when the pretty, blond, Queen of the Slayers comes in and snakes your guy.
Parker: [smirks a bit] He's not my guy. And I'm not...the girl.
Dean: [shrugs] Whatever you say.
Parker: [always the blunt one] So what're you gonna do now that the world isn't over and your brother is dead?
Dean: [and there's that nice stab to the gut, but he swallows it back and shrugs] Buffy probably has plans to keep me busy.
Parker: Are you going to kill vampires with us?
Dean: Sure. Sounds like a good way to pass the time.
Parker: Okay.
Dean: Okay.
Parker: If we go back to McRory's they might still be there being gross. But...you could drink. I know....you people like that.
Dean: [smirks a bit before shaking his head] I'm about ready to sleep, actually.
Parker: Do you know how to get back to Buffy's?
Dean: ... Not really.
Parker: Want me to show you?
Dean: Sure.
Parker: Okay. Let's go get your car!
Dean: Okay.
Parker: [leads the way back towards the bar]
Dean: [follows, hands in his pockets]
Parker: [eventually gets them back to the Impala, and while she's still eyeing it, she'll be good and go for the passenger seat]
Dean: [unlocks the doors and lets them both in, before sliding into the driver's seat] Okay. Where to?
Parker: [gets in and points, giving a few directions]
Dean: [follows her lead]
Parker: [watches out the window]
Dean: [eventually pulls to a stop in front of Buffy's apartment building]
Parker: [gets out]
Dean: [parks and gets out as well]
Parker: Well...guess I'll see ya. [awkward wave as she...turns to walk home]
Dean: Sure you don't want a lift home?
Parker: [turns and gives him a look, blinking a bit] You just got here.
Dean: [shrugs] But I can find my way back.
Parker: [thinks about this...but shrugs. She doesn't want him knowing where she lives. It took the others a couple years to learn that] I like walking.
Dean: [nods] Okay then. Night, Parker.
Parker: Do you have a key?
Dean: [shakes his head, before pulling out his own lock picking kit] Nope.
Parker: [just....raises a brow]
Dean: [smirks]
Parker: ....can I watch? [...yes, that does excite her. don't judge]
Dean: [grins] Sure.
Parker: [grins and bounds back over] Can I time you??
Dean: [raises an eyebrow as he walks to the door, before shrugging] Why not.
Parker: [pulls out a stopwatch, becuase yes she keeps them around]
Dean: [she's Team Leverage's Ianto Jones. and Dean makes his way to the door and drops to his knees in front of the door, going to work on the lock]
Parker: [sets the timer as he does and watches in excitement]
Dean: [and a few seconds later, with a few practiced movements, he hears the click of the lock, and the door opens] Done.
Parker: [stops and shrugs] Not bad.
Dean: Thanks.
Parker: Buffy might be mad you broke in though. Next time I'll let you use my key.
Dean: I think she'll deal. Or get me my own.
Parker: [pushes past him and goes inside] She always has the best junk food.
Dean: [smirks as he follows her inside, shutting the door behind them]
Parker: [goes into the kitchen]
Dean: [drops down on the couch, getting ready to take off his boots]
Parker: [comes out eventually with a big mixing bowl of three different kinds of cereal, sits on the arm of the couch]
Dean: [looks over at the cereal] And Sam thought my metabolism was crazy.
Parker: [chomp chomp] Do you like cereal too?
Dean: I do. Cereal is pretty awesome.
Parker: ...do you want some?
Dean: [shakes his head] Nah. I'm good.
Parker: [keeps eating...staring at him]
Dean: [raises an eyebrow at her, before kicking over and stretching out on the couch]
Parker: Want me to leave?
Dean: Not if you don't want to.
Parker: [shrugs] You have to sleep.
Dean: Yeah, but I can also sleep when I'm dead.
Parker: What do you want to do?
Dean: [shrugs]
Parker: [eats more] Do you want to...like...talk about stuff?
Dean: There something you want to talk about?
Parker: Not really. People just....talk about things.
Dean: Well, I'm good with the silence too.
Parker: I can be quiet. [as she...munches on her cereal]
Dean: [grins] As I said, sweetheart -- only if you want to be.
Parker: [gives him a look at the name]
Dean: [gives her a look right back. he's doing it just to get her riled up]
Parker: I'm not your sweetheart.
Dean: Most women aren't.
Parker: Then why do you do it?
Dean: Because it's either an easy way to flatter a woman, or rile her up -- either way, it helps me get their attention away from whatever else I might be doing.
Parker: It doesn't flatter me. Why do you have to get my attention away from whatever else you're doing? You're just laying there.
Dean: [shrugs as he stretches out a little more] That's what you think.
Parker: [frowns] What are you doing then?
Dean: That's for you to figure out.
Parker: ....how?
Dean: [shrugs]
Parker: [puts the empty bowl down...yes, it's empty already] You're confusing.
Dean: Yeah, well, I never said I was easy to figure out.
Parker: ...okay.
Dean: [shrugs and closes his eyes as he leans back against the pillows]
Parker: [moves over to the armchair and stretches her legs]
Dean: [closing his eyes then is just enough, and before too long, Dean is passed out on the couch]
Parker: [will just wait til he's out, then get up and take off. But...back up a bit and toss that blanket there over him....then she takes off]
Dean: [will just curl into the blanket and sleep through the night]
Parker: [goes home]