don't close your eyes

[thinkin_man]

Who: Delta and Jack Ryan.
Where: The Lux's rooftop.
When: Late tonight, around 2 AM.
Summary: Two insomniacs chat it up?
Rating: PG.

Comments

[prodigal_ocean]

Jack had already noticed Delta, and was craning his neck over his shoulder to watch him, nearly crushing the cigarette in his left hand with suppressed tension as his right drifted close to his wrench. For a long moment, the eerie yellow light that spilled across the rooftop toward him didn't connect with any real-world referent.

Then he remembered: the Big Daddy, the one who'd led him back to the hotel, told him where to go to dry off and rest. Johnny.

Rolling his shoulders to release a little tension, he tapped the ash from his cigarette off the edge of the building and turned around to face Delta. He moved cautiously toward the big man, with an odd, furtive gait.

Reluctant to speak, he raised a hand in greeting.

[thinkin_man]

Delta recognized Jack when he moved closer. He raised his hand in an almost imitating gesture, greeting him back. His other hand went to grab the communicator always attached to his hip. The PDA was his voice, pure and simple. He could communicate with writing on paper, but paper was hard to come by and so were writing utensils.

How awful would it be if he lost it?

The screen of the device flickered on and displayed a blank page. Maybe one day he'd get his actual voice back, but for now the keypad had to do. He typed with a kind of intense concentration, typos were easy to make and were often backspaced over out of habit.

He strode a few steps closer and held it out to him. The device read, "It's late. Why are you out here?"

Jack was a grown man, but Delta would always worry about others. It was his nature.

[prodigal_ocean]

Jack kept his distance, and had to lean a little to read the message. Having done so, he cleared his throat.

"Couldn't sleep," he said shortly.

He looked everywhere but at the yellow glow of Delta's faceplate. He didn't know how to look into the eyes of something he'd only known as a monster, something that under ordinary circumstances, he would have killed on sight.

[thinkin_man]

Delta leaned forward in a nod after Jack spoke. It was hard to ignore Jack's refusal too look at his lens directly. Self consciously he looked at the moon, posture a bit more nervous and awkward. Things such as conversation were always hard to him, which was why he often stayed by himself or with Eleanor's company.

Some people here were used to him, like Lolli, but Jack was new to the intense humanity behind the cold metal of the monstrosity. What could he say? He typed again, this time with more hesitation, "Me, too."

Normally he wouldn't admit to such things, but here he was trying to convince Jack they had things in common. He remembered posting an entry asking for questions people had about himself for the same reason.