Bensis Mechanical Repair [closed]

[Jenny]

Seeing Toori snap his head up and make a sound of complete outrage, Jaxon looked up as well, meeting his gaze and chuckling. It was incredibly easy to tease the blond- perhaps too easy. Maybe he should have felt guilty, but he was enjoying himself too much for that. Again, Toori didn't say anything in response to his flirting, and that was as good as encouragement in Jaxon's book. He would have continued, to say something like 'So you agree we're on a date, then? Would you hold my hand?' or try to start up a game of footsies, but Toori brought up food and Jaxon's stomach grumbled audibly.

"I am," he confirmed honestly, as if his stomach hadn't already spoken up on his behalf. He looked down at the menu seriously this time, searching for something that stood out to him. Since he was fine with anything, he chose the first thing that he noticed, then beckoned over the waitress. When they placed their orders, Jaxon handed her their menus and thanked her. She left them alone once more, and Jaxon turned his attention to Toori immediately. "Let's make a deal," he said suddenly, leaning forward like he was preparing to conspire about some great idea. "I'll stop calling you.. cute, virgin, maiden, innocent, and baby, if you come out to the bar with me."

Jaxon's initial thought was curiosity- what would Toori say, and was that offer worth it? Another passing thought was how funny it would be to see the blond drunk. And then he realized that, the way he had phrased his words, implied that he wanted to see Toori again.. That he would. Oddly enough, it hadn't really occurred to him to wonder if they'd see each other again. He had sort of just, decided it, like it was inevitable.

[chelle]

Fang, thankfully, did let the subject drop in favor of food. Toori ordered one of his favorite meals, not a small one, because he hadn't eaten since breakfast, which seemed like eons ago now. When Fang leaned in conspiratorially Toori leaned back reflexively, frowning at Fang. Toori did consider the offer, not because he liked bars--he hated them, in fact--but because spending more time with Fang was not... Not wholly disagreeable. Toori didn't say that, though, just wrinkled his nose.

"I'd prefer the irritating words to spending the night in some loud, crowded bar," Toori said, "And besides, I'm sure if I got you to stop using those words, you would just find new and even more irritating words to use."

Toori almost added that he couldn't anyways, had to get home after dinner, prepare food for his grandfather and look after him, but he stopped himself, because that sort of implied that Toori wanted to go out, but couldn't. Which wasn't true. Was it?

[Jenny]

Toori's response didn't disappoint Jaxon- mostly because he hadn't expected the other to agree in the first place. So while a part of Jaxon wanted to let it go, to just laugh once more, and agree that, yes, he would find more ways to tease Toori or he would altogether break his promise and just keep calling him those things... he instead decided to play the victim. His expression dropped and he sat back in his seat, no longer leaning forward excitedly. Then Jaxon pouted cutely, shooting his best puppy dog expression at the blond who sat across from him. "I see how it is," he said, jokingly mopey as he tilted his head down and let his hair fall across his face. He looked up at Toori with the puppy dog eyes. "You don't want to spend time with me," he whined.

[chelle]

For a moment, when the jovial expression on Fang's face dropped away, Toori believed it. For a moment he felt panic, maybe he'd gone too far, maybe he'd really offended Fang? Maybe Fang had realized how useless Toori was at this, at interacting with people, and was finally giving up. A second later, though, Fang's over-the-top pout made it obvious he was joking again, and Toori almost breathed a sigh of relief. Toori rolled his eyes at Fang's dramatics, and even though he was being an obnoxious ass (again), Fang must actually want to spend more time with Toori, he had suggested it first. Realizing that cooled Toori's lingering panic, and he was actually glad that he wasn't the only one feeling a little attached.

"Am I really that transparent?" he deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at Fang.

[Jenny]

For a moment, Toori regarded him seriously, making Jaxon think that he'd fooled him, but then the blond rolled his eyes again. The deadpan comment made him break out in an amused smile. "Yes, you are," he replied frankly, pushing his bangs out of his eyes and sitting straight. He reached for his drink which he had been neglecting, and took a long sip before placing it back down. He ran his finger along the rim of the glass, looking up at Toori. "That's how I can tell you actually adore me, and you can't wait to spend more time with me," he explained simply. He was just teasing the other; he actually wasn't sure what the blond's opinion of him was- But they did have a connection earlier, and they already said so much about themselves.. It would have been strange to never see each other again. Jaxon didn't want that.

[chelle]

Toori scoffed, shaking his head and laughing a little, reaching for his tea and taking a sip. Adore was a strong word, Toori didn't think he had ever adored anyone, but he did like Fang. He was obnoxious and didn't know when to quit, but he seemed to understand Toori in a way no one else did, or at least, he had tried to understand Toori whereas most people just took him at face value and shrugged him off. He felt like he had done the same for Fang, he could have easily shrugged him off as another obnoxious person Toori had no choice but to deal with, but he hadn't, and Fang really wasn't as bad as he pretended to be.

Toori looked up at Fang, smiling without even realizing it. It was a small smile, nowhere close to Fang's blinding grin, but a smile nonetheless. Toori didn't know how to say anything he was feeling--that he was glad he'd met Fang, that he wanted to spend more time with him, if it was possible, that for the first time in a long time he felt like he'd made a true friend--so instead he said: "You have a very high opinion of yourself."

The teasing, the joking, the insincerity; it was the only way Toori knew to communicate anything he was feeling, and with Fang it was just so easy.

[Jenny]

While the incredulous, unimpressed scoff was expected, the laugh was decidedly not- and it made Jaxon start, before making him grin in turn, satisfied. He'd succeeded in making Toori laugh and smile, even if it was a small one. It was an utter mystery why he cared so much about something so silly and trivial as making this blond he'd literally just met smile, but there it was-- Humans were absolutely crazy, he totally understood why all of the other hostile species he'd met disliked them so much. There was no understanding it. So Jaxon let it be and basked in the small pleasure he got from seeing Toori smile easily and happily.

"That I do," he couldn't help but agree. "And I'm so charming and funny that you can't resist me, so I'll take your amusement as a confirmation that you adore me." Jaxon took another sip of his drink, still smiling. "Plus, there's no way you'd ever find anyone better, even if men were throwing themselves at your feet-" he brought up the old topic with a wink, "I'm the best there is, honey,"

[chelle]

Toori raised his eyebrows as he watched Fang speak, faintly amused to see Fang acting so blatantly cocky and sure of himself. Toori was sort of fascinated by the ease with which Fang bragged. Toori had always been more insecure than not, but even if he wasn't insecure he wasn't sure if he could mimic the half-serious way Fang spoke about himself, like it was simultaneously a solid truth and a big joke.

Toori frowned when Fang concluded his little spiel, though it was more confused and intrigued than anything else. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that, and in a way it was true; it was unlikely that Toori would meet anyone else period, because meeting Fang had been an outlier in Toori's relatively lonely life.

"Right," he said finally, having drawn a blank on any kind of sensible response, "Well, you go on thinking that, then."

[Jenny]

Toori's bland reply to his words didn't put out the raging fire of his ego whatsoever-- Jaxon was confident; he'd made that much clear from the get go. After all, no one who was insecure could possibly make such bold claims about their own worth, and mock others incessantly for their own behavior. That would be incredibly difficult. For Jax, it was second nature though. Thus, he was unfazed by the reactions Toori gave him.

"Okay, I will," Jaxon announced indignantly. He would've added onto that thought, but the waitress arrived with their food, laying it out in front of them. The gunner didn't think twice before literally digging in. He was starving, and the food looked great. Thankfully it tasted great, too.

[chelle]

When the food arrived Toori realized just how hungry he was and dug in with the same enthusiasm that Fang was displaying, though with more manners. Neither of them spoke for a while, concentrating on their food instead, and for a while Toori didn't notice that they weren't talking. The food was great, as usual, and Toori found himself thinking about all the times he had dined here with his grandfather, talking and laughing and always having a good time.

"So," Toori said, groping around for a topic that would bring his mind back to the present, "Do you always fly with the White Thunder?" There, spaceships, there was an interesting topic that Toori cared about, and hopefully Fang couldn't turn into some kind of come-on.

[Jenny]

Once the food arrived, their conversation died into a comfortable silence; Jaxon focused on worshiping his food and eating as much of it in as short a time as humanly possible. Whereas Toori displayed his manners a bit more, but Jax didn't even realize that little fact. He had been absolutely starving, having not had an actual meal since he'd boarded with the White Thunder. Space food wasn't his favorite thing in the entire world, and though he ate it compliantly, it was not substantial enough.

He was almost finished with his meal when Toori began speaking. Jaxon looked up to listen attentively, swallowing and taking a sip of his water before replying to his question. "Nope," he replied, explaining, "The White Thunder is a cargo business ship-- interplanetary deliveries and the such," Jaxon paused, licking his lips. "It isn't really my usual gig.. but I don't have a permanent crew yet, I just take what jobs I can get, whatever is available, and whatever pays best. My home is back on Cancer, and there's usually more than enough crews looking for temps."

[chelle]

Toori listened to Fang with interest, and his interest spiked at the mention of the space station Cancer. When he was younger Toori had often begged his grandfather to take him to Cancer, after reading about it and forming an image in his head of a bustling and sparkling space-city with more ships and strange people than you could count, and it had sounded like a dream come true. Now, Toori knew a bit more about Cancer, and no longer begged to visit it, but he still had a strong desire to.

No matter how envious Toori was, he was still just fascinated by the subject of space travel, and with this in mind he surrendered to the question he'd been dying to ask all day.

"What's it like? On Cancer, and living like that, going from ship to ship and seeing the world?"

[Jenny]

Jaxon took another bite of his food as they spoke, washing it down with some more water. The glass finished, he placed it down and leaned back. At the question about Cancer, he made a thoughtful sound and actually paused before saying the first thing that came to mind. He had a lot of feelings about Cancer- it was the first place he really 'remembered', where he made all his first memories after losing his memory, and where he met all of the people who were the most important to him now. It was where he learned to gun, how to deal with weapons, fighting.. Where he got into tons and tons of trouble, ran away from police, slept in bars and alleys.. Got his first apartment. And while it was not the prettiest or warmest place, Jaxon loved it, because it was home.

"Cancer is a great place," he said assuredly, giving a firm nod. "It doesn't look like any other city or space port I've seen. It's dirty and gross but pretty amazing even though it's so grungy. It's always alive, even in the middle of the night, there are space ships landing and departing, the bars are always open and there's tons of entertainment. It's fun, that's for sure.." Jaxon paused again before addressing the question of what his lifestyle was like. "As for what it's like to be around so much.. I'm not sure? That sounds silly, but it's all I've really known. Except, before I started taking position in crews, I was in a street gang. That was easier, really. Felt more permanent, since I had so many good people at my side and I could be home more often. But being a space pirate isn't like anything else. It's exciting, and--" Jaxon stopped himself. "Am I rambling?" he laughed, almost in a shy way, though with his attitude it was hard for anything he did to be called 'shy'.

[chelle]

Toori's food lay forgotten on his plate as he listened intently to Fang, his imagination supplying him with a mental image of the station, perhaps less perfect than he had imagined as a child, but no less compelling. Toori was staring at Fang with the intense interest that he usually only aimed at machines, and when Fang cut himself off in the middle of a very promising sentence, Toori's face fell.

"No!" he said quickly, and then blushed a little at his obvious enthusiasm, "Well, yes, you are a little. But I don't mind. I've always... I mean, I love ships, and I've always wanted to fly in one. So... I don't mind."

[Jenny]

Again that rare yet sincere smile found its way onto Jaxon's face, seeing how enthusiastic and interested Toori was in what he was saying. It wasn't often that he spoke seriously and at length, though it did happen with his closer friends or crew members.. He never had anyone's attention so available to him, he'd never had anyone hanging on his words like that.

He returned the sentiment, listening to Toori's explanation and nodding. But hearing those words... Something clicked. Jaxon immediately remembered the moment in the engine room, when Toori said that he 'wasn't interested' in being part of a crew. That had been a flat out lie- obviously- but Jaxon was sure that it wasn't told in vain... He just figured, Toori had his reasons. That was enough.

"Well.. I was just going to say that being a space pirate is unlike any other life. You get to do and learn so many things, see tons of places and meet people. Deciding to be a space pirate.. It opens a lot of doors," Jaxon stopped at that, not wanting to push the idea too much. He didn't want to make Toori miserable because he couldn't (wouldn't?) go out and join a crew. He had to be realistic, too. "It's not all fun and games, though. It is dangerous, and you don't get to be home a lot...Or stay around the people you care about," Jaxon added, giving Toori a heavy look before diverting his gaze. He hadn't meant to make that sound so.. Serious.

[chelle]

Toori was still hanging on Fang's words, drinking up these little slices of information like they were water and he was very, very thirsty. When Fang mentioned the downsides he frowned, though, sitting back a little. The look that Fang shot him was jarring because it was so serious, and Toori had to wonder if Fang had friends or family somewhere, obviously he didn't remember his birth family, but maybe he had an adopted one that he was missing. Toori's shoulders sagged a little and he looked away.

"Yeah, I..." Toori paused, idly fingering his fork, "That's why I... Back at the ship, I said I wasn't interested in joining a crew. I am, obviously, but I can't. My grandfather... I can't leave him." He looked back up at Fang, unable to hide the pain he felt about that, both about his grandfather's illness and his own selfish want to leave. Once again Toori found himself sharing with Fang where otherwise he would have kept his mouth shut, and he couldn't really bring himself to mind.

[Jenny]

Jaxon didn't particularly like that his serious words put that slump in Toori's shoulders, but then, it was better than filling the boy up with excitement and expectations only to have him leave feeling miserable, feeling like he'd never lead a life that wonderful. Nothing was without its downsides, and very few dreams were truly as wonderful as a person made them out to be in their minds. If Jaxon had to put that edge of reality on the situation, then he'd do so.

Funnily enough, he had already accepted the fact that he wouldn't learn the reason Toori was chained to a life in Tynova, not wanting to ask the other. But Toori brought up the topic on his own, surprising him. Hearing the explanation, Toori struck Jax as incredibly selfless. Any other person who felt half as passionate as Toori, had half the talent he had, would have already put their grandfather in another's care and disappeared, never to return. But here was Toori, being loyal and faithful and plainly, suffering.

He wasn't sure what would be the right thing to say, though. The most he could do, for both of them, was be honest. Neither of them were interested in insincere gestures or condolences. "Listen. You won't be here forever," he said, shaking his head lightly, "I know you feel trapped, but you aren't. I'm not going to tell you 'it's all going to work out.' When do things ever really turn out well?" he laughed bitterly-- Life wasn't easy, hell if he was going to lie about it- "But you're talented, and you're passionate. What you are doing now.. If it's what you need to do, do it. But don't give up your passion."

Having said that, Jaxon felt like a bad public speaker. "Now finish your food before it gets cold. I'm paying for it, so you better enjoy it," he ordered, smiling.

[chelle]

Toori listened to Fang, unable to stop the little smirk from forming on his lips when he realized Fang was trying to encourage him. It was far from Fang's obnoxious flirtations, but this honest encouragement seemed to fit into Fang's personality; perhaps it was rare for him to act this way, but Toori was sure that Fang was honestly concerned. For someone so insincere, Fang was very honest.

When Fang finished his little pep-talk and told Toori to finish his food, Toori ducked his head to hide the bright smile that bloomed over his face.

"What are you, my mother?" Toori asked lightly, but picked up his fork and resumed eating, his tone soft and sweet despite to sarcastic question. He glanced up at Fang, once, and then added, "Thank you."

[Jenny]

Seeing that smile on Toori's face made Jaxon think it actually may have been worth it to sound incredibly cheesy and give an actual honest-to-god pep talk. He couldn't even be embarrassed over it with Toori being so cute; smiling and joking around, even thanking him for his words. Jaxon rarely went out of his way to help others, but Toori was different of course, and he was glad that he'd made such an effort for him. He wanted to see the blond happy. "Don't mention it," he replied, waving it off. "Also, yes, I am your mother. Listen to mommy and eat all your vegetables," he added sarcastically.

Jaxon let Toori finish his meal without anymore badgering, only making a few passing comments for the last few minutes of their dinner. Once the other finished, Jaxon paid, as promised, and then stood from the table, stretching languidly. He felt stiff from sitting in place, like they'd spent hours there. It had sure as hell felt long. The entire day had felt long, Jaxon reflected as he led Toori out.

Exiting the cafe, he took note that the streets had become more quiet, and it was much darker out. Yet, it never got too dark, what with Edanith's remarkable triple moons hanging high in the sky, shining down brightly. Jaxon stared up at them for a moment, leaning back against the front wall of the cafe, then turned his attention onto Toori.

"It looks like it's time for us to go our separate ways," he commented. He wouldn't deny that he'd liked the company- Toori was not like other people he spent time with. But he wasn't sad to leave, after all, they'd more or less decided to keep in touch. "Give me your communicator," he demanded with a smirk.

[chelle]

They finished dinner in relative ease, Toori following Fang out of the restaurant and into the street. There was a bit of a nip in the air, and Toori's thoughts immediately went to his grandfather, wondering if dinner had lasted longer than he'd thought it did. It felt like it went by quickly, but at the same time it felt like he'd met Fang ages ago, when in reality it had only been a handful of hours. But so much had happened in that time, Fang knew virtually all of Toori's secrets, and Toori knew some of Fang's as well. Fang just felt so familiar, and even though he knew they had to say goodbye, it didn't feel like it, really. Toori knew with a slightly confusing assurance that they would meet again.

When Fang asked for his communicator Toori looked sharply over at him, narrowing his eyes as his hand went to his back pocket, where his communicator was tucked safely inside.

"What do you want my communicator for?"