(no subject)

[onstolentime]

Elias had called it The Stealth, a way of learning something so well and so deeply that it was down to muscle memory, not something that had to be consciously performed, the actions just flowed, almost as if moving on their own.

'Start simple', he'd told her, 'use something you already know', which was why she was practicing with her knife as she walked back from the factory, starting with it in her pocket where she usually kept it, flicking it out and open and into a backhand hold in one movement. She held it briefly before reversing the movement.

Within a few blocks, she had the movement of the blade synched with her pace, or perhaps her pace synched with the movement of the blade, and she was starting to realize what he'd meant, how easy it was for it all to fall into place. She pocketed the blade again as she mounted the steps of their current apartment, knocking once, then twice, then once more to let him know it was her.

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[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

Elias hadn't been waiting for her. Or at least that's what he kept telling himself anyway. She'd get there when she got there. Which was why he was leaning back in his seat writing. That is until he heard the knock on the door. Not that he answers it right away. He's learned the hard way never to do that. However after that final knock hits he smiles. Or at least gives a half smile.

Setting the book aside he gets up moving over to the door unlocking it and letting her in.

[onstolentime]

"Sorry I'm late." She said, stepping inside and locking the door behind her, "There was some overtime up for grabs, we drew lots, I won." Which she knew he kept saying she didn't have to do, and if she wanted she didn't even have to work any more, but she had always been against that idea, she liked knowing she was making her own way.

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

He raises a slight brow and shakes his head, "Which you didn't have to do." Something she heard every time she told him about the overtime. Though really it was kind of a routine for them. Him telling her she didn't have to and her saying she wanted to. It made her feel... well, he's not sure what it made her feel. Special wasn't the word he was looking for.

"How much?"

[onstolentime]

"Double time." She said, already toeing out of her shoes and heading for the kitchen, "I brought dinner, figured you wouldn't have started on anything yet." She shrugged the arm that had the grocery bag on it to indicate, "I know for a fact that you'd just let yourself starve without me."

It was a gentle tease, as the smile gave evidence to, "Chicken and rice. Green salad with vinegar."

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

Double time huh? That sounded pretty good even if she didn't really need it. Though at her teasing tone he can't help but chuckle. "You trying to say that I don't eat enough, Susanna? That it?" His own tone is teasing. Even if she is probably right. He doesn't eat enough but then again...

"Sounds good."

[onstolentime]

"Good." She replied with an actual grin, "That means you can wash the lettuce and rinse the rice at the same time, I'll take care of the rest." She was already getting a baking pan out of the cabinet, greasing it easily, "How was your day?"

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"So you come in deciding that you're going to put me to work then?" Even as he asks he moves over washing his hands before taking the lettuce and the rice moving to rinse them both off. "Same as any day. Productive." Or not as productive as it normally got.

[onstolentime]

"Yes." She said with a decisive nod, "Because that is how this relationship works. You've got a crew to order around, but when it comes to sustenance, I'm the HBIC."

She turned to brush a kiss against his cheek, swiping the strainer of rice out of the sink as she did so, humming as she set everything up to cook.

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"In my own home no less," he says shaking his head. Though he can't help but laugh at her explanation. Oh so she was head bitch in charge in HIS home when it came to sustenance. He could deal with that. For the most part anyway.

"What all do you want in it?" The salad that is.

[onstolentime]

She shrugged, nudging him out of the way to rinse the chicken, "Whatever's the closest to spoiling, we can get actual groceries later this week, when we'll need them." She shrugged again, "Or you can make one of the lackeys do it, they're good for odd jobs."

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

That has him stopping a moment and raising a brow, "You actually think I let something like that happen?" Which means that ham and cheese comes out of the fridge. He pays little attention to what she's doing as he grabs the bowls out of the cabinet starting in on the salad making.

[onstolentime]

"What? Let one of the lackeys handle the shopping? Of course you would, you do it all the time." She was teasing again, the small, sneaky smile back in place as she set the oven, sliding the pan of chicken and rice into it, setting the timer.

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"You know what I meant," he says with a shake of his head, smile there. Oh he knew that she was teasing and that's all that mattered. Shaking his head he starts putting the lettuce into the bowl and then starts cutting up the ham and cheese. He'd send one of the others out later today to get more food.

[onstolentime]

And Susanna would have a list ready long before then, because she was organized that way, once in a while, "I was practicing that thing you were telling me about, on the way home." She said, "It finally started to fall into place, I think."

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"Just as long as no one noticed what you were doing," he tells her. Not that he thought anyone would. Besides it wasn't as if they'd be able to pick it up that quickly. Not when it was more of 'his' thing than anything else. "What did you practice it with?" Not on but with.

[onstolentime]

She showed him, because it was easier than trying to explain, that same smooth movement, knife out of pocket, swung open and flipped into that same backhand hold before reversing the movement just as easily.

"What anyone saw was a nervous girl on her way home, trying to look tough." She shrugged, "Or they saw someone who's lived here long enough to know what she's doing, and not to bother her."

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

He seriously doubted that it was the latter of the two. No one really thought that they'd lived there long enough to know what they were doing. Knew not to bother them. Well... not when it came to her anyway. Him on the other hand was a whole other story. He does, however, watch her and cracks a smile.

"That's pretty good. Keep at it and it'll get better."

[onstolentime]

She nodded, having pocketed the knife once more, "It all fell into place though, breathing, pace, the knife, it was all on the same ..." Her brow furrowed, shaking her head, "I don't know, the same wavelength, I guess."

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"So the Stealth worked for you just fine," he says with a smile. "Sounds about right though. So what kind of dressing do you want?" She knew what he kept in his fridge. Ranch and thousand island. If they needed more or whatnot then he'd go out and get some. "Juice, milk, or beer?"

[onstolentime]

"Ugh." Was her reply, "When do I ever use the bottled stuff?" She'd learned from one of the people she cleaned house for how to make a quick dressing, it was always much better than bottled, even the artisan stuff. She was already pulling the vinegar and oil out of the cabinet, along with a few spices, "And milk tonight."

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"When it's what we've got in my house," he says with a slight chuckle shaking his head. Moving over he grabs a few glasses grabbing her some milk and him some juice. "Everything is pretty much set to go."

[onstolentime]

"Good." She replied, whisking the dressing ingredients with a fork, "Chicken should be done in a half hour or so." She arched a brow over at him, "Think you can wait that long?" Having time to spare for actual meals was something she had yet to get used to, it was a novelty, and one that she took as seriously as she could.

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"You want me to wait?" Its asked with a slight bit of amusement. To be honest it wasn't too hard for him to do considering how long he normally waited in order to eat. "You already know the answer to that." Besides, he could go back to whatever he was writing.

[onstolentime]

"Mmm, that's exactly what I expect." She said, though she smiled again, "And I suspect you were doing something before I got back, you can do more of that, I'm going to shower."

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"You expect too much," he says with a smirk before going back into the other room sitting back down. Once he does he grabs his notebook back up and leans back, "So by the time you get done in the shower it should be done." He's teasing mainly.

[onstolentime]

She snorted in amusement, "As if I take that long to shower. Water's expensive." She replied, shaking her head, but she did make her way off to the bedroom and the shower beyond all the same.

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"You would," he says to her retreating back. That is if she could anyway. However water was expensive and he just goes back to his notebook. He gets so lost in it that he doesn't hear her come back out.

[onstolentime]

She knew better than to sneak up on him when he was that involved with what he was doing, so she just smiled, shaking her head and going about finishing with the salad, it would actually do better with letting the dressing sit on it for a while before they ate it.

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

Or she could just up and say something. It isn't like he wouldn't stop whatever he was doing where she was involved. Anyone else and he'd probably ignore them or worse. Who knows what the worse part is though. "Almost done?" Its asked without him even looking up.

[onstolentime]

"Nearly." She replied, "How about you? What is it you're working on?" A crooked, amused smile, "Memoir?"

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"Hmm?" He looks up for a moment and shakes his head. "Just a few plans." Something to keep his gang preoccupied. If anything else just odd and end things for them to do.

[onstolentime]

She nodded, "Always good to have a few of those in reserve." She checked the timer on the oven, as well as reflexively checking her own arm before she padded back into the bedroom to actually get dressed instead of wandering around in a towel for the rest of the night.

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"Of course. Especially when the gang gets restless," he says shaking his head. He didn't mind that she was just roaming around in a towel. Though putting clothes on might be beneficial to the both of them. Maybe. So while she does that he closes the notebook and sets it aside to go clean his hands getting plates set out.

[onstolentime]

She returned before long, twisting her hair back away from her face so that it wouldn't swing into the oven when she took the chicken out, "There we are, perfect timing as usual." She leaned up to kiss his cheek again before she went about serving it up.

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

He smiles and sits down leaning into his seat, drinks out. Once everything was set out before them he gets up again and kisses her cheek, pulling the chair out for her. "Sit down and relax." Something they didn't do all that often.

[onstolentime]

She laughed softly as she took her seat, shaking her head, "Always the gentleman." She settled in to eat then, the same as she always did, quick little bites, ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

"Slow down and enjoy yourself for once," he says watching her. To be honest he knew why she did it but that didn't make him hate it any less. "No one's comin'."

[onstolentime]

There was a flicker of a smile at that, wryly amused, and mostly at herself, giving a nod and doing her best to slow down, even a little, "I know. Just ... old habits, you know."

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

Looking up from his salad he gives a slight shake of his head, "Trust me, Susanna, I know all about old habits." He had a few of his own even if he rarely ever showed them anymore. It was best to keep old habits to yourself that way they couldn't be used against you.

[onstolentime]

"Oh I'm sure you do." She replied, smiling again, "Because you're an expert on nine out of ten things, and you're a student of the tenth, no matter what those ten things are." The amusement was more clear at that point, teasing him again.

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

Elias can't help but give a slight chuckle to that and shakes his head, "How did you come up with all of that, hmm?"

[onstolentime]

She shrugged, actually managing to slow down on her dinner at least a little, "You have your methods of knowing things, I have mine." She tilted her head then, both brows arching, "Any plans for tomorrow?"

[madethetime.insanejournal.com]

Her slowing down gets a slight smile out of him. She was the only one that managed to get it. Though she was right on one thing. She had her methods of getting information/knowing things and he had his. His were just a bit more... dangerous maybe. "No, can't say that I have any. Might head a bit further out." See what can be found.

[onstolentime]

She nodded, "I'm at the diner tomorrow, so I'll probably be home late." One brow arched again, "So don't go getting into trouble where I won't know about it." It was a tease more than a real warning, but there was concern there, somewhere.