ruffians | FAMILY DINNER

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FAMILY DINNER

[Having Nancy over isn't as common as it used to be, life is busy and whatnot, but Eames sometimes makes an effort. He's even gone so far as to make something to eat that he knows Nancy loves, and he is well stocked with wine for the two of them.]

[Arthur's off visiting a friend or something, so it's just the two of them for tonight. The two of them and a dog who is always happy for familiar company and spends a good chunk of time sat by Nancy's feet, only slightly hoping maybe she'll share some food even if it's against the rules.]

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[Nancy squeezes his hand back.]

...Thank you, Eames. Coming from you, that... it means a lot.

[She rubs her thumb over the back of his hand.]

He never told me anything. He only wanted me to do what was best for him- learning to make blood replenishers, healing, concealing. Obviously picking pockets, but that's not a magic skill.

Yeah, sounds like him.

[Eames sits back, still holding her hand, and raises an eyebrow with a light smirk.]

Hated it when I started figuring out the mortal world for myself, or when I used to go off with... A friend. [He laughs a little, shaking his head.] I was never one of his kids, but I think he liked that little bit of control he had when I was still green.

[Nancy’s face falls and she leans forward, her face a mix of awe and... not pity but empathy.] Eames- I had no idea. I didn’t- I’ve no idea how old he is- but— Eames...

[She doesn’t know how to ask what she needs to ask. It’s not a good question. But she has to know] he didn’t- I mean he never hurt you, like he did me, did he?

[she still can’t say what Fagin did to her. What Bill did. Some wounds never healed after all.]

No, no. [He shakes his head.] He definitely took advantage of my naivety to get me working for him, but that's as far as it went.

[Fagin preyed on lonely kids after all, kids who needed a family, who needed to be loved. Eames, on the other hand, had a mother who'd probably have torn him limb from limb if he even thought about it.]

[Nancy lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding.] Good. I couldn't bare to know he's gotten to you, too.

It's bad enough as-is. [All the children that'd come before her, that came after. He wouldn't hurt anyone ever again. But that barely made it better.]

[He gives her hand another squeeze.] I'm fine, always have been. I'm the last person you need to worry about.

Yeah, but I said that, too.

[And Eames worried. Eames worried for the right reasons.]

Unlike you, I can't lie.

[He smiles.]

If the worst thing that's happened to me is an old man tricking me into working for free, then I'm a lucky man.

[It's not the worst, and it's an oversimplification of what his relationship with Fagin was like, but it's still practically the picture of a perfect friendship compared to what Nancy went through.]

[For that remark, Nancy rolls her eyes.]

You are. He's done far worse to far too many.

He would have done worse, too. I know that. If it hadn't been for Bill. [Not to bring up wounds that are still very very raw. She would never forgive him for what he did. Ever.] You hate him all you like, but after I was with him, Fagin never touched me.

[Ugh, it always come back to Bill. Eames has a lot to say to that, but he stops himself, releasing her hand and clenching his jaw for a moment.]

[And then the moment passes and he huffs out a heavy breath.]

Let's get back to happier topics, hm? This was supposed to be a lighthearted chat.

[Nancy nods, even before she feels the stinging of her nose again. Happy. So they don't wind up yelling at each other across the table and she doesn't ruin his kitchen again.]

Happier. Right. 'cause someone went and made it serious first.

[She gives him a look, and a smile.]

[She seems mostly fine with it, so Eames nods and smiles back.]

Fine, I'll be the one to lighten the mood as penance.

[He purses his lips as he thinks on a topic, and his expression falls a little as he realises they're probably going to cycle back around to earlier topics and he going to have to share details he'd rather not share with Nancy.]

[That's fine. He'll just take a big gulp of his drink first.]

Let's skip back to earlier then, before I took us [gesture] here. Anything you're dying to know about?

[Nancy nods, waiting for him to offer his penance. It's shown to be adequate, but she frowns for just a moment, her brow creasing slightly.]

Dying to know about? You mean- you and Arthur, or?

Me and him. Somebody else. Something entirely unrelated. Whatever you like.

[Wait-- hang on.]

As long as I don't have to go into too many details that Arthur would kill me for sharing.

[Nancy tosses her head back and laughs, shaking her curls out.]

What's he packing, then?

[Well he's not going to be so vulgar as to give numbers or show her a picture, but he will mime the rough size and shape with his hands-- it's not exactly huge but by Eames' estimation it's not unimpressive either.]

It's fucking gorgeous-- you wouldn't believe the effort it takes to keep my hands off him when we're in public.

[Nancy has seen her fair share of dicks. It takes a lot to impress her. But if Eames is that excited about him? She nods appreciatively, with a smirk.]

Well done, you! And I assume he knows what he's doing.

Oh, definitely.

[He swirls his glass and looks up with a smirk of his own.]

We wouldn't be here if he didn't.

Brilliant! [Nancy claps for him once, grinning from ear to ear.] I'm really glad for you. You deserve it.

[She would never be able to talk to him about her romantic partners, she'd now realized.]

[He laughs] I don't know about deserve, but it's... It's good.

[pause]

Don't tell him I said that.

[Nancy raises the hand that isn't occupied with her glass.]

I swear. Your secret's safe with me. You should know that by now.

Just making sure. Can't let him get a big head, you know.

[says the hypocrite hypocritically]

Oh, no. God forbid it compete with yours.

[Nancy giggles behind her hand. It's so lovely, just sitting and shooting the shit with Eames. When things are alright and nothing terrible is happening.]

You're a good couple. You complete each other well.

[All things considered, it's strange to be described as a "good" couple-- of course Nancy's never been witness to the way they argue over the stupidest things, but it gets a rare, bashful smile out of Eames anyway. One that makes him duck his head and take a sip of his drink to hide it.]

Well, it's rare to find someone attractive enough I'm willing to look at them every day for years.

[Saved it.]

[He's absolutely adorable, Nancy decides. Eames in love. And that's what it is, she can recognize it anywhere. She knows what it is, to have that stupid surge of pure warmth come through you, making your toes crinkle up in your shoes.

Then he goes and ruins it.]

You are awful, has anyone told you that before?

[But it's said with such fondness]

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