Running away from home. Just like kids.

[neverwrongagent]

Briefings with Saul were getting more and more tense. Carrie could feel the strain on all of them as a real, palpable thing. Beside her, no one had ever had much faith in Brody, which was largely her fault. How could she explain her change of heart without explaining it was exactly that. What was harder was not telling him about how bad it was. Every time she was vague it was a physical pain.

The final straw was a heated conversation about what they would do if he were found out, revealed to be on a mission. They had escape plans, but it was clear very few people in that room gave a damn if they worked. Or if they even existed. She'd been through hell for the man they were dismissing like so much dross and all because... She wasn't that sure why because at this point. It was about Saul, really, and she knew that. That's why when he made a passing comment that made it sound damn like he'd made his decision and Brody didn't figure into it at all, she felt her stomach lurch so badly she almost had to leave the room.

She didn't go to him that night, that would be stupid. She waited a day, all of which was spent wondering when she would throw up. She got there late, just before dark, and sat back to watch the men finish up before meal break. He looked good. Better than when she saw him last, even.

Comments

[posterboymarine]

The waitress looked at the clock on the wall, then at them. "How 'bout sandwiches for the road. Ain't got no bagels. Truck's late." Brody nodded. Sandwiches were perfect.

Once she left, Brody turned back to Carrie. "Bagels. Where do you think we are? The big city?" The tease dripped from his voice and he reached out to take her hand.

[neverwrongagent]

She groaned at him. "They have bagels out here. Just not many and not real ones." Grocery store bagels would have to do for the foreseeable future. She tangled her fingers with his, squeezing slightly. "We are in the middle of fucking nowhere, which is where we're supposed to be."

She groaned again. "First thing, find decent food. Bagels. Coffee."

[posterboymarine]

He sipped the coffee in front of him and shrugged. "Better than Corp coffee." He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, lightly massaging. "You know, what you did earlier..."

[neverwrongagent]

She laughed softly. "I've tasted that. It serves it's purpose. Flavor is not it's purpose." Not even close." She pushed at her coffee a little, no longer eager to try it. "What I did? Earlier?" She grinned at him. "That thing I did?"

[posterboymarine]

"Yeah, that thing." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back, then each of her fingertips. "I enjoyed that very much."

[neverwrongagent]

She looked away for a second, grinning. "You did? That's good." She licked her lips. "Kinda enjoyed it myself. You make nice noises." And he twitched wonderfully. "Have to do that again when I can take real time."

[posterboymarine]

"Not before I return the favor. Maybe a unit on the end tonight." He squeezed her hand again, then pulled away as their plates were set in front of them. He immediately dug into his food, making happy groaning noises as he chewed.

[neverwrongagent]

Her plate wasn't as impressive as his, but when she took a bite, she made happy noises, too. Simple. Solid. Flavorful. She could get used to this. It took her a second, while she chewed to figure out his comment about a room. Then she blushed rather darkly. "I can do that. But I'm really going to expect you to keep your...end up."

[posterboymarine]

He smiled at the blush, then nodded. "I will." Then he set to eating, to simply taking a few minutes and being a regular, normal human being.

[neverwrongagent]

Being with him, alone with him, was usually her time to feel like a regular, normal human being. Mostly, anyway. More than usual. "Sooo...should we really get a house. Nice little cottage?"

[posterboymarine]

He laughed softly. "Yes. Yes we should. With no nearby neighbors." As much because he liked the idea of being able to have sex with her outside as because he would be able to pray without an audience.

[neverwrongagent]

She would have liked the first idea, very much, and the second.... Well, she didn't have the issues Jess had with it. Not even close. Anything that made him calmer, happier, was good in her book. "No neighbors. I'll put that on the top of the list." She thought for a minute. "Two bedrooms? Or at least one and an office. A little room to spread out."

[posterboymarine]

"Sounds perfect." He pushed back from his plate to sip his coffee. "And a boat house. That's the most important part."

[neverwrongagent]

She nodded. "So right on the water. On a river." Not on a lake where they might get blocked in. "I like the flow of it."

She finished her plate, then clutched her coffee close like she was guarding it. "It'll be nice. Peaceful."

[posterboymarine]

He laughed at the way she guarded her coffee. "Yes, it will be." He reached across the table again, teasingly grabbing for her cup.

[neverwrongagent]

She jerked the cup back hard enough that she nearly spilled the liquid gold. She glared at him and pulled the cup way back, just out of reach of his long arms. "Okay, that's just mean. Trying to steal a girl's coffee." Just because he drank tea...

He'd have to stop that. "Remember, I know where you sleep."

[posterboymarine]

He smirked. "Do you? And what are you going to do about it, if I steal your coffee again?"

[neverwrongagent]

She laughed, shaking her head. "If I told you, you'd be able to prepare. Can't have that." She ran her foot up his calf. "I'll let you think it'll be all okay. Then I'll....tickle you until you almost piss yourself. Just for fun."

[posterboymarine]

"You think that will actually work?" He was quite certain it would end in sex, which just made the allure of stealing her coffee that much greater.

[neverwrongagent]

She pulled her mug further back, shaking her head as though he could ever pull something like that over on her. "I will absolutely accomplish my goal, yes." Which of course meant she was absolutely certain it would end in sex. Hopefully gloriously good sex.

[posterboymarine]

His response to that was to just smirk and wave the waitress over for a refill. He asked that their sandwiches be started, too. Then he sat back and closed his eyes, leaning his head back.

[neverwrongagent]

She rubbed his leg under the table, watching him with a small smile. The whole trip so far, which should have been a tense, miserable mess, had turned out to be kind of fun. Admittedly, that was a statement of the crazy they both carried with them, but it also said a lot about how they were together. Once they let go and trusted each other, once they were there for each other, it was good. It was really good.

"I'll drive, but you have to entertain me." They were in the middle of nowhere, she'd given up looking for decent radio a while ago.

[posterboymarine]

He nodded. "I'd appreciate that. Not sure I can handle another hour behind the wheel, even with the lovely distractions."

[neverwrongagent]

Now she was tempted to make him drive. That sounded lovely. Really lovely. She gave him a little smile that clearly told him she was thinking of just how she could abuse him. Then she sighed softly. "Of course, that does mean you get to distract me. Or try to."

She closed her eyes for a long minute, thinking of just what he could do to distract her.

[posterboymarine]

He laughed without opening his eyes. "I accept your challenge."

Their waitress returned and set the to go boxes and their check on the table. He asked for one more refill before she left.