Double Measures [Alastair, Reida]

It was later than he had intended when Alastair finally made it back to his apartment, having spent the best part of the day with Arlette or slinking through the city like a secret agent, and the sun was already beginning to dip below the horizon. Still, he had to see Reida and so he sent her a message and waited.

He hadn't told her when he would be back from his trip, frankly, he hadn't known how long it would take but at least he was here now. There was work to be done, matters to attend to, favours to ask, but -more than any of that- he just wanted to cup her face in his hands and know that not everything in his life was going sideways.

It wasn't like he was losing his grip or anything so dire, but there had been a few big waves rocking the boat lately. In a way, it was strange to turn the tables like this. Though she had always said that she would be his rock as he was hers. That was one of the reasons their relationship had been so strong, in his eyes, the mutual respect they had for each other. Other recent events had also strengthened their bond too, but they were less relevant.

Alastair was not a big drinker, he often tried to avoid it in Reida's presence especially. Not that he didn't like drinking with her, quite the contrary really, but equally he did not wish to facilitate her excesses. Still, he stood by the window with a glass of red wine in hand. The bottle was left on the counter, another glass on offer if it was desired. She preferred the hard stuff, he knew that, but he just wanted to take the edge off rather than end up under the table before she got here.

If she were a lonelier and more pathetic sort of woman, Reida probably would have hurried out of work as soon as she got word that Alastair was back home. She'd certainly missed having him around, and in all the mess after that attack on the City of Lights, they'd hardly seen any of each other beyond professional interaction and brief little greetings. She was, however, not the sort to leave her work half-finished, and she sat at her desk for a while longer as she sipped from a glass of whiskey, tossing a file onto Jones' empty desk as she finally got up to leave.

Man, it was getting hot around here this time of year, not that she necessarily minded. It just took some getting used to, being hot when it was coming up on Christmas. She still wasn't entirely sure she was looking forward to that particular holiday, but it was a while off yet, so she wouldn't worry about it. Had to get through Thanksgiving first, after all, even if they probably didn't have that hear.

"Hey darlin', hope I didn't make ya wait too long. Got a mess and a half'a work at the office, I tell ya."

Of course, when she saw the wine on the counter, she had a faint idea that things might be a little more serious than she'd expected. Reida was certainly smart enough to know he didn't tend to drink if she was around, so this probably meant she ought to really be on her A game. Walking to his side with a smile, she simply wrapped her arms around him.

"How ya been?"

Alastair’s eyes did light up as he turned to answer Reida’s greeting, a narrow smile coming to his lips as he set down his glass of wine and prepared to greet her. An arm wrapped around her waist as she latched onto him, the other already rising to caress the side of her face. He had missed her, so perhaps he could be forgiven for being a little emotive now.

“It had already been too long, darling.” He leaned down to kiss her, a fleeting moment but he had little doubt that there would be time for more later. “But we are both here now, at least.”

They had both certainly been busy lately, doing the work of administrators in their respective fields. It would have been easy to say that this had happened because of the incident, but they had both been putting in the hours long before that fateful day. That was a quality they both shared and he enjoyed, a tireless dedication to duty.

“My trip to Vastime was successful, at least so far as the intended purpose was achieved. But, equally, I may have now become complicit in corporate warfare. A schism has occurred within the Duvalier Group, and I have chosen a side to stand with but it may only get messier from here.”

He spoke wistfully, squeezing her cheek just a little. They were in a dangerous line of work anyway, such risks came up day-to-day, but it was never an easy thing to simply discuss.

"Ooh, you're such a charmer, ya know that?"

Reida would have been perfectly content to just enjoy this situation in silence, but if he wanted to discuss where things were going with the Duvalier Group, she hardly minded. After all, her squad tended to handle a lot of the more dangerous recon and surveillance jobs, and that certainly included the corporate side of things. Not that she knew anything about that, Jones tended to be the one on those cases.

"Well, that's about what I'd've expected from that trip. Didn't quite think it'd go perfect, though I ain't all caught up on the Duvalier Group like you are. But I reckon you're smart enough to pick the side worth sidin' with, so it'll probably be worth the mess, right?"

The gentle squeeze was something Reida wouldn't have anticipated, but she found it pretty cute, an almost childishly innocent little gesture that brought a much wider smile to her face.

"I'll be sure'n keep things neat n' tidy here at home for ya, though. Least then there won't be any mess to worry about."

His smile grew a shade broader at Reida's initial comment, and the positive reception of his own little display of affection. Alastair was a simple man when it boiled down to it, so it was the simple things that gave him the most excuse for pleasure. Seeing a smile on Reida's face was definitely near the top of the list though.

"Of course, we will manage. Though it will not make my days any shorter, nor yours I imagine. This is more a Todgestalten job anyway, I just walked myself into the middle of it."

Alastair did want to talk about work and business, to discuss various situations and priorities, but there had been something else pressing on his mind. It was rather amusing that she had touched on it first, and that was all the excuse he needed to push everything else to one side and wade on through to that little thing.

"If you are going to the trouble of keeping things tidy then you could always stay."

"Here."

"With me."

"On a more permanent basis."

His apartment certainly was spacious enough, with a guest room that was used more for storage than anything else, though they had already proven that another bedroom was not necessarily a requirement. Still, Alastair knew that he was asking a lot all of a sudden, but there was never going to be a right time to ask if he simply sat on his laurels and waited. Reida had been doing all the front running until this point, this was his moment to show that he was serious.

"Obviously there would be plenty to sort out before it could happen, matters to arrange and such, but I am more than open to the prospect."

Reida had plenty of thoughts on the more professional side of things, but then it seemed like this conversation had taken a much more personal turn. She didn't mind that or anything, at least not inherently, but she absolutely hadn't quite been prepared for that particular question, and for all her usual cool composure, the surprise was crystal clear in her expression. The way her single eye widened, the silence as she really ran through the question a few times in her head.

"Ah, geez... Really just throwin' that one out there when I'm not even ready, huh..?"

This was actually an infinitely harder question than she would have liked for it to be. Reida was a religious woman, for all her failings in that regard, and she knew that was probably not something ideal. But living with him wasn't necessarily anything wrong, at least as long as she didn't step too far over the line. No, it was just one more step forward, wasn't it? Was it a step she was ready to actually take?

Burying her face in his chest, Reida took a moment longer to think about what she wanted to say here, and then spoke in an almost nervous tone, one rather far from her usual confidence, "...I dunno if ya got room for my still in here...but I can figure that out, I reckon."

Better to take this step than not. She wasn't going to keep running away from being happy.

Alastair had expected Reida to be reluctant, even to outright refuse him in a polite way, so there was little surprise on his features compared to hers. He shifted his hold on her, wrapping both arms around her back as he bundled her against his chest and held her tightly. Like almost every decision they had made in their relationship, it was a battle with her inner demons rather than with him, and so he had to be there for her.

"Yeah, I suppose I am. I guess it has been on my mind. You have been on my mind."

He leaned down, planting a kiss on the top of her head, and let her work through everything as best as she could. There was only so much that he could ever hope to empathise with in regard to her situation, that she had been through all of this before and lost it all. It was all rather selfish for him to put her through this again, but he was growing to accept that was a facet of what made him *him*.

"It does not have to be today, or tomorrow, or even this year. We can take our time, work out all the details, and make sure that you are happy with everything. I suggested it, but we can handle this at your pace like we always do. I just wanted to be open about where I was at."

"Ain't supposed to lay it on so thick, ya know, you'll make a woman embarrassed."

Not that Reida minded. If anything, she rather liked it, that frank honesty about his feelings for her. She would be lying if she said anything about her situation was exactly clean-cut in her mind. There were still some nights where she woke up in a cold sweat and almost felt like she should just call him and tell him she had to end it. Reida would have loved it if it weren't that difficult, if she could just put her past into a neat little box and only open it up when she felt safe enough to reminisce. But she doubted it'd ever quite be that easy.

Still, she didn't want to be stuck where she was forever. She knew that wasn't healthy, and even if she'd have hated to hear it from anyone else's mouth, she knew her family wouldn't like to see what she'd turned into when they'd gone. Being happy was something she had to at least try and do.

"I'd be lyin' if I said I quite felt ready for it. But I... I ain't against it, either. Ain't like my place is all that much a home. Definitely a lot nicer here, with you."

But it was terrifying, in a way. To actually move forward to such a degree, to really make such a change in her life. It was one that marked how far she'd come, and for all the good that meant, it still carried a faint bit of regret in it.

"I could tone it down, I admit, but I still want you to hear me say it. Besides, when it is just the two of us then who are you embarrassed for?"

He could tell that she actually liked it, so then she could bear a little playful teasing. Alastair was hardly subtle about almost anything when it came to Reida, and she could see straight through him anyway. It was comforting to be so open around someone when he spent most of his days being so carefully guarded. But, for all his forthrightness, it would never be entirely mutual. No matter how much they both wanted it to be, there was always going to be something in the back of her mind that weighed Reida down. Still, he would strive to do right by her.

"This is not really a home either, just a temporary residence that I would like to share with you. But maybe it is also one more reminder that we are in this together. Not that you needed one, but this is a journey and we have a long way left to go."

"I'm embarrassed for me, ya lug, hearin' ya talk ta me like I'm some pretty young thing. Anyone'd get embarrassed by all that."

The thought of actually living with him was almost ominous, in a way. Reida knew she'd have to face it at some point or another, if she stayed with him. Wasn't like she imagined this relationship just staying right where it was forever. If it worked out...well, they wouldn't exactly just be dating.

"No? I think it's plenty homey, least as far as these things go. Course, I'm not much a city gal, but I ain't plannin' to move out of here any time soon if I'm workin' for the Vandenreich."