om_panax: (cute smirk)
[personal profile] om_panax posting in [community profile] om_main
Lydia stops by to catch up with Damon--and try to get her head on straight. Damon gets the latest and gives her his latest in return. They're still dancing around this... thing. Yes.

After Damon let her in, Lydia paused by the door and cocked her head. Wondering. In some ways, it made more sense to stay here. Spend a little time with Damon where they could talk about... whatever came up. Where if she said the wrong thing--and since when was she concerned about saying the wrong thing around Damon Salvatore--oh wait, that's right, since she'd figured out this whole feelings thing--there was less of a chance of collateral damage.

But in public, they'd both try to play it cool. And there were a few places she'd been wanting to go that she thought Damon might really appreciate. (As much as she loved dragging Scott to new places, sometimes she just wanted to... eat. A thing she would never admit to anyone, and barely even admitted to herself.)

So before she took off her jacket, she asked, "Want to go have dinner somewhere outside of town--or are you feeling like staying in tonight?"

Damon raised an eyebrow, but reached for his jacket. "You could have just said you wanted to grab a bite in the text."

Something was up. He'd known it the minute she'd texted him. They hadn't talked in weeks, not even about the superhero team in Canada, and though he'd sent her a birthday gift, he hadn't bothered to contact her.

She shrugged. "Wasn't totally sure what I felt like until I came through the door. Still willing to be convinced otherwise, if you're not interested."

He motioned toward the door. "Come on, Indecisive. Let's go. Do you have something in mind or am I going to have to make that decision for you too?"

"Greek," she said. "I have a serious craving for spanakopita."

"Your love of Greek food baffles me, but I guess I could go for a gyro," Damon shrugged, leading the way out the door and locking it behind them. Papouli's wasn't far from his loft, so he didn't bother with the car, just falling into step beside her as they turned down the block.

Lydia settled her sunglasses in place, even though the streets were quiet. Not a terrible day though; finally, winter seemed to be creeping away. Inch by agonizing Inch. "You and Tessa have been checking out the Canadian Issue, I'm guessing?"

"Like she'd just ignore that sort of thing," he snorted. "But I wouldn't take credit for it."

"I guess you don't need to, with her around," Lydia allowed. "I can guess what you think of it all, but tell me anyhow?"

"If there are mutants forming a superhero team, at least it's none of the ones I know, and nowhere from here. Granted, they're just making it okay for the US to approve the ideas that are already in their heads, but hey, as long as need a group of mutants to march around looking like idiots on a chain," Damon quipped. "At least it's not me."

"Most of the kids are disturbed by the idea--but not so much the superhero team as the fact that it's a government running it. Even if it is Canada," Lydia said with a snort. Then, thoughtfully, "Though in truth, some of the ones you know may not be far behind."

Damon caught her shoulder and turned her to face him, the restaurant forgotten, and a cool calm in his ice-blue eyes. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Just what I said." She stopped and looked up to face him. So, Tessa wasn't in on it just yet, or hadn't elected to mention it. Who knew. "It was only a matter of time before some of the older students took it into their head."

If she didn't look exactly happy about it, well, she wasn't. It was about to make her job a lot more complicated, and that was the last thing she needed. But she trusted Scott--and Philip, for that matter. If they were going to do it, at least the were willing to do it in concert with her rather than in spite of her.

He read the look in her eyes and released her shoulder, straightening. "Well, shit. It's Summers, isn't it?"

"There are very few people I could handle suggesting such a thing," she said, by way of affirmation.

"Why you can handle him doing it is still a fucking mystery," he told her, shaking his head slightly. He'd never get what she saw in the guy. "Are there any hard plans? Who's he talking to?"

Lydia didn't respond to the first part--she was mostly grateful he didn't go utterly ad hominem on the situation, and it wouldn't help to explain the reasons, either. "Only hard plans so far are to keep it to those over the age of eighteen, and that while my personal plans were focusing on clean up, his are focusing on prevention. I've also made him promise to keep me and Arthur updated so if we need to clean up any messes, we can... and hopefully I can talk him out of anything too idiotic."

"Uh huh," Damon answered her. "And where does that leave X-Factor?"

"Where do you want it to be? You know I'll keep you in the loop if you want it; I told you that before." She tugged on his sleeve to get him to start walking again. "There will always be different agendas, but a little coordination can keep the working against each other to a minimum, at least."

He walked when she tugged, but with a dark cloud looming over his face. "Unless he decides to recruit Tessa."

"I think she's made her choice of where she wants to be and what she wants to do clear." Lydia's brow furrowed, and she looked up at Damon with a question in her eyes behind the shades. "Not that it'd work, but I can't see Scott presuming to try and sway her, either."

"Don't give me that look," he didn't even have to look at her to know it was happening. His features twisted with disgust at himself. "She's grown on me."

"I'd be one of the last to fault your taste, there," Lydia admitted. She liked Tessa, and not just as a useful person, but as herself. "We've had some fabulous spa days."

"And you didn't invite me?" Damon smirked.

"Maybe next time," Lydia said sweetly. Then she smirked right back as a thought occurred. "Are you sleeping with her?"

"Who wouldn't? You jealous?" he slid a hand to her back, steering her around the corner toward Papouli's.

"Very," she said with a little sigh. "I never got a chance to hit that. And god, how I would've liked to."

His eyebrows notched upward. "You should stop by our new headquarters sometime, then. I've always wanted to try a three-way. I bet Tessa would be all over it. That girl is kinky like you wouldn't believe."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Seems like sex with a telepath couldn't be anything but, really." That last bit was said super quietly, just before they reached the door. "Alas, my threesome potential days are over.

"But I'd still like to see the new place. What's the deal?"

Damon wasn't sure he caught what she'd murmured, but opened the door for her anyway. "We bought a renovated barn out on Route 6. 19th century. Probably pretty spooky until they gutted it, put in new beams, an air system, water, sewer, and electricity. Tessa's making sure all the fiber-optic lines are very hush hush."

"Sounds appropriate," Lydia said, holding up two fingers to let the host know it would just be them. He smiled and picked up menus to lead them to a table right away. "When will it be fit to be seen?"

"Next week, at the earliest. Apparently, we're expanding our roster, so my apartment just isn't big enough anymore," Damon drawled, dropping into the seat across from her. "Not interested in joining up, are you?"

Not that he had any illusions that she would be.

She smiled, genuinely enough for the dimples to show. "Unfortunately, there's too much on my plate already. But I would like to help with anything you find in Mystic Falls."

Then a slight pause as she settled her sunglasses in her bag and hung it on the back of her chair, thinking. Scott would flip his shit again, but their understanding was solid. There was no question that Lydia would continue on the way she had with Damon.

Except...

Damon noticed the pause and leaned back in his seat, regarding her with a slight smirk.

Ostensibly changing the subject, but knowing very well Damon would know just what she was doing, she said, "I really liked your birthday gift. Thank you. I miss Prada."

He narrowed his eyes at her, because one, she knew better than trying to change the subject on him like that, and two, he didn't like this topic any better. "No idea what you're talking about."

Lydia pursed her lips. "God forbid anyone should acknowledge that you did something thoughtful. It's adorable, Damon, really."

"God forbid I actually try to keep out of Scott Summers' hair for once, you mean?" Damon answered darkly.

Lydia considered that seriously, brows drawing in and down to furrow her forehead. Finally she decided, "That's not what I meant, even if it's true." A slight pause. "Damon, you're not my friend just to piss Scott off. I'm guessing you see that part as an added bonus--if even that. Am I right?"

"Scott Summers may actually have a tactical head on his shoulders," Damon told her, "hey, I can at least admit that. He may be a complete moron in all other things, but at least he's got that. Maybe that's why you're dating him. Maybe he's really good at eating you out. Do I sometimes want to snap his neck and dump his body in the Atlantic? Sure. But I'm your friend despite the fact that you have terrible taste in men. That doesn't mean that I'm going to keep tempting fate when it comes to you. It's on record that he brings out the worst in me. So no, I'm not going to acknowledge doing anything thoughtful for you, because that's about the same thing as going out and buying a Glock for the sole purpose of putting it to his head."

Lydia listened to all this quietly, attentively, watching Damon's agitation and trying to keep it from seeping into her, too. It was ridiculous that, with all the heavy, important things on her plate right now, this was the one that gave her the most pain. These two idiots.

Who she loved--if in different ways. Goddammit.

"He wouldn't go after you just because you bought me a nice present," Lydia said quietly, head cocked slightly to one side. "If he would, I wouldn't be with him. But I can't say I blame you for wanting to have absolutely zero to do with him."

It was better. For both of them. All three of them, if she was being honest.

"I think you don't know him as well as you think you do," Damon answered darkly.

After another brief pause, Lydia asked, "I didn't come here to fight. Do you want to tell me what makes you think that, or would you rather not talk about this?"

"Why don't you tell me why you showed up at my door in the first place instead," Damon pointed out, then flashed the waitress a flirty smile and ordered a beer.

Great, now he was in a mood. What the hell kind of friendship was it going to be if the very mention of Lydia's boyfriend turned him sour every. single. time?

And did it matter, anyhow? Was she really going to try and cut him out? Should she? For his own sake as much as hers? That was part of why she'd turned up at his door, this new feeling that she'd been completely if willfully blind for too long now.

But after ordering her Perrier and lemon, she said the obvious thing instead, "To talk about this Canandian bullshit and to tell you thank you in person. I love how every time you ask me that question, you sound like you'd rather I was anywhere else."

Damon snorted softly, but caught her gaze. "You're welcome. And I'm sorry you miss your dog. I was going to get you a real bobblehead for your car but apparently they don't make any for that kind of breed."

"That's adorable." She smiled slightly. "More incentive to move out--I could have my real Prada back."

"Move out?" Sincerity started to creep into his features - true concern, both for her welfare and worry at where she might go. "Is that a thing now?"

She shook her head, paying far more attention to his concern than she showed. "Not now--at least not for another year. But if things keep on the way they're going... It's fine for Brian--he's away half the time anyhow. Warren and Alison have both gone now, and the Beaubiers can come and go without anyone knowing, with their speed and flight.

"More people will go public. From the school and elsewhere. I have to think about how to keep it safe, and leaving might be the answer."

Damon was quiet for a moment, then leaned back in his chair. "That's another reason why Tessa and I got the barn. It's only an unofficial place, not for meeting clients, so we set up a living space there too. Kitchen, beds up in the loft. A place to crash if things get hot. You're welcome to use it if you ever need it. I'll get you a key."

And this was the thing with Damon. When he was good, he was so very good. But when he was bad...

Lydia smiled all the same. "Thanks. I'll earn my keep, if it ever happens. Hopefully I can plan it out so I'm not running--more setting up a nearby secure shop. I'm not Tessa, but I do have Arthur and Barbara, which will help.

"Where's the official client meeting place? Your apartment?"

"Restaurants. Public places. Their houses. That kind of thing," Damon shrugged, smirking softly.

Lydia smirked right back. "Brilliant. How's business?"

"Booming," Damon took his beer from the waitress and ordered a gyro before waiting while Lydia ordered her spanowhatever it was. When the woman walked away, he shook his head. "I'll never understand it, but apparently there's a business for this kind of thing. Even if we never really intended to make that much money doing it."

"Hence the expansion?" She cocked her head. "The world is full of unexplained things, though. Who better to ferret them out but a team of mutants? Are you hiring?"

"We've got a few in mind, come graduation. And we do need a few more hands. You think that's what we should do? Investigate 'the world of the unexplained' while Scott protects the school?" Damon asked. "What would you do?"

"I think your investigations are far more about protecting us than they seem," Lydia said wryly. "But what do you mean? What would I do, in your position?"

"Yeah, genius. What would you do if you were me?" Damon clarified. "It's not like I'm asking for your personal plans for the near future. I'm smart enough to know that you've got your own agenda right now."

"I wouldn't mind telling you about it," Lydia admitted. Stupid? ... No, she didn't actually think so. But if he got mad at her, it would be. And, well, who knew. "I'd do what you're doing. Expand influence, expand client base, expand employee roster.

"Lots of students graduating this year--plenty that could be useful to you."

"I meant..." Damon breathed out through his nose, forcing himself to act rationally. "Tessa's still going to want to protect the school, at least in her own way. How would you set X-Factor up to work in the same sphere as Scott's team and not step on...or shoot out...toes?"

Lydia blinked in surprise. She... well, obviously, she had not seen that coming. "Coordination," she replied, utterly honest--and it showed in her eyes. "Working--not together, but with an awareness of each other's activities, to some extent. Communication.

"I could work something out with Tessa, if you want," she offered, after another slight pause.

"Yeah, you should do that," Damon decided. It absolved him from having to tackle the issue himself.

Lydia pursed her lips slightly, but a smirk was trying to creep in. "Done. Should save everyone a few headaches, anyhow."

"Now, you can tell me what all your plans are over lunch, and we can forget all about the whole issue, right?" Damon suggested, smiling tightly.

"Or half of that, anyhow," Lydia agreed.

Date: 2014-04-25 11:10 pm (UTC)
om_chroma: (not awkward smirk)
From: [personal profile] om_chroma
I want to read these two all the time forever, seriously.

Date: 2014-04-25 11:45 pm (UTC)
om_cyclops: (Default)
From: [personal profile] om_cyclops
Scott is mildly displeased. But he can deal with it. He thinks.

Date: 2014-04-26 04:51 am (UTC)
om_quicksilver: (Default)
From: [personal profile] om_quicksilver
It's kinda sad but mostly awesome that "mildly displeased" is a huge step up from where it could've been, really >.>


LOVE.

Date: 2014-04-26 01:14 am (UTC)
om_sage: By Leigh Wortley (Sage9)
From: [personal profile] om_sage
Sage approves of all of this. Including coordinating the activities of Scott Force and X-Factor, to the extent it is feasible to do so.

Also, Lydia is correct. It would have been amazing. In a life-changing, near-religious ecstasy kind of way.

Date: 2014-04-26 04:52 am (UTC)
om_quicksilver: (phantom speedster!)
From: [personal profile] om_quicksilver
And Lydia means it. Once this mission they're planning is done, she will totally want to set up a system of coordination with her and Scott--and she thinks it makes sense to go through her since she needs to be the media nexus anyhow >.>

And she also wants to do another spa day. Because.

Because the ecstasy is off-limits and she knows it would've been RELIGIOUS.

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