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[sketchycharacter]

[The face that appears on the MID is familiar, despite the age loss. Nathan Drake is recognizably himself. But there are fewer lines on his face, no touch of gray in his hair, and he's skinnier, without twelve years of built-up muscle.

He's also got an obvious black eye and a set of plain prisonclothes that are pretty threadbare. Those are new.]

Okay, so, space. That's a thing. Which you've all probably figured out by now, since you're here and all.

[He lifts a hand in greeting.]

I'm Nate. And I don't want to complain, because I got lifted out of a shitty place and I'm sure someone thought they were doing me a favor, but I'm going to complain anyway, because I didn't actually need it. I wanted to be there. And if someone had to spacenap me, the least they could've done is take my brother too. Sam's gonna be pissed he missed this.

[On the plus side, his prison garb at least smells better now. Thanks, Moira laundering facilities.]

So is there a complaints department? Or some way I can get a ride back to Panama? Probably not that lucky, huh.

Comments

[tearsinajar]

[ Sam...

Something in her expression tightens to keep it from falling. She glances away, makes sure to keep the smile curving her lips. ]

I'm sure he'll be just as excited as you about this.

[sketchycharacter]

Yeah, I bet.

[He's already imagining telling him all about it...which should take less than a minute, since he doesn't actually know that much about it, but still. It's cause for celebration.

He glances sidelong at Elena, still grinning, before sneaking his hand over to take hers. Hey, they're married. Or she's married to him. Whatever.]

[tearsinajar]

[ This is like some serious messed up Benjamin Button shit right now. His hand takes hers, and for a moment she feels the familiar calluses against her skin, her attention drawn down to their joined hands. ]

Once a thief always a thief.

[ Elena squeezes his hand and gives his arm a nudge, winking. ]

[sketchycharacter]

Yeah, apparently.

[He squeezes back and swings their hands a little.]

I'm kind of surprised you'd get involved with one. You seem like a nice girl. It was my good looks, wasn't it?

[tearsinajar]

[ The hand swinging is...cute. She turns her hand to lace their fingers together. ]

Something like that. Could've been the magic dick, who knows.

[sketchycharacter]

The what?!

[Wow. He must be a good husband.]

I mean...thank you?

[tearsinajar]

[ A better response. Though Elena can't help but laugh loudly at that. ]

You're welcome.

Probably a little weird to hear that but...

[ She ain't gonna lie. ]

[sketchycharacter]

A little, but not in a bad way.

[Hell yeah his dick is magic. Nate the Great. He's going to have to remember that.]

It just seems unfair that you can remember the magic show and I can't.

[tearsinajar]

Yeah that's...

Wouldn't that be weird? I mean say you were to get a magic show...

[ Not that she's really thinking about it... Or she is. Who knows. He's young... ]

[sketchycharacter]

Not unless future me gets into some really kinky stuff. I mean, we're married, right?

[Technically? Sort of. Nate can't honestly say that he loves this woman—he just met her. But he's open to the possibility.]

We could just go make out, too.

[tearsinajar]

We are, one hundred percent. And ah, we kind of do.

[ Is that something he wants to know? Maybe not, or maybe he does. Her mouth opens to respond to the make out comment and then closes, pausing to look at him. ]

We could...

[sketchycharacter]

[Ooh. Interesting. Still, it can't be that weird, he thinks.]

Am I being too forward? Sorry.

[tearsinajar]

You aren't, not really. It's just that, well, making out tends to lead to things.

[ Get her drift? Or more like the hand squeeze. ]

[sketchycharacter]

True. If you're lucky.

[You win some, you lose some. Given that Elena's wearing a ring he presumably put on her hand, though, he's feeling lucky.]

We could stick to the lunch plan, see what we feel like doing after. [Or not.] Up to you.

[tearsinajar]

Whatever works for you works for me. I mean it's not like we can find a corner tucked away from everyone to make out like a pair of horny teenagers.

[ A small pause. ]

Though there is one of our rooms...

[sketchycharacter]

Yeah?

[A slow grin spreads across his face, but then something occurs to him.]

Wait, we have separate rooms?

[Does he snore?]

[tearsinajar]

We do. Only because we were assigned separate rooms and I'm guessing we came onto the ship at different times.

Everyone's split up.

[ He snores a little, not much. Not enough to keep her up or disrupt her sleep. ]

[sketchycharacter]

Oh, okay. Then...maybe we could get some sandwiches and you can show me your place?

[He doesn't actually waggle his eyebrows. He doesn't need to.]

[tearsinajar]

Sandwiches sound like a good plan. And if you're really curious... I can show you some of the pictures on my camera I have of us.

[ No. No he really doesn't need to do any waggling. ]

[sketchycharacter]

I'd like that. Both parts.

[He has a feeling he's going to like her, too.]

[tearsinajar]

They should have your favorite still. You had it just a few days ago.

[ His favorite sandwich, which she'd watched him wolf down in slight amusement while she had picked at her own. ]

[sketchycharacter]

You never know, though. They might run out. We should hurry.

[For the sandwich, right.]

[tearsinajar]

You must really want that sandwich...

[ Totally for that sandwich. ]

[sketchycharacter]

What kind I say, I'm feeling hungry.

[He squeezes her hand again.]

Go on, lead the way.

[tearsinajar]

I am, I am.

[ She squeezes back. ]

God, nothing has changed. You're still so pushy when you really want something.