(Untitled)

[callofkaren]

Karen didn't often partake in the alcohol she'd become so good at making over the past couple of years, but after the last couple of months, she was sorely thinking about it. There were too many names to think of, too much pain waiting only for a thought to catch her off guard

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[formerfratboy]

Nick had gotten used to the notion of constantly checking on others, here on the island. Whenever the rest of his team had disappeared, one after another, it was all he could do to keep from permanently attaching himself to Karen to make sure they were both still there.

So he understood -- hated the fact that this was what the island reduced them to, but understood nonetheless, and even worked time into his day to subtly check in with Karen, just so she wouldn't have to find him.

"So, what's a guy got to do to buy a pretty girl a drink around here?" he said as he slid onto the stool next to her at the Hub.

[callofkaren]

"Come up with a form of currency, first of all," Karen said, working up a smile for Nick. Regardless of how she felt about life at the moment, at least she still had him. That much was still good.

[formerfratboy]

"I heard that seaweed is going to be the next big thing," he said, leaning in to press a quick kiss to her temple before sliding back down onto his stool.

"How're you doing?" he asked. "Lack of seaweed dollars aside."

[callofkaren]

"Crappy," she replied honestly, and it wasn't much of a change from the last two weeks. Her body swayed toward Nick without her really meaning to, seeking comfort.

[formerfratboy]

"Yeah," he said, nodding his head slowly. What else was there to say? He knew how shitty it was to wake up day after day, each time losing someone else you cared about. What he didn't know was what to do about it, other than just be there.

He slid his stool closer to Karen, winding one arm around her waist. What a sad, mopey pair they made, but sometimes, that's all the island gave you to work with. "Can I get anything for you?"

[callofkaren]

Karen shook her head and leaned against Nick, taking a moment to indulge in every single, sad emotion she could before thinking about pulling herself back together. "Unless you've got some chocolate ice cream hidden away somewhere, I've already got everything I need."

[formerfratboy]

Nick shook his head. "I tried to save some of that stuff after one of the parties, and it was a disaster, let me tell you." Between the ice cream turning into a soupy mess -- island temperature was not kind to frozen foods -- and disappearing before he'd figured out what to do with it, Nick had learned his lesson pretty quickly.

[callofkaren]

That managed a small chuckle out of Karen, and she moved back enough to give Nick a kiss. "I can imagine, so I'm not even going to ask. Did you do anything other than stand around looking pretty in the lab today?"

[formerfratboy]

Nick grinned; that was one of his main hobbies, after all, second to Not Getting Chewed on by Utica. "Took a run along the beach," he said, tapping his fingers against the bar top as he tried to remember what else he'd done. "Did some laundry. That was a pretty big moment." There were few things Nick hated more than laundry, but he was also too proud to dive into the emergency clothes that the box would provide. No thank you, cheesy 80's glittery shirts.

[callofkaren]

"Holy crap," Karen said, sounding utterly impressed. "You actually did laundry? I'm so proud of you right now, I don't even know how to contain myself."

[formerfratboy]

"Glitter shirt," Nick said, nodding seriously, as if that explained it all. "Seriously, I went to check out the box and all I could find were things with unicorns and glitter." He rolled his eyes. "Even I have some dignity to maintain, after all." If it weren't for the glittery unicorns, he probably would have put off laundry for another week or two, at the least.

[callofkaren]

"I think you have enough dignity to pull off a glittery unicorn shirt," Karen said seriously, and held that look for all of two seconds before she was giggling into her hand. "Seriously? Unicorns?"

[formerfratboy]

It was hard not to laugh, too, but Nick was a professional at Holding It Together. "Seriously. It was like an eight-year-old girl's dream. Laundry was definitely the better option." He was used to wearing ridiculous things on the island, but a man had to draw the line somewhere.