begin it.

[_mckenzie_]

*stands in the change room doorway, the automatic door has given up trying to close as she leans on it, not caring what system of the ship it fucks up*

*she's watching him across the room, slowly dressing, ever so slowly. She's not perving, she's seen it all before, but she's been watching him put on that sock for the last 5 minutes or so*

Comments

[_kemper_]

*knows she's there but can't seem to get head straight, can't let himself think about it. Ends up only thinking of absolute mundanities like how much work he has to get done, and how he's gonna come up with a new training regime to keep the bored MACO's happy, and how he's gonna avoid Major Hayes, completely and utterly.. full stop*

[_mckenzie_]

*waits, can almost feel his sadness from here, wishes she knew what it was, suspects theres nothing she could do to help*

Or he would have come to me by now, wouldn't he?

[_kemper_]

*finally finishes with the sock and the boot, stands at the locker, a long time, just holding things in his hand... the ring his old girlfriend gave him, the hairbrush that he pinched from his brother... finally runs out of ways to avoid going through that door*

*breathes, braces self*

*turns, eyes to the floor, walks to the door*

*feels the relief as she moves aside letting him pass without incident*

*never lifts his eyes from the floor*

[_mckenzie_]

*lets him pass and watches him walk away from her down the coridoor*

It's a nice shirt, Nate. A bit light and breezy for your mood, don't you think?

[_mckenzie_]

*leads him to her quarters, props up some cushions on the bed an directs him to sit there*

*calls Mass Hall and asks the steward to please bring up some corn beef sandwiches, doesn't have a trouble making him understand this is a special request and he better damn well do it*

*rolls up the office chair toward Kemper, and rests a hand on his knee, he's looking so lost, so drained so out of it, wishes she could make it all go away, but knows that obviously wont happen*

So tell me then...

[_kemper_]

*watches her fuss around, is well aware that he's seeing some kind of maternal instinct in her*

*is comforted, but feels this is totally wrong.. she's a subordinate, they're on a mission*

*loses all energy* I dont remember what you know... remind me.

[_mckenzie_]

Hows about you just start from scratch, stop beating around the bush and tell me the whole fucking thing. Because last time we talked you were about as cryptic as it gets.

*rolls a bit closer toward him, peering at the hidden sulky face, eyes locked to the deck-plating*

[_kemper_]

*is suddenly more aware of the hand on his knee, and the reverse of this situation... when he sat in that chair in Corporal Chang's room*

*winces at the memory* Oh no.. not all over again, all the details.. I couldn't.

*looks up at her pleadingly, as she waits patiently for something, anything to come out of his mouth*

*begins to recollect it*

I kind of... had a thing going... *deep sigh* ...with Chang.