Metal Whispers
Title: Wake Up Call
Word Count: 748
"... 'Lo?"
"Hey. It's me."
"... Huh?"
"Keelin? The idiot from the picnic?"
"Keelin? Nngh... what time is it?"
"Um... just past two."
"Fuck... okay, I know I said you could call any time, but this is a little ridiculous."
"I guess I woke you?"
"Can't think of anything else I'd be doing."
"I... I'm sorry. I'll let you go."
"No, no, you don't have to. Just... god-fucking-dammit it's cold in here... give me a second."
"I'm sorry, this was really stupid of -"
"Keelin, you just dragged me out of bed at two in the morning. If you hang up I might have to kill you. Now what's up?"
"I just... I'm kind of freaking out about this and I didn't know who to talk to."
"Huh. Getting cold feet already?"
"No, it's not that. It's just so sudden, you know? Didn't you... what's that noise?"
"I'm filling the kettle. If I'm going to listen to you sob I need tea."
"I'm not sobbing!"
"You sound awfully sniffly."
"Is that even a word?"
"Stop changing the topic."
"... Fine. Maybe... a little."
"What are you freaking out about? This is what you wanted, isn't it?"
"It is, but... I mean it feels different when it's real, if that makes sense."
"When you realize it's not all kittens and rainbows?"
"... Yeah, I guess."
"If you're having second thoughts, we -"
"No! It's not like that! No, no no, I'm not, I swear, it's just going to take some time to... get used to it... I guess."
"Uh huh."
"Didn't you ever feel like this? I mean, didn't you ever sit down and think, 'Holy shit, now I'm part of something so huge and important and so much bigger than me?'"
"... Not really."
"... Okay, obviously it was a mistake to call you."
"I'm not sure what it is you... fuck, where did I leave the honey... what it is you want me to say."
"Are you seriously making tea?"
"Did I stutter?"
"Well, no, I just didn't peg you as the tea-drinking type."
"And I didn't peg you as the sort to need emotional validation after accepting their dream job."
"... Alright. I'll give you that one."
"To answer your question, no, I don't sit down and think about the enormity of it all, because the weight of that responsibility would crush me. And I don't ponder how important my role in this is, because the second I clear the city limits, that ego would get me killed. I do my job. That's it. That's all there fucking is to it. I don't know what else you want from me."
"I... I just...forget it. It's not important."
"Look, if we're going to work together, this non-communication bullshit will have to go. You called me for a reason."
"I was just... freaking out and being stupid. It's fine. I'm alright."
"I swear to God, either spit it out or I will drive over there and haul the words out of your throat."
"You know, call me crazy, but I always imagined you to be better with people."
"You imagined wrong."
"Clearly."
"You want to be coddled, stay in corporate. You want to be on my squad, you'll have to grow the balls you're so good at pretending you have."
"... Fine."
"Don't spit your words at me, kitten."
"I... alright. I'm sorry."
"So. I'm halfway through my tea and you haven't told me why you called. And I want an answer this time."
"I... wanted to know that I'm not alone in this. Ha... sounds so stupid now that I actually say it."
"It's not stupid."
"No?"
"No. If you'd actually said that from the beginning, I could be back in bed by now."
"Yeah... I'm sorry."
"No need for that. Look... fuck, forgot to unload the dishes... I didn't pick you for this just so I could make you go it alone. That's not how we do things. We look after our own."
"Thanks. That means... wait, hold up, you picked me?"
"Well corporate sure as hell didn't offer to give you up."
"But... why?"
"Because I want the best. And you're the best there is."
"I don't really think -"
"It's a compliment, Keelin. I don't give them often. Take it while you can."
"... Heh. Thank you, Dax."
"You're welcome. Are you good? Can I go to bed now?"
"Ha, yeah, I... oddly enough, I feel a lot better."
"Alright. Good night."
"Good night."
Word Count: 748
"... 'Lo?"
"Hey. It's me."
"... Huh?"
"Keelin? The idiot from the picnic?"
"Keelin? Nngh... what time is it?"
"Um... just past two."
"Fuck... okay, I know I said you could call any time, but this is a little ridiculous."
"I guess I woke you?"
"Can't think of anything else I'd be doing."
"I... I'm sorry. I'll let you go."
"No, no, you don't have to. Just... god-fucking-dammit it's cold in here... give me a second."
"I'm sorry, this was really stupid of -"
"Keelin, you just dragged me out of bed at two in the morning. If you hang up I might have to kill you. Now what's up?"
"I just... I'm kind of freaking out about this and I didn't know who to talk to."
"Huh. Getting cold feet already?"
"No, it's not that. It's just so sudden, you know? Didn't you... what's that noise?"
"I'm filling the kettle. If I'm going to listen to you sob I need tea."
"I'm not sobbing!"
"You sound awfully sniffly."
"Is that even a word?"
"Stop changing the topic."
"... Fine. Maybe... a little."
"What are you freaking out about? This is what you wanted, isn't it?"
"It is, but... I mean it feels different when it's real, if that makes sense."
"When you realize it's not all kittens and rainbows?"
"... Yeah, I guess."
"If you're having second thoughts, we -"
"No! It's not like that! No, no no, I'm not, I swear, it's just going to take some time to... get used to it... I guess."
"Uh huh."
"Didn't you ever feel like this? I mean, didn't you ever sit down and think, 'Holy shit, now I'm part of something so huge and important and so much bigger than me?'"
"... Not really."
"... Okay, obviously it was a mistake to call you."
"I'm not sure what it is you... fuck, where did I leave the honey... what it is you want me to say."
"Are you seriously making tea?"
"Did I stutter?"
"Well, no, I just didn't peg you as the tea-drinking type."
"And I didn't peg you as the sort to need emotional validation after accepting their dream job."
"... Alright. I'll give you that one."
"To answer your question, no, I don't sit down and think about the enormity of it all, because the weight of that responsibility would crush me. And I don't ponder how important my role in this is, because the second I clear the city limits, that ego would get me killed. I do my job. That's it. That's all there fucking is to it. I don't know what else you want from me."
"I... I just...forget it. It's not important."
"Look, if we're going to work together, this non-communication bullshit will have to go. You called me for a reason."
"I was just... freaking out and being stupid. It's fine. I'm alright."
"I swear to God, either spit it out or I will drive over there and haul the words out of your throat."
"You know, call me crazy, but I always imagined you to be better with people."
"You imagined wrong."
"Clearly."
"You want to be coddled, stay in corporate. You want to be on my squad, you'll have to grow the balls you're so good at pretending you have."
"... Fine."
"Don't spit your words at me, kitten."
"I... alright. I'm sorry."
"So. I'm halfway through my tea and you haven't told me why you called. And I want an answer this time."
"I... wanted to know that I'm not alone in this. Ha... sounds so stupid now that I actually say it."
"It's not stupid."
"No?"
"No. If you'd actually said that from the beginning, I could be back in bed by now."
"Yeah... I'm sorry."
"No need for that. Look... fuck, forgot to unload the dishes... I didn't pick you for this just so I could make you go it alone. That's not how we do things. We look after our own."
"Thanks. That means... wait, hold up, you picked me?"
"Well corporate sure as hell didn't offer to give you up."
"But... why?"
"Because I want the best. And you're the best there is."
"I don't really think -"
"It's a compliment, Keelin. I don't give them often. Take it while you can."
"... Heh. Thank you, Dax."
"You're welcome. Are you good? Can I go to bed now?"
"Ha, yeah, I... oddly enough, I feel a lot better."
"Alright. Good night."
"Good night."