[Closed] Try to get out but we just keep sticking around

[smokedout]

who: Jamie Dodger, Eichi Tenshouin, Eddie Thawne and Christian Fischer.
what: Various dates purchased for charity.
when: Throughout the week after the masquerade.
where: Around the inner city.
warnings: Dodger. Will update as needed.

Comments

[smokedout]

Does it matter? [He tips his head to the side, watching him somewhat calculatingly.] I've got my reasons, just like you've got your reasons for agreeing to it and not standing me up.

[He pulls out a cigarette without thinking about it, but... just ends up fiddling with it in his hand, unwilling to put smoke out in a room full of dogs. But damn... this whole scenario makes him itch.]

What matters right now is that you're getting whatever you want here for free... not including dogs. And we can chat, on neutral ground. Wouldn't wanna worry the dogs by starting a fight.

[causational]

I'm a police detective. The 'why' always matters to me. [Raising his brows, he snorts a little when Dodger says Eddie's got his reasons for not standing him up.] For example, I'm going to be completely transparent with you. My reasons? Because this is for a charity, and I'm not an asshole.

[Eddie manages to bite his tongue when Dodger pulls out that cigarette, but only barely, mouth pursing, at least until Dodger just fiddles with it and doesn't light it. After a moment, Eddie just lets it go.]

Okay. I buy that, sort of. I'm still pretty curious about why, exactly, you want to chat with me on neutral ground, but I guess I'll just bite my tongue for now. You do have a way of getting to what you want eventually.

[Flagging over one of the waitstaff, Eddie orders himself a nonfat latté and then glances up at Dodger.]

You getting anything?

[smokedout]

Because I've got a vested interest in not getting arrested, surprising as that might be.

[He says that much, before the waiter comes over. For a moment he just watches Eddie, silently judging him for ordering a latte, and orders a black coffee without a glance at the waiter.

And once the waiter has gone, he leans back in his seat, still watching him intently, still fiddling with that cigarette in his hand.]

I want to talk about the night we met. No games, no threats, just talking. Figured since anything else I've tried did fuck all, I might as well try diplomacy.

[causational]

Totally shocking.

[Eddie says it with a slight twist of a smile at the corner of his mouth and a roll of his eyes, gently teasing. It's a bit sarcastic, but not as bad as it could be, because he's making some kind of effort to let his guard down, just a little.

But after they order and Dodger gets back on about the night they met, no games or threats or anything else, Eddie finds himself sighing. Shifting a little, he lifts a hand to rub at his forehead, eyes sinking shut, because this, again? Because he'd thought this was settled.]

So it didn't occur to you that maybe the things you've tried haven't worked because there is no grand scheme to my actions? That it was just the fact that Ivar didn't want to press charges, and I didn't want to arrest you only to have you out on the street again in a few days and angry enough to take it out on an innocent person?

[Eddie leans back in his chair, arms crossed, looking irritated, eyes on Dodger.]

If I was playing some game with you, I'd have already made it clear. I'm not some kind of mastermind, I'm just a guy who happens to be a cop. I'm not even a good liar.