Shoot 007: Fool On The Hill

"Goddamn fuckin' bullshit." He couldn't keep the words from slipping out, oblivious to the fact that the sun had already come up an hour ago. The only thing that mattered was a pointless and wholly circular argument on social media – one he knew he wasn't going to win. They didn't care about how wronged he felt.

"You okay, baby?" Jana's voice was soft, hesitant, cutting through his anger effortlessly.

"Oh yeah. Spectacular," he couldn't keep the sarcasm at bay, "pretty sure FAW's gonna fire me – shouldn't've gone that far but I..." he trailed off, biting his tongue. He didn't want to tell her that right now he needed that supplemental income. He needed them to see him as a bankable commodity.

She sat up in bed, the sheet held against as she looked over at him sitting on the small love-seat in their bedroom. His side of the bed was stone cold and she knew he'd been there all night. "You know you could just give your notice, right?"

A wry chuckle passed his lips as he shook his head. "I could if that was…" he blinked, catching himself in the act of censorship again. "I wanted to fight. They don't give two shits about me."

"Tough situation. They don't care so you're making them." She bunched up the sheet around her, wrapping it slightly as she walked over and sat beside of him on the love seat.

"They..." his gaze was drawn down to the phone in his hand as it lit up but Jana deftly plucked it from between his fingers. He sighed, letting her take it, knowing it was for the best. "Don't like how they make me feel. I'm not just some random number. Not some body fillin' a space…" he broke off, "my fuckin' hand hurts. An' I…" swallowing hard, he looked over at her as she turned his phone off completely, setting it aside. "I need to tell you what happened yesterday... after my fight."

"You got caught in the rain," she snuggled up beside him, taking his left hand with both of hers, softly massaging it with her thumbs. "Tell me what else happened." She flashed a comforting smile.

It was that trust that did him in. No hidden agenda – no games and no power plays. He swallowed hard, watching her fingers work the stiffness from his joints with a level of expertise that humbled him completely. "I did. I went for a walk. I went to the ATM a few long blocks away… I was gonna get some cash, surprise you with somethin' special for dinner. Instead," he sighed, keeping his eyes downcast, "my checkin' account – the one I use for my day-to-day stuff... it's... every cent I've made this year was in there an' it's gone. More fuckery. I went to try an' see Mayfield about it and fuckin' Wolfe was there. I... I dunno know what to do."

She focused on him, "are you sure it was them? We have been a lot of places lately; someone might have just skimmed your card."

He hesitated for a few seconds, considering. "Yeah, maybe. I got the bank lookin' into it. Just... every week it's a new thing – the hotel room, the monster, Wolfe tellin' me to take a dive an' then orchestrating that beatin'. Whole place's fucked up – seems too coincidental. Maybe you're right. Gotta wait 'til I can talk to the fraud people on Monday." He let the rush of words fall off into silence, glancing over at her. "I don't like feeling like a fool. And right now, God, I do."

She lifted his left hand up to her lips, kissing it softly. "You're no fool, Lex. Shoot has you sensitive to things and FAW.... they seem numb to what you're trying to say. You care, if you have one fault, it's that you give a damn." She took his right hand, watching him grimace at the contact. She looked down at the swollen hand, then back up at him. "This one hurts, doesn't it?

He nodded, ashamed, "punched the wall. Surprised I didn't break it."

"Did the wall owe you money?" She stifled a giggle. "I mean, I could go rough it up like I did the spare bathroom we're renovating." Her smile broadened then switched back to a concerned look as her hands caressed his. "Sorry, just trying to levitate the situation."

He managed a small smile, "appreciate that. I tried to hit Wolfe. Missed. An' I know I shoulda kept hold of myself but…" he bit his lip, digging his teeth in so hard he almost drew blood, steeling himself against her touch. For a moment, it had been too much like Hannah checking him over after one of Clay's beat-downs. He took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds, "told me 'go home'. Wasn't the same voice I heard on the phone – wasn't him, Jana. I was so damned sure, too. That's what's kept me up all night. I can't think of anyone else who'd wanna…"

"I thought the bed was missing something last night," she didn't chastise or judge him. Instead she lifted his injured hand and softly kissed it. "See? You care. For better or worse, you do. That's why you're upset about the BS going on here, with FAW, the needling from Cruz-"

"Blocked him," Lex muttered, earning a gentle laugh as she leaned in and kissed his forehead.

"…and why you're in love with me. I'll take the good with the bad."

"Hey," he felt ashamed of his own childish reactions, "today's just an anomaly. I gave adult Lex the night off," he tried for a joke, smiling tentatively, "maybe I need to sleep a little. Reset."

She nodded and stood, clutching the sheet close with one hand while she held the other out to him. "I think you're right. A good rest will do just that."