Temp almost sent the bacon sailing through the air when he heard a scream.

"AH!" He echoed back, whirling around, brandishing his spatula like a weapon.

He just barely caught the tail-end of Serena Malcolm slamming into a wall, wincing in sympathy as she fell down. Then there were the first specks of blood that he could see, and while Temp was pretty freaked out (who the hell was this?) his good nature tugged at him more than sense.

Grabbing the dish towel he had been using, Temp walked over and knelt down, trying to push it in her hands gently.

"Hey, hey... uh... you okay there? Should I grab some ice for that?"

Sadly for Serena, he was, after all, still naked and squatted down next to her.

Cillian Quinn

It was only now that Temp had the sense to remember that, oh yeah, he was naked. It was only Serena Malcolm's blush that clued him in. He laughed, not ashamed of his nudity, but he did have the mind to straighten up and cup his hands over himself for a little modesty.

"Sorry, sorry.... He's in the shower right now. Want me to go grab him?" He moved back over to the stove, turned it off and moved the pans to not cause a fire, and grabbed a 'Kiss the Cook' apron to wrap around his front for the moment.

Wouldn't hide his ass, but it was an attempt.

"Oh! Uh, I'm Temp, by the way!"

"Hey, it's fine, dude! Like, I mean, I'm some naked guy you don't know, so, like, I might scream too..." Maybe not run into a wall, but it would sure shock him. Temp would probably try to punch them.

A quick look over of the food was given which passed his check. Temp was also pretty sure he heard the shower shut off, so he would take this as his chance to escape while he could. It wasn't anything personal! Temp just needed to go change so he could get to work!

"I gotta go! You have a nice day! There should be enough food here for you, too! I'll go get Gav!" He gave his own awkward wave as he vanished down the hall, intent on letting Cillian Quinn know that Serena Malcolm needed him.

Over the sound of the shower and through the walls of the house, Gavin hadn't heard the commotion going on in his kitchen. It's luck that sees him step out of the shower just as Tempest Quinn makes his way down the hall — or perhaps the stars have simply aligned in poor Serena Malcolm's favour.

He's wrapping a towel around his waist and drying his hair when his lover informs him that he's needed.

"Thanks, babe." He'd kiss Tempest Quinn on the cheek and bid him, "Have fun at work," none the wiser of what awkward scene he'd narrowly missed.

When he enters the kitchen, he's blessedly fully dressed.

"Sera." She's staying at his house, so the sight of her isn't out of the ordinary, but, "Been a few; everything OK? Temp said you needed me for something."

He steps over to the coffee maker to pour himself a cup, piling a few heart-shaped strawberries onto a waffle with a fond smile. What a dork.

---

1/4 - stars align

Belatedly, he registers the bloodied towel that Serena Malcolm holds to her nose. Assuming it to be nothing more than an unfortunate nosebleed, he disregards it and waves a dismissive hand when she offers to replace the towel.

"Don't worry about it."

She suggests he sit down, and Gavin grimaces.

"That bad, huh?"

Bracing himself, he sits down at the kitchen island and takes a long sip of his coffee. There's a hint of cinnamon, of ginger — the seasonal blend of pumpkin spice, no doubt. He takes another sip and feels it burn down his throat before setting down the mug.

"Start wherever you're comfortable."

---

2/4 - pumpkin spice

Gavin adopts a contemplative silence as she begins.

At the mention of a civilian, his amber eyes narrow. He might've brushed aside concern if not for how this conversation had started. Serena Malcolm approached him with the grave tone of someone who was expecting trouble.

His jaw shifts as she mentioned having told her partner about what she did.

But still, he doesn't speak.

Then her story shifts, and she brings up a name he's heard before. Greyson Connors. Gavin doesn't know the name DANNY HALL, but surmises him to be the boyfriend Serena had been referring to. His grim expression darkens further.

It's not until she asks him a direct question that Gavin answers.

"Plans change. That's not the problem, here." There's a low undercurrent of threat in his voice. She's seen him angry, before, but never had it directed at her. His anger is quiet, intense. "The problem is that someone you brought into our midst, someone you decided to trust, has been leaking information to the League."

He wraps his hands around his coffee mug, letting the heat ground him.

"You clean up your mess, is what you do."

"Where do you think you're going?

He speaks before she's had the chance to fully rise out of her chair, though makes no physical move to stop her.

"I want to know how you plan to handle the situation."

I want to know that I can trust you to handle it.

He's put a lot of faith in Serena Malcolm, his protege. Pressure mounts with the fear that he's made an error in his judgement, but alongside it is concern — he cares for her, and he knows how this road ends if she doesn't fix the situation.

He doesn't want it to come to that.