parker stares at her back as she politely holds the door out for her - first the interior garage door and then the shop's front. she draws her keys out and locks up, shoves her hands right back into her pockets as they walk because fuck if it isn't freezing. amulius would be a welcome companion right now, but she hasn't counted herself off the radar just yet. 

"ha-ha. well, just remember - us debt collectors always get our due." her tone has a teasing lilt to it. 

the walk is short and brisk. they shave off a couple of minutes just by proxy of parker freezing her ass off. once inside, she shivers into the warmth; one of the waitresses is already there holding her to-go back, smiling that sweet smile of hers. 

"thanks, mils," she says and fishes out her bills. millie looks at nina reproachfully, gaze sliding only when parker raises the money to her. they exchange goods and parker winks.

back outside, the smell makes her mouth water. she looks at the receipt and nods appreciatively. "nice. shoulda said something. their burgers are fuckin' fantastic." 

nina larson

☉

"literally," she agrees. she shoves a hand into the bag and snatches a couple of hot fries to scarf down before closing it back up - don't want it getting cold before they can really dig into it. her chewing slows when nina prods her and she chuckles before swallowing. 

"you caught that, eh? don't mind millie; she's all jealous looks and no bite. 'cept i think she stabbed someone once, but that's neither here nor there." she shrugs and shoots nina a wry smile. "she probs thinks you're my new beau."

parker snorts and picks up the pace. "fuck, it's cold. c'mon."

nina larson

☉

"i think it's charming," parker says with a snicker. she's shivering to the bone by the time they make it back, though luckily without incident. she thanks fate for the good fortune and breathes into too-cold fingers. 

wolf had dutifully taken a nap while they were away and he stirs sleepily. he takes his time getting to his feet, but hastens when he smells food. parker tosses him a couple of her fries and then breaks out the boxes, sliding nina hers. 

then she sweeps the plans off the desk and plops her food down, grabs a rogue pokeball with a flame etched into its side and releases it. at her order, the cyndaquil's back lights up with a low spark and helps warm her up. 

in the back corner of the room, she fiddles with an old keurig maker. has to press the top open a couple of times to get it to unlatch. "'kay. i'm makin' a brew 'cause i'm stayin' up. wolf can probably go snag you a blanket from somewhere. otherwise, you can learn how to put a car together tonight."

nina larson

☉

with another cup of coffee to hold nina over as well, parker gets them back to work. wolf works his ass off alongside them while kelsier shuffles close, occasionally falling asleep with mutable flames fanning warmth over them. once or twice they need help from their pokemon with some of the heavy lifting, but after hours of work, the car looks less like a sexy hunk of trash and more like a sexy hunk. 

the bruising under them is nothing compared to the giddy glow in her eyes as parker steps back and waves a hand to nina. she sets down her coffee mug on the workshop table, sloshing some of it onto the floor in her haste. 

parker grabs the keys from beside the mug and tosses them at nina. 

"alright. give 'er a go."

nina larson

☉

"it's so hot. hot 'n sexy 'n fuckin' fan-fuckin'-tastic," she roars as the engine comes to life. a tap on the gas revs it and parker feels it down her spine, sends shockwaves that make her knees twitch. her hips give a shimmy and the short victory dance saps the last of her energy. 

kelsier scrambles out of her beat-up swivel chair before she can smoosh him. her forearms rest on her thighs, back curled, and she dips her head down far enough to draw her fingers through her locks. 

when she comes back up, it's with a face of rapture - chin back, shoulder blades relaxed, lips slack. she exhales.

"and look, thanks to you, we got enough time to pass the fuck out 'til practice." a few hours of practice and then the race.

i'm comin' for you, sea witch.

nina larson

☉

parker snickers when nina falls asleep with her head against the steering wheel. she pats the likewise sleepy cyndaquil beside her. kelsier's little mouth opens wide in a half-asleep yawn. parker stands and rummages around quietly for a blanket. she shakes out (most of) the dust on it and settles it as gingerly as she can over nina's shoulders. 

she thinks, at first, that she might sleep. she's good at falling asleep on command, but the anticipation is making her stomach turn. so she excuses herself from the garage and goes into the candy shop and passes the time by doing push-ups. by restocking the store. by going over budgeting spreadsheets. 

and when dawn rears its glowing head, she goes back into the garage and leans over; the garage door rattles loudly as she yanks it upward. 

"rise 'n shine, sunshine."

nina larson

☉

"someone had to keep watch and make sure we didn't have any big bad wolves knocking on our door," she jokes. a knock on the interior door is followed swiftly by sal poking his head in. his grey-white hair is still mussed from sleep and he's swathed in a robe decorate with little pixel lollipops. 

"morning, girls. i made breakfast. no, shut your mouth, park. they're breakfast sandwiches so you can take them to go."

parker winks at nina and gathers her pokeball belt, shrugs on her finally-dried jacket, and slides into the passenger seat. sal has the breakfast sandwiches in hand, wrapped neatly in paper napkins, and throws them unceremoniously in parker's lap before she can shut the door.

"you take it slow out there. go down king's or swallow's. mrs. dubois says she hasn't seen any trouble near her place."

parker stretches out, thanks sal with a glowing smile, and keeps on smiling at his back as he shuffles off. 

"let's take swallow ave. it's closer to the circuit. ready to give her a go?"

nina larson

☉