She had to prove herself and her loyalty. The sleep study hung like a guillotine above her head, but still, many of her bosses were unaware of the nature of their sleep discrepancies, of who caused it. While many were cleaning up Sootopolis, she did her best to manage the lower end operations. She played handler for smaller players in the grand scheme of Rocket. [break][break]

Easy, thankless, invisible work. She was aiming for quantity over quality in terms of grunt contributions, and quality over quantity for her research contributions to the organization. [break][break]

Admittedly, her guard had been too down. [break][break]

Lucario used extreme speed to knock the cuffs from the assailant's hands. Ameena whistled to stop the Lucario from punching the masked guy, though his confusion was clear as day. But Ameena could recognize the combination before her: tall drink of water with cuffs and a desire to take in the criminal element? Who else could it be? "You recovered well," she greeted. [break][break]

She didn't know how long the man he'd tried to take in would be knocked out for, but she intended to make the most of their reunion. "I woke with a crick in my neck, by the way." Her tone grew a little sharper, but still playful. He had left her in Mossdeep, defenseless. But then, she could do little for him in Sootopolis besides a general healing pulse... and he had looked battered in that hospital bed.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

Cute. [break][break]

She held her arms up like anyone would at gun point. "You wanted to kill me, as I recall. That mission of yours. But hey, we can keep things civil. I have left my sleepy-time pokemon in their capsules. Surely, you can keep your gun in its holster." She took a step away from him, but only to sit on a storage crate. The position revealed her own firearm at her hip. [break][break]

"No harm in talking, right? There is no warfront between us now." A bit of teasing, taunting; the dangling of opportunity between them when they'd both talked plenty last time. They both had nothing to show for it. She knew he couldn't be pulled to her side in a day. In a week. But she was patient. [break][break]

Her goal today was simpler. She felt coy could only get her so far, so the direct approach was the new strategy. "I want to see how your throat has healed." She beckoned him, though she was sure he wouldn't be so obedient. Nothing was easy with him.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

She had a few statements about what a good boy he was and how things went better when he simply behaved, but it all sizzled on her tongue and died at the sight of his scar. Her face dropped, but there was clear anger simmering behind her eyes. She wants to pull him close and taste it just as much as she wants to gut the woman behind it. [break][break]

But she can't punish his giving by taking. [break][break]

He allowed her request, so she'd allow his question. "I made it to Sootopolis. A little late, but I was there. I was near Necrozma and the singing Champion." She doesn't mention her battle with Yuina. In truth, Ameena only remembers how the fight felt. She has bare snapshots of the fight. [break][break]

"I made my way past the Dyna Tree from my original position. I ended up above you, right before that origin pulse struck. I had Gardevoir use healing pulse. There were so many people in the water." Him and the woman who attacked him, but she'd also seen Cillian, Tempest, and countless civilians swept into the bloody tides.

Her turn for a question. "Who was the woman you fought with?"

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

Yes, it was her. She smiled, though the victorious expression was washed away with concern as he confessed he didn't know the Rocket that had struck him. She would have to figure it out herself, then. [break][break]

She shrugged at his prodding. "You should have shot me a minute ago. We make poor enemies, don't we?" She sighed, relaxing. It was easy to let go over the mountains of stress she carried when he was around. She trusted his competence and felt safe in his presence despite being at the end of his gun just a moment ago. [break][break]

"I think Mossdeep made it clear that we simply are not made for killing each other. So long as we keep each other from accomplishing their goal, we are keeping our allegiances, are we not?" She leaned forward on the box she sat, sizing him up. "I can think of a few ways you can keep me occupied." The dream mist had made it clear they both felt it, that spark. Fuck the politics surrounding it. The lines were drawn, but they were both smudging it. Her and her healing, him and his mercy.[break][break]

She could content herself with the dance, with the cat and mouse, with the yearning, for now. He would yield to her will eventually. He would be hers, and they could accomplish great things. She'd promised to never ask him to do anything to damage his conscience; she could keep him from the most damning Rocket assignments and help him achieve his goal of saving others, if only he would let himself. She would need to apply little pressure if the League kept fucking up and growing extreme in their measures to win.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

The more insistent he was about his way, the more rewarding the prize that he dangled in front of her every time their paths crossed. Gods, she wanted him, and she would have him in this realm or another. [break][break]

"I remember plenty," she answered evasively, pleased as punch to see him step closer. "And unconscious is usually the opposite of a problem." She cared not for the nameless grunts around her, smaller cogs in a machine. The mental image of him unconscious sparked greater interest, though not of the scientific variety. [break][break]

She hummed thoughtfully. "So force me," she challenged, a glint in her eye as she tugged him close for a kiss, urging his body to bend towards her like a magnet. Her hands sought out his jaw to hold him close and feel him after being apart for long enough, after the last time being dreamlike.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

Her breath caught in her chest. It felt like the stars aligned whenever they touched, and she felt like she was floating out of her body and watching from a third person perspective - which, to be fair, was a delightful sight. She was reluctant to let him pull away, keeping her hands braced against his chest. [break][break]

Ah. [break][break]

So that's how they were playing it. [break][break]

Like it was yesterday, she recalled what he'd said the first time he wanted to take her in. She rose from her seat and followed him, pulled along like the string of fate was knotted between them. "I hope this is where we have some fun with your cuffs, Officer James. I assure you," she said with a hand dancing across his shoulders, "I can be pretty damn reasonable... when you give me what I want."

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

"I have come around," she answered, though she much preferred the cuffs on him instead. In fact, it was an image that had cut more than one workday short for herself... [break][break]

In the patrol car, she had to face the window to prevent him from seeing just how pleased she was, like the litten that got the cream. She got under his skin just as much as he got under hers. Of course, that didn't mean she'd make things easy for him. Her hand found his thigh only a few minutes into their trip. "So," she drawled, "I am trusting that you are taking me somewhere fun instead of somewhere cold and dark and punishing... and I think that warrants a reward, surely?"[break][break]

She squeezed his leg. A test of wills. "How about you pull over first?" Her hand drifted elsewhere.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – [break][break]