Page 24 of Gates of Tartarus

He flashes me his secret grin, the one he keeps hidden that makes him look like a mischievous boy. “Sometime I’m going to surprise you.”

I snort, very unladylike, and he mock-frowns at me. Maddox is looking between the two of us curiously. “Tanaka’s never been to your place?” he says, obviously surprised.

“He doesn’t do boats,” I say, laughing. Deo looks affronted and turns to Maddox to explain.

“She’s making it sound unreasonable!” he protests. “It’s not unreasonable. Giant lumps of steel aren’t meant to float…”

“... Water displacement…” I whisper under my breath, and he growls at me.

“And don’t you start with the water-displacement thing!”

“But… ah… aren’t you like a collegiate swimming champion?” Maddox asks, clearly completely confused.

“It’s different,” Deo says obstinately. “Radically different. Aren’t we supposed to be working?”

He messes with his bag, refusing to look at us, and Maddox and I exchange gleeful smiles over his head.

“So… I just need to be clear for future planning… mission strategy... is itanyboat, or like... could you kayak if we needed to? A dingy? Inner tube...?” Maddox begins, and my grin turns to full-blown giggles as Deo groans softly into his hands.

“Hey man, don’t let the bastards grind you down, or whatever.” Jonah’s sleepy, smoky voice washes over me as he enters the rooms, eyelids at half mast, like a cuddly, tired sloth, and as he walks towards his place next to me, he reaches out and ruffles Deo’s hair. “It’s okay, big guy.”

We all freeze as Hideo whips his head up incredulously, and Jonah stares at his hand like it betrayed him. I literally donotknow what to do. I’m fighting with everything in me not to laugh at the looks on their faces – Jonah, frozen in position, hand still outstretched, and Hideo’s face, locked in disbelieving astonishment. Deo looks Jonah over silently, then asks in a soft, dangerous voice, “Did you... did you justpatmyhead?”

Jonah stutters slightly, and I can’t keep in the hilarity any longer, throwing my head back, liquid laughter bubbling out, almost visible in rainbow waves of pure amusement. Tears run down my face, and Madds starts laughing with me, his thunder rumble low in his chest, wrapping around me in storm clouds and lightning, resonating off my own laughter, and pushing out from me. Jonah grins immediately, and even Deo’s lips turn up into a reluctant smile at first, then his rare, musical laughter lights up my psyche like fireworks. It’s… it’s a fuckingorgasmof sound, hearing the three of them laughing together.

“What thefuckis happening?” comes Walker’s confused voice, and I try to reply through giggles, squeaking out a high-pitched “Jonah... Deo…” and then lose the plot again.

Walker grins down at me, dimples flashing, then asks the guys, “What did you do? You break her?” He looks at me, faux concern lining his face, and pokes my side, which sets me off even more. “You broke her!” he says accusingly, frowning at the rest of the team. “How do we get normal Kai back? This one’s too cheerful. Gonna start coming to work in glitter and heels or some shit. Rainbow unicorn hair ties.”

He squats down in front of me, meeting my eyes, and says seriously, “Orphaned kittens. Sad puppies… Um… melted ice cream… no coffee.”

I try, I really do, but every word has his dimples show, just a little, and his eyes are warm and laughing, and happiness loops through the room, connecting me to all the guys and fueling my reserves. It’s a shot of pure adrenaline, coursing through me. Nothing feels better than happiness, smooth and pure, and it wraps around me, sinking into my skin, a soothing balm that crushes my dark mood from earlier this morning. For just a moment, just a brief moment, everything feels right, and real, and I relax into the sweetness.

Maddox’s phone rings with a sharp, alarm-like tone, and he looks down at it with a frown, then sighs, his shoulders tensing. He plants his hands on the table in front of him, then meets my eyes reluctantly, apology written in them clear as day.

“So, team. Gomez is on her way in to answer some questions for us.”

The mood crashes, an avalanche of rock-like emotion burying me under sharp edges and suffocating weight. Slamming my walls back into place, I take a few deep breaths before looking back up at the team, all of whom have concern written in every line of their faces. I force a small smile and shrug slightly. “You guys don’t think I can handle the Dragon?” I say jokingly. “I’m hurt.”

Jonah places a hand gently on my back as he sits next to me, and even with my shields firmly in place I can feel his intrinsic cheerfulness rubbing against me, like a cat, a soft purr of emotion, and I incline my head towards him in thanks. He’s like a Duracell battery for me – any time I feel run down or anxious or upset, Jonah just needs to be near me, radiating his natural goodness, and it charges me up, reinforcing my shields and giving me strength.

“Of course we know you can handle just about anything, Kai,” he says seriously. “We just maybe wish you didn’t have to. And that we didn’t have to,” he adds as an afterthought. “Gomez is a highly unpleasant person to be around.”

“Really, Mr. Shotridge. I would assumesomelevel of professionalism from a member of the Seattle Police Department. But clearly that’s expecting far too much of you.”

Jonah’s jaw clenches as the grating, sickeningly sweet sound of Gomez’s voice pushes into the room, but he responds in a level tone, without turning to look at her, saying, “Thatwasme being professional. If I were beingunprofessional I would have said something like, ‘She’s a vindictive, secretive mud troll who thrives off other people’s pain and misery,’ but I’d never say something like that because. You know. Manners and stuff.”

The corners of my mouth twist up slightly as I meet his eyes, and I mouth, “Mud troll?” with my eyebrows raised.

He shrugs and says, “If the shoe fits…”

Gomez heaves a very audible sigh and directs her attention towards Maddox. “Agent Smith?” she begins impatiently. “I have things to do. What was sodirelyimportant that you had me delay my trip to D.C.? And let me preface that it had better be good.”

“Well,” Maddox replies with unusual heat, “It’s about you and dead bodies. How does that strike you? Jesus fucking Christ. Director Gomez,” he adds as an afterthought.

“Thatstrikesme,” she says tightly, “As something I’d need to have my lawyer around for, based on the way you’re introducing it. In which case we can reconvene tomorrow, with my representation. Ms. Reed,” she says sharply, “Perhaps you’d be good enough to walk me out. We have some things I’d like to discuss.”

Deo stands, hovering over me protectively, and puts a hand on my shoulder, both keeping me still and silencing me. “I’ll walk you out, Director Gomez,” he says, voice cool and polite.

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