sixthiterationlogs | And yet no greater, but more eminent

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And yet no greater, but more eminent

WHO: Jake Jensen
WHERE: Around the village, further out from the village, in house 8 and the Inn
WHEN: First part of January
OPEN TO: Anyone
WARNINGS: None really applicable

A new education, the same skills - The Inn, the Village, and Beyond

They lived close enough to the Inn that Jake just considered it a second part of their home. Easy enough to go over there many a morning for breakfast, pour over some of the notes left there by others, gather a few odds and ends and head out for the day. Sometimes he'd be gone a few days, others he could be seen trudging back late into the evening.

Some days he can be seen closer to the village, collecting withering flowers, or using paper cones from pages torn from the back of a book to try and gather up dust moths and glass ants. Utilizing his ready and Cougar's notes, he steals items from their own kitchen and the "lost and found" at the inn to help him harvest and gather things he takes back to the house.

Christmas might be late, but it's appreciated - House #8, South Village

It all kind of happens at once. There's a box sitting on the counter in the kitchen. A plain white box with no bow or ribbon. Within is a very familiar looking pirate hat, battered and worn, and a package of boxers. Black with red hearts. A pair in a muted Hawaiian print. A third leopard print.

As he's standing there, marveling over how those items ended up here, just as he has taken to Cougar's words, the lights come on in the kitchen. It doesn't take long to learn there are working lights throughout the house, the stove no works, and there's a sewing machine in the third bedroom. It's as if whatever powers that be knew of Jake's new endeavor and are helping. Maybe they are observers after all.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth though, Jake is quick to strip down into boxers, put the hat on and get working. Anyone that comes by the house many a day of the week, either coming to the door or catching a glimpse through the kitchen window, might catch sight of Jake in silly boxers and a pirate hat, humming under his breath as he works on various projects that including brewing things on the stove, and doing his damnedest to get dust from moths without losing his memory in the process.

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"Okay one? Yes. Two, that's not fair and you fucking know it," he says, the last almost an accusation. "I trust you to do whatever you have to so I don't get hurt, which means dealing with what you shouldn't have to just because I'm going like nuts here."

He sighs, slumping in his seat and just staring at Cougar. "I don't wanna hurt you. Cougar, I..." he shakes his head, not sure how to put into words emotions he's never thought he could actually have. Instead biting at his lip as he folds his arms over his chest, petulant and not liking this at all. "I can do this without freaking out, if that's what you're worried about. I'll know what I'm doing this time."

He tips his head to the side, cocking it to tell Jake that he knows it's plenty fair, because if it means that Jake is going to be willing to split the responsibility, then he's going to keep pushing that. "We share," he says again. "If you don't let me do it, then you don't do it," is his final word on the subject.

Because how is he supposed to be okay with Jake testing it on himself if he won't let Cougar test it. "If it's safe, it will be fine. If not safe, you don't do it," he says sharply.

He wanted to argue that it's not like he hasn't done this before, just in a different way. It was his signature on every back door, trip wire, and virus that he'd used to infiltrate everything from government facilities to criminal enterprises, and he hadn't let that stop him from doing it. They came after him, so be it.

So it's hard for him now to let someone else be risked for what he is doing. He hasn't before, and he hates doing it now. Especially to Cougar.

"Since when has anything we've ever done been safe," he argues, softer though, not willing to concede defeat, but not fighting anymore either.

Jake's right, of course he is, but they went into that with their eyes open and together. It's not like at the port of Los Angeles that Jake went in and Cougar didn't. They take the risks together. "We take it in turns," he says, happy that they've settled this, even if Jake's not happy with it.

He trusts Jake completely to make sure it's safe, so he gives a firm nod and leans in to kiss his cheek. "You can test first," he offers, like an olive branch.

It's always been hard risking Cougar, and before this place he hasn't really had to worry about it. Cougar has always been above it all, looking down, picking off targets. Now he's in the thick of it more than ever, and he worries about him.

Which is amusing given all the times that Cougar has saved his ass.

"Fine. I can agree to that," he says, leaning into Cougar for a minute. "And we can start with the ones that have a possible antidote. So it doesn't last long."

Good. He didn't want this to have to turn into a fight, but he thinks that it had been creeping near to it. Lucky for the both of them, they can avoid it. "Good," he says, out loud, echoing his thoughts.

He gives Jake a rewarding peck to the temple before easing back, his stance clearly pleased that he managed to get his way, even though his way basically means a bit of danger for him. That said, he knows he'll be sitting there, ready and waiting, with the antidote in hand for Jake and he doesn't doubt the reverse will happen, too.

"You're genius," he points out. "It will be fine."

"Okay, let me finish putting a few things together," he says at that kiss, liking that. A lot. There's these little intimacies between them that is really starting to mean a lot to him. "And we'll test the first one."

He pauses, and then adds. "You'll test it out, and we'll see how that works."

There. See? He can compromise.

Cougar settles back from the kiss and heads to the kitchen so that he can perch on the counter, legs dangling from it as he watches Jake, giving him a nod to confirm that it's a good plan. With his ability to stay calm about most things, he knows it will work out.

Besides, then they can test on Jake and have more results, to see what it does to two very different people.

"You pick," he allows, like this is the declaration Jake is waiting for.

Turning his head, he watches Cougar settle in and it makes him smile. It's how they are, and why he always feels safe. Cougar has his six, and he's there, and that's what matters.

"I'm thinking some of them? We might go out hunting to test. I know the patrols and the talks of walls and all and they're thinking something large scale will come, but me? I'm thinking winter and snow, and starving predatory animals, you know?"

No, he doesn't want to think that, but Jake's right. Starving animals looking for something to eat will definitely be a real concern sooner rather than later, but it's also not too difficult to defend against. If he has a weapon and a place to nest, he can easily dismiss the threats.

If he has Jake's experiments, he knows it will go even better.

What he wants to know, though, is, "Which new thing?" are they going to start with?

Jake pauses, considering that as he looks over them, head canting. "There's one that lets you electrocute things and, well I find this a useful thing, it shuts down the device for a couple of hours. I have more of the speedy seeds, and the dust, but we know what those do. Especially the seeds, since both Ty and I used them," he admits, knowing that he and TY encouraged one another more than perhaps was safe.

Cougar likes the idea of being able to zap things and his eyes widen a fraction, which should tell Jake exactly how excited he is about it. He nods, vehemently, because he wants that one, to do that one, yes. He wants to see how far it can go, because he needs something that can mimic his skills from before.

"Good," he says firmly. "We can start tomorrow."

First, they need good sleep and then to warm up, because even if it's not like an actual mission, they should treat it like one.

Jake grins at that, sitting back in his chair. "Okay then. We'll start there then," he says with a nod. "I've got some already collected, so shouldn't be a problem testing it out." Pausing though, smiling a bit at that. "Tomorrow," he says, finding that much easier to agree to after the rest.

"Is that an offer to go to bed?"

He's not impressed and his look shows it. Yes, usually he would want to get up to all kinds of things, but he's still a soldier at heart, and the night before a mission is when you focus, or things can go very badly, very quickly.

"For sleeping," he insists, with the air of 'I outrank you' even if it's just barely. That doesn't mean he doesn't plan to bring it up every chance he gets.

"You're no fun," he says, smirking at him and definitely not at all bothered by that. He's never been in this position before, and damn right he's going to take advantage of it.

"Let me finish cleaning up all of this here," he says, gesturing to where he's been working things out.

He's already stripping off his shirt to head to bed, heading up to the bedroom where he's going to enjoy bedding down for the night, wrapped up in Jake, even if he doesn't intend for anything to happen. They need to be sharp for the morning, which means no touching.

It's just one more of the things that Jake is going to get to learn about Cougar and hopefully even love, despite the fact that he's having something denied of him.

A combination of his past, his emotions, and all that he's been through, and having whatever Cougar is willing to give is enough for Jake. Already he has more than he thought he might have, and he is not going to ever ask for more than Cougar is willing to give. If he lays down a limit, Jake will obey it no matter how he feels. There's nothing in him willing to risk what he has, the chances he has with Cougar.

It doesn't take him long to clean up, making sure anything that might have the dust on it is secured to be washed, all of the table is cleaning, and still being amazed at having lights and a working stove.

When he comes to the door, he pauses there though. "Would you rather I stay in the other room tonight?"

Cougar shakes his head and coaxes Jake in with a little crook of his fingers, because he might be determined for the both of them to test out Jake's experiments in the morning, but he also doesn't want him to go away. "No sex doesn't mean separation," he clarifies.

"We'll keep it in our pants," he guarantees, patting the bed beside him. "Come."

"Just not something we've had to deal with yet, and I didn't want to be a bother," he says, moving closer. "It's okay if you want it that way though. I won't be offended."

He wouldn't either, and only a tiny bit because he expects to overstep boundaries and become annoying at some point. He's been pretty grateful it hasn't happened yet, to be honest.

But he does come over, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Cougar lies back in the bed and reaches out to pluck at Jake's shirt to pull him down to sleep, turning so that he can let Jake be the big spoon if he wants, knowing that they're going to need their full senses around them tomorrow, but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy being like this when they sleep.

Besides, Jake keeps the nightmares away. He has to hope that Jake realizes that, because it means so very much to him.

Jake smiles at that, loving the way Cougar is. Letting himself be tugged down, carefully stretching out beside Cougar. Smiling at how he lays, so he scoots to curl himself in behind him, sliding a hand along his hip, curving around to lay on his stomach and hold him close.

"I want to be here," he says, wanting to make sure Cougar knows that. "But I also... I don't assume, okay?"

Even as he says it, his arm tightens around Cougar. "I always want to be with you."

Cougar turns to give Jake a nod of his head, because he does understand. He wants to have the closeness they have, always, because it's something he never gets. He wants to be with Jake, even if he still thinks of himself as broken, but he thinks that it will work.

They're going to make it work. "Okay," is what he says, and it's not just an 'okay' to what he's saying, but that he understands it all. "I know. Okay."

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And yet no greater, but more eminent

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