Rook shook her head before sighing as her smile faded a bit, “Alright, last question then you’re done for the night, okay?”

He nodded.

She took a deep breath before letting it out, her smile fading just a little.

“What exactly did you do with the, um, murder weapon…?” she asked flinching with the last two words.

He couldn’t help but flinch himself, “I’ve, uh, I’ve still got it…”

“You’ve still got it… short term, that could’ve been very bad Jer, you understand, that right?” she told him placing a hand on his shoulder.

“If it was found on me I’d be in jail.” He nodded, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

(I may be rusty but I’m not that rusty.)

“Alright, as long as you understand that. Long term though, this is good since you’ve still got it we can make sure it’s properly dealt with, okay?” she explained giving his shoulder light squeeze.

He nodded.

“Now, where is it?” she asked looking him in the eye.

He pulled the gun out flinching, knowing her reaction to using her gun to kill those guys.

“Y-you used this gun to kill someone?” she asked stunned.

“Y-yeah…” he admitted closing his eyes as he waited for the impending explosion.

When no such explosion came, he risked opening his eyes, well one of them anyway.

Rook was staring at the gun with an odd mix of emotions, and while none of them were necessarily positive, none of them were angry either.

(Shit… This, this somehow worse than her being pissed…)

“Is… is everything alright?”

Rook blinked.

“Hm? Yeah, don’t worry about it.”

Despite his issues with people, he was aware of the fact that since she said that while wiping at her eye, he probably should be worried.

“Just uh,” Rook glanced to the side, before giving him a wry grin, “Just when I said we were partners in crime I didn’t mean go make me your accomplice.”

He knew she was joking but still…

(And on top of it I made her an accomplice even before this…)

(Oh, shit I made her an accomplice even before this!)

(How I could I make that kind of fuck up?!)

(I’ve never dragged my people into my messes, like this!)

He frowned, as he remembered a relatively common and rudimentary revelation of his.

(I really am a shit friend…)

(Then again what’s new?)

(Is this any different from when you got Al-)

A shudder ran through him as he tried to shake away that thought. That very, very bad thought.

(Don’t think about it.)

(Inhale… 1… 2… 3… 4…)

(Exhale… 1… 2… 3… 4…)

(Don’t think about it.)

“Is that uh, everything?” he asked, more to distract himself than break the silence blanketing them.

“Yeah…” she sighed standing up finished with the gun.

“Go get some clothes and take a shower, the stuff you’re wearing now…” she gave him a once over before shaking her head, “put them in a bag and I’ll burn it later, I don’t want you anywhere near a fire.”

“Come on, that was an accident, I can be trusted around fire…” he told her defensively, “Besides you were there when I did that.”

“Which is why, I know you can’t actually be trusted around fire, my little pyro.” She smiled pulling on her jacket.

“I’m not a pyro, I just have a healthy admiration for explosions…”

(Aiden is a pyro. I’m more of a… demolitionist.)

(There’s a difference… I think…)

“Whatever… just try not to burn the place down again, and I’ll be back in a minute.” She told him opening the door to the apartment.