FRAMED - Cowboy Bebop fanfiction

Session 5

2 hours from Mars

The clock was ticking, and in a matter of hours, Spike would be down on one of Mars' busiest cities playing bait. The plan was to seduce Mack, take the chip out of her locket while she was distracted, and bring it back to the ship.

Quinn still remembered exactly how her former best friend would spend her nights alone after work. Mack wasn't a sociable woman, but she tended to frequent live music clubs in the area, more specifically, jazz clubs. Lucky for Spike, he fit right into the jazz club demographic. Now all he had to do was dress the part, and lucky for him, Quinn new exactly what to make him wear.

"Have either of you seen Spike?" Quinn asked Faye and Jet who were watching a movie in the living room.

"Not since we teased the life out of him," Jet replied. That was the last time she saw him; maybe they had taken the bullying a little bit too far.

"Any idea where he might be?" Quinn inquired, but they both shook their heads and continued to watch the movie.

Quinn found it odd that neither of them seemed to know where he was considering the relationships they all had with one another. She figured if anyone knew where he was, it would have had be one of them. She sighed, and walked away defeated. She'd have to find him on her own.

As she made her way throughout the ship, Quinn recalled the brief time she spent with Spike last night. For a moment she thought the memory might have only been a dream, but as she rounded the corner that led to the window filled corridor, she saw him practicing some sort of sparring routine on his own. Again, he was shirtless, and Quinn couldn't help but feel like she was intruding.

"Hey," Quinn called out to him as she tread down the long, empty hallway.

"I need to get you all suited up," she added as she approached, but Spike seemed fixated within his practice. Quinn stopped once she reached him. She folded her arms across her chest while Spike gave her a side eyed glance. He sighed before stretching, and untensing his body.

"Suited up?" He inquired, and Quinn nodded.

"I want this to work out, and if you want to successfully win her over you need to play the part correctly," Quinn declared, but Spike seemed dreadfully uninterested.

"I think I can dress myself," he jested, but Quinn was quick to rebut.

"Clearly not," she huffed as she gestured towards his bare torso. Spike let out short, exasperated laugh.

"If you insist," his voice trailed off as he pushed past her.

"Where are you going?" Quinn questioned as she followed him down the hallway.

"My room," he replied, and for some reason Quinn began to feel a warmth grow within her face.

"You coming?" Spike added as he turned around. Quinn blushed and began to follow behind him. For some reason the invitation made her heart race. She didn't quite know why, but whatever the reason was, she didn't mind the warmth that it brought. In fact, she really enjoyed it and she hoped to feel it more with him.

...

The walk to his room wasn't far, and Quinn discovered that it was in a hallway she had explored last night. Maybe that's why he was awake, she probably disturbed him in his sleep somehow. Spike pulled open the large, metal door to his room and stepped inside. Quinn followed closely behind him.

The room was on the side of small, but it seemed to contain everything a typical bedroom would have. Aside from the bed being unmade, the room itself was thoroughly clean and everything seemed to be well put together. Quinn closed the door behind her as Spike walked over towards a small, sliding door. He pulled it open to reveal a tiny closet jam packed with clothing.