Who We Were (Abby Anderson x FemOC)

Chapter 9: Self-Defense

 "Her first kill, huh?" Manny said with a smile. Abby nodded.

"Yep. Well, her first Scar anyway. And a clicker, before that. It was pretty impressive. Girl holds up under pressure," she said proudly.

She took another bite of her dinner, still thinking about the patrol.

"Glad you took her?" Manny asked.

"Am I glad I didn't die today? Yeah, Manny, I am," she said sarcastically.

"No, I said are you glad you took her."

Abby looked at Manny and raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Abs, I know you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"No one else was available this morning?"

"I didn't– "

"You'd rather go and bother Isaac at 5 in the morning to ask him to specially clear her rather than take someone else?" Manny asked with a smirk.

Caught. Abby smirked back.

"Okay, okay. I hear you. No need to be so..."

"Right? Inteligente?" Manny said, rubbing it in. Abby rolled her eyes. "So when will you see her again?"

"God, Manny, it wasn't a date. It was just patrol."

"Right... so a date for you is what, a training session? Or maybe we should have a party?"

Abby was nearly blushing now.

"I don't date. We know this."

"Whatever you say."

They finished up and returned their plates to the kitchen. Manny left to go visit his dad, which meant Abby was free to be alone in their room for a while. No better way to decompress after an arrow injury to the shoulder than go read in a moment of quiet in the apartment. So she went home. She took a shower, taking care to not reopen her wound or wet the bandage that the medics had put over her stitches. She brushed her hair, choosing to leave it down since now was one of the few times she didn't have any further plans for the evening. She chose her comfiest clothes, a pair of black sweats and a soft white tank top, and went and lay on her bed.

She didn't often go around telling people about it, but this was one of Abby's favorite ways to spend the limited free time she had. She enjoyed a party every now and then, but being entirely scrubbed clean and able to relax alone in her room was something else entirely, if she could let herself relax. It was hard to turn off the 'soldier's brain' sometimes, almost constantly worrying about the state of the stadium, her next supply run, or Isaac's next big idea. But when she could, it was bliss.

She made it through several pages before her body and brain began to feel the effects of the day, and she was way more tired than she'd expected given their short patrol. It must've been the adrenaline. She checked her watch and it was only 6 PM, hardly time to go to bed. Maybe a nap. But before she could allow herself to consider it, there was a knock on the door. She almost groaned in protest. But when she opened the door, it was the one person she would've most wanted it to be.

"Hey," Jess said, her smile dropping quickly when she noticed Abby's tired face. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I was just reading. Come on in."

Jess breezed past Abby and into the kitchen area. She, too, was freshly showered, smelling of honey soap and wearing a gray pair of sweatpants and a black hoodie, wavy hair just starting to dry.