Take a Shot

Protector

I tried to keep my calm as Matt stared me down. I wasn't used to him having so much vitriol in his glare, but I'd been ignoring it for several days now. Surely, he wasn't that mad that I'd kissed him to get out of a sticky situation. He'd managed to talk us out of it, after all. I didn't know what the big deal was, and I didn't really want to ask. I normally didn't mind confrontation, but he was holding this grudge with a vengeance.

I clicked my tongue, picking under my nails with my knife. Our presenter finished up quickly and dismissed us, so the room started to empty. I looked around, gaze ending at my partner, across the long table from me and two seats to my left, as per his standing.

"What the fuck are you looking at?"

A few of the others left started packing things more quickly. The edge in my tone had been unmistakable, and no one wanted to get caught in one of mine and Matt's legendary quarrels.

"Trying to figure out where you get the audacity."  Matt's eyes narrowed as he leaned back in his chair. The packing quickened to a fever pitch, the last of the meeting-goers scrambling out of the room and slamming the door behind them. I frowned, setting my knife on the table before crossing my arms. Matt gestured vaguely with his right hand. "You've changed how we function."

Oh shit, he was mad that I had kissed him. Well, that hurt a little more than I'd expected it to, but that could be dealt with later. I raised my eyebrows but said nothing.

He huffed, "We used to do almost everything, like, reasonably. And that was scary for me, sure, but it relieved some of the pressure on you. I felt...useful, and like you could trust me, and did. But now? Em, you are always trying to take me out of the line of fire."

"Yeah, just gonna let you get kidnapped from here out, my bad," I droned, frowning. He rolled his eyes.

"Obviously, I appreciate your protection. We have our roles, but I need you to understand that sometimes my role puts me in danger, just like yours does. Why did we spend so much time working through poisons and how to avoid them, so much time training me in self-defense, if you're never gonna let me get close to that kind of stuff?"

I looked over his face. He was serious.

"It's my job, Matt."

He narrowed his eyes, leaning forward onto the table. "That's funny, I thought you were 'an assassin, Matt'," he said with those stupid fucking air quotes, "But now you're telling me you're a bodyguard? Which is it?"

I ground my teeth together. Gods, I hated when he did this. "It's both."

"Mmm, I sure hope you're getting paid for both jobs, then, Em, because that sounds like two very different positions," Matt goaded, raising his eyebrows. "I mean, really, isn't Gee asking a bit much of you, to do both? Surely, sometimes you have conflicting interests?"

"Shove it up your ass," I growled. Why was he doing this? "What are you trying to get my hackles up about?"

"Nothing, nothing," he taunted, raising his hands up in faux-surrender and leaning back into his chair. "Just saying, seems complicated to juggle both, that's all." He crossed his arms, mimicking my position. I squinted.

"Whatever you're trying to say, spit it out. You know I hate this passive-aggressive game."

"I've already said it. Figure it out, smartass."

My fingers twitched in irritation. He was begging me to fly across this table and strangle him. What a dick. What was this about? He said he'd already told me..."You're fucking irritating."

He shrugged, saying nothing. Repressed magic boiled in my blood as I sat still, staring him down. He wouldn't look at me, head tipped up to the ceiling as I fumed. So this was obviously important to him. This was never an easy game for me, but it didn't look like he was going to budge and my "why is Matt upset today" checklist was tried-and-tested, so I might as well get counting.