The Man between my crosshairs (girl X assassin)

Chapter 25/Castro Colony

A/N Short chapter... 

Neither Zoe or Ryder got much sleep that night. The pair had agreed to return to the fight to the death after 8:00 in the morning. This way they could enjoy the Champagne and bubbles in the tub together. That was followed by a second round of kissing in the shower. They ended up in bed together and they basically did a good impression of two fighting chipmunks in a sack. Then the talked. Eventually, Jeeves and his Edo part had to come in and watch their opposite master to ensure no 'planning' was going on and the other could sleep.

Zoe had a wild night's sleep. Generally, she could handle pressure pretty good. There was a time she was being hunted in the jungles of Krm for four days that had been a breeze compared to this. Now for the first time in her life, she felt terrible about killing someone. Half of her was basically wanting to give up her life for Ryder so he could live. The other half of her was shocked and horrified about this. This was Zoe the orphan, Zoe the survivor. She wanted to live no matter the cost. Ryder had to die. She couldn't give up. She wondered about running away. The headsmen were good, possibly the best assassins. Every good assassin could hunt track people down but the headsmen could hunt ghosts. Headsmen would track people for 20 years then finally kill whoever they hunted, they didn't give up. On the run she would have to be constantly running, looking over her shoulder. If she ran with Ryder they would have two headsmen or whatever his equivalent was. That wasn't a good choice.

It was small consolation that she woke up with Ryder next to her. Flesh to flesh. It seemed easy and natural with him. She guessed it was because she could be her self. She wasn't being someone she had invented. She was evil, she killed for money, she enjoyed the life her regrets would fit into a clutch bag. With Ryder she could for the first time admit it and be accepted for who she was.

"Its nearly seven of the clock," said Jeeves from Ryder's side the of bed.

Zoe rolled over next to Ryder's toned flesh. He was awake and he kisser her again.

"Ow," said Zoe half awake.

"Ow?" Said Ryder "I must be losing my touch. Most people don't Ow when I kiss them"

"Sorry you hit a bruise," Zoe said.

"Was that the right low jab?" Said Ryder.

Zoe smiled "You remembered. How sweet."

"How could I forget. Shall I kiss it better?" Said Ryder.

Zoe hugged Ryan again "Last time we played let me kiss it better I think we ended up taking an hour to cover all the bruises and we need to get down to breakfast for 8:00"

"Business business," said Ryder.

Now Zoe and Ryder were awake, Jeeves was able to get some clothes for Zoe. They both showered and got dressed. While they did they both kept a close eye on each other. Zoe now knew Ryder's body well. The scar from the knife wound he got on Endasour 6. The small dot on his ass from a hover headed targeting ray on a colony orbiting Jupiter. They had chatted, they had both been to some of the same trouble spots throughout known space. The dungeons of pluto, the bars ofAlpha Centauri. It was a surprise they hadn't bumped into each other before now.

"Thanks for not hitting me in the face last night," said Ryder. Looking at somebody bruises in the mirror. "It's such a nice face, how could I?" Zoe said while Jeeve's covered up a bruise on her neck with foundation, one a  bruise one of the robots had caused.

"I guess the big advantage of being a girl assassin is you can really hide behind makeup." Zoe said looking in a mirror looking at Jeeves work.

"Unless you're on Castro Colony*" Ryder bounced back.

"You've been on Castro?" Zoe said.

"Maybe," said Ryder. He was hot enough to be from Castro. 

Zoe looked at Ryder again "hmm... now I'm feeling quite tingly. I feel like blowing Cathy off."

Ryder rolled his eyes "Now you've got me going. No the only thing we are going to blow up is each other. In 45 minutes it's time to get back to killing each other." he softened the words with a kiss. 

"You would have the lower the tone." Zoe said pursing her lips "how about this. If both of us is alive by say nine tonight we call another truce? I know you are going to die but I don't want you to die tired."

"Very considerate of you," Ryder said checking how cool he looked in the mirror. "OK sounds like a deal."

************

*Castro Colony: Famous gay colony in Earth/Moon orbit. About 80 million individuals 99.3% of whom are LGBT. It developed its own social conventions including make-up for men. Referenced in such comments as 'as rare as a straight bar on Castro'. Not to be confused with Lesboss6 - a space colony in the sun's asteroid belt which is largely women ( 99.1%) many of whom are not lesbian. 

A/N - Do you think This on again/off again relationship going to work?