Reclamation

Chapter 5

 With Lockdown's help Joy had finished cleaning the deer in time to finish repairing his chin before bed.

The next morning Joy started to sneak out to the barn early to watch Lockdown with the dogs, but he was missing. She heard something behind the barn and headed around to investigate, as she was almost to the corner of the barn she saw a large log fly through the air out into the field followed by three of the dogs. Joy peeked around the corner and saw Lockdown sitting against the back of the barn with Star, her head resting on his leg as he pet her. The others brought the log back and Lockdown threw it again. As the others took off after it Star raised her head and whimpered.

"I know girl, I don't like it either, but neither of us are in any condition to be running around much yet," Lockdown told her, scratching behind her ears as she laid her head back down.

When the dogs returned with the log Shadow walked up to Lockdown with it, but wouldn't let go when Lockdown tried to take it. They had a tug of war with the log for a minute before Shadow started growling.

"Don't you get an attitude with me," Lockdown told him, but Shadow just growled again and then Lockdown started growling back playfully.

Joy tried to clamp a hand over her mouth to stop her laugh, but that just made it come out as a strangled snorting noise, immediately drawing Lockdown's attention. The look on his face was like a deer caught in headlights. That was the last straw, any chance Joy might have had at regaining her composure disappeared at the look on his face and she collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"You-" she giggled, "You are absolutely adorable!" she finally managed to get out, petting Star as she walked over to her looking concerned about the way Joy was acting, "I'm so glad I finished repairing your face yesterday, because the look on your face was priceless."

"They need exercise," Lockdown said glaring at her.

"And growling at them helps how? Just admit it, you have a soft spot for them," Joy said.

"If you ever tell anyone-"

"Yeah yeah, I know, you'll kill me. Once you're done playing, get inside so we can get started on finishing those repairs," Joy told him.

"You don't tell me what to do," Lockdown said angrily.

Joy fought back a grin as she started formulating a plan, she may have been ticked about the excuse he had come up with to explain why he had kissed her the day before, but afterwards she had started to regret not just letting him kiss her the second time, she had assumed she wouldn't get another chance.

"Yes I do, I tell you to get me stuff while I'm working on repairing you and you do it, I tell you to tell me about space while I'm working on your repairs and you do it. I told you not to kiss me again and although you did try it again it was a rather pathetic, probably half hearted, failed attempt after which you gave up because you've accepted that it's easier to just do what I tell you to," Joy said before turning to walk back towards the side of the barn.

She barely got more than a few steps when she was spun around by Lockdown's holoform and he kissed her. Joy just melted into the kiss, letting herself enjoy every second of it until he finally let her go.

"You do not tell me what to do, I only stopped yesterday because my holoform wasn't working right and every other time you think I've done something because you told me to was only so I could control you and keep you doing what I wanted you to," Lockdown told her.

Joy never took her eyes off his face as he spoke, this was what it would probably look like once the welding scars healed, she took in all the little moving parts, admired his brilliant green eyes, then finally said, "Whatever, you still need to come into the barn when you want me to finish your repairs, I can't exactly do them out here," she said, then grinned, "Has anyone ever told you, you have an adorable little nose?"