A Little R&R Ch. 03b

His shower was as hot as the pipes would allow, forming steam as thick as fog. It hid everything, except for the churning wheels in Rude's mind. He was thinking about him again, the memories of times past and how different it all seemed now. It was as if he was possessing the memories of someone else; foreign, and displaced. He's my partner. My comrade. My best friend... The last word stung like nettles, electric triggers repeatedly firing, sending his body to the edge of oversensitive. He killed the water. Wrapping the towel he had picked up on his way in, he crossed out of the tiled floor to the locker room, where something and someone were awaiting him.

Rude just about jumped out of his skin to see Elena standing in the men's locker room. Her only defense was that it was well after hours. She laughed.

"You're such a prude, Rude. It's not like I haven't seen you in less before." Rude peeked from around the corner he had scooted behind.

"Don't ever mention that again, Elena." He eyed her darkly, eyes bare of the black acrylic. She settled her giggles at the inside joke, she knew how sore he was about it, had witnessed it practically first hand. In an offering of peace, she picked up and directed into Rude's hand a very full paper bag.

"What's this?"

"It's from the girls."

"What?"

"Oh hush and go put it on. They've been dying to see you dressed up for something other than an official gathering so they..." her voice trailed. Rude eyed the bag with caution.

"But what is it?" She pushed him into a row of lockers and swung two of them open, creating a privacy curtain of sorts.

"Just put it on. Trust me, I think you might like it." Contained in his little metal world, Rude pushed the question.

"So what were you saying?" Rude carefully picked the items out one at a time, removing the basic dark socks something he was sure to be the most tame aspect of what lay inside.

"They all chipped in for this. Martha from Specimens designed it and the rest of us covered cost." She popped a small card up over the top of the overlapped doors. "There's even extra for cover charge and drinks." She sounded too eager.

There was a new athletic cut tank, higher quality than what he relegated for work. Beneath it was a light blue button down short sleeved micro-fiber shirt. The color was deep, a difficult thing to achieve for such a hue and the fabric clung like fine suede. The inside was smooth, falling freely when he ran a tented finger along the surface. A box holding a new pair of rounded steel toe boots sat prominently, looking very black and very industrial. Further down was something that caused a single eyebrow to rise.

Leather pants. And none too different than the kind he had seen Reno pulling up earlier. Butter smooth and black, the material warmed pleasantly as he held them aloft.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he quipped, dancing between annoyed and perplexed.

"Come on, Rude. Just get dressed, we're running late as it is." She was tapping her foot steadily.

"How do you even know these will fit?" He made a good point, as tall as he was, things had the tendency to run a little short.

"You're a Turk, remember? There are files on you that you would never believe existed." Rude paused, standing on one leg as he attempted the soft black pants. Files? On what? He made a mental note to inquire about that later. He finished pulling the pants up, finding the length to be good and the fit about the thigh was just barely snug enough that it was bearable. He went to zip up. Only then did he realize the true purpose of these specific pants.

They were tight, right across the ass. Rude kicked himself, now cluing in as to why there had been no underwear in the bag. And they were low cut, barely reaching the furthest point of his lower back. These girls were looking for eye candy and he was tonight's dish. He finished dressing quickly, doing up every button to the shirt and tying the boots on securely.

He emerged, sunglasses in his hand as he struck a little pose, waving his other hand in a downward motion as if to ask one's opinion. Elena stifled a giggle, crossing the room to make some adjustments.

"I think the point of this one is to be open." She undid the button work, smiling as she drank in her coworker's visage. She knew he would look hot but had not been expecting anything to this caliber.

Rude was impressed as he checked himself in the large mirror of the changing room. He was never much into a scene that required him to put on the dog, but with this ensemble, he was good to go anywhere. It was outstanding in his mind that these ladies had chipped in their hard earned wages just to see him out and looking nice. His heart panged, guilt twisting that he was receiving so much attention. He felt bad for having not taken up Elena's offer to go out before, not because he wanted to avoid something like this from ever happening, but because she really seemed concerned about him.

Elena circled her arm around his and pulled him towards the door. "C'mon, sexy, lets get you out of here." She smirked, albeit a little too slyly for her statement to be all in fun. Rude slid his sunglasses on as the door opened to his awaiting entourage.