Xcom: Coiled with Torque

A sense of relief washed over her, her last memory of him being with him bloodied up and unable to walk on his own. That was a new experience, one she couldn't dwell for long, because her fellow agent turned around, a surprised look on his face that quickly turned into a smile.

"Had to take care of some paperwork, the agency covering all this and such... Wait, I only just got released a few minutes ago, how did you know?" He asked with a raised brow.

Behind him, the Viper nurse winked at Torque, mouthing 'Good luck'. The Agent's eyes narrowed, looking at her back, but then quickly answering the question.

"I was asked to make sure you could get back to the base. We wouldn't want another Muton charging at you on your way there, now would we?" Her unsure voice at the beginning quickly changed back into her usual tone.

"I'd rather not go through that again for sure. Let's go then, I've been here for... ages it feels like," He nodded at the nurse, made sure everything was done, and headed for the exit, Torque following him.

"I never had a chance to thank you properly. So... yeah, thank you Torque. I don't think I'd be back on my legs this quickly if it wasn't for you," his hand went behind his neck as he said that, scratching it. Being saved by a Viper... that's certainly not something he expected to ever happen. If any of his old Reaper pals ever heard about it, there would be no end in them poking fun at it. It was odd for sure, but he was glad that besides their differences when it came down to it, he could count on Torque.

"...No problem. I'm sure any other agent would do the same in my place," the Viper answered, avoiding his gaze.

"Any updates on the Grey Phoenix?" He changed the slightly embarrassing topic.

"Not many. After that interrupted deal, they went into hiding, so no new leads. 31PD is working on the gang members we caught, trying to get any intel that would help," she paused, thinking if she was missing something else about the investigation, "That's about it. It's going to be pretty boring while we have to wait. We've been doing too good a job for the city, no clue when I'll get to fight again. To make it worse, Ja-, er, director Kelly has issued me some downtime," the last part grabbed David's attention the most.

"And I'm not allowed to do much as well... How about I thank you properly? We're already out in the city off-duty, so we could try something fun," Safeguard suggested, already crossing out any ideas that required legs.

"Something fun? Like what?" The two stopped before a street crossing, waiting for the light to go green.

"Hm... Well, there must be something you like, right?" He drummed his fingers on his face, wondering what someone like Torque could be interested in.

"Combat," she answered.

"And besides that?"

"Training?" She said, unsure what else there was to do with one's time.

David paused, now realizing that he hasn't seen Torque do much else around the agency. "What else do you do in your free time?"

"Browse the internet? I don't... have much experience with being out there doing... stuff," it was her turn to feel awkward. She wasn't against the idea, not at all, but that made her realize how boring she must be. Her work was her life, always has been, especially back when working for Advent.

"Alright, how does bowling sound? I'm pretty sure there is a place nearby," the light turned green and the two began crossing the street.

Torque didn't respond right away, thinking it through. It wasn't like she had much to do during downtime from the missions, and she was pretty sure this was a chance to build relations with someone. She could then brag about it to Kelly too, about the progress she made...

"Bowling? ...Sure, never tried it but I suppose I don't have anything better to do."

"Perfect, I haven't had the chance to practice since I got into the city." David looked up the address for bowling alleys in the area, finding a place that was adjusted for all species, and the pair headed there.

<><><>

The sliding door of the bowling alley opened automatically as the pair approached, staying open long enough for Torque to move her full length into the building before it closed. The loud clatter of a bowling ball hitting pins drew her attention, watching a surprising number of people walk about the alley, mostly human with a few aliens and hybrids around.

David led her to a table behind the lanes, letting her sit down as she watched the game quizzically, "I wasn't expecting you to pick such a simple game, it seems like anyone with our training would be easily able to hit the pins. "

"It's harder than it looks, just watch a bit more while I get us a lane," David smiled as he walked off to the attendant.

"I hit targets the size of quarters while we breach into a room filled with danger, I think I can hit stationary pins, David."

She huffed as she turned back to the many rows of people tossing the bowling balls, only letting her eyes leave the display when David waved her to a newly open lane, "Seriously, we are well-trained agents. There is no challenge in this at all."

<><><>

The laugh that Safeguard let out when the bowling ball went straight into the gutter was impressive for a man who was just in the hospital. Despite the minor cough he endured afterward, he kept on grinning. Although not loud enough to draw much attention, Torque still felt embarrassed for completely messing up her first throw, "Told you it was harder than it looked. You still have one more try though, nothing else can be worse than that."

Torque turned to face him almost about to give him a death glare when she saw the smile on his face. His laughter was infectious, but she had a reputation to uphold. She narrowed her eyes and then went for another ball.

Her next attempt was slightly better, with the ball staying in the middle of the lane for a few moments before once more heading into the gutter, all of the pins left untouched.

"There must be something wrong with my ball!" She cried out in frustration.

"Oh there's nothing wrong with it, this place even offers ones specifically made for alien races. Let me try to confirm if the alley is indeed against you," David took a bowling ball, preparing for a throw while Torque moved away. He felt her piercing gaze on him, her hungry eyes looking at how he would do it.

He aimed, took a step back, and... threw the ball, it went straight in the middle for most of the lane before taking a slight turn to the right at the end and striking four pins.

"Eh, I'm rusty after all these years of not playing. Still, better tha-" he couldn't finish as after turning around Torque was standing right behind him.

"You have legs," she said while she was looking down at them.

"Yes, I happen to have a pair."

"I think that's what my problem was. I didn't move my whole body, gonna watch again how you do it," her tone was rather serious for something like a game of bowling.

David shrugged and threw the bowling ball once more, this time hitting only two pins.

"The pressure from having a Viper observe me so intently," he said mostly to himself.

"My turn," She quickly took her ball, got into position and waited for the pins to be placed once more. She moved her body a few times, mimicking the movement of a human doing a few steps, and threw the ball. This time, it went the whole lane and hit straight in the middle, not strong enough for a strike but six pins were hit.

Safeguard expected her to fail once more, so hearing the sound of the pins dropping did caught him off guard. His grin returned to his face, as he saw a chance for something.

"Nice job, Torque. So, I was thinking about making this more interesting. How about a bet? Whoever loses the actual full match has to pay for the next place we're heading to," that caught Torque's attention. The competition was not something she could pass up. She was proud of her skills when it came to combat, and always wanted to be on top. Being better than others made her feel good, so something like that was up to her alley.

"Deal," she answered, her confident tone back.

<><><>

"And you are sure you never played before?" David looked at the monitor that showed their score. He looked fairly competent, but when he looked down at Torque's, the numbers steadily rose until the final frame showed a strike.

Torque's tongue flitted about happily as she smiled, a smug little grin on her face as her head bobbed from side to side as she moved in a large circle around Safeguard. "I told you it wasn't difficult, oh..." she stopped her victory dance with a look of mock-pity directed towards Safeguard, "I guess just for me."

"Beginner's luck then. That saves some of my pride," He turned off the screen, signaling to the attendant that they were finished.

A small hiss came from her, enough to show Safeguard she was displeased with his choice of words, "It wasn't beginner's luck, it was skill. Don't pout, you are an adult."

A deal was a deal, and even though he felt like a sore loser the two headed out of the bowling alley. Safeguard led the way once the door slid closed behind them. He patted his stomach, his annoyed face changing back to a carefree smile when he didn't feel much pain.

"Good thing is the place I had in mind isn't terribly expensive. Say, ever had ice cream?"

"No, can't say I have. And if you make a joke about me being from New Arctic, I will bite you," the comment made Safeguard stop in his tracks. He put his hand on his chin, looking up to the darkening sky. "You know, this time I actually didn't think of that. I should write it down somewhere."

Torque sighed, not as annoyed as she thought she would be at the statement. Instead, she looked up to where Safeguard was staring. She saw nothing but open sky and turned back to him. "To answer your question, no, never have. Is it... good?"

"You have no idea! While you were kicking my ass, I double-checked if this place was still open, and it is. So you better think of a flavor you might want to try before we get there," Safeguard said.

"Flavorsss, you meant. You're paying after all," She winked at him, the word 'flavors' said like by a Viper that hasn't adapted well to human speech.

The ice cream parlor was getting ready to close as the sun began to set, giving Torque all the time she needed to look through the flavors for the third time.

"Do you see maple anywhere?"

"Nope, pretty sure they don't have that flavor. Excuse me? I'll be taking a scoop of strawberry," David said to one of the sellers.

"...same for me," Torque added, unsure what to pick. How was she supposed to pick one, when there were so many? She hoped his taste in flavors wasn't as bad as his humor.

After getting both of their ice creams, the pair sat down near one of the tables. Torque's tail coiled around the legs of the chair, making sure to not take up too much of the floorspace as she moved the waffle cone to her face.

"I hope you savor this, after all, this is your reward. I still don't fully believe you that you never played before," he accused her once more.

Torque was too busy with her sweet treat, curiously sticking out her tongue and giving it a testing lick. The tip wasn't nearly as wide as one human has, so she had to entangle it around the ice cream. Part of her was a little cautious, expecting some kind of prank or a terrible taste. After all, she did win at the very game he picked. But no, all she got was a nice tasty flavor of strawberry. And she absolutely loved it.

David watched her reaction with a smile, observing how it went from uncertainty to happiness. He was glad that her first taste was a good one, you never know with aliens and how they taste things. One thing he did not think of was that the way she ate was... messy. With her tongue all around the scoop, a lot of the ice cream ended up on her mouth. And with the red color, his mind made the image quite scary.

"You have it all over your... Well, everything really," he took a napkin and passed it to Torque, who was lost in the moment a little bit.

The Viper froze for a moment, before quickly taking it and cleaning herself up. "We should totally come here more often."

"Planning more time together already, are you?"

Torque glared at him for a few seconds, opening her mouth to snap a snide remark to him, only to find herself with nothing to say."Yes, I mean no, I... well, I suppose if you'd invite me again I wouldn't say... no," She huffed, "Perhaps, but right now you still owe me a few more flavors... right?"

He sighed, his head low, "That I do."

<><><>

By the time the two returned to the Agency, it was starting to get dark outside. Most other agents were either out due to some downtime, training or simply enjoying themselves at the office.

"Thank you for spending time with me. I have no clue what I'd do with all this free time," Torque said, looking around to make sure nobody saw them enter. She also had no clue what to do after spending time with someone like that. The Viper recalled some of the classes she was forced to go to about human customs, but she was quite nervous about what she could try. Still, the more she did, the more to brag about to Kelly. She extended her arms, and put them around David, wrapping him in a hug.

"Huh, you didn't even struggle. That felt... Nice?" Her height made her drop lower on her tail, as she awkwardly kept her hands around him for a moment.

"Oh don't worry, next time a big snake tries to get close to me I'll make sure to run away. And hey, no problem. Next time you should try the chocolate flavor, it's pretty good," David moved away from Torque, yawned and stretched his arms above his head, "I think I'll be going to the bed early for now. Body is still sore after the hospital," David said and waved goodbye, heading to his room.

After he was far away, Torque released a sigh she was holding in the whole hug. Combat never stressed her out as much as this... relationship thing. Shooting targets is simple, you aimed, pulled the trigger and made sure you did it before they could. That? That was unpredictable, but... also fun. She headed to her room, excited to talk to Kelly about all of what happened.

<><><>

[snussy]

Torque shifted underneath her blanket, unable to find a comfortable position as she snuck several glances at her communication device. Jane couldn't talk on that day, being busy with all the Grey Phoenix intel that came up. The Viper knew that her friend couldn't always find time for her, but why did it have to be on the day when she made so much progress?

She checked the time on her phone, seeing that it was just past midnight.

"I should probably go to sleep soon..." She quietly said to herself, changing her side she was laying on once more. The problem was, she didn't feel that tired. If anything, she felt hungry. As delicious as the ice cream was, it wasn't much of a meal. She headed to the kitchen area of the agency, and opened a shared fridge, looking for something that looked tempting.

"Going for a midnight mouse, eh?" She heard a voice say just behind her. She jumped, not expecting that and turned around, seeing David in a T-shirt and boxers only. She had since shed her leather jacket, simply wearing the dark tank top that was underneath.

"Why are you here?" She asked with confusion clear on her face.

"I work here, Torque," he couldn't help himself, "I kept on falling asleep and then waking up, and at this point, I just don't feel tired anymore. Then I heard someone ravaging the kitchen as I went to the bathroom, and decided to check it out. How about you?" He leaned against a countertop, curiously looking at what the snake will pick to eat.

Torque found some already prepared chicken, placed it on a plate, and went to a microwave, setting it for a minute or two and turning back to David.

"I was hungry. And stayed up this late hoping I could talk to Jane. She's too busy for now, and I felt talkative. That's about it," The two remained in silence until the beep of the microwave grabbed Torque's attention.

"You know, I still owe you for saving me. And there's also losing bowling... How about you talk with me? On the condition that you pay for your ice cream next time.," He watched her tongue flicker many times when she took out her meal, and her eyes stayed on it before turning to him. Someone was hungry.

Torque took a moment to consider his offer. He had no clue that the topic she wanted to talk about was him. Maybe she should expand people she talks about more serious topics. She had Jane, sure, but like in that case, what when she wasn't around?

"Sure, as long as you don't make a mess in my room," she picked a knife and a fork on her way through the kitchen and went to her room, with David following.

Torque opened the door, and headed on her bed, making herself comfy with her meal. Her eyes widened as she realized she forgot she wasn't alone and moved her tail on the ground so that he had a place to sit on too.

"So, what do you have on your mind?" Safeguard asked, seeing her open her mouth, about to answer, and then close it. After that happened once more and silence followed, he continued, "Tell you what, how about you eat and I'll share what's on my mind? Sounds fair?"

She nodded and made herself comfy once more, curious about what he'd possibly be talking about.

"I have a feeling this might be pretty serious, so hopefully me sharing what's on my head won't be out of place. Fighting the aliens, Grey Phoenix I mean, brought some memories. Been... quite some time since I've last done that. You probably noticed, but I used some strategies I used during the war. Made me go back into that mindset," He paused, looking seemingly nowhere while his eyes laid on the wall, "I think what bothers me the most is how... it just clicked. How naturally I went back there with my head, all my training with the Reapers came back and felt as natural as breathing. I thought fighting on the same side with the enemies of the past would change that, and would keep the past buried, but nope," he paused again, this time looking around her room.

She listened carefully to his every word, surprised that instead of some dumb jokes or something like that he shared something... important to him. He had no way of knowing that she herself wanted to cover some personal topics, and still, he trusted her. Torque felt... happy. Was this how it was for Kelly when they talked?

"Can say I had a similar issue. The change for you was less drastic I imagine, you had your past enemies change sides, I had to do it. It's all on my file, and I know you looked over all of ours. Most of my life has just been combat. What I had on my mind that I wanted to talk to Kelly about was my... problem with connecting to others here," She looked at him intently, watching his reaction.

"Really? We seem to connect just fine, despite my terrible jokes."

"It still took ages and... a lot of help from Kelly. I've never had a chance to make friends, I have no clue how to. I was, and... still am scared of losing others. The bond with the other Vipers I had while serving Advent might have not been the deepest, as we simply served together, but it still hurt. With you, I just improvised and... maybe read a guide or two online," she said the last part and looked away, noticing her tail has been wriggling a lot while she talked about the last part.

"I think most people go through that, especially after a loss. I know I did. I was sure that my parents were dead, that... yeah, that didn't help with building new relations. But being alone is no fun during the war. And it turns out people around you go through the same worries, have similar problems. All you have to talk and... well, give someone a chance. Avoiding others just because of the fear of losing them is even worse in the long run," David said, moving his legs further from the bed to have less pressure on them.