Work Text:
Somehow, the Broker managed to persuade the owner of the truck to allow him to spend the night in his house. He was not obviously against it, he treated this decision normally and considered it an interesting experience. It was decided to place the owner of turquoise horns on the sofa in the hall. After a small dinner, mostly made up of what had been cooked in the morning, preparations for bed were underway. The time was approaching ten o'clock, it was evening and it was still light outside the window. Zuka wondered if he had acted recklessly by inviting a colleague to spend the night with him, but the doubts soon disappeared, as he remembered why the circumstances had turned out that way. He wanted to thank the Broker for his help in the work, a couple of extra hands were just right on the day when the improvement and assembly of weapons was coming.
Provide at least something that he might have needed. He didn't know, but he offered and he didn't refuse. The Broker, in fact, quickly settled into a new place, completely feeling that he had been here for a very long time. Being relaxed and not feeling the constraints of the new environment, but still keeping within the bounds of decency, the Broker explored all his new surroundings by looking and touching some objects. Zuka's hospitality was also noted by him. Several curious interior items caught his attention.
– Hey, Zuka, what is it? He was crumpling a memory pillow in his hands. It's so plastic, and soft, just cool. Do you usually put it under your head?
Raising his eyebrows, Zuka answered him what the object in his hands was, and then added that he only sometimes uses it for sleeping, since he prefers to sleep without it. He tapped his fingers on his hands, located at the seams at the clothes, watching the Broker's machinations.
He was already sleepy, his eyes were irritated by the bright light and the tension of the whole day. He began to prepare a sleeping place on the sofa in the living room for the Broker. From the closet, it was necessary to get everything you need, including an orthopedic thin mattress, which was necessary, since the sofa was folding and it was inconvenient to lie in place of the fold of its two parts. Despite his fatigue, Zuka wanted to provide a comfortable accommodation for his friend. After a while, out of boredom, the Broker decided to check the programs that were on TV in the living room and followed Zuka there when he left the corridor. He also partly took part in all these preparations, although by his standards such simple items as dryness and warmth fully met his requirements of fitness for sleep. On the other hand, the Broker was more than adaptive, which could be said that he could sleep anywhere, even standing or sitting, he didn't care at all because of the impossibility of feeling harm to health.
– So, everything is ready, when it's convenient for you, go to bed at any time, just please don't make a loud noise - Zuka was sitting on the armrest and looking towards the armchair on which his guest was located.
– Ha, no problem! - The Broker answered him briskly and with an exclamation, after he was distracted from watching the program and looked at Zuka with a squint in his eyes and a malicious grin.
– What are you going to do now?
– I'm going to bed, good night to you. He smiled slightly and retreated to his bedroom. The room was filled with the noise of TV conversations and the crackle of incandescent lamps. About fifteen minutes later, after the Broker had examined most of the things that were on the shelves in the hall (and these were books on mechanics, electrical engineering and weapons, magazines, old newspapers), he slipped into the bedroom, the door of which was closed.
Carefully, stealthily, he went through the door, closed it, and in the semi-darkness, guided by some illuminated planes from a distant light source, groped his way through the room. Bumping into a stretched canvas resembling a hammock, he sat down on his knees and threw his arms over what seemed to be Zuka's sleeping place. It was an unusual choice, but it was quite practical and very convenient, as he thought. In fact, the hammock occupied a good part of the room, about half, and was fixed to the ceiling.
–Hey, the Broker whispered softly, are you asleep?
Zuka, having turned a little and then roused up, noticed the Broker waiting for his reaction.
– A? Oh, what? Not yet, but it seems to me that I almost fell asleep," - he said with a neutral, sleepy expression on his face.
After that, his voice acquired some anxiety, - What, something happened, you can't sleep? - Zuka muttered in a hoarse voice, rubbing his eyes and getting up from the bed.
– Nah, - the Broker babbled carelessly, - I just wanted to visit you, to check on you. He shifted his body weight and leaned forward more, leaned forward.
Zuka, trying to find more polite expressions in relation to the Broker, soon gave up.
– I'd like to talk to you about something, the Broker continued after a short silence.
Zuka took the starting position lying down and put his hands on his stomach.
–Get in, let's chat, - the phighter gaze was turned to the ceiling.
The Broker climbed in with some effort and lay down next to Zuka.
It can't be, he said with admiration, is there different weaving on different parts of the hammock?! Wow, I don't remember the last time I slept on my side so that it was comfortable." The Broker appreciated the handmade work of the master who made this product. A smile lit up Zuka's face, he was not without emotion as surprised as the Broker, only his excessive enthusiasm for such, as it seemed to him, ordinary things. Thrusting his horns through the lattice fabric, the Broker settled down comfortably and struck up a conversation. It was devoted to discussing the relationship of the workers among themselves, acquaintances who occupied some place in their lives. Zuka spoke favorably about the Darkheart, with whom they spent their leisure time walking through the woods, parks, botanical gardens. His friend had a strange manner of speech, was good-looking, they shared many common topics close to them. The Broker put in a word about the Medkit that he was very nice to him and helped in every possible way with his various bruises and abrasions. Zuka, remembering the other members of the faction, asked if the Broker knew anything about Katana, but the fighter only replied with displeasure that it was difficult for him to find a common language with such a person as him. Some other connections were also mentioned, as well as places they liked to visit from time to time. Finally, they asked about each other's state of affairs, about everyday life and affairs that were planned for the next week. The Broker, when asked once again what he does most of his time, jokingly or not, as usual replied that he does business in the stock market, as befits his supposed name. Or he was throwing out something in the likeness of how - I go back and forth, find out the information I need, looking for places to overexpose from prosecution by law and all that sort of thing..yes, that's right.
Soon, fatigue, including from the conversation, gripped them both. It was a good time before going to bed, my soul became calmer. Enjoying such joys as talking to a figure dear to you after a long time was a balm for the soul. No one knew exactly how long ago their last meeting had taken place, but now they were here, when two weeks ago Zuka had come to his house for a vacation after a business trip to distant lands and military training that he had passed.
Before Zuka could send his guest away to go to bed, the Broker asked to be allowed to stay here for a little longer.
–Can I..- The Broker made gestures with his hands resembling hugs and after a little laugh from Zuka and his meek, -Yes, he wrapped him around the waist, putting one of his hands under his back, and connecting the other with the first one in the castle from above. He moved a little closer to him, giving a caress.
In response, Zuka hugged him with his left hand behind his back, sometimes lightly stroking it. The Broker blurted out the following unexpectedly for himself: You know, I admire you very much, he said in a half-whisper. His face was warm, especially his forehead and cheeks, and his fingers were icily cold. He didn't feel that himself, but Zuka did, quite. –You are also very dear to me, you are one of the few people really close to me. With you, I don't even notice how fast time is running, I'm glad I have the opportunity to know you," - Zuka replied.
They lay there for about twenty minutes, after which Zuka fell asleep safely. The Broker quietly, unhurriedly left his room, went into the living room and there lay down on bed and also fell asleep.
In the morning, over tea, the Broker, seemed to have changed his mood, and this is what he said to Zuka for the last time before leaving – Do not forget that all the information you share in any way is transferred to third parties, the only way to protect yourself from this is to stop being a creature in need of socialization, which is not feasible." He made a gesture as if covering himself with his hands, which were put forward for cover, and looked out from behind them, turn around and straightened up. Be careful, take care of yourself, I'll see you soon. He waved both palms goodbye. –You know where to find me if anything happens.