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Mercy had the decency to feel a little awkward. After all, she was currently stood in the middle of the apartment of a woman she had believed she would never get the chance to meet given that she was fucking dead.
And yet Cleon was very much alive and busy organising the few pillows she could find into a makeshift bed. However, she was aware that this was not being organised for her, but instead Rembrandt.
Cochise had made this known by pointing out that the disappointment that she wouldn’t be rooming with Swan was written all over her face. Cowgirl had then chimed in by crudely asking whether they were planning on getting it on. Mercy had just smirked and told her maybe; eliciting an adorable blush of mortification from Swan and a full-blown cackle from Cowgirl. She’d been unsure on where she stood with Cowgirl but was now fairly confident that they’d get along just fine, which she was also confident would worry Swan.
Cochise had dragged Cowgirl back to their shared apartment fairly quickly after that. It was obvious that she just wanted to get home. The only Warrior who didn’t was Rembrandt, but Swan had pulled her to one side (with little discretion to Cowgirl’s delight, although Cochise soon shut her up) and explained that Rembrandt shared an apartment with Ajax and Fox. Mercy had immediately understood why she was spending the night, and potentially a few more, at Cleon and Swan’s.
The poor girl had barely said a word since they walked through the door; she just sat in the armchair across from the kitchen table cross-legged and shaking. She wasn’t crying, but that almost made it worse. Cleon had tried talking to her to no avail.
Mercy felt pretty shitty just ignoring her, but it felt like the right thing to do. Especially since Rembrandt wasn’t even looking at her, which she normally would take offence to but given the circumstances she was willing to let it slide.
And some people had the nerve to say she wasn’t a nice person.
She felt Swan wrap an arm around her shoulder and she instinctively leaned into the touch. God that shouldn’t feel so natural so early on. Yet she knew how easy it would be to follow Swan’s lead and finally get some much needed sleep, which was why she had to gently remove the arm; placing a small kiss on her bicep for reassurance.
“I’ve got to talk to Cleon.” She said bluntly. Swan seemed to understand and quietly left the room.
Truth be told she wasn’t 100% sure what she had to talk to Cleon about. She just knew that it would be pretty impolite to just dip after Cleon had let her into the gang and given her food and a place to sleep, despite not knowing anything more than her name and that Swan trusted her.
Similarly, Mercy had realised that she could trust Cleon the moment she saw the weight lift off Swan’s shoulders when she walked towards them on the beach. It was obvious how much Cleon meant to the group. Swan had been so relieved that she was alive. And so was Mercy.
Truth be told, almost selfishly, Mercy was worried about being the girlfriend (that word made her heart accelerate, God she’d been a girlfriend so many times before but this was the first time it actually meant something - if that was what Swan wanted, she reminded herself) of the leader. She’d gotten a lot of shit in the Orphans for that and despite clearly being the bravest bitch in the gang it was the popular opinion of the gang that she wasn’t really one of them.
She couldn’t go through that again. Dating the second in command of a gang was decidedly less pressure. Having Cleon’s approval really meant a lot to her - no one had ever really trusted in her before.
Which circled back to her standing awkwardly beside Cleon with next to no idea what to say. Rembrandt was looking at her now because of course she was, she seemed to have a knack for spotting people at their worst.
Refusing to be embarrassed any longer she started the conversation.
“Hey, listen I just wanted to say thank you, for taking me in like this.” It was probably the most earnest she’d been all night outside of the subway tunnel. Cleon seemed to recognise this - although she had no idea how given she wasn’t even there, Mercy began to theorise that she was psychic.
“I trust anyone Swan trusts and we all know she doesn’t trust many people.” Mercy smiled at that; it sounded like Swan and it made her heart flutter slightly to know that she was one of so very few exceptions. Cleon once again picked up on this. “Damn you’re down bad for her.” Mercy opened her mouth to retort. “Don’t bother saying anything.” Mercy shut her mouth, she couldn’t talk back on her first day. Pride flowed into Cleon’s next few words. “Swan really deserves someone like you. She’s been building walls her whole life and you seem like the type of woman who breaks shit like that down.”
“I am.”
Cleon put a hand on her shoulder. “And I really like that about you.” There was a brief pause. “C’mon we should get to bed, we’ve all had a Hell of a night.”
Mercy turned to go to her room. She then sheepishly turned back around. “I don’t actually know which room I’m going to.” She admitted. Rembrandt sniggered. Mercy stuck up her middle finger.
*
After navigating the fairly short corridor, Mercy finally arrived in her new room. Swan was sat fairly upright against the headrest in her pyjamas. From a quick scan of the room Mercy was able to draw the conclusion that Swan had tried to clean up. How cute.
She turned to the dresser to pull out her pyjamas so she could start getting changed - Ah. She had no pyjamas. The consequences of spontaneously uprooting your life for a beautiful woman and her badass gang. She’d have to sort that out at some point but for now…
“Hey can I borrow something to wear?” Swan nodded and handed a shirt and a pair of shorts. The shirt was fairly oversized on her and came down past the bottom of the shorts, but they were far more comfortable than her now ruined tank top and skirt. She made a measly attempt at washing her face with little success, with her eventually conceding that she’d just have to shower tomorrow.
She padded back into the bedroom and took note of Swan staring at her. “You can compliment me y’know.” She teased.
“You’re really beautiful.” Was the response she received. She felt her face light up.
She climbed across the bed and laid down so that Swan’s face was above hers. A hand came down and stroked her hair.
They stayed like that for a few moments; just staring at each other in silence. It should’ve been a comfortable silence, but the pain in Swan’s eyes was impossible to ignore.
Obviously she knew why those gorgeous brown eyes had been clouded. Which was also why she knew that Swan wouldn’t be ready to talk about it yet.
“So do you take other girls to the subway tunnel on the first date or just me?”
“That wasn’t a date.”
“Man, I’m going to have to leave then, I don’t get into bed with someone without going on a date first.” She shifted to the other side of the bed in faux-outrage
“What, and share a fucking pillow fort with Rembrandt.”
Very quickly she found herself back at Swan’s side.
Swan began to speak again, her voice taking on a new softness that Mercy wanted to swallow whole “I’ll take you out soon. On a real date.”
Neither knew how soon, ‘soon’ would be. How quickly they’d be able to go outside without tonight being at the forefront of their minds. But both knew it would happen, and that was enough.
“I’d like that.”
Swan smiled and laid down opposite Mercy.
“We should get some sleep.”
“What? Are you not going to give me a goodnight kiss?” Mercy joked.
Swan responded by pressing their lips together.
Yeah, Mercy was sure she could get used to this.