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Crumpling plastic from the takeout bag gave way to the indulgent goodness beneath. It was still warm too, simply perfect. Pharma stopped by her favorite food joint on the walk home, making sure her timing was just right. Granted, she may have ran that last block or two, but it was so very very worth it.
The night before she picked up a movie rental and put it in the DVD player for when she got home. The film was a dated thing she favored in a squeamishly self indulgent way. Was it perhaps too much? No, she figured not after all the chaos from these last few months.
On top of hospital stressors, she now had an enforcer group on her tail concerning a blackmail drug deal. So even if she did have nights off here and there, much of her time was still spent planning and preparing for said deals and the best ways to cover her tracks.
Fun times.
Not bothering to snatch a metal fork from the kitchen she instead settled with the plastic utensils provided by the restaurant. The couch, while only a few steps away in her small apartment, felt like the last mile in a marathon run as she collapsed on its bulk. The black leather gave under her body, allowing her to tilt her head back, eyes closed while the food remained warm in her lap.
Perfect, just-
The sliding patio door creaked. She froze, head jerking back up.
Her breaths stilled to nearly nothing as the door gave a rattle. Perhaps it was the wind, the winter made it awfully strong this season. It rattled again, harder.
Lifting up the food from her lap silently to get up, Pharma just began to shift her back from the cushions when the door jerked open. Tarn strode in, keys jangling as she shoved them into her coat pocket with no commentary. Not a glance was spared her way as Tarn stalked broodily to the kitchen. She tossed her heavyweight coat onto the kitchen island’s countertop, shrugging off her shoulder holster and setting that on the bulk of clothes.
Pharma’s back settled back down on the couch, but her mind remained racing and cautious. Jaw staying open, unsure of what to say since usually Tarn was the talker out of the two of them, Pharma resigned to watching aghast as Tarn began rummaging through her fridge.
The lead enforcer for one of the most feared Decepticon sub-groups grabbed several items, appearing to make herself a turkey sandwich in Pharma’s kitchen. Her movements were fluid, unbothered as she appeared to be more tired than angry. A limp plagued her steps, catching Pharma’s attention. The Doctor made a mental note to ask her about that later. Better to pester Tarn about care for her injuries than deal with a preventable issue later on. For all Pharma knew, it could have been from a sprained ankle or getting shot. Who knew?
Tarn navigated the kitchen with the ease of someone who had lived alongside Pharma for years…Pharma’s head quirked slightly as she didn’t ever recall Tarn going into her kitchen the few times she had shown up at her apartment.
Just as Pharma worked up the nerve to speak, Tarn twisted around, knife in hand. Startled all over again, Pharma leaned back into the couch and bit her lip as her mouth jolted shut. Curious eyes strayed from behind Tarn’s mask to take in Pharma’s reaction before struggling with a subdued chuckle.
The mask was tilted up briefly, just long enough for Tarn’s tongue to lick a long line up the knife, snaring every drop of garlic aioli upon it. Pharma’s attention lingered perhaps too long on the sight, noticing her tongue’s edge curving around the side of the blade. Visor coming back down over her face, Tarn walked with an unconcerned swagger over to Pharma’s primary doorway, unlocking it.
Seeming to be assaulted by confusion from all sides, Pharma watched in confounded awe as several more people entered the apartment. Helex, she recognized, set a six pack of import beer that Pharma didn’t recognize on the coffee table.
Hefting herself down on the couch next to Pharma, Helex nodded a silent greeting before cracking a bottle open with her teeth. Pharma shuddered at that, half expecting a painful crack to occur. She sure had seen enough drunks try that and end up in the ER needing emergency oral surgery.
Kaon skipped in, shortly following Helex before plopping herself down on their laps cheerily. She narrowly avoided Pharma’s food which was lifted up high above them by Helex at the last minute. Helex gave a clicking noise from the side of her mouth as a quiet chastise which didn’t seem to phase the giddy Kaon. Grabbing her food back, placing it on top of Kaon’s midsection as she didn’t quite know where else to set it, Pharma flinched as she felt fingers trace the side of her face.
Kaon gave a soft ‘Ah’ of recognition as she smiled upwards to where she assumed Pharma was from behind blacked out circular glasses. Red curls of hair came from her head like a burst of fireworks, overflowing on Helex’s lap. Helex groaned in annoyance as she worked a knot out of her teammate’s hair while simultaneously nursing her beer.
Okay. So not a business call.
Rubbing her head with a hand, Pharma was unsure what to even say now. Did she even want to say anything? Technically they weren’t doing any-
Pharma jumped hard enough that she nearly flung Kaon from their laps as she was startled by the view of Vos crouching on the couch’s armrest. That eerie blank grey mask reflected Pharma’s look of horror. Dismayed at the sight, she composed herself, giving a huff and stabbing at a noodle with a plastic fork.
This was her night off and by the damned pits she WAS going to try and enjoy herself. She shoveled a mouthful of noodles in as her eyes caught a final uninvited guest who closed the door as they entered.
Tesarus, or Tess as the group had come to calling their resident grunge band fanatic, made a beeline to the kitchen. She sidestepped behind Tarn, failing miserably at snatching her sandwich as Tarn turned back around from placing a knife in the sink, slapping Tess’s hand stingingly. Tess gasped, more affronted and annoyed than pained, but grumbled something inaudible as she instead plucked a bag of half stale chips from the counter Pharma still hadn’t gotten around to finishing.
Choosing the much more spacious seat now, Tesarus settled in the armchair, pulling out her phone to start scrolling. Pharma didn’t want to even guess what she was looking at as a grin split across her face.
Tarn, at last and already several bites into the sandwich, walked from the kitchen and squeezed into the tight spot between Pharma the armrest. Vos made a mumble as her strangely lithe body scrambled up to lay on the back rest of the couch. Tarn removed her mask fully as Pharma was greeted with that familiar scarring. Angles of sharp purple-painted metal was set on the end table. At least Tarn had brought a plate to set under the sandwich as she ate.
Pharma sighed, unsure if she even wanted to speak or just continue eating her now lukewarm takeout while Iacon’s most wanted lounged around her apartment. Reluctantly she chose the latter as Tarn’s arm not-so-subtly stretched across the couch’s back.
Vos gave an annoyed hiss at nearly getting knocked off the couch backing, causing Tarn to readjust her arm lower and…right on Pharma’s shoulders. Pharma shot a pointed look at Tarn, brow furrowed. Tarn just smiled back innocently, taking another bite of her sandwich.
Tarn savored the meal for another moment before placing it on her plate, dusting off her hands, leaning forward, and grabbing the DVD case that remained on the coffee table.
The heavily edited 2000s cover art of Megan Fox as a cheerleader, “unrated” written in blood across her bare stomach made Tarn give Pharma a sideways glance. Those red eyes ever so curious as the looked the Medic up and down. Pharma scoffed and gave an eye roll. Of course leave it to Tarn to co-opt her apartment for the night and then have the audacity to judge her taste in overly self indulgent movies.
Swallowing the bite of sandwich, Tarn grinned widely, clearly approving of the movie choice. Setting the DVD case back down, Tarn picked up the remote next to it and pressed the power button.
Within the first quarter of the movie, Pharma’s noodles were gone, as well as the six pack of beer from Helex, and Tarn’s sandwich. The fizz of the beer tickled Pharma’s nose as she laughed at a particularly bad timed joke, finding herself leaning into Tarn absently. The warm body leaned back, holding her ever close, even just for this night.