ooc.
I'M IN A RUSH TO GET THIS UPS BEFORE YOU PASSED OUT. SO NO PROOF READING FOR YOU.
ic.
He really shouldn't have been all that surprised. Had everything ever been easy between the two? Of course she didn't have a suitable place to stay. That would be too simple, a situation that wouldn't call for any further assistance from him. He had agreed to allow her to stick around – despite the pain and discomfort it would cause him. It was awful, to be sure...but it was also the truth: their friendship caused him a great deal of pain. She wasn't entirely aware of it – well, no. Knowing Sherlock, Dahmer figured she probably was aware of it. But seeing as it had to to do with emotions (a horrid side effect of being a living creature), she was most likely incapable of puzzling out the finer details of his issues. And did she even want to? Sometimes he wondered. So no, Dahmer had not expected his question to illicit a positive response from the ebony female. Easy wasn't the way for them.
Not really – even from the beginning. Their friendship happened entirely by chance, two beings introduced seemingly by random. The two of them were thrown together in the middle of an incredibly frustrating time in Dahmer's life. And while it was true that his new friend helped him in many amazing ways, she also brought a lot of chaos along with her. In fact, their friendship almost didn't survive the beginning stages. Dahmer always admired Sherlock's genius. Perhaps it was revealed in an unorthodox and insanely annoying way, but it was always impressive. Especially when it lead to the two of them completing their missions in record time. But it all came at a price. The other assassin's found her abrasive and cruel, incapable of censoring her thoughts before she blurted them out for all to hear. She could be inconsiderate and entirely unrepentant. Anyone would find those attributes grounds for separation. And at first, Dahmer almost gave in to his old friend's advice. They called her a lost cause, an unfeeling automaton.
For a while, Dahmer was inclined to believe them. But he stuck with her anyway. He felt sorry for the new assassin. He partnered with her when no one else would, accepting the abuse that came with accompanying her during assignments, deserved or not. There were several times when his frustration boiled over and he approached the edge of his tolerance. He would swear to himself that this mission with her would be his last; that she was on her own from now on. And yet, their odd partnership would continue. What eventually emerged from all this effort and patience was a strong and special sort of companionship that evolved into a very deep and meaningful friendship. He soon learned that Sherlock was capable of emotions, whether she bothered to acknowledge it or not. She was callous about expressing these feelings, but feelings they were. So their team continued to exist. Throughout it all, none of it was easy. And when he realized that he was falling in love with her, all hell broke lose. The entire foundation their friendship had been built on was suddenly crumbling before him as he struggled desperately to keep it together. He was also determined to keep his partner entirely ignorant of the matter. He struggled to deal with his feelings day and night. He was still struggling to deal with them. Which is what made this so hard.
Dahmer smirked and shook his head at his friend's matter of fact tone. He rolled his eyes, taking care to exaggerate the expression so Sherlock was sure to see. Of course she didn't care too much about where she was staying. But would she if he had a hand in it? Even though he was positive he wouldn't be able to handle her proximity if she spent her nights with him, Dahmer knew he wouldn't be able to just leave her to her own devices when it came to finding suitable shelter. For just a second though, Dahmer wondered how just how she'd react to him asking her to stay with him. Would she even want to? He doubted it. This firm knowledge struck a blow to his heart, preventing him from ever allowing the offer to form on his lips.
So that begged the question. Just where did he put her? His tree house was an option, but he didn't feel comfortable housing anyone there just yet. There was a lot of work to be done – and how could she get any privacy if he was always barging in to adjust a window pane here and work on a wall or floor board there? No, the tree house was out. So that left only one option that sprung to his mind: the den he had dug out several weeks before. He'd settled on a nice area a few minute's walk from where they were now. It was pleasant – just on the edge of a small clearing, situated amongst a copse of tall maple trees. Pleased with the area, Dahmer had dug a large den and was well on his way to making it into a perfect home when he spotted his current situation while out for a stroll. The pleasing scenery and proximity to the coast trumped the features of his other site and before the day was finished, Dahmer had moved out. But the den remained unclaimed. Surely it was acceptable for his friend?
His smirk widened into a triumphant grin as the idea occurred to him, and Dahmer set his hammer aside. He gazed down at the one he loved, keeping quiet. When his old partner remained silent, he spoke. If you have no ideas of your own, I know of a place. I dug a den a little ways from here before finding this place. It isn't nearly as awesome as my den-treehouse combo, but what can you do? He gave the wall he was working on one last inspection before jumping down to the ground below. That smile of his graced his lips once again, and he wasn't even sure why he was so happy all of a sudden. In any case, Dahmer was willing to set aside his misgivings in order to enjoy the day. The male undid the tool belt from around his waist, depositing it on his work table before turning to his friend and extending an oversized hand in an offer. So what do you say? Want to check it out?
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