closed | I was broken from a young age

[hardedged]

WHO: Jesse Pinkman and Jessica Jones
WHERE: At a classy establishment in Maurtia Falls
WHEN: Backdated to June 18
WHAT: Jess bumps into Jesse while working on a case, which inevitably leads to healthy life choices.
WARNINGS: None yet. Will update if necessary.

[ this shithole has started to feel more like home. ever since she opened alias investigations here, one case after another has arrived at her doorstep. mostly scorned spouses wanting to catch a cheating asshole in the act, which has become her specialty by now. hey, she's not picky. whatever pays the bills.

however, one case in particular has popped up on her radar. a missing person, which seemed fairly standard at first. but as she snooped around, she found more questions than answers. there's an aura of mystery tied to this case. involving the black market, with something called "blue sky." after a few weeks of searching for information, she finally received a lead. arriving at a dive bar, she sits on a stool and drinks a glass of whiskey with as much nonchalance as she can muster. her gaze scans the area until it lands on her target. an older man, apparently connected to an underground operation, who's speaking with another person. the back of the stranger's head seems familiar, but the dots don't connect until she catches a glimpse of his profile. jesse pinkman. ]

Shit.

[ while skepticism is second nature to her, a part of jess reasons that there must be an innocent explanation. or perhaps she just hopes there is. her eyes widen, then slowly narrow as she watches the scene unfold. she'll wait and see for now. ]

Comments

[hostage]

[There's nothing terribly incriminating about this particular meeting. Jesse's a professional. He's been at this for years, and he knows how to be careful, ever aware of onlookers. This particular bar doesn't have any working security cameras, he knows, but several disabled ones are pointed at the register and the door. He knows that someone standing by the bathroom can get a pretty good view of his hands if they're on the table, but that reaching down looks even more suspicious. He knows he has to drink a Coca-Cola instead of a beer, because the story is that he's sober, and he has to smile like he's talking to an old friend, because otherwise he has no reason to be in a bar at all.

The man beside him is not a friend, not by a long shot. But Jesse's smile is infectious, and the mood between them remains amicable. This man thinks Jesse is his lesser, and he's looking down at Jesse in an arrogant, condescending way that Jesse pretends not to notice. Most of Jesse's associates are this way. They believe he negotiates on behalf of his boss, a man too powerful to pay visit to these establishments. No one knows that the boss is an imPort. No one knows that the boss is Jesse himself.

The unheard conversation doesn't last long. They finish their drinks. Jesse pulls out a cigarette pack as he stands to leave, putting one between his lips and offering another to his associate. The man takes it, they say their goodbyes, and Jesse turns to leave.

Which is when he spots Jessica.]

[hardedged]

[ jesse is quite the thespian, to the point where she genuinely buys into it. he plays the role of an unassuming dumbass well, as if he's only there to catch the attention of someone he admires. a foolish young man who's looking for friends in the wrong places. after a few minutes, he stands up to depart, and jess tilts her gaze down to focus on her glass. a part of her wants to pull jesse away and berate him for the danger of showing up at a dump like this, but she's still on a mission.

dark strands of hair fall to frame her face, which serves as a poor disguise. however, it's all she has, and with any luck, jesse won't notice her and leave the bar without a sound.

then again, it's not the best plan. jessica jones has never had luck on her side. ]

[hostage]

[Jesse has a different tactic. Instead of following suit and walking out as if he hasn't seen her, he smiles like a helpless dolt and waves at her from across the room.]

Oh, hey Jessica!

[That gets several heads turning in her direction as Jesse bounds over, excitable as a puppy. Her cover's thoroughly blown and Jesse makes it look like an accident. He leans up against the bar right next to her, naturally flirtatious.]

I didn't know you liked this place. Buy you a drink?

[hardedged]

[ well, shit. there goes any hope of maintaining her cover. her gaze falls on jesse, narrowing in mild irritation, before she looks over at her target again. he stares at them, amused, though after a moment, he seems ready to head out himself. ]

Later. I was just leaving.

[ she drains the rest of her glass, then stands up. she can wait outside for the other man and follow him from a distance. it's a safer bet than staying here. ]

[hostage]

[As if he doesn't get the hint:]

Yeah. Me, too. Oh! There's this burger joint up the street. It's a real divey-looking place but everybody's telling me I gotta try it. The best burgers in Pennsylvania. I'll treat you. No fun eating alone, right?

[He's standing directly in her path, blocking her way to the door and giving his friend over there time to slip out of the bar. But he doesn't glance back even once, focused entirely on Jessica and turning his cigarette over and over between his fingers like it's some kind of card trick.]

[hardedged]

[ jesus christ, this is so frustrating. jess tries to train her vision on the other man, but jesse blocks her. reaching out, she grabs him by his shirt and pulls him to the side. not painfully, though she's not gentle about it either. ]

Look, we had fun the other night. [ well, nights. it's happened a few times by now. whatever. ] But you're just a booty call. Got it?

[ not a friend, and certainly not a date. there's no way she's having dinner with him. finally, jess lets go and searches for her target, only to discover that his seat is empty. goddammit, she lost her chance. ]

[hostage]

[Jesse flinches, putting up his hands in surrender before Jessica's even finished hauling him to the side. He's kind of surprised she doesn't outright throw him across the bar, really.]

Y-Yeah. I got it.

[He follows her gaze, subtly confirming his success, before his attention returns fully to Jessica.]

Shit, were you meeting a date here or something? Did I just fuck it up?

[hardedged]

[ her eyes meet his, brow furrowing in confusion. her thoughts flash to luke cage, who's back home and, more importantly, better off without her. then, her mind wanders to a certain person here, someone she hasn't seen in months. jessica shakes her head. ]

What? No. [ she shoots him a pointed look, as if she's offended by the very idea. ] Why are you here? Looking to get your ass kicked by douchebags twice your size?

[hostage]

[Jesse's face goes a bit sour.]

Wow, thanks.

[But he lets it drop, giving a vague wave back in the direction of his previous seat.]

Just catching up with this guy. I used to live around here, you know. Years ago, like, when I first got here. Shit, remind me to tell you about my old roommate sometime.

[hardedged]

[ jessica's expression softens a bit, her indignation from earlier fading. she has no real reason to feel upset with jesse. he's never meant her any harm. hell, he's been nothing but nice to her since she arrived in this hellhole. ]

Sure. [ while it's meant to come across as sardonic, she can't manage to infuse enough sarcasm in her tone. ] You should pick better friends. You'll run into nothing but trouble here.

[hostage]

This place ain't so bad, is it?

[...It is. It's pretty bad. No one's pulled out a gun or thrown a punch in the hour he's been here, but it wouldn't have been unusual if someone had.]

I mean, if it sucks that much, what're you doing here?

[hardedged]

[ a part of her debates confessing the truth. maybe she can acquire some information from him, but she dismisses the thought. based on his interaction from earlier, he won't know crap, and besides she doesn't want to pull him into this anyway. too dangerous. ]

Only pieces of shit hang out in a dump like this. [ there's a shrug, self-deprecating yet nonchalant. ] Home sweet home.

[hostage]

[Oh, he hates hearing her talk about herself like that. Not that he knows much about Jessica herself. But she's saying those words with Jane's mouth, with Jane's voice. And Jane was perfect.]

Well...

[He gives her a smile, equally wry and self-deprecating.]

The company's good.

[hardedged]

[ she lifts an eyebrow at jesse's response, offering a dry snort along with a pointed look. ]

Keep it in your pants.

[hostage]

[He gives her a mischievous quirk of his eyebrow.]

There's something I ain't used to hearing from you.

[hardedged]

[ alright, she can't help it. that wisecrack earns a slight smirk, though her voice still maintains that mocking edge. ]

Classy.

[ it's a strange shift in their dynamic, ever since that evening they crossed paths. from casual acquaintances to friends with benefits. well, without the "friends" part. ]

[hostage]

But where's the lie?

[It's Jessica who's calling the shots in this arrangement, after all. Jesse eases closer, not quite touching her but nearly leaning up against her.]

If you're busy, I guess I should just get outta here.

[hardedged]

[ he's calling her bluff, and for a moment, jess considers letting him go. just watching him walk away. she still has a case to work on, even if she lost her lead. however, despite her callous apathy, the loneliness has been consuming her inside. alcohol can't always provide a cure, so she's been using him to distract herself and suppress the pain.

her answer won't be any different tonight. one hand reaches out, grabbing jesse by his shirt. she roughly pulls him in closer, her lips seeking his. ]

[hostage]

[Just as planned. Jesse gladly takes the assault, complying with her kiss as if he's not just as eager as she is. She is not Jane. He's known that for a long time. But she looks and sounds and feels like Jane, and when she kisses him, he's young and stupid again. She can claim him and use him and forget he exists again tomorrow, and it'll still feel like Jesse's cheating death with her.

He wants to be softer with her. He wants to hold her in his arms and whisper that he loves her. But he doesn't even reach for her, lest he scare her. His mouth does all the work, which he figures is how she likes it.]

[hardedged]

[ he's not wrong. it is how she likes it, just running on the constant physical sensation of pure adrenaline. quick and rough, with no emotions attached. jessica deepens the kiss with her tongue, her own mouth tasting like hard liquor. after a few more seconds, she steps back to catch her breath while still remaining close. ]

Your place. Let's go.