"What's it matter ta you?" He replied, picking up the newspaper to peruse the headlines. Front page news was about last-minute Christmas shoppers having less than two days left to finish their gift lists. Musta been a slow news day!

Gabriel snatched the paper, slamming it down against the tabletop. "It matters because you missed a meeting with High Command! I had to make up crap to cover your tail! Seeing as I saved your useless hide, I think I'm entitled to an explanation!"

"I don't owe ya nuttin'. I didn't ask fer yer so-called help. And I already had ta cover fer you fer a meetin' last week." Steelbeak pointedly retrieved the newspaper from the table. He glanced up at the sound of a gun cocking. Gabriel had her pistol aimed right between his eyes.

"Where. Were. You?" She demanded through gritted teeth, her voice wavering.

"I had a date." Foolishly, he elaborated, "wit' Tegwen."

Gabriel lowered the gun, a look on her face as though she'd been kicked in the stomach. "And. . . and yesterday?"

". . . Same."

"The day before?"

"Tried bowlin' again. 'N' got drinks." Their usual.

There was a long silence before Gabriel asked, "What on Earth do you think you're doing?"

"I'm spendin' time wit' a girl I like," he answered simply.

She turned away. There were so many reasons to be upset about this arrangement; the difficult thing was picking the one place to start in her pending tirade. Suddenly, Gabriel grinned wickedly. "How do you know she's not totally playing you?"

"Because she's not de conniving untrustworthy type of woman dat you are," Steelbeak shot back promptly. "She's. . . honest, 'n' genuine."

Gabriel made a gesture at her chest. "Yeah. I'm sure it's that so-called honesty that has your eyes buggin' out of your head whenever she's around!"

"Why are you so jealous, Gabe?" He practically yelled.

"I'm not!"

"If it's not jealousy, den why do you even care what I do?"

"I could care less about what you do," Gabriel spat. "I care about Tegwen!"

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