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[antoniojimenez]

Chuckling softly at Jesse’s gentle shove, Tony shook his head and shrugged, “Just calling it like I see it.” He wasn’t necessarily trying to sell himself short, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t still trying to sort out his sobriety and what life was supposed to look like for him now. Shaking his head, he eased out a long sigh and glanced over at the other man, “That’s what I’m saying. Isn’t worth the hassle; might as well ride around wearing that key mark loud and proud.” Somehow, that felt ten times easier than dealing with Reaper Crew. Sure, they were professionals when it came to their shop work, but in Tony’s mind, it just sounded like a fucking headache at the end of the day. Glancing back towards the bar, Tony shook his head again, “Nah– don’t drink anymore,” he murmured, shrugging a shoulder, “But I’m happy to pound a soda or two while you do.”

"Sellin' yourself short there, man." He shot a gentle elbow into the other man's arm. He wouldn't say more on the matter, but he meant it. Antonio was one of very few people in this (relatively) new life of his that Jesse could say he admired.

He groaned. "Fuckin' Reaper Crew. My luck, they'd charge me for a whole new body for the thing." Would the math make sense to drive a whole town away, just to avoid The Sons? Not likely. "Nothin' to do about it this time of night, anyway. Want a beer or three? Take my mind off how fucked I am?"

[antoniojimenez]

Leaning forward, forearms resting against the bartop, Antonio sighed quietly, the prospect of the truth hanging so heavily between them, and yet he wanted it– needed it, really, because the unknown hadn’t ever gotten him very far. No, he didn’t expect Niko to know everything, but he felt quite sure he knew more than the average bear, and so he was asking, soldier to soldier. Rubbing his lips together into a thin line, he nodded at the other man’s response, even though truthfully, Tony hadn’t been asking about himself. He’d meant all of Los Santos and what moving forward might look like. He hadn’t worried about himself in quite some time. “Wasn’t asking about me,” Antonio clarified, head knocking in a soft shake, “Meant us as a whole, but thanks for the reassurance.” He’d never been happier to be practically nobody, mostly because it left him thinking that his children were out of any potential crosshairs. At least that was a fear he could seemingly brush aside for now.  Raising a brow at Niko’s follow-up, Tony had half a mind to retort with something equally as smart, but recognized that now wasn’t the time for any Jarhead banter of his– not when so much seemed to hang in the balance. “Not even sure I know what to ask, honestly,” he countered, shrugging a shoulder, “Just looking for any sort of light you can shed on what the fuck’s going on.” That seemed fair enough, in his view. Sure, Tony might have been just a hair above the bottom of the cartel’s barrel, but he knew he couldn’t do his job without a certain level of transparency. Snorting upon hearing he looked like shit, he pursed his lips at Niko, “Thanks, dear.” The Capo did raise a good point, though– had he eaten today? The last few days had been such a blur, Tony couldn’t really say for sure. “It is on straight,” he protested, sitting up a bit straighter in his seat and rattling his glass of water, “This is water– I’m not slipping if that’s what you’re getting at.”

He wasn’t surprised to see Antonio sitting at the bar; more so that it had taken this long for the bombardeo to seek him out given the cartel’s current descent into chaos. With Hernando gone off the radar, distrust festering amongst the ranks, it was easy to be concerned, and Niko would have been a fool to turn a blind eye to everything going on. However, as always, he maintained a calm composure and a level head, knowing that blowing his top wouldn’t benefit any of them— even if the rogue capo had shown up to his restaurant and threatened his life only the evening prior, but even that information was on a need-to-know basis.

Letting out a quiet hum, Niko casually leaned an elbow on the bar top, fingers drumming absentmindedly onto the cool marble. “The truth?” If he was being honest, he didn’t know what the protocol was for a situation like this. Sure, they had dealt with cartel disloyalty before — hell, Niko had killed for it, knowing when to keep his mouth shut or when a message needed to be sent, but this was different. This was their leader stepping out of line, and he didn’t know what to make of it yet. “You are fine. Not fucked. Not at your level.” He assuaged, referencing his rank. Bombardeos were far from the bottom of the food chain, but Niko was confident that neither Hernando or Alejandra had any interest in him. At least in that moment. “Do you wanna ask me something more specific, or do I have to keep talking out of my ass?” Brow arched, he gave Antonio a once over. “You look like shit. Have you had anything to eat today?” Niko turned, snapping towards one of his cousins who was headed for the kitchen, telling him in Greek to bring out a plate of something. “I need you to keep your head on straight, Tony. Alright?”

[antoniojimenez]

Swallowing thickly, Antonio found himself looking away for a moment, the weight of his mistakes still a bit difficult to bear even though he fully owned it. Acknowledging and living with it were two completely different things, and he was still trying to figure out the latter. He’d sensed a but before Nadia had trailed off though, and so he willed himself to look at her again, meeting her gaze as she continued. Tony cleared his throat, desperately trying to rid himself of that clump of emotion that had settled there, threatening to choke him up. He’d be lying if he said there wasn’t a part of him that latched onto those words of affirmation, especially considering that at one point, he’d been so convinced that he couldn’t change his ways. But he’d been fighting tooth and nail for the last year and so for her to see that progress, it meant the world– especially because she’d been hurt the most by all of his mistakes. “I appreciate that,” he murmured, fearing that if he said anything more, the dam holding back the flood of his emotions would break. “I really am trying, Nadia.” Some days were easier than others, but the vast majority were still fucking hard, but he kept going, kept pushing. Tony only hoped it would be enough, because the day that it wasn’t? He knew whatever loose grip he had on his self control would fly out the window. Pushing that sobering thought aside for a moment, he turned his attention back on Nadia and chuckled softly, “Fair enough– nobody likes a cliffhanger, right?” Sighing gently, he rolled his lips into a thin line, taking a second just to figure out how best to phrase the sudden wish that had popped into his mind while blowing out his birthday candles. “I wished for you to be happy,” he answered softly, shrugging his shoulders, “You’ve been through a lot– not just the shit that I put you through, but everything else too.” He held her gaze then, hoping she could see just how genuinely he meant that. There was no ulterior motive, no hidden agenda– just truth. “Think you deserve a soft landing, you know?”

"You're right, I shouldn't," she replied, though she made eye contact to ensure he was aware she meant what she was about to say, "but considering where we were before, I want to thank you for showing up. You could've kept going the direction you were before, but... you're doing the work. I know that's not easy, so I'm letting you know I see it." It was the least she could do, acknowledging the work he was putting in to be there for their kids now. She could wish all she wanted for him to have done it while they were still together, but at least he was doing it at all, and that had to count for something. She tilted her head, curiosity getting the better of her. "I mean, it might be, but you can't tease me with a question like that and then say nothing," she laughed. She reached in to remove the candles so she could cut the cake as she waited for his response. A small part of her hope it would have something to do with her and their relationship, but she scolded herself for even having the thought.

[antoniojimenez]

Peter Gadiot as Tom Westfall in QUANTUM LEAP 2x08

[antoniojimenez]

WHERE: Dionysos WITH: @nikodimopoulos

He was sitting at the bar, though he didn’t order a drink no matter how bad he ached for one. Despite that craving, Antonio wanted clarity more than he wanted a buzz, and from where he stood within Los Santos, the kind of clarity he wanted felt more like the holy grail. Ever since Nando’s truth hit the air, he felt like he’d been scrambling, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do with it. Antonio Jimenez was a soldier at heart– he followed orders and rarely asked questions, but here was, quite frankly wanting to know what the fuck happened now that Alejandra had a Nando-sized target on her head. Given just how far back he and Niko went, Tony trusted him to give it to him as straight as he possibly could– soldier to fucking soldier.  Tearing his attention away from a couple of scratches etched into the otherwise pristine bartop, Antonio landed his gaze on Niko as he emerged from the back. Questions were scribbled across the bombardeo’s face– questions he figured Niko had to see coming, not just because they both belonged to Los Santos but because Niko knew the way Tony’s mind worked– especially when he was sober. It tended to work in overdrive– to an annoying degree, no doubt. “Tell me the truth,” he started, his tone more exhausted than his expression let on as he reached for his glass of water, “How fucked are we?”

[antoniojimenez]

Lifting a brow at the subtle change dousing her cheeks in an unfamiliar shade of red, Antonio visibly softened, his otherwise stoic (and borderline troubled) expression melting into a small, fleeting smile. Was she…flirting with him? He’d been doing such an awkward dance around himself for so long that he found he really couldn’t tell unless he was quite literally being slapped in the face with any sort of advance. Sobriety had this way of raising his walls skyhigh when at one point, there hadn’t been a single one left for anyone to knock over. Snorting softly, he nodded as she recalled the phrase he’d been referring to, “Right,” he chuckled, shrugging a moment later at her question, “I’m curious about a lot of things, Aelin. It’s all about the risk versus the reward.” Cats only had nine lives after all, and Tony knew better to push his luck– most of the time, anyway.

This back and forth with Aelin was a nice reprieve for him– it allowed him to shove his issues aside for a moment, or at least make light of them. Either way, the constant weight on his shoulders seemed to lift the slightest bit, and for Antonio, that was enough. 

“Yeah, I do,” he answered, although he wished he didn’t understand that as well as he did. But the bottom line was that Antonio Jimenez was haunted– mostly by his own demons. He’d never quite figured out how to fully drown them. That sad song she was describing tended to play on repeat inside his head. It was nice to hear he wasn’t alone in that, even if he hated that someone else bore a similar burden. Brushing off her apology with a quick shake of his head, Tony offered up a small smile, “No, you’re okay– really, I don’t mind. Believe it or not, I’m in a similar boat– trying to learn how to be at peace with myself,” he explained, feeling comfortable enough to disclose that much. It was what his meetings were encouraging him to do anyway, and it was high time he actually put those lessons into practice. “No one prepares you for how hard that is.”

He was still learning just like everyone else. And the rambling on her part? It made him feel more human, like his struggles weren’t something he needed to be ashamed of, but something that quite a few people could relate to.  “Alright,” he snorted softly, a small smile curving at the corner of his mouth, “So…let’s not talk together sometime soon then?” He prompted, figuring she could take that however she wanted, especially when he wasn't wholly sure how he'd meant it.

Aelin swore that the heating of her cheeks was the sun that cast long shadows down the sidewalk, while flashing a show of her teeth in a smile, a hand reaching up to push the strand of hair behind her ear. She did not fucking blush; she scolded herself, remembering that this kind of thing wasn't normal for her. She didn't do that, and yet, here she stood. Flirting. Badly, might she add? It'd never been her style, or her strong suit, but still she flickered a tempered glance in his direction in hopes that he'd missed that slip up, and prayed it hadn't given her away.

What? Look at him, she internally scolded. No one can deny what was right in front of them. The woman wasn't god damn blind, for christ sake. Quickly, she remembered where she was as she peered at the gym, and patted her bag as to sink her feet back into solid ground. The here and now.

"That curiosity killed the cat, right?" Aelin asked, arching a brow. " — but satisfaction brought it back," and she couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her throat. It was something she'd heard a few times over her shifts at the Outpost. As she moved from her left foot to the other, she tilted her head. "Are you not curious about me? I'm sure you finding out wouldn't get you killed."

There she went again.

There was something comforting about his presence. Maybe it was because, without knowing his past, she knew there was something there that was similar to herself. Maybe loneliness was catching, but of course, she was guessing. She was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and maybe she just needed to find a way to relax, to find the light in moments again instead of stewing in the anger of it all. The reason she channeled each thought behind her fist as she drove it into a bag until it leaked out of her.

And she was left with the shell of herself once again.

Being alone drove silence to a new advantage in her life. "I understand that more than you'll ever realise. You know when it's so quiet that the voices of the past come to haunt you?" Aelin's arms wrapped around herself, a habit that had been with her since childhood. Her own protective blanket was herself. "Nothing worse than hearing music in the silence and realising it's a sad song and not a happy one. The people that say they love just sitting in silence with themselves? I always thought they were lying. Because I never imagined people could be at peace with themselves. Almost seemed like a pipe dream, but I guess we're all still learnin. And I'm trying to figure out how to do all those things alone while never really getting a minute to myself — sorry, I'm rambling. God, I should just...shut up. I'm sorry, that was...so uncool."

She paused.

"The not talkin' together would be...great."

[antoniojimenez]

“What can I say? Ain’t as good as I once was,” Antonio supplied with a soft snort of laughter, shoulders rolling in a half-hearted shrug, though that was a bit more truthful than he perhaps wanted it to be. He’d come out here to brood, not to keep a close eye on much of anything other than his own thoughts and how they tended to slip away from him whenever he wasn’t careful. But he kept that to himself, preferring to focus on the rather large gash on Jesse’s truck. Lifting a brow, Tony grinned around his cigarette at the other man’s reply, “Doesn’t quite narrow it down.” Sighing, he wandered over, getting a closer look at the damage. “I don’t know, ‘mano,” he gave a doubtful hum, shifting his weight between his feet, “Much as I hate to say it, you might have to take it in.” But that would mean bringing it into Reaper Crew, the only autoshop in town and one highly connected to the Sons of Silence. In the back of his mind, Tony hardly wondered if it was even worth it, regardless of the ceasefire in place. Just because they couldn’t rip each other’s heads off didn’t mean they were one big happy family. “Or just let it ride,” he prompted, lips molding back into a familiar smirk, “Shit like this builds character, you know?”

He appreciated the concern from Tony, however tainted it was by the fact that he clearly found this at least a little bit funny. Fair enough. He should have let that truck go months ago, if not a whole year, and enough people had told him as much. Maybe this was a sign. A sign he couldn't afford, but still a sign. "Nice goin', eagle eye." He ran a finger over the scrape, prompted by Tony's doing so and by morbid curiosity--just as deep and nasty as it looked. "Uhh..." He pondered a moment, scanning through the long list in his mind of people who's good sides he certainly wasn't on. He didn't think he was on many people's shit lists, but there were enough people in town who'd have at least a petty reason to dislike him. "Turn and point, you'll probably hit somebody I looked at the wrong way." He grumbled and squatted down, muttering to himself about the state of this fucking town. Smirking, he glanced up at Tony. "Think I can buff it out?"

[antoniojimenez]

Three thirty in the morning, Not a soul in sight. The city's lookin' like a ghost town, On a moonless summer night. Raindrops on the windshield, There's a storm movin' in. He's headin' back from somewhere, That he never should have been, And the thunder rolls. And the thunder rolls.

[antoniojimenez]

Stepping outside the barcade and into the brisk night air, Antonio wandered over to where Jesse was, hands making quick work of setting a cigarette between his lips and lighting it. At first, in the scant lighting, he couldn’t see the angry line spanning the width of the other man’s truck, but as he neared, it became all too obvious. “Ohh, shit, hermano,” Tony started, cringing and yet finding it incredibly hard to mask his amusement at the same time. This would happen to Jesse, of all people. Shaking his head, he inhaled on his cigarette and shrugged, “Nope– after the fifth smoke break, I quit keeping watch.” By that point, he’d just been desperate to coat his nerves with nicotine before he could give into the more potent temptations all around him inside the barcade. While normally on guard at all times, he’d completely missed anything out of the ordinary on this go round. “God,” Tony murmured under his breath, trailing his fingertips along the groove that had been etched into the side of Jesse’s truck. “Any idea who you could’ve pissed off?” He wondered aloud, dusting the ash off the tip of his cigarette, “Or are we just chalking this one up to bad luck?”

OPEN

Jesse's truck was parked at the side of the road, a looong, jagged scratch dug into the passenger side --by a set of keys, he imagined. His first thought was that it was targeted, but it was just as likely to be some shitty teenager dicking around. His truck wasn't much of a looker, probably not worth as much as it would cost to fix the scratch, but it was all he had. At least they hadn't slashed his tires. He could still drive it, even if it made him look like somebody's cheating ex-boyfriend.

"Hey," he nodded to the only person within earshot, then gestured to the gouge that ran the whole length of his truck. "You see anybody do this? Or uh, run off like they didn't want to be caught doing it?"

[antoniojimenez]

Peter Gadiot as James Valdez in QUEEN OF THE SOUTH || 5x09

[antoniojimenez]

“Fingers crossed they figure it out soon,” Antonio supplied, keeping his tone light and even so as not to convey just how rattled he felt by what was happening. He had his doubts, though. Crime thrived right underneath the noses of the local law; if they couldn’t bust the criminals right in front of them, how could they possibly neutralize an anonymous threat? Shaking the thought aside, Tony slid onto one of the barstools and eyed her, shoulders lifting in a soft shrug, “Might start to feel too familiar, that’s all,” he answered on the coattails of a long sigh, but he couldn’t help but soften at her concern for his well being, “You make a fair point, though– I’ll stay,” Antonio relented, knowing she was right about this one. He was exhausted and could fall asleep damn near anywhere– on the road wasn’t exactly at the top of his preference list. Eyeing the box again, Tony shook his head, “You shouldn’t have to thank me for being a father to our kids,” he started, though he felt that really went without saying, “Happy to help, though– you’ve done a phenomenal job with them.” Swallowing hard as he glanced down at the cake and the happy birthday scrawled across it, Antonio forced a smile that he hoped might be warm enough to burn out all of the guilt woven into his features. Glancing up at Nadia, he nodded then, preferring to focus on his sobriety instead of getting older. “Definitely a win,” he agreed, chuckling softly, “this cake wouldn’t last two seconds around Aaron.” Sitting back as she placed the candles and lit them, Antonio grinned and shook his head, “Neither have I.” He was the furthest thing from a singer and would be the first to admit it. “Thank you– this really means a lot,” he murmured moments before blowing out the candles. “Is it still bad luck if I tell you what I wished for?”

"Not yet. Then again, it's not really my department, so whatever they might know, I'm not exactly privy to." She hoped it would never come to that, either, but criminals like these were unpredictable. She furrowed her brow at his objection, though she didn't address it until they were in the kitchen. "Why wouldn't it be a good idea? If you're tired, I wouldn't feel good about you driving home this late and possibly falling asleep behind the wheel," she said, hoping for some clarification on his end. She liked to think that the two of them were on good enough terms at this point that things wouldn't devolve into the type of arguments they had in the past, but if he didn't feel comfortable with it, she certainly wouldn't twist his arm. "And I know I didn't, but... consider it a thank you for stepping up and being there lately." She lifted the lid off of the box, revealing a cake on the small size, coated in his favorite flavor of frosting and 'happy birthday' written out in elegant cursive. "We can celebrate that you're another year sober, then. If the kids weren't already down, I'd let them have a slice, but looks like we get it all to ourselves. I'd say that's a win, wouldn't you?" she joked, grabbing out a few candles and lighter from the drawer behind her. She stuck them into the top of the cake and light the wicks, allowing them to swell to their full potential before moving the box closer to him. "Don't expect me to sing, though. I haven't gotten any better at it in the time we've been apart."

[antoniojimenez]

“Can’t say I blame them,” Antonio murmured, wholly understanding why more patrols were called into action after the way NYE had imploded a year ago– no one could ever be too careful. Straightening a bit more once that sleepy, mental fog began to fade, he raked a hand through his hair, head shaking, “Any idea who’s behind it?” The anonymous message, that was. Naturally, Tony had a vested interest, considering how embroiled he was within Los Santos, but it went without saying that he couldn’t quite disclose that to his badge wielding ex-wife. And so, if nothing else, he could play the act of the concerned citizen, and leave it there. But all of that flew out the window the moment Nadia pitched the idea of him spending the night. “Wait– what?” He fired back, brown eyes blinking and flashing wide, letting his shock play out on full display in front of her. “I…I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Nadia,” Antonio murmured, although he couldn’t readily articulate why it wasn’t a good idea– he just felt that it probably wouldn’t be. And yet, the last thing Antonio wanted to do was leave– how fucked up was that? Swallowing hard, Tony narrowed his eyes, trying his utmost to appear skeptical just to conceal his pure shock over what she’d said, “You do?” He rose up from the couch, hands slipping into his pockets as he started towards the kitchen, “You– you didn’t have to do that.” Sure, tomorrow was his birthday, but he wasn’t expecting anything– really, he hadn’t even been expecting her to remember it. “Not like I really want to remember the fact that I’m getting older,” he teased, injecting a small bit of humor into the moment in order to try and make light of it.

She nodded as he gave her the update on the kids, grateful that he could understand a little better now how difficult getting even the best behaving children to go to bed was most nights. It was why her patience ran so thin when it came to grown-ups who should know better, but she knew she needed to allow people to make mistakes now and then, too. It was something she was working on. "Busy. Thankfully they didn't really need me much since I was just doing patrol around the Mayfair. Since what happened last year, they just wanted to be safe, even if there wasn't an official gathering happening." She glanced at her watch to note the time, biting her lip. "If you want, you can stay here tonight so you don't have to drive across town this late. Who knows what the streets are like." She looked back at him. "I have something for you anyway. For tomorrow. It's in the kitchen."

[antoniojimenez]

Antonio had jumped at the chance to spend the day watching the kids while Nadia was working. Luckily, he’d been able to switch his shift at La Macina, meaning he’d work tomorrow night instead, on his birthday, but he couldn’t say he minded– not when it meant he got to spend time with his kids. Plus, he wasn’t a fan of celebrating the yearly reminder that he was getting even older anyway. He’d put the kids to bed a couple hours after dinner and at some point after that, he’d accidentally fallen asleep on the couch, the steady drone of the TV in the background just enough to lull him off to sleep. Tony hadn’t meant for that to happen, but between the comfy cushions and the way the day had caught up with him, it hadn’t taken long.  Stirring when he heard Nadia’s voice, he roused slowly, sleepy brown eyes flicking in her direction, “Hey,” he mumbled, shaking his head as if to jar himself away, “Sorry– must’ve dozed off.” He rubbed at his eyes and shifted against the cushions, bringing himself a bit more upright, “Kids are in bed– and not without a fight, just like you warned me,” Antonio chuckled, reasoning to guess that that was why he was so worn out. “Oh, made some spaghetti for dinner– their request. Left you a plate in the fridge if you’re hungry.” Clearing his throat, he smoothed a hand through his hair in a feeble attempt to smooth the unruly locks back into place, “How was work?”

WHO: @antoniojimenez LOCATION: Nadia's home, late on January 1st

Nadia normally wouldn't have to work on New Years Day, but with how things had been for the last year, the chief had wanted everyone on guard for any nefarious activity. She was at least grateful that Tony wasn't busy so he could be with the kids. With it being so close to his birthday, she wouldn't have been surprised if he'd had plans.

She was as quiet as possible as she entered the house, figuring the kids would already be asleep by then. She closed and locked the door behind her, then shifted the box in her hands so it was more secure, placing it on the kitchen counter before stepping into the living room where she found Tony. "Hey, I'm home. How'd it go today?"

[antoniojimenez]

Peter Gadiot as Tom Westfall in QUANTUM LEAP 2x08

cooking + rolled sleeve shirt

[antoniojimenez]

“That’s only if you get caught,” he pointed out with a soft laugh and a slight roll of his shoulders, though he didn’t want to give off the impression that he was necessarily encouraging battery. He wasn’t really discouraging it either, but the sigh of resignation that slipped from him was meant to say that a bag was still a solid alternative. For a lot of people, boxing was a good source of stress relief. While Tony didn’t share the sentiment, he could see why so many people leaned on it as an outlet. It was healthier than the ones he’d foolishly clung to in the past, the ones he still ached for even now. That was part of why he came here– not to fight, but just to fill the specks of loneliness with conversation and human connection rather than with drugs and alcohol. 

His lips quirked into a brief smile, “Oh, I don’t doubt that.” She was continuously surprising him in her own way, and he felt quite certain the trend would continue in the ring. Snorting at her comment about modesty, he shrugged a shoulder, “No, but I hear it builds character,” he countered, having needed all the character building he could muster in recent months. Crawling his way back from hell wasn’t a clear cut path, and then once he’d gotten there, he’d been faced with an entire reputation to rebuild. “Yeah? Well, you know what they say about curiosity,” he teased, sliding into their back and forth banter with ease. 

Even admitting that he just simply hated being alone wasn’t as difficult as it once was. Aelin was easy to talk to, but in addition to that, Antonio had started getting better at listening to himself, at identifying little cues in his behavior. Essentially, he was getting to know who he was when he was sober. That guy was altogether different from the man he’d been the last few years. Turning towards her again, he nodded, a soft smile curving at the corner of his mouth when she so clearly articulated everything he’d been thinking and feeling. “Yeah– exactly that,” he agreed, happy that someone else seemed to get it. It made him wonder what brought her to that same conclusion– was there a story behind it too? “Ironically enough, the noise is loudest when I’m alone. Can’t shut it out, can’t think– at least not without reaching for shit that I’m trying very hard to stay away from,” he divulged, gaze averting for a moment. He wasn’t sure just how much Aelin did or didn’t know about his addiction struggles, but now that he’d opened that door, there wasn’t much he could do to close it again. But that was okay– during his meetings, he was always encouraged to be open and honest, and so here he was, finally giving it a go. Tipping his head to the side, he watched her curiously, admittedly a bit taken aback by her offer, but not in a bad way. Truth be told, it was nice having the option to talk to someone who wasn’t in his AA meetings every week. It was the sort of change in scenery that he needed. Antonio nodded, a hint of a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, “I’d be down to talk…or not talk,” whatever that meant. Sliding his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he rolled back onto his heels, lips rolling together in a thin line as surprise dashed across his features. “Oh– you think I’m pretty, huh?” He parroted back at her, chuckling as a wide grin replaced the shock, “I’ll try not to give you shit for that.” Which, in Tony-speak, meant he fully planned on giving her shit for it. Shaking his head, he shrugged, his smile softening somewhat with sincerity and a hint of what could almost be perceived as shyness, “For what it’s worth– wouldn’t be a bad view on my end either.”

"Gotta have some of them around here," because it was a skill that she 'd often used to her benefit. And it was one of the reasons she'd gotten promoted. Having someone who could listen in and report back, and it'd been something she'd been able to use recently in a job for Rio. Eyes and ears everywhere, it was just about knowing where to look. Aelin chuckled, raising both shoulders as a genuine smile etched itself onto her lips. "Yeah, well, a battery charge might be a tad more satisfying, but it's a bit harder to explain to the cops, y'know?" she quipped, a glint in those chocolate flecked eyes. "I come here a few times a week, have for a few years." she admitted.

His challenge about not letting her get a hit in earned him an arched eyebrow and was enough to curl the corners of her lips into a smirk. "You're welcome to find out, but I've been known to surprise people," she replied, taking a step forward and quickly realising that he was a hell of a lot taller than she'd originally noticed, not that she hadn't noticed him before. It was kind of hard not to. Aelin wasn't one to underestimate, though, and while her confidence spoke volumes about her capabilities, she knew if it came down to it that Antonio could take care of himself. Call it intuition.

The mention of his appearance had been somewhat intentional, but she liked to be a little more subtle. His words managed to draw a playful eyeroll, as her tongue darted out to wet her lip as she laughed. "Modesty isn't going to save you in a fight, Toni," she teased, emphasizing the nickname. The nickname felt comfortable on her lips, enough that if someone looked just close enough, they might have realised as it rolled off with more suggestion than anything. "But I'd like to see you in action, sometime. Call it a curious mind."

Mutual respect was a rare currency in this world, in Tonopah, but if there was one place she felt like she got it? It was with members of Los Santos. and Aelin valued it when it was earned, and recieved. "Solid, that's how you survive in this place," she remarked, with a hum as her hand tightened around her gym bag; or at least the strings that kept together the hand me down she'd used for a good ten years.

When he mentioned the need for conversation, though, she got it. Honestly, she did. This world was made to beat people down until they hit rock bottom, like it was a game to see how long people could go before hope was last. Maybe it wasn't that deep for him, maybe he simply liked company. But for her, conversation had been the thing that had kept her going for some time.

Aelin found herself nodding in understanding. "Yeah, it does get old," she admitted, her eyes flickering momentarily to the gritty surroundings of Webster Village and wished she was far away, somewhere better. "Sometimes, you just need a break from the noise, even if it means finding company in the chaos." using her chin to jerk to Uppercut which could be heard pumping music and the distant thundering of gloves against leather.

Leaning against the worn punching bag, Aelin regarded him with a thoughtful expression, offering a small smile in response. "If you ever want to talk...or not talk, together? I'd find time, y'know?," she said, tilted her head to the side, as a slow grin began to slip over her lips, and in all honesty, she couldn't believe what she was about to say but they began moving before she had time to second guess herself. "And, I mean, if it means I get to stare at that pretty face a little, I wouldn't complain."

[antoniojimenez]

“Don’t be scared to walk alone. Don’t be scared to like it.”

— John Mayer; Age Of Worry

[antoniojimenez]

Peter Gadiot as Tom Westfall in QUANTUM LEAP 2x02