1 . Name: stubs @ 2011-07-11 21:02

not adult yet, but in later chapters it gets that way. written for a friend. beta'd by my spinarak.
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left on an eastbound train
gone, first thing this morning
why's what's best for you
always the worst thing for me?
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"I didn't think you'd wanna meet like this," Engie said, voice muffled by the body of the car he was rolled under. "Though I guess it's kinda fitting."

"Oui, quite fitting," Spy agreed, letting out a lungful of smoke slowly and luxuriously.

"Be great if y'could put that out, Spah. Not really all that safe here. Gonna kill us both."

Spy dropped his spent cigarette to the floor and ground it underneath the toe of his no-doubt expensive dress shoe. He took slow, calculated steps towards the Engineer's legs, heels clicking sharply against the floor. "Call me Marcel."

The sounds Engie was making underneath the car paused. "Thought we agreed never to tell each other our names."

"We did, Monsieur, but I feel that the war is far enough behind us that its promises are rendered moot. Besides, I find this to be an extenuating circumstance."

"I'm just fixin' your car," Engie rolled out from under the car and sat up, reaching up to pull his goggles up and rest them on his forehead. He wiped his greasy hands off on the rag he kept tucked into his belt.

Spy smiled a bit upon seeing Engie again. Same as always. Greasy, grimy, working away at some machine or another. Whether it was some complicated device to transport people from one place to another or simply patching up the muffler on Spy's car, it didn't matter. Engie still delighted in every second of it.

"Speakin' of," Engie glanced over his shoulder at the car. "This don't look like your style. Who's is it?"

"The BLU Scout's lovely mother's," Spy answered. "She and I are here for a rodeo. She's always wanted to see one, and I thought 'where better than Texas,' and here we are."

"So she's at the hotel you're staying at?"

"Oui, enjoying a complimentary spa treatment."

"Well, aren't you a gentleman?" Engie got to his feet and patted the hood of the car fondly a couple of times. "Old girl's all patched up. You two have fun with your rodeo." He went to Spy and gave him a good, firm, All-American handshake, then turned to head into the back office of the garage.

"Oh, but, Monsieur," Spy stepped forward and placed a hand on Engie's shoulder. "What about payment?"

"Weren't no thing. Consider it a favour," Engie looked over his shoulder at Spy and gave a lopsided grin that Spy thought was purely Engie. "I sure as hell didn't do you no favours back in BLU." He turned and continued on his way.

"Engineer, please," he took another step closer to the Engineer and gave his classic disarmingly dashing grin. He really was the same handsome rogue he'd always been. "Allow me to buy you a drink. I have a free evening, we could do some catching up."

"Spah-"

"S'il vous plait, Monsieur; Marcel-"

"Why did you really come back here?" Engie rounded on Spy, who had been stalking him around like a sneaky cat, and grabbed him by the lapel of his suit jacket. He narrowed his eyes and growled at Spy. "Now you listen here. I don't think I want to do the kind of 'catchin' up' you're thinkin' of. You'd best git, before I lose my temper."

"But cheri, please, it 'as been so long," Spy put on that smirk, the one he always used to wear, the one that caught Engie in the first place: hook, line, and sinker. "I just want to take you out for a drink, chat about what you've been up to since we parted on the last day of your contract-"

"I'll tell you what I've been up to, Spah. I've gotten married and been busy raisin' my kids." He gestured to the shop around them with his free hand. "I opened this here shop with the money BLU paid me. I reckon you'd know that already, though, wouldn't you?"

Spy was only thoughtfully silent. When he went to speak, Engie interrupted him.

"I don't know how you tracked me down, but you'd better go back to where you came from 'cause I don't want nothin' to do with you or BLU any more."

"I promise you, I am no longer affiliated with RED or BLU. I want only to have a drink with an old friend?" He placed a hand over Engie's, easing his fingers looser and off his collar. "Is that so wrong?"

"It is when I know you as well as I do, Spah. You didn't come to Texas for just any old rodeo."

Spy sighed after a moment and nodded. "You 'ave me, Engineer. Always so clever. The truth is, I came to this state to get married. There's a dressmaker here who is absolutely superb, and since we had to come down here to pick up the dress, we're also holding the wedding here."

"You? Gettin' married? I don't believe it!"

"I did not at first either. But then a strange uncontrollable feeling overcame me and I slid down to one knee and asked her - and, well, here we are."

"Congratulations on that, then." Engie said dryly. "Shouldn't you be spendin' this time together, if yer so 'in love'?"

Spy chortled softly. "Have you never heard of a bachelor party?"

"Your wedding's tomorrow?"

"Oui, and I was hoping you'd keep me company on my last night of bachelorhood."

"Don't you have any friends?"

"'Onestly? Non, I do not. As you know, to many people I am abrasive and guarded. Over the last decade of my life, you were really the only one I felt a..." He paused and raked his gaze down Engie's body and back up, stopping on his face. "connection with."

"So you want me to go out drinkin' with you tonight? Even though I have to go home to my family and get up and go to work tomorrow?"

"Oui, that is essentially what I am asking."

"And just what galaxy do you live in where this seems like a halfway-decent idea?"

"You do not have to say yes."

Before Engie could say anything else, though, Spy gazed down at his watch and tutted. "I need to be getting back. If you should choose to meet me, I will be spending the evening at that club down the street anyways. Around seven o'clock. I 'ope to see you there." He went to his car and swung the door open, sliding into the driver's seat. The car rumbled to life and rolled out of the garage, through the door Engie had left open.

Engie was thoughtfully silent and still for a moment, before he chuckled and shook his head, turning to go work on his other projects for the day.