2010-05-17 - From the Dark, A Spark of Hope

Bardiel arrived in one fell swoop, and departed in a bloody mess.

In the wake of the Angel battle, Johnny Domino was locked away in Lab #24 at Izu Base. For days he remained out of sight, with only NERV being given periodic updates about the condition of the young man who had close contact with Angels not once, but twice.

Fortunately, Domino has not been corrupted by the Angel. Izu Medical did their darnest to ensure there was no lingering presence within the Agent. Granted, there was some... how should one put it? ..a certain degree of psychic-like 'residue'. But the eventual conclusion was that none of it was alive, and none of it was having any influence on the young man.

Thus the Agent has been released, deemed fit to return to his duties. Which is a shame, in a way. Apparently having been taken over by an Angel is not quite good enough a reason to grant someone an extended leave. Johnny would not have minded an extended leave. Or even just a leave. But no matter.

Having returned to the Minerva, Domino's actions so far can be summed up as: getting chewed out by superior officers for getting infected by an Angel, getting drowned in ooey-gooey compassion by superior officers for getting infected by an Angel, listening in mute disdain to a briefing detailing all that the Agent has missed and must now catch up on, and finally the crown jewel - taking a shower.

No matter how many kinds of scented and antibacterial soaps they kept in lab #24, there wasn't a drop of shampoo to be found. Barbarians.

Now, with his hair no longer a greasy mop, Johnny Domino is out seeking Sarah Zabiarov. There was something very important the young man felt he needed to do before officially sitting down and returning to work.

Walking through the ship, Domino's steps are relaxed and steady. Despite his outward appearance, filled with bruises and cuts and burn remnants, the young man shows no signs of physical discomfort. There is no limp, no slouch, no visible bandages or casts or crutches or even any bandaids. Similarly, his expression is calm, containing no negative emotions.

Not only does the Agent seem to have shrugged off the experience with Bardiel, but he also seems wholly undisturbed by the pile of work waiting for him -- and which is basically slacking off on in his search for Lance-1.

Johnny Domino has... changed.

Meanwhile, Sarah Zabiarov has been dealing with much emotional turmoil.

First, the situation with her former comrade Leo Stenbuck. Then, the problems she has been facing with Rei Ayanami--Lance-3--and her seeming inability to follow orders or act properly in combat. Then she's only had her uncertainties confirmed by a captain of the Blanc Rival. THEN? Then, Johnny Domino had to go and get possessed by an Angel.

Suffice to say, Lance-1 has been quite busy on all ends.

Now, however, the young woman has taken a break from her office duties and stacks of paperwork--some of which are meant to go to NERV with frenzied reports and inquiries about Rei--to actually breathe. She moves quietly, only turning the occasional passing glance to fellow crewmembers aboard the Minerva. In one hand she has a small insulated coffee cup.

In the midst of her busy work, she had not been aware of the return of Agent Domino.

So when the young woman actually sees him /walking/ through the hallways, Sarah looks stunned and very nearly drops her coffee cup on the steel floors of the Minerva hall.

"D-domino? You're back on /duty/?" she wonders, green eyes wide and surprised. "But...shouldn't you be...r-resting or s-something?" Flustered, the young Newtype realizes maybe that was a poor choice of first words after all this while--

"E-er, it's really good to s-see you, though."

Cue awkward smile...

Here.

Johnny Domino's thoughts on a one, Leo Stenbuck, are far from positive. Once upon a time, the Agent alternated between trying to stick up to Leo and between disliking him. Nowadays there are no shades of grey within this spectrum - it's all dislike.

However, that is neither here nor there.

Domino spots Sarah at about the same time she spots him. There's great synchronity there, except that while Sarah spazzes, Johnny remains serene. Alterning his course and approaching Zabiarov, Johnny Domino walks tall and proud. There's confidence in his steps. Despite all that has transpired, there's confidence there.

When Sarah expresses her incredulousness at Domino being back on duty, the Agent's response is to give her a crisp salute. "Lieutenant Zabiarov," is his affirmation-slash-greeting. Perhaps a weird sort of gesture, considering Sarah and Johnny are now of equal rank, and Domino isn't obligated to salute, but...

And then Domino eases, lowering his arm. A little smile forms on his lips. Why ISN'T he resting? "Some people thought otherwise," responds Johnny. He doesn't sound annoyed when he says this. There's the tiniest of dismissive shrugs, as if the Agent accepted this fate and is rolling with it. "Honestly, I don't blame them. I feel fine."

He doesn't look very fine, what with all the superficial marks left on his body... but then, they are, indeed, superficial.

Then Domino's voice drops, becoming less casual, more gentle. "It's good to see you too, Sarah." The Agent's eyes flicker to the Lieutenant's cup of coffee before returning to her face.

"You were there," he almost whispers.

Does he mean the Angel?

The salute catches Sarah off her guard for one, brief second.

Then, realizing and remembering she is a soldier, she returns it.

"Ah, my apologies, Lieutenant Domino," the young woman apologies, letting her left arm fall back to her side. "However, that seems like a poor decision," she then notes. She doesn't elaborate on why--after all, bringing /that/ up is probably in poor form. "I would just you rather get better."

Even if he says he feels fine.

"...but it isn't my decision to make," Sarah then notes with a weak smile. "I am entitled not to agree, but ultimately it is your choice to make, right?" An airy laugh follows, a half-hearted sort of effort before her face filters back into an expression best described as 'neutral.'

However, when he mentions his feelings in a gentler tone, the young Newtype offers another tiny smile in response. "Thank you," is her response. "I'm just glad that you're back with us, Lieutenant." It helps her know that at least one of her fellow squadron is in working order.

Rei, on the other hand...

The whisper, though, gives Sarah reason to pause. "W-wha--er, yes," she fumbles. "Of course. Why wouldn't I have been?" Offering a lopsided smile, presuming (perhaps foolishly) he means 'that' time, she notes, "It's sort of my job to keep an eye out for my fellow Lance pilots, after all. I am just really grateful you are well."

At least she /hopes/.

As Sarah voices her disagreement, Johnny Domino can do nothing but stand there in silence. He isn't sure why he didn't persist, demanding to be allowed time to recuperate from his ordeal. Prior to Bardiel, the Agent would have tried every trick in the book in order to be granted shore leave. But now... there was something... something that tugged at him.

Even if Domino has yet to fully make order out of the chaos that Bardiel left in his head, the Agent knows that much: he can't abandon his duties. Not now.

When Sarah explains it is her job to look after her fellow Lance pilots, something in Johnny's expression changes. It's so incredibly subtle -- an almost non-existent narrowing of the eyes as the smiling lips purse somewhat. The Agent is still smiling, and his look is still the same, but there's the shadow of a different emotion added to the mix.

"You kept calling my name," Domino provides after a moment. "Kept asking me to stop."

It looks like the Agent is going to continue down this particular train of thought, his lips parted as if in mid-sentence. But no further words are offered, as Johnny pauses, locking eyes with Sarah. In the end, all that comes out is a silent sigh.

Then he repeats, softly: "You kept calling my name."

He remembers.

"I wanted to thank you," he says, starting on a new subject. He looks so serious as he talks. Before Bardiel, Johnny would rarely, if ever, express any amount of gratitude beyond the shallow. But now... there's no awkwardness accompanying his next words. "Thank you for trying to stop the Angel. Thank you for protecting me when that other man showed up. Thank you for not... for not giving up on me."

What comes next is similarly said with a straight face -- and is similarly something Johnny Domino would never have said to begin with.

"I hope you won't find me rude for asking, but... may I hug you?"

The expression, coupled with his kind, quiet words, cause Sarah to blink in mild bemusement. Tilting her head to one side just so, the Newtype girl gives the young man a thoughtful look. She says nothing immediately; instead, she waits to see what else the Agent has to say. She can't be presumptuous, after all.

Then he locks eyes. That makes her feel really awkward. It kind of reminds her of--

Shaking her head lightly, Sarah dismisses that thought. She needs to focus. She needs to listen to the young man's words and see what he has to say. He repeats himself, and she nods faintly. "O-of course," Sarah awkwardly replies. "I didn't want you to get yourself killed..." It's obvious, right?

"...but really, there's no need to say thank you," the girl states with a grin. "I had to repay the favor, after all. You saved my life once before, remember?" When he further elaborates, Sarah's expression falters only slightly, green eyes widening before she smiles a little further.

"Please, don't worry about thanking me, I--"

He wants to hug her?

Blinking /several/ times in disbelief, the green-eyed Newtype just stares blankly at Domino. "Uhh," is her eloquent initial response, her face a touch red before she offers a nervous smile. "Uh, there's really no n-need to go th-that far, but...s-sure, I guess."

Not wanting Domino to get killed isn't as obvious as Sarah might imagine. The Agent's career has been rife with figures who considered him a highly expendable asset, or otherwise a thorn to be disposed of. One needs only look at the recent Angel battle as an example - Gendo Ikari was rather adamant on persuing the battle strategy that would have been the most lethal for Johnny.

Waiting for the girl's response to his rather audacious request, Domino remains as calm as ever. He doesn't blush or avert his gaze, or, indeed, show any physical signs about realizing just how shameless his question really was. Although, considering he pre-empted this question by expressing hs hope that Sarah doesn't find him rude, it seems Johnny IS rather aware of things.

It is quite a departure from past behavior, and yet, at the same time, it isn't. Domino has always been a rather shameless individual, that much hasn't changed. But the manner in which he goes about displaying it...

When Sarah finally stammers her reply, Domino chuckles once. It's a pale sort of laughter, containing minimal amusement.

Taking a step forward, Johnny proceeds to invade Sarah's personal space and wrap his arms around her. The girl will most likely be relieved to discover that there's no trace of passion behind the Agent's gesture. All he does is hold her, not too tight, not too loose.

"There might not be any need to go this far," he admits after already hugging the girl, "but I think... I might regret it if I didn't."

"If one of these days something were to happen, without me ever getting the chance to tell you - I owe you and Admiral Scirocco a lot. Everything you two have done for me, the trust you put in me..."

Despite the confession, Domino doesn't sound emotional. Instead, he sounds distant. Talking about something from so far away, so wistful and nostalgic. "I'd hug him too if I could," comes the final admission. The Agent releases Sarah and takes a step back at that. "But he would probably appreciate it much more if it came from you."

Oddly, the hug elicits no feelings in the young man--and that seems to offer Sarah some comfort. The detached, emotionless but kindly gesture isn't what she anticipated, and causes the nervous young lieutenant to actually...calm a bit. The moment she realizes there's no passion in his gesture, she seems to relax. Considerably.

Still, she offers a small but gentle sort of smile, green eyes averting to the side as she gives him an equal hug in response. "It's okay," she offers in a quiet tone, letting the Agent go with a nod. "I'm honestly...glad you did. I was really worried you were..." Well, she doesn't need to explain.

She thought he was dead.

"But...please. You do not owe me anything, Lieutenant Domino. I am just grateful to have someone like you on my team. Relieved, even." He's the only real friend she has left in this big mess, Sarah reminds herself. In response, the young, green-eyed woman's smile grows a touch more genuine and compassionate.

"But thank you. It means a lot to hear that from someone--especially you, Johnny." No titles.

Just Johnny.

His tone, however, draws a curious feeling in the girl. Tilting her head just so, the young woman asks, "Are...you all right, Johnny? You seem a little tired. Are you /sure/ you shouldn't be on rest leave?"

Honestly, Johnny Domino SHOULD be dead. The fact that he is alive now -- alive and not suffering from any internal injuries -- is rather curious.

The young man says nothing as Sarah continues insisting that he owes her nothing. Some people are like that. They could stand there and argue, with Johnny claiming he does, in fact, owe her a lot, and keep thanking her. And Sarah would tell him that's not true at all, and he should stop saying that. And Domino would refuse to budge from his stance, and a stuttering Sarah would refuse to budge from hers...

It's a rather amusing mental image. At least, Johnny thinks it's rather amusing.

But regardless of how amusing the Agent might be feeling, the smile gracing his features is not born out of humor. It's born out of being happy and grateful and content. There aren't too many people Johnny could say he trusts. There are even fewer he would consider as close friends. Sarah happens to be both.

But all good things must come to an end, and when the young Lieutenant expresses her worry, Domino's smile wanes.

"..I suppose tired is a good way of putting it, yeah." The Agent closes his eyes, breathing quietly. When he next opens them, hs blue gaze begins drifting away from Sarah's green one.

"Maybe I should consider resting for an hour more. Work isn't going anywhere." Not yet, anyway.

There's a beat, and then: "Okay, I considered it." Boy, that was fast. Domino's back to looking at Sarah. His smile is back, this time injected with a healthy dose of humor. "I accept Doctor Sarah's diagnosis. It's bedtime for old Johnny!"

His response only earns him an even more bemused expression.

Something doesn't really seem to fit right, but she can't place it.

Frowning faintly, the young lieutenant lifts her gloved hands and rests them akimbo on her hips. "You shouldn't be up and about--or working--if you're still feeling under the weather, Johnny," the girl lightly chides. "You should get plenty of rest. I know that's what I'd like you to do, and I am certain Master Paptimus would suggest the same."

Pausing a beat, Sarah's maternal expression of humorous frustration falters. A sincere smile follows.

"I don't want you getting worse off, if you're still recovering. I say this not as a fellow soldier, but as a friend, Johnny." Granted, the young woman doesn't even take her own advice, though it isn't obvious, what with her uniform covering BANDAGES and all. But shh.

When he accepts her advice, Sarah seems stunned. He...listened..?

"A-ah, well..." Furrowing her brows, the girl considers briefly before she pokes a finger toward his chest and states, "Well good! Good...that means you'll get better quicker and we can meet up for lunch sometime soon. My treat." A sheepish smile briefly crosses her lips as she notes, "It's the least I can do for you."

Sarah offers food.

If only Johnny Domino could claim this was his plan all along - to get a free meal out of the girl! But no, that wasn't his plan at all. It's a sweet sweet bonus.

"I'll remember that," says Domino. His expression hovers between the facetiously smug and the sincerely pleased.

"Until next time, Lance Sarah." Trust Domino to find a way to mutate casual names and professional titles into something that is neither. Turning around, the young man begins the trek back to his quarters --

Johnny stops. He turns his head, giving Sarah a sidelong glance. "By the way," he starts. "Please consider taking your own advice.

Oh snap.

Johnny Domino resumes his departure.

Lifting a hand as the young man begins to take his leave, Sarah seems to feel...well, a lot better about things. It's been a drop of good news in a sea of bad--something she'd sorely needed after all this time. After all the worrying and frustrations and fretting and--

Mentally, Sarah shakes her head and dismisses the thoughts. Think positive. For him, for Paptimus.

Grinning sincerely, the young Newtype nods her head. "Until then, Domino. Get lots of rest. I'll see you soon..." She herself begins to turn and walk away, cup in hand, when--

"Wh--?"

Flustered and startled, the green-eyed young woman stares in disbelief as the Agent begins to make his way toward his quarters. Slowly and shortly after, Sarah's eyes shift to her wounded arm. How did he..? She was certain she hid it well...

A sigh escapes the girl. She's a terrible actress, she supposes.