The Run and Go

She'd followed him to Diala's, more out of need to distract herself than anything else, but Jasmine's curiosity kept her rooted there. She watched him from the upstairs restaurant portion of the restaurant-slash-bar-slash-casino, a glass of wine and a half-eaten salad sitting in front of her. As much as she'd like to tell herself he didn't know she was there, that she'd been good enough to track him through the Citadel to the popular, little hangout without being noticed, she wasn't banking on it by any means. No, he knew she was there, and for some reason, he didn't seem to care—which might actually bother her more than him knowing she'd followed him.

He can at least act a little distressed considering I crashed his last job in a big way.

Damn he was good. Far better than she wanted to admit. It took her twenty minutes to pinpoint his target; he did well at keeping his surveillance discreet, breaking away from any discernible pattern of who he looked at and when. After five minutes, she realized what an advantage his—what were they called again, eye scales?—gave him, allowing him to conceal where he directed his gaze while in low enough light.

Jasmine felt certain she pegged his target, though: a volus sitting at a table with several other people; human, turian, and asari. She sipped at her drink, idly wondering who hired Thane to take out the volus, and what the volus did to deserve such attention. After another fifteen minutes, Thane continued to sit in the shadows, nursing the same glass, of what Jasmine knew wouldn't be alcohol, since he'd arrived.

She itched to talk to him, even if she didn't really have anything to say. Sitting with him the other night, drinking cinuela, eating, and just talking … it did wonders to quiet the howling in the back of her mind, like a cool salve on raw nerves. But it didn't last long, she could hear the ugly beast waking up from its fitful nap again, and she felt a little desperate for a distraction.

God he is so out of his element in a bar. A man sitting alone in a place like this … not completely out of the ordinary, but they're normally either trying to pick up a date, or trying to find the answer to their problems in the bottom of a glass. He's clearly doing neither. Maybe I should go talk to him.

She glanced down at the dance floor and scraped her teeth across her lip, grinning to herself.

I can just make it look like a pick up attempt to anyone watching, there's no need to announce to anyone looking that we already know each other. Plus, it'll make him uncomfortable, which is worth it alone. Maybe I can get him to make his delightful sputtering noise.

Finishing her drink, she transferred a tip to the bar and made her way down the stairs to the floor below. She made a point of letting her gaze roam over the crowd, lingering here and there on those she'd normally consider potential partners before stopping on Thane. She leaned against the downstairs bar and ordered another drink before smiling at him, feeling his gaze on her now even if she couldn't see his eyes. She'd put herself right where he couldn't miss her, and anyone watching her wouldn't doubt whom she focused her attention on. Not that he didn't know her exact location the entire time, but now she'd stepped out of the shadows, announcing herself in a manner of speaking, and he'd be forced to acknowledge her.

She accepted her drink from the bartender and paid, working out just how much she wanted to toy with the drell. Putting a little extra sway in her hips, she made her way through the crowd. Stopping next to Thane's table, she flashed her best seductive smile at him when he looked up, unable to keep pretending she wasn't there. "Dance with me."

A confused look of shock rippled across his face, forcing his brow ridge up a tick, his eyes widening, his jaw falling slack for a fraction of a second—it made her entire day. He definitely didn't expect that. Hell, he probably wasn't expecting her to approach him at all, but he most certainly didn't anticipate she'd ask him to dance. She grinned, leaning down into his personal space, putting her face next to his ear.

Christ, he smells good.

She half expected him to pull away, or maybe even put a knife to her side in warning, but when he didn't, she whispered, "Your target's not going anywhere. You've been nursing the same drink since you arrived, and you're not talking to anyone." She made a show of running a hand up his bicep and over his shoulder, fighting back the urge to snicker as he tensed beneath her hand. "Besides, the dance floor is closer to his table. It gives you a good excuse to get closer to him and pretend for five minutes you have a life outside of your job. Get up and pretend to be having a good time dancing with an attractive woman." She straightened, ignoring the twinge of pain coming from her still healing ribs. Giving him the same smile, she cocked an eyebrow in challenge, taking her time dragging her hand back down his arm before dropping her hand back to her side.

Thane cleared his throat, taking a sip from his drink before meeting her gaze again. "I—I'm afraid this music is beyond my dancing skills."

"No one said you had to be good at it, I'll keep it simple." She grinned, and then when he still hesitated she shrugged. "I could always go ask the volus over there if he wants to dance instead."

He chuckled, dropping his gaze to the table in front of him as he shook his head. "I believe your words were 'colossal pain in my ass?'"

Laughing, she reached out to tug at the shoulder of his jacket. "Dance with me."

He shouldn't even be tempted by the idea, especially while pursuing a target … but something about the look in her eyes called to him more than her words alone. She wasn't wrong, he'd seen her blend in seamlessly with a crowd, smiling and socializing as if she were no different than anyone else. Granted his being a drell made blending in on the Citadel quite a bit more difficult than a human, but perhaps such a social activity would be less noteworthy than continuing to sit alone.

Perhaps there is something I can learn from her after all.

"Very well," he said, sliding his chair out and rising to his feet. He gestured out at the dance floor, telling himself her triumphant grin wasn't the cause for the light feeling in his chest. Following her when she turned, walking out onto the dance floor, he found he felt oddly nervous. He didn't lie when he said this music wasn't something he knew how to dance to, and although he normally couldn't care less about doing something others found embarrassing, he held no desire to embarrass her.

The music changed as they stepped on the dancefloor, a new song playing over the sound system.

"I can't take them on my own, my own."

Jasmine turned to face him, her eyes lighting up. "I love this song." She grabbed the edges of his jacket, tugging him closer to her, making his breath catch in his throat.

"Oh, I'm not the one you know, you know. I have killed a man, and all I know is I am on the run and go."

If he thought her taste in music telling, the idea vanished in a puff of smoke as she took his hands in hers, guiding them to her hips before draping her arms around his neck. He reminded himself he needed to pay attention to his target and not let himself become distracted by the unfamiliar feel of her curves beneath his palms.

She began to move her feet, her hips swaying in time with the music, her lips moving as she quietly sang along with the music. "Don't wanna call you in the nighttime. Don't wanna give you all my pieces. Don't wanna hand you all my trouble." Her grin widened and she nodded her head encouragingly as he followed her movements, letting her guide him through the awkward moment. "Don't wanna give you all my demons. You'll have to watch me struggle, from several rooms away, but tonight, I'll need you to stay." She broke her hold on his gaze, glancing over his shoulder before turning them a little but not enough he lost line of sight on his target.

He began to understand why Jasmine might relate to the song, talks of killing a man aside, it seemed fitting for her and the struggles she endured with fighting off her addiction; one of her 'demons' as she'd called them. And if her demons didn't necessitate she keep people at arm's length, her profession certainly did. The song lapsed into mindless repetition of what sounded like the simple word 'do', and Thane took the opportunity to let his gaze slide to his target.

Han Dal remained engaged in conversation, seated at the table with his co-conspirators. Most who saw them probably assumed theirs was a simple meeting of co-workers, relaxing after a long day at work, gathered together to blow off steam by telling horror stories about their boss. None but Thane would have reason to suspect in reality the inter-species group were involved in illegal weapons trade responsible for three mass murders spread throughout the galaxy; Han being the unlikely leader.

"You're going to have to man up and come a little closer to me if you want to sell it," Jasmine said, drawing his attention back to her. She bit the corner of her lower lip, a now familiar glint of mischief dancing in her eyes. She truly delighted in the game of hers, he believed, seizing every opportunity to get a reaction out of him with her bawdy wit.

Lifting one corner of his mouth in a smirk, he tightened his grip on her hips, pulling her closer to him, making her eyes widen and her eyebrows lift. He chuckled, pleased with himself for being able to turn the tables on her, something he found came easier and easier the more time he spent with her. Still, he found himself grateful for the few centimeters of space separating the two of them; even now he felt her warmth against his chest. He allowed himself to wonder, for just a moment, what the look on her face would be if he'd pulled her flush against him.

"I am up against the wall, the wall, for I hear them coming down the hall. I have killed a man and all I know, is I am on the run and go. Don't wanna call you in the nighttime ..."

Then, as the chorus began to repeat, he found himself wondering how long the song lasted. Conflicted, he both wished it'd keep going even while wishing it'd come to a swift end, so he could put some space between him and the human assassin with her arms around his neck. Her scent thick in his nostrils, heady and cajoling, mixed with dozens of others, threatened to overwhelm him. This wasn't like him, to become so wrapped up in someone else—Irikah aside, but she'd been an extraordinary exception—and it set him on edge.

She really will be the end of me.

Jasmine's movements faltered for a heartbeat. "You alright?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Of course," he said, forcing a smile on his face. He realized he felt coiled tight, and took a slow breath, consciously relaxing muscles, focusing his efforts on the points of contact between their bodies.

She smiled, the exhausted wariness in her eyes telling him her smile must feel as brittle as his own.

Is she still struggling? Is that why she followed me here tonight? This might be her way of asking me for help.

Regret tugged at the corners of his mind; he had a contract to complete. He couldn't just walk away. Although, he had time to find Han another night …. No, if Jasmine needed something from him, she'd ask. Wouldn't she? He'd made clear his willingness to help her, however he could, even if she remained unwilling to take his advice and leave this profession. Perhaps he should encourage her to go sit down with him instead of dancing. Quieter at the table, maybe he'd convince her to talk a little more, work through some of what bothered her.

"Cold nights under siege from accusations. Cerebral thunder in one-way conversations. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh."

"Don't wanna call you in the nighttime. Don't wanna give you all my pieces." Her smile softened as she sang along with the music, her voice just close enough to pick out above the din, drew him back in. "Don't wanna hand you all my trouble. Don't wanna give you all my demons." Her gaze flicked to his and then away again. "You'll have to watch me struggle, from several rooms away, but tonight, I'll need you to stay." Sliding her hands from his neck, she gripped his shoulders instead. "Tonight, I'll need you to stay. Tonight, I'll need you to stay. Tonight, I'll need you to stay. Tonight, I'll need you to stay."

The song ended, leaving them in a moment of silence before the next song would begin. They stopped moving, but she didn't pull away from him right away, and neither did he. Thane held her gaze, his breath shallow as she scraped her teeth over her lip. Jasmine stepped back, her hands falling away from him, easing herself free from his grip.

She leaned a little closer to him, covering the sound of her voice in the absence of the music. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Your target's leaving." Pulling back, she winked at him before turning and walking away. She threw a glance back at him over her shoulder before disappearing through the exit.

For one fleeting moment, he considered following her instead of Han. He didn't know why exactly, or what he'd say to her, only that he felt suddenly lost without her, and if she needed him …. He swallowed against the knot in his throat, finding his mouth dry. Han and the others paid their tab and left as Thane made his way from the dancefloor. He lingered a moment longer, giving Han time to put distance between himself and Thane … or perhaps to give Jasmine time to put distance between them instead, he couldn't swear which. At last, he followed Han out of the club, decisively turning in the volus' direction.