fair/unfair

02.

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       "What the fuck are you wearing?"

       Reid looked up from his phone as Grace tumbled through his bedroom window, landing gracefully into a crouch. She stood up and Reid got a full glimpse of her outfit, instantly understanding what Jax meant.

       "Reid said to wear dark clothes," she said defensively, rubbing her palms on her thighs.

       "He meant a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt." Jax gestured towards his own outfit as if saying, for example. Reid was wearing a similar outfit, except his jeans were actually black and he wore a hoodie instead of a shirt.

       Grace...Grace was wearing a pair of overall shorts, black stockings underneath, and a pair of dark grey work boots. Not exactly stealth attire.

       Jax shook his head. "You look fucking ridiculous."

       "Well, this is the darkest outfit I own and I'm not sacrificing style for some false sense of security."

       "You do realize we're going to be on a timed schedule, right? What we're doing, we're not doing it quietly. There's a pretty good fucking chance we're going to being running to get the hell out of there. What are you going to do then?"

       "All I have to do is be faster than your dumb ass!" she retorted. "Oh, hey, guess what? I already am!"

       Reid could feel a headache coming on. "Guys, shut up."

       Jax turned to him. "Tell her she looks impractical."

       Reid flicked his eyes over to Grace, who was standing with her arms crossed defensively across her chest and eyebrows furrowed. "You look perfect."

       Grace's grin was triumphant. "Ha!"

       Jax looked wounded. "Et tu, Brute, you fucking dick? So much for brotherhood."

       Reid ignored him and stood up, pocketing his phone. "Are we doing this or not?"

       "Of course we are, but Grace—"

       "—looks fine," Reid snapped. Jax's eyes darkened but he seemed to get the hint that the conversation was over. Thank god. "Now, let's get this done and afterwards, you two can stop being insufferable pains in my ass and finally just go get laid."

       "I don't date little girls," Jax huffed.

       "Funny," Grace quipped. "I was going to say the exact same thing."

       Reid didn't bother telling them that he didn't say get laid with each other. The heart hears what it wants to hear, he guessed.

       Besides, the two were going to keep arguing for as long as they thought Reid was just going to sit there and wait for them, so he wedged in between them to grab his backpack, tossing it over his shoulder, and then without indicating they should follow him, he climbed out the window.

       His shoes hit the roof, scraping against the shingles as he slid down carefully, using one hand to brace himself. From there it was only a small jump to the tree right outside his bedroom window and then, a few scrapes later, he dropped to the ground. He hitched his backpack higher on his shoulders, watching as a stone-faced Jax and a bright red Grace followed after him.

       "Done fighting, ladies?"

       Jax just pushed past him, shoulder shoving him back a couple of steps. Reid watched him stalk off, amusement playing at his lips.