Human Target : Llama Kiss

Junior dropped the airline magazine from his view, as he let out a bored sigh. These long flights back from missions were always boring. After a three day mission of running around and being on that familiar and life saving adrenaline rush, sitting around in a plane was not something his legs wanted to do.

Stretching, his eyes lazily scanned the plane, not really taking anything in… Until his eyes took in a tiny tuft of white hair sticking out of his old friend's satchel he had left on the ground in-front of his seat.  Blinking, Junior stared at it for a long, uncertain, minute, contemplating whether or not he should indulge his curiosity. Pursing his lips, Junior rubbed his fingers anxiously as his curiosity finally got the better of him.

Scooting forward in his seat, Junior quickly glanced over his shoulder as he silently and quickly unfastened the buckles of the bag. A grin spread from ear to ear, as he reached in the satchel, looking like a boy stealing from a candy store, as he pulled the item of his curiosity out...

And his smile faded unexpectedly.

Tilting his head, his eyebrows furrowing together, he held the fluffy… thing… up to his face, as it appeared to stare back at him blankly. The object had solid white fur, bright black eyes, hoofed feet, floppy ears, a long neck, a tiny bunny-like nose, and a ridiculously adorable, yet somewhat goofy, smile.

…What the hell was he looking at?!

"Not cool, dude," said a voice beside him. "Looking at other people's stuff."

Junior, use to his friends uncanny ability to sneak up behind someone without making a sound, let his eyes dart up to the shorter figure of his friend, Jack Harrison. He stood in the aisle with his hands stuffed in his pockets, a frown on his mustached lips, his left eyebrow raised in a questioning, and slightly annoyed, manner.  

Junior's eyes went back to the object in his hands — a stuffed toy llama, of all things — and he burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, his head falling back as he fell back into his seat. His hand fell over his mouth as he tried to control himself, while Harrison narrowed his eyes at him, his jaw clinching, as he grimaced further. The look on his face would make a grizzly bear cower. Junior, however, was unaffected.

"Oh, c'mon, Jack," breathed Junior between his fit of laughter, a shit-eater grin on his face, "you can't regain tough-guy status when you have a stuffed toy in your bag, man!"

Harrison sat down in the chair next to him, falling into his usual slouch, as he let out a low growl.  "You breathe a word of this to anyone, dude — one single, solitary soul — I'm gonna personally emasculate you in your sleep." Junior fought down his laughter, as he shook his head. "Ouch, man," he teased, "that's a bit harsh, isn't it?" Harrison's eyes narrowed to slits for a second, as he held out his hand lazily. "Then give it back."

Junior gave a boyish grin. "In a second," he said with glee, as held the llama up and bopped his friend's nose with the toy, sniggering, "Llama kissssss!" Harrison grumbled a curse, running his hand from his forehead to his chin in annoyance. Junior simply ignored him, flashing another boyish grin, before he playfully bopped Harrison's nose with the toy yet again, which prompted Harrison to snatch the animal away from him with frightening speed.

With his hands raised defensively, Junior switched on his easy charm, knowing he was starting to really push his friend's buttons.  "I swear I won't tell anyone. I would rather like to keep my manhood intact, dude, so my lips are sealed." Childishly, he pretended to draw an imaginary zipper across his mouth.

A silence feel between the two, before Junior motioned to the stuffed animal still in his friend's hand.  "I take this is some get-well-soon present for Lucy, huh?" Harrison glanced over at him out of the corner of his eye, as Junior continued.  "I think you said something about her being sick, right?"

Harrison let his eyes slide forward. "Something like that," he mumbled solemnly as Junior gave him a lopsided smile. "I like that you're being sentimental. It's… hysterical, yet also horrifying."

Harrison didn't respond. His attention was fixed upon the jovial little toy sitting on his lap. Junior raised a brow at his friend's silence. Although his expression was a bit too cryptic to read, his thoughts seemed to be a million miles away. Clearing his throat, Junior snapped his fingers in his friend's face.

"Earth to Jack!" Harrison's face darkened and his skin paled slightly, as Junior frowned. "Man, I know you can hear me." Harrison shook his head, not looking at his friend. "Dude," his voice was barely above a whisper, "I'd rather not talk about it."

Junior shook his head. He wasn't gonna take that crap. "I noticed you've been acting weird ever since the start of this job." His voice was matter-of-fact and prying, as Harrison gripped the toy tightly in his hand. "Let it go, dude..." His voice was so low now, that Junior had to strain to hear.

Junior tilted his head slightly to the side. "You two get into a fight or something?" He wasn't going to let this drop. Like a child, Junior could play the guessing and prying game for hours without fear of pissing off the one he was bugging.

"It's nothing." Harrison's voice was slightly shaky, as he gave a stiff shrug of his shoulder, trying to shake his friend's curiosity. "It doesn't sound like nothing." Junior deadpanned, as Harrison slammed his fist down slightly on the armrest of the chair.

"Shut up—!"

Junior cut the smaller male off. "Don't you trust me?" Harrison gritted his teeth in frustration as he snapped at the taller male, his voice a low hiss. "She's pregnant!" Junior felt the blood drain his face as he felt Harrison's words like a kick to the stomach!

His eyes searched for an answer in his friends, but he had none. All the smaller male could do was keep repeating those words, forcing each syllable to sink slowly into his friends mind.  "She's...pregnant..."

Juniors hands flew to his head, as his voice became a low hiss of his own. "Jesus, Harrison!" He leaned forward, getting in closer to the male; this was not a conversation for others to hear. "You swore you two were going to play it safe this time!"

Harrison let out a strained, bitter, laugh. "Apparently, we weren't safe enough, dude." Junior groaned, as he fell back in his seat again and clamped his hand over his eyes. "The Old Man is gonna kill you when he finds out," Junior paused, before removing his hand and shaking his head. "No, I take that back; he's gonna crucify you!"

The corner of Harrison's mouth couldn't help but pull into a smirk. "Not enough that the geezer hates me for screwin' his daughter, huh?" Junior fought back his own smirk, as he tried to remain stock faced. "You knew the risks going in."

Harrison's eyes narrowed. "I did and paid the price." His hand moved over his clothed chest, where his acid scars hid underneath, and continued with a slight, almost unseen, twitch of the lip smile. "But it was worth it, dude."

Junior snorted. "Sure, you say that now." Harrison turned his head to look directly at his friend, whose face was still pale and worry filled. "You know I've been stabbed, shot, burned, beaten, strangled, caged, and tortured," Junior gave an absent nod, as his friend continued.  "And I should have died more times than I can count."

Harrison rubbed his hands together, as he stared forward with a blank expression, shaking his head. "Can you imagine a child growing up in this kind of life?  What if—," he squeezed his eyes in pain, "—if it turned out like me?"

Junior couldn't help the barked out chuckle. "Now, that's a scary thought." Harrison chuckled dryly as well. "The universe isn't ready for two of me." Junior stared at his friend, whose face was shrouded in a veil of dread, fear, and uncertainty; something that was strange to see on his usually calm and collect face.

"Look, it doesn't have to be this way," Junior finally cut in, shaking his head. "I know a clinic that's clean and safe and, most of all, quiet." Junior was able to lock eyes with the smaller male "The Old Man will never know."

Harrison simply shook his head, causing Junior to burst in. "But you said—!" Only to be cut off. "I know what I said, dude… But it is not gonna happen." Junior furrowed his brows in confussion. "Why?"

Harrison's face darkened, as his hand gripped his knees, pushing the stuffed animal into his lap with his elbows. "Remember our first pregnancy?" Juniors face fell and as he glanced away briefly from his friend. "Yeah… But that was over two years ago. Ancient history to some."

"I killed it." Junior felt his shoulders slump at the anguish and pain coming from his friend's voice. Ever since the events of the last pregnancy, he'd been a mess. He tried not to show it… But Junior could see.

Junior's voice fell to a low whisper "It was an accident."

"It was my fault, dude." Harrison was shaking his head, unable to look at his friend as Junior felt himself become angry at his friends decision to beat himself up like this. "It wasn't your fault!" Harrison gripped his kneecaps tightly, his knuckles turning white, as he grits his teeth."How do you know that?" He snarled slightly.  "Dude, I don't even know that!"

"You were high, drugged up, and you weren't in control." Junior persisted, emphasizing his words with a growl of his own. "It happened..." Harrison's voice trailed off, and Junior had enough. "Stop it!" He let out a frustrated sigh as he fought the urge to shake Harrison. "You're a different man now then you were then, aren't you?" Harrison said nothing. "You've been clean for how long?"

"I hit her. I hit her, right there, dude," Harrison placed his hands upon his stomach, which churned at the painful memory. "I've never hit her before...  You didn't see it, dude...  You weren't there...  You didn't see her face..."  He squeezed his eyes shut and hung his head gravely.  "I felt it...  When I hit her, I felt it..." He ran his hand through his hair, his face contorting into pure pain and sadness. "The Old Man was right… I am a monster, dude."

Junior watched Harrison pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to hide his expression from him. If Junior didn't know him better, he would think he was crying. That pained him. "Why would Lucy ever want a monster?" Harrison questioned just above a murmur. Junior sat forward, before outstretching his hand to hold Harrison lightly on the shoulder.

"Because she knows there's a good man behind that monster, Jack," replied Junior, solemnly. Harrison let out a dry snort, as he continued to stare down, his fingers lightly pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know if that good man is inside anymore, dude… I think he died that night."

Junior narrowed his eyes, as he lowered his hand from his friends shoulder. "Then why are you fighting to keep it?" Harrison looked up, letting his hand fall to his lap, as he turned to his friend with a grave expression. "Because there isn't a day that passes when I don't hate myself for what I did. A day I don't sit and wish I could go back to fix it." He locked eyes with the taller male. "There isn't a day I don't think about what life would have been like if that child would have lived."

He looked down at the stuffed Llama in his lap, before holding it out in front of him with a distant look. "I wasn't too sure at first, dude." He looked into the llama's black eyes, petting its fuzzy back as he returned its tiny smile with a twinkle in his eye.  "But I'm sure now.  We both want this, Lucy and me." He gave a sigh, a small smile still on his face. "Don't know if it's the right thing, but I'm not letting this one go." He looked up from the Llama's face to fix Junior with a serious look. "We're keeping it."

Although it was good to see the sureness and smile on his friends face, Junior couldn't help but let his thoughts get in the way. "And what about the Old Man?" Harrison's face hardened again, as he narrowed his eyes. "We walked on the razor's edge before."

He looked down at the stuffed llama, before returning his attention to Junior. "He can do whatever he wants to me — torture me, kill me, lock me up, I don't care anymore — but he's not gonna take this away from me, dude. Not this time." His last words were low and deadly.

"He just might, you know," Junior cut in, his face pale and serious as a scary thought came to mind. "He always wanted a male heir. Hell, he chose me over his daughter!" He fixed Harrison with a worried look. "If this baby turns out to be a boy… He might take it from the both of you."

"He won't," Harrison growled, as he balled up his fists,  his nails digging crescents into his palms. Junior shook his head. "How can you be sure?" Harrison's breathing was heavy and his teeth mashed together, as he snarled. "I'll kill him first!"

Junior groaned and leaned back in his chair. "Now, I know you're crazy, Jack."  He sighed deeply before he spoke after a long moments pause, "We just came from a job where we killed thirty-eight people, whether they deserved it or not, in cold blood." He leaned forward again, fixing his friend with a look. "I don't know about you, Jack, but I'm scared to death for you. I mean just look at us! We're assassins-for-hire, man. We're murderers of the first degree." He let out a puff of air, as he shook his head. "I can't even imagine bringing a child into a world like this. How can a person grow up with all this around them?"

A long, uncomfortable, silence grew wider and wider between them before Harrison finally spoke up, breaking that growing distance of discomfort. "If you were where I am, dude, what would you do?" Junior didn't miss a beat. "Run."

Harrison narrowed his eyes at his friend.  "I ain't a coward, dude..."

Junior threw up his left hand. "Then you're as good as dead! If you face the Old Man head on like this, then everything you're trying to fight for is finished." Harrison scowled, as Junior held up a hand in defense. "Look! You're not running to save yourself, Jack. You're running to save your family and your child; your future." Junior gave him a dead stare of seriousness. "Believe me, it's not the act of a coward; it's the act of the bravest man I ever had the pleasure to know."

Harrison stared at his friend, as a thought crossed his mind. "He'll track us down," he instinctively held the llama close to his chest. Junior's next words threw him off. "Not if I run, too." His head snapped up and his eyes widened as he straightened in his seat, a look of pure astonishment on his face.

"If I jump ship first," continued his friend with all the seriousness he could muster into his tone, "he'll search the globe for me. While he's distracted, you and Lucy get the fuck outta there." Harrison shook his head, his jaw slacking slightly from shock. "Duuuude!"

Junior's face remained serious as he continued with his plan, running it through in his mind. This could work. It had to. "We'll have to hide in individual safe-houses in separate cities. I think the safest thing is to radio in silence until the coast is clear. All we need is one last job to set it all off."

Harrison fixed his friend with a look of aw and pure respect. "And you'd take a dive for me?" Junior's eyes flashed with a slight grin. "I've been thinking about droppin' out of the fold for past two years." Harrison was silent, as he continued to stare with disbelief at his friend.

"You sure about this, dude?" He was finally able to ask, finding his voice again. "You've got more to lose than I do.  Besides," he flashed his boyish smile again, "I've always wanted to be an uncle."

Harrison gave him a grave look. "You know, he's gonna call me to drag you back, kickin' and screamin'." Which was true. Junior going missing would set The Old Man into a frenzy of anger and irrational acts.

Junior gave a shrug.  "Most likely." Harrison fixed him with a no nonsense look. "I got a reputation to keep, dude, and a pregnant woman to hide." Junior and Harrison stared at each other, before Junior gave a dry smirk and pulled out his cellphone, tapping a few buttons, before slipping it back into his jacket. "The next target is someone named Katherine Walters. The Old Man's going to brief me on it once I get back to HQ." He gave Harrison a pointed look. "You will just have to find me before Baptiste does."

Harrison nodded as he sank back into his chair with a look of pure relief and thanks on his once worry covered face. He felt lighter. "If this works, name your price; I'll pay it." Junior waved his hand at that. He wasn't doing this for money. He was doing this out of friendship. "Just give that kid a good life." He gave his friend a goofy smile. "I want you to spoil that kid every chance you get. That's my price."

"Deal," Harrison smiled widely, extending a fist to him. "And thanks, dude.  I owe you, big time." Junior smirked and gave him fist bump in return. "Hey, no problem, man." Harrison shifted towards his bag, only for Junior to reach forward and stop him. "Hey, hold on a second!" He snatched the toy llama from Harrison's hand and bopped his friend's nose mischievously, earning a groan from his companion..  

"Llama kissssss!"