On My Way For Thai Tonight

January 02, 2016:

Jemma heads out to get Thai for dinner and quite literally bumps into Oliver

New York

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

It's really not unusual for Jemma to be out late at night. The hours she spends in the Triskelion have kind of blown out. Today was no exception. After seeing Clint earlier, with the refridgerated Daemonite and then briefing May, the biochem is just now approaching her favourite Thai restaurant. Her pace is hurried, and there's a tight look to her face … and she glances over her shoulder regularly - It looks like she's worried about something.

Yes, she knows better than to haunt her regular places, particularly now … but old habits die hard … and come on… Thai! Good Thai, at that.


The door to the restaurant opens and over his shoulder, Oliver Queen is speaking to someone within, waving and smiling in that Oliver styled way. "Khxbkhun pheuxn." His accent is actually quite accurate as he is speaking in Thai, some of the rest is blurred off but it was a simple 'Thank you my friends for the great night.' Turning he is about to start down the street when he stops, face to face with Jemma and his eyes widen with surprise.


Still looking over her shoulder, Jemma runs right into Oliver … coming to a very sudden stop.

"Uh, oh, excuse me …" the brunette stammers "I… I'm so sorry …" and only then does she look up at the Thai speaking man "Oh!" she flushes slightly as she realises who she's just bumped into.

"I… I… just came to pick up my dinner." Which is true, but clearly something has spooked her.


And here's Oliver, who really is rather observant glancing over Jemma's shoulder as well since that was where she was looking before he got ran into. A hand comes up to cup her shoulder gently and he looks to her eyes. "Jemma?" The questioning in her name is quiet, inquizitive but concern dots his own eyes as he nods a bit and holds the door open for her. "Let's get you your dinner and you can talk."


"Oliver… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run into you." Jemma relaxes at the hand on her on her shoulder. Gazing up into his eyes for just a moment, the biochem shakes her head to clear it, moving through the door as he holds it open for her.

"It's ordered … " she stammers and checks at the counter, getting confirmation that it will be a few minutes more. "… but not ready yet… What are you doing here?" Deflecting? Potentially.


"Research." Oliver responds and then speaks again in Thai, something that one of the girls nods about and scampers off to see to, returning with a bottle of sake rice wine which is set down. He poors a small glass of the warm liquid and hands it to Jemma. "Sip. Relax." Queen pauses before adding again, "Relax Jemma. I'm here. What's going on? You are very jumpy."


Allowing Ollie to guide her to a table, only barely paying attention as he speaks to the servers. Taking the small glass as Ollie hands it to her, Jemma takes a sip and …. coughs, a lot.

Eyes watering, she blinks at the Queen Industries CEO "Oh, I think I was being followed." He should know that isn't something to be taken lightly, their last 'date' had been interrupted by a Sigma agent. "My detail couldn't confirm it though … and I just wanted to get off the street."

Not that, that would stop whoever was coming after her.

"I could have sworn I saw glowing wings…." a trademark of Sigma agents and their polymorph suits.


"You're being followed by… someone. And you're walking the streets?" Oliver's brow furrows some before he motions towards the girl who brought the Sake. "Ask them to hurry the order, double it, and we'll pick it up in the back." He also hands the girl the keys to his car. "Have them bring my car around to the back as well. We'll be leaving there." Queen refocuses his attention on Jemma. "I'm going to drive your safehouse, and if you don't have one you can stay at the loft." There is no mistaking his rampant concern for her. "What have you gotten yourself into this time Jemma?"


Jemma's attention focusses down to the man with her and she sighs, putting the Sake on the table. Oliver, perhaps, should have asked what /hasn't/ got herself into … that might be easier to explain.

"Pretty much the same as before … Sigma agents and Psyborgs, just add a dash of advanced technology and potentially a government conspiracy." She … won't say alien technology or beings, at least not yet, "and you've got a standard, Jemma Simmons evening."

Blinking as he makes his pronoucement, the british woman sighs "It's nothing different, really. And my protection detail couldn't find anything … " As to where she is staying, she nods slowly. "I've somewhere secure, been there a few weeks now. I'll give you the address when we're in the car."


Oliver nods his head, looking a bit satisfied that she has some place she's staying and that it is secure. "Good, good. Alright. So Sigma agents and Psyborgs huh?" He blinks and shakes his head, putting on a nice solid expression of relaxed to help out. "Is there anything, at all, that can be done about them? I'm sure your people have tried but just humor me."


"I had thought…" Jemma speaks quietly, noting the satisfaction in the mans eyes "that they were totally different projects but … they all seem so intertwined."

His calm demeanour is helping her recover her equilibrium "I'm sure there is, Oliver… but we're still collecting information." There's a look of frustration that crosses her face "It's like an onion though. Each time we peel back a layer, there's more to decipher and deal with. I've my protection detail to pull me out of most things. I'm just … tired tonight." Which is making her more jumpy.


"Believe me, I know the feeling of being hunted, watched… feeling like prey." Oliver says softly to Jemma. "I know how exhausting that can make you feel, how it wears on you and wears on you. You need to be able to relax. To not think about these things. Your food will be ready soon. We'll get you to where you feel safe, get you settled in so you can catch your breath. Come morning, if there's anything I can do to help, I'm going to help."


"Prey … such a good word for it …" Jemma breathes, reaching for the Sake again. "It's just been a trying day…" she answers with a very small smile "… I shouldn't have walked here, but I so wanted to do something normal." She's been trained, the lesson ingrained on her … alter your routes and habits … leave them guessing.

The last part of Ollie's answer, gets a slightly wider smile "I'm not sure there's much to be done … but knowing that you're there and want help…" both of her hands curl around the glass, she might be trying not to wringe her hands "… is a comfort."

Ollie can see the server putting Jemma's order together - why? because they keep looking at the pair.


Reaching up, Oliver gently puts his hands over Jemma's and the sake. "If there is anything that can be done Jemma. Remember, I have some resources to my name and I am not in SHIELD. Hell, I'm just a stupid billionaire trust fund brat. No one would ever suspect anything I may be up to. Undercover and all that spy stuff right?" A glance is given over towards the servers prepping the food. "I think they're about ready, let's get you home."


Letting his hands cover hers, Jemma looks up into Olivers eyes. "Th.. thank you, Oliver." He could well be right, but does she really want to involve him and have him potentially targetted? Another more pressing question - can she stop him?

Glancing over to the servers and then back to Ollie, Jemma starts to rise "I'll … be fine, but I appreciate the company … " So much better than trying to convince herself they're not all out to get her.

Because in Jemmas case, that might just well be right.


There's a pause from Oliver but he nods his head as he gets up, tabling the discussion for some other time. A wad of green bills are produced from his pocket and he places it on the counter while walking towards it in order to pay for Jemma's food. "Alright, well we'll at least start with company and getting you home." That has him giving a reassuring smile towards her.


Seeing Oliver pay for the food, Jemma's eyes widen. She won't say anything here - it would be would be rude - but she'll make this up to him, somehow.

Like … maybe explaining the whole, complex, entangled knot her research has become.

Following him, she snags her order from the counter … out to the car that has been bought around to the back. "Thank you, Oliver." she speaks softly and as the pair slip into the back seat of the car, she gives the address. One… she's sure, he'll recognise as Stark Tower.

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