Chapter Text
“This is the third thing you’ve broken in the past month,” Slate said as Gabbro placed the supposedly broken Little Scout on their work table. They didn’t even need to take a close look at it to know the ‘break’ was more of a disassembly; Gabbro had taken it apart on purpose.
They shrugged before settling into the chair on that side of the table and leaning back further than was probably wise. “Oh you know me, so clumsy.”
Slate studied them. What was their game here? Clearly they were after something but what? As always, their return gaze was casual as it was inscrutable. “Why don’t you fix it yourself? You’re perfectly capable.” They’re the one who’d disassembled it after all and even if they liked to play dumb sometimes, everyone knew they weren’t. Slate had seen their Quantum Theory and the maths they’d done supporting it, they were more than capable of reassembling their own gear.
“Yeah, but you’re better at it.”
After a few more seconds of a pointless staring contest that gave no new information, Slate settled down to start reassembling the Scout. They didn’t mind necessarily. Gabbro didn’t do this often enough to be properly annoying and it gave them a break to work on something simple that they could finish in a single sitting, giving the satisfaction of having completed a project. And Gabbro’s company throughout wasn’t necessarily a problem either, they were one of few people who could hang out in a room with someone else without feeling the need to fill the air with incessant chatter. But it was weird. They were after something and Slate couldn’t figure out what.
If they were going to get anywhere with Gabbro about it, they’d have to ask, huh? Which was well… no thanks. They’d figure it out eventually… probably. Or maybe Gabbro would be the one to get annoyed with them for not asking – assuming they wanted Slate to ask which they had to, right? – and broach the subject instead. They could outlast Gabbro in a test of patience. Until then Slate would just keep fixing whatever ‘broken’ thing they brought in.