Safe House Dogo/Nikita

Mal took a look around the boat, putting Dogo’s whiteboard down on the table. “Kitchen is fully stocked, you should have everything you need. You can always message me or Kimura if you need anything.”

Nikita had a duffle full of clothes and incidentals, missing her own things, her own family already.

“Anything else you can think of?” He asked Dogo.

‘Streaming services?’ Dogo motioned hopefully.

“There’s a few DVDs, and I’m pretty sure the player works,” Mal offered, while patting his brother on the shoulder.

‘Did I piss you off? Tell me now you hate me.’ Dogo motioned looking put out.

‘Stuck on a houseboat with a pretty girl, poor you.’ Mal teased.

‘Hey, we're finally in agreement. Poor me.’ Dogo motioned with a snort. ‘Did Kimura say for how long? Please say a few days…’

‘A few days,’ Mal signed. ‘Or a week, or two, just until we know it’s safe.’

‘Well be rotating … right? Mal … like in shifts?’ Dogo motioned slowly.

‘Cain will take over for you, soon as he’s medically cleared,’ Mal promised. ‘Besides, you’re built for this.’

‘Babysitting?!’ Dogo balked.

‘Only you would look at this like that.’ Mal signed, looking at Nikita, then back to his brother.

Nikita twisted the corner of her mouth pretending not to notice either of them as she dropped her bag on the couch.

‘I look at it like that cuz thats what it is.’ Dogo motioned with a dry expression.

“You’re in good hands,” Mal said to Nikita. “You got a ton of board games, a few puzzles, and don’t let him fool you. He loves romantic comedies. Chick flicks are his favorite.”

Dogo gave a strained smile. ‘WTF’ he finger spelled trying not to glare.

Nikita watched as Mal left, and sat down next to her bag. “Would it help if I said I was sorry about the boat?” She asked Dogo.

Dogo went to motion and remembered that his spoiled ass was to use to talking to only his little family unit. He reached for the marker and the dry erase board, the marker squeaking as he wrote. ‘Hell No’

Nikita sat back. “Just so you know, I’m not happy about this either,” she tried, folding her legs under her on the couch.

Dogos marker sqeaked as he wrote. ‘Oh? I couldn’t tell (that was sarcasm btw)’

“That was sarcasm be-tee-double u” Nikita mocked under her breath.

His marker sqeaked as he wrote, tapping the dry erase board. ‘I have really good hearing. B. T. U. U.’

“I thought you were…” she paused. “You know.” She pointed to her ear. “Hearing impaired.”

Dogo gave her a dry look. ‘WOW’ He wrote in big letters. ‘No, I just took an arrow to the knee throat.’

“An arrow?” Nikita asked, raising both eyebrows.

Dogo sighed the gaming reference flying clear over her head. ‘Nevermind. It was joke. I got curb stomped on the throat.’ He wrote.

“So you busted your larynx?” She asked.

‘Kinda need one intact to talk.’ Dogo wrote marker squeaking.

“That why you’re so angry?” she asked.

‘Would you like my list in alphabetical order?’ Dogo wrote with a snort.

“Chronological works also,” she quipped.

‘I’ll turn it into a pivot table.’ Dogo wrote. Fantastic. This was going to be the longest damn week of his life.

“If that means computer time, I’m all for it,” she answered.

‘Still doesn't mean you’ll get internet.’ Dogo pointed out with his marker. ‘No WiFi.’

“I know, I know, Kimura ran through the drill with me. They could be watching.” Nikita said, “Until they build a case. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.”

‘Ditto.’ Dogo wrote. ‘Until then, get cozy.’

“I mean, we have DVD’s, and a DVD player that may or may not work. And I hear you have a thing for chick flicks. How much cozier can you get?” She scoffed.

Dogo went to the fridge to get a cold 6 pack. He gave her thumbs up intending to find enjoyment. Ideally on the second food balcony. What hell was he going to do all day, practice his origami?

“They’re cool with us drinking?” She asked, padding barefoot after him.

Dogo went to motion but caught himself and gave a sigh. No sign language. Back to writing. He walked back for the dry erase board and marker. ‘Who’s gunna rat us out?’ He wrote.

“I might have been wrong about you,” Nikita said with a smile. “Now, if there’s bubble gum, this might actually be tolerable.”

‘Nah. Follow your gut.’ Dogo gave a snort laugh and hiked up to the second floor balcony, beer in one hand, marker and dry erase board marker in the other.

“So is it me, or is this just… who you are?” Nikita asked, following him up.

Dogo put down the six pack on the low table on the balcony in order to scribble on his dry erase board. ‘Grumpy? Irritable? High strung?’

Nikita took the marker from his hand and made a check box below his list. ‘All of the Above’ she wrote, with a big check mark. “Seriously, if it was me, what did I do? At least tell me so I can either apologize or gloat over it.”

Dogo took his marker back. ‘What can I say you have me in a box.’ He wrote.

Nikita snickered. “In a box, on a boat. Trapped.”

‘I would say it could be worse but the universe might take that as a challenge.’ Dogo scribbled before taking a seat with a sigh.

“I have sisters,” Nikita kidded. “You could have to babysit them too. I think you’d like Nikka though, it’s hard not to.”

Dogo cracked open a beer. ‘One of you is plenty.’ He scribbled.

Nikita held out a hand for one of the beers. “I’ll grow on you,” she predicted. “Or drive you up a wall. It’s kind of up in the air right now.”

Dogo opened one and passed it to her. ‘Neither option sounds great. One you a goddamn fungus and the other results in me shooting you.’ He scribbled.

“You had your chance to shoot me on the boat, and you blew it,” she said, smiling behind the beer can. “Now it’s too much paperwork.”

‘Oh no paperwork my only weakness.’ Dogo chuckled as he wrote, marker squeaking as he took a long drink.