[ Easy enough to loosen the tie up and help Daryl shrug out of the jacket. And if Gabe lets his hands linger a little, well, why not? He hums a little, tipping his head to the side. ]

Sometimes that's just how it starts.

[ Small things. Incongruous moments. ]

Figured the boss would kick me the moment I really pissed her off. Everybody else had. I'd already been on six teams by then. But Prior -

[ He smiles faintly. ]

He was a good kid. Hadn't gotten kicked enough to get mean, not like me. I wasn't expecting that. And Missy, the boss, she had my back. I wasn't used to that. So, I stayed.