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It was the leefully as they moved Zane wondered if Ty would even be able to handle any of it, or if that hy Zane had been partnered with the guy; to be the brains of the operation, so to speak

"Listen up, ’cause I’onna say this once," Ty ate "I don’t talk when I fly I sleep And I don’t listen when I eat, understand? I don’t wanna be buddies I don’t wanna chat," he said with a sarcastic lilt to the word "I don’t wanna know about your childhood or how your love or how h ’cause you flunked out of preschool I don’t wanna hear about how you want to be Director soot chasin’

those Internet freaks or how proud you are of your bowelat Barney’s with you, and I’onna help you pick out your ties to et ent onto the plane and found his seat, stoic demeanor in place, Zane couldn’t decide whether to be offended, upset, or just sad Punching his new partner would likely not be condoned, and he wasn’t sure Grady wouldn’t give as good as he got just to cause a scene But what a miserable life the man must have Well, he wasn’t the only one who had had it hard Zane tried hard to subliht caused, but so far, Ty just made him want to reach out and throttle the shit out of him

Wouldn’t the Bureau just love that?

He decided it was best--for all parties involved--to ignore the man beside him He went ahead and pulled out the comparative chart he’d made of the coroner’s information with notes all over it in his tiny, crablike handwriting At least sohed heavily as he flopped into his seat and shook his head as he dug out the seat belt His brand new partner had failed the first test Anyone ould quietly take the vitriol he had just speithout sobut a brown-nosing ladder-cli in the civilian ot, he thought with a wince

Zane heard the annoyed exhalation and ignored it He gritted his teeth and wished there was so to 14

be an utter debacle, and he likely wouldn’t be able to do anything about it He wondered what ninth level of clerking hell he would be de, or what type of civilian job he could get after he was kicked out of the Bureau That upset hi to waste

The flight was only about an hour long, and Ty planned to sit there and sleep the entire fucking way The kid kicking the seat behind hi him awake as the plane taxied down the runway He turned around and peered through the coach seats, his hazel eyes piercing the kid as he narrowed them

"Kick it one more time, and I’ll rip your toes off and eat ’em," he promised

"Have some decency," Zane chastised as his head turned to the side to check the situation "He’s gotta be three He doesn’t know any better"

"He does now," Ty countered as he turned back around and settled into his seat contentedly Behind hiaping, wide-eyed and speechless

"You have absolutely no people skills," Zanefast in the Bureau"

"Yeah, I’m a real anchor," Ty drawled as he leaned his head back and smiled "I hear no one else ith you"

Zane’s lips pressed together slightly and he didn’t look up fro checked," he said flatly

"My hearing’s just fine, Skippy You were ‘pro the word quotations with his fingers without opening his eyes "Hate to tell you, Sport, but being transferred to another division in the sa the unwanted"

"Reliable information, I’m sure, from someone on a landslide down the ladder"

"We both seeutter, Shuffleboard,"

Ty observed happily "Difference is, I don’t give a shit," he offered as he reached up and turned off the overhead light and adjusted the cool air blowing down on hi his eyes for a moment to sn on the flare of annoyance It was true Ty didn’t give a shit But Zane did, which meant they were destined to be at each other’s throats the whole tiether

Tyhe had hit a chord This could provide some amuse each other

Zane focused again on the notes The rest of the flight passed in silence Details about the deaths bounced around in his head, not really settling into any sort of pattern yet He would dig the photos out and study the for each victiht went on, and he looked over at Ty unhappily The otherday ahead, and Zane decided that Ty sleeping was hi But now he had to wake hiar, m’tired," Ty muttered as he flopped onto his side and jostled theainst the other man "Grady," he said more insistently "Wake up"

Ty huffed and opened his eyes slowly, looking around sleepily

"Hmm?"

Zane looked down at hih attitude "We’re getting ready to land," he ain He stretched his arhtly and reached one ar her last check down the aisle walked right into his hand and gasped as he grabbed her Ty dropped his arms and twisted to look up at her "Sorry, sweetheart," he offered with a save him a wry smile as she turned in the aisle "I’ve had worse," she murmured in response as she bent and slowly buckled his seat belt for hiht position, please,"

she said to hi away Ty raised his seat obediently and grinned, watching her with a contented smirk as she turned and continued on down the aisle

While Zane silently envied Ty’s free attitude and behavior, in the end, he just couldn’t believe the all "How did you become such a total ass?" he asked, morbidly curious

Ty cocked his head and watched the woman until she took her seat, then turned to look at Zane "I didn’t et in the way"

Zane’s look was patently disbelieving "I think you decide what a perfectly polite person would do and then do the absolute opposite It’s like it’s your life’s goal to be the Antichrist"