funny how you can't remember

funny how you can't remember;
"Hey, you trying to steal my guy?" Luke teases Janet, with a grin.

"Hardly." She laughs seeing him standing in the doorway. "I'm pretty sure we'd have to get room in the budget to hire another agent. And even if we did, Bryan Ritter isn't going to work anywhere else where he has to follow marching orders."

He chuckles at that; he could argue the point technically but knows that the U.S. Attorneys trust Bryan's judgment after years in the Secret Service, and while they give him orders they also let him run the investigative team his own way. "Maybe you're making another friend," he says in lieu of the argument. She'd be up to six by now. Luke shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he comes to sit on a desk in the financial crimes bullpen. "Did he help with whatever you needed?"

"Counterfeiting and assault, and yeah," she says with a nod. "He gave us some other directions to look in. What are you doing here?"

"I was gonna go out for dinner, thought I'd see if you wanted to go with me." He shrugs slightly. "With Holden out in South Carolina. If you didn't want to be alone." A pause and a self-deprecating laugh. "Why is this so awkward?"

"We've always been a little awkward," Janet corrects. "If we knew how to communicate, we wouldn't be exes." It was ironic how they were so outspoken and confident in their jobs and things that were connected to them but so vulnerable when it came to their personal lives. It wasn't just that they didn't know how to talk about normal things; they didn't bother to learn. But before he can wallow in that again she says, "Where are you going?"

"I hadn't figured that out yet."

"Why don't you come over?" she offers. "We'll get take-out and then I don't have to get someone to take care of the dog."

Luke glances up at that. Janet has made a gesture a few times, most recently inviting him to the FBI's Christmas party, trying to show him that he's still part of her social circle. Still welcome in her life. But he's always thought that her home was off limits to him now. Knowing that Holden and Janet had fought over him, that they were trying to build a life together in that apartment, he didn't want to make it worse. But maybe it's because he doesn't want to be alone tonight. Maybe it's because he doesn't want her to be alone. Whatever the reason, he finds himself nodding in agreement. "Sure," he says. "How do you feel about Mexican?"

"As long as I can get nachos," Janet replies, already walking back toward her office to get her things.

"Nachos aren't an entree," he protests. "They're an appetizer."

"Not if they're big enough."

"You're basically eating a pile of tortilla chips with some condiments."

"I can put chicken on them. Will that make you feel better?"

"It would actually, yes." Luke replies while his hands have somehow migrated to his hips. He sarcastically adds, "I wouldn't want your boyfriend coming back and kicking my ass if he found out you weren't eating properly."

"Holden wouldn't kick your ass." Janet shakes her head. This is only partially true. She's not sure Holden would kick anyone's ass, since she knows how much he dislikes violence, but if he was going to hit anyone it would probably be Luke. She doesn't voice this theory though as she slings her backpack onto her shoulder. She'll get to talk to Holden when he calls like he does every night and he's already said he's not going to get upset with her for having Luke over. "Come on. I'm already gonna get shit for being the last one out," she says, twirling Michael's keys.

Luke scoffs, holding the door for her when she catches up. "Aren't you always the last one out?" he says as she locks it behind them.

"Not over the last two years." Janet shakes her head. Now that she has someone to go home to she actually goes home. Holden doesn't always have that luxury but she tries to be there for him. "There are some bad habits you can break. You, though, are still here."

"Maybe you're my bad habit."

"Please, nobody else is going to agree with you," she says and Luke knows it. He's unquestionably the asshole in almost every situation. But just as easily as she jokes, Janet turns to him and smiles. "It's nice that you thought of me," she continues. Maybe one of these days he'll be able to take the compliment as well as the snark.