Cat and Mouse
Dex followed you into the hallway as someone approached with the food trolley.
You stood opposite of Dex next to Lim. You didn’t have to look at Lim to know he was exchanging looks with Dex. Dex’s was shooting him warning glares and you tried to ignore the fact that Lim was pointing at you.
Dex held his hand up, stopping the person who was pushing the food trolley.
You checked the bottom of the trolley for any concealed items, and knowing what Fisk has already done, you made sure you were thorough.
“Clear.” you said and as you stood you saw Dex checking the hamburger on the plate. You almost gasped when you saw him take a bite out of it.
You glared at him as you cleared your throat.
He looked at you smugly before he realised you were being serious, and put the hamburger on the plate and back under the cloche.
You shook your head and rubbed the bridge of your nose.
Lim opened the doors of the penthouse and you let the food trolley pass.
Dex walked back into the surveillance room and you followed him, happy you weren’t the one bringing Fisk his food again.
“Damnit, Poindexter. Why are you so hell-bent on pissing off Fisk?” you weren’t actually angry. You just didn’t want Dex to get caught in the cross hairs of Fisk. And the way Dex was acting towards Fisk was already putting attention on him.
“Why aren’t you ?” he ignored your annoyed look.
“I prefer to stay out of his hair.” you said.
He raised an eyebrow and snorted at your words.
You realised your mistake “You know what I mean, Dex.”
He took a seat in front of the screens as his eyes focused on one of them.
“Look at this.“ he suddenly says and motioned to the screen in front of him. You walk over to him and partly leaned over him, you put your hand on his shoulder to look at the screen. "Is he eating that hamburger with a spork?”
“If i’m being honest, that’s not the way I thought this was gonna go..” he scoffed.
You playfully slap his shoulder. “We shouldn’t piss of Fisk like that, Dex. God knows what his plans really are.”
“What’s he gonna do? Kill us with the spork?”
You burst into laughter at his comment, and when Dex saw you laugh he couldn’t help but laugh as well as if your laugh was contagious.
“But seriously, Dex. Fisk probably still has connections everywhere. We should be wary of him. I’d rather not get killed in my sleep.” you said to him in a more serious tone. You did not see the look on his face as it crossed his mind that something might happen to you. He had been alarmed when he saw the panic in your eyes after you had been alone in the penthouse with Fisk. The idea of Fisk causing you harm had almost made him lose his self-control, the only reason he had stayed calm is because you were there to calm him down. But he still had the feeling something did happen.
He cleared his throat “Fine, I’ll stay away from his burgers then.”
“Thank you.”
“I can still eat his fries.” he relaxed in his chair.
“Dex.” you tried to keep your voice stern but failed.
You took a seat next to him and scooted your chair close to his.
He looked at you from the corners of his eyes as he sensed what you were doing.
“You know..” you said as you leaned sideways towards him, touching his shoulder with yours “..it was not very professional of you, Agent Poindexter, to kiss me while we should be working. What if Lim tells Hattley?” you teased.
“Well, Agent (y/n). Then I will tell Hattley what Lim does with one of the waitresses from the restaurant while HE should be on duty.” he said smugly.
“And what does Agent Lim do with said waitress?” You asked innocently. You looked at him and you could see him get flustered as he kept his eyes on the screen in front of him.
“Aren’t you gonna tell me?” You said as you gave him a gloomy expression.
“It would not be very professional of me.” he finally says using your own words against you.
You put your hand on the armrest of his chair and leaned in close to his ear “Or do you want to show me ?” Your voice a mere whisper against the skin of his neck.
Dex closed his eyes as your breath warmed his skin and he let out a breath. Part of him knew he had to focus on the job and part of him was drawn to you like a sailor to a siren.
“Dex..” you whispered seductively as you let your fingers trace his cheek.
He turned his head in your direction, his eyes on your lips. You leaned closer, your mouth hovering over his before a knock on the door made you jump back.
Agent Hattley walked in the room followed by someone you did not recognize and Nadeem.
“Special Agent Poindexter, Special Agent (l/n).” she greeted the both of you.
“Ma'am.” You and Dex both say.
Your eyes fell on Nadeem, he didn’t look too happy.
“This is supervisory Special Agent Winn with OPR.” Hattley introduced him.
“Poindexter.” Winn spoke and Dex gave a quick nod “Why don’t you and (l/n) go grab a cup of coffee.”
Dex’s usual steely demeanor was faltering and he gave you a quick look “Yes, Sir.”
It was obvious they wanted you and Dex out of the room for some reason. You followed Dex out of the room and closed the door behind you.
Dex started to pace around, he looked like he was panicking.
“Dex.” you put your hand on his arm making him focus on you “Breath.”
He looked at you before he drew a deep breath and tried to compose himself.
You heard the door behind you open, as Nadeem walked out.
“Dex.” he said as he walked towards you both “Don’t sweat this.”
You furrowed your brows.
Dex turned to him “Sweat what, exactly?”
Nadeem let out an audible breath “ OPR wants a private interview with Fisk.” he kept his voice low so only you and Dex could hear what he was saying.
It dawned on you that this had to be because of what happened at the ambush.
“And we are the only ones asked to leave the room.” Dex said to Nadeem, giving you a quick look.
You realised now that if Fisk ratted on Dex, they would know you have lied for Dex as well.
“It would be inappropriate of me to tell you that the Office of Professional Responsibility has launched an internal investigation into the motorcade attack.”
Your eyes widened at Nadeem for revealing the information.
“It would also be inappropriate of me to tell you that there was a slight discrepancy between your official report and the forensic analysis of the shooting.”
It was clear Nadeem wanted to help Dex.
“Yeah. It would be inappropriate for you to tell me all this.” Dex gave Nadeem an understanding look.
“Because of you, my wife still has her husband… and my son still has his father.”
Dex nodded to Nadeem and as Nadeem passed by you he stopped “Look after him” he quietly said to you and you nod.
You were in the surveillance room waiting for Dex to return from another task.
You heard the door open and your eyes met his. Anxiety still visible in his eyes.
“Is everyone gone?” he asked you.
You sat up in the chair and yawned “ Yeah.”
He put his hands in his pockets “Good. Yeah, that’s good.”
“You look tired. Why don’t you go downstairs, grab a cup of coffee?” he asks you as he handed you some money “ My treat.”
You looked at him for a moment, you had the feeling he wanted you out of the room. Probably to get a moment to himself you thought.
“Yeah… That’s a good idea.” you stood up from the chair, you gave his arm a squeeze as you past him on your way out.
Dex hated to lie to you, but he had to get you out of the room. He had to know what Fisk had said about him. He walked to the screens in a quick pace. He rewinded the recordings until he saw Winn, Hattley and Fisk appear on the screen.
He feared Fisk would have told them what he had done at the ambush, he feared he would lose his job. But he also realised that if OPR knew the truth they would also know you were lying for Dex on your report as well and that was something he couldn’t bear to think about.
Dex saw how they showed photos of the men he had shot to Fisk.
“Do you remember these men?” he heard Hattley ask Fisk.
“They were among the albanians who attacked the motorcade.” Fisk answered.
Dex felt his anxiety rise and watched with dread as they questioned Fisk.
“Did you see these men die?” Winn asked.
“Yes, I did.”
“And did you see who shot them?”
Dex’s let his eyes focus on Fisk, he was going to lose everything if Fisk told them. His job, your job and possibly even you.
“There was only one FBI agent left standing. Special Agent Poindexter.” Fisk told them.
Dex’s heart was racing with fear.
“The moment he shot them. Can you describe, for the record, what you saw ?” Winn listened to Fisk intently.
Fisk pauzed for a moment “They were armed. Special Agent Poindexter gave them a chance to surrender, but then their weapons came up to shoot him.”
Confussion washed over Dex’s.
“He killed them both in self-defense.” Fisk finally said.
Dex closed his eyes and let out a breath of relief, as he had been holding his breath for the last minutes.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Fisk.” Winn said to Fisk.
Dex looked up at the screen and saw Fisk staring right at him through the screen as if Fisk knew he would see it.
Dex stood up, as he took control of his breathing.
He pushed the keys that would disable the camera’s in the penthouse before he made his way over there.
He pushed the door open, letting it fall shut behind him. He walked up to Fisk who was seated at the table.
“What’s your game?” his voice like ice as he spoke to Fisk.
Fisk looked up from what he was reading “Game?”
Dex placed his hands on the table, towering over Fisk “ I don’t need any favors from you, convict.” he was fuming as he spoke.
“Favors, no.” Fisk said and Dex stopped in his tracks “But sympathy…Papers, protests… the mockery.”
Dex tried to keep breathing through his nose, he even thought about you, your voice to keep him calm.
“I can carry this burden of humiliation, but you?” he turned back to Fisk “You’re a dedicated federal agent.”
Your voice was inside Dex’s mind, telling him to stay calm. “You don’t know anything about me.”
Fisk folded the newspaper and put it so Dex could see the cover “Neither does the Bulletin.”
He looked down to read the headline FBI Botches Fisk Transfer.
“The press is labeling the attack on my life as an FBI disaster. And now they are investigating you for doing your job. They are questioning you for your exceptionalism. You saved my life!” Fisk tells Dex. “And the lives of honorable federal agents.” the way Fisk looked at him after he said that made it seem like he was talking about you. “Did they report that? No.
Dex didn’t want to admit to himself that he thought Fisk was right.
“Instead, they vilify..and demean your act of courage.”
The look Fisk gave him was intense, Fisk pushed back his chair and stood up. Dex reached for his gun.
“The world is changing. The real heroes are ridiculed and dismissed.” Fisk said and as Dex kept his hand on his gun he remembered the many times you had told him to be wary of Fisk.
His world threathened to come crumbling down and all he could do was hang on to you.
“And for that, I offer my sympathy.” Fisk finally said.
Dex breathed in through his nose deeply before he walked out of the penthouse.