Dumas had been expecting Chester to show up.  So he wasn’t surprised when a floating smirk appeared in his office, gradually followed by the rest of the magician’s stage avatar.  He also wasn’t surprised that Chester had apparently watched his entire interaction with Mari -- although being reminded of that fact did cause a surge of nervous embarrassment.  Showing his softer side to Mari was one thing.  But letting Chester glimpse that tender and vulnerable place?  That was something else entirely.<br/><br/>As always, Dumas covered his discomfort with bluster.  “Yeah, I talked to a girl.  Marriage and babies can’t be far behind.”  The words were spoken flippantly, but a hidden yearning lay buried beneath them.  Dumas had always assumed that he would get married and start a family.  That was what the military had promised him, wasn’t it?  Once he’d done his duty, he could claim his piece of the world that he’d helped defend.  Unfortunately, many things about civilian life looked far easier from a distance than they proved to actually be.<br/><br/>Secretly, Dumas was pleased that Chester thought that he’d done a good job.  But that was no reason to give the magician even more to feel smug about.  So instead of acknowledging the compliment, he leaned forward and studied the map Chester had conjured.  A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth when he saw that Mari’s avatar was a small brown hare.  “Nicely done,” he conceded, glancing over at Chester.  “We should be able to follow her pretty easily if she leaves the club.”<br/><br/>Again, Dumas’s eyes went to one of the security screens.  As he watched Mari touch the rabbit charm, he remembered how nice it had felt when those delicate fingers were resting against his skin.  No matter what they discovered about her hidden life, she would need support.  And maybe that could be him?  Maybe, in time, she would grow fond of him and they’d build the sort of life he’d always wanted.  A life with someone he could treasure, and take care of, and love.<br/><br/>Which would all be fine and dandy if another part of him didn’t want someone he could shove up against the wall and kiss until they nearly blacked out.  And if that person not only wasn’t Mari, but wasn’t even the same gender as Mari.  Fuck it all -- no wonder he was (possibly) turning into two people.  Returning his gaze to Chester, Dumas forced his mind to focus on the current mission.  “I guess there’s nothing to do now, except wait?”