All the blood lying on the floor. Sense the crowd expecting something more.

[hostage]

Who: Jesse Pinkman and Gustavo Fring
When: immediately following this
Where: Tower Apartments
Summary: Jesse and Gus reminisce about the good old days, once upon a time in Mexico.
Warnings: Season 4 spoilers and graphic descriptions likely.


Knowing that Gus was probably just as wary of him, Jesse kept a respectful distance and made no sudden moves. Sure, Mike wasn't around to keep an eye on him in this place, but he might as well have been. Jesse still followed the way Mike had trained him, like any of Gus's men would. In fact, he settled back into the role so easily that it made him uncomfortable. He had to keep reminding himself, as he walked, that Gus was his enemy. Gus wanted to kill him and Mr. White. Gus poisoned Brock... in the future. (Did he, though? Why?)

When they reached the door, Jesse hesitated for a second. There was a huge possibility that Gus had only been looking for a private place to cut his throat. Jesse would come back, at least - and then he'd know for certain where they stood. But he was afraid, anyway. He looked to Gus, searching his face for any possible hints though he really should have known better than to think he'd find anything there.

Still... He wanted reassurance.

Comments

[businessman]

Likewise, it took Gus a moment to notice Jesse's tension, privately a little relieved when he did. It was, of course, far easier to deal with the boy like this, rather than when he felt he had to have his back up. When he felt it safe to defy Gus.

No, fear was better.

But all he did was pocket the key so he could roll his sleeve back down; the chronic tidier in him noted with pleasure that there wasn't even any blood left. It really was an ideal gift. He buttoned his cuff and flashed Jesse a kinder smile. "As I said: I'll use it well."

[hostage]

Jesse nodded, the movement jerkier than he would have liked. He shrugged it off, retreating with more ease now that the potential weapon was put away. "Yeah, so," he uttered as he moved for the door, "I'll go get myself a lawyer and then we'll talk business?"

[businessman]

"I'll talk about it with the lawyer," Gus said simply, letting Jesse go for now. "At least as far as drawing up the contracts goes. As for the amount of the investment..."

I have money, he'd said, but Gus was sure that meant very different things to himself and the young man. Besides, having Jesse on board was a good tactic; having only Jesse on board was a very bad idea. "Not so much, I think. Twenty percent of the capital, perhaps. Could you manage seventy-five or eighty thousand?"

[hostage]

Jesse paused there, with his hand on the doorknob, and glanced back to Gus. Was there any reason to lie? Gus knew what he was doing for cash, unlike Mr. White. "I can do better than that, if you want it," he said. "I mean millions."

[businessman]

Millions? In six months? Today was the first time in over a decade that Gustavo had access to less than tens of millions himself, and even he couldn't help but be impressed... even if he was significantly less so at Jesse's apparent inability to actually hang on to his own money, or his own secrets.

"I'm glad to hear you've done so well for yourself on your own," he murmured, allowing it to be dry. "Nonetheless, I think that will do for a start. I have enough on me to satisfy my own needs for the month." And twenty percent was already a hefty enough amount to entrust to anyone as closely tied to Walter as Jesse was.

[hostage]

No arguments from him. He wouldn't insist that Gus take his money - even if it would do a tiny bit to alleviate the enormous guilt he felt for wrongfully murdering the man. But at least Gus knew what he had to offer here. Who knew how angry Gus might have been if he thought Jesse was keeping all of that from him, too? He couldn't keep getting caught in his lies or there would be consequences. He knew that.

"Okay, yeah," Jesse mumbled. "Eighty, then."

[businessman]

With that, as far as he was concerned, they were done. For now. But he needed time to adjust, time to explore; time to understand just what it was he was up against. Time to test his newfound gifts, of course, as well. And time to plan.

"I look forward to doing business with you," he said -- not coldly, but there was a dismissal in it, all the same.

[hostage]

Jesse couldn't say that he was looking forward to it. The whole thing made him feel a little bit sick, and he wished he could just forget about everything Gus had said, and he could just go back to when it was just him on this island with every reason to be optimistic about the future. It wasn't even that long ago that he was thinking about asking Lisbeth to marry him, thinking about starting a family.

All of that was out of the question now. His old life had caught up with him.

Jesse nodded - and even tried to smile - before opening the door to leave. Once he reached the stairs, he took a deep breath, brought his hands to his face, and stayed like that for a long while.