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‘Taller. When in hell did he get taller. ’
Portal stared incredulously up at Richard. Director Richard Jacques, if they were feeling formal. Nothing disgusted Portal more than the idea of addressing Rich as anything of the sort.
They were standing in the westward wing of the office building on the Agency’s main grounds, using a free conference room. Alpha and her team of Reaction and Frequency, as well as about 20 security guards stand a step and a half behind Richard and his assistant, against the wall. All the furniture had been moved out ‘just in case’. For extra insurance, Portal had to have an embarrassingly large cuff on either wrist, which nulled their powers for the moment. They normally would have protested, they hated having to walk when it wasn’t necessary, but Vega had set up the meeting and had been insistent on it, and they loved their roommate to death, so they're putting up with it for now. She was standing behind Portal, showing her loyalty to them in the situation, which they appreciated.
Richard was avoiding eye contact. His eyes were more tired than portal remembered. Although that was really the only flaw on him. His face had shaped out with age, where baby fat and round shapes had used to shape the mans face, it had been replaced with a defined jaw and an appearance of cheekbones. He’d also had the audacity to grow a good 5 inches or so taller than portal, which just pissed them off more than anything.
“Hey, Rich,” Portal mutters, “You look well.”
He really did, which also made portals blood boil.
One once over made it incredibly clear the life he had been living. When they were teenagers, Richard was a late bloomer, short and skinny with the perfect weight and lack of muscle to be cast as a nerd. In adulthood however? Richard had shot up like a tree. His form was filled out, riding the perfect edge of fit and a dad-bod. His biceps where putting just enough pressure on the seams of his sleeves, enough for Portal to notice anyway.
‘Maybe you shouldn’t be noticing that shit’
, they mentally scold themselves.
“I wish I could say the same for you, Portal.” Richard says finally, making eye contact for a moment before scanning them over.
Portal images what he must be thinking. Unlike Richard, Portal has hardly had the ability to fill out. They were likely the same weight they’d been in high school, a little heavier with muscle weight, maybe, if they were generous. Their jacket was sliding off their shoulders, it had never fit, mind you, but it made it painfully obvious how narrow their shoulders were and how little nourishment they’d been subjected to. Prison isn’t built for growing children. All skipped meals, periods of starvation, and general lack of appetite were obvious in his form. Where Richard had the opportunity to build muscle for show, Portals were built out of necessity from lifting or running. And don't even get them started on their height.
No man in Portal’s family had ever been under six feet. Their own father was six foot two, and their mom had been about five foot eight. His sister, in her last fitness report, had measured the same. Portal was only able to reach five seven if they stood up as straight as they could, to the point it hurts their back. Portal had quite literally only grown one single, solitary inch in those 8 or so years since they’d last been on earth. They had been taller than Richard when they last saw him, just so the perfect height for taunting him, but not so much taller that he couldn’t easily bend down and kiss him occasionally. Portal’s lip twitched at the memory, things had really been different, hadn’t they.
“Thanks,” He snaps back, “It's the starvation and ptsd.” Richard blinks and gets a bit flustered at that, and they fall into another bought of tense silence. Portal lets their eyes wander to where Richard’s wringing his hands. A gold band glitters on his left ring finger. Huh. “Who’s the lucky man?” They ask, peppering just enough sarcasm in for it not to sound like they might actually be interested. Because they’re not.
Richard’s cheeks color ever so slightly as he says, “My wife is none of your concern, Portal.”
Wife. Portal was a bit surprised at that, given how Richard had been the last time they’d been together, but glancing to the side at Vega, Portal really has no room to talk on the fluid sexuality front now do they.
“This is a business matter and a favor at best.” Richard continues, “If it were not Vega’s exceptional talent in matters of detective work I wouldn’t even be considering letting you within a light year of Earth's atmosphere. You should be rotti- I mean - serving your due time in prison right now.” His cheeks darken more at his tongue slip and Alpha shifts uncomfortably in the background.
“Last I checked I’ve been the one providing all these main leads on your cases, Director .” Portal replies, icy. “For the past year , may I remind you.”
“Maybe so, Mr. Morales .” Richard replies, trying to shrug easily and change the tone despite the uncouth namedrop. “But you are hardly a one man act, and no one is going to deny that my team does the heavy lifting, even with Ms. Vega on our side.”
Portal’s still internally reeling when Alpha finally speaks out. “With all do respect, Sir, it is not fair to say that we do all the work.” Richard gives her a long, hard, stare. Her hands shake a bit when she says, “Portal and Vega have become integral parts of our team. They are massively powerful, and excellent shots. Any one of us here would easily be dead without them interfering in the past several months, and I can vouch for Portal’s character when I say they are directly responsible for saving my life twice now. To get rid of them would be shoving away two of your most powerful assets” She finishes, and looks ready to puke from stepping out of line like that, but does her best to stay composed. Reaction and Frequency nod in agreement behind her.
---
Richard considers this. He regards Portal and Vega, who were trying and failing to hide that they had become a bit misty eyed and tender from Alpha speaking out for them. He also feels the air in the room grew a bit softer from it, since Alpha was certainly not one to talk out of line, least of all to an authority figure about an opinion . Any report and interaction he’s had of her has been that of a stoic, long company standing, diligent woman. As much as he hated it, he could trust her, even if the subject at hand was on his ex who also murdered his mother.
“Well then, thank you for that Alpha.” He says, opening a few files and lowering himself to the ground. “Have a seat. This has bound to be an interesting negotiation wouldn’t you say?”