Few things kill the mood at a party like that one person that gets too drunk and throws up. The best case scenario is just on the floor, the worst case scenario is on the bride’s dress. Ranger, blessedly for her, managed to contain herself to painting the floor with a new whisky and cosmo coating. It wasn’t just the alcohol that caused it though. Adding the alcohol to a roiling mass of lies of ever increasing magnitude certainly contributed.

Ranger had had the presence of mind to lean over when it happened, just a few yards short of a trash can. The ick had missed her dress. That was the consolation prize… That and Noel was able to use that as the excuse for them to leave the party.

Heels in hand, Ranger left the reception under her own power. She may have been leaning heavily on Noel, but her own legs were carrying her. ”Must’sta’tang.” She said, pointing out the murdered out Hellcat Tamer. It went without saying that Noel would be driving. Give Ranger a candle and she might breathe fire. Considering most of what she drank was whisky… She might have been breathing fire anyway.

Getting into the car was easy enough. Ranger could lean on the silly Fiat parked next to the Hellcat Tamer while Noel opened the passenger side door. ”Oh, why thanks y’.” Ranger said before tossing in her heels and then practically falling into the car.

After righting herself in the seat, Ranger straightened out the bottom of the dress before flailing both arms at the seat belt. It was not on the side she was used to and for some reason it didn’t want to cooperate with her hands. ”C’mere belt. In. Hand... Yes.” The metal part of the seat belt in hand she was able to finish the rest of the procedure without any issues.

On the drive to BlacTac, and their apartment therein, Ranger began to feel woozy again and leaned across the middle of the car to place her face on Noel’s shoulder. The car was not wide, but the race car style seating and the fact it was a manual transmission made the whole thing awkward. Ranger didn’t care. The lack of fast moving lights and the pressure on her face was wonderful. Not to mention it kept her eyes away from reflective surfaces.

Ranger gave vague directions on where BlacTac was. Noel could use the GPS on the car to get more specific directions if needed. Which was without a doubt her best option. Ranger was trying her best, and still managed to give a few wrong turns. When they arrived Ranger waved an arm at the windshield and said, ”Park in the garage… It’sSss… That’a way. Opener is… this thingy.” Ranger poked at a button that was programmed to open one of the building’s overhead doors.

When parked Ranger opted to let herself out of the car. After a pronouncement of ”I... can let myself out.” accompanied by a light batting of Noel’s shoulder, Ranger opened the door, put one leg out, and flopped right onto the concrete. ”Mayb’be… I don’t’s got this…” She sat herself up, but came to the conclusion that she would not be walking to their apartment. That last drink she had found after throwing up was having a vengeance. She didn’t intend to drink it but it was the only thing in arms reach and someone had just told the classic lie about being shipped off soon.

Ranger looked up at Noel and then pushed hair out of her face and said, ”Help.” She held out her hand and noticed the purse swinging from her arm by the wrist strap. That was convenient. She had at no point checked to make sure she had it. Did Noel stick it on there or did she?

He could think of a few ways the night could have gone worse, but most of them included nuclear apocalypse.

Finding the keys to a murdered out Mustang in his pocket made the night just a little bit better. And actually driving away from a socially awkward situation? There was no better feeling in the world… he just had to stuff his old body into the passenger side first.

> ”Oh, why thanks y’.”

She smelled of barf and whiskey.

"I guess this is love." He had to move a heel from his weird race car seat before he could sit down. In truth, Noel had been thinking that they should spend some time apart... Settle into their roles at work, find a new normal, then find how the other fit in, if at all. A week at a cabin wasn't exactly a test run in reality.

Neither was this—Moving in right away, in each other's bodies.

Michael put her head against his shoulder and despite his serious thoughts, he smiled a bit. She might have it worse. Hopefully one sleep would set this right again. A few hours sure hadn't, but he also hadn't been timing things.

"Glad I got a refresher on driving." And that there was GPS. Michael stirred as they got closer, but Noel followed the technology's instruction until he couldn't any longer.

A garage in New York. No wonder she was able to have a car. Noel slipped in with an excited eye toward the motorcycle. The Fordasaurus was in time out as far as he was concerned.

It wasn't until Michael chirped about getting herself out that Noel realized how quiet he'd been through the drive. Oops.

"No. Wait!" Aaaand there she went, sinking down behind the still open door. Noel took his time getting out and walking around. It was exactly as sad as he'd imagined.

>"Help."

She looked up and Noel looked more up, again unable to keep the smile from cracking his facade. He didn't want to lose what little memory he had, but he'd likely not forget that sight.

"I got y'. Just lemme know if y'r gon' throw up any." He went for a gentle pick up, princess carry, rather than something more practical. He had the arms to manage it, even tucking her tightly against his chest so he could manage her with one arm so he could get the door without issue.

"I think I could fit my hands around your ribs… my ribs. There's clothes for both of us here? You need water. And Ibuprofen." He was wracking his memory, which just didn't work the same without the usual power to guide her, but the place Michael was guiding them to was totally new to him. The garage, the office, the everything, but it all looked rather fresh. An apartment above his offices? It seemed… much.

"Has this always been here?"

He managed the apartment door and took Michael all the way to the bed room… a giant bed. "Subtle." He kissed her hair and set her down anyway before going about opening drawers and doors until he could find some pajamas for them both. Oh and water. He would go poke for that next.

Noel had taken his sweet time walking around the car to lend a hand to Ranger. When he did, and Ranger looked up at him, he looked up as well. It took a moment, but her mind floating in a sea of whisky finally remembered that drunk Noel power was a dangerous Noel power. Ranger averted her eyes, by turning her whole head down toward the ground.

Arm still extended, Ranger felt Noel brush past it as he came in close to pick Ranger off the floor in a princess carry. Ranger wrapped the arm around the back of Noel’s neck as he pulled her in close. ”Will do.” Ranger said before Noel stood up with Ranger in his arms. The motion sent Ranger’s vision spinning and she tucked her face into Noel’s neck. It was certainly a novel experience for Ranger. Being princess carried through work to her apartment.

"I think I could fit my hands around your ribs… my ribs. There's clothes for both of us here? You need water. And Ibuprofen."

Ranger nodded against Noel’s neck, ”There’sSs clothes. I… Had things moveved from Haven.. t’ here. Not everythin’... Essen’ials. Clothes at least f’r a few days.” Everything that was necessary to live from the BlacTac apartment for a few days. Most of Ranger’s things had been moved out of Haven since his return. Noel would still have a fair amount of her own things at Haven. The BlacTac apartment would of course have several days worth of clothes for both continued winter weather and an early spring, a few changes of underwear, bedwear, toiletries, and so on. Sideshow was specifically barred from assisting. He had protested of course, saying that he only had Ranger’s best interest at heart. Ranger told him that was exactly why.

Water and ibuprofen sounded nice, ”Grunt candy. Myyyyy favorite.” Ranger pat Noel on the chest as she said it. She then helped direct Noel to the apartment. It was up above the offices and the way up was not the most obvious. Conveniently enough for Noel, there was an elevator. It was seldom used, but it existed in case someone who was injured was staying at the apartment.

The apartment was built to be a small barracks of sorts for any BlacTac members that needed a place to rest before, after, or during extended missions. It wasn’t always used but from time to time it had housed an entire team for a few days. Ranger had asked Jude to arrange for it to be refit as an apartment for two. The plan wasn’t for it to be a long term solution, rather to be a place for Ranger and Noel to land when they returned to New York City. Directions had been vague and only one bed was left in the apartment. A nice king size in the larger of the two rooms. Ranger and Noel had shared a bed in the cabin so Ranger had not had another brought in. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought of it, but that he had been in gear ever since his return. Between catching up on ten years of BlacTac and SUPER putting him right to work, he hadn’t had a chance to see about giving Noel the option to have her own bed.

Noel asked if the apartment had always been there.

”Yes…-ish? It was a…an employee bunkhouse ‘r somthin’... f’r a long time. I had it refit f’r our use.”

The door to the apartment’s lock was controlled by a keypad. Ranger gave Noel the code. 1836. The door unlocked, Noel carried Ranger into the apartment. ”Careful, carryin’ someone across the threshold after a weddin’, might give an impression.” Ranger giggled and then nuzzled Noel for good measure.

Noel carried Ranger into the apartment, Ranger gave the one last direction, ”Welcome t’ casa de BlacTac. The nowest of homes... Livin’ room t’ the left, kitchen t’ the right. Bedroom is down the hall t’ the left. Bathrooms on both sides.” Ranger waved her arm around as she gave the grand tour to Noel. Noel carried Ranger right back to the bedroom and after a comment on the bed, and a kiss to Ranger’s hair, deposited her on the bed. Ranger couldn’t help but smile at the kiss.

Ranger sat on the bed, legs beside herself, as Noel went fishing for… Clothes? He was opening drawers and poking into the closets. Ranger held up her arm that had the purse hanging from it and then held it with her hand pointed down and shook it until the purse slid off onto the bed. ”I’m not sure whatall of y’rs’s here. Most of mine is.” Enough with the sitting up, Ranger walked herself down with her arms until she was laying across the bed. ”I banned Sideshow from helpin’... So y’ shouldn’t have… Eventful underwear… Well… I guess I shouldn’t have eventful underwear…” Ranger amended and rolled over onto her back. No eventful underwear unless Sideshow had convinced whomever was tasked with grabbing some of Noel’s clothes to act for him. He had no doubt tried it. ”...Maybe.” Ranger turned her head to where she could look down at herself. As enjoyable as it would be to see Noel in her own body wearing Sideshow approved things... Ranger wasn't sure how to feel about that being what was available for her in Noel's body. 

Noel was sure that without having just ingested Ranger's Texan way of speaking, whatever she was saying would be totally unintelligible. As it was, he noticed the sloppiness of the drink slur, but everything else was understandable. He knew enough to know it'd sound odd, but odd made sense enough for now.

About as much sense as any superstition made, anyway.

"Are y' proposin' t' me, Noel?" He teased, but it was almost easier to keep things straight she he addressed her body by her own name. "Y' dinnit even catch th' bouquet. I'm not sure that's allowed." She snuggled. Unfair advantage. He shook his head.

Michael rolled around while she explained the new digs and the situation. "My underwear is of no concern t' you. You c'n keep what you have. Tomorrow, we'll be back and then I can worry, but f'r tonight... S'fine. You just got t' be brushin' y'r teeth. Don't you still taste it?" Because he could still smell vomit.

Ah. There. Noel found a drawer that had been dumped full of a few things for her. It was easier to start there. She knew sleeping in a dress would suck, but really it was the bra that would suck most. She dug out a sports bra replacement and roomy tee shirt. Good enough. Those got tossed toward his usual body, the one with all the lady parts.

As for him... "Is there anythin' I should be doin'?" Oral hygiene aside, Noel had no real idea of what was expected here. Did he shower? Or, like... shave? That seemed like a bad idea, so he started by emptying his pockets on the dresser top.

Once again, Noel had referred to Ranger as Noel. At the reception it had been practical. At home… It was teasing? Or was it a good idea to be in that habit while swapped? Keep people from knowing about it. Which to Ranger sounded like a good idea as long as she kept from making scenes while in Noel’s body. Scenes like, vomiting at a wedding reception.

Oops.

With her face buried in Noel’s neck Ranger said, ”Propose… Y’ propsposeds we leave before the bouq-bouuu...before the bouquet was tossed.” Ranger booped Noel on the nose and added, ”An’ I’d’ve caught that sucker. I’m the best thrown thing catcher in the West.” The West being the Wild West. Ranger made finger guns to indicate it.

Noel shut down underwear talk. He was confident that the following day they would be back to being themselves. Not concerning herself with Noel’s underwear was fine. She just needed to brush her teeth. ’ I-’m not tastin’ much.” Ranger smacked her lips. ”I’m drunk enough that armadillo piss wouldn’ taste bad.” For the National Beer of Texas it sure was bad. ”Should brush m’ teeth though, tha’s good thinkin’.”

The rummaging proved fruitful for Noel. He produced a sports bra and a big tee shirt. Ranger looked at them strangely for a moment before realizing she should change. The dress and whatever torture rig was on under it was not good sleep wear.

What should Noel be doing? Emptying pockets was a good start, ”Uh… Teeth brushin’... maybe a shower, y’ smell like vomit… No… wait… Tha’s me…” Ranger wiped a hand on her face and then her hair and looked at it, inspecting it for vomit she might have rubbed off with it.”I… Might need a shower.”

Ranger rolled off the bed. Not in an intentional way. She moved over to the edge, and in a valiant attempt to stand, she flopped and rolled off onto the floor. Beds are hard. ”I’m good. I’m good.” Ranger turned to face the bed and pushed herself up into a wobbly standing position. ”Y’ got it, unload the stuff… brush the teeth with the tooth brush, all the teeth not jus' the one tooth… An’ then clothes in the clothes place.” Ranger pointed to the closet. She then tugged at the dress in various places trying to puzzle out how to get out of it before reaching around for a zipper.

She was talking about armadillo piss and Noel wasn't sure if she was serious or literal. He missed having that extra sense, that extra leg up in knowing when the bull shit started with Ranger.

She struggled off the bed while Noel emptied his pockets. There were so many things! The pockets were seemingly endless compared to what Noel was used to! Knife, gun, keys, wtf. He teetered between amusement and annoyance, despair and anger. 

Ranger assured him she was okay. And he finally decided it would be. This wouldn't last forever. They'd already bonked their way out once. They could do it again. after Ranger paid for his mistakes. And Noel would laugh and laugh and then they'd both laugh and things would fall into some kind of normal. Living together in their own bodies with jobs and purpose and not drunk. Just had to get there first.

"I'll get th' zipper. An' th' hooks." He steadied Ranger and pointed the foul mouth smell away, brushing her hair aside and over a shoulder since he knew how zippers loved to chew through hair.

The zipper went down and Noel's discomfort went up. It was his body! It shouldn't do things to him!

And yet… the curve of her back and the complicated straps that both kept things modest, but only just…

He unhooked the top of the bra and indulged his impulse to run his fingers down to the next part that kept the stays of the bodysuit taut. Once unhooked, there was no easy way of putting that layered undergarment back together. He was glad he'd put on separate underoos. The rest could be stepped out of and he'd at least have that one last dignity.

"My tan lines 're terribly lame." He touched those quickly before fully freeing the Ranger. She apparently never wore anything more scandalous than a tank top. No recent vacations to Cozumel or whatever.

"Ehm. Toothroom. Bathbru-. I'm gonna go do the clean. The cleaning toothbrushing thing."

Ranger found the zipper and was managing to flick it up and down with a finger. Completely failing at actually getting it to move and undo itself. Noel, blessedly, came to assist. Ranger moved her hands arnd arms out of the way as Noel steadied her, directed the smell cannon away, and moved hair out of the way. ”Thanks y’.” Ranger said making a point to keep her eyes open. She had closed them for a moment when Noel was brushing her hair aside. That was a mistake. The world spun when her eyes were closed.

Deep breathing. That was what Ranger needed to be doing. Noel was keeping her steady. The breathing and support pushed the nausea away. Then the zipper went down and the hooks started coming off. When Noel ran a finger down her there was a tingle that shot through Ranger.

A small, sharp intake of air accompanied Ranger’s back straightening. The sensation had been surprising in more ways than one. The tingle had been a surprise from a purely physical sensation of it, but the feelings that followed it were also a surprise. Ranger had enjoyed it. It reminded him of when Lori was him and had pinned her to the ground.

Drunk as Ranger was… She didn’t mind.

Noel commented on her own tan lines. He touched them and again Ranger felt the tingle and a rush. And then Noel undid the rest of the contraption Ranger was in so she could be free from all the squeezing and tightness. ”Y’ have more color than I have.” Ranger said looking at Noel’s skin. As his vision went lower he said ”A lot more in places.” Ranger’s body only had color above his waist, though that deep into Winter most of that was gone. No sunlight and too cold to be shirtless outside or not in long sleeves to at least have a farmer’s tan. Ranger turned to face Noel, ”An’ tan lines can be unlamed… Buy a helomonster an’ fly it t’ Sunland. Lay out an’ photosynthesisize.” Ranger flung out her arms to punctuate the sentence.

It was then that Noel sounded drunk and made for the bathroom. Ranger gave Noel a thumbs up. When he had left, Ranger turned to the clothes Noel had produced for Ranger to wear. She stepped away from the pile of dress and support garments.

A sports bra and a big shirt. Ranger looked at the clothes for a moment and then pulled some of her hair into view. She had definitely gotten some vomit on it. She picked up the clothes and carried them to the bathroom. Shower first. She held the clothes to her chest as she walked in wearing nothing but underdoos. ”Gotta shower. Have vomit hair.” Only after she was there did she think about how the other bathroom was an option.

He was all for brushing his teeth, but once Noel had retreated to the restroom he realized his error. Was his toothbrush the white and blue one? Or the white and blue one with a racing stripe? This was one thing, it seemed, where Michael hadn't been able to find a Texas theme.

And then her body was sorta streaking by. Noel looked up and away because it seemed polite to not look. No. Wait. That was his body. "Hey~! Don' look-" Well, she couldn't not look. And he wasn't about to soap herself. Vomit in the hair was a serious offense. She couldn't just sleep that off. "Ugh. Okay, fine. Jus' don' get too han'sy."

He was not about to chaperone this shower so he grabbed a toothbrush, pasted it up, and went with it. He vigorously brushed, as he usually did, to get every side of every tooth making the AH face, the EEE, and the BLUH so he could scrub down a tongue that didn't actually taste anything extra. A spit and a rinse and he was on to his face washing routine. Her toiletry kit was there and it was a habit only thrown off by the stubble catching more lotion than he was used to.

"Gotta keep you looking young." He slapped his freshly moisturized cheeks with both hands. It'd be easier to tease if they were in their own bodies.

Actually no. He didn't want to start a teasing war because he would lose. He just wanted to get to sleep ASAP. Then he would gladly participate. Noel dodged out of the bathroom and dive bombed the bed much as he had in the cabin, only with more gorans of protest from the bed and floor. Whatever. Come tomorrow, he'd be a her again. He chucked off the shoes with little regard for where they ended up and squiggled out of just about everything else besides what felt sleepwear appropriate. Men didn't have pajamas, right? They just slept in their own filth.

Noel burrowed into the bedcovers like one big sleepy cocoon on the side he'd established was Noel's back at the cabin.

As Ranger cruised through the bathroom, went from averting his gaze, to protecting his own body’s modesty, to realizing the shower was necessary and instead setting a ground rule. Ranger turned on the shower then set the clothes on the counter as it warmed up. ”I’ll be a gen’leman…” Ranger stopped, screwed up her face for a moment as she thought about the comment, and then amended, ”Err… Well, I’ll behave like a lady. Scouts honor.” Ranger held up a hand and couldn’t remember how many fingers was in the scouts salute so she alternated two and three fingers a few times as she looked at it before deciding on three fingers and holding up and looking at Noel. Ranger then stepped into the shower, pulled the curtain closed, then stuck a hand back out and tossed the underdoos onto the pile of clothes on the counter.

The first minute or so, Ranger just stood with her head in the water. It felt good just having it roll down her skin. She kept both hands on the wall to hold herself steady and her eyes only cracked open. Just enough to keep the world from spinning but closed enough it didn’t feel like she was going to give her eyeballs a bath. She just stood there, zoned out.

Noel’s speaking brought Ranger back. ”Oh? Y’ like me young lookin’?.” Ranger askedas water ran down her face distorting her voice.

Hair washing, that was the goal. Ranger groaned as she removed herself from the lovely stream of water and took hold of shampoo. She didn’t need to give herself a full cleaning, just the hair. Out of respect for Noel she would not give her body a full sudsing with soap and wipe down with her hands. Minimum necessary cleaning, minimum necessary self fondling of Noel’s body.

When Ranger turned off the shower and reached for the towel, she pulled it into the shower with her before stopping, realizing it was the towel for her man body, and sticking it back on the rack. She stepped out of the shower and dripped all across the floor as she made a shivering dash out to the hallway to grab a towel from the closet.

I should hit whoever designed this place.

Towel acquired, Ranger set about drying herself. Once she felt she was dry enough she wrapped the towel around her chest and grabbed a second towel to dedicate to her hair. It was not her first rodeo showering in the body of a woman with long hair. First time in a woman’s body where she didn’t need an adapted sitting right outside though.

Back in the bathroom, Ranger reached for her toothbrush. Dry. She wet it, put toothpaste on it, then realized it was the one she normally used in her man body. She stopped. Looked at it. Looked at the other. Poked it with her finger and found it wet. She shrugged and used the one she had already put toothpaste on.

Ranger walked back into the bedroom as she was working to get most of the wetness out of her hair. She had exchanged the towel around her body for the underdoos, sports bra, and oversized shirt. The shirt managed to cover all the way down past her underwear, even if she lifted her arms up… Which she tried.

Noel had cocooned on the bed. Ranger cocked her head at Noel and asked, ”Warmnin’ it up f’r me?” before turning off the light and walking up to and crashing onto the bed. ”I’m os-kay.” She said into the comforter before crawling into her place on the bed. Once comfortably under the covers she poked Noel and said, ”Someone promised they were an okay big spoon."

Noel tucked his blankets and made himself an impenetrable fortress of snuggle. Impenetrable until asked to share. He'd been ready to metamorph and evolve into the butterfly of herself tomorrow, but Michael crash landed to a blanket desert. She was such a pure drunk soul that she only assumed he was warming the blankets rather than stealing and hoarding.

He couldn't steal and hoard after that.

"All warmed up. Get on in here." He rolled, rather than giving Michael the cold shoulder, he opened the cocoon and scooted to make sure there was enough. Who was he kidding? He wasn't going to make her go without covers even if he had been feeling petty and exposed.

He got a boop in response.

> ”Someone promised they were an okay big spoon."

"Psh. What happens in Texas stays in Texas." Except it hadn't. And it wasn't. He snuggled up, more suited for the role and still unsure of where to put his hands. Here they were, together in New York. The setting was a bit different, but somehow things were almost just the same.

He swept her cold hair up so it wasn't getting the front of his shirt moist and settled in. "Th' quicker we sleep, the quicker this'll be over." He tried and failed his normal routine. Michael's phone was across the room where he'd emptied his pockets.

That would be Michael's problem tomorrow. She would find her phone then too. Everything would be better tomorrow.

Noel co-opted a line about Vegas to refer to their cabin getaway. Ranger frowned in the dark for a moment before Noel snuggled up to Ranger. Ranger did grab one of Noel’s arms and drag it to where she wanted it. Under her head, and where she could hold onto it like the mast of ship as the bed rocked on that particular ocean of whisky. ”Y’ can take the g-...Y’ can take the b-... ... Y’ can take the girl out of Texas bu’sst y’ cain’t take the Texas out of the girl.” Ranger said in answer and pat Noel’s arm before nuzzling it.

Ranger felt Noel moving around her hair. She had made a valiant effort, but it was still nice and wet. Which was exactly what someone wanted on a winter night in New York after they had warmed up the bed all nice, right?

“Th’ quicker we sleep, the quicker this’ll be over.”

Reaching back and patting Noel on the hip, Ranger said, ”Back t’ ours’l’v’s. No…” Ranger yawned, ”...bonkin’ needed.” laying in the darkness all warm was quickly draining the awake from Ranger. She shifted under the covers some to achieve a more maximal snuggle before asking, ”Did… y’ f’rget t’ take the pistol outta the front of m’ pants?” She knew it wasn’t her SiG and found herself oddly okay with that.

She felt warm and safe and as the ocean of whisky gently rocked the bed, Ranger drifted off to sleep.

The next thing Ranger knew there was an obnoxious klaxon going off. The volume was turned to eleven and Ranger groaned and shifted on the bed. The noise wasn’t stopping, why wasn’t it stopping? Eyes opened just a crack showed the Sun had taken up residence right outside the window and was trying to blind Ranger. Ranger pulled a pillow into place to block out the noise and the oppressive light. The Sun was defeated but the alarm was not. Another groan.

Ranger realized the noise was the alarm on the phone… That was across the room. More groaning. Then it blessedly ended as if some angel had descended upon the phone and destroyed it. Moments later and Ranger was again asleep.

When Ranger next awoke, there was no alarm and the sun was less intense. The windows facing East were never as apparent as when you have a hangover. Ranger sat up, wondering why there was a hangover if he should be himself. Hair brushed across the face and shoulders. That was what they call a clue in the business. Ranger stood up, everything moved just wrong enough for Ranger to notice. There wasn’t a mirror in the room, but Ranger didn’t need one to know that she was still in Noel’s body.

Ranger rubbed at her throbbing head as she looked back at the bed. No Noel. She could hear the shower running. Noel must be taking a shower. Ranger staggered out of the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen. She grabbed a glass from a cabinet and very gingerly shut it afterwards. Glass filled with water and then some ibuprofen. She resisted the urge to just throw a handful back and hope for the best.

Knowing you shouldn’t take ibuprofen on an empty stomach, Ranger opened the freezer. She looked for something simple she could heat up. Frozen waffles. Perfect. Ranger opened the box and stuffed a pair of waffles into a toaster. She then sat down at a bar stool and lay her head on the counter. The coolness of the stone felt lovely on her head.

When Noel's alarm went off and her phone wasn't where it should have been, she knew it hadn't worked. She knew she was still a he before he had moved more than his arm. He was stuck as a him.

Maybe it really was the lack of bonk.

He rolled and grabbed the phone from the floor to click off the alarm. His fingerprint didn't work, but he did know the code to unlock. That still worked. Hanging half off the bed was enough to wake anyone so he decided to just get up.

And that wasn't the only thing that was up.

It was not his sig. The pants were across the room, and he'd emptied the pockets first anyway.

"What are you doing?" He hissed and panic retreated strategically advanced to the bathroom.

He was a man. He had known that last night, but last night he hadn't had to pee so bad. Noel debated the finer points of raising the toilet seat, but decided it would be more respectful to sit. He'd asked her not to soap up. He would do his best to not needlessly handle the merchandise.

Though it really looked different than she thought it might.

He washed his hands, brushed his teeth, and peeked out while feeling guilty for looking. Michael was still asleep. The phrase "cracked out" came to mind. All the same, he snuck past quietly to get to the kitchenette and figure out coffee. It looked like a single use, single cup situation and that was almost impossible to screw up.

So. What was the agenda today? Noel's calendar was pretty clean until Monday, but he had no idea what Michael had in mind. Was she sleeping through something important? Would she have even thought to set an alarm?

He drank his coffee while he poked in his clothes. And her clothes. Nothing was where he would have put it. This place didn't have a single thing that screamed "Noel," but… what screamed Noel in the first place?

He looked at his usual body and felt like he needed to take a shower to prevent a mental breakdown. How was he supposed to keep hold of who he was when he wasn't himself?

Hot water made that a less pressing question.

The next pressing question was where were the dang towels? Didn't Michael complain about that last night?

He peeked out of the bathroom again with a contingency plan in hand, and seeing Michael awake, he supposed he had to use it.

Noel held a wad of dirty clothes in front of him and tried not to look too terribly concerned as he dripped his way to the linens cabinet.

"We're movin' the towels or we're movin' apartments."

The toaster popped up and Ranger groaned and rolled her head to look at the waffles. She could eat. THat meant she could take grunt candy for the headache. She stood up, already missing her best friend, the countertop. She grabbed one of the waffles and took a bite. No plate, no fork. Ranger then held it by her mouth as she got a mug. She set it down and set the coffee machine to make her coffee in the mug.

Ranger was just sitting back on the stool, coffee in hand, waffle on a plate, and the other waffle hanging out of her mouth when she heard Noel in the hallway. She turned to see him in front of the linen closet… Using a wad of clothes to cover up. Ranger took the waffle out of her mouth and laughed, before regretting the laugh and putting her hands on her head.

”I’m fine with either… Whoever Jude tasked with settin’ this place up… Needs t' get smacked.” Then Ranger indicated the clothes and said, ”It idn’t anythin’ I haven’t seen before… Michael.” Ranger hated it. Noel had called Ranger Noel and in case the swap persisted they might need to be in the habit, but that timing just felt wrong and Ranger regretted it. Not to mention it was a lie. Ranger took a sip of the still very hot coffee. It just wasn’t her morning… or weekend. ”An’ I… You... had one in the bathroom already… That...I... didn’t tell y’ was there.” Ranger rubbed her face with one hand.

Ranger picked up the waffle and took another bite. She hadn’t had a frozen waffle in years. It was not the best thing in the world, but in that particular morning it was divine. A look to the microwave told her the time, ”Oh! I have… Y’ve got meetin’s today… Unless we manage t’ swap back first.” The last comment was hopeful with just a hint of dread. Head bonking was most likely invovled.

Either moving the towels or leaving was on the table. Somehow that didn't make Noel feel all that much better. "This jus' innit a home yet. We'll..." —My! How quickly he jumped to "we." "We'll fig're somethin' out." Noel grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist while shimmying and shaking and turning away to wipe down the shoulders and hair too. Modesty was an art at this point.

He commented about the non-nudity show, but he didn't quite get it. "It" might not have been something that Michael was unfamiliar with, but it was something he was unfamiliar with. Noel was a much, much, much more modest person to begin with.

"I'm not walkin' aroun' naked because a y'r sensibilities." He grumbled because he was embarrassed. At least he'd scoped out where the clothes were before getting out of them. He was slipping a shirt on over his head when Noel... no. she was Noel. When Michael realized that he had a meeting that Noel would have to get to.

"How serious a meetin'? Like, pick up y'r dry cleaning from Jude fancy 'r meet with client fancy?" They were going to have to try to swap back. That was a for sure thing. The real question was when. And how. "Maybe start gentle? A kiss swapped us first time. A bonk second. Maybe jus', put y'r head here an' leave it f'r a sec. Work up in bonk-tensity."

He shimmied his underpants underneath the towel like he was in gym class and finally felt secure enough to look Michael in the eyes.

"So. Uh. Brush y'r teeth and then bring it in? Think of. Uhm." What was safe here? "Helicopter flight training." That even sounded useful to share.

Ranger nodded, the apartment was not yet a home. It may have had much of Ranger’s stuff but much of that was things Ranger didn’t recognize. It was a place made from the things that the older Ranger and Noel had owned… Most of the things were likely Ranger’s from what she could tell. Noel seemed to catch herself at “we’ll”. Had he not, Ranger might have missed it. They were a we to Noel. That brought a smile to Ranger’s face in spite of the raging headache.

It was a little odd for Ranger to watch his own body be embarrassed. Grumbling and maintaining modesty. Her smile grew, now showing teeth. ”D’ y’ need me t’ turn around?” Ranger spun around on her stool to face her waffles and coffee. She took a bite and washed it down with coffee.

”It’s not a huge meetin’. Jude said it was with a newer client he’d courted. He’s handled most of the deal, they just want t’ meet the man at the top. So… You at the moment.” Jude had been putting the meeting off while Ranger was away. When Ranger showed back up the time and date were set. Any oddness could hopefully be explained by Ranger’s deaging. SUPER work had pulled Ranger out of the office some after returning from Texas so Jude didn’t have too good a handle on what young Ranger was like.

Starting gentle? Ranger felt a wave of relief. Not starting with bonking. ”My head loves this plan of action. An’ if it works, y’r head will love the plan.” Ranger turned to give Noel an awkward smile as a sort of apology. He was busy shimmying up a pair of underwear with his towel still on. The oddness kept her attention as she finished munching on the waffle that was in her hand.

Start with kissing, not the worst place to start. Actually, if Ranger was going to get helimonster flight training it was the absolute best option! Ranger got up to brush her teeth with as much spring in her step as she dared with her brain yelling bloody murder at any sudden movement. ”Copy that.” As Ranger slid past Noel on her way to the bathroom she trailed a hand across his side as she went.

Ranger brushed her teeth after taking a moment to sort through her memories of the night before. Toothbrushes had been reversed by Noel’s usage and so she used the same one she had used last night. The one that she had used when she was in her own body.

Teeth clean with breath minty and fresh Ranger came back into the main area of the apartment. ”Helimonster flight trainin’?” Ranger asked as she stepped up close to Noel. ”Either way this’ll be great,” She said as she leaned in to kiss Noel, her arms wrapping around his neck. As her body was left to its own devices, Ranger’s mind dove into a memory.

Flying touch and goes. She was taking the helicopter in for a landing and as soon as she had touched it down, she was back in the sky and into the traffic pattern. It was uncontrolled airspace so she had to work the radio to communicate with the other pilots. It wouldn’t do for her to take her to come in for a landing at the same time as someone else… or take off into someone else.

Ranger let the memory play out in fast forward, occasionally slowing the memory to really focus on some things. The subtle movements of the stick or the pedals to maintain control, the way she focused on instruments and when, and so on.

After a while Ranger’s focus on the memory slipped. She remembered that his own high school had run flight lessons out of Easterwood Airport. Ranger had not made use of the opportunity, he was too busy as a teenager hanging out with friends or meeting girls and going to the mall and…

The memory changed.

Ranger was at a mall, though she didn’t recognize it. She could hear other women present, they were talking around her. Ranger reached out and grabbed a prom dress before turning with it, holding it against her body and asking what the other girls thought. It was short, a fair amount of pink, and set the girls squealing. One of the girls, after squealing, announced that Ranger’s boyfriend would love it.