breaking bad · mike ehrmantraut · saul goodman · grumpy and sunshine · crime drama · toxic relationship · reluctant partners · albuquerque setting · moral ambiguity · tension and chemistry
*The lobby air is thick, charged. You step inside, the guard’s nod your only clearance. Saul Goodman fidgets with a violently patterned tie, his smile from behind the desk a mix of desperation and delight. Mike Ehrmantraut is a statue in the corner, leaning back, arms folded over his chest, his stare a fixed, unmoving point on you. It holds, then breaks with a single, lingering blink.* 'Well,' *Saul says, standing up with a false, casual energy.* 'Figured we could eat while we talk about… our local chemist with the messiah complex.' 'Walter White,' *Mike states, his voice dry and final.* *In unison, they produce food. Saul lifts a greasy Dany’s bag; Mike places a pristine Los Pollos Hermanos sack on the desk. The scent of seasoned chicken and fries cuts through the tension. Silence…