One of the actual times my squad saw fighting, I caught a blast to the face. It shattered my visor, sliced up a chunk of my nose. We were in atmo, at least, so it could have been a lot worse.
[ he wrinkles his nose a little when tucker runs his fingers along it, a reflex rather than a statement. ]
[Okay the nose wrinkle is cute. A little smirk quirks up at the corner of his lips and he pulls his hand away.]
Guess it could've been.
[Tucker takes a slow breath and thinks about that. There really is a lot they don't know much about each other. So. Maybe some quid pro quo? He shifts, resettles against him, the starburst scar against his side visible.]
[ wash lets tucker think for a moment, glancing over the text of the book kimball sent. it's another burgeoning chorus' writer's tale of love in wartime. there's a lot of those, it seems.
tucker's next statement has him looking down again, his eyebrows raising. ]
I-- [He thinks back. That whole time in the canyon, as weird as it was, is kind of a blur. He remembers huge chunks of it, but some of it... not so well. He isn't sure if that's because of time, the weird effects of the project, or Epsilon...]
I never figured that out. It was weird. [Gets his hand up to look at it.] Wyoming shot me through the hand once too.
[ he lets tucker gloss over 'never figuring it out'. if someone shot wash with a rocket, you can be darn sure he'd want to figure out who the fuck shot it. although again, first guess would be caboose. ]
[ it sounds... familiar to the scenarios they would run in the sim outposts, but wash doesn't say that. it's still very real to tucker. wash hums after a moment. ]
You know, I'm sure Kimball could send us supplies to get a message to him. Junior, I mean.
[One of the many (probable) scenarios, but. It was Tucker's son. And there's the hint that it may not have been quite as scripted as the rest of the simulation: Tex's genuine pause when considering whether or not to go along with it.
But-- Wash has Tucker sitting up, pushing up on Wash's chest to look up directly at him.]
You. You really think she could? Do we even get signal out here that far?
[Tucker watches him, trying to make sure it isn't the one time Wash decides to try making a joke. But no, he's- He's serious. Kimball might actually be able to help them with this.
He leans forward, resting his forehead against Wash's temple.] I gotta try. Before next Thursday.
[He nods, gentle so he doesn't jostle him too much, closes his eyes.]
Yeah. Only missed one so far [While in the desert] and... I don't wanna miss anymore.
[The taste and smell of war, a real war shoved the harsh reality into him that there may come a moment that he never gets to see his son ever again. And that his son may not ever know anything's happened to him from across the galaxy.]
[Tucker just. Doesn't even think, leans down to cup Wash's face in his hands and kiss him.]
Fucking love you, dude.
[He definitely, absolutely did not just end his first "I love you" with "dude" and it definitely was not half-thought out and more about his kid than his feelings about Wash.
[ except he absolutely did all of those things. wash can feel his eyes pop open a moment before tucker kisses him, surprised. he's not surprised that tucker does, if that makes sense - just that tucker says so, so freely.
there's a lot of things that he doesn't expect to hear from the reds and blues, and that was one of them. wash lets go of the book with one hand to raise one, curling his hand around tucker's wrist. ]
[ he is loved. wash loves all of the reds and blues - they gave him a family again after he thought that he could only rely on himself. they accepted him, faults and all.
but tucker is also special, among them. tucker has become so much more, so important to wash. he smiles gently when tucker settles down against him. ]
He sounds like a good kid. Has a good father, after all.
[He tucks his head under Wash's chin, narrowly avoiding that compliment. He knows he's a kickass dad, but it always feels weird when other people acknowledge it; he's always had rocky parenting techniques given the nature of their... everything. And how much time they have to spend away from each other.]
Uh... Look if- I mean, if Kimball can actually get the equipment up here and we even get signal and I can get a message to him, you don't, you don't have to be part of it, y'know? Until you want, when you're ready to.
[Boy being a single parent is hard, especially when you start dating. What the fuck.]
[ tucker hunkers down under his chin and wash doesn't comment, moving his book to his other hand to read it over tucker's shoulder. when he speaks again, offering to let wash in on the message, wash has to think about it. ]
I mean... I could still wish him a happy birthday. Kids like extra happy birthday wishes, right?
[ he lets out a breath. ]
I don't have to, though. If you think it'll be - weird or you're worried about it getting long.
Well, I mean, it's just - he hasn't seen or met you, y'know? And it's not weird for me, but I dunno how it'd be for you and-
[God, he has to think back a little, wonder if he's even mentioned Wash to Junior. If he has, how much has he said? Did he talk about him like Wash, or like how he talked about Churc-
Fuck. It got quiet again, the silence utterly taking over everything. Tucker swallows heavy and rests his head back down, hand on Wash's chest.]
Either way, it's up to you, so I dunno just let me know when we get the equipment if you wanna or not. Not right now.
wash reaches up and rests his hand over the back of tucker's neck, on his port again. ]
Okay.
[ wash hopes tucker can feel the vibrations through his chest. as it stands, though, he settles the book in his other hand. hopefully, even if he isn't talking, the heartbeat will be enough to help tucker. ]
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[ the first when he was first 'caught' by locus, the second during their fight after he'd pissed locus off. ]
It's like me and cars. People just don't like my face.
[ there's a little joke in there... somewhere. he swears. ]
The scar on my nose is from before Freelancer.
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[But the mention of the nose, Tucker glances up to his face. Hesitates one finger over it, then carefully runs his finger along it.]
Before, huh? How'd that one happen then?
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[ he wrinkles his nose a little when tucker runs his fingers along it, a reflex rather than a statement. ]
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Guess it could've been.
[Tucker takes a slow breath and thinks about that. There really is a lot they don't know much about each other. So. Maybe some quid pro quo? He shifts, resettles against him, the starburst scar against his side visible.]
...I got hit with a rocket launcher.
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tucker's next statement has him looking down again, his eyebrows raising. ]
Okay, was Caboose holding it?
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I never figured that out. It was weird. [Gets his hand up to look at it.] Wyoming shot me through the hand once too.
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[ he lets tucker gloss over 'never figuring it out'. if someone shot wash with a rocket, you can be darn sure he'd want to figure out who the fuck shot it. although again, first guess would be caboose. ]
At least it was a hand and not your head.
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[Tucker lets his hand fall, sighs through his nose. He misses Junior. The only thing he doesn't like about hiding out here.]
Glad I got to kill him.
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[ it sounds... familiar to the scenarios they would run in the sim outposts, but wash doesn't say that. it's still very real to tucker. wash hums after a moment. ]
You know, I'm sure Kimball could send us supplies to get a message to him. Junior, I mean.
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But-- Wash has Tucker sitting up, pushing up on Wash's chest to look up directly at him.]
You. You really think she could? Do we even get signal out here that far?
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Well, she's the woman to ask. We get some signal out here - if it's possible, she'll make it happen.
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He leans forward, resting his forehead against Wash's temple.] I gotta try. Before next Thursday.
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His birthday?
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Yeah. Only missed one so far [While in the desert] and... I don't wanna miss anymore.
[The taste and smell of war, a real war shoved the harsh reality into him that there may come a moment that he never gets to see his son ever again. And that his son may not ever know anything's happened to him from across the galaxy.]
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I'll send her a message, in the morning. I promise.
[ for tucker, he'll do what he can. ]
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Fucking love you, dude.
[He definitely, absolutely did not just end his first "I love you" with "dude" and it definitely was not half-thought out and more about his kid than his feelings about Wash.
Definitely not.]
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there's a lot of things that he doesn't expect to hear from the reds and blues, and that was one of them. wash lets go of the book with one hand to raise one, curling his hand around tucker's wrist. ]
Y-yeah. Me too.
[ is that playing it too cool??? ]
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Junior's gonna love you, wait'll he meets you.
[Welcome to the family, Wash.]
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but tucker is also special, among them. tucker has become so much more, so important to wash. he smiles gently when tucker settles down against him. ]
He sounds like a good kid. Has a good father, after all.
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[He tucks his head under Wash's chin, narrowly avoiding that compliment. He knows he's a kickass dad, but it always feels weird when other people acknowledge it; he's always had rocky parenting techniques given the nature of their... everything. And how much time they have to spend away from each other.]
Uh... Look if- I mean, if Kimball can actually get the equipment up here and we even get signal and I can get a message to him, you don't, you don't have to be part of it, y'know? Until you want, when you're ready to.
[Boy being a single parent is hard, especially when you start dating. What the fuck.]
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I mean... I could still wish him a happy birthday. Kids like extra happy birthday wishes, right?
[ he lets out a breath. ]
I don't have to, though. If you think it'll be - weird or you're worried about it getting long.
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[God, he has to think back a little, wonder if he's even mentioned Wash to Junior. If he has, how much has he said? Did he talk about him like Wash, or like how he talked about Churc-
Fuck. It got quiet again, the silence utterly taking over everything. Tucker swallows heavy and rests his head back down, hand on Wash's chest.]
Either way, it's up to you, so I dunno just let me know when we get the equipment if you wanna or not. Not right now.
[Smooth.]
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wash reaches up and rests his hand over the back of tucker's neck, on his port again. ]
Okay.
[ wash hopes tucker can feel the vibrations through his chest. as it stands, though, he settles the book in his other hand. hopefully, even if he isn't talking, the heartbeat will be enough to help tucker. ]