Wash does slide up against his side, slipping beneath his arm and leaning against him. York is solid and warm, reassuring in a way that Wash desperately needs right now.
Carolina takes longer, watching them, her lips pursed before she lets out a little huff of breath and takes his offered hand.
Carolina takes longer, watching them, her lips pursed before she lets out a little huff of breath and takes his offered hand.
"That sounds like too much work when I'll be asleep." It seems unfair to have York working when Wash isn't. Doesn't he get downtime too?
That sounds like a good plan. Wash... he misses it now that he thinks about it. He misses training with the kids. Misses York training with them more.
"Yes sir," he says, and it's only half teasing. The other half is more honest, more raw. Need wrapped up in respect. He needs York to give him a purpose.
"Yes sir," he says, and it's only half teasing. The other half is more honest, more raw. Need wrapped up in respect. He needs York to give him a purpose.
The praise is a warm swell in his head and he wonders how he'd never noticed before how this happened. He'd let Charon play with his brain and fuck him up in a whole bunch of new ways that Freelancer hadn't even dreamed of. He can feel how tightly York squeezes them too. He's scared, maybe as much as Wash is.
"So you're going to throw us about a bit?"
"So you're going to throw us about a bit?"
"Still... sleep is nice." It seems a shame for an AI to miss out on it. All that thinking had to be exhausting right?
"Mmmm you should." Sleep was great. Especially after a long day.
Carolina snorts at the comment about foreplay, but they can all see how easily it could go that way. None of them have normal reactions to things, and fighting might as well be dancing to them.
Wash winces. "I betrayed them. I deserve it." They'd trusted him and he'd thrown that away.
They follow him out, and there's that automatic calculation when they see the guard, how easy it would be to take the place down from inside now they were here. Wash brushes his hand against York's fingers to dispel it.
Wash winces. "I betrayed them. I deserve it." They'd trusted him and he'd thrown that away.
They follow him out, and there's that automatic calculation when they see the guard, how easy it would be to take the place down from inside now they were here. Wash brushes his hand against York's fingers to dispel it.
"Alright. Rest well..." He supposes. Or whatever York does anyway. It's an odd feeling, suddenly being alone in his head, but it's not quite as empty as it was before. He can still feel York , a warmth at the back of his skull.
He heads off towards the mess, aching from the day, but he feels pretty good.
He heads off towards the mess, aching from the day, but he feels pretty good.
It should be awkward. They're holding hands like children needing to be guided where they're going. But really it just feels nice, like everything might be okay now, somehow.
It's a hope that's dashed as soon as they step into the training room and they're confronted with the kids. Carolina blinks, but she never met the rebels. Wash just wants to hide behind York and pretend he isn't here. He remembers them doing everything they could to get him and York together, even making them a cake from their meagre rations.
"I-" he begins, but York speaks for him and for once he doesn't mind. He can't help a mindless reach for the back of his neck, rubbing over the metal embedded in the base of his skull.
"Thanks," he says finally, quiet, to York.
It's a hope that's dashed as soon as they step into the training room and they're confronted with the kids. Carolina blinks, but she never met the rebels. Wash just wants to hide behind York and pretend he isn't here. He remembers them doing everything they could to get him and York together, even making them a cake from their meagre rations.
"I-" he begins, but York speaks for him and for once he doesn't mind. He can't help a mindless reach for the back of his neck, rubbing over the metal embedded in the base of his skull.
"Thanks," he says finally, quiet, to York.
His dreams aren't always the greatest. He'd seen frontline action even before the project and anyone who'd been there has nightmares. But this one isn't that. There's a broken mirror, and blood and a Wash who looks disturbingly young to be so hard.
He blinks at York for a moment, frowning at the new element to his dream, before he shrugs off that skin and looks mostly like his waking self.
"York? What... what's going on?"
He blinks at York for a moment, frowning at the new element to his dream, before he shrugs off that skin and looks mostly like his waking self.
"York? What... what's going on?"
This is familiar and that makes it easier. He knows how to be thrown without damage, how to fall and how to break holds. They're muscle memory by now, so engrained he doesn't even have to think. And he desperately needs to not think right now. Watching Carolina and York move is always incredible to see. They'd been the top ranked on the leaderboard for a reason, and Wash had never quite been up to their level with CQC.
He falls where he's thrown, York pins him, body pressed against his. And it's electric for a moment. He sucks in a breath, tongue flicking out over his lips as he stares up at York. It's deja vu, going right back to the rebel base the first time they'd kissed.
He falls where he's thrown, York pins him, body pressed against his. And it's electric for a moment. He sucks in a breath, tongue flicking out over his lips as he stares up at York. It's deja vu, going right back to the rebel base the first time they'd kissed.
"I thought you didn't sleep." It was odd to see him here. He was confused where he was. Was he sleeping?
And York he realises after a moment, has a face. An actual human face. No armour. No projected light. He looks human. He shivers at the change in atmosphere and then finally looks down at himself, at the blood still spattered over him. "I... I had a bad dream."
And York he realises after a moment, has a face. An actual human face. No armour. No projected light. He looks human. He shivers at the change in atmosphere and then finally looks down at himself, at the blood still spattered over him. "I... I had a bad dream."
He can feel their eyes on him. The kids, but also Carolina. His breath catches when York settles more heavily against him, keeping him still.
It's only when The kids leave that he relaxes, the tension bleeding out of him as he slumps back against the ground. "Don't think they're happy."
It's only when The kids leave that he relaxes, the tension bleeding out of him as he slumps back against the ground. "Don't think they're happy."
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