(no subject)

[lightofdawn]

I've been very, naughty and regret nothing...

Comments

[cryptos]

[Tucker did know him better than just about any other person left alive sae perhaps for Carolina. The Sim Trooper might be able to see the dark, gnarled and damaged parts of his psyche but Carolina understood it because she'd gone through many of the same traumas and knew first hand. It was those very same traumas that had made Wash so averse to the idea of being in a relationship with anyone. Much less Tucker.

But the younger man had worn him down and now suddenly, he found himself in the utterly alien and terrifying situation where he had to meet his boyfriend's kid.

His alien kid.

Because things weren't awkward enough as it was apparently. Wash made no attempt to duck away from the kiss which was an improvement but he wasn't exactly an active participant in it either. Chorus's bright sun beat down on their heads and seemed to pick out all the gray threaded through his hair and highlighted the nervous tightness around his eyes and mouth as he looked at Tucker oh so solemnly.]

I would settle for doesn't hate me. I don't know anything about kids, Tucker. [Still, Tucker's attempts at levity did have the ghost of a smile pulling at Wash's mouth. If he had been someone else, maybe he would have made an answering joke about how Wash didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with Junior by lying to him about Tucker's supposed badassness.] I know a little bit about Grifball? York and North were really into it.

[lovernotafighter]

Dude, you think I knew anything about kids? It wasn't like I was actually prepared to be knocked up and popping out an alien baby, but you just roll with it.

[Damn, what a whirlwind that had been, how unexpectedly protective he felt. It had come naturally after a few false starts; all he had known dads to be were shadowy figures that visited for an hour every couple months and sent moms under-whelming checks when forced to by the courts. That's what his had been like, anyway.

So, how he knew to step up, how he knew that he wanted to actually see his kid, keep him from harm, how his heart lurched when he thought Junior had died in that damn ship, he didn't know. But it was there, it was still there now, and he was glad. For all the bullshit, he was glad.

Tucker pushed that away, his arms wrapping around Wash's neck and looking up at him with something softer than exasperation but no less there.] He won't hate you; I don't think he hates anything other than cauliflower and he gets that shit from me. Stop worrying. If I can find a way to like you, he can, too.

[A smirk, something to ease that joke a little. But this was important, they both knew it; if it didn't work out, if Junior wasn't on board...]

Grifball has nothing on basketball. Yeah, I know it's old, but it's good. Maybe we can hit one of his games now that the war's over. Or shit, maybe you two can play while I ref. I'll only play favorites a little.

[cryptos]

[Wash got that particularly vaguely uneasy look on his face he always wore whenever the topic of Tucker being impregnated by some strange alien monster came up. It was good that the younger man loved his kid as much as he did because Wash doubted he would be anywhere near as accepting after such an event.

And from how he had heard the other Sim Troopers discuss Junior, some of them had been more vocal about their opinions than others. Which was why Wash kept his concerns to himself for the most part.] Need I remind you how long it took for you to warm up to me? Or how much you hated me at first?

[The ex-Freelancer reminded him rather dourly. There was tension in the line of Washington's shoulders because he was still working on the whole PDA thing and being comfortable displaying such affections out in public. He had more than his fair share of hangups and he knew it but he also knew it was unfair for Tucker to selfishly just cater to his own wishes and urges. You had to compromise in a relationship and sometimes that meant letting your boyfriend hang all over you like a monkey gym apparently.]

I know you throw balls in baskets? [Typical-fucking-Wash, he could list all the permeation of a M5 battle rifle but ask him about sports and he was completely lost.]

[lovernotafighter]

[Hey, you rolled with the punches in instances of male alien gestation; that was all he could do, really. He found out too late, and then it was nothing because sometimes comas were a fucking blessing. But whatever. He had a kid. Even more? He loved his kid, schooled his kid, traveled and supported his kid. He was a dad, even if he hadn't planned on it.

If anyone didn't like it? Well, fuck them. Their loss, because they were the ones missing out. ]

Hey, I'm still warming up to you. [A lascivious grin slid over his lips, easy and smooth like a snake.] Especially at night between the sheets when we start getting busy.

[There was a waggle of those eyebrows before he started to pull away. Fine, no touchy feely in public, but damn if he wasn't going to make comments because he might be respectful, but he wasn't dead. Some things couldn't be changed, dammit, and Tucker was Tucker at the end of the day. Comments and horrible jokes would come.]

Seriously? That's all you know? [The balking feeling of that being it? That just hurt. What kind of guy was he dating?!] Look, you can watch Junior and I play. Or you can play HORSE with him. ...You do know what that is, right?

[Don't break his heart, Wash.]

[cryptos]

[All in all, Wash was just glad he hadn't been around them during that time. Sure, it would have been satisfying to put a bullet in Wyoming after he'd kidnapped Junior but he wasn't sad he'd missed the whole alien pregnancy thing.]

Really, I thought we were warm enough. [Uh oh, Wash's ears were starting to go a little pink at the tips as a flush started to crawl down the back of his neck. It was a sure-fire sign of embarrassment on his part. Look, there is a reason he went around in a helmet all the time, okay. His poker face was shit and he was well aware of it.]

And that they're on teams and just run the ball from one side of the field to the other. It doesn't look like it's a very complicated sport, Tucker. I just never had any real interest in it. [He was dating a dude who had no interest in sports unfortunately. So if Tucker was looking for that kind of validation from his boyfriend, then he was going to be sorely disappointed.] Uh...what? I'm going to assume that doesn't involve bringing a horse onto the field. [Field. It was a court, Wash!]

[lovernotafighter]

There’s nothing saying that we can’t be warmer, right?

[Oh God, Wash, could you been any more adorable? That blush? That blush that hit his ears? Fuck, man, Tucker could barely handle that, and the moony little sly smile crossing over his lips said as much. Badass Freelancers blushing, who knew that that would be Tucker’s weakspot?

Junior was so going to love him.

…At least until he heard field, which was the same moment that the lovesick expression turned to one of utter abject horror. Field?! Fucking field?! No. No way. That--]

Are you fucking trying to kill me here? Because, dude, I feel like you just shot me through the heart. [His hands were clutched to his chest dramatically, eyes still wide and a little concerned. Where the fuck did this guy grow up, the north goddamn pole?!] You don’t—It’s not a field; it’s a court! There’s no grass! Or horse!

[It wasn’t like Tucker was a big sports guy, but hell, even he knew that!

Okay, deep breath.] Every time you don’t make a shot, you get a letter and try not to spell ‘horse’. [There was more than that, but he was worried about confusing Wash any more than he already was.] Do you even know what color a basketball is?

[cryptos]

You mean aside from the imminent arrival of your son and the fact that we're in public? [Some of the embarrassment was fleeing in the face of his irascible nature, a common occurrence when Tucker decided to tease him. He wasn't very good at taking a joke unfortunately, but more importantly, he wasn't necessarily wrong either.]

And I'm the dramaqueen in this relationship, huh? It's just basketball, Tucker. [Wash asked with an arched brow and a decidedly sarcastic tilt to his mouth. Honestly, he didn't get what the big deal was.]

That sounds utterly ridiculous considering unless you play it a lot, you're inevitably going to miss a shot. And give me some credit, Tucker. I might not have grown up on Earth but I do know what color a basketball is. I just have no interest in the sport is all.

[lovernotafighter]

You never heard of a quickie? [Which wouldn’t have surprised him if the Freelancer hadn’t, even if he did know that Wash was hardly a virgin even before Tucker wandered into his life. Still, the public thing was always a no-no, and it was frustrating because that idea was hot as hell, but he knew when to push and when to not. Tucker was strangely aware, perceptive, and he cared enough not to make Wash feel pressured.

Don’t ever say that Tucker wasn’t a good partner. ]

Okay, but you know you still haven’t told me what color the ball is. [Nice way to talk around it, Wash; he wasn’t exactly sure he believed him, his skeptical look still writ into his eyes. Come on, Wash, he never expected being a jock would be in your wheelhouse, but the idea of a comfortable Sunday curled on the couch while watching sports had something pleasant to it. And let’s be real: Tucker would be the rather loud dad in the bleachers clothed in his son’s too-large jersey and flag yelling, totally enrapt and excited to watch Junior run down the court.

This was the future. Get used to it.]

Don’t tell Junior you don’t, okay? And what are you going to say to him? [No pressure, Wash. No pressure.]

[cryptos]

You never heard of public indecency in front of a child? [Wash challenged back with an arch look that pretty much said it all. It wasn't that Wash was a virgin, he just was picky. And obscenely private. Because in his mind, if anyone knew about his relationship with Tucker, that would paint a giant target on the man's back. Their enemies would use him against Washington and visa versa.]

It's...organge-ish, brown. Look, Tucker, just because I have no interest in basket ball doesn't mean I've never seen one. Sure, things like grifball is way more of a thing back home but give me some credit. I did serve in the military, you know. [Unfortunately for Wash, he had the sinking feeling he was going to become way more exposed to the sport because he knew Junior was on a team and that it was no doubt a major thing between him and his father. Which mean, he would have to suffer through it with as much grace as he could manage for Tucker's sake.]

I thought I'd start him off easy? He's still a kid after all. [Soooooo much pressure. He has no fucking clue what he's going to say, he just can't man up and admit he has no CLUE what to do with a kid. It wasn't like he had a lot of experience with them, much less with alien-human hybrids!]