Chapter two: Things you may wanna talk about

It took them the whole morning until they were done with the numbers of laps Wash wanted Grif to do. That was a new record. He never saw anyone as slow. Heck, he'd been better at this when he was in middle school.

"I'm… I'm going… to die!" Gasped the orange armored soldier between sucking in air desperately. They finally did the last lap and reached the old building in which the halfway working indoor swimming pool was.

"No you won't. It will even help you." Replied the Freelancer calmly and went towards the building without giving Grif a break. Actually it went better than he expected. But that only meant that Grif didn't drop unconscious so far. They really had a long way ahead, Wash thought. It would be good for all of them to do the drills. But he knew he couldn't make that work. So it was going to be Tucker because he had a lot of unused potential. He could be really good. And now additional to that Grif. Mainly because he simply was too fat by now and had zero condition.

"It wouldn't be that bad if you and Tucker actually did the drills I told you the past few days. But clearly, you did not."

It was too bad Wash hadn't been allowed to make sure they followed his orders. He only kicked them out of bed every morning but apparently that wasn't enough.

When he and Grif entered the old building, Caboose run towards them. "Agent Washington! Grif!" he yelled happily and came to a halt right before the two other soldiers. He had his assault rifle – Freckles – raised. "Hello" he said and Wash felt how Grif stepped behind him. He was such a coward. The Freelancer only sighed. "Hello, Caboose", he said calmly. "Didn't I tell you not to point Freckles at other?" Wash still felt ridicules when he talked like that but he found it was the best way to deal with Caboose if you tried to work with his logic and all.

And indeed Caboose lowered his weapon, titling his head as if he was thinking. "Right. Unless they are evil. Or stealing my cookies and orange juice."

"Yes, unless they are evil or stealing your… wait, no! Someone stealing your cookies and orange juice is not a reason to shoot them!" Wash corrected himself quickly. Jesus Christi! "Either way, are you already done with the swimming lesson?" Of course Wash sent him to learn how to swim too. Just in case.

"Yeeeah… Tuckers private Palamo said I was doing fine and he needs his full attention on Tucker. And you know, I need to go for walkies with Freckles" explained the blue soldier cheerfully. Wash couldn't help but sigh again. For gods sake, Caboose was a nice guy but he just didn't belong into a war.

"Alright. But stay in sight of the house."

"Yes!" Caboose cheered. "Let's go, Freckles!" The gun replied a robotic 'affirmative' before Caboose run off. Wash turned around, yelling after him. "And stay away from explosives and fire! And from vehicles!"

Really, half of the time Wash felt more like Cabooses babysitter or Mom or something than his commanding officer. North must have felt like that a lot, too. Of course Grif made a snarky comment about it but Wash ignored him as he went inside the hall where at least one pool was filled with water. The sight Wash and Grif got was… interesting.

Tucker was half laying out of the pool, with his legs still in water. His arms were stretched out and his face awkwardly flat on the floor. Palamo was swimming easily behind him. "C'mon Captain, I know you can do that", he said, sounding honestly optimistic. Tucker groaned. "I fucking hate you…"

Wash knew Tucker didn't like Palamo. But unfortunately he was one of the few people that could swim well enough to teach someone. Well, there was Anna Belle from Simmons team who was maybe even better. But Lieutenant Belle was a very attractive woman and so Wash decided Palamo was to help the teal soldier. For obvious reason.

"Any progress?" the Freelancer asked what made Tucker look up with an almost pleading expression. "I wanna die!" he whined first. Then he suddenly frowned without moving at all. "Where were you guys all morning?"

"Grif had all morning until he was done with the laps" Wash explained in a very disapproving tone. "Waaaht? Dude, you are a fucking snail!"

"Oh yeah!? Well, how many laps did you swim, huh? And I'm talking about swimming and not moving hand over hand along the pool edge."

Suddenly Tucker went silent, before he pushed away from the edge, obviously trying to show him how good he was able to swim. Wash already saw that this wouldn't work. All Tucker did as soon as he let go of the edge was kicking and beating the water. Great. Palamo dutifully tried to help him but it went about as well as it did with Wash and Tucker back in the cave. Because Tucker kept kicking at the boy and almost drowned him as well. And Wash actually meant boy by looking at Palamo. It made him feel somehow old. The soldier was young, really young. Twenty at best. But in a civil war it wasn't unusual to have such young soldiers around.

Washs rubbed over his neck with a sigh after Palamo managed to get himself and Tucker back to the edge.

"Really graceful, I must say. Like a mermaid, which you cut off the lower half", Grif mocked with a gleeful grin.

"Oh then how about showing Tucker how to swim, Grif? I remember someone saying something about… how was that? Oh yeah, 'fucking native Hawaiian'." Wash replied for Tucker who crawled on the tiles, coughing and panting.

In fact, Grif really was the best opinion besides Palamo to teach how to swim. Belle would only distract Tucker. With Carolina he would get distracted too and then she would kill him. And Wash couldn't do it himself either. Because that would end with Tucker being distracted as well and him wanting to kill the guy.

"Yeah, yeah, give me some minutes." Muttered Grif, obviously getting the point and leaving to get some shorts. Tucker still was laying on the ground, already exhausted to no end. "Can't we just stop for today?" he whined. Palamo swam back to him, trying to pull at Tuckers leg. "No, you can't. Seriously, Captain, this is important! I mean, wouldn't it be a shame if you drown after surviving a fight with Felix?"

Tucker clung desperately to the tiles and tried somehow to kick at Palamo with his free leg. It looked ridicules. "Can't I glue swimmies to my armor or something? That would be awesome" he suggested with another whine. "Or why don't you help me, huh?"

Wash kept his eyes on Tucker and Palamo who both struggled to achieve their goal. Palamo to get Tucker back in water and Tucker to stay out of it. "We both know how well that would go, don't we" Wash replied dryly before he looked at Palamo who still tried to get Tucker back in the water. He sighed. "Private Palamo, you are dismissed. Thanks for trying but this apparently is not going to work. Go return to your squad."

The young soldier hesitated but then left with a sullen expression.

Not much after that Grif came back and just jumped into the pool, making the water create a stir. Tucker was clinging desperately to the tiles. "Holy fuck you jackass! Do you want to kill me?!"

"No, just making you familiar with the water. Because you should go with the flow and not against it."

"And for that you want to drown me you cockbite!?"

"I would love to, but... no, your Leader told me to take over for Palamo." Wash raised an eye ridge at how Grif stressed the word Leader but said nothing. Instead he crossed his arms and watched the two sim troopers.

"And now, hands off the edge, otherwise you'll never learn to swim. In the ocean you don't have an edge to cling to."

"As if I ever would go into an ocean." Muttered Tucker, reluctantly slipping back into the water.

"Well, for you it would also be a river." Retorted Grif, treading water on the spot.

When Wash was watching Tucker and Grif it was obvious that the teal soldier wasn't just too lazy to try but apparently indeed fully incapable of swimming. Like Grif at the moment was unable to really run more than two minutes. Silently the Freelancer observed the two. He actually had a lot of other things he should be doing instead. Things on Chorus still were chaotic and a lot needed to be done. Strategizing, training the recruited, organization, the troops had to be subdivide new and so on. Just a lot. All in all just too much Wash should be helping with. He didn't even find time for his own workout usually. That he couldn't leave Tucker and Grif alone without them slacking off didn't really help.

"You know, I'm sure Simmons would kill you if he would see how you touch me here, dude. A bit deeper would be a better handle to hold me in place." It was Tuckers smug joking that pulled Wash out of his thoughts. He barely finished the sentence before Grif dived him under. Well, he deserved that.

When the teal soldier came up again he coughed heavily but somehow managed to trade to the edge and cling to it again. He glared at Grif with murderous intense. Wash thought he looked a little like a kitten that was clinging to a tree branch or something and was scared to let go.

"Whoops sorry. Better you learn how to swim before making such comments", Grif teased.

"Okay, enough. You two keep practicing for another three hours. I'll be going now." Wash announced. Tucker looked up but without letting the edge go. "I rather practice other things with you for three hours" he said with a smug smirk that didn't match him desperately clinging to the pools edge at all. Wash looked at Grif. "You have my permission to drown him if he does that" he said plainly and then turned to walk off. "I'm going to see Carolina now." With that the Freelancer left the old building leaving Tucker and Grif alone.

"Hey Grif?" the younger asked as he watched the blonde man go. "I sometimes I think Caboose actually might be right."

"Seriously? About what?"

"About Wash and Carolina having a relationship."

Grif gave Tucker a dumb flooded stare that could almost be compared to the one Wash was giving him on occasions. "Haven't you been drowned enough?"

Tucker clung more to the edge. Just in case, you know? "Why!?"

"Because you just asked me something that idiotic."

"What about that was idiotic?" Tucker replied. Just like the last few days when they were supposed to be running laps, all he and Grif did was talking.

"The question itself. And that you think about it" Grif said while easily holding himself over the water. He frowned and after few moments he added. "Wait… are you jealous?"

A few seconds there came no reply. Then, "No."

"Suuure."

"I'm not. I just thought it would make sense. I mean, Wash likes chicks, Carolina is single, he is and they are close. And you never know what they do when they say they meet Doyle and Kimball" explained the teal soldier and climbed out of the pool awkwardly. His legs were shaking and feeling like pudding at that point. That was even worse than when he started with the fucking squats and laps and push ups and shit.

Since Grif replied nothing, Tucker lay down flat on his back "Also, if he is having sex with Carolina that explains why he won't have sex with me."

"You're thinking too much." Stated Grif and Tucker looked over to the man who now was leaning over the edge too. "That has nothing to do with Carolina. They are more like siblings, or like chief and subordinate. But nothing romantic or sexual. Wash only often asks Carolina for advices because she knows him best. Don't wet your pants because of that. There's absolutely nothing." Tucker grunted and scrunched his nose. There was something and Tucker called it a line. He wondered if he was the only one to notice it.

There was the fucking line between Carolina and Wash and the rest of them. There was a slight change in Wash behavior when around Carolina. There were remarks meant for only the other to understand and they had conversations about things they never told anyone of the sim troopers. Tucker hated how they would fall silent when someone approached them or how they would word things in a way that made it impossible to understand it for outsiders.

Tucker hated the fucking line and also that Church too was on the other side now.

"How could you be so sure?" the teal soldier asked finally.

"Knowledge of human nature. However. I think the problem is more that you ware too pushy for him. Ever considered that he didn't had something with a man before you? It is a huge conversion for him, for which he needs time. You being pushy doesn't help there." And there was again the alien thing he was doing. You know, sounding all smart and mature. The most annoying thing about it was that they had this conversation before. No wait, the most annoying thing was that Grif actually was right.

"And you making dumb jokes doesn't help either." Retorted Tucker as he watched his probably best friend by now. Church after all was moving away more and more. Grif looked contend by being in the water but he looked as beaten as Tucker felt. "You know, he always gets more reluctant the more you tease him and make jokes about him. I think that's also a reason."

That was a thing about Wash. He had a certain level of tolerance for things. Once that was reached he got resistant. As more you pushed, as harder he pushed back.

"So you want me to stop with that?"

Tucker shrugged, crossing his arms behind his back then. "Why not, would be worth a try, perhaps it works out." It was likely that if Grif kept annoying and teasing Wash that the older would nip things like this morning in bed.

"It might be a reason, but Wash always had been a reluctant and cautious guy. Consider that too Tucker. Try to understand him a little bit more and give him his space and time. It isn't always easy - Believe me, I know of what I'm talking – But you'll be rewarded sooner or later."

Tucker only grumbled something, now laying back down again. Grif still was floating in the water, enjoying being in his secondly preferred element. Tucker thought about it. Grif was right, he knew that much. Wash was reluctant. But Tucker was fairly sure this was not about him being self-conscious like Simmons. It was more that he was always hyper aware that each action had consequences. He should be relaxing more but somehow that never happened to Wash. He was always keeping himself busy and taking care of this and that. Like he just couldn't do nothing for a while. That was why he clearly was lacking in sleep again despite Grey ordering him to rest and all.

Of course Tucker noticed, how couldn't he considering they shared a room and most of the times a bed?

But what should he say? Wash just was like that. He once told Tucker that this insomnia was coming and going and there were just times he simply didn't find sleep. It had been like that the past four years. He seemed used to getting little sleep and Tucker didn't mention it as long it wasn't as bad as the time when Wash first joined them. He had been simply exhausted most of the time. But maybe that was more because of the nightmares?

Tucker frowned up at the old grey ceiling. He didn't remember Wash dreaming in a long time. That was good, wasn't it?

Somehow he wondered since when he was thinking like that about the Freelancer. Paying so much attention. Thinking about it now, Washs body language changed a lot too from the beginning. He was more often taking off his helmet. He somehow avoided physical contact all the time before. He didn't seem to bother now whether or not people were close. He also didn't shy away from Tuckers touch. Unless he was being too indecent again. Or touching the two bullet scars on his back.

Thinking about it… this morning was the first time Wash actually started a kiss.

With a groan Tucker turned his head to watch Grif who floated relaxed on the water. "I think I'm just frustrated because I want sex with him." Tuckers honesty threw Grif out of his concept and he returned to swimming at one spot. First he stared again at the younger, then he suddenly grinned. "Smooth. Did you tell it Wash like that, too?" he asked.

Tucker snorted and with a deep groan he fully sat up again. "No. Though I think I'm more than obvious enough." He replied. So Wash could be surprising thick as brick at times but still. It was too obvious.

"So try telling him what you want. Maybe he explains what he thinks and wants then." Grif suggested and Tucker frowned. Actually that sounded like a smart idea. There was just one thing… Wash probably wouldn't be all too happy about that statement. Seriously, Tucker didn't think it would end well with him going up to Wash and telling him he wanted to fuck him. That would end up bad. Wash wasn't the kind of guy to be okay with him just wanting sex or else he wouldn't turn Tucker down.
Then again, why was he trying if he knew Wash didn't want to sleep with him? Tucker was the take what you easily get type. Sex was sex and no was no. He was really simple about that. "I don't think he will appreciate that statement a lot." He said then.

Grif raised an eye brow in a very mocking manner. "Oh, really?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

The teal soldier was quiet for a long time before he spook up again. But instead of watching Grif he observed the small waves in the water the orange soldier caused. "Well yeah… I guess I really like Wash." He managed to get out then. Love didn't seem the right word. That was what Grif and Simmons had. And Tex and Church in a twisted way. While in his own thoughts Tucker didn't notice how long Grif actually was quiet.

"Dude... and you only figured that out now?"

"Oh, shut up! At least it didn't take me about ten years!" he snapped and felt his face heat up slightly. But thanks to his darker skin color he had an absolute incognito blush. Unlike Wash or Simmons with their pale skin.

OOO

Meanwhile Washington had made his way to the huge building where the current staff from Chorus united armies was working. It was made sure that the staff contained equally people form the federation as well form the rebels. And only these Kimball, Doyle and also Carolina trusted. She actually spent more time here than at the house they lived in

Somehow Carolina adapted the position as head of all this right away and no one disagreed. Also not Wash. She was used to give orders, she knew what she was doing now she wasn't obsessed with revenge anymore. Carolina was just a born leader and even though Wash was also part of the staff that decided and everything he easily fell back in the role of a subordinate.

Well, he never was much of a leader, he only picked that up around the blood gulch crew because someone had to. He had always been someone to support and back up instead of lead.

Things were still tense. That wasn't surprising considering this planet had been at a civil war for years. And the current event didn't make things any better. At least both sides could relate well to the blood gulch crew. Especially since they knew what it meant to (kind of) fight each other for years while being manipulated by a stronger force.

"So, we still don't know anything about the people that attacked us at the cave" Wash said while ducking away from one of Carolinas kicks. He came up again, blocking a blow that was aimed at the side of his head.

"No. We have the name of everyone that wasn't on their station at that time or didn't return after. Epsilon is still checking if he can find any clues in the radio calls or other messages. It's a lot of work but it might help us to find out what Locus and Felix are up to now." Explained the redhead between blows and kicks which Wash either blocked or dodged. They started to spar in the backyard of the building while talking.

Though it was more exercising than an actual match. It was good, however, helping Wash to think more clearly.

"I don't think Locus and Felix had anything to do with it." Actually Wash appreciated the rather easy pace. He hadn't been sparring with someone in a long time and despite Grif and the others joking about it he did not like to be bruised everywhere. And that was about default state after a match with Carolina.

"Why do you think so?"

Wash moved to the side, spinning around and aiming a forceful kick at Carolinas head which she still blocked with the usual ease. "Because Locus would have gotten us" Wash said with gritted teeth as he moved back, falling in a ready stand again. Carolina said nothing and instead they started the exchange of blows again. They did it in silence now as they both knew Wash was upset with the way things had been going in the cave. He was thinking more like her than he did in the past. He knew he needed to be more alert again, faster and stronger if he wanted to make it. If he wanted to be able to take on Locus.

Because he didn't survive. He was left alive.

At some point Wash crouched down and tried to sweep Carolinas legs away. However she jumped, doing a backflip as if it was nothing. "Your movements are surprisingly smooth" she said with a teasing voice Wash rarely heard ever since Tex showed up.

"What do you mean?" Wash was up again, blocking two quick strikes from Carolina. "I'm talking about the interesting noises from this morning." Wash had been aiming a kick at her ribs but he faltered for a heartbeat and so Carolina caught his ankle and pulled on his leg, making him fall on his back with a grunt. "You are still easy to distract" she said with a smirk.

Wash groaned. "That wasn't fair. How do you even know that?"

"C'mon Wash. The whole house heard that." The redhead said with a voice that matched the teasing smile she certainly had right now. Wash scowled but took the hand his former leader offered to help him up. "I'm going to kill Tucker. It really wasn't what it sounded like." He tried to explain what caused Carolina to chuckle.

"And I thought it was just Tucker hitting the bed against the wall."

"Well he… he actually did that. But you just said that…" Wash tried and trailed off to instead glare at Carolina. Why did she have to fuck with him too? God damn it.

"You know, Epsilon is still busy. We can talk about that."

The answer she got was a mix between a groan and a whine. Carolina caught Wash to express himself the way he did back in the project from time to time again.

"Please let's not do that."