The closing credits of the movie were just running over the screen. They were so damn boring. But Caboose insisted on watching them too. Because if he couldn't see them completely, he couldn't be sure that the movie really was over or just ended in the middle of it.
Before the closing credits, there appeared a 'fin' in big and wide letters, but that didn't count as of Caboose. Because everyone could write it there. Cabooses logic was sweet, sometimes difficult to understand, but the blue-white armored soldier mostly couldn't help but to smile and feeling frustrated at the same time.
That was like having a big kid.
Said 'big kid' was laying on the ground, in the middle of the room, propped up in thousands and thousands of pillows. He was laying on his belly, weight braced on his arms, and feet swinging back and forth in the air. The happy smile on Cabooses face showed pretty clear that he was more than happy to watch the movie. And he was blissfully unaware of everything else. He didn't notice that Ala and Wash weren't really paying attention to the movie all the time. Sometimes they stole some kisses from each other.
As the closing credits finally were over and the library with the movies available appeared, Ala stood up and stretched her limps. Her left shoulder made a disgusting cracking sound, but she didn't care. Since she had a metal arm, her shoulder used to do that a lot.
Walking over to the man laying on the belly and staring at the television with an almost disappointed glance, she crouched down beside him. Tapping on his shoulders she tried to get the attention of the blond haired man. "Come on Caboose. Time to go to bed."
"But I'm not tired! And the cats stopped singing in the middle of it!"
"Well, I'm sure they're tired too. Because cats also need some rest. Just like human."
"You mean they will sing again soon?" Cabooses eyes lit up in anticipation.
"Sure they will. But you know, they also need to be careful with their voices. " What a logic, thought Ala as she spoke with the blue armored soldier. "You know, if you talk or sing too much, you could overburden your voice and loose it. And we don't want the Aristocats to never sing again, right?"
"Yeah, better let them sleep then." Agreed Caboose, his face dropping a bit in disappointment.
"When do you think will they sing again?"
Ala was so taken aback of this question, that she first would have answered tomorrow. But she knew what that would mean. A smile appeared on her lips. "Soon Caboose. You know what? I will ask them every day and tell you when they are okay again and ready to sing for you. Deal?"
As fast as Cabooses face dropped before, as fast it lit up now. "Deal!" exclaimed the soldier happily.
"Okay, but now it's bedtime. You have to sleep enough to be ready for the next day."
"Yes, I have to sleep. Agent Washingsink says that too! Good night!" scrambling on his feet, he immediately left the room with a wave. He didn't hear Wash groan.
Ala couldn't help but grin widely as she turned around. "Nice nickname."
Again a groan while the Freelancer rubbed over his face. "I have told him again and again that my name has nothing to do with washing utensils. But he doesn't get it!" exclaimed Wash in a desperate tone. The black haired woman snickered. "Come on, Wash. It isn't that bad. He's like a big five-years old with too much fantasy. Let him have his fun."
Wash muttered something under his breath.
"Sorry, what did you say?" the mocking tone wouldn't pass by Wash unnoticed. Alaska was sure he would get her teasing tone. Sitting down on the couch beside Wash again, she looked at him with curiosity and glee in her blue eyes.
"I said looking after Caboose is like having a kid for real. The only difference is that real kids grow up."
This desperate tone made Ala snicker again. "Come on, it isn't that bad. At least he knows how to dress himself and survive halfway. If you have no electrical devices around him, he's pretty much independent."
Wash huffed and leaned back on the couch, laying his head on the backrest. Ala didn't comment on that, letting the silence take over for some minutes.
Caboose often was a pain in the ass. He was behaving like a baby but at the same time was really grown up for his mental state. He even knew what an AI was before all the others got it. He seemed to be really smart, but dumb at the same time. He was too independent to live in an asylum, but too dependent to live on his own. He needed someone to look after him. And as it looked at the moment, it would be one of the Blood Gulch Crew-Members to take over that task.
But Washs remark some minutes ago brought her to another question.
"Say Wash. You sounded like you hate kids."
"I don't hate them." The grey-yellow armored soldier lift his head again, rubbing over his scar in his neck. "It's just… I never thought of the possibility to ever get out of this war alive and young enough to have the possibility to start a family."
"And if you think about it now?" Ala was curious. How would he think of it?
Another silence came up as Wash thought about the question.
"Well, I don't know…"
"You don't like children in general or just having on your own?" she was a bit disappointed, but she made her features unreadable, her voice normal but not giving away this emotion.
Was huffed again. "As I said, like kids. I don't think I would be able to deal with Tucker and Caboose if I wouldn't like children." Stated Wash dryly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Fair point there." Admitted Ala with a grin. The other two blues were behaving like kids. If you don't like kids, you wouldn't survive in blue team.
"But that doesn't answer my previous question." Remarked Ala, bringing the subject back to the question.
"When I was young I often thought that I should have kids once. However, with the army, everything changed. I never thought of it again. Besides, I don't know if it is a good idea. You know me being-"
"Yeah you being bonkers. I already know that." Waved Ala the remark off like an annoying fly. Wash furrowed his brows with slight irritation. "That's what I'm saying, because it's true. At least I was in an asylum."
Ala exhaled before turning around on the couch to face Wash directly. "Look Wash. We already discussed that point. You aren't more or less bonkers than every normal person. I mean, fuck it, after what you went through, I wouldn't be so sure if I would be sitting here, talking with you and being so stable like you are. I don't even know if I still would be here."
Washs grey eyes searched for hers, before locking gazes when he found them. "Every human is bonkers in his own way. Moreover, you went through a fucking lot of shit, that's for sure. However, that doesn't automatically mean that you're not a good father. I mean, look how you treat Caboose. You're trying to be understanding and patient even though he is a soldier."
"Caboose is a grown up man."
"Well, yes and no." answered Ala to Washs statement. "Physically, he might be grown up. However, not mentally. I guess he's stuck somewhere between ten and fifteen." Added Ala, before continuing. "What I want to say. You're looking after him. You're trying to meet his mental level to explain everything. You're more patient than with the other kid of the team. I don't think that you would be that much of a bad father."
"Hm…" hummed Washington as answer, but didn't say more. Ala was aware of the fact that such a subject wasn't discussed out in one day. It would take time to find out how Wash was thinking about different aspects of the private live. However, they made the first step and she was sure that the next ones would follow soon.
After some more minutes enjoying the silence and the presence of each other, Alaska got up again, suppressing a yawn. "Come on Wash, let's go to bed. It's late and we're up for a training session tomorrow."
"Yeah, and leg days for Grif and Tucker." Muttered the Freelancer tiredly, also getting up and heading towards the bathroom to get ready for bed and crash out with his girlfriend cuddled closely to him afterwards.
It was a fucking odyssey through the whole fucking ship just to find a store, which sold Oreos. Because Grif ate the last ones. Of course, he dragged Simmons along because he wouldn't find his way back to their room and would have to starve to death until they would find him. Fucking hypocrite. So the cyborg was doomed to wander through countless hallways and taking elevators up and down, instead of reading a book in the silence of their room. Just fucking fantastic.
As of Simmons sense for time, it must be past midnight. Best of all, they just began walking back to their room. To get back it would take another halt an hour and until they were ready to crash out another half up to one hour. Fucking fantastic.
Simmons was tired, the places, where his mechanical body parts connected to his human body parts, hurt like hell and he had a headache. And knowing that this night he would get less than five hours of sleep didn't raise his mood.
It wasn't surprising that the chewing sound from his right side unnerved him more than usually. Looking over to the Hawaiian, he could see that he had almost eaten one pack of those fucking sweets. "You know." Began Simmons, his tiredness and discontent clearly displaying in his voice. "I'm not coming on another excursion through this ship the next days just because you stuff the Oreos in your face as if they're water, fatass."
"They are like water for me, nerd!"
Simmons only snorted but didn't answer. He didn't need to because Grif already continued.
"Besides, how am I supposed to survive without Oreos?"
"You won't die because you have to live one day without Oreos." Snapped Simmons, clearly irritated. Grif only crossed his arms petulantly, looking to Simmons. "How would you know that!? I'm not gonna try it out and starve to death because I have no Oreos!"
"You won't die when you have no Oreos for one day!" insisted the cyborg. "It takes three weeks until you die from starvation!"
"But if they're like water, it takes only three days! And I don't want to die! I have something to live for!"
Letting the first part of the sentence fall aside, the cyborg snorted. "Oh yeah? And what for example?"
Grif looked at him somewhat offended. "Hey I live for my Oreos! They're nowhere safer as in my stomach. Besides, if I wouldn't be here, you would have nobody to screw crazy every night." This time a huge shit-eating grin appeared on the Hawaiians face, whilst Simmons felt heat creeping up from the collar of his shirt, all over his face.
"That's- I- I'm-" sputtered the irish-dutch man helplessly, before stopping his attempts of saying something and just stared at Grif angrily.
Said person only grinned wider, chuckling lowly. "Come on! Don't say you don't like it!" teased Grif his boyfriend, who turned an even darker shade of crimson. "Y'know, besides that, I can't wait to get back home and go surfing and swimming. In addition, I promised you to show my Hawaii, haven't I?"
"Uhm, yes." Muttered Simmons, still red in his face.
"See, and that's why I can't afford to find out if I die when I don't get my daily dose of Oreos."
With that, Simmons annoyance flared up again. "But one thing has nothing to do with the other! You won't die because you haven't gotten Oreos for one day! In Blood Gulch you also didn't had Oreos every day!"
"That was the most horrible time I had! I felt like being on cold turkey! That's torture!"
"You weren't on cold turkey because you haven't gotten your Oreos, fatass." Retorted Simmons, still stubbornly insisting on that.
"Oh yes? And how about if I take away your irish coffee? How would you feel, asshole!?"
Again, there settled silence in between, both of them trying to stare each other down, knowing perfectly it wouldn't work.
After some minutes, the cyborg sighed in defeat. "Okay, then have your Oreos. Just tell it earlier next time when you're out of Oreos and not in the middle of the night, dumbass." Grif again showed his best shit-eating grin he was able to sport.
Both of them took up their way back to their room again. They had stopped some when during the fight to stare at each other without walking into something. Just before they reached the room, Simmons added. "But if I find crumbs in our bed again your sleeping on the couch!"
"But that's beach feeling! You don't know what you're missing, idiot!"
"That has nothing to do with beach feeling you dumbass! That's plain disgusting! I don't want to change the bed sheets all day!"
"As if you would change them only because I leave crumbs in the bed." Again this shit-eating grin and again Simmons felt his face heat up.
"That- That has nothing to do with the other!"
"Uh-hu, sure."
"It's true!" insisted the cyborg, face flaming read.
"Yeah, Yeah. Whatever. Let's get back and sleep." Again this smile. But this time it wasn't completely shit eating.
