Tuckington. Tucker insists on going shopping.
Wondering Why We're Here
Chapter Twenty-One: Tuckington: Why Did the Wash Cross the Road?
Shopping in the city was among the last things that Wash had been interested in doing. He even said as much to Tucker over breakfast when the proposition of shopping – for shoes, how many shoes did Tucker need when the majority of their time was spent in armor anyway – first came up. But not only did Tucker insist, he threatened.
"If you don't go, I'll charge everything to Blue Team's budget," Tucker had warned.
Wash had at first looked to Caboose and Carolina to back him up, but neither seemed particularly interested in doing so. Probably because being "leader" of the team put Wash as the only one responsible. And the only reason the Freelancer troopers even had divided accounts on Chorus was because of Sarge's insistence.
And… Wash's reluctance to take any fiscal responsibility for whatever projects Sarge decided to blow Red Team's allowances on. Regardless.
Ultimately, Wash found himself babysitting a grown man – a grown man with a kid – on a small shopping spree in one of the freshly resettled cities across Chorus.
"What's so important about new shoes?" Wash asked, hardly paying attention to what pairs Tucker was pulling out of the aisle. He was instead laser focused on watching the people pass by the shopping center – the strange but average Chorus mesh up of full armor and civilian dress as people tried desperately to let go of old habits – and the freshly posted UNSC soldiers posted with the Martial law in effect.
"Have you seen my one pair of running shoes?" Tucker demanded sourly.
"You run in your armor boots, we train in armor," Wash reminded Tucker, finally looking over just as Tucker decided on a pair. He then blinked in surprise. "You don't have running shoes."
"You're high on the uptake today!" Tucker snorted. "Yeah, I mean. I have these slip ons that we all have, and then nada. I wanted to join Donut for a run yesterday and he ended up taking Caboose instead because my stupid feet are incompatible with all of his pairs."
Wash frowned. "Caboose has the biggest foot of any of us. How did he fit in Donut's shoes–"
"Caboose doesn't mind running barefoot," Tucker responded. He stood up, showing off the shoes with a twist. "Eh? Eh? What'd ya think?"
"I think they're shoes."
"You're no fun," Tucker sighed, fishing in his pocket for his credits.
Looking back out the window at the somewhat bustling street, Wash just sighed. "Yeah… I know."
He only peripherally took note of Tucker checking out and chattering with the workers in the store before stepping out for a breath of air. Wash couldn't help but notice another UNSC vessel was landing just outside the city and felt compelled to take note of how many additional soldiers and supplies were coming their way.
Only a few feet from the store, Wash could hear a rapid acceleration before someone from behind grabbed his hand and jerked him back to the sidewalk.
Bewildered, he blinked as a UNSC jeep flew by where Wash had just been standing. He then looked to his hand then up to Tucker's face.
"Jesus, what is the deal with you and cars?" Tucker demanded.
"They don't like me," Wash said so seriously that it made Tucker look more than a little baffled, as if he wasn't sure how to take it.
"Okay, whatever. God, you're worse than Junior."
Swallowing a little dryly, realizing just how hot his hand was in Tucker's, Wash tried to pull back. "Thank you, Tucker, you can let go now."
"Dude, apparently I can't! You don't know how to look both ways!"