Grady would never admit that he missed the kid, but the truth was, he'd missed the kid. That's why he crushed him in a fierce hug the moment he set a foot inside the house. Norman tried to laugh but mostly wheezed as the air was squeezed out of his lungs. Gordo was a little bit gentler in his approach and pat him on the shoulder when he was able to breathe again.
Then Don followed inside, and Grady was surprised about a whole different thing.
The man always thought seeing Wardaddy again would never happen. Or, if it ever occurred, that it would be awkward. Sure, he was like their eldest brother before even being their sergeant, but there was something about his character than made him seem almost unreal, unreachable. Like he was a part of the war, an entity born from it that couldn't exist anywhere else. They didn't call him Wardaddy for nothing; the look of war was melted into his face, engraved in each one of his sunburnt features.
But here, standing in his button-up shirt and dark pants, he looked entirely different. Face clean, undercut overgrown just enough to make his hair look brown instead of blond, maybe a couple of pounds skinnier; he didn't look like Wardaddy anymore. He looked like Don, the simple man whose mistakes had forced him to grow too old too soon.
Turned out it wasn't near as awkward as Grady expected. When they shook hands, the man's grip was still just as firm, his voice just as grounded. However, there was this burning flame of bravery that used to light up his eyes that had died down. Where once there was a fire, there was now a thick, heavy cloud of profound tiredness. Grady tried not to let that detail trouble him as the two newcomers hung their coats and made their way to the dining room. He helped Boyd setting up extra chairs at the table while Gordo made some place and Ruby filled two plates of still steaming stew. Norman seemed embarrassed by the attentions, if the way he quietly sat on the edge of his seat was anything to go by. There was a curious look in his eyes as he murmured a grateful ''thank you'' to Ruby when she handed him one of the plates; like a mix of polite tenderness colored blue by a hint of nostalgia.
It was Alicia, who had remained mostly quiet during the past ten minutes, that engaged the conversation first.
''So, gentlemen'' she said while reaching for the pitcher of cool water that was sitting on the table, ''I'm afraid we have not been properly introduced yet.''
There was an awkward pause as the five men went to speak at the same time, each staring at one another to know who should actually make the presentations. They had grown so accustomed to see each other's faces all the time that they'd forgotten that introducing yourself to strangers was, indeed, a basic necessity.
Gordo put a gentle hand on Alicia's forearm and motioned toward his two friends at the end of the table. ''This' Norman, the one I told ya about, our novato. He was my assistant driver, but man I wouldn't trust him driving the tank without sending us all t'hell.''
The last bit triggered a wave of chuckles. Norman shook his head a little with a small sheepish smile, remembering only too well that day when Gordo decided to teach him how to drive the Fury, in case they ever needed it. He hadn't been exactly... talented, the say the least. Luckily, they didn't ever need to relay on his deplorable skills during a fight, otherwise it would have been a total mess.
''Yeah, let's say I'm more comfortable with a steering wheel.''
''Maybe, but if I ever need a ride, 'think I'll still take the bus. Never too prudent.'' Gordo watched Norman brush off the teasing with a half-hearted eye-roll and jerked his chin toward Collier. ''...and that's Top- I mean, Don. He used to be our sergeant, though I would rather say our "war daddy". Huh Don?''
The eldest huffed in fake annoyance. ''You guys gave me that fuckin' nickname, ain't my fault if I like to take care of my people.''
''It's a great quality to be selfless. Don't be ashamed of it. You brought my man back home and I'm deeply grateful for it.'' Alicia stated as she hooked an arm around Gordo's shoulders with a warm smile, the two sharing an affectionate look.
Don didn't know what to say for a moment. Comments like this always made him feel slightly uneasy. Not that he didn't appreciate it, but what exactly was so special about him doing his job? He had been given a task and he'd completed it. There wasn't much anything heroic in that. Especially not from someone who didn't even care if they survived or not. However, seeing the way his driver's eyes lit up whenever he looked at this woman, looking happier than he ever saw him before, a part of Don's mind was slowly beginning to think, maybe he did care a little.
''I just did my duty.'' he finally said calmly, not wanting to sound rude even if he didn't quite agree with what had just been said to him. ''Anyone would have done that.''
''C'mon, jus' say ya love us already!'' Grady chimed in between two bites.
Even Norman laughed out loud this time, a fairly rare thing to witness. More often than not the young man would only chuckle quietly, just loud enough to let his amusement be acknowledged. His mouth snapped shut the moment the giggles left his mouth, like an embarrassed attempt to swallow them back down. Don seemed to be the only one to really notice the curious behavior among the happy chattering that had started up again. It wasn't the first time, but despite the questions he held regarding it, something was telling him that it was a better idea to keep these thoughts to himself.
The rest of the diner was pleasantly casual. Boyd was the first one to finish, being the quickest eater of them all hands down. Grady followed him closely, the two of them patiently waiting for the ladies to finish and arguing about songs lyrics and shaving techniques. They were just beginning to clean the table when the light stomping of a child's strides resonated in the dining room. Little Noah came running to his father, pulling at his pant leg to get his attention.
''Sir, can I go play with Joseph?''
Boyd looked down from the dirty plates he was pilling up to the child, thinking for a second.
''Is it dark outside?''
The small boy shook his head, curly brown locks twirling around his ears. Little fingers fiddled with the edge of his green shirt as he stared at his dad expediently. Bible sighed lightly.
''What does your mother say?''
Noah spun on his toes in a swift 180 degrees turn to face Ruby. There was an unspoken agreement between the couple before she answered,
''Be back before darkness.''
''Yeay!'' the kid exclaimed himself. Boyd ruffled his hair before letting him run to the door, watching him bounce around with an amused smile.
Norman, who had been watching the whole scene while drying some dishes, leaned over Don's ear.
''That's so adorable...'' he murmured, completely won over by the child's overload of cuteness.
''No, you can't steal a child.'' the older man answered back with that dry sense of humor of his.
His friend playfully elbowed him in the ribs with a snort. Before he could answer anything, the gentle voice of Boyd's wife call his name.
''Norman, could you please put that chair back in the living room? First door on the left.''
The young man settled down the plate he had just finished wiping and handed Don the dish cloth. ''Yeah, sure.''
Ruby smiled warmly. ''Thank you. I guess Mr. Collier can handle the drying.''
Don rolled his eyes. ''None of that 'mister' thing. Call me Don.''
The house wasn't all that difficult to find your way through. The rooms were pretty small, the walls painted a simple sky blue, and yet Norman had never seen a place looking so alive. From the pictures hung along the hallway to the couple of toys and books laying around, the presence of a family was unmissable. He guessed that's what a home was supposed to feel like. Alive. He wished he'd known that sooner.
The music was coming from the living room, Norman found out as he peeked inside. It was a nice little place, with its dim lighting, the dark wooden bookshelves and the piano near the entry. There was two couches, one under the window and another in front of the fireplace. The boy spotted a small table in a corner with a flower vase on top and figured that was probably where the chair he was holding was supposed to go. He took a second to study the flowers as he straightened. White and red camellias from the look of it. His mother used to grow these in their garden and would use them in every way possible. There wouldn't be a single room in the house without a bouquet in it. His dad would always ask her if so many vases were really that necessary, but he never had the heart to put even a single one away. The memory drew a small smile from Norman's lips. To say that he never thought back on these early fall afternoons from his childhood would be a lie. He thought about it all the time, only this time around it wasn't painful like it usually would be. Maybe that meant he was making progress.
Just as he was walking back to the kitchen, almost optimistic that he was still able to feel something else than sorrow and bland emptiness, his hopes were killed off by a single strike of blue above the fireplace. Boyd's Medal of Honor sat in the center of the shelf, golden hues outshining the faded ink of his wedding photos. The ornament was beautiful, yet looked so wrong among the pictures of this young and once innocent couple. Norman felt his stomach churn but he couldn't bring himself to look away.
''I don't like it sitting up there either.'' Bible's voice startled him out of his sudden trance-like state. The young man whipped around in a jolt. His friend was standing in the doorway, a white tablecloth folded messily in one arm. He entered the room with calm strides and leaned against one of the couches' arm. ''Feels like it was in a different lifetime, huh?''
Norman sighed and buried his hands in his pockets. ''I'm not sure what feels the most unreal, to be honest.''
It was the lightest way he could explain it. Everything felt wrong since he was back home. Waking up in clean bedsheets, having warm water to shower with, even enjoying his morning coffee in the morning sunlight was odd. It didn't feel fair. Why, out of all the other men like him that were killed on the battlefield, out of all the women and the children he had seen hung to trees and telephone poles just for wanting peace, was he the one to make it? Norman could recall very well the day he had learn about the bombing in Japan in the newsreels. He remembered sitting in the movie theater, limbs shaking so hard he couldn't leave his seat as he watched the images unfold before his horrified eyes. Emma's lifeless body kept flashing in his mind, the memory harsh and raw like the smell of smoke and blood that filled the air of the town square. They hadn't been back stateside for long at that time, and that's when it all hit him. All the men his bullets brought down didn't get to go back home like he did, to wear nice clean clothes and eat fresh food.
''Norman?''
The young man cursed himself for spacing out again. He looked up quickly, catching Boyd's intrigued gaze. ''Hm?''
''You okay?''
He could have lied. He could have blamed the long train trip or the stew he had probably ate too much of. He wanted to, for a moment, but the expression on Bible's face convinced him otherwise. Not that he even had a chance to lie to him successfully anyway.
''I don't know.'' Norman sighed with a defeated shrug. ''I think I worked something out one day and I'm proven wrong the next. It just...doesn't make sense.''
Boyd hummed approvingly. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, the tablecloth hanging down and brushing against the floor. He leaned even further against the couch's arm, pursing his lips for a second.
''I think the world doesn't make sense for most people right now.'' he finally said softly.
Norman looked around the room briefly with a quick rise of his eyebrows. ''Has it ever?''
''We could fully discuss that question if you want, but it would be a long night.'' Bible answered back with a soft huff of laugher.
They were interrupted by the arrival of Alicia and Ruby in the living room, Don following shortly after. He leaned on one hip against the doorframe, legs crossed at the ankle nonchalantly. He and Ruby were holding fuming mugs of what smelled like coffee. Both women took a seat on the couch near the window.
''There's coffee in the kitchen if one of you is interested.'' Ruby said while straightening her skirt again. ''So, what were we interrupting?''
Boyd and Norman shared a look for less than a second, but it was enough for the message to travel. There was an unspoken agreement between them, like they knew they had a lot more things to discuss but not the right opportunity to do it yet.
''Philosophic debate, nothing worth boring two lovely ladies.'' Bible answered with that warm, honest grin of his that could chase anybody's worries away.
Alicia tapped the couch against which the man was leaning. ''Come on kind sirs, take a seat.'' She pointed at Don and cocked an eyebrow. ''This counts for you, too.''
Norman was about to sit down, but then thought about Don's back and pulled the chair he had previously brought in the room's corner closer to the circle, letting his two friends take the more comfortable seats. He didn't actually know why he got that thought, but since it was much simpler to blame it on his altruist nature, that's what he did. The eldest sipped on his beverage before frowning.
''Anyone knows where Grady an' Gordo went?'' he asked.
''I think Trini went to grab Noah at his friend's house.'' Alicia answered after a beat of hesitation. ''Mr. Travis probably followed him.''
The statement made Boyd rub his temples. ''Please tell me we didn't actually set these two free in an entire city without supervision...''
As if the whole scene was staged, the group heard the front door fly open and the floor being stomped by three pairs of heavy feet running around.
''Stop, uncle Grady! Stop!'' a high-pitched voice shrieked between giggles.
''Looks like we did.'' Don let out, almost smirking around his mug.
The evening passed quickly, too quickly. In what felt like a single hour, the blue sky had turned to ink, the children had gone to bed and suddenly Gordo, Alicia and Grady were putting their coats on in the lobby, getting ready to go home. The house was oddly calm when the door shut behind them. Without the music and the laughing, the ambience finally fit the late hour. Norman and Don decided to stay a little longer to help their hosts getting the place back in some sort of order.
''Have you two found a place to stay?'' Ruby asked Don while they stored some glasses back in the cupboards.
The man fiddled with a lighter sitting on the kitchen counter. They really should have thought this trip through more. ''We... don't really have a plan yet, no. Probably gonna take the first motel room we find. After that, who knows? Might find some work here, might go back to Pittsburgh if we don't.''
The brunette tilted her head in curiosity. ''So you're both from Pittsburgh?''
''I'm from Minnesota. Some lost place with not many people who don't hate my guts already.'' He sighed absentmindedly. ''Didn't have anythin' left there, so... I left. Norman lived alone, lost his dad during the war, bad an' complicated business. Anyway. We stumbled upon each other in a train station an' decided to stay together for a while, story of catching up. Had some good times. I guess... we both needed some company.''
Ruby looked at Norman, who was folding napkins and tablecloths with Boyd - or at least, trying to. A hint of sadness was added to her soft smile, something like compassion.
''I can't believe kids like him have to go through such terrible things... He's a strong one, that's for sure.'' She glanced back at Wardaddy. ''It's great what you are doing for him, you know.''
''What d'you mean?''
''Staying with him, making sure he's alright. It is simple things, but it helps.''
Don couldn't help but smile. ''Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing. A couple months ago I didn't even expect to see any o'them again, and yet... here we are. 'Guess Boyd would call it fate.''
''Fate is a surprising thing, that's for sure. Just keep making him happy, you don't know the difference a simple smile can make.'' Ruby answered with a friendly jab of her elbow against his side, forcing a chuckle out of her guest. Then, ''You know what? Why don't you stay for the night. I bet that train trip was exhausting.''
Don was actually quite proud of his four hours nap of the day, but he couldn't deny that the past 48 hours had been quite an adventure. Plus, he liked the coziness of the Swan's house.
''If it doesn't bother you, we'd be real grateful.''
The woman put a hand on his upper arm with a grin. ''It's always a pleasure to help a friend out.''
Don thought about those words for a moment. A friend. He wasn't sure he was worthy of that name yet, but he didn't dislike it.
Actually, maybe he shouldn't have slept so much this afternoon. Wardaddy was becoming more and more certain of it as he stared at the living room's ceiling, stretched out on his back on the couch. Norman was passed out on the sofa next to him, having fallen asleep hours ago without any difficulty. If Don had to be jealous of one thing the kid had, it would probably be his capacity to doze off literally anywhere.
A long sigh escaped the man's lips and he stirred once again. His back was totally mocking him tonight. His scarred skin had been feeling particularly tight and dry recently and if he didn't have the decency to remain minimally clothed when sleeping over, his undershirt would have been quick to fly off. No matter how many positions he tried, none of them were comfortable enough to relax.
A faint noise coming from the kitchen was enough to convince Don to get up. If insomnia was going to be along for the night, he could at least use some company. He found Boyd leaning against the counter with a glass of water in his hand. The man of faith was quick to notice his former sergeant's presence, but didn't seem startled by it.
''Can't sleep either?'' he asked quietly. Don shook his head honestly.
''Norman's sleepin' though. He makes me jealous, I swear.''
There wasn't much heart in Bible's weak chuckles. His eyes locked on the floor for a solid minute before he murmured, ''This kid is a mess.'' He looked up at Don with glassy eyes that could barely be noticed in the faint glimmer of the moonlight peeking through the window. ''It bothers you, doesn't it?''
Don couldn't bring himself to speak right away. He didn't know how Boyd guessed such a thing, but he had guessed right. It did bother him. Every time he looked at the wild shine in Norman's eyes, caused him to startle or caught him starring into the empty space for too long, he was reminded that this bright, innocent boy he'd first met was dead. Now, he was staring at a man, or rather at a traumatized shell thrown into adulthood way too unprepared. Ruby had told Don he was doing a great job, but to his eyes he just felt more and more useless as the days went by and each morning his friend looked a little more distant. More than anything, even more than losing his own sanity, Don feared that one day, something would happen to Norman and he wouldn't be good enough to save him.
''It does.'' His voice was weaker than he intended it to be. ''Everyday. I just... don't know what to do to. I can wake him from a nightmare but I can't wipe the memories away.''
''Indeed you can't. Nobody can.''' Boyd shrugged with a slow sigh. ''We all want to be saviors, you know. But in the end, the only person we can really save is ourselves.''
''Thanks for the morale booster...''
''What I mean is that... you can help people. Teach them things, cheer them up, help them grow. But at the end of the day, they are the one to decide whether or not they want to help themselves. You can't heal Norman, just like you can't heal any of us. However, you can make healing quicker. You can listen, comfort, even just... be there. As long as he knows you're here for him, things will be okay.''
Don smiled softly despite the knot that was forming in his throat. Boyd always knew how to say the right words to make things seem so much simpler than they actually were. He had this rare ability of never judging somebody for the wrong they had made, but for the good they could do, a part of him Collier had always admired.
''I guess you're right.'' He turned to face him and say sincerely, ''Thank you.''
Boyd pat his shoulder, just like they used to do to each other on the battlefield after a nice shot. ''Always, brother.''
He then reached behind him to grab a tiny glass bottle on the counter. He shook it slightly in front of his face. ''Want some?''
Don squinted at the tubular pills filling half of the flacon. ''What are they for?''
''Helps you relax. Makes you sleepy, too.'' Now that he paid attention to it, Bible's voice did sound a bit slurring.
''And they're effective?''
The man shrugged again. ''They're starting to be.''
Wardaddy huffed a little laugh. Oh, and shit. What was he risking? ''A'ight, gimme some.''
Bible poured two pills in Don's palm and handed him his glass of water. He swallowed the two in one gulp, barely wincing.
''You better go back to the couch, it kicks in hard the first time.'' Boyd said before passing him to return to his bedroom. ''Goodnight.''
''Night.''
At first, it didn't feel like anything. It wasn't until Don was walking down the hallway after putting the glass away that his brain started to feel blurry. It was almost like being drunk without losing control of his mind. He let himself fall heavily on the couch and leaned his head back. His eyes set on Norman a few feet from him, who was curled up on his side under the soft blanket. The boy hadn't moved a finger while he was gone. Don felt a soft warmth invade his stomach and spread through his whole body as he watched his side rise and fall along with his slow breaths, his lips twitch from a pout to slightly parted. It was a nice sight to enjoy. Soothing, in a way.
"Things will be okay, kid." he mumbled under his breath.
Don tried to hold on to that thought as he gave in the urge to let his suddenly heavy eyelids fall shut.
He was out the second after.