Donut still had it. He had kept it through all the years of being here and there on godforsaken planets. One of those little endless calendars. You wouldn't see which day it was, but you would always know what date it was. It you're keeping it up to date – what Donut was doing patiently.
Shifting the little ring on the next day, he noticed that next week would be Christmas. Right! Why not celebrating it a bit? He only had to convince the guys and girls to join in. This would be marvelous!
Leaving his room to make dinner and afterwards leave for the night shift, he had been sleeping until now; he happily hummed a Christmas song. To be honest, the weather was hot, sunny and dusty as always. Not really making Christmas feelings coming up. Well, Donut would know for sure how to get everyone into the Christmas-mood.
Entering the kitchen, he could see Wash and Carolina in there, having a cup of coffee and talking about random stuff. Either, they have already done their work – what Donut doubted – Or they were shortly having a break and not returning before midnight.
"Hey there." Greeted the lightish-red armored soldier the two, putting down his helmet on the table and starting to prepare the dinner. "Dinner is ready in about half an hour. You want something?"
"Not necessary, we were about to leave." Said Carolina, emptying her mug, putting it in the sink and leaving the kitchen. Wash too emptied his mug, but before being able to leave Donut called him back.
"You know, it's Christmas in about a week." Began Donut.
"So?"
"I thought of making a little Christmas bash here."
"First, Donut, you can't be sure it's Christmas soon on the earth."
"Sure I can, I have an endless calendar!"
"Okay, but even if it is Christmas. The guys here don't know that kind of thing."
Again, the red soldier cut in. "I'm not talking about the base. Just us here. Us. The earthlings." Donut chose this word because nothing else came to his mind to point out what he meant.
Wash sighed and rubbed with his hands over his face. "Besides, we can't just leave for a day and celebrate Christmas. There's just too much work and we cannot afford to just take a day off."
"Oh come on Wash! It's only once in the year."
"So? I haven't celebrated it for more than the last fifteen years." Retorted the Freelancer, looking at the other soldier with a calm expression on his face. Donut was using his puppy eyes-look, but of no use.
"Please Wash! Just this day. We can check to change our shifts and going before or afterwards on it. We don't need to take a day off! Just perhaps for a dinner and the evening! Nothing more!" pleaded the lightish-red armored soldier.
Again, the Freelancer sighed, more in defeat this time. This time he rubbed with his hand over his neck. "Okay, I'll look what I can do." Grumbled Wash, putting on his helmet.
"Yay! Great! Thanks Wash!"
"No need to get all happy about. I haven't said that I would allow it. I just said I look what I can do."
"Oh, right. Sorry." the gayish member of the red team scratched his back of his head while smiling awkwardly.
Without any more words, the Freelancer left the house, for sure not returning before midnight. He would put some dinner aside for him and Carolina, just in case they were hungry. Most of the time they wouldn't eat it. Perhaps because they were too exhausted normally to do more than having a shower and crash out in their beds right after.
Again humming a song, the lightish-red armored soldier began to prepare the dinner, hoping that Wash would have some good news.
Indeed, after Washs okay and some days of preparation, the Christmas evening came. It was still hot and dusty outside and the sun still wasn't settling. However, Donut made his best to prepare the room as livable as possible. What meant that he tinkered Christmas decoration out of old clothes, collected wood and stones. Drawing, cutting out and sticking together garlands or other decoration.
Even the obligate mistletoe was hanging over one of the corners. Not over the door. Because there weren't much couples around. To be honest, there was only one obvious and one less obvious. Nevertheless, all known by Donut.
Humming some kind of Christmas song – Was it It must have been the mistletoe? -, Donut just took out the roast out of the oven, beginning to cut it in slices. There were also salads, cooked carrots, peas, potatoes, stuffed tomatoes and some sauce. He arranged them on the kitchen table in the kitchen. Everyone could drop in and get the food he wanted. Afterwards eat where they liked. Normally Wash was very strict about eating at the table. However, for this day he said he would make an exception if nobody would dribble.
There were also three different dessert, the gayish member of the reds had prepared. Some fruit salad from the fruits of this planet, white and black chocolate mousse and a cake with almonds, honey and some cinnamon. However, he would serve that after dinner. Because he knew, that some candidates would skip the dinner for dessert.
Speaking of the guys. The door just opened and everyone came in, dressed in his or her civvies. Except of Grey (Who didn't know Christmas and had an emergency in the hospital), Sarge (Who didn't like Christmas), Carolina (Same reason as Sarge) and Lopez (He's a fucking robot) everyone appeared. Even Wash. Standing beside a huge grinning Tucker. Donut could literally see who Tuckers mouth began watering. Caboose was in the last row, listening to a babbling sister. They both were a perfect match. Not as couple, but as of their stupidity, they could keep themselves busy without bothering anyone else. At least most of the time.
Simmons and Grif didn't notice the buffet. They were bickering again – As usual – about something completely nonsensical. The others didn't even listen anymore. Overhearing the discussion the blonde gay soldier assumed that it was again because Grif used all hot water and Simmons had to take a cold shower, as he was the last one. Grif only retorted that he should be faster the next time and not playing damsel in distress when it came down on taking off his clothes.
It had always been like that, thought Donut with a warm smile. They were bickering; Wash didn't feel well in an unknown situation while Tucker just went with it.
"Guys! Guys!" Donut clapped in his hands to make the bickering couple shut up and everyone to listen. Even Sister shut up and listened. "The dinner is ready. Please suit yourself." Informed Donut the people here, stepping aside to let Grif and Tucker in. They both ran towards the buffet like being short from starving to death. You could mean they didn't have something to eat for months – But it was only hours.
Waiting until everyone had his meal, also Donut got himself a dish and sat down in the living room at the table to eat with the others. Mutually everyone agreed to sit there and eat together. Sure, Grif and Tucker soon went to have another dish, and a third, and a fourth, until Wash told them to stop before they would puke as this here was no eating contest.
After the dinner and the dessert, they all were sitting together, drinking something. Most of the guys had a beer or other alcoholic stuff. Donut made himself a cocktail and Sister and Caboose got a juice. They were dangerous enough when sober.
Only thing was that they didn't have presents for each other. How were they supposed to get them when not even command knew where they were anyway?
The only present some people could have for a certain other person, would they have to give by themselves. These gifts were no ordinary gifts. At least Donut was smart enough not to hurry Wash and Tucker. Because he knew that Wash would back down and Tucker have no possibility to get something started when Wash once was in his shell.
Unfortunately, not everyone was so smart. However, as it looked, even Grif was too peaceful today that he would tease them about that. As long as you didn't tease him. He was sitting on the couch, one arm on the backrest. Unintentionally or intentionally – Donut couldn't tell – his arm on the backrest where Simmons was sitting. It looked like he hadn't noticed Grifs arm behind his back. Or he was acting like he wasn't.
Tucker was sitting on the other side of the couch, arm on the backrest, the other on the armrest and legs stretched out. While Wash somehow tried to find space between the teal and the maroon soldier.
Caboose was sitting in one of the armchairs, Kai on the backrest. Both still discussing a subject only they knew. Donut on the other armchair just enjoyed the view. They were all relaxed and comfortable. Enjoying the evening. Even Wash was beginning to relax and letting his guard down a bit. All in all a good evening.
After some talking, the discussion soon faded away. The only discussion still going on was the one of Kai and Caboose. Grif left for the toilet, while Simmons stood up and went over in the kitchen to get something to drink. Returning he leaned against a wall. Donut knew that he had troubles in staying in the same position for long. Because of his mechanical and biological body parts. Sometimes they hurt when being in the same position for a long time, Simmons once told him. Sitting during long travels were horror for him. That's why he was mostly taking over the duty on the machine rifle on the back of the warthog. Just to be able to move a bit and lessen the pain.
Toddling in the living room, the Hawaiian noticed that Simmons was gone, but soon found him leaning against the wall in the corner. Donut assumed that he left in the middle of a discussion they had – Or a bickering – which he wanted to end now. As there were no opportunities, he stuck to Simmons. Nobody wanted to interfere in Cabooses and Kais discussion when they were busy for once, Tucker and Wash were talking something and talking to Donut was simply not Grifs style. On the other hand, Donut enjoyed observing the guys here too much to start a discussion now.
And really, in want of other interlocutors, the orange armored soldier then went over to the maroon armored soldier. They always say that they hate each other, always bickering. Nevertheless, they were best friends and more. Donut could tell only by looking at them that they were in love. In addition, his plan began to pan out.
Letting the two soldiers talk a bit with each other, Donut observed how now also Simmons was walking towards Grif, both now standing directly under the mistletoe. Gotcha!
"It's kissing time!" warbled the lightish-red armored soldier, earning confused looks of all the others being in the room.
"What the fuck, Donut?" asked Grif a bit annoyed, but still being relaxed and laid back. He hadn't noticed the mistletoe he was standing underneath and didn't suspect himself to be the victim of Donuts announced 'kissing time'.
onut, smiling like the Cheshire Cat, looked back at him. The others also looked to where Grif and Simmons stood. As soon as they got what Donut meant, one after another began to grin too, what made Simmons and even Grif to begin to shift uncomfortably.
"Well, how about looking up?" asked Donut, pointing to a point above their heads. Both of them looked up before exclaiming in unison. "Holy fucking shit!"
"That's a drawing!" said Grif with slight annoyance in his voice, while Simmons was only looking at Donut with a red face.
"It's a mistletoe."
"But no real one!" insisted Grif.
"But it's the only one I get because there are no real mistletoes around here."
Simmons again opened his mouth to say something, closing it, opening again and closing it without saying something.
"And as it is the only mistletoe around here, you have to kiss when standing underneath it. And as you're in love, kissing is something normal and logical."
"We're not in love!" Exclaimed both. Donut had the intention as if Grifs cheeks also reddened slightly. However, telling if he was blushing was difficult because of his rather dark skin.
"Yeah sure, and I'm not your sis. Come on Dex. Just a short kiss. It won't hurt you." tried Kai to encourage her brother. Said person only snorted. "No fucking way!" crossing his arms, and turning his head to the side he made his point very clear. Stubborn idiot.
"You know the rules." commented Tucker, grinning smugly at them. He hand Wash had turned around halfway to look at the two reds. Unintentionally both faced each other now when turning their heads back.
"Oh shut up! How about kissing Wash before being so big mouthed!?" snapped Grif. He didn't like it to be cornered.
Tucker only shrugged shortly with the same grin, before leaning over and deliberately kissing a completely baffled Wash. Moreover, he wasn't the only baffled one. Grif and Simmons looked as baffled and with an open mouth as Wash did.
Well, Donut knew they had a thing for each other - Tucker and Wash. However, that the teal soldier would sign his death sentence so easily surprised Donut. He sometimes really was asking himself what was going on in the head of all of them. Well, considering it again, he better didn't want to know it.
Grif meanwhile still was stubbornly ignoring the fact that you had to kiss your love when standing together under a mistletoe. Donut sighed. "Caboose? Would you be so nice and help?" asked the lightish-red armored soldier with a smile.
"Yeah, I help Grif and Simmons kiss!" hollered the mountain of a man while getting up and walking over to the two lovebirds.
Instead of giving them a gentle push into the right direction, he made them hit their head together. Donut was up and beside the guys in the same moments their heads collided. Wash also was up on his feet. Tucker and Kaikaina on the other hand began to laugh out loudly about this situation.
"Caboose! Why did you do that!?" demanded Wash while Donut looked after Simmons. Except of the shock, he would have no other injuries. Unlike Grif.
Donut wouldn't look after him. Because of two good reasons. First he hated it to be weak and getting his wounds treated. Secondly, as long as he was cursing like a sailor everything was okay anyway.
"You okay?" asked Donut the cyborg. He looked like already having gotten halfway over the shock.
"I guess." muttered the irish-dutch man, getting up on his feet. He already looked over to Grif, who answered with a nod. It looked a bit clumsy because the Hawaiian still pressed a hand against the sore spot. He seemed to have known what Simmons was silently asking.
"For the thousandth time Caboose! A Kirkby kiss is no real kiss!" exclaimed Wash, his voice higher than usual. Because he had trouble coping with the situation. And because Caboose was stubbornly insisting that a Kirkby kiss was a real kiss.
"But it has 'kiss' in its name! Why isn't it a kiss then!?" Cabooses voice was as high as Washs.
"Because banging the heads together is no kiss! Besides that, a 'Kirkby Kiss' is slang for a headbutt! It has nothing to do with a kiss!"
"You know Caboose. You had a pet, right?" this was sister, having gotten over dying because of laughing.
"Yeah, my parents had a cat when I was a child."
He still was a child, thought Donut, but keeping his thoughts for himself.
"I see." continued Kai. "And when was the cat happy? When you petted it or when you hurt it?"
"Uh, when I petted it I guess." obviously Kai seemed exactly to know how to talk to the gentle giant.
"Mhm, you see? The same counts for human. Even more in a relationship. If you hurt your partner, he or she would run away. Just like the cat would. You have to be gentle, not brutal." explained Kai, before walking off, dragging Caboose along and telling the guys to bring him into bed. Wash followed them to make sure she would bring only him into bed and not herself too, in the same bed as Caboose.
He might be a huge, dumb child. But his body was the one of a man. What meant you could bring him to do stuff with you with the right stimuli.
"You guys really okay?" asked Donut the two soldiers. Thanks to the metal plate under Simmons skin on the forehead, he didn't got a bump. Grifs on the other hand was all the bigger.
Grif only grunted, disappearing towards the kitchen. Considering the sounds coming from there, he was looking for an icepack.
Simmons was still standing on the spot from before. His shoulders slumped forward. "You would have liked to kiss?" asked Donut gently and with an understanding smile. Simmons only shortly looked up with a red glowing face, before immediately turning his gaze back down to the floor again.
No moment later, Donut heard Grif walking past him. Well... This quiet was saying more than a spoken answer of the cyborg.
"Fucking Caboose. Fuck him for being so fucking strong." cursed Grif, leaning against the wall beside Simmons, holding out other pack. Simmons commented this only with a confused glance.
"I know your forehead is out of metal. Well, latest after Caboose I know it now. But that doesn't mean that you don't get a headache from the hit." explained the Hawaiian, moving his hand with the ice pack to make Simmons take it.
"Thanks." muttered Simmons, taking the ice pack and pressing it with a relieved sight against the sore spot.
"I go to bed now and get a pill against the headache. That fucking bastard is fiercer than a headache when having a hangover." muttered Grif swaying towards the door.
Oh, oh... That looks like the collision was hard enough to give Grif a concussion – At least perhaps. If it wouldn't get better until tomorrow Donut would inform Grey to check on Grif.
"I think I go to bed too." muttered Simmons, leaving with a short good-night.
Donut sighed. He hadn't planned that this would end this way around. He would never ever ask Caboose for help in such cases.
Collecting the glasses, he brought them to the sink and began with the cleanup. Hopefully he didn't make it worse than better, thought the lightish-red armored soldier, biting the inner part of the left cheek.
After getting a headache-pill for himself and drank a bit, the cyborg had walked over to his and Grifs room. Entering it, he could see Grif sitting on the bed and pressing the ice pack against his forehead. Nevertheless, he seemed deep in thoughts as he was looking down on the floor, or no, he was looking right through. It was rare to see Grif so deep in thoughts. Simmons decided that it was better to leave him alone with his thoughts and just go to bed.
Just as he passed the Hawaiian, he heard him mutter something what sounded like: "I'm so screwed."
"Sorry, what Grif?"
"I said I'm screwed." Replied the Hawaiian without looking up from the floor.
Worried, the irish-dutch man sat down on the bed beside Grif, observing the back of his head as he was still bracing his weight with his arms on his knees.
"Why should you be screwed? Because Caboose hit our head together? I guess it'll only help you. Shaking the grey cells awake and stuff."
Grif only shot Simmons an angry glare to his comment before returning his gaze to the floor. Silence settled between them, until Simmons again took the word. "Why should you be screwed? I didn't see a reason to."
"When even my sister and Donut know it then I am fucking screwed."
"But what?" asked Simmons confused. What the hell was up with him? What did now even Kai and Donut know what nobody should know?
A smile appeared on Grifs lips. Considering the way he huffed and looked to the floor, it was supposed to be a bitter smile. "Everyone knows it, except of the person who is concerned." muttered Grif. The smile faded away and again there was this thinking face.
If Caboose, Kai and Donut seemed to know, Tucker only having eyes for Wash, there were only two persons left in this room. As of Grifs explanation the person must have been in the room too when it happened.
"So… It's about Wash or me?" asked Simmons insecurely and carefully.
Grif only snorted shortly, again this bitter smile appearing on his lips. "Yeah sure, as if I would make such a fuzz about Wash. Besides, he's into Tucker."
Right, thinking of it, Wash didn't show it clearly, but he let do Tucker much more things for which others would have gotten extra laps until their legs would give in.
It wasn't all love and sugary, but obvious – Thinking about it and look at the situation from different angles.
"Hm. Guess you got a point there." Admitted the irish-dutch man after thinking over this whole Washington and Tucker-thing. They really had a thing for each other. Unlike Tucker, Wash was reluctant. Simmons was curious. Would Tucker have enough patience to wait and bewitch the Freelancer until he would give in, or would he loose the patience and interest before that?
"So it's about me then?" asked the cyborg after another silence, as Grif didn't seem to want to continue the talk. Simmons was curious. Moreover, as he was the person concerned even more.
"Who else is left then?" retorted the Hawaiian, still staring down on the floor. Looking to his face, he could see that there wasn't only annoyance in it – Because he got cornered. There was also something like… insecurity? Anxiety?
"Right." Admitted Simmons, just sitting there. He felt that Grif somehow wanted to talk, but wasn't getting out with the words. Like he would restrain himself even though he wanted to talk.
Therefore, the irish-dutch man just sat beside the Hawaiian for some moments. Neither of them said a word, only thinking about different stuff.
Only after some moments, the cyborg got up with a low groan – He's really getting old – to walk over to his bed. Grif already closed the curtains. The only light in the room was Grifs bedside light.
"Okay, I guess I'm going to bed. I'm tired and my head hurts." Grumbled the cyborg, walking off to his bed. However, he couldn't do a step, as he suddenly was hold back. Grif was also on his feet, holding his hand to hold him back.
"Would you have wanted me to kiss you?"
"Sorry what?" Simmons face heated up and he was sure that Grif could see a red glow coming from his face.
"Earlier. In the living room. Should I have kissed you?"
"I-Uh…" stuttered Simmons, looking at Grif with wide eyes. What was he saying!?
"I see. I already thought that you would feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. That's why I didn't do it." Muttered Grif disappointed. Simmons could hear the sadness out of his voice.
"I- Uh- I didn't say that it would be embarrassing or uncomfortable." Stuttered the cyborg tightening his grip around Grifs hand. This time Grif looked surprised.
Although Simmons face was as hot as red, he managed to keep eye contact with the Hawaiian. "I never said it would be embarrassing. I- uh- just had the intention you… would be…" Simmons slowed down and let the sentence unfinished as he suddenly got what Grif had meant. His face heated up even more. Just like Grif some moments before, Simmons now stared on the floor. However, not thoughtfully, he rather preferred staring a hole into the floor to fall right through. That the ground would swallow him.
Again, silence settled between them. They were just standing there, refusing to let go the hand of the other one, not being able to say something. Only after some minutes passed by, the Hawaiian sighed, before asking carefully. "So, you would have been okay? I mean, me kissing you?"
Simmons nodded. He knew that his voice would fail him, so he preferred to nod.
"Would you still be okay? Even without the mistletoe?" Grifs voice was also lower and more carefully than usual. Nevertheless, there was also curiosity and something like hope in his voice.
This time cyborg hesitated for a short moment. His face heated up even more – Was that even possible?
For once, he wasn't able to think clear. The emotions as well as the thoughts were a helpless chaotic heap.
"Simmons?" Grif drew him back to the real world, where he still had to give an answer.
A nod.
Simmons could hear how Grif exhaled. Did he say something wrong?
"Simmons. Look at me."
Simmons wasn't able to do so.
"Rich. Look at me."
This time he indeed lift his head. But more out of the reason because Grif called him Rich. The Hawaiian had never called him by his name, nor did he nickname him.
As he lift his gaze, he noticed that Grif already had gotten pretty close. Even though Grif was so close, Simmons didn't step back. Or do something else to flee. He just looked in those blue and green eyes of Grif, which were for sure as blue as the ocean and green as the tropical jungle in Hawaii.
As he was close enough, Grif reached one hand out and laid it on Simmons cheek. The cyborg wasn't making any attempt to back down, so Grif straightened up, bringing his face closer to Simmons.
He stopped briefly, only to say three words, before closing the gap and kissing Simmons.
"I love you."