Maxie looked up with a raised eyebrow at the can of pop he'd been offered. "Thought you said you were getting beer."
"Mom's in there," Archie explained as he took a seat. "She can't understand why her baby would ever drink, so I try to keep my nose clean." He popped the top. "Still, view's nice up here right?"
"It really is." He looked down on the town, as the sun began to set and lights slowly began to flicker on. "Thanks for this."
"Hm?"
"Dragging me on this trip." He rubbed his thumb against the can. "Furthest I probably would have gotten otherwise was the market. Definitely wouldn't have done anything but work."
"'Course your legs wouldn't be sore from all the hiking like you keep bitching about."
"That I can make you fetch things for me is helping." He tilted his drink victoriously
"Well, I'm glad. For a lotta things." Archie took a swig. "Almost thought I was going to have to carry you to the train station."
"You seriously would have?"
"Was getting ready to." He flexed his arm a bit. "And you know I could have. I kinda figured you wanted to come anyway,though."
He watched more lights flick on. "More wanted to see if I could talk you into staying, if you were only going to go with friends and getting drunk."
"Holiday break boozing is the best boozing," Archie responded, pointedly.
"But family's different."
"Yeah, it is. But what'd you want to stay in an empty base for, anyway?"
"Preparation mostly. I'm getting promoted after the holiday, figured I'd take the time to prepare." He smirked at the inevitably of it.
"Congrats. Finally over with us big boys, eh?"
"You mean the slightly larger personal safe and 15 minutes extra for lunch with the same crappy bed, hours, and pay?"
"Can't forget the fact that everything wrong comes straight down on your head to protect a higher up's ass." He paused. "That means less fieldwork though, right?"
"Well, yeah. But when do I have to go, I'm allowed to choose my guard."
"So you're going with Matt, then?"
"Of course. I love hearing my spine snap when he slaps me on the back. Especially when he makes my glasses fly off." Maxie readjusted his latest pair indignantly.
He grinned. "Yeah, he's great."
"Can you get him to stop?"
"Don't think that's possible."
He sighed, tragically. "Then I guess I'll just have to stick with you, then."
"I think I can live with that."
As the sun dipped down below the mountains, Archie hesitantly leaned over and kissed him on the temple. They exchanged a look, and Maxie gently returned it. The sky was nearly black by the time they pulled away, frozen as they caught their breath.
"We, uh..." Maxie licked his lips. "It's getting dark."
Archie nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'll get us back."
They headed back down to the city, Maxie with his arms crossed and Archie's hands firmly buried in his pockets. It was late, they decided, and they'd figure out what was going on in the morning. And if they were too busy then, tomorrow was perfectly acceptable.