Authors Note: I still hate the fucking paragraphs.

WashSouth

It happened one night after shore leave. North had to stay at the MOI because he had been puking all day from the flue. And somehow Wash ended up having to carry a drunken her ass of South home. Someone had to bring her home when she was already that wasted before something horrible was going to happen. But the Freelancer already was that drunken that she couldn't walk straight anymore and Wash had to carry her piggyback.

It wasn't that bad, actually. South was surprisingly peaceful once drunken enough. Besides some halfhearted insults she didn't even complain when Wash decided to carry her because they would never get home otherwise.

Wash had to admit he felt a little awkward. It mostly likely sounded stupid but he never was as aware of South as a woman as now. Sure he knew she was a woman but she had everything but a feminine behavior. And yeah, not really formfitting armor. But now with her bust pressed against his back, her hot breath against his neck and the alcohol in his own blood... Yeah, awkward.

They didn't really talk on the way home. South only occasionally complained about feeling sick and Wash begging her to tell him if she was about to puke.

It wasn't until they almost reached the Mother of Invention when South suddenly spoke up with something meaningful. "Hey... Why are you here?" Wash titled his head a little and frowned. "You mean metaphysically? Really, South, I'm not that phil-"

"Not that you jackass. Why are you here?"

"Uh... North is puking and at home, Maine is drinking York under the table and someone has to bring you back before you pass out somewhere on the way back", Wash explained simply. He heard South groan then and felt how she buried her face deeper in the crock if his neck.

"The in between", she groaned overdramatically. "Why the fuck are you in the project?"

Now Wash slowed down his steps as if he couldn't keep walking the same speed while he was thinking. The Freelancer were all volunteer, without exception. It wasn't like you could just go and sign up either, though. Project Freelancer found you if they wanted you and then offered you the possibility to join. You could turn it down, a friend from Washs previous squad did so. "Dunno. I just got the offer and thought, well, if I can do more than just fight alien back on the same shitty planet I should go for it. I'd might actually make a difference", he answered honestly. "You know... Just kinda felt like the right thing to do."

South didn't answer to it and for a while he only heard her slow breath, felt it hot against his skin. Only after some moments the woman spoke up again. "Wash, you're a good guy." It sounded like she had an inner fight to say this. Maybe because you hardly ever get a compliment from her. "You have to watch out."

Since he doesn't knows what to say to that so he goes with this: "Yeah, I know I'm not the exactly best-"

"You're a shitty fighter most of the time", South interrupted. "But what I mean is that you need to be careful. What you decide, who you believe and trust. Who you let have your back." Her words were mumbled and quiet. Too serious for drunken South, too kind for sober South. Wash found himself unsure on what to reply and so he kept quiet. He just started to feel very uncomfortable. Not bad but uncomfortable nonetheless. The silence after that somehow seemed too much to bear, yet Wash didn't dare to ask why she said this. And soon, Wash thought South was asleep.

Only when they almost reached the MOI the limp bundle on his back moved again. He felt her somehow shift against him and slightly tighten her arms that had been hanging loosely around his neck. Yeah, he really felt uncomfortable. Not because South was straddling him. She didn't. She was actually more... hugging him. That made him uncomfortable in a very awkward way.

"You know... People like you always end worst", South mutters again before she nuzzled her face against his neck. Wash tensed somehow without being sure why. But he kept walking and tried not to show it. South was just kind of being morbid because she was drunken.

But when Wash felt Souths lips move against his skin he shivered from it and almost fell over his own feet. The heat shot in his face without him being able to do something against it. His also slightly intoxicated brain hadn't been able to understand right away that his teammate was just mumbling something against his neck. "I uh... Uhm, what?" he sputtered. South titled her head so she rubbed her cheek against his neck instead. "Just take care of yourself", she said quietly with her voice oddly soft.

Washington hesitated before he replied just as low. "Sure... I will." He didn't say more to it. Partially because he felt swamped and partially because they reached the Mother of Invention in that moment.

He more or less dropped South on her bed that night and went to his and Maines quarter. Neither he nor South ever mentioned this event after that. He never brought it up because he didn't know how to feel about it. And as for South he guessed she might not even remember it. Or want to. So soon Washington forgot about it, too.

It is so very bitter. The next time Wash remembered this little episode was when he was lying in the dirt, bleeding to death from the bullet wounds in his back that South inflicted on him. The shadow of the monster hunting them towered over him and all Wash did was to wonder if South even remembered.

He thought about it one last time after that.

The seconds after he put a bullet through Souths head and Caboose and Church still were starring at him. He looked at her corpse as he lowered his weapon, again wondering if she remembered. He also wondered if maybe, South had tried to warn him from herself. Just like Connie had tried to warn him.

No one could give him the answer and it didn't matter. Because at that time, Washs world was numb and he didn't feel anything.

No regret but no stratification either.

Authors Note: I used to hate that WashSouth. Because you know, the whole shooting each other thing. But somehow I started to like it. Not as in 'South is actually really kind and sweet to Wash when they are alone because she loves him' but as in "they have a really fucked up relationship'.