The next morning, Mac woke up from a light slumber when she heard a mumbling from the bed.
Tucker was still sleeping soundly, but the blond man was about to wake up.
Smoothly, the black-haired female slid over to the bed, lying a hand on Wash's shoulder. Immediately the Freelancer's eyes shot open, soon after landing on Mac who shushed him by resting a finger on her lips and indicating for him to be quiet.
"Wash?" She asked in a shushed tone, when she was sure that he wasn't going to jump up in the next moment.
"Yeah, it's me. Why?" He muttered, feeling a bit annoyed.
"Yesterday you were kinda high from the pain medicine. You only listened to the name Skylar. That's why." A small smile appeared on her lips, but she shook her head when Wash tried to jump up at that.
"Easy, Wash." She again laid a hand on his shoulder, making him stay where he was, "Tucker just fell asleep. Let him rest a bit more."
At these words, Wash's face turned crimson red when he realized whom he was lying on.
Wash's voice, although still shushed, rose in pitch and took on a panicking note, "I am not really lying on Tucker, am I?! Please don't tell me I am!"
"Sorry, pal, but you are." Mac replied with a small smile, "He took care of you all night long and even managed to get you to sleep. You better be thankful."
Wash made a little whining sound at that, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Hey, Wash, listen." Blinking his eyes open, he looked at Mac, who still was leaning against the rim of the cot, "Tucker called me up yesterday. He was totally freaking out because you were acting strange. I came back earlier than intended because I wanted to help you both." She explained in a shushed tone.
"Us both?" Wash asked, his face heating up, "You mean we—"
"No, Wash, no. You didn't." She chuckled, "I helped Tucker to get along with you and helped you find sleep. But considering the fact that you assume stuff like that, you like Tucker a bit more than as a friend, huh?"
Wash looked away at that with a beet red face and 'awkward' splayed over his face.
Mac smiled at that with an expression on her face that showed clearly that she had gotten her answer.
What made Wash almost jump through the roof was when Tucker spoke up, "I'd actually like to get an answer to that question." The rumbled statement right underneath Wash's ear made him jump with an extremely humiliating and unmanly squeak.
Mac lifted her head, looking at Tucker who regarded Wash with an intense glare.
When he looked over, Mac smiled at him and gave him a nod before getting up and going to the door.
Shortly checking to see if the floor was clear, she slipped out and entered her room on the opposite site of Wash's room and closed the door to get some much needed shut-eye.
In Wash's room, the Freelancer was still lying on top of Tucker, stiff as a fucking board.
"So, you're going to give me an answer to that anytime soon?" Tucker asked. He knew as well as Mac that he needed to be careful with the Freelancer or the other male would retreat into his shell immediately when pressured and would not return out of it anytime soon.
There was another silence, before Wash sighed deeply. It sounded like a deflating tire. His muscles relaxed too and Tucker felt relieved that Wash's shoulder wasn't pressing so painfully into his abdomen anymore.
"Yeah…" The answer was spoken so lowly that Tucker couldn't catch it.
"Come again?" He asked, sitting up and bringing Wash with him. His blue eyes searched for the other one's steely grey eyes for any information.
"Yeah, I do like you more than as a friend. For quite a while, okay?" Wash then muttered, still not able to look straight at Tucker.
"And you didn't tell me because…?" Tucker felt oddly relieved, but also a bit irritated by Wash's strange behavior.
"Have you ever heard yourself talk, Tucker?" Wash asked in return, still looking down at his hands.
"What has that got to do with the price of fucking fish?" Tucker asked, feeling irritated by Wash's ever so mysterious behavior. Couldn't he straight out say what the problem was?!
"Everything!" Wash flared up, causing Tucker to blink, "You're always joking about women! You're always making innuendos and you are always after everyone wearing a skirt around base and you… you…" Wash stopped, unable to come up with another point.
The aqua clad soldier sighed, "Is that the only problem you've got?" He asked, earning a nod from Wash, his eyes wide as saucers at Tucker's question until he realized his strange behavior and turned his face back towards his hands.
"Wash." The Freelancer didn't react. "Wash." He grasped the blond male's face in his hands and turned his head to force him to look at Tucker, "I know I often make jokes about girls and shit, but have you ever thought of me possibly just talking big and not really being into girls? That this maybe is a way to cope with all the shit going down around someone?" He asked straight out.
He felt his facial temperature rise at these questions, but didn't break eye contact with Wash who looked at him baffled.
That was, until he started realizing what Tucker had just said. The dark-skinned male could see how the Freelancer's eyes got even wider and rounder, which caused Tucker to laugh at that. It just looked hilarious, but it also just looked fucking adorable. How his mouth dropped open, his absolutely kissable lips forming a perfect oh.
"Oh…" He muttered.
"Yeah, oh…" he chuckled at that before continuing, "I had a thing for you for quite some time now, but I only came to realize it when we got separated. Why did you think I asked you out yesterday?" He asked with an amused grin playing across his lips.
Wash's mouth snapped shut at that, "So that was a date yesterday?"
"If you don't see it as one, then we'll just say we were out to blow off some steam as friends." Tucker replied casually, with a shrug to display his indifference. Although he felt a bit sad for Wash not thinking of yesterday as a date in the mall.
That was, until the Freelancer started chuckling, Tucker looking at the blond male sitting beside him on the cot like he had just said something funny.
"I just wasn't sure if I should see it like that or not. You know, with you it's difficult sometimes."
Tucker boxed him in his upper arm at that last statement with a "Hey!"
…But since a smile was accompanying the whole procedure, Wash decided to let it slide.
"Anyway, I just wasn't sure if I should see it as a date and get my hopes up to possibly get them crushed or if I should see it as two friends going out to fool around and keep everything on even ground since I didn't want to pressure you." Wash explained with a blush creeping over his face.
Subconsciously, a hand wandered up to his neck and he rubbed the scars there whilst he bit his lower lip.
Tucker loved it when he did that. It looked just adorable. Kissable.
Without giving it another thought, Tucker deliberately leaned in and kissed the Freelancer. Said man did not really having any possibility to get away since the aqua clad man still had Wash's face cradled in his hands.
What was surprising actually was the fact that Wash didn't fight him, but after a short moment of shock, returned his kiss.
Fuck, he even went so far as to let both of his hands wander up Tucker's chest to lay them around the dark-skinned man's neck.
Tucker didn't let himself be asked twice, dropping his hands and wrapping them around Wash's waist to pull him closer so they were pressed flush against each other.
When they pulled away from each other, Tucker couldn't help but start laughing. Which of course caused the Freelancer to look at him as if he grew a second head.
"Sorry I just…" Tucker wheezed, trying to calm down a bit to explain.
"Fuck, we could have gotten our act together way before this shit happened, and here we are sitting and needing help from Mac to finally make out." He explained.
He could see Wash's face light up in a small smile, "Right, Mac gave us quite a kick in the butt for that, huh?" He muttered after a while, low laughs escaping his lips now too.
"Yeah, quite a wingman that woman, for making it so complicated herself." Tucker then muttered with a sigh, deciding against another kiss and just burying his head in Wash's neck.
The Freelancer nodded. "Yeah, but I can understand her actually." He started, Tucker deciding to not say something and just listen to what Wash would say, "I mean, I struggle with that myself."
Tucker lifted his head and looked at the Freelancer with a curious glance to prompt Wash into continuing, "Look. I was really good friends with them during the Project. I was the one collecting their enhancements and stuff after they died. I had gotten to terms with the fact that they're dead and all the shit that happened. And suddenly, after ten fucking years, they show up out of nowhere, waving and saying 'Hey Wash, how are you doing? Long time no see!' That's quite hard to wrap your head around, you know." Wash explained.
Tucker sat there for a moment, contemplating what he just heard, "When you look at it from that angle, I can understand why Mac acts like she does. I guess it's something else if you see an old friend again or an old lover you thought you had lost forever and had seen die." He muttered, a sad expression crossing over his features.
"Exactly." Wash answered with a nod. "So I really can understand why she is acting the way she is. The reappearance of these two made a lot of memories come up. For me, for Carolina, and for Mac." Wash continued, "She might not show it, but Carolina's struggling with the fact that York showed up again too. She also had come to terms with her past, and now everything you carefully had put a lid on pops out like a jack in the box. That can hurt like a fucking bitch."
Tucker nodded at that again, "I can see where you're coming from." He then said, before getting up and stretching his sore limbs until his spine popped.
He drew a face at that. "Ouch." That was the vertebra that always resounded so ugly in his lungs and made breathing impossible for a moment.
"What's up?" Immediately, Wash was on his feet and looking Tucker over.
"It's nothing Wash, jeez, calm down." The dark skinned man laughed, "I am just getting old."
"Oh come on, like you have any place to complain compared to me in that department." Wash then laughed at that.
"Oh yeah, poor old man, you wanna brace your weight on me. I still can take the lead if you don't feel like it without having a heart attack. Bow-chicka-bow-wow!" Tucker grinned.
"Asshole, I am not that old!" Wash returned, shoving the dark-skinned man with a laugh, but forgetting about his broken ankle which made him fall forward.
"Smooth." Tucker then commented when he had securely caught Wash in his arms.
"Shut up." Wash then muttered, to which Tucker only laughed and helped him get back on his good foot.
"Speaking of that." Tucker nodded to Wash's injuries, "I'm sorry about that. I guess that was about the worst idea I ever had." He muttered, scratching the back of his head.
Wash chuckled at that. "Either the worst or the best. Remember, without that, I wouldn't have been high as a bedrock and this here," he made a motion with his hand between the two of them, "Would never have happened."
Tucker snorted at that. "Fucking true. Probably the worst and best idea I ever had altogether."
Wash laughed at that. "Yeah, true. Of all time."
Leaning down, since Wash was a little bit taller than Tucker, he stole another kiss from the other male.
Tucker replied to the kiss with a contented sigh through his nose.
When they departed the next time, Tucker brought some space between them.
"Hold on." He muttered when Wash followed him, wanting so steal another kiss, "We have to go to the infirmary to get you checked over again because of your intolerance to this medication and your injuries."
Wash blinked shortly at that. "Huh?"
Tucker again scratched the back of his head. "You know, the medic who checked you over yesterday only let you stay here because I promised him that I would bring you over personally when you're awake. That's why."
"I see." Wash snorted a laugh before walking back to the cot and awkwardly starting to put his boot on.
When it didn't work out, Tucker heard a noise between a laugh and a sigh, walking over and helping the Freelancer into the boot with his good foot. The other one was kicked under the bed so Wash wouldn't get funny ideas like slipping in the confining army boot with his injured foot.
When Wash's boot was securely in place, Tucker slipped on his boots too and, after that, they started making their way over to the infirmary.
Surprisingly, the medic didn't hound them for anything. Wash's broken wrist and ankle were doing well and after some tests, they also knew which ingredient of the medication caused Wash to think he was Skylar the cat.
When this was clear, Wash got another pain medication he should take but after some discussion, the medic agreed to Wash's request to only take them when he really was in pain.
Everyone knew Wash's refusal for being drugged up was due to not being able to control the situation or react to attacks.
On the other hand, Tucker and Wash had to promise that Wash would take the medication if Tucker told him so and that Tucker had to keep an eye on him until he was healed.
Something both of them could agree to.
Back in the living complex they all were situated in, Tucker shortly knocked and entered Mac's room when he didn't get an answer.
When he came out again, he was smiling, "She's sleeping. Guess it was a bit of an exhausting watch yesterday after having so much on her own plate. I doubt she really slept during the last three nights." He muttered, closing the door and locking it, before slipping the key underneath the door back into Mac's room so she could get out.
Tucker knew how much she hated not being able to lock herself up when she was sleeping. He guessed it was some old habit that got stuck with her years ago when she lost him. She always had done it when he had met her and he had gotten used to that quirk of hers. If there was not a quirk worse than that, he could get used to it.
Wash stared at the door. "I think so too. Guess it must be hard for her. This whole situation. I only wonder when she's going to tell him."
Tucker slowly walked to Wash's room, pulling Wash along with him, "Yeah, I'm asking that myself too. I really hope she's going to do that soon." He opened the door and led Wash in before closing and locking it again, "I mean, fuck, they have a second chance, and, in my opinion, they should use that to be together and enjoy their time."
Tucker huffed and slumped back on the cot, Wash taking a seat beside Tucker, "However, I can understand her being reluctant. I just hope she's able to make up before either of them dies. Again." He muttered, rubbing his hands over his face tiredly.
Wash hummed at that, "I hope so too." He sighed and yawned.
Fucking painkillers. They were making him get drowsy so soon.
Leaning against Tucker, he brought him with him when he laid down. "How about we get some shut-eye too? Those fucking painkillers are making me tired." He muttered into Tucker's chest which he was snuggled into.
"Yeah, good idea, haven't gotten much sleep myself." Tucker replied, pulling the Freelancer closer into his body.
"What are we going to do about North and Mac anyway?" Wash asked, sounding pretty drowsy.
"I'm taking a page out of Grif's book: I'll deal with it later. First, let's nap." Tucker muttered, pressing a kiss into Wash's blond hair.
The Freelancer laughed at that. "Sounds like an awesome idea." Leaning up, he met Tucker who had leaned in for a kiss too.
The grip of Wash's arm around his chest tightened a bit when Tucker pressed a kiss against the Freelancer's forehead before muttering, "Good night, Wash."
Wash sighed at the kiss on his forehead, cuddling again a bit closer before muttering back, "Night…"
It didn't take the couple longer than five minutes for both of them to fall asleep, closely cuddled up to each other.