#also i am not trying to throw shade at john/kelly shippers

[doom-dreaming]

The More The Merrier: Ch. 1 - Revelation

“There’s a rumor going around that we’re a couple.”

The comment comes out of nowhere, but Kelly is used to the way her brother’s mind works, so she doesn’t ask for clarification. “Whoever started it obviously doesn't know anything about us. Besides, you’re not my type.”

“Didn't know you had one.”

“Sure.” She shrugs. “But not many people on this boat fit the bill.” She’s expecting the conversation to stop there. It doesn't.

“So, who does?”

Kelly levels a flat glare at him. “You'd give me shit about it if I told you.”

“Would not.”

Oh, John was in rare form. Honestly, secretly, Kelly's happy to see him like this. She holds out, knowing he’ll go for the bait. “I’m not saying anything.”

“Bet I can guess.”

“Knock yourself out.” Hook, line, sinker.

He pauses. Cocks his head. “...what about me isn’t your type?”

“Too quiet.”

“You want loud?”

“I want conversational.”

He looks mildly offended. “We have conversations. We’re having one now.”

“We’ve known each other for forty-five years.”

“...fine.” He moves on. “I don't see you going for anyone who's not a Spartan.”

“Conditional,” Kelly corrects. “But you're mostly right.”

He falls silent, studying her as if he’ll be able to see an answer written somewhere on her face.

“Don’t think too hard, you might hurt yourself,” she deadpans.

He huffs the closest thing to a laugh Kelly’s heard from him in a long time, but doesn’t speak again for several minutes.

Kelly returns to what she’d been doing, content to let him puzzle it out. It was good for him, he needed a trivial distraction. And while it was true there were a handful of people onboard the Infinity that Kelly could reasonably classify as “her type,” chances were slim that John would actually guess any of them, much less—

“...Palmer.” It isn’t a question.

Kelly’s head snaps up so fast her jaw pops.

John, irritatingly smug, sits back and crosses his arms. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“How the hell—”

“We’ve known each other for forty-five years,” he parrots, cutting her off. “You should ask if she and Lasky are looking for a third.”

Oh. Rare form indeed.

“Word around the ship is that Roland’s the third,” Kelly mutters. “Must’ve seen whatever you and Cortana had going on and thought it looked fun.”

John refuses to grace that with a reply. “...should ask if they’re looking for a fourth, then.”

Kelly snorts. “Lasky wouldn’t make it out alive. Not interested in him though.” A few seconds of silence pass. Unfortunately for Kelly, it’s more than enough time to start seriously considering making this bad idea a reality. “Maybe I should take her out for a drink. See what happens.”

“Worst she says is no,” John quips.

“Well, we already know she’s into older men. Maybe she’s into older women too. A girl can hope, yeah?”

“Hope for what?” Linda crosses between them as she enters the room.

“Kelly’s asking Palmer out for drinks.”

“Sounds fun. Am I invited?”

“...he means on a date, Lin.”

Linda fixes her sister with a stare that could bore through hull-plating. “I said what I said.”

“Wait, are you trying to poach my potential girlfriend?”

“No. I was thinking we'd share.”

#halo #my writing #kelly 087 #john 117 #linda 058 #anyway palmer two girlfriends and also two boyfriends real #this will appeal to very specific people #also i am not trying to throw shade at john/kelly shippers #it's not my thing but you do you #that's just how this scene started in my head #also also. #attraction headcanons: fred and kelly are bi. linda's lesbian. john is . complicated #palmer's bi. so is lasky. so is roland. so is cortana. basically i just default to 'everyone's bi' unless they Aren't