#like grif is at that point where he's so comfortable with who he is that he doesn't care but simmons cant help seeking validation | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rubykgrant · 3 months

Text

(found some old notes I had for the RVB story-line where they have normal people shenanigans on Earth, so I'm sharing it again~)

-Everybody tries to “retire” again, but this time on Earth so they aren’t just alone with themselves on a moon. Whatever clown organization that calls itself the government has decided to basically just let them live rent-free in some big building in some city (some wacky made-up place that can be in Texas, because that's funny).

-Most of them find new ways to chill, and they don’t really get recognized by civilians since literally nobody has seen their faces before, and they go by first names in public. They all find hobbies to try. At some point, Dr Grey gave Wash the advice to keep a video journal to help him remember various events. Andrews suggest this could help the others record their thoughts for any future interviews, so they join in

-Donut gets a job at an a pet shop/animal rescue center (he eventually brings back two kittens for Wash). He doesn’t really need the money, he just enjoys it and needed to find something to do (sometimes he helps with more serious animal injuries and emergencies for large creatures, because he was a farm kid)

-Donut also becomes BFFs with Kai; they just have lots of fun together, he helps her pick out clothes (since she’s colorblind and he’s color-coordinated), she’s really supportive of his "mean streak", and he’s also a great wing-man when she goes out to flirt (Tucker tries to tag along, but he still needs to... refine his flirting technique. he's trying, he really is!)

-Caboose also wants to get a job, because otherwise he’s just home all day waiting for everybody else to come back. He starts working at a mall... and he constantly gets shuffled around from one place to another (did you ever see that show 6teen? OK, that, but it is all just Caboose). The manager of the mall knows who “Michael” really is, and is trying to be respectful by helping out a space hero... but also, this guy is VERY accident-prone. Eventually, Caboose finds a niche as a costume character who entertains people for special events

-Sarge is trying to find new ways to deal with boredom without declaring war on gravity, so he decides to write a book about his life... this leads him to seek advice on the internet (once Simmons shows him how to use a computer). The result is, Sarge discovers thousands of ways to argue with every single troll online (jokes on them, he’s even more annoying than all of them put together)

-There is an on-going problem of Sarge trying to tell his boys from Red Team that he actually cares about them, but he keeps on backing out from it at the last minute. He really WANTS to be nice, but he’s been gruff and grumpy for so long, and it is hard to change the behavior everybody expects from you (this is actually a WHOLE THEME for a few characters)

-Doc FINALLY decides to try and an ACTUAL degree in medicine (he also makes a few new friends this way, and it becomes important that he’s doing this later. one character at the med school is like 19 and got pushed into this by over-achieving parents, so Doc basically adopts them as a younger sib)

-Lopez gets to make friends with the neighbors they have, and not only does this give him a chance to have a life outside the group of danger-magnets, it also makes everybody kinda miss having him around, so they take more of an interest in him (they even get him a motorcycle)

-Grif and Simmons are roommates again, but Grif is making a legit effort to be less annoying, which Simmons appreciates (Kai keeps nudging her bro to try and have another talk with the dude he’s been interested in for more than a decade, but any attempt Grif makes to get Simmons to understand how he feels goes unnoticed. Grif finally gives up and insists that he’s more comfortable with their relationship being the way it always has been... but his sister still catches him YEARNING)

-Tucker kinda feels lonely... everybody else is figuring out ways to enjoy their time/keep busy, but he hasn’t found his groove (he can't fall back into old habits because the Character Growth definitely happened, as much as it bothers him). He tries to go and contact some of kids he thought he had on Chorus... which is when he discovers there was a mistake. Turns out a lot of files got accidentally deleted, and thanks to a glitch, Tucker's info got auto-filled in as the father in ALL the DNA tests. He in fact does not have any biological kids on Chorus, and he’s a little disappointed by this (he's not even mad about paying child support) He tries to find the one kid he KNOWS is his, because he misses Junior so MUCH, but isn’t able to get in touch...

-Carolina is BORED. She doesn’t know what the heck to do with herself. When the others finally notice she seems kinda down, they start inviting her out to do stuff. At first she’s not even sure how to just have “fun”, but she finally gives in. Eventually, they take her to a karaoke bar, sing a very bad group-performance of “Sweet Caroline” to her, and she about dies laughing. This becomes a favorite thing for her, so they all go back and sing something there maybe once or twice a week (this also becomes a fun activity for her and Tucker, who she didn’t think she’d really bond with, but he’s chilled-out on being a perv, they’ve both been sort of lost... and they both share Church stories with each other)

#red vs blue #rvb

13 notes · View notes

riathedreamer · 10 months

Text

So. “Birds of a Feather”. Been 1.5 year and I don’t think I will be returning. Even if I did, it’d probably just be for a chapter or a few, and that would still leave it mostly unfinished. I mean, never say never, but well.

For those who wants to know what you were gonna get, feel free to read the post below:

First of all: content warning for mentions of self-harm.

I guess the quick story is this: I am disabled and I have a history of self-harm, and both of these elements played a big role when planning this fic. A lot of the reason why it felt good writing it, it was somewhat of a journey for me myself.

What’s going on with Simmons’ wings? I mean, that’s where I left the fic. Basically, Simmons has been overgrooming himself out of anxiety. Basically, and this is sorta mentioned in the fic already, he comes from a family who cares too much about the presentation of their wings, and as the fandom has decided, his dad is a dick. So there’s always been a pressure to keep them *perfect* but with Simmons’ anxious tendencies, that spiraled. It’s been a problem for a while, but when Grif got mites, it triggered the bad habit to the point where Simmons is just. Pulling out feathers. Too many.

What Grif walked in on was basically the somewhat mangled wings. Simmons has managed to keep it hidden since his wings are slim and he has kept them closed when in their presence. It’s reached a point where Simmons has big problems flying – that’s why he’s denied the races with Grif (before their friendship went to shit).

From here, there was going to be an arc of Grif being in that weird “we-don’t-like-each-other-but-I-want-to-help”-phase they are all suffering from in Blood Gulch, and Simmons gets a bit better, though healing, mentally and physically here, takes a lot of time.

Then comes the tank accident.

Sticking to canon, Grif gets Simmons’ parts. Simmons has a hard time explaining why, and he would not present all of these arguments to Grif, but here we go. First of all – organs, no trouble, Grif needs them to survive, Simmons will turn cyborg for that, canon explanation. The wings – well, one, singularis. Grif has one fucked up, cannot be saved wing, and one that’s fine. No one feels comfortable removing his healthy wing while Grif is unconscious. You don’t take someone’s wing when they can’t agree. It’s a weird, unspoken thing, but it’s part of the why the solution is not to take the healthy wing and turn fully cyborg.

So, instead, Simmons takes the cyborg card. A, because canon feels. B, his wings are still very fucked up, and he wants to fly again, and he does not have the patience for the healing process (yep, that’s gonna turn into a metaphor for the mental health), and c) he’s reached a point where he wants to cut of his ties to his family, and, well, the cut goes to the wings here. Becoming a cyborg is to him, and improvement. And that means getting rid of his shitty wings – then why not use the one change to give Grif one of his shitty wings. Maybe it won’t work, maybe it will. But Grif is more fucked with only one wing.

Sarge is Sarge. No trying to reason with that.

So we have Simmons getting to fly again, though it takes a while to learn to fly with metal wings. Grif … tries? But the wing he received from Simmons is a problem. A, because it still has to heal from the damage Simmons did (Simmons likes to tell himself that Grif is more patient than him, that it will heal with him), but also because it’s simply a mismatch. It’s too tall, so he ends up dragging it across the ground a lot, and it’s not as large as his own wing. Basically, Red Team is down two flying soldiers while they try to figure their shit out.

Donut and Grif sorta bond when the soldier helps him deal with the mangled feathers. Simmons has a whole arc where he is scared of testing his metal wings because his brain keeps haunting him with the idea that the metal wings won’t carry him and that means he made the most stupid choice in the world and he’ll never fly again.

And s8 would wrap that arc up with Simmons truly flying for the first time to save Grif as Sidewinder, and Grif’s healing process coming to bad halt when Meta grabbed and pulled his wing in a bad way when they went over the edge.

Simmons gets better. Grif doesn’t really. He heals, yeah, but the wing still doesn’t suit him. And he looks weird as hell too. But so does the rest of his body, and Grif tells everyone he doesn’t care. Does he miss flying like he could before? Yeah. A lot. But that’s not something he can blame on Simmons’ stupid wing (he keeps stroking Simmons’ feathers, taking care of them more than his own wings, for stupid reasons he won’t admit).

So that is the key event for everything that comes after which is mainly to follow the main plot but with *wings* and these issues.

It would have a lot of scenes with Grif bonding with soldiers on Chorus who got their wings fucked up in the war.

And, you know, plenty of angst scenes. Which would include Felix messing with Simmons’ wings, and a scene of Grif falling but Simmons catching him just in time because that would need to happen am I right.

Anyway, this all sounds so melodramatic and sweet and angst, and it sure is, just remember the ton and ton of snark and funny banter and weirdness that can only belong in RvB.

#my rvb fic #birds of a feather

7 notes · View notes

hbosscreations · 3 years

Text

Us Ladies Have to Stick Together

It’s a little later than I’d hoped for, but here is my contribution to @redvsbluesecretsanta for @artesoterica! You asked for Southalina, with a general positive mood! This fic is an AU taking place on Season 15′s Chorus moon in a universe where the Reds and Blues actually get to rest and build a life for themselves. I hope you like it.

Us Ladies Have to Stick Together

When South heard Carolina’s coded message, left in such a way that any of her former people would find it if they were looking, she…didn’t really know what to expect. She wasn’t certain it was meant for her with the way South left things, what with her and Wash trying to kill one another, but it was so damn earnest that South couldn’t ignore it.

‘Wash and I are alive, we’ve shut down the Project and made a safe space for all of us to live. If you see this, come find us. Come home.’

She wasn’t keen at first on going to find anyone, let alone other members of Project Freelancer, but Carolina was good on her word Chorus’s moon wasn’t what she thought it would be. It sounded like isolation, like hiding in a long-abandoned base or in a tiny apartment sleeping in shifts, but Carolina and her people had turned it to something else entirely. The Reds and Blues regularly communicated with the planet below, a shuttle came up more than once to drop off and pick-up soldiers for no reason South could figure out aside from play dates with weapons.

Just like this one.

A shuttle had arrived earlier that day carrying a new face along with a few others that South recognized from the deliveries every other week. The Sim Troopers had quite the fan club, and it was very normal for the shuttle to arrive and stay overnight so the troops could hang out. This time, the newcomer seemed to get all of the attention. It was such a relief to not feel the pointed stares from both the Reds and Blues and the Chorus soldiers.

South blew up her bangs and retied the bandana around her head to keep her hair out of the way while she worked on Sarge’s warthog, the perfect vantage point to observe without staring and be present without having to actually interact with anyone. The Sim Troopers weren’t as bad as South expected them to be most days, Washington’s influence excluded, but that didn’t mean she was comfortable with them yet.

The strange woman who arrived in the shuttle, wearing bright yellow armor and a swagger that told everyone who saw her that she was hot shit and she knew it, immediately screamed for Grif to get his lazy butt outside and come help move her shit inside the base.

It didn’t take long for her to start chatting and then chasing the Sim Troopers around. She hooted and hollered and pelted the soldiers with paintballs from a gun that should not have been shooting paintballs in the first place, all the while crowing ‘GO BLUE!’.

Despite the fact she didn’t seem to care if she was hitting a Red or a Blue.

Judging by the yelling and giggles, they didn’t seem to mind it either.

South’s helmet was dropped next to her on the engine while she watched, contemplating if she had earned enough good will to join in considering practically everyone on the moon was playing already, and Carolina put a hand on South’s shoulder to draw her attention.

New Carolina was the day to Old Carolina’s night. More emotionally mature, more secure in herself, and more confident. The dark shadows had finally passed, but she was still the same woman South had served under.

“You should probably put that on. It would be horrible if Kai accidentally shot you in the eye; the only medical treatment you’re likely to get is CPR and orange juice.”

The hand shifted from her shoulder and brushed the back of her neck. South barely held in her shiver.

New Carolina was more tactile, taking the time to make contact outside of training. She always had time for a smile, something kind to say even if the comment was odd, and casual touching that felt out of place coming from her former leader.

South had to admit that it was nice to be appreciated, though.

“Which army is Kai from, Fed or New Republic? I don’t recognize her or the paint job.”

“She’s the youngest of our Sims, Grif’s little sister, not from Chorus.”

The Reds looked to have begun their retaliation, pulling out buckets of paint, paint balloons, and paint ball guns of their own. They ran around screaming with her instead of running from her, and South laughed a little.

“They’re like a bunch of goofy teenagers, aren’t they? I don’t know how you’ve managed to keep them all alive so long.”

She pulled her helmet on, ignoring the fact that most of her armor was on the ground. She could handle paintball welts and didn’t feel like trading the extra protection of the armor for the contact she got when Carolina watched her work. Standing just a little too close, with her hand on South’s lower back, it felt like things were actually right.

“She’s going to be staying.”

The warthog got regular work, practically daily maintenance and fine tuning, but for some reason it felt like everything South did to it was undone at the end of the day.

“Hmm.”

“She talks a lot, but you can’t be mean unless you want the Reds and Blues both mad at you. Grif is really protective of her; they all are.”

Knowing Sarge, it probably was. He probably came in as soon as she walked away and fiddled with it, bickering with Lopez as he used a wrench on the wrong pieces and broke screwdrivers inside.

“South? Are you listening to me?”

“Sure, Yellow is a wild child and I shouldn’t pick on her. The Sims don’t talk to me much, why would I bother with Grif’s little sister?”

Was Lopez doing this? Normally he fixed things, but maybe he resented her coming in and doing his job for him. It did prevent him from avoiding the rest of Red Team.

“South, will you stop for a second? Look at me?”

Shit. South must have missed a tone thing again, it happened sometimes. Between the military and being on her own for so long, South didn’t always know how to read casual conversation anymore. She preferred direct conversation any day.

“I’m worried about you.”

That flash of guilt that flared up any time Carolina wanted to take care of her was back.

“You don’t have to worry about me, I’m coping.”

“You’re stagnating. Soon you’re going to start tearing your hair out and alienating the guys because you’re bored and looking for stimulation. Trust me, antagonizing the Reds and Blues will only lead to problems and you do not want that. I care about you and I would hate for you to end up with mustard in your blankets or a bucket of snakes above your door. Let me introduce you to Kaikaina Grif.”

“I don’t understand what meeting her has got to do with antagonizing anybody or the strangely bizarre and specific pranks.”

“You’re bored, and Kai is definitely not boring. I think spending some time with her will be good for you.”

Carolina didn’t accept Wash and South tiptoeing around one another or South trying to sneak out in the middle of the night because of her insomnia, and she apparently wasn’t going to rest until South had made some friends, even if that meant flying friends in for her.

The hand on her neck started to massage gently, feeling the tension that had settled there. South let out a groan.

“You’re what? Assigning her to me?”

“Oh no, Kai’s been a Blue longer than you’ve been here, she outranks you. I’m assigning you to her.”

“What?”

Carolina called out to Kai and waved her in before she firmly turned South to face the Sim Trooper charging at them. The moment the woman in yellow skidded to a stop in front of them, she took a beat to look South up and down before she turned and did the same to Carolina.

“Carolina, lookin’ fine-ah! Still bangin’ as always! How are the jam sessions with the band?”

“They have yet to comment on my being tone deaf and I’m not spoiling the game, so it’s been fun. Kai, this is South, she’s an old friend of mine in need of someone to teach her how to have a good time. Can you do that?”

“Ch, yeah! I am great at fun!”

“Fantastic. Kai, from now on, South follows your orders the way she used to follow mine. She won’t like it, she’ll bitch, but she’s a great soldier and a good friend to have at your back.”

“If you want a knife put in it.”

Washington came around the warthog, a large splash of red down his left side and a steady spattering of blue on the right. He must have gotten caught in the middle of the fight.

“Hey, Kai. What’s up?”

“Hey, Cop. You still being a cop? You have to tell me, you know!”

“That’s still not a law.”

That easy amused tone shook South. He sounded so much older; more world weary. It fit him.

“Washington,” Carolina bit out, “If you’re not going to play nice, go away.”

He saluted, patted Kai on the shoulder, and moved back into the fray. The soldiers cheered as he snagged a balloon and smashed it into the side of Tucker’s head.

“Anyway, Kai, South is my gift to you. Think of her like you’ve just been given a very angry puppy and you’ll be great.”

“Carolina, you cannot be serious.”

“I am very serious; you need someone to help you transition to our way of life and Kai is the best person to do that. Kai, her job is to do what you tell her, your job is to keep her from going off the deep end. Don’t order anything I wouldn’t approve of, but other than that, go nuts.”

South scowled at the thought of a woman at least ten years younger than her, a stranger, issuing orders. She didn’t exactly have a choice but to go on with it, where else was she going to go?

“This is ridiculous.”

And it’s not like she wanted to leave anyway. Not again. Not after everything she’d gone through to get there.

Not after finally getting her chance to be with Carolina again.

“I’m not your commanding officer anymore. You could always say no, but if that’s the case I’m giving you to the Reds, and their chaos is unbridled. Think of it this way, Donut will do your nails, but Kai excels at doing hair and your purple has been missing for too long.”

South shrugged and Kai immediately dragged her toward the base.

“You’re the one with purple tips, right? I’ve seen the pics. We’re doing your hair right now. I know that you haven’t had a dye job since you got here, there’s no one here that does hair even half as good as me!”

She jabbered endlessly while she set up a chair at the big sink on the base. Her steady stream of increasingly weird stories about herself and her sex life made South laugh, and the commentary about the guys on base made South sure she never wanted to get on this girl’s bad side.

Once they were gone, Carolina wheeled a large box into the room.

“Your portable salon, madame. Don’t scare her off, ok? It took forever to bring her home.”

“Pshaw! She likes me already! Don’t you, baby?”

Both women looked at South and she shrugged.

“You’re fine. Let’s get this over with so I can get back to work.”

“I’ll take that as a win for now! You’ll warm up.”

With that, Kai pushed South into the chair and threw a cape around her shoulders. Kai’s hands were sturdy and soothing as they carded through South’s hair and scratched at her scalp, talking about what she thought would look best for a minute before she realized South wasn’t listening in the slightest and switched back to talking about herself again. How she’d wanted to go to beauty school when she was younger, and that she used to do everyone’s hair at the circus. South only half listened.

God, her fingers were like magic.

South melted into the chair and decided to let the woman have her way with her hair. Worst case scenario, South would shave her head and let it grow back. And it was worth it to have her hair ruined if Kai would just keep working on her hair.

“She’s funny, right?”

South made a questioning noise.

“Carolina. She shows her love weird. She’s been trying for weeks now to get me out here, telling me Grif misses me, that the team is trying to set up a training center here. Didn’t fly, cause that sounds awful, so she talked to the freaking president of Chorus and got me a training gig putting together events and festivals on the planet’s surface. Someone decided they needed events for good public relations and off world traffic, and I’m pretty good at it!”

Carolina laughed a little from where she was pointedly not hovering.

“She got you a job, huh?”

“She got me a good paying job where my brother can keep an eye on me, so he’s happy. From there, it’s like a waterfall, making him happy makes Simmons happy, which makes Donut and Sarge happy, which makes Caboose happy, which makes Tucker happy, which makes Wash happy, which makes Carolina happy. Everyone here is sooooo codependent. You, I don’t know about, but that’s ok. We’re gonna party and I’ll learn all your secrets.”

God, the thought of going to the planet’s surface to ‘party’ made South’s whole body tense up. Way too much exposure, to high a risk of being seen.

“I don’t really party these days.”

“Yeah, I figured. I’ll fix that. Once I get you sorted, Carolina can finally stop worrying about her little circle and relax. Anything you want in particular? Because if you don’t, I’m gonna trim you up and give you crazy purple hair, it’s gonna take some time, but it’ll look fabulous.”

“I’m in your hands, gorgeous.”

“You’re a flirt! I like that.”

South did her best to keep up the chatting, thankful that Kai held the majority of the conversation herself, and when she might have lulled, Carolina stepped in and stoked the conversation back up.

She did the whole nine yards; washed South’s hair, massaged her scalp, trimmed her up to something more akin to her preferred style, bleached her hair for coloring and mixed colors. South honestly didn’t give a shit about what Kai did, so she gleefully went to town.

Once she started putting color on, Carolina frowned.

“You’re doing her whole head?”

“I have creative license here, so yeah, I’m doing her whole head! It’s gonna be fucking badass, just you wait!”

Carolina pulled up a chair and sat across from South with a nervous smile and stretched her leg out to brush ankles with South. South smiled back and tapped Carolina with the side of her boot. She didn’t pull away, she didn’t want or need to.

Kai wasn’t wrong, Carolina did show her love in weird ways. She never said it, but she showed it in a thousand different ways. South watched Carolina work with the Reds and Blues every day, watched her interact with the people from Chorus who flew up to the moon to ‘train’, how she took the time to touch and ground the people around her despite her own discomfort with the process.

How she understood that South needed help and care but was too angry and proud to ever ask for it.

“I trust you, Kai, just don’t make her look like a clown.”

“I would never! This gorgeous face can pull all kinds of looks, and I intend to make her look fucking sexy as fuck! Chill, Carolina, I’m not going to mess your other girlfriend’s look up.”

South tried to look up at Kai, confused, but Kai grabbed South’s head and held it in place.

“Don’t move, you’ll ruin my hard work.”

Carolina laughed a little and rubbed her ankle against South’s and asked Kai about her most recent exploits. South just closed her eyes and listened to the women talk.

The color was washed out, her hair blow dried and style, and with a cheeky grin, Kai shoved a mirror into South’s face.

“Well?”

It looked…good.

Her head was covered multiple tones of purples, blues, and reds, in a way that looked like it shouldn’t have worked, but it really did. Dark and bold, her hair felt soft and fell nicely. Honestly, it was too good for the life South lived. Between helmet time and working on trucks, she was sure she wouldn’t do it justice in the long run.

But Carolina looked really happy, and judging by Kai’s bright smile, she was too.

“You like it, right?”

“Don’t push her.”

South smirked.

“She can push me if she wants, you’re the one who told her to boss me around. I like it.”

“Great!” Kai crowed. “We’re gonna get our nails done tonight, no fighting, I brought Donut a new gel kit and he’s dying to use it!”

Carolina stood up and pressed a kiss to Kai’s cheek and praised her for a job well done, before she kiss to South’s cheek as well.

“I’m glad you like it. Kai’s great, you to are going to get along like a house on fire.”

“Uh, I’m not lighting anything on fire.”

South hadn’t expected anything good when she came here, came home, but everything was genuinely better than she expected. Carolina took her hand and kissed the knuckles before idly telling Kai that she hoped they’d also brought decent alcohol because Donut’s wine and cheese hour was dreadful without actual wine to drink.

She hadn’t expected it, hadn’t known how badly she wanted it, but she was so glad she’d come.

#redvsbluesecretsanta #artesoterica #Red vs Blue #fanfiction

10 notes · View notes

snowyfrostshadows · 3 years

Text

Hyacinths

Grif tracks Donut down and some much needed words are shared.

Slight AU from s17 in which characters actually talk to each other like actual human beings who’ve known each other for years and not. ‘Well, it’s just a dumb web show, character relationships, what’s that?’

"You honestly think nobody in our stupid group likes you?"

Donut slowly turned to face Grif, surprised to see him again so soon after everyone had left again. The surprise quickly swings back to anger though. With as much shit he's been through over the last....fifty? Seventy tries, he's done. The last thing he needs is another empty apology or salt rubbed in the emotional wound of his 'friends' not caring.

"I'm not stupid. I-"

"Clearly you are since you're really going to hold on to that dumbass idea."

There's an unreadable expression on Grif's face. If Donut had to wager a guess, he'd say disbelief, maybe something else, but he can't quite put his finger on it.

"No one likes you." Grif scoffs. "Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds? Or are you that oblivious to Sarge letting you do whatever the fuck you want? Or Simmons hovering near you like a fucking worried mother now and again because he still has nightmares over Wash shooting you? Fuck! Are you seriously trying to tell me that Caboose. Fucking Caboose. 'Best Friend to Everyone' doesn't like you?!"

Realization at the unknown emotion from Grif slams into him with the weight of a hammer.

He's angry.

But not the angry Donut's used to. Where he snaps a meaner than usual comment or frowns a bit deeper than normal. This anger has Grif moving. His hands are moving, whether they're gesturing to help with a point or fidgeting by his side like Grif, of all people, has too much energy.

Donut unconsciously takes a step back, unnerved by this suddenly Not-Lazy Grif. "No one listens to me." Even as the words leaves his lips, he knows it's a weak argument.

"No one listens to each other!" Grif shoots back. "Do you really think it takes us so long to get anything done is because we listen to anyone but you?"

Grif glares at him for a moment before something...breaks in his expression.

"Fuck." He mutters quietly to himself before focusing on Donut again, all fight, all anger gone. Like it's just been sucked out of him.

"I don't... I didn't mean to come here and yell at you. If you need time to yourself to regroup or just... think. Go for it. Just... don't go it alone for too long. Being by yourself sucks."

There's a surprisingly haunted look in Grif's eyes as he says that and Donut considers dropping it right there. But then he remembers how Grif quit the team(s) not that long ago and now that he's really thinking about it, how different Grif was when he came back. How different he sometimes seems now.

"...Do you...want to talk about it?"

"No."

Donut frowns and tries a different tactic "Then I don't see the problem with being alone for a few months. Sides, I don't know why you'd care if I go isolate myself." The carefully nonchalant shrug he throws Grif might be pushing it, but, Grif has for most of the conversation here, been throwing him off a bit.

He's still mad at everyone, Grif included, but this is the most expressive he's ever seen his teammate. And personal feelings aside, it's kind of... worrying.

Grif's expression tightens minutely

"No offense, but you can't afford to lose any more marbles doing that to yourself." Grif snarks before shifting uncomfortably. "Of course I care. Do you really think I'd be wasting my breath if I didn't?"

Donut shrugs "Maybe? I mean, there's more work for you to do if I'm not around to help right?"

Grif sighs and looks upwards for a moment before dragging his gaze back towards him.

"I'm only going to say this once because apparently you're either too stupid or too full of self-pity or both to get this through your thick skull but god yes I care. We all do, you over-dramatic numb-skull. We wouldn't have put up with all your weird-ass comments over the years if we didn't."

He wants to hold on to all of his anger and justified indignation.

He knows he deserves better than these assholes he calls friends because dammit, he's a person and has always done his level best to be kind and friendly and helpful.

But that is the nicest thing he has ever heard Grif say.

"Do you mean that?"

"For the love of-yes! If I knew you'd be this daft, I'd have recorded myself on an audio file and chucked it at you and let you listen to it until it sunk through your thick skull!"

Donut pushes down a grin. He's already decided he forgives Grif (and maybe the others; but they're still on thin fucking ice) but he is, above all, still a fairly petty person himself even if he's nice most of the time.

"I dunno... it's kinda hard to believe...but maybe a hug might convince me..."

Grif's eyes narrow and Donut's positive he's either going to watch the other man leave or throw something at him.

"Fine."

Donut can't help but stumble back a little at Grif's curt response.

"Wh-What?"

"If getting a stupid hug is all it takes to get you over your stupid pity party, then fine."

"Are you serious?"

Grif's eyes narrow. "You know what? Nevermind. I'm heading back. Die here in self pity for all I care."

He barely manages a step before Donut throws himself at him.

"Nope! You already agreed! No takebacks! We are going to hug!"

In the years since landing in Blood Gulch, Donut likes to think he's got a pretty good idea of who is and isn't a good hugger.

Sadly, it's a very short list as everyone sans himself, Caboose, and occasionally Frank seem to be deathly allergic to anything more affectionate than a firm handshake.

He'd had theories of course but he never thought they'd go further than that.

And at first, his initial thoughts for Grif, okay if maybe a little stiff, seem correct.

Grif doesn't seem to know where to put his hands and stands a bit frozen. But then he relaxes and oh god it's probably one of the best hugs Donut's ever had. Grif is warm and soft and his grip is tight in all the right places and Donut could honestly just melt right here from the pure COMFORT a Grif hug exudes.

Far, far too soon for his liking, Grif pulls away looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"You uh. You good?"

Donut taps his chin and thinks for a moment before nodding and shooting his teammate the brightest smile he has.

"Yeah. I think I am. Thanks."

Grif gives an awkward nod and looks away. "Great. Glad you feel better. Mention any of this to anyone and you're a dead man."

Donut just gives him an affirming hum for an answer. Grif rolls his eyes before he stomps away, muttering too low under his breath for Donut to catch anything useful or interesting.

As...exhausting as this whole time travel thing’s been and as frustrating in how long it took just to get everyone on the same page, that fact that the most apathetic and debatably least-in-touch-with-their-feelings member for both teams just apologized to him, tried to make him feel better, almost, almost makes it all worth it.

Besides, now that everyone is aware of what’s going on, he doesn’t have to do everything by himself anymore. It won’t be long now before Genkins’ inevitable defeat is just another colorful page in his scrapbook.

And once that’s done; maybe….he can figure out just what’s eating at his friend.

#red vs blue #my fics #honestly wasn't going to post this over here cuz it's just...dumb fluff and kinda short #but ffn hates working all of a sudden and won't take my writing anymore so #here we are

14 notes · View notes

pocket-luv101 · 4 years

Text

Summary: Kuro and Mahiru needs to leave for an emergency and they ask Gear to watch their daughter. (KuroMahi, Fem Mahiru)

“She doesn’t do much but sleep. At least you can be certain that she’s your kid.” Gear said and Kuro rolled his eyes at his comment. He had invited his old friend to stay the weekend of Machi’s birthday. Since Gear and Youtarou lived in London, they couldn’t talk in person often. The sight of Kuro holding a baby was still shocking to Gear. For immortal beings like them, things like love and family were fleeting. Yet, Kuro was able to create a family.

“Machi is a toddler, Gear. What do you expect from her?” Kuro fondly stroked Machi’s soft hair. She was sleeping between them with her head on her father’s lap. She drooled on his pants but he didn’t mind and he only wiped her mouth. “Just wait until she wakes up and starts to bounce around the house. She got excited when we told her new friends were about to visit.”

“Youtarou knitted some hats for her. They’re made with wolf fur so they’ll protect her better than a helmet.” Gear nodded towards the gift bag on the couch. “I bought the new game system for her to play. I think she’ll enjoy my gift more.”

“Once again, Gear, she’s a toddler. Her hands are small so it’ll be difficult for her to hold the game controller, let alone press the buttons. For someone who’s smart, you can be dumb.” Kuro chuckled. He wasn’t threatened by the snarl Gear pointed at him. “We can plug in the game system and play after Machi’s nap. I haven’t been able to play video games since Machi was born.”

“You’re out of practise so I can defeat you easier than usual.”

They bantered for a little longer until a ringtone interrupted them. The sound roused Machi from her sleep and she began to whimper. He patted her back to sooth her until she drifted back to sleep. He glanced at Mahiru speaking over the phone. Kuro wondered what the call could be about when he saw the way her brows furrowed. He heard snippets of her conversation. “The situation sounds dangerous… How much longer can you contain the beast?”

“Is something wrong, Mahiru?” Kuro asked her once she ended the call. She appeared conflicted as she gestured for him to go into the hall with her. He lifted Machi off his lap without waking her and then placed her on a pillow. He followed her to the foyer where Machi wouldn’t overhear their conversation if she woke up. They stayed in the doorway so they would be able to watch their daughter.

“Yumikage called me.” She told him and bit her lip. Mahiru slightly relaxed when he took her hand and squeezed it gently. “There had been sightings of a griffon and C3 went to contain it. The griffon is closer to the city than they expected and they’re trying to capture it right now. Tsurugi’s squad is fighting it but they’re having trouble since none of them can fly. Yumikage thinks we’ll be able to help with my broom.”

Tsurugi was like a brother to Mahiru and he could see how worried she felt. While he became human, they kept a few of their powers from when they were a Servamp and Eve. She glanced to Machi sleeping in the living room and he understood the reason she hesitated to go. They couldn’t leave Machi alone while they left to fight the griffon. Everyone they would usually have to babysit Machi was busy.

“Tetsu and Misono are on vacation. Lily went with them. Tsurugi can’t watch over her because he’s…” Kuro and Mahiru wanted a simple life after fighting Tsubaki’s war but they would still help their friends when they were in danger. That had become more complicated now that they had a daughter. Since Mahiru lost her mother at a young age, she didn’t want her daughter to experience the same.

“Maybe we can call JeJe and ask him to watch over Machi last minute.” He suggested and she nodded in answer. She immediately took out her phone to call the Envy Pair and she hoped they would agree. They needed to leave as soon as possible to help her brother.

“Do you want me to kill that griffon for you?” Gear stepped into the hall. He was a werewolf and overheard their conversation. He leaned against the wall and said, “I can’t believe you two are searching for a babysitter when I’m right here. It’s a little hurtful that you didn’t even consider asking me to kill it.”

“That’s it!” Mahiru walked past Gear to speak with Youtarou in the kitchen. “Youtarou, an emergency came up. We don’t know how long we’ll be away. Can you watch Machi for us while we’re gone?”

“I was hurt before but now I feel insulted. I said I would fight a griffon but she pushed babysitting on me. Your wife isn’t afraid to anger a werewolf.” Gear sulked. “Youtarou will likely agree to babysit so I’ll help too.”

“Mahiru’s just worried about her brother. You’re worse with words so you can’t say anything.” Kuro patted his shoulder before he walked to Machi. He was grateful that his friend offered to watch over Machi for them and he trusted her with them. While Gear could be tactless with words, he would protect Machi.

He knelt next to his daughter and gently shook her awake. Machi sat up with a drowsy protest and groan. Kuro waited until she was more alert before he told her: “Machi, Papa and Mama need to go pick up your Uncle Tsurugi from the airport. You need to stay here. Your Uncle Gear will watch over you while we’re away. Do you remember that I told you that they would visit for your birthday?”

“Uncles from London?” She pointed to Gear and Kuro nodded. She smiled proudly that she was able to answer him correctly. He picked her up and handed her to Gear so she would feel more comfortable with him. She looked up at him with large, curious eyes and then she tried to grab his earring. “Pretty. We all go to Uncle ‘Rugi?”

“I’m sorry, Machi, but there’s only enough room in the airplane for three people.” Mahiru told her. She hated to lie to her daughter but she also wanted to protect her from the fighting they knew. Machi looked disappointed but she nodded. She lightly kissed her daughter’s forehead and promised, “We’ll come back soon. We love you, Machi.”

“Gear, can you stop pouting? You’re acting like more of a child than Machi and she’s only two years old.” Youtarou said. He set Machi on the ground to play with her toys while he spoke with Gear. He sat next to him on the couch but kept an eye on Machi. “I know it must be hard to stay behind while others fight. Aren’t you the one who always goes ‘Ash is just my pupil’ though? It’s clear that you care about him as a friend or else you wouldn’t act like this.”

He was silent yet Youtarou was able to read his thoughts easily. They had been together for a long time. He thought of the day he learned his grandmother died while he was going to college in London. Gear had been the person to comfort him and it was clear he knew the pain of loss. His words made Youtarou understand how lonely the immortal werewolf was.

Gear asked, “Do you think our roombas are lonely without us?”

“They’re machines.” He said.

“Uncle Gear.” He looked down when Machi patted his knee. She had a book under her arm so he guessed that she wanted him to read it to her. She tried to climb onto the couch so she could sit between them but she was too short to reach. Gear slowly lifted her onto the cushion and she opened the book on her lap.

“This witch is from London too!” She told them with a bright smile. Machi took Gear’s hand and made him pat the bright illustration of Big Ben. “Uncle Gear looks sad. Is it because you miss your home in London? Machi will read this London book to you so you’ll miss it a little less.”

“You’re so thoughtful, Machi.” Youtarou’s praise made her grin. “You’re certainly Kuro and Mahiru’s daughter.”

“Do you know when Papa and Mama are coming home?” Machi asked Gear. He couldn’t tell her an exact time so he only shrugged as an answer. She was disappointed by his answer, or lack of, and she turned to Youtarou with expectant eyes. “I wanna go with Papa and Mama. Why didn’t they take Machi? Machi’s small and can sit on Mama’s lap during the ride.”

“They can’t take a baby to a battle with a griffon. It’s dangerous and you’ll only get in the way.” Gear told her, unaware that Kuro had told Machi another reason they left. He didn’t notice the way her face paled. “A griffon can knock a person out of the sky in seconds.”

“Papa and Mama are fighting a scary grif-bon?” Machi started crying.

“Gear, you scared Machi!” Youtarou lightly chastised him before he picked up Machi to comfort her. He patted her back but he saw the confused expression Gear had. He hadn’t meant to frighten her but they needed to stop Machi’s tears. “I think I know how to cheer her up. Gear, turn into a wolf.”

“Isn’t that going to scare her more?” He pointed out. He decided to trust him and shifted his body to his wolf form. She didn’t stop crying and only pressed her face into Youtarou’s shoulder. Youtarou carefully placed her on the wolf’s back and held her hand so she wouldn’t fall off.

“This is a piggy back ride but with a wolf. Where do you want Mr. Wolf to take you, Machi?” Youtarou asked once she was comfortable. “Then we can braid his fur. I’ll teach you how to make yarn out of his fur too.”

“Mr. Wolf take Machi to Mama and Papa, please!” Machi gripped his fur and tugged it as if she could steer him like a horse. “Let’s go save Mama and Papa!”

#servamp #kuromahi #sloth pair #servamp kuro #mahiru shirota #fanfiction #fem mahiru #youtarou tsumugi #servamp gear #gear neugear hartevelt

26 notes · View notes

goobergamer · 3 years

Text

Welcome to the Real World, Chpt. 4/?

Summary: ‘The real world’ is Marine Corps slang referring to civilian life after discharge.

Or, Washington, new and struggling veteran, moves into a duplex where he has a strange and surly neighbor with a penchant for the color red. (Sargington modern war vets AU)

Pairing: Sarge/Washington (Red vs. Blue)

Warnings: Alcohol use in this chapter

First chapter on Tumblr here: (x). Also crossposted to AO3.

Wash is a chronic homebody rapidly chewing through the books on his shelf and the TV shows he can stand to be semi-present for. The phone never rings when he’s there, but he still can’t help and check every morning and night hoping the voicemail light will have come on.

He’s pretty sure he saw a couple of his teammates when he was taken in by the medical team, half-coherent. No one has been in touch since, through his care or discharge. He’s not sure what he expects them to say. Wish you were here, xoxo? Sorry you’ve cracked? (He’s not crazy.) Thanks for compromising the mission, asshole? How could you have fucked up so badly?

Wash isn’t sure. But he thinks he’d take any of it over the dead light and the dial tone.

---

It just keeps getting hotter as they approach midsummer, and one day when Wash steps outside straight into a wall of humidity, Sarge joins him only to suggest that he come inside for coffee so they don’t just up and die on the porch from the weather.

Wash is pleasantly surprised when Sarge gives him a tour of the downstairs space; it’s cluttered, but not a junk pile as he may have guessed. Rather, the home looks lovingly lived-in. A card table is open in the corner of the living room, with parts and tools for some sort of electronics project scattered across it. The TV stand is covered in small piles of DVDs; at quick glance Wash sees serious war documentaries mingling with old family sitcoms.

Of course, it still shows little signs of Sarge’s quirkiness beyond the multiple locks on the door. Despite the gun cabinet standing against the wall with his scarlet beret sitting atop it, there’s a shotgun casually leaned up against the coffee table that Wash only hopes has the safety on. Everything that can come in different colors is red in Sarge’s apartment; upholstery, painted wood, you name it. There’s a strawberry Yoo-hoo balanced on the couch armrest, and Wash halfway wonders if the flavor was chosen to fit the color scheme.

They take their coffee on very red chairs at the very red table in the kitchen. Sarge is polite enough to only harass Wash for two straight minutes about how he takes his coffee (“Washington, without sugar you’ll have no energy to defend yourself!” “Defend myself from what?”) The new location doesn’t change much until Wash asks, “Which way to your bathroom? Is your side of the duplex the same as mine?”

“Flipped. Upstairs to the left.”

When Wash walks into the bathroom, it takes him a moment to register what’s off. At first he thinks Sarge had installed a full-size towel rack above the sink, but after stepping closer, he sees that a bath towel has simply been strung across the medicine cabinet to cover it.

He remembered, Wash realizes. He remembered the mirror.

Something in his throat tightens, almost imperceptibly. It was a small, simple gesture, but an appreciated one all the same, at a time when the world feels minimal in its kindness.

---

When Wash hears a knock on his door early one evening, he only pauses a moment before opening it without the chain in place, having an easy enough guess of who it will be. “Hey, Sarge. Something you need?”

Sarge is leaning against the doorframe all too casually, an atypical grin splitting his face in two. “Washington, when was the last time you went out anywhere?”

Wash pauses for a moment, thinking. “I go running every day? Beyond that, I picked up groceries three days ago.”

Sarge switches battle tactics. “When was the last time you went somewhere to do something fun?”

Wash has a sinking, suspicious feeling he knows the ballpark where this is heading. “...I don’t mind grocery shopping.”

“...Well, that answers that.” Sarge chuckles. He doesn’t seem too surprised. Wash supposes he can’t really be insulted; a serious answer to Sarge’s question would have been ‘on shore leave over a year ago’.

“There’s a legion a couple towns over,” Sarge continues. “A few of the guys I know are catching up there tonight! There will be drinks! General merriment! And YOU are cordially invited!”

“I wouldn’t know any of the people there.”

“I can introduce ya’!”

Wash knows that Sarge isn’t the type to take no for an answer when his mind is set on something. And he has to acknowledge that he has become a hermit in the months since his discharge, to an unsustainable extent. At some point he’ll have to reconnect with the real world. May as well do it with a friend to guide him. “Alright, fine.”

“That’s the spirit!”

They take Sarge’s Ford, a decades-spanning oddity; the truck itself is from the 70’s, but has a new high-tech radio system Sarge says he installed himself. The radio will only tune into an obnoxious polka station from god knows where and which Sarge will claim no fault in his installation process for. The drive is still nice with the windows rolled low, Sarge resting his elbow on the sill as he steers with one hand, Wash turning in his seat so the early evening sun shines down on his face.

They’re quickly hailed by a chorus of both greetings and heckling from a far table when Sarge leads the way into the Legion. There’s one chair left open for Sarge when they approach, but he grabs another one from an empty table and plants it next to his own for Wash, the nearest guy shuffling over to make more space.

“Men, this is Washington,” Sarge announces when they’ve settled in. Wash receives some amicable nods and hello’s from the ensemble; apparently Sarge doesn’t think more introduction is necessary, and neither do they. “Washington, this is Tucker, Caboose, Donut, Lopez, Simmons, and Grif.” There’s a surly element to his tone when he introduces the last one, who seems unperturbed, just offering Wash a late “‘Sup?” before some earlier conversation picks back up.

Wash takes the time to examine the group unnoticed, observing that they look ragtag in more ways than one. They’re all young, younger than Wash, though it's not always easy to tell under the scars; the majority of this group look like they had to physically claw their way out of warzones. Wash can pick out four prosthetics between what he can see of just two of the people at the table, and with the extent of Lopez’s, he might guess prosthetic legs were hidden out of sight too. Grif and...Donut? sport some major scarring visible above the table. Grif’s scars, a layer of patchworks across his cheek and down one arm, look too clean to be from anything in-field; skin grafts, maybe? With Donut’s ear and eye gone, and the side of his nose and lips halfway there, it’s easy to assume that he took something hard straight to the face.

“—Before I can catch whatever gave Private Pinhead that stroke of inspiration, I’m going to get a drink!” Sarge huffs, brushing off a conversation with Grif to rise. “You want something, Washington?”

“Oh, I—whatever you’re getting is fine. Thanks.” Wash reaches for his wallet to offer him payment for the drink, but Sarge has already moseyed over to the bar.

“So, Washington, how do you know Sarge?” Simmons asks, all attention now turning to the new guy.

“He’s my neighbor.”

“Man, that sucks,” Tucker replies, though obviously without true rancor.

“Could be worse. He could live next to Donut,” Grif says.

“Hey!”

“That’s right, has Lopez gotten his insurance pay back after that fire yet?”

“No.”

“Hey, I said sorry, I didn’t think a hair dryer could overheat like that! I guess I’d been doing too much blowing.”

Amidst a chorus of groans, Sarge returns with a pina colada in each hand. “Can’t believe the bartender didn’t card me! They’re supposed to card anyone under forty.”

“And why would they card you, again?” Wash asks as he takes one of the drinks. Sarge’s efforts to convince Wash that he’s some ludicrous age are drowned out by amused laughter from others at the table.

The longer Wash is there with them, the more he feels himself settling into the rhythm of the conversation, becoming comfortable enough to laugh and joke along. By the end of the night, he’s been wrapped up into a number of ridiculous and crazy anecdotes that tell him two things: Sarge surrounds himself only with those that are as insane as himself, and that Wash has had the best night in as many weeks despite his hesitation before he came.

“They’re idiots, but they’re my idiots,” Sarge says fondly in the car on the way home.

“I can see why. They’re good guys.”

“We’re there every week. Just let me know if you want to come along again.” Washington looks at Sarge, but Sarge is cheerfully watching the road as he says it.

It’s an unexpected offer, but certainly not unwelcome as he thinks about the dark apartment he’s about to return to. Remembering the warmth of the rum and the night’s festivities is a strong pull. “I just might take you up on that.”

#wttrw #welcome to the real world #rvb #red vs blue #red vs. blue

4 notes · View notes

blood-gulch-reds · 4 years

Text

Here is my secret Valentime's day fic for @not-madder-red !! Enjoy :)

When Dexter Grif was in highschool, Valentine's day was a day to be spent alone in his room downing discount chocolate by the package and rewatching season 253 of the bachelor, criticising the stupid people on the trash TV, and secretly wishing he had someone to laugh at the bachelor with. Over all, Grif never really cared about Valentine's day. But now that he actually had someone to watch TV with, he felt as though he owed it to Simmons to do something... Nice for Valentine's day.

While this mind set of niceness was... Well... Nice, it presented a set of problems. First off, Grif and Simmons had only just started dating ( if you could call watching star trek holding hands instead of not holding hands a date) for 4 Earth months. So in a romantic sense, Grif was absolutely in the dark about what Simmons enjoyed romantically. Secondly, Grif never really did Valentine's day and had no idea where to begin. Did Simmons expect roses? Did he think Grif would get him chocolates in a cardboard box? Out of all the things that the happy couple had talked about before tying the knot, romance was one subject that was never brought up to often.

And lastly, Grif had completely forgotten about Valentine's day until he woke up (at noon) to find that Donut had decorated the whole base with hearts cut out pink and red construction paper and plenty of glitter.

"Rise and shine buddy! Happy Valentine's day!" Donut sang from the kitchen,where he was preparing heart shaped sandwiches.

Realization hit Grif like a bag of bricks and his face showed it. The only thing he was capable of saying was "I forgot it was Valentine's day". He slumped down into a chair at the kitchen table and donut set a plate down in front of him with a ham and mustard sandwich (sans the crust) cut in the shape of a heart with chips on the side.

Donut smiled curiously as he began to wash dishes. "Sure is!" He chirped in a chipper tone. He turned the water off and grabbed a dish towel to dry off some plates. "Hey, I could have sworn you didn't do Valentine's day? Why the change of... Heart?" He Snickered at his own stupid joke and thought Grif didn't show it (or any emotion besides shock for that matter) his distaste for the pun was immeasurable.

"Well..." Grif began, absent mindedly taking a bite out of the sandwich. "Ia neavur- mm-" he decided to finish chewing the food in is mouth before talking, an unusually civil thing of him to do. Donut picked up on this gesture immediately and deemed whatever Griff was about to say as extremely important. He put away the plate he was holding and gracefully sat down at the seat across the table from where Grif was seated. "Mm damn that's a good sandwich. Where was I? Oh, right" Grif wiped his mouth with a napkin and took a breath. "I never really felt like... Well I never really got the whole point of it, y'know?" Donut nodded intently, slowly leaning more and more forward. "It's a fuckin Hallmark holiday- a chance for the big corporations to make money or whaterever and a chance to pick up some discounted candy for the lowly working man. But now that..." Grif drifted off for a moment, a slight ting coming to his cheeks. His eyes wandered elsewhere and Donut dared not to disturb him. "Now that Simmons and I... are a thing... I think I get it. I wanted to make our first Valentine's day special and like, get him something? but now it's just too late" Grif finished. A look of genuine disappointment spread across his face.

Donut perked up. Finally, a moment in need of his expertise! "Too late? That's totally not true at all!" Grif looked up hopefully. If he was trying to hide his inner dialogue, he was failing miserably. "Look Grif, you've got the whole rest of the day to figure out what you're going to get the love of your life for your guy's first ever Valentine's day together as soul mates!!" Grif shrunk down into his hoodie and let out a groan. Donut pressed on anyway. "If you don't know what to get him, why not pick some flowers for him? It's shallow, but shows that you're trying".

Grif sat up and thought for a moment. "That's... That's not a bad idea." Grif then stood up and scarfed down what was left of the sandwich before walking towards the door. "Maybe I can turn this thing around... I don't have a ton of time but," he stoped and smiled to himself. "It's worth a shot. Thanks for the food Donut!" He said as he closed the door behind him.

Donut yelled "Wait! You forgot to put your dish away-" but Grif was already out the door. Donut rolled his eyes and placed the used dish in the sink. "These love birds..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12:30 p.m.

Grif was gitty to get Simmons the perfect gift and, although Donut's flower idea was cute, he deemed him correct in saying it was a bit cliche. Grif wanted something a little more personal, and who better to ask about relationship then his ever romantic sister.

When Grif walked over to the 'blue house', as they had dubbed it, there was the ever familiar scent of burnt toast and chaos in the air. Before Grif could even process what was going on, there was a loud crash as panini press came flying through the window, followed by even louder yelling from Kai.

"ITS NOT THAT FUCKING HARD BRO I DONT EVEN KNOW HOW YOU BURNED- oh hey Dex!" Kai stormed out of the house, fuming, but her tone quickly changed when she saw her brother. Grif was stunned, but tried to quicky get over it as he had a job to do.

"Hey, Kaikaina. I had a question if you're not busy-"

"WHY IS THE WINDOW BROKEN? tUCKER‽" Washington's voice rang shrill in Grif's ears. Kai's face went pale.

"Why don't we take a walk?" She offered with a guilty smile. Grif pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Yeah- ok that sounds good." The two of them walked toward the shore. Although they'd never talk about it aloud, the beach here fondly reminded them of home. Not the chaos of thier mother, nor the periods of time without food, but the gentle laughter they shared making each other feel better. Grif decided to start off with some light conversation. "Soooo," he began "what was that all about"

"Uhg it's bullshit! It all started last night when Tucker got drunk and put his dick in a-"

"Woah! Ok never mind! Jesus Christ...", Said Grif, who realised there was no use trying to decipher blue team's bull shit and it would probably be best to just get to the point. "Look it's Valentine's day and I wanna get something nice for Simmons. Any ideas?"

Kaikaina stood still for a moment, just looking at the ground in awe. "I thought... I thought you didn't do Valentine's day."

Grif flushed "yeah well, things are different now". He was going to stop there but quickly added on, "and I only got like, a couple hours so... If you have any suggestions I'd like to hear 'em".

Kai lit up like a Christmas tree. " 'if I have any ideas'? Bro I've been waiting for you get laid on Valentine's day since we were in highschool!" Grif's cheeks and ears darkened in tone while the patch of Simmons skin on his right cheek turned bright red.

"Just get on with it!"

Kai smiled. " Ok ok... You need a gift idea? Here's one: get him something he's been talking about for a few weeks." Grif was about to thank Kai for her genuinely good advice before she continued, "that way he'll know that you're a good listener and be way more eager to let you go down on him like a tow truck!!"

"I second that! Chicks- er- bottoms are totally into good listeners!" Said Tucker, who had appeared our of seemingly nowhere.

"Where the fuck did you come from???" Kai inquired, shifting her weight onto one hip.

"Oh, you know-"

"No. We don't." Grif interjected.

Tucker shrugged. "I needed to get away from base for a while. It's was getting to chaotic for me-

"That and Wash probably threatened to skin him for burning breakfast and breaking a window" Kai teased. Grif smiled at Kai's remark and watched Tucker throw his hands up defensively.

"Hey! First of all, you broke that window. Secondly, I needed some space from caboose! He's all emotional because it's Valentine's day. He misses church."

Grif suddenly had an idea. No one was more... Soft? Innocently romantic? Genuinely kind?? Then caboose. Kai and Tucker were bickering like lovers often do (not that they were together... Or maybe they were? Grif didn't know, nor did he want to know) so he slipped away and he was off to find Caboose.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1:20 pm.

When Grif finally made it to the blue's house, things had seemed to settle down. He let himself in and found a very defeated wash sitting at the kitchen table, clutching a cat shaped mug. Carolina was looming over him, clearly trying to be comforting. They both looked up when Grif came in, but otherwise didn't acknowledge his presence.

"Uh... Hey. Is caboose around?"

Wash mumbled into his mug, "how did he burn a bowl of cereal…."

"Yes, I think he's on the roof" said Carolina, who looked sympathetic and tired.

Grif noded and showed himself upstairs. The aftermath of whatever happened this morning clearly has left it's scars on everyone and Grif and absolutely no intention of finding out the full compendium of events that had occurred. He made his way into the attic and through the small window on the south facing side of the house that led to a flat, sturdy spot on the roof. The Reds' and Blues' houses were built exactly the same, but they mirrored each other. Sarge absolutely refused to believe that the houses were identical and claimed that the Red house had three more roofing tiles, making it superior.

Grif opened the window and crawled out onto the roof to find Caboose sitting with Church's helmet, a glass of orange juice, a copy of the old earth show Friends, and a red heart shaped paper folded down the middle. Grif felt bad disturbing him, but it had to be done. "Uh, hey man. Happy Valentine's day…"

Caboose looked up (he had been looking at the clouds) and smiled. "Hi Gruff!!! Happy Valentime's day" he look around as if something were the matter. "Where is Cinnamons? It is Valentime's day and you two aren't together?"

Grif crawled up next to him and pulled out a bag of Hershey's kisses. He offered some to Caboose and said "yeah about that… I want to get him a gift but I don't know what to get him. I figured you might have an idea?". 'Why am I even asking?' he thought to himself. 'if Donut, Kai, and Tucker of all people couldn't give me good enough advice why am I even here‽ Desperation?'.

Caboose was quiet for a moment before thoughtfully saying, "when church was still here, he didn't like it very much when I gave him hugs, but he really liked this one show?" He held up the copy of Friends, and Grif nodded intently. "So we would watch it together alot! On Valentime's day, I would make him a card like this one-" he pointed to the red heart shaped paper and Grif noticed that there was writing on the inside. Not Caboose's writing because the penmanship had bitchy (and legible) undertones. He concluded that it was Church's card to Caboose and suddenly Grif started to put everything together. "I liked cards and he liked Friends! So we did that together. I miss him alot sometimes", Caboose concluded.

Grif tapped him on the shoulder. "I know man. We miss him too." There was a moment of bitter sweet silence before Grif said,"thanks Caboose. I have to get going to Sim-... Cinnamons."

"Ok! Happy Valentime's day Gruff!" Caboose said cheerfully. Grif smiled and climbed down. He set off to town, with a pretty good idea of what to get Simmons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2:30 pm

Grif got stuck in traffic

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~