Work Text:
Hygrate - RedvsBlue - Wash/Tucker
Captain Lavernius Tucker decided that today enough was enough. It was time, he decided, to find out who kept taking all of the black liquorice taffies.
So he gave himself a mission to sit in the small officers lounge, designated for the Red and Blue soldiers of the late Project Freelancer, to find out who dared to take his all time favorite black liquorice salt water taffies. The black and white swirled candies were his favorite and he knew they came in the assorted flavor bag because he was the one that emptied it into the open bowl for everyone to share each time it came in one of the weekly food shipments.
At first he had blamed Grif, but he’d seen the chubby soldier eat taffy before and he never seemed to favor one flavor over another. When asked the orange soldier just confirmed scoffing and saying it was way too much work to pick through the candy for just one flavor and that they all tasted good anyhow.
Caboose was the next suspect of Tuckers, but was quickly cleared as Tucker recalled that the one ice cream flavor he never had to fight Caboose for was liquorish.
After Tucker's first two suspect, he wasn’t quite sure who would be doing this. Sarge seemed only likely to take any red colored flavors. Simmons would denounce the sugary treat as too unhealthy. Donut was more likely to just bake his own treats or just take one of each color or colors that compliment each other or some other fashion design reason, but unlikely to just be the black liquorice. Doc...well Doc would either bake with Donut or would be unheard from as his “Omega” personality would draw him away for some world domination crap. Again. Wash had a very selective sweet tooth that very rarely popped up and usually resulted in craving for fresh hot baked goods. Carolina. Well Tucker wasn’t sure about her, but if it does turn out to be her (though he’s still doubtful) he’ll just have to either do without or see if he can beat her to them.
For the most part, none of the other officers in Chorus usually frequent this small particulare mess room as the Reds and Blues sometimes get pretty rowdy and to be too much for other people with all of their normal shenanigans.
So, with a fresh batch of salt water taffy in the bowl complete with black liquorice, Tucker sits in wait suspiciously eyeing every person that passes into the taffy bowls vicinity.
Kimball finds him mid-morning and is not happy in the least with him wasting his day away sitting and waiting for somebody that might not show up or ever pick out the one flavor while Tucker is watching the bowl like a hawk. They argue for a few minutes until they compromise with Tucker reviewing and writing up some reports on a data pad. The aqua colored soldier grumbles for a few minutes after the leader of Chorus exits the room before he grudgingly does as asked, but looking up and watching anyone who passes by.
The data pad provides slow tedious work, but probably does help the time pass by faster for Tucker as otherwise he would be bored out of his mind by now with nothing to keep him occupied. The Captain finds the reports boring and way too detailed, but he knows they have to be done, and even he can admit he’d rather be doing them, then out fighting where him or his comrades could be hurt or killed.
Hours pass the morning into afternoon and then evening without much of anything happening besides the Reds and Blues eating their meals and Grifs frequent snack breaks, but aside from Grif grabbing a couple handfuls of taffies, indiscriminately, no one has reached for the treats all day. It’s not until it’s been dark outside for hours, not that Tucker can see from his fully enclosed officers lounge, and he’s pretty sure the screen in front of him is becoming blurry that Wash and Carolina stepped into the room. Tucker is grateful for the distraction as his eyes feel dry and scratchy from probable overwork and he’s positive he has never done this much data work ever in a week. Tucker stands to greet the exFreelancer’s and groans as his legs, back and neck protest the movement after a long period of sitting still. He rolls his shoulders back a few times to loosen them and cracks his neck with a couple satisfying pops.
Wash smiles in greeting and asks “where have you been all day? Caboose said something about a mission and you eating as much as Grif.” He sounds doubtful about the last part and raises an eyebrow as Tucker roll both eyes and scoffs.
They both know Caboose can never get any story straight, but at the same time there usually is some abstract truth in what he says “Common Wash, we both know I don't eat like the fat ass. I put too much effort into shaping these glorious calves of mine.” He says dramatically and lifting one leg to emphasize said calves.
Wash laughs and turns to make some hot water “tea?” he asks both Carolina and Tucker. Both respond yes and Wash busies himself with the kettle.Carolina makes herself comfortable in a chair across from Tucker. “I haven’t seen you all day. Saw your squad training, but you were no where in sight. What have you been up to?” She asks eyeing the the discarded data pad still displaying the last report Tucker had just finished writing out.
Tucker collapses back into his chair slouching down and stretching his legs out with a drawn out suffering sigh. He rubs both eyes’ with the heels of his palms as he answers “just what it looks like. Sitting on my ass all day writing and reviewing reports.”
She raises an eyebrow in surprise and perhaps disbelief “all day?”
Tucker shrugs “I guess. Ever since Kimball can in around ten this morning.”
To his side Wash drops a mug onto the counter and winces at the loud clang of the metal mug on the hard countertop. Wash quickly rights the cup and turns to Tucker “you mean to tell me you’ve been doing reports for over thirteen hours?” His surprised tone raises in pitch at the end of his question.
Spluttering Tucker spits out “what time IS it?” as his eyes grow wide in his own surprise and disbelief.
“Eleven twenty-five Captain Tucker.” Carolina says chuckling in amusement, clearly at Tuckers expense.
“Fuuuck” Tucker whins “I’ve been way too productive today. I don’t think I have ever done this much reportwork in a week. No make that a whole month.” He pauses then adds “definitely a month. I should get a fucking medal for this.”
Both Wash and Carolina laugh at that. If they were anyone else laughing at him Tucker would likely be annoyed, but he lets it go mentally patting himself on the back as neither of them smile or laugh anywhere near enough (at least according to Tucker) least of all Carolina. He enjoys the sound while it lasts. Once Carolina gets over her amusement, she reaches for the data pad and scans over the open logs for the day. She teases Tucker about how much he has gotten accomplished truly impressed. She swallows the lecture she was going to give him for leaving his regular daily training and assignments over to his lieutenants. She scans over a few reports that Tucker wrote and is pleased by its completedness and lack of bull shitting that is his usual style.
Tucker takes Carolina’s good natured teasing in stride and responds back bemoaning and cursing his own productiveness. His attention is only drawn over to Wash when he hears the rustle of taffy wrappers. At first he just glances over to Wash and sees him sorting through the bowl. Then he pauses half way through a retort to Carolina when his brain catches up with what is eyes saw: Wash digging through the taffie bowl and placing only black and white taffies on the counter. Black liquorice taffies. Tucker shoots up and out of this chair knocking it back to scatter across the floor pointing and shouting at Wash ”YOU!”
Carolina tenses at the sudden outburst, for a moment, until she follows Tuckers finger pointing only at Wash and relaxes when she determines there to be no threat. Wash flinches and whips around dropping his body into a combat ready stance with his eyes frantically searching for someone besides the current three in the room. When Wash’s eyes land on Tucker and his pointing finger, he releases his death grip on the last taffie he liberated from the bowl. “Tucker what-” Wash starts a bit annoyed at the sudden shout.
“You! Wash! You're the damn hygrater that’s been taking all of the black liquorice taffies.” Tucker accuses. “You asked what i’ve been doing all day. Well I decided to find out who has been stealing all of my favorite flavor and leaving everything else!”
“Uhh” Wash blinks momentarily at a loss for words as a touch of color rises to his cheeks. “Sorry? I didn’t know anyone else liked them?” he partially mumbles out and questions.
A slap to a forehead and a groan has both men looking at Carolina. “Let me get this straight, so you,” she points at Tucker “spent the entire day in here, so you could find out who's been taking your favorite candy flavor and skipped out on all your other duties.”
“Yes! No! Wait!” Tucker exclaims then hurries to explain before Carolina opens a can of whoop ass on him. “I delegated my shit today and got a lot of reports done. More than I normally do in a month I was way too productive!” Tucker defends himself raising his hands in a placating manner.
Shaking her head thoroughly exasperated Carolina stands with a small smile twitching at her lips and decides “I’m going to bed” and walks out of the room. Both men watch her go.
As soon as she is out of sight and they can no longer hear her footsteps, Wash gives Tucker an unimpressed look “seriously Tucker?” He deadpans “you’ve been watching...no guarding the taffie bowl all day just for this? Uhg Caboose was right you gave yourself a mission. Guarding candy. Common Tucker you’re a Captain now you need to set a good example for the other soldiers and not skirt your duties.” When the kettle whistles, Wash turns and pulls it off the burner and pours the tea for the two of them.
“Hey I’ve been working my ass off. Anyway I was supposed to have most of today off. And this is an officers only mess so any of the lower ranked soldiers never even saw me in here. Besides look” Tucker says shoving the data pad into Washe’s view “I got a LOT of shit done on here. Yeah I may not have trained or gone to check on the Lieutenants, but I gave them their orders for today and all they had to do if they had any questions was PM or radio me. They can take care of themselves in the city and know all the drills.” Tucker has no problem with people calling him out when he slacks, but he doesn’t like it when he actually was being productive.
Wash grabs the data pad and carefully looks it over. He notices the time stamps on the new logs and files accessed today. “Wow” he murmurs after a minute “Tucker you really did all this today?”
“No shit dude that's what I’ve been saying.” Tucker gripes, taking the data pad back and making sure everything got saved before powering it down. “Now hand over some of those taffies you’ve been hygrating.”
Grabbing the small pile on the counter, Wash pockets all of them except one which he promptly pops into his mouth ”no, I don’t think I will.” He taunts chewing slowly and obviously enjoying the flavor.
“Hey!” Tucker says indignantly “you fucker give me some.” The aqua soldier tries to reach into Wash’s pocket to grab one of his own, but Wash is quick to knock his hand away. On his second try Tucker tries with both hands, but with the same result.
Not one to give up something he really wants, Tucker tries to pin Wash to the counter and grab both of his hands. It doesn’t work out as he intended as Tucker ends up being the one with his back to the counter and Wash holding both his hands immobile and pinning Tuckers body with his own. “What are you going to do now Captain Tucker?” Wash mocks teasingly pushing the taffy to one side of his mouth as he talks.
Glaring up at Wash, Tucker thinks for a moment then grins “always said I'm a lover not a fighter.”
“Wha-” Wash starts to question as he is cut off by Tucker surging forward and stretching up to press their mouths together in an open kiss. The trapped soldiers tongue is quick to take advantage of the taller man's open mouth and slide inside with familiar ease. Tucker humms in satisfaction at the sweet taste and sly excuse to kiss Wash. He takes any chance he can get to kiss the ex-freelancer. A noise of surprise coming from Wash is muffled by Tuckers mouth and after a moment, Wash responds and deepens the kiss. The grey and yellow wearing armoured soldier changes his hold on the aqua soldier from restraining to caring. Gently putting his hand behind the shorter mans back and head to draw him closer. Tuckers own hands move up Washs shoulders to help himself stay high enough on his toes to not break the kisses they are now exchanging.
A not so subtle throat clearing from the doorway has the two men quickly pulling apart and turning to see who interrupted them. One highly amused cyan armoured soldier is looking at them with both eyebrows raised and a wide unsuppressed smirk stretching across her face. Before either male soldier has a chance to speak, she tries not to laugh out “the rumors about you two are true then.”
Heat rises to both mens faces, though it is only visible on Wash’s pale complection. Tucker is the first to recover his speech and blurts the first thing that comes to mind “you said you were going to bed.”
She steps into the room and says “I forgot my tea.” As if to prove her point, she reaches behind Wash to grab the one empty mug behind them, then makes a slightly dramatic show of rummaging in the tea cabinet for a tea bag, dropping it into her cup, and pouring the hot water. After, she turns to look back at the two as if to say ‘what?’. Instead her smile becomes small, but mucher warmer “I’m happy for you both; you guys balance each other out.”
The sincerity in her voice releases tension neither had realized he was holding as they both let out a breath of relief. Tucker and Wash thank her as she starts to leave the room. In the doorway, she turns her head back to look at them, smirk firmly back and remarks “funny how you’re white Wash and you’re black Tucker and you guys are fighting over a black and white swirled candy” With that she snickers to herself and leaves for good.
“Ohh god” Wash moans burying his face in his hands desperately wishing the last minute didn’t just happen as his embarrassment at being caught floods his body.
Tucker rubs his back soothingly “hey it could have been worse.” At Wash’s weak glare between fingers, Tucker adds “hey you said we should probably let Carolina and the Reds and Blues know about us. At least we know Carolina can keep a secret, encouraged us and only saw us kissing.”
Wash sighs and can’t disagree with his companion, but still says “not how I wanted to tell her. That was the worst way ever.”
Tucker rolls his eyes at Wash’s dramatic form of whining “of all time?” he quips the last part back of Wash’s favorite saying.
That gets Wash to laugh loud and full. “No I suppose not” he concedes. Drawing out his pocket full of taffies, he offers them to Tucker saying “as corny as it sounds Carolina is probably right we are like a black liquorice taffy, one part black one part white, but compliment each other so well.”
Tucker grabs a taffies and chews it for a moment before cupping the back of Wash’s head and pulling him in for another taffie kiss “come here you damned hygrater. Enough of the mussy shit.” Wash huffs a laugh and can’t help but smile as he lets Tucker pull him in.