legionworld | Moonlight and Magnolia [Closed]

Current Music: Stars Fell On Alabama - Jimmy Buffett

Entry tags:

Moonlight and Magnolia [Closed]

Who| Wash and Connie, both early PFL timeline
What| Time to go consummate a relationship that never actually happened.
Where| Connie's hab
When| During Time Ripples
Warnings/Notes| We are absolutely fading to black here.

This whole place is weird, honestly. York's debrief packet helped, and evidently some future version of him had had enough foresight to make a map, so Wash isn't having any difficulty getting around. The problem is that, whenever he stops to talk to someone, they look at him like they're expecting something, like he's supposed to know them somehow, and they're inevitably disappointed when he doesn't. Plus, they just keep calling him Freelancer, which is off-putting at best. He has a name, thanks.

So while his trip to the mess hall was successful, he doesn't stick around, instead retreating to the little house/bar York has set up on the habitat deck. York gets it, and this weird future version of York doesn't treat him like he's a complete idiot. It's nice, honestly. He probably shouldn't get used to it, or he'll be in for a rude awakening when he finally does wake up where he's supposed to be.

For now, he pushes open the door and heads inside. "I got milk," he calls, because he'd had a reason for going to the mess hall. "Kind of." The vegan space future is going to take some getting used to.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Now that's a sight for sore eyes. "Connie!" He brightens visibly, even behind the armor. The debrief packet had had a list of personnel, but it's still good to see her in person. He crosses the room and stows the 'milk' in the fridge, chattering all the while. "I didn't think I'd see you - this place is huge! It took me half an hour to find the mess hall, and that was with a map!"

"Well, this place is the size of a planet, right? Guess that's why we've got all these fun perks," She grins and gives the hand wearing her Legion ring a stretch, "I haven't tried flying yet but it's on my to-do list."

"And please tell me you weren't at the mess hall eating in your helmet again," Connie teases, her own helmet resting on the bar a little ways down.

Flying is something Wash has managed to get the hang of relatively privately (or at least not in front of anyone he knows directly) - it's honestly why he took so long to get to the mess hall in the first place. "You have to try it, especially over the habitat deck. It's all patchwork, and it looks awesome."

He draws himself up just a little at the accusation. "No, I was at the mess hall running an errand for York." A beat. "I only had one banana while I was there." Somehow, the chef seemed to have expected that from him.

"If it's only one then I guess that's alright," she snickers as she picks up one of the files from the bar, a mini map showing which plot on Legion world York said was hers.

"I've been using my own new tricks to get around but it would be nice to try a fly by. And York says one those patches of green is mine."

"Hey, I earned that banana." He'd done York a favor, and seriously, this place is huge.

"Sounds like a plan." He takes a moment to send a ping to York's armor - milk's in the fridge, you're welcome - and heads for the door. "Do you know which one is yours?"

"I've got a map to it. Here, take a look, I'm going to grab some things for the road."

Connie stands and hands the file over, giving Wash's shoulder an affectionate nudge as she passes by towards the back of the bar. Hey, it's York's place right? Surely he won't mind if she sneaks out some booze and pokes around a bit- and wow York, really? Note to self, the fun dispenser in the back hall actually works. The handful of goods get shoved into one of her suit's compartments, the few bottles she'd swiped in a paper bag and she steps back over to where she'd left Wash.

"What did you get, by the way? For your super power thing?"

"Okay." He takes the file and nudges her back as she passes by. He can feel his face going bright red, and not for the first time he's grateful to have a visor to hide behind. She probably doesn't feel the same way, and he doesn't want to ruin a friendship, so he just needs to be cool about it. He can do that, right?

He busies himself with perusing the map in an attempt to do just that, turning it around to orient to where they're standing and what direction they'll be going. Connie's quick - she's back not long after he's gotten his bearings. "Power nullification and a healing factor, evidently," he says, pushing the door open for her. "What about you?"

"Holographic projection and short range teleportation," she answers as she swipes her helmet and the last of the files from the bar. As she turns, she pulls her helmet back on and follows Wash out through the door, "Sounds like we'd make a fun pair, huh?"

Connie can't remember the last time outside of Project Freelancer (other than Casbah, but that's because she literally can't remember it), when they all had some free time to spend together, without the Director's supervision. Most of the rise through the ranks with Wash had been a hard climb but they worked well together, both in a team and as friends. Really well. If this is the chance she's got to spend time with him without worry of protocol being called on then you bet she's going to hold on to it.

"You know where we're going?"

Oh, now that sounds like fun. "Hell yeah," he says, closing the door. "Can you imagine that mission? You get us there, I wipe out whatever powers anyone has, and then we wreck them. It'd be awesome."

His grin at the prospect of a superpowered mission falters a bit when Connie asks, but it's not like she can see it. "Kind of? I know we're going in this direction, and I think I flew over it coming back from the mess hall."

"And so long as I can stay out of the danger zone when you do the null I can keep running interference or distraction. We'd be in and out in no time," Connie chuckles, "We should try it some time."

She nods, giving the map another glance to try and follow Wash's directions, "We're not in any rush, and it'll be nice to see what everyone else has set up on the way. ...You'll have to lead me through the flying, though. I mean- do you just do it?"

"We should." He's excited now, considering the possibilities as he walks. "Maybe after we find your part of the deck, we can see if any missions have come up."

Oh hell flying lessons. He's only just gotten the hand of this - he's in no position to teach, and yet here they are. "Um. Kind of? You think about what you want to do and concentrate a little." He demonstrates, activating the flight ring and hovering about a foot off the ground. Okay, check for a moment: he's pretty sure he's stable, so he offers Connie a hand. "Also, go slow. Evidently crashing hurts."

"Sure. And if not, we can always practice together."

O-kay, so just concentrate on what she wants to do? Connie watches as Wash rises smoothly into the air with little to no change on the outside. Hesitating a moment, she sets the bag of bottles on the ground and then takes his hand. If she messed up he wouldn't laugh at her or hold it against her.

"Just think about flying, huh?" she gives his fingers a squeeze and draws in a breath. C'mon Connie, think happy thoughts. As her flight ring activates she jerks upwards unexpectedly, throwing her a little off balance as she leans against Wash to steady herself.

"Whoa-!"

"Yeah- whoa!" Wash wraps an arm around Connie as she leans against him, almost without thinking, trying to steady her. Okay. Okay, she's good, they're both good, and he is bright red again and trying really hard not to think about it. "You okay?"

Then, after a few moments: "Do you want me to carry the bottles? Since I've had some practice?"

"I'm fine," she answers with a bit of a flustered chuckle, feeling the warmth start to rise in her cheeks as she leans up enough tap her helmet to his. It's the closest he'll get to a kiss on the cheek until they get to her hab.

"That's probably a good idea, thanks Wash."

He knows exactly what that helmet tap means.

What.

What.

Okay, no, be cool, be cool, he needs to be cool, how the fuck does York make this look so easy?!

At least landing and grabbing the bottles gives him something to do with his everything. "No problem. I, uh, think it's this way."

Flight is mostly uneventful, and it gives Wash a little time to try to get his head together. He has no idea if Connie's flirting or if she meant it or what, and he doesn't want to get ahead of himself or ruin anything, so he needs to just...just...

It's a lot easier to think 'be cool' than it is to actually do it.

But he's mostly calmed down - mostly - by the time they land in a wooded area near a small house. "This is it. I think. Does it look familiar?"

Connie lets slip away from her to grab the bottles, her attention shifting from the nerves bubbling in her stomach to the novelty of flight. This could be so very useful with the teleporting. If...well, if things don't go as well with Wash as she hoped at least there's an easy training opportunity she can fall back on.

Wash was right though, the view of all the different habitats stitched together in a multicolour quilt was beautiful. As they descend towards the small building beside the sparkling waters of a lake, she's already pulling her helmet off to catch a breath of the air here.

Cool, a little damp but crisp and fresh. Connie scans their surroundings as her feet sink into the soft earth; thick trunks surrounding the cottage, the sound of the water lapping at the shore nearby.

"Yeah...I mean, it feels right," she murmurs, pulling her attention away from the scenery to the house. If it's really hers, then she'd be able to get in, right? A smile flashes across her face as she reaches for the door and spots the locks and alarms programmed into it.

As she leans in to work through the code and programming she chuckles, "This definitely feels like my kind of place."

She certainly seems right at home. Huh. Maybe Wash should ask York what his future self set up as a habitat and take a look. That blank space he'd found when he'd gone digging in Legion World's records couldn't be right, could it?

"Good." A beat. "Let me know if you need help with anything." Another beat. "I mean, it's not that I don't think you can do it, I'm just offering." That wasn't awkward at all.

"Dork," Connie calls over her shoulder with a chuckle as the lock clears and the door opens. Scooping up her helmet from where she'd set it down she pushes in past the door and takes a quick glance around. Seems like a decently set up place, if this was really hers then she's more than happy to call dibs on all of it.

"Loosen up a bit, Wash. If we're gonna stick around and take it easy we might as well settle in."

She tips her head towards the living space, leaving the door open as invitation and she heads further in to find somewhere to leave her armour as she works on unfastening the metal plating. Even if they did move on, this would be a more convenient ~~and private base of operations than York's dive bar.~~

"At least I offered." He can't keep the indignance up for too terribly long, but that won't stop him from using it in the first place.

He follows her in, closing the door behind him and taking a look around. "This is nice. Is it based on anywhere you know?"

"Mn..." She makes a thoughtful noise as she sets her pieces of her armour aside.

"I used to be on the road a lot, ended up doing a lot of camping out along the way. This is pretty much my ideal location for it."

With a soft grunt she pulls her chest plate off, setting it aside with the other pieces as she gives the cabin a longer once over. It looked comfortable...not exactly homey, but it also looked secure. Looks like she stays a little paranoid in future years.

"Yeah, I can see me living here a while," she says with a satisfied smile before her gaze shifts back over to Wash, "How about you?

He crosses to the couch near the edge of the room and tentatively takes a seat, hoping it's sturdy enough to handle the weight of the armor. It creaks once in protest but quickly settles. Good - the last thing he wants to do is break her furniture.

"Makes sense." A beat. "Um, here? I guess...I mean, I don't think I'm doing anything today, so..." He shrugs. If she wants him to stick around, he doesn't see any reason not to.

Connie bites back a chuckle as he takes a seat and the resulting warning creak from the sofa. Once she's got the last of her armour off and set aside she steps up to the sofa to join him, pausing in front of him a moment.

"We don't have to stay in," she says, reaching forward to give his chest plate a light tap, "but if we are, don't you think you're a little over dressed?"

What-

What-

Wash's mind goes blank at that tap and those words. He can feel his cheeks going red, heat spreading from his face to his ears and down his neck. Is she- she couldn't be- but she'd kissed him earlier- okay kind of but still- is she-

"Define 'staying in,'" he manages, voice not nearly as level as he'd like it to be.

Oh, Wash. Connie doesn't bother with words as she reaches for his helmet, fingers unlocking the clasps there to gently pull it off of his head. His blush suggests he knows exactly her definition of 'staying in', but best she make sure they're on the same page. His helmet held to her chest with one arm, the other lifts to cup Wash's cheek as Connie leans in to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"Just you and me," she murmurs, her own cheeks growing rosy as she strokes her thumb across the edge of his jaw, "If you want to."

This is happening. This is actually happening. He'd wanted to say something, to do something, for what feels like forever, but there was fraternization and not ruining a friendship and he just never- but she's initiating, she invited him, and he's pretty sure he's not dreaming, and-

It says something that this is somehow less believable to Wash than being in the superpowered space future. But it's what he's wanted for a good long while, and it's what Connie wants, and he- he-

Goddamn but he's lucky, isn't he.

"I really do," he finally manages, sliding his fingertips up the back of her next and turning his head to kiss her fully.

They'd always worked well together, but on the ship or on missions they were always being watched. Even on leave, they'd be hard pressed to get away from their fellow Freelancers, and the gossip would spread far too quickly if they would try to initiate something. But here? They've finally got a little privacy and time, enough for her to let her guard down for a while and enjoy his attention.

She grins as he turns to answer her kiss with his own, a mixture of relief and excitement rising in her like steam. It's been far too long since she allowed herself this kind of happiness. Drawing back with a soft chuckle she lingers close, setting aside his helmet as her hand slides down the curve of his neck to his chest plate to give it another playful tap.

"You're still over dressed."

They'd kissed, and she'd smiled, and Wash hadn't woken up. At this point, that's good enough for him, and he returns that grin with one of his own. His brain is still lagging a bit, stumbling over the fact that this is happening in the first place, but it's catching up pretty quickly and now he's excited. "Give me a minute," he says, already working on the clasps in his armor. They've all gotten good at getting in and out of armor at record speed - a literal minute is all he needs now that he's motivated.

Connie nods, stealing another quick kiss before she takes a step back and towards the bedroom. She pauses at the small pile of her armour, remembering the unexpected handful of goodies she'd picked up at York's bar and sorts through the pieces to find the pouch she'd shoved them into. In the small amount of time it took for her to do that, Wash is already almost done with his armour; and she'd be lying if Wash's enthusiasm for her wasn't a great ego boost.

Pushing open the door of the bedroom- her bedroom, she glances back to Wash with a smile, extending a hand out for him.

True to his word, it only takes Wash a minute to get completely out of his armor. Of course, it's in an untidy pile that he's going to have to sort through and organize later, but that's later and the now is a lot more exciting.

He takes Connie's hand and follows her into the bedroom, closing the door behind them and pressing a kiss to her cheek. He's so lucky - he's so, so ridiculously lucky - but he'll have plenty of time to think about that later. Right now, there's Connie, and that's more than enough for him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Moonlight and Magnolia [Closed]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject