Movie Night VI: Direct to DVD

[unrecovered]

Who| Wash and anyone who wants to join
What| Movie night!
Where| The same lounge it's always in
When| After Time Ripples, Mind Slayer, and Wash Dies At The End
Warnings/Notes| Yet another classic!

It's been an odd few weeks, to say the least. Wash barely waits to be out of the hospital before he heads to the lounge to set up a movie night. He's had a request for a classic, and he'd managed to get in an order for the film before everything had gone batshit insane, so it's already arrived and he's just about ready to go.

The usual snacks and drinks are set up, along with a few mugs and goblets that are a little closer to theme. There's also the usual sofas and couches, draped with blankets and with bean bag chairs strewn around around the room. The usual sign hangs outside the door, with the movie's MPAA rating and a brief summary of the movie's plot, along with the usual note: Movie night is neutral territory.

The movie tonight, of course, is The Princess Bride.

Comments

[unrecovered]

Judging from the look on Locus' face, this whole affair had been a surprise to him, which means that either their talk had been misinterpreted or they hadn't talked at all and York had just made assumptions. "Did you ask him what he wants, or did you just assume?"

[goddamngrenades]

"Assumptions were made." He slumps against the wall, grimacing. He used to be good at this shit. What the he'll happened? First matter. "Won't happen again."

Whatever conclusion he'd come to had been five kinds of wrong, again. Story of his life. "I'll get."

Because the only recourse now is to bail. Locus needs this space more than he does; he can hang back at his habitat or do monitor duty or- anything but go back in that room m

[unrecovered]

Uh-huh. That's what he'd thought.

Wash pushes York back against the wall again, because he is not bailing on the situation if Wash has anything to say about it. "Like hell you are. You're going to walk back in there, sit next to Locus - not on him, next to him - apologize for making assumptions, and then fucking talk to him like I've been telling you to do for days!"

He's keeping the volume down, which means the intensity has gone up. Wash is not taking no for an answer at this point.

[goddamngrenades]

"Why in the fuck are you so invested?!" He's allowed to be done, isn't he? He's allowed to try and save face our dignity or what the fuck ever it is that had his stomach clenching at the idea of doing this fucking dance all over again.

"Why do you get to want to be done with your shit, but not me? I'm done. Let me be done." Not a damn thing is gonna be gained by throwing himself in the altar of bad choices yet again.

[unrecovered]

"Because I'm tired of seeing my friends get fucked up over stupid, easily fixed bad decisions, and I've already dealt with my shit." Not that anyone knows about the conversation he and Chief had, but that'll get out eventually. He has other priorities right now. "Now it's your turn."

[goddamngrenades]

"Choosing to not get involved isn't stupid, it's self preservation." He's not entirely worried about Locus alone in this particular kerfuffle. "Choosing to walk away is dealing with it. This is me walking away-"

Or. Well. It would be if Wash didn't have him pinned and that is easily fixable in five or six ways that'd ensure they never fucking talk again and as annoyed as he is right now? Not the desired end goal. "...This is me trying to walk away. Let me go."

[unrecovered]

"Self-preservation at the cost of what, Locus' stability?" It's a low blow, but that's where they are right now. "You're not walking away - you're running. You walked in, made an assumption, fucked up, and now you want to run away from the consequences and leave Locus to figure shit out on his own? Like hell. You're going to go back in there and deal with the mess you made like a goddamn adult, not because I'm telling you to, but because Locus is your friend and he deserves better from you."

[goddamngrenades]

That earns a full body flinch. It's- well, okay, it's not untrue. Attempting to detach himself from the situation at all at this point is not only impossible but real fucking stupid. Combined with a neat little layout of how he used to operate (still, apparently, does operate) like agent Fuck Truck York (the guy he wants not to be more than anything)-

Yeah that. That's a fucking thing.

"...then this is me trying to walk back in- let me go?" Because as much as he loves this talk (he doesn't) He's not about to push Wash away, literally or figuratively.

[unrecovered]

Well. That looked painful.

Evidently it was effective, though, so. Worth it, at least for now. Wash drops his grip on York and steps aside, putting himself between York and escape and leaving York an easy path back into the lounge. He makes an after you gesture and waits.

[goddamngrenades]

Right.

Time to face the music. Or. Whatever. Taylor scrubs a hand through his hair and grumbles something along the lines of 'I am a god damned moron' under his breath before he pushes away from the wall. Right. Walking in like nothing happened isn't easy but hey. He can swing it.

Sitting next to Locus with an extra few inches of breathing room is also doable. Talking? Not so much.

"So...I made an assumption and acted like a jackass. Won't happen again." Well, it might, but he'll try. "We cool?"

[unrecovered]

Wash follows York in, comes close enough to hear what York is saying, and...he's treating the start of a conversation like it's the end of a conversation. Looks like someone didn't quite get the memo.

So Wash walks behind the couch, obviously heading to the snack table to finish up his interrupted work, and casually but purposefully whacks the back of York's head with the flat of his hand along the way. Shape up, asshole.

[agnominal]

Locus is still unclear as to what's happening. He's seen glimpses from a distance, and he definitely notices when Wash gives York a good whack across the back of the head, but for the most part? He just looks annoyed. Frustrated. Disappointed, maybe? There are traces of each, none really stronger than the others.

"I don't know. Are we?" Those gray-green eyes focus on York where he's slouched, looking like a reprimanded schoolboy.

[goddamngrenades]

"Fucked if I know." When in doubt: Be honest. Honestly he has no goddamn idea where they stand and is just as lost as he had been when Locus leaned in all intent 'oh no wait something is in your hair' some time ago. It's.

Uncomfortable. Taylor tends to do what he can to avoid being uncomfortable, it's not his bag, could they not? They should not. "I was trying to skip the awkward shit and in doing so- made shit more awkward."

Yay Agent York. Jazzhands. He legit does jazzhands weakly before letting them flop to his lap.

[agnominal]

"So you were just trying to smooth things over."

That's...vaguely disappointing, in a way. Maybe he's reading it wrong, but if it's anything like York's normal behavior, it's akin to the way he smiles and jokes to cover up discomfort or sadness. Loneliness. Anything that bothers him.

This bothers him. He wouldn't be uncomfortable otherwise.

[goddamngrenades]

"Uh. Yeah? Yeah. I don't like feeling like I've made you uncomfortable or upset or. Anything." And he had, has, has been for some time apparently. "And I upset you that day at my place."

And he hates that he did and hates that now all these thoughts are swirling and this is why he wanted to avoid talking. Shit still feels awkward and stilted.

[agnominal]

"You didn't."

Locus let out a breath, some of the tension in his shoulders loosening. Well, now that he knows that and he's been let down as much as he's going to be, it's easier to explain. There's no pressure involved since, well. York said it himself. It had all been to make things less awkward.

If he wants things to be as they were, they can do that. Washington had been wrong, after all.

"I...assumed too much. After what happened on the beach. It was my fault."

[goddamngrenades]

"And I made assumptions...here. Just now." Clearly. Wait, this seems a little.

Flipped around?

Delta's going nuts in the back of his head at any rate and he's trying to be better about listening to him when things get murky. "What did you think I was doing?"

[agnominal]

"Just now?"

Locus's brow furrows, and he gives a vague sort of shrug. "Distracting from the discomfort of the situation, I thought. Just...not in a way I was expecting."

Because York suddenly assuming they were anything, on his own, and then acting as if they'd already had the conversation and launching into full boyfriend-mode? Hadn't been on the list of things he'd come to expect. Maybe it should have been.

[goddamngrenades]

"You're not wrong." That'd been the idea. Cut through the discomfort and awkward and jump right into snuggling. Easy, right? Apparently not. He sighs, slumping back against the sofa, grinding the heel of his hand into his bad eye. "Can we just...pretend I didn't do that and go on like I hadn't made an ass of myself?"

Cuz that'd be nice. For once.

[agnominal]

"Of course."

He doesn't want to hold onto it, or hold it over his head, or make things more uncomfortable than they already are. Quietly he takes a breath, then shifts his arm on the couch.

Making the usual amount of room on the couch for York to slump against him, as he is wont to do.

"We should watch the movie. And afterwords...we should talk." He pauses, then furrows his brow slightly. "That sounded slightly more ominous than I intended, I will admit."

[goddamngrenades]

It's easy to fall into the habit of settling close, cheek tipped to Locus' shoulder. Like this is normal (it is), like this is how they are (it really is), like there's nothing scary on the horizon.

Then, of course, those words and even with Locus being self aware, he groans. "We built our friendship on not talking about shit, remember?"

Manfully ignoring things.

[agnominal]

"I'm fairly certain if we do not, Agent Washington will find a way to lock us in a room until we do."

Tell him it's not true, York. Go on.

[goddamngrenades]

"Fine. I reserve the right to olly out if we get an audience." Because again- no thank you. This shit is awkward enough without other people paying attention.

[agnominal]

"Which is why I suggested talking after the movie." Easier to slip away out of sight, and less of a chance of Washington looming over them, grading them on the adequacy of their ability to talking Feelings at each other.

Better to do this under less stressful circumstances, if at all possible.

[goddamngrenades]

"Wash has an concerning level of interest in your adjustment that boarders on projection. If I didn't know better I'd say he wanted to date you, but I know better, so." By a hair. By the thinnest of a hairs he knows better. "I'm half convinced he'll find a way to listen in on us anyway."