[Room 372]

[mr_gaeta]

[After this.]

"Okay," says Gaeta -- out of breath, as always, from the climb up the stairs -- as he shoulders open the door. The bird immediately weaves around him and darts in, plocking happily at its return to its new nest.

Once it became obvious that Gaeta would be a permanent resident, Bar kindly supplied a few additions and expansions to his room: a kitchenette, a couch and TV, a small bookshelf, a wooden partition to separate his bed from everything else. It looks more like a studio apartment now than the hotel atmosphere of most Milliways rooms.

Stepping aside as best he's able, he holds the door so Louis can come in.

Comments

[faithful_lt]

He stays quiet and still for what feels like a long time, breathing carefully, not letting himself think about -- well, anything, as much as he can.



Eventually he notices that the bird is watching them with beady-eyed avian suspicion, and shifts a little, preparing to ease back a bit.

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta lifts his head from Louis' shoulder, starting to pull back a fraction in kind.

It's not until the bird lets out a meaningful, "Plock," that he glances over to see what's going on. It's planted its feet, features ruffled up again to make it looks like even more of an oversized puffball, head cocked as it stares at Louis.

What? That hug could be a precursor to strangling his nestmate! WHO KNOWS THIS HUMAN'S INTENTIONS.

[faithful_lt]

"I don't know what that means, but it doesn't sound friendly," he observes.

[mr_gaeta]

Neither does the way its snaps its beak as soon as Louis is done speaking.

Gaeta sighs, a weird knot of frustration and gratitude forming in his chest. Adding to the things he know he can't say: I think it's just looking out for me.

"Bird," he says instead, "stop it. Be nice."

[faithful_lt]

If it's possible for a bird to look skeptical, this one does. It shakes itself, fluffing out its feathers, and lowers its head in their direction.

Or, more precisely, in Hoshi's direction.

"Um."

[mr_gaeta]

"Bird," snaps Gaeta. It jerks its head up, feathers smoothing flat; Gaeta sighs agan and pulls all the way back from Louis, hobbling to the creature's side. "It's okay. I'm fine."

He rearranges his crutches enough to offer a hand. After a grudging second, it cranes up to bump its beak against his fingers.

[faithful_lt]

"Guess he doesn't think much of me."

[mr_gaeta]

"Don't worry about it," mumbles Gaeta, not looking at Louis. "He's probably just..."

He trails off for a beat, letting the bird continue to nose his hand.

"We were shouting pretty loud."

[faithful_lt]

"Yeah."

Where it's left them, however, is something he's not sure about.

[mr_gaeta]

Neither is Gaeta, from the look of it.

"Come on," he murmurs to the bird, and hobbles back toward the bed. It follows willingly; as soon as Gaeta's seated, it makes a beeline for the posts to haul itself up.

[faithful_lt]

He hesitates where he is for several seconds.

"We... said a lot," he begins, finally.

"Maybe we should... think about it for a while."

[mr_gaeta]

"Yeah."

He knots his fingers together, resting them in his lap.

"How -- " The words stick in his throat. "How long were you thinking?"

[faithful_lt]

He spreads both hands, helplessly.

"A couple of weeks, maybe?"

[mr_gaeta]

Not months. Not something permanent. He hasn't frakked up so badly to warrant that.

Yet, mutters a voice in the back of his mind.

Gaeta hesitates before managing a nod. No louder: "All right."

[faithful_lt]

Hoshi studies him for a few seconds.

"Are you sure?"

[mr_gaeta]

He swallows.

"Honestly? No," he admits. "But this isn't about what I want."

[faithful_lt]

He lets out a quiet breath.




"Humor me," he says, after a few seconds of silence. "Answer me this: what do you want?"

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta looks down.

"Everything, or just specifically related to us?"

[faithful_lt]

A tiny, rueful smile flickers for a second.


"Let's stick with the latter for now."

[mr_gaeta]

Even though he can't see Louis' smile, Gaeta unconsciously mirrors it: humorless, there and gone.

"I don't want you to go," he says after a moment. "I've always -- " He wipes the pad of his thumb over his eyes again. "It's always been easier when you're here. And I frakked up, and I don't know how to stop frakking up, but I just -- "

Finally, he looks up.

"I don't want you to leave me."

[faithful_lt]

He starts to say something, then stops; starts again, then stops a second time, without managing a single word.

Finally, he sighs, and moves to sit beside Felix on the bed - although not without a wary look at the bird, who's eyeing him from its position on Felix's other side.

"I don't want to leave you," Hoshi says, finally. "I want us to find a way through this - all of this, the whole frakking mess."

"That's thing one."

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta's full attention stays on Louis as he returns to the bed. This time, he doesn't look away.

Thing one implies he has more to say; silently, he nods, and waits for Louis to go on.

[faithful_lt]

"Thing two..."

He takes a deep breath, and faces Felix straight on.

"I can't always be here. I have to go back to Galactica, every day, to stand my duty. I'm not going to abandon my post."

[mr_gaeta]

"No, I know," he's quick to say, even if the words have thickened slightly from tears. "I know. I wouldn't ask you to do that."

Gaeta never abandoned his post, either.

[faithful_lt]

He nods.

"Okay."

Silence hangs over them like a curtain for several seconds.

"Although this time differential really fraks that up more than... well."