[Room 372]

[mr_gaeta]

[Shortly after this.]

Soup seems like a good idea tonight. It's warm, and comforting, and doesn't need a hell of a lot of work to turn out well.

Gaeta dumps all the ingredients into the biggest pot he owns, dropping it on the stove's back burner to let it simmer for a couple hours. Gogo hasn't strayed far from his side since they left the bar; when Gaeta gives up and opts to sit on the kitchen floor, rather than take a proper seat at the table, the dodo scoots closer with all seeming intention to climb into his lap.

"No," he murmurs, pushing him back a little. "Stay there."

Gogo cocks his head, as if considering the request, then thumps down next to him and sets his beak on Gaeta's shoulder. Gaeta has to crane his chin back to make room for Gogo's head; with a defeated sigh, he draws an arm around the bird to ground himself a little further.

He can breathe. The anger hasn't ebbed back as far as he thought -- a meal that doesn't require much work means he can spend more time replaying the conversation in his head -- but the tension isn't as bad. Even if his palm hurts like all frak, he didn't do anything worse than sling a few insults Javert's way.

Gaeta still wouldn't mind staying on the floor a little while longer.

Comments

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta chokes in surprise, burying his face against Louis to stifle whatever strangled noise wants to come out.

"Um," he manages after a second, muffled. "No, I'm, ah...I'm pretty sure it's not that, sweetheart."

Like. At all.

[faithful_lt]

"No?"

He pulls back just enough to peer down at Felix.

[mr_gaeta]

Still muffled by Louis' shoulder: "Not even close."

It's less like hair pulling and more like trying to knife someone in a back alley, as far as Gaeta can tell.

[faithful_lt]

"Okay," he concedes.

It's Felix who's met the guy, after all.

"Maybe jealous of something about us, then. Something he doesn't have in his own life."

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta looks up at the okay, but before Louis even finishes, he shakes his head.

"Sounded to me like he was pretty glad not to have it in his life," he says. Briefly, he presses his lips together in thought. "Have you...met anyone here who's been offended by the idea of two men sleeping together?"

[faithful_lt]

Hoshi blinks.

"Uh, no."

A beat.

"Offended?"

[mr_gaeta]

"For religious reasons." Dry. "Again. It's weird, I just -- "

That's the only descriptor he can grasp: weird. Strange. Absurd in a way that, for whatever reason, feels like it goes far beyond Milliways' usual absurdity.

With another sigh, "I don't get it. He wouldn't explain beyond quoting his religious text at me."

[faithful_lt]

"He was preaching at you?"

Another piece falls into place, and Hoshi frowns suddenly.

"Wait, that's not -- you're not saying that he was blaming us being together for the war?"

[mr_gaeta]

"No." Swiftly. "Gods no. It was more..."

He cycles his free hand, grasping for the idea. (It's the hand bearing fingernail marks on the palm, still visible, starting to bruise.)

"Another insult on top of a few more he'd already said. Or another crime on the list, maybe."

[faithful_lt]

"And he unloaded all of it on you."

His expression is beginning to harden, even as he reaches for Felix's injured hand.

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta lets him catch his hand without complaint. The wince he stifles comes more from Louis noticing the marks than any true pain.

"He was drunk," he tries to argue. "And frankly, the guy's an asshole even when he's sober. It wasn't that bad -- "

[faithful_lt]

"Bad enough," he disagrees, and presses a gentle kiss to Felix's injured palm.

"I'm sorry, baby."

[mr_gaeta]

He shakes his head. Softer, "It's not anything."

Gaeta isn't quite aware of how he sounds: trying to convince Louis, but trying to convince himself as well.

[faithful_lt]

Hoshi is, however, and it only adds to his growing determination.

"Mm. What was his name?"

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta catches the look in Louis' eye. He hesitates.

"Javert," he says. "But it's not worth it, Louis. You don't have to do anything."

[faithful_lt]

"I know."

He smiles, and it's sincere.

"I know, baby. You can take care of yourself, and compared to any of the old stories, I'd make a rotten hero. But given everything, I'd kind of like to keep an eye out for this guy, you know?"

[mr_gaeta]

A tentative smile finds its way back to Gaeta's face.

"Yeah," he murmurs. "I know."

Beat.

"And may I say, in my one hundred percent unbiased opinion, that you'd make a fine hero?"

[faithful_lt]

"Oh, completely unbiased, I'm sure."

He leans in to kiss Felix's cheek.

"Anything else I should know about this Javert guy? Or the insults he was throwing at you?"

Why would be one thing he'd really love to know, but from what he's managed to gather so far, Felix himself may not even be sure.

[mr_gaeta]

The smile falters a little. "I know it's not worth it," he murmurs again. "But he has this..."

Gaeta shrugs.

"He's very concerned with right and wrong, and how they're both absolutes with nothing in between. And I think he's trying to do what he considers right, even if the execution's pretty terrible."

His smile, now, has barely any humor to it.

"Sound like somebody you know?"

[faithful_lt]

Hoshi freezes.





"Oh, Felix." He raises his free hand to touch Felix's hair, then shapes his fingers to the curve of the other man's face.

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta leans into the touch, unconsciously.

"It's infuriating trying to talk to him." Quiet. "But I still want him to turn out okay. You know?"

[faithful_lt]

"I understand," he murmurs.

"You're a good man, Felix Gaeta. Don't you ever forget that."

[mr_gaeta]

He huffs out a small laugh. Fondly: "Now who's biased."

He still doesn't feel like a good man, most days. It's getting easier, and better, but it's not like either can erase what he did -- either on New Caprica or Galactica.

[faithful_lt]

"Gogo."


Hearing his name, the dodo looks up and emits an inquiring 'plock'.

[mr_gaeta]

"Clearly." Even closer to laughter, as he stretches out a hand to rub Gogo's neck. "I could never enlist him as a lab assistant."