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[braveoff]

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[requiemshark]

[ In some ways, it’s like being back home. Knowing that one of his team was there to watch his back, to stand guard while he slept. They always curled up together, fuck what anyone else said. Even in armor, they wanted that closeness. Needed it. Something human in the aftermath.

Like now. Like this. He nods slowly, curling against Drake. ]

Okay.

[ He still feels scraped raw, scoured, but exhaustion does it’s work. He sleeps, in the end. Restlessly, uneasily, but he sleeps. ]

[braveoff]

[ Drake manages to sleep, too, finally, with Sharkface in his arms. When he wakes up they're cuddled close against each other, the other man half using him as a pillow. He can feel Sharkface stirring and shifts onto his side with a contented sigh so that they're facing each other. Still pressed close, legs tangled, one arm draped over his waist.

He bends his other arm up and brushes Sharkface's bangs away from his good eye, and just... looks at him. How peaceful he seems in this moment. Drake wishes it would last, but maybe he can still make this a good day. Make up for some of the awfulness that he's been through. ]

[requiemshark]

[ There might be dreams. Sharkface doesn’t remember them, though. Not this time. He shifts, still fuzzy from sleep, and instinctively presses closer to Drake. Seeking warmth, closeness. The sort of comfort he’d almost forgotten. He exhales and opens his good eye slowly, blinking.

Oh. ]

Hey.

[ His voice is soft. And it occurs to Sharkface then that the only time he’s slept in a bed in years, literal goddamn years, is with Drake. ]

[braveoff]

[ Drake smiles at him, perfectly content with his snuggling closer. ]

Morning.

[ It's hard to tell, with how dark and stormy it is outside, but there is some light coming in through the half-drawn curtains. Drake rubs his hand along Sharkface's back, making no move to disentangle from him just yet. ]

You sleep okay?

[requiemshark]

[ It feels good. Sharkface shifts a little, wondering at that. His joints are aching with familiar pains, but there's a tenderness to his wrists that's all new. But the hand on his back feels nice, gentle, and he likes how it feels to press close. To feel Drake next to him, solid and strong. ]

Yeah. Didn't even dream.

[braveoff]

Good.

[ He keeps stroking Sharkface's back, even as he stretches a little. Working out the morning stiffness. ]

You hungry?

[requiemshark]

[ Sharkface rolls his shoulders, considering. Then, to his own surprise: ]

Yeah.

[ He hadn't thought he'd have an appetite after the night before. But he does. ]

[braveoff]

Okay. Gimmie a minute and I'll get up...

[ He's enjoying the morning cuddles, and still kind of waking up. ]

How do you feel about pancakes?

[requiemshark]

[ Sharkface pauses a moment. Then he huffs and smiles. ]

I like 'em. You got the stuff to make 'em?

[braveoff]

Yeah, I should have everything. And bacon, I'm pretty sure.

[ He'll make a big breakfast. Maybe teach Sharkface to flip a pancake. It'll be nice, he just needs to get out of bed... ]

This is me getting up.

[ He presses their foreheads together for a moment, then reels his arm back and rolls over so he can sit up. It sucks and he's going into cuddle withdrawal already, but breakfast is important. ]

Try not to fall back to sleep.

[ And with that he pushes himself out of bed, raking his hair back as he pads barefoot out to the kitchen to start cooking. Coffee first. ]

[requiemshark]

Mhmph.

[ Sharkface flexes his fingers, working the ache out. There's a part of him that wants to ask Drake just to stay in bed and they can lie next to each other and just be, but he's hungry and he figures Drake is, too. He pushes himself up a little, dragging hand down his face. And Drake said he could stay, but -

Nah. Time to get up.

Sharkface exhales and heads into the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He looks tired. As expected, really. But still alive.

That matters.

He pads out into the kitchen, reaching for the cup with his eye to wash it out. ]

Can I help? I'm a shit cook, but -

[ He waves his hand vaguely. He can follow directions, at least? ]

[braveoff]

[ Drake's got coffee brewing and all the ingredients out, and is currently measuring flour for the pancake batter. He glances over his shoulder and gives Sharkface a bright smile -- he was hopeful that the other man would want to help. ]

You can learn. Let me get it ready and I'll show you.

[requiemshark]

[ Sharkface smiles a little, moving over to the sink to rinse his eye out before popping it back in. He feels - better, he thinks. Closer to human in the aftermath. ]

Sure. I can do that.

[braveoff]

[ The batter comes together quickly, and Drake turns the heat on the stove. ]

So the best way to tell if the pan is hot enough is to flick some water on it -- if it bubbles up and dances, we're good.

[ It doesn't take long before they get to that point. Drake motions Sharkface over and demonstrates pouring one scoop of pancake batter, then passes him the scoop. ]

Go ahead.

[requiemshark]

[ He watches curiously. Barrows always cooked for the team. Took over the task religiously and so Sharkface never really learned anything beyond wrangling MREs. But he tends to learn new things quick and this doesn't look all that complicated.

Besides. He likes pancakes. Sharkface nods, then takes the scoop and pours out some batter. Careful not to get too much. It's a little lopsided, but more or less pancake shaped. ]

Like that?

[braveoff]

Yup.

[ Drake loops an arm around Sharkface's waist, resting his chin on the other man's shoulder and watching the pan. ]

Now we wait for the edges to bubble and start looking dry, that means they're ready to flip. If they're too brown on the other side we just turn the heat down.

[requiemshark]

[ The gesture feels almost natural, Drake coming up behind him and looping an arm around Sharkface's waist. Not hard. Not enough to pin him, or hurt him. Later, Sharkface will wonder why he didn't flinch. He stiffens a little, then reminds himself to breathe. And perhaps strangely, it's okay. He supposes they've earned this. This closeness.

He nods again, watching. ]

Doesn't sound too hard.

[braveoff]

[ Drake waits patiently for the other man to relax into the touch, smiling when he does. They can have this, this closeness. It can just be something nice, something good in the midst of all this... everything Duplicity throws at them. ]

It's not. You've got this. I'll watch for these first two so you know what to look for, then pancakes are your job.

[ He also has eggs and bacon set out, he'll be making those on the other burner. ]

[requiemshark]

[ Sharkface nods slowly, watching the batter. Barrows would have done this back home, he thinks, and fights back a pang of sadness. He thinks Barrows and Drake would have gotten along. ]

All right. Teamwork.

[braveoff]

[ They just stand like that for a little while, Drake lazily cuddling Sharkface while they watch pancake batter cook. It's not exciting, but it's close to a perfect morning for Drake. And soon enough they're looking like they're ready to flip. He reaches around Sharkface with his free hand to grab the spatula. ]

Okay, here's the fun part. You want to move quick, small sharp movements.

[ He flips the first pancake and hands Sharkface the spatula for him to try the other. ]

Go ahead.

[requiemshark]

[ Quick and sharp. All right. Sharkface watches Drake, eyes half-lidded. Content in a way he hasn't felt for a while. It's not that he's forgotten last night. Can't forget that shit. But he feels -

Human. Safe. A rare thing. ]

All right. Here goes nothing.

[ He takes the spatula and does his best to copy Drake's gesture. It's a little clumsy, but he doesn't squish the pancake and it ends up flipped. A little ragged, but still passable. ]

[braveoff]

Congratulations, you can cook.

[ Anyone can be taught! It's pretty good for a first try, honestly. Drake turns his head and kisses the side of Sharkface's neck before pulling back to start on the other components. ]

Just give them a minute before you start checking the bottom, they should pull off the pan on their own when they're ready.

[ He cracks an egg into the other pan and just like that, they're making breakfast together. It's ridiculously domestic, and makes him stupidly happy. ]

[requiemshark]

[ He huffs, cracking a faint smile. ]

Shit. Guess I can.

[ Or at least he's not completely hopeless when it comes to learning. Hey, there are worse things. They're making breakfast. They're going to have breakfast together. ]

Thanks. For this. For showing me.

[braveoff]

Of course. It's fun once you get the hang of it, I really like cooking.

[ Especially when he has someone to feed. ]

I should go for groceries at some point today... and do you need any of your stuff from the Down? We can go pick up your clothes and art supplies. And you should probably tell Lakshmi you're here, so she doesn't worry.

[requiemshark]

[ Yeah. That. Sharkface doesn't answer immediately, watching the pancakes as they start to bubble. Not quite yet, he thinks. Give it another moment. ]

She's gone.

[ It's said simply. It's not like she died - or maybe it is like she died. But it cannot be changed, and there's no one he can track down and hurt to avenge the the wound.

He misses her. She made sense to him. He thinks they were forged in similar ways, walked similar paths. ]