Soul Mates

[thelastbecket]

Raleigh can't get his head on straight. He's reeling from experiencing Yancy's death all over again, Mako's own trauma, and the confrontation with the Marhsall afterwards. He's off kilter, can hardly see the dome around him for the mess that's going on in his brain. He retreats back to his room feeling sick and overwhelmed. He's got to get himself together if he's ever going to figure out a way to get Pentecost to let Mako back into Gipsy with him. It was his fault, he was surprised and off guard. She would never have chased the RABIT without that.

He lays face down on the bed wondering if he could smother the mess in his mind.


{{cont. from: http://bakerstreet.dreamwidth.org/1351973.html?thread=784644389#cmt784644389 }}

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[suicidemission]

The kiss stings his lips and he sort of clutches at Raleigh for a moment, gripping his arms tight and kissing him back fiercly, like it's the first and last time he'll ever get to do it.

And, y'know, it may well be.

"Yeah, mate," he says, cocky as ever but Raleigh would know there's the faintest tremor in his tone.

"See ya round."

And he goes, and he follows orders because that's what he does, what he's good at but then Cherno and Crimson go down and it's just them, just them fighting. They've got this though - until they don't and they're sitting fucking duck's and Chuck is Scared.

Becket.

[thelastbecket]

Raleigh can feel it all. Chuck's rage, and by extension some of Herc's when they're told to hold back. The decision they make to go for it anyway, just like he and Yancy had, and he's got confidence in them. They're the best and they can do it, but then Cherno and Crimson are gone, so easily, and Striker's dead in the water.

Chuck's fear is like a vice around Raleigh's heart and he's already suiting up when the Marshall says they're going to drop.

We're coming. Mako and I are coming in Gipsy. Just-hang on Chuck. We'll be there.

[suicidemission]

We're dead in the water, mate. Dad's hurt.

Chuck's voice in Raleigh's head trembles and he's trying to help Herc up but he's getting bitched at a little, so that makes it feel kind of normal and not like his dad didn't just break his fucking arm, effectively rendering himself useless for future drops.

Chuck tries not to think about that now, but the fear oozes through.

...Gonna do something stupid. It's been fun, Becket.

[thelastbecket]

I know-Gipsy's analog. She's up and running-Chuck, what are you going to do? Be careful. We're coming.

Raleigh doesn't know how to impress that upon Chuck enough that Gipsy's been picked up by the helicopters and they're so close. Chuck doesn't need to get himself killed going down fighting because he wasn't going down at all.

Don't you tell me it's been fun. We've got a lot more fun- He reminds Chuck of that searing kiss.-to have.

[suicidemission]

Shoot a flare gun in this motherfuckers eye.

They've gotta give these people a chance, even if it's only three seconds or so.

The memory of the kiss has him missing a rung on the ladder and he swears, clutching at it as he scrambles up before Herc. He cuts their contact right there, because he refuses to let Raleigh listen to him die.

He leans down, helps Herc out, and together - as father and son, as copilots - they shoot their tiny, wimpy little flare guns at Leatherback's face.

[thelastbecket]

Jesus, Chuck-

Raleigh knows what they're doing, keeping the kaiju's focus on them instead of letting it move on to the city like the other one already had, but it's still nerve wracking. He and Mako are almost there. They're so close. Chuck's cut him off and Raleigh knows it's because he thinks Chuck thinks he's going to die. Half of Raleigh is saying thank you because he doesn't think he could go through that again, but the other half of him is raging because he deserves to know.

They can see it through the screen, and the helicopters release them. Mako's surging forward with just as much determination as he is and they're there. They concentrate on disabling the emp on it's back even while Raleigh's trying to knock on Chuck's mind and make sure he's okay.

[suicidemission]

When his flare sinks into the eye of that fucker, Chuck is convinced beyond any reasonable doubt he's going to fucking die. Herc seems to be too, and he's standing there next to Chuck, cradling his arm and Chuck thinks maybe he should say something since this is it, but then there's Gipsy fuckin' Danger's foghorns and bright lights and Chuck's crowing elatedly, Kick his ass, Gipsy--

He has to watch the fight from a distance and that's the worst part. He doesn't check in on Raleigh's mind because the last thing he wants to do is surprise him and knock them out of the drift, so instead he paces until they're picked up, frets, and worries until they come back home safely.

[thelastbecket]

They're plummeting out of the sky and Raleigh wants to reach for Chuck, it's his first instinct, but then Pentecost is yelling at them, giving them a chance. He and Mako take it, and come crashing back to the ground. The relief is dizzying as they spill out of the conn pod, high on their success. Their crew, all the techs and engineers are clapping. It's deja vu and something new all at once.

He's spinning around looking for the person he wants to see the most, even as Mako tugs him through the crowd.

Chuck? Where are you?

[suicidemission]

Only when Raleigh appears in his drivesuit does Chuck let down his gates. Raleigh's bombarded with Chuck's frantic worry before Chuck can reign it back in, and he pushes his way through the crowd.

Here.

Chuck gives about zero fucks about anyone else, he's barreling through the crush of people, shoving them out of the way until he breaks through and drags Raleigh, armor and all, into his arms.

[thelastbecket]

Raleigh misses a step, half stumbling for just a second under the weight of Chuck's worry about him, but it feels good to be worried about like that. There's only a second for him to recover and reach out for Chuck with his mind before he's actually there, strong arms wrapping around him. Raleigh returns the embrace pressing his cheek to Chuck's and laughing. He feels great, so relieved he and Mako took down the kaiju and got there in time to keep Chuck and Herc from going down. He shows it to Chuck, the bright shining relief that they're both still there.

You promised me a kiss or two, I think.

[suicidemission]

Of course Raleigh's fucking laughing, they all almost just died and this asshole is laughing.

It's such a brilliant sound. Chuck wants to hear it again and again.

Did I?

He smirks and pulls back; people are crowing, clapping and cheering and Chuck just eggs them on by leaning in and crushing his lips to Raleigh's.

[thelastbecket]

Raleigh's still laughing when Chuck kisses him and it bubbles over in the woven fabric of their minds. He kisses back holding Chuck's face in his hands and tugging teasingly at the whirl of colors in his head.

When we debrief you and I should disappear for a little while.

[suicidemission]

Chuck kisses him desperately right there in front of everyone, his arms tight around Raleigh's waist. It shows his vulnerability, that Raleigh is painfully his only weakness, but at the moment Chuck doesn't care. He just doesn't, and he wants nothing more than to hold him, drag him away and press him against the thin mattress of his bed and map out his body with his tongue.

Stacker though, while proud, has other ideas. A speech is needed and Chuck knows that they won't have as much time as he'd like to dedicate.

[thelastbecket]

Raleigh's head latched on to Chuck's image of getting his mouth on him and wouldn't let it go, replaying it over and over in his mind until his drive suit was getting a touch uncomfortable. He forces himself to focus on the Marshall's speech and calm down while Gipy's techs help him and Mako out of their dive suits finally. He's distracted a little while by tracking Pentecost down and finding out about his illness, but once he knows there's nothing he can do about that, he retreats back to his room, or maybe depending on where he could find him, Chuck's room.

[suicidemission]

Chuck's waiting in Raleigh's room for him, sitting on his bed, cross-legged and eating an apple. He wasn't wild about Raleigh having to wander off and go do...whatever the hell it is Raleigh Becket fucking does (probably building something; Chuck contemplates making a crack when he comes back, but refrains), but there'd been little choice and so he'd just come here to sit and wait.

Waiting is not something Chuck is good at. His leg is jiggling and the apple is half gone and he's staring at the door and willing it to open like a fucking crazy person.

[thelastbecket]

Raleigh could feel Chuck waiting on him, and he decided to end his rather loud impatience, opening the door to his room and sliding him.

"Sorry, had to see the Marshall about something really quick, no big deal. Didn't mean to keep you waiting."

[suicidemission]

"Yeah, yeah," he drawls, though it's there in the bond, how irritated and pent up he is. He tosses the apple core into the metal garbage pail and gets up, advancing on Raleigh and nudging him against the wall, hands planted on either side of his head.

"Don't got a lotta time, y'know."

[thelastbecket]

Raleigh's arms wrap around Chuck's neck, elbows resting on the curves of his shoulders. He leans in to steal a kiss, tasting apple off Chuck's lips as his mind remembers the image Chuck had had of remaking him with his tongue.

"We've got enough time, though."

[suicidemission]

Chuck's hands slide down the wall to box Raleigh in properly, moving forawrd to slot their hips together.

"Suppose so. Wish we had more, yeah?"

Because they're going to fuckign die in Pitfall and Chuck really would like to continue this until forever.

[thelastbecket]

Raleigh's head knocks back against the wall a little as he grins at Chuck's maneuvering.

"We will have more time."

He pushes back. He's just now beginning to think and hope for a future, he's going to hold on to that for the both of them.

[suicidemission]

He snakes a hand to cup the back of Raleigh's head so that doesn't happen again, but his mouth is settling on Raleigh's neck, worrying a pretty little bruise into his skin.

"Optimist," he mumbles fondly, teeth dragging over skin. "Fickin' optimist."

[thelastbecket]

"I was apathetic a week ago, so I'd say this is an improvement." Raleigh forces the words out around hitches in his breath as Chuck creates his mark on his skin.

He tugs at the weave of their minds a little, grinning internally and sharing the pleasure Chuck's bringing him.

[suicidemission]

Chuck smirks against Raleigh's neck.

"I got ya beat," he drawls, breath cooling Raleigh's damp skin. "A day ago, I was blastin' static in your head and right now, all I wanna do is suck your dick."

[thelastbecket]

Raleigh's laugh turns into a moan and he can see it between them, what Chuck wants to do to him and how eager he is to let him.

"I can handle you winning that one."

He pushes lightly at Chuck's shoulders.

Come on, take me to bed.

[suicidemission]

Christ, Raleigh's so eager. It sends a thrill down Chuck's spine then pools in his belly and he tips his hips forward, and nips at Raleigh's neck again.

"With pleasure," Chuck growls against Raleigh's mouth, pulling back and taking Raleigh with him.