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nanuk_dainTitle: Drinks Among Friends
Fandom: Pacific Rim
Pairing: Herc Hansen/Stacker Pentecost
Author: Nanuk Dain
e-mail: nanukdain@gmx.net
Rating: PG-12
Warnings: wee bit of alcohol ^^
Word count: approx. 3.770
Series: Drift Compatible
Disclaimer: Not mine, what a pity... If they were, things would have gone differently XD
Comment: Meet the gang!![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
megan_moonlight asked if there was going to be some Aleksis, Sasha and Wei triplets in the series, and I assured her there was. This is their first (but not last) appearance. I figured that they had to know each other well enough since they were all in the same Jaeger Academy class in 2015. It's a pity we see so little of them in the movie, because they rock (I love Sasha and Aleksis so much ^^).
Chance Meeting
In Shock
The New Guy
Drinks Among Friends
So So Screwed
Difficult Relationships
Perfect Match
Summary: Herc joins his few fellow officers on a night out in town shortly after graduation. He has a rather interesting conversation with Tamsin that he is not sure he wants to remember the next morning.
*********
Jaeger Academy, Kodiak Island, Alaska, January 2016
"Hey, Herc!" He turns to the sound of a familiar voice echoing down the hallway. Tamsin is walking towards him with her typical brisk stride, wearing her PPDC uniform, and her red hair is standing out vividly against the dark blue fabric.
Herc stops and waits for her to reach him. "Hey Tam. What's up?"
"A few of us are going out for a beer or two tonight. Want to join us?" Tamsin grins. "I even got Stacks enlisted. That means that you're practically obliged to come to keep him company."
"I'd love to." Herc admits, then he shrugs. "But first I have to find out if Scott can take care of Chuck for the evening. I don't want to leave the boy alone - he has way too much nonsense in his head for me to give him the opportunity to try it out."
"I bet." Tamsin laughs. She took care of Chuck several times when Scott and Herc were out for training missions during the academy, and it scares Herc a bit how well they get along. If those two ever get up to mischief together, he'll be lost for sure. "Just let us know. We plan to leave from the motor pool at eight thirty. Grab some dinner, then go on for drinks."
"Sounds great. I'll give you a shout as soon as I know."
"Perfect." Tam grins and then rubs her hands in pleasant anticipation. "This will be fun."
"Do I have to be scared?" Herc asks, but he can't entirely hide his smirk. He really likes Tamsin, she's full of surprises and it never gets boring when she's around. She's so different from Stacker that Herc wondered at the beginning how those two ever managed to be drift compatible. Now, after spending over half a year in close proximity of both of them, getting to know them for real, he doesn't wonder anymore.
"No need to worry, Herc. I'm a good girl." Tamsin tries to look innocent. It doesn't quite work.
Herc snorts. "Sure, Tam."
Her grin just widens and she turns to leave. "I have to hurry. Let me know about tonight!"
"Will do." Herc replies and watches her stride down the hallway. First opportunity he gets, Herc asks Scott about taking care of Chuck for the night, and has to live with his brother's teasing for the rest of the day. Scott has the maturity of a teenager, and sometimes Herc isn't sure it's a good idea to leave Chuck with him. They get up to the same stupid ideas.
It's early afternoon when Herc tells Tamsin that he'll join them for the evening out, and it gets him a big grin. A few hours later he arrives at the motorpool, dressed in casual clothes. No uniform, Tam told him. This was supposed to be a night of fun and relaxation.
When Herc climbs into the cab there are already several people inside. The Wei triplets - nobody seems to be able to tell them apart - sit in the front seats of the little van, then there's the huge shape of Aleksis Kaidonovsky - taking up two seats - and the comparatively small form of Sasha visible in the row behind them. Tamsin is squeezed to the window in the very back, Stacker next to her, and the only available seat is on his other side, which is a tight fit with two men as big as Herc and Stacker. Poor Tamsin does get squished quite a bit. She doesn't seem to mind too much though, just tells Herc to cuddle up and then off they go.
Herc knows the others from the Academy - they were all in the class of 2015 - and the Wei triplets due to some nasty practical pranks. Not only do they have an unlimited amount of stupid ideas that even make Chuck seem tame, but they also know that nobody can pinpoint who actually did what. It's the advantage of existing three times, Herc guesses. On top of that they're so incredibly good at piloting that they know the PPDC can't afford to kick them out. Caitlin Lightcap has even already started working on the specific Conn-Pod that's necessary to accommodate a three-pilot drift.
As for the Russians, the Kaidonovskys are famous not only because they're very impressive each in their own right, but also because they're so feakily in sync that nobody manages to ever beat them. Aleksis is so huge that he's quite literally a mountain, and he knows how to use that, and Sasha is the most badass woman Herc has ever met. She takes no shit from anybody and is very much capable to kick ass, and the other - exclusively male - candidates who bothered her learned that early on. Herc likes her, though, she's what he would want his daughter to be like if he had one.
The badass Russians, the crazy Chinese triplets, Scott and him. There were others who graduated with them, and some of them have already left the Kodiak Island. There's a high demand for Rangers these days. With the amount of Jaeger construction going on, the PPDC needs all the pilots it can get.
Herc looks around the cab. He's glad that they all made it - the first to graduate from the Jaeger Academy with the sole goal of defeating the Kaiju threat, of defending the people in the cities that get attacked. Now they'll have to prove their worth. Not tonight, though. Tonight is about letting go for one night, about bonding, about friends. There hasn't been much time for that during training.
The drive is slow once they enter the city. Traffic is just as bad as it always is at this time of the day, and Herc has still not got used to the fact that a city that's practically a freezer for half a year and a fridge for the other half is so full of people. Well, he'll admit freely that he's still an Australian at heart and that the climate of Alaska is just not his favourite. He'll take a t-shirt over a jumper any day.
The driver lets them out at a Chinese restaurant - the triplets can't stop grinning, and Herc suspects they organised it - and the group heads inside right away. There's a reservation for them, and a hostess leads them to a table in the back of the restaurant. Herc ends up between Sasha and one of the triplets, and spends dinner discussing the differences of Russian and Australian cuisine with Sasha (he still can't quite believe that she actually loves cooking), when he's not busy keeping the triplet from piling food on Herc's plate once he has almost finished eating. It's surprisingly relaxing, and by the time they leave for the bar, the pleasant atmosphere has been eased by the drinks that accompanied dinner.
They walk over to the bar, no matter that it's ten below outside and Herc has to wear more layers than he even owned when he still lived in Australia. His breath turns into little white clouds immediately and he has to resist the urge to visibly cuddle up under his coat. Aleksis and Sasha haven't even fastened theirs, no hats, no gloves. He muses that it's an acclimatisation thing and that they definitely have an advantage coming from a cold country.
"Cold?" Stacker ask next to him, barely hiding a smirk. At least he is wearing a hat and gloves, Herc notices. It makes him feel a little bit better.
"Not really. I'm tempted to take off my coat because it's so hot." Herc mumbles into his scarf.
Stacker smiles, little laugh lines appearing around his eyes. "You're not quite Russian enough for that, I think."
Herc loves it when Stacker smiles. It transforms his entire face, makes him look younger and somehow more... real. As if this is him, but he usually can't show it. Herc has noticed that it's something he doesn't do often - usually it's only Tam and him getting to see his real smile, and sometimes Sasha and Aleksis.
"I have no hopes of ever turning Russian enough to actually like that kind of cold." Herc replies with a snort, the sound almost muffled by his scarf. He doesn't care if he looks ridiculous - a 1.85 metre tall man huddled up in his coat and scarf like a kid - he just wants to keep his nose from freezing off.
Stacker is openly grinning at him now. It's obvious that the isn't quite as affected by the temperature as Herc, and he seems to find it amusing. "It's only half a block to walk, you'll survive."
"I hope so. Or that hard Academy training was all for naught."
"Stop whining, Hansen." Sasha tells him from where she's walking in front of them. She's smirking and obviously thinks he's hilarious. "A little bit of fresh air won't kill you."
Herc glares at her. "We'll talk again after you spent a day in the Outback with me, turning into a puddle of sweat, while I'm laughing."
Aleksis just grins. "She doesn't like heat. You'll win."
Sasha elbows him none too gentle. "Traitor."
Aleksis says something in Russian that makes Sasha elbow him again, but with much less force, almost a soft nudge. She's smiling. It's kind of cute, not that Herc would ever dare to say that aloud.
"What did he say?" Herc asks when the Russians have stopped paying attention to Stacker, Herc and Tamsin walking behind them.
"He called her his little snowflake." Tamsin tells him from where she's walking next to him. "If I were you, I'd make sure to never let her know you know that it's Aleksis' nickname for her."
"Yeah, I'm certainly never going to call her that to her face." Herc smirks.
Tamsin snorts out a laugh. "You wouldn't survive it."
They reach the bar only a minute later, and Herc is more than happy to get into the warmth. It's quite busy, but that's not surprising considering that it's a Friday night. They pull three tables together and sit down while Sasha and Alesksis head to the bar to buy the first round. Of course they also bring a bottle of vodka along with the beers.
The Wei triplets seem to think it's a great idea to start with the vodka and then drink their beer afterwards, and Herc already knows they're going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow. The Russians stick to the vodka right away. They know what they're doing.
Herc spends his first beer talking to one of the triplets - is it the same one who piled food on his plate at dinner or is it another one? - and is surprised to learn that they almost didn't make the first cut due to being three instead of two pilots.
The first round is gone too soon, and it's Tamsin who gets up next.
"Come on, Stacks, help me get another round." she says loud enough to be heard over the noise. Stacker follows her without complaint and Herc can't help watching the two of them standing at the bar.
Tamsin is tall for a woman, only some ten centimetres smaller than Stacker, and it surprises Herc every time again when he sees them standing next to each other. Because let's be honest, Stacker is a mountain of a man. He's not only very tall at 1.90 metres - he's one of the very few people Herc has to look up to when speaking to him - he's also of a very broad build and seems to consist entirely of muscles. It's an effect of the Jaeger training, Herc knows. Herc was never fat, but every last ounce he may have had was gone after he graduated from the Academy. And Stacker had been at it even longer than him.
Stacker is somehow similar to Tamsin and yet her complete opposite. Where she's lively and full of energy that seems to seep through her every move, Stacker is calm and composed, almost as if he just observes the world but isn't really part of it. Herc knows it's just a façade, a mask Stacker wears to deal with all the shit going on around them. He's deeply passionate about what he does, and he's so driven to defeat the Kaiju that Herc is sure he will be one of the leading forces in the newly established official fight against them.
For all their differences, Stacker and Tam are so aware of each other, totally in sync, inside and outside of the Conn-Pod. Herc feels sad that he and his brother will never achieve that kind of trust and sync. They're just too different. They work well enough together and they are drift compatible, but they won't ever be so tuned to each other as Stacker and Tamsin seem to be when they're drifting. Herc has seen them in Jaeger, and he was more than impressed. There's a good reason why they teach at the academy.
His musings are cut short when Tamsin and Stacker come back to the table carrying beer pints and the obligatory bottle of vodka for the Russians. They are greeted with enthusiasm and it doesn't take long for the glasses to empty while they talk with each other about everything and nothing. There's a sort of group dynamics growing that Herc hasn't felt quite that strongly between them before, and he enjoys it immensely. It reminds him of his days serving in the RAAF, of the team spirit among his comrades that he has never experienced quite like that outside of the forces.
It's Herc's turn to get the next round, and he recruits one of the triplets to help him carry everything back to their rather lively table. He even thinks to bring the vodka, and Aleksis takes it from him with an appreciative nod. Herc ends up sitting next to Tamsin at some point, leaning with his back against the wall, his feet propped up on the side of her chair. They're talking about how Tamsin and Luna once put a frog in Stacker's bed when they were kids and Herc is shaking with laughter when she tells him that Stacker retaliated with a dead fish in her bed and a slug in Luna's.
It takes Herc a moment to calm down. A question suddenly pops up in his mind and he knows he had a few too many, otherwise he would never have said it out aloud. "Can I ask you something personal, Tam?"
She raises one eyebrow, the gesture enhanced by her piercing. "Shoot."
"Are you and Stacker... you know, together? You know each other so well, and you seem so perfectly in sync and..."
He's cut short when Tam breaks out in wholehearted laughter. It's enough to make him shut up. It takes her a moment to regain her voice, and when she finally speaks, the amusement is plain in every word.
"Hell no! We grew up together, he's practically my brother." She grins, wide and mischievous. "Don't worry, Herc, I'm not going to stand in your way."
It takes Herc a moment to sort through her words, and then he frowns in confusion. Maybe he's had more to drink than he thought, because she's not making sense. "What?"
She grins. "You know, whenever you want to have a go, you have my blessing."
"Your blessing for what?" Herc asks and glances at the empty glasses on the table, quickly counting those that he thinks are his. Yep, quite a few.
"I know you think Stacker's hot." Tamsin says matter of fact. When he doesn't reply immediately, she throws him a disbelieving look. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it before."
"Of course I have." Herc scoffs. "I'm... I was married, not blind."
Okay, maybe she is making sense. Herc hasn't paid his attraction to Stacker much attention before, but now that she mentioned it... Herc can't help his gaze flickering over to where Stacks is sitting with Aleksis and Sasha. They are deep in conversation, no matter that the vodka bottles and the empty pints on the table tell Herc that they've had quite a few too. Stacker is still in full command of his mental faculties - the man really knows how to hold his liquor - and the Russians don't seem very affected either. Herc can't help noticing that the blue shirt Stacker is wearing suits him really well.
"So?" Tam throws him an inquiring look.
Herc shrugs, but he's sure it doesn't look nearly as casual as it's supposed to. "He's hot. I know that."
"But it hasn't occurred to you to follow that trail of thought any further?" she continues digging.
Herc has to think about that for a moment. "No, not really. You know, not on purpose, anyway."
"Meaning?" That raised pierced eyebrow again.
Herc doesn't look at her when he replies casually, "You can't control your dreams, after all."
"Want to give me any details?" There's a smirk on her face that makes her look positively leering.
Herc just laughs hand shakes his head. "Nope. I'm already going to hate myself tomorrow for telling you all this. I'm not going to make it any worse."
"Don't worry, my lips are sealed."
Herc snorts. "We both know that drifting doesn't require talking. He'll know."
"I know how to put up shields." Tam shrugs, then she throws him a rather naughty grin. "It's not like Stacks really wants to witness all the things I did with Luna."
"You two were together?"
"Yeah, since we were sixteen." Tam chuckles. "Stacks actually walked in on us once, that's what made us tell him. If you can still call it that."
"Not bad as far as embarrassing situations go." Herc admits with a grin. "The sex life of family members is something you usually don't want to know about. I had it the other was round more than once and walked in on Scott getting it on with some random girl. The curse of sharing a room."
"Does he still do that? With Chuck around?" Tam sounds astonished as well as scandalised.
"Getting it on with random girls? Yeah, sure. But not in our quarters. I made sure he got that loud and clear. We have family quarters, after all, which means that Chuck has his own room, but Scott and I are sharing - co-pilot rules, you know that." Herc turns serious all of the sudden. "I don't ever want to have Chuck walk in on Scott and his fuck-buddies."
"Yeah, he really shouldn't." Tamsin agrees. "Teenagers don't want to see that kind of thing when it concerns their family."
Before Herc can reply, the Wei bothers get to the table with yet another round and shake things up. Herc gets another pint - he made sure not to drink any vodka because he can't quite stomach it, he's more the beer kind of person. Preferably Australian beer, but that's hard to get by in this remote corner of Alaska.
There's some movement at the table and Herc gets a new seat smack in the middle of the triplets. Aleksis joins them at some point - probably following the vodka bottle that one of the brothers stole - and mock-fights with one of the triplets for control over the bottle. Herc's gaze flickers to Stacker again, who is sitting between Sasha an Tamsin and looks much more relaxed than he usually does. It's a good look on him, Herc decides with a smile before he turns his attention back to the battle for the vodka. Of course Aleksis wins.
It's well past one in the morning when they arrive back at the Academy. They say their goodbyes rather loudly and stumble off to their respective quarters. It's satisfying to see a slight list to Sasha's and Aleksis gait, because hey, that were at least four bottles of vodka. Admittedly they didn't drink all of it on their own - the Weis were more than willing to help - but Herc would have felt like a wimp if they weren't at least a little affected.
He makes sure to be extra quiet when he gets to his quarters. The lights are off and he can hear Scott's soft breathing coming from their room while the door to Chuck's room is closed. Herc changes out of his clothes, quickly brushes his teeth and then makes a little detour on the way to his bunk to peek into Chuck's room to check on him. It's a habit he picked up when Chuck was still content to be called Charlie and loved riding his dad's shoulders. It was a long time ago.
Chuck's messed up ginger hair is the only thing visible under the mountain of blankets, and it makes Herc smirk. It's good to know that all the Australians on this base seem to have a dislike for the cold. He quietly closes the door again and climbs into his bunk. Scott doesn't move at all, just quietly snores into his pillow. He has three blankets thrown haphazardly over himself, but one leg is peeking out nevertheless.
Herc pulls his own blankets up to his nose - yes, he has more than one, too - and waits for the sheets to warm up. He's staring at the ceiling, thinking about the evening. It was fun and he's sure it did help them to bond as a group. He can't help his mind flickering to the strange conversation he had with Tamsin. What was she trying to tell him? That he should woo Stacker? That sounds so ridiculous that Herc has to suppress a snort. Yeah sure, as if Stacker is somebody who would like to be wooed. No, really, they're both not the type for that kind of thing. On top of that, Stacker is the best friend he has had in his entire life. Why would he want to change that?
Okay, so Stacks is hot. Just think of that amazing smile - if he shows it, that is - and not to mention that fine arse of his that fills out his uniform pants so nicely. It's a fleeting thought, though, and Herc has forgotten it by the time he falls asleep.
All he remembers in the morning, while very slowly washing his hair in the shower, is that he should have known better than to drink so many pints with hard-drinking Russians and crazy Chinese triplets.
*** The end
Fandom: Pacific Rim
Pairing: Herc Hansen/Stacker Pentecost
Author: Nanuk Dain
e-mail: nanukdain@gmx.net
Rating: PG-12
Warnings: wee bit of alcohol ^^
Word count: approx. 3.770
Series: Drift Compatible
Disclaimer: Not mine, what a pity... If they were, things would have gone differently XD
Comment: Meet the gang!
megan_moonlight asked if there was going to be some Aleksis, Sasha and Wei triplets in the series, and I assured her there was. This is their first (but not last) appearance. I figured that they had to know each other well enough since they were all in the same Jaeger Academy class in 2015. It's a pity we see so little of them in the movie, because they rock (I love Sasha and Aleksis so much ^^). Chance Meeting
In Shock
The New Guy
Drinks Among Friends
So So Screwed
Difficult Relationships
Perfect Match
Summary: Herc joins his few fellow officers on a night out in town shortly after graduation. He has a rather interesting conversation with Tamsin that he is not sure he wants to remember the next morning.
*********
Jaeger Academy, Kodiak Island, Alaska, January 2016
"Hey, Herc!" He turns to the sound of a familiar voice echoing down the hallway. Tamsin is walking towards him with her typical brisk stride, wearing her PPDC uniform, and her red hair is standing out vividly against the dark blue fabric.
Herc stops and waits for her to reach him. "Hey Tam. What's up?"
"A few of us are going out for a beer or two tonight. Want to join us?" Tamsin grins. "I even got Stacks enlisted. That means that you're practically obliged to come to keep him company."
"I'd love to." Herc admits, then he shrugs. "But first I have to find out if Scott can take care of Chuck for the evening. I don't want to leave the boy alone - he has way too much nonsense in his head for me to give him the opportunity to try it out."
"I bet." Tamsin laughs. She took care of Chuck several times when Scott and Herc were out for training missions during the academy, and it scares Herc a bit how well they get along. If those two ever get up to mischief together, he'll be lost for sure. "Just let us know. We plan to leave from the motor pool at eight thirty. Grab some dinner, then go on for drinks."
"Sounds great. I'll give you a shout as soon as I know."
"Perfect." Tam grins and then rubs her hands in pleasant anticipation. "This will be fun."
"Do I have to be scared?" Herc asks, but he can't entirely hide his smirk. He really likes Tamsin, she's full of surprises and it never gets boring when she's around. She's so different from Stacker that Herc wondered at the beginning how those two ever managed to be drift compatible. Now, after spending over half a year in close proximity of both of them, getting to know them for real, he doesn't wonder anymore.
"No need to worry, Herc. I'm a good girl." Tamsin tries to look innocent. It doesn't quite work.
Herc snorts. "Sure, Tam."
Her grin just widens and she turns to leave. "I have to hurry. Let me know about tonight!"
"Will do." Herc replies and watches her stride down the hallway. First opportunity he gets, Herc asks Scott about taking care of Chuck for the night, and has to live with his brother's teasing for the rest of the day. Scott has the maturity of a teenager, and sometimes Herc isn't sure it's a good idea to leave Chuck with him. They get up to the same stupid ideas.
It's early afternoon when Herc tells Tamsin that he'll join them for the evening out, and it gets him a big grin. A few hours later he arrives at the motorpool, dressed in casual clothes. No uniform, Tam told him. This was supposed to be a night of fun and relaxation.
When Herc climbs into the cab there are already several people inside. The Wei triplets - nobody seems to be able to tell them apart - sit in the front seats of the little van, then there's the huge shape of Aleksis Kaidonovsky - taking up two seats - and the comparatively small form of Sasha visible in the row behind them. Tamsin is squeezed to the window in the very back, Stacker next to her, and the only available seat is on his other side, which is a tight fit with two men as big as Herc and Stacker. Poor Tamsin does get squished quite a bit. She doesn't seem to mind too much though, just tells Herc to cuddle up and then off they go.
Herc knows the others from the Academy - they were all in the class of 2015 - and the Wei triplets due to some nasty practical pranks. Not only do they have an unlimited amount of stupid ideas that even make Chuck seem tame, but they also know that nobody can pinpoint who actually did what. It's the advantage of existing three times, Herc guesses. On top of that they're so incredibly good at piloting that they know the PPDC can't afford to kick them out. Caitlin Lightcap has even already started working on the specific Conn-Pod that's necessary to accommodate a three-pilot drift.
As for the Russians, the Kaidonovskys are famous not only because they're very impressive each in their own right, but also because they're so feakily in sync that nobody manages to ever beat them. Aleksis is so huge that he's quite literally a mountain, and he knows how to use that, and Sasha is the most badass woman Herc has ever met. She takes no shit from anybody and is very much capable to kick ass, and the other - exclusively male - candidates who bothered her learned that early on. Herc likes her, though, she's what he would want his daughter to be like if he had one.
The badass Russians, the crazy Chinese triplets, Scott and him. There were others who graduated with them, and some of them have already left the Kodiak Island. There's a high demand for Rangers these days. With the amount of Jaeger construction going on, the PPDC needs all the pilots it can get.
Herc looks around the cab. He's glad that they all made it - the first to graduate from the Jaeger Academy with the sole goal of defeating the Kaiju threat, of defending the people in the cities that get attacked. Now they'll have to prove their worth. Not tonight, though. Tonight is about letting go for one night, about bonding, about friends. There hasn't been much time for that during training.
The drive is slow once they enter the city. Traffic is just as bad as it always is at this time of the day, and Herc has still not got used to the fact that a city that's practically a freezer for half a year and a fridge for the other half is so full of people. Well, he'll admit freely that he's still an Australian at heart and that the climate of Alaska is just not his favourite. He'll take a t-shirt over a jumper any day.
The driver lets them out at a Chinese restaurant - the triplets can't stop grinning, and Herc suspects they organised it - and the group heads inside right away. There's a reservation for them, and a hostess leads them to a table in the back of the restaurant. Herc ends up between Sasha and one of the triplets, and spends dinner discussing the differences of Russian and Australian cuisine with Sasha (he still can't quite believe that she actually loves cooking), when he's not busy keeping the triplet from piling food on Herc's plate once he has almost finished eating. It's surprisingly relaxing, and by the time they leave for the bar, the pleasant atmosphere has been eased by the drinks that accompanied dinner.
They walk over to the bar, no matter that it's ten below outside and Herc has to wear more layers than he even owned when he still lived in Australia. His breath turns into little white clouds immediately and he has to resist the urge to visibly cuddle up under his coat. Aleksis and Sasha haven't even fastened theirs, no hats, no gloves. He muses that it's an acclimatisation thing and that they definitely have an advantage coming from a cold country.
"Cold?" Stacker ask next to him, barely hiding a smirk. At least he is wearing a hat and gloves, Herc notices. It makes him feel a little bit better.
"Not really. I'm tempted to take off my coat because it's so hot." Herc mumbles into his scarf.
Stacker smiles, little laugh lines appearing around his eyes. "You're not quite Russian enough for that, I think."
Herc loves it when Stacker smiles. It transforms his entire face, makes him look younger and somehow more... real. As if this is him, but he usually can't show it. Herc has noticed that it's something he doesn't do often - usually it's only Tam and him getting to see his real smile, and sometimes Sasha and Aleksis.
"I have no hopes of ever turning Russian enough to actually like that kind of cold." Herc replies with a snort, the sound almost muffled by his scarf. He doesn't care if he looks ridiculous - a 1.85 metre tall man huddled up in his coat and scarf like a kid - he just wants to keep his nose from freezing off.
Stacker is openly grinning at him now. It's obvious that the isn't quite as affected by the temperature as Herc, and he seems to find it amusing. "It's only half a block to walk, you'll survive."
"I hope so. Or that hard Academy training was all for naught."
"Stop whining, Hansen." Sasha tells him from where she's walking in front of them. She's smirking and obviously thinks he's hilarious. "A little bit of fresh air won't kill you."
Herc glares at her. "We'll talk again after you spent a day in the Outback with me, turning into a puddle of sweat, while I'm laughing."
Aleksis just grins. "She doesn't like heat. You'll win."
Sasha elbows him none too gentle. "Traitor."
Aleksis says something in Russian that makes Sasha elbow him again, but with much less force, almost a soft nudge. She's smiling. It's kind of cute, not that Herc would ever dare to say that aloud.
"What did he say?" Herc asks when the Russians have stopped paying attention to Stacker, Herc and Tamsin walking behind them.
"He called her his little snowflake." Tamsin tells him from where she's walking next to him. "If I were you, I'd make sure to never let her know you know that it's Aleksis' nickname for her."
"Yeah, I'm certainly never going to call her that to her face." Herc smirks.
Tamsin snorts out a laugh. "You wouldn't survive it."
They reach the bar only a minute later, and Herc is more than happy to get into the warmth. It's quite busy, but that's not surprising considering that it's a Friday night. They pull three tables together and sit down while Sasha and Alesksis head to the bar to buy the first round. Of course they also bring a bottle of vodka along with the beers.
The Wei triplets seem to think it's a great idea to start with the vodka and then drink their beer afterwards, and Herc already knows they're going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow. The Russians stick to the vodka right away. They know what they're doing.
Herc spends his first beer talking to one of the triplets - is it the same one who piled food on his plate at dinner or is it another one? - and is surprised to learn that they almost didn't make the first cut due to being three instead of two pilots.
The first round is gone too soon, and it's Tamsin who gets up next.
"Come on, Stacks, help me get another round." she says loud enough to be heard over the noise. Stacker follows her without complaint and Herc can't help watching the two of them standing at the bar.
Tamsin is tall for a woman, only some ten centimetres smaller than Stacker, and it surprises Herc every time again when he sees them standing next to each other. Because let's be honest, Stacker is a mountain of a man. He's not only very tall at 1.90 metres - he's one of the very few people Herc has to look up to when speaking to him - he's also of a very broad build and seems to consist entirely of muscles. It's an effect of the Jaeger training, Herc knows. Herc was never fat, but every last ounce he may have had was gone after he graduated from the Academy. And Stacker had been at it even longer than him.
Stacker is somehow similar to Tamsin and yet her complete opposite. Where she's lively and full of energy that seems to seep through her every move, Stacker is calm and composed, almost as if he just observes the world but isn't really part of it. Herc knows it's just a façade, a mask Stacker wears to deal with all the shit going on around them. He's deeply passionate about what he does, and he's so driven to defeat the Kaiju that Herc is sure he will be one of the leading forces in the newly established official fight against them.
For all their differences, Stacker and Tam are so aware of each other, totally in sync, inside and outside of the Conn-Pod. Herc feels sad that he and his brother will never achieve that kind of trust and sync. They're just too different. They work well enough together and they are drift compatible, but they won't ever be so tuned to each other as Stacker and Tamsin seem to be when they're drifting. Herc has seen them in Jaeger, and he was more than impressed. There's a good reason why they teach at the academy.
His musings are cut short when Tamsin and Stacker come back to the table carrying beer pints and the obligatory bottle of vodka for the Russians. They are greeted with enthusiasm and it doesn't take long for the glasses to empty while they talk with each other about everything and nothing. There's a sort of group dynamics growing that Herc hasn't felt quite that strongly between them before, and he enjoys it immensely. It reminds him of his days serving in the RAAF, of the team spirit among his comrades that he has never experienced quite like that outside of the forces.
It's Herc's turn to get the next round, and he recruits one of the triplets to help him carry everything back to their rather lively table. He even thinks to bring the vodka, and Aleksis takes it from him with an appreciative nod. Herc ends up sitting next to Tamsin at some point, leaning with his back against the wall, his feet propped up on the side of her chair. They're talking about how Tamsin and Luna once put a frog in Stacker's bed when they were kids and Herc is shaking with laughter when she tells him that Stacker retaliated with a dead fish in her bed and a slug in Luna's.
It takes Herc a moment to calm down. A question suddenly pops up in his mind and he knows he had a few too many, otherwise he would never have said it out aloud. "Can I ask you something personal, Tam?"
She raises one eyebrow, the gesture enhanced by her piercing. "Shoot."
"Are you and Stacker... you know, together? You know each other so well, and you seem so perfectly in sync and..."
He's cut short when Tam breaks out in wholehearted laughter. It's enough to make him shut up. It takes her a moment to regain her voice, and when she finally speaks, the amusement is plain in every word.
"Hell no! We grew up together, he's practically my brother." She grins, wide and mischievous. "Don't worry, Herc, I'm not going to stand in your way."
It takes Herc a moment to sort through her words, and then he frowns in confusion. Maybe he's had more to drink than he thought, because she's not making sense. "What?"
She grins. "You know, whenever you want to have a go, you have my blessing."
"Your blessing for what?" Herc asks and glances at the empty glasses on the table, quickly counting those that he thinks are his. Yep, quite a few.
"I know you think Stacker's hot." Tamsin says matter of fact. When he doesn't reply immediately, she throws him a disbelieving look. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it before."
"Of course I have." Herc scoffs. "I'm... I was married, not blind."
Okay, maybe she is making sense. Herc hasn't paid his attraction to Stacker much attention before, but now that she mentioned it... Herc can't help his gaze flickering over to where Stacks is sitting with Aleksis and Sasha. They are deep in conversation, no matter that the vodka bottles and the empty pints on the table tell Herc that they've had quite a few too. Stacker is still in full command of his mental faculties - the man really knows how to hold his liquor - and the Russians don't seem very affected either. Herc can't help noticing that the blue shirt Stacker is wearing suits him really well.
"So?" Tam throws him an inquiring look.
Herc shrugs, but he's sure it doesn't look nearly as casual as it's supposed to. "He's hot. I know that."
"But it hasn't occurred to you to follow that trail of thought any further?" she continues digging.
Herc has to think about that for a moment. "No, not really. You know, not on purpose, anyway."
"Meaning?" That raised pierced eyebrow again.
Herc doesn't look at her when he replies casually, "You can't control your dreams, after all."
"Want to give me any details?" There's a smirk on her face that makes her look positively leering.
Herc just laughs hand shakes his head. "Nope. I'm already going to hate myself tomorrow for telling you all this. I'm not going to make it any worse."
"Don't worry, my lips are sealed."
Herc snorts. "We both know that drifting doesn't require talking. He'll know."
"I know how to put up shields." Tam shrugs, then she throws him a rather naughty grin. "It's not like Stacks really wants to witness all the things I did with Luna."
"You two were together?"
"Yeah, since we were sixteen." Tam chuckles. "Stacks actually walked in on us once, that's what made us tell him. If you can still call it that."
"Not bad as far as embarrassing situations go." Herc admits with a grin. "The sex life of family members is something you usually don't want to know about. I had it the other was round more than once and walked in on Scott getting it on with some random girl. The curse of sharing a room."
"Does he still do that? With Chuck around?" Tam sounds astonished as well as scandalised.
"Getting it on with random girls? Yeah, sure. But not in our quarters. I made sure he got that loud and clear. We have family quarters, after all, which means that Chuck has his own room, but Scott and I are sharing - co-pilot rules, you know that." Herc turns serious all of the sudden. "I don't ever want to have Chuck walk in on Scott and his fuck-buddies."
"Yeah, he really shouldn't." Tamsin agrees. "Teenagers don't want to see that kind of thing when it concerns their family."
Before Herc can reply, the Wei bothers get to the table with yet another round and shake things up. Herc gets another pint - he made sure not to drink any vodka because he can't quite stomach it, he's more the beer kind of person. Preferably Australian beer, but that's hard to get by in this remote corner of Alaska.
There's some movement at the table and Herc gets a new seat smack in the middle of the triplets. Aleksis joins them at some point - probably following the vodka bottle that one of the brothers stole - and mock-fights with one of the triplets for control over the bottle. Herc's gaze flickers to Stacker again, who is sitting between Sasha an Tamsin and looks much more relaxed than he usually does. It's a good look on him, Herc decides with a smile before he turns his attention back to the battle for the vodka. Of course Aleksis wins.
It's well past one in the morning when they arrive back at the Academy. They say their goodbyes rather loudly and stumble off to their respective quarters. It's satisfying to see a slight list to Sasha's and Aleksis gait, because hey, that were at least four bottles of vodka. Admittedly they didn't drink all of it on their own - the Weis were more than willing to help - but Herc would have felt like a wimp if they weren't at least a little affected.
He makes sure to be extra quiet when he gets to his quarters. The lights are off and he can hear Scott's soft breathing coming from their room while the door to Chuck's room is closed. Herc changes out of his clothes, quickly brushes his teeth and then makes a little detour on the way to his bunk to peek into Chuck's room to check on him. It's a habit he picked up when Chuck was still content to be called Charlie and loved riding his dad's shoulders. It was a long time ago.
Chuck's messed up ginger hair is the only thing visible under the mountain of blankets, and it makes Herc smirk. It's good to know that all the Australians on this base seem to have a dislike for the cold. He quietly closes the door again and climbs into his bunk. Scott doesn't move at all, just quietly snores into his pillow. He has three blankets thrown haphazardly over himself, but one leg is peeking out nevertheless.
Herc pulls his own blankets up to his nose - yes, he has more than one, too - and waits for the sheets to warm up. He's staring at the ceiling, thinking about the evening. It was fun and he's sure it did help them to bond as a group. He can't help his mind flickering to the strange conversation he had with Tamsin. What was she trying to tell him? That he should woo Stacker? That sounds so ridiculous that Herc has to suppress a snort. Yeah sure, as if Stacker is somebody who would like to be wooed. No, really, they're both not the type for that kind of thing. On top of that, Stacker is the best friend he has had in his entire life. Why would he want to change that?
Okay, so Stacks is hot. Just think of that amazing smile - if he shows it, that is - and not to mention that fine arse of his that fills out his uniform pants so nicely. It's a fleeting thought, though, and Herc has forgotten it by the time he falls asleep.
All he remembers in the morning, while very slowly washing his hair in the shower, is that he should have known better than to drink so many pints with hard-drinking Russians and crazy Chinese triplets.
*** The end
