![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nanuk_dainTitle: Forced Holiday Trip
Fandom: Pacific Rim
Pairing: Herc Hansen/Stacker Pentecost
Author: Nanuk Dain
e-mail: nanukdain@gmx.net
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: explicit sexual content
Word count: approx. 7.110
Series: Drift Compatible
Disclaimer: Not mine, what a pity... If they were, things would have gone differently ^_^
Comment: The Epic Road Trip through Australia! Yay! I had tons of fun sending our boys on this trip (and it's not over yet ^_^) and I hope you enjoy it too! I want to thank those nice people (you know who you are ^^) for their lovely comments reassuring me that Herc/Stacker is a pairing some people actually really love. Thanks, guys!
Chance Meeting
In Shock
The New Guy
Drinks Among Friends
It's in the Drift
Drift Compatibility Testing
Change of Plan
Forced Holiday Trip
Unhealthy Curiosity
So So Screwed
Difficult Relationships
Perfect Match
A Word of Advice
A little Push
Trial
Ghost Drifts and other Goodies
A Lesson Learned
Summary: When Herc learns about Tamsin and Stacker having cancer, he takes matters in his own hands. Meaning he drags them on a road trip across Australia. Change of scenery and all that.
*********
Jaeger Academy, Kodiak Island, Alaska, May 17th, 2016
Herc wastes no time. A minute after he gets off the phone with Stacker, he's already making the next call. First he gets Command on the line and explains his plan. When he gets the green light, he contacts the med bay of the Hong Kong Shatterdome to make the necessary arrangements. Next is the PPDC's transport centre to get on the next flight out, and it's just his luck that there is a chopper leaving for Seattle later that evening. From there he will catch a transport plane that will bring him to the Hong Kong Shatterdome which has its own runway. He also arranges for a flight for three from Hong Kong to Adelaide. The last call is to a camper van rental agency.
Once he's completed all his calls, Herc chases down Scott and asks him if he can take care of Chuck for the next month. Scott is understandably surprised, but when Herc tells him what happened he agrees without a moment's hesitation. The last thing Herc does before leaving is to find Chuck who's with Maggie in the Jaeger bay - where else would he be? - and explains him the situation as honestly as he can. Chuck doesn't like it, but then he doesn't like much of what Herc does anymore. Sometimes Herc wonders if it's really all down to teenage rebellion.
Herc's on his way to Hong Kong only two hours after he ended the call with Stacker. He gets to Seattle shortly after midnight and only has to wait for an hour for the transport plane to leave. It's a long flight to Hong Kong, almost fifteen hours, so Herc forces himself to relax and sleep as much as he can, well aware of the long day that awaits him. It's 7 am when they finally touch down on the runway of the Hong Kong Shatterdome. By then Herc has been on the road for almost twenty hours and he feels it in his bones. He's more than happy to get off the not very comfortable transport plane, thanking the pilots on his way out for taking him along.
Herc slings his duffel bag over his shoulder and makes his way into the tall structure of the Shatterdome. He knows where Stacker's and Tamsin's quarters are, it's not the first time he's come to Hong Kong. It takes him about ten minutes to walk across the huge building to the wing housing the living accommodation of the Shatterdome personnel. He straightens and takes a deep breath before he raises his hand and knocks on the heavy metal door.
It's Tamsin who opens, but Herc can see Stacker standing behind her in the middle of the room. They're both dressed and ready, no matter that they're officially retired from combat duty. Herc hasn't expected any less.
"Hey Tamsin." He says with a smirk on his lips when she just stares at him, looking stunned.
"Herc?" Stacker comes to the door as soon as he hears Herc's voice, and frowns in surprise. "How did you... what are you doing here?"
Herc just smirks. He's still standing in the doorway because both Tamsin and Stacker are still too dumbfounded to remember their manners and ask him in. It feels like a little success already."You two are coming with me."
"We're what?" Tamsin asks at the same time that Stacker replies, "We can't just leave-"
"Yes, you can." Herc tells them firmly and holds out the papers he got from Command. "As of now, you are both officially on leave for a month."
"On leave?" Tamsin looks confused while scanning the document.
"Yep. And I have strict orders to make sure that you get it. So go pack light, we're heading to Adelaide."
"What?" Stacker's frown has actually deepened. He doesn't like being out of the loop, out of control, but Herc knows it's necessary this time.
"Just trust me, okay?" Herc holds his gaze, willing him to see that he means it.
After a moment of silence Stacker nods. "All right."
It's then that Tamsin seems to remember that they're still standing on the doorstep, and she opens the door fully, invites Herc in and gives him a hug. "Come in, Herc. Sorry for the rude welcome, you just totally surprised us. It's really nice that you came."
Herc returns her embrace and chuckles. "I'm well aware that you weren't expecting me."
"You could say that." Tam says when she pulls back. Herc is profoundly relieved to see a real smile on her face. "So, will you tell us what all this is about?"
"It's a surprise." He replies with a grin. "I don't want to spoil it. The only thing I can tell you is that a transport plane leaves for Adelaide at 8.30 am, and we have three seats reserved on board."
"You're a tease, Hercules Hansen." She replies, but there's a smile tugging on her lips. It's balm for Herc's soul because he knows how the events of the past few days have dragged her down. He was shocked to see her on video, her eyes without their usual spark, her face closed off and her body language speaking of fear, pain, worry. She wasn't the Tamsin he'd grown to love like a sister over the past year, and he knew he had to do something. Seeing Stacker last night, looking equally drained as Tamsin, had been the final straw. Herc knows he would have pulled off his plan without Command's approval if they hadn't given it, because he's sure he'd lose both Stacker and Tamsin otherwise. It's something he won't allow to happen.
"You arranged all that after our video call?" Stacker asks and slowly comes closer. Herc still feels the intense need to wrap his arms around Stacker, to bury his nose against his neck and take a deep breath to reassure himself that Stacker is still there, but he knows him too well to approach him. Stacker has to come to him, on his own terms and in his own time.
"Yep. I cleared it with Command. One month, and they don't want to see your faces back in a Shatterdome before that period is over." Herc replies and points at the papers Tamsin is still holding in her hand. "They provided transport for us to Aidelaide, then we're on our own."
Stacker raises one eyebrow, seemingly getting used to the idea he's about to leave on a trip that he doesn't even know the destination of. "What have you planned?"
Herc smiles. "You'll find out when we get there."
Stacker chuckles and suddenly the tension in his shoulders eases. "Tam's right, you're a tease."
"I do my best." Herc replies with a smirk born out of relief. First hurdle cleared.
Stacker comes close and wraps his arms around Herc to pull him into a long, heartfelt embrace. "I don't think I welcomed you properly after you travelled halfway around the world to kidnap us."
"Hello to you too." Herc closes his eyes and buries his nose against Stacker's neck, just like he has wanted to do ever since their video call, and takes a deep breath. He picks up Stacker's scent that he loves so much, and it eases something in his chest that had been tied in a tight knot ever since he received Tamsin's call after Onibaba.
"You two are so cute." Tamsin interrupts with a smile on her face that's only halfway teasing. "But shouldn't we pack and get ready to catch our plane?"
"We definitely should." Herc replies after a quick glance at his watch. They have fifty minutes left until take-off. He reluctantly pulls back from Stacker, reminding himself that he'll have an entire month to cuddle him, and straightens. "Meet me in hangar 46 C in half an hour. That should give you time to pack, and I still have some errands to run."
"All right, we'll see you there." Stacker says with a nod, his hands trailing over Herc's sides in a fleeting caress before he lets go. Herc smiles at him, then he leaves the quarters.
First he delivers the paperwork for Stacker's and Tamsin's leave to the Shatterdome's Marshal and then he goes to the medical bay where he has arranged for a meeting with Doctor Huan who oversees the treatment of Stacker and Tamsin. He receives two small boxes sporting a red cross right below the PPDC logo and when he checks them, he finds everything he talked about with Doctor Huan, and even a printed page with instructions. Everything necessary to take two cancer patients in treatment on a four week road trip.
Herc arrives at the hangar ten minutes early and discusses the transport with the plane's captain, providing him with the necessary paperwork, all signed and cleared by Command. Stacker and Tamsin show up with five minutes to spare. They greet the crew - Herc notices that they seem to know the pilot - and store their duffel bags, then they strap into their seats. They don't ask Herc again what he has planned, but he can feel their curiosity and it makes him smile. Curiosity is a huge improvement over the defeat he felt coming from Stacker and Tamsin during their video calls.
The flight takes almost nine hours and is entirely uneventful. They spend it talking about meaningless things, reading and sleeping. Herc makes use of the opportunity to give each Stacker and Tamsin one of the two boxes he collected from the medical bay and explains that they're the medical supply for their cancer treatment for the next month. Stacker lets him know that he also checked with Dr. Huan and was told that everything had already been given to Herc, as ordered by Command. Herc just shrugs and admits that it was part of planning the trip. When they reach Adelaide it's almost eight o'clock in the evening and Herc calls a taxi to bring them to the tiny hotel he knows from a trip with Angela. He has arranged for a double room and a single, and Tamsin grabs the keys for the single room out of his hand as soon as they enter the elevator.
"I intend to get some sleep tonight, while I'm sure the two of you don't." She remarks with a huge ambiguous grin. "It's been, what, a month since you saw each other?"
"One and a half." Stacker corrects automatically, and it makes Herc smirk. Good to know he's not the only one counting the days.
"All the more reason for me to claim the single room." Tam says with a chuckle when they approach their rooms. She puts the key in the lock and opens her door before turning back to them with a wink. "Have a good night, boys."
Herc can't help laughing. "We'll see you tomorrow morning. Eight okay?"
She nods. "That's sleeping in for me. Perfect."
"Night Tam." There's a smirk on Stacker's face. "I hope we're not too loud."
"To much information, Stacks." Tamsin chides before closing the door behind her. They can still hear her laugh quietly.
"She's got a naughty mind." Herc murmurs while unlocking the door to the double room.
"I fear she doesn't just have a naughty mind but was also supplied with pretty accurate information through the drift." Stacker sighs, but there's amusement in his voice. He puts his duffel down next to the bed and turns to Herc.
"So much for your mental shields." Herc says with a smirk tugging on his lips. He feels Stacks lift the last inner shield he always seems to keep in place, and then Herc is flooded with his emotions - there's disappointment, anger, fear, worry, uncertainty, desperation. Stacker is lost, doesn't know what to do, where to go from here. He's not sure he still has a purpose, a role in this war to defend humankind. Herc figures it's his job to show Stacker over the next few weeks what he's fighting for, and that there are other way to defeat the Kaiju than in a Jaeger's Conn-Pod. But for now Stacker needs touch, reassurance, a way to feel that he's still alive, that there's something worth living for. Herc needs it just as much.
"Come here." Herc pulls Stacker into his arms, raises his head - gosh, he loves that he has to do that - and cups his jaw to pull him into a deep kiss. Stacker opens his lips to Herc's tongue at the first touch, leans in to his embrace, pulls him as close as physically possible. Herc feels how the tension in Stacker eases with every moment they're touching, and it tells him that he did the right thing by coming here, consequences be damned.
"Missed you." Herc hears Stacker grumble against his lips, almost lost in their kiss, and it makes a shiver run down his spine. Stacker is not usually one to say such things, he is more likely to let Herc feel them during the drift.
The drift. They will never be able to engage in it again. He feels Stacker's answering sadness over the ghost drift that Herc hopes will always linger between them, and he can't help it, he claws his hands into Stacker's shirt and bites his neck, once, twice, sucks on the skin. If the drift can't be their bond in the future, then Herc needs to create another kind of connection between them, right now, even if it's just the temporary bruise of a bite mark. Stacker bares his throat, offers his skin to Herc's teeth, and his hands dig into Herc's sides with their firm grip.
They're quiet, no sound escapes them, but there's desperation in their touches, in their kisses, in every single look. The fact that they can never drift together again hangs like an unspoken sword over their heads. It's something that never even occurred to them before, that one day they might lose that connection forever.
Stacker's hands make short work of Herc's clothes, pushing off his henley and his jeans without a fuss. Herc is all for it and busies himself with Stacker's shirt and pants, needing them gone, all physical barriers between their skin need to be removed. He wants skin on skin, the feeling of Stacker's warmth against his body.
Stacker picks up on his thoughts over the ghost drift and his eyes darken. He pushes Herc down on the bed and he goes willingly. Stacker's above him only a second later, both of them naked apart from their dog tags that rattle quietly, a sound they're so used to that they don't even notice it anymore. Herc pulls him down on top of him, relishing in Stacker's superior weight pressing him into the mattress, and wraps his legs around his waist. He wants Stacker inside him, needs to feel that connection enhanced by their ghost drift, and he wants it now.
Herc reaches blindly for his jeans that lie halfway on the bed and halfway on the floor, quickly finding the little package of lube he put in the back pocket at the end of their flight. Somehow he'd been sure that he wouldn't have the time to get to it out of his duffel once they reached the hotel room. They decided pretty early on to go without condom. They're both clean, and they both know there will never be another partner again. It's one of those things you can be absolutely certain about when you're a perfect match in a drift. There are no secrets.
Herc isn't up for long foreplay, he wants to feel Stacker inside him, so he presses the pack in Stacker's hand and catches his gaze. "Make it quick. Want you now."
Stacker nods, obviously unable to form words, and rips the pack open. He understands, knows what Herc wants, feels is over the drift hangover. His fingers find Herc's hole and prepare him with practised ease, quick and efficient where they're usually playful and teasing. This is not the time for slow and romantic, it's not what they need, what they crave tonight, but Stacker is no less thorough than he always is.
Herc hasn't expect anything else, but tonight it drives him crazy. As soon as he feels he's ready, Herc bites Stacker's bottom lip and growls, "Now, Stacks."
There's a low groan coming from deep inside Stacker's chest, then he's devouring Herc's mouth while he's placing his erection at his hole and pushes in, faster that he usually would, but still careful not to hurt him. Herc throws his head back into the soft pillows and doesn't bother to keep his moan of pleasure down. Stacker kisses him again, if it's because he feels the need to or to keep him quiet, Herc can't tell. He doesn't care, either, to be honest. The only thing that matters is Stacker, hard and hot inside him, and Stacker's tongue in his mouth.
Herc urges Stacker to start moving because he wants it, needs it, and then Stacker pulls out and slides back in with the perfect angle. He hits Herc's prostate and has him see stars, his hips slamming back against Stacker's to take him even deeper. Stacker's thrusts are hard and powerful, and Herc presses back into each one, craving to feel Stacker as deep as possible. It's as if Stacker needs this to reaffirm that he's still alive, but Herc is not sure whether it's for himself or for Herc. Maybe a bit of both.
It doesn't take long for Herc to get close, and he feels Stacker's ecstasy over the ghost drift, pushing his own arousal even higher. Herc arches his back, presses into Stacker's thrusts even harder and he can't help panting when Stacker's hand wraps around his dick, his pleasure increasing to the point of climax with immense speed. Stacker's right there with him when he tips over the edge, when that last stimulation of his prostate makes him come so hard that he feels his pleasure melt with Stacker's over their bond, exploding in pure white that makes him black out for a moment or two.
Herc is panting, Stacker's weight on top of him where he sagged down, for once resting with his entire weight on Herc, something he usually never does. Herc loves the feeling of it, it grounds him, makes him feel alive. He's slowly calming down, the satisfaction bone-deep and filling him in mind and body. He presses a lingering kiss to Stacker's temple, then reaches for the boxer briefs he can see out of the corner of his eye and uses them to clean up their mess. Stacker rolls off of him only to wrap himself around Herc, engulfing him with arms and legs, entangled wherever it's possible. Herc cuddles against him, his eyes closed and a content smile on his face. He feels like he's finally home again.
Herc wakes up from the rays of sunlight caressing his face. It's something he hasn't experienced in a long time and it makes him smile contently. Stacker's arms are wrapped around Herc's waist, one large hand resting possessively on the hipbone that perfectly fits into the palm. Herc stretches with a content groan, flexing his muscles and popping his joints. He slept better than he has in months. The journey to Hong Kong and immediately afterwards the trip to Adelaide had left him bone-tired, then came the rough little reunion ceremony with Stacker and Herc had been so exhausted that his body had just switched off to recharge. It had helped a lot to feel Stacker's warm body in his back and his reassuring presence in his mind. Now Herc feels pleasantly sore in places where he hasn't been sore in a long time, and he likes the feeling a lot.
He turns round in Stacker's arms and presses a little kiss to his nose. "Time to wake up, sleepyhead. We have an exciting day ahead of us."
Stacker opens his eyes slowly and looks more awake than he has any right to. It's a side effect of years in the military, Herc knows. He too can snap from deep sleep to full alert within the fraction of a second. "Breakfast?"
Herc chuckles and kisses his nose again before getting up. "A very good breakfast. I promise."
He takes Stacker and Tamsin on a little walk to the Adelaide Arcade where a tiny café with wrought iron chairs is his destination. They serve fantastic coffee and very tasty sandwiches, the perfect way to start the day. Tamsin opts for the fresh pancakes and indulges in a huge mochaccino, licking the foam off her upper lip with an utterly pleased smile.
"I haven't had one of those in years. God, this is so sinfully delicious." she says with a happy sigh and takes another sip. Herc can't help smiling, it feels like he has already succeeded in returning the will to live in both of his companions. Angela always said that it's the little things that make you happy, and right now Herc can't thank her enough for that advice. He'd never expected that a change in scenery and a mochaccino could do so much good.
After breakfast Herc takes Stacker and Tamsin on a walk through the Botanic gardens, then they collect their bags from the hotel and check out. Herc drags them on the free city connector bus and only a few minutes later they arrive at the car rental agency which he called from Kodiak Island. It's half past ten when they get there, and Herc disappears into the office to get the keys. It doesn't take long to find the vehicle on the parking lot. Herc quickly checks the license plate and then he presses the key's lock. The indicator lights up dutifully, confirming that he found the right vehicle.
"So, this will be our home for the next month." Herc says with a grin and points at the white SUV standing in front of them. It doesn't look like it can actually fit all three of them, but Herc knows better. It's not his first camping trip with this kind of car. Stacker and Tamsin however just stare. They can't seem to quite believe their eyes.
"Tell me you're kidding." Tamsin sounds wary. "I mean, really, how do you want to fit three adults of our height in that... that car. It's not even a campervan."
"Oh, it is. It folds out nicely." Herc smirks. It's an off-road vehicle, which explains the limitation in size, but Herc knows that the four-wheel drive will be more important during their tour than having a lot of space. They will spend most of the time outside anyway. Australia is a great country to go camping.
Tamsin gestures at the car, obviously still not entirely convinced. "So what's the plan?"
Herc shrugs and throws her the keys. Time to get her to bond with the car. "There is no plan, no fixed route. We can go wherever the road leads us."
Stacker watches him with an apprehensive gaze. "And what would be your suggestion?"
"Head north-east, general direction of Broken Hill, cross the outback to the Blue Mountains and pass by Sydney. Maybe go north towards Brisbane from there. But in the end we can decide each day again where we want to go."
A slow smile spreads over Tamsin face while she plays with the keys in her hand and Herc can see her natural glow slowly return. "That actually sounds nice. Live each day as it comes."
"Then let's just do that." Stacker smiles as well and walks towards the back of the car, carrying his and Tamsin's duffel bag.
"You drive." Herc says to Tamsin from where he's stuffing their duffel bags in the back of the SUV. "We have enough road to share in the next weeks."
"All right, gents, let's get started on our Epic Road Trip through Australia." It's obvious from her intonation that she's mentally capitalising the words. She walks to the driver's side and hops in, efficiently adapting the seat and mirrors and then waits for Herc and Stacker to climb in. It's a three people driver cabin, and Herc takes the middle seat, enjoying the fact that he can sit very close to Stacker without needing a reason to.
Herc watches Tamsin pass her hands over the steering wheel, over the gearstick and the dash board before turning the key in the ignition. It's something he has observed on many pilots - they touch their machine as if they're familiarising with it, literally getting a feel for it. It's a good sign, because it means she's into this trip, never mind that she still had massive doubts about it only five minutes ago.
Second hurdle cleared.
Before leaving the city they head to the next supermarket to stock up on food, and more importantly, several ten litre canisters of water. You can never have too much water in the outback, Herc explains with a serious expression on his face. Once everything is stored in the small fridge and the cabinets, Tamsin drives them out of Adelaide and up north-east.
They collectively decide to avoid the big cities. It's not what they're here for. Both Tamsin and Stacker have been to Australia before, but they never had the chance - or the time - to actually leave the cities. They spend the journey north talking about the places they could go to, about the things they'd like to do or see, and Stacker and Herc study the map while Tam keeps driving. It's oddly comfortable in a way Herc remembers from trips with his family back when he was a boy, and it feels relaxing and somehow liberating.
It's half past one when Tamsin spots a diner by the road and decides that it's time for lunch. They take the map inside with them and ponder over it until the waitress brings their food. By then they have decided to drive to Burra and spend the night on the local campsite where there are powered caravan sites, then they'll see in the morning if they head on or stay another day. They arrive early in the afternoon, book a site and park the SUV, then they walk through the rather small town and spend the rest of the day with exploring the surroundings.
They're back at the campsite early in the evening to occupy the barbie and make dinner. There's an older couple using the one next to them and they get into a relaxed conversation over dinner preparations. Herc can feel the stress and the tension leave both Stacker and Tamsin the longer they're away from Hong Kong, away from any reminders of their current situation, from the Kaiju-damaged world they've lived in for the past few years. It reassures him that it was a good idea to get those two out of their familiar surroundings and drag them here to Australia, to a place that holds no memories for them, neither bad nor good, where they're free to experience something new, something to take their mind off things.
They eat by the car, folding out the kitchen and the awning that covers the side and rear of the SUV, and they set the camping chairs around the little table. It's a very tasty dinner - Herc prides himself on being a master when it come to the barbie - and they enjoy the quiet evening sitting under the stars. It's nine o'clock when they decide it's time to convert the interior of their SUV for the night, and Herc and Tamsin check out the back of the car to figure out what they're required to do. It's pretty easy and it only takes them a few minutes to put the boards in place that build the top bed and convert the table into the bottom bed.
"I take the top bunk." Tam declares and throws a pillow and a sleeping bag on the mattress.
"It's for two, Tam, so that would mean us." Herc remarks and gestures at himself and Stacker, who's currently doing the dishes in the fold-out kitchen.
"I don't think so." She points at the little sign on the rack for the top bunk. "It says here that it's a maximum of 200 kilos. I think the two of you together might cut it a bit close, don't you think?"
Herc sighs, admitting defeat. He really doesn't want to explain to the rental agency how they managed to break the top bunk. "It might get close, yeah."
"So either one of you shares the top bunk with me, or you two cuddle up on that couch-bed thingy there." She points at the bench that they folded out into a bed, mounted on one side of the car. "Not to mention that the top bed is a few centimetres too short for both you and Stacks. But it's long enough for me."
Herc eyes the lower bed warily. "It's a bit narrow."
Tamsin just chuckles, not bothering at all to hide the ambiguous grin. "I'm sure you'll manage."
Herc glares at her, but there's a smirk tugging on his lips. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Of course I am. I'm getting the huge top bunk all to myself and you can't say a thing against it." Her grin widens. "And I can make you two idiots happy in the process by forcing you to cuddle every single night for the next month."
"Hmm, that sounds rather nice." Herc eyes Stacker who's just drying the last dishes, then he begins to spread the pillows and sleeping bags on the bottom bunk.
"I knew you'd see reason." Tamsin doesn't hide her triumphant grin when she climbs into the top bunk to put the sheet over the mattress. It demands a bit of contortion, she has to step on the tiny bit of the counter left next to the sink, then crawl into the rather low space left between the boards and the ceiling and roll around to get her long legs up. Herc stops working to watch her and laughs. If he and Stacker tried to do that, it would end in a disaster.
"I think you're better off with the top bunk, Tam. It's all yours." Stacker says when he joins them. He's done with his kitchen duty and now stands at the rear of the car and smirks at both of them. It's obvious that he overheard their little dispute.
"Thank you, Ranger Pentecost." Tam makes her voice sound very official, but the effect is ruined by the indignant position she's in, flat on her stomach inbetween the pillow and the sleeping bag, cramped into the low space of the top bunk.
"You're welcome, Ranger Sevier." Stacker chuckles, and Herc feels his heart beat faster at the sound. He hadn't expected Stacks to relax and embrace this little adventure so quickly, especially considering that he's basically been forced into it.
"I'll go brush my teeth." Herc grabs his little fold-out toilet bag and walks around to the side of the SUV where the kitchen is folded still out. They take turns to wash and brush their teeth - not enough space for all three of them - and Stacker is the first to climb into bed while Herc is folding away the kitchen and Tam has headed for the toilets. When she comes back she climbs into her top bunk with enviable ease - Herc knows he wouldn't look half as graceful as her trying to fold his bulk into such cramped quarters - and Herc is left to lock up the car.
He has to crawl over Stacker to get on the bed because there's absolutely no space beside it, and he hits his head in the process. He hears Tamsin chuckle. "Good night, boys. Be good down there."
Herc snorts and slips underneath the sleeping bags that they decided to open up and use as a blanket. As if there was any space to get busy. Stacker presses back against the side of the car to make more room, but it's still a remarkably tight fit.
"Night, Tam." Herc replies once he manages to lie down and Stacker murmurs the same a moment later, busy trying to fit his bulk into the narrow bed next to Herc. It takes a bit of shuffling and arranging their long limbs, but then Stacker curls around Herc just like he did the night before and it's perfect. His legs are intertwined with Herc's, his arms wrapped around his waist, and his nose rests in the soft hair on Herc's neck. Herc falls asleep with a smile on his lips and the feeling of Stacker's warm, even breath on his skin.
It only takes a day and they fall into an easy routine, quickly getting used to the spacial limitations and how to avoid them best. Three adults of their heights require a bit of manoeuvring - two of them moving around in the back of the SUV at the same time is the absolute maximum it can take, they discover quickly - and soon it comes as naturally as breathing. They get up with the first light and go to sleep not long after dinner, and the easy rhythm of it calms their bodies and soothes their minds.
Peterborough, Silverton, Broken Hill. One day flows into the next, a mixture of driving, visiting places and going for hikes. Herc watches Stacker and Tamsin fall in love with the vastness and the subtle beauty of the outback. He can't help smiling, remembering the exact same feeling when he was a boy and his parents took him here for the first time. His mom had grown up in Broken Hill and loved the outback passionately, and she'd taught Herc and Scott everything she knew. She was a nature girl, so she knew a lot. Young Herc had absorbed it like a sponge.
They take a trip up to the Mutawintji National Park to spend three days there and that's when Stacker and Tamsin understand once and for all why Herc organised a four-wheel drive. On the way through the park they see several kangaroos and emus, and Tamsin can't help pointing out that a running emu looks like a feather duster with two legs and a broom for a head. She loves them. They follow the trails in the park for a two day long hike under Herc's specific guidance of how to bushwalk and how to camp in the Australian outback. Stacker and Tamsin prove to be excellent students and Herc understands a lot better why his mom loved sharing her passion for the outback. Chuck never really took to it, no matter how much Herc and Angela had tried. He was always more of an ocean person.
Wilcannia, Cobar, Narromine. There's a small town called Tottenham and when Tamsin spots it on the map, she insists that they spend a night there - home far far away from home, she says with a grin and tries to find a postcard once they get there. She finds the whole thing rather hilarious, especially because the similarities to hers and Stacker's Tottenham are minuscule. Herc buys a postcard too and sends it to Kodiak Island, addressed to Chuck. He has to think for a long time what to write on the back and is still sure it sucks when he puts it in the postbox. It's the thought that matters, Angela always said, and Herc hopes Chuck remembers that, too.
The landscape changes with the passing of time and turns from the red of the outback to the blue-green hues of the Blue Mountains. When they're in Oberon on the campsite, close to the Jenolan Caves that they plan to visit the next day, Herc has almost lost track of time and feels more relaxed and at peace with himself than he has in years. He can't help thinking of Chuck, though, and wonders if he would have enjoyed the trip. Herc decides that he has to do something like it with him at some point. He feels like he's losing Chuck with every day he grows older, and Angela would never forgive him if he doesn't try to prevent that.
It's dark already and the sounds of the forest fill the air like a subtle song. They had dinner and Stacker just left to use the campsite's showers while Herc and Tamsin sit in the camping chairs around the fold-out table, enjoying the mild evening.
"You want a beer?" Herc asks when he gets up to get one for himself.
"Do we still have alcohol-free ones?" She leans back in her chair and eyes the fridge Herc has opened. Both she and Stacker can't drink due to their medication, so Herc convinced them to go for the non-alcoholic beer instead of giving up on it entirely. Now their fridge always holds a mix of real and fake beer, as Tamsin calls it with a smirk.
"Four." Herc reports back after a quick count and takes one out for her. He opens both bottles, hands her one and pulls his chair next to hers. "To relaxing evenings."
Tamsin smiles and clinks her bottle against his. "To friends."
They drink in silence for a while, then Tamsin turns to look at him.
"You know, I think you saved us. Stacks and me." She says, her voice quiet and sincere. Then she stops, but Herc feels there's more. "We were at the lowest point possible when you came to Hong Kong. End of our careers, end of our fight against the Kaiju, terminal cancer and no hope of it getting any better." She snorts. "Well, that's generally the meaning of 'terminal'."
Tamsin leans back in the chair and smiles, staring up into the night sky. "And then you come blazing in and just rip us out of all of it. You drag us into a world that couldn't be more different from what we've been living in for the past few years. You know, this trip showed us - and I think I can safely speak for both of us - that there's still something worth living for. Not to give up."
"That was the plan." Herc admits honestly. "Well, at least I was hoping to achieve that. I wasn't sure I would be able to. You two looked so bad during our video calls..."
"We were in pretty bad shape." Tam agrees, then she catches his gaze. "I don't think we can ever repay you."
Herc just gently shakes his head. "There's nothing to repay, Tam."
She smiles softly. "I know. That's what makes it even more special. Thank you, Herc."
He returns her smile and gently nudges her shoulder. "You're welcome."
"You're a good man, Herc Hansen. I'm glad to call you my friend." Her smile turns mischievous. Herc fears what will come next.
"And I'm glad Stacks got that stick out of his arse and finally nailed you." She can't stop laughing when an image from the drift hits her. "Quite literally."
He bumps his shoulder into hers. "Hey!"
"Well, or you nailed him, I don't particularly mind." She shrugs, her grin wide and teasing. "I've seen it both. He's not as good at shielding as he thinks. Don't tell him I said that."
Herc smirks. "My lips are sealed."
"Good, because there he comes." Tam jerks her chin at the tall figure approaching them in the dark, a towel slung around the neck and wearing just shorts and a t-shirt. Stacker has slowly shed a good deal of his uptight dress code that he has upheld in public as long as Herc knows him. The Australian way of life seems to slowly rub off on him, though, and Herc likes how the tension left his shoulders, how he now wears a t-shirt and walks around with thongs on his feet instead of boots and seems completely comfortable with it. He's relaxing, and it's a good look on him. Herc is quite aware he's only doing it because he is utterly and completely at ease in Tamsin's and Herc's company and there is no image to uphold. It will change again once they get back to their regular lives in the PPDC, but Herc opts no to think about that just yet.
"Good shower?" Herc asks when Stacker gets to them.
"Very good. The shower head was actually high enough for me to stand underneath it without hitting my head." Stacker bends down to press a quick kiss to the top of Herc's head on his way to the clothesline where they use to hang the wet towels. Herc's heart still jumps at those little sign of affection that Stacker would never have allowed in public before this trip. Over the past weeks he slowly began to offer a touch here and a quick peck there when it's just the three of them, and now he even does it out in the open on the campsites.
It makes Herc feel god in a way he hasn't anticipated. Neither he nor Stacker are prone to public displays of affection, and they never talked about it because they were on the same page right from the beginning. It's not that they're hiding - there's no need to, the PPDC doesn't have discriminating policies and the world has bigger problems, so nobody actually cares - but it's their private life, and that's nobody's business. But here in the middle of nowhere, Australia, far far away from the PPDC and their duties and responsibilities as Rangers, it's easy to give in to those little impulses. Herc does it too, a hand on the small of Stacker's back when they're standing together, a good morning kiss, leaning into him when they share the bench in the car when Tam is driving. It feels just to incredibly good to be close to Stacker, and it feels even better to know that it's mutual.
"Do you have one for me to?" Stacker asks and points at the beers they're holding.
"Sure. Three fakes are still in the fridge." Tamsin replies and Stacker gets himself one, then he pulls his camping chair closer and positions it opposite to theirs.
He opens his bottle, then he raises it and looks at Herc and Tamsin. "What are we drinking to?"
"To friends." Tamsin replies immediately.
Stacker looks at both of them and smiles. "To friends."
**the end*
Fandom: Pacific Rim
Pairing: Herc Hansen/Stacker Pentecost
Author: Nanuk Dain
e-mail: nanukdain@gmx.net
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: explicit sexual content
Word count: approx. 7.110
Series: Drift Compatible
Disclaimer: Not mine, what a pity... If they were, things would have gone differently ^_^
Comment: The Epic Road Trip through Australia! Yay! I had tons of fun sending our boys on this trip (and it's not over yet ^_^) and I hope you enjoy it too! I want to thank those nice people (you know who you are ^^) for their lovely comments reassuring me that Herc/Stacker is a pairing some people actually really love. Thanks, guys!
Chance Meeting
In Shock
The New Guy
Drinks Among Friends
It's in the Drift
Drift Compatibility Testing
Change of Plan
Forced Holiday Trip
Unhealthy Curiosity
So So Screwed
Difficult Relationships
Perfect Match
A Word of Advice
A little Push
Trial
Ghost Drifts and other Goodies
A Lesson Learned
Summary: When Herc learns about Tamsin and Stacker having cancer, he takes matters in his own hands. Meaning he drags them on a road trip across Australia. Change of scenery and all that.
*********
Jaeger Academy, Kodiak Island, Alaska, May 17th, 2016
Herc wastes no time. A minute after he gets off the phone with Stacker, he's already making the next call. First he gets Command on the line and explains his plan. When he gets the green light, he contacts the med bay of the Hong Kong Shatterdome to make the necessary arrangements. Next is the PPDC's transport centre to get on the next flight out, and it's just his luck that there is a chopper leaving for Seattle later that evening. From there he will catch a transport plane that will bring him to the Hong Kong Shatterdome which has its own runway. He also arranges for a flight for three from Hong Kong to Adelaide. The last call is to a camper van rental agency.
Once he's completed all his calls, Herc chases down Scott and asks him if he can take care of Chuck for the next month. Scott is understandably surprised, but when Herc tells him what happened he agrees without a moment's hesitation. The last thing Herc does before leaving is to find Chuck who's with Maggie in the Jaeger bay - where else would he be? - and explains him the situation as honestly as he can. Chuck doesn't like it, but then he doesn't like much of what Herc does anymore. Sometimes Herc wonders if it's really all down to teenage rebellion.
Herc's on his way to Hong Kong only two hours after he ended the call with Stacker. He gets to Seattle shortly after midnight and only has to wait for an hour for the transport plane to leave. It's a long flight to Hong Kong, almost fifteen hours, so Herc forces himself to relax and sleep as much as he can, well aware of the long day that awaits him. It's 7 am when they finally touch down on the runway of the Hong Kong Shatterdome. By then Herc has been on the road for almost twenty hours and he feels it in his bones. He's more than happy to get off the not very comfortable transport plane, thanking the pilots on his way out for taking him along.
Herc slings his duffel bag over his shoulder and makes his way into the tall structure of the Shatterdome. He knows where Stacker's and Tamsin's quarters are, it's not the first time he's come to Hong Kong. It takes him about ten minutes to walk across the huge building to the wing housing the living accommodation of the Shatterdome personnel. He straightens and takes a deep breath before he raises his hand and knocks on the heavy metal door.
It's Tamsin who opens, but Herc can see Stacker standing behind her in the middle of the room. They're both dressed and ready, no matter that they're officially retired from combat duty. Herc hasn't expected any less.
"Hey Tamsin." He says with a smirk on his lips when she just stares at him, looking stunned.
"Herc?" Stacker comes to the door as soon as he hears Herc's voice, and frowns in surprise. "How did you... what are you doing here?"
Herc just smirks. He's still standing in the doorway because both Tamsin and Stacker are still too dumbfounded to remember their manners and ask him in. It feels like a little success already."You two are coming with me."
"We're what?" Tamsin asks at the same time that Stacker replies, "We can't just leave-"
"Yes, you can." Herc tells them firmly and holds out the papers he got from Command. "As of now, you are both officially on leave for a month."
"On leave?" Tamsin looks confused while scanning the document.
"Yep. And I have strict orders to make sure that you get it. So go pack light, we're heading to Adelaide."
"What?" Stacker's frown has actually deepened. He doesn't like being out of the loop, out of control, but Herc knows it's necessary this time.
"Just trust me, okay?" Herc holds his gaze, willing him to see that he means it.
After a moment of silence Stacker nods. "All right."
It's then that Tamsin seems to remember that they're still standing on the doorstep, and she opens the door fully, invites Herc in and gives him a hug. "Come in, Herc. Sorry for the rude welcome, you just totally surprised us. It's really nice that you came."
Herc returns her embrace and chuckles. "I'm well aware that you weren't expecting me."
"You could say that." Tam says when she pulls back. Herc is profoundly relieved to see a real smile on her face. "So, will you tell us what all this is about?"
"It's a surprise." He replies with a grin. "I don't want to spoil it. The only thing I can tell you is that a transport plane leaves for Adelaide at 8.30 am, and we have three seats reserved on board."
"You're a tease, Hercules Hansen." She replies, but there's a smile tugging on her lips. It's balm for Herc's soul because he knows how the events of the past few days have dragged her down. He was shocked to see her on video, her eyes without their usual spark, her face closed off and her body language speaking of fear, pain, worry. She wasn't the Tamsin he'd grown to love like a sister over the past year, and he knew he had to do something. Seeing Stacker last night, looking equally drained as Tamsin, had been the final straw. Herc knows he would have pulled off his plan without Command's approval if they hadn't given it, because he's sure he'd lose both Stacker and Tamsin otherwise. It's something he won't allow to happen.
"You arranged all that after our video call?" Stacker asks and slowly comes closer. Herc still feels the intense need to wrap his arms around Stacker, to bury his nose against his neck and take a deep breath to reassure himself that Stacker is still there, but he knows him too well to approach him. Stacker has to come to him, on his own terms and in his own time.
"Yep. I cleared it with Command. One month, and they don't want to see your faces back in a Shatterdome before that period is over." Herc replies and points at the papers Tamsin is still holding in her hand. "They provided transport for us to Aidelaide, then we're on our own."
Stacker raises one eyebrow, seemingly getting used to the idea he's about to leave on a trip that he doesn't even know the destination of. "What have you planned?"
Herc smiles. "You'll find out when we get there."
Stacker chuckles and suddenly the tension in his shoulders eases. "Tam's right, you're a tease."
"I do my best." Herc replies with a smirk born out of relief. First hurdle cleared.
Stacker comes close and wraps his arms around Herc to pull him into a long, heartfelt embrace. "I don't think I welcomed you properly after you travelled halfway around the world to kidnap us."
"Hello to you too." Herc closes his eyes and buries his nose against Stacker's neck, just like he has wanted to do ever since their video call, and takes a deep breath. He picks up Stacker's scent that he loves so much, and it eases something in his chest that had been tied in a tight knot ever since he received Tamsin's call after Onibaba.
"You two are so cute." Tamsin interrupts with a smile on her face that's only halfway teasing. "But shouldn't we pack and get ready to catch our plane?"
"We definitely should." Herc replies after a quick glance at his watch. They have fifty minutes left until take-off. He reluctantly pulls back from Stacker, reminding himself that he'll have an entire month to cuddle him, and straightens. "Meet me in hangar 46 C in half an hour. That should give you time to pack, and I still have some errands to run."
"All right, we'll see you there." Stacker says with a nod, his hands trailing over Herc's sides in a fleeting caress before he lets go. Herc smiles at him, then he leaves the quarters.
First he delivers the paperwork for Stacker's and Tamsin's leave to the Shatterdome's Marshal and then he goes to the medical bay where he has arranged for a meeting with Doctor Huan who oversees the treatment of Stacker and Tamsin. He receives two small boxes sporting a red cross right below the PPDC logo and when he checks them, he finds everything he talked about with Doctor Huan, and even a printed page with instructions. Everything necessary to take two cancer patients in treatment on a four week road trip.
Herc arrives at the hangar ten minutes early and discusses the transport with the plane's captain, providing him with the necessary paperwork, all signed and cleared by Command. Stacker and Tamsin show up with five minutes to spare. They greet the crew - Herc notices that they seem to know the pilot - and store their duffel bags, then they strap into their seats. They don't ask Herc again what he has planned, but he can feel their curiosity and it makes him smile. Curiosity is a huge improvement over the defeat he felt coming from Stacker and Tamsin during their video calls.
The flight takes almost nine hours and is entirely uneventful. They spend it talking about meaningless things, reading and sleeping. Herc makes use of the opportunity to give each Stacker and Tamsin one of the two boxes he collected from the medical bay and explains that they're the medical supply for their cancer treatment for the next month. Stacker lets him know that he also checked with Dr. Huan and was told that everything had already been given to Herc, as ordered by Command. Herc just shrugs and admits that it was part of planning the trip. When they reach Adelaide it's almost eight o'clock in the evening and Herc calls a taxi to bring them to the tiny hotel he knows from a trip with Angela. He has arranged for a double room and a single, and Tamsin grabs the keys for the single room out of his hand as soon as they enter the elevator.
"I intend to get some sleep tonight, while I'm sure the two of you don't." She remarks with a huge ambiguous grin. "It's been, what, a month since you saw each other?"
"One and a half." Stacker corrects automatically, and it makes Herc smirk. Good to know he's not the only one counting the days.
"All the more reason for me to claim the single room." Tam says with a chuckle when they approach their rooms. She puts the key in the lock and opens her door before turning back to them with a wink. "Have a good night, boys."
Herc can't help laughing. "We'll see you tomorrow morning. Eight okay?"
She nods. "That's sleeping in for me. Perfect."
"Night Tam." There's a smirk on Stacker's face. "I hope we're not too loud."
"To much information, Stacks." Tamsin chides before closing the door behind her. They can still hear her laugh quietly.
"She's got a naughty mind." Herc murmurs while unlocking the door to the double room.
"I fear she doesn't just have a naughty mind but was also supplied with pretty accurate information through the drift." Stacker sighs, but there's amusement in his voice. He puts his duffel down next to the bed and turns to Herc.
"So much for your mental shields." Herc says with a smirk tugging on his lips. He feels Stacks lift the last inner shield he always seems to keep in place, and then Herc is flooded with his emotions - there's disappointment, anger, fear, worry, uncertainty, desperation. Stacker is lost, doesn't know what to do, where to go from here. He's not sure he still has a purpose, a role in this war to defend humankind. Herc figures it's his job to show Stacker over the next few weeks what he's fighting for, and that there are other way to defeat the Kaiju than in a Jaeger's Conn-Pod. But for now Stacker needs touch, reassurance, a way to feel that he's still alive, that there's something worth living for. Herc needs it just as much.
"Come here." Herc pulls Stacker into his arms, raises his head - gosh, he loves that he has to do that - and cups his jaw to pull him into a deep kiss. Stacker opens his lips to Herc's tongue at the first touch, leans in to his embrace, pulls him as close as physically possible. Herc feels how the tension in Stacker eases with every moment they're touching, and it tells him that he did the right thing by coming here, consequences be damned.
"Missed you." Herc hears Stacker grumble against his lips, almost lost in their kiss, and it makes a shiver run down his spine. Stacker is not usually one to say such things, he is more likely to let Herc feel them during the drift.
The drift. They will never be able to engage in it again. He feels Stacker's answering sadness over the ghost drift that Herc hopes will always linger between them, and he can't help it, he claws his hands into Stacker's shirt and bites his neck, once, twice, sucks on the skin. If the drift can't be their bond in the future, then Herc needs to create another kind of connection between them, right now, even if it's just the temporary bruise of a bite mark. Stacker bares his throat, offers his skin to Herc's teeth, and his hands dig into Herc's sides with their firm grip.
They're quiet, no sound escapes them, but there's desperation in their touches, in their kisses, in every single look. The fact that they can never drift together again hangs like an unspoken sword over their heads. It's something that never even occurred to them before, that one day they might lose that connection forever.
Stacker's hands make short work of Herc's clothes, pushing off his henley and his jeans without a fuss. Herc is all for it and busies himself with Stacker's shirt and pants, needing them gone, all physical barriers between their skin need to be removed. He wants skin on skin, the feeling of Stacker's warmth against his body.
Stacker picks up on his thoughts over the ghost drift and his eyes darken. He pushes Herc down on the bed and he goes willingly. Stacker's above him only a second later, both of them naked apart from their dog tags that rattle quietly, a sound they're so used to that they don't even notice it anymore. Herc pulls him down on top of him, relishing in Stacker's superior weight pressing him into the mattress, and wraps his legs around his waist. He wants Stacker inside him, needs to feel that connection enhanced by their ghost drift, and he wants it now.
Herc reaches blindly for his jeans that lie halfway on the bed and halfway on the floor, quickly finding the little package of lube he put in the back pocket at the end of their flight. Somehow he'd been sure that he wouldn't have the time to get to it out of his duffel once they reached the hotel room. They decided pretty early on to go without condom. They're both clean, and they both know there will never be another partner again. It's one of those things you can be absolutely certain about when you're a perfect match in a drift. There are no secrets.
Herc isn't up for long foreplay, he wants to feel Stacker inside him, so he presses the pack in Stacker's hand and catches his gaze. "Make it quick. Want you now."
Stacker nods, obviously unable to form words, and rips the pack open. He understands, knows what Herc wants, feels is over the drift hangover. His fingers find Herc's hole and prepare him with practised ease, quick and efficient where they're usually playful and teasing. This is not the time for slow and romantic, it's not what they need, what they crave tonight, but Stacker is no less thorough than he always is.
Herc hasn't expect anything else, but tonight it drives him crazy. As soon as he feels he's ready, Herc bites Stacker's bottom lip and growls, "Now, Stacks."
There's a low groan coming from deep inside Stacker's chest, then he's devouring Herc's mouth while he's placing his erection at his hole and pushes in, faster that he usually would, but still careful not to hurt him. Herc throws his head back into the soft pillows and doesn't bother to keep his moan of pleasure down. Stacker kisses him again, if it's because he feels the need to or to keep him quiet, Herc can't tell. He doesn't care, either, to be honest. The only thing that matters is Stacker, hard and hot inside him, and Stacker's tongue in his mouth.
Herc urges Stacker to start moving because he wants it, needs it, and then Stacker pulls out and slides back in with the perfect angle. He hits Herc's prostate and has him see stars, his hips slamming back against Stacker's to take him even deeper. Stacker's thrusts are hard and powerful, and Herc presses back into each one, craving to feel Stacker as deep as possible. It's as if Stacker needs this to reaffirm that he's still alive, but Herc is not sure whether it's for himself or for Herc. Maybe a bit of both.
It doesn't take long for Herc to get close, and he feels Stacker's ecstasy over the ghost drift, pushing his own arousal even higher. Herc arches his back, presses into Stacker's thrusts even harder and he can't help panting when Stacker's hand wraps around his dick, his pleasure increasing to the point of climax with immense speed. Stacker's right there with him when he tips over the edge, when that last stimulation of his prostate makes him come so hard that he feels his pleasure melt with Stacker's over their bond, exploding in pure white that makes him black out for a moment or two.
Herc is panting, Stacker's weight on top of him where he sagged down, for once resting with his entire weight on Herc, something he usually never does. Herc loves the feeling of it, it grounds him, makes him feel alive. He's slowly calming down, the satisfaction bone-deep and filling him in mind and body. He presses a lingering kiss to Stacker's temple, then reaches for the boxer briefs he can see out of the corner of his eye and uses them to clean up their mess. Stacker rolls off of him only to wrap himself around Herc, engulfing him with arms and legs, entangled wherever it's possible. Herc cuddles against him, his eyes closed and a content smile on his face. He feels like he's finally home again.
Herc wakes up from the rays of sunlight caressing his face. It's something he hasn't experienced in a long time and it makes him smile contently. Stacker's arms are wrapped around Herc's waist, one large hand resting possessively on the hipbone that perfectly fits into the palm. Herc stretches with a content groan, flexing his muscles and popping his joints. He slept better than he has in months. The journey to Hong Kong and immediately afterwards the trip to Adelaide had left him bone-tired, then came the rough little reunion ceremony with Stacker and Herc had been so exhausted that his body had just switched off to recharge. It had helped a lot to feel Stacker's warm body in his back and his reassuring presence in his mind. Now Herc feels pleasantly sore in places where he hasn't been sore in a long time, and he likes the feeling a lot.
He turns round in Stacker's arms and presses a little kiss to his nose. "Time to wake up, sleepyhead. We have an exciting day ahead of us."
Stacker opens his eyes slowly and looks more awake than he has any right to. It's a side effect of years in the military, Herc knows. He too can snap from deep sleep to full alert within the fraction of a second. "Breakfast?"
Herc chuckles and kisses his nose again before getting up. "A very good breakfast. I promise."
He takes Stacker and Tamsin on a little walk to the Adelaide Arcade where a tiny café with wrought iron chairs is his destination. They serve fantastic coffee and very tasty sandwiches, the perfect way to start the day. Tamsin opts for the fresh pancakes and indulges in a huge mochaccino, licking the foam off her upper lip with an utterly pleased smile.
"I haven't had one of those in years. God, this is so sinfully delicious." she says with a happy sigh and takes another sip. Herc can't help smiling, it feels like he has already succeeded in returning the will to live in both of his companions. Angela always said that it's the little things that make you happy, and right now Herc can't thank her enough for that advice. He'd never expected that a change in scenery and a mochaccino could do so much good.
After breakfast Herc takes Stacker and Tamsin on a walk through the Botanic gardens, then they collect their bags from the hotel and check out. Herc drags them on the free city connector bus and only a few minutes later they arrive at the car rental agency which he called from Kodiak Island. It's half past ten when they get there, and Herc disappears into the office to get the keys. It doesn't take long to find the vehicle on the parking lot. Herc quickly checks the license plate and then he presses the key's lock. The indicator lights up dutifully, confirming that he found the right vehicle.
"So, this will be our home for the next month." Herc says with a grin and points at the white SUV standing in front of them. It doesn't look like it can actually fit all three of them, but Herc knows better. It's not his first camping trip with this kind of car. Stacker and Tamsin however just stare. They can't seem to quite believe their eyes.
"Tell me you're kidding." Tamsin sounds wary. "I mean, really, how do you want to fit three adults of our height in that... that car. It's not even a campervan."
"Oh, it is. It folds out nicely." Herc smirks. It's an off-road vehicle, which explains the limitation in size, but Herc knows that the four-wheel drive will be more important during their tour than having a lot of space. They will spend most of the time outside anyway. Australia is a great country to go camping.
Tamsin gestures at the car, obviously still not entirely convinced. "So what's the plan?"
Herc shrugs and throws her the keys. Time to get her to bond with the car. "There is no plan, no fixed route. We can go wherever the road leads us."
Stacker watches him with an apprehensive gaze. "And what would be your suggestion?"
"Head north-east, general direction of Broken Hill, cross the outback to the Blue Mountains and pass by Sydney. Maybe go north towards Brisbane from there. But in the end we can decide each day again where we want to go."
A slow smile spreads over Tamsin face while she plays with the keys in her hand and Herc can see her natural glow slowly return. "That actually sounds nice. Live each day as it comes."
"Then let's just do that." Stacker smiles as well and walks towards the back of the car, carrying his and Tamsin's duffel bag.
"You drive." Herc says to Tamsin from where he's stuffing their duffel bags in the back of the SUV. "We have enough road to share in the next weeks."
"All right, gents, let's get started on our Epic Road Trip through Australia." It's obvious from her intonation that she's mentally capitalising the words. She walks to the driver's side and hops in, efficiently adapting the seat and mirrors and then waits for Herc and Stacker to climb in. It's a three people driver cabin, and Herc takes the middle seat, enjoying the fact that he can sit very close to Stacker without needing a reason to.
Herc watches Tamsin pass her hands over the steering wheel, over the gearstick and the dash board before turning the key in the ignition. It's something he has observed on many pilots - they touch their machine as if they're familiarising with it, literally getting a feel for it. It's a good sign, because it means she's into this trip, never mind that she still had massive doubts about it only five minutes ago.
Second hurdle cleared.
Before leaving the city they head to the next supermarket to stock up on food, and more importantly, several ten litre canisters of water. You can never have too much water in the outback, Herc explains with a serious expression on his face. Once everything is stored in the small fridge and the cabinets, Tamsin drives them out of Adelaide and up north-east.
They collectively decide to avoid the big cities. It's not what they're here for. Both Tamsin and Stacker have been to Australia before, but they never had the chance - or the time - to actually leave the cities. They spend the journey north talking about the places they could go to, about the things they'd like to do or see, and Stacker and Herc study the map while Tam keeps driving. It's oddly comfortable in a way Herc remembers from trips with his family back when he was a boy, and it feels relaxing and somehow liberating.
It's half past one when Tamsin spots a diner by the road and decides that it's time for lunch. They take the map inside with them and ponder over it until the waitress brings their food. By then they have decided to drive to Burra and spend the night on the local campsite where there are powered caravan sites, then they'll see in the morning if they head on or stay another day. They arrive early in the afternoon, book a site and park the SUV, then they walk through the rather small town and spend the rest of the day with exploring the surroundings.
They're back at the campsite early in the evening to occupy the barbie and make dinner. There's an older couple using the one next to them and they get into a relaxed conversation over dinner preparations. Herc can feel the stress and the tension leave both Stacker and Tamsin the longer they're away from Hong Kong, away from any reminders of their current situation, from the Kaiju-damaged world they've lived in for the past few years. It reassures him that it was a good idea to get those two out of their familiar surroundings and drag them here to Australia, to a place that holds no memories for them, neither bad nor good, where they're free to experience something new, something to take their mind off things.
They eat by the car, folding out the kitchen and the awning that covers the side and rear of the SUV, and they set the camping chairs around the little table. It's a very tasty dinner - Herc prides himself on being a master when it come to the barbie - and they enjoy the quiet evening sitting under the stars. It's nine o'clock when they decide it's time to convert the interior of their SUV for the night, and Herc and Tamsin check out the back of the car to figure out what they're required to do. It's pretty easy and it only takes them a few minutes to put the boards in place that build the top bed and convert the table into the bottom bed.
"I take the top bunk." Tam declares and throws a pillow and a sleeping bag on the mattress.
"It's for two, Tam, so that would mean us." Herc remarks and gestures at himself and Stacker, who's currently doing the dishes in the fold-out kitchen.
"I don't think so." She points at the little sign on the rack for the top bunk. "It says here that it's a maximum of 200 kilos. I think the two of you together might cut it a bit close, don't you think?"
Herc sighs, admitting defeat. He really doesn't want to explain to the rental agency how they managed to break the top bunk. "It might get close, yeah."
"So either one of you shares the top bunk with me, or you two cuddle up on that couch-bed thingy there." She points at the bench that they folded out into a bed, mounted on one side of the car. "Not to mention that the top bed is a few centimetres too short for both you and Stacks. But it's long enough for me."
Herc eyes the lower bed warily. "It's a bit narrow."
Tamsin just chuckles, not bothering at all to hide the ambiguous grin. "I'm sure you'll manage."
Herc glares at her, but there's a smirk tugging on his lips. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Of course I am. I'm getting the huge top bunk all to myself and you can't say a thing against it." Her grin widens. "And I can make you two idiots happy in the process by forcing you to cuddle every single night for the next month."
"Hmm, that sounds rather nice." Herc eyes Stacker who's just drying the last dishes, then he begins to spread the pillows and sleeping bags on the bottom bunk.
"I knew you'd see reason." Tamsin doesn't hide her triumphant grin when she climbs into the top bunk to put the sheet over the mattress. It demands a bit of contortion, she has to step on the tiny bit of the counter left next to the sink, then crawl into the rather low space left between the boards and the ceiling and roll around to get her long legs up. Herc stops working to watch her and laughs. If he and Stacker tried to do that, it would end in a disaster.
"I think you're better off with the top bunk, Tam. It's all yours." Stacker says when he joins them. He's done with his kitchen duty and now stands at the rear of the car and smirks at both of them. It's obvious that he overheard their little dispute.
"Thank you, Ranger Pentecost." Tam makes her voice sound very official, but the effect is ruined by the indignant position she's in, flat on her stomach inbetween the pillow and the sleeping bag, cramped into the low space of the top bunk.
"You're welcome, Ranger Sevier." Stacker chuckles, and Herc feels his heart beat faster at the sound. He hadn't expected Stacks to relax and embrace this little adventure so quickly, especially considering that he's basically been forced into it.
"I'll go brush my teeth." Herc grabs his little fold-out toilet bag and walks around to the side of the SUV where the kitchen is folded still out. They take turns to wash and brush their teeth - not enough space for all three of them - and Stacker is the first to climb into bed while Herc is folding away the kitchen and Tam has headed for the toilets. When she comes back she climbs into her top bunk with enviable ease - Herc knows he wouldn't look half as graceful as her trying to fold his bulk into such cramped quarters - and Herc is left to lock up the car.
He has to crawl over Stacker to get on the bed because there's absolutely no space beside it, and he hits his head in the process. He hears Tamsin chuckle. "Good night, boys. Be good down there."
Herc snorts and slips underneath the sleeping bags that they decided to open up and use as a blanket. As if there was any space to get busy. Stacker presses back against the side of the car to make more room, but it's still a remarkably tight fit.
"Night, Tam." Herc replies once he manages to lie down and Stacker murmurs the same a moment later, busy trying to fit his bulk into the narrow bed next to Herc. It takes a bit of shuffling and arranging their long limbs, but then Stacker curls around Herc just like he did the night before and it's perfect. His legs are intertwined with Herc's, his arms wrapped around his waist, and his nose rests in the soft hair on Herc's neck. Herc falls asleep with a smile on his lips and the feeling of Stacker's warm, even breath on his skin.
It only takes a day and they fall into an easy routine, quickly getting used to the spacial limitations and how to avoid them best. Three adults of their heights require a bit of manoeuvring - two of them moving around in the back of the SUV at the same time is the absolute maximum it can take, they discover quickly - and soon it comes as naturally as breathing. They get up with the first light and go to sleep not long after dinner, and the easy rhythm of it calms their bodies and soothes their minds.
Peterborough, Silverton, Broken Hill. One day flows into the next, a mixture of driving, visiting places and going for hikes. Herc watches Stacker and Tamsin fall in love with the vastness and the subtle beauty of the outback. He can't help smiling, remembering the exact same feeling when he was a boy and his parents took him here for the first time. His mom had grown up in Broken Hill and loved the outback passionately, and she'd taught Herc and Scott everything she knew. She was a nature girl, so she knew a lot. Young Herc had absorbed it like a sponge.
They take a trip up to the Mutawintji National Park to spend three days there and that's when Stacker and Tamsin understand once and for all why Herc organised a four-wheel drive. On the way through the park they see several kangaroos and emus, and Tamsin can't help pointing out that a running emu looks like a feather duster with two legs and a broom for a head. She loves them. They follow the trails in the park for a two day long hike under Herc's specific guidance of how to bushwalk and how to camp in the Australian outback. Stacker and Tamsin prove to be excellent students and Herc understands a lot better why his mom loved sharing her passion for the outback. Chuck never really took to it, no matter how much Herc and Angela had tried. He was always more of an ocean person.
Wilcannia, Cobar, Narromine. There's a small town called Tottenham and when Tamsin spots it on the map, she insists that they spend a night there - home far far away from home, she says with a grin and tries to find a postcard once they get there. She finds the whole thing rather hilarious, especially because the similarities to hers and Stacker's Tottenham are minuscule. Herc buys a postcard too and sends it to Kodiak Island, addressed to Chuck. He has to think for a long time what to write on the back and is still sure it sucks when he puts it in the postbox. It's the thought that matters, Angela always said, and Herc hopes Chuck remembers that, too.
The landscape changes with the passing of time and turns from the red of the outback to the blue-green hues of the Blue Mountains. When they're in Oberon on the campsite, close to the Jenolan Caves that they plan to visit the next day, Herc has almost lost track of time and feels more relaxed and at peace with himself than he has in years. He can't help thinking of Chuck, though, and wonders if he would have enjoyed the trip. Herc decides that he has to do something like it with him at some point. He feels like he's losing Chuck with every day he grows older, and Angela would never forgive him if he doesn't try to prevent that.
It's dark already and the sounds of the forest fill the air like a subtle song. They had dinner and Stacker just left to use the campsite's showers while Herc and Tamsin sit in the camping chairs around the fold-out table, enjoying the mild evening.
"You want a beer?" Herc asks when he gets up to get one for himself.
"Do we still have alcohol-free ones?" She leans back in her chair and eyes the fridge Herc has opened. Both she and Stacker can't drink due to their medication, so Herc convinced them to go for the non-alcoholic beer instead of giving up on it entirely. Now their fridge always holds a mix of real and fake beer, as Tamsin calls it with a smirk.
"Four." Herc reports back after a quick count and takes one out for her. He opens both bottles, hands her one and pulls his chair next to hers. "To relaxing evenings."
Tamsin smiles and clinks her bottle against his. "To friends."
They drink in silence for a while, then Tamsin turns to look at him.
"You know, I think you saved us. Stacks and me." She says, her voice quiet and sincere. Then she stops, but Herc feels there's more. "We were at the lowest point possible when you came to Hong Kong. End of our careers, end of our fight against the Kaiju, terminal cancer and no hope of it getting any better." She snorts. "Well, that's generally the meaning of 'terminal'."
Tamsin leans back in the chair and smiles, staring up into the night sky. "And then you come blazing in and just rip us out of all of it. You drag us into a world that couldn't be more different from what we've been living in for the past few years. You know, this trip showed us - and I think I can safely speak for both of us - that there's still something worth living for. Not to give up."
"That was the plan." Herc admits honestly. "Well, at least I was hoping to achieve that. I wasn't sure I would be able to. You two looked so bad during our video calls..."
"We were in pretty bad shape." Tam agrees, then she catches his gaze. "I don't think we can ever repay you."
Herc just gently shakes his head. "There's nothing to repay, Tam."
She smiles softly. "I know. That's what makes it even more special. Thank you, Herc."
He returns her smile and gently nudges her shoulder. "You're welcome."
"You're a good man, Herc Hansen. I'm glad to call you my friend." Her smile turns mischievous. Herc fears what will come next.
"And I'm glad Stacks got that stick out of his arse and finally nailed you." She can't stop laughing when an image from the drift hits her. "Quite literally."
He bumps his shoulder into hers. "Hey!"
"Well, or you nailed him, I don't particularly mind." She shrugs, her grin wide and teasing. "I've seen it both. He's not as good at shielding as he thinks. Don't tell him I said that."
Herc smirks. "My lips are sealed."
"Good, because there he comes." Tam jerks her chin at the tall figure approaching them in the dark, a towel slung around the neck and wearing just shorts and a t-shirt. Stacker has slowly shed a good deal of his uptight dress code that he has upheld in public as long as Herc knows him. The Australian way of life seems to slowly rub off on him, though, and Herc likes how the tension left his shoulders, how he now wears a t-shirt and walks around with thongs on his feet instead of boots and seems completely comfortable with it. He's relaxing, and it's a good look on him. Herc is quite aware he's only doing it because he is utterly and completely at ease in Tamsin's and Herc's company and there is no image to uphold. It will change again once they get back to their regular lives in the PPDC, but Herc opts no to think about that just yet.
"Good shower?" Herc asks when Stacker gets to them.
"Very good. The shower head was actually high enough for me to stand underneath it without hitting my head." Stacker bends down to press a quick kiss to the top of Herc's head on his way to the clothesline where they use to hang the wet towels. Herc's heart still jumps at those little sign of affection that Stacker would never have allowed in public before this trip. Over the past weeks he slowly began to offer a touch here and a quick peck there when it's just the three of them, and now he even does it out in the open on the campsites.
It makes Herc feel god in a way he hasn't anticipated. Neither he nor Stacker are prone to public displays of affection, and they never talked about it because they were on the same page right from the beginning. It's not that they're hiding - there's no need to, the PPDC doesn't have discriminating policies and the world has bigger problems, so nobody actually cares - but it's their private life, and that's nobody's business. But here in the middle of nowhere, Australia, far far away from the PPDC and their duties and responsibilities as Rangers, it's easy to give in to those little impulses. Herc does it too, a hand on the small of Stacker's back when they're standing together, a good morning kiss, leaning into him when they share the bench in the car when Tam is driving. It feels just to incredibly good to be close to Stacker, and it feels even better to know that it's mutual.
"Do you have one for me to?" Stacker asks and points at the beers they're holding.
"Sure. Three fakes are still in the fridge." Tamsin replies and Stacker gets himself one, then he pulls his camping chair closer and positions it opposite to theirs.
He opens his bottle, then he raises it and looks at Herc and Tamsin. "What are we drinking to?"
"To friends." Tamsin replies immediately.
Stacker looks at both of them and smiles. "To friends."
**the end*
