York

[infailtration]

● York
leave one if you need me
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[infailtration]

I must've been like four or five, and managed to get up on the counter and past the childsafe locks on the cupboard to get into the cookies. So I run back to my room, leaving a mess, and I've got chocolate and crumbs everywhere, because I'm like five. And mom shows up in the doorway asking if I ate the cookies.

I didn't convince her it was a cookie monster.

Don't know why that sticks with me, when I was so young, but it does. The punishment was really light.

[bothbarrels]

[ North chuckles. The image is adorable. ]

I'm glad you didn't get punished too harshly for that. Who blames a little kid for wanting cookies?

[infailtration]

They might've figured the stomachache would be punishment enough, but I don't remember getting one.

[bothbarrels]

[ North chuckles again with a faint headshake. ]

Let's go truth again.

[ It's fun, sharing things with York, and if the heat gets to be too much, that's when he'll switch to dares. ]

[infailtration]

[ York's keeping things light for now. ]

Hmmm. Your first girlfriend or boyfriend, and how bad was the breakup?

[bothbarrels]

[ North laughs. ]

Oh, god, you're assuming either of us could face that. Technically I guess it never happened, so I'm still dating a person I met in 7th grade.

She was my first kiss, though. A very sloppy, very toothful kiss.

[infailtration]

You're right, that was a foolish assumption to make. Not sure if that's better or worse than getting dumped on the jungle gym because you beat them to the top. Sorry about all the teeth, though.

Uhhh... sure, truth again.

[bothbarrels]

She was a sweetheart, but you know, that was part of the trouble.

[ He shrugs. ]

Eh, we were young.

Anyway. How about...

[ He pauses, considering. ]

Biggest pet peeve, or actually, well, the one that gets triggered most often here on the rig. Whatever really gets on your nerves here.

[infailtration]

[ York's smile fades, and he looks intensely thoughtful for a moment. ]

Huh. I'm not sure. My grievances here are pretty specific and bigger than peeves... hmm.

[bothbarrels]

[ North instantly realizes what he's talking about and shakes his head. ]

Sorry. That's my fault.

[infailtration]

[ York blinks, expression shifting again, this time to disbelief. ]

...how the hell is it your fault? Any of it?

[bothbarrels]

[ He's turned his head to look at York; now he shakes his head. ]

I mean the part where I brought it up, York. Should have known better.

[ He lays back and squints at the bunk above him. ]

How about I switch that to something else? Uh...weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

[infailtration]

Oh.

[ Well, he can't really argue that, but he'll take the out. He thinks for a moment, it's been a long time since he got to be adventurous with food. ]

Probably grub burgers? What about you?

[bothbarrels]

Alligator. Is that your question for me or you just asking as an aside?

[infailtration]

Just an aside. Truth or dare?

[bothbarrels]

Truth.

[ In North's experience the dares come after harder questions do. ]

[infailtration]

[ York hums, then decides to go for something more existential. ]

If you could have been anything at all, what would you have done with your life?

[bothbarrels]

Anything?

[ That gives him some pause, because he was such a damned good sniper, he has a hard time thinking about having been anything else, now.

Eventually, he decides to go for the obvious. ]

Maybe a teacher. Or a social worker.

[infailtration]

[ York smiles, because he can see that suiting North. Either choice. And maybe they have something else in common that he never thought about. ]

Kids or adults?

[bothbarrels]

Oh, kids, definitely. Having gotten to know Theta pretty well, I've learned a lot about how to handle things that...I think getting some education in would have been interesting and fun.

Though social work would deal with families, which would be another thing I'd enjoy.

[infailtration]

[ York nods, still smiling. ]

Did I ever tell you I've always wanted kids?

[bothbarrels]

[ North rolls on his side to face York, one arm propping his head up. ]

Nah, you never did. I didn't know that about you.

I did, too.

[infailtration]

For awhile, during the war but before Freelancer, I thought if I made it through I'd wind up fostering like Laura did for me.

[bothbarrels]

[ He smiles. ]

A way to give back, huh?

[infailtration]

I didn't really think of it that way, like repayment or whatever. Just that those kids need someone who understands it.