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Her giddy, triumphant laugh erupted boldly from her small frame and echoed out among the trees and hills, immediately followed by a loud crash. This alerted absolutely no one in the vicinity of the White Forest base--they had heard enough banging and clatter to know it was just old Freeman and Vance dicking around outside, as usual.
The crash the rebels heard was caused by a very heavy piece of metal hitting another very heavy piece of metal at a velocity only achievable by the supernatural kick of the Gravity Gun. The sheet launched by the scientist arced and wobbled through the air before slamming down and sending nearby lighter objects scattering around its landing place. Sparks flew, and this was plenty cause for celebration from the ever-entertained Alyx sitting nearby.
“That was awesome, Gordon!” she cheered as she stood from the crate on which she’d been perched. “My turn.”
He relinquished the piece of equipment to her with no complaint; the thing was already a pain enough to lug around when he had the assistance of his HEV suit, so being in plainclothes only made it harder on his arms and back. Alyx, however, was able to carry it with a level of ease that confounded him. Tougher than she looked, in every way.
“Ugh, y’know what, actually?” she began. “I’m tired. Wanna take a break?”
His neck rolled on his shoulders and he felt the popping of strained muscles. “That’s fine with me.”
So the two of them found somewhere to sit, leaned up against a fence in soft dirt without having to sacrifice the warm sun that cut the chill of the breeze. It felt nice on his face. After nearly two years in New Mexico, the sudden detour to City 17 had shocked him into remembering that he could actually enjoy sunshine again.
Alyx chuckled to herself and then looked up at him. “You want to hear something funny?”
“Shoot,” he nodded.
“You know Marc from the infirmary?”
“Yeah,” he responded. “Why?”
“I think he’s got a thing for me.”
Gordon thought for a second. “I mean, that doesn’t surprise me. You’re a catch.”
“Ew, god, don’t call me a catch,” she laughed.
“What?” He began to laugh, too. “It’s the truth. Although… Marc isn’t exactly the most…”
She nodded as he trailed off. “I know. That’s why I thought it was funny.”
A couple of moments of quiet passed over them as they both thought about the situation. Gordon was the first to speak up. “Do you want to hear something?”
“Sure?”
He sighed. “I’ve never had a ‘thing’ for anyone.”
For a second she blinked at him in disbelief. “Wait,” she finally said, “really?”
“Really.”
“Huh.” Her gaze turned away. “I mean, I don’t think that’s weird.”
His head snapped over to look at her. “You don’t?”
“No, not really. There’s a lot more to life than just… dating,” she shrugged. “If I’m being totally honest here, I’ve only had one or two crushes in my life.”
“I guess you’re right, but I… I feel guilty about it, almost.”
She frowned with concern. “Why?”
“Everyone’s rushing around trying to have children to ‘save the human race,’” he replied, shaking his head slightly. “It’s like, if I don’t want to get into a relationship, I’m being selfish.”
“I don’t want kids either, Gordon. You shouldn’t feel bad. One guy deciding not to have kids isn’t going to affect anything, no matter what anyone says.”
“I guess you’re right, but it still feels like a responsibility.”
“Gordon,” she barked a little too suddenly, “Look at me.” He did as he was told, and she continued. “You saved the freaking planet. You saved me. You’ve done way more than your fair share. If you don’t want to have a family, you’ve earned that.”
He stared for a few seconds before smiling genuinely at her. “Thank you.”
She smiled back. “Sure, dork. Now!” she began as she popped up from her spot. “It’s time for me to show you how it’s done.”
“Oh, really?” he laughed, hoisting himself up off the ground behind her as she leapt for the Gravity Gun.
“Yeah, really. You’re soft without the suit.”
“We’ll see about that!”