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Not once did Rupert think he’d end up working with the thief who had broken out of prison right under his nose, but this was now the second mission Henry had helped them with. And if the way he and Charles look at each other is any indication, Rupert will be seeing a lot more of him in the future.
This is why, when Henry pokes his head out of a vent above him just half an hour after the Toppat rocket has been declared on lockdown, he tries not to flinch too hard. “Hey,” the newly appointed special ops agent greets nonchalantly. “Rupert, right? We need your help in the brig.” He’s upside-down, with half his torso dangling in the air.
“Do I have to go through the vents?” Rupert asks, because apparently he has no sense of self-preservation in the face of a man who could kill him in a million different ways, and may or may not have a grudge against him.
“Nah, we can walk.” Henry drops and nearly faceplants into the ground before springing up, nonplussed. He waves his arm for Rupert to follow and slips out the door.
They make the trek up to the rocket, passing by small groups of Toppat members being escorted out. With the engine busted, there was no chance of the rocket taking off, so most had quietly surrendered. Henry leads the way to the brig, striding through the halls with confidence. He’d probably already memorized the entire layout.
The infamous Ellie is already waiting for them outside one of the cells. “Hi, Henry. This is the guy you were talking about?” She passes a scrutinizing eye over Rupert. “Hmm… well, if you think he’s the one, then I trust you.” She gestures toward the cell door. “The guy in there’s too afraid and weak to come out. Malnutrition, dehydration, the works. I think he said his name was… Dave?”
That catches Rupert’s attention. “Dave?” Henry nods.
“Cool, you remember him. You guys worked together, right?” He presses the button to open the door. “I figured maybe if he sees you he’ll feel more comfortable coming back with us to base, at least so we can get him some medical attention.”
It’s true that they had worked together, but he doubts Dave remembers him back. The higher-ups had paired them together because of their close ages, and introductions had been brief. They had only worked together for a week or so before Henry’s escape. Dave had been fired, and Rupert was left to wallow in his shame, eventually leaving the force entirely.
He takes a deep breath, clears his mind of memories, and enters the cell. Dave’s huddled in the corner, dressed in a black security guard’s uniform. He glances up and his hat nearly falls off in shock. “R-rupert?!” Bracing himself against the wall, he stands on wobbly legs and stumbles over.
“Whoa, hey, take it easy,” Rupert says, hands carefully supporting Dave’s torso. “You alright?” He peers into the other’s eyes for any signs of glassiness.
“They told me you were here, but I didn’t believe them,” Dave mumbles into his side. “What are you doing in the military? Don’t tell me they fired you, too…”
A pang of guilt lodges itself in Rupert’s throat. “No… but I would’ve deserved it. It should have been me they fired, not you. I was the one who didn’t give you clear instructions, or double-check your work.” To his surprise, Dave gives him a small one-armed hug.
“It’s okay. It could’ve been worse, right?” He smiles up at Rupert timidly. It’s reassuring to know that his sense of optimism has survived all this time.
Henry sticks his head in, and Dave flinches in Rupert’s arms. “Sorry to interrupt, but Charles just let me know that the rest of the troops are heading out to the Wall. If you can make it out to the helicopter, we’ll be heading back to base pretty soon.”
“I-I can walk.” Dave teeters for a moment before steadying himself. “Which way?”
~
With nowhere else to go, Dave asks to stick with them. With Dave under Rupert’s protection, the General allows him to change his living arrangements, taking one of the more private rooms in the base. Ellie moves in next-door, while Henry (unsurprisingly) takes up residence with Charles down the hall.
Since the Toppats disbanded, there aren’t that many missions to go on anymore, so Rupert uses the off time to help Dave get settled. He stocks the fridge with fruits and vegetables, makes sure the bedding is suitably comfortable, and leaves his old deck of cards on the table in case Dave wants to play. The Trio predictably gets bored within the first week of peace, and starts cracking down on the Pegleg Crew, one of the Toppat copycat clans that had risen to fill the void. They offer to bring Rupert with them, but he politely declines, saying that he’d feel weird leaving Dave alone.
The younger man is very jumpy, never quite relaxing. His eyes dart from one end of the room to the other, and his fingers drum restlessly on the table. At night, Rupert can hear him tossing and turning, caught in the throes of a nightmare.
With the shared living quarters comes a level of intimacy that is both strange and as natural as breathing. Rupert cares about Dave, more than he’s cared about anyone else before. So when Dave finally caves in and asks to be held while they watch TV, Rupert doesn’t hesitate before bundling him up in his arms. Having Dave’s trust is a gift, one he won’t take for granted.
After that, things slowly start to fall into place. Dave takes comfort in touch, Rupert realizes. So he starts to drop bits of affection into their daily lives: ruffling Dave’s hair when he’s eating breakfast, slinging an arm around his shoulders while they chat with the neighbors, letting their feet tangle together under the table while they play cards.
It all culminates late one night, when Rupert’s awoken by a light tapping on his shoulder. “Hey, uh, c-can I sleep with you?” Dave asks, voice wavering. “They’re uh, pretty bad tonight.” He’s talking about his nightmares. Wordlessly, Rupert shuffles over to make room, pulling the covers back with him.
Unsure if Dave wants space or not, he carefully keeps a token measure of distance between their bodies as the other lays down, but his worries are for naught. Dave immediately snuggles up to him, seeking the warmth and reassurance that he’s not alone. Rupert tucks the other under his chin, petting his hair silently and trying to keep his breathing slow and steady.
“Thanks,” Dave mumbles, and he sounds half-asleep already. Which is why Rupert doesn’t expect him to lean up and kiss him, a simple, quick peck on the lips. Immediately afterwards Dave goes rigid in his arms, as if realizing what he’s just done. “Wait- I- Uh…”
Rupert’s stomach flutters. He almost wants to laugh with how unexpectedly giddy he is, but refrains because he knows Dave wouldn’t take it well. Instead he tightens his hold and drops a kiss to the top of Dave’s head. “Don’t worry. We’ll talk in the morning, ‘kay?” Whether it was just a sleep-induced mistake, or if he wants something more, Rupert will be okay with whatever Dave decides.
Hours later, as he awakens to golden light filtering in through the blinds, Dave kisses him again. They have a talk over breakfast, and by the time the dishes are being washed Rupert has a boyfriend.
And everything is perfect.