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“I mean, evolutionarily speaking,” Newton says, placing something into a tray with a horrific splat. “Bioluminescence has evolved independently, regardless of species, plenty of times before. But for the kaiju it just doesn’t make sense…”
Hermann takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes. “Newton…”
“I mean, as far as I can tell there’s no reason for them to have to attract a mate. They don’t need to worry about luring in prey, because they come shooting straight up from the breach to destroy us…they’re not exactly stopping to snack on a few fish here and there, right? Does that mean they have it to camouflage against predators? Is there something even worse than them beyond the breach? Oh man, dude…I don’t even want to think about that possibility. Can you imagine?”
Something else splatters onto a tray.
Hermann puts a negative sign in the wrong place for a third time, in almost as many minutes.
“Newton…”
“Still though, it’s so freaking awesome. Like, bioluminescence has always been one of my favorite things and, despite them being terrible beasts hell bent on destroying the planet, kaiju really know how to rock it you know?”
“NEWTON!” Hermann finally yells.
“WHAT?”
“I have asked you, and you know how I dislike using this word, innumerable times to shut up, and you have yet to do so. It’s intolerable.”
Newton turns and looks up at where he’s standing on his ladder. “Well excuse me for working out loud, if you find it so intolerable,” Newton places his rubber glove covered hands on his hips and quirks an eyebrow in challenge. “Then why don’t you come down here and make me.”
He shakes his head slightly at Hermann with a bit of a sneer and turns back to his work.
Something in Hermann, though, pulls tight and snaps. What exactly possesses him to do it, he’s not sure. Stubbornness and refusing to back down from a challenge probably play a huge part, but there’s also a part of him that welcomes the perfect opportunity to do two things: gain some well-deserved silence, and also to finally kiss that smug mouth.
He climbs down the ladder and crosses the tape line, with precision and determination, to where Newton is working on a large chunk of disturbingly lumpy kaiju carcass. For a moment, Newton doesn’t even notice him as he mutters under his breath, searching around for a lost clamp.
Hermann taps him on his right shoulder, before stepping over to Newton’s left.
“What?”
Newton looks over his right shoulder and is fooled for a moment, before turning to find Hermann standing very close at his left. “Oh, real mature, Hermann.“
For a brief moment, Hermann is blinded by the light strapped to Newton’s forehead, but he presses his hand against Newton’s jaw and tilts his mouth up. He looks directly into Newton’s eyes, which are staring at him in a kind of dumb disbelief, before pressing their lips together.
For a second, Hermann feels Newton go tense beneath his arm, then there’s a quite ‘mmpfh!’ that turns into a sigh as Newton’s shoulders sag with relief…then nothing.
Blissful silence as Hermann thoroughly and soundly kisses him.
He’s enjoying the silence so much, that he keeps going for much longer than he originally planned…long enough for heat to pool low in his stomach as Newton parts his lips to allow Hermann’s tongue to slide against his own. Hermann runs his thumb against stubble, and pulls him tighter, making the kiss almost impossibly deeper…
A sharp exhale of breath from Newton breaks the silence and Hermann draws away, gently pulling at Newton’s lower lip with his teeth.
He opens his eyes to see Newton staring at him, dazed and red-lipped, his hands frozen in the air in front of him. A beat passes between them and heat rushes to Hermann’s face as he clears his throat.
“Oh my god, Hermann,” he says, breathless, his voice cracking around Hermann’s name. His gaze jumps quickly from Hermann’s mouth to his eyes and back again. “If that’s how you get me to shut up, I’m pretty sure I’m never going to stop talking ever again.”
Hermann can’t help letting out an embarrassed little laugh. “Indeed, well…don’t make too much of a habit out of it.”
Newton turns, grabbing Hermann’s wrist to keep it placed around his shoulders. “I’m definitely going to make a habit out of it. In fact, I’m going to keep talking right now. I’m going to talk and talk and talk, until you have absolutely no choice but to do that again because…”
Hermann kisses him again and this time Newton, all too eagerly, kisses back. As far as silencing strategies go, it’s not too bad.