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Drench yourself in words unspoken

Summary:

Black Mesa gets a rare rainstorm, and one Gordon Freeman crawls out of the lab dungeons to see the phenomenon with his friend.

Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE

Gordon

Hello this is just a check to see that you are NOT at your computer tonight still (the 5th). If you see this tomorrow disregard this message.

If you see this on the 5th (or VERY early on the 6th) please know that you are the stupidest scientist here and you will be even stupider from sleep deprivation tomorrow if you don’t get your ass to bed we’ve had this discussion friend.

Sleep well : ) Barney

 

Sender: Freeman

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE

Hello Barney. It is approximately 11:45 on the 5th. I am ashamed.

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE

Shame is not required. Going the fuck to be is. Do I need to come down there.

 

Sender: Freeman

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE

What should I be going to be?

 

Sender: Calhoun

Subject: to bed motherfucker

You know what I meant. You know what I meant.

 

Sender: Freeman

Re: to bed motherfucker

To be or not to be that is the question

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re: to bed motherfucker

Whether to extend thy miserable nocturnal existence or by going the fuck to bed end it

 

Sender: Freeman

Re:Re:Re: to bed motherfucker

Dark.

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re:Re:Re: to bed motherfucker

Shhhh it won’t hurt. Go to bed : )

 

Sender: Freeman

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: to bed motherfucker

D : I am being threatened

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: to bed motherfucker

Yes. Yes you are being threatened. Is it working? Go to bed!! Why are you still at your computer?

 

Sender: Freeman

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: to bed motherfucker

I don’t know. Just kind of happened. Currently having a very engaging email convo : )

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: to bed motherfucker

Oh no I’m just enabling you aren’t I

 

Sender: Freeman

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: to bed motherfucker

Partially. I would be up anyway. I’ve been having trouble getting to sleep.

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: to bed motherfucker

Hmm I think I’ve got a crowbar around here someone, I could come conk you on the head. Seriously though what’s the problem? Work that bad?

 

Sender: Freeman

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: to bed motherfucker

I don’t know just haven’t been sleeping well. Kleiner says it might be burnout. But hold on, you’re still awake too. What about you, Calhoun? What are you doing up? Think you alone are better than the rest of us, and above the necessity for sleep?

 

Sender: Freeman

Subject: HEY COWARD

I see you not responding : )

 

Sender: Calhoun

Subject: oh my god give me a minute I was still typing

Because SOMEONE makes fun when I rush and make typos.

Anyways yeah I’m still up I have late shift tomorrow so I don’t have to be up at the asscrack of dawn. I’m gonna stay up a while, have a beer, do some reading, I want to try to catch the rain : )

 

Sender: Freeman

Subject: The What

The what you’re going to what the what

 

Sender: Calhoun

Subject: the RAIN

Did no one tell you we’re getting RAIN this is like a monumental event how are the scientists not talking about this, I know you guys don't slither up out of your lab dungeons to blink at the sunlight that often but still. Yeah there’s a hurricane coming in it’s mostly hitting cali but we’ll get the edges of it enough to get some real heavy showers for once. travel is restricted for now, inside and out, because there are probably going to be awful flash floods around here. I don't know why inside needs to go on soft lockdown, but I don't mind staying in my room, so, whatever. 

 

Sender: Freeman

Re: the RAIN

Oh that’s why Eli was talking about hurricanes earlier. And why I got that announcement email I just skimmed because I thought it was another drill. I didn’t quite get that. Wow. I miss rain. Grew up in Seattle, it’s practically a daily occurance.

 

Sender: Calhoun

Subject: it’s occurrEnce

I have redeemed myself…. : )

Yeah wow that may actually be too much rain. I like rain though. It never sounded right after I moved out of my parents’ house. You should listen to rain from under a tin roof, it makes this soothing drumming sound. Everywhere else I go it sounds wrong. Still nice, though. I’m looking forward to hearing it again.

 

Sender: Freeman

Subject: I was not an English major

What can I say… I’m a physicist not a writer…

How’s it looking up there? Is it going to rain soon?

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re: I was not an English major

“I am not a writer” he writes, writing, with written language. For better or for worse (likely worse!) you are doing the writing.

Hm I’ve been in the common room furiously typing at a friend who won’t go to bed for a while now let me check the window.

Windy. Cloudy. I think it’s getting close? No water yet, but I’d bet you five it starts in the next half hour, it’s got that stormy look. Lots of wind. Lots of sand, so far. 

Hey do you want to commit a minor security breach and come up here to see it? I’m up for a while anyway, I don’t mind. But you have to promise not to report me for furniture crimes if I show you my room, my roommate decided to bend a few dorm rules to fit more stuff in here.

 

Sender: Freeman

Subject: Yes

When don't I jump at a chance to break protocol? I’ll head up on the next tram if that’s alright with you?

 

Sender: Calhoun

Subject: better run then

Yeah come on why are you waiting for permission I just invited you, scoot! You’re gonna miss it!

 

Sender: Freeman

Subject: See you topside

: )

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re: See you topside

Stop responding! You’d better be gone!

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re: See you topside

Good finally

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re:Re: See you topside

Great you should be en route now. See you soon. Don’t know why I’m still typing.

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re:Re:Re: See you topside

Whatever happens I w

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: See you topside

Oh fuck didn’t mean to send that one.

 

Sender: Calhoun

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: See you topside

What I was going to say is it makes you weirdly nostalgic talking late at night and I just hoped we’d stay friends, regardless of anything else that happens. Logging off now. The Jerm’s been bothering me for the computer for like half an hour now. Also I want to get outside and see what the storm is doing. I’ll see you soon.

 

Barney sighed and sat back in the chair, which sagged and creaked alarmingly. He ignored it, used to this chair. Jeremey had disappeared, apparently giving up on ever getting the computer back from him, so he was alone, the room quiet except for the muffled sound of wind rushing in waves outside. Most of the lights were off, the drab glow from the computer’s screen lighting his face.

Well, maybe this suspicious chain of emails would make him keep his resolution this time. Gordon would likely ask about it if he didn’t bring it up, so he might as well bite the bullet. Come on, how hard could it be? Hey, Gordon, I’ve got a crush on you, totally fine if you don’t feel the same way, I just felt like you should know, yeah no totally understandable let’s never talk about this again, thanks for being cool. There. You’ve got it scripted. Just stop thinking about it and say it.

He sighed.

 

Sender: Calhoun

Subject: Just need to burn some bridges

I keep putting this off so I need to preemptively sabotage myself. If you see this tomorrow and I haven’t said something to you (you’ll know) please feel free to call me a coward and pester me about it. There now I have to talk to you.

Re: earlier emails. That’s really what I think. I just don’t want to lose your friendship, now or ever.

 

He grimaced, shut his eyes and hit Send. There. Bridges burned. He was doing it tonight. Probably. If he could find a good moment. It’d be hard to back out of this one, but not impossible.

Fuck it. Emails done. He had a storm to watch.

Notes:

Title is lyrics from Unwritten, also known as the FEEEEEL THE RAIN ON YOUR SKIN song
hello yes I have been going thru it and I just w. I want. Barney to hug me. The self-indulgent nature of this fic will become more obvious with later chapters.
Also I miss rain on a tin roof, it’s such a soft sound here, doesn’t seem right. My mom never did get used to the tin roof sound but I grew up with it.
Oh right I need to roast myself. Gordon is like "I'm a physicist not a writer don't judge me for my typos" and his typo is what it is because I personally, writer of fic and holder of an english degree, made that typo and then decided to leave it and make jokes about it. That was the origin of both typos actually. Improv..
BETCHA FIVE I CAN GET ANOTHER CCHAPTER UP TOMORROW I have the day off amd I need some Softe so by God I will create it for myself