Work Text:
Simon was broken. It was so obvious that Viral felt close to appalled that he was the only one who noticed. Behind the easy grin and lazy camaraderie there were pieces missing - gaps where Nia, Kittan, and of course Kamina had once fit snugly; there were holes where there had once been blind optimism and confidence and only a thin veneer of control kept them hidden. It had caused Viral nearly physical discomfort watching Simon grin during his farce of a wedding, and everyone else just shrugged it off as though dealing with that kind of shit with such apparent ease just made their perfect Commander more perfect.
Viral knew Simon was broken because he was broken, too. After all his failures and frustrations, how could he not be at least a little fucked up? And the burden of immortality on top of all that shit didn't exactly help as far as dealing went.
They were both pretty damaged, but their jagged edges fit together like the pieces of a puzzle, Viral thought, as Simon held onto him like a drowning man, and warm human lips captured his own.
And when they were locked together like that, it made one beautiful picture.