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A lot of people seemed to think Dude was a horrible person, but honestly? Gordon couldn't see it.
Well okay, he could understand where they were coming from. The countless acts of violence and destruction probably had something to do with it. Between opening fire on a bunch of civilians in the middle of a grocery store because he didn't feel like waiting in line, or setting fire to groups of protestors because he deemed them annoying (And because he was sure they were going to get violent, he just wanted to strike first. Preemptive self defense), to casually pissing on whoever he'd injured or killed. These weren't really things most traditionally good people did.
Sure, he'd been getting better about all this. Not really by choice, but because he now lived with a group of people. Many of which not only could easily kick his ass, but would if he caused them too much legal trouble.
Getting better did not mean abstaining completely, though. Dude still often arrived home with split knuckles, or his bat and shovel splattered with drying blood. How he never got caught by the police was a mystery. (Well, never was a stretch. He'd been arrested once or twice, but each time he managed to escape, usually returning home in a stolen police uniform)
This, on top of how he would laugh about the damage he caused was... Not great. He didn't seem proud exactly, not usually, but there was certainly no shame. He treated these actions with the same normalcy as a job or small talk.
So, okay yes. Previous statements detracted. Dude was the worst. Scum of the earth was a description very few people would object to. Gordon understood this, he wasn't about to deny it.
He found himself hanging around Dude anyway. It's not that he didn't care about all that, he just found that he couldn't be picky about who spent time with. Especially when it came to someone he would be living with for the foreseeable future. It would be best to try and get along with all his housemates, no matter how heinous.
This task was easier than he expected. Dude, while he was an asshole, wasn't completely impossible. If he was shown respect, he'd give some in return.
Or maybe Gordon was just lucky. He'd somehow passed whatever test or vibe check that decided whether Dude liked you or not. It was hard to tell for sure, all he knew was that he was one of the only ones in the group who had managed to get on the other's good side.
In doing this, he learned that there was a lot more to Dude than just being a violent deadbeat.
One thing was that he seemed to have a soft spot for dogs. He had one of his own, who he obviously loved a whole lot. He would feed Champ scraps of whatever food he could get his hands on, and often let the creature sit with him on the furniture. (Which often resulted in Champ sitting right in his lap)
He also would get on edge if he didn't know where his dog was. There was an incident where Doomguy had taken him out for a walk without Dude's knowledge and for a few minutes Dude had been convinced someone had kidnapped him, or harmed him. He'd immediately armed himself, ready to kill to get Champ back. (He'd tried to be calm about it, sighing and commenting on Champ's apparent disappearance before casually picking up one of the many guns strewn about the place. It didn't take a genius to tell how worried he was, though)
On top of this, he almost always had a box or two of dog treats stashed in his trench coat. And at first Gordon thought he was really spoiling Champ, but then he noticed how all the dogs in the neighborhood seemed very fond of him. Gordon didn't say anything about this, but sometimes he'd look out the window and see Dude petting the neighbor's dog and he couldn't help but smile.
A less heartwarming detail about Dude was how he was a massive conspiracy theorist.
He wasn't loud about it, and hardly seemed passionate about it most of the time, but it was still something that came up on occasion. Gordon was the only one who would listen to him when it did, at least the only one who would without laughing, so he was the one who got treated to it the most often. He got to hear about the government poisoning the citizens they didn't like (Which Dude insisted he had personal experience with), or about how birds were spies for the US government.
A lot of it was anti-government, actually. Which was kind of awkward considering nearly every single person in the household worked for the army in one way or another. (Maybe that was why Dude was either openly antagonistic or completely dismissive toward most of them? It was previously believed that he just thought it was funny, but...)
Gordon personally wasn't too bothered by it. He thought it was a little ridiculous, especially considering Dude appeared otherwise to be fairly patriotic, but it hardly seemed like something worth getting worked up over.
Gordon also learned about Dude's life before their current living arrangement, mostly through bits and pieces that the other shared because he thought they made fun stories. As was the case with everyone else, it was quite eventful to say the least.
He claimed that he'd single-handedly taken out more terrorists than the government could ever hope to. And not just small time domestic terrorists, but full blown Taliban shit. Apparently a lot of those guys had taken residence in his hometown, and unsurprisingly Dude managed to piss them off. Less unsurprising, despite all their firepower and experience Dude mowed them down with little trouble, and he did so with enough time left to get his daily errands done.
And that wasn't even mentioning all the other groups he'd gotten on the bad side of during that week. Protestors, rednecks, butchers, just to name a few.
He'd also been through an apocalypse or two, apparently. Smashed the heads of some zombies, seen a couple nukes go off. (Some of which were entirely his doing, admittedly) He'd even been to hell before, which he claimed wasn't even that bad. The only real demon there had been his ex-wife, and he'd already killed her once before.
A lot of the others seemed to think Dude was making things up, but Gordon wasn't so sure. Despite everything else, Dude wasn't a liar. (He obviously didn't think lying was morally wrong, but it simply wasn't something he bothered doing. At least not to impress people, he definitely didn't care enough about what others thought of him for that) That and, Dude wasn't even from the same dimension as Gordon. The only people in the household who were from the same world were Doomguy and Blaz, and even then there was some sort of time shenanigans going on for them to exist at the same time.
But that was beside the point. The point being that while what Dude described sounded unbelievable by Gordon's standards, those events might be normal where he was from. It was the same for everyone else here. For some space travel was more normal than getting around via car, and others had never even set foot on Earth to begin with. Some waged war against the supernatural or undead, and others had only faced especially evil humans. All their experiences were so different that it was impossible to completely understand each other, making it foolish to cast any sort of doubt.
So Gordon didn't question Dude's stories too much, which he could tell was appreciated. Dude never outright said so, but he bugged Gordon with them more often than the others. Frequently interrupting what the other was doing to detail all the times he'd met (And killed) former child actors, or the time a voice in his head had manifested into a real person. (Who also happened to be him, but from an alternate timeline or something)
Dude spent a lot of time with Gordon in general actually, in comparison to how often he hung around the others. Which wasn't saying a whole lot, he wasn't exactly a people person, but it was enough to be noticeable.
He would return home from whatever errands he'd decided to run that day and would pull snacks from the pockets of his coat and offer to share with Gordon. Gordon wasn't sure how much he trusted food that had just been sitting unsealed in Dude's jacket (Seriously, when was the last time that thing was washed?), and considering he'd seen the other eat food straight from the floor more times than he could count there was no way for him to know where whatever was being offered to him came from. Still, he would accept it as a courtesy and then simply throw it away later.
Dude would also actively listen when Gordon talked about his work, or his research. He didn't understand most of it, which was expected. But he wasn't completely ignorant either, there were a few areas of science that he had a surprising amount of knowledge in (Mostly chemistry, anything that can be used to make explosives or drugs), and he ended up helping Gordon out a few times. And even when he was no help, having someone available to talk to was nice. It helped Gordon process and think through things easier.
He was surprised, honestly. Not at Dude taking an interest in what he did (Well, yes that too), but at the other knowing enough ASL to be able to keep up. At a glance, it was easy to see Dude as ignorant or uneducated, not the sort of person who would go out of their way to learn such a thing.
When questioned about this, Dude explained that he'd tried learning a bunch of languages back in the day. He'd done so not really out of genuine academic interest, but because he didn't like the thought of not being able to understand other people. He'd wanted to know what was being said around him at all times, without worrying about a language barrier.
He didn't get farther than the basics for a lot of these, shockingly enough trying to speedrun learning around twenty languages at once didn't yield the best results. But there were a couple that he'd really buckled down and gotten good at. ASL happened to be one of them.
Of course, Dude still wasn't entirely fluent. He was self taught, and he'd hardly ever used this skill in his everyday life until recently. There were plenty of times where he misunderstood something, or had no clue what was being said to him at all.
Whenever this happened, Gordon was more than happy to help. And Dude wouldn't seem too bothered by having been wrong. Sometimes he'd mutter a few curses at himself in embarrassment, but he focused intently to make sure he didn't make the same mistake twice. And in most cases he succeeded, once something was explained to him he usually had it memorized.
There was only one example Gordon could think of where he had legitimate trouble.
One evening the two of them were in the backyard with Champ. Dude was playing with him, helping him burn off some energy.
For the most part, Gordon was standing off to the side and trying to stay out of the way. Not because he thought he'd be a bother, having two people to play with might help, and would likely be even more fun for the dog. And not because he didn't want to be involved, he was happy to be there.
It was just that Dude really was in his element, he didn't want to interrupt.
Dude was holding a dog biscuit in one hand, the box in the other, and taunting Champ with it. Holding it near Champ's snout and then snatching his hand away as the dog went to snap at it. He went from only pulling away a few inches to holding it high above the dog's head, making Champ jump and eliciting a flurry of excited barks.
The most striking thing to Gordon though was Dude's expression. He was smiling. Rather than his usual deadpan expression, or the snarky smirk he sometimes got, he was absolutely beaming. He was laughing too, tossing out playful insults to Champ in between chuckles. After a few seconds of this he tossed the treat onto the ground, causing Champ to immediately rush at it, letting out a happy bark and wagging his tail after eating it.
Dude dropped down a few more, watching as his companion scrambled to get all of them. "You like that? That's the good shit, huh?" He got a bark in return, which got a snort out of him. He reached out his hand and let Champ lick it for a few seconds before patting the other on the head.
He spent a few moments just standing there, petting his dog with a soft smile on his face. Then it was replaced with a thoughtful look. " Is it the good shit, though?" He pulled out another dog treat, staring at it very intensely before chomping down, downing half of it in one bite.
This got pretty much the exact reaction you would expect. He gagged and coughed, getting a look of pure disgust. "Fuck, really?" He sputtered, giving Champ a disapproving glare. "This is what you're into, buddy?"
Champ, being a dog and all, only wagged his tail and panted in response.
"Fuckin' weirdo." Dude muttered, popping the rest of the biscuit into his mouth with a grimace, shuddering as he swallowed it.
Gordon, who had been trying to be as unobtrusive as possible up to that point, couldn't hold back a snicker at that.
Dude whipped his head in Gordon's direction, eyebrows raising in shock. Apparently, he'd forgotten there was another person with him. He quickly replaced his surprise with annoyance. "What are you looking at?"
'You didn't have to finish it' Gordon replied.
The only reply that got was a flat "What."
'The treat. You could have given the other half to Champ'
Dude's face screwed up in confusion, as if that never even occurred to him. "Huh." He let out a couple quiet chuckles. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Gordon shook his head with a fond smile before signing out an 'I love you'
Dude just stared blankly for a few seconds, and for a moment Gordon was worried that he'd overstepped. But then Dude smirked and tucked in his middle, ring finger and thumb, shooting Gordon a pair of devil horns. "Fuck yeah, rock on."
And then it was Gordon's turn to be confused. Then he realized the misunderstanding and shook his head again, not bothering to hold back his laughter.
"What?" Dude scowled. "What's so funny?"
Gordon then proceeded to spell it out for Dude. Not in a condescending way, he understood where the misunderstanding came from. The ASL for 'i love you' and devil horns were very similar, the main difference being that the sign had the thumb sticking out rather than tucked inward. If someone didn't already know that specific sign, then it made sense for them to assume.
Dude didn't reply to the explanation. He got another look of shock, but this one was softer. He looked down at his hands, trying to mimic the sign that had been shown to him.
----------
A few weeks later, Dude and Gordon were out in public together. They'd been sent out to do some chores and were currently walking home.
Well, more accurately Dude had been sent out. And the others had assigned Gordon to go with him, to keep him out of trouble. But that was just semantics.
Dude was carrying everything they'd picked up, most of it in his coat, but a few bags were hanging off one of his hands. Gordon had been willing to help, he didn't think Dude had to do all the work, but the other had shrugged and insisted that he didn't mind. He had practically bottomless pockets, and was used to carrying much heavier things than groceries every day. It was really no problem.
Gordon accepted that answer, nodding and walking alongside the other.
As they were making their way home Gordon couldn't help but notice the stares being thrown their way, suspicious ones directed toward Dude and worried ones at Gordon.
This wasn't exactly uncommon, nor was it very surprising. Dude was significantly taller than Gordon and appeared to be stronger, not only that but to strangers he must have looked very shady. A shovel with stains of what looked like (And were) blood hanging off his back, most of his body covered by a big trench coat, eyes hidden by a pair of sunglasses. It was natural to assume that he was up to no good.
And that wasn't even mentioning his reputation. People knew he was bad news, they'd seen him around town. They knew what he was capable of.
Couple that with how Gordon looked like a completely ordinary person, most people must have assumed he was nothing but a civilian. And therefore assumed that if Dude was near him, he was in danger.
So Gordon understood where the stares came from, they made sense. However, that didn't make them any less aggravating. He wished people would mind their own business.
He wasn't sure how Dude felt about this, if he even noticed. If he did, he probably didn't care. He was notorious for not giving a shit about how others perceived him, he did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. The most thought he gave other people's reactions was the occasional laughter or snide comment.
Still, Gordon didn't think it was very fair. He'd like to be able to go out with his partner without people assuming he was gonna get hurt. (On top of that, he was sure he could take Dude no problem. He wasn't as weak as people likely assumed, and he didn't care for people thinking he couldn't defend himself. Even within the household, there were people who assumed that just because he was a scientist rather than a soldier he was one of the weaker ones there. They obviously didn't know the full extent of what he'd been through)
After not too long, Gordon got sick of it. He wanted to let those around him know that he was fine, they had no reason to worry. He didn't want to start any confrontations though, that would solve nothing.
So instead of doing anything to acknowledge anyone else, he reached over and took a hold of Dude's free hand.
The other tensed up a bit, and his hand jerked like he was gonna pull away. Gordon was going to let go and move away, assuming he'd crossed some sort of boundary. He knew Dude was sometimes iffy about touch, occasionally lashing out if he was touched unexpectedly. He'd been getting more okay with it recently as he got used to it, but whether he wanted and accepted it largely depended on how he felt. Normally Gordon would ask permission first, but this time he hadn't been thinking.
Before he could though, Dude returned the gesture, holding Gordon's hand in a solid grip.
He also raised an eyebrow at Gordon, giving him a questioning look.
In return, Gordon smiled and offered a quick 'i love you' with the hand that wasn't busy being held.
"The fuck did you just say to me, Freeman?" He looked somewhere between amused and offended. "Are you flashing gang signs at me?"
Gordon wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or punch Dude. The other knew this, Gordon knew he did because he was the one who had taught him in the first place. He decided on something in between, rolling his eyes and letting out an amused huff, elbowing Dude in the side.
Dude smirked at this reaction, elbowing Gordon right back.
Gordon repeated himself, looking Dude in the eyes this time. At least the best he could through the sunglasses.
Dude didn't do much to acknowledge it, and certainly did nothing to correct his earlier words. He turned his head away, his playful expression wiped away and being replaced by the usual bland look, this time with a light blush covering his cheeks. And after a few seconds he gave Gordon's hand a little squeeze.
----------
It was late into the morning. Gordon was still in bed, but wide awake. His bottom half was covered by blankets, his top half was bare. He was sitting up, typing away on his laptop. Taking notes, writing things down for future reference. He'd been at it for a few hours, since around seven in the morning. He technically had other things he could be doing, but when he was focused on something he was very focused, it was hard for him to put his attention to anything else. He honestly wasn't even paying attention to the time, he was only vaguely aware of the sun warming his skin from where it was peeking in his window.
And then suddenly his focus was broken. He was interrupted by someone stirring next to him.
He looked over to see Dude waking up. The other sat up and yawned, stretching and causing a few of his joints to crack. Then he rubbed at his eyes and scratched his beard, before cringing and wiping away some drool stuck to his face. After all that he looked over at Gordon and gave a groggy smile. "Morning, babe."
Gordon took in the sight in front of him. Dude looked like a complete mess in all honesty. His hair was disheveled, and since it was free of gel several strands were hanging loosely in his face. His eyes were visible for once, since his glasses were off, vibrant green irises and bloodshot sclera staring right at Gordon. He hadn't shaved in a few days, so outside of the usual goatee he was starting to get a bit of a stubble.
His body was also covered in scars, most of them were bullet wounds, numerous enough that it really was a miracle he was even still alive. There were a couple burn scars here and there, less severe than the others but still very noticeable. And then there were the prominent, jagged cuts on his chest, right under his pecs.
Gordon felt an almost overwhelming warmth welling up in him, a grin breaking out on his face. 'Good morning' He greeted the other. 'I love you'
Dude blinked at that, clearly taken off guard. He flushed, looking down at the bed for a few seconds before mumbling "Yeah... you too, Freeman."