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There is a knock on the door to June’s room. Slightly startled by the noise, he looks around his restroom for a towel.
“June, are you in there?” It’s Traveler’s voice that comes in, warped into a tinny sound through the heavy metal door.
“Ahh, uhm, yes. One moment, Traveler!” he calls, grabbing a washcloth to clean his hands off. When he finally gets the door to open, he is greeted to a slightly stunned look from the Traveler.
“Oh, I am so sorry to have interrupted you. Can I come back at another time?” Traveler says, looking up at June and the bottom half of his face, covered in white shaving cream.
“No, no,” June says, and puts a hand up to stop the half-ready-to-leave, half-stunned, Traveler. “What’s up? I can do this later.” He gestures to himself.
“I was in the kitchen, and Damon had some leftover fruit from whatever he was making, and I figured I’d bring some to Lizzie,” Traveler says, their hands cupping a collection of cut up strawberries, blueberries, and apples.
At their offer, June chuckles. It’s sweet, Traveler's gesture, and he then realizes that he is grateful for the foam that helps to obscure any color that may be traveling to his face. “Yeah, I think he’d really like that. Please, come on in,” June says, stepping away from the doorway and letting them enter. “He shouldn’t bite, but I recommend just dropping the fruit in front of him to be safe.”
Traveler nods and, after a quick wide-eyed glance around his room, heads towards Lizzie’s enclosure. “Hey there, Handsome guy,” Traveler says, and June can hear the smile on their voice. Leaving them to it, June returns to the restroom connected to his room but keeps the door open. At certain angles, June can see Traveler’s reflection through the mirror.
June smiles, before grabbing his razor and returning to shaving his face. He manages to make a good start, clearing off one cheek without much issue when he hears a small yelp followed by a laugh from his room. “Traveler?” June asks, looking at their reflection in the mirror. His worry abates within a moment, as he sees Traveler’s smile.
“All good! You have raised such a fine gentleman,” they call back from the room. “Isn’t that right?” Their voice raises in pitch as they speak to Lizzie before turning to see make eye contact with June through the mirror. They smile and wave before approaching. “How long have you had him, by now?” they ask as they lean against the door frame of the restroom.
June rinses off his razor as he thinks of the answer before continuing on his task. “A little over a year, now. I think,” he says. “Rescued him the same day as we met Bash, actually,” June says, swiping the blades over his other cheek.
“That’s super sweet,” Traveler says, again a smile colors their voice; it’s a comforting sound. June glances at Traveler then, through the reflection and shares their smile.
Traveler breaks the eye contact first, and clears their throat before looking at him rather than his reflection.
June turns his focus back to shaving his own face, but can’t help but still steal glances at Traveler throughout. Each time, his heart stutters in its otherwise strong pattern.
“Do you shave often?” Traveler’s voice is hesitant as they ask the question somewhat out of the blue. “Sorry if that’s a weird question,” they quickly blurt out afterwards.
June passes the razor over the last few parts of his face that he missed before shrugging. “Maybe once every week or so,” he says, putting the razor down. “My hair grows pretty slow compared to the other crewmates, I’ve noticed.” Another thing about him that was affected by his childhood. Such a small thing, but nonetheless affected. “But I don’t necessarily mind. Easier to keep up on, you know?”
Traveler nods, seeming to pick up on the unspoken details.
June finishes up by washing his face with clean water before turning to the Traveler. “There we go,” he says with a smile.
“Nice and clean,” they say, looking up at him. “You look good. I mean. You always do, but uh,” they stumble over themself. It’s cute. “You have a nice… face?” They say, then groan, their face truly red now.
June chuckles at that, feeling warmth creep up the back of his neck. There’s been an air between himself and Traveler since leaving the Cursan bunker, and though this meeting has done nothing to abate it, June doesn’t mind. “Thank you, Traveler,” he says, letting this comforting warmth warm his chest. “You have a nice face too.”
Again, Traveler groans, putting a hand to cover their face, but under all of the embarrassment, they are laughing as well. “Thank you, June.”
June takes their free hand in his and squeezes it once. “Come on, let’s see if Damon’s baking has yielded anything yet. Shall we?”