Work Text:
“Nux.”
The young driver shifted his feet around nervously. He stared from across the garage at a sight rarely seen: an Immorta, in the garage, the same garage Nux is in right now! Working on his car. He was starstruck, but anxious. Like he wanted to say something, but kept his tongue pressed against his cheek. The 40-Day War had ended only a week ago at this point, and they expected the Immortan and his sons would have their vehicles brought here to be worked on by Black Thumbs. They were far too busy, too important, to waste time here, surely.
“Nux.”
And yet, Scabrous Scrotus was right there, working on his shiny, shiny hot rod. Oh, Nux loved to just stare at it. The artistry of it, the way the engine sat so perfectly at the back. Perfect for the dunes, like a holy beast climbing the tallest mountain at great speeds. He admired how the exhausts rested on the top of the car, how thoughtful it was to install spring-loaded mechanisms for the wheels, to make leaping and landing smoother. Everything about it is so –
“Ow!” Nux yelped, rubbing the back of his head after Slit had just whacked him. He frowned, looking at his lancer.
“What? Don’t gimme that look, ya wasn’t paying any attention,” Slit scoffed, crossing his arms. “Stop droolin’ over his car. ‘S weird. He’ll probably kick ya with those sharp pointies on the ends of his boots if ya keep staring.”
Nux sighed through his nose, turning to look at the hot rod and its driver once more. He bit his scarred bottom lip, restless hands clasped together. He could see, even from their side of the garage, that the Immortan’s son was… Well, he didn’t want to say or even think that Scabrous Scrotus struggled with anything, that’s straight blasphemy. But…
“Use the other bolts,” he whispered, more to himself.
“Eh?” Slit piped up, looking at him with a furrowed brow.
Nux glanced back, swallowing. “He’s tryin’ to fix that loose camshaft. Usin’ the ‘luminum bolts, not the sturdier ones…”
Both War Boys were staring now. Nux heard Slit let out an annoyed sigh, but he ignored it. Part of him wanted so badly to offer help, to offer advice. It would be beyond his wildest V8 dreams to even speak with one of the Immorta, maybe even get a good pat on the shoulder. The other part of him, though, seemed mortified by the idea. Slit was right; Scrotus could very easily and very spontaneously attack. Plenty of War Boys knew how hot-headed the man could get and tended to steer clear of him. He did learn his combat techniques from the fighting pits, and enough War Boys had the scars to prove it.
Still…
“I’d feel straight awful if I don’t at least try ‘n tell him,” Nux explained to Slit, who just rolled his eyes. He felt the lancer’s hand curl under his skinny arm, and he was slowly pulled away.
“It’s not yer problem, Nuts,” Slit grunted in response.
Nux tugged his arm away from Slit, frowning at him again. There was a defiance in his blue eyes, staring at the older War Boy. Without any warning, the driver turned and began walking towards the sleek, black hot rod. He only got about half-way across the garage before Slit snatched him, pulling him back harshly. Nux yelped in surprise, stumbling into him. He grimaced at his lancer, whose grip on his arm was tightening by the second.
“I’m bein’ serious, here,” Slit growled lowly, as to not bring too much attention to the duo. “You don’t know a damn thing about that car–”
“I know about that engine, I seen it plenty of times!” Nux loudly whispered back.
“You seen plenty of engines! Doesn’t mean you know all ‘bout his! Leave it!”
“It’s jus’ bolts, Slit! I can even give ‘im mine–”
When Nux turned his head back to look at the hot rod, his stomach dropped. Scrotus was staring right back at them, an unreadable but undoubtedly annoyed glint in his eyes. Both driver and lancer were frozen, like they’d been turned to stone from the Immorta’s gaze alone. A silence befell them, aside from the nervous gulp from Nux.
What broke the silence was Scrotus, with a gruff, irritated tone. “Listen to your lancer, boy. Get!” he snarled, pointing towards the exit of the garage. Afterwards he turned his back to the War Boys again to focus on the car, going quiet again.
Slit said nothing, beginning to tug Nux along. Nux could still feel his blood thumper beat at an intense speed as he stumbled alongside Slit. His big eyes never left Scrotus. He acknowledged them! He spoke to them! To him! He was elated and possibly piss-scared. That little bit of excitement suddenly turned to courage, exhilaration, and he slid right out of Slit’s grip again, the skinny bastard.
“Fuckin’ hell, Nux!” Slit snarled.
Nux had run all the way back over to the hot rod but skidded to a halt a few feet away. He stood there, shaking, as if he was terrified to even breathe the same air as Scrotus. However, his newfound confidence was strong enough that even the son’s deadly glare didn’t deter him. Nux slowly puffed his chest up, just a bit, so he didn’t seem completely pathetic.
“The aluminum bolts ain’t good for her camshafts,” he bravely announced, then his lips tightened almost immediately after. When he realized Scrotus wasn’t immediately lunging for his neck, he continued, “The steel ones. Carbon. They’re sturdy, can hold those camshafts in and they won’t budge for anythin’.”
When there was no response, Nux clumsily reached into one of his many pockets. He happened to have some on-hand. He always had some little useful thing on-hand, it seemed like. He pulled out a good handful of darker-colored, heavier bolts. Carefully, as if approaching a feral beast, Nux took a step closer. He held his shaky hand out to Scrotus.
“It’s the damn aluminum. Can withstand fuck all.”
He watched as Scrotus slowly appraised him. He couldn’t stop his hand from shaking, the heavy bolts clinging together quietly in his palm. He swallowed again, deep pink coloring his face and ears, just barely visible from beneath his pale paint.
“Hm,” was all Scrotus said in response. He reached out and took a bolt from Nux’s shaking palm, looking it over. Nux watched intently, tense like a statue. “Leave ‘em there, then. In the tool box.”
Nux nodded, quick to squat down and drop them gently into the rusty box just next to the hot rod’s back wheel. He stood again, staring wide-eyed at the Immorta. V8, his heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. Light tears stung his eyes when Scrotus looked back at him and nodded.
“Good call. Now get away from my car, War Boy.”
Nux quickly saluted Scrotus, fingers intertwined to create the V8. “Immorta!” he quickly rasped out before turning, scurrying away like a scared War Pup.
He caught back up with Slit, staring at his partner with eyes wider than a silver platter. Slit stared back, eyes nearly just as wide. A slow grin pulled at Nux’s lips and then a full-on smile followed. Oh, he was elated. He didn’t even care when Slit just rolled his eyes and scoffed indignantly. He let his lancer take him by the arm and stumbled out of the garage next to him.
“You got lucky he wasn’t in a bad mood, Nuts,” Slit grumbled at him. “Surprised ya didn’t piss your trousers.”
“Shh! Don’t ruin this for me, ya hater!” Nux scoffed back, chuckling breathlessly afterward.
–
Scrotus tightened the last bolt in place, tugging at the timing chain to ensure it was tight. He pulled away from his V8 engine briefly to look at his handiwork, thinking to himself. Quietly he made his way to the driver’s side, leaning into the window to turn his car on. When the engine roared to life, there no longer was any shaking or sputtering of the engine like before. A brief smile spread across his lips, fading shortly after. As he stood up to his full height, his head slowly turned towards the exit the two War Boys had disappeared to. With his hands placed on his hips, he sighed through his nose.
Balls of fucking steel, that one has.