Chapter Text
Intoxicating
Chapter 1
Like a Flame in the Sky
Ron Speirs had gone from Dog Company’s murdering menace to Easy Company’s savior so fast it made his run through Foy look like a jog. He didn’t get it. Easy had been the most gossipy company in the entire battalion and he was certain he would be the next CO they tried to get rid of by mutiny or bullet. Instead he was welcomed immediately and he could only assume it was because of the man currently shivering beside him: First Sergeant Carwood Lipton.
Lipton’s body was wracked with a cough again and Ron worked his jaw in annoyance at the lack of tarp over the truck bed and the snowflakes hitting them in the face. He ignored all the worried looks from the men in the truck; every time ‘Lip’ coughed, sneezed, or groaned as the truck hit a bump, they all looked at him like he was going to shatter. He glanced around, not many options available as he was riding near the back in case he needed to get out, observe, or answer questions.
Screw it.
“Come on Sergeant, you’ve had enough of the open air window seat on this trip.” Ron said and slipped an arm around Lip’s torso and pulled the blanket off for a second and tossed it to Luz. “Shake that out.”
As Luz made a face that said there wasn’t much he was going to be able to do about the melted snow on the blanket, Ron lifted and half dragged Lipton to the front of the truck bed, against the cab for protection, and kicked the rucksacks out of the way and set him down on the floor. Or tried to.
“Sir, I’m fine.” Lip protested.
“You’re not, and this isn’t open for discussion. Take shelter and get out of the snow and wind. Now .” Ron pushed him to the ground, as gently as possible, and reached behind him for the blanket which Luz handed back to him. Lipton was worn down enough to not be able to lodge much of a protest. Ron sat down next to him, wrapped the blanket around him, put his arm around the man and held him as close as he could. Then he pulled his canteen out and put it under the blanket with him. “It’s hot coffee, use it like a hot water bottle or warm stone while the heat lasts.”
“Warm stone?” Lip asked. Fever, cough, and dying were not enough to kill his curiosity. “Sir?”
“My Ma used to heat them up and put them in our beds to get them warm for us when we were visiting my family in the country house in Scotland.” Ron answered, knowing only Lipton could hear as they were sheltered from the wind behind the cab now. The rest of the men were wrapped in anything they had to stay warm, anything to keep their faces from freezing, as they drove. They wouldn’t hear him if he talked low.
“Where did you get warm coffee, sir?” Lip asked. Speirs was just full of miracles.
“Pays to be a scary bastard who just walks in and takes things.” Ron admitted and kept his focus on Lipton who was shivering and looking miserable. One arm around the man, he used his free hand to pull his rucksack over and feel around for more clothes, more anything to pile on to him to warm him up. He dug a scarf out, something fancy he picked up thinking he’d send it back to Edwyna as a gift, but shook it out and wrapped it around Lip’s neck. It was needed here more; felt like cashmere and didn’t smell like unwashed men and death. Then he went back to find something else and pulled out a bottle.
“Hell of a date, Captain. Usually guys start with the wine, move to the gifts, then put a move on you.” Luz said loud enough to carry over the wind from beside them. That got a cold glare from Speirs, but Luz smirked and went back to his cigarette. Alan Vest stared at him from across the truck, not believing he would say that to Captain Scary. He shrugged it off. He witnessed Speirs show up and touch Lipton so many times in Foy– before they ever got to whatever the hell that was in Rachamps–that he wasn’t buying the heartless bastard reputation. Lip and Ron cuddling in the back of a truck wasn’t going to go without comment, not when Lip needed a little fire breathed back into him. He looked back and Speirs face had softened a little even if Lip was giving him the stare of death now. Oh, they were such a cute couple. Winters and Nixon walked so these two could run, as the saying went.
“Well, I guess they don’t call it Easy for nothin’.” Ron said and that got a cackle out of Luz and a huff of amusement out of Lipton, who immediately started hacking again. He handed the bottle to Luz and sternly said, “Open it, don’t sample it.”
Luz gave him a smirk in reply as he peeled off some wax seal and made a face when he encountered a cork. It was a homemade liquor of some kind. Where the hell did Speirs get this?
Ron rummaged around and found a silver corkscrew he took from the same house, tossed it to him. He pulled Lipton closer to him with his other arm as he coughed, as if squeezing him would help. A second or two later, the bottle was opened and handed back. Ron was immediately overwhelmed with the fruity alcoholic smell. Smelled like cough medicine. Well, in these trying times it was the best he had. “Here, drink up.”
Lip was worn out from coughing, but more comfortable than he had been before; Speirs was holding him tight and his head was on his arm, the new scarf smelled nice. It was soft against his cheeks and smelled of a home, not some piney forest and spent ammunition. His eyes were wide open as soon as the smell of fermented fruit hit his nose and opened his sinuses. “I…”
“Drink.”
“I don’t drink, sir.” Lip said.
Ron put the bottle to the man’s lips. “It’s cough medicine.”
It was a damned lie, but it got him to drink. And drink. And drink . And get a little drunk.
By the time they were in Haguenau Lipton was absolutely wasted . He was feeling good, if that was any consolation, but he was also feeling Ron up under the blanket. And talking about flamingos? And singing. Lip sang as if the men around him were Duke Ellington’s band and not the mortified staff of Easy Company.
“ Flamingo, like a flame in the sky,
Flying over the island,
To my lover nearby.”
Ron felt a squeeze, which was great because it meant Lipton had strength again, but he was pretty sure Luz was laughing at the display. Lipton giggled, coughed, and dropped the bottle. It rolled under some trooper’s feet. The mail guy. He didn’t know names well yet. Luz was Lipton’s friend and radioman, he’d remember his.
“ Flamingo, with your tropical hue,
For it's you I rely on,
And the love that is true. ”
He had a nice voice, and nice hands. Ron just let him sing. When the truck stopped he’d threaten them all and tell them this story didn’t leave the truck. He didn’t want Lipton embarrassed, he was sick after all. And drunk. And he was leaning closer, singing and blowing hot breath on his throat.
“Ah, oh, ah, oh, oh, oh
Flamingo
Flamingo.”
Lip’s ‘oh’s turned more into a moan than a song and he felt the air go out of Speirs as he ‘sang’ into the man’s neck. He giggled. God, did he feel good for the first time in ages. Speirs felt good too.
The truck stopped with a harsh jerk and most of the headquarters guys bailed fast. Too fast to tag one of them to help get Lipton down. The schnapps bottle reappeared as it rolled out from under the seat and he picked it up seeing it wasn’t completely empty. The snow turned to freezing rain and Lip was shivering again. Ron leveled his gaze at the only man left who wasn't drunk. “Luz, get us a good house for CP. Get a fire started. We need to get him inside and warm and dry.”
Luz gave him a two finger salute, cigarette between those fingers, and slipped out of the back of the truck. He grabbed his bag, turned and bumped into a familiar face. Webster. Ha! Look who finally came back. Harvard was back from…huh. When the hell did he get hit? It had been a while . “Hey, Webster, how’s the dictionary?”
David Webster smiled a little as Luz dropped his cigarette butt in the mud. “Haven’t heard that one in a while. Where’s Captain Winters?”
“Battalion.” Luz said and pointed to Speirs trying to coax Lipton upright and only managing to get Lipton’s hands up his ODs. He suppressed a smile. “Captain Speirs runs Easy now.”
Ron glared at the new arrival for holding up Luz and the man just stared back at him with his mouth hanging open. He shook the schnapps bottle and determined it had enough in it to give to Lipton and have him finish it off. Man was already drunk, what was another little bit going to hurt? “Finish this off.”
Lip smiled and his hands drifted lower.
Ron took a deep breath. “ This. The bottle.”
Lip hummed.
Webster stood there with his eyes and mouth wide open.
Luz laughed and slapped Web’s arm and got him to move. Probably the most action Lip had gotten since leaving the states, he deserved it. “Just go find yourself a platoon, Web, we’ll sort it out later. I got to get a fire started for Lip.”
Web’s eyes were still on the back of the truck as Sergeant Lipton was being bottle fed something by the new captain who was one of the most beautiful men he had ever seen . As a writer, thoughts were starting to gather like thunderclouds, excitement crackling like the energy of an approaching storm, as he set his eyes on his next story.