Work Text:
“In my defense, I thought it was a good idea at the time.”
“Uh-huh. No embellishments?”
“Hey, now. You asked for entertainment. Besides, it’s… mostly true.”
Vinnie scoffed. “You took the gun off a Vex arm with your bare hands, in the middle of a fight?”
“Well… not quite. But there’s no fun in tellin’ it to you straight, now, is there?”
“Hmph.”
It was at least Drifter’s third tall tale of the night. Vinnie was lucky enough to have been sent on patrol in communications range of the Derelict, but that didn’t stop him from grumbling about it as if it were a misfortune.
“Look, it might’ve been more of a… happy accident. Maybe it got blown off. But the point is, when I tried to take it and shoot, it didn’t work. Good thing to know. You should be thankin’ me for sharing.”
Vinnie sighed.
“I wouldn’t have tried that, anyways,” he pointed out.
“But thank you, Drifter.”
Silence hung for a moment.
Of course, Drifter hadn’t expected him to actually say it. And of course, Vinnie wasn’t really thanking him for the advice. It was a restless night, and his old friend was welcome company.
Finally, through the buzz of the comms, Drifter replied, “Heh, um, right. Don’t mention it.”
Another lull. While Vinnie didn’t usually mind silence, this time, there was a bit too much sentiment left with it for his taste, so he went back to antagonizing him.
“You still won’t tell me what you’re doing out here?”
Bingo.
“Aw, c’mon, hero. That, again?” Drifter groaned. “Nothin’ you want to be tangled up in, that’s all I’m at liberty to say. You know how m’ business goes. Better for the both of us if you don’t prod me for details.”
“I am supposed to be maintaining security here. Watching for suspicious activity, and the like?”
Drifter laughed. “So, Big Blue’s made you a narc? Quite the fall from slayin’ Hive gods, and all that fancy Titan stuff.”
Vinnie winced. “I am not a narc,” he said, bitterly. “If I don’t want to know what you’re up to, Zavala almost certainly does.”
“Ha! And you’re gonna tell him, right? Narc.”
Vinnie gave an exaggerated huff.
Drifter laughed more.
“Oh, don’t go gettin’ all stiff. Unless you’re thinkin’ of dropping the line?”
Vinnie glared out in the direction of the Derelict.
Drifter didn’t have to see him to know. The hesitation told him enough.
Reluctantly, Vinnie admitted, “No. I still prefer you to silence.”
A contented hum came through from the other end.
“Yeah,”
Vinnie could hear the smile in Drifter’s voice.
“That’s what I thought.”