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Sam was never very good at hiding his emotions, he’d long since made peace with that, and he knew that he was even more obvious for people who spent a lot of time with him, such as, say, a roommate he shared a bunk with and spent every moment he wasn’t working with. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t wish that sometimes he could keep something of what he felt.
“Sam,” Jon began, with that same deadpan affectation he said everything with, “what’s going on with you? You’ve been acting more nervous than usual ever since it was announced we’d be having shore leave on Io on the way back.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“Based on how you're breathing right now, I’m going to presume that’s a lie.”
“Jon, it’s nothing that matters I swear.”
Rather than convince him to drop the subject, all that does is make Jon raise an eyebrow and keep looking at him as close to dead in the eyes as Sam’s avoidant gaze would allow. They knew each other so well at this point that he could hear all that Jon wanted to say to coax the truth out of him.
You’re my best friend, Sam. I want you to tell me what’s making you feel upset so I can help fix it.
You helped me keep Ghost secret even though Dark Star doesn’t allow pets, especially not ones that haven’t been quarantined. We trust each other, don’t we?
“Fine! I just…I’m worried we’ll run into my dad and I took this job, this awful, shitty job, so I could never see him again.”
Jon goes quiet at that. He already told him about his dad and what he used to do to him, he knows what Jon thinks of all of it too.
“I doubt we’ll see him around the port, it’s too ‘poor’ for him, and besides, if we do, I’ll fucking beat the shit out of him. Doesn’t matter if he doesn’t try anything, all he has to do is be seen.”
As unnerving as that is, it comforts Sam. He would protect him, he’d help him. He’ll finally be able to spend time on that moon, the moon he grew up on, without feeling unsafe.