Excerpt from Great Job Fixing it, Chapter 7 (part 1 of Blue Edition)
“Tucker, Stop being stupid,” Caboose said as he walked over and grabbed Tucker’s shoulder.
“Caboose, You should leave me. It’s not...safe.” Tucker’s voice was hoarse from screaming. Tucker did not talk but he screamed at night. Kept Caboose up unless he was placed in the double-sided panic room that was built so that Church could go rant about how annoyed he was without anyone hearing him.
“I already told you, Tucker.” Caboose sighed as he shook his head. “ I forgive you for whatever you were going to be forced to do. I know that was not you.”
Tucker looked up at Caboose. His dark brown eyes tired and his face was worn out. He looked so much older than thirty years old now. Caboose was startled by that. Tucker always had a baby face. He looked like a young nineteen-year-old.
Church had never taken off his helmet, not if he could help it. Jimmy’s face was freckled and full of adult acne. His eyesight meant that Church needed to wear thick nerd glasses.
But Caboose had loved Church all the same.
And he loved Tucker too. Despite every blatant personality flaw. Despite the fact that he said many times that he hated Tucker.
That was part of the bit with the Blue Team. They said things they did not mean all the time. They were mean to each other and it was implied that every part of it was a lie.
When they said ‘I hate you. You’re stupid. I can’t stand you.’ it really meant ‘ I love you. I think you’re making a bad decision. I think you’re very fun to be around.’
But Caboose knew better than to say anything like that here. Caboose was far more aware than people gave him credit for. He might be a little odd and not think about things as quickly as other people, but he was not an idiot.
( read the entire thing on Ao3 , might post a google doc link eventually.)
Fixing it. BLUE EDITION (14731 words) by queenromano
Chapters: 8/8
Fandom: Red vs. Blue
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Dexter Grif/Dick Simmons, Dexter Grif & Kaikaina Grif | Sister, Dexter Grif & Sarge, Dick Simmons & Kaikaina Grif | Sister, Dexter Grif & Dick Simmons, Michael J. Caboose & Lavernius Tucker, Kaikaina Grif | Sister & Lavernius Tucker
Characters: Dexter Grif, Dick Simmons, Kaikaina Grif | Sister, Sarge (Red vs. Blue), Michael J. Caboose, Lavernius Tucker, Franklin Delano Donut, Frank "Doc" DuFresne
Additional Tags: rewriting the finale, Grimmons but grif is tired of pretending, Trans Dexter Grif, Trans Dick Simmons, Fix-It, Canon Rewrite, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Polyamorous Character, Open Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Major Character Undeath
Series: Part 1 of the fixing it series
Summary:
--
Rewrite of the Finale
update 1/12/2025 : Plans to add 3 chapters about the Blue Team ( Tucker, Caboose, Carolina,Epsilon, and Kaikaina. ) And a Aftermath that focuses on them.
Excerpt from Part 2 :
“ ...But you don’t want to be here.” Caboose said. Tucker looked at the floor. “… You’re right,” he admitted in a soft voice. Caboose did not say anything. He just crouched down and stared at Tucker. “…Why don’t we leave this place ?” Caboose asked. Tucker looked up at him. “Can...We do that?”
Caboose tilted his head. “…We’re not supposed to. We’re supposed to wait for Washington to come back so he can put in or paperwork. But you don’t want to wait. ” Caboose muttered. Tucker felt a smile itch at the sides of his mouth.
“… I’m miserable here.” Tucker breathed out. Caboose patted him on the head. Tucker sighed and leaned into the touch after a moment of hesitation. “...The only good thing about being here is… that you’re here. You’re still here.”
Chapter 5 C : (Tumblr made me cut it into 3 segments. )
He had discharged Kaikaina too.
Grif seemed to remember that because he saw the LD coms light up with a call from him. Simmons answered it.
" Yeah, I'm going to re-instate Kai too. "
" Wait… What if.. you don't? " Dex said.
Simmons looked at him. " Kai is going to punch me again…"
" I'll talk to her… let me try to convince her to go back to earth… Maybe I can convince her that I'm going to retire in two years and drag your ass to Earth with me. "
Simmons sat his head onto his hands. "… That's a good idea, actually. Let me play the role of Sergeant and see if I actually like it. And If I hate it, we can go to Earth and Kai can punch me in person when she sees me at the airport. " Simmons smiled softly. He paused and chewed on his lip.
" But? " Dex asked, lifting an eyebrow.
" I'd… honestly miss her. We get along pretty well now, once she learned I wasn't a threat to you. And um… I like hanging out with her. "
" Oh my god… You like my sister. Geez, " Dex rubbed at his temples.
" Ugh… Fine, reinstate her too… But keep her on Red base. That way I can micromanage her and maybe give her a boring desk job or something. "
Simmons took a moment to realize what Dex meant by that. " I… " his face flushed. " I mean, sure, I think Kai's a great girl and everything but…"
" Please, Dick. Please…Don't elaborate. It's… It's fine. I have a crush on somebody else too… You're okay. "
Simmons chuckled, " Well, Sarge is objectively handsome in a seasoned veteran with lots of experience.
Dex stared at him. " What? "
" Okay, I'm hanging up before I find out you fancy more people besides me. "
" … I love you the most, though," Simmons said. Dex shook his head and smiled. " You better," he said and hung up the phone.
notes :
Simmons and Grif will eventually form a polycule with Simmons dating Kai and both of them dating Sarge.
Dexter having a cough is mostly because I am suffering a mystery cough and I wanted them to be separated from each other by a physical force when this conversation occurred.
Simmons intended to return to the base and spend time with Grif but, he unexpectedly came down with a cough and had to be quarantined. Simmons has no choice but to use the long-distance communicator to speak with Grif.
" Dex? How are you feeling?" Simmons murmured, he peered at the small screen. He made a mental note to upgrade the monitor to a bigger size and also to figure out how to upgrade the graphics.
Dex stared at the screen, he looked ragged. Telltale signs of crying hung around his eyes.
" Bad…" Dex replied.
" … Are you missing me?" Simmons asked, leaning back in his seat.
" I mean, Yeah? " Dex shrugged, " But…I've been thinking a lot. "
" You? Were thinking?" Simmons joked, and Dex squinted at him. Simmons knew to drop the joking mood instantly.
" What…were you thinking about?" he asked softly.
" Just…about what ifs… and …" he glanced at Simmons and huffed. " I know that kinda thing is bad and junk. I can't help it. When I was stranded on the moon…"
" I'm sorry about that. I should've stayed with you." Simmons interjected.
" … Yeah, I know. I wish you had but… Anyway."
" Sorry, continue. "
" What if, when I go to earth without you, I hate it there? And I'm just as miserable there as I've been in the war. " Dex grumbled. Simmons tensed up. He tried to keep his face neutral so Grif could talk about this.
" I don't know how I could relax when you're up here, and I'm not here with you. " Grif admitted, his voice soft.
" What if… aliens attack and I'm not there to help…? "
Simmons scoffed, " Caboose and Tucker would be there. And… Donut probably… "
" Yeah, but. What if…it happens again?"
Simmons doesn't like how broken Dex sounds. He is not there to touch or comfort.
" What if… I'm the only one who lives? "
Simmons's breath catches in his throat. He knows about a colony where only one soldier survived. He had noticed that Grif was shipped off from basic to one of the colonies. It was easy enough to make assumptions but he tried to let Grif tell him things.
" … I've been the only one left alive too many times. I … can't… I can't… " Dex let out a raspy cough.
Simmons wanted to be there. He could hug Dex and draw circles into Dex's back. But all he could do was grimace and wait for Dex to stop coughing so he could say something.
Too bad Simmons was drawing a blank again.
" … Dex, That's… a lot. " was all that came out.
" Y-yeah. I know it's the anxiety talking… or the ADHD and the anxiety together plotting against me… I can't take the meds right now cause they don't get along with the cold medicine and I'd rather not be gross and snotty when I'm on a phone call with my nerd babe. "
Simmons laughed, " I wouldn't care if you looked terrible, which is impossible for you… by the way, you could not bathe for a week and I'd still be mesmerized by you. "
" Cool, so I'll just stop bathing? Great, thanks, Dick." Grif joked. Or Simmons hoped that was a joke.
"… The…thing is.. on the colony…" Dex paused to breathe in a raspy breath. " I had a best friend.. or… well… we were more than…that… but… he died… and I haven't been able to forget…that when I woke up, he … had sheltered me by laying out on top of me so I looked dead too. Instead of being asleep. I can't…get the image of him just… being gone but also, right there… out of my head. And I've…tried, I can't… " he shivered as he pulled the quilt over his shoulders.
" I don't want to ever…lose somebody I care about again. " Dex said.
" …Dex, Are you…"
" I want to reenlist. " Dex said, his eyes locked onto the screen. From Simmons's point of view, Dexter was staring directly into his eyes.
" I don't want to leave you behind. "
Simmons opened his mouth to argue, that he had gone through all the trouble and paperwork to get Dexter out. That he was throwing away a life of peace and happiness. That…
" What if you regret it? "
Simmons winced, he did not want to say that.
" … I won't "
" …But if you do."
" … Then, I'll get over it. I always do."
Dex looked at his hands. Mismatched skin tones, callouses all over, and scars from various injuries. He knew that he wanted to be with Simmons. That much was clear.
" But I…"
" Simmons, Did you ever ask me before you decided to release me from my duties? " Dex asked. His voice sounded strange.
" I…no but You've always complained about- " Simmons tensed up.
" The war, Yeah. I complain about a lot of shit, though. Are you going to order better MREs or supplies so I can cook actual meals too? I bet you can't cause of the budget. So why, would you just… go and do something to me without asking me if I was cool with it? "
Simmons froze in place.
"Listen, Dick. I might be making a mistake. But it's my mistake to make. This is my life, I'm going to make it what I want it to be… that- " he was cut off by another round of raspy coughs.
Simmons felt his skin burn. He felt so mad but he did not understand why.
" Fine, " Simmons hissed. He leaned over and hovered his hand over the hang-up call button.
" I'll send out papers to resend your honorable discharge. "
" Dick, … Can we talk about this? " Dexter leaned forward.
" What is there to say? You've made up your mind… it doesn't matter what I do… what I try to do for you… You'll just do whatever you want. "
Dex stared at him, a hurt look crossed over his face.
" … Well, If you don't want me to come back… I can just go. "
" That's-" Simmons was forced out of his thoughts by that. " Dex, of course, I want you back. I want to see you…in person, so I can hug you and … other stuff… but I… "
He pulled away from the button, Head in his hands.
" What if… I can't protect you again? " Simmons whispered.
it was Dexter's turn to tense up.
" … I worry about that too… But, I'd rather be there when something bad happens… so maybe I can help …even if it's a little bit. "
" … Yeah. I feel the same. " Simmons looked up at Grif. " I… love that you're coming back… I'm just.. surprised. "
" … I love that you love that I'm coming back…but what do you mean? This is totally In Character for me. " Dex wheezed out a laugh.
" I've never followed orders from my superior officer before, Sir. "
Simmons shivered, a deep flush spread over his face. " Oh shit… Don't start calling me sir, Dex. " That Authority kink was still firmly part of Simmons's makeup.
" I mean, I kinda have to? You outrank me and shit. "
" … What if I promote you? " Simmons suggested, his tone made it hard to tell if this was a joke.
" Wow, Gross nepotism in the army? Call the presses. " Dex grinned before another coughing fit struck him. Simmons waited for him to recover.
" I could get used to having a sugar daddy in the military…" Dex said with a wide grin.
Simmons sputtered, " I did get a big pay raise… But… I should use it responsibly. "
" Yes, by giving me access to your debit card," Dex joked. Or at least, Simmons hoped it was a joke. Could he do something like that? Break rules, use his power for evil?
The idea was strangely alluring. " You're a bad influence on me," Simmons said with a wide smile.
" And you love me for it, " Dex said. He held onto the smile but he looked noticeably tired.
" I'm going to hang up now. Go sleep… You deserve a nap. The base is practically the safest spot to be. "
" Yes, Sir, Mr. Sargent Dick, Sir," Dex said, mimicking how Simmons used to talk around Sarge.
Simmons chuckled as he shook his head.
" Love you, Good night, Dex."
" Love you a lot. Bye, Dick. See you soon. "
That made Simmons's eyebrow quirk but he hung up anyway.
Simmons sat back and thought about what just happened. Grif was coming back here. He was going to stay.
Simmons smiled for a moment and then gasped as he realized something.
Simmons slumped over his desk, he was avoiding it with paperwork. It is the concept of trying to sleep without Dexter Grif beside him. The warmth that came from Dex was one benefit. Also, his snores, Simmons had realized when Grif walked away the first time that he could not sleep without them. It was embarrassing to have to admit such a thing to Grif.
Simmons had put it off for a long time. They had talked about practically everything else. That Grif had disordered eating and needed Simmons to gently remind him that no one was going to let him go hungry. That they were both trans.
Though, Simmons had taken longer to admit to it than Grif had. Once he had been crushed, it was confirmed but Grif had been dropping hints to the Red Team since the start. Simmons had been the first one he said it to, and it would've been a great opportunity for Simmons to tell him that he was too but... Simmons could not say it right away. Grif had been so relieved that Simmons had a neutral reaction to it that Simmons lost his nerve. He told Grif...eventually, and that was fine. Grif said it was fine.
Only, now that Grif had confessed that he had been pinning for Simmons for probably FOREVER it had made Simmons rethink things.
Once the adrenaline rush of endorphins from having Dexter Grif, his long-time crush, reciprocate his feelings had left him, Simmons was hit with a wave of worrying thoughts.
Was Grif actually fine with not knowing right away or was that just another thing that Simmons had hidden from him that annoyed Grif?
Simmons refused to ask about it.
It was better to let the happiness of the moment stay a little longer. He had a bigger issue to deal with. He could not sleep. He might have fallen into a dreamless sleep for an hour but he woke up the next hour. This cycle repeated until he looked at the clock and saw it was six am. He had to get up now.
Simmons did his morning drills, distracted the entire time with Thoughts of what Grif was doing right now. As soon as it was over and they broke for Lunch, Simmons called for a Pelican to fly him to the main base.
He used the Long-distance communicator to warn Grif that he was coming. But Grif seemed tired when he answered it so Simmons kept it short.
" I installed a chatting app into our helmets, Dude, Remember? " Grif had grumbled as he yawned. Simmons was amazed that the Coms device had a webcam and a screen to display the video feed. Grif had set all this up in their room and Simmons had never noticed it? What else had Grif kept a secret?
Simmons shook his head and slapped his face. He had to stop doubting Grif like that. The man had poured his heart out to Simmons with no guarantee that Simmons was going to take it well. Or reciprocate. That was brave and Simmons owed Grif big time for that.
Several wonderful, elaborate dates worth.
Simmons sighed as he looked out the window and saw Grif standing there. Unfortunately but sadly predictably, he was not alone.
" ...Hello, Dex. " Simmons said in his soft squeaky voice. His voice dropped down an octave when he turned and eyed the other person. " Sarge..., why are you here? "
Sarge looked theatrically offended by the question. " Well, I'm here to make sure you two don't get too handsy! " he said, as though it was perfectly reasonable.
" I'm Twenty-nine years old, " Grif interjected.
" Remember what happened the last time you two were left un-chaperoned. " Sarge retorted. Both of them turned scarlet.
" H-how does he know about that? " Simmons squeaked.
" ...I mentioned it when I confessed to you? " Grif said, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck.
" Well, I have something Private to discuss with Grif. So... uhn... Go away, Sir. " Simmons tried and failed to be assertive.
" Beat it or I'll tell Simmons what you said this morning over breakfast. " Grif said. Sarge's eyes widened and he stepped back. " You, Monster! " he shrieked, scurrying back a good ten feet away from them.
" Good enough," Grif shrugged. He looked at Simmons expectantly. " What's up? "
" Well... You know how we usually sleep...in the same room? " he glanced at Sarge and started to cover his mouth with his hand.
" Yeah? That sucked, by the way. " Grif frowned deeply.
"Agreed! I concur ... It... I couldn't sleep at all. " Simmons nodded his head a bit too much. His neck started to ache.
" Oh? I slept fine. But, I felt kinda cold... not having you to like... snuggled against and junk," Grif's face was flushed again.
He looked up at Simmons, his mismatched eyes locked onto the nerd's eyes. "So did you think of why you can't sleep? " he asked innocently. A wry smile formed over his face. Simmons screamed internally. Grif absolutely knew why. He just wanted Simmons to SAY IT.
Simmons felt his will leave him. " I... can't sleep with you... Your snores," he mumbled, shuffling in place. This was probably payback for yesterday.
Simmons had stayed over at the Main base for roughly two hours after the confession and Grif kept trying to do lovey-dovey stuff with him.
Grif scooted up next to Simmons and started to lean against the other, with his head almost touching Simmons's shoulder. Only, Simmons suddenly slid six feet away. Grif nearly fell over. He stopped and stared at Simmons, who avoided eye contact. Before he could open his mouth to shout at the nerd, Kai appeared out of nowhere and sat herself down in between them. She ignored her brother's death glare and turned to Simmons.
" So I heard from Dex that you like making charts? Why? What's so great about math? " she asked.
Simmons took the opportunity to ramble for the next forty minutes to almost an hour about the pros and cons of chart making.
Sarge had walked up about twenty minutes in and sat himself directly opposite of the three. He shot Grif a questioning look and when Grif let out a huff in response, Sarge's face turned to a sympathetic look.’
Grif seemed to become even more annoyed when he saw it. Grif stood up and walked over to the Cafeteria stand.
Sarge turned and glared at Simmons, who quickly avoided eye contact. Sure enough, Grif returned with two pizzas with three toppings each and several other kinds of junk food.
Sarge cleared his throat and quickly took two slices from one. Kai took three of them from the Pineapple, red peppers, and bacon one. Which must have been Grif's favorite combination because Grif only yelled at Kai. Simmons looked at the spread but did not take anything.
Kai slid two hamburgers in front of him and made a face at him until he took up one and started to eat it.
It was a rough day. Simmons was forced to leave because of his duties and when he got up the nerve to be romantic to Grif, the other just stood there and pouted at him.
In the present day, Simmons sighed deeply at the memory. Time to eat crow.
" Grif, I ... need you to sleep." Simmons reiterated.
" Wow... That sucks for you." Grif mumbled, his face puffed up as he struggled to not burst into snickers. " That's... so... adorable? " he wheezed out. Simmons blinked at him. " You...You're so fucking cute, Dick. What the fuck? Why are you like this? " he doubled over as he held onto his sides. Simmons pursed his lips at Grif.
Grif straightened up and cleared his throat. " So... What's your solution to it? "
Simmons sighed, of course, Grif would expect him to have a solution. It was annoying to Simmons that Grif correctly assumed as much. " Easy. You just need to record about 24 hours of your snores and put it on an mp3 file so I can play it all night long. That way, I can sleep."
Grif sighed," Wow, you're making Coconut Simmons seem reasonable.
Simmons paused and looked at Dexter.
" Coconut what? "
" N-Nothing. "
" He means the construct of you that he made out of coconuts because he missed you - And me too - while he was stranded on the moon. " Sarge explained, both of them flinched when they realized that Sarge had snuck up on them.
" ... SIR! You ... Wait..., Grif made a coconut of YOU?! " Simmons looked at Grif. Dexter Grif blinked at him. " That's...what you're focusing on? " he wondered, tweaking an eyebrow at him. " I made coconuts of everyone... well... the people I actually missed. And Lopez, he was there too." Grif was not ready to admit he liked Lopez yet. Simmons let out a sigh and rubbed at his temples.
" Okay... so.. You missed me... while you were stranded on the moon..because you correctly decided not to go out and save Church? " Simmons asked.
" Yep. "
" And... You didn't want to tell me? "
" Why would I tell you? That... That I practiced confessing to you and you interrupted me every time I started to? "
Simmons stared at him with a mild annoyance. "Wait... So the coconut version of me was a dick? You...imagined me being a jerk and interrupting... " he paused when he saw Grif's flat look and recalled how many times he interrupted Grif. " Okay, Fair. " Simmons put his hands up.
" ... I dunno if I can record myself snoring but I can try it? " Grif offered. Simmons scrunched up his face. " ... That was weird of me to ask, Dex. I'm sorry...I'm being weird," Simmons mumbled. " Grif, I can deal with this."
" ...No, I want to help. "Grif said as he stepped forward. He took hold of Simmons's hands and squeezed them gently. Simmons leaned in and smiled. " I appreciate it."
"... I lied earlier... I slept like shit too. I missed you too. I just didn't want to say anything 'cause you're the type who'd worry about it." Grif admitted.
" Oh... did you have trouble breathing at all? " Simmons asked. Grif huffed, Simmons had a bad feeling he was dead on.
" I forgot to take the medication 'cause I'm so used to you nagging me into taking it on time," he grumbled, flushed in the face. Simmons groaned, " I'll have to make a voice recording too. I can send you several variants of me gently reminding you to take your pills and drink water too. " Simmons beamed as he
said this in the most sarcastic tone he could muster. Grif grinned at him. "I love your annoying voice. I missed that too." Grif said, his grin widened. Simmons could see his pointed molars stick out of the row of mismatched teeth. " I love you, Dex. Period." Simmons said and Grif laughed so loudly that it echoed through the valley.
" Aw, Dang it. You two are too precious, " Sarge sniffled. Grif glanced over at the old man and sighed. " Wow, way to ruin it," he griped. Dex did not let go of Simmons's hands and neither did Simmons.
" I'd hate to have to tell you this but,"Sarge turned to Simmons. " You're lunch break ended about twenty minutes ago. You're late. "
Simmons's eyes widened. " Oh SHIT." he cried. He looked at Grif who reluctantly let go and stepped back. " Go...hurry up before you get in trouble," he mumbled. Simmons sighed and walked forward. He gulped before he grasped Grif's shoulders and pulled the other close. Their lips pressed against each other quickly. Grif's eyes widened for a moment before he fluttered them. They almost shut when Simmons pulled away suddenly. " Damn it... I'll be back! See you later! Love you! " he shouted as he scurried away.
Grif remained there, frozen in place. " Aw, that was a good kiss," he muttered. A loud thud caused him to blink. Sarge looked over and saw that Grif had fainted.
Fixing it – Part 4 ( Chapter 4 ) : Working on it. A (b)
Grif was still over at the main base, waiting for the paperwork to get finished over here. Simmons had filled out everything that was needed but the bureaucrats over here were delaying him to scrutinize over every little detail. There was also news that Grif needed to take all his shots before he would be allowed to integrate into Earth Culture. It looked like he would be here for a month or longer.
But that was good for Dexter Grif, considering that Simmons was still reeling from being emotionally vulnerable for what appeared to be the first time in his life.
Simmons looked at Grif as he paused in front of the Pelican that would bring him back to his base. He needed to go back but he stalled for as long as he could. Grif did not want Simmons to leave either but he knew that it was a bad look for a newly promoted Sargent to be off-base.
“ Simmons, If you don’t get on that plane-” Sarge started to cite the famous scene from Casablanca again. Grif groaned in annoyance and glared at the old man. He had a touch with death and he seemed to be geared up to make that everyone else’s problem.
Flash backwards in time to the event itself.
Grif knelt down by a fallen Sarge who the damned Meta had stabbed. “ We gotta go back and get a med pack.”
Sarge insisted they stay on course and gave Simmons a promotion. He turned his old eyes to Grif. “ Sarge , Wait…” the orange-armored goof breathed out. He was going to fix Sarge up somehow. He owed him. “Grif, I was hard on you...because I believed in you. You should believe... more in yourself. Stop getting in your own way…” Sarge said, helmet still on. “...R-Right,” Grif breathed out, noticeably trembling. / thank God I'm wearing this helmet so he can't see me cry like a bitch. / he thought to himself. Sarge smiled inside the helmet. / I bet that tugged on his heart strings. Hehe sucker. / he thought.
After Sarge passed out, Grif took over the ship and forced it to go back. Simmons and him went on a mission to go get the med-packs and managed to get out of it mostly unscathed. Well, Grif did, because Simmons had brought his knife.
“Good news, Sarge. You're making a full recovery. But I'm keeping the promotion. No Take backs.” Simmons chirped as he leaned over Sarge, who was on a medic cot. Grif took off his gloves and let out a sigh. He had not meant to reveal that he had emergency Technician skills but now was not the time for secrets. “ Yeah, And you can stop being such a dick to me now…”
Sarge laughed in a dry way. “ Hell, no. I just said that cause I thought I was going to die, and I wanted to motivate you.” he barked out, sitting up and touching the wound on his chest. Just another scar for him.
Grif stared at him, blank expression on his face. / This fucking bastard got me to heal him again. / he thought bitterly. “ Aw, Damn it. You suck.” Grif threw the empty med-pack and stomped off to wash his arms in the sink. They were noticeably covered in blood. Sarge paused and took in what he saw. / Damn it, now I owe that brat again? / he bitterly thought as he looked down at his wound. “Time to change the subject.” Sarge announced, “And Simmons, You'll regret not giving me my job back.” Simmons blinked at him. “Ha.. Yeah ,right.” Simmons had said then.
- ... A month later, Simmons is swamped with paper work, Simmons slumped in his chair and sighed. “ : Fuck the old man was right.”
As Dex Grif rushed to save Sarge from his sister's wrath, Grif remembered how this started.
---
Grif stared at Simmons's body for a while. Stunned into silence.
His sister had punched Simmons out of the blue. He slowly turned and looked at her.
" Kai, What the F*ck? "he shouted, so loud that it echoed through the base. People stopped and stared at them.
"Do you have any idea what you just interrupted?"
Kai looked at him as though her brother was the one who was weird. Dexter Grif sighed in frustration. He brought a shaky hand to his face and pushed his hair away from his face.
" Damn it… You better not have hurt his face," he grumbled. Kai opened her mouth to say something and Grif huffed. " … W-What? It's his best feature… "
" Hey, I meant to ask about the robot thing… is that new? " Kai asked. Grif pointed to the lighter patch of skin on own his face. " No, he donated a lot of his own stuff to me when I got run over by…" he trailed off when he saw Kai's face shift to anger. Better not to tell her who it was. " So I owe him and shit… And you just punched him for no reason. " Dex squinted at her.
" Oh… My bad, " Kai said in a voice that held no sign of guilt for her actions. The older Grif knew it was pointless to bother scolding her. " … I think he was going to… I dunno, say something I've been waiting for him to say for years. "
" Aw fuck, " Kai gasped, the realization of what she had done dawned on her. " Well…when he wakes up he can tell you how he feels… and if he doesn't do it then I'll punch him again! " Kai said as though that was a good idea.
Dex sighed again and squinted at his younger sister.
" Kaina, Could you try NOT to punch Simmons? " Dex tried to reason with Sister. Something that was normally futile, but he had to try.
Kai tensed up at the usage of her real name. Kaina was the name that her close family called her, and that was pretty much Dex only.
" Dang, Using my real name? I guess, you want me to be nice to your boyfriend… I can try.."
" He's not… " Dexter Grif sighed, deflating as he looked at Simmons. " I want him to be but, I don't even know how he really feels about me," he grumbled.
" Wow, that sucks. " Kai offered sympathetically.
" … Yeah, it really does. I mean we've been together as field buddies for years and I still don't know if the guy really likes me or just needs someone who takes all the shit from the others so he won't get bullied instead. " Grif looked at his hands. the different skin tones from the Tank Incident had marred his body all over. He knew that Simmons was a target for bullying just like him, and part of him was happy to be the one taking it for his buddy. But, when the shit came from his buddy too, it hurt more than anything.
" … I want to stay… but I can't. I can't live like this anymore, Kai. " Grif shook his head. Kaina patted him on the shoulder. " Yeah, And you can't stay either. "
Grif looked up at her with confusion. Kai pointed to the guy who had been waving at them from the Pelican for the last thirty minutes. " Your ride's about to leave with all your luggage," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Grif's eyes widened. He looked at Simmons and sighed in frustration.
" Kai, Tell him that I'm waiting for him at the main base. And tell him to hurry up cause I'm getting so tired of Waiting for him. " Grif shouted as he rushed towards the ship.
" Okay! " Kai chirped as she loomed over Simmons's body.
Grif watched from inside as she called over a Medic. he closed his eyes and held his face in his hands. The question of why he was still waiting on Simmons rang through his head. Why wait when it seemed clear that he wanted Grif gone?
But Simmons's question replayed in his head. Giving him hope.
That Simmons wanted him to stay.
But that was probably wishful thinking. If that was true then Why did Simmons release him from the contract with the army?
Why did he let go?
---
Grif looked back at Simmons. He was glad they had been honest about their feelings for once, it felt like a huge load off his chest. But, he wondered if he would be able to get on that Shuttle to Earth now.
Would he really be able to live without Simmons's nerdy ass?
---
Notes :
Grif and Simmons are trans.
( this won't directly be addressed in this but it's part of my re-write and the Bits segment focuses more on their identities and such. )
