Speaking of McMurdo AU, I ended up writing some Loui Eriksson/Carl Soderberg post-Antarctica reunion schmoop set in this ‘verse for the BHG formerly known as Anon (lol), because I am highly suggestible. Originally posted in this thread.
In the end, everyone goes home.
Loui will miss these guys, despite everything. Even Marchy. There's a lot to be said about having no choice but to get along, and by the end of it, Marchy was saving him a seat at the cafeteria and nabbing the last chocolate milk for him because Loui always got off his shift late and all the chocolate milk would be gone otherwise. Loui wonders if he and Marchy would be friends in the real world, but that's not a problem he's going to have once he gets to New Zealand. "I'll see you on Facebook," Marchy said, and that's about the long and short of it.
On the plane, on Loui's left is Piesy, and then Bergy next to him, the both of them hooked up to the same iPad and watching a movie. On Bergy's other side, Marchy is asleep on his shoulder. Everybody's going home. ("Everybody's leaving home," Malcolm had corrected him, before getting on the plane. That kid, Loui swears. He loves that place, comes back every year.)
Everybody's going somewhere. Once they touch down topside, everyone will scatter, but Loui’s going to take it easy for a few days or so, stick around New Zealand, acclimate slowly. No man is an island, but Loui is at least peninsular, or has become so over the long winter. He's not sure it's his favorite temperament to embody, but that's out of his hands. When the plane lands, Loui is exhausted, which is strange because he's done nothing more than sit for hours, and even napped, but there's a whole world out there now and it's already beginning to settle heavily on his shoulders. He remembers this. He remembers this part, when everything comes flooding back.
The last thing he expects to see is Carl in the arrival hall. The sight of him dashes Loui's heart to the ground, because it can't possibly be true. This is the cruelest mirage. How can that be Carl? Carl is in Sweden, so that can't be--
Loui would know Carl anywhere.
Carl stands with his arms crossed, eyes scanning the crowd, not seeing Loui, but it doesn't matter. Loui sees him and he can't look away, bumping into people as he takes the shortest route from point A to point B. He wonders if he's changed so much that Carl doesn't recognize him anymore, but when Carl spots him, his eyes light up. He waves, he smiles, and Loui can't even smile back, too moved.
Carl embraces him, and Loui clings back, breathing deeply, his vision blurring. Carl smells like the cologne Loui got him for Christmas, and the sense of smell is evocative and suddenly all the domino pieces are falling in Loui's memory - wine on the back porch, cinnamon in the hot chocolate, the frozen pond and Carl bringing out his old hockey sticks and saying, "One on one, you and me," and Loui said yes, okay, you and me.
"What are you doing here?" Loui blurts out, and it's not really the first thing he means to say.
"I said I'd meet you at the airport," Carl states simply.
"I thought you meant in Sweden."
"Surprise," Carl grins, like he has made a grand joke, and Loui laughs into Carl's shoulder, holding him close like he doesn't ever intend to let go.