He smiled genuinely when Aoba shouted his name, surprised at himself. When the other man whipped around and came at him so quickly, he didn't know what exactly was coming, but braced himself, muscles flexing quite visibly, only to relax when there was no impact. Distantly, he realized he'd braced for a hug, then felt instantly stupid for thinking that was Aoba's intention. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. Either way, the flex relaxed and he cleared his throat, free hand tugging at his towel for lack of anything else to do.
"Thank you. It's good to be home." And he meant it. He never would have cared, before. Now he had something to come home to, which made the missions less dull, less repetitive.
A few moments of silence stretched between them, both thinking to themselves about the near miss. It was Declan who finally cleared his throat and held out the stuffed satchel.
"Souvenirs?" the large man offered with a tilt of his head, damp hair tucked behind his ears actually showing his face in full, for once.
Inside was a wide array of items from everywhere he'd gone; anything he thought might interest a non-native from a less explored Terran galaxy.
There were rocks from every location, of course, and he was prepared to detail the specifics of every item, if asked. More curious were the artifacts he'd procured. Wrapped in a piece of cloth, there was a smooth black orb, cracked and glittering blue inside like a mineral geode. Rolling around in the satchel, a pale, prickly, chitinous scale as big as Aoba's hand, from some alien creature. In a small case, a pin made from alien metal with an almost sinister-looking design. At the bottom of the bag, a shoebox-sized stone totem and a badly scuffed metal box. Another cloth-wrapped stone that once uncovered, pale green moths seemed to coalesce from nowhere, fluttering around the dimly glowing thing. Another small box with a dazzlingly sparkling artifact sitting on a cushion of fabric, the pieces floating independent of one another, somehow. In a little leather wrap, a stunning blade that shifted colors when turned in the light. A palm-sized vial of shimmering, glowing, purple dust that moved like smoke in it's stoppered container. And a carved amber bird skull wrapped in a torn bit of fabric. It wasn't even everything he'd wanted to bring, just the things it was safe to stop for.
no subject
"Thank you. It's good to be home." And he meant it. He never would have cared, before. Now he had something to come home to, which made the missions less dull, less repetitive.
A few moments of silence stretched between them, both thinking to themselves about the near miss. It was Declan who finally cleared his throat and held out the stuffed satchel.
"Souvenirs?" the large man offered with a tilt of his head, damp hair tucked behind his ears actually showing his face in full, for once.
Inside was a wide array of items from everywhere he'd gone; anything he thought might interest a non-native from a less explored Terran galaxy.
There were rocks from every location, of course, and he was prepared to detail the specifics of every item, if asked. More curious were the artifacts he'd procured. Wrapped in a piece of cloth, there was a smooth black orb, cracked and glittering blue inside like a mineral geode. Rolling around in the satchel, a pale, prickly, chitinous scale as big as Aoba's hand, from some alien creature. In a small case, a pin made from alien metal with an almost sinister-looking design. At the bottom of the bag, a shoebox-sized stone totem and a badly scuffed metal box. Another cloth-wrapped stone that once uncovered, pale green moths seemed to coalesce from nowhere, fluttering around the dimly glowing thing. Another small box with a dazzlingly sparkling artifact sitting on a cushion of fabric, the pieces floating independent of one another, somehow. In a little leather wrap, a stunning blade that shifted colors when turned in the light. A palm-sized vial of shimmering, glowing, purple dust that moved like smoke in it's stoppered container. And a carved amber bird skull wrapped in a torn bit of fabric. It wasn't even everything he'd wanted to bring, just the things it was safe to stop for.