Stained (Red vs Blue)

Objective Two**

Oregon's eyes remained on his hands, one wrapped around the other tightly, his own fingers digging into his palms. "They left without telling us..." He muttered softly under his breath, well aware of the other man sitting next to him. "She... left..." He added even quieter, more in his head than out loud. Michigan merely glanced at him, his hand loosely wrapped around the water bottle in front of him.

"Would you have rather actually let them say goodbye, then know that one of them might not come back?" Michigan asked, a kind tone present in his voice as he turned in his seat to look at the other man. "Goodbyes sound like-"

"Forever. I know. It's just...," He took a deep, shaky breath, pressing his palms against his eyes. "They worry me, you know? I've known Iowa and Nevada to long, I know so much about the two of them, about how they work-"

"If Alaska was here, this would call for a bow chicka bow wow," Michigan interjected lightly, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. Oregon returned the smile, thwacking his arm with the back of his hand.

"Alaska's a hot head at times. I'm just...," he gave another sigh, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips, "you know how I feel, right?" Oregon asked, his eyes drifting back down to his hands from Michigan's face, worry behind them. Michigan clapped him on the shoulder, startling him from his thoughts.

"You and Nev..." He trailed off for a brief moment, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "never did it, did you?"

Oregon blinked once, twice, and gave it a third go before Michigan's words processed through his head. His eyes flew open, the drink spilling from his mouth and across the table. He choked, his face flushing a bright red, spreading to his ears. He delved into a coughing fit for a minute, his eyes still wide and set on the man beside him, blinking furiously trying to clear the tears from his eyes. "Did- did you seriously just say that?" He stuttered out, replaying his words through his head.

"Ee-yup," Michigan smiled, patting his shoulder, trying his best to stifle the chuckle rising in his throat. Oregon blinked once again, shaking his head from side to side. He was flustered beyond what Michigan had pictured, completely the picture. Michigan couldn't help but chuckle as the other man struggled to keep his thoughts together.

"Well," Michigan continued, taking his hand off his shoulder, resting it on the table. "answer the question, Oregon," He urged, winking. Oregon looked down at the table.

Oregon's face flushed once again, angling himself away from Michigan so he wouldn't see. He felt Michigan's hand near his should and quickly answered. "O-once," his voice almost to quiet for the other to hear. Michigan's smile grew in an instant.

"Aha!" He cheered, clapping the other man on the shoulder, the sound of his hand connecting with his skin echoed through the otherwise empty mess hall. . Oregon turned an even brighter shade of red, burying his face into his crossed arms, refusing to look at the other man in the fear of giving something away that he didn't want him to know.

"This is Alaska's job," Oregon complained with a chuckle, still flustered by the question. Michigan noted that his fingers on one hand were digging into his skin, leaving clear indents where the nails, what little ones he had, were.

"What? Pry into your sex life?" Oregon blinked again before abruptly bursting into a fit of laughter, almost slamming his head down against the table.

Michigan gave an accomplished smile, patting the other man lightly on the shoulder before giving him a sad smile.

✤ Back On the Field ✤

I pulled myself up the last several rungs of the ladder, ignoring the several ones I missed. I rolled onto the roof where Iowa was planted, several casings littering the ground to her side. She cast a look at me, just a single glance out of the corner of her eye to make sure it was me. "Fuckin' finally, you little midget ass," She said, firing into the crowd of Innies still coming at us. Training exercises are a bitch, especially if you get dropped in the middle of one.