I.M.POSTER

Chapter 2.5: Drop-off

T-minus 162 hours until Launch-Off.

It was a week before the big day would arrive, and last-minute repairs were still being arranged. The majority of the astronauts had already returned home for the night, however, only a small few remained to help assist the HQ mechanics.

You

Blue

Orange

...and Brown.

It was expected to see people like Orange and Brown in these types of environments. The chubby crewmate was always painfully aware of how often they were judged for their weight and their lazy personality so they would try their best to balance that out by being productive. They would help out here and there while making good amends with most of the workers in the area. Brown on the other hand was naturally a hardworking and giving person, someone who would do their best to be that friend in need whenever and wherever they could.

The strange routine had been going on for quite some time now. The three of you all made a silent agreement to help with the construction of the rocket during your off-hours. You had grown used to the quiet fellow and the optimist and found to enjoy their presence, even though you would never consider it as an official relationship yet. What was unexpected was the usually snarky Blue crewmate that decided to follow suit one day.

It was like every other day when all of a sudden Blue returns late in the night to pick up something they forgot, only to be face to face with three of their crewmates in normal attire slugging around equipment back and forth. After an awkward few minutes of name-calling (on Blue's end), a short explanation (on your end), and an invitation (on Orange's end) the next thing you knew you had gotten used to the sight of the ocean shaded cadet showing up and helping too.

To this day you didn't understand why Orange invited Blue in the first place. It was well known that Blue was the bluntest towards making jokes about their weight, and yet that didn't seem to stop them. You figured they had their own personal reason for putting up with the impatient crewmate, and trust that whatever their reason was must have been a justifiable one.

Right now at the moment, you were assisting Brown with carrying a piece of heavy luggage across the room for some reason. Blue was currently cleaning the rocket's windows, standing on a tall ladder held sturdy by Orange, who was getting yelled at for their grip being a bit shaky.

"You better not drop me!" Blue snarled, "I can see the way you're quivering down there. Don't even think about it, chubby cheeks."

"S-sorry," Orange hesitantly chuckled. "If it makes you feel any better my hands hurt from gripping too hard."

"How the hell does that make me feel better?!"

The automatic ladder was out that day, courtesy of someone spilling coffee on its control panels, and yet still Blue insisted on getting the window's clean right then and there. Something about making sure that 'the one they looked at was the most spotless'.

You shook your head at the two before gently setting the box down where it needed to go. When the heavy object was out of your grasp you sighed and stretched your back, reminding yourself you really need to start lifting with your legs more often. Brown pointed two of their fingers in the direction of the bickering 'friends' before bringing them back together to form the shape of a heart. You rubbed your eyes to make sure you were understanding them clearly. Either they meant they had a crush on the both of them or they were trying to hint at there being some romantic tension going on between the two. Both seemed equally impossible and it was hard to take a guess.

You gave the most neutral sounding response that you could, "Are you sure though, they both seem so...uniquely different."

Brown nodded their head, clasping their hands together as if they were holding one another before placing a finger on their lips. They have a crush on each other, but it's a secret.