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[ Oh my fucking god. If this is who he thinks it is... his heart is in his throat as he fumbles his TAB to reply, opening a vid call -- no hiding here, his network ID is simply York and he looks pale and shaken. ]

Show yourself.

[Fuck this he's locking it even if this blows everything out of the water in his insecurities; if for no other reason than York looks like he's seeing a goddamn ghost, and that stresses him out a bit.

[So yeah, here's North, face and all; his hair's a little grown out and his beard is definitely... well, there in the first place.]

Don't sound so ominous, you'll make me feel unwelcome. [There's that famous North Voice (tm), lilting a little over the casual laughter in his tone. His eyes are just about lit up to see his friend, and he's smiling.]

[ It's North.

He basically is seeing a ghost, after what Wash told him, after... god it's been a year on the run and searching for his friend and then he never thought he'd see him again but now he's here and alive and smiling and what is with that facial hair and...

Holy fucking shit, it's North.

There's a long pause and the blur of York's hand over the TAB for a moment, just touching the screen. ]

Sorry, just. You're a sight for sore eyes. Where are you, man?

On the complex still, we haven't been assigned our quarters just yet. You alright, buddy? How long's it been?

[His eyes get a touch more concerned. If York's not okay, he wants to touch base.]

You don't need quarters, you're staying with me. [ Firm, like he's regaining his footing here. Recovering from the shock. ]

I'm good, I'm. Great. It's been a little over a year? And I've been in this place almost that long. [ Without North. Without anyone but Tex, for most of it, and did he mention holy shit it's North??? ] I live in the Complex, just ask anyone how to get to the luxury housing level, I'm number fifteen.

You sure about that? I've got Maine with m--

[Yeah York, you're hearing Maine's voice in the background. One firmly growled "Carolina," and then the sound of heavy footsteps getting further away. North's eyes watch what can only be Maine exiting the room.]

... Neeeevermind, you said fifteen in the luxury level?

I know, I saw his post too. I'm sure.

[ And if he's relieved when he hears Maine's voice and footsteps, it doesn't really show. He's too preoccupied. ]

Fifteen. Don't keep me waiting, okay? It's been long enough.

Alright, alright. Gimme a couple minutes.

[He cuts the feed, and lo and behold, a few minutes later he'll be knocking on that door 15.]

Knock-knock, buddy.

[ York answers the door immediately, like he was standing right there waiting. He just throws it open, unarmored and still looking a little on edge, Delta hovering at his shoulder. And then it's like he's forgotten how to breathe.

Be cool, he tells himself. Don't freak him out.

So instead of throwing himself at North's still-armored form, he just lets himself smile, broad and purely happy for a moment. ]

North. [ There we go, that's how to breathe. ] I missed you, man.

[ So much. So so much. He shuffles back, making room to let North in. It's a small place but very nice -- the main room is a couch, a little table with two armchairs hotel-style, a big TV, and a kitchenette off to the side. It screams hotel suite, really, not apartment, and York hasn't really made it his own. He ushers North in and closes the door and then he can't help himself, he's reaching out and touching that beard. ]

I didn't think you could grow one.

Same to you. [He did miss him. He loves South with all his heart, he'd never let any harm come to her if he could, but it doesn't really make the bond of best friends any less important in the "social needs ladder."

[He walks in and--welp, there we go, the first non-soldier-esque contact he's gotten in one hell of a while and it's York's hand on his face. He tilts his head back, presenting the beard for inspection.]

I shaved every other morning back on base. I'm blond, it shows up a little less when it's short.

[ York keeps touching, his fingers scritching into the coarse hair curiously. More because it's North's than the fact that it's a beard, really. This probably isn't any better less needy than flinging himself at North for a hug would have been, in the grand scheme of things, it's just a bit lower key. ]

You're not keeping it, are you? It's weird.

I dunno, that feels good, I might keep it just for this.

[The teasing tone says North hasn't changed a bit, but it's as much as mask as always; he's starved for affection, and this armor is probably the worst thing in the room right now because it's keeping him from getting more.]

You got any spare clothes I could borrow?

[He has to ask, before he gets too caught up in his head. He gestures with the helmet under his arm.]

And a place I can put this crap?

Yeah... yeah, I've got both. Let's get you out of that.

[ Though then he's going to be in imminent danger of hugs. And York just not fucking letting go.

He pulls his hand back now, though, leading North back into another room, one with a bed and a full wall of closet space. York opens one of the panels, rummaging through his clothes... North's a little taller but he's pretty sure he's got pants that are long on him. ]

That one's empty, you can stash your armor-- here. Try these.

[ He nods towards the last panel; the one next to it has his armor in it. ]

[He's already dislodging the chestpiece and the plating on his arms and shoulders, setting them on the bed temporarily. He nods at the panel as well in confirmation, and moves to open it up once he has a nice little pile of metal in his arms with the helmet on top.]

And you're sure I'm okay staying here.

[He has to triple-check. Despite knowing he's in good hands, Maine still has him worried. Plus knowing Carolina's okay is... jarring, but not surprising. Altogether this is very overwhelming.

[He puts the pieces he's taken off into the storage space, and moves to start getting rid of the rest from the waist down.]

Edited (that is NOT the icon i clicked) 2017-08-02 22:19 (UTC)

North. Buddy. Pal. You try to stay anywhere else, I'm hunting you down and crashing there, whether there's room for both of us or not.

[ He pulls out a shirt for his friend and smiles warmly, but there's a sort of 'or else' glint in his eye as he watches North strip out of his armor. ]

You're handling all this pretty well.

[North watches him for a moment while the shirt is offered to him and then he smiles, shaking his head in defeat as he takes the fabric into his hand to set it aside while he gets stripped down.]

Somebody's got to. it's not like Theta's biggest strength is "handling incredibly sudden and possibly dangerous changes calmly."

[He loves his A.I. dearly, but there was a reason Theta was given to North.

[He steps out of the boots and picks them up, putting them in with the rest of his armor. Then he'll get the bodysuit off.]

Good point. I guess I took getting here pretty well too, but when I came through the Ingress it was onto a ship so things were pretty familiar.

Then it crashed. It wasn't a good time for awhile.

[ He shakes those memories of the Midway Hub off, sitting on the edge of his bed. ]

Hey Theta. It's not bad here, I promise.

That was... the Moira, right?

[He was told about that one.

[He's pulling the pants and shirt on, now; Theta doesn't appear, but the smile on North's face says it hits home. York's here, everything's okay. Carolina's fine, Tex is super pretty now, everything's all good.]

Yeah, the Moira. It wasn't anything fancy but better than a lot of the ships I was on before Freelancer. And honestly, I wasn't on it for long before it crashed into the Midway Hub -- that's how we got here.

[ York's getting a good look at North as he changes. Looks like he's gonna have to fatten his friend back up.

Right now, though, he's standing and stepping in, waiting patiently for North to get his arms into the shirt before grabbing him in a firm hug, one arm over North's shoulder and the other locked around his waist. There was no escaping this. ]

[Look, there wasn't a lot in the way of "nutritious meals" in his year on the run. He's stayed pretty fit all things considered.

[Here comes the hug, though, and as mildly surprised as he looks, it's only because he wasn't expecting it to be happening as his head managed to pop out of the collar of the shirt. He knew York wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

[Not to say that he doesn't want it, too; his arms go right around his friend and hold tight to him. He takes a deep breath and lets the calm sink in. It feels like they made it.]

[ York hooks his chin over North's shoulder and leans a little, enjoying the solid warmth of his friend against him. His fingers curl into the borrowed shirt and he lets himself relax, indulge a little in contact. He's gotten more of it lately, but is still horribly touch-starved. And it's North. He can be a little vulnerable.

The beard kind of tickles his neck. ]

[North certainly won't be complaining; all he's had for a year now is South, he's absolutely dying for some kind of contact. If that's getting to be held for a minute by the person he trusts more than anybody, that's an outright blessing.]

Man, I... [He chokes on it, trying to get the words out. That's not something North gets happening to him often.]

... I missed you. [All of you, he means, but York a little differently. He wasn't closer to anybody.]

[ There'll be more than just this hug, he's not going to mention that the couch pulls out in the hopes that North shares the bed and will cuddle. Wash's short tenure in his apartment was the best York's slept in over a year. And it's North.

He can feel himself unwinding a little, his shoulders loosening up at the reassurance that this is real, not some vivid dream. ]

Same here. [ And maybe the hug's getting a little long and a little weird but he doesn't give a shit. He pulls back just enough to run his fingers through overlong blond hair, getting a good look at his friend's now-bearded face.

This thing's scratchy as hell, you know.

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