adaptiveimmunities

[He takes the bottle and has a drink.]

[That doesn't taste right.]

It doesn't. [He eyes the bottle and tilts it to see the label. ...No ingredients listed. No Nutrition Information label. He glances at Sheehan.]

When are you from again?

You know, you never asked before now. Is it not what you like?

[He takes a drink.]

1954.

It's different. [He takes another curious sip.] It doesn't make my teeth hurt. That probably explains it, though. I bet this is made with real sugar and everything. Damn.

[The penny drops.]

Oh my god, that explains--man, you do not need to sign texts. It's not a letter or a telegram, or whatever you had back then.

[He chuckles lightly.]

I like doing it, that's all.

But - Coca-Cola from your time makes your teeth hurt? Why do you drink it?

[He shrugs a shoulder, taking another drink of soda.]

George likes it. She gets pissy.

[I do not.]

You really do.

[From the asshole that refuses to wake up in the morning without coffee?]

Coffee doesn't take the rust off of car parts.

You have a point, you know. Coffee is better. I'm guessing that's the argument here?

Pretty much. [He waves it off a little.] Pretty old argument, though I appreciate you taking the correct side.

So what's up?

[Because he's pretty sure Sheehan didn't come here to talk about soda versus coffee.]

Mm, I was just wanting to see how you were going to play this off. Are we pretending it was alright, or are we making jokes about how easy it was compared to home?

[He reaches out, gently touching the leaf of a nearby tree.]

[Shaun raises an eyebrow.]

Why wouldn't I be all right? [He pointedly doesn't mention Henry.] I think this just cements that I was born about twenty years too late. We have it way easier at home. We have government and internet and a supply chain. That was a lot more like what my parents lived through than what my life is like. [Pause.] Sort of. We didn't do the city state thing. The Federal government got shit back under control, so we're still the US.

Yeah? Do your parents ever talk about what that was like?

I can't goddamn imagine that. Or, I thought I couldn't. [He glances over his shoulder.]

The war was bad enough.

[He tries to imagine what an honest conversation with the Masons about the Rising would have looked like. He can't picture it. He shakes his head.]

That would have involved a display of real emotion, and we've never had that kind of relationship.

[Huh. He hadn't known that about Sheehan. And judging from the timeline--]

World War II?

Was only a baby when the first one ended, so - that's the one.

[He takes another drink, smiling behind it.]

Not exactly a zombie apocalypse, but - I'd say I got a taste of it.

I'm not sure which is the worst deal, honestly. They're both pretty shitty.

[Because despite joking that he would have thrived during the Rising, he knows that he wouldn't have been able to take all of the loss. One sister was enough to push him into auditory hallucinations. Losing his whole family? An actual family? He shakes the thought off and looks at Sheehan again.]

So how'd you fare in all that?

I'm here. [He gets a quick smile.]

It was ten years ago.

And time heals all wounds? [His tone makes it clear that he thinks that's complete bullshit. In his experience, time doesn't fix much.]

No, but I'm not twenty two anymore.

[He grins in Shaun's direction.]

[Shaun lets out a short laugh. Twenty two was practically yesterday for him.]

I guess.

So are we good? Was there anything else you needed?

Is it a crime to check on the person I'm supposed to be looking after?

[He smirks, then shoves a hand in his pocket, taking out a key.]

Here. This will get you into my cabin if you ever need it. The Admiral installed a shower there for you.

[Shaun just makes a face at him as he accepts the key.]

Yeah, yeah, you're trying to be nice, and I'm being a dick. I have a feeling that's going to be a theme with us.

That depends on how long it takes you to figure out that being a dick to me only makes me more annoyingly nice.

[He flashes him a smile.]

Seeya around, Shaun. I have a whole case of Coke if you ever need it.

[That gets a surprised smile out of Shaun, and he nods.]

Thanks. See ya.

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