[PRP] From Afar (Heidi/Tuck)

[Eight]

Heidi huffed. It was a bored huff that had her blowing some hair out of her eyes. She stood at a window with her elbows on the windowsill and her chin resting atop her fists while she looked out at the lush jungle around her.

Boring. She'd never actually had jungle outpost duty before, and now she was really hoping she never did ever again.  

[bipolar bee]

Eight

Routine kept his mind busy, which was good. It was what he needed. He didn't spend extra time being social - in fact, since coming out of the pod he'd done nothing but throw himself into work. It had been two days since he'd slept, and that sleep had been thanks to Heidi. He stayed awake through willpower alone - the only time that sleep came easy was when he wasn't alone, but it wasn't fair for Heidi and he wasn't ready to admit that he needed her just yet because he still didn't feel like he deserved her. She deserved better.

Jungle outpost was something new to Tuck, and it didn't take him long to scale the rope ladder that led into the treetops. The sight that greeted him wasn't unwelcome but it was a surprise.

"Heidi. You got jungle duty, too?"  

[Eight]

Heidi tensed only briefly when she heard Tuck's voice. Her heart still skipped a beat every time she heard him, she didn't think it would ever stop doing that. Releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding in a soft sigh, Heidi nodded but didn't look back at him just yet. "Yeah, and it's stupid boring. There aren't even any monkeys're nothin'."

A pause. Heidi suddenly perked up as if something dawned on her. "I broke my arm once as a kid pretending I was a monkey in a tree." She almost sounded surprised by her own words. Heidi then shrugged it off and turned to Tuck with a smile, leaning back against the windowsill. "Hey~."  

[bipolar bee]

Something in his gut clenched as he watched her stand before the window. It hurt and it sucked and he deserved it, but it didn't make Tuck feel any better.

He tossed a small rucksack he'd carried with him (a lunch of sandwiches, a few drinks, some chips) to the floor before moving further into the room.

"I ain't even been out here before. Kinna weird if I think 'bout it too long." He paused. "An' I dunno why, but the thought of you pretendin' to be a monkey in a tree comes to mind real easy. Too easy."

Tuck let out a soft chuckle. He felt good, though a little tired. Heidi looked good. Too good. The thought caused something to twinge in his chest.

"I brought lunch. I wasn't gonna share, but since it's you, well. I guess I can."  

[Eight]

Heidi laughed. "I was doing really well at it! Goin' from tree to tree, branch to branch, and it was going really well until one of the branches broke and dooooowwwwn I went. And there went my dreams of one day being a spider monkey. Dang." She grinned proudly up at Tuck, clearly pleased despite her obviously crushed heart over her memory.

He'd brought lunch? Heidi blinked and looked down at the bag. "Really? Man, that is so generous of you. Seriously dude--"

A pause.

"...You brought lunch..did you also make lunch?"

No way.  

[bipolar bee]

"I know how to make ********' sandwiches. These sandwiches are really somethin' special, too, okay. These sandwiches're peanut butter honey sandwiches an' the bread's only a little ********' stale. They ain't even got no crusts on 'em. So."

He narrowed his eyes.

"If you done sassin' the ******** outta me I might be persuaded to find us somethin' to sit on so we can eat us some lunch."  

[Eight]

She opened her mouth to say something, closed it again, opened..closed...

A hand came up to cover her mouth, both to hide a smile and keep herself from sassin' the ******** outta him. But despite that a snort still escaped her. "Nah, dude. I'm proud of you," she managed, though the humor was clear. "I've never had peanut butter and honey before. Y'know what, that actually sounds pretty good. I'll try your peanut butter and honey sandwiches."  

[bipolar bee]

Eight

"Yeaaaah, s'what I thought," Tuck snorted and rummaged around for a big, clean-looking tarp. He spread it out on the floor before taking a seat.

"Sit your a** down," he chuckled before digging the sandwiches out of the plastic bag that held them.  

[Eight]

Heidi grinned, standing by the window while he got stuff together. She glanced out the window at the still quiet jungle before turning back to Tuck again. "Gosh, Mister Ross, you're so bossy," she playfully complained as she flopped down to sit. She even stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't you know I'm a princess? You can't tell me what to do~." Duh.

pinchmonster

 

[bipolar bee]

Eight

Tuck snorted and opened the bag, doling out a sandwich to Heidi before noshing on his own.

"You got too much ********' sass. Way too much ********' sass."

He shook his head and took another bite, chewing thoroughly before swallowing.

"How you been?"  

[Eight]

His comment earned him a smirk and a raise of her brow. Too much sass? He never complained before, he knew she was a sassbucket. "I'm perfectly sassy. What're you gonna do about that, huh?" She challenged before taking a big bite out of her sandwich.

Er..it wasn't...horrible..but definitely not a thing she had ever tasted before. But Heidi kept a perfectly practiced straight face. She even ate another bite. He would have starved without her and Evan, she understood this now.

"Been okay. Cee helped me unpack my stuff. She thought my costume props were a sex thing. C'n you believe that?" She shook her head. "M'not moving again, not until I'm a fully ranked Hunter. Decided I think I want a house. America's got one, it's pretty awesome what she's done with it. You should check it out." She bravely ate another bite of the sandwich. Could've been worse, honestly. It was mostly just different. "You?"

pinchmonster

 

[bipolar bee]

Tuck grunted at the talk of Cee, deciding that it was very crucial that he sidestep that entire topic of conversation. He cleared his throat and took another bite of his sandwich.

"You want a house?"

Tuck made a face.

"Nah, I want a room. A big room with a big ********' shower."

He paused and thought about a house, weighing the merits of a house versus an apartment. He shook his head.

"Nah. I want a room. Definitely a room."

Eight

 

[Eight]

"Maybe! I wouldn't want it if I'm by myself though. That'd be pretty lonely, I think. All that space for just me? No thanks." Heidi shook her head, doing well not to look Tuck's way as she said this. Whoever she was with would need to want a house, too. And she hoped that 'whoever' would be Tuck. She was still holding out hope for an end to their break.

Heidi looked surprised though. He'd been the one to first bring up the house or room inquiry a long time back, and he'd sounded like he wanted a house at the time! What changed? "Why just a room?"

pinchmonster

 

[bipolar bee]

Tuck finished one sandwich and started in on a second one, chewing slowly as he looked everywhere but Heidi's direction. Truth was, he didn't deserve a ******** house or all the nice things that came with one. He didn't, and nothing anyone said would make him change his mind about it.

"Less responsibility," he mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich. It was a weak lie, flimsy at best, but Tuck didn't want to elaborate, and he'd have to figure out another evasion tactic if this one didn't work.

Tuck also didn't want to talk about a future together, and he shifted uncomfortably as he took another bite of his lunch. Part of him wished that she'd realize what a piece of s**t he was and just move on - and a larger, more selfish part of him wanted her. Loved her. Didn't deserve her, and couldn't make her understand.

"How's the sandwich?"

Eight

 

[Eight]

Heidi fell quiet and just watched Tuck, finishing her sandwich but not reaching for another just yet. She knew what a lying Tuck looked like, except for that one time he was really bad at lying to her. He didn't want to talk about rooms and houses. He was making that clear without even saying it. She should have discussed it when she had the chance, apparently. Heidi sighed and laid back, arms folded under her head and eyes turned up to the ceiling. Fine. They could talk about other things. This kind of stuff used to just come naturally to them, why was it suddenly so hard?

"Not bad! It was a unique flavor to say the least," she chuckled. "I'm proud of you, making your own lunches." Heidi grinned at Tuck.

pinchmonster