Billy nodded, but looking over Soldier's face there was a twinge of guilt. "...New things are fun too," he added with a small, pointed smile. "Do you have any goals for this year? Something new you want to try?"
"New things like getting trapped in the hangar?" He was still angry at the Agrii about that. The storm and its effects might not be their fault directly but in the absence of a root cause, there was nowhere else to direct his ire. And the Agrii were cagey about sharing any information.
Still, he didn't mean to bring down the mood with memories of that experience. "I don't know."
Billy gave a bit of a bitter laugh at the memory. It wasn't a good one. ...Mostly. There were a few parts he would hold on to, though he wished they'd come about a different way.
"Was thinking more fun things," he said with a soft smile, "Like...learn to draw, or...have a...space picnic." He made a face at his less that perfect examples.
"In this place? I don't trust the Agrii not to twist it all around. Or to deploy me again. It's been a while but I don't think that means an end to it." A useful tool might be put on a shelf for some time but never truly forgotten. And he couldn't forget that weird warning (threat?) from the figure in the storm. "Enough is enough, with those possibilities."
He wasn't wrong. Soldier echoed the same thoughts and worried that Billy couldn't shake, and despite his nod there was a distant and someone sad expression that came with it. Maybe it was stupid to hope for more than enough here. Or cruel to wish it for Soldier when it might be another thing to be stolen away from him.
"Yeah..." Billy murmured, clearly weighing those words heavily.
"You shouldn't let my words bring down your mood," he said, glancing sideways at Billy. "You meant this to be a pleasant surprise, not a sad one. Tell me what sort of traditional thing we can do."
Given that the Soldier would have let the day go unmarked, his own suggestions tended toward training activities more than fun. He doubted Billy wanted to spend the whole day so occupied.
"No, sorry, just...thinking," Billy promised, putting on a smile for Soldier.
"We um...we did cake. Did a wish. I didn't sing, but without a crowd forcing it on you it isn't really the same. ...I guess a lot of the traditional birthday stuff is more group oriented... Mmm."
He got a bit of a mischievous look on his face, and waved his fingers at Soldier, a blue glow affixing a party hat to his head and making Billy's smile grow a little more. "That's helps."
"The whole point is to..." he hesitated, searching for an appropriate word. "Embarrass someone with a spectacle?" Maybe best to leave the occasion unmarked, in his opinion. He had no desire to be subjected to a singing crowd and whatever other mischief that entailed.
Mischief that apparently included a silly paper hat perched suddenly atop his head. He decided then that birthday traditions were just weird. "You're teasing now."
"That seems like it has the potential to be uncomfortable. I am glad there is no additional audience today." Truly the Soldier would have been happy to let the day pass unmarked, but considered Billy's keeping it private a great gift indeed.
"It looks ridiculous." But it made Billy happy, which mattered more than appearances. "You're still teasing."
"That is my preference." Not that anyone would want to celebrate someone shown to be a liability. The Soldier had found new reason to keep himself away from others in the wake of Beck's actions.
"It makes you happy." That mattered more than the presence of the hat, though he felt glad enough to have it gone. "And hopefully feeling better?"
"It does," Billy agreed with a small smile. "And I am. But my goal for today is to make you happy, remember? Maybe see that smile...?" He gives a teasing grin. "Maybe even actually relax for a minute or two?"
"If I'm happy just by your presence?" He shrugged; the memory of being trapped during the storm still felt fresh so the fact that the weather was clear and calm made all the difference now. "We don't have to just stay here and sit. We could take a walk if you want. Not a training walk, you can have the day off."
"Unless you want to train. We could do a marathon." Was he joking? Maybe.
"I trained this morning. Took an inventory of my supplies. Took advantage of the ship to eat. It is not a bad day." One of his better ones, all things considered.
"Twenty six point two miles," he readily replied. "A casual jaunt."
(Billy, do not let this fool have a birthday marathon. No one needs that.)
The Soldier shrugged. "I wasn't paying attention. The one on the end." The protein gel was nothing more than fuel for a heightened metabolism. It would never be a wonderful culinary experience.
He wouldn't put Billy through that kind of ordeal, not without specifically training for it. But Billy's expression spoke volumes, even causing a dry chuckle to escape the Soldier.
"No marathons for you. I promise."
He shrugged again. "It's preferable to some other means of nutrition. And it doesn't use resources that others need." Practical as always.
He laughed, looking grateful. "I think I might die. But we can work up to it one day. Maybe. Not sure I'll ever be a good runner. Tommy might've taken all the good running genes."
"You sound like Tommy," Billy teased. He gets it, but he still wishes he could convince the both of them to indulge more often. Or let him magic up something.
"Do you want to?" Billy was not built to be a serious runner and while he could probably train for it the Soldier saw little sense in so doing if Billy didn't enjoy the activity in the first place. "Outside of our training sessions, do you actually enjoy running?"
The Soldier rolled his eyes. He'd been compared to worse and he knew Billy meant it affectionately. But at the same time food was nothing more than fuel, and his metabolism required a lot of it. Since he had no desire to join the communal meals that meant feeding himself. "What would you suggest instead?"
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Still, he didn't mean to bring down the mood with memories of that experience. "I don't know."
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"Was thinking more fun things," he said with a soft smile, "Like...learn to draw, or...have a...space picnic." He made a face at his less that perfect examples.
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"I train," he shrugged. "I patrol, sometimes. Make sure none of the more dangerous creatures decide to settle in. It's enough."
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"...don't you want more than 'enough' sometimes?"
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"Yeah..." Billy murmured, clearly weighing those words heavily.
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Given that the Soldier would have let the day go unmarked, his own suggestions tended toward training activities more than fun. He doubted Billy wanted to spend the whole day so occupied.
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"We um...we did cake. Did a wish. I didn't sing, but without a crowd forcing it on you it isn't really the same. ...I guess a lot of the traditional birthday stuff is more group oriented... Mmm."
He got a bit of a mischievous look on his face, and waved his fingers at Soldier, a blue glow affixing a party hat to his head and making Billy's smile grow a little more. "That's helps."
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Mischief that apparently included a silly paper hat perched suddenly atop his head. He decided then that birthday traditions were just weird. "You're teasing now."
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He grinned, showing his teeth and shaking his head. "It looks cute." He magics one onto his own head. "Better?"
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"It looks ridiculous." But it made Billy happy, which mattered more than appearances. "You're still teasing."
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He put on a brief- pretend pout, but magicked the hats away again with a smile. "I'll stop," he promised.
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"It makes you happy." That mattered more than the presence of the hat, though he felt glad enough to have it gone. "And hopefully feeling better?"
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He licked a spot of chocolate from his thumb and dusted off any remaining cupcake crumbs. "How's your day been, you know...before I ambushed you?"
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"I trained this morning. Took an inventory of my supplies. Took advantage of the ship to eat. It is not a bad day." One of his better ones, all things considered.
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He smirked fondly. It did sound like the sort of day Soldier would enjoy at least. "Nice. What flavour did you go for today?"
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(Billy, do not let this fool have a birthday marathon. No one needs that.)
The Soldier shrugged. "I wasn't paying attention. The one on the end." The protein gel was nothing more than fuel for a heightened metabolism. It would never be a wonderful culinary experience.
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"I dunno...that point two miles kinda pushes it over the edge."
Billy laughed, but it was such a Soldier answer. "The one on the end. Breakfast of champions."
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"No marathons for you. I promise."
He shrugged again. "It's preferable to some other means of nutrition. And it doesn't use resources that others need." Practical as always.
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"You sound like Tommy," Billy teased. He gets it, but he still wishes he could convince the both of them to indulge more often. Or let him magic up something.
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The Soldier rolled his eyes. He'd been compared to worse and he knew Billy meant it affectionately. But at the same time food was nothing more than fuel, and his metabolism required a lot of it. Since he had no desire to join the communal meals that meant feeding himself. "What would you suggest instead?"
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Billy shrugged, casually suggesting for the 5 millionth time- "...You could come round and eat at our place. I can make you anything."
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