Torn

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta doesn't question the assignment when it comes to him: it's rooted solidly in his posting, it deals with a matter of utmost importance, and he's probably the best bet any of them have at deciphering the notes

Comments

[faithful_lt]

"Some people sleep, you know," he remarks. "Or play cards, or do other things that don't involve working through their down time."

It's an observation that carries no hint of censure. It hadn't taken Hoshi long at all since Gaeta's return to be aware of the other man's commitment to his duty-- not when anyone with eyes could see it.

"Sure, thanks." He finishes changing quickly, shuts his locker, and walks over to join Gaeta at the table.

[mr_gaeta]

"So I've heard," he says dryly, but not without a tinge of amusement -- at least half of which is directed at himself. He takes a drag on the cigarette and taps off the ash, then reaches for his pack and lighter to hand to Hoshi.

"I don't know, it's a big assignment anyway," he goes on. "I probably shouldn't let it overlap with anything up in the CIC."

[faithful_lt]

"Must be, judging from the amount of paper you've got going here."

He taps one out of the pack, then sets the rest back down on the table next to Gaeta. Hoshi puts the cigarette in his mouth and cups his hand around the end to shield the flame from draft as he flicks the lighter.

He blows the resulting smoke upward into the air and plucks the cigarette from his lips, tilting it off to the side out of the way as he offers the lighter back to Gaeta.

"Anything you can talk about?"

[mr_gaeta]

He reaches for the lighter, fingers inadvertently brushing Hoshi's as he takes it. "It's, ah."

Can he? He's under no directives otherwise; the Admiral would have left it to more than implicit assumption if it was truly a confidential matter.

"Yeah," he decides after a beat, and pushes the ashtray over so it rests between them. "It's Presid -- "

Frak. He shuts his eyes, reels his thoughts back into order.

"Dr. Baltar's notes involving potential navigation options to Earth."

[faithful_lt]

He hesitates, but only for a second. Hoshi takes a seat, and studies the look on Gaeta's face as the other man closes his eyes, correcting himself.

"... oh." He takes a drag on his cigarette. A beat.

"And they gave it to you."

Very quietly.

[mr_gaeta]

"Yeah." Not much louder, and very rueful. "Guess they figured I'd have the best chance of deciphering this mess."

He gestures to the paper, leaving thin trails of smoke hovering in the air above them.

[faithful_lt]

"Makes sense."

Still quiet, and matter-of-fact.

It's in the same tone that he asks, a beat later,

"Want some help?"

[mr_gaeta]

Briefly, Gaeta wonders if he's ever going to stop feeling a little burst of uncomprehending surprise when a fellow officer treats him decently.

He tries not to let it carry over into the smile, or his tone, as he says, "I wouldn't mind it." A beat goes by; then, lightly, "It might be a little more complicated than helping me unpack."

[faithful_lt]

"Hey, if you don't think I can handle it..."

His grin makes it clear that he's teasing. Hoshi sets his cigarette carefully on the edge of the ashtray and gets up.

"Just let me call over to the rec room and let Racetrack know not to wait the game on me."

[mr_gaeta]

"All right," he says, and, more hastily, "Any time you do want to go over there it's all right, I don't want to take up too much of your time."

After all, he hears people do things like relax when they're off-duty.

[faithful_lt]

"You're not," Hoshi assures him. "Besides, with both of us working at it, you might even get a chance for a break yourself before you're back on, right?"

He punches in the comms code and waits for the connection, absently tipping his head back to look up at the ceiling as he listens.

There's a soft -click-, and he says,

"Hoshi for Racetrack." He waits a beat or two longer, and then he grins. "Yeah, yeah. Listen, you guys go ahead and get started, okay? I'm gonna be a while."

The raucous squawk of laughter from the other end of the unit is loud enough to be audible even to someone who's not holding it to his ear.

"--what's the matter, Lou, 'fraid I'm gonna clean you out again?"

[mr_gaeta]

Completely unsuccessfully, Gaeta tries to hide a grin of his own. Not all of it is because of Racetrack.

Again? he mouths to Louis, and shakes his head in mock reproach.

Most people learn to cheat against Racetrack after a few times around the card table.

[faithful_lt]

He rolls his eyes, lowers the unit, and shakes his head emphatically at Gaeta before putting it back to his ear.

"You're in an awful hurry to get trounced," Hoshi tells her. "Not even close. I'm helping Fe-- Lieutenant Gaeta out with something. I'll be along after."

"Huh. Hang on--" An odd sort of sound comes from the other end of the line, as though the unit's been covered with fabric or somehow muffled; evidently Racetrack's distracted or thinking or both. After a second, she returns to the call.

"Okay, Lou. We'll save a seat for you. Tell you what--"

She sounds amused.

"--if you can drag Gaeta away from whatever he's doing, we'll save him one too."

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta's eyebrows lift, as fast and sharp as a ship on full burn.

Yeah, he thinks, a little wry. I don't think the surprise will go away soon.

After opening and closing his mouth once, he mouths, Okay; it might be silent, but the bewilderment comes through loud and clear.

[faithful_lt]

"You're on," Hoshi tells Racetrack, but his focus is on Gaeta. "Count us both in. Uh-huh. See you later."

He hangs up the unit, but stays where he is. He's still watching the other man, and there's a faint line of concern creasing his forehead.

"That's okay, isn't it?"

[mr_gaeta]

"It's fine, yeah," he says quickly; maybe a little too quickly. "Just, ah, wasn't expecting it, that's all."