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[winn]

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[winn]

I'll forgive you just this once. [ it may be a lame attempt at humor, but it's what he's got. it takes him a moment to let go, but when he does he shuts the door behind them and leads hank to the couch - handing him his drink. ]

Raven, Charles and Erik went out about the same time you did, [ he says it gently, in case hank doesn't know, even though he's certain he does. just like winn called kara before contacting hank and cisco after his coma, he's sure hank checked in on his friends from home first. ] do you have any news? [ kitty has been so worried. ]

[beathach]

You're too kind. [humor is a nice distraction, and something easier to force than everything else. He takes the drink and sits down, but doesn't sip it just yet]

Yeah - yeah, that's where I was. [on the Heron, in their mess of a mutant pile. He doesn't elaborate for the moment, instead focusing on the now. Because that meant pushing Cairo back just a little more.

Carefully, laced with dry with humor] Well, it's been ten years. [he finally takes a drink] That's why I asked. I wanted to know if we beat the record.

[winn]

Ten years?

[ and because dealing with the implications is horrifying and depressing, he just goes with his gut reaction. ]

Okay now I for sure get to call you old -

[beathach]

[and this is why he called you first, Winn]

Ha ha. [oh god he's old, it hadn't even dawned on him] Go ahead, maybe someone will believe you.

[winn]

Your taste's not hurting my case.

[ he's tempted to just keep going until he makes hank laugh, but there is one thing he has to make sure first because if the shoe had been on the other foot and kitty wouldn't have asked for him and let him know, he'd be what he feels would be justifiably pissed. ]

So has it been that long for all of you? Is everyone awake?

[beathach]

I still look younger, so it works against you.

[but he sombers a little and sits back with a nod, turning the glass in his hands. When was the last time he drank? Probably with Winn, years ago (weeks ago) and he wrinkles his nose as his headache reminds him it's still there]

Mm, for all of us. They're awake and - okay. [for a definition of "okay". He frees a hand to rub at the side of his neck] I think we're camping out in Charles' room, whether he likes it or not.

[or outside of his room, which is Hank's plan]

[winn]

Should I ask?

[ he feels a tightening in his chest already, just from anticipation of pain. how he hasn't had a heart attack yet, he'll never understand. he gives hank's shoulder a little squeeze and pulls out his comm. ]

I'll just - text Kitty real quick, she's been really worried too.

[ he shoots her a quick text before pocketing the device and giving hank his undivided attention. ] Tell me what you need.

[beathach]

[he quirks a brief smile, but it does nothing to hide how tense his shoulders are, just on the verge of shaking. But this still isn't the time to let it all hit him - that's later, by himself, when he can step away longer than a couple of minutes.

He doesn't say anything about Winn asking. He's not sure if he wants to talk about it.

He waits until Winn sends the text to answer, because Kitty is a whole 'nother discussion he knows he or one of them will have to have. And he's not looking forward to it]

I - [he pauses and frowns, before shaking his head] I don't need anything. Really. [he adds quickly, because it's true. His family's safe and in one piece and that's all he's ever needed]

[winn]

Bullshit.

[ okay, winn might have changed a little. the past month has been hell. he was attacked by sascha, fought with three of the people he loves most on this fleet as a result of the trauma and stress, and then had to suffer maddening concern when both jim and hank fell into a coma, without his support system that's pretty much made out of - jim, that's it, the one person he talks to when he's upset couldn't answer him when things kept going wronger and wronger. he can tell the signs, and hank is not okay. maybe talking about it isn't what he needs, but he needs something and winn's hellbent on finding out what it is and getting it for his friend. ]

It's been a while, so you may not remember this - but I'm your friend. Do you wanna talk, do you wanna research? Do you wanna figure out some kinda pick-me-up present to make? Whatever it is, I'm your man.

[beathach]

—I didn't forget we're friends. [his voice breaks on the last part, emotion boiling over for a brief second. He leans over to put the glass down and stays like that, putting his head in his hand. He didn't forget, that wasn't the problem; the problem was it felt all too recent and distant at the same time.

He takes a deep, steadying breath before he feels like he can talk again, albeit half-muffled by his hand]

There's no pick-me-up present we could make that would work, I'm afraid. [but he sounds thankful for the suggestions all the same, even wishes that any of them would do a damn bit of good.

He sighs] I don't know what I need. I'm terrible at this. [thinking about himself]

[winn]

Yeah, that one was wishful thinking.

[ he has no idea what happened but one look at hank is all he needs to know that it's bad. but this is progress. I don't know what I need is a definite step up from I don't need anything.

winn wraps a comforting arm around him. ]

Wanna ruin Jim's punching bag? [ half desperately trying to make things a little lighter, half serious. when he got majorly upset, going to jim and working out his frustrations physically did actually help a little. ]

[beathach]

[the offer makes him laugh, shaky but no less genuine. He already had plans to go wreck some things as soon as he felt like he could get away and not feel guilty about it]

All it will take is one punch and I'll feel bad. [he remembers that here, he weakened the serum. He'd done it back home, too. He remembers easily punching through the panel of Cerebro—nope. Nope nope nope]

Ask me something. Distract me. Maybe that's what I need.

[winn]

Eh, I'll just make him a new one.

[ like he would ruin someone's property without replacing it with something better. but he takes that laugh as a victory.

all the questions he can think of aren't very distracting, and his need for knowledge comes second to hank's needs right now, so he goes for option two. ]

I'm building us a computer - so we can have better non-Atroma-controlled processing capabilities. Well, actually the computer's built, I'm working on the software now - I don't trust this planet's operating systems, you know, if we're right and they're all a part of the Atroma we may as well do our processing on the ship's mainframe. So it's gonna be a while til it actually does anything but -- wanna take a look?

[beathach]

I'd still feel bad.

[he doesn't think he could give Winn's computer the proper attention it deserves, but it's a distraction and a welcome one. And he could always come back when he's sorted himself out better and isn't on the verge of breaking down]

Sure. I might actually know what I'm looking at this time around.

[winn]

[ a homemade computer not being exciting news just proves how dire the situation really is. it takes physical restraint to keep from bombarding hank with questions. ]

It's not much to look at, yet. Don't even have a name for it. But -

[ he pulls it out into the open, and removes the box so the chips and wires are all exposed for hank to see. ] Tada -

[beathach]

[it isn't that it doesn't excite him; it does, it just . . . is hard to muster up showing that much. He's more exhausted than he's ever felt, and he could claim it's this new old age or something else but it'd all be a horrible lie]

No name yet? [he leans over to look, tsking quietly. He can muster up some of his old self, though, and he . . . addresses the computer] I'm sure he's just waiting for a good one to come along. Don't let him ask Cisco.

—wow. [he was right; he does know what he's looking at, and he leans closer, some excitement peeking through] Are you going to write a completely new operating system, or - would it be based off of MS-DOS? [look Winn he knows more things!!]

[winn]

If it'll develop enough artificial intelligence to know to ask Cisco - I'm sure it could name itself.

[ he smiles, though, when hank's excitement levels seem to rise. it's just good to see him feeling the tiniest bit better. ]

Look at you, Mr. expert! Yeah, it'd take me ages if I try not to base it on anything, and I wanna get this up and running ASAP so good as I am - DOS is still easiest.

[beathach]

If it develops artificial intelligence period, I'm going to begin to worry.

[he shoots Winn a wry look and shrugs, a little self-conscious but no less excited]

I still try to keep up with things, even if I'm busier nowadays. [and he has a group of nerdy students who're into the same thing, so] Can I look at it when you're finished?

[winn]

-- yeah, me too.

[ shaking his head. ]

Are you kidding me, if you don't play with it when I'm finished, I'm gonna take it as a personal offense. This is ours. [ he's not just building this for himself, it's for hank and cisco too, and jim - if he needs it. ]

[beathach]

["ours". He looks taken aback for a moment before he grins; he'd forgotten what it was like to have friends his age (younger than him now, but it that's not important)]

Well, I wouldn't want to offend you.

[winn]

[ it's going to take them a while, he knows, to regain their rhythm. but it still hurts. he and hank were about as in-sync as two people can be, and the thought of losing that is terrifying. ]

There you go, then, you're playing with it.

[beathach]

[are you prepared for a ton of apologies? Because Winn is going to get so many apologies. He knows he's off now, and he doesn't know how that'll be once his head settles and life returns to some semblance of normal]

Right. Dibs on playing with it before Cisco. [because even if ten years have passed, he still has his moments of immaturity. He hasn't changed that much.

But he does sigh and sit back, and takes off his glasses to drag a hand down his face. He feels a little less likely to burst now]

I have nothing to show you, but I did build a few things back home - another jet, and - there's the Danger Room. [that sounds safe. He huffs, actually disappointed he can't show Winn any of it] And then rebuilt the one, but that's a - long story.

[winn]

[ he's not prepared for apologies. he is, however, prepared for how much it's going to hurt for them to even feel needed by either of them. ]

You got it. [ because hank is hurting and winn would give him anything if it'll cheer him up even a fraction.

sitting by hank's side, he tries his best to find some sort of balance between being gentle and not making hank feel like he's treating him like a ticking bomb. he knows what that treatment feels like, and he hates being on the receiving end of it. ]

That sounds awesome - what's the Danger Room? [ that at least feels like a safe (get it?) question to ask. ]

[beathach]

[if only Winn knew how much Hank needs him, Hank just sucks at showing it, at all, ever.

That and he doesn't want to dump Apocalypse on him because no one in their right mind deserves that]

It's a training room for the X-Men. The walls are all - . . . well, everything-proof, more or less, and I have things built into the walls to act as a sort of obstacle course. I can change it up depending on who's in there, since everyone's powers are different.

[and a pause]

And I might've rebuilt a sentinel for training purposes.

[y'know, as you do]

[winn]

[ apocalypse has been dumped on him, just in a different timeline. where everything got destroyed and his girlfriend is dead and everyone is dead and everything sucks. ]

-- what are the walls made of? [ in quiet admiration.

the word sentinel, though, is rewarded by an obvious clenching. just imagining what hank has had to go through in that decade is killing him. ]

So robotics, now, too? Our little geezer's growing up. [ look he's trying. ]