Day 006: F**kin' Friends
Summary: Hanne and Cole find ways to get past some heartache.
Date: 9 May 2016
Related: Nice Sucks
Cole Hanne 


The Camp
Various places in the camp.
6 Days After Landing

Cole has had a rough couple of days. What he said when everyone came back, his personal belief being against bringing more trouble down over their heads, the difficulty building the wall, but now it's more or less become common knowledge, or at least knowledge in rumor that Mika has left him. Because of a disagreement in that Cole chose the camp over her. Even if he didn't like where things were heading, he still believed, deep down, that things could be saved.

And she left him. The camp, everything. Because believed otherwise. And so Cole sits around a pile of wood and scrap, slowing building a section of the wall, while everything else celebrates the return of the prisoners, he works by campfire and torch light. Because it's the only thing he can do. The only thing that keep his mind occupied. Because thinking about anything else, the four years of joy with Mika now gone, only memory.

Hanne has also been avoiding the celebration. She hasn't been feeling up to socializing and well-wishing. No, she would really rather just be alone. So, she finds herself a bit surprised when she crosses paths with Cole. She doesn't immediately make herself known, hands shoved deep in her pockets and shoulders a bit slouched. She looks to be on the brink of heading back the other direction. But then she notices his own saddened demeanor, and her brows arch up high above her eyes in honest curiosity. She sidles forward a few steps, and releases a soft and almost breathless, "Hey."

For his part, Cole would like to be left alone, as suggested by the now-dried streaks of clean skin on his cheeks, a clear sign of heavy crying. Which almost seems out of place for a man who comes off so surly, almost to the point that the exact opposite emotion would appear odd. Likely, he had his bout of sobbing earlier. And he also wasn't expecting to be bothered on, his status as the guy who said 'let them die to save everyone else' has not made many friends in camp. Callous, cold, and other litany of words being used to describe him right now. "Hey." he offers in return, hands busying tying vines off at a corner, then checking for stability.

Hanne watches him for a few moments, head tipped in earnest curiosity. She glances behind her at the fires and moving shadows around them, and then back at Cole. Another few steps forward, and the girl is just within arm's reach of him. She starts to gnaw a bit at her cheek — a worrying gesture. Then she steps forward, turns, and moves to sit down with a soft thump. She doesn't say anything, cheek resting in her hands and elbows on her knees. She just watches him with those brown eyes, letting them both sort of just be for a few moments.

There's a sniffle here or there, but for a while Cole doesn't say anything, no utterance of swear words directed towards her presence, no grumbling of annoyance at what he's doing. No nothing, it's so very much unlike him. With his faithful tire iron, he uses the flat, pointed end to pry a piece of metal to fit better into the framework he's building. Until finally the silence starts eating at him, perhaps slightly unnerved by Hanne's silent presence and he sets his tool down. "You keep trying to out-brood me, Hanne, and I'll start taking it as a challenge." Weak attempt at humor, but hey.

Hanne blinks at the comment, and she looks over at Cole with an owlish expression. "What?" Then she offers him the smallest smile, and she shakes her head. "No, I'm not trying to out-brood you… I'm not a total idiot." Then she breathes out a sigh, looking up from her slump. "Heard about Mika… I'm sorry." She offers him a small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "I know you really liked her."

Cole goes still, and for a moment, it's hard to say if he's going to explode in a fury for mentioning her name or break down into tears again. In the end, it ends being more of a suffering sigh than anything else. "Four years, we were together." he says finally. "She imprisoned herself to be with me, so I wouldn't get floated alone, if it happened. And she asked me to pick her, live with her in RV, make our own stake at things. I didn't. I picked the camp. And…she left." A hand runs through his shaggy hair. "I loved her. Didn't even tell her until we were on the dropship. Didn't know if I'd have another chance."

Hanne listens, not interrupting. Though she does wrinkle her nose thoughtfully. "Living out there without the camp's support would have been an idiotic decision anyway." She realizes only once the words have left her that, that was probably an unkind thing to say, so she frowns and shakes her head. "Sorry, I mean… we should all really stick together." Then she breathes out a sigh, reaching up to rub at the back of her neck.

"As she saw it, there was nothing worth here. Everyone too interested in their own self-interest, she thought that people didn't listen to either of us. So she thought, fuck'em. And to a point, I agreed with her." Cole remarks, but now, especially at this point, he sounds unsure of himself. "It's why I stayed here, Hanne. I don't agree with what's going on but…hell, what else can I do but build this wall? People know where I stand with getting back the prisoners. Not gonna make me a very popular person. But, you're right. Need to stick together. Keep telling myself that particular mantra."

Hanne blinks, and she looks almost indignantly at Cole. "She does realize it has only been a week, right?" Then she shakes her head, looking at the wall. "She is definitely a Council's kid." There is some disdain there, because Hanne was definitely nowhere near the comfort level of the Council. She releases a soft sigh now, looking out at the dark trees. "Well, doesn't matter… she made her decision."

Cole just shrugs. "I know, I know. I told her as much, but she doesn't, or didn't, have any faith in the camp. That anyone who tried to take the reigns would get shot down, and there would never be any kind of stability." he shakes his head. "I dunno…I just wish it hadn't been a make or break thing. I want to be safe, I want her to be alright. I guess I just have to…hope." An old empty plastic bottle, one he likely found in the RV is picked up, taken a swig of water and then offers it to her. "So yeah…all I can do is work on the wall. Don't know what else to do. But…what's with you, why the long face?"

Hanne doesn't say more about Mika, letting the subject fall away. Instead she focuses on the wall that is slowly coming up around the camp. When he asks the question after her own poor mood, the girl just sighs and slumps her shoulders. "Grey likes Quinn." Those three words seem to be all she offers, as if that explains everything.

That wasn't something Cole was expecting to hear. Maybe that a friend died, or she was just depressed about the general state of things. While the mechanic holds no particular love for Grey for the most part, he doesn't voice that point, not like it's a secret they've butted heads more than a couple times. Instead, he just nods, perhaps understanding a bit better than he would if Mika hadn't left him. Since she doesn't take the bottle, he sets it down, chewing his lip in a moment of thought. "Do…" he starts, perhaps uncertain what to say. "…want a hug?" No idea how she feels about people in her personal space. Some might get stabby.

Hanne actually laughs at the offer, glancing over at him with a wrinkling of her nose and arching of her brows. "Yeah," she says after a moment, a bit of a sob in her breath. "Yeah, a hug would be nice." She even helps him with this next step, leaning in so her arm can wrap around the low of his back and her head can rest into his shoulder.

"Alright, c'mere." Cole nods, pulling an arm under her shoulders, then the other coming around, moving his hair out of the hair to give her shoulder resting space. And for a time, in silence he just hugs her. "You can let it out, if you want." he adds to her quietly. "Ain't gonna judge you. Shit, I balled my fuckin ass off earlier. Big soppy, disgusting shit. It was really embarrassing. When someone asked, I just said that stubbed my thumb really bad." A pause. "…which probably made me sound more like a pussy than saying what it was actually about. But if you need to get anything out Hanne, go wild."

Hanne releases a sudden breath, though she doesn't just give into sobs and crying. Maybe she's all cried out. So, she just remains relaxed against him, allowing the embrace to offer her comfort — and maybe give him some comfort too. Her head tucks in softly against his cheek and shoulder, and she closes her eyes as she just lets the moment flow around her. Silence is a blessing sometimes. When he starts to talk about his thumb, she does offer a small little laugh in response.

"I'm sorry, y'know." Cole says after another moment of silence. "Sucks getting your heart broke. And that it's hard to…I dunno, open up to anyone here. People too guarded. Afraid they're gonna get fucked over." The hand against her back idly rubs, at least trying to be comforting. Again, there's no point in bring up names, on either sides. They're both hurt and don't need to be reminded of exact people. But his heart is beating a little faster. "Me, I'm just angry, I guess. Can't really take it out on anything…anyone. Frustrated. I dunno…maybe it doesn't make sense." A little shrug after that. Then he shuts up, letting the space of not talking extend. Maybe nothing needs to be said right now.

"It is okay," Hanne sniffs as she pulls up from the hug a bit, letting her gaze drift back to the wall. Her arm remains loosely around Cole's back, slumping against him. "You know, I should have figured… boys like him don't really like girls like me." She offers him a small, lackluster smile. Then she looks back out at the woods. "Anger isn't all that great… it makes you do stupid things."

"It sure fuckin does." Cole nods in agreement. He keeps one around her, just for that sense of…closeness. He doesn't want to be alone right now and her presence is soothing in it's own way. "No, figuring doesn't mean shit, Hanne. You'll never know unless you try. And you tried. Can't say you didn't. Better than not trying, I say. And…I dunno. You're really pretty, you're really fuckin nice, and you're shittons smart. Helping keep us alive. Nothing to snuff at. So maybe he prefers some hardass chick. I like smart ones. Different strokes for different folks. But there ain't shit wrong with you." A pause, then giving another shrug idly. "Hell, I'd sleep with you."

"Maybe," Hanne says in a low, almost sad note. Then she offers him a small smile that gently touches her brown eyes. "You would?" Her head tilts slightly, considering the mechanic with a kind of thoughtful calculation. "Why?" She furrows her brows slightly.

"It's okay to be tore up over, there isn't anything /wrong/ with feeling that way." Cole says, the only small on his face perhaps more of a mask right now. "But, you take your time to feel sorry an fuckin move on. Nothing was ever done by moping over something you can't fuckin change." And at /that/ he gives a low chuckle. "Should take my own goddamn advice, shouldn't I?" But to her question he kind of falters. "Yeah." is the slow response. "Because I just gave you the reasons. Not a lot required to find someone fuckin attractive. Looks, personality, smarts. So yeah, I would." Then he gives an evaluating look. "And maybe, sometimes, you just don't want to alone. So you'll take whatever arms that'll hold you. Find compassion where you can find. Especially…when you hurt."

Hanne looks thoughtful for a long moment. Her gaze shifts back out to the tents and then back to Cole. She nods slowly in agreement. "Yeah… sometimes you don't." She chews a bit at her inner cheek, looking a little thoughtful. Then she breathes out a heavy exhale, brows arching in time to open her face and make her expression more gentle. "So… uh…"

Cole clearly isn't thinking right. He's hurt, alone, tore up, and a bunch of other emotions. But there's the certain sensation that something is going on here that he's not quite sure. Giving her back one more rub, leaning in to give her a light kiss on the cheek, that too in comfort, and he stands up slowly. "I'm going back to my tent." he says, looking back towards the tent area. "Not really…in a mood to celebrate." A look down at her, eyes uncertain. "Do you wanna…" he starts, offering a hand to her. "…go back with me?"

Hanne is definitely thinking right, but she's thinking all the wrong things. When he pecks her cheek with a kiss, a small flush colors her cheeks and ears. She tilts her head slightly, and then nods. She starts to stand, brushing away the bits of debris off her rump as she does. Then she offers out her hand to him, though really its his tent, not hers, so he'll be doing much of the leading.

The walk back to his tent is a quiet one, Cole holding Hanne's hand the way back. Doesn’t /that/ get some look from a few the passersby making their way back. Not everyone knows that Cole and Mika broke up, but some do. None of their business though, really. And while Cole still has a slight limp from his encounter with the gopher hole, he's walking a lot better than how he was a day or so ago. The tent, now officially his is sequestered out of the way, having picked one of the more solitary sports when they first landed. He liked the privacy, or well, what passed as privacy. It's just large enough for two people to move around comfortably, a bed that's been made out of a fern leaves, softer tall grass, an old blanket laid over that. Probably brought that back from the RV. "It's not much…" he says opening, the flap, allowing her inside. His toolbag is there, along with other smaller things he's been working on. Things he found in the RV that he deems valuable. A couple of cans, smaller containers, some old clothes. A piece of metal he's been using as a chalkboard to draw and design things on.

Hanne is the most quiet little thing ever on their way to Cole's tent. She doesn't even look up at the various glances they receive on the way. When they arrive, she takes a cautious look around, as if trying to get a sense of her surroundings, and then she ducks on inside. She draws her big, oversized coat around her almost shyly. She pokes a bit at a can with her foot, and then glances back over at him with a small, nervous smile. "It isn't too bad… a lot more than some have."

"If I hadn't found that RV, I'd have a lot less." Cole replies, shutting the flap behind her. Not a lot of light, so they'll have to make do with from the ambient light from the campfires around the camp, with gives off a mixture of white and red glow on the inside of the tent. "But…thanks." Letting go of her hand, he rummages around in his things, picking out an old bottle, with about a fourth of amber colored liquid. "Whiskey….I think. Or bourbon. It's alcoholic, I know that much. And potent. Used sparingly, but…" there's a look at her. The top is unscrewed and he takes a small pull from it, making a face. "Yeeesh…strong fuckin shit." It's offered to her. "Don't share it lightly but…"

Hanne turns slightly when he offers her the old bottle. She blinks, sniffs it, and then takes a cautious swallow. Her entire face twists up and she coughs soon after the burn sears her throat. "By Eden," she almost wheezes. Then she shakes her head. "We should use it sparingly… would make a good antiseptic." There's Hanne, brain moving a mile a minute.

"Or a degreaser for anything I might come across." Cole chuckles at the expression on her face, taking the bottle back, capping, and carefully setting it back to where he keeps it stored. Then he comes back up to Hanne, hands reaching out carefully, almost cautiously, placing her hands on her hips, trying to pull her in towards him. No words are said, nothing really more spoken. They both know what they're here for. And he leans in to kiss her.

Hanne looks up when Cole's hands come to her hips, and she feels her nerves redouble. She allows him to guide her forward several steps, and her own hands reach up to touch his shoulders. She seems to float a bit on her feet, and only settles once he draws her in close enough for the kiss. Her eyes flutter shut, and her whole body seems to relax with a slow exhale out her nose. She returns the kiss gently.

Kissing her, Cole cups her cheeks in his hands before using his hands to slide off her jacket. The embrace will continue, losing his lips in hers, until they start to trail down her neck, while at the same time trying to lead her down to the makeshift bed of his. If hasn't been clued in yet, he's done this before, and the experience shows, seeming to have an idea on how to touch a woman. And thankfully, for looking as scrawny as he sometimes appears, he stronger than he looks, lowering her down.

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