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“Hey pretty bird!” Canine called in a singsong fashion towards Zeno as he trailed into the sleeping area of their current base set up. Night Howl and Lobo followed in shortly after as the prior man seemed to enter with a mischievous gleam in his soft eyes. The youth of his face was more pronounced by the teasing smile that stretched across his features, crinkling the corners of his eyes with the sheer delight that the young soldier was presently harboring. Zeno adjusted his position where he was reclined back upon Chris’ cot while reading a book that Umber Eyes had gifted him. It was an interesting story about self discovery in an uncertain world that followed a young man freshly returned from a war. His strife in regards to his newly uprooted life was relatable to Zeno in an unexpected way.
Marking the page with the tattered index card Umber Eyes had given him with a half written grocery list scratched across it, he sat up to face the trio. Lobo had his usual smile resting on his lips as he came to stand in a casual pose behind Canine. Night Howl was trying to contain, very poorly as Zeno noted, his own enthusiasm for whatever mischief they were apt to getting up to.
“Can I be of service?” He inquired cautiously as his golden eyes studied the trio from behind the tinted lenses of his glasses. He set the book down beside his half-drunk canteen and the pillow on Chris’ cot that he had been using to help support his back off of the hard frame. The whole space smelled strongly of the soldier's pheromones as Zeno gave himself to the familiar comforting aroma of sun warmed fabric and woodsmoke with the sweet lingering notes he had grown accustomed to associating with sweet ripe fruit and honey. It was a comforting scent that relaxed his whole body with the pleasant reminder that this scent meant sanctuary. Nothing could hurt him with that scent nearby. Chris had proven that more than enough times as is.
Canine’s grin wavered briefly as he tried to contain his excitement. He adjusted his stance so the eager lean was more relaxed and reserved akin to Lobo's casual posture. The medic crossed his arms loosely over his chest as he watched the three men before him. His inhuman auburn gaze glinted in the camp lighting they had arranged around their sleeping space. Zeno had been reading by one of the smaller scene lights that was positioned to aim directly at the ceiling but offered enough ambient illumination to not be troublesome for his sensitive eyes.
“We have a surprise for you.” Canine leaned back on his heels. One hand that Zeno only just realized had been tucked inside of the pocket of his light autumn jacket withdrew holding a handful of small black pouches of some kind with colorful fonts labeled across the front. There were red, blue, green and purple pouches with the words Pop Rocks emblazoned across the packaging. He wasn't quite sure what kind of geological mystery he was about to embark on but consider himself intrigued.
A single pale brow rose above the rim of his glasses as Zeno inspected the pouches in Canine's hands. He didn't even need to waste his breath to ask as the younger man continued to explain. “It's candy.”
“Candy?” He can't remember ever trying candy before but he has seen quite a few packages and advertisements around the city in its ruined state for all kinds of confectionery delights of an age past. Bazooka bubble gum was a common display he had seen in passing. His eye was often drawn towards the tacky yet colorful comic strips that accompanied some of the ads of cartoonish characters getting up to antics he didn't quite understand the humor of.
“Yeah, it's candy. A kind you can sort of play with.” Night Howl interjected as he gestured at the black pouch with an aborted motion. “You open the package, stick your tongue out and pour some on top. Then enjoy the fun.”
“The…fun?” He didn't understand how that was fun. There was clearly a part to this explanation that he was missing. After a moment of Zeno's growing confusion, Lobo helpfully offered.
“You'll understand it better by doing it. Go on, K.” He encouraged the younger man with a bob of his chin. Canine nodded as he held up the packages.
“Pick your color of choice.” Zeno inspected the colorful pouches as he read there were names of fruit on the packaging that corresponded with a certain color. He reached for a red one with the strawberry label, given it was a fruit flavor he was the most familiar with out of the whole selection. Canine hummed his approval. He turned towards the others so they could pick a flavor themselves. While there were numerous pouches of duplicate flavors, they each seemed to take one of each color. Canine had blue, Night Howl took purple and Lobo had green.
“Alright. Now we tear the corner off like this.” Canine showed the direction of the tear that created a small hole in one corner. Zeno followed the directions. The scent of the strawberry was different from the aroma of the freeze dried strawberries he was accustomed to. It wasn't bad, just strangely different. “Now you're gonna pour them on your tongue but don't swallow it. Let them settle there for a moment. You'll see why.”
He was skeptical at first but relented to simply trust the process. There was a method to this whole situation he was clearly missing. He supposed that was part of the excitement in something like this. Zeno tipped his head back as he lifted the pouch to pour the contents onto his tongue as directed. The first thing he noticed was the distinctly fruity flavor but it didn't taste like strawberry. At least not in the way he was accustomed to. Then it started. A crackling sound that sparked and jumped across his tongue. He jolted in place in a sudden bolt of alarm as something hit the roof of his mouth. It was unsettling as Canine, Night Howl and Lobo all watched him with growing grins.
“Stick your tongue out.” Night Howl urged him to Zeno's confusion. He did as he was told. The sweet faux strawberry flavoring spread across his tastebuds as his tongue tingled. Once exposed to the open air, the little crystals of flavored sugar grew even noisier and seemingly more active. The three men were laughing as Lobo inquired.
“You doin okay there Birdie?” His grin spread wider as those dark eyes drank in Zeno's confusion and mild discomfort. He didn't really know how to react to this baffling situation. Are these even safe for consumption? Will they continue to crackle and pop around inside his stomach?
As if reading his thoughts, Lobo assured him a beat later. Zeno wondered briefly if the growing panic could be seen on his face. “It's okay. It's just sugar. You can swallow it anytime.”
Canine and Night Howl poured their own pouches on their tongues. Each matched the corresponding color of the packaging and quickly dyed the respective appendage a striking hue. Canine stuck his tongue out as the crackling grew louder. “These were always fun when I was a kid.”
Night Howl hummed in agreement as Lobo poured his own across his tongue. “It was popular when I was a tyke too.”
Zeno swallowed the collection of sweet fizzy candy down then contemplated finishing the rest of the pouch. The sweet flavoring lingered on his tongue and lips making him want a return experience already. As bizarre as that was. He watched the other three men as they went about showing off their colored tongues with childish glee as the steady sound of crackling sugar continued to pop in the air between them. Eventually he relented to the impulse to finish the rest of his pouch. Strangely enough, the experience was beginning to grow on him. It was pleasant. Refreshing even. Something new that interrupted the monotony that had become his life.
After the pop rocks encounter, Zeno was faced with another new experience already. The recent chilly nights and rainy weather left a nip in the air that their campfire could only hold off for so long. Chris was perched by the fire as he kept vigilant over a pot he was slowly stirring a spoon through. It appeared to be milky in color as it began to warm until curls of steam rolled off of the surface. At the soldier's side, he had a big bowl of chopped up chunks of a chocolate bar. Zeno had watched Chris unwrap each individual large chocolate bar then indiscriminately chop it up into small chunks. Confused by the reasoning for this, he had perched himself in a seat beside the campfire to observe this bizarre process.
Once the steam was rolling steadily off the surface, the soldier slowly added the chocolate by tipping the bowl into the milk pot a little at a time. The white coloring started to turn a light brown as he stirred the chopped bits in until they were adequately melted down. Each time adding a little more until he had all of the bits added to the pot. There was a half used jar of honey that he spooned a big scoop out of to add to the pot as well. Slowly stirring that in, Chris gave the mixture a quick test taste before adding another half scoop of honey. When that was fully dissolved to the soldier's satisfaction, he took the pot away from the heat and started scooping out servings of the steaming hot drink into campware coffee cups for each of the squad.
Lobo and Tundra came over to get their own, then Canine and Umber Eyes. Night Howl had a clear plastic package of baked goods that he passed around before receiving his cup. They were a large buttery cookie with cinnamon coating the outside called a snickerdoodle.
“Here, pretty bird.” Chris beckoned his attention as the soldier handed Zeno a mug of the mixture. Chris had scooped out his own drink as well as he settled on the seat directly at Zeno's side. Their folding chairs were shoved close enough together to make their shoulders touch. Chris sat back as the sturdy frame creaked in protest under the larger man's weight. Tundra brought the plastic container over so the two of them could get a cookie as well.
“Thank you.” Zeno politely bid her an appreciative smile. The packaging had the name of a bakery listed on it with a street address attached for Wrenwood. The cookies were nearly the size of his whole hand with a cracked top that was coated in cinnamon sugar. He held the cookie cautiously between his fingers as he balanced the hot mug against his knee. He didn't really know where to start. The cookie seemed to be the best choice so he could properly taste the ingredients and appreciate it, but then again, he worried that the cinnamon would interfere with his ability to thoroughly appreciate the drink that Chris carefully made for them. He inspected both options, carefully analyzing the pros and cons before settling on the drink first. He wanted to ensure that Chris’ got his undivided attention.
He could smell the chocolate in the faint whispers of steam that met his nostrils with that first deep tantalizing breath. The aroma was heavenly as Zeno took a tentative sip, cautious not to burn himself on the hot liquid. The flavor was surprisingly well balanced. Not too sweet despite expectations. He had overheard Umber Eyes talking with Night Howl about how Chris used a special kind of chocolate bar that's more bitter than a traditional chocolate bar. Zeno wasn't very familiar with any of the flavor notes they had discussed, but he could definitely taste the appeal in carefully managing the ratios of the drink. It was pleasant as each tentative sip trickled a steady warmth down his throat that filled him with a comfortable heat at the base of his belly.
“Mmm. This is delicious.” Zeno purred over the rim of his cup as he took another sip. Chris hummed his approval into the younger man's ear as his voice rumbled out.
“I'm glad. It's a Redfield family special hot chocolate. Just how our mom used to make it for me and my sister when we were kids.” Zeno could hear the pride in the soldier's voice. The rest of the camp was quiet as the other occupants sipped at their cups and relished in a blissful moment of peace and contentment. Zeno nearly forgot about the confection in his grasp until he went to balance the mug on his knee to savor the lingering sweetness that he presumed was from the melted honey mixed in. He raised the cookie to his lips to try a bite. It tasted surprisingly tangy with an almost savory undernote that was quickly replaced by the sweetness of the cinnamon. As he washed the bite down with another sip of his hot chocolate, he was pleasantly startled by how perfectly those two flavors paired together. The cinnamon really brought out those richer underlying flavors of the bitter chocolate, and the smoothness of the milk made the chewy texture of the cookie soften up perfectly without getting too soggy on the swallow down.
It seemed like only a blink of time had passed, then his cup was empty and all that remained of the cookie was the sticky traces of cinnamon on his thumb and forefinger. He mourned the end of this delectable little treat.
Chris’ lips pressed a soft kiss to his right temple as the soldier took Zeno's empty cup in hand before rising to his feet. A moment later, he returned with a second helping for the younger man and another cookie. “Sweet little bird, there's always more if you want it.”
Zeno accepted the warm mug into his grasp as Chris settled into his seat. He didn't have a cookie of his own this time but he did refill his own mug. The free hand that hovered between them stretched across Zeno's shoulders to tuck him closer as Chris’ strong bicep pulled him closer to his side. Zeno leaned in closer until his cheek was almost resting against Chris’ chest. The crackling fire was cozy as the comforting quiet of the squad’s camp settled in together. Lobo was reclined back against a concrete pillar with his spare jacket folded up to cushion his head. His empty cup sat by his feet as the soldier folded his arms across his chest like he was intent on taking a nap. Tundra was perched beside Night Howl as his head settled on her shoulder with his chin resting against it. A spare blanket was draped across both their backs.
Umber Eyes was reading as he slowly sipped at his second refill of the warm drink while Canine ate another cookie in between poking the coals along the edge with a stick to move the remains of older logs closer to the heat source. It was easy to forget they were in the heart of a ruined city like this. It almost felt normal. Or what Zeno was slowly discovering might be considered normal in this big wide world. That this experience that he had only scarcely read about in books within the archives of the ARK was more realistic than the fictional fantasies he used to escape into, away from all the miserable chaos of his life in the Connections. The serenity and comradery of a shared meal around a campfire. The gentle peace afterwards as everyone started to settle in for the night. The pensive moments of thoughtful reflection that had always seemed so strange to him, and now here he was witnessing it first hand. The contentment to simply exist among pleasant company. There was no need for words to fill the silence. It was not stagnant but thriving in its unspoken whispers of appreciation curling about between the wood smoke and dancing amber glow of embers.
This is what it felt like to simply exist among those that wanted him to be a part of such sacred silent moments. With a full belly and an affectionate embrace, Zeno found he wanted nothing more than to let this one moment stretch on to eternity. This satisfied feeling that went beyond a fulfilled hunger. It's drowsy dance across his thoughts that made him sink into Chris' embrace was hypnotic in its allure and he found no reason to deny it. He wanted to stay right here for as long as he could and never leave again.