1Title: Backin' Up
Summary: Just a routine Kaiju extermination, nothing possibly odd or comedic about this situation. Said no-one ever when you have to work with Eridan and Dave's Jeager. Jade and Kanaya just have to deal with them more than most people. It's almost distressing that your two teams work so well together, but dealing with a badly-named Jeager is probably the most distressing thing of all.
Rating: T
The blaring alarm wakes you suddenly, and you try to curl back into Kanaya's side but she's halfway out of bed before you can groan at her, and you try to roll over only to fall off the other side. Twin sized beds seem entirely too small for two people but you inevitably end up in her bed every night anyway.
Whoomph.
You barely avoid cracking your head on the bedside table and scramble to your feet to put on a sports bra and shorts, and then the black Jeager pilot underclothing. Before Kanaya can run out the door you grab her and spin her close to your face, leaning down to plant a hearty good-morning kiss on her lips. She reluctantly pulls away as the alarm continues, and you sigh but follow. You have had entirely too little sleep, thanks to Kanaya.
There are people scurrying every which way, just as sleep-deprived and harried as you. Despite the earliness of the hour Kanaya has managed to apply eyeliner and lipstick, though you have no idea when she could possibly have had time. She glows faintly, probably too tired to try to reign it in, and you smirk. She gets like that when she's got her mind on other things. You spot Dave and Eridan hurrying together out of the corner of your eye, and have to hold back a snorfle when Eridan trips and catches hold of Dave, dragging him down too. You find out John and Feferi are behind you at that point, because the don't bother to hold back their laughter. You catch Kanaya smiling and let out a giggle but continue on to your Jaeger hanger. Dave would probably not appreciate the help.
By the time you get to the control room voices are buzzing through your aural implant and you hear the deep tones of Grandpa Hass as well as the lyrical notes of Rose.
"We've got a category two coming in hot, we're gonna be doing a roundup this time 'round so we can avoid potential injuries." Hass is well-practiced at issuing orders. "Dave, Eridan, you'll be bait. Feferi, John, you are going to be behind the Kaiju until Dave and Eridan have lured it directly to Kanaya and Jade. Angel Wolf is going to take the front while Fisherman's Tale takes the back. Dave, Eridan, you will know what to do from there." You and Kanaya used to both flinch internally at the name "Fisherman's Tale", but your grandfather had made it clear when he was funding your Jaegers that you could both name them whatever you agreed on. You try very hard not to think of Eridan and Dave's Jeager name.
Rose follows up smoothly. "Dave and Eridan are going to be riling up the beast, so be ready, Angel Wolf. You're going to have an irritated Kaiju coming to eat you for early morning tea."
By the time Hass has given his orders both of you are suited up, and you both steal a quick (maybe not so quick) makeout before donning your helmets. Kanaya's has bits that come up and cover her horns that are entirely too much like rabbit ears, and every time you see them you try not to giggle.
Going into the drift is as always a jolt, and then you are both in each other's minds, and so utterly in love it's like breathing again to be so close. Now you can both just sit and be, in each other and its comfortable. Your lusus made grubloaf that last night before she died, it was terrible but you still love the gesture. The night Kanaya's grandpa Hass announced his intentions to back the Jaeger program. And if that's not how things went exactly then you can sort it out later when you're not in each other's brains.
Getting into position takes no time at all, and then you get to stand, and wait.
And wait.
For a little bit Rose's periodic updates cease and the tension raises to the point that your mouth moves before you can think what's going to be said.
"What the fuck are you doing!"
You and Kanaya are both thinking it, but it's more your thought than Kanaya's. Kanaya probably wouldn't have said fuck. You grind your teeth when you hear Rose's soft laugh as she returns to the console. Underscoring how she can move around, can go do things, even as you stand stationary in the Jaeger not knowing when you'll need to jump into action.
"Getting coffee. I assure you that I would have alerted you if they had been in range. Now hold your position." She's mocking you, you can tell. Kanaya agrees, as you share your emotions back-and-forth. Angel Wolf is a good Jeager, a Mark II with three kills under its belt, and two shared kills with Fisherman's Tale. Four more with Eridan and Dave's accursed joke-name of a robot.
Your concentration is broken by the exact thing you were trying not to think of.
"Dat Ass is almost in range, ready your position. The kaiju is hot on their heels." Her tone is flat, she has uttered the name too many times for it to have an effect on her. (So she says.)
You both slide into position seamlessly, and draw your subsonic gunsword. The blade vibrates at speeds fast enough it's better than a chainsaw, and a flick of a button transforms it into a shotgun with buckshot that could obliterate a whale. You only use those rounds for close range damage. (that one time one of the balls of buckshot hit a building, woops)
You prepare to back up Dat Ass.
I tried to be serious about this, and I failed. I wrote the last line of the fic really close to the beginning and then decided that I really honestly couldn't top it, so it's the crowning achievement of my writing up to this point. Dave would probably be proud, as he named his Jeager specifically for moments of comedic value such as this one.
Thanks so much to Inklesspen who sent the idea (and incentive) to write this. I'll probably write a follow-up chapter at some point to show the worldbuilding I did to write this, but for now I think this stands well on its own as something lighthearted and cute.
It's had cursory edits but I'm going to edit it again after I wake up so I apologize for any mistakes made.
My tumblr is addynotladdy and if you want to see more of this sort of thing from me then drop me a line.