Resonant Frequency

Session One: York (preliminary visit)

"Okay, York, seriously. What the hell's wrong with you?"

York blinked and looked up from...the booth. He never sat at one of the booths. Even if he'd been responsible for ensuring they had been upholstered with the softest vinyl, to 'really give it that sexy feel in here'. He cleared his throat and nonchalantly propped his head up with a fist while grabbing his bottle of beer and pointing it at CT. "Heyyyy, CT! What's up with the interrogation, eh? Can't a guy just enjoy a nice beer after a long day?"

"It's eleven-hundred hours," she replied mildly before squinting at him. "And I'll tell you who doesn't. 'The York', when he's mid-ruff." His eyes widened slightly and she watched his fingers clutch slowly closer around the bottle. "Goddamn, you're giving off a worse vibe than the last time Nelson was in here. And she still had her legs then." She grumbled to herself and made her way to the bar. "I'm joining you because whatever is going on with you isn't anything I need to hear fucking sober." She continued to mutter under her breath while York shrank at the booth. "Swear to god, you're all a bunch of fucking children, first I get to deal with Madison's bullshit, like...woman, it's your fucking fault you're still running missions for the Director, what the fuck do we have to do with him giving you shitty jobs, christ..."

She eyed York when she noticed him edging out of the booth and her nostrils flared as she jabbed a pair of ice tongs at him. "You stay right there, York, I'm gonna listen to whatever stupid bullshit you have going on, but you bet your man-tits you're gonna deal with a few seconds of mine, too. You giant...ass." He froze and then awkwardly lifted his free hand. "No, you hold your goddamn questions for ten more seconds," she ordered while loading her glass with ice. "I've been running my ass off all night, you can wait a damn minute."

"What the hell did I do, woman!?" York wailed as he threw both arms aside before yelping as she flung an ice cube at him. It bounced off his forehead and he pouted while sinking into the padded seat and nursing his bottle. "Okay, okay, geezus..."

She sniffed disdainfully, then continued to rant as she opened two bottles of liquor and poured them into the glass simultaneously. "But oh, no, that's not all for Agent Connecticut, no, see, because Wash also needs to have a breakdown this fine, beautiful morning -- how 'bout that??" She scowled and snatched up a jar of cherries, twisting the lid off and popping one into her muzzle to chew angrily as York stared from across the bar in muted terror. "Mhmm, y'know what his issue was? He's mad because that little fuckin' data drive Nelson sent over is corrupted. And he's mad at Nelson, but he doesn't have the balls to ask her if she fucked with it, himself, so he'd rather just bitch and moan, ooooh, so guess who does get to talk to Nelson?"

She glowered at York while throwing a handful of cherries into her drink and spilling some of it over her wrist. York cleared his throat awkwardly and then spoke carefully around the bottle: "Was...was it you?"

"You bet your fuckin' ass, another job for good ol' CT, fuckin' wonder-woman-peacekeeper-counselor-extra-fuckin'-ordinare!" she growled, leaning down to slurp the liquor from her wrist before she stormed back across the floor and dropped into the other side of booth to glare at York. He leaned back warily, holding his bottle out with both hands like it might somehow protect him from her wrath. She simply peered at him for several seconds before lifting her heavily-fruited drink and taking a long guzzle as her thick tail flicked in frustration to one side. Oh god, yeah, that was nice.

The growl in her throat eventually tapered off to a rumble as she plucked out two more of the cherries and chomped into them before flicking the stems irritably at York's face as he flinched away. "Anyway, I guess I have the magic fuckin' touch because Nelson barely even yelled, she was actually almost pleasant, told me they didn't touch shit and I mostly believed her, so whatever, it was probably already fucked up when their guy stole it." She swallowed the chewed-up fruit and then grunted in satisfaction. She felt much better now.

She'd have to come down to the bar to chat more often.

York still looked like he might bolt out of fear and she raised an eyebrow curiously. "What? You think Tex and Madison are the only bitches out here who get to be pissy bitches?"

"I...I definitely didn't say shit," York mumbled as he tipped his bottle back and then set it aside. "Also why are you tracking my ruff? That's weird. That's like something...I'd do. If. Broads had a thing like ruff."

"Yeah, that's what's weird, not the fact you've been a mopey un-hypersexual bastard the last few days when normally you horndog and eye-fuck all over the first thing with tits that walks in front of you while you're ruffing it," she replied dryly. "You realize that you can't be proud about not hiding your spines, then act shocked -- shocked -- when the rest of us notice your cycle."

He huffed quietly, self-consciously reaching back to stroke the base of his tail and then grumbling and dropping his head into both hands, holding himself up with his elbows. "Okay, fair. Anyway, it's. No big deal, I'm just thinking about. Stuff. So I'm not really in the mood to. Horndog and. That other thing you said."

Her scowl receded somewhat and as the last of the grouchiness filtered from her system, she let her eyes take him in more evenly. And now that she wasn't frothing from the maw anymore, it was a bit more clear that York's issue, perhaps, wasn't quite as superficial as the rest of the dumb bullshit she'd been handling so far. She studied his features momentarily, noting the way his eyes flicked away whenever she met them. Whatever it was was embarrassing to him, she guessed -- normally York had about as little shame as an out-of-work stripper at a greased pole convention.

For a second or two, she wondered if it was about...her. But his fingers weren't dancing around the bronze key and his expression spoke more toward some deep confusion than the usual longing melancholy. CT tapped her claws against her drink thoughtfully, and the fact he wasn't babbling away to fill the silence was telling, too. He was in a strange place, wasn't he? Oh lord...

She sighed but smiled somewhat as she paused long enough to lift her drink up and drain it in one, long gulp before stifling a hiccup and sliding back out from behind the table. "Gettin' you another beer. And me another...whatever I just made. No running away."

"I'd be afraid of more projectile ice," York replied with a huff, even as he did at last seem to loosen up a bit. She glanced at him over a shoulder but he was content to remain there, this time, while his eyes wandered the room like he was seeking some kind of distraction. She didn't know why but she had some urge to listen to whatever the hell was on his mind.

Must have just been something about the bar.

"So...c'mon, York. Don't make me start guessing. Some chick say no to you, and you forgot what that's like and now you're having a crisis of faith?" she asked as she refilled her glass with what looked about the same mixture of liquors, then grabbing another bottle for York. "I've known you long enough to recognize your faces -- you aren't sad, you're. Lost. Which isn't really the York we know and love."

"I'm allowed to be lost," he mumbled defensively, only to wince when she squinted back at him. "Hey, look, it's. A private thing. I'm trying to figure stuff out for, you know. Myself. By myself."

"Mmm." She wrinkled her muzzle but returned to the table without any additional airborne retorts. "Sure, which is fine," she noted while flopping back into the booth and then setting the bottle down in front of York, who eyed it for a moment, then snatched it up to cling to his chest like a childhood toy. "But then why would you come down here instead of hauling a case of beer back to your room? Since I know it wouldn't be the first time you've done exactly that," she added with a slight smile. He scowled, though it wasn't directed at her. "It won't kill you to stop worrying about people seeing past your dumb smile. You know some of us know you better than that."

The look he gave her almost hurt with how soulful it was. And for what it was worth, the dumb guy did finally seem to drop the rest of his wavering facade as he slowly worried the lid of his beer. "Yeah, yeah..." he replied with a frown, scratching at his throat before popping off the cap on the edge of the table.

CT fished out another cherry to nibble on while giving him an expectant look, though she let her impatience drift away when she realized there was a sort of quiet delight in waiting on his response. Sort of like a good mystery novel where she could enjoy the buildup to the big reveal while drawing out clues here and there. Her friends were such idiots, but -- admittedly -- their dumb little dramas weren't things to be annoyed by if she was willing to take a step back and just savor them. And, hell, maybe even help solve them. Not a terrible fate, the more she thought about it.

At least not as long as the booze kept flowing.

"So...so you spent a little time with Nelson's newbie, right?" York asked suddenly, even as his eyes remained locked onto the table while he lifted the bottle to take a small sip.

"Who, Sammy?" She snorted in entertainment. "'Newbie', yeah, that's not how I'd refer to that weird little guy after what you two pulled in Episemon. No one stays green after a job with you, apparently."

York's smile was almost reluctant, but he seemed to enjoy the taste of it. He laughed quietly and ran his thumbs along the side of the bottle a few times. "Hey, he did good. A little nervous at first but...guy was a natural. He had my back better than some people I've worked with for years."

CT smiled back and enjoyed another taste of her far-too-strong cocktail. "Oh yeah, it definitely didn't take long to see that you two were gonna be friends. I talked to him for maybe an hour and that was more than enough to see that he's basically a smaller, gayer, redneckier version of you. Cocky as all hell, smooth-talking, oozing sexual energy and the same goddamn prejudice against shirts."

York laughed again and nodded agreeably, his smile lingering even as his eyes kept boring a hole into the bottle. "I hope we can stay friends. Sammy's a good guy and he, uh. He got me pretty quick. It was funny, like we'd known each other for years."

CT snickered and tipped her glass slightly toward him. "Oh, I could tell. It was easy to see just how well you two were getting along..." She paused when York fidgeted and she frowned curiously but continued. "...Since Wash looked like he was just. Already done with the guy a minute or two after meeting him. And I know this is Wash, and he doesn't like anyone, but lord did he seem more pissy than usual about Samael." She grunted and then plucked out another cherry -- geezus, she'd put a shitload in -- while tilting her head. "But back up a sec -- you hope you two can stay friends? The fuck does that mean, you two were practically instant bosom buddies from what I saw." She lifted an eyebrow. "You guys have a fight about cheesy pick-up lines or favorite ways to have sex in a car or something?"

"Oh, geez, no...no, nothin' like that." This time, York's laugh was less easy as he shifted his weight and took a moment to drink deeply from the bottle. His eyes at last lifted to meet hers when he nervously set the beer back down against the table. "Hey, Connie..." She pursed her lips and he gave a lame smile but pressed on carefully. "You...you're, uh. Have you. Erm." York grumbled for a moment as she leaned forward slowly, suddenly enraptured. "Have you ever thought another woman looked...good?"

"Geezus, York, you're gonna give me whiplash with these subject cha...wait." She blinked and then widened her eyes a bit as York's shoulders hunched together. "Wait, wait, wait. You...do you have the fuckin' hots for Sammy?"

He groaned and dropped his head into a hand. "N-no! I. It was. It had to just be my ruff. And all the drinking we did after the mission!"

CT lifted both eyebrows this time and slowly set her drink down, knitting her hands together. "Yooork? You cannot leave me hanging like this -- did you...did you say something to Sammy? Did he say something to you?" She paused. On second thought, she might need the booze for whatever was coming next. She picked up the glass and quickly pulled down another gulp of the cocktail.

"We had sex," York blurted as he threw his arm over his face and dropped his muzzle onto the table with a dull thud.

She tried extremely hard to be reserved and calm in her response. York was her friend, she'd known him for years, was more than aware of what he had gone through and his personality and several of the quirks that made him the swaggering but gentle soul he was. He deserved a soothing reply.

...But what he got instead was a mouthful of alcohol across his burly arm as she doubled over and spat out her drink. To York's credit, he only sighed loudly but otherwise accepted his fate while she cleared her throat and quickly grabbed a loose paper towel roll to start dabbing at his fur. "You...you uh. You had...sex. You and Sammy. You two had sex?"

York sighed again, his entire body heaving before he lifted his other hand and raised two fingers.

CT thoughtfully pushed her drink completely out of reach. "You two had sex...twice? Like. Like...York, he was...barely here for a day, you--"

"I know."

"...Literally no more than forty hours--"

"I know."

CT exhaled slowly and propped up her cheek to study the slumped figure of her friend. He still hadn't moved his arm from his features, refusing to even peek up at her. "Huh," she murmured musingly before reaching across the table to gently poke his snout. "Well?"

"Well what."

She smirked but kept herself from snapping back as she instead prodded her finger lightly into his muzzle again. "Well...how was it? Did, uh. Did you like it?" He stiffened up and she almost winced at how tense he became, but carefully kept going, just in case: "Was...it mutual? I mean...that little fucker didn't get you drugged up or any--"

"Oh god, god, no, no," he mumbled, finally lifting his arm enough to stare up at her in horror. She blinked in shock. He was genuinely offended. "Sammy, he...no, he wouldn't do that, he was...he was really nice and yeah I kind of joked he was taking advantage of me being drunk and he kind of said that he was, but...um." York shifted before groaning as he let his forearm cover his eyes again. "What. What we did, it was. Uh. Sorta...my decision."

"...Ooooh." CT kind of wanted details. She wasn't sure if York was ready, though. She wiggled a bit closer to the end of the bench and then patted her palm against the end of his maw. "So. So you liked it?" she ventured.

This third sigh was earth-shaking, the whole table seeming to rumble with the depth of his discomfort. "I. I mean. Yeah, I guess?? It's..."

"Yeah, I know, it's sex, everyone likes sex," she concluded, but she was surprised when he lifted his arm from his head to grimace and look up at her again.

"No, I wasn't gonna say that," he muttered, worrying his jaw for a moment. "It wasn't like that, it. I liked it and I liked it because of Sammy, because. Of who...he was." She opened her muzzle but York was apparently fine plowing forward awkwardly. "The first time, it...it was just a handjob, you know? Like...that's barely even sex, it's...just...a handjob but then...then it was a blowjob and I think he wanted it and I think I wanted it and I was kinda rough and...oh lord, I liked it, though."

He licked his lips as she fought every single instinct in her body to gawk, instead politely covering her muzzle while her vivid imagination began to put together a scene or two. "And...and then the second time, gawd, it was in a closet -- a closet, Connie!! -- do you know how long it's been since I had sex in a closet? I...it was...it was rough again, I was rough, but the noises he made, I know he liked it, oh god I think we both did and...I...I don't know...why..." His voice trailed off as his arm slowly draped over his features again with a whine.

She blinked and again had to restrain herself. Things seemed very obvious to her, but. She also knew York well enough that while he was certainly no bigot, he also definitely had a very, very specific view of himself. Not one that was all that wrong -- she was all too aware how easy it was for him to hook up with any number of women, and somehow even manage to usually leave them happy regardless of how hard he leaned into the definition of 'one-night stand'. So...perhaps things were not so obvious to him. "Well," she began, shifting her hand to squeeze comfortingly into one of his. "York, my friend. I think...you might be..."

"I'm not gay, though," he protested with a huff, even as he clutched into her hand tight enough that she widened her eyes and flinched. "I still like chicks, I still...I always still think of her..."

She hesitated, because bringing her up always felt like a dangerous line to toe. Too many steps over and the grinning shell York had spent so long crafting to protect himself would shatter and leave god knew what behind. She gazed at him for a few seconds while he stared back, the confusion now dancing with misery. "York, I know you've had more experience than most of us. You're not an idiot. I mean...you are, but..." He pouted but she only smiled and gave him a pointed look. "You know that...all of this doesn't change a goddamn thing about what you shared with her. Don't be stupid."

He shifted uncomfortably and looked away, but she kept her gaze steady until he finally dragged his eyes back. "What if it was...just him? I mean. Just Sammy. We're friends, maybe..."

"Maybe what?" She arched an eyebrow and gave his hand another tight squeeze before releasing it in favor of grabbing her drink for a much-needed swallow. "Maybe just because he's your friend -- which, by the way, making a friend you care about that much in that little time might also be a sign -- he's suddenly not a dude?"

York scowled and looked almost hurt again as he rubbed at his shoulder. "H-hey, I never...said that." He made a face before his expression became briefly guilty. "Even if I did sort of. Say that to him."

CT blinked before tilting her head with a slight smile. "You told Sammy you fucked him because, what. Your body thought he was a chick?"

"I...I mean! I didn't say it like that!"

"Dude!"

"Aw, c'mon!"

"Dude! Not cool! Aw man, no wonder he seemed so...weird when we talked." She huffed but gave him a quiet smile as he moped and grabbed his beer to continue nursing it. "I got the impression he was this crazy bouncy energetic guy -- which he kinda still was -- but he was totally low-key bummed. I thought it was because he didn't want to go back to the four-wheeled terror, but nah, now I get it. He probably didn't know what the fuck to do with you!"

York groaned as he placed the bottle against his forehead with a crestfallen expression. "Dammit. I...didn't mean to upset him, I just. I didn't know what I should think. Ugh. Was he...mad at me? Did he talk about me?"

CT smirked and savored his kinda-gay-looking pout again before finishing her drink and digging out another cherry from the ice. "'Course he did. But nothing bad. He wouldn't shut up about what a great guy you were, how he hoped he got to run some more jobs with you sometime. Said you were nicer to him than most people are. He seems like a pretty alright dude, even if Wash can't stand him."

"Wash was really mad at him..."

"And at you, I'm sure. But look -- to answer your question the best I fuckin' can, not being even half as crazy-horny as you...is it possible you just boned because you thought Sammy, specifically, was attractive? Yes. Sure. Fine." He perked a little but she quickly held up a finger. "However. Is any of that gonna take away from the fact he's still a guy? Fuuuuuck no." York slumped again but kept his eyes up to her as she shrugged easily and flicked the end of his muzzle. "Face it, York, You're bisexual."

"But...but I." He rubbed at his face with his free hand before his shoulders sagged. "I think I'd know if I was...that."

"...Just say it, York. Bi. Sex. Ual."

"...I..."

"Almost. One more letter, try it out: Bi."

"Dammit, Connie!" He flailed his arms and sent a bit of beer splashing over the wall. "I...then why didn't I know before now? Shouldn't...shouldn't I have known? What was it about Sammy that..."

"Shit, I can't solve all your problems, York," CT replied with a soft chuckle, handing him a few squares of paper towel so he could grumble and wipe down the wall. "Sammy's cute, sure. Kinda small, though if he's anything like you, I'm sure that doesn't mean shit. Maybe you like piercings, maybe you like tattoos, maybe you just like that ol' Sayum-pee drawwwwl," she teased as he wrinkled his muzzle and jutted his chin out, then drank a few gulps more from his beer. "Does it really matter, though?"

His eyes flicked back to her in confusion while he traced a finger over the top of the bottle. "What do you mean?"

"I dunno," she grumbled, lifting her empty glass to knock a few ice cubes into her jaws so she could chomp away at them. "If I were you and if I took this long to realize I was bi, I'd be fuckin' grateful that it was someone as easy-going as that tiny redneck to be my first."

York's gaze shifted away briefly and she tilted her head curiously, but he smiled again after a beat and grunted his agreement. "Guess that makes sense. I dunno, though...it would have been nice if he could have told me. So. I didn't have to look like a dumb asshole to him."

CT snickered amusedly and fired a fingergun at him. "I'm sure he knows you're a dumb asshole, York. If anything, he was probably too sweet on ya to be as direct as I'll be, ya jackass."

He exhaled and then looked down at his bottle, which was nearly empty. "He might have...tried to tell me, but."

She shook her head with a soft laugh. "Yeah, I can imagine how it went." She plucked out an ice cube and he flinched instinctively, but she only winked and tossed it into her muzzle to chew it up loudly. "Here's what matters now, York, no matter how ya wanna see it." He took a moment to finish the bottle and then met her eyes expectantly, his claws nervously grinding over the glass. "I can't tell you what you are. But based on all of..." She paused to wave her arms at him before tipping him a teasing wink. "This gay shit you just told me..." The look on his face was priceless and she wished she had a camera. "You gotta decide if you either take the time to figure it out, or pretend it was just a one-time thing that never comes up again. That's on you, buddy."

York scowled and looked down at his hands for a few seconds. She watched him while shuffling a few more pieces of ice into her maw -- what she would have given for a peek deeper inside that big, squishy brain of his. York had his demons like anyone else...but he was also one of the kindest and most soulful bastards she knew. Being hit with something like this after everything he'd already lived through, well. She was sure that was no day trip. A tiny smile quirked her muzzle as she imagined him bringing it up to Wash. Part of her wondered if Wash would even be surprised -- he was the only one who probably knew the giant fucker better than she did, after all.

It was nearly a minute before York glanced up again with a faint but honest smile. "I guess Sammy was right -- got some soul-searching to do."

"That does sound like somethin' a flaming-ass redneck would suggest," she replied playfully before reaching across the table to nudge his arm. "Do both of you a favor and be sure to update the little cave-demon when you figure it out. If he's really your pal now, I'm sure he'll wanna know." She waited a beat before adding casually: "Since you're probably one of his favorite lays, now, anyway."

He nearly choked on his wheeze as CT grinned and stood up from the booth, patting him on the shoulder as she passed. "Good talk, buddy. I'm gonna go hit the shower while these thoughts of you railin' the tiny redneck are still freshly deposited in the ol' spank bank." He stared over his shoulder at her, torn between horrified and amused while he shook his head slowly. She laughed and tossed a wave blindly back. "Let's do this again sometime!"

Red vs Blue © Rooster Teeth. Halo © 343 Industries. Concept by Myshu, assisted by The Department of Chupapology.