"Wooooo, yeah! Did you see that? Tell me you saw that!"
The voice crackling through the speaker installed in the passenger compartment of this mech shakes me out of the awe I was in. Did I see that? Well, yes, I absolutely did, and looking through the monitor at the three molten piles of slag that used to be brigands that thought they could rob us, I am incredibly impressed. Thinking back, everything went so fast—we were held up by those three brigands in their robots looking to get something off of us, surely thinking that with the numbers advantage, we'd be easy prey. But they could barely get their taunts and demands out before our mech was moving, practically vaporizing those wannabe extortionists in a display of firepower that, as an armorer mostly dealing in small arms, had me feeling excessively inadequate in my job.
Honestly, when I was first introduced to Flay, I didn't think much of him. Little runt of a guy that wouldn't be able to cut it even under the laxest fitness thresholds in my company, and kind of awkward in an excitable way where he'd stumble over words when flustered, which is often the case. But I can't deny, he can back it up. Suddenly, being taxied around in Flay's mech to get from military base to military base doesn't seem like such a suicide mission anymore. All I can really get out is a muttered "Holy shit..." as the blizzard begins to cover up the remains of what were surely quite competent mech pilots turned to a life of crime and we continue onwards.
This wintery planet at times suffers from a quite devastating snowstorm season that can last for several months, and when it happens, any sort of real long-distance travel is pretty much restricted to mechs, as they're capable of trudging through almost anything. When it comes to travelling through this snowy hellscape, knowing where and when to rest is an important part, especially given that the distance between these military bases I'm supposed to be visiting are quite far apart. The very last thing anybody wants is having your mech's power run out for some reason or another in the middle of a snowstorm that you really, really do not want to be stuck in. As such, Flay gladly informs me that a rest stop is nearby and he's already made a reservation for the night. Even if the battle we were just in wasn't a major problem, I can absolutely understand not wanting to take the risk, given how big of a disaster a failure would be.
So Flay pilots over to a mountainside, where a small tunnel leads to a passageway and eventually a large garage made specifically for mechs. He parks it in a bay and the two of us get out. Honestly, I'm always a bit surprised just how important mechs are to this whole ecosystem, since I'm usually stuck at my military base or travelling by spacecraft, but thinking about it, it only makes sense with how rough the terrain and the weather is. Well, none of that anymore for now, time for some rest. We make our way out of the mech parking garage and head over to the hotel part, with there being some time to chat on the way. "You know, you did a really good job there. Honestly blew my mind the way you took those brigands out," I tell him, and he giggles before giving me a smile that catches me off guard. God damn, were mercenaries allowed to be this cute? I thought they were all hardened criminals and such.
Inside the hotel compartment of this whole complex, it looks remarkably homey. Really, you completely forget that this building is completely built inside a mountain. Flay steps up to the front desk and after a short conversation, he gets a keycard and some directions down a few hallways, and we're off.
And when Flay unlocks the door and we step inside, I will admit, I'm surprised. Namely because there's just one bed. I look at Flay, Flay looks at me, and it takes a moment for one of us to speak. "Huh? What's going on here? I thought I reserved a room with a double bed..." Flay says, half to himself. Did... did I hear that right? Does he not know what a double bed is?
"You know... a double bed refers to the size of the bed. Not two beds," I explain, still not quite having processed that I need to explain this. The way Flay's cheeks turn as red as his hair makes it quite clear that he did not know that, and he starts waving his arms and hands around, trying to say something in a frantic fashion. I can't even understand half the stuff he's saying, only that he's really, really sorry, to the point that I feel bad for him. I guess it's an easy mistake to make if you've never actually learned what a "double bed" is? "Ah, it's fine, I'll just sleep on the ground," I offer, but he's not having any of that.
"Oh, no no! I... I mean, I m-made the mistake, so y-you should have the bed! It's, uh, it's fine, I don't need a bed!" he stammers, blaming himself quite heavily.
It's clear we're at an impasse here, and I guess we do have a simple compromise on hand. "Alright, we'll split the difference and just share the bed. How about that?" I suggest, hoping he'll take that. Thankfully, he does seem willing to go along and nods his head, so that's one problem solved at least, and I begin to undress to get ready for bed. I mean, I'm a military man, so sleeping in cramped environments with a bunch of guys isn't new to me, and at least this is a double bed. Flay needs a bit to really acquiesce to the situation, but eventually he too strips down to his underwear and we slip under the blanket of the bed. "Comfy?" I ask him as we lay there, still on separate sides of the mattress.
"Um... it's a little cold..." he admits, and I can tell he's shivering a bit. Is the heating not working here? I'm used to colder temperatures, but I guess Flay isn't.
"Well... there's something we can do to be a bit warmer..." I suggest, a bit unsure now myself. "What if... we cuddle?"