Chapter Text
*
School ends, and summer comes. Four days into summer break finds Wash sitting on his front step, staring intently at the road without moving, barely even blinking. At one point one of his moms comes out to bring him a glass of water; she stays a few minutes, but ultimately leaves. The other brings him a sandwich later; she leaves immediately with an encouraging squeeze of his shoulder.
Toward evening, when the sun is beginning to hang low in the sky, a car pulls up to the curb in front of their building. Wash hasn't seen that car since last summer, not since it drove away, leaving him sitting on these very steps, alone and miserable, but he'd know it anywhere- a wide, warm, dazzling grin spreads across his face and he launches himself from the steps, reaching the car just in time to pull the boy getting out of it into a rib-cracking hug.
“Can't breathe,” Doc wheezes, and, once Wash does loosen his grip (barely), “Hey Wash!”
Wash doesn't say anything; after several minutes of this silent hug, he pulls away, holding Doc at arm's length and looking him over with an appraising eye. Doc allows this, an amused smile tugging at his lips.
“Wash...”
“You were supposed to be here hours ago,” Wash says, a petulant pout coloring his voice.
Doc tilts his head, a sure sign that whatever happened is being rewritten in his head so that it doesn't sound like he's casting blame, and says, “Dad.. had a busy schedule this morning. He wasn't able to bring me until later.”
“You mean he got caught up in what he wanted to do and didn't care about what he was supposed to be doing, which was bringing you home.”
“Does it matter?" Doc's pout is much more effective than Wash's. "I'm here now.”
“I wanted to see you sooner.” That petulant ring is back in his voice now, and Doc's expression sinks back into an indulgent smile.
“I missed you too,” he says, and holds his arms out for another hug.
Wash obliges, mercifully sparing Doc's ribs this time. He nuzzles into Doc's shoulder, grinning against warm skin, resisting the urge to tighten his grip and never let go so that Doc can't ever leave (him) again.
*
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