Chuck || Motorcity

[dieharder]

Comments

[livefaster]

[He feels the tilt of Chuck's wrist shifting with each curve and angle, the weight of it moving forward and back, lower and higher. It figures that Chuck was already restless. He's capable of thinking the various ways of frying an egg in the blink of an eye.

He doesn't really do anything to stop him.] Pizza for your thoughts?

[dieharder]

Just a pizza? [He grins up at Mike, even if half of it is cut off by Mike's chin. He shrugs a little as he moves away enough that he can look at his friend.]

Nothing special. Was just thinking about 9Lives' coding. You know it's different from Mutt, I had to make something that Julie would understand... [It's a little purposeful, maybe, that Mutt's programming is in a language much more complex, and with a lot of add-ons Chuck came up with himself. Call him silly, childish, selfish, whatever-- he likes to be the only one that gets it, and the only one that can properly mess around with it.]

A lot of stuff is different. Stronghorn too. [Though Stronghorn has very little coding and is mostly raw power and muscle.] I gotta adjust settings. I was just thinking ahead.

[livefaster]

[Mike understands this, nodding. He always understood why the cars were so different: they had to fit the personality of the driver, otherwise it would make little sense. He knows that Chuck agrees, and really admires how he can adapt to every different setting and make an amazing job.

He smiles brightly.] And that's why I like having you in the team, bro.

[dieharder]

[He looks a little surprised at the response, eyes widening even from behind his bangs. When he manages, he smiles, looking down a little in embarrassment as a hand unconsciously moves to rub at his own neck.]

Oh, I... Gee. Thanks. Thanks, Mikey.

[It's not like he doesn't think he's bright. He knows he's brilliant, and he doesn't bother trying to be too modest about it. But it's always nice, and a little unexpected, whenever others tell him - whenever Mike tells him that he wants, he likes him with them. It calms his insecurities, even if only for a little while.]

[livefaster]

[He watches his bashful mannerisms, feels the mattress wobble with the tension in his body and the shifting of his weight. Sometimes he didn't understand how Chuck could still be so insecure about himself when he holds such a great head on his shoulders.

Mike even believes that Chuck's a lot wiser than him. He supposes that's what makes them work so well together. He shakes his head. ] Just telling you the truth.

[dieharder]

[Chuck mirrors the nod, shrugging as he lets the hand rest over the pillow.]

Yeah. I know. [Still doesn't invalidate the fact he's thankful. He stretches his legs on the bed, but otherwise not moving.] Maybe we should get up...

[livefaster]

Hmm, maybe... [He pretends to think about this.

Then wraps his arm tighter around Chuck.] Naaaaah.

[dieharder]

[At that, Chuck snorts and giggles, and lets himself be pulled closer until his head is back to fitting against Mike's neck and shoulder.]

Hmm, fine by me... [It's very unusual to see Mike not running around restless. In fact, it was almost foreign to feel his almost unmoving body next to him, actually indulging in the quiet and the laziness of the morning, not jumping up like a loose spring at the first feeling of morning awareness.

He hooks an arm around Mike again - he's not about to complain, that's for sure.]

[livefaster]

[It's deceptive. He's moving in little ways: his thumb draws circles on the blanket, his toes wiggle, his knees shift against each other, then each resting on the mattress, then switching position, his chin either finds rest on the top of Chuck's head or a little higher.

Still, for someone who drives himself crazy when there's nothing to do, he's still pretty relaxed. He buries his nose in Chuck's hair and takes a deep breath.]

[dieharder]

[Chuck's biting back the urge to tell Mike to stop - it's a little hard to settle into a position when Mike's knees keep brushing against his, or with Mike's breath mingling through his hair and spreading across his scalp. (Even if it takes his mind off of... well, everything.)

He arches an eyebrow as he tries to glance up at Mike, but not moving his head.] ... pizza for your thoughts?

[livefaster]

[Mike pulls back, a little surprised at the question. He really wasn't thinking about much, he was just in his natural, restless state. Mike had had his own thrum about himself even when he's sitting perfectly still, like a badly connected switch ready to flip.

He shakes his head a little sheepishly.] What? Was I moving too much? Sorry, buddy.

[dieharder]

[Chuck smiles and shakes his head. He figured Mike wasn't thinking about anything. He knew that, while he himself was capable of perfect stillness while his brain kept a fast gear, constantly going into overdrive, Mike, who was never keen on overthinking (or sometimes thinking at all), compensated by running around restlessly, squirming and fidgeting in his seat even when he's trying to be still.]

No, it's okay. Just wondered if there was anything. [It didn't bother him that much. He was used to it by now anyway.]

[livefaster]

[Mike grins.] So maybe there's something on my mind.

[He shifts, and this time he does move with the intention to move, previously coiled energy being unleashed. Wiggling his shoulder so he can get lower, at better eye level with Chuck.]

Roth's birthday will be next week. I have no idea what we could get him.

[dieharder]

It is? [He looks genuinely surprised. Not that Mike wanted to get a gift to a bot - they'd established a long time ago that Roth was so much more than a bot. He's surprised that he didn't remember that, though to be honest Chuck has a hard time keeping track of important dates, or days even.]

Man, I totally forgot about that. We should ask Dutch...? He probably has some ideas. [He feels a little bad for not knowing what Roth even likes besides being with them and helping them out.]

[livefaster]

I'm pretty sure he'll have some. Maybe we can chip in? [He shrugs. Roth has been a very good and useful friend for them. The idea had been Texas', surprisingly enough - when he had figured that Roth, in fact, did not have a birthday, he called a reunion just to remedy that. It had been funny, really, especially after the Rodeo ordeal, but if anything, it showed that Texas learned from his mistakes.]

I'm pretty sure he'll just be happy if we show him it's a special day.

[dieharder]

Sounds good. Wish we could get him a cake too, that'd be awesome.

[Chuck shrugs and adds jokingly.] We could always build him a lady friend or something.

[Honestly, as long as the choice isn't up to Texas, he's fine with whatever. He'd probably want to do something crazy like add guns and lasers to the arms and the armor. Lord knows the disaster waiting to happen that would be.]

[livefaster]

Just to blow the candles?

[Now here's something that gets his curiosity. He grins. ] What, hey, Chuckles, I didn't know there was a matchmaker in you.

[dieharder]

And then we can eat it.

[He snorts and laughs, poking at Mike's back with the hand that rests over him.] I was joking... obviously!

[livefaster]

[He laughs at the comment and is about to reply about maybe giving him a can of oil so that poor Roth has something to "eat" as well, but he jerks a little forward, eyes widening.]

Well, I don't know, Chuckles, you can be quite the lovebird. [Here's poking at your stomach, kid.]

[dieharder]

Who, m-me? [He squirms a little, and places a protective hand over his stomach, where Mike poked him, still grinning.] You gotta be confusing me with somebody else, bro.

[livefaster]

[And pokes him right next to his hand, on his side.] Nope. Pretty sure you are, dude.

[dieharder]

[Chuck giggles and tries to grab Mike's hand, his knees jerking as he curls up a bit.]

Stop that, Mikey!

[livefaster]

[He


grins


very slowly.]

[dieharder]

Oh... no. No. Mike, no.

[He's holding both his hands up in front of him right now. Also, it sounds much like he's talking to a puppy - Mikey, sit. Mikey, don't. Bad puppy, Mikey.

Don't you even dare, Mikey.]

[livefaster]

[He hunches just a little, the grin dying down, looking at him through his bangs for a few seconds.

It was the mere quiet before the storm.

Because right after total stillness, Mike's mouth draws the biggest smile while lunging for Chuck, all limbs and wide hands, tickling at random, almost rolling them in the already small bed.]