Everlasting Love - A Grimmons Fic

Everlasting Love

 'I need an everlasting love
I need a friend and a lover divine
An everlasting precious love
Wait for it, wait for it, give it some time'

Everybody boarded the pelican, with the exception of Carolina, who decided to stay and monitor Wash. Kimball was nice enough to give them a new pelican to get back to Iris, and Lopez decided it was best he fly the craft, since Grif was exhausted.
Though, in secret, Lopez questioned Grif's flying capabilities.  
Everyone took to a seat, while Grif placed the stack of newly cooked pizzas next to his foot. Simmons had the stack of breadsticks and chicken wings by his own foot. The smell was intoxicating, but Grif was, for once, way too tired to even think about eating.
Once the team had strapped themselves to their seats, they all began to remove their helmets. Grif looked around the ship, seeing Caboose resting his tired head on Tucker's shoulder. On Tucker's opposite side was Grif's sister, and Grif thought to himself 'When did they get so close?' Kaikaina was resting her head on Tucker's shoulder and Tucker had his head resting on top of her head. Donut and Doc had their heads resting against each other, and Sarge was crossed-armed and leaning back against the wall. Simmons was next to Grif, and Grif felt a sense of ease as he stared at the maroon soldier's knee.
That familiar maroon...
Grif craned his head back and felt tiredness take over. His eyelids quickly shut and he found him nodding off.

...

Grif dreamt of Simmons... seeing him facing off against Gene.
Instead of shooting Gene, Grif's gun jammed and Gene grabbed Simmons, yanking him over to the railing.  Grif watch as they both toppled over the railing. Grif screamed for Simmons, extending out a desperate hand to reach for him as he ran to look over the railing. His heart felt like it shattered in that moment as his voice echoed over the river of lava, finding that Simmons was gone. Simmons desperate cry for Grif was ringing in his ears, and the tears couldn't stop running from Grif's eyes.
"No... no... no!!"

...

Grif felt a hand tap at his cheek. His eyes shot open and he found a concerned Simmons staring back at him. His jade-tinted eyes were full of worry and concern.
"Hey..." Simmons whispered. "You were mumbling in your sleep. Sounded like you were having a nightmare. Have you been... crying?" Grif quickly blinked away the tears that rimmed his eyes and rubbed a hand over them.
"N-No. No! Just the tiredness... exhaustion. You know?" Grif replied as he lowered his hands. "I'm good." The pizza smell wafted into Grif's nostrils and he felt his stomach grumble. He was starting to get hungry and couldn't wait to get back to Iris.
Get back to home.

Lopez landed the pelican with ease and everyone stretched and yawned. They scooped up their helmets and helped carry the food inside. For a brief moment, everyone stopped and looked over their Iris base.
"It's good to be home." Tucker stated in an exhale before walking inside.
"Nice to see that you left the place in one piece." Sarge chuckled as he patted Grif on the back while walking past him. Grif stood, stunned.
"Was Sarge just... joking with me?" Grif squeaked as he glanced at Simmons. Simmons made a half-smile before turning to walk to their base. Grif took a moment to watch everyone slowly make their way inside. His eyes scanned the base, and it all felt surreal.
They were all together again, with the exception of Carolina and Wash, but they were all in one piece. Mostly. They were at least alive.
"Come on, Grif! Hustle with that pizza!" Sarge ordered.
"Yeah, we're starving!" Tucker added.
Grif snapped out of his thoughts and quickly rushed inside. Everyone had sat at the kitchen table, groaning and stretching. The sounds of the chairs being dragged across the floor filled the room as everyone hurried to take a seat.
"Whoa whoa whoa! Time out!" Grif said before he sat the boxes of pizza on the table. Everyone paused and looked at Grif.
"There's food and you're hesitating?" Simmons asked with an eyebrow rose.
Har har, Grif thought.
"Everyone, go take a shower. Get cleaned up and comfy. Get in your pajamas, and then come back and eat. We're going to do this the right way." Grif ordered.
The team exchanged glances and the silence hung in the room for several moments, but Grif was actually surprised when everyone scooted out of their seats and went to do as he said without an argument or rebuttal.
As everyone rushed to shower and to change out of their armor, Grif set the table with plates, silverware and drinkware. He got into the cabinets and pulled out the several containers of half-drunk alcohol. He fetched a few cold beers from the fridge and sat it at the table, too. Hell, he even made Donut's favorite strawberry daquiri.
Grif sighed and sat at the head of the table and opened a can of beer as Tucker was the first to come to the table. Tucker was dripping wet, shirtless, and with a towel around his waist.
"Tucker, where's your clothes?" Grif groaned before he sipped his beer.
"I sleep in the nude, bro." Tucker explained before he sat down across from Grif. Grif rolled his eyes. Of course he fucking does, he thought.
Kaikaina followed in next with a towel wrapped around her head. Her cheeks were rosy from the shower. She was wearing a long t-shirt—was that Tucker's shirt?—and gym shorts. She sat next to Tucker, and then eventually everyone flooded the room again.
"Oh Em Gee!" Donut squealed. "Did you make this for me?!" Donut asked with a beaming smile as he held up the daquiri.
"Yes, I did." Grif admitted with a smirk. Donut gasped and smiled.
"What's the special occasion?" Simmons asked as he rubbed some beads of water off the side of his face with his towel, then left it to dangle around his neck. Simmons took the seat next to Grif, and Grif could inhale all of Simmons clean scents. His aftershave. His shampoo.
Grif had a brief flashback from being inside the locked closet with Simmons... the scent in his nostrils... the taste of him on his lips...
Grif cleared his throat and straightened his back in the chair. He had to stop thinking of that moment before he gave himself a hard-on in front of his friends.
"It's a special occasion, Simmons." Grif explained. "We're home, again. We're alive and together." Grif stated as his fingers drummed the beer can nervously. He stared at the silver can as he felt everyone's gaze fall upon him. "When you guys were gone... I felt so damn... alone. I was such a fucking idiot. I was selfish. An asshole." Grif swallowed down the bit of saliva that built up in his throat. "I hated practically every minute without all of you here."
The room was quiet, and everyone exchanged glances.
"Well... we were all assholes, more or less." Tucker was the first to speak.
"Some more than others." Kai quipped as she narrowed her eyes at Tucker. Tucker smirked in her direction and then continued talking.
"And if it weren't for you and Locus coming to bail us out, we'd probably all be dead, sooo... thanks." Tucker smiled in Grif's direction. Grif gave a nod and smiled.
"Actually, Lopez is the real M.V.P." Grif chuckled and gave a nod to the robot, who stood in the corner of the room, gripping a can of motor oil. "Gracias señor Grif. Tuve la tentación de dejarlos morir a todos/Thanks Grif, I was tempted to leave them all to die."
Grif started laughing and everyone looked back and forth from Grif and Lopez.
"Good one, Lopez." Grif replied.
"Wait, you can actually understand him now?" Simmons asked.
"Um, yeah." Grif replied as he bit his lower lip. "I taught myself Spanish while you were all away."
"Whoa, what the fuck?" Tucker asked as he leaned forward on his elbows.
"That's... shocking. And impressive." Simmons said, stunned. Grif gave a shrug.
"I am pretty impressive, Simmons." Grif flashed a toothy smile at Simmons, who turned away with rosy cheeks.
"You must be because Simmons would not stop talking about you." Caboose stated as he held his drink. What was he even drinking? Apple juice?
Simmons sputtered and glared at Caboose.
"Uh, that is not true!" Simmons snapped.
"Oh, it totally is." Tucker jumped in. He looked across at Grif. "He was like a lost puppy. Seriously. It was like Caboose when he lost Church for the first time—," As soon as Tucker said that, his lips rolled shut and he slowly looked at Caboose.
Caboose was staring at his drink. His eyes were soft with sadness. He was wearing a matching blue pajama set with a familiar bat logo decorated all over it. His dark curly hair dripped occasionally from being in the shower.
"It's okay." Caboose finally broke the silence. "I got to say goodbye." Everyone slowly nodded in unison, but Sarge was first to break the silence. He held up his glass of whisky. The ice clinked against the glass as he rose it.
"To being together." Sarge said. Everyone rose their drinks.
"To Church." Tucker added.
"To family." Grif was next to add.
"To never having to do anything alone." Donut was last to add. With saddened, thoughtful eyes, everyone nodded or grunted in response and took a sip of their drinks. The silence was broken when Grif flung open the first pizza box.
"Let's fucking eat."
"Yeah! Finally!" Tucker cheered.
"Whoo hoo!" Kai joined in.
Everyone smiled and laughed as the pizza boxes were passed around. Hungry hands reached into the boxes and pried apart the cheesy goodness, and scooped up several breadsticks or plucked up a few of the chicken wings.
"We need to save some for Carolina and Wash." Caboose added before he bit into his pizza.
"Oh, don't worry. I already put their stuff aside and it's in the fridge." Grif replied before he bit into a slice of pepperoni pizza.
"When did Grif become so thoughtful?" Tucker whispered to Kai. Kai shrugged.
"Maybe being away from his lover screwed up a few things in his head." She replied as she bit into a breadstick.
Grif blushed brightly because, not only did he hear that, Simmons heard it! Grif glanced at Simmons, who was avoiding looking at him, but his entire face was red. Simmons eyes looked like they could burn a hole into the table as he nibbled quietly on a slice of pizza.
"I'm really sorry for betraying you all like that—," Doc added. Being vegan, he was the only one who ordered a vegan friendly calzone.
"It's water under the bridge, son." Sarge said as he refilled his whisky glass. Donut reassured Doc with a pat on his back. Doc looked over at Donut, who showed him a pearly white smile. Grif reached over and gave a friendly pat to Doc's back from the other side. Doc looked partially stunned. His eyes lit up as a small smile crossed his lips.
"So, go back talking about how much you all missed me." Grif beamed as he scooped up his second slice of pizza. Simmons rolled his eyes as he bit into a breadstick.
"Oh, my God." Kai chuckled as she hid her embarrassment under her hand. Tucker was beaming and gave a hardy laugh.
"Oh man, there were times when I thought Simmons would legit cry."
"Tucker!!" Simmons growled through gritted teeth and chucked the now empty carton that once housed the buffalo wings at him. Tucker laughed as he ducked, and then the group broke out into a fit of laughter.
Grif went to the fridge and fetched two more beers and returned to his seat. He handed one over to Simmons, who was still red in the face. Simmons gave a nod and took one, opening it while he mumbled his thanks under his breath.