#the rackam brainworms are BAD today chat

[captainmullin]

"...Are you alright?" Katalina tilted her head, a small smile on her face despite her serious demeanor - it wasn't unkind, but it was... knowing. Has he finally realized?

"H-Huh? Oh, yeah, right as rain!" Rackam replied, seemingly lost in thought. He stared down at the leather jacket in his arms, running his hand over the slick fabric and furrowing his brow.

"...Uh-huh," was Katalina's reply as she followed his gaze: "and it's nothing to do with a certain captain of ours?"

"Wha- Katalina, c'mon, you too? Sheesh, and I thought Aoidos buggin' me about it was bad..." Rackam grumbled, putting the jacket on over his shoulders. Oh. It’s still warm from when Mullin wore it.

"I'm just trying to help. It's not like I want to gossip, or anything..." Katalina trailed off. "Ahem. Anyway. Are you sure you don't...?"

"Have feelings for them?" Rackam finished, pulling out a cigarette from the depths of his pockets: "Look, Kat, I... gods, it woulda been an easy answer a few months ago, but now..."

"...It all comes back to them, right?"

Rackam lit the cigarette and inhaled. Exhaled.

"Damn, I'm too old for this."

"You're not even 30." Katalina gently reminded him. He rolled his eyes and took another drag from his cigarette.

"Yeah, yeah. Still doesn't make any sense why'd they be interested in me," Rackam scoffed. "That'd be the day, wouldn't it? Mullin... feeling the same way..."

He trailed off and continued to look out over the balcony, smoke drifting into the night sky. Katalina sighed.

He's never going to get it, is he?

- snippet from the untitled 5 + 1 kiss fic