Work Text:
“I’m really glad I didn’t screw up worse,” Rae does his best to choke back the tears as he talks, “I- still screwed up.”
“Rae-” Wolf pauses and sighs, “wait.” He turns his back on the scientist and carefully unties the mask from his face, allowing it to slip off into his hands. “Okay, all right. You’re gonna look at me, you’re gonna look me in the fucking eyes.”
He turns around to face Rae letting the other man see his face for the first time. Rae’s eyes trace over his appearance, dark golden-amber eyes. The scruff of a beard around a slightly upturned smile. A smattering of scars that run across his cheek and over his lips, under his eye. But it was his face, the face of his friend who was looking him truly in his eyes for the first time.
“I’m okay, I’m okay. Nothing’s messed up. I’m okay. You’re okay. You did good. I wasn’t expecting you to be some- some all-knowing doctor. I’m alive because of you. Don’t beat yourself up about what might have happened. Or what mistakes you might have made. I’m alive because of you. I’m here and you’re here, okay? I and I- I see you, all right?”
“I see you too-” Rae giggles.
“Ah, okay I’m looking away,” Wolf playfully groans, taking his eyes off of the scientist. “That was about all of the eye contact I can do. That was all of it.” He looks up at the night sky above them. “But, I’m okay. That was fucking scary what you had to do. And I appreciate you more than you could ever know.”
“I appreciate you too.”
“You did good, okay?”
“Sure,” it comes out in a quiet whisper.
“No, no, don't say sure. Agree with me,” Wolf jokes, his eyes crinkling at the edges with his smile.
“I’m sorry!” Rae laughs, bending over with the fit of giggles.
“Thank you.” With that Wolf slips the mask back over his face, tying back up the straps that fasten behind his head. “We will figure this out,” he promises.