rattlerofthestars:

Jim gave a shrug and stuffed his hands in his pant’s pockets. He gave a small “meh” sound and followed beside the boy. It was his fault, anyway. He didn’t even need to say thank you. He was being stupid and he knew it. The rebellious teen couldn’t knock the habit of smarting off to anyone with a balance of authority. Maybe one day someone would put him in his place, but today he would get by with simple guilt. He felt bad for insulting the solider.

“Look like you could use some water.” Jim commented, his gaze shifting to the other. He could see the small beads of sweat that had formed near the back of his neck and forehead. “You’ve been workin’ hard, huh? I can tell. I’ve got a thermos in my pack.” He let his bag slide off his shoulder and began rummaging around inside it with one hand. It took a few moments, but he was able to present a navy blue and white bottle. Interstellar Calinipes Military Academy was printed along the side.He shook the container back and forth to make the liquid inside audible before tossing it to Ping. 

It didn’t mean much in the way of prowess as a soldier, but today Ping felt very small and insignificant and so he was always grateful that at least he caught the canteen and after a little wiggling (face screwed up as tightly as the stopper), Ping drank swiftly - but not too fast, so he wouldn’t be sick.  After another long draught, during which Ping remembered he was supposed to be a man but could not really remember how men drank water, the recruit cupped one hand, tilted a little more water into the other and handed the bottle back to Jim before splashing his face with the cooling liquid.  "Xièxie ni,“ he gasped, - and his eyes didn’t open until he burped, very suddenly.  

Ping looked as startled as Jim probably felt.  "Uhhhh, sorry about that.”  Were men supposed to apologize after they burped?  It had been a very loud one.  Cheeks flushing under the water droplets, he trudged along in silence down the mountainside for a while.  "There were pictures on the side of your water bottle,“ he recalled.  "What are they?”