We feel so much but we can't say a word.

NEW CHAPTER TIME! WOO!

Also known as "In which there is much fluff and not much actual plot."

The first day of new recruit training had started, and Herc had put Raleigh in charge of it, against the blonde American's rather loud protests and his own son's muffled laughter. Something along the lines of "Raleigh Fucking Becket training recruits! How fuckin' rich!" he had grinned, howling with laughter as he clutched at his sides, dutifully ignoring the dark glower that was thrown at him by the larger blonde.

It was no surprise that by time training day came around, Raleigh was finding every excuse to use Chuck as his practice dummy, which had led to Chuck confronting him after the training was over and the rest of the group had left for the showers or mess hall. "The fuck, Rals?" Chuck scowled, easily pinning the other man against the wall nearby. It only served to infuriate the Aussie because he knew the other man could easily have reversed the whole situation, but only kept the same god damned grin on his face the whole time.

"You're resilient, and I don't want to hurt any of the new recruits, Chuckles." Raleigh retorted, smirking down at the Australian as he leaned his head down, resting his forehead against the others. He grunted a bit at the playful punch to his stomach, his smirk turning into a full blown grin as Chuck pouted at him.

"Don't fuckin' call me that, Rahleigh." Chuck scowled, shaking his head as he closed the distance between his lips and the American's, the kiss not desperate, but not really apologetic. More a thing they did now when one or the other needed confirmation that yes, they were really alive and really this. Whatever this is. Chuck mused as he felt Raleigh wrap his strong arms around his waist, pulling him close to hug him tight. It's definitely worth all of the trouble.

The next few weeks continued at a slow and steady pace. Training was going so much better than Raleigh or Chuck expected. Every so often, Mako would join in on the training sessions, or even have a Kwoon spar with Raleigh. She more than proved that her previous talent at being chosen by Raleigh for copilot wasn't just a fluke. "4 to 3, Mako wins." Chuck had announced with a rather mischevious smirk as he looked at the heap that was Raleigh laying on the mat and staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.

Chuck couldn't help himself. Watching the much smaller woman hand Raleigh his ass with such ease and that happy little smirk on her face struck something in him that just made him that much happier that he could tell himself Raleigh isn't totally perfect at everything and that he was just human enough for Chuck's taste. Whatever that happened to be. He suspected that it was really only the taste of Raleigh. And god if he didn't feel like a girl for thinking that. Now I need to grab my gun and shoot a small animal to feel like a man again. Chuck grimaced, shaking his head.

"You okay, Chuck?" Raleigh had taken the spot against the wall next to the Aussie and nudged him with his shoulder, knowing the younger male hated open acts of affection. He noticed how Chuck had brushed his hand against his own, and smiled warmly. He didn't know what to call what he and Chuck were, but it was definitely right. In its own odd and rather baffling way.

"M'Yeah." Chuck murmured quietly, leaning his head against Raleigh's shoulder. And with that Raleigh knew this was definitely love.

They never understood what was going on between them, or why silence didn't affect the other when they were together the way it did apart. It was all really comforting. A lazy day in bed, each in some state of dishabille or dishevelment brought the thoughts bubbling out of Raleigh's mouth; another one of those "Brain Filter doesn't work quick enough" moments.

"So, I've been thinking…" Raleigh started, giving a little pout at the younger man when Chuck grumbled a comment about how that was dangerous for the blonde. Raleigh jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow playfully. "About us, doofus. What are we?" he asked, words spilling out of his mouth before he could register Chuck's feigned indifference.

"We are us. Chuck Hansen and Raleigh Beckett. Two people who saved the world and enjoy each other's company." He shrugged, trying to push away the feeling of discomfort as he started to dwell on the thought. Chuck Hansen wasn't poetic, but this was as close as he was going to get. Raleigh suspected he should be glad he gets a completely different treatment from the Aussie than anyone else in the shatterdome.

"Yeah, but do we have an official name for it, or are we just something special." He chuckled. "Cause I swear I'm the only person you're not all Snark and Hate with." He laughed, ignoring Chuck's low grumble again as the Australian buried his face deeper into Raleigh's chest in an attempt to get him to shut up.

"I guess the layman's term would be Boyfriends, Rahleigh." Chuck smirked up at him, enjoying the shellshocked look on the American's face, wishing that he had a camera or something with him to capture that look for eternity.

Hm. Eternity. I could definitely get used to this for that long. Chuck mused to himself as he trailed kisses down Raleigh's chest, between his abs, and ever so slowly southward. He never knew Raleigh could be such a loud one with the way he always kept quiet.

"I swear to fuck you're domesticating me, Becket." Chuck had all but snarled at dinner one day, slamming his tray of food down onto the table across from the bemused-looking American. Sometimes he couldn't stand that cocky smirk or the way Raleigh quirked his eyebrow ever so slightly to make it look part-amused-part-smug. Okay, so he really didn't hate it all that much as he didn't like what it did to him sometimes, especially since Raleigh had grown so fond of adopting that specific expression whenever Chuck did something civil and human in public.

Raleigh knew the nice and civil side of his boyfriend was reserved only for his private company only, but that didn't mean that he didn't enjoy giving the younger man a whole bunch of shit for his tendency to let his civility out in public every now and then. "Oh? Whatever could you mean, Pumpkin?" Raleigh had to bite back a peal of laughter at Chuck's darkening scowl.

"I almost said Good Job to Newton during the Gun Range practice today. It's all your fault, asshole." Chuck scowled. "At this rate, my reputation is going to go well down the drain." He sighed, poking at the meatloaf on his tray with a pout. Chuck seemed to be pouting a lot lately, and most of the time around Raleigh.

Raleigh chuckled softly and rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, one word of praise and you're suddenly all buddy buddy and puppies and rainbows." He grinned, leaning down to give Max a scratch behind the ears at the dog's seeming indignant woof. "Less the puppies, more the rainbows, according to Max." he laughed.

Chuck glared down at his dog as the bulldog maneuvered himself to lay in Raleigh's lap, making himself content and snoozing away. "Damn traitorous dog." He scowled. It didn't stop him from playing footsie with Raleigh underneath the table with a playful grin on his face.

Raleigh could get used to those loving smiles and those mischevious grins on his boyfriends face every so often, if only he could tell what new and interesting things each look could bring.

It had been a rather hot day in the Hong Kong shatterdome, and Raleigh couldn't find his boyfriend anywhere. He was startled to see Max trot up to him, a piece of paper wedged into his collar. He pulled it out and read it, idly rubbing Max's stomach. The messy scrawl on the paper was definitely Chuck's writing.

/Still mad at you. Don't come looking./ it read, though Raleigh knew that the Aussie couldn't stay mad at him. He quickly wrote a reply, pretending to act hurt as he wrote but barely containing his giggles.

Needless to say Chuck was surprised when Max came trotting back into the mechanical bay as he was working on cleaning out the .45 that he was given to carry, permit and all, and putting it back together. The piece of paper in his collar didn't go un-noticed.

/well, if you don't get un-mad at me, there'll be no sex for a few weeks./ The note read, and Chuck unconsciously pouted, ignoring Max's whine and putting the gun back together. He thought he could deal without the mind-blowing sex for a few weeks, just because he was mad at the American. Thinking back on it, he shouldn't be as angry as he was, but it was the principle of the thing.

Chuck moaned lightly as he adjusted in his sleep, nuzzling closer to the beacon of warmth that was his boyfriend in their bed. All was well in Chuck-land in his head, until a rather painful elbow to the face woke him out of his stupor. "What the actual shit, Becket!?" he had snarled, quickly jumping out of the bed, still completely nude after their rather unscrupulous activities hours before. He poked at his face to make sure nothing was bruised or severely damaged. "Couldn't ya have at least elbowed me in the stomach or something?"

"Mrh. But then how could I make all those fun jokes about how you like to hit during sex?" Raleigh murmured, still mostly asleep and only responsive because the loss of the form of his boyfriend snuggled against him made him cold. "Sorry I hit you in your selling point." He murmured, yet another of the brain-filter-failure moments he was getting so adept at.

"Fuck You Becket." Chuck growled as he threw on a pair of shorts and stalked out of the shared room, his thankfulness that his father had put their new room near the local gym an afterthought at this point.

It had taken a little over 10 minutes for Raleigh to come shambling into the gym with a box of Tim Tams, and a look on his face like Chuck had just kicked his puppy.

"I'm sorry, babe." He blushed, holding out the Tim tams in a silent offer to be forgiven. Chuck snatched them out of his hand and glowered at the American. "I was mostly asleep and not thinking. I seem to be getting pretty good at that." He murmured, chewing on his lower lip in worry.

The rather heartfelt apology and bribery only slightly made up for the fact that now Chuck had a bruised cheek and a sore jaw. He crossed his arms and turned his head in disdain. "hmph. I guess you're forgiven for now. As long as I get to be on top this time." He grinned. It didn't take Raleigh long to figure out what the Australian meant.

Chuck sighed. He better go apologize to his boyfriend before he regretted it. Maybe he could work something out with the blonde to have joint custody on the top-position from this point out.

Yup. Definitely smitten with that adorable bastard. Chuck thought to himself with a dopey smile as he quickly made his way to the room he and the blonde shared. He wasn't expecting the blonde to be dozing off with his book forgotten on his chest. Chuck woke him up with one of the best ways he knew how.

Given the way Raleigh moaned and whimpered, he could tell he was doing a good job.

Definitely in love. Chuck thought as his work had paid off, snuggling into his boyfriend. I still can't get used to that word though. Boyfriend.

Fluff Galore? Yes. Shameless? Definitely. am I ashamed? Not at all.