Personal shoppers, nicknames, numbers, teammates, and a fashion show

Chapter 19: Personal shoppers, nicknames, numbers, teammates, and a fashion show
==Meta==
Enjoy this adorable art commissioned from thelilnan, who also wrote the dialogue.
==Text==
The way Hermann is wrapped around him almost makes up for Newt’s pounding headache. Someday, he thinks, I’ll remember what drinking feels like the next morning. He rubs his forehead trying to ease the throbbing. The motion triggers a half-formed memory. Did Hermann kiss me last night? Or was I already dreaming? If that actually did happen, it would be a first.
Newt knows he doesn’t have all of Hermann’s memories, but he can’t find Hermann planting a kiss on anyone before. Newt’s heart lurches between a trilling with excitement and a gnawing sadness over how alone his … boyfriend spent his life. I can’t even count how many people I’ve kissed over the years. I’m not sure I ever knew some of their names.
His memory skips along his sexual history before he dozes again—it’s much too warm and comfortable next to Hermann to remain conscious—and slides into a dream of Hermann’s long fingers tangled in his hair and his warm breath on his neck. He sighs in contentment as the fingers against his scalp turn gentle.
"Newton? You need to wake up or you’ll be late to meet Tendo and Bastien for your shopping excursion."
Newt groans. "Oh, man, you ruined a great dream."
Hermann removes his hand to better prop himself up on his elbows. "Oh? What were you dreaming about?" he asks.
Newt opens his mouth to reply and feels the blood rush to his face. "Uh … I can’t remember," he dissembles. "I know it was great, though." Hermann sniffs in a way which implies he doesn’t quite believe Newt’s story and gets up to go through his morning routine.
"Give me your measurements, dude," Newt demands while he waits for Tendo and Bastien to arrive. "We’re shopping for clothes for all of us. I know you’ll never go into a fitting room, so we’ll have to do this the hard way."
"No."
"Yes. You’re going to be working out of our house. You don’t need to dress to impress anymore. So you’re going to wear comfortable clothes that actually fit you for once. And you’re going to try on everything I bring back or I’ll email that picture of you cuddling my Hardship plushie to everyone on base."
Hermann winds up for a response as a knock sounds at the door. Newt opens it and Bastien and Tendo saunter in, already laughing and joking with each other.
"You guys have known each other, what, five minutes? Best friends already?" Newt asks and the pair laugh at him. Newt ignores the reaction and continues, "It’ll just be the three of us. Herms is being no fun and going on some science field trip instead."
Bastien looks at his brother with raised eyebrows. "That’s what he calls you?" he asks in German. "Really, Manny? You haven’t bothered to teach him properly yet?"
"He’s as easy to train as a cat and I have no intention of trying, Hasi. He calls me that to annoy me."
"Aww. Thirty-five and still having your pigtails pulled. How sweet!"
"Remember how much it stings when I hit your shins with my cane?" Hermann growls and scowls.
Bastien laughs and moves to put Newt between himself and his brother.
"I’ll bite. I didn’t understand most of that, but who’s ‘Manny’?"
"He is," Bastien says and points at Hermann, who turns a hurricane-force glare on him. "It’s what our family calls him."
"Oh, really. Why haven’t you ever told me that, Manny?"
"You will pay for this, Bastien." Bastien laughs until he can’t breathe.
A call from the front desk saves Bastien and signals the arrival of the taxi. Bastien smacks Newt on the back. "Let’s get going, Wassermolch," he says.
"What did you call me?"
Hermann laughs maniacally as he exits. The other men trail after him, Newt needling Bastien to explain what he’d said.
"Remember that everything needs to coordinate with everything else since he can’t match colors on his own," Tendo says as they wander through a large menswear store. "Doubt he’ll let Newt dress him every morning, either."
Newt blinks in astonishment. "Tendo, how the hell do you know that? I just found out he’s colorblind a couple of weeks ago."
"I’ve known him almost as long as you have. He also didn’t manage to hide from me for four years."
"So he really was trying to avoid me … ." Newt glances at Bastien and a metaphorical light bulb illuminates above his head. "That was your picture he sent me!" he squawks. Bastien raises an eyebrow. "That’s what he did! I thought you looked too familiar! Your asshole brother sent me your picture when I asked for one! Hey, what’s so funny about him lying to me?" Newt asks as Bastien giggles.
"That’s just so him," Bastien answers through his laughter. "When was this? 2013? He was at the bottom of his friendship-phobia then. He didn’t want anyone at all to get close to him. He really and truly hated himself, worse than ever. He probably didn’t want to disappoint you, but didn’t want you to get too close, either. Of course, he probably didn’t have any pictures of himself, too."
Tendo snorts. "The guy is pretty allergic to cameras and is amazing at dodging them."
"He’s gotten really skilled at hiding himself. He’s practiced it for a very long time now," Bastien says.
"I’ve always wondered about that," Tendo remarks. "I know your family was rough, but what happened to him to make him close himself off? You’re not like that, Bastien."
Newt freezes. Tendo doesn’t know, he realizes. He doesn’t know about Hermann’s wings.
Bastien steps in without missing a beat. "My mother and father were extra tough on him because he was both sickly and so intelligent. He took the brunt of the abuse in the family. He and Karla and Dietrich shielded me."
"Yeah, that’s pretty much what he told me. How’d you think he’d look in bright blue?" Tendo asks as he holds up a nearly-Kaiju blue sweater. "Bastien, you’ve got the same color—with the healthy tan Hermann will hopefully pick up soon—we should use you as a stand-in. Think we could get him in a bowtie?"
"No!" Newt and Bastien say in unison.
"He’s no fun. We need something simple, practical, and hard-wearing, but still professional-looking." Tendo’s eyes widen in inspiration. "What about Nine style?" he asks, looking to Bastien for input.
Bastien breaks into a goofy grin and laughs. "Perfect! He might even enjoy the joke!"
"What the hell are you talking about? I don’t get it," Newt wheedles.
They ignore Newt and talk around him. "The boots are probably out. Lacing them would suck with his knee, but the rest should work," Tendo says.
"Agreed," Bastien replies. "You find the jumpers, pants, and socks and I’ll find the jacket, a belt, and some appropriate shoes."
"He’ll probably still want a blazer or sportcoat. Newt, why don’t you look for that and anything else you know he’ll need. Here’s his measurements." Bastien pulls a notepad and pencil from a coat pocket and jots down some numbers before tearing out the page and handing it Newt. "I’ll need at least a half-hour to get to the surplus store for the coat and back, so let’s meet in an hour at the coffee bar downstairs. Go!" Tendo and Bastien clap and split in opposite directions, leaving an utterly confused Newt frozen in place.
Ooookay. That was weird.
Even weirder, the two arrive at the coffee shop almost simultaneously, each clutching a large number of purchases. "Let’s test drive this," Tendo says and Bastien takes the bags and ducks into the coffee shop’s bathroom to change, while Tendo and a still-befuddled Newt order drinks. Bastien steps out with a twirl while Tendo and Newt give him a once-over.
"Whoa … ," is all Newt can manage. Bastien looks both dashing and dangerous in black pants, burgundy v-neck sweater, and wide-lapeled leather coat. Newt’s brain nearly shorts out thinking of Hermann in the outfit.
"Yeah, that’ll work," Tendo smirks. "I can tell Newt likes it. You’re drooling, brother." Newt closes his mouth with a snap. "Don’t suppose we’ll be able to convince him to give us a fashion show when we get back … ."
"I doubt that," Bastien says. "You’ll probably have to throw out his old clothes to even get him into any of this."
"Why does he keep those old things anyway? They’re just awful and don’t even fit," Tendo wonders.
"They make him feel safe," Newt answers quietly. "They’re armor." Bastien nods in agreement.
"Huh. It is hard to get an accurate read on him dressed like that," Tendo admits. "You’d never suspect a guy who likes punk and reads science fiction."
"He likes what now?" Newt stutters.
"Punk," Tendo repeats. "Especially the early British stuff. X-Ray Spex, Stiff Little Fingers, Buzzcocks, that sort of thing."
Bastien perks up. "Does he still listen to Joy Division? He came back from Manchester obsessed with them."
"Never mentioned them to me."
"Why don’t I know any of this? How did I not know this?" Newt asks with wide eyes.
"He’s an expert at hiding things about himself," Bastien answers with a shrug.
"Yeah … he really is," Newt says, impressed and saddened at the same time.
Bastien calls, "Hey, Tendo, you’re an Eleven guy, right? ‘Bowties are cool’?" Tendo laughs and nods. "Maybe we should find Newt something to match?"
Bastien’s wicked grin spreads to Tendo as Newt looks from one to the other growing more nervous by the second. "What’re you thinking?" Tendo asks.
"With the glasses? And the hair? Ten. No question."
"Could someone please fill me in? I still have no clue what you’re talking about," Newt whines. In answer, Bastien grabs him by the arm and tows him back into the main body of the store. Before his brain catches up with his feet, Tendo and Bastien stuff him into a fitting room with a pile of clothing: A shirt, a tie, a pinstriped suit, Chuck Taylors, and a long beige coat. Newt slinks out for examination.
Bastien and Tendo look him up and down.
"We’d have to hem these," Tendo says as he cocks his head, " but I can handle that."
"You can sew," Newt says levelly.
"Hem," Tendo corrects. "I buy vintage and my inseam is hard to find. My style doesn’t allow for cuffs, unlike some people’s."
"This is a lot of layers, dudes."
"They’re only for special occasions, my man," Tendo says by way of reassurance.
"You look good, Newt," Bastien adds.
"Sure," Newt says as he picks at the buttons of the jacket. "Now could you tell me why we’re dressed like this?"
"Doctor Who," Bastien asserts. "I’m the Ninth Doctor."
Tendo indicates himself with a thumb. "I’m Eleven. And you’re Ten."
"You dressed me like a character from a geeky British TV show?" Newt begins contemplating methods to injure his torturers without leaving obvious marks.
"Not ‘geeky’. Classic," Tendo declares. Bastien snorts at Newt’s thoroughly unimpressed expression. "C’mon, you’ve as good as admitted Hermann’s going to look hot in that outfit … ."
"Well, yeah. But I look like a dork."
"A very stylish dork, you mean," Tendo corrects. "At least acknowledge the coat will be useful when you’re living on a rainy island." Newt gives a non-committal look. "Are we cramping your sense of style, Doctor?"
"Yes," Newt cries.
"Okay, okay," Tendo says, rolling his eyes. "Let’s go find you what you really want. But you’re getting the coat and the shoes."
Back at Newt and Hermann’s hotel room, the trio drop their mountain of buys and collapse onto chairs and the bed to chatter and wait for Hermann. The man returns about a half an hour later, looking tired but pleased. He jumps a little at the sight of his brother and best friends arranged around the room, a large pile of clothes on the bed and even more in bags on the floor.
"Don’t worry, this isn’t all for you. Only most of it," Tendo says. "We’re going to have a bonfire with your old stuff when we get back to Hong Kong. We need to teach Mako to make s’mores, before we all get to our new home."
"Oh? Where are you moving?" Hermann asks with interest.
Tendo swivels to face Newt. "You didn’t tell him? What the hell, Newt!"
"I was getting around to it!" Newt yells and shoots a panicked look at Hermann, whose brows lower threateningly.
Tendo’s mouth twitches into a smile. He sticks out a hand to Hermann. "Doctor Gottlieb?" he says. "I’m your new project logistics and site manager, Tendo Choi. My wife, Alison, who you’ll meet later, will be coordinating transport and overseeing the town airstrip."
"Newton … ," Hermann growls.
"What? You don’t approve?" Newt decides defensiveness is the best … defense.
The accusation catches Hermann flat-footed. "No … but that’s not … ," he stammers.
"Mako and Raleigh are coming, too, to help with the engineering and site maintenance," Tendo interrupts, his smiling growing more feline. "And Felix will be the mascot. Your sister turned us down."
"Karla? What?" Hermann loses control of his English as he becomes even more flustered. "Newton … when were you going to … my sister?"
"She’s the best in the world on non-chemical Kaiju Blue cleanup. She’d be great for our project," Newt says reasonably.
"But she didn’t want to uproot her kids again," Bastien adds.
Hermann snaps his head to face Bastien. "You knew this, too?" Hermann voice sounds simultaneously horrified and angry.
Bastien makes a placating gesture. "Only the bit about Karla. She told Dietrich and I when she called us to discuss Newt."
"You did what?" Newt yelps.
"He’s our brother," Bastien says with a shrug. "We had to compare notes and make sure you’re good enough for him." Newt sputters as he tries to reconstruct the conversation based on absolutely no evidence.Hermann’s lips twist into a half-smile when he sees Newt’s confused expression. "Welcome to the family, Newton," he says.
"Newt can fill you in on everything else he’s avoided telling you," Tendo says, "but I’m more interested in what you think of what we dragged in for you."
Hermann studies the clothes the trio lay out for him to inspect. "Whose bright idea was the theme?" he says as he runs a finger along the collar of the leather coat.
"Bastien," says Tendo, pointing.
"Tendo," says Bastien, pointing.
"Them," says Newt, making a warding gesture.
Hermann rolls his eyes. "I appreciate the practicality and the … attention to detail. May I assume the colors are likewise appropriate?"
"Yup," Tendo answers. "I couldn’t find a green one with the center seam, but there’s one in the right color. Newt also grabbed you some totally non-compliant shirts in complementary colors and a black blazer if you’ll be more comfortable layered up."
"We talked it over before you got back and you need to try on at least the basic ensemble before Tendo and I leave you and Newt alone," Bastien says.
"If I must," Hermann sighs. Newt, though, sees the way his eyes light up as he gathers up the sweater (the burgundy one Bastien had tested), the coat, and one of the pairs of pants. After a few minutes, Hermann reappears. He doesn’t flaunt the clothes like his brother had, but slouches out self-consciously.
Tendo immediately turns to Newt. "You’re drooling," he says. Both Hermann and Newt blush to the tips of their ears. "You look real good, Hermann."
"You and Newt both look like rock stars now," Bastien adds. "I always knew this would be a good look on you."
"Now we just have to do something about your hair," Tendo declares.
"Let’s not press our luck, Tendo," Bastien interjects. "We’ve got him dressing more his age. We should probably be happy with that for a little while. Too much change at once might kill him."
"I guess. Newt can sneak up on him with clippers once he’s trapped on that island," Tendo admits.
"Don’t I have a say in this?" Hermann grouses.
"No!" the others yell simultaneously.
"You’ve already proven completely unable to dress yourself appropriately. You need to be trained before we can let you try on your own. I’m not letting you set a bad fashion example for Felix," Tendo announces. Hermann smiles crookedly as he settles himself on the edge of the bed near Newt.
"On that note, I think we should take our leave, Tendo," Bastien says. He unfolds himself from his chair and hugs his brother, whispering something in the older man’s ear. Newt takes careful note of where Bastien places his hands, figuring he would know the best way to embrace Hermann without pinching his wings. Tendo waves and promises to see Newt and Hermann the next morning.
"You really like the clothes, don’t you?" Newt asks and Hermann nods in response.
"Everything is lovely," he says quietly.
"Feels good not having to wear so much armor, doesn’t it?" Hermann nods again. "Never would’ve bought them for yourself, would you?" Picking at the sleeve of his new sweater, Hermann nods and Newt spots the tears forming at the corners of the other man’s eyes. That needs to stop. He needs to get used to people doing nice things for him.
"By the way," Newt chirps, "Tendo wasn’t kidding about the bonfire. You can keep the shoes, but everything else goes." Hermann emits a little laugh and uses it as an excuse to wipe his eyes on his cuff.
Hermann levers himself to his feet and shuffles over to his luggage to find his pajamas. "Newton?" he asks a little nervously, it seems to Newt. "Did you rummage about in my suitcase today?
Newt pauses in middle of unbuttoning his shirt. "Maybe? Your socks not perfectly aligned?"
"Among other disruptions, yes," Hermann answers. "Do you remember for certain if you upset my things or not?"
"Nope. If I did, I’m sorry, okay?" Newt responds. Why is he so concerned about how his stuff is packed? Is he really that obsessively organized? "Let’s talk about something fun," he continues. "See any good atom smashing at CERN?"
Hermann gives a weary sigh. "I made some valuable contacts should I need to change careers yet again," he says.
"Cool. Networking," Newt replies as shimmies out of his pants and under the covers. "Sign any autographs?"
Hermann’s response is nearly inaudible even as he sits next to Newt to finish dressing. "Two," he whispers."
"Really? Oh, man! No one even recognized me! Which is a complete crime and we need to do something about it."
"You should know to be careful what you wish for now, Newton," Hermann says kindly.
Newt makes a 'ppft' noise and turns down the duvet for Hermann. "Oh man, we have to go back to that tiny bed and those five-thread-count sheet tomorrow, don’t we?" he whines. "Ugh. I can’t wait to get to the new house and a setup like this. It’s going to be so awesome."
"You know, Newton, this is only the second time in my life I’ve really looked forward to moving," Hermann says.
"What was the other time?"
"Leaving for university the first time, leaving home," he says softly. "We should probably get to sleep. Our flight leaves early tomorrow."
"Yeah. Probably. What can I do to help you nod off?" Newt asks.
"Oh? Nothing. I’ll be fine."
"No, you won’t. C’mere." He pulls Hermann’s head onto his chest and drapes an arm across his shoulders. "That should help," he says. Hermann grumbles and squirms in protest, but allows Newt to hold him in place. Within minutes, the winged man sleeps peacefully.
I’ve found his off switch. A heartbeat.
==Meta==
curiumKingyo suggested the seeds that became the "Manny" and substitute photograph incidents. It’s also their fault that Tendo is in this chapter at all after suggesting that Bastien and Tendo would get along famously. Even though I originally plotted it with just Bastien and Newt Tendo, of course, took over.
Bastien’s description has changed since I first introduced him a couple of chapters ago. I’m altering the earlier chapter to match. He is the closest in appearance to Hermann of the Gottlieb siblings.
This AU’s Newt doesn’t speak much German, having moved to the U.S. very young. Most of his knowledge consists of expletives and some basic guidebook phrases. Languages are not his strong suit. Despite living in Hong Kong for five years, he also can’t understand very much Cantonese. Hermann is fluent in both of these languages. Bastien has English and German and Tendo has a few phrases in Russian and Inupiat and some very poor Cantonese.
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