Summary:
大纲:

After the events of the House Of Ashes, about a month or so, Jason seeks out Salim to talk about what occurred. After meeting with him, Jason sees that Salim is struggling to go about everyday life. Following his concern, Jason refuses to leave, and temporarily moves in with him. As friends, of course.
在灰冥界事件发生约一个月后,Jason去找Salim来聊聊他都经历了些什么(狗屎)。和他碰面后,Jason发现Salim在维持正常的每日生活这点上有些力不从心。放不下心中的顾虑,Jason选择留守在他身边,暂时无期限地搬进了Salim的住所。当然了,是以朋友的身份。

Notes:

First Chapter y'all. Also first fic soooooo lets see how this one goes. Just recently played through HOA and these two are so deeply in love you cannot convince me otherwise.

Chapter 1: Reunited
第一章:重逢
 
  It had been a month since the tragedy in the depths of Iraq, and boy was Jason happy to finally be gone, even if it meant being interrogated by plastic pricks. They still had so many questions, but Jason had already spilled every detail down to the nastiest, grittiest bits of it all. At this point he was willing to tell them it was all a crazy-ass dream just to get away from here.
自伊拉克地底下的灾难发生以来已经过去了一个月,Jason当然对他们成功从那个地狱里脱身一事高兴得不得了,即使那意味着必须被一群塑料玩意审问个不停。他们的问题只增不减,而Jason已经把所有他所知道的全都倾倒得一点不剩,甚至被迫将最恶心、最令人发指的细节都给描述到位。这个点上只要能让他早点走出这个鬼地方, 叫他推翻之前的解释说全是他放个屁的功夫编的故事都行。

   "You're sure about what you saw?" Asked the yellow hazmat-suited figure who had been questioning Jason for the past few weeks.
“你确定你看的没错?”身穿黄色防护服的研究员询问道。他负责Jason的审问事项,过去的数周他们几乎是天天打照面。

   Jason leaned back for what felt like the thousandth time, "Yes,  Goddamnit. I am 100% positive that I saw what I saw. You wanna fuckin' probe my brain or somethin'?" He drawled, closing his eyes as his head dropped backwards with fatigue.
Jason感觉这是他第数千次后仰了:“确定,天杀的。我百分之百确认我看到的都是真的。你他妈不如试试剖开我的脑子问问它?”他拉长音调,眼皮随着他疲惫地仰头而垂下。

   The figure leaned forward and spoke quieter, "No sir, we just want to get the story straight."
研究员向前倾身,放缓语气说道,“不,先生。我们只是希望尽可能得到最合逻辑,准确无误的叙述。”

   "Straight? This story is a windin' goddamn path and you want to straighten it? You're fucking crazy, that's what you are." Jason stated.
“逻辑?这些如今科学都无法解释的东西你要我给你理个逻辑出来?你他妈是疯了吧。”Jason用下定论的语气说。

   "I understand your frustration, Lieutenant, but the stories that everyone told us just don't seem plausible, that's all. I know it's been a long month but we just need your cooperation to decipher what went down." The uniform crinkled under the weight of the person inside, as if to say "We have nothing left to ask."
“中尉,我理解您的感受,但你们所描述的故事听起来实在是骇人听闻。我明白这数周漫长得煎熬,但我们需要你们的合作来解析现有的情报。”Jason把注意力放在了除研究员和他说的话以外的任何一处,甚至产生了研究员开金口说“我们没什么可问的了。”的幻听。

   Jason let out a deep sigh and looked into the gas mask in front of him, "Can I go?" The same question asked every day, and always the same answer.
Jason叹了一大口气,视线透过研究员的防毒面具直直对视,“我能离开了吗?”每天重复的问题,还有重复的答案——

"Yes."
“可以。”

The lieutenant shot up in his seat, eyes widened and grin quickly growing, "What'd you just say?" Adrenaline rushing and blood flowing, his body felt like it was on fire.
中尉完美演绎了一出垂死病中惊坐起,张大的双眼和上扬的嘴角无一不在表露着他此刻不可置信的狂喜,“你刚说的什么?”血液和肾上腺素在他体内奔涌、欢呼雀跃,他的身体仿佛有那么一瞬间如在火中沸腾般灼热。

"We are discharging everyone who survived. You all lived through such horror and lost so many soldiers. We are still doing research here, and we don't have anything else to discuss with you. You can go." The words settled onto the table like a thick layer of smog, and was blown away as Jason leapt from his seat and walked right out., not bothering to turn around or say goodbye.
“我们正逐步解散所有的幸存者。你们撑过了噩梦般的苦战,也目睹了战友的牺牲。我们仍有研究项目正在进行中,暂时没有什么好和你们讨论的了。所以是的,你可以离开了。”轻飘飘的字句都来不及传入Jason的耳中,他早已越过桌椅径直离开了审讯隔间,没有任何一点回头说声再见的意思。

As he left, Camp Slayer was dead silent. It was eerie as all hell to Jason. The base was normally full of soldiers waiting for the next mission, the next job, the next workout routine, but it was empty.
随着他的离去,基地陷入了死寂。对Jason而言这简直恐怖得像是个鬼故事,这里通常都有无数的军人驻扎等待着下一条命令、下一个任务、下一次演练,但它如今却是空空如也,毫无生气。

Merwin's speakers were still stacked in the same corner, with the same weights and CDs scattered around. A thin layer of dust covered it all, a reminder of those who didn’t make it out.
Merwin的对讲机仍然被叠放在同样的角落里,还有哑铃和光碟散落四周。一层薄尘覆盖了这一切,如同在提醒他铭记他们陨落深渊的灵魂。

Walking through the briefing room, Jason peered over tables littered with documents and old cups of coffee. Jason shut his eyes and imagined everyone the day they left, standing and talking, alive.
跨过接待室,Jason的视线划过桌上零零散散的文件和看上去早已过期的咖啡。他闭上眼,试着幻想他们还未出发的那一天,所有人或在聊天,或在打闹,所有人都还……活着。

Brushing off the feeling of dread, he moved towards the door, hitting a table accidentally.
将涌上来的畏惧感一扫而空,他朝门口的方向渐渐靠近,却不料撞上了走廊边的桌子。

“Shit!” He exclaimed, turning around and seeing something had fallen.
“Shit!”他一惊,转过身去才发现有什么东西掉在了地上。

Creeping towards it as if not to disturb anything else, he grabbed a photo off of the floor, and recognized it as the photo Joey had carried with him.
小心翼翼地避免再碰着其他的什么东西,他抓起了掉在地上的相片,意识到那是Joey向来随身携带的那一张。

“Sorry buddy.” Fuck.
“抱歉兄弟。”艹。

Jason moved out of the front doors, and let out a low whistle at the barren state of what was a bustling community full of tents and patrolmen, and chose to leave it behind.
Jason踏出大门,见以往遍布营帐和巡逻队伍的基地现在一片荒芜,忍不住低低吹了声口哨,随即便抛之脑后大步离去。

"I have to go see my son." Salim said in a solemn tone. Even in the light of day, his eyes still sparkled.
“我必须回去见我的儿子。”Salim用庄重的语气说着。即便是和刺目的阳光相比,此时他眼中迸发的光芒也毫不逊色。

"Yeah, of course." Jason replied, still in shock that they had made it through the eclipse and well, everything that came before.
“啊,当然。”Jason回答,还未从他们成功撑过了日食那波疯狂的自卫反击战和...好吧,还有之前所有的一切,的惊喜中缓过来。

Salim walked close, carefully placing each step as if he were afraid to plummet once more, and joined with Jason.
Salim迈步走近,谨慎得像是在害怕再度坠下去某个不知名的地洞一般,直到驻足在Jason的面前。

"You will not forget me, right?" He asked in a soft whisper, holding his hand out, waiting.
“你不会忘记我的,对吧?”他问。那柔和得几乎如同在耳边的细语,在听者耳边却像个响炮一样炸开。他说完将手伸到他们两人之间,等着眼前人的答复。

Jason looked down at the dusty and bloody grip waiting for him, and clasped his own within Salim's, "How could I?"
Jason低头瞧见那没有一处幸免于灰尘和血液玷污的手,也忙把自己看起来还不算太惨烈的那一只伸出与他紧扣,“我怎么会呢?”

Salim smiled, and Jason swore he saw God within it.
Salim笑了,而Jason发誓他从中看见了上帝。

"From here, an hour East into town. First house on the left is mine. The door will always be open for you, my friend."
“从这里出发,往东走一个小时入城。左数第一个房子就是我的住处。大门将永远为你打开,我的朋友。”

Jason took a moment to keep it fresh in his mind, and to write it down as soon as possible, "You sure? I wouldn't wanna be a bother to you." He replied, keeping his tone even as not to give away the fear behind it.
Jason只用了不过一瞬就将这些烙印在记忆之中,还有心往上盖几个“绝密档案”“非常重要”的红章。“你确定?我可不想打扰到你。”他答道,语气平稳,将他的焦虑藏匿其下。

"Always, Jason. Dead of night or crack of dawn I will be there waiting. I have no shame in waiting. Do you?" And with one final hug, Salim turned to the East, and finally went home.
“确定,永远都是,Jason。无论是黎明还是深夜,我都保证会等着你,给你最热烈的欢迎。而我从来都不吝啬于等待。”最后一个拥抱之后,Salim朝一望无际的东边走去,终于如愿踏上了往家的归途。

"Always, huh?" Jason muttered as the Jeep slammed against a few holes in the road as he drove through the dusty plain. It had been a month since Salim had given him directions to his home, and it had been forty-five minutes since Jason started driving. Too long had he waited to see Salim, and too short was the drive. His thumbs drummed against the steering wheel as he tried to calm his nerves but nothing seemed to work. A month is a long time , Jason thought as he saw the sight of a town closing in.
“永远,哈?”Jason咕哝着那记忆犹新的话语,驾驶着吉普车在布满坑洞的土路上掀起一阵阵飞尘。自从Salim给他指示去往房子的方向以来已经过了一个月有余,而自他开车算起已经过了有四十五分钟。他为这一刻等了太久太久,车程却是短得甚至让他来不及思考除此程目的以外的任何东西。他的大拇指在方向盘上反复敲击,试图平复下他内心的汹涌澎湃,但显然并没有什么效果。一个月太过于漫长了,他这么想,放眼望向逐渐从地平线移到他眼前的小镇。

“Fuck me. I’m really doing this?” He complained as he pulled down the dirt street slowly, and saw the famed house on his left. Shit shit shi-
“妈的,感情我现在真到这儿来了?”他缓缓驶下泥土铺成的道路,瞥见了在他脑中挥之不去的那个房子。草草艹——


“Jason?”
“Jason?”

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