“ Jesus Christ, what planet are you from. ” A rhetoric question, since he was containing himself while rubbing a hand down his face, snorting. But hey, at least he convinced Logan to agree. “ What about Becca, is she really gonna wear a dress or will she show up in a white suit or something– ”

“ You’re right, my bad. Once a soldier, always a soldier. Sorry. ” He tilted his head down apologetically. Joel certainly never stopped seeing his best friend as his brother-in-arms. Probably never would. “ I can’t picture you with a bow tie. Just sayin’. Some of the guys from our team are gonna be there too, and they’re gonna be wearing their uniforms. It’d be weird if you were the only one left out, know what I’m saying? ”

“ Dude. You lost a limb for the cause and nearly died. You got a Purple Heart. If anyone deserves to wear that uniform, it’s you. Even if that weren’t the case, you finished boot camp top of the class and you were a damn fine soldier. C’mon. You’d look almost as good as me. ” He nudged Logan’s arm in a friendly and brutish sort of way. “ If I get to wear it then so do you. ”

@homeboundsoldier liked for a starter a billion years ago

“ I don’t know, man… I think it’d be way neater if we wore our military uniforms instead of suits at your wedding. I mean, I look so damn fine in mine, it’s almost criminal that I’m not allowed to wear it every day. Except in the field, obviously. Don’t wanna get dust and blood spatter on it. Sarge would have my head for it if I dared defile the fine honor robes of the Marines. ”

“ Yes, I noticed how overwhelmed with grief you were after that one time we exchanged saliva. ” At least now Joel knew for sure he was straight. Obviously he didn’t have a problem with people who were queer, it was none of his business who fucked who. He had just been curious about what it was like to kiss a dude and Logan offered. He gave it a go, decided men weren’t his thing and moved on. No big deal. “ My tacos are divine, so yeah. ”

“ Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Still think you should at least buy a ring. Make that singular romantic gesture just this one time ‘cause it’s not every day you get engaged, you feel me? ” He finished off with the tacos and while waiting, headed to the fridge to get himself a soda, too. To that last comment from Logan, Joel shot him a half-unimpressed, half-offended look. “ Excuse me for being straight. ”

Joel rolled back his eyes when his back was turned to Logan. It was true (or so he thought) that the reason he didn’t have a girlfriend or an active love life was due to work. Most days he was out in the desert gathering data on possible enemy sympathizers, sniffing out mine fields and going through intense gun fights, each of them bringing the very frightening reminder of his own mortality out into the light. He never knew when the next time he got out there would be the last, and on his off days he just wanted to sleep all the tension and stress off. So no fooling around. “ Fine, whatever helps you sleep tonight, darling. ”

Now there was a loaded question. While Joel liked to flirt a lot, he wasn’t in the habit of sleeping around often. One time here, one time there, when he was feeling like it or when he really liked whoever he was with. He let out a long thoughtful huff. “ Damn, I dunno. Like three years ago? ” If he were talking to anyone else, he would’ve already told them to mind their own business, obviously. But it was Logan and since Joel was being insistent with his love life, he figured he owed the guy some freedom to question him on his own.

“ You could be our special bait. Or our secretary. That way we wouldn’t fight about paper work day in and day out. ” He was joking, but if he were to be honest, he missed having Logan around when he was out there in the desert. Wasn’t easy getting used to continue working without his best friend. “ Maybe you were a ladies’ man once upon a time, but it’s been what, two years? ”

“ Remind me again when was the last time you got deployed, McDaniel. ” He gave Logan a very unimpressed look, pausing the knife, then bringing the tomatoes to the space next to the oven. “ Pfft, you’re gonna get me a girl? You? I’d pay to see that happen. ”