How can I ever
thank you
Author: wanderingsmith
Started March 2022
Summary: "Perhaps the captain could drive your tank, while
*you* came and had a drink with me."
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, and nobody'd be daft
enough to pay me for this. As it is thought, so let it be said; you make
the toys, I play with 'em.
s5e22 end with Rene asking Gruber to come for a drink
s5e23 is next day, and colonel and gruber come and say
finger of suspicion on him, and he must pay musician at chateau, then
gruber leave with colonel
this addin comes a little later
for amusement, s5e22 Bertorelli blown up
and one of the first times Gruber really takes a risk to help Rerne s5e11 anything I can ever do
next part of Lily being stubborn (not helped by stress)
a thousand words is encouragement that maybe I can focus, tomorow...
The midday rush had passed on as quick as it had come and René was back to
having nothing to distract him from the madness expected of him in a few
hours. He really was beyond tired of being forced to risk his life with as
little regard by one side as the other. Did no one care about *him*??
He looked up from wiping a table as the bell over the door announced another
visitor.
And grimaced as Gruber sauntered in, unable to help feeling rather bitter,
"Back so soon, lieutenant?"
Gruber winced, his expression falling from the mild cheer it had held
before, "I *am* sorry about that, René. I hardly had a choice in the
matter."
René shrugged, knowing that all too well. But that hardly changed the
dangers the man represented.
Then he flinched back as Gruber sidled over until he was leaning inches away
from René to whisper with his usual drama, "Could we step into your back
room, René?"
Quickly dancing away from the seemingly automatic intimacy the man
constantly adopted when alone with René 'And even when *not* alone; he
had caught himself feeling oddly protected by that supposedly threatening
guard-position Gruber all too often took at his shoulder', he
grumbled, without any great hope of it changing anything, "What for?? 'ave
the plans changed already??"
Gruber put a finger to his lips, his yes flicking to the couple of patrons
still about, "Shhhhhh, René. Not here."
Of course. As though everyone had not, at some point or other, discussed
deadly secret plans in the middle of his café.
But then, it was not as though he wanted anyone to see him having a 'chat'
with a German lieutenant, either. He walked behind the bar, all too aware of
the man that stayed so close behind him that he felt the warmth along his
back, and then opened the door for him to enter the back room. "I will be
but a moment."
Trying for a *little* subtlety, he waited a good few seconds before calling
out to the girls just coming in with the dirty dishes from outside, "Yvette.
Bar." And then braced himself for the dance around the table that was
usually required to keep his distance from the too-friendly lieutenant.
Gruber was standing staring rather blindly at the cupboard, even still
wearing his hat and gloves, which René was not certain how to interpret. "Is
there a problem, lieutenant? I was expecting 'elga to come bearing costumes
for us to wear for this latest mad plan, at some point."
Turning to face him, Gruber winced apologetically, "I'm sorry about that,
René. You *know* I would not have mentioned your presence, but Bertorelli
had already decanted the whole story. There was nothing *I* could say that
would make the colonel less suspicious of you."
René waved the words away, half annoyed at the whinging apology; but unable
to deny that he was glad it wasn't *Gruber* that had dropped him in it. This
time.
"No. No, I truly would not have done anything to get you in trouble, René,"
the man's suddenly pleased expression distracted René so much that he did
not notice the hand reaching for him until he felt the softness of a glove
gently wrap around the bare skin of his wrist, " *Especially* when I had
just realized that your so-unexpected invitation to share a drink had been
to *protect* me from being in my little tank with that safe."
René tried to unobtrusively tug his hand free 'Without success' as
he put on an innocent expression, "Lieutenant-"
Gruber raised his free hand, "Nonono, René. I don't want to heard it. I-" he
shrugged, "I really don't care if you did steal that gold, and I *certainly*
don't care that you were obviously trying to break into the safe. I could
wish the whole business hadn't resulted in the loss of my little tank,
but..." René's brows rose at the hint of a smirk suddenly twitching at the
man's lips, and, in response, Gruber grinned at him, "But it was almost
worth it to have Bertorelli blown up."
René could not help cracking a laugh at that, knowing the captain had hurt
the lieutenant's feelings on more than one occasion. Which was perhaps not
fair, since René himself had been known to cringe away from Gruber's
over-enthusiasm. But the lieutenant had never been over-enthusiastic toward
Bertorelli, and still the man behaved childishly.
Gruber's grin softened into a wide smile, his eyes so very warm on René
that, well, the grip on his wrist felt a great deal less like a shackle, and
more like the warm grip of a friend. Though René could barely remember the
last time he had had one of those.
"I am *so* grateful, René."
Rather than argue, René shrugged, still smiling a bit at Gruber's vengeful
pleasure against the Eyetie. "I believe I owe you for more than one rescue.
You can consider it payback, if you like."
Gruber huffed a laugh, shaking his head with a fond smile, "I'm quite
pleased to simply consider it an offer of a drink from a friend that
happened to be oddly-timed, my dear René."
Rolling his eyes with a soft snort, René waved toward the door, "Then can I
offer you a drink, lieutenant?"
The grip on his wrist tightened for an instant as the man's expression lost
its edge of joy. "I... do not suppose the offer comes with company?" he
swallowed visibly, his hand releasing René, "Here?"
"I-"
"René!"
René flinched at the familiar yell behind him and turned to see Edith
looking frazzled in the doorway, " 'elga is 'ere- oh, hello, lieutenant."
René followed her confused look back to the man, not surprised to see the
crestfallen look he wore. He reached back and patted his arm, "I will get
you that drink, lieutenant Gruber."
The lieutenant grimaced, "No, René. I'll slip out this way, if you don't
mind. I would rather Helga did not report my presence here."
René nodded, following him to the window as Edith went back into the main
room without comment, though René would all too likely be interrogated at
some point. He didn't realize he had automatically rested a hand on the
man's shoulder to steady him until Gruber stopped with one foot on the other
side and gave René a sad smile, "Good luck tonight, my dear René. I will
help, if I can."
René hesitated, thrown off by how close they were, surrounded by diesel and
lily and warm concern in eyes as dark and tired as he, himself, felt. A loud
burst of laughter from beyond the passageway snapped him out of the moment
of strange ease and he returned the sad smile, even awkwardly patting the
shoulder under his palm, "I know, lieutenant."
With a last nod, Gruber stepped through the window, adjusting his hat and
gloves as he strode toward the square as though he had every reason to be
there.
René took a deep breath, somewhere between relieved at one more encounter
passed with his virtue intact, and trying to build his courage for whatever
awaited him in the café. That lily really was *very* strong. Though not
nearly as cloying as Madame Lenard's terrible rose scent.
He closed the window with a sigh, not quite as glad to have avoided a
private drink with his admirer as he would have expected. It had to be said
that, at least when he was not accompanied by superiors, Gruber was almost
always more concerned for René than anything else. Well. Perhaps excepting
himself. But René was not about to hold *that* against him.
AN: That offer
of a drink is about the only time I can think of where Rene actually did
something to help Gruber. Not to help the colonel, not to avoid getting
in trouble, not 'helping' under orders.
Having Bertorelli get blown up was as dangerous to Rene as having let
Gruber. The only difference is which man he let be in danger. And to do
it by giving Gruber 'encouragement'.... let's be honest, very out of
character. Though it isn't often Gruber is actually in danger in a way
that Rene can do anything about...
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