s1lverleaf: “Uh, so, anyway, I, uh, made this for you. It looks like a thumb, but… it&r

s1lverleaf:

“Uh, so, anyway, I, uh, made this for you. It looks like a thumb, but… it’s a finger. I whittled it. It’s, it’s dumb. You don’t have to wear it.”

Our Flag Means Death - 1.06 The Art of Fuckery

This scene is gold for character development. Lucius is touched by the gift, and he’s utterly charmed by Pete here, who is clearly unsure of his welcome. Lucius tries to break the growing sweet tension with a nearly jokey comment, Pete plays the braggert, both of them doing their roles that we’ve seen earlier.

But neither of them can hold it. They both break down the defenses they use to keep other people at bay. They are both in earnest at this moment and they see each other. Fuckery is an art, but it’s also an art to drop it. To just allow each other to breathe in that moment.

They’re so good to each other right here, so kind. Lucius gives Pete room to speak until he can tell it’s too much. Pete accepts the affection whole-heartedly, dropping away the persona. The kiss is sweet, it’s slow. We know from here on out that they don’t own each other, but they are a unit.