Slept.
He's ridiculously tired. Grey walls, no windows, reluctance to look for a watch; he guesses it must be late. He can't sleep. The base doesn't sleep. It's off-putting.
The blinking lights give her lab a pulse; whirring breakable things become its breath. He wonders, fingers scratching inside his pockets; if she were to die would the lights stop moving? He realises this is stupid thing to wonder, but his fingernails still catch on the cotton of his pants.
This room keeps itself awake with coffee and sugar and fear of bad dreams. He wonders again why it's all about sleep, or the lack of, or the need for.
Her head jerks up when she hears him, banging hard against the cupboard behind.
She looks at him, eyes narrowed. She tells him she's not sleeping; she's resting her eyes. He says he knows. Still, she doesn't protest when his arm slips around her, pulling her up and holding her close. With one finger he flicks off her desk light.
Her room blinks at them both. She tells him she's not here; she's dead to the world or something like it. She tells him again and again and again, whispering into his shoulder. He pulls her to her quarters, not wanting these signs of madness scrawled all over those grey walls.
He tells her he's worried about her, as his hand drags on her wrist.
Then she asks him why he still feels he needs an excuse for this, like she's spent seven years reading his mind and has only just thought to ask questions.
Later, after he's fumbled off her clothes, undressing her with a body trained implacably, fumbled off his, when he lies down next to her, she'll keep her eyes open, staring out strip lights like she's only seeing dark.
Soporific, narcotic, hypnotic. She thinks he's asleep.
It's too late for her though, it always is.
-fin-
Slept by livlovesyou
Story Notes: Gratuitous fluff for the ghost in my kitchen.
Email: freshklouds@hotmail.com
Email: freshklouds@hotmail.com
End Notes: Constructive criticism would be cool.
Email: freshklouds@hotmail.com
Email: freshklouds@hotmail.com
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]