xp_logs | Moira and Nathan, Tuesday night

Tuesday night, Moira returns to the room upset about her conversation with Rory. She and Nathan talk about that, the imminent W.H.O. intervention on Muir Island, and how frighteningly cute it is that Nate's already so taken by the idea of teaching.

With a sigh, Moira shut the door to her and Nathan's room and leaned against it. She could feel the knots in her muscles curl themselves tighter in her back and she muttered a curse. She'd just gotten off the phone with Rory and had stumbled back up here as soon as possible. Great. There was going to be a small invasion in the guise of W.H.O. investigators on her island. Really great, just what she needed.

The door held as she thumped the back of her head against it once or twice. And Rory's reaction to her relationship had *not* been what she needed, either.

Nathan, still stretched out on the couch, looking up from the laptop as she came in. "I could feel you seething before you even started to come upstairs," he observed, raising a hand to rub at his eyes. Staring at the computer wasn't doing much to get rid of his headache, but he hadn't been able to doze off again after Manuel's visit, and some sort of distraction had been in order. "What happened? And why are you thinking dark thoughts about Rory?"

"I'm jus' wonderin' wha' th' physics are for me shovin' tha' false leg o' 'is up 'is ass," Moira muttered, clunking her head against the door one more time before making her way over to him. "Why are all th' men in me life so bloody bull 'eaded?"

"You attract a certain type?" he suggested with a flicker of weary humor, and bookmarked the site with the international relations course syllabus he'd been looking at before he set the computer on the end table. "Seriously," he said, shifting around so that he wasn't taking up the whole couch. "What did he do?"

Still grumbling slightly, Moira flopped down on the free space and sighed. "Bloody well nearly 'ad a cow in me uncle's back room when 'e 'eard 'bout us." She grimaced. "I really dinnae mean t'...o', 'ell, I wasnae tryin' t' coddle 'im!"

"Why should you?" Nathan inquired, flinching a little as her aggravated thoughts poured down the link. There was more than just Rory there, he realized. "He's an adult. He's responsible for his own reactions to news, be it good or bad... and what else is going on?" he prodded, a bit impatiently. "W.H.O? What about W.H.O?"

"'old yer bloody shirt on!" Laughing a little bit, she rubbed the back of her neck. "'Tis who they're sendin' inta Muir. Seems they dinnae want ta create a fuss 'bout th' US an' Brits bein' against each other. W.H.O is they're best bet on gettin' everyone out an' not causin' t' much o' a stir."

Nathan pondered the situation for a moment. "That... makes a surprising amount of sense," he said, and then smiled at her. "You're going to get your island back."

Moira couldn't help but beam at him and she bounced a little in her seat. "Aye, I am." Home. Or at least her second home now. Able to visit whenever she wanted, with Nathan in tow. She turned and smiled at him. "Ye'll be able t' go wit' me. Maybe it'll be safe ta go back around me birthday." There was a little bit of a wistful feeling to her words.

"That would be something, wouldn't it?" Nathan said, almost as wistfully, and then tilted his head at her, regarding her with amusement. "So do I have to worry about Rory challenging me to a duel or anything when we see him?"

"O' dear Lord, dinnae tempt 'im. *Please*." With a thunk that was no where near as satisfying as it had been on the door, she let her head fall back against the couch. "Bloody 'ell, 'e's actin' like 'e's nine wit' 'is first crush."

"I'll make you a promise," Nathan said after a long moment's thought. "I'll try and handle it as well as you handled things with Dom."

Moira couldn't help a smile and she moved closer to him on the couch. "Love, would ye believe it 'twas rather easy wit' Dom?" She looked at him and frowned, worry in her eyes. "I dinnae know when Rory's goin' t' come around."

"He's a smart man. He will," Nathan said, and then blinked at her as he caught another stray thought. "You told him about the link?"

Moira had the grace to look embarrassed. "Aye. 'e wanted t' know wha' I saw in ye an' after I was done listin'...it jus' came out." She picked at her jeans a little.

"Well," Nathan said dryly, "nothing like getting it out all that once." He gave her a long, speculative look. "It's not just that it's me. He doesn't trust psis, you know. Or did you know?"

She blinked at him, confused. "Er...nay, I dinnae..."

"I doubt he thinks of himself as prejudiced - he doesn't have anything against mutants in general. Just ones who can do something to change his perceptions of reality."

Moira couldn't help it but she winced and turned away and tucked her arms against herself a little tighter. Everything suddenly made a little more sense, she thought, a bit numb. If she hadn't--if Kevin...a whole lot of if's and questions but ones that would forever have no answers.

Nathan sighed, reaching out and laying a hand on her knee. "Moira, look at me." She did, and he shook his head at her, ignoring the dizziness the movement provoked. "You aren't to blame for how he feels. I don't think he recognizes it, himself."

"It still 'urts, a wee bit," she admitted, leaning towards him for comfort. "I mean...damn it, o' all th' nights t' start callin' me by tha' silly nickname again." Moira sighed. "I keep managin' t' get 'im 'urt, Nathan."

Nathan put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her in close. "He'll come around," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "The situation on Muir probably has him stressed, too."

"Mmm." She snuggled into his side before answering fully. "I know. 'e keeps tryin' t' get me t' come back, full time. I jus' cannae. Nay right now. Nay fer a while, maybe. 'ow am I supposed ta tell 'im tha'?"

"Do I have to remind you about that conversation we had about this?" Nathan asked patiently. "About letting yourself consider all the possibilities? Just because he thinks you ought to be back at the Center full-time doesn't mean you should, too. This needs to be about what you want, Moira, about what's going to make you happy."

"I know. 'Tis jus' weird realizin' tha' th' Center isnae me main concern anymore. I'm 'appy 'ere, though." She glanced up at him and smiled softly. "Wit' ye. But I could be 'appy wit' ye almost anywhere, so tha' kind o' negates it."

Nathan felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards, but even as he smiled, there was another stab of pain behind his eyes and the smile turned into a wince. "I'd be happier without this headache," he said with a sigh, squeezing his eyes shut and rubbing at his forehead.

She reached up and gently batted his hand away. "I'm better at tha'," Moira remarked, soothing the headache lines on his forehead. "Ye feelin' any better tonight? A wee bit?"

"Much, actually. It's just that the headache doesn't want to let go and die." He opened his eyes again, smiling a bit sheepishly at her. "Being on the computer for the last couple of hours probably hasn't helped."

"I told ye t' rest, nay strain yer eyes. Tha's me job, nay yers." Moira mock-glared at him. "Tell me ye took asprin for th' 'eadache this time."

"Umm... a while ago?" He gestured a bit helplessly at the laptop. "I was just sounding the kids out about languages. Then I got looking at syllabi for international relations courses. Something like that could really work here, you know, with all the issues surrounding mutants on the world stage these days..."

It was really hard to avoid giggling in complete glee at him so she didn't avoid it at all. "Tha's cute, Nate, really."

He gave her an injured look, only partially feigning. "You're laughing at me. Is the idea of me in front of a classroom really that amusing?"

With a roll of her eyes, Moira reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "Nay, I'm jus' incredibly amused. An' glad. Tha' I dinnae 'ave t' think o' a reason ta get ye ta stay 'ere."

"You'll laugh at me when I'm marking, won't you."

"O' course I will," she remarked, snuggling a little closer. "We can complain 'bout th' students together!"

"That could be fun," he said, heartened.

"Aye, it could be," she muttered, yawning. "Damn me old bones. ...actually, damn th' abuse they've been takin'. Wrestlin' students t' th' ground, fallin' out o' bed...amazed they 'aven't given up on me yet."

"They know a good thing when they have it," Nathan murmured affectionately, poking her lightly in the ribs.

With a shrieked giggle, she jumped and batted at his hands. "Stop tha'!" she warned, waggling her fingers at his ribs. "Yer more'n 'ealed up for some revenge if'n ye start tha'."

He raised a defensive hand, grinning. "All right. Truce? I think if you poke me back too hard I'm liable to fall off the couch."

"An' tha' would spoil all me fun," Moira admitted, smiling at him. She stifled another yawn and then stretched. "Mmm, think I'm goin' t' go t' bed. 'opefully sleep better tonight." She batted her eyes at him. "Goin' ta join me or are ye goin' t' play wit' th' computer for a wee bit longer?"

"Joining you. Definitely," Nathan said as she got up and turned towards the bedroom. He stood up, intending to follow, and nearly toppled over. She yelped and reached out to steady him. "Bed good," he said as gravely as he could, blinking down at her as he adjusted to the change in position. "And I will have mastered this whole walking thing again by tomorrow morning, or I will be very peeved at myself."

"I'll jus' make ye stay put all day," Moira warned, letting him lean on her. "Ye'll be okay, Nathan, really. Tomorrow, we worry 'bout yer bizarre love affair wit' fallin' over. But for now, we can go t' bed, be all cute, snuggly an' tired without anyone makin' fun o' us."