xp_logs | Moira and Nathan, Thursday night (Reply)

Another moment in medlab with Moira and Nathan. Relationship-talk and cuteness, basically.

He could feel her there, before he opened his eyes, and Nathan blinked to clear his vision, then smiled tiredly at Moira as she looked up from her book. She looked... better, he thought as he managed to focus on her face. A little more rested, at least. "What're you reading?" he murmured. The painkillers were starting to wear off again, but only starting. He felt about as comfortable as it was probably possible to be, under the circumstances.

Moira smiled at him and placed her bookmark in her book before closing it. "Angels an' Demons, seein' as 'ow we bought all those books an' I never seem ta find time ta read them except down 'ere." She brushed the hair from her eyes as she sat up, glad that she had gotten an hour's nap on the couch in her room. It would never be the same after Theo but it was still more comfortable than her desk. "'ow're ye feelin'?" she asked.

"Mm... not bad... wish I could read, but my eyes are still being funny." Not to mention that he had the concentration span of a gnat at the moment, which was vaguely irksome. Nathan closed his eyes for a moment and tried to move his hand again. A bit more success this time, but still not where it should be, and he felt his mouth twist.

Dropping the book onto the side table, Moira gently picked up his hand and started to massage it. "'opefully this'll 'elp some," she said, cheerfully, warming his hand up between hers. "'Tis gettin' much better, ye really shouldnae 'ave tha' much movement in it yet. Bound an' determined ta get out o' 'ere. For which I'm verra thankful, can go back ta sleepin' in bed again."

"Looking forward... to sleeping beside you again," Nathan said wistfully. "In bed." He didn't like the fact that she kept falling asleep in that chair - it wasn't a restful place to sleep, but he was selfish enough that he wasn't about to try and chase her out. Besides, he was at something of a disadvantage at the moment.

With a sigh, she brought his hand up and kissed the back of it. "Ye an' me bot'. I 'ate seein' ye down 'ere." Some fear crept into her voice and Moira cleared her throat. "Should be soon, though."

"What's wrong?" he murmured, hearing the fear. She looked away, but he held onto her hand, squeezing gently. "Tell me."

She looked back at their hands and sighed. "I'm afraid for ye," Moira answered after a minute. "Scared because ye got 'urt because o' me. Tha' I cannae seem ta stop ye from gettin' 'urt. Tha'..."

Going to lose you, was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't say it, not yet.

"I'm sorry," Nathan whispered, hating himself for the pain he could sense on the link. "Sorry I wasn't... more careful. I don't want you to be frightened..."

"I'm perpetually frightened," she confessed, shaking her head. "Usually better at 'idin' it." Moira wrinkled her nose at him. "Kind o' 'ard ta 'ide tha' wit' th' link an' all, love."

Nathan gazed up at her, shaken by the confession. "Moira..." he murmured, troubled. "I... I don't want you to feel that way..." But what was he supposed to do? Promise to stay out of trouble? That would be a pretty empty sort of vow to make, given the way their lives seemed to be going lately.

"'Tis nay ye," she rushed to reassure him. "Well, part o' it isnae. Kids 'ere managed ta knock a good portion o' me walls down by th' time ye arrived on th' scene. An' then ye proceeded t' bulldoze quite nicely through th' remainin' bits." Moira smiled. "Jus' nay used...I'm sorry, probably shouldnae be yammerin' on when yer injured..." She was slightly embarrassed, the realization she had just told him hadn't come to her more than a few minutes ago.

"No," he said quietly, reaching out with his good hand and covering hers. "You should. And I get it... I do. Feel the same way... a lot."

"Fear?" she asked, turning her hand up so she could link her fingers through his.

"Yeah... " He trailed off, staring up at her, but forced himself to continue. "Of screwing up... letting you down..." Getting you killed, he thought, not letting the thought slip across the link.

Moira's other hand reached up and trailed down his cheek. "Never," she told him fiercely. "Ye'll never let me down. Never *could*, ye understand me?" Every time she used the link, it got easier and so it was much easier to nudge down all the trust and love she felt for him down the link.

Part of Nathan wanted to resist, to stand fast and point out the thousand and two different ways in which he could do just that. But he was still exhausted, still in a fair amount of pain even with the drugs, and it was too easy just to let go, to relax in the gentle warmth coming down the link. "Faith, huh?" he murmured. "Not used to that..."

"Might want ta get used t' it," Moira teased, scooting her chair over a little. It took her a minute, but she finally managed to find a spot on his side that wasn't in pain or had a tube drapped over it. She shifted and laid her head down, nestled slightly in the blankets. She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. "Nay like I'm bloody goin' anywhere for a verra lon' time, is it?"

"I could... get used to that."

She yawned and started to close her eyes, sighing quietly as she felt Nathan brush the link. "Good...we can get used ta it together..." Moira murmured, as Nathan's good hand stroked her hair before he fell back asleep along with her.