xp_logs | Nathan and Moira, Wednesday night (Reply)

Backdated to Wednesday night. Moira and Nathan are both a little worn out - it's been a busy first week back - but manage to find the energy to banter, discuss Nate's impending appointment with Jack Leary, and be cute over presents they bought each other on Santorini.

Nathan paused, peering over the edge of the Arabic textbook at his cast-encased leg. He frowned, then levitated it slightly, simultaneously floating a pillow over to put underneath it. Curled up beside him, Moira snorted softly, and he gave her his best meek look. "So it's a little sore," he conceded. "Ran around a bit too much today, I think."

"I warned ye, didnae I?" Moira muttered, head buried almost under the pillows. "But nay, ye 'ave ta go 'obblin' 'round like 'op-alon'-Cassidy on crack." The bed creaked a little as she shifted, groaning. She'd spent a good portion of the day running around trying to herd various things into place before she really started planning the field trips.

"It's good for me," Nathan said, remembering what he'd told Angelo earlier. "Getting sadly out of shape, I am."

"We'll 'ave ye back up ta speed as soon as tha' cast is off." Her tone was rather frighteningly cheerful at that prospect.

"You're damned right we will," Nathan agreed vehemently. "I want to be able to kick the ass of the next thing that comes after me into tomorrow." He paused, then laughed. "That's... a bad metaphor."

Moira lifted her head off the pillows and laughed. "Aye, it 'tis. Especially considerin' yer teachin' now so verra likely wha' comes after ye next is a student, love."

Nathan gave her a thoughtful look. "There is teacher-attacking? No one ever told me there is teacher-attacking." He grinned broadly. "Cool."

Lightly, she reached over and smacked him in the arm before letting her head drop back down into the pillows. "I've been known ta been rushed by at least fifteen o' th' bloody lot."

Snickering, Nathan laid the book aside and gave her a measuring look. "You," he said, reaching out with his telekinesis and massaging her shoulders gently, "look like you got run over by a dozen of them."

Moira sighed and started relaxing as she felt the knots in her muscles start to go away. "Mmm. Insane. Comin' up wit' tha' field trip thin'. They're goin' ta kill me, I swear."

"They won't. Remember, you'll have me as a chaperone," Nathan said. "The little darlings will just have to behave themselves."

"I'm glad there's an interest," she admitted, purring a little bit as the pressure went from her shoulders down her back. "Think some o' these kids need some time off th' mansion grounds."

"Probably," Nathan agreed, smiling as Moira relaxed, all but melting against the bed. "I didn't tell you," he said softly. "Spoke to your friend Dr. Leary today."

Her first response was eaten by the pillow so she turned her head slightly. "Oh? 'ow'd it go?" It was obvious Moira was slightly worried about this whole thing.

"He's... very easy to talk to," Nathan said, a bit abashed that the words came out sounding as if he'd been surprised by that. "He suggested Saturday morning... have you got plans or anything?" he asked a bit anxiously, looking down at her. "I didn't give him a definite yes, yet. Told him I had to check with you."

Quickly, she rolled over on her back, part of her protesting when it ended the telekinetic backrub, so she could look up at him. "I told ye I'd go wit' ye whenever ye made yer appointment," Moira pointed out, smiling. "Nay, I 'avenae made any plans. If th' kids want me 'elp I can schedule it for th' afternoon."

"Okay," Nathan said hesitantly, smiling as he reached up and stroked rumpled hair back from her face. "I'll call him back in the morning, then." He sighed a little. "Can't say that I'm really looking forward to it, but I'm not wanting to run in the other direction at the thought, at least."

"Good, I know 'ow 'ard this is for ye." Reaching up, she snagged his hand and squeezed it. "Proud o' ye. I know 'ow 'ard it 'tis ta fight against somethin' this big."

"I'm just afraid of what he'll tell me," Nathan muttered, pulling her gently into his arms and holding tight. "What he'll think of me... I guess that's why I've been throwing myself into classes and so forth this week." He chuckled softly. "Not that it hasn't been enjoyable."

Moira snuggled closer. "'e's any goin' ta judge ye, Nathan. Ye've told me wha' yer goin' ta tell 'im an' 'as me opinion o' ye changed? At all, in th' slightest?"

Love is blind, Nathan almost said, but managed to restrain himself at the last moment. "We'll see how it goes," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I was telling Angie on the journals today that the hard things are almost always worth it. Hopefully this'll be one of them."

She started to reply but stopped and concentrated on something that was lingering over the link. Abruptly, Moira pushed herself out of his arms and hit him in the chest hard. "Love is nay blind, ye bloody bastard!" she snapped, glaring.

"I--" He sputtered, then gave her a harried look. "That's why I didn't say it."

"But ye were thinkin' it an' damnit, Nathan, ye should know tha' sometimes tha's th' same thin'." Her jaw clenched tightly as she stared at him. "Is tha' wha' ye really think? Tha' I jus' cheerfully ignore yer faults an' concentrate on yer good side?"

"No," Nathan muttered, part of him wanting to break eye contact but his pride refusing to let him do it. "That's not what I think."

"Then wha' is it?" she demanded, unable to help but feeling hurt by this.

"I just... I don't understand why you don't judge me," he gritted out, and this time did look away, blinking rapidly as he turned onto his back. "I guess that's it," he said, his voice sounding thick, hoarse even to his own ears.

"'Tis nay jus' because I love ye, Nathan. I never judged ye before." Moira shook her head. "I wasnae 'appy when ye left Muir because I was afraid ye werenae goin' ta come back, either because somethin' 'appened or ye jus' decided tha' it wasnae wort' it." With a small noise, she edged back over so she could look down at him. "Yer a verra good man, Nathan Daysprin'. Ye've done stuff tha' ye 'avenae liked but yer tryin' ta make thin's right. Even when ye did thin's tha' ye 'ad nay choice in th' matter."

Nathan closed his eyes for a minute, pushing all the doubt and anxiety away, letting it drain away into the emptiness. He looked back up at Moira, smiling faintly. "I'll stop this," he promised, his voice soft, but steadier. Self-indulgent of him, it really was. "Less stewing, more enjoying the fact that you're here."

Leaning down, Moira kissed him lightly. "Jus' want ta get th' fact across tha' yer th' only one bein' this 'ard on yerself," she murmured, frowning.

"It's got to sink in at some point," Nathan said, trying to sound hopeful. "My skull's not that thick, right?"

"We can only 'ope it offers some leeway," Moira said, smiling as she poked him lightly in the head.

Nathan took a deep, relieved breath and wrapped his arms around her as she settled back down. "I do love you," he murmured. "Even if you try and peek at your presents."

"I dinnae do nay such thin'!" she protested, pillowing her head on his shoulder. "Couldnae 'elp it tha' th' bag looked like mine. Ye were th' one peekin'."

"It was such an oddly shaped box," Nathan said meekly. "Couldn't help myself."

"Thank God for well thrown pillows, then. Like a two year old, I swear."

"You know that's one of the reasons you love me," Nathan said a bit smugly, hugging her tightly.

Snickering a little bit, Moira reached up for another kiss. "Amon' other reasons," she agreed.

"Mmm," Nathan said, then smiled at her as she drew back. "Do you sew?"

The abrupt serve through her for a loop and she blinked at him. "Sew? Aye, some, why?"

"One of the things I bought for you is burning a hole in my figurative pocket," Nathan confessed. "Mostly because I'm not sure what you're going to do with it." He glanced at the half-open closet door, tugging with his mind at one of the packages he'd stashed there earlier. It came floating out and over to the bed. "It was an impulse-buy," he said with a shrug, the smile still playing on his lips.

Confused but intrigued, Moira caught the bag and looked in it. "Ooooo, Nathan this is beautiful," she breathed, reaching into bring out the fabric. The color was a deep blue and it was gorgeously embrodiered with soft golden hues. The pattern turned out to be small flowers. She turned back, beaming, to kiss him. "Nay sure wha' I'll make, but I'll find somethin' ta do this justice."

"Just thought of you, when I saw it," Nathan murmured. "Did that with a few things, this week." He laughed again, softly. "Spending money on you is fun, you know."

She gently set the bag down and snuggled back up to Nathan, chuckling. "Th' feelin' is mutual," she replied gleefully. "...did ye say a few thin's?" Moira's eyebrows rose slightly.

Nathan gave her a completely unrepentant grin. "Do you know how little I've spend of all the money I've earned over the last seven years? Not to mention the portion of Mistra's slush fund I, um, liberated to give myself a start."

"Now I'm scared ta see wha' ye got me." She giggled at his look. "Maybe nay so much scared as really interested." Moira beamed and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll give ye one o' th' thin's I picked up for ye after yer appointment on Saturday."

"Incentive," Nathan said with a laugh. "Sneaky woman."