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[x-mactaggart.livejournal.com]

Getting ready for bed, Moira and Nathan relax with each other. She's a little worried about Sean and Nathan interacting but is more taken back at having three of the people she considers her closest friends under one room. And having it not explode. They cuddle and then get downright mushy.



Idly, Moira flipped through one of the science books that she had picked up ages it ago. It had missed the destruction of the front room but only barely; it had been in the kitchen area under something. As it was, the book was barely hanging onto it's binding and it wouldn't be long before it was headed to the trashcan. Looking over, Moira smiled at Nathan, who was sprawled over most of the bed. Moving slightly, she angled herself so that she could put her legs on him comfortably. "Tired?"

Nathan smiled at her. "Do we have an ulterior motive for that question, or were you just being a mother hen?" She grinned and drew one leg back to kick him, but he caught it, patting her knee. "Yeah, a little. Which is funny, because today was a moderately relaxing day, at least by our usual standards." Except for Angie's little episode, but they'd hashed that over hours ago. He was still concerned, but actively fretting wasn't going to help much.

"Yer incorrigible, ye know tha', right?" she asked dryly, relaxing as he started to work on the muscles in her calf. "Probably jus' need ta catch up on th' sleep, love. An' thank God today's been quiet after everythin' tha's 'appened lately."

"Don't say that too loudly," Nathan advised her sagely. "You never know who might be listening." She laughed, and he smiled again, happy to hear how relaxed she sounded. "Hope Dom's having a good time with the kids tonight. Not too good, mind you."

Chuckling, she put the book down. "She needs a good deal o' fun but it scares me 'ow much fun she can come up wit' when she wants ta."

"Yeah. Don't know where she picked that habit up." Nathan reached out and pulled Moira properly onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. If she was done reading, then it was his turn, he thought contentedly.

Sliding her arms around his neck, Moira nestled her head on his shoulder. "Nay, she could never 'ave jus' picked it up..."

They were silent for a good few minutes, both of them content just to relax in each other's presence, thoughts and images moving freely up and down the link. This was getting to be a regular part of the day, this silent sharing, and Nathan suspected it was only further deepening and strengthening the link.

Something caught his attention and he made a thoughtful noise. "You know the new history teacher?" he inquired.

"Hmm?" Roused from the comforting humming of the link, she tilted her head to look at him. "O', Sean? Aye, we go way back. Knew 'im before Charles, even."

"Before Charles? That is going back a ways." Moira scowled and poked him in the ribs, and he grinned sheepishly, taking her hand and kissing it. "You know him, Pete knows him... he probably knows of me..."

"I swear ta God, I'm th' who's who o' mutants." Turning her hand over, she lightly traced Nathan's jaw. "Before Joe, even," Moira added.

"Before Joe?" Nathan blinked, then laughed softly. "Oh, my. Back in your wild period, no?"

Curious, she poked along the link and then relaxed when she didn't get any thoughts of wanting to do horrible things to Sean. "Aye. A wee bit o'...somethin'. Good Lord, Terry would jus' *die*, I'm thinkin'." Moira didn't look too horribly upset by that, more amused than anything. "But 'e returned ta Muir later, needin' me 'elp an' we've been in pretty good touch since then."

"Mmm," Nathan said, considering the situation for a moment. There was a trace of anxiety in Moira's thoughts, and he kissed the top of her head. #There are a lot of things I doubt in this world,# he sent reassuringly. #The fact that you love me isn't one of them. I had my little bout of insecurity with Pym and got it out of my system.#

Any left over tension drained out of her body and she tugged him down a little so she could kiss him. #'ave I told ye today 'ow wonderful ye are?#

#No... feel free,# he sent back with a mental chuckle, then lost happily in a long lingering kiss. She finally drew back, settling back down against him and making that vaguely purr-like sound, and he chuckled again, aloud this time. "And since he's your friend, I'll do my very best to forget that he's a cop."

"Even still...I feel like I'm goin' ta 'ave ta threaten ye bot' wit' bodily 'arm at one point or another," Moira remarked, grinning.

"I'm hurt," Nathan said disingenuously. "You don't trust my self-restraint?" She opened her mouth as if to protest, but he shook his head, smiling, laying the tips of his fingers over her lips to stop her. "I'm kidding. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't... quite, all things considered."

"There's a reason I never mentioned ye ta 'im or 'im ta ye." Moira shook her head against his shoulder. "Even now I'm a wee bit leery. I may nay 'ave seen Sean in a while but I care 'bout 'im a great deal. An' I love ye ta pieces. So...well, it'll be interestin'. Especially since 'e doesnae know...I dinnae think."

"He's not liable to be thrilled at the idea," Nathan said, a bit warningly. "I wasn't kidding when I said he probably knows me. If he worked anti-terrorism for Interpol... well," he went on wryly, "I wasn't quite a terrorist, but close enough."

"Yer a former-almost-terrorist, 'e's a former anti-terrorist-cop..." She paused. "Lord 'elp me."

"I'll behave," he promised her, quite seriously. "Not about to upset you, or let Charles down by petty squabbling with other members of the faculty."

"I trust ye," she murmured, nuzzling his jaw. "I'm jus' a wee bit taken back by 'avin' me three good friends under one roof. Tha' 'as *never* 'appened before."

"And that's not a good thing?" There was a definite edge of... something quite nice on the link now, and he grinned, shifting around and lowering her back to the bed. "Consider it making up for all those years of immuring yourself on Muir."

"Oh 'tis a bloody fantastic thin'," Moira replied, smiling back up at him as she settled into the mattress. "But I wasnae tha'..." Nathan gave her a look and she sighed. "Okay, maybe I was really bad 'bout tha'."

"I'm still very smug about something," Nathan murmured. She made a questioning noise that turned into a breathy sigh as he trailed kisses down her neck. #When it comes to the fairy tale about the lady on her island, the broken-down old soldier got her in the end...#

Murmuring softly, she tugged on his chin so she could kiss him again, sighing as he nestled closer. #Ye 'ad doubts tha' 'e would?# she sent, caressing the link.

#Once upon a time, yeah.#

#Does it 'elp ta know tha' I dinnae? Nay after I realized wha' was goin' on...took me lon' enough.#

He propped himself up on an elbow, stroking the hair back away from her face with a gentle hand. "I think we're making up for it now," he said softly. "I'm liking this whole 'us' thing, lady. Liking it a lot."

A flush rose to her skin as Moira reached out to tangle her hand with his. "So am I. Thank God we wised up when we did because I cannae think o' nay 'avin' this."