xp_logs | Nathan and Moira, 'holy-shit'o'clock', post-Reappearance

Very, very late Tuesday night, after the kids have reappeared and been checked out, Moira and Nathan regroup and crash.

The face-plant into the bed was incredibly undignified but Moira simply didn't care. She didn't even have the energy to force her shoes off, she realized, so she just laid there, wincing as her muscles relaxed slowly. In the background, she could hear Nathan moving about, turning off the lights and heading towards the bed. Normally, she would help him but they had just finished running everyone through MedLab and after days of stress and worry, all of her energy resources had been tapped.

Nathan shifted her telekinetically into a more comfortable position on the bed. "Everyone was okay?" he asked quietly, settling down beside her.

Turning her head so she could speak, she looked up at him. "Aye. Tired, an' thankin' God for real showers, but they'll be okay." Her thoughts went back to her talk with Amanda. "I think they'll be okay."

"Once they sleep a little, then we can figure that out for sure," Nathan said with a sigh, leaning back into the pillows. "I'm just glad they're all alive and relatively intact. We can work from there."

Nodding, Moira managed to crawl up the bed a little bit so she could put her head on his shoulder. "Aye, pretty much wha' I'm thinkin'. I think--they may 'ave learned quite a bit while they were gone. Some good, some nay so good, but yer right, we'll be able ta tell as time goes on."

"Three months," Nathan said, putting an arm around her. "Hard to believe. Harder for them to believe that it's only been a week here, I think - I noticed a couple of the kids looking shocked that my wrist was still bandaged."

"Maybe they jus' thought ye got 'urt again--ack!" Tiredly, she batted at the hand that was poking her in the ribs. "Seriously--aye, stupid other dimensions. At least it wasnae years like wha' Illyana 'ad ta go through."

"Thank goodness for small mercies," he agreed wearily, and stopped trying to poke her. "And that wasn't funny." He closed his eyes, breathing in, then out, trying to let the accumulated tension of the week drain away. Didn't work quite so well. "I was tempted to pitch that tent for us tonight, you know."

Moira giggled at the thought. "Do ye really think we'd be able ta make it out there, let alone use it th' way ye want ta?" she asked, throwing an arm over his chest. "We're bot' so bloody drained right now."

"Too loud in here, though," he muttered. "All these emotional reunions..." He had felt oddly wistful, watching the kids with their parents.

Wiggling a little, she managed to prop herself on his chest so she could look in his eyes. "Ye okay?" she asked, reaching up to play with his hair.

"Envious. Which is silly, given what they've all been through." He smiled a bit defensively, knowing she wouldn't be able to see it in the dark. "But it's been interesting. Being around all these parents who so obviously care for their children... with the exception of Alphonso, of course."

"Bastard. 'im nay ye, in case ye dinnae know." Moira sighed and leaned so she could kiss him softly. "'Tis nay silly, Nathan. Perfectly normal for ye ta feel envious after wha' ye told me 'bout yer own parents."

There had been another side to it, of course. Part of him had wondered how he'd feel, having a child thought lost magically reappear... Nathan smiled again, less tightly. #I'm so glad they're back,# he sent as she settled back down beside him. #The house feels right again.#

#It does at tha'. Nay longer so verra quiet, it needed th' noise.# Finally, she shoved the shoes off her feet and sighed in relief as they fell to the floor. #So worried,# she admitted, burying her head into his shoulder.

"Thought we agreed you were going to try and minimize that," he chided softly.

"I am tryin'." The answer was muffled because she hadn't bothered to raise her head.

"I know it's easier said than done." He raised a hand and stroked her hair. "But they're back now. Crisis over. All that's left is damage control."

Moira nodded, relaxing a little bit from the touch. "I know, I keep tellin' meself tha'." She chuckled softly. "Never been 'ugged so much in me life in one period o' time."

Nathan grinned. "Ah, yes. The squealing and the hugging. That was rather cute."

"I dinnae squeal," she protested half-heartedly, grinning a little. There had been one time she had almost been knocked over due to Paige, Amanda and Marie-Ange all attempting to hug at once. There had been, and would be, no complains from her, though.

"Glad I've gotten so much better with the hugging," Nathan said wryly. "Otherwise that could have been quite awkward."

"Glad ta see yer improvin'," Moira murmured, kissing his cheek. "One step at a time, aye?"

"One step at a time," he agreed. "And no more backsliding."

"Sometimes it cannae be 'elped but, aye, we'll do our best nay ta backslide." Giggling a little, she snuggled closer. "Maybe this weekend we'll do th' tent thin', aye?"

"Only if we get to announce it ahead of time," Nathan said firmly. "On the journals. 'Hey, kids. Out to the backyard to have lots of sex!'"

At that Moira died, giggling hysterically into his shoulder. "Tha's so mean!" she choked out. "Ye know they'd fall over screamin', some o' them anyway."

"Yes," Nathan said, mock-gravely. "And we could observe which ones laughed, which ones had hysterics, and which cheered us on. Would be a pretty good indication of any marked personality changes..."

She snickered slightly. "Tha's mean," she teased. "I knew there was a reason I liked ye."

"I never said I wasn't mean," Nathan said contentedly, then kissed the top of her head. At least the kids were back for him to torment, now. "I ought to ask Charles how soon he wants me to start classes again," he said thoughtfully. "Whether it would be best to get them back into a regular routine as soon as possible..."

"Probably a good idea. Give them some time ta get used ta bein' back an' then ease them in. Summer's almost over." Moira blinked. "Time flies, doesnae it. Seems like jus' yesterday I 'ad ta fly out ta Lichtenstein..."

"Six months," Nathan said after a moment, wondering at it himself. "And yet so much has happened..."

"We've managed ta fit so much in such a short amount o' time. Some o' it nay good..." She grimaced, remembering the attack on Muir. "But most o' it I wouldnae trade for anythin' else."

"You and me both, love," he murmured, beginning to project a very delicate sleep suggestion.

The link suddenly became very soothing and Moira found herself drifting off faster into sleep. "Love ye," she murmured, tightening her grip on him as she drifted off.