xp_logs | Nathan and Moira, Monday night (Reply)

Backdated to Monday night. Moira grumbles some more at Nathan about the hole in his leg. Then the conversation turns to the riddles, and she remembers that gift she had for him. Things proceed to get very sappy.

Sprawling on the bed skimming through potential Hindi readings for a couple of months down the line, Nathan paused, frowning and poking at the bandage on his leg. Itching and aching at the same time. It was driving him very slightly nuts.

"Stop pokin' at it," Moira warned, blindly reaching over a hand to slap him on the wrist. She never took her eyes of the genetic reading in front of her but she kept a hand close, just in case he decided to poke at it again.

Nathan grumbled, but took a moment to reflect with some wonderment on how accurate her aim had been, despite the fact that she hadn't so much as looked sideways at him. The link had some weird consequences sometimes.

"But it itches," he complained lightly.

"An' I dinnae care. Ye could 'ave avoided bein' injured in th' first place an' then it wouldnae 'ave itched, now would it?"

Nathan blinked. "You're not still--" Wait, yes, she was. He grimaced a bit. "Sloppiness, I told you that. It won't happen again."

At that, Moira tore her eyes away from the papers in front of her and raised an eyebrow at him. It was probably a good sign that she could still be annoyed with him despite all the presents and the poems he was giving her.

He raised an eyebrow right at her. "As training accidents go, this one was not significant," he said, with a certain amount of good humor. "I've had a lot worse. Comes with the territory."

She grumped at him, not able to find anything to retort back with. "Ye still shouldnae be pokin' at it."

"Fine. Not poking." He drew his hand back obediently, unable to help a grin. "You know, it didn't hit anything important..."

Moira reached over to smack him again but this time Nathan was too quick and she found herself suddenly being tugged down next to him. "Ye cheat."

"You're consistently calling me a cheat, you know," Nathan said with a chuckle, leaning in to give her a long, lingering kiss. Drawing back, he grinned unrepentantly at her. "You're going to give him a complex. Another complex. I have several, you know."

"But some o' them are so cute," Moira protested, snuggling closer. It was hard to stay irritated at him currently, she realized. Too many happy thoughts on the link and with everything he had been doing..."Wha' are ye up ta?"

He gave her a wide-eyed, innocent look. "Up to?" he inquired. "Are you implying that I'm... I don't know, being devious or something?"

"Aye. Devious, sneaky an' cute. All rolled inta one." She nearly whined. "Drivin' me insane, ye know."

"Good," Nathan said with a smirk, kissing her again, then letting his lips trail down across the line of her jaw to her throat. #That was the plan. I'm glad it's working.#

She shivered and played with his hair. #Meanie,# Moira sent back.

"It'll be worth it in the end," he said more softly, reaching up and smoothing her hair back from her face, tucking it behind one ear. "Trust me. I am devious, but it all has a purpose."

"I know. I'm jus' verra curious as ta wha' yer puttin' so much effort inta." Moira thought about it for a second and then grinned. "But while I wait...ye want tha' gift I mentioned at th' mall?"

Nathan blinked. "Sure," he said with a smile, sitting up and tugging her along with him. "Although it's just like you to satisfy my curiosity while I'm driving you nuts when it comes to yours. What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"I will give ye tha' list one o' these days," she teased before sliding off the bed. The package was hidden neatly under some empty suitcases, boxes and the like, remants from when they moved in to the new room. Moira pulled it out and then placed the long, heavy box on the bed.

Nathan looked at it, then at her, smiling at the sudden excitement in her eyes and bubbling down the link. "Not a gun, obviously, despite the shape," he teased, lifting off the lid.

Not a gun at all. A telescope. Nathan looked up at her, his eyes lighting up with delight and tenderness he couldn't have hidden, even if he'd wanted to. "I'm not the only one who likes to take a walk down memory lane, I see," he said softly, taking the telescope out carefully. "Or the only one who was thinking about our evenings spent stargazing..."

Moira smiled gently and brillantly at his reaction and slipped an arm around his waist. "When I saw this in th' antique store near our 'otel, I jus' 'ad ta get it," she explained. "We 'ad such good memories at Muir, Nathan, an' th' stargazin' ones are some o' me favorite."

"Mine too," he murmured, smiling back at her. "Hence that riddle and the windchimes..."

"I love everythin' ye've given me, love, dinnae know if I've mentioned tha' yet."

"Oh, a few times. Enough to salve my ego." He turned the telescope over carefully in his hands, smiling down at it. They would have to try it. Soon. "Although publicly exhibiting my doggerel-writing ability isn't quite as embarassing as I thought it would be, I must admit."

Moira giggled and kissed him on the shoulder. "'Tis all verra adorable, though," she assured him, watching him play with the telescope.

"It's too bad we don't get all the stars we should here," he said with a little frown, setting the telescope very carefully back in the box. "I bet it would be different at Lake George," he ventured suddenly, grinning.

"Ooo, I bet it would be ta." She sighed and leaned into him some more. "Think tha's wha' I miss th' most, sometimes. Th' night sky an' nothin' else for miles around."

He put an arm around her, kissing the top of her head. "It's wonderful," he said softly. "I can't wait to try it with you. Even if we don't manage to get somewhere with the right kind of sky until Christmas."

"I can wait tha' lon," she admitted, "lon' as I'm waitin' wit' ye."

"Trust me," he whispered, unable to help the catch in his voice as the warmth that radiated up the link enveloped him, made him feel safe, content, loved. "Not going anywhere..."

"Good." Moira buried her face in his chest suddenly and held on tightly, not quite sure why there was this tight lump in her chest. Only that it was there.

He wrapped both his arms around her, letting the air in his lungs out on a long sigh. "The good thing about these riddles? The memories are so strong. The feelings are all still there. I've been... afraid lately, about how disconnected I feel about some things..."

"But now 'tis all comin' back," she murmured softly. "Jus' took some time, tha's all."

"Hey," he said with a faint laugh, "a lot of it can stay... remote, if it wants. I just want the good times back." His arms tightened around her and he closed his eyes, breathing in the heather-scent of her hair.

Moira nodded and snuggled into him more, trying not to let go. "Jus' worry 'bout ye," was the muffled reply.

"I told Madelyne there are more good days than bad, lately," he whispered. "There really are. And I love you for helping me get there."

"Wha' else could I do?" Moira asked, still not loosening her grip on Nathan any.

"You could have done a lot of things," Nathan pointed out gently. "Or not done them. But you don't give up... you've never given up, and you know..." He breathed out, then in again. "I think I'm doing okay," he finally said, the words light but his tone anything but. "I feel like I'm doing okay. And I know you're here, on the good days and the bad..." He smiled suddenly, wistfully. "I trust. That you won't let me fall."

"Ye are doin' okay. I can feel ye gettin' better over th' link every day." Moira shook her head though. "Maybe I could 'ave done a lot o' thin's, but it never crossed my mind tha' I could do anythin' other than see ye through all o' this."

"Insert 'what did I ever do to deserve you' comment here," Nathan murmured wryly. "Again. I get the sense I'm going to be saying this for a long time to come."

She snickered softly. "Ye an' me bot'."