[[ milliways, upstairs ]]

[almosthonorable]

whitetextiswhite

Ben's settled in the armchair in his room, head bent over his sketchbook.

This is a little harder without a certain Russian pilot in the room for comparison, but so far, he's making do.

Comments

[aimedforthemoon]

It's...been a day, day here meaning 'twenty-four hours'.

This is not entirely why Ben gets a familiar knock on the door and a 'Venya, you in?' (she does, obviously, seeks his company for its own sake), but it accounts for that knock happens now.

[almosthonorable]

The graphite pencil stills and he abandons the sketchbook to cross the room; when he opens the door, Esfir gets a smile smile that's equal parts welcoming and concerned.

"C'mon in, Lieutenant."

(His room isn't quite as tidy as hers, but it's close — if you ignore the books and scraps of paper littering the top of the dresser. But the bed dominating the room is made, its sheets clean and patchwork quilt wrinkle-free.)

[aimedforthemoon]

(books are made for littering places, as far as Esfir is concerned)

He gets a small smile back, and ignore the tiredness, Ben.

"Thank you," she says, gratefully.

[almosthonorable]

He can't completely ignore the shadows in her eyes and smile.

"No need for that," he says, putting a gentle arm around her shoulders. "When you see what I've got for you, you'll really thank me."

[aimedforthemoon]

"Oh?"

[almosthonorable]

"'Oh' is right."

He steers them to the armchair and smiles.

"Close your eyes, please."

[aimedforthemoon]

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Esfir obediently shuts her eyes.

"Should I...hold out my hand, or just keep eyes closed?"

[almosthonorable]

"Eyes closed'll work just fine."

There's a quiet rustle as he works the drawing free of the sketchbook, careful not to smudge the rendering.

"Open 'em up."

[aimedforthemoon]

She opens her eyes. She looks. She opens her mouth.








"You...drew me."

[almosthonorable]

"Could've been a lot better job, but ... "

A nod.

"I did."

A beat.

"Is that, uh, all right?"

[aimedforthemoon]

Very slowly, Fira starts to smile. Slow, but utterly delighted.

[almosthonorable]

"I see that smile, Lieutenant."

[aimedforthemoon]

It widens into a grin.

"You have good eyes."

[almosthonorable]

"That I do."

His lips press against her hair, light and brief.

"Good enough to see you look kinda tired. Any particular reason for that?"

[aimedforthemoon]

She links an arm around his waist and leans into him.

"I stayed up most of last night babysitting Kate."

[almosthonorable]

"Babysittin'?"

[aimedforthemoon]

"She was drunk enough that I thought it would be good idea for her to have company."

Company that is friend and female and not likely to take bullshit.

[almosthonorable]

His expression flattens.

"She have an excuse for crawlin' into the bottom of a bottle?"

[aimedforthemoon]

"She was angry." Beat. "Planning to talk to her once the hangover's died and I'm not so much like a zombie."

[almosthonorable]

He's pulling back the quilt and sheets when he looks up.

" -- zombie?"

[aimedforthemoon]

"...undead person. More undead than me.There is a song about it."

[almosthonorable]

"Oh."

(Dan Evans will be hearing about this piece of new vocabulary the next time Ben sees him.)

He gestures toward the bed.

"C'mon, Lieutenant, you're beat."

[aimedforthemoon]

"Only a little bit." She stands up on her tiptoes, tugs him down slightly and kisses the corner of his mouth. "I'll be better company in a couple hours."

But now, sleep.

[almosthonorable]

"You're always fine company."

[aimedforthemoon]

"Ah-huh." And with that, she crawls into bed. Like any good soldier, she's asleep within moments.

And, like any good soldier, she wakes up in exactly two hours.

[almosthonorable]

Ben's propped against the headboard, working on a fresh sketch of Fira in repose.

(She's beautiful all the damn time, but there's just something about the way she looks when she's sleeping.)

"Good nap?"

[aimedforthemoon]

"Mrrmm." It's more of a groan than an endearing moan or whimper. For a moment, Esfir just lays there with her face in the pillow. Then she nods, rolls over and rubs at the back of her head.

"I feel more alive."

[almosthonorable]

He taps his eraser against the top of her head.

"You could sleep some more, y'know. No law against it."

[aimedforthemoon]

She thinks about that.

"No, I want to go and catch Katya while she's too hungover to run away."

Beat. An amused glance.

"Then...I could come back."

[almosthonorable]

"You could."

A beat and a half-smile.

"You should."

[aimedforthemoon]

"Then I will."