[[ pre-dawn, milliways, upstairs ]]

[almosthonorable]

whitetextiswhite

[ the lonely light of morning ]


He's blinking in the darkness, already upright and swinging his legs over the side of the bed before he knows why.

Then the rapping -- light but insistent -- registers.

"Hold on just a minute, gotta -- "

He yanks on his pants and pulls his undershirt over his head, then pads to the door barefoot.

"The hell's the -- "

He's squinting, running his free hand through his impressive case of bed-head.

" -- Kate?"

Comments

[almosthonorable]

"Kate."

He tilts his head to catch her eyes.

"I'll tell him."

[ikissdhimbck]

She keeps her eyes down, and her lips pressed tightly together.

After a moment, she nods jerkily.

[almosthonorable]

"All right, then."

[ikissdhimbck]

That about says it all.

She draws in a deep breath, and stands from the bar stool. Glancing back to the larger Colt on the bar top, she nods once, as if Lady Bar can see her.

"Would you continue to hold onto Mr. Bonney's pistol for me, Miss Bar?"

The gun disappears, and Katherine turns her attention back to Ben.




"I don't know what to say."

There's a very interesting stain on the floor at her feet.

"But I think 'thank you' is a good place to start."

[almosthonorable]

Didn't know that was the Kid's piece.

His eyes move back to Katherine when the pistol disappears.

"Told you not to thank me till you get back here."

(Now that she's standing, too, he feels like he's towering over her; she's so damn small.)

"I meant that."

[ikissdhimbck]

Doc will have an interesting story to tell about how Katherine got that pistol, should Ben ever ask.

Her lips quirk just briefly, and she nods.

"Forgive me."

There's a long pause, while she tries to collect her thoughts into words.

"Ben--" Beat. "You... I... you..."

She gives up on words, instead wrapping her arms around his middle in a snug embrace, face buried in his shirt.

[almosthonorable]

He doesn't move for a handful of heartbeats.

Ah, hell.

His arms go around her, careful and light.

"You just be smart like I know you are," he says, his chin brushing the top of her head.

"And keep both eyes open."

[ikissdhimbck]

"I promise."

Everything.

(Even what went unspoken.)

I promise, God, all of it. I promise.

That said, she pulls away from his embrace and slowly moves toward her door.



Where hell is waiting outside.

[almosthonorable]

He watches the Front Door close behind her before his eyes move around the still-quiet bar.

He wonders what he just let her walk into.

Studying the counter, he resists the urge to order whiskey and asks Bar to hold on to Katherine's discarded charcoal coat.

Another cursory glance around the bar proper.

"Coffee, please."

He settles onto a stool and picks up his mug; he figures Doc'll be awake and downstairs soon enough.