[[ crater-bound, night one ]]

[almosthonorable]

whitetextiswhite

[ ride a horse, save a cowboy ]


Just outside Curtiss, it's cold.

(Hell, it's cold in Curtiss.)

Which is why Ben's got a good-looking fire and a good-looking woman to keep him warm.

This beats the hell out of that ride to Contention; the only time he got near anybody in that camp was when he forked Tucker to death.

Comments

[aimedforthemoon]

Of course, said good-looking woman is currently cursing a blue streak (quietly, and in Russian) because eighteen miles?

Actually takes its toll on you when you are riding a horse as opposed to a plane, or even a car.

[almosthonorable]

"Long haul like this takes a little gettin' used to."

(That's something like apology in his voice.)

He gestures toward his big-enough-for-two bedroll.

"You wanna lay down, I'll rub your legs."

(The offer is entirely innocent. Or, as innocent as Ben's offers get.)

[aimedforthemoon]

She thinks about saying that she can't move. However, this would be a lie. Not that there is anything wrong lying, but she does have her pride.

"...please?"


Well, there is pride and there is pride.

[almosthonorable]

He tugs off his boots, sets his hat on Sugar's (currently horseless) saddle, and pulls back the quilt, settling on his side.

"Get yourself down here, Fira."

He's also waiting for the reaction -- if any -- that nickname gets.

[aimedforthemoon]

It gets a smile, soft and pleased, but the aching of her legs is distracting enough that she just gets down onto her knees and crawls over.

"I haven't been in," pause as she kicks one boot off, and stares in disgust at the other, "so much pain since training."

[almosthonorable]

He likes that smile.

Stretching, he eases the other boot from her foot.

"Trainin' sounds like hell, then."

His hand circles her ankle, skating over the delicate bones to massage her calf.

"Reckon I shoulda warned you a little more'n I did 'bout what a day in the saddle'll do."

[aimedforthemoon]

Bracing herself on her elbows, she smiles at him, very crookedly.

"You have no idea. Spun around to see if we could stand the pressure, flung up, and-" a soft whimper at his hands "-timed to see how long 'fore we'd faint."

[almosthonorable]

"Oh."

His hand works its way higher along her calf, kneading gently.

"Actually, that sounds like a helluva time, then. You have a favorite part?"

[aimedforthemoon]

"When I made the Chief smile. It...all the things we did? I can't choose. But we all loved that man, so...so when we could get him to smile." Slowly, she lets her head fall back and, slowly, she lowers herself down so that all of her is on the ground. "Chief Engineer. Korolev. It was...his idea, you know? His...dream, to build rockets and send people into space."

[almosthonorable]

"Well, now, helpin' him was partly your dream, too, wasn't it?"

His eyes flick upward, to the night sky, but his hand doesn't stop its ministering.

"Bein' up there?"

[aimedforthemoon]

"Da." Then, "But I wouldn't have known how. He was both dreamer and practical man, so he showed us."

[almosthonorable]

"Practical dreamer? Man after my own heart, then."

[aimedforthemoon]

Softly, with a trace of sadness,

"I can see that."

[almosthonorable]

"That ain't a bad thing, is it?"

[aimedforthemoon]

"No. No, it's not. I just..."

She looks up at the stars and blinks rapidly for a moment.

"Miss him. Miss...being there."

[almosthonorable]

His hand stills; he shifts and wraps an arm around her torso, pulling her closer.

"I think that's understandable."

[aimedforthemoon]

Esfir takes a deep breath, shuts her eyes and fists his shirt. He's warm, and solid, and here, and it's hard to fly off when he's here.

"Do you know...The stars are different, in Solo's world? I look out the window and I don't them. We sail through space, in all the black, and there's nothing to hold us."

She's speaking quietly, but not fast, not hysterical. Just quiet, and a little lost.

[almosthonorable]

"You got plenty to hold you, Lieutenant."

He dips his head, lips against her hair.

"And you got these Arizona stars right here."

[aimedforthemoon]

And you
"Here, yes. It's not..." Esfir trails off, trying to think even as she shifts closer to him. "All my life, I've flown between sky and earth. When I went to the Moon, I was always been Moon and Earth. I could hold up my thumb and block Earth out, just for a moment, but there is not Earth to do that. I can't read the stars or know their names.

I'm used to knowing."

[almosthonorable]

"I reckon it's a helluva adjustment."

His hand strokes her upper arm, a slow back-and-forth.

"They got charts in Solo's world? I know it ain't the same, but ... "

[aimedforthemoon]

It's soothing, is what it is.

"They do. It's, just...I can't even describe how large the distances we travel."

She lets out another breath, and opens her eyes. There is him and beyond him, stars. Stars she knows.

"But it's good seeing my stars again."

[almosthonorable]

"Oh, I got an inklin'."

He smiles, just a little, and drops a kiss into her hair.

"Tell you what, you can visit these anytime you want."

[aimedforthemoon]

"Thank you."

[almosthonorable]

"Thought we agreed you don't have to say that."

A beat.

"But you're welcome."