[[ crater-bound, diablo ]]

[almosthonorable]

whitetextiswhite

[ cowboys and russians ]


The fourth morning, Ben's awake well before dawn. Despite the hour, he's downright jovial from a night spent in an actual bed and the chance to wash away the dust from the trail.

(Of course, sharing that bed with Esfir's no hardship.)

They've still got a twelve-mile ride ahead of them, but he doesn't wake her just yet; the pads of his fingers are stroking the back of her neck in a steady, featherlight rhythm.

Comments

[almosthonorable]

He laces his fingers with hers, a small smile playing at his mouth.

"I'm glad you made me."

He looks over.

"Bet you'd make a fine teacher."

[aimedforthemoon]

"Oh, I'd scare them. It'll be fun." Her smile is crooked, but they both know she'd pour herself into her students despite that.

[almosthonorable]

That earns a smirk.

"You are good at strikin' fear into hearts."

A beat.

"Like right now -- got me shakin' in my boots."

[aimedforthemoon]

Esfir's eyes sweep him up and down.

"Your boots. Right."

[almosthonorable]

"Yes, ma'am."

Even if his grin belies that statement.

"Part of the reason I like you so much, Yazy."

[aimedforthemoon]

"Ridiculous man," but she's smiling as she says it.

[almosthonorable]

"Maybe."

A beat.

"But I'm thinkin' you like me, anyway. Maybe even because of it."

[aimedforthemoon]

"That so."

[almosthonorable]

"Yes, that's -- "

A pause.

"You sayin' it ain't?"

[aimedforthemoon]

Sadly, his only answer is Esfir laughing at him. Shoulders shaking, eyes dancing, she looks at him and then just shakes her head, still laughing.

"Come sit. We took long enough to get here."

[almosthonorable]

He doesn't mind, even if she is laughing at him.

(He likes her smile; he likes her laugh.)

So he takes off his jacket -- it's hot, anyway -- and spreads it on the dirt for Esfir, then takes a seat beside the makeshift blanket.

[aimedforthemoon]

Quite deliberately, she picks up the jacket, sits down where it was, and then puts it down in the space between them. She's still sitting down, though, and still holding his hand.

[almosthonorable]

"You make it awful hard to be a gentleman sometimes, you know that?"

[aimedforthemoon]

Chin up, she slants him an amused look.

"Yes, I do."

[almosthonorable]

"Well -- "

Pause.

"I like bein' a gentleman."

[aimedforthemoon]

Her look changes, amusement fading into thoughtfulness.

"But I'm not a lady," she points out, slowly. "And I don't...like being treated as if I'm going to break all the time..."

It's less a 'stop just stop', and more a 'what are your thoughts now'.

[almosthonorable]

"But you're a helluva woman," he counters. "You deserve to be treated like -- "

His forehead creases.

"Lieutenant, I know you ain't the breakin' type. There's nothin' about you that's weak."

[aimedforthemoon]

"It...still feels like being put on a pedestal. Most of the time."

Most of the time.

"And I'm...I don't feel comfortable with being put on a pedestal. I'm just...me."

[almosthonorable]

"Turns out I like just you, Fira, so you ain't gonna find any pedestal."

He pauses.

"Didn't know I was makin' you uncomfortable."

[aimedforthemoon]

"Coat on ground is uncomfortable. Doors if it is obvious, but not always. It. Not uncomfortable all the time. Sometimes, nice. But, not...not as a habit. Um. I mean, sometimes nice. But all time, no."

Beat.

"You...understand that?"

[almosthonorable]

"Mostly."

A beat.

"But I'm tryin' to work out how me not wantin' you to get the ass of your pants dirty on the desert floor makes you uncomfortable."

[aimedforthemoon]

"I-"

She regards him, and then the crater's floor.

"I'll explain later. It's. Complicated."

[almosthonorable]

He opens his mouth.

Closes it.

And wraps an arm around her shoulders.

(It's a wise man who knows when to press an issue and when to hold his tongue.)

A breeze kicks up, drying the sweat collecting beneath the brim of his hat, and he's content to study this hole in the ground crater with her for as long as she wants.