simon_doctor | (no subject)

(no subject)

It's Christmas morning at Southdown Abbey.

Very, very early Christmas morning. The perfect time to slip from one building to another without being spotted.

Because sneaking into the women's dorm at the abbey is easy for a brilliant doctor who occasionally moonlights as a criminal mastermind.

The tapping at Kaylee's door is light, as though whoever's knocking wants to be heard, but only if it isn't too much trouble -- or as though whoever it is doesn't want to be heard by anyone but this room's occupant.

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The door cracks open, just a bit.

One squinty hazel eye peers out at Simon.

The door cracks open a little more. Nobody's standing on the other side of it, though -- Kaylee's back in bed.

(The floor is cold.)

Simon eases the door just a little further open, enough to slide through -- along with the large flat package under his arm.

"Good morning, ai ren," he murmurs, closing the door carefully behind him.

"Get in here where it's warm," comes the mumble from the bed. "Gonna catch your death out there."

"I dressed warmly," he assures her, but nonetheless sits down on the edge of the bed and toes off his shoes preparatory to joining her under the blanket.

The package goes on the floor next to his shoes, carefully upright, leaning on the bed.

Once he's settled, Kaylee turns in toward him, burying her face in his chest with a mumble that sounds something like good morning.

He drops a kiss on her temple.

"Happy New Year, xin gan."

"...is it morning?" She peers up at him. "Don't feel like it."

"Early morning. I wanted to get here before the services started." He brushes a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I figured there was less chance of being seen on the way."

"I didn't think you'd come." She settles her head back down again. Sleepily: "Glad you did."

The words are a small warm glow, and he lets out a contented sigh and rests his own head on the pillow next to hers.

"Well," he murmurs, "I had to come bring you your present."

"Could've done it later," she points out. "'S what I'd've thought we was gonna do -- but yours, it's..."

Kaylee waves a hand loosely. "In my bag. For if we feel like movin' around."

"No hurry," and the words come out on a half-yawn.

Really, it's ridiculous how the starkly plain beds here can feel so decadent under the right circumstances.

She settles her hand next to her cheek and closes her eyes.

After a long moment:

"'S better with you here."

"I was just thinking something like that."

He's smiling. It's audible.

"...how vain." She's giggling a little.

That gets a snort of laughter, and a nudge in the side. "Something like that in the inverse," he clarifies, with dignity.

The nudge gets a tiny yelp, and more giggling. "Then you should've said the first time around."

"Clearly!" Mock indignation, not quite enough to hide his own laughter.

"Maybe next New Year's I'll get you a mirror. Or maybe for your birthday."

"Mm." Somehow in all the giggling, he's managed to slide an arm around her. "That doesn't sound nearly as pleasant as this."

"Have it your way."

Kaylee doesn't sound all that put out, though.

Neither does Simon, though his small sound of contentment isn't exactly verbal.

He'd be perfectly happy to doze off, if Kaylee feels like going back to sleep.

She does. The way her head starts to fall heavy against his chest might be some indication.

And now it's warm, too.

Some time later, with the sun starting to come through the windows, there's the not-very-distant sound of a deep-toned bell sounding through the stone walls.

Simon shifts, mumbling something half-awake.

"Not fair," Kaylee complains, and moves closer.