simon_doctor | (no subject)

(no subject)

"As working vacations go," he says as he closes the aircar door behind him, "that went pretty well, I thought."

His suitcases are in the back; his flight departs in three hours, giving them plenty of time to get to the spaceport.

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She opens the back hatch, slings his bag in, reaches for the other. "It's open."

He hefts the second bag to make it easier to reach, murmurs "Xiexie" as she takes it.

"Sorry you had to wait," he says, opening the passenger door.

"Mm."

The hatch shuts.

A few seconds later, Kaylee opens the door and has a seat. "Not like it's your fault. And it's not like I had anything going."

"Mm," he says in turn, leaning back into the seat.

"It's good to be back."

"Did you eat?" She pulls out into traffic. "I got something I could heat up."

"I haven't eaten, no -- I was going to just go to sleep, but something to eat would probably be a good idea."

He watches the streets go by.

"Or I could make you a big breakfast in the morning." Kaylee slips into a turn lane. "Your call."

"...I may go with in the morning," he says. "I'm more tired than I've got any right to be."

Reasonable, as they head out on the tollway: "Like as not you didn't sleep all that great."

"It felt like I did, but possibly not. And of course there's the time difference."

He glances at the time readout in the car, trying to internalize it.

"Mm."

Her hand curls around the yoke; she changes lanes.

He's studying her face now, painted by the passing lights.

Soft: "I missed you."

She knows what she's supposed to say.

"I missed you, too." She doesn't take her eyes off the road.

There: a faint tremor of unease.

He pushes it down. She's probably tired too.

Simon leans his head against the headrest, and half-closes his eyes.

Traffic's light; they make it in just under twenty minutes.

Quiet: "You go ahead and go to bed, and I'll bring the bags in before I come up?"

"You're sure?" He looks at her, a little surprised.

"You're tired." She looks surprised right back at him. "It's not like it's trouble."

He smiles, and leans to kiss her cheek.

"You're too good to me."

A faint smile; she takes his hand and heads for the house.

You don't realize how much a place feels like home, he muses as they step in, until you come back after being away.

At the foot of the stairs he pauses, hand resting lightly on the wall.

Kaylee looks up at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he says, and smiles down at her. "Are you coming up soon, or not until later?"

Wry: "If I come up now, your bags won't make it out."

"Well ..." He reaches out a hand toward her. "If I'm asleep by the time you come up, then ... I'll see you in the morning?"

She squeezes his hand and lets go. "Shi a."