Immediately after rescue.

[dontchaserabbits]

Mako only let go of him to let Raleigh be airlifted into the helo to go back to the Shatterdome. Only just, though - as soon as Mako rejoins him, her hands are on his head, fingers in his hair. Raleigh does his best to shake off the medics, but in such confined space they all win. (It helps that he is tired as all hell.)

Back at the Shatterdome is absolute chaos when the helo lands. There are no other words to describe it - the tech crews are running every which way, medics charging the landing pad, people wanting to talk to Raleigh, to Mako, to make plans, to debrief, to --

-- Mako exits the helo first --

Raleigh follows after, but more slowly (stupid leg fucking ribs ow)

Mako tries to turn around to Raleigh but is getting yanked away by some middle-management yokel to probably look at paperwork and this is not happening --

"Everybody back the hell off!" Raleigh bellows into the crowd on the landing pad, much to the astonishment of nearly everyone there. So many people have never even heard Raleigh raise his voice; it's all new to them.

But the yelling hurts, so that's the last time for the moment.

Comments

[co_pilot]

She nods, silent but firm - and her hand, on Raleigh's shoulder now, squeezes once.

It will be easier for her to remember for herself if she has to remind him to do it as well.

[dontchaserabbits]

"Fine. Disappear, you two. I'll play dumb for about an hour or two."

Or he'll try, at least - it's hard to keep out the hounds of human curiosity.

Raleigh nods, standing to leave, but feeling kind of naked only wearing the black under-armor suit that all pilots now wear. "I'll lock my door," he advises.

[co_pilot]

There are still pieces of the armor here and there, clinging to her frame; she'll shed the rest later, behind a closed (and locked) door.

After the chaos of the last hour, she needs the peace and quiet of the pilots' quarters - even if they will be the only pilots returning to them.

[dontchaserabbits]

In comparison to leaving the landing pad, getting to the hallway of their quarters is relatively easy.

Until they actually get there, and Raleigh starts walking up Mako's steps to her room.

[co_pilot]

She does not need to look to know that he is following her, though it seems the steps are giving him some trouble.

"Your leg?" she asks, frowning visibly, and ushers him into the room first before closing the door behind them.

[dontchaserabbits]

Raleigh just shrugs. It's as close to a nod as he feels like getting.

The adrenaline's down and sapped away, and Reality is here. He should feel ecstatic. Joyful.

Raleigh yawns obnoxiously wide and doesn't bother to cover his mouth.

[co_pilot]

Her own lassitude is reflected in the obvious slump of her shoulders, in the weariness behind her gaze.

She has to lean over with a minute wince in order to remove the rest of her armor, fingers fumbling.

[dontchaserabbits]

"Don't - c'mere -- "

He'll help. Besides, he can get to the hinges of the leg from his spot on the newly-attained bunk-space.

[co_pilot]

"You have more practice with this."

Spoken as she rests a hand on his shoulder, as she stands over him and glances down while he works at it.

[dontchaserabbits]

"My old suit was so much bulkier. The technology grew so much past the Mark IIIs..."

The armor now takes more of a beating, but it's easier to maneuver in - easier to remove, now.

But then it's Raleigh with his hands on Mako's upper thighs, and they just...stay there.

[co_pilot]

Her hair (with its kaiju blue strands) frames her face in loose waves, tangled and unruly.

She'd kissed him, out there in the middle of the ocean, the way she'd wanted to since she'd first laid eyes on him.

She can't help but think of it now.

[dontchaserabbits]

"You were perfect."

52 drops, 52 kills.

"We're great partners, you and I."

[co_pilot]

Her fingertips trace the shape of his face, the strong line of his jaw.

He'd saved her. He'd saved them all.

"And I think your timing is better now."

[dontchaserabbits]

"No 'two moves earlier' commentary?"

[co_pilot]

"Not this time."

Not when the move had truly counted.

(And he certainly had never held back with her - being in each other's heads had inevitably made that impossible.)

[dontchaserabbits]

"Can I stay here?"

[co_pilot]

She'd been thinking it before he even voices the question; a part of her wonders if it's possible that their minds are still connected in some way, a few invisible threads of the handshake.

When she sits down on the bunk beside him, leaning against his side, her exhale is a tired sound.

"Please."

[dontchaserabbits]

Raleigh doesn't even care that he's still wearing most of his bodysuit.

Once he manages to splay himself out on Mako's bunk, he's asleep in about three minutes.

[co_pilot]

She curls up next to him, the two of them easily fitting close together in the bunk.

Her hand covers his, face relaxing in sleep.

[dontchaserabbits]

When he wakes up, he feels better and worse all at once. Sleep always does him good - but waking up means all his vertebrae crack like tinder-sticks. It makes him groan into Mako's hair --

Oh.

"Mornin'?"

[co_pilot]

She's slow waking, her face effectively hidden against his chest. She'd slept, dreamless, soothed by the sound of his heartbeat.

No one has come looking for them.

"Is it?"

[dontchaserabbits]

"No - we've only been asleep for about three hours yet."

[co_pilot]

She swallows back a groan, stretching to try and ease some stiffness.

"It felt like less."

[dontchaserabbits]

"We don't have to -- to go anywhere."

Not yet.

They could keep pretending.

[co_pilot]

"They will find us. Eventually."

Even as she says the words, she doesn't budge an inch.