Trying to catch up on some sleep.

[dontchaserabbits]

Mako and Raleigh are theoretically in Moscow right now. Or is it Saint Petersburg. Raleigh doesn't even remember anymore.

What he does know is that the door to Milliways opened right after their thirty-seventh state dinner, and he was more than happy to grab his co-pilot and run away for a little bit.

He knew there were rooms upstairs, but tonight is the first time that Raleigh's taken advantage of one. Mako acquires two adjacent rooms for the both of them, and they quickly say their goodnights.

Raleigh's on his belly and snoring in less than ten minutes.

Comments

[co_pilot]

It's strange; anticipating a nightmare, she would've guessed that Stacker would've been the face she'd seen. It should've been his words, his promise. Not a memory she has no business seeing.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs, fingers quietly swiping across her cheeks.

"I'd felt it, before - just the fringes of the memory."

[dontchaserabbits]

The side that Mako's laying on now puts her in close proximity to the scarred-over wounds on Raleigh's left arm and pec.

"He tried to talk to me, before it ripped out the hull section. I never heard the end of the sentence, but...I always thought afterward he was trying to tell me to keep living."

Which was one of the reasons he left, afterward. Living obviously meant not being a Jaeger pilot anymore.

[co_pilot]

Living meant coming back, in the end. Maybe a part of each of them had to die so that they could live again.

And they've lost a lot to win back their freedom - the ghosts of their losses hang in the air around them. Stacker. Yancy. Chuck.

"You were still connected," she murmurs. "It's exactly what he was trying to tell you."

[dontchaserabbits]

"Words still count as much as feeling the thoughts of the Drift."

At least in Raleigh's opinion.

"Did you want to try and go back to sleep?"

[co_pilot]

"In a little while."

She slowly tilts her head to look up at him.

"Am I keeping you awake?"

[dontchaserabbits]

"Yes, but if you take that in a bad way I'm going to beat you on the mat later."

Dialogues and all.

"Let me -- nn -- " It takes Raleigh a minute or two to fiddle with both himself and the blankets so that Mako is in the crook of his left arm and shoulder, and their both covered by at least some of the quilt he'd found in those tiny ten minutes before unconsciousness earlier.

"I do have to warn you though that I'll keep talking until you tell me to shut up."

[co_pilot]

"You'll try to beat me on the mat later."

It's always good to specify these things.

Then again, she's not really thinking about that when she fits to him, somewhat conscious of her exposed skin pressed against the expanse of his - but he's warm, and her head fits just so against his shoulder.

"I don't mind you talking," she says, eyes finding the shape of his profile in the dark.

It'll keep the ghosts at bay.

[dontchaserabbits]

But then it becomes -- what to talk about?

"Yancy taught me how to fish, but he never would explain to me how to make those stupid lures you're supposed to use..."

Continuing on for a good while.

(If he forced her to see him, the least Raleigh can do is make Yancy a person instead of a specter.)

[co_pilot]

Her eyes droop slowly, gradually, a faint smile lingering as his voice fills the silence - anecdotes in low, conversational tones that put her mind at ease and restore her breathing to a normal rhythm.

If her hand comes to rest along his side, arm slowly encircling his middle, she remains unawares, exhaling deeply.

[dontchaserabbits]

"...and that's why I don't like strawberry ice cream."

Raleigh's stories finally end, and he cranes his neck to try and judge if Mako's truly asleep at this point.

"Oyasuminasai," he mumbles, hand ending up in her hair.

[co_pilot]

She wakes up first - some habits are engrained, even at the end of the universe - and Raleigh's still sleeping soundly, judging by the snores.

Slowly, she disentangles herself from him, carefully adjusting his hand so that it falls naturally, and pauses for just a moment to nudge her forehead against his.

Her intent is to secure a cup of coffee - real coffee from the Bar - but it ends up becoming an entire tray full of breakfast for the both of them, which she only just manages to balance while opening the door to his room at the same time.

[dontchaserabbits]

"Ma--" Seeing the door come open, Raleigh rushes to see if he needs help. He'd just been pulling on his shoes to see where Mako had gone off to.

"Thought you'd gone back to your room," says the man with one shoe on, one shoe off.

[co_pilot]

"I thought you might be hungry," she replies, looking down at the uneven status of his footwear.

"You were still asleep."

[dontchaserabbits]

Raleigh's pretty constantly hungry.

"I know - I just woke up a minute ago."

And the first thirty seconds or so after waking was spent analyzing the night's conversation.

"What'd you bring me?"

[co_pilot]

She sets the tray down at the foot of the bed, easing to sit down beside it, and slowly removes the covers from the plates.

"There is coffee in the thermos."

The plates themselves have fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon and a few pieces of toast.

(Hers is the one with the hot sauce on the eggs. His is the one with the pancake hiding underneath.)

[dontchaserabbits]

The bacon disappears before Raleigh really comes up for air. He pours coffee for Mako before himself, and then holds up a piece of toast to clink against hers in salute.

"To bread," he jibes.

[co_pilot]

She grins over the rim of her coffee cup and then bumps her half-eaten toast against his in reply.

"You don't think everyone is going to wonder why we look so well-rested?"

All the better for the tour, she supposes; they'll boost morale if they look more bright-eyed and less ragged.

[dontchaserabbits]

"My theory is that they finally figured out the amount of makeup they need to make me look tan under those stage lights."

[co_pilot]

"There may be no hope for that."

Or for her, as far as a tan is concerned.

"Where would you want to go? Once it's over."

If anything, he's entitled to a little time off now.

[dontchaserabbits]

"Don't know. The only thing I've done for five years before Hong Kong is now decommissioned, and...I just don't know.

"You?"

[co_pilot]

She shrugs both shoulders.

"I wanted to travel, originally, but we are already doing that now."

Beat.

"I think I would like to go somewhere quiet. A lake, or up in the mountains. Or a lake in the mountains."

Not the ocean. Not now that she knows how deep it truly goes.

[dontchaserabbits]

"Have you ever been to Lake Tahoe? I imagine now that they are tearing down the safe zone structures, it'll be pretty as hell again.

"We should go sometime."

[co_pilot]

"That is in the States, yes?"

She shakes her head.

"I have never seen it, aside from pictures. It looks lovely."

[dontchaserabbits]

"Maybe there'll even be a place where you can -- mmm. Rake sand? I don't..."

He remembers the flashes from the first Drift, but.

"...you looked happy while you were doing it."

[co_pilot]

She smiles at the memory.

"It is meant to hone concentration. To achieve perfect lines, to develop patterns - it is as much a mental effort as physical.

"Of course, when you are a child it is much harder."