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]

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."

[dontchaserabbits]

Raleigh looks a little bewildered.

"When I was a kid I wrestled people."

Different circumstances?

[co_pilot]

"Why am I not surprised?"

Of course, if Stacker had not interrupted them, things could have taken a different turn on the mats.

[dontchaserabbits]

Would have.

"I'm a pretty easy-to-read guy, Mako. You always made it seem that way, at the very least."

[co_pilot]

"And yet."

The predictable thing about her co-pilot rests in his unpredictability.

"You do still surprise, at times."

[dontchaserabbits]

"So do you."

[co_pilot]

She quietly eats a grape.

"How so?"

[dontchaserabbits]

"For all the surety you want to...project, you're..."

Taking a grape from Mako's plate, just because, "...kind of scrappy."

[co_pilot]

"Remind you of anyone?"

There is a reason their hemispheres link together so well.