hallelujahpilot | after the brig

Trudy has spent two weeks surrounded by walls. One was glass, but it had a view of the rest of the brig. She kept herself occupied as best she can, but four walls. Not flying, not running, not really walking. Four walls, when she's gotten so used to being outside on the science sorties.

When she arrives at Milliways (after going to her quarters, after showering and pulling on shorts and a t-shirt and washing her hair to try and get the smell of the brig out of it) Trudy doesn't stick around inside.

She heads straight for the back door, and climbs a tree.

Not very high, but it's enough.

She's outside, she has a few, and under her bare feet, she has bark. Not silky cement, not cold metal, but living bark.

(she can breathe, now)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

one_man_army

Carl exhales a laugh, shaking his head.

"He heard it from me when he showed up in here, I promise."

He has to remind himself that Jack's not really dead, and not really buried beside his wife in that cemetery in L.A., and not yet held by the Chinese for years and tortured.

His fingers intertwine with hers.

"You look like you could use a tan."

From:

hallelujahpilot

"That an offer, Benton?"

From:

one_man_army

"Either here or back home. I'm looking at getting out of London, and might head somewhere warm again."

But not Cancun.

"I hear Portugal isn't that bad this time of year. Or we could tan here and then go to Norway."

From:

hallelujahpilot

"Here's a sim. A damn good one, but...feels like a park. Your world's real. I like real." She ducks her head. "Portugal, and. Maybe if you ain't sick of me, Norway?"

She needs to get the fuck away from Hell's Gate for a while, if only so when she comes back she can do her job properly.

From:

one_man_army

He glances up at her.

"Trudy...we can go anywhere y'want to go. I ain't gonna get sick of you."

From:

hallelujahpilot

"Don't make promises y'might not be able to keep," she says, but she's smiling.

From:

one_man_army

"I'm willing to bet on it. Risk taker that I am and all."

He's Army. They do take risks now and again.

From:

hallelujahpilot

"Yeah-huh. Okay, well, we'll see."

Beat.

"Wanna get out of the tree?"

From:

one_man_army

"Probably a good idea."

He smirks.

"'Cause I'm pretty sure my ass is fallin' asleep."

From:

hallelujahpilot

"And such a fine ass it is, too," she says, after a brief battle as to if she should go mocking or not. "'Sides, I feel better, now."

Because sometimes, you just need to climb a tree.

From:

one_man_army

"I'm more fond of yours, but I think that's a given."

He shifts and slides to work his way down off the branch and back to the earth below, waiting for her to hop down before he offers her his hand.

From:

hallelujahpilot

"Well, this is because I have a nice one," she says, making her way down the tree. For someone who grew up around buildings, she's pretty good at this whole tree-climbing business.

And if ever she had a sense of modesty, being career enlisted military certainly cured her of it.

Once she jumps to the ground, she takes his hand, and then kisses him.

"Missed you."

Edited Date: 2010-09-25 04:53 am (UTC)

From:

one_man_army

"You really do."

He returns the kiss, settling the hand that's not holding hers at the base of her spine as he pulls her into a loose hug.

"Missed you too."

From:

hallelujahpilot

And after two weeks of no physical contact with anyone, she moves into the embrace with a relieved sigh. She ducks her head once the kiss stops, resting it on his shoulder as her other arm moves around his waist.

"How long outside your door?"

From:

one_man_army

"How long's it been?"

His thumb brushes across her waistband as he asks the question, a little confused about the wording.

From:

hallelujahpilot

She nods. "Yeah. Just wonderin' if there's any actual relation between times. Or ratio."

From:

one_man_army

"I spent a few days in here just to hang 'round, but it's only been a week or so out in London. I don't think there's any system that works to gauge it."

He pulls back and looks down at her.

"You can stay as long as you want, though. Out there."

From:

hallelujahpilot

Her eyes narrow a bit, but it's thoughtful more than anything else.

"Ya sure?"

From:

one_man_army

"Yeah. M'sure. You've got your ID and it's not like I've got anythin' to do other than take a long holiday. We could...I dunno. Go t'Portugal, spend some time on the beach...see Norway...backpack in Scotland...I don't really care. Havin' company will make it much more pleasant."