Tucker returns home after taking his dad to rehab in Am I Blue? and is pretty wound-up. Rated K. Tucker/Libby. Tucker's POV.

Disclaimer: I do not own Royal Pains.


I Am Now

I took the steps up to my house with a sigh, drained from taking dad to rehab. Not something I had expected to deal with when I woke up this morning. I unlocked the door and stepped in the foyer in a slight daze. Closing the door, I leaned back, rubbing lightly at my tired eyes. I needed sleep. Desperately!

Without thinking I tossed my keys onto the counter perched nearby, cringing the next second as I heard it clatter across the hard surface. That definitely made it all the way up to the second floor.

I stilled, listening to the quiet of the house for any sign that the noise had woken the girl that was, surely by now, sleeping. The silence actually seemed to echo louder in my ears, but it seemed safe to assume that Libby was fast asleep in my bed upstairs.

My soft, warm, and welcoming bed… On that note, I moved for the stairs. With any luck I could slip into bed and join Libby in dream land in a matter of moments! The thought made a small smile grace my face. Libby looked absolutely angelic when she was sleeping, the most peaceful contrast to her usual neurotic-ness.

Yeah, my Libby's an angel when she wants to be. Like earlier, she didn't skip a beat when I told her I was checking my dad into rehab. She rambled off some random statistics about the success rate of rehab centers encouragingly and told me she'd be here when I got back. 'Of course!'

I chuckled to myself, even Libby's parents considered her to be living with me!

"Tucker?" her voice startled me and I stumbled a little just below the last few steps. Grabbing the railing just in time to prevent serious injury. Luckily, Libby was still-half asleep or she'd be in full-on panic mode by now.

"Hey, sorry, didn't mean to wake you," I told her softly, looking up at her now that I was balanced again. Standing on the edge of the top-step, absolutely breathtaking… Her pale face was framed in golden waves, her hair messy from falling out of its ponytail.

I liked it when she looked like this. I liked the way her long legs stemmed from under my blue shirt, the hem just barely gracing her thighs. Her hands were absently fiddling with the fabric as her mind slowly woke up.

"Its fine," Libby mumbled, almost inaudibly, as she walked down a few steps and leaned into me, "You okay?" I smiled at her concern, wrapping my arms around her as we stood motionless on the staircase.

She nuzzled into my neck, the soft scent of hand sanitizer and Libby's apricot, anti-bacterial soap invading my senses. The familiar scent was relaxing, and here with Libby I felt perfectly content.

Closing my eyes with a tranquil sigh I finally replied, "I am now." I could feel Libby grinning into my neck, her hands gripping my shirt loosely before she started to lead me up the stairs toward the sweet peace of sleep.


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