Author's Note: Based on a prompt from an Anon of: Melinda sneaking into Phil's quarters on the space station.
I would have posted this sooner but my computer had been sent off for servicing. Anyway, enjoy :)
They part ways as the walkway splits off into two. Her eyes linger on his back as she watches him walk away towards his own bunk, the only sound being his boots hitting the metal grates on the floor and the air travelling through the pipes surrounding them. Though he may try to hide it and may even be successful in doing so with their team and their new commanders, she can see the strain that their situation is taking on him. Only she can see the slight slump in his shoulders as he walks, the weight of everything they're going through resting heavily on him, his guilt and self condemnation, anger and despair. He would never allow the team to know how truly desperate and broken he feels, but she knows him better than he knows himself sometimes. It's almost impossible for him to hide how he feels from her sometimes.
Sighing, she turns her head away fro watching his retreating figure as he disappears round a corner leaving her standing there alone in the corridor to contemplate how they've ended up in this mess of a situation. An automated PA announcement sounds throughout the spaceship notifying them that it is five minutes til curfew.
She hates that damn thing.
Lying alone in her bunk she stares up at the grey ceiling, complementary to the grey walls surrounding her. In here it is quiet. Here there is no quiet hum of generators, nor the sound of air travelling through pipes. It's silent, unnaturally so. Usually she is not bothered by silence, but this silence somehow manages to put her on edge.
Two weeks she thinks to herself. Two weeks since they found themselves trapped and enlisted into some sort of intergalactic space army. Just when she thought their lives couldn't get any weirder… It did. What is it going to take before all of them can just catch a damn break? It's both frustrating and infuriating, like whatever they do it's never enough because there will always be some new and greater problem for them to deal with. This however, being trapped in space and involuntarily enlisted probably takes the cake. There is hardly time for any of them in the team to really see each other beyond fleeting minutes in walkways, and though she might not say it out loud, she misses them. The team. But most of all Phil. It's like the universe is trying to mock her. They see each other: she sees him as she walks past the communications centre to the training room, he sees her as he goes by the flight control station to the command centre. It's painful really, seeing each other but never actually being able to properly interact. All they have is the three minutes a day as they are released for the night and make their way back to their bunks before curfew. God she just misses him so much.
The silence enveloping her does nothing to help ease the ache in her chest. An ache from a lack of Phil she thinks. Their whole situation is ridiculous and stupid she thinks, throwing her feet onto the cool floor before leaning over to tug on her boots. To hell with curfew she thinks as slides her door open, slipping out into the dimly lit corridors, treading lightly on the metal grates of the floor, moving silently. When she reaches his door she hesitates, what if he's asleep? Rolling her eyes at herself she raps a series of knocks on his door lightly. If he doesn't answer, then she'll just return to her own bunk she reasons with herself. The door in front of her however opens with a quiet hiss and she could laugh at the surprised expression on Phil's face if she wasn't so relieved to see him.
Without a word, she steps into his bunk and wraps her arms around his middle, burying her nose in his chest and breathing in his familiar and comforting scent as his own arms settle warm and heavy around her waist holding her close. After a while she pulls back, his arms now wound around her waist lightly, still holding her close.
"I missed you too," he says softly, breaking the heavy silence of the room.
She looks up at him slowly, dark eyes shining with unshed tears, before leaning back into him and resting her head against his chest. All she can hear is the gentle sound of his breathing and the steady beat of his heart. His fingers card through her hair soothingly, and she can almost feel herself getting lulled into sleep. Swaying on her feet for a moment, it is only Phil's solid form and strong arms around her keeping her upright.
"You should sleep," he whispers into her hair pressing a sweet kiss to the top of her head.
She shakes her head against him, almost like a petulant child refusing to go to bed when their parent tells them to. The truth is though, she isn't ready to let go of him just yet. She knows that if she does she might just break down a little, and she can't afford to do that right now. He must know what she means though, because instead of pushing her, all he does is pull back a little to lead her towards his own bed.
"Stay?" He asks as if he is unsure of her answer.
Of course she'll stay, she'd do anything for him.
He slides in under the blankets first and holds them up for her to slip under after him as well once she's taken off her boots. They both lie on their sides as they look at one another, practically nose to nose. Tenderly, she runs her fingertips lightly over his features, his nose, his brow, his jaw, his lips. It feels intimate, and she cannot resist pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. His eyes flutter shut as her touch dances over his skin, and he cannot help but lean in towards her. She presses another kiss to the other side of his mouth before he turns his head, capturing her in a full kiss. It's filled with all the things they want to say, all the things that need to be said but they never have the time to say. It's both bitter and sweet.
"Don't ever doubt how much you mean to me," he whispers roughly, pressing another kiss to her lips, "I will get us out of her ok?"
His blue eyes look at her with such warmth and sincerity and she knows there is no doubt in his words.
"We will get through this," she tells him emphasising the we, "like we always do."
He smiles a small smile at her, tinged with sadness but filled also with love and hope. Because that's how they've always dealt with everything so far, together, as a team. Kissing her again, he presses one to her lips and another to her forehead before tightening his arm around her, holding her tightly as they both drift off to sleep. Tonight, they are together sleeping in his bunk, and tomorrow, they will deal with the consequences that come with it. Together, they will find a way to bring their team home.
A/N
Please review and let me know what you thought, reviews always make my day. If you have any prompts, feel free to drop it in a review, PM me or you can message it to me on tumblr at hardcore-evil-regal.