A/N: For Standard-Ang3l

My Favorite Way

By angellwings

Z tiptoed into the B-squad common room. She couldn't sleep. It was Christmas Eve, and no matter what she did she couldn't sleep. So, she thought she'd have some tea or a cup of hot chocolate. She didn't bother turning on the light. Her eyes adjusted and she could see nearly everything. She punched in what she wanted into the food simulator. Usually she didn't trust it. She preferred her food prepared the old fashioned way, but it was late and she was tired. Simulated hot cocoa would have to do.

Something moved out of the corner of her eye and she froze. Someone was here.

"Z?"

She jumped and spun around. She instinctively kicked out toward the voice, and heard a grunt and a crash.

"Ow."

Her brow furrowed. "Bridge?"

"Yeah, still alive. That hurt, you know?"

She held a hand to help him stand and then punched his arm. "Then don't sneak up on people!"

"OW! Alright, I get it. No more sneaking. Except I wasn't really sneaking. I didn't try to soften my footfalls or anything. Really, I think you were just distracted, and you didn't hear me coming till it was too late. Cause I wasn't being very ninja like or trying to be. It could be that our training is just so burned into my brain that I—"

"Bridge, you're rambling."

"Oh, right sorry."

"You haven't rambled in a while," Z said with a soft smile as they sat down on the couch.

He shrugged. "I guess not."

"I miss it."

"You do?" He asked in shock.

"It was cute in a Bridge-y sort of way."

"I have my own way of cute?" He asked with a smirk.

Z nodded. "Of course you do."

"I've never been told this before."

"Well, you've been told now," Z said with a wink. "You have your own way of cute, and, you know, I think it's my favorite way of cute."

"Y—you do?" He repeated.

She kissed his cheek and patted his shoulder. "I do."

He leaned into the kiss slightly and almost turned his face so that he could turn this kiss on the cheek into the kind of kiss he really wanted, but he didn't. The sound of the simulator beeping interrupted the moment, and Z stood suddenly.

"My cocoa's ready. I should probably go back to bed. We have an early patrol tomorrow."

He blinked at her before he finally processed what she'd said. "Wait!"

"What?" She asked.

"I can't sleep. Would you…want to stay her and chat for a bit? Please?" He asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Sure, Bridge. Anything for you."