A/N. Sumeragi doesn't know why he came to visit, but she doesn't mind, she never does. Set sometime in S1, Sumeragi and Allelujah, originally written for a friend on LJ.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never have, never will, just borrowing the characters.

Visitor

She smiled as she picked up the empty wine bottle and took the empty glass from Allelujah's hand. Dropping it would not cause it to hit the floor before she could catch it as it would have had they been on solid ground, but it was still something she would prefer to avoid.

The young man had come to visit her, knocking lightly on her door upon his return to space. It had been late but she could never – and would never – turn him away, no matter what time of the day or night it might be. She was too fond of him for that, and she kept strange enough hours as it was, running through tactics and predictions until all hours of the morning, her and Veda comparing notes with just her alcohol for company. She knew she had work she needed to do, but she could not and would not turn Allelujah away, especially not when he was bringing the wine and smiling in that shy way of his, apologising for interrupting her.

So she had ushered him inside and taken down two glasses from her cabinet and not asked for the reason behind his presence. There usually was one, and she would find out soon enough what it was. She always did.

Him sitting on the edge of her bed, and she sideways at her desk they had filled their glasses and made mindless toasts, to good health, luck and a quick end to the war. They had spoken of mindless things, of anything but the past or the war. She told him of the few comings and goings aboard the Ptolemaios and of Christina's petition for something – anything – that even vaguely tasted of real food to be added to the menu. He had smiled and laughed at that, easily able to picture the young woman in question making such demands, and certain other members of the crew going along with her.

In return he had told her of the events of their trip to Earth which had been left out of the mission report, not deemed important enough for Veda, but which were entertaining none the less. He told her of the culinary mishaps, though perhaps disasters was a better description, and the time they had ventured into the city for supplies and nearly lost Setsuna to the veritable maze of the underground rail system. She had laughed at that, a little sorry she had missed it, but glad she could at least hear about their misadventures none the less.

They laughed and spoke of nonsense matters and emptied the bottle he had bought on Earth and she never found out if there had been any other reason behind his visit this time, and part of her was thankful. It made her feel that maybe he had come simply for the pleasure of her company, it made her feel less alone and more human.

She stood there a moment or two longer, smiling gently at the young Meister who had fallen asleep on her bed, long legs still hanging off the edge. The practical part of her brain told her she should wake him and tell him to return to his own room, but…

Quietly she put away the empty bottle and glasses and pulled down a spare blanket. It wasn't the first time he had crashed out on her, but last time he had drunk too much too fast and she hadn't blamed him. He had thanked her the following morning, but she had waved it off, he was more than welcome. She tucked the blanket round his sleeping figure and hesitated a second or two longer than usual.

An unguarded smile, simply because he could not see it, after all, she wasn't supposed to play favourites. Then she turned away, back to her desk, and back to work.

"Sleep well, Allelujah."