After the entity was returned to its planet and Colonel Sheppard was cleared by a check up, Evan returned to the quarters he shared with Astra.
When he entered their quarters he smiled. He rubbed his eyes; it had been a long day. Astra was lying on her stomach with a sheet wrapped around her naked body. She wasn't asleep yet, but was reading a book.
"I couldn't sleep," she confessed when she noticed he had returned. She got up and put some clothes on. Astra then helped Evan out of his uniform into something more comfortable, though she would prefer to help him out of his clothes.
"I'm glad this is all over," he murmured, kissing her lips.
Astra rested her head on Evan's shoulders. Me, too. Let's go eat, you can get me some cake and ice cream."
"You always think of food at times like this," Evan teased.
"I wasn't the one who was up half the night with Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay baking me a cake in the mess hall," Astra retorted.
"Astra, it was your birthday!" Evan defended himself.
Astra sighed.
"I like cake."
"That's why I love you," Evan said softly, resting his forehead against hers like the Athosians do.
"Because I like cake?" she said, puzzled.
Evan laughed in reply and kissed her.
"You're impossible!" Astra said, kissing him passionately back.
They held hands all the way to the mess hall where they found Colonel Sheppard with his team, Heidi, Sam, and Dr. Keller already sitting around a table.
"Hey, Lorne, Astra," John greeted them, he was eating an apple and Heidi was siting beside him, eating custard.
"We couldn't sleep," Astra said, shrugging.
Evan squeezed her hand and went to get cake and ice cream for her. When he had picked out what wanted, he carefully brought it back over to her, trying
