Quiet Moments
A collection of moments, in no particular order, and not necessarily connected. I just want these characters to have some quiet moments! So I wrote a couple and may write some more one day.
…
Title: Watching
Rating: K+
Series: Set in the time between the end of s2 and episode 3.01.
Summary: He knows he shouldn't be doing this…
…
He knows he shouldn't be doing this. He has been telling himself he shouldn't be doing this for about an hour now, but he can't make himself look away. She looks so relaxed when she sleeps and just watching her he feels his own tensions ebb away; a weight lifting off him to know that, at least for now, she is at peace.
He tries, every day, to find a way to make this a reality when she is awake, but there's always too much to deal with; too much to worry about, and a daughter who is still missing.
"Do you do this often?"
Her voice startles him, her eyes are still closed and he hadn't realised she was awake.
Her dark gaze lands directly on him as soon as she opens her eyes, and while he would love to claim that he wasn't doing anything and doesn't know what she is referring to, there's no way he can look away, and there's no way he can pull off that lie to her face.
He resigns himself to telling the truth and facing the consequences. "Not as often as I'd like."
Her eyes widen and he realises how that truth sounded, but he's relieved to see amusement rather than reproach in her sparkling gaze.
"That didn't… You don't sleep as often as I'd — … You should get more sleep."
She laughs, softly, as she pushes herself off the couch and moves over to the desk, casting her eye over what still needs to be done. She busies herself looking at reports, not looking at him as she quietly admits, "I can't sleep anywhere else."
He's surprised she has admitted that to him but tries not to let that show as leans forward in his chair, needing her to know it's okay to talk to him like this.
"Then sleep more often in here," he suggests.
She glances at him, uncertainty all over her face. "That's not ideal, really, is it?"
"It's more ideal than you collapsing because you haven't slept for days."
She acknowledges that with a small shrug.
"I tell you what, when you know you should sleep, come here. I'll clear out and — "
"No!"
The quick, determined exclamation startles him and the refusal worries him. "Abby, you have to —"
"I know. I know, I need to sleep more… I meant… You don't need to clear out. I think having you —"
She stops herself and, he thinks, does very well to ignore the smirk that he cannot control.
" … I think the background noise helps," she finishes quickly, her glare daring him to claim that she means anything else.
He nods, honestly trying to fight the smile that's on his lips, but failing miserably. "The background noise. Okay. Promise me, then. You'll come here to sleep regularly."
"I'll try."
That's the best he can hope for.
"Do you need me to promise not to watch you sleep?"
"That would be good."
He hopes he does better at hiding his disappointment than he had been doing at hiding his amusement.
She continues before he has formulated such a promise.
"… I'm pretty sure it was your staring that woke me up." She's as bad at hiding her smile as he was.
He is about to deny that he was staring but decides there is no point. She knows, and she also knows that no matter what he might promise now, he's not going to be able to stick to it.
"If you try to sleep more often, I'll try not to watch."
"Sounds fair." She holds his gaze for a moment and something in the air is just shifting when she breaks it. "I'm going to go to Medical."
He nods, unsure if he can trust himself to speak without asking her not to go.
He watches her walk across the room and isn't quick enough to look away when she stops suddenly at the door and half turns to face him. Her eyes land on his and her eyebrows rise in amusement again.
"I never said I wouldn't watch you when you're awake," he shrugs.
"No, you didn't," she accepts.
She has turned back and stepped out of the room before he realises she never said why she had stopped. "Abby!" he calls, and she ducks back into view. "Did you intend to say something – before you caught me watching you?"
She shakes her head. "I was just curious."
Her lips are fighting a smile as she leaves this time and he drops back into the chair with a smile of his own. Maybe he can't bring her peace in her waking hours, but if he can bring that sparkle to her eyes at least once a day, that will do for now.