Summary, disclaimer, etc. in chapter 1.

I had some scenes with this theme planned out a few months ago to go with my longer fic on the infarction (the ED, not the smoking), but after last night's episode, I just couldn't resist writing a quick one for this fic. It seemed to fit with some of the themes this fic is working with and who knows how long it'll take me to get to a scene like this in that other fic.

This chapter and the last one are dedicated to Auditrix because they both came out of a conversation I had with her last night.

Please let me know what you think. Reviews rock my world!

A Fortune in Mints

August 1999

She lay down next to him and turned on her side. She hadn't turned the lamp off yet. He knew what that meant.

Fingernails lightly brushed his cheek. He looked over at her and she leaned down to kiss him.

Toothpaste, two kinds of mint (cinnamon and spearmint), a faint hint of the lasagna they'd had for dinner and… there. Barely, but he was certain. Smoke.

He'd known earlier of course. It didn't take anyone ten minutes to take the garbage out.

Maybe it was because he could only stomach half of lunch and dinner today. Or that his leg had started bothering him right around the time she tried to ease into their nightly cuddle and he had excused himself to lie down in the bedroom. Maybe he hadn't laughed at the right times during the Seinfeld rerun or said the right things when she told him about her day. He wasn't sure what the right things were anymore or how much he wanted to say them.

He realized that he'd stopped kissing back. He hadn't meant to stop so soon but…

"I can't," he said softly.

His eyes held hers for a moment and he tried to make her understand that it wasn't her fault. Not really.

"Do you feel okay?" she asked, eyes glinting hidden concern and thwarted desire.

He nodded once. "It's fine now," he said.

She moved back to her side of the bed. Giving him space. How nice.

"Then— is it— the drugs?" she asked haltingly. Help me understand her eyes said. I won't be mad…I just want to understand. "You've been having wet dreams," she continued. "Maybe that's a sign…"

He shrugged and shook his head. "I can't control it," he said.

"Okay," she said with a sad smile. "That's okay." She started to get up. "I'll just— give you some time and—"

Her hands. She was fidgeting. He pretended not to notice.

She didn't have to glance toward the kitchen for him to know where she was going. The pantry. Behind the high fiber cereal. This was number five today by his count. She must be spending a fortune in mints.

She leaned across the bed to kiss his forehead. "I love you," she said.

Her hand lingered in his hair. He tried to smile.

"Let me know if you need anything," she said as she took her robe from its hook in the closet.

"I will," he said.

She stood in the doorway for a moment and then she was gone.