"Guess we are," Marc says, relieved that not only did he manage to get his point across, she doesn't really seem averse. (See? I did just fine. Yeah, yeah.)
Doesn't mean he's not nervous about it, though. "My head's kind of a mess," he warns. "Just, you know. So you're not surprised."
She raises one hand to lay it along his jaw, thumb tracing the sweep of his cheekbone. "I promise I won't run away if I get a glimpse of what that looks like from the inside. All right? If it even works that way."
It's probably stupid to be relieved at the promise. But he is. Tethers are, after all, reversible, and she could run away-- unlikely, since they're the only people either of them really trust here, so far, but possible. And she's only had, at best, a month and change to get used to the new situation on the outside. The inside is, as far as he's concerned, worse.
Steven doesn't even really protest that. He already has to deal with it, himself.
So he turns to kiss her wrist. "I'll hold you to that," is what he says with half a grin. "Who else do I got around here, huh?"
Her expression softens slightly at the brush of his lips against her wrist.
"Steven," she says promptly. "But it definitely doesn't work that way."
She pauses a moment, then tips her chin up slightly so she can meet his eyes.
"You know you'd be my first choice even if I did have other people here?" Not that there are that many people in her own close circle of trust. Of the two of them, she's by far the more sociable, but neither of them lead the sort of lives that encourages a wealth of close ties.
The thought of tethering with Steve is kind of absurd. Besides, they're both technically Tian, so... not helpful, even if it was possible.
He looks back at her for a moment, before saying more than asking, "Even after everything, huh?" He sounds fond; a little regretful, but fond. He can't help but think that might not be such a sure thing if she really knew him, but--
(But she still married you. And wanted to stay married even "after everything". Yeah... I know, I know.)
He might have been more rational about it if the timing had been... different. Marc feels a little like he hasn't been rational about much in a long time. He's still not entirely sure he is.
What does thinking clearly even feel like? Ugh.
"I love you, too," he sighs, both relieved and maybe feeling a little dumb for worrying so much about it. "Anyway, that's what Steven wanted to talk about. The tether thing."
She pauses, giving him a stern look, and while there's a playful edge to it, it's not entirely in jest. "You'll tell me if you start feeling sick. More than just a hangover or whatever passes for a common cold on an alien planet?"
"Yes ma'am," Marc says meekly. Well, mock-meekly. He may or may not do it before it gets bad, but he's pretty sure Steven would let him know when it's time to spill. Provided it even happens, which he's still doubtful about. "You'd better do the same. You can't deprive Steven of the experience of bringing you soup, you know, before we try the tether thing."
"Hmm." Her eyes narrow slightly, and she peers up at him in mock suspicion. "I think you just want to make sure there's someone else who believes you when you say I'm a terrible patient."
Which is only sometimes the case - she's cooperative enough when she's badly injured. It's when she's on the cusp of functional that she gets frustrated enough to push herself, then sulk when she proves to be less recovered than she wants to be.
"Yep, you got me," he says solemnly, and clearly jokingly. "I need to prove that I'm the better patient than you." He is not the better patient. He doesn't even do sick well when he's too sick to move around.
He chuckles, and strokes a hand down her hair. "Especially since the only judge is gonna be Steven, and I'm pretty sure he'd pick you no matter what," he says.
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scarabwings) wrote2022-08-14 11:52 pm
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Doesn't mean he's not nervous about it, though. "My head's kind of a mess," he warns. "Just, you know. So you're not surprised."
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She raises one hand to lay it along his jaw, thumb tracing the sweep of his cheekbone. "I promise I won't run away if I get a glimpse of what that looks like from the inside. All right? If it even works that way."
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Steven doesn't even really protest that. He already has to deal with it, himself.
So he turns to kiss her wrist. "I'll hold you to that," is what he says with half a grin. "Who else do I got around here, huh?"
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"Steven," she says promptly. "But it definitely doesn't work that way."
She pauses a moment, then tips her chin up slightly so she can meet his eyes.
"You know you'd be my first choice even if I did have other people here?" Not that there are that many people in her own close circle of trust. Of the two of them, she's by far the more sociable, but neither of them lead the sort of lives that encourages a wealth of close ties.
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He looks back at her for a moment, before saying more than asking, "Even after everything, huh?" He sounds fond; a little regretful, but fond. He can't help but think that might not be such a sure thing if she really knew him, but--
(But she still married you. And wanted to stay married even "after everything". Yeah... I know, I know.)
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If not, perhaps, quite as well as she'd assumed, if he'd thought for even a moment that there was the slightest chance she'd go along with Khonshu.
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What does thinking clearly even feel like? Ugh.
"I love you, too," he sighs, both relieved and maybe feeling a little dumb for worrying so much about it. "Anyway, that's what Steven wanted to talk about. The tether thing."
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She pauses, giving him a stern look, and while there's a playful edge to it, it's not entirely in jest. "You'll tell me if you start feeling sick. More than just a hangover or whatever passes for a common cold on an alien planet?"
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Which is only sometimes the case - she's cooperative enough when she's badly injured. It's when she's on the cusp of functional that she gets frustrated enough to push herself, then sulk when she proves to be less recovered than she wants to be.
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"Good thing we have an excellent chance of being fine," she says. "That's one competition no one should have to judge."
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(If it's at least a little bit relief because they have a plan, however loose it might be, well. That's fair, isn't it?)