(no subject)
It's been... a really long time: he didn't think he was ever going to see this place again. It's both great and terrible in this crushing sort of way -- the universe is so damn fickle -- but as the door closes behind them and they step in like the ragtag remnants of some mismatched army, he can't help but smile. Just a little, and pat the back of the baby sleeping in his arms, whisper in her ear. "Hey, Junior. Check it out. More guys." He knows when she's fast asleep like this there's no budging her without a hell of a cranky crying fit and it doesn't matter that she's sleeping through it. She's only little, after all, and can sleep through anything in that I'm not even a year old, so let me have my nap sort of way she's got going for herself. Hero's drink offer aside, family matters have to come first: it's the princess's nap time, and that gets to be honored.
Cradling Junior carefully against the sudden intrusion of light and noise and smoke and laughter and smells and people and all that good shit, he leans over and gives Beth a kiss on the cheek. First time in something like six months he's been able to do that in a room full of people, and it's a nice change of pace. Breathing out of that cloak is... well, fuck, he can have a damn smoke if he wants: it's been six months since that happened, too, or sit down and have a hot meal, change his clothes, set Junior down in her crib, hold Beth.
Hold Beth. Without a time limit, without looking over his shoulder to see if someone's approaching. That sounds like the best thing of all, and his mind wants to start racing: if this works and they can come and go and this door stays for them, they could come back here for a couple hours at a time and not have to worry about things and still look for Hero's brother and still...
Whoa, bounty hunter. One step at a time.
"Let's get Junior in her crib." That's a luxury all to itself and it will be for their little princess, too: it's been a long time since she had a good napping place, although that baby carriage has been a pretty nice soft spot for her and she's used that. Still, her crib. Her own crib. He's definitely taking pictures of this one. "Meet back here in about an hour for that drink?" That will give them time, him and Beth, alone together. "Everyone okay with that?"
Junior is: she's sound asleep. Beth is: she promises Hero's getting the key to her old room so they all have somewhere to go and whether or not Hero uses it isn't the point: it's that she's got the option and he gets that. Hero's good with it: she's got that look in her eyes, the one that says she's not going to waste a minute of the freedom this place affords. They're all agreed. He nods to Hero and she nods back to them; it's all good. They know they won't be here long if that door cooperates, and they're all going to make the most of it. There's no more hesitation as he and Beth walk over to the House of Arch portrait, her arm around his waist just like old times, and disappear through it.
Time to go home for a while.
Cradling Junior carefully against the sudden intrusion of light and noise and smoke and laughter and smells and people and all that good shit, he leans over and gives Beth a kiss on the cheek. First time in something like six months he's been able to do that in a room full of people, and it's a nice change of pace. Breathing out of that cloak is... well, fuck, he can have a damn smoke if he wants: it's been six months since that happened, too, or sit down and have a hot meal, change his clothes, set Junior down in her crib, hold Beth.
Hold Beth. Without a time limit, without looking over his shoulder to see if someone's approaching. That sounds like the best thing of all, and his mind wants to start racing: if this works and they can come and go and this door stays for them, they could come back here for a couple hours at a time and not have to worry about things and still look for Hero's brother and still...
Whoa, bounty hunter. One step at a time.
"Let's get Junior in her crib." That's a luxury all to itself and it will be for their little princess, too: it's been a long time since she had a good napping place, although that baby carriage has been a pretty nice soft spot for her and she's used that. Still, her crib. Her own crib. He's definitely taking pictures of this one. "Meet back here in about an hour for that drink?" That will give them time, him and Beth, alone together. "Everyone okay with that?"
Junior is: she's sound asleep. Beth is: she promises Hero's getting the key to her old room so they all have somewhere to go and whether or not Hero uses it isn't the point: it's that she's got the option and he gets that. Hero's good with it: she's got that look in her eyes, the one that says she's not going to waste a minute of the freedom this place affords. They're all agreed. He nods to Hero and she nods back to them; it's all good. They know they won't be here long if that door cooperates, and they're all going to make the most of it. There's no more hesitation as he and Beth walk over to the House of Arch portrait, her arm around his waist just like old times, and disappear through it.
Time to go home for a while.