(Untitled)

[hallelujahpilot]

It's one of Those Days.

...which is probably not a good way of describing it, given how many variations of Those Days there are. Nevertheless, for Trudy, it's one of Those Days where she wonders what the everlasting hell she was doing signing herself up for a posting that involved staying in the same place for six years(well, six years if she

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[one_man_army]

Carl has also been pretty restless the last few days. He keeps eyeing the door every now and again, looking to make certain that it's still there.

(The idea of being bound right now is horrible.)

Which is why he spent most of the day outside. He took the time to swim a bit in the inlet, while it was still warm enough to tan.

Or in his case, had he not put on sunscreen, burn.

He wanders up behind her and places his hands on her shoulders (gentle, careful, hey it's just me) as he leans down to press his lips against her temple.

[hallelujahpilot]

She knows the way he walks - careful, balanced, just enough noise not to spook her - and so at the kiss, she just smiles and tilts her head back to look at him.

"Hey, you."

[one_man_army]

"Hey yourself."

He smiles and gently squeezes her shoulders, before he nods his head at the space beside her.

"Feel like sharing that couch?"

[hallelujahpilot]

"Only because I like you," she informs him, solemnly swinging her feet off.

[one_man_army]

Instead of circling around -- as that would be the sensible thing to do -- he carefully clears the back of the couch and lands beside her.

(He's good at clearing walls in one leap. Couch is nothing.)

[hallelujahpilot]

Trudy bursts out laughing at that, even if she had to grab her book to keep it from falling off the couch.

"You...dork," she accuses him, settling her legs across his lap.

[one_man_army]

He smooths his hands over her shins, eventually settling them across her knees.

"Not the worst thing I've ever been called in my time, so I'll take it."

[hallelujahpilot]

"Good. Because you are."

She likes that about him. As well as other things. Like his hands, which she can feel through the weight of the fabric of her pants.

"How you doin'?"

[one_man_army]

"I'm doing...all right."

He's not doing great and it's more than good, but at the same time, it's definitely not as good as he'd like -- so he settles for 'all right' and honesty.

"You?"

[hallelujahpilot]

"I'm...okay," she says, not really intending to mimic his pause - she needed think about the word, too. "Kinda wondering' what the hell I was thinkin' when I signed up, though. Been a while since I've been in one place for so long."

[one_man_army]

"How long's your tour?"

[hallelujahpilot]

"Six years. Done three."

[one_man_army]

He doesn't bother hiding the wince that crosses his features. Six years on tour is a long damn time, professional soldier or not.

But...

"You gonna head back to earth when your contract's up?"

[hallelujahpilot]

He's asked her that once before. This time, she feels like she should actually try and answer.

"I...honestly, hon? I ain't got a clue. Sometimes I get so damn sick of Pandora and Hell's Gate," and she suspects that she's burning out, which may or may not be implied in her voice, "but at the same time.

Well.

You saw how I was with Asheville. Not sure if I could stand Earth again.

So...I don't know."

[one_man_army]

"Well. You...you could always come back to mine. Whenever you need a break."

He's slowly rubbing a hand over her legs, mind wandering a little to the conversation he'd had with Jack the other day, about going home.

"I'm probably going to head back soon...was thinking about it, anyway. Wanted to talk to you first."

[hallelujahpilot]

She laughs, a little, and lets her head fall back against the arm-rest of the couch.

"Was gonna say 'might have to take you up on that', but that sounds like it's a chore. Which it's not."

Then her eyes narrow.

"You been stayin' here the whole time?"