Comfort Bliss
Derek made his way down the stairs. He was a little irritated with Ock, but he knew that the man dealt with everyone in the same way. That, and the attempted barbs had failed to hit their mark: Derek had been immune to such insults since junior high.
He took the steps that led into the kitchen of the J quickly but calmly. Jun had obviously had a rough day of it, and even though Derek had learned by now there wasn't much he could do to help this particular problem, he could, and should, lend his presence,
He nodded pleasantly to the kitchen staff as he made his way through. A few months of making his way through the room had taught him how to move without interfering and without running into anyone. He was as good as his word depsite the crowded area, knocking on the office manager's door only a few minutes after signing off the computer.
Jun snatched the door open and pulled him into her arms, kicking the door shut with one foot and wrapping the other leg around his waist.
"Thank you," she said. Her voice was muffled on his shirt.
"S'right," he answered softly. His arms wrapped around her. He was a little surprised, but recovered without giving himself away. One hand reached up to smooth her hair.
"Yeah."
She clung to him like a limpet. "I'm not mad at the ass," she said after a bit.
His hand continued to smooth her hair, and he kissed her head, letting her settle against him. He stayed firm, let her hold on. "Heh." It was a soft sound. "It's all right if you are. He tends to make a living out of pissing people off. It's also all right if you're mad at someone else..."
"Ken is a bigger..." She sighs. "You're my husband. Not my team." She taps on Derek's back. "Baka."
Derek smiles a little, "I know. I always knew that. I wish I could have somehow made him understand that better. It might have helped."
Jun groans. "If he wasn't a big dummy, maybe."
The hand continued its slow motion, "Maybe. To be fair, he had a lot to process." And if he would have only stuck around long enough to do so....
"Stop being saintly," she says and wriggles closer. Selfishly, she's not too worried about straining his arms with her weight. "He ...You don't have to be good all the time with me."
Derek's slight smile flashes again for a moment. "You already know how I feel. Just trying to see it from another view is all."
She loosens her grip long enough to rub a hand down his chest then dismounts. He moves with her, letting go enough to let her move freely, but his hands remain rested on her hips and waist. "I'm sorry, Jun. I wish I knew why...or that I could do something about it."
She cupped his face with her hands. "Such a loving man. I love you, my loving man. Thank you for being..." She smiled and kissed him. He accepted the kiss gently. Although angry at Ken himself, he was more concerned about Jun. But he had already run that into the ground. There really wasn't anything he could do. Except be here for her.
She leaned against her desk, grasping his hand in hers. "I am upset with Ken. He did something stupid...or I misinterpreted it...but because I told him that I had trouble with it, he left us. He only wrote me -- not Jinpei, not Ryu." She shrugged. "Maybe he did not have time to write them."
Derek listened silently, squeezing her hand gently, "I...don't think it was you, Jun."
"It was him and me."
"Or all of us..." he said quietly. "It wasn't exactly easy across the board."
"I told him that I was his G3, his Swan. I said. I said he was my Eagle. I promised. He promised too...but he didn't try to stay. He left. He left telling me you were my team now. I need you but our world needs him. I can't do what I'm supposed to do without him!" She shook her head. "Some Eagle."
Derek is quiet. Part of him agrees with her. He was irritated and angry by how Ken treated Jun, treated his family. Part of him though, knows...they can't be ninjatai without him.
"Maybe when he's had some time away, he'll realize...Until then, there's still you and Jinpei and Ryu. And I can't fly with you guys, but I can try and help from the background anyway..."
"I can always count on you, can't I?" Her lop-sided smile was radiant.
"Yeah. I'll be here. Still not going anywhere." He offered her a smile back, traced one thumb across her cheek and lips. I said the word, I intend to keep them."
"Me too. I said the words. I'll keep them. I love you."
Derek nodded, smiling. "Mi corazon y alma..." he replied softly. "I won't be going anywhere. I told you once you were my home. You still are...you always will be. Where you are, that's home. I couldn't leave that, I can't leave you."
"Yes." And he's known us for less than a year. "You may have to for a little while. Take Kian and hide on 713...if they don't know about it already. You could do that, maybe. Or not, of course."
"I'll take Kian there...but I also promised to help. Long before you and I..."
"I know." She shrugged. "Don't blame me for trying, dear man."
He laughed a little, "I'm the old fart, remember? I'll be as careful as I can be. But my place is here. I'm not ninjatai, but I have my own skills. And I live here now. That makes me just as responsible for it as you, or Ainur, or anyone."
She reached for his other hand. "Yes."
He carefully meshed his fingers with hers, "We'll find a way. And I wouldn't give up on the Eagle just yet either..."
"He's done this before, though. He'd rather burn me than save me. And afterwards he quit the team." Tears had come to her eyes. "Some things don't change."
Derek nods slightly. "We'll see. You're not alone, though." He cups her cheek. "The rest of the team is still around. And there are others that are willing to help, too, so..."
"That's a great big help," Jun says.
"Yeah, well, if the ISO doesn't want the help, we'll do it by ourselves, right?"
"Right," Jun replies. Then she bursts into tears. Derek hesitates, then draws her in, holding her. Holding steady, his hand once more smoothing her hair. He rests his chin on her head. Silent comfort for as long as she wants or needs it.
He took the steps that led into the kitchen of the J quickly but calmly. Jun had obviously had a rough day of it, and even though Derek had learned by now there wasn't much he could do to help this particular problem, he could, and should, lend his presence,
He nodded pleasantly to the kitchen staff as he made his way through. A few months of making his way through the room had taught him how to move without interfering and without running into anyone. He was as good as his word depsite the crowded area, knocking on the office manager's door only a few minutes after signing off the computer.
Jun snatched the door open and pulled him into her arms, kicking the door shut with one foot and wrapping the other leg around his waist.
"Thank you," she said. Her voice was muffled on his shirt.
"S'right," he answered softly. His arms wrapped around her. He was a little surprised, but recovered without giving himself away. One hand reached up to smooth her hair.
"Yeah."
She clung to him like a limpet. "I'm not mad at the ass," she said after a bit.
His hand continued to smooth her hair, and he kissed her head, letting her settle against him. He stayed firm, let her hold on. "Heh." It was a soft sound. "It's all right if you are. He tends to make a living out of pissing people off. It's also all right if you're mad at someone else..."
"Ken is a bigger..." She sighs. "You're my husband. Not my team." She taps on Derek's back. "Baka."
Derek smiles a little, "I know. I always knew that. I wish I could have somehow made him understand that better. It might have helped."
Jun groans. "If he wasn't a big dummy, maybe."
The hand continued its slow motion, "Maybe. To be fair, he had a lot to process." And if he would have only stuck around long enough to do so....
"Stop being saintly," she says and wriggles closer. Selfishly, she's not too worried about straining his arms with her weight. "He ...You don't have to be good all the time with me."
Derek's slight smile flashes again for a moment. "You already know how I feel. Just trying to see it from another view is all."
She loosens her grip long enough to rub a hand down his chest then dismounts. He moves with her, letting go enough to let her move freely, but his hands remain rested on her hips and waist. "I'm sorry, Jun. I wish I knew why...or that I could do something about it."
She cupped his face with her hands. "Such a loving man. I love you, my loving man. Thank you for being..." She smiled and kissed him. He accepted the kiss gently. Although angry at Ken himself, he was more concerned about Jun. But he had already run that into the ground. There really wasn't anything he could do. Except be here for her.
She leaned against her desk, grasping his hand in hers. "I am upset with Ken. He did something stupid...or I misinterpreted it...but because I told him that I had trouble with it, he left us. He only wrote me -- not Jinpei, not Ryu." She shrugged. "Maybe he did not have time to write them."
Derek listened silently, squeezing her hand gently, "I...don't think it was you, Jun."
"It was him and me."
"Or all of us..." he said quietly. "It wasn't exactly easy across the board."
"I told him that I was his G3, his Swan. I said. I said he was my Eagle. I promised. He promised too...but he didn't try to stay. He left. He left telling me you were my team now. I need you but our world needs him. I can't do what I'm supposed to do without him!" She shook her head. "Some Eagle."
Derek is quiet. Part of him agrees with her. He was irritated and angry by how Ken treated Jun, treated his family. Part of him though, knows...they can't be ninjatai without him.
"Maybe when he's had some time away, he'll realize...Until then, there's still you and Jinpei and Ryu. And I can't fly with you guys, but I can try and help from the background anyway..."
"I can always count on you, can't I?" Her lop-sided smile was radiant.
"Yeah. I'll be here. Still not going anywhere." He offered her a smile back, traced one thumb across her cheek and lips. I said the word, I intend to keep them."
"Me too. I said the words. I'll keep them. I love you."
Derek nodded, smiling. "Mi corazon y alma..." he replied softly. "I won't be going anywhere. I told you once you were my home. You still are...you always will be. Where you are, that's home. I couldn't leave that, I can't leave you."
"Yes." And he's known us for less than a year. "You may have to for a little while. Take Kian and hide on 713...if they don't know about it already. You could do that, maybe. Or not, of course."
"I'll take Kian there...but I also promised to help. Long before you and I..."
"I know." She shrugged. "Don't blame me for trying, dear man."
He laughed a little, "I'm the old fart, remember? I'll be as careful as I can be. But my place is here. I'm not ninjatai, but I have my own skills. And I live here now. That makes me just as responsible for it as you, or Ainur, or anyone."
She reached for his other hand. "Yes."
He carefully meshed his fingers with hers, "We'll find a way. And I wouldn't give up on the Eagle just yet either..."
"He's done this before, though. He'd rather burn me than save me. And afterwards he quit the team." Tears had come to her eyes. "Some things don't change."
Derek nods slightly. "We'll see. You're not alone, though." He cups her cheek. "The rest of the team is still around. And there are others that are willing to help, too, so..."
"That's a great big help," Jun says.
"Yeah, well, if the ISO doesn't want the help, we'll do it by ourselves, right?"
"Right," Jun replies. Then she bursts into tears. Derek hesitates, then draws her in, holding her. Holding steady, his hand once more smoothing her hair. He rests his chin on her head. Silent comfort for as long as she wants or needs it.