Adam had always been a light sleeper, even when he was a kid, even before MI5. Coraline crept into bed with him sometimes, and he always woke up enough to move over in the bed and let her get in beside him.
The door opened and he lifted his head without opening his eyes.
"C'mon then," he murmured, throat raw from sleep, lifting the blanket.
Even in the dark, half awake, Adam smiles. He doesn't quite let the sheet drop. He wasn't sleeping deeply or well. Honestly, he's grateful for the information. He doesn't remember his dreams, but he knew that they were dark.
"I'm okay, Carter," he said, voice quiet to keep from waking Coraline. No doubt in the world why she's there.
"I couldn't sleep," she smiles faintly, sheepishly, sitting down on the end of his bed. Suddenly, unaccountably nervous, and it's a feeling she'd almost forgotten. It's been such a long time.
"I do have some manners left," she mutters with a smile hidden behind the fall of her hair as she leans over to unlace her boots. Pushing them neatly against the wall, she slides under the covers, though she's not sure how being in the bed will keep them from disturbing Coraline when she was already whispering inches from him to begin with.
"No dreams. Too much thinking, is all," she says, suddenly struggling against her own yawn. Her lips twisting apologetically, she says, "And now I'm going to keep you up."
"I wasn't sleeping well anyway," he says, smoothing a strand of her hair back from her face. He didn't even think about touching her anymore. It was as natural as breathing.
He draped one arm around her waist, rubbing her back.
If anyone else touches her that way, she tenses immediately. Every time. She has a wall in place, invisible but undeniable. People keep their distance.
She's used to it with Adam. He touches her, and she hardly bats an eye.
"Not really. I was thinking about finally getting my life back."
Adam's eyebrow twitches and she smiles, just a little, bending his head and closing his eyes, close enough to her that he could feel her breath against his lips.
"Every time I think I'm getting my life back, I get something that reminds me of home."
"I hardly even remember home, anymore," she admits, and there's a thread of remorse in her voice, but more than that, there's relief. "It feels like a blessing."
Something about that makes Adam sad, sadder than he was before and he leans in, pressing a kiss against her forehead. He tugs her gently, settling her as close against him as she'll let him.
"Maybe it'd be a blessing for all of us. Just live here."
"Here?" she says with a quirk of her lips, her brow arching almost playfully. She can hardly remember the last time she was so close to anyone. Even with Adam, this was unusual.
"You know I prefer you where I can keep an eye on you," he murmured, only half teasing. After all he'd been through, that part of him had only grown stronger; the need to know where everybody he loved was, and keep them in reach, and in sight.
"I'm fairly certain I'm the one that needs to keep an eye on you," she says, not really teasing at all. Or maybe she is. They look after each other, and there have been times when she wouldn't have survived without him.
The door opened and he lifted his head without opening his eyes.
"C'mon then," he murmured, throat raw from sleep, lifting the blanket.
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"I'm okay, Carter," he said, voice quiet to keep from waking Coraline. No doubt in the world why she's there.
He'd have done the same thing.
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"Boots off first."
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"Bad dreams?" he murmured, eyes closed as he stifled a yawn against his wrist.
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He draped one arm around her waist, rubbing her back.
"Bad?"
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She's used to it with Adam. He touches her, and she hardly bats an eye.
"Not really. I was thinking about finally getting my life back."
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"Every time I think I'm getting my life back, I get something that reminds me of home."
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"Maybe it'd be a blessing for all of us. Just live here."
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