Tweak

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Tweak says, "I can haz snickerdoodle?"

William T. Riker (1stofficer) wrote in marinanova,
@ 2014-01-19 00:46:00

Entry tags:

data, deanna troi, duo maxwell (au), helen magnus, kitty pryde (aoa), sam winchester, will riker

day 254 - video; 001
[ When Riker appears at last he's circled back round to Sector 2, framed against the hedge maze. There's no distractions, and his introduction is absent of distractions too. At least at first. ]

Good evening. I hope it's not too late in the day to introduce myself, but I didn't wish for anyone to be surprised to spot me around the place. My name is William Riker, and I just arrived with the latest group of people. It's nice to meet all of you, if unfortunate considering the circumstances. I appreciate the kindness that has been shown to me since my arrival.

I understand some-- [ And suddenly Riker stops, looking up. It's started to rain, and he wipes a single raindrop off his nose. ] I'd better wrap this up. I'd like to speak to some friends of mine, whom I'm reliably informed have been here for a while. Maybe after I get in out of the rain, if that's perfectly alright.

Deanna, I hope you're in somewhere dry.

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1stofficer
2014-01-19 01:56 am UTC (link)

I haven't. I was hoping to see him.

[ Robbins; he stows that revelation away until it's useful. It's fascinating, but they really are getting wet, and as endearing as it is, he's protective enough to want to get his lovely new wife out of the rain. ]

When we know where the Captain is staying, we'll relocate closer to him. For now, Deanna, let's just find somewhere dry, and safe, where we can wait out the rain together.

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2014-01-19 02:24 am UTC (link)

[ deanna nods, laughing softly. they are a bit comical themselves now, aren't they? ]

All right. Let's find a place close by so we don't have to stay out much longer.

[ she'll just move to link arms with him so they can make their way somewhere dry together. as long as this place has a room where they can sit and talk without worrying about who's around to overhear, she'll be fine. ]

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1stofficer
2014-01-19 03:10 am UTC (link)

[ He'd been reliably informed that one of the nearby buildings was an apartment complex; glass fronted, and not excessively far away, they couldn't get that much wetter if they just made a run for it. Or a brisk walk arm in arm would be fine. He steps away, finding his path around the outside of the complex of mazes. The building which had been glossy and bright in the sunlight earlier was now a dull grey. Two minutes of walking and he was soaked through all over again. ]

That's the place. Do you want to run ahead, hold open the door?

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2014-01-19 04:42 am UTC (link)

[ she follows closely, not particularly minding getting wet again. at this point, it's more than a little useless to think of trying to stay dry or worrying too much about it. so instead, she just smiles and gives her head a little shake. ]

How about we run together? Unless you want to do something else before we get there?

[ deanna is more than willing to make the run with will rather than one before the other. ]

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	action; 1stofficer 2014-01-19 07:04 pm UTC (link)
	[ He laughs despite himself. She's right, he had nothing else in mind, in fact he'd have set off after her regardless. ] Together, then. Ready? [ It's a short, quick dash of a run, and he reaches the door first, shaking the rain out of his hair as he holds it open wide for her. ] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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2014-01-19 07:59 pm UTC (link)

[ together is how they do things, especially lately, and deanna wouldn't have it any other way. she nods, following closely. he's taller than she is and has longer legs, so he makes it there well before her and by the time she's there, he's got the door and she's rushing on through. just inside the door, she tries to squeeze the water out of her hair and jumpsuit, giving up after her hair isn't dripping wet anymore. ]

I don't know about you, but I think a hot bath and a change of clothes would be a good idea.

[ care to join her in getting warm? ]

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	action; 1stofficer 2014-01-19 08:22 pm UTC (link)
	We'll see what we can find. [ A change of clothes might be harder, but they might find a dressing gown each and a heap of blankets, and Riker would locate the laundry room and dry their things. He reaches up to push the water off her brow with a damp sleeve, then motions down the corridor. ] Let's try the first door we see. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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2014-01-19 09:33 pm UTC (link)

[ whatever it ends up being, as long as it's something they can walk around the room in until their jumpsuits dry, she doesn't care. she does nod to his suggestion and the first empty apartment they see is theirs, at least until the rain stops. deanna pushes the door open and steps inside, glancing around, and then makes her way further inside. once she's sure she's found the bathroom, she moves to gather towels and blankets. it may or may not be particularly big, but right now all deanna wants is to be warm and to spend time with her husband. anything particularly close or intimate can wait until they've dried off and she's able to deal with the myriad of unpleasant surprises that happened the last time. ]

I found towels at least. Is there anything in the bedroom?

[ she's got her pile on the bathroom counter so she won't drip water on it. she can't wait to be warm and dry again and able to curl up with will and just rest. they both need time with each other, time to breathe, time to rest, time to cope with everything that's happened lately. deanna's using their movements and the goal of showering and getting dry to distract her from thinking of everything else. thoughts can come later. ]

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1stofficer
2014-01-22 04:37 am UTC (link)

[ He digs through the cupboards. There's more storage space than actual space; the quarters cramped but efficient, and under the bed he finds several more blankets. In a cupboard under the window is a fluffy dressing gown - just one - but once he's busy piling up his finds, he slips nextdoor and finds an identical gown in the same place, and a hair-drier tucked in the drawer under the vanity.

He returns to Deanna's side, slipping into the bathroom with her and setting the hairdrier down beside the mirror, leaning up over her shoulders and looking at her reflection in the glass. ]

Considering everything we've been through today, I think there's something to be said for just falling into bed and sleeping until next week.

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2014-01-22 05:14 am UTC (link)

[ by the time he comes into the bathroom, deanna's standing in front of the sink, watching her reflection in the mirror. she's happy to see him, happy that he's here, but she's starting to think again, to worry. her mind is wandering to more unpleasant things, though when he returns to her side, she silently leans her head against him. the fact that they're still fairly wet doesn't matter at the moment. she's preparing herself for the next step: getting into the shower.

his comment gets a gentle smile from her at least. ] That sounds like a good idea. We could both use a lot of rest. [ it's just a matter of getting in there and doing it. she doesn't think she'll mind having him with her when she showers. he is her constant and even with what happened to her, will is her support and he will help her deal with this. she just needs to take her time. ]

We take a shower to get warm and then try to sleep or at least rest. [ she purses her lips and then turns so she can see him, her expression a mixture of worry and uncertainty. ] You'll stay, won't you? [ stay in the bathroom with her or join her in the shower or just keep his presence near her. ]

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1stofficer
2014-01-22 05:11 pm UTC (link)

[ Quietly he linked his arms around her waist, leaning in to be a warm presence against her. Her hair is wet and cold, but he's probably just as much a source of wet coldness as she is. It was decided--the sooner they got out of these clothes and into a warm shower (and a warm bed) the better.

Was she thinking about Data, he wondered, studying the worry in her expression? The Reman, whom Riker had dispatched almost at the loss of his own life? Was it this place that wrote those lines of worry on her face? Or perhaps it was all those things and more. He hated to see her hurting more than anything else. She deserved only happiness; every moment that could be spared. He wanted that for her. ]

I'll stay.

[ It was more than that, he knew. Back on the Enterprise they had been able to feel each other, no matter where they were, but right now she had to see him, touch him, to know only that he was there. She'd turned in his arms, and now he moved his hands to her collar, gently loosening a few of the teeth of the zipper before letting her go. ]

Let me get the water running warm.

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2014-01-22 11:13 pm UTC (link)

[ she can't hear him, can't even sense him behind her. the only signs that she isn't alone are the feeling of his arms around her and his reflection in the mirror. she takes a deep breath as she stands there watching him, blinking back tears threatening to overwhelm her. she'd done her best to hold it all in during the day, even when she'd seen data for herself, but now that she's alone with the one person she's comfortable with knowing exactly how she feels, a person whom she should be able to sense empathically, she's finding it hard to hold herself together. it wasn't even that long ago that she'd cried over losing data and not long before that when--

if she closes her eyes, she can still picture it, how she had been enjoying a night with her new husband and then--

closing her eyes hadn't gotten rid of the image at the time. shinzon and his reman helper had been inside her head. with only a short time spared between that and the decided lack of empathy and telepathy available to her, it felt as though shinzon had sucked her very soul, her essence, out of her, like this was some gross punishment for something she'd done to him. and today she'd met someone whose words, friendly words normally, had hit this nerve and made it even worse for her to settle in. her nerves are humming, for once the counselor needing counsel.

for a moment after will says he'll stay, she just holds onto him, pressing her head against his chest. but when he pulls away and continues, she just nods, not so sure she trusts her voice at the moment, and takes a shaky breath before she moves to slowly get undressed. the sooner they get in, washed off, out, and dry, the better.

and deanna can take the time she needs to adjust to her new life, in every imaginable way. ]

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1stofficer
2014-01-22 11:38 pm UTC (link)

[ He could see her pain, see her struggling with all of it for the first time - really - since they'd both appeared here and found each other. It had been the worst day of their lives--actually the worst, and that was saying a great deal considering everything they'd been through, and it shattered him to see her so shaken, and comforted him to see her rally despite it, see her fight through the wave of emotion that so clearly threatened to consume her without outlet.

She held it back, even as it reached her eyes. No tears. He brushed the pad of his thumb across her cheek, just under her eye, then leant in to brush one more kiss against her forehead before retreating, letting her undress while he went to warm up the water in the shower. They didn't have to speak. Physical comfort was more than enough. If it was what Will needed most in this moment then it would certainly be enough for her. Strength--they were each other's strength.

The water warms quickly, and Will leaves it running as he steps back, making quick work of his jumpsuit. The warm water offers an inviting burst of steam, and though it isn't quite a sonic shower, there's plenty that's comforting about a blast of hot water. The Rikers hadn't had a sonic shower when he was growing up: hot water for cold nights. A bathtub. He'd have to find a room with a bathtub. He turns to look at her again, offering his hand. ]

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2014-01-23 12:14 am UTC (link)

[ they hadn't had time to process anything before arriving here and deanna had literally seen that ship blow up with the knowledge that data was on board. will had appeared on the bridge just after it and deanna had whispered, "it's data," in that tone they both knew meant only heartbreak was on the horizon. now she wants to whisper the truth to him now in that same tone of voice, "shinzon, shinzon," to explain how that had been brought back up and how she's now feeling. instead, she repeats a mantra in her mind as she takes his hand, he has no control over me. no matter how much he had tried to own her, shinzon would not beat her. she has will riker, her husband, her constant, her imzadi. they will make it through this.

it isn't until they step into the steaming water that she feels the last slivers of her control break away. the water is just the right temperature with just enough steam for her to feel the heat of it billowing against her face, coaxing her into letting go of herself. she's safe here; no one can hurt either of them. for a moment, she simply lets the water wash over her before she turns to her husband and simply wraps her arms around him. the tears she'd been holding back finally spill out, but they're quiet sobs she releases, letting the water of the shower take it all away.

in a way, it's very much what she needs, a release of emotion she hasn't allowed herself before this and would have encouraged one of her patients to engage in. once she's calmed down again, a faint smile crosses her face, more at the fact that she's standing here with her husband than anything, but she'll take what measure of happiness and comfort she can. she only pulls back once they both seem to be in a place to release each other and then it's only enough to lift up on her toes to kiss him.

then and only then does she move to continue and finish their shower. ]

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1stofficer
2014-01-23 12:51 am UTC (link)

[ He knew that she was going to shatter into pieces from the feel of her hand against his own, and as she stepped into the shower he let her fold into him, wrapping his arms around her back, one crossing over her shoulder and the other settling in her hair, nested against the back of her head. The warm water washed away the cold. He still felt her tears, he thought, like pinpricks of charged emotion. He knew. He could feel. He didn't need to ask. Jean-Luc had vanished while he and Deanna had been in the medical bay discussing the problem, and they'd thrown themselves into their duties. Now they could really catch up, think about how it had made him feel.

The Reman that had invaded her was gone. It had been a fight to he death, just the two of them, and Riker, who was usually understanding, who could forgive many things, had not only let him fall to his death but caused it to happen. He hadn't had time to process that either, the fierce protectiveness that had overcome him, the need to remove this element that had so intruded on his love for this woman, on the sanctity of her own mind.

That fierce protectiveness hasn't ebbed for a second. He swears to himself that he will never let it happen to her again, never let her out of his sight, never see her hurt--and he's probably got sky high ambition in that department considering she's accepted a posting on the Titan beside him, but that is a duty as her husband that he cherishes. Just as he is her rock, to stand and protect her from the buffeting wind in a crisis, to let her cry against his chest.

When she leans up to kiss him, he loosens his grip, though by no means lets her slip out of his hands, and as she drops back off the tips of her toes he brushes a wet strand of her hair out of her eyes. She feels a little better--he doesn't have to ask; so does he. ]

May I wash your hair?

[ It was a privilege. These things didn't happen very often. Sonic showers were much too efficient. ]

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counselled
2014-01-23 01:22 am UTC (link)

[ even if she isn't kept perfectly safe, as long as he's right there with her, she knows she'll be all right. this isn't the first time this has happened to her, but it is the first time it's been so emotionally charged and at a time where she couldn't process what had happened. it's the first time it felt so real.

the kiss helps anchor her even more and she leans into it, not quite able to open up fully to his embrace (though that is mostly due to the water beating down on them). his offer is met with a slightly larger smile, one that seems to fill her with more light than she'd been allowed earlier. she recognizes the privilege of the request, for both of them. for her, it's a chance to relax, to allow her husband to deal with her long brown hair in her place, and for him, it's an opportunity to help her, to see how much she trusts him. because she does trust him. she trusts will riker more than anyone she had ever met, including his other self, his "brother" thomas.

she loves him, she trusts him, and she wants him to stay close by. ]

I would be honored to have you wash my hair.

[ her answer is twofold: both teasing and serious. while she shifts around to give him easier access to her hair, she closes her eyes and finally takes the first step in adjusting to her situation. with her eyes closed, she can only feel and hear him behind her, not sense him, and it forces her to deal with the here and now. he's here and she's trusting him not to hurt her. not that she ever thinks he would or even could, but the gesture means more now that she's had these recent experiences than it might have before. ]

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1stofficer
2014-01-24 02:12 am UTC (link)

[ It's strange. He's never doubted that she trusted him, perhaps more most of the time than he even trusted himself, but right now he realises how much of a gesture it was, how hard it was for her to place her faith even in him, and his mouth pinches when she's turned away. This is what Shinzon has done to her. It isn't his fault, nor hers. And she's trying--he can't afford to lose sight of that. But it makes him angry, futily angry, to see how hard they've been brought to their knees by this. They lost their confidence, they lost a friend, they almost lost their lives...

Very gently he lifts her hair back over her shoulders, gently settling it between her shoulder blades, and he reaches past her to take the shampoo, studying the packet for a moment before deciding that it was probably safe to use.

He murmurs softly, reassuringly to her as he works it in, works his fingers soothingly into her scalp and rubs the shampoo down through the strands, top to bottom so as not to tangle it unnecessarily. She has lovely hair. ]

I promised to seek out Jean-Luc in the morning, barring any unforeseen circumstances. He wants us to move in close to him and the others, and I think it's probably a good idea.

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2014-01-24 04:22 am UTC (link)

[ her eyes remain closed while he works and to her credit she doesn't flinch when he touches her. she knows he's here for her, as he was always there for her before. will is her rock, her support, and she hates that shinzon got to her so well, that he violated not only her feelings, her emotions, her mind as much as her body, but he also got between her and her husband. that was absolutely unconscionable to her. to have come between deanna and her closest companion, her imzadi... it made her feel sick to think about.

but that's why she's taking slow, deep breaths as he works, letting his hands and the little motions between them help calm her and strengthen their bond. they may have fallen to their knees with all of this, but they are not broken. they can make it through, even with their limited crew, their family, here. as long as they have each other, everything will work out. deanna has to keep that in mind to keep her optimism going, for the good of everyone around her as well as herself.

but in all honesty, she is enjoying the feel of his hands in her hair. it's practically a scalp massage and that is what she really needs, something to ease the tension. it'll take a while, but she'll slowly relax into his hands. ]

I agree. We work better if we aren't far apart. I'll go with you. It'll be good to see the others and perhaps get a more rounded explanation of what has been happening here.

[ they have a routine, a chain of command, to settle into, one they are all more than used to, and that will be the most helpful for all of them. deanna is already planning on how she can put her counseling skills to good use, even if she doesn't get her abilities back. unlike last time, she feels she can be of use to people even without them. it won't be easy, but when has anything in their lives been easy? ]

Will... [ her voice trails off as she tries to figure out if she wants to say anything else or just enjoy what he's doing for her. she wants to call to him, to feel him and sense him, but she also wants to know how he's taking all of this. the counselor in her wants to help them both through this and the wife side of her wants to help him, to reassure him that she isn't upset with him, that none of this is an affront to him. ]

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1stofficer
2014-01-27 04:54 am UTC (link)

[ The chain of command he can settle into, but some things about what they're going to face are things where he's going to have to adapt a hell of a lot more than he was ready for. Working with civilians, working with Borg, dead crewmates. People from the 23rd century. It was going to be very much like walking on egg-shells from the perspective of the Temporal Prime Directive, and considering it was one of the things that he'd been charged with - both breaking it himself and assisting in it - he wasn't excessively happy about the daily risk of doing so again.

Of course it wasn't the only conversation he'd had. Picard had made him briefly doubt Deanna's pull point. But after their conversation here, now, after witnessing her tears, there was no longer any doubt for him. They'd come from the same moment. It explained a great deal, and Will was pleased that he hadn't even had to ask, that it resonated so clearly between the two of them.

It had been a long, and trying day. Two days, pressed into one, and Will...the only thing he wanted, the only thing he was most looking forward to, was curling up in bed beside his wife and ending this terrible day once and for all. That would be his comfort, his relief. She was the counseling he needed.

Soaping through her hair was easy enough. When he'd finished, he moved his hands to her shoulders, gently urging her to turn back toward him, to step back under the torrent of water. ]

You have nothing to worry about. We're together, and now we know that we can do it. No matter how hard it tries, no matter what it takes. I love you, Deanna.

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2014-01-27 07:33 pm UTC (link)

[ it's the working with dead crewmates part that's going to take deanna longer to adjust to. hugh had helped them all see through the liberated drones with something other than a purely anti-borg lens, but even he would not be able to fully dissipate years' worth of fear and terror. the crew of the enterprise-d, and now the enterprise-e after its trip to 2063, would always remember what had happened to their captain and fellow crewmates and nothing would be able to penetrate the fear that had settled over them all. meeting the former drone calling herself seven of nine had been a shock for deanna; she could imagine it had been worse for captain picard and will riker.

but she doesn't want to think of any of that, so she focuses on the movements he's doing against her scalp and then the soft urging once he's through. keeping her eyes closed, more to avoid getting soap in them, she steps exactly where he directs, using it as an exercise in trust for the both of them. his words fall gently and easily on her ears and only when he's through rinsing her hair out does she respond, first trying telepathically out of habit and then verbally when that fails. ]

Imzadi. I love you, too.

[ and that's really all that needs to be said. sure, she could offer a thousand other words, a direct response to his attempt to reassure and uplift her, but somehow those seem to fall short compared to these five little words. a smile graces deanna's lips and for the first time in hours, days even, she breathes easily, the soft cycle of breathing coming far more naturally to her. she knows she hasn't overcome it fully, but she has people here who will help her, whose presence she can trust, whom she loves as dearly as family. she'll be fine. they all will be fine. ]

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1stofficer
2014-01-30 04:23 pm UTC (link)

[ Focusing on the Borg any day of the month is frankly something he doesn't want to do. He'd like to not dwell on any of it, and it's easy to brush it all aside when her breathing eases, to just fall into the moment. He doesn't need to kiss her, to pull her against him; merely being in each other's company is a great comfort. He strokes the last of the soap out of her hair, then finds her eyes. ]

Let's leave the rest for the morning. I feel cleaner already, and truly... I just feel like I could sleep for days.

[ And she seems calm enough now that she might stand a chance of sleeping. He strokes her hair back once more, then reaches past her to turn off the water, returning his hands to her to squeeze the water out of her hair, starting high and working down to the bottom.

He was already thoroughly drained, practically sleeping on his feet. There were routines to be observed, though. Her hair needed to be dried thoroughly, for one thing. It would still take time; it wasn't as simple as just falling into bed. He led her backwards out of the shower, reached for a towel to press it into her hands. ]

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2014-01-30 09:55 pm UTC (link)

So could I, but I think Captain Picard might worry if we're away from duty for too long.

[ it's an attempt at humor, one that might make them both smile. deanna doesn't open her eyes until the water's off, they're out of the shower, and he's handed her a towel. then she goes through the process of drying off, making sure he's taken care of as well as she is before she moves to pull on something dry. normally, she might be willing to just let her hair dry on its own, but she doesn't want will to be cold by holding her.

at this point, she is calm enough to try sleeping, especially if she has him with her. and honestly, half the fun of it is taking the time to really get ready for bed. drying off, getting dressed, drying her hair, and then settling into bed... all of it is a good exercise in bonding, togetherness. so once she's dried off and dressed, she grabs a dry towel and turns back to will with a smile still in place. ]

Would you like to do the honors with this, too, or should I?

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1stofficer
2014-02-01 03:36 pm UTC (link)

[ Finally, dried off and wrapped in one of the dressing gowns he'd found, Will moved to take the dry towel, reaching up toward Deanna's wrung out - but hardly dry - hair. If it dried out wet it would be uncomfortable for both of them, and while the temperature inside the dome wasn't presently unpleasant, from what he'd heard the weather was computer controlled and could shift unpredictably at any moment. If the temperature dropped overnight, it wouldn't be good for her. He knew all about that from his youth in Alaska.

As far as bonding rituals go, he's grateful for it. Settling in together in the shower and in bed is one thing, but there's a comfort to the routine, to spending this time together preparing for bed, that is such a balm after the day they've had. It brings the pace back down to something comfortable, and Riker presses a kiss to her shoulder before he begins to rub dry her hair. Once he's done he reaches past her to take up the hairdrier, working from the ends upward, and using his fingers to card it into a degree of tidiness. Without a comb or brush it was the best he could do.

The warm air, the hum of the drier, both were comforting in their own right. There was a sense memory there, something he couldn't quite put his finger on, perhaps even a memory of his mother. He looked back into the mirror at Deanna. ]

Feeling better?

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2014-02-01 06:08 pm UTC (link)

[ it might not be a big movement or mean much in the grand scheme of things, but at this point in time, something simple as having her husband dry her hair is comfort beyond comfort for deanna. she smiles gently as he works, enjoying the gentle scalp massage he's giving as he threads his fingers through the strands of her hair. this is nice. this is relaxing. this is just what she's needed. ]

Yes. Not even a bowl of chocolate ice cream helped this much.

[ and that's saying something coming from her. she means it, though, and once he's done and her hair is dry, she turns to pluck the hairdryer out of his hands, placing it on the counter so she can take his hand and lead them both into the bedroom. climbing up onto the bed, she scoots over to give him room to crawl up beside her and slides under the sheets. their night may have been long and involved, but it's been just what they've needed. it's been the calm after the storm, a chance to breathe easily, which deanna is now doing, and she wouldn't trade this for anything at all. she'll wait for her husband to fall into place beside her before she curls up against him, letting him move until they're both comfortable and she can speak easily again. ]

Thank you.

[ he means the world to her and his actions now have proven that yet again. ]

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