for driftcompatible, driftsolo

[striker_eureka]

It's been a long day. His head's pounding again — probably not from his hangover, just from a stress headache, fucking paperwork, he hates it — and his face aches dully and all that Herc wants to do now is go back to his room and read a book or something, watch some TV, do anything other than focus on what's going on in his life.

But he hasn't seen Mako all day, hasn't had a text from her, hasn't heard her voice down the corridor, and he's a little worried. Not that she's hurt herself or anything, but that... Well. He's not really sure.

All he knows is he wants to see her.

So instead of going to his rooms, he turns left instead of right and heads down towards where she's still living. He could walk this route in his sleep, he's so used to it, and it factors into why he only knocks briefly on her door as a courtesy before pushing it open and letting himself in.

"Mako, sweetheart?"

He can feel the tension leaking out of his spine already as he steps into her room—

She and Raleigh are curled around each other, clinging to each other, their heads tucked in close. And while Hercules knows you'll always be physically close to your copilot, always want to touch and reassure yourself that they're really there, always want to be around them, to talk to them, to hear their voice and feel their presence beside you, that doesn't stop his heart from stuttering in his chest, a tiny voice in the back of his head crowing, hah I told you I knew this would happen you're never going to be good enough why do you even try anymore you should just give up already.

"Oh." Wow, is that really his voice? He doesn't remember sounding like that. He tries again, clearing his throat, his eyes dropping to the floor so he doesn't have to see them wrapped around each other. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you'd still be here..." 

He's backing up now, reaching for the door.

"I'll...try later." 

Comments

[driftcompatible]

She sprawls easily, a leg over his and her palm smoothing over the flat planes of his stomach.

"Yes, your nose."

She gently swats his hip.

"It is not. I'm rather fond of it, actually."

[striker_eureka]

"No, it's terrible, I wouldn't want to saddle anyone with my nose."

He's definitely playing this up, his nose is a little more cute than he would like but it's a perfectly fine nose, but finally, finally the mood of earlier has lifted a little and he wants to encourage this.

"I bet she'll freckle, though."

[driftcompatible]

He's earned himself a little pinch.

"It's a good nose," she says firmly, though the idea of her freckling is too sweet to bear.

"I think she'd be perfect."

No matter what - no matter the gender, Mako will be happy.

[striker_eureka]

That makes him yelp a little and flinch away from her fingers, but it's all him being ridiculous, her pinch didn't hurt at all.

"Yours is still cuter. Especially with freckles."

This is the best part of parenthood, when everything is rosy and golden and there's no need to worry yet, when you can pretend you're going to be the best parents ever and your kid is going to be perfect no matter what.

"Well of course she will, she's going to be your daughter."

[driftcompatible]

He's got her laughing at least, the smile on her face is genuine.

"And yours," she adds, pulling him closer to kiss him, needing the reassurance that at the very least, he is still in love with her.

[striker_eureka]

As is his.

"But mostly yours," he insists, his words getting muffled against her lips as he kisses her happily, his hands smoothing up her back.

[driftcompatible]

"That makes no sense," she laughs as she nibbles on his lip, hands roaming to tickle up his sides.

"It takes two."

[striker_eureka]

His smile widens into more of a grin and he lets himself squirm a little under her fingers.

"Shh, don't contradict me, I'm the Marshal."

Which counts for nothing here, really, but whatever.

[driftcompatible]

She rolls and slides on top, legs effectively straddling his hips. She leans down, fingers lingering in a place she knows makes him laugh, and murmurs in his ear.

"You can't pull rank with me, Hercules."

[striker_eureka]

He does laugh, low and rumbling, still squirming a little beneath her fingers.

"Watch me."

Watch him try, he should say. Because he's never wanted to pull rank with her before and he would never do it seriously, but he's a man, he can't help attempting to do some posturing, here and there.

[driftcompatible]

"Is this you pulling rank?"

She digs her fingers in - not enough to hurt, but enough to notice, and she leans over him and smiles, mouth finding his.

[striker_eureka]

He arches a little into the sharp press of her fingertips, humming against her lips.

"This is me hoping you'll pull rank, sweetheart."

[driftcompatible]

Her brows inch up her forehead and her teeth come down momentarily on his lower lip before releasing.

"I am so very tempted."

[striker_eureka]

"Oh yeah?"

He hisses a little when she bites his lip, but they've been together long enough for her to know he responds well to that.

"I don't know if I believe you."

[driftcompatible]

Her hands are creeping along the edge of his shirt, fingers teasing at the hem and brushing at his skin. Her hips roll once, pressing down against him.

"Yeah."

[striker_eureka]

His hands have fallen to her thighs, his fingers digging gently into her flesh as he watches her with blue eyes rapidly becoming more pupil than iris.

"Prove it, then."

[driftcompatible]

She gives him a look - the kind she always does when someone asks her to prove anything, and her hands are catching the hem of his shirt and tugging it up, dragging it over his skin and pulling his arms up and away from her body in turn.

Prove it. Ha -- fine. She will. She always does.

[striker_eureka]

Herc may or may not be grinning smugly at her. Yes, he knows full well how she reacts when challenged to prove something, and no, he doesn't regret doing it again.

She whips his shirt off and he lets her without protest, baring pale and freckled skin that's getting soft despite his best efforts.

Sometimes Herc really wishes he was twenty years younger, his body hard and strong like it used to be, because even though he knows he looks pretty good and he knows Mako finds him desirable, he can't help looking at himself in the mirror sometimes and lamenting what his desk job is doing to him now. And he's too old now to really allow himself to indulge in jealousy about something as objectively pointless as all this, but man, it would be nice to.

His hands settle back on her thighs, stroking slowly up and down as she perches above him.

[driftcompatible]

Everyone wishes for something that they can’t have – Mako is lucky enough that she’s gotten most of her wishes granted throughout the duration of her life. She might not have the connection with Hercules that she has with Raleigh, but there is a connection because she was fortunate enough to Drift with him while running diagnostics on Miracle, and she got to experience his joy when they took her for various spins in the ocean before medical deemed him unfit to pilot.

She knows his thoughts – some of them, at least – and she knows him. You don’t always need the Drift to love someone. Mako thinks maybe sometimes people rely too heavily on it to convey feelings and emotions. Not everyone has the opportunity that the pilots have, and while many envy them Mako thinks maybe there’s something to be said about being able to have your own secrets, your own thoughts. Having someone else constantly in your head isn’t always a good thing, after all.

She settles atop him and just looks him over for a few moments, admiration open as she practically radiates her affection. She leans to kiss him, palms flat on his chest as she just enjoys the feel of him, the way muscle moves under her hands with every touch and every caress.

So he’s a little soft around the edges now; his body not quite as firm as it was when she’d met him – but that’s okay. She’s the same; all her hard edges are a little rounder now, her weight fluctuating as her body changes and grows. Mako doesn’t mind, and as she wriggles out of her tank and shorts and tosses them aside, she thinks that maybe they’re just growing with each other, because no matter how old you are or how old you act, there’s always room to grow, change, and love.