stilljustandrew | (no subject)

*Meg maneuvers him over to the bed, and immediately begins to tug at his shirt.*

Lift up your arms, I can hardly see what's wrong through a layer of cloth, can I -

*Her tone is determinedly brisk and matter-of-fact.*

*He winces at the tug, and gives her a sudden wicked grin, and puts on a tone of exaggerated exasperation.*

I'm fine.

*Meg rolls her eyes and gently starts to peel the shirt up.*

You'd think you'd already fulfilled your quota of Stupid Meglike Things to Do and Say for one day, wouldn't you, but nooooo -

*He lifts his arms to let her pull the shirt off over his head, his voice coming out muffled through the fabric:*

You don't mean that.

Every word -

*The shirt drops to the ground, and Meg winces as she sees the large, mottled bruise on his side. Her hand goes gently to touch it.*

It looks nasty, but probably not terribly serious.

You should be okay.

*He touches the bruise gingerly.*

Owie.

-- Better me than you, anyways.

*Meg, who has dropped to her knees next to the bed in order to get a better look at the bruise, glances up immediately at that, and her face looks like it can't decide whether to be hard or stricken.*

Don't. Say anything like that again and I - I dunno what I'll do but it will not be good.

-- I just meant, you're smaller than me, you don't have any padding -- if it'd been you, it could've broken your ribs.

Or your leg.

*Meg glares up at him.*

Don't try and scare me, either.

Best neither of us. But if it comes to that, we know you've got things to do in the future. So you need to stay whole. All right?

...all right.

'course, the best way of making sure of that is to make sure you stay whole, too.

*His tone is trying for flippant, and missing it by some distance.*

'Cause what would I do without you?

*Meg's answer is immediate and succinct.*

Survive.

He looks at her for a long moment, then looks down and nods.*

I. I think I could do that.

-- 'd be a lot less happy. But. Yeah.

Good.

'cause if you thought you couldn't, I'd have to -

*She stops herself quiet for a moment, then leans over and gently kisses the bruise.*

There. That's better, at least.

*He does not ask what she thinks she would have to do, and that's only partially because the kiss has made the breath catch in his throat.*

... yeah. lots better.

*She looks back up at him, and her eyes are dark blue, but she smiles. Distractions are good and happy things!*

There, that'll teach you to do dumb heroic stuff.

hey, that was smart heroic stuff.

It was almost very dumb heroic stuff indeed.

And the dumbest part was leaving me behind to yell at you about it after.

*She rises to her feet and sits herself on the bed next to him.*

Come on, lie down - only thing that's gonna help with that - *she returns her hand to the bruise, gently -* is sleep.

*Andrew toes off his sneakers, and obediently lies down.*

... well, someone had to give me covering fire. And I trust you.

*Meg curls up next to him, careful not to put pressure on the bruise.*

You can trust me in lots of things -

*She yawns, then continues, sleepily,* but not in everything. Like letting you do things like that without much yelling and harping on it after. Fair warning.

*Her eyes flutter shut.*