(no subject)

[inthetapestry]

Dave has been hardly in his apartment these last three days, busy buying presents for his father and brother (inevitably it ends up being ties, but he still spends hours staring hopelessly at different items trying to decide) and wrapping up business in his legal office for the holidays.

He's not been expecting any calls, and he almost doesn't notice the blinking red light on the answering machine as he's finally heading out the door to spend his first Christmas with his family in five years.

But he does notice it, and, groaning, sets down his bags and hits 'play'.

The impatient look vanishes quickly, however, as he listens to the message.

Hi, Dave -- it's Kim. I guess you're out somewhere ... sorry to have missed catching you, and it looks like it's going to be a while yet, as it turns out I'm not coming back to Toronto for the holidays after all. [awkward pause] Things here are going okay, though... I'm getting settled in, at least. It's not like... like it was, or anything, but it's okay.

[pause]

Anyway I, um, I hope everything's good with you. Talk to you soon, I guess? Take care of yourself. Bye."

He lets the message run out, and then reaches to dial - and then stops himself. Instead, he hangs up the phone and goes trudging off to hunt for the phone book, and the number for US Airlines.

Comments

[bannion_sight]

For all her sight, all her dreams -- she'd never thought she'd be spending the Christmas holiday in this fashion, far from her family and childhood home.

Kim's fairly certain that she'd have been welcomed by several of those in town -- certainly Glastonbury's people have made its newest doctor feel as much at home as possible -- but she'd chosen not to make her absence of plans known.

She spends the morning walking some of the paths near her cottage, then calls her parents as soon as the time difference will allow, wishing them happy holidays and much love.

Evening finds her curled up on her small sofa, her feet tucked under her and her hands wrapped around a cup of coffee. Kim stares off into space, her thoughts far, far away from the quiet room.

[inthetapestry]

Dave's Christmas is surprisingly free of shouting!

Which is, for the Martyniuk clan, something to be proud of in and of itself.

Still - building family relations back where they have shattered is a slow process, and should not be strained or moved to quickly. So Dave is more than a little relieved, when all is said and done, to have an excuse to say goodbye to his father on the evening of Christmas Day, and get into the peaceful silence of his car, and drive to the airport.

. . . which is, predictably, a zoo, but when you're a man Dave's size, that's not as frustrating as it might be to the smaller and more easily crowded.

He sleeps surprisingly well on the flight over the Atlantic.

[bannion_sight]

She goes to her office the next morning; it may be a small clinic, but it's hers, and it's more of a relief than she likes to admit to not face life-threatening emergencies and battle-caused wounds.

There are no scheduled patients, of course, but there's no harm in occupying herself with the minutiae of little administrative tasks that need attention while she waits, just in case.

[inthetapestry]

It's a very grand gesture to hear that a friend is lonely and fly across the ocean to cheer them up.

. . . it's slightly anticlimactic to arrive at their house, knock on the door, and find that they aren't there.

Feeling somewhat disgruntled, rather stupid, and all of a sudden significantly unsure of himself, Dave goes to find a pub or something to pass the hours until the evening.

(If she's not there then . . . he doesn't know. Leave a message and fly back, he guesses. How much does it even cost to use payphones in England?)

[bannion_sight]

As the last light of the sun fades from the sky, Kim locks the clinic door and bends her steps homeward.

She'd spent the day undisturbed after all, without a single patient, and the evening bids fair to be just as quiet.

Kim allows herself one moment of regret, and then briskly reminds herself that there have been any number of times when she would have given almost anything for just such an evening's peace.

[inthetapestry]

Dave has been nursing his single pint for several hours now, and the owner has begun aiming impatient looks in his direction.

Dave knows how to take a hint. (If anything, he's over-sensitive to them.) He glares back, but swings his backpack on his shoulder and heads out. He's a little surprised to find it dark already - but he supposes that makes now as good a time as any to see if Kim's back.

He starts heading down the street towards her house.

[bannion_sight]

It's not that far a walk, all things considered. Despite that, Kim finds herself taking her time, even dawdling, all to avoid another silent night in an empty house.

Eventually, though, she rounds the corner onto her street-- and in the next instant finds herself dodging to one side to avoid running into someone--

-- a very tall, achingly familiar someone.

But that's impossible--

Kim freezes, clear gray eyes wide.

[inthetapestry]

"Sorry, sorry -" begins Dave, turning around hurriedly - and then sees the white hair around the young face.

Uh.

"Uh," he says, aware of a slightly idiotic grin. "Hi."

[bannion_sight]

"Dave?!?"

She can't believe it, can't, and yet even as she shakes her head a bright smile is beginning to appear.

"Is it really you?"

[inthetapestry]

Kevin would have made some kind of clever joke here; Paul would have responded with heavy sarcasm.

"I got your message," Dave says. "Guess you sounded a little bit down. Uh - my timing was a little off." He scratches the faint stubble on his chin (neither overnight flights nor British pubs provide convenient venues for shaving) rather sheepishly. "I think you were still at work when I got here."

[bannion_sight]

"I can't believe you came--"

That's all she can manage to get out, so instead of trying to find more words, Kim dashes forward and throws her arms around him, laughing in delight.

"--I'm so glad to see you!"

[inthetapestry]

Dave, grinning now more than ever, wraps his arms around her in an enthusiastic hug - possibly lifting her off her feet a little in the process.

"I guess I've gotten used to skipping countries at the drop of a hat by this point," he jokes quietly, words aimed at the top of her head. "Didn't have to bring any study notes this time, at least."

And then: "Good to see you, too."

[bannion_sight]

"Next thing you know, you'll give up law to be an international journalist, or something," she teases, tilting her head back so that she can look up at him.

[inthetapestry]

Dave snorts.

"Right, because the good with words one, I've always been that guy."

Though it'd be nice to be. Times like this (say, with Kim) maybe especially.

If Dave's a good lawyer, it's not because he's a persuasive or eloquent speaker, but because he puts in the hours to make sure he knows what he's talking about. (And also because he's scary when he's shouting.)

[bannion_sight]

"Good enough," Kim insists. She can't seem to stop smiling, not that she wants to.

A movement spotted from the corner of her eye gets her attention, though, enough to notice that the two of them are the focus of two elderly ladies down at the corner shop, both of whom seem to be much more interested in the scene unfolding before them than in their marketing.

Flushing a little, Kim eases back, but leaves one arm around Dave's waist. With her free hand, she waves to the ladies. Mrs. Williams waves back, and Mrs. Jamieson calls out, "And a good evening to you, Dr. Ford -- and to your friend, too."

[inthetapestry]

Dave's arm goes easily around Kim's shoulders. They're about the right height!

"Good evening," he shouts back, and then says, to Kim, in an undertone: "Uh, so, maybe indoors would be a good plan?"

[bannion_sight]

"I think you're right," she says, laughing again, and nudges him toward her little house.

It's not far at all, really, and it's the work of but a moment to have the door open and the light on.

[inthetapestry]

"It's nice," Dave says - meaning the house - and then glances down at her, with a smile that's about three parts amused and one part embarrassed.

"You're not going to be getting social interrogations from your clients tomorrow, are you?"

[bannion_sight]

"Oh, probably-- but it's worth it."

Kim beams at him and then waves at the living room and kitchen nook both.

"Do you want to sit down? I have no idea how long you've been traveling--have you eaten? Or coffee -- I've always got that going, you know me--"

[inthetapestry]

"I'm all right. I've been in town for a couple hours, so I've eaten, I've - you know, don't go to any trouble," Dave says.

He glances around vaguely for a chair, but doesn't make any move to head for one. He'll sit down if Kim goes to make coffee for herself, but for now standing there with Kim's arm around his waist he's pretty much okay where he is -

Another thing he hasn't quite thought through strikes him, and he adds, quickly, "So you know, you don't have to put me up either. If you don't want - I mean, I don't even know if you've got any place for guests. I checked at the inn earlier and they've got a room open."

[bannion_sight]

"No, it's okay!" Kim says hastily. "Are you kidding? That is, if you want-- but I've got space, don't worry about that--"

[inthetapestry]

"No, no, staying here would be great," Dave says fervently. "If you've got the space. I just figured I probably shouldn't flat-out assume you wanted someone taking up half your house for a couple of nights -"

He raises his free hand and waves it vaguely around his head, to indicate that he is well aware how much less space there is in any given room when Dave is standing in it.

[bannion_sight]

"You're welcome here as long as you want to stay," she assures him, softly.

A second or two passes, and then Kim suddenly giggles.

"Although we'll probably want to find you somewhere besides the couch--"

She waves her hand at the small sofa tucked neatly against one wall. One look is all it takes to see that there's no way Dave could be comfortable on something that short.

[inthetapestry]

Dave blinks at the couch, and then shakes his head, laughing.

"Could be I've gone soft in the past couple months, because I'm thinking a Fionavar-style bedroll in the snow is probably out. Otherwise wherever you put me, I'll be fine, honestly."

Even as Dave says the word 'Fionavar', he thinks how strange it is to hear it spoken aloud again; it's been months since he could mention it to anyone.

[bannion_sight]

"Oh, I think we can do better than that."

Kim shakes her head, smiling, then nods toward the couch.

"Come on. Let's sit down, and you can tell me everything I've missed."

[inthetapestry]

Dave obligingly makes his way towards the couch - steering Kim that way also, sort of by default.

"I don't know if there's so much to tell. It's been very -"

He searches through words for a moment.

"- mundane, I guess."

[bannion_sight]

She settles comfortably on one of the cushions and looks up at him.

"Mundane? Really?"

[inthetapestry]

"Yeah. Well. I guess it's hard to compete with - uh, the non-mundane things that came before. But -"

He shakes his head, leaning back, and lets his eyes rest on the ceiling.

"You know, sometimes I'd catch myself wondering if I really was crazy? Didn't happen often. But sometimes."

[bannion_sight]

"You're not crazy."

Immediate, and firm.

"Or if you are, then so am I."

(Meg might agree; Kim shoves that thought aside.)

[inthetapestry]

"I know. I didn't ever really think so for long. Just every so often - you know."

He glances down at her, and smiles a little.

"It's easier with you. Now I think I'm crazy for thinking I was crazy."

[bannion_sight]

"I know."

Even here, it had been harder for her than she'd expected, especially when she wasn't able to find a door to Milliways. How much worse must it have been for him?

"But I can assure you that you're not --"

She beams a deliberately bright smile up at him.

"-- or at least, no crazier than usual."

[inthetapestry]

Dave snorts, and kicks her in the ankle (very gently).

"Hey, I'm the sane one around here."

[bannion_sight]

Kim retaliates by aiming a light, slow-motion swat at his shoulder.

"Well, I guess so, if you want to look at it that way."

[inthetapestry]

So sane he just flew a couple thousand miles on the spur of the moment without asking!

Yeah.

"I do," Dave says cheerfully, and uses the hand that's still around her shoulders to muss her hair a little.

(Strange hair, white hair - it's just Kim's hair by now.)

"So tell me more about what you do here and what all the gossipy ladies are saying about you."

[bannion_sight]

"It's pretty mundane," she teases, then sobers a little, thinking about it. "... actually, it is."

"I've got a little practice going in a small clinic -- it's not a big place, you know, even if there are a lot of tourists who come through. But there aren't all that many doctors, either, so it seems to be working out. Mostly I take care of sprained ankles, kids with sniffles and runny noses, all that sort of thing."

Kim glances up at him with a wry smile, adding,

"As for gossip, mostly people have just been asking why someone like me moved here in the first place, but let me get back to you on that -- I'm sure there'll be more in a day or so!"

[inthetapestry]

"I've got to admit I'm curious what they'll come up with," Dave admits, with a rumbled laugh.

He raises his eyebrows. "So what do you tell them? When they ask?"

[bannion_sight]

"Me too," Kim agrees.

There's a almost-awkward beat of silence before she continues,

"Mostly I just tell them that I felt drawn to the town when I visited it, and that I was looking for somewhere quiet."

[inthetapestry]

It's all sort of true, Dave guesses.

"Heh," he says, after a moment. "You're going to cultivate an air of mystery."

[bannion_sight]

"Oh, I hope not!"

Even though she knows it may be true.

"It's probably just the hair."

[inthetapestry]

"Is it? I guess."

He runs a lock between his fingers, almost absently.

"You could pass it off as a kind of punk rock look."

[bannion_sight]

"No pink, though," she says, sternly.

The feel of his fingers playing with her hair, of his arm around her shoulders -- it almost surprises her how right it feels, how comfortable she feels with him.

Almost.

"... I've really missed you, Dave." Kim tilts her head back just a little, looking up into his eyes.

"I've really, really missed you. I'm so glad you came."

[inthetapestry]

Dave meets her eyes, and things seem to slow down for a moment. Because this is not just a moment, but a Moment.

Specifically, this is the Moment when the old Dave - old angry pre-Fionavar Dave Martyniuk, who never met a goddess and who never felt like part of a family or part of anything - would have choked up. Would have been afraid, and would have frozen, and, when nothing happened and the moment was past, would have fumed bitterly for weeks at Kim and at himself. Would have poisoned a friendship, and would have added this moment to the store of many moments that proved the world was Out to Get Dave Martyniuk, because that's the kind of guy good old Dave Martyniuk was.

Not anymore.

"Me too," he says, as the moment starts to speed back up to normal time, and then "Kick me if I'm out of line, okay?" and then leans down before he can have second thoughts and kisses her.

[bannion_sight]

She opens her mouth to ask what he means, but doesn't have a chance to get the first word out before--

--oh.

Oh.

Dave's kissing her, and without any surprise at all Kim finds herself kissing him back.

[inthetapestry]

. . . well, she doesn't seem to be kicking him. Which is a good sign.

And then she's kissing him back, and, okay, that's a better one. His hand comes up to cup the back of her head, fingers tangled in her straight white hair, and -

"- uh," he says, breaking off for a moment, "just so you know, I wasn't thinking - I mean I wasn't planning this or anything when I decided to come, I swear."

[bannion_sight]

Kim giggles, and reaches up to place a finger over his lips, stopping the spill of words.

"I know you didn't," she assures him. "Really."

She can hear her own heart beating, can feel the flush rising bright in her cheeks as she continues,

"Now will you stop worrying, and kiss me again?"

[inthetapestry]

"I can do that," Dave says, and then maybe he would be trying for an expression of dignified mock solemnity if he weren't too busy suiting actions to words.

(There aren't any words for a while after that.)