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[owned-by-zot.livejournal.com]

[ooc: Converted from chatplay, as Darien-mun was exhausted and didn't have time to play out over LJ]

Kestrel's been sitting in a booth for quite some time.

Her coffee's grown cold.

She leans back against the wall, finally, and stretches her legs out again.

'Darien? Are you awake?'

And he's there.

"Kes, what's up, babe?"

She looks up at him, and smiles a little, reaching for his hand. "Hey. I... hon, I need to go home for a while."

He sighs, taking her hand. "Aw shit, Kes, now?"

Kestrel chuckles a little. "I should be back tomorrow. Promise. Somehow."

Darien looks at her, and probably only she or Brennan would be able to read the lost expression in his eyes. "Babe, Bren's already MIA and now you're hightailing?"

She squeezes his hand, thumb lightly running over the back of it, speaking softly. "He's gone, and you can't leave... and there's something I have to do. I don't know what it is. But... I promise. Somehow. I'll be back tomorrow night at the latest."

He sighs, running his free hand over his hair. "Right o, babe."

"Hey..." She tugs on his hand a little, catching his attention again. "Love you. You know I do. I'll be back almost before you have a chance to miss me."

"I know." He smiles, a little. "Just... feeling a little at ends, Kes. A little abandoned. And I know you gotta do it but, yeah..." He shakes his head, then looks up at her with a wry grin. "Least I can't go Nutzo the clown on ya..."

She watches him a moment, smiling the slightest bit. "I'm not abandoning you. Never will. Promise."

He grins. "I know, babe. Almost got ya lock, stock and barrel. Just need to find a preacher crazy enough..."

Kestrel leans over, kissing his cheek, and fiddles with the silver ring on his left hand for a moment. "You know I'm not leaving you, you silly rat bastard. And besides... there's always the bartender to consider." She grins up at him.

Smirking, he prods her lightly in the sternum. "Hey, I'm a lab rat bastard, thank you." As she snickers at that, he blinks, and then quirks an eyebrow at her. "And the bartender? What the hell would I want with the bartender?"

She bites her lip, the laughter still dancing in her eyes. "... Go find Meg and ask her sometime." She grins again and leans up, kissing his cheek again.

He raises an eyebrow again. "This something about redheads I'm missing?" One hand finds its way up to cup her jaw, thumb lightly brushing over her cheek. He leans down slightly and kisses her softly.

When he pulls back, she chuckles a little, smiling up at him. "No... more along the lines of 'the captain of the ship.' Anyway, love, go upstairs and sleep the day away, and I should be back just about when you wake up. Somehow. I promise."

Darien chuckles as well. "It's either that, or I need coffee. But hey. All right, babe, see ya later. Get your ass back where it belongs ASAP."

She grins again. "What about the rest of me?"

He leans forward, resting his forehead against hers, and smirks. "See, that's mine, so you take care of it for me." And then he shifts, kissing her cheek.

She smirks as well. 'Love you.'

'And I love you too, Kes.'

She leans up on her toes, kissing him soundly, then gives him a bit of a push toward the stairs. "Now go off to bed already, you!"

"Awright." He grins, and starts to saunter off. She mimes a kick in his direction as he goes, and laughs when he pretends it lands on his way upstairs.


She's got packing to do. She doesn't have much with her, and Denver will be cold.