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Aria -
Seren had not been allowed in to see Rhys at first, because they wanted to examine him, make sure he was ok. She spent two hours, sitting in a sort of waiting area, until they let her go see him, in fact. When she got to his bedside, he was still unconscious. She was pale, and worried, and stood there, staring silently for a few minutes, then went and scrounged up a chair. It wasn't very comfy, but she settled into it, next to his bed, her hand taking his.

Despite the discomfort of the chair, after a while, the day's battle, and her own extremely low energy after it, showed it's ugly head, and she fell asleep in the chair. She ended up curled in a ball on the chair, in her sleep, her hand never leaving his.

Pao -
It was early morning when the brunette finally stirred, groaning quietly. His whole body ached in much the same way it did after a brutal workout, except maybe multiplied twice over. However achy he was, though, when he opened his eyes and saw Seren balled up in a chair his expression immediately warmed.

And then fell into a slight frown because that didn't look comfy at all. Gently he squeezed her hand before bringing it to his lips for a little kiss, hoping this would be enough to wake her.

Aria -
She had been pretty exhausted by the time she fell asleep, and despite it being uncomfortable, she was pretty solidly asleep. The squeeze to her hand was met with a soft sigh, but the kiss had her shifting some, then finally, slowly, she started to wake up, and she looked around, confused, for a moment, before wincing because she had gotten stiff, and then after the wince, focusing right on Rhys, her eyes filled with worry, and she came fully awake.

"Baby... are you ok? I'm so sorry, I didn't want you to get hurt!" She sort of lurched out of the chair, and ended up on her knees next to him, because wow oh wow was she stiff from that chair and the position she had slept in. She would worry about that later, though, because she was too focused on Rhys, and how injured he might be.

Pao -
He watched her with loving eyes as she slowly woke...and then sort of fell out of her chair almost as soon as she saw him. He shot up into a sitting position in turn, deciding he could regret it because of the sudden shot of pain that rang through his head later, his worried expression all the more pronounced.

"I'm fine...are you okay?" He tugged her hand up a little bit before reaching over to offer his other hand as well. "C'mon, get up here. Why the ******** did you sleep in a chair when you could've slept next to me?"

Aria -
She looked very worried at the way he sat up... had he winced with pain? And his worry made her feel even more guilty. He was the one who took the most damage, he was the one who ended up in a hospital bed... He shouldn't be worrying about her, he should be... Well she wasn't sure what he should be. She did not want him to be mad at her, after all, but she did feel he should not be so worried about her.

"I'm fine... Di and I held out, our FEAR shield didn't go down, baby... But you went down so hard..." She took his other hand and carefully, slowly got up and slid onto the bed next to him. "I managed to bring that little s**t in, too... He's probably being questioned by Death Division now..." She blushed at his second question, though. "I was pretty sure the staff wouldn't let me! And I didn't mean to fall asleep, I just... did..."

Pao -
"I'm alright, just a little achey." He shrugged; no sense in worrying her all the more for it.

He scooted over to give her room, already feeling a little bit better just from her being right beside him. "Little s**t," he muttered as he lay back down, a sigh of relief escaping him. His arms naturally went around her and he pulled her closer, eyes closing again. "Staff can fight me if they tell you to get off." Rhys cuddled her close for a long, quiet moment, his worry slowly but surely ebbing away. When it was mostly gone he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Really glad you and Di got back okay though, babe. One of those 'better me than you' things in my book."

Aria -
She snuggled into him feeling glad to be at his side, her eyes closing for a moment as she remembered that moment of fury and worry when he went down, but let his cuddling, and the kiss, help her push that thought out of her head again, and she focused on him being here, safe and awake and mostly ok. "I really wish we had a hot bath, though, right now... It would help with those aches."

She opened her eyes, suddenly remembering something. "Oh... when I reported back, they informed me that this mission had been my promotional test, and I passed..." She gave him a small smile, and said "A little more money comin' in monthly will help save for the house."

She paused, and added "And... I guess I kinda feel the same way. Seeing you go down, and knowing now that this was my promo test... I feel kinda guilty draggin' you into it."

Pao -
"More reason to save up as quick as we can for that house," he murmured, now happily settled despite the still present aching. He did his best to keep it off his mind, and her being there did so much good for that. He focused on her instead, kissing her forehead again as he felt a surge of pride and elatedness at her news.

"Congrats, babe," he said a little too weak for his liking. "I'm happier and more excited than I sound, believe me." He pulled her tight against him for a second, smiling a little brighter. "And I'm glad you let me help with it, so no feeling guilty. 'Kay?"

Aria -
She smiled up at him. "Yeah, no kidding. Once we got all of our main wishlists settled, I think we should see about a hot tub, too." She smiled at the kiss, letting a little pride at having earned her promotion so soon come through in the smile.

"Hey, you took a damn hard hit from that charge attack, and the little s**t, at the end there... You need to rest and heal." She cuddled in against him and gave him a real kiss, full of love, at the second set of his words, holding him close, trying to tell him how grateful she was that he had been there... If he hadn't, she was positive she would have failed that mission. After the kiss, she sighed and added "I'll try, babe."

Pao -
"Hot tub..." He mused, a few choice imaginings of Seren dressed in some tasteful two-pieces came to mind, which he tucked away with a smile. "Huge bonus but yeah, that'd be ********' awesome."

"We can celebrate properly later then," he managed to say with a suggestive waggle of his brows before she kissed him. He smiled into it, feeling every bit of emotion she expressed to him through it. And when she pulled away finally he sighed and nodded. "Good."

Aria -
She arched a brow at the smile on his face, curious as to what was on his mind, that he looked like that. "Somethin' about hot tubs makin' you have ideas?" She teased him, lightly. "And yeah... Wish someone here had been like... a craftsman of that sort of thing." She paused, and then said, thoughtfully, "A sauna, a real northern style sauna, might be doable too, and might be easier to get here... Not as fun as soaking in a hot tub, perhaps, but... Well, could be nice, and..." She paused, then jokingly waggled her brows at him. "Traditionally one goes into those in just a towel."

She laughed at his waggle, amused by it, after the kiss and murmured "I'll celebrate with you all you like... Once you're fully rested and healed, baby." She caressed his cheek lovingly and kissed his cheek. "I don't want you hurtin', after all."

Pao -
His brain went back to imagining very suggestive images of his girlfriend when she mentioned going into a sauna in nothing but a towel which kept him smiling, which brightened at the sound of her laughter. "I should be good in a few hours," he replied, closing his eyes as he leaned into her touch. It still amazed him how much better he felt whenever she was in his arms, just like now.

"With my luck though I'll have a shift to get to right after I get outta here." Still, as glum as he might have sounded his smile was steady, his focus solely on the way her fingers brushed against his cheek. "But you're here now so I'm not complaining."

Aria -
She chuckled, soft and low, amused by the expression on his face, because she could guess what he was thinking about in that moment, and she did not mind at all. She would never mind him having thoughts of that nature about her, after all. Indeed, most of the time, she would encourage him... and on that note, she leaned up and whispered "Oh and they let me keep the school uniform, since they did not expect to have more trouble at that location..."

Before leaning back and sighing. "I hope not. If you do, though, I hope they send me with you, so I can be on hand while you might still be aching. And just, ya know, to be with you on the whole, cause I much prefer to be wherever you are." She smiled a little, though, and added "If not, we'll just have to meet up after."

Pao -
He blinked, the smile steady at her whisper. He had to keep down any kind of real physical reaction to it, but his cheeks flushed a light pink anyway. "Good to know," he whispered back, finally opening his eyes. "Maybe not for when we celebrate your promotion, but definitely somethin' to look forward to." He grinned and leaned in after her for a little kiss.

"Thanks, baby. Mm...you could request to do the shift with me, maybe? If they ask 'why' just say you wanna look after me 'cause I got injured on your mission or somethin'." It made sense in his head, anyway, and he kissed her again. "But yeah, worst case they say 'no' and we'll see each other after."

Aria -
She could not help smiling at his pink cheeks, pleased and also just a little amused. She enjoyed getting little rises out of him, even if it wasn't entirely the right place for them... He just looked so good when he was responding, and it made her feel good to remind herself that she could get those responses from her gorgeous, wonderful boyfriend, and the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

She smiled a little and said "Why don't you look'n see what you have on the calendar for today, then, love?" She nuzzled into him, and added "Maybe they won't have you on since you took such a hard hit." She had not checked hers yet, either, but would soon. She had been told something about 'appropriate rest' and what have you after the debriefing, possibly because she had gotten her shield down to almost nothing, and also caught the punk instead of killing him.

Pao -
He gave her a little more room to nuzzle in, lips pulling up into an affectionate smile as he gently tightened his hold on her. "I can do that..." he murmured, resting his cheek against her forehead as he reached into his pocket for his phone. He first went to check his calendar, and when he saw nothing jotted down there he went to his messages, the sight of the newest one cheering him up quite a bit.

"Pod duty, tomorrow evening," he said slowly, and with a sigh. "Looks like you're stuck with me 'til then."

Aria -
She smiled a little at his words, and said "Sweet." She tugged her own phone out, and checked, just in case, then grinned. "Nothing for me until then, and guess what?" She turned her phone so he could see she'd been assigned to Pod Duty too. "Looks like you're stuck with me for hours, oh the horror." She couldn't resist teasing, while also kind of wishing he did not use the word stuck in these situations. She was not stuck. She had the best damn boyfriend in the world and wanted to be here with him, and with him whenever she could be.

Pao -
He blinked at her screen and chuckled once he read it, leaning down for a proper kiss because he was more than a little thrilled that they got to spend some time together on a more basic assignment. "Stuck together, just how I like it," he murmured, nuzzling into her hair this time. "And you know when I say 'stuck' I don't actually mean it that way, like a bad thing?"

Aria -
She kissed him back, her arms tight around him, just wishing this was their bed, instead of the infirmary, and sighed softly. "All right, I won't argue with you on it... It just sometimes sounds like you think I'm 'stuck' with you like it is bad, when it's anything but." She cuddled in more. "You're the best thing in my world, and I don't want you ever thinking that, ok?"

Pao -
"And you're the best in mine, love," he sighed, eyes closing as he started to really settle down again. It'd be a few more hours before he got out of the infirmary, he was guessing, and this was probably the most comfortable he was ever gonna get here in the infirmary. "Any suggestions for what I could say instead of 'stuck'? I mean it more in a...good or bad, like it or not I'm with you...kinda way."

Aria -
She smiled, happy to hear that, as always. She sighed softly as well and closed her eyes, pondering drifting off again now that they were cuddled up like this. His question made her frown a little, thoughtfully. "It's never bad, to have you here with me, but... Huh. I don't know. I'll have to think about it. But remember. It is good, and I like it. I like you here, I like you at my side. Your presence makes me happy."

Pao -
He mused silently, gently tracing shapes on her arm as he did. "I know. It still amazes me that that's true but I know." He opened his eyes just enough that he could glance down and catch a glimpse of her face. And he smiled at the sight, happy to have it be the last thing he sees before he started drifting off to a quiet, peaceful sleep again.

"What if we can't think of a good replacement word?" he murmured, already half asleep.

Aria -
She smiled, a little, and said "It amazes me, too, but only on the level that you let me in. Otherwise... I'm not surprised. You have been a constantly good thing for me." She was more than ready to fall asleep, even if the way he was tracing shapes on her arm made her skin tingle some... She was just too tired right now to do more then smile at how nice it felt when he touched her like that.

"Mmmmm dunno. We'll... have to think... right now, sleep..."

Pao -
He chuckled at that. "Won't argue with you there..."

It was a couple hours later that he woke to someone tapping him on the shoulder, gently but still somehow rushed. He blinked up at the hunter that now stood over him, then nodded and waited for her to leave before turning to Seren and pressing a kiss softly to her cheek. "Babe, you up?"

Aria -
Seren was pretty solidly asleep, because a night spent in a chair, filled with worry, was not at all restful. However, as often was the case, his kiss was able to wake this sleeping not-princess, and her eyes flickered open. She gave a sigh, and she said "Do I have to be...?" As she looked up at him, more than a little bleary eyed.

Pao -
She was princess enough to him, particularly so with the way her eyes flickered open. And with the way she looked up at him, almost like she was completely helpless for the few seconds after she woke. Smiling bright, he gave her a long kiss on the forehead. "Just long enough to make it to our own bed, love. I can carry you if you want?"

Aria -
She sighed, and laughed, a little, then shook her head. "I can walk. All right... Let's do this..." She sighed, and slowly worked her way up, and off the infirmary bed. She stretched, wincing from how stiff she still was, trying to get all the muscles that had gotten stiff during her period of sleep in the chair, which she noticed someone had taken and put back. She blinked a little at that, then shrugged, and picked up her coat, then turned to him.

Pao -
He followed her lead, slowly getting up and out of the bed. He was happy to find that he wasn't in some crappy hospital gown like last time; his clothes were rumpled but no worse for wear than that. He slipped into his shoes while stretching, noting his own little kinks and knots as he did. He saw her wince too, and offered his hand after he pulled his coat on.

"I'll get you loosened up when we get home, sound good?"

Aria -
Her brows rose for a moment, and then she realized he meant a massage, and she nodded. "Sounds amazing, babe." She took his hand, and began to head for the door, ready to get out of here. She kind of felt they'd spent more than enough time in this place, between his stay after that mission to Mexico, and his stay tonight. Even though she had never stayed her for herself, luckily, so far... One night here at his side was enough.

"Should we stop by the caf, and get a quick bite?" At least the morning meal was usually edible, if only because there was usually some sort of cereal and milk. She didn't really want to, but she knew they should.

Pao -
Rhys followed her out the door, making sure to stop at the reception desk--or what was supposed to be a reception desk--to sign himself out of the place before they got out of the building. "Breakfast sounds amazing, too," he said thoughtfully, "I don't feel too hungry but that could be 'cause I wanna sleep a little more."

He gave it a little more thought as he gently tugged her closer. "I don't wanna skip my workout either but not sure anything too heavy’s a good idea."

Aria -
She let him pull her close, and just tucked herself against him, eyes half closing. "Nnnng, gotta do my run at least, yeah..." She still sounded tired, and frankly, if she didn't have him to encourage her to do this stuff, today, she probably would just go back to bed and sleep pretty much all day. She was just so tired, and stiff.

But he was there, and he reminded her she needed to do these things, whether directly or indirectly, and she would never let them skip a meal because she wanted to make sure to take care of him. Especially after the beating he took yesterday.

Pao -
"Breakfast, run, massage, then bed?" he asked, letting her hand go in favor of wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He noted the tiredness in her voice and frowned a little, but knew that working out even after missions like this last one was something they needed to stay on top of as best they could. Same with their meals, which he was glad she was the one to keep them in check for that.

"Just 'cause we're kinda in recovery mode we'll keep the pace light, shorten the run a little. Okay with you?"

Aria -
She sighed a little, then nodded, snuggling in under his arm. "Even if I don't really want to, I know I need to. All right, let's go get food." She did not care how wrinkled and rumpled she looked at the moment, getting everything done was all she cared about. The sooner they were done, the sooner they could fall back into bed and just sleep until they had finished recovering.

As such, she wrapped her arm around his waist, and began to walk towards the cafeteria.

Pao -
"Food time," he smirked and picked up the pace a little so they made it to the cafeteria soon enough. He walked them straight to the line and grabbed a tray, eyeing the choices more than a little half-heartedly.

"I kinda feel like a spoiled brat," he sighed and filled up one plate with some eggs, bacon, and french toast that at least looked edible. "Comparing this to what you usually make for us."

Aria -
She sighed as they sped up, not really wanting to go so fast, but putting up with it for him. When they got in the line, and she was glad it was pretty short right now, she let just put a bowl and a small plate on the tray. She grabbed some bacon, and a bowl of cereal, and got herself nonfat milk, and a cup of their terrible but drinkable coffee.

His comment, though, made her smile up at him, a little sympathetically. "Sorry I'm too tired to cook right now, babe."

Pao -
"I know," he said, glancing at her with a worried and apologetic smile on his face. He turned back to grab a bowl of cereal as well, along with some milk and coffee. "I wouldn't let you cook even if you offered, was just saying." He picked their tray up and took it to an empty table, fighting down a yawn as he went.

He pulled a chair out for her, saying, "It's a good thing to get used to though, like getting used to your kisses. Just makes cafeteria food worse off?"

Aria -
She saw the worried look, and gave him a quick hug, to show she wasn't upset or bothered by it. "I know, babe. Just wish I was awake enough to cook us something good." She gave him an extremely grateful smile for him pulling the chair out, once again reminded how incredibly gentlemanly her boyfriend was. She settled into the seat, and reached up to give his hand a soft, loving squeeze.

Once he settled into his seat, though, she picked up her coffee, focusing on that, in the hopes it would wake her up enough that the rest of what they needed to do before they could go back to sleep would be do-able.

Pao -
He worked his main plate first, deciding that the cereal would probably taste the best out of everything on his plate. Sure enough, the food was as blah as it always was, but at least edible enough that he could scarf it down without any issues. He sipped his coffee after a few bites, thoughts sort of empty for the moment.

"Next cooking lesson could maybe be breakfast basics? Fluffy eggs, crispy bacon, stuff like that?"

Aria -
She had started on her cereal when he spoke, and she considered, then nods. "Sounds good to me. That's pretty simple stuff, generally pretty easy to master, so I definitely think we can give it a go in the near future." She gave him a slight smile, and then got back to work on her cereal. It wasn't that she was not happy to teach him, or that she thought it was a bad idea... She just did not have the energy to focus on more than one thing at a time.

She managed to get through all of her breakfast, though, in fairly short order, and was just working her way through the rest of the horrible coffee.

Pao -
When she agreed and went back to her food he left it there, figuring she was just too tired to make more conversation or something like that. He finished his plate first, and then his cereal (which really was a lot better than the eggs and such), sipping his coffee every so often until he was all done.

He made a face though, at the last bit of coffee he drank. "s**t coffee as usual," he muttered, eyeing the cup. "Did we ever list a coffee maker for stuff to buy for the house?"

Aria -
"I mean, yeah. It's what they do best... take coffee and turn it to s**t." She said, with a sigh. She finished her cup, and stood, tiredly gathering their stuff onto the tray, and taking it over to the return, then came back to him. "Annnnnnnnd I don't remember. Maybe? If not... we can definitely add it, cause that'll be important. And a blender, for your... um... Oh I'm forgetting the term, but your buttered coffee thing."

She was turning red at her sudden inability to remember what it was called, she remembered it was... something that sounded related to guns, but her brain was refusing to work.

Pao -
He stood and, when she got back, wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close again before starting to head out. He had a little smile on his face as they went. "Bulletproofing, babe," he offered finally as he opened the door for them. "And thanks for remembering it at all."

He kept their pace more even as they headed for the dorms, not quite wanting to go on that run just yet. And right after breakfast wasn't the greatest idea, anyway...not to mention as soon as they got there he would probably be beyond tempted to just curl up in bed with her.

"Coffee maker, blender...food processor?" he started listing more potentials for their future home to keep himself more awake.

Aria -
She snuggled against him, eyes half closed, as they walked. He would have to be the one with the willpower this morning, because she was way too tired to do it. "Of course, babe. Knew it had a gun related word involved. But it's something you like, and is important to you, so if course I'm gonna try to remember it."

She was grateful for the even pace, because she honestly felt a little unable to focus on where her feet were. The coffee didn't do much, she was finding, and it was frustrating her beyond all belief.

She blinked at the food processor suggestion. "I think maybe, but I would want a KitchenAid before that. With all the trimmings."

Pao -
He couldn't help the smile the crept onto his face when she explained why she remembered. It really was a trivial, potentially niche, little thing most people wouldn't bother with, but she gave it importance for his sake and he just loved her all the more for it.

At her request for a decked out KitchenAid, he chuckled and nodded along. "Only the best for my love," was his reply, "so of course with all the trimmings."

Aria -
She didn't have the energy for her usual sort of energetic, excited response, so she did the next best thing she could think of that was in her energy level. She gave him a really tight hug with the arm she had around him, and then rested her head on his shoulder, looking content for all her exhaustion. "I look forward to that day, because it'll make baking so much easier, really!"

Pao -
He couldn't help chuckling at the way she hugged him, turning to give her a kiss on the forehead when she settled against him again. "Same. Honestly, with all the ideas we have for renovating and stuff we might move up into the second floor dorms with the bigger rooms before we get a house...but those have their own bathrooms so wouldn't be a bad mini-upgrade before the real thing." Even if it didn't have a tub, they could share showers, too.

The brunette grinned at that thought.

Aria
She looked thoughtful and then said "If we're gonna go that route, maybe we should just see if we can get a place built to our specs. Might cost more but..." She paused, then finally said "I saw a really neat home, while walking back from Joy's recently. Doesn't match the rest of town, but it's got like... a hill built up under it, I think? I'll have to look again, but... It looks like it was built into the hill-oid, so it's got a lot of natural insulation." She paused, then blushed, and said "It reminded me of a Hobbit Hole, from Tolkien, to be honest... But... I want to find the owner and ask them about it."

She paused, then added "But if you'd rather not, because I'm sure it costs way more, I'm ok."

Pao -
It took him all of three seconds to decide that that seemed like the better option, though he listened quietly and curiously as she described a home that gave her an idea. And tickled her bookworm fancy, which he found incredibly adorable. "I mean, as long as it has a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen that all function and is comfortable to live in, I'd roll with it."

"As for the cost, seems kinda smarter to spend more on getting exactly what you want then skimping and not being completely happy? So if it's doable and it's something we both want then let's do it that way."

Aria -
She beamed up at him, despite her tiredness, and said "This will be awesome, baby." She leaned in against him, as they got close to the dorms, her eyes glittering happily. "Well then, I'll have to do what I can to seek out the owner of this awesome home, and ask him or her, or them, all about it... Find out if they have blueprints, how they got it set up... Maybe ask for a tour, if they're ok with that."

She squeezed him lovingly, her eyes bright with her eagerness. "Our future home is gonna rock, and I am glad you're willing to indulge me in my nerd queen side."

Pao -
Rhys gave her a beaming smile right back, leaning down for a little kiss as they slowly made their way back home. "Good luck, babe," he said, then kissed her again, just a bit longer than the last time, before he straightened out again. "Kinda curious who's house it is, honestly. Really smart considering what happened to, say, Joy’s house. Seems like it's less likely to get wrecked."

He raised a brow at her last words. "So does that make me a king of some kind?"

Aria -
She mmm'd softly at the kisses, and smiled up at him. "Part of why I was interested in it. It looks like a really sturdy design. If it weren't for the fact that the cliffs are a little too far from the main town, I'd be tempted to look there to see if there were caves that could be converted. Sadly, they're too far for it to seem like a safe idea. Disappointing but there it is."

She blinked at his question, though, and began to chuckle. "Not until you start getting as nerdy as me."

Pao -
"All things to consider for a house, sure," he mused as she described it and her idea about the cliffs. It got a little bit of a smirk out of him as he recalled their night out on the cliffs; that place would now always be a fond memory for him no matter what the conversation might actually be about. "Next best things, then, babe," he eventually came to say, pulling her a bit tighter
against him for a brief hug.

"How 'bout jock-king? Or is that too close to 'joking'?"

Aria -
She nodded, and then arched a brow, seeing the smirk... then pinked a little, realizing what he was thinking about, but also smiling, because that had been a beautiful night. She hoped to take him up there for more... stargazing and chill, so to speak. "Yeah, exactly what I was thinking. If we can't have a cliff, we can have a hill, of sorts, and maybe see if we can find stone to line with, or something." She paused, then frowned, thinking about that. "Well, I should not make guesses about what to build with, really, since I don't actually know. My brain just goes 'STONE IS SOLID IT WILL BE SAFE.' but maybe there are better options. All things to ask the owner about."

She blinked at 'jock-king,' and just gave him such a look. "WAY too close to joking, and you're so much more than just a jock, babe."

Pao -
He might have commented a little more about the house but when she gave him that look he huffed, a little amused and maybe a little put off by it. Her words immediately after soothed the little hurt there, though, and he quickly let it go. "Jock enough," he said with a shrug just as they made it to the doors of the dorm building. Reaching for the handle, he opened it and gave her space to go in ahead of him before following right after.

"Project 'House in a Hill' sounds like a fun thing to do though," he said, hoping to pull the conversation back to that topic. "Safer in case we get intruders on the island...can I go with you when you talk to the owner of it?"

Aria -
She arched a brow at Rhys' response, concerned by the huff, then saw he wasn't too bothered by it. She slipped through the door, and waited on the other side for him to rejoin her. "Jock enough, but more than that, because you're a really freakin' awesome man." She tucked herself back against him, once he was back at her side, and rested her head against his shoulder again, not really wanting to move.

She laughed at his words, though, and nodded. "If I can get a chance to let you know in advance, definitely... If not, I'll try to get what I can, then see if I can arrange a chance for us both to talk to them more thoroughly, if that works for you?" She blinked at the intruders comment, and nodded slowly, knowing it had happened before, and she would hate to see the damage that could be done to their home.

Pao -
He smiled softly, his heart melting a little when she tucked herself against him again without saying anything more about it. "Honestly think you just bring the best outta me," he murmured, then got them walking again so they could get all cuddled up and more comfortable in their own bed as opposed to standing in the hallway. Though that was plenty comfortable, too.

"Mm, yeah that works for me. Most of my questions would just be about technical stuff anyway, like who in the hell built the house inside the ********' hill, and how they did it. That kinda thing."

Aria -
She smiled at his words, a small but bright smile, because the idea that she brought the best out in him felt really very nice. "Mmm I think you bring it out yourself, but I can't truly say. You certainly bring out the best in me, though, and make me feel my best too." She hugged him, as they walked, wondering if there was some way they could put off the run until after a nap. She normally preferred the early morning run, but she was just still so tired.

This proved Di into commenting in her mind. "Of course you are, you had a battle that almost broke the FEAR shield I give you, you were working HARD in that battle, and then you spent the night in a crappy chair, not a bed. The few hours you got after he woke you won't make up for that!"

It almost made Seren miss Rhys' next words... Almost but not quite, thank goodness. "I... yeah I guess that makes sense. We do need all those details."

Pao -
Her smile and her words just melted his heart all the more, and he couldn't quite find the right words to reply with to he just leaned down and kissed her, all his love packaged in the brief little gesture. Rhys then happily held her as they walked, though he did notice the little delay in her reply, and a mix of concern and curiosity settled in his mind until she finally replied.

"We do, yeah," he echoed with a nod, then stopped walking to look at her a little more closely, unable to shake the concern from just a moment ago. "Still tired, I'm guessing? You okay?"

Aria -
She sighed happily when he kissed her, and she kissed him back, her eyes closing for a moment... and almost drifting off, until he broke the kiss, which had her sigh, and come back to wakefulness. She was really glad when they got to their door, though, and was digging out the keys, when he asked if she was ok. She blinked at him, just a little, trying to process why he might be concerned.

"Um... Yes, I'm still pretty damn tired, not gonna lie... Oh." She smiled a little, realizing what might have had him concerned. "Other than that, yes, I'm ok... I paused cause Diwata was giving me a mini-lecture about 'DUH of course you're tired' and the reasons therein." She got the keys into the lock, and opened the door, then stepped inside.

Pao -
"Oh, okay," was all he could say to that as he closed the door behind him once he was inside their room as well. And he started to pull his jacket off, saying, "I'm tired, too, but I didn't sleep in a chair all night. We could rest first if you need to? I'm not tryin'a kill you with working out, love, so you could always just tell me if you wanna push it back."

With that he pulled his shirt off as well, effectively telling her that they could just go ahead and rest for now. His jeans and socks got thrown into the laundry next, and he went and pulled his pajama bottoms on before flopping on the bed.

Aria -
She smiled at his words, an expression of immense gratitude on her face. "Oh thank you, baby. I know you're not, but I also know it's important to you that we get the workouts done." She began to strip down, tossing her own clothes into the laundry hamper, and once she was down to her underwear, she paused, looked thoughtful, then muttered something along the lines of '******** it, no energy.' before crawling into bed.

"We can run when we get up again, yeah?" She asked, a huge yawn almost splitting her face after her words.

Pao -
Rhys was smirking, clearly amused by her choice of jammies for their nap, when he invited her to snuggle up as soon as she joined him on the bed. He pulled the covers up before starting to settle down as well, exhaustion hitting him like a brick as soon as they were in their usual position for sleep. He gave her a quick little kiss on the forehead to answer her question at first.

"Sure, when we get up again," he repeated as he took a deep breath, eyes slowly closing. He nuzzled into her hair, whispering, "Love you, baby," before finally falling asleep.

Aria -
She snuggled in close, eyes closing as soon as she was in his arms, her head in her favorite place on his shoulder. She smiled, feeling him tuck them in, once again reminded of how he took care of her, and she sighed softly, letting herself finally relax all the way, for the first time since she'd sat down in the chair next to his infirmary bed. He was safe, he was healthy, and he was back where he belonged.

"Awesome..." She barely managed to whisper. "Love you too..." and was out like a light in moments.