Heading home (For Moira / Karaoke Night)

[jamesthorn]

Today had left him exhausted, both mentally and physically. He had attempted to do without his crutches every so often, hoping to help along the tendons in his foot get used to the weight and the pressure, but now his goddamn legs hurt. He was now resigned to the fact that he still needed assistance to get around for at least another week. He hated being stuck behind his desk since he was slowly being buried beneath a mountain of paperwork, his cases reassigned to people who were actually able to walk. He also hated that he couldn't even get the paperwork done right. He was distracted. That's what the Chief had said. His work sloppy. His attention elsewhere. James had apologized profusely. He was one of the captains. He was in charge of people. He needed to be on his A-game. He needed to get his shit together.

Too bad for him his mind wasn't ready to let go of that night with Moira. Of how stupid he'd been to sleep with her. Of how awesome it'd been too. Worst part of it all, he thinks. Hating what he did, but knowing they'd been amazing together. That's why the thoughts continued swirling 'round in his head. He didn't know how to make sense of it. Or the fact that he's been spending all these days thinking about her.

When he can't get anything else done, brain fried to oblivion, he shuts off his computer. He gathers a few files for some bedtime reading, stuffing them inside his bag, and he heads out. Once outside, he is glad to see the streets were mostly empty and quiet. A good night as far as he was concerned. He makes his way through downtown, slow but quicker than last week, as he's gotten better and more balanced with his crutches and walking boot. He heads into Quill where it too is mostly abandoned, He orders a chili cheeseburger, onion rings, and a drink to go. His food finally arrives ten minutes later, and he starts walking back near the station, calling a cab on his way.

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[chasingtwisters]

Moira is officially drunk enough where even walking down the sidewalk is something of an obstacle; she sways from side to side, as though balancing on a tight rope, her stomach dancing around inside as she lets out a giggle every other step. She hasn't been this far gone in a long while; it's a rare circumstance she allows herself to lose control like this, but she figures the past month of her life warrants it, especially after that night with James.

She can't stop thinking about it. Or him. Or the way she can't stand that she enjoyed it so much and finds herself craving more of him. They're caught up in some kind of hurricane, she thinks, spinning round and round, inevitably destined to crash into the shore. But Moira finds she savors the uncertainty, the thrill of interacting with James so intimately.

Speaking of James, Moira thinks she spots him up ahead of her, hailing a cab. She's wasted enough she doesn't think twice about calling out to him.

"Hey, buddy!"

[jamesthorn]

As he stands on the corner, James pulls out his cellphone sending a few text messages to Demetri, who he hasn't seen in forever. He isn't sure if this thing with Moira is something he wants to share with anybody else, but if there was someone he'd tell, it would be his brother. Besides that, James could just use a night with Demetri, just relaxing and forgetting all the crap in his life right now. He knew there was that wine event up at the lodge this coming weekend. Maybe they could take their father's boat up there. Spend the weekend getting shiftfaced like they did when they were younger.

Speaking of shiftfaced, as his phone dings with the outgoing message, he hears Moira call out to him. He glances up, immediately recognizing it's her, but he doesn't actually expect to see her coming toward him, nearly falling down drunk. "Uh. Hey. You're drunk," he says, pocketing his phone.

[chasingtwisters]

"Yeah, karaoke night at the Tavern," she waves it off, as though it were perfectly normal to meander down the street, drunk as a skunk, as her father used to say. Hah, that rhymes, she thinks to herself, and giggles again. She can't help it; it's just too funny.

"So about the other night," she begins, her voice loud from the alcohol and her current state of intoxication. "That was fun, huh?"

[jamesthorn]

He stares at her because even though she's clearly drunk and loose-lipped, he didn't expect her to say that. Especially not so loud, in the streets, where people could hear her. He is also concerned by how much she's had to drink and the fact that she's walking home alone. He sighs to himself, shaking his head, thinking he didn't know how he'd ended up here, but he can't just leave her here.

"Fun. Yeah. You're drunk," he tells her again. He has dealt with plenty of inebriated bar goers to know that whatever he says to her, she probably won't remember that well in the morning anyway. "I've called a cab. I'll get them to take you home."

[chasingtwisters]

"I know," she tells him, frowning as if she is just starting to realize the predicament she's in. "I didn't mean to drink this much, it just...kind of happened. I sang though, with Riley. It was great." She's rambling now, the way she always does when drunk, which doesn't happen too often. She doesn't even try arguing with James when he offers to have the cab take her home, she's so lost in her own daze.

[jamesthorn]

A month ago James would've been annoyed with a drunken Moira Coombs ruining his night, slowing him down so his dinner gets cold. Maybe he would've ranted at her about public intoxication. Maybe even given her a ticket or hauled her off to jail just because it was Moira, and that's how he dealt with her. Now though, he no longer has those instincts to fall back on. He has to deal with Moira like a real person. Not just a name he was raised to hate. The thing that scares him a little, deep down, is his new instincts are to be protective over Moira. Maybe that's how the labyrinth really changed him. It wasn't just that they weren't fighting anymore. He wanted to protect her. He didn't leave her when they were trapped, and he couldn't leave her now.

That's why when the cab does show up he leans into the window to apologize for the confusion. He gives the driver Moira's address instead, which is clear in the opposite direction. It will take him an extra hour or more to get home, and he is tired. But he's gonna make sure she gets home. He moves back to where she's standing on the curb. "Hey, if you're gonna throw up, you should do it now," he suggests to her. The driver already looked unsure about the state of Moira, hopefully the guy didn't drive off. Quickly, James opens the back door for them, tossing his crutches inside. He grabs Moira by the arm, leading her over, somehow even hobbled in his walking boot more steady on his feet than her.

"You are so drunk," he snorts, amused by her and the impersonation of Bambi she does on the way into the cab.

[chasingtwisters]

Moira doesn't put up a fight as James leads them into a car, something she would have done before they wound up in that labyrinth from hell together. She stumbles, still giggling at everything, but manages to make it into the car without much incident.

"I'm not going to puke, no worries," she assures them, her words slurred and uneven. Once sat down, she leans over and rests her head on James' shoulder because it seems like the natural thing to do; his body is sturdy, warm, and comfortable, and she finds herself feeling better for leaning against him.

"You make a good pillow, James," she tells him, eyelids fluttering as she tries to stay awake.

[jamesthorn]

Once they are safely inside the cab, James directs the driver to take them to Moira's house first. At which the driver mutters something James can't completely make out, but the engine starts up and they pull off from the curb. By the time he refocuses on Moira she is curled into his side, her head rested on his shoulder. She actually looks as though she's ready to fall asleep any moment.

He really should move away, but he doesn't, urged instead to keep her close. He likes the feeling of her against his shoulder, her hair soft, her perfume pleasant. "Stay awake," he says in a quiet voice. With his crutches, he wouldn't be able to carry her if she fell asleep. He reaches out to touch her hand, maybe wanting to get her attention, maybe just to touch her again. Not with any real intention but just because it felt right

[chasingtwisters]

"I know, I know, the crutches," she says, her voice heavy with sleep and contentment. Damn, but she could really fall asleep like this, comfortable and quiet against James' shoulder that feels both soft and firm all at once. There's something sturdy about his presence beside her she appreciates; so when he touches her hand, she smiles and doesn't brush him away like she might once have done.

[jamesthorn]

He smiles softly at her words, thinking if only she knew how much he wanted to toss those damn things in the ocean. But alas, he can't do that. Maybe it isn't such a bad thing either. This quiet moment gives him something to fixate on again. He isn't sure when Moira began to feel so steadying and calming even to him. But the headache he had earlier is nearly gone, as though a weight has lifted from his shoulders, and he realizes just how much of a presence she's been this past month in his life. He really really doesn't want to consider the idea that maybe he just missed her, missed being near her. He concentrates instead on the coast breezing by the window as they near Moira's area of town.

[chasingtwisters]

Moira lets herself fall into something of a lull, a state in between sleeping and just letting James' presence next to her rock her into near oblivion. She doesn't think much beyond how nice this is, just leaning on James without having to worry about her mother, complications in her life - nothing.

[jamesthorn]

Several minutes later, they approach Moira's house. He only knew her address from seeing her processed through the department's booking so many times in the past. He's never actually been out here until now. Unlike James' place that's shrouded in thick woods and overrun with trees, Moira's cottage stands boldly out on the coast surrounded by nothing but clear seawater and the sand. As soon as he's opens the door of the cab, he hears the waves crashing into the rocks nearby. He pauses, getting the driver's attention.

"This won't take long. Just keep the meter running, and I'll pay you double," he says, not wanting to have to call another cab later, but he wants to see to it that Moira makes it inside. He climbs out first, grabbing his crutches, and attempts to help her out.

[chasingtwisters]

Moira stirs when she hears the crash of waves against the rocks. Just the music of it inspires her to lift her head with less effort. But then, the sea always did have that power over her, the ability to calm or awaken her when she needs it most. She can't imagine living anywhere else besides the ocean, and she is gladdened when she spots her home as the cab comes to a stop.

"I'm okay," she insists, managing to climb out of the cab without falling over herself. She inhales deeply of the air, heavy with sea salt and just the purity of the ocean water. She sobers up a fair amount, the magic of nature working in her blood.

[jamesthorn]

He's surprised when she gets out, insisting that she's okay, and she actually does look better. Some of the color quickly returns to her face, her legs steadier, as if by...magic. Oh. That actually makes sense. He looks at her, at the deep breath she takes, the air doing even more to reinvigorate her. Maybe she can get inside on her own...

"Do you want me to go?" he asks, thumbing his hand back at the cab. Because he can go. He probably should go. He made sure she was home.

[chasingtwisters]

Moira actually feels well enough that her vision is no longer swimming, and her head feels less heavy. She'll definitely be able to perform an anti-hangover charm before bed, which comes as a relief. She allows herself to smile before turning to James.

"Thanks for seeing me home, James," she says. "You really didn't have to."

[jamesthorn]

He shrugs at her. "I mean you seem better now, but you were pretty out of it back there. You called me buddy," he says, smirking. He isn't sure what to do or say now that she's feeling better.

[chasingtwisters]

"Yeah, well, several cocktails and rounds of whiskey will do that to you," she says dryly, shrugging right back. "And yeah, I've been known to get affectionate when drunk. Just be grateful I didn't call you something like Jamesy-Poo."

[jamesthorn]

He huffs out a laugh, making a face. "I think I would've let you walk home alone if you had," he says. "Okay. Well. You're home..." He senses himself become awkward because he isn't sure if he should just leave now. Or if he should say hey remember the other night when we slept together, do we need to talk about that or just pretend it didn't happen? It seems like maybe they were just gonna pretend it didn't happen.

[chasingtwisters]

"By the way, the sex was fantastic, just thought you should know," she tells him, before waving and heading back inside. She grins as she closes the door on his face.