Return to Serenity (?)

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

The air was rapidly cooling the sheen of sweat on Archangel' skin, causing her to shiver a little and cuddle further into Gabriel's side.  She felt contented for the first time in a while.  Well, for the first time since Gabriel had left.

She lifted her head from his chest as Gabriel spoke, looking up at him through half-closed eyes.  "Hm?  I can wait, e'lev," she murmured.  "I'm just glad you're back.  I missed you so much."

Chuckling, Gabriel stretched and rested his head on the pillow, smiling happily as Archangel snuggled even closer to him.  He thought that, if she got any closer, they'd have to be classified as a new species.  "I missed you, too.  I'd be lying if I said I was sure how you'd take my coming back."  Clasping her hand in his, Gabe brought her fingers to his lips and laid a gentle kiss to them.  "This is home, Angel.  You, the girls...everything."

Gabe propped himself up on an elbow, gently settling Archangel onto her stomach.  "I think I have some energy left in me after all," he grinned, spreading his hands out along her shoulderblades.  "Relax, and let me at the knots in your muscles."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

Chuckling, Gabriel stretched and rested his head on the pillow, smiling happily as Archangel snuggled even closer to him.  He thought that, if she got any closer, they'd have to be classified as a new species.  "I missed you, too.  I'd be lying if I said I was sure how you'd take my coming back."  Clasping her hand in his, Gabe brought her fingers to his lips and laid a gentle kiss to them.  "This is home, Angel.  You, the girls...everything."

Gabe propped himself up on an elbow, gently settling Archangel onto her stomach.  "I think I have some energy left in me after all," he grinned, spreading his hands out along her shoulderblades.  "Relax, and let me at the knots in your muscles."

Archangel let out a quiet noise of disappointment as Gabriel shifted, attempting to snuggle closer to him, but finding herself guided down to lie fully on her stomach. She folded her hands under her neck, turning her head to the side so that she could still look at him, unwilling to let him out of her sight just in case it turned out to be a dream, a dream where she would wake up to find herself alone again.

"I wanted to give it up," she said softly, a quiet edge of a purr lining her voice as she felt cool hands on her shoulders. "I wanted to resign my commission, go back to Earth and be with you."

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

Archangel let out a quiet noise of disappointment as Gabriel shifted, attempting to snuggle closer to him, but finding herself guided down to lie fully on her stomach.  She folded her hands under her neck, turning her head to the side so that she could still look at him, unwilling to let him out of her sight just in case it turned out to be a dream, a dream where she would wake up to find herself alone again.

"I wanted to give it up," she said softly, a quiet edge of a purr lining her voice as she felt cool hands on her shoulders.  "I wanted to resign my commission, go back to Earth and be with you."

"I wanted you to," Gabriel said, slightly surprised at his own bluntness. He continued to work at the knots in her shoulders, noting with dismay how tight they'd become in his absence. With no family around, he knew damn well that his wife had likely spent most of her waking hours working. "If I'm being completely honest...I want nothing more than a quiet life with you and the girls."

Leaning down, Gabriel placed a soft kiss on the back of Archangel's neck, knowing damn well that it usually sent her to purring. He wanted to forestall her objections. "I know it's not possible."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

"I wanted you to," Gabriel said, slightly surprised at his own bluntness.  He continued to work at the knots in her shoulders, noting with dismay how tight they'd become in his absence.  With no family around, he knew damn well that his wife had likely spent most of her waking hours working.  "If I'm being completely honest...I want nothing more than a quiet life with you and the girls."

Leaning down, Gabriel placed a soft kiss on the back of Archangel's neck, knowing damn well that it usually sent her to purring.  He wanted to forestall her objections.  "I know it's not possible."

Archangel shifted a little uncomfortably as Gabriel worked at one particularly well-established knot, rolling the shoulder. The kiss to the back of her neck coaxed a purr from her throat, her eyes closing briefly before she rolled onto her side, reaching up with one hand to gently cup his jaw.

"I thought... I thought that it would just make things worse for you," she murmured. "That having me around would just deepen the wound, as it were."

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

Archangel shifted a little uncomfortably as Gabriel worked at one particularly well-established knot, rolling the shoulder.  The kiss to the back of her neck coaxed a purr from her throat, her eyes closing briefly before she rolled onto her side, reaching up with one hand to gently cup his jaw.

"I thought... I thought that it would just make things worse for you," she murmured.  "That having me around would just deepen the wound, as it were."

Gabe smiled down at his wife as she turned over. He brought his hand up to hers on his cheek, kissing her fingers. Shaking his head, he kissed her on the lips again, his voice thick and low. "That's not it, Angel. You aren't the problem. You never were the problem. It's...it's everything else."

Kissing her again, Gabriel nuzzled his face into the crook of her shoulder and neck, a soft sigh of contentment escaping from him. "I was wrong, though. I can't help anything by being gone."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

Gabe smiled down at his wife as she turned over.  He brought his hand up to hers on his cheek, kissing her fingers.  Shaking his head, he kissed her on the lips again, his voice thick and low.  "That's not it, Angel.  You aren't the problem.  You never were the problem.  It's...it's everything else."

Kissing her again, Gabriel nuzzled his face into the crook of her shoulder and neck, a soft sigh of contentment escaping from him.  "I was wrong, though.  I can't help anything by being gone."

Ah, yes, everything that came with being close to her. The relations with the Star Empire, being firmly planted under 31's thumb, command of a starship patrolling the front between the Federation and uncertain allies... It was certainly a lot of baggage to drag along behind one person.

A soft, fond smile crossed her face as she wrapped an arm around Gabriel, resting her chin lightly on the crown of his head and closing her eyes. "Perhaps... perhaps the distance has also done us good. Shown us that we are stronger together than apart."

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

Ah, yes, everything that came with being close to her.  The relations with the Star Empire, being firmly planted under 31's thumb, command of a starship patrolling the front between the Federation and uncertain allies... It was certainly a lot of baggage to drag along behind one person.

A soft, fond smile crossed her face as she wrapped an arm around Gabriel, resting her chin lightly on the crown of his head and closing her eyes.  "Perhaps... perhaps the distance has also done us good.  Shown us that we are stronger together than apart."

"We are," Gabriel agreed, the warmth of his wife and the gentle rise-and-fall of her breathing lulling him to the edge of sleep. Obviously, yes, things would be a lot simpler for them on Earth. A quiet, normal life wasn't really ever in the cards for them, however. It was something Gabriel had known going into it all...even though he wished he could change that. One thing was certain, though - running away wouldn't fix anything. "I love you," he said, drifting off to slumber with the long-missed tactile sensation of his wife's smooth warmth under his fingertips. "Have since the day I met you. Not gonna change..."