[ She's watching Raleigh tuck Yancy into bed from the doorway. They're whispering to each other in low tones, smiles on their faces, heads bent together. It's been a little short of year since Naomi and her daughter ran into Raleigh Becket and Mako Mori at the McDonald's and Yancy's just turned nine, flung her arms around Naomi when she realized that her mother had invited her favorite pilots over for a surprise dinner Mom you are the best.
They've kept visiting Yancy on the downlow. With Raleigh and Mako still in the spotlight, they're being extra careful. The media is a monster that Naomi knows well, and the last thing she wants is for it to set it's sights on her daughter, because while Naomi is old enough and mature enough and secure enough in her identity to take on whatever circus the press decide they want to turn her life into, Yancy is still bright-eyed and full of dreams and hope and that is something that when you lose, you can actually get it back - it'll just never be the same.
When Raleigh steps out, Naomi offers him a shy smile. ] You really made her day today. Thank you, for taking the time to spend the day with us.
No need to thank me. You know I love spending time with the two of you.
[ and he does, really. this past year has been one of the best in a while and he owes it all to the three lovely ladies in his life: his niece yancy, his best friend and platonic life partner mako, and naomi. the woman he's kind of embarrassingly attracted to.
so embarrassingly attracted to that it's a wonder she hasn't picked up on it yet. lord knows he's gotten enough elbows to the ribs from mako when he gets what was once dubbed his "adoring puppy face" on. if she were anyone else, he probably would've asked her out already. but she's not just anyone, she's the mother of yancy's child. and, okay, he knows they were never actually a thing. but there's just something about trying to step over the line from friendship into a romantic relationship that feels like stepping on yancy's grave.
not that that stops him from wanting to kiss her. or from giving her a small smile and a gentle nudge with his elbow. ] I'd thought you'd be used to having me around by now.
[ Oh, she's noticed. It's just that she doesn't acknowledge it so much because Mako's in the picture and there's an intimacy there between co-pilots that she has a little bit of an understanding now. It's not enough to find one exceptional person, they have to be best friends with another for the jaeger to work that's what Stacker Pentecost told her. She'd nearly ruined the Becket boys once, so she's reluctant to offer anything more than friendship and a fixed place in their family because Raleigh is her daughter's uncle, they are family and that is that.
When he smiles, she smiles back. When he nudges her she offers a shrug and tries not to think how much of a sweetheart he is. Because he is. ]
Well. [ She looks off to the side and exhales a breath before she turns back to him. ] Do you want coffee? Tea- wait, that's Mako's preference - but yeah. Can I get you anything or do you have to go? [ That last part sort of just... slips out. She doesn't want him to leave, really. She just doesn't know how to slide it in that he can stay the night if he likes, like the other times. The guest room is practically his space as far as she and Yancy are concerned. ]
[ it's easy to mistake raleigh and mako for something other than friends. technically, they are. friends doesn't really describe what they are to one another. but as they've said to the media many times, they're not involved, no really they're not, and they'd be happy if the other one found someone to love romantically.
and to be completely honest, raleigh's not sure he can take many more of mako's you are absolutely ridiculous, why are you still pining looks. maybe it's because he has that thought in his head that he says, ] No, I can stay. [ a little too quickly. ]
And, uh. Tea would be good. I probably should stay away from the coffee this late. [ he's pretty sure he's never going to shake the insomnia at this point. which sucks because he misses having coffee as a regular thing. ]
[ She tries not to think about the butterflies in her stomach when he says that he can stay, bites down on her lip because her smile comes too quickly, too easily.
She heads to the kitchen, sure enough that he'll follow, takes down these beautiful ceramic cups with sakura blossoms painted on them ( Yancy had insisted on buying because the reminded her of something Mako told her about Japan once ), and proceeds to go through the motions of making tea. It helps that she has this to focus on, it gives her a distraction from Raleigh's presence because the only other person in the house is now asleep and they've never been quite this alone with each other before. ]
So, I saw that press conference from last week. Nice gut-punch on your experiences working on the wall. [ She'd hated that wall for a long time. Couldn't understand how politicians could think it could actually work, the kaiju were killing machines that wrecked whole cities, a wall is a stationary thing that does not bend in any way so it will inevitably break. ]
[ raleigh pushes himself up so he can sit on the counter next to her. there's some perfectly good chairs nearby he could probably use, but they're much too far away. if he can't work up the courage to do anything about how much he really wants to kiss her, he can at least be close to her. ]
Reporters like that annoy the shit out of me. [ he can't help but frown as he says it. there's a lot about his time up on the wall that he really does not like talking about. it was a shitty time all around and he may have gone a little out of his mind, so it's a difficult subject. but like fuck is he just going to let people talk like the wall was a good idea or like the people who worked on it didn't deserve respect for what they did. ] You'd think they would've learned by now to shut their traps about stuff like that.
[ She lets the tea steep and looks up at him, tries to keep her eyes on his eyes and not wander down to his mouth or the hint of stubble that just... works for him ( Naomi, focus ).
She knows a little about the experiences of the people on the wall, those who lived close to the coastal cities. Her colleague, Greg had done a series of photo-journalistic essays that won awards. When he'd landed a coffee table book deal, she'd been the first he'd called to tell her all about what it had been like, what they should be doing, how unfair it was that by virtue of living closest to where the kaiju were likely to hit, they were given less priority by the government.
The project is a work in progress. It's one of those things Naomi would actually like to talk to Raleigh about, but she can tell by the way he'd said what he did at the press con that it's as touchy a subject as hey come, so she lets the idea lie. ] It's the media and reporters and the fascination with the fact that they've never quite had people like you and Mako before. It's the glory of a story and getting there first, about asking the wrong questions in order to get the right answers.
[ She leans sideways on the counter, shoulders squared towards him. ] Just don't play their game. Play yours. A story always has multiple sides to it, so just pick the one that speaks best for you and run with it as best as you can. You and Mako already have international favor in your corner [ she decides to let him in on a little intel at this point ] and for the record, there are social polls on how badly the press botched that question. You guys are the sweethearts of the whole planet, Raleigh. I don't think the press will try anything like that again - not for awhile.
[ for a split second he thinks about saying something like, "does the whole planet include you?" but then he realizes it's a terrible line. there goes attempt one at wooing her, dead before it even tried to take off. time to look for an opportunity to make attempt number two happen.
in the meantime, he shakes his head a little, staring at naomi with admiration. ] I have no idea how you do it. Put up with all the media politics and bullshit. [ he has a hard enough time talking with regular people, he's no idea how she can thrive the way she does in journalism. ] It's really incredible, Naomi.
[ and that's when he realizes that, oh shit, this might be his moment. there's a little voice in the back of his head that's still screaming at him because she's yancy's not-quite-girl. yeah, it was once, but it resulted in a kid. that's kind of a big deal. the rest of raleigh yells that his brother would want him to be happy. and if him being happy makes it easier to take care of his niece and her mom, then it's an even better deal. so he should go for it. really, he should just spit it out and see what happens.
he looks away for a second to pull himself together. and then he looks right at naomi and gives her a small smile. tries not to think about how out of practice he is with this whole romance thing. ] You're really incredible.
[ There are only a handful of people on the planet who can compliment her on her work and have her take their words at face value - none of them are in her industry, all of them she considers family.
That Raleigh is looking at her with admiration in his eyes. It makes her smile, shyly - dammit isn't the tea done yet - because the way she functions in journalism is just the way she is. It's not so much breathing as picking out what clothes to wear for the day. She enjoys it, she lives it, and she's a little stunned when people tell her sometimes that for someone who has gone through the gauntlet with the bigwigs, it's incredible how she's held onto her ideal of keeping what they do classy. Of using their tools for good.
And then he says that. And it's not about her work. It's about her. And she's not dumb or blind, not stupid. She's caught the way Raleigh's looked at her sometimes and once or twice she's wondered about it and what it meant. And in the last year he's been such a part of their lives, she can't imagine her little girl not having him to talk to or brag about or say Mom, Mom. Look what Uncle Raleigh sent. Post cards and pictures and e-mails - he's just so great with her it sometimes hurts to look.
But doesn't he have Mako?
There's a moment when her eyes do fall to his mouth, the thought I wonder if... snapping her back to reality. She turns away and grasps for something to focus on because over-steeped tea is no good and dammit, why are her hands are shaking.
She's attracted to Raleigh Becket. Cares about his involvement in their lives and oh fuck, what is this a take two of what never happened nearly a decade ago? The teaspoon in her hand actually slips and she tries to catch it before it clatters to the floor and fails and then her hands are covering her face. Oh god, she must be so red.
Get it together Sokolov. You're not sixteen for pete's sake. ]
[ god, she looks really good when she smiles like that. he should find ways to make her smile like that more because that--that's a really good look. and he's maybe grinning at her a little stupidly as he watches her smile but that's just because he's totally smitten. yeah, he can admit it to himself. he's a lovesick--he's lovesick. ( not a puppy. not. )
the way her gaze drops down to his mouth really, really isn't doing anything to quell the urge to kiss her. or confess his undying love and then kiss her. ( he's maybe a little pathetic but he's okay with that. ) but then she's turning away and getting obviously flustered. it's hard not to find that really adorable. and kind of awesome because he's the one who managed to get her that flustered and out of it and--hands covering the face is usually not a good thing. there go the nice feelings associated with her being a little thrown off.
raleigh hops down off the counter and picks up the teaspoon, placing it carefully on the counter. and then he steps up close to naomi and wraps his hands around her wrists. gently, he tugs her hands away from her face and leans down a little so he can make his eyes level with hers. ] Naomi, hey... It's okay. [ he gives her another little smile, this one a little more worried than the last. ] Really, it is.
How did she not see this coming? No. Wait. She saw it, didn't do a thing to stop it because raising a daughter on her own is no hardship, but sometimes you wish that you weren't a single parent, wish that you had someone to share those little milestones with. But your daughter is the child of a Ranger who changed your life and he died and no one could compare, even if she knew how unfair that would be to anyone.
And then Raleigh comes along. Silly, big-hearted Raleigh who insists on doing right by them and who looks at Yancy like she were the most beautiful little girl in the world. And without even saying anything, he understands. Yancy's father was his brother, his best friend, his co-pilot and Naomi's looked up the information and the files - had to, it was her job, but the grief and the loss had driven him away from the Jaeger Program to work on a wall, to choose another option to help because he couldn't fight.
She doesn't know what it's like to fall in love like something bit her in the ass, but she thinks it might be a little like this. Because she doesn't want to call it love, can't call it that when it was friendship and family first with no intention to turn things romantic she was just grateful for his presence. The most that they've ever gone out on a date is a midnight run for ice cream with her in the driver's seat and Yancy in the back while she played Category with her uncle sitting shotgun.
But it's love. Maybe. Because Raleigh somehow made a place for them in his life and made a place for himself in theirs and that scares Naomi a little because she doesn't know what to do. And it's a rare thing when Naomi has no idea what to do, because then she goes on autopilot and sort of just leans in and catches Raleigh's lower lip between both of hers she can apologize for this later. She's a great journalist, yes, but she is terrible at life decisions. ]
[ it might be a maybe for her, but when raleigh thinks that he's lovesick, he actually means he loves her. even if he can never act on the romantic end of it, he loves naomi and yancy to the moon and back. they're his family and he will be content to stay with them in any way he can until the end of his days. that's what love means, doesn't it? wanting to be near that person, wanting happiness and the best for them?
okay, it's more complicated than that. but that's a big part of it and he just--feels like his heart is fit to burst every time he gets to spend time with her. when she smiles at him, it's like the sun is shining just for him. when they happen to brush arms or fingers, his heart still skips a beat even though he's pretty sure he's past the basic infatuation stage of things. raleigh becket could be a very happy man if all he got from her was that.
but she kisses him, right in her kitchen, and it's one of the best things to ever happen to him. his hands let go of her wrists. just so he can his arms around her and draw her close to him. and as he kisses her back, it's like fireworks going off. like angels singing the hallelujah chorus. like all his shapes fit all of her shapes and they fit just right. she may be thinking it's a mistake, but he's quite possibly the happiest man on earth in that moment. ]
[ No one has held her like in a long, long time. No one has kissed her - nor has she kissed anyone - like this a long, long time. Yes, that is a sigh against your mouth, Raleigh Becket, and that is her stepping closer into your space, every line of her pressed up against yours because she's so skin-starved even if she didn't realize it.
The kiss goes on for awhile, Naomi angling her mouth against his, hands tentatively coming up to brush fingers along his jaw, slide down the solidness of his chest, fingers a light drum over his heart. And then she has to come up for air because her head feels light and she's trembling because oh god what just happened.
She steps back, needs to put some space in-between because what if Yancy's still awake. What if she comes down and wanders into the kitchen and sees and and-- ]
Sorry. [ She tucks her hair behind her ear and turns back to the teapot and then covers her face with her hands because her face feels flushed and wow, what did you just do, Naomi. ] Shit. I'm so sorry.
[ the feel of her body pressed against his is easy to get lost in. raleigh hasn't allowed himself anything like this in a long time. kissing her feels good, especially since he likes her so much. he doesn't really want to stop kissing her and holding her, but when she backs off, he lets her go.
with not a little bit of confusion because really? she's apologizing? ] For what? That was amazing.
[ that... probably doesn't sound how he wants it to. yeah, it was a really amazing kiss. but he means it was amazing because he's in love with her and he's been wanting to do that for ages. he doesn't really feel like he can just come right out and say that, though. coming on a little too strong wouldn't even begin to cover what that would be.
raleigh rubs at the back of his neck with a small sigh. ] I really like you, Naomi. And I was actually wondering if I could ever get up the courage to ask you to dinner before you did that. [ this is sort of a lie. he wasn't really that specific in his plans. it was mostly just the thought of "get naomi to go out with you." ]
[ She's kind of staring at him for a long, drawn out moment because I really like you, Naomi and asking her out for dinner and so he was thinking about kissing me and -oh. ]
But you and Mako...?
[ Her hand comes up to her mouth, because she's remembering an idle conversation the last time they were both here and Mako had been teaching her how to make onigiri.
So, there is no one in your life romantically? No one at all? - No one worth having that way, not yet, at least. Maybe when Yancy's a little older. Maybe not. ( the laughter of two women who also happen to be friends ) - True. You already have Raleigh and he makes a wonderful father figure.
And just like that, she's back in his space, mouth fitting right up against his, fingers skimming along his jaw because he likes her back. It's a little hilarious and it leaves her giddy and it should be terrible but she remembers the first time they met, the way he'd made her smile and the way she's tried not to shake when she wrote her number on his palm.
She should feel guilty. Her daughter is his brother's daughter, but there has been enough grief in her life she thinks, to allow a little sunlight in. She would like to let that sunlight in. ]
[ oh, they're kissing again. that's really nice. raleigh is really pretty thrilled with this whole thing. even if he does think he should probably explain what mako is to him at some point tonight, just so naomi knows for sure what kind of relationship the two of them have.
but until she pulls back, he is more than okay with splaying his hands over her back and holding her close. the tea's probably getting cold. but naomi tastes better than any tea ever could, and raleigh would very much like to lose himself in this moment. ]
[ Her hands fall to his chest, mouth still moving against his. Naomi has no reference for how to describe what it's like, in this moment with Raleigh, except that it's like home in a way she hadn't realized she'd needed it. In a way she hadn't dared to hope to want.
Her hands fall even lower, a thumb hooking on his belt loop, the other coming around his waist as she leans in, shyness giving way just a little to desire, her teeth catching on his lower lip before she tilts her chin up so that their mouths slant together again. ]
[ if there's one thing that raleigh's really missed in the past six-ish years, it's been making out with a pretty girl. thinking about it like that makes him feel like he's a stupid kid again, but it's true. there's just something about kissing, about prolonged touching in general, that raleigh loves.
as naomi leans in, his hands slip from her back to find a home in the back pockets of her jeans. he pulls her flush against him as she bites his lip, a low chortle of amusement rolling in his chest. he opens his mouth against hers, tongue gliding against her upper lip before he pulls back just enough to whisper, ] We should probably-- [ another quick kiss ] --do this somewhere other than the kitchen.
[ the way he's whispering makes her pulse race. she hasn't been a teenager in years, but when she's around raleigh, he makes her feel young again. oh, she can't forget about her little girl any more than she could forget to breathe, because yancy is not a bonus to her life but a keystone that secures everything in place.
still, this is nice. ( she'd rushed through the last stretch of her childhood, halting full stop at being a teen and jumping right into the role of a parent and never once looking back because the life growing inside her was hers - it terrified her and made her cry because sometimes no one else understood I can't give the baby up, Kara don't ask that of me but it was hers. ) this is something that she's missed, something that sometimes she wishes she'd had before realizations would sink in and prompt her to shake her head because how could anyone match up to an ideal?
spoilers: you kind of can't. unless you're raleigh becket. because then the reality is so, so much better than a half-remembered dream.
she moves her hands over his, palms following the curve of his knuckles as his hands hold her in place.
her daughter's asleep and they're as alone as they can get in her house and if she feels a little daring, gaze unblinking as she searches his eyes, well. it's been so long since she's been with anyone else. ] Here's fine.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
why am i doing this
[ She's watching Raleigh tuck Yancy into bed from the doorway. They're whispering to each other in low tones, smiles on their faces, heads bent together. It's been a little short of year since Naomi and her daughter ran into Raleigh Becket and Mako Mori at the McDonald's and Yancy's just turned nine, flung her arms around Naomi when she realized that her mother had invited her favorite pilots over for a surprise dinner Mom you are the best.
They've kept visiting Yancy on the downlow. With Raleigh and Mako still in the spotlight, they're being extra careful. The media is a monster that Naomi knows well, and the last thing she wants is for it to set it's sights on her daughter, because while Naomi is old enough and mature enough and secure enough in her identity to take on whatever circus the press decide they want to turn her life into, Yancy is still bright-eyed and full of dreams and hope and that is something that when you lose, you can actually get it back - it'll just never be the same.
When Raleigh steps out, Naomi offers him a shy smile. ] You really made her day today. Thank you, for taking the time to spend the day with us.
because you love me
[ and he does, really. this past year has been one of the best in a while and he owes it all to the three lovely ladies in his life: his niece yancy, his best friend and platonic life partner mako, and naomi. the woman he's kind of embarrassingly attracted to.
so embarrassingly attracted to that it's a wonder she hasn't picked up on it yet. lord knows he's gotten enough elbows to the ribs from mako when he gets what was once dubbed his "adoring puppy face" on. if she were anyone else, he probably would've asked her out already. but she's not just anyone, she's the mother of yancy's child. and, okay, he knows they were never actually a thing. but there's just something about trying to step over the line from friendship into a romantic relationship that feels like stepping on yancy's grave.
not that that stops him from wanting to kiss her. or from giving her a small smile and a gentle nudge with his elbow. ] I'd thought you'd be used to having me around by now.
i question my judgement on that
When he smiles, she smiles back. When he nudges her she offers a shrug and tries not to think how much of a sweetheart he is. Because he is. ]
Well. [ She looks off to the side and exhales a breath before she turns back to him. ] Do you want coffee? Tea- wait, that's Mako's preference - but yeah. Can I get you anything or do you have to go? [ That last part sort of just... slips out. She doesn't want him to leave, really. She just doesn't know how to slide it in that he can stay the night if he likes, like the other times. The guest room is practically his space as far as she and Yancy are concerned. ]
:c
and to be completely honest, raleigh's not sure he can take many more of mako's you are absolutely ridiculous, why are you still pining looks. maybe it's because he has that thought in his head that he says, ] No, I can stay. [ a little too quickly. ]
And, uh. Tea would be good. I probably should stay away from the coffee this late. [ he's pretty sure he's never going to shake the insomnia at this point. which sucks because he misses having coffee as a regular thing. ]
no i lied ilu lots
She heads to the kitchen, sure enough that he'll follow, takes down these beautiful ceramic cups with sakura blossoms painted on them ( Yancy had insisted on buying because the reminded her of something Mako told her about Japan once ), and proceeds to go through the motions of making tea. It helps that she has this to focus on, it gives her a distraction from Raleigh's presence because the only other person in the house is now asleep and they've never been quite this alone with each other before. ]
So, I saw that press conference from last week. Nice gut-punch on your experiences working on the wall. [ She'd hated that wall for a long time. Couldn't understand how politicians could think it could actually work, the kaiju were killing machines that wrecked whole cities, a wall is a stationary thing that does not bend in any way so it will inevitably break. ]
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Reporters like that annoy the shit out of me. [ he can't help but frown as he says it. there's a lot about his time up on the wall that he really does not like talking about. it was a shitty time all around and he may have gone a little out of his mind, so it's a difficult subject. but like fuck is he just going to let people talk like the wall was a good idea or like the people who worked on it didn't deserve respect for what they did. ] You'd think they would've learned by now to shut their traps about stuff like that.
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She knows a little about the experiences of the people on the wall, those who lived close to the coastal cities. Her colleague, Greg had done a series of photo-journalistic essays that won awards. When he'd landed a coffee table book deal, she'd been the first he'd called to tell her all about what it had been like, what they should be doing, how unfair it was that by virtue of living closest to where the kaiju were likely to hit, they were given less priority by the government.
The project is a work in progress. It's one of those things Naomi would actually like to talk to Raleigh about, but she can tell by the way he'd said what he did at the press con that it's as touchy a subject as hey come, so she lets the idea lie. ] It's the media and reporters and the fascination with the fact that they've never quite had people like you and Mako before. It's the glory of a story and getting there first, about asking the wrong questions in order to get the right answers.
[ She leans sideways on the counter, shoulders squared towards him. ] Just don't play their game. Play yours. A story always has multiple sides to it, so just pick the one that speaks best for you and run with it as best as you can. You and Mako already have international favor in your corner [ she decides to let him in on a little intel at this point ] and for the record, there are social polls on how badly the press botched that question. You guys are the sweethearts of the whole planet, Raleigh. I don't think the press will try anything like that again - not for awhile.
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in the meantime, he shakes his head a little, staring at naomi with admiration. ] I have no idea how you do it. Put up with all the media politics and bullshit. [ he has a hard enough time talking with regular people, he's no idea how she can thrive the way she does in journalism. ] It's really incredible, Naomi.
[ and that's when he realizes that, oh shit, this might be his moment. there's a little voice in the back of his head that's still screaming at him because she's yancy's not-quite-girl. yeah, it was once, but it resulted in a kid. that's kind of a big deal. the rest of raleigh yells that his brother would want him to be happy. and if him being happy makes it easier to take care of his niece and her mom, then it's an even better deal. so he should go for it. really, he should just spit it out and see what happens.
he looks away for a second to pull himself together. and then he looks right at naomi and gives her a small smile. tries not to think about how out of practice he is with this whole romance thing. ] You're really incredible.
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That Raleigh is looking at her with admiration in his eyes. It makes her smile, shyly - dammit isn't the tea done yet - because the way she functions in journalism is just the way she is. It's not so much breathing as picking out what clothes to wear for the day. She enjoys it, she lives it, and she's a little stunned when people tell her sometimes that for someone who has gone through the gauntlet with the bigwigs, it's incredible how she's held onto her ideal of keeping what they do classy. Of using their tools for good.
And then he says that. And it's not about her work. It's about her. And she's not dumb or blind, not stupid. She's caught the way Raleigh's looked at her sometimes and once or twice she's wondered about it and what it meant. And in the last year he's been such a part of their lives, she can't imagine her little girl not having him to talk to or brag about or say Mom, Mom. Look what Uncle Raleigh sent. Post cards and pictures and e-mails - he's just so great with her it sometimes hurts to look.
But doesn't he have Mako?
There's a moment when her eyes do fall to his mouth, the thought I wonder if... snapping her back to reality. She turns away and grasps for something to focus on because over-steeped tea is no good and dammit, why are her hands are shaking.
She's attracted to Raleigh Becket. Cares about his involvement in their lives and oh fuck, what is this a take two of what never happened nearly a decade ago? The teaspoon in her hand actually slips and she tries to catch it before it clatters to the floor and fails and then her hands are covering her face. Oh god, she must be so red.
Get it together Sokolov. You're not sixteen for pete's sake. ]
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the way her gaze drops down to his mouth really, really isn't doing anything to quell the urge to kiss her. or confess his undying love and then kiss her. ( he's maybe a little pathetic but he's okay with that. ) but then she's turning away and getting obviously flustered. it's hard not to find that really adorable. and kind of awesome because he's the one who managed to get her that flustered and out of it and--hands covering the face is usually not a good thing. there go the nice feelings associated with her being a little thrown off.
raleigh hops down off the counter and picks up the teaspoon, placing it carefully on the counter. and then he steps up close to naomi and wraps his hands around her wrists. gently, he tugs her hands away from her face and leans down a little so he can make his eyes level with hers. ] Naomi, hey... It's okay. [ he gives her another little smile, this one a little more worried than the last. ] Really, it is.
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How did she not see this coming? No. Wait. She saw it, didn't do a thing to stop it because raising a daughter on her own is no hardship, but sometimes you wish that you weren't a single parent, wish that you had someone to share those little milestones with. But your daughter is the child of a Ranger who changed your life and he died and no one could compare, even if she knew how unfair that would be to anyone.
And then Raleigh comes along. Silly, big-hearted Raleigh who insists on doing right by them and who looks at Yancy like she were the most beautiful little girl in the world. And without even saying anything, he understands. Yancy's father was his brother, his best friend, his co-pilot and Naomi's looked up the information and the files - had to, it was her job, but the grief and the loss had driven him away from the Jaeger Program to work on a wall, to choose another option to help because he couldn't fight.
She doesn't know what it's like to fall in love like something bit her in the ass, but she thinks it might be a little like this. Because she doesn't want to call it love, can't call it that when it was friendship and family first with no intention to turn things romantic she was just grateful for his presence. The most that they've ever gone out on a date is a midnight run for ice cream with her in the driver's seat and Yancy in the back while she played Category with her uncle sitting shotgun.
But it's love. Maybe. Because Raleigh somehow made a place for them in his life and made a place for himself in theirs and that scares Naomi a little because she doesn't know what to do. And it's a rare thing when Naomi has no idea what to do, because then she goes on autopilot and sort of just leans in and catches Raleigh's lower lip between both of hers she can apologize for this later. She's a great journalist, yes, but she is terrible at life decisions. ]
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okay, it's more complicated than that. but that's a big part of it and he just--feels like his heart is fit to burst every time he gets to spend time with her. when she smiles at him, it's like the sun is shining just for him. when they happen to brush arms or fingers, his heart still skips a beat even though he's pretty sure he's past the basic infatuation stage of things. raleigh becket could be a very happy man if all he got from her was that.
but she kisses him, right in her kitchen, and it's one of the best things to ever happen to him. his hands let go of her wrists. just so he can his arms around her and draw her close to him. and as he kisses her back, it's like fireworks going off. like angels singing the hallelujah chorus. like all his shapes fit all of her shapes and they fit just right. she may be thinking it's a mistake, but he's quite possibly the happiest man on earth in that moment. ]
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The kiss goes on for awhile, Naomi angling her mouth against his, hands tentatively coming up to brush fingers along his jaw, slide down the solidness of his chest, fingers a light drum over his heart. And then she has to come up for air because her head feels light and she's trembling because oh god what just happened.
She steps back, needs to put some space in-between because what if Yancy's still awake. What if she comes down and wanders into the kitchen and sees and and-- ]
Sorry. [ She tucks her hair behind her ear and turns back to the teapot and then covers her face with her hands because her face feels flushed and wow, what did you just do, Naomi. ] Shit. I'm so sorry.
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with not a little bit of confusion because really? she's apologizing? ] For what? That was amazing.
[ that... probably doesn't sound how he wants it to. yeah, it was a really amazing kiss. but he means it was amazing because he's in love with her and he's been wanting to do that for ages. he doesn't really feel like he can just come right out and say that, though. coming on a little too strong wouldn't even begin to cover what that would be.
raleigh rubs at the back of his neck with a small sigh. ] I really like you, Naomi. And I was actually wondering if I could ever get up the courage to ask you to dinner before you did that. [ this is sort of a lie. he wasn't really that specific in his plans. it was mostly just the thought of "get naomi to go out with you." ]
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But you and Mako...?
[ Her hand comes up to her mouth, because she's remembering an idle conversation the last time they were both here and Mako had been teaching her how to make onigiri.
So, there is no one in your life romantically? No one at all? - No one worth having that way, not yet, at least. Maybe when Yancy's a little older. Maybe not. ( the laughter of two women who also happen to be friends ) - True. You already have Raleigh and he makes a wonderful father figure.
And just like that, she's back in his space, mouth fitting right up against his, fingers skimming along his jaw because he likes her back. It's a little hilarious and it leaves her giddy and it should be terrible but she remembers the first time they met, the way he'd made her smile and the way she's tried not to shake when she wrote her number on his palm.
She should feel guilty. Her daughter is his brother's daughter, but there has been enough grief in her life she thinks, to allow a little sunlight in. She would like to let that sunlight in. ]
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but until she pulls back, he is more than okay with splaying his hands over her back and holding her close. the tea's probably getting cold. but naomi tastes better than any tea ever could, and raleigh would very much like to lose himself in this moment. ]
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Her hands fall even lower, a thumb hooking on his belt loop, the other coming around his waist as she leans in, shyness giving way just a little to desire, her teeth catching on his lower lip before she tilts her chin up so that their mouths slant together again. ]
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as naomi leans in, his hands slip from her back to find a home in the back pockets of her jeans. he pulls her flush against him as she bites his lip, a low chortle of amusement rolling in his chest. he opens his mouth against hers, tongue gliding against her upper lip before he pulls back just enough to whisper, ] We should probably-- [ another quick kiss ] --do this somewhere other than the kitchen.
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still, this is nice. ( she'd rushed through the last stretch of her childhood, halting full stop at being a teen and jumping right into the role of a parent and never once looking back because the life growing inside her was hers - it terrified her and made her cry because sometimes no one else understood I can't give the baby up, Kara don't ask that of me but it was hers. ) this is something that she's missed, something that sometimes she wishes she'd had before realizations would sink in and prompt her to shake her head because how could anyone match up to an ideal?
spoilers: you kind of can't. unless you're raleigh becket. because then the reality is so, so much better than a half-remembered dream.
she moves her hands over his, palms following the curve of his knuckles as his hands hold her in place.
her daughter's asleep and they're as alone as they can get in her house and if she feels a little daring, gaze unblinking as she searches his eyes, well. it's been so long since she's been with anyone else. ] Here's fine.