missingthekeep | [for Meredith]

"I told ye, I'm fine," Sean says, as reassuringly as he can. His tongue darts briefly over his split lip, still smarting, and he's sure he won't know the full extent of his injuries until tomorrow when he's really feeling them, but it's all certainly nothing she needs to worry herself over. "Jus' a li'l banged up, is all."

"Don't do that to me again," Meredith says, gingerly cupping his cheek. He's already laid the grounds for his own punishment, but she's not dropping the matter until she's had her say, even if she hasn't entirely figured out what that is. "Why is it I have to promise to be careful, but you can run off and get in a fight and it's supposed to be okay?"

Sean's expression hardens a little at that, serious but not unkind, and he covers her hand with his own, ignoring the slight pain even that causes. "I didnae land meself in the clinic, f'r one thing." It doesn't help that she's got a point, but this is something he feels he has to be firm on.

"I didn't get in a fight," Meredith says. "I got in an accident. Not the same." Even if she goes back and forth on whether that's true, on whether she couldn't have been fine if she'd made the choice to move faster, to move, it wasn't up to her in the end.

"Exactly," Sean says plainly, nudging her toward the bed as he makes to sit down again himself. "It's nae the same." If he'd said as much, she'd likely have gotten on his case for it.

Meredith watches him for any sign it's worse than he's letting on, still wary as she sits. "I mean you didn't have to fight," she says, then realizes she doesn't know how true that is. For all she knows, it isn't, but it still seems to her he could have got out of it if he'd tried. "I didn't choose it."

"An' I meant that I'll be good as new in a few days, nae still fightin' jus' ta take a deep breath," Sean says, unable to let her downplay what happened like that. Besides, maybe he didn't choose what happened tonight, either. He still isn't entirely sure how it happened. "Ye cannae compare the two."

Meredith glances away, shaking her head. He's right about that much, she knows that, but that doesn't make him right about the rest. She doesn't want to think about what happened, though. "So if I get in a fight tomorrow," she says, glancing over, "that counts as being careful? I mean, as long as I don't land myself in the clinic, it's okay, right?"

There is nothing, not one blessed thing, that Sean can say to that which won't make him come across as an enormous hypocrite, so he does what seems to his addled mind to be the next best thing. He plays it off, a small smirk just barely teasing at the edges of his mouth. "Do I get ta watch?"

"Oh, well, as long as my getting hurt's entertaining for you," Meredith says, "then I guess it must be okay." Shaking her head, she draws away to sit at the head of the bed, legs drawn up against her. It's tempting just to bolt again if he's going to behave like this, but she's intent on holding her ground a little longer.

"Oh, c'mon, 'm only teasin'," Sean says, drawing in a sharp breath as he pulls himself more fully onto the bed and crawls awkwardly over to where she's sitting. "I'm sorry, it's jus'... it's been a long day an' I jus' want ta come home an' spend a nice night wi' ye." Why should that be so much to ask?

"Then you should've come home sooner," Meredith says, looking over at him. "Preferably before you got in a fight." And before she started panicking. She turns toward him instead of saying so, still sulking but shifting closer anyway. "It's the same and you know it. And if this were me, you'd be furious. Did you at least get ice or something for your bruises?"

"It's fine," Sean says in lieu of a real answer, dragging himself right up to her to tuck his head against her shoulder. He self-medicated in his own fashion, but he doesn't expect to appreciate that.

"It's not." Even so, Meredith lets him stay where he is, reaching for his hand again. Why it's so difficult to understand that she wants him unharmed, she doesn't know. Upset though she is, she finds herself relenting all the same, in part because it has been a long day and she's already tired enough not to want to keep this up indefinitely. "I just don't want you getting hurt," she says. "And how'm I supposed to kiss you when you've gone and done that to your mouth?"

Now that Sean's pretty sure she isn't going anywhere, Meredith's continued concern comes as less of an annoyance. It's something of a comfort, really. Bad things happen to him when he doesn't have somebody at home to worry about him, somebody out there who cares.

"I c'n manage if ye can," he murmurs, tipping his head to press a soft kiss to her neck and ignoring the twinge of pain that comes with it.

Meredith turns her head away, not sure what she's saying exactly. Whatever condition he's in, it feels good, but she doesn't want to encourage him, not like this. "I don't know if I can," she says. "You're hurt. And you don't even care, not that you're hurt, not that you scared me."

"I care," Sean whispers against her neck, unrelenting as he drags his teeth lightly across her skin between quiet assurances. "Last thing I want ta do is worry ye. I jus' wasnae thinkin' right. Lost track o' the time."

"I can see that," Meredith says darkly, though her eyes are closed now. "Tell me it won't happen again." She doesn't know that she'll believe him even if he says it, but he made her promise. It's his turn, though she's not sure he's in any condition to be making promises she can hold him to. "Tell me you'll be careful. Promise."

"I promise," Sean says, entirely unthinking as he shifts position and leans in closer to suck at her throat. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"I'm still mad at you," Meredith says, but it's quiet, a last effort to say her piece as she brings her hand up to his neck, her head tipping back. As foolish as she feels even for what she knows is a valid concern, worrying about him just makes her want to keep him close. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Will be soon," Sean murmurs contentedly, the protests of his numerous bruises and cuts becoming less and less noticeable as he rests his hand against the bed on the other side of her to lean on while still mouthing against her throat. "'M positive."

Meredith sighs, stretching her legs so he can get closer. She should probably push him away, say no, but she's never quite been able to manage that. "This is a bad idea," she murmurs, and it's the best she can get out for now, more relieved he's home than mad again for the moment, though there's no telling how long that will last. "You really promise?"

"Ye kiddin'?" Sean slurs, chuckling quietly against her skin as he rests a hand against the curve of her waist. "Bes' idea I've e'er had. Course I promise."

"No," Meredith says, shifting back from him, though she doesn't get far, hardly even tries. "Sean, please, will you just take me seriously for one moment here?" It feels like a lost cause, though she tells herself that's mostly because he's been drinking, is drunk, and even if he makes a promise, even if he means it, he might not tomorrow. She's wound up enough not to care, to want him to keep going almost as much as she wants to make him listen to her anyway. "I want you to be safe and you're not, you're happy about it, you are, and I'm not okay with this. It's not okay. Don't promise me if you don't mean it. Don't lie to me."

Sean sighs impatiently, but he draws back enough to look at her through unfocused eyes. "'M nae lyin' t'ye. I couldn't."

It is the truth, even if there's a lot more that he could add to it which he isn't solely so they can get on with things, not wanting to dwell on the matter further.

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