[for Meredith]

[missingthekeep]

It's not often that Sean comes home in this state anymore, with that old swagger in his step that comes from too much focus spent keeping it steady, but really, that's what makes the times when he does go all out all the more worth it. That's what he tells himself, anyway. The guilt that he feels when he drinks is a rather unwelcome recent addition, however, fading echoes of a fight with Meredith that he barely remembers always ready to creep up on him as soon as he lets his guard down, and there's only so much rationalizing he can do after he's had a few. Which leads to more drinking, which leads to nights like tonight. It doesn't seem fair, somehow, when he's finally getting over the depression that had plagued him for months, to be brought low by something so utterly ridiculous, but at least it tends to fade away pretty reliably somewhere during the short walk home. These are good days he's living in, good times, and these nights are the exception as opposed to the rule now. Which makes them all the more worth it.

He pauses in the yard to ruffle Doc's fur when he gets home and the damn mutt nearly gets him rolling around on the ground with him by the time Sean drags himself through the front door. "Hey you," he drawls fondly when he spots Meredith and heads over to a chair, draping his jacket over the back of it before taking a seat with a heavy sigh. "We should have a couch. Why don't we have a couch?"

Comments

[drownondryland]

Meredith arches up a little, hand winding in his hair as she tugs him toward her to kiss. A moment later, she's laughing, though, shaking her head without pulling much away. "That's a really weird turn of phrase," she says, "now that you're my student."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Is it?" Her laugh proves to be infectious, and Sean finds himself briefly overtaken by something little better than a fit of the giggles, resting his forehead against her shoulder for the moment. "Sounds so sordid when ye put it like that. Can I help it that I'm hot f'r teacher?"

[drownondryland]

Meredith twists half onto her side, face almost buried in the pillow as she laughs. "You're awful," she says, arms draped limply over his shoulders. She tries to stifle her giggles — unsuccessfully —brow raising. "That sounds even worse."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Does it?" Sean asks, mock innocent until his sly smile inevitably peeks through once more. "Guess it cannae be helped, in that case," he says, ducking his head to place a kiss against the gentle curve of her throat. "Awful or nae, I cannae tell a lie."

[drownondryland]

"Awful or not, you'd better be," teases Meredith. Her eyes fall briefly shut before she glances up with a grin. All jokes aside, she kind of enjoys having him in her class, showing him a little of what she loves. "Wouldn't bode too well for the future if you weren't."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"I like to think me past actions speak f'r themselves, least when it comes to that," Sean shoots back with a laugh that's really more of a sigh. He had his doubts about taking a class like that in the beginning, but he has to admit, it's been nice to have some small part of their life together be about more than just the two of them. "Bring on the future."