landing party ( for thecanarylives )

[dark_ages]

[ He comes to with his head pounding, his vision blurred, and a persistent ringing in his ears. It takes him a while-- a good while, maybe seconds or maybe minutes, to even regain his vision properly, and to take in his surroundings. He's in a shuttle, which is completely wrecked, panels broken and burnt, wires hanging from everywhere, sparks going off and small fires here or there. They're also tilted forward slightly, so he can feel his weight pushing against the belts keeping him strapped to his chair. He looks beyond the window and he sees a lush forest just outside, trees and blue skies as far as the eye can see. It'd be pretty if not for the fact that they've clearly crashed on the planet they were supposed to land on.

Shit. Holy shit, they crashed. How the fuck did they crash? Leonard just wanted to gather some samples from the surface, it didn't even warrant a landing party bigger than two people, how the fuck did they end up like this?

That thought gets his brain into gear. Because he's not alone. He looks over to find Sara passed out, though at least thankfully still strapped to her seat. He lets out a shuddered breath, trying not to panic as he struggles to undo his own safety belt. ]

Sara!! Come on, you piece of shi-- [ His panicked grousing is cut off as his belt comes undone, and he just barely manages to brace himself against the controls rather than slam right into them. Head still spinning, he nevertheless forces himself to stumble towards her, looking her over briefly for possible injuries before he cups her face, trying to wake her up. ] Sara. Hey, can you hear me? Come on, open your eyes...

Comments

[dark_ages]

[ What a terrible thing to say to a Southern man. Food is best when it's for comfort, although as a doctor he can also understand the importance of a healthy and balanced meal. No reason one can't have the two, however.

His smile wanes when she asks about his father. He looks down into his glass, then meets her eyes again with a small shake of his head. ]

He's dead. A while back, I think... almost ten years ago.

[ He takes a sip, then quickly tries to change the subject. ]

What about your family?

[thecanarylives]

[ If there's anyone who's in need of a comforting meal every now and then, it's probably her. Then again, that might be the reason she has such a colorful stash of liquor in her quarters.

No one said she had a healthy way of dealing with things. ]

I'm sorry. [ She says quietly, glancing down at her food. There's a flicker of something in her eyes when he asks about her family - pain, maybe. ]

They're um... They're all back in Starling City. [ She puts on that smile again, the one that's not quite convincing. ] Sister's a big shot lawyer now. Mom and Dad are doing okay, I think.

[dark_ages]

It's alright. He was sick for a long time, and it's been a while now.

[ Leonard's sort of come to terms with it, or so he likes to tell himself. Hard to come to terms with the fact that he helped his father end his own life, but he's not about to go down that road.

He offers her a small smile, chuckling faintly. ]

"It's complicated", huh?

[ Not necessarily bad, but he can easily tell there's some tension there, though he won't pry. ]

[thecanarylives]

Still. Must've been hard, especially as a doctor.

[ She can't imagine having to lose a family member - no matter how strained their relationship might be.

She gives him a wry smile, shrugging a shoulder. ]

It's on me. They thought I was dead for years. Parents got divorced, and my sister... [ Her brow furrows down at her wine glass. ] She didn't really take it well. Even after I came back.

[dark_ages]

[ Especially as a doctor indeed, particularly when that was one of the reasons why his father begged for his help as much as he did.

He lets out a long, quiet sigh, shoulders dropping. ]

I'm sorry to hear. [ He presses his lips in, then smiles apologetically. ] And I'm sorry I've brought it up. Kinda ruinin' the mood, aren't I?

[ Not that he minds talking about this. He likes getting to know more about Sara, really. But maybe halfway through dinner isn't the best moment for it. ]

[thecanarylives]

[ Her gaze lifts to meet his, and she shakes the emotions off, a smile on her lips again. ]

Hey, no. I'm being kind of a downer. [ She chuckles, attention returning to her food. ] Truth is, I haven't really talked to anyone about all this. All the crap in my past... it's just easier to hide from people, you know?

[dark_ages]

I get that. [ He nods, taking a slow sip from his glass, pondering for a moment. ]

And, well, you told me no one knows about what's happened to you, so that makes it tougher to talk about. When there's no one there to listen.

[ He will gladly listen, though, if she trusts him and feels at ease enough to talk about it. ]

[thecanarylives]

[ She runs her fingertips around the rim of her glass, nodding. ]

I've never really been one to talk things out, but... it's nice to have someone else who knows. [ She gives him another smile, this one softer. ] And I'm glad it's you.

[dark_ages]

[ Leonard smiles, nodding slowly. ]

I'm glad you told me, too. And for what it's worth, we don't have to talk about it now, but I'm here whenever you feel like just unloading some thoughts.

[ He's not going to pry that information out of her, but as much or as little as she's willing to share, he'll gladly let her take her time, or not talk about it at all if that's what she prefers. ]

[thecanarylives]

Careful what you wish for, Doc.

[ She chuckles, finishing off the food on her plate. ]

So is there cobbler, or what?

[dark_ages]

[ He laughs at her question, shaking his head. ]

You're really eager for dessert, aren't you?

[ But he finishes his own food with one last forkful, washing it down with some wine before he gets to his feet and takes the plates back to the replicator. He comes back with two servings of peach cobbler, just as she'd guessed. ]

Here you go.

[thecanarylives]

[ She shoots him a mischievous wink, finishing off her own glass before pouring them both another.

Eyes lighting up when he brings back dessert, she grins and takes the plate from him. ]

Your mom's recipe?

[dark_ages]

I believe that's what I promised, yes.

[ He smiles and takes another sip from his now full glass, then sets it aside so he can dig into his dessert. It looks and smells great, and although he's already very familiar with the taste, it still gets a soft, pleased groan from him. ]

[thecanarylives]

[ She takes in the smell of it a moment, and even from the replicator, it smells incredible. Taking a bite doesn't disappoint, and she adds a groan in concert with his, slumping back in her chair in satisfaction. ]

Oh my God. Your mom is amazing.

[dark_ages]

[ He laughs at her remark, taking another forkful from his dessert. ]

You haven't seen anything. She's got whole handwritten recipe books, old family recipes her ma and grandma taught her. Mouth waterin' stuff.

[thecanarylives]

Well, I think it's only right you try and replicate them one by one. For posterity's sake.

[ She takes another bite. ]

Mm. And also, for my sake.

[dark_ages]

[ He eyes her quietly, slowly eating his cobbler. ]

That's going to be a lot of dates, you know.

[thecanarylives]

[ She glances up at him, smiling a little, her foot nudging lightly against his. ]

You asked for it, Doc.

[dark_ages]

That I did. And I'm not takin' it back.

[ Just thought he'd let her know, is all. It's a lot of recipes... Anyway, he picks up his glass again once he clears his plate. ]

Guess I'll have to ask my ma to scan me some of those recipes.

[thecanarylives]

[ The corner of her lip twitches at that. She might not be entirely convinced of that, because there's still a lot about her he doesn't know. But tonight's going well, and she's not about to ruin it with something like that.

She takes a few more bites, washing it down with more wine. ]

I'd offer some of my parents' recipes, but neither of them are all that great in the kitchen.

[dark_ages]

[ Guess only time will tell. For now, he's enjoying himself, and he likes the idea of focusing in the moment. ]

That's alright, I should be able to get plenty of recipes. You can think up more exciting and adventurous date activities, I'm sure.

[thecanarylives]

I promise I won't make you work out with me again, at least.

[ She chuckles, finishing off her plate and picking up her glass again. ]

Besides, I kind of like having a quiet night in. Especially after the last mission.

[dark_ages]

Well, actually it wasn't that bad. All the better if we end it on a nicer note.

[ You know, making out all sweaty on the floor rather than him putting a break on things and getting the hell out of there. ]

I'd say we've had more than enough excitement on that planet, yes. [ He huffs when thinking back to it, finishing his glass with slow, steady sips. ]

Do you want to dance?

[thecanarylives]

That's 'cause I went easy on you.

[ But yes. She'd definitely have preferred a different outcome. Maybe now, their time in the gym can be a little more fun.

She quirks a small smile at his question, brow raising as she gets to her feet. ]

Didn't take you for a dancer.

[dark_ages]

What, you though I was kidding when I said it back at the planet?

[ Dinner and a movie, dinner and a dance... this is a date, after all. He gets to his feet too, switching the music to something more appropriate for a slow dance, then he walks back to where she is, offering her his hand. ]