Office Hours, Tuesday

[on_her_korhal]

Kerrigan had given up on her syllabus.

Well, okay, she hadn't given up, because she was a dogged sort of person, but it had finally found its way to a pile. It was just being worked at from a distance.

She made herself some noodles and spent a goodly period of time staring at it.

[ open hours! ]

Comments

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I already am something in relation," he replied, focusing really hard on the coffee maker now. "Too late for that. That came with the name."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"So's that all you are?" she asked, dryly. "Some jackass named Adama."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"You're such a confidence booster," Lee snipped and glared at the coffee maker. "No, that's not all I am. That's all people see me as back home though."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Then why the hell should you have a stick up your ass about it?"

She paused, resettling in her chair. "Stop trying to break my coffee maker with the power of your mind. It's lacking."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I don't want him to do the same thing to my brother," he mumbled and focused his glare on her. "He's there, I'm not. No one else to focus on."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"So tell me about your brother." It wasn't that the glare did anything, but the situation reminded her uncomfortably much of Jimmy and his dead kid.

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"He's younger," Lee said and scrubbed at his temple with the heel of one hand. "Taller than me but who isn't, right? I don't think he wants to go into the military. I think he wants...I think he wants to have fun or something. But, he doesn't...he wants approval."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Don't we all?" Kerrigan asked, vaguely, and maybe with some inflection of sarcasm. Or not. She wasn't really sure, herself.

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"It's hard to get," he muttered and looked back down at the coffee maker. "So, you try and try and try and it never comes."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Or it does, and then you're not sure it's worth it."

Kerrigan stared down at her desk.

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I really wouldn't know," he said, shrugging again. "I don't think I've ever gotten it, not from him. And it's stupid that I keep trying when I know it's not going to come. I'd just like Zak to avoid that. But he won't."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Kerrigan's eyes flicked back up. "Tried smacking him over the head?" she said, lightly.

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"Zak?" He almost laughed. "He'd hit back. We've gotten into fights before and we usually split who wins. I'm quicker, he's bigger. I don't think it'd help much anyway more than to piss him off."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Or you could try needles. Seems to work on you."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"Ha ha ha," Lee said dryly and made a face at her. "I should go back home soon. Just to check on him and my mother. Letters aren't really doing it."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"You should," Kerrigan said, frankly, seriousness settling back into her expression. "And then get back here and get your eyes on your own future."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I have to figure out what my future is before I do that," Lee said and peered at the coffee maker. "I think it's done. Is it done? I can't tell with these things. I just count minutes in my head."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"It's done," Kerrigan replied, without even looking at it. "Congratulations. Coffee accomplished."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"And I didn't even make a mess," he said, smiling proudly. "Maybe I could be a professional coffee maker."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"There's your future," she said, with a faint shrug and a smirk, and reached over to pour herself a cup.

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"Mmm and when I make my first million, I'll dedicate my memoirs to you," he said and grinned.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"You better," Kerrigan returned, taking an experimental sip from her cup.

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"Not bad, right?" Lee asked. "If you say it's bad, I just have to stick around and make more."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"It's drinkable," she said, dryly. "Don't want to keep you here over coffee."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I taught my brother how to make coffee before I left," he told her. "Hope has hasn't caused any fires by now."