And when the comm flashes, Scott calling in, John, in a most un-John like way, actually ignores it. Because right now little Allie is finally sleeping; all quiet and exhausted and curled close and the world can wait until John has at least finished this chapter, if it means his baby brother can go undisturbed for just that little bit longer.
Let Scott walk down here himself if he wants to talk.
It had taken John a full twenty minutes of wriggling and awkward shifting and tentatively curling fingers to successfully manoover his limbs into this almost comfortable half-hug-thing that they’ve got going on, and for the downed astronaut to relax enough that Alan had actually managed to fall asleep against him. Not that that says much, as Alan can sleep pretty much anywhere and the kid had been completely shattered after that last rescue… but John is a little proud of the way he’s managed to stop that trembling his shoulders usually do, and of how he’s distracted himself with his book so that he’s not focused on the ongoing merciless invasion of his personal space. Nope, John’s not moving for anything right now. It’s the first time in years he’s been this close to anyone for this long and Alan is sleeping and John is not going to wake him, not now. Virgil had even tucked a blanket over them both and John is warm and… well… not quite comfortable but it’s a certain, wonderful kind of close to.
And it’s so, so special because, usually, John gets all elbows and nervous twitches and uncertain limbs when it comes to things like hugs. It’s been like that ever since Mom died. Hugs, little touches, gentle fingers through hair; they were just what Mom had done, and her John, her little starman, flinches at physical contact because even now he just remembers the empty void where his mother should have been and he hates it, he hates that his own body shudders away from even his brothers without his consent and that he can’t remember how to hug properly anymore.
And dammed, John thinks fiercely as he makes his arm pull Alan a little closer, dammed if he’s not going to fight it. Dammed if moments like this aren’t precious to him. Dammed if he can’t actually get enough control over his own limbs to actually be able to show his little brother that he loves him.
