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pacific rim au

Shutters clicked in a triplicate symphony, and one reporter leaned in just a little closer with her microphone when she asked, "Which of you took the shot that killed it?"

Logan rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, as his eyes caught Niamh in a sidelong glance. She stood just beside him, head down, quiet--as usual. "Technically we both did, ma'am," he finally answered, but the delay gave the media all the fuel they needed to turn that frenzy of attention the female pilot's way.

"Miss Daley," clamored from the lips of many in the huddle, but it was one voice that rung out above the rest when he practically shouted, "Your parents and your brother served in the Jaeger program before you. Would you say killing Kaiju is in your blood?"

She couldn't help her initial flicker of a frown before she offered a curt, "No."

"But they'd be proud of you, wouldn't they?" he persisted, the others crowding in a little more as camera lights continued to blink. She could almost see the headlines dawning in their eyes, imagine the ticker at the bottom of every television screen the world over, about the last heir of a Ranger Dynasty finally coming into her own and claiming her 'crown' at long last. "They say you were able to Drift even before you graduated the program. Do you feel connected to them when you're in there?"

Her jaw flexed under the weight of a swallow. "That's not--"

"Tau Mira is state of the art," another pressman picked up, pen still scribbling whatever notes from the earlier tidbits gleaned. "Do you think if there were more Mark-5s on the line, pilots like your parents would still be alive?"

"I don't know," she said numbly, and almost flinched when a flash went off right at that moment.

Logan stepped in again, a hand on her shoulder to ensure they'd stick together through the crowd. "If you have any more questions, go talk to the Marshall."

"One more--" But he ignored any further attempts to interrogate them, and she was grateful for that.

- - -

Rian barely looked up when she walked into his room, joining him on the bed without a word, one knee folded beneath her as she sank back against the wall. Her hair was still damp from the shower she'd taken and she shifted against an itch where her collar clung to her skin, trying not to elbow him in the ribs as she did. Even scalding water hadn't been able to burn out the memory of the almost predatory gleam in the media's eyes as they saw and seized their opportunity to get their teeth in her.

"Here," he said a moment later, snapping her out of that glum reverie to see the earbud he was offering her. "You'll like this one."

She didn't even hesitate, looping the cord over her ear and tucking the device into place. A click of the mouse on his laptop had the music playing again, and as the beat dropped he arched a brow in silent question of her verdict, though all she gave him was a faint half-smile.

"It's nice," she said after the song was over, and after most of her residual unease had evened out. "You've got good taste."

"I've got great taste," he corrected her, with a grin and a few more drag and clicks shuffling the track listing around. "And I'll prove it."

It was later, much later, when the wee hours had crept up on them and the music had been set aside in favor of the sound of peace and quiet of the night that he told her, arm around her waist and lips against her shoulder, "Did good today, Princess."

"Go to sleep," was her only reply, but she smiled all the same.

#writing #pacific rim au #riamh #and things #thewoodenbirds