“Sorry, I’m nearly done,” Naomi whispered and brushed his jaw in consolation.

“‘S alright,” he sighed deeply but didn’t make any further complaints.

Thankfully, the desk was close enough that she could reach the first aid kit without moving from their position. 

“There, all done,” she said after spraying the final spray over the wound and watching it form an almost transparent bandage over it. 

At that moment, Holden pulled her even closer, burying his head in her chest. She knew she should be urging him to get up because the faster he finishes with the report, the faster he’s going to get some rest. But she couldn’t bring herself to pull away from him. Not after spending so much time apart and not after he nearly wasn't able to make his promise of coming back to her true. 

Instead she also wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let her head fall, her nose brushing at his hairline. She could feel him huffing at the contact, an exhale of a breath on her skin as a protest. 

“No, don’t do that honey. I really need that shower you mentioned,” Jim whined, slightly dragging the vowel of no and scrunching up his nose.

“Really? I couldn't tell,” she teased, pulling slightly at the hair on the base of his neck.

And then suddenly, she yelped squirming on his lap, “Jim!”

He'd used his hands on her sides to tickle her as a rebuttal for her jest.

“Hey, play nice,” she said and although she tried to be serious, she had spoken in the midst of laughter. 

“Always,” Jim whispered and pressed a kiss on her sternum, right in the middle of her tattoo, as an apology.

“I think it's time we go get that coffee and food I promised, now that you're feeling more… awake.”

“I told you, he grows on you.” The projection of their terminals was bright on the table but its contents were long ignored in favor of a break. 

“Yes, like a leech.”

“Camina,”  her tone might as well say play nice, but even Naomi could tell it didn’t hold as much of her usual bite to it. “Need I remind you he’s bringing us food?”

The response came only in the form of a scoff.

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Expanse (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Filip Inaros & Naomi Nagata Characters: Naomi Nagata, Filip Inaros Additional Tags: Minor Jim Holden/Naomi Nagata, Naomi Centric, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Angst, Mother-Son Relationship, canon and missing scenes, Character Study, Trauma, Grief/Mourning Summary:

An exploration of Naomi's trauma through every child they meet─including her own.