Work Text:
The kettle whistled, and Gina put a hot cup of tea right in front of him. “Here, that should help.” He was somewhere in his thoughts. Lost.
She sat down on the other side of the table and looked directly into his tired eyes, “Sonny? Are you there?”
Sonny snapped out of his thoughts, looking around puzzled as if he was searching for something. “I’m here.” He smiled his best fake-smile. “Thanks for the tea. You don’t have to be here, you know. No pressure.” His voice sounded rough as usual, but a dozy undertone referred.
“Just giving you some company. Like work colleagues normally do.”
The warm light was a small spot inside the darkness of the St. Vitus Dance.
Nervously, he fiddled with the neck of his grey shirt and let the tea heat up his lightly freezing body. He hated the coldness that always came with fatigue. “Yeah, thank you. Needed it more than I thought. You know, I-” a deep yawn interrupted him, muffled in his fist. “Ugh, sorry. It’s late. You know, I appreciate your presence.”
A pink flush laid on her cheeks. That simple statement made her heart flutter like never before.
He firmly rubbed his forehead, like he wanted to drive away the overwhelming tiredness. Too tired to even suppress a yawn.
Studying his face carefully, she asked concerned, “Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m okay. Really. I just- I just worked a bit too much in the last days. Nothing serious.” His last accessible energy was used to overplay the true state he was in.
A suspicious look on Gina’s face. She knew. “You don’t get enough sleep.”
Sonny looked up and quietly stared at her, knowing he was trapped, and no lie would help anything right now. Sigh. He shook his head while breaking the eye contact, wishing that Gina would switch off her motherly appearance, though he was somehow thankful for it.
“I guess so.” The tiredness became tighter, and his attention span was shortening.
Gina traced the polished, clean wooden table in front of her. “Take a day off?”
“Been thinking ‘bout that. But the case is almost over. I’ll manage the last days.”
“It won’t do anything if I push you, right?”
With the cup in his hands, Sonny rose and walked over to the kitchen counter.
“No.” A hushed response. “If you don’t mind, I’ll go to bed.”
“That’s probably the best decision you can make right now.”
Comfortable silence. Far off the marina, the noise of the city was to be heard. Even at midnight, Miami was just as alive as during daytime. Maybe livelier.
As Gina had gathered her belongings, Sonny chuckled, “Sorry to kick you out that way. It’s usually not my style.”
“Oh, please don’t worry about it. Call me, if you should need anything. Good night, Sonny.” Hesitating at first, she hugged him. A deep, long and calming hug. Sonny leaned into her embrace, memorizing the way her hands rubbed his back. He assumed, this night is now going to be a restful one.
An exhausted, but lovely grin appeared on his lips. A real one.