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The main problem with being stuck on an LST was the complete and utter lack of privacy. All Nick wanted was ten minutes of peace and quiet, ten minutes to be alone with his thoughts. They were headed home and the mood on the ship was buoyant, but part of him wasn't feeling it.
He'd sequestered himself in a corner under a staircase, where hopefully nobody would find him until he was needed. He closed his eyes, letting the relative silence wash over him. He was surrounded by the sounds of the ship; the thrum of the engines and the faint roar of the ocean around them. That was much easier to block out than voices and laughter and raucous noise that felt invasive and disrespectful somehow.
He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a well-worn deck of cards, absently laying out a spread of Solitaire. He played idly for a bit, not really paying attention. It was more to clear his head and do something with his hands than anything.
He was staring off into the middle distance, more-or-less ignoring the cards, when a familiar fair-haired head popped up over the railing.
"You can put that red seven over there on the eight in the second column."
Nick snorted. "Thanks, babe. Do you have some sort of radar?"
It was a bit of a running joke; Kelly didn't seem to understand the solitary aspect of Solitaire, and regularly offered running commentary whenever anyone around him was playing a game. None of them actually minded. It was nearly impossible to get mad at Kelly, his enthusiasm and happiness were so infectious.
Grinning, Kelly swung himself under the staircase and sat next to Nick. Nick leaned into him without thinking, his body unconsciously seeking the comfort Kelly always brought.
"You okay, Irish? It's kind of dank and gross down here."
Nick shrugged, rubbing his shoulder against Kelly's. "Just needed to be alone for a bit before we get close to home, you know?"
Kelly stared up at him earnestly. Even in the dim half-light here, Kelly's eyes sparkled blue and green and grey all at once. "You need me to leave?"
As much as Nick had needed space to himself, the idea of Kelly leaving was like a physical blow to the chest, and he wasn't sure why. He shook his head emphatically.
"You don't count."
Kelly blew a raspberry at him and Nick couldn't contain his grin. It was true though; alone and alone-with-Kelly were nearly interchangeable in Nick's mind. He wasn't sure when things had changed, but he was grateful. Ty and Nick had been joined at the hip for what felt like forever, but at some point there had been a shift. Nick still went to Ty when he needed to vent, when he needed the loudness, the brightness, the sheer drama that was his best friend. But Kelly was fluid and flexible and quiet, a sharp contrast. Where Ty was an explosion, Kelly was the breeze that cleared the smoke away.
And clearing the smoke was exactly what Nick needed right now. Kelly seemed to understand, without a word about it. The two of them sat in silence until the weight on Nick's shoulders began to lift. Smirking, he leaned forward, hunching over the card layout on the floor.
He reached out, picking up the seven Kelly had pointed out earlier. Before doing anything with it, though, he turned to look at Kelly and raised an eyebrow.
Grinning, Kelly nodded and patted Nick's thigh encouragingly. "Looks like you don't need my help anymore."
Nick chuckled. "No, I think I'll be fine now. Thanks, Doc." He watched Kelly retreat up the stairs and picked the cards up. There was no need to finish the game now.