He was completely oblivious to her thoughts as he stopped before her and smiled.  Claire always did that, made him smile no matter what he was truly feeling at that moment.  He put a hand on the small of her back as they entered the house, opening and closing the door for her.  The warmth of her seeped into the palm of his hand and made something within him relax.  This was real, this moment, and he was among friends.  It was enough to help the nightmares fade into something more manageable.<br/><br/>“It was a good workout.  I haven’t been doing that enough recently, hopefully I can get back into the habit while I’m here,” he said as they walked into the kitchen.  “That would be wonderful, you’re welcome.  I know it probably wasn’t as good as yours is going to be, but breakfast in couch is a treat anytime right?” he asked with amusement in his eyes.<br/><br/>“I’ll be back in a few, I’m going to take a quick shower,” he said as he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead before heading back into his room.<br/><br/>A few minutes later he was under the steaming water, his head bowed as he took slow, deep breaths to try and calm his nerves.  The hand on the small of her back, the kiss on her forehead… it was the first steps into a territory he wasn’t sure he could handle, but he’d given his word to try.  Try he would.<br/>