(no subject)

[gabriel_tam]

Privacy, such as it is, becomes a complicated matter for members of Parliament-- perhaps especially for Senator Gabriel Tam, given the circumstances that brought him to office and the more recent events, as well.

As a result, his staff is already well accustomed to dealing with the sorts of things that commonly affect those who exist in the spotlight of public opinion, including a standard media monitoring service.

Therefore, on the day that the mags hit the stands and 'feeds, there's less than an hour's delay before Mark Jiang pokes his head into Gabriel's office with the news-- and with a complete and annotated report in hand.

When Gabriel arrives back at the apartment, he has the report with him, and a rather amused expression on his face.

Comments

[regan_tam]

There's maybe more than a little catharsis in this helpless laughter, for both of them -- but it's sorely needed and entirely welcome.

"Gabriel," she manages finally, reining in her laughter through deliberate effort. It bubbles through anyway, and the gravity of her voice is only a thin skim on the top. "He'll be red for weeks."

[gabriel_tam]

"At the very least," he agrees. "I can just hear him trying to explain this to River, can't you?"

[regan_tam]

Regan snickers.

(And she can't entirely, nowadays, with River as she is -- but she can, too, because some things are the same as ever.)

And then casts a sidelong glance at Gabriel, with the laughter more successfully subdued.

"I wonder how Kaylee will take it."

It's light and amused, still. These articles are ridiculous (even if there's a small part of her that's smug on her son's behalf, too), and it's not as if Kaylee would have anything to worry about in any case.

But, all the same... Kaylee gets insecure without cause, sometimes.

[gabriel_tam]

"It's a good question." He's sobered slightly, considering.

"Hopefully she's assured enough of his caring that it wouldn't matter."

He quirks a smile at her. "They've come through worse-- besides, knowing that young woman, she'll likely have fun teasing him about it."

[regan_tam]

Regan ducks her head slightly, with a grin.

"I should hope so," she says cheerfully. "It's a wife's duty, after all."

[gabriel_tam]

He slants a glance at her, smiling.

"Really? Is that why?"

It's almost perfectly innocent.

[regan_tam]

"Mm," she replies, just as innocent. (Or, perhaps, just as unconvincingly so.)

"What, surely you aren't implying that I'd tease you just for the sake of it?"

[gabriel_tam]

"I'd never dream of it," he says.

Gabriel manages to keep a straight face, even, but the lines around his eyes crinkle with suppressed laughter.

[regan_tam]

"Good."

Serene, and satisfied.

At least on the surface. But it's a very thin veneer over the laughter that dances in her eyes.