[ dissect him? miles is starting to get a real sense of just what brand of loneliness clark suffers from. he's not really sure he deserves that smile, but he's relieved that he hasn't fallen out of the friend category as of that last spat. miles will allow that he was being kind of a prick. he smiles too, briefly, but his eyes fall on clark's hands, fumbling with the buttons, and he wonders if clark's hands are stiff as miles' are when he wakes up sometimes.

miles lets out a strangled laugh at that passing remark, swallowing it back in an attempt to make it sound a little less choked than it was. sorry, clark, miles is just a little too barrayaran not to choke on that one, and he's been having a weird time lately. ]

Ha -- like shit, thanks. [ it's an honest answer. he gives clark a wan smile. he hesitates just a beat, and shrugs. ] Osteo-inflammatory attacks. A result of my, ah, condition. I get them every so often. I don't think the cold is helping.

[ it feels a little bit like over sharing, but it's a peace offering, kind of. something to make up the deficit of honesty. he's still watching clark attempt to dress himself, still looking quite disapproving of this course of action. ]