[PQ] with our backs against the wall

"It's a welcome change from the digging," Jigano acknowledged Deimos's request with a wry grin, glad for the excuse to put his shovel down and help hold the beams in place. He wasn't fond of being in the tunnel in his human form, though he knew at least two of his other forms would be soothed by the close, earthy darkness of it. Still, it was for a good cause, and he worked with a will. He might not have been much of a carpenter, but he could at least hold the beams that Rory prepared steady while Remi secured them with a gentler touch than the hammer had done.

It was a different kind of monotony from the digging, at least, but they could afford to work slowly and steadily, not pushing themselves to feverish haste and the mistakes that could come with it. One by one the supporting arches slipped into place, and the tunnel grew ever longer beneath the earth until he realized that they were starting to go up at long last. That seemed like a good time to rest up for the final push, and he flashed Rory a grateful smile as he emerged from the tunnel to the savory smells and sight of the laden table. Washing his hands thoroughly in a spare bucket of water first, he collapsed into a chair theatrically and nursed a mug of water. "You're as wise as you are handsome," he declared, toasting his boyfriend with a grateful grin as he reached for a scone.