One eye peeped open, but instead of greeting the sun, silvery drops poured down the window pane, a steel gray sky for a backdrop. Yawning slowly, Sianna rolled over and curled her body against Johnny's, burying her head deeper into the pillows.

Drifting in that half-aware period between sleep and waking, Johnny felt Sianna curl closer towards him. He responded by shifting the arm thrown up over his head down to wrap around her without actually coming fully aware. It was several more minutes before he opened his eyes in turn. At the sight of the rain rolling down the window, he yawned and then mumbled sleepily, ??S rainin?.?

"Shhhh, some of us already ken tha', aye?" Mumbling and murmuring against his shoulder, she snuggled down deeper into the crook of his arm as if to willing sleep to steal back over her. Completely unsuccessful, she placed a light trail of kisses over his collarbone. "But thanks for telling me, just th' same, leannan."

Sleepy laughter followed her teasing remark. ?Go? an idea.? Wakefulness was coming slowly, and he paused to yawn again before he continued. ?Le?s play hooky.? Her hair was trailing over his bare chest, tickling faintly as she kissed his collarbone. He smiled and bent his head while he tilted her chin up with his other hand. ?Preten? we ain? go? anythin? ta do an? spen? th? whole day here.?

At his suggestion, Sianna was instantly alert. "Oh aye, let's do jus' that. An' I'll stay here while ye post th' notices on th' doors and fetch us somethin' tae eat." She grinned so slowly, her face for a moment innocent as a school girl, before the glimmer of mirth in her gaze.

?Feelin? like bein? pampered a li?l bit, huh? I?ll do th? runnin? aroun? now on th? condition tha? later ya sing somethin? fer me, yeah?? He grinned back at her with emerald eyes gleaming even in the gray light of the rainy morning. She knew full well that he?d get up to set everything up just for her asking ? the request for a song was just a way to keep his illusion of free will.

"Oh and have ye ever met a lass that dinna like being pampered from time tae time?" She wrapped her arms around his torso, there being plenty of time to post the notices as it was still early. "And I'll gladly sing ye anything ye'd wish tae hear. Ye ken I canna deny ye anything, do ye no'?"

He rubbed her arm across his chest absently as he looked back out the window with a smile. ?Good thin? ain? neither of us likely ta ask somethin? th? other won? wan? ta do, since I can? say no ta ya, either. So if?n yer in th? mood fer bein? pampered t?day, wha? d?ya wan? fer breakfas?, then?? The splashing of raindrops against the glass was slightly hypnotic, and Johnny blinked and then turned his attention back to her.

Laughter was a warm sound in the room once again as he pulled her to nestle into the crook of his arm. He hadn?t missed the shiver at the stray drops of water. ?Sure ya think tha? bein? close ta me?ll warm ya up?? But apart from those stray drops of rain, he was indeed regaining his customary warmth. ?Pass me one?a th? rolls, m?love?? The faint growl of his stomach echoed the request.

"Aye, I'm verra sure. Ye seem tae be able tae affect my temperature on th' regular. No' tae mention that ye are a livin' breathin' furnace, leannan." She shifted slightly against him, her feet burrowing beneath the warmth of his calves. Reaching behind herself, a roll was snagged with ease and held to his lips.

Opening his mouth to answer that, he instead found the cinnamon roll presented there ? so he shrugged and took a large bite. It was almost enough to distract him entirely from the conversation, between the sweet cinnamon taste and the cold feet she was currently trying to warm beneath his legs. ?Ain? like I?m overheated ?r nothin? righ? now. So ya jus? wantin? ta hide under th? covers all day t?day, then? I started th? fire back up downstairs, bu? if?n yer wantin? ta stay up here I can bank it again.?

She took a bite of the roll while he was speaking, chewing slowly in contemplative thought. "Well, th' options are all verra tempting. And ye dinna have tae be overheating tae be a furnace, though I am verra aware of when ye get hot and bothered." A coy wink as she offered him another bite of the pastry. "But isn't th' whole point of playing hooky tae no' have tae decide or do anything?"

?Well?n? if?n tha?s th? meanin? of it, I din? have nearly so many days?a playin? hooky as I though?, growin? up. Bu? I can deal with no? doin? anythin?.? Johnny demonstrated, slumping limply back against the headboard as if even the effort of sitting up was too much to handle, much less eating another bite of pastry. The carefully bland expression he donned almost entirely hid the look of laughter in his eyes.

She giggled delightfully and started peppering his chest with kisses and nibbles. "Aye, and if that's th' way ye're going tae be, I can see tha' my day will be spent trying tae bring ye back tae life." Pausing momentarily to toss the half-eaten cinnamon roll back onto the tray before grinning coyly, watching his face twitch and contort in distinct effort to maintain the charade.

There were only so many of those teasing kisses and nibbles he could handle before the fa?ade of listlessness slipped away entirely. Abruptly he growled deep in his throat and turned the tide ? catching her shoulders, he swiftly rolled over so that she was on her back and he was looming above her. ?Don?t be so sure you want me back to life, m?gal.? His grin was wicked.

Pause. Interlude.

The quiet laughter didn?t stay so quiet at the ending to the song, and Johnny rocked back against the cushions as he pointed to Sianna. ?Tha?s horrible! No wonder ya don? wan? ta teach tha? ta th? kids!? After a moment he struggled back to sitting upright, occasional chuckles still bubbling out.

"Aye, I dinna teach them that one or th' one about th' twa lasses who check tae see what a sleeping Scot has on beneath his kilt. Would hate tae have tae explain th' use of bawdy songs in barding tae their parents, aye?" A giggling shake of her head as she rested her arms across the instrument. Dark brow arched as she watched him a moment. "Now tha' I've paid th' debt of th' song owed tae ye, what shall ye offer me in return, aye?"

With a shake of his head, he laughed again and then grinned across at her. ?Bribe ya with a chapter from wha?ever book ya wan? there ta hear tha? song abou? th? two lasses checkin? on th? kilt. Barrin? tha? ? I ain? go? a lot ta offer, ya know?? Emerald eyes were bright as he looked across at her, sitting there so naturally with her lute.

"Suprise me, leannan. Just pick something with a verra long chapter, aye?" She winked and sat the lute to the side before reclining back in the pillows, hands clasped behind her head. Lake blue eyes twinkled as she watched his brow furrow with thought.

?Long chapter, huh?? Johnny studied the books, opening one to flip through it before he exchanged it for another. ?Don? know abou? tha?? here?s a bi? of a story fer ya, then.? He had settled on a collection of folk tales of varying lengths. ?This?n?s called Th? Dragon, an? I?ll hope tha? it suits ya all righ?.?

?A lor?, his wife, an? his daughter live at a grea? castle. A poor boy?s engaged ta mind th? sheep. Th? daughter gives him bread an? beer in a basket fer lunch. Th? old lord explains tha? previous servan?s have always come back with one cow short. In th? field a little man comes ta Jack.? Johnny looked over at Sianna as she leaned back into the pillows and grinned before he turned back to the story telling.

"A little wee man like a sprite or a fairy, do ye suppose?" Her interest piqued as she settled in to listen to the tale.

?Yeah, thinkin? it mus? be somethin? like tha?, from th? way it goes.? Johnny answered cheerfully before he continued the story. ?Jack gives him as much as he can eat; an? th? little man gives Jack a plum. The little man explains tha? a giant in a neighboring castle steals a cow daily. He gives Jack a pennyworth of pins, and bids him pu? them in th? giant's drink. Jack goes ta th? giant, and asks fer work. The giant goes ta ge? drinks, an? Jack mixes up th? pins in th? giant's glass. Th? giant drinks, falls ill, an? dies. Jack tells th? little man how he?s fared, an? returns with th? full tale ?a cows.?

?Th? master is surprised. Presently his daughter comes in. She tells Jack tha? t?morrow she?s ta be killed by a dragon, an? would like him ta be there ta see. Jack refuses, but gives th? girl a plum, which she eats. Next morning she gives him his food, and off he goes. He shares it as before with th? little man, who bids him take a key, unlock a large door, an? take out a black horse and black clothes, with a sword he will find there.? Johnny?s eyebrow?s lifted as he read the story. ?Why d?ya think th? gal wan?ed th? cowherder ta go see her ge? eaten by a dragon??

"Perhaps she was verra fond of th' laddie for bringing her plums and all. Lasses have liked many a lad for far less, aye?" She chuckled and winked.

At the impromptu expansion of the story, Johnny settled back to listen ? only to be disappointed when she trailed off. The disappointment was likely evident on his face, and he turned it to a hopeful look. ?So wha? yer sayin?s tha? yer goin? ta think abou? tha? story an? turn it inta somethin? grand ta tell again later with all th? flourishes? Can? wait ta hear yer version. Meantimes ? wha?s yer pleasure fer th? momen??? He did turn to grab down a glass of water and take a sip after that long stint of tale-telling.

"Aye, perhaps. Haven't seriously told a tale in quite a long time. Think th' last was in th' Inn for Harold, not counting th' ones I tell ye while ye sleep." She held out her hand for the glass, eager for a sip as well, a smile playing on her lips. "And have I said that my pleasure for the moment was no' being met?"

Blonde eyebrows lifted sky-high at the reference to stories told while he was asleep, but he passed over the water willingly enough. ?Wha? stories ya tell me while I?m sleepin?? An? nah, ya din? say anythin? abou? no? bein? satisfied, bu? I ain? goin? ta be tellin? another story like tha? withou? a bit?a a break.?

A swallow of water was gratefully taken before she handed the glass back to him. "It's something my Gran taught me, aye? When caring for wee bairns that had the colic or whooping cough, or mayhaps were having bad dreams and could no' sleep." She turned on her side, head resting against the palm of her hand, elbow resting against a pillow. "She used tae say that if ye told them stories whilst they slept, ye could do them a grand benefit. Even without speaking th' words aloud."

?Huh. Glad ta know yer watchin? ou? fer me while I?m sleepin?, then. I been havin? bad dreams ?r somethin? tha? ya been worryin? abou? it?? Another long swallow drained the glass of water, and Johnny set down the glass on the table. Then he settled back into a lean, propping himself up with both elbows as he looked over at Sianna curiously. A slight smile turned up one corner of his mouth as he watched her consider the question with a sober look on her face.

"Well, there are times when ye flip and flop back more than ye usually do, but I dinna think ye've been having any strange dreams that I can ken verra easily." Her eyes wandered over his form, noting how the fire's glow cast him in a golden haze. "Mayhaps I tell th' tales whilst I canna sleep tae make sure that ye are no' disturbed by my restlessness, aye?" A tender smile broke the veil of solemnity that had momentarily clouded it.

The same glow that lit him turned up highlights in her hair, and the warmth of her smile lit her lake-blue eyes to radiance. He loved watching her at moments like this, especially when it seemed they had come too infrequently lately, between the business of the shop and arrangements for the wedding. This rainy day was a gift ? he shifted his weight slightly so that he could reach over with one hand to tug her gently closer. ?Hope ya don? have too many nigh?s like tha?, where yer restless an? I ain? even noticin? it. Ya keep me company often enough when I?m wakeful tha? I?d jus? as soon return th? favor.?

She rolled easily at the invitation, coming to rest just inches from him, his arm resting comfortably across her waist, his hand splayed in the small of her back. "No' enough tae complain about, aye? Ye work too hard and have too much on that plate of yours for me tae justify keeping ye up ev'ry now and again." Leaning forward, she placed a contented kiss on his lips before pulling back. "Besides, ye can just consider it a wee favor ye owe me that I can call due at any time."

?Well?n, if?n tha?s th? way yer puttin? it, don? think I have much choice at all.? He smiled and returned the gentle kiss before he leaned back again ? fully, this time, resting his head back on his forearm while his other arm remained draped loosely around her. ?Figger tha?ll come due when we ge? aroun? ta havin? kids, yeah? When th? baby?s cryin? in th? early hours an? ya don? wan? ta get up again.? It was just an assumption, really, that eventually they would have children ? one that came so naturally to him that it didn?t occur to him they?d never discussed the matter before.

His smile became more open and the faint creases soothed away under her touch and at her true smile. ?Edible don? always mean it?ll taste good, though. Ya remember wha? ? two weeks ago when I was tryin? th? chops? Weren? poisonin? nobody with tha?, bu? it ain? somethin? I imagine ya wan? ta be tryin? ta choke down again.? He grinned then at the memory, and then poked the tip of her nose lightly. ?So wha? abou? tha? song abou? th? two gals lookin? up th? Scotsman?s kilt? Need somethin? ta poke fun at yer bro abou? ? he?s too serious, I?m thinkin?.?

Her nose wiggled in response to the poke and she grinned, lightly biting her lower lip. "Aye, I'll sing it for ye, if ye promise no' tae tell Hudson where ye heard it from. Nae way tae tell how he might take me singing about such matters, regardless of how soon I am tae be wed."

Johnny had to laugh at that. ?Always be yer bro?s li?l sister, righ?? Tha?s somethin? I can understan?. Well?n, I?ll leave th? source vague ? bu? I bet ya he?s brigh? enough ta figger it ou? anyway ? ain? tha? many musician?s I?m knowin?. Bu? he won? hear from me tha? ya were th? one fer sure.?

"A wise and bonny lad ye are, Johnny Smith. Canny too." Settling back into the curve of his arms, she began to sing the bawdy tune.

"Oh a Scotsman tried and true left the bar one evening fair and one could tell by how he walked he'd had more than his share. He stumbled round 'til he could no longer keep his feet then he stumbled off unto the grass to sleep beside a stream. Ring-ding diddle diddle aye-dee-oh ring di-diddle-aye-oh, oh he stumbled off unto the grass to sleep beside a stream."

She could feel the chuckle welling up within him and struggled to maintain her composure as the second verse whirled around.

"Well about that time two young and lovely ladies happened by and one said to the other, with a twinkle in her eye 'Oh see yon sleepy Scotsman, so strong and handsome built? Well I wonder if it's true what they don't wear beneath their kilts.' Ring-ding diddle diddle aye-dee-oh ring di-diddlee-aye-oh, 'oh I wonder if it's true what they don't wear beneath their kilts.'"

A chuckle in very deed, one that he was able to keep almost entirely silent for the moment. He didn?t have the feeling that would last much longer, however.

"Well they snuck up to that sleeping Scotsman, quiet as could be and they lifted up his kilt a little bit so they might see. And there for them to behold, beneath that Scottish skirt, was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth. Ring-ding diddle diddle aye-dee-oh ring di-diddlee-aye-oh, was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth."

?Well they marveled for a moment, then one said, 'We must be gone.' 'Well let's leave a present for our friend before we move along.' As a gift, they left a blue silk ribbon tied into a bow around the bonnie sword the Scotsman's kilt beneath did show. Ring-ding diddle diddle aye-dee-oh ring di-diddlee-aye-oh, around the bonnie sword the Scotsman's kilt beneath did show."

His chuckle turned to a snicker at the mischief of the two girls in the song. She was gasping for air at this point, on the verge of collapsing into a fit of giggles as she barely managed to croak out the last verse before losing it entirely.

"Well the Scotsman a little later, he awoke to nature's call and as he lifted up his kilt, what he got and what he saw, and in a strangled voice, he said, 'I can't believe me eyes! I don't know where ye been, me lad, but I see ye took first prize!' Ring-ding diddle diddle aye-dee-oh ring di-diddlee-aye-oh, 'I don't know where ye been, me lad, but I see ye took first prize!'"

Johnny lost control entirely, Sianna?s laughter only adding to his own mirth. He couldn?t restrain himself, and he couldn?t stop laughing. Each time his laughter started to die down, Sianna?s giggles only triggered a new fit, until they were both gasping for air and trying desperately not to look at each other. Each glance just started a new round of laughter going.

The pillow nabbed her in the shoulder mid-duck. Grabbing it back up, she had it just in time to deflect another volley of pillows, swatting them back at Johnny. "Oh? And what are th' consequences ye threaten me wi', aye?" She giggled and balanced her weight on the balls of her feet, ready to dart off in the opposite direction of any possible move.

?Tha?s a good question, an? I?ll jus? hav?ta figger ou? th? answer when I catch ya, yeah?? He was shifting his weight from side to side and watching her move in the opposite direction. Then, as she seemed ready to react to a movement to either side ? he took the logical approach. Logical for the tall silversmith, anyway. He went over the top of the sofa, legs long enough to propel him through the move smoothly.

"If ye -- AIGH!" She had been smirking so confidently before the man came lunging over the furniture. Rapid steps back had her bumping into the wall before she ducked down and attempted to crawl between his legs.

Laughter rang out as she yelled with surprise, and he was just distracted enough that she managed the crawl between his legs before he could grab her. He whirled as she scrambled back up and scooped up pillows from the floor on her way. Sending them hurling at his chest as a distraction, she then sprinted toward the front stairs, giggling madly. ?If?n I wha?? Wha? were ya sayin??? He called it out as he pelted after her.

"IF ye win. Nothing's been clearly decided, aye?" Taking the steps upstairs two at a time, she pulled several doors shut with loud bangs in an effort to derail his pursuit. A quick glance over her shoulder and then she was off, sliding down the banister of the steps that led to the kitchen.

He was slowed by the banging doors, but not terribly much ? but it was on a sudden impulse that he whirled and ran as quietly as he could back to the front stairs. Silence filled the house as he went down the front banister in turn and then crept back through the first floor to try and come at her from behind.

The recently emptied linen closet, with its door slightly ajar had beckoned to her. Slipping inside, she had pushed the sliding shutter door closed, the gaps in the louvers providing just enough space for her to see him as he lurked by. Clasping a hand over her mouth to muffle her breathing, she waited for him to turn around so that she could make her next move.

He didn?t exactly turn around ? he moved further on, into the doorway of the kitchen with the hallway behind him ? and frowned as she seemed no longer to be there. After a moment he looked at the kitchen stairs and then took another step or two into the kitchen itself. ?Come ou?, come ou?, where-ever ya are?.? The words were sing-songed quietly as he tried to figure out where she had gone.

It took all she had not to chuckle right out loud and she bit her lower lip fiercely, willing herself to keep quiet. She took a deep breath and then another to calm her nerves. Seeing the wide expanse of his back, she slid the door wide before running at him in a full tilt. Perfectly poised to jump on his back as long as he doesn't turn around a moment too soon.

Reaction time just not quite fast enough with the short distance she had to cover, Johnny yelped and staggered a few steps as all of a sudden Sianna landed on his back. ?Hey! Tha? wasn? wha? I mean? by comin? ou?!? He was reaching back to try and grab at her while she wrapped her legs around his waist and one arm around his shoulders ? and then she began to tickle him again!

Her mouth hovered by his ear, her breath warm as she giggled. "Oh it was no' what ye meant? What had ye expected, Jo?" Merciless fingers sought out tender spots, pinching and tickling, all while trying to hold on for dear life to the squirming form of a man.

?Wasn? ? expectin? ? ya ta come ou? ? like a bloody monkey!? He was gasping out the words between laughter triggered by the tickling and trying to dislodge her from her perch without hurting her. He managed to stagger back down the hallway toward the living room, aiming for the couch near where they had started. The pile of pillows and quilts that had been set up in front of the sofa was now in complete disarray, with most of the pillows actually scattered around the room.

"Ohh, and ye've had loads of experiences with these bloody monkeys tae recognize me acting like one, aye?" Giggling wildly as he dislodged her hold on him and deposited her onto the couch with a bounce.

His turn to straddle her ? knees on the cushions on either side of her legs as he made another grab for her wrists. ?Well?n, I never did ge? aroun? ta tellin? ya everythin? abou? workin? on those liners an? all, yeah? Ya wouldn? b?lieve th? pets some?a those old ladies think?re jus? th? mos? adorable thin?s ta have aroun?.? He was grinning as he answered, laughter bubbling forth as she evaded the reach for her wrists and he persisted.

Her eyes widened considerably as she was pinned like a butterfly, entirely at his mercy. "Oh? And just what did ye do when one of th' pets got too saucy and stepped out of line, aye?" Her laughter was tinged with nervousness as he loomed over her.

?Had ta pu? th? li?l beas?s in their place, righ??? He grinned at her as she looked up at him with her big blue eyes wide. No more warning than that and he bent to catch her barely parted lips for a sound, firm kiss. With the grip he had on her wrists, he lifted her arms up behind her head while he continued the kiss ? with the distinct intention of leaving her breathless.

She had been about to answer before his mouth so expertly claimed hers, and now all she could do was moan and mumble into the kiss. Squirming accomplished nothing, as he had her secured deep in the sofa's cushions. With her arms lifted, her back arched instinctively, her lungs burning at their decreased air capacity. When Johnny finally pulled back from the kiss, she panted for air. "Well consider -- me tae be placed -- aye?" She truly thought that would be the extent of it.

Johnny gave every appearance of thinking that over as he watched her pant for air with a smile. Finally he drawled out his answer. ?Mmm? nah, I don? think so.? From this position it was easy for him to move from a kiss to her mouth to a trail of them along her jaw and back to her ear. There he caught her earlobe gently between his teeth for a moment before he whispered to her, ?Thinkin? yer still needin? ta learn a bi? of wha?-for.?

The low rumble of his voice and the pressure to her earlobe made her suck air in through her teeth. "Really? And are ye going tae be sure and teach me a lesson for a wee bit of harmless teasing?" Every nerve and fiber was suddenly at attention, her voice dipping in low, sultry tones. "Or mayhaps I need tae learn a lesson about inciting ye tae teach me a lesson..." Her eyes darkened to the color of lake water before a storm and her pulse quickened as she squirmed beneath him once more.

Low laughter filled the room as he leaned forward to catch her mouth and still the flow of words. Behind them the fire crackled and burned in merry oblivion to the heat in front of it.

Pause. Interlude.

?Yeah, think I can handle tha?.? He gave the soup a last stir before he shut off the burner. The tray he had used for their breakfast was still resting on the table where he had left it earlier. Adding a pair of stoneware mugs onto the tray, he carefully transferred soup into both. Smallish plates, just large enough to hold the sandwiches went on next before he looked for spoons. ?Ya wan? a fork or knife ?r anythin? fer yer sandwich, m?gal??

"Nae, just be sure tae place plenty o' napkins because it may get a wee bit messy." The sandwiches flipped with another low sizzle before Sianna took the empty soup pot to press them into the skillet and compress them somewhat. Leaving the weight of the pot in place a moment, ketchup and mustard were mixed to create a condiment sauce for the sandwiches. "It will just be a wee moment more. Would ye like cider or a Silver Mark tae drink?"

Well, there was a question that merited some consideration. Johnny looked at the steaming mugs of vegetable beef soup and then over at the sandwiches. ?Thinkin? t?nigh?s a cider nigh? fer me. Wha? abou? ya?? He headed over to the icebox as he asked the question, pulling out the pitcher of cider. A look back over his shoulder showed him Sianna moving easily around the kitchen, humming something to herself as she did. He grinned. There was always some music around his bardess.

"Sounds grand." Lifting off the soup pot, she was rewarded with the sight of golden grilled patty melts, cheese just beginning to ooze around the sides. An effortless flick of the spatula, and they were plate bound and sliced in halves, twice as much on his plate as on hers. The smile on her face indicated that if he had to have such a ravenous metabolism due to the mods, she was more than happy to oblige it with vittles from her hands. A final glance was given to the trays before she smiled and turned towards the counter, a side drawer opened and a box of chocolate chip cookies retrieved from their hiding place. She had intended them as treats for her students and had squirreled them away so as not to be left without. There was no sense in denying him now.

Back with two glasses of cider to add to the tray, he grinned broadly as he saw the cookies added to the plates. ?Ya know yer goin? ta hav?ta fin? a new hidin? place for th? cookies, now.? Bending, he gave a kiss to the side of her neck and then picked up the laden tray easily. ?Lead th? way, m?love.? He did rather enjoy walking behind her, after all.

"An' who says I dinna have sweeties hidden all 'bout th' house wi'out yer knowledge, aye?" Feeling the weight of his gaze on her as she traveled the hallway, her hips did an extra wiggle or two. Chuckling at the resulting wolf-whistle, she made room on the coffee table for Johnny to deposit the tray. While he managed that task, Sianna bent to re-fluff and reassemble their impromptu "nest" on the floor before the fire.

?If?n ya do, then I ain? go? no hope a? all. Hidin? away food an? treats an? all?? Johnny shook his head sadly and then flopped onto the reconstructed nest of pillows. Swinging around so his legs were stretched out beneath the coffee table, he leaned back on his hands as he waited for her to take a seat. ?No? tha? I?m goin? ta argue much when it means we go? somethin? fer dessert t?nigh?.?

She flashed him a broad grin and was rewarded when she received one in kind. "I would ha?e thought that would appease ye. If I'd no' hidden them, ye'd have had them gone in a blink of my eye." Wanting to sit next to him, yet still see his face, she dropped to the floor, her legs extended towards the fire, her back lightly resting against the coffee table. A hand lightly patted his knee. "But dinna fear, I'll no' let ye go without for nae reason, aye?" She leaned forward before he dug into his food and stole a kiss, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "I'd hate tae think of ye pining awa' for things that are within yer easy reach, aye?"

Baritone rumble of laughter interrupted his kiss in return to hers. ?I?m a lucky man tha? yer so considerate ?a my well-bein?, yeah?? One hand lowered to rest on her thigh while he picked up the first of his sandwiches with the other. A hearty bite was followed by indeterminate pleased sounds at the taste. When he finally swallowed, he grinned at her. ?This?s perfect.?

A bite of her own sandwich was taken. "Seems rather fitting considering th' day we've had, aye?" The couple shared a smile and then returned to the meal, it being the final calm before each got swept up in the hurricane of last minute wedding details.