Topic: Quiet Night

Johnny Smith

Date: 2007-12-04 23:07 EST
Johnny had been restless and his sleep had been light and uneasy. When he woke and the moonlight still poured through the window, he knew he would not fall back to sleep easily. As quietly as he was able he sat and swung his legs from the bed, easing out to leave Sianna sprawled asleep. He watched her for a few moments with a smile before he padded out of the bedroom and down the stairs toward the kitchen. He didn't often prepare tea for himself, but it seemed appealing tonight.

The sudden chill of his absence nudged at her, slipping down her back like a bead of cold rain down a windowpane. Flopping onto her back, one arm searched blindly for feel of him. Coming up empty, one eye opened slowly, adjusting to the silver glow of the room. "Johnny....?" Her voice sought him out.

He was already adding water to the kettle and setting it to heat, and her soft voice didn't carry down the stairs. Bare feet, bare chest, he sat at the kitchen table with a mug prepared and waiting for the water to boil. He ran one hand back through hair already rumpled from his restless sleep, and his emerald eyes turned in the direction of the Marketplace, as if he could see through all the obstacles and distance in the way to the house his mother and sisters occupied.

Sitting up to the side of the bed, she grabbed her worn woolen wrap and slipped downstairs. The cold wood floor made her toes tingle and she moved quickly, grateful for the interspersed area rugs strewn about. Pulling up shortly in the kitchen's archway, she watched him a moment, her mind's eye picturing him as a small lad, similarly tousled after sleep. "Can ye no' keep it from yer mind, mo chridhe?" Her voice was soft, gentle.

At her gentle voice he turned to look at her with a sad smile, unsurprised at her insight as to the reason behind his roaming. The tumble of her curls in the disarray of waking and the way she stood huddled in the wrap eased his smile to one more true, and he held out his hand to her, inviting her to him. "Nah, I can' seem ta. Don' understan' why people do things like tha' - an' I keep turnin' it over in m' head, askin' m'ma an' sisters ta consider movin' out ta th' farm fer a while, at least. 'Tain' safe tha' close ta th' square no more."

SiannaFraiser

Date: 2007-12-04 23:09 EST
She crossed to him happily, standing between his knees and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, torso pressed to her abdomen. A soft kiss to the crown of his head. "Do ye think they'd consider it if we went wi' them? Tae spend the Yule season in th' country?" Whether to soothe him or calm herself it could not be determined, but her nimble fingers kept smoothing and playing idly with the wavy locks at the nape of his neck.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning into her embrace as she leaned into his. "Mebbe. Tali an' Gabby at least should go if'n m'ma does, an' I bet Juli'd go without fussin' too much, but I don' know if'n m'ma will go, even if we wen' with. She gets stubborn abou' some things, ya know? An' she don' like bullies." He sighed, and whatever her intentions by toying with his hair, the motions were gradually relaxing him. He turned his face against her for a moment before he shifted and leaned back, pulling her down to sit on his lap.

All intentions aside, the sensation of his breath against her belly and now his body as her chaise intimate and tender, a reality that did not go by without her thanking all the saints she could for such unexpected blessings. "P'rhaps we should no' broach th' subject like ye wish tae send them into exile or hiding. I'm sure Juli could convince them if it was for th' celebration of a most joyous Smith family holiday, aye?" She smiled slowly and placed a kiss to his cheek. "Don't ye think that might appeal more tae yer mam?"

He chuckled quietly, the sound rumbling through his chest, and pressed his forehead against her neck for a moment before he tilted his head to kiss the corner of her mouth. "Migh', at tha'. Bu' 's pro'lly best if'n ya or Juli does th' suggestin'. I don' think I could keep her from guessin' wha' was behind th' idea. D'ya wan' some tea? I got plenty of water heatin'." One hand ran absently up and down her back as he held her cradled against him, and it was with a sudden and disturbing thought that he squeezed her hard for a moment before his embrace eased slightly.

"Tea sounds... " And her answer was cut off immediately due to the lack of air in her lungs. "... lovely." The last word was a whisper as she lightly began to massage his shoulders in an attempt to get him relax his embrace. It wasn't that she disliked being in his arms, but breathing was always such an added bonus.

Johnny Smith

Date: 2007-12-04 23:11 EST
At the strangled sound of her whisper and the light touch on his shoulders, he grinned sheepishly and relaxed his grip ? there were times he didn?t think of his own strength. ?Sorry. Ferget ya ain? one ?a m?sculptures, sometimes, ta jus? manhandle ya. If?n ya ease over fer a momen?, I?ll grab ya a mug too. Th? water should be abou? hot by now.?

She grinned in kind, a glint of mischief in her gaze. "Well ye ken I dinna mind it more often than no', m'iomhuinn. But would ye no' like tae take th' tea where 'tis a bit more comfortable?"

?On th? couch with a fire built up, ?r back up in bed? I jus? came down here ?cause I din? wan? ta wake ya. An? ya see how well tha? wen?.? He was preparing their mugs as he spoke, and he turned back to hand her one with a kiss for good measure. ?Sorry ta keep ya up, by th? way, m?love, bu? I?m glad fer th? company.?

Smacking her lips in the afterflow of the smooch, she winks coyly. "Mmmm, such choices ye present me with... how ever is a lass tae choose, aye?" She placed a hand on his shoulder and let it just slip down the slope of his back gently in a move oddly reminiscent of her childhood. "And ye dinna need tae apologize for anything. 'Tis me needing yer company that sent me looking for ye in th' first place."

The slide of her hand down his back was soothing, and he brushed a stray curl from her face with the back of his free hand. ?Well?n, since I ain? getting? back ta sleep anytime soon, I?m votin? fer th? couch an? th? fire. I?ll build it up if?n ya wan? ta grab a blanket down?? He straightened and offered her his hand, aiding her to her feet, then followed her out of the kitchen.

SiannaFraiser

Date: 2007-12-04 23:12 EST
"Aye, that sounds grand. And mayhaps I'll fetch some pillows in case we decide tae stay up and greet th' dawn. There's no' a reason tae no' be as comfy as possible." Taking the steps two at a time, and minding not to bash her head where it got short under the eaves, she made for the bedroom. In no time at all she had a neat pile of goodies: a soft quilt, two blankets, a pair of woolen socks for each of them and Johnny's sleep shirt. Carried like a stack of presents, she softly counted the steps as she descended, sight of them for the moment completely obliterated.

Johnny knelt in front of the fire, stoking the banked coals back to life, and twisted to look as the rustle of blankets and more filled the air. ?Ya weren? kiddin? abou? bein? prepared, were ya? I din? expect all tha?, m?own. Looks like we?re goin? ta be cozy.? After one last adjustment of the fire, he rolled back and to his feet, taking a long stride over to relieve her of some of the burden. ?Yer tea?s on th? table next ta mine, love.? That said as he aided her in setting up the pillows and blankets. Once that was accomplished, he donned on the thick socks, and then began to pull the sleep shirt over his head.

"And what sort of woman would I be if I did no' ken how tae make sure mine were warm and well, aye? Ye'll have tae add it tae th' list ye keep of why ye love me so..." Flashing the momentarily headless form of him a coy wink, she rested on the edge of a chair to tuck her toes into the slipper-style socks. Pausing for a moment to wiggle them once or twice, she then stood to fold back the blankets revealing a pocket just perfect for them to wile away the hours.

Johnny Smith

Date: 2007-12-04 23:14 EST
He peered at her through the neck of the shirt for a moment, then winked and pulled the shirt the rest of the way on. ?An? there?re already so many?a those tha? I can? keep?em all straigh?.? He settled into the blankets, then grinned impishly at her and leaned up to pull her down across him in a messy sprawl. ?An? if?n ya don? min? bein? manhandled a bit, I?m goin? ta take advantage, m?love.?

Stretching her length out along his, one arm snaked behind her to draw up the blankets, the mantle of warmth settling over them as the fire blazed cheerily. "Mmmm and tell me something I did no' already ken... and was no' looking forward tae, aye?" Her head bent towards his as they shared a lingering kiss before her smile grew too wide to maintain it a moment longer. Pausing to catch her breath, she grinned impishly. "I hope ye dinna mind me taking advantage of yer advantages."

?An? I?m takin? advantage of yer takin? advantage of? oh, nevermin?, tha?s too much thinkin?.? He grinned up at her with his arms still wrapped around her slender body, and one hand began to slide up and down her back slowly. ?Yer th? one with th? cleverness, an? I shouldn? try ta match wits with ya. I?ll settle fer matchin? lips ta ya.? And that said, he tilted his head up to claim her mouth for another long and lazy kiss.

Her chuckle reverberated in their mouths like the bubbles in a glass of champagne and the weight of his fingers at the small of her back made her squirm in reflex. And regardless of what self-effacing comments he made, they were perfectly suited to the other, their minds more often than not uncannily identical on nearly every subject. And as it could not get any better, it was as if they had each been formed of flesh to fit the other like a puzzle. Her mouth sought his with a growing hunger. After the hectic week, the moment was still and intimate, as if they were the only ones awake in the whole world.