02. Alarm Calls - Alerting our Attention - Septych - Fiction[NET]
Tahla hardly ever woke up calmly. Salvator had the gift for always waking just minutes before an alarm was due to go off and yet Tahla didn’t wake until incessant beeping began, and then she always woke with a jolt, usually swearing as well, sometimes managing to hit him in the side as she woke suddenly and flung out an arm to hit the alarm off again. She always felt she had to be the one to turn it off, even when Salvator was closest to it. They didn’t have a set side to the bed which probably confused things somewhat but either way Salvator decided that something finally had to be done about it.
So the night before he had waited until he was sure she was asleep, then he subtly pulled the plug from the wall.
“Morning dear.” He murmured quietly the next morning as Tahla stirred beside him. They were both already half an hour late but he had taken the precaution of ringing her work during her lunch hour to inform them she would be late the next day.
She mumbled something back in reply and stretched, her arm sneaking out over his bare chest before she snuggled in closer against his side and then drifted back off into sleep. He smiled to himself and shut his eyes once more. She needed this. He did as well, but she needed it more. That weekend would be opening night on a new show she was playing a lead role in and her stress levels had reached heights he hadn’t even thought possible. Her work was thankful as well, they didn’t need her burning out just when she was needed to be fit and healthy for the next six weeks and had encouraged him in making her take the morning off, even if she didn’t know it yet.
It wasn’t until almost ten in the morning before she finally woke up. Salvator had dozed for the past hour, making sure to hug her to his chest so her arms were trapped and she didn’t have any choice but to wake up slowly for once.
“Mmm...feels like it’s really late...” were her first words.
“It’s almost ten.” He replied calmly, and instantly tightened his arms around her as she predictably flailed.
“SALVATOR!” she tried to pull away from his arms, only making him hold on tighter.
“Your work knows! I told them yesterday!” he said firmly, trapping her legs now tightly against the bed. In any other time this could almost be kinky...if she wasn’t trying to kick or punch him away and escape.
“You did what!?” she snapped, and he frowned. He didn’t like it when she turned that tone on him.
“Calm down.” He said firmly in her ear. “Tahla, relax.”
She stilled obediently, but turned to face him.
“What did you do?” she asked, trying to sound calm.
“You’ve been getting more and more stressed.” He replied slowly. “...So I rang your work and said you would be a little late tomorrow to wor-”
“A little late!?” Tahla immediately cut in. “IT’S ALMOST TEN!”
“See, this is what I mean.” He replied quietly. “...You’ve been biting my head off every day for the smallest thing.”
She remained quiet at that, and he continued what he had been about to say before she cut in.
“They replied with something along the lines of how they had noticed that you had been getting more and more stressed at work and they didn’t want to see you peak or get sick before opening night. You have to be on stage twice a day for the next six weeks soon Tah’, you need to look after yourself a lot better.” He paused again to let her speak, but she didn’t. She was looking directly at his chest yet at the same time her eyes looked distanced.
He continued. “You know this script back to front. I could understand your panic when you’re not confident with your lines in previous plays...but this one you’ve grasped Tah’, you don’t need to stress over it, you need to enjoy it.”
“I am enjoying it...” she finally spoke up.
“Mmm well, while I love you...I don’t love being snapped at.” He hugged her gently so she would know it hadn’t really bothered him that much, and was surprised when her arms snaked around him and she hugged him tightly in return. Usually she just leant against him and murmured that she was sorry. He hugged her tighter in return and held her there, one hand reaching up to stroke her hair.
“Your work said to come in at 11 at the earliest, and that if you do to being in fish and chips for everyone.” He smiled into her hair. “Tah’?”
“I’m sorry.” She looked up at him after pulling away. “...You know...those alarm calls aren’t really the best way to wake up anyway...”
“Mmm, never liked them myself.” Salvator agreed, his hand finding one of the ribbons on her nightie which he then began to fiddle with, making her swat at him. “I can wake up just fine without an alarm, and I can always wake you up as well. Whether it gets me pushed out of bed or not.” He teased. The first time they had slept together (in the same bed rather in the sense of sex) she had pushed him out of his own bed in the middle of the night without even waking up.
“Cheeky boy.” She pushed at him teasingly and then stretched out again with a yawn and a happy smile as he moved closer and rested a warm hand on her back.
“De-stress yourself, okay hon?” he leant forward to kiss her forehead and instead she moved so he’d kiss her lips instead, a kiss she returned readily.
“Yes, sir.” She replied cheekily. “Now c’mon, you have to help me get ready then. I think a shower is in order.” She winked at him as she jumped out of bed, stripped off her nightie so she was only dressed in her panties and then padded off down the carpeted hall to the bathroom.
Salvator rolled his eyes and sighed as if it was a huge chore. “Coming, dear...” he mock groaned, and then jumped up to join her.
<--- 01. Phone Rings || 03. Doorbell Chimes --->
So the night before he had waited until he was sure she was asleep, then he subtly pulled the plug from the wall.
“Morning dear.” He murmured quietly the next morning as Tahla stirred beside him. They were both already half an hour late but he had taken the precaution of ringing her work during her lunch hour to inform them she would be late the next day.
She mumbled something back in reply and stretched, her arm sneaking out over his bare chest before she snuggled in closer against his side and then drifted back off into sleep. He smiled to himself and shut his eyes once more. She needed this. He did as well, but she needed it more. That weekend would be opening night on a new show she was playing a lead role in and her stress levels had reached heights he hadn’t even thought possible. Her work was thankful as well, they didn’t need her burning out just when she was needed to be fit and healthy for the next six weeks and had encouraged him in making her take the morning off, even if she didn’t know it yet.
It wasn’t until almost ten in the morning before she finally woke up. Salvator had dozed for the past hour, making sure to hug her to his chest so her arms were trapped and she didn’t have any choice but to wake up slowly for once.
“Mmm...feels like it’s really late...” were her first words.
“It’s almost ten.” He replied calmly, and instantly tightened his arms around her as she predictably flailed.
“SALVATOR!” she tried to pull away from his arms, only making him hold on tighter.
“Your work knows! I told them yesterday!” he said firmly, trapping her legs now tightly against the bed. In any other time this could almost be kinky...if she wasn’t trying to kick or punch him away and escape.
“You did what!?” she snapped, and he frowned. He didn’t like it when she turned that tone on him.
“Calm down.” He said firmly in her ear. “Tahla, relax.”
She stilled obediently, but turned to face him.
“What did you do?” she asked, trying to sound calm.
“You’ve been getting more and more stressed.” He replied slowly. “...So I rang your work and said you would be a little late tomorrow to wor-”
“A little late!?” Tahla immediately cut in. “IT’S ALMOST TEN!”
“See, this is what I mean.” He replied quietly. “...You’ve been biting my head off every day for the smallest thing.”
She remained quiet at that, and he continued what he had been about to say before she cut in.
“They replied with something along the lines of how they had noticed that you had been getting more and more stressed at work and they didn’t want to see you peak or get sick before opening night. You have to be on stage twice a day for the next six weeks soon Tah’, you need to look after yourself a lot better.” He paused again to let her speak, but she didn’t. She was looking directly at his chest yet at the same time her eyes looked distanced.
He continued. “You know this script back to front. I could understand your panic when you’re not confident with your lines in previous plays...but this one you’ve grasped Tah’, you don’t need to stress over it, you need to enjoy it.”
“I am enjoying it...” she finally spoke up.
“Mmm well, while I love you...I don’t love being snapped at.” He hugged her gently so she would know it hadn’t really bothered him that much, and was surprised when her arms snaked around him and she hugged him tightly in return. Usually she just leant against him and murmured that she was sorry. He hugged her tighter in return and held her there, one hand reaching up to stroke her hair.
“Your work said to come in at 11 at the earliest, and that if you do to being in fish and chips for everyone.” He smiled into her hair. “Tah’?”
“I’m sorry.” She looked up at him after pulling away. “...You know...those alarm calls aren’t really the best way to wake up anyway...”
“Mmm, never liked them myself.” Salvator agreed, his hand finding one of the ribbons on her nightie which he then began to fiddle with, making her swat at him. “I can wake up just fine without an alarm, and I can always wake you up as well. Whether it gets me pushed out of bed or not.” He teased. The first time they had slept together (in the same bed rather in the sense of sex) she had pushed him out of his own bed in the middle of the night without even waking up.
“Cheeky boy.” She pushed at him teasingly and then stretched out again with a yawn and a happy smile as he moved closer and rested a warm hand on her back.
“De-stress yourself, okay hon?” he leant forward to kiss her forehead and instead she moved so he’d kiss her lips instead, a kiss she returned readily.
“Yes, sir.” She replied cheekily. “Now c’mon, you have to help me get ready then. I think a shower is in order.” She winked at him as she jumped out of bed, stripped off her nightie so she was only dressed in her panties and then padded off down the carpeted hall to the bathroom.
Salvator rolled his eyes and sighed as if it was a huge chore. “Coming, dear...” he mock groaned, and then jumped up to join her.
<--- 01. Phone Rings || 03. Doorbell Chimes --->