Free Time chapter 4
Author: Chhhachie
Title: Free Time
Pairing: Mark/Sabrina
Part: 4/???
Summary: Bad news on a rainy day. But as always, the sun always comes out in Mark and Sabrina Land! (Along with some necessary awkwardness of course) : )
Comments: This was fun to write. I'm trying to focus on tiny tidbits of their relationship that come straight out of my imagination...and this time I think i captured irritation and awkwardness to perfection! But of course, I couldn't let go of sarcasm, and cutesy moments. They're too much a part of me i think : )
Disclaimer: Don't own the people. Only the ideas.
He heard her before he saw her. The back door in his tiny apartment had that incessant creaking that he couldn’t seem to get rid of, and it gave her away. He stopped strumming the strings of his guitar to listen with a critical ear. It had been raining all morning, a torrential down pour waking him up earlier than usual, although his mother had continued to sleep like a rock. The water had seeped under that creaky door, and the clean up had been enough to give him a headache, as it had soaked into the rug lying in front of the door, and created multiple puddles on the linoleum. He winced as he heard a loud thud and then a choice word being uttered.
It was only then he remembered he hadn’t put the rug back in front of the door.
“Good God Mark...” he heard her mutter as she grasped his cabinets to pull herself up, her shoes squeaking on the wet floor. He winced again as her head peered around the corner into the front room he was seated in, an angered expression on her face. “Do you always have random puddles on your kitchen floor?”
He stared at her, contemplating how to answer. “No, I put them there especially for you.”
Judging by the fiery look in her eyes, sarcasm hadn’t been the right route.
He grinned at her, willing the tough exterior she often put up to melt away. She didn’t budge, her eyebrows knitting together. It was only then that he noticed a slight shiver run through her body. He gazed at her concernedly, “Are you okay?”
She glared at him as she took a step around the corner, exposing the rest of her body to him. Her leopard print heels were soaked, as were her tight jeans, the water soaking into the fabric all the way up to the belt loops. Her sweater was covered in tiny droplets, and her hair was matted to her head. “What do you think?”
He stared at her, confusion evident on his face. “Didn’t you realize it was pouring before you left the house?”
She let out a frustrated squeak. “I’m soaked because I fell on your stupid floor!”
He looked down at her footwear, before raising his eyebrows. “Maybe you shouldn’t be wearing those dangerous shoes.”
She rolled her eyes before turning around and stalking upstairs. He shook his head, smiling to himself. He loved it when he was right and she was wrong.
It rarely happened.
Heaving a deep sigh, he set down his guitar and stood up to inspect the damage she had done to his kitchen. He almost yelled out in shock when he saw about half an inch of water covering the entire floor. He did yell out when he got his power of speech back, except this time, his yell was pointed at someone directly.
“SABRINA!”
“Jesus Mark! Your mom is sleeping!” she yelled just as loud as he had as she ran down the stairs.
“Not anymore...” he heard his mom mumble from the guest room.
He stared at her dumbfounded, his focus on his flooded kitchen almost getting distracted by the vision of her wearing his clothes, looking adorably small in his oversized hooded sweatshirt and sweat pants. He shook his head to get back to the matter at hand, and then motioned toward his floor. “What happened?”
Sabrina stood, a hand on her hip, her face not looking amused. “Your kitchen is flooded. Duh.”
He pursed his lips and closed his eyes briefly. He wasn’t sure if he could handle the sassy Sabrina Bryan this morning. “Was it like this when you came in?”
She looked up toward the ceiling, pondering the question. “No. The floor wasn’t completely covered.”
He whispered a curse word under his breath as he stared around the room, finally eyeing where the water was coming in. “I got up this morning and there was a big puddle from water leaking in from the door...”
Sabrina rolled his pants up and stepped across the kitchen to go towards the door. She bent down to examine it, looking up nodding. “It’s still leaking.”
He ran his hands through his hair, frustration evident in his face. “What am I supposed to do?”
Her irritation at falling earlier disappeared as she gazed at his worried expression. She sloshed through the kitchen, stopping right at the edge of the next room, raising up to her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips. His face remained concerned, and she frowned. “Come on. We can fix this.”
He looked at her, doubtful. “How?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I bet my dad would know what to do.”
He laughed in spite of himself, as he leaned down to kiss her, this time softer.
~~~~~~~
Two hours, thirty towels, and three soaked pairs of pants later, the kitchen was water-free and the floor was no more damaged than it had been to begin with. Mark leaned up against the counter, looking at the clock, realizing it was barely past noon. He felt like he had been up for hours. Sabrina’s dad was finishing up the last repair on the door, and Sabrina was curled up on the couch with his mom, going through more picture albums.
“I really appreciate you doing this.” he stated sincerely at Sabrina’s father’s back as he crouched over by the door frame.
“Oh, it was no problem, son. Next time you notice some water leaking though, give me a call sooner...this was quite an ordeal.” he replied jovially.
Mark shook his head, laughing quietly. “It was Sabrina’s idea to call you, not mine. My pride wasn’t quite up to speed this morning.”
Sabrina’s father let out a loud burst of laughter. “I have years of experience in the home-owning world...believe me, I have fixed just about everything that can break in a house, apartment, condo, car...whatever, you name it, I’ve done it! Never be ashamed to give me a call.”
Mark scratched his head, grinning. “I won’t be sir.”
“Don’t call me sir, Mark. It makes me feel old.”
Mark opened his mouth to respond, but fumbled for the words, embarrassment filling his vocal chords. He was saved by Sabrina chiming in from the living room. “You ARE old Dad.”
Her father straightened up and put his tools back in his tool box, a look of exasperation clear on his face. “Is she this obnoxious around you?” He asked, jabbing with his thumb towards the couch.
Mark tried to hide his laughter as he answered with a straight face, “Always.”
He almost missed the look of admiration on her father’s face as he was distracted by Sabrina’s yell of indignation and quick movement from the couch onto his back, demanding an impromptu piggy back ride.
He almost missed it.
~~~~~~~~~~~
As his mom waved goodbye to Sabrina’s dad out the window, he collapsed exhausted into the couch, picking up Sabrina’s legs and placing them in his lap. She was still pouring through the multiple photo albums, her eyes bright with excitement.
“Your father is such a lovely man...” his mom smiled as she turned away from the window. “So generous of him to come and help us.”
Mark smirked. “Sabrina probably forced him to.”
He grabbed her legs tightly to prevent her from kicking him, and grinned naughtily at her as she struggled against the restraint. She stuck her tongue out at him before turning her attention to Shirley.
“I didn’t force him to. Believe it or not, he actually likes Mark.”
His mother smiled as she sat down in the arm chair next to the television. “That’s always good.”
He stared at his mom suspiciously. “What’s always good?”
“For your future father-in-law to like you.” she answered lightly.
He felt all the blood stop flowing to his brain, and all he could do was sputter for air. He glanced sideways at Sabrina, who’s face was just as surprised, but her eyes twinkled with something he was unsure of. He turned his attention back to his mom, shooting her a silent glare.
“What?” she asked innocently, “I was just making an observation.”
And with that she disappeared upstairs, leaving Mark and all his awkwardness to fend for himself. He stared at the carpet, feeling a blush creep over his cheeks. Sabrina’s legs squirmed in his lap, and he finally had to look up at her, although reluctant to make eye contact.
“Hey,” she whispered softly, and he felt anxiety hit him full force in the chest. He stared at her, wondering what the next words would be out of her mouth.
She smiled. “Your mom is crazy.”
He snorted, still not comfortable with words.
She sat up and scooted closer to him, before adding softly, her voice sounding distant, “But that would be something wouldn’t it?”
He turned his face, his eyes connecting with hers, and their noses lightly touching. “Yeah,” he answered, his voice husky, “It would be something.”
Title: Free Time
Pairing: Mark/Sabrina
Part: 4/???
Summary: Bad news on a rainy day. But as always, the sun always comes out in Mark and Sabrina Land! (Along with some necessary awkwardness of course) : )
Comments: This was fun to write. I'm trying to focus on tiny tidbits of their relationship that come straight out of my imagination...and this time I think i captured irritation and awkwardness to perfection! But of course, I couldn't let go of sarcasm, and cutesy moments. They're too much a part of me i think : )
Disclaimer: Don't own the people. Only the ideas.
He heard her before he saw her. The back door in his tiny apartment had that incessant creaking that he couldn’t seem to get rid of, and it gave her away. He stopped strumming the strings of his guitar to listen with a critical ear. It had been raining all morning, a torrential down pour waking him up earlier than usual, although his mother had continued to sleep like a rock. The water had seeped under that creaky door, and the clean up had been enough to give him a headache, as it had soaked into the rug lying in front of the door, and created multiple puddles on the linoleum. He winced as he heard a loud thud and then a choice word being uttered.
It was only then he remembered he hadn’t put the rug back in front of the door.
“Good God Mark...” he heard her mutter as she grasped his cabinets to pull herself up, her shoes squeaking on the wet floor. He winced again as her head peered around the corner into the front room he was seated in, an angered expression on her face. “Do you always have random puddles on your kitchen floor?”
He stared at her, contemplating how to answer. “No, I put them there especially for you.”
Judging by the fiery look in her eyes, sarcasm hadn’t been the right route.
He grinned at her, willing the tough exterior she often put up to melt away. She didn’t budge, her eyebrows knitting together. It was only then that he noticed a slight shiver run through her body. He gazed at her concernedly, “Are you okay?”
She glared at him as she took a step around the corner, exposing the rest of her body to him. Her leopard print heels were soaked, as were her tight jeans, the water soaking into the fabric all the way up to the belt loops. Her sweater was covered in tiny droplets, and her hair was matted to her head. “What do you think?”
He stared at her, confusion evident on his face. “Didn’t you realize it was pouring before you left the house?”
She let out a frustrated squeak. “I’m soaked because I fell on your stupid floor!”
He looked down at her footwear, before raising his eyebrows. “Maybe you shouldn’t be wearing those dangerous shoes.”
She rolled her eyes before turning around and stalking upstairs. He shook his head, smiling to himself. He loved it when he was right and she was wrong.
It rarely happened.
Heaving a deep sigh, he set down his guitar and stood up to inspect the damage she had done to his kitchen. He almost yelled out in shock when he saw about half an inch of water covering the entire floor. He did yell out when he got his power of speech back, except this time, his yell was pointed at someone directly.
“SABRINA!”
“Jesus Mark! Your mom is sleeping!” she yelled just as loud as he had as she ran down the stairs.
“Not anymore...” he heard his mom mumble from the guest room.
He stared at her dumbfounded, his focus on his flooded kitchen almost getting distracted by the vision of her wearing his clothes, looking adorably small in his oversized hooded sweatshirt and sweat pants. He shook his head to get back to the matter at hand, and then motioned toward his floor. “What happened?”
Sabrina stood, a hand on her hip, her face not looking amused. “Your kitchen is flooded. Duh.”
He pursed his lips and closed his eyes briefly. He wasn’t sure if he could handle the sassy Sabrina Bryan this morning. “Was it like this when you came in?”
She looked up toward the ceiling, pondering the question. “No. The floor wasn’t completely covered.”
He whispered a curse word under his breath as he stared around the room, finally eyeing where the water was coming in. “I got up this morning and there was a big puddle from water leaking in from the door...”
Sabrina rolled his pants up and stepped across the kitchen to go towards the door. She bent down to examine it, looking up nodding. “It’s still leaking.”
He ran his hands through his hair, frustration evident in his face. “What am I supposed to do?”
Her irritation at falling earlier disappeared as she gazed at his worried expression. She sloshed through the kitchen, stopping right at the edge of the next room, raising up to her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips. His face remained concerned, and she frowned. “Come on. We can fix this.”
He looked at her, doubtful. “How?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I bet my dad would know what to do.”
He laughed in spite of himself, as he leaned down to kiss her, this time softer.
~~~~~~~
Two hours, thirty towels, and three soaked pairs of pants later, the kitchen was water-free and the floor was no more damaged than it had been to begin with. Mark leaned up against the counter, looking at the clock, realizing it was barely past noon. He felt like he had been up for hours. Sabrina’s dad was finishing up the last repair on the door, and Sabrina was curled up on the couch with his mom, going through more picture albums.
“I really appreciate you doing this.” he stated sincerely at Sabrina’s father’s back as he crouched over by the door frame.
“Oh, it was no problem, son. Next time you notice some water leaking though, give me a call sooner...this was quite an ordeal.” he replied jovially.
Mark shook his head, laughing quietly. “It was Sabrina’s idea to call you, not mine. My pride wasn’t quite up to speed this morning.”
Sabrina’s father let out a loud burst of laughter. “I have years of experience in the home-owning world...believe me, I have fixed just about everything that can break in a house, apartment, condo, car...whatever, you name it, I’ve done it! Never be ashamed to give me a call.”
Mark scratched his head, grinning. “I won’t be sir.”
“Don’t call me sir, Mark. It makes me feel old.”
Mark opened his mouth to respond, but fumbled for the words, embarrassment filling his vocal chords. He was saved by Sabrina chiming in from the living room. “You ARE old Dad.”
Her father straightened up and put his tools back in his tool box, a look of exasperation clear on his face. “Is she this obnoxious around you?” He asked, jabbing with his thumb towards the couch.
Mark tried to hide his laughter as he answered with a straight face, “Always.”
He almost missed the look of admiration on her father’s face as he was distracted by Sabrina’s yell of indignation and quick movement from the couch onto his back, demanding an impromptu piggy back ride.
He almost missed it.
~~~~~~~~~~~
As his mom waved goodbye to Sabrina’s dad out the window, he collapsed exhausted into the couch, picking up Sabrina’s legs and placing them in his lap. She was still pouring through the multiple photo albums, her eyes bright with excitement.
“Your father is such a lovely man...” his mom smiled as she turned away from the window. “So generous of him to come and help us.”
Mark smirked. “Sabrina probably forced him to.”
He grabbed her legs tightly to prevent her from kicking him, and grinned naughtily at her as she struggled against the restraint. She stuck her tongue out at him before turning her attention to Shirley.
“I didn’t force him to. Believe it or not, he actually likes Mark.”
His mother smiled as she sat down in the arm chair next to the television. “That’s always good.”
He stared at his mom suspiciously. “What’s always good?”
“For your future father-in-law to like you.” she answered lightly.
He felt all the blood stop flowing to his brain, and all he could do was sputter for air. He glanced sideways at Sabrina, who’s face was just as surprised, but her eyes twinkled with something he was unsure of. He turned his attention back to his mom, shooting her a silent glare.
“What?” she asked innocently, “I was just making an observation.”
And with that she disappeared upstairs, leaving Mark and all his awkwardness to fend for himself. He stared at the carpet, feeling a blush creep over his cheeks. Sabrina’s legs squirmed in his lap, and he finally had to look up at her, although reluctant to make eye contact.
“Hey,” she whispered softly, and he felt anxiety hit him full force in the chest. He stared at her, wondering what the next words would be out of her mouth.
She smiled. “Your mom is crazy.”
He snorted, still not comfortable with words.
She sat up and scooted closer to him, before adding softly, her voice sounding distant, “But that would be something wouldn’t it?”
He turned his face, his eyes connecting with hers, and their noses lightly touching. “Yeah,” he answered, his voice husky, “It would be something.”