“I’ve been looking all over for you.”
♥♥ MERRY CHRISTMAS, scifispice80! ♥♥
WHEN YOU’RE HERE BESIDE ME
Cole Stanton & Dia Mantenega
He didn’t play as much as he used to. There had been a time when he had rarely gone two days without picking up the instrument, but now it was more like a week, or perhaps even a fortnight. As the pack grew so too did the responsibilities and Cole loved it but the guitar sat and gathered dust and there was a part of him that was saddened by that. Why, exactly, he wasn’t sure. Was it because he loved to play? Perhaps, but it wasn’t what he was most passionate about in his life, and he also loved to play piano; he never felt saddened by the absence from the keys of the piano in the music room, though. What was it about the guitar that appealed to him? In all the years he had been playing, he had never once been able to put his finger on the answer to that question.
It was getting late, it was dark outside the window and many of the pack had retired to bed, yet he sat in the armchair to the side of the room he shared with his mate with the guitar slung loosely over his lap, picking and strumming out chords in no particular order, occasionally playing through a few notes of one song or another that drifted in and then out of his brain, never staying long enough for a full run-through, quiet though it would have been. Cole was always aware of the others in the pack, the Alpha in him -- in a way the father in him -- considering their wellbeing before his own at all times. He didn’t want to disturb anyone in the nearby area who might be resting. In a way it was better when it was quiet, though, another thing he just couldn’t put his finger on when it came to why.
“There you are.” He had heard the door open and close as she’d crossed the threshold into their bedroom and he turned his gaze to hers with a smile when she entered the main body of their private space. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Well you found me.”
“Eventually.” She smiled at him from the foot of the bed, her gaze briefly dipping down to the guitar across his lap. “Hmm.” It was a thoughtful noise to go with the narrowing of her eyes and Cole watched the way Dia’s brow knitted just so as she turned something over in her mind, no matter how fleetingly. “This simply will not do,” she said at last and he prompted her to go on with a subtle tilt of his head and a lift of his eyebrows. In response she walked towards him until she was standing just in front of his legs; they were slightly outstretched and she planted her feet on either side. From any other wolf it could have come across like a display of dominance, a challenge, but Dia was his equal in all things and there were no challenges between them, no quarrels or disputes of that sort. With her the position seemed almost playful, especially when coupled with that smile on her face, practically a smirk.
When she reached down and wrapped her hand around the neck of the guitar, Cole didn’t fight her. He let her lift the instrument away even as she said, “I haven’t seen you all day, and I’ll be damned if a guitar is going to come between us.” That mischievous edge was unmistakeable and Cole just smiled up at her as she twisted enough to set the guitar to one side before she moved even closer, easily settling herself across his lap, for all intents and purposes straddling him. Her smile had softened when she was done getting herself comfortable and her hand was settled over his heart. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he returned, voice low but warm, his own hand lifting to brush her hair back from her face. Her eyes slipped closed with a content sigh and her head dipped closer to his. Cole answered by catching her lips with his own in a kiss, prompting her to close that last gap between them, her body flush against his with her hand still settled over his heart and its steady beat within his chest.
WHEN YOU’RE HERE BESIDE ME
Cole Stanton & Dia Mantenega
He didn’t play as much as he used to. There had been a time when he had rarely gone two days without picking up the instrument, but now it was more like a week, or perhaps even a fortnight. As the pack grew so too did the responsibilities and Cole loved it but the guitar sat and gathered dust and there was a part of him that was saddened by that. Why, exactly, he wasn’t sure. Was it because he loved to play? Perhaps, but it wasn’t what he was most passionate about in his life, and he also loved to play piano; he never felt saddened by the absence from the keys of the piano in the music room, though. What was it about the guitar that appealed to him? In all the years he had been playing, he had never once been able to put his finger on the answer to that question.
It was getting late, it was dark outside the window and many of the pack had retired to bed, yet he sat in the armchair to the side of the room he shared with his mate with the guitar slung loosely over his lap, picking and strumming out chords in no particular order, occasionally playing through a few notes of one song or another that drifted in and then out of his brain, never staying long enough for a full run-through, quiet though it would have been. Cole was always aware of the others in the pack, the Alpha in him -- in a way the father in him -- considering their wellbeing before his own at all times. He didn’t want to disturb anyone in the nearby area who might be resting. In a way it was better when it was quiet, though, another thing he just couldn’t put his finger on when it came to why.
“There you are.” He had heard the door open and close as she’d crossed the threshold into their bedroom and he turned his gaze to hers with a smile when she entered the main body of their private space. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Well you found me.”
“Eventually.” She smiled at him from the foot of the bed, her gaze briefly dipping down to the guitar across his lap. “Hmm.” It was a thoughtful noise to go with the narrowing of her eyes and Cole watched the way Dia’s brow knitted just so as she turned something over in her mind, no matter how fleetingly. “This simply will not do,” she said at last and he prompted her to go on with a subtle tilt of his head and a lift of his eyebrows. In response she walked towards him until she was standing just in front of his legs; they were slightly outstretched and she planted her feet on either side. From any other wolf it could have come across like a display of dominance, a challenge, but Dia was his equal in all things and there were no challenges between them, no quarrels or disputes of that sort. With her the position seemed almost playful, especially when coupled with that smile on her face, practically a smirk.
When she reached down and wrapped her hand around the neck of the guitar, Cole didn’t fight her. He let her lift the instrument away even as she said, “I haven’t seen you all day, and I’ll be damned if a guitar is going to come between us.” That mischievous edge was unmistakeable and Cole just smiled up at her as she twisted enough to set the guitar to one side before she moved even closer, easily settling herself across his lap, for all intents and purposes straddling him. Her smile had softened when she was done getting herself comfortable and her hand was settled over his heart. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he returned, voice low but warm, his own hand lifting to brush her hair back from her face. Her eyes slipped closed with a content sigh and her head dipped closer to his. Cole answered by catching her lips with his own in a kiss, prompting her to close that last gap between them, her body flush against his with her hand still settled over his heart and its steady beat within his chest.