Lying down and tickling (Peter, Aly)
Peter had fallen asleep on his bed while reading, which was not an uncommon occurrence to say the least. When he felt the bed move, he awoke with a start, and the book which had been resting on his face, fell to his lap. He opened his eyes frantically, though when he took in the view of his wife crawling up towards him, he relaxed. "Aly," he breathed, his tone relieved.
"I didn't mean to freak you out. Were you dreaming?" Aly remained on her hands and knees, though she was now situation right above him and Peter found he didn't actually have control of his vocal chords any more. "Peter?"
"I'm sorry...what?" Peter looked confused for a moment, and then he smiled widely at her. "You're hovering over me, my brain tends to stop working..." Aly chuckled and she picked his book out of his lap so she could settle down between his legs, her head on his chest. Immediately, Peter wrapped his arms around her. "Is everything alright, Aly?"
Aly nodded lightly against his chest and then she sighed. "I'm sorry, Peter."
"For...what?" Peter couldn't think of a single solitary thing she should possibly be apologising for, which went a long way in showing what a good man he really was. He didn't hold grudges.
Aly lifted her head, resting her chin against him instead. "For what I did. Last week you and the kids...something horrific happened to you and I...Peter, I'm so sorry I caused you all such heartache. I was so afraid you were going to leave me then, and I can't imagine what you were going through... I had to suffer fear for a few hours. And you..."
"Aly." Peter was quick to interrupt her sorrowful monologue before the guilt took such a strong hold it would take a lot of work to release. "We're past that now."
"I just didn't understand it before, Peter. The pain I put you through. And now nothing's the same anymore. I left you and you fell in love with someone else, and you love her still."
Peter bit his lip, and he wished vehemently that Aly wouldn't talk about this. He wouldn't lie and deny his feelings for Svetlana. But he knew that wouldn't be such a wonderful thing for poor Aly to hear. "I love you, Aly," he said, his voice both firm and indeed loving.
"I know. Christ, I know you do, Peter. But I fucked things up so much. And now..." Aly groaned and she let her head flop to the side. "Do you think it'll ever be like it was again?"
Peter took in a deep breath and he moved his fingers up to rest in her hair. "No. I don't, Aly. But that doesn't necessarily mean anything bad. Because even with our relationship 'like it was' you were still going to leave me. I think now we have to move on and make something better. Something stronger."
"Are we doing that?" Aly asked, sounding slightly scared.
"We're doing our best," was Peter's only answer. "Aly, all I know is I love you. I want to be with you, despite anything that happened during those two months we spent apart. The sight of you still takes my breath away and lifts my heart. You make me feel happy and safe. You make me laugh. We'll get the trust back. We have time."
Aly sighed and then she reached up to tickle his side.
"AUGH! That's not trust, that's not trust!" Peter cried, trying to wiggle away from her. Aly, however, was relentless. She was on top of him now, attacking both his sides with deft fingers. Peter let out a howl and then he tried to tickle her back, but Aly would not be tickled.
"Stop! Stop, you evil woman!" Peter begged, and Aly laughed.
"Nope! You're stuck with me! You said it yourself!" Things had been so heavy between them. Aly missed the whimsical feeling of companionship they used to share. And she was getting it back, by whatever means necessary. "I'm going to tickle your legs." Aly attacked his legs, which were more ticklish than anywhere else by far for some reason.
"No AAAUUUUUHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Peter tried to push her off, but Aly had a way of going completely limp and it was hard to shift dead weight which was lying directly on top of you. "HELP! HELP!"
A cough sounded from the door, where Lydia and Caleb were standing, looking shocked. Aly stopped tickling and she started at their children, looking guilty while Peter lay there against the mattress, gasping for breath. "What do you know, Caleb. They really do lay down and tickle..." Lydia gave them a funny look and then she led Caleb away from the sight.
Aly snorted and she turned her head to look at her husband who was watching her as he breathed, his expression slightly fearful. "We are not only going to build something stronger, but you're going to start having fun with me again. Okay? Because what we've been doing so far...with the exception of sex...it hasn't been fun."
"No..." Peter was still wary of tickling fingers, and it showed in his voice.
"So lighten up. And I will too." Aly nodded sagely. "Or I'll tickle you again." Aly flexed her fingers at him and Peter twitched. "That's right. You fear me."
Peter closed his eyes and he laughed breathlessly. It was like a weight had been lifted from between them and he was grateful for it, even if Aly's methods were admittedly strange. "Oh, I do," Peter smiled at her. "I really do..."
"Damn right. Now wake up, Sleepyhead. I think we should all go to a movie or something. Together." Some families had been torn apart, but they were lucky. They still had each other.
Peter grinned and he nodded. "I think that sounds perfect."
Then Aly tickled Peter again and he squealed, "trust, Woman! Trust! Aaauuugghhhhh!" And Aly laughed an evil laugh.
"I didn't mean to freak you out. Were you dreaming?" Aly remained on her hands and knees, though she was now situation right above him and Peter found he didn't actually have control of his vocal chords any more. "Peter?"
"I'm sorry...what?" Peter looked confused for a moment, and then he smiled widely at her. "You're hovering over me, my brain tends to stop working..." Aly chuckled and she picked his book out of his lap so she could settle down between his legs, her head on his chest. Immediately, Peter wrapped his arms around her. "Is everything alright, Aly?"
Aly nodded lightly against his chest and then she sighed. "I'm sorry, Peter."
"For...what?" Peter couldn't think of a single solitary thing she should possibly be apologising for, which went a long way in showing what a good man he really was. He didn't hold grudges.
Aly lifted her head, resting her chin against him instead. "For what I did. Last week you and the kids...something horrific happened to you and I...Peter, I'm so sorry I caused you all such heartache. I was so afraid you were going to leave me then, and I can't imagine what you were going through... I had to suffer fear for a few hours. And you..."
"Aly." Peter was quick to interrupt her sorrowful monologue before the guilt took such a strong hold it would take a lot of work to release. "We're past that now."
"I just didn't understand it before, Peter. The pain I put you through. And now nothing's the same anymore. I left you and you fell in love with someone else, and you love her still."
Peter bit his lip, and he wished vehemently that Aly wouldn't talk about this. He wouldn't lie and deny his feelings for Svetlana. But he knew that wouldn't be such a wonderful thing for poor Aly to hear. "I love you, Aly," he said, his voice both firm and indeed loving.
"I know. Christ, I know you do, Peter. But I fucked things up so much. And now..." Aly groaned and she let her head flop to the side. "Do you think it'll ever be like it was again?"
Peter took in a deep breath and he moved his fingers up to rest in her hair. "No. I don't, Aly. But that doesn't necessarily mean anything bad. Because even with our relationship 'like it was' you were still going to leave me. I think now we have to move on and make something better. Something stronger."
"Are we doing that?" Aly asked, sounding slightly scared.
"We're doing our best," was Peter's only answer. "Aly, all I know is I love you. I want to be with you, despite anything that happened during those two months we spent apart. The sight of you still takes my breath away and lifts my heart. You make me feel happy and safe. You make me laugh. We'll get the trust back. We have time."
Aly sighed and then she reached up to tickle his side.
"AUGH! That's not trust, that's not trust!" Peter cried, trying to wiggle away from her. Aly, however, was relentless. She was on top of him now, attacking both his sides with deft fingers. Peter let out a howl and then he tried to tickle her back, but Aly would not be tickled.
"Stop! Stop, you evil woman!" Peter begged, and Aly laughed.
"Nope! You're stuck with me! You said it yourself!" Things had been so heavy between them. Aly missed the whimsical feeling of companionship they used to share. And she was getting it back, by whatever means necessary. "I'm going to tickle your legs." Aly attacked his legs, which were more ticklish than anywhere else by far for some reason.
"No AAAUUUUUHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Peter tried to push her off, but Aly had a way of going completely limp and it was hard to shift dead weight which was lying directly on top of you. "HELP! HELP!"
A cough sounded from the door, where Lydia and Caleb were standing, looking shocked. Aly stopped tickling and she started at their children, looking guilty while Peter lay there against the mattress, gasping for breath. "What do you know, Caleb. They really do lay down and tickle..." Lydia gave them a funny look and then she led Caleb away from the sight.
Aly snorted and she turned her head to look at her husband who was watching her as he breathed, his expression slightly fearful. "We are not only going to build something stronger, but you're going to start having fun with me again. Okay? Because what we've been doing so far...with the exception of sex...it hasn't been fun."
"No..." Peter was still wary of tickling fingers, and it showed in his voice.
"So lighten up. And I will too." Aly nodded sagely. "Or I'll tickle you again." Aly flexed her fingers at him and Peter twitched. "That's right. You fear me."
Peter closed his eyes and he laughed breathlessly. It was like a weight had been lifted from between them and he was grateful for it, even if Aly's methods were admittedly strange. "Oh, I do," Peter smiled at her. "I really do..."
"Damn right. Now wake up, Sleepyhead. I think we should all go to a movie or something. Together." Some families had been torn apart, but they were lucky. They still had each other.
Peter grinned and he nodded. "I think that sounds perfect."
Then Aly tickled Peter again and he squealed, "trust, Woman! Trust! Aaauuugghhhhh!" And Aly laughed an evil laugh.