Charles/Laura fic, 'Argentia' (complete)
Argentia
By Missbevcrusher
Rated [T]
Synopsis: Several years after they were first married, Charles and Laura enjoy an evening on the high seas.
Story notes: After a rather stressful two days, I decided I had to flex my creative muscles and tackle a short story. The way I went about it was this: I took a random book from my bookcase and I closed my eyes while flipping through the pages before blindly pointing at random paragraphs. Whatever word or expressions I fell on were my prompts. And they are…
Pattern, travel, watching the light flickering on the walls.
Thanks go out to tayryn for beta reading. You rock, girl. ;-)
The Argentia was a grand lady, a ship fit for comfortably ferrying travelers across the wide, mysterious expanse that was the Atlantic.
Tonight, her moonlit decks were all but deserted, and the water was casting light play on the crisp white walls lining the portside deck.
There, leaning against the rail, was a woman who had never seen the ocean before today, a woman who, up until a few months ago, had never dreamt of travelling this far.
It was surreal-the smell, the cool feel, and even the salty taste of sea spray completely new to her-and it was wonderful.
“Hey. Still out here?” At these words, Laura Lattimer casually spun around, her hands soon finding purchase of the rail behind her.
“As you can see,” she indicated on a smile, her eyes darting to the starry heavens before meeting his yet again.
Her husband of seven years was smiling as well, his salt and pepper hair made all the more silvery in the moonlight. As he made his way to her, his footsteps shuffling softly against the deck, Laura watched him before turning to face the water once more. The swells were lively tonight, though not so much as to be considered rough. “So is everything sorted out?” she asked at length, referring to the slight mix up with their accommodations.
“Yup.” Charles leaned on the railing beside her, his elbow brushing the white silk of the glove she wore. “The room is ready and our luggage is waiting.”
“That’s good.”
He nodded in agreement and they fell into a comfortable silence, the two of them content to watch the waves below.
It was entrancing in many ways, how the fluid surface sparkled below the waning gibbous moon, gently rocking them as it undulated beneath the ship. Placing a hand on her husband’s forearm, Laura sighed in contentment, and said, “Thank you.” On a sidelong gaze, she found his eyes and continued, “For surprising me with this trip. For having worked so hard to save for it.” When Charles gave one of his self-effacing smiles, she angled her body to face him and touched his shoulder. “Being here with you… it’s incredible, Charles.”
Their eyes connected and the seconds trickled by.
“You deserve it,” was all he said, the utterance soft and sincere over the sound of lapping waves.
Bringing her forehead to his, Laura could only shake her head in amazement. This man was a godsend, she decided. He was kind and caring, hard-working and generous. Simply put, he was everything she could have ever hoped for. And he was hers, had been for a long time now.
“I know I’ve said this before dinner…” Fingers reaching for his collar, she proceeded to adjust the silk puff tie he wore. “But you look rather handsome tonight.”
“Do I?”
The question was meant more as a tease than anything else and it made her chuckle softly before reiterating. “Hmmhmm.”
Just like her dress, his suit was new. He had purchased it in New York two days prior-a black frock coat with a crimson Sacramento vest. “You look quite… polished,” she finished and laughed again.
“And you…” Charles trailed and took a step back, his fingers holding on to hers as his eyes roamed her body up and down. “You look amazing.”
The compliment made her blush. “Thank you.”
In truth, she rather liked this gown. Dark blue, it was layered with rich fabrics, and subtle floral accents. The neckline was a little lower than what she was used to-with delicate sleeves which fell just off of her shoulders-but it was still very tasteful.
In honor of the occasion, even her hairstyle was different. Instead of a simple bun, she had gathered her hair in coquettish curls, twisted loosely at the nape of her neck and secured with ornamental hairpins.
With the sea wind blowing gently around them, Charles offered her his arm and she gladly accepted it. Then, side by side, they started strolling the deck, mostly in silence. After a time however, Laura spoke, her words sparked not by a need to fill a pause, but by the nostalgic memories floating around in her mind. “My father would have loved this.”
When Charles offered no reply, she recognized it as an invitation to continue. So she did. “My grandparents made the crossing just before he was born. He grew up dreaming about it, about seeing the ocean… sailing.” Smiling wistfully, Laura kept her gaze on the horizon. “When I was little, he would read to me. Seafaring tales. He loved them so much.” Missing him, she sighed, appreciative of the gentle and consoling squeeze on her arm. Not wanting to damper the night’s enjoyable mood however, she shook out of her musings, her mouth curved into a half-smile. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Charles patted her arm, his face kind as always. “It’s fine.”
It was one of the things she loved about him-how understanding and selfless he was.
“What about you?” she asked, shifting the focus onto him. “How are you enjoying the trip so far?”
“Well let’s see.” Slowing in his steps, he seemed to ponder the question. “Time alone with you, away from everything and everyone. A beautiful night like this… What more could a man ask for?”
His answer was flattering and she found herself thinking, wondering if she could make this evening even better for him. “Why don’t you try?” she asked quietly after a minute or so, coming to a stop and facing him.
“Try what?” Charles replied, his eyes narrowing as a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.
“Well so far, this trip has been all about me. It’s your turn now.” Feeling her heart beat a little bit faster, she took his hand in hers and brought her mouth to the rim of his ear, whispering. “Tonight… you can ask me anything.”
Encircling her waist, he brought her closer to him. “Anything, huh?”
“Anything at all.” And she meant it too-the offer born out of a desire to deepen their already strong connection.
When he leaned closer and whispered in her ear-saying beautiful and tantalizing things-a delightful shiver ran down the length of her spine. Her eyelids fell shut.
Even after all these years, her heart still leapt whenever they were like this. It was a testament, not only to their unwavering bond, but to the enduring fire between them.
The ship rocked gently, once, twice, and three times. Then, still breathless, Laura looked to his face and met his eyes.
“What do you say, Mrs. Lattimer?”
Just then, she kissed his cheek and lingered, her voice barely audible when she said, “I say… it sounds wonderful.”
Nothing else was said after that. Instead, they walked towards their cabin, fingers entwined.
Dusk might have fallen a good while before, but the night was just beginning. A night where-locked away from the rest of the world-they would make love. No rush. No responsibilities. Just the two of them, sharing thoughts and secrets, bathed in the watery patterns of the moonlight flickering on the walls.
I wrote a little sequel to this, and it can be found here.
By Missbevcrusher
Rated [T]
Synopsis: Several years after they were first married, Charles and Laura enjoy an evening on the high seas.
Story notes: After a rather stressful two days, I decided I had to flex my creative muscles and tackle a short story. The way I went about it was this: I took a random book from my bookcase and I closed my eyes while flipping through the pages before blindly pointing at random paragraphs. Whatever word or expressions I fell on were my prompts. And they are…
Pattern, travel, watching the light flickering on the walls.
Thanks go out to tayryn for beta reading. You rock, girl. ;-)
The Argentia was a grand lady, a ship fit for comfortably ferrying travelers across the wide, mysterious expanse that was the Atlantic.
Tonight, her moonlit decks were all but deserted, and the water was casting light play on the crisp white walls lining the portside deck.
There, leaning against the rail, was a woman who had never seen the ocean before today, a woman who, up until a few months ago, had never dreamt of travelling this far.
It was surreal-the smell, the cool feel, and even the salty taste of sea spray completely new to her-and it was wonderful.
“Hey. Still out here?” At these words, Laura Lattimer casually spun around, her hands soon finding purchase of the rail behind her.
“As you can see,” she indicated on a smile, her eyes darting to the starry heavens before meeting his yet again.
Her husband of seven years was smiling as well, his salt and pepper hair made all the more silvery in the moonlight. As he made his way to her, his footsteps shuffling softly against the deck, Laura watched him before turning to face the water once more. The swells were lively tonight, though not so much as to be considered rough. “So is everything sorted out?” she asked at length, referring to the slight mix up with their accommodations.
“Yup.” Charles leaned on the railing beside her, his elbow brushing the white silk of the glove she wore. “The room is ready and our luggage is waiting.”
“That’s good.”
He nodded in agreement and they fell into a comfortable silence, the two of them content to watch the waves below.
It was entrancing in many ways, how the fluid surface sparkled below the waning gibbous moon, gently rocking them as it undulated beneath the ship. Placing a hand on her husband’s forearm, Laura sighed in contentment, and said, “Thank you.” On a sidelong gaze, she found his eyes and continued, “For surprising me with this trip. For having worked so hard to save for it.” When Charles gave one of his self-effacing smiles, she angled her body to face him and touched his shoulder. “Being here with you… it’s incredible, Charles.”
Their eyes connected and the seconds trickled by.
“You deserve it,” was all he said, the utterance soft and sincere over the sound of lapping waves.
Bringing her forehead to his, Laura could only shake her head in amazement. This man was a godsend, she decided. He was kind and caring, hard-working and generous. Simply put, he was everything she could have ever hoped for. And he was hers, had been for a long time now.
“I know I’ve said this before dinner…” Fingers reaching for his collar, she proceeded to adjust the silk puff tie he wore. “But you look rather handsome tonight.”
“Do I?”
The question was meant more as a tease than anything else and it made her chuckle softly before reiterating. “Hmmhmm.”
Just like her dress, his suit was new. He had purchased it in New York two days prior-a black frock coat with a crimson Sacramento vest. “You look quite… polished,” she finished and laughed again.
“And you…” Charles trailed and took a step back, his fingers holding on to hers as his eyes roamed her body up and down. “You look amazing.”
The compliment made her blush. “Thank you.”
In truth, she rather liked this gown. Dark blue, it was layered with rich fabrics, and subtle floral accents. The neckline was a little lower than what she was used to-with delicate sleeves which fell just off of her shoulders-but it was still very tasteful.
In honor of the occasion, even her hairstyle was different. Instead of a simple bun, she had gathered her hair in coquettish curls, twisted loosely at the nape of her neck and secured with ornamental hairpins.
With the sea wind blowing gently around them, Charles offered her his arm and she gladly accepted it. Then, side by side, they started strolling the deck, mostly in silence. After a time however, Laura spoke, her words sparked not by a need to fill a pause, but by the nostalgic memories floating around in her mind. “My father would have loved this.”
When Charles offered no reply, she recognized it as an invitation to continue. So she did. “My grandparents made the crossing just before he was born. He grew up dreaming about it, about seeing the ocean… sailing.” Smiling wistfully, Laura kept her gaze on the horizon. “When I was little, he would read to me. Seafaring tales. He loved them so much.” Missing him, she sighed, appreciative of the gentle and consoling squeeze on her arm. Not wanting to damper the night’s enjoyable mood however, she shook out of her musings, her mouth curved into a half-smile. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Charles patted her arm, his face kind as always. “It’s fine.”
It was one of the things she loved about him-how understanding and selfless he was.
“What about you?” she asked, shifting the focus onto him. “How are you enjoying the trip so far?”
“Well let’s see.” Slowing in his steps, he seemed to ponder the question. “Time alone with you, away from everything and everyone. A beautiful night like this… What more could a man ask for?”
His answer was flattering and she found herself thinking, wondering if she could make this evening even better for him. “Why don’t you try?” she asked quietly after a minute or so, coming to a stop and facing him.
“Try what?” Charles replied, his eyes narrowing as a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.
“Well so far, this trip has been all about me. It’s your turn now.” Feeling her heart beat a little bit faster, she took his hand in hers and brought her mouth to the rim of his ear, whispering. “Tonight… you can ask me anything.”
Encircling her waist, he brought her closer to him. “Anything, huh?”
“Anything at all.” And she meant it too-the offer born out of a desire to deepen their already strong connection.
When he leaned closer and whispered in her ear-saying beautiful and tantalizing things-a delightful shiver ran down the length of her spine. Her eyelids fell shut.
Even after all these years, her heart still leapt whenever they were like this. It was a testament, not only to their unwavering bond, but to the enduring fire between them.
The ship rocked gently, once, twice, and three times. Then, still breathless, Laura looked to his face and met his eyes.
“What do you say, Mrs. Lattimer?”
Just then, she kissed his cheek and lingered, her voice barely audible when she said, “I say… it sounds wonderful.”
Nothing else was said after that. Instead, they walked towards their cabin, fingers entwined.
Dusk might have fallen a good while before, but the night was just beginning. A night where-locked away from the rest of the world-they would make love. No rush. No responsibilities. Just the two of them, sharing thoughts and secrets, bathed in the watery patterns of the moonlight flickering on the walls.
I wrote a little sequel to this, and it can be found here.