for daniel | blizzard

[unbound_vala]

From hereWhile Daniel was gone I busied myself tidying up and finding anything and everything I could use to keep warm. I had electric light, but I lit candles anyhow. The storm might take out the power, I reasoned, and every small flame would generate heat. I laid robes and dresses and shawls on the bed, adding layers so that when i went to bed it

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[theunascended]

Gorgeous. The word echoed around in his head. He'd already thought she looked amazing, but there was some kind of significance to that word. He shook his head and chuckled when snow flew off of his hair. "Sorry," he murmured, brushing some of it off of her. "No permanent damage. Maybe a toe or two gone." His lips curled up, though, a sure sign of teasing.

"I have sweats. And the other blanket. And books. Thought you might like something to read instead of...well, instead of watching me read."

The absurd idea of reading to her suddenly came to mind, but he ignored it. "My glasses?" he asked instead.

[unbound_vala]

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Daniel. I...sat on them," I old him, sounding thoroughly convincing. "You may have to lose another toe or two and go get your contacts."

[theunascended]

"Again." He wasn't sure why he'd worn his glasses. Probably because his eyes had been itching, so he'd wanted to get out of the contacts for a day or two. "How ba--" He stopped. She sounded convincing, but she'd apologized and hadn't sounded sheepish.

He sighed and held out his hand. "My glasses?"

[unbound_vala]

I scowled and exhaled sharply through my nose as I handed them over.

"You're no fun," I decided. "But that's what you get for lying about losing a toe. Don't scare me and I won't scare you."

[theunascended]

"It's not that cold out," Daniel said, adding a mental 'yet'. There definitely wasn't enough snow to really be that bed, but it was still falling. "But I promise. No more jokes about losing limbs to the cold weather. Now, I don't know about you, but I want something a little warmer than what I have on. Especially since it's getting damp."

That would be thanks to the snow.

He stripped off his shirts and knelt down, searching for a sweatshirt.

[unbound_vala]

I walked to the bed where the array of clothing, blankets, and towels were heaped. I took up a towel that was the least likely to have sand on it and threw it at him.

"You're going to drip on my floor."

[theunascended]

"It's not that bad," Daniel said. He laughed softly and ran the towel over the worst of it. "It's not like I actually went swimming or anything." He stripped out of the damp clothes - and here he was lucky that he hadn't fallen and got his boxers wet, too - and into one of the sets of sweats. He offered her the other one. "That should be big enough. If the pants don't quite fit, I think we can manage something."

[unbound_vala]

I took what he offered ad held them up. They were enormous and while, in general, I quite enjoyed taking Daniel's clothes and wearing them, the fact that I knew they would likely fit me now was...disheartening.

"I'm sure you didn't just call me fat," I said crisply, then started to pull the sweats up beneath my dress. Once they were on, I turned my back to him and took the heavy thing off and dropped it to the floor while I worked out the shirt he'd passed me so I didn't put it on backwards.

[theunascended]

"Pregnant women are never fat," Daniel replied quickly, turning to her as he spoke. He went quiet for a moment as he watched her. Once he realized what he was doing, he flushed and turned away. "The baby, maybe, but never the woman having the baby."

[unbound_vala]

"The child is..." I began, then pulled the shirt over my head and smoothed it over my bely before continuing. "...A little over a pound. That hardly counts as fat, Daniel."

I, on the other hand, knew precisely what I looked like. Tonks and I often lamented our rapidly changing shapes. Usually over pastries and ice cream.

[theunascended]

"Okay, let me put it this way. About the only part of you that's getting significantly larger is your stomach, yes?" He wasn't about to mention the subject of breasts. Really, he already knew he was pushing it. "It's not so much the weight as the shape. Think of it as adding a basketball to your stomach."

Looking up at her, he added softly, "Trust me. You still look beautiful."

[unbound_vala]

"Do you remember that thing where you should sometimes stop talking instead of making things worse?" I asked. "This is one of those times, Daniel. I'm sore and I'm huge enough that your clothes fit and I'm cold and telling me I'm beautiful isn't helping any more than your basketball description."

[theunascended]

"I'm just saying that you're not fat, Vala," Daniel muttered. At least he could be thankful for one thing. Most of the time whenever his mouth got away from him, Vala either didn't notice or completely ignored him. "Look, we should probably get in bed and wrap up. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night."

[unbound_vala]

I sighed and although I wouldn't admit it to him, I was sure he was right. The storm was picking up.

"Fine," I said, doing my best to sound put out. "But if I get a cramp again, you're rubbing it."

[theunascended]

"I'm half-surprised you haven't moved in with me just so I can be your private masseuse," Daniel replied wryly. He grabbed the blanket and waited for her to get in. He didn't say why, but he wanted her to be on the inside. That way, if one of them got kicked out, it would be him and not her.

[unbound_vala]

I laid down in my usual place, just about in the center. There was enough room for him, I was sure.

"I've been restraining myself," I told him. "As nice as it would be to have you at my beck and call, you're not the only one I can get a massage from."