(no subject)
Cotton Candy #8. A Proposal
Story : knights
Rating : R
Timeframe : 1257
Word Count : 850
“You know,” said Rune, “you still haven’t answered my question.”
Lyssa hoped the darkness and the blankets were enough to hide the fact that for a moment, she froze. A grin hastily plastered across her lips, she slid a hand over his cheek. “I didn’t know ‘more’ constituted a question,” she said, “more of a request, and at any rate, I’m sure I’ve more than fulfilled-” Her words died as she found herself rolled onto her back and pinned beneath him to the mattress.
“Not what I meant at all.” Deep blue eyes held her, not a bit of laughter in them.
“Well,” said Lyssa, a hand skimming playfully down Rune’s ribs, “from this position, I can only think of a few things you might want, and I’m not about to argue.”
Rune jerked up with a scowl as her hand slid over his hip. “Lyss, I’m serious.”
She reached for his cheek instead, her smile growing tight. “You really want to be tied down to this for the rest of your life?”
He eyed her in silence for a moment before shaking his head. “You’re kidding me.”
“Am not,” she said. He rolled back to the bed with a sigh and Lyssa held her smile as he set to righting the tangled mess of blankets around them. “What’s so special about me? If you want a wife, I’m sure you could do much better.”
“Why do you have to get all tense whenever I try to bring it up?”
“Do not.” She hauled herself back up against the pillows, arms tight across her breast as Rune continued to pick at the covers.
He paused to send her a stern look. “Lyss.”
“So I have mixed feelings about the question.” She threw her hands up and, pleased at the distraction the gesture gave her partner, though he did his best to pretend he hadn’t noticed, set them in her hair to keep them out of the way.
“You didn’t have any such reservations about moving in here and taking over,“ said Rune, with a look that swept over her share of the clutter that filled his room and ended pointedly on the thick curtains, at which Lyssa had to hold back a laugh. “Don’t I get some consideration in return?”
“What?” she said, with a slow flex of her shoulders that set him blinking before she slid back down against him. “This isn’t good enough?”
Long arms tucked themselves around her and he breathed a sigh that bordered on laughter. “It’s wonderful.”
“Mmm,” said Lyssa, pressing closer still.
A hand ran over her hair and warm lips brushed her forehead. “I couldn’t ask for more.”
“See?” She nuzzled her face against his throat as her fingers traced a slow path down his side.
“Except that it last.”
Lyssa sighed.
Rune drew back until his eyes caught hers. “Why is this so hard?”
She tore her gaze from his and focused instead on the hand she brought to his chest. “It‘s just not something I‘ve ever thought I‘d do.”
Rune tensed, eyes on the finger sweeping random figures over his flesh. “So just what are you doing here?” he said, the soft hand on her back slipping away to clench against itself. “Biding your time until something better come along?”
She jerked her hand away, her eyes narrowed as she brought them back up to find a clenched jaw and dark stare. “That’s not fair,” she said. “You know I love you. Just because I’m not ready to settle down and have a mess of babies with you-”
Rune’s expression softened. “Who said anything about babies?”
Lyssa shrugged. “Part of the deal, isn’t it?”
The hand returned to her hair. “I don’t suppose I’d mind,” he said, “but it doesn’t have to be. Is that what this is about?”
“No,” said Lyssa, her hand finding him again as well. “I mean, well, maybe, part of it.” She slid her palm over smooth, warm flesh with a sigh. “I’m just happy with the way things are. I don’t see why you need to change it.”
“What? With a ring and a vow? I don’t see how that’s going to change anything.”
“Then what do you need it for?”
His hold on her tightened. “I’d like to know you're not just going to leave me.”
Fingers curled over him, she brushed her lips against his neck. “I’m not.”
“But-” Lyssa drew back, her hand rising to his lips. His eyes were wide, sad, his jaw tight, and she felt a lump rise in her throat.
“I promise, I’m not going anywhere.” Her lips replaced her fingers and he leaned in eagerly to return the kiss.
“I’m not about to stop asking you,” he said, their lips still brushing.
“I…I’ll think about it. That good enough?” she said, a peck on the nose as she pulled away.
Rune gave a weak smile in return. “It’ll have to be.”
Her hand wound through his hair and down over his cheek. “I love you.”
He pressed into her palm with a sigh. “Love you too.”
“Always,” she said.
Story : knights
Rating : R
Timeframe : 1257
Word Count : 850
“You know,” said Rune, “you still haven’t answered my question.”
Lyssa hoped the darkness and the blankets were enough to hide the fact that for a moment, she froze. A grin hastily plastered across her lips, she slid a hand over his cheek. “I didn’t know ‘more’ constituted a question,” she said, “more of a request, and at any rate, I’m sure I’ve more than fulfilled-” Her words died as she found herself rolled onto her back and pinned beneath him to the mattress.
“Not what I meant at all.” Deep blue eyes held her, not a bit of laughter in them.
“Well,” said Lyssa, a hand skimming playfully down Rune’s ribs, “from this position, I can only think of a few things you might want, and I’m not about to argue.”
Rune jerked up with a scowl as her hand slid over his hip. “Lyss, I’m serious.”
She reached for his cheek instead, her smile growing tight. “You really want to be tied down to this for the rest of your life?”
He eyed her in silence for a moment before shaking his head. “You’re kidding me.”
“Am not,” she said. He rolled back to the bed with a sigh and Lyssa held her smile as he set to righting the tangled mess of blankets around them. “What’s so special about me? If you want a wife, I’m sure you could do much better.”
“Why do you have to get all tense whenever I try to bring it up?”
“Do not.” She hauled herself back up against the pillows, arms tight across her breast as Rune continued to pick at the covers.
He paused to send her a stern look. “Lyss.”
“So I have mixed feelings about the question.” She threw her hands up and, pleased at the distraction the gesture gave her partner, though he did his best to pretend he hadn’t noticed, set them in her hair to keep them out of the way.
“You didn’t have any such reservations about moving in here and taking over,“ said Rune, with a look that swept over her share of the clutter that filled his room and ended pointedly on the thick curtains, at which Lyssa had to hold back a laugh. “Don’t I get some consideration in return?”
“What?” she said, with a slow flex of her shoulders that set him blinking before she slid back down against him. “This isn’t good enough?”
Long arms tucked themselves around her and he breathed a sigh that bordered on laughter. “It’s wonderful.”
“Mmm,” said Lyssa, pressing closer still.
A hand ran over her hair and warm lips brushed her forehead. “I couldn’t ask for more.”
“See?” She nuzzled her face against his throat as her fingers traced a slow path down his side.
“Except that it last.”
Lyssa sighed.
Rune drew back until his eyes caught hers. “Why is this so hard?”
She tore her gaze from his and focused instead on the hand she brought to his chest. “It‘s just not something I‘ve ever thought I‘d do.”
Rune tensed, eyes on the finger sweeping random figures over his flesh. “So just what are you doing here?” he said, the soft hand on her back slipping away to clench against itself. “Biding your time until something better come along?”
She jerked her hand away, her eyes narrowed as she brought them back up to find a clenched jaw and dark stare. “That’s not fair,” she said. “You know I love you. Just because I’m not ready to settle down and have a mess of babies with you-”
Rune’s expression softened. “Who said anything about babies?”
Lyssa shrugged. “Part of the deal, isn’t it?”
The hand returned to her hair. “I don’t suppose I’d mind,” he said, “but it doesn’t have to be. Is that what this is about?”
“No,” said Lyssa, her hand finding him again as well. “I mean, well, maybe, part of it.” She slid her palm over smooth, warm flesh with a sigh. “I’m just happy with the way things are. I don’t see why you need to change it.”
“What? With a ring and a vow? I don’t see how that’s going to change anything.”
“Then what do you need it for?”
His hold on her tightened. “I’d like to know you're not just going to leave me.”
Fingers curled over him, she brushed her lips against his neck. “I’m not.”
“But-” Lyssa drew back, her hand rising to his lips. His eyes were wide, sad, his jaw tight, and she felt a lump rise in her throat.
“I promise, I’m not going anywhere.” Her lips replaced her fingers and he leaned in eagerly to return the kiss.
“I’m not about to stop asking you,” he said, their lips still brushing.
“I…I’ll think about it. That good enough?” she said, a peck on the nose as she pulled away.
Rune gave a weak smile in return. “It’ll have to be.”
Her hand wound through his hair and down over his cheek. “I love you.”
He pressed into her palm with a sigh. “Love you too.”
“Always,” she said.