12-31-2023, 10:06 PM
Jay, slumped on the couch, stirred slightly. He had always been a light sleeper, a habit ingrained from years of vigilance (to actual as much as imagined danger), and tonight was no exception. The faint click of tapping resonated in the quiet room, rousing him.
As his eyes drifted open, Jay recognized the soft weight of a blanket over his shoulders, something that wasn’t there last he knew. The plate that was previously balanced on his lap was gone. Both of which he assumed was Natalie’s work. He blinked, adjusting to the dimness and the heaviness behind his forehead, and his gaze settled on her. Natalie was perched at the table, her focus entirely on the screen in front of her, her fingers dancing lightly over the commands.
Jay watched in silence. In her presence, the walls he had meticulously built around himself practically crumbled, allowing her a glimpse of vulnerability he rarely acknowledged. He thought about sleeping on the plane during the ride back to Moscow. The way she lay against his shoulder and how he twisted himself into knots to provide her some semblance of a comfortable position in those chartered seats. As it had then, her hair fell in gentle waves around her face, occasionally brushed away with a distracted hand. She was beautiful in her concentration, and he wondered what occupied her so intently.
He shifted slightly, the motion of the couch creaking under him. Jay managed a half-smile when she looked over, rubbing the back of his neck as she recognized he was awake. “You find the food or was I eating in my sleep again?”
It was weird how well she knew him. “There are leftovers if you're still hungry,” she replied somewhere between provoking and teasing.
Temptation pulled his attention briefly toward the fridge, where the leftovers were obviously packed away since the table was devoid of their remains. His lips contorted into something approximating the serious consideration bouncing around his head, but in the end, he decided he was more tired than hungry, and the couch was insanely comfortable.
The screens cast a soft glow on Natalie’s face, and not for the first time he wondered what occupied her in the middle of the night. He’d not ask, though. She rarely talked about her family, and never about her past. It was only tonight that she shared details about what she’d been doing with her time since they returned to the city, and while most of it was above Jay’s head, he could imagine the amount of effort and planning it would take to pull off. Unless she needed a rifleman to take up post, a channeler to blow up something, or math homework to turn in, there was almost nothing he could do to help. He listened, though. Until otherwise asked, he was happy to serve her in other ways. Maybe some stress relief? So instead of food, he decided to be tempting in return. And maybe a little practical. He wasn't the only one who seemed exhausted.
He pat the cushion next to him and lifted the blanket just enough to invite her to settle under it. After a moment of contemplation, she nestled into position, tucking her legs up under her. The sudden warmth of her flushed against him, and Jay adjusted until they were both comfortable. He said nothing. Mostly because his head was empty of any and all words, but he noticed the soft scent of her freshly washed hair, still damp in places against his cheek, and rubbed his palm soothingly up and down her arm. The motion slowly dwindled as the minutes passed in comfort, and it was no time at all before he succumbed to sleep again.
As his eyes drifted open, Jay recognized the soft weight of a blanket over his shoulders, something that wasn’t there last he knew. The plate that was previously balanced on his lap was gone. Both of which he assumed was Natalie’s work. He blinked, adjusting to the dimness and the heaviness behind his forehead, and his gaze settled on her. Natalie was perched at the table, her focus entirely on the screen in front of her, her fingers dancing lightly over the commands.
Jay watched in silence. In her presence, the walls he had meticulously built around himself practically crumbled, allowing her a glimpse of vulnerability he rarely acknowledged. He thought about sleeping on the plane during the ride back to Moscow. The way she lay against his shoulder and how he twisted himself into knots to provide her some semblance of a comfortable position in those chartered seats. As it had then, her hair fell in gentle waves around her face, occasionally brushed away with a distracted hand. She was beautiful in her concentration, and he wondered what occupied her so intently.
He shifted slightly, the motion of the couch creaking under him. Jay managed a half-smile when she looked over, rubbing the back of his neck as she recognized he was awake. “You find the food or was I eating in my sleep again?”
It was weird how well she knew him. “There are leftovers if you're still hungry,” she replied somewhere between provoking and teasing.
Temptation pulled his attention briefly toward the fridge, where the leftovers were obviously packed away since the table was devoid of their remains. His lips contorted into something approximating the serious consideration bouncing around his head, but in the end, he decided he was more tired than hungry, and the couch was insanely comfortable.
The screens cast a soft glow on Natalie’s face, and not for the first time he wondered what occupied her in the middle of the night. He’d not ask, though. She rarely talked about her family, and never about her past. It was only tonight that she shared details about what she’d been doing with her time since they returned to the city, and while most of it was above Jay’s head, he could imagine the amount of effort and planning it would take to pull off. Unless she needed a rifleman to take up post, a channeler to blow up something, or math homework to turn in, there was almost nothing he could do to help. He listened, though. Until otherwise asked, he was happy to serve her in other ways. Maybe some stress relief? So instead of food, he decided to be tempting in return. And maybe a little practical. He wasn't the only one who seemed exhausted.
He pat the cushion next to him and lifted the blanket just enough to invite her to settle under it. After a moment of contemplation, she nestled into position, tucking her legs up under her. The sudden warmth of her flushed against him, and Jay adjusted until they were both comfortable. He said nothing. Mostly because his head was empty of any and all words, but he noticed the soft scent of her freshly washed hair, still damp in places against his cheek, and rubbed his palm soothingly up and down her arm. The motion slowly dwindled as the minutes passed in comfort, and it was no time at all before he succumbed to sleep again.
Only darkness shows you the light.