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Hey y'all. I'm back.
Title: Underneath
Author: Yours Truly
Rating: G
Warnings: None this time. Isn't that a relief?
I wrote this as a thank you to the community, and to nanthimus, and everyone who commented on my five untitled ficlets that got some spotlight over at the fic-reccing thread. It really brightened my entire week :D Thanks guys.
“I told you not to wait for me.”
She turned and smiled over her shoulder.
“I know. But I felt like it.” He grunted noncommitally and wandered in a few steps, closing the door behind him and kicking his shoes off.
She knew him well enough not to push conversation. He was having one of those days. She’d seen it coming for a few days now - his nightmares had been pretty bad lately. She drew her knees up to her chest and waited patiently for him to make the first move.
When he sat down beside her on the bed, he tentatively put his hand next to hers. She removed the tension by putting hers atop his and leaning her head on his shoulder.
He smiled, but it was awkward and weak.
“Want to stay here?” she asked. He swallowed.
“I guess so. Sure.”
They lay on the mattress shoulder to shoulder, saying nothing. Outside, the muffled clamor from the streets could still be heard through the window. The ceiling creaked as people walked around in the apartment above his. The silence between them was comfortable, and that was enough for now. She understood that some days, he could love her, and others, he just couldn’t.
She just wished she knew why.
“Sorry I just barged in,” she said quietly. “I can go if you want.”
He sighed, inhaling deeply and exhaling slow and meditatively.
“It’s fine. Actually... thanks for being here.... It helps.” His subtle acknowledgment of his problems was a great sacrifice of self-preservation, and she knew it. It cost him a lot to suck it up and admit that he needed her, whatever the reason. For her part, she made sure he knew those gestures did not go unobserved.
“I know it does,” she said, putting her hand in his and running the backs of her fingers along his palm. He didn't know how to tell her how grateful he was just to have her be here with him; to not have to face his issues alone.
Moments later, she rolled on her side, looking at him with a smirk.
“If you really wanted some alone-time, though, you shouldn’t leave the door open.”
“These doors don’t lock.”
“I know. I was being ironic.”
“Oh.”
There was a moment of sheepish silence before he broke it by turning to her and saying, “That’s what I hate about this place. No privacy.”
She smiled, and with one hand, reached behind her, pulling the blanket and over them both. It fluttered down gently, covering them completely where they lay on their sides together, face to face. She grinned conspiratorially.
“Now we’re hidden, and no one can see us. All the privacy in the world.” He smiled back, but it was somewhat exasperated.
“Jin-” he started, but she clamped her hand over his mouth.
“No! I mean it. No one can see us, or hear us, or anything. We have the world to ourselves.” He seemed about to protest again, but she gave him a look.
“Come on. We are alone,” she said, trying to make him believe it.
She pulled her hand away slowly, and he closed his eyes as her fingers lingered on his face for a moment. When he opened them, the light from the window was a mere glow, seemingly far away from beneath the blanket.
“Nothing else matters right now,” she said. “As far as you’re concerned, the world outside doesn’t exist.”
Looking into her eyes, he could have wept. Instead, he only sighed and said, in a voice barely above a whisper, “It won't just go away.”
Jin’s gentle smile faded, and on a serious note, her voice husky and soft, she said, “Then let’s make it go away.”
He didn’t smile, or nod, or say anything. He just leaned in for the kiss and closed the distance between them, moving his hands to brush her skin lovingly.
<3
Title: Underneath
Author: Yours Truly
Rating: G
Warnings: None this time. Isn't that a relief?
I wrote this as a thank you to the community, and to nanthimus, and everyone who commented on my five untitled ficlets that got some spotlight over at the fic-reccing thread. It really brightened my entire week :D Thanks guys.
“I told you not to wait for me.”
She turned and smiled over her shoulder.
“I know. But I felt like it.” He grunted noncommitally and wandered in a few steps, closing the door behind him and kicking his shoes off.
She knew him well enough not to push conversation. He was having one of those days. She’d seen it coming for a few days now - his nightmares had been pretty bad lately. She drew her knees up to her chest and waited patiently for him to make the first move.
When he sat down beside her on the bed, he tentatively put his hand next to hers. She removed the tension by putting hers atop his and leaning her head on his shoulder.
He smiled, but it was awkward and weak.
“Want to stay here?” she asked. He swallowed.
“I guess so. Sure.”
They lay on the mattress shoulder to shoulder, saying nothing. Outside, the muffled clamor from the streets could still be heard through the window. The ceiling creaked as people walked around in the apartment above his. The silence between them was comfortable, and that was enough for now. She understood that some days, he could love her, and others, he just couldn’t.
She just wished she knew why.
“Sorry I just barged in,” she said quietly. “I can go if you want.”
He sighed, inhaling deeply and exhaling slow and meditatively.
“It’s fine. Actually... thanks for being here.... It helps.” His subtle acknowledgment of his problems was a great sacrifice of self-preservation, and she knew it. It cost him a lot to suck it up and admit that he needed her, whatever the reason. For her part, she made sure he knew those gestures did not go unobserved.
“I know it does,” she said, putting her hand in his and running the backs of her fingers along his palm. He didn't know how to tell her how grateful he was just to have her be here with him; to not have to face his issues alone.
Moments later, she rolled on her side, looking at him with a smirk.
“If you really wanted some alone-time, though, you shouldn’t leave the door open.”
“These doors don’t lock.”
“I know. I was being ironic.”
“Oh.”
There was a moment of sheepish silence before he broke it by turning to her and saying, “That’s what I hate about this place. No privacy.”
She smiled, and with one hand, reached behind her, pulling the blanket and over them both. It fluttered down gently, covering them completely where they lay on their sides together, face to face. She grinned conspiratorially.
“Now we’re hidden, and no one can see us. All the privacy in the world.” He smiled back, but it was somewhat exasperated.
“Jin-” he started, but she clamped her hand over his mouth.
“No! I mean it. No one can see us, or hear us, or anything. We have the world to ourselves.” He seemed about to protest again, but she gave him a look.
“Come on. We are alone,” she said, trying to make him believe it.
She pulled her hand away slowly, and he closed his eyes as her fingers lingered on his face for a moment. When he opened them, the light from the window was a mere glow, seemingly far away from beneath the blanket.
“Nothing else matters right now,” she said. “As far as you’re concerned, the world outside doesn’t exist.”
Looking into her eyes, he could have wept. Instead, he only sighed and said, in a voice barely above a whisper, “It won't just go away.”
Jin’s gentle smile faded, and on a serious note, her voice husky and soft, she said, “Then let’s make it go away.”
He didn’t smile, or nod, or say anything. He just leaned in for the kiss and closed the distance between them, moving his hands to brush her skin lovingly.
<3