Post by seraaches on Oct 5, 2008 0:43:59 GMT -5
Marisela sleepily rubbed at a golden eye, voice quiet as she said, “Damas, I thought I heard—“
Reston froze as the woman looked up at him, face drowsy yet otherwise blank. The panic was still lodged in his chest, but it was slipping back behind a wall of amazement. He lifted a hand and offered rather lamely, “Hi.”
She was still gorgeous. Motherhood, even this magically created one, made the woman glow, as though her body had to shine in pleasure at the miracle it was housing. He wanted to run his hand along her adorably striped nose and cheeks and find that one spot right behind her ears that made her leg kick. He wanted to nuzzle and hug her and touch her distended belly. She made his heart pound, his stomach clench, and his knees go weak. He still loved her. Desperately.
She was evidently dreaming because there was Reston standing outside of her door. A small smile pulled up the edges of her lips. Her feet felt cold, though, and normally she didn’t feel cold in her dreams. Usually she was hot, because that meant her blankets were wrapped too tightly around her and that she was about to wake up. She didn’t want to wake up this time, though; she’d much rather just stay asleep and enjoy the sight of Reston.
“Where are the children?” she asked softly, almost under her breath; they were always present in her dreams, though their faces kept changing.
Reston was bewildered; he expected more of a reaction than this. Her smile was so lovely; he adored her smile. “They’re in the kitchen,” he responded softly. “Getting a snack.” He had wanted to see her first, to re-acquaint with her, but it seemed he should have just brought the girls with him. He pursed his lips and retreated a step. Yes, it seemed Damas had completely replaced him. “I’ll go find them.”
He whirled and was gone, leaving the others to stare in shock. Damas cleared his throat, stepping closer to the woman as hope and exhilaration fought with the knowledge that some sort of major misunderstanding had just occurred; Mari was excited about her children, yes, but she was more excited about seeing Reston than anything. Excited and afraid.
Mari stared out into the hall with some bemusement, trying to clear the remaining fog from her mind. She turned to look at Alachard and sent him a quizzical look. “You’re usually not here,” she pointed out softly.
The Heart inclined his head to the woman. “That is correct, Miss Mari; Edward and I have returned with Reston and your girls.”
“Girls?” Mari echoed, and her ears came up, eyes beginning to open a bit wider as she began to actually wake up. “I have girls?”
“Yes, you do,” the cormorant said quietly. “Reston has gone to find them, but I fear he doesn’t actually know where the kitchens are.”
Damas gave a low curse, but Archie was already moving, sending the Heart a saucy grin as he bolted by.
Mari’s eyes widened fully and she made a small sound of distress. “Reston was here? He was actually here?” She glanced over to the bison for veracity.
The bison nodded his head slowly. “Yes, Ma—Miss Mari. He’s here.”
“Oh, Light, I have to find him!” she gasped and threw open the door. The Selkie guard was swift to step in her path, however, blocking her way.
“Archie’s gone after him; it’s all right. He’ll find Reston and bring him back here. If you go, we’ll just keep missing each other.” Damas herded her around so she was facing back into her room. “Go lay down and Archie will have him here in no time at all.”
Mari looked up at him, fear and sadness in her eyes. “Are you sure?” She had botched it, her first chance with Reston after years and she had managed to utterly destroy. “He’s going to hate me, oh, Light, Damas, he’s going to hate me.” Tears were already beginning to pool in her eyes. “What am I going to do? I can’t believe I ruined it!”
“Hush, sshhh, Mari, Mari,” Damas ushered her gently to her bed, trying to calm her down. “He’s not going to hate you; he was just surprised. He only wants to make you happy.” He didn’t want to think about what he was saying; he was just saying what he had to in order to keep her calm.
Mari sniffled as the bison helped her into the bed and gently tucked her blankets around her. “But, but—“
“No buts,” Damas told her gently. He had to forcibly take his hands away from her. “You two just need a chance to talk.”
“Are you sure?” she asked with a waver in her voice.
It broke his heart. Damas sat down on the bed beside her, his mind telling him it was a bad idea, but he couldn’t make himself step away. “Yes, I’m certain.”
She gave him a tearful smile, and he reached out before he could stop himself, white hand resting on her cheek as he smiled in response.
Alachard frowned from the doorway, but whirled swiftly when he heard footsteps approaching. Blast it; Archie had found the stag very quickly. He stepped into the room, causing the bison to jump back, jerking his hand guiltily from the still sniffling woman. The Heart put on a quick smile. “They’re back. Come on, Damas, let’s give them a few moments alone.”
The bison glanced guiltily at the woman, but he didn’t dare disobey the Ten of Hearts, not with the look the Highlander was sending him. “Just call if you need anything, Mari,” Damas said in a low tone, pushing himself up off of the bed as Reston stepped uneasily into the doorway.
Marisela might not be overly attentive just then, but Alachard could tell that Reston was; his eyes skimmed everyone in the room, resting on the Highlander last and longest. The cormorant clapped the stag on the shoulder as he moved swiftly by; he didn’t dare tell the man what had just happened. But he and Damas were certainly going to have some words.
Reston froze as the woman looked up at him, face drowsy yet otherwise blank. The panic was still lodged in his chest, but it was slipping back behind a wall of amazement. He lifted a hand and offered rather lamely, “Hi.”
She was still gorgeous. Motherhood, even this magically created one, made the woman glow, as though her body had to shine in pleasure at the miracle it was housing. He wanted to run his hand along her adorably striped nose and cheeks and find that one spot right behind her ears that made her leg kick. He wanted to nuzzle and hug her and touch her distended belly. She made his heart pound, his stomach clench, and his knees go weak. He still loved her. Desperately.
She was evidently dreaming because there was Reston standing outside of her door. A small smile pulled up the edges of her lips. Her feet felt cold, though, and normally she didn’t feel cold in her dreams. Usually she was hot, because that meant her blankets were wrapped too tightly around her and that she was about to wake up. She didn’t want to wake up this time, though; she’d much rather just stay asleep and enjoy the sight of Reston.
“Where are the children?” she asked softly, almost under her breath; they were always present in her dreams, though their faces kept changing.
Reston was bewildered; he expected more of a reaction than this. Her smile was so lovely; he adored her smile. “They’re in the kitchen,” he responded softly. “Getting a snack.” He had wanted to see her first, to re-acquaint with her, but it seemed he should have just brought the girls with him. He pursed his lips and retreated a step. Yes, it seemed Damas had completely replaced him. “I’ll go find them.”
He whirled and was gone, leaving the others to stare in shock. Damas cleared his throat, stepping closer to the woman as hope and exhilaration fought with the knowledge that some sort of major misunderstanding had just occurred; Mari was excited about her children, yes, but she was more excited about seeing Reston than anything. Excited and afraid.
Mari stared out into the hall with some bemusement, trying to clear the remaining fog from her mind. She turned to look at Alachard and sent him a quizzical look. “You’re usually not here,” she pointed out softly.
The Heart inclined his head to the woman. “That is correct, Miss Mari; Edward and I have returned with Reston and your girls.”
“Girls?” Mari echoed, and her ears came up, eyes beginning to open a bit wider as she began to actually wake up. “I have girls?”
“Yes, you do,” the cormorant said quietly. “Reston has gone to find them, but I fear he doesn’t actually know where the kitchens are.”
Damas gave a low curse, but Archie was already moving, sending the Heart a saucy grin as he bolted by.
Mari’s eyes widened fully and she made a small sound of distress. “Reston was here? He was actually here?” She glanced over to the bison for veracity.
The bison nodded his head slowly. “Yes, Ma—Miss Mari. He’s here.”
“Oh, Light, I have to find him!” she gasped and threw open the door. The Selkie guard was swift to step in her path, however, blocking her way.
“Archie’s gone after him; it’s all right. He’ll find Reston and bring him back here. If you go, we’ll just keep missing each other.” Damas herded her around so she was facing back into her room. “Go lay down and Archie will have him here in no time at all.”
Mari looked up at him, fear and sadness in her eyes. “Are you sure?” She had botched it, her first chance with Reston after years and she had managed to utterly destroy. “He’s going to hate me, oh, Light, Damas, he’s going to hate me.” Tears were already beginning to pool in her eyes. “What am I going to do? I can’t believe I ruined it!”
“Hush, sshhh, Mari, Mari,” Damas ushered her gently to her bed, trying to calm her down. “He’s not going to hate you; he was just surprised. He only wants to make you happy.” He didn’t want to think about what he was saying; he was just saying what he had to in order to keep her calm.
Mari sniffled as the bison helped her into the bed and gently tucked her blankets around her. “But, but—“
“No buts,” Damas told her gently. He had to forcibly take his hands away from her. “You two just need a chance to talk.”
“Are you sure?” she asked with a waver in her voice.
It broke his heart. Damas sat down on the bed beside her, his mind telling him it was a bad idea, but he couldn’t make himself step away. “Yes, I’m certain.”
She gave him a tearful smile, and he reached out before he could stop himself, white hand resting on her cheek as he smiled in response.
Alachard frowned from the doorway, but whirled swiftly when he heard footsteps approaching. Blast it; Archie had found the stag very quickly. He stepped into the room, causing the bison to jump back, jerking his hand guiltily from the still sniffling woman. The Heart put on a quick smile. “They’re back. Come on, Damas, let’s give them a few moments alone.”
The bison glanced guiltily at the woman, but he didn’t dare disobey the Ten of Hearts, not with the look the Highlander was sending him. “Just call if you need anything, Mari,” Damas said in a low tone, pushing himself up off of the bed as Reston stepped uneasily into the doorway.
Marisela might not be overly attentive just then, but Alachard could tell that Reston was; his eyes skimmed everyone in the room, resting on the Highlander last and longest. The cormorant clapped the stag on the shoulder as he moved swiftly by; he didn’t dare tell the man what had just happened. But he and Damas were certainly going to have some words.
