Disclaimer: Nothing of this is mine, more's the pity! :)
Anna couldn't sleep. It wasn't for lack of trying, she just couldn't get comfortable. She had been curled up next to John, her head on his chest and his arm around her but she had moved when she realsied she wasn't drifting off to sleep any time soon so as not to wake him. Now she was sat on the edge of the bed wondering weather it was worth going downstairs. Deciding it couldn't do any harm she carfully stood up and made her way to the door quietly so as not to wake John. The landing was dark since there was no light on it and Anna had to hold on to the handrail as she slowly made her way down into the living room where she turned on the light. It wasn't very bright and the place still felt dark but it was enough for her to see the sofa and sit down on it. It was cold and she was only wearing a nightgown so she pulled the blanket that was over the sofa around her shoulders and lay back.
It had been a week since her and John had moved into the cottage and she hadn't had a good nights sleep since. She always ended up on the sofa were she was normally found by John at some early hour in the morning. She knew she couldn't keep this up much longer, she had never felt so tired at work before, even when John had been in prision, and she didn't want her work to suffer. As she pulled the blanker closer around her she felt her eyes dropping and was glad to be finally drifting off to sleep.
"Anna? Anna, it's time to get dressed for work," she heard John talking, his hand on her shoulder but she just turned over and was surprised to feel that the bed had gotten smaller. Opening her eyes she recognised her own living room and then remembered that she had came downstairs last night, again.
"Morning," she muttered as he sat down next to her and she sat up in a more comfortable postion. He handed her a cup of tea and she smiled before hurrying to drink it down. John was already dressed and she didn't want to make them late, no matter how much she would have liked to go straight back to sleep.
"Could you not sleep last night?" He asked and she shook her head before handing him back the cup and standing up.
"I don't know why, I just never seem to settle in the bed," she told him before making her way up the stairs and getting dressed for work. She hated being up early and would have like a lie in once or twice but at least she enjoyed her job. She loved helping Lady Mary and she couldn't imagine being anywere else. She had been in service for the better part of her life, almost 19 years and she didn't know anythng else. It didn't take her too long to get ready and go back down the stairs to see John waiting for her at the bottom, her coat and hat in his hands.
"Here you go love, let's get going shall we?" He asked as he slipped her coat on and she placed the hat on her head. It was chilly outisde and Anna moved closer to John to try and keep warm. The walk wasn't too long, it normally took them about half an hour, but it was icy this morning and they moved slower then normal so they wouldn't slip.
"Why do you think you can't settle?" John asked, breaking the silence between them.
"I don't know, I think I'm just going to have to get used to the place. I haven't lived anywere except the girls side since I was 16," she told him and he nodded, not commenting on it. A few minutes passed and Anna looked up, surprised to see him frowning. "What?" He looked down to see her watching him and he managed a smile before answering her question.
"If you're not comfortable in the cottage we can always move back, I'm sure Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes wont mind," he told her and she stopped walking, causing him to slip a little on the icy path as her arm pulled him back.
"Why would I want to move back? Do you?" She asked, confused as to why he would think she wanted to move out of the cottage.
"Of course I don't but if you can't sleep then you don't have to stay there," he tried to explain and she sighed before putting her arm back through his and started to walk again.
"I don't want to move out, I like it there, our home. I'm sure I'll be fine in a few days, I couldn't sleep at Downton when I first started now it's impossible to get me up," she laughed and he smiled before stopping them and pulling her closer to him. "We'll be late," she wishpered, half heartedly before his hand reached up to cup the side of her face and he leant down as there lips met, here hands going around his neck.
"A few minutes wont matter," he smiled before she pulled away and they started back on there walk to Downton.
A/N: Hey there, so my first Downton Abbey fic, what did you think? This isn't very long, just a 2 part fic and I'll post the other one up either tomorrow or Monday!