Sammy & Ilna extra thanks for the extra help with this one! Love you both

REALMcRollers & Readers, thank you as always!


Rug Burn

"Hey." Steve gave a nod from the rocking chair where he was reading to Angie when Catherine stepped into the nursery with Cammie, who'd run downstairs to greet her.

"Hey," Angie repeated sleepily and both parents smiled. "Mama."

"That's new." She grinned. "Hey, baby girl." She bent to lift the toddler and kissed her cheek. "Are you all ready for bed?" Catherine placed her down in her crib and the little one snuggled right up to her stuffed tiger and closed her eyes.

Mary peeked her head in the door. "Goodnight, cutie."

"Goodnight," Steve said with a smirk.

Mary rolled her eyes. "See you guys in the morning." She turned to head towards the guest room then turned back. "I had a great time tonight, Cath. The movie was an awesome idea."

"Thanks." Catherine smiled. "I had a great time too."

They could hear Mary humming softly as she made her way to the guest room.

After kissing Angie goodnight, Steve straightened and wrapped an arm around his wife. "So, you guys had fun?"

"Yeah. We decided on this month's film at the Movie Museum. Gram loved it and Mom never saw Gone With the Wind on the big screen either." Catherine kissed her fingers and touched their daughter's head, gently pushing a stray curl off her forehead. "Joan's asleep?"

He nodded. "We did a couple of stories together then she and Aaron FaceTimed his parents. His dad read her a few chapters of a story they've been reading together and she fell asleep afterwards. Aaron decided to leave her in there for tonight."


Later that evening after checking on Angie, closed the door softly and made their way to the master bedroom.

"Mary really liked the movie, hmm?"

Catherine spoke as she changed into sleep shorts and a tank. "Definitely. She and Mom got into a discussion about Scarlett dancing and the ramifications in the 1860s." She chuckled. "For the record, your sister thinks you could've been a blockade runner."

Steve shrugged. "I've run a few blockades."

"I mentioned that," she said as she exited the bathroom and tossed a towel in the hamper. "Mary said, 'Of course he has.' "

He barked a laugh. "I've been compared to worse than Rhett Butler."

She climbed into bed and held the sheet up as he did the same. "Look at you remembering the character," she teased.

"Even if I never saw the movie." His eyes glinted.

"You totally saw it. You made fun of Scarlett wearing the drapes."

He thought a second. "I did, didn't I?" He smirked and nuzzled her neck then pulled back enough to look at her with a crooked smile. "I kinda remember that scene."

Catherine playfully smacked his shoulder. "Because when we attempted to watch it together, that was one of the times we…" she air quoted "came up for air." Her smile was saucy when she patted his abs. "Remember that?"

Steve leaned in until she was lying flat and he hovered above her. "Ya know..." he was grinning against her mouth when her hands ran through his hair, "what else I remember?" His voice pitched lower and he kissed her more passionately before he whispered, …"There was … not one …" the grin became a full blown smile, "battle scene in an entire movie that was about five hours long and took place during the Civil War."

They laughed together. She pecked his lips even as she smacked his shoulder. "It is not five hours long."

"It's a long movie, Catherine."

"Agreed, but we also kept pausing it to have sex." She slid her hands down his back and pressed up against him. "I think we were distracted twice before we got to that wearing the drapes scene and you fell asleep in between." She kissed him until he groaned. "Which proves my theory from last week."

"I was not asleep the whole time," he defended. "There was a fire scene, too."

She chuckled until his wandering hands made her gasp softly. "The uh … hm … burning of Atlanta. Action scene, of course you remember that."

He grinned.

"Speaking of burning …" She rolled them over, gathered her hair over one shoulder and straddled him as she said, "Let's see how hot we can make it right here."


"Know what else I remember burning the night we watched that movie?" Steve's voice remained low, conscious of their visitors at the far end of the hall.

"Hmmm?" His fingers played over his hip and she placed a soft kiss on his collarbone.

"Your apartment had new rugs. Ring a bell?"

He felt her chuckle before it reached his ears. "Oh, God, the …"

"Rug burns."

"Rug burns."

They said together and laughed at the memory.

"We didn't make it to the bed." Even heavy-lidded with sleepiness, her eyes danced.

"Or the bedroom." He inhaled deeply and kissed her lips when she raised her head from his shoulder.

"Or the sofa." She returned the kiss before settling into his side with a grin.

She felt him shrug. "It had been ten weeks."

"We made up for it," she murmured and she felt his breathing slow as he edged into sleep. "Rug burns and all."

"We always did. And lesson learned: new rugs are a no-go - at least they were … hide-able."

"From who?" She chuckled sleepily. "We didn't leave my apartment for the first four days."

"True, and you administered some excellent first aid."

"I remember offering to kiss everything better." She sighed softly, on the edge of slumber and she felt him relax further against her.

Steve's voice was quiet as he gave in to sleep himself. "You always made everything better, Cath. Just by being yourself." His kiss on her head was feather light and made her smile. "Know what?"

"Hmmm?"

"You still do."

# End. Thanks for reading!


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