For the writing prompts I'm doing on tumblr. kelliekittykat asked for "You look really tired." for AshXLance.
Tired
Ash suppresses a yawn as she continues her walk up and down the living room. She looks down at little Sam in her arms, checking if he's still asleep.
Which he is.
God, she wishes she could join him.
She is so tired that she has to count her steps.
She lost count twice already, and every time she passes the couch she feels the urge to just sit down, at least for a bit.
She's tried that already, and Sam woke up and started crying the moment she had settled down.
The moment she hears the key turn in the lock of the apartment door, she presses Sam a little tighter to her chest.
She isn't sure if she's glad that Lance is home after his gig or if she's afraid it might wake Sam up.
At least Lance is really quiet when he enters.
Which makes sense. He probably thinks she and baby Sam are fast asleep.
He can't know that it's only Sam who's asleep and that she spent all night walking up and down the living room.
She keeps walking, even as Lance enters the living room.
"Ash?" he asks, and it's hard to miss the surprise in his voice. Or the fact that he didn't lower his voice.
"Shhhhhhhhh!" Ash replies without stopping. "Sam's asleep!"
"Oh, okay," Lance replies in a whisper.
Ash expects him to go to the bathroom, but instead Lance is by her side within seconds. He adjusts his steps to her own.
"What happened?" Lance asks silently.
"Sam couldn't fall asleep," Ash replies. "So I took him in my arms and started walking up and down the room. And it worked."
"When did you start this?" Lance asks further.
"I don't know," Ash says. "What time is it?"
"One in the morning."
"Then it was hours ago," she replies, realizing just now that it's no wonder that she's so tired.
"Are you okay?" Lance asks.
Ash sighs. "As okay as I can be after a day of looking after Sam, replying to fan-e-mails, working on the lyrics of a new song, and walking up and down the living room half the night."
"Which, I presume, isn't very okay."
Ash rolls her eyes. Does Lance really want to talk in the middle of the night? It's probably the lack of sleep and her fatigue, but she bites down her tongue just in time before she can snap at him.
Because snapping at someone doesn't work in a low voice.
It doesn't help with the anger rising in her chest.
"No, it's not very okay, Lance," she says, hoping he at least gets the small amount of annoyance she could put into her voice without raising it.
"You look really tired," Lance says.
Ash rolls her eyes again.
"That's because I am really tired," she says, again putting as much of the annoyance she's feeling right now into her voice as she can.
"Here," Lance says holding up his arms. "Give me the baby."
Ash is so surprised by that that she stops routed to the spot, looking at Lance with wide eyes.
She wants to say something, but Sam stirs in her arms, and she quickly sets into motion again.
"Why?" she asks.
"Because you looked after Sam all day," Lance replies. "It's my turn."
"You just came from a gig, you were working all day, you must be tired, too," Ash replies.
It's the truth. He must be just as tired as she is.
"Doesn't matter," Lance says. "Come on, Ash, you need some sleep. Give me the baby."
Ash has to admit, Lance' offer is compelling. She still hesitates, though. What if Sam wakes up when she hands him to Lance? What if he can't sleep in his father's arm? What if she can't calm him down again? What if…
"Ash!" Lance' voice makes her snap out of her thoughts, and it has a urging ring to it.
"Please, Ash," Lance goes on, "let me help."
Ash sighs.
"Okay," she says as she stops, quickly handing the sleeping baby in her arms to Lance.
Sam stirs a little again, and Ash is about to take him back into her arms, but Lance sets into motion and Sam calms down again.
Ash just stands there, watching Lance as he's walking up the living room with their little son in his arms.
"Ash," Lance addresses her after a few moments.
"Yes?"
"You really should get some sleep."
"Oh yeah, right!" she replies. She's so tired that she actually forgot about that. "I'll just lie down on the couch, in case you need help, okay?"
"Okay," Lance says. "Good night, love!"
"Good night!" Ash replies as she lies down on the couch.
She falls asleep the moment her head touches the pillow.